Encouragement

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Letter of thanks from Pastor Philemon

To all of our friends in God’s vineyard,

We greet you from the fields white unto harvest.  It is from Liberia we write where we are working to make sure that the work left with us is done properly till He come.  We send our hello.

I am Pastor Philemon Gwelikporlusohn, a Liberian serving in Liberia trying to accomplish the GREAT COMMISSON of our Lord. My family and I are involve with Church planting ministry.  We love the Lord and the job He give us. pray for us that we continue till Christ.

Philemon and family

I am a graduate of the Maranatha Bible Collage, Accra Ghana.  I am married to a young lady called Dylin for almost 20 years.  God has blessed our union with 6 girls.  She also serves as the foster mother of 3 other children who has been unfortunate due to the civil crises in our country.

We are right now pastoring a Church near Monrovia, it is called Highland Hills Baptist Church.  This is our fifth churchplant in Liberia.  The Lord is adding to the Church numerically, and we are trusting the Lord for spiritual growth and to work in our lives.  Discipleship is our focus.  Please pray with us as we plan for other areas which keep coming before our hearts and minds in order to start new mission stations.  We have recently started a new mission station at the St John, Bong Mine.  As the vision continues to grow, I will keep reminding you for more prayers.

We are very thankful to you for your prayers and monetary gifts to us in times like this especially after our house was robbed earlier this month.

Your gifts to us will continue to speak wherever I preach the good news in Liberia and beyond.  For your reminder, the Lord is not unjust that He cannot pay you for all you have and is doing because of Him.

Brothers, we greatly appreciate your gifts, thank you for remembering us.  Our fellow Christians are in our prayers from now on till we see our Christ come.

In His service,

Pastor Philemon

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Quotes (602)

tozer.jpg The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are so few who share his inner experiences he is forced to walk alone.

The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord Himself suffered in the same way.

The man [or woman] who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and over-serious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens.

He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.

It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. His inability to find human companionship drives him to seek in God what he can find nowhere else.

– A.W. Tozer

1897 – 1963
From: Man – The Dwelling Place of God

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Nothing but the blood.

It Is Finished


For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. Leviticus 17:11

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. Revelation 1:5

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18-19

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Romans 5:9

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Acts 20:28

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:9

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Introducing A.C.E.

Apologetics

We are unveiling a new feature on DefCon: Answering Common Errors.

This will be a quick reference apologetics page that answers many of the falsehoods and errors levied against the Christian faith.

It features a common error with a link to a previous DefCon post with the answer.

New entries will be added regularly so check back often. If you know of any past posts featured on DefCon that you think should be included in this list, let us know.

You can check out the new A.C.E. page by clicking here, or access it later from the tab above the header of the DefCon blog between About Us and Rules of Engagement.

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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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Steven J. Lawson: “Who Is Your Mother?” (Galatians 4:21-4:31)

Lawson new

Galatians 4:21-4:31 (NASB)—21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, (AB)one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27 For it is written, Rejoice barren woman who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; for more numerous are the children of the desolate than of the one who has a husband. 28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.

Question: What is the one thing that separates true followers of Christ from those trapped in false religions?

Answer: The fact that the one who has put his faith in Christ as their Savior and Lord have been set free from the Law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) because the law could not make us free because of the weakness of our flesh (Romans 8:3), and they place NO FAITH in their own works, which can never make one righteous. For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law (Galatians 3:21).

Yet the one who is trapped in a false religion will still go through their life counting up all their “good deeds” and all their “bad deeds,” thinking that all the while God is smiling upon their enterprise–yet He is pleading from Heaven, “This is My Beloved Son–Hear HIM!!”

Here is the fourteenth 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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Quotes (570)

j_elliot

“You would have loved the communion service we had during that weekend…After a few opening remarks we began to pray and sing familiar hymns as different ones led. [Ed] McCully broke the bread and gave thanks for the cup. It took a long time for the single cup and plate to get around to 180 people, so we sang as it was passed, ‘Spirit of God Descend Upon My Heart,’ ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,’ Amazing Grace,’ ‘O Love That Will Not Let Me Go,’ ‘Crown Him With Many Crowns,’ etc. Hardly a soul that wasn’t moved to worship. Oh, why cannot the Spirit lead us more often thus? How long shall we trust in man’s programming to accomplish the work of His Spirit in men’s souls?”

–Jim Elliott, 1949

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Recognizing those who are taking a stand against the current downgrade.

There are few left who continue to be a voice in the wilderness. It seems that warning the flock and taking a stand against the relentless tide of apostasy, heresy, lukewarmness, easy-believeism, and countless other cancers that are plaguing the Body is often met with resistance by the mass lemmings of lukewarm professing Christians and false converts alike.

So when someone takes a stand against this deluge I would like to honor their effort and support their courageous stance–letting them know that, as the great delusion continues its march through Christendom, they are not alone; there are still a few out there who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

I wish to take a moment to recognize a couple examples of those who still have integrity and strive to live holy lives while the rest of the church is living like God gave us no Law or commands.

Lifeway Christian BookstoreOne example is Southern Baptist Pastor Channing Kilgore who is urging Lifeway Christian Bookstores to remove the heretical books from their shelves. Of course I seriously doubt his request will be heeded. After all, most Christian bookstores are in it for the money, otherwise they wouldn’t be selling such doctrines of demons as The Shack!

You can read more about Pastor Kilgore’s brave stance in this article from One News Now, and read more about “Christian” bookstores here and here.

HT: Rock Springs

ProfanityAnother example is Dick Bott of the Bott Radio Network. According to the Baptist Press, on May 18, 2009, an interview with Mark Driscoll was . . .

. . . halted in mid-broadcast after Bott Network founder Dick Bott learned Driscoll was the guest. Bott then cancelled another scheduled interview and ordered all Bott stations not to carry any programs featuring Driscoll.

Dick Bott has taken a stand against the potty-mouthed pastor while the rest of the world seems to be falling at Driscoll’s feet, stumbling over one another just to touch the hem of his garment, including Pilgrim Radio who–until until recently–I  used to endorse on this very blog.

The Baptist Press article continues:

Bott said he made the decision because of what he saw as Driscoll’s penchant for using vulgarity in his sermons, especially his questionable interpretation of the Song of Solomon in a Nov. 18, 2007, sermon preached in Edinburgh, Scotland, and subsequently in a multi-part series entitled “The Peasant Princess.” “I’ve seen a lot [about Driscoll] that’s on the Internet and that only makes the whole thing worse,” Bott said. “I’ve seen what he said at that church in Scotland and as far as I know he’s never addressed it in any repentant way or apologetically tried to explain why on earth he got so far off the reservation as to think that that’s the way to address people.”

That is all I will quote from the article as they give examples of Driscoll’s sermons which are unfit to print here (much less should be preached from a pulpit).

I would be remiss if I did not mention John MacArthur and Phil Johnson who have also challenged the current lowbrow trend of ‘pornificating’ the pulpit. In MacArthur’s missives found here and here, and Johnson’s sermon found here, they both not only address the problem of smut-peddling pastors, but they both address Driscoll specifically. Thank you to John MacArthur, Phil Johnson and Dick Bott for taking a stand against the onslaught of perversity that has cloaked itself under the guise of “Christianity.”


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Welcome, Emily Frances Schlueter!

ingridschlueter

Ingrid Schlueter, host of Slice of Laodicea and The Hope Blog (formerly Hope In Laodicea), gave birth July 22 to a 7 lb, 7 oz. little girl. Please pray for Ingrid, her husband Tom, their son Sam, and new daughter Emily, that God would continue to use them for His glory!!

Sam writes at The Hope Blog:

This is Sam, Ingrid’s son, writing on my mom’s behalf. She’d like to thank each and every one of you for your prayers and encouragement over the last 8 months. I’m here in the room with her now, and she says the following:

The Lord has been so merciful and good to us and the baby. Emily is doing very well. They just took me to see her get her first bath in the nursery, and they let me hold her! Due to medication, I hadn’t been able to see her or hold her til this afternoon. I had forgotten how soft baby’s skin really is. She’s absolutely beautiful (of course I would think that), with dark hair like Tom, and a mouth like William’s. I’m so excited to get to know this new little Schlueter. Thanks again, everyone! Love, Ingrid

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Aaron Shafovaloff on Mormonism vs. the Supremacy of Christ

jenga

(I think the above picture–the game of Jenga™–is an appropriate metaphor for Mormonism. Pull one piece out and the whole shebang falls into a million little pieces)

Aaron Shafovaloff, who runs the blog over at Mormonism Research Ministries, shares a testimony on the Supremacy of Christ at the Manti Evangelism training seminar. He shares why he likes to share his testimony with Mormon missionaries, and how to use that to witness to them (from Mormon Coffee).

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Quotes (550)

http://www.ageslibrary.com/ages_pink_collection_1.html

Some of God’s dear people may suppose that it would be presumptuous to set themselves up as judges of what they hear or read—but that is a serious mistake, being both a false humility, and a shirking of duty. The Apostle rebuked the Hebrews because their senses (spiritual faculties) were not developed so as to discern between good and evil (Hebrews 5:13).

It is often a long time before God’s children are able to account for this. They blame themselves; they are exceedingly loath to say, “This message is not of God.” They are afraid to act in the spiritual, as they do in the natural, and condemn and discard that which is worthless.

“Take heed what you hear” and read! More than forty years ago the saintly Adolph Saphir wrote, “I think the fewer books we read—the better. It is like times of cholera, when we should only drink filtered water.” What would he say if he were on earth today and glanced over the deadly poison sent forth by the heterodox, and the lifeless rubbish put out by the orthodox? Christian reader, if you value the health of your soul, cease hearing and quit reading all that is lifeless, unctionless, powerless, no matter what prominent or popular name be attached thereto. Life is too short to waste valuable time on that which does not profit. Ninety-nine out of every hundred of the religious books, booklets, and magazines now being published, are not worth the paper on which they are printed!

To turn away from the lifeless preachers and publishers of the day—may involve a real cross. Your motives will be misconstrued, your words perverted, and your actions misinterpreted. The sharp arrows of false report will be directed against you. You will be called proud and self-righteous, because you refuse to fellowship empty professors. You will be termed censorious and bitter—if you condemn in plain speech—the subtle delusions of Satan. You will be dubbed narrow-minded and uncharitable, because you refuse to join in singing the praises of the “great” and “popular” men of the day. More and more, you will be made to painfully realize—that the path which leads unto eternal life is “narrow” and that FEW there are who find it. May the Lord be pleased to grant unto each of us—the hearing ear and obedient heart! “Take heed what you hear” and read!

– A.W. Pink (1886 ~ 1952)

HT: DefCon Commenter ‘Denise‘ mining from Grace Gems

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Why we do what we do

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Many people who visit DefCon come here seeking truth. They have heard lies and stories told by those who claim to be shepherds and pastors, only to find they have been lied to and misled. Others are new Christians who are looking for help to understand what is truth, where to find it, who can be trusted, and who to should be avoided at all costs.

Then there are some who come here from a mindset, a philosophy, a religion, that is opposed to the truth of God. They are Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness or Emegerent or postmodern or they come from the prospoerity gospel, and so on and so forth. Or they may come from The Church of the Fluffybunny–those churches where they would not DARE speak biblical truth, lest somebody’s feelings get hurt. They would not DARE talk about sin, lest somebody’s self-esteem be injured. They are from an all-inclusive, seeker-sensitive, porpoise-drivel, Osteen/Warren/Schuller/Ed Young type church where truth is simply whatever you want it to be.

So, this person comes to DefCon, sees that we are not afraid of offending anyone, knowing that the cross is “to the Jews a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness” (1st Corinthians 1:23). And they see us tear down the foolishness of these “little boy preachers,” and compare/contrast what they say against the Scripture. And the accusations come flying. We are “Pharisees.” We are “judgmental.” We are “putting God in a box.” We are “the only ones who know the truth.” We have never “talked to God.” etc. etc. etc

At this point, the question becomes: “Why do we do what we do.” That’s what you’re about to find out. Let me tell you in a parable.

Suppose I served a master who was married to a young bride. This bride is not always wise when it came to the ways of the world (Matthew 10:16). Now, my master is going on a long trip, and will not be back for a long time (John 16:16). While my master is gone, he has entrusted me with the care of his bride (1st Timothy 3:15). I promise that I will look after her, watch over her, and let nothing happen to her. I promise to let no one do violence to her or despoil her (Acts 20:28). After all, my master has gone to great lengths to keep her pure (Ephesians 5:27).

Shortly thereafter, a young man comes knocking at the door. He is a finely-dressed, good-looking, well-spoken young man. But I also know he is not as he seems. Yet, when He asks to come in, I let him in. After all, I don’t want to offend him or make him feel bad or unwelcome. Then I step out to go to the store, leaving the young man alone with my master’s young bride. When I return, the young man is gone. I go upstairs to find my master’s young bride in the bedroom. Her face is bruised, her clothes are torn. She is crying and inconsolable. I know what has happened. I also know that it is my fault that it happened, because I left her alone with someone whose intentions were evil–and I knew it. I have done evil by allowing this evil to be done–all the while thinking my master will never know (Psalm 10:11).

But, my master does know. He has cameras all over the house. He can see everything that happens (Hebrews 4:13). And He has seen that I left His bride with a man who was good-looking outside, but evil resided within him (Matthew 7:15). When He finally returns, will He be angry? I dare say He would be extremely angry for allowing such evil to be done to his bride (Jeremiah 23:1). He would be furious with me for allowing His bride to fall prey to someone that I knew good and well was evil throughout (James 4:17). And He would beat me severely for my disobedience (Luke 12:47).

On the other hand, suppose when that young man came to the door, I knew his intentions (Hebrews 4:12). And instead of letting him in, I proclaimed to the entire neighborhood that he was evil (Philippians 3:17-19). I let it be known to all who could hear that this man who looked so dashing and charming was a snake on the inside (Romans 16:17-18). Thus warned, men kept their brides hidden from him, and would not so much as open the door to him (2nd John 1:9-11). And when my master returned, He would reward me for my obedience (2nd Samuel 22:21; Revelation 22:12).

That, friend, is why we do what we do. Because there are many good-looking, fine-sounding religions that are just waiting to find their way into the true church and wreak havoc upon her. We, with every breath in us, will fight to never let that happen! And will warn everyone we can so they do not fall prey.

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What exactly IS a “unicorn” anyway?

We hear from the skeptics so often, that the Bible can’t be trusted because it talks about “unicorns.”  The word “unicorn” comes from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) rendering the Hebrew word raeim as monokeros, meaning “one horn.” And, of course, it is a lightning rod for those who fancy themselves as intellectuals, yet are too smart for their own good. Various translations over the years have rendered it in many different ways:

  • Unicorn (Bishop’s Bible, Geneva Bible, KJV)
  • Wild ox (NKJV, ESV)
  • Rhinoceros (Dhouey-Rheims)
  • Buffalo (Darby)

At any rate, let’s take a look at just what a “unicorn” is. He is found 9 times in Scripture. Here are 4 of those times:

Numbers 23:21-22—He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
Numbers 24:8—God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
Job 39:9-10—Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he [plow] the valleys after thee?
Psalm 92:9-10—For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

So from these words we can see the following about this “unicorn”:

  • He was strong
  • He is untamed
  • He is capable of plowing large areas
  • His horn must have also been rather large

Keil and Delitzch–whose commentaries on the Hebrew of the Old Testament (written in the 1800’s) would be a great help to any who use them–contend that the refernce is to an oryx. Of this oryx they say:

The oryx also appears on Egyptian monuments sometimes with two horns, but mostly with one variously curled; and both Aristotle (Note: Vid., Sundevall, Die Thierarten des Aristoteles (Stockholm, 1863), S. 64f.) and Pliny describe it as a one-horned cloven-hoof; so that one must assent to the supposition of a one-horned variety of the oryx (although as a fact of natural history it is not yet fully established), as then there is really tolerably certain information of a one-horned antelope both in Upper Asia and in Central Africa.

Not to sound like I know more than these gentlemen, but–well, like one fellow I know puts it, give science enough time and they will catch up with the Bible. Keep reading and you’ll understand what I’m getting at. Anyway, if you’ve ever seen pictures of an oryx–well, does this look like a huge beast with great strength capable of plowing an entire valley:

Yeah, it’s a good-sized animal. And it does tend to fit the description of the animal referred to in Psalm 29:5-6—The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. But does it look like something that fits the descriptions listed in the other Scriptures? Not quite. It certainly doesn’t look like an animal one would use to plow an entire valley with (a small plot of land, maybe, but not a whole valley).

Continue reading →