Sermon of the week: “Whatever Happened to Christian Unity?” by Phil Johnson.

Your sermon of the week is Whatever Happened to Christian Unity? by Phil Johnson. This is a fantastic message on what Jesus really prayed for when He prayed for the unity of Believers. Not only does Phil Johnson do a fantastic job of explaining what true Christian unity is, he also does an equally good job explaining what it isn’t!

This sermon should be required listening to all those who feel the urge to leave the “can’t we all get along” or “we’re all God’s children,” or “quit tearing each other apart” comments on DefCon. The Scriptures are very clear about what true unity is, and it’s not what most people (including professing Christians) are proposing today.

Phil Johnson also examines in this message the unbiblical push for unity between Evangelicals and Catholics. I highly recommend this sermon to the readers of DefCon, especially those who see very little difference between Christianity and Roman Catholicism.

“If we find any evidence you are a Christian, we will kill you.”

guillotine This death threat was uttered from an Iranian judge spoken to an underground Believer in Iran as quoted in the latest Voice of the Martyrs publication (2009 Special Issue page 8).

It got me thinking about the difference between those who become Christians in nations where it means a death sentence, and those who become Christians in the West. It raised the following questions for me:

– What if we were faced with the same proclamation that this judge gave to this man?

– How would we react in this same situation?

– Are we prepared to face this possible life or death situation?

– If Christianity was made illegal tomorrow and we were brought before a court for the crime of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence in the average life of an American Believer to convict them?

Tough questions, but questions we may one day have to face no matter what comfortable, prosperous, and secure nation we live in today.


Quotes (469)

voddie-baucham Most Christians in our culture live like everyone else. There is little distinction between our lives and the lives of the pagans down the street. We wear the same clothes, watch the same movies, read the same books, send our children to the same schools, and sign the same divorce decrees as everyone else. Furthermore, there ought to be a sign posted in every Christian bookstore that reads, “The views expressed in these books do not necessarily express the views of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” I’m not saying, don’t read Christian books. I’m just saying, read them with discernment.

– Voddie Baucham

Book Review: “The Lamb” by John R. Cross.

the-lambI recently completed this wonderful book and was quite impressed with the strong yet simple explanation of the Gospel. Although it’s written for children, it is also good for those who have no clue what the Gospel is because it explains it in very easy terms accompanied with beautiful illustrations and questions at the end of each chapter to reinforce what you’ve learned. My wife absolutely loves this book and we recommend it to anyone who will listen. Instead of raving on and on about it, I’ve posted a few reviews from other readers below.

And if you want to get your own copy of this book you can purchase it here at Family Faith Books.  

the-lamb-illustration-2the-lamb-illustration-1


54321 That really communicates to kids!
By: step October 31, 2008

I have been reading “The Lamb” with my children at night for the past week and they absolutely LOVE it! They love the lifelike pictures, especially the grandpa rescuing the kid out of the river. That really communicates to kids! I just want to commend you for working on those resources.

54321 Can I give it 10 out of 5 stars?
By: eiluj03 August 17, 2008

This is the clearest gospel teaching book I have seen for kids. Ever. Its tone (both in graphics and text) is serious but beautiful and simple to understand. I have been buying books for my church library and I have yet to find one that is as clear on the gospel without being really drawn out (The Lamb has ten short chapters). It has cleared up adults’ understanding of the gospel as they understand with clarity the old testament lamb sacrifice and how that was foreshadowing Christ: our lamb. Ultimately, our focus should be the greatness of the message of the gospel. But this book is an excellent for getting that message across—I am so happy to have been introduced to it.

54321 The gospel in simple language without leaving out key truths
By: gracefaithway June 27, 2008

This book draws out the truths of the scriptures in a simple story format while avoiding difficult language or clich�s that can confuse a child’s understanding of salvation. I bought this book to read in Sunday school as well as to my 4 year old and 8 year old daughters at home. The full color illustrations are vibrant and hold their attention. The story is a slow progression with excellent questions at the end of each chapter to ensure comprehension. The story clearly shows who God is in His Holy character and perfect nature. The fall of mankind is made evident resulting in man’s just deserved punishment of Hell. This book doesn’t shelter children from the truths of scripture like the shedding of the innocent lamb’s blood in sinful man’s place, but makes these truths evident in a respectful and Christ-honoring manner. It is essential that even children understand that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Sin requires death and that innocent lamb died in the place of the guilty sinner. I have found that this book is a springboard for conversations with my girls about God’s character and nature during normal daily activities (i.e., dinner, a car ride, shopping, etc.). Our world is so filled with entertainment that Christ is almost squeezed out of our mindset. We also have the lamb DVD that we watch as a family and it entertains us all while teaching us timeless truths. I highly recommend this book for your children or as a gift. I can envision the very real possibility of an unsaved adult being saved while reading this book to their children or grand-children (that is my prayer for my own mother).

Check out more reader reviews here.

Quotes (468)

At our best we shall find in ourselves daily cause for humiliation, and discover that we are needy debtors to mercy and grace every hour. The more light we have, the more we shall see our own imperfection. Sinners we were when we began, sinners we shall find ourselves as we go on; renewed, pardoned, justified—yet sinners to the very last.

 

 

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

Have you seen me?

todd-bentley-milk-carton It wasn’t long ago that a gruff and tattooed charlatan sprung onto the world stage offering healings like a snake oil salseman. His followers defended him no matter what lies, deception, and heresy spewed from his forked tongue, even as he tried to get people to “believe in the angel.”

Then, faster than you can say, “Sheek A Boom Bah,” this once idol of Charismatics simply vanished off the face of the earth without a trace (infidelity scandals have a tendency to do that).

And the only thing more shocking than the absence of this “anointed prophet of God” is the absence of all of his defenders and supporters who ridiculed, attacked, and defamed all those who dared to examine and question Todd Bentley’s theology and practices.

The silence is deafening as the experience chasers sit quietly in the shadows waiting for their next big thing. I bet it’s going to be a doosey!

Thanks to Adrian and Social Hazard for making this post possible with photshop. Once again you’ve come through, Berry. Thanks a million.

Sermon of the week: “The Gospel of Justifying Grace” by Brian Borgman (Part 3 of 3).

Your sermon of the week is Brian Borgman’s message The Gospel of Justifying Grace (Part 3). This is part three of three on justifying grace and is a source of encouragement for believers in the assurance of salvation and the doctrine of justification. You can find part one here and part two here.

Sermon of the week: “Sola Fide – The Supremacy of God in Salvation” by Brian Borgman.

Brian Borgman Your sermon of the week is part seven of a fantastic thirteen-part series on the doctrines of grace. Sola Fide – The Supremacy of God in Salvation by Brian Borgman is from his series Introduction to the Reformed Faith.

And now, the “witch goat.”

witch-goat-of-nigeria From the same country plunged into spiritual darkness that brought you the heart-wrenching sad stories of The Witch Children of Africa, now Nigeria has a goat held in custody for car theft.

Why?

Because they believe the goat is a man who–by the power of witchcraft–transformed himself into the goat to avoid capture.

Read the news articles here:

World News Australia

The Times of India

Reuters U.K.

Nigeria desperately needs the redeeming true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for this nation and the entire continent of Africa.


Ch-ch-ch-changes.

Three men.

Three quotes.

Who said it?

number-1 “I am opposed to abortion and to government funding of abortions. We should not spend state funds on abortions because so many people believe abortion is wrong.”

number-2 “There are those who argue that the right to privacy is of [a] higher order than the right to life … that was the premise of slavery. You could not protest the existence or treatment of slaves on the plantation because that was private and therefore outside your right to be concerned.

What happens to the mind of a person, and the moral fabric of a nation, that accepts the aborting of the life of a baby without a pang of conscience? What kind of a person and what kind of a society will we have 20 years hence if life can be taken so casually? It is that question, the question of our attitude, our value system, and our mind-set with regard to the nature and worth of life itself that is the central question confronting mankind. Failure to answer that question affirmatively may leave us with a hell right here on earth.”

number-3“While the deep concern of a woman bearing an unwanted child merits consideration and sympathy, it is my personal feeling that the legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights which must be recognized — the right to be born, the right to love, the right to grown old.

I share the confidence of those who feel that America is working to care for its unwanted as well as wanted children, protecting particularly those who cannot protect themselves. I also share the opinions of those who do not accept abortion as a response to our society’s problems — an inadequate welfare system, unsatisfactory job training programs, and insufficient financial support for all its citizens.

When history looks back to this era it should recognize this generation as one which cared about human beings enough to halt the practice of war, to provide a decent living for every family and to fulfill its responsibility to its children from the very moment of conception.”

Click on “Continue Reading” below for the answers:


Continue reading

Quotes (465)

Grace is a provision for men who are so fallen that they cannot lift the axe of justice, so corrupt that they cannot change their own natures, so averse to God that they cannot turn to Him, so blind that they cannot see Him, so deaf that they cannot hear Him, and so dead that He Himself must open their graves and lift them into resurrection.

– G.S. Bishop

Where does Rick Warren go from here?

rick-warren Now that Rick Warren’s inauguration prayer has been examined and exposed by discerning Christians as nothing more than honoring God with his lips, and that same prayer has also angered the unbelieving left, where does he go from here? His prayer was a watershed event that has brought him to a fork in his broad road.

The man who has contributed more to the mile-wide, inch-deep church than anyone else alive today by compromising Biblical truths and blurring the lines between things of God and things of this world has a big decision ahead of him. If human nature and history are any barometer of what’s to come, then we should expect to see Mr. Warren continue to drift leftward ever so swiftly.

As Ingrid Sclueter so aptly observes:

“Rick Warren is faced with the fact that he is either going to have to state that all paths lead to God or confirm, unequivocally, that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. If he explicitly states that Christ is the only way, he will no longer be welcomed in the halls of political power, and he can forget any further snugglefests at the White House, the Council on Foreign Relations, the UN, and Davos.

As it stands now, he really pleases nobody. Straddling a fence gets really uncomfortable after a time. I predict that Warren is going to make a sharp move left theologically very shortly for this very reason. The Purpose-Driven machine has gone about as far as it’s going to go with his present approach. Just as Warren was willing to remove negative statements about homosexuality and church membership at the Saddleback site, he is, without doubt, going to have to delete even more material to move ahead to the rest of his spiritual program for the world.”

Sola Scriptura (60)

bible-page.jpg

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Romans 5:6-9

Mark Driscoll praises his “brother in Christ” Rick Warren.

mark-driscoll-handsrick-warren-beach-scene

From Slice of Laodicea:

Sex expert Pastor Mark Driscoll took time out from his bedroom advice blog to praise Rick Warren for his prayer blessing for Barack Obama. With Driscoll’s promotion of sites like ChristianNymphos.org and its advice on things like how to be a Christian dominatrix, the public thank-you may be a mixed blessing for the Purpose-Driven author who really doesn’t need any more controversy right now. That Mark Driscoll couldn’t discern the problem with praying God’s blessing on our death-promoting President should not register as a surprise. Driscoll also can’t discern the problem with playing a pastoral Dr. Ruth for his sex-addled followers.

To use Scriptural precedent for publicly praying God’s blessing on a leader who is an enemy of God is an abomination. Rick Warren’s prayer was the equivalent of standing up before Pol Pot, Idi Amin or Joseph Stalin and asking God to bless them. Yes, yes. We must pray for our leaders that they will have wisdom as they murder millions of innocent people. We’re simply fulfilling Scripture’s requirements, you know. We pray that Mr. Hitler will serve with excellence and distinction. We ask that Pol Pot would do well in his killing fields and that Idi Amin would be strengthened in his task of raping and torturing innocent women. There is no difference in Mr. Warren’s prayer for Obama unless Mr. Driscoll does not recognize the humanity of the children who have been killed already under Roe and who will be murdered with the Freedom of Choice Act Obama has promised to sign into law within days.

God save us from this kind of evil, aided and abetted by the counterfeit shepherds in this land. The prophets and priests are profane. They run to and fro on the face of the earth, saying, “God said so,” when God did not say so. See Jeremiah 23 for a full description of what we have in our plexiglass pulpits today.

The 36-year war on the unborn.

Today marks the 36th anniversary when this nation declared that the right to life of the most innocent and defenseless in our country takes a backseat to the “convenience” of another. To mark this day of infamy in our nation’s history, DefCon has decided to link to some its past posts on the issue of abortion.

January 1973: Every injustice has a beginning

Planned Parenthood propaganda cartoon

The silence is deafening

Great question . . . but don’t expect an answer

99 Balloons

The ridiculous rantings of a pro-abortion supporter

Racism, money, murder, and the presidential candidate

Would a Christian vote for Barack Hussein Obama?

How abortion arguments sound when applied to other hotly contested issues

The Negroe Project: Planned Parenthood, Barack Obama, and Black Genocide

Why this woman works at Planned Parenthood

What is so hard about this question?

Not dying for the sins of her father

Give the gift of murder this Christmas

Reverend Larry Phelps blesses a new abortion clinic, declaring it “sacred and holy”

Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger, in her own words

What Planned Parenthood doesn’t want you to see

Planned Parenthood exposed on Fox and Vent

Never too young to die

Creation in the womb

Mormonism and abortion

The truth that Planned Parenthood doesn’t want you to know

Planned Parenthood’s dirty little secret

End this senseless war on the unborn

Google is being sued for banning pro-life ads while permitting pro-abortion ads

Abortion mill shut down for injuring the mother (no mention of the child murdered)

Children are a punishment?

Planned Parenthood caught again

35 years of genocide of an unwanted class