“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroys, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Matthew chapters five through seven contain Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. Right in the middle of this sermon we find these words: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This is the big question from the Sermon on the Mount: Where is my heart? This is an important question, one that we should all ponder with grave seriousness. This is especially true considering the times in which we live and the events of the past few weeks.

The Bible teaches that the heart is the control center for life. The writer of Proverbs says that a person’s life is really a reflection of his or her heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” What a graphic picture—everything in life flows from the heart. Therefore, the heart must be guarded lest it be distracted by the cares of this world. So, where is your heart? The Bible gives us a fairly simple formula for discerning the location of the heart. That formula can be summed up in the statement: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). This is the Word of the Lord!

I am afraid, that with the recent economic struggles and downturns, many believers are discovering their heart is on Wall Street rather than “seated with Christ in the heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6). But how does one discern the location of the heart? One way is by looking at your checkbook. The other is by gauging your reaction to recent economic events. By looking at your checkbook I mean do you make a consistent practice of giving God the first-fruits from your finances—that is, are you more concerned for the work of the Lord than you are with wealth? By gauging your reaction to recent economic events I mean is your reaction to all these things one of confident assurance in the sovereignty and provision of God or are you worried sick about how much money you may be losing or how you are going to pay your bills, and house and feed your family—things about which Jesus said, “the Gentiles eagerly seek” (Matt. 6:32a). By using the word Gentiles, Jesus was speaking about those who do not know nor belong to God. But for those of us who are His children, He says this: “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matt. 6:32b). His point is simple: just trust Him! That’s what it’s all about anyway—trusting God (see Heb. 11). I have watched my portfolio lose quite a bit of money over the past few weeks. But my confidence in God has remained at an all time high. Why? Because my treasure in not on Wall Street. My treasure is in heaven. And it is my prayer that your treasure will be there as well. The prosperity preachers would have us believe it’s all about wealth. However, God would have us believe it’s all about treasuring Christ rather than treasuring wealth: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

“In the first year of Darius…ruler over the Babylonian kingdom-in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years” (Daniel 9:1-2). Is the Bible really God’s word? After all, there are numerous books in existence today that claim to be the word of God. Therefore, what’s so unique about the Bible? Why has it been the all-time best seller in all of history? The answer is simple—because it is exactly what it claims to be—the word of the Living God. It is the word of God to the exclusion of all other writings that claim to be such. These excluded writings would include the Book of Mormon, the Koran, the Hindu Vedras, the writings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the sayings of Confucius or Buddha, just to name a few. One of the primary reasons we know all these other writings are not God’s word is because they cannot prove themselves to be such. The Bible on the other hand has authenticated itself to be of divine inspiration—the very word of God. It has done this through its prophecies. Prophecy makes up at least one-third of the Bible. No other book that forms the basis of a religion contains prophecy. So whereas it would take a foolish, misguided and blind faith to believe in all these other writings, one’s faith in the Bible as God’s word is rooted in sound, historical fact.

There are many prophecies in the Bible. One scholar has indicated there are over one thousand prophecies in the Bible about half of which have already been literally fulfilled. Some of these prophecies are Messianic in nature—they speak of the person and work of Jesus Christ. There are more than 300 of these Messianic prophecies about His First Coming. Some of them appear more than once so if we gather them together, counting them only once we end up with 108 prophecies that are separate and unique. All 108 were fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ—a mathematical impossibility when one considers the probability of one person fulfilling them all. One of these prophecies tells us Jesus will be born in “Bethlehem Ephrathah” (Micah 5:2). That prophecy was given more than 700 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Often overlooked is the precision of this prophecy. It does not simply tell us Jesus will be born in Bethlehem. It says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah.” When Micah wrote this prophecy there were two Bethlehems in Israel—one in the north near the Sea of Galilee, and the other in the south near Jerusalem, in the area known as Ephrathah. How’s that for prophetic accuracy and precision?

Another amazing prophecy—one I believe to be amazing beyond compare and the greatest of all prophecies—can be found in Daniel 9 where Daniel wrote that the Messiah would present Himself publically as the Messiah of Israel on a certain day. This certain day would fall 173,880 days after a certain decree was issued to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:25). This decree was issued by Artaxerxes on March 5, 445 B.C. 173,880 days later, on April 6, 32 A.D., Jesus entered Jerusalem as the Messiah of Israel (Luke 19:28-44). There are many other prophecies found in the Bible that verify the Bible is indeed the word of God. These include prophecies about the regatherinng of the Jewish people from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:11-12) which began in the 20th Century and continues to this day; the re-establishment of the nation of Israel (Isaiah 66:7-8; Ezekiel 37:21-22) which occurred on May 14, 1948; all the nations of the world coming together against Israel over the issue of the control of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:1-3) which is occurring before our very eyes on the evening news! All these prophecies the Bible says would take place in the last days, right before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

As a Christian, I find the fulfillment of these prophecies very exciting and encouraging. When most people, many of whom claim to followers of Christ, are expressing fear over the things that are coming upon the world today, I am encouraged. I am encouraged because things are happening just as the Bible predicted—proof positive that the Bible, and only the Bible, is the inspired, infallible, and inerrant word of God. All geo-political trends and events in nature indicate that Jesus will return for His Church at any moment. So for believers, we need not fear. We should be ready for His soon return while telling others how to be saved. For unbelievers, the situation is grim. God’s judgment will soon fall upon this world and all those who have rejected Christ will find themselves in a predicament that could have been avoided—in fact it can be avoided—by placing your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:13, 20). Who is Jesus and how do we know He is who He claims to be? This may very well be the most important question ever asked, for if He is who He says He is, ones whole eternal future is at stake. The answer to that question is grounded in absolute truth – the Bible. The Bible teaches us everything we know about the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is important because in a world of profound uncertainty, relativism, and deception, the Bible proclaims absolute truth. The Bible reveals the truth about how the universe began, and how it will end; about why people behave the way they do; about what is always right and what is always wrong; about heaven and hell, and how people get to those places; about what makes for good human relationships; about God’s promises; and, most significant, about the Lord Jesus Christ, including His virgin birth, sinless life, unparalleled teaching, substitutionary death, literal resurrection, bodily ascension, and second coming.

If the Bible is true then its claims about Jesus are also true. But how do we know the Bible is true? This is equally as important in answering our original question, for if the Bible is true, then it is true to the exclusion of all other so called writings that claim to be of divine origin. Think about it. The Bible is a book that is supported by over five thousand ancient manuscripts, pieces of manuscripts, and fragments of manuscripts. The sixty-six books that make up the Bible were written by at least forty different authors over a period of 1500 to 2000 years, in three different languages, on three different continents. Yet its message is unique and each book compliments the other. Furthermore, archeological discoveries have proven the cities, peoples and events chronicled in the Bible are right on target. We know the Bible is true, that it is God’s revealed truth to humanity. It is objective rather than subjective because it originates with God. It is rational rather than mystical. There are no hidden meanings accessible only to the religious elite. Properly interpreted it yields divine truth. Because it is the revelation of divine truth, anything that contradicts it is wrong. It is exclusive truth in an inclusive world. As such, it is the final authority; and therefore it is binding on all people, whether it is acknowledged as such or not. But perhaps the greatest proof of the Bible’s divine origin is the accuracy of fulfilled biblical prophecy. The Hebrew prophets had to meet a very stringent requirement at the pain of death—100 percent accuracy, 100 percent of the time—no exceptions! There are over one thousand prophecies in the Bible, half of which have already been literally fulfilled. There are 108 prophecies dealing with Jesus’ first coming and He alone fulfilled all 108—the odds of which are astronomical. One such prophecy is found in Daniel 9:24-27. In this passage, God outlines for the prophet Daniel the entire history of the Jewish people. The most amazing part of this prophecy is verse 25. It basically says from the time a decree is given to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem” until Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and His subsequent death (see Luke 19:37-40) there would be 483 years, or 173,880 days. We know this decree was issued by Artaxerxes on March 14, 445 B.C. We also know Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey on April 6, 32 A.D. If you do the math, you arrive at exactly 483 years, or 173,880 days to the day. How’s that for 100 percent accuracy, 100 percent of the time! No other book that claims to be of divine origin even comes close. The Bible is clearly the Word of God as it has proven itself to be such over and over again. Why people continue to reject it is beyond me, other than they “loved the darkness rather than the Light” (John 3:19).

So that brings us back to our original question—who is Jesus and how do we know He is who He claims to be? He is God and the Savior of all who will believe—claims He made over and over again in the Bible. Since the Bible has proven itself to be true then we know its teachings about Jesus are true as well. This is what the writer of 1 John meant by the phrase, “so that you may know” (1 John 5:13). We can know for absolute certainty that the Bible is true and its claims about Jesus are true. This knowledge about Christ would include the historic facts about the person and work of Christ. This is the gospel—the good news! It can be summed up in the passage, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:2-3). However, mere knowledge is not enough, after all, the devil has knowledge of Christ. We must also assent to Christ. In other words, we must be convinced that these historic facts (knowledge) about Christ are true. We must believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be and that He is able to do what He said He could do—forgive sins and guarantee eternal life! However, just as mere knowledge is not enough, neither is mere assent. There is a third element known as commitment. By commitment I mean a whole-hearted committal to Jesus Christ. In John’s gospel, the Bible says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). Believe here means to believe “in, into,” or “upon”. You must believe in, into, and upon Jesus Christ. It is a belief that brings about a change. This change is known as conversion (salvation). This belief is faith in action. When a person is saved, he or she does not take three distinct steps. However, that person’s salvation does begin with knowledge of the Savior leading to assent to the Savior, which brings about commitment to the Savior. Saving faith is simply committing oneself to Jesus Christ. This is clearly expressed in Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” When we put the sum total of our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation, then we pass from spiritual death to spiritual life. We experience conversion and received the gift of eternal life. This is crucial as such is our eternal hope—we walk with Christ in this life and when we die we go immediately into the presence of Christ. The opposite is true when it comes to the unbeliever—at death they go immediately into torment.

So, Jesus is God come in human flesh to save sinners. Think about it. You and I are sinners deserving of death and eternal separation from God and everything that is good. In fact, God would be well justified to kill you right now and send you to hell for all eternity. But He is a gracious God as well, “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The problem arises in that most simply do not believe the gospel message. Even if they believe they are sinners as the Bible says, they somehow fail to believe that only through faith in Christ can they be forgiven. Perhaps you are one of those who considers the gospel to be somewhat foolish—the very idea that God would die for the sins of humanity. This is what the Bible says: “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). God so desires that you be saved that He gave the One whom He loved most, His Son, and sent Him to die on a cross. That is the measure of His love, and that indicates how much He loves you and wills that you be saved! Have you been saved? Are you ready to be saved? It is a decision you must make right now, for to put it off is to reject it in this moment. We all would like to think we have another day, another week, and another year. But we must remember none of us is promised another day. We are all one heartbeat away from eternity. Your time may indeed be short.

Remember the accuracy of fulfilled biblical prophecy? Think about this. The alignment of nations, the events in Jerusalem, the Middle East, and the world that were foretold would take place in the last days just prior to Christ’s second coming are coming into place as never before. With each passing day it is becoming clearer that we are the generation who will see the return of Christ. Still not convince? Well, chew on this for awhile: For the first time in 1,600 years, there exists a modern version of the ancient Roman Empire (the European Union), “partly strong and partly weak,” as Daniel predicted in chapter two would be the case just prior to Christ’s return. There exists, for the first time since before Daniel was born, a nation called “Israel.” Neither of these existed until this generation. Israel was reborn in one day in 1948 (see Isaiah 66:7-9). The Benelux Treaty that began the modern movement for the reunification of Europe was signed in 1948. Also in 1948, Bell Laboratories introduced the transistor, an invention which marked the beginning of the computer age. Daniel further predicted the increase of knowledge—probably the best description of our modern age. All these things, the Bible says, would be a reality when the time came for the fulfillment of all remaining biblical prophecy. Again, we have greater evidence to the divine origin of the Bible as the Word of God to the exclusion of all others, and the reality of who Christ is. What is this telling you and me? First of all, God’s Word is true. Secondly, its message about salvation “by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8) is true as well. Jesus is the only way (John 14) to salvation. And finally, He is coming again—first, in the air for His Church at the Rapture (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and then literally to this earth at the second coming (see Acts 1:9-11). The question is: Are you ready? If Jesus came for His Church today, would you be caught up with all the saints of all the ages or would you be left behind? The Bible is true. Jesus is who He claimed to be. He is your’s and my only hope for forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Do you believe?

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death”(Proverbs 14:12). I have witnessed a lot of changes over the course of my lifetime. However, nothing has prepared me for the changes I have witnessed of late in the body of Christ. I am referring to ancient mystical practices and a mystical spirituality that have gained access to the church. Twenty years ago I think we would have recognized it for what it is – “deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” Today spiritual discernment seems to be a thing of the past. Methods have become more important than orthodoxy – the basic tenants of “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). Sometimes it comes under the guise of, “the message never changes but we must find new methods of reaching others.” My response to that often repeated assertion is, “says who?” Jim Wilson, in his book Future Church, suggests these “new methods” must have “appeal to believers and unbelievers alike” in order to “usher them into the presence of God.” The problem is these “new methods” are of a mystical-experiential flavor, one that the body of Christ would do well to avoid!

The Bible is overwhelmingly clear in its warning that in the days before Christ returns, truth will be exchanged for a wider spiritual road that originates with “deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” I think we are beginning to see a slow subtle appearance of this end-time reality, one that is readying the masses for the Antichrist. Roger Oakland suggests a new form of Christianity has begun to emerge that will replace biblical faith with a faith that is driven by ancient mystical experiences, not to mention a system of works and rituals. I wholeheartedly agree. It seems that well educated, supposedly doctrinally sound and solid Christian leaders are throwing all discernment to the wind in favor of mystical experiences rather than simple belief or faith. We must remember, the Bible says, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Furthermore, the Scriptures assert that God is, “well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). So there you have it. The preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has worked well for nearly two-thousand years. It has continued to have the power to change lives. Continued, that is, until now. Now we are told we must abandon the “old” way of doing things for something newer and more relevant to this so called postmodern generation.

One method that has been suggested for reaching the postmodern crowd is the Prayer Labyrinth. It is a multi-sensory worship practice involving a maze-like structure used during times of contemplative prayer (contemplative prayer is the vehicle through which many churches are being assimilated into these ancient mystical practices). I say “maze-like” because it really isn’t a maze. There is one path in and one path out. It is often described as “an ancient-future prayer experience with postmodern appeal.” It usually includes prayer stations complete with candles, icons, pictures, etc. What its proponents fail to realize (or maybe they just don’t care) is that the labyrinth originated in early pagan societies. Furthermore, there is no evidence in the Bible that the disciples or the early church turned to such a mystical form of worship, especially one that needs candles, icons, pictures and other paraphernalia to feel more spiritual. Nowhere in Scripture is there even a hint of this. In fact, I would suggest it is an insult to the stable and eternal truths of the Bible – truths that although centuries old are still relevant today. I submit to the reader that the labyrinth isn’t a biblical way from the ancient past of experiencing the presence of Christ. Rather, it is an ancient and dangerous form of mysticism that most assuredly opens the practitioner up to a spiritual realm that is both spiritually deceptive and deadly. I genuinely believe prayer labyrinths and other contemplative practices are a slippery slope that will lead to spiritual deception, thereby rendering the message of the Cross unnecessary and the truth of the Gospel void. “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1).

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9-10). People continue to ask questions about the future as never before. It is no wonder. Even if people do not have a thorough understanding of the Bible as God’s Word, they at least suspect it to be. Furthermore, most have heard or read about certain prophetic events about which the Bible has predicted that current events cause them to wonder if we really are living near the end of the age. One of the primary proofs of the authenticity of the Bible as God’s Word is fulfilled prophecy. God has declared “the end from the beginning” in such a way that we know what to expect and know when it has come to pass. Jesus, for example, fulfilled over 300 prophecies during His First Coming. There are nearly three times as many prophecies concerning His Second Coming, and we can expect those prophecies to be fulfilled just as literally as those concerning His First Coming were. One thing we have to be careful about is avoiding newspaper exegesis. In other words, we must not be guilty of reading or watching the news and concluding a particular prophecy has been fulfilled. However, when one studies the prophecies concerning Christ’s Second Coming, it is not difficult to see prophetic trends occurring today that indicate the end of the age might very well be near. Most of the prophecy to be fulfilled prior to the Second Coming won’t occur in a vacuum. God will have, over a number of years, set the stage for the final fulfillment of all prophecy. So then, what are these prophetic trends that continued to pick up steam throughout 2007?

I believe there are five trends that occurred (or continued occurring) during 2007. Two of them occurred for the first time in history. First of all, Jewish immigration to Israel continued just as it has since the late nineteenth century. Biblical prophecy tells us that in the end-times God would bring the Jewish people back to the land and re-establish the Nation of Israel. The Bible says He will bring them back in stages and in unbelief (Ezekiel 36-37). This continues to this day and what made 2007 unique is that for the first time in over 2000 years there are more Jews living in Israel than anywhere else in the world. Secondly, there is the alignment of the nations. God’s Word clearly spells out for us what the alignment of the nations would look like in the last days (Daniel 2, 7; Ezekiel 38, 39). Everything is not in place but most of it is and the rest is getting there quickly. There is the rise of the European super-state, out of which the Antichrist will one day come (Daniel 9). We do not yet see Europe in its final prophesied form of ten kingdoms but history has taught us that change can take place quickly. Therefore, we believe the prophecies of Scripture that one day, perhaps soon, Europe will take on its final form. Other nations, Iran in particular, but including other likeminded nations are being armed by Russia and will one day participate in an all out attack on Israel to destroy her (Ezekiel 38, 39). Current events lead some to believe this battle may be on the near horizon. Thirdly, there is the anticipation of peace. It seems in the Middle East there has been one peace proposal after another in recent years. Each one of these so called peace proposal that involves Israel has been one-sided in favor of Israel’s enemies it seems. But one day, a strong man will arise from within Europe who will finally be able to enforce one of these covenants (Daniel 9:27). Prophecy will indeed be fulfilled! Fourthly, there is the addiction of world leaders concerning Jerusalem and for the first time in history the Israeli government is actually entertaining thoughts of a divided Jerusalem (Zechariah 12). Finally, there is the preparation from within Israel to rebuild the Temple (Ezekiel 40-46; Daniel 9; Matthew 24; 2 Thessalonians 2; Revelation 11). You won’t hear much about these preparations on the evening news. But many of the Temple instruments have been made and many are studying for the priesthood. The Sanhedrin was recently reconvened after more than 1500 years. Clearly, God is setting the stage for the fulfillment of prophecy.

2007 was an exciting year. 2008 promises to be even more exciting. God’s Word is true. Its prophecies are being fulfilled and soon, perhaps today, Jesus will return for His Church. Are you ready to meet the Lord in the air? If not, your time may be running out.

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, building yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life” (Jude 3, 17, 20-21). I am convinced we are living in a time of tremendous deception and apostasy and it scares me to death. If there was ever a time when the Biblical tools of discernment were desperately needed, it is now. We need to take these objective tools of discernment and apply them to whatever we hear being taught under the label of Christianity. In other words, we need to learn to question everything and to filter everything that comes our way through the grid-system of God’s Word. Jude wrote that although he had originally desired to write about “our common salvation,” he found it necessary to admonish his readers to “contend earnestly for the faith.” In other words, he wrote to defend the faith against false teachings that were arising in the churches of his day and our day as well.

It seems experience rather than God’s Word has become the basis for truth of many in Christian circles today. I guess to many, experience is much more exciting than God’s Word when it comes to truth. Therefore experience has become the basis for truth. This is very dangerous but very few seem to care. I suppose it is more exciting to go to a meeting and be “slain by the Spirit,” rather than read the truth of God’s Word about the only two people in Scripture who were slain by the Spirit and never got back up (see Acts 5:1-11, the account of Ananias and Sapphira). I guess it is more exciting to experience forty days of purpose with other seekers than it is to open the Bible and discover the rich truth of God’s holy Word. I guess it is a powerful experience meeting Christ in your subconscious mind through the new age practices of contemplative (centering) prayer and prayer labyrinths rather than appealing to Him in heaven where He cannot be seen, touched or heard (whatever happened to faith?). It seems that truth through the preaching of God’s Word has been removed from many pulpits because it offends “seekers.” It seems that prayer has been redefined to be mystical techniques in order to gain experiences which are much more relevant to postmodern society than simply praying to the Father, through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Experience is a dangerous thing and can be spiritually fatal. But the Word of God as the standard of truth tells us Who God is, our true need (to be forgiven) and how to have that need eternally met.

Jude tells us how to avoid being deceived. We are told to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down.” We are to stand (earnestly agonize) for the body of truth once for all given. This truth is not to be added to or subtracted from. What is this truth? Notice how Jude defines it in verses 17 and 20-21: “the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is done by (1) building on the truth of God’s Word, (2) praying while guided by the Spirit of God, and (3) waiting (faith with an eternal perspective). How important was the truth of God’s Word to the early church? It was first and primary according to Luke: “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42). The early church submitted to the teaching of the apostles who were the recipients of Christ’s authoritative teaching. Their teaching was God’s Word. The early church preached the Word. They did not preach felt-needs or experientially based messages. Their preaching could be described as “Thus says the Lord God.” Any church (or preacher) that has forsaken the pure preaching of the Word of God is robbing the people of God’s primary means of grace and is showing itself to not be a valid church. Since the early church preached the Word of God, they also preached the gospel. In Acts 2, we see Peter’s preaching was not at all like the watered down version of the gospel we see in many churches today. It definitely wasn’t “seeker friendly,” and it didn’t focus on felt-needs. But it did result in some 3000 souls being added to the church that day. As true followers of Christ, we share a “common salvation,” which was brought about through the finished work of Christ, as revealed in the Word of God. According to Paul, it became ours through listening to the “message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed” (Eph. 1:13). He didn’t mention experience. He talked about truth and believing that truth! Always make sure that Scripture, not experience, is your basis for truth. Otherwise, it is not a matter of “you might be,” but you will be deceived and led astray by “deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). So get in the Word, study the Word, memorize the Word, apply the Word and question everything!

“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:1-5). If the meal you were about to eat contained one kernel of poison, would you still eat it? Would you try to find the poison and then eat around it? Would you eat one bite at a time until you died? Or would you avoid the meal altogether and choose a meal that would be beneficial to your health? Obviously, you would not eat the meal with the poison. In fact, you would avoid it at all cost (R. Oakland). I have been very troubled by developments I have witnessed firsthand over the past few years. The church is being told that Christianity needs to be re-invented in order to reach this postmodern generation. This push to re-invent Christianity seems to be all over the place. “The message never changes,” we are told. “But we must find new methods of reaching this generation.” That statement sounds legitimate. The problem is, in the rush to find new methods; most are laying aside the unchanging message. Rather than sound, verse-by-verse expository preaching, what we find these days is topical felt-needs preaching (or talks). It seems the Bible has taken a backseat to a here’s how to feel good about yourself kind of preaching. In the minds of postmodern preachers, the Word of God and the gospel no longer have the life changing power they once had. But Paul was clear and to the point: “Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season.” This was a forceful order and directive. It wasn’t up for discussion. He didn’t say preach it until it’s no longer popular. God’s Word is clear. If we want to see lives changed and people saved, the preaching of the Word must remain central, even in this postmodern generation.

This is extremely crucial considering the times in which we live. It seems in an effort to be relevant to this generation, many preachers have set aside the Bible for a more relevant message. Relevant? What could be more relevant than the message of salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:10), which says, “Unless you repent, you will all perish” (Luke13:3). Paul warned Timothy (and us), “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” He also wrote, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). The only place we will ever hear sound doctrine is through the expository preaching of God’s Word. However, when solid preaching is replaced by felt-needs preaching and when the message of sin and repentance, the gospel and the coming judgment is watered down into easy-believism, the door is opened wide for deception. And I’m afraid that many people who sit in churches across this land are deceived. But why should this surprise us? Especially when many preachers are entering their pulpits with no Bible in hand. Just preach the Word! The Bible tells us that God is always right and man is almost always wrong. When we rely upon human consensus we end up with man’s perspective and not God’s revelation. This is why Paul solemnly charged Timothy and us to preach the Word in season and out! Preach the Word!

The Bible says in the last days Satan will deceive the whole world with doctrines of demons and seducing spirits. Therefore, the Bible must be our authority. Imagine how astounded I was the day a fellow minister suggested we include in our worship service such activities as centering (or contemplative) prayer and prayer labyrinths, both of which are nothing more than far eastern meditative and religious practices repackaged under a Christian label. I’m sorry, but God’s Word does not call for us to repackage activities of other religions in an effort to drum up Jesus. It calls upon us to preach the Word and to filter everything that comes our way through the grid of God’s Word. Sometimes I wonder if we really and truly understand how dangerous it is when we abandon the forceful order and directive to “preach the Word…in season and out of season.” We may as well be eating poison. Whatever happened to the Bible?

“Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:5-9). If there is one subject most of us try to avoid, it is death. It seems most people would rather talk about anything else but life’s final mystery. Even Christians are guilty of avoiding the subject until its reality hits home. The truth of the matter is death is real. It seems I have been reminded of this over and over recently—from military death notifications, to news of friends entering their eternal reward, to news stories of total strangers meeting life’s final enemy. Although it is a mystery, it is also a reality—a reality we should not try to avoid—but consider with a sobering awe in light of what Scripture teaches. For the unbeliever (those who are not true followers of Jesus Christ), the Bible is crystal clear—eternal misery. However, for the believer, death means eternal joy. Furthermore, a proper view of death helps put everything else into perspective, for death could happen at any moment for any one of us.

First of all, death forces us to think about whether or not our faith is genuine. Do we have true biblical faith? Do we truly believe Jesus is our only hope of eternal life and that such faith prepares us to face death? Or is our faith better explained as feelings and experiences? Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25-26). He then asked, “Do you believe this?” Do we believe that death takes us immediately into the presence of the Lord and eternal joy that we cannot even begin to fathom this side of heaven? Death forces us to think about whether or not our faith is genuine.

Secondly, death causes us to truly consider the brevity of life and the endlessness of eternity. Whether one lives eight years or eighty years (or any age before, between or after), life is indeed short. James tells us, “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (4:14). Oftentimes, we fail to understand that life, which is described as a “vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away,” vanishes into an endless eternity. Everyone who has ever lived is alive now or will ever live, will spend eternity somewhere. That eternity will be one of two places—with Jesus and everything that is good or separated from Jesus and everything that is good. As followers of Christ, we know where and with Whom we will spend eternity. The only thing we don’t know is when we will face death. It could happen at any moment. We are all one heart beat and one breath away from eternity. Therefore, the prospect of death at any moment motivates us to live for Jesus everyday.

Another thing death causes us to do is to keep Jesus at the center of our lives. According to John Piper, it forces us to consider whether we are more in love with this world than we are in love with Jesus Himself. Does the thought of death cause us more pain because of what we may lose on this earth than it gives us joy at seeing Jesus face to face and being with Him forever? This is what Paul meant by, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). One thing God has taught me over the years is that life can be lived to the fullest because of my faith in Christ. I am free to do what He calls me to do no matter how hard or dangerous such may be. However, no matter how full and rich this life might be, it is nothing compared to what is in store for me when I see Jesus. Like Paul, I’ve come to understand this world is not my home. I have a “desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better” (Phil. 1:23). And if death is the bridge to that “very much better” eternal life, then like Paul, I don’t care how God brings it to pass, but long for that moment when I see Jesus. I believe this is the one point where most Christians fall all over themselves. We hear it in such statements as, “I want to go to heaven but I’m in no hurry to get there,” or “I want to see Jesus but there’s a lot on this earth I want to see too.” If we truly understood the glorious truth that “In Your presence is fullness of joy [and] pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11), we would all pray for God to hasten the day when we see Him face to face.

Finally, death causes us to constantly examine our priorities in life. Sometimes I think it would do us all good to spend about five minutes a day in a cemetery. Death puts it all in perspective. Are you living your life with biblical priorities in mind? Do you long to be present with the Lord even if it means being absent from the body (don’t worry; this world will get along just fine without you)? In the meantime, are you committed to living by faith until the Lord returns for His Church or calls you home? “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him” (2 Cor. 5:9).