Book Review by Barry Greer

Dear Blog friends,

Today I have a guest blogger. I have known this dear friend for 15 years. I have watched him through several phases of his life. Through all the ups and downs and ins and outs of life, Barry is an overcomer. He is a do-er and through perseverance of the truth and applying these truths, he is becoming a Christian that rests in the Lord. Barry is on the fast track to being what the Lord wants for his life.

Barry came to me a while ago and told me about the books he was reading. It was all about the classroom of Christ. He seemed more settled. There was an amazing calm over his tempestuous spirit. He was determined to do God's will by applying these practical truths. Here I present his "School of Obedience" recommended reading:

LIVING or EXISTING

Are you living or do you just exist? There is a difference. Jesus said of himself in John 14:6, “I AM…THE LIFE.” As creations made in the likeness of God, we are comprised of 3 parts: Body, Soul, and Spirit. Before salvation, we only utilize our body and soul. These make up the physical (the Son) and eternal (the Father) aspects of our existence. They determine the horizontal relationship between the rest of mankind and us. Since our spirits are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), we are missing the most important relationship that we can have, a vertical relationship with God. Until our spirit (the Holy Spirit) is made alive in Christ (Romans 6:11, 1 Corinthians 15:22), we just exist. Therefore, we can conclude that a person needs to be saved “to live”.

If not careful, even saints of God may find themselves in an “existing” mode by not fulfilling the very purpose that the Lord has created and saved them for. That is to love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. This writer was saved on Dec.3, 2000, when turning to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thess. 1:9). The quickening of spirit enabled me to live “the Christian life”. Unfortunately, 35 years worth of false philosophy and religion, or should I say “baggage” accompanied me at salvation. Pride and self-sufficiency were sins that were repented of that day, but are sins that need to be mortified on an every day basis (1 Corinth 15:31; Gal 2:20).

Bible preaching, bible reading, and prayer are so vital for us to live like Christ. God promises to conform us in the image of His Son, and will use the tools necessary to show us His will for our lives. The Apostle Paul knew this and incites us to read. The Bible yes, but also spiritual books in which godly men, who in their own right have learned important biblical truths and are giving testimony of them through the written page.

So from the writer to the reader, I would like to encourage you that the abundant life that the Lord speaks of is obtainable by all of us. I recommend the following tools to assist you in finding God’s perfect will for your life. They are “easy reads” (Believe me, I am not an avid reader, nor a “super saint”, only a man seeking God’s perfect will for his life).

If you are frustrated with the roller coaster ride of life, and are willing to take the time to read and apply the truths of these books, I can assure you that the Lord will use them in your life for His glory.

I personally read the books in the order given, and you’ll see why.

In 2 Chron 7:14, God commands us to humble ourselves. We may not understand all that is required in humbling ourselves, or how pride is manifested in our lives.

Book #1: HUMILITY by Andrew Murray. I was bed ridden from back surgery when I read this one. I had a lot of time to contemplate my proud, arrogant heart before a thrice-holy God.

Book #2: HUMILITY by Wayne A. Mack. This brother took a deeper and more personal look at humility and pride. I was so “in awe” of this book that I told my pastor, “It seems like every time that I open my mouth, pride comes out.” He then proceeded to instruct me with what I thought would be a magnificent biblical exegesis, but rather told me kindly to “just keep my mouth shut.” Wow! How humbling! With these two books, I had a better understanding of pride and humility. I now was in a better position for the Lord to show me this “life”.

Book 3: How to Live the Victorious Life by an Unknown Christian. The writer speaks of victory through surrendering all to Christ. But how do I surrender?

Book 4: The Surrendered Life by James H. McConkey. He speaks of how the only way one can be surrendered is through obedience. O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E, as the song states, is the very best way to show that you believe. As Christ learned obedience (Heb 5:8), we also must learn obedience. And where can we learn?

Book 5: The School of Obedience by Andrew Murray.

Beloved, if you seriously desire a change, I beseech you, as Paul to the Romans, to renew your mind and stop thinking that the life you now live is “just the way it goes”, and that “it can’t be better”. My friend, I can assure you, that through Christ alone, you will succeed in living the abundant life. Don’t just exist, apply these “life altering” truths for the glory of God.

For Christ,

Barry Greer

Jer 32:27

Be Reasonable!

I found this vid on the web:
Feel free to comment.

Repentance Blacklist

A great controversy is stirring again in Christianity.

The idea of repentance is not new and neither is the controversy attached to it. Some say it is necessary for salvation, others say salvation is by faith without repentance. When the Pharisees came to John the Baptist to be baptized of him, John told them to bring forth fruit meet for repentance. The Pharisees thought they could join in the religious ritual of baptism to cleanse them from their sins. This is foreign to biblical salvation. We all know baptism does not save a person. I know that salvation is not of the works of righteousness which we have done. I know we are saved by grace. I realize salvation is all of God and not of man. I understand grace is a gift and all I have to do is receive Christ and He does ALL the saving ALL by Himself. Of course I believe we cannot add anything to salvation. Even the good works of repentance. Neither can we take away anything from salvation. Repentance is a work of God in the heart used to bring a person to proper faith in Him. Without repentance we have an empty shell of a “hope so, maybe so” religion that brings about dead works. Faith without works is a dead faith.

The heart of the matter is the heart.

Is repentance just a matter of giving up vices? Many have quit drinking, smoking and pornography without being a Christian. Many have pruned the branches of vice from their life but John the Baptist said, “…now the axe is laid to the root.” No man can produce these good works necessary without the Spirit of God dwelling in him. Repentance is a heart matter. If a man is not willing from the heart to turn, then he is like the man putting forth his hand to the plow and looking back. The Bible says this man is not fit for kingdom work.

I changed my Mind

Repentance is not a work of man. It is a work of God that brings a change of heart and attitude about something. Repentance is simply a change of mind. God repented. Back in the book of Genesis God decided He was going to destroy the man He created. God did not repent of sin. He is Holy. He cannot sin. He changed His mind about the creation of man.

Repentance is a given by God

Repentance is a gift. Man is confronted by God regarding trespasses and sins. When a person is made to realize he has offended God by breaking His law, guilt begins to make that man sorrowful for his wrongs. This guilt must be addressed. It can be suppressed by acts of contrition or self righteousness but these exercise not repentance.

How sorry are you?

There are two kinds of sorrow. Worldly sorrow toward sin is being sorry you got caught in sin. An apprehended criminal that has worldly sorrow will repeat his crimes over and over again without repentance. Contrast that with Godly sorrow which works a change of mind about sins. This Godly sorrow is what leads to true repentance. A repentant sinner will be careful not offend a Holy God. Consider Esau who had sought after repentance without faith. He sought it with tears but could not obtain the heart of repentance God requires for salvation. His was a work of repentance wrought by self and not the true repentance God gives.

2 Cor 7:10

Results of Repentance

Repentance results in a clear view of faith. It is towards God (the One we have offended) and turns to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. The jailer at Philippi experienced this repentance when he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul experienced this gift of repentance on the road to Damascus when he said,"What wilt thou have me do?" Simon the Sorcerer did not "get it" in Acts 8 because he had other motives than faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was not repentant. Everyone that comes to Jesus must first come through the gate of repentance.

Repentance BLACKLIST

One well meaning preacher has a skewed understanding of repentance. He has a web site that has a blacklist of some very good men. He goes beyond an honest study and paints with a broad brush all of us who believe this Biblical doctrine as heretics. I tried to understand his position and there are two possible conclusions. He has not studied the Bible doctrine of repentance. He has listened to too many Jack Hyles sermons and opinions of men Another possible conclusion: When he made his profession as a six- year- old he did not understand the Biblical doctrine of repentance. Without a clear understanding of repentance how could a person possibly be saved?

Missed by 12 inches!

The approximate distance from the head to the heart is twelve inches. Now I am not talking about that beating organ in your chest. The heart I am speaking of is the soul of man. If a person has an intellectual knowledge of salvation but not a heart repentance, he is no different than any religious zealot. God is not interested in lip service. He wants the heart.

Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

"Funnymentalism"

Peter Ruckman and UFOS

I have heard a lot over the years about Peter Ruckman but this takes the cake.

From a book review by David Cloud and according to the book "Black Is Beautiful" (1996), Peter Ruckman “…believes that some of the medieval plagues in Europe were caused by UFOs, that a B-52 bomber was downed by a UFO and that aliens disemboweled the crew members, and that a crew member of a US Navy ship was transported into the future. He believes the CIA has implanted brain transmitters in children, old people, blacks, and prisoners(p. 243) and operates underground alien breeding facilities (p. 256). He believes in Atlantis (p. 171) and the Bermuda Triangle, time warps (p. 160), creatures with one eye (p. 173), web footed aliens, blue aliens with blue blood (pp. 85, 86), black aliens with green blood (p. 244), and grey aliens with clear blood (pp. 310-11). He believes that Adam originally had water in his veins instead of blood (p. 185). He believes that the government is involved with UFO animal mutilations (p. 247). He believes that black helicopters carrying UN troops are "circling your homes" with the mission of attacking and imprisoning the populace (p. 233). He believes the U.S. federal government has kidnapped people and kept them alive in "amber liquid" (p. 230). He believes that the CIA flies around in space ships developed from technology gained when the government made a deal with aliens to allow them to kidnap children and use their organs as food and to experiment on U.S. citizens (pp. 291, 295-297).”

Wow! Where is that in the 1611 authorized version? This would be laughable if Dr. Ruckman's followers did not take him so seriously.

Matthew 24:11

Christianity or Christ?

I read this article recently online from Baptist press. 562 baptisms in a parking lot? The dilution of true Christianity is in full swing! The rise of spurious conversions are astounding. My questions to the ministry are:

• "What are the fruits of such converts?"
• "What is the attendance of the church services on Wednesday night prayer meeting?"
• "How about the Sunday School attendance or soul winning nights?"

My questions are not in regard to the number of people getting baptized. My question is more pinpointed, "How many are true conversions to our Lord Jesus Christ?"

In the late 80's, I went to a pastor's school at a famous fundamental Baptist church in the mid-west. It was my first time there and, as an observer, I did not like what I saw. The pastor had over 300 of the bus kids parade across the stage in demonstration of the "conversions" from the previous Sunday. "How many of these do you think are real?" asked the pastor. "Even if 10% were real, I still had more than you had!" he bragged. A bible verse entered my mind. Matthew 23:15: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves."

Twofold the children of hell- that was my immediate thought. 10% saved? That's 30 real conversions, hypothetically. 270 only think they're saved and will rest in a false profession for years, possibly never experiencing true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. 270 will go to their death with a false hope in Christianity. You read it right. Christianity does not save. Baptism does not save. Church membership does not save. Salvation is in a person. His Name is Jesus Christ. Without a personal appropriation of the shed blood of Jesus Christ for my sins, I am as hopeless as a Hindu. One preacher called this "easy prayer-ism." It is the modern equivalent to the Galatians controversy-preaching another Gospel. They are converting souls to Christianity, not to Christ. They are trying to force conversions as a rabid fundamentalists. This is no different than Mohammedanism or Romanism. It is as damning as childhood conversions. How many do you know who made a profession of faith at three-years-old and who cling to that profession all their lives? The testimony usually goes like this:

"I made a profession at 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 , grew up in the church, then I got away from God in my teen years. I lived a wild life until I was 19 or 20 or 30 , then I "re-dedicated" my life to Christ."

Where is that found in the Bible? John the Baptist told those coming to his baptism, "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance." The Pharisees in Jesus day gave tithes and prayed and went to temple. In reference to these hypocrites, Jesus asked His disciples, "What do ye more than others?" I heard of a man that adamantly claims to be a Christian. He makes his claim to Christianity as a result of a profession of faith he made over fifteen years ago. He has a date and time to prove it. He became a Christian and embraced "Christianity." He is cantankerous and mean. He has a bad testimony in the workplace and now his family is laying in ruins. Is this man saved? Maybe he just needs to re-dedicate his life to Jesus? I trow not.

The proof of the Christian life is Christian fruit. Is Christ living in you, producing the fruit only He can bring forth? Does the Spirit of God live in you? Are you sure you are saved? Do you read the Bible daily? Do you have a consistent prayer life? If I asked your wife or husband or mother or father, brother, sister, co-worker, or your boss if they thought you were a Christian, what would they answer? If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Christianity is more than creed and catechism. It is living daily by the Saviour's side. It is Christ living in me and me living for Christ.

We need converts to Christ, not to Christianity.

In the Beginning, GOD

Former Atheist Darwinian Philosopher Explains his ‘Conversion’ in a New Book

By Hilary White

LONDON, November 2, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Former Darwinian atheist philosopher Antony Flew has published a new book, “There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind,” to explain his move from being one of the world’s leading exponents of the pure materialist Darwinian philosophy to belief in the existence of a personal deity who created the universe.

Flew, an Oxford educated philosopher described by some as “legendary”, first announced his discovery of “a god” in 2004. Flew had been one of the 20th century’s leading proponents of the pure atheistic Darwinian doctrines that categorically reject any possibility of a creative divine being. His ideas paved the way for thinkers such as Richard Dawkins, the UK’s most virulent opponent of religious belief.

The Darwinian view is embraced by most of the scientific and philosophical community and was recently declared the only acceptable viewpoint for Europeans by the European Council.

Flew has emphasized that his “discovery” of a god who created life was a result of relentlessly “following the evidence”. “It was empirical evidence,” he told an interviewer, “the evidence uncovered by the sciences. But it was a philosophical inference drawn from the evidence.”

Flew told Dr. Benjamin Wiker that two factors in particular “were decisive”. “One was my growing empathy,” he said, “with the insight of Einstein and other noted scientists that there had to be an Intelligence behind the integrated complexity of the physical Universe. The second was my own insight that the integrated complexity of life itself – which is far more complex than the physical Universe – can only be explained in terms of an Intelligent Source.”

More akin to the “watchmaker” god of the 18th century Deist philosophy, Flew’s god is not the God of Abraham, Isaac and St. Thomas Aquinas. Flew described the deity he believes exists as “the god of Aristotle.” He has inched further towards belief in the personal God of Christianity and Judaism, however, describing his god as “a person but not the sort of person with whom you can have a talk. It is the ultimate being, the Creator of the Universe.”

He told Wiker, “I believe that the origin of life and reproduction simply cannot be explained from a biological standpoint despite numerous efforts to do so. With every passing year, the more that was discovered about the richness and inherent intelligence of life, the less it seemed likely that a chemical soup could magically generate the genetic code.”

Flew answered Richard Dawkins’ argument that “the origin of life can be attributed to a ‘lucky chance.’” He said, “If that's the best argument you have, then the game is over.” Flew said, “I would add that Dawkins is selective to the point of dishonesty when he cites the views of scientists on the philosophical implications of the scientific data.”

Emphasizng that he remains a Deist, not a Christian, he told Wiker that he does not “accept any claim of divine revelation” but is continuing to study them, particularly those of Christianity.

The One-Eyed Monster

A few months ago I announced to the family I was going to do an experiment.
"We are going to cancel the satellite TV subscriptions", I said.

I have to admit, part of it was economical because the cost was around $80 a month. So I phoned the dish company and told them we are taking a hiatus from TV. The withdrawls were heavy at first. The Yankees were in a winning season, I love the Military Channel, and all those cheesy movies were on. We were missing all the talking heads on Fox, the presidential debates were heating up and now the NFL season is on! We were missing all those re-runs of Law and Order too. So you see what we were giving up?

When friends came over the other night for fellowship, I had to apologize because their team was playing in the American League playoffs and guess what? I could not get the game on TV. So with a laptop and MLB.com we were able to catch the score and see my friends team lose. Sorry Josh.

The addiction was heavy at first. Then the sway of that medium began to fade. It was like a breath of fresh air to us as a family again. We actually sat in the living room and talked for a while.
We played games and read books. We play 20 questions and talk about our dreams. And my daughter plays the piano for us. We sing and actually interact. We have the internet. We write blogs and stories. My wife and I started a part time home based business that netted us a nice paycheck the first couple of months. We study and research important topics of our day. We spend time on each other rather than staring at the tube then going to bed bleary eyed. Oh, I must admit we do check out a movie now and then. The library has a bunch of old TV series we like. We just have to be careful of the content and theme of the show.

Years ago when we were a young family we did not have TV. We would rent a video back then. It used to be we had to have our parent's permission to watch TV. Now kids plop in front of the big screen high definition and watch till their hearts content. If that wasn't enough some put the tube in the kids bedroom. There they watch TV or play video games until 2 or 3 in the morning. Is it any wonder Johnny can't spell or perform well in school? Read this article on TV and kids.

Well, I am not down on TV here. I like it. A lot. Maybe too much. It can be good if you are alone and shut in. It can be OK with reasonable guidelines. But how many families have guidelines for TV today? What about all those channels one has to surf through before he can settle on a show? How about the MTV crowd or VH1 or Comedy Central? All these shows mock and ridicule everything a Christian stands for right and decency. What if your child "accidently" sees an R-rated movie and watches all the dirt and filth the world has to offer? I am bothered when I hear a 9 year old say their favorite movie is Gladiator. Gladiator? Not Cinderella or Anne of Green Gables but Gladiator. I am speechless.


I do not think it is a sin to own a TV. Even if you have a big screen high definition set. It is a sin if you cannot control your family with one or you cannot control yourself. The results of my experiment indicate we do better without it.

Readers: Please Comment

The following is a post in response to my atheist article below. I will keep the author anonymous. The reader asks:

"So how does a Christian answer the question? Is it right for the parents of a little girl who has been raped and abducted to believe that an all-powerful and all loving God is looking over and watching her? (Emphasis placed on all powerful.) The question was never answered. I don't think the tone that Mr Harris uses is the issue, the question he asks is the issue. "

Please comment in comments section. I will post the relevant comments. Thank you.

The Problem with Suffering

Not long ago, the question came up in a debate concerning the subject of suffering.
"If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world?" That's an excellent question. Sam Harris, noted spokesman for the atheist religion, proposes this question in his search of the truth.

He asks, "Consider the suffering of the millions of unfortunate people who happen to live in sub-Saharan Africa. The wars in this part of the world are interminable. AIDS is epidemic there, killing around 3-million people each year. It is almost impossible to exaggerate how bad your luck is if you are born today in a country like Sudan. The question is, how does religion affect this problem?"

Good question. Although Mr. Harris suffers from a misunderstanding of what is real Christianity, he asks a reasonable question. I think the better question here is: "What political ideology or perversion of religion caused this suffering in the first place?"

Here is another hypothetical from Harris:
"Somewhere in the world a man has abducted a little girl. Soon he will rape, torture, and kill her. If an atrocity of this kind is not occurring at precisely this moment, it will happen in a few hours, or days at most. Such is the confidence we can draw from the statistical laws that govern the lives of six billion human beings. The same statistics also suggest that this girl's parents believe -- at this very moment -- that an all-powerful and all-loving God is watching over them and their family. Are they right to believe this? Is it good that they believe this? " Harris answers the question for the reader. He says, "No."

Harris goes on in his indictment of God:
"Consider the destruction that Hurricane Katrina leveled on New Orleans. More than a thousand people died, tens of thousands lost all their earthly possessions, and nearly a million were displaced. It is safe to say that almost every person living in New Orleans at the moment Katrina struck believed in an omnipotent, omniscient, and compassionate God. But what was God doing while a hurricane laid waste to their city? Surely he heard the prayers of those elderly men and women who fled the rising waters for the safety of their attics, only to be slowly drowned there. These were people of faith. These were good men and women who had prayed throughout their lives. Only the atheist has the courage to admit the obvious: These poor people died talking to an imaginary friend. "

These were honest questions posed in a disingenuous way. An unbeliever is blinded by his own arrogance. Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam had the same problem. He called the God of the Old Testament a "dirty bully" because he felt the suffering of the world was unjust. It is the same for everyone who rejects this attribute of God's Holiness. Without the understanding of who God is, we cannot understand suffering.

OK, so let's answer these questions honestly.

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is there suffering in the world? What is the meaning of all the evil in the world? These are honest questions. If the questions are asked from an honest heart, the answers are simple. They are not easy, but they are simple.
The Book of Job asked these very questions. God answered Job's questions out of the whirlwind. Jesus addressed the suffering issue in Luke 13:4. There was a tower in Jesus' time that fell and slew eighteen souls. The question among those who witnessed it was, "Why did they suffer?" Jesus answered, "Think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? " Jesus does not address "why." He simply exhorts the hearers to repent lest they also perish. God is sovereign, that is the short answer. God does what pleases Him. He does not answer to anyone because He is the Supreme Potentate of the Universe.

The answer to these questions is voluminous. I will give a few simple answers. You apply them as you see fit.

1. Suffering comes because God ordained it to be so. Consider the examples of Job, Joseph, the children of Israel in bondage in Egypt, Paul and Silas in jail, and Jesus on the cross. These are all examples of God-ordained suffering. This does not impugn His justice or Holiness. It shows He is Sovereign. Through suffering we grow stronger. This fact is shown in nature. A devastating wildfire reseeds a forest to come back stronger. A strong wind or hurricane, as devastating as it seems, actually creates new shorelines and inlets of water that can be beneficial to the overall ecosystem. The earth is in a constant state of renewal all caused by suffering winds and erosion. An acorn must actually die before it grows into a mighty oak. This process brings about a forest of mighty trees all because one seed suffered and died.
Suffering also shows God's strength and our frailties. We are dependent upon God. Without Him,we can do nothing. We need God to help us through this journey called life.
Suffering also brings out God's plan for the ages. Through suffering I learn lessons that teach me God's plan and grant me wisdom for my life. Read the biographies of great men and women and you will find suffering along with the great conquerors in life.


2. Suffering comes from Sin
Rape, incest murder, greed, gluttony, wars, thefts, and the list goes on-and-on, all describe the depravity and wickedness of the heart of man. God is not the author of evil. Remember, God is Holy. He has put roadblocks to evil by codifying His laws to prevent evil. The indictment is handed down against man and the verdict is GUILTY. Some renegades are still in the denial stage. They deny their sin condition and miss the conviction that God uses to bring about repentance in the heart.

3. Sometimes suffering is self-inflicted. Oftentimes, we suffer because we get ourselves in debt, fail to plan for the future, make wrong decisions, and fail to seek the leadership of God in our lives. Soon, the laws of sowing and reaping begin to take effect. We sow to the wind and reap the whirlwind. We sow ungodliness and pray for a crop failure. Many suffer today for this very reason.

Suffering is meant to make us aware of our mortality. It is used to make us aware of our duty to our fellow man by aiding suffering and alleviating the causes of suffering. Those of us that have been born into God's kingdom by the Spirit of God understand this.