Trusting in a Culturally Relevant Gospel

Whether through creating trendy worship services, writing books about how Christ can be seen in current movies, or mirroring hot bands playing on MTV, Christians often try to make their faith more culturally relevant. But Os Guinness says that this desire to be fashionable is exactly why Christians are now becoming marginalized. In a lecture for the C.S. Lewis Institute in 2002, he said that the only thing that is always relevant is the Gospel.

Interview with Os Guinness at www.christianitytoday.com

I realize that this particular post doesn't quite fit in with most of my other blog posts, but I thought this was a really great article and definitely something for Christians to think about. Continue reading →

Who am I?

"The reason why the question 'Who am I?' bothers us is because it's an essential question. It asks questions about our heart, which... if we are honest - we are not happy with. And it doesn't matter what you do, it doesn't matter what patterns of thought you've mastered, and it doesn't matter what experiences you have, you can never change yourself - it's impossible. No one can change themselves, have you noticed that? It's impossible... no matter how hard you try. But if you look at any secular system of counseling or even other religious systems, they'll say, 'Look, you're not happy with who you are, but what you need to do is you need to do certain things, think certain things, have certain experiences...... you do all of that, you'll eventually become the person that God wants you to be and the person that you want to be.'

Jesus Christ did something completely different. Jesus came into this world and He offered to start where everyone else wanted to finish. Jesus said, 'If anyone comes to me, they are a new creation. The old is gone, the new has come.' Someone came to Jesus at one point and said, 'What must I do to inherit eternal life?' and Jesus said, 'You must be born again.' Literally, your very being must be taken and changed. You must be born anew a second time.

Have you ever thought about that?

The reason Jesus Christ is unique is He is offering to do something that no one else has ever even thought about."

-- Michael Ramsden, RZIM Itinerate Team Member

Who am I?
By Michael Ramsden

• Part 3 of 3
• Part 2 of 3
• Part 1 of 3

I've tried to change... numerous times in my life. I've been unhappy with who I am, how I act, how I look, and how I feel. I've tried to change who I am, how I act, how I look, and how I feel, but never with much success. Most of the time, I found that I was unsuccessful because I was doing these things with the wrong motives. Out of pride and jealousy, I've tried to lose weight. Out of shame and embarassment, I've tried to change how I act. Out of fear and frustration, I've tried to change how I feel. But, I can honestly say that the changes were never permanent. I made changes outwardly, but they never seemed to change me inwardly.

I've known Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior since I was a young child. But...... I'm just starting to realize that I can't really change without God. I tell you the truth - God is helping me change how I act, God is helping me change how I look (because I really need to lose weight, I'm a big guy), and God is helping me change how I feel. He's changing who I am, for His glory. Before I submitted to God and humbled myself and asked Him to help me change... I was trying to change for my own glory. Really, I was. I was concerned about my reputation.

Things are different now. I'm trying to trust and obey the Lord and change for Him, not for me. As Christians, we are constantly in a state of regeneration, not degeneration (as a close friend kindly reminded me of recently). That's good to know, because sometimes I get down on myself and I can't figure out why I'm not better than I am when the One who indwells me is perfect. I must remember that I am free from the bondage of sin, but I still have a sin nature. Becoming a Christian doesn't make you perfect, but it gives you a relationship with God, who is perfect.

Do you have a relationship with God? Have you been set free from the bondage of sin and death? Have you been reborn and given new life?

Romans 8:1-8(NIV)
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Romans 10:9-13 (NIV)
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Acts 4:12 (NIV)
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Continue reading →

What is Truth?

There are a lot of articles, books, videos, etc. that make an attempt to answer the question, "What is truth?" Many of them are really good and many are really bad. There are many good ones that I could share, but I decided to settle on this one. I think it appropriately answers the question, "What is truth?"

This is the very question that Pontius Pilate asked Jesus. In the irony of the ages, he stood toe to toe with the personification of truth and yet missed its reality. Postmodern people are in much the same position. They stare at truth but fail to recognize its identity.

First, truth is an aspect of the nature of God Himself. Thus, to put on truth is to put on Christ. For Christ is "truth" (John 14:6), and Christians are to be the bearers of truth. As Os Guinness explains, Christianity is not true because it works (pragmatism); it is not true because it feels right (subjectivism); it is not true because it is "my truth" (relativism). It is true because it is anchored in the person of Christ.

Furthermore, truth is anything that corresponds to reality. As such, truth does not yield to the size and strength of the latest lobby group. Nor is truth merely a matter of preference or opinion. Rather truth is true even if everyone denies it, and a lie is a lie even if everyone affirms it.

Finally, truth is essential to a realistic worldview. When sophistry, sensationalism, and superstition sabotage truth, our view of reality is seriously skewed. The death of truth spells the death of civilization. However, as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn discovered, "One word of truth outweighs the entire world."

-- Hank Hanegraaff, The Bible Answer Book

John 18:37-38
"You are king, then!' said Pilate. Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.' 'What is truth?' Pilate asked."

I would highly recommend The Truth Project. Here is a promo video for The Truth Project:

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The Trinity

I've recently discoverd several online publications (mostly blogs) that talk about the "trinity" and how that word is not found one time in the Bible. As far as I know, this is correct. The word "trinity" is not found in the Bible. However, I would like to make it clear that what the word is referring to is very real and not anti-Biblical.

Scripture clearly portrays subject/object relationships between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For example, the Father and Son love one another, speak to each other (John 17:1-26), and together send the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). Additionally, Jesus proclaims that He and the Father are two distinct witnesses and two distinct judges (John 8:14-18). If Jesus were Himself the Father, His argument would not only have been irrelevant but it would have been fatally flawed; and if such were the case, He could not have been fully God.

It is important to note that when Trinitarians speak of one God they are referring to the nature or essence of God. Moreover, when they speak of persons they are referring to personal self-distinctions within the Godhead. Put another way, we believe in one "What" and three "Who's".

-- Hank Hanegraaff, The Bible Answer Book

Deuteronomy 6:4
"Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one."

Matthew 28:19
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Continue reading →

Proceed with Caution

This is a reminder/warning to those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. The Bible is the infallible Word of God. It is our ultimate source of truth. It is good to read books and listen to audio by Christians, but BE CAUTIOUS. Remember, they are a sinner, just like you, therefore their understanding may not be correct.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NKJV)
For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.

Also, there are men who appear to be righteous, and of God, but are in fact - not.

II Corinthians 11:12-15 (NIV)
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

Anything written or said outside of the Bible should be handled with caution. Some people even try to twist what is written in the Bible for their own purposes or ideas. When you listen and/or read, use discernment. Compare what is said to what is written in scripture. If everything they say seems to line-up with what the Bible says, that's great, but do not be followers of men... be followers of Christ. The reason I say this is because we are all capable of getting off the path, and if we follow someone too closely, and their teaching somehow becomes corrupt, we might just become corrupt right along with them. Always take a mental stance that the Bible is the constant, unchanging source of truth. I love Dr. Ravi Zacharias, and he has yet to say anything that I disagree with. However, I must remember that he is not the Christ. Yes, even if he somehow became corrupt (which I don't think for a moment that he will), the things he has spoken, that are true, remain true. But, where the warning comes in is if he were to start teaching things that weren't true, and I was sold on the idea that "Ravi Zacharias is truth", then I am putting myself at risk.

On the other hand, let us be careful not to completely discredit those God uses, just because we don't agree with EVERYTHING that they say. It is important to listen, and then separate what is right and what is wrong. You'll find that you will not agree with everything that every pastor or teacher says. We must first ask ourselves, "Does the good outweigh the bad?" If so, then we can mentally decide (if we choose) to keep learning from that teacher or preacher. But, there is one more thing we must do before we decide to keep learning from the individual. We must analyze the "bad".

How bad is it? Has the person stated that we must lift our hands in the air when we worship? If so, and you disagree, that is a matter of opinion and/or personal preference. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Bible does not give us a specific description of how to conduct a church worship service. It does not say, "Sing hymns, not contemporary Christian music." or vise versa. So, if you disagree with the person on that issue, that's fine, but be careful not to go around telling everyone that everything that person says is wrong because you disagree on the one topic.

Has the person stated that all we have to do is love our neighbor and do good things and we will be accepted by God, and go to heaven when we die? This is a doctrinal error and not a matter of opinion or personal preference. This is a matter of truth and should not be taken lightly. When something like this happens, we have to pray and consider if this person is truly being led by the Holy Spirit to preach or teach. Even if they said 99 other things and they were all correct, this one statement still holds much concern and we need to be wary of the one that said it.

Don't live a life of paranoia, always doubting everything that is said because "there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:12). Remember that God used sinful men all throughout scripture. Study God's Word, grow in your relationship with Him, and He will give you discernment and help reveal who is speaking in truth and who is not. Life may throw us curveballs sometimes, and righteous men may fall. This warning is written to help you prepare your heart and mind for those moments.

Final note - This is a quote from myself and something I remind myself of constantly:

When others around us fail, it's encouraging to know that Jesus never did. Continue reading →

Listening: A Valid Option for Learning

Do you like to read? If you don't, I can relate to you. I make myself read because I think it's beneficial, but I don't prefer to read. I'm in an accountability group with three other guys, and we commit to reading two chapters of the Bible, everyday. Through this commitment, I am in the process of reading the Bible, in its entirety, for the first time in my entire life. I just recently started reading more books outside of the Bible, for a men's leadership development group, called Joshua's Men. This has been quite a challenge for me, as I really don't enjoy reading, but I'm learning a lot, so I won't complain.

I would encourage you to make an effort to read, even if you don't enjoy reading. I would also encourage you to do something I DO enjoy - listen to podcasts. I LOVE podcasts! Listening is a great way to learn. I often listen to podcasts when I'm at work and when I workout. I found this video at marshillchurch.org, and I thought I'd share it. It's short and to the point, so please take a moment to watch:

My favorite podcasts can be found at www.rzim.org. I love listening to Christian Apologist - Dr. Ravi Zacharias. Whether it's a sermon, a debate, a speech, or a Q&A session, Ravi does a tremendous job of sharing the truth claims of God. I also listen to Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA. Continue reading →

The Shack: A Warning for the Unsuspecting Reader

Pastor Chris Eller recently wrote a review of William P. Young's book, The Shack. Though Grace Church does not typically do "book reports", Chris thought it to be very important to warn readers about this book. Whether you've already read this New York Times best seller or not, I would recommend that you take the time to read this review:

The Shack: A Warning for the Unsuspecting Reader

Also, here's a quick video that summarizes the dangers of the book. This is Pastor Mark Driscoll, from Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA.

Continue reading →