http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/ en legacychurchsc@aol.com Copyright 2011 2011-06-29T19:54:01+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/moving-to-facebook-for-a-season/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/moving-to-facebook-for-a-season/#When:19:54:01Z Greetings to all who check in on occasion to read my blog. First...Thanks! It means a lot that you would take the time and value my ramblings. I am honored you would stop by. Second...I am going to write on my FACEBOOK site for awhile to influence that arena. You are invited to be a "friend" and keep up that way if you would like, but I wanted to let any interested parties know that this site would probably be silent for awhile. I will probably be back, but statistically I can reach even more people this way. Hope you understand... So, I hope to see you on FACEBOOK...God Bless! 2011-06-29T19:54:01+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/getting-something-out-of-worship/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/getting-something-out-of-worship/#When:13:21:51Z I was recently sent an article from a Legacy member that really hit the mark when it comes to worship and how we approach it. Instead of re-writing it, I decided to let it stand as it was written, for the gentleman did an excellent job in identifying our current cultural challenge in worshiping God. Enjoy! Pastor Baird…   Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name (Psalm 29:2). It's Sunday around noonish. As the congregation files out of the sanctuary heading toward the parking lot, listen closely and you will hear it. It's a common refrain voiced near the exit doors of churches all across this land. "I didn't get anything out of that today." "I didn't get anything out of the sermon." "I didn't get anything out of that service." "I guess her song was all right, but I didn't get anything out of it." Sound familiar? Not only have I heard it countless times over these near-fifty years in the ministry, I probably have said it a few times myself. This is like dry rot in a congregation. Like a termite infestation in the building. Like an epidemic afflicting the people of the Lord, one which we seem helpless to stop. But let's try. Let's see if we can make a little difference where you and I live, in the churches where we serve and worship. We might not be able to help all of them, but if we bless one or two, it will have been time well spent. 1. You are Not Supposed to 'Get Anything Out of the Service' Worship is not about you and me. Not about "getting our needs met." Not about a performance from the pastor and singer and choir and musicians. Not in the least. 2. Worship is About the Lord "Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name." That Psalm 29:2 verse atop our article today is found also in I Chronicles 16:29 and Psalm 96:8.It deserves being looked at closely. a) We are in church to give. Not to get. Now, if I am going somewhere to "get," but find out on arriving, I am expected to "give," I am one frustrated fellow. And that is what is happening in the typical church service. People walk out the door frustrated because they didn't "get." The reason they didn't is that they were not there to "get," but to "give." Someone should have told them. b) We are giving glory to God. Not to man. We know that. At least we say we do. How many times have we recited, "...for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory"? And how often have we sung, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow..."? c) We do so because glory is His right. He is "worthy of worship." This is the theme of the final book of the Bible.  "Who is worthy?" (Rev. 5:2)  "You are worthy...for you were slain, and have redeemed us" (Rev. 5:9).  "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" (Rev. 5:12).  3. Self-centeredness Destroys All Worship If my focus is on myself when I enter the church--getting my needs met, learning something, hearing a lesson that blesses me, being lifted by the singing--then Christ has no part in it. He becomes my servant, and the pastor (and all the other so-called performers) are there only for me. It's all about me. We have strayed so far from the biblical concept of worship--giving God His due in all the ways He has commanded--it's a wonder we keep going to church. And it's an even greater wonder that our leaders keep trying to get us to worship. The poor preacher! Trying to cater to the insatiable hungers of his people, even the best and most godly among them, is an impossible task. One week he gets it right and eats up the accolades. Then, about the time he thinks he has it figured out, the congregation walks out grumbling that they got nothing out of the meal he served today. The typical congregation in the average church today really does think the service is all about them--getting people saved, learning the Word, receiving inspiration to last another week, having their sins forgiven, taking an offering to provision the Lord's work throughout the world. Anything wrong with those things? Absolutely not. But if we go to church to do those things, we can do them. But we will not have worshiped. Warren Wiersbe says, "If you worship because it pays, it will not pay." 4. Evangelism & Discipleship, Giving & Praying, Grow Out of Worship; Not the Other Way Around The disciples were worshiping on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled them and drove them into the streets to bear a witness to the living Christ (Acts 2). Isaiah was in the Temple worshiping when God appeared to him, forgave his sins, and called him as a prophet to the people (Isaiah 6). It was in the act of worship that the two distraught disciples had their eyes opened to recognize Jesus at their table (Luke 24). 5. We are to Give Him Worship and Glory in the Ways Scripture Commands "Give to the Lord the glory due His name and bring an offering." So commands I Chronicles 16:29 and Psalm 96:8. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart--these, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17) Singing, praise, rejoicing. Praying, offering, humbling, loving. All these are commanded in worship at various places in Scripture. The Lord Jesus told the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, "Those who worship God must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). That is, with their inner being, the totality of themselves, their spirit, not just their lips or their bodies going through the motions. And in truth--the revealed truth of how God has prescribed worship to take place. He is not pleased with "just anything" that we claim as worship. We must balance our worship between spirit (the subjective part: body, soul, emotions) and truth (the objective aspect: all that God has revealed in His word). 6. We Are the Ones Who Decide Whether We Worship upon Entering the House of the Lord Don't blame the preacher if you don't worship. He can't do it for you. No one else can eat my food for me, love my cherished ones in my place, or do my worshiping for me. No pastor can decide or dictate whether we will worship by the quality of his leadership or the power of his sermon. Whether I worship in today's service has absolutely nothing to do with how well he does his job. I am in charge of this decision. I decide whether I will worship. When Mary sat before the Lord Jesus, clearly worshiping, He informed a disgruntled Martha that her sister had "chosen the good part," something that "will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42). That something special was time spent in worship. Such moments or hours are eternal. Lest someone point out that Martha could have worshiped in her kitchen by her service for Christ, we do not argue, but simply point out that she was not doing so that day. 7. Remember: Worship is a Verb And it's an active verb at that. Worship is something we do, not something done to us. In the worst of circumstances, I can still worship my God. In the Philippians prison, while their backs were still oozing blood from the beating they'd received, Paul and Silas worshiped (Acts 16:25). Even if a church has no pastor and has to make do with a stuttering layman or some inept fill-in, I can still bow before the Lord, offer Him my praise, and give Him my all. I can humble before Him and I can bring my offering. What I cannot do is leave church blaming my failure to worship on the poor singing, the boring sermon, or the noise from the children in the next pew. I am in charge of the decision whether I will worship, and no one else. Someone has pointed out that ours is the only nation on earth where church members feel they have to have "worshipful architecture" before they can adequately honor the Lord. Millions of Christians across the world seem to worship just fine without any kind of building. Believers in Malawi meet under mango trees, according to retired missionary Mike Canady, and their worship is as anointed as anyone's anywhere. (What? No stained glass!) Our insistence on worshipful music, worship settings, and worshipful everything are all signs of our disgusting self-centeredness. It's disgusting because I see it in myself, and do not like it. No one enjoys a great choir more than I. I love to hear a soloist transport us all into the Throne room by his/her vocal offering in the service. A great testimony of God's grace and power thrills me. And of course, being a preacher, I delight in hearing a sermon that you feel is direct from the heart of God. But if I require any one or all of those before I can worship, something is vastly wrong with me. My friends, something is vastly wrong with us today. Dr. Joe McKeever is a Preacher, Cartoonist, and the Director of Missions for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans. Visit him at joemckeever.com/mt.Used with permission. 2011-06-01T13:21:51+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/where-is-the-match/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/where-is-the-match/#When:18:15:08Z I just reread the amazing book by Elton Trueblood, "The Incendiary Fellowship". While written in 1967, it still outlines the need for a baptism with "fire" in the church today. His point in simplicity is this...the church needs to be IGNITED again. I would recommend it as standard reading for those committed to an expression of church life that is both passionate, powerful, and focused on God's purpose.   There are some wonderful passages in the Scripture concerning this ignition. Perhaps the best is Luke 12:49; where Christ Himself states, "I came to cast fire upon the earth". I have to agree with Trueblood and say that I believe Jesus meant that He came to ignite something. Something more than an organization or enterprise; but really a movement. He called that movement "The Church".   I have mentioned on other occasions that I have the high honor of being a part of two great national movements involving pastors. One is the Network of Related Pastors (NRP) which focuses on relationship and "fathering" men and women in the ministry. The second is The Remnant Movement which focuses on integrity, character, and the restoration of credibility behind the pulpit. Both groups fit each other's purposes well and both groups give me a national breadth of awareness that is absolutely priceless.   On the same day there were two words which came forth that fit together so well that it deserves repeating (forgive my synopsis and generalization for space sake). The first report was a general observation by those qualified to report that there is a hunger in the earth for people to know and experience more of the things of the Spirit. This would include things like: The laying on of hands, deliverance, spiritual language (tongues), and the gifts of the Spirit. We seem to be on the forefront of a genuine hunger in the earth to embrace and understand these things again in the life of the church. The second report is one I have touched on numerous occasions and that is the last two decade approach of being "embarrassed" by the activity of the Holy Spirit. The overall ministerial philosophy that seeks to put anything unusual or uncontrollable in another ministry forum besides Sunday morning. The reason for this, as was taught to us, was due to the lack of credibility the next generation has seen in the lives and ministry of many full-gospel / Pentecostal pastors and leaders. The two lessons seem diametrically different, but in truth are paradoxically tied together.   It is true that the silliness of much of what we have seen in the Charismatic world has turned a generation back to its denominational safety nets. Between gross distortions of the prosperity message and the immorality of its leaders at the most visible levels, who can really blame a generation for "checking out". Who can blame the next generation pastors for putting all that stuff "in the closet and let's just focus on reaching the lost and bridging the gap through seeker-sensitive methods". If I was exposed to a constant three-ring religious circus for years, who knows where I would have landed. That doesn't make pushing the Holy Spirit away right...it just gives me a sense of empathy for those who have.   That being said, the good news is that there is a hunger for a genuine expression of the living Lord in our midst and wherever there is hunger for the Presence of God there is the possibility of renewal, revival, and awakening.   BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN IGNITION!   There needs to be the fire of the Holy Spirit dropped on all these hungry hearts who desire to see Him move in power. That was really the recipe for the Day of Pentecost. There were 120 hungry hearts seeking God for ignition. When the moment came, one of the accompanying signs were "cloven tongues of fire". Could that have been God's sign that He was "igniting" them for His purposes? I tend to think...yes!   I have always been committed to giving the Holy Spirit room in every service and forum we present at Legacy Church. I have always thought that I have done my best to be sensitive to His direction and desire for whatever service we were in. I really believe that we are living in days when pastors from all over the nation (including this one) are going to have to pray for even greater sensitivity and responsiveness to the moving of the Spirit. There is a window that is opening that I sense is the beginning of a mighty outpouring to ignite God's people again for the Harvest. I have no clue as to what it may look like, but I can tell that the Lord is doing something to prepare my heart and my discernment for such a moment. As you think to pray for your pastor and your church, ask the Lord to help them to recognize the moment of His manifestation and welcome it. I want the real deal this time!   Let me end with a great hymn by Trueblood himself that we can use as our prayer:   Thou, whose purpose is to kindle: Now ignite us with Thy fire; While the earth awaits Thy burning With Thy passion us inspire. Overcome our sinful calmness, Rouse us with redemptive shame; Baptize with Thy fiery Spirit, Crown our lives with tongues of flame.   Thou, Who, in Thy Holy Gospel, Wills that man should truly live: Make us sense our share of failure, Our tranquility forgive. Teach us courage as we struggle In all liberating strife; Lift the smallness of our vision, By Thine own abundant life.   Thou, who still a sword delivers, Rather than a placid peace: With Thy sharpened Word disturb us, From complacency, release! Save us now from satisfaction, When we privately are free, Yet are undisturbed in spirit, By our brother's misery.   May it be so... Pastor 2011-05-13T18:15:08+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/what-if-there-is-no-hell/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/what-if-there-is-no-hell/#When:20:16:52Z   If only it were true...   That would make things much easier. No need to evangelize. No need to preach. No need to disciple, train, and send. No need to send missionaries. No need to raise money to support those who would respond to the call to go. No need to start more churches. No need to read your Bible because it would be full of lies because of this subject. No need to take Jesus seriously because He missed it on the Rich man and Lazarus. Frankly, if Hell is not real and everyone gets to go to "heaven" (if we are even sure that is real), then we might as well close the doors on all the churches and go home.   If only it were true...   C.S. Lewis once was told of a gravestone inscription that read, "Here lies an atheist - all dressed up and nowhere to go". Lewis quietly replied, "I bet he wishes that were so".   You see, without going into total apologetic mode and proving by the preponderance of the Biblical evidence that Jesus and the other writers of Scripture were talking about a real place, can I just say that intuitively I believe that such a place HAS to exist. It has to exist because I believe that evil and wickedness must face its final justice and judgment. I have a hard time buying into the notion that Adolph Hitler gets a pass on the 6 million Jews he was directly guilty of exterminating. I have a hard time believing that Joseph Stalin gets his "heaven ticket" stamped after sending over 10 million to death camps in Siberia. I have a hard time believing that the pilots of those planes on 9/11 get a handshake from St. Peter as they stroll into the celestial city. Do I have to go on? Do we really think that every unrepentant child molester, murderer, serial killer, and despot gets an automatic pass?   In a national poll conducted several years ago by USA TODAY it was found that 67% of American adults said they believed in hell but less than 25% believed they would go there. However, 25% believed they had friends that would be there. The Barna research Group did a recent study and found that 25% of those who call themselves "born-again" Christians said that ALL people are eventually saved or accepted by God and it doesn't matter what religious faith you follow because they all teach the same thing and an even larger percentage (40%) indicate that they believe Christians and Muslims worship the same God. That's right...I said 40% of those describing themselves as "born-again". I will save you from the rest of the statistics on other important truths...it gets worse.   Now perhaps you can understand why I feel like discipleship is of paramount importance in our church and every church that seeks fidelity to God and the Scriptures. Whether you believe Hell to be unfashionable or not...it is all too real.   Let me simply leave you with this...   God wants no one in hell. I repeat...no one. He does not send people there any more than an earthly judge capriciously sends people to prison. People go there because of CHOICES they have made. Don't blame God. He is like the man on the side of the road waving frantically to keep you from driving off the cliff and when you choose to ignore him, you then blame him for the cliff and your destruction instead of your choice to heed the warning. This whole theological argument over hell is really the natural landing place of a culture that refuses to take personal responsibility for any of their choices...even eternal ones. God is holy, perfect, just...as well as merciful, kind, and loving. He sent His son, Jesus Christ that whosoever believes in Him would not have to go to such a place.   Personally, I am glad our society is wrestling with the question of Hell. Perhaps in the midst of all the intellectual bantering the Holy Spirit might have a place to reach into the hearts of some and answer the question on the cover of TIME magazine. Last time I read the Bible...I can count on the Holy Spirit leading them straight to Jesus.   Planting a Cross Pastor Baird 2011-04-27T20:16:52+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/situational-theology/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/situational-theology/#When:16:01:35Z Most folks don't know this but my wife has 2 degrees in theology. What makes that great is that by and large she is more Biblically knowledgeable than most church goers and it makes for great late night conversations when there is little to watch on the TV. For years we have had some of the most interesting theological discussions sitting around the living room. We have often said that one of the reasons our marriage has grown over 29 years is that we always have something to talk about.   Our last conversation was over the concept of consistency in our beliefs and then ultimately our actions. It is amazing how much of people's belief system exists that is theologically inconsistent and therefore causes them as a believer to live inconsistently as well. She came up with a great phrase...SITUATIONAL THEOLOGY. (A close cousin of situational ethics)   Case in point: There is a valid scriptural doctrine of the security of the believer, however many people have developed it this way...My family member (son, daughter, dad, mom, or favorite aunt) passed away unexpectedly in a state of practicing rebellion. Since I cannot imagine them in hell I have decided to ignore certain passages of Scripture concerning this and only focus on the ones that seem to justify what I want. That is called...SITUATIONAL THEOLOGY.   Or how about what Charismatics have done for years by emphasizing PROSPERITY and BLESSING, but ignoring SACRIFICE and SIMPLICITY? Or emphasizing the NOW aspect of the Kingdom in neglect of the THEN aspect of the Kingdom? Or how it is all about blessing ME in neglect of the passages that call us to reach out to ONE ANOTHER? Or the passages of personal WEALTH and POSITION to the neglect of being POOR IN SPIRIT and a SERVANT? It is called...SITUATIONAL THEOLOGY.   Situational theology is when we adapt, change, amend, ignore, or otherwise overlook what we know to be true because the situation we are in is more conveniently handled or understood by compromising the precept. We all have probably tried to doing it on occasion. Hopefully, most of us found ourselves convicted by the Holy Spirit and got back on the right track. It's an easy thing to slip into because of the carnal heart. We have to constantly monitor our scope of selfishness, but monitor it we must.   Some years ago now I found myself as a Pastor slipping into situational theology. I found myself reading "around" certain passages that were challenging, abrupt, hard, or even corrective. When you are enjoying what many called success or favor, you don't want to do anything to mess that up (like you had anything to do with it any way). So, you parse every word carefully and make sure you don't rub any listener wrong and after awhile you carefully avoid any subject that could "mess up the momentum". Find that hard to believe? You shouldn't...it is done regularly by many servants of God. Even the servants of Lord are subject to deception due to the carnal heart. Sometimes we avoid the correction or conviction by saying, "We aren't called to talk on that subject" or "That's just not my personality or anointing", but really we are just avoiding what is inconvenient for the moment. In Ezekiel's day, the prophet prophesied against shepherds and prophets who spoke "flattering divination" and "false vision". These were genuine prophets and shepherds of Yahweh, but they had slowly amended their ministry to only include the things people liked to hear. Don't misunderstand this point...they were using the Scripture...but only parts of it. That is called...SITUATIONAL THEOLOGY.   I am not sure that anyone can claim perfection in application when it comes to the whole counsel of God, but I do think we need to ask ourselves on occasion whether or not we are in good faith attempting it. I can clearly remember the day so many years ago when I was literally looking at myself in a mirror and the words came out of my mouth, "What have you become?" I saw a preacher who was more concerned with his earthly success and reception, than with God's endorsement and affirmation. It was a turning point. I believe the Bible calls that...repentance. You see, you cannot have true Divine blessing unless you are willing to follow all the Divine pattern (Bible). We cannot compartmentalize what we like and don't like. We either take it all...or leave it. I don't see much room for negotiation with the Almighty.   You may have heard the old saying, "It takes one to know one". The reason I can write on this is because I can so clearly see it operating in the people and pastors of American Christianity. Saying that is not judgmental...it is simple observation. It doesn't mean that EVERYONE has this malady, it simply says that we are being conveniently ignorant if we believe that situational theology is not around and that it doesn't happen.   The answer? Maybe it is waking up tomorrow morning and spending some time in the mirror and taking a long candid  look at yourself and asking the question, "What have I become?" Perhaps you will sense the affirmation of the Lord (Praise God!); but if by chance you sense Him unveiling something a tad bit inconsistent...why not own up to it and get back to everything you know to do. There is something amazingly peaceful when you embrace the whole thing.   Planting a Cross Pastor Baird 2011-04-18T16:01:35+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/spiritual-language-public-gift-vs.-private-prayer/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/spiritual-language-public-gift-vs.-private-prayer/#When:13:13:08Z I was recently at a Ministers Conference where the vast majority of attendees were of the Pentecostal / Charismatic persuasion. The main speaker was a well-known Baptist gentleman who had some amazing things to share over the 3 days we were there. The most interesting moment, however, is when he stood on the last night and preached out of Acts 2 on missions and explained to us (Pentecostals) what was "really" going on in Acts 2 when they all "spoke with other tongues". I have to admit...I either admire his confidence to approach the subject or he just had some sort of audacity to try to untangle all of us on our view of tongues. Of course, his view was the typical evangelical view that they were speaking in "known languages"...(long sigh!) I have written below a quick apologetic and hopefully an understandable article about this subject. Lots more could be said, I know, but for those who wonder why I land like I do and how I untangle certain things with regards to spiritual language, perhaps this will be a starting place. I call it: PUBLIC GIFT vs. PRIVATE PRAYER...   The most common confusion when dealing with Christians who are unfamiliar with “tongues” is to untangle the TWO aspects of spiritual language as it is taught in the Scriptures. The two manifestations of tongues are usually referred to as “prayer language” and the “gift of tongues”. One of these is used for the personal and most often private devotional use of tongues and the other is for the public gift of speaking in tongues. Many believers are confused about this and confuse the two.   I Corinthians 12:10, tells us that there is a “gift” of tongues that the Holy Spirit releases as He wills (12:11). This expression of spiritual language is to bless, help, and potentially direct the Church as a “word from the Lord” (much the same way a prophetic word would be released). I Corinthians 14:5, 14-15; instructs us that there is a tongue that can be used to pray to the Lord and that benefits the believer personally (14:4, Jude 20). These TWO elements are defined in I Corinthians 14:2, 21. In v.2, we see that there is a tongue which speaks TO GOD (prayer language). In v.21, we see a tongue that GOD SPEAKS TO US (public gift). The key to chapters 12 and 14 is to begin to see how Paul directs the usage of each and where is he talking about the prayer language in distinction from the public gift.   Many people mix this up and do not wrestle with certain concepts. For instance:   1. Why does Paul seem to both encourage and restrict the usage of tongues? (14:5, 14:19; 14:39)   2. Why does he seem to say that he uses this language in worship and prayer, yet also seems to say it causes confusion? (14:15, 14:23)   3. Why does he seem to limit its use and yet says it is a sign for unbelievers; yet seems to release it as well? (14:19, 14:22, 14:39)   As you can see, there appears to be contradictory information about the use of tongues. Is the Bible contradictory? Of course not, the only explanation is that Paul is distinguishing the use of a personal, devotional prayer language and a public use.   Now practically, it can all “sound” the same. However, there is a spiritually discernable difference between the two. You cannot evaluate the difference between the two with your natural mind or senses (I Corinthians 2:11-14). Remember, this is SPIRITUAL LANGUAGE that flows out of your spirit (inner man) and cannot be judged by the natural mind alone.   I personally believe that Paul used I Corinthians 14 to begin to untangle the confusion that was beginning to arise in Corinth concerning these two usages. I will try to walk through these verses and provide the commentary as I have come to understand it:   V.1> Obviously, love is the object of our greatest pursuit. Everything is done in love and is meaningless without it. However, we are told to PURSUE spiritual gifts (including tongues).   V.2> This is about the prayer language because you are speaking TO GOD and not men. No one should understand you because it wasn’t directed to men for their benefit.   V.3> When we speak TO PEOPLE, we should use preaching or prophecy in words which they understand.   V.4> Prayer language “builds up” and strengthens the individual (Jude 20). Of course, no one else understands it. That is why prophecy (preaching) builds up the church because all will understand that.   V.5> Paul is glad for the expression of tongues and says that he wishes it for all. However, your personal prayer language edifies only you and not others; therefore it is even better when we build up the rest of the body through prophecy. The exception is when the public gift is exercised and INTERPRETED so the entire church can be built up as it is when there is preaching.   V.V.6-9> Paul reemphasizes the point that if we were to look at EACH OTHER and talk to EACH OTHER and speak in tongues, that would be fruitless. It would “spitting sounds in the wind” or as he says, “a trumpet with an uncertain sound”. So we should speak in a language of understanding TO EACH OTHER, in order that we might be helped.   V.10> But Paul reminds his readers that there are ALL KINDS OF LANGUAGE (known and unknown / natural and spiritual). He says that all are significant.   V. 11-13> Paul illustrates the need for understanding again and states that if a person has the “GIFT” of tongues to be used by God TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE, then it must be interpreted BY THE PERSON WHO GIVES THE PUBLIC TONGUE.   V.V.14-15> Paul states that he is able, by an act of the “will” to release his spirit (inner man) and PRAY in tongues and he doesn’t understand all that he is saying. SO…he practices both praying and singing in the spirit as he wills. (NOTICE: The gift of tongues in public is as God wills. The personal devotional tongue is released as Paul wills.)   V.V.16-19> Uninterpreted public tongues (GOD SPEAKING TO PEOPLE) is worthless. However, this has nothing to do with personal prayer language (YOU SPEAKING TO GOD). Please note VERSE 28! Paul says if there is no interpreter then the person with the public tongue is to be silent (in giving the public tongue) and “speak to himself and TO GOD”. (This means he is allowed the use of his devotional, personal tongue in the church.)       SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT TONGUES THROUGH THE YEARS   1. In the  years of Legacy’s existence we have had only four or five manifestations of the public tongue. Four were on target and were interpreted by the people who released it at the appropriate time. There was a great sense of order. On one occasion there was a release that was of the flesh. (How do you know? It is spiritually discerned and obvious.) That tongue was publicly corrected.   2. Can there be demonic tongues? Yes, I experienced this while in Russia that people would speak in an “unknown tongue” before they would accept Jesus into their life. You could sense the attempt to detour you from the prime purpose of receiving Jesus and your discernment was instantly piqued. Again, these things are spiritually appraised. It took Paul “many days” to discern the spirit of the girl who had a demon spirit in Acts 16:16. The enemy likes to counterfeit legitimate things to keep believers confused.   3. I believe people can be Baptized with the Holy Spirit and not speak in tongues. For me it is not THE evidence, but should be an anticipated aspect of the Spirit-filled life.   4. Tongues is not “irrational” speech, it is “transrational” speech. It does not violate the mind, but rather transcends the mind. It is the language of another realm. It is the language of the inner man.   5. I can pray in the spirit at will. I cannot give a public tongue at will. One is a choice on my part as God is moving in me. The other is a sovereign unction that comes as the Spirit wills it. Personally, I have never been used in giving a public tongue although I pray in the spirit regularly.     REFUTING COUNTER-ARGUMENTS   1. “We never read that Jesus spoke in tongues”. That is true. It is also true that we never read that Jesus ever went to the bathroom. Jesus never said the word “trinity”, “rapture”, or “original sin”; yet we embrace the thought that He was “for” these concepts. An argument from silence proves nothing. 2. I Corinthians 13: 8 states that “tongues have ceased”. That is true in reference to what is the “perfect” thing (v.10). Cessasionists believe that the “perfect” thing is the canonization of Scripture. Many, many people believe it to be the 2nd coming of Christ. 3. Tongues are “known languages” as is demonstrated in the book of Acts. Not exactly. If you read carefully the Bible tells us that the disciples were ALL speaking in tongues (GLOSSALALEO) and they were thought of as “drunk”. The Bible also says the crowd was “confused”. Why? Slurred speech perhaps. Giddy? Interestingly, their tongues were not interpreted but we are told the crowd “heard” in their own language (DIALECTOS). They were perplexed and amazed in the crowd. (Have you ever been amazed at someone who speaks in your language? Probably not.) Something more was happening here. I believe they were speaking in spiritual language (unknown tongue) and the miracle was that they “heard” (or received revelation) from God Himself. 4. People can fake this. Yes they can. But the presence of a fake only reinforces the genuine article. You cannot “fake” what doesn’t exist. Furthermore, if a “fake” means to avoid something then we would have to avoid loving people because people “fake” love. People “fake” Christianity. There are “fake” preachers and teachers, yet that does not deter us from the real thing.   CONCLUSION   The bottom line on either point concerning public and private tongues is that Paul said (14:39) that we were not to forbid the speaking in tongues. There is an old aphorism that went something like this: Abuse and misuse does not equal disuse. People can criticize the Pentecostal / Charismatic movement for lots of good reasons (believe me, I have and do). However, this is not a movement issue, this is a Biblical issue. Current research indicates that there are over 537 MILLION Christians who testify about the personal use of tongues. I realize that numbers do not necessarily reflect truth, but that seems to be a significant number of people who adhere to this very ORTHODOX and historical doctrinal view. 2011-03-29T13:13:08+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/the-imbibing-believer/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/the-imbibing-believer/#When:14:53:14Z I have decided to enter the fray of a subject where in our current church culture it seems that even angels fear to tread (or at least pastors) and that is the subject of the Christian and the use of alcoholic beverages.   I know…I know…You really don’t want to hear it and you probably already know where I am headed, but I ask you for your indulgence and patience for just a few moments before you start your dissertation on the Christian’s freedom, not putting my convictions on you, and of course; Paul telling Timothy it’s OK to use wine. Will you at least hear me out and then you can go back to dealing with your stomach issue as you sip your wine cooler?   I confess…I am disappointed. The truth is that for the last several years I have been storing a notebook full of personal anecdotal tales about the use of alcohol in Christians’ lives. If I may, let me give you just a thimble full of what I have accumulated (The names were changed to protect the embarrassed):   1. Sitting with a group of pastors at a meal as one tells the story of being on a foreign field and drinking so much at dinner before service that night that he was drunk when he went to the pulpit. He laughingly concluded that it was “the best sermon he had ever preached”. I watched as the table laughed along with him.   2. The Pastor on Facebook who brazenly posts pictures of a dinner party where he and his guests are freely shown drinking.   3. The Christian family, I personally know, who post their pictures on Facebook showing their inebriated state while on vacation.   4. The Pastor and wife who routinely hide their liquor cabinet when their Bishop comes to their church or members who are “weaker believers” visit their home.   5. The church leader who was called to an emergency meeting at the church, but comes in drunk as he was sitting at home in privacy crossing the lines of supposed moderation where no one could really see.   6. The Overseer of a Christian Ministerial Fellowship who proudly posts on his blog site that he enjoys a “great steak and a good glass of wine” and reports in his blog when he has found one.   7. The Pastor at a meal who reflected easily to me, “This generation just doesn’t get the no-drinking rules of former generations. There is no sense making an issue out of it. It just alienates them”.   8. The cell group of a local church that meets in a bar at Happy Hour so they can study the Word and unwind with a beer or glass of white wine.   9. The church musicians who regularly play at the bar and imbibe on Saturday night until they are “buzzed” and “blasted”, only to play the praises of God in the sanctuary on Sunday morning.   10. The church member who desires leadership in your church but is aggravated over your alcohol abstinence policy for leadership and begrudgingly accepts the conviction only to hide his private imbibing at home until he is corrected and leaves your church to become an "elder" at another church down the street and is allowed to drink freely.   I guess I will stop there. The notebook is rather full and I suspect you are getting my point. Is it proper for a Christian to drink alcohol? Is it a sin? Is it just a matter of conscience? Is it to be left to only those the Holy Spirit convicts? What does the totality of Scripture say on the subject?   Let me start by acknowledging a couple of things:   1. I was raised up ostensibly in the holiness movement so I probably do have a built in bias and conviction on this subject. That neither makes my conclusions wrong or right, it simply tells you something about how I was taught. I will at least disclose it to you.   2. Christians have differed on this subject all through history and yes; I know that Luther had a few beers at the local tavern as he talked theology with his students. I also know that Spurgeon smoked a pipe and C.S. Lewis liked cigars. I also saw a catholic priest once down a couple of bourbons and waters. I am not sure what all that proves, except that I recognize that Christian people have differed on this subject.   3. I understand that true moderation with regards to alcohol may not be a heaven or hell question. I understand that the disciples and Jesus drank wine that had some level of alcohol content in it. I am confident all of them made it to heaven; so please don't give me the tired phrase of, "You're judging me and I know what the Bible says about judging". The whole purpose of this article is to apply the WHOLE BIBLE to our current culture accurately.   There are basically THREE positions Christians have taken on this subject:   1. PROHIBITIONISTS– These people believe that drinking alcohol for any reason at any time is morally wrong and should be absolutely prohibited. We tried this as a nation in the 1920’s and it just escalated crime. Of course, God hates sin and I can assure you that the fruit of drunkenness and lack of self-restraint is highly problematic with regards to Kingdom living, but we have to admit that he allows the possibility of sin to exist. Even in the garden, the fruit of vine was there to tempt. We may not appreciate that fact, but God allowed it to be so.   2. ABSTENTIONISTS– These people believe that the wise and prudent position is to abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages based on its destructive character and degenerating effects it has on a Christian’s testimony (not to mention more than a few Scriptures that can be used to clearly underscore God’s disapproval of it). This is where I land.   3. MODERATIONISTS– These people, in the precise biblical framework, believe that alcohol can be consumed in moderation provided it is not abused to the point of drunkenness. (Of course, is that practically possible? They would say, “Yes”.) I know a gentleman who is thoroughly convinced that he can hold a Budweiser in one hand and his Bible in the other hand, and still proclaim he is a Christian. If this person was standing on the corner with a few friends drinking a beer and you saw them, how would you distinguish who was the Christian and who wasn’t? Perhaps wait and see which one is bowing their head and gives thanks for the beer. (Just kidding…I am messing with some of you!)   There is no question that the Bible clearly condemns drunkenness and the practice of it jeopardizes one’s salvation or questions whether one has truly been converted at all (depending on whether you like Calvin or Arminius). To justify drunkenness is simply being ignorant of the overwhelming Scripture to the contrary. I will say again…the PRACTICE OF DRUNKENNESS IS FORBIDDEN IN SCRIPTURE.   But…the question remains, why abstinence? Why do I as a Pastor both PRACTICE AND PREACH that this area is one Christians need to consider abstaining in? I have come up with at least 23 reasons for me:   1. I have found 75 warnings in the Scripture condemning both the USE of alcohol and the state of drunkenness. There are more Scriptures addressing this topic than the subjects of lying, adultery, swearing, cheating, hypocrisy, pride, and even blasphemy.   2. As a pastor I have listened to church members lament the destruction alcohol has brought to their households and families and grieve over the testimony their brothers and sisters in Christ leave them as they drink with carelessness before their eyes and the eyes of their children. In other words, drinkers are blowing their testimony with many whether they care or not.   3. Despite the “so-called” beneficial effects of moderate alcohol use, it is equally substantiated that alcohol kills brain cells and delays our thinking, reactions, and self-control. As a Christian I desire to remain on the alert “in season and out of season” and alcohol is counter-productive to that end.   4. Because in Bible times the average person did not strap themselves and their children into large metal boxes weighing a couple of tons and propel themselves inside those boxes at speeds regularly beyond 100 feet per second within a few feet of other people doing the same thing; therefore, the stakes of risking impaired judgment by alcohol use back then is nowhere near the same as we face today. Alcohol has the potential to greatly impair my reaction time and my discernment. It is not wise to put it in my system and operate heavy machinery which includes driving a car.   5. Because so many choose to operate their lives and their automobiles in an inebriated state and cause over 60,000 deaths a year on our nation’s roads, I do not want to be a part of something that has caused so much pain and heart-ache for so many people.   6. The alcohol industry promotes responsible use of the beverages publicly, however privately they lobby for lax laws concerning the use of their product. I refuse to support with my money an industry that practices such blatant hypocrisy.   7. I recognize that a person who never takes a drink of alcohol will never become an alcoholic. I believe the loving thing to do is to model abstinence myself and not lead people to their destruction.   8. Alcohol use has been linked to: Brain damage, addiction, blurred vision, slurred speech, bleeding throat, heart disease, stomach ulcers, liver damage (failure), intestinal cancer and ulcers, impotency, and osteoporosis. I choose to be healthy.   9. As a Christian I have the Holy Spirit and do not need “wine to gladden the heart”.   10. When Paul told Timothy to consume wine for his stomach ailment, one can only assume (accurately) Timothy practiced abstinence.   11. Timothy followed and imitated Paul in the faith; therefore we can assume accurately that Paul practiced abstinence as well.   12. Any alcoholic beverage over the 8%-12% proof category today would be in total violation of what was available in biblical times. Therefore, mixed drinks, margaritas, pina coladas, vodka, bourbon, gin, rum, whiskey, and the like would all easily fall under the prohibition of “strong drink” in the Scripture. We are fooling ourselves if we think our social drinking of mixed drinks is somehow condoned by God.   13. The alcohol content of biblical wine was so low that often people would have to drink and purge in order for the stomach to handle the volume of wine it would take to get drunk. The drinking of wine in the Bible was alcoholically far less than the wine and beer we have today. In fact, in biblical times they often mixed the wine with water diluting it even more. To suggest what we do today is the same thing Jesus and His disciples did is basically comparing apples and oranges.   14. Alcohol is a factor in so much crime, domestic violence, and as an entry drug to illicit drug use, it seems prudent to avoid it.   15. Nowhere in the Bible is abstaining from alcohol use frowned upon or looked upon in an unfavorable way. People who abstained from wine where commended and shown in a positive light over and over again in the Scriptures.   16. I am a parent and someday a grandparent and I plan to model that a life that is free from alcohol is more fun, rewarding, and joy-filled.   17. I do not want to be tempted to run to anything except the Lord in stress-filled times. Jesus is not nearly the crutch alcohol is to most people.   18. As a Pastor (and to be candid a Christian) I am committed to demonstrating a testimony that is as much as possible offense free and clear. People will not point to me drinking a beer and use that as an excuse to avoid the claims of the Gospel.   19. People who try to avoid the issue by comparing the moderate use of alcohol vs. the sin of drunkenness as the same as the eating of food vs. gluttony do not get the real issue. People who don’t drink alcohol don’t have to die of thirst; yet people who don’t eat will die from abstaining from food. I find this argument for drinking to be intellectual deficient.   20. I believe alcoholism is a sin and not a disease. You cannot “catch” the sin of alcoholism if you never touch it in the first place.   21. Why would I ignore the warnings from Scripture concerning its use if I wanted to live a life above the status quo?   22. Any time God called His people to a higher or more circumscribed walk with Him, especially with those that would be leaders and influencers, invariably He put an alcohol prohibition on their lives. Christians are to be “salt and light”.   23. If pastors and people feel that it is right to drink (even moderately) then they should clearly disclose this to their friends, congregants, and watching world. If everything we do is to be done for the glory of God, then it should be done proudly and without secrecy. For many, their secrecy betrays the inner working of the Holy Spirit which is convicting them of their action. I choose to live free from conviction and any judgment.   There you have it…   I seriously doubt too many minds have been changed since the beginning of this article. I “get” the era we are currently living in and I understand that for many 21st century Christians, and especially the Charismatic version, they will find the few verses that seem to indicate moderate use as being approved by God and then twist those verses to party this weekend and they will go on their merry way. Their connection to alcohol is really stronger than their commitment to reach people and be an example to them. Don’t confuse them with any facts or searching statements concerning their example. They are “free”. They have a “verse”. They won’t be “burdened” by others convictions. “If God told you that…fine, but He hasn’t spoken to me about this.” "You're judging me again". The list goes on ad nauseam.   For me…it’s disappointing.   It has truly become the Corinthian mess where we are more committed to our own liberty than we are to whether our brothers and sisters stumble over our witness. For me, it simply is another indicator of our American self-centeredness. We want, what we want, when we want it, and we want it judgment free.   I remember many years ago being away at a conference with my wife and as we were headed back to the hotel late after eating dinner one night and we bumped into another pastor “attendee” exiting the bar with a cocktail in his hand to go back to his room. He was "out of town" and could freely partake without any repercussion of a potential church member catching him. It was as if the conviction he had in his home state was now suspended because he had crossed the state line.   I just shook my head. I find myself still shaking it a lot today. On rare occasions I may teach or say something about this in my sermons, but I understand that in America, by and large, it falls on deaf ears and seared consciences. On occasion I wonder if I am just the last of an archaic model of ministry; or, am I to be a voice that God might use to usher in His Glory because we take holiness seriously? I have to admit, I get tired of watching people flock to those ministries where their personal liberty is rarely if ever challenged.   I have decided that I am going to keep my perspective on alcohol. Somehow I don't think me stopping by a neighborhood bar after a tough day of ministry to pop a "cold one" would really be advantageous in my witness to a watching world. I suspect it would either be used to justify other's abuse of drinking or to illustrate Christian's inconsistencies and hypocrisies. Either way, it isn't worth it to me. My conviction has served me well for nearly 34 years now. I have no regrets. I personally don’t feel like I have missed a thing (except perhaps a hangover or two, not to mention vomiting, blood poisoning, etc.). In fact, the Bible tells me that God has always used peculiar and uncommon people.     That’s good to remember…I can qualify for that. 2011-03-22T14:53:14+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/rob-bell-and-universalism/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/rob-bell-and-universalism/#When:15:11:11Z This is going to be a long blog...be forewarned! I have been asked by a few about the swirl around Rob Bell, Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan and general pot stirrer to the Body of Christ. He is becoming famous (or perhaps I sould say infamous) concerning his elusive theological views on Hell and what is known as universalism (which means when it all shakes out, everyone gets to go to heaven). Where does a Bible believing person even start with that? Pastor Bell is a part of what has been defined as the "Emergent Church Movement" (google it and research it for yourself for it would take too long to add that here as well.) To be short...truth is emerging and in no way can be said to be absolute. I know...that is troubling...and heretical. In my mind, it is the logical and expected conclusion to seeker-sensitive philosophy gone crazy, which is ostensibly, "give the people what they want". Who wouldn't want a ticket to heaven that could get stamped by Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Allah, the tree, a cow, or yourself? It makes the Cross avoidable. That, my friends, is not Biblical. He has written a new book which is trendy and becoming popular and I thought I would simply give you a "head's up" and let you read a review which I believe does an excellent job in critquing his premise and outcome. For those of you who are adverse to theological discussion then you should stop reading here. But if you want to keep sharp on the current "fad" in Christian heretical preaching, you may want to read on.   Love Wins - A Review of Rob Bell's New Book by: Tim Challies Questions matter. They can help you to grow deeper in your knowledge of the truth and your love for God—especially when you’re dealing with the harder doctrines of the Christian faith. But questions can also be used to obscure the truth. They can be used to lead away just as easily as they can be used to lead toward. Ask Eve. Enter Rob Bell, a man who has spent much of the last seven years asking questions in his sometimes thought-provoking and often frustrating fashion. And when he’s done asking, no matter what answers he puts forward, it seems we’re only left with more questions. This trend continues in his new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, where Bell poses what might be his most controversial question yet: Does a loving God really send people to hell for all eternity? The questions you probably want answers to as you read this review are these: Is it true that Rob Bell teaches that hell doesn’t exist? Is it true that Rob Bell believes no one goes to hell? You’ll just need to keep reading because, frankly, the answers aren’t that easy to come by. How he asks the question is just as important as the question itself. “Has God created billions of people over thousands of years only to select a few to go to heaven and everyone else to suffer forever in hell? Is this acceptable to God? How is this ‘good news’?” They say that the person who frames the debate is going to win the debate. That is especially true when the debate is framed in this way, through these particular questions. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. No offense, and no pun intended. The Toxic Subversion Of Jesus’ Message Bell begins the book with surprising forthrightness: Jesus’ story has been hijacked by a number of different stories that Jesus has no interest in telling. “The plot has been lost, and it’s time to reclaim it.” (Preface, vi) A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better…. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’ message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear. (ibid) You may want to read that again. It really says that. And it really means what you think it means. Though it takes time for that to become clear. Heaven Is A Place On Earth—and We Are Making It Bell frames much of the book around time and place, around what the Bible means when it speaks of the when and where of heaven and hell. He points to Revelation 21, citing that the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, is coming down to the new earth. He also affirms that heaven is a real place where God’s will alone is done and that at present, heaven and earth are not yet one (pp. 42-43). These are points that few Christians could seriously question. His argument progresses to this: Because heaven will eventually come to earth, if we’re to take heaven seriously, we must take the suffering that exists in the world seriously now. Therefore, we are called to participate “now in the life of the age to come. That’s what happens when the future is dragged into the present” (p. 45). In light of this, humanity’s role within creation is redefined so that we are not so much stewards as we are God’s partners, “participating in the ongoing creation and joy of the world” (p. 180), and engaging in creating a new social order with Jesus (p. 77). This language of partnering and participating is frequently applied by Bell to causes of social justice. But what about hell? Is hell a future reality or a present one? Is it an earthly reality or one that exists elsewhere? Hell appears to be more about what we do to each other than what we’ve done to God. Bell reads Jesus’ warnings of divine punishment as addressing only the temporal, rather than both the temporal and the eternal. These warnings were for the religious leaders of the day, and had very little to do with some other reality or some other time, he argues (pp. 82-83). Instead, hell is “a word that refers to the big, wide, terrible evil that comes from the secrets hidden deep without our hearts all the way to the massive, society-wide collapse and chaos that comes when we fail to live in God’s world God’s way” (p. 95). There’s no fire and no wrath, at least, none that is extrinsic to us. Does Rob Bell deny the existence of hell? He would say no. We would say yes. He affirms, but only after redefining. And that’s just a clever form of denial. Exegetical Gymnastics Understanding what Bell truly believes and what he is truly seeking to teach can be a battle. The reader will find himself following many rabbit trails and arriving at several dead ends. It seems that where Bell’s arguments begin to break down, he simply walks away instead of pursuing consistency and logic. This book could not stand the rigors of cross-examination. It has little cohesion, little internal strength. The reader will also find broad statements offered as fact. “At the center of the Christian tradition since the first church has been the insistence that history is not tragic, hell is not forever, and love, in the end, wins.” Is that true? It is easy to say, but can it be proven? Again and again Bell turns to the original languages but he quotes no commentaries, points to no sources. He says things like “‘forever’ is not really a category the biblical writers used.” But he offers no proof. Again, it is easy to say, but can it be proven? Can it be proven from a legitimate source? Throughout the book he engages in what can best be described as exegetical gymnastics, particularly in dealing with the Greek word aion, a small word that is crucial to his arguments. While this word is commonly translated as “eternal” or “everlasting,” Bell argues that it can also mean “age” or “period of time,” or even “intensity of experience.” Using this approach, he briefly argues from the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matt. 25:31-46) that eternal punishment isn’t eternal, but rather an intense period of pruning. Now here’s the thing: aion and aionos definitely can mean “age” or “period of time,” they also mean “eternal.” The word’s context helps us to determine its meaning. So if we assume that these words primarily mean “age” or “period of time,” what happens when we apply that definition to John 3:16 where aionos is used? For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have life for a period of time. Not as encouraging, is it? While Bell might argue here that “life abundant” might be a better fit (playing on the “intensity of experience” angle and tying it to John 10:10), at the end of the day, we’re left with an approach that gives more credence to living your best life now than it does to worshipping Jesus. The Good News Is Better Than This Throughout the book, there are a number of points where we would agree with Bell, particularly when he identifies some of the goofy things that people have concocted to make God’s absolute sovereignty palpable. But his answers are equally unsatisfying. Even his good critiques are simply a bridge to bad conclusions. As he makes his case, Bell seems to delight in being obtuse, creating caricatures of opposing views that lack logic and compassion. He paints himself as the victim of the hateful, toxic, venomous denizens of certain corners of the Internet that believe “the highest form of allegiance to their God is to attack, defame, and slander others who don’t articulate matters of faith as they do” (p. 185). Thus, Rob Bell appoints himself a martyr for his cause, and anyone who disagrees with him is preemptively silenced. It’s a useful technique, that, but hardly a fair one. Meanwhile he acts as if those who hold to the belief that, in Bell’s words, “we get this life and only this life to believe in Jesus,” a view passionately held to by the vast majority of Christians throughout history, are blowing smoke rather than dealing honestly with the Scriptures. He subtly redefines the questions and answers, and in doing so, also shifts the battle lines. As he moves those lines, he moves closer and closer to outright blasphemy. Turning on 1 Timothy 2 (where Paul states that God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth) Bell reflects on a traditional (orthodox) view of hell and asks: How great is God? Great enough to achieve what God sets out to do, or kind of great, medium great, great most of the time, but in this, the fate of billions of people, not totally great. sort of great. a little great. A God who would allow people to go to hell is not a great God, according to Bell, and the traditional belief that He would is “devastating … psychologically crushing … terrifying and traumatizing and unbearable” (pp. 136-7). God is at best sort of great, a little great—great for saving some, but evil for allowing others to perish. Dangerous words, those. It is a fearful thing to ascribe evil to God. So what of the gospel? Where is the gospel and what is the gospel? Ultimately, what Bell offers in this book is a gospel with no purpose. In his understanding of the Bible, people are essentially good, although we certainly do sin, and are completely free to choose or not choose to love God on our own terms. Even then he seems to believe that most people, given enough time and opportunity, will turn to God. In This Is Love If Love Wins accurately represents Bell’s views on heaven and hell (at least if our understanding of the book accurately represents his views on heaven and hell), it reveals him as a proponent of a kind of Christian Universalism. He would deny the label as he tends to deny any label. But if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well, you know how it goes. As soon as the door is opened to Muslims. Hindus, Buddhists, and Baptists from Cleveland, many Christians become very uneasy, saying that then Jesus doesn’t matter anymore, the cross is irrelevant, it doesn’t matter what you believe, and so forth. Not true. Absolutely, unequivocally, unalterably not true. What Jesus does is declare that he, and he alone, is saving everybody. And then he leaves the door way, way open. Creating all sorts of possibilities. He is as narrow as himself and as wide as the universe. … People come to Jesus in all sorts of ways. … Sometimes people use his name; other times they don’t. … Some people have so much baggage with regard to the name “Jesus” that when they encounter the mystery present in all of creation—grace, peace, love, acceptance, healing, forgiveness—the last thing they are inclined to name it is “Jesus.” … What we see Jesus doing again and again—in the midst of constant reminders about the seriousness of following him living like him, and trusting him—is widening the scope and expanse of his saving work. That is what we know as universalism. And it is cause for mourning. Christians do not need more confusion. They need clarity. They need teachers who are willing to deal honestly with what the Bible says, no matter how hard that truth is. And let’s be honest—many truths are very, very hard to swallow. Love does win, but not the kind of love that Bell talks about in this book. The love he describes is one that is founded solely on the idea that the primary object of God’s love is man; indeed, the whole story, he writes, can be summed up in these words: “For God so loved the world.” But this doesn’t hold a candle to the altogether amazing love of God as actually shown in the Bible. The God who “shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8), who acts on our behalf not so much because His love for us is great, but because He is great (Isaiah 48:9, Ezekiel 20:9,14,22,44, 36:22; John 17:1-5). That’s the kind of love that wins. That’s the kind of love that motivates us to love our neighbors enough to compel them to flee from the wrath to come. And our love for people means nothing if we do not first and foremost love God enough to be honest about Him. This review was co-written with my friend Aaron Armstrong who writes at Blogging Theologically. All quotes are taken from an Advance Reading Copy of the manuscript that was provided specifically for review purposes; they will be verified against a final bound copy of Love Wins following the book’s release. 2011-03-14T15:11:11+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/whatever-happened/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/whatever-happened/#When:17:00:31Z My oldest son on occasion has called me a phrase that is common among his generation of ministers...he says I am, "old school". What that means is that my mentality, at times, is more reflective of 1990 rather than 2011. This is usually in reference with regards to my "style" and "taste" in ministry presentation. To be perfectly honest, he is right at times. I don't instantly "get" the needs, wants, and desires of "generation-y" (as they are now called). I am still trying to figure out my own generation most of the time. I don't personally need all the technology, lights, and ambiance this generation seems to love and connects to, but I understand that to reach them that these things can have a place. I also know that my wardrobe dates me as I am still probably more comfortable in a suit and tie from the pulpit rather than a pair of $200 jeans and an untucked shirt with my sleeves rolled up; however, I am learning to change and adapt in these areas. I want to be relevant and reach this culture and really...who wants to be known as "old school"?   That being said...some things were never meant to change.   I started thinking the other day, whatever happened...   ...To people who truly got converted and their whole life was radically and forever changed? Unlike today where we tout our bumper stickers that say, "I'm not perfect, just forgiven" and live ostensibly the same life after meeting Jesus as we had before we met Him.   ...To the testimonies of being delivered from alcohol and drugs? Unlike today where I have been told that this generation doesn't "get" the need to let things like these drop off their lives and that certain vices of days gone by are now socially acceptable. (I noticed the other day, being a church history buff, that every awakening and revival had as a distinguishing mark the closing of bars and taverns in the region. Today, many small group ministries meet in these places for "discipleship". Am I the only one that deems that strange? Perhaps that small group will have to change venues in case of awakening.)   ...To modesty for women and manners for men? Unlike today where our words and our bodies are presented in highly sexualized and suggestive ways. Between our Facebook postings and our text messaging, the boundaries of proper relationship have deteriorated to the point that we need a new Nehemiah to rebuild those old walls again in the church. I wish I could say that it was the "world" which does this, but there are a lot of people who say they love Jesus that have never considered the circumscribed life.   ...To avoiding movies, media, and television shows that profane God and solicit unrighteousness in our minds and actions? Unlike today where we will import it into our homes through computers, cable pay per-view, and satellite dishes. We will even pay $10.00 on Saturday night to watch and hear things on movie screens that God forbids in His Word and then lift our hands on Sunday morning and sing, "You are my everything, oh Lord". Is that only strange to me?   ...To correcting our kids, teaching them respect, and following things through? Unlike today where we have our kids calling the shots in our homes and in all their choices and we wonder why there is a generation out of control.   ...To the stigma of living together before you are married? Unlike today where we find more and more couples (yes, in and out of the church) trying a few years together under the same roof to be sure they are "sexually compatible" (Because we all know that this alone is the basis for a good relationship {sarcasm} don't we?). There is no comprehension of covenant and the need for it in a relationship.   ...To church attendance and church life trumping other activities because we had a great sense of the eternal? Unlike today where even the smallest and most insignificant of options can pull us away from corporate life as believers. Even schools, that once would navigate around Sundays and Wednesdays, no longer see the need to respect those days.   The list could go one, but you get the point...whatever happened?   I know my son well enough to know that his modernity has only to do with ministry style and presentation. He sees the dysfunction as well in his ministry. It is not localized to just our region, but it is the virus in the American church.   I am working and doing my best to remain relevant in this culture. I really want to be a voice that can reach this generation with the truth of the Gospel. But I have decided that instead of sinking to everyone else's level, perhaps I can lovingly help pull a generation up to another level in devotion towards God.   I guess if that makes me a religious relic or a dinosaur...then so be it. I will put on my jeans, untuck my shirt, and turn on the intelligent lighting and declare the whole counsel of God to this generation.   Some things never change.   Planting a Cross Pastor Baird 2011-02-22T17:00:31+00:00 http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/a-response-to-the-sotu-state-of-the-union/ http://blog.legacychurchsc.org/index.php/blog/article/a-response-to-the-sotu-state-of-the-union/#When:15:14:29Z It has been awhile since I have bogged, mostly due to a lingering illness, however I have to admit that there has been precious little to get motivated to comment and opine over recently. UNTIL...last night!   I listened to the President's State of the Union Address and I have a few things I want to chime in with regards to the things he chose to talk about. I listened to some of the respondents and have read a couple of people I respect greatly with regards to their Christian viewpoint and there are a couple of things that I feel should have been addressed in this important speech.   1. Don't you think, Mr. President, that someone should talk about the terrorist threat of radical Islam? Within days of your speech, over 30 people were killed and 180 injured at the Moscow airport due to radical Islam. How long can we keep our corporate head's in the sand with regards to the link between terrorism and this religion? Why are you so reluctant to call on the carpet the nations that harbor and support these crazy people? Why won't you call out moderate Muslim voices and tell them it is time to crank up the pressure and deal with these crazy elements, even if it is only through words and press releases? How many senseless deaths must occur in the name of Allah before it crosses the threshold of our supposed tolerance and we say, "enough is enough"?   Your #1 constitutional duty, Mr. President, is to PROTECT us from this global threat. The Sputnik moment you referred to in your speech is not the continual funding of an educational system that needs more money like an obese person needs a free pass to a buffet; but rather a corporate rallying cry that deals with this deception and error once and for all!   2. You made sure you took the time to rub the repeal of, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", in the faces of the military and the citizenry; but I want to ask you if you really feel like that is the most pressing issue of our day? You affirm the overturning of thousands of years of traditional marriage structure with little thought of the residual effects it produces or the cans it will open, yet you say nothing about traditional families, marriage, or the need for stability. Why won't you stand up for the FAMILY as we have defined it for centuries? Why won't you look at the American community and tell them to quit divorcing, quit procreating out of wedlock, and start thinking about things beyond themselves?   You have what has been called, "a bully pulpit", Mr. President. You have a certain moral authority to preach to the nation the things we need to hear and be reminded. Yes, the economy is of concern and there is no doubt that there are health care issues that need untangled; but you refuse to say the hard thing to the population concerning sacrifice and just old-fashioned issues of right and wrong. You want to be the most popular person in America rather than the Leader of the Free World! You have squandered again a moment where you could have redefined your leadership and brought this nation back to the place where it would be poised for greatness again. Instead, the incremental sliding into the abyss has only continued.   3. You are to be applauded on your impassioned appeal to the most helpless amongst us. I too, am concerned over human rights in China and the Sudan. You sound quite tough when you address these nations and there continued lawless acts against humanity. But if that is your position, then why do you refuse to speak out against the current American genocide of abortion? The more we know scientifically and biologically only confirms the validity of the baby's humanity in the mother's womb. tearing up babies in the womb is a bad thing, Mr. President. It is a blight on our nation in this century as slavery was in the 19th century. Something is wrong when over 75% of abortion providers are found in inner city and minority communities and black women disproportionately abort at 5 times the rate of a white women.   You are an advocate of "big government" and feel like government should step into our live in almost any and every area, but in this one instance you choose to be a libertarian. Unfortunately, Mr. President, you are being politically schizophrenic. I am so incredibly disappointed at this point.   I continually watch these events, hoping that one day a leader will rise to the lectern and call us as a nation to the things that really matter. I have learned to live with the disappointment that in all likelihood that will never happen. However, it has reminded me that the real answer does not lie in the halls of Washington DC, but rather the halls of the House of God. So if there is anything I can say thanks to you for, Mr. President, it is this: You have provided the atmosphere for the Lord and His people to be a shining light in the midst of the Washington morass.   God Bless you Mr. President and my prayer is that your eyes will be unveiled to the real need of this hour. 2011-01-26T15:14:29+00:00