Generation Christ.Net Blog

Jesus loves Muslims

2011-10-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I uploaded an audio message on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET entitled AMERICA IS NOT GOD'S NATION where I pointed out the dangers of many Americans acting as if America is somehow God's chosen nation. This attitude is dangerous because it causes Americans to become religiously patriotic and develop an attitude of superiority over other nations, believing that this is God's desire. Yet the truth is that it isn't God's desire. Listen to the audio message HERE.

Earlier today, I came across a very good blog post on FOLLOWING JUDAH'S LION in which Rick Freuh discusses our need as Christians to love Muslims. Yes, we are Christians are called to love Muslims just like we are called to love homosexuals and anyone else who IS NOT a believer and follower of Christ. You can read that post HERE.

First of all, I am so thankful for those men and women who have literally put their lives on the line in order to present the gospel to Muslims. Anybody who claims to be a believer of Christ should rejoice in the amount of former Muslims that we have today because they believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. But misplaced patriotism has gotten in the way of Christians being able to have the heart of God in this.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

(John 3:16-17 - KJV)

God's will for salvation is much bigger than America. It's meant for the entire world and whoever within the entire world (including Muslims) is willing to repent and believe in Jesus will be accepted by him. God is not a respecter of persons, ethnicities, genders or geographical locations in this regard. Whoever believes will be saved.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

(Romans 5:6-8 - KJV)

Who did Christ die for? Somebody whom we deem to be good enough for salvation? No, my brothers and sisters. He died for the despised, the evil and the rejected so that they would have the opportunity to be accepted and embraced by God, changed for the better. Every single person on this planet needs Christ's salvation. Do you believe that you are somehow better than another to think that salvation should only be for people you deem it to be for or that only the baddest of the bad need Christ? If so, please repent of such pride.

Jesus loves you, which is why you have heard the gospel and have been given the chance to repent and believe. If He offered this to you and me (and we both are miserable wretches without God), then why can it not also be available to Muslims?

Blessings.

God is calling...can you hear?

2011-10-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

(John 10:27 - ESV)

A mass exodus is in progress and while many people think it is only unbelievers that are leaving the institutional businesses wrongly named "churches," the fact of the matter is that God is calling to His saints to get up and out of these whorehouses of spiritual adultery and to free themselves of man made religion's hold over their very souls.

Today, I was blessed to read a testimony by George Chatelain, a follower of Jesus who came out of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. He is one of several who have recently been coming out and discussing the sins and evil within that ministry. You can read it HERE.

Brothers and sisters, I have prayed that God would open the eyes of His people like He did to me several years ago to see the lies, the falsehoods and the evil that permeate many of these institutional churches. For me, it's been a step further to even question the very system of what we call "church" and to compare it to the Bible. This is why you will find the material that you do on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET site. Many are afraid to challenge or question the validity of these "traditions" to they follow in the institutional church but it is the very thing those "many" need to do to free themselves from the bondage of man's religion and really be a free soul in service to Jesus.

I am blessed that people, whether the believers or the secular media, are sharing their experiences and exposing the frauds that pose as "Christian leaders." I still pray for those false teachers and preachers that they will come to repentance but in the meantime, I am rejoicing over the people who are awakening out of their slumber to the truth and as a result, are coming to know the true Christ.

Judgment has been coming to these men and women who have promoted themselves as "pastors of the flock" and "fellow followers of Christ" when they have been no such thing. Some of these institutions that were built on money instead of on Christ are starting to belly up in this tough economy. All of them will have to answer for what they have been doing to the name of Christ and I pray so much that they repent.

In my last post, I gave a short commentary on how "GUTS Church" held an unsanctioned boxing match inside their building and one of the boxers died. How many have to die, how many have to be deceived and how many people have to believe in a false Christ and go to eternal damnation before believers start to speak up? The fact of the matter is that many people claim to know Jesus' voice but their actions and prove otherwise. We look at the lost as being only the unbelievers outside the institutions, but what about those who are well within the institution claiming to be followers of Christ and really aren't because they don't know His voice? Oh, how I pray for these people!

If you feel God tugging at your heart to get you to wake up, do not resist Him. He is trying to rescue you from false religion. He is trying to call you to Himself as it should have been in the beginning before a "pastor," "reverend," "father," "pope," or "bishop" became your Christ instead. He is trying to save you from the bondage of rules and traditions that have no Biblical backing whatsoever in Christ such as tithing, fellowship only being legitimate within the 4 walls of a "church" building, spiritual covering of a pastor, etc.

Let us learn to His voice so then we will know the difference between His voice and the wrong voice. Blessings.

Church gimmicks gone very wrong

2011-10-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog and while there haven't been updates in quite a while, there was a recent story out of Tulsa, Oklahoma about a "church " named "GUTS Church" that recently held an unsanctioned boxing event and one of the boxers died as a result. You can read it HERE.

To me, the insanity and stupidity of what took place speaks for itself. If we as believers can't get the message that these gimmicks are doing damage to many, perhaps a death may wake some of us up. This is absolutely ridiculous that we have even come to this point. My words are strong here but we as believers need to speak up strongly against these things.

There will be legal action taken and rightfully so. And I pray at least one person involved in this situation will learn from it and repent. Lord help us.

God will bring vindication

2011-09-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. I don't know if you're paying attention but God is at work bringing lots of works of darkness to light and even judgment upon pastors who have been taking advantage of people and doing horrible deeds to others.

IndyChannel.com posted a story where a pastor in Indiana by the name of Wayne Taft Harris Jr. admitted to cheating an organization named Teen Missions out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. He's been ordered to pay back approximately $500,000 to the organization that lent him the money to build a church building.

FULL STORY

While I feel horrible for the members of Teen Missions who have been lied to by Mr. Harris Jr., I am thankful that the Lord saw fit to allow this man to be exposed as he was not repentant of his sin. Instead of using the money for what he was supposed to do, he was buying cars and fur coats. In no way do I ever want someone to experience shame but this was a man who was unrepentant in what he was doing. Let that be a lesson to all of us, including me.

If you've been paying attention to the news this year, you've seen many "pastors' that are being exposed and judged. I believe this is the work of the Lord to bring vindication to His name and His people. May we look at these things soberly and make sure that we repent of any sins that we have going on in our lives.

Stop putting your faith and trust in man and in an institutional church system. Jesus Christ is where our faith should lie. Blessings.

Good job Larry Powell!

2011-08-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. Larry Powell, a superintendent of Fresno County Schools, did one of the most unselfish acts I have ever seen by an administrator in sacrificing $800,000 for the good of others. Check out the story by clicking on the link below:

FRESNO SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT TAKES $800,000 SALARY CUT

Mr. Powell is an ordained Baptist minister, which means that he is a believer in Jesus Christ. Way to go and what a great example and witness he has generated by letting his light shine. And he didn't brag about it, he simply let others tell the story. Praise the Lord!

Josh McDowell misses the point

2011-07-22T15:13:00.001-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog. As we near the end of another week, I came across an article in which an "apologist" by the name of Josh McDowell believes that the internet is the biggest threat to Christians because of the different perspectives and immorality that is promoted online. Read the story on the Christian Post's website HERE.

While I believe that we have to be very careful with how we use the internet, it is the internet that I believe God is using to help people open their eyes to the deceptions that are out there and bring people back to the true faith. I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for the many people I've met online over the years or from whose perspectives I have greatly benefited from. Some of these people online are truly God sent.

Now the biggest problem I have with McDowell's view is that he is blaming something that, for the most part, is what you make of it. Indeed there are evil aspects of the internet as there are evil aspects in many things in life. But we must teach others how to use the internet for the good and we must train a future generation of believers who know how to stand up for their faith and aren't just religious "yes" men and women to a man-made religious system that truly isn't teaching them to rely on Christ and be responsible for their own individual walks with Jesus. That is the bigger problem.

People are falling away from the faith because pastors are not being true pastors and because they're not being true pastors then they aren't really helping to properly prepare other believers to continue in their faith. Because what many of them require is conformity to their personal views and their organizations, many believers do not even understand the freedom that they have in Christ. And because of how the institutions and pastors set themselves up to be idols, many believers don't understand the importance of truly knowing Jesus for themselves. As a result, false doctrine goes unchecked, false practices abound and many do not even realize that they aren't following Christ at all.

People are also falling away from the faith because they keep putting people and things ahead of Christ. Yes, brothers and sisters, you have to be careful to not put your pastor or your church organization above Christ. Contrary to what you may have been taught, your pastor and your church institution can not save you and can not keep you in the faith. It is Jesus who does that for us.

McDowell proposed three ways to deal with the problem. “First, we have to model the truth. If you don’t model what you teach your kids, forget it. If they don’t see it, they won’t believe it… Second, we have to build relationships.” Just as truth without relationship leads to rejection, rules without relationship lead to rebellion, he said. “Kids don’t respond to rules. They respond to rules in the context of a loving, intimate relationship.” And third, he said, we have to use knowledge. “You better arm yourselves to answer your children’s and grandchildren’s questions…no matter what the question is…without being judgmental.” Kids’ greatest defense, he said, was the knowledge of truth.

I like that McDowell says that we need to model the truth. To all of you who are Christians, you need to be a role model in the faith. More people need to actually see Christ in the lives of those who claim to be His followers. I also like how he talks about relationship and rules working together and the need for Christians to have more knowledge of their faith. But my question is how can people have a greater knowledge of the faith when they are putting all their eggs in the basket for a Sunday sermon that isn't even teaching correct doctrine?

What I will keep hammering home is the fact that what we know as mainstream Christianity is operating on a faulty and ultimately unbiblical system and that is what also contributes to why Christianity is in the place it is today.

"Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise." Sam Pascoe

I love this quote because it really speaks to what has happened to what we know as Christianity over time and how we have drifted away from its authentic form to something that is manufactured and engineered by man instead of God. I liken what has happened to the difference between an organic apple and man-manipulated apple. The organic apple appears dull but has a flavor and taste that is fantastic. The man-manipulated apple appears shiny and attractive on the outside but is void of flavor and taste on the inside.

I yearn for Christianity to be that dull apple with a fantastic taste. Blessings.

A good biblical look at Revelation

2011-07-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks for dropping by the blog and I hope you are enjoying the joy of the Lord. A while ago, I read through Revelation (been doing that a few times per year) and really cross-referenced phrases and words until I actually wore myself out. But I've enjoyed encountering that book again and again and it's turned what used to be a source of mystery into a book that is comforting and reassuring.

For some of you out there, you may feel that Revelation is a book you will never be able to grasp and I want to encourage you that you can grasp it if you don't assume things and look to the scriptures themselves to interpret what you are reading. Yes, that will require that you set aside the sensationalism and commercialism of end-times discussion and approach the book with a clear mind and some understanding of the scriptures in general. I highly recommend you read the Bible as a whole so that you have proper background before tackling Revelation.

Here are some pointers to think about as you read:

-There is a lot of symbolism, use of allegory and metaphors in the book that are not to be taken literally.

-The symbols used can be cross-referenced in other areas in the Bible for true understanding meaning that airplanes, nuclear weapons and modern-day nations are not what the book is going for.

-The primary audience of the book was the 7 churches that existed during the time the book was written as indicated by the phrases such as "shortly come to pass."

-Rome and Jerusalem are both depicted in the visions that John sees when taking into account the prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel and even the words of Jesus in the Gospels.

-God is in control of everything and we just need to keep believing in Him no matter what happens.

Mike Blume, certainly a brother in Christ, has written a great article on some things to keep in perspective and you can access that HERE. As he pointed out, the very fact that the book is titled "Revelation" is an indication that it is a book that we should have just as much understanding in as the other books.

Blessings.

God's people are in unity

2011-07-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog and I pray that you are holding fast to your faith and growing in your faith with each day that passes.

I'm blown away at how God is calling those who truly are His and opening their eyes to what is really going on. And even though many of us who follow Christ would have some disagreements in areas of doctrine, the truth is that we have been shown the truth of what is happening, particularly here in America.

I am always amazed when I upload a new article and new audio message to the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET site, that I then find a timely article that by another person that deals with the exact same topic that I either wrote on or spoke on. By the way, you can check out the newest entry, AMERICA IS NOT GOD'S NATION, by click on either of the three links below.

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

Earlier today, I came across a blog post by a guy by the name of Rick Frueh, who is a Baptist minister. I was blessed to read his post on how professing Christians are mixing patriotism with the faith to create a dangerous nationalism. He touched on some of the exact things I spoke about in AMERICA IS NOT GOD'S NATION and it blessed me to see that God has opened the eyes of others out there. Praise God for those of you who do see.

Because Mr. Frueh gave permission on his blog that his entire post could be reprinted, I will do so below here. I will not do any further commentary but will let the man's words speak for themselves. I pray that he will continue to speak truth boldly as he has here. Blessings.

A Subtle Gospel Departure

I believe we are living in the last days. I have no idea about the day or hour, but the signs are becoming more and more clear. Although Israel is a secular nation whose inhabitants deny Christ for the most part, that nation seems to figure in the last days. That does not imply that God shows them any particular favor, or that we as believers should support or not support them, it just means that God has identified the nation as an end time sign. There are many other signs such as violence, sexual perversion, greed and avarice, war, national calamities, weather anomalies, and others. And one of the most prominent signs is a great falling away from within the visible church.

It is very easy for the most elementary Bible student to see the heretical teachings of the emergent church, the liberal denominations, the ecumenical movement, the health and wealth movement, and the overall slide into lethargy and utilitarian Christianity that has swept the world. But there is another movement that is very sly and operates under a cloak of moral self righteousness and national idolatry. They are holding get togethers and so called prayer meetings to “turn America back to God”.

This is an example.

This is a very subtle form of spiritual decay, even when it is accompanied by much activity, host pastors, and contrived prayers. It has an observable element of moral hubris and a sense of religious clique-ism. There is little humility and much feistiness. And the overall ambiance does very little to represent the Spirit and Person of Jesus Christ. In fact, many of these events bring together many segments of evangelicalism whose theology is sometimes at odds with each other.

And this movement usually champions specific candidates because these people have professed some kind of faith in Christ along with an aggressive moral crusade. And an uncomfortable affection for the founding fathers, along with a fanciful historical account, is usually a requirement. The entire spectacle is counter productive to the gospel of Jesus Christ and is a false construct concerning the kingdom of God. The gathering is usually constructed with an array of speakers who attack the lost and the progressing liberal slant of the country and challenges the listeners to take back the country.

This kind of Christianity is contagious. It appeals to the patriotic spirit and does not address the deep spiritual issues that should be dealt with in the lives of such “patriots”. Abortion and gay rights are front and center, and in a remarkable departure from New Testament Christianity they usually address financial issues that are not considered pure capitalism. In reality, the entire movement is mired in nationalism and reflects a self righteous spirit of hedonism rather than a humble, self sacrificing spirit of servanthood.

Again, it must be considered an aberrant form of Christianity which draws believers away from Christ. It is more than just misguided, it rips at the very fabric of what it means to be a believing follower of Jesus Christ. I know, I used to be one. I do not claim an air of superiority, but I do claim to be grieved at such things when I think back to how I behaved and what I used to say. I know what it is to hate liberals and lost people who have immoral agendas, and I know how we can camouflage such hatred by suggesting we are “standing for the truth”. Does that even hint at the spirit of the cross?

If you are in a church who does not recognize the danger of such a movement then I suggest that you maintain a humble posture while attempting to be salt and light among the brethren. Resist the temptation to act like a prophet who thrives on correction, especially when you yourself was once deceived.

Ti.3:2-3 - To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. 3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Ah, there are the parameters in which we must live. These should be corrective commands to us all even though they are sometimes very difficult to exhibit. But like all the commandments of Christ, they must be acknowledged and practiced. Many of these nationalistic people are brothers and sisters in Christ. They must be prayed for and loved even while we correct their ways. In many ways the Christian life is a paradox, and this situation is no different. We cannot stand for one set of truths while ignoring another. And without love and humility, the gospel becomes a weapon designed to injure rather than redeem.

Oh let us return to a deeper reflection of the Lord Jesus, and a more painful denial of our own interests. His interests must be our interests, and He has no interest in politics or any so called “national interests”. Jesus is the King of a kingdom, one in which we have been made a part through faith in His death and resurrection. That cannot be our main interest, that must be our exclusive interest. Be on guard for any movement whose focus is not the Lord Jesus and His gospel. A good rule of thumb is this: If it’s new, it’s probably not true.

Attention span not the problem with lower "church" interest

2011-07-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today and I hope you are well. I am so thankful for those of you who continue to stand up for the truth and live out the truth in your lives. Continue to do so because if you are blessing me, then you are blessing others as well.

I came across an article from the Christian Post that discussed how some people may not have the attention span to sit within a church service. You can read it HERE.

I have some thoughts on this article, which I found very intriguing. The first is that if church services focused on real fellowship and real substance instead of a TV show format that is rinsed and re-used every week, maybe more people would get something out of it. Many church services follow the same format of an intro praise song, prayer, 3-4 more praise songs, a 2-3 minute greet time, announcements, offering, sermon by the same person 45 to 50 weeks out of the year and a final praise song. This mimics more of a synogogue style of gathering and not the pure fellowship the believers of the early church enjoyed.

Is there a place for someone to share a message? Yes. Is there a place for singing songs? Yes. But one of the very things a lot of church services put little to no emphasis on is the "fellowship" of the saints, the very reason we get together. Instead, we are treated to a cast that handles everything that goes on and we are merely made to be spectators. Many of grown tired of this formula.

The Rev. Jonathan Gledhill, the Bishop of Lichfield, told a group of clergy in a speech in his London diocese this week that church services have become too long, recommending “clergy should aim to keep the time of worship to no more than 50 minutes.”

The bishop continued to say that worship has become “too complicated, leaving people who are not regular churchgoers feeling confused and excluded.”

"One of the reasons for our recent decline in churchgoing is we are not making the occasional worshiper feel welcome," he said.

"You have got to be quite tough to come to some of our services if you are not a regular attender. We're praying for longer and we're singing for longer."

In no way do I want to disrespect Mr. Gledhill but he and many others miss the point of why people are leaving and it has nothing to do with time. It has everything to do with people wanting something authentic and real. Many churches use words such as "family" and "brothers and sisters," yet what takes place reflect more of a club member atmosphere. I believe these churches need to do some soul searching to find out exactly what it means to be "brothers and sisters" in Christ.

I do agree that there are churches struggling with making visitors feel welcome. Because many churches have an institutional mindset, instead of there being a genuine brotherly approach to visitors, they feel like the people within the church organization are trying to get them to sign up to be a member of a club. There's a different approach we use when we treat someone like a brother or sister versus treating someone like a potential future member of a club.

According to Christian Research, there is no doubt that the long term downward trend in Church attendance continues as does the increase in average age of Churchgoers.

So far, research shows nothing the Church leaders have done seems to have brought about any change in the decline in church attendance that started in the 50's.

I do believe that there are many within the institutional church that work very hard and whose hearts are really for believers growing closer to Christ. Yet there needs to be more questioning of "church traditions" and an examination of what a local church body should look like and be like.

Older people are more comfortable in institutional churches because it is more of what they have known when it comes to their religious expression. But it is the younger generation that is asking the question "Why?" when it comes to those traditions. Why are people taught that if they don't attend church services that something is wrong in their walk with Jesus? Why are churches always trying to get me to give them money? Why are there so many scandals involving churches? Why do churches add more rules than even the Bible requires? Why do pastors get paid when volunteers put just as much effort into church activities and events? And the list goes on and on.

I believe the system of what our society deems as "church" is a man-made system and as a result, sometimes can not provide the fellowship people may be searching for and can become an idol itself where you'll have people depending more in the institution of church than Jesus Himself. Also, it would help if we saw more professing Christians actually living out what Jesus taught.

Just wanted to weigh in on this topic and feel free to comment with your thoughts. Blessings.

Look for the political trends in churches to increase

2011-07-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

With next year being a presidential election year, expect politics among the religious to be at an all-time high as we head into November 2012. Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has already started to make her rounds recently in Iowa. Click HERE for the story.

As we continue, I want to first of all say that it takes a lot of courage and boldness to even step out and become a presidential candidate. I am also happy to see that Mrs. Bachmann is not shy about her faith and that she has overcome a miscarriage. Those things are definitely admirable.

But Mrs. Bachmann makes the same mistakes that many other conservative candidates have made in the past in believing that God somehow favors the United States over other nations. She misrepresented 2 Chronicles 7:14 in order to act as if it applies to America.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
(2 Chronicles 7:14 - KJV)

This verse has nothing to do with America but was written within the context of King Solomon dedicating the temple during his reign back during Old Testament times. In the Old Covenant, God's chosen people were Hebrews but in the New Covenant in Jesus Christ, God's chosen people are all of those who believe in and follow Jesus regardless of whether they are Hebrew or not. God's people are the Christians, the followers of Christ. And Christians inhabit many nations throughout the world.

We must realize even though Christianity can be practiced freely here, this is no way means America is God's country. It doesn't matter if there used to be prayer in schools or if the phrase "under God" is in the pledge of allegiance. God's kingdom isn't one that can be identified with a country in this world. The kingdom of God is a nation of priests, according to Peter, and everyone who follows Christ is a priest. God is using America for His purposes and has had mercy on us but there will come a day in which America, just like the Roman Empire, Persian Empire and the great powers of the past, will cease. It is Christ's kingdom that we are a part of and that will always endure (it already has done so for more than 2,000 years).

“And I want you to know that I stand with Israel,” she said, perhaps the closest she came to making a political statement. The Christian crowd applauded her.

I do not have unquestionable support for Israel and we are not under a biblical mandate to support everything they do. Take some time and Google "Israel persecution Palestinians" and read some of the things that have been happening to Palestinians (who have a right to be where they are) at the hands of Israel. While support of Israel is rhetoric that leads to applause from many professing Christians, understand that even God did not overlook the evil Israel did even in the Old Testament. Also, consider that in Jesus Christ, there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile, according to Paul.

So does a Christian have to unconditionally accept anything Israel wants to do? No. We are told to love everyone and that includes Jews. But we are also told in the scriptures to expose the works of darkness and that goes for whoever it comes from. And while I appreciate the Jewish heritage of Jesus Christ and the great lineage he came from, as long as Jews reject Christ, we can not say that they are our brothers and sisters in the faith. We should continue to pray for those Jews who reject Christ to come to repentance.

While all of this may seem minor, it's the small details that lead to a larger deception. Study the Bible for yourself and test Mrs. Bachmann's references and words against scripture in its proper context. My prayer is that God will open up Mrs. Bachmann's eyes to see that God's people and God's nation are the Christians. We can be thankful for what God has provided us in America and we can pray for people to repent, but to associate America as God's nation is inaccurate and dangerous doctrine.

Put everything to the test

2011-07-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks for dropping by the blog today. I have uploaded a new entry on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET site dealing with the subject of examination. In my experience, I have seen too many professing believers simply accept what they hear, see and experience without question. But the true sign of wisdom is when one can reflect and test everything they hear, see and experience against God's truth.

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

You have a right, my brothers and sisters, to not just go along with the crowd but to be cautious and aware of the things that are going on. We need more brothers and sisters to become mature, thinking for themselves and able to walk with Jesus Christ alone if need be. Always take time to reflect and examine everything, for when you do, you will steer clear of deception and your faith will grow stronger. Blessings.

Generation Christ.Net updated, great blog post

2011-06-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted but I want you to know I am doing fine and I hope the same for all of you as well. A big priority as of late has been the launch of Sports Inboundz.com, an internet sports show that is about bringing accountability, ethics, integrity, responsibility and excellence to sports. Check it out.

Also, there have been two new articles and two new audio messages that have been posted since my last blog post and you can click on the links below to take you there:

THE AFTERMATH OF FALSE PROPHECY
LOVE AND FEAR

Lastly, a brother named Dave Yeubanks posted an excellent post on his blog at Truth For Free.com about the phrase "going to church." It's a great read and you can check it out by clicking HERE. One of the things I like about Dave is his transparency when he talks about any topic.

Continue enduring the faith brothers and sisters. Our journey is not yet completed as long as we're breathing. Blessings.

A slight delay

2011-05-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog. I just wanted to update you that due to events out of my control last week, I was not able to upload a new article and audio message on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website that addresses what our response needs to be to false prophets like Harold Camping. Look for it this weekend. Thanks for your patience and God bless.

The worst has indeed happened for suicide victim

2011-05-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. A new article has surfaced on the Christian Post about a Russian teen named Nastya Zachinova who committed suicide on May 21 as the result of taking Harold Camping's false prediction to heart. It's a sad story and you can read it be clicking HERE.

When I talked to others about this whole ordeal regarding Mr. Camping's predictions, my prayers went out that God would have mercy on those who got caught up in these false prophecies. But while God chooses to have mercy on whom He will, we ultimately play a role in our fate. Committing suicide is no minor thing and this girl apparently thought it was better to die than to continue this life. Unfortunately, and I say this with the most of grief and sadness, she is in a far worse place now than she would have ever been in this life.

To fall into God's hands in judgment is infinitely worse than the tortures, sufferings and trials we go through in this life. Jesus tells us in the gospels to not fear what "man" can do to us but to fear "God" and Him alone who not only has the ability to end a person's life but also sentence that person to hell.

I hope as more of these stories come out, it will cause more people to wake up and really see the seriousness of the aftermath of a false prophet. Nastya is gone and she will never have a chance to repent from her decision to commit suicide. Those of us still alive can still repent and still turn to Jesus.

Blessings.

The mark of an unrepentant false prophet

2011-05-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

As I continue discussing the fallout of the false May 21, 2011 prophecy of Harold Camping, I wanted to thank Christian Post.com for their outstanding coverage of this matter over the past couple of weeks. They've been in the forefront of this story and if you want any updated information, that's the place to check it out.

My prayer is still that Mr. Camping will repent. As of today, he has not done so and he also believes that he bears no responsibility for the lives that he has wrecked according to his false prophecy. The Christian Post captured these words from him:

“I don’t have any responsibility. I don’t have any responsibility of anybody’s life. I’m only teaching the Bible. I’m simply saying, ‘This is what the Bible says,’” said Camping.

“We at Family Radio never tell anyone what [to] do with their possessions. That’s totally between them and God,” he said.

Oh yes you do have responsibility Mr. Camping and you do every single time you open your mouth or write a book. All of us (including me) bear responsibility for what we say and do as believers in Jesus Christ because of the fact that human beings can influence other human beings. Furthermore, Mr. Camping is not teaching the Bible because the Bible has never authorized a person to use letter/number sequencing, Bible Code or any other type of secret method in order to interpret its text. Instead, he is using fortune telling and mystical type methods that the early church would have never condoned.

I pray that Mr. Camping will repent but right now he is a false prophet and has nothing to stand on. I use these words so that all of you who are reading understand that this is a huge deal. Prophecy comes not from man but from the Spirit of God. And if Mr. Camping lacks accuracy in his prophecies and yet claims that he is receiving these revelations from God through the Bible, he is making God out to be a liar and the Bible out to be a book of lies. This is very serious.

Previously, Family Radio President Harold Camping told listeners of his radio program that May 21 is Judgment Day and the Rapture. But on Monday, an unapologetic Camping recorded a radio and TV response at the Family Radio headquarters in Oakland, Calif., during which he asserted that he was right about his prediction. The part he got wrong, Camping insisted, is that he took the Judgment Day on May 21 too literally when it should have been understood as spiritual.

“We didn’t see any difference but God brought Judgment Day to bear upon the whole world,” Camping said. “The whole world is under Judgment Day and it will continue right up until Oct. 21, 2011 and by that time the whole world will be destroyed.”

“We have not made a mistake as so far as the timeline, the unfolding,” he maintained.

Where do we ever see in the Bible true prophets having to explain themselves when they prophesied? We won't find that anywhere. While his failed prophecy should have humbled him, it has only made him go deeper down deception's road. Don't fall for his ways brothers and sisters. Steer clear of him and pray for God's mercy on him so that he may repent.

I will continue to follow this ongoing story as it unfolds and continue making a huge deal of this. Remember, Mr. Camping is just one of many false prophets out there. Be on guard and immerse yourself in the truth. Blessings.

Prayers needed for Harold Camping

2011-05-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. I know that many people are furious at Harold Camping for his failed prophecy. Indeed he has caused a great deal of spiritual harm to his followers and even practical financial harm as there were some who quit jobs and cleared out their savings accounts due to his false May 21, 2011. Read the article below:

HAROLD CAMPING CONCLUDES SILENCE, PREDICTS OCTOBER 21 DOOMSDAY

Yet Mr. Camping continues on. Without missing a beat, he moved his prediction of the rapture and judgment day to the date that he had set as the "end of the world," October 21, 2011. For those of you who fell prey to his first prediction and are still here, be thankful for God's mercy. But if you continue to follow this false prophet through October 21, you can not be guaranteed that God's mercy will still be with you. This isn't a scare tactic but a call for those of you out there that are believing in false prophets to wake up. Losing all of your money in your bank account is a small thing compared to losing your soul.

I pray for those who believed in Mr. Camping's lies and I also pray for Mr. Camping himself. At 89 years old, he doesn't have much time left. The same could be said for me at the age of 32 because it's God's grace that we're not one of the many who die each day. But Mr. Camping also has age working against him. I pray that this man will come to repentance and the rebukes he is receiving across the board will be nothing compared to what he will receive from God is he continues on this destructive course.

This weekend, I will write an article and record an audio message dealing with false prophecy, particularly this Harold Camping situation. I hope to have that uploaded sometime next week. In the meantime, here are some articles and audio messages to check out that will encourage you to stay the course and steer clear of the false prophets.

PROVING THE PROPHET
THE END IS ABOUT ENDURANCE

Also, before I forget, I have uploaded "The 'Christian' Marketplace" on the main website recently. You can check out the article and/or the audio message through the links below.

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

We're being tested in these days brothers and sisters. Stay true to Jesus. Blessings.

May 21, 2011 has come and gone...and we're still here

2011-05-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. If you are reading this, you probably found that you are still here and there was no world-wide devastating earthquake and rapture that took place a day ago. For those of you who succumbed to the false prophecy of Harold Camping, I pray that you will repent and rely on what the Bible says. In the Bible, we find no information that would allow us to decide the date and time of a rapture, judgment day or the end of the world. To keep looking for it and turning the Bible into a mystical and magical book will only lead to deception and ultimately destruction.

For more information on Harold Camping's prediction, click HERE. This man is 89 years old and has been making false prophecies for years. While any of us can go at any age, it is scary to think that this man, due to his age, could leave this life at any time and yet would be the bearer of such outlandish and false prophecies, thereby attempting to make God a liar. I pray he repents as well and this was a wake-up call to him.

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:18-22 - ESV)

The Bible very clearly tells us how to test a false prophet. Mr. Camping failed the test, according to the same Bible that he claimed proved his false prophecies. This is why in my previous post, I encouraged us just to wait and see if the prophecy did come true. And even if a big earthquake were to take place today, he still would be a false prophet but a prophecy must be accurate, not somewhat accurate.

Unfortunately, Mr. Camping isn't the only false prophet in the world today. We have all sorts of false prophets out there and we have a lot of people following them. Beware of them brothers and sisters because they will lead you into darkness. How many people cleared out their savings accounts, were telling loved ones goodbye and even quit their jobs only to find that they believed in a lie? I pray for people out there that they will not be pushed to suicide as a result of this or that they abandon Christ altogether, but that they repent and realize that they had believed in a lie and that they need to follow Christ alone.

As always, be careful brothers and sisters. There will still be more tests to come. Blessings.

Weighing in on "May 21, 2011" prediction

2011-05-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you for stopping by the blog today. There has been a lot of talk this week about "Judgment Day" and the "rapture" supposedly happening on May 21, 2011--two days away from when this post is being written. Then the end of the world is supposedly coming on October 21, 2011. It's stirring a lot of people up to the point where some have cleared out their savings to use now before these days come. And even I have to admit I was thrown back for a few seconds when I read of this prediction that originated with Harold Camping, who resides right here in California.

Before we continue in what will be a very long post, I copied the excerpt from Camping's book from www.bible.ca that explains his reasoning. Also keep in mind that Camping is the same man who believes the tribulation period began in 1988 and ended in 1994:

TIMING OF IMPORTANT EVENTS IN HISTORY 11,013 BC—Creation. God created the world and man (Adam and Eve).

4990 BC—The flood of Noah's day (6023 years from creation). All perished in a worldwide flood. Only Noah, his wife, and his 3 sons and their wives survived in the ark.

7 BC—The year Jesus Christ was born (11,006 years from creation).

33 AD—The year Jesus Christ was crucified and the church age began (11,045 years from creation).

1988 AD—The 13,000th year of earth's history. This year ended the church age and began the great tribulation period of 23 years (8400 days).

1994 AD—On September 7th, the first 2300-day period of the great tribulation came to an end and the latter rain began (commencing God's plan to save a great multitude of people outside of the churches).

2011 AD—On May 21st, the rapture will occur at the end of the 8400-day great tribulation. NO ONE will become saved from eternal damnation after Friday, May 21, 2011.

On October 21st, the world will be destroyed by fire.

ONE DAY IS AS 1000 YEARS The child of God has learned from the Bible that the language of Genesis 7 has a twofold meaning: Genesis 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
Historically, as God spoke these words, there were seven days remaining for Noah, his family, and the animals to get into the safety of the ark; but spiritually (and the Bible is a spiritual book), God was speaking to all of the people of the world and was declaring that sinful mankind would have 7000 years to find refuge in the salvation provided by Jesus Christ. How can we know that? We know this is so based on what we read in 2 Peter, chapter 3:

The context of 2 Peter 3 is extremely important! In the first few verses, God refers us to the destruction of the world by the flood during Noah's day. Then we find an interesting admonition that we ought not to be ignorant of one thing, which is, 1 day is as 1000 years, and 1000 years is as 1 day. Immediately following this bit of information is a very vivid description of the end of the present world by fire.

What could God be telling us by identifying 1 day along with 1000 years?

Since we recently have discovered the Biblical calendar of history on the pages of the Bible, we find that the flood of Noah's day occurred in the year 4990 BC. This date is completely accurate (for further information on the Biblical timeline of history, please go to: www.familyradio.com). It was in the year 4990 BC that God revealed to Noah that there would be yet 7 days until the flood of waters would be upon the earth. Now, if we substitute 1000 years for each one of those 7 days, we get 7000 years. And when we project 7000 years into the future from 4990 BC, we find that it falls on the year 2011 AD.

4990 + 2011 = 7001

Note: When counting from an Old Testament date to a New Testament date, always subtract one year because there is no year zero, resulting in:

4990 + 2011 – 1 = 7000 years exactly.

The year 2011 AD will be the 7000th year from the flood of Noah's day. It will be the end of the length of time given to mankind to find grace in God's sight. This means that the time to find refuge in Christ has grown extremely short. We are only a little ways off from the year 2011 AD!

THE RAPTURE: MAY 21st, 2011
We know that the year 2011 is the 7000th year from the flood. We also know that God will destroy this world in that year. But when in 2011 will this occur?

The answer is amazing. Let's take another look at the flood account in the book of Genesis:

Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Faithful to His Word, God did bring the flood 7 days later in the 600th year, on the 17th day of the 2nd month of the calendar aligned with Noah's lifespan. It was on this 17th day of the 2nd month that God shut the door on the ark, securing the safety of its occupants and also sealing the fate of everyone else in the world outside of the ark. They would all now certainly perish in that worldwide catastrophe.

Earlier it was mentioned that the church age came to an end in the year 1988 AD. It so happens that the church age began on the day of Pentecost (May 22nd) in the year 33 AD. Then 1955 years later, the church age came to its conclusion on May 21st, which was the day before Pentecost in 1988.

On May 21st, 1988, God finished using the churches and congregations of the world. The Spirit of God left all churches and Satan, the man of sin, entered into the churches to rule at that point in time. The Bible teaches us that this awful period of judgment upon the churches would last for 23 years. A full 23 years (8400 days exactly) would be from May 21 st, 1988 until May 21st, 2011. This information was discovered in the Bible completely apart from the information regarding the 7000 years from the flood.

Therefore, we see that the full 23-year tribulation period concludes on May 21st, 2011. This date is the exact day that the great tribulation comes to its end, and this is also the most likely landing spot for the 7000 years from the flood of Noah's day.

Keep in mind that God shut the door on the ark on the 17th day of the 2nd month of Noah's calendar. We also find that May 21 st, 2011 is the end of the great tribulation period. There is a strong relationship between the 2nd month and 17th day of Noah's calendar and May 21st, 2011 of our Gregorian calendar. This relationship cannot be readily seen until we discover that there is another calendar to consider, which is the Hebrew (or Biblical) calendar. May 21 st, 2011 happens to be the 17th day of the 2nd month of the Hebrew calendar. By this, God is confirming to us that we have a very correct understanding regarding the 7000-year timeline from the flood. May 21 st, 2011 is the equivalent date to the date when God shut the door on Noah's ark. Through this and much other Biblical information, we find that May 21 st, 2011 will be the day when God takes up into heaven His elect people. May 21st, 2011 will be the day God shuts the door of salvation on the world.

In other words, in having the great tribulation period conclude on a day that identifies with the 17th day of the 2nd month of Noah's calendar, God is without question confirming to us that this is the day He intends to shut forever the door of entry into heaven: The Bible teaches that on May 21st, 2011, only true believers elected by God to receive salvation will be raptured (taken up) out of this world to meet the Lord in the air and forever be with the Lord:

THE END OF THE WORLD: OCTOBER 21st, 2011 By God's grace and tremendous mercy, He is giving us advanced warning as to what He is about to do. May 21st, 2011 will begin this 5-month period of horrible torment for all the inhabitants of the earth. It will be on May 21st that God will raise up all the dead that have ever died from their graves. Earthquakes will ravage the whole world as the earth will no longer conceal its dead (Isaiah 26:21). People who died as saved individuals will experience the resurrection of their bodies and immediately leave this world to forever be with the Lord. Those who died unsaved will be raised up as well, but only to have their lifeless bodies scattered about the face of all the earth. Death will be everywhere.
The Feast of Tabernacles / Ingathering was said to be in the end of the year even though it was observed in the Hebrew 7th month, which is not the end of the year. The reason for this is that the spiritual fulfillment of this particular feast is the end of the world. The date October 21st, 2011 will be the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles and the last day of earth's existence.

On October 21st, 2011, God will completely destroy this creation and all of the people who never experienced the salvation of Jesus Christ along with it. The awful payment for their sinful rebellion against God will be completed by the loss of everlasting life. On October 21st, 2011, all of these poor people will cease to exist from that point forward. How sad that noble man, made in God's image, will die like a beast and perish forever.
From the book: "We Are Almost There" by Harold Camping and Brian Miller D.S.
Grand Rapids, MI

This wasn't a topic that I was going to weigh on but the more information and articles I started coming across, I felt obligated to speak my peace. Number one, people trying to predict the end of the world has been an ongoing fallacy of mankind ever since the days of the early church. We still exist on planet earth which means there have been a lot of false prophecies being thrown out there for the last 2,000 years. Now, I'm a believer of Christ returning and this world being done away with for a better one. But we are not given the exact time of when this is to occur in the Bible (which is where Camping claims his information comes from).

What is the most important thing for us brothers and sisters is to be living out our faith on a daily basis, to endure. One of my most recent entries on the main website entitled THE END IS ABOUT ENDURANCE was posted in order to remind us that no matter what happens, if we simply are concerned about enduring in our faith, we will be fine. For if the world ends, then we've endured. But if the world doesn't end on Saturday, then we will still endure because maintaining our faith is what we're about. If we are raptured or not raptured, it's of no consequence because we're sticking with God no matter what. This is the safest way to go.

At the risk of being too blunt, if we are giving into predictions and a lot of this prophecy nonsense that is out there today, then we're not focusing on what is important. Brothers and sisters, there are distractions out there that are intended to get us to fall away from the faith and shipwreck our faith. These distractions could be right within the church that you are attending. Be careful and do not be quick to accept what is coming out of people's mouths.

Now let's talk about prophecy. I did a whole entry on this entitled PROVING THE PROPHET over a year ago. The Bible gives us a way to test if someone is a true prophet or a false prophet. It's simple and it is based on whether their prediction comes true or not. Brothers and sisters, pay attention to this because many false preachers have been excused and continue to be excused for their false prophecies and when we do that, we run the risk of being deceived. Take some time and Google:

-Benny Hinn prophecy during the 90s that God will wipe out the homosexual population
-Harold Camping's 1994 prophecy of the end of the world
-Benny Hinn prophecy that Christ will appear on stage with him at one of his events
-Jehovah Witness founder Charles Russell prophesying wrong several times about end of world in 1900s

Read more false predictions by clicking HERE (courtesy of www.bible.ca).

When we tolerate false prophecies that are blatantly opposed to the truth, we'll open ourselves up for even greater deception. We must realize that we are being tested in our faith and how we respond to these "prophecies" will show whether we are truly trusting in the Lord or we are trusting in the crazed fanatics of man.

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
(2 Peter 1:20-21 - KJV)

Herein lies one of the biggest problems about all of these failed prophecies--they are nothing more than the private interpretations of men. Were other believers on a mass scale aware of a May 21, 2011 date before Mr. Camping announced it or are they just responding to his private interpretation. If you look in the New Testament, Paul, Peter, John, James and Jude are all referring to the same end. In the Old Testament, you had numerous prophets referring to the destruction of Israel and Judah and also the coming of the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Why is it that I'm only hearing about May 21st from Mr. Camping?

Personally, I believe the predictions in Matthew and the epistles were directly for the people of that time because they felt the direct implications of having their worlds turned upside down. The words "everlasting kingdom" mean a lot when you find the church outlasting both Jerusalem and the Roman Empire and still continues today. I believe that Revelation has been mostly fulfilled. But whether you believe me or not, we need to agree on the need to endure in the faith.

While I'm not into calling fellow believers by titles or even into the money-making seminary institutions, I concur with what Albert Mohler posted on his blog HERE. To set dates about the end of the world is indeed arrogant and no calculations using letter sequencing or anything else is going to reveal to us the specific time and date of God's plans.

Endure brothers and sisters. Do not live like the world will end in two days. Live a consistent life.

Blessings.

Barna research shows more people not giving to church institutions

2011-05-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

There's a very interesting headline that I came across on ChristianPost.com today that reads "Americans Get Stingy With Churches in Down Economy." While the story itself discusses the downward trend of Americans giving to church institutions, I believe the headline for the article was a poor choice and I don't know if it is intended to make people who read it feel guilty of not giving to the institutions. Read the full article by clicking on the link below:

AMERICANS GET STINGY WITH CHURCHES IN DOWN ECONOMY

The fact of the matter is that many people, including professing believers, are struggling financially and do not have money to keep feeding into an institution. What concerns me even more is that if we weren't funneling in billions of dollars into institutions, we could be using that money to bless our brothers and sisters in the faith directly to the point where no Christian would even be struggling during this economic decline. It's yet another example of why I continue to say that professing believers put the institution over their own brothers and sisters.

The clergy-laity distinction is one of the reason we find ourselves in the predicament we do today. This distinction allows clergy to collect a paycheck for doing what they call "ministry," even though ministry in its essence is something that somebody does for somebody else for free without an expectation of something in return. As a result, we have church institutional leaders who do not work a real job and get paid a salary (more than necessary in many cases) for doing the "work of the Lord." This is not biblical and I will be doing a message in the future that addresses this.

My advice is to stop wasting time and money on institutions and put that money and time into the actual body of Christ, the believers. This is what the early church did and what we should be doing today. The Church Folk Revolution Radio program raised more than $1000 for people in Alabama that were devastated by the recent tornadoes. All of the money raised will go directly to help people. Praise God for their awesome example of what it truly means to love each other.

It angers and saddens me how much money has been wasted in the institutions when believers have real financial issues that could be dealt with if our hearts were in the right place. Just remember, an institution is not a person and Jesus commanded us to love one another, not an institution. I pray that more people will understand this. Blessings.

Are we to impress man or please God?

2011-05-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog. Sometimes I wonder when the circus of nonsense that falls under the umbrella of what many deem to be "Christianity" will come to an end. But as long as the mercy of God continues to fall upon false preachers and others who claim to follow His Son Jesus Christ while their deeds prove otherwise, I will pray that they will come to repentance.

One such man that we should pray for brothers and sisters is Jim Moats, a pastor from Pennsylvania that has lied for years about having served in the Navy SEALS. You can read the story from Yahoo News by clicking on the link below:

LOCAL PASTOR MADE UP ELABORATE NAVY SEAL TALE

Mr. Moats isn't the first nor will he be the last of pastors who attempt to impress their congregations by elevating themselves according to ways of the world. There are pastors who wave their seminary degrees before the congregations in order to make it seem like their words can not be refuted because of their formal study. There are other pastors who receive degrees from unaccredited universities and colleges in order to add "Dr." to their names to seem more educated. And Mr. Moats perhaps did what he did in order to seem more patriotic during a time when being patriotic is the in thing in the United States.

Brothers and sisters, we must understand that many of these pastors are not biblical elders but are religious businessmen that will be whatever you want them to be in order to extort you. People like Mr. Moats are banking on the fact that you're operating in your flesh instead of operating in the Spirit. And they will exploit that as much as they can for their own benefit.

The sad part of many of the things that I post on this blog is that I don't make them up. I wish I did. And one of the other sadder things is that it takes the secular media to show the truth of what is going on in many of the churches because many of us who profess to be believers in Christ are so caught up in the religious frenzy that we're blind as to what is really going on.

I will be touching a bit on the idea of impressing man or pleasing God in the next entry on the main website. There still is time for Mr. Moats to repent and I pray he does. In the meantime, stay true to the faith my brothers and sisters. Blessings.

The End is About Endurance

2011-05-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

Greetings and thank you for stopping by the blog. I just got finished reading through Revelation and took about 3 months doing so because of the detailed cross referencing that I was doing on words and phrases. If you have never read Revelation in this way, I definitely encourage you to take some time to do so. It may open your eyes on a few things that you never considered.

The newest entry on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET site is now available and is entitled "The End is About Endurance." I came up with this entry because while Revelation is full of symbolism and showed the believers of the time what was to soon come, there is something that we as believers and even the believers of that time should have gotten out of Revelation. It is the need to endure in the faith at all costs.

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

I believe that we as believers miss the point when we become too consumed with all of the symbols and visions of the book, rather than the fact that God is All Powerful, He will make good on His promises and we need to persevere in our faith. If we are enduring in our faith, we will not be overcome by anything that happens in this life, including a mark of the beast or even death. Endurance is the key to seeing our journey of faith through to the very end. It is then that we receive the fullness of eternal life with Jesus.

Consider these things brothers and sisters. Blessings.

The Necessity of Prayer

2011-05-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you for stopping by the blog as we kick off the month of May 2011. Finally, I was able to write up a new article and record a new audio message for the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website. I am hoping to get back into doing regular updates this month and I thank you so much for your patience.

In the new entry "The Necessity of Prayer," I talk about the need for us as believers to pray for those who do not believe in Christ. So many times, we forget just who we were before Jesus rescued us and we lack mercy and compassion on those who do not have Christ. It is easy to pray for our family members, friends and people we like. But can we also pray for those who have hurt us, whom the world has given up on and would even be a terrorist such as Osama Bin Laden?

This entry will be challenging but will also put things into perspective about God's heart. Click on the links below:

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

I have noticed that the written article "How Church Should Be" is not properly linked between Part 1 and Part 2 at the bottom of the page. I will fix this later. If you want to read the second part, click on "HOW CHURCH SHOULD BE PT. II" underneath "RELATED LINKS.

Hope all is well with all of you who are reading this. Blessings.

Barna study shows terrible trend

2011-04-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

The Barna Research Group has released another study in which one in 4 professing Christians believe that God accepts everyone and that all people will eventually be saved. You can read the full article from Christian Post.com HERE.

First of all, I want to take the time to thank the Barna group for all the work they have done over the years of extracting data from the "professing Christian" community about beliefs, doctrines, etc. It is very saddening that a quarter of the "professing Christians" surveyed basically destroy the truth of the gospel in order to make it into something that can be more digested by the world.

Then Peter said unto them, Repent , and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
(Acts 2:38)

There is one 6 letter word that tells us that God does not accept us as we are. The word is "repent." The meaning of the word means to turn away from. So when we are called to repent, we are being told to turn away from the evil that we are doing and that is in our hearts and turn to Jesus Christ, who forgives our sins and gives us the ability to do what is good. God loves us but He does not accept us as we are. This is why He desires for us to repent of our sins in order that He may clean us up transform us into something He does find acceptable.

Next, approximately 40 percent of those surveyed said they believe that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Yet we should know that according to the Bible this is not so. Do not be fooled brothers and sisters. Listen to what 1 John 4 says:

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come ; and even now already is it in the world
(1 John 4:2-3)

The Bible lays it out very plainly. While I mean no disrespect or lack of love toward Muslims, the fact of the matter is that they do not believe that Jesus is God manifested in the flesh, who then died on the cross to take away our sins. This means that they do not believe in the same God that Christians do and the Bible says this is the result of the "spirit of antichrist."

Be careful saints, particularly in these days when people try to reason truth into a lie. Do not compromise the truth that the Bible clearly presents. Do not allow your emotions or human reasoning to lead you into deception. Remember, the truth is unchanging and does not yield itself to man's emotions and wisdom. It is man's wisdom and emotion that must yield itself to the truth.

Blessings.

Playing a bit of catch-up

2011-04-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog and I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday weekend where believers take time to honor and remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I wasn't able to upload a message this weekend because I had a little one who was sick and had a fever. But praise God that she is doing a lot better. If my schedule allows for this weekend, I will be recording a new audio message and writing a new article this weekend.

As always, thanks for your patience. This ministry is not my vocation so I have a full-time job and full-time responsibilities with my family. I do not make a dime from doing this nor do I ever want to. So I apologize if this main website and the blog are not updated as much as you would like.

Continue to stay focused on Jesus, especially in these days where there is a lot of political unrest and plenty of uncertainty in terms of what lies ahead for the nations of the world. Remember brothers and sisters, we are of the nation above. Keep your eyes on Christ. Blessings.

Following the example of the Church Folk Revolution

2011-04-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

This morning, the Church Folk Revolution radio broadcast focused on praying for "pastors" in what I thought was a very powerful show. If you have some time to spare, I would highly recommend you listening to the archived broadcast HERE and join our brothers and sisters in praying for them.

God willing, this weekend I will writing an article to be accompanied by an audio message that will follow the Church Folk Revolution's example in calling out to "pastors" to repent and either come to Christ or return to Christ. I was going to write and speak on another subject but, especially in honor of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection that we are calling to remembrance this week, this is a great time to intercede on their behalf to God so that they will die to sin and be truly resurrected (born again) in Christ.

Just want to say thank you to the Church Folk Revolution for taking the time to do the show and may God be glorified in what they continue to do.

Words reflect the light we are shining

2011-04-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

In no way am I seeking to pick on Tyler Perry but after reading his comments directed at Spike Lee this morning, I have to say that it was disappointing. Mr. Perry refers to himself as a "Christian" and as a "Christian" there is a standard that he and anyone else (including me) that refers to himself or herself as a "Christian" should abide by.

From the Wall Street Journal, check out Mr. Perry's words below or officially HERE.

“I’m so sick of hearing about damn Spike Lee,” Perry said. “Spike can go straight to hell! You can print that. I am sick of him talking about me, I am sick of him saying, ‘this is a coon, this is a buffoon.’ I am sick of him – he talked about Whoopi, he talked about Oprah, he talked about me, he talked about Clint Eastwood. Spike needs to shut the hell up!” Lee couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Now, doesn't the Bible tell us as believers that if someone does something to us, we are to forgive and we are to love those whom we would even regard as our enemies? So how is Mr. Perry as a "Christian" emphasizing forgiveness and love for Spike Lee when he talks in this way? I pray that Mr. Perry will repent and realize the severity of the words "go straight to hell" that he spoke towards Mr. Lee. As believers, are we not ambassadors of the gospel of Christ which seeks to rescue people from hell?

I bring things like this out because we as believers in Christ must be responsible for what we say and do. I really pray for Mr. Perry and pray that he realizes the brevity of what he said. This entry isn't about him dressing up as a female in his movies so do not comment on that. But what this is about is letting our light shine through the words that we speak.

Consider what you say and how you say it brothers and sisters. Blessings.

Pursuing God or happiness?

2011-04-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today and I hope your week is going well. If you check out the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET page, you will notice that a new entry entitled "The Pursuit of God or Happiness" was uploaded on April 17th. Please check out the article and the audio message by clicking on any one of the links below:

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

The new entry isn't the only new thing you'll find on the main website. If you have noticed, both the main site and this blog now have new backgrounds. It was time for a bit of a different look.

This week is Resurrection Week where we remind ourselves about the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Spend some time this week reflecting on what Jesus Christ has done for you in your life and be sure to thank Him. Blessings!

First appearance on the Church Folk Revolution

2011-04-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog and I hope all you who are reading this are doing well. Yesterday (Wednesday), I had a day off from work and decided to call in to the Church Folk Revolution radio show that airs on BlogTalk Radio.com on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For those of you who especially have grown up in or are a part of black churches today, this show is definitely worth a listen as they deal with issues within the church that need to be talked about by believers more.

I am thankful for Brother TJ, Brother Lee and Sister Liberty for taking my call and allowing me to express some things on Wednesday's show on the topic of "Church Hurt." I will be calling in more regularly and really praise God for them and the show's executive producer Ronnel (sp) for being bold and courageous to do what they are doing. Click HERE and cue to about the 44th minute in order to here me call in although I would advise you to listen to the entire show.

Looks like I may be recording a new message and writing a new article this weekend. Thanks all of you for your patience and for your visits to this blog and the main GENERATION CHRIST. NET website. While there is a lot going on among professing believers today, you as an individual can be someone who is helping the cause of Christ and not being a detriment to it. Keep your heart and your life open to God and He will do some amazing things through you.

Blessings.

Update to Generation Christ.Net

2011-04-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog and I hope your week is off to a good start. I have made a change to the CHURCIANITY VS CHRISTIANITY: THE BELIEVER LIVES IN FREEDOM entry on the site. There was a section where I talked about smoking and I have decided to remove it as I do not want to endorse smoking on this website. My advice to any of you who smoke would be to avoid it at all costs. Whether or not this is a salvation issue is more of how you are going about smoking.

I have left the section about alcohol in there because the Bible actually does speak specifically on wine and drunkenness. Again, the Bible does not condemn wine or things like beer but does warn us about partaking in "strong drink," being drunk and making something into an idol. If you can not handle a glass of wine, do not drink it. But we should not condemn someone who can drink wine and yet still keep their sobriety.

The reason why I’m announcing this on the site is because I believe it is important to let you know about any changes I make to the website and be up front as to the reason why. I am still growing in my faith as I hope all of you are and I'm never beyond correction or being questioned. Nobody pointed this out to me, it was more something that I believe God put on my heart. But even if one of you out there did point it out, I would still seriously consider what you say. We learn from one another and that is why I always encourage your feedback.

Thanks for your consideration and expect new articles and audio messages this month. Blessings!

Words can hurt

2011-04-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hello to everyone of you who stopped by the blog today and I hope all of you are doing well. I wanted to at least do one post before this week closes out and want all of you to know that I'm alive and well. God is good and I pray that you are feeling the same way.

I was going through the headlines of the day like I usually do (hey I'm a journalist by trade) and came across a powerful video made by a girl who is an 8th grader and has been bullied by other kids around her age. Her video is about how powerful words can be and that they can hurt. Check out her clip below:

Bullying is a growing people that not only happens at schools but happens in homes and especially through communication mediums such as phones, email and internet. People say a lot of things to other people, either face-to-face or through another form of contact, but the deal is a lot of people are hurt right now because of what somebody has said to them at some point.

I am by no means flawless but one thing God did for me when I came to Christ was that He did a cleaning on my mouth. And He guides me even today to really think before I speak. Because words are very powerful and do carry a lot of weight. Consider James 3:

Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
(James 3:3-10 - NKJV)

Even the Bible confirms that words are very powerful and the followers of Christ should know the importance of controlling their mouths and can also do it with God's help. The truth is that somebody's words can murder somebody just as much as a gun, a knife or a vehicle. We need to take responsibility for what we say.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
(Proverbs 18:21 - NKJV)

It's interesting that I've come across this because earlier this week, I visited the Museum of Tolerance for the first time and I remember the tour guide there saying "words are powerful." They are my brothers and sisters. And let's not forget that.

Let's use our words wisely and speak life into people's lives and not death. This doesn't mean that we as believers in Christ compromise in the (sometimes) harsh truth of God. But it means that we need to choose our words carefully and use wisdom as we converse with others.

For those of you who are parents raising children, understand that we live in a world where the majority of people do not follow Jesus Christ. As a result, there will be a great deal of evil and wickedness that you and your children will not only encounter but that will seek to get you off the path with Christ. Let's raise our children to be strong and to be able to rely on God because the world can be a not-so-nice place and we and our children need to still be able to keep ourselves together and hold fast to the faith.

Prepare yourself and prepare the next generation. It's not getting any better out there but our Lord still reigns. Blessings.

Taking a little time away and new upload!

2011-03-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog and I hope your week is going very well. I will be taking some time away from updating the main website for the next two to three weeks unless there is something that God is putting on my heart that I need to share before then. There's lot of things going on coming up on both weekdays and weekends and the next few weeks will have a lot happening. Thank you for your patience in advance and feel free to check out any of the articles or audio messages that are on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET site.

Also, I wanted to announce that I have uploaded a new audio message entitled, HOW TO LOVE UNBELIEVERS. I pray that this will bless you in not necessarily teaching you something new but bringing certain things from the people back to your memory. While is the truth of the gospel that people need to believe in and abide by, we who are preaching the gospel need to be blameless so that it is the gospel that is paid attention to and not something that we're lacking as believers.

Feel free to comment on the blog anytime and if you have any other comments, concerns, encouragements, rebukes, prayer requests or CD requests of audio messages, please drop me a line at admin@generationchrist.net. God bless you and continue in the faith fellow brothers and sisters.

Apologies for incomplete articles

2011-03-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. Unfortunately, I have noticed that some of the recent articles on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET are not fully rendering and so they are not complete. My apologies for this and I will rectify it when I get home tonight. In the meantime, feel free to check out and download the audio version of the newest entries. Thanks for your patience. Blessings.

Discerning between good and evil

2011-03-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. The newest entry on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website deals with discerning between good versus evil. Taking Isaiah 5:20 as our source verse, the newest article and audio message explores why knowing the difference between good and evil and living it out is crucial to our faith. I pray this will both challenge and encourage you:

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

Today, I'm off work today because I am under the weather. I had a sore throat on Sunday and some of Monday and now I have a lot of congestion. But I will be okay and the people over in Japan should be where our prayers are truly centered right now. In reading different news articles, it is disappointing how many people are poking fun at the Japanese during one of their greatest times of grief. Do they not understand that if God so willed it, we could have been (and still be) the ones who experience the devastation of a horrific earthquake and tsunami. I sometimes wonder when these people apologize for their words if they really mean it or they do it just for their own personal benefit. And perhaps their tongue is their struggle in this life. Oh how we need to pray.

Keep pressing forward in Christ my brothers and sisters and do not give up. Continue to endure, always. Blessings.

Rejoicing in the truth

2011-03-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

I can't explain it but all I know is that I am touched with an overwhelming since of joy whenever I read truth coming from other brothers and sisters in the faith. The latest article that I read from the PIMP PREACHER.COM website talks about how many leaders of the institutional churches resemble the Pharisees of the New Testament. Check it out:

CURRENT PHARISEES: HOW WOULD JESUS CONFRONT YOUR PASTOR?

What the writer of this article points out are the very things that I pointed out in past entries on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website. Visit the site and check out the entries entitled THE WARNINGS OF MATTHEW 23 and also entries from the CHRISTIANITY VS CHURCHIANITY SERIES such as CLERGY/LAITY DOES NOT EXIST and WHO DO YOU TRUST?

What a joy it is to not only know that others are shouting from the walls but to actually see it. There are still many who still serve the one true God. Blessings.

Contentment can be yours as a believer in Christ

2011-03-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

The main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website has been updated with new material with the latest entry focusing on contentment. Do you have contentment and peace in your life? If not, give the new article and audio message on the website a listen as I talk about how the things of the world and sometimes even church organizations can get in the way of our relationship with Jesus. And then once we have our walk in order with Jesus, then we experience contentment but always being thankful, coming to God with prayer and praise when we are stressed, thinking on good things and continuing to live out our faith.

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

Continue to live your life in submission to Jesus and He will provide all that you need. When we empty ourselves out, He will pour into us. But He can not pour in when we are already full of what we many times think we need. It takes trust brothers and sisters.

Blessings.

'We Are Israelites' now up and a prayer request

2011-03-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. The latest entry on the GENERATION CHRIST.NET site is now up, entitled "We Are Israelites." I pray that as you listen, you will come to realize that being a believer in Jesus Christ makes you the one who will inherit God's great promises for His people regardless of whether you are a physically born Jew or not. The audio message is a little over 80 minutes so be sure to set aside some time to listen if you click on the link.

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (64k)

Also, let's be sure to keep Jews up in prayer like others that we would pray for to come to the truth in Jesus. It's always important for us to do that.

Feel free to comment on the article/audio message either by email at admin@generationchrist.net or through the blog. Blessings.

"We Are Israelites" still in the works

2011-03-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. I just wanted to update you on the status of the next entry on the website, "We Are Israelites." I apologize for not posting it this weekend but as I was recording, I realized I needed to take more time with this before putting up. Even though, my perspective on the topic is clear, what's most important is how I am able to communicate that to all of you. So hopefully it will be up soon.

Continue running the race and don't allow anything to stop you from crossing that finish line. Continue on the journey and let nothing stop you from getting to your destination. The world, particularly Egypt and Libya, is in chaos but we can be at peace as believers in Jesus. Remember that and remember just how great God is.

Blessings.

Standing up for your faith

2011-02-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

I find the believers in different parts of the world to inspiring and fascinating. There are such terrific examples of followers of Jesus Christ that are holding true to the faith in spite of some of the worst persecution that a person could possibly go through. Check out this story for World Net Daily:

CHRISTIANS ASKED TO BOW IN SUBMISSION TO ALLAH

To God be the glory that these believers did not back down despite the fact that they were outnumbered and that attention was called to them because of their faith. What a great example they are to me and to all followers of Jesus. And their unwillingness to bow in submission to Allah reminds of some accounts from the Bible itself:

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “ Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

(Daniel 3:8-18 - NKJV)

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. And all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.
(Esther 3:1-6 - NJKV)

GOD'S WORDS TO ELIJAH
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
(1 Kings 19:18 - KJV)

There is no telling what will happen to these believers in Egypt who refused to bow. But our prayers must be with them and we should rejoice in their courageous stand for the faith. While some of us may not be in a situation like the believers in Egypt, there are things that we encounter every day that will take a similarly courageous stand for Jesus.

I share this because the Bible instructs us in Hebrews 10 to provoke one another to good works. Part of that provoking is in the example that we set for one another in the faith. I pray that you were blessed by the reading of the article. Blessings.

Update on "We Are Israelites" article and message

2011-02-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today and I hope your day is going well. I just wanted to update all of you on the status of the "We Are Israelites" article and audio message. Due to many responsibilities this weekend and the fact that I had to reboot my computer by re-installing Windows, I was not able to make the new post. So look out for the new stuff on the Generation Christ.Net website this weekend or early next week. Thanks so much for your patience. In the meantime, check out the main website as there are numerous article and audio messages that have already been uploaded.

Blessings.

Are you a true Israelite?

2011-02-18T14:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. I pray that you have had a great week and you're enduring in the faith as you're reading this if you are a follower of Jesus Christ.

This weekend, if all goes well and if God wills, I will be doing an entry on the main website about who the true Israelites and Jews are today. A few weeks ago, I had done a post in which I embedded a terrific YouTube series done on the subject by Mike Blume. While Mr. Blume probably covered the subject more eloquently than I ever could, I'm a firm believer that sometimes a way a person speaks resonates with some over others. So perhaps some of you who listen to the upcoming audio message or read the article will be blessed by it. You can check out the aforementioned post HERE.

A conviction that I have as I listen to and read people's thoughts on the issues surrounding Israel is that there is a disconnect in understanding Old Covenant vs New Covenant and also a misunderstanding at times in regards to who Israel really is in God's eyes today. I will confront these topics this weekend. Stay tuned and blessings.

Fantastic story about high school grappler

2011-02-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. Whenever I come across a inspiring story rather than the many poor examples of professing believers, I am more than happy to make mention of it on this blog.

Apparently there is a high school wrestler named Joel Northup from Iowa who refused to wrestle against a female in the state tournament. You can read about the story HERE.

Now people can talk about the fact that he is the son of a minister of a pentecostal church institution but when somebody has faith and it is put in action, I can't help but admire it. So I just want to take this opportunity and give a kudos to Joel for standing up for what he believes in and being an example to others in how a male should be to a female. It may have cost him a chance at the state title but Northup was focused on a higher prize.

He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
(Hebrews 11:26 - NIV)

I hope you too are blessed by Joel's story. Blessings!

Some interesting statistics

2011-02-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

If you haven't checked it out yet, ChristianPost.com has uploaded church membership statistics listed by denomination for 2011 and it is definitely worth a read. You can check it out HERE:

The Catholic Church still tops the list and will continue to be the top institutional establishment labeled as "Christian" throughout the world. That trend isn't going anywhere soon. But what is interesting is are the growth figures among the Mormons (+1.42%), Jehovah's Witnesses (+4.37%) and the Seventh-Day Adventists (+4.31%). Those organizations account for the biggest growth in the 2011 rankings whereas the Southern Baptist Convention (-.42%), Evangelical Lutherans (-1.96%), Lutherans (-1.08%), Episcopal Church (-2.48%), United Church of Christ (-2.83%) and American Baptist Churches (-1.55%) all had drops. What does this mean?

Well, in my experience, the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are ones who have a better reputation of practicing what they preach more than the other groups even though they have questionable doctrines. Also, the Seventh Day Adventists are known for also having the same reputation even though it is not a scriptural requirement for every believer to observe the Sabbath under the New Covenant.

Meanwhile, there has been turmoil among the groups that have had drops in the past few years, especially over the issue of homosexuality. Within these groups has also been a lot of doublemindedness where it is apparent that they do not hold to the Bible that they adamantly declare as the book of truth. This has been a trend I have noticed just in keeping with what's been happening in the news and it has hurt them because people are more attracted to organizations where words and actions match, even if the teachings are false. You may have come across something different and please understand that I'm not endorsing that idea that every single within these organizations is contributing to whatever trend is going on.

Another trend to notice is that the more charismatic organizations are either holding steady or featuring slight growth. We have a population of people that want an experience and want to be a part of an organization that endorses signs, wonders and miracles. How do we think a guy like Todd Bentley could become as popular as he has?

So what's the trend among the institutions? People want to see words and actions united, even if the teachings are false. And people also want an experience. And in part, why is this happening? Because the ones who have mostly correct doctrine aren't living it.

So it's interesting that I came across this article after uploading entries on the topic of miracles and hypocrisy. What are your thoughts? Blessings.

Are You That Man?

2011-02-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog. It took me a few more days but I was able to upload the newest article and audio message on the main website dealing with the issue of hypocrisy among professing believers. It's a challenging entry, even for me, but one I hope will help encourage you as well. With so much to do over the weekend, I didn't have a chance to do the usual Sunday upload so I recorded and wrote yesterday after I had gotten out of work early. Here the links:

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

Blessings.

10 Things That Cause Stress in a Leader - A Response

2011-02-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog and a double thanks to the Lord that today is Friday. In my usual browsing of the net, I came across an article by Perry Noble of New Spring Church. Mr. Noble is considered to be one of the young up and coming pastors who has a congregation claim of tens of thousands. I've commented on his Christian Post.com column before but decided to do so again because in his latest entry, he talks about things (he feels) causes stress in church leaders. Click on the link below to read:

10 THINGS THAT CAUSE STRESS IN A LEADER

My goal here is not to criticize Mr. Noble and put him down but we must measure words that are spoken by anybody and I believe we need to pay attention especially to those who refer to themselves as "senior pastors." Let's examine Mr. Noble's list:

#1 – I actually believe the church is MY church and not HIS church…and that I am in control rather than HIM! (See Matthew 16:18)

Response: This is what many of these institutional church leaders don't seem to get. They, including Mr. Noble, make statements like this but they prove by the very position they have elevated themselves to that they don't get it and I pray that they do. God has called people to be overseers (which is what pastors and elders are) in the church like a big brother figure in a family, not like a spiritual father figure. The fact that Mr. Noble decides the vision and more than likely does not involve the entire congregation in the decisions that he makes shows that it is his church. If it were Christ's church, Jesus would have the pre-eminence, not Mr. Noble. Clergy/laity does not exist in the Bible when it comes to the church.

#2 – I do not trust the people who I delegate authority and responsibility to and actually begin to believe the lie that, “if I want something done right then I must do it myself.”

Response: This attitude comes from an institutional church mindset that the church is to function in a format that bears more resemblance to a hierarchy than a brotherhood of believers. The reason why these institutional leaders feel stress when allowing others to contribute is because the leaders do feel a sense of ownership over the church that supposedly belongs to Christ.

#3 – When I know without a doubt what God has spoken to me to do…but I begin to listen to the “experts” who tell me that the very thing God has called me to do is an impossibility.

Response: Let me tell you about experiences I've and others I know have had with leaders who claim to always hear from God. It's not that a person can't hear from God, but when it is used as an excuse to not have to consider what others say, it's flat out arrogance. We as human can sometimes be wrong and perhaps God sends another person to us to correct us. But when people have an attitude of "if I'm wrong then God will tell me Himself," they could be headed down a road to deception when some humility could have prevented that. There are times when we have to dismiss what a person says but let it be after we at least listen and consider.

#4 – When I try to explain myself to those who don’t really want an explanation…they just want to argue.

Response: I have seen a video of Perry Noble implying that people who don't "tithe" basically don't have the right to say anything against what he teaches. The fact of the matter is that Mr. Noble feels as "senior pastor" that he is the ruler and lord of the church and who is anybody to disagree with him? Sometimes, people may strongly disagree with you because they are trying to show you the truth. Once again, do you have the humility to receive it?

#5 – When I refuse to take some time to disconnect and rest, claiming that the devil never takes a day off while not understanding that the devil isn’t supposed to be my example.

Response: What makes the institutional church system a farce is that God has not called people in the church to take on the responsibility of a Moses or a King David. But that's exactly how many institutional pastors operate. And they don't realize that they are taking on a lot more than they should be taking on in the first place by exalting themselves to a position they were never meant to have. Part of what is burning out institutional pastors is that they don't understand that they weren't meant to rule or be a Moses but instead are to be overseers of a local body of believers where everyone is involved and exercising their gifts. The institutional system does not allow this and in essence burns out the few that are trying to accomplish this all by themselves.

#6 – When I begin to take on the “Messiah complex” and begin to think about how much the church needs me rather than how much I actually NEED CHRIST!

Response: Here's the problem for Mr. Noble and others within the institutional system. The very system exalts them to a place where people will naturally believe that they need them over Jesus Christ. The system puts them in a place where, while Jesus is our Bridge to God, the "senior pastor" becomes the bridge to Jesus. Every time they are the ones who sit on the stage, stand at the podium to speak for an hour, allow themselves to be referred to as "Pastor So & So" and claim to have the sole vision for the direction of the church, they make themselves out to be the messiahs in the eyes of their congregations. This is why people follow them as they would Jesus. The only way to stop this would be for them to humble themselves as fellow brothers before the people so that the people can see that they're on the same plane as them, not above them.

#7 – When I worry about results more than obedience!!!

Response: Here's another problem with the church institution. While the early church in the Bible did not have need for money in order to support fellowship, the institution needs money in order to keep it going. Keeping the church institution afloat is a costly business and for those who have their very livelihoods tied into it, it creates a very interesting conflict of interest. The institutions, as a result, are run like businesses because people want to make money for their own well-being. The problem is that businesses base their success more on results (so they can promote themselves to people) rather than on what God deems right.

#8 – When I focus on the size of the problem rather than the size of God!

Response: Piggybacking on the previous response, when a person's paycheck is generated from the church institution where he supposedly doing ministry to the people, then he is going to have added stress. In the early church, any money that was raised went directly to help people who needed it. With the church institution, the institution gets the priority because people are tied up financially into it. So the concern for God and the concern of money will be an epic battle happening right then and there within that "senior pastor" position.

#9 – When I fail to share my worries and concerns and admit my mistakes to others for fear that it may make me seem weak and stupid. (When…the opposite is the case, those around me actually love and respect me more when I ask for help!)

Response: It's easier for people to care for you and love you when they're not idolizing you. Unfortunately, as I said before, the very institutional church system sets up these overseers to become Moses-type figures to people and as a result, they have the same expectations for these people that they would have for a god. Now notice that Mr. Noble received care from others when he humbled himself. How much more care and love would he receive if he acted as a true fellow brother in Christ?

#10 – When I become unaware of HIS presence every single minute of my life!

Response: This isn't just a consideration for a "senior pastor" but for every single believer in Jesus Christ. This whole distinction between clergy and laity has done so much damage to the body of Christ in elevating a group of believers over another. If we would abandon this system, the church would be a lot healthier and we would have more people exercising their gifts in the body. I pray one day Mr. Noble and others will be able to see that they themselves are many times the biggest hindrances to the growth of themselves and other believers in the faith.

I just wanted to share some perspective on this article. For the good that Mr. Noble and others are doing, I praise God for it. But I really hope they will come to see how they also can cause others to stumble in their walk with Jesus. Just some food for thought. Blessings.

Praying for our brothers and sisters

2011-02-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. Sometimes we may think that the ways things are for believers here in America mirrors what is going on in the world. I want to use this post to remind us that it indeed isn't the same around the world. Take some time today and go to Christian Post.com and read some of the trials and persecutions that our brothers and sisters around the world are going through:

CHRISTIANPOST.COM PERSECUTION SECTION

There are believers out there who are called to go to these countries directly and others may be called to help indirectly. But what we all can do is at least pray for our brothers and sisters that are suffering around the world. There are people in some countries that are being executed simply because they have repented and believed in Jesus Christ. Let's remember them each day and let's be thankful for each day that we live where we haven't been executed or imprisoned for our faith. Blessings.

Believers are miracles

2011-02-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. The latest entry on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website is a change of pace and I hope is an encouragement to all of you as I seek to emphasize the reality that we are living miracles as believers in Jesus Christ. Perhaps you never think about it that way, but if you look at the miracles Jesus did in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, they were a shadow of how He provides spiritual blessings for us through the sign of Jonah (His death and resurrection).

So let's stop getting caught up in looking for miracles and realize that we are actually living one. Click on the links below to go to the article or audio message:

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

Feel free to send your feedback on the article and/or audio message by commenting on this post or by emailing me at admin@generationchrist.net. Blessings.

"You shall know them by their fruits"

2011-02-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks for dropping by the blog today. Looking up at the title of this post, I'm reminded of the the words that Jesus said in the gospels when He was talking about how things such as fornication, adultery, murder, slander, etc. all come from the heart (Matthew 15). And He told His disciples that they could know who was good and who wasn't by the fruit they were bearing (Matthew 7).

In the news recently has been another situation involving Eddie Long in Atlanta. Apparently, he is saying that he was ripped off by Ephren Taylor, who led Long and his followers into a money scheme. The website, PimpPreacher.com, then was able to acquire a statement from Taylor that indicated that Long's church received a little extra out of the arrangement then just the promise of returns on their investment. Read coverage of the saga HERE.

Here's what bothers me about the whole thing. What in the world were professing believers doing paying more attention to money than to the Lord when they're supposed to be coming together for a church service that is all about Him? The fact of the matter is that Long and his followers' hearts are not in the right place or else the nonsense that occurred with Taylor. Money is what they were worshiping the day they even allowed that man to come among them and make a sales pitch. And think about what Jesus had to say about money:

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.(Matthew 6:24 - NASB)

Apparently, Long and many prosperity figures like him think that they can. And too many are thinking that because Long is wealthy that he must be anointed or he possesses the secret to prosperity. The secret, my brothers and sisters, is the congregation that he is ripping off by getting them to give their money to his institution and his other merchandise. That's why he's wealthy.

When will professing believers actually believe the words of Jesus, the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament? It's as if we are given all the warnings in the world but instead of heeding them, we do otherwise and then still claim to be following God.

The sad part of this is that we have professing believers following Long rather than Christ and in trying to be like Long, they fell headlong into this financial scam thinking that they can get some easy money. And what does this say about the leadership ability of Long, who permitted Taylor to run the scam on the people that he is supposedly overseeing as a "pastor?"

I pray that Long and his congregation will repent for being caught up in greed. There is a time where every one of us has fallen. But at the same time, know that this was in their heart and the fact that they even got caught up in something like this shows the fruit (evidence) by which we can make that distinction. Part of repentance is owning up to the reality that it was us who truly strayed.

So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.
(Matthew 7:17-20 - NASB)

Just some food for thought. And by the way, be sure to check out more of the PimpPreacher.com site as it has some pretty interesting articles and even a radio show called the "Church Folk Revolution." Blessings.

Do you have God's peace?

2011-02-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. I've been reading through different headlines in the news and it prompted me to think about the difference between those who have God's peace through Jesus Christ and those who do not. And when we have the Lord's peace, we can deal with each and every situation that comes our way. I had a family situation last night but I'm okay because I have God with me. But what about those who do not have God?

MOM ADMITS STRANGLING DAUGHTER AT NY COLLEGE

A SCENE OF VIOLENT CHAOS IN CAIRO

TEEN WOLFPACK ARRESTED IN VIDEOTAPE ASSAULT ON PA BOY

There are many more headlines that I can list but we must understand that we live in a world where many people are on the brink of crossing a line to where there is no return. This is happening around and away from us at the same time. But my brothers and sisters, how are you holding up in this crazy world today?

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 - NIV)

How do we have this peace that is talked about in Philippians? By always rejoicing in the Lord, every single day and all day. Paul even repeats the exhortation to rejoice. This puts our focus where it should be, on our Lord. And then when we encounter situations, we hand the burden of those situations over to the Lord and let Him handle them for us. Then we take control of our thoughts by the power of Christ and conform to things that are good. And lastly, we continue to put our faith into practice by doing what is right. But it all starts with rejoicing in the Lord, remember that.

Stay true to Christ in these unstable times. Blessings.

Praise God for those who come out from among them

2011-02-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks for visiting the blog today. There's a guy online named Rich Vermillion, who used to be a devoted member of Kenneth Copeland's religious venture, that's now exposing the lies and falsehoods of the Copeland ministry. I praise God as I've read through some of the posts on his blog because by the looks of things, it seems there are more that stay entrenched in the witchcraft of these so-called ministers rather than wake up and come out from them. And what he's doing is trying to get Kenneth Copeland and the rest of the Copeland family to repent of the things they've done and continue to do.

Pray for the Vermillions that whatever false doctrine they've learned from the Copelands over the years will fade away. I've been out of institutional religion for a while and there are things I'm still shaking off. And while you may not agree with all of what they believe, the fact is that God delivered them from the Copelands and that is reason enough to rejoice.

I was reading a post on Vermillion's blog on Kenneth Copeland and the story that his wife shared about a conference that involved Creflo Dollar and Mr. Copeland's son, John, is an eyeopener for sure. Take a look at this from KennethCopelandBlog.com:

JOHN COPELAND'S "INHERITANCE MONEY"

Now, in all fairness, we don't have have a rebuttal or comment by Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, John Copeland or Gloria Copeland regarding this event so let's just say that the assumption of Donna Vermillion is true. If it is, what a sad state professing believers are in to follow people like the Copelands, Dollars, Prices, etc. And even if this story isn't true, there is enough evidence to show those same people to be false preachers.

Will you wake up and see or will you stay under the spell and trance of these leaders who care nothing for your soul but are instruments of Satan being used to spiritually slaughter many? Be careful out there saints and know the voice of the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and follow only Him. I pray for the false teachers and more importantly, I pray for more of us to wake up and realize the truth. Blessings.

Some great videos on who the true Israel of today is

2011-01-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. The subject of "Israel" is a controversial one when it comes to Christians. And I am of the belief that it is those who belief in Jesus Christ that make up the true Israel that is God's people today in 2011. It is the church. A brother by the name of Mike Blume has done a very good series on this very subject and reveals the truth of the scriptures in regards to who Israel really is. If you have been taught that the physical nation of Israel is still God's people and we must have unwavering devotion to them or face the wrath of God, you've been duped.

Take some time and check out these YouTube videos. I may do an entry myself on this very subject on my main website soon. Kudos to Mr. Blume and while I may not agree with all of his theology, he nails it on this subject. Blessings.

How words can create perspective

2011-01-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

There is a quote that I have read before but didn't remember but came across today that is one of the most unique but rich statements that I've ever read concerning the faith. Check out the words below by a man by the name of Sam Pascoe or Richard Halverson, depending on whom you feel this quote should be attributed to:

"Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to American and became an enterprise."

What I find to be fascinating about this quote is that it shows how we've gone from the simplicity of the fellowship believers should have as brothers and sisters to other things that have led to lack in our faith today. Is it not true that we've studied ourselves silly and so many preachers are trying to sound intelligent and dynamic (philosophy) instead of just preaching the simple truth? Has not turning the faith into an institution corrupted men's hearts and caused them to elevate themselves to unbiblical heights? Isn't it true that turning faith into a culture and a fad has taken away very appeal of Christ that we supposedly think we're creating? And has not the enterprise mindset of church institutions led to extortion and the robbing of people through merchandising?

When we got away from the fellowship and it became philosophy, brothers and sisters stopped being together and philosophy separated the saints into normal and higher sections. Then the higher level saints created the institution in order to give more support to the clergy-laity separation. The institutions then aligned themselves with the country's leaders and as a result the institution became embedded into the very country's culture. And as a result of becoming embedded in the culture, it became a way for people to make money.

Remember the way that Jesus said the world would know that we are his?

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
(John 13:34-35 - ESV)

It is by our love for one another that we show that we are Jesus' followers. Philosophy, institutions, cultures and money can not show this. Love can only be expressed through relationship, which is fellowship. Ponder this brothers and sisters. Blessings.

Some fixes to the main website

2011-01-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog. If you go on the main GENERATIONCHRIST.NET website, you might notice some minor differences. Just last night, I found out how to make the text on the site able to be highlighted and have started to make changes on the site. The biggest difference you'll see is on the home page where the text should now by clearer and more pronounced than before. The way I did this in the Web Plus 10 program was by making a "Creative Frame" to place the text in. Now, instead of everything on the site being just a series of pictures, text is now really text.

This website has not only been a calling for me but has also been a practical learning experience as well. I will continually be updating the site and enhance it as I keep learning how to use different website tools. It's amazing how much God has worked on me since the website began. There are things revealed to me during that time that have not changed to this day and there are things that I thought were being revealed to me that I had to change. There was a time when I held to King James Onlyism, women being held back in the church, and would have something to say to those who celebrate the "Christmas" or "Easter" holidays, even if they had their own ways of doing it.

One of the reasons why I took the site down for a while about 3 1/2 years ago was because I lacked maturity and needed time to be a student of Christ before trying in any way to be a teacher. And now that I reflect, I see how far the Lord has brought me. It's been interesting to reflect a lot lately on year prior and shudder at some of the things I've done. But I praise God that He has been merciful and patience to see me through.

I am clay in the Potter's hands and He isn't done with me by a long shot. Neither is He done with you brothers and sisters. Remember that the Lord isn't looking for us to mold ourselves or help Him mold us. Simply be surrendered to Him as clay and watch Him work us into a beautiful art piece. Blessings!

And the world gets crazier...

2011-01-25T14:30:00.000-08:00

As a journalist by trade, I come across wacky and crazy stories just by the nature of what I do. But I always am interested when I hear stories about people who decide to kill in order to somehow exercise demons out of somebody or in this case I am about to present, an animal.

A woman by the name of Miriam Smith is being charged with hanging a one-year-old dog as the result of the dog chewing on her Bible. Now my response is based on the possibility of her being guilty because she may be innocent. We must be careful to make assumptions (especially if we don't have direct/firsthand knowledge of the situation) because sometimes the news and even police can tell us something that may not even be true. Plus, she has yet to be quoted or offer a statement to the media.

Anyway, check out the story from the UK Daily Mail website below:

MIRIAM SMITH HANGS 'DEVIL DOG'

Within the past year, I've been reading more and more stories about people who have murdered because they are hearings voices tell that they need to, because someone is supposedly demon-possessed or because they deem someone to be an incarnation of the devil himself. People are losing their minds and I am making a post on this to warn all of us to pray for God to keep us all within our right minds. Indeed there are people who may be presently demon-possessed but killing them is not the answer. Did Jesus or His disciples ever kill someone who was demon-possessed?

A one-year-old dog that chews on a Bible is a dog who does not know any better than to chew on objects unless he/she has been trained. Now if the dog showed dangerous tendencies, there are other ways to handle the animal than to hang it by an extension cord and burn him/her. Perhaps the lady could have called an animal organization?

The mind is very fragile and I think God for every day I'm in my right mind. Also, let this be a lesson that the Bible, while it is an important and sacred book, is not God Himself. While we should take seriously the words written in the Bible, a worn or chewed cover is of no consequence and certainly not worthy of death.

Guard your hearts and MINDS brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Blessings!

Not 'Try' but 'Do'

2011-01-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by the blog today. I wanted to let you know that the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website has been updated with a new article and audio message. The title is "Not 'Try,' But 'Do'" and is a call to us as believers to make sure that we are doing God's will instead of merely trying. If we read the Bible, there is never any mention of a person "trying" to have faith, "trying" to follow Christ, "trying" to believe or "trying" to live a holy life. Either we are or we aren't. Either we are following and obeying Christ or we're not. There is no such thing as a middle ground in this.

Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

I pray that this will be a blessing to you. There will be no article or audio message coming this weekend so we will pick back up in February. Take care brothers and sisters and keep enduring in your faith. Blessings.

Still kickin and keeping to the journey

2011-01-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today. Since my last update on the blog, I have uploaded two new entries on the main website, GENERATION CHRIST.NET, that I hope will be of encouragement to you. God is continuously doing a work in me and I tell you, there are times when it doesn't feel so good. But the main thing is to keep the faith and endure. The cool thing is that is we take our hands off of the steering wheel of our lives and yield ourselves to Him, He will keep us and take care of us.

Having faith and keeping faith is not easy at times but there is a great reward of we keep our hearts towards the Lord. As I said in one of the messages I've recorded in 2011, I'm not going to tell you that this will be your year where your finances are miraculously increased, you will be healed of a disease you may be suffering from or that your relationships with your loved ones may improve. But what I will tell you is that if you seek the kingdom of God first, if you delight in the Lord and you align your desires (will) with His desires (will), He will be with you no matter what you're going through.

Don't stop believing my friends, no matter what life throws your way or what trial comes into your life. Let's be overcomers through Christ our Lord.

Feel free to drop a line anytime either on this blog or by email at admin@generationchrist.net. Blessings.

Warnings from Matthew 23

2010-12-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! I recently uploaded a new entry on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website dealing with Matthew 23. Last week, I actually had something else in mind but then I recalled this chapter in Matthew and how so many of the things that Jesus said regarding the scribes and Pharisees in this chapter actually mimicked what is going on in many of the church institutions today. The result is the longest audio message that I have recorded since the relaunch of the main site.

I am passionate about God's truth and living in line with scripture. When something is going on that isn't in line with what the Bible says, it needs to be questioned and it needs to be addressed. I don't have all the answers and there are times where I have been wrong, but what I do know, I will speak about. And it should blow our minds that we're seeing the same sins the Pharisees and scribes did 2,000 years ago being repeated today in our modern church institutions.

This will be an entry that will challenge some of you and even anger some of you but out of love for you, I will tell you and show you the truth. Are you willing to search it out for yourselves?

Article
Audio Part 1 (128k)
Audio Part 1 (56k)
Audio Part 2 (128k)
Audio Part 2 (56k)

If you listen to the audio, be forewarned that the total time with both parts combined is more than 100 minutes. I split it into 2 parts so you didn't have to try to hear all of it in one sitting.

Remember to test everything and only hold to that which is good. Blessings.

The Christian life doesn't have to be weird

2010-12-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, I came across a terrific article on the Internet Monk.com website that focused on the kookiness that we sometimes come across with professing believers. I enjoyed the article, which is an excerpt of a book by a guy named Michael Spencer, because it speaks of real and down to earth faith. The "charismatic" style of institutional church has actually become the most popular kind in the United States and it continues to spread. And while there are some good things about it, there are also some bad things. One of those things is a unrealistic expectation that people have for their walk with Jesus Christ in relation to the "miraculous" and "supernatural" because they fail to see the Bible in its true context.

Anyway, here's the link below and I will let the article speak for itself:

SIGNS I'M WEARY OF WEIRD CHRISTIANS

Blessings!

Interfaith Leads to Spiritual Destruction

2010-12-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the blog everyone and I hope you are all having a great day. I wanted to let you all know that the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET site has been updated with a new entry dealing with the subject of interfaith. Head on over there to check out the article and audio message by clicking on the links below.

Article
Audio (128K)
Audio (56K)

This Interfaith Movement that is going on in our world is not something that is innocent but it ultimately is a trap to get us as believers to spiritually unify with antichrists. John is his letter in 1 John spoke at great length about this danger in chapters 2 and 4 and gives us the blueprint of how we can know who we can spiritually align ourselves with. It all comes down to what the person believes about Jesus.

I've attended 2 interfaith services in my lifetime and can attest to the fact that while people are happy that everybody is getting along, what's not taken into account is the spiritual compromise it takes to be "interfaith." While I am sure that many of the people involved have the best intentions, remember we must worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. And remember that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light according to 2 Corinthians 11.

Be careful out there brothers and sisters. Continue to trust in and find your comfort in Jesus and may you endure in faith to the very end. Blessings!

New uploads to GC.Net main website

2010-11-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. I just wanted to make the announcement that there are two new entries on the main website, one dealing with how the church should be and the other dealing with women in the church. I thank God for how He has been opening my eyes so to speak over the last few weeks in regards to things I had never considered and even how my long-standing beliefs about women in the church have been challenged by scripture. Check out the links below:

HOW CHURCH SHOULD BE
Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

WOMEN OF THE CHURCH
Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

I apologize to all of you women out there whom I have wronged because I held to a belief that I thought was biblical but I was ignorant of various historical and cultural contexts in which verses like 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15 were written. In all honesty, realizing at an even deeper level at how church should be and have the traditional belief regarding women has discouraged many of them in their walk with Christ has lifted a burden off of me. It's funny because I never thought that being wrong about something and then accepting it could feel so good.

It is because I am human and not God that I always encourage you to test everything that I say. I'm still learning and still growing in grace just like the rest of you. May God bless you and keep you all. Blessings!

Praying for our leaders

2010-11-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

Leaders, no matter if we are talking about the church or even the government, have a hard and difficult task. They need our prayers daily regardless of whether they are currently doing things we agree with or not.

Church leaders do not have an easy calling. The Bible tells us that those who are the leaders are supposed to be an example to other brothers and sisters in the faith. And God will judge those in leadership more severely than those who are not. They need our prayers.

I've heard and read a lot of rhetoric concerning President Obama. He needs our prayers whether we agree with his decisions or not. And because he is the president, we as believers are required according to the Bible to respect and honor his position.

Reflect on these scriptures today:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(1 Timothy 2:1-4 - ESV)

For those church leaders who aren't living right, our prayers could play a role in them returning to Christ. And our prayers for our governmental leaders could play a role in salvation happening there as well. Do not cease from praying. Blessings!

Kudos to Albert Mohler in recent Christian Post article

2010-11-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

A recent article in the Christian Post deals with the activity of exorcism. I really like Albert Mohler's responses in regards to the whether we need a special team of exorcist specialists in the churches or whether we need to go through a "exorcism rite" in order to for people to be delivered from demon possession. But first, read the article:

EVANGELICAL: WE DON'T NEED RITE OF EXORCISM, JUST JESUS

This is the part of Mr. Mohler's response that I really enjoyed:

"We do not need a rite of exorcism, only the name of Jesus," he stated. "We are not given a priesthood of exorcists – for every believer is armed with the full promise of the Gospel, united with Christ by faith, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit."

When we read the Bible, we see that people were delivered from demons through the power of Jesus Christ. Did Paul go through a rite of exorcism when he and Silas encountered the slave woman who was demon possessed and could tell the future? Indeed not. Look at what Paul simply did.

As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
(Acts 16:16-18 - ESV)

It will always do us well to let the Bible speak on all matters of faith and doctrine. The word of God is a treasure my brothers and sisters. Blessings.

A website with good info on "church"

2010-11-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you and thanks for stopping by the blog. Today, I came across a website that had some really good articles on what "church" should be. This was comforting to me because the very next entry on the main GENERATIONCHRIST.NET site will deal with the topics that are discussed on that site. Here is the link to the website itself and also an awesome article I read from a sister named Deanna Rodriguez:

TRUTHFORFREE.COM

HOW DID WE STRAY SO FAR FROM THE TRUTH? BY DEANNA RODRIGUEZ

Praise God that I am not the only one who sees what is going on in a lot of the churches. Thanks for all of you who sound the alarm and constantly strive to bring truth to our attention. As always, when I recommend a site or link, use discernment and test everything with the scriptures.

Also, an update on the latest article and audio message "HOW CHURCH SHOULD BE." I decided to re-record the audio message yesterday and make some much needed changes to the article. I thank God for my wife, who gave me some good words of wisdom during a conversation on Sunday night that made me really reflect on certain things I was going to present.

As I said in the previous post, I will announce on this blog when the article and audio message are available. Blessings!

Some notes and explanations for "What Church Should Be" entry

2010-11-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday to everyone and I hope your week is off to a great start.

Within the next couple of days, I will be uploading the latest entry on the main website entitled WHAT CHURCH SHOULD BE. It is an examination of the very system and foundation of what we know as "church." Upon listening to the audio I recorded yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to provide some added notes to this entry in order to clear up any possible confusion. This page will be linked from the main website and in the written article as well.

-I am not against attending and being involved in a local church. In fact, it is important for us to fellowship with each other as Christians. What I am against is a model of what is called "church" that is not supported by the Bible. I also recognize that not every church is a bad church. There are many good churches out there that are continually striving to be a Biblical church. But unfortunately, there are many bad examples out there.

-I also realize that not everyone who does not operate according to the Bible is automatically trying to destroy the church. Sometimes (me included), we do need correction because we really didn't know any better about the things we say or do. For instance, I don't believe that every pastor that requires a tithe is a crook. Someone just may need to sit down with that pastor and show him scripture that will enlighten him and help bring him correction.

-It is difficult to be a church leader. The responsibility and the accountability a church leader has to God is higher than somebody who isn't. It is a "noble" task to be an elder. But this does not excuse elders from abusing the authority that God has called them to and it does not take away their requirement to be accountable to those they are serving. We need to keep our church leaders in constant prayer.

-If you notice, I did not address items such as style of music, preaching style, Bible version used or anything like that. As I said in the audio message, our churches should not only reflect the Biblical model we see presented in the New Testament but should also reflect our liberty in Christ.

- In order to create some balance, I will be uploading an entry in the near future in which I will focus on many of the great things that have been done in Christianity and offer my appreciation for all of the hard work that has been done by many Christians over the years. Though I am dealing with things that are unbiblical in some of the churches, it doesn't mean that I don't believe there isn't anything good going on.

Thanks for stopping by the blog. I will make an announcement on this site when the new article and audio message are ready. Praise God for all of you churches that continue to hold true to Christ. Blessings!

Some thoughts on topic of the "Trinity"

2010-11-12T10:38:00.001-08:00

Greetings to everyone and welcome to the blog. Today is pay day and I thank God for His provision and for allowing me to have a job that I actually enjoy.

I've been in contact with a fellow brother in Christ throughout this week through email and we have been discussing the Trinity. I am thankful for his demeanor as we discuss this and we have enjoyed good discussion across the email waves. Now I know that there are Trinitarians and Oneness people out there who would say that to believe against their doctrines is to be unsaved. I do not agree with this for this reason. There are Oneness people and Trinitarian people who both completely miss the mark in regards to what the Bible is saying about the nature of God. Not everybody who says in the Trinity believes in the exact same thing and neither do those who hold to the Oneness approach.

If you noticed in my entry THE UNFOUNDED TRINITY on the main website, I put in a disclaimer about this. It is the only time in all of the articles and audio messages that I have done where I have done this. And it is because "Oneness" or "Trinity" should not be how we judge one another. Let the person talk and shared how they are "Oneness" or "Trinity" and then judge from that. In my experience, there are times when people may say they identify with something but in essence really don't hold to everything that what they identify with entails. For instance, there are people who say they are Catholic but have never prayed to Mary or anyone else other than God.

In regards to my own belief, I have said that I probably lean more toward what Oneness presents about the nature of God but will not identify myself as "Oneness" because I do not know what that all includes. I presented what I did on the main website in order to show that the words and lingo used that describe the traditional "Trinity" belief can not be found in the Bible. It should cause us to pause and really examine the doctrine when we can not find the word "Trinity" in the Bible, the plural of the word "person" when talking about the nature of God, phrases such as "God the Son" and "God the Holy Spirit" and "Eternal Son of God" and "God in three persons," plus the fact that God has manifested Himself in more than 3 ways in the Bible.

But I knew that just those arguments alone can't substantiate the point so I pointed out many scriptures that can not be understood through the traditional "Trinity" doctrine or it doesn't even make logical sense. For instance, if the Holy Spirit is the 3rd person in the Trinity, how do we explain that it was the Holy Spirit that overshadowed Mary and by all indicators is the Father of Jesus and not the Trinity "Father?" That's a key question. Or how about when Isaiah 9 where it refers to Jesus as "Everlasting Father?" Or what about Jesus' answer to Phillip when the disciple asked Jesus to show him the Father in John 14? Or going even further, why doesn't 1 Timothy 3:16 read that the "Son" was manifested in the flesh?

While I realize that some of you may be offended and may wish not to visit the site because of my stance on the Trinity, this is something that I have searched out myself and I pay attention to what the Bible specifically says and what words it uses. If you haven't searched it out for yourself, I pray that you will. I know that many of you may rely on your pastors or the early church fathers to substantiate what you believe but your pastors and the ones we deem the early church fathers (who came after the apostles) are not the authors of scripture. Neither am I. So the test for anything has to be made against the standard of the 66 books of the Bible.

GENERATION CHRIST.NET exists as a ministry for professing Christians to help those who have been caught up into the doctrines of men and shine light where it is needed. It's about helping to equip the saints and be a place where the Bible truly does have the last say in all matters of practice and doctrine. This is what has been laid on my heart. I don't do this for money, for notoriety or to call attention to myself.

I am always open to dialogue and for questions about what I present on the main website. But I have yet to read or hear a Trinity explanation that fits in with the entire context of the Bible. And this is why I have come to my conclusion.

Have a great weekend everyone! Blessings!

Without Christ, we don't stand a chance

2010-11-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

Hello and thank you for visiting the blog today. I regularly search online for different news stories just to see what is going on in the world that we live in. The one thing I like about using the internet for news instead of just listening to the radio, watching television or reading the newspaper is that I am in full control of the whatever types of stories I want to read.

Earlier today, I was on the Huffington Post and came across two incredibly sad and disturbing stories. The links are below:

RAPE CHARGE DROPPED AFTER 14-YEAR-OLD COMMITS SUICIDE

JAPANESE MAN BROADCASTS HIS SUICIDE ON THE INTERNET

It's sad because these people are finished. They do not get another minute to repent and do not have a chance to make things right. Their lives are over and the judgment of God is what they have to anticipate.

Stories such as those above are becoming more and more common. How can a person get to a point that he/she is willing to go through with suicide? It is because they do not have Christ and without Christ, we will come to a place of having no hope. The Bible gives us a clear picture when Jesus tells us that we can not serve two masters. We can not serve both God and money, we can not serve both Christ and Satan, we can not serve both good and evil. And understand, whether we think we can be somewhere in the middle we can't. The truth is that we're either followers of Christ or ultimately follows of Satan.

To be without Christ in this world means to be left to whatever devices Satan wants to use to destroy you. And if we are not destroyed, it is only because of the mercy of God for He is the One who determines how much Satan can do at any given time. The first two chapters of Job shed light on this. But the truth is that without Christ, human beings become Satan's puppets.

Perhaps the saddest commentary isn't the suicides themselves but the behavior of those who contributed to the suicides. In the Japanese man's case, people online were encouraging him to go ahead with the suicide. And then regarding the 14-year-old girl, she was being bullied and threatened at school. Brothers and sisters, this is the world that we live in. We're sheep among the wolves. We're light in a world of darkness.

Be careful out there. The Bible tells us that Satan is prowling around (trying to be slick and sneaky and then go in for the kill) like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (destroy, kill). Keep your Ephesians 6 armor on and your faith in Christ. Do not give Satan an inch. For an inch becomes a foot and a foot becomes a yard and a yard becomes a mile until he eventually destroys you.

These two people are no longer alive but we are. Let us learn from their situations and endure to the end. Blessings.

A survey of how "church" should look

2010-11-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings and thanks for visiting the blog today. It looks like this is the season of consistent blog posting. :) I hope that all of you are having a great day.

One of the upcoming articles and audio messages on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET will focus on what the Bible points out regarding what the idea of "church" should look like. I hit on some points during the Christianity vs Churchianity series but this upcoming entry will really take a look at a lot of the traditions of the institutional churches and see how they line up with the Bible.

This will be a timely message, especially seeing all the ridiculous things that are going on in what we refer to as "churches" today. It's time for us as believers to confront these things that the secular world is continually exposing and really know if we are following the word of God or not. Stay tuned for that.

Continue to trust in Jesus all day, every day. Blessings!

"The Power is His" and "What Sin Really Is" uploaded

2010-11-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

Hope all of you are having a blessed day today and wanted to announce that the new articles and audio messages, entitled "The Power is His" and "What Sin Really Is", have been uploaded to the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET site.

I really pray that these 2 entries are a blessing to you and want you to feel free to comment on them either on the blog in response to this entry or through email at admin@generationchrist.net. Here are the quick links:

THE POWER IS HIS
Article
Audio (128k)
Audio (56k)

WHAT SIN REALLY IS
Article
Audio(128k)
Audio (56k)

May God's grace continue to be with all of you who follow Jesus. Blessings!

Ed Young video

2010-11-07T23:12:00.002-08:00

You have probably seen this video from different websites but just in case you haven't, I've provided it for you below. Credit goes to alittleleaven.com for the link:

Because many of the so-called "churches" are nothing more than businesses and institutions, as the recession grows, so will their need for your money. The tithing lie has gotten to the place where now there are ATM-like kiosks in the lobbies of the "church" buildings and now Ed Young has taken it one step further in telling people to give out their checking account information.

Wasn't this the same Ed Young who boasted about how big his house was just 3 years ago in a mock version of MTV's Cribs? Doesn't he also have a private jet as well?

The fact of the matter is that these businesses are meant to fail because their foundations are not biblical. A true local church would never be affected by a recession because money isn't what the church needs to come together or stay together. It is an organism that was never meant to be institutional. Money is what is supposed to be used to directly sustain brothers and sisters in the faith through, especially through hard times like this.

Take a look at Acts 2 and Acts 4, as well as 2 Corinthians 9 and see where the money went when people gave. It went directly to help the saints, not to buildings, utilities or merchandising. Don't be fooled by the religious con-men out there. I do pray that people like Ed Young will come to repentance. Blessings.

Announcement of new content to the main website

2010-11-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Greetings to everyone and thanks for stopping by the blog today. It's been a whole month since I've last updated this thing but I wanted to announce that there will be 2 new articles and 2 new audio messages uploaded to the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET site this week. Stay tuned for that.

Even though I haven't posted lately, I'm still aware of the the things going on in "Christianity." Got wind of the latest Ed Young Jr. money scheme as now he is asking his church institution members to give their routing number and bank account number information to him. Sometimes greed knows no bounds. I will embed the YouTube video on this blog this week as well.

We are in a fight of all fights every day my brothers and sisters. Keep your faith grounded in Jesus and let his work be done in your life so that you make it to the end. I'm doing this from my end as well. Blessings!

October update

2010-10-06T15:28:00.001-07:00

It's been almost a month since I last updated this blog and I wanted to welcome all of you who stop by the blog today. Things have been very busy lately and I decided to take a break for uploading posts, articles and audio messages. At the same time, with nothing laid on my heart to talk about, there was no need to just conjour something up out of thin air.

I want to thank all of you who pray for me and have visited Generation Christ.Net or this blog. As always, I want to encourage you to feel free to comment on what you see and hear either through email at admin@generationchrist.net or through the comments area on the blog.

Very soon, I will be posting an article and audio message on the website about the subject of faith. What is faith? What does it mean to have faith? How does faith come about? And what are the ramifications for having or not having faith? I am going to be preparing for this entry on the main website and will post an update when the article and audio message are ready on the Generation Christ.Net site.

What's been on my heart lately is that there is a great misunderstanding about what faith truly is among professing Christians and how it relates to other words such as belief, works, endurance, overcoming, etc. I look forward to showing or reminding you and myself on what true faith really is.

Next week, I look forward to being on a 1-week vacation and recharging my batteries so to speak. Continue in Christ brothers and sisters and don't look back. Blessings.

Time to weigh in on the Muslim issue

2010-09-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you for dropping by the blog today. It's getting ugly out there when we think of the term "Muslim" today. First, we have the building of the Islamic Community Center (with just 2 floors used for worship) near Ground Zero. Then we now have a so-called "Christian" pastor who plans to burn hundreds of copies of the Qu'ran on Saturday. There has been a lot of commentary on these issues and I've been watching the news for the latest updates.

What I have been seeing from professing Christians in both cases has absolutely been sickening. Professing Christians have joined the charge in this assault on the Muslim religion that shows anything but love to those who have different religious beliefs. And what is this out of? Is it fear of what Muslims can potentially can do because now every Muslim is lumped into the same category as the extremists and terrorists? Or does it spring from a dominionist ideology that Christians need to conform the world to Christianity?

Let's think long and hard for a second. During the time of Jesus and the time of the early church, there was paganism and false religions all over the place. Did Christians go around telling pagans that they couldn't build their pagan temples near a place where a Christian died? Did they take the statues of pagan idolatry and set them on fire to prove a point?

This contentious attitude of Christians toward Muslims not only puts the witness of Christ in a terrible position but also can lead to disaster for us as a whole. "Christians" and Muslims have fought horrible wars before. And I put "Christians" in quotations because people who were really true believers wouldn't have been caught up in that bloodshed. We are called to preach the gospel but we must do so in love or else the gospel message will become tainted by our lack of love. This doesn't mean that we compromise the gospel, it means that our attitude when we are preaching it matters just as much as preaching it. The gospel without love will convert no one.

Why do I focus on the Christians? Because the world will do what the world will do. But Christians are given a higher caller and they have a higher standard. We are told in the Bible that we don't judge those outside the church but those inside. Now let's consider more from this Islamic Center fiasco.

Do Americans realize that Muslims help make up our population? Secondly, do we realize that Muslims probably also suffered the death of family members at Ground Zero? Yes this is a possibility and we also have Muslims who fight as soldiers in the U.S. military who would die in uniform for this country. And it is their right to be able to build an Islamic Center wherever they please.

Be careful not to blame 9/11 on all Muslims. That generalization is what is poisoning the minds of many Americans today and unfortunate, professing Christians. It's the same is a white woman being raped by a black man and then coming concluding that all black men are rapists. Use wisdom my brothers and sisters in how you view the things that are going on in the world.

Now let's talk about Terry Jones and the "church" that plans to burn the Qu'ran. I could understand if a former Muslim was converted to Christ and then as an expression of his/her faith, he/she burned the Qu'ran or threw it away. But this would be a personal thing. Not this widespread expression that we're hearing in the news right now.

Is the Qu'ran a false religious text? Yes, it is. But even with that truth, what value is there from burning the book? To supposedly send a message to Muslims that if they don't believe in Christ, they will end up in a burning fire the same way their Qu'rans are? And this supposedly is a great idea, considering we never find such tactics used by Jesus or the early church.

Where is the love in that? While unnecessarily offending Muslims, how in the world as Muslims going to come to repentance off of this action? The gospel is offensive by itself. We have no need of causing further offense. And look at the outcry from the Muslim community. Is the Qu'ran burning helping them to understand more about the grace, mercy and love through Jesus Christ or is it turning them off from Jesus altogether because the focus is now on book burning?

The Bible tells us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. It's an interesting balance to maintain but Jesus commanded us to do it. If we followed Jesus' words, we obviously wouldn't have professing Christians out there racially profiling Muslims or offending Muslims by burning what they regard as their sacred text. These professing Christians are nothing more than clanging cymbals.

It's sad to see what has happened since 9/11 in that so many Muslims and Middle Easterners have been racially and culturally profiled by many people in America. But we as Christians should have better discernment and see things not from the world's point of view, but from God's point of view.

In my life, I've been fortunate enough to meet very hospitable and compassionate Muslims that actually show more care and concerns than many Christians I've come across. And it saddens me that while they are so hospitable and loving, they follow something that is false. But my heart goes out to those Muslims who are wrongfully persecuted and profiled because of terrorism. And the fact that some of this is done by professing Christians saddens me even more.

Thanks for reading and I pray this gives you food for thought. Keep focused on Christ and don't get caught up in the frenzy out there. Blessings.

Some rantings and a good article for reading

2010-09-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all of you who have happened to come by the blog today and I hope you have had a great week.

This week, I had been going back and forth in my mind whether to alter the article and audio message on THE BELIEVER'S FREEDOM, especially in the area where I discuss smoking. Smoking could be a very sensitive topic for a lot of people and I was thinking of pulling any reference to it altogether.

But there are two things that I came to realize. One is that I can not run or try to avoid controversial issues. And secondly, we as believers need to judge "righteously" concerning people and issues. And if smoking needs to be used as an example of how a person can judge righteously and wrongly, then it is a good teaching tool.

I don't smoke and I will never encourage somebody to smoke. But I will not immediately judge somebody if they smoke. Yes, I understand all the health risks and believe me, I don't like to hang around people while they are smoking. I grew up with bad asthma so I personally want no part of it.

But do I believe that somebody can smoke and still be a true believer in Jesus? To the shock of some of you, "YES" I do. Not every smoker is an addict and not every smoker lights up a cigar or cigarette to depend on it like it's his/her god. The same goes with drinking alcohol. Both of them are have their dangers in prolonged and regular use. But does scripture specifically teach against either of them or does the Bible instruct us to avoid drunkeness and to be sober?

Which leads me to a great post by Kato Mivule of Yesu Mulungi.com. In his latest post, he talks about judging wrongly, especially in regards to how professing Christians are measuring Obama's faith (or lack thereof depending on your perspective) and how many professing Christians are trying to outlaw Muslims from exercising their freedom of religion by building a center where they actually purchased the property. Check out the link:

ISLAMOPHOBIA, FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND GLEN BECK'S FALSE REVIVAL

Please note that I am not endorsing everything that Mr. Mivule does with his website but he hits a home run with this article. I especially like this paragraph, which brings it all home for me:

Thirdly, the idea of labeling all Muslims as Terrorists is totally evil and wicked and no Christians would like to be placed in the same category as the Crusaders who not only killed Muslims but even Jews who resided peacefully with their Muslim Occupiers in Jerusalem. No Christian would like to be associated with Christian terrorist groups in Northern Ireland, no Christian would like to be associated with the notorious Christian Rebel Group that ransacked Northern Uganda, the Lord's Resistance Army that claimed to push for the Ten Commandments. There are many folks who use religion to achieve political goals and the end result is always violence and sadly Christians have fallen to this predicament too. Shocking is that some Christians seem to want to repeat history, just like the crusaders, using Politics and the Sword to achieve political goals and enforce Christian Morality, and the end is always mayhem, destruction, and violence.

When we consider Muslims, think about how the roles could easily be reversed on us. I see so many Christians fighting for the right to practice Christianity but yet the same rights can't be afforded to Muslims? Isn't that bigotry?

Professing believers are getting caught up in the world more and more instead of keeping their eyes on the prize of heaven. Let's not miss out on what we're really supposed to be about and thereby fall away from the faith we once possessed and confessed. Check out my entry on this dominionist attitude HERE.

Keep to the faith my brothers and sisters. Blessings.

Perry Noble makes good points but still misses the mark

2010-09-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

There is a guy named Perry Noble who is the senior pastor of New Spring Church in South Carolina who recent wrote a column on why churches struggle with money. The article on Christian Post.com can be found at the link below:

WHY SOME CHURCHES STRUGGLE WITH MONEY

As I discuss some of the points that Mr. Noble made in his article, keep in mind that I don't know the man other than a video I've seen on the internet where he once said that if he wanted to know if somebody was a true Christian to check their tithing record (paraphrase). As far as I'm concerned, Mr. Noble could be a decent fellow but his teachings still merit examination as we should do with anybody. Before we continue, I do like that he is teaching that we do have a financial responsibility to the church as believers and that many believers need to be taught (for free) how to be good stewards of money. Great points there. But here is where we need to have discernment:

#1 – The Church Has No Vision
People will not consistently give to a visionless organization. However, when a church begin to seek God, BEG for HIS direction and commit to go and do whatever He says…and when steps of faith are taken…and when lives begin to be impacted because of that…and those changed lives are celebrated on a consistent basis then giving becomes a joy for the church instead of an obligation because they can see that their investment is making a difference.

If the vision includes being financially irresponsible and taking out mortgages for what are known as "church buildings" and millions of dollars spent on unnecessary expenses just to have big screens and the latest equipment, then it is a vision of waste. The vision of being a local church is very simple and is not complicated if we stick to the Bible. But if we're trying to put on a spectacle in order to attract people to the churches, that's how people get in financial trouble.

#2 – The Pastor Refuses To Teach On It
It’s amazing the number of church leaders who fear teaching on money…they say, “people will get mad and leave.” I always answer, “of course they will! BUT…the only people who get angry when you teach on adultery are the ones who are actually committing adultery. SO…think about it, the people who get mad when you teach on money are the ones who have money as their god!”

Mr. Noble uses a generalization in order to make his point here. Indeed there are people who have money as their god, including pastors, but this is not indicative of everyone who feels uncomfortable when a pastor speaks on money.

One of the biggest problems in churches is the false teaching of "tithing" that is used to force people to give money to the church institutions or else they are somehow cursed by God. I have covered this on the main website and you can click HERE to read or listen to the audio message. Long story short, tithing is not required for believers today and it is a gimmick used by many organizations to make you no longer able to give freely.

The truth of the matter is that we should give of our money for the good of church. But the church is people, not an institution or organization. It is a nation, a priesthood. So our money should be going towards covering people's needs, not organizational needs. If not every person (who is a true Christian) in your local church isn't taken care of and money is being raised for new parking lots and extrabiblical programs, then money is being wasted.

#3 – Pastors DO Teach On It…But With The Wrong Motives.
I am not going to argue that money is arguably the most abused subject when it comes to false teaching. It is a fine line because when we do teach on money many people are automatically going to think you (pastor) are after their wallets.

I agree with Mr. Noble that pastors do teach on money with the wrong motives. But even if pastors who teach tithing have good motives, it still doesn't take away the fact that required tithing for today is a false doctrine. Good motives must be combined with truth and vice versa. Good motives alone can still cause a lot of spiritual damage.

#4 – Many People In The Church WANT To Give But Feel Like They Can’t Because Of Poor Financial Decisions.
In other words–PEOPLE ARE BROKE!
That is why we can’t just teach “giving” to solve all of a persons needs…there is also the command of biblical stewardship. That is one of the reasons why, at least two times a year, we offer classes at NewSpring Church (by Joe Sangl…the best there is out there on this subject) in regards to how to get out of credit card debt, how to live on a budget, how to set aside cash for a rainy day…and tons more.
AND…the church does not charge for the class…we let people come for free…because, once again, we don’t want anything from them, we want FOR them to discover the financial freedom that God wants them to live in.

I like what Mr. Noble is talking about here. Indeed there are many people who need to make better financial decisions and the local churches should be where believers can receive sound financial advice from their brothers and sisters in the faith that are financial sound. But one of the ways for people to be financially sound is not be throwing away money to cover institutional debts due to poor financial decisions. This is the case among many local churches.

There is nothing wrong with having decked out buildings, comfortable seating, a nice air conditioning system, a big screen and state of the art equipment. But before we start moving into luxury, isn't it better that we make sure everyone is taken care of first and then if there is money left over from that, then we can pursue those other things?

Indeed where our money goes determines what our treasures are but our money would go way further in the kingdom of God if it was to take care of the needs of fellow Christians than a business venture.

There are still many who have not bowed the knee to Baal

2010-08-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all of you visiting the blog today. I find it so refreshing to know that there are many others out there who speak the truth and are trying to get professing Christians to open their eyes to the many deceptions out there. We dealt before on the main website about the dangers of combining patriotism with our faith (click on the link HERE). But a fellow by the name of Rick Freuh does a great job of reminding us where our loyalties should truly lie on his blog Following Judah's Lion:

THE TALK SHOW HOST HERETICS

I don't know all of what Mr. Freuh believes but his post is very timely and needed during these times where many professing Christians are distorting what "fighting the good fight" truly means. It is the good fight of the "faith" my friends. Let's not forget that.

But we must guard our hearts against hatred toward those who are still ensnared in the deception of nationalism and patriotism. We ourselves were once caught up in such unproductive matters that diluted our discipleship and commitment to Jesus Christ. It is easy to be self righteous after deliverance, but that too is carnal. We must mourn for our brothers and sisters who are imprisoned and blind, and we must pray for a glorious and mountain moving revival that shakes us all to our very foundations. And if the tens of millions of professing believers who live in America would turn away from all idols and turn wholly to Christ Himself, well, what glory and power would sweep this nation and possibly the nations of this world. This is our heart’s cry and it must begin with us.

I really like the above paragraph because it reminds us that we must always act in love towards others no matter what they are presently doing. And it actually goes in line with what I will be talking about in the next article and message you'll see on the main website. Let's not forget, brothers and sisters, that those of us who are Christians once were blind and once walked in darkness before God opened our eyes and we embraced the light that is Jesus Christ. Never forget it so that we will see fit on how to have compassion on those who continue to wallow in sins. Love and pray for them.

Stay focused on Jesus and don't turn to the right or the left in this life. Blessings.

An in-depth look at the Book of Revelation

2010-08-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all of you who have stopped by the blog today. While the title may indicated that I am doing a series on the Book of Revelation on the main website, I'm actually just doing an in-depth study of the book for myself. I have gotten through all of the first chapter and I am progressing through chapter 2.

One of the things I've been doing through this read through of Revelation that I've never done before is cross-referencing as many scriptures as I can in order to better understand what is being conveyed. I'm also taking certain words and phrases (coming in the clouds, seven candlesticks) that I'm reading and then seeing how they are used in other places in the Bible. I've heard some preachers say before that the best way to interpret the Bible is with the Bible. That is so true.

What amazes me even more through doing this study is how God doesn't ever change but remains the same. And for those of you who may question if Jesus is really God or not, I challenge you to do a deep study of Revelation Chapter 1. For those of us who would question whether Jesus is with His church or not, take a look at how He is standing in the midst of the seven candlesticks in John's vision in Chapter 1. And then check out Zechariah to see that it is confirmed that the seven candlesticks represent God's people and that the seven candlesticks were actually a part of God's design for the tabernacle in Exodus. And the number seven tells us that it means "all" of the church.

I've realized that we can never understand Revelation without understanding or taking into context the rest of the Bible. It draws from various places in the Old and New Testaments. And if you also plan on studying Revelation for yourself, remember that Revelation was written directly for the believers during John's time. Does this mean that none of Revelation can apply to us? Of course not for there is always much for us to glean from the scriptures, including Revelation. But if we take the Bible in its full context and we realize that this book was written for the people of that time primarily, then we will have a better understanding of the book in general.

The key element of Revelation is that the Lord will be there for His church even when we have to go through the worst of times. So the book should be one of encouragement and comfort for the Christian, knowing that God sees everything and He will make everything right for His people. Just hang on and endure.

There are a lot of interpretations of Revelation out there and we need to be careful not to fall into error when reading this book. If you are looking to tackle this book, put your biases to the side and look to the scriptures for guidance and pray that God will lead you into understanding. That is my aim as I read.

Blessings to you all.

Ten Things I Hate About Church

2010-08-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

K.D. Hartman II has a very interesting and informative article posted on In Plain Site.Org. Check it out and test it against what you believe and what you follow:

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT CHURCH

I just finished a series talking about Churchianity over a week ago that touched on some of the topics listed in the article and I believe that it is sometimes very beneficial to reflect on what we do as Christians, what we perceive as being Christian and why. Does the Bible truly support the things that we believe or do we take things out of context and then construct brand new doctrines out of them?

Based on what I read in the Bible, the way that much of what is called "Christianity" is conducted today really isn't true Christianity at all but a man-made counterfeit. And this is one of the reasons why there is apostasy going on in the churches today. But are we willing to admit it or even recognize that this is the case?

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
(Matthew 5:14-16 - ESV)

Many professing Christians and professing churches are losing their flavor and their lights are starting to dim when you look at the spiritual landscape today. The words of God in past times ring true when He says that people worship Him with their mouths but their hearts are far from Him. Let's not be one of those people. And let not our churches but in a situation where Jesus is ready to remove our candlesticks or vomit us out of His mouth (these are figuratively speaking).

We may not be able to change the institutions and may not be able to change those who continue on the road of apostasy, but keep loving and keep standing for the truth. And remember, we ultimately are responsible for our own souls. Blessings.

A Shining Example

2010-08-18T11:32:00.001-07:00

For those of you into sports, especially football, I came across a wonderful story about a running back for the San Francisco 49ers NFL team that recently retired on account of his faith. His name is Glen Coffee and the entire article can be found at Christian Post.com.

PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER SAYS FAITH LED HIM TO RETIREMENT AFTER 1-YEAR

I've seen Mr. Coffee play both at the pro and college level and he definitely had the ability to be a decent running back in the NFL if he wanted to continue to play. At the risk of being overly skeptical, I pray that it is the biblical Jesus Christ that he found and that he has people around him who are giving him good sound biblical advice on his Christian walk. I also pray that he is confirming what he hears, sees or experiences to the Bible.

It's admirable that Mr. Coffee is willing to walk away at this time from what could have been a lucrative career for himself where he wouldn't have had to worry about money. And we never know, he may feel led to return to the NFL. But at least right now, his example is one that we all can take notice of as Christians that bring truth to these words from the Bible:

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
(Colossians 3:2 - ESV)

Let's keep Mr. Coffee in our prayers and continue to pray for one another. Let's shine the light of Christ in this dark world. Blessings.

Christianity vs Churchianity Series is now over

2010-08-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday to all of you who took the time to stop by the blog today. I pray that you are growing in your walk with Jesus with each day that passes.

The Christianity vs Churchianity Series has come to a conclusion on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website and part of me has been blessed by the series but part of me is also relieved that the series is finished. There comes a time when a series can just go on too long and if there was even one more article or message added to the series, it would have been overkill. And plus, there are many more things to talk about when it comes to our faith than just this topic.

My apologizes for not updating the blog last week when I uploaded a new article and message. Links to the second to last and final entry in the Christianity vs Churchianity Series will be listed below. Check them out and remember, your comments are always welcome.

THE BELIEVER LIVES IN FREEDOM (8/8/10)
ARTICLE
AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

THE BIBLE (8/15/10)
ARTICLE
AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

Be careful out there saints and remember, the Lord is with you. Blessings.

Our Hope is in Jesus Christ

2010-08-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog. On the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET site, I have uploaded a new audio message in which I touch on the hope that we need to have in Jesus Christ, especially in the hard times that many of us are experiencing today. Realize that this life is a test and set your heart to endure in the faith, no matter the cost.

AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

I will be ending the Christianity vs Churchianity Series soon. I've decided to cover a different topic in the next entry, which will be dealing with the freedom that we have in Jesus that many times the church institutions will seek to take away from us. Following that, I will conclude the series.

Feel free to write in and comment at any time. Much love to you all and blessings.

Who Do You Trust?

2010-07-15T11:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog. I am really excited to let you know that the latest article and audio message on the GENERATION CHRIST.NET website has been uploaded and can be viewed or heard by clicking on the links below:

ARTICLE
AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

Do we truly trust and rely on Jesus Christ or are we using the church institution and the church institutional leaders as our refuge? Examining ourselves in this area will mean that we have to be really to have a humble heart in order to really see where we're really at in light of God's word. I pray that the latest entry will be a blessing to you.

We are starting to wind down in the Christianity vs Churchianity Series. The next topic will deal with the fact that our relationship with Jesus Christ is a 1-on-1 relationship. While we are collectively the church as believers in Jesus, individually we must all know the Lord and we must be known by Him. Stay tuned for the next entry.

I pray that these articles and messages really bless you and you are always welcome to either comment and respond on the blog or to drop me an email at admin@generationchrist.net. Blessings.

A perfect portrait of persecution

2010-07-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

As I was reading through some articles on Christian Post, I came across one that was very disturbing and shows the true wicked spirit that dwells in the hearts of some of Muslims in the Middle East. I say some Muslims because not every Muslim is about killing people who don't agree with their religious views.

MUSLIM MOB KILLS WIFE, CHILDREN OF CHRISTIAN IN PAKISTAN

I'm not doing this entry in order to talk about how Muslims don't hold to the truth. That's not my aim here. My aim is for us as Christians to realize that we live in a world that doesn't care for the fact that Jesus Christ is God, the Lord and Savior of mankind. We need to constantly be praying for our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Africa, China, India and other places where Christians are heavily persecuted. And make no mistake about it, the day will come where Christians in the United States will one day be heavily persecuted more than what we see now.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
(John 15:18-20 - ESV)

Any one of us who dare to be followers of Jesus need to understand that there will come a day when we will undergo persecution for our faith. I'm not saying that we go look for it but it will naturally come our way. And some of the persecution may come from professing Christians who have lost their way in the faith and have compromised and apostasized. We are in those days and we have always been in those days since the early church.

It is sad that this Christian family had to abandon their home and had to live in such a way where they were considered not even worthy enough to purchase food because they held to Jesus instead of Mohammed. I thought of Revelation when I pondered this story and even though I am not saying that the words in Revelation 13 are the fulfillment of what took place with the women and the children.

But consider these words from Revelation in order that we may have an idea of what we may have to endure for being Christians:

And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.
(Revelation 13:5-7 - ESV)

Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
(Revelation 13:16-17 - ESV)

Did God deliver the Christian woman and her Christian children from being killed? No. And did the family have their food supply cut off because of their Christian faith? Yes. But were they overcome as to be defeated? No. For we are told in 1 Corinthians 15 that Jesus will deliver us from the last enemy which is death. Though the woman and children were murdered, they actually are in a better place now if their faith endured to the end.

Is your focus on life earth bound or heaven bound? It's a question we must all ask ourselves. Because being focused on the things of this world will never allow us to be willing to be living sacrifices to Christ because we will do everything we can to cling to this life. But if our focus is on the eternity that comes after this life, we will have the boldness and courage to do whatever God asks because we are trusting that not even death will defeat us.

Let's pray for the man who has lost his family and pray that Jesus will be a comfort to him. His faith is being severely tested right now and I pray that he passes the test. I pray for the murderers to repent for they can still be saved.

Saints, be on guard and be ready. For what happened to this man can most certainly happen to any one of us. Blessings.

A perfect example of clergy-laity gone wrong

2010-07-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you for stopping by the blog today. For some of you who live in the Los Angeles area in California, this tidbit of news may be of some interest to you. Check out this article from the Los Angeles Wave on an interesting situation involving South Los Angeles' oldest baptist church.

POLICE CALLED IN POWER STRUGGLE AT L.A. SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH

Before you comment, please make sure that you have read the whole article and understand my comments are based on the information presented. In the ongoing Christianity vs Churchianity series on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website, there was an article I wrote and a message I recorded on the unbiblical distinction between clergy and laity. You access those resources HERE.

When the "clergy/laity" issue is taken to the extremes, what you read in the above article takes place. Number one, why would you padlock people inside of a building and make it difficult for people to exit? Is he trying to flex his muscle of authority? Did he take into account elderly people who may have been there who didn't need to be part of that?

At first, Epps engaged an off-duty LAPD officer to make the members leave the church. The officer stood in the pulpit and ordered the members out, stating: “This church belongs to Pastor Epps and he does not want you in here holding any meeting.” The members argued and shouted with the off-duty officer and made it clear that they had no intentions of leaving. The officer said: “I can make a call and have 50 LAPD officers down here to make you leave.” The members yelled: ”Do it!,” as they hunkered down in the pews.

Can you believe what you are reading? For those of you who classify yourselves as senior pastors and owners, consider this for a moment. You--and I don't care how money you put into it--do not own the church. Jesus Christ does and you and all other church leaders and elders are merely stewards and servants of the people.

Next, a church isn't to be governed by just one person. And if people are paying tithes and offerings to this "church," then they should have the right to conduct a meeting regarding church business on those premises. These people are paying for the building, for the maintenance and many times for the pastor's salary. And then this same pastor tells them they don't have a right to meet on the premises that they are helping to pay for? Ridiculous.

Now understand if these people were indeed unruly (which would call for putting them out, not locking them in) and were unable to have a decent conversation, then the pastor should not submit himself to something like that. And the church members should be more respectful to police officers and not be shouting at them. Read the first few verses of Romans 13.

But beyond that, here's one of the things in the article that showed me a bit of what this pastor is about:

Q: Why did you not want your members to meet?

A: “Because it was not a legal meeting. Only I, as pastor, can call a meeting of the members and I did not call for a meeting. If they wanted to hold a meeting, they needed to request one of me, fill out the proper papers detailing what it would be about, how many are expected to attend and how long it is expected to last. They did not do that.”

Are you kidding me? Do the people require that the pastor fill out paperwork and get their approval when he needs help with different ministries? Do the people require that the pastor make a formal request when he wants them to attend church services or other church events.

The arrogance of this pastor is ridiculous and I pray he comes to repentance (along with the members for being rude to the office) because he really believes he has a right to rule over people like this. If people need to meet with the pastor and it's a big deal like this situation was, then he needs to make the time to meet with them and not have them jump through hoops.

They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant.
(Matthew 23:5-11 - ESV)

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
(Mark 10:42-44 - ESV)

As you read these scriptures and compare it to what you read in the story, where does this pastor factor in? The members appear to have very valid concerns about what is going on with the church finances. A true pastor would not avoid confronting the issue but would confront it head on and be willing to admit if he was wrong.

And one last thing. Since when did votes become how we decide if something is of God or isn't? Is this what the Bereans did when they were trying to figure out whether what Paul said was true? Did they take a vote among themselves and then whichever group outnumbered the other just had to be right? Check this out:

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
(Acts 17:11 - ESV)

In the true faith, it is scripture that determines whether something is of God or not. And if we still don't know, we pray about it for God will give the true believer clarity on what to do. And if the people coming together are true believers, then they will be in agreement. No votes necessary.

We must be careful to abide by the Bible in matters of faith and doctrine and must be careful not to incorporate the ways of the world as we seek to live out our faith. I know this post was much more harder-hitting than usual but understand that these situations are not acceptable. I pray for those people and my brothers and sisters, let's continue praying for each other.

Blessings.

The Comeback Kid

2010-06-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. As promised, the newest entry on the GENERATION CHRIST.NET site is now up. Entitled "The Comeback Kid," this article and audio message focuses on God's love and mercy and the opportunities that He gives us to repent (turn away from evil and sin) and experience His forgiveness.

ARTICLE
AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

There are misconceptions about God in that some people believe He is a masochistic and sadistic God that just created people for the pleasure of sending them to hell. What the Bible shows us proves that the misconceptions are very far from the truth. If we go to hell instead of spend eternity with God, it is not because God overrules our will to repent. It is because we ourselves refuse to repent.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9 - ESV)

If you are in sin, the Lord has allowed you to wake up today to give you another day to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and paid the penalty so that we can experience God's forgiveness if we will turn to Him. I pray you are blessed by the article and audio message. Blessings.

New article and message to be uploaded on main GC Net site

2010-06-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all of you who may be reading this and thank you for visiting the blog. This weekend, I will be writing an article and recording a message that will touch on the subject of God's mercy and His invitation for us to repent. This is a personal subject for me for I remember just several years ago when I was reading the story of the prodigal son and it moved me like no other story ever had in the Bible.

Some of you may feel like you have sinned beyond God's mercy and forgiveness but I want to tell you that just as the Lord heard my plea for His mercy those several years ago, He will forgive you and restore you if you are willing to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. We will continue the Christianity vs Churchianity series in July but this upcoming article and message entitled "The Comeback Kid" is meant to bless you and encourage you.

Stay tuned and remember, repentance is something that you don't have to wait to do, you can it right now. Blessings.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9 - ESV)

It is easy to be deceived

2010-06-15T13:34:00.001-07:00

If we are not careful any one of us will be deceived. There are a lot of things out there that will seem to right to us in our flesh but we must discern things that we see, hear and experience by God's Spirit and the Bible. Check out this video that highlights the disturbing trend of people claiming to be Jesus Christ. While it is nothing new, this is what is happening right now:

'I AM THE SON OF GOD'

My heart first off goes out to those who would believe that they are the second coming of Christ because that type of deception is really hard to turn away from. And for the people who allow these false prophets, my heart goes out to them because the Bible plainly warns us of these types of deceivers time and time again. Remember the words of Jesus:

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
(Matthew 24:3-5 - ESV)

Do we understand brothers and sisters that the many who are led astray can be us if we are not careful to keep our faith and trust in Jesus Christ? The Lord said that people would come into the world saying that they are Him but we are not to believe it. For when the Lord returns, look at what is happening:

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
(Matthew 24:24-27 - ESV)

Pay close attention to verse 27. The coming of Jesus is going to be a huge event that nobody will miss. We will see things happening in the heavens and Jesus will descend from heaven (Matthew 24:30, Acts 1:11). He will come in great glory with the sound of trumpets (Matthew 24:30-31). Now have we seen this with any of these men in the video? If not, then why would people believe them?

The days are getting darker brothers and sisters and it is time to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ. Pray, read and follow the word of God and stay as close to Jesus as you can. God keeps us through His Holy Spirit but we must surrender to His lead. What we're seeing in these days could be considered outrageous but understand that any of us could be in the same position without Jesus Christ. We should thank God for every day we're in our right minds.

I love you all and will continue to pray for you. Do the same for me. Blessings.

When a picture is worth a thousand words

2010-06-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. Yesterday, I read an article that caught my attention about a statue of "Jesus" that apparently was destroyed by lightning. I felt this interesting event warranted some comments and some things for us as Christian to think about. First read the article.

KING OF KINGS STATUE DESTROYED BY FIRE

As we continue, have you ever thought about why people in the Old Testament and even the early church did not create a visual representation of God or Jesus? It is because God is the one who reveals Himself and He decides how He wants to be revealed. The people during the time of Jesus got to see God revealed in the flesh. But after Jesus died and resurrected and then ascended into heaven, the basis of how God chooses to reveal Himself is by His Spirit and through the truth of the Bible.

But there is something that is also important to consider. When we create a representation of God that He has not authorized, then we create a representation of God in our own image. This is idolatry.

“Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
(Deuteronomy 4:15-19 - ESV)

“‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
(Deuteronomy 5:8-10 - ESV)

Why are these scriptures significant? Because they point out a very important truth for us as believers. We are not supposed to have any [false] representation of God or Jesus that we would look to worship or lean on in any way. Now read this excerpt from the article again:

Leaders of the 4,000 member congregation said they saw the statute as a way to give people hope, not just impress them.

Now this sounds really good but there is a problem. Nowhere in the Bible does it ever instruct believers to find hope through a statue. We are to find hope in the true Jesus Christ through prayer, reading and following of the Bible and even through psalms and hymns. But never is something visual identified in the scriptures as something to have hope in unless God provides a vision or reveals Himself in a supernatural way.

We've gotten so used to these European-inspired images that supposedly depict Jesus that we don't see the evil or the darkness behind it. Do we understand how God must feel to be wrongly depicted visually like we see in so many places today?

The damage done to the statue and church is estimated at $700,000.

The church has received calls from all over the world expressing sympathy for the loss of the statue.

The King of Kings statue is believed to be the largest sculpture of Jesus Christ in the United States, according to the church.
King of Kings was constructed in 2004 at a cost of $250,000.

I definitely pray for this church but there's some alarming things here. First is the fact that the church spent $250,000 on this statue that could have gone directly to help fellow believers. Secondly, this statue is said to be the largest sculpture of "Jesus" in the U.S. I don't think it was a coincidence that it was struck by lightning. And lastly, this church, that has already endured $700,000 in damages, is going to rebuild it? Something is wrong with this picture and I pray somebody at that church will have their eyes opened.

Behold, he scatters his lightning about him
and covers the roots of the sea.
For by these he judges peoples;
he gives food in abundance.
He covers his hands with the lightning
and commands it to strike the mark.
Its crashing declares his presence;
the cattle also declare that he rises.
(Job 36:30-33 - ESV)

Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
After it his voice roars;
he thunders with his majestic voice,
and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
(Job 37:2-4 - ESV)

Just who controls the lightning again? Something to think about and very hard. Let's repent of any idolatry with images we have in our lives for God is faithful to forgive us when we are humble before Him. Blessings.

An article worth reading

2010-06-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog on this Tuesday. I thought I would go a different route today with this entry and instead of dissecting an article, let an article simply speak for itself. Josh McDowell is known as a Christian "apologist" and though I can care less about titles that man gives himself, what he presents in this article on Christian Post is something that should get our minds thinking about if we truly can explain our faith to another person.

MOST CHRISTIANS CANNOT EXPLAIN THEIR FAITH

In this particular article, Mr. McDowell explains the danger of basing our belief in Jesus Christ because it feels like the right thing to do, because we live a changed life or because it is what we have been taught. Now these things are not bad in and of themselves but we need to understand that Jesus Christ and everything that He has said and done is actual proven fact.

If you ever need some scriptures to read where the author goes out of his way to show that Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection were real, go to 1 Corinthians 15. I can assure you that the Christians of the early church did not believe because of simply a feeling, what they were taught by their parents or because of seeing changed lives. They believed because of the irrefutable evidence that Jesus indeed died for their sins and indeed rose from the dead. These are actual historic facts.

These are things to think about. Remember that the world will ask us why we believe and we need to be ready to answer them with something concrete. This article definitely got me to think about my own faith. Reflect on yours as well. Blessings.

June Update

2010-06-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks for dropping by the blog today. There has been no activity on the main website or this blog as of late because of a lot of things going on this month. My father's birthday was this past weekend, my anniversary with my wife is this weekend and Father's Day is the weekend after that. So there may not be any updates to the main website until around June 27th and very limited updates with the blog from now through that time.

In case you haven't yet, feel free to check out the latest entry on the main website, entitled CHRISTIANITY VS CHURCHIANITY SERIES: THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS. It was on my heart to write and speak on this topic because many churches today have fallen into the trap of measuring the success of a Christian according to the ways of the world instead of according to the word of God. This article and message will cause us to look to the Bible as the true measuring stick and have allow us to see through God's eyes just how well we measure up.

ARTICLE
AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

The next article and message will focus on Jesus Christ as our Refuge. Sometimes church institutions don't understand that their ways cause people to rely more on them than on Jesus and that presents a very dangerous problem. We will explore the scriptures and examine why we must always trust in and cling to Jesus. Blessings!

Don't Believe Rick Warren's Hype

2010-05-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done a blog entry analyzing something within the news with there was a story on Rick Warren at the Christian Post that warranted some commentary. The last decade featuring the unveiling of Warren's P.E.A.C.E. plan ad now he is looking to take things one step further. For a person who struggles to adequately declare the full gospel and the full council of God's truth, how can he claim that he is really doing something for God when he shuns the foundations of the faith? Check the link below for the full story:

RICK WARREN TELLS PASSIVE, FAKE CHRISTIANS TO FIND ANOTHER CHURCH

While I applaud that Mr. Warren talks about getting back to the roots of Christianity (something many churches need to do) and wants everybody in his church to be participant, this can not be accomplished if he continues to make light the word of God for the sake of his own ambitions. Here's some links to some good commentary about his "best-selling book" Purpose Driven Life:

PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE HAS AN INADEQUATE GOSPEL

To this day, Rick Warren has never had his books pulled from the shelves in order to insert the real gospel. Another thing that should concern us is the fact that Rick Warren has a very unbiblical view of church growth. Let's look at what the Bible says in Acts:

And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
(Acts 2:47b - ESV)

This scripture in Acts 2 lets us know that it is God who does the adding to His church and even though He may work through us as His instruments, He grows the church. This means that all we are supposed to do is obey what He says and live out our faith the way the Bible talks about and He will do the work.

Let's see what Mr. Warren has to say:

They include: supernatural power through prayer, using everybody's language and every communication channel for mission, mobilizing everybody from kids to seniors, life-changing truth, loving support or fellowship, joyful worship, generous sacrifices and exponential growth.

These are the eight characteristics Mr. Warren wants his congregation to take on. What alarms me are the words "exponential growth." Why is this important and where in the Bible do we ever find that Christians are supposed to be concerned with "exponential growth?" Businesses and secular organizations are concerned with growth but in Christianity, we leave this in God's hands and simply do what we're supposed to be doing as Christians.

"Real Christianity uses everyone's gifts," said Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, as he rejected passive and consumer Christians.

"Everybody's a minister," he stressed. In the original church, there were no audiences. Rather, everyone was a contributor and participator which led to the tremendous growth of Christianity.

I really find it ironic when pastors operating in a clergy-laity setting would sit back and chide their congregations for not being more participatory. The clergy-laity, unbiblical leadership style churches don't realize that they turn off many Christians from feeling like they have something to offer to the churches because the leaders elevate themselves to such a level as if to seem so beyond the "average" Christian.

When church leaders are more approachable, more down to earth and actually have humility, then that is when you get people within the churches being more willing to participate and serve because there is no division. But Mr. Warren is just one of many who do not understand this.

During his weekend sermon, Warren laid out a plan for Saddleback's next "Decade of Destiny" in which he's anticipating exponential growth. And the plan has no room for fake Christians, he indicated.

"Let me just be honest with you as somebody who loves you. If you passively just want to sit around in the next 10 years and just waste your life on things that won't last, you probably want to find another church because you're not going to really feel comfortable here. Because if you're in this church, I'm coming after you to be mobilized," said the renowned southern California pastor.

I've seen this time and time again. A pastor decides to go in a "new" direction and then tells his congregation that if they aren't along for the ride, then they can find another church to be a part of because they aren't going with the alleged move of God. How many times do we read in the Bible of churches going into a new direction? It seemed that it used to be so simple and it could be simple if pastors were about what was right and Biblical. Christianity has never been something that has to continue to be reinvented, it is simply something that just needs to be applied.

Let's keep Mr. Warren in our prayers and for those of you who believe that he is preaching the truth, open up your Bibles and start reading so that you'll see the truth. This man is not for Christ, he is using Christ as a means for his own ambitions. Stay true to Christ brothers and sisters. Blessings.

Christianity vs Churchianity Series: Clergy-Laity Does Not Exist

2010-05-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for coming to the blog and I hope that this Tuesday finds you well. I have partially updated GENERATION CHRIST.NET by adding in a new audio message that continues the Christianity vs Churchianity Series, entitled "CLERGY-LAITY DOES NOT EXIST." This is a message that may challenge some of the man-made traditions that you have been taught about what proper church leadership is and how it Biblically fits into the relationships that Christians have with one another. Here's the links:

ARTICLE
AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

Expect the written article and a complete update to the main website to be done later on tonight or early tomorrow morning. Continue to follow Christ and continue to abide by the Bible. Blessings.

Christianity vs Churchianity Series: The Church is God's People

2010-05-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog. The latest entry on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website is the second part in the latest series is more of a reminder of just who the church is and what that means to us as believers in Jesus Christ. Click on any of the links below to access the article or audio message.

ARTICLE
AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

As of right now, the plan is to do a study on the unbiblical practice of clergy and laity for the next entry into the series. Continue to stay true to Jesus and endure in the faith. Blessings.

'The Family of God' has been delayed

2010-05-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming to the blog. I know that the blog posts have been less frequent but last week, I focused on recharging during the week that I had off from work. I battled a fever, a sore throat and lots of congestion for part of it but really enjoyed being able to rest for consecutive days. God blessed me with a wife and stepdaughter who were understanding and allowed me to get better and I appreciate my job for allowing me to take off a week to refresh myself.

The upcoming entry in the Christianity vs Churchianity series entitled "The Family of God" has been delayed at least until this coming weekend. I did a few recordings for this message but didn't like the way it came out so I will record again. Thanks for your patience in this. I will not promise that the new article and audio message will be up by next Monday but I will work to get it up as soon as I can.

Because I work as a newspaper reporter, I do a lot of talking, reading and writing for a living and sometimes when I get home, I am spent and don't want to do any of the three. Why am I going into so much detail about this? So that when you see people putting up websites and updating them frequently, you'll appreciate the sacrifice it takes to maintain a site by yourself while holding a full-time job and having a family to love and look after. But what keeps me going is the calling that God has put within me to do my part for His glory and for the good of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

So I ask that you please bear with me. There may be times when I update every week and there may be times where two to three weeks pass before an update. While I hope you are blessed by the website and the blog, do not rely on it as you should rely on Jesus Christ. Remember, it is Him who we follow. Blessings.

Christianity vs Churchianity Series Kick-Off!

2010-04-27T18:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks for visiting the blog. I am making this post to announce the unveiling of a new series on the main GENERATION CHRIST.NET website that will challenge us to see whether we truly are following Jesus Christ or we're just following man-made traditions. The series will hit on some things that you may hold as being sacred but I ask that you read and listen to what is being presented from the scriptures throughout this series.

As a disclaimer, please understand that I do realize there are good churches out there and there are many true believers of Jesus that exist in the world right now. But understand that many of the churches are caught in the whirlwind of apostasy and deception and it may just be yours. Be willing to be like the Bereans and compare everything you see, hear and experience to the Bible. Be willing to ask questions and be willing to demand proof.

Though the article and audio message are just the introduction to the series, I pray that it will greatly bless you. The next entry in the series will be an examination on what our relationships as Christians should look like according to the Bible.

ARTICLE
AUDIO (128K)
AUDIO (56K)

Remember these words of Jesus as you consider what is presented throughout the series:

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
(John 10:27 - ESV)

Blessings.

A courageous man defending the gospel

2010-04-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

I don't know this fellow's name that is in the video posted below but what a courageous stand he took for the faith by going into the lion's den of Joel Osteen's church. This came to mind because Mr. Osteen is going to be coming out to Los Angeles soon and I'm sure that masses will flock to him to hear his feel good, prosperity, gospel-less message. And when I found out about the fact that he was charging for his event, it made ill. Click HERE for a post I did on Joel Osteen back in January.

I applaud this man for what he did and he is an inspiration to me and I hope he is to you as well. Indeed, there are still many that have not bowed the knee to Baal. There are true brothers and sisters out there letting their light shine. Praise God for this man and we need to keep him in prayer.

Forgiveness is not an option

2010-04-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks for dropping by the blog. This post is to announce the latest entry on the main website entitled FORGIVENESS IS NOT AN OPTION. In this article and audio message, I talk about the necessity for us as Christians to forgive and how we are required by God to do. While our relationships with others can be affected by unforgiveness and while unforgiveness can destroy us, it is important for us to know that God is serious when we deal with this particular topic.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(Matthew 6:14-15 - ESV)

Those two verses speak for themselves and they most certainly apply to us today. The links to the article and audio message are below.

ARTICLE
AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

I hope that you are blessed by the article/message. Blessings.

The Necessity of the Resurrection and other news

2010-04-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

It took a little while but the new entry on the main website "THE NECESSITY OF THE RESURRECTION" has finally been uploaded. In this article and audio message, I go into the scriptures and point out why Jesus' resurrection is just as significant and just as important for us as His crucifixion. Also, I go through the scriptures and point out the wealth of evidence that the Bible gives regarding Jesus' resurrection and the events surrounding it. Check out the new updates by clicking on the links below:

ARTICLE
AUDIO (128K)
AUDIO (56K)

This weekend, we will look at the subject of forgiveness and its importance in the life of the Christian. Perhaps you have harbored unforgiveness in your life. I know that when people do things to us, it can be easy to have a vengeful heart and to hold animosity against that person. But the Bible instructs us to take an approach to forgiveness that will go against what our flesh wants to accomplish. I really pray this next entry will be a blessing for you and it should be uploaded by Monday.

Keep to the faith and blessings.

Others are discerning the rise of dominionism

2010-04-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I did an article and audio message dealing with the dangers of dominionism entitled BEWARE THE "DOMINATING" CHRISTIAN. It was in response to an article that I read regarding a "pastor" in Orange County who called for all Christians to pray for the deaths of the 219 Democrats who voted in favor of the health care bill. You can access the article HERE and click on one of the links in the upper right hand corner of the page if you desire to hear the audio.

Today, I happened to read an entry from the Discernment Research Group regarding dominionism and the post is referred to as possibly the most important entry the group has done. Brothers and sisters of the faith, be careful of this dominionist movement for while it will seem on the surface to be something that would be beneficial for Christians, it will actually drive you away from Jesus. Remember that Jesus said Himself in the Gospel of John that His kingdom is "not of this world."

Anyway, here's a link to the article:

THE COALESCING OF THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT WITH APOSTOLIC DOMINIONISM

It's good to see other Christians out there warning of these dangerous movement. Be careful and stay true to the faith. Blessings.

GC Dot Net Thursday Update

2010-04-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by the blog. Last weekend, I decided to take off in order to give myself more time to put together a new article and audio message that will debut on the main website on either Sunday or Monday night. The topic at hand will be about the necessity of the resurrection and how we can have assurance that Jesus did raise from the dead based on evidence given in the Bible itself. I pray that when it is uploaded that it will be a blessing to you.

Also, I will soon be starting a new series for the spring entitled "Christianity vs Churchianity." While I don't know everything about what the series will cover as of yet, my hope is that it will cause us (including myself) to really take a look at what is presented as Christianity in our world today by the churches and see how it matches up to the Bible. This will be a series that I will not rush through but will make sure I take my time with.

In the meantime, take the time to go through the different posts on this blog (there are now over 60 of them) or click HERE to go to the main website and check out the articles and audio messages that have been posted. Make sure to pray and read your Bible daily. Blessings.

Htting the nail right on the head

2010-04-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday to all of you visiting the blog. I came across a very powerful article today by a person named Dene McGriff from the Tribulation Network that hits a home run on the state of institutional churches.

CHURCHIANITY HAS FAILED!

I will provide no commentary for this article, it simply speaks for itself. This post in no way endorses the full Tribulation Network website but in terms of addressing churchianity, he is right on. Enjoy and blessings!

Also, have a great resurrection weekend. He is risen INDEED!

Beware the "Dominating" Christian

2010-03-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blog. If you go to the main website, then you will see an update featuring an article and audio message entitled BEWARE THE "DOMINATING" CHRISTIAN. In this entry, we explore a dangerous phenomenon among some professing Christians known as dominionism. The article and message were inspired by the post below about a pastor from Orange County, who basically called all Christians to join him in praying for the deaths of the 219 Democrats who voted in favor of the new health care bill.

ARTICLE
AUDIO (128k)
AUDIO (56k)

I really pray that the article and message will bless you and cause you to reflect on your own walk. With the celebration of Jesus' resurrection just around the corner, the next entry on the main website will focus on the resurrection and how from the Bible, we can have undeniable proof that the resurrection actually happened. Stay tuned for the that.

Blessings.