"Ordinary" Should Be Enough

A dangerous consequence of the spread and influence of megachurches and media ministries is that many Christians now evaluate their churches and ministries based on all the wrong things.  They want the extraordinary.  They expect non-stop excitement, amazing growth, cutting-edge programs and novel techniques.  Faithful proclamation of Scripture in the pulpit, a godly congregation that faithfully worships together and pursues sanctification under leadership – all that smacks of the ordinary.  And ordinary just isn’t enough.  Evangelicalism has cultivated an adolescent appetite and expectation for an emotionally fulfilling, ever-expanding, earth-shattering church experience that ordinary just can’t compete with.

Cited from a letter from John MacArthur’s ministry, related to “The Ordinary Church,” a sermon MacArthur preached.

Gift of Tongues?

The current interest in tongues stems from a longing for genuine religious expression in the midst of a secularized society.  People long for an authentic relationship with God, but they are not as interested in knowing God in truth.  If spiritual maturity can be attained by attending emotionally charged meetings and receiving instantaneous supernatural experiences that deliver spirituality, why labor at the hard work of Scripture study, memorization, prayer, and walking by the Spirit?  The charismatic movement has offered a shortcut to godliness.  That this shortcut leads to a dead end is often not recognized until one has faced disillusionment.  But then many have lost their way and have no scriptural compass to guide them safely back to the truth.

Gary E. Gilley, "Ambassadors of the Sensational: The Doctrinal Distinctives of the Charismatic Movement," The Quarterly Journal, April-June 2015 (Personal Freedom Outreach)

Worldliness

“If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15).

Worldliness is not so much a matter of activity as of attitude.  It is possible for a Christian to stay away from questionable amusements and doubtful places and still love the world, for worldliness is a matter of the heart.  To the extent that a Christian loves the world system and the things in it, he does not love the Father.

Worldliness not only affects your response to the love of God; it also affects your response to the will of God.  “The world passeth away . . . but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (2:17).

Doing the will of God is a joy for those living in the love of God.  “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”  But when a believer loses his enjoyment of the Father’s love, he finds it hard to obey the Father’s will.

When you put these two factors together, you have a practical definition of worldliness: anything in a Christian’s life that causes him to lose his enjoyment of the Father’s love or his desire to do the Father’s will is worldly and must be avoided.  Responding to the Father’s love (your personal devotional life), and doing the Father’s will (your daily conduct) — these are two tests of worldliness.

Be Real - 1 John, by Warren W. Wiersbe, p.68-69

What Is Your Motive?

The real motive for living the holy life should be that it pleases God, and that sin is displeasing to Him.  I must not set up my own little standard of holiness and rectitude and my little moral code, and pride myself that I am a man who always keeps his word and lives up to his own code and standard.  That is ultimately unChristian.  The world acts frequently from such a motive.  The only true motive for holy living is that it grieves God and offends Him when I am not holy.  My desire must be to please Him; not simply to obey the divine law, but to give joy to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ.  That should be the motive in all our actions and activities.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Unsearchable Riches of Christ: An Exposition of Ephesians 3, p.189

"None of Self, and All of Thee

O bitter shame and sorrow,
That a time could ever be,
When I let the Saviour's pity
Plead in vain, and proudly answered:
"All of self, and none of Thee!"

Yet He found me: I beheld him
Bleeding on the accursed tree, 
Heard Him pray: "Forgive them, Father!"
And my wistful heart said faintly:
"Some of self, and some of Thee!"

Day by day, His tender mercy, 
Healing, helping, full and free,
Sweet and strong, and ah! so patient,
Brought me lower, while I whispered:
"Less of self, and more of Thee!"

Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last hath conquered;
Grant me now my supplication:
"None of self, and all of Thee!"

Theodore Monod

O Jesus Christ, Grow Thou In Me

O Jesus Christ, grow Thou in me,
And all things else recede;
My heart is daily nearer Thee
From sin be daily freed.

Each day let Thy supporting might
My weakness still embrace;
My darkness vanish in Thy light,
Thy life my death efface.

More of Thy glory let me see,
Thou Holy, Wise, and True!
I would Thy living image be,
In joy and sorrow too.

Make this poor self grow less and less,
Be Thou my life and aim;
Oh, make me daily, through Thy grace,
More meet to bear The Name!

Johann Caspar Lavater,

A Leadership Which Lacks Discernment

A few months ago I wrote about “worship pastors” and the problem I see with them in the Church in general, and I explained how our assembly decided to hire one of these guys even though we had a wonderful, mature song leader.  A few days later I wrote an article about the upcoming service being noted on Facebook as going to be having a new song for us to learn -  right from Hillsong and vacuous as it could be.  That Sunday there was a notice in the bulletin from this new “pastor” requesting input, so I responded and sent an email expressing my concern with focusing on one demographic, and using songs from aberrant groups like Hillsong and Vineyard because all it did was give them credence.  I essentially pasted in my article in regards to some of the songs we have used from these groups so as to demonstrate the false teachings in many of them.  His response was basically that there is no “perfect” song.

Well, it appears I wasted my time, because he just used the songs I exposed with bad teachings, and he keeps bringing in more.

In October we sang Chris Tomlin’s My Chains Are Gone, and a few weeks later we sang Grace Like Rain, but we never sing Amazing Grace any more.  So I e-mailed this “pastor” and our lead pastor and asked if we could go back now and then to Amazing Grace, and explained the same thing which I wrote about Tomlin’s song in this post, while also pointing out that Grace Like Rain was an even worse version with a dirge-like melody and the nonsensical phrase, “grace like rain falls down.”  I stated we were going down the wrong road trying to appeal to one demographic.  The response was that, no, they are not trying to appeal to one demographic and everyone has different opinions of music.  Period.

By the end of November my wife and I were only attending every other week as we looked at other places for worship.  Whenever we did attend, we continued with lots of his favorites, horrible rock/country type beats, changing melodies of old hymns, changes lyrics of some other old gyms, and used more and more “contemporary” junk-food songs.  (A friend gave me updates for the weeks we didn’t attend.)  The “worship” periods are mostly opportunities for this “pastor” to perform, and he has been joined on the “stage” by a woman who accompanies him vocally and an elder who has joined him with an electric guitar and acts like part of a rock band.

February 8th our “worship pastor” decided to teach us a new song, Your Great Name.  The lyrics were so poor that I wrote a blog article about it.  Then I e-mailed this “pastor” with questions about examining the lyrics for the poor theology.  The only response I received was the following Sunday when he used that song to close the service - as reported by my friend still inside.

We haven’t been back since then, partly due to weather prevention, but mainly due to finding an assembly which seems to be working out.  We love the people in our old assembly, and have some good friends there who are also unhappy with the music but are staying for various reasons.

Well, my “operative” reported that this week the “worship team” did a special music time in lieu of prayer time, and the song they sang was Lay Me Down by Chris Tomlin.  Since I never heard of it, I looked up the lyrics; take a look:

With this heart open wide 

From the depths from the heights

I will bring a sacrifice

With these hands lifted high 

Hear my song, hear my cry

I will bring a sacrifice 

I will bring a sacrifice

[Chorus:]

I lay me down I’m not my own

I belong to you alone 

Lay me down, lay me down

Hand on my heart this much is true

There’s no life apart from you

Lay me down, lay me down

Lay me down, lay me down

Letting go of my pride 

Giving up all my rights

Take this life and let it shine 

Take this life and let it shine

[Chorus:]

I lay me down I’m not my own

I belong to you alone 

Lay me down, lay me down

Hand on my heart this much is true

There’s no life apart from you

Lay me down, lay me down

Lay me down, lay me down

[Bridge:]

It will be my joy to say Your will Your way

It will be my joy to say Your will Your way

It will be my joy to say Your will Your way always

Did you notice how much “I” and “me” there is?  Is there really any explanation as to whom this song is addressed?  This could be a song to a girlfriend or a boyfriend; yes, one of those “Jesus is my boyfriend” genre.

WHERE IS THE DISCERNMENT!?!?!  This song has no place in the assembly — NONE!  And it is an example as to why we cannot return to that assembly so long as they have that “pastor” for their “worship” leader.  It demonstrates the lack of discernment of the entire leadership who would allow this stuff to continue.  We have watched this assembly slowly move closer and closer to the market-driven model and it has been a very disappointing journey, especially since this assembly had a reputation for its solid teaching.

As I have said before, the music we sing during our worship meetings in the assembly is teaching us just as much as are the sermons.  When the teaching in the assembly begins to go down this road, it is time to find another place of worship.

Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

My first two items today are with a hat tip to Erin Benziger for alerting us to them on her blog.

Andy Stanley is becoming more and more dangerous in his teachings.  He’s taking a road which should not be taken.

Then we have more information about Rob Bell’s interview with Oprah and his promotion of homosexuality.  For all his claims, there is nothing about Bell’s ideology or teaching which can be called “Christian.”  He’s a heretic, plain and simple.

In regards to homosexuality, the PCUSA denomination is continuing its downward spiral into total apostasy.

Elizabeth Prata has a good blog which I follow.  I know, she’s hard-core when it comes to Calvinism, but I just tiptoe around her TULIPs and read for the good stuff.  However, she has twice within the past week made proclamations which I think are mighty presumptuous.  First, she said “Copts are not Christians.”  Then she said, “Catholics are not Christians.”  I argue that while these organizations are corrupt versions of the Christian faith and are not Christian as organizations, we cannot know the individuals’ stance before God.  There is enough of the truth among the teachings of these organizations (and Eastern Orthodoxy) that people have come to be true Christians in spite of their teachings.  I’ve known many Catholics who are true Christians, and I’m suggesting the same would be the case for Copts.  Call the organization non-Christian, but don’t judge the individuals.  These organizations are not like cults who have no true teachings about Christ, such as the LDS and JW, whose members can never be Christians as long as they remain with those beliefs.

Now that I’ve broached the subject of Catholicism, it seems they have some real problems among their ranks.   Many Catholic schools and institutions are accepting the legitimacy of same-sex unions!!!!  As long as the Church leadership does not excommunicate or somehow exercise discipline and rebuke them, these actions will continue to spread.

Then we have an assembly, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, which has a female “lay minister” which performed a same-sex fake “marriage,” and the SBC “may” expel them.  Why “may”?  The deed was done and needs discipline.  The very fact that they had a woman lay minister should be warrant enough for their expulsion.  I’m going to assume that the “may” will end up being “did.”

I agree with those who think that homosexuality will be a great falling away from God for the Church in general.  The denominations are falling like dominoes, and individual assemblies even more so.  (HT to Lindsay)

Watch out for the “IF” gathering.  It is a hotbed of false teachers.

Hip and Thigh has a good article refuting the claims of liberals, and KJV Onlyists about the inerrancy of Scripture.  He follows up with a response to their challenges.

And yet another article about Beth Moore, except this one is more about the un-discerning church which propagates Moore’s teachings.

As if Roma Downey has mainstreamed enough false teachings with her series, “The Bible,” and “Son of God,” she is now about to release a new series titled, “A.D.”, which “reenacts key events in the New Testament.”  We can certainly expect revisionist, liberalized telling of such “key events.”

An interesting way of approaching Jehovah’s Witnesses is provided by Don Veinot of Midwest Christian Outreach apologetics ministry.

Lastly, watch out for Peter Enns.  He tends to get a lot of press time from liberal Christians.  He’s a former Senior Fellow with the BioLogos group which denounces Creationism in favor of evolutionism.  As this article demonstrates, for being an acclaimed theologian, he is nothing less than heretical in his teachings.

Revelation 3:20 Is NOT About Evangelism

The risen Lord says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me."  I sometimes think that there is no single statement of Scripture which is more frequently misunderstood, and more misused and abused, than that particular statement.  It is taken almost invariably in an evangelistic sense.  Christ is depicted as standing outside the shut door of the sinner's heart, and as entreating the sinner to give Him admittance and to receive Him into his heart.  But that is a completely false interpretation of Revelation 3:20.  The letter to the Laodiceans is, of course, a letter to a church; it is "what the Spirit saith to the churches."  Its words are not addressed to unbelievers, but to those who are already Christians and within the Christian Church.  The whole of chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation, we must always remember, are addressed to Christian people, to believing people, to people who have already believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and who are joined to Him, who are in Him and He in them.  And yet the message of the knocking at a closed door is addressed to them, in particular to the Church of the Laodiceans.  They were Christian people; but they were in a bad condition, "neither hot nor cold"; they thought that they were rich and had everything, whereas in reality they were poor, and naked, and blind, and empty.  It is to such Christians that our Lord says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Unsearchable Riches of Christ: An Exposition of Ephesians 3, p.144-145

Christ in the Heart

As we approach this staggering statement ["That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith"] -- and we must walk...warily, carefully, and circumspectly -- it is essential that we remind ourselves yet once more that this prayer is offered for believers.  I emphasize the matter because a phrase has gained currency in connection with evangelism which has often caused confusion with respect to this particular verse [Eph. 3:17].  In giving their experience and talking about their conversion people often say, "it is now many years since I first received Christ into my heart."  Evangelists often put this message in that way, and ask people whether they will receive Christ into their hearts.  But this is not a scriptural expression and it can be most misleading, particularly when we meet with a phrase such as the one which we are now studying.  It is for this reason that I remind you that the Apostle is offering this prayer for people who are already believers.  They were people who once were afar off but who have now been made nigh, brought nigh, by the blood of Christ.  They are already believers, they are already united to Christ as their Head, they are already members of His body which is the Church.  They are "in Him" and He is in them.

In other words, the Apostle is not praying that these people may become Christians, He is praying that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith, although He is already present.  Paul is not praying for their conversion, or their salvation, or their justification.  All that is taken for granted; it has already taken place.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Unsearchable Riches of Christ: An Exposition of Ephesians 3, p.143-144