THE GOSPEL IS ENOUGH

In The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren (pastor of one of the biggest Southern Baptist Churches in America) said, "today the Bible is not enough to be saved." It is no wonder Rick has evolved/waffled his position on the Bible's view on homosexuality like many other big name speakers (cannot call them preachers) like T. D. Jakes. Deception is progressive just as is salvation. Either we walk in the truth of the word of God and it is enough for salvation or we shall walk in deception mixing other things and as a pastor or leader in a church deception begets deception of the people we lead. I am ever amazed (but I should not be) at how all types of churches use worldly means to try to hook non believers to come to church. Some churches have special services: like homecoming, pastor's appreciation day, family and friends day or they will book a gospel group (that does not sing about the gospel) because they know people would rather be entertained with song and music, be recognized for some great act of service, or will rally together for a great social cause than to sit and hear the word of God. Most churches have failed at presenting a concise, heartfelt and heart directed message of the true word of God so they have to resort to gimmicks, promotions, tricks, and even lies to get people to come to their church. As bad as these are before God that is not the worst part of this charade the worst part of this charade is the pastors and leaders of these churches think they are doing God a big favor in misleading people to come church. Is that what the church has come to in presenting the precious and eternal Gospel message? Is this the picture of most churches today? Paul writes to Timothy, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;" (1 Timothy 4:1-2) Sadly I say yes not knowing the difference between the truth and a lie. And why . . . follow the money. Believe it or not the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10) is the root of all evil. Do we really need to represent half truths and parlor tricks to get people to come to church for money and influence? Around Christmas (I still have a hard time with that word) we have Christmas parties and have Santa Claus show up in his red suit and black boots and we say it is for the kids, but in reality we find the pictures taken posted to Facebook accounts of the adults. After all who (no matter the age) does not want to sit on Santa's lap? We sell this misrepresentation of the truth as ministering to the community or an outreach for the kids in the neighborhood, but in reality we are not honest enough to stand for the truth of the word of God and wink our eye a little to have some fun and who knows someone really might come and who knows someone really might hear something that will touch their heart, and who knows someone might really give their heart to the LORD. Well after all we pastors do have reports to send up the chain and we would not want to make our bosses unhappy, why they may even break our rice bowl and move us on. Then where would God be in all of this if we get our walking papers? Not just Christmas (still kind of sticks in my mouth), but over the passion week we have invented a cottage industry of half truths from events taken from the Scriptures in hooking people to come to church instead of using the Gospel message. The word "passion" is used one time in the Scriptures. In Acts we read, "To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" (Acts 1:3) Which means suffering or vexed. (Strong's G#3598) Yet we have our holy week (holy week? I thought God is holy and He wants us to be holy, but a week?) starting with Palm Sunday which has nothing to do with the Gospel message. My friend the glorious Gospel message is found in 1 Corinthians we read, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) I read nothing here about palm branches. Any way the people that cried, "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the LORD" misidentified Jesus as only a prophet and were the same folks that said, "crucify him!" in a few days. I do not want to wave palms and be indentified with them. On Thursday we have Maundy Thursday that remembers the last supper. Yes Jesus and the disciples did eat a meal together (they kept the feast 1 Corinthians 5:6-8) before He was crucified, but it could not have been the passover, if so that would make John 18:28 not true, anyway what does that have to do with the Gospel? Next we have Good Friday. I do not believe Jesus was crucified on Friday, but Wednesday. On Wednesday opinion states that there were two Sabbaths that week. After the first one (the one that occurred on the evening of the crucifixion (Mark 15:42 and Luke 23:52-54), the women purchased spices—note that they made their purchase after the Sabbath (Mark 16:1). The Wednesday view holds that this “Sabbath” was the Passover (see Leviticus 16:29-31, 23:24-32, 39) where high holy days that are not necessarily the seventh day of the week are referred to as the Sabbath). The second Sabbath that week was the normal weekly Sabbath. Note that in Luke 23:56, the women who had purchased spices after the first Sabbath returned and prepared the spices, then “rested on the Sabbath.” The argument states that they could not purchase the spices after the Sabbath, yet prepare those spices before the Sabbath—unless there were two Sabbaths. With the two-Sabbath view, if Christ was crucified on Thursday, then the high holy Sabbath (the Passover) would have begun Thursday at sundown and ended at Friday sundown—at the beginning of the weekly Sabbath or Saturday. Purchasing the spices after the first Sabbath (Passover) would have meant they purchased them on Saturday and were breaking the Sabbath. Therefore, according to the Wednesday viewpoint, the only explanation that does not violate the biblical account of the women and the spices and holds to a literal understanding of Matthew 12:40 is that Christ was crucified on Wednesday. The Sabbath that was a high holy day (Passover) occurred on Thursday, the women purchased spices (after that) on Friday and returned and prepared the spices on the same day, they rested on Saturday which was the weekly Sabbath, then brought the spices to the tomb early Sunday. Jesus was buried near sundown on Wednesday, which began Thursday in the Jewish calendar. Using a Jewish calendar, you have Thursday night (night one), Thursday day (day one), Friday night (night two), Friday day (day two), Saturday night (night three), Saturday day (day three). We do not know exactly what time He rose, but we do know that it was before sunrise on Sunday. He could have risen as early as just after sunset Saturday evening, which began the first day of the week to the Jews. The discovery of the empty tomb was made just at sunrise (Mark 16:2), before it was fully light (John 20:1). But in the grand scheme of things, it is not all that important to know what day of the week Christ was crucified. If it were very important, then God's Word would have clearly communicated the day and timeframe. What is important is that He did die and that He physically, bodily rose from the dead. What is equally important is the reason He died—to take the punishment that all sinners deserve. John 3:16 and 3:36 both proclaim that putting your trust in Him results in eternal life! This is equally true whether He was crucified on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. My friend there was nothing good for Jesus on Friday (if then) he was crucified. It was a painful, horrid beating and slow death that He endured out from His love for us as he willfully went to the cross. Is that not enough? Paul tells us, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:17-18) God sent us to preach as He did Paul not to make up some holy week. The preaching of the cross the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Yet we make up things to try to get people to come to services (I believe) because we really do not believe the Gospel (and the Gospel alone) is the power unto salvation like Rick Warren thinks we need more. Then the crowning jewel in the week of religious activities the Sunday sunrise service. Do we really need to use religion to draw people when we have the Gospel message? No in great power Jesus came forth from the grave in victory and great power, the tomb was empty, He is Risen!! Is not that not enough? That is a part of the Gospel!! Then why do we have sunrise services? Do we need to get up before the crack of dawn and remember He has risen from the dead? If so why? Will a sunrise service help you believe more than the Gospel message preached under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit? I think not. And please do not get me started on all of the easter egg hunts and bunny face painting parties churches have, oh that right this is for the kids. How can we mix the truth with a lie? Sadly in reality our religious tricks and gimmicks only nullify the power of the Gospel in the lives of people who the Holy Spirit is drawing. In reality when we hold these services we actually are getting in the way. It is no wonder people are not coming to Christ. If the Gospel is not enough then we are wasting our time. There is no other name than Jesus, there is no other message than the Gospel, whereby people can be saved. In Acts we read, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) That means no mixing Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and presents and Christ. That means no mixing easter bunnies, easter egg hunts, and holy week and Christ. And while I am on a roll why do we kill ourselves and throw money for a week to do vacation Bible School then for the other 51 weeks (ah everyone else is doing it) care little to what happens with the kids? My friend when we add to or take away from the Gospel message by example we are saying the Gospel message is not enough whereby someone can be saved. When we mix such things with Christ it is plainly and painfully evident we do not believe the Gospel message is enough to save one from their sins. Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) The question I ask my friend is are you ashamed of the Gospel of Christ? Written by David Stahl

WTFMT 63 FROM HGM ON 9 APR 19

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-63

TEXT: "So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath." (Numbers 13:21) "Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there." (Numbers 20:1)

 

I. INTRODUCTION -- IN CRISIS

 

A. There two sets of meanings which the word "Zin" has. The first set is "prick," "barb," "hook," "something that is quite unpleasant or quite painful."

B. The other set of meanings is quite different; it is "preserve," "keep," "protect." So in one meaning you are torn to pieces in the brier patch (a loved one dies or trouble) and in the other meaning you are kept by God and can rest in His protection.

C. As strange as it may seem, the very incidents occurring in the Wilderness of Zin work in parallel with these meanings of this Hebrew word "Zin."

D. The place in which the children of Israel lived while in the Wilderness of Zin, Kadesh, is a focal point, and plays prominently in the message of this wilderness. "Kadesh" also carries two different meanings, much wider apart than the two sets of meanings for "Zin." "Kadesh" means "holy" and its related words. "Kadesh" also means "prostitute" and its related words. The very ones God called to holiness, a dedication to Himself, becomes spiritual prostitutes, dedicated to other gods. Today in the US the religion of Baal is alive and well.

E. This place, the Wilderness of Zin with Kadesh as its capital, so to speak, is a place of crises. For the children of Israel it is a very critical place and time.

F. We all have points of crises in our lives, turning points -- perhaps. Whatever your Wilderness of Zin may be it is the place and time when your die is cast (your mold is made), and you will set yourself in a certain direction until you come to the end of the road maybe the end of your earthly life. The Wilderness of Zin is a very critical place.

G. It would make it a lot easier for us if we were able to recognize the Wilderness of Zin when we come to it, but there is no signs or markings to let us know where we are. There is no spiritual wilderness which is marked that when we come to it we immediately know where we are.

H. It seems that God at least should mark the Wilderness of Zin since it is such a critical place. It is the point where you either go forward in God or begin to regress away from God.

I. But the response necessary to carry us forward in God, is not a response which God wants to see only in the Wilderness of Zin. The decision to move in the will of God and to obey the commands of God is ours to make, not only in the Wilderness of Zin, but every day of our lives.

J. When God calls us on into progression and into a greatness in Him which we have not yet known, it is our prerogative to heed or not to heed the call. Thus, what happens to us in the Wilderness of Zin is not because of our decisions. The decision which you will make will be based upon what you know or what you do not know upon what you believe o don't believe, upon what you desire or don't desire.

K. Our decision may be based upon the facts that God is wise and has our interest at heart. Or these facts may escape us and a different decision is made. Each, the knowing and the not knowing, will have a great effect on the way we respond to God and make our choices.

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS     

A. If we do not believe God loves us, we may choose differently than we would if we believed that God loves us. God may be calling us into a certain direction concerning His will. But a great desire for a different path in us may cause us to refuse His calling. A lack of a certain desire may make easy obedience to His calling. Or a strong desire in us to do His will may cause us to be obedient.

B. These three elements, desiring, knowing, and believing are not the only elements influencing our decisions. There are many elements playing their parts in our lives which help to bring us to certain decisions, and thus help to mold us.

OUR WICKED HEART

Jeremiah knew something about his heart (by the Spirit) that we all need to know and that is, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." (Jeremiah 17:9-10) Here the LORD answers Jeremiah's question, "who can know it?" (in verse 10 starts) "I the LORD search the heart" and adds some critical insight to help us understand our wicked heart. I am glad the LORD searches my heart and not someone else because we can count on God being righteous in truth giving us what we need and not what we want which is true mercy. Our heart always wants mercy without the benefit of judgment. Open ended, boundless mercy no matter the offense, but this is not grace as most Christians believe from wrong teaching. And in fact our (I include myself here at times) desire for open ended mercy instead of righteousness and justice is a sign of selfishness and self-centeredness at the heart of our flesh and wicked heart. For grace to operate there must be judgment (either by God or us) to determine the amount of mercy to apply to the wound. I m not sure why we shy away from judgment so. Maybe because we do not have the spirituality to handle judgment or maybe our wicked heart does not want to be told we are guilty. Even God's grace is not open ended. As powerful as God's grace unto salvation is towards man and as much as God desires no one to be lost, sadly many people will make a judgment saying they have no need for God and will be lost and perish. So too as forgiveness is not open ended. Jesus told the disciples, "as you forgive you will be forgiven." (see Mark 11:25-26) God always operates as the same measure. Please see Luke 6:38. As we love others we shall be loved. As we give we shall receive. We do not give God $10 and He gives us back $100 as most "name it and claim it or blab it and grab it" TV charlatans teach. Oh no God operates at the same level. So too in our heart. God knows our heart, make no mistake here my friend we cannot fool God, oh we think we can, but in the end, "I the LORD search the heart." One of the greatest revelations God can give us is the revelation of just how wicked our heart is. The older I get the more often I find myself saying where did that come from? Or I cannot believe I said or did that. Now I can do what most Christians do at this time and blame the devil or someone else, but no we must have enough God in us and put the blame for our actions and words where they belong in our flesh. Paul like Jeremiah knew this when he told the Christians in Rome, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." (Romans 7:18) Please notice Paul was thinking some of this verse. The "(that is, in my flesh)" is a parenthetical thought. In other words as Pal was speaking, but in his mind he thought, "(that is, in my flesh)." Paul put the blame right where it belonged on his flesh which is his wicked heart. Our flesh is powerful and it can control our spirit easily if we do not feed our spirit with the things of God. After all it is our flesh (and it eats at our soul) and not our body or spirit that is addicted when we get over into areas such as unnatural desires, compulsive distractions in life, and especially alcohol and drugs . All we have to do is look at the opioid addiction the world deals with today. Yes the body suffers due to the chemicals dependency (and no God has not made of this way as some folks have said), but the addiction is in the flesh it fills the large hole it leaves in our heart from their lack of relationship with God. Something must fill this void, the flesh screams to be satisfied. The struggle of our will to serve God in any meaningful way is not light against darkness as much as it is our flesh against the work that God as been able to build in our spirit. Light against darkness is the position we as believers must live in this world, we must be the light in the darkness, but we can only do this if our spirit has been enlightened and our flesh has been put down. If we have not allowed the LORD to work in our lives to any degree then we are only a fleshly (if we have only asked Jesus to save us from our sins) carnal Christian. Remember confession and repentance of our sins is not spiritual growth and development. Spiritual growth and development comes by way of God's dealings and judgments in our lives as He reduces us, as He molds us, as He is able to break us, and as we allow Him to build His character and image of His precious dear Son Jesus Christ in us which is God grand goal in our lives. Without God's building program in our lives the only response we can have especially when bad things happen (like the death of friend or family member or when we lose all of our wealth, etc.) to us suddenly is our flesh comes alive, our wicked ole heart takes control of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions (because of the lack of God's work in us) and we move outside what God's word has told us to do. Our selfishness, our self-seeking comes alive and begins to control our mind and heart. Now we can respond in many ways, but unfortunately not in a Godly way because we have not allowed God to build in us His strengthen in our inward man. The art is to have God's work built in us before the bad things or loss happens. How can we be more than conquers in all situations? By having the work of God built in us by His dealings and judgments before the test. Most mainstream denominations reject God's working in us and in our lives and depend on traditions and rituals to help us cope with loss, but it is our flesh (our emotions, feelings, and thoughts) that drives us to hyper-anxiety, despair, depression, and other mental confusion. Oddly enough it is the personal loss we feel that makes our selfishness come alive. It is not really the loss that makes us feel bad and depressed, but it is our selfishness that makes us feel bad when we experience loss and the greater the loss the greater our selfishness comes alive. Now here is where our wicked heart really comes into the picture (in a greater way) to lead us away from the truth. If there was a lack in the relationship (in any way) or we feel we could have done something different or better or if we feel we are to be blamed (in some way) in the loss then our own heart will heap condemnation in us if we have not allowed God to work in our lives. Guilt and condemnation will fill our heart and life and we will beat ourselves up grasping at every little thing to ease our pain. And if we use worldly remedies, practices, techniques, and psychology to satisfy our flesh well, then our burden may be lifted somewhat, but the heart of the issues (our wicked heart) has not been dealt with properly and we will continue in the mourning process for months, years, maybe the rest of our lives. We must allow God through His Spirit to touch our mind and heart. John said, "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. (1 John 3:20-21) John tell us twice in these two verses, "if our heart condemn us" now this is not conviction, but condemnation my friend and "God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things." Now I have lost a sister, a father, a mother, other relatives, and countless friends in my life time. But I learned (and still learning) of my selfish, wicked heart and how it can move me out of God back in 1967 during the Arab Israeli six day war. With all of the tensions in the middle east it was the perfect time to push from the pulpit the possible rapture of the church. Well I came home from school one day and usually the first word out of my mouth was "mom?" Now my mother was the perfect Believer! Those who knew her would agree and say amen. I always said if Beverly Stahl does not make it to heaven then no one will. Well, "mom?" No answer. Again, but louder, "mom?" No answer. So a third time, "mom?" No answer. I thought Jesus had come and I missed the rapture. My flesh (my selfishness) came alive and my emotions and thoughts, my feelings kicked in, woe is me I missed the rapture what am I going to do? I starting feeling sick to my stomach and sweating my loss was unbearable until I found the note on the kitchen table that said she went to the store and would be home soon. My friend our heart is desperately wicked and it was the thinking I missed the rapture that magnified my feelings and emotions. Mistakenly people say the more we love someone the greater the grief we will have when we mourn, but in reality that is not true. What is true is the greater the love for our self, friends, or family member we may lose the greater our flesh will come alive (unless God is holding us) and the greater the condemnation and guilt we will experience to where we will need to take medicine to calm our thoughts and feelings, or go to some shrink for therapy, and most assuredly put on our religious rituals and traditions to salve our heart and mind. Again the goal is to allow God to really work in our lives though His dealings and judgments before we experience loss. How could our wicked heart overcome God's work? Paul again in Romans, "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:10-14) We are not to live after the flesh for if we live after the flesh we shall die. Now that is now spiritually and if we never allow God to build in us His works then it will be forever. The word "mortify" in verse 13 means "to put to death." We must through the Spirit "put to death" the deeds of the body (our flesh, our wicked heart) if we desire to live the life God desires for us to live to where we will be called "the sons of God." And the only way we can put to death the deeds of the body, through the Spirit, is to allow God's dealings and judgments in our lives before our wicked heart rears its ugly head. Written by David Stahl

WTFMT 62 HGM ON 26 MAR 19

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-62 TEXT:

 "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." (John 14:10)

 

I. VISION

 

A. Vision is not difficult to obtain. There should be no effort made to obtain vision. The easy way to obtain vision is to stop focusing upon your own will. Erase! The father can fill in the blanks.

B. Nor should we focus on the letter of the word, but allow the Spirit to give life. "Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." (2 Corinthians 3:6) We cannot fulfill the requirements of the word of God without allowing God to work in our lives. We cannot be an example to the world in obedience to God, unless we have allowed God to deal a death blow to our carnal nature and ways.

C. Our nature is to take the word of God and measure the world and the Church (our brothers and sisters) by how much they do not walk according to the word of God, by what they have not received from God, instead of by what they have received.

D. Even the "law" from the word of God must be delivered to the world and the Church "By the Spirit" and in love. Just fulfilling the letter, do this or do that for the sake of the law, killeth. There must be understanding of what the Spirit is doing in this situation. God often times words outside of what we would say is right or wrong. What we call sin may not be called sin by God. Be sure the word, you share is delivered in the spirit of love and peace. (James 3:18)

E. My own words may hinder forward progression. (Kedemoth) Jesus did not speak His own words. The my piece of mind which I give away any be to my spiritual detriment.

F. If all of our confrontations in life could be as much under God as it was with Moses in Deuteronomy 2, we would discover a wondrous state of daily victory. We would discover an ever increasing fulfillment in life. If we could refrain ourselves from moving against things, and move in God, we would discover an ever abiding deep and satisfying peace.

G. "Stand still and take to yourself the whole armor of God." (Ephesians 6:13 Greek) "Stand therefore," (Ephesians 6:14) Do not decide where you are going to go. Do not begin to move in your own determined direction. Do not speak your words, but wait for His. Stand. Wait for your orders.

H. While I was in the Navy I cannot move anywhere without orders. If I change locations, I have to do so under written orders. Be ready to move, but wait for your orders. If I hear that we are moving to another location, and eagerly we went on our own, not waiting for my orders, I would be in serious trouble with my wife and the Navy.

I. Do not be that eager to do the Father's will. This is one reason why most do not know the Father's will in advance. Many "jump the gun," and be out of God's timing and be disqualified from the race until they can wait sound of the order to move.

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

 

A. Off timing of aerial acrobats has meant untimely deaths. There have been spiritual and physical deaths due to missing God's timing. 

B. The "man of God" in I Kings 13:1-24, who came from Judah to Bethel should have been back in Judah, his untimely delay and disobedience to the Lord in Bethel cost him his life. Be careful with the word that God gives to you. Walk obediently with God, keeping in step.

C. Forward progression is the work God wants to do in the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Kedemoth. Even while moving away from God's best for them, due to disobedience and lack of faith in the Wilderness of Paran, God still wanted them to progress in a forward direction in Him.

D. Just over the next hill of sand, awaits the next wilderness to receive from God to turn left and possess the promised land. Was there sufficient progression in Kedemoth? The answer to that question is found in the next wilderness, in the Wilderness of Zin. Come along.