Love, Christianity, Jesus and Salvation

Leah Is With God

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:11:00 +0000

Twenty days ago I wrote a blog post about baby Leah.

Baby Leah went to live with God this morning as she was sleeping in her father's arms. She lived for 99 days. "Leah is eternally healed!"

Read her story at Caring Bridge -Leah Grace Jarmer

What Is Love?

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:44:00 +0000

The word "love" is used a lot in the Bible. The word "love" is also used a lot in our culture. But they are not the same word.

In our culture the word "love" means to feel affection for another person. To really like another person. Does the Bible command us to feel affection for others? Does it say we must like all other people? No. That's not in the Bible. What the Bible says is that we must love other people, even our enemies.

Confused?

The problem is that the English language does not have a word that accurately expresses what the Bible is saying. The closest word available is "love" but it's not very close. The ancient Greeks (the language of the New Testament) recognized the differences and they had three words that are translated into our one word... "love". One of those, agape, is talking abouit how we treat other people, not how we feel about them. When you agape (love) someone else that means you treat them in a loving manner. You may not like them, but you still treat them with loving actions.

What is a loving action? Does loving someone mean you always give them what they want? No, it does not. It means doing what is best for them.

If your children want to play in a busy street, is it loving to let them do so? No!! The loving thing is to get them out of the street no matter how much they object. That is love... caring about the welfare of the other person.

What if the other person wants to do something morally wrong? What if they are a habitual liar or shoplifter? Do you tell them it's okay, and if that's what they want to do they can continue to do those things? No! That's not loving. That's enabling them.

Loving someone does not mean we always make them feel good. By loving someone we might make then very unhappy. Our children might really enjoy playing in the street and our loving action of getting them out of the street makes them very unhappy... but it also saves their lives. Agape loving someone has nothing to do with happiness or feeling good. It has to do with truly caring about the welfare of that person.

What if we did something to protect our children when we found them playing in a busy street... We could run into the street and put orange cones around our children, and erect a sign that says "Children At Play." Instead of asking them to change their behavior, and possibly making them feel sad, we try to protect them and keep them happy. Is that the right response? No!

The correct, loving response is to get them out of the street and teach them that they need to change their behavior.

That's also the correct, loving response to someone breaking the law... whether it is civil law or God's law. Enabling them to feel good about themselves while they break the law, or enabling them to continuing breaking the law is not loving them.

Why Pro Llife?

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:08:00 +0000

That's the title of a book by Randy Alcorn. This is such a good book that we'd like to get as many copies as possible into people's hands. The normal price is $7.99, but we'll give you a copy free. Just send us $3.00 to cover the postage. You can even send postage stamps.

Send your request to:
Mission to America
P.O. Box 974
Tualatin, OR 97062

Give a copy to a friend who does not understand the harm abortion does to women.

Give a copy to a neighbor who does not understand that life starts at conception.

This offer is valid until July 4, 2009, and while supplies of the book last.

If your church or organization would like to purchase larger quantities, Randy Alcorn sells Why Pro Life? for $1.60 per copy when you purchase a case of 50 books. Visit his web site: Why Pro Life?

Doctor recommends parents kill their two month old baby.

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:42:00 +0000

She's Two Months Old - Let Her Die

Leah Grace was born on March 20, 2009. On Friday (two days ago) her doctor told Leah's parents to bring her to the hospital where she would be given a lethal medication to kill her. From the shocked look on the parent's faces the doctor assumed the hospital was not an option, so the doctor recommended they bring Leah home, but stop feeding her so she would die.

Leah does have medical problems. She will probably not live long. So the doctor says you might as well just kill her now. Murder is the better option.

Read Leah's story on Caring Bridge: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/leahgracejarmer

I really wonder if this is a foreshadow of what we'll see if we have government run health care. When health care is limited, then why care for those who appear to be dying anyway? What options will the government give you?

Here's the answer:

Oregon has a state run plan called the Oregon Health Plan. Barbara Wagner had lung cancer that was diagnosed as fatal. There are drugs that would prolong her life and improve the quality of her life. But the Oregon Health Plan said, "Sorry not covered, but we will pay for the drugs needed for your suicide." (Assisted suicide is legal in Oregon.)

Why? Because it is the official policy of the Oregon Health Plan that if you have advanced cancer, they will not provide treatment. The government will provide everything need for suicide, however. It is best that you die and get out of the way so people who are not as sick can be treated.

Welcome to government health care.

How Do You Know Which Religion Is True?

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:46:00 +0000

How would you answer this question?

Can you know which religion is true? Is more than one religion true?

We've been working on a DVD that answers this question. There are three questions you can ask to determine whether a religion is true of created by mankind. Here's the first:

Is the religion self-centered? Every religion will claim to be God centered, if they believe in a God. The way to get the answer to this question is to get the answer to another question: What happens after you die? If the answer is centered on what YOU can do, then it is a self-centered religion and thus is a false religion. Here are some examples:

Hinduism: you must live your life well within your caste. This will result in your being reincarnated into a higher level in your next life. Is this self-centered or God centered? It is self-centered and thus a false religion.

Islam: to enter paradise your good deeds must outweigh your bad deeds. Is this self-centered or God centered? It is self-centered and thus a false religion.

Christianity: there is nothing you can do to save yourself (get into heaven). Only God can save you. Is this self-centererd or God centered? It is God centered and thus is the true religion.

All religions other than Christianity are self-centered. They all claim there are things you can do to obligate God, the creator of the universe, to allow you into heaven. All other religions put man in authority over God. They say there are things you can do (good works) that then obligate God to do something for you in return. Christianity says that there is nothing we can do to obligate God to do anything. God is GOD. He is supreme. He is in charge. He is the creator and we are the created. We never have power over God. God saves us not because of what we've done, but because of what He has done... died on the cross to pay the penalty we owe for sin.

Is Revival Possible?

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:59:00 +0000

I know many people who are praying for revival or an awakening. They see it as the only hope for America. I just saw an awakening, but it was not in America... it was in India. I recently returned from a mission trip to India. Fifteen people spent 11 days putting on two concerts and witnessing door-to-door. In those 11 days over 45,000 people were exposed to the gospel and over 3,000 became Christians.

In four days of door-to-door 1-on-1 ministry the gospel was shared with over 1,750 people and 1,069 became Christians!

In America I can spend a year witnessing to ten times as many people and only one or two trust Christ. We have very hard hearts in America, solidified by our self-centered wealth and re-enforced by the strength of pride. All things come from God... both salvation and hard hearts. So can we blame God? No. Our natural condition is that of an enemy of God. We hate God and oppose Him in every way we can. It is only through God's grace that our hearts can be softened and opened to the good news of the gospel.

The Rules Of The Church

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:12:00 +0000

I was reading Colossians this morning and 2:20-23 really caught my attention. I've been studying Hinduism in preparation for a mission trip to India later this year. Hinduism is filled with rituals and other things you must do in order to please god (the gods). It is a religion with many requirements. Here is what Colossians says about the requirements religions impose on people:

"Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belong to it, do you submit to its rules: Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch! These are all destined to perish with us, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."

Paul is not saying we should ignore the civil law. He is talking about religious "laws" that people create as requirements for salvation or pleasing god. These "laws" are usually justified as having "come from god" but in reality they are a creation of men. Paul is talking about Jewish laws in this case, but this equally applies to Hindus, Mormons, Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses. They all impose "must do" laws on people.

As Christians we know there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. No matter how good we are at following religious laws our most righteous deeds are like filthy rags to God. And as Christians we are not obligated to follow any of the laws God has given us. We are not obligated, but instead out of love we desire to live in obedience to God. Live in obedience to God not because of what we'll get in return, but because we recognize what God has done for us (He first loved us) and out of our love for God we desire to follow the example Jesus gave us and his obedience and love.

There is a big difference. Striving to live in obedience because of what you'll get in return (all religions except Christianity). This is self-centered. Or striving to live in obedience to God simply because you love God... you get nothing in return. This puts the focus on others.

This is one of the fundamental differences between Christianity and all other religions. Many of their activities (laws, requirements, etc.) are self-centered. They are about getting something for yourself from god.

In Christianity everything is done freely. Nothing is received in return from God other than what He has already given and is willing to freely give to us. God has already given us the greatest possible gift, salvation from the consequences of our sin. It is given as a free gift. There is nothing we can do to earn it. There is nothing we can do improve on it.

Can It Be Wrong To Do The Right Thing?

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:57:00 +0000

This is the question being asked in this year's Great American Think-Off, a contest for amateur philosophers sponsored by the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center.

It seems to me the first question that needs to be answered is, what is right and what is wrong? We don't know if we are doing right, if we don't know what right is. Once we have that answer then the answer to the original question is obvious and trivial.

It is God who sets the standard. If we are living in obedience to God, we are doing right, and in those circumstances it is never wrong to do the right thing. However, if we let human values and morals rule our lives (as is true for most people) then yes, it can be wrong to do the "right" thing. Because, in fact, the right thing according to human judgment is the wrong thing based on God's standards.

Peace On Earth

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:53:00 +0000

The Christmas season has just ended, but I'm still thinking about a common theme for Christmas... peace on earth. What does that mean? What type of peace does Jesus bring? What conflicts, what wars does he end?

What war did Jesus talk about? Did he tell the Romans they must stop their conquest of the world? No. Think about it. What things did he specifically condemn the Roman's for doing? (Nothing.)

Roman's 5:10 tells us who was fighting: "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son."

Philippians 3:18 talks about those who are not saved... "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ."

The world war that is going on is the war between mankind and God. The peace on earth Jesus Christ brings is peace between us and God. Through Jesus Christ we are no longer enemies of God... we are no longer at war with God. That is the peace on earth the Bible talks about.

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." - Colossians 1:19,20

Genesis One - Who Are You?

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:55:00 +0000

I used to wonder why God gave us Genesis chapter 1. Why does He tell us what happened at the beginning? Why is it important that we know where everything came from? Isn't it enough to know there is a God and He sent His Son to save us from sin?

No, it isn't. The Bible does not make sense without Genesis chapter one.

An objection I frequently hear is that God must be a wicked, evil, unjust god if he condemns someone to eternal hell for stealing a paper clip. How can people be condemned to eternal punishment for doing one small thing wrong.

Of course we sin much, MUCH more than stealing just one paper clip, but the principle is that if we break just one of God's laws, it is the same as breaking them all and we are condemned to eternal hell. So in theory if the only wrong thing you do throughout your entire life is to steal one paper clip, you are as a result of that theft going to spend eternity in hell. And Genesis One tells us why this is just and right.

Genesis 1:26 says: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image: in our likeness, and let them rule...'"

Genesis 1:27 repeats this twice more: "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

In just these two verses God tells us that we are created in His image. We bear God's image. As His image bearers we represent who God is to the rest of the universe... such as the rulers and authorities in heaven (Ephesians 3:10).

What are the Ten Commandments? Are they a set of rules for us to follow? Sort of. But they are much more. The Ten Commandments describe God's character. They describe who God is. That is why as God's image bearer we must live in obedience to the Ten Commandments. If we break these commandments we are misrepresenting who God is to the rest of the universe. That is why if we break just one commandment it is the same as breaking them all. Because by breaking one commandment we have misrepresented God. It does not matter which commandment you break, you have misrepresented God as being something He is not.

That is the true nature of sin. To sin is to break God's law. (1 John 3:4) And to break God's law is to represent the eternal God as breaking His law. It is to wrongly represent the one and only God, who is eternal, as being a liar, a thief, and adulterer, a murder... And the just and fair punishment is an eternal punishment.

That is why Genesis chapter one is important. It tells us who we are... we are the image of God. And it tells us who God is... our creator and the creator of the universe and all that is in it. The One who created the universe just by speaking the word. The One who is so great He can measure the universe with the width of His hand. (Isaiah 40:12)

We all misrepresent who God is. We are all sinners. We are all rightly condemned to eternity in hell. That is the penalty we justly deserve. The only way we can be saved from this penalty is if someone else is willing to pay this penalty for us. If someone else is willing to step into our place and take the punishment we justly deserve.

Someone has done this... Jesus Christ.

Who Are We? Who Are You?

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:35:00 +0000

Who are you? Why did God create you?

"Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But, because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incompatible riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:3b-7

Notice some of human characteristics...

- We are, by nature, objects of [God's] wrath.

- We are dead in our transgressions.

This means that every person was born as an object of God's wrath. Keep in mind that God is just [justice]. He never does anything that is not just. That means that from birth there is something that naturally makes us objects of God's justice... His wrath.

The other characteristic of humanity gives us the reason. Transgressions. Transgressions so serious that as a result we are dead. The Greek word "paratoma" is being translated as "transgressions." It means "a false step".

We transgress God's law. We disobey God's law. And those many wrong steps mean our death and that we face God's wrath. False steps that are so serious that they deserve an eternity in hell.

To understand this we need to go back to Genesis chapter one. That will be the next post.

Trust Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:45:00 +0000

I started wondering about the number of places in which the Bible tells us to trust God (Jesus). I gave up trying to count. If you wanted to summarize the Bible in two words, those words would be "trust Jesus."

For example:

"Do not fret because of evildoers
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb.
trust in the Lord and do good;"
-Psalm 37:1-3

"Who is among you that fears the LORD,
That obeys the voice of His servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God."
-Isaiah 50:10

"Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us."
-Psalm 62:8

"...indeed we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead." - 2 Corinthians 1:9

Jesus Is Coming

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0000

In cartoons people make fun of the man with a sandwich sign saying "The End Is Near."

I've told people that if Obama was elected it could be a sign the end was near, and even my father laughted at me.

We were given a chance to turn away from murder, and for the past eight years we have not done so. And now we've moved more toward embracing murder (abortion). Our soil will continue to be soaked in blood... far more blood than all the wars we've fought. But God does not withdraw his blessing because of who we elect. He is the source of all governments and gives us the leader we deserve. He gives us the leader we need for His will to be done.

Many people are talking about how near the end times appear. The Jews are in Israel. Nearly everything is in place for the temple to be rebuilt. But because America is not part of the end times, it seems to me we must have weak leaders who keep us uninvolved when it appears Israel is about to be crushed. Tonight another piece has fallen into place. The end may be near. God will be glorified!!!

No One Does Good, Not Even One

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:39:00 +0000

The question that separates Christians from non-Christians is, would you consider yourself to be a good person? Non-Christian would say "yes" and because they are basically good they will get into heaven. Evolution teaches that mankind is basically good and as we evolve we continue to improve and become better people. Liberal "Christianity" teaches the social gospel, that through our own good efforts we can make this into a good world.

But here is what scripture says:

"God looks down from heaven
on the entire human race;
he looks to see if there is even one with
real understanding,
one who seeks for God.
But no, all have turned away from God;
all have become corrupt.
No one does good, not even one."
Psalm 53:2,3

"For I was born a sinner--
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me."
Psalm 51:5

There is not one good person on earth. No one is good but God. (Luke 18:19)

We think we are good because we compare ourselves with human standards. Our problem is that the standard is not a human standard, but God's standard. Instead of looking to each other, our focus must be on God... and we have fallen far short of God's standards. We have broken all of the Ten Commandments. We were created in the image of God, but are miserable representatives of who God is. We are sinners and we have nothing in us that can save us from God's just punishment.

God's Gonna Cut You Down

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:50:00 +0000

Johnny Cash sings an important message... you can go on for a long time, but sooner or later God is gonna cut you down.

We all are going to face God on judgment day. Here is a statistic that never changes. 100% of everyone alive today will die. When you die you will face Jesus and be judged. What are you going to tell him? This song is not just about the "criminals" and "evil" people in this world. It's about you. The Bible says you (and me) are wicked. You've broken God's laws and you will face judgment, and the just penalty for breaking God's laws... hell.

The Troubles We See

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:40:00 +0000

Psalm 49 (NLT)

Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, everyone in the world!

High and low,
rich and poor--listen!

For my words are wise,
and my thoughts are filled with insight.

I listen carefully to many proverbs
and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

There is no need to fear when times of trouble come,
when enemies are surrounding me.

they trust in their wealth
and boast of great riches.

Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death
by paying a ransom to God.

redemption does not come so easily,
for no one can ever pay enough
to live forever
and never see the grave.

...

but as for me, God will redeem my life,
He will snatch me from the power of death.

Marine On Trial For Evangelism

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:21:00 +0000

An organization is taking up a battle in favor of a U.S. Marine who was sent home from an assignment in Iraq because he handed out coins with a Christian message to Muslims in Iraq.

The organization is Christian Freedom International whose president, Jim Jacobson, says the Marine distributed coins with the words of John 3:16 on one side. The other side asked, in Arabic, the question: "Where will you spend eternity?" The soldier is now on home turf awaiting further word on possible punishment. Read the rest here from OneNewsNow.

"The fact is that this incident in Fallujah did not involve harassment or coercion of any kind by the soldier," Jacobson explains. "It did not seek to disrespect Islam as a religion, and it did not cause harm to anyone who received the coins — and it certainly doesn't warrant the harsh punishment being carried out against this U.S. Marine by his own government," he contends.

Local leaders demanded the harshest possible punishment, but Jacobsen believes it is unfair for a Marine to surrender constitutional rights while fighting for the freedom of Iraqis. He asks others to support the Marine.

"If [you] want to go to our web site at ChristianFreedom.org, you can read about this incident, find out about it, and then send a letter to your senators and your representatives in Washington and speak out on behalf of this U.S. Marine who is being punished for practicing the Christian faith," Jacobson explains.

He believes members of the American military should have the freedom to express their faith, and that the U.S. government ought to back them up.

Evangelism Is A Hate-Crime?

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A blog post brings to light a newspaper article about Christians who were handing out tracts being arrested for a hate crime. The newspaper article was in the Birmigham Telegraph. The article states:

"A police community support officer ordered two Christian preachers to stop handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham. The evangelists say they were threatened with arrest for committing a "hate crime" and were told they risked being beaten up if they returned. The incident will fuel fears that "no-go areas" for Christians are emerging in British towns and cities, as the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, claimed in The Sunday Telegraph this year."

Mother's Day - A Week Later

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:11:00 +0000

Last Sunday was Mother's Day. I've been thinking about that fact for the past week.

To question Mother's Day is risky. Who dares to question anything that honors mothers? But I can't get this thought out of my head.

Why Sunday? Why do we celebrate and honor mothers on a Sunday? (This applies also to Fathers Day.)

Sunday is the day set aside for the Lord. We have six days for ourselves with the seventh day each week set aside for the Lord. Instead of taking one of OUR days, we take the day intended for the Lord and make it the day we honor mothers. My thought is that five days a week we are busy working. Saturday is a full day what with chores to day and sports on TV. That leaves Sunday. We're not doing much on Sunday. There's lots of free time on Sunday. So let's take that day and use it to honor mothers. That way it will interfere as little as possible with our lives.

We're just too busy during the rest of the week. We can't take time away from ourselves. Mother's aren't that important. So we'll take time away from God.

Let's make Mother's Day be on a Saturday. Then guys will have to give up their sports. That will truly be a sacrifice that shows how much we love our mothers.

Research Examines the Faith of Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:17:00 +0000

The Barna Group has done a survey of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons that has some interesting results.

The Barna Group is a Christian research organization that regularly conducts polls. In their most recent poll they asked Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons about their faith and what they believe. They then compare the results with answers from born again Christians. Most of the questions had to do with actions... how people live out their faith. They were not doctrinal questions.

So, if you observe these three groups, based on their actions which group appears to be the stronger Christian?

The Jehovah's Witnesses by far. Then the Mormons and they were followed somewhat closely by born again Christians. That is sad! That is distressing!

By the way, I am not saying that either Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons are Christians. However, this survey shows their behavior is more Christian-like than born again Christians.

You can read the the survey results at: Barna Research Group

So what's the problem? The Bible says that one way we can know a Christian is by their fruit. This is telling me that most born again Christians may not truly be born again. They may have invited Jesus into their heart, but they have never recognized they are sinners in need of a savior, and that Jesus Christ is the only way they can be saved. Jesus said that if we are saved we will love him. And if we love him we will desire to obey his commands. The word used for love is "agape," meaning a love that results in action. Agape love is not a love of feeling good about a person. If you call yourself a Christian, are you showing your love for Jesus, through your actions, at least as well as those who are in cults? Are you making sacrifices for Jesus? If not, you need to visit 911 Christ.

P.S. By the way, most of the Christian-like actions of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormon are not coming from a love for Jesus. They are coming from a love of self. They are doing the things they have been told they need to do in order to have the highest possible level of salvation/glorification. #1 on the list of things they need to do is to obey the church.

Defeating Satan

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:26:00 +0000

The following is a quote from a book called "10 Things Satan Doesn't Want You To Know." This is one of the things we need to do to make Christ's victory, and Satan's defeat, applicable in our life.

"...be positive and consistent in our testimony for the Lord. It is a fatal mistake to believe that while faith in Christ is required, testimony for Christ is optional. No testimony by both life and mouth means no defeat for Satan."

You must put your faith into action and words.

UMC Vote On Homosexuality

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:54:00 +0000

I've written a lot in this blog about the United Methodist Church (UMC) and their worshipping of Progressive Christianity. However, all of my contact with the UMC has been with the extreme liberal version in Massachusetts. Fortunately there is more to the United Methodist Church than extreme liberalism.

The United Methodist Church is holding their national meeting in Texas this week. An issue that has been a hotly debated topic is that of homosexuality. This week, by a vote of 55% to 45% the United Methodist Church has reaffirmed their official position that homosexuality is not compatible with the teaching of the Bible. They got it right! Hallelujah!!

If a blind man is walking toward a cliff, we don't encourage him and tell him how wonderful he is and how he should be enjoying his walk. We WARN him. "Stop, blind man!! You are about to step off a cliff and die!" That is the loving thing to do... warn the blind man about the danger. That is what the United Methodist Church did this week. They took a courageous and loving step in saying to the spiritually blind, "Stop! You are heading for eternal death. You are going the wrong way." Turn from your sins, repent, and trust that Jesus has paid the penalty for all that you've done wrong!

I've Made Some Mistakes - God Forgives Mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:40:00 +0000

When people realize they have disobeyed God (realize they are sinners) a common response is to say, "I've made some mistakes, but God forgives mistakes."

Is this true?

It is true that God forgives, but God is also just. This means there is justice. Justice means there are consequences resulting from our actions. The consequence of disobeying God is the death penalty. This is spiritual death or what we call hell.

Let's say someone has broken the law. It's a serious crime. This person has raped and murdered a small child. They are now standing before a judge. They say to the judge, "Yes, I did this crime. But you are a loving judge. You are a good judge. You are a forgiving judge. Because of this you will let me go free." What is the judge going to say?

He will say, "Yes, I am a loving judge and I hold no grudge against you. Yes, I am a good judge and that is why I am sentencing you to life in prison." The parents of the child may have forgiven this person. He still goes to prison. When you break the law there are consequences. For there to be justice there is a penalty that must be paid. That is true with civil law here on earth, and it is true with God.

"But", people then say, "I've never done anything as bad as that. After all, I've never murdered anyone. Sure I've made some mistakes, but God would never send anyone to hell for a few minor mistakes."

Have you ever been angry with someone? For example, when you are driving in traffic? Or when you are in a store and someone cuts in line in front of you? Or if someone says something really stupid? Jesus said that if you have been angry at another person, that is the same as murder.

God looks at your heart.

Have you ever looked at another person with lust? Jesus said that if you look with lust, that is the same as committing adultery.

God looks at your heart.

Have you ever told a lie? The Bible says that all liars have a place in the lake of fire.

When you break God's law there are consequences. Yes, God is loving. Yes, God is forgiving. Yes, God is justice and justice demands that there be consequences for breaking the law. When you break God's law the consequence is that you deserve to go to the fires of hell. And we all have broken God's law.

Continued...

For help visit www.911christ.com

Oh, I'm Good Enough

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:47:00 +0000

In a comment to a previous post about Are Mormons Christians, a Mormon had this to say about being "good enough" to be acceptable to God.

"Oh, and yes I am good enough. I am not perfect, but I am working on it, and that is what my Heavenly Father wants for me."

"With that last comment, I now realize why you are so quick to disprove the doctrine of the LDS church. If in fact someone made you feel as though you were not good enough, they were wrong, and clearly did not understand LDS doctrine. The doctrine is perfect, the people are not."

I had asked this anonymous Mormon whether or not they were a good person. Then asked some questions based on the Ten Commandments. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever taken something that does not belong to you (that includes downloading music from the internet and fudging a little on your taxes)? Have you always honored your parents? Have you ever looked with lust? Jesus said that if you look with lust that is adultery in your heart.

The Ten Commandments are like a mirror showing us how God sees us. What He sees are law breakers... people who disobey Him.

What happens if you break a law, get caught and are standing in court before a judge? Can you say, 'Yes I'm not perfect. I've broken the law. But I'm basically a good person, judge. So you should let me go." Will the judge let you go? Not if he is a good judge. You've broken the law and must pay the penalty.

God, is a much better judge than any human judge. He is just, and He will always see that justice is done. You've broken the law, you must pay the penalty. The penalty for breaking God's law is death hell).

What can you do to avoid the death penalty? Nothing.

Let's say you are in a human court. You are guilty. The penalty is $1,000,000 or prison for life. You don't have $1,000,000. But then someone you don't know walks into the courtroom, opens a briefcase, and it has $1,000,000 in cash! They offer to pay your fine. What happens to you now? Your penalty is paid you go free!!

That is what Jesus has done for you. He has died in your place, paying your fine so you can go free.

Let's say you a month later you walk into the same courtroom and say to the judge, "Let me tell you about all the good things I've been doing." Does that do you any good? No. What are you saying about the person who paid your fine for you? "I don't think what you did is good enough. I must add some of my "good works." What an insult to Jesus!

Besides, you can't do any works that are good compared with the goodness of God. Isaiah 64:6 says that the VERY BEST we can do, our most righteous deeds are like filthy rags to God. Ephesians 2:8,9 makes is clear that there is nothing we can do that is good enough to gain us credit. We will never be able to boast in heaven, saying "I did... " My dear Mormon, it's all about God and not a bit about you.

Ephesians 2:8,9 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that NO ONE MAY BOAST."

Lying - A Foundation Of The Faith

noreply@blogger.com (BrickBalloon) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:41:00 +0000

What is one of the foundations of Christianity? It is truth.

"Jesus said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

"Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor..." - Ephesians 4:25

How can a church call itself Christian, if lies are regularly used as the best arguments to say this church is Christian?

I'm also reminded of 2 Timothy 2:25 which tells us to gently teach those who oppose the truth. So how do I gently tell Mormons they are believing in a lie? How do I tell Mormons to stop putting problems they see with the LDS church on a shelf, and recognize it is a lie? Plus when you point out something such as this, Mormons take it as persecution and they take it as further proof they are right. My question then is... what if the LDS church is wrong? What if God is trying to reach YOU? But you ignore Him, put the problem on a shelf, and call yourself persecuted?

What has got me started on this topic is the book 'The Mormon Faith." This book, as do many other Mormon apologetic books, supports the LDS belief that God's grace is not sufficient by quoting great Christian evangelists such as C.S. Lewis. I just happen to also be reading C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity right now.

Here is what is going on...

The LDS church teaches that in addition to grace, human works (obedience) is also necessary for "salvation". This a quote from the book "The Mormon Faith" (page 74):

"The theological debate over whether we are saved by grace or by works has continued for centuries. In reality, it is a fruitless argument that generates more heat than light. It is in the words of C.S. Lewis, 'like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most necessary.'" (the C.S. Lewis quote is from 'Mere Christianity').

It sounds like the C.S. Lewis believes, as the mormon church does, that both grace and works are necessary. So the Mormon church must be a Christian church since C.S. Lewis agrees with their doctrine!! But this is a lie in the great tradition of Michael Moore presenting real quote, but ripping it out of context so the quote says the opposite of its original meaning. Yes, C.S. Lewis did write those words. But here is the context...

In the previous paragraph in his book C.S. Lewis writes about the need for us to "throw in the sponge". What this means is that we need to know that there is NOTHING we can do to save our selves. in that paragraph C.S. Lewis writes, 'The difficulty is to reach the point of recognizing that all we have done and can do is nothing." Throwing in the sponge means that we give up trying to attain salvation through works, and we trust in God's grace... trust in Jesus Christ alone. The works C.S. Lewis refers to in the quoted used in the Mormon book are our vain and useless efforts to be good enough. Until we stop trying, we can not be saved. It is through our failure to be good that we come to recognize our need for a savior. (See the Good Person Test, which is one way we use to show people they are not good and they need a savior.)

My dear Mormon apologist you are trying to trick people into believing the LDS church is a Christian church. And by doing that you prove the LDS church is not a Christian church.