Tomorrow morning at the church, Lord-willing, we’ll look at “God or Money” from Luke 16:1-13. A new website is under construction through which all of my recorded messages can be archived and played in streaming audio, coming soon.
Month: November 2009
Give thanks to the Holy One
I wouldn’t sign it
There’s a “Manhattan Declaration” being promoted in the US right now that is being signed by well-intentioned Christians. I just want to let you know why I wouldn’t. I am pro-life and believe in the sanctity of life and of real marriage and of the right of religious freedom. But read the whole thing–it also requires signees to agree that Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders are, like us, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s not politically correct to say so, and even less politically correct to write so, but it is nevertheless an unavoidable, although unfortunate, truth, to say that those churches for the most part are not followers of Jesus Christ. They follow the traditions of men and “another gospel, which is really not another.”
So, yes, I’m pro-life and pro-heterosexual marriage and pro-freedom. But even more than that, I’m pro-Jesus and pro-gospel. And I won’t compromise those core principles in an attempt to advance the principles of the right to life and liberty that flow out of those core principles.
There is no fellowship between darkness and light. Those who are not on their way to heaven for all eternity are not our brothers here on the earth, and it simply wouldn’t be true to pretend they are so, even though it causes offense to point out that truth sometimes.
If you believe I am wrong, go stand for the truths of the gospel in a place where the religious landscape is controlled by the Vatican or by Eastern orthodoxy. I’ve done both, and can assure you that it will result in shunning and persecution when you stand for the truth that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. I appreciate the pro-life stands of those churches, but being pro-life doesn’t save people from sins. Faith in Jesus, who died for our sins and rose again does.
Another weakness in the declaration from the born-again believer’s standpoint — it specifically calls on “unbelievers” to stand against abortion and gay marriage as foundational principles. That simply isn’t the message our Lord has commissioned us to give “unbelievers.” We’re not called to tell the lost world to “be good,” but to implore them to “believe the gospel” and “be reconciled unto God.” We are His ambassadors for this purpose.
Thanksgiving List
Before you get to making your “Christmas wish list,” don’t forget to make your Thanksgiving List.
Here’s the one from our family for this year:
1. We thank God for our marriage, our family, our home, and His protection of our health and lives this year.
2. We thank God for His salvation through Christ who died for our sins, and His continual outpouring of grace and mercy on us.
3. We thank God for giving us a ministry, for the opportunities to proclaim Christ, for the many who have believed the gospel, for those of them who have gone on with the Lord in growth and discipleship, and for the opportunities we have to continue ministering to many of them in the church in Cluj.
4. We thank God for His goodness and faithfulness in continuing to provide abundantly for all of our financial and material needs.
5. We thank God for our colaborers in ministry here in Cluj, and for our supporting churches, families, individuals, friends, and prayer partners in the US.
6. We thank God for letting us live in a place and time where His precious Word is so readily available to us, combined with the freedom to both read and teach it.
7. We thank God for the gifts and talents to do the ministry to which He has called us.
8. We thank God for the blessings of technology that help us both in ministry and in keeping in touch with others around the world.
9. We thank God for the assurance that Christ is coming again, and for the joy of knowing we will be together with Him forever.
Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless you and your loved ones!
Dave, Lili, and Briana Bunnell
Nonsense about God
I have a file on my computer that I call “Nonsense About God” a collection of unbiblical silly things people who don’t know God say about Him, that I keep just to make myself laugh and also to examine what the human nature expects a God they make in their own image to be. This helps me preach the true gospel in a way that the misled can understand. The facebook application “On this day, God wants you to know…” is going to quickly overflow my “nonsense about God” file, because each day it has a new thought about God that is ridiculous. For example, here is one from this week, “God wants you to know that the answers are within you. You’re chasing in the wrong field. What you are looking for is inside of you, not ‘out there’. Take a few days off to become quiet and look within, and you will find it.”
Elections
Today was round one of the presidential election in Romania, most likely with a coming runoff between the top two candidates in a couple weeks. Also being voted on, a referendum on changing the parliament from a bicameral to a unicameral (one-house) legislature, the proposed effect of which would be to make it easier for the government to do what it wants without hindrances.
As a church we’re praying for the nation and the elections, that God’s best will for the country will be done.
Family pictures
Here are a couple pictures from downtown Cluj yesterday, one I took of my precious wife Lili and daughter Briana, and one that our 4-year-old photographic prodigy of a daughter took of us.
The benefits of being “narrow”
“While this truth may be familiar to you, may we emphasize it again. A holy God has the right to determine the basis upon which sinners come into His presence. God has determined that no one can find forgiveness of sins and be accepted of Him unless he receives Jesus Christ as his own Savior and trusts Him alone for salvation. To offer God anything other than the death of Jesus Christ as the basis of salvation is to offer a man-made religion. It is a ‘broad way,’ no matter what form it takes, that leads eventually to destruction. One must approach God through the gate He has opened. That gate is His crucified Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. ‘Enter in at that narrow gate.'” –Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost, in his book Design for Living
Amen to every last word of that.
Video of Church Thanksgiving Celebration
The video includes the worship team leading a song of praise, following some still photos of the evening. (Click on “A Day of Thanksgiving” to view it.)
A Day Of Thanksgiving, Cluj 2009 from Liviu P on Vimeo.
Church Thanksgiving–Photos
Follow this link for a look at an album of photos (from my facebook) of our church in Cluj’s celebration of Thanksgiving this week.
Here is one additional photo, not in the facebook album, of the enjoyment of a wonderful meal that evening:
Galatians 3b – 2morrow nite
Tomorrow night, Lord-willing, in the return of our home fellowship after two Thursdays away, we will look at Galatians 3:15-29, at the question of what was/is the law for, if it wasn’t/isn’t useful to justify us before God and bring us salvation by obedience to it? If you’re in Cluj, come and join us for a time of worship, communion/Lord’s supper observance, and study of this passage together, at our place at 6 pm. If you’re elsewhere in the world, pray for God to be glorified in the time, and if you wish, you can enjoy the audio of the study after the fact, when it will hopefully be posted here.
Why
Why did the senseless violence happen at Fort Hood, Texas last week? In a word, the Koran. For a more detailed look, visit this news article from London (I can’t find any American media coverage yet that has been willing to look at the issue.)
Walk of Faith - Dave Bunnell 