If anyone comes to Me and does not
hate his father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters, yes,
and his own life also, he cannot
be my disciple. And whoever does not
bear his cross and come after Me
cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:26-27
Those words of Jesus are hard, stern, and so often avoided in today's preaching, or lightly included in a sermon, but those words are at the very heart of what it means to be "Christian." Some pastors know that if they began teaching the hard commands of Jesus he would lose many, if not all, in his congregation. The excuses given are multitude, "just look at all the good we are doing in the community, how we feed the poor, how we have programs for the homosexual, the abused, etc." I was reminded of such lame excuses, I have used them myself, by what Miley Cyrus said about her "slutty" and provocative dress: she blamed it on the entertainment industry, they are the underlying cause for her to say that she is a "Christian" as though just admitting that she is a "Christian" makes things OK, and then dress as a heathen. Huh! The Church as a whole has done this very thing by either ignoring the facts, or using Scripture in such a way as to remove any blame from themselves. For instance, we have a Mormon running for president, we have a president that says that he is a "Christian" but allows same sex marriage, which is clearly antiChrist. Where is a Christian? We complain about government but we do nothing about it, we just complain, I guess there is some consolation in complaining, well anyway it makes a person feel good about himself. But he does nothing. Jesus is coming, we are just waiting for His arrival. I have heard that for most of my life. Yes, He is coming, not as some Christians proclaim, that there is some pre-resurrection, (part A) then a second resurrection (part B) so they will not get involved, especially if it costs any money, or time. Jesus is coming on the Last Day, there is no other time factor in the Bible, no matter what Arminian theologians attest. So we get men what abhor and we complain, but we don't miss Church, well most of the time, you do tithe, you do special things within the Church, but the Christian influence is not present in this world. The Christian Reformation not only changed the Church, it changed the world, and one thing that can be pointed to is our Constitution, built upon the Bible, no matter what men may say to try and debunk this fact. We all can do something, for some it is full-time, for others it is part-time, but there is something that can be done. Turn off the television, put away the golf clubs, use them more sparingly, get involved. Let me see, We have a Mormon running for president, a man that believes in a book that has no other factual statement, none, no archeological evidence, not agricultural evidence, no language evidence, only that Joseph Smith Jr. lived, and that the hill of Cumorah is in New York. And we expect a man with those core beliefs with millions of people within the Mormon Church attempting in a large way to influence his decisions based upon what they believe, millions of dollars to support financially whatever idea that he wishes to put forward as law? Lastly there is no DNA evidence to support their claim that Indians are derived from the Hebrews, in fact the DNA up to 1492 A.D. shows that they came from northern China. A man with such core values, and no Christian to be his opponent. I am not being political, vote for whomever you think is right, only pray for God's guidance in this matter. What I am saying is: Where are the Christians? Quit blaming Jehovah Witnesses for knocking on doors, for holding several meeting each week, etc, for boys riding bicycles attempting to reach people with their theology. The question is: Where are the Christians? It is theology that is wrong, not the method, at least in these two cases, I will address Islam's methodology in upcoming blogs, I have addressed humanism, Communist efforts to change the world, I wonder how many took the time to download those manifestos, and read them over and over until they understand that we are in a war, a war in which Satan is in charge, and the question is: Where are the Christians?
The word translated "cross" does not refer to the cross upon which the Savior died. It is like a familiar saying: don't be cross with me. It isn't some guy running around the country packing a cross with wheels as though somehow people will get the message. They won't, at least not for the right reasons, for until a person comes to the place where he acknowledges that he is a sinner, through and through and in need of salvation, in need of a complete conversion, then he will come to Christ, as he has been called, changing his life and the lives of others. If you are not being persecuted for your faith in some manner, then what does this say about your faith? Do you leave the presence of those citing crude jokes, or while participating at a company gathering, do you drink to much? If you never said to anyone that you are a Christian, would they know? Christianity has become so associated with the culture of this world, bands dressing, tatooing, hair that resembles band members that are not Christian, psyco-babble being preached from the pulpit: where are the Christians? God will draw His people: " And He said," 'Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father'" (John 6: 65) This turned those who were following Him away and walked with Him no more (John 6:66). God will not lose any of His elected children, but those children of His that are not doing all that He requires will enter into heaven, if I may put it this way, with smoke on their clothes: "If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1Corinthians 3:15). We do not know who the elect are, but we have the command to make disciples, under whatever condition we may find ourselves, it is by preaching the word of God that the elect, those predestined before the foundation of the word, that hear the word of God and being enabled by God respond to His word. I have been writing about Doctrine, and giving both sides of this issue so that you can take appropriate action. The Doctrine that is the foundation of Christianity, that God Predestined some to life with Him that by His election and that those elected would be saved by His Wisdom sent to earth clothed in humanity to die as payment for sin. This Jesus did, and we all, who are His children, are recipients of His sacrifice. Jesus came with the Doctrine of God: "Jesus answered them and said," 'My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority' (John 7:16-17). We are being attacked by another doctrine and that doctrine is Islam; we need to know about it and how we might cause for this doctrine to not take control over our lives, our country.
He who believes in Me,
as the Scripture has said,
out of his heart will flow
rivers of living water.
John 7:38
Pray that your life is living water
Richard L. Crumb
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