The Test of Christian Persecution

As I recently discussed, James begins his epistle with the admonition to "count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." But then, James goes on to define some of these temptations for us. Please note that in the first chapter of James, there are two definitions of "temptation." The first is "an enticement to sin." James explains clearly that God Almighty does not tempt in this way. James 1:13 states, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." James does, however, write his entire epistle around the theme of overcoming temptations. In the first verses of James chapter 1, James speaks of another kind of temptation - not an enticing to sin, but the "trying of your faith." Notice James 1:2, 3 - " My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." This is kind of temptation that James writes about in this epistle.

Know this, when you claim that you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, your faith will be tested. Circumstances will come for the explicit purpose of showing you what is really in your heart. These circumstances are called, "temptations." They are allowed by God to come our way to show us what is really in our hearts. We say we will stand for Jesus no matter what comes. Then, something is hurled our way, and we see that our faith isn't as strong as we thought. When you make a bold claim concerning Christ, your faith will be tested.

The first test of which James speaks is found in James 1:11, 12 - " For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." James' admonition here is to the rich. He warns them, stating that there is coming a burning heat, and if all you have is this world's good, you will surely fall away. So, I write to the American church today. There is, without a doubt, coming a burning heat. The heat will be turned up, especially to the preachers of our day. Here shortly, the church in the United States of America will find out how strong our faith really is.

At the time that James wrote his epistle, he was writing to a persecuted church. If you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ to save you in that day, you just simply understood that it meant suffering and persecution. By "persecution," I mean "opposition of one's faith by the government." In the United States, we have seen little of this. However, you can bank on this: more persecution is coming. Recently, in Great Britain, a minister who preached on the streets for 42 years was arrested for telling a passer-by that homosexuality is a sin. ARRESTED! For simply stating a differing opinion than a homosexual passer-by! Not in Iran! In Britain! And it was done in the name of "hate speech." I opposed the Hate Crimes Bill from the beginning, and contacted Senator Richard Lugar concerning the bill. He supported the bill, stating that the bill only covered violence toward minority groups. However, it is my view that, since violence is already illegal, minorities do not need further protection. There's enough laws on the books to protect them from violence. As it stands right now, if I am harmed by a homosexual, he will face assault and battery charges. If I, however, harm a homosexual, I will face assault and battery charges, PLUS the federal charge of a hate crime. There is absolutely no fairness in this. And, it is eventually going to be the law of the land that speaking against the sin of homosexuality will be a "hate crime." Those in the homosexual movement are such cowards that they do not even want any discussion concerning any disagreement concerning their lifestyle. They want to silence the preaching of God's Word. They want people in jail for expressing disagreement with them. That's the cowards we face today. They run to "MOMMY," the government in Washington, begging MOMMY to "make 'em quit disagreeing with me!" And, of course liberal cowards in Washington just bow right down to their wishes. Rather than welcoming free speech, it is clear that they want free speech for themselves, but for no one who disagrees with them. And, that is the purpose of the Hate Crimes Bill - to try to silence the declaration of absolute truth.

Please understand, I do not condone violence to anyone, including homosexuals. Also, my purpose for preaching against the sin of homosexuality, or any sin, is to show mankind his need of a Saviour. But it looks like, the way we are going, that preaching against the sin of homosexuality may very likely become illegal. That's right. The constitutional right to practice religion by simply preaching the Bible will bow to the UNCONSTITUTIONAL "right" of being able live a sexual lifestyle with no voiced opposition!

Yes, the heat will get turned up after a while. If you have to have pats on the back to make it, you'll not be able to stand. I am asking every preacher of the gospel to STAND! Don't stoop to the level of these cowards by being a coward yourself! Preach the Word of God. Declare sin to be what it is! Do not back down to anyone. If need be, we may lose our church building in a lawsuit. If it comes to it, we may have to do jail time for simply exercising speech that used to be "free speech." We'll shut our doors permanently before we open them to something as sick in the sight of God as a "gay wedding." And, should these things happen this way, we will not have lost the battle. The preacher who loses the battle will be the one who compromises. The preacher who tones down his message to please this crowd will be the one who loses. My prayer is not that the heat doesn't get turned up; my prayer is that I will have something more than this world's good to get me through! I need the power of the Holy Ghost! I need a walk with God. Yes, the heat will be turned up in a little bit. But let's go into the furnace with Someone who will not bend, bow, or burn! That someone is Jesus Christ!

Joy in Every Temptation

James 1:2 - My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.

James, in his epistle, begins it with the above-mentioned phrase. When I read the verse, it seems that the words, "joy" and "temptations" should not appear in the same sentence. But, here, they are together. That is perhaps one of the greatest truths of Christianity - true Christianity provides peace amidst the storm; calmness in the midst of turmoil; joy in the middle of trouble. I knew of a lady who decided she was going to turn her life around, and start going to church. I am not her judge, but it does not appear that she had a "born again" experience. But, she purposed she was going to do better. After going to church for a few services, she told me how things in her life were doing better. I was glad to hear this. However, I felt the need to caution her. I said to her one day, "I know things are doing better for you, but what are you going to do if things get worse? What if you have a really bad day?" She was surprised by my question, but I went on to explain to her that true Christianity is not a good luck charm. We do not serve God because doing so takes our problems away. LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE SIMPLY DOES NOT TAKE OUR PROBLEMS AWAY. This lady is not going to church now. In her mind, all she knows is that the people with whom she goes to church seem to be happy people. Therefore, this lady concludes that people who are happy must be happy because they have no problems. I tried to explain to her that some of the happiest people I know have been through some of the most problems. Christians are not happy because we do not go through anything. Christians are not happy because we've never been awake all night with a sickness. Christians are not happy because friends have never betrayed us. Christians are not happy because life has never dealt us a bad hand, if I can say it that way. Christians are not happy because we've never had to worry about our finances. Christians are not happy because we've never stood in front of a casket that held someone we loved. By now, I am sure you get the point. Christians are not happy because all of our circumstances are favorable. Christians are happy, not because of our circumstances, but in spite of our circumstances. Circumstances do not define us. Circumstances do not make us or break us. We do not blame the Lord if we have a bad day, a bad week, or a bad year. Our relationship with the Lord is defined in one word - LOVE. We love the Lord, and we love Him for who is, not because He is our sugar daddy. He never promised to take all our troubles away. He never said the cross would not be heavy. We do not expect that. We are not disappointed when friends betray us; we understand that if Jesus Christ Himself was betrayed, we will be betrayed also if we follow Him. We are not shocked when liberals are tolerant to everyone except the true Christian; Jesus said, "If the world hate me, they'll hate you!" We're not expecting a bed of roses. Jesus bore a hard cross. His cross is shown in the crown of thorns, the nails in His hands and feet; the whip across His flesh, the spitting and mocking, the visible hatred of those who beheld Him. And, His message to us is simple: Take up thy cross, and follow me. If the cross was hard for Jesus, I do not expect it to be any less difficult for me.

So, the most joyous Christian you know is not joyous because the Christian life has given him no challenges. Joy in the Christian walk is given in the midst of a hard cross to bear.

Circumstances that are difficult are not given to merely Christians. Another word for "hard circumstances" is "LIFE." You are going to go through hard circumstances whether you give your life to Christ or not. Go ahead and live for the devil. You will find very quickly that a lifestyle in sin is a hard road. Getting saved will take care of some that hardness, but getting saved does not do away with "LIFE." You are still subject to real-life experiences - even the hard ones. However, you have a friend that sticketh closer than a brother to help you bear your heavy load. Life does not get easier by serving God. Life will still be life. But, if you serve God, you have help. This doesn't make circumstances any easier, but it does make bearing them easier! And Jesus Christ, our help in time of trouble, is the reason we have joy in the midst of tribulation.

Preach the Word!

Paul the aged tells Timothy, his son in the faith, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season." The word of God, Hebrews 4:12 tells us, is quick and powerful. "Quick" means it is living. The Constitution of the United States is not a living, breathing document, but the word of God is. The King James Bible, the word of God in the English language, has been accused of being outdated. Really? I look and see the number of people living together, engaging in sexual activity outside marriage. This is called fornication. The Bible declares that fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9, 10). The Bible is extremely up-to-date. I see the advancement of the homosexual agenda. Then, I read Romans 1:26 where such practices are AGAINST NATURE. I read in Genesis 19 where God destroyed Sodom for such practices. Then I read in I Corinthians 6:9 and 10 where "abusers of themselves with mankind" and "the effeminate" shall not inherit the kingdom of God. I look around and see so many divorcing and remarrying. Regardless of the culture, Jesus still said in Luke 16:18 - "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." Again, the Bible is right on the money, writing to us concerning the sins of 2010. It is extremely updated, and that is why it is hated so much. The word of God is powerful, putting its finger on the sins of our day. Those who are stooped in such sin can't stand to hear this Bible preached. I will insert here that the King James Bible has underwent five revisions since 1611. These revisions were not to change words and meanings, but rather printing errors and spelling updates(many English words changed their spelling from 1611 to the last revision in 1769). Since 1769, not even spelling changes have been made! Please understand this - not one great revival has occurred in the United States under the leadership of the New International Version, or any other perversion of the word of God. When I say "great revival," I am talking about a "Charles Finney" type revival. I'm talking about revivals where entire cities changed for the glory of God, shutting down the local liquor industry, dance halls, and other amusements as people began seeking God. America has seen revivals on this scale, but not since the NIV and other perversions have become prominent. If the New International Version is so accurate (more than the King James, some say), why then is there another revision yet in the making for 2011? The King James Version, which hasn't been touched since 1769, will be as powerful in 2011 as it ever was. It is up-to-date, as is.

The Bible, God's holy Word, is not only "quick," or "living," but it is also "powerful." It is powerful just the way it is. In my previous blog post, I stated how some continue to try to set dates for the coming of the Lord. Others try to name the antichrist. This has done more damage than good. After I received the Holy Ghost in 1995, there was church with which I visited from time to time. In this church, there was a couple who attended. The lady prayed at the altar at the end of every service. I thought she was just praying to the Lord concerning the message she had just heard. Someone then told me different. I was told that she got in church as a result of fear. She had been taught that the Gulf War in the early 90s and other world events were happening because the Lord was going to come at any time. Well, she was very much afraid. However, when world events didn't pan out as she was told, she quit going to church. Listen carefully, preachers. Before you get up and declare that this war or that war is a fulfilment of Bible prophecy, you'd better be careful. I don't care how sincere you are, or how strong your convictions are. If you give an outline of recent events, claiming that they are leading us to the end, you are really on dangerous territory. If just one detail of your account ends up being wrong, those that you have scared into praying will leave the church, and we may never get them back in. Instead of turning to prophetic passages in the Bible and trying to interpret them all, why not PREACH THE WORD? Instead of preaching something that can be interpreted more than one way, why not preach what we know for sure? I know for sure that Jesus Christ is coming to judge the quick and the dead. I know positively that we will all stand before God, and the books will be opened. I know without a trace of doubt that there is a real place called hell, where those who have rejected Jesus Christ will exist for eternity in torment. Let's preach the Bible. The Bible does not declare who the antichrist is. The Bible does not tell which nation is the NORTH and which is the SOUTH in Daniel 11. If you have an opinion about these things, or even if you feel like God gave you some insight on these things, why not do what Mary did when the angel of the Lord showed her some things? She "pondered these things in her heart." She kept it to herself. When Paul the apostle told about a man who was "caught up to the third heaven," Paul said that he "saw things unlawful for a man to utter." Whatever this man saw, God didn't permit him to tell about it. He kept it to himself. Preach the word! Preach what the Bible declares definitely. We don't preach our feelings; we don't preach our opinions. We preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The word of God will get the job done, without adding anything to it.

The End of the World - People are Still Trying to Set the Date and Name the Antichrist

It is an undeniable fact that Jesus Christ is coming again to judge the quick (living) and the dead. Your belief in that statement does not make it any more true; your unbelief in that statement does not make it any less true. The statement has enough strength to stand alone. It needs no backing. It needs no support. Congress does not need to write a bill to sustain it. The president of the United States does not need to write an executive order to prop it up. The Supreme Court may declare it constitutional or unconstitutional. It does not need preachers to proclaim it in order to cause it to come to pass. If it is preached, it will come to pass. If it is ignored, it will happen. If educators mock at it, Jesus will still come. If atheists shake their fist at it, it won't change it. Jesus is coming. Like it; hate it; preach it; tell it; declare it; fight it; argue for it; argue against it; prove it; disprove it; do whatever you wish. YOU WON'T CHANGE IT. Jesus Christ is coming again.

Setting a Date for the Lord's Coming is Foolish
Just as undeniable as the fact that Jesus Christ is coming again is the fact that no one knows the day or the hour that day will come. Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 - "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." If anyone tells you that they know when the Lord is coming, they are a bold-faced liar. Jesus said they do not know. And, the Bible says in Romans 3:4 - "Let God be true, but every man a liar." Every individual on the face of the earth will be a liar before God's Word will. Jesus said that no one knows when He will return to earth. Yet, I am appalled at how many continue to try to set a date. This idea of date-setting has failed every time it has been tried. It has a 100% failure rate, and still so-called scholars attempt it!

I came across a book a couple of years ago that was published in the 1970s. Will Christ Come by 2001? was written by Noah Hutchings. Mr. Hutchings concluded in the book that Christ MUST COME by 2001. He used scriptures, as well as a study of Biblical numerology (a study in which I have no confidence). As you can see, Christ did not come by 2001. Mr. Hutchings is still on the radio. I hope he has denounced his book and ceased to make such predictions.

The Jehovah's Witnesses are tainted with such foolishness. Their founder, Charles Taze Russell, attempted more than once to predict the end of the world. First, he stated that 1914 would be the end. When that date failed, another prediction was made - 1918. That's okay, though. This false group just took another stab at it, predicting that 1925 would be the year. Wrong again.

In 1970, the True Light Church of Christ predicted the Lord's return for that year, and failed.

Perhaps the most common prediction regarding the Lord's return was in 1988. Edgar Whisenant published his book, 88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988. The most laughable detail of this account is that, after his prediction had failed, Whisenant published a book in 1989 - 89 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1989.

These are only a few incidents where date-setting for the Lord's return have been tried. Now, you may be reading this as an unbeliever, saying, "See there. Christians have been wrong all these times. That's why I'm not a Christian." You'd better hold it a minute. Yes, these people who have made these predictions claimed to be Christians. However, a person is out of the boundaries of the Bible when he tries to predict the coming of the Lord. THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL WHEN JESUS IS COMING, but rather states that the day and hour is unknown.

I am amazed that, in spite of the many failed attempts throughout history to set the date for the Lord's return, it is still being done! People have learned nothing from these attempts. And, it seems that these date setters always have an audience. NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE PART OF AN AUDIENCE OF A DATE-SETTER! I say this for two reasons. First, they are calling Jesus Christ a liar. He plainly stated that NO MAN knows when He will return. Second, date-setting has never worked! Stay away from it. It's bad news.

One of the most recent attempts to set the date for the Lord's return has been done by Harold Camping, the man in California who founded the Family Radio Network in 1958. Camping has stated publicly that the Lord will return on May 21, 2011. And again, he has an audience. Dear reader, what you need to do is give your life to Jesus Christ, confessing Him as Lord. Live your life for Jesus until you die or He comes, and the date will not matter. Setting a date for the Lord's return is foolish - Do not practice it; do not follow it!

Naming the Antichrist is Foolish
Another common area of error is in the identification of the anitchrist. This has been going on for centuries. The Bible states that there will be a man of sin that will be revealed. The Bible DOES NOT TELL US WHO THIS MAN IS. I have learned a few things in my ministry, and one valuable lesson I have learned is this: If God is silent on an issue, it would do me good to be silent on the issue. Please understand that if God wanted us to know who the antichrist is, HE WOULD HAVE TOLD US. In the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied about a king who would come on the scene, and Isaiah NAMED that king. The king was Cyrus. Cyrus did come on the scene - 150 years later. God wanted the Jews to know the name of the king that He would use, so God told them his name. If God wanted us to know the name of the antichrist, I am a firm believer that HE WOULD HAVE TOLD US!

Why then do people still, to this day, try to name the antichrist? Like setting a date for the Lord's return, naming the antichrist has been tried for centuries, and has failed EVERY TIME it has been tried. As far back as the 1500s, authorities claimed that Martin Luther's son would be the antichrist.

In the mid 1900s, it was documented, especially by followers of Isaac Haldeman, that Adolf Hitler was the antichrist. But, that has proved not to be the case.

I have heard that this practice is still going on, though it is has been wrong EVERY TIME it has been tried. I read recently where Ronald Weinland claims to be one of the two witnesses of Revelation. Putting names on prophetical characters is not a good idea. If God wanted us to know the specifics, he would have given them to us.

The Spirit of Antichrist
Let me put forth this question. Does it matter who the antichrist is? If it becomes law tomorrow, that in America Christianity is illegal, do I need to figure out if Obama is the antichrist? Whether Obama is the antichrist or not, if it becomes illegal to be a Christian, I still need to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Who the antichrist is has nothing to do with it.

What Christians need to do is be closer to the Lord than we have ever been. We need uncompromising preachers who preach the Bible in its entirety, rightly divided. We need mothers and fathers who will raise their children according to Bible principles, whether Washington likes it or not; whether the U.N. smiles about it or not. What we need is people who will live by the Bible even when the Bible becomes illegal. When the Bible becomes illegal, we won't have to figure out whether the antichrist is on the scene or not; we just need to love Jesus, and live for Him. I see no need to identify the antichrist. It is not my job to declare who the antichrist is; it IS my job to declare who the Christ is. If I can get people to love Jesus with all their heart, they'll recognize the spirit of antichrist, whether they know who the man is or not. We are fighting the spirit of antichrist today. And, if I can be close to the Lord, any spirit that is not of Christ - I'll know, and will not be deceived.

What's Wrong with the Ecumenical Movement?

While visiting my little cousin at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis, I decided to visit the chapel. Or, maybe it would be more accurate to say that I decided to visit the mosque. Okay, there was a Bible there. But there was a Koran there as well. As well as a prayer rug. As well as a sign in a corner indicating the direction to the "holy city" of Mecca. As well as a letter from the chaplain's office explaining that the chapel is an "interfaith" chapel. "We welcome all religions," it read. "All religiions?" Where was the Jewish Talmud? There was none. Where was the Analects of Confucius? It was unaccounted for. What about the Book of Mormon? Or the Pearl of Great Price? You get the picture. This "interfaith" chapel was simply a mosque with a Bible in it. It's sad and sick, but it's true.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about the whole ordeal was the attitude of the much-underqualified staff at the chaplain's office. This "ecumenical" attitude is gaining prominence in our culture, but is as wrong today as ever. By ecumenical, I mean this idea that all religions lead to heaven. However you perceive God is fine. God can be perceived any way you wish. Just as long as you believe in something, you'll be fine. That's what they say. But, what's wrong with this way of thinking? There's a lot wrong with it.

This Way of Thinking Works in No Area of Life
Let's say I was mowing your lawn, using your equipment. Let's say that, after mowing for a few hours, I decided to take a break. I go into your garage to rest a few minutes. I find a cup with something in it. It looks fairly clear, so I sincerely believe it's water. So, I pick up the cup, and begin to drink. Come to find out, it's gasoline. I should be fine, according to this ecumenical way of thinking, because I sincerely believed it was water. But sincerely believing something to be true doesn't make it true. This idea that "everyone is right" is just wrong. The fact is, you and I will stand before the God of the Bible, whether we like the idea or not. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Living God, who was none less than God manifested in the flesh, stated with boldness, clarity, and absolute truth, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus stated clearly, "Ye must be born again." The Bible, the only source of absolute truth, says concerning the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city, "the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it." John the Revelator saw a group of people around the throne. They were called "a great multitude that no man could number." Their robes were washed white in the blood of the Lamb. I am telling you, that, by the authority of God's unadulterated Word, those who are washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God are the only ones going to God's heaven. This idea that you can cling to any religion you want, and we'll all end up in the same place is a hoax. You are drinking gasoline, and believing it to be water won't change it!

The Ecumenical Way of Thinking Strives to be Non-Offensive
The ecumenical movement strives "not to offend anyone." I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for a religion that doesn't offend anyone. A religious leader that doesn't stir any opposition is worthless. He's too much of a wimp to stand for anything, and too much of a coward to stand against anything. Now, I'm not in the business of trying to offend people, but neither am I in the business of trying not to offend people. I am in the business of preaching the Holy Bible, God's holy Word. If you are not in line with the Bible, you are not all right. You are not on the right track. You are not on the straight and narrow way that leads to life, but you are rather on the wide road that leads to destruction.

Yes, any religion that presents the truth will be offensive. First, the world will be offended. When I say, "the world," I am referring to those who do not know Christ. Jesus said in John 3:19, 20 - "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil HATETH THE LIGHT, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." When wicked people live in sin, they hide behind some sorry religion that condones it. Then, when the Bible, the light, the gospel, is preached, it shines light on what they are trying to hide. In the manner, wicked men and women in the world are offended. Secondly, the flesh is offended by the true religion of Jesus Christ. The message of Christ is simply this: "Take up thy cross and follow me." The cross that we must carry is the denial of self. One cannot even be saved until the stop trying to save themselves and completely rely on Christ to save them! From that point, every day, I must crucify my flesh, and do what Christ wants me to do. When my flesh wants something, I do not cater to it. Sometimes, my flesh has to do without so that the Spirit of God may be pleased. Thirdly, the devil is offended at the true, gospel message. The Bible says that the spirit of antichrist is working right now in our world. Notice what the beast (the devil's man) says in Revelation 13:15, 16 - " And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." Notice how the beast calls for ALL worship his image. Then, he calls for ALL to receive a mark. Notice the words "as many as" and "ALL." There's a spirit in these verses that I have heard in our world today, and it's the spirit of the devil himself. "Let's ALL come together." "Let's ALL worship together." Let me be clear - It is impossible for a TRUE CHRISTIAN to hold hands with any religion other than the true religion of Jesus Christ. Christ commands that all men everywhere REPENT (Acts 17:30), and trust Him alone for salvation (Acts 16:31). If I ever preach that you can trust in anything other than Jesus Christ and His shed blood to be saved, I AM NOT PREACHING TRUE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. I WILL THEN BE PREACHING THE DEVIL'S DOCTRINE. Ecumenical thinking was born in hell, and is certainly leading people there. If you preach solid, Bible Christianity, you will certainly offend every devil of hell. I intend to preach an offensive gospel. I hope that, if this offends you, it will offend you until you let Jesus Christ be Lord of your life, and be saved today!

The Ecumenical Movement is Hypocritical by Definition
The Ecumenicals are hypocrites by their very nature. They claim that they tolerate everything. They tolerate sick perversions; they tolerate every religion in the world; they tolerate every joker who claims to be a type of any kind of clergy. However, when I preach the Bible in its entirety, they hate it! Of course, I cannot speak for all of them, but I have run into this tolerant bunch. They are absolutely not tolerant toward anyone who preaches Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven. They hate anyone who preaches sexual perversion as sin, and marriage between a man and a woman. This is the "tolerant bunch" I'm talking about. They accept everything...except truth. Now if I stand up for every rotten thing under the sun, they will stand up for me to the death. But, if I declare that what God said is a sin, is still a sin, then they label me a judgmental bigot. However, the good news is this: Calling me a bigot does not intimidate me; nor does it lessen the truth. And, when they call me judgmental, they are MAKING A JUDGMENT! You have to be hypocritical to be ecumenical in your thinking.

The Bible Calls for Division
Yes, that's right. So many preach only the "unity" that the Bible preaches. Let me say here that the "unity" of the Bible is among "brethren." That means that those who are true born-again Christians should have unity between them. The Bible does not teach Christians to hold hands with every religious devil. As a matter of fact, the Bible calls for us to SEPARATE FROM THEM!

II Corinthians 6:14-18 - "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

There is very little explaining that needs to be done here! First, there is no mixing of light and darkness. If you do not know Jesus Christ personally, regardless of your religious affiliation, YOU ARE IN DARKNESS. I cannot worship with you, unless you come Christ's way, by the way of the cross. Of course, if you do not know Christ, you are welcome to attend my church. But we're not praying to Mary, Bhudda, Allah, or any other false god. We are worshipping the God of the Bible only - the only true God. Secondly, God said, "Come out from among them and be ye separate." That's right; separate. Not "united." SEPARATE. Then and only then, the Father says, "I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you." WE ARE NOT ALL GOD'S CHILDREN. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW JESUS CHRIST; IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS; IF YOU HAVE MADE HIM LORD OF YOUR LIFE; THEN YOU DO NOT BELONG TO GOD! The good news is this: you can ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save you today. Believe that He is Lord, and make Him Lord of your life. There is no acceptance with God outside of this. There is no road to heaven other than this way. You'll come this way, or you'll end up in a devil's hell. Be saved today!

Hindrances to Soul-Winning

If you are not an active soul-winner, why not? There are some circumstances that keep God's people from making even an effort to win souls.

First, the size of the harvest field is overwhelming. This often keeps many Christians from labouring. When the task looks impossible to fulfill, it becomes easier to shun it than to embrace it. We must not let this hinder us from working. We must remember that no one can harvest every soul, but all of us can harvest some soul.

Then, our preconceived ideas concerning lost individuals keep us from winning souls. If we are not careful, there are certain people that we tell ourselves will always be lost. Sometimes, we cannot fathom certain individuals getting saved. Not audibly, but in our hearts, we say, "Oh, they'll never be saved." Let us rather behold the grace of God that knows no limits. "The arm of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save," regardless of the depth of sin that floods the soul. Others have this idea that no one wants this salvation that we possess. I've had pastors say explicitly to me, "Our church is very small because no one around here wants what we have." If you tell me, "Brother, no one around here wants what I have;" then my question to you is this: "How long has it been since you offered salvation to anyone?" Too many times, we assume that no one wants it when we've not even offered it!

Thirdly, we often worry about the keeping of souls. If we win souls and they do not keep the faith, we often blame ourselves. Remember this - keeping souls saved is not our business - it is the Lord's business. I'll be the first to say that many who win souls do not disciple those souls as they should. After winning souls, they need to be taught. I will agree to that. However, it is ultimately the Lord's work to save and to keep. It is our job to bring them to Jesus. If I win you to the Lord and you do not keep the faith, it is no failure of mine. Let us not allow the possibility of one's fall keep us from soul-winning.

Fourthly, some let their lack of education, lack of an outgoing personality, or other insufficiency keep them from witnessing. When the Lord gives us a task, He will always, without exception, give us every tool that is needed to accomplish it. I do not have the wisdom; He does. I do not have the personality; He does. I do not have the knowledge; He does. I do not have connections; He does. Really, the more insufficient we are, the better off we are, in many cases. Our insufficiencies force us to rely on the Lord. Now, what happens when we rely on the Lord? He always comes through! He never fails! He always has exactly what we need!

Last, I was studying and praying recently concerning the great harvest field. After asking the Lord where the labourers are, since many of them are not in the field, the Lord answered me from His Word. In Matthew 20, Jesus gives a parable about a man who had a vineyard, and began early in the morning to search for workers. He was hiring. During the course of the day, this householder hired workers here and there. At one point, Jesus tells us where he got some of his labourers. Jesus said that the householder found some "standing idle in the marketplace." The marketplace. Some are not in the field because they are in the marketplace. The marketplace is the place where people go to enjoy the fruits of other men's labours. Yes, I am glad for others who laboured, and because of their labours, we have a good place to worship. However, the work doesn't end just because there is some fruit in the marketplace. We need to continue to harvest lost souls for the kingdom of God. The marketplace is where you'll find men standing idle, with their hands in their pockets, saying things like, "It's just not like it used to be." When I was growing up, the marketplace was fuller than it is today." Oh, I've heard that until I'm tired of hearing it! If you're complaining about the marketplace being more and more empty than before, you need to hit the field! In some ways, it's not like it used to be. Churches used to be fuller. Preaching used to be more solid. Singing used to be more anointed. However, lost people today need to know that the gospel works in 2010! Lost people do not need to go to our churches and just hear stories about how it was so great in the 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s. They need to hear a solid gospel message today! So, let's stop standing around in the marketplace wishing it was as full as it used to be, and get about harvesting the crop so we can fill it up!