Month: August 2009

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Steven J. Lawson: “Finish Strong!” (Galatians 5:7-5:12)

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Galatians 5:7-12—7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. 12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.

The believers in Galatia had begun well. But along came the Judaizers, leading them away from the truth of the gospel. Their faith, which was at first strong, had been diluted by false teachers. Like many today. They begin with faith, but then they get caught up in false doctrines (like the heretical prosperity “gospel”), and are turned away from the truth. Much like these believers, who were turned from the truth by those who would add circumcision to the cross of Christ, much like many add baptism to the cross of Christ.

Here is the sixteenth installment of this series going verse-by-verse through what Dr. Lawson calls “Paul’s Most Explosive Letter.” You can listen by left-clicking this link.

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Comparing the two witnesses of Jesus Christ.

Virgin Birth

The following is from 4 Mormon:

BIBLE’S WITNESS OF CHRIST

BOOK OF MORMON’S WITNESS OF CHRIST

Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:1 and Micah 5:2)

Jesus Christ was born at Jerusalem. (Alma 7:10)

Jesus Christ promised: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
(Matthew 24:35)

“…there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.” —1 Nephi 13:28

During Jesus’ death, darkness covered the earth for three hours. (Matthew 27:45)

At Jesus’ death, darkness covered the earth for three days. (Helaman 14:20, 27)

Christ’s followers were first called “Christians” at Antioch (after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven).
(Acts 11:26)

Christ’s followers were called “Christians” at 73 B.C. (70+ years before Christ was born).
(Alma 46:15).

Melchizedek (a picture of Christ in the Old Testament) was “without father.” (Hebrews 7:3)

Melchizedek “did reign under his father.”
(Alma 13:18)
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Quotes (585)

voddie-baucham If you want to know whether or not someone truly loves God, watch what he or she does. If a person does not do the things that God says are pleasing and acceptable, and in fact does the things that God abhors and forbids, and yet claims to love God, it will be tough to support that claim. In fact, John argues, “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected” (1 John 2:4-5a).

– Voddie Baucham

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Foul Water from Polluted Springs

From the Institute for Nouthetic Studies (a Christian counseling ministry), comes this encouragement for our fellow defenders/contenders to keep fighting the good fight of faith:

Proverbs 25:26 (NASB)—Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

This powerful proverb is one for the conservative church today. Too often, by not speaking up, by failure to avow the truth, and in dozens of other ways, it is demonstrated to be true.

In Palestine, with many areas in which water was at a premium, a spring was a valuable item. To pollute it was a horrible act—a crime that meant the possible death of many who depended on it for the water of life. So, the words to an American today, who has no such vital need, may seem inconsequential. They were not to those in biblical times.

What the proverb is saying to us today is that for a believer to back off from confronting the errors of the wicked is like the act of polluting the source of water upon which people are dependant. Under the guise of charity, love–or what not—the failure to speak up, to expose, and to confute error when it appears in the church is to pollute God’s message. People who drink from a polluted fountain—and there are many today who do—will be infected by it. It carries the danger of sickness and death.

False teachers are nothing new to the church; they have always been a threat. Compromise with evil teaching by God’s people, sadly, has likewise been a problem. In these days, when so much is at stake, the conservative church cannot afford to back off or, as the proverb puts it “give way to the wicked.” Get a backbone; stand for the truth. God bless you when you do

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Quotes (584)

john-bunyan.jpg Shun therefore the evil ways of Christians, but cleave to the way that is Christian. . . . Take heed therefore of picking up a quarrel with Jesus Christ, and with His ways, because of the evil doings of some of His followers. Judas sold Him; Peter denied Him: and many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him; but neither Himself nor His ways were the worse for that.

– John Bunyan

1628 – 1688

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Sermon of the week: “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” by Russ Sukhia.

sukhia.jpg Your sermon of the week is Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered by Russ Sukhia. The sermon overview from Sermon Audio reads:

This Reformation Day sermon, the fourth in a series on Galatians, looks at justification by faith, and endeavors to clearly explain exactly how our redemption is accomplished. This message, which includes a summary of Luther’s life and a fictitious account of a breakfast meeting with Arnold Schwerzenneger and Bill Gates, was well-received. One member said it was ‘the best gospel message I have heard in 40 years as a Christian.’

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Quotes (583)

j_elliot

“Further, J. says, ‘The worship service is most satisfying to me as an individual.’ What in all eternity has that got to do with it? Have her personal likes and dislikes any right to dictate method in the holy church of God? It is this attitude that has brought hopeless confusion into our present order, for holy rolling, and snake-handling are most satisfying to some folks as individuals. Let God be true and every man a liar. Is it His way? Then let my personal likes be filed in the waste-can. Let me follow by afforded grace. It is neither J.s job nor mine to commend or condemn any system of gathering. It is the responsibility of both of us to search the Scriptural principles, find the all-important Thus saith the Lord.”

–Jim Elliott, 1927-1956

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Refuting the cry of “Make Jesus Lord Today!”

Have you ever heard one of these “preachers” as they stand there and try to sound all hip and cool and relevant by saying that you should “Make Jesus Lord today!!!” That is about one of the most unbiblical statements a person can make. We don’t “make” Jesus Lord–

HE ALREADY IS!!!!!!!!

Acts 2:36-“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Over 100 times in the New Testament, Jesus is called “LORD.” Philippians 2:11—…and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ IS LORD… Friend, you CANNOT be saved WITHOUT confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. Romans 10:9—IF you confess Jesus Christ as LORD, and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dea, you will be saved. Does Paul say “If you confess Jesus Christ as savior” you will be saved? NO. He says, “If you confess Him as LORD” you will be saved. See that? We don’t make Jesus Lord–we confess that he IS Lord!!!!!!!!!

Here is Dr. John MacArthur exposing the error that is taught throughout modern American evangelicalism today.

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Quotes (582)

John MacArthur Worldly preachers seem to go out of their way to put their carnal expertise on display—even in their sermons. In the name of connecting with “the culture” they want their people to know they have seen all the latest programs on MTV; familiarized themselves with all the key themes of “South Park”; learned the lyrics to countless tracks of gangsta rap and heavy metal music; and watched who-knows-how-many R-rated movies. They seem to know every fad top to bottom, back to front, and inside out. They’ve adopted both the style and the language of the world—including lavish use of language that used to be deemed inappropriate in polite society, much less in the pulpit. They want to fit right in with the world, and they seem to be making themselves quite comfortable there.

– John MacArthur


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The Cotton Patch Gospel.

Cotton Patch Gospel As if I needed more evidence of the decline of the visible church in America, I stumbled upon the following DVD offered in a Vision Videos Christian catalog. The Cotton patch Gospel is described as follows:

This award-winning musical drama is a leg-slappin’, toe-tappin’, hand-clappin’ hoe-down of a story that retells the Gospels of Matthew and John—translated into present day Southern vernacular. It brings the far away places of Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem closer to home—Atlanta and Valdosta, Georgia. From his birth in a trailer in Gainesville, Georgia to his Good Friday lynching and Easter Sunday victory, the story of Mary Davidson’s son, Jesus, is presented musically with zest and uninhibited joy.

Imagine if you will, that someone made a video like this of Islam, and depicted Mohamed in the same fashion as they did Jesus Christ. The Muslims would be up in arms.

Not us, though. We shrug at it and order a copy for our church youth group.

Ichabod! Ichabod! Ichabod!

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I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing 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 what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

– Galatians 1:6-9

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Quotes (582)

spurgeon-pic.jpg If we let passion take the place of judgment, and self-will reign instead of Scriptural authority, we shall fight the Lord’s battles with the devil’s weapons, and if we cut our own fingers we must not be surprised.

– Charles Spurgeon

1834 – 1892

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Quotes (581)

awpink.jpg There are those who profess to believe in the existence of God . . . yet they have not His fear upon them and are not in subjection to Him. So there are many who claim to trust in the finished work of Christ, yet their daily walk is no different from that of thousands of respectable worldlings. They profess to be Christians; yet are covetous, unscrupulous, untruthful, proud, self-willed, uncharitable; in a word, utterly unchristian.

– A.W. Pink

1886 – 1952

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Evangelism That Works?

I’ve seen Google ads for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University that promote the program with this line: Evangelism that works.
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I recently took the class, and I can definitely recommend it for its solid financial training. However, I’d say to advertise it as evangelism that works is to demonstrate a lack of understanding of evangelism.

In the course, Ramsey certainly talks about the Bible and gives applications for Scripture verses, but that isn’t evangelism. Evangelism isn’t getting people to come to your church, or pointing out to them that biblical principles about finances are relevant to their lives.

Evangelism is proclaiming the gospel, and that means explaining to people that:

  • God is holy, we are sinners, and God can’t allow sinners into heaven.
  • God made a way to not compromise His justice yet forgive people’s sins through Jesus Christ.

I think Ramsey is trying to appeal to the fear of evangelism that most of us have in abundance. If you can’t work up the nerve to actually witness to someone, maybe you can invite them to an event at your church. Once you get them there, you don’t have to actually share the gospel; you just have to play videos.

I recommend Ramsey’s books and products for their financial advice, but I can’t recommend them for evangelism purposes. If you invested the two hours a week in going out witnessing, you could almost certainly witness to many more people than you would if you held a Financial Peace University at which you actually proclaimed the gospel.

People don’t get saved by hanging around with really likable Christians or learning that the Bible is cool. They can only be saved by hearing the gospel (Romans 10:14), and there simply is no gospel message within the materials of the Financial Peace University. As desperately as we try to avoid it, the cold, hard fact is that Christians must actually open their mouths and explain the gospel.

—–Update—–8/18/09—–

I’ve been thinking about the line “Evangelism that works” and it’s been bothering me. Even if there was evangelism in Ramsey’s materials, we don’t select our evangelism based on what works. We do what the Bible says, regardless of the results. Furthermore, we don’t do it expecting results, but because God has commanded it.

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Film review: “The Monstrous Regiment of Women.”

Having no idea what this video was about, I recently watched The Monstrous Regiment of Women. I quickly found myself not wanting it to end. It was a great documentary detailing the effects that feminism has had on our culture. This documentary includes interviews with Phyllis Schlafly (of the Eagle Forum), Stacy McDonald (who wrote Raising Maidens of Virtue) as well as a feminist and several pro-abortion supporters.

One of the most fascinating parts of the documentary is a trip inside a Planned Parenthood event for kids and an interview with former abortion mill operator Carol Everett (of The Heidi Group) who reveals the dark secrets of the abortion industry.

Although the video starts off a little slow (about the first ten minutes) it picks up and leaves you wanting more. I highly recommend this video to the readers of DefCon, but be cautioned, some scenes may not be suitable for children (e.g. video of an aborted child).

The Gunn Brother’s second documentary, goes all out to demolish the feminist worldview. From a consistently Christian perspective, they show how feminism has had a devastating impact on the church, state, and family. Starting with the infamous 16th century essay written by the reformer John Knox against the reigning female monarch, the Gunn Brothers find plenty of application to America’s political landscape; where feminists vie for every possible office including the presidency. Featuring an all star, all female cast, the Gunn Brothers prove that feminism has in fact restricted choices for all women, brought heartache to the lives of many, and perpetuated the largest holocaust since the beginning of time.

Here’s the trailer (suitable for family viewing):

You can purchase the video at MonstrousRegiment.com.

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Quotes (579)

The Stranger Just because the Moral Law is unable to restore the broken relationship with God does not mean it is without value. Just as physical laws create order in the universe, so spiritual laws create order in a nation. Many countries have rejected the biblical code of conduct at the risk of living in a morally-neutral society. No such society truly exists. No such civilization has ever survived. To take no stand is, in effect, to take a position. The rejection of biblical absolutes has resulted in a callousness towards wrong, with each generation becoming more comfortable with sin. The Bible teaches that this will eventually lead to chaos.

– John R. Cross

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Quotes (578)

j_elliot

American believers have sold their lives to the service of Mammon, and God has His rightful way of dealing with those who succumb to the spirit of Laodicea.

– Jim Elliot

1927 – 1956


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UPDATE on this post: According to Mark Driscoll’s Facebook page, the episode of Hour of Power will be airing August 23rd. That is probably when it will be available on the internet as well.