Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Heresy

by Bruce Mills

The video I have included below definitely is NOT my style of music, but I know that many of the younger generation like it.  However, the style of music isn’t the issue or the reason I have posted it here; the message of the lyrics is the issue.  This video is tremendous in exposing many of the false teachers who are filling the airwaves of our world with their doctrinal heresy, bilking the unsuspecting of their finances, and claiming to do it all in the name of Christ.

I’m sure that some would argue that Rick Warren should not be included in the plethora of individuals which the musician, Jovan Mackenzy, identifies as false teachers and heretics.  I’m not sure that I would agree with branding him a heretic, as I think the jury is still out on that. But I would say that Warren plays fast and loose with the content of the gospel message, watering it down to a very tepid version of “easy-believism.”

Anyone who carefully reads Warren’s mega-bestseller, The Purpose Driven Life, will find that nowhere in the book are readers told that sinners are under the wrath and curse of God unless they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice on the cross. Instead, Warren retools the Gospel message to appeal to the unregenerate. Apparently he does not believe that God's purposes are declared in his revealed Word, but rather teaches that the unsaved should go on a journey of self-discovery in order to locate God's purposes for their lives.

Warren has never publicly affirmed the historic, orthodox, reformed understanding of the gospel; probably because for him to do so would mean that he would immediately lose his power and influence in our society and among its politicians.  A pastor I greatly respect, John Piper, has stated that Warren has privately affirmed to him that he holds to the reformed doctrine of the gospel, but Warren has never stated such himself publicly.  That bothers me greatly, because it seems that he is more concerned about his standing with men than his fidelity to God and His truth.

So while I would not necessarily lump Rick Warren in with the rest of the people in this video whose doctrine is clearly heretical, I understand how Jovan Mackenzy can reach the conclusion that Warren belongs in the mix.  So listen carefully to the lyrics of the music because it has never been more important for us to identify false doctrine and those who are teaching it so that we can both avoid them and warn others who may be deceived into following them to their final destruction.  Enjoy…that is, if you enjoy this style of music!

 

Friday, August 13, 2010

Honor Your Father and Mother

by Bruce Mills
As I write this, I am sitting in a hospital room with my mom and dad.  My dad just went through colon cancer surgery yesterday and is now lying in a hospital bed, still feeling the lingering after-effects of the anesthesia.  It is strange to see him there—helpless, weak, and unable to do anything for himself—because he has always been a man of vigor and strength.  Even though he is 79 years old, he recently spent several months helping another family in their church remodel their home.  He has served his church as sort of a one-man “building and grounds” committee, using his incredible talent with his hands to install, fix, and repair the church facilities.  Now he lies in a bed, having gone through major surgery, unable to even sit up without assistance.  And my dear mother, as desirous as she is to help her husband of almost 60 years, is unable to render much help because of her limited strength and mobility.
So what am I to do?  The Scriptural imperative which keeps ringing in my mind is Exodus 20:12—“Honor your father and mother.”  The same command is repeated in Deut. 5:16 and then quoted six times in the New Testament by Jesus and the apostle Paul (Matt. 15:4, 19:19; Mark 7:10, 10:19; Luke 18:20; Eph.6:2).  The thought that has been running through my mind is, how is that command to work itself out in practical ways in my interaction with my parents?
In Mark 7, the Pharisees confronted Jesus about His disciples not following the Jewish religious tradition of ceremonially washing their hands before eating.  Jesus responded by asking them why they violated God’s commandment to honor their parents.  What they were doing was refusing to assist their needy parents by claiming that the possessions they owned which might be used to help their parents were actually dedicated to God.  Jesus condemned such ungodly behavior, stating that it invalidated the word of God (Mark 7:13).
Clearly then, a part of honoring our parents is using our own earthly possessions and finances to assist them when they have needs.  It is not enough to merely say words of respect and honor to them or about them.  Our honor must find its feet in the use of our own resources to physically help them.  The apostle John went so far as to say that those who have this world’s goods yet refuse to assist those around them in need, have no right to claim that God’s love abides in them (1 John 3:17).  And in the context of that passage, he explains that those who are truly born again love others, and those who do not love are still unregenerate (John 3:14).  So anyone who refuses to use his possessions for the benefit of his parents cannot claim to be a genuine Christian.
But possessions are not merely money and physical items.  Rather, they include such things as the physical strength God has given me to help lift my sick father out of bed and help him to the bathroom or to a chair so he can sit up for a while.  It includes doing the daily housework that my mom needs help with since she is physically limited and the stress of this situation is sapping her strength even more.  It includes using the paid vacation leave that my employer gives me so I can spend time at my parents’ home assisting them with their daily needs rather than taking a vacation that I might enjoy much more.
It’s good that I demonstrate my respect for my parents with words that express my love for both of them, but I have not truly fulfilled the requirements of God’s word until I honor them by putting my words into action and do all that I can to assist them both financially and physically.  May God grant me the willingness, desire, and strength to honor my father and mother in a way which brings Him the most glory.  Pray that I will do so during the coming days.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Calvinistic vs. Arminian Gospel

by Robert Fraire

A couple of weeks ago at Lakeside Chapel we had a Q & A with the elders. One of the questions that was asked and answered was: "Is there (or should there be) a marked difference in the way a Calvinist evangelizes the lost as opposed to an Arminian?"
First I will give the briefest of descriptions of some important issues that bear on this question. Both groups understand that all men have sinned and are guilty before God. They also believe that Jesus paid the price for sin and that a person's true faith in the payment of Christ is sufficient for salvation.
Where the differences come to bear in the area of evangelism is first and formost a difference in understanding of the spiritual state of man. The Arminian believes that all men have something within themselves that is able to hear, understand, and respond positively to the gospel message. The Calvinist believes that when Ephesians 2 says that men are dead in their sins, it means that men DO NOT posses the ability to understand and respond positively to the gospel.
This doctrinal difference has many practical ramifications. For the Arminian, the goal of Evangelism is to convince a person of the truth of the gospel. To present the gospel in a way that appeals to a man and causes him to exercise his ability to place his faith in Christ. This has lead to the honing of particular methods to persuade people of their need for Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the Calvinist believes that the main purpose of Evangelism is to speak the truth of the gospel as clearly as possible. The Calvinist believes that no man is able to believe the gospel on his own. Instead, the Holy Spirit must do the work of regeneration in the heart of a man in order for that man to believe. And everyone whom the Spirit regenerates WILL believe the gospel message.
A couple of specific areas where we see this difference in belief in action is in the area of altar calls and the grounds of assurance of salvation.
The altar call is a common practice of many/most Arminian churches. I grew up believing that this was "The Way" evangelism was done. After a gospel message was preached, the evangelist would call, and goad, and exhort and persuade as many people as possible to come forward in a service. They would repeat after the evangelist then were told that they had become Christians. At Lakeside we do not do altar calls. The reason is because our understanding that the Spirit will regenerate those whom He has called and they will believe. We are called to plead with men to come but not to attempt to manipulate emotions to gain a "decision".
The second area I will address is the ground of assurance of salvation. Arminian teaching is that when someone prays a prayer of salvation he must write down the date is his Bible, so that whenever he doubted he could look at that date and be sure. I remember a pastor preaching that when he had a rough stretch he would go out to his garden where he had a rock engraved with the date he prayed to receive Christ. At Lakeside we call people to examine their lives to see if the Spirit of God is changing them. Do they love God, love believers and strive to obey Him? These are the tests of 1 John that is the ground for the assurance of salvation.
Finally let me say that another practical ramification of our doctrinal beliefs is in the responsibility of the Christian in evangelism. I read a book from an Arminian author that argued that churches must do everything with professional quality. Why? Because if the unbeliever got a bad impression of Jesus from the church, he may be forever turned off from the gospel. By extension, each believer could be the reason someone spends eternity in hell or heaven. But we believe that since the Spirit regenerates who He wills, our responsibility is to faithfully proclaim the gospel, but understand that salvation is exclusively the work of God.
This is a brief note and much more can be said about this topic. Please let me know if you would like me to continue on this topic.