Satan Doesn't need to tempt the American Church: We've destroyed ourselves without it

"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?"  
( 1 Corinthians 3:1-4) 

I cringe when I read this. I cringed because I know how close to home this hits with many within the church. This could easily be addressed to any number of churches here in America.  As the church of Ephesus received from John's letter in Revelation; we have abandoned our first love. We no longer seek after Christ, and his Gospel alone, we desire more.  Is it wrong to want to know more of God? Not at all, but when it clouds your view of reality, it hurts. If you desire to know more of God than was written in the Bible, there's a problem. If you have to read books that take the Bible out of context to make a point, you need to stop yourself, and return to your first love. Now, do not think for a second that I am saying you should not spend every waking second aware of God, and what he desires for your life... That is not my point at all.

However, I have been to a few churches here and there, and I see problems coming when they forget the Gospel and become "Super-Spiritualized".  This is the Gospel, Man has fallen from favor with God because of our decision to sin. God desires us to return to Him so He made a way for us to come to him. He sent Jesus to earth as a God-Man (100% man and 100% God). Jesus lived a perfect life was crucified, buried and rose again on the third day. He then ascended into glory and sat down at the right hand of God. His death opened the door for us to be made one with God, if we believe in Jesus and the sacrifice that he made. If we surrender our lives to him, and acknowledge him as Lord and Savior, we will be saved and once we die, we will be reunited with God, and live in eternity with him forever. This is the Gospel. Nothing more, and nothing less. Or at least that's what the early church believed.
Today, we cannot believe a simple Gospel because many many years later, naturally we would know more about the Gospel than what Jesus said. Today you must choose who you will serve. Will if be Zwingli? or Luther? or will it be Calvin or Arminius? Surely, if you do not agree with me, you cannot be saved.

I know, that these men, were all Greats of the Faith, and I mean them no disrespect. However, I have left church angry because there was an argument, not about the Gospel, but about whether Calvin was right or Arminius was right. This has to stop. Calvin was not predestined to replace Christ's simple Gospel, and Arminius did not have the free-will to choose to replace the Gospel.

I know that it is good to study and learn more and more about Christ, but it's about building a relationship, not writing a textbook to add on to the Gospel. The Gospel is what saves you, not to doctrine of predestination.
If I met a man, who told me he was going to heaven because Jesus loves him and forgave him of his sins, and his life reflected that statement, I would believe that he would be in paradise one day. If a man told me that everyone who believes in Arminian Theology is going to hell one day, but that he was safe because he was a calvinist... I would wonder if I would see him in Eternity.

We have become to bitter against each other for no other reason, but secondary doctrines to the one Doctrine above all doctrines. The Doctrine of the Gospel. Jesus came to make a way for us to be reunited with God, and He desires us to come to him, we cannot earn our salvation, we can't even begin to pay for it, but we can accept it because of his love and grace towards us. Jesus saves us from our sins, when we recognize him as our loving savior and when we make a change to do our best to honor and glorify him in our lives. That is all. There is no magic doctrinal stance that lets you into a higher heaven or a better heaven. It is the simple Gospel that saves.

I mean this in love,

David "Duckie" Vest

Compassion isn't Easy, Hatred isn't Hard

So we're coming to the end of 2014, and there are some things that stand out. First of all, I'm getting married this year and I 'm excited!
Second, Michael Brown was shot and killed, Eric Garner was choked to death, and Two Police officers were gunned down in cold blood as "justice". There have been much heated debates and raging arguments over these events. There has been even more senseless stupidity and hatred than normal, but that's not why I'm writing this. I'm writing this because, even though I didn't know any of them personally, I hurt. I'm broken, and I hurt for them all.

Michael Brown made some bad choices in life, but I'm sure that there were times when he did make the right decisions, I'm sure there were moments when he was kind, and nice to people. Eric Garner, didn't need to die, and there was no reason for that whole situation to begin with. The two cops who got killed for revenge of Brown and Garner, definitely were a huge loss to their communities. I'm not saying that Brown and Garner weren't huge losses either, but their situation was a little bit different. They died after some struggle. However, I'm not here to argue about who was innocent and who wasn't that's not my intention, and I don't have a degree in law so I'll let that be. My reason for writing, is this. All of us who have been watching the news, and posting about it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram have opinions and everyone has a right to their opinions. However, I don't care whether you are black, white, purple, or green. You are a human, and you have  a choice of whether you decide to hate or show compassion.

If you choose to hate the officers who killed Brown or Garner. You'll waste your energy in hate when you could've been forgiving. If you choose to hate Brown and Garner and champion the cry, "They got what they deserved!"  You also, are wasting your energies. See, hating people never got us anywhere. Hate never fixed anything. Hate is evil and hating each other is a sin. Regardless of the religion you adhere to, or if you are an atheist. You most likely believe that Hate is a negative emotion or energy. Why would you ever choose to surround yourself with negative energy? Is it really worth it?
Don't get me wrong. I understand that hatred looks like the easy way out, and like it will reap the most rewards, but it's a lie. It's not true, you'll go to the grave hating and poisoning yourself. That would be a shame wouldn't it?

The opposite response from hating everyone involved would be compassion. Now, let me caution you, compassion isn't easy, and it's very hard to forgive. But I can tell you it is far more rewarding. I look around at the world today, and hate as engulfed it. Satan has done quite well in blinding and confusing the world into believing that sin and hatred will make a better world. My plea is that you would decide to forgive and move on.

Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of wrong attitudes and wrong responses to everything from Ferguson to NYC and every time I want to curse those involved, I fight it, and I try to stop hating and forgive. I have no reason to lie, I've cried over these lost lives and the lives ruined through these events. I don't know them but I hurt for them, and hurting can turn towards bitterness if you don't admit that you are hurting, but please, please don't go on that road. Admit that you are hurting, and need healing, and work towards compassion and forgiving.

It's almost Christmas, give yourself a gift, and let yourself heal from this year. I know, that I personally couldn't possibly heal from all the hardships and pain I've had in life without the help of my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. He has given me the faith and grace to help me through the hard times, and I know he is willing and there to help you. No matter what "race" or ethnicity you are. He will and wants to bring comfort to you.

Remember Compassion isn't easy, but it bring healing. Hatred isn't hard, but all it does is poison your soul. refocus on Christ this Christmas and find hope. There's no need to carry around the burdens of sadness on your own.