The Filth Called church

February 7, 2012 at 4:36 PM (Uncategorized)
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This is a video I recently made, based loosely off of an earlier, written work of mine. It’s actually my first video, and though the music doesn’t quite sync so well, I’m pretty proud of it.

 

 

Lord, forgive me of my anger right now. But it infuriates me to see this rampant dead religion. I’m infuriated by seeing people claiming to be Christians who I can’t differentiate from the people of the world. Christians that I can’t differentiate from the Pagans, Non-theists, and non-Christians. I’m sickened seeing people go to church for a few hours a week to nod their heads while listening to a message about a Glorious God that they don’t even know. I’m vomiting because of these half-truths. I’m nauseated of these churches who are Christ-less. I’m in mourning of the overwhelming evidence that only 2 bloody percent of professing Christians in America are saved. That 2% of professing Christians will go to Heaven. I’m furious that the supposed leaders of our church worship the almighty dollar more than they worship the Almighty God. I hate these empty prayers and the candles that are lit out of tradition. I’m enraged by the masses going to church to have their ears tickled, who go to get just enough truth to pass their consciences so that they can roll in filthy sin for the week without feeling guilty about it. I ground my teeth for those who claim to be in Christ, but pledge allegiance with their tongues only, who have never even read the Bible. How, Lord, can we worship You if we do not know Who You are? How can we love You if You are a stranger? My Father, we cannot! And yet the supposed church pretends to! It masquerades in lies and adorn itself in the world. It is unrepentant and lukewarm, and will be spewed from Your mouth into the pit of Hell and the Lake of Fire, all the while consoling itself in its meaningless, false belief in Your Majesty.

Lord, our nation decays further, and yet we wonder why. Our children – my peers – are leaving the church and proclaiming the names of idols or mere nothingness, and yet we wonder why. Lord, if our professing church is a fellowship of ignorant, thieving, hypocrites, it is no wonder that our society is nothing but a mess of filth – a rotting, disgusting cesspool. If the “church” cannot answer the most basic question – if we do not show that You are alive in not just our words, but our actions – then of course our civilization is a worthless heap. If it has come to the point where “Christians” are better off seen and not heard, no wonder, my Lord! No wonder! If half as many Christians were saved as those who merely proclaimed it, we would not have the problems of society. We would not have these woes. But when we cannot do the simple task of showing our children the Word of Christ, we are nothing. When all we do is curse profanities, obscenities, hold our own pride above all else, teach our children to rise at the expense of others, bully, cheat, lie, steal, gossip, mock – Lord, we are no better than the heathen who openly proclaim their lack of allegiance to you. When we do this, Lord, we ARE heathen. Hell-bound, plain and simple. And so is this nation without You, Lord. And yet, we wonder why.

Where is the example Christ led? Where are the words Christ said? Lord, my Father, sweetest Jesus Christ, I pray for a revival to this nation. We are in the End Times, that’s blatantly obvious. But, Lord, my God, before all Hell breaks lose, let this country see a revival. Let us see You appear in the church again. Bring back the Church with a capital C, rather than this unworthy embarrassment we have now. My God, bring down Your Holy Spirit to the lives of people all across this nation. Let those dead in You find You for the first time. Bring people from dead religion and idolatry to the Truth. Raise the dead, just as Christ was raised. Let us see Your Light again, and let us shine it into the darkness of the world. Let us light up this night sky with You, my Savior – Lord, You know what’s needed.

In Jesus Blessed Name,

Amen.

Copyright, Cheyenne Kroeger

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Sexuality and the Church – Part 3

February 4, 2012 at 9:49 PM (Sexuality and the Church Series, Uncategorized)
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The third and final part to my series on sexual immorality, over two months late. All Scripture used comes from the New King James version.

Part 3 – Sexual Immorality Inside of the Church

* It is to be noted that the term “brother” is most often used in this piece, however, what is written applies to women just as well as men.*

What is to be done when a brother or sister is sinning sexually in the Church is more direct and somewhat, if you will, harsher than those who sin outside of the Church. In 1 Corinthians 5:9,10, Paul writes, “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.” As Christians, we have a crucial commission given to us by Jesus Christ. We are to preach the Gospel to all people who do not know the saving Grace and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, just as Paul says, we must interact with those people. We cannot avoid them. However, Christians, who know the saving Grace and Power of Jesus Christ, are, essentially, to know better. We have been saved by Christ, and washed in His blood. We are told to repent by our Savior and God Himself. He makes it clear that we must pick up our crosses and follow Him. We have no excuse to go against the commands of our God, Who sacrificed all on the cross, when His Word tells us quite explicitly what those commands are. The only ignorance we could possibly have in these situations of sexual sin is self-induced, or willed, ignorance. And that is no justification of the sin at all. Christ didn’t die so that we could go out and have orgies. He died to spread the Gospel, and that Gospel does not include unrepentant sexual immorality.

First, we much remember Christ’s words in Matthew 18:15-17.

15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Even though this example is for a brother sinning against another brother, this is to be used with any unrepented sin. It may be that, in fact, the brother may not realize his hypocrisy or sin. King David did not recognize his sin with Bathsheba until he was confronted and convicted by Nathan. However, once confronted, the sin could not be ignored anymore. Your brother may not fully recognize his sexual immorality, and so therefore need the voice of repentance to convict him in his life.

Furthermore, Paul also gives us instructions on what we should do:

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 

6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth

9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.

12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

  • 1 Corinthians 5

Here we must note how harshly sexual immorality is judged within the Church. Paul writes in the first verse, “It is actually reported.” Meaning, Paul was surprised, for in this letter, he is forced to address an issue that should not have been to begin with. The word of God – the Gospel and the very same word he preached – condemned this sort of sexual immorality. Why should he have to address this issue again, when Christ commanded us to repent of our sins, and among them – which is made incredibly and explicitly clear throughout the Scriptures even prior to the formation of the complete Bible – is sexual immorality? Not even just that, but he said that even the Pagans – yeah, the people who had the temple prostitution, homosexuality, etc. – condemned and would not dare participate in such as vile acts as this Christian brother was. He should not have had to even bring this matter up in foresight or conversation, and yet this disgusting, abominable atrocity was going on in the Church.

Today, the same sort of thing still goes on. How many brethren do we have who claim to love Christ as their Savior, and yet openly practice homosexuality, masturbation, pre-marital sex, and other various immoralities? I’m not talking about that thorn in the flesh that some Christians may have in the area of sexual immorality – so as long as that thorn is not embraced – I mean that the brother practices the sin without repentance, or even denies the fact that it is sin. This must be seriously dealt with. First, in the matter of convicting such sin, as Jesus has taught us to do. But, if the brother does not listen, then we are only commanded to turn from our brother, just as we are commanded to also by Christ, and by Paul as well.

3 And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.

5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. 6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, 7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

  • 2 Corinthians 2:3-10

Yet, still, there is one more thing that we are to remember. Paul does not mean for us to completely forsake our brother. After all, we are to love as Christ love, and we are to forgive in such a manner as well. Once a brother’s sins are made known to him publicly, his guilt is brought to light, and he is sufficiently punished, we are to make known that we have not forsaken him in our hearts. The love of Christ is within us, and even if our brother sins, that love still thrives within our hearts for him – not what what he has done, however. Once our brother has repented, we cannot be hesitant to forgive him. So if a brother is to repent, he is to be welcomed back to the congregation and favor thereof with open arms and open hearts. Any further punishment would be too severe and clearly unbiblical.

In conclusion, sexual sin is no joking matter. Both within and outside of the Church, it is to be addressed seriously and soberly. We are to be direct in our approach, and ultimately, just as our Savior Jesus Christ has done, so should we. Whether we are addressing the sin of an unbeliever, or the sin of a brother, we are always to remember that we are walking the narrow path that Christ first plowed for us and we are to receive each person in such a manner, with the same perfect instructions and the truth of the examples we have been given.

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Is Jesus Christ Real?

November 7, 2011 at 6:23 PM (Uncategorized)
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The fact of Jesus Christ being living, breathing man is pretty much undisputed. After all, His life was recorded by historians of the time, such as Flavius Josephus and the like. However, a lot of people ask, “Is Jesus Christ real?” with the intentions of really asking, “Is He really the Son of God? Did He really die on the cross for the sins of humanity? Was

More so than any other religious figure, if Christ was a liar, He would be the easiest liar to disprove. After all, everything He said relied on the fact that He would die and rise again from the dead three days later. If He did not, He was a nut and no God.

Now, Christ died a very public death. He was scourged and then nailed to a cross. When He died, His body was brought down and placed in a tomb. This too was public, for the religious figures of the time made sure that two guards were sent to stand before the tomb so that the disciples could not come and take His body by night and make it appear as if Christ was risen when He was not (Matthew 27:63-66).

However, on the third day, Christ did indeed rise as He said He would.

Now, if Christ was a liar, think about how easily that claim could be disproven. Yet, the first place this Christianity – a belief which a fundamental doctrine is Christ dying and rising from the dead – spread was in this place, this town. Jesus was not well-liked by the leaders in the Jewish community. He was mocked by the Pagans. If they really wanted expose this apparently ridiculous belief for all it was…

Why didn’t they just open the tomb?

Christianity would have gone down in ridicule. It never would have made it out of the first century, let alone transcend two-thousand years and become one of the most predominant belief systems. All the Pharisees and the Romans had to do was open the tomb and parade the dead corpse of Christ around for everyone to see.

But they didn’t.

Because they couldn’t.

Jesus Christ was not in the tomb, and to this day, many Jews still insist that the disciples moved Him. Interesting story about that…

11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. – Matthew 28: 11-15

But then, the Apostle Paul would have been really stupid, wouldn’t he?

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.  – 1 Corinthians 15:1-6

It’s like this: The New York Times has an article in it. In the article, it references statements made by thirteen people, and then names five-hundred more people involved in activity described by the article. Thing is, it’s all a lie. One of the thirteen never said what was quoted, twelve lied, and the five hundred listed were never even involved.

I don’t see that writer doing so well, do you?

If christ never rose, this would be essentially what Paul was doing. He would be making a claim that he couldn’t back up, and whoever mentioned could tear the story down for its obvious falsity. Five hundred people could do that. But they didn’t, because they had seen Christ after His death. If it wasn’t true, Paul just listed over five-hundred people that could disprove him and Christianity. That never happened, because it was true.

Furthermore, the disciples as a whole would be pretty stupid as well.

I have a question: Why do you lie?

To get out of trouble? Yeah, definitely.

To make something seem more interesting or cool? Sure.

To spread a rumor or something about someone? It’s not nice, but I’m sure at least one of us has done it before.

All of these things are natural things to lie about, but do you lie…

…to get in trouble?

…to be ostracized?

…to go to jail?

…to lose your personhood?

…to be tortured?

…to be murdered?

Well, if Christ was not risen, the disciples would have been doing just this.

You know what they said to the Sanhedrin, the religious people who had the power to imprison them, incite a riot agains them, have the tortured and killed (just as Christ was)? Note that Caiaphas, one of the priests responsible for the crucifixion of Christ, is also at this meeting.

5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” 
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through themis evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” 

18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. – Acts 4:5-22

Note the blatant defiance in which the disciples have towards the people who could have them killed, just as their Rabbi was. Would you so boldly defy people who could kill you for a lie?

Not only that, but the disciples did not only merely speak this way. The lived this way and they died this way. Matthew was slain via sword in Ethiopia. Mark died in Alexandria after being dragged to death through the streets. Luke was hung from an olive tree in Greece. James was beheaded in Jerusalem. Another James (known as James the Less in Mark 15:40) was thrown from the high pinnacle of the temple. Philip was hung against the pillar Heiropolis in the province of Phrygia. Bartholomew was flayed alive. Andrew was bound to a cross until he died. Jude was shot with arrows until he died. Matthias was stoned and later beheaded. Barnabas was stoned to death in Salonica. Peter was crucified upside-down (note the prophecy in John 21) upon his request. He deemed himself unworthy to die as his Lord and Savior had. Thomas (doubting Thomas) was run through with a lance in the East Indies. Paul was beat near death several times. With rods he was beaten, and he had received thirty-nine lashes several times. He was ship-wrecked and stuck in the ocean on more than one occasion. He was finally killed when he was beheaded in Rome. This wasn’t for fun or by coincidence, all of this was for a Gospel.

Point is, people don’t die for something they know is a lie.

Today, there are many martyrs. There are people willing to blow themselves up, believing that they will get whatever-number of virgins it is in a so-called paradise. However, these people lack the uniqueness of the disciples in their position.

These people lived fifteen-hundred years after the supposed revelation of their religion. It’s not hard for them to die for it, when they’ve been taught this way their whole lives and they are in the position to believe their ancestors in what they are saying about their prophet.

The disciples were much different.

They lived beside Jesus Christ.

They knew Jesus Christ.

They followed Jesus Christ.

They saw Jesus Christ die.

They saw His dead body.

If Christ rose from the dead, they would know. If He did not, they would know.

If there was a lie about him resurrecting, they would have started it.

So, which one of you would be willing to go to  Guantanamo  Bay to be tortured and killed in the most painful ways for a lie you told?

…

….

…..

Exactly.

So what is the likeliness of all twelve disciples deciding to let themselves be tortured and killed for a lie they told?

Even if one of of them was insane enough to do it, chances are the rest would not be.

It’s just not realistic.

The most logical conclusion one comes to based on this evidence alone  is that Jesus Christ was everything he said He was and everything the Bible writes Him to be. I don’t believe in  coincidences. I don’t believe things just happen. I believe what reason leads me to.

This is reason.

Note: All Scripture used is from the NKJV for the sake of simplicity and understanding. Some information was gather from http://www.alwaysbeready.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99&Itemid=43

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