SPOTLIGHT ON… The 2012 True Church Conference!  It is rare that I recommend a conference, but this one is an exception.  Be advised: It is not a celebration of superstar speakers, nor is it in a glamorous setting.  In the past years that I have attended, it has been a simple (but professionally run), biblical gathering  of sound, humble speakers laying out solid teaching – and that is exactly what I expect to see again this year.  If you have the means to attend, I highly recommend that you do so!  Click HERE to go to the website and learn more about it.  I hope to see you there!!

I know I will draw ire for pointing this out, but here it goes anyway… It seems as though Beth Moore has recently been promoting the book, “Jesus Calling” on one of her websites.  To me, this is yet one more reason I strongly recommend avoiding all Beth Moore material.  Reading the description of the book, it quite plainly tells us the author received messages and teachings directly from God, wrote them down, and then published them.  This claim, if it were true, would  mean that “Jesus Calling” is on equal footing with the Bible.  This is a dangerous and heretical claim!  The fact that the author’s claim doesn’t seem to bother Beth one bit makes me (once again) seriously question her discernment and doctrine.  So again I find myself in the awkward position of recommending you the blog reader to avoid the material of America’s evangelical sweetheart, Beth Moore.  Where there is smoke, there is fire, folks.  I know I will draw hostile remarks for saying it, but it must be said…  There is a LOT of smoke around Beth Moore!

Other Beth Moore related posts are linked below:

Beth Moore… does she teach the Word?

Beth Moore’s Blurry Hindsight

This free MP3 sermon examines Matthew 16: 21-25 in an effort to learn exactly what the call to follow Christ means.  It looks into what it means to “pick up our cross”, and why so many people who profess to follow Christ actually don’t follow Him at all (or fail in their efforts).  As part of salvation, we abandon our own rights and instead live for Christ.  Listen to “A Call to Die” to learn exactly what this means. Click HERE now to listen!

The old saying is being proven true once again – God works in mysterious ways.  A ChurchSalt investigative reporter has learned that the image of Tim Tebow has been spotted in a small East-Texas town, and in a tortilla of all places!  Mr. S of Longview, TX (who wishes to remain anonymous) spotted the image while preparing his family’s Friday night meal. “When I first saw it, I thought maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, ” Mr. S related, “but my wife quickly came over when she heard my excited outburst and verified my find.  Tebow is in my tortilla!!”  Despite efforts to keep the find a secret, faithful evangelical football fans have heard about the tortilla, and hundreds of them have flocked to the site in an effort to see the blessed image.  “We let them in the house…only a few at a time, of course” Mr. S said smiling, “we can’t keep the message of God to ourselves.  It just isn’t right.”

Of course, like all miracles, there are doubters.  Some seem to feel that God doesn’t use miracles to bring attention to men, but that instead He focuses all attention on His son, Jesus Christ.  “This tortilla madness just takes the glory of what Jesus did on the Cross, and gives it to somebody else!” a local doubter and reformed pastor explained, “The Bible makes it clear that we are to make much of Christ, not to make much of people who make much of Christ.”  To the pastor’s credit, the biblical message of forgiveness of sin through Christ’s work on the Cross is absent from all the Tebow and Tebow-tortilla mania.  But most evangelicals who have flocked to the site don’t seem to care.  The general opinion of the Tebow faithful at the tortilla site is that the true Gospel message has been missing from the vast majority of American preaching for years, and to bring it back now simply takes away from the fun and excitement.  “The Biblical Gospel is outdated, and quite difficult to discuss with others,” one Texas woman related while in line to see the sacred  flour-wrap,”but it’s easy and fun talk to about Tebow, the tortilla and the miraculous ways God has helped me to find my purpose!! Sin and atonement and all that?  What does that have to do with America and football?”

So does the tortilla truly bear the image of the blessed quarterback?  If so, what does it mean?  For legal reasons we aren’t allowed to photograph the actual tortilla itself (although the photo accompanying this story is out of the same package).  But Mr. S has decided to allow more people access to view the tortilla, and for a mere $15 per-person. “I’m really not making money off of this,” Mr. S replied when questioned by critics, “but foot traffic does put some wear and tear on my house.  I am simply bringing God’s message of unity and acceptance while trying to keep the house in one piece.”

It is this reporter’s opinion that there might be some legitimacy to this amazing find.  As I finish typing this, word was just released that Tebow’s image has also been found in a pancake in Indianapolis, the site of this year’s Superbowl.  Is this God’s way of telling us who this year’s winner will be?  Stay tuned for more evangelical football updates…

Have you done something “for God” lately?  Personally, I doubt that you have!  Perhaps I am getting a little uptight in my theological opinions (although I don’t think so), but here is what I mean by this remark.  Our Lord is all-powerful, all-knowing and completely sovereign.  As far as I can see, that means He doesn’t need us to do anything “for” Him.  Now,  I understand what people really mean when they use this expression.  But wouldn’t the proper terminology indicate we do things “out of God” or “out of Christ”?  Take a look at this Scripture passage:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10

The Christian’s good works flow out of a new nature, a oneness with Christ.  The works that need to be done are prepared beforehand for us to do, fore-ordained by God and used by Him to express His nature, glory and plan to a fallen creation.  So in a sense we really are doing good works “for God”, but in my opinion this is secondary.  Our primary driving motivation isn’t to provide something for the God that owns all, but rather it is because of our new nature.  With the Holy Spirit residing within us we desire to do these things because they are good, giving and just.  We are “created in Christ Jesus” and our desires and actions flow out of Him (and resemble Him), not out of ourselves.  This is one reason why the book of 1st John describes good works as a sign of salvation, not a part of nor prerequisite for salvation.

This brings me to my final thought.  When doing good works, do you hold the view that God needs you to do them, or that without you they will never get done?  If so, your theology is seriously flawed!  If the all-powerful Lord wants something done, it will be done (with or without you)!  You are not performing good works to fill His “needs.”  Another question to ask yourself is this, “When I complete a good deed, do I have a sense of merit, as though I earned something?”  If so, you are in grave danger!  We cannot earn anything with God!  Our salvation is solely through grace.  Look at the two verses immediately preceding our text:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”   Ephesians 2:8-9

Simply put, the true Christian does good deeds because he wants to do them.  Such deeds flow from the new nature and Spirit of Christ now within him.  We are not filling God’s needs, nor is there merit earned.  When discussing a good work performed by a Brother or sister in Christ, let us not use the phrase, “They do much for God”, instead let us use a more accurate phrase.  Perhaps, “Their deeds are flowing from Christ”.  This will give credit and glory where it is due as well as promoting a more accurate theology of our sovereign Lord!