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GOD’S GRACE
It is through the writings of the Apostle Paul that we best come to understand the doctrine of Grace. Through Paul’s teachings, we understand that Grace comes by faith, and that the faith that brings Grace comes from God and not from ourselves. We do not work for Grace. If we did then it is not Grace but it is something we earned and therefore not a gift. Paul would open each of his letters to the various churches and to his friends, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon with a blessing of grace and peace. How did Paul come to understand the doctrine of grace? He experienced it.
Saul, Paul’s Jewish name, was a man of two worlds. He was a Jew whose father was likely a Roman because Paul claimed Roman citizenship many times in his writings. He was not only a Jew but a member of the ruling body known as the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the keepers and teachers of the Jewish Law. As a Pharisee, Paul was zealous for the Jewish faith. He was zealous to the point that he was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1). He was a persecutor of the church leading men and women to prison and death (Acts 8:3, 22:4). He not only persecuted the church but likely blasphemed Jesus as a heretic and as well as those who followed him (1Timothy 1:13). Though he was such a man, God spared him and used him in a great and powerful way.
God, through His infinite love and great mercy, decided to extend his generosity to Saul by visiting him one day on his was to Damascus. When going to Damascus to arrest the Christians there to bring them back to Jerusalem to be tried and imprisoned (or worse), he was intercepted by Jesus who appeared in a light brighter than the sun. He spoke with a loud voice that knocked Paul off his beast (Acts 9). Through this powerful voice, He asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul responded, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice came back, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” From that day on, Paul was on fire for Jesus and for spreading the Gospel. Why? Because he realized that he had been spared the wrath of God. He realized that he was fighting against the very God he was trying to defend. He realized that his actions warranted death but God had mercy on him. As a result, he could write, “ that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge…(Ephesians 3:17b-19)”
God’s Grace to us is powered by His love for us. He loved us enough to create us and to desire fellowship with us (Genesis 1:27-28). He loved us enough to tabernacle with us when we were lost in the wilderness of sin (Exodus 40:34, 1 Kings 8:10-13). He loved us enough to tabernacle in us through His Spirit because of the blood of His Son (John 14:15-18, Acts 2:1-4). He loves us enough to allow us to one day tabernacle with Him in the Eternal City (Revelation 21:3). It was God’s Grace that elevated a murderous persecutor and blasphemer like Paul to the role of Apostle, planter of numerous churches, and writer of nearly one half of the New Testament. It was also God’s Grace that elevated a lowly rebel like me to the heights of a saint, a priest, and a king (Revelation 5:10).
Have you experienced God’s grace in your life? Paul, Moses, Abraham, all can tell you that it doesn’t matter what type of background you have. It doesn’t matter what sins or wrongs you have committed. It doesn’t matter how bad you have been or you think you have been. He offers you mercy instead of wrath. He offers you adoption instead of separation. He offers you love. He offers you faith. By trusting in the work of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary, you, too, can experience the same grace Paul experienced—the same grace every believer has experienced (and continue to experience). God offers grace that leads to eternal life rather than justice that leads to death. Which will you choose?
My Commentary on First Timothy 1:12-20
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Paul closed out his previous instruction by saying that the Gospel was entrusted to him [among others]. He then proceeds to recount his own shameful past and how he was a recipient of the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first thing he does is give thanks to Jesus who gave him strength and appointed him to the gospel ministry. Why did Jesus save and call Paul. In Paul’s own words: He considered me faithful. Jesus knew that Paul was zealous for God just on the wrong side of the Cross. He knew that once Paul was saved, that same zeal would be used to promote the Gospel was than persecute it. Was He not right? Paul started numerous churches and is credited with writing nearly half of the New Testament. Talk about faithful.
1 Timothy 1:18-20
In this passage, Paul encouraged Timothy to be faithful. He said the purpose he gave this instructions was in keeping with the prophecies that were made about Timothy. The Bible does not say when these prophecies were made but they apparently spoke about how God would use Timothy to strengthen the believers and refute the false teachers.
His instruction to Timothy was to engage in battle and not just sit on the sidelines. Those who teach false doctrine needs to be rebuked. Those who attempt to divide the church need to be confronted. The Word of God needs to go forth. The command of Jesus was to make disciples and that means teaching the Word to the hearers giving them a foundation upon which to stand against false teaching.
Timothy’s motivation was to teach from faith and a good conscience. Paul said there were some who rejected their faith in the oracles and providence of God and the desire good conscience and, as a result, their faith (walk with God) was destroyed. He then goes on to list two such people, Hymenaeus and Alexander, who were known for their blasphemies. Paul said he had delivered them to Satan, or rather he has asked God to show them the error of their ways.
Essentials of a Church
Church Steeple
This entry is probably more opinion-based than scripture-based but I felt this needed to be said. I was thinking this morning about people who say they don’t go to church because it is full of hypocrites. I’ve addressed that issue in a previous blog entry. To sum it up, it all boils down to this: if you love Jesus and you want to obey Him, you would not let hypocrites stop you from assembling with other believers who love Jesus and who want to praise Him.
The other thing that occurs to me is that people say the church is always asking for money. For some churches, this is true. Some smaller churches ask for money because they need it to meet the church’s obligations but the people are not paying the tithes God asked them to that would support the church. Because of this, some churches have to ask for money to give a love offering to guest speakers because there is no money in the church’s coffers to do this. Then there are the prosperity preachers. They are always asking for money to increase both the church’s treasury, and their own, with the promise of a return from God down the road. Yet, there is nowhere in the Bible this is mandated or promised.
So this got me thinking: what is the make-up of a “good church”? I believe there are several things a new believer (or even an established believer) needs to look for when picking a new church. So, in no particular order:
Sound biblical teaching. I believe this is a crucial thing a God-honoring, God-endorsed church needs. The teaching must be in line with other scripture and the whole counsel of God not just what the preacher believes or wants to teach. The preacher/teacher must also encourage his congregants to search the scriptures for themselves and not just take his word for it because he, too, is fallible. This is one thing that Paul applauded the Bereans for—they didn’t take the teachings of people at face value but they tested their teachings against the revealed Word of God (Acts 17:11).
Emphasis on sin, repentance, eternal life, not just temporal living. A sound church teaches the full counsel of God. This mean they teach the pleasant things and the not-so-pleasant things. Sin and repentance are not pleasant but they are essential to salvation. {I’ll talk more about this is a later entry.} A sound church wants it members to grow more in the image of Christ and to look less like this world (Galatians 5:24). A sound church has an eternal perspective not just a temporal one (Colossians 3:1-2). What good does giving money to gain wealth do if you die the next day in a car accident? What good is it to live a good life if you die and go to hell because you had no relationship with the Author of life? This world is finite but our souls are eternal. A sound church has a biblical worldview and an eternal perspective.
Jesus is exalted. Christ is the head of the Church. A sound church exalts Him and not the world. Praise songs should be about lifting up the name of Jesus. He is the One who saved us and called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. He is the Author and the Perfecter of our faith.
Worship style. This is the most subjective of all. Everyone’s worship style is different. Some like hymns while others like contemporary. Some like a blend of both. There are churches that are for those who like country music, rap, rock, Vineyard, Celtic, Ethnic, Gospel, and Southern Gospel. The point is for the believer to find a church that worships in a way that speaks to them. God wired us all differently. There are congregations out there that any believer of any taste of music can be a part of.
Desire of believers for spiritual growth. Do the members of the church desire to grow spiritually or are they satisfied with superficial teaching? Do they desire to seek out the deep things of God? Do they desire to have a deeper walk and relationship with Him? Do they want meat or just milk? If they are happy with the milk, move on. Some churches are full of hypocrites because they are full of people who are happy with the milk and shun the meat.
Feeling of belonging. This is another crucial part of a church. If there were a list of the things that turn people off from church, at the top would be the teaching and the people. Who wants to be part of a cold church where when you walk in no one speaks to you or even acknowledges you were there. (That has happened to me.) If truly the love of Jesus is in the hearts of its members, even the most introverted person will leave feeling welcomed. Then there are the cliques. Yes, even churches have cliques. These are social groups that hang together at the church (or even outside the church) that no one else can be a part of. This is not biblical. We should welcome everyone and everyone should feel comfortable talking to anyone. If there is no feeling of connection, visitors will leave and not come back. Not only that, they will tell others about their experience. So, no matter how sound of doctrine a church has, if a person doesn’t feel they belong, they will not be there to hear it.
Shepherded. This goes hand-in-hand with a sense of belonging; however, this is about feeling more connected with the leadership. For smaller churches, do you have a connection with the pastor? Does he know you or your family? Has he reached out to you? How about the deacons or ministry leaders? Do they know your name? Have you been invited to be a part of a ministry? For larger churches where the pastor cannot possibly know everyone, does it have a cell, pod, or small group leader that you can interact with? Are they aware of your personality, gifting, and needs? Have they reached out to you to be a part of ministry or fellowship? Do you feel that you are getting the spiritual nourishment and guidance you need from leadership? Whether it is a senior pastor or small group pastor, you should not feel like a castaway Christian who has to fend for himself all alone on an island of salvation. If you do, move on.
These are just a few of the things that I believe people need to consider when picking a church. Now I know there are things that I have left off that you will remind me of, like ministries and community involvement, but I felt these are the essentials. If a church has these things, there shouldn’t be too many hypocrites in it for long.
A God of Our Own Making
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.—Romans 1:18
When we hear of idolatry, we often thing of bowing down and worshiping things made of stone or wood. We have even come to understand that worshiping anything other than God can be considered idolatry, whether it is work, people, hobbies, success, or things. But can attempting to worship the right God, but not the God described in the Bible, be considered idolatry?
The Bible describes God as holy. It says that He cannot be in the presence of sin. Yet, we believe that people can go to heaven without repentance and without being cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We even believe that we can enter into His presence or that He will hear our prayers when there is no recognition or repentance of sin in our lives.
The Bible says that we are not to forsake the assembly of ourselves (going to church). There are a number of times I’ve heard people say “they can worship God anywhere” or that they and God have an ‘understanding’. God does understand that you are being disobedient to His word.
Jesus asked, “Why do you call me Lord and yet do not do what I command you?” How many times do the people of God conspicuously disobey God’s word? They sleep around with those to whom they are not married. They use profanity. They steal from their employers. They rob God in tithes and offerings. They only sit in the pew instead of working in the ministry of their church exercising their Spiritual gifts.
God is a God of prosperity and healing but just because one does not have them in abundance does not mean that one does not have God’s favor. God is not so much concerned with our pleasure in this world but in the next (Matthew 6:19-20, John 14:1-3). This world is temporary; the next is eternal. We are spiritual; this world is physical. In this world we will have tribulation; in the next we will have joy everlasting. Eternal life does begin now but it is life in Christ, not life on earth (James 4:4, 1 John 2:16-17).
God is indeed a God of love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness. He is also a God of justice and wrath. God does not ignore sin or tolerate sin but abhors sin to the point that He came Himself to redeem us from its power and punishment.
Do you worship the God of the Bible or a god of your own making? If you worship a god of your own making, then who is really god?
EVERY KNEE WILL BOW
One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Those who denied that Jesus was real will bow. Everyone who denied that Jesus was the Son of God will bow. Everyone who has denied that Jesus was God will bow. Everyone who has denied that Jesus was the Messiah will bow. Everyone who has denied that Jesus was the only way will bow. That means that Mormons will bow, Muslims will bow, Jehovah’s Witnesses will bow, Satanists will bow, and atheists will bow. Even Hitler will bow. Pharaoh will bow. Hussein will bow. Satan will bow. Everyone will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Will you bow now by choice?
Praise God from whom all blessing flow, praise Him all creatures here below; praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen
The Great Falling Away: The Apostasy of the Church
One of the lessons we can learn from the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation is that the church has cycles (or a cycle). Much like any organization, there is growth, a plateau, then a decline. After the decline there can be a rebound, another incline, or death. The church will not die. History has taught us that and Jesus has promised it. Yet, the church does have a cycle that it seems to follow.
In the beginning, when the people first come to Christ, they are on fire for Him. They worship in spirit and truth. They serve. They give generously. Then the fire starts to cool. Worldly cares seep in. People don’t read their Bibles like they once did. People don’t pray like they once did. People don’t attend church like they once did. Preachers don’t preach like they used to. Preachers and teachers don’t prepare like they used to. As Jesus said, they will have left their first love. Eventually, in the life of the believer, as in the life of the church itself, worship goes from relationship to ritual.
It is no longer about Christ. It becomes more about the process than the Person. People just go through the motions. The come; they read; they pray; they give; they leave but no real change has taken place. They had no real encounter with the Savior. They received no fuel to carry them throughout the week. Like a charcoal removed from the fire, they all soon grow cold. Now, they no longer have a faith, they have a religion.
I believe every church started out on fire for God. I believe this is true of the Catholics, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Baptist. But over time, their love for the Lord has started to grow cold. Their devotion, our devotion, is moving from relationship to ritual. Once we move in this direction, it won’t be long before the church is compromising with the world—embracing ecumenism in the name of peace.
In several of Paul’s letters, he speaks of the falling away or the apostasy of the church. In 1 Timothy he wrote that people would ‘depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons’. In 2 Timothy he wrote that the time is coming when people would no longer tolerate sound doctrine but will acquire for themselves teachers that teach things that appease the flesh. In 2 Thessalonians he wrote that the falling away would precede the Rapture of the Church.
What is the ‘falling away’ that Paul refers to? As one preacher once said, I don’t believe that it is some mass exodus from the church and that Jesus has to come back or there would be no Church for Him to come back for. Instead, I believe the falling away is encompassed in the words of Paul.
First, there would be a drop in church attendance. It is no secret that church attendance is on the decline. Many churches have more empty pews now than they had in the past. This is likely due to several factors. Parents stopped teaching their children the fear of the Lord. When these children grew up, church was not on their radar. Another reason is that people are too busy with the cares of the world. Many people work on Sunday because businesses are open 7 days a week. People also use Sunday as a day of rest and Saturday (the Biblical day of rest) as pleasure day. Society frowns on church and religion. It is mocked in the media. It is satire on television. It is outlawed in schools and public buildings. Of course, the biggest reason is sin. Sin draws people from God not to Him. And since sin is so prevalent and even welcomed in today’s society, church attendance suffers.
Second, people will depart from the faith. It is not that they stopped attending church. It’s just that they attend churches that don’t preach sin and repentance, hellfire and brimstone. Instead, these churches preach a social gospel—an I’m-OK-you’re-OK gospel. In this gospel, people don’t sin, they err. Yet, even without Christ, they can still live their best life yet. Regardless as to whether they are a Christian or not, everyday can still be a Friday. Others preach a prosperity gospel—a name-it-and-claim-it, call-it-and-haul-it gospel. Preachers in this gospel say all you have to do is lay your hands on it and claim it in the name of Jesus. God told Joshua that anyplace your feet trod I will give to you. Therefore, if you want a piece of land, walk its distance and claim God’s promise in the name of Jesus. If you want God’s best for your life, all you have to do is plant this faith seed and God will send you a harvest. As I said in my first book, God cannot be bribed!
Finally, mainstream religions will depart from the fundamentals of the faith. Pastors (and deacons) are committing all sorts of immoral acts and the churches (congregations) are not holding them accountable. Instead, they are standing by their pastor or priest. There are Christian denominations that actually question the infallibility (without error) of God’s Word. There are Christian faiths that actually question the deity of Christ—who actually do not believe that Christ was God. Now there are Christian denominations that are ordaining homosexual ministers—people who are living in open defiance to God’s command. First of all, God called homosexuality a sin, not me. (Lev. 20:13, Romans 1:26-27) Second, God, through Paul, told Christians to avoid people who ‘have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). Third, Paul said that all homosexuals will have their part in the Lake of Fire (1 Cor. 6:9). Not only are they ordaining homosexuals, some are even performing civil unions for them!
In these last days, the apostasy is only going to grow. This is why it will be easier for the antichrist to come into power. What “Christians” are left behind will be so ignorant of the Word that they won’t recognize him until it is too late. On the other hand, the Bible encourages us to stay read up and prayed up. We are to work out our own soul salvation. We are to make our call and election sure. In other words, we are to stay on the straight and narrow and not to stray from God Word. We are to read it, learn it, and hide it in our hearts. We are to cling to it and stick with it no matter what the world or the church does. God’s Word is the only thing that will last. Jesus is not coming back for a congregation. He is coming back for a Bride who has made herself ready and who has remained faithful to Him.
The Bible–Book of Truth
“If you are not willing to live for Jesus on Earth, don’t expect to live with Jesus in Heaven.” I say this both to those who call themselves Christians and don’t live like it as well as to those who deny Christ and the Bible. Frankly, I don’t understand how people can deny that the Bible is a book of truth instead of a book of fantasy (as I have heard some people say). The problem with Bible haters is that it is not the Bible that they take issue with but its message. The arguments they use to dispute the Bible are only excuses used to cover the fact that they just don’t believe in its message or in the God it reveals.
Why is the Bible considered a book of fantasy? There are those who say it is because it speaks of an invisible God. Revelation 20 tells us that the world won’t follow a visible God either. Therefore, that argument is moot. The disputers also say there are contradictions in the Bible, yet they can’t point out any. What they fail to realize is that the Bible was written over thousands of years by dozens of people. Even if the Bible spoke with “one voice” and there were none of these perceived contradictions, these same disputers would argue that the Bible seems too cohesive, too much of a solo voice for it to have been written by so many people over such a long period of time. So, there no pleasing them either way. These are different books (and letters) written by different people with different voices and different perspectives but the same unified message. In this hub, I hope to show why the Bible is to be a trusted authority.
First, the Bible is a book of wisdom. Psalms 1 tells the reader not to hang with ungodly people because their end is destruction and you don’t want to be caught up in their fate. This sentiment is echoed in the Proverbs. Proverbs 1:15 says, “My son, do not walk in the way with them (sinners), Keep your foot from their path…” Proverbs 6:9-11 describes the plight of the lazy—poverty. “How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.” Ruth and Esther are both examples of women who placed their faith in God and were rewarded for it. Hannah and Job are examples of what happens when you take your problems to the Lord and leave them there. David and Peter are examples of how men of God can fall, repent, and be restored by God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Second, the Bible is a book of prophecy. There is no other book of any religion that contains prophecy in such detail. God is able to say what is going to happen because He knows the end from the beginning. God revealed to Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah, Zachariah, and John the Revelator how it is all going to work out in the end. As we see the words prophesied over two millennia before come to pass, how much more should we believe and receive the Word of God.
Isaiah 66:8 asks, “Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once?” This speaks about the rebirth of the nation of Israel, May 6, 1948. Jesus said the generation that saw this happen would not pass away before they see the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds with power and great glory (Matthew 24:34). In Ezekiel 37, God proclaims how He will cause all His people who are scattered among the nations to return to their land. Ezekiel 38 describes the nations that will side against Israel in the last days. Those nations are Rosh [Russia], Meshech [Moscow], Tubal [Tobolsk], Persia [Iran], Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer [Germany?], and Togarmah [Turkey?]. We can see from the news today that Russia is partnering with Iran to give them nuclear capability with which they will attack Israel. Look at the events that have happened in Libya, Egypt, and Syria. This is not a coincidence.
The Bible has also predicted that in these last days there would be wars and threats of wars, ethnic groups will rise against ethnic groups, there would be earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places. Last year central Arkansas recorded over 700 earthquakes. This week a 5.6 registered earthquake rocked the east coast. Famines and diseases are also becoming commonplace. These signs were recorded two thousand years ago and are coming to pass in our lifetimes. Revelation 11:7-9 describes the martyr of the two witnesses and that the whole world would see their bodies in the street. Fifty years ago this would not have been possible, but now with CNN, MSNBC, and FoxNews, along with worldwide affiliates, people can watch breaking news instantly on their televisions, computers, iPads, iPods, and Smartphones.
The Bible is the Word of God. In it, God gives wisdom. God uses the example of the Old Testament Saints to show us both how to live and how not to live. Only in the Bible does God give you His game plan up front. He tells you how it is all going to go down. Its your choice whether you want to believe Him or not. Paul says the Bible is difficult to understand for those who don’t believe because it takes God’s Spirit to reveal its truths to you. Fortunately, you can ask God for wisdom and He will give it to you because it is His desire for you to know and understand Him and His will for your life.
What’s Wrong with Harry Potter?
Unlike most people, I am not a part of the Harry Pott
er or Twilight craze. I didn’t see the appeal. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there has been a sudden increase in movies and television shows that promote the supernatural. Movies like Zombieland, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Freak Night, Twilight Saga, and of course, Harry Potter and television shows like True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Ghost Hunters, and Paranormal Files literally litter the box office and airwaves. They promote demonic and ungodly ideals. Why has there been a sudden influx of movies like this?
First, I want to add that I know that shows like this have always been around. There was Bewitched. There was Sabrina, the Teen-aged Witch, Charmed, Witches of Eastwick, and Lost Boys. There were even the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street movies, but those movies came once a year, maybe. Supernatural movies come yearly or more often. The television shows are on weekly, on more than one network. Their popularity is growing.
Some may argue that the reason why there are a plethora of shows is because studios know what is popular and they make clones of them. This is the reason there were a bunch of Apprentice clones (like Richard Branson’s Quest for the Best and The Cut with Tommy Hilfiger) that came out during the show’s heyday. I believe there is another reason.
The Bible says that the antichrist will come with signs and lying wonders (2 Thess. 2:9). His powers will be supernatural except they will be from the devil rather than from God. I believe that the reason there is a number of supernatural movies is to prepare and even instill this philosophy to ready a generation to receive the antichrist. That is the reason why we have seen so many of these types of movies like never before.
As I wrote in my hub, The Bible—Book of Truth, things are coming together, setting up the stage for the end time. The Bible describes what the days will be like in the end times. The news speaks about how nations in the Middle East are coming together with Russia in alignment against Israel. These are the same nations named in Ezekiel 38 and 39. As stated earlier, there will be supernatural events during those days. In addition to the 2 Thessalonians passage, Revelation 13 says that the False Prophet will cause a statue to speak, among other lying wonders.
Through the entertainment industry and the education system, people are being introduced to witchcraft and being turned away from God. They are being introduced to this false power, which can be enticing to young minds. These shows and movies teach that by tapping into this power or by chanting magic words, they can do what Harry Potter or the women of Charmed can do. I know that in these movies, there is still evil. Sometimes that evil is the devil. The devil doesn’t care if you don’t worship him. He just doesn’t want you to seek and worship God. So, to ensure this, he is willing to play the villain.
God led me to write this hub to hopefully open the eyes of the people to see that these movies have an ulterior purpose. That purpose is to lead people away from God. Seeking these ungodly powers, this black magic, comes with a heavy price. Demons and demonic possession are nothing to play with. Plus, people who play with this are putting their immortal souls in jeopardy. Jesus said that hell was made for the devil and his angels. People who follow the devil will also end up in hell with the devil. That is God’s Word.
What is the answer? Turn from these movies and ask Jesus to come into your heart and to deliver you from the power of Satan. Though he has no real power, the devil’s influence on the unsaved is powerful. Christians should not follow Harry Potter or Twilight because they should recognize that these are ungodly movies cloaked in action and romance. But look behind the plotlines and see the story. Harry Potter is about a boy who is a wizard (a person who practices witchcraft). The Bible says that Christians are to avoid witchcraft and those who practice it. Twilight and its clones are about vampires and the undead and the underworld. There is no such thing as the undead. The underworld is the abode of demons.
I cannot encourage you enough to turn away from movies and shows like this. Instead, get into the Word of God. His Spirit will give you enlightenment, if you ask God for it. Tell others about the dangers of these movies. Though they seem innocent, they are not. Yet, their apparent innocence will ensnare you and before you know it, you’ll be submerged in a world of evil. The devil is seeking to draw the minds of people from God and he is using the entertainment industry to do it.
The Call to Disciple
God’s Word
Why disciple? The church needs teachers. Teaching, in fact, is one of the core missions of the church. Ephesians 4 tells us the God gave some [people] to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12, emphasis added). As a friend once pointed out, there is no comma between pastor and teacher because a pastor must be a teacher. His job is to equip the saints—giving them the spiritual tools they need to do the work God has given them—witnessing to the lost.
Discipleship is not new. It did not come into being at the dawn of the church age. Discipleship has been around as long as Israel has been around. God commanded the Israelites in the Book of Deuteronomy to disciple their children. “You shall teach them [God’s commands] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deuteronomy 6:7).” Later in the Proverbs, Solomon reiterates this command: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).” Parents are called to be the main disciplers of their children not the church.
Jesus commanded that we be disciplers of men. In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis added).”This Commission is repeated in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:15). It was never the Christian’s job to convert anyone. It was, and still is, the Christian’s responsibility to make disciples. We are called to be two things: witnesses and teachers. When we evangelize, we are simply telling the Gospel story and leaving the results up to God. We can attempt to persuade but the end decision is theirs and the end result is God’s.
Discipleship was the model Christ gave us. When He came to earth and began His ministry, He chose twelve men. These men would accompany Him and watch Him do His work. He would then send them out to do it. Talk about on-the-job training. The model was later used in the Church. Barnabas took Paul under his wings and taught him. Later, Paul took Timothy, Titus, and few others under his tutelage. In his final letter to Timothy, Paul charged Timothy to do the same thing: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).”
There is a desperate need for discipleship in the church. First, it is essential to disciple new believers. Those new to the faith do not fully understand even the fundamental doctrines of the faith. They are babes and they need to be taught the core beliefs. As Peter told his church, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby.” I believe that this is one of the reasons churches have what has become known as the revolving back door. New members join but they don’t stick around because they are not being spiritually fed. And like any starving soul, they look for nourishment elsewhere.
Second, there is so much false doctrine being taught in our seminaries, on television, and even in our churches. Christians need to be taught the truth so that they will be able to distinguish it from error. Paul wrote “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (Ephesians 4:14).” If you don’t know what you believe and why you believe it, you will fall for anything (any lie of the devil or trick of slick talkers). [In another lesson, I will discuss False Doctrine and False Teachers.]
And finally, we should disciple other Christians because it was the model Jesus gave us. As mentioned earlier, it was the method Jesus used to train the twelve. It was the model Barnabas used to train Paul and Paul later used to train Timothy. It should be the same model we use to train others. It is not solely the responsibility of the pastor to teach the Word but it is the responsibility of every mature believer. Just as a parent teaches a child how to walk and to talk, mature Christians should teach newer Christians what the Bible says about how to live godly.
Not only are we to teach or train others, but we are to teach them what the Bible says and not what we want the Bible to say. God gives us enough information to form truthful doctrine. We don’t have to add to it or take away from it. For instance, I have heard some say that the reason Cain’s sacrifice in Genesis 4 was not acceptable to God was because it was not a blood sacrifice. However, that is not what the Bible says nor what God said. The Bible said Abel brought of the firstfruits but Cain just brought an offering. Second, the command to offer blood sacrifices for sin had not even been given yet. Third, God told Cain if he did well, he would be accepted. The Hebrew term means to be cheerful or to do good. This suggests that God was referring to Cain’s heart or motive in offering and not his offering itself. As I’ve heard many times and found to be true, the Bible interprets itself. In other words, rarely does the Bible says anything just once but either the command or lesson is repeated in another place.
I hope you see now why discipleship is so important in the church. Without it, people will fall into all sorts of error and begin to believe things that are ungodly. It is because people failed to disciple the next generation that the churches Paul and Peter and Timothy led were rebuked in the opening chapters of Revelation. They had fallen away from the faith and into false doctrine. It is because the generation before ours and our generation have failed to disciple that our society is in the quandary that it is in—godliness on the decline and homosexuality, pornography, greed, and malice on the uptake.
If we want God to bless America, then we need to bless God by studying and teaching His Word…before it’s too late.
Cyber-Discipleship 