Great insight from Phil Johnson!

I was listening to a very good sermon called Christ, the Door  by Phil Johnson on Fighting for the Faith and he made a great point, this is a paraphrase:

When Oprah and others who reject Jesus say all religions lead to the same place they are right, all human religions, any path to God besides faith in Jesus Christ, do in fact lead to the same place - Hell!

Dr. James White discusses Hillsong's gay "membership" policies!

All of this video is well worth a listen, but the discussion of Hillsong Church's strange stance on homosexuality begins around minute 17.

Great quote from the late William Booth!

I heard this quote while listening to an episode of Generations Radio.

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, died in 1912. Before his death he was asked what the greatest challenge facing the church in the coming century would be and his answer proved to be quite prophetic -

“In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.”

Funny, but also sad advertisement for a bible study!

I received an add in the mail for an "Animate Bible Faith Practices" curriculum. It claims to be good for among other reasons being "just right theology".

Described further as, "Built on centrist Protestant theology, it's not too liberal or too conservative."

It sound ideal for folks who don't care about theology at all!

"Approving of those who practice evil"

It is so obvious I know everyone has probably all ready thought of it, but how perfectly does our current culture fit the descent into sin described in Romans 1:18-32?

Rom. 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,^[c] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,^[d] unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (NKJV)

Consider the issue in the news so prominently this week -

A man, once famous for being the most successful Olympian of our age, has now become a celebrated and brave hero for taking various female hormones, having his penis removed, and receiving other types of cosmetic surgery.

To give a man an award or put him on a magazine cover for his willingness to destroy his God given body, for the sake of his own misguided desires is just plain sick. I am sure many would have encouraged their children to be like Bruce when he was simply a famous athlete, but will they really want them to grow up and be like Bruce now?

As sad and shocking as it is, I think they will!

I think the willful suppression of the truth about God as described in Romans 1:18, has led us to the end of the line or the bottom of the pit, as it relates to our cultures descent into sin. Twenty years ago you might have found only a tiny percent of the population that would support self mutilation, men and women using the same bathrooms, same sex marriage, or many other things which are now widely accepted.

Rom. 1:24 describes people being given over by God, because they had rejected the evidence He had given them of His existence through creation. Surely our culture had been given over to their sinful desires, they are blind to the truth, and fully aligned with the Devil, even though they are quite unaware of their allegiance and service to him.

Thank God if He has given you salvation and a knowledge of the truth through Jesus, and pray that we be faithful witnesses in a culture that unless God intervenes, is going to experience His just and terrible wrath!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Words of hope in a time when evil seems so prevalent!

Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
² The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
³ “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”

⁴ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
⁶ “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”

⁷ “I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
⁹ You shall break^[a] them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”

¹⁰ Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son,^[b] lest ^[c] He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

James White debunks Newsweek's anti-Christian Christmas article!

There is also a part two available at this link - Alpha and Omega Ministries

Hands up, don't shoot!

Justice is important and I can't get into anyone else's head and fully understand their perspective on things like the shooting of the young man in Ferguson. However, as our notion of justice comes from God, we all must consider how we will respond to Him when confronted with our sin.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Jesus came to save sinners, He condescended and entered our world to satisfy God's justice on a cross, so all who believe upon Him could be saved and avoid facing God's justice for themselves! But if we deny our sin, blame others, accuse God of being unjust, etc, we won't embrace the one hope God has graciously offered us. His word continues -

¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

We must surrender to God and His justice, we must figuratively raise our hands and plead for mercy, not declare our innocence or accuse God of unfairness, but agree with His assessment of us - that we are guilty of sin against Him, and in doing so we can receive the forgiveness He offers us through faith in Jesus Christ! 

If we come to understand our guilt before God and His perfect justice and grace toward us in Jesus, maybe we can make far greater progress in seeking and accepting justice here.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Can you be good without God?

Can you define good without God?

No!

Sticks, stones, and words can hurt me, really?

I want to be clear, I am not OK with bullying or name calling, I think they are quite sinful and don't deny they can cause pain. However, I am shocked at the change of attitude regarding dealing with people's hurtful words since I was a child. I fear far more damage will be done as society shifts the focus from ignoring hurtful words to silencing them!

When I was young, if someone said mean things to me and I told a parent or teacher, they may or may not have said anything to the one who said the hurtful words, but they would likely have told me - "Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you". This was good advice, because it kept the one on the receiving end of teasing or insults from being enslaved to the opinions of others.

The underlying principle involved was that they had the right to say things to us, even stupid or hateful things, but we were to not see their words as in any way defining us. To suggest to a child or even to an adult, that someone else's words have the power to do the same kind of harm as physical injuries, is to set up a scenario were the only way to protect people is by outlawing some types of speech, as we limit certain kinds of physical contact.

This unfortunately is exactly what is happening. People are being told that suicides, depression and countless other problems are simply the natural and unavoidable result of people being damaged by the words of others. The video below suggests that the suicides of LGBT people, especially youth, are actually caused by the hurtful words of others, especially in the church!

Now, I feel terrible for the youth who got to such a place in their lives that they felt the only option was to take their own lives. Further, I would say there needs to be some sensitivity to were people are at, even when were they are at is in sin. Our goal is to communicate truth, so we need to be tactful when dealing with issues that are likely to cause strong reactions. However, do we really want to affirm to young people, or anybody for that matter, that the words of others are so powerful? Or that being liked and accepted by others is so important? Would it not be far more loving to teach them that the words of others are merely opinions, and only true to the point that they line up with....? 

OK, now I have hit a snag, how are we to evaluate the words of others? If nothing is absolutely true, then there is no reason anyone should ever be offended by anything! If God has given us the truth, then the only thing we really need to consider is whether the words of others line up with what God says.

If you still reject the notion of God's word being knowable, or that the Bible is it, then I at least ask that you consider if you really want to live in a world where what you can and can't say is determined by the individual sensitivities of the 7,000,000,000 other people on the planet?

Or, would you rather advocate free speech, and embrace the reality that - "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me".





Wretched Radio, very well said!

This is a pretty good analogy to expose the error of presenting a man centered gospel message.

 

 

 

Questions about the Pope's comments on evolution?

As Usual, Dr. Mohler does a great job of unpacking many shocking current events, and helps us consider them through a biblical worldview! Follow the link below to listen, and be thankful we have voices of truth like his.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.'s latest cultural commentary

Got worries? Can't sleep?

Psalm 4:8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (NKJV)


"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."

Will society really leave free speech in churches alone?

James White posted a video and some commentary on his blog, (follow link below), it is a call for society to make churches stop teaching things about LGBT activity that are allegedly causing young people to kill themselves. While this is off on so many levels, as James points out in his commentary, I do think it is the path through which our free speech will be attacked. I hope you will take time to watch the video, read the commentary, an then pray and prepare for what is clearly coming soon.

Video and James White Commentary

A verse that I think is very telling of our times:

Job 40:8 Would you indeed annul My judgement? Would you condemn me that you would be justified? (NKJV)

Is that the sound of capitulating to the culture that I hear?

Hillsong Church, well known for Christian music, is evidently becoming well known for capitulating to the culture. Read the attached article and notice how they see the role of culture in interpreting the scriptures! I do know that the Hillsong folks have since made a statement about their stance on Homosexuality and the church, but as I read through the various quotes and other information found in this article, I think it is clear that they have made a point to take as little of a stand as they can, and clearly are open to reinterpreting some things according to current preferences and trends.

Hillsong article

Pastors being forced to turn over sermons that mention homosexuality and gender ID?

I assumed this kind of thing was coming, but I am shocked it has happened so quickly! See the Fox News article linked here - Persecution of Pastors in Houston!

Link to a review of the movie Left Behind

I am almost never pleased with "Christian" movies, and I certainly did not hold out much hope for this one, but here is a link to a review -

Left Behind

Do Mercedes-Benz cars evolve?

I saw a commercial for Mercedes-Benz automobiles that made a great case against evolution. They were showing a dilapidated building and then the announcer says that decay is the opposite of evolution, and then uses their new car as an example.

Here it is in their own words:

"Decay is the opposite of evolution, of improvement, and it's why Mercedes-Benz can never stop moving forward."

I think they have well demonstrated the problem with any evolutionary theory - things decay, unless someone improves upon them and/or actively maintains them. Do Mercedes-Benz cars constantly evolve to higher forms on their own? Do Mercedes vehicles eat other less fit vehicles (Chevys maybe) and then become a more dominant vehicle in the market place? No, whether it be cars or organic life, nothing comes into being, improves, or resists decay without intelligent design and maintenance.

Col. 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (NKJV)

Heb. 1:3 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; ³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power....


Without God, their could be no design or improvement in anything, only decay!


"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."

Great lectures on church history!

Click on the link below and you will be blessed with a four part lecture series Dr. James White did on church history -

Church History Lectures

A giant inconsistency in the animal rights movement!

I am sure many others have made this point before, but I was struck by something this morning as I was reading in -

Matt. 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Is it true that we are more valuable than the other animals? If so, then what does that mean regarding our responsibility toward the earth and other life forms? If we are not more valuable, do we have any special responsibility on earth?

Gen. 1:24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. ²⁵ And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all^[ the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

²⁹ And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. ³⁰ Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. ³¹ Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Here are a few key observations from this text:

1st, we were created by God and in the image of God, something that was different from all the other living things God created.

2nd, we were given dominion over the other created things and the right to eat of them as God permits.

3rd, the unique nature/value of mankind, comes with the command that we be stewards of the earth!

Later we read a beautiful summary of this concept in -

Gen. 2:15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

So, we have a clear distinction made by God between us and the other life He created. However, with that comes a special responsibility to tend and keep the earth. He clearly has called mankind to be caretakers of the earth, and we must assume that we can do that wisely and effectively, as we seek to follow Him according to His word!

However, if we are not different from the other life forms on earth, then we have no special responsibility to manage or protect them! If God did not set us apart for that role, then we don't have it. In fact, if you were to believe in evolution, I could argue that I have a responsibility to do what is best for me and me alone! If I am stronger, and you are weaker, I should survive and you should die, if that is what my survival requires.

You might argue for some kind of responsibility to steward the earth so there would be food for other humans tomorrow, so the human race can survive, or you might say we have a special responsibility to take care of other animals, because we have a unique evolutionary place, as very intelligent beings, to do what other animals can't.

To these or any other arguments for our responsibility toward other life forms I give the same answer –

Says who?

Pita cofounder and animal rights activist Ingrid Bergman said “A rat, is a pig, is a dog, is a boy”. If you believe mankind is just another life form created through the evolutionary process, then you must agree with miss Bergman, and it follows we have no special value or obligations on earth.

So, either we believe God created us in His image to worship and serve Him as outlined in His word, including being special stewards of the earth.

Or

We could sleep just fine and let the rats, dogs, and pigs worry about other life forms if they want!

  "Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."