More on the Election Dilemma

This is an excellent article from Dr. David Reagan (who will be speaking at Oakwood on Sunday, January 13th, 2013, Lord willing).

The Election Dilemma

By: Dr. David R. Reagan

Over the past few months we have been inundated with inquiries about the presidential election. All of these have expressed a great sense of frustration about the choice we are faced with. And that is understandable when you consider the fact that neither of the two main candidates is a Christian.

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney certainly is not a Christian. He has been spiritually deceived into giving his heart to a false religion that masquerades as Christian.

Since its founding back in the 1830’s, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) has taken the position that it is the one and only true church and that all the rest of Christendom, both Catholic and Protestant, is apostate.

The Mormons teach and preach a false Jesus who is not God in the flesh. Instead, He is portrayed as one of thousands of subordinate gods who were created by the super god of this planet, who is an exalted man.

The Mormons thus deny the trinitarian concept of God that is revealed in the Scriptures. They reject the truth that Jesus was God in the flesh, and they view the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force.

The Mormons teach salvation by good works, in direct contradiction to the Bible’s teaching that salvation is by grace through faith, and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-10). And the Mormons teach that their most faithful followers will become gods themselves with their own planets to populate and rule. In short, Mormons are polytheists.

Mormonism thus presents “another gospel” that is foreign to the gospel of the Bible. And the Apostle Paul declared that all non-biblical gospels are an anathema and that those who proclaim them are to be “accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9).

Barack Obama

President Barack Obama is also not a Christian, despite his claims to be one. I proved this conclusively in the third edition of my book, America the Beautiful? (2009).

In an interview he gave in 2004, Obama stated point-blank, “I believe there are many paths to the same place [Heaven].” To the contrary, Jesus said there was only one, and He was it (John 14:6)

When Obama was asked, “Who’s Jesus to you?” he responded that Jesus was an “historical figure,” “a bridge between God and Man,” and a “wonderful teacher.” There was no expression of Jesus as God in the flesh, the Savior who died for our sins.

Obama shocked his interviewer by saying that there was one thing in particular about Christianity that he had difficulty dealing with — and that is the tendency of many Christians to engage in evangelism! He said he believed the desire to proselytize was based on a belief that if “people haven’t embraced Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, that they’re going to Hell.”

Obama has obviously never heard of Jesus’ Great Commandment to preach the Gospel to all the world (Mark 16:15-16). Because of highly unorthodox comments like these about Christianity, and because of his obvious enthusiasm for Islam, many have concluded that Obama is a closet Muslim. I don’t think so. Based on his statements and his policies, I have concluded that Obama is a classic Humanist, meaning that he is a person who believes in the essential goodness of Man and his ability to achieve fulfillment on his own through the power of reason.

Remedial Judgments

One of the main points I made in my book, America the Beautiful?, is that when a nation blessed by God turns its back on its Benefactor, God will place remedial judgments upon the nation in order to call it to repentance. And one of those judgments can be that of giving the nation the kind of leaders it deserves.

That was certainly the case in 2008 when Barack Obama was elected president.

The continuing judgment of God upon our nation can be seen in the choice for President we are now presented with. For the first time in U.S. history, neither candidate is a Christian.

A Clear Choice

 
But despite that fact, we are confronted with a real choice. It is not a matter of Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

On one hand, we have a candidate who is a non-Christian Mormon. He believes in traditional family and moral values, he respects the heritage of America, he supports Israel, he recognizes Islam as our nation’s enemy, and he believes in Capitalism.

 
On the other hand, we have a candidate who is a non- Christian Humanist. He rejects traditional family and moral values, he despises our nation’s heritage, he holds Israel in contempt, he loves Islam, and he believes in Socialism.

The choice is not an ideal one. But there is a clear choice.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Freed!

I just received this on the email:

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani has been released from prison!

After languishing in an Iranian prison for almost three years, under the threat of execution for his faith, Pastor Youcef appeared before the court this past Saturday morning for the charges brought against him. His hearing lasted almost six hours. But in the end, he was released and able to return home to his family.

Some close to the case report that the court acquitted him of apostasy, but charged and convicted him of evangelizing to Muslims. According to these same sources, the court sentenced Pastor Youcef to three years in prison and granted him time served, which means his prison sentence already has been completed.


Here's the original prayer email that went out a couple of years ago:

Pastor about to be executed by Iranian government

Iranian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani faces execution anytime from Thursday onwards after refusing to renounce his faith.

September 28, 2011

Iranian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani is currently on trial in Rasht, Iran. He has appeared in court three times this week and each time has refused to renounce his faith when asked to do so by the court. If he does not recant his Christian faith, he could be executed at any time (on or after Thursday, September 29).
The 11th branch of Iran's Gilan Provincial Court has determined that Nadarkhani has Islamic ancestry and therefore must recant his faith in Jesus Christ.
When asked to "repent" by the judges, Yousef stated, "Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?" The judges replied, "To the religion of your ancestors, Islam." To which he replied, "I cannot."

 Wow! Isn't God amazing!  I'm so happy that this pastor can be reunited with his family!  As I was reading the breaking news today I noticed the words at the end "his prison senteence already has been completed".  That's the truth, in more than one way!  Reminded me that Jesus already paid for our sins and we aren't getting what we deserve.  I praise God for this news.  Love it when God flexes His muscles!

The NIV 2011 Update Debate

Maybe you have heard about the NIV 2011 update debates.  Rodney Decker sites the "issues" at hand with this:  "The controversy regarding the NIV11 is due to at least four factors. First, the revision poses serious questions regarding linguistics and translation theory. Second, it raises the questions of language change and the use of gender-related language—a volatile issue due to concerns regarding the radical feminist social agenda. Many are concerned that the NIV11 attempts to mollify such radical concerns. Third, personality issues are involved. Entrenched positions have been staked out by well-known biblical scholars and high-profile advocacy groups. Fourth, theological boundaries and doctrinal bias impact the nature of Bible translations."

All this being said, some denominations that have ties to certain translations because of publishing rights and publishing companies have come out "against" the new NIV.  The accusations are mostly unfounded and with a little bit of study and understanding, I think that most (even scholars) would be impressed by the translation.

This link to this article is the best and most balanced explanation that I've read on the NIV 2011 controversy (if you want to call it that).  And, good thing, this is from Rodney Decker, Professor of New Testament and Greek at Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania.  Read the article, and you'll better understand the issues at hand and be able to knowledgeably converse about it.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/an_evaluation_of_the_2011_edition_of_the_new_international_version

The Accidental Pharisee

As you read the Gospels you see time and time again that the Son of God comes into contact with a group called the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were a collective thorn in Jesus's side as He accomplished His Father's will.  It hasn't been till recent years that I've received a true understanding of what a Pharisee really was.  And as I've studied, I've become more sensitive to Pharisaical attitudes in the church.  Just recently I've had friends, yes, even good Christian people dawn the Pharisaical spirit and attack the Lord's church.

So many times, we are what we eat.  It's true in the body, but also in the mind as well.  If we consume negativity all of the time, we tend to become a more negative person.  If we expose ourselves to a certain line of thought again and again, we can begin thinking along those same lines.  Suddenly, we find ourselves so influenced that we have become what we have consumed.  We must be careful...the teaching we sit under...the shows or podcasts we listen to or watch...the friends that we hang out with.  All of these things influence us whether we want to admit it or not.

So it is with attitudes like the Pharisees had.  They came to know the law.  They came to know a religious system.  Then they came to run the show.  They were full of pride.  They were elite...they knew more and believed themselves to be better than everyone else.  They were exclusive.  They were overzealous in their "faith".  They kept more people out of the Kingdom of God than they ever won to the Kingdom of God.

Jesus put it this way, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to."  And Jesus continued in Matthew 23. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
²³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴ You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
²⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
²⁷ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

If you are judging others and holding them to your own standard...woe to you.  If your expectations are higher than God's...woe to you.   Woe to you that truly care more about your snow white hands than a red hot heart for God.  Woe to you who do not follow what the Word of God says.  Woe to you if you think that you know it all.  Woe to you...yes, woe to you.

I don't think that people set out one day and say "I'm going to be like a Pharisee!" It's bit by bit and piece by piece.  The attitude of superiority toward other Christians, God's church and its leaders is like a slow fade.  You barely even realize it's happening and boom, you're already there.

So, keep your eyes on Jesus and what He taught and preached.  Strive to understand the whole counsel of the Word of God, not just the parts that you like or that are more comfortable to you.  Approach everything with the love and hope of Jesus Christ in your heart.  Avoid the hypercritical attitude of the church, God's leaders, God's people, the music that's not your favorite...anything that the devil would use as a stumbling block.  May the grace and peace of God reign in your hearts and minds.  May we ultimately be pleasing to God in all we say and do.  May we not find ourselves an accidental pharisee, keeping others from God.

Above and Beyond Duty

As you read the New Testament, you can't help but notice how little it says about the major events of world history. You might think Scripture would mention Rome and all its mighty conquests. But it doesn't. Instead, God brings out nuances that are entirely different. What's important to God is not what's important to man.

Check out Matthew 26, for example. We find a unique story that God wants us never to forget. It was the incredible sacrifice that a woman made for Jesus. What was it that she did that so impressed the Lord? Was it a miracle or some great teaching? No. It was a heartfelt act of love and service.

Matthew 26:13  “Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Here’s the framework. There in the home of a man named Simon, this woman took a jar of expensive perfume and anointed Jesus with it. Why is this so significant? Her actions are memorable because she seemed to recognize that Jesus needed to be anointed for His burial (see verse 12). So with complete abandon, she gave Him everything she had.

Mark's Gospel tells us her perfume cost more than 300 denarii (see Mark 14:5). In these times, 300 denarii was the equivalent of nearly a year's wages.

But it wasn't the gift that mattered. It was her heart behind the gift. It was her motives that touched Jesus, because He knew she sacrificed nearly everything for Him.

Are you doing all that you can for the Lord? Some people, like many of the dutiful Pharisees, will only give what is required. They will try to get by with the bare minimum. In many ways, we can be exactly like that too.

Today, would you commit to serving the Lord above and beyond what is required—like this woman did?