If God prepared our eternal destiny before creation, how should we treat others?

 

2 Corinthians 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

 

Eternal tabernacle

If we have a tabernacle, which was prepared before creation, eternal in the heavens, and we will one day put off our earthly tabernacle and put on an eternal, heavenly tabernacle, then we can declare that before God created our earthly tabernacle, He prepared our eternal, heavenly tabernacle. It can also be said, that before He spoke all things into existence and breathed life into the nostrils of Adam’s earthly tabernacle, He had reserved, in eternity, all the eternal tabernacles destined for His sons and daughters whom He knew would respond to His call to be reconciled unto Him through Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:17-6:2, Romans 8:28-30.

 

This in no way is meant to suggest that any particular man or woman is predestined by God to eternal life or eternal destruction. On the contrary, what was predestined was the plan that God Himself, in Jesus Christ, would take on the nature of His own creation and reconcile His created likeness and image unto Himself through His personal sacrifice. The elect of God living among mankind are the one’s who enter into God’s eternal destiny as His sons via the new birth, which results from their believing in the gospel, repenting of their sins, confessing Jesus is the Christ and being immersed into Him who is the Divine Son of Man and Son of God; the firstfruits of all creation, (Romans 6:2-4, Colossians 2:11-12, Galatians 3:27, I Corinthians 15:20-28). Those who choose not to enter by new birth, though still the offspring of God and eternal, will not be welcomed into His realm, but will be cast forth into outer darkness, Matthew 25:30,46. This is not the desire of the Father, but results from the willfulness of the individual refusing to accept God’s free gift of eternal life in His Son, Romans 6:23.

 

Creation

Acts 17:24-31, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’. Therefore since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

 

Creation occurred when God spoke into existence the elements of the earth and Christ set them together in Himself (Col 1:15-17) after which the Holy Spirit moved upon them to fashion their form; all of which was well pleasing unto the Father. And when the fashioning was complete God, from whom the elements originated, took a portion thereof and formed the first man. Then, after breathing His breath into the man’s inanimate form, raised him up and made him to live in His very image and likeness and allocated to him the responsibility of reigning over all that had emerged from within Himself when He spoke it into existence, Genesis 1:26-28.

 

The sons of Adam

 

All mankind emerged from Adam who, in turn, emerged from God. Adam was brought to life by the eternal Father’s word and breath and existed to exhibited the Father’s very image and likeness. This resulted in all mankind harboring within them the very essence of the living God from whom they were also birthed through their father Adam. Thus, all mankind is the offspring of God and partake of His very essence and nature, Acts 17:29. 

 

Mankind’s eternal destiny preceded their physical existence

 

In addition to mankind’s physical birth into the realm of created time, mankind’s timeless, heavenly destiny as sons of God in Christ precedes created time, Ephesians 1:3-14. Mankind’s heavenly destiny existed before their earthly father Adam’s tabernacle was given life and before sin erupted in heaven prior to entering created time and separating God’s original offspring from their Heavenly Father.

 

The outcomes that follow being born again

 

This thesis, that God prepared our eternal destiny before He created us out of His very own essence and personally took on our created form and lived among us, illumines our need to be compassionate and loving, not only toward God’s elect but also toward the remainder of mankind, regardless of their race or physical appearance, because they too emerged from the same eternal Father. Both the converted and the unconverted have emerged from God with eternity written on their hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11) and all harbor the very essence of their eternal Father in an earthly tabernacle. Thus, when we, God’s elect, are compassionate and love others, we love our Father because they are made in His image and His essence resides in them, Matthew 9:36 & 25:40.

 

In the light of this, the teaching in Matthew 25:31-46 can be appreciated and eagerly embraced, along with hundreds of other passages which teach us to love all mankind unreservedly just as God loves them and, beyond that, we can also wholeheartedly, embrace all the scriptures that teach us to keep ourselves from sin, James 1:27; 1 John chapters 1-5.

 

Blessings

Bob Chapman MA

How to DEVASTATE political correctness!

 

The Canadian government seems to be at the forefront of the satanic political correctness movement. Other governments around the world are also gearing up to be as aggressive as the Canadians and also enforce their ungodly agenda on Christ’s disciples.

 

Well, I believe there is one surefire way to defeat them!

 

Years ago I received a letter from a distraught preacher. In his letter he described how he and the elders were being sued by an adulterous believer who was a member of their assembly. The woman was openly committing adultery with a prominent community leader in the town, yet still attending worship and blatantly refusing to repent when challenged by the preacher and the elders according to the scriptural instructions of Jesus, Matthew 18:15-17.

 

When the elders publicly announced to the congregation, while she was present, that the congregation was withdrawing fellowship from her, she sued the preacher and the elders for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was this woman’s legal action that resulted in my receiving the letter, which not only explained the situation but asked for a contribution to help pay for the legal costs the congregation anticipated.

 

I replied to their request in the following way. “Why pay her one penny? Why even bother engaging legal counsel to defend the case? Are you not all the Body of Christ and as one Body are you not all liable for withdrawing fellowship from her until she repents of her public adultery? Therefore, why not advise her lawyers that they will have to summons all the members of the congregation as you all agreed with the decision of the elders and corporately withdrew fellowship from this adulterous woman. Also inform them that you will all continue to abstain from fellowshipping with her until she repents of her open and public display of adultery, 1Cor. 5.

 

Well, they didn’t like my advice. Instead, they went to court, lost the case and had to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars more than they anticipated in order to pay compensation to the woman, her lawyers, and their own legal costs. Had all three hundred or more of them presented themselves for summonsing what a stir it would have made in the media and what prosecutor or judge would have proceeded to prosecute a whole congregation and seek to throw them in prison because they refused to capitulate on the truth of God’s Word about the sinful state of mankind and their need to repent as commanded by the Lord, Acts 17:30?

 

I am still of this persuasion and advocate that no preacher, eldership etc, should ever have to stand alone in regard to these matters as they are members corporately of the Body of Christ (1Cor. 12:12-31). Whole assemblies of disciples in any location must stand with their preachers, teachers and elders etc., who uncompromisingly preach or write about the truth of God’s Word; regardless of the consequences!

 

Let us not take any more of this Satanic political correctness against the Body of Christ. Let us all stand up as the Body of Christ when any disciple in our local assembly is threatened or summoned for preaching or teaching or writing about the Biblically denounced sins of this present age!

 

Let the authorities know that if they summons or arrest one disciple, then they have to summons or arrest the whole local assembly of disciples who live and act as one in the kingdom of God; regardless of the outcomes!

 

Blessings

Bob Chapman MA

 

Be discerning — be very, very discerning!

 

 

I am yet to read in the New Testament where uncompromising proclamation of the Word of God, whether accompanied by confirming signs and wonders or not, resulted in exoneration of the proclaimer. Rather, it appears to have resulted in the very opposite.

 

I am yet to read in the New Testament where governments rose up against Christians because they were offended by their preaching. Rather, it appears that persecution against the kingdom of God resulted when the religious incited government authorities to persecute the disciples because they were offended by the preaching.

 

Also I am yet to read in the New Testament where Jesus embraced popularity. Rather, He shunned it and regularly offended all who heard Him preach; including the disciples, John 6:61.

 

Popularity does not appear to be of God! It appears more likely to be of the flesh!

 

Was it not Jesus who said, “And you shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved”? And was it not Jesus who also said, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you”. And again, “I have given them your word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”. (Matt. 10:22, John 15:18-19, 17:14).

 

I am always concerned when I see popularity in Christendom. It makes me wonder if the Word of God is being preached in its entirety or even at all. When it is being preached uncompromisingly it offends both non-believers and believers. This is precisely what happened during Jesus’ ministry as recorded in John 6. The record begins with a multitude following Jesus and Him feeding them miraculously and their proclaiming Him to be a prophet. But, it concludes with all who heard His challenging message departing from Him because His words were too hard for them to receive. Why, even the disciples contemplated leaving Him after His message, so He challenged them by asking, “…does this offend you?”

 

What caused such desertion among the followers? It was the Prophet’s challenge to repent and change if they wanted eternal life. It was the call for total commitment. Jesus said that unless they ate His flesh and drank His blood they had no part in Him. In other words, unless that were totally committed and sustained by Jesus and all the words He taught, they would have no true life in themselves.

 

So what did the disciples choose when He challenged them? Eternal life in Him of course and all that accompanied that choice while they remained on the earth, John 6:66-71. And what accompanied that choice was not popularity but persecution whenever and wherever they preached. Yes, signs and wonders occurred and crowds gathered when they preached, but it was not long before such crowd gathering resulted in the preachers being imprisoned or run out of town. Why? Well, even though the accompanying signs and wonders drew attention to them, their cry for repentance offended the hearers.

 

Thus, popularity in Christendom or in the world coming to those who proclaim the Word of God concerns me greatly. New Testament preaching was simple, but offended all who heard it. John the Baptist preached repentance for the kingdom of God was coming and lost his head for it. Jesus preached repentance for the kingdom of God was coming and was crucified for it. The apostles preached repentance for the kingdom of God has come and suffered persecution and death for it.

 

Yet, today, the message of repentance is hardly heard and the result is – popularity with the world because it is not being offended and popular pilgrimages by believers to anywhere in the world, regardless of the cost, to get “something” from the “latest movement” in Christendom. Why not stay home, give the cost of the trip to the poor, repent and cry out, “Lord, here I am; use me in this place or wherever you determine regardless of the consequences!” Such was the heart of the unpopular prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 6:6-13.

 

John the Baptist, Jesus the Messiah and the Apostles all avoided popularity. And it was Jesus who declared, “Woe to you when everyone speaks fairly and handsomely of you and praises you, for even so their forefathers did to the false prophets”, Luke 6:26.

 

Let us be discerning – very, very discerning about what is presently “on offer” in Christendom.

 

Blessings

Bob Chapman MA  

 

First, bind the “strongman” of Islam!

 

Jesus said that unless we first bind the strongman we cannot spoil his house, Matthew 12:29. It is time Jesus Christ’s disciples were convinced this is true and acted on it with regard to Islam.

 

We are not ignorant of the demonic “strongman” heading up the move of Islam throughout the world; particularly in Europe. He is identified in Daniel 10:13 as “the prince of the kingdom of Persia”.

 

If Christ has all authority and power in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:20-21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12) and Christ’s disciples have been granted all authority in His name, then surely it’s time we acted like it and bound this “strongman” in the name of Jesus? I personally have begun praying for the binding of this “strongman” of Islam. I have also begun praying for the conversion of the princes of Saudi Arabia; a powerful citadel of this satanic “strongman”.

 

Yes, we can become angry with the spread of Islam and even believe we are justified in the worldly call for military destruction of the nations controlled by this demonic “strongman”, but that will never glorify Jesus Christ; it will merely result in millions of lost souls heading to hell.

 

As it is God’s desire for all mankind to be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ and come to a knowledge of the truth (1Timothy 2:4), it is therefore our responsibility to pray for the salvation of these Islamic nations and be prepared to go and preach the gospel when an effectual door is opened by Jesus for us, Romans 1:16-17, Colossians 4:3, 1Corinthians 16:9, 2Corinthians 2:12.

 

In the first instance though, let us all increase our prayers for these Muslim nations and especially for the conversion of the princes of the principality of Saudi Arabia; a powerful citadel of the “strongman”. Let us pray night and day for the Holy Spirit to convict these men of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8), for in their conversion this powerful citadel will be removed and the “strongman’s” influence diminished substantially.

 

Blessings

Bob Chapman MA

 

A FREE e-novel is available

Listed on my Blogroll is a free e-novel. The first chapter is posted.

Bob

Trojan horses stand proud in Europe

 

While praying for Europe early this morning and especially for Eastern Italy and those to be caught up in a devastation in that area, I saw a vision of thousands of Trojan horses standing proud and readied for war.

 

Those horses were located in strategic places in every European country and, as in the Trojan historical account; the inhabitants of those countries were sleeping. Suddenly crazed warriors emerged from the Trojan horses and fires broke out in shops and homes as the enraged hoards rampaged through towns and neighbourhoods. The destruction raged first through the UK and then Northern Europe. Great fear and bewilderment fell on the inhabitants of those lands. They stood transfixed, mouths open and minds racing; they just couldn’t comprehend what they were witnessing. “How could these we have given worldly hope and refuge to rise up against us and destroy the Western lifestyle we’ve welcomed them into?” they asked one another. “How can they mercilessly slaughter those who do not give glory to their religion and prophet?”

 

Despite the horror of this vision we must remember that God has in the past allowed such wickedness loose for a season, but He always has a remnant of faithful believers among the nations. Despite this, no deliverance comes to that nation if the sons of God are not the first to fall on their faces, repent and cry out to God day and night in order to be filled, led, empowered and anointed with His Spirit so they can overcome the enemy of God’s kingdom through Christ’s power in them (Colossians 2).

 

In the light of today’s move by Satan to attempt to destroy God’s Kingdom upon the earth through Islam, the devastation facing Europe will not be reduced or quenched unless Christ’s disciples get serious about God’s kingdom business right now. God’s kingdom business is solely the saving of souls (Luke 19:10); not the worship formats so favoured among many believers today. Also we must not ignore the fact that most Western governments, at local and federal levels, are currently passing legislation at blinding speed in order to bind up the conversion activities of Christ’s disciples.

 

Church-goers – the worldly influenced, worship focused, Sunday services are over; fervent prayer and bold witnessing must again be paramount in disciples’ lives, even on Sundays in their neighbourhoods! If it is, then true worship will emerge at night from the results of such bold witnessing during the day (Acts 4). It will not emerge from repetitive, worship focused meetings from 10am-12 noon on Sundays only.

 

What was Jesus’ focus? Jesus was emphatic about saving souls; that was His God given mandate and His first priority and He warned in John 9:4 that the time to do it was limited. Truly, there will be plenty of time to worship in heaven, but right now heaven is only rejoicing when souls are saved (Luke 15:10), not when two hours of programmed activities are convened once a week to conjure up feel good worldly “worship”!    

 

The outcomes in Europe have implications for all Western nations. Europe will be engulf in the very nucleus of this Islamic attempt through its planted cells of faithful martyrs to overwhelm the West from within, but the repercussions will race like a tsunami across the remainder of the world. If therefore the remnant of disciples in the remainder of the world will truly cry out to God and seek to be filled, led, empower and anointed with His Spirit in order to seek and save the lost, those nations will also be spared much sorrow and many lost will be saved.

 

We are foolish if we think the Father is so pleased with our worship orientated, Sunday gatherings rather than our discipleship making of the lost that He will not fulfill in us individually and corporately what Peter wrote below…

 

I Peter 4:12-19, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and sinner appear? 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”           

 

Blessings

Bob Chapman MA

 

When persecution of Western believers begins — what then?

I don’t want to distract from the seriousness of the state of affairs in Nigeria with regard to Christians and Muslims as reported in the article below, but there is one point in the article that intrigues me because I have been wondering about it for years.

The statement from the article below that intrigues me is: “…and that his congregation had shrunk to 40 people from the 130 who attended before the attack.”

During the past 40 years, while teaching and preaching, I have often asked this question, “What effect would real persecution have on Western believers today?”

In this article from Nigeria I have at least one answer to my question.

In reality, it can be said that what would really shake Islam in any corner of the world, would be the resilience of Christ’s disciples in the face of persecution.

When the disciples were persecuted in the first century their numbers grew rather than decrease because they were disciples and not mere worship/entertainment focused church members. The first century disciples had found the pearl of great price and even in the face of death they refused to cast it aside.

In China today, persecution is enlarging the kingdom of God because they are making disciples and not church members. This is despite the fact that converts know before they become disciples that their faith in Christ could result in their imprisonment. Disciples in China are imprisoned when they are caught preaching or evangelizing or merely worshipping outside of the government approved venues with their hireling priests.

So what will happen in the West when persecution comes? One can only believe that a remnant will be all that will uphold the faith. 

We must realize that Islam and all other anti-Christian movements will only be overcome when disciples preach the Word of God regardless of personal cost.

Let us pray for the remnant of faithful disciples in Nigeria as we await the persecution that is coming to our neighbourhood in the not too distant future.

 

Rescue of Girls in Nigeria Ignites Islamic Rampage

Six churches gutted after recovery of Christians teenagers from Muslim kidnappers. By Obed Minchakpu

from COMPASS DIRECT NEWS

News from the Frontlines of Persecution

Summary:

NINGI, Nigeria, May 19 (Compass Direct News) – Islamists under the auspices of a paramilitary force last week destroyed six churches to protest a police rescue of two teenage Christian girls kidnapped by Muslims in this Bauchi state town. Police recovered the two Christian girls, Mary Chikwodi Okoye, 15, and Uche Edward, 14, on May 12 after Muslims in Ningi kidnapped them three weeks ago in an attempt to expand Islam by marrying them to Muslim men. Police took the two girls, who had been under foster care, to safety in southeastern Nigeria where their biological parents live. The kidnappers had taken the girls to Wudil town in Kano state. Following the rescue of the girls, Muslims under the Hisbah Command, a paramilitary arm of Kano state’s Sharia Commission, went on a rampage on Tuesday (May 13), attacking Christians and setting fire to the churches. Joseph Abdu, pastor of the Deeper Life church, told Compass that damages to his church property amounted to about 13 million naira (US$112,857) – and that his congregation had shrunk to 40 people from the 130 who attended before the attack. Muslims have kidnapped at least 13 Christian girls in the town, Christian sources said.

Bob Chapman MA

 

 

 

Churches — release your preachers!

 

As a Bible College Lecturer I am often asked by students, “What is the “job” description of a preacher/pastor/minister?” In the first instance I tell the enquirer that no preacher has a “job”. Preaching is supposed to be their life. In the second instance I refer them to the example of the apostles’ dedication as recorded in Acts 6. I also point out that preachers are suppose to minister “to” the Lord, not “for” the Lord, Acts 13:2; Matthew 25:31-45.

 

Acts 6:2-4, “So the twelve (apostles) convened the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not seemly or desirable or right that we should have to give up or neglect [preaching] the Word of God in order to attend to serving at tables and superintending the distribution of food. 3. Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the (Holy) Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty. 4. But we will continue to devote ourselves steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of the Word. {Amplified Version}

 

Why do I refer students and church leaders to Acts 6:2-4? Well many churches are misinformed about what preacher or, as some call them, pastors, ministers, priests and vicars, are supposed to be doing. It would appear from the Book of Acts that preachers, as we define them today, didn’t exist in the first century. There were those who preached at gatherings and in the streets, but they appear to have come from among those appointed or called of the Lord to evangelize, console, edify, comfort and educate the Body of Christ, (Ephesians 4:11-16). They were not employed as “clergy” as we see in most charismatic and non-charismatic denominations today. And unfortunately these “clergorized” preachers/pastors/ministers etc, are not encouraged to be solely dedicated to prayer and the study of God’s Word so as to thoroughly divide it among disciples and proclaim it to non-believers.

 

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:12 that his belief in Christ was the catalyst for his preaching. It was not income, prestige or a successful career choice in a mega or small church that drove him to preach. His ministry testimony of 2 Corinthians 11 negates such carnality. Only convinced, convicted disciples truly preach, knowing full well that they could suffer and die for their faith just as Paul did? Carnal preachers merely orate. Where are such convinced, convicted preachers in Western Christendom today? There aren’t too many I’m afraid but they sure are needed in these, darkening days of demonic assault against God’s Kingdom.

 

It would appear from early church history that preachers sought to be filled with the Holy Spirit continually and preached day and night after emerging from dedicated prayer and study of the Word of God. While others, such as elders and deacons, were continually filled with the Holy Spirit and charismatically gifted so as to administrated the affairs of the Body of Christ in their location, (Romans 12:3-8; 1Corinthians 12:28-30). This is seldom the case today.

 

What we see today is business structured churches with “spiritual” CEOs and numerous staff fulfilling job descriptions instituted by programme orientated church board members, not the Holy Spirit as was the case in Acts 13:2-4. In smaller gatherings we have clergy who are expected to do everything and usually prayer and study of the Word of God is not included among the board approved, activities for “working hours”. No wonder the kingdom of God is not gaining ground in this lost, sinful world – God’s preachers are not allowed time to pray and study the Word of God more often than any other activity they engage in.

 

Churches – it is time the disciples among you worked together as the real Kingdom of God upon the earth and began to pitch in and fulfilled your God appointed roles in Christ’s Body and release the preachers among you from all those unnecessary, worldly activities you expect of them so that they can pray, study the Word of God, minister to the Lord and preach day in and day out to a lost world. They don’t need to be occupied fulfilling manmade “job descriptions” formulated by church business committees, church boards or groups of business or academic professionals in the congregation. Rather, they need to be hearing from the Lord while praying and studying His Word. Then they will know when to preach, what to preach, and when and how to minister to the Body of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Evangelism of the lost and the equipping of the saints is the life call of preachers/pastors/ministers; anything more than that is not their call. And until preachers preach, pastors (elders) pastor, evangelists evangelize, teachers teach, apostles go forth, and prophets prophecy etc, the world will never recognize the kingdom of God and will continue to be deluded into thinking the “clergorized church”, as witnessed by the world for the last 1700 years, is what Christianity is all about.

 

Charismatic and non-charismatic denominations must abandon the satanic bondage of the seventeen hundred year old “clergy” system they have embraced and release their preachers to hear the Holy Spirit’s leading when they pray and study and then they will be empowered to evangelize their towns, cities, nations and effectively exhort, edify and console the disciples they make.

 

Blessings

Bob Chapman MA

Should disciples accept ungodly government legislation?

It would appear that we are too quick to forget the ancient and the immediate past when it comes to taking a stand for the kingdom of God. In my recent article (Enough is Enough) I made mention of the ungodly state of Western nations and the subtle, insidious encroachment of political correctness against the kingdom of God in those nations and how it should be opposed. To my surprise, there were some believers who asked to be removed from my mailing list and some who could not support the notion of Christians upholding the teachings of God’s kingdom regardless of  the challenges governments and minority groups could bring against them because of their fundamental belief and uncompromising faith in the Bible.

 

We must not forget the many martyrs of the past one hundred years who have stood against the blatant anti-Christian movements that have occurred in so many countries. These movements, such as atheistic communism, socialism, despotism, etc, are still with us today. These movements, though threatening to disciples, are not as dangerous as the movements that are currently underway in so called Western Christian nations. If the movements of political correctness, compromising tolerance and the redefining of sin continue without profound opposition from Christ’s disciples, they will soon overwhelm us both politically and ecumenically.

 

Surely it is time Christ’s true disciples began a concerted, uncompromising, powerful effort to oppose political correctness in churches and in governments? It is an affront to me as a disciple of Christ to be lumped in with Christendom’s “Christian representatives” by the media when a little bit of Biblical research would reveal to journalists that the so-called “Christian representatives” are not always aligned with the Bible’s description of Christ’s ambassadors, II Cor. 5:17-21. If we are going to wait for Christendom’s major denominations and their representatives to make a definitive stand against political correctness and its satanic intent, we are deluded.

 

Governments must be made aware that the true disciples of God’s kingdom are a force to be reckoned with; a force that will not compromise the inspired Word of God to be anxious to retain their comfortable existence in today’s Western society. Our martyred brothers and sisters of the last 100 years gave up all and opposed blatant moves of Satan through the governmental instruments of atheistic communism, socialism and despotism even unto death. How can we think we are exempt from a similar call of God to oppose the political correctness that is compromising the gospel message today? We are not exempt from His call to take a stand against such compromise!

 

To begin with, let’s return to preaching the simple message of the first century church; “Repent or perish!” John the Baptist preached it. Jesus preached it. The apostles preached it. Numerous disciples throughout the ages preached it. It was the essence of the powerful preaching of the great revivals. Sure, such preaching doesn’t produce contemporary mega-church membership numbers, nor does it keep one from offending governments and sin-loving individuals – but that’s the sinner-saving gospel folks and it offends!

 

Jesus, after preaching His challenging message about eating His flesh and drinking His blood in John chapter six, found that all those listening to Him wouldn’t comply with the demands of the message and departed from Him. It was even reported that the disciples contemplated the same action. John records that Jesus came to them and asked, “…does this offend you?” John 6:61.

 

Gospel preaching is offensive because it calls sinners to repentance and salvation – it does not endorse the compromised, contemporary, comfortable, emerging church environment which is now so popular in the West. When the gospel is compromised, political correctness is not opposed, the command for all men to repent (Acts 17:30) is not preached, and contemporary entertainment becomes an assembly’s main focus. While at the same time sinners quietly take the high ground, surround Biblically inept believers and implement legislation to wipe out uncompromising disciples and remove God’s kingdom from the face the earth!  

 

Let’s not be beguiled! Rather, let us study God’s Word, seek to be filled, led, empowered and anointed with God’s Holy Spirit, and return to preaching repentance and salvation without any contemporary compromise. Let’s stand, in every possible way, against all insidious political correctness before it overwhelms us.

 

Bob Chapman MA   

China earthquake hits where we lived

During 1992 my family and I resided in Mianyang for one year. We were there to teach English at the Buildings Material University. During our stay we were guests of the muncipality of Beichuan County and visit the region for two days.

It is sad indeed to see the utter devestation those poverty stricken country folk have suffered. Few foreigns had visited that region when we went there and they welcomed us with a Mayoral banquet and also introduced us to the Panda Veterinary team who monitored and cared for 1100 pandas living in the bamboo forrests nearby.

As we were leaving the county the towns folk gathered together and gave our childred brightly coloured, highly decorative, ethenic clothing to take back to Australia. We still have these and many photos of the occasion. We have precious memories of our days in Beichuan County.

May those who have survived be comforted and blessed.

 

Bob Chapman MA