Absolute Assurance

“He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Several times in the Scriptures the Lord hath said this. He has often repeated it to make our assurance doubly sure. Let us never harbor a doubt about it. In itself the promise is specially emphatic. In the Greek it has five negatives, each one definitely shutting out the possibility of the Lord’s ever leaving one of His people so that he can justly feel forsaken of his God. This priceless Scripture does not promise us exemption from trouble, but it does secure us against desertion. We may be called to traverse strange ways, but we shall always have our Lord’s company, assistance, and provision. We need not covet money, for we shall always have our God, and God is better than gold; His favor is better than fortune.

We ought surely to be content with such things as we have, for he who has God has more than all the world besides. What can we have beyond the Infinite? What more can we desire than almighty Goodness.

Come, my heart; if God says He will never leave thee nor forsake thee, be thou much in prayer for grace that thou mayest never leave thy Lord, nor even for a moment forsake His ways.

C.H. Spurgeon

Don't Be Deceived

By Bob Jennings

Prideful Men will go to Hell

By Pastor Tim Conway

Take Note: This is a taste of excellent preaching!!

Merry Christmas!

Click Here! for the Ambassador of Truth Christmas Page!

The Sovereign Electing Grace of God!

The following is from Spurgeon's sermon,
The Widow of Sarepta. #817. 1 Kings 17:8, 9.

None of us have any right to God's mercy.

Election is an indisputable truth of Christianity,
and one full of the richest comfort to the child
of God- one which is intended to kindle in him
perpetual flames of adoring gratitude. It is a
truth which lays him low, and makes him feel
that there is nothing in him, and then raises
him up and bids him, like a seraph, adore
before the throne!

Distinguishing grace is a fact; prize this
truth and hold it firmly. Thank God that
you are made a partaker of his eternal love.

The sovereign electing grace of God
chooses us to repentance, to faith, and
afterwards to holiness of living, to Christian
service, to zeal, and to devotion.

Election should be to you savory meat such as
Isaac's soul loved; and as you feed upon it you
will become like the three holy children in Babylon,
both fatter and fairer and more lovely than those
who have not received this precious truth.

~Charles H. Spurgeon

CLICK HERE for God's Sovereignty in Salvation PAGE!

The Dominant American Religion: Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

A Nation of Deists
The dominant American religion is a far cry from Christianity

By Gene Edward Veith

Sometimes recognizing a problem requires finding the right words to name it. Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton have coined a phrase that describes perfectly the dominant American religion: Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.

Those authors are researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and have written up their findings in a new book: Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (Oxford University Press).

After interviewing over 3,000 teenagers, the social scientists summed up their beliefs:
(1) "A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth."
(2) "God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions."
(3) "The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself."
(4) "God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem."
(5) "Good people go to heaven when they die."

Even these secular researchers recognized that this creed is a far cry from Christianity, with no place for sin, judgment, salvation, or Christ. Instead, most teenagers believe in a combination of works righteousness, religion as psychological well-being, and a distant non-interfering god. Or, to use a technical term, "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism."

Ironically, many of these young deists are active in their churches. "Most religious teenagers either do not really comprehend what their own religious traditions say they are supposed to believe," conclude Mr. Smith and Ms. Denton, "or they do understand it and simply do not care to believe it."

Another possibility is that they have learned what their churches are teaching all too well. It is not just teenagers who are moralistic therapeutic deists. This describes the beliefs of many adults too, and even what is taught in many supposedly evangelical churches.

Mr. Smith and Ms. Denton recognize this. MTD has become the "dominant civil religion." And it is "colonizing" American Christianity. To the point, these secular scholars conclude, "a significant part of Christianity in the United States is actually tenuously Christian in any sense that is seriously connected to the actual historical Christian tradition, but is rather substantially morphed into Christianity's misbegotten step-cousin, Christian Moralistic Therapeutic Deism."

Consider how many Christian publications, sermons, and teachings are nothing but moralism. Sometimes morality is reduced to the simplistic MTD commandment "be nice," though often real morals are inculcated. But the common assumption is that being good is easy, just a matter of knowing what one should do and trying harder. The biblical truth that bad behavior is a manifestation of sin, a depravity that inheres in our fallen nature, is skimmed over. And so is the solution to sin: a life-changing faith in Jesus Christ.

Consider how many Christian publications, sermons, and teachings are primarily therapeutic. It is true that Christ can solve many of our problems. But much that passes for Christian teaching says nothing about Christ. Instead, it consists of pop psychology, self-help platitudes, and the power of positive thinking.

Consider how many Christian publications, sermons, and teachings talk about God in a generic way, but say nothing about the Father, who created and still sustains the world; the Son, who became Incarnate in this world to win our salvation; and the Holy Spirit, who works through the Word of God to bring us to faith.

Christianity is about grace, not moralism; changing lives, not making people feel better about themselves; the God made flesh, not an uninvolved deity. And that is better news than Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.

Copyright © 2008 WORLD Magazine
June 25, 2005, Vol. 20, No. 25
See World Magazine

Faith and Repentance are Inseparable

The repentance which is here commanded is the result of faith; it is born at the same time with faith—they are twins, and to say which is the elder-born passes my knowledge. It is a great mystery; faith is before repentance in some of its acts, and repentance before faith in another view of it; the fact being that they come into the soul together. Now, a repentance which makes me weep and abhor my past life because of the love of Christ which has pardoned it, is the right repentance. When I can say, "My sin is washed away by Jesus' blood," and then repent because I so sinned as to make it necessary that Christ should die—that dove-eyed repentance which looks at his bleeding wounds, and feels that her heart must bleed because she wounded Christ—that broken heart that breaks because Christ was nailed to the cross for it—that is the repentance which bringeth us salvation.

Again, the repentance which makes us avoid present sin because of the love of God who died for us, this also is saving repentance. If I avoid sin to-day because I am afraid of being lost if I commit it, I have not the repentance of a child of God; but when I avoid it and seek to lead a holy life because Christ loved me and gave himself up for me, and because I am not my own, but am bought with a price, this is the work of the Spirit of God.

~Charles H. Spurgeon

(From Lane's Blog)

Plexiglass Preaching

There are plenty of gifted communicators in the modern evangelical movement, but today’s sermons tend to be short, shallow, topical homilies that massage people’s egos and focus on fairly insipid subjects like human relationships, "successful" living, emotional issues, and other practical but worldly—and not definitively biblical—themes. Like the ubiquitous plexiglass lecterns from which these messages are delivered, such preaching is lightweight and without substance, cheap and synthetic, leaving little more than an ephemeral impression on the minds of the hearers. ~Dr. John MacArthur

The Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God

The following excerpt is from the sermon "The Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God," preached Sunday morning, 30 June 1867, at Camden Road Chapel, London. In that sermon, Spurgeon carried on an imaginary dialogue with the "epistemological humility" of his day.



Someone demands, "How am I to know which is the gospel?"

You may know it by searching the Scriptures.

"But one sect says this, and another sect says the reverse."

What have you to do with the sects? Read the Book of God for yourself.

"But some men do read it and arrive at one opinion, and some maintain the opposite, and thus they contradict themselves, and yet are equally right."

Who told you that? That is impossible. Men cannot be equally right when they contradict each other. There is a truth and there is a falsehood; if yes be true, no is false. It may be true that good men have held different opinions, but are you responsible for what they may have held, or are you to gather that because they were good personally, therefore everything they believed was true? No, but this Book is plain enough; it is no nose of wax that everybody may shape to what form he likes. There is something taught here plainly and positively, and if a man will but give his mind to it, by God's grace he may find it out.

I do not believe that this Book is so dark and mysterious as some suppose, or, if it were, the Holy Spirit who wrote it still lives, and the Author always knows his own meaning: you have only to go to him in prayer, and he will tell you what it means. You will not become infallible, I trust you will not think yourself to be so, but you will learn doctrines which are infallibly true, and upon which you may put down your foot and say, "Now, I know this, and am not to be duped out of it."

It is a grand thing to have the truth burnt into you, as with a hot iron, so that there is no getting it out of you. The priest, when he took away the Testament from the boy, thought he had done the work; "But," said the boy, "sir, what will you do with the six-and twenty chapters which I learned by heart? You cannot take them away." Yet memory might fail, and, as the lad grew into an old man, he might forget the six-and-twenty chapters; but suppose they changed his heart and made him a new creature in Christ, there would be no getting that away, even though Satan himself should attempt the task.

Seek to carry out the sacred trust committed to you by believing it, and believing it all. Search the word to find out what the gospel is, and endeavor to receive it into your inmost heart, that it may be in your heart's core forever.

Next, as good stewards we must maintain the cause of truth against all comers.

"Never get into religious controversies," says one; that is to say, being interpreted, be a Christian soldier, but let your sword rust in its scabbard, and sneak into heaven like a coward.

Such advice I cannot endorse. If God has called you by the truth, maintain the truth, which has been the means of your salvation. We are not to be pugnacious, always contending for every crotchet of our own; but wherein we have learned the truth of the Holy Spirit, we are not tamely to see that standard torn down which our fathers upheld at peril of their blood.

This is an age in which truth must be maintained zealously, vehemently, continually. Playing fast and loose as many do, believing this to-day and that to-morrow, is the sure mark of children of wrath; but having received the truth, to hold fast the very form of it, as Paul bids Timothy to do, is one of the duties of heirs of heaven. Stand fast for truth, and may God give the victory to the faithful.

We must believe the gospel and maintain it, for it is committed to our trust.

~Charles Haddon Spurgeon

(Originally posted by Phil Johnson on Pyromaniacs)

Pastors, is Your Preaching Wimpy?

Quoting James White . . .

"When Paul spoke to the Ephesian elders in his final meeting with them, he said these words: "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God." (Acts 20:26-27) The true preacher of the Word seeks to have this as his ambition as well. God is not honored when men think so little of Him and so highly of themselves that they edit the content of the proclamation for the fear of the face of men and so that they may be considered "successful" in some worldly sense. It is a fearful thing to be unfaithful to the task of preaching "the whole counsel of God." Keeping this in mind, I would like to point out the fact that there are religious hypocrites in the church. There were even in the days of Paul, as he names some by name. But today one looks for the true believer as the oddity in evangelical churches filled with unregenerate men and women who have been fooled into thinking you can shake a man's hand, say some magical words that are not joined with any kind of repentance or understanding of the gospel itself, and you have your "ticket punched" and you are on your way to heaven.

"The result is that any time you would dare to preach the soul-searching passages of Scripture that expose sin and hypocrisy and false faith you will hear the howl of the religious hypocrite from front row to back. Which is why you can observe major "ministries" today that are completely focused upon avoiding any form of offense of the natural man, just so long as they are there on Sunday morning and drop a little something in the plate to help you pay for your massive sports arena.

"But even the best church will have false professors in its midst, men and women who, for various reasons, may well play the religion game quite well for an amazingly long time. Some do it for family reasons, some just because they were raised that way, some for acceptance--but in any case, they attend services, may even be involved in ministry, but their hearts are unchanged, their faith in word only. ...

"So the question I have to ask of many who stand behind pulpits today is this: is your preaching so wimpy it would never trouble a religious hypocrite, and never result in such a person fleeing its proclamation so as to run to man's religions for refuge?

"Do you pull back on those elements of God's truth that are the most offensive to the natural man because you do not wish to see that disdainful look, that annoyed shaking of the head? Do you really distrust the ministry of the Spirit to make the Word of Christ to come alive in the hearts and minds of Christ's sheep, so that you do not need to worry about those who find offense at His truth? Or have you embraced the spirit of the age which places man's fragile emotions upon the seat of prominence, and have bought into the idea that to be "loving" means to never give offense to anyone (well, except for God--it is fine to offend Him by thinking yourself so wise you can edit out what shouldn't be in the gospel in our day)?

"Would your teaching and proclamation allow a religious hypocrite to remain safely and comfortably ensconced in the congregation for years on end, never offended, never convicted? Finally, if such a hypocrite does leave and make a show of embracing heresy just to spite you, do you sting with embarrassment, or rejoice that God's Word continues to work in the hearts of men and women, some to His glory in their salvation, and some to His glory in their damnation? Think about it."


(From: Alpha and Omega Ministries Blog)

Lose Your Life for True Gain - Randy Alcorn

Nominal Christianity is Not Christianity At All (John Stott)

The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict half-built towers, the ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. For thousands of people still ignore Christ's warning and undertake to follow Him without first pausing to reflect on the cost of doing so. The result is the great scandal of Christendom today, so-called nominal Christianity. In countries where Christian civilization has spread, large numbers of people have covered themselves with a descent but thin veneer of Christianity. They have allowed themselves to become somewhat involved, enough to be respectable, but not enough to be uncomfortable. Their religion is a great soft cushion; it protects them from the hard unpleasantness of life while changing its place and shape to their convenience. No wonder the cynics speak of hypocrites in the church and dismiss religion as escape-ism. ~John Stott

Should We Ignore The Fact That The Vast Majority Of "Seeker Churches" Operate Like Cults?

Now I Know Why They Don't Preach Repentance and Faith

“The man whose little sermon is ‘repent’ sets himself against his age, and will for the time being be battered mercilessly by the age whose moral tone he challenges. There is but one end for such a man—‘off with his head!’ You had better not try to preach repentance until you have pledged your head to heaven.” ~Joseph Parker

George Whitefield’s Prayer

“Yea…that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more . . . raise up unto Himself certain young men whom He may use in this glorious employ. And what manner of men will they be? Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace. They will be men who have learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal ambitions; men who are willing to be ‘fools for Christ’s sake’, who will bear reproach and falsehood, who will labor and suffer, and whose supreme desire will be, not to gain earth’s accolades, but to win the Master’s approbation when they appear before His awesome judgment seat. They will be men who will preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, and upon whose ministries God will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, and who will witness ‘signs and wonders following’ in the transformation of multitudes of human lives.”

J I Packer’s Introduction to the Death of Death in the Death of Christ (John Owen)

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“. . . the work of a gospel minister is not with the temporal but with the spiritual concerns of men: they watch for souls. Their conversation is not to be about worldly affairs but about things that relate to Christ’s kingdom, which involves the everlasting concerns of men’s souls. When a minister’s affections are upon this world, his visits among his people will be barren. He will inquire about the outward circumstances of his flock and perhaps, from pecuniary (of or relating to money) motives, rejoice at prosperity, as though that was of greatest concern. But he will have nothing to say with respect to the health and prosperity of their souls, having no joys or sorrows to express on account of the fruitful or lifeless state of the inward man.” ~Lemuel Haynes

Why Doctrinal Preaching Declines by Arthur W. Pink

‘Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ 2 Timothy 2:15

‘For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.’ 2Timothy.4:3-4.

During the last two or three generations the pulpit has given less and less prominence to doctrinal preaching, until today, with very rare exceptions, it has no place at all. In some quarters the cry from the pew was, ‘we want living experience and not dry doctrine’; in others, ‘we need practical sermons and not metaphysical dogmas’; and yet others, Give us Christ and not theology. Sad to say, such senseless cries were generally heeded: ’senseless’ we say, for there is no other safe way of testing experience, as there is no foundation for practicals to be built upon if they be divorced from Scriptural doctrine; while Christ cannot be known unless he be preached (1Cor.1:23), and he certainly cannot be ‘preached’ if doctrine is shelved. Various reasons may be given for the lamentable failure of the pulpit, chief among them being laziness, desire for popularity, superficial and lop-sided evangelism, and love of the sensational’.

Laziness. It is a far more exacting task, one which calls for much closer confinement in the study, to prepare a series of sermons on, say the doctrine of justification, than it does to make addresses on prayer, missions, or personal-work. It demands a far wider acquaintance with the Scriptures, a more rigid disciplining of the mind, and a more extensive perusal of the older writers. But this was too exacting for most of the ministers, and so they chose the line of least resistance and followed an easier course. It is because of his proneness to this weakness that the minister is particularly exhorted, ‘Give attendance to reading … take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine: continue in them’ (1Tim.4:13,16); and again, ‘Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, (2Tim.2: 15).

Desire for popularity. It is natural that the preacher should wish to please his hearers, but it is spiritual for him to desire and aim at the approbation of God. Nor can any man serve two masters. As the apostle expressly declared, ‘For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ’ (Gal.1:10): solemn words are those! How they condemn them whose chief aim is to preach to crowded churches! Yet what grace it requires to swim against the tide of public opinion, and preach that which is unacceptable to the natural man. But on the other hand, how fearful will be the doom of those who, from a determination to curry favour with men, deliberately withheld those portions of the truth most needed by their hearers. ‘Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it’ (Deut.4:2). Oh to be able to say with Paul, ‘I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you … I am pure from the blood of all’ (Acts.20:20, 26).

A superficial and lop-sided ‘evangelism’. Many of the pulpiteers of the past fifty years acted as though the first and last object of their calling was the salvation of souls, everything being made to bend to that aim. In consequence, the feeding of the sheep, the maintaining of a Scriptural discipline in the church, and the inculcation of practical piety, was crowded out; and only too often all sorts of worldly devices and fleshly methods were employed under the plea that the end justified the means; and thus the churches were filled with unregenerate members. In reality, such men defeated their own aim. The hard heart must be ploughed and harrowed before it can be receptive to the gospel seed. Doctrinal instruction must be given on the character of God, the requirements of his Law, the nature and heinousness of sin, if a foundation is to be laid for true evangelism. It is useless to preach Christ unto souls until they see and feel their desperate need of him.

We Know Not The Gospel

“The greatest need in the evangelical community today is to learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because in simply surveying the sermons and the witnessing techniques and the methodology of Church growth and everything else that I see, I can only come to one conclusion: we know not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
-Paul Washer

Hymn: Am I A Soldier Of The Cross?

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.

Words: Isaac Watts, ap­pend­ed to his Ser­mons, pub­lished 1721-4; Watts wrote this hymn in con­junc­tion with a ser­mon he was giv­ing on 1 Co­rinth­i­ans 16:13.

The Diluted Gospel

"Listen to the typical gospel presentation nowadays. You will hear sinners entreated with words like, 'accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior'; 'ask Jesus into your heart'; 'invite Christ into your life'; or 'make a decision for Christ.' You may be so accustomed to hearing those phrases that it will surprise you to learn that none of them is based on Biblical terminology. They are the products of a diluted gospel."
—John MacArthur

All Dads LISTEN UP!!! (MUST SEE)

Spurgeon on Politicians

(By Charles Spurgeon)

In particular, we must keep ourselves unspotted from the lepers of the world. There is a certain number of leprous men in the world. You can tell them by their conversation; and sometimes you cannot help going very near where they are; but if you hear them cry, “Unclean!” just give them a very wide berth. . . . We are to keep ourselves from all spots of the world when we have to mingle with it. Notice, there are spots which come from your circumstances. . . .

[Among these circumstances] are politics; you know what party politics are. We are all trying to [usher] in another set of maggots to eat the cheese; that is about all it amounts to; first turn out one lot, and then turn in another. It comes to little more than that. Even in the pursuit of really good matters of policy, do you know any Christian man who goes into politics who is the better for it? If I find such a man, I will have him stuffed if I can, for I have never seen such a specimen yet. I will not say, do not attend to politics; but I do say, do not let them spot you.

Online Source

Decisionism

America's Watered Down Gospel

Paul Washer: America's Watered Down Gospel, Part 1



Paul Washer: America's Watered Down Gospel, Part 2

Ten Reasons Why So Many of Today's Youth are False Converts

By Tony "The Lawman" Miano
Monday, October 13, 2008
visit his website: Tony "The Lawman"

Like so many other street evangelists, I've talked to literally hundreds of junior high and high school aged kids who are members of church youth groups, or have been exposed or participated in church youth groups. The vast majority of them are lost. Oh, they say they love Jesus; but they don't have a clue as to how a person comes to receive the free gift of eternal life. Sadly, they've become young experts, with the help of their hip adult leaders, on how to look nothing like Christ or His Church while claiming to be one of His followers. They are relevant renegades in need of redemption.

Granted, the above does not apply to all church youth leaders. I know of a few who are raising up disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ; not disciples of Sponge Bob, Mortal Kombat, Jessica Simpson, or Foosball. I know of a few who are teaching their young people the principles of biblical evangelism; not a version of friendship evangelism that specializes in friendship with the world without ever mentioning Christ, sin, judgment, hell, justification, and salvation.

Oh, and when talking about youth ministry and youth pastors let's keep in mind that the whole concept is extra-biblical; meaning, we won't find an example of it in Scripture. This is not to say that youth ministry is wrong, necessarily (although so very much of what is called "youth ministry" in America is so very wrong). And youth leaders wouldn't have to take on the mantle of discipling young people if more Christian parents were fulfilling their God-given responsibility to raise up and teach their children, using the Bible and their personal pursuit of holiness and Christ-likeness as their children's guides. However, when doing anything that is extra-biblical we must be extra-careful.

A friend of mine shared the following video made by a youth leader, which is a parody of youth ministry. While the video was made tongue-in-cheek, the video contains a good deal of unfortunate truth about the state of youth ministry, today.

CLICK HERE to See Video!

Is Your Devotion Like that of the Old Paths? (Must See!!)

Repent and Trust in Jesus Christ Alone!!

EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH THIS VIDEO - Take the time, your life depends on it!

This is one great example of preaching the Gospel message uncompromised!!

This is the best hour many will have spent for a long time.

Obama Is No Joshua

By Cal Thomas
June 16, 2008

Tribune Media Services

Barack Obama’s presidential campaign plans to strike at the heart of the Republican base by attempting to woo Evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics to his side.

The Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody first broke the story on his blog “The Brody File.” Obama’s campaign for the conservative Christian vote, which has largely gone to the Republican presidential candidate in recent elections, has been dubbed the “Joshua Generation Project.” Joshua, Moses’ successor, led the Israelites into the Promised Land. It wasn’t the group that fled Egypt in the Exodus, though. They died in the wilderness, lacking faith in God’s promise. It was the next generation that Joshua led into Canaan. Apparently, if we have enough faith in Obama, he will lead us all into a new America, but if we vote for John McCain, we will demonstrate a lack of faith (in Obama) and die in the political badlands.

Obama is better at biblical language and imagery than any Democrat in modern times. He certainly beats Howard Dean, now the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who once offered Job as his favorite New Testament book. This is cynical manipulation of the devout and it is no better when Democrats do it than when Republicans use religious language for partisan advantage.

Obama has declared himself a committed Christian. He can call himself anything he likes, but there are certain markers among the evangelicals he is courting that one must meet in order to qualify for that label.

Some insight into Obama’s “Christianity” comes from an interview he gave in 2004 to Chicago Sun-Times religion editor Cathleen Falsani for her book, “The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People.”

“I’m rooted in the Christian tradition,” said Obama. He then adds something most Christians will see as universalism: “I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.”

Falsani correctly brings up John 14:6 (and how many journalists would know such a verse, much less ask a question based on it?) in which Jesus says of Himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That sounds exclusive, but Obama says it depends on how this verse is heard. According to Falsani, Obama thinks that “all people of faith — Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, everyone — know the same God.” (Her words.)

Evangelicals and serious Catholics might ask if this is so, why did Jesus waste His time coming to Earth, suffering pain, rejection and crucifixion? If there are many ways to God, He might have sent down a spiritual version of table manners and avoided the rest.

Here’s Obama telling Falsani, “The difficult thing about any religion, including Christianity, is that at some level there is a call to evangelize and proselytize. There’s the belief, certainly in some quarters, that if people haven’t embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior, they’re going to hell.” Falsani adds, “Obama doesn’t believe he, or anyone else, will go to hell. But he’s not sure he’ll be going to heaven, either.” Again, that is contrary to what Evangelicals and most Catholics believe.

Here’s Obama again: “I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. When I tuck in my daughters at night and I feel like I’ve been a good father to them, and I see that I am transferring values that I got from my mother and that they’re kind people and that they’re honest people, and they’re curious people, that’s a little piece of heaven.”

Any first-year seminary student could deconstruct such “works salvation” and wishful thinking. Obama either hasn’t read the Bible, or if he has, doesn’t believe it if he embraces such thin theological wisps.

Obama can call himself anything he likes, but there is a clear requirement for one to qualify as a Christian and Obama doesn’t meet that requirement. One cannot deny central tenets of the Christian faith, including the deity and uniqueness of Christ as the sole mediator between God and Man and be a Christian. Such people do have a label applied to them in Scripture. They are called “false prophets.”

(c) 2008 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!

If you are a Christian, how can you vote someone into office that supports/advocates abortions and infanticide? When I say “Christian” I don’t mean a lukewarm, name-only, Sunday socialite, self-deceived “Christian,” but a true, born-again, regenerated Christian.

This question really only applies to those that claim to be Christians. Can you vote a President into office that supports abortions? If you support the right to choose, do you think God will overlook that you chose to elect a leader that supports non-biblical abortion views? Or do you think that is something you will not have to answer for, and your pocketbook is the here and now concern?

Pro-Choice is Pro-Abortion, do NOT deceive yourself!! BOTH are an ABOMINATION!!

NOTE: This video does NOT necessarily denote my endorsement for John McCain.

Although I am not a Pastor, I echo what John Piper spoke in a sermon, "Now, I am a Christian pastor who wants to be Biblical, and gives not a rip for being Republican or Democrat. Such things mean almost nothing to me. But the glory and will and the rights of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Judge of all men, mean everything to me."

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me" (Matthew 15:8; also see Isaiah 29:13).

To all readers: Comments welcome. I reserve the right to remove any or all comments at my discretion. No vulgarity, profanity, or blasphemy allowed--no exceptions!!!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE JOH14.NET ELECTION 2008 - THE PRIMARY ISSUE PAGE!! (VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED)

NOTE: Be sure to LISTEN to the SIN OF SILENCE audio presentation located on the sidebar to the right ---------------------------------->

99 Balloons

This precious child was truly a gift from God to his parents and to us all. The faith of little Eliot's Mommy and Daddy should be a great example to us. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). God is revealed in all His creation (Romans 1:20). Praise the Lord!! I posted this not merely as an emotional tug (it is), but to get us to think seriously along with these Scriptures about our life and are we living our lives to the glory of God? Is Jesus Christ everything to you? Do other people's souls matter so much to you that you would step out of your comfort zone and share with them the Good News of the Gospel? Is life really all about us? We have been given this life (every breath) for His glory!! We should live like it. As John Piper says, "Don't Waste Your Life!" Only one life 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.

"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (James 4:14 KJV).

"Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow" (Psalm 144:4 NASB).

"Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21 ESV).

"To him [the Lord] be the glory forever and ever. Amen" (2 Timothy 4:18b ESV my emphasis added).

Westlink Christian Church "Sermon" Critique and Brief Review (Listener and Reader Discretion is Advised, Sadly!)

I'd like to mention from the beginning here that I am not hunting for trouble and I am not out to defame anyone's good name and I am certainly am not intentionally trying to attack anyone, specifically Pastor Slack, but I am simply attempting to address issues that are counter to the preaching of the Gospel which Pastors are commanded to do. I am no scholar, but I have a passion for the truth of God's Word. The shepherd is to feed his flock. I hunger and I hope many hunger for the meat of God's Word week after week, not some watered-down, so-called "relevant," therapy session that leaves the soul empty. Oh how we need to get back to place where Pastors feed their flock. Preach the Word!! I should point out that there is some good advice in this speech and I believe that Pastor Slack is certainly sincere in his address, but there is NO excuse for clouding the Truth with fluff and failing to preach the most important message ever--The Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is an expose of a "sermon" spoke at Westlink Christian Church on the weekend of September 7, 2008.

"How vain, as well as wicked, are all attempts to kill the gospel. Those who attempt the crime, in any fashion, will be for ever still beginning, and never coming near their end. They will be disappointed in all cases, whether they would slay it with persecution, smother it with worldliness, crush it with error, starve it with neglect, poison it with misrepresentation, or drown it with infidelity. While God liveth his Word shall live." ~Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Be pre-warned, this is a prime example of "Pastoral Malpractice!" This is a so-called "Sermon" that is part of a four part 'Sex Series' from the "church" that I am presently attending! This is primarily anthropocentric as opposed to the Biblical method which is Christocentric. Not only is this type of seminar (It is not a real sermon) NOT appropriate from the pulpit, but this is not even original. This is a marketing scheme/idea copied (and possibly purchased) from the likes of seeker-sensitive, biblically negligent so-called "churches" like Granger Community, Willow Creek, and Saddleback (just to mention a few). Looky, here's proof: Click Here! This is a joke! I am sad to see so many "churches" deteriorating back into the world for the sake of attendance numbers!! We are called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, period!! Pastors are to preach, not give self-help, self-esteem, 'your best life now,' pop-psychology seminars behind the pulpit. This is blatant Pastoral malpractice!! Okay, I am going to give a brief review of this sermon to point out some of where this Pastor has failed in his duty to preach the Word of God without compromise. Please note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive review of this but just a brief overview of some serious issues that I noticed when listening to it. Let's look at a few passages in the Bible to get us started in the right direction. Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-4:5 (ESV),

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist,fulfill your ministry."

In 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (ESV) Paul writes to the Corinthian Church,

"Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

Take a listen and then see my review notes following it. Thank you.

PUSH PLAY to Hear "Sermon"
Brief Review:
1) The "Sermon" is only 38 minutes 40 seconds in length to begin with. Pastor Slack uses up (fluff and filler) the first 9 min 13 secs with statistics and an extremely inappropriate joke. It takes that whole span of time to even mention Scripture at all. At 9 mins 20 secs (around 10 mins) he opens the Bible (has the congregation open their copy of the Bible) and finally reads from Genesis (Chapter 1:27-28 and 2:18-25). The congregation is not led to stand in reverence of the reading of God's Word. I do not see where these passages are an invitation to have a "sermon" completely dedicated to "the best sex you will ever have" which is the title of this "sermon." As a matter of fact, these precious passages do not portray any inclination or expression toward having "your best sex now."

2) At 16 mins 19 secs he reads a passage from Deuteronomy 24:5 (ESV), "When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken." It is a far stretch to singularly apply this to sexual fulfillment and having one's best sex now. Matthew Henry's Commentary on this passage states,

"Provision made for the preservation and confirmation of love between new-married people, v. 5. This fitly follows upon the laws concerning divorce, which would be prevented if their affection to each other were well settled at first. If the husband were much abroad from his wife the first year, his love to her would be in danger of cooling, and of being drawn aside to others whom he would meet with abroad; therefore his service to his country in war, embassies, or other public business that would call him from home, shall be dispensed with, that he may cheer up the wife that he has taken. Note, 1. It is of great consequence that love be kept up between husband and wife, and that every thing be very carefully avoided which might make them strange one to another, especially at first; for in that relation, where there is not the love that should be, there is an inlet ready to abundance of guilt and grief. 2. One of the duties of that relation is to cheer up one another under the cares and crosses that happen, as helpers of each other’s joy; for a cheerful heart does good like a medicine."

There is a LOT more to marriage than just sexual intimacy and reproduction, as important as those are. This is really an eisigetical injection in my opinion and certainly an over-emphasis and a complete disconnecting of the broader implications of the passage especially when it is read and studied in its context.

Reference: Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Dt 24:5.

3) At around 16 mins 48 secs Pastor Slack again hangs on a passage (Genesis 26:8) that is blatantly overemphasized and ripped out of context. It is a real stretch as it is to pin this verse to sexual intimacy. The literal translation of the ESV has it written, "When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife." The NKJV has it written, "showing endearment to Rebekah his wife." So, it appears that this is more eisigesis than exegesis and therefore is an error. Besides, even if this was to represent sexual intimacy, it doesn't negate the fact that this "sermon" should be about preaching the Gospel and the exposition of the text, not saturating a time that is supposed to be dedicated to the preaching of God's Word with pure drivel (n 1: a worthless message) or post-modern crap.

4) At 30 mins and 1 sec Pastor slack quotes a rank heretic, Rob Bell, as if this heretic has some sort of authority. This could be a whole separate review and critique in itself, trust me! But for some insight into his heresy here are some direct quotes form Rob Bell: (a) [The Bible is a] "Human product...rather than the product of divine fiat." -from Emergent Mystique, Christianity Today; (b) "For Jesus, the question wasn't, how do I get into heaven? But how do I bring heaven here? The question wasn't, how do I get in there? But how do I get there, here? -from his heretical book Velvet Elvis; (c) "What if tomorrow someone digs up definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly, biological father named Larry, and archaeologists find Larry's tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel writers threw in to appeal to the followers of the Mithra and Dionysian religious cults that were hugely popular at the time of Jesus, whose gods had virgin births? But what if as you study the origin of the word virgin, you discover that the word virgin in the gospel of Matthew actually comes from the book of Isaiah, and then you find out that in the Hebrew language at that time, the word virgin could mean several things. And what if you discover that in the first century being "born of a virgin" also referred to a child whose mother became pregnant the first time she had intercourse?" -from his heretical book Velvet Elvis; (d) Following the former quote he states, "Is the way of Jesus still the best possible way to live? Or does the whole thing fall apart?...if the whole faith falls apart when we reexamine and rethink one spring, then it wasn't that strong in the first place, was it?" -from his heretical book Velvet Elvis; (e) "We're rediscovering Christianity as an Eastern religion, as a way of life." -From the The Emergent Mystique, CT; (f) This is part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that “Scripture alone” is our guide. It sounds nice but it is not true… When people say that all we need is the Bible, it is simply not true. -From Velvet Elvis; (g) "Hell is full of forgiven people. Heaven is full of people God loves, whom Jesus died for. Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for. The difference is how we choose to live, which story we choose to live in, which version of reality we trust." -From Velvet Elvis; and (h) "I can't find one place in the teachings of Jesus, or the Bible for that matter, where we are to identify ourselves first and foremost as sinners" -From Velvet Elvis. Blashphemy!! An abomination!! All of these are heresies, period!! So, I really don't care what Rob Bell has to say about anything because he is a liar and a heretic!! These are just a view of the tons of heretical writings and comments from this so-called "Pastor" and Pastor Slack has the audacity to quote him in his seminar (since it is not a real sermon). Shame on you Pastor Slack and those at Westlink Christian Church that condone this type of "sermon." REPENT!!

5) At 17 mins into the "sermon" Pastor Slack involves the Book of the Song of Solomon into his commentary saying that "the entire book of the Book of the Song of Solomon is poetry that describes and expresses the beauty and the joy of sex between a man and a woman." Okay, this is probably true to an extent (I believe it is), but I do not think that it is primarily just sexuality as so often it is interpreted as being. It is the full scale of intimacy that is found in Biblical marriage. Not just that, but a Biblical marriage with a full range of intimacy and closeness points to Christ (and His bride, the Church). We should not separate these out. As important as this intimacy is, the primary focus of the Bible is Jesus Christ--all books and every chapter and verse!!

6) Although the last points are quite important indeed, they are fodder compared to these following points. Throughout the "sermon" Pastor Slack slings around the name of Jesus and the "Gospel" without ever explaining it or going deeper into it's meaning and significance. He doesn't preach the Gospel--sin, repentance, faith alone, trust alone in Christ alone, etc. We don't ever hear of hell and the wrath of God. It is totally devoid of the true Gospel message. At about 27 mins 50 secs Pastor Slack reads Ephesians 5:31-33, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." Praise God. Note: "It refers to Christ and the church." As important as marriage is (it should be part of some sermons certainly), ultimately, it is about Christ and His Church!! So, preach that along with the true Gospel message and quit topically expounding on sexuality as if that could save anyone's soul. The flock needs to receive the full Gospel every single week without fail. Since every part of the Bible is about Jesus Christ it should be clear that the Gospel is the most important thing. We should treat it as the most important thing. We should preach it as the most important thing--without compromise.

At 28 mins 25 secs Pastor Slack definitely makes an important point that gives glory to God through Jesus Christ. He states (regarding Ephesians 5:31-33), "Husbands Wives can love each other in marriage only because of Jesus Christ. Only because of the love of God shown through Jesus Christ." This is so true. The question all should ask then is why do we rebel against God then? Husbands love your wives. Wives love your husbands. All the while we continue to lust after sin!! People need to hear this part, hello? Where's the conviction? Hold the Law up so they may truly see their need for the Savior and then soften their hearts with the true Gospel message. Ephesians 2:1-22 (ESV) reads,

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."

It takes until 32 mins 35 secs to even mention the word sin--he lists off a bunch of sins, starting at around ____ mins.

(....More to come)

Paul writes in Galatians 1:6-10,

"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. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

LINKS to Good References and Articles on this subject:

A)

B) Sex Sermons in a Box

D) Slice of Laodicea

E) More Slice of Laodicea

The “Seeker” Sensitive “Gospel” Leads Men & Women Straight to Hell (WATCH THIS!)


Romans 3:19-26 (ESV):

"Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

What Have They Done To Your Word?

How can anyone (many modern preachers especially) tamper with and trample on the Holy Word of God? God have mercy!! "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).

David Platt - Don't Waste It!!

Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?

by Charles Spurgeon (edited)

(Remember that this is written in the mid-1800's)


An evil is in the 'professed' camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted Christian can hardly fail to notice it. During the past few years this evil has developed at an alarming rate. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments!

The devil has seldom done a more clever thing, than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. From speaking out the gospel, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses!

My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the Church. If it is a Christian work why did not Christ speak of it? 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel'.

No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to Him. Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people, or because they confronted them? The 'concert' has no martyr roll.

Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all His apostles. What was the attitude of the apostolic Church to the world? "You are the salt of the world", not the sugar candy; something the world will spit out, not swallow.

Had Jesus introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into His teaching, He would have been more popular. When "many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him," I do not hear Him say, 'Run after these people, Peter, and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow; something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it! Be quick, Peter, we must get the people somehow!'

No! Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them!

In vain will the epistles be searched to find any trace of the 'gospel of amusement'. Their message is, "Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them... Don't touch their filthy things..." Anything approaching amusement is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.

After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the Church had a prayer meeting, but they did not pray, 'Lord, grant unto your servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are'.

No! They did not cease from preaching Christ. They had no time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down; that is the only difference from today's church.

Lastly, amusement fails to effect the end desired. Let the heavy laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment had been God's link in the chain of their conversion, stand up! There are none to answer! The mission of amusement produces no converts!

The need of the hour for today's ministry is earnest spirituality joined with Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.

Lord, clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods!

See Video at Jason's The Apathy of the Modern Church BLOG Page!

The Apathy of the Modern Church!

APATHY (noun) is the lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference. Visit: Jason's The Apathy of the Modern Church BLOG PAGE!

Yes, Even to Avoid the Appearance of Evil

"All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins" (Numbers 6:4).

"Nazarites had taken, among other vows, one that debarred them from the use of wine. In order that they might not violate the obligation, they were forbidden to drink the vinegar of wine or strong liquors; and to make the rule even clearer, they were not to touch the unfermented juice of grapes, nor even to eat the fruit either fresh or dried. In order to secure the integrity of the vow, they were not even allowed anything that had to do with the vine; they were, in fact, to avoid the appearance of evil. Surely this is a lesson to the Lord's separated ones, teaching them to come away from sin in every form, to avoid not merely its grosser shapes but even its spirit and likeness. Such strict walkingis much despised in these days, but rest assured, dear reader, it is the safest and happiest path. He who yields a point or two to the world is in fearful peril; he who eats the grapes of Sodom will soon drink the wine of Gomorrah. A little crevice in the seawall in Holland lets in the sea, and the gap soon swells until a province is drowned. Worldly conformity, in any degree, is a snare to the soul and makes it more and more liable to presumptuous sins. The Nazirite who drank grape juice could not be completely certain whether or not it had been fermented and consequently could not be clear in heart that his vow was intact. In a similar way the yielding, vacillating Christian cannot have a clear conscience but is constantly aware of his double standard. Doubtful things we need not wonder about; they are wrong for us. Tempting things we must not play with, but run from them speedily. Better to be sneered at as a Puritan than to be despised as a hypocrite. Careful walking may involve much self-denial, but it has pleasures of its own that are more than a sufficient reward."



Taken from Charles Spurgeon's Evening by Evening devotional for August 29th.

I Am Not Ashamed of the TRUE Gospel

It is time to take salvation seriously and stop distorting the Biblical view of salvation which is salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Take heed!!

Ten Shekels and a Shirt - Paris Reidhead

Real Christians or False Converts?

I remember reading a statistic (I'm not much on statistics but this was fascinating) that recorded that only 4% of professing "Christians" are true Bible believing Christians. "Bible believing" meaning a non-compromising adherence to the non-negotiables (fundamentals) of Biblical Christian faith such as the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1; John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8-9), the Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27), the Blood Atonement (Acts 20:28; Romans 3:25, 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12-14), the Bodily Resurrection (Luke 24:36-46; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 15:14-15), the inerrancy of the Scriptures themselves (Psalm 12:6-7; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20), and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Zechariah 14; Matthew 24:4-31; Luke 17:20-37; Revelation 19). "Bible believing" meaning that one wholly believes that the Bible is true (including those tough and essential Doctrines, such as the doctrine of election and justification is by faith alone in Christ alone apart from works, to name a few), is breathed out by God (Divinely inspired), is the only written Word of God, is immutable, is inerrant, is infallible, is authoritative, and is relevant in any society or culture (that it doesn't need added to or detracted from). "Bible believing Christian" meaning also that the Christian is truly born-again (repentance, justification, regeneration, etc.) according the Scriptures and is separated (sanctified) out of the world. I could go on and on here, but this is a sufficient introduction to this most important concept. For a clear view on salvation and what being born again looks like go to the Word of God first and then pick up the book Justification and Regeneration by Charles Leiter at Monergism Books (Click Here). Look at this article: Are You Born Again?" (Click Here!).

Listen! Revival is of God!!

This one is kind of long (35 minutes) but very well worth the time. Praise God for this type of preaching!! Emerging Churches, Postmodern Churches, Purpose-Driven Churches be gone!! We need to get back to Biblical preaching!!

God Have Mercy - Does Any of This Look Familiar to Anyone?

I'm going to be sick!! What an abomination!! After viewing this sickening activity, look at the video on my blog posted August 23, 2008 for a look into true Christianity!!

Unashamed to tell the truth!!

John 10:10 - The Abundant Life

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

I want to start by saying that it is crucial that we all tread carefully when dealing with the words of the Most Holy God of Scripture!! I tremble with reverence for His glory. My only desire is to do His will and to give all the glory to God Almighty through the worhip and praise of His Son Jesus Christ. I am writing my thoughts here with utmost reverence and diligence to be careful not to depart from or alter what God intended in His Word.

I need to begin by getting something off my chest here. Excuse me. I do NOT want to hear about how this passage (John 10:10) is about us having an "abundant life" here on earth while millions of people all over the planet are suffering beyond anything we (most American's particularly) can fathom!! Try in good conscience preaching "Your Best Life Now" to the dying, the poor, the diseased, etc. Forget about it!! It makes me sick to think that any pastor (or any other student of the Bible for that matter) would have the audacity to propagate this heresy! I am not a scholar by any stretch of the imagination, but I know that when taken in context to the rest of Scripture this passage is referring to abundant eternal life with Jesus Christ. Uh... do we not remember Paul writing in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."?? What about "Denying yourself?" In Luke 9:23 and Matthew 16:24, Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Jesus continues in Luke 9:24-25 and Matthew 16:25-26 saying, "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" Can we just read the Bible and get back to the Word of God instead of feeding our insatiable appetites for self advancement and enhancement!! Dying is gain!! Living is Christ!! NOT one's best life now!! Thank you.

I have increasingly become more aware that many people have approached and are approaching this passage (John 10:10) with the incorrect presupposition (even an expectation) that God is vehemently concerned about us having an "abundant life" now in the form of happiness, painlessness, and a life with little or no trials. Many of the comments about this verse follow the "Your Best Life Now" and the "Purpose-Driven Life" false teaching movements (among others). It is important to understand that the Gospel, the True Gospel that is from the Word of God, should be able to be preached to all the world. If it is the true Gospel message, it will able to be preached the same everywhere! How can someone who believes in this false hermeneutic of John 10:10 preach or witness this verse (or any part of the Gospel) to someone who is experiencing famine in a third-world country or someone who is a young adult who has a deadly disease or any of the millions who are not experiencing their so-called "best?" Is someone who is dying (especially at a young age) having their best life now? Listen closely here! We are not called to have abundant life in any worldly sense, but we are called to become children of God by way of true repentance and ultimately through complete trust and faith in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior!! This is the only way that we "might have life and have it more abundantly." A false view of the Biblical "abundant life" can, and most certainly will, lead to eternal damnation--Hell. When a person is having their "best life now" or are living the abundant worldly life here on Earth, it is clear that their eternal life is in serious jeopardy. The Gospel message IS Good News, however it is not the good news of "having our best lives now." The Gospel is to be taken to ALL the world unaltered and devoid of eisigetical infusion or delusion. It is destructive to manipulate (or use eisigesis, instead of exegesis) the Word of God to fit someone's anthropocentric presupposition or their selfish, whimsical, and worldly desires.

One exegetical web commentary correctly writes, "With this verse many incorrectly teach that Jesus came to give life, not just ordinary existence, but life in fullness, abundance, and prosperity in this world. There is a great problem with this perspective. First, let's take a look at the word "life". In the Greek it is "Zoe" (S# 2222) referring to the principle of life in the spirit and soul. Distinguished from "bios" (S# 979), which refers to duration, means, and manner of life.So we find that the life (zoe) that Jesus referred to are the things of the spirit, the things which are not seen. Not the things of the flesh or of the world which are seen. Jesus here is talking about eternal life, not about having good things on this earth" (TheWordsofEternalLife.Com/John_10.html).

The life that Jesus is referring to here is not the temporal life but the eternal life through Him. The Reformation Study Bible (ESV) commentary explains that "The life that Jesus gives is unique because it is eternal, and He gives this life in ever-growing abundance to His redeemed." John MacArthur writes in his commentary, referring to verses 9 and 10, that "These two verses are a proverbial way of insisting that belief in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God is the only way of being 'saved' from sin and hell and receiving eternal life. Only Jesus Christ is the one true source for the knowledge of God and the one basis for spiritual security." The believer's abundant life (the assurance of eternal life) comes by way of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.

If one's abundance is here on earth (the abundance of this world) are they receiving the true abundance of eternal life? We are called to be "in the world", but not "of the world." Jesus Said, "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19). Jesus also said, "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (John 17:14).

How does the wrong interpretation of John 10:10 correlate with 2 Timothy 3:12 which tells us, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" or Colossians 3:1-4 where God says to us, "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Are these verses talking about "your abundant life now here on earth?" No! How about 1 John 2:15-17, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

It would behoove us to heed the warning breathed out by God in James 4:4 where we learn, "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

"For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13:14).

(More to be added later)

-Jason

Note: All verses are from English Standard Bible (ESV).