So what exactly is my problem????

Don and I have been going through a myriad of changes lately. Health changes, financial changes, spiritual changes not to mention the glorious changes of old age!! The most important of course is the spiritual. The closer you come to knowing you will be meeting Him soon, one way or another, the more serious things become. The closer you want to be to Jesus...

As most of you know, we came to California from Sioux City, Iowa, about 3 years ago. We were very involved in our home church. In fact, God led us to Heartland when there were about 45 people planting a new church by faith and obedience. We were incredibly blessed to be a part of laying the foundation in our city, and when we left, God had blessed our church with growth to about 350, and a new church building built in a time when many churches were closing the doors. The mission of Heartland was simply obedience to the Great Commission ...Disciples making disciples!

Our early days in Cali were pretty dry, and I spent a lot of time yearning for my family in Christ. Truth be told, I just wanted to go home.  Not so said the Lord. We found a church here and fell in love with its people. But after a few years there were a few things we just couldn't quite reconcile with scripture. I talked to the pastor about those things, but rather than explore them with me, I angered him. The truth is that in line with the Body of Christ, the giftings and callings of God for the churches vary as well. I'm not going to bad mouth that pastor or his church.  It just wasn't a good "fit" for me in the Spirit. (I'll let Don tell his own story.)

The Spirit was leading to depart, and I was hedging because I didn't want to start relationship building again.  My husband was the one who first brought up the subject. I'm too old to start all over, I told the Lord.  But alas .... Holy Spirit always brings me to a place of surrender before Him. So Don and I agreed that it was time to begin looking. Something not easy especially for someone who the Body of Christ is so important to. Relationships take time to build.

I'm a bit peculiar.  I know it, and I'm okay with it. The Lord has pursued my heart as a watchman for more than 40 years, actually even before He lifted me out of real mess and gave me new hope. I believe very strongly in the Great Commission because I believe the time is so very short here for us.  Christ is coming soon, and one of the things I've come to understand is that very few within the Church know it. Very few have roots that go deep in understanding of God's Word. Roots that can withstand the test of persecution and chaos and turmoil.  Lots of folks know a little about Jesus, many profess His name, but not so many really 'know Him'...

It is getting very difficult to find a solid, Discipleship based church anymore. I'm not surprised by that. Its one of those signs of the times. In 2 Timothy Chapter 4, Paul exhorts his young charge, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."

We live in such a time. It seems to me that Christendom is fraught with our own “passions” taking center stage. The spirit of Babylon was one that said, "I am and there is no one but me." I think it is fair to say that America fits that description and overall so does the church within it. Sadly, the American Church is filled with the world and its snares, but terribly lacking in the Word and its foundation.

For example, 98% of Churches do not teach on the prophetic Word of God for a variety of very secular reasons. Secular you say? Yes. If 30% of the Bible is prophetic, and we toss that out, is it not logical to say we've strayed from God? We hear a lot of reasons why people don't want to hear the tough stuff, but none of them meet the test of scripture.  We'd much prefer a God of our own making. But at the same time, I see a lost world looking frantically for answers to an imploding culture.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John is the only book in the Bible that says “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” Yet, it is highly unlikely that you will hear a sermon on Revelation. If you’re hungry with a deep confirmation in your spirit that something very significant is going on in the world around us, you look for Bible teachers with solid Bible answers on the myriad of subjects facing the world today. Things that include UFOs, artificial intelligence, CRISPR technology, and yes … the falling away of the Church in apostasy.

Back to the subject. Or maybe going on with it … We've been visiting some churches in our area. I need Christian fellowship, and I’m hungry for a strong Word. But I am also "World Weary" and tired of the “me” centeredness vs. Jesus centeredness I see. Nominal Christianity is just not enough.

California gets defined as "very dark" but the truth is that all of America is dark. If we just went according to the things we see, it would look pretty hopeless out there.  But in spite of spiritual coldness, God has placed some pretty incredible teachers here. 

For example, there are Calvary Chapel pastors in Southern California teaching some of the best expositional sermons I've ever heard.   So what is expositional you say? Well simply put, it means teaching the Word of God Chapter by Chapter Verse by Verse as it is written.  Looking at the content. What was going on? To whom was God speaking?  What was the message?  Is there a blessing? A warning? How does it apply to me as a follower of Christ? But like most denominations, Chuck Smith’s foundations have been shaken with controversy within. and the CC has its own trials to contend with. My conclusion is that denominations don’t mean much, it is the pastor in the pulpit that determines the culture of the church. 

Yesterday, Don wasn't feeling well,so I visited a Southern Baptist affiliated church close to us. Our home church is Southern Baptist so it just made sense. I miss my pastor, brother, and friend Gene Stockton, and I miss my conversations with him on the Word. I miss praying with him and a core group of others over services every Sunday. We didn’t always agree on every point of theology and some practices but we could always "reason together". And there was never doubt for either of us that each of us loved Jesus deeply and passionately. I always learned from those times. I would like to say as “iron sharpened iron.” In truth, generally Gene was right!

I was met by wonderfully warm people yesterday. Sincere people. I liked them. They were lovers of God and others, and that's important. The praise and worship magnified and exalted Jesus, The church was filled with young people, another very important thing! I briefly said hello to the local campus pastor, but the message itself came via online connection from Riverside. I don't have a problem with that either, knowing that it is the local pastor who still shepherds and cares for the needs of the flock.

The lead pastor was sharp and entertaining. Hmmm … entertaining???? We all like to laugh and have fun right? Not sure where I am on that, so I'm going to just leave it. FULL DISCLOSURE ... I don't like the "entertainment" ambiance of the church today.  My bias may color my discernment. I need to take that one to Jesus and leave it there.

But with all that "good", there was one thing that bothered me. But it was a big one. I did not have one opportunity to open my Bible. The series that the pastor was presenting was on relationship matrix and focused on a new movement picking up steam across the nation in many churches... a tool called the Enneagram.The pastor remarked that the “Enneagram had literally saved his marriage.” Can you see my tears? No, pastor, only Jesus can do that. Our sinful flesh will always revert to old familiar patterns without the sanctification that comes in walking with Holy Spirit and yielding.

Granted, I’m old and now tired/retired, but I’ve spent my whole life in business. As such, I’ve been through many psychologies based “relationship” helpers  with the good intentions of helping people relate to people. Meyers Briggs was the "daddy" of them all and has a lot of competition today. The Enneagram is but one. I will say that personality tools do have value. With cell phones stealing face to face communication today, we are losing the ability to communicate with each other in a real and genuine way. So, then what is my problem???

Well, my problem (or better said burden) is that we are also losing Jesus. It's that world coming into the church kind of thing rather than taking Jesus to the world.  We don't even know it. Nor do we really recognize the source. Subtly and slowly, we've been turning the power of the Living Word (Christ) into an image of our own making, an idol. 

The Jesus today in myriads of churches across America is not the same Jesus the Bible teaches us of. The average church goer today doesn’t understand that if we but seek His Word, His principles, and obey them …we will find that relationship with others changes dramatically. It begins with understanding it’s not about us, it’s all about Him. He teaches us that we are to esteem others above ourselves. We are to meet the practical needs of others without compromise of Kingdom principals. The Bible is THE book of instructions for living.There is nothing within it that does not deal with contemporary issues. 

If our sermons become based on tools that come and/or tools that have faded with time, we are missing the mark. I’m sad … I’m looking to meet and exalt the name of Jesus when I gather with other believers. While I do understand that there is no perfect church, and if I found one, it wouldn’t be perfect anymore once I entered, I yearn for the spirit of repentance and return to Christ to fall upon America. I truly think that is our only hope.

Let's talk. Does your church use an Enneagram? How do you feel about it? Don’t know what it is? Here are just a few facts. And to be fair, I’m also attaching a wonderful link to an article on Gotquestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/Enneagram-of-Personality.html

The FAQs: What Christians Should Know About the Enneagram - August 8, 2018 | Joe Carter

What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram of Personality, or simply the Enneagram, is a categorization tool that classifies human personality into a typology of nine interconnected personality types. The symbol of the Enneagram is a figure composed of three parts: a circle, an inner triangle (connecting 3-6-9), and an irregular hexagonal “periodic figure” (connecting 1-4-2-8-5-7). Although the classification system varies, the most commonly used typology is as follows: 

Type 1 – The Reformer (The Rational, Idealistic Type: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionistic)

Type 2 – The Helper (The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Demonstrative, Generous, People-Pleasing, and Possessive)

Type 3 – The Achiever (The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type: Adaptive, Excelling, Driven, and Image-Conscious)

Type 4 – The Individualist (The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental)

Type 5 – The Investigator (The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated)

Type 6 – The Loyalist (The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious)

Type 7 – The Enthusiast (The Busy, Fun-Loving Type: Spontaneous, Versatile, Distractible, and Scattered)

Type 8 – The Challenger (The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational)

Type 9 – The Peacemaker (The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, and Complacent)

In addition to the primary type, an individual may have strong characteristics of one of the adjacent types. This is referred to as the “wing.” A person may be described, for example, as a Type 2 with a wing of 3, abbreviated as “2w3.”

Where did the Enneagram come from?

Some proponents of the Enneagram attribute it to the Desert Fathers, Kabbalists, Sufi mystics, Pythagoreans, the Chaldeans, or other ancient groups. Claims for an ancient origin, however, have never been substantiated.

The earliest mention of the Enneagram is found in the writings of the Russian occultist P. D. Ouspensky, who attributes it to his teacher, the Greek American occultist Georges I. Gurdjieff. Gurdjieff considered the Enneagram a symbol of the cosmos, but made no connection with it to personality types.

It was left to another occultist, Óscar Ichazo, to connect the Enneagram to personality. Ichazo claimed to have discovered the personality type meaning of the Enneagram when it was taught to him by the Archangel Metraton while he was high on mescaline.

One of Ichazo’s students, a Chilean-born psychiatrist named Claudio Naranjo (another occultist) was the first to connect the nine points of the Enneagram to nine basic personality types. (Naranjo also appears to be the one to connect the mention of the Enneagram by Gurdjieff and Ouspensky to ancient sources.)

In the 1970s, students of Naranjo spread the Enneagram to various Catholic communities, especially in mystical and contemplative circles. Some of the promoters of the Enneagram include the former Jesuit Don Riso, the Franciscan friar Richard Rohr, and late Benedictine nun Suzanne Zuercher. In 1997, Riso co-founded the Enneagram Institute, an organization that helped bring the Enneagram to a broader audience.

Why are some evangelicals enthusiastic about the Enneagram? Although Catholics have been debating concerns about the Enneagram for decades (the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Doctrine issued a statement in 2000), it has only become popular in evangelicals in the past few years.

While it’s impossible to say why it has become such a hot fad, there are few factors that that may have led to its use:A need for a simple classification tool — In the 1970s, some people would say, “I’m a Libra,” referring to their astrological sign. In the 1990s, those same people were likely to say, “I’m INFJ,” referring to their Myers Briggs personality type. In each case, individuals wanted a simple way to both convey information about their personality to others and also to identify personality traits of other people.

Like Myers-Briggs and astrological signs, the Enneagram allows people to convey a significant amount of information about their personality in a compact way for people who speak the same cultural code. A need for a Myers-Briggs replacement — The popularity of the Enneagram among evangelicals appears to coincide with the downfall of Myers-Briggs (M-B). Although still commonly used in corporate settings, the general public has become more aware that M-B is generally considered pseudoscience because of the lack of evidence the test or its classifications have any scientific validity.

Critics of M-B frequently point out that it’s too simplistic to measure personality and fails the standard of reliability (e.g., when retested on a later date, up to 50 percent of the test-takers will be classified into a different personality type). As one critic notes, the M-B “has about as much insight and validity as a Buzzfeed quiz.”

The Enneagram seems to have stepped up to fill the role once reserved for M-B. A need for “personality awareness” — Because of changes in society, there is an increased need for the ability to recognize, understand, and interact with a wide range of personality types. As conflict resolution specialist Bill Eddy notes,

We don’t have personal histories with each other: Today, people have an incredible amount of mobility, so much that we have become a society of individuals. Yet we need to be around others, so we are constantly inviting new people into our lives: in dating, at school, at work, hiring repair people, joining churches, volunteer groups, investing, sports, you name it. But most of the people you meet don’t have a history that you know about. You don’t know their reputation, their prior relationships, or anything beyond what they tell you about themselves. Without a history, it’s not obvious on the surface who you can really trust and who you can’t. You can check someone out online, but you can’t always determine what information is accurate and what is false.

Some evangelicals find the Enneagram to be a useful tool for gaining “personality awareness” and for learning about people they don’t have a personal history with, such as members of a new church plant.

Why are some evangelicals opposed to the Enneagram?Evangelicals who favor the Enneagram tend to be younger and either do not know or downplay its history. They consider it just another personality typology, like Meyers-Briggs. In contrast, evangelicals who oppose the Enneagram tend to be older, and associate the Enneagram with the occult or with the Catholic spirituality movement.

Those who oppose it are likely to have first seen books on the Enneagram in the New Age section of the bookstore (now they are more likely to be in the Self-Help/Psychology section). The symbol also is reminiscent of the pentagram, which is associated with various occult groups, from Wiccans to Satanists.

Is the Enneagram an accurate or useful test of personality?Determining the plausibility of the Enneagram is difficult, since there is no standard test or method for determining the personality types.

The oldest forms of Enneagram typing are based on self-assessment, where a person chooses the number that best fits his or her personality type. While this is sometimes aided by a brief questionnaire, the classification relies primarily on self-knowledge. As Don Riso says in his influential book, Understanding the Enneagram, there are several “rules of thumb” that can help determine if we’ve “correctly chosen our correct type.”

“If the type you have chosen not only stirs up deep feelings but also helps you understand aspects of yourself you have never seen before, then it is probably your type,” Riso says. “If your choice leads you to make new connections and see new patterns in yourself and your relationships, then you have probably accurately typed yourself.”

In other words, most Enneagram tests rely on the Barnum effect, a psychological phenomenon that occurs when individuals believe that personality descriptions apply specifically to them (more so than to other people), despite the fact that the description is actually filled with information that applies to almost everyone. More recently, a variety of more advanced Enneagram tests have been developed to provide a veneer of scientific legitimacy. Their usefulness is questionable, though, since, like the Myers-Briggs test, the personality number assigned by any particular test frequently differs from other tests or changes upon retesting.

Even the most reliable Enneagram tests are likely to be accurate by accident. Because the most sophisticated Enneagram tests use adjective-based lexical questionnaires, they are likely to simply be identifying an Enneagram number with the Big Five personality traits. An influential, though still largely untested, idea within personality theory is the lexical hypothesis. This is the idea that (a) individual differences that are most salient and socially relevant in people’s lives will eventually become encoded into their language, and (b) the more important such a difference, the more likely is it to become expressed as a single word. In other words, personality types are likely to use relevant adjectives (like “quiet” or “friendly”). Once you identify who is most likely to use such adjectives, you can figure out their personality type. 

Based on this hypothesis, psychologists create personality tests that include adjectives such as “quiet” or “friendly” and ask individuals to rate themselves on a scale from one to five. Based on statistical analysis, research has found that people who identify with certain adjective more than others can then be ranked on the five factor model or “Big Five” personality traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. (The controversial psychoanalyst and professor Jordan Peterson has a helpful video explaining how all this works.)

Should Christians be using the Enneagram?While the Enneagram is itself not ancient, typological personality classifications have been around since the era when Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.During that period the Greek physician Hippocrates was advancing his proto-psychological theory about the “four temperaments.” The “father of medicine” identified four fundamental personality types—sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic—that he believed were influenced by the four humors—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.

While doctors no longer attribute our temperament to our bodily fluids, the idea that our personalities can be mapped to basic categories has lived on. (In the late 1960s, Tim LaHaye, the best-selling co-author of the Left Behind novels, sold a million copies of a book that claims our temperaments were still best classified as sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic.) Throughout the ages, Christians have latched on to such typologies, so it’s not surprising evangelicals would be attracted to the latest variation.Still, it raises the questions of whether we should be concerned because of the Enneagram’s occultist origins.

We definitely should be concerned when the Enneagram is being used, as many Catholics have, as a form of Gnostic-based numerology. We shouldn’t be seeking divination from a tool that was developed by someone who claims it was handed to him in a vision from what sounds suspiciously like a demon.

When the Enneagram is used simply as a diagnostic tool or for personality classification, the question become less clear. Despite its origin story, there may be enough of the Enneagram that remains useful (or at least non-harmful). If that’s the case, we should leave the issue up to the conscience of the individual Christian.

However, we should be proceeding with caution and treat the issue like Paul treated meat sacrificed to idols (Rom. 14:14-23) if using the Enneagram causes our “weaker brothers” to stumble. If they begin to think New Age-oriented tools of “self-discovery” are also legitimate, we should be willing to abandon the enneagram altogether.

“If the Enneagram were another version of What Color Is Your Parachute? or Strengths Finder, that would be fine,” Kevin DeYoung says. “But it has been, from its inception (whenever that was), infused with spiritual significance. And therein lies the danger.”

As for me, I'm going to teach what the Word has to say.  Blessings and peace!!

Revoice and the Bible

Yesterday, the issue of the "Revoice" movement came up in conversation. Many in the evangelical arena do not know what "Revoice" is. A recent conference advertised it as "supporting,encouraging, and empowering gay, lesbian, same-sex attracted, and other LGBT Christians so they can flourish while observing the historic, Christian doctrine of marriage and sexuality."

It is not my intent to judge any category of sin here.  For the simple truth is that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Neither is there a hierarchy of sin.  Every sin stands on equal ground. I will also say that I have both family members and friends who have opted for a gay lifestyle.  I love them no less. But neither do I deny what the Bible has to say about the lifestyle. Rather I just love and pray.  When I am asked I am honest. To me the obedience, to God alone is the fruit.

It seems to me that a much greater issue, and the much more consuming abomination to God is the "rewriting" of the Word of God to fit in with our carnal and selfish desires.  Sincerely, I grieve over the way that the Church itself has wandered far from God. Filled with idols of their own making, church leaders have adapted, cut and pasted what is pleasing to their own doctrines, and dismissed or attempted to rewrite the Word to fit their own images of what it should say.

I am not without sin.  I sin. Almost every day, I have to come before my Father God in repentance for something.  My heart desires so to walk in the faithful reflection of Christ, but I am human and I blow it.  But I pray I am always quick to repent, to dust off my britches, and to keep walking toward my Lord.  My sins aren't what they used to be, but neither have I conquered my flesh.  My mouth is my worst enemy. I will always be striving to work out my salvation in the arena of the tongue. I am a work in process day by day. 

John wrote in 1 John 2 on the issue of truly knowing Christ, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."  

John goes on to say ...
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

So then, the issue becomes to truly know God, we must be willing to surrender.  That work of becoming Christ like -- once taught as sanctification -- is a life-long process.  But Holy Spirit is a gentle faithful transformer who will convict us of sin and then give us the choice of whether or not to obey.  I once heard a Bible teacher say, "The maturity of a Christian is determined by how quick they are to obey what Holy Spirit is speaking to them". The word repentance really means to "Turn away from our sin and to follow God".

We hold tightly to the God of unconditional love, while pushing the God of holiness and righteousness and justice to the background.  We either accept Him for who He says He is, or the God we worship is only an idol, i.e. a God of our own making.

OK. So what has that got to do with Revoice????  Everything. Like a full load of false teachings within the body of Christ today, it just doesn't stand the test of scripture. God has not changed. He is the same today as He was yesterday and shall be tomorrow.

I couldn't say anything on the issue better than Albert Mohler says in his article "Torn Between Two Cultures: LGBTQ+ Identity and Bible Christianity. Surely, the issues here are much bigger than sexuality! See https://albertmohler.com/2018/08/02/torn-two-cultures-revoice-lgbt-identity-biblical-christianity/

And if I could just offer some encouragement, it would be this.

1. Remember that our battles are not with flesh and blood but principalities (the highest ranking in Satan's army), powers (demons, the lowest rank of satanic authority), and rulers of darkness (kosmokrateros and is a compound of the words kosmos and kratos. The word kosmos denotes order or arrangement, whereas the word kratos has to do with raw power. Thus, the compounded word kosmokrateros depicts raw power that has been harnessed and put into some kind of order). To deny the cosmic battle that is to soon culminate in the return of our Lord is to not understand the Bible.
2. Love those who are in sin (any kind of sin) without ever compromising the Word of God. If your motivation is not love, and you are not being lead by the Spirit of God -- stay silent. You could do much more harm than good.
3. Remember to be very careful how you judge.  Examine yourself.  Ask the Lord to show you your own sin. Deal with that first. 
4. Pray for those who are in captivity to the enemies lies.  That also encompasses an area far beyond sexuality.
5. Devote time to the study of the Word of God and to prayer. Don't depend on your pastors for truth.  Far too many pastors have wandered far from the Word. But that's for another post!
6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths!

Some day, we shall all stand before the Lord and give an account. No excuses.  Hearts laid bare.  Motivations clear. Pray for each other and pray for our church leaders and pray for our nation. Judgment begins in the House of the Lord.

Jeremiah's Day?

My FB friend, Gloria Holmes Cooper, brought up a question this morning in regard to whether or not Jeremiah's day paralleled our own. Instantly, my mind went to this faithful prophet called by God as a young man to sound a warning to the people of Israel--telling them of pending judgement and calling them to repentance in the name of the Lord. Jeremiah loved his people. He was called the "weeping prophet" because of his diligence to pray for them. With tears and supplication, he anguished before the Throne of God in prayer.

The people of Israel were deeply engaged in sin. They saw no need to repent, believing no doubt that life would continue as usual.  They had wandered far from the foundations of their faith. Hearts hardened to God, they refused to walk in His ways. Idolatry was rampant. Morality at rock bottom. Like today, the sacrifice of their own children brought grief and ire to God. Rich and poor, servant and leader, the people as whole had succumbed to a reprobate mind and rebellious spirit.  Over and over again, the warning came. But they had neither eyes that saw or ears that heard.

For more than 20 years, Jeremiah warned them, prayed for them, grieved for them.  Yet, they disdained him and openly rejected his message. In fact, they said to him, "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth." (Jer. 7:16) They were only interested in teachers who would justify their sin, tickle their ears, and support their lifestyles. Oh...if only they would repent...God longed to be gracious to them...but they didn't. And then--the day came!

I cannot imagine the anguish of Jeremiah's heart when God told him, "Do not pray any more for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, not make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you."(Jer. 7:16, 11:14, 14:11) What? God refused to hear the cries of Jeremiah? Why????

In His mercy and long suffering, God longed to save them and have mercy on them. God is loving, but His character is also one of justice and righteousness. The time comes when sin is so abundant that God no longer can turn His face away. And so it was. His hand of protection passed from them.  The just consequences of their rebellious hearts belonged to them alone.

They were a proud, arrogant, self-serving and self-sufficient people who convinced themselves they did not need God.  He's sent prophet after prophet, but they did not want to hear. When the day of judgement arrived and the great King Nebuchadnezzar marched against Israel, most of them were destroyed. The brightest and best of Israel were taken into captivity. It would be more than 2000 years until Israel had sovereignty over her own homeland again.  Yet, sadly even today we see her returning to her old ways. Even as we have left our foundations of faith as a nation and seek after idols in rebellion against God.

So then...do our times parallel Jeremiah's day? This writer believes indeed they do. While the epidemic of sin is world-wide, I will deal only with professing believers within the United States of America.

In a nation filled with churches, and with a remnant crying out to the Church to repent, the American church turns her head away in pride and arrogance. She mocks the prophetic voice within her crying out for repentance. She is deeply offended by those who say she has forgotten the gospel and adorned herself with the covering of the world. She too disdains the prophets and is deeply engaged in the sin of the nation. She stands silent in the face of the those things called an abomination to God.

Her heart is centered on "what God can do for me" instead of what she can do for God".  The gospel is hard for her to articulate. She has exchanged truth for emotion.  Few even really understand what the gospel is. They fail to understand that it is about God come to earth as man in order to pay the price that man could not pay. That Jesus carried our sin upon that cross and only with His perfect, sinless blood could we be reconciled to God. That because He died, was buried and resurrected again as the first fruits of the reconciliation, we too had hope of eternal life.  That is IF we received the gift. The first scriptures I ever learned were the heart of the gospel.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen seen, that they have been done in God." (John 3:16-21)

My friends, God is sending the same message to us today as His sent to the people of Israel through Jeremiah.  Know this ... the day of judgement will come. In the midst of God's love, mercy, and long-suffering the time will come when He will no longer look upon the wickedness of man. What is written will be fulfilled. It will come and it will take the world by surprise. The price of wickedness will be horrific. 

We are called to be salt and light, but our salt has lost its savor. Jesus said, You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out trampled underfoot by men."  It is not easy to be a believer today. Like Jeremiah, we can expect to be rejected and mocked, but we must share Christ with any and all who may listen.

All over the earth, we see the signs of the end of this age: 

• Signs of Nature with the earth itself in chaos
• Signs of Societal Decay and Lawlessness
• Spiritual Signs with apostasy in full measure and abundance of false teachers and false prophets. A church that has surrendered to the ways of the world around us.
• Signs of Technology with an explosion of knowledge and communication, trans-humanism, artificial intelligence and a clear path to global finance, courts, and governance. (Did you know that's in the Bible?)
• Signs of World Politics with the world stage set in a pattern that perfectly matches the geopolitical map of the end of this age
• Signs of Israel the rebirth of Israel in May of 1948 is the stellar sign of our times. Watch her.  On the prophetic clock, JD Farag likes to say, the hour hand is Israel, the minute hand is Jerusalem, and the second hand is the Temple Mount!
• The Convergence of all these signs! 

 Jesus said, "So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors! Assuredly I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Matthew 24:33-35)

This is my generation. Israel just celebrated her 70th Birthday! I long to see the Lord, but I grieve as well because I have loved ones who continue to reject Christ, who are blind to the things of the Spirit and do not wish to hear. Thus, like Jeremiah, I continue to pray and weep as Jeremiah prayed and wept on behalf of his people, hoping beyond hope that I will not hear my Father say, "Stop, don't pray any more."

Nevertheless, I know that the Day of Judgement comes even while the people continue to mock and refuse to repent.
   

What are the essentials of the Christian Faith?

Surprisingly, if you ask most Christians what the essentials of the Christian Faith are, they have to pause, stop, and think a bit. Even then, many cannot give an answer. In our earthly existence, we find that men and women gather today under mini kingdoms that identify the tenants of their denominational doctrines.  But doctrines of men are subject to error. Only the doctrines contained in the Word of God itself matter.

We’ve heard it said many times and will soon enough find it to be true … when we get to glory, we will likely be very surprised by those we see there and those we don’t.  There won’t be any church wars, just one kingdom, the Kingdom of God. And bless His precious name … we will be able to see clearly and understand every mystery!!

I want to begin by saying, it is not enough to simply believe.  And we cannot find favor with God by doing all kinds of good deeds or giving away our resources. James tells us in Chapter 2, But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

Relationship with God begins with the undeniable reality that He is, and we need Him. Yeshua/Jesus was the Son of God; indeed, He was God. He came as a “man” casting aside his deity to meet the requirements of the mission before Him. Only His sacrificial blood on Calvary’s cross as a sinless man could redeem us from our just end.  He was the gift of all gifts that made a way for us to be reconciled with God. 

But as with any gift, we need to receive Him. And when we receive Him, we need to begin to understand 1) Who God is and 2) Who we are in Him. We do that by studying His Word. And that is the place that defines the essential doctrines of Christianity – the only place where truth is not marred by man’s best intentions – the Bible itself.

For hundreds of years, countless multitudes have gone through catechism or confirmation classes and learned the Apostle’s Creed.  It wasn’t written by the Apostles, and we’re not sure when it was written, but dates back to at least the 4^th Century.  It is a very simple statement that summarizes what the New Testament teaches.  I’m going to use it here as my pattern but add some critical Biblical doctrine that the creed left out.

The scriptures within will support the statements but by no means are they complete. Glean from the Word and study! That is a journey in faith that I pray continues for all of us as we grow in the Lord. Ready? Let’s go!

You must believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. Isaiah 43:10

For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), ⁶ yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. 1 Cor. 8:5-6

You must believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit

In these lines, we see the holy Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  While there is no one scripture passage that uses the word “Trinity”, the Bible frequently describes the triune nature of God. And these scriptures are prime examples:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Central and core to our faith is Christ and the Cross.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16-18

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:3-7

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9-13

Believers Baptism

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

Salvation comes by Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  (Not in the Apostle’s Creed but Critical to the Gospel!)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:18-21

Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the lower parts of the earth.

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. John 19:1-3     

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore, the soldiers did these things. 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:23-30

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby. John 19:38-42

(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) Ephesians 4:9-10

On the third day, Jesus rose again from the dead.

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Jesus ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Acts 7:55-56 

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Romans 8:34  

¹⁵ Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. Ephesians 1:15-21

From there he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Therefore, since Christ suffered us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. ³ For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. ⁴ In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. ⁵ They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit. 1 Peter 1:4-8

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Timothy 4:1

We will be raised with Christ

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

I pray that you know Jesus, but there is one way to be sure. It’s a very personal thing but as simple as ABC.  Admit you’re a sinner. Believe Jesus is Lord. Call upon His name. God bless you!!