The Plan of Damnation!
I have promised myself over and over again that I would try and play nice with brothers and sisters who are engaging in the Plan of Damnation, But I have failed again. It really isnt possible to ignore the stench of rotting souls anymore than it is possible to ignore the stench of rotting flesh. They both revile the senses and ruin the prospects for a satisfying day.
What is this Plan of Damnation? Well, it is known primarily for what it is not. Anything that is not the Plan of Salvation is in fact the Plan of Damnation. Any philosophical debate which results in endless posits rather than concrete answers is in fact a spiraling staircase going down to damnation. Any contradiction to the revelation that Christ alone is savior is the path to damnation. In every generation there is a new version of the Plan of Damnation which is offered up in the guise of a fresh Plan of Salvation.
By the way I do not apologize for the use of the word damnation. It is and will always be the antithesis of salvation therefore it cannot be omitted from our teachings about the Kingdom of God and His Christ. Anyone who does not receive Him by faith is damned! Condemned to Hell! Oh my, I do hope I disturb your Karma! It really is a notable thing to realize that Hell has been expunged from the Gospel message by these deceptions and deceivers.
In our day we have seen the rise of what I call the Happy Church theology. In this version of the Plan of Damnation there is no sin, therefore no reason for repentance, therefore there is no need for a savior, therefore no possibility that there would be eternal judgment. God has become the senile old man who giggles at our debaucheries or He is eclectic and offers a whole range of salvation scenarios in which you may mix and match to suite your personal tastes.
Since few are pointing this out let me take a shot at it. It is absolutely evil to lead any person into false doctrine and watered down facsimiles of the word of God. To dare to come into the presence of God without the fear of God is to invite wrath and rejection. To dare to set yourself up as your own moral compass is to fling refuse in the face of the Crucified Lord. You ask, how have we done this? It is by measuring your relationship to God with your Happy/Sad stick rather than measuring your life to the sacrificial death of Jesus. He is the one who died on the cross for us so that we could be free from condemnation. It is his death as a substitute for our own death that gives freedom from sin.
How is it that men revert to their own system of salvation knowing these things? In the Last days there will be periless times! A great deception is in the land today. We are being plied with the sweet song of mediocrity, moderation and tolerance instead of righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost. Men are buying into the No Fault Gospel which is the constitution of the Plan of Damnation!
Awesome experiences mixed with instant gratification is the new goal of the Happy Church. Like the No fault divorces which permeate the land with mass murder of the family the Happy Church movement includes a no fault clause which says everyone is entitled to the salvation of God on their own terms and there is no penalty for not receiving the sacrifice of Jesus or for not obeying his commandments. This lie is the author of the mass murder of formerly strong Churches./p
As long a we are humored and happy we are placated. I sat with a man recently who described his morning worship service to me with glowing terms. None of which included the name of Jesus, or the mention of the Holy Spirit, repentance, conviction, the Word of God or any of the thousands of normal references to faith. Much was made however of how happy everyone was with the music and with how great it was to have no requirement for dress or conduct or responsibility to commit to anything. A sadness grew upon me as I listened. Are we being entertained to death? Smiling all the way we are being emptied of life.
How can we be faithful to our calling unless we count the cost and pay the price of discipleship. In the short years we have left upon the earth will we see the reversal of this trend or will we preside over the funerals of our friends who will all die laughing at God. As for me, I intend to resource the Plan of Salvation with the fresh testimony of the miraculous work of Jesus Christ. I will proclaim the Good News. I will do my utmost to present the hope of salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit to save man from sin and death.
Am I happy? Wrong question. I love the life Ive been given. I am joyful and full of awe for the one who has delivered me from death. You all who follow us and look to us for leadership please pray that we can clear the air of these false doctrines and doctrines of demons. Pray that the Plan of Damnation will not take root among us. As we exalt the Savior Jesus Christ in everything we will see the destruction of fortresses and every high thing that rises up against the knowledge of Christ.
Our Fascination with Fame
It must have been the phrase You will be like God that started it all. As Eve stood listening to Lucifers diatribe about who they really were and how God was doing all he could to keep them from being all they could be. In so many words he was saying; God is holding you back and If you will take for yourself what you deserve you will have it all. The offer to rise above your condition and grasp what is due you is an ancient lust. It is never satisfied and will in all cases drain humanity of its best possibilities of true nobility.
You will be like God flipped the passion switch for ageless renown and immortality in the heavens! It created the germ of what we now call the glory of FAME. Those who pursue such a path are slain by compromise. By laying aside all warning, men and women are falling into the great deception. The desire to be the object of adoration is endemic in mankind.
(Fame) is a harsh mistress, Capitulating to the promise of godlike renown makes you vulnerable to her and she will have her way with everyone who eats her fruit. In recent days we see again the price it takes to satisfy Fames desire. Once it roots within the rich potential of a gifted servant of God it becomes the Kudzu of that persons soul. It over shadows and chokes out all Son Light until all things holy wither until that person becomes the troglodyte remnant of what He could have been if he had only had Son Light!
Why is this problem a compelling subject for us today? The answer is central to our success or failure as followers of Jesus. If I am to arrive at my destination I need to know the cost of my journey and the likely pitfalls of my chosen way. Fames deception is on every corner where Christian life intersects with the world.
God makers are an industry to be reckoned with in the world. They know the addiction is powerful and they know the methods to fan the fires of self adulation by providing the medium which guarantees the fan base (Worshipers). They know that Fame is the Narcotic of the Narcissist. All they have to do is design a world in which you are the nucleus. If they can convince you that you are THE ONE then you will do all the rest of the work of self deception and they can reap the harvest of your labors.
I find it difficult to watch Christian television or to go to the much hyped meeting of the hottest and boldest ministers in that medium. It is not a pretty picture to have to absorb. Oh, yes the Word is being preached and yes there is a chance that many will be delivered from their fears of failure, rejection, and poverty. The content is not the problem. It is the unvarnished audacity of self promotion which lingers far beyond the memory of the power of the Gospel that sticks and accumulates in our hearts.
Yes, I have been warned Dont touch Gods anointed! It is with all sincerity that a say; Gods anointed ought to promote Christ, not themselves. If we who are responsible for the flock do not govern ourselves then we are subjected to the governments of man to bring correction. All of us have seen the results of that kind of debacle. We must remember the scripture The wounds of a friend are faithful! If we are afraid of confronting our own motives how will we confront brethren who lose their way? What right do we have calling the world to repentance for any reason if we are oblivious to our own contribution to the problem.
The Lord made it very clear that our hearts were prone to be addicted to the Lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (1Jn 2:16) Is it any wonder that we would excuse ourselves and condemn others for the same offense? We are all inherently self promoters by Adamic nature. Humility is not a genetic attribute! Only the person whose conscience is pierced will humble himself! He receives the cleansing from addiction to the I am God Syndrome!
Fame is prides constant motivation! It is the North Star of the self exalted ones. When Pride of Life sits on the throne of a mans heart He becomes intoxicated with his own voice and will listen only to those who will agree with him. So many of the brethren who have accrued tenure as pastors and or leaders of men feel justified in their actions since they can find no descent within earshot. If pride is the bane of Humility, then humility and anonymity is the annihilation of Fame and all her wicked sisters.
The idea that only the gifted are subject to this folly is itself a mistake. The motivation strikes us one and all. We are treated to an inordinate amount of guidance toward self exaltation. Every career it seems is baited with the promise of prestige and gratification. Not much is ever mentioned about serving or being an anonymous contributor to man kinds least fortunate. The deception is made easier through self justification in the pursuit of happiness. It is a happiness that is seldom found.
Do we purge the soul with more and greater efforts to gain notoriety? Do we stand on the heads of others pushing them down so we may rise above them? Observing this madness is rather like watching bucket of crabs trying to gain their freedom. When one finally reaches the top all the others grab him and pull him down and none escape. They will all die trying to be the first to succeed!
Crabs are not a sophisticated as we are therefore we are prone to much worse infractions than they. Is being the first, the best, the one whom we all will remember such a driving force? Would we destroy everything good for the chance to have that fame? Indeed we would and have proven to be masters at this twisted art.
What does our Lord prescribe for us?
Mat 23:12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted./p
Php 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Pro 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. 19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Pro 29:23 A mans pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.
Years ago I worked with a ministry which had broadcasts into several regions of America and Canada. My work was in the Middle east in a sensitive area of Islamic/Christian/Jewish conflict. Kay and I were living in a small village in the Galilee region and we were working to bring the good news to the good folks there. The head of the ministry wanted to broadcast all that we were doing to the world. The Lord had warned me to be careful to be anonymous. I relayed this to the people in the studio and I received an incredulous response. What does anonymous mean?
I had to explain to them that what we were doing was between us and God. That to reveal to the whole world what was being done would be a death sentence to some of the people and to the ministry itself. To place on television and to print photos and write articles naming names was good for ratings and offerings but it would torpedo every effort we were making and perhaps even cause the deaths of some new believers.
It was not long till we were unable to continue to walk with that ministry. Jesus made himself a man of no reputation. He constantly sent the healed away with the warning not to tell anyone what had happened to them. Why? Because fame would bring in the circus and genuine works of god would be surrounded by multiple counterfeits. The people would be picked off by the hoards of fame seekers. Ultimately he would be unable to continue to have the results he was producing.
Jesus told us to give without the left hand knowing what the right hand was doing. To expect the Lord to reward you not people. He clearly opposed the Proud but gave grace to the humble. Perhaps we need to ask the question Whom do I serve? Those who demand their rights at the cost of others needs are sinning against God and Man! It is the definition of lust and it is the heartbreak of any who seek to promote themselves. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord He will lift you up
If you are convicted of seeking fame you are in good company. Many a man and woman have come this way. The answer is as simple as it is profound. Confess your sin. Repent and take up you cross and follow the Lord.
Bro-Ken
Welcome! Site under major overhaul.
Welcome to the web site of NorthGate Church. It may not look a lot different than you may have seen it before, but we are undergoing a major site overhaul. We are trying to improve the site architecture to be more useful and aid to the distributing and furthering of the gospel of Jesus. Please bear with us through this process of rebuilding, we hope it will be short.
