What is The Gospel?

What do Christians believe?

There is one God who eternally exists as three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and is the Sovereign Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1).  God is the final authority as revealed in His perfect, trustworthy, and inspired Word, which unfolds His character and His purposes (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Everyone and everything has been made by God and for God and therefore all glory belongs to Him (Colossians 1:15-20).  God uniquely created humanity in His own image, male and female (Genesis 1:27).  The world is fallen, and all humanity is separated from God because of sin (Genesis 3:1-24; Romans 3:23).  Jesus Christ is the virgin born Son of God, simultaneously fully God and fully man, absolutely perfect (Matthew 1:18-25).  Jesus Christ died on the cross, rose from the dead, appeared to many, and ascended to heaven (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).  Salvation comes by grace, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross plus nothing on the part of humanity (Ephesians 2:1-10).  The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, seals at conversion, gifts, guides, and empowers the believer and the church (John 16:5-15; Ephesians 1:13; Acts 1:8).  The church is the body of Christ, with Christ as the Head, and functions to fulfill the mission of God (1 Corinthians 12:1-31).  Jesus will return, and there will be a final judgment (Matthew 24:1-51, 25:1-46).  All people who have faith in Jesus Christ will spend eternity with God in His Kingdom, and all people who do not have faith in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in hell (Matthew 25:1-46; John 5:24; Revelation 20:11-15).

*Source 121cc.com

“But, aren’t Christians just Hypocrites!?”

We are all sinners from the day we are born to the day we die. Does excepting Jesus in your heart automatically make you a perfect person? No. Jesus DOES light a fire inside of your heart, making you WANT to be better. We want to live God honoring lives glorifying to Him. But do we fall short? Absolutely. Every. Single. Day. If we were perfect, we wouldn’t need a perfect Savior, Jesus Christ. We need him every single day to continue to refine and sanctify us. At the end of the day sin is sin, and we fall to our knees and repent and ask God for help upholding the fruits of the spirit, and ask Him to help us turn away from our mistakes and sins.

The other thing to keep in mind is that, unfortunately, in our current culture the word “Christian” has become a buzzword at times. So many verbally profess that they identify as a Christian but don’t actually know what that means, don’t read the bible, aren’t followers of Jesus Christ, and don’t even have a biblical worldview. Others have been given a FALSE gospel and are currently blind to the truth. A great question to ask someone professing to be a Christian is, “What does that mean?” If it doesn’t align 100% with the above statement (“What do Christians believe”), by adding things to it, or taken things away they have created their own version of what they think Christianity is. Are you someone who falls into the category? I implore you to watch this amazing film, American Gospel: Christ Alone, that showcases many false gospels including health wealth prosperity “gospels,” among other various lies and spells out the truth.

Who Is Jesus?

Your child sees a crucifix and asks, “Why is that man hanging on a cross?” You hear the song Jesus is King and wonder to yourself, “King of what?” You see a social media post calling Jesus the Answer and wonder “What was the question?” Perhaps you grew up in a different faith tradition, or none at all, and wonder: “Was Jesus a real person or a myth?” or “Why do people worship a convict who was executed more than two thousand years ago?” Depending upon who you ask, you’ll get many different answers to the question, “Who is Jesus?” Atheists may accept the overwhelming evidence that He was a historical person, but reject the spiritual realities associated with his life and death. Media preachers may portray him as someone who gives blessings to those who send a check to their ministry. Others may present him as a prophet like Moses or Mohammed, still others a mystical guru who brings enlightenment. Let’s cut through the confusion. While it is true that there are many people and religions with differing opinions on a variety of topics, it is also true that Christians have made the same essential claims about Jesus Christ that were taught by his disciples in the first century and affirmed in every generation since. Jesus is human. Jesus is God. Jesus is Savior…. Read more about Jesus.

*Source 121cc.com

What is The Holy Spirit?

Every religion acknowledges spiritual realities. They tell us that the world we inhabit includes much more than what we can touch or see. Even those who question the existence of God can’t escape feeling that his or her life is about something more than the daily grind. That’s because, as those made in the image of God, we are essentially spiritual beings. But “spiritual” can mean different things to different people. Some of us love “spirituality” but not “religion.” Others view spiritual matters as mystical rather than practical. Christianity, by contrast, teaches that human beings are made in the image of a God who is Spirit. To understand human spirituality, therefore, requires exploring three claims Christians make about a person the Bible calls The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, the Holy Spirit is active, and it draws us to Jesus…. Read more about the Holy Spirit.

*Source 121cc.com

The Holy Bible

You’ll find one in most homes and nearly every hotel room. You hear it quoted in hit songs, popular films, and political speeches – often without realizing the source. In the United States alone, it is estimated that over 160,000 copies are sold or given away EVERY DAY! Some of us grew up in families that displayed a large edition on the coffee table. Others were raised in a faith tradition that used a different book. The Holy Bible is probably the most influential book ever published. But why is it so popular? And, more importantly, why should you care? Let’s explore several reasons from a distinctly Christian perspective…. Read more here.

*Source 121cc.com

Is going to ANY church better than NO church at all?

No! It’s imperative to find a biblically sound church. There are plenty of churches that focus on religion, rituals and their own made up forms of worship that have nothing to do with the real gospel. There are tons of false preachers and false gospels, that manipulate and twist the bible to fit the narrative THEY want to be true.

9 Marks of a Healthy Church:

1 - Expositional preaching - is important because God’s Word is what convicts, converts, builds up, and sanctifies God’s people (Heb. 4:12; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 Thess. 2:13; Jn. 17:17). Preaching that makes the main point of the text the main point of the sermon makes God’s agenda rule the church, not the preacher’s.

2 - Good theology - is sound doctrine; it is right thoughts about God; it is belief that accords with Scripture.

3- The Gospel - A biblical understanding of the gospel is important because the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, and it is the only way for sinful people to be reconciled to a holy God. Not only that, but everything in a church flows from its understanding of the gospel, whether preaching, counseling, discipleship, music, evangelism, missions, and on.

4 - Conversion - A biblical understanding of conversion recognizes that only God can save, and that he saves individuals by enabling them to respond to the gospel message through repenting of sin and trusting in Christ.

5 - Evangelism - When a church has an unbiblical understanding of the gospel, they don’t evangelize, they evangelize in misleading or manipulative ways, or they share a message that’s not the gospel. On the other hand, a biblical understanding of evangelism clarifies our role in the mission God has given to the church: we are to preach the good news about what Christ has done and pray that God would bring people to believe it.

6 - Membership - Biblical church membership is important because the church presents God’s witness to himself in the world. It displays his glory. In the church’s membership, then, non-Christians should see in the lives of God’s changed people that God is holy and gracious and that his gospel is powerful for saving and transforming sinners.

7 - Discipline - Think of discipline as the stake that helps the tree grow upright, the extra set of wheels on the bicycle, or the musician’s endless hours of practice. Without discipline, we won’t grow as God wants us to. With discipline, we will, by God’s grace, bear peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:5-11).

8 - Discipleship - Promoting biblical discipleship and growth is important because none of us are finished products. Until we die, all Christians will struggle against sin, and we need all the help we can get in this fight. If a church neglects discipleship and growth, or teaches a skewed, unbiblical version of it, it will discourage genuine Christians and wrongly assure false Christians. On the other hand, if a church fosters a culture of Christian discipleship and growth, it will multiply believers’ efforts to grow in holiness. A church that is not growing in the faith will ultimately yield an unhealthy witness to the world.

9 - Leadership - The Bible teaches that each local church should be led by a plurality of godly, qualified men called elders. Paul lays out the qualifications for elders in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Passages that evidence a plurality of elders in one local church include Acts 14:23, Acts 20:17, 1 Timothy 4:14, 1 Timothy 5:17, and James 5:14.

*Source 9marks.org

Here are great searches for biblically sound churches:

https://www.9marks.org/church-search/

https://www.firefellowship.org/fire-churches

https://tms.edu/find-a-church/

What is a false gospel?

A false gospel is something that distorts the Truth of the bible, by twisting scripture, and making it all about US. The gospel is about God, not us. A common deception is something known as the “health/wealth/prosperity gospel.” Major leaders in that movement are Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Todd White. It is a false teaching that in essence says, "If I am a Christian, God promises to bless me with great health, wealth, and prosperity." This teaching is a great danger to those who believe it. What happens is people place their hope in what God gives even over and above God himself. The problem is God never promises a life of riches, comfort, and abundant prosperity, so when a person experiences suffering they feel as though God has lied to them (among other damaging and unbiblical tenants).

Matthew 7:15-16
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.

Colossians 2:8
”Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

2 Peter 2:1-3

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 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. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

I implore you to watch this amazing film, American Gospel: Christ Alone, that showcases many false gospels including health wealth prosperity “gospels,” among other various lies and spells out the truth: Grace alone, Faith alone, Christ Alone, Glory of God Alone and Scripture Alone.

8 Ways to follow Jesus: Leading People To Live For Jesus Christ

What does it mean to follow Jesus? How can we lead others to follow Him? Jesus gives us two great commands: love God and love our neighbor. He also gives us specific ways to do this. The 8 Ways to Follow Jesus give us some key ways, or rhythms, that Jesus taught to love God and love our neighbor.

These 8 Ways are not merely information we learn, but something we do. As we learn them we practice, we pass on, and we make it a regular habit. Each of these modules are designed to be easily passed on to someone else. This is how we make disciples and lead others to live for Christ: Repent and Believe, Get Baptized, Pray, Give, Serve Others, Abide, Take the Lord’s Supper, and Make Disciples.

Click through the images below to learn more about each discipline.

*Source 121cc.com

Is Genesis History?

I’ve heard people say, “I can’t accept Christianity because Creation isn’t believable.” We’ve been told to look at a history of the Earth that is “millions and billions” of years old, but is there evidence that suggests otherwise? Absolutely. People think science and God can’t co-exist, but that’s simply not true. God CREATED science, and science actually proves creation over evolution.

There are hundreds of scientists, and plenty of scientific evidence that supports Creation, including fossils and dinosaur remains that date to the timing of the flood (a mere 2000 years ago). One of my favorite resources is an amazing film called, “𝘐𝘴 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺?” “This movie features over a dozen scientists and scholars explaining how the world intersects with the history recorded in Genesis. From rock layers to fossils, from lions to stars, from the Bible to artifacts, this fascinating film will change the way you see the world. The film’s goal is to provide a reasonable case for Creation in six normal days, a real Adam and Eve, an actual fall, a global flood, and a tower of Babel. Dr. Del Tackett, creator of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵, serves as your guide—hiking through canyons, climbing up mountains, and diving below the sea—in an exploration of two competing views…one compelling truth.”

Their YouTube Channel features multiple videos that discuss various components of science and evidence to support creation.

Other wonderful resources…

ICR - Institute of Creation Research: If you live in DFW area this museum is a MUST VISIT!

Creation Ministries International

The Creation Museum in Kentucky.

What Do we Mean By The Sufficiency of Scripture?

Also…. For those who argue, “How can you claim the Bible is all you need to live by? That’s not enough for everyday life.” It tells us everything we need to know.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”

- Deuteronomy 29:29

I’m a “good person” and I think all “good people” go to Heaven.

“There is no righteous person, not even one; There is no one who understands, There is no one who seeks out God; They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, There is not even one.”  “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The venom of asps is under their lips”; “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; “Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And they have not known the way of peace.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” - Romans 3:10-18.

Long story short - there are no good people. We are all inherently sinful, born sinful, greedy and selfish. Praise Jesus our “good deeds” have nothing to do with our eternal resting place otherwise Heaven would be EMPTY.

There is one path to heaven, ONE. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6

Bibles, Must Reads, Resources and more!

Having questions and not sure where to start? The best is at the beginning, with a study bible. The John MacArthur Study bible and ESV study bible are both excellent bibles that provide thousands of helpful resources. Then there are amazing authors who have penned some of the most profound “tools to helping Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God.”

Is Catholicism the same as Christianity?

Hold onto your hats, this has been a hot button issue since the creation of the Roman Catholic denomination roughly 1500 years ago. The short answer, no.

I ask before you get angry, pray through what you are about to read, and ask for God to open your eyes WIDE and soften your heart to know this is all said in love and the earnest desire for you to know the Truth.

Although Catholicism is rooted in Christianity, it is a religion all its own, with traditions, rituals, and claims that are created by man that ADD onto the Bible. The main issue lies in the fact that Roman Catholics ADD to the gospel. They have taken what’s perfect (Jesus’ work on the cross) and added more hoops to jump through. They even have their own Roman Catholic bible that is an altered version of The Holy Bible. There are a LOT of differences to point out, I’ll highlight just a few below (past the video) , but I HIGHLY recommend you visit https://www.proclaimingthegospel.org/page/articles (one of the most comprehensive breakdowns ever) to read all about it. Proclaiming the Gospel is a ministry aimed at evangelizing to Roman Catholics, priests, and the Catholic Church, with the most extensive research and resources you’ll find anywhere. The heart and mission of Proclaiming the Gospel ministry has been driven by Mike and Jane Gendron’s deep love and compassion for Roman Catholics (former Catholics themselves). The video and information below is all pulled from the Proclaiming the Gospel Website.

“Many of the 70 million Catholics in America were born into their religion and have never examined their faith through the lens of Scripture. From infancy they are taught that salvation comes through their church as they merit saving grace through the sacraments and perform religious rituals and good works to be justified and re-justified. Roman Catholicism is often called the plus religion because of what it has added to the Gospel of grace. Catholic salvation is based on Jesus plus Mary, faith plus works, grace plus merit, Scripture plus tradition and the blood of Jesus plus purgatory. Catholics do not know that any addition to the Gospel is a denial of the sufficiency of Christ (Heb. 7:25). Any addition to the Gospel also nullifies the saving grace of God, which is the only means by which God saves sinners (Romans 11:6). Catholics, who are victims of this deception, need to be evangelized with the true Gospel of grace.”

Roman Catholics added confessing your sins to priests on your behalf (Jesus died so that you would have him intercede for you and never need a high priest other than Him again). They added a hierarchy of holier humans, I.E. nuns, priests, the pope, to answer to life’s big questions which greatly goes against what God says (the Bible alone is what you need to tell you everything about living life).   They added worship and praying to Mary, and other various “saints” including but not limited to forgiving your sins (only God can do this, not them) helping you with your finances, fertility and more (again only God can do this if it’s His will, not yours).  They added a fictitious place called “purgatory” for people who haven’t lived a good enough life to go to before they can be officially saved. They added trinkets like the rosary, levels of “hail Mary’s” that if repeated enough times will forgive your sins (only God can forgive and he only wants your prayers not your made up talismans and rituals.)  The list goes on, more below and on the aforementioned ministry that goes into every detail, noting scripture as well as all imperial evidence from the Roman Catholic Church itself.

*Source Proclaiming The Gospel

Ten Fatal Flaws of Catholicism: By Mike Gendron

Why is it so acceptable for evangelical pastors to warn people of the clear and present danger of Mormonism, but so politically incorrect to warn them of the equally fatal gospel of Catholicism? Many evangelicals do not know how deceptively corrupt and fallacious this counterfeit form of Christianity really is. Let us take an objective view of the 10 most serious errors of Catholicism through the lens of Scripture. Although the following facts may seem unkind, insensitive and harsh, we present them out of love to protect those who may be deceived if the truth is not told.

1. Rome Preaches a False Gospel

Satan's primary attack on Christianity is on the Gospel of grace because it alone has the power to save sinners completely and forever. Any religious teaching or tradition that adds to or takes away from God's revealed truth is a distortion of the Gospel and a perversion of the nature and work of Jesus Christ. That is why the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote: "If we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a Gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!" (Gal. 1:8). The apostles preached a Gospel of pure grace declaring that Jesus Christ, the perfect High Priest, offered Himself, the perfect sacrifice, once for all sin for all time. The work of redemption was finished, perfect and sufficient to save believers from their sin (John 19:30; 1 Pet. 3:18). Three days later, Jesus was raised from the dead for the justification of all believers (Rom. 4:25).

Rome's way of salvation is not only another gospel, but the antithesis of the Gospel Paul preached. It focuses not on what Jesus has done to save sinners, but what Catholics must do to be saved. Their list of requirements include: be baptized (1256), receive sacraments (1129), go to purgatory for the purification of sins (1030), do good works (2016), keep the law (2068) and participate in the weekly sacrifice of the Mass (1405) for salvation. (Numbers in parenthesis are paragraph numbers in the Catechism of the Catholic Church). Rome's false gospel that shuts the gates of heaven to those trying to enter should be enough of a warning but there is much more.


2. Rome Corrupts the Word of God

Satanic assaults on the Word of God have been increasing for 6000 years because it is the imperishable seed that brings forth life (1 Pet. 1:23). For this reason we are exhorted to maintain its purity and warned against adding to God's words, "lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar‰ (Prov. 30:5-6). Yet, the Vatican brazenly ignores this warning by corrupting the Word of God with its religious traditions. Rome then foolishly declares that together they "make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God" (97). In making this ungodly pronouncement, Rome has established its traditions to be equal in authority to God's infallible and inerrant Word (95).

3. Rome's Bishops are False Apostles

Catholicism teaches that their "bishops have, by divine institution, taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise that whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them despises Christ" (862). Yet, according to God's Word, they are not qualified to be successors of the original 12 apostles. They have not met any of the necessary qualifications listed in Acts 1:21-22. Therefore, they must be identified as "false apostles [and] deceitful workers, [who are] transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ" (2 Cor. 11:13-14). We know there have only been two successors of the apostles; there names are Matthias and Paul.

4. Rome's Priests are False Mediators

Every Roman Catholic priest is said to have the task of not only "representing Christ, before the assembly of the faithful, but also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the prayer of the Church, and above all when offering the Eucharistic sacrifice" (1552). In this way, Catholics are totally dependent upon priests for their salvation. It is the priest who is said to cause regeneration and justification in baptism (1992, 1213); absolve mortal sin in the confessional; dispense the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist; impart the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation; and offer the sacrifice of the Mass for souls suffering in purgatory. It is no wonder why Catholics trust their religion and their priests as mediators to usher them into heaven. Yet, the truth must be told: "There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). By faith in the shed blood of Jesus, the High Priest, believers can go boldly into God's presence without an earthly priest (Heb. 10:19-20). Since the resurrection of the one mediator, there is no need for a mediating priesthood.

5. Rome’s Worship is Idolatry

As incredulous as this sounds, Catholicism teaches that the resurrected and glorified Jesus Christ returns daily to Catholic altars to be worshipped as a sin offering in the form of a wafer. Its priests are said to have the power to reach up into the heavens and bring Christ down from His throne to be offered again as the Victim for the sins of man. According to Father John O'Brien, in his popular book, The Faith of Millions, "the priest speaks, and Christ, the eternal and omnipotent God, bows his head in humble obedience to the priest's command." This is not only a fatal lie but the most wretched form of blasphemy. The idolatrous worship of a wafer as the true Christ is no different than the idolatrous worship of a golden calf as the true God who delivered the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 32:4). Both are hated by God and are punishable by death. The Eucharist is irrefutably and undeniably a false Christ because Scripture declares Jesus will remain in Heaven until He appears "a second time, not to bear sin" (Heb. 9:28).

6. Rome Usurps the Sovereignty of God

Catholic priests are said to be able to do what only God can do, and that is, bring those who are dead in sin to life in Christ. As the priest sprinkles the water of baptism, the baptized is said to be reborn as a new creature, adopted as of son of God, purified of all sin and justified (1263-66). This false teaching violates the sovereign regenerating work of God. Those who become sons of God are born again, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). They are saved on the basis of God's purpose and grace (2 Tim. 1:8-9).

7. Rome Offers a Bogus Purification of Sin

Scripture declares clearly, and without a doubt, that there is only one cleansing agent for the sin of believers. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Yet, Rome diverts its people from the Savior's blood and instead offers a place called purgatory as a dreadfully contrived hoax. Please see PTG, Vol. 18 No. 2, for a complete article on the deceptive doctrine of purgatory.


8. Rome’s Popes Steal Titles Reserved for God

How could any man do something so wicked and sinful as to exalt himself to the point of wearing titles reserved for God alone? Yet Roman Catholic popes proudly adorn themselves with the divine titles of Holy Father, Head of the Church and Vicar of Christ (John 14:16, 17:11; Eph. 5:23). These stolen titles must have a deluding effect because the pope believes he "has full, supreme and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered" (882). Rome also ascribes attributes of God to Mary by calling her a sinless mediatrix, advocate and co-redeemer (491- 494, 969).

9. Rome Upholds Doctrines of Demons

Catholicism perpetuates the first lie of Satan by declaring "you will not surely die" if you sin against God (Gen. 3:4). Catholics are taught that they will not die when they commit "venial" sins (1861-63). Instead, they are misled into believing they will receive only temporal punishment. The Vatican practices other doctrines of demons, including forbidding people to marry (1 Tim. 4:1-4). Catholic clergy must agree to "live a celibate life and remain celibate" (1579).


10. Rome Rejects God's Promises

The promise of God that is revealed in the Gospel is eternal, everlasting life with our Savior (1 John 2:25). Yet this divine promise is flatly denied by Roman Catholicism. In fact, Catholics commit the sin of presumption if they believe this promise of God (2092). They are said to be presuming on God's mercy because no one can know how much merit is required to achieve eternal life (2027). This doctrine keeps Catholics in bondage to their false religion. Only by knowing and believing God's truth can they ever be set free (John 8:31-32).

In closing, we acknowledge that there are apostate Protestant churches, denominations and cults which also deceive many people. For this reason, we encourage Christians everywhere to examine their faith in light of God's holy word (2 Cor. 13:5). It is our prayer that evangelicals will cease from embracing Catholicism as a valid expression of Christianity and expose their fatal flaws (Eph. 5:11). We must also exhort all Christians to avoid being unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14-18).