Tag Evangelism

Former Pastor turned Evangelist Preaching Darwanianity

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

For the past six years, pastor-turned-evangelist Rev. Michael Dowd has been going from pulpit to pulpit preaching the gospel—no, not the good news of our salvation through Jesus Christ, but of our liberation and empowerment through Charles Darwin.

“[Darwin gives us] a far more empirical way of talking about human nature than through stories like the original sin.”

There you have it–the science is in! It is not from the heart that evil thoughts, murder, adultery, and sexual immorality come; it’s from a physical law working on our chemistry. Feeling better now?

Dowd calls his theological perspective “creatheistic.”

Dowd represents this, pictorially, with a logo on the van he and his wife use in their “outreach.” It shows two fish kissing: one labeled “Jesus” and the other, “Darwin.”

I think I prefer the way the Apostle Paul states it better. In a way Paul lends a helping hand to all the Dowdists out there who are overcome by their inherited sinful nature but then Paul goes on to give the remedy which is through Jesus Christ.

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sin2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.Eph 2:1-10 (ESV)

God’s Big Back Yard

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Then Jesus said to them, “So wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:15-16 (GW)

vbs logo1188 North Valley Road was where my early childhood backyard was located. We were the first family to move into this development and my family owned the corner lot and the one behind it.

Having both building lots meant lots of BIG BACK YARD space for baseball, football, a swimming pool, picnics, golf, and wintertime sledding. Our yard could accommodate all the neighbors from the entire neighborhood and still leave room for people to play in the adjacent lot. We had a Big BACK YARD!

After getting my first bicycle my big back yard got even bigger because now I could ride throughout the neighborhood and play in other people’s back yards. As I got older and was able to drive, towns and cities were in reach from my back yard. With today’s modern transportation on any given day we can travel from our back yards to other states and cities and even other countries. Planes, trains and automobiles have taken the place of that Schwinn bicycle of my childhood.

With the advent of the internet the whole world is now accessible from my kitchen table. I can speak to anyone anywhere in the world in nano seconds. Truly our back yards have gotten really, really big.

Artist's conception of GPS satellite in orbit

GPS Satellite

From a control room in Houston Texas NASA can play in the big back yard of space. They have launched space crafts into outer space and even landed a remote controlled land rover on Mars. Voyagers 1 and 2 are speeding towards the ends of our galaxy in rapid pace.

Satellites orbit the earth and send back images and sound waves which we can receive via satellite receivers on earth. These satellites can tell us pinpoint accuracy where we are in the world by GPS positioning. Radio and television programs can even be broadcast world wide.

ps241As technologies have changed throughout the course of my lifetime some things have still remained the same. One of those constants is the commission from God to the church to go into His big back yard and proclaim the gospel to everyone. We can no longer just look at our physical address as our back yard.

With the availability of web casting, chat rooms, instant messaging, and email the whole world is in reach of any individual or church congregation. Radio, television and now GodTube have all become instruments from which we can spread the gospel into God’s big back yard.

I do not own physical real estate but I do stake several claims in cyberspace. Our church has an address on the World wide web as well. The Christian witness can be accessible 24 hours a day thanks to the modern day internet. As a church and as a congregation we should be reaching out in every way possible into God’s big back yard in an effort to spread the gospel of the kingdom to all peoples.

To think it all started with 1 man (Jesus) who told 12 others about the kingdom of God and now we have been entrusted with that same message to proclaim from our own back yards into God’s big back yard. We all have a circle of influence, all of our lives intersect other’s lives, and as a result we are required to look out for our neighbors by sharing the same joy of salvation with them which we have received. Are you being a good neighbor? Are we as a congregation doing everything we can to reach as many people as possible with the gospel of Jesus Christ? How big is our BIG BACK YARD really?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Related articles by Zemanta

Zemanta Pixie

Hear Ye Hear Ye Read All About It!

Allen Frederick 1 Comment

 

Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?” Jesus answered them, “Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. Many will come using my name. They will say, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many people. “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don’t be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come. Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are only the beginning pains {of the end}. “Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me. Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people’s love will grow cold. But the person who endures to the end will be saved. “This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come. Matt 24:3-14 (GW)



In this week’s news headlines we read about earthquakes in Japan, floods in the Midwest and southern China, uncontrolled forest fires in California and the Southeast, a bus station bomb exploding in Nepal, and suicide bomber attacks soccer fans in Baghdad.

 

We read of religious cult leaders involved in polygamy and sexual misconduct with minors, as well as those who encourage their followers to harm themselves or others in the name of god.

Famines, and starvation abound throughout the world, many innocent people are being kidnapped, killed and tortured. Christians in many lands are persecuted for what they believe. And all this is only a weeks worth of news.

Jesus was asked by his disciples to tell them when the end would come, what signs would point to the end of the age. He went on to list basically what we see happening in today’s headlines. Despite all this bad news prevalent today, there is still the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Although there is a structured attempt to stamp out anything and everything that speaks about Christ, or resembles Christian, Jesus said that the ‘good news’ about his kingdom would continue to be spread throughout the world before the end comes, as a testimony to all nations.

Though nations be at war or in peace, whether they are experiencing famine, pestilence, war, or strife, even in the midst of all this turmoil the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is still being proclaimed.

Through earthquakes, windstorms, floods, and fire, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God marches on. Even while being tortured, persecuted, murdered, or imprisoned, dear saints of God stand firm in their retelling of the ‘good news’.

Right in the middle of all this bad news, there is still a thread of ‘good news’, the goodness of God stands in stark contrast to the evil news of the world. The gospel of Christ is today, and for all time, the greatest story ever told.

Have you heard the ‘good news’? Have you read about the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? Have you ever been told the ‘good news’ of God’s love for you?

Do not let the headlines discourage you. All these things must happen and continue until the time when Jesus himself shall bring it all to an end.

Until then, have hope in God who continues to spread His word throughout the world as a testimony to the nations. This is the ‘GOOD NEWS’, — Jesus died for us so that we can live, even though we are surrounded by such death and destruction. Look up, take heart, for your redemption is drawing near.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

 

Related articles

Zemanta Pixie

On Eagle’s Wings

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”

A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

My verse for life is Isaiah 40:31- For those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up on wings as eagles.

An eagle soars on the updraft of wind and can glide on those air currents for miles. They wait to catch a wave so to speak and ride that wave through the sky. That is like the leading of the Lord; it is a strong UP current that takes you soaring above your problems and gives you a much higher perspective of things. There is calmness about it a soaring of your spirits, you are uplifted. Your situation may not change but you are energized internally to weather the storms you are faced with.

From this lofty position riding on the waves of the spirit of God you are able to look further into the future and see more of your surroundings. You are able to see things you may not have been able to see before while wallowing in self pity or anything else that kept you grounded. If you are actively seeking the Lord while waiting upon him He will send along a spiritual wind current to lift you up.

Choosing the Right Path

You will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way. Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 (GW)

So the leading of the Lord comes as a strong urging to go in a particular direction. You may not know where the road leads but you just know you are supposed to take that road. As you travel along that road you are to be watching for the signs of God’s leading and direction. He will place blessings along the way as you journey.

 

I guess the best way to describe it is like going on a treasure hunt. You have a basic idea where to go but you are not really sure what you are looking for but you will know once you find it. So it is when you journey with God. He sets you on a pathway and gives you clues and guidance along the way and as you go you find blessings in places you never would have thought to look on your own.

Continue reading “On Eagle’s Wings” →

Non-Remedies For Life’s Ills

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16 (ESV)

MEH

Allergy medicine that does not relieve the symptoms and religions that does not relieve distress of the people are both ineffectual.

 

I suffer from allergies. Some days are better than others when it comes to symptoms. When I am having a bad day I want relief from the itchy eyes, the runny nose, and the scratchy throat. I tried many different over the counter medications and most of them did not help on severe allergy days so I went looking for the drug I used to take to remedy the symptoms. And it worked!

I am pretty loyal to brands once I find something that works. I like Tide. It does the job I expect it to do-get my laundry clean and fresh. I like Quaker Oats products, they have always proven themselves to be of high quality at least to my liking. I prefer Coke to Pepsi. I like Hershey chocolate and a Baldwin concert grand piano.

I am not saying that others are not good I just have a preference. Now when it comes to my salvation I found someone who does what He says He will do and can be depended on to fulfill (the promises he made to us). Jesus was the answer to my life’s search for answers.

You may not like Jesus so you are searching for other answers. I hope you do not find like I did that some remedies are not remedies at all. In fact the money I spent on those ineffective allergy medicines could have done far more good being given to a charity somewhere. The drug company that produced these pills only took my money and offered me nothing as far as relief is concerned.

I can think of many things that take money and offer nothing in return. The government comes to mind as a big taker of money and offering very little value in return. Drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, and other vices always take more from you then they offer in return. So do mega-ministries. They offer BIG promises to get your money and then are impotent when it comes time to actually provide the help they promised.

In all my searching for Jesus I am sad to say I tried all the well known manufacturers of the ‘God’s pill’. None of their prescribed methods of salvation worked for me. It was not until I was basically kicked out of every major denomination in the United States did I actually find the ‘God’s pill’ that worked.

Jesus came to me when I sought him with my whole heart. I had given up trying to work out my salvation. I had given up trying to find my own way of making life make sense. I realized I was a failure and had no answers, only questions. When I took those symptoms and questions to the churches representing Christ in the world I was given all kinds of prescriptions to remedy my life symptoms and they all proved ineffectual.

Where was I to go? To whom could I find to represent the truth of God? What did work? What pill could I take to relieve me of the suffering? It was not until I actually tried Jesus, not a denominational view of Jesus, but the actual living breathing resurrected Jesus spoken of in the scriptures, did I find relief from all of life’s ills. No church membership was able to cure my soul sickness. None of the methodologies espoused by the many denominations were able to address my need for soul cleansing. Their prescription masked some of the symptoms but where unable to render a real cure. If I was only seeking to ease the symptoms of my sin sick soul then the denominational church structure was able to provide the needed relief, although temporal at best. Jesus however offered an eternal cure.

Churches need to get back to the basics of the gospel and spread abroad the good news of Christ and his saving power rather than promoting their particular brand of doctrine. What the world needs is more cures from sin sickness and not simply remedies of symptoms.

When people are looking for relief from their spiritual afflictions they too want something that works. When I was spiritually desperate and searching for answers that is when I found Jesus to be the answer to all my spiritual problems.

Drixoral worked for my allergies and Jesus works for my soul sickness. I tried all the rest. I am sticking with the best.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Related articles