By Kim Olsen

Oh how often I hear….God is Love…Do not judge others.

In the “judge not” passage in Matthew 7, Jesus instructs us not to judge hypocritically. “Take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” As chapter 7 continues we are further  instructed to judge or determine who is a dog (v.6) a false prophet (v.15) and fruit (v.16). Those who are wise will heed these words and will put them into practice (v.24).

The Bible repeatedly instructs the Christian to examine teachings and to watch for false prophets, IN THE CHURCH. If this warning is not heeded in these last days, then you are on dangerous ground. We are to be wise as serpents because the wolves in sheep’s clothing are ravaging the church. Yet there are those who think this wisdom is hateful and unloving and then trot out the judge not verse out of context.

Now God is indeed love and we are to love others in return. This is a given, the greatest commandment all Christians understand.

But let me ask this…..How much do we love God? The following verses tell us that to love God we must follow His commands set forth in the Bible. If we love God we will obey His Word. That is why we are to study, memorize and learn scripture from cover to cover. Front to back. OT to NT. When we know what God teaches in His Word, only then we can recognize lies when we hear them. Armed with the truth we can compare teachings against the Word just like the Bereans in Acts. We need to warn others of false teachings so they too can obey God’s Word.

If we love God, we will obey His commands. To know His commands we must read and study our Bibles daily. Then we should share this good news with others.

Deuteronomy 11:13

So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today–to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul–

Joshua 22:5

But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

Nehemiah 1:5

Then I said: “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,

Psalms 119:88

Preserve my life according to your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.

Psalms 119:167

I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.

Daniel 9:4

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands,

John 14:15

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

John 14:23

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 14:24

He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

John 15:10

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

1 John 5:3

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

God loves us and to love Him in return is to obey and follow Him. He loves us, but He is returning as a judge at the second coming. He is coming in wrath.

Revelation 6:17

For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

God’s commands are found all throughout His Word. Do you know them all? Or do you just pick a few of your favorite and easy to follow commandments? Like Nehemiah said, God “keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands.”

See also:

http://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/what-the-bible-says-about-judging-contender-ministries/

I often check out my blogging friends to see what they have discovered in their latest research. Living Journey posted an article from More Books and Things…..so I will add to mix here and also post Carla’s article. Here is a teaser:

There is huge a parallel here for the church to learn regarding the times we live in now. There are those today who are telling you nice things. These are wolves disguised as sheep, who call themselves God’s people, but they won’t talk about judgment, hell, sin or repentance. Instead they love to ooze about in conversations about the journey, kingdom, peace and justice here and now, or the new theories of atonement, the power of questions, and their favourite heretics and false teachers who have endorsed their new books. The saddest part is that there are those who are listening to these false prophets and believing everything they say, because they are not studying God’s Word – let alone defending or contending.

Read Article HERE

Well, half of it anyway…..

It was in September 2009 that my Pastor told me he was unhappy with the church because of the new ELCA resolution allowing gay ministry.

I wasn’t even aware that a vote had taken place but the outcome has affected all Lutheran churches everywhere. Those who are affliated with the ELCA have had to make some decisions. Many who have ended up in a ELCA church not really knowing the programs behind it are now aware.

I believe the Lord led me to the Lutheran church I was attending. I just did not know why. It was way too liberal for me, which caused discontent. Knowing that one is not to be discontent in a situation that the Lord has ordained, I stayed.

Our Pastor gave notice and a few of us started looking for a new location. There was the possibility of renting a hall, meeting in someone’s home, or looking at vacant buildings. Then me and husband noticed a church that seemed to have only a few worshippers on Sunday. We contacted the Pastor there and then the Lord cleared the way for us to be able to use this facility. The congregation there disbanded and we were able to take over the premises.

After months of prayer for the Lord to lead and guide us, He supplied a  fully-stocked church facility to rent. He sent us a benefactor for start-up costs and necessary repairs.

And He sent worshippers.

We installed the sign early in the evening anxious to see our church in lights. The next day people driving by stopped and asked, “Are you part of the ELCA?” When the Pastor said “NO”, they said, “Good …we will be attending your next service.”

We have not even advertised yet and we already think we will have to start planning a second service. Half of the people from the old church, people from other ELCA congregations that are dragging their feet on a vote, and people looking for a biblical church.. have come.

We will not be a perfect church for we are imperfect sinful people..yet God  answered our prayer because we wish to serve Him in spirit and truth.

From  A Seed Sower, in New Zealand I believe.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ASeedSower234

War on the Saints

Never since the days of the Reformation has there been such pressure upon the true body of Christ. No longer can a man even speak of being a Christian without making some form of doctrinal clarification to define what he means. Protestant Christianity is in an absolute upheaval as the majority of the prominent leaders claiming to represent the true Christian church tend to be liars, cheats or teachers of dubious doctrine.

The Bible itself as God’s infallible Word is bombarded daily by false accusations questioning its credibility, authenticity, accuracy and recently its clarity. ( The argument is that the scripture may be God’s word but who can truly understand what it is saying??)

The Deity of Christ is questioned and rejected in many sectors. The virgin birth of Christ is scoffed at. The doctrine of hell is no longer taught by those embarrassed at its reality. Many reject it altogether. Men claiming to be the restored apostles and prophets are now a dime a dozen and the heretical nonsense that they spew out is not worth a dime. Sin is rarely mentioned and error of judgement is the preferred condition of man before the Holy God. Man has become elevated to the lofty position of lord of the earth and the One enthroned in heaven can do little without the interaction and partnership of his church. The Lord God Almighty can now be addressed as Allah. Many call God Papa or Daddy and their familiarity with the Almighty has bred the inevitable contempt towards His terrifying holiness. Music that stirs the emotions has replaced the actual presence of God by his Holy Spirit. Man for all intents and purposes has been deified for almost every sermon is geared towards how man can become more blessed. Preachers have forsaken the scriptures and become personal coaches using the modern pop psychology of self improvement. The unity of heretical doctrines under the banner of a new age Jesus is the One untouchable golden Cow in today’s modern apostate church. The Pentecostal and charismatic’s have immersed themselves with the New Age movement. The Holy Spirit has been replaced by a deceiving spirit for the most part and very few cry foul!

Many traditional denominations have blessed same sex unions and so have blessed what God deems an abomination. Lev 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Worse in my opinion are the traditional denominations that have remained silent and not delivered a clarion call concerning the righteousness of God and the sanctity of the church. These cowards do more damage in the long run as they string along many misguided saints who are not ready to break fellowship with their traditional church as long as they do not directly approve of what is evil. The fruit of this is an ineffective witness and a snail paced apostasy.

Cowardly pastors should not be in the pulpits today. May the God of scripture judge them for they have done more damage by their people pleasing, world loving silence than the legions of hell who have been unleashed upon the saints.

Papal Rome has all but conquered the reformation. Protestantism has been sold out by such traitors as the Billy Graham association (Graham the Free Mason himself worked as an emissary of the Vatican ) and Chuck Colson’s Evangelicals and Catholics together organisation. Some of the evangelical signatories of that abomination included Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ, Os Guinness of the Trinity Forum, Richard Mouw of Fuller theological Seminary , Mark Noll of Wheaton College , Jim Packer of Regent College, Pat Robertson of Larry Lewis of the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Richard Land of the Christian Life Commission, Jesse Miranda of the Assemblies of God, and John White of Geneva College.

Somewhere between Vatican Two ( 1962 ) and 1994 these so called Christian leaders must have concluded that Rome preaches a gospel of salvation for they agreed that they would cease to attempt to convert the Roman catholic faithful to the true religion of biblical Christianity. They in essence helped seal the fate of the hundreds of millions of Catholics by refusing to preach the truth to them.

In a nutshell the church is at rock bottom. All that can get worse will be the increasing measure of the evil mentioned above. I ought to be weeping but an ugly spin off that the scripture mentions is that the love in my heart has grown cold.

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. May the Lord soften my own angry heart so that I might pray for the saints rather than prey upon them.

What then can be done or what will the end of this be? Surely the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of hope. Where sin abounds grace also abounds, so says the apostle Paul.

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

There is an abundance of grace for the Saint who grieves at the church’s current state. The rejection, isolation, separation misunderstanding and accusations that become our daily bread are in essence our crown in glory. We are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. As the writer to the Hebrews has well put  it.

Hebrews 13:12 -14 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

The Lord Jesus suffered outside the camp and this needs to be our current estate while within the camp apostasy abounds. We in our rejection and isolation are in good company. Currently our pain is the payment for our eternal crown. One that some day by God’s grace we can lay at the feet of our saviour when we see him in his glory. We ought to be rejoicing for we have been found worthy of suffering for His names sake.

It is possible that once again the Lord may decree a final reformation of biblical orthodoxy but if he chooses not to then things will certainly get worse. When Elijah thought that he alone stood against the spiritual whorings of Israel, the Lord informed Him that seven thousand had not bowed the knee to, or kissed the hand of Baal. Biblical Christian you are not alone! Elisha’s servant thought so when the city of Dothan was surrounded. He was wrong!

2 Kings 6:15-17 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Whatever the future unfolds we must pray for grace to persevere and be a bold witness regardless of the cost. These are days in which the true saints of God will shine like the stars in the universe. The current evil around us is actually making the mediocre flicker of our candle shine like a lighthouse on a moonless night.

There is indeed war being waged against the saints but tell me friend when has there ever not been? As the Psalmist says:

Psalm 149: 5-9 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

Have no fear Christian, we win in the end.

by Paul Gowdy

Printed by permission.

I rarely watch television anymore.

Remember the old Dick Van Dyke Show? Laura and Dick could only be shown in twin beds. How times have changed. Today, some of the favorite TV characters and personalities have become beloved  solely for their homosexuality. People laugh and tolerate the sinful lifestyle.

The church has succombed to this tolerance. The ELCA of the Lutheran church has declared that homosexuals can preach from the pulpit. Those who reject this resolution are being persecuted by the church itself by accusations of being unloving and intolerant. I know this first hand, for I am one being persecuted by the rejection of the ELCA and leaving my current church. I have gay friends. I do love them. I love them enough not to alter the truth. That the Bible says their lifestyle is an abomination to Him.

It may be difficult to stand up and hold to biblical truth. But one must.

My accusers call me divisive.  Yes, they are right. I am dividing and separating myself from the world.

Please read:

TELEVISION IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE – David Cloud

It is getting progressively worse, and the majority of Christian homes are succumbing to Hollywood’s siren song. Like the frog in the gradually-heated pot, God’s people who are careless about separating from Hollywood’s filthy fare become desensitized by it.

A missionary friend was eating a meal with a fundamental Baptist pastor and his wife some years ago when the topic of the movie Titanic (rated PG-13) came up. When the missionary expressed his opinion that the movie is ungodly, the pastor’s wife said that they had seen it and had enjoyed it. The missionary asked what they thought of the nudity in the movie, and the pastor’s wife said it was “tastefully done.”

This illustrates how worldly many fundamental Baptist churches have become. If pastors and their wives are enjoying movies featuring premarital affairs and partial nudity, what are the other members of the church watching!

The Bible says the pastor is to be the example to the flock (1 Peter 5:3). Woe unto those multitudes of worldly pastors and deacons and Sunday School teachers who are comfortable with Hollywood’s cesspool and who do not teach their people the fear of God and separation from the world.

source -

Friday Church News Notes, January 8, 2010, www.wayoflife.org

Come to Christ! by Paul Washer

If you don’t know Jesus or if you have lost your way, watch this video

Back in March 2007 I contacted the publisher of Alpha Omega Report because I knew he lived near Kansas City. I was researching IHOP. This is what he told me:

Believe it or not, despite their rhetoric, they are a non-factor in the KC area and most people, including most ministers either have no clue they exist or have only vaguely heard of them. I think this is primarlly because they are viewed as a “cult” or “cult-like” in nature and are or have been pretty-well marginalized.

This may have been  true at the time but now we can see this is changing.

GOD TV is Now Carrying the IHOP-KC Renewal – from Slaughter of the Sheep

What started out as the “Student Awakening” at Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer (IHOP) is now being billed as the IHOP-KC Renewal by God TV, who will be carrying the “revival” starting in January. If you’ll rewind to a little over a year and a half ago, God TV was implicit in bringing the Lakeland Outpouring to gullible sheep around the globe. As has been proven in the past, God TV’s Wendy and Rory Alec will jump on anything that will spread the wildfire of mystical heresy around the world. They apparently don’t want to be left out of this latest move.

When the Student Awakening was being carried via live webstream they were able to reach many around the world, but with God TV picking up the feed, there will be almost a half a BILLION households added to the audience. That figure staggers the imagination. That’s like pouring gasoline on an already out of control fire.

Full Story HERE

 

Every Christmas season we sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”

But is this correct? Did the angels sing? Let’s look.

Luke 2:13-14

“And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” 

Next please read this fine article from Guarding His Flock

*****************************

The Night of Nights

by Pastor Larry for Christmas

As reenacted in nativity scenes and Christmas pageants down through the history of western civilization, in various ways this story, whether in part or whole, is told:

God promised Israel a coming Messiah. God chose a teenage virgin to be the mother of Israel’s promised Messiah. The virgin was engaged to a young and moral carpenter. A crisis pregnancy occurred. An angel of the Lord alerted Joseph that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Angels announced Messiah’s birth to shepherds on a night vigil near a little Judean town of Bethlehem. Magi from the East visited the infant. To preserve the rights of his royal family to reign, paranoid King Herod ordered infanticide.

On the very night of our Savior’s birth, Luke, a physician turned historian, records that, “there were some shepherds out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8). Possessing gnarled and scared hands and countenancing weather-beaten faces, these ordinary men worked the grave-yard shift protecting their sheep, some of which were probably marked to be eventually sacrificed at the temple six miles distant. With slings, crooked staffs, and studded clubs, these men risked their lives to protect their sheep from predatory animals and criminal rustlers. Unbeknownst to them, one particular night was a holy night. The sheep were resting comfortably. The only sound that penetrated the quiet night was an occasional “baaaa!” of a sheep. Whether standing or sitting, these nameless shepherds breathed in the crisp night air as they fought off sleep’s beckoning call. It was a night like many others until . . . .

The night sky suddenly exploded with the light of God’s glory, a bright light that revealed the menacing form of an angel standing nearby. The sight of the angel terrorized these veteran guardians of the night. Had the angel of death come for them? This season, Hallmark will design, print, distribute and sell millions of Christmas cards. Many of these cards will bear images of cuddly, winged, and romantic looking angels. I doubt that any will bear the intimidating visage of “an angel from the Lord” who frightened to death those veteran shepherd-warriors, and who therefore uttered to them, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:9-10).

In contrast to the warm and fuzzy feelings people experience during this time of year, it might strike a disconcerting note to even the casual reader of the gospels that fear was a pervasive emotion of the first Christmas. Matthew records that, “[A]n angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife’” (Matthew 1:20). When he saw an angel of the Lord, Luke records that, “And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias’” (Luke 1:12-13). The angel also told Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). Contact with the supernatural angel from the Lord was unnerving. Maybe we have come to feel too cozy with the Christmas story. Perhaps we ought to be a bit more unnerved when we hear the recounting of when God visited this planet in the form of an infant who upon reaching mature manhood, would be crucified for the sins of His people.

The shepherds were ordinary men God allowed to experience an extraordinary visitation that night. James S. Stewart asks, “And is there not a world of meaning in the fact that it was very ordinary people, busy about ordinary tasks, whose eyes first saw the coming of the Lord?” Then he answers,

It means, first, that the place of duty, however humble, is the place of vision. And it means, second, that it is men who have kept to the deep, simple pieties of life and have not lost the child heart to whom the gates of the Kingdom most readily open.

To these herdsmen, God first entrusted the Good News that a baby had been born nearby during their night vigil, an infant “Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). That Baby lying in an animal feeding trough signaled to them the birth of God’s only Messiah (See Romans 10:9-10.).

To these shepherds God first entrusted the gospel message, and it was their vocation that would provide the intimate and pastoral illustration of Jesus’ relationship with His followers. He is the Good Shepherd who calls and cares for those sheep who “hear his voice” (John 10:1-14). And for reason of His care for us, we need not fear either.

source

http://guardinghisflock.com/?p=657

********

Okay….does it really say in the Bible that Jonah was swallowed by a whale?

 

               

LUTHERANS SPLITTING FROM LIBERAL DENOMINATION

(Friday Church News Notes, December 4, 2009, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) -

The liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is splitting over the issue of the ordination of homosexuals. On November 18 a group of Lutherans called CORE (Coalition for Renewal) voted to form a new Lutheran denomination in response to the decision this summer by the ELCA to allow “openly practicing homosexuals” to serve as pastors (“Lutherans Splitting,” Baptist Press, Nov. 25, 2009).

It is not yet certain how many churches will join the new group, as it takes a two-thirds vote for a congregation to leave the ELCA. Some 1,200 supporters of CORE met in late September to show their support for the split.

Eight years ago me and my husband began looking for a church in our area. While sitting in the back row of a Lutheran church as a visitor, I felt the Lord tug at my heart to be a “reader”. This is someone who reads scripture up front during the service. Okay…I thought, I have to be a member to do this.  We joined.

You know how it goes once you join a church, you are asked to be part of the many activities and functions which was fine, but the interaction also revealed how many did not believe scripture. There are members  who do not believe the verse John 14:6. The revelation was shocking to me. I wondered….why did the Lord lead me here?

Over two years ago we were blessed with a new pastor. I went to him asking to please…please preach the gospel and the truth from the scriptures.  He did. When the ELCA voted in the new resolution he resigned from the ELCA risking his salary and pension, trusting in the Lord for provision.

I would like to add that there are some wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ who remain in the ELCA, and who do not agree with the resolution. To those I pray that you make a difference and remain true to the Word of God. Speak boldly and like Paul be not ashamed of the Gospel.

Our congregation does not officially have a two-thirds vote, so some of us have found a new location, and with the guidelines set out by CORE and the LCMC we intend to have a confessional Lutheran church.

Of course, the issue of homosexuality, is really just the tip of the iceberg. Under the surface of the water lies the true foundation of what is sinking all churches, all denominations, across the nations. We find in the murky water, the denial of creation, destruction of marriage and family by divorce and sexual immorality, the blending of false religions with Christianity,  lack of knowledge of scripture and its authority, denial of Christ’s deity, inclusion instead of separation, and then… a weak and compromised Gospel.

Many who study prophecy might agree with me on this next thought. I believe the Lord is testing to see who really belongs to Him because the day of the Lord is near.

Joshua 24:14-15

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

CORE

http://www.lutherancore.org/com_conf.shtml

And the LCMC

http://www.lcmc.net/

 

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