Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
Much as some would like to impress us with figures of how the Evangelical church is doubling in size and mega churches are springing up with exciting sermon series and drawing young people in droves, it is good to sit back and take stock. So, is the gospel being preached? You see…
Excite them with edgy or racy sermon series?
A regrettable development in current evangelicalism is that the term “gospel” is often used in a way that lacks the content of the gospel as preached by Christ and His apostles. Today we hear, “come to Jesus and have a better marriage,” or “come to Jesus and find purpose in life,” or “come to Jesus and He will solve your economic or emotional problems.” None of these statements is the gospel. First of all, do the hearers of this weak message know who Jesus is? Perhaps some are Mormons who claim to believe in Jesus, but have a different Jesus. Secondly, do those who hear this message know what Jesus did for them? Maybe they hear that Christ died on the cross; but why? …Read More!
I have always thought if a son shall asks for bread a father wouldn’t give him a stone. Or if he asks for fish, he wouldn’t be given a serpent. Or furthermore if he shall asked for an egg, he wouldn’t be offered a live scorpion. Well who needs enemies when you have friends who give you unusual gifts like these? You see…
Children in Somalia
Over the weekend, a Somali radio station run by the Shabab, the most powerful Islamist militant group in the war-ravaged country, held an awards ceremony to honor children who were experts at Shabab trivia and at reciting the Koran. The prizes? Fully automatic assault rifles and live hand grenades.
The contest itself was held during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, and featured …Read More!
Some times when you see something every day, over and over you get desensitised to it. Like that nude advert that is played every twenty minutes purporting to sell a body spray or chewing gum, you slowly and gradually believe its acceptable and rationalise that its permissible as long as your lust that it fuels is a “victimless crime”. A polish photographer, Maciej Dakowicz, 34, decided to capture nocturnal scenes of the streets of Britain and entered the collection in a photo exhibition. Well…
They look like images you might find in some depressing police dossier. Here, in vivid detail, is a squalid portrait of binge-drinking Britain. Some of the more incapacitated specimens are in mid-vomit. A few have simply passed out.Tequila-fuelled young women strike crude poses that will (or should) mortify them in the sober light of day. More worryingly, one or two are unconscious on the pavement, dangerously vulnerable in their pathetic state.
The scenes were all captured in …Read More!
With the tongue firmly planted in cheek…
Well on a lighter note, here is an astounding true story of a pet (yet again) and it’s owner. No, it’s not about Balaam and the talking donkey. But close though. You see…
(Reuters) – A pet rabbit is being credited for saving its owners from a house fire in southeastern Alaska before it died of smoke inhalation, fire officials said on Friday.
The rabbit woke up the homeowner early on Tuesday morning by …Read More!
Hey if you haven’t reached New Jersey you should leave what you are doing and head there now! It doesnt matter if you are a Muslim, Atheist, Christian, Agnostic or Sikh in a very humble and anonymous very very public show of charity apparently….
Calling it a “spiritual stimulus,” leaders of a New Jersey church say they will be giving away $30,000 in cash during church services on Sept. 25 to everyone in attendance. …Read More!
At an open-air gospel event, at Cerritos College. A student by the name of Jason stood up to address the crowd. Jason, a supposed professing Christian, began to preach a false gospel of “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” What you will see in this video are two very different messages as Tony Miano corrects Jason in love.
The usual way of arguing against one of the doctrines of grace is first, to misrepresent it so badly that no serious student of the Scripture would ever embrace it; then totally demolish it with arguments that have nothing at all to do with the issue. You have heard these straw man arguments before. Now we shall boldly look at them and debunk them one straw at a time. Some say the doctrine of total depravity (inability) cannot be true because:
1. The Bible teaches that all are responsible to believe and repent.
2.The Bible teaches that man has a will (choice). Man is not a robot or a puppet.
3. Every man does not act as sinfully as he is capable of acting.
4. Even wicked men perform acts which are good in the sight of other people.
Well…
1. The Bible teaches that men, controlled by a sinful nature, are not able to believe or repent. The person who believes in free grace has no argument with the truth that sinners are responsible. …Read More!
We live in a time and age where alot passes for Christianity that the early church would outrightly have called heretical or even pagan. A cross-sectional look at the state of the pulpit shows…
Churches today are suffering spiritually, both because of false doctrine and because of other doctrine, that is, ideas and activities which are far removed from God’s revealed will. So much of what we hear from modern Christian ministries is not necessarily wrong in itself, but a distraction from the core of the apostolic message, and to the degree it diverts us from the most important truths, it really is “contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Tim. 1:10). Ironically, in the name of relevance, Christian pulpits and presses and media spew forth many things completely irrelevant to the nature of God and man, the plight of sinners without Christ, and the way of salvation through Him. …Read More!
Every so often its good to look back and see what God has done and praise Him for his providence but more so for the spread of the gospel of redemption from sin. I am always over whelmed with compassion for the missionaries who leave their comfortable lives and trudge on to remote mountains in South America or track down primitive tribes in unknown jungles in uncharted territories to preach the gospel. In the same breath, there has always been wisely devised fables and tales that some preachers would like to spread in the name of the gospel. Truth is some of the tales and snake oil being tauted is so alluring and excitable that these teachers easily amass crowds and followings. It is deplorable and nauseating. Such preachers have their reward and surely God will not take this lightly on that great and fateful day when He calls them to account for their deeds. [This is an archive story from reuters.] See what you make of it:
SOWETO, South Africa – “Jesus wants you to drive a brand new Nissan Navara 4×4. He’d also like you to live in a classy house, use the latest cell phone and wear the snappiest designer clothes.” Read More
What are the common straw man arguments against Predestination also called the doctrine of God’s fore knowledge or Unconditional Election? It is argued that the doctrine of “Unconditional Election” cannot be true because:
1. Anyone who wants to be saved, can be. “Whosoever will May come.”
2. God does not delight in the destruction of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11), but desires that all men repent.
3. We should preach the gospel to everyone. If God has only planned to save some, why should we preach to and pray for all?
4.”Election” and “predestination” are terms contrived by the Calvinists to cause confusion, bring division, and excuse a lack of evangelistic zeal (The issue is whether election ever took place or not).
Well lets tackle each of these issues one straw at a time:
1. The true believer in free grace will never deny that God has extended a free offer of mercy, in Christ, to all who hear the Gospel. To deny that “Whosoever will may come,” is to deny the clear teaching of God’s Word. The real issue, however, is whether any will desire salvation (in God’s way and on God’s terms) unless God gives him that desire (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:11; Psalm 58:3-5; John 3:14-21, 5:40). …Read More!
On his television show Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson said a man would be morally justified to divorce his wife with Alzheimer’s disease in order to marry another woman.The dementia-riddled wife is, Robertson said, “not there” anymore. This is more than an embarrassment. Russell D. Moore was only too glad to set the record straight. Even if it meant going to CNN to say, “This is more than cruelty. This is a repudiation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Listen in:
Further more:
Few Christians take Robertson all that seriously anymore. Most roll their eyes, and shake their heads when he makes another outlandish comment (for instance, defending China’s brutal one-child abortion policy to identifying God’s judgment on specific actions in the September 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, or the Haiti earthquake). This is serious, …Read Moore!
Postmodernism is one of the most prevalent belief systems among young people today. Lets see how Moe breaks it down:
On another lighter note: How many post modernists does it take to change a light bulb? …Read More!
Uh, I am not sure if this is the kind of prayer we should be making for our leaders. Some times God grants us the leaders that we deserve. (I wonder which country this church sign is from)
Big Brother Your brother’s keeper is watching you…
[HT Defending. Contending]
These are different numbers and letter forms that were photographed on wings of butterflies.
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. ~Rom 1:20
Or may be such beautiful patterns just evolved after billions and billions …Read More!
The Alexamenos graffito discovered in 1857 also known as the graffito blasfemo is an inscription carved in plaster on a wall near the Palatine Hill in Rome. It is generally thought to be the earliest known pictorial representation of the crucifixion of Jesus.The crude drawing in no uncertain terms depicts the said Alexamenos worshipping a Bart-Simpson-esque man with a head of an ass. Comical…but sadly blasphemous.
I wonder if Alexamenos was a christian. I wonder if it was a work mate or a former lover who engraved the repugnant inscription. Could it have been a self portrait in his moments of soul searching? But There’s More
Very sound words of advice on this clip from Andrew Strom:
Is prosperity theology getting the better of most liberal Christians? I am still pondering on Pat Robertson’s flippant answer to Andreas.
Mark Driscoll is back in the headlines again. The voices are back. Mark had every one laughing (yup, even the cessationists) the other day when he said, “I start getting prophetic dreams. God’s showing me the future… but I can see somebody and I just know their story.” The non cessationist camp took it with a pinch of salt and dismissed him with a slap on the wrist. But this time will going to the naughty step alone remove the deep concerns after this latest tweet? :
Is Mark drifting from orthodoxy and pandering to fortune telling? Surely …Read More!
Lamp Mode Recordings is an independently owned and operated recording label based out of Philadelphia, PA. In its recent talk show (The Chopping block) Json, Stephen the Levite, Hazakim and Shai Linne step up to discuss “Reformed Theology” Listen in…
Lamp Mode Recordings appears to be more theologically driven than entertainment bent. Their mission statement reads:
Highlighting the Character of God, while presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ and a biblical world view through hiphop culture…We are not influenced by the radio. We are not influenced by “what’s hot”. …Read More!
Sometimes objects and personalities can become a distraction from simple faith in God. This recent story on the surface sounds very noble but as one continues to follow it further, one thing that you realise is that there becomes little mention of Jesus Christ or even the gospel of grace. You see…
On the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks members of Grace Lutheran Church in Yorktown Heights gathered for a special Sunday mass. At the service, Pastor Timothy Kennedy dedicated a unique cross which had been cut from a piece of salvaged steel that was once part of Tower One of the World Trade Center. …Read More!
Mars Hill church must have lost all theological bearings and now wants to do the unthinkable. Seeing this latest jubilant tweet from Shane Hipps (Rob Bell’s co-pastor):
Does Shane know that when communion was instituted Jesus actually said as often as you do this remember me? Does he know that the drink is symbolic of the blood of Christ shed as a seal of a covenant being established on behalf of believers? …Read More!
Some people believe in coincidences but God watches over all events and in His sovereignty controls all things for His purposes and His glory. Watch this closely…
Many people ask what IHOP (International House of Prayer) really is all about. It is regularly featured on christian television so it must be genuine say some. Well to understand the theology behind this ministry one has to scratch beyond the apparently glossy veneer. Ariel [name concealed to protect her identity] vividly describes her experiences and how she got out of a group that has the hallmarks of a cult. A cult? Strong words you might say but….
[Ariel says ] It is not a word I use lightly or carelessly to label anything. But much prayer, time and years of research and personal experience have brought me to the conclusion that I can say confidently that the root system–or foundation–that IHOP is built on follows the basic premises and signs of a cult religious group. When I first left IHOP, I went through a severe culture shock that is hard to put into words. When I began studying the signs of cult fallout and the things that cult members go through after leaving a cult, my eyes began to open to what I had been a part of and recently come out of. …Read More!
Dan Kimball has a book titled The Emerging Church. Roger Oakland has an indepth article that looks closely at this new trend. This current generation lives in a period in church history that is characterized by enthusiasm for methods and means that facilitate church growth. Large churches are commonly equated with successful pastors and successful church growth methods. Whatever it takes to reach that objective, is acceptable, we are told. Church growth has become the measuring stick for successful Christianity. Well…
While Dan Kimball and other promoters of the emerging church may be sincere in their efforts to evangelize the postmodern generation and believe they are genuinely representing the scriptures, there are some real concerns that need to be addressed. Deviating from the Word of God for extrabiblical experience can open the door to deception. While worshipping God is a very important part of the Christian faith there are problems that can occur if worship supersedes the word. …Read More!
John MacArthur explains the dangers of making emotional pleas.
Well not literally but here’s the interesting story…
David Bathurst
In effort to break the world record for reading aloud, by reading out the entire Bible, failed after the reader lost consciousness while reading Jeremiah.
The reader, David Bathurst, who is 51 and has accomplished several feats for charity, including reciting the Gospels and the complete works of Gilbert and Sullivan from memory, said that he still felt positive about his attempt, which has raised £2,500 for charity.
The current record for reading aloud stands at just over 113 hours, and was set overseas, reports the Church Times. …Read More!
On a lighter note: Don’t adjust your screen – its just an oldie but a goodie!
For some reason my wife likes humming to this song. 😉
On a lighter note: I almost did a Eutychus through my window in laughter when I saw this. Lol 🙂
Meet the latest in Calvinist garage-style church praise bands: Guns ‘n TULIPs Welcome to the jungle…
[HT Truthinator’s Blog]
I have always asked myself, why do cults flourish and exist? The cults exist and prosper because they purport to fill a spiritual vacuum. Our innate rebellion against God, thrusts upon us an inherent reluctance to accept our spiritual condition and return to God in the way He has prescribed. You see one of the chief reasons people refuse to accept the gospel is because of the way it ruthlessly illuminates the human condition and commands repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today I am really concerned about a church that has sponged up thousands of disillusioned young people by advertising itself as “the church for people who don’t do church”. One would indeed fill up an auditorium and become a successful mega church with such a promise. But wait a minute…
ELK RIVER, Minn. (WCCO) – [Dozens] of families are expected to discuss how they believe a church in the north metro has too much control.
On its website, The Crossing in Elk River states it is “A church for people who don’t do church.”
But, many families said becoming a member comes at too high a cost. Eric Dykstra and his wife Kelly lead The Crossing in Elk River along with three satellite locations. The church is known for its unconventional approach to weekly worship. What started as 40 members six years ago has now grown to more than 2,000.
Katie Kennedy blames the church for taking her son away. She said she started going to the church with her 18-year-old son to support him playing music during the services.
“Down in the pit of my stomach I knew something was terribly wrong in this place. …Read More!
Septembers since 2001 have become a time period in each year endured by all Americans releasing deep streams of emotions. This September as America marks the 9/11 anniversary things apparently will be alittle different in that it will be disjointed, complicated and abit lukewarm because…
The White House has instructed officials to downplay al-Qaeda’s role in the Sept. 11 attacks, while New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in order to avoid offending Muslim groups, has decided to exclude clergy and first responders from participating in the 9/11 ceremony this Sunday.
Bloomberg said he decided to exclude clergy and first responders because …Read More!
News paper exegesis is lucrative. Whenever an event occurs any where in the world there will always be a so called prophet or seer who will begin drawing crowds claiming he has got inside information direct from God about the event. Recently there was an earth quake in Washington and a monument got cracked. Now a whole host of televangelists and religious commentators are sleepless speculating. And the big question is….
Were the cracks in the Washington Monument really a sign from God?
If it was, one professor believes that just as much as it was a warning to unbelievers, it was equally, if not more, a message to believers and the church today.
Responding to televangelist Pat Robertson’s end time theories posed last week surrounding the cracks in the long-standing monument, Professor Robert Crosby delved further into the suggestion, which has been criticized and ridiculed by many.
“Could the crack in the Washington Monument be a sign, or a message, to us from God? Could it be a wake up call?” repeated the Florida professor on Patheos.com. “It seems that the question at hand is one worth considering…regardless of Robertson’s postulations…” …Read More!
Well the debate on what continuationists may and may not do will be as endless and bottomless as the question, “what is the next Christian fad going to be?” This time (as an ex-charismatic) I am still baffled and scratching my balding patch as I slowly struggle to interprete this latest development. Well …
Prophetess Bynum
In a series of posts published on Aug. 17, on one of Bynum’s many Facebook pages, the minister typed messages where it was believed by commenters and critics that the she was praying in tongues.
In the first message time stamped 3:57 p.m., it appeared that Juanita Bynum II, the account holder for the Facebook page, started praying for Zachery Tims, the Florida megachurch minister who was found dead in a New York City hotel room on Aug. 12:
GOD WE PRAY FOR THE DESTINY CHURCH FAMILY….WE PRAY FOR THE STRENGTH OF PASTOR RIVA TIMS….[Furthermore] GIRD THEM UP IN THE SPIRIT…GIVE THEM A MIND TO PRAY LIKE NEVER BEFORE….WE CALL ON YOU JESUS….YOU ARE OUR HELP AND OUR HOPE!!!!!!!!NDHDIUBGUGTRUCGNRTUGTIGRTIGRGBNRDRGNGGJNRIC YOU ARE OUR HELP AND OUR HOPE….RFSCNGUGHURGVHKTGHDKUNHSTNSVHGN YOU GOD …Read More!
I have always thought the Bible was right in saying Christians are saved from the wrath to come and they have become born-again and are new creatures (the old man has passed away ) on the basis of the completed work of Christ on the cross. Well, I must be out dated since …
Tim Stevens
An Indiana megachurch pastor says he is annoyed at the word “saved,” especially when used among Christians to describe someone that has made a commitment to follow Jesus for the rest of their lives.
In one of his recent blog posts, Granger Community Church’s executive pastor, Tim Stevens, asked readers, “Does the Word ‘Saved’ Bother Anyone Else?” …Read More!
Biblical literacy in America is at an all time low. (But this could be a world wide problem as well). Apparently…
“We often suffer, but we are never crushed”?
A survey conducted on behalf of the American Bible Society found that 63 percent incorrectly believed that a verse found in 2 Corinthians was actually a quote from either Martin Luther King Jr., former President George W. Bush, or the patriotic superhero, Captain America.
The verse in question was 2 Corinthians 4:8, which in the Contemporary English Version reads:
“We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up.”
The majority of those who judged incorrectly attributed Read more of this post
A pastor in Texas has turned comedy into real life. Well you see in the never ending bid to appear relevant…
A church in Texas is trying an unconventional method to reach people in their community. Parishioners attending the new “Sanctuary Under the Sky” in southeast Collin County never even have to get out of their cars. The drive-through church meets a high school parking lot in Lucas, Texas.
Everyone picks a spot, cranks up the air conditioner, and tunes the car radio. Then they sit back and listen to the service. …Read More!
When a pastor lightens up on theology, the sufficience of scripture becomes secondary and its not long before he begins to delve into dubious schemes to keep people coming to church. Needless to say, Tennesse must be the one place where its hard to keep a congregation unless your pastor is talking about his “smokin’ hot wife” at a NASCAR race or foraging through an African jungle for exciting beasts:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – One of Nashville’s best known churches has been looking around for a lion and a whole bunch of other African animals. Members of Cornerstone Church in the Madison area won’t be surprised.
“We often use God’s creatures to tell stories,” said Senior Pastor Maury Davis. Sunday services at Cornerstone sometimes look like a circus with Pastor Davis as the ringleader.
From his office on the campus of the mega-church just off I-65, the often unconventional pastor listed all the wild beasts that have served as props in his sermons.
“Giraffes, pigs, parrots, zebras, parrots–even snakes,” smiled Davis. …Read More!
Revivals have been an elusive phenomenon in recent times. Pragmatism has hence has led men to wield the easy to achieve man-made winnowing fan of “revivalism” to substitute for the real outpouring. Speaking of modern day pragmatists who else can fill up a conference hall faster than Steve Furtick (who vehemently argues that Christians who attend his church searching for orthodox doctrinal teaching or expository preaching, discipleship and bible study are in the wrong place)?
Pastor Furtick’s “2012 Code Orange Revival” is being billed as the next big event. But the biggest surprise lies in the latest addition to the guest list (young, restless and reformed’s very own): Matt Chandler!
The rest of the list of speakers is quite interesting …Read More!
This may be the best 10 minutes you will perhaps spend on one verse this week:
Just stumbled on a very interesting post:
Not long ago I came across a newspaper story about a church that is trying to attract worshipers by imitating radio news programs that promise: “Give us twenty-two minutes, and we’ll give you the world.” Their 9:00 a.m. Sunday service is called “Express Worship,” and the hook is that church-goers can come in and be out in twenty-two minutes. In one service described by the newspaper, the pastor began with a greeting and a short prayer, followed by a reading from Luke 7:1-10. He then asked the worshipers to write down their thoughts on what constitutes authority in their lives. Finally, they sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and went out. The pastor described it as “a restructuring of the way we think of the service”. Not one person delivering the truth to you, but a shared experience. …Read More!
In recent years a new movement within the evangelical church has come into vogue, commonly referred to as “seeker sensitive.” Generally, this movement has seen a great deal of growth. Many “seeker” churches are now mega-churches with well-known pastors who are riding a wave of popularity in the evangelical world.
So, what is this movement all about? Where does it come from? And, most importantly, is it biblical? Basically, the seeker-sensitive church tries to reach out to the unsaved person by making the church experience as comfortable, inviting, and non-threatening to him as possible. The hope is that the person will believe in the gospel. …Read More!
A friend of mine on Facebook scribbled this finishing remark found in a review of a bad London restaurant [which] could be said of many seemingly-successful churches:
“Perhaps the secret to the restaurant business in this country – in particular in London – is not to concentrate on the food, but to give people a place they want to go and be with large numbers of other people who appear to be having a good time. If they see that, they’ll tell themselves that they, too, are having a good time. S__ has mastered that, to me, slightly depressing trick.”
[HT D. McMasters via Facebook]
Things are precarious in Libya politically and socially. Tense is an understatement to describe the atmosphere. Ironically, like a pregnant woman beginning to feel the labor pangs there is great expectancy in the air. Open doors USA reports:
While a defiant Moammar Gadhafi assured “martyrdom or victory” today [24 Aug 2011] in the battle against the “aggressors” in Libya, Christians in Tripoli met in prayer for the country and the future of Christians throughout the northern African nation.
The Open Doors country coordinator for Libya, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Every day around noon, a part of the small Christian community gathers to encourage each other.”
Open Doors estimates the number of indigenous Libyan Christians is around 150. However, prior to the start of the revolution, the expatriate Christian community was believed to be approximately 180,000. Large numbers of migrant workers left Libya after the revolt that started Feb. 15, but a small number of foreign Christians remain in Libya. …Read More!
Sometimes hunting for heresies behind every bush and under every stone does take away something from you. Especially if this goes on for so long with no balance in between. Believe me there is a need for warning and discernment. There are things we need to argue about. There are people we need to confront. There are unbiblical and dangerous positions that need to be obliterated with sound biblical argumentation.
That said, here are 10 real dangers of persistently defining ourselves by what we are against:
1. You’ll forget to talk about what’s good… especially about Jesus. The majority of Jesus’ discourses did not include “woes.” Paul wrote Colossians and Ephesians 1:3-13 from the same prison cell. Pointing out error is only part of the job of disclosing truth. At some point, after we wrestle the opponents to the ground, we must get around to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and his person. It’s okay to come off positive about Jesus. It’s acceptable – from time to time – to have no agenda other than loving Jesus and drawing attention to him. We are stewards of a mystery just as much as we are defenders of it. …Read More!
It is often said that Charismatic/ Continuationist Christianity in Africa promotes either a pietist withdrawal from social and political concerns, or a preoccupation with gaining individual health and wealth (the prosperity gospel). Needless to say it is the fastest growing branch of Christianity on the continent. Following the recent debates in evangelical circles about Cessationism and Continuationism, Bwana Nathan Busenitz [Bwana means “Sir” or “Mr.” in Swahili] wrote an interesting article in which he took the challenge to respond in 100 words or less, to the question “Are you a Charismatic/Continuationist?”:
[No!] I am convinced that the biblical gift of tongues was the supernatural ability to speak in authentic foreign languages that the speaker had not previously learned; AND that the gift of prophecy was the accurate proclamation of authoritative, inerrant revelation that the prophet received directly from the Holy Spirit; AND that the gift (or gifts) of healing resulted in the immediate, undeniable, and complete recovery of a sick or injured person at the hands of the healer. …Read More!
This interesting street preaching clip has a harrowing truth in it (and also the gospel)! It probably carries alot more theology than may be heard in some churches these days. Listen in….
Just got my latest (and yes, smokin’ hot) copy of the month’s Table Talk Magazine. The topic that has caught my attention is the one that causes the greatest of fears upon most pastors. Harry Reeder III has an interesting article that asks:
How do you preach the gospel at funerals for unbelievers? First, you must be committed to doing it. Second, you have to be compassionate while doing it. The implications will be obvious to any who listen what you are thoughtfully yet pointedly saying about the gospel. The eternal state of the unbeliever who has died is revealed by the truth of the gospel. Let’s be clear. We are not called to make pronouncements about a person’s soul any more than we are allowed to make false assurances concerning his eternal state. …Read More!
Ever wondered why evil men and regimes seem to prosper…
I believe that God allows the evil and the evildoers to have their fling; He allows them rope, licence, as it were, in order to make their overthrow more complete and sure. Biblical history is really an exposition of this principle. God seems to be asleep and the enemy rises. He blasphemes the name of God. Think of it in the case of Assyria. … They inflated themselves almost to the heavens … Then God suddenly pricked the bubble and the whole empire collapsed. ~Martyn Lloyd-Jones
HT Jim West
Just a thought about the Holiness of God ….
The modern movement of worship is designed to break down barriers between man and God, to remove the veil, as it were, from the fearsome holiness of God, which might cause us to tremble. It is designed to make us feel comfortable. ~R.C Sproul
Its good to see young men asking profound theological questions and not just follow the entertainment band wagon that most churches and sunday schools adopt to kill time on sundays. A great clip of a young man asking interesting questions:
Many argue that a deep theological understanding gravitates Christians away from Christ. Don’t study too much, as it were. But this argument presupposes that more studying will find things that the person doesn’t like, effectively smashing the ideas they’ve created in their mind about how God should be. In effect, the opposite is true. For those who are called, more study and understanding leads us to more worship of the true God and more facets of Him to adore. ~Andrew Taylor (via Facebook)
Well, this will tickle the fancy of my bald friends. Apparently they will be the first ones through the pearly gates. Why, havent you read….
“When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.” ~Lev 13:40 (NIV)
See? There is still something to cheer about. 😉
I do not always agree with J. Lee Grady but this time (as a brother in the Lord) I like his honesty. This time he looks into the recent death of Pastor Zachery Tims and gives the charismatic community a heads up that I think we can all learn from…
Zachery Tims [is said to have] met Jesus and was saved from a life of crime and drugs. He and his wife, Riva, moved from Baltimore to Orlando, Fla., in 1996 to launch a church that aimed to restore families and pull teens out of trouble. New Destiny Christian Center grew fast, mostly because of Tims’ passionate preaching. He was soon a regular on Christian television.
But things unraveled in 2009 when Tims was caught carrying on a yearlong affair with a stripper he met in France. He admitted to an “indiscretion” and got a few weeks of counseling, but he didn’t take serious time off for rehabilitation. Riva divorced him for his infidelity. The billboards that once featured photos of the happy couple were changed. By 2011 the roadside ads featured a shot of Tims by himself, with this slogan: “A Family Church Meeting Family Needs.”This story did not end well. On Aug. 12, Tims was found dead–at age 42–in a New York City hotel room. His four children lost their dad, and his church lost their beloved leader. But while Tims’ family and friends are grieving their loss (and I’m not minimizing that because the pain is real), I’m also grieving over the fact that the wider body of Christ has yet another embarrassing religious scandal to explain. We can’t gloss over this.There are so many aspects of this story that should cause us to lament. How did a preacher get involved with a stripper? Why didn’t Tims put himself on the bench for at least a year after his sin was exposed? Why did Christian television keep him on the air after his affair became public? …Read More!
Frank Turk never minces his words; nor his food. Once he cooks food, he salts it very well and he loves his soup the way it should be -well salted too. But one thing that Frank never tolerates seems to be hypocricy. Inconsistency rubs him the wrong way. This time it’s renowned Arminian Theologian Roger Olson’s dabbling butter fingers that have poured the last proverbial soup into the fire. (Yes, all of it!). So, the food is all wasted and the party is now officially O-V-E-R!
And you know what that means? Yes, an open letter (from Frank himself)…
Dear Dr. Olson;
I thought I was going to be a fan of yours back when you published the level-headed IVP classic Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities in 2006. It helped me get over my own vestiges of cage-stage Calvinism, and it’s a fine discussion of the Arminian theology. I like someone who puts a little of his own fat in the fire when it comes to explanation and argumentation, so I appreciated that really, what you wanted was to engage some of the daffier calvinist apologetics and counter-apologetics with some salt and vinegar, and I say good on you.That, of course, doesn’t finally persuade me that you have the better systematics or even approach to theology, church and evangelism, but I credit you for being a sound in-house adversary for what you believe. …Read More!
We do the dumbest things when we think no one’s watching or when there’s an inkling that we could get away with it. Yes, in my minds eye I do see that heavily pregnant lady in the London riots who matched into an Argos store and looted goods with a toddler tucked under one arm and boxes of stolen goods in the other. Unfazed by the overhead CCTV, the young woman did not even bother to disguise her face as she calmly strolled out of the shop.
Sin makes us stupid. What’s more is I gleefully recently over heard that…
Distracted by Ducklings...
According to the FBI, most bank robberies are “Unsophisticated and unprofessional” crimes. Despite the ubiquity of all-seeing surveillance cameras, 76% of robbers don’t bother with a disguise, and 95% have no plan to conceal their spoils.
Case in point, Jack Shreiner. This criminal mastermind handed a New York City bank teller a note demanding money. She surrendered $7,791 in cash. After four days, our evil genius then decided the best place to stash his loot was in a savings account. The enigmatic part of his brilliant plan is that he selected the very bank he had just robbed. Perhaps he thought the teller had Alzheimer’s?
Another “unsophisticated” robbery allowed Detroit detectives to ferret out the villain almost instantaneously. This green hornet apparently believed strongly enough in …Read More!
The scenes of chaos, civil disobedience and looting that descended upon the beautiful picturesque city of London shocked all communities far and wide. Many gave excuses for the abhorrent behaviour. Others just wanted issues swept underneath the carpet with a stiff upper lip. But the question that was on every one’s lips was, “where did it all go wrong?” Some answers were truly thought provoking…
[The Bishop of London said] “background to the riots is family breakdown and the absence of strong and positive role models”.
And Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, writing in The Times newspaper, said: “Too much of contemporary society has been a vacation from responsibility.”
He commented: “Children have been the victims of our self-serving beliefs that you can have partnerships without the responsibility of marriage, children without the responsibility of parenthood, social order without the responsibility of citizenship, liberty without the responsibility of morality, and self-esteem without the responsibility of hard work and achievement.”
Mr Lammy MP warned that in areas like his there is, “none of the basic starting presumption of two adults who want to start a family, raise children together, love them, nourish them and lead them to full independence”.
He continued: “The parents are not married and the child has come, frankly, out of casual sex …Read More!
On a lighter note:
How many charismatics does it take to change a light bulb? One, since his/her hands are in the air anyway.
How many Calvinists does it take to change a lightbulb? None. God has predestined when the lights will be on.
How many Brethren does it take to change a light bulb? CHANGE?!!!
How many Pentecostals does it take to change a light bulb? …Read More!
On a lighter note:
Adam was walking outside of the Garden of Eden with Cane and Abel when the boys were young. Cane and Abel looked into the garden and viewed waterfalls, lovely birds, lush forests and fruit trees bending over because of the large amounts of fruit on them.
Then they took a long look at where they lived at. It was dry, dusty with weeds and sickly-looking trees.
“Daddy? Why don’t we live in there instead of out here?” they asked innocently.
Adam said, “Well sons. Eve and I use to live in there at one time. But your mother ate us out of house and home.”
Trust men to always tell half of the story. 😉
Pharmacists and chemists in Britain seem to be in a spot of bother. It’s the morning after contraceptive pill again. You see…
Christian pharmacists who object to selling the morning-after pill are facing pressure from their professional regulator to recommend other outlets to customers.
Many pharmacists – not just Christians – have moral objections to the morning-after pill because the drug can abort a conception.
And those with moral objections say there is little difference between being forced to recommend another outlet and being forced to sell it themselves. …Read More!
As several areas in London sober up, the grim reality now begins to sink in. The looting and violence was senseless. Now begins the hardest part -rebuilding from ashes.
My prayer is that communities in Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool will come to see the rationale behind settling down.The Heidelberg Catechism is a Protestant confessional document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine. It has been translated into many languages and is regarded as one of the most influential of the Reformed catechisms. This young boy in this clip goes through the first 16 questions and answers (with his dad, an ex sunni muslim). Watch this…
Now who says kids dont like theology?
They didn’t get away. And every body now asks “Was it really worth it?”
The story of Christopher Love, a man who lost his life for his convictions (while others of his colleagues were released) and a wife who was left with young children and no husband will touch you on a deeper level than most soaps series. You are struck by their deep love for each other, and how that love had been augmented by their love for God.
On the 15th July 1651, the day he was expected to be executed from the Tower of London, Christopher Love wrote to his wife Mary:
“My Dearest Beloved, “
[Audio here]I am now going to my long home, yet I must write a word before I go hence and shall be seen no more. It is to beg thee to be comforted in my gain and not to be troubled in they loss. Labour to suppress thy inward fears now that thou art under outward sorrows. As thy outward sufferings abound, let they consolations in Christ also abound. I know thou art a woman of a sorrowful spirit. My time is short; I have but a few words of counsel to give thee, and then I shall leave thee to God who careth for thee and thine.
1. While thou art under desertions, labour rather to strengthen and clear up they evidences for Heaven than question them
2. Remember a faith of adherence or reliance on the Lord Jesus brings thee to Heaven, though thou want the faith of evidence or assurance.
3. Labour to find that (and more also) in God which thou hast lost in the creature.
4. Spend not thy days in heaviness for my death. If there were knowledge of things below or sorrow …Read More!
My good friend and theologian Jim West has decided to draw the line in the sand on that issue of abstinence and pregnancy and where the moral line lies. So, shouldn’t the church be urging kids to abstain from fornication to avoid pregnancy and nasty sexually transmitted diseases? Well Jim raises the bar higher than that…
For Christians, for the Church, such a reason is totally inadequate and totally inappropriate. More correctly, teens and unmarried persons should abstain from sexual activity because such activity is contrary to the purpose and will of God and is in fact sin.
When we tell people to abstain in order to avoid pregnancy we make the commandment of God of no account. This is utterly inexcusable for Christians, theologians and the Church.
The ‘practical’ reason for abstinence, the avoidance of an unwanted child, is a reason completely foreign …Read More!
The faith and courage of the most powerful man in Venezuela is currently being shaken. But not to be outdone he has stood up with a rhetoric of his own. Well …
President Hugo Chavez told a gathering of soldiers on Thursday that he’s seeking divine support from the indigenous deities and spirits of Venezuela’s central plains to help him survive cancer.
“Cancer? What is that for me? I have faith in the spirits of the plains that I’ll prevail. I will live and we will win the elections next year,” …Read More!
If you have just finished your breakfast, I will warn you that you may just be a few seconds from leaving it on your computer. In a post modern world, your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth….every thing is relative. With this philosophy in mind, a church in Iowa is pushing its luck in blasphemy. You see…
The Bible’s account of the night Jesus was born is noted for some well-known characters at the Bethlehem manger, including the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph and some shepherds …
Now a Christian church in America’s heartland is helping redefine the story, as its most-recent living Nativity scene in December featured two women instead of a man and a women starring as Joseph and Mary. …Read More!
I don’t usually go by surveys and opinion polls but a few usually catch your eye. Especially in this day and age of (seeker sensitive) mega churches one’s got to take church and televangelist funded surveys with an extra pinch of salt. However, a recent interesting church survey will cause shock waves as it shows that …
There is a declining depth of commitment among born-again Christians to their faith over the last 20 years, according to a “State of the Church” study by the Barna Research Group released this week.
In interpreting the study, which shows a drop in church attendance, Bible reading, and priority in faith, research group founder George Barna warned that American Christians have become complacent. …Read More!
On a lighter note:
One day a Pastor, a Vicar and an Atheist go on a fishing trip together. They are in the boat and the Pastor says,” Oh! No! I left the paddles on shore!” So he proceeds to get out of the boat and walk on the water to the shore to get them. Once he had gotten back into the boat the Vicar says,” Oh! No! I left the bait on shore too!” And like the Pastor the Vicer exits the boat and walks on the water to get the bait. When the Vicar climbs back into the boat the atheist yells,” Well if you guys can do it so can I!!!” and proceeds to climb out of the boat, but he falls into the water. At this piont the Pastor says,” Do you think we should have told him where the rocks are?”
In recent days we have seen mass murders and polar bears mauling teenagers all in (yes, you got it) Norway. But I came across this Norwegian missionary doing street evangelism in Copenhagen (Denmark). It is awesome to hear the gospel being preached by some one from (yes, you got it) Norway. Watch this clip…
Please pray for Norway. Pray for the furtherance of the gospel in Post Christian Europe.
The concept of growth groups, connect groups, care groups, life groups, fellowship groups, small groups and home groups seems to have sprung out of good intentions as Christians wanted to know their Bible more and have fellowship in small groups meeting either in homes or some times small itinerant settings. The concept seems to have caught on in many evangelical settings. But is there a problem with this concept so far?
Robert Truelove recently made an interesting observation (with recommendations too) …
I’ve recently attended a few cell groups from other churches in my area. This experience has reminded me why these cell groups are typically a bad idea. Don’t get me wrong, the social and relational aspects of a cell group are important and beneficial in the lives of many churches. When I say that cell groups are typically a bad idea, I am referring to they way we typically see Bible study done in these groups. …Read More!
Its hard to know all your 5 million or even 50 followers and friends on Facebook or Twitter or circled ones (on Google+) intricately. Once in a while I just love to read snippets that people write about themselves and their favorite quotations. Some are satirical, others philosophical and others profoundly theological. I really liked this one …
RATED R FOR REFORMED
IT IS GOD WHO:
– draws people to Himself (John 6:44,65).
– creates a clean heart (Psalm 51:10).
– appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48).
– works faith in the believer (John 6:28-29).
– chooses who is to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4).
– chooses us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14).
– grants the act of believing (Phil. 1:29).
– grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26). Read More!
- For all their talk about community, Emergents are too individualistic to hang together.
- For all their talk about conversation, Emergents mainly just like to hear themselves prattle.
- For all their talk about humility, Emergents begin with an incorrigibly arrogant worldview.
Excerpt from Why the Emergent Movement Keeps Stalling [HT Phil Johnson]
An interesting look at the state of Christianity (in Africa). D.A Carson talks to Conrad Mbewe to find out if Christianity is still a mile wide but an inch deep in Africa…
[HT 5Ptsalt]
I struggle a lot with paraphrases. But what if I was stuck with Da Hawai’i Pidgin Bible on a desert island, would I still crack it open and read Psalm 23 (while sipping cocoa nut)? Or would I be lost in translation…
Da Boss Above, he take care me,
Jalike da sheep farma take care his sheeps.
He goin give me everyting I need.He let me lie down wea da sweet an soft grass stay.
He lead me by da water wea I can rest.He give me new kine life.
He lead me in da road dat stay right,
Cuz I his guy. (Songs fo God 23:1-3)
Dude, all of a sudden even though I don’t know Koine Greek or Hebrew …Read More!
So I have finally reached my wits end. I have decided to search out those dangerous passages in the Bible that flatten every adversary. Yeah, I want to “go nuclear” you assure yourself. But should I feel gleeful as I recite those “forbidden verses”, so to speak? Like…
O God send down fire...
Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave. (Ps 55:15)
O God, break the teeth in their mouths. (Ps58:6)
May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. (Ps 69:28)
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. (Ps 109:9)The question of the day: How are Christians to pray the imprecatory prayers of the Psalms? And even…should we pray the imprecatory Psalms? …Read More!
Its very easy to make the modern day pulpit the center of attention rather than what is proclaimed from it. And therefore a good sermon must come forth with clarity and depth. And so must preparation for it. Alistair Begg pulls no punches on sermon preparations in this excerpt from his book ‘On Being a Pastor‘ (co-authored with Derek Prime).
“I remain fascinated by the variety of approaches that preachers take in preparing their sermons. In our preparation, as well as in our delivery we must ‘to our own selves be true.’ When I am asked to summarise my method of preparation, I mention the following points, which I learned from the late Leith Samuel….
1. Think yourself empty. As strange as it may sound, we must be careful to ensure that we do not avoid sound thinking. The temptation to respond emotionally to a passage (this is how this makes me feel) is not unique to our listeners. If we are to have ‘thinking’ congregations it is incumbant upon us to be ‘thinking’ pastors’! We do not want to be uncertain by the time our study ends, but it is surely right and proper to begin with the perspective, ‘I must know what this says, and I must learn what this means.’ Read More
“I might have been a young man at twelve, but at sixteen I was a sober, respectable Baptist parson, sitting in the chair and ruling and governing the church. At that period of my life, when I ought perhaps to have been in the playground . . . I spent my time at my books, studying and working hard, sticking to it.” ~Charles Spurgeon
HT Douglas Kofi Adu-Boahen via Facebook.
You have heard of people calling them selves three-point or four point Calvinists and others parading banners of the New-Calvinist fame. But in what context do all these variances arise? J.I. Packer makes a very interesting point:
“The very act of setting out Calvinistic soteriology [the doctrine of salvation] in the form of five distinct points (a number due, as we saw, merely to the fact that there were five Arminian points for the Synod of Dort to answer) tends to obscure the organic character of Calvinistic thought on this subject. For the five points, though separately stated, are inseparable. They hang together; you cannot reject one without rejecting them all, at least in the sense in which the Synod meant them. For to Calvinism there is really only one point to be made in the field of soteriology: the point that God saves sinners. Read More
I am currently re-reading an old book. But straight up from the first few pages this testimony of one pastor jumps up at you:
I remember well the first time I stepped aside and allowed false teaching in my church. I was told that we had “quenched the Holy Spirit long enough” and that it was “now time to give the church back to the Holy Spirit”. I was told that the penance for ecclesiastical felony of “quenching the Spirit” was to include an “anything goes” time during the meeting. Order was to be set aside, and chaos was to be invited with prayers like, “Come, Holy Spirit!” This command to Deity was typically followed by a long period of waiting to see what the Spirit would do. A mounting sense of anticipation would grow as we waited for the “manifestations” to appear. …Read More!
There are many who say why emphasize sound doctrine? Why dont we just lay our differences aside, get along together and just love one another? Well, sound doctrine will divide and rightly so. It will seperate unsound teaching from sound biblical teaching. If you love somebody who is imbibing unsound doctrine you will alert him, rebuke him and earnestly point him to what is right. Depraved indifference urges us to keep quiet as our fellow man un wittingly drifts to their ship wreck and destruction. What would you do if you saw fellow Christians babbling in strange fires and delving in questionable practices? Would you love them enough to point them back to the bible or “love them” by leaving them to drift on? Charles Spurgeon said:
A religion which is all excitement, and has little instruction in it, may serve for transient use; but for permanent life-purposes there must be a knowledge of those great doctrines which are fundamental to the gospel system. I tremble when I hear of a man’s giving up, one by one, the vital principles of the gospel and boasting of his liberality. …Read More!
Adapted From Interesting Facts About Spurgeon’s Ministry And Life.
One woman was converted through reading a single page of one of Spurgeon’s sermons wrapped around some butter she had bought.
Testing the acoustics in the vast Agricultural Hall, Spurgeon shouted, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” A worker high in the rafters of the building heard this and became converted to Christ as a result.
Spurgeon read The Pilgrim’s Progress at age 6 and went on to read it over 100 times. Read More
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 