Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
"THE SEEKER-SENSITIVE FAD" By Len Paxton
The new catch phrase in the church today is to be "seeker-sensitive". In a nutshell, churches have a brief praise and worship service, and then the people sit and listen to some kind of teaching for about 20 minutes. Then they are dismissed. The so-called leaders of this movement make it very clear that you are not to call anyone a sinner, never preach about sin, and you are not to sing songs about the blood of Jesus. These things might "offend" the seeker.
In these new modern so-called churches, the first time anyone preaches against sin, confronts evil, experiences a strong move of the Holy Spirit, or in any way deviates from the normal routine, these "seekers" will seek something and somewhere else because their sensitivities have been offended.
Was Elijah being insensitive when he told old Jezebel that she was going to the dogs? [1 Kings 21:23]
Were the kings of Israel concerned about people's opinion when they destroyed the groves, ran off the sodomites, and tore down the altars of Baal?
Was John the Baptist being insensitive when he called religious hypocrites "a generation of vipers" [Matt. 3:7]?
Was Jesus being a seeker-sensitive leader when He called the same kind of people " whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness" [Matt. 23:27]?
What about Peter when he spoke under a drop dead anointing that fell on people who lied to the Holy Spirit [Acts 5:3-10]?
Did Paul teach us to become seeker-sensitive when he advised turning someone over to Satan [1 Cor. 5:5]?
Lets just face it. None of the above prophets or apostles or even our Lord Himself would be invited to minister in many contemporary churches in America today. The fear of offending a sinner or awakening a lethargic Christian would overwhelm the pastors. Most pastors would choose not to allow such radical statements to be made from their pulpits.
It seems that far too many are more concerned with the seeker than they are with the Holy Spirit. Most have left out God all together. When the true presence of the Holy Spirit is working in the church, strong messages would be received because the Holy Spirit touches the attitude and the heart.
We do not need seeker-sensitive preaching; we need Holy Spirit sensitive and anointed preaching. This would produce conviction and conviction leads to repentance.. That is what is needed.We need to love people with an intense love that will not compromise the truth and the anointing.
The message can be strong, firm, and, at times, rebuking. However, with the compassion of Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it will be effective. We need the Holy Spirit working among us to change the hearts and lives of people.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
"WHY WE CAN BE FORGIVEN" By Len Paxton
Forgiveness is of such importance to each of us that we must realize that the basis for our forgiveness is the Cross of Jesus Christ. We can be forgiven only on the basis of what Jesus did on our behalf. Before Jesus suffered and died on the Cross, Isaiah the prophet gave us a picture of what He was to do and why He was to do it. In Isaiah 53 Isaiah describes the suffering death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
" Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6
That is the basis of God's forgiveness. It does not compromise His justice. The justice of God was fully and finally satisfied because Jesus became our substitute and took our iniquity, our rebelliousness, and our guilt. Isaiah and Paul both emphasize that none are excluded from the need of forgiveness. [Romans 3:23]
It may not be some atrocious crime of murder or rape that each of us is quilty of, but Isaiah says that we have all gone astray. We have all turned to our own way. We have been rebellious. We have been self-pleasers. We have lived by our own standards. We have robbed God of His glory. This is all summed up in one strong word of scripture, iniquity.
But thanks be to God, the Lord laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. The Hebrew word that is translated " laid on Him" is a vivid word. It means " made to meet together on Him". All of the sins, all the burdens of men, all the guilt, of all ages, of all races, past, present, and future, came and met together upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ as He hung on the Cross.
Jesus did not die for His own sin. He never sinned. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.
Please take note how closely linked healing and forgiveness are. Many times people are seeking healing, when what they really need is forgiveness before they can be healed. It is also true that, at times God does heal people who are not forgiven as yet. We also see that the consequence of forgiveness is peace. Because Jesus was punished on the Cross for our sin, God offers us peace and reconciliation. On the Cross, Jesus was our substitute.
We cannot earn our forgiveness. Period..
In Romans, chapter 4, Paul bases his teaching on the experience of Abraham. Paul points out that Abraham did not earn his relationship with God. Abraham was justified because he believed, not because of what he did. Read Romans 4:1-5
If we lead perfectly good lives then we would have received the reward of righteousness as a due. But Paul says because none of us has led perfect lives, we cannot claim it as a due. We have to receive it out of God's graciousness as a free gift to us. Paul then goes on to quote the words of David in Psalm 32. He talks about "blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." [verses 1-2] When we receive Christ and what He did for us at Calvary; our sins will never be counted against us...
Paul continues by telling us in Romans Chapter 4:20-25 that it is Christ who was raised to life for our justification. As we put our faith in what Jesus did for us at Calvary this becomes a reality for us. We are justified through faith in the death of Jesus on our behalf. When all our sins are forgiven us because of our faith in Jesus, we are reckoned righteous with the very righteousness of Jesus Himself.
When God forgives us through our faith in Christ, He does not partially forgive us. God totally forgives us. Lets look at Micah 7:18-19. "Who is a God like unto you, who pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."
Isn't that so beautiful? Everything that we have ever done wrong-- everything that could ever make us feel guilty, every accusation that the enemy could ever bring against us-- God treads them under foot and then hurls them into the depths of the sea. If God has forgiven you then you are forgiven.
God's forgiveness is total. In Isaiah 43:25 God speaks to His people: "I, even I, am He Who blots out your transgressions for My Own sake, and will not remember your sins."
When God forgives us, He gives us a clean record. It is as though what has been forgiven had never taken place.Not only does God blot out the record, but He blots it out from His own memory. He says that He will not remember our sins any more.
When God forgives, He forgets... All because of Calvary...
" Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6
That is the basis of God's forgiveness. It does not compromise His justice. The justice of God was fully and finally satisfied because Jesus became our substitute and took our iniquity, our rebelliousness, and our guilt. Isaiah and Paul both emphasize that none are excluded from the need of forgiveness. [Romans 3:23]
It may not be some atrocious crime of murder or rape that each of us is quilty of, but Isaiah says that we have all gone astray. We have all turned to our own way. We have been rebellious. We have been self-pleasers. We have lived by our own standards. We have robbed God of His glory. This is all summed up in one strong word of scripture, iniquity.
But thanks be to God, the Lord laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. The Hebrew word that is translated " laid on Him" is a vivid word. It means " made to meet together on Him". All of the sins, all the burdens of men, all the guilt, of all ages, of all races, past, present, and future, came and met together upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ as He hung on the Cross.
Jesus did not die for His own sin. He never sinned. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.
Please take note how closely linked healing and forgiveness are. Many times people are seeking healing, when what they really need is forgiveness before they can be healed. It is also true that, at times God does heal people who are not forgiven as yet. We also see that the consequence of forgiveness is peace. Because Jesus was punished on the Cross for our sin, God offers us peace and reconciliation. On the Cross, Jesus was our substitute.
We cannot earn our forgiveness. Period..
In Romans, chapter 4, Paul bases his teaching on the experience of Abraham. Paul points out that Abraham did not earn his relationship with God. Abraham was justified because he believed, not because of what he did. Read Romans 4:1-5
If we lead perfectly good lives then we would have received the reward of righteousness as a due. But Paul says because none of us has led perfect lives, we cannot claim it as a due. We have to receive it out of God's graciousness as a free gift to us. Paul then goes on to quote the words of David in Psalm 32. He talks about "blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." [verses 1-2] When we receive Christ and what He did for us at Calvary; our sins will never be counted against us...
Paul continues by telling us in Romans Chapter 4:20-25 that it is Christ who was raised to life for our justification. As we put our faith in what Jesus did for us at Calvary this becomes a reality for us. We are justified through faith in the death of Jesus on our behalf. When all our sins are forgiven us because of our faith in Jesus, we are reckoned righteous with the very righteousness of Jesus Himself.
When God forgives us through our faith in Christ, He does not partially forgive us. God totally forgives us. Lets look at Micah 7:18-19. "Who is a God like unto you, who pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."
Isn't that so beautiful? Everything that we have ever done wrong-- everything that could ever make us feel guilty, every accusation that the enemy could ever bring against us-- God treads them under foot and then hurls them into the depths of the sea. If God has forgiven you then you are forgiven.
God's forgiveness is total. In Isaiah 43:25 God speaks to His people: "I, even I, am He Who blots out your transgressions for My Own sake, and will not remember your sins."
When God forgives us, He gives us a clean record. It is as though what has been forgiven had never taken place.Not only does God blot out the record, but He blots it out from His own memory. He says that He will not remember our sins any more.
When God forgives, He forgets... All because of Calvary...
"DID JESUS DIE SPIRITUALLY?" By Len Paxton
In a word, no He did not.
The Jesus died spiritually doctrine is one of the most brutal attacks on the finished work of Christ upon the cross in todays church. This heresey is promoted mostly by the so called word of faith movement. This bogus doctrine has been made popular by false teachers such as E.W. Kenyon and Kenneth Copeland.
Paul says in 1 Cor 2:2 "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Quite clearly the New Testament teaches that redemption was paid for by Jesus Christ, on the Cross. 1 Cor. 1:18 says "For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God". Every aspect of Salvation is carried out as the believer recieves the truth of Christ and Him crucified. The Jesus died spiritually doctrine attacks both who Christ is and also the finished work that He accomplished on the Cross of Calvary.
These people teach that Jesus' physical death on the Cross was not sufficient to redeem all mankind. They say that Jesus was defeated by satan at the Cross. Nothing could be any further from the truth. The majority of the word of faith teachers say that Jesus was impregnated with a sinful demonic nature. They wrongly interpret 2 Cor. 5:17 and teach that Jesus became a sinner. He did not...
Let me say it loud and clear, JESUS DEATH ON THE CROSS AND THE SHEDDING OF HIS PRECIOUS, INNOCENT, AND PURE BLOOD IS WHAT PAID THE PRICE FOR MAN'S REDEMPTION...
Jesus did not become a sinner. He became the perfect sin-offering. Calvary was not a defeat, it was where the eternal victory was forever won.. Jesus did not have a sin nature and He never one single time sinned. ever. PERIOD...
These false teachers also say that Jesus went to hell and burned there as a sinner and then was born again in hell, and that, they say is how redeemption was won. Kenneth Copeland even went so far as to say that God told him that he [Copeland] could have done the same thing if it were physical death that paid the price. This statement is utter, raw BLASPHEMY...
The Bible says " How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God".[Heb. 9:14] and " By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all".[Heb. 10:10] You see my friend, it was on the Cross and by the shedding of His Holy Blood that Jesus paid the sin debt and broke the power of sin over us..
Jesus Christ did not die spiritually. He had never sinned. Jesus Christ did die physically and shed His Pure blood for our sins. If we will recieve Christ and what He did at the Cross, we can be redeemed and live a holy life.
These people who teach the false Jesus died spiritually doctrine expose themselves that they have opted for a redemption plan that God will have nothing to do with... You cannot be saved unless you are saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ. The Cross is the only way.
The Jesus died spiritually doctrine is one of the most brutal attacks on the finished work of Christ upon the cross in todays church. This heresey is promoted mostly by the so called word of faith movement. This bogus doctrine has been made popular by false teachers such as E.W. Kenyon and Kenneth Copeland.
Paul says in 1 Cor 2:2 "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Quite clearly the New Testament teaches that redemption was paid for by Jesus Christ, on the Cross. 1 Cor. 1:18 says "For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God". Every aspect of Salvation is carried out as the believer recieves the truth of Christ and Him crucified. The Jesus died spiritually doctrine attacks both who Christ is and also the finished work that He accomplished on the Cross of Calvary.
These people teach that Jesus' physical death on the Cross was not sufficient to redeem all mankind. They say that Jesus was defeated by satan at the Cross. Nothing could be any further from the truth. The majority of the word of faith teachers say that Jesus was impregnated with a sinful demonic nature. They wrongly interpret 2 Cor. 5:17 and teach that Jesus became a sinner. He did not...
Let me say it loud and clear, JESUS DEATH ON THE CROSS AND THE SHEDDING OF HIS PRECIOUS, INNOCENT, AND PURE BLOOD IS WHAT PAID THE PRICE FOR MAN'S REDEMPTION...
Jesus did not become a sinner. He became the perfect sin-offering. Calvary was not a defeat, it was where the eternal victory was forever won.. Jesus did not have a sin nature and He never one single time sinned. ever. PERIOD...
These false teachers also say that Jesus went to hell and burned there as a sinner and then was born again in hell, and that, they say is how redeemption was won. Kenneth Copeland even went so far as to say that God told him that he [Copeland] could have done the same thing if it were physical death that paid the price. This statement is utter, raw BLASPHEMY...
The Bible says " How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God".[Heb. 9:14] and " By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all".[Heb. 10:10] You see my friend, it was on the Cross and by the shedding of His Holy Blood that Jesus paid the sin debt and broke the power of sin over us..
Jesus Christ did not die spiritually. He had never sinned. Jesus Christ did die physically and shed His Pure blood for our sins. If we will recieve Christ and what He did at the Cross, we can be redeemed and live a holy life.
These people who teach the false Jesus died spiritually doctrine expose themselves that they have opted for a redemption plan that God will have nothing to do with... You cannot be saved unless you are saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ. The Cross is the only way.
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