WHERE'S MARTIN LUTHER WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

   Thursday was Reformation Day!  You thought it was Hallowe'en -- I know.
   Philip Melancthon says this was the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the Wittenburg Castle door. We only have his word for it.
   For two weeks prior, Luther had been writing them down and sending them to various priests, bishops, Cardinals, etc. 
   In all this, apparently, some had gotten hold of them and began distributing them around to the common folk.
   Nailing these statements / accusations to the door was the academician's way of saying: Let's Debate. The propositions were written in Latin, the scholar's language. They were not meant for the common folk nor to be published.
   If you're a Christian, you probably know how all this worked out: Luther was condemned as a heretic, rescued by a prominent friend, was kicked out of the Roman Church, eventually married and had four children.
   Oh, and he stimulated a movement that is now called The Reformation! Hence, Reformation Day.

   Question: Where's Our Martin Luther's? 
   Where's the men and women who understand enough of The Bible to stand up and say: "That's Not Right!"
   The Charismatic Doctrine. The Seeker-Sensitive Doctrine. The Emergent Doctrine. The Missional Church Doctrine. Not to mention the pure Mysticism creeping into almost every church in America.  Can anyone say: Christian Yoga? Or Centering Prayer?
   The Bible Forum is about exposing these things; about looking at the doctrines; about turning the light on the rats. 
   How many sincere, true Christians have any desire for that? Like the political news, Americans are getting very, very tired of hearing all the 'bad news.' 
   Christians are no different. We just want to be left alone to raise our families and love our God. I understand. I feel the same way.  [of course I'm old, that's my excuse -- what's  your's]
   The average church-goer doesn't know enough Bible Doctrine to fill a thimble. John MacArthur says his grandfather [also a preacher] said everyone comes to church with a container: some have buckets; some thimbles.
   Everyone's container gets filled, but invariably the one with the thimble will trip on the door sill, upon leaving the church, and spill what he has!  40 years of ministry has taught me the same lesson.

Are You As Confused As I Am?

  Washington D.C. is NOT the bastion of Normalcy nor Reason. That said, what's up with these people and the Budget? I have to live with the money that comes in, why don't they? What am I missing, here?

   Some Christians believe the government [and politics in general] should be left to the secular realm, meaning to the unsaved citizens. Others believe The Church should get involved and seek to change the political climate for God! I think it's somewhere in between.

   America is not like any other country in the world. Our government is based on biblical principles of social justice, economics, law and equality. We have never been, nor will we ever be, strictly speaking a Christian Nation. However, we exist in harmony with biblical principles and have generally given lip service to our Christian heritage.

   So, should we seek to Christianize America through the ballot box? I say No. But, America is tied to these roots and as long as we have the right to vote, Christians should exercise that right! It is a God-given right.

   But, who do we vote for? What do we vote for? It is doubtful anyone gets to be President or even a Key Player in the political process, in the country, without sacrificing their moral values. Political Leaders are generally beholden to those who put them where they are. It does not speak well of their moral compass.

   Citizen Christians should be looking for and voting for men and women who represent Christian values. Leaders who tell the truth! Do the Right Things! Value what God values and hate what God hates! That we would find ourselves NOT voting, in most cases, would then be an honor to God, not simply a political statement.

   Today, our leaders are struggling with The Budget! What's The Problem? We're borrowing 1/3 of all the money we spend, each year, and only paying on the Interest not the Principal. Is this Right? Moral? Godly? Of course not. No financial advisor would ever recommend such a thing.

   The President is nominating a woman to head up the Federal Reserve who believes strongly in this philosophy. It's called Keynesian Economic Philosophy, after a completely immoral British Economist, loved by President F.D.Roosevelt and followed by President Richard Nixon.

   Between the two, we were taken completely off the gold / silver standard and left adrift in a system where we simply print more money, should we need it. We are calling it Quantitative Easement, at present, but with every new dollar pumped into the system, the one in your pocket is worth less.

  I give you this illustration to highlight our choices. A Christian should vote biblical values. Honesty, Integrity, Responsibility, Morality, Accountability, Decency, etc. No government can satisfy everyone's need. No government should try. Every government should simply create a system where citizens can achieve and let individuals decide if they want to.

   Those who cannot, should have a strong Family Structure to help -- something the government should be encouraging, not undermining. Those who cannot should have access to godly Churches who are ready to help -- something churches, today, don't seem to understand. Those who cannot should have help from the government....to be productive, not dependent.

    Those who still do not? They get to reap what they've sown. I think that's a Bible Idea!  It's called The Law of The Harvest  [Gal. 6].

   God says efforts to defeat this principle are efforts to mock Him and He isn't having any part of that!

IS IT ME?

  Or has the world suddenly become more violent?
  It seems violence is increasing. Once relegated to Inner Cities and Banks [that's where the money is], violence has reached into every area of our life.
  Not just someone being struck with a fist! These are serious, violent, vulgar, senseless attacks!
  People being beaten, mercilessly, or killed over small, otherwise inconsequential things. The way someone looks at you! A tone of voice! The possibility of someone being aggressive toward you! Just being in the wrong place!
  And this isn't accounting for Gang Violence or Street Violence, which often collects innocent by-standers.

  Is this our version of The Barbary Coast? With the outlawing of biblical morality, has our world gone mad? Or is this simply the natural consequence of a society with no inner control?
  We have more laws on the books, today, than at any other time in our history -- and more coming. We've run out of jail space and are turning people loose we once locked up. Judges are being jailed! Cops are joining in on an attack against a motorist [in NY]. Children are being shot or beaten to death in and out of our homes. And this doesn't account for the sexual crimes against children and others.

  But...it doesn't matter what people believe. A committed Christian, a devil-worshipper, an atheist....they're all the same, right? No one's value system is better than another. Those who believe otherwise are bigoted or judgmental. The 'Thought-Police' will hound you until you sit down and shut up!
  Welcome to A Brave New World!

What Changed?

  Remember when everything was Modern? The Modern Age peaked in the 1920's, but that didn't stop us from calling every new invention or social improvement, Modern.
  We stopped that a few years ago. Now, everything is Contemporary. Like modern, if it's contemporary it must be good! At least it's not Old, which is Bad! Contemporary means we're keeping up with the times, not rotting on the proverbial vine.
   We've even done this with Church, as though the concept of Church evolves through time, depending on what is popular at the moment.
   In the past, various evolutions of 'church' have occurred, not all of them bad. Remember The Reformation? Of course there was that charismatic movement of yesteryear. That wasn't so good. But, it didn't last. It morphed!
   We thought folks who believed it necessary to speak in gibberish, to verify that they were actually saved, was nonsense [and it was / is]. These folks infiltrated various churches, spreading their variant doctrine and undermining many. But that pretty much faded away.
   It faded away because it was replaced with something New and more exciting: Healings! Now, the concept of spiritual gifts was expanded to include the special ability to touch someone and have them healed. It was wonderful! Or, at least it would have been, had there been such a gift of God.
   Healings went the way of tongues, that is it gave way to the Health/Wealth gospel. Now God wants all His children to be healthy and have great wealth! It's in The Atonement, don't you know?
   No, I didn't know! But, then all I have is The Bible.
   Things kept going, with all sorts of new gifts popping up and more and more preachers and preacher-etts holding forth with ever-increasing New Teachings and New Power from God. An entire Cable TV Channel was dedicated to it. Soon, we got tired of it all.
   Or did we?

   Today, in churches all across America; country churches, city churches, mainline denominational churches and independent churches, the story is the same: We have our Traditional Service at 11, but our Contemporary Service is at 10!
   Meaning? The young people [or the young at heart] like the more jazz-ed up choruses and the swing and sway they engender, as opposed to the old, staid, sorry hymns.
   Meaning? The younger set doesn't want to be preached at! They want 'Teachings' on practical subjects they can use everyday. They want non-judgmental teachings. They don't want finger-pointing or negativism. They get enough of that from their parents and on the News.
   This is the 21st Century! Things are different, now! That old stuff is no longer relevant!
  
   What "old stuff" are they talking about?
   Preaching? But doesn't The Bible tell us that it is by the preaching of the Word of God that people    are saved?
   Negativism? Isn't The Gospel negative? "You are a sinner, hell-bound, if you don't repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" sounds negative to me!
    Hymns? Aren't they designed to lift our soul to God? To challenge our heart to bow before Him? Don't they exalt the nature and purpose of God? Are they not emotionally stirring....for those who love Him?
    Worship? Isn't that the bowing of the heart before God? Isn't that an abject denial of our worldliness and recognition of His worth?

   See, I must have it all wrong! Or has someone changed The Bible, when I wasn't looking? Then I saw the Trailer for the new Reality Show on the Bravo Channel: Thicker Than Water. Now I know where I went wrong. These folks are living the life God intended for every believer.
   Wealth, Greed, Pride, Selfishness, Pride....have you seen the trailer?

   The Point? God doesn't change. His Word doesn't change. Worship of God doesn't change. Sin doesn't change. God still honors preaching, even if no one [popular] is doing it.
   I read an article, lately, entitled: Pastor INC.  It's about how every pastor, who wants to get somewhere, is doing whatever he must in order to elevate his 'brand.' Pastor as commodity. Big congregation; TV ministry; Internet presence; Book deal; DVD's; Conference Speaker; whatever it takes to 'make it big in the preaching business.'
   Now that's Modern!
  

We Often Learn Too Late

  The testimony of the Kings of Judah and Israel are instructive: 

  God divided the kingdom because of Solomon's pride. Solomon allowed his many wives to draw him away from God, worshipping at pagan altars. In the days of this divided kingdom, the kings of both Israel and Judah were not much better. Israel's kings were universally bad, while Judah's kings were generally good, although inconsistent and sometimes bad.

  The lesson is: when the king (and the people) resorted to God, removing the pagan altars and priests, crying out to God in repentance and faith, worshipping God according to His dictates rather than their own desires, listening to God's Word through His appointed prophets, there was Victory over her enemies and Peace.

  When Pride was king, there was defeat in battle, disaster in their plans and devastation in their crops. What we are to learn of all this is simply: The Battle Is The Lord's! Our responsibility is to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We are to rely upon Him for whatever victory there may be; to trust Him and His Word, not our own perceptions and abilities.

  Failure is what defeats us, not the evils of this world, nor the circumstances of life. We will have peace and joy of heart in a dungeon, should our heart be right with God. The battle is not waged against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers; forces of wickedness in high places. 

  Contemporary views of Christianity, Salvation and Worship grow out of a denial of the doctrine of Total Depravity. Should our view of self collide with a biblical view of God, this problem would be instantly resolved!

  So often, in Scripture, the judgment of God against a person or a nation, is that they will not hear [Isa. 6:9-11], with God therefore hindering the work of grace in their lives, as judgment [Rom. 1]. God's punishment is not arbitrary, we must earn it! We earn it through repeated and determined rejection of the grace He has bestowed. It's called 'hardening of heart.' When God hardens a heart, it is only after that heart has been hardened by sin.

  Evangelical Christianity has always been about exposing the Light of God, pointing it toward the dark places of mans' heart. Much of The Evangelism of the last 50 years has had the opposite effect. Glorious emotional responses! Significant renovations! All of which paved the way for alternative doctrines, alternative worship forms, alternative power.

  Neo-evangelicalism, of the late 1940's - 1960's, culminated in The Evangelical [political] Right of the 1990's. This was a movement more social and political than evangelical, although many in the movement didn't know it at the time. A movement co-opted and manipulated by more skillful operatives, leaving gullible Christians embarrassed and disheartened.

  America is merely a moral and physical shell of her former glory, whatever that may have been. God is Out! Humanity is In! This means depravity, corruption and destruction on every hand. The News of the day is all we need in order to be convinced that things have changed. 

  What is a Christian to do? Learn the Lessons before it's too late. Realize our responsibility is to The Lord as Witnesses of His grace and mercy in Redemption, not as political change-agents. The world is hurling itself toward Armageddon! Nothing we do will stop that! Along the way there are glimpses of hope and possibilities for real change. These are fleeting events, more in the style of a Revival than any meaningful, long-lasting change.

  We SHOULD vote! We SHOULD care! We are still citizens of a Free Country! But the change we seek is not at the ballot box. It is in the hearts of men and women, whom Jesus came to save. We are now the 'seekers' of those souls. They aren't color-coded, so we must BE what God made us to be and DO what God has instructed us to do, before every human being we can.  Until Jesus Comes!

WHY RELIGION IS LOSING INFLUENCE IN AMERICA

A recent Gallup Poll found 77% of Americans believe religion is losing its influence on American life. This compares with 1957, when 69% thought religion was increasing its influence on the culture. The highest point was December, 2001, when 71% of the folks thought this way. This was right after 9-11.

Reality? For all it's philosophical stance, as a predominantly Christian culture, America has largely paid lip-service to The Gospel. The rise in public opinion about what Gallup calls "religion,' has been largely emotional. the high-water mark of 71% is a case in point. Patriotism [survival?] was running high and God was on everyone's lips.

After WWII, the same religious euphoria prevailed. Foxholes tend to clarify the realities of life and death as little else does. Men, coming home from war, saved in many cases while in the military, were zealous about Christ and the rise in Evangelistic zeal, as illustrated by Crusades and Campaigns, reflected that zeal. Additionally, there was a 'Baby Boom.'

By the late 1950's, teenagers were everywhere, with more wealth and leisure time than any society this world had ever seen. Youth Ministries were popping up all over the world. It looked good! It felt good! God was making inroads on every front, or so it seemed.

The late 1960's brought reality home, as social, political and racial unrest erupted in city after city. Stirred by the idealism of college campuses and an unpopular (and frightening) war, fueled by drugs, sensual music, Free Love and radical political rhetoric, America woke up!

The euphoria of the 1950's was apparently not real! The perception of peace and prosperity masked a systemic reality: Religion [Christianity] was not as dominant as we thought.

Why? In large part because of the Peace & Prosperity. To a greater degree, because of the Evangelistic Campaigns, both in churches and in Colosseums. These evangelistic appeals relied too much on emotionalism.

There is an excitement generated by public meetings. Religious meetings tap into a deeper part of our psyche. The atmosphere, the staging, the music, the 'star power' of some preachers as well as simply preaching, as a technique, are all calculated to bring folks to a climax: The Decision!

Herein lies The Rub! Salvation is NOT, strictly speaking, a Decision! That Americans have assumed as much may be why so many think themselves to be Christians, while their lives speak a very different language.

We see it in the divorce rates among Evangelical Christians, the drug rates, the abortion rates, the fashions, the worldliness and greed. We see it in the theatrics, the music, the carelessness of what is now being called worship. We see it in the gullibility, foolishness and strange behaviors of church-goers, not to mention the preachers. It is not uncommon to hear about a popular preacher involved in some form of immorality: sex, drugs, alcohol, thievery, etc.

It may be Gallup has it right when they speak of Religion, because biblical Christianity is not like any other religion. Christianity has always been about a heart change. In this sense, it has always been a minority influence.

Well, The Pope Just Threw Jesus Under The Bus!

    In an Open Letter to the founder of La Repubblica, Pope Francis stated that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences.

    La Repubblica is a radical / socialist newspaper that has moderated to a center-left political stance, in recent years, and was the largest circulation newspaper in Italy in 2011

    This is astounding! Why then did Jesus die? What was that all about? What, then, is the pope's role in the world? Why have a Roman Catholic Church? Or any Churches?

    The questions are legion. They range from core doctrinal issues to philosophical issues. Not the least of which is: "What Is My Conscience?"

   Is my conscience a reliable spiritual guide? Does it operate independently of my mind or my spirit? Is it an independent quality or is it influenced by my heart? Can my conscience be corrupted? Should I let it lead? Is Romans, chapter one, wrong? 

    What about faith? Will my conscience guide me to Jesus? Is my conscience being protected from all the influences my mind and body experience? Why does the Roman Catholic Church put so much emphases on being holy? What, then, is sin? What is Catholic Confession all about? Why does the Catholic Church insist it's devotees accept [by faith?] the existence of saints? or what these saints presumably can / are doing for 'The Faithful?'

    The questions just keep coming! Then there's what the last pope said! His comments on this subject were just the opposite from this one. What are we to make of that? 

    One Catholic man, asked this question, said the Pope was not speaking 'ex cathedra' -- that is with the authority of the church or of God, merely speaking 'off hand.' So, as a pastor, I can have one doctrine in the pulpit and another on the street, off hand? Or is it that what I say, after studying the issue and preparing the statement can be different from what I really believe?

    The New Testament is filled with references to my conscience, not all of them good. What am I to make of this?

    The questions just keep coming!