Proof of Purchase - The Shroud of Turin

Proof of Purchase: 05/09/14 from Gary Stearman on Vimeo.

Doing Something to “Feel” Saved

Reblogged via raptureready.com 

By Vernon Gray

When someone gets saved, it is quite likely that that person expects to feel something emotionally or physically. If this does not happen, they may not “feel” like they are saved. It is true that one may experience something on an emotional level, but this is not always so, and in any case emotions do not last. 

Because the new believer wants to “know” that what has happened to him or her is real, they look for something tangible that they can relate to; like an emotion. Now, since there may not be some tangible manifestation to make them “feel” saved, they compensate by doing something that will give them a “feeling” that they are saved. Doing something is not a bad thing in itself, except that if it done from the flesh it is a religious thing the Bible calls “Dead Works.”

This “doing something” is sometimes encouraged by many churches; and often enforced as a legal requirement to “prove” that you were well and truly saved. New believers are vulnerable and eager to please God, and so Scriptures about tithing, bearing fruit etc, are used to get them into action; and soon they are on their way to becoming a well-meaning Pharisee. Why?

Because you end up in the place where you depend more on what you do, than on the finished work of the cross. Churchianity teaches that you have to work at being a Christian instead of simply being who you already are in Christ. This can make one feel that one cannot reach a level of “spirituality” and enthusiasm like the rest of their fellowship. This finally results in the believer feeling like a hypocrite.

This feeling of inadequacy causes them to disqualify themselves from the race. They eventually tire of working at the Christian life and failing at it consistently.
Others who feel the same way simply continue to go to church and remain involved, but they know that they are not what they should be. They maintain a sense of hypocrisy, but they would be too ashamed or too afraid to leave, because the church is all they have to cling to. Their connection to God is through the church, and the church is all that they have to lean on. They do not know that their Christian life is not dependant on what they do, or dependant on the church; their Christian life is rooted in Christ only. Nothing else can give them love, peace, joy and a deeper, personal relationship with God the Father than the Christ in them. 

Relying on the Holy Spirit for eternal life is not what the Holy Spirit came to do. He came to reveal the Christ in you, in order that you might express Christ who is the real life within you.
Click here to Read More

Top Christian bestseller accused of heresy

Former New Ager alleges 'Jesus Calling' is harmful to believers

Jim Fletcher About | Email | Archive

Blogger and researcher Jim Fletcher has worked in the book publishing industry for 15 years, and is now director of the apologetics group Prophecy Matters. His new book, "Truth Wins," provides important analysis of Rob Bell and his Emergent friends.

A runaway bestseller in the Christian book world is generating controversy as charges of unbiblical and New Age influences are leveled by watchdog groups and individuals. 

“Jesus Calling,” a top-selling inspirational Christian title, is authored by Sarah Young and currently ranks No. 1 on numerous lists
Young, who lives in Australia, where she helps her husband plant churches, has a philosophy degree from Wellesley College, a counseling degree from Georgia State University and a master’s degree from Tufts. By all accounts, she is stunned by the success of her book, which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide in the decade since its launch.

Various editions have been published by Thomas Nelson, the world’s largest Christian publisher. The Nashville-based publishing house was bought by News Corporation in 2011, and is now a subsidiary of NewsCorp-owned HarperCollins.

Christian author Warren Smith, who left the New Age movement in 1984, has serious concerns about much of the material in “Jesus Calling,” and has written a book – titled “‘Another Jesus’ Calling” – critiquing Young’s bestseller as well as other modern Christian movements and ministries in which he sees dangerous New Age influences.
“We’re getting incredible response to my book,” says Smith, “because her book is indefensible!”
Laura Minchew, senior vice-president of publishing for Thomas Nelson, disputes the claims, and told WND the Sarah Young book has positively impacted countless lives.

“I will tell you that should anyone hint of New Age teachings in ‘Jesus Calling,’ they would be sorely misinformed,” she said.
“We are releasing a new 10th anniversary edition of the book in September.  We have added an expanded ‘Author Note’ that looks back at how the book was published and includes stories from the thousands of comments we have received about the impact of this book on people’s lives.” 

For a critical review of “Jesus Calling,” get Warren Smith’s “‘Another Jesus’ Calling.”
Minchew added: “Jesus Calling has been such a comfort and source of peace for so many. It helps readers spend time with the Lord. People’s lives have been touched for good by this book. I would ask that you not try to make a controversy that has no merit, just for the sake of readership.”

However, others in the Christian community echo Smith’s concerns, including Chris Quintana, pastor of Calvary Chapel Cypress, in Cypress, California, who is alarmed by the book’s success: 

“‘Jesus Calling’ is just the latest fad to come through the church,” says Quintana. “Like ‘The Shack’ or ‘The Prayer of Jabez’ before it, when truth is mixed with error, then it becomes heralded as the new wonderful thing. The church embraces and promotes it because those who should know better … don’t.

“The Jesus of Scripture would be appalled by the ‘Jesus’ of this book, and I am sure is grieved over the misrepresentation. There are some pages where nothing objectionable can be found, so people let their guard down. The book was given to them by a friend, or purchased through their church bookstore, etc. It then becomes trusted and they fail to see the error of the mystical ‘Jesus’ found therein.”

According to the Association for Christian Retail, or CBA, “Jesus Calling” ranks No. 1 in the category of Inspirational/General Interest. For May 2014, the children’s version ranks No. 2 in the Children’s category and No. 3 in Young Adult for the teen edition.
“Jesus Calling” has a staggering 5,451 reviews on Amazon, of which 5,050 are five-star. Only 73 are one-star.
Typical of the positive reviews are these three:

• “A beautifully written book of devotion. Sarah Young has a great deal of love in her heart for Jesus and the Christian faith.”
• “I was given this devotional while going through a difficult time, and it couldn’t be a better fit. Young writes from the voice of God, without sounding blasphemous or assumptive.”
• “Great devotional book, has changed my life! If you are looking for a closer relationship with God, this devotional book will help you on this journey.

However, one negative Amazon review clearly summarizes most of the main problems critics see with Young’s bestseller:
“There are several problems with this book. Here are just four:

• The obvious one is that the book puts words in God’s mouth.
• The author seems to depend on mystic experiences she’s had for her belief in God. Also, she wants something more than God’s Word in the Bible. It has a New Age feel to it.
• It’s a feel good book. It avoids the real problem of personal sin. It’s all about God filling the personal needs that you feel. It’s very self-centered.
• Dependence on experiences will lead to frustration and confusion in the Christian life because we need to have more and more experiences to be satisfied.

“In a nutshell,” adds the reviewer, “the book is misleading and is self-centered, rather than what Christianity teaches – to realize our sinfulness and look to Christ, and to serve God and others as a response to our salvation. I do not recommend this book.”

Despite warnings from Smith and others, “Jesus Calling” is highly visible in Christian bookstore chains and among ministries.

Spiritual Survival (Part 18)

Reblogged from servehiminthewaiting.com   

Separation
by Rayola Kelley
 

       We have been on a journey to discover what it will mean to survive the end days. This is the last article in this series. We can look at the great challenges before us and conclude that we are facing some exciting times, but are we ready for the possible challenges that could shake our worlds? As believers, we need to keep in mind that to spiritually survive involves preparing the inner man to stand in trials and testings, with the intent of walking out the Christian life in an appropriate way. Therefore, the real culprit that we must face will not always come from the outside, but from within our own personal camps.

      When we consider what it means to survive, we think in terms of managing to survive the odds of something that would normally be considered impossible to endure. If we come out on the other side of such a situation, we figure we have survived it, and now belong to that unique club of survivors that serve as shining beacons of hope. However, in the kingdom of God, the concept of survival is a bit different. It is not a matter of coming out on top of an impossible matter; rather, the real issue is who will come out on top in our lives.

      I have often shared with others that the world is a big classroom, and life the main teacher. In America, before the invasion of Communistic indoctrination in our schools, academia was designed to prepare students for a different life outside of their controlled or confined worlds of family, friends, and education. 

      Likewise, when it comes to spiritual survival, the world serves as a classroom that is meant to prepare and challenge us in light of a new existence. Eventually, we will even graduate from this classroom to embrace a completely different way of living. As we consider the idea of the world, we will discover that much of what it stands for is vanity, and its goal is to tantalize the fleshly appetites to pursue its deadly fruit and temporary glory. However, it brings a viable contrast to us when it comes to what constitutes life.

      When it comes to the harsh reality of life being our teacher, it clearly stipulates that all is a cruel joke unless there is something beyond the activities of the present world. This was brought home by the tragic shootings that have recently taken place in Oregon and Connecticut. The tragedy will be blamed on guns, but the real culprit rests with society that has taken God and morality out of the equation. What you end up with is a society that will run a muck in a world of fanaticism which will prove lawless, indifferent, militant, and insane.

      It is for this reason that so much of the world’s activities seem senseless. It becomes clearer each new day that life proves to be an astute teacher. Its shrewdness can cause people to become utter skeptics if they do not understand its ultimate goal. However, it will teach open, receptive students that their very existence does not make sense unless there is a God who has a purpose, plan, and design for their lives. In order for each of us to secure real purpose for our being, we must come to terms with God. In order to benefit from His plan, we must come to a place of agreement with Him. And, to discover our place in His kingdom, we must come to a place of total separation from what was in order to discover what can be. 

      According to the Bible, transformation of the inner man is a necessity while reformation of the outer man is a means to whitewash tombs that contain the dead bones of the old ways and of man’s religious best. The reason is the old must die so that the new can live. The “old” will defile the new, and the “new” will render the old ineffective. The Bible clearly brings this principle out in the parable in Matthew 9:16-17 and the example found in Haggai 2:11-14.

      Clearly, when it comes to the matters of holiness, saints cannot make what is considered to be “common”, “profane”, and what is “unclean” acceptable to God. That which is considered profane by God will be judged and consumed by His holy fire. The reason for this is because holiness is a state. If you expose and touch the unclean, it will make you unclean in your state. Since God is holy, His Church must be holy as well. The members of His Body must come out and separate from that which is unholy, in order to separate themselves to that which is holy. This is the only way to ensure the integrity of their inward state. Click here To Read Further

The Temple at the Center of Time.

Christian Rock Music “Is it possible to Worship Satan in the Name of Jesus."

Part One 
By Vernon Gray
Reblogged from http://raptureready.com/soap2/gray7.html

---

“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Corinthians 10:23).

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Music was created to be a language of the human spirit. It was never meant to be called the language of the soul. Man is a spiritual creature and singing is one of mankind’s highest ideals. Life without music and singing would be dull and empty. Not only is music a language of our human spirit, it is also a primary language of our worship.

The human spirit is our direct line of communion with God. Spiritual singing unites us to Him for fellowship and life. “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). Singing was ordained by God to be full of Him, His words, and answers that satisfy our daily longing after Him. 
Modern music is similar to modern art and modern living; it is full of questions and very few answers. Rick Warren calls his church, “The flock that rocks.” You are not likely to find a liberal church that is now called the “emerging church” that sings gospel music. Modern/Contemporary music is the music of churches that have left the fundamentals of Holy Scripture. There is something wrong when someone does not have enough time to read the Word of God, but does have enough time to listen to “Christian rock” for their daily manna. Read More Part I
Part II 

Pastor Rob Bell to tour with Oprah Winfrey, Michigan stop planned | MLive.com

Pastor Rob Bell to tour with Oprah Winfrey, Michigan stop planned | MLive.com

Major Christian conference 'pushing mysticism'

Controversial prayer technique at evangelical gathering

Jim Fletcher About | Email | Archive

Blogger and researcher Jim Fletcher has worked in the book publishing industry for 15 years, and is now director of the apologetics group Prophecy Matters. His new book, "Truth Wins," provides important analysis of Rob Bell and his Emergent friends. 

A major Christian church-leadership organization, which brought thousands of pastors and church workers together in Carrollton, Texas, this week, succeeded in raising eyebrows from some of the attendees – over so-called “contemplative spirituality.”

The event, called “Catalyst Dallas,” was sponsored by Atlanta-based Catalyst, and featured speakers Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv, filmmaker Ryan Leak, corporate management expert Patrick Lencioni and author Jen Hatmaker, among many others.

During a workshop Tuesday afternoon, contemplative proponent Phileena Heuertz led the audience in a “centering prayer,” which detractors argue opens the door to altered states of consciousness. A common theme throughout Catalyst Dallas was references to mystics Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating and Henri Nouwen.

Warren Smith, a writer specializing in the New Age movement, notes that mainstream Christian leaders have been promoting such mysticism for decades:
“[Robert H.] Schuller had Nouwen as a special guest on the Hour of Power television program in 1992. After Nouwen appeared on that program ‘his reputation [among Protestants] blossomed dramatically."
According to author Phyllis Tickle, there are “seven ancient disciplines,” including centering prayer, or “fixed-hour prayer,” that are making a comeback among younger Christians. Included in these disciplines is the practice of solitude and “centering prayer.”

In her session at Catalyst Dallas, titled, “Find Out Who You Really Are: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer,” Heuertz said that she became aware, 20 years ago, of the teachings of Thomas Keating, a priest and Trappist monk, and expert in the practice of centering prayer.

“I practice centering prayer twice a day for 20 minutes,” Heuertz said. She also refuted criticisms that centering prayer is about “emptying the mind.” At the conclusion of her session, Heuretz stood in front of the group and led in centering prayer.
Read Warren Smith’s expose of the New Age in “The Light That Was Dark.”
 
In her book, “Pilgrimage of a Soul,” Heuretz describes the methods she advocates:
“The Christian contemplative tradition navigates our path toward a posture of receptivity to the One who can save us from our chaos and destruction—whether that is on a small, personal and social scale or on the grand landscape of global politics. All we have to do is submit to the process. That’s it. Submit. Surrender.”

However, Ken Silva, director of Apprising Ministries, expressed dismay over the contemplative presence at Catalyst:
“For some ten years now I’ve been documenting the influence and impact of the Emerging Church on mainstream evangelicalism. A core doctrine of the EC was contemplative spirituality, which is really a remained form of Roman Catholic mysticism. For the past couple of years now I’ve been seeing contemplative practices only as recommendations by influential evangelicals like Rick Warren.

“Even so, I was a bit taken by surprise that straight ahead contemplative mysticism was being openly taught at such a major mainstream evangelical conference as Catalyst. Catalyst’s stamp of approval will embolden more evangelical churches to incorporate it with their congregations and will serve to quickly spread that spiritual cancer far throughout the heart of the professing ‘Protestant’ community.”

Hope from the Word of God

^{Hope for 2014 from the Word of God.
Abiding faith, hope and love   
Written and posted by Jean-Louis.}
 
Abiding Faith 1 John 2:24-29
Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
²⁵ And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
²⁶ These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
²⁷ But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
²⁸ And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
²⁹ If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

Hope 1 John 3:1-3
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
² Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
³ And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Romans 15:12,13  
Again Isaiah says,

“There shall come the root of Jesse,
And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
In Him shall the Gentiles hope.”

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This hope that the Bible talks about belongs only to those who have believed in and received Jesus-Christ as Lord and Savior. 

If you do not know the Lord Jesus, have not experienced his love, mercy and grace, I invite you, I plead with you now to make your peace with the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and receive his Salvation through His Son Jesus-Christ. 

We all know what the conditions of the world have been in 2014. You know your personal situation. Money won´t save you, politicians won´t save you, guns won´t save you, running and hiding somewhere else thinking you are out of danger won´t save you, belief in any religion, in your own human goodness and performing good works wont´save you, belief in reincarnation and acquiring good karma won´t save you. I am talking about your immortal soul.  

When we die, and nobody knows the hour, we all have to give an account about our lives. The Bible says: It is given for man to die once and then comes the judgment. 
The ones that have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to pay for the just punishment for their sins and put their trust in Jesus-Christ will live eternally in resurrected spiritual glorious bodies in the presence of God whom they love, worship and serve.

The others who have rejected the offer of salvation from a loving but just God available to all will be resurrected also but will suffer eternal separation from God and eternal conscious torment in hell (the lake of fire) in the presence of satan and his demons. They have brought it upon themselves because of their own choice to rebel against their loving Creator who has demonstrated his love for his creation from the beginning of time.

From all we can see in the world today and from the Bible prophecies that have never failed concerning the near future, we can only expect the world in which we live to spin out of greater control if not for divine intervention. 

God has already intervened on your behalf 2000 years ago and provided the way to be reconciled with your Creator. 

If you feel hopeless in this dying world and want to know the way to be reconciled with God, this is what Jesus the Son of God said in the Gospel of John 3
  
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”
⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[d]
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.^{[e] 14} Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[f] 15} that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”^[g]

Love   
John 3:16 reads:
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John 1:1-13 speaking about Jesus the Son of God, the Word of God, the Light of the world, the giver of life abundant and eternal,the Savior of mankind:

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.
³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
⁷ The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
⁹ That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 14:6;  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I am praying for you who read this and are overburdened and feeling condemned by the weight of your sins without any hope of finding a way out of your predicament, whatever it is, that you would seriously and sincerely consider the above Scriptures and humbly ask the LORD God to help you, to come to your rescue, to reveal to you the Truth of his Word and to let him transform your heart, your mind and give you an abundant life that satisfies in the now and the hereafter. 

Isaiah 57:15 reads: For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Click here Psalm 51. A broken and Contrite Heart  and  HERE  to read my own testimony as the result of God´s intervention in rescuing me from the New Age Movement.

For a more thorough explanation of the Gospel "the good news" of the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life click HERE  and for how to be born again HERE      

What does Faith without Works Mean?

Reblogged from Grace thru Faith

Friday, May 2nd, 2014 

Q. Please explain the meaning of this biblical verse: “Faith without works is dead”

A. This quote comes from James 2:17 which says, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. “
One of my early mentors used to say, “If what you say you believe does not result in action, you probably don’t really believe it.”

One of the results of our faith in the Lord Jesus is a changed life. We’re no longer slaves to sin, no longer held captive to the things of this world, and we want to express our gratitude for being given the gift of salvation that set us free. This creates a desire to do nice things for others, showing our love for them as a reflection of the love the Lord showed for us. We don’t have to force this, it just happens.  It’s faith in action.

Some people use this idea in the wrong way.  They want to see evidence of our salvation in the things we do that proves we’re really saved. This defeats the whole purpose.  If I have to do good things to prove to you that I’ve been saved, then I’m not doing these things voluntarily as an expression of my gratitude for what Jesus did for me.  I’m doing them out of fear that you’ll think I’m not saved.  Instead of being free, I’m right back in slavery.
We don’t have to prove we’ve been saved to anyone.  Our voluntary acts of kindness prove it to us, and the Lord who knows what’s in our heart doesn’t need any proof.  No one else matters.