Prayer Warriors Wanted

I've never knowingly met a 'Prayer Warrior'.  I've met several people who claimed to be such, but they weren't.  Why in the world would someone brag about something that's supposed to be secret? Matthew 6:6.  I know there are people out there who continue in prayer to God in accordance with the righteousness that comes by faith. They pray for God's people, for the lost, against the enemy, and for the ultimate glorious coming of our Lord Jesus.  They do not announce themselves, they do not seek high places in the church, and they do not pry into others' affairs.

In other words, they are mostly hidden. Of course, they pray with others to partake of the Lord´s promise (Matthew 18:19), but not in front of unbelievers or to be seen in church.  These are the ones who keep the gospel alive in others who have been appointed to preach it. These are the ones who provide the backbone to the body of Christ, who fight courageously in the battles that wage invisibly about us. These are true warriors. 

Once in a while, their power becomes known. But it's only because when they pray, it comes to pass. They take no credit, but only continue in faith to ask for more blessings upon the righteous, and many times, anathema against false gospels and their devilish servants.  Mary Queen of Scots said, "I fear these prayers more than all the assembled armies of Europe." 

She feared the prayers of John Knox, a great man of God who represented the true church in Scotland.  He fought against the false church that put Mary into power and he prayed against the false religion all about him.  Modern churches portray him as a tyrant, of course, keeping in step with feminist revisionist history. This man knew what it was to pray and what it was to suffer for Christ. I recommend any fair biography of the man.

The prayers of today sound like cutesy, cheesy, conversations with God. This is acceptable in a little girl who does not know what's going on. But these are full-grown men acting like schoolboys. They brag they are 'babes in Christ'. Women rule over them and children are their oppressors. Isaiah 3:12. Godly women should be praying for their husbands instead of desiring to correct them. Then we´ll see some real warriors rise up for the gospel. 

I am sure there are prayer warriors out there although they are hidden from my sight. Pray for us, therefore, you prayer warriors. And I, like John Knox, pray against those who present a false gospel. Pray that our message conforms to the message as put forth in our Holy Scriptures.

Chris Simonson - 2/29/2008

Read My Lips

"Read my lips, no new taxes." President Bush said this when he was nominated to run in 1988. (That was George H.W. Bush.) On Tuesday, February 26, 2008, President George W. Bush said he did not think we are headed for a recession. That's nice.

In 2001, right after he came into office, we had the so-called 'Bush recession'. Three successive quarters showed negative GDP, whatever that means. George pointed out that he inherited the problem from Clinton, and it was made worse by the Great Terrorism, so it´s not his fault. Whatever.

Let´s face it: we are headed for a Big Correction in our economy. No one but our president would deny it.  Because so much credit was extended to homebuyers in hopes that this would magically create an "Ownership Society," the thin bubble of prosperity is ready to burst. No one knows what is going to happen because it is happening in a global economy that wasn´t there in 1930. The word 'recession' isn't going to describe it.

That may seem harsh, but that´s not even the big problem. The big problem is with us here and now: our covetousness. God lets us do things that are evil, letting it build up until the correction comes.  The wicked do not learn from it, but repeat their sins as soon as they recover. Look at Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Judgment came upon them and they can't wait to get it back up and running. 

America has been warned for decades that judgment is coming upon her. She used to have Christian morals and her government backed them. Now, she is corrupt. But what happened?  The Christian church in America lost its taste for the things of God and so lost its ability to be the salt of the earth. I do not blame Bush or Clinton or the next president for the great woes that are soon to come on this nation: I blame the church.

Read my lips: repent or perish.

Chris Simonson - 2/28/2008

Peaceable Fruit of Righteousness

It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace. This is how one translation of Hebrews 12:11 puts it. Whatever translation our church uses, we will probably get another sermon

trying to sell cheap grace. There is no cheap grace. We have an empty form of religion today that stresses faith without substance, an easy-going churchianity that neglects the righteousness that comes by faith. There is very little evidence of salvation out there; that is, very little fruit of righteousness as the KJV puts it.

But our Lord seeks a godly seed, or fruit. This is the peaceable fruit of righteousness that comes through our endurance of God´s chastening. The Father is the vinedresser and we are branches off the main Vine, Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ we can do nothing for God. If we do not remain in the Vine, then we shrivel up and are cast into the fire. If we remain in Christ we bear fruit, and He prunes us so we bear more fruit. Pruning refers to suffering. Although this correction hurts, our Lord is faithful to keep on pruning us until the completion of our salvation. As such, we can be confident we are under His care and can take comfort in the fiery trials that come upon us. That's what peaceable fruit of righteousness is all about.

This is where faith comes in. We are being trained to comprehend the full depth, height and breadth of God's love that he has for us in Christ Jesus. Otherwise, we´d surely miss it with worldly distractions pulling us away from godly service.  Faith is how we obtain righteousness with God. There is no other way. So God Himself leads us in the path of righteousness for His Name's sake, reducing us so that we bear fruit. 

Fruit comes when we are filled with the Spirit of Righteousness, God's Holy Spirit. Jesus assured us that our Father will give us the Spirit if we ask. But what are we in for? That's what abiding in the Vine is all about. We do not get the Holy Spirit by whooping ourselves into a frenzy as do the heathen. We do not get the Holy Spirit by observing the Law. We don´t get filled by laying around waiting for something to happen. There is only one way to get the Spirit: We must all bear a cross. By faith we pursue God´s righteousness by the way of the cross. Praise be to God that He has given us a cross to bear!

Peace be to all those who have faith in Jesus Christ, who love God by believing that He Is and that He rewards those who diligently pursue Him.

Chris Simonson - 2/27/2008

Every human on the planet has a breaking point... where we come before the stone wall of God and can go no further. God, in His merciful wisdom has a host of tools with which to bring us to our knees, whether it be through rejection, failed relationships, poverty, suffering, handicaps or even death. In our minds this is most inconvenient, but many of us whom have come to Christ have done so under such circumstances. When we fall, we fall to the Lord. When the old vessel of Self is broken God rebuilds us as a new vessel and pours in us new wine, filling us with His Spirit.

We fear this Lord whom has the power to cast the soul into Hell. Through this fear and faith, we strive to walk in peace and obedience. For whatever reason that we may think God is somehow 'chastening' us, for good, bad or indifferent, we know that God chastens those whom He loves. God is always the Potter and we are always the clay; He shapes us at His will. We are called to be but obedient servants to His Word, believing by faith that His enduring mercies will never fail.

Perhaps one could look at Job and see his afflictions and chasten him for some failing or sin in his life which brought these trials upon him. Or, the same with Joseph, whom was sold by his own brothers to the Egyptians to be a slave. Also we can scrutinize Jacob, whom suffered toil under his father-in-law for 14 years; later he wrestled with God, Himself and walked away from it with a limp and his name was called Israel, for God prevailed. Many of those whom criticize such men are not children of God and have no mercy or grace within them; they have not bowed their knee to Almighty God, nor have they suffered for His glory.

However, we whom are in Christ have died to the flesh and are born again in Christ. Though some of us suffer greatly now, we shall soon be in eternal glory with our Lord and savior, Jesus the Messiah.

Steven Styles - 2/26/2008

Pastor for Hire

Many of today's modern pastors are but a microcosm of the mighty men of zeal whom were instrumental in teaching Biblical precepts throughout Church history; many of the lives of said men of God were subject to forfeit, such as Wycliffe and Huss, whom preceded Luther. The hearts of such men were entrenched in God's word and their faith in Christ triumphed over death.

However, many of the modern 'Christian' pastor's faith is built upon a triumph over the 'shame' of middle-class life and blue-collar jobs, who's end goal is to receive the pastorship of their dreams, consisting of huge salaries and throngs of adoring fans, as if they were the elite of God's 'special speakers'. In essence, they are but hired hands, employed by the congregation and subject to its whims and will; this congregation acts as a pastoral puppetmaster, ensuring that smooth speeches ensue to soothe their itching ears. These hired hands do not have true love for the sheep; they merely provide the mob with a decorative figurehead to adorn the seat of Moses, all the while making gain of the sheep.

When wolves beset the flock, they head for the hills to save their own skin... leaving the sheep to be devoured.

"The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep." John 10: 12-13

Perhaps these hired hands missed the hand writing on the wall:“This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel, Chapter 5)

Steven Styles - 2/25/2008

Castro the Constant...

Whatever else may be said about him, Fidel Castro has outlasted everyone, whether it is American presidents or Russian premiers. For a half century, he has embarrassed the United States with his defiance and control. Cuba is right off the coast of Florida and yet we seem to have no effect on his grip over the Cuban people. We have tried everything, including invading his country, all to no avail.

Now he is done after 50 years of rule. He has reached an age where he cannot perform the duty as dictator any longer. He has resigned as "president." Will there be elections in Cuba?  Will several people run for president? And then who will be president of the USA?  The times, they are a-changin'.

I went through the "Cuban missile crisis" and remember well the threat of nuclear war between USSR and USA. The spirit of the age at that time was enormous fear of complete destruction of the earth by fallout once the "Mutually Assured Destruction" programs had been implemented by ICBM´s. Now we worry about greenhouse gases.

Well, the 60's blew over with the assassination of Kennedy, the coming of the Beatles, the popularization of the bikini, and the resultant Jesus Movement. Fidel must have watched with amusement as he ruled from his communist antichrist throne.

However, He who sits in the heavens will have the final say on who does what. God rules from above and is ageless. Fidel will be long gone, and so will Cuba and the USA, but God's kingdom will prevail and last into eternity. He is the only Constant and we should trust only in Him, in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols, as 1 John says.

Chris Simonson - 2/22/2008

Self-Atonement

Many, if not all, religions believe in some method of self-atonement. Generally speaking, this includes all methodologies used to pay for past, present or future mistakes one has made in the process of being human. Some of these self-atonement schemes take on bizarre if not horrific forms, such as offering young virgins to monsters, or worse, accepting all forms of bizarre and horrific behavior in the name of "love". All of these attempts at ridding oneself of guilt, or engrams, or neuroses, or liability must be driven by some 'universal force'... or why the common experience? Christians, the ones who know what they are talking about, call this force by the simple name of sin. The devil's in the details, for sure, but the responsibility for all this madness lies at the door of each human's soul, or how else would God judge the world?

Simply stated, self-atonement is sin, along with all the other sins. If sin is used to rid oneself of sin, one finds an impossible situation, but one nonetheless keeps trying until death do him in. And such is the effect of sin. It makes people think they can use principles or laws or science, whatever, to overcome the natural tendency to keep God out of the mix. Oh sure, they love their religion, Christian it may be, but they hate the idea that they cannot in any way, shape or form atone for their own sin. A popular way to deal with atonement is to ignore the need for atonement. The wicked go to great lengths to rid themselves of the nagging suspicion that God is, after all, going to punish them. They go so far as to invent an educational system that dogmatically teaches that the universe got here by a very small dot that blew up, thus self-actualizing into time and space, organizing itself into the three dots after this sentence...

The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons think a man can atone for his own sin by simply dying. Death is the payment for sin, they say, so what's the problem? The problem is, just because J.W.s don't believe in an extended death that reaches well past the death of the body, doesn't mean that there is no hell. This hell is a place of eternal torment, a place of total destruction that man cannot atone for.

This is why self-atonement is so devilish. The devil has convinced billions that a system of religion that includes self-atonement is not only beneficial but necessary. This is a sure way to hell. God hates it.

There is only one way to atone for sin. God has already done it. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world for the payment of sin, whether past, present or future. Those who neglect this by seeking to atone for their own sins are surely condemned by their arrogance. Those who neglect this by casually saying, "I'm saved", and yet they have no feeling in their heart for the Lord who gave his life for theirs, are also surely condemned likewise.

There is a need for repentance. One must turn from his own estimation of his goodness to the goodness of God. If we do not despise our own selves before God, then we are surely deceived that we are saved, and we have never repented at all. Repent, therefore, and be saved. Look to Him who died for you and loathe yourself for your lack of thanksgiving and absence of service. Bend the knee (worship) before him and he will abundantly pardon you.

Chris Simonson - 2/19/2008

...

So says the scripture (1 Corinthians 13:4). In our haste to jump to other attributes of love, we forget that this comes first on the list. We try to fake kindness, gentleness, etc., and we fall into the trap of being hypocrites. We say we are kind, but when our patience runs out, we become monsters and destructive of others’ lives, usually the very ones God appointed us to protect or obey. Such is the religion of the lost.

But we who are not trying to make the outside look good at the expense of the inward cleansing of the Holy Spirit – we need to be patient. There is a scripture that tells us that in our patience we possess our souls (Luke 21:19). There is another that says that we need patience to inherit eternal life, even after we have done the will of God (Hebrews 10:36).

Many have thrown away their faith because they became impatient. These are like dogs returning to their own vomit, says another scripture.

Our American culture breeds impatience into our souls. If we do not separate ourselves from the culture, we become hypocrites, trying to appear loving but all the while impatient and greedy after gain. We then become expert at faking kindness, gentleness, etc., so we can obtain things our impatient greedy selves demand. This is not Christ, however Christian it may appear. Many souls are damned to perdition because of greed. They lack contentment because they lack true faith (1 Timothy 6:3-12).

Love is patient. This means it does not seek bigger and better things, but is composed as it waits for the outcome. If we have nothing to look forward to, like the reaping of what we have sown, then of course we have no patience. But if we have sown to the spirit (or Spirit), then we wait with patience for the reward (James 5:7, Hebrews 10:35-36).

This causes us to be patient towards others who are stumbling along, bumping into objects in their search for true faith (1 Thessalonians 5:14). We do not jump their bones when they do stupid things, but we with patience instruct them: perhaps God will reveal their error and they will repent. In this we judge the error, but we do not proceed with the trial and the execution. God does. Our job is to live holy lives and rebuke the darkness around us.

Patience causes us to preach the gospel, maintaining our composure while the unlearned and wicked mock the Word of God.

This usually means the stumbling Christian is not going to applaud us when we present the untarnished gospel. It probably means the opposite. But once in a while, God will show someone the light and it’s all worth it. 2 Timothy 2:24-26.

Chris Simonson - 2/18/2008

Be mine Valentine

According to church records, one of the 'St. Valentines' was martyred because he refused to worship an idol. How ironic. Idolatry fuels the commercialization of holidays and abuses a good thing, romance, so Hallmark can sell millions of cards and FTD can sell thousands of bouquets.

The St. Valentine who died for his stance against idolatry would be aghast if he saw how love has been substituted by the consumer modeling of it. He would call it idolatry because back then, people actually believed the Bible when it says that covetousness is idolatry.

The reader may ask, "How does buying cards and flowers equate to covetousness, much less idolatry?" Let´s take a look at what 1 John says about love: "Love not the world, neither the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but of the world." The love of God is such that a man does not pursue the things of this world in order that he may pursue love. The love of the world is opposite and says that pleasing our flesh by pleasing another person´s flesh is the same love.

This just goes to show how deceived we are by false love. Every card purchase allows the spender to relax his or her regard for God´s love by just that much, because after all, didn´t they show love? Wives, it is far cheaper and easier to spend a few bucks and a few minutes to send a Valentine to a friend than it is to subject yourself to your husband´s authority (which, let no man fool you, is love). Husbands, it is far cheaper and easier to buy the flowers than it is to direct your wife with patience into a fear of God while modeling the love that sacrifices its own success.

It´s O.K. to buy things, but let us remember the brethren who have no food to eat today. To quote 1 John again: "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

Chris Simsonson - 2/14/2008

O' England, Where is Your King?

Where are the men of courage, valor and honor whom were charged by God to rule? Whose knees bled in prayer for their people, whose hearts were weighed with magnanimous duty for service and conscience? The glorious crown of England has, at times, been besmirched by wicked men full of adultery and pleasures, and in their wake it has been overtaken by women and oppressed by children.

10. Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your towns, of whom you said, 'Give me a king and princes'? 11. So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away. Hosea 13: 10 & 11

O' America... where are your forefathers? They and their ideals have all but vanished, and all that is left is a hollow shell of misguided countrymen... whose personal gain and zeal for evil has consumed the conscience of an entire nation.

What shall we say? Shall we despair that there is no king and no forefathers?

To the contrary! There is a King... the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords, whose wisdom surpasses the ages; whose understanding stretches beyond Time; whose mercy has no limits; whose glory is but briefly visible in the light of trillions of stars... and whose justice is swift. By the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord, and He is King... and that He has the power to cast a soul into everlasting damnation, and to lift up to His side those whom believe.

Steven - 2/13/2008

Is Salt Bad For You?

If we are to believe food expert Michael Jacobson, salt "is the single most harmful element in the food supply, even worse than saturated fat and trans fat, or food additives and pesticides."  He serves as executive director of Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Even though this sounds pretty legit, we may well examine his credentials and the veracity of the CSPI. He is just a consumer-advocate dude, another Ralph Nader, and his organization is not recognized as scientific by anyone except friends of his.

All the same, we're likely to read this in the newspaper and believe it because we've heard it a thousand times and it must be true. CSPI, a non-government organization, strives to make government responsible for what you eat and drink. When it comes to drink, they are the new prohibitionists. Good Christians will think to themselves: "Why I am a good person who limits my salt intake, eats low-fat vegetarian, and never puts alcohol to my lips." All of this has nothing to do with faith, but it sure looks religious.

This same touch-not, taste-not, handle-not crowd will do things the Bible says are forbidden, hoping to compensate by a 'salt-not' diet! Although CPSI calls salt "the forgotten killer," the real unnoticed killer is our lack of faith in God. CSPI claims we will outlive others if we reduce our salt intake, but Jesus claimed that we would live forever if we had faith. According to the Gospel, Jesus claimed that salt is good... but, once the salt has lost its flavor, it is now good for nothing and not fit for even the manure pile. It can only be tossed out in hopes it won't pollute anything.

Was he making a point about a culinary chemical in the diet, or about pursuing God? Some think it´s the same thing, as noted before. Actually, he spoke of people who have a religious heritage and have been exposed to the doctrine of living by faith, but have substituted something else for faith, thus having a form of salt that has no flavor, good only for grinding underfoot. 

Salt is good, if it is used properly. In the Old Testament, some sacrifices to God had to be salted before they were acceptable. Those of us who live for Christ have to be salted so we have flavor to God. And every such sacrifice will be salted. Those who lose their saltiness by refusing to live by faith will try to prolong their earthly life, consuming their health foods and ignoring their plight; having been made in the image of God they will die like men, losing their souls in the end.

Moral: Don't get off the track by following "old women's fables."

Chris Simonson - 2/12/2008

Stop Evolution Now       

The following message was recently found in a dumpster on Venus:

"Greetings in the name of carbon-based life forms.

"Worldwide threats to the great carbon balancing act known as the biosphere have caused serious restudy of the anthropoid known as modern man. Mankind, or personkind if you will, seems to be fighting evolutionary processes known collectively as selection of species by natural means (or survival of the fittest in vulgar terms). This species is complaining that they can't take global warming. They are afraid of greenhouse gases and they are worried they won't evolve to adapt to the new climate. They respond by turning up their air condtioners. 

"They teach in their schools that evolution is a good thing, and that by random selection the public school system came into being and gave them jobs teaching. This knowledge has been used variously to prove the universe got here with a Big Bang, and that smoking cigarettes is bad for them. Allowing for some variation of species and personal feelings, it should be noticed that if they stop global warming, evolution may come to an end. The fluxes and nuances that describe the "hopeful monsters" they know and love as beneficial mutations may be so hindered by their fear of evolution as to bring a stasis of evolutionary progress heretofore thought as providing them the ability to make cars and own drivers licenses."

Sounds a little like what we're facing today, doesn't it?  Look what happened to Venus! If any life exists there, it certainly isn't human. We must stop evolution now, before it gets any further out of hand. Please join with us and start by chanting "Stop greenhouse gases!" at least ten times with friends who understand. 

Stop driving gas-guzzlers!  Stop using air conditioners!  Stop eating beef!  Stop breathing!

Chris Simonson - 2/08/2008

Lions and Tigers

Lions and tigers are different species, according to modern science. In the normal course of nature, lions and tigers are enemies. On the surface of things, they should not be able to interbreed. But, they do; the result is ligers and tigons.

An evolutionist will come up with an explanation for this, and while doing so might question the Biblical tradition that God created living things that breed after their own kind. Such questions arise from ignorance. If a taxonomist was around when Noah took the animals on board his ark, he or she may have been surprised at the look of many of them and how few kinds were represented. The large cats may have been represented by only a few pairs. Who knows? It doesn't take a scientist to tell that all cats are similar; maybe little Johnny was closer to the truth than we know when he asked if domestic cats grew up to be lions. He did not expect them to turn into rocket scientists (until his school teacher got through with him).

If men would give God credit for being smarter and more powerful than they, maybe could give God the glory He commands. They might look around and understand that God divides one thing from another, separating light from darkness, good from evil, land from water, up from down and cats from dogs. This is not evolution but creation with a love for detail. If a Christian believes in evolution as part of God´s design, then he is rightly censored by the atheist for buying into a God who loves progress via destruction of life, i.e., Darwin's theory of "selection of species by survival of the fittest".

Lions and tigers may be enemies by nature and it may be unusual for them to interbreed, but it is not perverse. Perverse are human beings who hate God and become sexual deviants by using their bodies for pleasure without regard to keeping themselves pure. They bow down to the creation and put it above the Creator. When they do this, the God who created them gives them over to their lusts and they lust after strange flesh, men forsaking their wives and wives forsaking their husbands.

A ligon has a lion as a father and a tiger as a mother. A tigon has tiger as a father and a lion for a mother.  Both of them are true offspring of a common kind. However, something like a "homosexual Christian" has the devil as a father and a Christian heritage as a mother. But the only way these two could have produced offspring is if the Christian heritage was in fact the apostate church. A Christian should have nothing to do with a person who professes to be a brother and yet claims to be homosexual also. This is so he may be ashamed and repent. The apostate church whines that this will cause him to kill himself. This is nothing but the devil trying to stop a man from coming to God. The closer he gets to God and yet refuses to repent, the worse it will be for him on the day of judgment. 

The devil goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He captures his prey by deceiving them into denying the truth, especially the need to fear God and keep his commandments. We need to stick to Biblical teachings. As fair as the speeches of the godless may be, they seek to rob God of his glory. They turn men away from boasting in a God who created all things, turning them to boasting in the creation. And they invent their own methods of dividing things to dishonor God, so he lets them dishonor their own bodies so he can destroy them on judgment day.

Chris Simonson - 2/07/2008

A Theory of Everything

Only wise men try to find a "Theory of Everything." They are wise because they think they can figure things out by scientific research. They have figured out how to split the atom, see billions of light years into space, and make cell phones that take photographs. In all this scientific research, they wisely decided there is no God, at least no God of the Bible. Their findings are taught to school children who grow up to be as wise as they are. Every library, TV program, and school curriculum buys this wisdom that dispenses with the need for a God to explain how everything got here. Instead, we now know that a Dot blew up and created time, space and religion.

With his grasp of atomic physics and astrophysics, plus a big dash of far eastern philosophy, man hopes to understand everything by a mathematical formula, as did Einstein. But, this is like a worm raising its head out of a hole and looking around with blind eyes saying, "I have now looked upon the face of reality and I know everything," and then returning to its place in the dirt. 

Godless men cannot seem to grasp the idea that God is quite a bit smarter than they, and that He is not going to let them know anything important without Him. So, He lets them fiddle around with particle theories, unified field theories, string theories, and theories of everything, until they have consumed their lives with knowledge that leads nowhere besides death. 

Without going into endless theories of everything, let it be known by the reader that there is a God and there is eternal life. It is specific to the religion of Christianity, specifically the eternal life that comes through following Jesus Christ and him alone. All other ways lead to eternal damnation, because God is pure and holy and will not accept anyone who is not found in his pure and holy Son, Jesus.

This is no theory. It is not a theory about God or everything. God, by definition, made all things. The truth is that all things were made by Jesus Christ, and nothing was made that was not made by him. That means that every sub-atomic particle or non-particle, every force whether weak or strong, every star, every galaxy, every heavenly phenomenon and every worm, was made by God. And you, dear reader, were made by God and he will require of you an answer on that day when he judges the world by his Son, Jesus Christ:  "What did you do with with your life?"

Chris Simonson - 2/06/2008

"The Word of Truth; the Gospel of Your Salvation"

It makes a good headline... 

Instead of the daily news, what if every household in the world received an issue of the Good News one day, and everyone read it and believed it? As far as I am concerned, we’d be done here. Heaven would be right around the corner. The end of this world would be the next good news. Eternity would take over immediately. 

However, many people, even if they read about the gospel of their salvation, would not believe it.  For them, it would not be the word of truth.  It would be a lie, carefully crafted by men who want to control their lives. Perhaps most people wouldn’t even read it at all. It isn’t about their religion, so they are forbidden to even look at it. Or, they just don’t care. 

But let’s just say that you are concerned about truth, and about salvation. Fortunately, the word of truth and the good news of your salvation are one in the same. 

We don’t have to invent a gospel. Paul preached it to the Gentiles and it is recorded in the New Testament. The gospel to Paul was “to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). He prayed that Christ might live in our hearts through faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love, might have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God (also in Ephesians 3).  

He also warned that we should stop being children, tossed back and forth and driven with every doctrinal breeze conjured up by the cunning of men, crafted in purposeful lies.  On the contrary, he told us to speak the truth in love, so we can grow up in all areas of our lives into a mature man, “into him who is the head, into Christ,” (Ephesians 4:15).  

If the gospel can be seen as a straight line, cutting through the time and space of our existence, then the universe can be split into two parts.  On one side of the line are the lies of men driven by doctrines of demons; on the other side is the truth.  The gospel pleads with men to listen to the truth that is in Christ.  Those that refuse to cross over the line remain in their sins and must perish.  Those who listen to the preaching of the gospel and do what it says leave their old lies behind and come into the light of the truth.  

Knowing this, we preach Christ and how he was sacrificed for our sins. In him we have redemption by his blood shed for us. We have the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. According to God’s own purpose that he accomplished in Christ, he has given us all wisdom and insight into the mystery of his will. It is a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Jesus - things in heaven and things on earth. In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, we who hope in Christ have been predestined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.  

In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.  

Salvation is a plan.  It is based on God’s will, not ours. We, however, are the recipients of God’s love in this plan. The plan is that we are to praise God for the glory of his grace he lavished upon us in Christ Jesus. Salvation is not just a quick prayer, or a moment in time and space, or a list of things to do.  Salvation is the work of God in his creation and he guides it according to his own will. Our part is to listen to him and believe what he says about this plan. If we are coy, or smug, or deaf, we will surely perish according to the gospel. But if we humble ourselves and listen to the preaching of the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, we will live.  

The gospel of Jesus Christ can only be found in what the church calls the Holy Bible. The seeker of God must critically examine all other sources against the Bible. Other “inspired” sources contradict the Bible, or they would be admitted as Scripture. If you don’t know this, then you owe it to yourself to compare and contrast the messages presented. If you refuse to listen to the word of truth as presented in the Bible, then you will surely miss “so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3).  

The kernel of the gospel is presented in 1 Corinthians 15.  “…the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures” If you receive the kernel and it is watered with the truth, then you will grow up into a mature crop.  If not, you will wither and die. Salvation contrasted with destruction. May God himself direct your path to him

Chris Simonson - 2/05/2008

Seminary VS The Scriptures

Introduction: The following is my reply on a theology debate forum, in response to questions on why or why not one should go to Seminary...

"Don't misunderstand me; I am not opposed to a seminary that the focus thereof is on the Scriptures. In fact I have benefited greatly from the ministries of men who have seminary backgrounds, however their focus was never on seminary but on teaching and preaching from the Word of God.

I find it interesting though, that if someone was to question our modern methodology, which cannot be found in Scripture as the only method, he is either found to be 'full of pride', to discredit him, or as one lady said, 'angry and bitter'. These responses are just a type of ‘one-upmanship’, so to speak.

But, this is what the Scripture says:

"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:14-17

Timothy was taught the Word of God from infancy; somewhere around the age of nineteen or twenty he began his ministry, ordained of God by Paul. Paul charged him to publicly read aloud the Scriptures daily and to discharge the duties of ministry.

So, the Scriptures say that the Scripture is useful for:

1. Doctrine

2. Reproof

3. Correction

4. INSTRUCTION in righteousness that the man of God may be THOROUGHLY equipped for every good work.

One, through the work of the Holy Spirit, can be thoroughly equipped for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction; whether in seminary, or alone in a grass hut in Swaziland, one can find the Pearl of Great Price and obtain the hidden treasures of understanding in the Scriptures. God can even bring someone to teach and preach the Gospel to you, to instruct you in the Word; all of this lead by the Spirit of Christ.

Peter, being trained by Christ, being filled with the Holy Spirit, lead 3000 people to the Lord in a single day (probably more than any other man has truly seen)  had only three years of informal training with the Lord.

If we have the Spirit of God we too can have intimate communion with our Lord, through the Scriptures, and out of obedience and submission can teach others from the Scriptures.

" But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

28. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

29. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." 1 John 2:27-29

(emphasis on verse 27, the anointing is the Holy Spirit that teaches a man.)

"But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.

13. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words.

14. Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.

15. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man.

16. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinth 2:12-16

The Scripture does warn us of this:

"Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment." James 3:1

Now, we all stumble. For those who would revert to personal attack rather than proper instruction from the Scriptures, it just shows, if there is any validity to their accusations, that I am not a perfect man.

One more Scripture comes to mind:

"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand." Rom. 14:4"

Steven - 2/04/2008

Whose god is Their Belly...

If a person does not worship the God of the Bible, that is, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, he or she is servant of the devil. This service to the devil takes several forms, but mainly it takes the form of the mind doing the belly´s bidding. People are never so concerned about worshiping their gods as when 'there´s a little something in it for them'. That 'little something' is riches or glory of this world. As the Bible says, "the lust of money is the root of all evil." When the KJV says "whose god is their belly," the apostle Paul is not only talking about people serving their appetites, but a special class of those who profess to know Christ. (see Philippians).

They are in fact enemies of the cross of Christ. They mind earthly things. They do not seek the kingdom of God or his righteousness, but they have an outward appearance of righteousness by doing religious things. Jesus revealed this covetousness of the Pharisees.  They obeyed the Law of Moses in a carnal way, substituting traditions for the commandments of God. Their traditions consisted of trying to please Jehovah without the faith necessary to really pursue him to a heavenly city.

Abraham knew how to pursue God. So did many of the heroes of faith (see a short list in Hebrews 11). Dispensationalists will tell you that they had a different method of pursuing God, and that we are in the method of building churches right now. Well, the Bible in no wise states that or implies that. What it says is that the promise of salvation by faith in God has been fulfilled in us, who believe in Jesus Christ, the Promised One of God. And there is no other method. Those who are saved prior to Christ´s coming are saved by the same Jesus Christ by the same method as we who now have the promise. God is very able to save them to the utmost by Jesus Christ, who knew Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Elijah, and the rest, very intimately. There is only one body of Christ.

These heroes of the faith did not seek earthly gain. As a matter of fact, one of them, Elisha, cursed his servant for merely nibbling at worldly wealth, and he turned leprous with the disease from which the Gentile was cleansed. 2 Kings 5:26-27 "And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?  The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow."

These things were written for our warning, upon whom the ends of the earth have come. If the earth is going away with a big bang (and it is), then why should we seek earthly gain?  Paul said he counted it all but rubbish so he could gain eternal life through Christ. Are we better than he?

Chris Simonson - 2/01/2008