Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
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.
The spirit of the Broad School robs us of everything like certainty. I should like to ask some great men of that order whether they believe that anything is taught in the Scriptures which it would be worth while for a person to die for, and whether the martyrs were not great fools for laying down their lives for mere opinions which might be right or might be wrong?
This broad-churchism is a breaking down of stone walls, and it will let in the devil and all his crew, and do infinite harm to the church of God, if it be not stopped. A loose state of belief does great damage to any man’s mind.
Lately we have seen few men with backbone; the most have been of the jelly-fish order. I have lived in times in which I should have said, “Be liberal, and shake off all narrowness ; but now I am obliged to alter my tone and cry, “Be steadfast in the truth.” Read More
With recent publications showing blatant disregard for the attributes of God, this Article by A.W Pink on the attribute of his wrath is just a timely message.
It is sad to find so many professing Christians who appear to regard the wrath of God as something for which they need to make an apology, or at least they wish there were no such thing. While some would not go so far as to openly admit that they consider it a blemish on the Divine character, yet they are far from regarding it with delight, they like not to think about it, and they rarely hear it mentioned without a secret resentment rising up in their hearts against it. Even with those who are more sober in their judgment, not a few seem to imagine that there is a severity about the Divine wrath which is too terrifying to form a theme for profitable contemplation. Others harbor the delusion that God’s wrath is not consistent with His goodness, and so seek to banish it from their thoughts. There’s More
Some argue that what the church only needs, apparently, is new methods to reach the lost, new techniques to promote the church, new packages for the gospel message. People, we are told, are not rejecting the gospel or Christ; they are rejecting our out-of-date, unappetizing forms, philosophies, and methods. With this presupposition, one church recently decided to take matters to another level.
New Day Church, a year-old congregation in Hendricks County, Ind., is finding sex helps sell its message of faith. An edgy marketing campaign asking, “What happens when God gets between the sheets?” promoted a sermon series in February and early March focusing on the link between sex and religion.
Members of the congregation heard the Rev. Denis Roy discuss God’s take on topics such as intimacy, pleasure, sexual preference, pornography, adultery and even sexual healing. Read More
He drank off the full cup of unmixed wrath for us; shall we then refuse to taste of the cup of affliction at his appointment, especially when his wisdom and love prepare it for us, and proportion every circumstance to our strength; when He put it into our hands, not in anger but in tender mercy, to do us good, to bring us near to himself; and when He sweetens every bitter draught with those comforts which none but He can give? Let us rather say, None of these things move us, neither do we count anything on this side of eternity dear, so that we may finish our course with joy and run with patience the race which is set before us.
(Letters of John Newton, pg. 50) Read More
I would like to thank Thabiti Anyabwile of The Gospel Coalition for this excerpt of George Whitefield’s sermon:
Those of you that are yet strangers to Christ, what can I say to excite you to come and walk with God? If you love honor, pleasure, and a crown of glory, come and seek it where it alone can be found. Come, put on the Lord Jesus. Come, haste away and walk with God, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Stop, stop, O sinner! Turn, for the end of that way you are now walking in, however right it may seem in your blinded eyes, will be eternal destruction of body and soul. Make no tarrying… step not one step further on in your present walk. For how do you know the next step you take will not be into hell? Death may seize you, judgment may find you, and then the great gulf will be fixed between you and endless glory forever and ever. Lay these things to heart. In the strength of Jesus say, “Farewell lust of the flesh, I will no more walk with thee! Farewell lust of the eye, and pride of life! Farewell carnal acquaintance and enemies of the cross, I will no more walk and be intimate with you! Welcome Jesus, welcome thy word, welcome thy ordinances, welcome thy Spirit, welcome thy people, I will henceforth walk with you.” O that there may be in you such a mind! Read More
On a lighter note, apparently John Calvin is being remembered for being the 52nd best dressed man of all time. Or so they think.
Because the most famous minimalist in world history knew a man didn’t need expensive clothes or bright colors to convey authority. Black and white, worn with the requisite gravity, can be powerful and intimidating. Just look at the Secret Service. Or the Reservoir Dogs. ~MSN
Of course always take what ever fame and glory the world offers with a good pinch of salt.
A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. [Prov 29:5] Read More
If you dont like teasers atleast you will love this one.
Part of the curse Jesus would bear for us on Golgotha was the taunting and testing by God’s enemies. As he drowned in his own blood, the spectators yelled words quite similar to those of Satan in the desert: “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe” (Mark 15:32). But he didn’t jump down. He didn’t ascend to the skies. He just writhed there. And, after it all, the bloated corpse of Jesus hit the ground as he was pulled off the stake, spattering warm blood and water on the faces of the crowd.
That night the religious leaders probably read Deuteronomy 21 to their families, warning them about the curse of God on those who are “hanged on a tree.” Fathers probably told their sons, “Watch out that you don’t ever wind up like him.” Those Roman soldiers probably went home and washed the blood of Jesus from under their fingernails and played with their children in front of the fire before dozing off. This was just one more insurrectionist they had pulled off a cross, one in a line of them dotting the roadside. And this one (what was his name? Joshua?) was just decaying meat now, no threat to the empire at all. Read More
The Dura-Europos church is the earliest identified Christian house church. It is located in Dura-Europos in Syria and dates from 235 AD. The site of Dura-Europos, a former city and walled fortification, was excavated largely in the 1920s and 1930s by French and American teams. Within the archaeological site, the house church is located by the 17th tower and preserved by the same defensive fill that saved the nearby Dura-Europos synagogue. [Excerpted from The Wondrous Weird Stuff] Read More
If Martin Luther had the means of communication and broadcasting we have today I wonder what he would say. The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) is the United States’ largest Christian television network. It is said to be the world’s largest religious network and America’s most watched faith channel. My biggest hunch is his message would go some thing like this:
“I frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not want ‘free-will’ to be given me, nor anything to be left in my own hands to enable me to endeavor after salvation; not merely because in face of so many dangers, and adversities and assaults of devils, I could not stand my ground …; but because even were there no dangers … I should still be forced to labor with no guarantee of success … But now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will, and put it under the control of His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running, but according to His own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that He is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him. Read More
Ever had those questions that kept you awake on Saturday nights? Well if those questions are about Huldrych Zwingli who better to ask than Dr. Jim West.
Every now and again I’ll be debunking myths and legends related to the life of Huldrych Zwingli. That because 1) too few people actually read Zwingli. And 2) too many people read about Zwingli in sources that aren’t always reliable.
It was related by a Professor of Church History to our undergrad class (back in the early 80′s) that when Zwingli rejected the playing of organs at Zurich’s churches that he took the key to the organ at the Grossmunster and tossed it in the Limmat, the river that bisects Zurich and empties into the Lake Zurich.
That Professor was wrong. He was merely repeating a legend he had either heard or he made it up himself (the same way Scott Bailey does when he writes about Zwingli, by the way- evidently forgetting that Rev 21:8 proclaims that all liars have their place in the lake of fire). Read More
There are many questions that keep many of us awake at night. This is one of them:
Why does God allow earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, typhoons, cyclones, mudslides, and other natural disasters? Tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the 2008 cyclone in Myanmar, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and the 2011 earthquake/tsunami near Japan cause many people to question God’s goodness. It is distressing that natural disasters are often termed “acts of God” while no “credit” is given to God for years, decades, or even centuries of peaceful weather. God created the whole universe and the laws of nature (Genesis 1:1). Most natural disasters are a result of these laws at work. Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados are the results of divergent weather patterns colliding. Earthquakes are the result of the earth’s plate structure shifting. A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake. Read More
In the never ending quest to remain relevant and draw capacity crowds into church, whats more hip than bringing a motorcycle into the sanctuary, cranking it up to maximum speed while a harem of excitable wild eyed youths cheer on?
It is probably good that the remaining bibles and hymnal got trashed and crashed up by the motor bike after all who needs them? And who will notice their absence? Read More
One of the good things about book reviews is that some one else reads the book so that you don’t have to. This couldn’t be more correct than in the case of Rob Bell’s latest ambiguous book. I would like to commend Tim Challies for this review:
Questions matter. They can help you to grow deeper in your knowledge of the truth and your love for God—especially when you’re dealing with the harder doctrines of the Christian faith. But questions can also be used to obscure the truth. They can be used to lead away just as easily as they can be used to lead toward. Ask Eve. Enter Rob Bell, a man who has spent much of the last seven years asking questions in his sometimes thought-provoking and often frustrating fashion. And when he’s done asking, no matter what answers he puts forward, it seems we’re only left with more questions. This trend continues in his new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, where Bell poses what might be his most controversial question yet:
Does a loving God really send people to hell for all eternity? The questions you probably want answers to as you read this review are these: Is it true that Rob Bell teaches that hell doesn’t exist? Is it true that Rob Bell believes no one goes to hell? You’ll just need to keep reading because, frankly, the answers aren’t that easy to come by.
A very interesting article that got me screaming , “Amen! Amen! Preach it brother!” As luke warm coffee spilled on my laptop and down my rickety knobbly knees. Excerpted from Apprising Ministries (written by Dustin Segers):
I fully believe that were it not for prayer and a consistent diet of the word, it would be easy to grow cynical of what goes by the name of “evangelicalism” in America. On the whole, American evangelicalism is very materialistic and individualistic rather than sacrificial and collective.
I am exposed to it constantly, and as I’ve already said; were it not for plenty of prayer, meditation on Scripture, and many a good night’s sleep, I’d probably have quit pastoral ministry a long time ago.
I, along with many atheists and skeptics roll my eyes (but for completely different reasons) when I see another goofy church marquee or read another article about Rob Bell’s latest heresy, or hear supposed evangelicals pounding the drum of what is known as “social justice”. I roll my eyes because all of these groups are missing the point.
It’s not that I question Biblical Christian theism in any way; quite the contrary, I have full epistemological confidence/warrant that it is historically true and I fully believe that the Biblical gospel is the power of God unto salvation and such salvation naturally entails societal changes from the ground up. However, much of American evangelicalism seems to be all about two things: (1) “Hipster christianity”, (2) and “Hippy christianity”. The lowercase “c” in “christianity” is there for reasons that you’ll see in the explanations below. Read More
A small goofy hunch back office intern with heavy black-rimmed glasses scampers into a phone booth and closes the door. Then the moment of dramatic prose is shattered as a seven foot tall, square jawed gentleman, now a glistening man of steel with bulging and rippling muscles and sleek combed-back hair with deep piercing eyes kicks aside the rickety glass door. Tada! Transformed in the twinkling of an eye the super hero has come to save the damsel in distress. In comic literature the moment of transformation occurs at the height of the story as the battle between good and bad reaches its hiatus.
Looking at the news headlines today we read of diseases and epidemics, financial constraints and recessions, devastating earth quakes, Tsunamis and threats of global warming are the fodder of both red top tabloids and conservative dailies. God in his sovereignity has underlined the fact that tomorrow is promised to no man. We are constantly being reminded of the fickle nature of life and man’s mortality since the fall. A recurring question has always been , ‘why does God allow such suffering and why do bad things happen to good people?’ Read More
Mission Network News. Full Story Here.
The Thunder god priest who has come to Christ in Ghana, liberating 55 slave women and children.
Ghana (MNN) ― Sex slavery is rampant among tribal religions in Ghana. In a system commonly referred to as Trokosi, girls are given to tribal priests as payment for sins. “Trokosi” means wives or slaves of the gods.
Every Child Ministries is rescuing these women and their children who were born into this environment. ECM co-founder Lorella Rouster says ritual servitude, or shrine slavery, is common.
Recently, Every Child Ministries liberated 55 slaves of the “Thunder god.”
Rouster says it was Read more of this post
There is much talk these days about lost books of the Bible. From cults to the New Age, people make all sorts of claims about how the Bible is missing books, books that help justify what they hope to believe. Sometimes people claim that the Bible was edited to take out reincarnation, or the teaching of higher planes of existence, or different gods, or ancestor worship, or “at-one-ment” with nature.
The “lost books” were never lost. They were known by the Jews in Old Testament times and the Christians of the New Testament times and were never considered scripture. They weren’t lost nor were they removed. They were never in the Bible in the first place (see: Reasons why the Apocrypha does not belong in the Bible).
The additional books were not included in the Bible for several reasons: Read More
It is said that Rob Bell’s fans flock to his Facebook page, his NOOMA videos have been viewed by millions, and his Sunday sermons are attended by 10,000 parishioners-with a downloadable podcast reaching 50,000 more. The latest stirring is related to his upcoming book “Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived” His publisher allegedly boasts that he is an electrifying, unconventional pastor whom Time magazine calls “a singular rock star in the church world,” Rob Bell is the most vibrant, central religious leader of the millennial generation.” Bell plays with theology the way a cat plays with a mouse. His sermons, videos, books, and public relations are often more suggestive and subversive than clear.But who is this man who never defines what he means nor means what he says?
There are three men in particular who have solid responses to Rob Bell’s video: Justin Taylor, Kevin DeYoung and Al Mohler. Below are their responses to the video and the upcoming book. Click the links to see their entire responses:
1. Justin Taylor – “If Bell is teaching that hell is empty and that you can reject Jesus and still be saved, he is opposing the gospel and the biblical teaching of Jesus Christ. You may think that’s judgmental to say that; I think it’s being faithful. I would encourage a careful study of 1 Timothy to see what Paul says about false teaching and teachers.”
2. Kevin DeYoung – “Rob Bell is right about one thing: what you believe about heaven and hell says a lot about what you believe about God. That’s why theological error of this magnitude cannot go unchecked. The God of the Vimeo clip is not a God of wrath, not a God of eternal recompense, not a God who showed us love in sending his Son to be a propitiation for our wretched sins, not a God whose will it was to crush the Suffering Servant in an exercise of divine justice and free grace.” Read More
Christian writers have woven stories of deep devotion and reverence to God through the ages. Writing oracles, odes, and inscribing scriptural exhortations is woven into the fabric of Christian history. We have all heard of how Martin Luther nailed his theological theses (declarations) to the castle door in Wittenberg, Germany. And John Bunyan later authored the Pilgrim’s Progress while John Foxe left us with Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. It’s interesting to see what legacy the half committed Seeker Sensitive writers of today want to leave for the next generation. This interesting excerpt was adapted from an article by Candace Malcolmson titled ‘Christian Romance Novels.’
Dear Sisters, Friends, Mothers and Daughters,
It is with an extreme sense of urgency that I write to you today to warn you most sincerely of one of Satan’s most subtle ploys to draw us away from Christ: His standard, His Salvation and His life. I wish to remind you that the “. . . the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made”(Gen 3:1) and that serpent, the Devil, has never changed; he is still subtle. Read More
By Todd Friel of Wretched Radio
The music weeps, the preacher pleads, “Give your heart to Jesus. You have a God shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it.” Dozens, hundreds or thousands of people who want to get their spiritual life on track make their way to the altar. They ask Jesus into their heart.
Cut to three months later. Nobody has seen our new convert in church. The follow up committee calls him and encourages him to attend a Bible study, but to no avail. We label him a backslider and get ready for the next outreach event.
Our beloved child lies in her snuggly warm bed and says, “Yes, Daddy. I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” You lead her in “the prayer” and hope that it sticks. You spend the next ten years questioning if she really, really meant it. Puberty hits and the answer reveals itself. She backslides. We spend the next ten years praying that she will come to her senses.
Telling someone to ask Jesus into their hearts has a very typical result, backsliding. The Bible says that a person who is soundly saved puts his hand to the plow Read More
Historic Christianity has with stood fallacies and aberrant teachings from the days of the Apostles and early church fathers to the modern day. What is refuted in one generation makes a subtle comeback in the next dressed in more alluring language with all garb and fanfare. Michael Horton tackles the theology of the early church fathers so well in his book Putting Amazing Back into Grace. I would gladly like to share an excerpt that I came across courtesy of T. Scott Morgan (Warranted Faith):
The ubiquity of Arminianism in the modern evangelical church can make it difficult for some to seriously consider the possibility of the truth of an alternate doctrinal system such as Calvinism. However, this over-sensitivity toward Arminian theology is not a result of a discovery of its own alleged truth. Rather, it demonstrates only how easily heresy can spread and gain legitimacy in a culture and church that is by and large theologically illiterate, apathetic, and ignorant of the historical Christian faith. Read More
This is an archive post from 2010. In the Evangelical spheres there are probably few people who have more sermon jams than Dr John Piper. He as an excellent communicator has had his sermons replayed, edited and reposted by many of the younger generation. Though commanding a lot of respect from his peers and younger generation, his latest self imposed sabbatical from work drew more raised eyebrows than raised elbows of approval. And what,
Deception has been one of the oldest games since Eve fell foul in the garden of Eden. The most immediate reaction is usually why didn’t God step in at that moment and in one blaze of purple and blue smoking lightning zap the fruit and serpent into an ashen crisp or vapour? Why didn’t God realize that the serpent would be slithering his way into the garden sooner or later?Then how about in the modern day church, why are there heretics with wacky theology thriving in pulpits and on Christian television? Why do they seem to have larger followings, draw higher ratings and yet they seem to be delving in utter rank deception? Where is God when another false teacher or prophet panders his way through the pockets of innocent people? Well, thanks for asking. I came a cross an excerpt from A.W Pink that may perchance shed some light on what scripture says: Read More
Over the last couple of months I realised that while I was reading my new study bible the kids were busy tucking into endless Tom and Jerry cartoons. The more I delved into the word of God the more I wanted to lovingly involve every body. Yes, even the 3 year old. So I started searching for good theologically sound family resources. I have come across very good and interesting resources for Christian families to explore the word of God together. Some study resources involve personal scripture reading like the Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System and on the other hand there is the Heidelberg Catechism for Families and also The Shorter Catechism for Young Children.
Some people say that at times the closer you walk with God the more the rebellion that may develop in your children (to God and his commands). But Read More
This is a rare interview of David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (20 December 1899 – 1 March 1981) was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher and medical doctor who was influential in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century.
For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London. Read More
There are several people who have impacted my life in different ways. God has brought me to listen to very insightful teachings that have shaped me and are continually reforming my personal life in ways I probably cannot illustrate. One or two years ago I was searching for tracts online and I landed on a sermon that has always been an inspiration to me. Hell’s Best Secret by Ray Comfort is akin to Keith Green’s classic song Alseep in the Light-once you listen to them they continue to replay in your mind. They are evangelistic anthems so to speak. If you have ever listened to this sermon, you will agree with me it should be broadcast loud and clear, down every byway and highway, every church yard and barn yard needs to resound with this message. Maybe I should get him a Segway for open airpreaching…or well maybe standing on a good old salt box will just do all the same 😉 [The Transcript: Hell’s Best Kept Secret] Read More
"Alexamenos worships his god"-Alexamenos Graffito
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
Myths, legends, and fictional stories have depicted feral children reared by wild animals such as wolves and bears. In Edgar Rice Burroughs’ (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) best known literary fictional creation, Tarzan, a British Lord and Lady with their infant son are tragically marooned on the West coast of Africa. The ship they are travelling on is burnt by mutineers and they end up landing near uncharted rainforests. The story goes that the parents die and Tarzan, the little toddler survives. He survives but is brought up as a feral child learning to eat and live with the apes that adopt him. But There’s More
Looking back through the recent past, Christianity has gone through roller coasters. The reformation brought us out of the darkness of Roman Catholicism and it’s infamous departure from Scripture. The term Reformation is a historical term that goes back almost four centuries. It refers to a period when the church underwent a “reformation” as men of God attempted to return Christianity to the authority of Scripture. The desire of the Reformation was not to change God’s word but rather to bring the church back to the early Christian church. Led by men like Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin, John Knox and the others. The Reformation churches split off from the errors of the medieval Roman church and began what we know today as Protestantism. The Protestant churches were born out of the Reformation. Read More
“I Finally Got Sent A Hillsong Video That Proves They Preach The Gospel . . . NOT!!” says Cameron Buettel a blogger who set up an interesting challenge. This is the what he found…
To his credit Troy did take up my challenge that no one else has responded to. He went looking for a solid example of someone from Hillsong church preaching the Gospel. I had burdened Troy with the responsibility of substantiating his claim that:
I can assure you that I’ve been to Hillsong quite a few times and have heard the gospel accurately preached. Yes, including the mention of sin and the cross. But There’s More
Blogging is fun. Blogging can also be a special way of chronicling the wonders of God’s providence in our lives. But what if after learning koine Greek, after acquiring the latest Bible Works software for exegesis and coolest 3-D blogging sensation we reach a place where we no longer devote the ink well of our hearts to graceful pursuit of God?
But we are Christian bloggers you say. Just a moment. In Exodus 3 Moses’ immediate reaction to the burning bush was to say, ” I will go over and see this strange sight,” and then to approach it. God immediately opposed his resolution: “Do not come any nearer. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (Exod. 3:5). We should learn from the divine announcement, as Donald Macleod writes, that: Read More
Knowing so well what most of these theatrics usually involve I have written about this before.
Excerpt from a message by Kevin Turner. You will realise he seems to center around a pertinent question that many are asking themselves these days – about the dismal state of things in evangelicalism today:
While the church is growing at a record rate in Africa and Asia, churches are stagnating in the United States.
“Revival is not when the top blows off but rather when the bottom falls out.” Those words were spoken to me several years ago when I asked the late Leonard Ravenhill to define revival. According to him, most religious activity in the United States does not resemble true revival. We know only a cheap imitation. We schedule popular speakers and the best musicians and set aside a week for special meetings. We call that revival. Our meetings are set up by organizers, not agonizers. We have reduced a move of God to a method. Yet the Bible says God is looking for a man.
John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian Church, prayed continually, “God, give me Scotland or I die!” He said this while he was chained deep inside the hull of a French ship off the coast of his country. He prayed desperately for seven years that God would send revival to his beloved Scotland. God works only within those who are desperate. Ravenhill also used to say, in reference to revival, that we would either “end up with prison camps or with Pentecost in the prison camps.” The apostle Paul either had riots or revival, and at times both. Yet the American gospel does not seem to produce either. Read More
The Bible says that only a fool says in his heart “there is no God”. Recently a belligerent and arrogant comedian boasted before the world spewing forth the self defeatist words, “Thank God for making me an atheist”. Well it just seems some people do know God exists but just do not want to acknowledge it. Is it because they will then have a moral obligation to him? For what can be known about God (His intelligent design through creation and His providence) is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Yet although they know God, they do not honor him as God or give thanks to him. But they choose to become futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts are darkened.
True. Claiming to be wise, they become fools. Nothing so sums up this predicament that this quote:
How to trap an atheist: Serve him a fine meal, then ask him if he believes there is a cook. ~Dennis Helton Read More
Is it true that the green shoots of recovery are sprouting and there is a gradually surging under current of hunger for Scripturally sound preaching with relentless intensity, indepth theological conviction and astute hermeneutic discipline? A couple of years ago Christianity Today noted that there was a growing resurgence towards Reformed Theology. Reformed theology or Calvinism stresses that the initiative, sovereignty, and power of God is the only sure hope for the sinfulness, fickleness, and moral weakness of human beings—and the glory of God is the ultimate theme of preaching and focus of worship. But how proportional has this interest panned out among different ethnic communities? This in its self is just a glancing over view of the paradigm shift in the Black communities. Read More
The grace of Christ, without which no body can be saved, is not bestowed on account of any virtues, but is given gratuitously, which is why it is called ‘grace’. The Reformation witnessed the ultimate triumph of Augustine’s doctrine of grace over the legacy of the Pelagian view of man. Luther and Calvin quoted Augustine. If we take Augustine at his word, his ability to write the Confessions (the name of an autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books) depends entirely upon the discovery of himself in conversion. From the vantage of eleven years, the 44 year-old Bishop remembers clearly what transpired in his soul that resolved his wanderings and his intellectual discovery in an experience of conversion that informs all of his work for the church. Understanding conversion is central to any understanding of Augustine. Read More
I have always wanted to go through the Heidelberg Catechism from beginning to end. We once started as a family and it was great learning the precepts of Christian faith. So, here I am once again reminding myself from the first principles. To begin with what is a catechism? It is in short a summary or exposition of doctrine. Heidelberg catechism was composed in Heidelberg at the request of Elector Frederick III, who ruled the Palatinate, an influential German province, from 1559 to 1576. The Catechism is an introduction to the Christian worldview and the basic teachings of the Bible; it is divided into fifty-two sections, called “Lord’s Days,” which were designed to be taught on each of the 52 Sundays of the year. Elders and deacons were required to subscribe and adhere to it, and ministers were required to preach on a section of the Catechism each Sunday so as to increase the often poor theological knowledge of the church members. This catechism or exposition of doctrine follows the outline of the book of Romans and thus clearly explains the gospel by hitting on the main points of man’s sin, Christ’s redemption and man’s gratitude. Read more of this post
For over 15 years I grew up a Pentecostal/Charismatic. I have featured these video because of the depth of history they cover. They are not featured in jest or to taunt. But if it provokes some body to read their Bible and search deeper in the Scriptures then it will have atleast served a purpose worthy of the calling that this blog was designed to achieve. To the glory of God.
Excerpted from anarticle by Colin Maxwell
An attempt to clear up some of the misunderstandings about Calvinism. This is not meant to be a detailed doctrinal defense of Calvinism’s Doctrines Of Grace.
1) Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism are poles apart. The terms are not to be used synonymously. A Hyper-Calvinist is not just a zealous Calvinist. We both consider each other to be “mongrel” Calvinists. No man will actually call himself a Hyper-Calvinist.
2) Yes Calvinists are split into several factions. But then so are many such doctrinal schools e.g. Dispensationalism, Church Government, Worship – do we sing only the Psalms or use hymns? Which hymns? Do we use music? Which music? Which set of texts do we base our Bible translation on? Is it the Textus Receptus that is important or the (KJV) AV? or both? etc.
3) The term free will needs to be defined to avoid confusion. Calvinists will either affirm it or deny it, depending on what they think you mean. This sometimes leads to charges of contradictions. Consult the standard Calvinist Confessions e.g. the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 9 for a defining of terms. But There’s More
God has recently given us the opportunity to discuss some theological issues with other Christians who believe differently than we do on a number of points, most notably the doctrines of grace. [This post was adapted from Monergism] In such a circumstance, given the overwhelming supply of scriptural evidence that comes to bear on the topic, it seemed to me that the best approach would be a simple categorized scripture list: the fact that the entire paper would be scriptures, with the exception of a few brief explanatory notes, would underscore the truth that this is God’s own word and teaching; and the fact that it would be categorized would facilitate the ready comparison of scripture with scripture so as to lead one to a full-orbed understanding of the biblical teaching. Although I found a few good scripture lists of that nature available online, none of them was laid out in quite the progression that I was looking for, and so I developed my own. I’m posting it here with just the scripture references. Below, for your convenience I have provided a condensed version and a full version of the study. The study is also available in print from Monergism Books. Read More
I remember when I wrestled with the Spirit of God. I (yes teeny weenie me) in one corner and the Omnipotent, Transcendent and Almighty in the other. But who has never fought against God after hearing the gospel? Or was it a bout with myself -my old man so to speak? The gospel seems to go against the very grain of our humanity. It asserts that man is broken and helpless. It asserts that we are dead in sin and cannot of our selves change that nature. To underscore this very important fact God gave us the Ten Commandments as a moral code. Try as you may to obey one commandment and you break all. Break one and you find you easily break the rest. The easiest thing is to harden your heart and resist any demands of the Law. Read More
It seems I am always the last one to hear of trends in Evangelicalism. Just when I was thinking the new year is going to be tranquil and serene. Then prime time news spits out the most repulsive of headlines. It beggars belief that men who should be exegeting the word of God and teaching with zeal and fervour seem to be bent on spitting in the face of morality and bending every norm so as to improve the ratings of a television network (or is it spreading their ministry). Speaking of which, it seems Ted Haggard is making loads of friends and promising to please network affiliates who have never hesitated to sign up a wily ‘hireling shepherd’ willing to make fun twiddling his rod and staff for pagans to laugh at. Read More
This page has been created for that bruised and battered soul who needs to listen to a quick short encouraging evangelical sermon jam during a 5 minute lunch break. Read More
This is a fascinating take on the state of affairs in the church today as chronicled by CRAIGE LEWIS of EX Ministries.
Finding a worldliness free church these days can be disheartening. There are so many crooks and devils pastoring churches these days, it can be a chore finding a service that will meet your needs rather than tickle your fancy. The bible tells us that the Devil can transform himself into an angel of light and his ministers into ministers of unrighteousness. Why in the world would a person desire to be in a church that is full of unrighteousness and carnality? Why not just club, party, and hang out in the world where that stuff belongs? I don’t understand why people even involve the church of God in their wickedness. What is the point? If you are in sin, then why practice sin and claim him?
But we see the church morally declining because of the leaders that are put up by carnal people. It’s not just the Pastors fault, but it’s the people that heap upon themselves these teachers, desiring to live worldly and carnal while claiming the God of our salvation. Let’s explore the 10 signs of a carnal church so that those of you that are really searching for a worship house will not have to sit through multiple takes of foolishness to make a decision. You do not want to expose your family to the umbrella of foolishness that many of these churches are operating under. So, here are the 10 signs of a carnal church: Read More
Mark Cahill
Mark Cahill recently went nuclear. Leaving behind him a mushroom cloud of raised eyebrows and a hushed silence. His article decrying The Doctrines of Grace titled Calvinism and the Bible has been a cause of concern in many evangelical circles. Colin Maxwell graciously put together this wholesome rebuttal as a gentle answer.
1) Where he is obviously ignorant about what Calvinism teaches e.g. he seems to be unaware that Calvinism believes that man has a will that chooses and is responsible for its actions.
2) Where he attributes things to Calvinism which it does not hold. e.g. that the call to repent in Matthew 4:17 is addressed only to the elect.
3) In his salvic application of his disagreements – if Calvinism is Galatians 1 ground (as he claims at the end of his article) then he has just damned in hell many of the greatest Christians who ever lived, including many of the translators of the KJV, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards etc., As I point out, if he is wrong (the “if” of argument, not of doubt) then he damns more people than Calvinism was ever supposed to do. (Although Calvinism only damns those who will not believe and no one else.) There’s More
Do you remember that sermon by Phil Johnson? I still hear it in my sleep.
In my judgment, the typical evangelical church of this generation has become weak and womanly. Churchgoers demand that preachers be soft and dainty—especially when they are dealing with hard-edged truths. If you don’t sufficiently tone down every severe text or hard-to-receive doctrine in the Bible, the tone police will write you up for an infraction before you can get from the pulpit to the front door. All the rough edges of every truth must be carefully sanded smooth and painted in pastel tones. We’ve traded up to cushy seats instead of hard-bench pews and we expect our preachers to fashion their message accordingly. None of this sinners-in-the-hands-of-an-angry-God stuff.
Instead, today’s evangelicals favor feminine themes: Let’s talk about our emotional hurts, our personal relationships, our felt, needs. We’re hurting. The church has begun to look weak, effeminate, frightened, sissified—like a society of fops and milksops instead of soldiers. But There’s More
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is the subject of a legend concerning the departure or death of a great many children from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Germany, in the Middle Ages. A narrative in the 16th Century said, the Piper dressed in pied or multicoloured clothing and had been hired by the town to lure the rats away with music from his magic pipe.
WHY BOTHER PRAYING? A very good question seeing that many people erroneously would like to give a paper thin excuse that God has already set in place what He would like to happen and it is useless to pray or vote in times of elections.
Why bother to pray? God knows what we have need of before we ask (Matthew 6:8) He declares in the most definite of language, And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)
Do we quit praying? Do you cancel the prayer meeting in our church? Do we refuse to go through all that getting alone privately into the closet and struggling against the flesh and the devil and all the distractions, when God knows everything and has already ordained the outcome? Do we ignore the prayer cards of missionaries with their well ordered and specified little lists of prayer requests? Do we throw away your books like EM Bounds on “Power through Prayer” and have no regard for the great prayer warriors whose praise in the churches? No we don’t. Read More
This is a Q&A session with John Piper recorded in Angola Prison in Angola, Louisiana November 2009. This prison is the largest maximum-security prison in America. It is one of the most famous prisons in the whole world. It has only murderers, rapists, armed robbers and habitual felons. The average sentence is 88 years, with 3,200 people in one place serving life sentences. Ninety percent of the inmates will die here. See how many questions you can answer. Read More
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There was once at time when the deepest urge of a Christian was to be like Christ. To imitate Christ. The coolest thing about Christianity was Christ and for you to know him you must have first stumbled past a bloodied cross. Gone are the days when it was preached that for our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him Jews and Gentiles might become the righteousness of God. Read More
If you didn’t read how livid The Dallas Voice was, this is an excerpt:
Voddie Baucham is a preacher at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas. On Saturday, he addressed the opening session of the 2011 National Religious Broadcasters, an annual gathering of Christian broadcasters that’s taking place in Nashville. According to The Christian Post, Baucham urged them “to not buy into the ‘gay is the new black’ propaganda, but instead to remain committed to defending biblical marriage on the airwaves.” Baucham lamented that some broadcasters have become reluctant to bash gays on the air:
“The reason is the homosexuals have effectively co-opted blackness…to where now, we actually believe gay is the new black and we actually believe homosexual marriage is a civil rights issue,” he explained. “I’m insulted that people equate not just a sinful behavior but a behavior that’s a special category of sin called abomination with the level of melanin in my skin,” he said. ~Dallas Voice
Voddie it seems never minces his words. Read More
You might be a Charismaniac if…
Many people celerbrate Yom Kippur but what does it really mean? What is this ‘Day of Atonement’ stuff? Well thanks for asking. Todd Bolen takes you in a nine minute session. How did the Messiah fulfill the role of God’s sacrificial lamb atoning for the sins of the world? Hold onto your seats:
The Sacrificial Lamb
No one sets out to become an apostate – it’s never the result of one abrupt, drastic turn away from the Lord. Instead, apostasy is most often the product of a pattern of sinful compromises that harden and gradually steer a professing believer away from the truth. There’s More
The early years of my Christian walk were blighted by several unanswered questions and countless doctrinal errors. After coming a cross the Doctrines of Grace I was encouraged to know that my salvation had nothing to do with me. God alone chose to save me not because I was good enough. Not because I was more deserving than the next person. God was gracious to me and brought me to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Watch this clip and leave a comment:
In the heat of the battle the dirty sweat drenched and blood furrowed brow of the commander perks up as he peers at his scanty remnant. He has seen his men put up a fierce resistance. The devastating onslaught has been from all fronts. Menacingly sustained at times. The reserves are running low. The platoon is now surrounded. There is no time to reminisce or sleep. Fatigue and final consumption never felt so close. His muddied badge barely sticks to his bosom while a few pips are clearly missing from his right shoulder. Despite the haggard silhouette there is no mistaking the undiminished authority he still wields. It will be at least a day or two until the 1st Calvary Division would arrive in the eastern skies –if only they would hold on for that long. However if all failed-the platoon had gone through this worst case scenario over and over; the last resort would be to die fighting than be taken in. Read More
The Zodiac killer was a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s. His identity still remains unknown to this day. The eccentric personality coined his name in a series of taunting letters he sent to the press. His letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers), three of which have yet to be solved. Through a series of cryptic letters he sent to the press and others, he disclosed the insanity which motivated the killings, offered clues to future murder plots and adopted the name Zodiac.
The Zodiac is known to have taken responsibility for murdering as many as 37 people, but police investigators confirmed that seven people were attacked by the Zodiac of which five died. Ironically he included information in his cryptograms and letters which proved he was present during the murders and a message that his identity was hidden inside the ciphers.
The expression “total depravity” describes the condition of man as he is now in sin, as a result of the “fall” in Adam. It does not mean that every man is as evil as he possibly could be. It does not mean that man like the Zodiac is incapable of things considered good and noble from a human viewpoint. No! Basically it means that sin has affected every aspect of a man’s being. Read More
Pastor Chuck Smith, founder of Calvary Chapel, shocked listeners on his “Pastor’s Perspective” call-in radio program when he encouraged a tearful mother to abort her conjoined twins. “Nicki from Riverside” was the distraught caller who is said to be pregnant with conjoined twins -babies sharing a body but have two heads and that she was being pressured by her doctors to abort them due to their assessment that the babies would likely not survive the pregnancy or live beyond a day if carried to term. At no time did Nicki indicate how far advanced her pregnancy was or that her life was in danger from the pregnancy.
Tammy Ruiz a Christian perinatal bereavement and perinatal hospice nurse offers a gentle but sound professional advice to this conundrum.
I am a nurse with a specialty in Perinatal Bereavement and Perinatal Hospice; I care for women experiencing pregnancy loss, infant death, and pregnancies where the baby’s life is expected to be brief. To me, there were gaps in this discussion and I would like to fill-in a few of them. Read More
Article From Searching Together Magazine, Spring 1996
Many today are enamored with a phenomenon called “slain in the spirit,” which is sweeping through many denominations. What does the phrase “slain in the spirit” mean? Do we find evidence of such activity in the Scriptures? Do historical and modern “slain in the spirit” services produce manifestations that could be considered occultic in origin? Who is the power behind “slain in the spirit” activity? Do we have a responsibility to ascertain whether such activity is godly or ungodly?
I John 4:1 provides this command: “Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Most Christians are aware that cults or New Age sects are backed by false prophets and evil spirits. However, too many Christians are unwilling to honestly assess the spirit behind their own assembly or favorite televangelist.
Australian author, Nader Mikhaiel, in his book entitled, Toronto Blessing: “Slaying in the Spirit, the Telling Wonder,” starts his evaluation by asking, “What would your response be to the account of the following New York missionary?”
During the 1800’s, cripples, paralytics and the blind were healed “as in the days of old, by laying on of hands in the name of Jesus,” under a New York missionaries ministry. Healing recipients, praising God, rushed to gather ill friends and neighbors who were also healed. Seeing the miracles, converts clamored to receive baptism and join the church…of a Mormon missionary. Read More
St Augustiine of Hippo said:
“No one knows what he himself is made of, except his own spirit within him, yet there is still some part of him which remains hidden even from his own spirit; but you, Lord, know everything about a human being because you have made him…Let me, then, confess what I know about myself, and confess too what I do not know, because what I know of myself I know only because you shed light on me, and what I do not know I shall remain ignorant about until my darkness becomes like bright noon before your face.” ~St. Augustine of Hippo 354-430 AD Comments
Open Theism, also called openness and the open view, is a theological position dealing with human free will and its relationship to God and the nature of the future. It is the teaching that God has granted to humanity free will and that in order for the free will to be truly free, the future free will choices of individuals cannot be known ahead of time by God. They hold that if God knows what we are going to choose, then how can we be truly free when it is time to make those choices –since a counter choice cannot then be made by us, because it is already “known” what we are going to do.1 In other words, we would not actually be able to make a contrary choice to what God “knows” we will choose thus implying that we would not then be free.
In Open Theism, the future is either knowable or not knowable. For the open theists who hold that the future is knowable by God, they maintain that God voluntarily limits His knowledge of free will choices so that they can remain truly free. Read More
First, it is important to understand that…
… not all Arabs are Muslims, and not all Muslims are Arabs. While a majority of Arabs are Muslims, there are many non-Muslim Arabs. Further, there are significantly more non-Arab Muslims in areas such as Indonesia and Malaysia than there are Arab Muslims. Second, it is important to remember that not all Arabs hate Jews, not all Muslims hate Jews, and not all Jews hate Arabs and Muslims. We must be careful to avoid stereotyping people. However, generally speaking, Arabs and Muslims have a dislike of and distrust for Jews, and vice-versa.
If there is an explicit biblical explanation for this animosity, it goes all the way back to Abraham. The Jews are descendants of Abraham’s son Isaac. The Arabs are descendants of Abraham’s son Ishmael. With Ishmael being the son of a slave woman (Genesis 16:1-16) and Isaac being the promised son who would inherit the blessings of Abraham (Genesis 21:1-3), obviously there would be some animosity between the two sons. As a result of Ishmael’s mocking Isaac (Genesis 21:9), Sarah talked Abraham into sending Hagar and Ishmael away (Genesis 21:11-21). Likely, this caused even more contempt in Ishmael’s heart towards Isaac. An angel prophesied to Hagar that Ishmael would “live in hostility toward all his brothers” (Genesis 16:11-12).
The religion of Islam, to which a majority of Arabs are adherents, has made this hostility more profound. The Qur’an contains somewhat contradictory instructions for Muslims regarding Jews. At one point it instructs Muslims to Read More
I was rudely awoken this morning by my wife. It being Thanksgiving in America this week I thought we mere mortals in the rest of the world would at least get a wink of sleep and tranquillity as America feasted on stuffed turkey. Not so. Well, my beautiful wife showed me this headline article that suggests that apparently over one million husbands and wives in England should now head once again up or rather down the aisle to repeat their marriage vows. Yeah, exciting stuff. But why? Was God asleep when they were married and joined in Holy matrimony before Him? No, apparently Church of England vicars have not been choosing their words right for the last thirty years: Read More
Lone street preacher beckons to super bowl crowd to listen to the gospel
What controversies have been engendered by this subject in the past! But what truth of Holy Scripture is there which has not been made the occasion of theological and ecclesiastical battles? The deity of Christ, His virgin birth, His atoning death, His second advent; the believer’s justification, sanctification, security; the church, its organization, officers, discipline; baptism, the Lord’s supper, and a score of other precious truths might be mentioned. Yet, the controversies which have been waged over them did not close the mouths of God’s faithful servants; why, then, should we avoid the vexed question of God’s Foreknowledge, because, forsooth, there are some who will charge us with fomenting strife? Let others contend if they will, our duty is to bear witness according to the light vouchsafed us. Read More
“Jesus said, ‘Preach the gospel to every creature.’ But men are getting tired of the divine plan; they are going to be saved by a priest, going to be saved by the music, going to be saved by theatricals, and nobody knows what! Well, they may try these things as long as ever they like; but nothing can ever come of the whole thing but utter disappointment and confusion, God dishonoured, the gospel travestied, hypocrites manufactured by the thousands, and the church dragged down to the level of the world.” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit,” Volume 40, page 199, 1888) Read More
To many people, Kirk Thomas Cameron (born October 12, 1970) is the American actor best-known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains (1985–1992), as well as several other television and film appearances as a child actor. In the 1980s and 1990s, Cameron appeared in dozens of television shows and in the films Like Father Like Son and Listen to Me.Cameron is also an active Christian evangelist, currently partnering with Ray Comfort in the evangelical ministry The Way of the Master. This is his testimony. More
After skimming through the usual pleasantries of the latest Barna Group report, I was dragged back by the minor ink smudged anecdotes. The new study from Barna Group explored whether the so-called “New Calvinism” has, as yet, affected the allegiances of pastors and whether Reformed churches are growing. Well I do not usually go by surveys as they have more often than not been the trojan horse of pragmatism. Most survey driven churches end up being purpose driven so as to make the end supposedly justify the means.
The Barna survey among pastors noted that: Read More
[pullquote]The sermon here is about how sinners become saints.[/pullquote]Elder D. J. Ward, pastor of Lexington’s Main Street Baptist Church for 19 years, died of complications from lung cancer a couple of years ago. This amazing African-American was a powerful spokesman for the glorious God worshiped through the wall-to-wall window called Calvinism. Read More
On January 18, 2007, FUNAI reported that it had confirmed the presence of 67 uncontacted tribes in Brazil, up from 40 in 2005. With this reported increase, Brazil has surpassed the island of New Guinea as the region having the highest number of uncontacted tribes (however, numbers are not available for Papua New Guinea).
Recent focus shifted to a yet an undiscovered or un contacted tribe. A tribe of people living deep in Brazil’s rain forest, who had never made contact with the outside world, or vice versa. Political correctness favors the term “isolated” rather than “uncontacted”, as few peoples have remained supposedly un contacted by modern civilization. A number have chosen to make contact either exceedingly difficult or dangerous for those trying to reach them. Read More
Ever reached late for a fancy dress party and upon arrival in your frilly loin cloth and ‘Jonah’ T-shirt some one whispers to you, “Didn’t you get the last minute memo this morning that it would be a black tie and suit evening party?” That is when it really hits you square in the face. What was I even thinking to get into a loin cloth? I must be a naive goat. That is one of the first hiccup steps to maturity from juvenile delinquency. Read More
Once in a while something interesting comes up in the news. This week an ancient building was the focus of attention. Listen to this:
This is the church where religious leaders really are preaching from on high – perched 130ft on top of a pillar of rock.
The tiny church sits precariously on top of the jagged cliff that has been eroded by weather over almost 14 centuries. It is believed that Pagans built the temple in the bizarre location as the pillar was thought to symbolise their god of fertility. But experts believe the building near the Georgian city of Chiatura was constructed on the mountain between the sixth and eight centuries.
Konstantin Murtkhveladze, 25, braved the perilous ascent up the pillar through a rusty ladder to take these pictures.
‘The old ladder on the side of the pillar looks like it could snap at any time’, he told the Daily Mirror. Konstantin, from Tbilisi in Georgia, added: ‘But once you get up there it sends a chill down your spine. It feels like a very special place.
‘You can see the church poking above the landscape from far away as you approach. It’s an unbelievable sight.’
It is not known how the pagans who built the temple carried the materials up the steep pillar without large cranes that are used today. ~ Daily Mail
Well I was just thinking, once this lovely building has been restored we could ask Benny Hinn to come and do a ‘holy ghost revival service’ in it. Only of course no blowing on people or knocking people over and -by all means no getting drunk in the spirit stuff! Read More
New ideas are not usually bad. But in the wrong hands they can cause immense misery and defraud many innocent people. Just imagine a machine like in the wrong hands. Yes, thats my concern…
Ray Comfort, Living Waters
I was with our team at Huntington Beach last Saturday when I noticed some teenagers with signs that said, “FREE HUGS.” It turns out that they were a Christian group sharing “God’s love” with strangers, by giving them a hug. I asked the leader if the kids shared the gospel with the strangers they hugged. They didn’t. It was “relationship evangelism.” Yes, they were going to Hell if they died in their sins, but they didn’t want to be pushy. I encouraged him to have his team at least give out tracts to those they hugged, but he was in a hurry Read More
Some things are really hard to explain to new believers or let alone old believers and more so I can imagine if the good Lord sent Apostle Paul back to earth and he bumped into this poster on a church notice board. What would he make of it?
Would he think its an oxymoron? If a non believer walked into this poster I know what he would say. He would simply lament, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”
Oh I forgot it’s not a night club…its a light club. Whatever! Read More
[pullquote]There are some attributes of God that we as humans try to understand but our finite minds can only go so far.[/pullquote] Take for example the Trinity. How would you explain the concept of the Trinity? Or would you back down in any apologetic discussion for the sake of not rocking the boat and whimper off muttering under your breath, “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)”. I came across this excerpt from a book written by J.I Packer. Not only is this doctrine broken broken down into simple understandable language but Dr Packer also has a way of maintaining the interest of the reader and drawing you to an awesome realisation of the infinite beauty of God. Read More
Thrones of gods?
Since the fall of man from grace in the Garden of Eden, Adam’s descendants have battled thistles and thorns, sweated for bread and battled the aging process that constantly reminds them of their mortality.
This week began with a doctor’s letter for my wife to go for a medical check up. Something to do with the usual blood pressure check, urine analysis and blood tests. Then I came across this article that could answer all our problems at one seating. The i- toilet: But There’s More
Micah Horner has come up with 50 deal breakers when looking for a church. It is an interesting list and I must say a must read. Okay, are you seated? Here they are:
If the only time your pastor mentions Jesus is in the prayer, it’s time for a new church.
If your pastor preaches sermons consisting almost entirely of quaint illustrations, and funny stories about grandma’s and puppies, it’s time for a new church.
If your pastor uses the first 15-20 minutes of the service to tell corny, irreverent, borderline blasphemous jokes, talk about sports and poke fun at church members for being K-State fans, it’s time for a new church.
If your pastor doesn’t open his Bible during the sermon, it’s time for a new church.
If your pastor prepares a sermon by picking a topic he wants to preach on, and then finds 30 verse fragments taken out of context, in 15 different translations to keep the sermon “Biblical”, it’s time for a new church.
If your pastor uses ‘Nooma’ videos during any part of any sermon (unless to deconstruct it, explain its errors, and warn you about the heresy within) it’s time for a new church. Read More
Conrad Mbewe has been called the “Spurgeon of Africa.” Mbewe is the pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia. This clip is from his sermon on ‘Total Depravity (The doctrines of Grace).
Read More
One interesting writer I have come across, (of course I am always the last one to discover good writers) says:
“Men are not turning to Christ because they have no sense of sinning against the Lord. They are not convicted of sin because they don’t know what sin is. They have no concept of sin because the law of God is not being preached. You cannot improvise a hasty sop, ‘All men have sinned.’ You must dwell on the subject at length. Exposit the ten commandments until men are slain thereby [Romans 7:11]. When you see that men have been wounded by the law, then it is time to pour in the balm of Gospel oil. It is the sharp needle of the law that makes way for the scarlet thread of the Gospel.” ~Walter Chantry, Today’s Gospel Authentic or Synthetic Read More
I grew up a devout Arminian (Word of faith and Prosperity gospel Pentecostal Christian) believing that Salvation is accomplished through the combined efforts of God (who takes the initiative) and man (who must respond) – man’s response being the determining factor. God has provided salvation for everyone, but His provision becomes effective only for those who, of their own free will, “choose” to cooperate with Him and accept His offer of grace. At the crucial point, man’s will plays a decisive role; thus man, not God, determines who will be recipients of the gift of salvation. But later I realised scripture is more in tune with reformed theology or Calvinism that asserts that: Read More
Paul I know.Jesus I know. But who are you?
Not much, apparently.These guys and gals claim great anointing (which of course they never define in terms other than they’re more spiritual than you unwashed sheeple), and claim to be living in the power of God, and claim to pretty much be plugged right into the holy power source. Then it happens. Read More
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 