RAY JOHNSON

A dear friend, that I love very much, recommended a book called "The Shack."

"The Shack" is a New York Times Number One Best Seller. The book has created much controversy, both negative and positive, from many respected people. Because of all the controversy, I thought I would share with you my thoughts about the book.

First, let me say that I enjoyed the book and I do recommend it to MATURE Christians. Some would probably brand me a liberal for recommending such a book. Those of you who know me know I am very conservative when it comes to Bible doctrine. However, I hope I am liberal when it comes to love, grace and forgiveness. I think that's what this book is about, love, grace and forgiveness.

Many people that I respect think differently about "The Shack".

Mark Driscol, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle Washington said in the USA Today, "If you haven't read it, don't!"

Several religious experts and theologians have said the book has many doctrinal errors.

Even my hero, Hank Hanagraff, President of the Christian Research Institute said," Virtually every theological heresy begins with a misconception of the nature of God and The Shack is no exception."

Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary said, "I find it deeply troubling and it undermines orthodox Christianity."

I do agree with them that there are many doctrinal errors in this novel. In fact, I wrote the down the pages of obvious doctrinal errors that I saw. These errors can be found on pages 99, 100, 123, 147, 148, 149, and 182. There could be more. These are the ones that I noticed right away. If you read the book and want to discuss what is unbiblical on those pages, just reply to me via e-mail. I would love to talk about it.

I also found some great truths in this book such as the fall of man and the free will of man on page 94. The clear gospel is presented on page 95 and 96. "Don't trust your feelings" is found on page 114. There are some great truths here. As Christians we need to be like the Bereans in the book of Acts. The Bereans searched the scriptures to see if these things are true. We should also be so familiar with the truth that we recognize a false hood right away! This is important, not just in your reading but in all intake of information such as TV, radio, internet or even a Sunday sermon at High Rock! What makes something true is not how we feel about it. But rather what God has said about it in His word! What culture says has little to do with truth. We live in a post modern culture that says there is no absolute truth. The culture is wrong on this. Jesus is truth! Absolutely!

The one thing to remember when you read this book is that it is a novel! It is fiction! We all know God is not an overweight African American woman! That's not the point! The main thing I liked about the book is the story of finding purpose in your pain. The main character, Mack deals with a "deep sadness." This sadness comes from the death of his 6 year old daughter who was kidnapped and murdered. By the grace of God I have not experienced anything that tragic. However, I do struggle with a deep sadness. My sadness comes from my separation from my wife, children and those I love. God helps Mac through his struggle in an amazing way. God is also helping me in an amazing way so I guess I can relate too fighting "the great sadness."

Just remember, if you read the book, read it as a fictional novel. I think you will find it worth your while. Just be discerning as you read it. If any of you decide to read the book, I would love to hear your thoughts as well. Just email me.

Happy reading!

As I was studying about prayer, I ran upon this little list in the back of a Tyndale Topical Verse Finder. I thought it was pretty cool. Check it out. Look up and read the verses. You'll be glad you did.
Ray

9 Biblical Facts on Prayer
Prayer should not be a show (Matthew 6:6)
Jesus taught his disciples how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13)
Pray with an attitude of humility (Luke 18:9-14)
Pray in Jesus' name (John 16:23-24)
Pray all the time (Ephesians 6:18)
Pray without doubting (James 1:6)
Pray with the right motives (James 4:3)
Pray according to God's will (1 John 5:14-15)
Ask God for Help! (Psalm 40:13)

The Lord's Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13


In Matthew 6, Jesus' disciples ask Him, "Master, teach us how to pray." Jesus said, "This is how you should pray." Then He proceeded to give them a model for our prayers. This is how we are to do it. This is an example. Practice praying this way, using the Lord's prayer as a guide.

"Our Father in Heaven"
This addresses God as our father. It denotes our relationship to Him. We should address our prayers to the Father through Jesus. (John 16:23-24)
Example: Dear Father God.......

"Hallowed be your name"
Hallowed means honor. We want to give God his props! He deserves His rightful honor, praise and worship! He alone is God! We must always remember to enter His presence with thanks giving and praise! (Psalm 100:4)
Example: ........I honor and praise your holy name.....

"Your Kingdom come"
"Your will be done"
"On Earth as it is in Heaven"
We want to acknowledge God's Kingdom and His priorities before we mention our own. Before we start giving request we need to first submit to His will. Because His will should always come first, before our will.(Matthew 6:33) The definition of success is doing the will of the Father. (John 6:38)
Example: .......I pray your kingdom will be advanced on earth until you come. Please help me to know and follow your will for my life......

"Give us this day our daily bread."
Here it is! Here is your chance to tell God your request. Tell him what's happening in your life. Sure He knows what you need but tell Him anyway! (Matthew 7:8) Here is where we acknowledge God as Jehovah-jireh (The Lord provides) Here is where you ask him your heart's desires. (Mark 11:24) (Philippians 4:13)
Example: .......Father I need your help! Please provide for my monthly expenses. Please help me pay my bills......

"Forgive us our Debts as we forgive our debtors"
Here is where we confess our sins to Him asking for forgiveness so our relationship to the Father is not hindered. This is also where our vertical and horizontal relationships come together. God says our relationships to others matter to Him as well. (Matthew 6:14-15)

"Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one."
Here is where we build a "prayer covering" a hedge of protection. (Job 1:10) Jesus encouraged His disciples to pray about temptation. (Matthew 26:41)
Example: .......Father, forgive me of my sins. Help me avoid the temptation to sin today, protect me from Satan and his evil tricks.......

Later Manuscripts include "For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen"
Use this to close your prayer. Use this time to go back to God in praise and worship. You enter with praise you leave with praise. However, if you are a believer you never really leave His presence. Amen means "be it so according to your will." (1 John 5:14-15)
Example" .......Father you own everything. The Kingdom is yours. You deserve all the glory and praise forever and ever. Amen!

Now put it all together and we have a prayer made after the model prayer as an example:
Dear Father God, I honor and praise your holy name. I pray your kingdom will be advanced on earth until you come. Please help me to know and follow your will for my life. Father, I need your help. Please provide for my monthly expenses. Please help me pay my bills. Father, forgive my sins. Help me avoid temptation. Protect me from Satan and his evil tricks. Father you own everything. The Kingdom is yours. To you be all the Glory and Praise forever and ever. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Practice putting the Lord's Prayer in your own words. Use it as a track to guide your prayers. Jesus said, "Always pray and never give up!"

Happy Praying!
Ray

What is so amazing about Grace anyway? Is the promise of eternal life something that can be obtained by simply believing in Christ and saying a prayer? Is it really that easy? To answer those questions we must first define what Grace is. The definition of Grace is UNMERITED favor. In other words, it is receiving something we don't deserve! In today's contemporary culture we might call it a free-be! How can that be? How can something so important be free? Well, by its very nature Grace must be free. The Bible tells us in Romans 11:6, "And if by Grace, then it is no longer by works, if it were, Grace would no longer be Grace." Think of Grace like a gift! It's where we get the idea that someone is "Gracious," if someone gives you a gift, then they are "Gracious." If one must work to earn or hold on to the gift, then it is not a gift at all, nor is the giver "Gracious." When we think about this concept of salvation by Grace from a human perspective, it seems too good to be true. It is! Because what Christ did for us is indescribably good and gracious! In 2 Corinthians 9:15, the apostle Paul says,"Thanks be to God for His indescribable GIFT." So you might be thinking, OK! I believe it's a gift, but there must be more to it than that. It can't be that easy! Guess what? You are right! It certainly was not easy. In fact, it was the most difficult task ever accomplished in the history of mankind! Just think about it. Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator and sustainer of the universe, left the splendor and glory of His heavenly throne and lowered himself to become a man, born of poor means, in a lowly stable, with farm animals. Then, He lived a perfect and sinless life for some 33 years, only to receive terrible treatment, ridicule, mocking and even a scourging from a "cat of nine tails whip." His beard was plucked out. He was beaten and spat upon. A crown of thorns was pressed into His head. Then he was forced to carry His own cross to His horrible, excruciating, execution between two common thieves. Jesus was an innocent man! Yet, Jesus' suffering was the worst in all of history. Jesus went through Hell, so we wouldn't have to! Remember, we are not saved based on what WE do, but on what CHRIST has already done for us! Our salvation may be free and easy but it was not cheap. Heaven went bankrupt to buy our salvation! Many world religions and even Christian denominations try to find ways to work for their salvation, either to earn it or to keep it. Although this idea may make some sense from a humanistic point of view. The idea of a works based salvation is contrary to a correct interpretation of the Scriptures. In Ephesians 2:8-9, the Bible tells us, "it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith and this not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God NOT of WORKS so no one can boast." Our eternal life cannot be obtained by baptism, sacraments, confirmation, church attendance or church membership. It cannot even be obtained by living a good life. We must receive our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ ALONE! Jesus makes it easy for us to receive His gift. He doesn't want any barriers to hinder our salvation. He doesn't want anyone to die and be separated from Him. He loves us so much! In 2nd Peter 3:9, the Bible says, "God is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance." God made salvation so simple that even a child can understand it! In Mark 10:15, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not RECEIVE the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." We must have a child like faith, humble and not prideful. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was so perfect and so complete, we could never add anything to it, nor should we try! We should also remember that after we have received God's free gift of salvation, we need not worry about losing it. We can be assured that our salvation is secure. Even the most famous verse in the entire Bible teaches us that our salvation is secure. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." If we could lose our eternal life, would it be eternal? No, of course not; eternal life means exactly that! In 1 John 5:13, John reaffirms this understanding when he wrote, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God so that you may KNOW that you HAVE eternal life." Indeed, we can know for sure that our salvation is secure in Christ Jesus! Think about it like this; if you can't work to receive it, you certainly don't have to work to keep it. It is an irrevocable gift reserved in heaven for you. In 1 Peter 1:3-5, Peter describes it like this, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." So, since our salvation is free and we can't lose it, does that mean that we have a license to sin? After all, we have our fire insurance, right? No, absolutely not! Sin is a serious offense to a Holy and all-powerful, all-knowing God! We dare not rebel against Him! Sin has serious consequences. Just like when you disobeyed your parents, there were consequences! But no matter what, you are still your parent's child! Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. However, we can hurt our relationship and fellowship with Him. We can lose reward in this life and in the life to come. Also, as a Christian I would never want to hurt Jesus again. I caused Him enough pain on the cross! Now, with all that said, how do I receive this free, indescribable, irrevocable, eternal, gift that will never perish, spoil or fade? I'm glad you asked! The Bible makes it very simple and clear. In Romans 10:9-10 the Bible says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." So, according to the Bible it takes two things; #1 belief with the heart and #2 confession with the mouth. If you cannot remember a specific time in your life, a definitive moment when you realized that you believed and said a verbal prayer of confession. Wouldn't you like to make sure of you eternal destiny right now? To do that, you must believe in your heart that Jesus rose from the dead and invite Him into your heart and life. Please, right now, say a prayer like this aloud; Dear Jesus, I confess I am a sinner. I have done things in my life that displease you. I am sorry. Right now, I confess my sins to you and ask your forgiveness. I believe with all my heart that you lived, died and rose again. I believe you died for me. I accept your free gift of salvation. Come into to my heart, come into my life and make me the person you designed me to be. Help me to live for you. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN! Congratulations! The Bible says in Romans 8:1, "there is now therefore no condemnation for them who are in Christ Jesus!" Get a good Bible translation that uses today's language such as the New International Version. It will make more sense to you now, since you have the Holy Spirit to guide you. Read it every day even if it's only a few chapters a day read it! Start in the Gospel of John, then after you read John, start in Matthew and go through the New Testament. Then go back and start in Genesis and read the Old Testament. Pray everyday! Get in a good Bible based church, where you can be around other believers who can help encourage you in your new spiritual journey. Find a ministry in the local church. Now is the time to go good works for Him. However, please remember we are saved unto good works not by good works! May God bless you and keep you. Amen!

Wow, I can't believe another year has past and a new one has begun. I believe that 2007 is going to be the greatest year yet at HRCC. Even though High Rock is only 2 1/2 years old. God has done some amazing things that you normally see only in large established ministries. Who would have ever dreamed that we would have a satellite location this soon? I remember when we started HRCC in July of 2004, I told my wife Angie, if we could just reach 100 people in average attendance we could really feel like we accomplished something for the kingdom of God! After all HRCC is not in Atlanta or California or even Charlotte. We are located 15 miles from no where, and yet God has blessed us with over 400 people attending weekly. 5 services,two locations, 103 baptisms, multiple small groups, and hundreds of new believers following Christ! Boy, are God's plans higher than my plans! I think this will be the break out year for both our Salisbury campus and our Denton campus. We will hopefully be adding several new staff members in 2007 that will improve the overall quality of the ministry. Especially the addition of a new children's pastor who will work to improve the kid's weekend experience. This will be huge in the life of HRCC since the future of the church is the children. We also will be making some major improvements on our worship center at the Denton Campus. God has given us an awesome 28,000 sq ft facility on 4 acres of land, formerly Yadkin Vally Chevolet. This facility will allow us to have some awesome children and youth areas. We have room to Grow at Denton and I believe we will in 07. Even though I am facing some obstacles in my personal life this year. I believe we are strong as a community and God will see us through any storm. God is bigger than any problem we could ever have. We just have to stay focused on Him. Fasten your seat belts, 07 is going to be a wild ride!