Evangelism

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What Are We Known For?

Some time ago, I wrote about Christians’ involvement in politics. My conclusion was that Christians can and should be involved in politics, but we should be far more involved in the proclamation of the gospel. Yet, as I continue to watch our culture unfold, I see a trend that just won’t stop. Christians continually involve themselves in politics, culture wars, boycott efforts, just about anything that is not true gospel proclamation.

Turn on the evening news and whenever there is a cultural battle being fought, you will find a news commentator talking to a Christian pastor, or protestor with a sign, and they are talking about rescuing or reclaiming America. As if the mandate from our Savior was about returning constitutional authority to the nation rather than the saving of souls. And if it isn’t the conservative pundits calling on our evangelical leaders, then it is the liberal media that has found preachers in the pulpits condemning homosexuals to fenced off areas to eventually die off. Everywhere we go, evangelicalism has wound its way into every facet of the political wars, but nary a sign of the gospel is seen. Conservative Christians are seen only as an extension of right-wing extremism and, honestly, we only have ourselves to blame.

When the early church was formed, it was said of the believers that they had “turned the world upside down,” by the preaching of the gospel (Acts 17:6). Jews, Romans, and virtually every nation persecuted and chased Christians everywhere. And in each place they settled, the church spread and grew. Was it because they infiltrated government or had laws passed that were favorable to them? Absolutely not. It was because they were proclaiming the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ! Hearts were changed and churches grew because Christians obeyed the command of our Lord to preach the gospel, and only the gospel. As Paul said, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” (1 Cor. 2:2). It wasn’t politics that they spread, is was Jesus Christ. Christians were not known for their political affiliations, they were known for the love for Jesus!

Today, modern American Christianity is not known for its gospel proclamations, so much as its political affiliations. Yet, there are many groups whose efforts at evangelism are widely known. There are the cults of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons who are almost exclusively known for their door knocking ministries. Most churches today might mail out a flier letting the “unchurched seekers” know a new country club….I mean “church” has opened in their neighborhood, but it is the cults who are out making personal evangelism efforts and sharing their doctrines door to door.

Out on the streets, there are the legalistic, sign waving, hate mongering, turn or burn “christians” making their efforts at evangelism. They scream into the megaphones and tell people how wicked they are. They perceive themselves as the arm of God’s wrath and yet act as though they are innocent of any rebellion against the Lord. Truth be known, many of us have likely cringed when we see a team of Christians preaching in the open air, worrying at the thought of what they might be saying. This is such a prevalent view that, even though there are many folks out there preaching the true gospel (see the spotlight video on Tony Miano as an example), most people associate open air preaching and sign wavers with folks like the Westboro Baptists, James Lyman and others.

So as I said before, the American church is known far more for our political affiliations instead of our gospel proclamations. And where we should be known for our evangelism, cults and hate mongers have asserted themselves far more than we ever do. So what we shouldn’t be known for, we are. And what we should be known for, others have stolen away.

What a sad and pathetic blight on the modern American church. It should not be, and it needs to change, now! I am blessed to be affiliated with solid gospel ministries like Living Waters. Thanks to the efforts of many such ministries, a small, but vocal army of evangelists are spreading all around the country and the gospel is being proclaimed. Everyday, they commit themselves to the preaching of the precious elixir of the gospel to heal the lost and condemned souls surrounding them. So what I am asking is this: are you content to only be known for who you vote for? Are you content to sit back and watch false preachers pound out a false gospel? Are you content in rejecting the command of your Savior to preach the gospel unto every nation? Are you willing to let the country be won only to see souls be lost?

If not, then let us change the direction of the American church now! If we are to reclaim something, let us reclaim the preaching of the gospel! Let it be us, under the guidance and authority of our local churches, knocking on doors and preaching on the streets! Let it be us who biblically and compassionately proclaim what is sin and that a judgment that is coming. Let it be us who acknowledge that we too were once under the same condemnation, yet Christ saved us, not under any merit of our own, but because He was gracious to show us mercy. Let it be us who preach that Christ alone is the only way of salvation and there is no other!

Christians, if we are to be known for something, let it be for the love we have for our fellow neighbors who are en route to Hell. A love that drives us to share the truth of the gospel with them, even if they hate us for it. A love that drives us to care far less about the political landscape, but to care about the souls of those who are making our country into a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. Let that love cause us not to be angry with, or even hate those who are promoting the sins that are causing the moral decay we see, but let it cause us to desperately preach the gospel to them, making every effort to save them from the judgment that is coming upon them.

Brethren, let us not be known by who we vote for. Let us be known as those who desperately love the lost souls of our nation and who would risk all so that they might be saved. Let us be the ones known for the loudest and most compassionate gospel pleas and let the cults and false teachers be driven from the public place they once occupied. And may this all be done for the glory of God alone.

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Veggie Tales creator: “[I convinced] kids to behave Christianly without teaching them Christianity.”

When was the last time you heard a prominent name in Christian circles say something like this:

I looked back at the previous 10 years and realized I had spent 10 years trying to convince kids to behave Christianly without actually teaching them Christianity. And that was a pretty serious conviction. You can say, ‘Hey kids, be more forgiving because the Bible says so,’ or, ‘Hey kids, be more kind because the Bible says so!’ But that isn’t Christianity, it’s morality.

[“It’s Not About the Dream,” WORLD magazine, Sep 24, 2011, 57-58]

(hat tip: A Twisted Crown of Thorns)

Well, those words belong to none other than Phil Vischer, one of the co-creators of the wildly popular Veggie Tales™ enterprise. And as hard as those words must have been for Mr. Vischer to say, they are rather refreshing to hear. For so long now, we (and many others) have been lamenting the fact that modern-day (what passes for) Christianity has become nothing more than fodder for itching ears and a dumbed-down, candy-coated morality–with a touch of Jesus on the side.

But Christianity–true, genuine, Christianity (or, more appropriately, the submission of one to the Lordship of Jesus Christ)–is not just “good behavior.” That is what is known as “salvation by works.” And Jesus taught that simply “good behavior” is not the same as salvation. Matthew 5:46-47—“46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?”

The apostle Paul encouraged the church at Ephesus that they no longer had to go about trying to earn enough gold stars and smiley faces before God would accept them–rather, they were saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone–not by piling up brownie points with God. Ephesians 2:8-9—8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. And Mr. Vischer nailed this point, and sent a stinging rebuke to the watered-down, man-centered, crossless “Christianity” that is flooding the American landscape:

American Christian[s]… are drinking a cocktail that’s a mix of the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, and the gospel. And we’ve intertwined them so completely that we can’t tell them apart anymore. Our gospel has become a gospel of following your dreams and being good so God will make all your dreams come true. It’s the Oprah god… We’ve completely taken this Disney notion of ‘when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true’ and melded that with faith and come up with something completely different. There’s something wrong in a culture that preaches nothing is more sacred than your dream. I mean, we walk away from marriages to follow our dreams. We abandon children to follow our dreams. We hurt people in the name of our dreams, which as a Christian is just preposterous.

We can only pray that the many purpose-driven churches that dot the American countryside would examine themselves as closely as Mr. Vischer, and rather than worrying about putting Christ back in Christmas, they would put more emphasis on putting Christ back in their messages.

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What the gospel is NOT.

Meet James Lyman. He is the man in the below video street preaching (I use the term very loosely as to not bring reproach upon those men out there who actually preach Christ and Him crucified on street corners).

As you’ll see in the video, exactly what Mr. Lyman is preaching is a little hard to pin down, as there seems to be no gospel message. It seems that Law and gospel have taken a backseat to just plain condemnation and ridicule.

If you recall, Mr. Lyman is the man who mocked, ridiculed, and called Rosie O’Donnell names while street preaching at this past year’s Superbowl. He then defended his actions here on DefCon.

How Mr. Lyman treats this woman is heartbreaking, for the message of the gospel is supposed to be the offense, not those who carry the message of the gospel.

For those who are not familiar with the preaching of the gospel, rest assured, this is not it.

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Giving Themselves Away

At the end of the story, after the student defeats his professor in the debate, it is revealed that the student is Albert Einstein. In actuality, there was probably no such debate, and this certainly isn’t a true story about Albert Einstein.

While it is an interesting tale, I don’t think this is the best answer Christians can offer to the problem of evil.

The objection the professor presented is sometimes known as Epicurean paradox.

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God

To answer the objection above by saying that evil doesn’t really exist rubs me the wrong way. To look in the face of someone who has suffered something terrible and tell them it wasn’t evil—only a lack of good—is something I couldn’t do.

Rather, I would agree with the angry atheist presenting this paradox that evil truly exists. (Note that he didn’t merely state that he dislikes acts such as rape and murder, or that a majority of society dislikes those things, but that there really is evil.)

Next, I would point out that evil cannot exist in his worldview. The existence of evil can only be accounted for if there are moral absolutes—and moral absolutes can only be established by God. If, as an atheist would say, we are merely evolved apes, there shouldn’t be any moral absolutes. Therefore, evil wouldn’t exist if there were no God.

When the atheist presents this objection, he is revealing that he can’t be consistent with his worldview. If he were consistent, all the atheist has to go on is personal taste. But in admitting a firm belief in evil, he is acknowledging that he knows moral absolutes exist and there is a God. He is giving himself away.

Atheists claim the existence of evil all the time. One young lady I spoke with said Christians are evil. I explained to her that in order for evil to exist that God had to have established moral absolutes. She said she believes morality is relative, and each of us can establish our own morality. I think she was being consistent with her atheism at this point. I specifically asked her if it was a sin for someone to violate her moral code, and she said it wasn’t. Mere moments later, she said that the Bible has been translated. (I assume she didn’t mean translated from Greek to English, but some  type of malicious tampering with the manuscripts.) I asked her if it was a sin to “translate” the Bible. At that point she made it abundantly clear she was no longer interested in talking to me.

Ultimately, the solution to the Epicurean paradox is that God has an adequate, moral reason for allowing evil. He may not reveal His reasoning for a specific situation, but ultimately it is for His glory.

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Quiz: Are you loving or unloving?

Here’s a quick and simple six-question quiz to determine whether you’re loving (“tolerant”) or unloving (close minded and “intolerant”).

  1). You’re sitting in a coffee shop when a woman at another table gets up–leaving her coffee unattended–to get a napkin. As she does, a man walks by her table, pours a powdered substance into the woman’s coffee and quickly exits the shop. You immediately warn this woman of what just happened. Your reaction is:

A. Loving

B. Unloving. This is none of your business. Quit interfering with other people’s lives.

2). A small child runs toward a bush to retrieve his ball that rolled into it. You know that the bush contains a rattlesnake nest. You yell out for the kid to stop. Your yelling at this child is:

A. Loving

B. Unloving. Who are you to impose your beliefs onto this kid. His parents have a right to raise him how they see fit without your close-minded “snakes are bad” views being forced down his throat.

  3). You are woken to the sounds of fire alarms and the smell of smoke in your apartment complex. As you hastily exit your apartment you notice that no one has alerted your elderly neighbors who are  deaf. You bang on their door (and even kick it in if necessary) to alert them of the pending doom. This action that you’re taking is:

A. Loving.

B. Unloving. Have you considered that perhaps this couple is happy where they are? Why wake them from their slumber? If they’re happy, then leave them be.

4). On a dark and rainy night you observe a family in a car heading home in the direction of a washed-out bridge. You holler and flail your arms, making every effort you can to get their attention to warn them. Your behavior is:

A. Loving

B. Unloving. All roads lead to their house. Who are you to tell them that the road that they’ve chosen to go home will lead to their deaths?

  5). While sitting in your car waiting for your friend in a bank, you observe a man walk into the bank wearing a stocking on his face and carrying a gun. You call 911.This judgment of the man’s intentions is:

A. Loving

B. Unloving. “Judge not lest ye be judged!” Who are you to judge this man’s heart. Maybe his intentions are good and he will do no harm to those inside. You’re always so negative and have no faith in other people. You’ve condemned this man already. Jesus would have never done that, He would have befriended him. You need to be more like Jesus.

6). Your friend is going to die in his sins, and when he wakes up on the other side of eternity, will find himself in Hell. You share with him the fact that his unrepentant sin will condemn him before a holy God and that he deserves God’s wrath (just like everyone else) because he’s transgressed God’s laws. You further explain that any of his attempts to purchase God’s forgiveness by his own obedience to the Law or good works is futile because not only are we saved by faith apart from the works and the Law, but God’s grace is not earned, it is a gift. You share with your friend that through the death of one Man, God has provided forgiveness to sinners, but this unmerited favor for sinners is only found in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who ransomed us with His own blood. God’s only Son took our sin upon Himself on the cross and, in turn, imputed his perfect righteousness to us. You tell your friend that Jesus became a propitiation for him in order to absorb the wrath of God that he deserves. You urge your friend to repent and put his trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. This discussion with your friend is:

A. Loving.

B. Unloving. Insert any of the above “B” answers (or all of them) here: __________.

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Sermon of the Week: “The Bible’s View on Missions – Part 8” by Akash Sant Singh

We are pleased to offer the eighth of a series of messages on biblical missions from Pastor Akash Sant Singh, pastor of Community Bible Church in Reno, Nevada. As a missionary to West Africa, this sermon has spoken to my heart and it will be a blessing to you as well.

It is important to remember that every true believer is actually called to be on a mission for the Most High Sovereign Creator of heaven and earth. May Christ be exalted through the proclamation of His word and to each listening ear.

Church description – “The Bible’s view on missions – part 8 a Sunday school message by Pastor Akash.”

The Bible’s View of Missions – Part 8

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What’s the Big Deal?

It is rather shocking to see this man arrested with no warning while reading the Bible in a public place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FruQO8qaw9c

Here’s some further explanation from the Advocates for Faith and Freedom website—the lawyers handling the case for the Christians.

Initially, when Mr. Mackey was arrested, the CHP officer stated that it was illegal to “preach to a captive audience.” After the defendants were placed in jail and upon learning that no such penal code prohibits preaching to a “captive audience,”  the officer issued a citation for “impeding an open business” with threats or intimidation under Penal Code Section 602.1(b). However, the district attorney again changed the charges claiming trespass after the government realized the business was not actually open and, presumably, saw the video showing no threats or intimidation.

It’s clear that the arresting officer had never dealt with this type of situation before—and that he has no real understanding of the freedom of speech granted by the First Amendment. He fabricated a charge out of thin air. Perhaps, people believe that this type of activity is illegal, based on the fact that they don’t like it and they may have never seen anyone do it before.

I discussed this with a couple atheists in the comments on this YouTube video. They are biased against anyone preaching about the Bible of course; they also believe these preachers broke the law. They say they support freedom of speech, but they don’t seem to understand that the whole point of the First Amendment is to protect speech you may find offensive or annoying.

The legal issues remaining in this case are not whether anyone has the right to speak at that DMV to a captive audience. That is a given. The only issue remaining is whether they should have obtained a permit. Even if the courts determine that a permit must be obtained, the state won’t be allowed to discriminate to whom they grant a permit based on the content of their speech. So these men could be right back there preaching to their captive audience any time they want.

One of the many symptoms of Christians not doing their job in evangelism is that many Americans are ignorant of our God-given right to free speech. Even police officers don’t understand. There are enough Christians in California that preaching at that DMV—or any other ideal location with a captive audience—shouldn’t be a rare occurrence that causes everyone to flip out and demand their arrest. It should be old hat.

So many people today who are not Christians have multiple misconceptions about our faith and believe they are OK with God. I would prefer they say, “I know what the Bible says because everywhere I go Christians keep telling me; I just don’t believe it.”

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Sermon of the Week: “The Bible’s View on Missions – Part 7” by Akash Sant Singh

We are pleased to offer the seventh of a series of messages on biblical missions from Pastor Akash Sant Singh, pastor of Community Bible Church in Reno, Nevada. As a missionary to West Africa, this sermon has spoken to my heart and it will be a blessing to you as well.

It is important to remember that every true believer is actually called to be on a mission for the Most High Sovereign Creator of heaven and earth. May Christ be exalted through the proclamation of His word and to each listening ear.

Church description – “The Bible’s view on missions – part 7 a Sunday school message by Pastor Akash.”

The Bible’s View of Missions – Part 7

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I Wish I Was As Biblical As I Sound

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I don’t know about anyone else, so I am speaking entirely about myself. So I want to be as candid as I can possibly be. I am not nearly as biblically grounded as I sound. Those that have read this blog get a snapshot of my thoughts, when they are coherent enough to be strung into an article on the Christian faith. My friends get a little bit more of me, especially when I do little more than repost quotes of great preachers, or link to articles and books, or even scripture, that I have read about the Christian faith on Twitter and Facebook. Those that get to see me in the flesh get to hear me talking about various theological issues and how we need to keep everything focused on Christ. In the end, I can often appear as a very spiritual man. In fact, some have actually come to respect my opinion on matters. But the truth is, I am not nearly as spiritual as I sound. Permit me to give you a view into my heart and soul, and perhaps we can learn why it is we need the grace of Jesus Christ in our lives.

Everyday I tell myself I need to read scripture. I get up rather early, so most of the time it is a mad rush for me to get to work on time because I hit the snooze button too many times again. The 30 minute drive usually gives me time to listen to a portion of a Christian radio podcast or sermon. I get to work before most of my co-workers, so I always tell myself to start my day with a prayer and reading at least some scripture. Of course, by the time I start up my computer, check my messages, plug in my iPod to finish listening to my podcast, check Facebook and Twitter on my my phone and get going on work, I can completely neglect my scripture reading. Thus my day starts regularly. Many times I do actually accomplish what I set out too, but more often than not, this is how it starts.

Often I look at my wonderful family and see the blessing God has given me. I promise God to nurture them and bring them up according to His word. But when I get home, I find the kids have fought my wife all day doing their homeschool assignments. Their room is a disaster and the cat has thrown up on the couch. My poor wife is stressed to the max and needs a relief. This should be such a great time to teach the gospel right? Instead, I admonish my kids for not doing what they were told. I threaten to get the garbage bag and throw out the toys they won’t pick up. I holler at the cat and chase her out of the room and I set forth to clean up everything so my wife will not be stressed. Of course in accomplishing what she has fought all day to do, I simply make things harder for her by making her feel inadequate. Rather than bring the peace of Christ into my home, I bring the iron rod of the dictator. Now, believe it or not, not every day is this way. Many times I have come home and we have a wonderful meal and fellowship. But on the other days, no gospel was shared, not even a Bible verse. A rank heathen could have done it the same way.

In my ministerial life I have been a street preacher, Sunday school teacher, and a Christian blogger. I share with people how desperately they need Jesus Christ, that their sin has caused irreparable damage to their relationship with God which will end in judgment for them. Yet Christ took the punishment they deserve upon Himself and that, through repentance and faith, they can receive salvation. I have shared online the desperate need the church has for preaching an undiluted gospel message. I have tried to call Christians to a deeper walk with Christ. Yet all the while, my own studies have gone neglected. Sometimes, I have not even reviewed my Sunday School lessons until the night before church. In the last year, my evangelism efforts have trickled down as I try to be a good minister in my home (the above paragraph outlined how well that goes). So while I want to see the lost saved and the saved grow, I do little to improve my walk with the Lord.

This is a snapshot of my life. The life of a wretched sinner who should, after 11 1/2 years of his Christian walk, have a much greater appreciation for the mercy I was shown. One whose walk so be so much further down the road. One who should speak with kindness and mercy, rather than the biting sarcasm and snarkiness that have come from my lips so many times. One who should value eternal things than the things of this world (such as the iPad that I write this on, or my Kindle I just had to have, or my phone that gives me access to Facebook, Twitter, etc, or…you get the idea). One who should get up everyday weeping with joy that I did not wake up in the bowels of Hell as I deserve.

The reason I write this is that, while I do not know if or even how you might struggle, this is my daily walk. This is the person I am, the one who desperately needed saving because, of my own accord, I am not even close to being a good person. This is the person who many have, for some strange reason, come to respect and believe I have something valuable to offer. A person who often thinks he does have something valuable to offer. I have nothing to offer the world, saved or unsaved. I am a wretched, stinking sinner who is good for nothing save the fires of Hell. But my Savior, now that is something different.

My Savior took a stinking sinner and died for his sins. He cleaned him up and made him into a new creation. My Savior gave him a desire to read the Word of God. My Savior gave him a heart to worship. My Savior gave him the desire to share the word with anyone who would listen, including his own family. My Savior did all this, I did none of it. My Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ, the maker of Heaven and Earth, the eternal God who became Man to take the sins of the world upon Himself. He did this all, and does it every single day of my life, and of the lives for those who repent and believe.

All those wretched things I described of myself have been paid for at the foot of the cross. Now I am no longer held in account for my sins, for they have been put upon my Savior’s account. Now I am free to worship and serve my Lord, even when I blow it every single day. Now I can see my sins for what they are, know that I am no longer judged by them, and repent so that I may serve God freely. If ever you look at me and think you appreciate something I have said or done, if ever you, perish the thought, think I am somehow holy or more spiritual than anyone else, please ditch those thoughts right into the garbage. Know that anything good that I have accomplished comes directly from my Savior. Know that I still struggle in my flesh and desperately need prayer. Know that I desire to see my self changed daily so that I am more like my Savior. And know that it is the Savior to whom I desire you to look to most of all.

I wish I was as spiritual and biblical as I sound, I really do. But I have come to see myself more and more in the light of the gospel. I realize I never can be. But I realize that is why I need Christ, and why you do too. Our righteousness is nothing but filthy rags to our Lord. But the righteousness of Christ, that is what we need to rely on most of all. So trust not in your own abilities. Don’t think your daily reading, prayers, worship, etc. make you a better Christian. They will help you grow immeasurably and cause you to appreciate the Savior more, but they will not add one iota to the righteousness you receive in Jesus Christ. Nor does someone’s lack in these areas tarnish the righteousness of Christ. Seek not to be a “better Christian” but seek more to love the Savior who made you righteous to begin with.

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Sermon of the Week: “The Bible’s View on Missions – Part 6” by Akash Sant Singh

We are pleased to offer the sixth of a series of messages on biblical missions from Pastor Akash Sant Singh, pastor of Community Bible Church in Reno, Nevada. As a missionary to West Africa, this sermon has spoken to my heart and it will be a blessing to you as well.

It is important to remember that every true believer is actually called to be on a mission for the Most High Sovereign Creator of heaven and earth. May Christ be exalted through the proclamation of His word and to each listening ear.

Church description – “The Bible’s view on missions – part 6 a Sunday school message by Pastor Akash.”

The Bible’s View of Missions – Part 6

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But What About…?

“Jesus didn’t really exist.” “The Bible was written by a bunch of illiterate goat herders.” “Christianity just borrowed from other religions.” Have you ever heard any of these objections from people when you are attempting to explain the gospel to them? I have. These and several others tend to be the standard roadblocks that people will use to shield themselves from the truth of God’s word. In most cases, the person who is asking these questions really is not all that concerned with the actual answer. If you establish that Jesus really did exist, or that the Bible has the single greatest number of manuscript copies in antiquity, or that 80% of people, locations and events described in the Bible have been archaeologically proven, then they will move to “Well, what about slavery?” Or, “you’re supposed to stone your disobedient child, why aren’t you doing that??” Quite simply, these questions are not to elicit an actual response, they are actually roadblocks to get you off course and so tied up, the asker can then feel he has taken the intellectual high ground by asking you questions you did not have an answer for.

So what is the Christian supposed to do with these questions? Well, first off, attempt to recognize whether they are asking genuine questions or not. Believe it or not, there are some folks who are genuinely trying to understand how we Christians can believe such stuff. They are being raised up in a culture that has told them religion is nothing but a personal experience, so truth really is not a consideration. When they hear the name Jesus, they think along the lines of “Zeus” or “Thor”. It’s just mythology. So when they are presented with the belief that Jesus existed and the Bible records what He said, they can’t believe we believe this. So allow them the opportunity to ask questions. In time, either by the rapid fire nature of the questions, or by the fact they simply ignore the answer, the sincerity of the questions can be determined.

But I would encourage my fellow Christians to start learning some basic apologetics knowledge. While proving Jesus really walked the earth, or knowing the number of manuscripts in existence cannot convert the wicked rebellious heart, it can demonstrate that our faith is not blind or unreasonable. It can demonstrate to the unbeliever we take what we believe seriously. We aren’t just “ignorant goat herders” following a myth like blind lemmings. Such evidence can provide structural support to the overall understanding of the gospel message.

Now, as I mentioned before, most questions and objections brought up really will have little to do with gaining actual understanding of the Christian faith. Rather, they are like the infamous smoke screen released by James Bond’s Aston Martin to blind his pursuers as he made his getaway. Just like the smokescreen would cause the pursuers to lose sight of the road and likely drive off of it, these questions are designed to side track you into secondary issues. Discussions regarding who actually approved of what books in the Bible, evolution vs. creation, and that somehow today we are far smarter than those poor souls 2000 years ago, really aren’t about raising genuine concerns they have so much as they do not want to discuss the core issue of Christianity, that they are sinners in the hands of a righteous, holy God.
The heart of the unregenerate is bound up in sin. It’s daily appetite is for the things of this world. It can be a full dive into hedonistic pleasures or it can be the simple life where white lies and coveting are a daily occurrence. Yet, the heart of a lost person cannot see these actions and thoughts as the sins that they are. Just as we once did, they will compare themselves to each other and think, “I’m not so bad.” Or they might feel the sting of regret when the consequences of such actions bear fruit. But in the end, there is no real sense of conviction for sin being sin. Yet, when the law of God, His righteous standard, is brought upon them, they cannot but feel the weight of His judgment upon themselves. The unregenerate man must find a way out from under this or be crushed by it. Thus, the peppering of questions is but one method a person may employ to achieve this.

So how does one handle this situation. I suggest that there are a few ways that you can address it. First off, you can politely suggest that those questions be tabled for a short time. This is not a means of avoiding the questions mind you. We should be willing to go back to them if needed. However, in doing this, we can continue in the addressing their core problem, which is their sin against God. Once they understand the nature of sin and the need for grace, if they truly wish to discuss those matters, we can return to them.

Another way was once demonstrated to me by Tony Miano, a member of the Living Waters evangelism ministry and an open air preacher. He asked the person he was talking to a simple question. “If I answer every one of your questions, will you then be willing to bend the knee and worship Jesus as your Lord?” That person indicated they would not. Most likely, the questioner you are talking to will likewise confess that the questions were not really all that important, allowing us to once again address where they stand before the Lord.

A final means is, if a person is simply unwilling to engage in a intelligent discussion without lobbing loaded accusations and questions, is to break off the witnessing encounter. The simple fact is that there are some hearts so hardened that they simply will not listen. You could have all the answers, you could take them to every single scripture and prove it to be true, you could overcome every obstacle, but this person may have only one goal in mind. To tie you up and keep you from doing your God given duty to share the gospel. While I cannot tell you at what time you have to make this decision, because each one is different, there has to come a point when you determine that there are a lot of lost souls out there that need to hear the gospel as much as this person. If they are not willing to hear, then graciously move on. Remember, we are but the messengers, it is God who does the converting.

So as Christians who are commanded to evangelize the lost, remember this: there are questions out there that you have to deal with. Some are genuine, others are smoke screens. Develop a basic knowledge of apologetics, not so we can win people through them, but to strengthen our witness encounters. Be prepared for those who are attempting to obfuscate the issue and stay central to the matter at hand. Also, and I cannot stress this enough, learn to to witness biblically. The Bible makes it clear, the law of God brings conviction to the heart of the sinner, the grace of Christ is what converts him. Show the person the nature of their sin, that it is an offense to God that must be judged. When he feels the heat of judgment upon him, bring him to the foot of the blood stained cross, showing him this is where his sin was paid for. Lead him to the empty tomb, to show him his Savior’s power of death. And show him the gates of heaven that are open if he would but repent and place his faith in Jesus Christ alone.

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Here I Stand…

I want to make something clear. I am a born again follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. This means I believe I was born a sinner and that my actions put me at war with God. Because of that, God will judge me for my sins and condemn me to Hell. Yet, in His mercy, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live the perfect life I could not live and to die the death I deserve. Jesus rose from the grave three days later, giving me a promise of eternal life. By turning from my sin and trusting in Jesus, He takes on my sins and I receive His perfect righteousness. I have been granted eternal life and will one day be with Him forever in Heaven.

As a Christian, I believe that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God. That means it is the direct revelation of God to man. This means I believe everything it says. Everything. When it says something is a sin, it’s a sin. What culture says about it today is irrelevant. No matter how we try re-work or re-word what God has already said, His truth remains. I will not bend, I will not yield, I will stand. I will proclaim God’s word, all of it. I may be called arrogant. I may be called ignorant. I may even be called a hateful bigot. But no matter what the world thinks of me, I care more of how I am viewed by my Savior than by anyone else. Jesus paid my fine with His life’s blood. I owe Him nothing less than my total love and obedience.

Because I trust in Christ for my salvation, and because I believe God’s word is true, I will proclaim to the world that it is in sin against God. I will proclaim that through Christ and Christ alone is their salvation. I will do this because I love people far too much to leave them in the delusion that they are “OK” with God. I love them enough to warn them of the judgment that is coming. I love them enough to risk being hated by them, and even have them turn against me. If I am willing to risk my life to save a drowning man, or a child trapped in a fire, how much more must I be willing to risk my standing in people’s minds to try and rescue them from the fires of Hell. It matters not if a blind man does not believe in the cliff he is walking toward. Thus, I cannot and will not stop my warnings because people do not believe as I do. I love them too much to stop.

I make this declaration today because I believe the world is beginning to openly war against Jesus Christ and those who follow Him. I make this stand today to make it known I will stand for Him no matter how tough the opposition may be, and no matter what it may cost me personally. I declare this to let you all know that I believe the greatest love I can possibly show is to point to the way of salvation, not to allow people to remain comfortable in their sins.

In the words of the Reformation preacher Martin Luther, “Here I stand. I can do no more.”

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An open letter to Rosie O’Donnell.

Dear Rosie:

After watching the exchange between you and the street preacher in the brief video clip below, I felt compelled to respond.

I am not privy to the conversation between you and the men before the video began rolling so I do not know what was said, but honestly, what took place beforehand is irrelevant and does not justify what was said to you by the one with the microphone. How you were treated was appalling, despicable, and reprehensible.

It is obvious that the man insulting you and calling you names was speaking from a position of prideful arrogance and as one who does not fully understand the pit from which God saved him from (although his behavior would lead me to seriously question if he truly has been saved from anything).

On behalf of Christians, I want to publicly apologize for how you were treated. This man does not speak for, nor did his actions represent genuine, biblical Christianity. Instead, he displayed a sinfully self-righteous attitude reminiscent of that of the Pharisees.

I see very little difference between his behavior and that of the clan from the Westboro “Baptist Church.” Both come from a position of I’m superior to you because you’re a sinner, instead of coming from a position of I am a sinner saved by God’s undeserved grace and was facing God’s justly deserved wrath until He saved me for His glory.

God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). The man insulting you showed absolutely no humbleness nor concern for your soul, but instead displayed an abundantly self-righteous attitude revealing that the impetus behind his behavior was nothing but sheer pride. His harsh and demeaning words to you exposed not only his utter lack of understanding of  God’s grace and God’s mercy, but it also revealed what was in his heart (Luke 6:45) as well as his astounding ignorance of the very gospel of Jesus Christ that he claims to represent.

I seriously have to question the salvation of any professing Christian who revels and delights in the prospect of someone facing Hell–ridiculing and insulting them–instead of grieving for that perishing soul. For not even God takes pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefers for the sinner to turn from their ways (Ezekiel 18:23).

Continue reading →

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Sermon of the Week: “The Bible’s View on Missions – Part 4” by Akash Sant Singh

We are pleased to offer the fourth in a series of messages on biblical missions from Pastor Akash Sant Singh, pastor of Community Bible Church in Reno, Nevada. As a missionary to West Africa, this sermon has spoken to my heart and it will be a blessing to you as well.

It is important to remember that every true believer is actually called to be on a mission for the Most High Sovereign Creator of heaven and earth. May Christ be exalted through the proclamation of His word and to each listening ear.

Church description – “The Bible’s view on missions – part 4 a Sunday school message by Pastor Akash.”

The Bible’s View of Missions – Part 4

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The Great Exchange.

Life is filled with unanswered questions. The most troubling of which are questions surrounding the afterlife. For example: What happens to us after we die? Who will find themselves in Hell? How does someone get to Heaven?

We hear many opinions about these mysteries from family, friends, co-workers, churches, religious leaders, psychics, and even television talk show hosts. But the one issue that needs to be dealt with before we die is the one problem that people rarely—if ever—mention. It’s the dilemma they cannot account for, remedy or fix, yet it is the one thing that will determine where each and every one of us will spend eternity. This problem that I am speaking of is sin.

We all do it.

Every person who has ever lived or is living now has sinned (Romans 3:9, 3:23), and as long as we live we continue to indulge in sin (Genesis 6:5). None of us are free of sin (1 John 1:8), and God will judge us for every one of our sins, including the secret ones we thought were hidden (1 Samuel 16:7, Ecclesiastes 12:14, Romans 2:16, Romans 8:27).

Sin results in two deaths.

The sin that we inherited from Adam and the sin we willingly commit every day will result in our physical death (Romans 5:12-17, 6:23), but of greater peril than our physical death is that our sin will result in what’s called the “second death” (Revelation 21:8). This “second death” is better known as Hell, a very real and horrifying place consisting of eternal punishment, darkness, weeping, gnashing of teeth, and an unquenchable fire (Matthew 8:12, Luke 3:17, Jude 7).

Our common denial.

We are all guilty before God, condemned by a lifetime of accumulated sin, but some people aren’t convinced that they’re sinners until they face these four questions:

– 1) Have you ever told a lie, even a little white lie? (Proverbs 6:16-17, Revelation 21:8)

– 2) Have you ever taken something that did not belong to you? (Leviticus 19:11)

– 3) Have you ever lusted after someone? (Matthew 5:27-28)

– 4) Have you ever used God’s name in vain? (Exodus 20:7)

If you answered “Yes” to these four questions then you’ve admitted to being a lying, thieving, adulterous blasphemer. On the great and dreadful day of God’s final judgment, will you be found guilty or innocent? Based on God’s standards (not ours), the answer is obvious: you, like the rest of mankind, will stand condemned.

We’re already under God’s judgment.

Contrary to popular opinion, we do not have to wait until the day of God’s judgment to find out whether or not we’re in right standing with God. It’s not a question of if upon your death you’ll be condemned to God’s eternal, fierce, and terrifying judgment; it’s already your current condition. Because we’ve all sinned, we are already under His judgment and consigned to His wrath (John 3:18, 3:36).

Our obedience and good works are useless.

If you try to pay your sin-debt to God and earn His favor by being a good person and following the Law, then you must follow all of God’s Laws perfectly your entire life without ever failing in one area or you’ll be charged with breaking all of His Laws (Galatians 3:10, James 2:10). If you’ve already sinned in your life—even once—then perfect obedience to the Law for salvation is not even an option for you.

Not only are you under a curse if you sin in just one area of the Law, but you’re incapable of completely obeying the Law even if you wanted to (Romans 8:6-8). And—as if it couldn’t get any worse—the Bible tells us that those who try to earn their salvation by following the Law have fallen from grace and are cut off from Christ (Galatians 5:4).

God expects absolute moral perfection.

Not only does God require us to be holy (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16), but Jesus said that our righteousness must surpasses that of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20) and we must be perfect just as God is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

God cannot forgive you and still remain holy.

God cannot simply forgive us of our sin without becoming an abomination unto Himself (Proverbs 17:15, 18:5, 24:24). It would be unjust and corrupt of Him to merely overlook our sin-debt just as it would be for an earthly judge to overlook the transgressions of a criminal in his courtroom. We shouldn’t expect God to forgive our offense to Him any more than we should expect an earthly judge to simply forgive the man who was guilty of murder. If the court judge let the criminal go free because he’s a tolerant, forgiving, and loving judge, then that judge would be as wicked as the murderer who committed the crime. Such a pardon would be the epitome of corruption and injustice, yet this is exactly what most people expect God will do for them when they stand before Him on Judgment Day.

God cannot simply ignore your sin and still remain a righteous and just Judge because justice demands that punishment be carried out. Based on the moral standard required of our holy, perfect, and righteous final Judge, you and I must be eternally punished under God’s relentless, unmitigated wrath because we have sinned against an eternal and infinitely holy God.

What hope is there?

So, what hope is there? How can we be forgiven for our multitude of sins that require punishment? How can God justify the sinner and still remain just (Romans 3:26)?

But God . . .

But God, our Judge, being merciful and because of His great love toward us (even while we were still sinners and dead in our transgressions), provided the means of salvation by brutally sacrificing His own Son so that we may be forgiven and reconciled to Him (Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4).

Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22). The only way for us to be forgiven of our transgressions is for someone to die in our place (a propitiatory substitute) in order to bear the wrath of God that our sins justly deserve. Only a sinless sacrifice could redeem us and bridge the gap between a holy and righteous God and a depraved and sinful people. The sacrifice had to be fully human and fully God in order to qualify to be an adequate mediator to reconcile us to God.

God crushed His own Son (Isaiah 53:10) as He placed our sins upon Him (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus bore our sins on the cross (Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53:12, 1 Peter 2:24), and He redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).The Father placed the wretched, filthy, and vile sins of His people upon His beloved, sinless Son so that Jesus would become sin on our behalf (our substitute) while simultaneously giving (imputing) Christ’s righteousness to us (Romans 4:22-24, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9). Jesus Christ not only paid our insurmountable debt of sin with His own life (a debt we could never pay), but He also credited His own perfect righteousness to our account—the very righteousness that God requires of us but that we could never obtain on our own. This judicial transfer or great exchange meets the requirements of God’s Law and satisfies the demands of God’s justice.

Jesus Christ is the one and only means God provided to reconcile us to Himself. The Son is the only way to the Father (John 14:6), and salvation is found in no one but Jesus (Acts 4:12). No matter how “good” we think we are or how hard we strive to follow God’s Laws, no one (not even you or me) is justified by the Law (Galatians 2:16, 3:11) but by faith in Christ alone because, if righteousness could be obtained by following the Law, then Jesus Christ died needlessly (Galatians 2:21).

Once upon a cross . . .

Either Jesus paid for your sins and absorbed God’s wrath for you by His substitutionary death on the cross, and conversely His righteousness has been merited to you, or you will pay for your own sins and endure God’s unrelenting wrath for eternity in Hell. God declares that we should repent because He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world (Acts 17:30-31). It will be a terrifying­­­­ day for you (Proverbs 21:15, Hebrews 10:31) if you haven’t repented (Luke 13:3) and believed/trusted (Mark 1:15) in Christ alone as your perfect sacrificial substitute, Savior, and Lord.

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ABC–Always Be Closing?

Lately during really good witnessing encounters the question about what to do with someone who appears really remorseful over his or her sin has resurfaced for me. The other person who was witnessing with me took this as an opportunity to try to close the deal. Though this individual thankfully doesn’t subscribe to the sinner’s prayer nonsense, she wanted the person to pray a prayer of salvation from the heart. If the individual hesitated, she attempted to push him or her a little bit to go ahead and make a decision for Christ.

I’ve had trouble putting my finger on why this bothered me. Everything she was saying was technically true. Today is the day of salvation, and anyone can die at any time. However, it seemed she was coming off as a salesperson trying to convince a reluctant prospect.

As always the question to ask in evangelism is: “What did Jesus and the apostles do?”

It seems Jesus never tried to close the deal. He would command people to repent and believe the gospel, or believe in Him, or come to Him, or eat His flesh and drink His blood. He never asked anyone to repeat a prayer after Him. When the rich young ruler walked away (Luke 18), he didn’t chase after Him. He trusted the message to do its work, along with the Holy Spirit, even if it meant he would never repent.

Maybe the clearest example is Acts 10 when Peter went to Cornelius and his family to give them the gospel: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message” (Acts 10:44).  He never had to close the deal or get them to make a commitment of some sort. God saved them while he was busy talking.

So what should we do when someone appears broken by the message? Exactly what Jesus and the apostles did. Deliver the message faithfully, and trust the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to push the individual for a decision or commitment of any kind. Maybe God is saving the person as we speak.