Why Not Me?

Last week while working on an outline, I kept thinking of what God used to save me. God used a heretic who has led many people astray with his false teachings. I know so many people who have accepted his teachings. It breaks my heart at what this man had done. I deserved to be led astray by that man, just like so many of my friends have. The question that will never leave my mind is, 'Why not me?'.
I didn't know any theology when I first became a Christian. I was so vulnerable to be led astray by that man. I should have been led astray like so many others. I don't understand why God didn't let me though.
It breaks me to see the man's ministry flourish, and to know that more people are being led astray. And to know that I should have been one of those people.
I deserved to be led astray. I would have definitely learned the hard way to know the importance of theology.
I wish I could only know the answer to that question. Why not me? It's been running through my mind all this weekend. Why not me? Why not me, O God?
I don't understand why God would save a wretched sinner such as me, and I don't understand why He kept me from the heresy that the man was preaching.
When I tell people my testimony I can't help but feel that they don't understand it really.
It's hard to know that the heretic who God used to save me has led some of my dear friends astray.
That's what grace is though.
God has given me so much grace in my life! Saving me from myself! Breaking my addictions! Showing me the truth through a man's lies! God has been so gracious to me, to give me the right theology. To keep me from falling into heresy.
But still the question will always remain: Why not me?

Stand

In my last post I told you about how far we have fallen, not only in our culture, but in the Christian community too. One thing I didn't go into much detail about was about the wolves we have let in.
I know too many people who have accepted false teachers saying, "Oh, they are nice. They wouldn't lead anyone astray. And if they do it isn't going to damn them to hell if they believe it, so it's okay."
People don't care anymore if anyone is lead astray. As long as the heretic is nice and sweet it's okay that he comes and preaches his heresy at our church.
Even the people who say they are in the same boat as I am, the people who say they hold to the same doctrines I do, will not stand.
No one wants to take a stand because it's too hard, or because they know that if they stand they will be persecuted. And others don't stand becuase they don't want to.
There are people being led astray every day, and the false teachers and heretics who are around us we let be. We don't really love people if we are inviting a heretic into our church.
People are being led astray and the people of God refuse to stand.

Some people assume that men like Phil Johnson and James White will find the heretics and deal with them. But just because God has greatly used those men to show us why certain people are wrong, doesn't mean that the other "ordinary" Christians can't defend their faith too.
If the day hasn't come already that someone will step up and challenge you about your beliefs, it is coming.
What did you say when that day came? Were you able to defend your views?  Did you stand? Or did you fall?
I do not believe that the Bible teaches that women should be in leadership, but I do believe that every man and woman should stand and defend the Word of God when need be.
Every Christian should be a theologian. And part of being a theologian is defending the truth.

Studying theology is hard work but God calls us to stand, and we can only stand if we know what we believe and why we believe it.
If you love God and if you love your brothers and sisters in Christ, and if you love the truth, you will stand, and defend the Word of God.
You don't really love your brethren if you will not stand to show them the truth. You do not really love God as much as you think you do, if you do not stand and defend His Word.
A lot of times we don't defend it because we don't want to be alone. We don't want to be on the "bad" side.
People will look down on you if you stand. People will be angry. People will hate you. People will persecute you for the things you say.
And sometimes on the other hand, people will thank you. And tell you that God used you to open their eyes. For most of the time, at least in my life it's the first group, of people not liking you after. But when someone does thank me, everything seems worth it.
Some of you know what I am talking about.
Other times no one says thank you. And that doesn't always mean that God didn't change anyone. God might have opened someone's eyes, you might just never know.
Either way, it's worth it to stand. And to stand is to obey.

As Christians we have become so afraid in not only the world, but also the Christian community. We've become soft, and don't love our brethren. We've put on a mask at times, and "stood" to defend the Word, but then when we aren't in a debate we accept those heretics just the way they are. For doing great works, or being greatly used by God.
We are loosing it in our community, that we have become so weak and so caught up with what everyone else is thinking.
How many of us will take a stand? How many of us can and will defend the Gospel when the time comes to rise? Who will stand? Who will stand?

God bless,
  A.W.

He Answers

Over the last year God has answered so many prayers. Big and small.
I was praying that God would keep someone from falling, and He has kept that person. And I prayed that God would bring encouragement to my friend, even if it was just one little conversation, and He did.  Just last night.
How awesome is it when you get to actually see God answering your prayers? It's pretty neat.

It all started last year when God really seemed to be answering prayers. I prayed for a long time that God would open my friend's eyes, because she had fallen into heresy. That heresy had ruined her and broke her down in her life. Once it had given her a false peace and joy. That heresy imprisoned her and destroyed her spiritual walk.
And at times when I was trying to show her the truth it all seemed hopeless. But finally she emailed me and told me that I was right, and that the heresy she had believed in was all a lie.
The next thing we were talking about was Calvinism vs Arminianism.
Now that one took a long time. And it seemed that God didn't even hear me because it would always seem like a constant battle from her traditions and the true Gospel. But one day she emailed me and said that she was a five-pointer!
I cried when I read that email. I cried because God is so good. Because He is so sovereign. Because He answered my prayers. He answered the prayer of each tear I cried for my friend.
And He didn't answer my prayers on my time. He answered them on His time, when the moment was right.
If He had answered them all on my time I never would have learned to be patient in prayer, or to trust in God that He is in full control.
A lot of times I would pray and God wouldn't answer. I would take that as a 'no'. But it wasn't like that, when my prayers for my dear sister in Christ weren't answered, He was saying, 'Not yet, trust in Me for this."
And that is what I had to do. Let go and trust in Him.
Sometimes the answer is 'no' and sometimes it is simply, 'not yet.'
It blows me away when I look back and see how God had a plan through it all, and see how He answered my prayers. Looking back makes me cry and tremble becuase even when I was at the brink of giving up He kept me up, and He gave me hope. Looking back I see God's plan through it all, and it gives me peace for the future. God is sovereign. God is in control.
Over the last year God has answered so many prayers, and sometimes when it has been a long wait I get blown away by that. Because sometimes it feels like He isn't there, that He isn't answering. But then He does. In His time.
And though the wait may be long, I will always have an answer to my prayers. It may be a 'yes', a 'no', or a 'not yet'.
Look back to see what He has already done and trust in Him for the future. He is in control. He is Sovereign.

God Bless,
  A.W.