A New Message?

I heard some guys talking today about the recent tornadoes and the damage and loss of life they have caused, a few weeks back throughout the south and most recently through Missouri. No one can deny how devastating weather has been this year. But a comment by one of them made me think. He said "Somebody's trying to tell us something". The implication is that God is trying to warn mankind about impending doom. I have heard that a lot. But is He really?

Hebrews 1:2 tells us that in these last days God has spoken to us by His Son. What that means is that God has made His message clear. If it wasn't clear when He spoke through the prophets (Heb. 1:1), it is clear now, because He has spoken by His Son, Jesus Christ. There is nothing else to say.

It is also worth mentioning that Christ spoke on this subject. In Luke 21:11, Jesus says:

There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

These things, He says, will happen as the end approaches. So, now that we see terrible events such as tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. that leave a trail of death and destruction in their unforgiving paths, we shouldn't think that God is all of the sudden trying to tell us something.

These events are tragic, but I don't think it is God clearing His throat as if to wake us up. That's why Christ came. That's why His words are final. But, I could be wrong.

Was Killing Bin Laden Just?

The past few days have been filled with commentary on the killing of Usama Bin Laden, the terrorist behind the 9/11 attack on the US. Was the killing just or unjust? Should Christians rejoice in the killing of man who was filled with such violence and hatred?

Tonight I heard an interview with Edward Beck, a Catholic Priest and "religious" contributor to various news outlets. Beck indicated his frustration with the rejoicing and jubilation over the death of Bin Laden. Beck also continued, "killing one man (bin laden) is not justice. If you want justice then you would have to kill 3000." Beck was insinuating that for those who feel justice has been served by Bin Laden's death, there would need to be a one to one killing that had to take place.

Beck's whole argument was based on his misunderstanding of the justice of God. He seemingly has no concept or understanding of God's justice and blurs the lines for those who hear him. Beck indicated that a Christian should never condone killing and that as Christians, we are called to "love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us."

Although Beck is correct in his statement, he is way off in his understanding. Christ command to love and pray does not negate the penalty of sin and God's establishment of governmental authority to bring justice (Romans 13). God established the penalty for taking a human life in Genesis 9:5-6 and contrary to what many would want to believe, Christ did not undo this call for justice. Christ established His church and commanded that they be submissive to governmental authorities and the apostle Paul reiterated this in Romans 13. Our governments have been given the authority to wield the sword for our own protection and benefit.

I would agree with Beck that we should not rejoice of the destruction of a man, but we must not neglect rejoicing in the justice of God being fulfilled. Dr. John Piper wrote an excellent piece on this on the Desiring God blog (click here).

As Christians we do not rejoice in the destruction of the wicked, but we do rejoice in the satisfaction and justice of God.

Alabama Tornado Relief

Many have inquired about how they can donate to assist the local relief efforts in the aftermath of this past weeks devastating Tornado's. These donations will be sent directly to Camp Branch Baptist Church and will be used to purchase much needed relief items in the areas local to Camp Branch (Tuscaloosa / Birmingham areas).

Most Needed Items:
Chap Stick
Tarps
Towels
Plastic Tubs for Storage

Click Here to Donate

The Spiritual Armor

Ephesians 6 is well balanced with the equipment needed to wage spiritual battle. Christian have the Truth, the Righteousness of Christ, the stability and mobility of the Gospel, a Faith that fully shields, a Salvation that is not only eternal but also guards the mind, and the Word of God that allows for an offensive attack on the enemy.

As Christians, we should live in this fullness and not get side tracked by the darts of the enemy. We are in a spiritual war and not a flesh and blood war. Be encouraged to fight the enemy and not only his darts. Alcohol is a dart, abortion is a dart, violence is a dart. The underlying issue of sin still exists. Alcoholism will not cease without regeneration, murder will not stop until murderers are converted, and abuse will not quit until the abuser is born again.

These issues and hundreds of others are nothing more than the darts that the enemy has launched. Put on the whole armor of God that you might stand against these wicked missiles and use the Word of God to push forward with the redeeming message of Christ.

"Let us remember this when the injurious treatment of others provokes us to revenge. Our natural disposition would lead us to direct all our exertions against the men themselves; but this foolish desire will be restrained by the consideration that the men who annoy us are nothing more than darts thrown by the hand of Satan." ~ John Calvin

Ten Reasons To Not Ask Jesus Into Your Heart - by Todd Friel

Ten Reasons To Not Ask Jesus Into Your Heart
Todd Friel

The music weeps, the preacher pleads, “Give your heart to Jesus. You have a God shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it.” Dozens, hundreds or thousands of people who want to get their spiritual life on track make their way to the altar. They ask Jesus into their heart.
Cut to three months later. Nobody has seen our new convert in church. The follow up committee calls him and encourages him to attend a Bible study, but to no avail. We label him a backslider and get ready for the next outreach event.

Our beloved child lies in her snuggly warm bed and says, “Yes, Daddy. I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” You lead her in “the prayer” and hope that it sticks. You spend the next ten years questioning if she really, really meant it. Puberty hits and the answer reveals itself. She backslides. We spend the next ten years praying that she will come to her senses.
Telling someone to ask Jesus into their hearts has a very typical result, backsliding. the Bible says that a person who is soundly saved puts his hand to the plow and does not look back because he is fit for service. In other words, a true convert cannot backslide. If a person backslides, he never slid forward in the first place. “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (II Cor.5) No backsliding there.

Brace yourself for this one: with very few if any exceptions, anyone who asked Jesus into their hearts to be saved...is not. If you asked Jesus into your heart because you were told that is what you have to do to become a Christian, you were mis-informed.
If you have ever told someone to ask Jesus into their heart (like I have), you produced a false convert. Here is why.

1. It is not in the Bible. There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use Rev. 3:20. To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong.
The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone’s heart but to have fellowship with His church. Even if the context didn’t tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn’t knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist.
The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart. This alone should resolve the issue, nevertheless, here are nine more reasons.

2. Asking Jesus into your heart is a saying that makes no sense. What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart? If I say the right incantation will He somehow enter my heart? Is it literal? Does He reside in the upper or lower ventricle? Is this a metaphysical experience? Is it figurative? If it is, what exactly does it mean? While I am certain that most adults cannot articulate its meaning, I am certain that no child can explain it. Pastor Dennis Rokser reminds
us that little children think literally and can easily be confused (or frightened) at the prospect of asking Jesus into their heart.

3. In order to be saved, a man must repent (Acts 2:38). Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance.

4. In order to be saved, a man must trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of faith.

5. The person who wrongly believes they are saved will have a false sense of security. Millions of people who sincerely, but wrongly, asked Jesus into their hearts think they are saved but struggle to feel secure. They live in doubt and fear because they do not have the Holy Spirit giving them assurance of salvation.

6. The person who asks Jesus into his heart will likely end up inoculated, bitter and backslidden. Because he did not get saved by reciting a formulaic prayer, he will grow disillusioned with Jesus, the Bible, church and fellow believers. His latter end will be worse than the first.

7. It presents God as a beggar just hoping you will let Him into your busy life. This presentation of God robs Him of His sovereignty.

8. The cause of Christ is ridiculed. Visit an atheist web-site and read the pagans who scoff, “How dare those Christians tell us how to live when they get divorced more than we do? Who are they to say homosexuals shouldn’t adopt kids when tens of thousands of orphans don’t get adopted by Christians?” Born again believers adopt kids and don’t get divorced.
People who ask Jesus into their hearts do. Jesus gets mocked when false converts give Him a bad name.

9. The cause of evangelism is hindered. While it is certainly easier to get church members by telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts, try pleading with someone to make today the day of their salvation. Get ready for a painful response. “Why should I become a Christian when I have seen so called Christians act worse than a pagan?” People who ask Jesus into their hearts give pagans an excuse for not repenting.

10. Here is the scary one. People who ask Jesus into their hearts are not saved and they will perish on the Day of Judgment. How tragic that millions of people think they are right with God when they are not. How many people who will cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day will be “Christians” who asked Jesus into their hearts?

So, what must one do to be saved? Repent and trust. (Heb.6:1) The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ. Every man does have a “God shaped hole in their hearts,” but that hole is not contentment, fulfillment and peace. Every man’s heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, we must preach that God judges and Jesus satisfies God’s judgment...if a man will repent and place his trust in Him.

If you are reading this and you asked Jesus into your heart, chances are good you had a spiritual buzz for a while, but now you struggle to read your Bible, tithe, attend church and pray. Perhaps you were told you would have contentment, purpose and a better life if you just ask Jesus into your heart. I am sorry, that was a lie.

The Rapture and American History

Interesting video I found on the Reformed Baptist Blog --

The Rapture: History and Influence in America from Derrick Sims on Vimeo.

Camp Branch Sermons Online

Sermons from the Branch are now available online at Sermon Audio.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/campbranchbc