Why "Christians" aren't Christians?

A person who hears the Gospel, repents and believes in Jesus Christ as the one true Lord and Savior is saved. However, why are there are so many professing Christians who have heard the Gospel and yet have continually lived in sin and carnality?

First of all, let us define salvation. Salvation is the supernatural redemption of man from his sins along with its eternal consequences. This is made possible by the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus on the cross. Salvation is the removal of the eternal condemnation tied to every unconverted soul. However, it does not end here. God supernaturally puts His Spirit on the one He saves as a mark of ownership and also as a means to correct and direct the person's life. Man, who once belong to the devil, now belongs to God. It is also the Holy Spirit that makes the converted soul a new creature by supernaturally creating a new, God-fearing nature within him. This is the very reason why Jesus calls a person who repents of his sins, accepts his helplessness and believes in the Messiah as one who is "born of the Spirit" or "born again" (John 3:3). The Bible never taught that it is possible to be saved and yet continue to live in carnality. In fact, the Bible always refers to the elect as "new creatures" or men who have once been in bondage with sin but are now slaves of righteousness. In other words, it is impossible to have an encounter with God and not be changed.

Going back to the question, there are two Biblical and logical reasons why a professing believer who has heard the Gospel is not living a transformed and renewed life.

1) They heard the true Gospel but rejected it. (Written throughout the New testament)
2) They heard a false gospel. (Paul, Peter and other New Testament writers warned us about this)

The second reason is the most common reason. They did not hear the real Gospel. They heard a gospel that has been reduced that is why their commitments to Christ do not last. That is why adding more discipleship programs will not solve the problem. They must first be transformed by the Gospel before they can grow in Christ. Whenever we train unconverted souls we are training goats to act like sheep. As Christ said, we do not pour new wine into old wine skins for this would cost them to burst. The old wine skins must supernaturally renewed first before we start pouring the wine of God.

If we want to see the Holy Spirit move again as it did during the last 2000 years, we must go back and start preaching the fullness of the Gospel.

Modern, seeker-sensitive preachers no longer talk about the condemnation brought about by sin and have therefore taken away the offense of the Cross. A half-true gospel is still not the Gospel and it will only result to false fires. It is only through realizing the darkness of our souls that the Light of Christ can be seen. If we do not preach the depravity of man and the eternal disease that all mankind suffers in, we will have no Gospel and no true conversion. A person has to first understand the dark and hopeless prison he is in before he can desperately seek out the keys out of genuine need. Its not only that we have a God-shaped hole that needs to be filled in. It is also not only that our sins have separated us from God. Rather, it is our sins resulting to eternal damnation in hell and only through this understanding can we come to know the love of Christ on the cross. He offered His life freely as an atonement for our sins. If a person comes to Christ in ignorance without understanding the true state of his unconverted soul, he will not fully repent and he will not fully believe and will therefore not be saved at that moment. A patient who does not believe he is terminally ill will never seek a physician with a burning desire. That is why when a physician heals him, he gets no reaction, does no appreciate the fullness of the healing and simply goes back to world to once again indulge in carnality.

Watch this supplementary video and take note of every detail. Understand how modern preaching works: we take the desires of the people into consideration and change the message in accordance to the wants and whims of the people. We get applauses but we never get true conversion. We get more numbers but none of them have really been converted. This is not true evangelism. Evangelism is taking the hard truth of Scripture and preaching it regardless of what the people think. This is true evangelism and this is how the Gospel must be preached among the nations.



In the second video, Paul Washer's explains the psychological and emotional manipulation brought about by modern cultural evangelism. Also take note of his very first statements. It is only by the preaching of the Truth that true conversion by the Holy Spirit can take place. When we water down the Gospel into some sort of: "sin separates man from God-Christ died for you-do the sinner's prayer" we get an unconverted soul thinking that he's saved. But when we fully discuss the condemnation of sin, the depravity of man and the sacrificial substitutionary work of Jesus in the cross and the result of repenting and believing, the person would be exposed to the fullness of the Gospel and he, one way or another (it may take minutes to months), would manifest the works of the Spirit if he repents and believes.

The Hope I Look Forward To

There's this eschatology course I took years ago back in the Philippines. Their Biblical exegesis was pretty impressive. The interpretations of the coming signs made sense and all the possibilities of "who" or "what" the Antichrist may be were astounding. But the thing that I found really overwhelming was the coming of our Lord Jesus. I just can't imagine the greatness of that day. On that day, everything will be restored to its rightful place. Even our flesh would be destroyed and God's regenerative work in us would be complete. More so, we would finally see the face of our Master! I, Michael Borja, would be able to see the face of the Lord? What awesome grace and love! What a great privilege! What an honor is it to serve the Lord of Hosts!

I can't imagine the beauty of that day. All the universe would tremble with reverence as the Son descends and lays His hands on those whom He had justified. With madness we would rejoice and bow to this one King that leadeth an army of burning angels. Oh what a day it would be! It would be like His birth in Bethlehem, if not more, where hope and life entered our perishing world. How much joy and hope would erupt from our consciousness? Our hearts would burst open as Christ approaches every one of His elect and says, "It is time. Come now, my child." Oh! What a great God that He saved me! What did He see in me? There is nothing in me that He could possible need and yet, by His own grace and mercy, He had called me out from the condemnation I brought upon myself and redeemed my soul! I belong to Him now. What a privilege! What a great honor to be a servant of the Holy One who ruleth the universe with a rod of righteousness.

I hold on to the second coming so dearly. With a steadfast heart, I sprint for the glory of God in this marathon He has laid before me. With a repenting heart and a conforming faith, I seek not only to do His will but to dwell in His holy presence so that every thought, breath and step I take would be from Him and for Him alone. As the bride so dearly waits for her bridegroom, so do we, the regenerate Church, with tearful eyes and a joyful hope, wait for the coming of Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

So then, with humble hearts burning with zeal, let us endure and strive for the things of heaven. Our Lord is coming. We'll soon see His glory. And on that glorious moment, everyone, saved or unsaved, slave or free, shall bow and confess that Jesus is Lord. For Jesus is indeed the Lord... no one else.

Stepping Out Of The Way

Stepping out of the way is one of the hardest things to do. Even in our converted state, we always fall short in this area. We have always been vulnerable to the calls of the wicked flesh. We have this conceited idea that we should be the main character and we should be "manning" the work with our bare hands.

Scripture teaches us the other way. Whenever we are to do something, we are to do it by the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of our God. The work of salvation and regeneration is not really our work. Even our ministries are not really ours. They belong to Him and exist for Him. We do not have the right to take the credit from God's work. We are also not to boast about our achievements lest it be things of the Spirit. The glory is to God and we are but slaves to His will and power.

We are not the main actors. Neither do we direct the play behind the curtains. These areas belong to the Sovereign God. We are stage cleaners. We prepare the stage but it is God who makes the show. We are sowers of the seeds amongst men but is God who makes them grow. We do not alter the seeds of Truth to fit the soil. We just sow what God has given us in its fullness and leave the rest to Him. However, we do so with genuine love and kindness. We preach not out of arrogance but out of love and compassion.

In our own earthly minds, we have been led to believe that Christianity is all about getting what we can. Jesus is not an addition in our life. We are called to empty our hearts and put Christ alone as the center of everything else. Christ is not just the first in our lives. He is the first and the last.

Stepping out of the way is humbling but at the same time spiritually rejuvenating. It is not a secret to health or wellness, rather, a means to get closer to Christ. The only way we could be closer with God is if we approach Him with a repentant but joyful heart knowing that He has paid the price with His precious blood. Our Lord purchased us. We are no longer in bondage with sin nor are we still under the wrath of the Holy One. We are now prisoners of His infinite grace. We are bond servants to our Master, the One true God of all creation.

Our lifestyles should be that of slaves, seeking only the pleasure of our Master and constantly living in communion with Him. This is His show and His stage. He doesn't need us. The only reason why we are given a great privilege is so we can experience His awesome love even more. More so, He is also a God who finds pleasure in uplifting the foolish and embarrassing the wise so that His Name will be glorified to its fullness. The Lord asked Gideon to reduce the soldiers he has so that they would be totally outnumbered in the battlefield and God's sheer power might be known among the nations. He would do the same to us if necessary. He will cut down the things in our lives that reduce His glory so that we may know that He alone is worthy of all praise. I learned this the hard way and I praise God for such agonizing years. Truly He is a sovereign God and He alone knows what is right.

We are servants of the Most High. Every aspect of our life should be built around this reality. We are slaves not to the world but to righteousness. We have been justified, having declared right before God by His Son who became the atoning sacrifice to our sins. There's no sense in going back to our fleshly desires nor is there any sense in going back to our idols. Having seen the glory of the One on the cross, what can we do but bow and worship for the rest of our lives? And indeed we shall for God is faithful and true. He will finish the work He began in us.

Have a blessed day!

Looking Through A Misleading Manual

I was looking through a manual entitled "Growing in Christ". I went through it and looked at how the Gospel was presented. I just can't help but weep on what it says. It quotes Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand on the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with Him, and he with me." And then it says that Jesus is waiting for you to open your heart. It then goes on and quotes John 1:12 "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to be children of God." It then describes how sin separated man from God and then finally asks, would you like to accept the Lord Jesus in your heart as your Savior?

Oh.. I just can't help but weep. What has happened to the great Gospel of Jesus? Brothers and sisters, my dear friends, before we come to know Christ we must first understand our position against Him. Man is not just separated from God because of his sin. He is in bondage with it and for this reason he is going to hell to suffer there for eternity as penalty. Sin is a vile thing and it brings about the wrath of God. Whenever we sin, we are offending a God of infinite worth and are therefore laid with a curse of infinite duration (hell). Before the Good News becomes "good", we must first understand the bad and terrible situation that we are in. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. This doesn't just mean that we are separated from God. It means that we stand condemned before Him. It is important to explain the truth about man's total depravity and sinfulness, not just his incapability to attain salvation on his own. Only then will the power of the Gospel be manifested in his life.

We have a penalty to satisfy because of God's justice. We cannot pay for it and so hell awaits us. We are in the end of the road, helplessly chained in sin. However, God with His mercy, love and grace, sent His Son to die in our place. He suffered the condemnation which we were suppose to take. So then, if we fully repent, believe and cry out for His grace, He will save us, put His Spirit in us and begin to work in us.

Dear friends, we live in an age of half-truths. No one talks about the fullness of the truth anymore because they are either scared of what men would think or they are simply ignorant of it. Ever wondered why prostitutes and death row convicts have this overwhelming zeal for God after hearing the Gospel? It is because they have experienced man's depravity to the core that is why they have no problem accepting their wretchedness and repenting. We, on the other hand, who have "clean" and "decent" lives think that we are not full of sin. A man will never admit that he is full of sin. He will constantly defend himself or make some excuses even though sin is a reality in his life.

It is through our depravity and dislocation that the fullness of God's glory and love is seen. We have sinned against Him. Despite this, He sent His only begotten Son as an atoning sacrifice to us. This should be enough to bend our knees, weep over our wretchedness but at the same time rejoice and praise Him for His mercy, love and grace. The truth hurts but it will set us free.

It is through the understanding of our helpless and depraved state that we would learn to desperately need him. We come to Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior not in ignorance but in repentance. Genuine faith is preceded and followed by repentance. And repentance will only result if you have fully understand your sinful self and helpless case before God. The Bible is clear about man's nature. If you do not believe that we are sinners and transgressors of the law, you cannot be saved, at least for now. We are not ignorantly saved. We are also not saved by a contract we make with God. We are saved when we repent, believe and throw ourselves into the Lordship of Christ Jesus.

No wonder so many "converts" are not really converted. Our pulpits no longer have power because we only preach one-side of the Gospel. We no longer preach what the Bible says about man. The depravity of man is the hardest part to preach because men will not admit that they are under the condemnation brought about by their sin. They will hide their sins and cry out that they are basically people who do good and will therefore go to heaven. They will say that they need Christ but you can see no repentance on their part. To repent is to let go of all your self-righteousness, to admit that you are a sinner and that you are under the condemnation brought about by your sin, and to desperately seek God's mercies. I tell you, when a person repents and the Gospel is presented to him, he will leap with joy praising and worshiping God for the rest of his life. It is only through darkness that the light can be seen. If we do not accept the darkness we are in, we will never see the glory of the Light.

The One True Gospel

We need preachers like this man (Paul Washer) today. Men who are just men of God. Men who belong to Him, who walk with Him and dwell in His presence.

It's been a while since I've heard a preaching like this. A sermon so full of truth and love for God and men. I felt as if God was speaking through this man, talking about our total depravity, proclaiming His glory and defending God's divine attributes. This is the Gospel. It is the fullness of God's Truth. I wasn't even half-way when I started crying to God, weeping over my sin and the cost that God had to pay just to get me out of my cursed and wicked state. The mere fact that the Son of God was tortured and murdered in our place is enough to drive us into insanity, worshiping Him with bowed heads, rejoicing hearts and broken knee caps. The just wrath that should fall upon men, fell upon Him who is blameless and who is of infinite worth.

What he said is true because it is not his words but God's. It is true that we are wicked and we are going to hell. We are not just occasional violators of the law but sin-loving, continual transgressors and enemies of God. But despite our wretchedness, He came to save and free us. He paid the price with His precious blood and made it possible for man to be reconciled with God.

This man did not speak out of worldly wisdom. He spoke of the one true theology that is so lost in this present age. He spoke about the fullness of God's overwhelming glory, wrath, justice, love, grace, mercy and power.

I urge you to beg the Holy Spirit to work in you before, during and after watching this video. Watch this sermon until the end and examine the Truths being presented here. I will answer questions with the best of my efforts to clarify everything.

God bless!



See link below for a better view:
http://revver.com/video/707178/the-greatest-words-in-all-of-scripture-true-disciple-conference-8-of-8-paul-washer/

The Danger Of Theology

Our flesh is so easy to feed. Reformed theology, puritan teachings or the theology of our 17th century forefathers can become rations to our wicked flesh. I must confess that I have made theology an idol in my life. I fed my flesh not my soul. I praise God that He made me realize my idolatrous intent while I was studying His Word.

The Truth is extremely important. It is necessary to correctly exegete a text to fully expound a Biblical Truth. It is also essential to elaborate the doctrinal basis of salvation and regeneration. However, our walk with God should not be restricted to such. As Paul Washer says, "The Truth is not an end. It is a means to a greater end."

So often I cry out for revival, the exhortation of the fullness God's Truth and the advancement of His Kingdom. I have forgotten the purpose of all of these. I have focused on God's work, not Him.

Dear friends, it is important to be totally obedient and passionate for the things of God. It is also a wonderful thing to radically adhere to Biblical standards and be watchful in our narrow journey, but this is not the end. Christianity is not just about doing the right thing. Christianity is not just about obedience, correct exegesis or morality. It is about being with God, walking with Him, experiencing Him, dwelling in His presence, worshiping Him and loving Him with all our hearts.

To be passionate to the things of God is wonderful but are we passionate for Him? To be honest, I was more passionate for revival than God. When was the last time we just sat beside Him alone while admiring His greatness?

It is true that God's glory is the most important thing but let us not forget His unconditional love for mankind. He just loves us so much. Jesus died on the Cross not only for the glory of the Father but also because He loves men. An immature reformed writer would probably say at this moment: "That's not doctrinally sound. He just died for the elect!". Dear friend, it is true that Christ paid the sins of His elect alone, however, we cannot deny the fact that He loves men. Are we so dull that theology has twisted our minds instead of enriching our hearts?

I can't help but weep over my sin but at the same time rejoice whenever I remember the words of our great Jesus while He was being crucified: "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing." It is not wrong to despise cultural, humanistic Christianity because it does not esteem the work of Christ. However, it is also important to understand that hatred for sin, separation from the world and the pursuit of Truth are simply means to a greater end. We empty our hands not only for the sake of purity but also to hold unto Him even more. To know Him doesn't just mean to get the right data about Him. To know Him means to develop an intimate, Spirit-empowered relationship with Him. It is true that God doesn't need us or our service but it is not right to make this an excuse to separate ourselves from Him and confine Christian living in a systemic box of morality and correct exegesis.

In conclusion, God wants our hearts. He wants our love all to Himself. Our obedience should be based on our love and passion for Him, not on ethics or morality. Our journey to God is a journey. As attractive and enticing theology might be, it is not the end. We haven't even seen a fraction of God's glory. I don't even think we could ever contain His greatness in our puny minds. Nevertheless, let us sprint with a passion and love not only for the Truth, but for God Himself.

Well That's Your Opinion...

(A special thanks to Bill Patton for providing the current CrossTV videos and CrossTV for giving us permission to post these on the internet.)

I'm sure that most Christians who have shared the message of Christ with an unbeliever has often been met with this statement:

"Well, that's your opinion."

According to the unbeliever, that solves all debate, but does it in reality? In this short clip, Mark Kielar explains why truth is truth, and why an opinion is just that. "Well that's your opinion" is one ugly excuse to disregard the Truth. Enjoy and be blessed!
--VIDEO DESCRIPTION BY LANE CHAPLIN, FELLOW REFORMED BLOGGER

Q&A: Regeneration

I figured its easier to explain regeneration through a question & answer post, so here are some common questions regarding the Spirit's work of regeneration:

1) Is it possible to be saved and not be regenerated? Why?

The Bible clearly teaches that it is impossible to be saved and not be regenerated (Matthew 7-You will know them by their fruits, John 3-Born of the Spirit, James 2-Genuine faith brings works or else it is "dead"). God's work of salvation includes regeneration. When God saves a man, who repents and puts his faith in His Son, He literally gives man a new God-fearing and sin-hating nature. This new nature is where God's Spirit begins to work. Evident changes will inevitably occur as a result of this new nature. Each Christian may grow in different rates, nevertheless, growth and conformity to the truth are always present.

2) What are some of the changes brought about by this new nature?

Daily struggle with sin
Holiness
Godliness
A lifestyle of faith and love
Continual repentance
Separation from the world
Fire to preach the Gospel wherever you are
Hunger and thirst for righteousness
Burning hatred for sin
Burning desire to serve the Lord and glorify His Name
Unquenchable thirst for God's Word
Delight and excitement for God
Fear of the Lord
Full dependence on God
And many more...

3) How is the change brought about by regeneration different from changes brought about by reading a psychological self-help book?

A psychological self-help book can go as far as changing a person's way of thinking or attitude towards things, but it can never change his very nature. Also, once a principle of psychological principle stops working, the person may abandon the learned belief and go back to his usual behavior.

God's supernatural work of regeneration is not like this. God literally changes a person's heart, not just his way of thinking. This is the one of the core principles why salvation can never be snatched away. God is the author and finisher of our faith. If you really belong to Him, He will finish the work He started in you because His reputation rests on it.

I'll give you an example to make the change brought about by regeneration clear. Let's say I came home from school so stressed and tired. Then my mom, without even asking me if I was okay, asked me in an arrogant, commanding tone to do all the house chores. If I were an unregenerate person, I would rebel in anger. After which I will feel so justified by my actions. The only time I would be bothered by such anger is if someone caught me shouting at my mom or someone points out my sin. Now, considering the exact, same scenario and if I were a regenerate person, what would I do? Some of you will think that I'm not going to get angry. This is not always true. A more realistic response is this: I would DO EXACTLY THE SAME THING as my "unregenerate version" did. I WOULD STILL REBEL IN ANGER. Now where's the difference? After saying all those angry words to my mom, I would feel as if I had swallowed a two-edged sword. I'm not even going to make it to bed time. I would run back to apologize to my mom regardless if someone caught me or pointed out my sin. This is regeneration. You have a new nature that simply cannot stomach sin or bear with the things of the flesh. You can take a piece of that darkness here and then or go back to your evil habits for a while; but the moment you do that, your new nature, created by the Holy Spirit, would be screaming out to you and you cannot help but run back to God in repentance and worship.

4) If man is given a new God-fearing and sin-hating nature when he repents and places himself fully in the hands of God, why is he still capable of sin?

It is because we are still housed in a box of flesh (flesh in the Bible refers to sinful, God-hating nature we are born with). In fact, one of the biggest evidences that a person is regenerated is his/her continual struggle with sin. A regenerate person is not someone who will never sin. Instead, he is a person with a God-given nature that genuinely desires Him [GOD] and genuinely hates the things that He hates. A regenerate person's life is a living example of godliness and holiness.

Refer to the example given on the answer to question number three (anger example) and see the change brought about by regeneration.

5) What if a man professes to be a Christian and yet is manifesting no evidence of regeneration?

In this case, the person is not really saved. What he has is a false fire. The apostles warned us about this. Maybe he is just in Church because of the pastor, his friends or the "good feeling" he gets when he worships God. He might also be in Church because the people there are helping him in his life. Another common reason to be in Church would be the attractiveness of the Biblical principles that may have been presented during sermons. An unregenerate person is not genuinely aching for God. It is impossible to love God genuinely without first knowing the Truth and being changed by Him. The moment persecution strikes or the Biblical principles he employs are "not working", he will be among the first ones to leave the Church. Make no mistake, Peter is a regenerated soul even though He ran away from his "cross" because He came back and faced his death. Being regenerate doesn't mean to be perfect, infallible or sinless. It only means that you have a new nature that is opposed to your old and wicked one; and this new nature is fully evident in your thinking and lifestyle.

6) Are you implying that man was born with an evil and corrupt nature that is why we cannot genuinely love God on our own? and therefore, we need to be saved and regenerated first by God upon hearing the Gospel?

Exactly! You got it!

7) But isn't man created in the likeness and image of God?

It is true that man was created in the image and likeness of God. However, after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, that nature was tainted by sin and can no longer be considered the "image of God". God's image is pure. Since man has tainted his God-given nature, it is no longer God's image. In fact, after the fall of man, the Bible never described man again in God's image and likeness. Paul, in his epistles to the Romans, describes men (including himself) as the "enemy of God" with a heart that is "deceitfully, wicked". This is why it is necessary to be changed by the Lord first before we can seek the fullness of His glory. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Since man is not holy by himself, it must be supernaturally granted by God by His grace, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

A beautiful passage in Romans 5:12-21 explains all these. Sin entered and corrupted man through Adam, while righteousness entered through Christ. However, Jesus did not just reversed the sinful effect brought about by the sin of the first man. He also made it possible for us, a sinful folk, to be reconciled with a holy God and to even live in union with Him!

8) Do you have any physical proof that man's nature is totally corrupted by sin?

Leave a child on his own. Don't discipline him in any way and let his nature alone direct him and see what happens. He will succumb to his very nature and live a sinful life. He might even become a monster of violence and lust that would make Hitler look like a good person. This is what we truly are: read Romans 3:10-20, 23. All men are sinners. No one is born unscathed by sin. There is only one person who is righteous: God.

If you still don't believe that our natures are corrupted by sin, ask yourself these questions: how many sins have you done in your entire life? Which is more easier to do, to sin or to follow God? Which is more pleasurable to do: sin or sacrifice? Why does sinning bring pleasure and sacrifice bring pain? Still think sin has no power over man? It is because our nature is to continually sin and rebel against God.

This is the very reason why we need God to change our natures first before we can genuinely and hungrily seek Him and love Him by our earthly standards.
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HOPE YOU GOT BLESSED! TO BE HONEST, Q&A BLOG WRITING SEEMS TO WORK BETTER THAN RAMBLING... hmmmm...

I Came To Say Goodbye

Dear Satan, I came to say goodbye
I’m throwing away all your lies
Coz’ my Lord Jesus alone did what was right
Hanging on the Cross, He gave me a fight

Together, we used to be tight
You were my brother, the angel of light
But now, I have the proper sight
You fooled me to think I was right

My Lord Jesus came to me and spoke
He did not speak like you, my heart He broke
He washed my feet with His tears
He wants me, though I chose my peers

He died for me, a man who cannot see
He suffered for me so I might belong to Him
He hung on a tree, scorned by many
We made fun of Him, together, you and me

Now, I am living by the Truth
I serve my Lord at His foot
Can you bear the glory of my King?
He is the one who gives everything

So I came to say goodbye, enough of your lies!
I don’t want to live in the world anymore
My soul is well, I’m sick no more
I no longer want your worldly scores
Coz’ My Lord Jesus has wiped my sore
I no longer seek you like before

Satan, I bid you farewell
Your vileness I once wore, I say goodbye
Your movies, tv shows, worldliness I say goodbye
Your music, style and clothing I say goodbye
I no longer want to make Jesus cry
He is my Lord, I lift His Name up High
No more excuses, no more alibi
Its time for me to say goodbye

Farewell My Fallen Brother!

My dearest fallen brother,
I am yours no longer
I am no longer your worshiper.
We used to do a lot together
But now, our relationship is over.

You told me I was saved and I thought I was safe
Whenever I sinned you told me the most comforting words
You told me “everybody sins”, so I loved your words and took them to heart
Whenever I acted like the world, you again came to my aid

But now I know the Truth! I was going to hell for having no fruit!
I have made your words as an excuse to ignore holiness
I used your words as an excuse to forget boldness
And I indulged myself in the world forgetting godliness

You told me that “everybody sins”
But is not that the very reason Jesus died and suffered?
It is because of my flesh that He was crucified
How can I live in sin if the Lord has made me sanctified?!
If everybody sins, all the more reason to avoid sin
If everybody sins, why not run to Him?!

You told me that “holiness is an eternal process”
That I will just waste my time if I pursue success
Holiness is indeed a long process, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll just wait
In fact, if holiness is a long process, I should start now!

You told me lies not to comfort me but to damn me
You wanted people to join you in hell so beautiful lies you tell
You knew the Truth and you were scared of it
You didn’t want me to change so you hid it

I also loved your worldly music, worldly tv, especially those with fighting and violence
All these things took away God’s essence!
There’s no bad language in it, no nudity so I thought it was good
Even though the life of the characters were godlessly hooked

I remember the first time you introduced rock and hip-hop music
That was High School, I just loved the lyric
I’d stick it in my ears all day like my peers
I was having fun skittering and the Lord Jesus I was mocking

I remember the first time you introduced me to your wordly tv
And I just can’t stop watching
You said I was matured enough to do the filtering
So all I did was keep surfing

But the best of your lies were the most ones I loved
I would not let them go, if not for the Lord above
You always told me what I wanted to hear
And so with you, I was always near

I can still remember the wonderful god you taught me
The god that we served never talked about repentance
He knows I’m sinner, leave it to chance
The god that we served never talked about holiness
There’s no sense in doing what you cannot reach in fullness
The god that we served never puts us down
He always wants us to smile even though our lives are dead
Everything was okay, you were my wisdom
Your god loves us just the way we are, he doesn’t want us to change
As long as we’re happy everything is in gauge

But now I know the Truth, God was not happy with me
When we were laughing, He was crying
The god that you shared was not the One in Scripture
The God that I know will never tolerate sin
His Son was crucified so we can live with Him
What blasphemy and idolatry to think God loves sin!

There’s so much more that we did together
I was planning to make short of this letter
But we just did so much together
You were my master, I was your worshipper
You were my whisperer, I was your doer
And I was going to hell for my worldliness
Even though I went to church, there was no godliness

I read my Bible, prayed and served
I was doing good and scrubbing dirt
I thought I was well, but I was a flirt
To listen to you and share your shirt

I professed Christ, thinking I was well
But the truth is, I was going to hell
For I served a different master
Not the One that holds the answer.

And the god that we served Satan?
He looked exactly like you, because he was you
How many more have you fooled?
What a master plan to deceive everyone
They think they’re saved because their good
But they will all be furnace food

So now!!! I’m giving back all your music, your vanity
I’m giving back all your lies, your words of profanity
I’m giving back all your tv shows, all false chastity
I don’t want to have to do anything with you
For My God is true

He loved me, saved me and bought me with His blood
What else can I do but worship all my life
And with my last words, I praise my God!
For He is my Lord, the one true God!

He took away my shame and liberated my soul
From your bondage, I'm no longer your goal
He reconciled me with the Father
And paid what I could not muster
I belong to Him now, He leadeth me further
Away from you so there's no seeing you later
Farewell my fallen brother!

Its Time To Come Back Home

When you first came to me, you were so happy
You were sad for your sin but I gave you eternity
And so you wanted nothing else but My glory
You seek nothing else but my Beauty

I remember those moments when I was your only priority
You built your life around My sanctuary
Nothing held your fire back, you were filled not empty
I was still precious to you, I was your destiny

But now, you have forgotten Me
My Throne has lost its sanctity
You came back to the world and refused My offers
You ran from persecution, docking for covers
You started denying Me, you were ashamed of me
You laughed at the things I despised
And you indulge at the things that broke my heart
Have you forgotten that everything you are is because of me
I wanted to make you happy, but all I got was idolatry

You talked like the world as if I had given no law
You repented and said sorry but you kept going back
As if My grace was insufficient and I was in lack
You became carnal, idle and lame
For now you seek money, glory and fame
False chastity, in it you are in chain
I came but you blasphemed My Name

You went to Church, prayed and read
But deep inside you did not thread
The Narrow way you were far from it
All you wanted was the way you'd fit

You were dead and still you deny
You justified yourself, thinking your mine
But you were far from Me, so far…
You have forgotten Me, you thought you were a star

I just want to love you and hold you close
But you blew me off, threw my cross
You acted and talked like the rest
Lukewarmness, in it you are best
There was no change in your life
No work of My Spirit, no fruit
No root, you are lost without truth
You are an empty shell and you cannot tell
For you have been fooled to which you sell
The glory of My Name, you did not propel
My Word you could not even spell

Your witnessing was dead. Your life is a silly game
Then you talk and use my Name?
In the darkness you sin when no one can see
And then you come to people talking about Me

What have you done to yourself?
Why did not you endure and persevere?
You went your way and thought I was near?
Let me tell you one thing!
I am the holy God, the divine Being!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life
No can get to the Father except through me!
Don't think that you can act foolishly around me
If you do not take me seriously, my grace will flee
And you will have no restraints, no constraints
You will wonder the dark, you will see no spark!
My justice will come forth and it will be too late
By then, many will say
"Lord, Lord, have I not preached Your Name?"
Nay! Away from me I will say!

You live as if I had given no law
Did you not know? I was crucified for your flaw
So that you will be reconciled with me
So don't think you can live without me

If you love me, you will obey me
Diligence, fortitude, where is your virtue?
Thrown away, all you have is a statue
You do not have me
I want you to see me as you did before
When you still loved me to the core
Coz’ I remember those days clearly
I was your destiny, you played in my sanctuary
I was your only priority,
All you thought was my glory
You were so happy…
So come back to me
Stop denying your sin and return to me
My patience is endless, I do forgive
Repent and you shall receive
Believe and I shall give
my love again so you can be free
Hold unto me so you that you may see
I will make you as white as snow
Your wickedness I will throw
Come to me and I shall give you rest
I offer love and mercy, things of eternity
Come back to me and I will make you holy
Come back my child… sit beside me
My child, you've been far from home
Its time to come back home

Who Am I?

A servant of the Holy One,
Who desires that His will be done.
A prisoner to His grace,
Who runs His predestined race.
A bearer of the Secret Flame,
Who desires not a drop of fame.
A part of His sacred vine,
Who drinks from His holy wine.
A soul who fears His Name,
Who boldly speaks, no shame.
A jar of spit and clay,
In me, the Spirit stays.

A Chant Of God's Elect

We are nothing,
But our God is Something.
There is no one like Him,
In His halls we weep yet lean.
He forgave our sin,
By grace, He let us in.
Now we belong to Him,
We are sure to win.
We hold on to nothing,
But the hope of His coming.
We live solely for Him,
We can't do anything without Him.
We let Him do His Thing,
In Him, we place everything.
He is our Master and King
We bow and worship Him!

The Necessity of Theology

All you elect! My fellow regenerated body parts of our Lord Jesus! I invite you to seek and study God even more! Join me in this video as we go briefly through some attributes of God. Let us drink from His cup of endless prosperity!

Psalm 86:10 - "For You are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God."

Please take note of this:
On the last part I said "You don't have to study theology in its fullness but just bits by bits" - I didn't say this right. What I meant here is that you can study theology little by little as you give room to it before you sleep or when you get up in the morning. I'm not encouraging people to study bits of theology, rather study its fullness and make time for it in small ways.



Click this link for a better view: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=3baf23ac7efb12d24079

An Analysis of Nehemiah's prayer

The "Prayer of Nehemiah", found in Nehemiah chapter one, is not just a lesson about being desperate for God. It is also not just a prayer that we should learn to pray. Nehemiah is also not just a model for godly nationalism or Christian patriotism...

So what is Nehemiah's prayer all about???

It is about God and the right attitude that we should have before His presence.
It is about making the knowledge of God's awesomeness and holiness a reality in our lifestyles.
It is about living a life of continual repentance and worship, in conformity to the Word of God.

Join me in this brief examination of Nehemiah's prayer. I figured there are a lot of mistakes in my grammar XD I pray that God would improve my preaching skills as I serve Him. And even if He doesn't, the mere fact that He hath saved me is enough to keep me preaching like a madman, all for His glory... amen..



Click this link for a larger view: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=78e497654836557a6d88&page=1&viewtype=&category=mr

Regeneration: A New Creature Or A New Feature?

One of the lost doctrines of this age is the doctrine of regeneration.

The doctrine of regeneration is the truth in which man, after repenting and believing the Gospel, is remade into a new being by the supernatural work of God. He is given a new nature, hence, he becomes a newborn that threads the narrow path of holiness and godliness. He is still housed in a box of flesh but he now has a new nature that fears the Lord. Its not that he does not sin. Its that whenever he sins, he knows his eating slop and whenever he goes back to the world, he knows he's breaking God's heart. He could not help himself but vomit sin, hate it and come back to God in total repentance and worship. A regenerated person literally becomes a new person with a God-given nature that seeks Him and craves holiness.

We have forgotten that salvation and regeneration are supernatural works of God. If people are denying their faith and just living like the rest of the world then we can be sure, as Paul mentioned, that they do not belong to God. If we truly belong to Him, He will not share us with the world and will therefore, discipline us as a loving Father whenever we forsake Him and go back to our worldly lusts. Wonderful isn't it? Our God is not just a god of encouragement or tolerance. He is a God of love and righteous discipline. If He hadn't disciplined me and written His law in my heart, I would have went back to the world.

Profession of faith is just an outward expression. Our lives will be the basis of God's judgment on that day of His coming. Make no mistake, it is not the amount of our works that He will judge. He looks upon the basis of our works and the foundations of our lifestyles. If Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, is a reality in your life then you are spared from the eternal condemnation He hath prepared. But if you just look, dress, talk and act like the rest of the world then you will have a problem with Him on that day. God calls for separation. However, separation in itself is not an end. We separate ourselves from the world so that we may glorify His Name and live in union with Him. We detach ourselves from all worldly things so that we may hold unto God, alone, as the source of our salvation, hope, love and prosperity.

Going back to the title. Ask yourself..

ARE YOU A NEW CREATURE WHO DELIGHTS IN HIS WORD? ARE YOU A NEW BEING THAT HAS FORSAKEN THE WORLD? ARE YOU A NEWBORN THAT DESIRES NOTHING ELSE BUT THE GLORY OF HIS NAME AND CONFORMING YOUR LIFE INTO HIS EXAMPLE? IS THERE A RADICAL CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE THAT BRINGS YOU TO HIS KNEES IN WORSHIP? OR ARE YOU JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE? IS CHRISTIANITY JUST A NEW FEATURE TO YOU? OR ARE YOU BURNING INSIDE IN AWE AND WORSHIP?

God bless!

"Seek first His righteousness, and the rest of the things will be added unto you."