Author: Pilgrim

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Quotes (86)

ryle.jpg Keep company with an unsaved man, and it is more probable you will, in the end, become like him. That is the general consequence of all such friendships. The good go down to the bad, and the bad do not come up to the good. The world’s proverb is only too correct: “Clothes and company tell true tales about character.” “Show me who a man lives with and I will show you what he is.” . . . But depend on it, bad company in this life is the sure way to procure worse company in the life to come.

-J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

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Quotes (85)

yahannan.jpg   This present generation of Americans, particular, is receiving the most unearned and undeserved favor of all time. God has made this people the richest nation on earth, yet Americans carry on as if this wealth were a natural right–as if they have no obligation to a lost world, dying in darkness without Christ. God has been so patient with us. Why this awesome grace continues must be a question all heaven asks! Surely the United States today deserves His judgment and punishment. Yet the Lord has continued to show mercy to these wayward descendants of the Mayflower and Jamestown believers. The living God has been keeping the covenants those first settlers made with Him, mercifully keeping His promises to a prodigal people.

– K.P. Yohannan

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“The Lord spoke to me.”

Jim from Old Truth had the following great story from Steve Camp. I think it’s a fantastic approach to the “I have a word from the Lord for you” crowd. The very crowd I was associated with for several years in my early Christian walk. (Funny how so many of them had “a word” but so few of them read “the Word”). I wish more people would be this discerning.

A young man stood up in the middle of the auditorium and shouted to me, “Brother Steve, I have a word from the Lord for you.” Taken a bit back by his rudeness, but impressed with his courage, I asked him politely, “OK, what Bible verse did you want to share with me?” He said, “Oh no, this is a word directly from God for you personally.”

Steve Camp said back to him: “I know every verse is penned by the Lord–it is all directly from Him to us. So what Bible verse did you want to share with me?” Becoming more and more frustrated at his inability to ‘woo’ me to his words of “divine revelation,” I finally agreed to let him speak with one condition (and believe me, I was being generous in letting it go this far); I told him, “Everything you say must agree perfectly with God’s final revelation in His Word. If anything you say, no matter how trivial, disagrees with Scripture, then I will have to rebuke you in front of all these people and then we will all have to take you outside and stone you to death!” With those ground rules stated, he thought for a moment and then said these profound words, “Maybe it was a feeling I had?” I said, “Good answer man–now sit down.”

To see the whole post, click here.

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Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

I have no intention of making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I found an interesting post on the blog True Discernment and thought some of you may want to weigh in on it. (Also see Independent Conservative’s similar post here). It features Christmas greetings from two popular women “pastors.” As supposed Christian leaders, do you see any problem with Juanita Bynum and Paula White’s Christmas greetings? Is this just a by-product of who they truly are? I mean Christ of the Bible is often times absent from their “sermons” (in place of health, wealth, prosperity, and even sex) so why should He be included in their Christmas greetings? What do you think?

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Are you a Monergist or Synergist?

Just some food for thought for today: Are you a Monergist or a Synergist?

Some noteworthy monergists include:
 John MacArthur, RC Sproul, John Piper, D. James Kennedy, Charles Spurgeon, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Martin Luther.

Noteworthy synergists include:
Billy Graham, Joel Osteen, Tim Lahaye, Charles Stanley, Jerry Falwell, John Wesley, Charles Finney, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, and the Catholic church.

Not sure what a Monergist or a Synergist is? Couldn’t identify them if you met them on the street? Well then, check out the explanation by clicking here.
HT: Old Truth.
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Quotes (84)

tozer.jpg   I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.

– A.W. Tozer

1897 – 1963

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Another “preacher” on Larry King . . . another missed opportunity.

The female version of Joel Osteen has been discovered. Regarding Paula White’s book You’re All That, Larry King asks “This is a self-help book?” She responds, “Well, I believe the Bible helps yourself. So I think, you know, it’s based around the biblical principles and truths that transform me.”

Thanks to Independent Conservative for this video. Check out his commentary on this video here.

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Quotes (83)

yahannan.jpg One of the most impressive blessings in America is religious liberty. Not only do Christians have access to radio and television, unheard of in most nations of Asia, but they are also free to hold meetings, evangelize, and print literature. How different this is from many Asian nations in which government persecution of Christians is common and often legal. . . . Coming from India, where I was beaten and stoned for my faith, I know what it is to be a persecuted minority in my own country. When I set foot on Western soil, I could sense a spirit of religious liberty. Americans have never known the fear of persecution. . . . From India, I always looked to the United States as a fortress of Christianity. With the abundance of both spiritual and material things, affluence unsurpassed by any nation on earth, and a totally unfettered church, I expected to see a bold witness. God’s grace obviously has been poured out on this nation and Church in a way no other people ever have experienced. Instead I found a Church in spiritual decline. . . . These people, I knew, were capable of so much more. They were dying spiritually, but I knew God wanted to give them life again. He wanted His Church to recover its moral mandate and sense of mission. . . . God did not shower such great blessing on this nation for the Christians to live in extravagance, in self-indulgence, and in spiritual weakness.

– K.P. Yohannan

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Sermon of the week: “The Fruits of Repentance” by Tim Conway.

conwaypic.jpg This week’s sermon is by Pastor Tim Conway and is entitled (Shut your mouth if you don’t have) The Fruits of Repentance. Warning to the nominal professing Christian: this sermon will step on your toes.

Click on the link to listen streaming, or right click on the link and click “Save As” (Internet Explorer) or “Save Link As” (Mozilla) to save to your computer. From there you can burn this to a CD or upload it to your MP3 player.

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Joseph Smith: The Enchanter

enchanter.gif I just received a copy of the brand-new, full-color, 32 page comic The Enchanter produced by Chick Publications. The comic is on the life of Joseph Smith and I was very anxious to read it.

After reading it I was very disappointed on many levels. Although the design, layout, and artwork are good, it failed to touch on the many problems with Mormonism that it could have.

The story starts with a modern-day crime scene and cover-up. The Mormon Doctrine of Blood Atonement is exercised and the Mormon-run police force conclude the murder was a suicide. The victim’s wife seeks financial help from some men in another city to flee the town of Mormons. The two gentlemen who send this lady money to help her, have their curiosity piqued and seek to know more about Mormonism. Another man meets with them and the rest of the book is their conversation with illustrations of Joseph Smith and early Mormonism. The story never returns to the woman who lost her husband.

I have to admit, in my years of studying Mormonism, this comic alleged several things I never came across in my studies (not saying that they’re not true, I just never heard of them). Almost all of the other errors and lies of Mormonism were neglected.

I feel that Chick completely dropped the ball on this one. They missed so many grand opportunities and focused on matters that had less of an impact.

Additionally, I did not like the lack of documentation. If you’re going to make the allegations that this comic did, it only stands to reason to footnote where this information came from. This way when Mormons charge that you are lying and made this stuff up (like Jim did in this post) they can research the information for themselves; if they dare.

After reading this comic, I felt more like it was designed to just bash Joseph Smith and Mormons, not intellectually examine the facts and point the reader to the true Christ. Although the gospel message is included, it gets lost in all the drama.

In conclusion, I feel this comic may do more harm than good in sharing the Gospel with Mormons and enlightening those who are unfamiliar with the organization and its gross errors.

I think that many times Christians in their zealousness to share the truth do much damage. That’s why I cannot recommend this comic. Its attempt to cast Mormons in the light it did, does not sit well with me. Just the other day I was listening to Issues Etc on Pilgrim Radio on the topic of Jehovah’s Witnesses. One caller referred to the Mormons by saying something to the effect “when talking to the morons, uh I mean Mormons . . .” which he did intentionally. This grieves me and angers me at the same time. People who would say that does not have the Mormon’s best interest in mind (their eternal soul) but are just trying to win arguments.

I have yet to meet a Mormon I didn’t like. It’s their false doctrine I take issue with, not the individual Mormon. I get falsely accused all the time of being anti-Mormon and being a Mormon-basher. It usually comes from Mormons who can’t engage in the debate because they know that the Truth is not on their side. In reality, I love the Mormon people. I want to see them saved from the eternal fate they are in, (the deception and the lies which will lead them to Hell), and come to a true relationship with the Jesus of the Bible.

** UPDATE **

It has been brought to my attention by OB Server (thank you) that Chick Publications has referenced the material in this comic on their website. You can see it by clicking here. I wish they had put the references in the book, not everyone will have the opportunity to refer to the website.

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Quotes (82)

washerpic.jpg   Now, the word legalism is oftentimes brought up today. And it’s just used totally out of context. Anybody who has any kind of conviction about anything, seems to be called a legalist. Now a legalist is someone who believes that they are going to have a right standing before through their own obedience, their own virtue and merit; and that’s a legalist. Now, Jesus Christ said, also in Matthew chapter 7, He said, “depart from me, you workers of lawlessness, I never knew you.” And what He’s saying there basically is depart from Me all of you who claim to be My disciples but lived as though I never gave you a law to obey.

– Paul Washer