 |
Text Size: A | A | A | A
Join us in Facebook:
CSI Good News
(Church of South India Good News)
Vol. 13 / Issue 33 / September 15 2011
Contents of this issue
Editorial
Bait and Switch - Why John MacArthur is Wrong! - Part 18
Join us in Facebook
News Items (Common to all issues) :
Through the Valley of Death & other Books
Download Articles in Handheld Computers
Kids Page - Free Tutorials
Hindi / Malayalam/Tamil Bible Online
Your Spam Folder
Your Feedback
Editorial
By Sherly Isaac
Who is God? What are the qualities of God that we can expect from Him? Bible tells us that God is Holy, God is all-powerful, all-knowing and omni-present means He can be anywhere at the same time. And there are many more qualities which makes Him distinct from human beings whose abilities are limited in having no power over life and death. Today we are going to look at His unique quality of Holiness.
Lev 11:44-45, "For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."
Not only God is holy but He wants us also to be holy. Now what is holiness? Holiness is to stay away from all kinds of sins and corruptions.
If a person is drowning in deep waters, he needs someone from outside who is strong enough to pull him out of the water. But a person who is drowning along with him cannot save him nor could he bring him to safety. Today there are many who claim to be God but are themselves drowning in deep waters of sin. They themselves need to be pulled out of their sins, sinful nature and from their addictions. How could they be able to pull us out of our sins when they themselves are unable to come out of their own sins and addictions?
We read in the Bible about God that He is Holy. When Jesus lived in this world, He set an example of how to remain holy and lived a pure life. Peter writes in 1 Pet 1:15-16, 'but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."' So we look in the Bible that God is holy and He wants us to be Holy as He is holy.
But at times people think that living a holy life is not possible and they live as others live imitating them and do not care about holiness. Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death which means that sin will lead us to eternal death as we read in Rom 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and in Rom 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Though we are sinners, though we cannot come out of our sins by ourselves yet God made a way for us so that we could get forgiveness of our sins and live a holy life and enter in heaven. For this very purpose Jesus came in this world and gave His precious life for us. He shed His blood on the Calvary's cross so that we could have eternal life.
Today if we come to Jesus, repent from our sins and turn from our evil ways, He is ready to forgive and forget all our sins and ready to give us eternal life. He is ready to give us a holy life, if we just come to Him.
Bait and Switch - Why John MacArthur is Wrong! - Part 18
By Sherly Isaac
To read previous parts or next parts please click on these links:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19
John MacArthur writes in his book titled, "Hard to Believe: The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus" (Chapter 1, page 16, "Keeping The Customer Satisfied"), that, "Now comes the issue that's behind all the pop music and self congratulation and "fun" that the seeker-sensitive churches promise: people aren't going to buy Christianity if it's that hard. If it doesn't meet their needs, they won't be interested. If they want six fruit flavors and you've got only two, you've lost them. They need Christianity that tastes great, and if it's less filling in the short run well, we'll explain all the hard stuff later.
There's a name for that in the marketing world, and it's called bait and switch. You advertise a TV for a rock-bottom price, but when the consumer gets to the store, that particular model is unavailable. That's a more expensive one here, however, that's a lot like it. It's not what we promised you. In fact, what we promised never existed. The offer was a sham.
What happens at a seeker-sensitive church when somebody takes the bait? He thinks, "Hey, this Christianity thing is not hard at all. Meet nice people, hear an inspiring message and some cool music, get to heaven." But at some point the truth comes out. The hard words of Jesus come out: "It's not about you, it's about Me and Sacrificing yourself to follow Me."
I am not sure how John MacArthur can go to such low level and to call other Christians using "bait and switch" technique? Jesus clearly promised every good thing to those who come to Him, first to become Children of God and with that He promised whatever belonged to God, that is, joy, peace and so on.
In the whole Bible we read how those who came to God who trusted in God saw mighty blessings in their lives. But whenever they went away from God they saw misery, hardship and problems in their lives. Their enemies ruled over them and bad-bad things happened to them.
When Jesus addressed His disciples He promised blessings and joy John 15:11, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."
So in one sense John MacArthur is saying that "when you come to Jesus, you will get nothing as Jesus promised but He used bait and switch method to attract (you) people. Sorry! The assertion of John MacArthur against God is completely wrong and clearly he is trying to mock God making himself above God. How could anybody say that God promised eternal life but He does not give eternal life when you come to Him? How could anybody say that God does not give joy and peace though He has promised it? Is God like an unfaithful human being as you and me? No, but what God has spoken, He fulfills. His word does not fall to ground.
It is not God who is using "bait and switch" method but it is John MacArthur using "bait and switch" method to pull people from God and make them to join his church so that he could get more money, so that people could buy more books of him and he could get more money and live luxuriously.
John MacArthur is preaching a different gospel which Bible does not endorse. So be careful when you believe on someone who is not preaching from the Bible.
But let me tell you that wherever True Gospel reached Joy and Peace spread like a wild fire. Here is an account where great joy was filled in the city as we read in Acts 8:4-8, "Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city."
Yes, when deliverance comes in the lives of people there come great joy with it. Joy automatically comes because God is the God of joy and peace as we read in 1 Thessalonians 1:6, "And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit"
So if John MacArthur thinks that Christian life is a dull, gloomy, terrible, hard, sorrowful and pity-partying life, then he is totally mistaken. He needs to give a hard look in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus which he has completely misunderstood. More than that he needs to come to Jesus "Just as he is" so that his sins could be forgiven and he could have a place in heaven.
Join us in Facebook
You can join us in Facebook by clicking this button:
You will need to Sign up for Facebook to join "CSI Newsletter".
Through the Valley of Death & other Books
As many of you know that in the year 2005, our dad was very sick even unto death. God miraculously healed him. We have compiled it in a book form. I sure believe that it will inspire you and encourage you greatly.
This book is available for purchase at JasmineCorp Store
Also read these two books by Sherly Isaac "Allah and Elohim - Are they the same God" Available at JasmineCorp Store, and "Is Jesus God?" Available at JasmineCorp Store,
Both books compares the Bible and the Quran and read eye opening facts about Jesus, God of the Bible, Allah and Islamic faith. I am sure that you want to read this.
Download Articles in Handheld Computers
You can now download articles in Palm Doc format for your palm handheld computer. It will work with any devise that has Palm OS and Palm Doc Reader installed. To download click on the link named "Palm Doc Format" i.e. at the top of this page by the side of each articles.
Kids Page - Free Tutorials
Now you can learn Graphics and web designing online at Kid's page. These tutorials are free for kids who subscribe for CSI Kids Newsletter. Currently tutorials for Paint Shop Pro, HTML and Dreamweaver are available.
So please enroll your kids by going to http://kids.csinewsletter.org/member/join.asp
And visit CSI Kid's page at http://kids.csinewsletter.org
Hindi / Malayalam/Tamil Bible Online
Now you can read Bible in Hindi online at http://www.hindibible.org
in Malayalam online at http://www.malayalambible.org
in Tamil online at http://www.hindibible.org?ver=tamil
Your Spam Folder
If you are getting this newsletter in your bulk/junk/Spam folder please hit the "not junk" or "not spam" button so that you could receive it in your mailbox. Also adding news@csinewsletter.com email address into your contact list can avoid this email from ending up in your bulk folder.
Your Feedback
Your feedback and comments are Welcome. Please send your Parish news & articles to Editor (Sherly N. Isaac) at this address News@csinewsletter.comThe messages submitted will be checked whether they are correct according to the word of God. Editor reserves the right to accept, reject or edit the messages. The writers are responsible for the contents of their writings.
 
|
