I have often found myself reading in the Old Testament and seeing great parallels between the Children of Israel and The New Testament American believers. This is a burden that has been on me for over 20 years and at times I feel like a voice that many refuse to hear. I have often wondered why American Christians have become so weak, uncommitted, and full of rebellion. After all, this is the country that is responsible for sending thousands of missionaries all around the world to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the country that backed up the sending of those missionaries with literally billions of dollars over the last hundred or more years. Great missionary movements were birthed in the hearts of Americans and they put their money where their mouths were. Jesus made a profound statement in the following passage;

Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Here we see that Jesus makes a direct connection to one’s finances as a barometer to test where their true love is found. Jesus knew that a man or woman will put his/her money where their heart is fixed. For many years the hearts of the vast majority of true believers was in the kingdom of God and they desired to see its expansion. So they gave, and gave. In fact the percentage of those Christians who tithed during the Great depression was vastly higher than the percentage during the height of the economic boom in 2006. It is reported that of people who say that they read their bible, pray, and attend Church services every week, only 12% actually tithe. If we take Jesus at His Word, and that we must, then 88% of people who go to church, pray, and read their bibles, simply do not have their hearts in the church since their treasure is somewhere else. Again, based on the words of Christ, there can be no other conclusion!

Now I know some Christians have conveniently convinced themselves that they “don’t have to tithe.” They say; “that’s the Law, and we are not under the law.” That mind set completely misses the point and the purposes of God. Are we really to believe that just because we are not condemned by the law, we should not care at all about anything in the law? Would that same Christian say; “I am not under the law so I think I will go steal some money?” Would that Christian apply that thinking and be ok with their spouse committing adultery and then using as their defense; “I am not under the law?” We are saved by grace but we do not throw away the principles of the Old Covenant. First of all, the tithe was a principle long before the Law of Moses (Gen 14:20, Gen 28:22). Also, let’s not forget what Jesus said about the tithe in the following passage;

Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their lack of proper judgment, mercy, and faith. He then makes it clear that they should continue to tithe by saying; “and not to leave the other undone.”

Secondly, do we honestly believe that God would not have us be ones who desire to support the Church that He established and gave authority to? Are we really to believe that we, who have experienced the indwelling Holy Spirit, have tasted of that which our Old Covenant fathers prophesied of, and have had the privilege of sharing with others, are somehow to be less inclined to give than the Old Testament Saints? I think not! If anything, as ones who are members of the New Covenant, our desire should be to be bigger givers. In the days of Malachi the prophet we see parallels to the heart attitudes that prevail in most American Churches today:

1. First we see the following attitude of an unthankful heart;

Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob”

The people of God in Malachi’s day did not fully understand and appreciate the love that God had shown them and so Malachi reveals their hearts by saying “yet you say, wherewith hast thou loved us?”

2. They gave polluted bread offerings;

Malachi 1:7 “Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible”

The idea here being that they grudgingly gave bread offerings and that is what made the offerings polluted. They did not give of a cheerful heart with thanksgiving.

3. They gave lame and blind Lamb offerings;

Malachi 1:8 “And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts”

They gave to God what they never would have given to their natural governor. This showed that they had a form of religion for religion’s sake and yet their hearts were far from God as evidenced by their contemptible offerings.

4. They liked to act as though they were committed to the house of the Lord by vowing to give their best, but when it came time to give they did not bring the best they had, but rather the worse;

Malachi 1:14 “But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen”

5. Their ministers also were contemptible in their actions;

Malachi 2:1-2 “And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart”

6. Divorce was rampant, and the marrying of believers to unbelievers as well;

Malachi 2:11 “Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god”

Malachi 2:14 “Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant”

7. They robbed God of what belonged to Him and would not even acknowledge what they were doing;

Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings”

The problems that God outlines in the book of Malachi are summed up in;

1. Neglect by the ministers of God in doing proper service to the Lord according to His commands. The Priests had become defiled.
2. The general lack of concern for God’s Word and intense lack of commitment by the people of God.
3. The breaking of the marriage covenant, and the mixing of believers and non believers in marriage. This was and is still forbidden.

There can be no doubt that the American modern Church looks is pictured in many ways by this description. The American church has become about;

1. Comfort.
2. Ear tickling.
3. What’s in it for me?
4. What do I get?

People in the American church can’t be bothered to get up on Sunday and go to church. They can’t be troubled to miss a football game on TV. They can’t be expected to make the gathering of believers a priority since they may have a better offer than being in then gathering of the believers. Most American Christians see Church as making them the center of attention. When a preacher dares to call them out on their complacency, they answer with excuses, self justification, or they leave due to their obstinate, stiff necked and rebellious hearts. When I received Jesus as my Savior and learned the bible, no one had to beg me to go to church. We need the heart of David on this matter:

Psalms 122:1-9 <<A Song of degrees of David.>> “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good”

How much more should we who have the indwelling Spirit of God desire to gather together to worship and hear the Word of the Lord preached?

Truly there are parallels between the days of Malachi and these days in America. If the American church is to revive it will not be through slick marketing, emergent heretical mystical teaching, attempts by preachers to please everyone, or fad church growth books. Revival will only come through repentance by the people of God as they turn from this present day slumber to the fire that started the New Testament in Acts Chapter two. The only way to stop these parallels is if there is a restoration of the true desire to receive the power of the Holy Ghost, and to preach it and live it. Consider these telling passages of Scripture’s warning;

1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”

2 Timothy 3:1-4 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God”

Wake up American Church. Shake the dust, clean out the webs of deception, and ask yourself where your heart is? God is calling all or us to come back again to our first love;

Revelation 2:4-5 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent”

If you have an ear you will hear what the Spirit is saying to you now. I trust you will hear and obey for the glory of God.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Dr. David M. Berman

There can only be one reason for the back sliding Christian to do so; deception. When I say this it may sound unsympathetic to the person’s personal struggle; however that is far from the truth. Since I am also human with all of the propensities toward the flesh that every human being has, I completely understand the temptations of life. At times I have given in to temptations. I do not speak as though I have arrived at some spiritual plain high above others. At the same time, the truth is the truth and it applies to all of us; deception is the cause of backsliding.

Life is a contradiction in believers in that on one hand there is the great power and witness of the gospel in the heart of the believer. On the other hand there are great disappointments in this world which tempt us to question our faith, and passions emanating from our fallen flesh nature that tempt us to follow after them. The apostle Paul knows this all too well as he describes in the seventh chapter of the book of Romans. He says that he finds there are two forces working in him; the power of the Spirit which has given him his new nature in Christ, and the power of his human flesh with all its propensities to sin. Paul’s conclusion…”thanks be to God.” Paul knew that the only answer for his own wretchedness was the cross that Jesus endured for his sin, and thus he was freed from the penalty of sin by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. Consider the following passage;

James 1:13-15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.”

We see here that it is the deception of our human condition that is plagued with lust. Lust is defined as any human desire that is contrary to the will of God. We then see in the above passage the next steps to bringing death and stealing life. The problem with believers is the propensity to double mindedness. James also said;

James 1:8 “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

When we think about what is being said here we see a clear teaching of how deception takes place with its various steps. In order for deception to take place, one first must be a willing recipient of it. A choice is always at the center of the opening for deception. Truthfully, we can only be deceived if we open ourselves up to it at some level. In other words; being deceived is also a choice. Once a person makes that choice and begins to give their heart to the deception; it only increases its hold on the soul. The problem for believers is that we often let our guard down during times when we feel “On the mountain top.” When things seem to be going well in life.

Here is the question; How do we stay on our guard against the methods of the enemy and at the same time enter into Jesus’ rest? We do this by abiding in Christ. In the Kingdom of God, there is no contradiction between fighting the good warfare in the Holy Ghost and walking in divine rest. In fact, for the believer, the only way to really do warfare is to rest (trust) in Jesus. It is the human condition that gets all wrought up and stressed out at every problem. We must fight by and in the Holy Ghost. Consider this;

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

2 Corinthians 10:4 “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)”

It is clear from these passages that we can both enter into the rest of Christ and fight the war at the same time. It is also clear from the Word of God that we must do both because we live in a fallen world. This fallen world grabs at us and offers us happiness that always turns out to be death in the long run. Look at the original temptation that Eve was tempted with;

Genesis 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

There were two things that Adam and Eve did right after they fell from relationship with God. The first thing they did was make coverings for themselves. This speaks of self justification. The second thing they did was that they decided to hide from God. These two things are what the backslidden Christian often does; justify the sin, and then hides from God by removing him/herself from fellowship and pastoral care. The world we live in now is getting worse. The Bible says;

2 Timothy 3:1 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. “

“Perilous” means as difficult and dangerous as to cause a reduction in one’s strength.

V2 “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

Selfishness!

V3 “Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,”

Selfishness again!

V4 “Traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;”V5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

These characteristics are increasing in our culture and they are not only increasing in the world, they are increasing in the churches where there are less and less people who are loyal, committed, submissive to Gods men (Hebrews 13:17) and sold out for God’s purposes.

V6 “For of this sort are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with various lusts,”

We are seeing this as well. There is an increase in heretical teachings leading many astray

V7 “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

So many “Christians” seem to be moved in this way to a point. Although they may know the truth in a way, their understanding is shallow. They read “Christian” pop culture type books, and listen to soothsayer preachers, but are unwilling to come to the truth that they must take up their cross.

V8 “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

Many end up like those mentioned above. Kicking against God’s anointed leaders, maligning them, instigating others to rebel against them, Reprobate (seared), resisting both the truth and God’s men who bring it.

V9 “But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.”

These attitudes are folly. The end result is nothing but destruction and despair. Most of us can relate to this process since most of us have either came close to, or have been backslidden. Here are a few examples of great men in the Bible who backslid;

1. Peter backslid for a short time after Jesus was taken and denied Christ three times.
2. Demas, who is mentioned honorably along with Luke in Colossians 4:14, later has his backslidden state spoken of by the Apostle Paul;

2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”

Remember this; backsliding may look good, may feel right at the time, may promise happiness, but its end is death. I leave you with this;

Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Dr. David M. Berman

It is quite clear that the topic of Hell is one that many Preachers today are afraid to talk about. The “Emergent Movement” in particular has an aversion to speaking about it. Sometime over the last number of years the trend has gone away from preaching about the Savior who will save you from Hell fire to a so called “kinder, gentler” gospel. Hell is indeed a four letter word that the church should speak. What is the reason that modern American Christianity seems afraid to speak of it? Is it that people may be offended? Perhaps the thought is that it is better to be “positive?” I think it is quite clear as to why American Churches don’t speak much about Hell. The modern American Church has become enamored with the idea that the church and the Bible are simply life enhancements. The thought now seems to be that Church should be sort of a Christian version of positive thinking and life coaching. Hell after all brings up negative thoughts and emotions so the modern American Church has given in to the thinking of the world rather than being salt and light.

I have had people tell me that I should not be preaching sermons that offend people. I wonder what The Apostle Paul would say? The Apostle often said things that offended. Consider the following:

Galatians 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?”

Here we see Paul give a strong rebuke concerning the falling away from the true gospel of grace into a heretical teaching of salvation by works and human merit. He calls them “bewitched.” This word means to malign against, to fascinate your mind (by implication) against the truth of God. This is a strong rebuke.

Galatians 4:11 “I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.”

Here Paul says that he is concerned that he may have wasted his time on them…strong words indeed.

Galatians 4:16 “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”

The Apostle makes a statement here in which he shows his understanding of what often happens when he must speak truth to rebellion, when he must set things right according to the Word of God. Some will get angry, offended, and falsely accuse the Preacher.

How about James?

James 3:12-15 “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”

James calls people who behave like the world “devilish.” That is a serious breach of modern American Church etiquette. After all, we can’t say things like that and be loving can we?

This mind-set has led to the rise of massive media Preachers like Joel Osteen and others who sound more like the power of positive thinking, believe in yourself secular gurus like Tony Robbins than they do Gospel Preachers. The world now sees Preachers as one of three things.

1. Nice positive guys who say nice things that make them feel good with nothing expected.
2. Crazy prosperity money hungry charlatans that are self absorbed and self serving.
3. Intolerant, Bible thumping judgmental Preachers who actually believe the Bible is the Word of God.

Due to the so called “positive message” of the Joel Osteen types, and the money focused prosperity types, the world has a twisted interpretation of what a true gospel Preacher is. Men of God who actually have the guts to preach the Word of God, and warn of impending doom for those who reject the Savior, are not popular in American culture. Preachers like me are called intolerant, judgmental, backward, unloving, bigoted, and worse because we dare mention Hell. We know that simply telling people that God loves them while leaving out the message about what Jesus did to show that love, and why he had to do it, is not going to save anyone from eternal Hell fire judgment.

Hell is a real place. Jesus said;

Matthew 13:39-42 “The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

We see here that Hell is indeed a real place and that those who reject the Savior will go there for eternity. This is the reason for the gospel news. Without this truth there would be no need of our Savior. We have all heard the saying; “There are no Atheists in fox holes.” I will say to you that there are no Atheists in Hell. People who reject the creation evidence of the Creator, who also reject their sinful state, and reject He who paid the price for their sin, will go to Hell. At that point all Atheists will become believers and yet it will be too late!

The modern American Church movement to make the Word of God more palatable, more pleasing to the fallen human state, more agreeable to the temporal goals of the human condition, is nothing more than a disservice to the nation and all in it that so desperately need salvation in Christ Jesus.

Those of us Preachers who still have the guts to preach the Biblical gospel in America will be called names. We will be reviled, falsely accused, have our character maligned, and Satan will work through his willing participants to do what he can to shut us up. As it has been many times in the history of God’s people, even many in the Church will revile us, question our motivation, and reject us….but woe unto us if we do not warn, if we do not preach the gospel, if we allow a personal desire to be liked to stop us from fulfilling the mission that God has called us to. Hell is a real place. I do not want to go there and I will do whatever I can to see that as many as possible are saved from the horrible consequences of Man’s sinful state. The only hope of salvation is found in the message of the gospel which contains the facts of all Mankind’s sinfulness, and the grace found only in Jesus Christ. The message at its core is salvation, and sanctification. Surely there are great natural blessings that come to God’s people. Having said that, if all Preachers do is make the Bible and God about the temporal benefits of biblical principles (and there are many) than numerous will miss the eternal blessing of everlasting life with God. I end with these profound words of Jesus Christ

John 3:16-18 “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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Good works will not save anyone, only surrendering to Jesus and receiving Him and His Word will;

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Dr. David M. Berman

It is my desire to present the true understanding of the social, political, and economic realities that are associated with an atheistic world-view.  Atheism structurally is similar to other world-view from the standpoint of it having its own ramifications concerning social, moral, political, and economic opinions.

What is a world-view and why is it important to discuss this question? A person’s world-view is defined as the basic philosophical “looking glass” that one uses to form their opinions on various moral issues. It is the basis by which one comes to a judgment of social policy, moral behavior, government involvement, and economic policy. It is the single most important ingredient in how that person conducts their life and how they respond to various events and circumstances in living.

How does a person’s world-view form? A person’s world-view forms in many ways including the teaching they received in their formative years and their experiences. People come to conclusions often times based on emotions rather than logic since humans are quite emotional beings. It is often the case that a person’s positions come not from an investment in logical thought, but rather as reactions to things that displease their emotions. Example; A person may come to the conclusion that all people of a certain race are bad due to their negative experience with a particular person of a specific race. After that experience and their emotional reaction to it, they develop a conclusion that all people of that race must be bad.  This is illogical since, in my example, they have not had bad experiences with every person of that race.

In this article I specifically want to discuss the world-view of Atheism from a philosophical prospective. This article is not intended to be an apologetic on creation (even though I am a creationist). It is intended to look at the logical conclusions of Atheism, what history teaches are the results of Atheism, and the irrational conclusions of Atheism philosophically. Let us start:

Atheism asserts that there is no God and that everything we see, feel, think, and experience is simply based on a random accidental process that came not from any design, but rather with no purpose, plan, or active involvement of any supernatural being of any kind, shape, matter, or form at all. They contend that everything we see, feel, think, and experience is nothing more than an accident.

Theism on the other hand, asserts that there is a supernatural designer of all creation and that the super natural designer is the reason for the ecosystem, and the complexities of species etc.

What is the logical conclusion of Atheism concerning morals? If one truly is an Atheist, said person cannot, with certainty say that there is any absolute moral right or wrong including any absolute human right. Am I saying that all Atheists have no morals? No. I am not saying that at all. There are plenty of people who are atheistic in their world-view that would say it is wrong to steal, wrong to have an extra marital affair, as well as coming to a host of other moral conclusions. Therein lies the problem. The problem philosophically is that it is impossible to truly be an Atheist who believes that there is no God and that everything we see, feel, think, and experience is simply based on a random accidental process that came not from any design, but rather with no purpose, plan, active involvement of any supernatural being of any kind, shape, matter, or form at all, and at the same time say that it is wrong to steal, wrong to have an extra marital affair, or to come to any unconditional opinion of any behavior.  Of course an Atheist would say; “If what you do hurts somebody that’s what makes it wrong.” However there is a problem with this when one logically assesses that statement. How is it possible for all things to be totally random, without design, everything an accident with no cause other than random action, with no moral creator, and at the same time there to exist a right or wrong moral action? It is completely illogical to say you are an Atheist and then declare any absolute right or wrong moral action.

This logical conclusion is a real challenge to an Atheist in that it forces them to attempt to come up with all sorts of explanations as to why they can believe in right and wrong and at the same time be Atheist. The problem with all their explanations is that they are illogical if one does not believe in God. In other words, if there is no God who created what we see, and if there is no divine maker of absolute moral behavior, then nothing is right and nothing is wrong. The individual Atheist might himself believe, based on his moral view and experiences, that certain things are right and certain things are wrong, but he cannot make an absolute argument for or against any moral behavior if everything is an accident with no creator. It simply holds no water and is philosophically dishonest.

The Theist on the other hand believes that God created not only the creation but also the conscience and moral law. The Theist therefore logically believes that there are absolute moral directives from the Creator. It is a logical deduction.  An interesting question would be; “How would a moral being exist without said moral being having been created by a moral being?” The logical answer is simply that it wouldn’t. One of the great philosophical arguments for the existence of God is that people are born with a conscience and develop moral codes.

If Atheism is brought to its logical conclusion there can be only one result. If all restraint is put away from Atheism so that the consistent philosophical position is lived out in reality, there can only be chaos. Atheism’s end is destructive to society because it has no moral base whatsoever.

Most Atheists are not true Atheists because they do not think through their philosophical position and so they have a moral code. How do I prove that they have a moral code? It is simple really; all you have to do is ask an atheist if he/she ever gets upset with what another person does because they think it is wrong? Surely every Atheist has experienced witnessing what they think is a moral lack in another person’s life. Example; if an Atheist has their car stolen, they, like anyone else, have a sense of wanting justice in the matter. Why? If it is true that there is no God, and that everything is an accident, then why should there be justice for the car theft? Is the Atheist saying “The car belongs to me, and therefore the thief committed a wrong action in taking what is mine, and stealing is a moral violation, so therefore I want my car back and I want him prosecuted? If the Atheist says that, he is violating his own world-view since in his position, all is an accident, there is no God and so there is no absolute right or wrong. He may be upset because it was his car that was taken but he cannot say it was a wrong action and be consistent with his atheistic world-view. The Atheist in this example clearly believes in right and wrong but if he truly is a believer in the Atheist world-view it is totally out of character to demand justice. The Theist knows that there is an eternal God and due to the Creator creating the world in a specific design, it is also clear that he also established a moral code of behavior. Theists understand that without the absolute universal giver of a set of moral laws, there cannot be a right or wrong. That is logical.

Many Atheists point to what they say is destruction coming from the Theist world-view. Their contention is that Theism is the cause of wars and killing. This is a reasonable question; “Is theism itself the cause of many wars?” The answer is that there has been wars based on Theism however that in no way tells the real story. To lump all Theists into the category of causing wars is like blaming all matches for the action of an arson. Anyone can use anything for their own gain or their own twisted purposes. It is a sophomoric argument for someone to say “I’m an Atheist because people have killed because of religion.” How is that a logical argument about the existence of  God or not? When speaking of a believer in God you have a wide range of positions concerning God. Up until this point I have made no distinction about any specific religion. We have simply been speaking about Atheism and Theism. There certainly have been many who have murdered in the name of religion. 911 will clearly speak to that fact. The fact is that there have also been many murdered by Atheists (Stalin, Lennon, Mao, Pol Pot to name a few). In fact tens of millions have been slaughtered by Atheists. It would be equally sophomoric to say “I am not an Atheist because Atheists have murdered people.”

Christians (real Christians) do not believe or practice murder for any reason. Most Christians believe in the right of self defense but no Christian believes in murder. You don’t see Palestinian Christians strapping bombs to themselves and blowing up civilians on a bus. Since our leader Jesus did not teach us to murder, anyone who murders in the name of Jesus is not a Christian but rather someone who is misrepresenting Christ. For Islam it is different. Mohammed did murder and teach his followers to do so. So there are various religions in the world and it is illogical to lump them all together. This article is dealing with the supposition; “If there is no God.”

If there is no God:

1) Everything is an accident

2) There can be no moral code that has absolutes.

3) It is illogical to have moral outrage at anyone for anything.

4) There are no natural “rights” as acknowledged by the Constitution of the United States of America.

5) Human “rights” do not exist.

6) Murder is not wrong.

7) Any categorical judgment about anything is illogical.

What are the social, political, moral, and economic ramifications of an atheistic world-view? Or asked another way “What would a society be like if everyone truly believed the logical conclusion of a true Atheistic world-view?” The answer is chilling.  If a society was to truly believe that there is no right or wrong, that everything is nothing more than an accident, that there are no “natural rights,” and that absolute human rights do not exist, then what do you have? A totalitarian society based on the falsehood of natural selection with its ultimate end being survival of the most powerful and the subjugation of anyone who is weaker in any way. Since that society would believe that there are no absolutes, they would believe that all things are relative and subject to the ebb and flow of whatever the powerful in society decide from time to time.

You may give the same old argument that conscience is a result of social conditioning but that makes no sense. First if it is a result of social conditioning only, why is it that in every culture there are certain universally held very clear moral agreements such as laws against stealing? Second, why did the conditioning develop in the first place if there was no innate conscience?

So to sum this up. If one truly is an Atheist, they must believe that there are no absolute moral standards. That their children are worth no more than any other accidental piece of matter, and that all we see has no purpose whatsoever.

Open your heart Atheist. Stop hiding behind your illogical belief that you can have it both ways. If there is no God, there are no absolute morals, and if that is the case than you and your children are worth nothing more than any other piece of matter that you believe accidently got here. The truth is that there are moral absolutes because God does exists and He created us all giving us a conscience. Swallow your pride and bow your knee to the obvious. The creation is a witness to the truth of the Creator. You can try as you will to defend your prideful position, but the truth is that you know intrinsically that there are certain actions that are absolutely immoral because the God who made you put that knowledge in your conscience, To deny that is not logic, it is not science, it is not enlightened, it is simply your attempt to cover your own desire to live outside of the authority of God….”A fool hath said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 53:1)

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Dr. David M. Berman

We have all seen the “Prosperity Preachers” on T.V. They often have elaborate successful looking churches or studios. They always wear really nice clothes, and clearly there is an allure in what they say to those that do not have spiritual discernment. Is it any wonder that a world which has turned its back on the truth of the Bible would be attracted to the “get rich, all is well, name it and claim it gospel?” As I always say when speaking about this topic; “There is always an element of truth contained in deception.” Let us look at this con:

1. “God wants you to be rich financially always.”

This is the big lure since the Bible teaches us that love of money is the root of all evil.

1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Their idea is this; God owns everything. Since Christians are His redeemed children, Jesus made a way for us to prosper. We now have the right to sow and reap to the point of gaining prosperity being defined as loads of money. There is an element of truth to this. There is no doubt that the Bible teaches the principle of sowing and reaping in the following verse;

2 Corinthians 9:6 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

We see from this the principle is valid however what the prosperity preachers do is focus on this passage in order to get people to “sow a seed” into their ministry. I never hear these preachers speak of sowing seed into the local church or another ministry. It is always their ministry and then some of them begin to get really loopy while speaking what they say is a specific “prophetic word” that goes something like this;

“The Lord had said for me to tell you to sow a seed into this ministry of $53.00 because of Isaiah 53…but God has said if you want a double blessing send $530.00 oh….but if your faith is really moving today you can send for a triple anointing prosperity blessing of $5300.00…release your faith with this seed and receive all God has for you.”

This is the typical thing you hear from these preachers and their focus is constantly on “blessings.” They teach that God is at your beck and call and all you have to do is claim something by faith and sow and God will give it to you. This leaves no room for God to decide who should have what when. It places God in an obligatory relationship with His people that leaves no room for God to say no. It is a theology that is out of context and balance. They often use the following verses;

Matthew 18:19 “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”

John 14:13 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

They take these verses totally out of context because they do not have proper Hermeneutic skills.  Mathew 18:19 is in the context of church leader authority in church discipline matters. John 14:13 clearly teaches that what we ask must be in keeping with the “Father being glorified in the Son.” This is the key. If what we “name and claim” is not in keeping with what God decides will glorify Him, he can and will say no. Furthermore we look at the another passage to gain more understanding;

1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

We see here that if we ask anything “according to His will” he hears us. According to His will is the key. We certainly may ask God however it is human arrogance to think that we always know His will in every situation.

2. God has given us the ability to always walk in divine health with no room for sickness if you have faith.

Again the Bible is clear that we may pray for the sick and that God heals. By the grace of God we can come to Him in prayer;

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Here we see we can boldly approach God and petition Him for our needs. If a person prays and wants to stand on their prayer for healing, that’s great and I would stand with them. Having said that, here is when these prosperity preachers get whacky. I have heard some say; “if you have a headache do not confess it because that is a negative confession and shows a lack of faith. So if you have a headache and someone asks you if you have it tell them no.” That of course would be lying and it is clear that God is not in favor of lying. It in no way is a lack of faith to tell the truth but their twisted theology tells them it is.

These “purveyors of truth” completely neglect the Bible passages that speak of infirmities like the following;

1 Timothy 5:23 “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.”

Here the Apostle Paul advises Timothy to mix some wine with water for a medicine due to Timothy’s struggle with stomach problems. Why did Paul not just pray for him, and why would Paul mention Timothy’s sickness if that was a “negative confession”? It is simple. We live in a fallen world and bad things happen. I have to confess that I sort of find it strange when a prosperity preacher speaks about this topic while wearing eye glasses. It would seem that he is not really believing what he says in that those eye glasses are an admission of his eye problem and quite a “negative confession.”

3. Spirituality is defined by how many things you have, how much money there is in the bank, and if you are as Osteen says living “your best life now.”

This is what the Word of God says about life;

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

If we were not going to have difficulties God would not have to comfort us in all our tribulation. Look at what he says in Romans 8:35 (above).  We shall not be separated from the love of Christ by “famine, nakedness, peril, or sword.” That means these things will challenge us. We may go through them in this life. It is not a lack of faith that we may go through these things. It is that we live as strangers in this earth. We belong to God and yet we live here in this fallen world.

Let me say this clearly. I believe in the principle of sowing and reaping. I believe in the principle of praying for the sick, and I have seen people healed. I also believe that there in nothing wrong with having large sums of money if one attains it by honest means. Money is not evil, it is the ”love of money” that is the “root of all evil.” If God blesses you that is great, I hope you use it for the furtherance of the gospel as well as taking care of your family. But let us always remember that the gospel is not a message about prosperity at its root. The gospel is the message of salvation in Christ alone by grace through faith and repentance. The next time you hear some gimmick being spewed out by a preacher to get money….go read your Bible. Tithe to your local church, give offerings to others in ministry, feed the poor with alms, but please do not get caught up in the “prosperity gospel,” since it is out of balance at best and heretical at worst.

Saturday, September 26, 2009
Dr. David M. Berman

Hey, I have a great deal for you, listen up. If I told you that you can come to this historical figure named Jesus, let him into your heart, have to do nothing, join nothing, hold to no specific doctrine, just believe in this man, and you will be saved forever while you continue to do anything you want including (but not limited to) getting drunk often, divorce without scriptural grounds, fornicate, give nothing to support God’s Church, care not if anyone else goes to hell, and have no desire to know anything about the Bible, would you be into that? Its free, no strings attached, no surrendering of your will, and no suffering to further this message…what do you think? Are you in?

This is the false American gospel. It is preached by popular T.V preachers, and is used in the emergent movement, as well as many American churches who see their mission as getting people to pray a prayer while making sure they are not offended. Now many do not say these words however the affect of their Luke warm non offensive gospel has the end result of counterfeit converts. I have been hearing “Christians” say “doctrine does not matter” for years. Some have used Calvinism to talk themselves into believing that God predestinated them and since they prayed a “sinner’s prayer’” they are all set. Calvinism tends to promote that mindset…I know, a bunch of you just got very mad at me for saying what I just said.

You guessed it, I am not a Calvinist. I do not believe in double predestination. I find it to be contrary to the whole of Scripture. Having said that, in no way am I saying that I believe Calvinists to be false Christians. I do however believe that the idea of “just pray this prayer and all is well” is helped along by Calvinist thinking. (This article is not about Calvinism. If you want my stand on that see my book “Berman’s Commentary on The Book of Romans”)

Not only is the “sinner’s prayer” not found in the Bible, the idea that a simple prayer saves you is also not found in the Word of God. I know some are now wondering if I believe in a works gospel. The answer to that is NO! We are only saved by grace through faith. What is the gospel message? Is it a shallow message? Is it the idea that we are saved by a technicality? Just pray the prayer and you are saved? That is not the gospel nor is it the self help book mindset that so many T.V. preachers spew out; “This is your day” Your best life now” “How to be rich in God’s kingdom”  “Wealth secrets of the Bible” and on and on. The important thing to remember about deception is that it usually contains some truth mixed with lies. Is God interested in your life prospering? Yes he is. Will there be a change in your finances when you practice the financial principles of the Bible? Yes there will. However, is life enhancement, and riches mixed with a prayer really the gospel?  Is simply praying a prayer and “accepting Jesus” really all there is to it. Could it be that the rotten fruit of “American Christianity” with all its liberalism, and lack of depth is a result of wrong thinking?

This is the true gospel;

1. Man is a transgressor of God’s law.

   Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”

2. God’s law is a clear schoolmaster.

   Galatians 3:24 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith”
   

3. No person is able to save himself by any work.

   1 John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”
   

4. Repentance is essential.

   Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”

   Acts 3:19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”

   Acts 20:21 “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”

   2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death”

5. Believing in the existence of God is not enough.

   James 2:19 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble”
   

6. God demands justice for sin because He is Holy and Righteous.

   Romans 1:29-32 “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them”
   

7. We all deserve damnation and yet Christ took the punishment for us so we can be saved.

   2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”
   

8. In order to receive salvation we must have godly sorrow and repent of our wickedness and sinful actions. Then we receive the gift of eternal life from true repentance.

   James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves”

   AND THE KEY VERSE:

   Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

A person must believe in their heart, repent with godly sorrow, and confess Christ as true Savior in order to really be saved. After that there is fruit that speaks of the true conversion. Consider this passage;

Matthew 7:18-21 “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven”

Jesus said “not everyone who saith unto me, Lord Lord, shall be saved.” Many will believe that just praying a prayer saved them even though they had no change in their life based on true godly sorrow repentance, no desire to win the lost, no care about any moral behavior, no desire to know God’s Word, and no concern for proper doctrine. The gospel is at its base the message of God’s grace in taking sin upon himself on the cross, mankind repenting and surrendering by grace through faith to Christ through repentance with fruit that speaks of a true conversion.

Am I saying that a true believer never sins? I am not saying that at all. Consider this passage;

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

Speaking here of believers including the Apostles, it is clear from this passage (and others) that all believers still struggle with the sinful flesh nature that all are born with. No mere human is able to be perfect in every thought, and action. There however is a major distinction between walking in repentance as we seek to mature in our walk with Christ in thoughts and actions, and the false idea that all you must do is pray a prayer and then thoughts and actions are really not that important. Vast numbers of “Christians” have no concern for obedience to God’s will or concern for sharing the true gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why pastors do marriages for people who are divorced without scriptural grounds (divorced without scriptural grounds even after they were “saved”). This mindset allows pastors to not confront people in their church that are living in sin and fornication. Grace has been cheapened in many churches who desire to be man pleasers rather than pleasers of God.

Let me be the first to confess as the Apostle Paul did that I am the chief of sinners. I am in no way saying that I have arrived at some sort of perfection in my human condition. I know I am saved only by God’s grace. I examine my own life to look for fruit and continually search my heart before God. What I am saying is that the false American gospel has been selling an untruth to many. The truth is that without true repentance with godly sorrow, a person will not be born again and therefore they are not true converts who bring forth lasting good fruit. The reason there is so much divorce, fornication, lack of loyalty, selfishness, and bad doctrine in the American Churches today is because of this deception caused by the preaching of a false gospel that does not include repentance, and godly sorrow. Wake up church and go back to the Bible. Preach repentance, godly sorrow, and sound doctrine. I leave you with this important passage concerning this article;

2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears”

American Churches are living in this time. Wake up!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Dr. David Berman

Luke 6:26 “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

Of all the things most desired of people it is to be thought of with affection. What person is there that truly has no concern whatsoever about what others may think of them? Perhaps there are some who may sincerely have that mind, but truth be known, the vast majority are the contrary. What people think of us is of great concern no matter how many times we attempt to pretend that we have no concern of others thoughts of us. Some things are valid concerning our desire to be thought well of. However, when it comes to the topic of the Word of God vs. the world system, that is another matter altogether.Modern culture has placed the highest price on self esteem and therefore every public institution has been influenced to make sure that no one’s feelings are hurt. There seems to be an insatiable desire to be accepted for everything and anything. Political correctness is the embodiment of this idea and so great pains are taken to watch every word as to make sure that all are spoken well of (unless speaking of Christians since it is deemed proper by our culture to malign Christians at every turn).

The Lord’s Word to us however is the opposite of the prevailing idea that to be accepted is the highest call. It is not that God wants us to try to be spoken badly of, it is instead the realization that it is impossible to stand for Christ and have everyone love you. If you are going to stand for the true gospel of Jesus Christ there will be many who simply hate you because you stand for the cause of Christ. What is the main factor concerning the fear Christians have in America relating to sharing their faith? It is fear of what will be thought of them by unbelievers. The fixation for those is on what is spoken of them on earth rather than what is spoken of them in the halls of heaven.

The false prophets of old always told the people what the people wanted to hear. This placed them in the popularity club among many. It has always been that the true prophets had both people who loved, esteemed, and listened to them, as well as many who spoke evil of, and even wanted to kill them. The Bible teaches us that the very name of Jesus is an offence. If you as a Christian have never offended anyone, you most likely have been more concerned with the praise of men rather than the praise of God.

When God says the words “woe unto you” it is a strong rebuke with a sense of the grieving of the Holy Spirit. God has not called us to attempt to get people to hate us but the servant is not greater than the master. If they spoke evil of Christ, they will speak evil of those who are Christ’s followers. That is unless we shut our mouths for fear of not being thought of with worldly affection.

The Apostle Paul had a great understanding of this as he was persecuted by unbelievers and accused of evil by some who were believers. Paul knew the pain of persecution and character assassination and yet he would not compromise the truth for personal gain. What is it with modern American Christians? Why the preoccupation with being accepted by the world? I heard a preacher not long ago speaking at a Church I visited say something interesting. He said that a survey was done asking people what their opinion of Christians were. He said that the prevailing opinion showed that unbelievers have an unfavorable view of Christians. He then went on to say that should not be so and that “they are on to something that we are not.” Let’s think about that for a minute. Although I think he is right in one sense, I believe he is wrong in another. I do think it is important to convey a sense of caring to unbelievers as to effect a change in their understanding of who Jesus is. We want all to know of His love for every human being. Having said that, it is clear that the world will never have a great opinion of true Christians since the message that Jesus gave us to preach is an offence. I am sure if you took a survey in Rome during the early church, their opinion of the Christians that they were throwing to the lions would have also been negative!

It has never been, is not now, nor ever shall be our mission to always be liked. It is our mission to speak and live the truth no matter what is said of us. We must not be ashamed of the gospel.

Matthew 10:33 “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven”

Jesus made it abundantly clear here that to deny him is a serious offence; “whosoever” means everyone. It is God’s will for the believer to proclaim Christ and his Word without being ashamed. Consider the words of Paul:

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek”

Here we see the proclamation of truth and intent. The proclamation of truth is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew and Gentile. The proclamation of intent is that he is not ashamed of it, nor is he ashamed to proclaim it.

What is your desire? Do you long to be accepted by those who hate Christ? Is your self esteem the main motivator of your existence? Is your goal to be liked and to have people “speak well of thee?” Remember this; befriending unbelievers to show Christ’s love is great, being a friend to unbelievers as to influence them for the kingdom of God is laudable, but to be a friend of the world by compromising truth in order to have men speak well of you is made clear by the following words of James:

James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

This is the problem with making the Bible more palatable to the fallen human condition. There simply is no way to come to Jesus without being offended concerning one’s own sinful position before God. It is that conviction that brings a person to the place of true repentance. So Remember this:

Romans 9:33 “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed”

Jesus is a stumbling stone for many. He is a rock of offence. To love the world and the opinion of the world more than Him is to be ashamed of Him. Woe unto us when all men speak well of us!