Repentance is Necessary - Audio
This sermon is titled "Repentance is Necessary" because repentance is the only way ANYONE will ever see the kingdom of God....now, many dont believe repentance is too important because they believe that it is something they can cultivate of themselves, but repentance is a gift, and I focused on that point a little bit in my previous post (see below), but repentance is a grace given by God which causes a man to see his sins for what they really are, sorrow over them, and genuine repentance doesent just produce a worldly sorrow unto death...a kind of sorrow which only leaves you with a guilty feeling which temporarily lasts, but repentance produces a godly sorrow which leads the penitent unto faith and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ unto life everlasting. I pray that you will be blessed by this message, and that you would see what genuine repentance is and what genuine repentance is not.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thoughts on Repentance
Today, I have the opportunity to preach at a church's spring revival. The message that the Lord has laid on my heart is concerning Repentance. I just wanted to list a few thoughts on the matter while I am in constant preparation for message.
Repentance is a gift from God. Many believe that repentance is something done by the free will alone, but repentance is a grace given by God, just for the simple fact that He would even allow us the opportunity to apologize for sins committed...that he would even give us the grace to see our sins and the wretchedness of them. Now, I'm not implying that this is what repentance is, for repentance is much more than just recognizing sin and apologizing for it - it ought to be man's duty to recognize sin and apologize for it as it is the duty of the criminal to feel partial about his crimes after serving so many years in confinement meditating on his actions. Repentance is a gift granted by God because all men do not repent...all men do not take it upon their "free will" to look to God and sorrow for their sins. In fact, even when mens consciences harass them to sleepless nights because of the heinousness of their sins, they only seek to be justified in their own eyes because of self- centeredness...they want to be right in their own eyes rather than God's.
Repentance is a gift because it has everything to do with God. Because all men are in sin, all men are in darkness, and because all men are in darkness, all of our deeds outside of Christ are evil (John 3:19-20) ...for whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23)(Proverbs 21:4) and therefore any repentance outside of seeing the wickedness of sin, sorrowing for it and BELIEVING ON CHRIST to forgive and cleanse is no repentance at all...repentance is a gift because faith is a gift and faith leads to repentance...and repentance leads to faith.....
Without faith ( believing on Jesus whom has been revealed to you by the Father), who would you be repenting to? Answer: you would be sorry for your sins and it wouldn't be long before your sorrow turned to self and other things for "healing " and appeasement....but when the true penitent feels sorrow for his sins and sees his wretchedness and wickedness, He turns to Christ...the one to Whom the brightness of His glory has knocked him off of his horse...the One whose love and Light is brighter than the midday sun...and the revelation of who He is leads you to repent, and repenting leads you to cleave to Him even more...
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? - Romans 10:14
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. - Mark 1:15
Ill stop for now with a quote from Thomas Watson
"I shall not dispute whether faith or repentance comes first into the soul. Doubtless repentance shows itself first in a Christian's life. Yet I am apt to think that the seeds of faith are first wrought in the heart. As when a burning candle is brought into a room—the light shows itself first—but the candle was before the light. Just so, we see the fruits of repentance first—but the beginnings of faith were there before. That which inclines me to think that faith is in the heart before repentance—is because repentance, being a grace, must be exercised by one who is living. Now, how does the soul live—but by faith? "The just shall live by his faith" (Heb. 10:38). Therefore there must be first, some seeds of faith in the heart of a penitent, otherwise it is a dead repentance and so of no value. Whether faith or repentance goes first—I am sure that repentance is of such importance, that there is no being saved without it. "
Monday, June 22, 2009
In response to a friend on " DMX's Gospel Album"...
I’m sorry to get back to your comment so late, but thank you for expressing yourself and clarifying yourself.
I will start by saying this, when Jesus speaks of good trees and bad trees in Matthew 7, the reality is that everyone is a bad tree, none of us start out righteous from birth, none of us start out blameless, although we may be regarded as "innocent". Psalm 51:5 says, " I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me." Romans 3:10-12 says "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."
When it comes to all the good things we do, all the morality and good works that men accomplish, here is what scripture says they are because all men are sinners. Isaiah 64:6 "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment."
So, none of us are good in God's eyes, we all are sinners and there is nothing we could do to be acceptable in God's sight. It doesn’t matter how many bad habits we drop, how many homeless people we feed, or how much money we put in the offering plate. All of our works outside of trusting in Jesus Christ are polluted and trash. DMX's "God-given gift" has not and is not being used to glorify God - and he is just like not only all other secular rappers, but all who are dead in sin - why? Because the fruit of his life is sinful...everyone’s is. Whether we curse in our music, or murder millions, get strung out on drugs, or just think up a small insignificant lie in our minds, all men are sinners and its not the magnitude of the sin or the duration of the sin that makes it so wrong, it is Who we are sinning against, and that is God.
I too know many who have had a hard life, troubling times, and difficult circumstances, and I have seen many come out of those circumstances by helping themselves to get better, but the point is, that if we do not trust in and know and obey Jesus Christ with all of who we are, everything we did in our lives will mean absolutely nothing. All of the years clean, all of the years making ourselves better, all of the time trying to be a good person means nothing if we are not saved by believing in Jesus Christ and His worth.
I guess the main point I was trying to make before is that we CANNOT redeem ourselves. Ephesians 2 says this "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."
All men who do not know and obey Jesus Christ are DEAD in sin. Friend, If you or I approached a dead corpse and told it to lift its right arm, could the dead corpse perform this? No. Why? It’s dead. So therefore if we approached that same spiritually dead corpse and told it to make a better life for itself and be pleasing to God, what could it do? The answer remains the same, NOTHING.
So this is a great problem! What can we do to be right with God? How are we supposed to be acceptable in God's sight if we are dead in sin? Lets look more at Ephesians 2 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—"
God saves...God raises spiritually dead men, and the evidence of that, the proof that God has raised someone from the graveyard of the spiritually dead, is that they have a new heart and , and a new spirit, and they are a new creation...meaning they cannot love sin and love the things of the world anymore than a human could love digging their face into pig slop and cow dung....
Friend, if you have been saved, if DMX has been saved, it is not because you have redeemed yourself, but its only because of the grace and mercy and kindness and love of God towards you, and even while you were sinning against God , He still loved you and sent His son to die for you....not because of who you are, but in spite of who you are. The proof that you have been saved is not because you did a whole bunch of good things, but it is because you long to seek the face of Christ, you desire to obey Him, and you turn away and run from sin..
DMX is not saved because he prays at the end of his albums...In Matthew 7:21 there are people who say "Lord Lord!!" and they preach and cast out devils and more...but Jesus says they will not enter the kingdom of heaven because they did not KNOW HIM and obey Him...which means repenting and believing on Him for the rest of your life....
The only reason DMX or any other sinner...both you and I, are living today is because of the sheer grace of God....because He wills that all men be saved...but if X keeps deceiving himself...thinking that good works and "gospel albums" will save him...he will be lost and perish forever in hell....but if he relies and trusts in and loves the Lord Jesus and believes on Him....then he will be saved and God will have worked in his life….
To see the original post , click here
DMX's Gospel Album
I will start by saying this, when Jesus speaks of good trees and bad trees in Matthew 7, the reality is that everyone is a bad tree, none of us start out righteous from birth, none of us start out blameless, although we may be regarded as "innocent". Psalm 51:5 says, " I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me." Romans 3:10-12 says "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."
When it comes to all the good things we do, all the morality and good works that men accomplish, here is what scripture says they are because all men are sinners. Isaiah 64:6 "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment."
So, none of us are good in God's eyes, we all are sinners and there is nothing we could do to be acceptable in God's sight. It doesn’t matter how many bad habits we drop, how many homeless people we feed, or how much money we put in the offering plate. All of our works outside of trusting in Jesus Christ are polluted and trash. DMX's "God-given gift" has not and is not being used to glorify God - and he is just like not only all other secular rappers, but all who are dead in sin - why? Because the fruit of his life is sinful...everyone’s is. Whether we curse in our music, or murder millions, get strung out on drugs, or just think up a small insignificant lie in our minds, all men are sinners and its not the magnitude of the sin or the duration of the sin that makes it so wrong, it is Who we are sinning against, and that is God.
I too know many who have had a hard life, troubling times, and difficult circumstances, and I have seen many come out of those circumstances by helping themselves to get better, but the point is, that if we do not trust in and know and obey Jesus Christ with all of who we are, everything we did in our lives will mean absolutely nothing. All of the years clean, all of the years making ourselves better, all of the time trying to be a good person means nothing if we are not saved by believing in Jesus Christ and His worth.
I guess the main point I was trying to make before is that we CANNOT redeem ourselves. Ephesians 2 says this "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."
All men who do not know and obey Jesus Christ are DEAD in sin. Friend, If you or I approached a dead corpse and told it to lift its right arm, could the dead corpse perform this? No. Why? It’s dead. So therefore if we approached that same spiritually dead corpse and told it to make a better life for itself and be pleasing to God, what could it do? The answer remains the same, NOTHING.
So this is a great problem! What can we do to be right with God? How are we supposed to be acceptable in God's sight if we are dead in sin? Lets look more at Ephesians 2 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—"
God saves...God raises spiritually dead men, and the evidence of that, the proof that God has raised someone from the graveyard of the spiritually dead, is that they have a new heart and , and a new spirit, and they are a new creation...meaning they cannot love sin and love the things of the world anymore than a human could love digging their face into pig slop and cow dung....
Friend, if you have been saved, if DMX has been saved, it is not because you have redeemed yourself, but its only because of the grace and mercy and kindness and love of God towards you, and even while you were sinning against God , He still loved you and sent His son to die for you....not because of who you are, but in spite of who you are. The proof that you have been saved is not because you did a whole bunch of good things, but it is because you long to seek the face of Christ, you desire to obey Him, and you turn away and run from sin..
DMX is not saved because he prays at the end of his albums...In Matthew 7:21 there are people who say "Lord Lord!!" and they preach and cast out devils and more...but Jesus says they will not enter the kingdom of heaven because they did not KNOW HIM and obey Him...which means repenting and believing on Him for the rest of your life....
The only reason DMX or any other sinner...both you and I, are living today is because of the sheer grace of God....because He wills that all men be saved...but if X keeps deceiving himself...thinking that good works and "gospel albums" will save him...he will be lost and perish forever in hell....but if he relies and trusts in and loves the Lord Jesus and believes on Him....then he will be saved and God will have worked in his life….
To see the original post , click here
DMX's Gospel Album
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Its been a while...
Yes, its been a while since I last posted...things have gotten very busy lately and I havent had the time to even think of something to post on here. I have had alot of time to think though. My wife and I just moved into another place last week and my internet service coverage is "limited" there, so Ive pretty much got to stand on top of my kitchen counter with the wireless modem in the air in order to peak at least one bar on my connection...The Lord has been merciful to us and our "Clearwire".....we finally have one solid bar in the corner of the back room....the office is on the whole other side of the apartment...this has been my struggle these last few days lol...
In other news, I have been invited to come back to a rual church in Charlottesville to minister for 6 months ...maybe more...so look for more sermons to come under the "My Sermons " section...I havent actually been immersed in books like I have wanted to be but the 2009 reading list is still on like Donkey Kong....I am currently reading A.W. Tozers "The Holy Spirit" in addition to finishing "Body of Divinity" by Thomas Watson....
Look for more posts soon....today perhaps....
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Resurgence series on Spiritual Gifts
Im not a huge Mark Driscoll fan, meaning that I do admire his theology and doctrines, but am a little skeptical on some of his methods-namely his "relevance" in preaching at times. On Driscoll's blog site, "The Resurgence", he is currently doing an awesome series on Spiritual Gifts: check out the link below to see;
Friday, June 5, 2009
Tweeting to the Glory of God - John Piper
Why and How I Am Tweeting
By John Piper
Christian Post Guest Columnist
Wed, Jun. 03 2009 11:41 AM EDT
I see two kinds of response to social Internet media like blogging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and others.
One says: These media tend to shorten attention spans, weaken discursive reasoning, lure people away from Scripture and prayer, disembody relationships, feed the fires of narcissism, cater to the craving for attention, fill the world with drivel, shrink the soul’s capacity for greatness, and make us second-handers who comment on life when we ought to be living it. So boycott them and write books (not blogs) about the problem.
The other response says: Yes, there is truth in all of that, but instead of boycotting, try to fill these media with as much provocative, reasonable, Bible-saturated, prayerful, relational, Christ-exalting, truth-driven, serious, creative pointers to true greatness as you can.
Together with the team at Desiring God, I lean toward response #2. “Lean” is different from “leap.” We are aware that the medium tends to shape the message. This has been true, more or less, with every new medium that has come along-speech, drawing, handwriting, print, books, magazines, newspapers, tracts, 16mm home movies, flannel-graph, Cinerama, movies, Gospel Blimps, TV, radio, cassette tapes, 8-Tracks, blackboards, whiteboards, overhead projection, PowerPoint, skits, drama, banners, CDs, MP3s, sky-writing, video, texting, blogging, tweeting, Mina-Bird-training, etc.
Dangers, dangers everywhere. Yes. But it seems to us that aggressive efforts to saturate a media with the supremacy of God, the truth of Scripture, the glory of Christ, the joy of the gospel, the insanity of sin, and the radical nature of Christian living is a good choice for some Christians. Not all. Everyone should abstain from some of these media. For example, we don’t have a television.
That’s my general disposition toward media.
Now what about Twitter? I find Twitter to be a kind of taunt: “Okay, truth-lover, see what you can do with 140 characters! You say your mission is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things! Well, this is one of those ‘all things.’ Can you magnify Christ with this thimble-full of letters?”
To which I respond:
The sovereign Lord of the earth and sky
Puts camels through a needle’s eye.
And if his wisdom see it mete,
He will put worlds inside a tweet.
So I am not inclined to tweet that at 10AM the cat pulled the curtains down. But it might remind me that the Lion of Judah will roll up the heavens like a garment, and blow out the sun like a candle, because he just turned the light on. That tweet might distract someone from pornography and make them look up.
I’ve been tweeting anonymously for a month mainly to test its spiritual and family effects on me. In spite of all the dangers, it seems like a risk worth taking. “All things were created through Christ and for Christ” (Colossians 1:16). The world does not know it, but that is why Twitter exists and that’s why I Tweet.
By his grace and for his glory,
Pastor John
______________________________________
Copyright 2009 John Piper. Website: desiringGod.org
You can follow AdjustMyThoughts on Twitter at @AdjustMyThought
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Exchanging the Glory...for frogs and rain gods?
Frogs Marry to Bring Rain - More free videos are here
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Romans 1:18-25 (ESV)
Nuff said...
Sunday, May 31, 2009
In Christ Alone - Tiffany Graves
This morning at church, I was privileged along with many others to hear my lovely wife sing "In Christ Alone" by Keith and Kristyn Getty. This song is beautiful and the doctrine in the lyrics is beautiful and sound. To God be the glory for the ministry of song, and to God be the glory for working in my wife to sing this beautiful composition. Meditate on the lyrics, may you be blessed by them as we were in hearing them.
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand
Friday, May 29, 2009
Grace and Truth...
"...and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of Grace and Truth."
- John 1:14
Truth: aletheia - the unveiled reality lying at the basis of and agreeing with an appearance; the manifested , the veritable essence of the matter. "In the New Testament especially, divine truth or the faith and practice of the true gospel called "truth" either as being true in itself and derived from the true God, or as declaring the existence and will of the One True God, in opposition to the worship of false idols. " - Zodihates
God's glory is full of grace and truth, abounding in grace and mercy to whomever He wills to show grace and mercy (Exodus 33:19) , and abundant in truth - shining the Light of Truth concerning all things. The glory of God manifests the truth about man and the truth about God. While men were in darkness,the Light of Truth shined into darkness and exposed the evil associated with it. (John 1:5; Eph 5:11-14) - which manifested that all men were under the bondage of sin and needed the Light to reveal this to them and bring them out of sin's dark prison. The reality of beholding the glory of God in Jesus Christ shows that all men are in darkness, that they are both wicked and sinful, loving darkness and following after their own lusts and desires, all the while trampling the glory of God underfoot and exchanging it for worshipping the idolatrous pleasures this world has to offer. (Romans 1:23)
When we behold the fullness of the glory of Christ and are given grace by it- we will see and know the truth: that we are helpless, dead in trespasses and sins, and need the redemption of a Savior. The truth shows us that God's wrath was upon us and we were undeserving of His grace, and in the reality of this truth we behold the most awesome Gift and display of Grace that God could ever give: His Son- and in the face of Jesus Christ we could not even begin to grasp the infinite love and mercy that is found in God or even begin to lay hold of the eternal, all -surpassing love wherewith He loved us- for while we were sinners, dead in trespasses in sins, and following after the course of this world, Christ died for us. The glory of Christ and its abundance in grace and truth is what we will spend eternity after eternity worshiping before the throne of God thanking Him for.
Jesus in John 8:31 says the Jews who "believed"(*see John 8:59 to verify their "belief"**) on Him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. " What Jesus was saying was " If you truly have been given grace and have been drawn by My Father to see the glory of His Son Jesus Christ - who is pleasing to the Father- and who comes from the Father, then if you abide and grasp hold of these words which I speak to you, then you will know the truth - you will know that you were helpless, in darkness, lost in sin , and finding pleasure in everything else but God, and you are in desperate need of ME; and that truth - the reality that is unveiled in the words of Christ and in the person of Christ, will set you free." Grace and truth coming from God will cause regeneration, it will take out a stony heart and put in a new heart, and it will turn your eyes to the glory and grace of God to see that Christ is all satisfying, and in Him there is life and pleasure and so much more. Grace and truth work together to display the glory of God in the person and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
A Cry for Deliverance...
HEAVENLY FATHER, 
Save me entirely from sin. I know I am righteous through the righteousness of Another, but I pant and pine for likeness to Thyself; I am Thy child and should bear Thy image, enable me to recognize my death unto sin; when it tempts me may I be dead unto its voice.
Deliver me from the invasion as well as the dominion of sin. Grant me to walk as Christ walked, to live in the newness of His life, the life of love, the life of faith, the life of holiness.
I abhor my body of death, its indolence, envy, meanness, pride. Forgive, and kill these vices, have mercy on my unbelief, on my corrupt and wandering heart.
When Thy blessings come I begin to idolize them, and set my affection on some beloved object - children, friends, wealth, honour; cleanse this spiritual adultery and give me chastity; close my heart to all by Thee.
Save me entirely from sin. I know I am righteous through the righteousness of Another, but I pant and pine for likeness to Thyself; I am Thy child and should bear Thy image, enable me to recognize my death unto sin; when it tempts me may I be dead unto its voice.
Deliver me from the invasion as well as the dominion of sin. Grant me to walk as Christ walked, to live in the newness of His life, the life of love, the life of faith, the life of holiness.
I abhor my body of death, its indolence, envy, meanness, pride. Forgive, and kill these vices, have mercy on my unbelief, on my corrupt and wandering heart.
When Thy blessings come I begin to idolize them, and set my affection on some beloved object - children, friends, wealth, honour; cleanse this spiritual adultery and give me chastity; close my heart to all by Thee.
Sin is my greatest curse; let Thy victory by apparent to my consciousness, and displayed in my life. Help me to be always devoted, confident, obedient, resigned, childlike in my trust of Thee, to love Thee with body, soul, mind and strength, to love my fellow-man as I love myself, to be saved from unregenerate temper, hard thoughts, slanderous words, meanness, unkind manners, to master my tongue and keep the door of my lips.
Fill me with grace daily, that my life be a fountain of sweet water.
- From Valley of Vision - a Collection of Puritan Prayers
Fill me with grace daily, that my life be a fountain of sweet water.
- From Valley of Vision - a Collection of Puritan Prayers
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The U.S.Army Burning Bibles??
(CNN) -- Military personnel threw away, and ultimately burned, confiscated Bibles that were printed in the two most common Afghan languages amid concern they would be used to try to convert Afghans, a Defense Department spokesman said Tuesday.
Afghan workers enter a walkway on March 3, 2009, at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
The unsolicited Bibles sent by a church in the United States were confiscated about a year ago at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan because military rules forbid troops of any religion from proselytizing while deployed there, Lt. Col. Mark Wright said.
Such religious outreach can endanger American troops and civilians in the devoutly Muslim nation, Wright said.
"The decision was made that it was a 'force protection' measure to throw them away, because, if they did get out, it could be perceived by Afghans that the U.S. government or the U.S. military was trying to convert Muslims," Wright told CNN on Tuesday.
Troops at posts in war zones are required to burn their trash, Wright said.
The Bibles were written in the languages Pashto and Dari.
This decision came to light recently, after the Al Jazeera English network aired video of a group prayer service and chapel sermon that a reporter said suggested U.S. troops were being encouraged to spread Christianity.
The military denied that earlier this month, saying much in the video was taken out of context.
"This was irresponsible and dangerous journalism sensationalizing year-old footage of a religious service for U.S. soldiers on a U.S. base and inferring that troops are evangelizing to Afghans," Col. Gregory Julian said.
The military says a soldier at Bagram received the Bibles and didn't realize he wasn't allowed to hand them out. In the Al Jazeera video, which shows the Bibles at the prayer service, an unnamed soldier says members of his church raised money for them.
The chaplain later corrected the soldier and confiscated the Bibles, Wright said.
Military officers considered sending the Bibles back to the church, he said, but they worried the church would turn around and send them to another organization in Afghanistan -- giving the impression that they had been distributed by the U.S. government.
That could lead to violence against troops or U.S. civilians, Wright said.
Al Jazeera English, a Qatar-based international news service, said its reporters tried to get a response from military officials for its story but were unable to do so.
The U.S. military air base at Bagram is home to thousands of troops from all branches of the U.S. military. The vast majority of the troops do not leave the base and are in various support roles for U.S. troops across Afghanistan.
Afghan workers enter a walkway on March 3, 2009, at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
The unsolicited Bibles sent by a church in the United States were confiscated about a year ago at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan because military rules forbid troops of any religion from proselytizing while deployed there, Lt. Col. Mark Wright said.
Such religious outreach can endanger American troops and civilians in the devoutly Muslim nation, Wright said.
"The decision was made that it was a 'force protection' measure to throw them away, because, if they did get out, it could be perceived by Afghans that the U.S. government or the U.S. military was trying to convert Muslims," Wright told CNN on Tuesday.
Troops at posts in war zones are required to burn their trash, Wright said.
The Bibles were written in the languages Pashto and Dari.
This decision came to light recently, after the Al Jazeera English network aired video of a group prayer service and chapel sermon that a reporter said suggested U.S. troops were being encouraged to spread Christianity.
The military denied that earlier this month, saying much in the video was taken out of context.
"This was irresponsible and dangerous journalism sensationalizing year-old footage of a religious service for U.S. soldiers on a U.S. base and inferring that troops are evangelizing to Afghans," Col. Gregory Julian said.
The military says a soldier at Bagram received the Bibles and didn't realize he wasn't allowed to hand them out. In the Al Jazeera video, which shows the Bibles at the prayer service, an unnamed soldier says members of his church raised money for them.
The chaplain later corrected the soldier and confiscated the Bibles, Wright said.
Military officers considered sending the Bibles back to the church, he said, but they worried the church would turn around and send them to another organization in Afghanistan -- giving the impression that they had been distributed by the U.S. government.
That could lead to violence against troops or U.S. civilians, Wright said.
Al Jazeera English, a Qatar-based international news service, said its reporters tried to get a response from military officials for its story but were unable to do so.
The U.S. military air base at Bagram is home to thousands of troops from all branches of the U.S. military. The vast majority of the troops do not leave the base and are in various support roles for U.S. troops across Afghanistan.
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