Author: Pilgrim

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Book review: “Justification and Regeneration” by Charles Leiter.

I recently completed the book Justification and Regeneration by Charles Leiter (with a forward by Paul Washer). This was a great book that explained in the simplest of terms the difference between justification and regeneration in the life of a believer.

It’s a quick and easy read and I highly recommend this book, especially to those who struggle to understand the difference between justification and regeneration.

You can purchase the book from Monergism. Thanks to Tom Rayborn from Christ Church Alton for sending me this book.

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Quotes (381)

Do you know why it says at the end of the age that the Lamb will take wrath on the world? I think it’s because there will be a crystal clear reminder—he didn’t always show up this way, He showed up once in the middle of history as a real Lamb; let Himself be ripped to shreds, mocked, spit upon, dishonored, hung on a stick, treated like dirt in order to rescue us from the wrath of His Father and it was God’s idea. And when He comes the second time it will be so plain: This is the crucified Lamb with the sword coming out of His mouth hewing people in pieces who would not have Him. Know your Christ, Christian, and tremble, with joy.

– John Piper

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Your Sermon of the week: “Romans 3” by Paul Washer.

Your sermon of the week is Romans 3 by Paul Washer. Many of the sermons featured on DefCon are directed toward those already converted (or at least warming a pew). I have been looking for a good sermon for the lost and I think this one may be it.

I think this message provides a clear presentation of the gospel, one that the unconverted outisde the church needs to hear as well as the unconverted inside the church.

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Ravi’s crash and burn.

I’ve previously reported on Ravi Zacharias’ failure to preach the Gospel to those following a counterfeit Christ after he was invited to speak at the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City (see here). Then I posted on Ravi’s descent into the abyss of compromise (see here) when he refused to pray in the name of Jesus Christ at the latest National Day of Prayer (Coram Deo even wrote a piece on Ravi’s compromise here).

And now Ravi Zacharias is proving yet again that compromise will always take a man where he never intended to go.

RAVI’S CRASH:

Ravi speaks favorably of Henri Nouwen and can be seen in the following video (at the 5:47 mark) calling this Roman Catholic mystic “one of the greatest saints of recent memory.”


Ken Silva has also weighed in on this here.

RAVI’S BURN:

And what started as a little compromise here and there, seems to have started a snowball rolling for Ravi. Slaughter of the Sheep is reporting that Ravi Zacharias will now be speaking at none other than the Crystal Cathedral at Robert Schuller’s infamous ReThink Conference scheduled for February 2009. Lighthouse Trails is also on top of Ravi’s latest compromise with the rank heretic Schuller in a piece they did here.

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Jeff Noblit on Church discipline coming to South Carolina.

Wendi from Declared Righteous by Christ Alone asked if I would be willing to publish an advertisement on an upcoming Church discipline conference by Pastor Jeff Noblit. Knowing Pastor Noblit’s uncompromising preaching, I am honored to get the word out.

Exactly one month from today, Pastor Jeff Noblit will be at Holly Ridge Baptist Church in Blacksburg, South Carolina speaking on Church discipline.

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Would a Christian vote for Barack Hussein Obama?

Not could a Christian vote for Barack Hussein Obama, but would a Christian vote for Barack Hussein Obama?

When I say “Christian” I don’t mean a lukewarm, name-only, self-deceived “Christian,” but a true, born-again, regenerated Christian (think: the Apostle Paul vs Brian McLaren).

So what are those professing Christians of the Matthew 25 Network in the previous video endorsing?

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Quotes (379)

awpink.jpg Nothing riles the natural man more and brings to the surface his innate, inveterate enmity against God than to press upon him the eternality, the freeness, and the absolute sovereignty of divine grace. That God should have formed His purpose from everlasting, without in anywise consulting the creature, is too abasing for the unbroken heart. That grace cannot be earned or won by any efforts of man is too self-emptying for self-righteousness. That grace singles out whom it pleases to be its favored objects arouses hot protests from haughty rebels. The clay rises up against the Potter and asks, “Why hast Thou made me thus?” A lawless insurrectionist dares to call into question the justice of divine sovereignty.

– A. W. Pink

1886 – 1952

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Blasphemous association or divine doctrine?

Question: Would there ever be an occasion in which you would equate God the Father on the same plane as anything or anyone else?

Would you ever combine or associate God with anyone or anything in which the relation would indicate or imply equality? For example, would you ever assert that God and electricity are on equal footing? What about God and man being equal? What about God and an angel?

Most of you would rightly say, “No! That is not only contrary to the revealed nature of God, but it’s blasphemous.”

For those who are not sure about the point I’m trying to make, permit me to be more specific with the following examples:

– Would you ever do anything in the name of the Father, the force, and the power?

– Would you ever perform any work in the name of the Father, Peter, and Paul?

– Would you ever administer a sacrament in the name of the Father, Gabriel (the angel), and Michael (the arch angel)?

Where am I going with all of this?

Well, I was thinking recently about the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their rejection of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. There are so many examples in Scripture to support the Trinity and they are used with abundant frequency in its defense. But there’s one that isn’t used quite as much as I believe it should be, especially when dealing with Jehovah’s Witnesses. That example would be found in Matthew 28:19.

The JWs are ardent proponents of the name “Jehovah” as being the most important name in the universe (in spite of some solid biblical text proving otherwise). So when baptizing new believers into the faith (in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit), why does Jehovah share the uniqueness and holiness of His name with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who the JWs claim are just an angel and an “active force” (like electricity)?

Let me be more clear; would a jealous God who will not give His glory to another, allow Himself to be associated with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the administration of one of the two sacraments of Christianity in a manner that makes Him and His name equal to that of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit if they were not equal to Him?

It is hardly comprehensible to imagine Jehovah would do such a thing, especially when He has asked, “Who is like Me” knowing that no one is like Him. Why would Jehovah not only permit but instruct believers to be baptized “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” if they were not equal?

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Quotes (378)

How can God ever “justify the ungodly” without becoming an abomination to Himself? “He who says to the wicked, ‘You are righteous,’ peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him [Proverbs 24:24]. How can God say to sinners like us, “You are righteous,” without violating His own character? How can God ever save us from Himself and His own righteousness and justice? . . . Repentant sinners know that they deserve to be punished, and that it would not be right for them not to be. They know that God cannot just “sweep their sins under the rug” and forget about them. Hence, the cry of their hearts is, “How can a just God ever smile upon me? How can this burden of guilt be removed? How can God pronounce a blessing upon me? How can a man like me be in the right before God!” There is only one answer to this dilemma. Someone has to pay for the sinner’s sins. Justice must be satisfied. Either it will be satisfied by the sinner’s own suffering forever in Hell, or it must be satisfied by someone else on the sinner’s behalf.

– Charles Leiter

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Quotes (377)

Roman Catholicism is not alone in perverting the Gospel of God. There are many cults and Protestant sects which do the same. Catholicism, however, not only deceives its people with a false gospel, but foolishly condemns those who believe the true Gospel. Over 100 condemnations from the Council of Trent are pronounced on Christians who believe the Lord Jesus is sufficient to save sinners completely and forever. The Catholic “gospel” emphasizes what man must do to be saved instead of what Christ has done. This would include the necessity of doing good works (CCC, 2016), receiving sacraments (1129), attending meritorious masses (1405), keeping the law (2068), buying indulgences (1498) and purgatory (1030).

– Mike Gendron