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WATCH for my rebuttal coming soon to Rob Bell and his LOVE WINS apostasy. Also we have two preaching CD's for you - SINCE THERE WAS HOPE FOR LAODICEA, THERE IS HOPE FOR US and ARE YOU BEWITCHED? Just go on our website and contact us to have one or both sent to you!

(this message was delivered on Good Friday, April 22, 2011, at St. David Roman Catholic Church in Willow Grove. Some additional material I would have presented with a longer time frame is included here in italics. Many thanks to those of you who came or who prayed for me – the message was very well received and for that I am most grateful. I do hope it is a blessing to you.)

In John 19:30, Jesus said “It is finished”. Greetings my friends in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. Good Friday is the time of year when some see Christ as a victim and as weak. Nothing could be further from the truth. We just heard that only God could have withstood the suffering and abuse that Jesus took on himself.

Jesus spoke the truth that caused many to become extremely angry with him. They tried to push him off a cliff and Jesus escaped their grasp on any number of occasions. He certainly could easily have escaped this time as well. I pastor I heard a couple of weeks ago remarked that everything surrounding the arrest of Jesus reinforced his authority.

When he identified himself by saying “I AM He”, the mob fell back – in fact there is a painting in THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST by J.J. Tissot published in 1899 that he showed on the screen with Jesus standing alone with hundreds of people on the ground around him. Priests, elders, soldiers, even Judas himself. Simply walking away would have been a cakewalk. But Jesus did not come to walk away - he came to die, so he submitted to the soldiers and went willingly. Further, he told them to take him but leave his followers alone. And so they did, even though Peter had sliced off the ear of the high priest’s servant. And wasn’t it just like Jesus to restore that ear before they left, just so the soldiers knew he had the authority of heaven operating through him? Man is so sinful that the soldiers went about business as usual after first-hand experiencing the power of Christ, as did the synagogue rulers who just a few days later conceived the lie that the disciples stole the body even though they knew he was alive However, Judas had the sense to regret betraying Jesus even before then.

Jesus came to show us God in the flesh, to teach us what God is really after as opposed to what the religious systems of that day demanded, to teach by example how to do the works of God, and of course to suffer, to die, and to be resurrected.

When every single one of the prophecies concerning Christ had been fulfilled, and his suffering was complete, Jesus Christ said “IT IS FINISHED”. Three days later God the Father raised him from the dead and we now can live in eternal life because of that resurrection.

However, this phrase “IT IS FINISHED” has some ramifications we need to look into briefly.

The first is that there are a growing number of people who teach that everyone in the world is saved from eternal damnation because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I would, just like the apostles desired and just as you would yourselves, that all men would indeed be saved, as the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

However, it is imperative that all people appropriate the sacrifice of Christ to cover their own sins. We have to choose to be crucified with Christ and not to walk away. If we died with him, we shall be raised to newness of life. This wonderful deposit of a new life in Christ is simply one that God will not make unilaterally.

It is like going to the bank. Sometimes I joke with the teller when they ask me for my ID when making a deposit. I tell them that if anyone wants to put funds in my account to let them and for sure not to stop them! Of course, the reason that they are strict about knowing who is making a deposit is that some folks will deposit a bad check into your account, find a way to withdraw the cash, and you are left with covering a bad check.

Jesus Christ will not make a deposit of his blood and his righteousness into your account without your express permission. He is a gentleman and does not force his way on you. Just as he allowed that mob who saw his glory to go their own way, so he will allow you to go your own way. He gave us a free will, and he does not force himself on us. He desires a love relationship with us and while he woos us and pursues us, love does not force itself on another.

You see, the Holy One who will make the deposit of eternal life and His Holy Spirit into our account when we ask him to is the same one who will make withdrawals. And he requires our signature to do that.

That is the mystery of “It is Finished”. HIS work is finished. He is sitting in heaven at the right hand of God the Father. However, as Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, I beseech you therefore brothers by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. God expects us not to simply store up his righteousness in the bank of heaven until we die – he wants us to bless this world and the people in it by causing us to be poured out as an offering, just as he himself was poured out.

Many do not understand the full meaning of what it is to be poured out. Like the crowds of the day, they loved seeing the miracles, being part of getting free food, free healing, and free deliverance, but when he said they must east his body and drink his blood, they made themselves scarce in a real hurry. Many today want Christ for the goodies, but are not willing to be crucified with him, to give up earthly pleasures when required, and to stand for the truths of the gospel no matter what the cost. Jesus wasn’t thrilled about the pouring out either. He asked the Father to remove that cup if it were possible. He did not enjoy his suffering. The Bible says he ENDURED the cross, despising the shame. He was willing to die for the joy set before him. We must be willing for him to make withdrawals from our account – suffering and persecution when it benefits the kingdom of God.

When I taught teens in a Pakistani New Life Church, I learned that when someone in Pakistan was killed for the sake of Christ, it was a celebration for someone to be so honored as to be counted worthy to give their life for the sake of the gospel. Most of us flee not only suffering, but even perhaps shutting off the TV when the Lord simply wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with us. We really have to understand that along with the wonderful benefits of our faith, we must be willing to take up our cross daily to follow him. Otherwise, the work he called us to is not finished.

This living sacrifice of our lives is acceptable to God, and the good things done in us come through the power of the same Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead.

Yes, Jesus said “It is finished”, and his work indeed is – however, what we have to do is not yet finished, but we should certainly aim to finish it as well.

Paul said in Acts 20:24, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.” We all know the steep price Paul paid to follow the Lord, but he willingly followed through and was faithful.

He later wrote to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” I would hope that each of us could say the same before we leave here to live with Christ in heaven.

In order to do that, we have to have our character conformed to that of Jesus Christ. And as I noted when I was with you last year on Good Friday, the last words of Christ before he ascended were to preach the gospel in the whole world once we are filled with his Holy Spirit. To begin in our own city and proceed to our region, our nation, and finally to all the nations of the world. So remember this afternoon the finished work of Jesus Christ as you work to run your race and finish your course so that the whole earth may be filled with the glory of the Lord.

(this message is adapted and condensed from one I delivered at Johnsville Assembly of God on Sunday, March 13, 2010)

One is struck by the massive damage in Japan with the recent earthquakes. Though the quake was 1,000 times stronger than the one that killed hundreds of thousands in Haiti, construction in Japan is much more rigorous than in Haiti, or one could not imagine the utter devastation that would have taken place. The tsunami that followed was a major double blow that exacerbated the situation greatly.

Oddly enough, a pastor in Japan has a take on what happened that is totally different from what one might hear in the news media. I received an email from Japan with the following verses from Hebrews 12: “25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”

The pastor’s concern was for the spiritual welfare of the people, the vast majority of whom have steadfastly resisted the gospel. They listen politely, but usually will not commit their lives to Christ. The Pastor wants to see spiritual good come out of this. There is for sure Christian involvement in relief efforts, but the opportunity must not be lost to present Christ when someone’s world has been shaken so violently.

Many people think that the shaking is some kind of punishment. Not so. It is to remove that which will not stand and to leave the eternal standing alone. Let’s see the rest of the Holy Spirit’s thoughts as written in vs. 28 and 29: “28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Anyone who has walked with God any length of time knows that there WILL be shaking. There are financial shakings, marital shakings, health shakings, and all other manner of shakings. I am being shaken right now in many ways due to the severely depressed economy which has hit my work sector worse than most any other. I just visited a friend whose heart failed him and who is now in a hospice. I have a friend who is at severe odds with his wife spiritually, and you could multiply each of these and many others by the thousands if not by the millions.

That is why we need to pray much for each other. I used to think that God called some people to be intercessors and the rest of us could lead more normal lives. I don’t think that way any more. In fact, I devote most of my times in prayer to interceding for other people. We live in serious times and we must follow the examples of Christ and the Apostles and the early church in terms of devoting ourselves to prayer. Prayer changes things.

We also really need to get to the heart of what we need to do so that what we do really does remain. I am sure all of you are familiar with Ephesians 2:8 and 9: “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” We know that is by grace, not works, that we are saved. No matter how well reasoned or how beautiful the works we come up with are, they cannot save us. However, many of us do not jettison those works. Instead, we view them as a means to sanctification rather than a means to salvation. We do the works we came up with to move toward maturity and feel quite good about it, thank you. We aren’t trusting those works to save us, but we are in love with them nonetheless. We really need to read verse 10 to get the whole message: “10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ah, “works” again, but these are not works of our design and choosing, they are “God’s works” that he designed and which he prepared for each of us to do. God may well have something for you to do that you never dreamed of or which you thought you were not very good at. Only God knows what we should be doing with our lives, and we need to ask him and not assume anything.

The challenge we face is that we take the works we come up with and incorporated them into religious systems that everyone has to conform to in order to pass muster with us. The problem isn’t often faith – we have had Ephesians 2:8-9 drummed into us. It is what we ADD to faith. We add all manner of things of our choosing, and the results are not pretty. In fact, despite all the talk about unity, there have been a very large number of new denominations formed over the last few years, and unfortunately a plurality if not an outright majority of those are Pentecostal. Compare this to only 17 religious groups in America in 1790. While some divisions are over major issues, others are over the “formulas” used over baptisms and even much more minor issues.

With so much that we add to faith not being Biblical imperatives, we need to see what God wants us to add to our faith. Yes, Virginia, adding to faith is a Biblical concept. Let’s check out II Peter 1, starting with verse five: “5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I don’t know about you, but I want to be effective and productive in my knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I urge you to only add to your faith what God wants added, and that you press in close to him in these serious times. We need to let him shake out of us everything that does not fit his master plan for our live so that the fruit and deeds we do that build up the Kingdom of God will be all that remains.

May God bless you!

There has been a considerable move toward inclusion in evangelical circles. The wake-up call came when Carlton Pearson of Oral Roberts University admitted he did not believe that those outside of Christ were condemned, and similar thinking has been spreading like a cancer through Christian institutions of higher learning as well as many churches.

Robert H. Schueller had his affirming dialogues with the Muslims which combined with his other aberrant theology brought bankruptcy upon the Crystal Cathedral, Then Rick Warren asks forgiveness of Allah and believes Christians can pursue common goals with Jews and Muslims – of course leaving out Jesus in the process. (I knew there was a reason I never bought or read those “Purpose Driven Books!)

We have now heard that some mainline churches are actually placing the Quran alongside the Bible in the pews! Churches in diverse places of the United States are now openly promoting a Chrislamic gospel! It is the most foolish of apostasies and birthed in extreme ignorance both of what true Christianity is and what Islam really is.

Nobody is preaching hate or intolerance, only allegiance to our calling in Christ to win the Jew and the Greek, the Muslims and the Buddhists, the Hindus and the Sikhs, and all others, not to equate Christ to false religions and false Gods. Christ alone is the way to the Father, which brings us to the second term of the day – Christophobic.

People are not offended talking about God. Krushchev talked about God. So did Gorbachev. So do almost all American politicians and celebrities when they receive their awards or athletes when they perform well. Sometimes the name of Jesus actually makes it in. Jesus my “friend”. Jesus "my most admired philosopher". Even Simon and Garfunkel included “Jesus” in their hit song “Mrs. Robinson”. What is important is what usually goes UNSAID. That is CHRIST. Jesus Christ. Paul made those words almost inseparable. Christ means ‘The Anointed One:. Not “an” anointed one. He is the one and the only. The only God in the flesh, the only way to salvation, the only intermediary between God and man. That title of our Lord God is avoided like the plague. We need to use his title often, and make the words Jesus and Christ as inseparable as Paul did.

In other words, we need to be Christocentric. Christ is the all in all. God the Father crowned him with glory and honor and made him Lord of All. Jesus Christ is the express image of the Father, full of grace and truth. Let us be certain to give Jesus Christ all the glory and honor. If we are in Jesus Christ, we are betrothed to him. He will marry us. As the bride of Christ, we flirt with no others. We do not flirt with Judaism, we do not flirt with Islam, we do not flirt with naturalism, Spiritism, Theosophy or any other system of thought. We are devoted fully to the Lord Christ. He alone is our joy, He alone is our fount of truth, Our God is a jealous God, and he will not tolerate you if you share your love with any other. Some people think they are more tolerant than God is. You know, they are right. In the end, God will destroy all who reject the Lord Jesus Christ or who have other gods besides him. Remember the first commandment? Not a bad idea these days to keep yourselves out of God’s woodshed. Blessed be the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

The famous 19th century minister, Dr. Charles H. Spurgeon is quoted as saying, "In many cases sheer fanaticism has been the result of exclusively dwelling on prophecy, and probably more men have gone mad on that subject than on any other religious question."

Most of you probably know that Harold Camping of Family Radio has predicted that Christ will return May 21, 2011. That would mean this is the last Christmas! It is hard enough to get people to say "Merry Christmas" now - with all the Christians gone, the world will have its way and they can see what Macy's bottom line would really be just celebrating Hanukah and Kwanza!

Now, I believe Dr. Spurgeon's wisdom has been amply proven with the Y2K and endless other prophecies that never came to be. In fact, I don't think it would be a bad idea to make a list of all the false prophecies and who made them so we won't be alarmed when a new one is making the rounds and so we will know who has a less than stellar track record. Such, of course, applies to Mr. Camping's previous prophecies which did not come to be. Then and now, I am no follower of Harold Camping, and not simply on his convoluted reasoning in setting the May 21st date, but as strange as it may seem, I do earnestly hope with all my heart that he is right this time and that this IS in fact the last Christmas and we will be living in incorruptible bodies on May 21, 2011 - in fact, I would be even happier if it were TODAY! Even so come Lord Jesus!

Regardless of whether or not this is the last Christmas, we should live as though it were. We are to live EACH DAY as though it is our last! We should be certain this Christmas to let no loving thought left unsaid, no gift we want to give someone ungiven, and no adoration of Christ left unoffered. We must leave no sin unconfessed, no command unobeyed, and no burden for prayer unprayed. We cannot count on another day let alone another Christmas. Let's make THIS Christmas Day the very best Christmas ever!

That said, we must also be prepared if Christmas is celebrated into the next century by our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We must work so that every tribe and tongue hears the gospel, concentrate so that we are faithful in discipling the nations and obeying the Lord in everything, and advocate and pray so that religious freedom is maintained and expanded in our nation and in all the world to facilitate an even greater expansion of the Kingdom of God worldwide for all those who come after us.

Have a Merry Christmas this year - and, who knows, maybe next! God bless you!