{"id":478,"date":"2015-07-29T16:33:28","date_gmt":"2015-07-29T20:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/?p=478"},"modified":"2015-07-30T17:39:46","modified_gmt":"2015-07-30T21:39:46","slug":"been-there-done-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/2015\/07\/been-there-done-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Been There, Done That"},"content":{"rendered":"

With all my heart, I believe I had addressed perhaps the greatest problems with modern evangelism in the “Jesus is Not a Flu Shot” series found on this blog. \u00a0The idea today is “we” often present the gospel and salvation in America as this one-time, pray-a-prayer, single event. \u00a0Yes, salvation is a moment, but it is a mere beginning. \u00a0Jesus said YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN<\/em>. \u00a0A baby is born and naturally grows and naturally desires to eat.<\/p>\n

Salvation is a single one-time event, but that is merely the beginning of a new way of living, much like when someone says “I DO” at the altar. \u00a0To say “I DO” one time and never talk to your wife again is something unacceptable even in the worst shot-gun weddings, yet when it comes to evangelism, results like that are rarely challenged or questioned. \u00a0 Does anyone have any objections to why this Sinner and this Savior should not be joined today in Holy Matrimony? \u00a0UM, YES, this sinner plans to return to his first love, Satan, before they even cut the cake!<\/p>\n

I liken our invitations today of bargaining people of “asking Jesus into your heart” or “Pray-And-Ask-The-Lord-to-Save-You” to a convenient one-time “flu shot” where you are now good to go. \u00a0No commitment, no copay, no waiting, no worry, and no irritating side effects. \u00a0 We might be good at recognizing the ‘1-2-3 Repeat After Me’ errors of “those churches”. \u00a0What we fail to see is the beams in thine own eyes<\/em> of the by-products of “our church’s” evangelism.<\/p>\n

The emphasis here is on the convenience, and if there is any mention of sin, it is this broad generalizing of sin so everyone feels comfortable admitting their need. \u00a0The whole thing is meant to make the person comfortable and let nothing get in the way of obtaining a precious decision or getting them to raise that hand. \u00a0Lights dimmed, heads bowed and no one looking around, cue the music, eyes closed.<\/p>\n

Case closed.<\/p>\n

Eyes open. Dismissed.<\/p>\n

“Congratulations, \u00a0ye that prayed! I saw that hand! \u00a0Brother, you are now gloriously saved, the angels are rejoicing, your name is written down, never, ever doubt it, and welcome to the club!” \u00a0Even if they are never heard from again.<\/p>\n

There is basically no cost today, and no reproach of the Cross in the modern invitations. \u00a0They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. \u00a0Yet there is little sowing, and not a wet eye in the house. \u00a0The mourner’s bench has been in storage for the last 30 years, and the hard labor from our evangelical for-fathers of preparing the soil and a continual planting, season upon season, before the salvation harvest is micro-waved into a complete gospel presentation from beginning to end, all in 5 minutes or less. \u00a0Satisfaction guaranteed, or your salvation back.<\/p>\n

And sadly, the TRUE conversions today are becoming rarer and rarer. \u00a0 Without being mean, I honestly observed the same people get saved over and over from the same preachers at the same meetings for 3 years in a row using the same pleadings and same invitations, and still see they were the same they were before. \u00a0It is not the Preacher’s fault per say, it is not the “church’s fault” per say, it is a collective fault of an entire country settling for a weak gospel and content with the weak converts it creates. \u00a0We should go back to the disciples and apologize for our methods, instead we can read of the 5,000 saved on the day of Pentecost and think if they could have only enrolled in our Evangelism Training, they might have seen double that. \u00a0I see kids\u00a0enthusiastically\u00a0raise their hands for salvation that I had witnessed to on the streets of Buffalo before they went to a service. \u00a0 Then I run into them a year later, and they are NO DIFFERENT. \u00a0 Not even an inkling they had a supernatural encounter with the God of Heaven. \u00a0Something is radically wrong, but I think we are too afraid we will pull out the three\u00a0kernels\u00a0of wheat\u00a0amongst\u00a0the acres of tares.<\/p>\n

If the most nominal Catholic out there met the Pope 10 years ago, they no doubt would be able to give me strong details of their encounter, yet the average Christian can’t recall anything from the day he prayed and met JESUS? \u00a0Could it possibly be because they never really met HIM?<\/p>\n

I am not trying to be harsh. \u00a0We that are saved will have to face the Holy God of heaven, and we won’t have the Sword of the Lord editors to defend our methods. \u00a0And worse, the majority of the converts we brag about and write prayer letters about and give testimonies about will hear, “I never knew you: depart from me<\/em>.” \u00a0(see Matthew chapter 7). \u00a0This is what should compel us to examine our methods over our numbers. \u00a0 I am not trying to dampen the soulwinning zeal that at least some of us have. \u00a0I am trying to add knowledge to our zeal. \u00a0We are blinded by numbers and mesmerized by our soul-winning “founding fathers”. \u00a0Yet even they changed their definitions of doctrines such as repentance to match their shallow professions. \u00a0Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Just three pioneers of this shallow evangelism that literally has penetrated 99.99% of modern Christianity are Jack Hyles (authored “Let’s Go Soulwinning”), Bill Bright (authored “The 4 Spiritual Laws”) and Curtis Hudson (wrote “Repentance: What does the Bible teach?”) \u00a0Jack Hyles literally created the Roman’s Road out of thin air. \u00a0Yes it is from the bible, but it really isn’t biblical when you examine it by the fruit. \u00a0He admits that he came up with it in a sermon he preached. \u00a0He was senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond Indiana from 1959 until his death, and built a church to a record membership of 100,000.<\/p>\n

Despite overwhelming evidence for serious abuses, shallow and false doctrines, and creating a judge-not “Unquestioning loyalty” cultic circus that allowed him to run his ministry unchallenged and with no\u00a0accountability,\u00a0 he is one of the “untouchables” in our Baptist Camps like a Benny Hynn is in the\u00a0Charismatic\u00a0movement. \u00a0He bragged more got saved in 1 day on their biggest decision generating day, than on the day of\u00a0Pentecost.<\/p>\n

The contrast is Pentecost turned the world upside down and the ripple effects are still going on to this day. \u00a0You would think that many\u00a0salvations in Indiana would at least have turned America upside down, but it didn’t even make a dent in Hammond, Indiana. \u00a0 Here are some of the fruit of Hyles. \u00a0Per Wickipedia, “In 1989, the paper The Biblical Evangelist<\/a> published a story “The Saddest Story We Ever Published”, accusing Jack Hyles of sexual scandals, financial misappropriation and doctrinal errors.\u00a0<\/span>These charges were denied by Hyles who deemed them “lies”.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0He was accused of a decade long affair with his secretary, Jennie Nischik, who happened to be the wife of a church deacon, Victor Nischik.” \u00a0A good book called “the Hyles Effect – A Spreading Blight” by David Cloud shows overwhelming evidence for many, if not all, of the scandals and abuses. \u00a0Jack’s son David is a serial adulterer and Jack Schapp, who was their most recent scandal for sexual relations with a minor and is serving a 12-year prison sentence, was Jack Hyles son-in-law. \u00a0These are not one time lapses in judgment. \u00a0This is a system created to be un-rebukable (vs THOU ART THE MAN<\/em>!), above reproach, and to literally get away with whatever ungodly desire you have because you earned brownie points with God for every 100 decisions of salvation you get. \u00a0 He preached a doctrine of indulgences, as he basically taught as long as you are winning souls, God winks at your sin. \u00a0That is rotten fruit. \u00a0Not the fruit of the great awakening.<\/p>\n

A.W. Tozer said that true revival affects the moral atmosphere of the community. \u00a0Billy Sunday would come to town and a year later the bars would be closed. \u00a0Now a year later, you might find the deacon there having a shot of whiskey with his converts.<\/p>\n

Jack Hyles is one of many who set the bar for a watered down definition of repentance. \u00a0What he literally taught was an adulterer can admit he is a sinner and say “LORD SAVE ME” and walk out the door and get in the car of his mistress, crash on the way to their hotel room and expect to be in heaven. \u00a0Salvation is not of works, but without fruits of repentance there is obviously no conversion. \u00a0That used to be clearly taught years ago. \u00a0 Hyles’ doctrines penetrated the bible colleges and hyper-soulwinning programs and people saw the numbers (or should I say NUMBER$$$$$$) and impressive results, and jumped in on the heresy train.<\/p>\n

This is false teaching. \u00a0He wrote the following- \u00a0\u201cWhat makes the wrath of God abide on a person? Believing not! So, from what must a person repent in order to be saved? He must repent of that which makes him lost. Since \u2018believing not\u2019 makes him lost, \u2018believing\u2019 makes him saved. The repentance there is a turning from the thing that keeps him from being saved to the thing that saves him. So, yes, there is a repentance from unbelief in order to believe. It is simply a change of direction. It means a turning around. You are going away from believing, and you decide to turn around and believe. You change your direction; you change your mind. With your will you believe and rely upon Christ to save you. In order to believe, you have to repent of unbelief. That which makes a man lost must be corrected\u201d (Dr. Jack Hyles, Enemies of Soulwinning<\/em>, 1993).<\/p>\n

The Bible says in Revelation 21:8, But the fearful, and unbelieving<\/strong><\/span>, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all<\/b> liars<\/b>, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>The JHV (Jack Hyles Version) had it existed would state instead,\u00a0But the unbelieving, the whole unbelieving, and nothing but the unbelieving, \u00a0shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. \u00a0That is about the only “Gap” theory I see evidence for.<\/p>\n

True repentance was taught over and over by men who stood for truth. \u00a0Lester Roloff said, \u201cRepentance is a godly sorrow for sin. Repentance is a FORSAKING OF SIN<\/strong>. Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore. Repentance is permanent. It is a lifelong and an eternity-long experience. You will never love the Devil again once you repent.<\/strong> You will never flirt with the Devil as the habit of your life again once you get saved. You will never be happy living in sin; it will never satisfy; and the husks of the world will never fill your longing and hungering in your soul. Repentance is something a lot bigger than a lot of people think. It is absolutely essential if you go to heaven<\/em>\u201d (Lester Roloff, Repent or Perish,<\/em>1965).<\/p>\n

It is not that we that are saved never sin. \u00a0I am still ashamed of some of my falls, but it is the grace of God that I got up, and it is the grace of God I naturally want to turn away from sin. \u00a0 We simply cannot enjoy sin any longer. \u00a0We are made new creatures. \u00a0Our taste buds change, our desires change, and when we get ambushed and blindsided and do something stupid, we are miserable and feel like garbage til we get it right.<\/p>\n

That is why I must hurt you now. \u00a0Imagine after the latest Christmas Program, the Preacher boldly preached “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” or merely stood up, looked at the crowd, \u00a0and cried out “REPENT!!!!” \u00a0and quoted from Acts 17:30-31, \u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/span>Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>I don’t think they would be back for the “Easter” one.<\/p>\n

The modern gospel is drastically different than what was done even a hundred years ago. \u00a0Today, the very best churches often reserve the “hard sayings”<\/em> (John 6:60) for the “New-Believer’s Class” or the Spring Revival. \u00a0The worst churches drop those verses all together. \u00a0 \u00a0Hard sayings were what put the fear of God in men, and the fear of God is what gets men to throw away their sin as they run to the Cross for forgiveness and hence salvation. \u00a0 Men then had a foundation of the basic attributes of God, and there was a general fear of God and a respect for God. \u00a0Despite that foundation, still the message preached was more on convincing of the disease. \u00a0It was a negative message. \u00a0How much more today should we be laying a foundation for why we need a Savior and correcting the ‘false Christs’<\/em> of the religious world, whether it is white effeminate still-on-the-cross ‘Jesus of Roman Catholicism or the false “Jesus” taught by Mormonism or the Lovey-dovey ‘Jesus’ of the “Shack” novel or the “Message” Bible?<\/p>\n

The law and the holiness of God and the purity of God and the perfection of God was the emphasis then, and this appealed to the conscience until men cried out, “What must I do to be saved<\/em>?” \u00a0And like a dying man given a promising prescription for chemotherapy, he would cling to the cure no matter what it cost. \u00a0The chemo of great price was what a man dying of cancer will give his very life savings for and commit to horrendous side effects like alopecia and hyper-emesis (hair loss and\u00a0vomiting)\u00a0 where people may even mock and cry, \u00a0Go up, thou bald<\/b> head<\/b>; go up, thou bald<\/b> head<\/b><\/em>. (2nd Kings 2:25) and yet he is unphased and doesn’t get mad at the medication.<\/p>\n

Yet, today’s gospel uses emotion and special effects and personalities and promises to appeal to man’s emotions. \u00a0Often the unsuspecting visitor gets the gospel invitation snuck on them when they least expect it. \u00a0The person came to a child dedication service or a graduation or a summer BBQ because they were invited in a non-confrontation manner and they didn’t want anything preachy. \u00a0God forbid, it awaken their dead consciences. \u00a0 So they attend, they get entertained, they relax a bit, and then the Preacher sneaks the gospel on them once their guard is down. \u00a0Or they pray in agreement at the door to get the soul winner off their property. \u00a0They might bow their heads, they might actually pray or get emotional, they might even want to go to heaven. \u00a0None of that guarantees they end up coming home with Jesus because none of that matches the Biblical requirements of salvation. \u00a0 And if you are convinced you have the biblical requirements down pat, none of the results are book of Acts results. \u00a0Despite Book of Acts “numbers”.<\/p>\n

When the dust settles and the honeymoon period wears off, the “new convert” is merely a pig that had a bath. \u00a0And if he continues in church, he learns the essentials to make it, and adopts and embraces the culture of the typical member there. \u00a0He borrows the convictions like someone who joins a new company follows the basic hand-book\u00a0minimum\u00a0requirements and dress code to not get fired, and he is settled to want no more. \u00a0 Sadly, he often is now a “two-fold child of hell”. \u00a0Before he had religion and no assurance of heaven. \u00a0 Now he has so-called “salvation” (though it is more like a great sales-pitch and they file away their laminated eternal life assurance copy to prove it.) and now a new religion. \u00a0 He is not only now satisfied, but now more pre-occupied with a new set of rules and regulations to govern his life if that is what he wants. \u00a0 \u00a0If he wants to live like the devil instead, that is his right as well. Assurance of heaven without God’s seal of the holy Ghost is attractive to those that want a religion and those that want rock-n-roll.<\/p>\n

Salvation is a person, not a prayer or performance. \u00a0He that hath the Son hath life<\/em>, 1st John says. \u00a0Today we seem to know the verses, but we tweak the verses to fit our experiences. \u00a0A newer truth I think God showed me helped me with questions I had over my salvation. \u00a0Jesus said come to me, call unto me, look unto me and be ye saved<\/em>. \u00a0In 2002, I had read a book called “A Case For Christ”, and was amazed how much evidence there was for Jesus. I applied John 1:12, which the author explained as “Believe + Receive = Become” and with a repentant heart, I “believed” and my life changed from that day on. \u00a0However, at times I will get semi-paranoid, and think, “hmm, if the NIV is a false bible, and Jesus is the Word on Paper, if the verse that “saved me” was quoted from the NIV, could I have simply come to a false Christ?”<\/p>\n

It is funny, I never questioned my salvation until after<\/em> I got saved.<\/p>\n

God gave me great peace recently, when I was meditating on the verse in John 6:37,\u00a0All that the Father giveth me<\/b> shall come to<\/b> me<\/b>; and him that cometh<\/b> to<\/b> me<\/b> I will in no<\/b> wise<\/b> cast out.<\/em> \u00a0Did I come to Him? \u00a0I can’t exactly prove it back then because I came to the Jesus as revealed in the NIV and a book written by an author who uses modern bible versions. \u00a0 The NIV, like all modern versions, is a\u00a0counterfeit\u00a0bible, but at what point do the false versions produce a\u00a0counterfeit\u00a0Jesus? \u00a0It might be a moot point, but eternity is one place \u00a0you cannot afford to have the wrong answer with.<\/p>\n

Yet, today I read the KJV today, and I come to the true Jesus over and over and over multiple times a day. \u00a0 I come to the real Jesus as revealed in scriptures, and I match up the Jesus I come to when I pray by the Jesus of the Word. \u00a0The fact I come to Jesus today proves I came to Him for salvation at one point, which is in March 2002 I believe. \u00a0The fact I call on Him today, the fact I look unto Him today, the fact I repent of whatever sins today is a fact that I had that\u00a0repentance\u00a0and faith unto salvation\u00a0originally<\/em>. \u00a0Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work<\/strong><\/span> in you will perform it until the day\u00a0<\/b>of Jesus<\/b> Christ<\/b>:<\/em> \u00a0 (Philippians 1:6) \u00a0The fact there is work going on now<\/em> means that Jesus began that work in me. \u00a0I’m still under construction, and while I am not where I want to be, I know I am not where I used to be!\u00a0Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting<\/b> those things which are\u00a0behind<\/b>, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,<\/em> \u00a0(Philippians 3:13)<\/p>\n

I contrast that with the modern evangelism, where the majority of converts of America conclude that they are to expect little else. \u00a0If you think of the drastic measures that people will go through to escape hell or enter heaven (9\/11 for example) something that settles one’s eternal destiny (in their mind, based on what they were told) is very appealing to the modern American. \u00a0He wants to get all he can on the America the Titanic and if you can reserve him a life boat seat, all the better. \u00a0He is not motivated to help others find a life boat, but now he can relax even more and focus on the more important things going on today, such as the lunch buffet and dinner show and comedy act. \u00a0I truly believe that giving people this modern gospel where at best Pastors become goat herders and raise guilt-laden church worker bees\u00a0inoculates\u00a0them to the real gospel. \u00a0Even if it gets preached later.<\/p>\n

I remembered a quote from A.W. Tozer from his book “Pursuit of God”. \u00a0\u00a0 He wrote in Chapter 1, “The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Adamic ego. Christ may be “received” without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is “saved,” but he not hungry nor thirsty after God. In fact he is specifically taught to be satisfied and encouraged to be content with little.”<\/p>\n

How much more\u00a0prevalent\u00a0is this in today’s churches?<\/p>\n

Is this the cry of the average American church member?<\/p>\n

That<\/b> I<\/b> may<\/b> know<\/b> him<\/b>, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;<\/em><\/p>\n

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:<\/em><\/p>\n

Or is it, been there done that. \u00a0Now leave me alone, God.<\/p>\n

I call the following the Christian Bait-And-Switch program. I can list a few basic\u00a0stereotypical\u00a0behaviors or traits and you can guess what animal I am talking about without much exhaustive forensic detective\u00a0work. \u00a0Just like pigs have a nature, dogs have a nature, and sharks have a nature, Christians have a unique nature where you can recognize them by just observing their certain behaviors and actions. \u00a01st John describes the characteristics of a Christian. \u00a0That is why John wrote,<\/p>\n

These<\/b> things<\/b> have I written<\/span> unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know<\/span> that ye have eternal<\/b> life<\/b>, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.<\/em> (1st John 5:13)<\/p>\n

My question is why do we take what John wrote, and apply that, for example to verses from “the Romans Road” that Paul wrote? \u00a0For example, it is a common evangelical teaching to take Johns promise above, tell the potential convert, “See, God wants you to know you can have an eternal home in heaven (mostly to target the Catholic heresy that you cannot possibly know or you commit the “sin of presumption”) and then you take the “sinner” to Romans 10:13 and say that proves you can have eternal life.<\/p>\n

John wrote this, I believe, not as a “how to get saved” but from a “How to know you are saved” angle. \u00a0 Perhaps I am wrong about that part, but for example, \u00a01st John 5:20 says And we know<\/b> that<\/b> the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him<\/span>\u00a0that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life<\/span>. \u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Regardless, I see there is far more demands on KNOWING the LORD than flippantly “calling on the Lord.” \u00a0If our converts can get excited about church or even ministry, but they still don’t know Jesus at any level beyond how I might “know about George Washington”, something is missing. \u00a0Jesus is not the love of the average church member’s lives and Jesus is merely a means to heaven and a means to a title, and a means to blessings. \u00a0 In a tract I wrote called “Fish Oil Salesmen” I wrote how someone drowning in a cesspool who cries, “Lifeguard save me!” but then refuses to grab onto the lifebuoy that gets thrown to him STILL DROWNS!!! \u00a0Jesus is what does the saving. \u00a0 If you call and cry and ask and yet you refuse HIM, you are choosing to stay in your cesspool. \u00a0 Jesus is not obligated to dive in and pull you out against your will, no matter what the average\u00a0Calvinist\u00a0might say.<\/p>\n

I am convinced that what excites the average modern Christian today is more about what God HAS\u00a0than WHO He IS. \u00a0We don’t want his presence, we want a Moses to speak on His behalf. \u00a0Today, Christians can get excited singing “I’ve got a mansion over the Hill Top” but can the majority in general honestly, from their hearts sing, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I’d rather have Jesus than have riches untold”, “Jesus keep me near the Cross, there a precious fountain”, and “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer Blessed Lord to the Cross where thou hast died”? \u00a0When you truly meet Jesus, you will know the love of God. \u00a0You won’t despise that ‘ol cross, you’ll cling to that ‘ol rugged cross. \u00a0“Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,\u00a0Has a wondrous attraction for me;\u00a0For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above\u00a0To bear it to dark Calvary.” \u00a0So you’ll cherish that old rugged cross and love the one who knew no sin, yet became sin, so you can become crucified with Christ. \u00a0Joy unspeakable and full of glory! \u00a0I love the Lord, he heard my cry. \u00a0<\/em>Did he really? \u00a0The proof is in the pudding.<\/p>\n

Do we know “The Love of God” by Frederick M. Lehman? \u00a0Or can we just sing it?<\/p>\n

The love of God is greater far\u00a0Than tongue or pen can ever tell;\u00a0It goes beyond the highest star,\u00a0And reaches to the lowest hell;\u00a0The guilty pair, bowed down with care,<\/em>
\nGod gave His Son to win; \u00a0His erring child He reconciled,\u00a0And pardoned from his sin.<\/em><\/p>\n

1st John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love<\/b> the<\/b> brethren<\/b>. He that love<\/b>th not his brother abideth in death. \u00a0<\/em>Do we love the brethren? \u00a0All the brethren? \u00a0Or only those in our own\u00a0denomination?\u00a0 Do we only love those that agree with us and our love turns sour as soon as someone isn’t in awe with our doctrines? \u00a0Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell\u00a0<\/b>you<\/b> the<\/b> truth<\/b>?\u00a0<\/em>(Galatians 4:16)<\/p>\n

The truly converted soul can energetically echo the lyrics that Charles Wesley wrote, “Jesus, lover of my soul, Let me to Thy bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll,\u00a0While the tempest still is high. Hide me, O my Savior, hide,\u00a0Till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide;\u00a0Oh, receive my soul at last.” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I had to look up those lyrics above, and check my renderings of More About Jesus and the Come, thou Fount ones so I could accurately convey them instead of what I think they say. \u00a0The rest below I am merely quoting from my heart and they flow naturally from my fingers as I sing them in my head. \u00a0These should be natural cries of the Saved. \u00a0 Instead, most American Christians know more Crosby Stills and Nash than Fanny Crosby, Jon Lennon than John Wesley, and the Rolling Stones than the Stone that was rolled away.<\/p>\n

‘Til the storm passes over, til the thunder sounds no more, til the clouds roll forever from the sky! \u00a0Keep me close, let me stand, in the hollow of thy hand, keep me safe, til the storm passes by! \u00a0More about Jesus would I know! \u00a0More more about Jesus! \u00a0More more about Jesus! \u00a0More of his saving fullness see, more of His love who died for me! Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord to thee, take my silver and my gold, not a mite will I withhold. \u00a0Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus just to take him at his word, oh for grace to trust Him more! \u00a0He leadeth me, O Blessed Thought! Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; \u00a0\u00a0streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. \u00a0Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, \u00a0mount of thy redeeming love. <\/em><\/p>\n

By far I think the most powerful worship songs are the old-fashioned hymns. \u00a0They exalt Christ, they are sound\u00a0doctrinally\u00a0 and they balance the loving God with a Holy God and prepare the heart for the preaching. \u00a0I am not saying chuck out all modern music today just because it is new, but even in our music the holiness is de-emphasized\u00a0and a loving God that could care less about sin is often\u00a0exhibited. \u00a0 I would recommend that any singing group, choir, or “worship leader” adopt a policy to require say 60% old-fashioned hymns from every song service and specials sung, regardless of what group is in town.<\/p>\n

The modern songs tend to downplay the holiness of God and seem to emphasize material blessings, and tend to use “GOD” instead of Jesus. \u00a0 The modern\u00a0contemporary\u00a0“worship songs” \u00a0sound more like 50’s high school sweetheart love songs than songs lifting up a Holy God. \u00a0The modern song lets you pick the YOU just like the 12-steps programs let you pick your higher power. \u00a0“I want to know you, I want to hear your voice, I want to touch you, I want to know you more.” \u00a0 That does not sound like a song that lifts up a holy awe-inspiring God that made the sun out of nothing.<\/p>\n

I thank God for material things, but so do lost people. \u00a0I think if we ever truly were in God’s presence we would not give a flip about anything we have or do, but we would be speechless and unable to get up if we truly met the living God of the Universe. \u00a0I pray for needs and wants, but I am saying there is a difference between being lost in the awe of God and the power of God and what often takes place today. \u00a0 \u00a0True worship is not the CCM worship either because that music turns Jesus into a crack pipe. \u00a0The emphasis is on the buzz of the beat, and mixed multitudes simply get high on God like they are at a Rolling Stones Concert. \u00a0So I am being fair, a lot of our “modern hymns” and “spiritual songs” we sing in the conservative circles put the emphasis on the happiness of man instead of the holiness of God. \u00a0It’s no wonder we are miserable, because the focus seems to get stuck on us so much of the time. \u00a0Psalm 40:3 says\u00a0And he hath put<\/b> a<\/b> new<\/b> song<\/b> in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord<\/span>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The modern Christian runs FROM God when the storms of life hit. \u00a0Instead of to God. \u00a0Today Christians are promised better jobs, mansions over the hill top, eternal life without having their world’s turned upside down, and keeping the “old” songs and best gods of their fathers. \u00a0Instead the bible says in 1st John 3:13\u00a0Marvel<\/b> not<\/b>, my brethren, if<\/b> the<\/b> world<\/b> hate you<\/em>. \u00a0The bible promises eternal life, not heaven on earth. \u00a0Tribulation, temptation, and persecution are normal benefits by coming to the Cross. \u00a0We sort of leave that part out. Mark 8:36 says,\u00a0For what<\/b> shall<\/b> it<\/b> profit<\/b> a<\/b> man<\/b>, if he shall<\/b> gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? \u00a0<\/em>We might preach that, but at the same time, we are building multi-million dollar buildings and ministries and we seem to think if we gain the world for Jesus anyway we can, God must be in it. \u00a0 And if \u00a0you experience any true persecution or lose everything, you must be out of the will of God.<\/p>\n

Tell that to Job! He lost everything starting in the middle of Chapter 1. \u00a0He was\u00a0worshiping\u00a0at the end of Chapter 1. \u00a0\u00a0Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/sup>And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the\u00a0Lord<\/span> gave, and the Lord<\/span> hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord<\/span>. <\/span><\/em>\u00a0Sadly, the majority of Pastors, let alone church members, would end up fulfilling this prediction of Satan, Job 1:11,<\/span><\/span> \u00a0<\/span>But put forth thine hand now, and <\/span>touch all that he hath, and he will curse<\/b> thee<\/b> to<\/b> thy<\/b> face.\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Instead we need to want God with all our hearts. \u00a0 Our hearts today might have some room for Jesus, but we have more of a love\u00a0affair\u00a0with our smart phones, gadgets, and technologies than we do for the things of God. \u00a0Our Facebook newsfeed shapes and entertains us and warms our hearts more than reading Psalms does. \u00a0\u00a0Often, we are double minded, half-hearted Christians choked up with the affairs of this life and the cares of this world. \u00a0Our hearts are failing us for fear, our hearts are waxing cold from the iniquity that is ever intensifying, and our hearts are getting weaker because we literally need a\u00a0spiritual\u00a0blood transfusion from the veins of\u00a0Emmanuel. \u00a0We need to find God again, and once we find him not sit down and expect Him to join us. \u00a0 We need to then ARISE, pick up our beds, and WALK. \u00a0\u00a0And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart<\/em>. \u00a0Jeremiah 29:13.<\/p>\n

Psalm 116:1-2 says\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/span>I love the Lord<\/span>, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications<\/em> and\u00a0<\/em><\/span>says I will call upon the LORD as LONG AS I LIVE<\/em>. \u00a0Contrast that with the modern idea of calling once. \u00a0Been there, done that, good to go.<\/p>\n

2\u00a0<\/sup>Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0Psalm 18:3 and 18:46 says\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span> will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies. \u00a0The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted!!!! \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/em>Someone who truly called once on the Lord for salvation will have that type of continual calling\u00a0and an ongoing desire to live for Him. \u00a0Saying “I STILL DO” to my wife today doesn’t make me married, but the fact I can say that 9 years later proves my first call of I DO. \u00a0Today “Christians” all over America say I DO to GOD one time, and then after the wedding move back in with their high-school sweetheart. \u00a0Leonard Ravenhill said How can you expect to be married to the bride of Christ unless \u00a0you divorce yourself from everything that is in the world?\u00a0<\/em>Instead of examining our hearts and motives, when we read a quote like that we who know doctrine will think, “He’s preaching sinless perfection!” and tune him out and go back to our\u00a0regularly\u00a0schedule programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Psalm 86:<\/span> 1-17<\/span><\/em>\u00a0shows that if you are saved, you tend to cry unto Him daily. \u00a0Not once and never again to think about it until arriving at Heaven like you see from the majority. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It says I will call upon Him in the day of my trouble. \u00a0I have troubles everyday!!! Everyday I need Jesus! \u00a0I need thee every hour! \u00a0I need thee every minute! \u00a0I might not see my need but I really need God every second. \u00a0 I am one heart beat away from eternity!<\/p>\n

Psalm 86 – Bow down thine ear, O Lord<\/span>, hear me: for I am poor and needy.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/sup>Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee<\/span>. \u00a0<\/span><\/em>Give ear, O Lord<\/span>, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em>In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee:<\/span> for thou wilt answer me.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. \u00a0<\/span><\/em>For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.<\/span><\/em>Teach me thy way, O Lord<\/span>; I will walk in thy truth<\/span>: unite my heart to fear thy name.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart:<\/span> and I will glorify thy name for evermore<\/span>.<\/span><\/em>For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/sup>O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/sup>But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant<\/span>, and save the son of thine handmaid.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord<\/span>, hast holpen me, and comforted me.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

You never thirst when you get a drink of the living water, but you want to drink over and over if you have tasted Jesus! \u00a0O taste and see that the Lord is good. \u00a0<\/em>The modern message seems to say, one sip is enough, now get back to your life. \u00a0John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst<\/b>. \u00a0<\/em>I think Jesus is implying daily bread and ongoing drinking that\u00a0satisfies\u00a0our hunger and thirst and we keep returning there because they satisfy. \u00a0 The opposite is what the modern church creates. \u00a0They create a one-time last-a-lifetime impossibility and it never quenches because they go right back to the cesspool they were drinking from before. \u00a0Yet the folly of it is if you try and tell them the problem is they never drank the right Christ and if you ever drink the RIGHT CHRIST YOU WILL WANT TO KEEP DRINKING, they will yell at you the mantra “WORKS FOR SALVATION!” and go back to their cesspool.<\/p>\n

Matthew 4:9\u00a0And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship<\/b> me. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>The devil promised that. \u00a0And I think that he does give people special positions and talents for that very thing. \u00a0Rock stars, movie stars, Presidents. \u00a0They seem to sell their soul and the devil ensures they rise to the top. \u00a0The world understands that if you fall down and worship the devil, you will jump into it and won’t just settle for a one-time event. \u00a0Why the church can fool themselves to think that they can meet God and leave you in the same-old same-old is the betrayal of the century.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>The true Christian is not impressed with the shiny golden images and gods of this world. \u00a0True worship reveals the true God. \u00a0If you have met the true and living God you will be as devoted to YOUR GOD as “they are to theirs”. \u00a0And more so because you will now have love as your motivator, not the devil and lust as your slave-driver. \u00a0John 15:13 says\u00a0Greater<\/b> love<\/b> hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. \u00a0<\/em>The truly saved will be tuned into the master’s voice and stand for God together. \u00a0The world takes notice of a true Christian. \u00a0The world laughs at the\u00a0counterfeit\u00a0version.<\/p>\n

Daniel 3:18\u00a0But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship<\/b> the golden image which thou hast set up.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you are saved, you called on the Lord, but the proof you called then is that you keep calling now. \u00a0And if you keep calling now, you will have a heart to please the Lord.<\/p>\n

LORD, what wilt thou have me do? \u00a0If you love me, keep my commandments. \u00a0<\/em>The modern theologian has a doctrine to deny every command of Jesus. \u00a0“Isn’t that Lordship salvation?” they ask. \u00a0And go right back to their cesspool.<\/p>\n

This is the work of God that you believe whom he hath sent. \u00a0<\/em>Luke 6: 46-48 says\u00a0And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/sup>He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. \u00a0<\/span><\/em>If you truly called, you will hear his voice and follow him. \u00a0You will do what He says. \u00a0And his yoke is easy, because the love of God constraineth us<\/em> (2nd Corinthians 5:14). \u00a0The truly saved know the LOVE of God because they experienced the Holiness of God. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. Oh, love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!It shall forevermore endure\u2014The saints\u2019 and angels\u2019 song.<\/p>\n

What love! \u00a0To say we have experienced that LOVE yet still live the same way makes God a liar. \u00a0Christian make sure you know HIM! And that HE knows you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With all my heart, I believe I had addressed perhaps the greatest problems with modern evangelism in the “Jesus is Not a Flu Shot” series found on this blog. \u00a0The idea today is “we” often present the gospel and salvation … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12,9,11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":489,"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478\/revisions\/489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/etvfc.org\/wp-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}