Am I Really a Christian?

I know this question haunted me at one point. The problem is it only haunted me AFTER I was saved (I lived most of my life as a false convert, for my testimony visit this post.) No one ever openly questioned me or told me that I should examine myself to see if I am in the Faith or not (2 Corinthians 13:5.) The next logical question them becomes, how can I know if I am in the faith or not? This post is for all you readers who profess being a Christian. You need examine yourself to make sure that you yourself are not a false convert. I took this list from The Lawman Chronicles blog on what warning signs will be present in a false convert. Below this list is a Sermon Jam that my fellow blogger Wretched Sinner put together. It is from a sermon that Todd Friel, host of Wretched Radio, did about how you can know that you are a Christian. PLEASE listen to it it is only about four and half minutes long. [EDIT] Also if you want to hear more information about this subject please listen to two messages by Ray Comfort called Hell's Best Kept Secret and True and False Conversion, you can listen to these for free at the Living Waters' website (on the right-hand side.)

Ten Marks of a False Convert:

1. You believe that you are inherently a good person, thus denying the doctrine of Original Sin.
2. You commit idolatry of the mind and blaspheme the very character of God by denying essential doctrines such as judgment, hell, regeneration, and justification by faith alone; and you replace the truth with lies such as sinless perfection and open theism.
3. You think that only the red-lettered words in your Bible are the words of Jesus and, therefore, the rest of the Bible can be interpreted and applied to your liking.
4. You believe that a person can be a Christian while wantonly engaging in habitual sin; such as homosexuality, fornication, adultery in mind or body, the support in any way whatsoever of the murder of the unborn, or any other sin.
5. You believe that because a person has prayed a prayer and asked Jesus into their heart, then they are saved.
6. You believe a person can be a Christian, even if they bear no fruit after making a profession of faith in Christ. You treat the grace of God as a license to sin. You like the word “backslider.”
7. You struggle with the thought of missing a meal; but going days, weeks, even months without reading your Bible doesn’t faze you.
8. You pray when you want something from God; but beyond that you have very little time for conversation with Him.
9. You believe that Darwinian, macro-evolution is a scientific fact and compatible with belief in the God of the Bible.
10. You see evangelism as a gift other people have; and you have no real concern about the fact that 150,000 people die every day, with the vast majority of them bound for hell. You soothe your conscience by convincing yourself that “friendship evangelism,” as it is most commonly practiced among American Christians, is actually in the Bible. You think that if you “let your little light shine,” you don’t have to verbally proclaim the gospel.

I pray that you read through this and listened to the audio, please consider these things. If your pride is saying that you are ok and this is just one person's opinion, please put that away and truly examine yourself. You do not what to be one of those who on the Day of Judgment says, "Lord, Lord..." and Jesus in turn says, "Depart from me you worker of inequity, I never knew you!" I know how you feel, you think that you are a Christian that this offends you, ask yourself why.

Arguments for Why Abortion Needs to Stay Legal

I have listed here four arguments FOR abortion that most supporters use to advocate keeping abortion legal.

Arguments For Abortion

1. If illegal, abortions would be forced into back alleys and would not be safe for the women.
2. Women have the right to choose what they want to do with their bodies.
3. This is a private and personal issue between a woman and her God.
4. No one agrees on when person-hood begins.

Below, I have included a video that takes these points and see how valid they really are by applying them to other social issues. This video was created by the team at WretchedTv.

God-Honoring Story

As many of you know my wife and I recently (Sept. 08) started going to a new church, Magic Valley Bible Church. We love our new Church Family and have been growing so much and maturing in the Faith. Jenn and I have recently been able to see just how God-Honoring our body is; on December 10, 2008 one of the families was struck a tremendous blow. Their daughter was involved in a serious car accident resulting in her being in a coma. Last week the doctors officially changed her status from being in a coma! God has shown great mercy and grace throughout this ordeal, and as always it is to His Glory! God has given this family tremendous faith and strength. I am reposting one of Lynn Rivers' latest updates, you will see God glorifying Himself throughout it all!

Sat pm

Well, we are 1 day shy of 60 days since Ashley's accident. Take a look at the difference:

Machines breathing for her

At least 10 meds being administered by drip

no movement

no responses

Uncertain of her survival

Unknown of her recovery

TO-

Her breathing on her own and NO trache

Only a couple of medicines to help with her recovery

All kinds of movement, scratching her nose to rolling over , sleeping on her side, to standing with assistance.

Talking, expressing her opinion, reading, remembering her family, friends and other things.

Certain of her survival

And looking forward to her next BIG achievement.

And this isn't close to the end of this wonderful, miraculous, God-honoring story.

Please understand, I have done nothing in this venture. God-Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior has done EVERYTHING. He has brought a group of people together to encourage my family and I during this time, people who don't even know each other. In fact, people who didn't even know us until this time. He has brought Ashley from uncertainty to this very day and will carry her through to exactly where HE wants her. He has pulled, poked, stretched me and yet all the while encircling me in HIS loving arms (that would be all of you!) until only His glory shone.

I fully know that this trial isn't over. Our trials will never be done as long as we live on this earth in this flesh BUT GOD (you gotta love those words!) will always be with us.

Blessings to you all, for your love, prayers and ministering spirits. You have changed my life.

Lynn

As you can see from the post, they are giving God all the Glory. As I was working today, I was pondering the progress God has done in Ashley and was struck by a parallel. Granted this is not perfect, but Ashley's progress is similar to what it is like when God saves us from our sins. Ashley was, with out the saving help of machines and trained professionals, dead like we are in our sins before Gods saves us. She was unable to do anything, she could not breathe or do anything to sustain herself. The machines and the doctors and all who helped keep Ashley alive vaguely represent God resuscitating our dead-to-sin souls the moment we repent and put our trust in the Savior. Ashley's progress to this point has been nothing short of a miracle of God. Last I heard she was talking on the phone to our pastor, wanting an caramel frappachino, and today was checking her email and Facebook! Is this change not unlike the inner transformation that happens in a person after salvation?

Who can say that our God in not a Sovereign God? The world would say that this was a terrible thing to have happen to a young woman and her family, but they are wrong. Everything that happens in ordained by our God, good or bad. Just look at what this event has done to just our church body. It has caused us all to be more ernest in prayer, to be supportive to a family in need, but most importantly it has given us the opportunity to Glorify our King! God is using Ashley to Glorify Himself, just as he does with all of those that have been saved by His wondrous Grace. Christians remember this, we are a trophy of God's grace so that throughout all eternity we will be an example of how Good God is!

[edit] For updates on Ashley's progress here is the link http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ashleyrivers

"What You Trusting in, You Decide!"

Before I was saved I used to like to listen to some rap music, not all of it but some. Since being saved, I have found an artist called Shai Linne. He has more correct theology in one VERSE of one of his songs than most "seeker-friendly" pastors have in an entire month's worth of sermons. On top of that he is easy to understand his lyrics. I have posted a video below that includes the words to his song. I hope you enjoy it!

He's Been Distorted by the People...

...And it Just Ain't Right!



I had this video emailed to me from a fellow vendor and Christian brother, it is from the Passion for Christ Movement. I am curios what you all think of this video, please let me know.

President Obama, I Want to Respect You...

Mr. President, as the Bible says in 1 Peter 2:17, "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." I want to be able to honor you, but you must be honorable. I want to mirror what Pastor John Piper has said, and ask you to honestly and honorably answer truly honest questions. I believe that a honorable man will answer these questions:

1. Are you willing to explain why a baby's right not to be killed is less important than a woman's right not to be pregnant?
2. Or are you willing to explain why most cities have laws forbidding cruelty to animals, but you oppose laws forbidding cruelty to human fetuses? Are they not at least living animals?
3. Or are you willing to explain why government is unwilling to take away the so-called right to abortion on demand even though it harms the unborn child; yet government is increasingly willing to take away the right to smoke, precisely because it harms innocent non-smokers, killing 3,000 non-smokers a year from cancer and as many as 40,000 non-smokers a year from other diseases?
4. And if you say that everything hangs on whether the fetus is a human child, are you willing to go before national television in the oval office and defend your support for the "Freedom of Choice Act" by holding in your hand a 21 week old fetus and explaining why this little one does not have the fundamental, moral, and constitutional right to life? Are you willing to say to parents in this church who lost a child at that age and held him in their hands, this being in your hands is not and was not a child with any rights of its own under God or under law?

[EDIT] (These questions were taken from John Piper's Blog at the Desiring God web site)
Maybe you have information that you can revel to us in response to these questions or can defend your position reasonably. You are the President of the United Sates, you have immense sway and power, please use your power to protect the least among us, the defenseless unborn!

Regardless of what you do, I am going to try and be respectful of you. I will do my best to respectfully disagree with you on matters that I feel are too important to keep quiet on. I will try my best not to teat you disrespectfully, the way opponents of our last President treated him. Above all, I am going to try and make a point everyday to pray for you and your decisions, that they are good and in line with Biblical principles.

President Obama, please, please, please, consider the responsibility that God has graciously ordained you to have.