Eternal Approach

Another important aspect of our solitary walk with Christ is our willingness to be accountable for what we teach and the sources we recommend in our teaching.

This is not something that usually worries those within Evangelicalism. Unless it has to do with warning someone of a legalistic or very strange teacher.

Outside of that, we tend to recommend and quote most anyone in our sermons if that source is popular and if that source is advancing our point.

Continue reading “Outside the Camp: Conclusion – Accountable in Teaching” →

“Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” (Hebrews 13:13)

When the Lord rode into Jerusalem on a colt, about a week before He would go to the cross, the people shouted and praised Him and spread palm branches and clothes in His path. (Matthew 21)

But the Lord knew that this would not last. He knew that He would soon hang on a cross outside the holy city. He would be despised and rejected of men. Cast out from the religious system and the world’s culture.

Continue reading “Outside the Camp” →

God will not reveal truth to whomever seeks it.

A man must seek God “in Spirit and in truth” in order to discover what God has said in His word.

This means, that even a highly-educated Christian, with a doctorate in Biblical studies, who has served as a pastor and preached countless sermons, and written many Christian classics, is not guaranteed to understand the truth whenever he chooses to know it.

It also means, that a Christian, trained in Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek, with a scientific background and a keen mind for technical studies, will be able to properly understand the meaning of Genesis.

Because mental ability, educational prowess, high academic pedigree, scientific training, and 10 doctorates in Divinity studies cannot open the meanings of the word of God to someone who is unwilling to accept the clear meaning of the scriptures.

The scriptures that God will reveal to a small child who has simple faith.

Continue reading “Seeking Clarity: Conclusion — The Simple Words of God” →

The Carnal Disciplines

The techniques of spiritual discipline are very common among religions. For the most part, one has merely to change the deity of preference into the method used.

Even if that deity is simply the Higher Self !

Christians often fail to properly discern between good and bad religious practices. They make assumptions about the value of these disciplines for managing the flesh. And will casually apply a combination of spiritual techniques that are not biblical. 

Believers assume that if they will dedicate themselves fully to do the Lord’s will, He will then change them. And that He will then help them to make changes in their lives.  

It is not an error to trust in the Lord’s ability and promise to change us as we trust Him to do so; the error is in the confidence we have in our own will power, our own sincerity, and even our own devotion toward God.

The error is in our self confidence, our self determination and trusting in the value of our own will and devotion.

Or in the level of the pain, the level of sacrifice, or in the level of self denial we are willing to endure in order to please God.

Continue reading “What is “Lent” Anyway: Conclusion — The Worship of the Will” →

When choosing to observe Lent, Christians exhibit a very popular, Chinese-buffet mentality — which is to cherry-pick their favorite traditions from various religious systems. Giving very little thought to the spiritual wickedness that often follows such practices. 

Lent is merely one small facet of the Catholic system of rituals and sacraments that must be followed in order for the faithful Catholic to gain forgiveness of sins and merit the joys of heaven.

Most people think that Catholicism offers some guarantee of heaven. But this is not really the case — even for the faithful Catholic. Because, when a Catholic dies, he must still face the punishments of Purgatory.

All because of sins that have not been forgiven in this life.

Continue reading “What is “Lent” Anyway?: Part 2 – The Religious-Traditions Buffet” →

The contrast between the popular culture and Evangelicalism is interesting.

On the one hand, popular culture continues to polarize between Leftism and Conservatism. With people very vocal on both sides.

Meanwhile, in the Evangelical culture, there is this trend toward more and more fuzziness on truth. With many leaders carefully avoiding clarity at all cost.

Leaving the average guy in the pews wondering why the church’s grasp on biblical truth is slipping away.

While he watches everything in the church changing around him.
Continue reading “Seeking Clarity: Part 2 – A False Sense of Biblical Soundness” →

These compromises within Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism are caused by our misunderstanding of the vast difference between the works of God and the works of the Christian.

We have too much confidence in the value of our own efforts. Christians tend to believe that their devotion, sincerity, depth of good intent, and dedicated will are what the Lord is seeking from them.

Many an altar-call for missionaries has led to sincere believers launching out into the deep on the strength of their own emotion and devotion. Only to find themselves in misery after the novelty of being in the field wears off. Wondering if they were truly called of God after all.

This is a common problem in many areas of full-time Christian ministry. Where the emotion of the moment has influenced a life-changing decision. As opposed to a true calling of God.

And it is a common experience of most believers to daily re-dedicate their wills and desires to better behavior and better works. All based upon their assessment of the previous day’s spiritual successes or failures.

But, is this truly the way that the Lord produces His works in us?

Continue reading “Works Confusion: Part 2 – The Lord’s Way of Change” →