Category: The Gospel

The Rise of the Antichrist

You’ve seen the Hollywood movies about him. The beast, the man represented by 666, and other things. What the Bible says about this man called Antichrist is actually more interesting than the movie renditions, though. Tonight’s study was of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, looking at the rise of the Antichrist. You can hear the audio of the study here, in English and Romanian.

What should I be doing with my life?

Today’s message at the church from 1 Corinthians 3:4-15 looked at what we should build our lives on, and what we should build them with, if we want to be prepared for Christ’s evaluation of us at the Judgment. The message can be heard here, in English and Romanian. It is important to live your life for what will last, for what is valuable, and for what your Judge wants.

Why Satan Wants You To Think Hell’s Not Real

A little over a year ago, we visited the US, and to show people in my hometown church in KY the importance of preaching hell like Jesus did, I asked for a show of hands. “How many of you would say a fear of hell was at least a very significant part of the reason you initially trusted Christ as your Savior?” I don’t remember seeing any believers not raising their hands across the room. And I could count on the fingers of my left foot how many effective evangelists I’ve met in my life who were in the “don’t talk about hell” camp of Christianity. It is by God’s design, not man’s, that those who come to Him come to Him because they are convicted of their sin and the wrath they will receive at His hand if they are not saved from it by His grace. This is just as true of 21st century converts as it was of those a thousand years ago.
But the practicality of the gospel being preached more effectively when it is complete with the message of God’s wrath isn’t the main reason we should accept it and preach it. The main and simple reason we must believe in hell and preach it is because it is the truth of God’s word, and could not be wished away even if humanity were unanimous in our disbelief.

What’s new in the new year?

For most people, despite all the celebration of a year ending and another beginning, the turning of the calendar doesn’t really bring anything new. After the champagne buzz fades, they find themselves still facing the same problems, struggles, and difficulties they did last week. Even if they’ve resolved to change for the better (I’ll stop smoking, stop yelling at the kids, eat better, and exercise more), they soon find that nothing in them has changed. And if left to themselves and dependent on their own willpower and best effort, nothing ever will. The desire for a fresh, new start, and the peace and relief it should bring is universal in the human experience—that’s why there was such boisterous celebration around the world Friday night. But almost as universal is the letdown of realizing that peace and newness eluded you for yet another holiday season.
Is there anything that can give us the fresh start and deliverance from past aches, mistakes, and broken hearts that we all seek? Is there anything that can truly change us from the inside out, while also improving the circumstances of our life and surroundings?
There is one and only one. And thankfully, it is not dependent on the time of the year. Coming into a right relationship with God is something He offers to you every day, every moment, including now. You may have heard that being saved or born again will let you go to heaven instead of hell. That’s true, but that isn’t all of the benefit you’ll get from trusting Christ as your Savior. When you become a follower of Christ, you immediately receive a right relationship with the God who made you. All of your sins are erased forever. And the complete healing of every pain the sins of others have caused you begins. A new life of blessing begins. Your prayers will from then on be heard, so that you’re not just talking to a God who doesn’t really seem to be there. And He begins to guide your life, so that everything in the here and now goes better than it did before. Trials and tragedies decrease; and when they do come, you have a strength within you from God’s presence there that helps you endure and thrive in spite of the hardships that previously would have destroyed you. See for yourself—He makes all things new. And your celebration won’t just last for an evening, but for an eternity.
Christ died for your sins, and rose from the dead. That means the debt you owe God for your rebellion against Him has already been paid. And trusting in Him now, you can receive complete forgiveness and newness of life that will never be taken away. The all-powerful Creator and Controller of the universe will be your father, your friend, your provider, your guide, your protector, and your helper, from now on and forever.
Happy New Year? Not merely that. Happy New Always!

Why Christmas?

About 2010 years ago our Creator made Himself one of us. Do you know what that means for you?
Matthew 1 quoted the prophecy of Christmas: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call Him Immanuel, which means God with us.” The baby Jesus was born of a virgin, with no human father, because He was God with us. The same Bible chapter says “She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” The name Immanuel tells us Jesus is God. The name Jesus, which means “God saves,” tells us why He came.
He came to save us from our sins, so that He would not have to eternally punish us for them. God is holy, and He must punish every wrong word you’ve ever spoken and every wrong act you’ve ever done. But God loves you, so Jesus came to save you by being punished in your place. Jesus was born and lived a perfect life without sin. Then He was sacrificed on the cross to save you from your sins. He took all of the punishment you deserve, and died in your place. Three days later, He was raised to life again. He still lives today, and saves everyone who believes and calls upon Him for salvation.
You can receive the Christmas gift of God’s forgiveness and eternal life today. Just speak to Jesus from your heart, believing He died for you and rose again. Confess your sinfulness to Him, admitting that you deserve punishment. Tell Him you believe He died in your place to give you eternal life in heaven. And ask Him to save you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness, just as He promised. If you believe these things and trust Christ to save you, He will. That’s why God came to us. And that’s why Christmas is something for you to celebrate.

The above article is the text of a new Christmas gospel tract I wrote for our church to distribute (in Romanian) this year. Please pray for the Lord to use it and bring the message of the gospel to prepared hearts.

Heaven’s Gate Closed to Smokers? Crazy but popular false teaching

Should we replace the cross with this as a symbol of our faith?

This evening I was shown a publication from yet another religious group in Romania that asserted that someone could not be a Christian “if there is a cigarette in his mouth.”
That anyone would assert stopping smoking is a condition of salvation is too sad for words. (The same teachers don’t even say stopping real sins will save you. I’ve never heard them say, stop sleeping with people you’re not married to and you’ll be saved. It’s always smoking with these guys.) The teaching that stopping smoking makes you a true follower of Christ isn’t anything like the gospel. It isn’t even a distant relative of the gospel message. It’s “another gospel which is really not another.” It is blatantly contrary to the gospel message. And while someone’s smoking habit won’t make me question his salvation, I certainly do doubt that these teachers are saved.
What’s worse is that this crazy false teaching is most prevalent in churches of the Baptist/Pentecostal/Evangelical persuasion–the people who are supposed to be preaching the gospel of salvation through faith in Christ, not through works. And the good work they require for recognition as a believer isn’t really even an issue of sin and righteousness to begin with. And they do make it the test of being a believer. Dozens of churches will not baptize a smoker or let a smoker become a member of the church. Someone’s smoking or not is often the ONLY arbiter of whether they are to be baptized.
I’m not promoting smoking. I have never smoked and I find it quite unpleasant to be surrounded by people who are smoking in the air I want to breathe. But the fact that “quitting smoking is necessary for being born again” is a false teaching should go without saying. Unfortunately, as a pastor I find myself having to say it to someone almost every week. And many of them don’t believe me.

Teaching Grace

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.”
–Titus 2:11-14
          The grace of God is not only a saving grace that has spared us of the hell we deserved; it is also a teaching grace.  When we first met Jesus we weren’t prepared for death, but we weren’t worthy of life.  Now, slowly but surely, the grace of God that instantly made us ready to die is making us fit to live.
         We start to notice our attitudes about sin changing.  The work of grace in us is beginning to crucify our flesh with Christ and make our spirits more and more alive in Him.  The ungodly passions to which our consciences were once numb suddenly prick our hearts and repulse us.  Sins that used to bring us temporal joy are not so tempting.  We’ve been taught by the grace of God to just say “No” to them.
         David Brainerd, a missionary of a past generation, who was also a very eloquent writer on matters of faith, told of an example of this happening in people’s lives.  He said the group to whom he was ministering was coming from a background with pagan ideas, rituals, and violent attitudes and actions.  But he found that preaching against their many sins didn’t produce many changes in the way these new converts saw the old life.  It was when he continually preached of the cross of Christ to them that their attitudes began to significantly change.  It is not law, but the saving grace of God that teaches us to view sin as God views it.
         This passage’s second benefit of traveling the Grace Superhighway is a fruit of the Spirit:  the self-controlled life.  Previously at the mercy of the flesh, we now find within ourselves a Power that is not of ourselves.  A Power to be different.  A Power to be upright and godly, even though we remain surrounded by the depraved world out of which we’ve just been saved.
         The third wonderful benefit of grace is eternity-mindedness and desire to be with Jesus.  Because of grace He is no longer our judge or accuser, but our friend.  We stop wanting to live for today and for this world, and become increasingly eager for His presence and His return, that His will may be done on earth just as in heaven.  This grace in us makes us long to worship Him and to live lives of thanksgiving for His redemption of us.
         The fourth benefit of our grace journey is another attitude change.  Not only does our desire to sin decrease, but we find in ourselves an eagerness “to do what is good.”  That eagerness wasn’t there before we knew grace.  Our previous attempts at good works were motivated by selfish desires; now we can truly do good as He enables.  We are now and forever His people.  His grace is purifying us, and our works are motivated by a newfound desire to honor Him and bring Him glory.
This written devotional is the planned topic for my message at church this Sunday.

God is… Holy – Kid’s Bible Lesson Video Series

As a missionary pastor whose family is now homeschooling, I wanted to make a resource available to Christian families who want good gospel-centered Bible lessons to show their children and discuss with them. This is the first video of my “God Is” series of Bible lessons for children. It looks at the topic “God is Holy” and seeks to help kids understand what “holy” means. The video is 7 minutes long and can be viewed high-def.

If you’re having trouble viewing this video, a duplicate copy of it can also be found on YouTube here.

Go Fish


Why Share the Gospel? 14 Biblical Motivations for Witnessing

1) For the glory of God – God is worthy of worship and praise, and evangelism will bring Him what He has earned on the cross.
See Psalm 96

2) To evangelize is to fight evil with the most effective weapon for doing so.
See Jonah 1:2

3) The lost world around us needs our witness, and waits for it in the storms of life, so that they may be spared God’s wrath—our witness being the means by which God has chosen to set them free.
See Jonah 1:7-11

4) Because even though you’ve failed in the past, you’re still called.
See Jonah 3:1-3a

5) Because sometimes a great harvest is awaiting you among the “least likely.”
See Jonah 3:5-10

6) To walk with God means to put aside our needs and share His sacrificial concerns for the lost.
See Jonah 4:10-11

7) Because of eternal reward He offers –
See Luke 19:11-26
Also note that every NT writer and almost every NT book holds out reward for a motivation to serve God well, and serving Him in evangelism is one way that is key to this reward. Jesus not only suggested we seek heavenly reward, but commanded us to.

8) Because of the needs you see and the compassion He gives you.
See Matthew 9:35-38

9) Because somehow, somewhere, you will have success.
See Mark 4:8; and Gal. 6:9

10) Because He protects you.
See Acts 26:16-18

11) Because He compels you.
See 1 Cor. 9:16; and Acts 4:18-20

12) Because He chooses, calls, and sends you.
See Acts 26:16-18

13) Because of all that the lost will receive after you proclaim Christ to them – a) open eyes, b) a turning from darkness to light, c) deliverance from Satan to God, d) forgiveness of sins, e) a place among us who are already His, f) sanctification, g) saving faith in Him-a relationship.
See Acts 26:16-18

14) Because it is a matter of obedience.
See Luke 5:5-6 –What God needs from us in evangelism isn’t our opinion or viewpoint; just our obedience to fish when and where He says, just because He says so.

The Whole Bible in a nutshell?


So what is the Bible really all about? Is there a single theme—a major message—that can be worded concisely, to help someone quickly understand the point of God’s message for us?
Perhaps the point is: “Be good. God is watching.” Or maybe, “Be unselfish to please others, and you’ll be happy.” Or something like, “It will all work out in the end. Justice will prevail, with bad people punished like they deserve, and good people rewarded the same.”
Well, those are some ideas of what people might think the Bible is about, but they all miss the real point.
The good news is we don’t have to guess. Because the Bible already provides an accurate summary description of itself. Calling itself “the Scriptures,” in a passage Paul wrote, the Bible has this to say about just what God’s most important truth is: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:3-4)
That’s the bottom line. That Christ died for our sins, and rose from the dead. It was prophesied in the part of the Bible written before it happened, and it is the banner theme of the part of the Bible written afterward. Christ died for our sins, and rose again.
Notice that it doesn’t just say He died and arose. A lot of nice, religious people know He did that, but still don’t get the point of the Bible, and still don’t have a relationship with God. You need to understand WHY Jesus died to know what God is saying. He died “for our sins.” He didn’t die to found a religion. He didn’t die to set an example of sacrificial living that will please God. He didn’t die for “original sin” or for “the sins of Adam.” He didn’t die to show you how to live, and He didn’t die to show you how to die.
He died for your sins.
He died in your place.
Now, whether you’ve ever read the Bible or not, you already knew all about sin. It’s the reason you lock your doors before going to bed at night. And you already knew that you are a sinner. It’s the reason you wouldn’t want anyone to know about a lot of the secrets you keep.
And when you stand before God, God wants you to know that He isn’t okay with the fact that you have sinned. He isn’t willing to overlook even one of your sins, much less the whole load of them you’ve built up over a lifetime. God is holy. He is perfect. He is totally righteous in all He does. And He will not accept even a little bit of sinfulness into heaven under any circumstances.
But He loves you and me, and wants us to live with Him forever, even though we can’t if there are any sins on our record.
So He did what was necessary to satisfy both His righteous justice and His merciful love. He became a Man—the Man Christ Jesus. He lived a perfect life in our place. And then, even though there was no guilt in Him, He died on the cross. He died for our sins. The Bible had said He would hundreds of years before He came. And in accordance with the Scriptures, He did just what He had promised. He died for our sins.
That means He absorbed all of the punishment of God that we deserve for our sins. So that God could justly punish all of our wrongs, big and small, and still forgive us. Even though we can’t earn the forgiveness for ourselves. He earned it for us by not sinning and by taking the punishment in our place.
But He didn’t just die for our sins—He also came back to life. Because of that, He can be our Savior today, and give to us the eternal life in heaven that He earned in our place by living a perfect life.
You already knew you have sinned. You already knew sin deserves punishment. Now, thanks to God’s word in the Bible, you also know that you can escape the punishment you deserve because of what Christ has done for you.
That’s the message of the Bible for you, in a nutshell. And you must respond to it by personally trusting Christ as your Savior, in order to receive the benefits of Christ’s death in your place. Just knowing about it isn’t enough. You have to make the decision to trust in Christ alone to save you, and commit yourself to that belief. Those who don’t trust in Christ alone as their Savior will die with their sins unforgiven, and they will go to hell for eternal punishment.
Come to Jesus today for salvation. Tell Him you believe you have sinned and deserve punishment. Tell Him you believe that He loves you and died in your place on the cross. Tell Him you are trusting in Him alone to forgive you, cleanse you of sin, and give you eternal life in heaven, just as He promised.
Indeed He does promise that to everyone who comes to Him believing that message. The message God wrote for you in His word. “Christ died for our sins… and He was raised.”