"Another Gospel?"

"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you." C.S. Lewis 

Part 1 

I know I blog a bit about the prosperity gospel, but today I'm headed in a different direction. 

I'll return to the word of faith theology in future blogs because having been a part of that movement, I'm aware of the history and its foundation that run parallel to metaphysical thought and that needs to be explained and warned against. 

In the WOF church the Farmer and I attended in Texas, we were encouraged to read recommended books on these subjects stocked in the church's bookstore. The Farmer even applied to Rhema Bible College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, that promises to "help equip you to live successfully." Because that's our purpose as believers, isn't it? So, yeah, we were in deep. 

I personally just wanted to deconstruct from all of the brainwashing and move on; however, I'm beginning to realize that the word of faith message is picking up momentum in certain circles packaged under different names with a younger generation of rising "stars" being trained to take over the aging founders. Even though Kenneth Copeland "prophesied" that he'll live to 120. We'll see how that turns out for him with his hearing aids and pacemaker. Remember, do as he says, not as he does.

I'm sorry, I'll try to behave for the rest of this. It's just that this false gospel has hurt and exploited so many desperate people when all we needed to do was give them the truth instead of another gospel. Then they would be truly healed enjoying a blessed relationship with Jesus with their names written in the Book of Life. What's better than that? 

As Christians we are mandated by our Lord Jesus to spread the true gospel and make disciples. In countering these false narratives, as Scripture commands us to do, we are helping people to see God's truth. ( Matthew 28:16-20 ) 

That's why I'm compelled to share my story of yet another gospel - the one I believed first in my childhood church. And mixed in between these denominational narratives were hyper-charismatic and grounded Baptist churches. Seriously, ya'll, it's been real. Some people have been in the same denomination their entire lives, but that's not my story. Maybe it gives me a unique perspective, I don't know. I hope some good comes from it. 

Several years ago I embarked on a personal research study into American Christianity that has led me all over the theological map, meandering along paths I hadn't planned to travel, but that's the way research journeys usually proceed, into unchartered, but enlightening depths. 

The whole project started innocently when I realized the Presbyterian church I had grown up in had changed dramatically, or had it? 

As way of foundation: 

Shortly before this venture, I had been listening to the Gospel in Life podcast. My man children introduced me to Dr. Tim Keller's ministry. I shared already about having my heart opened to the gospel at a Passion Conference during a John Piper sermon. God can and does use anything to reach us, doesn't he? Middle age me sitting in the midst of hip college students. 

Well after that, both boys thought separately that Dr. Keller would be a good fit for me and my theological questions. lol GIL runs his old sermon series, three messages per week. 

Dr. Keller, who passed away in 2023, was a Presbyterian pastor. And that was the thing that puzzled me. 

Not that I was even remotely a biblical student back in the day as a teeny bopper, far from it, but Dr. Keller's church, Redeemer in NYC, his sermons not so much the liturgy, weren't anything like the Presbyterian church I remembered from my childhood.  

During the summers as a young girl and then teenager, I spent several weeks with my grandmother in the New River Valley, and we would attend her Presbyterian church together. Dr. Keller's church wasn't like hers either. 

Then one day, listening to a Becket Cook podcast, Becket told how he was taking Church History classes on line from a professor named Dr Robert Godfrey and how helpful it had been. I enrolled before the podcast ended because that was something I was profoundly ignorant, but interested in. 

This was through Ligonier Ministries, so of course I was introduced to the late Dr. R.C. Sproul's teaching, then Sinclair Ferguson and eventually Derek Thomas - all Presbyterian pastors and theologians, and all unlike the church I remember. 

You might be asking, "What was so different?" I'm sure people associated with the denomination probably have a good idea of what I'm getting at, but to be as concise as I can, I would say, "meat." I was hungry, and they were feeding me something that filled my soul. Prior to this, I had been feeding on the cotton candy theology diet of the prosperity gospel and word of faith sermons, as the Farmer so eloquently puts it, "big nothing burgers," so I was quite famished. We both were. 

I began to dig. 

At this point in my life, it dawned on me that in spite of being in church my whole life, I was the vineyard worker that showed up at 5 minutes to 5; nonetheless, the owner graciously and mercifully paid me for a full day's work. ( Matthew 20:1 -16 ) 

Better late than never. Better to be a late bloomer in the Kingdom of God than to never produce good fruit at all. It's humbling. And that's always a good thing - another biblical truth I would come to learn and experience. Over and over. 

The Presbyterian church is what is known as a "mainline denomination." The Farmer wasn't even aware of the mainline because he grew up in a Pentecostal / Charismatic setting. He said his tradition was birthed early in the 20th century, and he said they weren't encouraged to associate with other denominations. I inspired him to engage in his own homework. He said that's more than his school teachers could inspire. lol   

In case you're curious, America's mainline denominations, also known as the "Seven Sisters of American Protestantism," comprise of the Congregational Church, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church, the American Baptist Convention, and the Disciples of Christ. 

When I was in Atlanta last week visiting my oldest son and daughter-in-law, we got into this discussion as we strolled along the quaint downtown storefronts in some of the smaller, surrounding suburbs about the vintage looking churches that dotted the landscape. They told me that when they inquired into the churches, they were told from the pastors themselves that just a few white haired little old seniors still attended them. 

From my study I already knew that there has been a drastic "mainline decline" going on for decades, but I had no idea how bad it really was.  

Here's some data from an article first posted in "World" and then on a podcast entitled "Lessons from Mainline Decline" - the author centers on the Presbyterian church because that's the one he grew up in as well, but the same thing is happening in all mainline denominations.

"If you aren’t a baby boomer or a student of religious history, it can be hard to fathom the cultural influence and social cohesion that once resided in mainline Protestantism. At its height in 1965, mainline Protestant churches counted 31 million members out of a U.S. population of less than 200 million. Most Protestants were in the mainline denominations, and the country’s cultural norms were set, for better or for worse, by the old school Protestant establishment.

Almost 60 years later, all of that has changed. In its recently released demographic report, the Presbyterian Church (USA) announced it lost another 51,584 members. From a membership peak of 4.25 million in 1965, the PCUSA rolls are now down to 1.19 million. And that membership decline hardly conveys the severity of the situation. In the last reporting year, the denomination dissolved 104 congregations and dropped four presbyteries. More than 40 percent of the congregations have fewer than 50 members. Almost a third of the denomination is more than 70 years old, and another 26 percent are older than 55. Keep in mind that only 16 percent of Americans are 65 or older. The PCUSA is literally dying."

So why is Keller's Redeemer Presbyterian and the others unlike the above Presbyterian? Redeemer is a large, healthy, growing church, in a secular area, no less, with outreach ministries all over the city and world. That's because Redeemer is not PCUSA, it's PCA. 

What does that mean? 

Why is the PCUSA declining? 

The PCA is still a smaller denomination and even though it isn't necessarily growing exponentially, it is increasing yearly within all age brackets. 

I do not mean to imply that small churches can't be thriving and healthy, they absolutely can be! They are a blessing within their communities and globally as they serve the Lord and others with gladness, but within their small numbers they are more like a bubbling, fresh water stream than a stagnated pond. 

In fact, this very day at Heritage Home Lisda and the children are blessed to receive a visit from Cornerstone Presbyterian Church from Fairfax, Virginia. PCA and KPCW ( Korean Presbyterian Church of Washington. ) The Farmer has visited the church many times, and we learn much from God's Word, listening to Pastor Paul's sermons on line. 

So what is the difference in PCUSA and PCA? 

I wanted to know - PCUSA was where I was raised. It concerned and confused me. I had never heard of either - that's how unlearned I was. A quick look at my childhood church's website, and it revealed not only that it is a PCUSA church, but a beautiful, large sanctuary with only a handful of mostly white-headed seniors. 

What gives? 

I know there will be some who disagree with me, but I hope you will at least hear me out. Stay tuned for the backstory on the American Church's Mainline Decline. I'm not trying to create a cliffhanger here; I just want to keep my blogs short. I hope this has been helpful so far and possibly encourages you in your own study, creating a hunger for the Truth. 

💜

 

The Priestly Prayer

"All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." ( Isaiah 66:2 ) 

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ( Hebrews 4:16 ) 

And it's always a time of need, isn't it? 

One of the areas I had to relearn and grow in after being in a word-faith church was our most basic privilege: prayer. 

In the Scriptures we are invited to come with confidence and humbly pray to God, to ask him for anything. ( Matthew 7, Luke 11 )  

So, we see that we are encouraged to pray for everything, to ask, seek, knock. Jesus told his disciples parables that they would pray and not give up. ( Luke 18:1 ) 

In Paul's epistles we are told to pray for all manner of things concerning the saints. I recently typed out Paul's prayers throughout the New Testament to pray back to him for my family and for others.  

When Jesus was on earth he prayed. We have the pleasure of being privy to some of his prayers. In John 17, known as "The High Priestly Prayer" we are given an entire chapter of Jesus praying to the Father, humbly and faithfully. For us! He prayed for Peter after satan asked to sift "all of you" like wheat. ( Luke 22:31-34 ) 

 In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus "fell to the ground and prayed." ( Matthew 26:39 ) 

Throughout the gospels we see Jesus up early in the morning praying in a desolate place. We see him praying all night sometimes.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray when they asked him. Even people who aren't Christians know "The Lord's Prayer." 

Jesus is our Lord and Savior if we repent of our sins and trust him to save us. He tells us then to take up our cross and follow him. He asked that God not take us out of the world, but keep us from the evil one. God has that power. Of course, he does. 

Jesus is able to save us to the uttermost, since he always lives to make intercession for us. ( Hebrews 7:25 ) That has to be one of the most comforting verses in the Bible. 

Jesus taught us to pray in more ways than one. 

Listen to this verse from Hebrews 5:7; it has guided and changed my prayer life: 

"In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his reverence." 

My ESV commentary says that 'supplication' indicates a submissive request. 

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was heard because of his reverence. 

We never see Jesus declaring and decreeing things from God. 

And it's okay to cry; it means we're weak. It shows we are dependent on him. His strength is made perfect through our weakness. Jesus wept. 

In many churches and movements today, we see leaders teaching their congregations to "decree and declare," "command and demand," "name and claim" No where does it tells us to do this in the Scripture. It took me awhile to get this disrespectful jargon out of my head. 

We've lost our reverence for a God who is holy beyond anything we could ever imagine in our wildest dreams or nightmares. A God so clothed in holiness that anyone in Scripture who came near to his presence was on their face in the dirt. In a nano second, they found out, not only how holy, holy, holy Yahweh is, but how holy they are not. For the most part, I don't see this reverence in the American church today. 

We also see in Scripture that our motivation in prayer is important. God cares about the state of our hearts. 

"He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." ( 1 Peter 5:5-6, James 4:6-7 ) 

Because what are we approaching when we come in prayer? 

A throne of "grace."

To receive "mercy and grace." 

"Confidently," we can come confidently only because Jesus made a way back for us and now we are God's children. Adopted. Dearly beloved. Created. Not begotten. That's important. We are not little gods. 

Daniel's humble prayer of repentance in Chapter 9 for his people is a wonderful model of what we should be praying for in regards to our nation, not just in light of wicked leaders and a volatile election year, but always. 

We hear celebrity pastors and prophets talk about God in such flippant ways displaying little respect or reverence. They say that God told them this and God told them that, but did God really tell them those things? We need to seriously examine ourselves and what we are hearing. 

Jesus was heard because of his reverence, and he is God. 

If Jesus is reverent toward God, shouldn't we be? 

Jesus commanded the waves and the wind, but he is God. He created the waves and the wind. 

Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth, but Jesus conquered death. 

Contrary to what is being said in word-faith, prosperity gospel circles, we are not "just like Jesus." All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus. Not us. Jesus gave his disciples authority for a specific purpose - for evangelism. All authority is given by him. ( John 19:11 ) 

In Christ, we are now clothed in his righteousness. We stand accepted by God through what Christ has done for us. We are blessed in Jesus with every spiritual blessing, and are given all things that pertain to life and godliness. We have God the Holy Spirit living in us forever. We have been blessed beyond measure, beyond anything we can wrap our minds around. ( 1 Peter 1:3, Ephesians 1 & 2, John 14:16 ) 

We have a living hope that one day we will be made holy too. Can you even imagine that? The Farmer and I encourage each other with this beautiful hope as we struggle in our sin and weaknesses during the difficult times. ( Romans 8:30 ) 

This knowledge should cause us to live in a state of thanksgiving and reverence continually to our holy, gracious Father, that he would love and save sinners such as us. 

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ( Philippians 4:4-7 ) 

Let this be our prayer today. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. " ( John 3:16 ) 

T.G.I.M.

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." ( 2 Corinthians 8:9 ) 

This is the Bible verse that prosperity gospel preachers use to promote their false teaching. 

To be clear, prosperity gospel and word-faith preachers argue that the atonement of Jesus Christ promised us wealth in this life. ( and perfect health, but I'm not tackling this one today ) 

One of the first rules of Bible study is that Scripture interprets Scripture. So right off the bat, we should be asking ourselves, even though this verse is in the context of giving, what did Jesus say about riches, money, and wealth? What does his atonement actually entail? 

He talked about wealth a lot. Why? 

"And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature." ( Luke 8:14 ) 

"And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me. Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." ( Luke 10:21 -22 ) 

The man's wealth meant more to him than Jesus. 

"For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." ( Revelation 3:17 ) 

This verse spoken by Jesus to the church in Laodicea can't help but remind me of the American prosperity gospel message. It reminds me of Jesse Duplantis bragging to his audience that he lives in the biggest mansion in the state of Louisiana, and correcting people that call him a "millionaire," because he says he is in fact a "mult-millonaire," and admonishing viewers during Kenneth Copeland's victory-thon that Jesus isn't coming back until they start giving more money. 

Dear God. How is it that atheists and unbelievers can see that this ludicrous theology isn't orthodox Christianity, but people sitting under these bogus ministries can't? 

I think of John Oliver's crass, but perhaps warranted, episode on prosperity and word-faith teachers who abuse God's good and beautiful seed-harvest principle to exploit people. I think of all of the parodies of these charlatans on line, and it reminds me of Peter's words when he warns of false teachers arising among us: 

"And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words." ( 2 Peter 2:2 ) 

We can see the way of truth blasphemed all over the internet everyday because of these false teachers. They've become a laughing stock. From Copeland blowing on the Covid virus, which went on to take the lives of thousands, to his tax-free, multimillion dollar "parsonage," to his embarrassing interviews, to slitting his wrist with what looks like a lollipop stick pretending to drip his blood in the communion cup. The Farmer said it was real; I don't know. Andrew Womack teaching that God is not sovereign. Good grief. 

However, God will not be mocked. ( Galatians 6:7 ) The seed-harvest principle will catch up with them at some point if they don't repent and turn to Christ. 

Peter goes on to say, "Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." 

This is a warning to all of us. 

"And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!'" ( Luke 10:23 ) 

So my question is this: Why if Jesus warned us repeatedly about the dangers of riches would his atonement attain wealth for us in this life? That makes no sense. It could be like giving us a serpent or a scorpion; he's never going to do that. He loved the rich young ruler - did you see that? 

It doesn't mean rich people can't be saved. I always think of Nicodemus - the rich, Pharisee ( that's got to be a double whammy ). And his heart received the gospel and he was in deed born again like Jesus taught him that fateful night. 

We see the evidence of his salvation in helping Joseph of Arimathea, another rich man, prepare and bury the body of his Lord Jesus. Work reserved for slaves and women, but he did it with joy and didn't care who saw him. He used his money to buy the expensive materials for burial, and Joseph donated his tomb. And yes, Job and Abraham were wealthy. 

Rich people can be saved; Jesus said it was difficult, not impossible. Impossible with man, not with God. 

"Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." ( Matthew 19:24 )  The poor tend to know they need him. This is what it means to be poor in spirit; to know our dark and desperate situation of the human soul. 

In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 8 Paul is teaching about good stewardship of God's money, and that we are blessed to be a blessing to others, to advance the kingdom of God, caring for our families, helping the poor, the widow, and the orphan, not building bigger barns for ourselves. A farmer - my finger's tremble as I type this. 

I sat under false teaching for years, and even now, I am still working with the help of the Holy Spirit to rid myself of residue from its poison. All of us have a bit of the prosperity gospel in our theology; it appeals to our sinful nature. I understand this because of being in these churches and because of being inside of my sinful flesh; it's a battle we will all fight until glorification. 

So we must continue to share the true, life-giving gospel and pray fervently for others because God has had grace upon us. None of us are off the hook. "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation." ( Matthew 26:41 ) 

"For by grace have you been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." ( Ephesians 2:8 ) 

Faith is a gift from God - we don't conger faith up on our own. 

It's not that Jesus wants us poor in material things, but rather he doesn't want material things to have us. 

He knows the pitfalls of the riches, and he knows what's in us. The Farmer has enjoyed a prosperous work life for many years, and although he hasn't always been as frugal as he is today, he has gladly poured his earnings into the kingdom of God. As his wife, I've watched this over the years, and it's been an example to me. 

He would never tell this; that's why I am. He always acknowledges our partners, and rightfully so. He's helped widows and orphans and the needy, currently we have six new girls without parents coming to live at Heritage who Lisda is faithfully preparing for, but he wishes it were more. We can add these precious ones because older girls now educated with good jobs can live on their own and support themselves and others. To God be the glory. 

Jesus doesn't just warn of wealth - he shows us the better way. 

By his teaching that God already knows what we need before we ask him, to pray and ask for our daily bread, to understand and look at God's beautiful creation and see that he feeds his birds; he clothes his flowers. And we are of more worth to him than those, so we can rest assure as we seek his kingdom and his righteousness - not wealth and riches - all of these things ( food, drink, clothing, daily needs, but more importantly our salvation ) will be added to us. 

I know this is true because I've lived it. 

Jesus also shows us the better way by his life: 

"but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant." ( Philippians 2:8 )  

Don't miss this. Don't allow the prosperity gospel to rob you of the true gospel. 

The prosperity gospel preachers minimize the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of Christ's righteousness in the atonement to proclaim that it granted us wealth in this life. If wealth does come, as believers we have a responsibility to use it for God's kingdom. It's his money. And yes, part of that is taking care of our own families, for sure. 

In everything, we must be humble, poor and needy in our souls, this is knowing that without the atonement of Jesus Christ we could never be forgiven of our sins and adopted by God or have eternal life with him. 

God gives us the faith we need to believe. ( Hebrews 12:2 ) ( Philippians 1:29 ) 

He grants us repentance. ( 2 Timothy 2:25 ) 

Don't let the prosperity gospel rob you of a life with Jesus, a rich life of dependence upon God daily and the awesome opportunity of serving him with gladness with whatever resources he provides us with.

Something happens inside of a trust like this with our Savior that can never develop if we are focused on worldly wealth.

A truly rich life is one that is dependent on Christ. 

For everything. 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." ( Matthew 5:3 ) 

Baby Geese are the cutest. 

Whistle Work

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." ( Ephesians 2:8-10 )

We are saved by the work of Christ, not by our good works - that's impossible the Bible says. That's why Jesus came to live the perfect life for us; we couldn't do it.  ( Romans 3 ) 

And yet as God's workmanship, God has prepared good works for us to do. 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." ( John 14:12 )

Notice that these verses say, "good works," not signs and wonders. In the Greek the word "work" in these verses is "ergon" translated just that. "Work" 

God still does signs and wonders, but the point being here is that we are called to do "good works." 

In Matthew 7:22 when the false prophets say to Jesus on the last day, "Didn't we do many mighty works in your name?" The Greek word used here for "works" is dunamis meaning strength, power ability. And Jesus tells them that he never knew them. So signs and wonders aren't a ticket to heaven. 

I think it's crucial we distinguish between the two. We are called to do "good works." Again, this doesn't mean that God no longer heals or does miracles, he does. But sometimes we get so focused on signs and wonders and finding God's individual will for our lives that we forget our true calling. We are called to good works. 

What are these "good works?" 

They are the things right in front of us in the Scriptures: believing God to forgive us when we repent of our sins because of the death of his son, being humble and trusting him for everything, knowing we are completely dependent on him to keep us breathing, clinging to him and not letting go. Those are good works. Maybe you never realized this - I didn't either. And the truth is so life-giving, isn't it? 

It's funny because when we realize the truth it makes us forget about seeking God's will for us as individuals because it's only then we find our real purpose and have enjoyment in it. When we lose ourselves. 

Loving our neighbor and our enemy. Treating each other better than ourselves. Being refreshed by each other's company. Honoring our parents. Obeying government authorities. Studying the Scriptures. Praying without ceasing. Thanking God in all circumstances. Investing in grandkids and the next generation. Trusting him with our pain. 

We tend to think a good work is filling a stadium or starting a hundred orphanages or being a faith-healer, but it's obeying right where we are planted. Even if we become bed-ridden, we can be kind to our care-givers and pray for them - that's a good work. And that is what pleases our Father - doing the good works he prepared for us. 

It's the upside-down kingdom of our Lord Jesus who came to serve, not to be served the Bible tells us. A good church is led by a pastor who models this - mine does. Not one with a security detail that is unapproachable and more of a celebrity. 

All of Christ's Church together serving others is a better work than he could do limited to just one flesh and blood body. Now he is working through many bodies. 

This is why Christians can whistle while they sweep floors and change diapers; because we are doing our good work to the glory of God where ever we find ourselves. We know what matters to the heart of God. 

We are not saved by good works, but unto good works. Our good works don't save us; they are the proof that we are saved. This fruit springs out of a grateful heart that is transformed by the knowledge of the grace God has given to us. When we understand this biblical truth it changes the way we live. The Gospel is powerful like that. 

God is still working too. 

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." ( Philippians 1:6 ) That's our glorious hope in Jesus. 

Please don't forget this today. 

We are his fellow workers in all that we do - what a privilege! ( 1 Corinthians 3:9-16 ) 

Greetings from Atlanta!

Happy Wednesday! 

💜

all verses from ESV 

The Farmer has worked hard on our new raised beds.