LaVrai – The Truth

This video from InTouch Ministries’ the Rev. Dr. Charles Stanley is a blessing and a great aid to Christians concerned about walking faithfully with Christ Jesus.

“It’s becoming more and more unpopular to be a follower of Jesus Christ in our country. For example, it’s unpopular for you to say that your beliefs are according to the Word of GOD. And that you stand by those beliefs. It’s unpopular to say that this is GOD’s Word and our final authority for the way we ought to live and what we believe. It’s very unpopular to name the name of Jesus Christ in a public prayer, in a class room, often times in an office or wherever it might be. It’s becoming more and more unpopular to say that Jesus Christ is the only way even though that’s what the Bible says crystal clear when Jesus says I AM the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the FATHER but by ME. It’s more and more unpopular for us to refuse to agree with those who are living in sin, living a corrupted life, immoral, absolutely on the road to destruction. It’s becoming very unpopular. So what that says is this: we’re living in a society that desires and is working diligently to get all of us to agree. But to agree with the wrong thing on the wrong side.” – Dr. Charles Stanley

What do you do when you’re confronted with these things? Dr. Stanley offers some Biblical instructions in this two-part playlist (the second part will play automatically after the first), which is about 13 minutes long.

Originally aired on June 21, 2009 – A Call To GODly Living

Read the sermon outline here, the original full-length video here

UPDATE (07/06/2009): PBS Religion & Ethics Weekly conducted two interviews with the Rev. Braxton — before (which is below) and after he called it quits. The extended exit interview doesn’t really clarify his stance on whether he actually believes that Jesus Christ is the only means of Salvation, although that’s what he’s accused of preaching. There’s also a transcript of the video with some interesting comments.

The June 12 Interview (the July 3 video can be found in the Videos section):

“What I believe we are actually trying to do in our best moments is to suggest that if in fact we are going to be who we are — that is, a Christian congregation — we must take seriously Jesus and Scripture. Those are non-negotiables for Christian congregations.” – the Rev. Brad Braxton

I don’t know if you are familiar with the Rev. Brad R. Braxton who was brought in earlier in the year to preside as leading pastor of NYC’s Riverside Church. In the beginning, some congregants were resistant because of what they considered the exorbitant pay Braxton was to get, which appears to be $600,000 and not some of the higher, crazier figures I remember seeing.

Anyhoo, Mr. Braxton has called it quits — and it apparently has nothing to do with resistance to his salary anymore. It seems, the Baptist preacher, might not have been aware of exactly who his congregants are:

The disagreements are described differently by each of the many factions at the church, a nondenominational congregation on Riverside Drive in Manhattan that has traditionally embraced a broad-spectrum interfaith style of Christian theology for all comers, whether Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, gay, lesbian, transgender or none of the above.

Notice that “broad-spectrum interfaith style” of philosophy and recall what Christ Jesus says about the broad road and the narrow road.

The Rev. Braxton sent an e-mail to members informing them of their decision, saying: “The consistent discord has made it virtually impossible to establish a fruitful covenant between the congregation and me,” he said. He also added in an interview that he felt his mandate was: “how to bring an interfaith, interracial, progressive religious institution from the 20th century into the 21st century.”

Do you know what the Rev. Braxton’s great transgression in this so-called Christian church (that has no problem letting the world sit and prosper within its walls)?

According to dissidents, Dr. Braxton went about that by bringing elements of evangelical tradition into church services. They said he called on worshipers to come forward and bear witness to their faith, favored the gospel choir over the church’s traditional choir, and preached at times what they considered a Riverside heresy: that Jesus and only Jesus was the way to salvation.

Some members of the congregation may believe that, said Constance Guice-Mills, a member of the church. “But his focus on personal salvation, on the individual, was diametrically opposed to the tradition of Riverside. Here, we believe you achieve salvation by doing social justice. Out in the world. And we have people from all backgrounds. Buddhists.”

Why didn’t the board/trustees just seek out a Buddhist to lead the church if they’re not concerned with personal testimonies are people bearing witness to the sufficiency of Christ’s death and resurrection and ascension to Heaven? Their resistance to Christ and HIM crucified apparently contradicts the mission statement they have posted on their Web site. Or perhaps it is just for show? Words without meaning as this Wikipedia entry seems to show (sidenote here: if demons know and confess Christ Jesus as LORD, shouldn’t human beings be required to go a little further)?

I suppose the Rev. Braxton really had no clue. I surely hope it wasn’t the money or the reputation of the church (the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. made his Vietnam speech there) that compelled him to walk through those doors and ascend the steps of that filthy pulpit.

Riverside congregation is not actually a church, just a type of club where people believe in doing good works come together. This place has nothing to do with Christianity — which is not good works. Christianity is Salvation in Jesus the Christ and HIM crucified. Only one of those will get us into the Kingdom.

Maybe the LORD was trying to reach out to the congregation, but apparently they want none of it… they’re not interested in hearing the TRUTH – Salvation in Christ Jesus and in HIM alone. GOD didn’t send anyone else into this world to save us.

Source: NY Times

I am assigning this to End Times Alert also since this is the current false Gospel that will apparently pervade the whole world.

A visitor named Yos commented on this article on June 9, 2009, and I’ve been taking my time in order to provide a genuine, Biblical response to the best of my ability. Here’s the question and my response follows after.

How are we to know if the Holy Spirit dwells within us and we’re not in some delusion? I re-call listening to some sermon by a preacher who said something similar to the effect of that it’s possible for someone to go to church, function within it, and believe they are saved, but find out otherwise. By what method can we be sure of of our state?

Another blogger whom I’ve asked about salvation itself told me that the metric isn’t clearly understood,thus leading me to get the idea that no one knows the right way ;we must just strive for it the best we can via what we’re given. At times, it makes me wonder if anyone has a true grounding in what they speak.

How are we to know that what ever impulse we are given that something is right or wrong is exactly so and from G-d? There’s countless people through the history of our religion that may have tarnished the name, but could probably claim some right in their actions.

My response to Yos (and all interested): Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to a tweet from PhilCooke, I came across this awful classified ad apparently from the folks who manage the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, Fla. As we read in the ad, found on Craigslist.org, the folks at the Holy Land are “DESPERATELY seeking 3 actors to play Jesus NOW.” The ad then goes on to list the requirement for physically portraying our LORD and SAVIOR: “It would be good to have the general look of Jesus – beard – grow one or wear one, long hair or get extensions, taller – to create the look once hired.”

This Holy Land Experience ad brings up an issue that has always bothered me — how does anyone know what Jesus the Christ looks like? Has someone gone to Heaven and taken HIS photo or done a sketch? I’m really curious. Is there a description of HIS so-called beard, long hair and height in the Holy Bible that I cannot see? Who came up with this idea that Jesus Christ was some tall, strapping fellow with fair skin, beautiful long hair and a beard? The book of Isaiah actually makes the LORD sound like a pretty plain-looking man (source).

I assume the Jewish men of those times may have worn beards (as some sects of Judaism call for today) — but other than that, how can anyone dare apply such physical traits to Messiah Jesus as this Holy Land ad does when HIS biographers gave no physical description (as found in the Gospels)?

Here we have a popular icon that has become an idol in the mainstream. People actually fight and destroy relationships over what Jesus “looks” like — the stereotypical blond-hair, blue-eyed white male. I have a pretty good idea where this imagery comes from… why are folks still clinging to it?

Would the Holy Land Experience hire a black, Asian or a Middle Eastern man to portray Jesus Christ to the masses? I don’t necessarily agree with the Holy Land (and I have never visited), but was no one conflicted when they sat down and decided what Jesus the Christ should look like?

Here’s a previous related article on what Jesus actually looks like – ‘Do You Look Like Jesus?’

I was surprised to just learn that this is a common way to celebrate Purim in this Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel.

These little boys sure look like they’re having a good time… I wonder if they sneak a smoke when it’s not Purim. Notice the little one on the left with several cigarettes in his hand.

Purim is a celebration of the Jews’ salvation from genocide in ancient Persia, as recounted in the Book of Esther.

Photos: Day Life