Project Jude

This interesting letter sparked a series of comments that, like a previous letter posted on this blog, fell into two camps: the name-calling, ill-informed Darwinians and the Creationists, often citing facts with references. Both groups exercise belief. What do YOU believe?

Evolution is a fairy tale created by grownups.
Darwin may have been a keen observer, but he only explained the survival of species, not the arrival of species. The full title of his book is "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life." Who are we to believe are the favored races? Darwin believed (in his book "The Descent of Man") that Negroes and Aboriginals were subspecies. I would think if you were an evolutionist you would have to believe this. I guess that would make you a racist.

When modern Darwinists say it is the foundation of biology, medicine and genetics. they will conceal this fact. Modern biology states we are one species separated into people groups.

The Bible states that we are of "one blood." It was written more than 2,000 years ago.

If we look at the DNA, it is a digital error-correcting, redundant, overlapping information storage and retrieval system incapable of being reproduced by chance. James Watson and Francis Crick, who discovered the DNA molecule, came to the conclusion to be so complex that it could not happen by chance and that aliens (The godless version of Intelligent Design) must have planted the seeds of life on Earth and called it Panspermia.

Psalms 139:13-14 NIV say "we are knit together in our mother's womb, and we are fearfully and wonderfully made."

Scientifically speaking, finches reproduce finches, whether they have big beaks or small beaks. We have lots of humans with big beaks and small beaks, but they are still humans.

I think schools should teach children science, not evolution or creationism: Those subjects can be taught at home or in philosophy classes. Teach children how this marvelous creation works. Evolution is a grownup's fairy tale.

Joseph C____ (name removed)

Read full post >>

Ask yourself this question... Are you really a good person? How many lies have you told? How many things have you stolen? How many times have you taken the Lord's name in vain? Jesus said, "Whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed the sin of adultery with her in his heart." If you've done those things you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart and you have to face God on judgment day. Will he find you innocent or guilty of breaking his laws? If you are found guilty he will be forced to give you justice and cast you into hell. That is not God's will... God did something great for you so you wouldn't have to go to hell. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus took upon himself the punishment for your sins and shed his blood as a sacrifice for us so we wouldn't have to go to hell. This was a new covenant with God, one that you can partake in if you repent (turn from sin) and put your trust in Jesus to save you! When you do this God promises he will give you a new heart, with new desires, and you will be a new creation in Christ. This is what Jesus refers to as being "Born Again." Please don't put this off, "Today is the day of salvation!"

Unfortunately Modern-day American Christianity has decided not to council word of God on a number of really important staples within Christian doctrine. However, the retreat from Biblical salvation has got to be the saddest and most dangerous pitfall of Modern-day American Christianity. We are taught at a very young age that if you walk an aisle, say/repeat a scripted prayer "asking Jesus into your heart," and are baptized then you are from that point "saved" and should never ever question whether your salvation is genuine or not. Now, I am not suggesting that folks never get saved through this very popular method but on the authority of The Bible I am stating that "saying the prayer" and "asking Jesus into your heart" is not Biblical salvation at all. No where in The Bible does Jesus tell anyone to "ask him into their heart." Nowhere does he say "repeat this prayer after me." However over and over and over again he COMMANDS everyone everywhere to repent and trust (have faith) in him, "God's finished work at the cross" for our salvation!

"No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will also perish." - Luke 13:5"

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent." - Matthew 11:20

"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
- Mark 1:15

Why is it so important that we have an accurate understanding of what Biblical salvation is? Because so many people are walking around in a false assurance never once heading their God-given conscience that something is terribly wrong. There is no growth in holiness, no sign of remorse or Godly sorrow, and no spiritual fruit. If sanctification is not taking place then we must take a step back and examine whether the Justification has taken place as well! Many folks are living for themselves in bondage to sin, worshiping other god's and idols, and all the while proclaiming Jesus to be their LORD and Savior. While Jesus becomes your savior at Justification, he becomes your lord in Sanctification as you grow in holiness and are transformed by the renewing of your mind. Something is terribly wrong if one spends his life serving his own lusts and worshiping false idols but believes he is "ok" with God because he walked the aisle, said the prayer, and asked Jesus into his heart when he was nine. Scripture emphatically warns us of the dangers to this mindset!

"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds [it] empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." - Matthew 12:43-45

I myself fell into the trap of Modern-Day American Christianity's form of salvation. I was raised in a church, answered a predetermined call to come forward, said the prayer, asked Jesus into my heart, and was Baptized at a young age. I did all the things I was taught to do and for the most part stayed away from the things I was taught not to do. However as I got older my conscience began screaming at me that something was wrong. So I did what I was taught to do, I suppressed my conscience and confirmed to myself that my salvation was genuine. I even would "say the prayer" over again just to make sure. If I had to guess I would say I've "asked Jesus into my heart" over 100 times in my life. I knew I wasn't living for him cause at various points in my life I was a heavy drinker, addicted to internet porn, addicted to internet gambling, a unrepentant blasphemer, a liar, a thief. I would spend Saturday night puking into the toilet and Sunday morning singing in the choir! I felt like if I at least went to Church and "tried to do better" then I could justify myself. In reality I couldn't atone for my sins by going to Church or trying to do better, cause God isn't interested in my works or my effort. My faith for salvation was in me, it was in what I had done, the prayer I had prayed when I was young and not where it should be "Jesus Christ." Unknowingly I was counting on all the right things I had done to outweigh the wrong, I was a believer in "works righteousness." When someone would ask me "Are you sure you're going to Heaven when you die?" I'd say "yes," but when I was alone my real thought would be "I hope so." If I had trusted Christ I would have KNOWN I was going to Heaven cause God's work is sufficient!

"And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up in sin and become it's slave again, they are worse than before. It would be better if they had never known the right way to live then to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them. They make these proverbs come true: 'A dog returns to it's vomit,' and 'a washed pig returns to the mud'."
-2 Peter 2:20-22

This is why "saying the prayer" and "asking Jesus into your heart" is so dangerous and directly results in many false converts. Not because we can loose our salvation but rather because we twist the meaning of what salvation truly is into something it is not. Then we give the unrepentant sinner a false hope and a false assurance all the while telling him to never question his salvation. If he jumps through all the hoops, "baptism, church attendance, bible studies, ministry work" then he has proof that he has his salvation. This is why he is worse off than before, because now not only is he without salvation but he is taught to believe he is and rebuke any thought contrary to that. Therefore they won't turn an ear towards truth and are inoculated from Biblical truth because it challenges what they've been taught by a Man-Centered Gospel!

"Examine yourselves [as to] whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified."
-2 Corinthians 13:5

While the modern-day American Church will tell you never to question your salvation the Bible disagrees completely. In fact why is it that God allows us to be tested at all? So that he can see if we have faith, or so we can see that we have faith? Testing is not for God folks, it is for us.

"Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble." -2 Peter 1:10

There is one universal flaw in those who have a false assurance. They either knowingly or not knowingly have placed their hope and faith of salvation in themselves and not Jesus Christ. The think that their salvation is a result of something they've "done" in the past like "say a prayer, ask Jesus into their heart, be baptized" and not on what God has done "sacrificed his only son Jesus Christ as a sin offering in an atonement for man." For someone to be saved God must not be a participant, he must be the one doing the saving! Scripture makes it very clear that God alone is responsible for our salvation and we cannot pretend to claim any of his glory or we are deceived. God is the author of our salvation.

"And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him."
-Hebrews 5:9

"Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
-Hebrews 12:2

"For it is by grace through faith that you are saved, and not of yourselves. It is a free gift of God: not of works, lest any one man should boast." -Ephesians 2:8-9

Even our faith in him is a gift from God that he has chosen to give freely to us. Even our ability to believe on him is credited to God and not us. We don't choose him, he chooses us! Is that predestination? Well, God gives everyone the opportunity to repent and trust but only those who are actively seeking him in truth will find him. You gotta want him, you have to "thirst and hunger for righteousness," you have to desire him over anything else!

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you."
-Matthew 7:7

Here is where so many go wrong, they don't truly want him. They want much of what 'The Church' has to offer but they don't want God in his true state. They openly reject the full council of God and begin to create a god in their mind they are more comfortable with. They then call this god THEIR "personal belief" but God calls it Idolatry and it's a very deadly sin. Idolatry is nothing more than spiritual adultery, a worship of false gods. This can be the anything other than God in your life that you live for or it can be a fable you've created in your head. Many folks choose to create a god rather than surrender to the God of the Bible because of one reason. THEY LOVE THEIR SIN! Hence why repentance is left out of the "Gospel Presentation" in many American Churches today! They find a way to reconcile the things of "god" with their bondage to sin and call it a day, but they do this to their own destruction. Often they will pick out of The Bible the attributes of God they like "Love, Joy, Peace, Blessings,Heaven, and Mercy" but will begin to fill in the blanks where the attributes they don't like should be, "Judgment, Righteousness, Hell, Conviction, and Repentance." They want the blessings but they hate the blesser!

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting." -Romans 1:28

"Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."
-Matthew 24:11-13

"Having a form of godliness but denying it's power. And from such people turn away."
-2 Timothy 3:5

"Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."-2 Timothy 3:7

"But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."
-2 Timothy 3:13

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables." -2 Timothy 4:2-4

If you do not love God in truth then he has said he will hand you over to your "reprobate mind" so that you may be deceived. He will also provide false teachers to assist you in your idolatry. They will encourage you and rebuke sound teaching "for your sake." This is because you have chosen to love your sin more than a holy and righteous God. It is simply because you do not desire to repent and turn towards him. We are indeed living "in the time that will come" and the false teaching is everywhere so if you have an itching ear you may take your pick. Don't misunderstand, Christians still sin and can even sin for a season, but they cannot be in bondage to sin. They will hate and struggle with sin but over the sanctification process there will be a growth in Holiness. Without any sign of this happening there is no fruit of salvation.

"A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore, you will know them by their fruit." -Matthew 7:18-20

We cannot be in bondage or serving sin in our lives and say Jesus is our LORD and Savior. It is a contradiction to do so. If Jesus is your Lord then he is who you will serve, but if you serve sin then you are not of him you are of the devil. If you love the world and all it has to offer you are not of him, you are an enemy of God. This is why repentance is necessary but can only come through faith. We have to depend on God to sanctify us and give us the desire to serve him. When we surrender to God and place our trust in him he places in us a new heart, with new desires, and we are a new creature in Christ. This is what Jesus referred to as being "Born Again" or "Born of the Spirit." Our complete and undivided surrender to him brought about by the conviction of The Holy Spirit is what gives us the only power sufficient enough to break the bond of sin and repent towards God. Therefore we must believe to repent! Salvation is not just something that happens solely in the past but something we are living out. God completes it when we pass from this life into eternity and are made spotless by the blood of Jesus Christ (Glorification). Salvation is a three part process that takes an entire lifetime...

1.) Justification- When a sinner understands his own wretchedness and comes to the point where he is DONE WITH HIMSELF! His only escape is to call upon the name of The Lord.

2.) Sanctification- A continual growth in holiness over the course of one's life

3.) Glorification- Being made perfect before God by the washing of the blood of Jesus Christ at the point where one passes from life into eternity.

If step 2 is not happening, then it's time to go back to step one and start over.REPENT and TRUST!

Read full post >>

Recently, while listening to a Way of the Master podcast from Sept. 16, 2007, I heard Doug Pagitt say that Dr. John MacArthur's gospel is "a perversion". I was shocked. Pagitt, a leader of the heretical Emergent Church movement, obviously has his own gospel. Calling the biblical gospel that MacArthur has preached for 40 years "a perversion," Pagitt blasphemes Christ. (For an insightful view of the Emergent Church movement, see Bob DeWaay's article, Emergent Delusion.)

With much prayer before, during, and after, I wrote Doug Pagitt an email in response to his remark. I thought the email would be deleted before it ever reached Pagitt. I never expected a reply. Still, I prayed that someone would read it, realize their sin is against holy God, repent, and put their faith and trust in Christ as their Lord and Savior. Pagitt never replied. Instead, he posted my email on his blog and asked his readers to help him decided how to respond to it.

Here is Pagitt's lead-in to his presentation of my email:

Looking for a little help on how to respond

So, every once in a while I get an email that for some reason gets to me. I probably shouldn't say this it may only bring more on. I am thinking it has something to do with the particular timing of the email more than the content.

Now, most of the time I just let them slide by and delete them, but there are times where I feel like I am in that Happy Days episode where Fonzie is trying not to be violent and Richie is helping him, until he finally says "get em Fonz". I feel like I am at one of those "get em" moments on this one.

So, I am choosing to post this here and seek a little advise for what to do.

1. I could ignore it.
2. I could respond thoughtful response
3. change and join her
4. Feel empathy for her and pray
5. "get em"
   

Perhaps you have other options for me.


Following is the email that put Pagitt into the unchristian "get 'em" mode. I ask that you turn to Scripture, as Pagitt obviously didn't do, and see if the email is Bible-based or not:

Dear Mr. Pagitt,

Please stop calling yourself and your church "Christian."

I've just heard your scathing insult of Dr. John MacArthur, where you accuse him of having "perverted" the gospel. This accusation is proof enough that you neither hold to the basic tenets of the Christian faith nor understand them.

For the sake of eternity - yours and those you guide - study the Reformers - those men and women who endured torture and gave their lives, not to change Christianity in order to make it more palatable, but to bring the faith back to the Bible, back to biblical Christianity, and away from the traditions of men. If you stray too far from their doctrines and confessions and all else you seem to hate, then you are so far from the teachings of Christ as to not merit calling yourself His true follower. Please stop broadcasting emergent falsehoods.

The following sites will be helpful:

www.gty.org

www.desiringgod.org

www.monergism.org

www.livingwaters.com

www.wretchedradio.com

This is a test. This is only a test. For the next 60 seconds, this Christian will conduct a test of the Emergent Broadcast System. Have you ever told a lie or distorted the truth? Lusted after a woman not your wife? Christ calls that adultery of the heart. Taken anything that didn't belong to you - even a pen, a paper clip, too much change back, or downloaded music without paying for it? Ever hated someone or been unjustly angry with them - like for cutting you off on the freeway or sending you a rebuke via email? Christ calls that murder in the heart. Face it: You're a lying, thieving, adulterous murderer at heart. On Judgment Day, you will stand before holy God, guilty of breaking His Laws many, many times over. Your sentence is Hell. Forever. What you believe makes no difference; God's Law overrules human belief. But there is hope. God came to earth in human form as Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life, never sinning, was beaten and crucified, died on the cross, was buried, and raised Himself to life again, all so that those who repent of their sin, ask forgiveness, and put their faith and trust in Him as their Lord and Savior will one day be raised from the dead to life with Him. Those who turn their backs on Him, who do not take Him at His word, as presented clearly in the Bible, will also be raised - raised to be sentenced to eternity in Hell. Like it or not, believe it or not, it will happen.

Muse over your sin. Know you've sinned against a perfectly holy God. If you are broken over it, repent, ask forgiveness, and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If not, please stop calling yourself a Christian - you and the Emergent movement have failed the test.

Grace and peace,

Amanda (Last name removed)

Blacks didn't choose slavery.
Jews didn't choose genocide.
Babies don't choose abortion.


What part of the email angered Pagitt? Was it the biblical injunction to repent and put his faith and trust in Christ? Was it reminding him that by calling the gospel "perverted" he is not Christian? Was it because I take the Bible at its word, without mangling its meaning beyond recognition? Perhaps it is because, as 1 Cor 1:18 says, "...the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Your guess is as good as mine.

The email is followed by 127 comments. You can read those here.

The comments are divided into two camps: the Emergents, identified by their defensive, often barbed and knee-jerk emotional responses, were one camp. In the other are the often well-thought-out, Bible-based replies of Christ's true disciples. The former tend to be devoid of any sign of true conversion. The latter (with Ephesians 2:1-10 and similar passages in mind) generally urge Pagitt and his followers to repent and put their faith and trust in Christ, thereby being saved by God's grace from His wrath and their sin. (And this the Emergents call "hatred." Read what Spurgeon calls it in his sermon, the Law and Grace.)

Are you, Reader, angered by the heresy and the blasphemy of people like Doug Pagitt? Are you sick of people like Pagitt and the rest of the Emergents masquerading as Christians? Then don't sit there, do something! Pray for Doug Pagitt and his Emergent Church, as well as all the others caught up in this current trap of post-modernism. They are on the road to perdition, and will there reap the just consequences of their sin.

Eternity in Hell: Would you really wish that on anyone?

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Read full post >>