The Preeminence of Christ

On June 9, 2011 I posted an article called "Which Jesus Do You Believe In". That article discussed who the writer of Hebrews says Jesus is, compared with what others say Jesus is. The Apostle Paul had a similar view of Jesus as the writer of Hebrews. Paul had been a persecutor of Christians and complicit in the murder of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. However later, Paul had a dramatic face to face meeting with Jesus on the Damascus road that forever changed him and his view of who Jesus was. Writing to the Church of Colosse from a Roman prison around 60 AD, Paul’s letter was intended to counter what was being taught about Jesus by false teachers. In Colossians 1: 15-20, Paul quotes from what scholars think is an early Christian hymn. In one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible, Paul explains who Jesus Christ is this way:

^{Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,  for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.  Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.  For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,  and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. (Col 1: 15-20, NLT Bible)}

From these verses, Paul describes the following characteristics of Jesus:

1. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus. Similarly, the writer of Hebrews called Jesus the very character and nature of God imprinted (stamped) in human flesh (Heb 1:3).

2. He existed before anything… Jesus existed before anything, therefore Jesus is eternal.

3. … is supreme over all creation. The word supreme in verse 15 is the Greek word prototokos, which means firstborn (the one who inherits all of the father’s possessions and authority, like a prince who becomes king upon the father’s death) or the preeminent one. Jesus is preeminent over all creation. Only God can be preeminent over creation.

4. Through him God created everything. Everything that exists was created by God through Jesus. Likewise, the Apostle John says that Jesus created everything that was created (John 1:3). This verse also indicates the separate divine personality of the Son to the Father (the Trinity).

5. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see. Jesus created angels and all of the heavenly realms.

6. Everything was created through him and for him. Not only did Jesus create everything, everything that Jesus created is specifically for him and for his glory. Everything belongs to him. We belong to him. Only God can have this kind of authority.

7. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Jesus not only eternally existed before creation, Jesus holds all of creation together at this very moment. The reason we are alive at this moment and why anything that we know exists at all is because of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus upholds the universe by the word of His power (Heb 1:3). This kind of power is unimaginable; it is the power of God.

8. Christ is also the head of the church. As the divine Son of God who willingly became a man in order to come to Earth and give himself to save human beings from the penalty of sin, Jesus is the head of the church and is the one who the church worships.

9. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. Jesus is described as supreme over all who rise from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection means that death itself and the power of sin is conquered and makes a believer’s resurrection possible.

10. So he is first in everything. Jesus is first and supreme in everything as creator, sustainer, and savior. Therefore, we should place Him first in everything.

11. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ. When Jesus came to Earth, he was both God and man, a perfect human being who had all the fullness of God in him.

12. and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. God took the initiative to save human beings from sin and make a way to pay the penalty of sin by means of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. God poured out his wrath for sin upon Jesus on the cross. The creator acted to make a way of salvation for the creation he made, and forever break the power of sin and death.

As we look forward to Christmas this season, let us remember who Jesus really is. He is the eternal creator and sustainer, the one who created us for his glory. He is the one who holds everything together and is the exact image of God. This is why there is salvation in no other. Because of who Jesus is and what he has done for us, he alone is worthy of our worship. Repentance and faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life, a life that only Jesus makes possible.

Grace and Truth at Penn State

Most people that heard of the unfolding events at Penn State University last week were horrified and saddened. It seems that a University President, Athletic Director, Head Football Coach, and Assistant Coach apparently would not take decisive action necessary to investigate, follow-up and/or stop the alleged sexual abuse of children by one of their own. Conflicting emotions took hold of many on the campus. Some reacted angrily to the removal of their beloved coach, who had up to this point been a pillar of virtue. Others rallied to remember the victims. Sometimes God allows the horror of sin to be revealed or shakes our world in order to direct our attention to Him.

For me, the one light shining in the awful darkness of this sad situation was the Penn State and Nebraska football teams gathering for prayer prior to the game on Saturday. Below is a video of Nebraska Running Back Coach Ron Brown leading prayer for both teams prior to the game.

Below is Coach Brown's press conference after the game, where he explains why the teams prayed and what Grace and Truth are. Coach Brown is a Christian who is not afraid to share his faith or the hope that he has in Christ.

A Chosen People



Winters in Chicago can be particularly difficult, even though our city is one of the best prepared for it. Along with only 8-9 hours of daylight, we can experience many days of overcast along with the snow and cold. And when the sun finally does shine, the temperature usually drops to near zero degrees Fahrenheit. Early last February was particularly difficult, when we had a blizzard which brought 60 mile per hour winds and two or more feet of snow. It took a couple days for most people to dig out, then the temperature dropped and we had even more misery.

Winter days seem to accentuate the difficulties of everyday life. The guys in our small prayer group at church were going through some particularly difficult times during this period: one was going through home foreclosure, another was experiencing a drop in business and difficulties with a son, and another had a sick wife. It was during this gloomy and depressing time that we came across the Bible passage of 1 Peter 2: 9-10, where Peter is giving encouragement to believers going through hard times, which says:

"…. for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.　Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy."

The words in this passage are very encouraging for a believer. It says we are a chosen people; God in His mercy, chose us. It says we are royal priests; unlike the Israelites of the Old Testament, we can approach God and the throne of grace as a priest because Jesus Christ’s sacrifice had torn the veil of the Temple between mankind and God. As believers, we are God’s own possession; He will not let go of what belongs to Him. In gratitude for what He has done for us, we will want to tell others of how God brought us out of spiritual winter of darkness and death, and into His marvelous light and eternal life. As believers, we can rejoice for we now have an identity as God’s chosen possession, a God who knows us by our name, a name that He has written in the Book of Life from before the foundation of the world. And all of this is because we have received God’s mercy through faith in what his Son, Jesus Christ has done for us, something we could not do for ourselves.

May these words encourage you as they encouraged us during the dark, cold, gloom of winter.

 

What Is Your Pin?

Near the end of the film Schindler’s List, World War Two is drawing to a close. With liberation by Allied forces imminent, 1100 Jewish factory workers gathered to honor Oskar Schindler, the man who had helped them escape the Nazi death camps. The Jews presented Schindler with a gold ring, made from a gold tooth given by one of the Jews, in appreciation for what Schindler had done for them. Moved by their gesture, Schindler comes to a moment of self-realization: he didn't deserve their honor because he could have saved more people using the many resources that he had wasted in the past. Removing a gold Nazi lapel pin from his jacket that he had worn for many years, Schindler realized that he could have saved two more people with it. Schindler is overcome with shame that he had held back something so small that could have been used to save a life.

Often times, we go through life thoroughly convinced that we are doing everything possible to give of ourselves to others. Living the American dream, we are often consumed with family, friends, work, and hobbies. But there are times, like with Oskar Schindler, we come to the realization that most of what we are doing, while not necessarily bad, is usually self centered and self serving. Recently, Kevin Conway, a missionary with Church Resource Ministries, told my Saturday Morning men’s group that the plight of the people in Croatia & Bosnia so moved him that he gave up his home, business, and career to serve God in the former Yugoslavia. Kevin also asked us to consider this question: Like Oskar Schindler, what is your pin? What are you holding back from God that could be used to save the lost?

Dr. John Piper, Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis MN has a free on-line book (in .pdf format) that helps us think about this question: it is called Don’t Waste Your Life. The book is available free at the link below:

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/online-books/dont-waste-your-life

A Letter to His Flock From the Imprisoned Iranian Pastor

Youcef Nadarkhani is a Christian Iranian Pastor, who is currently in prison awaiting execution by the Iranian government. You see, it is illegal to be a Christian in Iran. Many are trying to put pressure on the Iranian government to stop the execution. Recently, the Iranian Government has released propaganda (shades of Josef Goebbels, the Nazi propagandist) stating that Pastor Youcef is not being executed for being a Christian, but rather for being a rapist and thief. This is in spite of all the documentation regarding the trial. I guess when you are used to lying as often and as regularly as the Iranian government does, it is hard to keep your stories straight. This reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 5: 11-12, where He says:


"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

From what Jesus says above, it sounds like Pastor Youcef is in good company.
Below is a letter written by Pastor Youcef to his flock over one year ago while imprisoned. When I read this, the Apostle Paul's prison epistles came to mind. I hope you are as encouraged as I am by Pastor Youcef's courage and abiding in the Lord. The letter sounds authentic; an Iranian propagandist couldn't write this.
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This is a letter from Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani written from prison in Iran earlier this year. Pastor Youcef currently faces the death sentence for apostasy – conversion from Islam to Christianity – and is waiting for the court’s final verdict. Please continue to pray.
This message has been translated from Farsi to English.

Dear brothers and sisters, Salam

In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am continuously seeking grace and mercy to you, that you remember me and those who are bearing efforts for his name in your prayers.

Your loyalty to God is the cause of my strength and encouragement.
For I know well that you will be rewarded; as it’s stated: blessed is the one who has faith, for what has been said to him by God, will be carried out. As we believe, heaven and earth will fade but his word will still remain.

Dear beloved ones, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of a few verses, although you might know them, So that in everything, you give more effort than the past, both to prove your election, and for the sake of Gospel that is to be preached to the entire world as well.

I know that not all of us are granted to keep this word, but to those who are granted this power and this revelation, I announce the same as Jude, earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.

We are passing by special and sensitive days.They are days that for an alert and awake believer can be days of spiritual growth and progress. Because for him, more than any other time there is the possibility to compare his faith with the word of God, have God’s promises in mind, and survey his faith.

Therefore he (the true believer) does not need to wonder for the fiery trial that has been set on for him as though it were something unusual, but it pleases him to participate in Christ’s suffering. Because the believer knows he will rejoice in his glory.

Dears, the " judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

Therefore those who are enduring burdens by the will of God, commit their souls to the faithful Creator. Promises that he has given us, are unique and precious. As we’ve heard he has said: "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you"

How can it be possible for a believer to understand these words?
Not only when he is focusing on Jesus Christ with adapting his life according to the life Jesus lived when he was on earth? As it is said " O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail."

Have we not read and heard: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Many attempt to flee from their spiritual tests, and they have to face those same tests in a more difficult manner, because no one will be victorious by escaping from them, but with patience and humility he will be able to overcome all the tests, and gain victory.

Therefore in the place of Christ’s followers, we must not feel desperate, but we have to pray to God in supplication with more passion to help us with any assistance we may need.
According to what Paul has said: In every temptation, God himself will make a way for us to tolerate it.

O beloved ones, difficulties do not weaken mankind, but they reveal the true human nature.

It will be good for us to occasionally face persecutions and abnormalities, since these abnormalities will persuade us to search our hearts, and to survey ourselves. So as a result, we conclude that troubles are difficult, but usually good and useful to build us.

Dear brothers and sisters, we must be more careful than any other time. Because in these days, the hearts and thoughts of many are revealed, so that the faith is tested. May your treasure be where there is no moth and rust.

I would like to remind you of some verses that we nearly discuss everyday, (Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.) but as long as our human will has priority over God’s will, his will will not be done.

As we have learned from him in Gethsemane, he surrendered his will to the father, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
What we are bearing today, is a difficult but not unbearable situation, because neither he has tested us more than our faith and our endurance, nor does he do as such. And as we have known from before, we must beware not to fail, but to advance in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, And consider these bumps and prisons as opportunities to testify to his name. He said: If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

As a small servant, necessarily in prison to carry out what I must do, I say with faith in the word of God that he will come soon."However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Discipline yourself with faith in the word of God. Retain your souls with patience. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly.
May you are granted grace and blessings increasingly in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.

Yusef Nadarkhani
Lakan Prison in Rasht
2/June/2010

Source: http://cyberbrethren.com/2011/09/30/a-letter-to-his-flock-from-the-pastor-imprisoned-by-the-iranians/

Departing From the Gospel

In the Saturday Men’s Bible Study that I attend at my church, the first lesson in our Galatians Study Guide by John MacArthur was departing from the Gospel. In the opening verses in Galatians 1: 1-9, we read where the Apostle Paul is addressing the churches he founded in Galatia, that he is gravely concerned that they have abandoned the Gospel message that they learned from Paul for another, or counterfeit gospel. The question for us is: how can we, like the Galatians, know the true gospel from the false gospel?

US Treasury Agents are law enforcement professionals who protect our nation’s currency by stopping counterfeiters. These agents receive special training in how to recognize a genuine versus a counterfeit bill. This training involves the Treasury Agent becoming so very familiar with what an original bill looks like, that they are immediately able to recognize a bill that is different.

In the same way, we should become very familiar with the true gospel, so that we are not confused or fooled into believing a counterfeit. Some people have only known a counterfeit and not the original gospel. What is the genuine gospel?

The genuine gospel compared with a false gospel can be summed up this way:

• Genuine Gospel: Faith/belief in Jesus Christ + zero (nothing) = Salvation
• Counterfeit Gospel: Faith/belief in Jesus Christ + works (something else) = Salvation

The "works" in the counterfeit gospel include law keeping, rituals, partaking in sacraments, good deeds, church membership, tithing, etc. Basically works are anything we do that adds to what Christ has done, or are things that prevent us from depending completely on Christ alone for our salvation. All other religions and belief systems involve some type of works/salvation system. Only the true gospel of Christianity is by faith alone in Jesus Christ and what he has already done for us.

Our study guide referenced Romans 3: 19-28. These verses contain a detailed theology of salvation by grace through faith alone.

• Verse 22 says the righteousness of God is by faith in Jesus Christ.
• Verse 24 states we are justified (declared innocent) freely (without cost on our part) by His grace.
• Verse 26 states that God is the justifier (judge that declares us innocent) of the one who has faith in Jesus.
• Verse 28 states that man is justified apart from (excluding or not involving) deeds of the law (good works or rules).

Remember the true gospel: Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day. Our repentance (turning away from sin in a new direction) & faith in his sacrifice alone for forgiveness of sins is what saves us.

Justification: The Heart of the Gospel

Justification is an important word in the New Testament; it means to be declared innocent (or not guilty) by God. The basis of our justification is by faith in Christ alone for salvation. I recently found a good article on Justification on the Ligonier Ministries blog that I wanted to share:

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by Nathan Bingham, Ligonier Ministries

For the Apostle Paul, the doctrine of justification was the heart of the gospel (Rom 1:17; 3:21-5:21; Gal. 2: 15-5:1). Martin Luther declared that justification was the doctrine by which “the church either stands or falls.” R.C. Sproul’s mentor John Gerstner goes further in reminding us that it’s not only the church that stands or falls by this doctrine, “but the individual also.”

As justification is so important, it’s necessary that we have a clear understanding of what this doctrine teaches. While reading Galatians in the The Reformation Study Bible recently, I appreciated the clear and succinct explanation offered in its theological article on justification.

Justification is God’s act of pardoning sinners and accepting them as righteous for Christ’s sake. In it, God puts permanently right their previously estranged relationship with Himself. This justifying sentence is God’s bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor. 5:21).

God’s justifying judgment seems strange, for pronouncing sinners righteous may appear to be precisely the kind of unjust action by a judge that God’s own law forbids (Deut 25:1; Prov. 17:15). Yet it is a just judgment, for its basis is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. As “the last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45), our representative head acting on our behalf, Christ obeyed the law that bound us and endured the punishment for lawlessness that we deserved, and so “merited” our justification. Our justification is on a just basis (Rom. 3:25, 26; 1 John 1:9), with Christ’s righteousness reckoned to our account (Rom. 5:18, 19).

God’s justifying decision is in effect the judgment of the Last Day regarding where we will spend eternity, brought forward into the present and pronounced here and now. It is a judgment on our eternal destiny; God will never go back on it, however much Satan may appeal against the verdict (Zech. 3:1; Rom. 8:33, 34; Rev. 12:10). To be justified is to be eternally secure (Rom. 5:1-5; 8:30).

The necessary means of justification is personal faith in Jesus Christ as crucified Savior and risen Lord (Rom. 4: 23-25; 10:8-13). Faith is necessary because the meritorious ground of our justification is entirely in Christ. As we give ourselves in faith to Jesus, Jesus gives us His gift of righteousness, so that in the very act of “closing with Christ,” as older Reformed teachers put It, we receive the divine pardon and acceptance we can find nowhere else (Gal. 2:15, 16; 3:24).

Source: http://www.ligonier.org/blog/justification-heart-gospel/

Jesus Heals the Paralytic

Mark 2: 1-12: When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven." But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, "What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!" Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, "We’ve never seen anything like this before!" (NLT Bible)

The paralytic was totally helpless. We are not told in this passage whether he was a paraplegic or a quadriplegic, only that he was so helpless and that it required his friends to carry him on a mat in order for him to go anywhere. No wheelchairs, scooters, or medical care existed. In the ancient near East, paralysis was a condition that would probably lead to death sooner rather than later.

The people that amaze me in this passage are the paralytic’s friends. They believed that Jesus could do something for their paralytic friend. They believed it so strongly that they were willing to carry their helpless friend all the way to the house where Jesus was. It must have been hard, carrying the dead weight of the paralytic on his mat, but the friends did it. Not being deterred by the crowds at the house where Jesus was, the friend’s faith was such that they improvised and carried, even lifting the paralytic up to the roof of the house, where they opened a hole in the roof and lowered the paralytic down into the house in front of Jesus. Amazing.

The text then tells us that Jesus saw their faith, the faith of the friends and the paralytic. Jesus immediately responded to seeing their faith by declaring to the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. The question that comes to my mind here is: Why did Jesus declare that the paralytic’s sins were forgiven instead of healing him?

I believe the answer to the question is that the paralytic’s greatest need was forgiveness of sins rather than to be physically healed. The paralytic symbolizes the human race. Like the paralytic, we humans are in a hopeless and helpless condition, due to our sins. Our sins condemn us to death and an eternity without God. It was also a teaching moment for Jesus. The religious teachers recognized this when they questioned Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, rightly pointing out that only God can forgive sins. However, they missed Jesus’ point. By forgiving sins, Jesus was indicating that he IS Messiah, the righteous and divine Son of God. This passage is a clear, unmistakable indication of Jesus’ divinity. Jesus reinforces the point by telling the religious teachers that as the Son of Man, He had the authority and divine identity to forgive sins. Jesus then heals the paralytic as a demonstration of that authority. The response of the crowd to the healing was that they praised God.

The question for us today is: Like the paralytic and his friends, do you have the faith to come to Jesus for forgiveness in your helpless and hopeless condition? Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. He gave himself as a sacrifice for your sins on the cross. He will forgive your sin just as He forgave the paralytic. When you repent and believe, you can have your sins forgiven and you can have a relationship with the Living God and have hope for the future in Eternity. Ask Jesus to heal and forgive you today.

Please contact me if you would like to talk to someone about your decision, if you have any questions, or you would like to discuss this Good News.

Dave Moore

Five marks of revived churches

J. I. Packer, writing in God in our Midst (Ann Arbor, 1987), pages 24-35, proposes that, among the variety of God’s ways, five constants appear in all biblical revivals:
1.  Awareness of God’s presence: “The first and fundamental feature in renewal is the sense that God has drawn awesomely near in his holiness, mercy and might.”
2.  Responsiveness to God’s Word: “The message of Scripture which previously was making only a superficial impact, if that, now searches its hearers and readers to the depth of their being.”
3.  Sensitiveness to sin: “Consciences become tender and a profound humbling takes place.”
4.  Liveliness in community: “Love and generosity, unity and joy, assurance and boldness, a spirit of praise and prayer, and a passion to reach out to win others, are recurring marks of renewed communities.”
5. Fruitfulness in testimony: “Christians proclaim by word and deed the power of the new life, souls are won, and a community conscience informed by Christian values emerges.”

Ray Ortlund

Source: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/rayortlund/2011/08/19/five-marks-of-revived-churches/

Are There Many Ways to God?

Many people today are uncomfortable with the idea of absolute truth. Like Oprah Winfrey, they think that there are many ways to God. Not only do most people believe there are many ways to God; they think that anyone who believes there is only one way to God is somehow less spiritual, narrow-minded, or even bigoted and racist. However, their insistence that there is no absolute truth or that there are many paths to God in and of itself, constitutes a theological truth claim just as narrow as any other. It is also a self-refuting claim, because if all truth claims are valid, then so is the contradictory claim that says there is only one way to God.


Jesus himself answered the question of how to reach God in various Gospel accounts, but none more clear and unequivocal than this one:

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)


As author C.S. Lewis observed, Jesus’ claim to be the way, the truth, and the life; the only way to the Father meant that He (Jesus) was either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord.


Christian author Paul E. Little in his book How to Give Away Your Faith addresses objections that people have to Jesus being the only way to God. He says:

• Our sincerity or intensity of faith cannot produce truth.
• Faith is no more valid than the object of the faith.
• Completely contradictory truth claims cannot be simultaneously true.
• All other religions deny that Jesus is the only true God.
• All other religions say that individuals must somehow merit salvation by their own works.
• Jesus himself repeatedly defined who he was and how salvation is obtained.
• God himself has the right to define the terms of a relationship with him.

I would invite you to consider the truth claim of Jesus: that as the virgin-born, incarnate Son-of-God, He is the only way to the Father, and that the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for sin and His bodily resurrection from the dead are a testimony to the truth of who He is and how we can be reconciled to God.


The Apostle Peter, who denied Jesus three times prior to the resurrection, made this bold, narrow statement to the Jewish Leaders who had put Jesus to death:
　
"For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."(Acts 4:11-12)

For additional reasons to believe that Jesus is the only way to God, check out this video by Dr. Bobby Conway, Pastor of Life Fellowship Church in Charlotte NC:

Can You Know For Sure That You're Going To Heaven?

Can You Know For Sure That You're Going To Heaven? This is a question that many people are asking. Erwin Lutzer, Pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago IL, answers this question in the video below:

What Not to Wear

If you have a wife or teen/young adult daughters like I do, you have probably seen this program. The show begins with a woman, wearing her favorite clothes (which are out of date or worse), seeing nothing wrong with her clothes or appearance, and totally oblivious to what others think. Then, she walks into a room surrounded by mirrors and bright lights, exposing every detail of her appearance, good or bad (mostly bad). Suddenly, two fashion consultants, Stacy and Clinton, walk in and give their caustic critique of the woman’s clothing. Such is the typical opening of the cable television program What Not to Wear. The woman eventually realizes her bad fashion, the old clothes are taken away, and an entirely new and complimentary wardrobe is provided completely free. All is well.

Dr. Philip Ryken, current President of Wheaton College (IL) and former pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia PA, says that the show What Not to Wear is like a modern parable of salvation. We are like the woman wearing what not to wear, clothed in our sinful nature. When we are confronted with the light of the gospel and God’s holiness, we are fully exposed for what we are. In spite of our sinful, hopeless condition, God takes the initiative and acts to take away our iniquity and gives us the “new clothes” of His righteousness, entirely by His grace.

Similarly, famous British Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) describes how God’s transforming grace clothes the believer in  righteousness:

"Christ has delivered us from the power of the serpent who opened our eyes and told us we were naked, by covering us from head to foot with a righteousness that adorns and protects us so that we are comfortable in heart and beautiful in the sight of God and are no more ashamed." (Spiritual Warfare in the Believer’s Life)

For Dr. Ryken’s entire chapel message on “What Not To Wear” (one of the best I have heard on God’s gift of transforming grace), click on the link below:

http://www.wheaton.edu/WETN/All-Media/Chapel/Undergraduate/101020Ryken?lightbox=true

Dare to Be A Sinner

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a German Theologian, Pastor, and martyr. In his book “Life Together,” he explains why Christian Community is important for many reasons, including for Christian spiritual growth. Bonhoeffer notes that religious or pious people are “shocked” when a sinner is discovered in their midst, and do not permit sinners in their fellowship. What happens as a result is the sin of the pious is hidden, resulting in their remaining alone in their sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The absurd thing about this is that the Bible says we are all sinners, so the fact that someone is a sinner shouldn’t come to anyone’s great surprise. How and why should we, as sinners, come to God? Bonhoeffer explains:

"You are a sinner; a great, desperate sinner; now come as the sinner that you are, to the God who loves you. He wants you as you are; He does not want anything from you, a sacrifice, a work; He wants you alone. My son, give me thine heart (Prov. 23:26). God has come to you to save the sinner. Be glad! This message is liberation through truth. You can hide nothing from God. The mask you wear before men will do you no good before Him. He wants to see you as you are, He wants to be gracious to you. You do not have to go on lying to yourself and your brothers, as if you were without sin; you can dare to be a sinner.“

The solution, according to Bonhoeffer, is do not worry about what others think; come directly to the God that is full of grace, who freely forgives.

quote from Life Together, 1954 Harper & Row, pg 111

Her Blood Cries Out: Casey Anthony, Caylee, and the Justice of God

Caylee Anthony

At the link below is the best commentary I have read on this very sad story:

http://www.patheos.com/community/philosophicalfragments/2011/07/07/her-blood-cries-out-casey-anthony-caylee-and-the-justice-of-god/

The Joy of Forgiveness



Last month, my wife Debbie & I had the opportunity to go away for a few days to the Gatlinburg/Pidgeon Forge area of Tennessee. We stayed away from the touristy places, off the main roads at a wonderful bed & breakfast called Blue Mountain Mist Country Inn. The inn is run by a very nice Christian couple, Norman & Sarah Ball, who have been innkeepers there for many years. You can check out their resort at this link:

http://bluemountainmist.com/


One of the nice things about the resort for me was sitting on the front porch in the early morning, enjoying a good cup of coffee, and doing my devotions while taking in the peaceful, wonderful view of nature all around. Below is a sample of the view.

While enjoying the surroundings, my devotions were reading and meditating on Psalms 32, a Psalm of David. The Psalm is divided into sections; where the Psalmist describes the following:

Verses 1-2:    Describes the blessing of being completely forgiven of sin by the Lord.
Verses 3-4:    Describes life wasting away prior to confession/repentance.
Verse 5:        Describes confession of sin to God.
Verses 6-7:    Speaking to God and encourages others to pray and know the peace of God, with a warning not to wait too long.
Verses 8-11:   Speaks instruction and encouragement to others about the joy of being forgiven.

The Psalmist's conclusion is that only true happiness and peace are found in the forgiveness and joy of the Lord.

Below is Psalm 32 from the English Standard Version Bible. Enjoy:

1  Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
   whose sin is covered.
2  Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
   and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3  For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
   through my groaning all day long.
4  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
   my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
                         Selah

5  I acknowledged my sin to you,
   and I did not cover my iniquity;
   I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"
   and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
                         Selah

6  Therefore let everyone who is godly
   offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
   surely in the rush of great waters,
   they shall not reach him.
7  You are a hiding place for me;
   you preserve me from trouble;
   you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
                         Selah

8  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
   I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9  Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
   which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
   or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
   but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,
   and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Reasons to Believe in the Existence of God



C. Michael Patton of Credo House Ministries has an excellent blog posting titled: Ten Arguments for the Existence of God. These arguments are:

1. Cosmological Argument - all effects have an efficient cause.
2. Teleological Argument - the argument from design.
3. Moral Argument - moral laws point to a moral law giver.
4. "sensus divinitatus" (sense of the divine) - the need to worship something greater than ourselves.
5. Argument from Aesthetic Experience - beauty has an ultimate source.
6. Argument from Existence of Arguments - the existence of arguments means there is order/rationality.
7. Argument from Existence of Free-Will Arguments - without God there is only meaningless series of cause and effect.
8. Argument from the Existence of Evil - if evil exists, so does good, and a transcendent norm from which they get their meaning.
9. Argument from Miracles - events in human history that cannot be explained apart from God (like the resurrection of Christ).
10. Pascal's Wager - belief in God is the most rational choice due to the consequences of being wrong.

You can read the entire article at the link below:
http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2011/06/ten-arguments-for-the-existence-of-god/

A Story of Hope: Prodigal Transformation

Christopher Yuan and his parents Angela and Leon were successful people by most standards; Leon was a sucessful dentist, Angela was a happy wife, mother, and career woman, and Christopher was a talented son who was close to graduating from Dental school. After living seemingly successful lives for years without any interest in religion as agnostics, things began to unravel for the Yuans. Leon and Angela decided to divorce. Christopher “came out” to his parents, declaring his homosexuality. What Christopher didn’t tell his parents was about his secret life as a drug dealer. A distraught Angela planned her own suicide as a way of dealing with her son’s lifestyle and the divorce from Leon.

Christopher, Angela, and Leon gave their heartfelt and powerful testimony last Sunday at our church, describing their journey from the darkness of the"far country" into living in the light and hope of Christ. Their story is also about the power of prayer. Below is a link to a video of the Yuan’s amazing testimony:

http://beta.subsplash.com/wheatonbible/#!/detail/7b2747

You can read more about the Yuan’s in this article in our church magazine at this link:

http://lifeatwheatonbiblechurch.com/2011/06/05/out-of-a-far-country/

You can also read Christopher and Angela Yuan's entire amazing story in their book: "Out of a Far Country." Check out Christopher's website at:

http://www.christopheryuan.com/main/index.html

Sins of the Heart

Congressman Anthony Weiner finally resigned today, due to his antics involving sending lewd texts and pictures of himself over the Internet to women other than his wife, including a teenage girl. There are many people who are glad that Anthony Weiner resigned. Many Democrats are glad because he represented an albatross around the neck of the party coming up on an election year in 2012. Many Republicans are glad because it is one less Democrat in the House of Representatives. Some are glad to see Weiner gone due to moral outrage. There are some people, like Anthony Sullivan of the Daily Beast, who thinks that what Weiner did was no more wrong than killing someone in the virtual reality of a video game. After all Sullivan reasons, Weiner didn't actually physically commit the act of adultery. Sullivan says that what was intended to be private entertainment became public, and is no more serious than that. John Stark of the Gospel Coalition, critiques and thoughtfully responds to Sullivan's viewpoint in his article Morality for the Internet Age, which you can read at this link:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/06/16/morality-for-the-internet-age/

In Matthew 5:28, Jesus said that if a man simply looks lustfully at a woman, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. This verse tells us that from God's perspective, what Anthony Weiner did was sin. Lest we become pridefull, that also means that if we are viewing/using pornography on the internet, on TV, or doing anything of a similar nature in so-called virtual reality or in our thought life, then we are sinners who are no better than Anthony Weiner. While we may haven't been caught yet and had our face plastered over the news, the God of the universe knows our heart. If we do not repent and seek God's forgiveness, the consequences of our sin may be even more damaging and tragic to us than what has happened to Anthony Weiner.

Which Jesus Do You Believe In?

JESUS APPEARS TO THOMAS

When you ask the average person whether or not they believe in Jesus Christ, most people will say yes. The problem comes with the particular Jesus they believe in; people have different definitions of who Jesus is. Below is a list of some of the various definitions of who Jesus is:

• The Jesus of Islam is a human prophet of God (like Abraham and Moses) who was a lesser prophet than Mohammad (who was the greatest) and is not divine.
• The Jesus of Jehovah’s Witnesses is the Archangel Michael, a lesser god, the first and greatest creation of Jehovah.
• The Jesus of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) is the spirit brother of Lucifer, whose plan to save mankind on Earth was approved by a counsel of the gods.
• The Jesus of the Unitarian Universalist Church was not god or divine, and is not worshipped; he was simply an incredibly good man.
• The Jesus of the Baha’i Faith is just one of several manifestations or messengers of divinity that God used to reveal himself to the world.
• The Jesus of Eastern religions is basically a guru; someone who is a teacher and helps people discover their own way to work towards enlightenment and Nirvana (heaven).
• The Jesus of the United Pentecostal Church is simply one of the three modes that God takes-on when he interacts with humans.
• The Jesus of Liberal Christianity is not god or divine; he was only a human being who wasn’t resurrected, but gave moral teachings that we should follow, especially those pertaining to helping the poor.
• The Jesus of modern American youth (whose philosophy is called “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” by Sociologist Christian Smith) is not really important or necessarily divine, since they (the youth) believe all good people go to heaven anyway and morality is basically the same in all religions.

The belief systems above, while having mostly contradictory ideas of who Jesus is, have an underlying commonality: Jesus is not almighty god and mankind needs to achieve salvation by their own means. The Jesus described in the definitions above fall far short of the description of Jesus in the Bible and Christianity.

In the 1^st chapter of the book of Hebrews in the Bible, we get an unmistakable and compelling description of Jesus and how glorious and wonderful he really is. The writer of Hebrews is reminding Hellenistic Jewish believers who Jesus is. In Hebrews 1, Jesus is described as follows:

• God spoke to people in the past through prophets, but has now spoken to us in these last days by Jesus, who is His Son.
• God appointed Jesus to inherit all things (in heaven & earth).
• God created the world through Jesus.
• Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory.
• Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature.
• Jesus upholds the universe (and all creation) by his powerful word.
• Jesus made purification for our sins.
• Jesus sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
• Jesus’ nature and name is superior to angels (who are created beings).
• God calls Jesus His son.
• God tells all the angels to worship Jesus.
• God calls Jesus God, and says that Jesus’ throne will last forever.
• God has anointed Jesus more than anyone else.
• God says Jesus laid the foundations of the Earth and created all things.
• God says Jesus remains the same forever.
• God tells Jesus to sit at His right hand of honor.
• God says He has humbled all of Jesus’ enemies at his feet.

It should also be noted in this chapter that the writer applies numerous Old Testament Scriptures that refer to Messiah and God directly to Jesus. (see Ps 2:7, Ps 45:6-7, Ps 102:25-27, Ps 110:1, Deut 32:43)   

It is clear from the Biblical text that Jesus is the Son of God and God the Son, the one who died for our sins and rose again, the one who lives and reigns forever more, and is the only one worthy of our worship.

Our response? Repent and believe.

Below are links to Hebrews chapter 1 so you can read it in several different translations:

New Living Translation: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=heb%201&version=NLT#en-NLT-29932

English Standard Version: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=heb%201&version=ESV

New International Version: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=heb%201&version=NIV1984

King James Version: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=heb%201&version=KJV

John Piper Explains How We Can Trust The Bible

In my May 14, 2011 posting entitled "Can We Trust the Bible? Is It Sufficient?," I gave objective evidence for believing in the authority and reliability of the Bible. In the short video below, Pastor John Piper from Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis MN explains how the transforming power of meeting Jesus Christ in the Scriptures gives us confirmation of the Bible's authority, and complements the objective evidence for the Bible.



The Resurrection Power to Change

There are those church goers who are against individuals giving their testimonies in church. Their reasoning is that people who did this were “airing their dirty laundry” and that stories of former sinful behavior were inappropriate, even disruptive to worship. Many churches don’t even have anyone give their testimony.

What then is the purpose of someone giving their testimony? It is evidence of the resurrection power in a person’s life. Jesus resurrection from the dead wasn’t just for Him, it was also for us. God changes people as a testimony of His glory and power. Testimonies indicate how we were once in the darkness, but are now in God's glorious light. Testimonies are hope for others that they can experience God's resurrection power in their lives.

Below is the same scripture from the previous post, where the Apostle Paul explains how God changes us:

Ephesians 1: 4-10:

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Below is a video from Sojourn Community Church in Louisville KY that contains stories of change that were caused by God’s resurrection power.

Stories Of Change from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo.