Christianese Radio: No Show Today

Yes, I apologize, but there will be no show today (Monday, September 14, 2009). Some things have been going on recently that have had me in really deep thought. There were also some things that had to be sorted out. Further struggle with sin has had me re-evaluating a lot of things in my life, and the Enemy has been on the prowl. But a verse I latched onto tonight is of the words of John who wrote:

"...greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world."
-1 John 4:4 (NASB)

While this verse can refer to those in the world who oppose you and Christ in general, it can also refer to the Devil and his servants who are, indeed, in the world because, as we all know, they were cast out of Heaven.

This verse gave me courage tonight. I will elaborate more on the next podcast, but for now I regret to say that I must take some time to get my thoughts--or more accurately life--together. The show will return tomorrow (Tuesday), Lord-Willing. And then next week, Lord-Willing, the show will finally be back to its regular Monday-morning schedule.

I apologize for the delay, but I feel that it is necessary. So until Tuesday morning,

The Grace of Christ be with you,

~Joe Harrison

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.

In Some Evil Things There Is Good?

"I have long feared that my sins would return to haunt me."
--Benjamin Martin, The Patriot

Warning: This may be completely heretical!! I'm just brainstorming.

I've been thinking a lot about the above quote, lately, having just watched The Patriot (Mel Gibson) this past Independence Day. Plus a friend of mine recently quoted it as well. And it got me thinking about Sin. While I can't remember the verse off hand, I really feel like I remember something in the Bible that says something to the effect of "even in some evil there is good." I know Joseph says something similar to his brothers, but that's not exactly what I was thinking of, though it may still apply.

But the idea is sound. Our greatest example being the greatest thing to happen in all Eternity. The Death of Christ Jesus. What a terrible thing for the Son of God to be tortured and put to death! But in this dark occurrence we find our greatest wonder and joy. For by Christ's wounds we are healed. And by His death we are (and will be) Saved.

In fact, I could (and will) even use Joseph as an example. His brothers turned on him, cast him in a well, sold him into slavery, he was falsely accused, imprisoned... but God used this to raise Joseph up, using something viewed as bad and making it good.

Forgive the geekiness, but we even see this in a fantastic piece of fictional literature; The Lord of the Rings. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf the Grey falls to his doom in 'mortal' combat with the Balrog... only to be raised up again as Gandalf the White, sent back to aid his friends. And in a minor version: In The Return of the King's conclusion, Gollum, that twisted, vile creature, steals back the Ring... only to take it with him to his doom in the fiery lake, effectively completing the objective of the adventure.

Where am I going with this? Probably some place heretical. But I was thinking of Sin. And with that idea of "even in some evil things there is bad", can there be some good in Sin? Now to quote Paul:

"...where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Certainly not!"
--Romans 5:20-6:2

So just to make that point clear, I do not believe we should continue to sin. Au contraire we are to fight against sin through Christ Jesus or Lord and Savior!

But the Sin we have failed to fight over the years... could there be some good in it? For example (warning: for those of you knew to my blog, I am very blunt about my Sin life. I have very little that I hide, for by hiding my sin, Lucifer is victorious--more on this another time) over the years, as many of you already know, I have been in a terrible battle with Lust and Pornography. Now, not a month goes by where I don't wish I could travel back in time to my first struggle (and all subsequent ones) and stop myself. But then, my thoughts suddenly shift to a new line of thinking. Perhaps there is some good in this? If I have children some day, particularly a son, and, God-forbid, he ends up in the same mess I am in, perhaps I will be of more help and comfort to him in his battle with Sin because he knows I had the same problems and can identify with him, just as it was a help and comfort to me that members of my family have indeed experienced the same struggles.

Certainly I have to believe that God is big enough to use anything for His purpose. In fact we have Biblical proof that He does:

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
--Romans 8:28

It really is difficult to know how to approach this subject, because almost every way you try to think of it, it sounds like you are trying to say "Well maybe it wasn't so bad that I sinned", and that's kind of what I'm saying but not really in that way. I don't know. I can only imagine what this sounds like to you the reader.

But another example could be just the fact that, when we reflect on our past sin, when our sins "return to haunt" us, it reminds us of God's wonderful Grace and Love. It reminds us of what we have been bought from. It reminds us of what we have been Saved from. We remember the guilt that comes once the sin has been committed, and a lot of times that can aid in deterring us from committing the same sin.

Does this make any logical Christian sense? Or is this just complete and utter heresy? Perhaps I should just shut up before I get myself.... ex... Christianized.... or something. Or struck by a bolt of lightning. Because there are storm clouds gathering overhead....

Victory-ness!

In my previous blog-post you read that I was struggling with a devastating battle of being called to give up a certain sin for Christ (a matter of illegally downloaded material). Well, those of you who follow my podcast (Christianese Radio) already know about this, but to those that don't follow the show: Victory was accomplished through the Divine Intervention of God. I continuously prayed that God would make me give up the sin, because that was the only way it was going to happen because I knew I wasn't strong enough to give it up. And He answered the prayer! One night a couple weeks ago I was recording a rather depressing episode of Christianese Radio. Meanwhile, outside my bedroom door my dog kept whimpering really loudly. After a few moments I exploded with rage, stormed out of the bedroom, and smacked the dog on the back. But suddenly... it kinda felt as if someone had slapped me on the brain. It was a very strange sensation, feeling like I suddenly just... woke up. I came to my senses. With fists squeezed tightly and a glare and snarl of determination directed at Satan and his demons, but also my "old man" (as Paul puts it), I stormed into my room, took up the "Sword of the Spirit" and slayed the Sin.

Silly, but in order to keep me in high spirits as I removed the illegal downloads from my computer, I listened to Vangelis' "Chariots of Fire" theme. Of course, this theme has been so cheesily over-used for dumb things, but I've always loved it, and it's always motivated me and excited me.

So, within an hour, the Sin was defeated. Christ prevailed once again. And I am very happy to report that ever since I did that my connection with God has been reconnected, and I am now deeper into Biblical teachings and Theology than I ever have been.

Thank you all for your prayers! They worked! And if I stop blogging suddenly you'll know that I have been arrested :)

Praise God for His Faithfulness!

Stumbling Period

Argh. Going through a stumbling period in my Faith. I've drifted back into being a lukewarm Christian. And I'm sure a lot of that is because I still haven't brought myself to give up the stumbling block that God has called me to give up. I read God's Word reluctantly. I praise God reluctantly. I pray reluctantly. I feel so disconnected and it's my own fault. I know what I need to do, but I cower behind a facade of defenses. I can only pray that God gives me the strength to do what must be done. I ask for your prayers, too. Why can't I bring myself to give up this thing that is hurting my relationship with God? And the reason is: I can't. Only the grace of Christ through me can defeat this obstacle. I can do all things through Christ who's strength is within me. I admit the way I'm talking sounds dramatic, but it is all truely written from my very real thoughts in this very real
circumstance. Pray for me.

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.

12-Hour Fasting

Fasting. Right away the word makes me hungry. And it's making me hungry now. I am currently 32 minutes away from finishing my first ever 12-Hour fasting period. My reasons (there were several):

1. To show God that I love Him enough to give up food for (almost) a whole day.

2. To remember to pray, about various things; Myself, friends, family, the lost.

3. To remind me of my battle with sin and temptation. Because my heart was so set on finishing the 12-hours, temptations arose for me to break that covenant. By saying "No, I love God more" to those almost unbearable temptations, it has encouraged me in my battle with sin.

and the most important
3. To remind myself of the suffering that Jesus Christ went through in His last hours. Every time I would feel hungry, I would remember this and remind myself that this painful hunger that I feel... Imagine it magnified by billions of times. But even that would not stand up to the horror of Christs torture and more so God's Wrath poured out on Him.

It's been an interesting experience. Definitely not the funnest day of my life, being limited to simply drinking water. Because of the lack of food I have become the victim of a rather terrible headache, but I'm hoping the cure will lie within the food that I shalt be consuming at 12:00AM EST. There were several times when I almost "failed" and gave in to the temptation of food. But thankfully I remained strong.

It was hard! It was very hard. But I am glad I did it. I do have to admit my wimpy-ness; I was originally going to make this a weekly thing, but after this hard experience I think I may make it monthly instead. Perhaps the last day of every month or something like that.

Now 19 minutes away from 12AM, I am looking hungrily up at the foil-wrapped cheese steak sandwich and curly fries that are waiting for me. It's funny, because even in that I am reminded of Christ. Perhaps during His last hours He felt something similar; Knowing that at the other end of the suffering, His primary mission to save His children (well, those who repent and believe) would be complete. And perhaps there were times when He would think of this thought, and He would smile in excitement.

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!