To answer this question it is imperative to remember that "gospel" means "good news."
So when we hear evangelists preaching the gospel we expect to be hearing them announcing or explaining good news.
That is a given, surely.
I guess that's why we see the gospel described in the Scriptures as "the gospel of the grace of God" and "the gospel of Jesus Christ" and "the gospel of the kingdom of God" and "the gospel of peace" and "the gospel of the glory of Christ."
I can't find anywhere anything like "the gospel of the wrath of God" or "the gospel of everlasting torment."
How absurd to suggest that either of these could be associated with the word "gospel."
Yet how many times do we hear wrath and everlasting torment masquerading as gospel preaching in our churches and on our television screens?
How different is this from Paul's statement in Romans 10:15 ?
As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!” [NKJV]
The gospel is glad tidings of good things.
It is the good news that through Jesus God has reconciled us to himself - he is at peace with us.
God loves us and is on our side.
God holds nothing against us - any of us - whether we know it or not, whether we believe it or not, whether we appreciate it or not.
What God has done through Jesus does not depend on us in any way.
It is totally his decision, his work.
Now that's good news; that's the gospel; that's what God calls us to preach.
And the Christmas season is a great time to preach it - to explain to people the mission of the babe in the manger.
Blessings, Barry
It's a month since I last posted about this, so I should keep you up to date.
(Actually it's a month since I posted about anything. But I warned you that the rest of this year would be pretty thin pickings ..... )
We have been attending the church I mentioned for six or seven weeks now and getting to know a growing number of the congregation.
The church is warm and friendly and we have been made very welcome.
One box ticked.
Within the church there is a wide range of views and opinions - moral, social and theological - but nobody seems to be side-lined because of the differences.
I feel that we could say whatever we think about almost anything without being ostracised or asked to shut up.
This is so refreshing, and suits me really well. Mature, unemotional discussion of different views on Biblical topics is not encouraged in many churches, especially in those that were "established" to promote or defend a particular doctrinal position or practice.
Indeed if all churches were like this one in this regard we wouldn't need a new church or a new denomination for every different thought or opinion that exists or emerges.
As you know "churchianity" is not my game, so I am pretty fussy when it comes to finding a group of Christians (a church) with whom I can worship and serve God comfortably and freely, and who will accept people who hold different points of view (that can be substantiated from Scripture).
Another box ticked.
I caught up with the minister for a chat at the church manse yesterday.
He is a very different person to me. Indeed, I have not served with another quite like him nor been pastored by one like him.
He announced to the church last Sunday that he was a universalist (and no-one seemed to blink) and that the "coming of Jesus" is more a series of comings of Jesus, some past, some present, some future.
So as different as we are, we are clearly on the same page in many things.
He is a wonderful man of God who will stretch me in new areas and wrestle with me in old ones.
Another box ticked.
The church is also very different to any we have been associated with previously.
It's a liturgical church, bases its corporate life on a common lectionary which celebrates the "standard" church seasons, and has a strong 'social justice' emphasis and a multitude of active connections with the local community.
Those who know our Christian and church history will be wondering how we ever came to be even considering a church like this, led by a minister such as this, but we are sensing that God is moving us into a church family that will love us and teach and challenge us in fresh ways that will round out our preparation for service in the kingdom.
Another box ticked.
Will post again in a week or so when we take the final step and "apply" to belong.
Blessings, Barry
Back in February I posted "Can You Recommend a Good Church?" in this blog.
I described a good church, or a church that would be attractive to me, as one that believes and proclaims that God is the Creator and Saviour of the world, and that is preparing believers to be co-rulers with Christ in the Kingdom of God.
That shouldn't have been too big an ask, but it was beginning to look an impossible task until very recently.
I'm not saying too much just yet, but ..... we may be on the verge of finding a church home within mainstream christianity.
No names, no commitment, no final decisions just yet.
But in the last two weeks we have uncovered a distinct possibility.
Here is a one-liner from the service last Sunday.
"See how God loves us!
God loves us enough to swallow up death forever."
Here is another from the Communion service.
"We have come to share in Jesus' kingdom meal.
We eat and drink in anticipation of that great day when we with all people will eat and drink in the Kingdom of God."
And one of the main Bible readings for the day was Isaiah 25 : 6 - 9, one of my favourites.
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people's disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.
In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
I haven't talked to anyone at the church about this yet, but it certainly shows some promise, doesn't it?
I have also attended one of its weekly Bible studies, which was not deep, but very enjoyable.
Here's the Golden Rule for the group.
"Agree if possible, disagree in an atmosphere of respect for the other person, and always listen carefully and thoughtfully to your fellow Bible student."
Wow, what a difference in tone from my other church experiences since retirement, where I've been told not to express any views that differed from the church's published views as that would cause confusion and division, and would undermine the leadership.
(Undermining the Bible didn't seem to cause the same sort of problem.)
Anyway, there's a ray of hope in this town that we'll continue to explore. I am beginning to look forward to "going to church" again.
Keep you posted.
Blessings, Barry
I continue to be amazed at the accusation of heresy levelled against me by leaders and others in the mainstream church.
I think God is love and therefore loves all of his creation, yet I'm the heretic.
I think God is more powerful than those he has created, yet I'm the heretic.
I think God's free will is more likely to be achieved than man's "free" will, yet I'm the heretic.
I believe Paul when he told Timothy that God is the saviour of the world, not just believers, yet I'm the heretic.
I think Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, not just those who accept him in their lifetime on this planet, yet I'm the heretic.
I believe Jesus when he said he would draw all people to himself, yet I'm the heretic.
I believe the Bible when it says that at the completion of the ages God will bring everyone in the heavens and on earth together under the headship of Christ, yet I'm the heretic.
So you can see why I was delighted to find this definition of heresy.
"Heresy" is often nothing more than the rejection of widely held error.
Isn't that something?
I'm a heretic, and proud of it.
Blessings, Barry
Bishop Carlton Pearson is a charismatic Christian leader in the US with an interesting history, and perhaps a more interesting future.
As well as normal "bishop" duties, he's had over 30 years of national media exposure.
Below he tells of his discovery of universal reconciliation, which I thought was worth sharing with you.
Enjoy.
" ..... in the midst of all my work and my unmitigated commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and my life’s dedication to the ministry of His great Gospel, I have come to a most liberating and encouraging realization, both through Scripture and personal revelation.
"This revelation was put best in words, while I was hosting a live national Christian television program and my guest was the great Missionary Evangelist, T.L. Osborn.
"In the course of this interview with one of the greatest soul winners of the 20th century, he blurts out a statement that burned into my spirit in a way no other single statement has, in my over 45 years as a born-again Christian.
"The statement was: 'The world is already saved, they just don’t know it!'
"According to my subsequent studies of Scriptures to verify this statement as a true and a most powerful and inspiring revelation, I had to face the fact that, not only does the world not know it, but, most of the Evangelical church doesn’t believe it, and therein lies the greatest deception the enemy has ever convinced the world of, second only to his success at deceiving Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. "
Pearson has now been rejected by mainstream Christian leadership and declared a modern-day heretic for questioning the traditional church doctrine that promotes a loving God who sentences billions of people to an eternal hell for not becoming Christians.
God has obviously got a different role for Bishop Pearson in the future than what we saw in his previous years of conventional and entertainment-style ministry.
Blessings, Barry
Hi Glenn
Thanks for your question. It has given me a great day today.
I had never even thought about such a question before you asked it last night.
I have previously considered and made decisions about the lesser question -
why can't people, especially church leaders, see what God is going to do for all mankind?
- but I have never considered why they are so hostile to the plan.
Why is God's plan to save all so abhorrent to most Christians, and especially to church leaders?
So ...... I have spent much of the day waiting on God, in prayer and in His Word.
I've had a wonderful day.
I won't go into any of the details of my journey through the day, but simply say that I believe "God's plan to restore all" challenges mankind's real god at the deepest level.
Most of mankind's real god is self, and their most prized possession is their free will.
This is true of most Christians as well.
Man prides himself on his right and ability to make his own decisions as a free agent, as do most Christians.
Most Christians are proud of their decision to choose Christ, to be saved, to become a disciple, to join the church, or whatever.
I became a Christian when I .....
I was saved when I .......
I was appointed a church elder or board member when I ........
I led this person or that person to Christ when I .......
And on it goes.
They believe their wise and/or clever choices have given them "rightly deserved" advantages over those who haven't been so wise or clever, and they should get the credit for that.
When the idea that it is God who chooses who and how many will be saved, and when and how that will happen, most Christians, and particularly church leaders, are threatened to the core.
Things aren't under their control as they thought and they can no longer take credit for the good things they have done.
Their choice to invite Christ into their hearts or to enter the ministry or to accept the appointment or position they now have is no longer considered to be their doing.
Self, their god, has been brutally challenged and dethroned - and they want none of it.
Don't talk about it. Don't even think about it. It's heresy. It's dangerous. It will get you into trouble. Don't associate with people who talk like that.
They will happily preach on the sovereignty of God, as long as you don't take it to extremes or suggest it applies to everything and everyone.
For them, God is a lesser sovereign than self.
For them, God's plan for salvation only works when we agree to it.
And if you suggest that we might not have the final word on this, look out.
The second chapter of my book is on the sovereignty of God.
That should guarantee it will never be recommended to those in mainstream churches.
Blessings, Barry
Found this poster on an atheist website today. The URL for the poster was:
http://www.thinkatheist.com/photo/satan-more-powerful-than-god?
The text of the poster says,
“Why Satan is more powerful than God.
Because of original sin you will go to hell.
However God desires that all men be saved.
In effort to save many from death and hell God spent several thousand years developing a plan.
This plan involved a miraculous birth, 33 year life, and horrific death of His Son.
But this plan of salvation only provides salvation for a lucky fraction of all mankind who hear and believe.
All of this in an attempt to undo what Satan accomplished with a single conversation…and it isn’t working.
Christians actually believe this !!
They believe that Satan is either much more powerful or much more intelligent than God.”
Atheists can see how stupid the mainstream Christian view is, even though mainstream Christians can't. Fancy calling that Good News and being able to keep a straight face !!
Barry
