Charles H. Spurgeon On Faith

“Faith in Christ is not the reception of a dry, dead orthodoxy-to believe in Jesus is not simply to be a sixteen-ounces-to-the-pound Calvinist.  Saving faith is not the mere reception of a creed or form of any kind.  To believe is to trust and no man truly believes-in the New Testament meaning of the word-until he is brought to trust in Christ, alone, and takes his whole religion upon trust, relying not on what he sees, nor on what he is, but on what is revealed in God’s Word-not on what he is, or can be, or shall be, nor on what he does or can do, nor on what he feels or does not feel-but relying solely on what Christ has done, is doing and shall yet do.”

Bible Publishers Sued Because Of ‘Homosexual’ Verses

Bradley LaShawn Fowler has filed a $70 million lawsuit against Bible publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson.  He claims that the Bibles printed by them are a violation of his constitutional rights and have caused him emotional distress.  He says their use of the term “homosexuals,” in describing categories of sin, has caused him to be an outcast from his family.

Fowler, a homosexual, is suing for compensation of twenty years of “emotional duress and mental instability.”  A spokesperson for Zondervan said they do not translate Bibles; they only publish them.  The verses mentioned by Fowler also list the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers – but representatives of these other groups have not joined in the lawsuit.  One can only wonder if this is just the beginning of legal assaults attempting to censor the Bible.

Read more on this story at the Christian Post.

Why Bible-Preaching Is Essential

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3:16-17)

The Bible is inspired by God.  As Christians, we believe that God has spoken to us through the Scriptures.  If we are Christians, the Bible has the authority of God in our lives.  We receive what it teaches us with reverence because it proceeds from God alone.  This must to be a settled issue in our lives.

The Bible is profitable to us.  It is, “so to speak,” a handbook for living and dying.  It is the perfect rule of life.  It is the perfect textbook for humankind.  The Scriptures contain valuable knowledge for the Christian believer.  Through it, we begin to understand who we really are.  It guides us to righteousness and a holy life.

In the Bible alone do we find completeness, and through it – by the power of the Holy Spirit – we have the wisdom to complete God’s calling for our lives.  It saddens me that today so many Christian books simply twist the Bible into motivational tripe.  I watched a well know pastor – we will just call him JO – being interviewed by Glenn Beck one evening not long ago.  Authors and pastors, like this man, twist the Scriptures out of context to support their health and wealth schemes.  It is easy to see from their lifestyles and writings whose health and wealth they are really concerned about.

There are also those Christian-lite programs or movements that believe we should deemphasize parts of the Bible’s teaching.  They also believe that we should emphasize other doctrines beyond their proper place in the context of the Scriptures.  There are many who dare to add to the very Scriptures of God.

It is proper to ask, “Why do people want to change the meaning of God’s Word?”  They do this because they say in their hearts, “I [will be] the master of my fate.  I [will be] the captain of my soul.” (William E. Henley)  Every generation of humanity rebels against God and profanes His Word.  If we really accept the Bible as truth that cannot be manipulated, then we know we are accountable to God.  People today do not want to be accountable to an infinitely Holy God.  Their efforts, however, are fruitless because there is no escape from His presence.

Let us think this through one more time. The Bible is the inspired Word of God.  As Christians, we believe that God has spoken to us through the Scriptures.  If we are Christians, the Bible is the absolute authority of God in our lives.  We receive what it teaches us with reverence because it proceeds from God alone.  You must settle this issue now.  In other words, avoid churches where preaching and teaching Jesus Christ from the Scriptures is not central to everything they do.