What would you do for a friend?

What would you do for a friend? Not too long ago I posted on the topic of love. I talked about how difficult it can be for me to love others. I talked a little about dying for a friend and maybe even going to hell for a friend.

I have been reading "All of Grace" by Spurgeon. It is a neat little book written in easy language with the intent of reaching the lost. It so good to see the heart of such a man as he! At one point in the book he is talking about the person who "can't" live a christian life because of the influence his friends have on him. Listen to what Mr. Spurgeon has to say.

"I would do many things to please my friends, but to go to hell to please them is more then I would venture It may be very well to do this or that for good fellowship, but it will never do to lose the friendship of God in order to keep on good terms with men."

This quote, though aimed more towards the unbeliever can still be relevant to the Christian today. How many times have I caught myself doing something stupid just because of the company I was in! Christ had to suffer and Die because of those stupid things! I praise God for all of His grace!

The Amusement Park Church

Just think of all the people we could attract to our church if we had an amusement park associated with it! Maybe we could even name some rides after popular stories from the Old Testament. We could even have people dress up in costumes that resemble some of the heroes of the faith! We could have rides and shows and animals, and games. Don't forget about the light show and fireworks followed by a brief message about a loving God. Add some rockin' music with a kickin' beat and our church would grow by leaps and bounds!

All that may be true. The church might grow. But why? Amusement? Entertainment? Lights? The show? I found this Spurgeon quote today on the Truth Matters blog. I think Mr Spurgeon hits the nail on the head. He says:

“The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them...providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church...the need is for Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt that it sets men aflame.”

I know that what I have written above is a little extreme. It is true though. More and more in churches today the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is softened. People are brought in because the music is more contemporary, the speaker more flamboyant, the church more accepting, the people more "loving". In many cases we are missing the point! Jesus did not come to be entertaining! He came to save sinners! Jesus did not come to be amusing! He came to die! We so often forget that God is just. He hates sin. Many times in the Old Testament we see the destruction of kings and nations. Why are they destroyed? SIN! SIN! SIN! God hates sin! He hates sin so much that He cannot even tolerate to be in the presence of it! Yet he loves us so much that He gave his Son to die for us! We must preach the Gospel, the power of God above all things! That is what saves people not entertainment! The Gospel will change lives! I know that it has changed mine! Entertainment does not. Folks may get excited and enjoy entertainment, but it is empty. There is no meat. We need a Savior not a comedian. We are lost in our sin, worthless, empty. Entertainment will not change that! Jesus can and will! Look to the Cross of Christ, it does have the power to change your life. That is what we must preach in our churches! Look to the Cross!

Romans

Ty and are are reading through the book of Romans. Each night before bed we will take a section section, read it, and then discuss it. We started on this journey together last night. I was challenged at the Men's Conference to memorize certain books in Romans in an effort to try to live more fully with the gospel in front of my face. Thus, I wanted to similarly challenge my son. Romans 1:16 really stood out to me because it is a verse that Milton Vincent spoke about during one of the conference sessions. It says "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." What a great verse! Vincent went on to talk about the universe and the sun and comets and how God's power that is so evident in all of his creation. All of these things took unimaginable power to create and awesome power to maintain yet these are not the power God. The power of God is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:18 also talks about the power of God, it says "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." It is amazing to think that we as Christians have access to the power of God through the Gospel! This gives new meaning to Phillipians 4:13! It says "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Let me paraphrase, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me through the power of the gospel! Exciting stuff. Let's get out there!

The Gospel

This past weekend was the 5th annual ABC men's conference at Camp of the Woods. It was truly an awesome experience to worship with almost 200 other men, all of which are dedicated to the same gospel. The one and only Gospel. The good news of Jesus Christ our Lord. The guest speaker is a man I have really learned to admire. A man who loves the Lord. A man who does his all to live his life inside the Gospel. This man's name is Milton Vincent. He wrote the book "The Gospel Primer for Christians". I would highly recommend this book to all Christians! Please read it!

I have had some time to try and digest some of the truths that were brought forth during this conference. I would like to share with you, what was for me, the most life changing. It's the idea of living your life with the Gospel in front of you face. It is looking at life not with "rose colored lenses", but using the Cross of Christ as a lense to view all things. I know that at different seasons in my life, I have lived with many different things in front of my face. Self has always been a big one. I am selfish. Fear is another. The fear of man and what they will think of me. How shallow of me! Who cares! If we, as Christians who love the Lord can live our lives with the Gospel in front of our faces and nothing else, the Lord will use that to change the world! If we interpret all things through the Gospel we will be changed. We will see our God in a new light. We will see others in a new light. We will see trials in a new light. Do you want to change the world for Jesus? I believe that this is the first step! God's word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is eternal, we will be in eternity with them! Let us, you and me keep the Gospel in front of our faces, conquer our sins, and take this world for our God. We deserve wrath! God has given us grace.

A Christian Nation

It is becoming more and more apparent to me that this nation, founded on Christian values and morals; this nation that was once called a Christian nation, can no longer be referred to as such. I have been watching and listening for some time now the different movements in our culture. These movements are political, cultural, even theological, and they can be a little startling! My first response is to get angry! How in the world can these people be so naive, so ignorant as to what is right and what is wrong. I don't think that I am the only person that has these feelings! I praise God the he is sovereign! The correct way for me to feel about these movements and changes in the way our society thinks is to respond with love. I know that my flesh is not able to love them. This love has to be supernatural! It has to be a love that my Heavenly Father instills in me. I will do my best, by God's grace, to love them and I pray that you will too.

I was reading in Romans 1 the other day and it struck me that this section of scripture describes America. I realize that Paul is speaking to the Romans here but I cannot help but see some similarities! I will share it with you. It is Romans 1:18-32-

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Our nation seems to be falling apart. Our world too for that matter. Yet here I sit. I am convicted. The Lord says "Go and make disciples of all nations." The Lord asks "Who can I send?" Like Isaiah, I will say "Here I am send me." Help me Father to have a heart for the lost, help me to love them as you do. Help me to go to them and share your beautiful gospel. Help me to keep the cross ever in front of my face. You and You alone. Please help me to be faithful. Help me to understand your gospel better. Make me more like your Blessed Son every day. Now to him who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (1 Tim 6:15b & 16)

Biblical

I have a friend who likes to share his biblical opinion on some topics that can be very controversial. This friend is well educated and would probably consider himself something of an intellectual. His arguments are touching and sometimes very persuasive. However, most of his opinions I very much disagree with. I have yet to see any scripture to back up this "biblical opinion", in most cases because I don't think there is any. I think I have somewhat of a grasp on the major doctrines of scripture and I am enjoying digging deeper into God's word and learning about the not so major doctrines. If I do state my opinion, especially if it's an opinion on something scripture has to say, such as creation or marriage, I want to do my best to understand what God is saying in that scripture. I truly believe that God's word is sufficient for all things through our knowledge of Him. (2 Peter 1:3). We have no need to look to the Discovery Channel or the Science Channel, we have God's eternal word (Isa 40:8), which is written by God (2 Tim 3:16) Why would we look to man for his wisdom? God's word says repeatedly that the heart of man is wicked or evil (Matt 15:8, Rom 3:11 to name a few) I guess that my point is that if you are a Christian and you want to give your biblical opinion on issues that scripture talks about, use the scripture. It carries much more weight then "I think" or "I believe" or even "I saw it on the Internet so it has to be true". I guess there is a second point too. Christian please don't believe everything you hear or read from other Christians. Open up that bible of yours and test it! I apologize for this tirade. Thanks for listening, or reading, which is a type of listening. Blessings!

Perfect fellowship

I had a great conversation the other night with my friend Al. I don't remember all of what we talked about but I would like to share just a brief thought with you! I don't know where this thought came from but I said to Al "It will be great to get to heaven and have perfect fellowship with you". Normally when I talk about perfect fellowship it is in relationship to Jesus or God the Father. This thought was more along the lines of perfect fellowship with my friends too! I don't know about you but my mind sometimes wanders when I am talking to my friends. Sometimes those wanderings are tainted with sin. More often for sure then I would like to admit! So, on top of rejoicing for eternity with our God we will have fellowship with each other that is not tainted with sin! I would imagine that this would take all of our relationships to a much deeper level. Love without sin. Friendship without sin. Think without sin. Exist without sin! Heaven is going to be so much better then I can fathom! I can't wait to get there!