Now Taking Your Calls

In today’s rushed world, God no longer has time to answer prayers directly. He no doubt has more important things to occupy his time with, like buying crafts on eBay. Fortunately for us, Reuters reports that God has decided to go modern and set up his own voicemail.  No news if God accepts text messages or emails yet.

Going to church to look for work?

From CNN:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — In today’s tough economy, many people are praying for a job offer. When Michel Butler headed to church, he ended up with multiple offers.

One year ago, Butler, 42, was a consultant in the home-building industry in Texas with aspirations of building his own spec homes in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. But six months later, he was an unemployed husband and father of three with no job prospects to speak of.

“The market here really hit the skids in late June, early July, and I knew it was time to consider something outside the industry,” Butler said.

First, Butler joined a free career workshop at a local church, which was open to the public. They met every Saturday evening and covered everything from networking to resume writing and interview skills.

No word on whether he walked away with the Gospel.

Pitfalls of Prosperity

Christians in America have seen an unparalleled amount of material prosperity. No other brother or sister in Christ has ever experienced the ease of life that we do here. Many of us come from respectable communities, own large homes, and drive high-priced sport-utility vehicles. Undoubtedly, God has seen fit to bless many Christians living here with a great degree of material wealth.

While nothing is wrong with financial prosperity in and of itself, the amassing of wealth can breed dangers for the believer. In these ways, wealth becomes a detriment rather than a boon, a spiritual hinderance instead of a blessing.

Pitfall 1: Trusting in Money Rather than God for Provision.

Throughout Scripture, God shows His people that He unfailingly provides for their needs. 

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. (Matthew 6:25-26, ESV)

The tendency that many people have is to forget about God’s provision in times of plenty and to instead trust in their own bank accounts. No longer does God provide food, the paycheck does. Overtime at the office fills the gas tank. The promises of God are forgotten and His sovereingty in all things financial overlooked. Such a mistrust is an insult to God’s character, and in essense tells God that He is not capable of providing what is needed.

Pitfall 2: Loving Money Rather than God

Jesus told his disciples in Luke 16:13 that we cannot devote ourselves to both God and money. Always, we will end up loving one and hating the other. Not surprisingly, many try to straddle this straightforward dichotomy. It doesn’t work. You’re either a lover of money, or a lover of God – never both.

Pitfall 3: Greed’s Connection to Other, More Grevious Sins

The root of greed is idolatry, more specifically a sinful devotion to material assets. And at the core of idolatry is a love for one’s self. Paramount is the need to satisfy one’s fleshly lusts. 

Because of this, those who are enamored with money may also find themselves dabbling in other sins. If the flesh yearns for one appetite and is gratified, it will only hunger for another one. No amount of anything will ever satisfy it; such is the nature of the various lusts. Gratifying the flesh’s love for money will lead to spiritual ruin unless it is immediately remedied.

Only through the Grace provided by Jesus Christ can believers avoid these dangers.

Paul Washer: Jesus is Not Some Yuppie Accessory

In the video below, Paul Washer poignantly points out that unless you have Jesus, your life is wholly without merit. It doesn’t matter how many cars you have, how big your house is, or how thin your blonde wife is. Without a heart regenerated by Jesus Christ, everything you have is worthless. What does it matter if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?

As such, Jesus is not some accessory you carry in your pocket. When He indwells you, He is everything.

The What-if of Christian Persecution in the U.S.

Sam Guzman at World View Times writes:

This past Sunday, my pastor preached a message on this passage from Jude, and it got me thinking about our duty as Christians in these spiritually dark times. In the political sphere, the enemies of truth have power, and they are using it to destroy the foundations of biblical morality that made this country great. In the spiritual sphere, professing Christians are making friends with the world, re-inventing theology, and watering down the Gospel.

As followers of Christ, we have an obligation to speak out against these trends and use every resource available to us to combat them. But what if the culture is not re-claimed? What if the government continues to steal our freedoms? What if the professing church continues to compromise, joining hands with the enemies of God? What if true Christians are eventually persecuted for speaking the truth? What then? Would we remain faithful? Is our faith strong enough?

Interesting and relevant thoughts for this current age. You can read the rest of the article here.

Getting High off Jesus: A New Low

I’ve commented on the using-Jesus-to-get-high movement before, but there seems to never be a shortage of new material. It’s like a bad parody that doesn’t know when to stop. The three videos below demonstrate the satanic nature of this trend.

HT: WretchedRadio

When the saints and apostles gave their lives for the Gospel, is this what they were defending? When Paul was stoned, shipwrecked, whipped, and beaten, is this what he preached? And Jesus, was His message, “Repent and use Me to get high!”?

I don’t think so.

God calls us to be self-controlled, not self-debasing. We are to be self-denying, not self-gratifying. And lastly, God will be glorified, not mocked.

Oswald Chambers: The Destitution of Service

“Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” – 2 Corinthians 12:15

Natural love expects some return, but Paul says – I do not care whether you love me or not, I am willing to destitute myself completely, not merely for your sakes, but that I may get you to God. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.” Paul’s idea of service is exactly along that line – I do not care with what extravagance I spend myself, and I will do it gladly. It was a joyful thing to Paul.

The ecclesiastical idea of a servant of God is not Jesus Christ’s idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of other men. Jesus Christ out-socialists the socialists. He says that in His Kingdom he that is greatest shall be the servant of all. The real test of the saint is not preaching the gospel, but washing disciples’ feet, that is, doing the things that do not count in the actual estimate of men but count everything in the estimate of God. Paul delighted to spend himself out for God’s interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. We come in with our economical notions – “Suppose God wants me to go there – what about the salary? What about the climate? How shall I be looked after? A man must consider these things.” All that is an indication that we are serving God with a reserve. The apostle Paul had no reserve. Paul focuses Jesus Christ’s idea of a New Testament saint in his life, viz.: not one who proclaims the Gospel merely, but one who becomes broken bread and poured out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for other lives.

– Oswald Chambers

The Coming “World Teacher”

This video below is chilling to any student of biblical prophecy. “Maitreya” is soon predicted to debut on the world stage, bringing his worldly wisdom to all who would hear. His coming is said to be preceded by a sign from the heavens, akin to the light in the sky that guided the wise-men to Christ’s humble birthplace. When this false savior of humanity arrives, Christians everywhere need to be ready to expose him for what he is: the Anti-Christ.

HT: SliceofLaodicea

My Absence

It is my pleasure to report that rumors of my untimely demise have been largely exaggerated. I am here and in the flesh. The past month has been unusually busy for me, especially with the concerns over my son’s health. He’s been in and out of the doctors’ offices and even was admitted to Children’s Hospital in Seattle for three days. Thankfully, the problems he has been having appear to be corrected now. I have no doubt that God is responsible for keeping my now 5-month-old baby healthy and safe. It is my sincere prayer that He will continue to do so.

I am going to make a concerted effort to get back into blogging and sharing my humble opinions with others. It’s mostly a matter of making the time in my ever-chaotic schedule — that and organizing my random and scatterbrained thoughts into a cogent post.

Our Greatest Burden

Sin is the Christian’s heaviest
burden–and his greatest grief.

“We are lying if we say we have fellowship
with God–but go on living in darkness.”
1 John 1:6

Repentance is not only a sorrowing for
sin–but also a turning away from it;
the throwing down of the weapons of
our warfare against God.

If we truly love God, we will . . .
forsake our sins,
abandon our idols
and mortify our lusts.
An honest soul cannot do otherwise;
anything short of that would be hypocrisy.

The upright man is the one who “fears
God–and turns away from evil.” Job 1:8

– Arthur W. Pink

Source: Grace Gems