My Thoughts On Things Biblical

My Two Cents

2008-07-27T17:13:00.002-05:00

I have a pet peeve -- please bare with me.

Why is it that modern gospel vocalists sing so loudly it breaks your eardrums and so disguise the lyrics that they are not understandable? Everyone seems to dance around this issue fearing they will be accused of judging or hurting someone's feelings, but I have simply had enough.Songs, hymns, choruses, anthems, etc. are presumably written to convey a message or else what's the point. When a vocalist so distorts the words that they are unrecognizable then there is no possibility of me being edified. I might as well be listening to a bunch of dogs barking - or more accurately howling! Everyone knows the name "Jesus" has two syllables in it. But you just watch. A modern vocalist will put fifteen in there and if he or she works hard, perhaps twenty! It ceases to be the communication of a message, but "look what I can do with my voice!" And then, I'll be John Brown, if the congregation doesn't leap to their feet and give a thunderous applause to someone who just broke their tympanic membranes and said words that no one can understand! Would someone help me understand why we applaud this and yet do not applaud a minister at the end of his message for giving us words of life out of the Bible.

This is what the world of non-Christians do. They applaud foolishness in the name of entertainment yet reject truth. The Bible says that we are not to be conformed to this world. Why then do we act like them?

Now it’s your turn. What is your two-cents?

Deliverance Ministries, Genuine or Counterfeit

2007-06-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

For a number of years I have been concerned about something new emerging in Christendom and that is Deliverance Ministries. People are now flocking to hear the latest and greatest new thing that will set them free from all their problems. Deliverance ministries are sprouting up in many churches.

As a boy, I was taught three things: Salvation, sanctification and glorification. Salvation happened when I believed on the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Sanctification was the work of God changing me to be more like His Son, Jesus. And, glorification is yet future, when we are changed into our immortal bodies. When we sinned, we were to confess it and ask God for forgiveness. That was about it. Pretty simple!

But not today! We must look for demons and past curses to explain the way we are. We are told to look for any and everything except the main thing. The main thing is sin and our unwillingness to repent of it. As long as Satan can divert our attention away from the main problem, sin, he has won. Truth is what sets us free. It is the true deliverance. But most or us don’t know the truths of the Bible. We don’t take time to read it and understand it. We are too willing to take someone else’s word for what the Bible really says. Consequently, we are gullible for the latest fad teaching.

For further insight, please see this article, http://www.oaim.org/deliverance.html

The Scoffers Are Here!

2007-06-09T07:45:00.000-05:00

From my youth, I have believed the doctrine of the rapture of the church and the coming of the Lord in the clouds. My heart is saddened that this doctrine has fallen into unpopularity. It has been over twenty-five years since I’ve heard a sermon preached on this doctrine from any church I’ve attended.

I realize there is room for honest debate on the timing of the Lord's return to catch away His saints. I understand this and it should not be a point of contention. But what I am talking about is the outright mockery of the rapture doctrine. 2 Peter 3:3-4 says that in the last days there will be mockers who come saying, "Where is the promise of his coming?” This is not an honest question seeking an answer. Since the Bible calls them mockers, this is a derisive, mocking question of the very existence of the idea. I have personally witnessed a pastor mocking the rapture from the pulpit. I have heard people call the idea a lie and others call it simply wrong. It is one thing to honestly debate the issue; it is quite another thing to mock it! This mocking only proves that we are indeed in the last days!

Further discussion of this topic can be found at: http://www.apostasyalert.org/REFLECTIONS/Mockers.htm

Welcome to my Blog

2007-06-08T20:23:00.000-05:00

From time to time I will be posting my personal views on trends in the world today from a Biblical perspective. Stay tuned!