Timotheology

The Lord Doesn't Need Me!

2010-02-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

This Sunday I was too sick to preach and for the first time in 23 years I had to call in sick. I had a real sense of expectancy for Sunday and was very disappointed when I could not make it. My son Ken wanted to go anyway and hitched a ride. when he got home he talked of the spontaneous praise and testimony that broke out in worship and how exciting it was to be a part of that. Hallelujah! I am thrilled that God worked and it does not depend on me or anyone else. God is going to do what He wants and He will especially move when we ask and SEEK HIM. Revival does not come with a man, with certain songs or with a program. It comes when God's people humble themselves, seek His grace and His holiness and give God sway in their lives. We are experiencing that here. Lives are being changed, God's voice is being heard and His presence is being felt. Realizing that God doesn't need me makes me all the more glad that He invites me to be a part of His work. We don't surrender to His call, we should rather except is with overwhelming appreciation. God is working here at GCPC. I sure hope I'm not sick Sunday!

Why I Don’t Have a Television and Rarely Go to Movies :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

2010-02-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, Don't think that I don't have a tv because I do. But John Piper sure makes me think about throwing mine out. Read the following as you think about holiness this week. In what ways do we make ourselves unholy? How do we anesthetize our sensitivity toward unholiness? Read this and let me know what you think.

Why I Don’t Have a Television and Rarely Go to Movies :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

A Borrowed Thought for Today

2010-02-02T13:21:00.001-08:00

As I was preparing to write to you today, I came across this blog by Thom Rainer who is a church growth expert. His words below really show the importance of repentance and grace. God gives grace to the humble and this awesome truth is breathing hope into our loves and our church. Read below why this is so important.

Hope and the American Church

Posted By: Thom Rainer

I spoke recently in a church that had a large number of college students. Indeed the presence of the university in the town was so dominant that the community was best known as a college town. After one of the worship services, a young college student sought me out. He just wanted to talk. The conversation was not that long, about twenty minutes; but it was of sufficient length to introduce me to several facts about the college sophomore.

He told me that he came from a middle-class home in a neighboring state. He was a middle child, and had that quick wit that I notice in many middle children. The young man was a finance major. Since that was my major in college many years ago, we talked about the pros and cons of that academic path.

The Unspiritual Generation

Naturally, since we were in a church, our conversation moved to matters of faith and spirituality. He shared with me that his parents rarely attended church. There was certainly no expectation for him to be in church as he grew up. Indeed, matters of spirituality were really never discussed in his home.

At this point in the conversation, the young man fit well the profile of the Millennials I have been studying for several months. My youngest son, Jess Rainer, and I are working on a book called The Millennials, which includes a massive survey of the older portion of this generation. As a reminder, we date the Millennials' birth years between 1980 and 2000.

So when the young man told me that he grew up in a non-spiritual home, I was not surprised. Our study showed that only 13 percent of this generation considers any form of spirituality important. Of course, my obvious question asked why he was in church now. What moved him from no interest in spiritual matters to attending church regularly?

His response caused me to ponder.

Looking for Hope

"You know, Dr. Rainer," he began. "There are so many reasons to be hopeless in this world. You can't listen to or read anything without feeling a sense of hopelessness. I started attending this church because I was looking for hope."

Read that sentence one more time: "I started attending this church because I was looking for hope."

He then shared with me that he had visited several churches in his hometown looking for hope. His parents really didn't mind one way or the other. But in each church he visited, he sensed as much hopelessness there as in the world beyond the churches. "It just seems that a lot of churches are going through the motions. I could sense no life, especially no hope."

Our conversation concluded as I asked him what brought him to the university in the town. I should have anticipated his answer. He had visited the church where we were that day while he was visiting the school. It was the church that helped him decide to attend that particular university.

"I guess I found a church with hope," he said with a faint smile. "That's why I'm at this school today."

As I walked away, he asked me a question with total sincerity. "Do you have any idea why there are so many hopeless churches today? It really seems counterintuitive."

When Hope Comes to Church

It is counterintuitive. We have the greatest Hope in the world. We have the promise of the resurrection. We have Jesus.

But we know the story. In too many churches "minors" become "majors" and focus is lost. Critics outnumber the messengers of hope. And "that's the way we've always done it" becomes the death cry of too many congregations.

He was looking for hope.

The Church must be the messenger of Hope.

Time is too short.

It's time for hope.

The Truth Shall Make You Free

2010-01-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

Honesty: Something we demand from others but rarely give ourselves.

If we were all honest we would have to all admit that we are not honest. How's that for a statement? We've been taught to wear masks, hide problems and leave good impressions. We believe that by faking it we are actually protecting ourselves. So what do we do? We lie. We deceive. We mislead. We conceal.

We hate to think that someone would lie to us. We hate being misled, yet we do it all the time. "How are you today?" "I'm fine." No you're not. Your family s falling apart. Your about to be laid off. Your parents are failing. You've got health problems. YOU ARE NOT FINE. Now let me say that we don't need to inundate strangers with our problems when the give us a greeting, but, when a friend asks, tell the truth. Only then can we get the comfort and support we need and only then will they feel like they can get the same from us.

Our SEEKING HIM study talks about three types of honesty: Honesty with God, honesty with others and honesty with ourselves.

Honesty with God is really the easiest. He knows it all anyway. In being honest with God the real challenge is being specific with Him. Don't just confess that you're sinful; confess specific sins. Be honest about your specific needs. don't let these things pile up for weeks but talk to Him often so that you may be specific. Also, don't feel like you can't be honest about your feelings too. Biblical heroes had times of doubt, worry and fear. Confess them so that He might help you with them. Lying to God leads to distance from God...the opposite of SEEKING HIM.
Honesty with others is not so easy. There is balance here. There is a proper privacy and modesty in relationships but we tend to carry this too far. Especially as proud, independent, self-sufficient Americans. Hiding things from those we love causes barriers in our relationships. It takes tremendous energy and concentration to not let the truth slip out. It caused us to be fake and to have fake relationships. Honesty lets down barriers. It makes room for grace and leads to improved relationships and deeper love. If you have wronged someone, admit it. If you have been wearing a mask, take it down. The real you is the one God made and the one others will love better.
Honesty with ourselves is really rough. We go to great lengths to convince ourselves that we are OK when we are really not. We need grace, mercy and forgiveness. We are not perfect and will never be in this world. We all have faults and shortcomings and to admit them to ourselves only helps us to improve them. If I had cancer, covering it up and trying to convince myself that I didn't have it would not cure it. Only by being honest with myself can I begin to treat my illness and perhaps save my life. We must be honest with ourselves and ready to admit to ourselves that we have problems.

One more thing must be mentioned. In order to foster an atmosphere of honesty, we must create a safe environment for honesty. If we pounce all over those who tel us the truth, then we are stifling honesty. If we gossip or meditate on other's failures then we are hampering the truth. In our home, we have made it much safer for our children to tell us the truth about something they did wrong rather than trying to cover it up. Confessing a wrong in our home minimizes the consequences and quickens the restoration. That's exactly how it is with God. Being honest with Him quickens restoration and reduces the suffering. That's how it should be with Christians. Let's create an atmosphere for honesty and let's be honest. Revival depends on it.

Cracker Barrel Christianity

2010-01-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

I like Cracker Barrel but my kids are not real crazy about it. I wondered why this is true? I figured it out this week as I've been studying SEEKING HIM. Angela Mills and I enjoyed lunch there the other day and I got excited when I saw they now had Bubble Up Soda. The time before I saw Frostie Root Beer and of course, my favorite for years has been Stewart's Root Beer. I get excited to see these things from my childhood. They even have candy from the 70s and 80s. I find myself telling my kids about the toys they sell which I used to have and my dad has done the same as he celebrated things from his generation. The type of food and the smell of the fireplace always take me back to my grandparents' house and my childhood. It's comforting...as a matter of fact, they call it "comfort food."

There is nothing there for the next generation. No robots or ipods. No latest syles or newest tunes. My kids humor me as they try "my" candy and as I try to sell them on "my" generation, but the whole Cracker Barrel thing just isn't their's. Isn't this just like our faith!?! How many of us go to church trying to recapture the nostalgia of days gone by? How many of us try to remanufacture what once happened, and, like Cracker Barrel, repackage it and try to sell it to the next generation hoping they will get the same thrill we get by reliving it?

At Cracker Barrel, you will never find sushi, pesto sause, pizza or egg rolls. You won't find anything on the top forty list or styles from Vogue; just nostalgia and comfort! Too often in our walk with God we live in the past, relying on past growth and recalling past experiences. We like "comfort food" for the soul. We want things that make us nostalgic and we too often confuse that with a real move of God.

Scripture tells us "His mercies are new every morning." What new recipe can God try on us today? Are we willing to live today and let the Lord teach us something new? Can we allow Him to create new experiences and memories? Can we share the good things of the past while allowing a new generation to share with us good things from today? There is a place in my diet for Cracker Barrel. I like it. But, there is also a place for new restaurants, new candy, new music, new styles and new recipes. There is a place in my faith for connecting with the past and for sharing it with a new generation. However, there needs to be an openess to new things, new learning, new directions, new worship experiences and fresh revelation.

Why did Frostie Root Beer and Bubble Up Soda never take hold? Because they just weren't that good...something better came along. "Sprit of the Living God, fall afresh on me."

2010-01-13T13:23:00.001-08:00

Well, already I am being challenged by this study. In leading a group I tend to approach the study by thinking about what I can teach others. WRONG APPROACH! I notice this in our small groups too. We want to give the answers rather than ask ourselves the questions. In this study, the teacher is scripture and the one who wants to teach must become the student. One professor I had who taught preaching shared that the danger in preaching was always preparing to dish out rather than taking it. In order to be an effective preacher/teacher we have to deal with an issue ourselves before we ever present it to others. In this study it is all about taking it in and not at all about dishing it out. This is a study that let's God teach us together.

Let me say that I hate lists. I hate workbooks. I hate answering a bunch of questions. However, when I go to the doctor I am given a list of questions that help the doctor diagnose my problem. This list serves to help me to get better. When I go through SEEKING HIM, the questions help me diagnose why I don't have daily revelations of God and why I often walk in a stale, nostalgic faith. I don't want to lack spiritual life, I need to be revived. Let's approach this time by asking the Lord to teach us and to guide us rather than asking how we can guide others. Let's allow the Lord to teach us something new rather than wanting Him to teach someone else.

Peace, Tim

Seeking Him: More

2010-01-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my Seeking Him blog. During our church's journey through Seeking Him I will be sharing thoughts as I too make every effort to seek God during this time.

We are talking about real revival...about experiencing God in a real way and responding to Him accordingly. I was reminded today about how important this is. Yesterday evening we got news that our kids didn't have school today so Angela Mills and I left the kids with her mom and went to a movie (yes, your preacher still dates!) I had wanted to see what all the hoopla was about in the film AVATAR so we went.

AVATAR is stunning visually but it is loaded with New Age religion, liberal philosophies and many other things that fly in the face of Christianity. There are many reviews of the movie and it is not my intent to become Roger Ebert here. One thing I do want you to know is that the movie is set on a utopian planet where all beings are in harmony and life flows from a deity to all things. There is such a beauty and sense of well-being in the movie's setting that CNN's website has an article saying many people who have seen the movie are actually depressed and suicidal because the reality of their life does not compare to the longing they have to be a part of a place like the planet Pandora which is where the movie takes place.

Can you imagine? There is now a support group online for those who are depressed because they long to leave their lives and live in the utopia of a computer generated movie. HERE IS MY POINT: this fact does not surprise me and should not surprise you at all. We were made for paradise. We were created for perfect fellowship and harmony with our creator and our source of life. We were made to have one mate for life (as do the alien characters in the movie) and for moral purity. We were designed to live for something beyond ourselves, to give our lives to others and for others. We have a natural desire for peace and unity and tranquility and harmony. It's no wonder some folks left this movie lamenting the fact that they don't have these things.

One thing that the movie does make clear is that faith is important. Our faith is important becaue it is placed in the One who is faithful. Though our sin has cost us paradise, God has made it possible for us to live there once again. Heaven will blow Pandora out of the water and what's more, there won't be any invasions or intrusions becaue nothing that enters that place will defile.

We all have a longing for a real revelation and a real relationship with our God. Revival tends to spread because when one person begins to experience God in a real way, others will be drawn to the well of living water.

Are you longing for more? Jesus invites us to that well and offers us living water. We don't have to be empty. Don't seek a computer generated utopia, SEEK HIM.

2009-08-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

The “Word of Faith” Movement
Collected from a number of sources which allow the use of their materials as long as there is no fee collected for its distribution.

Dear Friends,

As we have been studying 1 Peter together it has been striking how Peter’s teaching lies in conflict with the Word of Faith movement’s theology. I have studied the movement deeper recently and collected what appears to be some of the main pillars of the theology of its main teachers. Not all in WOF churches will hold these beliefs but much of what they do believe is built on these views. I give this to you in love for your study and for your Christian growth. Before we get started please note:

I recognize that there are elements of truth in this doctrine. Thoughts are powerful, biblical living brings blessings, and the tongue can hurt or bless.
I want to say unequivocally that I believe God heals, delivers, blesses, intervenes, leads, inspires and works in our world today. We too often limit Him. Orthodox Christianity is guilty as charged in limiting God.
I realize some of you have been heavily influenced and perhaps saved under this teaching. Praise the Lord! This however does not validate WOF.
I have a responsibility as a pastor to expose false teaching. I would rather turn an eye in Christian love but my calling and the word of God forbid this.
You too have a responsibility. You must not say, “I don’t care what the Bible says…I believe what I believe.”
There are historical biblical methods of arriving at the truth of scripture. These have been much more stable than any movement or school of thought throughout Christian history.
The pastors of most pulpits today in your city have much more biblical training than many of the main teachers of WOF. To combat this, many WOF preachers and proponents see biblical training as a hindrance.
This theology comes from basically one major teaching center, RHEMA. Whereas 2000 years worth of biblical studies in seminaries around the world have never produced this theology and continue to reject it.
Because of its radical nature it has to be called “new” or Third Wave, something God is doing outside of His revealed word.
It is replacing the gospel in the church and on the mission field and leading scores astray under the banner of Christianity.

History of the Word of Faith Movement: (History is copied with permission from Victor T. Stephens at victorstephens.com)

The introduction of Word-Faith theology originated in the mid 1800's with an individual by the name of Phineas P. Quimby (1802-1866). Mr. Quimby's thesis is rooted in the metaphysical New Thought / Science of Mind cult. New Thought indoctrinates the marriage of positive thinking (the force of faith) with positive confession (containers of force) to unleash the power to change one's reality. Some of the central points of Quimby's New Thought theology include:

1. The denial of sickness.
2. Belief that it is God's will that we experience e financial wealth.
3. Belief that through the power of the spoken word, one creates
his own experience; either positive or negative.
4. The deity of man.

A close examination of the following statements from Mr. Quimby will reveal the dawning of Word-Faith theology.
"I say it is, for a person is to himself just what he thinks he is, and he is in his belief sick. If I am sick, I am sick for my feelings are my sickness, and my sickness is my belief, and my belief is my mind; therefore all disease is in the mind or belie f. Now as our belief or disease is made up of ideas which are matter, it is necessary to know what ideas we are in; for to cure the disease is to correct the error; and as disease is what follows the error, destroy the cause, and the effect will cease. How can this be done? By a knowledge
of the law of harmony...Your error is the cause of your sickness or trouble. Now to cure your sickness or trouble is to correct the error."
("Is Disease A Belief", http://www.ppquimby.com/sub/articles/is_disease_a_belief.htm)

Now compare the above statements with those of Mary Baker Eddy (1821 - 1910), an associate of Quimby and founder of Christian Science. Here, you will detect parallelism of the notion that sickness is only a state of mind: "When the first symptoms appear, dispute the testimony of the material senses with divine Science. Let your higher sense of justice destroy the false process of mortal opinions...Suffer no claim of sin or sickness
to grow upon the thought. Dismiss it with an abiding conviction that it is illegitimate, because you know that God is no more the author of sickness than He is of sin...you have divine authority for denying that necessity and healing the sick."
"Disease is an experience of a so -called mortal mind. It is fear manifest on the body. (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy)

Borrowing heavily from the latter is E. W. Kenyon who is generally recognized as the founding father of the modern Word-Faith Movement. Beginning as a Methodist, he became quite ecumenical, associating with the Baptists. Some of his work even resulted in the founding of a few Primitive Baptist Churches. Late in life, Kenyon moved into Pentecostalism. At the same time, he combined elements of the metaphysical cults, such as Christian Science, New Thought theology, and Unity School of Christianity (D.R. McConnell, A Different Gospel, pp. 31-35). "The doctrines of correct thinking and believing accompanied by positive confession, with the result of calling a sickness a symptom (denial of reality supported by a Gnostic dualism) are not found in Christian writings until after New Thought and its offspring had begun to develop them. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to state that the doctrine originated and developed in these cults, and was later absorbed by Christians in their quest to develop a healing ministry" (H. Terris Neuman, An Analysis of the Sources of the Charismatic Teaching of Positive Confession, p. 43).
I.e. Paul Yongi Cho is well aware of his link to occultism, arguing that if Buddhists and Yoga practitioners can accomplish their objectives through fourth dimensional powers, then Christians should be able to accomplish much more by using the same means. (Paul Yonggi Cho, The Fourth Dimension, vol. 1 (South Plainfield, NJ: Bridge Publishing, 1979), 37, 41)
Though obviously not the movement's originator, some have also called Kenneth Hagin the "grand-daddy of the faith teachers" (Sherry Andrews, "Kenneth Hagin ‹ Keeping the Faith," Charisma, October 1981, p. 24). Hagin plagiarized heavily from the works of Kenyon in writing his first book which brought the thoughts of Quimby, Eddy and Kenyon into the stream of modern Christian teaching. (for a listing of prominent WOF teachers see links below).

Essential Theological Elements of the Word of Faith Movement

1. Faith Is a Force (Greater Than God)
Kenneth Copeland : "Faith is a power force. It is a tangible force. It is a conductive force." (The Force of Faith [Fort Worth, TX: KCP Publications, 1989], 10.)
Charles Capps : "Faith is the substance, the raw material....Faith is the substance that God used to create the universe, and He transported that Faith with His words....Faith is the substance of things, but you can't see faith. Faith is a spiritual force." (Changing the Seen & Shaping the Unseen [Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 1980], 14-15.)
Charles Capps : "He framed the world with His words. You can't build without substance. He took words--faith-filled words were God's substance. Here, essentially, is what God did. God filled His words with faith. He used His words as containers to hold His faith and contain that spiritual force and transport it out there into the vast darkness by saying 'Light be!' That's the way God transported His faith causing creation and transformation." (Dynamics of Faith & Confession [Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 1987], 28-29, emphasis in original.)
Kenneth Copeland: "Faith is God's source of power" (Kenneth Copeland, Freedom From Fear, 1983. p. 12. emphasis original)
This view is ties numerous heresies including Christian Science, Buddhism and modern heresies such as “The Secret.”
BIBLE: Faith is not a force. Faith is trusting in the promises of God. Faith is synonymous with 'being sure': "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). We exercise faith when we trust in the promises of God. There is nothing beyond God. He does not operate by faith because there is nothing for Him to place His faith in. Also, faith is not the substance of creation. God formed all out of nothing.

2. God Is Reduced
Ken Copeland: God is approximately 6'2" to 6'3" tall. (Spirit, Soul, and Body; Tape #01-0601)
Ken Copeland: God weighs approximately 200 lbs. (Spirit, Soul, and Body; Tape #01-0601)
Kenneth Copeland : "As a believer, you have a right to make commands in the name of Jesus. Each time you stand on the Word, you are commanding God to a certain extent because it is His Word." (Our Covenant with God [Fort Worth, TX: KCP Publications, 1987], 32.)
Kenneth Copeland: God cannot do anything for you apart or separate from faith," (Kenneth Copeland, Freedom from Fear (Fort Worth: KCP Publications, 1983), 11.)
Fred Price: Never say "Lord if it be thy will". (Success in Life, recorded 12/14/91)
BIBLE: God is sovereign over all creation. Man does not control God. "'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy" (Romans 9:15-16). God is the unique, Sovereign of the Universe (1 Timothy 6:15). God is pure spirit (John 4:24). There is no biblical basis for teaching that God has His own body, as an essential part of His nature or being. This would be more in line with Mormonism than orthodox Christianity.

3. Man Is Exalted
Paul Crouch, speaking to Kenneth Copeland, said : "Somebody said--I don't know who said it--but they claim that you Faith teachers declare that we are gods. You're a god. I'm a god. Small 'g' now, but we are the gods of this world. . . . Well, are you a god--small 'g'?" To this, Jan Crouch, referring to Copeland, enthusiastically exclaimed: "He's gonna say, 'Yes.' I love it." ("Praise the Lord" program on TBN [5 February 1986].)
Kenneth E. Hagin : "Originally, God made the earth and the fullness thereof, giving Adam dominion over all the works of His hands. In other words, Adam was the god of this world." (The Believer's Authority, 2d ed. [Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, 1991], 19.)
Benny Hinn : "I'm going to be led by the Holy Ghost today Is that all right with you?...God came from heaven, became a man; made man into little gods, went back to heaven as a man. He faces the Father as a man. I face devils as the son of God. Do you see what I'm talking about'! You say, 'Benny, am I a little God?' You're a son of God, aren't you? You're a child of God, aren't you? You're a daughter of God, aren't you? What else are you? Quit your nonsense! What else are you? If you say, 'I am' you're saying I'm a part of Him, right? Is He God? Are you His offspring? Are you His children? You can't be human! You can't! You can't! God didn't give birth to flesh. He gave birth to a new creation. And the new creation is not flesh and blood and bone, for no flesh and blood would inherit heaven. Did you hear what I said? Some of you didn't really hear what I said. You said, 'Well, that's heresy. No, that's your crazy brain saying that." ("Our Position in Christ #2--The Word Made Flesh" [Orlando, FL: Orlando Christian Center, 1991], audiotape #A031190-2, side 2.)
Kenneth Copeland, Adam was not subordinate to God. (Following the Faith of Abraham, Tape #01-3001)
Adam was God manifested in the flesh. (Following the Faith of Abraham, Tape #01-3001)
BIBLE: Man is not, nor ever will be, a god. There is only one true God (John 17:3); if man is a god then man has to be a false god. "Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me" (Isaiah 43:10). Man is unique from the rest of Creation, but is not Divine. He was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27; 9:6), but bearing God's image does not make him a "little god." By definition, God is an "uncreated" or self-existent Being. Obviously, humans were created and therefore are not self-existent or divine; only God has a divine nature (Galatians 4:8; Isaiah 1:6-11, 43:10, 44:6; Ezekiel 28:2; Psalms 8:6-8).

4. God Cannot Act On the Earth Without Man’s Permission
Ken Copeland: When Adam originally sinned he gave his god nature to Satan. God could not intervene since He had made Adam the god of the earth. God was left on the outside looking in. (Following the Faith of Abraham; Tape #01-3001)
Ken Copeland: Satan wanted God to interject Himself into the world, which would be illegal, then Satan could turn God's light out. (What Happened From the Cross to the Throne, Tape #00-0303)
E.W. Kenyon : "Adam evidently had a legal right to transfer this dominion and authority into the hands of the enemy. God has been obliged through the long period of human history to recognize Satan's legal standing, and legal right and authority, and on this ground, and this only, can we understand the legal side of the Plan of Redemption. . . . Adam had legally transferred to him [Satan] the Authority with which God had invested him." (The Father and His Family, 38-39.)
Kenneth Copeland : "God had no avenue of lasting faith or moving in the earth. He had to have covenant with somebody. . . . He had to be invited in, in other words, or He couldn't come. God is on the outside looking in. In order to have any say so in the earth, He's gonna have to be in agreement with a man here." ("God's Covenants With Man II" [Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1985], audiotape #01-4404, side 1.)
There is no single thread of evidence to support this idea. God is sovereign. He is free to do what He wants, when He wants, where He wants. The only things God won’t do are those things that lie outside of His nature such as lie.

5. Jesus Is Not God
Ken Copeland: Jesus existed only as an image in the heart of God, until such time as the prophets of the Old Testament could positively confess Jesus into existence through their prophecies. (The Power of the Tongue, pp. 8-10)
Kenneth Copeland (through whom Jesus allegedly delivered the following prophecy) : "They crucified Me [Jesus] for claiming that I was God. But I didn't claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with Him [the Father] and that He was in Me." ("Take Time to Pray," Believer's Voice of Victory 15, 2 [February 1987]:9.)
E.W. Kenyon : "Jesus was conceived without sin. His body was not mortal. His body did not become mortal until the Father laid our sin nature upon Him when He hung on the cross. The moment that He became sin, His body became mortal, only then could He die. When this happened. spiritual death, the nature of Satan, took possession of His Spirit....He was to partake of Spiritual Death, the nature of the Adversary. . . .Jesus knew that the moment had come, and He was to he made Sin. He must partake of that dread nature of the Adversary. His body would become mortal. Satan would become His master. . . . He [Jesus] had been lifted up as a serpent. Serpent is Satan. Jesus knew He was going to be lifted up, united with the Adversary." (What Happened from the Cross to the Throne [Lynnwood, WA: Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society, 1969], 20, 33, 44-45.)
Ken Copeland: Jesus has a beginning and an end. (What Happened From the Cross to the Throne, Tape #00-0303)
Ken Copeland: Jesus has not remained the same, he has changed. (What Happened From the Cross to the Throne, Tape #00-0303)
You control Jesus with your mouth. "You create the presence of Jesus with your mouth....He is bound by your lips and by your words ... Remember that Christ is depending upon you and your spoken word to release His presence" (Cho, The Fourth Dimension, Vol. I, p.83).
This reflects the heretical view of the Jehovah’s Witness.
BIBLE: Christ is sovereign over all creation. Man does not control Christ. "These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation....You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked" (Revelation 3:14, 17). Christ is Eternal, the Only Begotten Son, and the Only Incarnation of God (John 1:1, 2, 15; 1:14, 18; 3:16; 1 John 4:1). In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). By receiving the limitations of humanity (Philippians 2:6-7) Jesus forwent the exercise of some of His prerogatives as God. But He did not cease to be God. It is also impossible for the natures of God or man (Christ was both on earth) to cease being what they are.
6. The Cross Was Not Sufficient
Frederick K.C. Price : "Do you think that the punishment for our sin was to die on a cross? If that were the case, the two thieves could have paid your price. No, the punishment was to go into hell itself and to serve time in hell separated from God. . . . Satan and all the demons of hell thought that they had Him bound. And they threw a net over Jesus and they dragged Him down to the very pit of hell itself to serve our sentence." (Ever Increasing Faith Messenger [June 1980], 7; quoted in D.R. McConnell, A Different Gospel [Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988], 120.)
Ken Copeland: Jesus death on the cross was not enough to save us. (What Happened From the Cross to the Throne, Tape #00-0303) (Believer's Voice of Victory, September 1991) (Doctrinal Statement dated March 12, 1979)
Ken Copeland: "When His blood poured out, it did not atone" (letter written and signed by Kenneth Copeland, issued by his office on March 12th 1979).
"When Jesus cried, 'It is finished!' He was not speaking of the plan of redemption. There were still three days and nights to go through before He went to the throne...Jesus' death on the cross was only the beginning of the complete work of redemption. (Jesus - Our Lord of Glory, Believer's Voice of Victory Magazine 10, 4; April 1982, p. 3)
Kenneth Hagin: Christ's physical death on the cross was not enough to save us. (How Jesus obtained His Name, Tape 44H0
Ken Copeland: Jesus took on the nature of Satan when He was on the cross. (Jesus lost His divine nature). (What Happened From the Cross to the Throne, Tape #00-0303) (Classic Redemption, p.13)
Benny Hinn: Jesus at His death became one with Satan. (Benny Hinn broadcast, recorded 12/15/90)
Ken Copeland: Jesus was dragged down into the bowels of Hell where He was beaten and bruised by Satan and his demons until Jesus could finally fight His way out of Hell 3 days later. (Believer's Voice of Victory, September 11, 1991) (Classic Redemption, p.13)
Charles Capps : "When Jesus was in the pit of hell. in that terrible torment, no doubt the Devil and his emissaries gathered around to see the annihilation of God's Son. But in the corridors of hell, there came a great voice from heaven: 'Turn Him Loose! He's there illegally!' And all of hell became paralyzed." (Authority in Three Worlds, 143, emphasis in original.)
BIBLE: Jesus was not "born again." He could not be born again since He did not have a sinful nature. The sacrifice had to be perfect -- Christ alone had no sin nature. "(B)ut with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake" (1 Peter 1:19-20).
Christ did not descend into hell. He descended into Hades (Sheol) and preached to the Old Testament saints in paradise. "The he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise'" (Luke 23:42-43).
Hell (Gehenna) is not the seat of Satan's government. Hell is currently unoccupied. Hell is a place of punishment and torment where Satan, demons, and the unregenerate will eventually be cast. Christ did not serve a sentence in hell; He atoned for our sins on the cross. "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished (tetelestai).' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (John 19:30).
The nature of the atonement had to do with Jesus' physical death on the cross being the payment for sins (Hebrews 9:22). Christ said, "It is finished" (John 19:30), which translates tetelistai meaning "paid for in full." Payment for our sins took place on the cross (Matt. 26:28; 1 Pet. 2:24; Col. 1:20-22; Heb. 10:10, 12, 14, 19 20). There was nothing more to pay beyond the cross (Heb. 10:18).
7. Sickness and Poverty Is Sin
Fred Price: "The whole point is I'm trying to get you to see--to get you out of this malaise of thinking that Jesus and the disciples were poor and then relating that to you- thinking that you, as a child of God, have to follow Jesus. The Bible says that He has left us an example that we should follow His steps. That's the reason why I drive a Rolls Royce. I'm following Jesus' steps." ("Ever Increasing Faith" program on TBN (9 December 1990].)
Fred Price: God has displeasure in poverty. (Ever Increasing Faith, recorded 11/16/90)
Robert Tilton: Being poor is a sin. (Success in Life, recorded 12/2/90)
Robert Tilton: You can have whatever you say. (Praise The Lord TBN 9.2.90)
Fred Price: ...how can you glorify God in your body, when it doesn't function right? How can you glorify God? How can He get glory when your body doesn't even work?...What makes you think the Holy Ghost wants to live inside a body where He can't see out through the windows and He can't hear with the ears? What makes you think the Holy Spirit wants to live inside of a physical body where the limbs and the organs and the cells do not function right?...And what makes you think He wants to live in a temple where He can't see out of the eyes, and He can't walk with the feet, and He can't move with the hand?...The only eyes that He has that are in the earth realm are the eyes that are in the body. If He can't see out of them then God's gonna be limited... (Is God Glorified Through Sickness? audiotape #FP605.)
"...it is the plan of our Father God in His great love and His great mercy that no believer should ever be sick, that every believer should live his life full span down here on earth and that every believer should finally just fall asleep in Jesus" (Hagin, Seven Things You Should Know About Divine Healing, p. 21). Hagin also denies having a headache for forty-five years, labeling such as "simply symptoms rather than any indication of a headache" (In the Name of Jesus, p. 44).

This heretical view denies the fall of man and the reality of sin. It also mirrors the heresy of Dualism which denies the reality of the flesh.

Bible: 1 Peter 4: 12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
8. The Word of God Is Magic
“The written word is a copy of what God has already used to release His faith in the earth in the midst of mankind.” (Kenneth Copeland, audiotape)
"God used words when He created the heaven and the earth....Each time God spoke, He released His faith -- the creative power to bring His words to pass." (Kenneth Copeland, The Power of the Tongue (Fort Worth: KCP Publications, 1980), 4.)
"Words are spiritual containers," (Kenneth Copeland, Forces of the Recreated Human Spirit, 15; cf. 14.)
The "force of faith is released by words." (Kenneth Copeland, Authority of the Believer II (Fort Worth: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1987, audiotape #01-0302), side 1.)
"Words create pictures, and pictures in your mind create words. And then the words come back out your mouth....And when that spiritual force comes out it is going to give substance to the image that's on the inside of you. Aw, that's that visualization stuff! Aw, that's that New Age! No, New Age is trying to do this; and they'd get somewhat results out of it because this is spiritual law, brother." (Kenneth Copeland, Believer's Voice of Victory (television program), TBN, 28 March 1991.)
This heretical view comes directly from witchcraft and New Age Mysticism.
Bible: God is the only One who ever created reality by the power of His Word (Genesis 1:3). He does not have or need "faith." Faith is depending on something outside ourselves. If God depends upon something outside Himself, He is not Supreme and therefore not God. Man, not God, is in need of faith. The faith referenced in Mark 11:22 and Hebrews 11:3 is clearly "the faith which has God as its object," not "the kind of faith that God has."
2 Timothy 3:15-17 (New King James Version)
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for 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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (Notice what is missing in this description. There is no idea that the word is profitable for wealth, health, or creating anything..)
The use of words for Positive Confession ‹ One may help or hurt another by words of encouragement or condemnation, by telling the truth or misleading, etc. But to treat words as if they were some "star wars" type weapon by which reality is manipulated or altered is not biblical, but Occultism.
9. Biblical Doctrine May be Subverted by “Informed” Profits
"I don't preach doctrine, I preach faith." (Kenneth Copeland, Following the Faith of Abraham I, side 2.)
"Believers are not to be led by logic," he writes. "We are not even to be led by good sense" (Kenneth Copeland, The Force of Faith, 7)
This is the heresy if Gnosticism. Those who do not follow this teaching are considered to not have obtained the “higher truth” that those who do ascribe have obtained. This heresy was the very one Paul was attacking in Galatians. It rocked the early church and continues today. There in no “higher” truth…there is only truth and it is not found in the words of modern day prophets, in mindless meditation or in occult practices. It is found in the reading, study, meditation and Holy Spirit revealed word of God…the Bible.
Bible: 2 Timothy 2:14-16 (New King James Version)
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

Rev. 22: 18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (This was the last writing of the last apostle. This closed the canon of scripture. Any revelation, inspiration or proclamation that came after must be grounded in this revelation…again, the Bible.)
2 Peter 2: 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
10. Hatred of Mainline Christians Who Disagree
"God, we proclaim death to anything or anyone that will lift a hand against this network and this ministry that belongs to You, God. It is Your work, it is Your idea, it is Your property, it is Your airwaves, it is Your world, and we proclaim death to anything that would stand in the way of God's great voice of proclamation to the whole world. In the Name of Jesus, and all the people said Amen!" (Paul Crouch, TBN, 11/7/97)
Paul Crouch will shoot heresy hunters (theology) if God doesn't (Praise-a-thon (Paul Crouch, TBN), 4/2/91)
Heresy hunters (theology) are to go to Hell. (Paul Crouch, Praise-a-thon (TBN), 4/2/91)
"... and I love Copeland. He's my friend. And anybody who's attacking him is attacking the very presence of God." (Hinn on Kenneth Copeland)
"There's a groups here in Califonria that thinks they are the judgement seat of Christ. Dear God in heaven, I wish I just could just ... they call it a ministry, my foot. You know I've looked for one verse in the Bible, I just can't seem to find it. One verse that said, "If you don't like 'em, kill 'em." I really wish I could find it." (Benny Hinn on "heretic hunters")
"You see, frankly, that's the way I think about it. I'm sorry, I'm not exactly the normal kind of guy, you know, I'm from Israel. Sometimes I wish God would give me a Holy Ghost machine gun, I'd blow your head off." (Benny Hinn talking about "heresy hunters") Comment: first this is blasphemous. Second, Hinn is not an Israeli, he's an Arab Palestinian.
Rick Joyner has identified "Antichrist" as the orthodox church. (Weighed and Found Wanting, Bill Randles, p. 64.)
"Like the American Civil War, the coming spiritual civil war will also be between the Blue and the Gray. In dreams and visions blue often represents heavenly mindedness - the sky is blue - and gray speaks of thos who live by the power of their own minds - the brain is often called gray matter - this will be a conflict between those who may be genuine Christians, but who live mostly according to their natural minds and human wisdom, and those who follow the Holy Spirit." (Rick Joyner, The Morning Star Prophetic Bulletin, May 1996, 2)
Bible: Matthew 5:43-45 (New King James Version)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Fear tactics, threats and spiritual abuse is a common theme in cults. Do Christians really want to do this? Any idea that one might suffer for legitimate disagreement with these folks, or worse that their children might suffer is little more than abuse. Disagreement is not tolerated. Debate is not allowed. No one is to argue with the prophets of this movement. As we look at the early church council, debate, discussion and theological discourse was encouraged. Threats from Paul to Peter or vice versa are not noted.
Why should any of this matter? Why not live and let live?
2 Peter 2:1-3
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
1 Timothy 6:3-12
3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Timothy 4:3-5
3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
It is also clear about false prophets:
De 18: 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. 21 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Jeremiah 23:16-18
16 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. 17 They keep saying to those who despise me, `The LORD says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, `No harm will come to you.' 18 But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?
Ezekiel 13:1-23
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: `Hear the word of the LORD! 3 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD. 6 Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, "The LORD declares", when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. 7 Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, "The LORD declares", though I have not spoken? 8 "`Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. 10 "`Because they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace", when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, "Where is the whitewash you covered it with?" 13 "`Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD. 15 So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, "The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD."' 17 "Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18 and say, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19 You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live. 20 "`Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD.'"

Conclusions:

Jesus did not die to make you rich and healthy. He did not come to restore your dominion. He came to restore your relationship. The ultimate realization of that fact will not be realized until heaven.
Focusing on wealth is not biblical. We are to lay up treasures in heaven.
The only amount of faith ever needed in the Bible was the faith to ask. WOF reduces God to a cruel bully holding the candy just out of reach saying “jump higher, have more faith.” The scripture tells us the faith of a mustard seed will move mountains, not that the faith of a mountain would move a Mustard seed. My children ask me for things because they know I can supply. That’s faith. They ask and they do not demand because I am the Lord of my home, that’s perspective. I give when it’s good for them and I withhold when it’s not… That’s love.
Sin is a continued reality as well as its effects. It rains on the just and the unjust. “Why do the righteous suffer? Why do the wicked prosper?
Any gospel that denies the power of the cross is to be rejected
Any gospel that reduces God’s sovereignty is to be rejected. Idolatry
Any gospel that elevates man is to be rejected. Idolatry
Any gospel that sees scripture as magic rather than revelation is to be rejected
Any gospel that requires special knowledge is to be rejected
Christians cannot forfeit their responsibility to be discerning. The popularity, skill, enthusiasm and believability of teachers as well as the delight over their subject matter is always subject to thorough examination of the word. You must protect your family too.
This movement is bringing real pain to its believers as they give with no return, as they get sick with no healing, as they deny medical care (an element of God’s grace) to those who need it.
This movement is making a mockery out of Christianity and its witness to the world.
Many who follow this teaching fall into it seeking revival. They want signs. Jesus warned that we should not seek signs. He told Thomas that those who do not see and yet believe were blessed. We all should desire revival, but real revival comes not with a desire for health but a desire for holiness; not with seeking money but by seeking mercy. Revival comes from humbling ourselves and elevating God, not by elevating ourselves and humbling God. Real revival comes when we discover the grace to endure hardships and trials rather than a magic formula for avoiding them. Real revival comes when men and women and children get their minds off of the things of this world and start living for the one to come. Real revival comes not by ignoring the word of God and seeking after the revelation of men but by subjecting every revelation from men to the word of God. Real revival comes when men and women realize we are hopelessly lost and no amount of psychotherapeutic preaching will fix that but the death and resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ will. Real revival comes when men and women stop seeking signs, miracles and wonders and instead embrace the sign, miracle and wonder of the cross. Real revival comes not when we learn how to boss God around but when we fall on our faces before Him and acknowledge that we are nothing without Him; when we acknowledge that He alone is sovereign; when we acknowledge that we are totally and unequivocally dependent on Him and subject to Him and when we bow our will to Him rather than trying to make Him do our will. Real revival only comes when we no longer elevate the preacher but the One preached, when we do not follow after every wind of doctrine but are firmly planted in the truth, when we surrender our desire to have tickled ears and would rather have pierced souls. Real revival comes not when we seek a faith that gets us a Cadillac but one that sustains us when our child has been run over by one. That’s the faith of Peter and he had greater faith than any WOF preacher and any of us. He died poor and in pain for the glory of God and for the hope to come! That’s FAITH!

Resources for further study:
Christianity In Crisis, Hank Hanegraaff
Charismatic Chaos, John McArthur

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/quotes.html
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/word-faith.html
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/ten_reasons_to_reject.html

Invincible Love

2009-02-25T09:23:00.001-08:00

Invincible Love

Financial advisor Dave Ramsey often asks, “Why would you take financial advice from a poor person?” We can all see the wisdom in that question. My question to you today is, “Why would you take relationship advice from Hollywood?” Think about it, most of what we learn regarding romance and relationships comes from a media that is bankrupt on the subject. We sing love songs written and sung by artists who go from relationship to relationship. We watch movies written and produced in Hollywood. Can you name a Hollywood couple that are in their first marriage and who have grown old together? That’s like trying to find a smile on Wall Street these days. Yet, we continually buy the lies and ridiculous philosophies of Snoop Dog and Jennifer Aniston.
The problem with these relationship philosophies is that LOVE is based on the following principles:
1) Find someone you want to complete you and make you happy,
2) Put on your best sales pitch,
3) Enter into a contract that says, “I’ll give as long as you are meeting my needs but when you fail to do so, I am no longer under obligation,”
4) When that relationship inevitably fails, repeat steps one through three.

This “love” is sure to fail. In its wake, it leaves pain, poverty, broken homes, and broken lives.
However, there is a “love” that never fails. It is not taught by Hollywood, but by the One who proved His love for us by dying in our place. Paul describes this “unfailing love” in 1 Corinthians 13.
This is a love unlike the world’s love. It is a love that will die to self, not die for self. This passage tells us that love becomes invincible when it is willing to die to the demands of having an uninterrupted life. It becomes invincible when it is willing to die to pride and the need to have all the attention. Love becomes invincible when it is willing to die to self-seeking and instead seeks what others want and need. This is precisely what Christ did. He laid aside His comfort, His glory and ultimately His will for the will of His Father. Amazingly, when He was willing to die for love, his love became invincible. We too can experience this type of love.
This love is not a contractual love that says, “I will give as long as I get.” Rather, it is a covenantal love that says, “I will give without condition and without fail.” It is a love that adopts new principles such as:

Find your completeness and happiness in Christ,
Allow God to lead you to that person who is also in a right relationship with Christ an with whom you want to give your life in order to serve,
Enter into a covenant that says, “I will lay aside my desires for a carefree, self-focused, self-seeking life in order to serve you and love you without condition and without fail. I will not base my love on feelings but on a commitment.”
If the relationship suffers, repeat step one only.

This love will never fail. This is true love. It is neither FOUND nor FALLEN into. It is a commitment built upon the rubble of pride and self. When we are willing to die to self, then our love becomes invincible.

Hear the sermon at glasgowcpchurch.com

The American Holocaust

2009-01-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

Friends, this is an outline of this past Sunday’s sermon. Feel free to pass it on if it will help someone.

Read Gen.1 and you will see a wonderful progression of God’s creative handiwork. From the formation of the universe to the finishing touches on Eve, God continues His creative Opus to a thunderous finale. There you will see that…

1. Human Life Is God’s Most Precious Creation
a. The Peak of Creation
b. Given Dominion Over Creation
c. Image of God

All of creation is precious and we ought to regard it as such but human life is something extra special. These truths are seen in this passage:

Gen. 9:3 “Every living thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.
6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.”

-Because of these truths, any philosophy that puts animals and plants on par with man must be rejected.

We should love our pets and enjoy their company, but this should not replace parenting. There is evidence that this is happening…consider:

In 2006, nearly half of pet owners, or 49.7%, considered their pets to be family members.
There are more than 72 million pet dogs in the U.S. and nearly 82 million pet cats.
The average veterinary expenditure per household (114,000,000 households) for all pets was $366 in 2006. The average child cost a family around $650 per year. There were 76 million children in the U.S. in 2006. Do the math and you will see that we are spending about the same amount of money for medical care for our pets as we are our children.

- Our understanding of stewardship over creation means that we should value all of creation. However, any philosophy that would protect a tree or a seal or join PETA and yet would sit idly by while children are killed or while radical regimes kill masses should be rejected.

2. Human Life Begins at Conception
a. Psalm 139: 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;[b] Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

b. Jer. 4: 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 5 “ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

These passages make it clear that God is at work in our pre-birth development. Modern techniques have allowed us to peer into the womb and confirm this advanced development. Children in the womb hear, feel, taste, smell, touch and think. They remember music, develop a taste for mother’s food, start to learn to walk and even laugh in the womb. Every body part is in place, though immature, within just a few days after conception. Science confirms the scriptural account, thus we know that…

-Any philosophy that states life begins at birth or the third trimester or at any other stage than conception must be rejected.

3. Human Life Is to Be Protected
a. Thou Shalt Not Kill (murder)
b. Capital punishment in the O.T. demonstrated the value of life.
c. Life is to be protected even from itself…Saul, Zimri, Ahithophel, Judas All cases of demonic influences at work. Suicide is never sanctioned in the Bible. It is contrary to the Ten Commandments prohibition against murder.

- Christians must do all they can to protect all human life.
- Christians should support and pray for the military, police force and all emergency personnel.
- Racism, elitism, or any philosophy that elevates one human over another should be rejected.
- Christians must reject assisted suicide. To allow the premature death of a cancer victim or an elderly person devalues human life and opens the door for any number of random choices regarding the termination of human life.
- Christians must not support fetal stem cell research, cloning, or any other process whereby life is allowed to form and is then destroyed.
- Christians must reject designer babies.
- Christian must reject the idea that any baby is an accident. God loves all human life and He can take an evil act and turn it for good
- Christians must not support abortion and should not support politicians who would promote or support abortions.

Christians should be aware that politicians have wrangled with the polar ends of the political spectrum. They often need support from liberals and conservatives in order to get elected. They have decided that evangelical Christians are easier to sway than liberals. David Barton reports that the Kennedys met with Catholic theologians before John F. ran for president. The purpose of the meeting was to find some theological loophole that would allow a professing Christian to support abortion. The theologians created a loophole by overlooking the directives of scripture and their own church leadership. The result was that ten years later Roe vs. Wade was thrust upon American babies by a thin-margined Supreme Court decision that was made before any legal argument was ever fashioned.
The decision was made from a philosophy formed years earlier, not from the law. Christians made it possible by electing a president who professed Christ but rejected the scriptures and appointed Justices who would enact the liberal directives from the bench.

It is bitterly ironic that on a day when the U.S. celebrates the overcoming of 200 years of bad theology and political philosophy and elects its first black president, Barack Obama, that he reinforces a theological and political philosophy that is at least on par with slavery.

Since 1973 the U.S. has stood by while nearly 50 million of its unborn infants have been killed in silence. They cannot march; form voting blocks or cry out in the streets. In fact, they disappear with an ease that would have made the Nazi’s envious. Today, one out of every seven people is missing. Many were pulled apart in a mother’s womb. Others were bathed in salt and dissolved away. Still others came almost completely out of a mother’s womb and had scissors jammed into the base of their skull and discarded like a rag doll.

I’ve seen children born at 24 and 25 weeks. They are beautiful. They feel pain, respond to touch and are fully alive. To think that anyone would harm them is incomprehensible.

Think about this:
- Americans would not tolerate a politician that beat his dog.
- Americans would not watch a movie where animals were harmed.
- Yet…we tolerate an entirely ungodly and horrific reality taking place right under our noses.

What can we do?

- You may have had an abortion and you carry the pain of that decision. Know this, god loves and forgives you. If you turn to Him, you will be with your God and your baby someday.
- You may have agreed that assisted suicide is merciful. Understand that God’s grace is sufficient. We do not need to play His role. Value human life, even in its fleeting breaths and deepest pain.
- You may have supported pro-abortion politicians. Pray that they will turn from their destructive policies. Write, call and email them with the truth. Vote for life in the future. Christians must not back down from what is right. If we are weak, the wrong will win. Speak the truth in love but don’t back down from it.
- You may have never done one thing to protect the unborn of defend human life. Volunteer at a pregnancy center. Adopt an unwanted baby. Give to right to life organizations. Become a political voice for the unborn. Love and help mothers and fathers through pregnancy and child-rearing. Pray for our nation!

America must admit that our hands are as stained by our silence as much as the abortionist’s is stained by his procedure.

God be merciful to this land and lead us to repent of this horrible holocaust. Speak to our leaders and heal our land. Amen.

Tim Stutler

http://www.nrlc.org/default.html

Welcome to Timotheology!

2009-01-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hey friends,

There are many times as a pastor that you can't wait to get in the pulpit in order to share what God is teaching you. There are even more times when He is teaching you so much that it will take weeks before that which is burning on your heart can make its way to the pulpit. Now, I can give you thoughts as often as they strike and we can interact with our culture and its issues quickly. You will be able to access this from the favorites section of our church web page www.glasgowcpchurch.com and we will send out email alerts when a new blog is posted.

You can also subscribe to this blog and receive an email when new information is posted. Invite your friends to subscribe as well and we can have church all week long.

Blessings,

Tim