Thursday, September 13, 2012

"LOVE ONE ANOTHER" ROMANS 12:9

JIM MARSHALL SCORES ONE FOR OTHER TEAM
In 1964 Minnesota Viking defender Jim Marshall made a monumental and embarrassing blunder. He recovered a fumble that the opposing team made, and in a moment of confusion, ran the ball 66 yards in the opposite direction to score a safety for their opponent, the San Fransisco 49er's. Ouch!


If you were a member of that 1964 Minnesota Viking team, wouldn't you be a bit shocked and disappointed that Jim Marshall would ever do such a thing? Do you think that the coach enthusiastically ran over to Jim Marshall after making such a colossal blunder, then pat him on the back and said, "Well done Jim!" Or rather, do you think that the coach rolled his eyes back in disbelief, wondering how one of his own players could ever make such an embarrassing mistake under his leadership.

And if you were a big Viking fan watching the game that day, I have no doubt that you would feel a bit down and embarrassed that your Minnesota Vikings would score points for the other team. Of course Jim Marshall would never think of intentionally scoring points for the other team, after all, he was a big, tough Viking through and through. But despite that, Jim Marshall, who had an outstanding career in the NFL, must not have been paying attention and did the unthinkable, earning him the dubious distinction of making one of the greatest sports blunders of all time; I have no doubt in my mind that Jim Marshall was crushed and ruined after making such a massive and embarrassing mistake.

A SERIOUS ISSUE
I think there is a valuable lesson to be learned from Jim Marshall's most embarrassing moment. I am talking particularly about the negative reaction and feedback I have received since my last post regarding Eric Dykstra's genuine repentance from preaching a burdensome, legalistic, and works-heavy non-gospel message to his congregation.

I want to be very careful here because I have met some of the critics and you are undoubtedly genuine Christians. My intentions here are completely noble and instructive; I have no desire to be devisive, but to bring a spirit of love and unity to the body of Christ. This is a serious issue that must be addressed, and I am writing specifically to the critics and naysayers of Eric Dykstra.

TWO TEAMS: GOOD VERSUS EVIL
Just as there are opposing teams in the National Football League who play with the single-minded goal of stopping their opponent and winning the game, there are two teams in the spiritual realm, only, it's no game. On one side you have team Jesus Christ who is ultimate Good, and on the other side you have team Satan and his demonic cohorts who are ultimate Evil. There are no other teams in the league, no gray area, and every person is in one team or the other. You are either playing on team Good or you are playing on team Evil. Therefore, we live in a reality where there are only two teams in existence, Good versus Evil, and each team is seriously focused on winning the game.

WHO ARE YOUR TEAMMATES? 
If you are a Christian, that is, if you have put your trust solely in Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption, then you are on team Good. Satan, demons, and all sinners who have not put their trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption are on team Evil. Team Good is made up of the Christian God, His heavenly host, and all redeemed sinners who trust in Christ alone. Team Evil is made up of Satan, demons, and all sinners who refuse to bow the knee to Christ. Simple enough.

Satan and his foul minions love division, especially division within the body of Christ. The Apostle Peter cautions believers to "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8). If the devil can cause division and conflict on team Good, then he is that much closer to gaining the upper hand. 

IS ERIC DYKSTRA ON TEAM GOOD OR TEAM EVIL?
When I first started my blog, I was pretty sure (not positive) that Eric Dykstra was playing for team Evil. But now I am convinced that he is on team Good. Obviously the Lord wanted Eric Dykstra on team Good, so He pulled him out of team Evil and put him on team Good. There are solid reasons as to why I believe that the Lord has pulled Eric Dykstra out of team Evil and put him on team Good. 

For one, he is now preaching the message that team Good wants to put out there for the world to hear. Team Good's message is to receive that which you do not deserve by grace alone by faith in Christ alone, while team Evil's message is to earn God's favor by trying harder to be a good person through obedience and rule-keeping. Why would team Evil ever want to do anything that would help team Good win the game? You see, if team Evil has every intention of winning the game, then it simply does not make sense to consistently preach team Good's message, and that is exactly what Eric Dykstra has been doing.

The problem is, I don't think some of the teammates on team Good don't want him on the team. (and since I have recently been removed from the BDMSG Facebook page after my post regarding Pastor Eric's repentance, I assume they don't want me on the team either!) In fact, they still think Eric Dykstra is still playing for team Evil. This is despite the fact that the sermons he has preached lately is team Good's message of trusting in Christ alone apart from works in order to receive salvation. If Eric Dykstra were still on team Evil, then he would still be telling people that they have to do more, give more, try harder, then God will bless them, but that is simply not the case. 

ARE YOU SCORING POINTS FOR THE OTHER TEAM?  
If Eric Dykstra has been gracefully put on team Good by the Lord Himself, then how is it that his own teammates would like him off the team? How is this of any merit for team Good? The truth is, there is no merit whatsoever in booting a bright, faithful, dedicated, and exceptionally gifted teammate off of team Good. It is just plain dumb for teammates to want to be rid of him, especially if teammate Eric was specifically chosen by the All-Wise Coach to be on His team. If Eric Dykstra is a genuine Christian who is preaching team Good's message, then his own teammates ought to love him and encourage him in his ministry for the greater Good. 

I know about the spiritual abuses that occurred at The Crossing under Eric Dykstra, at least peripherally. I realize that people have been hurt and broken. But if Eric Dykstra is now playing for team Good, then his teammates ought to recognize him as a fellow brother in Christ and praise the Lord for rescuing him and love him with Christian love. But when his cynical teammates bury their head in the sand, ignoring the great work the Lord has done in him, and fume over all the bad things he has done in the past, well, that's just like Jim Marshall's infamous run into the opponent's end zone, and you end up scoring points for the other team. Remember, team Evil loves divisions and conflict on team Good.

WHAT HAPPENED TO PAUL HAPPENED TO ERIC 
 The Apostle Paul used to play for team Evil. That Paul, he was a real piece of work. You think Paul didn't cause people to become hurt and broken? He wanted Christians dead! He signed death warrants for Christians! Paul, he definitely made a mess of other people's lives. But for some reason the All-Wise Coach took him out of team Evil and put him on team Good. He didn't deserve it, he knows he didn't deserve it, but was grateful that the All-Wise Coach did what He did. And as a demonstration of the greatness and power of the All-Wise Coach, Christians throughout the ages have been blessed with actual Scripture penned by the Apostle Paul himself. 

I adore Paul's teachings on love. He writes...

Love is patient and kind; 
love does not envy or boast;
is not arrogant or rude. 
It does not insist on it's own way; 
it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, 
but rejoices with the truth. 
Love bears all things,
believes all things, 
endures all things.
(1Corinthians 13: 4-7)

That is sheer beauty, all from from the heart of a former Christian killer who would never be the same after meeting the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. The Lord nurtured and shaped him into one of the most brilliant theologians, and one of the most gentle, patient, kind, and humble people ever to grace this planet, apart from the Lord Jesus. 
 
I UNDERSTAND THE SKEPTICISM
When Paul was put on team Good, people couldn't believe it. Many Christians were skeptical about the whole thing, and I don't really blame them. It would be something like Adolf Hitler becoming a Jew, it was just to far fetched. But sure enough, Paul preached the message of team Good and as you can imagine, was involved in quite a bit of ministry, and so after awhile skeptical Christians could no longer deny that Paul was on team Good.
 
Now, I get that some people don't buy into the idea that Eric Dykstra has truly repented. But it is a good idea not to jump to conclusions without verification, and I would also urge caution not to come to your conclusions too quickly. If you haven't done so, listen to Eric Dykstra's words. My last blog entry had this very sermon on it. It is pure, unadulterated Gospel Truth from the mouth of Eric Dykstra.

And how did one skeptic reply, "Hmmmmm, more meaningless words from him as far as I am concerned". What! Did that person actually listen to the sermon? My reply was, "So you think the Gospel is a bunch of meaningless words?" I said that because all that came out of the mouth of Eric Dykstra in that sermon was pure Gospel. That person, whoever it was, was suppressing the Truth of Dykstra's repentance.   

My concern is that the people who have been hurt under Eric Dykstra aren't taking the news of Eric Dykstra's repentance seriously. They think it's the same old Eric. But you know what? The Lord has power to change people. He did it to me. He also did it to my mom on her death bed, my brother Mitch six months before he died of a heart attack, and my nephew among others, and these are all people that you would never expect to become believers, not in a billion years. So don't underestimate God's power to do good for people who totally don't deserve it.  

EXCERPT FROM MY LETTER TO CHRIS
I wrote a letter to my nephew Chris yesterday. Chris is in a Texas prison awaiting news on his recent parole hearing. When he gets out he'll be coming back to Minnesota and living with me until he gets back on his feet. Chris knows Christ, and he knows about grace. It wasn't until he lost everything that he realized he needed nothing but Christ. His transformation from bitter cynic to follower of Christ is nothing short of amazing. Chris knew something about my blog from prior letters I had written to him. In yesterday's letter I  told him that Eric Dykstra repented from preaching a false gospel and is now preaching the Truth. In the excerpt below I describe the dynamic that is now in place between a newly transformed Eric Dykstra and those who have parted from The Crossing under his suffering. This is how I feel about the whole thing....    
  
Chris, I am absolutely stunned when the good Lord blesses and rescues people who are sooooo bad. You know, people like me and you, and now Eric Dykstra. I have read some of the responses to yesterday's post, and do you know what is tragic in all this? Some of the very people who had left The Crossing because of the spiritual abuse there, genuine believers, can only sneer and grumble in unbelief at the idea that Eric Dykstra has had a major paradigm shift, a spiritual epiphany that will forever change the way he approaches his ministry. Do they fail to believe that the Lord would ever grant such abundant grace and mercy even to Eric Dykstra, as if they themselves have never offended anyone? The truth is, Eric Dykstra is a bad person just like I am a bad person, along with all of Eric Dykstra's critics. Apart from the imputed righteousness of Christ, we are bad people. We are all very bad!
I believe Eric knows this about himself. However, he is no less deserving of grace than his critics because Grace, by definition, is totally undeserved and unmerited favor and blessing from the Lord. You cannot earn grace by being good because grace can only occur if someone is undeserving. And it is sick when his critics, the very people who would crucify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in their unregenerate state just as swiftly and methodically as Eric Dykstra would, cannot find it in their own heart to see past their own cosmic treason against the Lord and forgive Eric Dykstra. Jesus took their place at the cross, receiving in Himself the punishment that they rightfully deserve and gives to them His righteousness as a gift. Our Savior has been so wonderful, merciful, kind, gracious, and patient with them, yet it seems that some have no desire to extend the mercy, grace, patience, and kindness that the Lord has given to them and pass it on to Eric Dykstra. It's “conditional” grace, which is not grace at all. (“If only Dykstra would apologize for the things he has done, then I would be willing to receive him”).
Well here's a news flash for ya. (and excuse the language) Eric Dykstra is a total fuck-up. I am a total fuck-up, everyone on this planet is a major league fuck-up. And if the people who are bitter at Eric Dykstra are waiting for him to get his act together and approach them before they are willing to forgive him, well, they will be waiting a long, long time, because it will probably never happen this side of eternity. But genuine grace and perfect love can completely overlook the sins that others have committed against us. This is no better demonstrated than in Christ's work on our behalf. When we see ourselves just as fucked-up and disastrous as Eric Dykstra, then all we can do is sing praises to the Lord, not only for rescuing us, but also for rescuing Dykstra and lovingly bringing him into His fold.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU
Those are not the easiest words for some of you to read, but it's from my heart and it happens to be the truth. And it is my prayer that that truth would penetrate into your noggins. I know that the Back Door Ministry Support Group exists for a very good reason, and I think its a necessary thing to do for some. But if you want to really heal, I suggest that you do what is completely counter intuitive. Jesus did it all the time. 

Instead of stewing in your bitterness and waiting on Eric Dykstra to come to you and apologize, take the initiative to seek him out and give him your blessing. Love him with kind words and generosity and expect nothing in return. He doesn't deserve your love, generosity, or kindness, but to receive that which you don't deserve makes you a better person. And I guarantee that if you go out of your way to love Eric Dykstra, even if you think he still playing on team Evil, then you will feel a million times better than going to your support group. Love your enemies, that's what Christians do, and by doing that you make the world a much better place.

PRODIGAL ERIC
For those who still cannot come to grips with Eric Dykstra's repentance as you cling to your resentment, read the story of the Prodigal Son. Dykstra is the Prodigal Son in the Crossing Church version of the story, and his unforgiving critics are all the Older Brother. While there is a party going on in Heaven rejoicing over the salvation of Prodigal Eric, the Older Brother can do nothing more than bitch and complain that the Father would rescue him. I would like to suggest that your beef isn't really with Eric Dykstra, but ultimately it is with the Lord. Christ invites you join His massive party and rejoice at the Divine rescue of Eric Dykstra, which glorifies our great Savior for His undying mercy.  Please, don't offend your Father in Heaven by choosing to stay clear of the party. Won't you please join Him now? And if your heart is not in it, then go to your Lord in prayer and ask Him to change your heart. 

GOOD BYE AND GOD BLESS
This is the the last post on my blog. It has served it's purpose and I have nothing else to say except that I thank you all for following along here. This blog has done far better than expected with over 15, 000 page reads. WOW! You probably think I am someone who has it together pretty well but my life is a mess. Despite that, the Lord has blessed me beyond measure and for that I am grateful. I am grateful for all of you and I love you all. And don't forget that we are all on the same team!

Casey


        

Monday, September 10, 2012

GENUINE REPENTANCE AT THE CROSSING CHURCH
I am at a loss for words today, but in a good, awesome way! The reason why is because it has recently become clear to me that there has been a serious, serious change in the of heart of Eric Dykstra, the controversial pastor of The Crossing Church in Elk River, Minnesota. The purpose of my blog was to expose the unbiblical teachings and practices of Eric Dykstra and The Crossing Church, and warn others of the potential for spiritual abuse under his leadership.

It has always been my prayer that the Lord would cause something dramatic and unmistakable to happen at The Crossing Church. My prayer has always been that the Lord would decisively move in one of two ways. One, that The Crossing Church would suffocate and die underneath the endless allegations of unbiblical leadership, spiritual abuse, and the manifestation of cult-like attributes. Or two, that the Lord would miraculously open the eyes of pastor Eric Dykstra's and change his heart in such a way that would result in genuine repentance. Of course, the latter being the best of both outcomes. 

THE LORD HAS GRACEFULLY HIT ERIC DYKSTRA RIGHT IN THE HEAD WITH A SPIRITUAL BASEBALL BAT..
Make no mistake, something dramatic and unmistakable has happened to Eric Dykstra. The Lord is on the move in Elk River in incredible ways. Not only is our great Savior Jesus Christ rescuing undeserving souls from a Hellish, eternal catastrophe, but He is also there to love, nurture, protect, rescue, and correct genuine Christians who have lost their way in a complicated and harsh world where distortions, lies, and corruption occur at every corner. It is my firm and solid belief that our merciful and kind Creator, our gracious and long-suffering Savior has decisively moved the heart of Eric Dykstra.

Have you heard any of his recent sermons? I have, and there is a demonstrable and palpable change in his views on Law versus Gospel: and all I can say is that Eric Dykstra finally "get's" the Gospel. And he is preaching it loud and clear!

I actually attended The Crossing Church just a couple weeks ago, met up with a friend who goes there. In the link below listen to the sermon he preached that day.

Recent Crossing Sermon

Now, does that sound like a false pastor who is still hung up on legalism and works-righteousness? Or does that sound like a pastor who now truly understands the horrendous impact he has had on other people's lives as a result of his erroneous teachings and practices and now wants to make things right by preaching grace instead of law? I think he is blown away by the unlimited grace, kindness, and forgiveness that is found only in Jesus Christ and His Gospel, don't you? In my opinion, there is not a shred of falseness in his sermon, it is from the heart through and through. 

I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but I am pretty sure this blog is done. God Bless, Casey

Friday, May 4, 2012

WHAT CHRISTIANS BELIEVE ABOUT....PART ONE

I AM NOT PARTISAN
By "partisan", I mean that am a straight shooter. I call it like it is. As with any other theology that is suspect, I want to be as honest as I can when I critique a particular, sermon, doctrine, or practice of The Crossing church.  The purpose of my blog is to examine the teachings and practices of a controversial church, The Crossing, in light of the Bible; does The Crossing uphold what the Scriptures teach or do they not? My blog does not exist to just blindly shoot holes through The Crossing church uncritically, arguing a popular position if the teachings and practices I am critiquing are biblically justified. I want to uphold Truth, and rejoice when Truth is preached. In other words, I don't take sides.

WHAT CHRISTIANS BELIEVE ABOUT ...BLOOD, THE CROSS, THE GUY WHO DIED ON IT; WHY DOES IT MATTER?
 Now that I have clearly stated the intent of my blog, I want to give praise when praise is due. I just got done watching the April 5th Easter sermon preached by Crossing Church pastor Eric Dykstra called, "What Christians Believe About...Blood, the Cross, The Guy who Died on it; Why Does it Matter?". This was actually a great sermon! It marks the first time I have ever listened to a Crossing Church sermon by Eric Dykstra and heard the Gospel message clearly proclaimed throughout the entire sermon, and in that I rejoice!

ERIC DYKSTRA IS GIFTED...
....I don't think anyone can deny that. Eric Dykstra has an IQ. He has a unique, frantic style in the pulpit, with all four limbs flailing away accentuated by his shrill, expressive voice. Eric uses his gifts to clearly communicates his message in way that is shockingly funny and demonstrative. Has he always done this in the past? Yes. It is the way the good Lord made him. Has he always communicated biblical Truth in the past throughout his whole sermon? All prior sermons I have listened to he has not, and I admit, I haven't listened to all of them. Did Eric Dykstra clearly communicate biblical Truth, the Gospel message of Jesus Christ in his April 5th sermon? Yes!

CONTENT....
The biblical text Eric Dykstra used for his sermon was Isaiah 53; a very apt selection, given the Christocentric nature of this famous passage of scripture and the fact that it was an Easter sermon. I applaud the fact that Eric read the text, stuck to the text, and did not take the text out of context. As stated earlier, his preaching style was and is unconventional, [My pastor Bob Glenn of Redeemer Bible Church is equally dynamic] but is it unbiblical? No. I understand his method of contextualization, that is, understanding his target audience, knowing where they are at in their lives, and explaining the Scriptures in a way that makes it easier for them to understand according to their customary way of approaching spiritual matters.The Apostle Paul did this, and he is certainly someone we are commanded to emulate.

SIN
Overall, I thought Eric communicated the doctrine of sin in a way that his audience could understand. He didn't give a full exposition on the doctrine of sin, and I would have liked to hear him explain sin in the context of "lawlessness', as in [1JOHN 3:4] , that is, explicitly breaking God's laws incurring actual guilt in God's court. But overall, I thought he got the point across to his audience.

THE CROSS
Again, Eric is to be applauded for a very good exposition of the cross. The doctrine of imputation of our sins to Christ was clear, concise, and memorable. 

FAITH 
"Justification By Faith Alone" was the clarion call of the Reformers. The Bible is clear that we are justified, that is, acquitted in God's court, by faith alone, apart from works. And Eric Dykstra nailed it with beautiful simplicity citing the Apostle Paul in Romans 10: 9, 

"if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved".
That's pure Gospel gold! 

CONCLUSION
There were a few minor problems, but I don't really want to get into them. I am just grateful the Gospel of Jesus Christ was clearly preached at The Crossing. By comparing my critique of Dykstra's April 5th sermon today juxtaposed with my last post about the demonic nature of false religions and philosophies, it would appear as if I am going to go join The Crossing church. Well, no, that is not the case. A single solid sermon from a controversial church does not necessarily indicate a trend away from heresy. I'll still be keeping my watchful eye on The Crossing. I intend to go through this entire sermon series as it rolls out over the next few weeks. I have a few sermons to catch up on, bu hopefully I can get caught up in a couple weeks. But you can count on biblical objectivity from me.
  
THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONCLUSION...
...ending on a positive note, favorable to Eric Dykstra and The Crossing church, if I were an unbeliever who was invited to The Crossing and heard the message Eric Dykstra preached on April 5th, was there enough Gospel Truth in his message to be saved? My answer, Yes, abundantly! And I praise the Lord for that! 




      
 

Thursday, May 3, 2012

UPDATED POST
Since my last post will obviously brush some people the wrong way, I wanted to take the effort to supply some actual scriptural proof texts to support my thesis from my last post. I suggest any who have read that post without the proof texts should do so know. Try to read all the proof texts and let God's Word speak to you. It should be obvious that the Word of God does indeed bear witness to my claim. If anyone disagrees, I welcome all criticism, so long as you provide the necessary proof texts as I did.  Thanks, Casey

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I AM AMAZED,,,,
...that my blog is still garnering attention, with many visits to my site, even though I have been inactive for well over a month now. Thanks to all followers for your interest, whether you realize that The Crossing is not an authentic church in the biblical sense, sitting on the fence, or oppose my criticism posted through my blog. I will press on. I realize that my blog is not a popular item for some, and that I will be attacked and marginalized by those involved in The Crossing, but that doesn't matter.

WHAT IS TRUTH?[JOHN:33-38]

What matters is the Truth [1TIMOTHY 3:15]. And the Bible, God's Word, clearly teaches what the Truth is. The Bible is God revealing Himself, the unveiling of His attributes and character [2PETER 1:21] to a fallen, broken, lawless, rebellious, God-hating, sin-polluted people [JAMES 2:10] [JEREMIAH 17:9] [GENESIS 6:5] [MATTHEW 27:22] The Bible then, is "true" Truth. The Bible, being the very Word of God, interprets historical events from a particular point of view, that being the view of the one and only God [ISAIAH 44:6]. He is the Holy One [ISAIAH 6-1-6], Creator and Maker [GENESIS 1:1], King and Sovereign [ISAIAH 40: 13-14], Judge and Savior, the God who has revealed Himself through His infallible and inerrant written Word [2TIMOTHY 3:16-16], and ultimately through the Person and work of Jesus Christ.[HEBREWS1:1-3]

JESUS CHRIST: THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE [JOHN 14:6]

Jesus, the Son of God, is the second Person who is God [JOHN 8-58]-one God in three Persons [LUKE 3:22] [2CORINTHIANS 13:14] . He took on human flesh, lived a perfect and morally flawless life that we are unable to do because of our sin, and then died the death that we deserve on a cruel cross [PHILIPPIANS 2:7-8] [HEBREWS 4:15] [2CORINTHIANS 5:21], experienced in Himself the outpouring of the Father's wrath on our behalf [MATTHEW 27: 45-46]; and then conquered death by rising from the grave [1CORINTHIANS 15:1-8]. Jesus promises salvation from an infinite succession of moments of agony and suffering in God's prison called Hell [MARK 9:42-48] [MATTHEW 7:24-27] Salvation also comes in the form of restoring the broken relationship with God  we were created for, the alienation and enmity we have with our Creator [COLOSSIANS 1:21-22], to all of those who bend the knee at His Lordship, and trust in Him alone for the salvation of their souls [ACTS 4:12] [LUKE 13:3] [ACTS 2:38]


The Bible teaches that it is God who took the sole initiative in saving us. Sinner's are spiritually dead and spiritually blind; in our fallen state we have no ability to save ourselves [EPHESIANS 2:1-9] [ROMANS 3:10-20], no love for the true God, only vicious hatred and contempt. Therefore, it's not about what we can do for God to rescue ourselves, but what God has done for us to rescue us from the just sentence that we deserve and the prison and bondage of sin we are totally enslaved to.  And God rescues us only through the Person and work of Jesus Christ. That's the Truth, and that's the Gospel. It's in the Bible.

DOES THE CROSSING PREACH THE GOSPEL?
The Crossing is a controversial church. There seems to be two sides of the story, and I have met with people on both sides. On one side there are those who are in agreement with The Crossing's teachings and practices, and on the other side are there are those who disagree. This is no small matter. Whenever a controversial church like The Crossing is accused of being spiritually abusive to many people who were formally involved in the church, that fact alone ought to serve as a red flag that all is not right with The Crossing. 

What is most important in sorting out which side is right and which side is wrong boils down to the question, "Do The Crossing's teachings and practices accord with The Bible or do they not?" In other words, does The Crossing clearly, effectively, and consistently communicate the Gospel message in word and deed? Or do they preach a false Gospel? If you attend The Crossing Church but have never heard the Gospel as outlined above, and instead are being taught that you ought to "do more, give more, try harder, then God will bless you", you are not being taught the Gospel and I fear for your very soul. You may be sincere and firm in your belief that The Crossing is a great place and their teachings are true, but still end up in Hell.

GOOD VERSUS EVIL
The Bible teaches that God is supremely good and beneficent [PSALM 145].  He is without moral flaw and is absolutely and infinitely pure in His holiness and righteousness; there is not a speck of evil in Him.On the flip side, there is the devil and his demons, angelic creatures who have rebelled against this Holy and righteous Deity [2PETER 2:4] [JUDE 1:6]. The Bible teaches that demonic forces are active in our world, influencing people and institutions to their evil end [1PETER 5:8] [EPHESIANS 6:10-12]. This is not to say that God is hamstrung here. He has allowed this to happen in order to accomplish His Divine purposes. In other words, the devil and his demons are all on a leash and cannot do anything without God's permission [JOB 1:12 [JOB 2:4-7].

All false religions and all of man's philosophical ideas purporting to point to truth are ultimately demonic in nature; demons influence people to become leaders of philosophical movements and religious movements outside and within the Christian church [2CORINTHIANS 4:3-4] [1THESSALONIANS 2:18]. I'll remind you that "church" is not just a building, but the distinct population of redeemed sinners who believe the Gospel and trust Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior. The dichotomy of good and evil presented above presents a clear line. There is no gray area here. Either something is from God, or it is from Satan and his foul, obscene, Christ-hating minions.

What I find ironic in the Crossing Church controversy is that the people who are faithfully involved in The Crossing fail to see the elephant in the bathroom. If a religious entity such as The Crossing claims that they are a true Christian church, but fail to manifest good fruit that reflects God's character of Truth, goodness, kindness, mercy, grace, and patience, then doesn't it logically follow that such an entity is ultimately the result of demonic activity and therefore evil in nature? [1JOHN 3:10] [MATTHEW 7:15-20].

THE FRUIT OF THE CROSSING CHURCH
I know for a fact that The Crossing does do some good things in the world. For example, when I visited The Crossing, everyone was encouraged to give up their shoes before they left so that they would be given away to the poor. That is a good thing, and no no one can deny that helping the poor is a bad thing to do.

However, doing good things like ministering to the poor by giving away shoes does not necessarily negate demonic involvement, especially when accusations are flying all over the place that The Crossing is a spiritually abusive church. The Bible teaches that Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light [2CORINTHIANS 11:14]. Doesn't that comport well with what is going on at The Crossing? How about the fact that in The Crossing's sermon archives I have listened to, there is a palpable omission of the genuine Gospel of Jesus Christ as clearly taught in the Bible? Or how about the rampant heretical teachings of The Crossing church? They twist God's Word so that the actually meaning of the text is obscured by an idea it was never meant to covey. They teach doctrine that flat-out contradicts the Word of God. Does God contradict Himself? [2TIMOTHY 4:1-4]

And then there is the leader of The Crossing church, Eric Dykstra. Is he truthful, honest, and transparent with his congregation? Does he approach God with reverence and humility? Do his words convey undying respect for the Lord of Hosts? Or does he speak with undertones of pride and contempt? Does Dykstra bear witness to the true character of God through the spiritual abuses that occur within his church, abuses that wreak havoc on people's lives? Are all these things the work of God? Or is it the work of the legions of demons who have the ability to easily influence and persuade the corrupt hearts of fallen men and women? [1TIMOTHY 3:1-7] [2TIMOTHY 2:24-26]

THE TRUTH BEHIND FALSE GOSPELS
The answer to these questions is intuitive. Demons hate God, they hate every way about Him. and they hate His people, They lie, deceive, distort, and twist God's Word. They will make every attempt to re-invent the Gospel of Jesus Christ into a false gospel, a gospel that leads to Hell [GALATIANS 1:6-10], and they accomplish this task through the mouthpieces of corrupt men who themselves hate the Lord and have no desire to preach the Truth.

Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, the Roman Catholic Church, and all other false Christian religions are in the same camp. They have the appearance of goodness and godliness on the outside, they sound convincing, and perform charitable deeds and do good works for other people. But underneath they churn out distortions and spew out filthy lies that contradict the Bible that are ultimately demonic in origin [MATTHEW 23: 27-28]

I realize that what I have to say about The Crossing church and the demonic origin of false gospels will not be well received by some, but it is the Truth as revealed by God's Word. And if you do not seek Truth about God, then you are in opposition to Him.

In my next post I will give the necessary biblical proof texts to support all I have said here, so hold your tongue and my the good Lord bless you.

Casey          

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

"THE CROSSING: CHURCH OR CULT" WILL RE-OPEN FOR BUISNESS!

I AM AMAZED,,,,
...that my blog is still garnering attention, with many visits to my site, even though I have been inactive for well over a month now. Thanks to all followers for your interest, whether you realize that The Crossing is not an authentic church in the biblical sense, sitting on the fence, or oppose my criticism posted through my blog. I will press on. I realize that my blog is not a popular item for some, and that I will be attacked and marginalized by those involved in The Crossing, but that doesn't matter.

WHAT IS TRUTH?
What matters is the Truth. And the Bible, God's Word, clearly teaches what the Truth is. The Bible is God revealing Himself, the unveiling of His attributes and character to a fallen, broken, lawless, rebellious, God-hating, sin-polluted people.  The Bible then, is "true" Truth. The Bible, being the very Word of God, interprets historical events from a particular point of view, that being the view of the one and only God. He is the Holy One, Creator and Maker, King and Sovereign, Judge and Savior, the God who has revealed Himself through His infallible and inerrant written Word, and ultimately through the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

JESUS CHRIST: THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE
Jesus, the Son of God, is the second Person who is God-one God in three Persons. He took on human flesh, lived a perfect and morally flawless life that we are unable to do because of our sin, and then died the death that we deserve on a cruel cross, experienced in Himself the outpouring of the Father's wrath on our behalf; and then conquered death by rising from the grave. Jesus promises salvation from an infinite succession of moments of agony and suffering in God's prison called Hell. Salvation also comes in the form of restoring the broken relationship with God  we were created for, the alienation and enmity we have with our Creator, to all of those who bend the knee at His Lordship, and trust in Him alone for the salvation of their souls.

The Bible teaches that it is God who took the sole initiative in saving us. Sinner's are spiritually dead and spiritually blind; in our fallen state we have no ability to save ourselves, no love for the true God, only vicious hatred and contempt. Therefore, it's not about what we can do for God to rescue ourselves, but what God has done for us to rescue us from the just sentence that we deserve and the prison and bondage of sin we are totally enslaved to.  And God rescues us only through the Person and work of Jesus Christ. That's the Truth, and that's the Gospel. It's in the Bible.

DOES THE CROSSING PREACH THE GOSPEL?
The Crossing is a controversial church. There seems to be two sides of the story, and I have met with people on both sides. On one side there are those who are in agreement with The Crossing's teachings and practices, and on the other side are there are those who disagree. This is no small matter. Whenever a controversial church like The Crossing is accused of being spiritually abusive to many people who were formally involved in the church, that fact alone ought to serve as a red flag that all is not right with The Crossing. 

What is most important in sorting out which side is right and which side is wrong boils down to the question, "Do The Crossing's teachings and practices accord with The Bible or do they not?" In other words, does The Crossing clearly, effectively, and consistently communicate the Gospel message in word and deed? Or do they preach a false Gospel? If you attend The Crossing Church but have never heard the Gospel as outlined above, and instead are being taught that you ought to "do more, give more, try harder, then God will bless you", you are not being taught the Gospel and I fear for your very soul. You may be sincere and firm in your belief that The Crossing is a great place and their teachings are true, but still end up in Hell.

GOOD VERSUS EVIL
The Bible teaches that God is supremely good and beneficent.  He is without moral flaw and is absolutely and infinitely pure in His holiness and righteousness; there is not a speck of evil in Him.On the flip side, there is the devil and his demons, angelic creatures who have rebelled against this Holy and righteous Deity. The Bible teaches that demonic forces are active in our world, influencing people and institutions to their evil end. This is not to say that God is hamstrung here. He has allowed this to happen in order to accomplish His Divine purposes. In other words, the devil and his demons are all on a leash and cannot do anything without God's permission.

All false religions and all of man's philosophical ideas purporting to point to truth are ultimately demonic in nature; demons influence people to become leaders of philosophical movements and religious movements outside and within the Christian church. I'll remind you that "church" is not just a building, but the distinct population of redeemed sinners who believe the Gospel and trust Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior. The dichotomy of good and evil presented above presents a clear line between good and evil. There is no gray area here. Either something is from God, or it is from Satan and his foul, obscene, Christ-hating minions.

What I find ironic in the Crossing Church controversy is that the people who are faithfully involved in The Crossing fail to see the elephant in the bathroom. If a religious entity such as The Crossing claims that they are a true Christian church, but fail to manifest good fruit that reflects God's character of Truth, goodness, kindness, mercy, grace, and patience, then doesn't it logically follow that such an entity is ultimately the result of demonic activity and therefore evil in nature?

THE FRUIT OF THE CROSSING CHURCH
I know for a fact that The Crossing does do some good things in the world. For example, when I visited The Crossing, everyone was encouraged to give up their shoes before they left so that they would be given away to the poor. That is a good thing, and no no one can deny that helping the poor is a bad thing to do.

However, doing good things like giving away your own shoes to the poor does not necessarily negate demonic involvement, especially when accusations are flying all over the place that The Crossing is a spiritually abusive church. The Bible teaches that Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. Doesn't that comport well with what is going on at The Crossing? How about the fact that in The Crossing's sermon archives I have listened to, there is a palpable omission of the genuine Gospel of Jesus Christ as clearly taught in the Bible? Or how about the rampant heretical teachings of The Crossing church? They twist God's Word so that the actually meaning of the text is obscured by an idea it was never meant to covey. They teach doctrine that flat-out contradicts the Word of God.  Does God contradict Himself?

And then there is the leader of The Crossing church, Eric Dykstra. Is he truthful, honest, and transparent with his congregation? Does he approach God with reverence and humility? Do his words convey undying respect for the Lord of Hosts? Or does he speak with undertones of pride and contempt? Does Dykstra bear witness to the true character of God through the spiritual abuses that occur within his church, abuses that wreak havoc on people's lives? Are all these things the work of God? Or is it the work of the legions of demons who have the ability to easily influence and persuade the corrupt hearts of fallen men and women?

THE TRUTH BEHIND FALSE GOSPELS
The answer to these questions is intuitive. Demons hate God, they hate every way about Him. and they hate His people, They lie, deceive, distort, and twist God's Word. They will make every attempt to re-invent the Gospel of Jesus Christ into a false gospel, a gospel that leads to Hell, and they accomplish this task through the mouthpieces of corrupt men who themselves hate the Lord and have no desire to preach the Truth.

Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, the Roman Catholic Church, and all other false Christian religions are in the same camp. They have the appearance of goodness and godliness on the outside, they sound convincing, and perform charitable deeds and do good works for other people. But underneath they churn out distortions and spew out filthy lies that contradict the Bible that are ultimately demonic in origin.

I realize that what I have to say about The Crossing church and the demonic origin of false gospels will not be well received by some, but it is the Truth as revealed by God's Word. And if you do not seek Truth about God, then you are in opposition to Him.

In my next post I will give the necessary biblical proof texts to support all I have said here, so hold your tongue and my the good Lord bless you.

Casey          

Thursday, March 15, 2012

"THE CROSSING: CHURCH OR CULT?" IS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS

To those who follow this blog, Due to circumstances beyond my control, "THE CROSSING: CHURCH OR CULT" is closing shop. Thanks to any and all who followed my blog, may the Good Lord bless you in Christ, Casey

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

FREE AT LAST: TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN SERIES ON GALATIANS-PART FOUR

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SERMON WEDNESDAY

Just giving my readers a review of the new blog posting schedule I'll roll out in full beginning Monday, March 19th.  Tomorrow I'll announce the focus of my upcoming critique of The Crossing Church, so be sure to check back and see what it is I will be covering, beginning next Thursday. I might give a big picture overview tomorrow. Blessings to all, Casey     

Here's Part Four of  FREE AT LAST: TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN SERIES ON GALATIANS-PART FOUR

To access the other semons in this series, which I highly recommend, then scroll down to "LABELS", on the right hand column.