Fear Them Not

Who changed the Sabbath to Sunday?

FTNM — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:29:33 GMT

The Christian world has for some time observed two different days. On one hand, most Christians sincerely observe Sunday, the first day of the week, which they believe to be a memorial of Christ’s resurrection. On the other hand, a large group of Christians, equally sincere, believe that the Bible recognizes only the seventh day as the Sabbath and nowhere affirms the sanctity of Sunday.

Does it really make any difference which day we observe as the Sabbath? As sincere people who want to know the truth, we must always ask ourselves: “What matters to Jesus? What does Jesus want me to do?”

After all, we want the assurance of following Bible truth and obeying God’s instruction when He says, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

In coming to a decision about God’s day of worship, several important questions need to be answered: "Who changed the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh day of the week, to Sunday, the first day of the week? Did the Bible authorize such a change? If so, did God, Christ, or perhaps the apostles make the change?"

The Seven Deadly Sins

FTNM — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:29:33 GMT

According to Christian tradition the seven deadly sins are: envy, gluttony, greed or avarice, lust, pride, sloth, and wrath. You can find a list and meanings of the seven deadly sins below.

Make Pastors Uncool Again

FTNM — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:27:51 GMT

Pastors shouldn’t be rock stars. Yeah I said it. A rock star promotes himself, builds his brand, and entertains people. It’s his job. A pastor is supposed to lay his life down for his sheep. He serves, he protects, and he equips the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). So why does it seem like many of our celebrity pastors are obsessively self-promoting, building their own brands, and protecting themselves by never preaching or teaching anything that would put them in Twitter prison? Yes, it’s sad and devastating to watch our leaders fall into sin, but when the foundation is built so poorly it shouldn’t be all that surprising.

Many Christians have been saying this for years and its past time that I join them: I’m tired of celebrity pastors. Pastors aren’t supposed to be cool. They’re not supposed to be fashion trend setters. We are ALL called to decrease, that Christ would increase both in our hearts and in our lives (John 3:30). HIS fame should be known, not OURS. Celebrity Pastors, get out of the way! You’re hogging the spotlight by making yourself the story. Instead, you should be taking some hits on the front lines by stating clearly what God commands. Celebrity pastors seldom do this. Instead, most of what we hear is rhetorical gobbledygook, veiled mysticism, and repackaged new-age movement self-help promotional material disguised as the work of the Spirit.

My pastor helped change my life in college. “Really, who?” Exactly. He remains faceless, nameless, and will never get the adoration of the world because his desire was for Jesus to have all of the glory. He taught me how to read and understand the Bible. He took my midnight phone calls, he instigated the necessary but uncomfortable conversations, he taught me the importance of sexual purity, and he even taught me how to paint a house and balance a checkbook. It almost sounds more like being a father, doesn’t it? Working, serving, teaching your kids and never expecting a “thank you” or a hand clap is what pastoring is all about.

Pastors, I am thankful for you. Many are serving faithfully and you will be rewarded by God. But for the pastors who are receiving their reward on earth, I have a request for you: please stop looking for adoration from the world. We don’t need you to look “awesome”, we need you to be fearless and preach the gospel according to the unchanging, authoritative Word of God. Stop finding clever ways to evade questions. You know the ones—God’s commands about sexual morality, Gods authority structure in the Church and at home, biblical justice instead of the religion of modern social justice. Answer them. And answer them clearly for heaven’s sake. Please stop trying to find new ways to explain the perceived inconvenient truths of God’s Word. You ought to love what He loves and hate what he hates. This used to be a prerequisite for church leadership. Today, its deemed radical and even bigoted.

Play time is over. The spiritual battle is raging, and the field is full of wimps and boys who have never picked up a sword because it just “feels mean.” We need generals and leaders who don’t care about their brand, their look, their “likes”, or making allegiances with the world. In short, it’s time to make pastors uncool again.

- John L. Cooper

Does God give second chances?

FTNM — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:04:36 GMT

YES! God is a God who gives second chances.

Ezekiel 18:32 (NKJV) says, “For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore, turn and live!”

God is dying to give you a second chance

Ezekiel later reiterates that God would rather save than destroy. “Say to them: ‘[As] I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” (Ezekiel 33:11 NKJV).

David agrees when he says, “For You, Lord, [are] good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5 NKJV).

God wants you to come back to Him

God not only offers second chances, but it is also His preference that people turn back to Him and live.

1 John 1:8-9 NKJV describes the process of forgiveness this way. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

A false sense of security

These Bible texts might lull some people into taking second chances for granted and thinking that if they toss out a deathbed prayer at the last minute, they’ve got their bases covered. Most likely they will not care anymore, by that point, because willful sin tends to sear the conscience.

Hebrews 10:26-27 NKJV states, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”

Salvation is a relationship

Remember, salvation is based on a relationship with God, not on a mere legal arrangement. The evidence of an actual relationship is missing if you wait until the last second to proclaim your allegiance to God.

Why are there so many denominations?

FTNM — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:02:54 GMT

Until the Protestant Reformation, the Christian Church was largely composed of only two groups or "denominations": the Roman Catholic Church in the west and the Greek Orthodox Church in the east.

With the Reformation, however, as neglected Bible truths began to be restored and emphasized, different denominations arose holding different doctrinal positions on a number of issues. Sometimes these differences were rather minor; in other cases, they were quite significant.

Other Christian denominations grew up around a gifted spiritual leader, such as Martin Luther (Lutherans), John Calvin (Calvinists), John Wesley (Methodists), or in more modern times Joseph Smith (Mormonism) and Mary Baker Eddy (Christian Science).

Unity among Christian denominations?

Jesus prayed that His followers would be one (see John 17:20-23). Unity is an important goal for Christians, but lasting unity can be found only in Jesus and in His truth. To be in Christ is to know Him, and to know Him is to follow and obey Him and His truth.

Which is the right denomination?

The Bible says that in the last days, God’s people will be keeping His commandments and have the faith of Jesus (see Revelation 14:12). In all denominations, those who truly love the Lord and are trusting Him for victory over sin as He leads them day by day, are true Christians. If you sincerely ask God to guide you, He will show you His truth and the way He would have you follow.