Thank God for men who still call it like it is!
What this world needs is the Gospel. Without all the fluff, hype and feel-good add-ons that are being preached today. These slick snake-oil salesmen who smile at you and preach something other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are paving a guilded Highway to Hell.
People need to be told that they are not OK. We all are depraved sinners who deserve the wrath of God and have no hope in our goodness and justly deserve eternity in hell. Why? Because we are not sinners because we sin… we sin because we are sinners by our very nature. You do not have to teach a child to lie, or to hate, or to steal or to be disobedient. No, these things come naturally. Because we are all sinners we are polluted with sin and anything we touch is polluted as well. Because of this corruption we cannot stand before the Holy , Righteous, Creator God and declare ourselves righteous, justified or worthy based on our own merit. (This is why karma can never work either, because even the good that we can do is tainted and will breed a continual negative spiral.)
So, what are we to do? What hope is there? If it is in this world alone and based on our ability to justify ourselves then we are truly without hope.
But there IS hope. See, God knew that we would be unable to redeem ourselves according to His Holy standard… Perfection, so He already planned for our redemption before He even made the world. He said, “I’ll make the way myself.” So in the fullness of time God the Son came into this world and became the propitiation for our sin before God the Father. He died a substitutionary death for us to pay for our penalty. Why? So that He could then offer us life that He had purchased on our behalf. He paid the penalty we deserve so that He can impute His payment to those who believe on the LORD Jesus Christ. “Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST and you shall be saved.”
That is the Gospel. The Good news which declares that you can stand before the Holy, Just, Righteous, Creator God and be declared Justified, not based on your works but beliving on Jesus and His finished work of salvation you can now be declared Justified and Righteous in Christ Jesus.
That is truly Good News!
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Persifler's Weblog 
Just wanted to say I have never heard of John Piper, but He is DEAD ON in this message. I am glad to know that I am not the only one who is sick and tired and fed up with the Prosperity movement in this country. I have lost friends who listen to people like Joel Olsteen, LOST friends, and they never hear the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ. there is no conviction because there is no movement of the spirits in their works. What people dont understand is that God will never do anything to exalt ,y flesh above His beautiful Son. True prosperity is to know God, true prosperity is to be forgiven. Thanks persiflier for spreading the truth!
Amen and Amen!