Care Bear Christianity

Jesus can be our Rock, upon which we can rest our heads, but that doesn't mean that in our walk we should behave as muppets - God teaches the responsibility of believers, to admonish, correct, teach, witness, and fellowship. All of which require us to do things in a certain way - God's way, of course, not our own. Some of them are hard and cause divisions, but the Lord has already told us this would happen.

"Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." - Luke 12:51-53

And by what manner will they be divided?

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God is what divides people, even in the Christian community. For not all are who they claim to be. In my walk I have seen that the majority of believers like to talk about the gentle stuff, but not the hard stuff. They would rather pacify people with Care Bear Christianity instead of preaching anything difficult and risk any toes to be stepped on.

For example, if I were to start talking about God's Word on the matter of women in ministry, this would usually not go over very well. Why? Well, that's easy. In this day and age many women have already given themselves this position of authority in the church, even though there is no precedence for it in God's Word. So naturally it's not surprising such women would not want to hear anyone telling them that the role of authority was given to men only.

Or lets say I start talking about homosexuality, which doesn't always go over well either. That's simply because of the same thing - people don't want to hear the truth, they want to hear the soft message, that its ok to be homosexual and saved at the same time. Which, of course, we know isn't true, according to God.

If you are gay and you truly believe upon the Lord (by the hearing of God's Word) and then receive the Holy Spirit - it is the Spirit living in you who will convict you that this kind of lifestyle is wrong. And you will ask for forgiveness and repent of it, and you will be transformed. Because, you see, it's always the same process with God; faith, belief, salvation, transformation. You cannot have just one or two of those, you need to have them all.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:2

By the making new; the changing into the views and feelings of God. The Christian is often represented as a new creature. If you truly are born again, you will be a whole new person. You will not want the soft message, because the Spirit living in you will desire the real meat of God's Word - both the hard and the soft.

Amen.

Preach the Word!

Wisdom from God's Word teaches us His ways of dealing with every day life situations. His lessons and commandments are not always adhered to though, and quite often they can cause contention with those who are not (or do not desire) to truly follow Him. Unfortunately, these kind of contentions can often come from those professing to be born again.

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. - 2 Timothy 4:2

As we can see from the verse above we are charged with preaching His Word, and also with convincing, rebuking, and exhorting it - with all due patience. Why then do those who profess to be His cause such contentions against this directive? As always, God tells us the answer from His Word ...

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! - 2 Timothy 3:1-5

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

The majority of people like to have their ears tickled. They prefer the "soft" message, because it doesn't convict them of anything hard. So knowing what we are up against, with so many professing believers acting in opposition to the faith and leading people astray by their behavior and ignorance, we are encouraged by God to hold fast ...

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. - 2 Timothy 4:5

Another admonition to hold fast to God's Word is given by Paul to Timothy ...

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. - 1 Timothy 6:20-21

So it is obvious from this that we should guard what was committed to our trust - namely, the Word of God. In this vocation we should avoid the profane, idle, and contradictory babblings of some, who in their folly contribute this knowledge as coming from God.

Know that this type of behavior is prevalent nowadays, and ever increasing as we approach the Day. This is especially true in places like Christian chat rooms on the Web. You must use caution when visiting these places, especially if you are a new believer, because the majority of them are filled with many of the contentions mentioned above in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

So what's the best plan? Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Avoid those who believe what they want to believe and contend with foolish and inane babblings about matters not of God. If you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Command and teach these things ... set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. - 1 Timothy 4:11-16

Amen.

By Grace Through Faith

Often I have had people ask me, "How can I do good works, as God says in the bible?" This is a common question, actually, and the answer is really quite simple. First, let's examine the Scriptures on this subject...

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Verse 2:8 mentions the pivotal element by which all believers are given the power to do good works: grace. Grace describes the undeserved kindness by which salvation is given, but it is also the power-word describing the Holy Spirit's operational means. Grace is a force as well as a favor, a verb as well as a noun.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

Verse 2:10 now gives us the answer to the question How can I do good works...? We are created by God in Christ Jesus so that the ability to do good works is now inherent in us. The genius of God's new creation work in each believer is that He renovates the nature of His redeemed children to make good works a living possibility.

So looking at these verses in this way it is obvious that if a person is truly saved then they will naturally desire to do good works. It isn't something they will have to struggle with or ask God to help them with, because it will come naturally to them through the indwelling force of the Holy Spirit. God has created in all who believe this desire to do good works in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

Are You Going to Finish Strong?

Kind of hard to dance when you have no arms or legs, yet this blessed man does so using God and Jesus Christ. Amazing ...

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it." - 1 Corinthians 9:24

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." - Hebrews 12:1

Amen.