I’ve slowly read this section from Horatius Bonar’s The Everlasting Righteousness (pp. 33-36) several times. My heart sings each time I read it. I hope your heart breaks forth in praise for the Lamb.

We are never done with the cross nor ever shall be. Its wonders will be always new and always fraught with joy. “The Lamb as it had been slain” will be the theme of our praise above. Why should such a name be given to him in such a book as the Revelation, which in one sense carried us far past the cross, were it not that we shall always realize our connection with its one salvation; we shall always be looking to it even in the midst of the glory; and we shall always be learning from it some new lesson regarding the work of him “in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”? What will they who here speak of themselves as being so advanced as to be done with the cross say to being brought face to face with the slain Lamb, in the age of absolute perfection, the age of the heavenly glory?

You fool! Do you not know that the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ endures forever and that you shall eternally glory in it, if you are saved by it at all?

You fool! Will you not join in the song below, “To him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood”? Will you not join in the song above, “You were slain, and here redeemed us to God by your blood”? And do you not remember that it is “the Lamb as it had been slain” that “the seven spirits of God are sent forth into all the Earth”? (Rev. 5:6)

It is the Lamb who stands in the midst of the elders (Rev. 5:6) and before whom they fall down. “Worthy is the Lamb” is the theme of celestial song. It is the Lamb that opens the seals (6:1). It is before the Lamb that the great multitude stand clothed in white (7:9). It is the blood of the Lamb that washes the raiment white (7:14). It is by the blood of the Lamb that the victory is won (12:11). The book of life belongs to the Lamb slain (13:8). It was the Lamb that stood on the glorious Mount (14:1). It is the Lamb that the redeemed multitude are seen following (14:4), and that multitude is the first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb (14:4). It is the song of the Lamb that is sung in heaven (15:3). It is the Lamb that wars and overcomes (17:14). It is the marriage of the Lamb that is celebrated, and it is to the marriage supper of the Lamb that we are called (19:7, 9). The church is the Lamb’s wife (21:9). On the foundations of the heavenly city are written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (21:14). Of this city the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb (21:27, 22:1, 3) sum up this wondrous list of honours and dignities belonging to the Lord Jesus as the crucified Son of God.

Thus the glory of Heaven revolves around the cross, and every object on which the eye lights in the celestial city will remind us of the cross and carry us back to Golgotha. Never shall we get beyond it, or turn our backs on it, or cease to draw from it the divine virtue which it contains.

The tree–be it palm, cedar, or olive–can never be independent on its roots, however stately its growth and however plentiful its fruit. The building–be it palace or temple–can never be separated from its foundation, however spacious or ornate its structure may be. So, never shall the redeemed by independent of the cross or cease to draw from its fullness.

In what ways our looking to the cross hereafter will benefit us; what the shadow of that tree will do for us in the eternal kingdom, I know not, nor do I venture to say. But it would seem as if the cross and the glory were so inseparably bound together that there cannot be the enjoyment of the one without the remembrance of the other. The completeness of the sacrificial work on Calvary will be matter for eternal contemplation and rejoicing long after every sin has been, by its cleansing efficacy, washed out of our being forever.

Shall we ever exhaust the fullness of the cross? Is it a mere stepping-stone to something beyond itself? Shall we ever cease to glory in it (as the apostle gloried), not only because of past, but because of present and eternal blessing? The forgiveness of sin is one thing, but is that all? The crucifixion of the world is another, but is that all? Is the cross to be a relic, useless though venerable, like the serpent of brass laud up in the tabernacle to be destroyed perhaps at some future time and called Nehushtan? (2 Kings 18:4). Or is it not rather like the tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits and yields its fruit every month by the banks of the celestial river? Its influence here on Earth is transforming. But even after the transformation has been completed and the whole church perfected, shall there not be a rising higher and higher, a taking on of greater and yet greater comeliness, a passing from glory to glory–all in connection with the cross and through the never-ending vision of its wonders?

Of the new Jerusalem it is said, “The Lamb is the light [or lamp] thereof” (Rev. 21:23). The Lamb is only another name for Christ crucified. Thus it is the cross that is the lamp of the holy city; and with its light the gates of pearl, the jasper wall, the golden streets, the brilliant foundations, and the crystal river are all lighted up. The glow of the cross is everywhere, penetrating every part, reflected from every gem; and by its peculiar radiance transporting the dwellers of the city back to Golgotha as the fountainhead of all this splendor.

It is light from Calvary that fills the Heavens of heavens. Yet it is no dim religious light, for the glory of God is to lighten to it (Rev. 21:23). Its light is “like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal… and there is no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light” (Rev. 21:11; 22:5). Yes, we shall never be done with the cross and the blood; though, where all are clean and perfect in every sense, these will not be used for purging the conscience or justifying the ungodly.

It is the symbol both a a dying and of a risen Christ that we find in the Revelation. the “Lamb as it had been slain” indicates both. But the prominence is given to the former. It is the slain Lamb that has the power and authority to open the seals; implying that it was in his sin bearing or sacrificial character that he exercised his right, and that it was his finished work on which this right rested and by which it was acquired. It is as the Lamb that he is possessed with all wisdom and strength–”the seven horns and the seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Rev. 5:6); the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of omniscience and omnipotence.

The Lamb is one of his special and eternal titles; the name by which he is best known in Heaven. As such, we obey and honor and worship him; never being allowed to lose sight of the cross amid all the glories of the kingdom. As such we follow him, and shall follow him eternally. As it is written, “There are thy that follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (Rev. 14:4).

by Pastor Josh Moody

The first thing to remember is that depression can be used by God. God is not surprised by depression. No, depression is part of God’s sovereign plan. God has a design to use depression for His glory.

Take some biblical examples. The prophet Elijah was depressed – I think we can use that word – after his confrontation with the false prophets on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18-19, especially 19:4). He was down. He actually wanted to die. He felt like a failure (“I am no better than my ancestors”). And he was overcome with exhaustion. Or look at Job. Job did not speak evil of God, but he suffered greatly, and he came as close to inappropriately questioning God without doing so as mortal man has ever done. At one point, he wished that he had never been born (Job 3:3). One can sympathize with both Elijah and Job’s situations.

Could we say that Jesus was depressed? He is certainly described as a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). He “sighed deeply” at the grave of Lazarus; he wept over Jerusalem; on the cross, he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). Paul felt overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death (2 Corinthians 1:9) and even constructed out of his experience and the inspiration of God a specific theology of ministry where in our weakness God’s strength is all the more revealed (2 Corinthians 4, 12).

Or if you prefer examples of “great” Christian leaders from church history, think of the British preacher Charles Spurgeon. He knew dark days indeed. Or Martin Luther, of whom it is said that after a particularly bad bout of depression his wife needed to remove the door behind which he had locked himself and say to him “is God dead?!”

So, depression is not something that God can’t use! Now, let’s define, diagnose, and then look at some strategies to deal with depression. This is not a counselor’s handbook, nor a replacement for personal help, but some thoughts from one who, by God’s grace, is more than a little prone to melancholy himself, and who has thought long and hard about what God thinks about depression.

1. Defining “Depression”

This is notoriously difficult to do. We might distinguish between biological (neurobiological), circumstantial, and spiritual depression. But as soon as we begin to use these terms, we realize that they are more slippery than they seem. There is a sense in which all depression is biological. After all, all feelings are expressed somehow through neurobiological changes in our mind and body. We are psychosomatic (body-soul) units, and what I feel is certainly affected by what I ate last night. Nonetheless, these distinctions are still helpful, even if they are overlapping categories. The most dangerous form of depression, in my opinion, is at the epicenter of these sets: when depression has neurobiological, circumstantial, and spiritual elements. This is what I call “systemic” depression. It can be very tricky. Even when just two of those sets are involved – for example, someone with neurobiological tendencies towards depression experiences a severe bereavement – the consequential issues are profound. Clinical depression often frightens us most. But systemic depression may be the most dangerous form of depression.

2. Diagnosing Depression

Depression is sometimes related to mundane matters like eating, sleeping, exercising, and other basic bodily functions. When several of these normal bodily activities are negatively influenced, depression may become more serious. You are well advised to seek professional help if you are frequently finding it difficult to sleep (or sleeping too much), if you are eating too little (or too much), etc.

It is crucial to realize when something is getting beyond you — when you need help. It’s normal after a bereavement to experience loss for a substantial period of time, but approximately one year later you should begin to see some improvement. Obviously, some losses are never entirely healed this side of glory, but there is a sense of moving on which needs to come at some point.

People used to assume that the root of depression was suppressed anger – but that is not always the case. Nonetheless, many people feel that they have some not-dealt-with rage or bitterness, which has caused their depression.

3. Strategies for Dealing With Depression

1. You can be depressed and be a Christian. Just because you feel down doesn’t mean you’re not a Christian. You are saved by your faith in Christ, not by your feelings about yourself or your life.
2. You can be depressed and be godly. Not everyone who is depressed is “in sin”. The Bible does tell us to rejoice in every circumstance, but it does not tell us to rejoice because of every circumstance, and there are circumstances which require Christian empathy, commiseration, and compassion, and not simply flippant exuberance. “Mourn with those who mourn”; there is a time to feel sad, even though – objectively and truly – even then we have reason to have joy because of Christ and his eternal promise for us. In fact, God sometimes uses depression to give us new insight into something that otherwise we would not have perceived (many of the Psalms start “depressed” and end with a great declaration of God’s truth).
3. Sometimes the best thing to do is to ‘take the pills’! Obviously, any medication should be administered by an appropriately qualified professional, but Christians need not feel that spiritual maturity means learning to survive without taking the pills. Some of us are less grumpy when we don’t eat certain foods, and if taking the pills prevents me from sinning, or being a stumbling block to my brothers and sisters, or helps me be useful in the Lord’s service, then praise God for his provision of modern medicine. Unfortunately, not all medication works for all people in all situations but, again, a qualified professional can be helpful.
4. Martin Lloyd-Jones, a physician turned pastor, used to have a standard piece of advice for non-medical depression: “The trouble with many Christians is they listen too much to themselves when they should be talking to themselves.” In other words, talk back to the negative voices with the truth of God’s word about yourself, about the future, and about God. Don’t passively listen to your negative thoughts, but fight back with the sword of the Spirit. “What matters is not what I feel is true about myself at any moment, but what I KNOW is true about GOD at EVERY moment.” We need to focus on the objective (God and his promises) and apply that to the subjective (our personal experience). There is a negative spiral that can take place where one thought leads to another and we end up at the bottom again. We need to exercise discipline to turn our thoughts to a positive spiral towards God and his truth.
5. Those of us who do tend toward melancholy need to beware of selfishness. The pit can be a very selfish place to be. You think about how bad your life is, or that relationship that didn’t work, or that you didn’t get that job. But we are called to be centered on God and his way for our lives. Sometimes we simply need to repent of selfishness, and love God first and love our neighbor as ourselves.
6. It is important to maintain regular patterns of healthy practical life, however hard it may seem. The depressed person can begin not to eat so much, not to rest well, not to work, etc. Your body needs good rest, good food, and healthy activity to enable it to heal. Don’t skimp on sleep and food especially when you are feeling down. Don’t stop working, studying, or doing household chores.
7. Idols can be at the root of some spiritual depressions. People who are obsessed by their career, their children, or their looks, can become depressed when things don’t work out well. We need to have God as the only object of our worship, and if a ‘loss’ takes place of a relatively peripheral matter, we should take the opportunity to look forward to eternity with God. Jonathan Edwards wrote a very moving letter to one of his children urging her in her difficulty to realize that God was using this to teach her not to rely on this life for her happiness. Guard yourself against depression by not having idols, by investing your love and affections most of all in God and not in a passing shadow like fame, money, or a nice house.
8. The community and the church are important resources. Some depressed people are prone to being introverts anyway, so there is a tendency to withdraw. Fight that! You need to be around people who think differently, who are not depressed, who are focused on other matters other than what you are grieving over. Stay in community, use the brotherhood of the church as a resource for fellowship and support.
9. Ask for help. Don’t be shy to talk to an elder or one of the pastors about your situation and don’t be shocked if they refer you to a counselor or some other professional. There’s nothing immature about asking for help. It is the proud (=immature) person who does not ask for advice or help. The humble (= more likely to be on the road to maturity) person who asks godly people for help.
10. See the big picture. This life is short. Is it any coincidence that feelings of depression have become more prominent as the western world has become increasingly preoccupied with this world? Heaven on earth is a delusory hope. This life is disappointing. There are rays of light, but into every life a little rain must fall, and even the righteous may suffer. Focus on heaven, where there will be no more crying or tears, for the old order of things will have passed away.

And remember, winter in New Haven is enough to make anyone feel depressed! Spring is here!

Josh Moody is a friend of mine and an amazing Jonathan Edwards scholar. You’ll want to check out his book The God-Centered Life: Insights from Jonathan Edwards for Today, its one of the best books I read in 2007.

You may also want to check out this post I did on Josh back in February of 2008.

Josh Moody on the Intimate World of Jonathan Edwards

Proof Text:

Hbr 6:1-12; Jhn 5:24; Jhn 6:35-40; Jhn 6:44; Jhn 6:46-51; Jhn 6:53-58; Jhn 6:60-65; Jhn 10:27-30; Jhn 12:32; Tts 2:11; 1Jo 2:2; Jon 1:1-3; Jon 2:1-10

(HT: Dr. Walter Martin Commentaries)

1. THE saints are those whom God has accepted in Christ the Beloved, and effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit. To them He has given the precious faith that pertains to all His elect. The persons to whom such blessings have been imparted can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but they shall certainly persevere in grace to the end and be eternally saved, for God will never repent of having called them and made gifts to them. Consequently He continues to beget and to nourish in them faith, repentance,love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit that issue in immortality. Many storms and floods may arise and beat upon them, yet they can never be moved from the foundation and rock on which by faith they are firmly established. Even if unbelief and Satan’s temptations cause them for a time to lose the sight and comfort of the light and love of God, yet the unchanging God remains their God, and He will certainly keep and save them by His power until they come to the enjoyment of their purchased possession; for they are engraven on the palms of His hands, and their names have been written in the book of life from all eternity. Ps. 89:31,32; Mal. 3:6; John 10:28,29; 1 Cor. 11:32; Phil. 1:6; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 John 2:19.
2. It is on no free will of their own that the saints’ perseverance depends, but on the immutability of the decree of election, which in its turn depends upon the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, the efficacious merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and the saints’ union with Him, the oath of God, the abiding character of the Spirit’s indwelling of the saints, the divine nature of which they are partakers and, lastly, the terms of the covenant of grace. All these factors guarantee the certainty and infallibility of the saints’ perseverance. Jer. 32:40; John 14:19; Rom. 5:9,10; 8:30; 9:11,16; Heb. 6:17,18; 1 John 3:9.
3. In various ways-the temptations of Satan and of the world, the striving of indwelling sin to get the upper hand, the neglect of the means appointed for their preservation-saints may fall into fearful sins, and may even continue in them for a time. In this way they incur God’s displeasure, grieve His Holy Spirit, do injury to their graces, diminish their comforts, experience hardness of heart and accusations of conscience, hurt and scandalize others, and bring God’s chastisements on themselves. Yet being saints their repentance will be renewed, and through faith they will be preserved in Christ Jesus to the end. 2 Sam. 12:14; Ps. 32:3,4; 51:10,12; Isa. 64:5,9; Matt. 26:70,72,74; Luke 22:32,61,62; Eph. 4:30.

In any case, the real question is this, is Driscoll honoring God and operating in discernment in presenting this teaching in the manner he has?

This video is being used by Driscoll to introduce the Song of Solomon Bible Conference. When browsing the Song of Solomon Bible Conference site, you will find speakers like Tommy Nelson, Voddie Baucham, Andy McQuitty, Mark Driscoll and others.

Here are some quotes from men you will likely recognize about this conference.

Single or married, you will enjoy the warmth of this incredible text — which is both practical and relevant for our culture today — Jack Graham (Senior Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church)

…Attending this conference not only will eliminate much heartache and confusion, but also will enable singles and couples to develop a biblical marriage filled with love, tenderness and excitement — Zig Ziglar

Of the Song of Solomon Bible Conference it is said:

to be “…a candid, funny, and real look at the Real Truth about Love, Dating, Marriage and Sex. And, the best part about is that it is Straight out of the Bible.” Whether you are married, single, divorced or a college student, this message of truth and hope will impact this most relevant and often times most painful area of life.

Of special interest, given the background of these speakers, is Andy McQuitty (Senior Pastor, Irving Bible Church)

Here are a few excerpts from my post, The Death of Discernment In The Church, which highlights some of what McQuitty is about.

The pastor, Andy McQuitty, has publicly stated that both John Paul II and Mother Teresa are most assuredly in heaven. In the May issue of the church’s monthly magazine Chatter, he featured a 11 ” by 14″ picture of these two influential Catholics who deceived the world with another gospel. McQuitty called the differences between Catholics and Protestants “theological pettiness.” He said, “it is just plain silly to write each other off as far as true Christianity is concerned. We’ll have plenty of time in Heaven to figure out who was right about Purgatory and Mary.”

—-

Evidently Irving Bible Church (IBC) has a few discerning souls who prompted McQuitty to send out this public e-mail. “A few of you have raised concerns, most of which can be boiled down to this question: ‘Is IBC becoming Roman Catholic?’ To which the answer is, ‘No way, Jose.”‘ He wrote: “I understand where the question comes from, though. The introduction at IBC of certain elements such as candles and liturgies and communion wafers and the reference to communion as the “Eucharist”, combined with the recent death of Pope John Paul II and the attendant recognition that his life received here, has caused some (particularly those who were raised Catholic and had a less than happy experience) to bristle.”

Voices like Steve Camp, Ken Silva, and Ingrid Schlueter (Link 1, Link 2) have reported on the Driscoll video.

It is my hope and prayer that Driscoll will re-think his approach on this video and his ministry in general. I think a God honoring, brother loving, rebuke from leaders like John Piper, Tim Keller, Mark Dever, Voddie Baucham, Tommy Nelson, Wayne Grudem, J. I. Packer and others who have commended Driscoll, is in order.

See also: Mark Driscoll catching some heat over his Song of Solomon Video Clip (continued)

Note: Consider supporting this blog by going to Monergism Books or Westminster Bookstore when looking for great deals on Christian books. — Shane Trammel

Outrageous Mercy: Rediscover the Radical Nature of Christianity

The message of the cross matters to us for at least four reasons.

First, the cross is our message. It is the heart, soul, and center of Christian faith and practice. There is no good news apart from the cross. …. It is the manual to which all Christians should turn to fill their spiritual tank, resolve every ethical question, and amplify every doctrine.

For this reason, powerful preaching is usually  cross-centered. Not just evangelistic preaching, but teaching to provoke holiness, to strengthen family life, to motivate stewardship, and to advance every other subject of Christian interest. The cross is the socket into which the preacher plugs for power to illuminate these subjects.

When Christian culture, politics, church government, Calvinism, health and wealth, or the “baptism in the Holy Spirit” become our message, we suffer. I speak from experience. Many of these things have distracted me.

Of course, these doctrines have a place at the table. And they are helpful–if their place is secondary. But when they become central in our focus, they turn our thoughts to this world. By contrast, the cross turns our thoughts to heaven. These doctrines bend our minds to ourselves and our needs, but the cross rivets our gaze on God and his sufficiency. These doctrines puff up our contentiousness, but the cross breaks us, making us meek, gracious, and humble. These doctrines obscure the love of God, but the cross magnifies it in our experience. These doctrines distract us from personal holiness, but the cross motivates us to be holy as God is holy.

We would do well to reflect on these words from Pastor Farley and apply them to our preaching.

I know too many Pastors who focus on deliverance, signs and wonders, the presense of God, money, etc, and in so doing, neglect the centrality of the cross in preaching.

… is an ecumenical project, promoting a vital link of communication between the varied Christian traditions of today and their common ancient ancestors in the faith. On this shared ground, we listen as leading pastoral theologians of seven centuries gather around the text of Scripture and offer their best theological, spiritual and pastoral insights.

The admission that this is an ecumenical project should be cause for concern to any serious conservative protestant. News flash, the reformation is not over. This so called communication between varied Christian traditions really means the now apostate Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. In my estimation, much of the heresy of these two traditions where born out of the patristic period.

To be sure, critical doctrinal issues such as the divinity of Christ, the Trinity, and original sin, were defended during the patristic period. However, a renewed interest in this period will only fuel the already toxic ecumenical climate we live in. It is no surprise that ecumenist like J. I. Packer, Richard John Neuhaus (Roman Catholic), Eugene Peterson, and Avery Dulles, commend these volumes.

Unity between Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants is literally impossible given the divide on the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Justification is hardly the only line that divides but it is a critical one to be sure.

For those who trust in the biblical view of the doctrine of Scripture must consider Galatians 1:6-9.

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Based on this passage from Galatians, biblical Christians can not be united with those in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

E. Brooks Holifield in ‘Edwards as Theologian’ in The Cambridge Companion to Jonathan Edwards, 149.

You will want to bookmark this excellent resource and return often.

SGCB has a great deal on the COMPLETE 26 VOLUME SET OF JOHN MAC ARTHUR COMMENTARIES. The complete set is being sold at 50% off list with free shipping.

We have just received a copy of Our Sovereign God from SGCB and highly recommend this treasure of truth on God’s Sovereignty. Find more details below.

Our Sovereign God — Addresses from the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology 1974-1976

Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 179
Publisher: Solid Ground Christian Books
ISBN#: 9781599251349

Description: These addresses are taken from the messages delivered at the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology in 1974-1976, the first three years this conference was held. These were selected as the very best of the numerous addresses delivered those three years.

Part One: The Sovereign God: An Introduction

1. The Sovereignty of God the Son by John Stott
2. The “Five Points” and God’s Sovereignty by Roger Nicole
3. The Doctrines of Grace in Jesus’ Teaching by Roger Nicole
4. God’s Sovereignty and Old Testament Names of God by Stuart Sacks

Part Two — Knowing the Sovereign God

5. On Knowing God by James I. Packer
6. Why We Do Not Know God by R.C. Sproul
7. Why We Must Know God by R.C. Sproul
8. The Key to Knowing God by Ralph Keiper

Part Three — Serving the Sovereign God

9. Discerning the Will of God by R.C. Sproul
10. Disobedience and God’s Sovereignty by James M. Boice
11. Prayer and God’s Sovereignty by R.C. Sproul
12. Witnessing and God’s Sovereignty by Ralph Keiper
13. Optimism and God’s Sovereignty by Ralph Nicole

Part Four — The Sovereign God: A Conclusion

14. The Sovereign God and the Church by John Stott
15. Soli Deo Gloria by Roger Nicole

Last week we held our Reformation Society of Oregon meeting and Dr. Art Azurdia III gave two expositions/lectures on the subject monergistic regeneration. We have posted the MP3s for free download. IMHO, they are superb biblical exegesis and I highly recommend them for your personal edification.

Right-Click and save to your hard drive

Monergistic Regeneration – Part I by Dr. Art Azurdia III

Monergistic Regeneration – Part II by Dr. Art Azurdia III

It is no streach however to suggest that this doctrine, as a whole, has been forgotten by the church.

There is a glimmer of hope however that this neglected doctrine may return to the church. For his part, Dr. Arnold L. Frank, in his book The Fear of God: A Forgotten Doctrine, has set out to revitalize a doctrine that in times past — from the Biblical era to the founding of America — has empowered and emboldened Christians to lead lives that distinguished them among their peers as godly, meaningful and productive.

We received Dr. Frank’s book with much anticipation and it did not disappoint. This is a resource for church members and church leader alike.

Published by Nordskog Publishing, you can get Dr. Frank’s book here.

Related Resources

1. Radio Interview with Dr. Frank.
2. Jerry Bridges, Joy of Fearing God: The Fear of the Lord is a Life-Giving Fountain, Proverbs
3. John Bunyan, A Treatise On The Fear Of God
4. Bunyan Ministries
5. Works of John Bunyan (3 Vols) – Banner of Truth

The Shorter Catechism is, perhaps, not very easy to learn. And very certainly it will not teach itself. Its framers were less careful to make it easy than to make it good. As one of them, Lazarus Seaman, explained, they sought to set down in it not the knowledge the child has, but the knowledge the child ought to have. And they did not dream that anyone could expect it to teach itself. They committed it rather to faithful men who were zealous teachers of the truth, ‘to be,’ as the Scottish General Assembly puts it in the Act approving it, ‘a Directory for catechizing such as are of a weaker capacity,’ as they sent out the Larger Catechism ‘to be a Directory for catechizing such as have made some proficiency in the knowledge of the grounds of religion.’

No doubt it requires some effort whether to teach or to learn the Shorter Catechism. It requires some effort whether to teach or to learn the grounds of any department of knowledge. Our children — some of them at least — groan over even the primary arithmetic and find sentence-analysis a burden. Even the conquest of the art of reading has proved such a task that ‘reading without tears’ is deemed an achievement. We think, nevertheless, that the acquisition of arithmetic, grammar and reading is worth the pains it costs the teacher to teach, and the pain it costs the learner to learn them. Do we not think the acquisition of the grounds of religion worth some effort, and even, if need be, some tears?

For, the grounds of religion must be taught and learned as truly as the grounds of anything else. Let us make no mistake here. Religion does not come of itself: it is always a matter of instruction. The emotions of the heart, in which many seem to think religion too exclusively to consist, ever follow the movements of the thought. Passion for service cannot take the place of passion for truth, or safely outrun the acquisition of truth; for it is dreadfully possible to compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, to find we have made him only a ’son of hell.’ This is why God establishes and extends his Church by the ordinance of preaching; it is why we have Sunday schools and Bible classes. Nay, this is why God has grounded his Church in revelation. He does not content himself with sending his Spirit into the world to turn men to him. He sends his Word into the world as well. Because, it is from knowledge of the truth, and only from the knowledge of the truth, that under the quickening influence of the Spirit true religion can be born. Is it not worth the pains of the teacher to communicate, the pain of the scholar to acquire this knowledge of the truth? How unhappy the expedient to withhold the truth — that truth under the guidance of which the religious nature must function if it is to function aright — that we may save ourselves these pains, our pupils this pain!

An anecdote told of Dwight L. Moody will illustrate the value to the religious life of having been taught these forms of truth. He was staying with a Scottish friend in London, but suppose we let the narrator tell the story. ‘A young man had come to speak to Mr. Moody about religious things. He was in difficulty about a number of points, among the rest about prayer and natural laws. ‘What is prayer?,’ he said, ‘I can’t tell what you mean by it!’ They were in the hall of a large London house. Before Moody could answer, a child’s voice was heard singing on the stairs. It was that of a little girl of nine or ten, the daughter of their host. She came running down the stairs and paused as she saw strangers sitting in the hall. ‘Come here, Jenny,’ her father said, ‘and tell this gentleman ‘What is prayer.’ ‘ Jenny did not know what had been going on, but she quite understood that she was now called upon to say her Catechism. So she drew herself up, and folded her hands in front of her, like a good little girl who was going to ’say her questions,’ and she said in her clear childish voice: ‘Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.’ ‘Ah! That’s the Catechism!’ Moody said, ‘thank God for that Catechism.’ ‘

How many have had occasion to ‘thank God for that Catechism!’ Did anyone ever know a really devout man who regretted having been taught the Shorter Catechism — even with tears — in his youth? How its forms of sound words come reverberating back into the memory, in moments of trial and suffering, of doubt and temptation, giving direction to religious aspirations, firmness to hesitating thought, guidance to stumbling feet: and adding to our religious meditations an ever-increasing richness and depth. ‘The older I grow,’ said Thomas Carlyle in his old age, ‘and now I stand on the brink of eternity, the more comes back to me the first sentence in the Catechism, which I learned when a child, and the fuller and deeper its meaning becomes: ‘What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and to enjoy him forever.’ Robert Louis Stevenson, too, had learned this Catechism when a child; and though he wandered far from the faith in which it would guide his feet, he could never escape from its influence, and he never lost his admiration (may we not even say, his reverence) for it. Mrs. Sellars, a shrewd, if kindly, observer, tells us in her delightful ‘Recollections’ that Stevenson bore with him to his dying day what she calls ‘the indelible mark of the Shorter Catechism’; and he himself shows how he esteemed it when he set over against one another what he calls the ‘English’ and the ‘Scottish’ Catechisms — the former, as he says, beginning by ‘tritely inquiring ‘What is your name?,’ ‘ the latter by ’striking at the very roots of life with ‘What is the chief end of man?’ and answering nobly, if obscurely, ‘To glorify God and to enjoy him forever.’ ‘

What is ‘the indelible mark of the Shorter Catechism’? We have the following bit of personal experience from a general officer of the United States army. He was in a great western city at a time of intense excitement and violent rioting. The streets were over-run daily by a dangerous crowd. One day he observed approaching him a man of singularly combined calmness and firmness of mien, whose very demeanor inspired confidence. So impressed was he with his bearing amid the surrounding uproar that when he had passed he turned to look back at him, only to find that the stranger had done the same. On observing his turning the stranger at once came back to him, and touching his chest with his forefinger, demanded without preface: ‘What is the chief end of man?’ On receiving the countersign, ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever’ — ‘Ah!’ said he, ‘I knew you were a Shorter Catechism boy by your looks!’ ‘Why, that was just what I was thinking of you,’ was the rejoinder.

It is worth while to be a Shorter Catechism boy. They grow to be men. And better than that, they are exceedingly apt to grow to be men of God. So apt, that we cannot afford to have them miss the chance of it. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.’

… the telltale evidence (not the cause) of one’s election is holiness. Harold Ockenga, pastor of Park Street Church and founding president of Fuller Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Seminary, put it in no uncertain terms:

If God has elected us He has not elected us to remain sinners but to become holy. It is an anomaly or an error to speak of the elect living in sin. God never chose us to continue in sin. We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Therefore, the test of our election is the holiness of our lives. Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” We out not to delude ourselves into believing that we belong to the elect of God if we are not living holy lives before Him. . . . The proof of this is that we become holy, that we approximate the character of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus John was able to say, “Whosoever sinneth hath not see him, neither know him. . . . He that committeth sin is of the devil. . . . Wosoever is born of God doth not commit [practice] sin.”

If your life is characterized by a pattern of conscious sin, you very likely are not a Christian.

The following is an abstract of the article

Moving From Uncertainty Toward Assurance — How God Assures His Adopted Children

God not only rescues His people from their sins; He also grants them assurance of salvation. We see God at work assuring His adopted children that they are truly part of His family in three ways. The Father gives His children the promise of adoption in His Word, He sends the Spirit of His Son into our Hearts to assure us, and He changes our lives so that we bear an imperfect, but real, family resemblance to Him and His Son.

You will find the complete article here.

Also very helpful is the book Assurance of Our Salvation: Exploring the Depth of Jesus’ Prayer for His Own by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“What is sin? It is often described as ‘missing the mark’—that is, failure to live up to the rigorous standard of God’s holy law. But the Bible makes it clear that it is much more than that. In Leviticus 16:21, sin is described as transgression; literally, as rebellion against authority. In the prophet Nathan’s confrontation of David over his sins of adultery and murder, Nathan describes sin as a despising of both God’s Word and God himself (2 Sam. 12:9-10). And in Numbers 15:30-31, Moses characterizes sinners as acting ‘with a high hand,’ meaning defiantly. Therefore, we can conclude that sin is a rebellion against God’s sovereign authority, a despising of his Word and his person, and even a defiance of God himself. It is no wonder Paul wrote that because of our sin, we were by nature objects of God’s wrath (Eph. 2:3).” (The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness), p.20

Welcome to the expository preaching of Pastor Phillips. Here you will find Pastor Phillips’ sermons arranged by the books of the Bible in alphabetical order.Pastor Phillips’ sermons are available in MP3 and PDF format.

Note: To save the sermon to your computer, right-click the download link and select ’save link/target as.’

Title	Scripture	Date	Download
The Word	John 1:1-3	2007.07.08a	MP3
Christ, the Life	John 1:4-5	2007.07.15a	MP3
A Witness to the Light	John 1:6-9	2007.07.22a	MP3
The Unknown Christ	John 1:9-11	2007.07.29a	MP3
Children of God	John 1:12-13	2007.08.05a	MP3
The Word Became Flesh	John 1:14	2007.08.12a	MP3
The Unique Savior	John 1:15-18	2007.08.19a	MP3
The Word and the Voice	John 1:19-28	2007.08.26a	MP3
Behold, the Lamb of God	John 1:29-34	2007.09.02a	MP3
Two Baptisms	John 1:33	2007.09.09a	MP3
Rabbi!	John 1:35-42	2007.09.16a	MP3
Bringing Them to Jesus	John 1:35-42	2007.09.23a	MP3
Jacob’s Ladder	John 1:43-51	2007.09.30a	MP3
Water into Wine	John 2:1-12	2007.10.07a	MP3
Cleansing the Temple	John 2:13-22	2007.10.14a	MP3
Christ’s Knowledge of Man	John 2:23-25	2007.10.21a	MP3
Born Again	John 3:1-8	2007.11.04a	MP3
The Answer	John 3:9-27	2007.11.11a	MP3
The Greatest Verse in the Bible	John 3:16	2007.11.18a	MP3
To All Who Believe	John 3:16-18	2007.12.02a	MP3
The Case for Judgement	John 3:19-21	2007.12.09a	MP3
How to Be a Useful Christian	John 3:22-30	2007.12.16a	MP3
The Revealer from Heaven	John 3:31-36	2007.12.30a	MP3
Jesus the Evangelist	John 4:1-10	2008.01.06a	MP3

January: The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes (128 pp)
February: The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel (221 pp)
March: The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson (252 pp)
April: Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks (253 pp)
May: Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan (225 pp)
June: The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (130 pp)
July: A Lifting Up for the Downcast by William Bridge (287 pp)
August: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs (228 pp)
September: The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton (224 pp)
October: The Christian’s Great Interest by William Guthrie (207 pp)
November: The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter (256 pp)
December: A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine (148 pp)

Rev. Tim Keller sent Tim and Westminster Bookstore Blog Partner Justin Taylor this comment about these readings:

For what it’s worth, I read all but one of the books on this list during seminary and my early ministry, and they had an enormous, life-changing, ministry-shaping impact on me. A couple of them almost literally saved my life. I couldn’t recommend them more highly. I’d only add: a) Read Owen on Temptation as well as Mortification. It’s short and well worth the read. b) Consider adding Baxter’s Saints Everlasting Rest. Other than those, I’d agree that these are the best short, accessible Puritan works. A great list.

The complete challenge can be found here.

Over the course of the fundamentalist controversy Machen founded a new seminary (Westminster Theological Seminary in 1929) to protest theological changes within the administration of Princeton Seminary, the institution where he had taught New Testament since 1906 and established a reputation as one of the leading authorities in the United States in New Testament scholarship. In 1933 he accused the Presbyterian foreign missions establishment of harboring theological modernism, criticized the revered missionary statesman, Robert E. Speer, forced the novelist and missionary, Pearl Buck, to resign from the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, and established a rival and independent missions agency (The Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions).

In the end, Machen’s temerity forced the allegedly tolerant and mild-mannered Presbyterian leadership beyond the limits of Christian unity and good will. In 1935 the church tried and suspended him from the ministry for his renegade ways. Yet, despite the controversial conclusion to his rocky and distinguished career, Machen maintained his reputation as the most articulate, the most consistent, and probably the most ardent proponent of the Christian religion as defined by the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. . . .

The entirety of this essay by D. G. Hart is available here.

Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestant by Hart, D.G.

For those interested in reading a biblical defense of doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture I would like to point you to this most helpful resource from The Master’s Seminary Journal.

The article is simply titled THE PERSPICUITY OF SCRIPTURE.

Here is an abstract of the article:

The perspicuity or clarity of Scripture in its relation to alm ost all areas of systematic theology is affected by postmodern hermeneutics that fail to respect the authority of Scripture. The doctrine raises a number of questions difficult to answer in a brief span, but two very basic issues are the meaning of the doctrine of perspicuity and the long-range historical context in which the doctrine has arisen. The basic doctrine means that the Bible can be understood by people through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and that people need to search the Scripture and judge for themselves what it means. Scripture itself attests its own perspicuity, but not to the point that it cannot be misunderstood or is in every point equally simple and clear. The doctrine does not rule out the need for interpretation, explanation, and exposition of the Bible by qualified leaders. The doctrine does mean that Scripture is clear enough for the simplest person, deep enough for highly qualified readers, clear in its essential ma tters, obscure in som e places to people because of their sinfulness, understandable through ordinary means, understandable by an unsaved person on an external level, understandable in its significance by a saved person through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and available to every believer whose faith must rest on the Scriptures. Historically, debates about perspicuity have related to Marcion’s attack on the OT, the fathers’ denial of OT perspicuity, covenant theology’s subordination of the OT to the NT, and the medieval church’s attack on biblical perspicuity. The Reformers, the Protestant scholastics, and the German pietists supported the doctrine which is of primary importance for the practice of contemporary Christians.

You may find these links eqaully valuable as a source of study.

(2004) Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture

The Necessity of Scripture | The Sufficency of Scripture

The Rationality, Meaningfulness, and Precision of Scripture

The Perspicuity of Scripture | The Authority of Scripture

Perspicuity of Scripture: The Emergent Approach

Matthew Henry saw that Christians benefit from discipline, as well as from talking freely with God. There are examples of styles of prayer and Henry talks as well of the nature of our communion with God. Banner of Truth says “Ligon Duncan’s editorial work has given this valuable book a new lease of life”. Available here.

(HT: OldTruth.com)

Why be a Catholic?

If you want to invent your own religion, do not be a Catholic. If you want to teach the Church rather than let the Church teach you, there are plenty of other churches for you, churches that welcome theologies without miracles, moralities without absolutes, and liturgies without adoration. Please do not be a Catholic unless you believe the Church’s claim to speak in these area in the name of Jesus Christ.

There is no such thing as a “cafeteria Catholic“. Catholics do not pick and choose among the Church’s doctrines and laws; we receive them gratefully from God, we “eat all the food Mother puts on our plate”.

A “cafeteria Catholic” or a half Catholic or a 95 percent Catholic is a contradiction in terms. If the Catholic Church does not have the divine authority and infallibility she claims, then she is not half right or 95 percent right, but the most arrogant and blasphemous of all churches, a flase prophet claiming “thus says the Lord” for mere human opinions. It must be either/or, as with Christ himself: if Christ is not God, as he claims, then he is not 95 percent right or half right or merely on of may good human prophets or teachers, but the most arrogant and blasphemous false prophet who ever lived. Just as a mere man who claims to be God is not a fairly good man but a very bad man, a merely human church that claims divine authority and infallibility is not a fairly good church but a very bad church.

The only honest reason to be a Christian is because you believe Christ’s claim to be God incarnate. The only honest reason to be a Catholic is because you believe the Church’s claim to be the divinely authorized Body of this Christ.

So, I guess if you are Baptist or say Methodist you are a member of an invented rather than biblical church/religion.

Presumably, the Catholic Church has something to teach us non-Catholics. Maybe the unbiblical doctrines of purgatory, the immaculate conception, papal succession, or the need of baptism for salvation just to mention a few.

I, along with many, do not accept the claims of the Roman Catholic Church with regards to their “devine authority” or “infallibility”. I do not accept any such claim that the Roman Catholic Church is “the divinely authorized Body of this Christ”. All who trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord are members of Christ’s Church (the non-physical, universal church), not the Church of Rome.

I suppose, based on Dr. Kreeft’s own words, that the Catholic Church, because she does not possess the authority she claims, is a bad church, the most arrogant and blasphemous of all churches. This, Dr. Kreeft’s words, not mine.

Counted Righteous in Christ, by Pastor John Piper, is a most helpful book making a defense of the biblical doctrine of justification.

Are Christians merely forgiven, or do they possess the righteousness of Christ? Recently the time-honored understanding of the doctrine of justification has come under attack. Many question how—or if—we receive the full righteousness of Christ.

Martin Luther said that if we understand justification “we are in the clearest light; if we do not know it, we dwell in the densest darkness.” And now, in this new and important book, John Piper accepts Luther’s challenge. He points out that we need to see ourselves as having been recipients of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness and therefore enjoy full acceptance with God and the everlasting inheritance of life and joy.

Piper writes as both a pastor and a scholar. His pastor’s heart is shown in his zeal for the welfare of the church. His careful scholarship is evident in each explanation and undergirds each conclusion.

The glory of Christ is the most precious reality in the universe, and it is obscured when the doctrine of justification is lost or blurred for the people of God and the mission of the church. — John Piper

You may also want to consider Piper’s book titled The Future of Justification.

That being said, we continue to welcome your comments at this blog but we are asking you to forgo the humor and sarcasm when dealing with serious doctrinal issues.

Confronting Error … do it biblically, seriously, and leave the silly attempts of sarcasm behind

“What Is needed to-day is a Scriptural setting forth of the character of God-His absolute sovereignty, His ineffable holiness, His Inflexible justice, His unchanging veracity. What Is needed to-day Is a Scriptural setting forth of the condition of the natural man-his total depravity, his spiritual insensibility, his inveterate hostility to God, the fact that he is “condemned already” and that the wrath of a sin-hating God is even now abiding upon him. What is needed to-day is a Scriptural setting forth of the alarming danger in which sinners are-the Indescribably awful doom which awaits them, the fact that if they follow only a little further their present course they shall most certainly suffer the due reward of their iniquities. What is needed to-day is a Scriptural setting forth of the nature of that punishment which awaits the lost-the awfulness of it, the hopelessness of it, the unendurableness of it, the endlessness of it. It is because of these convictions that by pen as well as by voice we are seeking to raise the alarm.” -A.W. PINK

The Call
There is a double-edged sword in ministry: instructing in sound doctrine and refuting error that contradicts (Titus 1:9). It is serous work to handle God’s Word accurately. The Apostle Paul compares it to being a skilled workman: “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Rightly handling means to “cut it straight.” It is a seamstress term used to depict one who cuts the fabric accurately so that all the pieces used fit perfectly to make a beautiful garment to wear. In like manner, the true exegete and/or expositor of God’s Word cuts the fabric of Scripture so that the pieces fit perfectly together so that the truth of the Word can be clearly seen; beautifully adorned.

We are also under a biblical mandate as well to “contend for the once for all delivered to the saints faith” (Jude 3). We are to champion the truth of God’s Word as one who is in an arena battling for what is right and just according to the Scriptures to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Error concerning the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ should also be treated biblically with the utmost of doctrinal concern and theological sobriety. Consider again the words of the Apostle Paul when he says this of those who are defecting from Christ and His gospel:

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” -Galatians 1:6-9 (emphasis mine)

Notice that twice Paul pronounces a severe judgment on those who defect from Christ, distort the true gospel, and embrace a different one – let him be accursed; anathema; damned. This is powerful language and we will not water it down. Error of this sort should not be treated lightly or in a slovenly manner.

Notice also what is missing from Paul’s words above: biting humor; sarcasm; cutting jibs, and pompous puns. He treated the eternal state of those trying to pollute the gospel with the utmost dignity as possible; for their eternal soul was at stake. No wonder my friend John MacArthur has developed this saying for The Masters Seminary: “we train men as if lives depended on it.”

The Concern
I say the above to address a concern with you today.

There has been a trend lately within certain blogs of the Christian blogging community to treat doctrinal error with a kind of cavalier attitude manifesting itself in humor and sarcasm against the very ones who are promoting the error. This should not be happening beloved. This reveals a heart that is calloused against another and their eternal plight. I’m not talking about giving unvarnished candor; I am for that and try to present that on this blog. AND, I am not saying that we need to reduce this exchange to the level of “being-nice” to those who are the angels of light spreading false doctrine. On the contrary; speaking the truth in love demands strong, direct language in dealing with false teachers and their assertions.

But what we don’t need are Christians trying to make fun of; sport of; by humor that is designed to only degrade another person or just make fun of ones beliefs so that we can appear as being more righteous ourselves.

If any of us really believe that the doctrinal error of say a Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, or Doug Pagitt, for example, has eternal, damnable consequences, why would anyone want to just poke fun at them and their teachings? Why not confront their error with the gravity that it demands than just to play cute with it?

The Commentary and Combox
Here is to what I am referring: when you confront doctrinal error today don’t do it like this. Instead, operate according to God’s Word and confront the false teachings of others infiltrating evangelicalism like this; or like this. To refer to the Lord Jesus Christ (as was done in one of these videos) as “Bullwhip Guy” is very disrespectful to the Lord, not at all funny, and unprofitable for the kingdom. The one that this video is designed to mimic doesn’t need to be sarcastically poked at. What he (Rob Bell) or anyone else deceived by the doctrines of demons and disseminating dire doctrinal error really needs is to be challenged with the truth of the genuine gospel, confronted with the Word of God, and publicly called to repentance. Making fun of him by some cheap-shod-dish childish video parody that at face value is an embarrassment to biblical Christianity is not the way beloved and will not produce the corrective in doctrine we all are praying for…

The issue of the gospel is one of eternal life and death beloved; let’s treat it with the reverence and gravity that it deserves; and those who are in severe error about essential matters of the faith, let’s approach with boldness, with charity, and with truth compelling them to be reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ; warning them of the wrath to come; and that those who proclaim another gospel that what they face is nothing less than eternal damnation.

Now, let me ask you: does anyone reading this blog think this is still funny? Does anyone here think this plight is worthy of sarcasm? Does anyone one want to simply poke fun at those who do such things or believe such things as if their lost souls meant nothing?

How should a godly man or pastor respond to anyone blinded by this kind of doctrinal darkness?

“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” -2 Timothy 2:24-26

The Conclusion

“If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord’s will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel , insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.” -C.H. SPURGEON

“Grace is a provision for men who are so fallen that they cannot lift the ax of justice; so corrupt that they cannot change their own natures; so adverse to God that they cannot turn to Him; so blind that they cannot see Him; so deaf that they cannot hear Him; and so dead that He Himself must open their graves.” -G.S. BISHOP

I do not consider myself to be a Calvinist, but I do share Pastor Jeff Noblit’s passion for the inherency and sufficiency of scripture for all faith and practice. I share a high view of God and His sovereignty. I share a passion for the preaching of God’s word and a biblical presentation of the Gospel. I hold to the need of preaching law, judgment, hell, wrath, grace, heaven, sin, regenration, justification, etc. I share a passion to reach the world with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I mention Noblit because I have listened to his message, Calvinism: A Cause for Rejoicing, A Cause for Concern from this conference and it was an awesome message. It’s a message not only for the Southern Baptist, but for everyone in Christ’s Church.

Stetzer_Calvinism_and_SBC_Leadership_hi.mp3

Ascol_Working_together_hi.mp3

Akin_Working_together_hi.mp3

Finn_Theological_stereotypes_hi.mp3

Yarnell_Calvinism_a_cause_for_rejoicing_and_concern_hi.mp3

?If ever there should come a wretched day when all our pulpits shall be full of modern thought, and the old doctrine of substitutionary sacrifice shall be exploded, then will there remain no word of comfort for the guilty or hope for the despairing. Hushed will be forever those silver notes which now console the living, and cheer the dying; a dumb spirit will possess this dying world, and no voice of joy will break the blank silence of despair. The gospel speaks through the propitiation for sin, and if that be denied, it speaketh no more. Those who preach not the atonement exhibit a dumb and dummy gospel; a mouth it hath, but speaketh not?

?Would you have me silence the doctrine of the blood of sprinkling? Would anyone of you attempt so horrible a deed? Shall we be censured if we continually proclaim the heaven-sent message of the blood of Jesus? Shall we speak with bated breath because some affected person shudders at the sound of the word ?blood?? or some ?cultured? individual rebels at the old fashioned thought of sacrifice? Nay, verily, we will sooner have our tongue cut out that cease to speak of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.? ( Charles Spurgeon, as quoted in Pierced for Our Transgressions )

(HT: Irish Calvinist)

Check out the SLJ Institute for a great collection of (free) resources from the ministry Dr. S. Lewis Johnson. Johnson is considered by many to be one of the best expositors of the 20^th Century. His impact continues today in the preaching ministries of many, including John MacArthur and Steve Lawson (just to name a couple). The depth of Johnson’s sermons and writings reflect his diligence in the study.

This site is worthy of a bookmark and frequent visits.

As an aside, Johnson is another guy to put into the Reformed Dispensationalist camp (he was a Calvinist who maintained a distinction between the church and Israel and believed in a literal future kingdom where Christ will reign).

Related Links:

http://theologica.blogspot.com/2006/03/s-lewis-johnson.html

http://www.believers-chapel.org/temp/online.htm

One such book is The Great Exchange by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington. The Great Exchange is an exposition of the Atonement of Jesus Christ patterned after The Apostles Doctrine of Atonement by George Smeaton.

Another great resource is John Piper’s new book, The Future of Justification.

Piper says of the doctrine of justification by faith:

. . . the truth of justification has become increasingly embattled, so that the truth as I see in the New Testament is increasingly confused and reduced and contradicted.

Opening the session, John Piper says:

. . . the truth of justification has become increasingly embattled, so that the truth as I see in the New Testament is increasingly confused and reduced and contradicted.

Here is John Piper’s closing plea:

For the sake of the undiminished fullness of the glory of Christ and for the sake of the radical sacrificial love that the world needs from us, I plead for your allegiance to a robust, biblical, historic vision of Christ whose obedience is counted as ours through faith alone.

The Future of Justification, John Piper’s latest book on the subject of justification, is worth consideration.

You can click here to read it.

The 20th century witnessed an increasingly energetic revolt against doctrine. A denial of specific formulations of classical Christian doctrine has been evident in some quarters, while others have rejected the very notion of doctrine itself.

Doctrine has even fallen on hard times even among those who call themselves evangelicals. Some evangelical historians now argue that the defining principles of evangelical identity are not specifically theological – at least beyond the most general affirmations. If true, that judgment would be a disgrace to any people of God. As it is, however, evangelicals have a proud doctrinal heritage and have historically given careful attention to confessions of faith and doctrinal issues.

Read the complete post here.

Visit Westminster Books for great deals on Christian books.

FULL ASSURANCE IS GOD’S WILL FOR US. “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end.” Hebrews 6:11

ASSURANCE IS PARTIALLY SUSTAINED BY OBJECTIVE EVIDENCES FOR CHRISTIAN TRUTH. “To [his apostles] He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days.” Acts 1:3

ASSURANCE CANNOT NEGLECT THE PAINFUL WORK OF SELF-EXAMINATION. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

ASSURANCE WILL DIMINISH IN THE PRESENCE OF CONCEALED SIN. “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.” Psalm 32:3

ASSURANCE COMES FROM HEARING THE WORD OF CHRIST. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

“These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:31

REPEATED FOCUSING ON THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS CRUCIAL FOR ASSURANCE. “Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” Hebrews 10:21-22

WE MUST PRAY FOR EYES TO SEE THE TRUTHS THAT SUSTAIN ASSURANCE. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18-19

ASSURANCE IS NOT EASILY MAINTAINED IN PERSONAL ISOLATION. “And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you.’” 1 Corinthians 12:21

ASSURANCE IS NOT DESTROYED BY GOD’S DISPLEASURE AND DISCIPLINE. “Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness.” Micah 7:8-9

WE MUST OFTEN WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE RETURN OF ASSURANCE. “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:1-3

ASSURANCE IS A FIGHT TO THE DAY WE DIE. “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life.” 1 Timothy 6:12

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

ASSURANCE IS FINALLY A GIFT OF THE SPIRIT. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16

“The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself… And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” 1 John 5:10-11

Longing for your assurance,

Pastor John

Transubstantiation is derived from the Latin term tansubsubstaniato, meaning ”change of substance”. This term was incorporated into the creed of the Forth Latern Council in A.D. 1215

Transubstantiation is defined by the Roman Catholic Church’s Council of Trent as follows: “By the consecration of the bread and wine, a conversion (or change) is made of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord, and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of His blood; which conversion is, by the holy Catholic Church, suitably and properly called Transubstantiation.”

The Catechism of the Council of Trent expands this belief by stating: “In this sacrament are contained not only the true body of Christ, and all the constituents of a true body, such as bones and sinews, but also Christ whole and entire”. It also explains, “Christ whole and entire, is contained, not only under either species, but also in each particle of the same species.” (Species = bread and wine)

The Church of Rome teaches that when the priest in the Mass blesses the bread, it is no longer bread but Jesus Christ himself and similarly the wine is Jesus Christ himself.

In the final analysis, it is important to note that David Lister calls on Roman Catholics to go back to the Word of God and search for the truth.

Read the complete post here.

A good friend shares this commentary on Doctrine in Music

Lately, I’ve had things on my mind (about the spiritual decline of churches in America) that have really been bugging me. The discussion of spiritual decline could lead into many areas of contemporary churches, but in this particular article, I’ll be dealing mostly with worship songs, and the doctrines therein. And I realize that the following may appear as a ‘venting’ session to some of you, while most of you, hopefully, will see this as a call to orthodoxy.

I grew up in a Nazarene church, and we sang hymns at every service. But, about 12 years ago, I began attending a non-denominational church where we sang only praise and worship choruses. Initially, I really enjoyed the change. At that time, I considered the hymns to be boring, and the praise choruses brought a ‘freshness’ to worship that was completely new to me. But, over the years, I have come to realize just how theologically deficient most of the contemporary music is. I’ve noticed how little scripture, if any, is used in the lyrics, and that some churches are singing songs today, which have absolutely nothing to do with God or the bible!

Now, I realize that people have different preferences in worship styles, and that is fine. In fact, there are many different style preferences in the music department of my own church. Some of the people in my music department enjoy certain music styles that make me cringe. And, I’m sure my style preferences do the same for them. But, this is not an argument concerning style, but rather the content of the songs. If the content of your worship songs cannot be backed up by scripture, why are you singing them? If they are focused more on ourselves than on God, why allow them into His worship time?

Earlier this week, I visited with a minister here in the East Texas area who told me that we are in a ‘dispensation where scripture is no longer needed as the basis for our doctrine’, and that ‘we can sing any song we want as long as it is inspired.’ This is complete foolishness! Jeffrey Dahmer felt inspired, but that didn’t make his actions right. And, if we abandon the belief in sola-scriptura, and base our doctrine on things other than scripture (i.e. emotionalism, tradition, etc), then we might as well start going to Mass and follow the pope, because that is exactly what Catholicism is. This same minister claims to have the ability to determine which songs are ‘anointed,’ and which ones aren’t, and holds steadfast to the idea that all of the hymns of yesterday have lost their ‘anointing’ and have no place in modern worship. And, you guessed it, this person had no scriptural basis for that position when asked. But, then again, none was needed.

I’ve served as a worship leader for twelve years, and I’m getting to the point where I actually despise most of the modern music and lyrics, and find myself longing for a return en masse to the singing of biblical hymns. The main reason for this is that God deserves so much more than the modern lyrics offer. Now, I realize that occasionally I’ll come across a praise chorus or worship song that is biblically based and actually magnifies the holiness, sovereignty, power, and sacrifice of God (great example – ‘By His Wounds’ by Brian Littrell, Mac Powell, Mark Hall & Steven Curtis Chapman, but it doesn’t happen often.

To give an example of this, I’ve chosen two songs (one modern, and one hymn) for a comparison. This first song is ‘Sweep Me Away’ by Charlie Hall, and is being sung in many churches across America (predominately by the younger generation, and those who subscribe to emergent theology). Take a look at these repetitive lyrics and see if you can find any place where scripture is applied.

Suddenly I feel you holding me. Suddenly I feel you holding me
Suddenly I feel you holding me. Suddenly I feel you holding me
Suddenly I feel your hand in mind. Suddenly I feel your hand in mind
Suddenly I feel your hand in mind. Suddenly I feel your hand in mind
Suddenly I feel you leading me. Suddenly I feel you leading me
Suddenly I feel you leading me. Suddenly I feel you leading me
Suddenly I feel your heart in mine. Suddenly I feel your heart in mine
Suddenly I feel your heart in mine. Suddenly I feel your heart in mine
Sweep me away. Sweep me away
Sweep me away. Sweep me away

Did you find any scripture or doctrine? Nope. But, that doesn’t seem to bother most of the younger generation. Now, lets look at a well-known hymn that beautifully displays the greatness of God, and is basically sound doctrine set to music. This hymn is entitled ‘Crown Him With Many Crowns.’ Enjoy.

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed over the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save.
His glories now we sing, who died, and rose on high,
Who died, eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of love, behold His hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye at mysteries so bright.

Crown Him the Lord of Heaven, enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the King to Whom is given the wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns, as thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns, for He is King of all.

Crown Him the Lord of lords, who over all doth reign,
Who once on earth, the incarnate Word, for ransomed sinners slain,
Now lives in realms of light, where saints with angels sing
Their songs before Him day and night, their God, Redeemer, King.

Crown Him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.

It is very easy to see the difference in the two. The first song is a great depiction of the modern church era, which focuses more on emotionalism than sound doctrine, while the second song is sheer reverence and adoration. You see, today the church is embracing more of a me-centered (parody for illustration) worship, whereas the hymns portrayed a Christ-centered worship. Most of the modern choruses today focus on ‘what God can do for us,’ but the hymns seem to major on exaltation.

This self-serving mindset has even carried over into the Christian television networks, which feature the steady diet of prosperity preachers who teach only about ‘What can I get from God?’, rather than ‘How can I honor God and share His gospel with others?’ Rarely do these networks present messages about holiness, righteousness, sin, wrath, judgment, and repentance. This is (in my opinion) because people are overly concerned with self-gratification and striving to answer Osteen’s call to achieve their ‘best life now’… and it is shameful. But, that is a whole other message in itself.

The bible tells us in Psalm 96:4, that God is ‘Great and greatly to be praised.’ And, Psalm 66:2 exhorts us to ‘Make His praise glorious.’ He is worthy of so much more than we offer. And we have to remember that scripture shows us in the first two chapters of Malachi how worship (that doesn’t meet His standard) can be rejected. Friends, lets return to biblical theology, and sound doctrine, forsaking the narcissism that is so prevalent today.

Michael McGrath
http://www.streetreach.com

Read the article here.

From The Christian Post we read these words from Palmer:

Are you just a little bit sad? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is out, and it really is the end of an era. If you’re one of the 325 million people who has purchased at least one of the books in this series, like me you’re sensing the finality of a famous fantasy that magically whisked people into a previously unknown world of muggles, mythical creatures, and missing noses.

Palmer goes on to share:

did you notice that many of the key plot points in the Harry Potter series begin with the letter “H?” Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, Hagrid, Half-Blood Prince, Hallows, Halloween, Horcruxes, etc. And so it is with our story as well, because when the last chapter of our life takes place and the back cover of our lives is shut, there are only two destinations possible for us:

And they both begin with “H”…

Palmer goes on to talk about Hell and Heaven. That is all well and good I suppose, but what about the danger of watching or reading material with witchcraft as a major theme.

It’s obvious we can not expect this kind of advice from Lane Palmer since he seems to be a fan of Harry Potter himself. Obviously, Palmer is of the opinion that Harry Potter is harmless entertainment for all.

I suppose it is in the name of being relevant that Dare2Share uses movies like Harry Potter, The Simpson, The Bourne Ultimatum, Transformers, Evan Almighty, and Ocean’s Thirteen as ‘ministry tools’. At the Dare2Share web site you can find articles on ‘How to Share Your Faith Using _____’ place a movie from above in the blank. Does this not actually help our kids justify going to watch many of these movies?

Let me end it by saying we don’t need to use movies to share our faith. We need to teach our kids the sufficiency of scripture and the power is has when it is proclaimed.

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. — 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. – Romans 1:16

I would encourage anyone who has a heart for our younger generation to send a strong rebuke to Dare2Share for some of the methods they are using. You can contact Dare2Share via email using this address information@dare2share.org

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The trouble with all false evangelism is that it does not start with doctrine, it does not start by realizing man’s condition. All fleshly, carnal, man-made evangelism is the result of inadequate understanding of what the apostle teaches us in the first ten verses of this second chapter of Ephesians. If you and I but realized that every man who is yet a sinner is absolutely dominated by ‘the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience’, if we only understood that he is really a child of wrath and dead in trespasses and sins, we would realize that only one power can deal with such an individual, and that is the power of God, the power of the Holy Ghost. And so we would put our confidence, not in man-made organizations, but in the power of God, in the prayer that holds on to God and asks for revival and a descent of the Spirit. We would realize that nothing else can do it.

We can change men superficially, we can win men to our side and to our party, we can persuade them to join a church, but we can never raise the spiritually dead; God alone can do that. The realization of these truths would of necessity determine and control all our evangelism.

Originally found at Oldtruth.

Those of you familiar with Rick Warren’s writings are aware that this man is a scripture twister. He constantly rips passages out of context, exegetes bad paraphrases and generally proof texts his own ‘made up’ doctrines.

Read the complete post here.

From “The Sacred Sandwich”, you may find this post informative.

Audio File 01: A Divine and Supernatural Light Immediately Imparted to the Soul by the Spirit of God

Audio File 02: A God-Entranced Vision of All Things: Why We Need Jonathan Edwards 300 Years Later

Audio File 03: Sarah Edwards: Jonathan’s Home and Haven

Audio File 04: Speaker Interviews, Session 1

Audio File 05: Speaker Interviews, Session 2

Audio File 06: Jonathan Edwards: The Life, the Man, and the Legacy

Audio File 07: Joy’s Eternal Increase: Edwards on the Beauty of Heaven

Audio File 08: The Glory of God and the Reviving of Religion

Audio File 09: How Jonathan Edwards Got Fired, and Why It’s Important for Us Today

Audio File 10:  Pursuing a Passion for God Through Spiritual Disciplines: Learning from Jonathan Edwards

Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God’s house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God.

What an outrageous statement!

For those Christians out there who question why we do what we do, maybe this quote will help you understand in a new way why we do what we do.

Why is this important?

Many pastors and professors are greatly attracted to Nouwen’s deep thinking. In fact, one of his biographers revealed that in a 1994 survey of 3,400 U.S. Protestant church leaders, Nouwen ranked second only to Billy Graham in influence among them.

The embrace of the Roman Catholic Church and its purveyors of false doctrine continues to grow among ‘Protestant Evangelicals’.

Church, we must pray and ask the Lord to remove the scales from the eyes of those so easily deceived. If there was ever a time we needed to pray and be a herald of truth, it is now.

Now is the time, this is the hour, now is the season to move !

Henri Nouwen quote courtesy of Lighthouse Trails.

The first time the late singer-songwriter Rich Mullins heard former Franciscan priest Brennan Manning on tape as he drove through the edge of the Flint Hills in Kansas, his eyes filled with tears. He steered the truck to the side of the road. There, as he later wrote, the message “broke the power of mere ‘moralistic religiosity’ in my life, and revived a deeper acceptance that had long ago withered in me.”

Dallas Willard, who penned The Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart, once wrote that Manning’s writing “throws firebrands into your soul.”

Singer and writer Michael Card calls Manning when he’s “in a bad place” and has named his oldest son after him. The priest’s book Lion and Lamb: The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus “healed my image of God,” Card told Christianity Today.

Psychotherapist and spiritual director Larry Crabb turns to Manning for advice.

Eugene Peterson, who wrote The Message, describes Manning’s Reflections for Ragamuffins as a “zestful and accurate portrayal that tells us unmistakably that the gospel is good, dazzlingly good.”

Members of U2 read Manning’s books.

Singer Michael W. Smith “can’t even remember” how many copies of The Ragamuffin Gospel he has given away. Author Philip Yancey considers Manning a good friend.

From a message The Overwhelming Love of God delivered at Newsong Church we find:

• The message is opened up by a story from St. Francis of Assisi (Roman Catholic)
• Starting at around (8:58) minutes into the message, we begin to get a glimpse of how Manning defines the Gospel (not a real Gospel) at all. Manning says that ‘after thousands spending literally thousands and thousands of hours of prayer, meditation, silence, solitude, living in caves, monasteries deserted places, I am now absolutely convinced that on judgment day the Lord Jesus is going to ask us one question and only one question. Did you believe that I loved you, that I desired you, that I waited for you day after day, that I longed to hear the sound of your voice? The real believers will answer yes Jesus; I believed in your love and tried to shape my life as a response to it.

This is Manning’s false Gospel, a Gospel where God is loving and forgiving but never a judge, disciplinarian or punisher, contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture. Do we really believe there will be a dialogue like this with our Judge.

• At around (13:24 min) Manning begins to explain his time as a volunteer prisoner. He spills a French phrase which translated is, “Cry the gospel with your life, communicate through friendship”. That is, you can’t communicate through preaching and teaching cause the people your with don’t go to church anyway.

Since when does someone have to go to church in order that we may teach and proclaim the true Gospel to them. The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” — Romans 1:8

Paul says in Romans 1:14-15, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. Paul said that he came to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified.

We should walk out our lives as Christians, displaying the life of Christ in us, that we know. However, it is the proclamation of the Gospel we must do at all cost. Manning would do well to study Romans 10:5-21 (The Message of Salvation to All).

• At (15:05 min) we hear of Manning’s own ‘decisive moment’ …
• At (19:09 min) Manning begins a discussion of how God relentlessly pursues us. (No discussion of sin, righteousness, etc. is mentioned.)
• Finally, at (21:20) Manning guides the congregation in a mind emptying state of prayer. (Manning is a contemplative mystic that you can take to the bank.)

My friends, The Ragamuffin Gospel is not the Gospel of the bible. It is a false Gospel designed by the enemy to deceive. It should not suprise you that well known ‘evangelicals’ have embraced Manning and the doctrines of demons he purveys. It is important however to understand and take a stand against such deception in the Church. We must not loose sight of the clear command found in Jude 1:3 to contend for the faith. Brennan Manning is welcome in many evangelical churches throughout the nation and his calendar is full at this very hour with such opportunities to spread the lies of the Satan.

Before you buy your next book, CD, or DVD, from the likes of Rich Mullins, Michael W. Smith, or any ‘Christian Artist’ or author, do your homework. To that end, find the following links that will faithfully help you in such research.

1. http://www.apprising.org/
2. http://www.svchapel.org/Resources/BookReviews/book_reviews.asp?ID=218
3. http://www.christianresearchnetwork.com/
4. http://www.pro-gospel.org/
5. http://www.symphonyofscripture.com/
6. http://www.sliceoflaodicea.com/
7. http://www.stevenjcamp.blogspot.com/
8. http://www.lighthousetrails.com/
9. http://blog.shanetrammel.com/
10. http://watcherslamp.blogspot.com/

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Justification by Faith by: John MacArthur The Reformation doctrine of justification by faith is, and has always been, the number one target of the enemy’s attack. It provides the foundation of the bridge that reconciles God and man-without that key doctrine, Christianity falls. But the doctrine that the Reformers so painstakingly clarified, even spilled blood over, has become so muddled today that many Protestants barely recognize it. Sadly, there are some who react against a clear presentation of justification, calling it nothing more than useless hair-splitting. The superficial interests of the seeker church have caused doctrinal issues to be downplayed and deemphasized-what “unchurched” person wants to come hear about theology? Under the influence of pragmatism, the seeker-sensitive movement has traded God-honoring doctrinal clarity and biblical purity for entertainment and motivational speeches. Social and political concerns have brought evangelicals and Catholics together in recent years to unite against the forces of secularism. Under the influence of ecumenism, it’s difficult for either group to remember what it was that divided them in the first place. The pragmatists and ecumenicists are aided in their forgetfulness by new theological movements that redefine justification in more Catholic terms. Under the influence of liberalism and postmodernism, proponents of the New Perspective on Paul, the Emergent Church, and others have so confused and redefined the doctrine of justification that it has become shrouded in darkness once again. The Christian church today is in danger of returning to the Dark Ages. The seeker movement has Christianity turning in its Bibles; the ecumenical movement urges Christians to use worldly means to accomplish temporal ends; and current theological movements look through the lens of philosophy-Enlightenment rationalism and postmodern subjectivism-rather than Scripture. The departure from sola scriptura has led to the departure from sola fide-justification by faith alone. Back to the Beginning In the 1500s a fastidious monk, who by his own testimony “hated God,” was studying Paul’s epistle to the Romans. He couldn’t get past the first half of Romans 1:17: “[In the gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith” (KJV). One simple, biblical truth changed that monk’s life-and ignited the Protestant Reformation. It was the realization that God’s righteousness could become the sinner’s righteousness-and that could happen through the means of faith alone. Martin Luther found the truth in the same verse he had stumbled over, Romans 1:17: “Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith” (KJV, emphasis added). Luther had always seen “the righteousness of God” as an attribute of the sovereign Lord by which He judged sinners-not an attribute sinners could ever possess. He described the breakthrough that put an end to the theological dark ages: I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that “the just shall live by his faith.” Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas before the “justice of God” had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven. Justification by faith was the great truth that dawned on Luther and dramatically altered the church. Because Christians are justified by faith alone, their standing before God is not in any way related to personal merit. Good works and practical holiness do not provide the grounds for acceptance with God. God receives as righteous those who believe, not because of any good thing He sees in them-not even because of His own sanctifying work in their lives-but solely on the basis of Christ’s righteousness, which is reckoned to their account. “To the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness” (Romans 4:5). That is justification. Declared Righteous: What Actually Changes? In its theological sense, justification is a forensic, or purely legal, term. It describes what God declares about the believer, not what He does to change the believer. In fact, justification effects no actual change whatsoever in the sinner’s nature or character. Justification is a divine judicial edict. It changes our status only, but it carries ramifications that guarantee other changes will follow. Forensic decrees like this are fairly common in everyday life. When I was married, for example, Patricia and I stood before the minister (my father) and recited our vows. Near the end of the ceremony, my father declared, “By the authority vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you man and wife.” Instantly we were legally husband and wife. Whereas seconds before we had been an engaged couple, now we were married. Nothing inside us actually changed when those words were spoken. But our status changed before God, the law, and our family and friends. The implications of that simple declaration have been lifelong and life-changing (for which I am grateful). But when my father spoke those words, it was a legal declaration only. Similarly, when a jury foreman reads the verdict, the defendant is no longer “the accused.” Legally and officially he instantly becomes either guilty or innocent-depending on the verdict. Nothing in his actual nature changes, but if he is found not guilty he will walk out of court a free person in the eyes of the law, fully justified. In biblical terms, justification is a divine verdict of “not guilty-fully righteous.” It is the reversal of God’s attitude toward the sinner. Whereas He formerly condemned, He now vindicates. Although the sinner once lived under God’s wrath, as a believer he or she is now under God’s blessing. Justification is more than simple pardon; pardon alone would still leave the sinner without merit before God. So when God justifies He imputes divine righteousness to the sinner (Romans 4:22-25). Christ’s own infinite merit thus becomes the ground on which the believer stands before God (Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:9). So justification elevates the believer to a realm of full acceptance and divine privilege in Jesus Christ. Therefore, because of justification, believers not only are perfectly free from any charge of guilt (Romans 8:33) but also have the full merit of Christ reckoned to their personal account (Romans 5:17). Here are the forensic realities that flow out of justification: We are adopted as sons and daughters (Romans 8:15) • We become fellow-heirs with Christ (v. 17) • We are united with Christ so that we become one with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17) • We are henceforth “in Christ” (Galatians 3:27) and He in us (Colossians 1:27) How Justification and Sanctification Differ Justification is distinct from sanctification because in justification God does not make the sinner righteous; He declares that person righteous (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16). Notice how justification and sanctification are distinct from one another: Justification imputes Christ’s righteousness to the sinner’s account (Romans 4:11b); sanctification imparts righteousness to the sinner personally and practically (Romans 6:1-7; 8:11-14). • Justification takes place outside sinners and changes their standing (Romans 5:1-2, sanctification is internal and changes the believer’s state (Romans 6:19). • Justification is an event, sanctification a process. Those two must be distinguished but can never be separated. God does not justify whom He does not sanctify, and He does not sanctify whom He does not justify. Both are essential elements of salvation. Why differentiate between them at all? If justification and sanctification are so closely related that you can’t have one without the other, why bother to define them differently? That question was the central issue between Rome and the Reformers in the sixteenth century, and it remains the main front in renewed attacks against justification. Justification in Roman Catholic Doctrine Roman Catholicism blends its doctrines of sanctification and justification. Catholic theology views justification as an infusion of grace that makes the sinner righteous. In Catholic theology, then, the ground of justification is something made good within the sinner-not the imputed righteousness of Christ. The Council of Trent, Rome’s response to the Reformation, pronounced anathema on anyone who says “that the [sinner] is justified by faith alone-if this means that nothing else is required by way of cooperation in the acquisition of the grace of justification.” The Catholic council ruled “Justification … is not remission of sins merely, but also the sanctification and renewal of the inward man, through the voluntary reception of the grace, and of the gifts, whereby man of unjust becomes just.” So Catholic theology confuses the concepts of justification and sanctification and substitutes the righteousness of the believer for the righteousness of Christ. What’s the Big Deal? The difference between Rome and the Reformers is no example of theological hair-splitting. The corruption of the doctrine of justification results in several other grievous theological errors. If sanctification is included in justification, the justification is a process, not an event. That makes justification progressive, not complete. Our standing before God is then based on subjective experience, not secured by an objective declaration. Justification can therefore be experienced and then lost. Assurance of salvation in this life becomes practically impossible because security can’t be guaranteed. The ground of justification ultimately is the sinner’s own continuing present virtue, not Christ’s perfect righteousness and His atoning work. What’s so important about the doctrine of justification by faith alone? It is the doctrine upon which the confessing church stands or falls. Without it there is no salvation, no sanctification, no glorification-nothing. You wouldn’t know it to look at the state of Christianity today, but it really is that important. Adapted from makeThe Gospel According to the Apostles, © 1993 and 2000 by John MacArthur. All rights reserved. • Grace to You (Monday, March 21, 2005)

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As you read this story keep in mind I teach my kids theology directly from the Word of God and they love it. They don’t even know what the word relevant means or who the Simpsons are. The Church is in a sad state of affairs when the leader of a major denomination actually likes to watch this junk and advocates its use as a means of teaching biblical principals to our children.

The Church of England believes that the beer-drinking Homer Simpson and his street-wise son, Bart, have addressed religious issues in a way that makes them interesting to teenagers who would normally be bored by long sermons from the vicar. This from the same church who has developed the “Alpha in a Catholic Context” course for the apostate Roman Catholic Church.

The Church continues its downward spiral. Lord may we return the Word of God to its proper place in our churches.

Consider the following portion of scripture and Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the same.

Isaiah 29:9-16

9Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
11And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
15Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: The security of sinners in sinful ways, is cause for lamentation and wonder. The learned men, through prejudice, said that the Divine prophecies were obscure; and the poor urged their want of learning. The Bible is a sealed book to every man, learned or unlearned, till he begins to study it with a simple heart and a teachable spirit, that he may thence learn the truth and the will of God. To worship God, is to approach him. And if the heart be full of his love and fear, out of the abundance of it the mouth will speak; but there are many whose religion is lip-labour only. When they pretend to be speaking to God, they are thinking of a thousand foolish things. They worship the God of Israel according to their own devices. Numbers are only formal in worship. And their religion is only to comply with custom, and to serve their own interest. But the wanderings of mind, and defects in devotion, which are the believer’s burden, are very different from the withdrawing of the heart from God, so severely blamed. And those who make religion no more than a pretence, to serve a turn, deceive themselves. And as those that quarrel with God, so those that think to conceal themselves from him, in effect charge him with folly. But all their perverse conduct shall be entirely done away.

By Eric Young, Christian Post Reporter Tue, Jun. 26 2007 01:46 PM ET (Online Source)

LONDON – The Church of England is getting help from the Simpsons to provide a more relevant way of teaching children about theology and to give a boost to dwindling congregations.

Mixing it Up with the “Simpsons”, a book to be released by the Church of England’s publishing company, will be sent to youth advisers in every diocese across the country next week, the Sunday Telegraph reported, with the hope of showing how Christianity is relevant to life today through issues tackled in the popular U.S. TV cartoon series. Clergy will be urged to show episodes of “The Simpsons” that focus on Christian themes such as love and punishment.

The book’s author, Owen Smith, is a youth worker in the Kent Diocese of Rochester and insists the cartoon series is filled with biblical references. He looks to illustrate this in the book with quote comparisons.

Smith told the Sunday Telegraph: “’The Simpsons’ is hugely moral, with many episodes dealing with issues and dilemmas faced by young people. The willingness of the show’s writers to deal with questions of both morality and spirituality makes the program an ideal tool.”

Mixing it Up with the “Simpsons” has been made specifically to help keep youth interested in church, as the number of under-16s attending worship in the Church of England on Sundays has decreased by 12 percent over the five-year period between 2000 and 2005.

The initiative has received backing from the Church, with Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams speaking of his adoration of the show.

The Church of England head said that the cartoon was “generally on the side of the angels and on the side of sense,” and also explained that beneath the dysfunctional image of the animated family lay an example of “remarkable strength and remarkable mutual commitment.”

“For all that Homer is a slob and Bart is a brat and Lisa is a pain in the neck, you know there’s real affection and loyalty,” Williams said.

According to Church House Publishing, the official publisher of the Church of England, Mixing it up with The Simpsons is split into two parts each with six sessions; the first part is for those who are newer to church and the second part is for young people who have been coming to church for a little longer.

The audio in this clip is from the message “Where Is God? (UCF).“

The following audio is a 7 minute audio excerpt from R.C. Sproul’s teaching entitled “Who is Truth?“. It’s part of his series called a Blueprint for Thinking.

I suppose if you are not of the “Reformed Theology” perspective you are a Pharisee.

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Download MP3 here.

Note: Consider supporting this blog by going to Westminster Bookstore or Monergism Books when looking for great deals on Christian books. — Shane Trammel

The book, ‘Handbook of Christian Apologetics’ is said to categorize and summarize all major arguments for all the major Christian teachings. But be warned, this book is authored by two very dedicated Roman Catholics (Peter Kreeft & Ronald K. Tacelli). Of special interest in this volume is the unbiblical treatment of the doctrine of justification (salvation).

This book is published by InterVarsity Press (IVP), a division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF). Most would categorize IVCF as evangelical in nature. However, after further investigation, it is very clear that IVCF and its publishing arm are decidedly ecumenical. IVP describes itself as “Broadly Evangelical”

As a division of an interdenominational ministry, InterVarsity Press does not emphasize or exclusively advocate positions of one denomination, theology or interest-group over another. Rather, recognizing that Christians equally committed to the Bible disagree on various topics, we publish across a range of evangelical positions. This intentional openness arises historically out of taking seriously InterVarsity‘s mission field—the university—which embodies a spirit of liberality that has traditionally characterized the search for truth while also encouraging sound reasoning and fair persuasion. In the case of InterVarsity Press, the Bible remains our standard while we humbly acknowledge our human limitations in understanding and applying it.

Notice this information on a past conference:

Exploring Common Ground II
Dates: Mar 5, 2004 – Mar 7, 2004
Hosted by: IVCF and the University Ministry Depts. of Lewis University and the University of San Diego

From the conference brochure:

“Over the past several years, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Catholic campus ministries at several Catholic universities have developed partnerships in ministry, with great benefits to both. In 2002, two schools with formal cooperative relationships joined in a conference to learn more from each other — Exploring the Common Ground.

“In 2004, Exploring Common Ground II: The Gifts We Bring to the Table will seek to foster increased understanding among Catholic campus ministries and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. The conference will include nationally recognized speakers who will discuss historical, theoretical, theological, and practical issues in partnership. In addition, there will be a variety of prayer experiences, Bible study, small group discussions, and comments from current and former InterVarsity students who will speak about their experiences on Catholic campuses. Through all, we seek to recognize the gifts of the Lord and to share them with each other.”

This book is just one more testament to the level of deception in the Church. By the title alone, 99.99 % of all considering the purchase of this book would never have any reason to question its biblical accuracy. What’s more, one would never have any knowledge the authors where Roman Catholic. In most cases, this type of deception is intentional. God is raising up ministries like ours and others to help true Christians be more informed of the deception making its way into the Church.

Peter Kreeft

About the Author

Peter J. Kreeft (Ph.D., Fordham University) is professor of philosophy at Boston College where he has taught since 1965. A popular lecturer, he has also taught at many other colleges, seminaries and educational institutions in the eastern United States. Kreeft has written more than forty books, including The Best Things in Life, The Journey, How to Win the Culture Wars and with Ronald Tacelli Handbook of Christian Apologetics.

Ronald K. Tacelli

About the Author

Tacelli, S.J., is associate professor of philosphy at Boston College and has published articles in the Public Affairs Quarterly and Dowside Review.

Links of Interest:

http://www.sxws.com/cwrc-rz/thlarchive/thla-016.php

http://www.cwrc-rz.org/articles/article-001.php

http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/09/rome_hasnat_cha.html

Families across the country will celebrate their children’s graduations from high school and college. As a father of a graduating senior, I look back and am amazed at where the time has gone, and how fast it goes.

My daughter has attended school under the threat of the Beltway Sniper, suffered through the loss of a close, teen-aged friend to suicide, and watched her high school community grieve the loss of a former graduate in the Virginia Tech tragedy.

She also has watched her SBC church transition to the seeker sensitive model. She watched how men surround and protect their pastors, out of fierce political loyalty, void of Biblical authority. She watched her father plead for doctrinal purity. She watched her family struggle to recover from the public shame of her father being removed as a Sunday School teacher. She watched her family leave the very church she was baptised in 7 years earlier.

When my daughter looks back on these disturbing memories, she will also see the Hand of God in each situation. His grace and mercy. His truth and love. His power and might.

My daughter can testify to the reality and power of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Word, and as demonstrated by His indwelling Holy Spirit. She also knows when someone is pretending the do the same. She knows how smoke and mirrors can be used to create the illusion of God’s power and presence.

Why would any pastor spend what precious little time there is on anything but teaching the whole counsel of God to fight the very real giants that threaten our children and our churches?

Joel 2
28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.

As I read this article from Watcher’s Lamp, I was struck with several parallels in my own church life.

1. Although not in as direct a manner, I was removed from my role as a College and Career sunday school teacher. I was basically asked to stop teaching and schedule others to teach on various (non-confrontational topics).
2. I have discussed at length with church leaders, to no avail, my concerns over serious doctrinal issues in the church I attend.
3. I have seen the pretentious in my church all to often.
4. I have seen leaders in my church protect pastors at the expense of the church body and it’s biblical mandate.

Lord, bring our pastors and church leaders to their knees. May they see the error of their ways, repent and move forward with Your mandate and not their own.

When leading Lutheran theologian Richard John Neuhaus converted to Catholicism in 1990 the move sent shock waves through Lutheran circles in the United States because of his prominence in that Church. Neuhaus was ordained a Catholic priest by his bishop, Cardinal John O’Connor of New York.

Charles Colson and Fr. Richard John Neuhaus authored the ecumenical documents Evangelicals and Catholics Together and Evangelicals and Catholics Together II. The approval for the wording was required to come from Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for promoting Christian Unity. Other noted Evangelical Protestants who have signed this document include (Dr. Bill Bright, Os Guinness, Max Lucado, T. M. Moore, J. I. Packer, Pat Robertson)

Recently Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary hosted a conference ‘20/20 Collegiate Conference – Sex and the City of God’. Fr. Richard Neuhaus and Dr. Peter Kreeft, both Roman Catholics, where Plenary speakers at this conference.

Dr. Peter Kreeft also spoke at a conference sponsored by Prison Fellowship (Chuck Colson).

Dr. Peter Kreeft wrote a book Ecumenical Jihad — consider the following from Southern View Chapel

This book could be quickly dismissed as a good example of pluralism (the view that all religions are legitimate ways of worshipping God), which is so foreign to Scripture as to deserve little attention. What makes Ecumenical Jihad worthy of notice are the endorsements by Chuck Colson (”Peter Kreeft is one of the premier apologists in America today, witty, incisive and powerful. On the front lines in today’s culture war, Kreeft is one of the most valiant intellectual warriors.”) and J.I. Packer (”This racy little book opens up a far-reaching theme. With entertaining insight Kreeft looks into the attitudes, alliances, and strategies that today’s state of affairs requires of believers. Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox alike need to ponder Peter Kreeft’s vision of things – preferably, in discussion together. What if he is right?).

Must I continue …

There is no question that the Roman Catholic Church is making inroads into Evangelicalism like never before. If you understand the apostacy of the Catholic Church, this should cut you to the core. Those in the true Church (all true followers of Christ) must wake up and begin to pray for direction and wisdom in this hour. We must proclaim the truth like never before and begin to expose this infiltration to those we know and influence.

The Roman Catholic Church represents a mission field of over 1 Billion souls. Does this concern you? It concerns me more than I can express. It is a problem that most of the Church doesn’t even understand.

May God expose the darkness and bring forth His marvelous light.

Disclaimer: As I understand it, Keyes is a Roman Catholic. With that in mind, take what value you can from the article but know I consider the Roman Catholic Church apostate. I have studied Roman Catholic dogma, doctrine, and teachings extensively and find them in serious error with regard to the essential doctrines of biblical Christianity.

Alan Keyes
April 28, 2007

Link to source: http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/keyes/070428

Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Gonzales v. Carhart (the case that involved a challenge to the federal law restricting so-called partial birth abortion), I received an email reporting the decision with a copy of the ruling attached. Unlike many whom the media identify as leaders in the pro-life movement, I felt no inclination to leap for joy at the news that the Court’s opinion upheld the constitutionality of the law.

In the first place, I have never been convinced that the legislative action in question had much significance for the pro-life cause. I believe it was mostly intended to provide cover for pro-abortion Republican politicians, who could offer their vote for the PBA restriction as a fig leaf to cover the shame of their supposedly pro-life supporters who put partisan politics above their obligations of conscience. In the second place, it seemed unwise to react to the decision before carefully considering the argument that produced it.

Abominable affirmation

Having done so, I cannot join in, or even understand, the approbation which others have expressed for this decision. It is in fact an abominable affirmation of the Court’s unconstitutional decisions in Roe and Casey. With grotesquely meticulous care, the man whose pivotal vote preserved so-called abortion rights in the Casey decision (Justice Kennedy) carves out an exception intended to prove and strengthen the rules set forth in Roe and Casey.

As my good friend Judie Brown put it recently (at a Colorado Right To Life dinner in Denver), Kennedy played the part of a skillful gardener, cutting back the evil planted by Roe/Casey in order to strengthen and extend its roots, hoping no doubt to make it harder to overturn in any subsequent ruling. While allowing for a state interest in restricting one brutal way of murdering the nascent child, he makes it clear that this restriction is tolerable under Roe/Casey only because abortionists still have access to other equally brutal modes of killing.

At one point, with what seems like dogged satisfaction, Kennedy describes such an alternative in almost clinical detail, no doubt because he knows that in doing so he implicates all the justices who join his reasoning in explicit support for the right to use this alternative to kill the child, even though it is just as horrendous as the one restricted by the “partial birth” legislation.

Arcane logic

This reminds me of the careful logic that I’m told is often characteristic of serial killers, psychopaths who follow arcane rituals in order to distinguish their killings from anything so profane as ordinary murder. In like fashion, Kennedy makes clear that the abortionists who rip the child limb from limb while it is still within the womb are doctors helping a woman to exercise her “right to choose” — while those who mangle the child when it has emerged past a certain point are violators, subject to the restrictive force of law. Though the child is in principle the same person in both situations, the Court’s glassy-eyed observance of its own fanatically arcane and ritualistic logic is supposed to establish some invisible line of demarcation separating one act of murder from the next.

This decision is not a harbinger of hope for an end to the Court-imposed reign of terror in the womb. It is evidence of a legal elite gone mad, hopelessly lost in the maze of its own psychopathic logic. We might think them pathetic if we did not have to live in a nation whose conscience is compromised and confused by the holocaust their insanity has unleashed.

Compromised abettors

After reading the text of the decision, my heart sank at the thought that all four of the supposedly pro-life appointees to the Court had voted to accept its lethal implication. Then I saw the saving grace of Justice Thomas’s brief but clarion concurring opinion, in which he stated simply that although he voted for the decision’s result, he continues to reject the Roe/Casey regime it relies upon, in the conviction that “the Court’s abortion jurisprudence, including Casey and Roe v. Wade, . . . has no basis in the Constitution.” Justice Scalia joined in this morally and constitutionally essential declaration.

But these two stood alone. Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito, the two G. W. Bush appointees who supposedly offer hope for an eventual return to constitutional sanity, were silent. They let the Gardener of Evil speak for them, with the clear and tragic implication that they concur in his mad, immoral effort to make Gonzales v. Carhart the exception that firmly proves and establishes the murderous rule of so-called abortion rights.

Since all things are possible with God, we must hope that events will disprove this implication. As things now stand, however, Gonzales v. Carhart offers clear evidence that G. W. Bush’s appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court are the compromised abettors of unconstitutional abuse that some of us feared they might be, rather than the constituents of constitutional restoration for whom we still pray.

It points to the sobering probability that the Supreme Court now has a 7-2 majority in favor of persisting in its unconstitutional assertion of the right to murder our posterity. It confirms the truth that I have long asserted, that we cannot expect the restoration of the Constitution to come from the usurping branch of the federal government whose ambitious members have engineered its overthrow.

Ultimately up to us

If we want constitutional rule, we must act so that the other branches can unite to restore it. We must elect to Congress and the Presidency only those candidates who pledge to respect the constitutional imperative “to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,” and to abide by the oath of office that requires them to use their constitutional powers to that end.

We need representatives in Congress and the White House who will say “yes” to the Constitution and “no” to the judges and justices who discard it. And we need fervently to pray for God’s help in finding the courage, discernment, and faith to be the kind of citizens who will vote for and support them, no matter what.

We will finally get the leaders America needs only when we resolve to become the citizens of conscience and principle that we ought to be. For God and our posterity, now is the time.

© 2007 Alan Keyes

Pulpit Magazine has a three part series on Religion Affections and you can get to the series with these links:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Disclaimer: As you read any information I may reference or write myself, consider it in the light of God’s Word. I will surely make mistakes and others have and will. I may reference or point you to Edwards, Wesley, Luther, Newton, Piper, etc. This in no way should be understood as an acceptance of all they have written or said. Please read these men and take what you can from them and always be on guard. Men are that, merely men and most definitely fallible.

My pastor did say that religion would not save you and it is only through Jesus. The unfortunate thing about his statement is that Catholics will say the same thing. There is an intentional deception in the Catholic Church that says, we share Jesus with the non-Catholic churches. They will say that Jesus is the only way, but their theology, doctrines, dogmas, and actual practice and beliefs tell a different story. Catholics do not hold that regeneration/salvation/justification is by faith alone, from Jesus alone, through His grace alone. This is the truth of the Gospel. All other gound is sinking sand.

Church, wake up, and hold your pastors accountable to the truth of the Gospel. The truth is the Roman Catholic Church is a massive mission field. Over 1 Billion (yes, that’s B) people in the world claim to be Catholics. For many in our churches today Catholics are considered brothers and sisters in Christ rather than people lost and in need of a Savior. It’s not a matter of love. What greater love can we express than to share the truth with those who don’t have it?

I am pleading with the church, understand that Catholics need the truth just as much as the Hindu, the Mormon, the Buddhist, the Muslim, and all other lost souls who live without Jesus and a life seperated unto Him.

Read here what Pastor Ken Silva has to say about the Church of Rome.

Google Video Link Here

HT: Ben Davis, Symphony of Scripture

At Symphony of Scripture, Ben Davis has taken the time to provide some great notes to go along with this video. Enjoy.

Do you know for sure if a pastor, evangelist or TV preacher’s teaching is biblical? How do you measure the fruit of his ministry – by the number of decisions for Christ he generates? This CrossTV.com clip will help you judge the preaching and teaching at your church, comparing it with the bible.

Much of the church nowdays seems to think Christians are supposed to be at play rather than at war. The idea of actually fighting for doctrinal truth is the furthest thing from most churchgoers’ thought.
–John MacArthur (from The Truth War)

The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception
By John MacArthur / Thomas Nelson

Right now, Truth is under attack, and much is at stake. In a postmodern culture, Christians are caught in the crossfire of alternative Christian histories, emerging faulty texts, and a cultural push to eliminate absolute Truth altogether. As a result, many churches and Christians have been deceived. Worse still, they propagate the deception that poses itself as Truth! In The Truth War, John MacArthur reclaims the unwavering certainty of God’s Truth and anchors Christians in the eternal, immovable promises found in His Word.

Albert Mohler, discussing the book, The Secret, reminds us, “There Are No New Heresies”. Apparently The Secret is currently the top selling book in the nation.

Click here to read Albert Mohler’s comments on The Secret in detail.

When thinking about the statement ‘There are no new heresies’, I am reminded of King Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

There is nothing new under the sun, just a repackaging for a new generation.

I live in Texas, not Peoria, so I have never been to this church before.

In every church I can ever remember being a part of, there was always an explanation of what communion represents and a warning given that only believers should partake.

Here is the question:

Should the pastor explain what communion represents and discuss who should partake and who should not?

I think [biblelink]1 Cor. 11:17-33[/biblelink] helps us understand this better.

Former President Jimmy Carter is at it once again. In a recent interview with Beliefnet.com, Mr. Carter stated once again his belief that there is salvation outside of faith in Christ. But this time he seems to have gone even further, suggesting openly that all persons will be saved.

Here is the relevant exchange at Beliefnet.com:

Do you believe that grace ultimately applies to people who don’t presently believe in Jesus?

Yes, I do. I remember two things. One is that in John 3:16, which is probably the best known verse in the Bible – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” And Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, for instance, said we should love our neighbors, but also love those who despise us and hate us and our enemies. So, the opportunity for everyone to be saved through the grace of God with faith in Christ applies to everyone.

And I have been asked often, you know, in my Sunday School classes, which are kind of a give and take debate with people from many nations and many faiths – what about those that don’t publicly accept Christ, are they condemned? And I remember that Christ said, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” And so, my own personal belief is one of God’s forgiveness and God’s grace. That’s the best answer I can give.

Well, that’s not good enough. The former president’s answer is a confused mash of out-of-context biblical citations set to the music of universalism. For some time Mr. Carter has been arguing that explicit faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not necessary for salvation. Now, he takes this argument further, and the inescapable conclusion a reader of his latest comments must reach is that President Carter evidently believes that all persons will be saved.  This, in fact, is how Beliefnet.com characterized his position.

But Mr. Carter’s argument, if one can call these sentences an argument, is also self-contradictory.  In one sentence, he argues that “the opportunity for everyone to be saved through the grace of God with faith in Christ applies to everyone.”  Does the opportunity apply to all, or does salvation?  If he means the former, how do all persons confront this opportunity?  The tragic reality is that millions of persons have never heard the Gospel of Christ. As the Apostle Paul makes clear, this is the central thrust of the missionary mandate.

The apparent contradiction in Mr. Carter’s argument comes with the second paragraph of his answer, in which he argues that God’s grace and forgiveness is extended even to those who do not profess faith in Christ.  He goes on to suggest that when Jesus taught love of neighbor and the limitations of human judgment, He was teaching universalism.  This is nonsense, of course, since those texts mean nothing of the kind.  Beyond this, Mr. Carter’s interpretation would mean that Jesus contradicted himself when He warned of Hell and condemnation for sin.

The Bible is clear that not all persons will be saved.  Jesus contrasted the wide gate that leads to destruction with the narrow gate that leads to salvation.  As the Lord said in Matthew 7:13:

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

The fact is that many persons are embarrassed by the Gospel as revealed in the Bible and taught by Christ. The central issue of offense is the exclusivity of the Gospel of Christ,  And yet, Christ left no doubt about the matter.

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  The first sentence is not the ground of offense.  The second sentence is.  The “but by Me” statement leaves no room for confusion.

In recent decades, some have attempted to argue that faith in Christ is indeed necessary for salvation, but this faith need not be explicit faith in Christ.  This position, known as inclusivism, suggests that persons may know nothing of the Gospel, and yet be saved.  This argument is often used to claim that adherents of other faiths and belief systems will be saved through the work of Christ, even though they may not hear of Him in this life.  Many Roman Catholic theologians have adopted this argument.  The late Karl Rahner put an interesting twist on the theme by suggesting that some persons are “anonymous Christians.”  These would be persons who now think themselves devotees of other belief systems but who are actually Christians who have no explicit faith in Christ. This argument cannot be squared with the biblical witness.

Universalists take the argument even further, with most arguing that all persons will be saved, completely without regard to faith in Christ.  With this latest interview, Mr. Carter appears to join these ranks.

The Apostle Paul refuted both inclusivism and universalism in Romans 10, where he insisted that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.  Paul explained that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ — which means explicit knowledge of the Gospel.  He explained that salvation comes to all those who confess with their mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised him from the dead.  Then, just in case we missed the obvious, Paul explains the missionary mandate — a mandate completely undercut and contradicted by inclusivism and universalism (and by President Carter’s comments):

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. [Romans 10:13-17]

The logic of Paul is clear.  If they hear they may believe, but if they never hear they will never believe.  And, if they never hear and believe, they will not be saved.

In a series of books, interviews, and comments, Mr. Carter has dismissed biblical inerrancy and once suggested that his faith would not be shaken, even if Jesus did not perform some of the miracles attributed to him in the New Testament.  He has adopted liberal positions on a host of issues and once identified liberal theologians such as Paul Tillich as major influences in his life and thought. 

Nevertheless, it is tragic to see this man of influence, now releasing another published set of his recorded Sunday School lessons, set himself so clearly against the Bible and the historic faith of the Christian church.  This, like all demonstrations of theological error, is both sad and deeply dangerous.  What could be worse than getting the Gospel wrong? 

ATLANTA (BP)–Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have proposed the establishment of a broadly inclusive alternative Baptist movement to counter what they called a negative image of Baptists and to address poverty, the environment and global conflicts.

Carter and Clinton kicked off their plans with a news conference Jan. 9 at the Carter Center in Atlanta, flanked by leaders of moderate Baptist groups including the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a breakaway group of an unverified number of churches that objected to the election of conservative leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention. Carter and Clinton announced a “Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant,” tentatively set for Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2008, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, which they hope will attract 20,000 Baptists.

“This is a historic event for the Baptists in this country and perhaps for Christianity,” Carter said at the news conference.

About 80 leaders of 40 moderate Baptist organizations claiming to represent 20 million Baptists in the United States, Canada and Mexico met at the Carter Center for the announcement. Leaders from the Southern Baptist Convention were not invited to attend.

“This is an attempt to bring people together and say, ‘What would our Christian witness require of us in the 21st century?’” Clinton said, adding that his goal is to be a “cheerleader” for the group.

Bill Underwood, president of Mercer University in Georgia, said at the news conference that the 2008 meeting is meant to draw attention away from “the Baptists who have the microphone,” meaning conservative leaders who frequently appear in the media voicing conservative views.

“North America desperately needs a true Baptist witness,” Underwood said.

Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., took issue with Underwood’s assertion and Carter’s and Clinton’s remarks apparently aimed at Southern Baptists.

“Instead of engaging in a war of words, let’s do a reality check,” Page told Baptist Press. “Word games are fine, but reality says Southern Baptists are presenting a positive life-changing message, impacting our culture with our ministries and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Carter and Clinton “said they want to counter concerns that Baptists have been ‘negative’ and ‘exclusionary’ and promised an inclusive organization willing to debate openly on all issues.”

Morris H. Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said that Carter’s concerns about negative perceptions of Baptists ring hollow.

“He has been one of the most vocal critics of Southern Baptists, using ‘fundamentalist’ as a pejorative and drawing a caustic comparison between Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise to power in Iran and the resurgence of conservative leadership being elected in the SBC,” Chapman wrote to Baptist Press.

Chapman also disputed Carter’s and Clinton’s notion about a negative perception of Baptists.

“Research shows this premise is false,” he said. “Zogby International conducted a survey for the SBC that showed adults view Southern Baptists favorably, equally to their views about Catholics and United Methodists. Not surprisingly, we fared best in areas where we have a strong presence and the community at large experiences our ministries and is familiar with our beliefs.”

Tentative themes for plenary sessions at the 2008 meeting in Atlanta, according to a CBF communications report, are: Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant, Unity in Bringing Good News to the Poor, Unity in Respecting Religious Diversity, Unity in Seeking Peace with Justice and Unity in Welcoming the Stranger and Healing the Broken-Hearted.

Both Page and Chapman addressed Clinton’s and Carter’s statements that the gathered group offered something new for Baptists.

Page pointed out that although Southern Baptists are painted as a white denomination, “It was not long ago that the Saturday Evening Post described the Southern Baptist Convention as ‘the most ethnically diverse of all U.S. Protestant denominations.’”

According to SBC data for 2002, 4,742 out of 43,071 churches identified themselves as predominately ethnic, with 2,085 describing themselves as African-American. The SBC does not keep demographic information on individuals, so churches identified as predominately one race may have diversity among their members not reported in the data.

Chapman defended Southern Baptists’ record of ministering to the poor.

“Southern Baptists address world hunger in many ways, but a good example this past year was their giving $5.8 million, collected by the SBC Executive Committee, with every penny going solely to combat this global tragedy,” Chapman said.

According to budget allocations, about 20 percent of funds collected for the SBC’s World Hunger Fund are used in the United States and 80 percent overseas.

“In the U.S. alone, Southern Baptists provided over 5 million meals,” he said. “The great difference in our approach from liberals is that in ministering to the body, we do not neglect the needs of the soul, and the Gospel was shared with over 500,000 people with over 32,000 professions of faith resulting.

“When we offer a loaf of bread, no strings attached, we also present Jesus as the Living Bread and lives are changed both physically and spiritually,” Chapman told BP.

The ‘2008′ confabulation Clinton and Carter propose will coincide with a U.S. presidential election year. Clinton’s wife, U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), is a possible candidate and has hired a consultant to advise her on religion. Democrats have made the winning over of “faith voters” a major election strategy.

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The Bible tells us that Judas led a “multitude” to Jesus. His motive, however, wasn’t to bring them to the Savior for Salvation. Modern evangelism is also bringing “multitudes” to Jesus. Their motive may be different from Judas’s, but the end result is the same. Just as the multitudes that Judas directed to Christ fell back from the Son of God, statistics show that up to 90% of those coming to Christ under the methods of modern evangelism fall away from the faith. Their latter end becomes worse than the first. They openly crucify the Son of God afresh.In their zeal without knowledge, those who prefer the ease of modern evangelism to biblical evangelism betray the cause of the gospel with a kiss. What may look like love for sinner’s welfare is in truth eternally detrimental to him.

Like Peter (v.51), our zeal without knowledge is actually cutting off the ears of sinners. Those we erroneously call “backsliders” won’t listen to our reasoning. As far as they are concerned, they have tried it once, and it didn’t work. What a victory for the prince of darkness, and what an unspeakable tragedy for the Church!
- Ray Comfort
the above post comes originally from www.symphonyofscripture.com

Mother Teresa (known also as Mother Teresa of Calcutta) was born in what is now called Yugoslavia/Bosnia in 1910. Born to Albanian parents she was at that time known as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. The labor for which she became renowned began on January 6, 1929 when she arrived in Calcutta, India to work with the poor and needy. When she died in September of 1997 she was the director of a worldwide missions organization known as the “Missionaries of Charity.” There are currently over 500 missions in more than 100 countries around the world. She was the recipient of numerous awards including the most prestigious of all awards, the Nobel Peace Prize. She was revered around the world as an example of Christian love and charity and as someone who dedicated her life to the noble cause of advancing the gospel to the poor and needy of the world while caring for their physical needs. Her legacy will doubtless be as one of history’s great humanitarians.

Upon examination, though, the Mother Teresa portrayed by the media and popularized in our culture is glorified (soon to be beatified) and almost deified. A close examination of her beliefs and the work she did shows that her legacy may be little more than fiction.

You can read the rest of this excellent treatise concerning the myth of “Mother” Teresa perpetrated on the unsuspecting by the apostate Church of Rome here.