Author: Pilgrim

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How to tell if you’re “seeker-friendly.”

HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE SEEKER-FRIENDLY
12. You think evangelism is handing out copies of Purpose Driven Life.
11. You think The Five Solas are a youth worship band.
10. You think Calvinists worship a little boy and stuffed tiger.
09. You think Bounce dryer sheets do great at stopping Hypostatic union.
08. Your pastor got saved (four times) at Billy Graham crusades.
07. You think Jesus would have had more success if He was just a bit nicer to the Pharisees.
06. You openly blast people who disagree with Oprah as being too narrow-minded and judgmental. Jesus would never be that way!
05. Your pastor did so preach on the book Romans! Romans 13:8-10, where it tells us how to get out and stay out of debt! (They gave away $10 gas cards that week too.)
04. Instead of “sin” your Pastor uses the word “oopsie.”
03. You think Paul Washer is what Jesus did to Paul’s feet when he was at the Last Supper.
02. You think ‘church discipline’ is the Technology Pastor yelling swear words at the iBook to get it to work.
01. Becoming Emergent is like coming out of the closet.

A million thanks to Berry and his friends for this list and a million more thanks to Berry for the M&M characters!

Check out How to tell if you’re “word of faith” and How to tell if you’re Emergent.

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Mormon elder receives the Drama Llama award.

There are generally three types of reaction you can expect to see when the Holy Spirit convicts someone of their sin:

1). Repentance: They feel the conviction and weight of their own sin and realize that they need Jesus Christ as the propitiation for those sins.

2). Suppression: They feel the conviction of their sin but just laugh it off and suppress God’s beckoning call (and their heart grows harder). They apply the “ignore it and it will go away” philosophy. They comprehend their dire condition but choose to ignore the truth, putting it off for one more day.

3). Anger: They feel the conviction of their sin but lash out with anger because their pride in self, tradition, church, organization etc., simply won’t allow them to repent.

Two minutes into the below video you’ll see a Mormon elder who can’t take the conviction of sin any longer and becomes very angry (yes, I know that most Mormons don’t act in this manner so you don’t have to e-mail me to tell me).

There’s definitiely a conviction of sin going on in this young man’s heart. Perhaps he’s been living with the gnawing feeling that a lifetime of dead works, commitment, and dedication to a defunct faith that cannot give man any assurance of salvation has come to a head. Or perhaps he was just having a bad day. Either way, he’s beside himself and another Mormon elder even tries to calm him down with no luck.

As you watch this video, remember back to all those times Mormons have come onto this blog and called me “angry” and accused me of “attacking” them because I dared to print the teachings and quotes of their own organization. Consider all the times I’ve been called “hateful” in spite of the fact that it’s the Mormon’s who founded their whole religion on the idea that the Christian faith is apostate, that Christians are heathens, and that the Christian God is the Mormon Devil. Remember all that when you watch this young man’s behavior toward Christians who are merely preaching the Gospel.

Thanks to Rhea for directing me to this video.

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Quotes (228)

ryle.jpg There are very few errors and false doctrines of which the beginning may not be traced up to unsound views about the corruption of human nature. Wrong views of a disease will always bring with them wrong views of a remedy. Wrong views of the corruption of human nature will always carry with them wrong views of the grand antidote and cure for the corruption.

– J. C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

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Quotes (226)

A man may believe what he pleases, provided he does not believe anything strongly enough to risk his life on it and fight for it. Tolerance is the great word.

– J. Gresham Machen

1881 – 1937


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Quotes (225)

washerpic.jpg “Every branch in Me that does not bare fruit, He takes away.” What does He mean? Let me just make this statement: There are men and women, young and old in every congregation who identify with the people of God but are unbelieving and fruitless, and when they die they will go to Hell.

– Paul Washer

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When sinful, worldly, heathen, unsaved, pagan jeans get saved.

his-spirit-logo-100x133.jpg Thanks to the compromise and insidious shallowness of cultural Christianity so prevalent today, modesty is out the window! Another proof of this is a new line of skin-tight jeans called “His Spirit Jeans” by Castle Rock Jeans and Apparel Company. So what makes these pants “Christian?” Well, somewhere there’s a Bible verse smacked on them (kinda like the socks and shoe inserts featured here).

This company claims “Castle Rock Jeans is about innocence, life, purity and love.” Well, as you’ll see below, it’s painfully obvious this company defines “innocence” and “purity” by the world’s standards, not God’s.

For your consideration here’s just two of the many pairs of jeans available (you can click on the pictures to enlarge):

classicfaithfullboxed.jpg I’m not sure if the spiked-heel, knee-high, leather stiletto boots come with these women’s jeans but I’m seeing “innocence” and “purity” written all over them.

blkheartfull_edited11182.jpg And here’s a pair of the junior women’s jeans minus the stiletto boots but with little hearts on the butt.

And why just stop at just selling immodest and seductive jeans under the guise of Christianity? Why not advertise your hoodies using a model posing with a seductive look? And what seductive looking woman modeling “Christian” clothing would be complete without having the zipper almost halfway down?

pink_sweat_indie_017-318x480.jpgSomewhere on this sweatshirt is a “Christian” message . . . good luck finding it.

Now here’s the best part:

This company actually has a page for testimonials about their jeans. I was understandably curious as to what kind of a “testimony” one could give about these jeans (or any jeans for that matter) so I clicked on the link and found the following “testimonies”:


“I love my jeans!!!! I now get to put on the ‘Amour of God’ and be witness. They are very comfortable and fit extremely well.”

Jenny K, Phoenix

Really Jenny from Phoenix, Arizona? You’re honestly equating these jeans to the “Armor of God?” Apparently Jenny has not only a zero understanding of what the Armor of God is, but her assumption that now she can be a “witness” makes me a little worried as to what she will be a witness of. Oh, biblical illiteracy is such a tragic plight to behold. Here’s some advice Jenny, crack open Ephesians and read about what the Armor of God actually is. Here’s a hint: It has nothing to do with skin-tight jeans designed to make the opposite sex stumble.


“I love my new scripture jeans. They are really comfortable, fit great and I’ve had very positive response from friends!”

Peggy in Surprise AZ

Peggy in Surprise, Arizona has had a “very positive response from friends.” I’m sure you did Peggy. And I bet most of them happened to be men.

Then there’s Helga’s testimonial:

“We got a lot of compliments, to the point that someone in the parking lot called ‘you are looking sexy’. Not to bad for a 71 year old woman.”

This is what a mature and virtuous woman of God should be doing? I guess in Laodicea nothing is sacred.

And then there’s Liz H. and her seeds of faith planting:

“I’m going to be telling everyone where I got these awesome jeans and hopefully planting some seeds of faith everytime I wear them! God Bless all of you!!!”

The parable of the sower explains that the seed is the Word of God, not your immodest, tight-fitting, attention-grabbing, brother-stumbling jeans, Liz.

There’s also a testimonial from Aisha K. described as an up and coming GMA artist.

“. . . my background singers thought the jeans were HOTT! “

This says a lot about Aisha K and contemporary Christian music as a whole, doesn’t it?

You know, it’s one thing to sell this trash and market it as “Christian” apparel, but when you call it “His Spirit” it makes me fear for the owners when you consider the words of our Savior in Matthew 12:31.

Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

– Jesus Christ

For a news article on this company, click here.

HT: Bill Phillips


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Sermon of the week: “The 2007 Reality Check Conference” by Paul Washer.

I’ve found another uncompromising, convicting, powerful, must-hear sermon by Paul Washer. This is a compilation of highlights from a few different messages Paul Washer delivered at a 2007 conference. This is one of those Paul Washer messages that leaves you humble, contrite, and broken. Without further ado, I introduce you to your sermon of the week:The 2007 Reality Check Conference.

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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Quotes (224)

john-macarthur.jpg We who love Christ and believe the truth embodied in His teaching must awaken to the reality of the battle that is raging all around us. We must do our part in the ages-old truth war. We are under a sacred obligation to join the battle and contend for the faith.

– John MacArthur

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Quotes (223)

washerpic.jpg What is the greatest privilege? To be able to preach like Spurgeon? No, to look like Jesus. When we talk about fruit we’re automatically in our American mindset thinking about activity instead of character, character, character; Chirst-likeness, Christ-likeness.

– Paul Washer

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Quotes (222)

yahannan.jpg Jesus said the heart is where the treasures are kept. So what can we say about many evangelical Christians? Getting into debt for cars, homes and furnishings that probably are not needed and sacrificing family, church and health for corporate promotions and career advancement–I believe all this is deception, engineered by the god of this world to ensnare and destroy effective Christians and to keep them from sharing the Gospel with those who need it.

– K. P. Yohannan

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How to tell if you’re “Emergent.”

emergent-mm.png
I found the following list on another blog along with additions by those leaving comments to the original post. They were so poignant that I chose to post them here for the readers of Reformation Nation but I only had 29. So I added number 30 myself to round out the list. Enjoy!

The top 30 signs that you might be an Emergent:

30. Your church has replaced the pulpit with a bar stool.

29. You once read a good story about some Jewish people and a cross.

28. You engineer every conversation so you are able to use the phrase, “you can’t put god in a box,” and laugh like you’ve said the funniest thing in the word.

27. You make everyone define everything before you begin a conversation. Since this takes forever you never really have a conversation.

26. You think hell is a construct somewhere in Tennessee.

25. You think everything is a metaphor for something else.

24. When you hear the word “Orthodox” all you think about is the great food at the Greek Festival every year.

23. You think “Patristics” is a new brand of snack food.

22. Church history started when your pastor was born.

21. The only Creed you know is a once-popular musical act.

20. You only curse around fundamentalists.

19. You leave your church because the sermon was not obscure enough.

18. You refer to your local assembly as “church,” “synagogue,” or “mosque” depending on who you are talking to.

17. Your blog is a rant about how everyone else rants too much.

16. You brag that you have never been pinned down theologically on any issue.

15. The only thing you are sure of is that others cannot be sure of anything.

14. You bring your own wine to communion.

13. You are offended when someone says they are going to “Preach the Gospel” or “Teach the truth” believing they should just “Tell a story.”

12. Instead of a tract, you carry a can of Play-doh in your back pocket.

11. Your website links to Green Peace and the Democratic National Convention just because conservatives are against it.

10. You start a Christian blog, but leave it blank, fearing that you might offend someone.

9. You are not any good at art, yet you continue to present the Gospel by painting stick figures on recycled paper.

8. When you present the Gospel, Heaven is renamed The Matrix and you call Christ Neo.

7. Your church caters from Whole Foods.

6. Every sermon illustration begins with “The other night I was drinking a beer and . . .”.

5. You have yet to read the book of Romans believing Paul was too modern in his thinking.

4. Your car has a bumper sticker that reads “I think my boss is a Jewish carpenter but I can’t know for certain.”

3. You don’t worship on Sundays because everyone else does.

2. You evaluate truth by asking how many people hold to it. If it is too popular, then it is wrong.

1. When someone calls out your name you get angry saying, “Don’t label me.”

HT: Parchment and Pen via Sicarii

Also check out How to tell if you’re seeker-friendly and How to Tell if You’re Word of Faith.

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Almost 200 removed from Mormon compound.

Read the news articles here and here and watch an eye-opening video on polygamy here.

Before anyone criticizes these people who practiced this lifestyle of polygamy (especially when the criticism comes from mainstream Mormons) just keep in mind that the blame for this polygamist behavior is not to be laid at the feet of Warren Jeffs, but the blame is none other than the cult’s original founder, Joseph Smith. It was Smith and his insatiable sexual appetite that led him to claim that God gave him the “new and everlasting covenant” of polygamy:

“For behold, I reveal unto you a new and everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed . . . before the foundation of the world. And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, it was instituted for the fulness [sic] of my glory; and he that receiveth a fulness [sic] thereof must and shall be damned, saith the Lord God.” (Doctrine & Covenants, 132:4-6)

This “new and everlasting covenant” of polygamy was confirmed by Mormonism’s second president/prophet Brigham Young when he said in the Deseret News on November 14, 1855:

“Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned . . .“

Sixth president/prophet of Mormonism Joseph F. Smith said in the Journal of Discourses, Volume 20, page 31:

“I understand the law of celestial marriage to mean that every man in this Church, who has the ability to obey and practice it in righteousness and will not, shall be damned, I say I understand it to mean this and nothing less, and I testify in the name of Jesus that it does mean that.”

Well, last time I checked, an “everlasting covenant” meant exactly that: an everlasting covenant.

Even LDS published Gospel Principles tells us on page 98 (1997 edition):

“The fulness [sic] of the gospel is called the new and everlasting covenant. . . . The Lord calls it ‘everlasting’ because it is ordained by an everlasting God and because the covenant will never be changed.“

So before you mainstream Mormons judge and condemn these FLDS members, remember, they’re not the ones who apostatized.