The Second Commandment

I was listening to a sermon last night by Michael Youssef (Leading the Way), really a true man of God. The sermon was about the second commandment, "You shall have no graven images (idols)". And this got me really thinking about the second commandment, and the fact that when I put idols before God, not only is it wrong, but I am making God jealous!

Michael talked about the word "jealousy" and how we have stolen it from its original meaning and misused it. Today, we use jealousy to refer to "I want what the person has!". But in actuality, that's envy, covetousness. Jealousy in its original definition literally means 'wanting what is rightfully yours that someone (or something) else has taken'.

We are rightfully God's, because He created us. But He doesn't just want us because He owns us. He wants us because He loves us. So when we make idols in His place, His love brings Him to jealousy, because He desires to have us and doesn't want to see us in the arms of another. In the arms of a lifeless idol. Because He also knows it's better for us to be with Him than to be with these idols.

Michael told a true story about a Muslim monastery that was invaded, and the invaders went through the monastery hacking down all the idols within the place. And the Muslims seeing this pleaded with the invaders not to shatter a specific idol because it meant so much to them. But the invaders ignored them and chopped at the idol... and as soon as they did this, out from the cracks poured jewels and gold and all kinds of treasure that had been hidden within. And Michael used this story to truthfully illustrate what happens when we "hack down" our idols for Christ. The treasure within the idol is our relationship with Christ. And that relationship will flow in abundance, and we will find more joy in Christ our Savior than in a worthless idol.

And when you look at the full picture: Jesus Christ loved us so much that He laid down His life for us to display this love. If He laid down His life... what are we willing to lay down for Him? Do we love Him enough to lay down our idols? Because if we can't let go of our idols, what we are essentially saying is "God, I love these idols more than I love You", and we are in severe danger. We're in a position where our relationship with Christ is weak, which means that we are weak to Satan's attacks. I mean, just think of it! Satan is happy with you right now because you aren't letting go of your idols. He's probably snickering to himself and rubbing his hands together, sneering up at God.

Give your idols up in the name of Christ! They no longer own you. Christ purchased you away from them, away from your sin. Don't let your old master get a hold of you again.

Salvation for Good People!

I've been thinking a lot this week about the idea of Salvation. Simultaneously, I have been hearing a lot of professing Christians--some that I know, others that I don't that I saw on TV or heard on the radio--not accepting this idea that, according to God's Holy Standards (The Ten Commandments), they are not good people. Now, of course nobody wants to hear that they are a bad person, because most people don't believe they are. And for a lot of people, that's true.... by our standards. But not by God's.

There are surprisingly a lot of professing Christians who believe this way. But the problem is, they are not looking at themselves from God's perspective. God is perfect. And He requires perfection to enter into Heaven. Now, I don't know of anyone on this Earth that would actually claim they were perfect. (If you think you are... call me ;-D). So, already you can see that you won't make it to Heaven because you are not perfect, and that's what God requires.

But further more, if we take a look at His Law, which are His standards of perfection, we have to understand that if we really want to get into Heaven, we have to 100% through our whole life, from beginning to end: Put God before everything else, not put anything in His place, not say "Oh my God" or "Oh God" or "Jesus Christ" in the place of a curse word, we can't lie, steal, get angry at people or call anyone a fool or stupid (which Jesus said is equal to murder), we cannot look at someone with sexual desire (which Jesus said is equal to committing adultery), and so on!! All of us have done at least one of those things in our lives. And furthermore the Book of James tells us:

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." --James 2:10

So if we even only break one, we are automatically guilty of all.

We are not good according to the Law. And that is why we need to be Saved. If we don't believe we are not good, than Christ cannot save us. Because if you think you are good, then there's no reason for Christ to die for you and save you. It is only when we acknowledge the truth that we need to be Saved because we have violated God's Law that Christ will truly redeem us.

Christian, if you can't admit that you've violated the law and deserve separation from God, than Christ cannot save you. Please, I beg you! Think about this. Ask God to help you see and understand the truth of your predicament. And then acknowledge what Jesus Christ did for you by going through the torture of the Cross, understand that he paid the fine of a guilty man/woman; you. And then repent, turn from your sin--this doesn't mean you won't sin anymore, it just means that God will make you a new creation that doesn't want to sin because you want to obey God. And put your faith and trust in Christ Jesus alone to Save you when the Day of Judgment comes.

Are You Man-er (or Woman-er) Than Rick Warren?

In a recent episode of Christianese Radio I talked about being a Man of Christ; standing up for what you believe in, and not cowering away when the persecution comes because persecution is part of the bundle when we repent and recognize Christ Jesus as our only Way, Lord, and Savior and serve Him truly. Paul Washer told a true story in his "True Gospel" sermon about John Wesley. A preacher of the Gospel, who had been persecuted pretty much daily, was walking along one day when he suddenly realized he hadn't been persecuted in quite some time. So he prayed to God

"Have I become a carnal man? Has my message become so worldly that no one any longer persecutes me?"

Just then a man came along down the road with a brick or a stone in his hand and he threw it at Wesley. It grazed Wesley's nose, and at that moment, Wesley looked up and said:

"Thank you, God."

As hard as it may be, we Believers in Christ must find the joy in persecution... because we know we are being persecuted for the Truth. And as terrible as it sounds, when there isn't any persecution in any form shape or size you can pretty much know that something is not right.

In the episode of "Christianese Radio" (Episode #15, aptly titled: "Be a Man"), we looked at America's Pastor, Rick Warren. Just before the election, Warren issued a video in which he proclaimed that we as Christians should support Proposition 8 because the Bible defines marriage as being between a man and woman. Of course, as this video made its way into the public... the persecution came. Gays and Gay supporters worldwide pointed the finger at Warren. He most likely lost a lot of attenders at his ginormous church. And you know what? As time went on... the weight came down upon him. And it was "too much" for him. He couldn't handle mere persecution, forgetting that Christ Himself persevered through persecution and a horrific death. Rick Warren went on Larry King this past April to make it clear that he was "not Anti-Gay Marriage". Um.... In his endorsement video of Prop 8 he explains that marriage should be between a man. How is this not anti-Gay. Warren went on to apologize to the Gay community and even went further on to say that he was oblivious to the new Gay-Marriage rulings in Vermont.

In this episode of "Christianese Radio" I compared Rick Warren to the awesome young lady at Columbine who was shot to death because she was a Christian and openly admitted it. A young lady, staring down the barrel of a gun, looking into the eyes of Death, was more courageous than America's Pastor who was merely accused and called names.

We have seen another example where Rick Warren was put to shame. I know everyone has probably heard about the occurrence at the Miss USA pageant with Miss California. Miss California, when asked by one of the judges, Perez Hilton, who himself is a homosexual, (paraphrased) "[What is your stance on gay marriage?]", answered "I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman." Reports say that she probably would have won the crown were it not for her answer. In recent interviews, Miss California stated that as she was answering, she began to direct to a worldly answer, but she came to realize that God was testing her, so she swiveled her answer around and laid down the "hammer of God" :) She has been asked several times that if she could do it all over again with the knowledge that if she answered "politically correctly" she would win, would she give the same answer? Her answer in all those interviews: "Yes". She said that she gave the Biblically Correct answer, not the Politically Correct answer.

Now, while parading around in a bikini on stage in front of millions of people is very questionable for a woman of God, the fact that, unlike Rick Warren, she was able to stand firm--and STILL TO THIS DAY stand firm--in her beliefs just seems to overwhelm that. Now there, of course, is a danger. As a caller on David Wheaton's "The Christian Worldview" radio program rightly stated, the more "power" she gets the more dangerous it is going to become for her and the easier it will be for her to go back on her word. Because all those who gain power fall under more and more pressure. This is what is happening with Rick Warren. So pray that she will continue to stand strong. And I hope the inspiration will continue to be there for her to do so; she stated in an interview that she has received thousands of friend requests and comments from people on Facebook, supporting her. She said that she hasn't really gotten much "hate"-fans... besides Perez Hilton, that is. He really does seem to be the only one in the world who is taking this to a ridiculous level.

Christians, take this as inspiration that you can stand strong. And that while you risk persecution here on Earth, God will reward you for your faith! Do not deny the Word of God! Stand strong! Brave the storm! Because we know what's going to happen at the end of this life, no matter how hard it is. We will rejoice with our Creator and Savior in Heaven and on the New Earth forever!

The Truth is Offensive to the World!

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

* "acceptable" - as in: you can accept/receive it.

WHAT ARE WE DOING!!!?

So many of you have probably experienced something similar to what I'm about to share; For a long while, something is going on in the background that you just do not like. It makes you annoyed to think about it. Yet for the most part you are able to just ignore it and go on living. Then suddenly it strikes. Like some little kid screaming on a bus that you've been enduring for most of the trip, but suddenly, it all boils up inside of you and you find you cannot hold it in any longer. Like a volcano erupting and spewing fiery waves of lava and burning rock, you explode. Your endurance has run out. Readers, I can say this is exactly what has happened to me today. My endurance has run out over the issue of the True Gospel. My patience has run out with the Four Spiritual Laws and the Five Things God Wants You To Know. My aggravation over Rick Warren's sugar-coated Gospel, and the Emerging Church's "doctrine" of "We need a new Gospel" has erupted.

It makes me so sick looking at how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been so degraded to the point where "Christ is a Happy Pill that you can take to improve your life." It makes me sick! It makes me want to puke!

Both Joel Osteen and the Emerging Church claim we need a Gospel for the modern day that is acceptable to the younger generation and acceptable to those of other denominations and acceptable to those of other Religions. Rick Warren claims we need to give people the "Happy Pill" and treat Sin passively because it is too offensive.

I ask you this, Joel Osteen, members of the Emerging Church, and Rick Warren: What right do you have to take the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, and manipulate it and mangle it to your own design, desire, and will? What gives you the right to tell Christ that His Gospel is no longer acceptable and that we need a new one that is not offensive.

It is people like you who are compiling the greatest heresy in the history of heresies. It is because of your heretical, extrabiblical designs that False Converts are sprouting up faster than Raindrop-followers at the beginning of Spring.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not meant to be acceptable, because it is unacceptable to mankind. As Paul Washer once said: the Gospel is a scandal because it goes against everything mankind believes in. We cannot sugar-coat it and make it out to be a blue-skies-sunny-day decision. Jesus Christ made it perfectly clear that only when mankind admits that it is evil and in need of a Savior, will Jesus be able to save us. If we were truly "good people", we wouldn't need a Savior. The Cross would be meaningless to us! And as Followers of Christ it is our job to follow that scandal. Not be like the world and hand it sugar-coated, bite-sized pieces.

STOP!!! Stop what your are doing!! The Bible makes it clear that God abhores those who lead their brothers astray. And this, sirs, is exactly what your are doing when you create false converts! STOP IT!

We cannot dipsy-doodle around Sin as if it is just a sidenote! It is serious! Before we recognize Christ as our Savior we MUST recognize our Sin! Without our confrontation with Sin the Cross is meaningless! When we come before Christ our focus must be on our Sin. And then once we have recognized that Christ Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that He took our Sin and it was killed along with Him on the Cross, then the focus falls on Christ.

STOP YOUR HERESIES!! LITERALLY, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, HIS CHILDREN, AND THE LOST!