Me? Blog? Are you kidding?

My wife is tired of my rants. I got plenty. Thought I would write some down from time to time. No one will read them on here, but I will 'feel' better. And truly, life is all about 'feeling' good isn't it? We live in a world that pursues feeling good.And if something makes them feel bad, they ignore it or ridicule it to the point until they 'feel' better.

Since this is my first post, let's lay the groundwork. The Bible is sufficient for all aspects of life and death. No error in the Scriptures, no possibility of untruth in them as well. Every word in the Bible is settled in heaven without the possibilty of being revised. The authority of the Scriptures is unmatched and directly from God. God is truth. God is unchanging. God is trustworthy. Therefore, so is His Word to us in the Bible.

Seems elementary to any believer, right? Certainly, if we trust the way of salvation contained in the Scriptures, we should by default trust everything else in the Bible, right? I mean, if God gives a clear picture of salvation in the Bible (which He does), then it would follow that all other aspects of scripture would be as clear as well (which they are). Not so fast, my friend.

We live in an era of the life of the church where many people would disagree with that observation. Many say that the Bible is a book that can never be fully understood. They say that over the 1000s of years since the Bible was written, many things have changed and that the Bible must be understood in light of the culture in which we live. Therefore we need a new interpretation of the Scriptures. You know, an interpretation that is relevant to people today. Don't believe me? Check out some 'church' websites around the world. You will find all kinds of gimmicks to attract people. One church is even starting a 'Biggest Loser' series of messages. They are offering free health screenings and even a 'biggest loser competition' to attendees. Check it out ( alittleleaven.com). Just one of many examples out there.

Here is the glaring error of all these schemes. They are assuming the God of the universe must be caught off guard by our culture today. He must be wondering himself how to reach these people. Are you kidding me? God is wondering what to do?! What an outrageous notion!! God is sovereign over the affairs of men at all times. Even the times in which we live. Even the times in which we live. Do you get it? He is eternal. He transcends time. So you ask, how do we reach the people of today? Once again, the Bible is crystal clear. God designed the method to reach people. Even wrote it down. Here you go.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 1&2 must have been dealing with the same issues. The wise of that day must have been hammering Paul because he wasn't as cool or intellectual or as 'in depth' as they were. How could such a 'foolish' message of salvation be true? Cmon Paul, that is too easy. The cross? Are you kidding me? God could not possibly be that simple. We need to relate to the culture Paul. No one will embrace that message. We are a face pace society Paul. We need something that sells.

Then Paul launches into one of my favorite passages in the Bible with this simple idea, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18. He goes to talk about how God destroys the so called 'wisdom of the world.' The same 'wisdom of the world' that rears its ugly head in many of these supposed churches. They wring their hands trying to get others to come. Hey I got an idea. Why not teach Christ and Him crucified? Seems to easy. Seems to simple. But you say, people will get bored with the Bible? Yes, the lost will be bored. No way around that. They cannot understand them. However, the remnant of believers will be sanctified, encouraged, empowered, and excited to attend. And some of the lost will be saved. Not by a 'Biggest Loser' competition by the power of the Word preached.

I know, I know. This is not a popular notion. We would rather use our creativity to devise methods to attract people rather than sit down and understand the meaning of a passage to share with these same people. We want to appear 'in touch' with the culture, instead of being 'in touch' with the right interpretation of a verse. Let's be logical. If a man convinces you to listen due to his creativity, he must continue to be creative in order to keep you. However if the Lord attracts you, then His Word will keep you and nothing else. Once again Paul explains, "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Cor 2:4-5

Wow, I already 'feel' better. I like this bloggy thing. Gotta go for now. Need to hit the gym. Headed to an arm wrestling competition at church.