Decisional Regeneration: The Heresy that Plagues The Modern Church.

Was just digging thru some old resources today. (instead of studying for my midterm >< I know its bad... I will study after this) And stumbled on to this.
Crosstv:





Its like a 20min history lesson on why we have so many problems today with false teachers that preach to carnally draw people in or discard the sinful nature of man. (ie. Rick Warren, Benny Hinn, Joel Olsteen, Emergent 'gospel' teachers, Social 'gospel' teachers, and etc. )

Heres one of my favorite quotes from Paul Washer on this topic.
"If you draw people using carnal means you will have to keep them by carnal means"

~ Paul Washer - Deeper Conference

A Call for Discernment Pt2

Just wanted to post some clips of me interviewing two student leaders from UCLA IV(intervarsity). They didn't want to 'debate' so I just recorded what they were willing to share. Did the hard stuff afterwards when the recorder was off.

They talked about what they believed for about a total of 30 minutes after I gave them some probe questions to see what they believe.

http://www.archive.org/details/GoodBadOrGrey

I feel like crying, the chruch lacks discernment.
Couldn't help but hear this clip repeat itself in my head.

http://www.archive.org/details/johnMacarthurdiscernmentClip

A Call for Discernment

"When evangelicals are willing to depreciate doctrine and when they're willing to set aside unpopular convictions, and when they're willing to stay silent on biblical teaching that offends people in error and sin, opposition will disappear and we could all get together. I believe that. I could start a unity movement...eliminate doctrine, set aside unpopular convictions, don't say anything that offends and we'll all get together. That isn't any surprise. But you know some other things are going to disappear too along with doctrine, like truth, conviction, discernment, righteousness, holiness, discipline, true love and spiritual maturity. They're all gone too and then God will disappear, Ichabod. That price is too high. That will produce a church victimized by hell's deceptions. "
-John MacArthur

Since the very moment I became a Christian, the first thing I realized was the lack of discernment among those who call themselves Christians. It makes one wonder when talking to them, whether they are unconverted or just very very immature in their faith. Either way I point the blame at the modern church. Their lowing view of doctrine and exalting of feelings and personal ideals in place of it.

Today I attempted to witness to someone in my Lab class. She being a very nice individual allowed me to ask her what she thought would happen after she dies. She said she was a Christian. So I began asking questions about her faith, like what do you believe, why I should believe, and how does one become a Christian. I told her I was interested in the topic of religion(a true statement, though she did not know I was a Christian yet). Her response was... all over the place, saying sin is something that separates us from God. And when I asked more about sin, I was told that there is no black and white just shades of grey. I dug and dug to see if she would call herself good or bad and whether there was repentance and trust in how she became a Christian. All I got was "I'm not good, cause I'm not perfect. But I'm not bad or evil."
I asked her if I didn't follow her faith and died, where would I go. All I heard was "I don't know, cause I haven't seen how you've lived." She wouldn't say that those not redeemed by Christ would end up in hell as the Bible clearly says.

I eventually after holding in some tears, revealed to her I was a Christian and that I was concerned with her faith. I walked her through the law to show that it isn't grey but black and white and that the law shows us we aren't good at all.
I told her "the heart is deceitfully wicked, who can know it." It just didn't seem to click, she didn't really see a difference. I eventually just shared the gospel with her by sharing my testimony and explained how God saved me with use of the law and Christ, using myself as an illustration. Being a false convert for 18 years of my life, I left her with that thought. That many that call themselves Christians my not really be saved. I plead with her to take 2 Corinthians 13:5 and to check her self with 1 John.
It also turns out she is part of IV(intervarsity) The social gospel 'christian' group that also heads up the "christian unity" group on campus that after attending one meeting(at the request of a friend) I cried over a few weeks after. They lower doctrine and theology as things that divde, making claims like God must cry when he sees us being divided over 'small' things.
Theology is not small. Theology defines how we see the character of our God, and that defines how we live.

They also make claims about how friendship EV is the only way we are to do it, or else people won't listen. That me must befriend people and wait for them to become interested and ask us questions.
What garbage, that is not loving!.(Even Penn Jillette gets it more! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM& )
They also were saying theology is useless when explaining whey there is pain and suffering in the world. And that instead of saying "The world is fallen due to sin. And that a taste of the effects of sin is allowed to spur us to repent and trust in Christ. And then use that to explain why Christ had to die."(I was actually mocked for suggesting that) to tell the person that we don't know why and to ask them do they want to suffer alone or together with someone else so they should join christiainity to suffer as a group...
That doesn't work, we can find any religion to suffer together, none other saves.

There was so much more that broke my heart, I can't help from moarning over those who saw no problem with what was taught.

This all made me think of a GTY sermon my John MacArthur.
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/52-32

I've declared war on false doctrine that like leaven poisons the whole batch.

Pray for Derek

Went witnessing with my new audio recorded. Got a chance to talk to a nice individual named Derek. When I asked him where he would go when he died he said heaven because he wasn't that bad. He says he was a Christian. So I walked him thru the law and I'll post audio up once i get a chance.

He is the guy with the hat and holding a tract that I handed to him afterward.
Pray for him.

Audio Here:

http://www.archive.org/details/2009.04.16UCLA_Derek

Ready, Set, Go Fish!

Finally got an audio recorder. Going to go out and just record my fishing encounters. I'm hoping to learn from my mistakes by listening to them afterward.
I almost got an encounter yesterday, with two nice individuals from InterVarsity that were promoting an event promoting conversation about how God cares about Social "Justice". They agreed to chat with me and my recorder and answer questions like why and what they are trying to do, but wanted to finish handing out their flyers first. They didn't come back...
These are the tracts I got with me.

Christian Men Cry

Nothing long today, think I'm a bit dehydrated from the day before...

After watching Fireproof yesterday, I find it hard to believe that someone who is a Christian can not cry or at the least be very moved by the film. The rejection and declaration of "I do not love you" is an inadequate representation of our behavior towards God. And despite that he remains faithful. That alone should bring a Christian who has a slight grasp of his unworthiness/sinfulness to break out in tears. How can someone continue to love someone even though it continues to respect and reject him. Trying to grasp the greatness of God's love moved me to tears as I saw my sins and the blessings from him I ignore and complain about.

Its been a long while since I've cried like that. Out of joy and gratitude for His overflowing love or out of hate and disgust of my own sins.

Everyone should go watch this film, because of its clear presentation of the gospel it has the power to change your life. Bring friends with relationship problems and your unsaved friends.


Just my thoughts(they mean nothing much, just somethings I thought of... don't build a church on them) I've come to realize something... Before being saved I rarely cried. Now that I'm saved there are a lot of things that can make me cry. Might be because not crying is part of being cool and now that I now know being cool and being a Christian don't really work together. (Not saying you should make your decision based on emotions... Feelings are just that feelings.)

From Seeker Sensitive Squish Bomb to Christ Centered Fellowship

What better way to finally start my blog with the start of the school year.

From Seeker Sensitive Squish bomb to Christ Centered fellowship… that basically sums up my first week of my 2nd year at UCLA. The week began with me deciding to "fellowship hop", which is when students (most often first years) decide to go get a sample of the fellowships available at the school. The large variety of acronyms such as AACF, GOC, CCC, KCC, CCA, CS, ICA, IV, and so on is often overwhelming for most.

I had gone through a few the year before and had settled with 1.5 fellowships(due to schedule conflicts) being AACF(Asian American Christian Fellowship) and GOC(Grace On Campus) when every so often when I had the chance.
There however were a few groups I had refused to touch due to the result of researching the groups such as the social gospel(IV) and the man centered gospel groups(CCC).


CCC
This year though, I decided to go to CCC, with my guard up, and see how they sway freshmen to join their ranks. They welcomed me to their gathering with open arms and smiles. Their hospitality was as I had expected and I began making conversation with as many individuals as I could. I asked the freshmen that I encountered which other fellowships had they looked into so far, most responded with IV, and ICA. A few heard of GOC but responded with notions of preaching that was extreme. Then the welcome meeting began with music that had shallow lyrics, you know the typical evangelical worship songs. When the singing subsided they introduced a second year and something called a freshimony (a testimony of a former freshmen). It started off much like my own testimony, grew up in a professing family and raised in the church. After that is when our stories differ, he began saying how he had been a Christian since childhood but never felt that he belonged that was missing something. He continued on by saying how after getting involved with CCC he now feels that he belongs and is feeling closer to God. Hearing feeling after feeling I couldn't help from praying for this young man that is lead by mere feelings and for the unsaved following his call looking for the something missing. There was no gospel, no repentance, to faith, not even the poorly worded accept Jesus in your heart. I was heartbreaking to see the smiling faces of those who know they are not right with God but will now most likely follow in his path of without the gospel.
Things then got worst with the pastor/leader of the group coming out, there was slight hope he would now preach the gospel since the testimony as lacking but he simply introduced himself. He made have mentioned something about a plan for your life which you needed Jesus for, by this time I was busy fighting myself from storming out of the place. I reminded myself of the freshmen who have only been in college for a day or two now. "I have to do something, I have to do something." repeated in my mind. I had barely had time to regain my composure when cheering began as the staff began handing out blue little sheets of paper. The paper asked for contact info and also was a raffle ticket for... you guessed a nintendo wii!!...
I might have been in less despair if had had seen the add for the event before coming(See Below). As people handed in their tickets I placed the blue sheet handed to me under my seat, I would have no part in this marketing scheme. I cried out in a desperate prayer for the Lord to save the lost around me. After drawing a winner they organized the people there based on their living quarters. The words in my mind returned. "I have to do something." I just began telling everyone that was willing to talk that we should all go check out GOC too before picking a fellowship. I wanted to preach the gospel and the error of this group but knew i would be asked to leave. So I continued to encourage all the freshmen I introduced myself to go to the GOC first meeting. I told them of the good things I "heard" of them and just prayed that they will hear the gospel there.
Eventually I became wary, my heart was heavy with thought and my body tired from the time. As I headed out, someone called my name, it was an old acquaintance. I was unaware of their profession until then. As we talked I became aware he had been a member of this group for a year now and was encouraging me to join. My heart grew heavier then before, I just wanted to leave. As I returned to my bed I felt helpless, powerless to do a thing. I quickly was reminded of the work of salvation, of Christ doing all the work. I only had to preach the gospel and let Jesus do the work. That was all I had to do and I still utterly failed. I vow to glorify God the next time I meet the acquaintance by using the mirror of the law and have him examine himself and his profession of faith. Now I'm just praying for everyone one that is under the bad teaching and for another chance to witness to them.

GOC
There was a change of pace when on the next night I went to the GOC fellowship. The lyrics had theology, the testimonies were simply called testimonies and contained realization of false assurance and their sinful nature that resulted in the need for Jesus Christ(one bad thing is one student used the lingo accept Christ, even though its Christ doing the accepting and not us, knew what he meant though). A sermon was preached on Matt 7 about the wise and unwise builders, asking the listeners to examine themselves to see if they were truly in the faith and not false converts. Little can be said, it was the best possible type of sermon possible for their first meeting for many will not be returning for the rest of the year but at least now they have heard the gospel of repentance and belief in Jesus Christ.