Waiting for a download so I am writing a blog.

I do not know what I want to say so this is true randomness. I have been thinking, after listening to Paul Washer, that the American Church reduction of the Gospel to this say this prayer is changing the focus from God to man. Paul Washer said something that I never realized but know that there was something wrong with getting people to say the sinners prayer. To clearify, I believe that people need to pray to God because they see that they have offended the true God but I am against having people repeat a prayer and then pronounce them saved. Paul Washer said what I have found in witnessing at the mall, people stake their eternity on a prayer that THEY said and not on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. This is work righteousness and the more I think about it, the more I think that those people are not saved because they trust is wrongly placed. I did not say the "Sinner's Prayer" so does that mean I am not saved because I said a prayer. What Christ did on the cross will be fathomed but us humans and the fact that we degrade to a point that we have to say this prayer and no mattered what, we are saved. I am all for assurance of salvation but my assurance is in the Christ alone because of the atoning work on the cross. I took some advice from C.J. Mahaney's book A Cross-Centered Life, it is that we should preach the Gospel to ourselves everyday. What is more assuring that a wretched sinner has be saved by God to do God's work here on earth. The more and more I think about my life and how self-centered my life is, the more and more I see my need for Christ and a cross-centered life.

I have also been thinking about how can I celebrate Christmas rightly. When I figure it out, I will post.

"For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many."

In 4 days, it would have been 1 year since I wrote a post about titled "Realization that I am not the person I claim to be." It was a post about being a Christian. I did not think I was one. Well here is another post but it is not in desperation. It is not because I feel sorry about myself. The title is from Matthew 7:13b. I was listening to sermon by Paul Washer. If you think that your Christian life is going well, listen to Dr. Washer and you will be humbled. In a recent sermon called "The Cost of Discipleship," he talked about Matthew 7:13-27.

So I have a questions for everyone. Does non-believers like you because they do not fear you? Do you see the devil, your flesh, or the world constantly against you? Do you look like the world in how you dress, act, and maybe talk?

Here is a verse for you from Matthew 7:21-23. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "

What am I trying to say? Are you sure that your election is certain? Paul Washer explains that the narrow gate and wide gates are for Christians alone and not Christians and the World. So there are people that call themselves a Christian but still will be punish to hell. If your Christian walk have been easy, are you sure that you are a Christian? Does the world hate you because you show glimpse of God in your life. Do they see that you allow are out to worship God alone?

The Christian life should be hard to do. What do you think Jesus meant when he said in Matthew 7:14 "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."?

Now this also applies to me. This is not punching your self-esteem to make me fell better but also to humble myself.

You can listen to the sermon at Sermon Audio (links to this sermon).