Invitation or Warning

After a few meetings/encounters this week my mind is weighted down with thought. It is nothing ground breaking but something I would consider to be obvious if people would only read the Bible. I had a meeting this week concerning the low number of baptisms in our area churches. I have spoken with fellow pastors about evangelism methods and one thing keeps coming out....people think that following after Christ is easy!!! Our invitations are simply that; inviting; warm and fluffy. But isn't this call to follow Christ really a warning more than an invitation?

In Luke 9-23-26 we learn that "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."

The call to follow Christ is a warning. John MacArthur puts it this way. "If you come to Christ, it may make your family worse, not better. It may send a shift into your family, the likes of which you have never experienced before. IF you give your life to Christ, there will be an impassable gulf between you and people who don't give their lives to Him."

This is much different than the typical evangelism going on in our churches. But I would be willing to bet that our "numbers" would have much more integrity if we honestly warned people about the truth of discipleship rather than embelishing the words of Jesus.

Love The Shack?

Go to Amazon.com or into any Christian bookstore and you will a book called The Shack on the best sellers list. I have had friends and relatives sing the praises of this book to me.

Therefore, due to its popularity I wish to take this opportunity to warn anyone who may read this blog about the dangers of books like this one. Although it claims to fiction the book offers teaching on the Trinity; incorrect and dangerous teaching on the Trinity to be exact.

Listen to Mark Discroll and tell me what you think.

Any Men Out There?

I just got off the phone with a minister friend of mine who just wanted to play catch up. As we were conversing the topic of church and ministry eventually came up and my friend spent some time complaining about the lack of participation of men in his church. "If we could get half the men to work like the women we would be better off", he said.

My friend is not alone. I have often wondered why men are less likely to participate in church than women. I have heard other pastors complain about the very same thing, often using the very same phrase as my friend.

So in honor of that I want to post a John Piper video for you guys. He says it better than I do anyway. Enjoy!!

Only God Will Judge Me

Can I just do a brain dump real quick?

When I was driving home from a hospital visit yesterday I got behind a truck that had a very interesting message on the back window. It said, "Only God will Judge Me" it big white letters. I remember seeing this on a bumper sticker as well and also on a T-shirt.

I guess people think that this little statement frees them from the opinions or rules of others. I guess in our society where no one wants to be confronted and told they are wrong this statement brings some level of comfort. But what if people really took the time to think about the theology behind this statement? Yes God will judge you. What if that sank into their heads? I bet they would live differently.

Every idle word,every sinful thought as well as action; the guy in that truck is going to stand before Christ and give an account. I wish people would live like this. I wish "Christians" would live like this!!! Heaven help those who get what they deserve in judment!!