Random Selections

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What Vine are you Abiding In? (Part 1)

One of my favorite passages in scripture is Jesus’ teaching on the vine and the branches. Let’s look at what it means for Christ to be the vine and for the believer to be the branch.

John 15:1-11
15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
Before we get into the meat of this passage we need to consider the context and set the stage a bit. Just two chapters previous to our passage, we see Jesus and the disciples entering the upper room to celebrate the Passover together. This was likely just a few hours before Jesus teaches on the vine and the branches. In the upper room, Christ knows he is on his way to the cross his time has come. While in the upper room during the Last Supper, we see Jesus teach his disciples these humongous truths:

(a)  Jesus washes the feet of the disciples and introduces servant leadership – to love one another (John 13:1-17)
(b)  Jesus tells of a disciple who will betray him. (John 13:18-30)
(c)  Jesus introduces communion – (Mat 26:26-29)
(d)  Jesus introduces the new covenant of his blood (Luke 22:20)
(e)  Jesus introduces a new commandment – love one another (John 13:31-35)
(f)  Jesus foretells of Peter’s denial (John 13:36-38)
(g)  Jesus drops the deity bomb by declaring that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through him…and if you have seen him you have seen the father. (John 14:1-14)
(h)  Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16)

Christ, after casually dropping these huge topics on his unsuspecting disciples during this  dinner, he says in  John 14:31: “Rise and let us go from here!” The disciples, I’m sure, are sitting at the table looking at each other a bit shell shocked asking, “What did he say? Another is coming? A Helper? Who? What was that about eating his body? Blood what? Hey, what about the blood?” As Jesus gets up and moves on…probably leaving the disciples at the table scrambling to catch up with him.

I AM THE VINE AND YOU ARE THE BRANCHES
Christ and the disciples leave the upper room that evening, likely dark by then, and make their way towards the Garden of Gethsemane. It is sometime during this walk that Jesus teaches on the Vine and the Branches. According to various commentaries, there are a couple of possible reasons why Christ compares himself to a vine and defines himself as the TRUE Vine.

Continue reading →

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What Discernment Actually Looks Like

A few days ago I posted a link from Phil Johnson on the Pyromanics blog regarding Mark Driscoll’s self-proclaimed “gift of discernment”, which sounded more like a man with a dirty mind talking offensively to the sheep under his care. In the post on Driscoll’s madness found HERE , I call attention to why I believe Driscoll has fallen away from the basic pillars and  qualifications of an elder/overseer of the church (I am assuming that he had these qualifications at one point). He is speaking on discernment while demonstrating the lack of discernment in what is appropriate for discussion from the pulpit…or, sadly, the stage as it is in his case.

I now want follow up on this story by sharing what real discernment looks like.

John MacArthur was asked in this video what he thinks may come about in the church in the years to come and MacArthur is quick to comment on the essential component missing from so many churches and pastors today in the reformed faith. In part one he talks about how having reformed soteriology doesn’t give you a pass in regard to the role as a shepherd or with the way you conduct yourself.

Part 1 – Reversal of the Reformed Revival

In part 2 of this interview, MacArthur again challenges us in a wonderful way. Are our pastors involved in the life of the church? Are you attending a church that has a video screen playing the sermon, which MacArthur calls “Flat Screen Preaching”? How can you tell if this man is qualified to be an elder and above reproach if he only exists on a video screen? What sort of church is that? We should not allow a rock-n-roll event on Sunday morning replace the  shepherding care of our souls.

Part 2 – Reversal of the Reformed Revival

Let us not forget how Paul instructs Timothy regarding overseers of the church in his first letter to Timothy. These words are tragically ignored, forgotten, pushed aside, and downplayed way too much today:

1 Timothy 3:1-7

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

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Mark Driscoll’s Madness

Ok, this one has pushed me over the edge with Mr. Driscoll. I have had issues with his methods and his personal witness, the way he talks from the pulpit, and so on…but this is a whole new level for me.

This link takes you to the Pyromaniacs Blog where Phil Johnson posted this today…It is regarding Mark Driscoll’s Pornographic Divination. And what is my problem you ask? As if it is not obvious. It’s not that this is just terrible theology and horrendous doctrine regarding discernment and spiritual gifts. But, rather simply that Paul calls Pastor/Teachers/Elders to be above reproach:

1 Timothy 3:1-3:

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,…

Mr. Driscoll is misfiring on several cylinders here. Look for yourself is he above reproach?:

PORNOGRAPHIC DIVINATION (find article here)

Here is the intro from Phil:

“In a post last week, I pointed out that the preposterous claims, unhinged behavior, and spiritual quackery that are so prominent at the charismatic movement’s lunatic fringe are by no means limited to the outer edges. Goofiness and gullibility are necessary byproducts of a belief system that fails to take seriously the principle of sola Scriptura and its ramifications (i.e., the authority and sufficiency of Scripture).

Here’s a sample of the kind of thing I was referring to: The video below features Mark Driscoll, claiming the Holy Spirit regularly gives him graphic visions showing acts of rape, fornicators in flagrante delicto, and sexual child molesters in the very act.

Please be forewarned, this video and the transcript is somewhat graphic in content and may be offensive to you. It certainly is offensive to me.

Phil Johnson and Team Pyro:

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/

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Happy birthday DefCon.

Defending Contending turns four years old today.

This blog began on August 10, 2007 as Reformation Nation. It then had a name change a year later on August 15, 2008 and officially became Defending Contenting. It was at this time that DefCon also welcomed contributing writers.

In honor of the event I’ve changed the current banner to one of the original DefCon banners (long time readers will remember it). I also wanted to say thank you to our contributors for all their sacrifices and hard work over the years, as well as a big thank you to our faithful readers.

Here are some stats that you may be interested in.

As of today we have . . .

3,620 Posts

20,257 Comments

1,723,000 Views (hits)

Again, thank you to all of you for your contributions to the discussions and your faithful readership over the past four years.

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“Problems with Premillennialism”

“Problems with Premillennialism” by Sam Storms

My departure from Premillennialism was gradual and came  as a result of two discoveries as I studied Scripture. First, I devoted myself to a thorough examination of what the NT said would occur at the time of Christ’s second coming (or Parousia). What I found was a consistent witness concerning what would either end or begin as a result of our Lord’s return to the earth. Sin in the lives of God’s people, corruption of the natural creation, and the experience of physical death would terminate upon the appearance of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, and the inauguration of the New Heavens and New Earth would ensue. But why is this a problem for Premillennialism? Good question.

If you are a Premillennialist, whether Dispensational or not, there are several things with which you must reckon:

You must necessarily believe that physical death will continue to exist beyond the time of Christ’s second coming. The reason for this is that all Premillennialists must account for the rebellious and unbelieving nations in Revelation 20:7-10 who launch an assault against Christ and his people at the end of the millennial age. Where did these people come from? They must be the unbelieving progeny born to those believers who entered the millennial age in physical, unglorified bodies. Not only they, but also the believing progeny born to those believers will be subject to physical death (notwithstanding the alleged prolonged life spans experienced by those who live during the millennial reign of Christ).

Read the rest of this thought provoking article here.

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What’s The Big Deal on Creation?

Many Christians point out that the word “day” in Genesis chapter one can mean something other than a 24-hour day and, therefore, the scientific view that the world is billions of years old can be reconciled to the Scriptures.

But how does one determine when the Hebrew word “yom” means a 24-hour day and when it means an undetermined length of time? As with all interpretation, context is key.

And, as with all Scripture, understanding the authority of God as the ultimate rule of interpretation of His Word and His creation is foundational to everything else.

 

 

In this hour long free video from Answers in Genesis, you will see how dangerous it is to play fast and loose with the Word of God and be taught why the “yom” must mean 24-hour day in Genesis chapter 1.

May the Lord God of Heaven be our guide – and not any snake who relies on human “wisdom” to cause us to question His Word.

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Dear Mormon, can you guess who said the following?

Dear Mormon, can you guess who said the following?

1).

I saw two spirits… One was God my maker, almost in bodily shape like a man… below him stood Jesus Christ my Redeemer, in perfect shape like a man…

2).

. . . the angel had made known to me in the vision, that all Churches and Denominations on the earth had became corrupt . . .

3).

He also told me, that every denomination of professing Christians had become extremely corrupt . . .

Answers:

Continue reading →

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Sin Management – playing with fire

GRIZZLY FACTS!

  • Grizzlies can run up to 41 mph.
  • Grizzlies can smell carrion nine miles away.
  • Alaskan grizzlies can weigh more than 1,200 lbs and stand 8 feet tall.
  • Grizzlies eat both plants and meat.

Grizzly People founder Timothy Treadwell had lived peaceably without weapons or fire among wild Alaskan grizzlies since the late 1980’s.  From late spring to autumn he immersed himself in these creatures, fascinated by their fearsome power and life patterns.

Treadwell was known for his confidence around bears.  He often touched them, and gave them names. Once he was filmed crawling along the ground singing as he approached a momma bear and two cubs.  Over the years, Park Service officials, biologists and others expressed concern about his safety and the message he was sending. “At best he’s misguided,” Deb Liggett, superintendent at Katmai, told the Anchorage Daily News in 2001.  That same year Treadwell was a guest on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” describing Alaska brown bears as mostly harmless “party animals.”

“You know how people accuse animal rights activists of liking animals better than people?” Treadwell asked. “Well, these bears are so much better than people. They are better than us. They make up a perfect ecological system. They do no damage, they are amazing and beautiful. They are basically peaceful and I would have no life without them.  If Taffy were in danger, I would shield her with my body.”

Could it be said that Mr. Treadwell idolized these bears?

Oct. 9th 2003, ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – The graphic sounds of a deadly bear attack in the Alaska wilderness were captured on tape, revealing a wildlife author’s final, frantic screams as he tried to fend off the beast.  The remains of Treadwell, 46, and Huguenard, 37, both of Malibu, Calif., were found last month at Katmai National Park and Preserve on the Alaska Peninsula.

Rebecca Dmytryk, who oversees an animal rescue organization in Malibu, recalled video footage of Treadwell before his death that showed him in a stream bed near an older bear he nicknamed “Quincy.”

“Quincy, do you remember when you stood over me? You were so hungry, and you should have eaten me, but you didn’t. Thanks for not eating me . . . ”

Timothy Treadwell failed to see the reality of his situation.  He thought he was playing with rationale animals that were better than men.  All the while he was playing with a wild, dangerous creature that could not be tamed.  The result was his death – and the death of his friend.

The warning: (1 Peter 5:8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Note that Treadwell’s folly cost his companion her life as well.  So a man openly pursuing sin will cost others openly, while a man pursuing sin privately may cost his loved ones openly as well as privately.  The price is high.

Any man not in Christ is prey for Satan, himself a spiritual son of Satan and doomed for a horrible death.  But praise God, for there is hope for such a man!  (Romans 5:8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Yet we who are in Christ are continually susceptible to the lust of the flesh – be it sexual, power, ego, fame, or fortune.  (James 1:14-15) each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  As with Timothy Treadwell and the bears, when you and I try to tame our sin and live with it in peace, we are drawn aside into a vulnerable situation of continual conflict, assuming God’s role and thinking we can manage that which would always destroy us – all the while held fast by Christ (John 10:28) I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  Mark this – it is the hand of God that holds you, not your own feeble grip.  If it were you and I holding on, we would perish.

And praise the Lord, He provides everything you and I need for life.  (Ephesians 1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.  Along with a caution and a declaration (Colossians 2:8-10) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.

As you consider yourself or a friend who is caught in sin, there are two admonishments that need to comprehended:

1           Let there be no “pass”, no easy escape without confession or repentance.  Every man is responsible to be the spiritual leader and, as such, has greater responsibility to be true to his calling.  There can be no excuses, no denial when a sacred trust has been destroyed.  If there is love for Christ in you, repentance is required.  (Jeremiah 13:15) Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me.  Also, without repentance, one may convince himself that his actions were not all that bad.  This is self-deception and yet another sin.  (1 John 1:8) If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

2           Let there be no judgment passed on the brother caught in sin.  In truth, none of us is far from the point of departure into the sin of our brother.  (1 Corinthians 10:13a) No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  This means that our brother’s temptation is common, not far from you and I.

Because of His knowledge of our sinful tendencies, our heavenly Father tells us take actions

  • As individuals: (Proverbs 4:23) Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
  • With a couple of brothers: (James 5:16a) Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
  • And corporately, as part of the larger body of Christ: (Hebrews 10:23-25) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

If your heart is broken over anything, pray that it be broken over your own sin more than anything else.  We are encouraged to put serious effort into forsaking our sin and focusing on Christ, as Christ forsook the myriad temptations Satan brought before Him and focused on doing the will of our heavenly Father.

(Hebrews 12: 1b-2) let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Know this – if your heart be hardened toward your own sin, you cannot please God (Romans 8:6-8) The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.  Those controlled by the sinful flesh cannot please God.

And though you get tired of resisting the flesh – for it never gives up until it dies – do not give up.  (Hebrews 3:13) exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

So let us not focus on another’s sin and let us not belittle our own sin.  And let us not be led astray once again by focusing on our sin – for to focus on your sin is to be drawn to it like a moth to a flame.  Let us focus only on Christ, for in Him is life and freedom from sin.  (Galatians 5:16) live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful flesh.  When you fail and become disappointed in yourself, recall these words from Randy Alcorn’s novel, “Edge of Eternity” – “To be disappointed in oneself means you have put confidence in one undeserving of it.  Trust the King, not your ability to follow Him.”

Let the story of Timothy Treadwell  be a warning – a wake-up call for you and I to be ruthless with our sinful desires.  Sin is a wild beast that cannot be tamed.  Like the Grizzly bear, it can appear cute and innocent – it will let you hold it close and get comfortable.  But, like the Grizzly bear, it will one day – without warning – turn on you and devour you.  Sin management is a fantasy.  The truth is you – and I – can’t handle sin.  Sin masters and enslaves those who draw close to it.  Draw close to Christ, for He alone is the master of sin and He alone is able to keep you from being destroyed.

 Honor all men.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.

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Biblical perspective on Alcohol

Many folk will tell you the Bible condemns the consumption of alcohol.  Many churches have taught for years that drinking is a sin.  Some teach that the wine in the Bible was really grape juice, not a fermented alcoholic drink.  Right up front, I tell you drinking is sinful – for some, but not for all.  And no, the wine in the New Testament is not grape juice, it’s wine.  Let’s see, in part, what the Bible tells us – as saints of God.

The English word “wine” occurs 37 times in the New Testament (KJV).  33 of those (scattered throughout the 4 Gospels, Romans, Ephesians, 1 Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter, Revelation) are the Greek word oinos, which is a direct derivative of the Hebrew word for intoxicating wine, yayin.  2 more occurrences are found in Paul’s pastoral epistles to Timothy and Titus, wherein the qualifications of Bishop are given – a double use of a Greek word, paroinos, which is a compound word taken from para (to be near) and oinos. One of the other 2 occurrences of the English word is inferred by the scribes to make the sentence make sense in English – Luke 5:39 and the other is in Acts 2:13, where the term “new wine” refers to a more intoxicating wine (gleukos) than oinos.

Note – all of the New Testament references to wine warn about being drunk and advise us not to abuse it nor our freedom to consume it.  These warnings are because our Maker knows our frailties.  How many people do you know who “can’t handle their liquor”?  Many people abuse alcohol and don’t think they do – just like folks who swear.  But that’s a whole ‘nother topic.

Note also that in John 2, where Jesus performed His first recorded miracle, people were getting drunk when the wine ran out.  They weren’t drinking grape juice.  When He turned the water into wine, it was declared by the wine steward to be the best wine of the evening – whereas most hosts served cheap stuff once people were under the influence.

Thirdly, note that folks had no refrigeration and grape juice would ferment quickly if left in its natural juice state.  Wine, fermented on purpose, would keep much longer.

Here are some scripture passages that reveal God’s will on this topic, based on a review of the word, “drink”:

Leviticus 10:8 – 11    God forbids priests who are performing ministry to drink wine or strong booze during the time they are ministering.  The big unspoken implication is that they could drink these when not performing their ministerial duties; else the Word would not have made this specific prohibition.

Judges 13:1 – 7    God details the prohibition of drinking alcohol for Nazerites.  Again, if the non-abusive drinking was prohibited to all God’s people, He would not have made this specific prohibition.

Song of Solomon 8:1 – 3    In this love song, God shows the proper use of alcoholic wine.  Note the Hebrew word for wine in this verse is yayin, which means “wine (as fermented); by impl. intoxication:–banqueting, wine” and not merely grape juice as some say.

Isaiah 5:21 – 22 and 29:9 – 14    God shows that drinking booze can be a trait of proud, arrogant men.

Amos 9:11 – 15    God promises to bless His people and one of the blessings bestowed upon them is the wine of the vineyards He will give them; and they will drink the wine.

Romans 14:19 – 23    God shows us to be careful in what we do – including drinking – as regards our weaker brothers and sisters in Christ.  But this is not a general prohibition against drinking alcohol.

1 Timothy 5:23    This is the famous verse where Timothy is advised to drink a little wine (goes back to the same Hebrew word used in the Song) for his stomach.

Now here are some more scripture, based on the word, “wine” (always using yayin):

Genesis 9:20 – 24    God shows how wine can be abused and man suffers the consequence.

Genesis 14:17 – 20    The high priest Melchizedek set forth bread and wine (yayin) before weary travelers.

Exodus 29:38 – 41    God prescribes the use of wine (yayin) as part of a required sacrifice.  He would not use something in this manner if the thing (wine) was sinful in all its use.

Leviticus 23:10 – 14    God again requires wine be a part of a sacrifice.

Numbers 6:18 – 21    Once a Nazerite has completed his service, he may drink wine.

Numbers 28:7    God requires wine and strong drink be used in sacrifice.

Psalms 104:14 – 15    God gives us wine to give us happiness.

Proverbs 20:1    Booze is to handled with great care, as many will be taken into excess.

Ecclesiastes 9:4 – 7    Wine is to be enjoyed as part of the fruit of our work.

John 2:1 – 10    Jesus creates wine for a wedding celebration.  Why would He do this if the reasonable consumption of wine was sinful?

Ephesians 5:17 – 21    The famous verse tells us not to be drunk with wine, but filled with the Holy Spirit.  This shows that it is being drunk that is sinful, rather than merely drinking a glass of wine.

1 Timothy 3    Qualifications for bishops and deacons – don’t be a drunkard.  Again – not a word about “do not drink”.

There are many verses that warn about the dangers of excessive drinking.  These ought to make every saint careful about drinking.  But it’s the heart – have a drink to enjoy life, don’t drink to excess nor allow the alcohol to influence you or make a brother stumble.  See Romans 14:14 – 23.  And back up to Romans 14:1 – 13 to see how we should not look down on a brother who has a different view on eating or drinking.  A shorter view of this point is found in Colossians 2:16 – 17.

Let the Word of God be your guide about this – and every subject; not the word of any man.  Life is too important to rest on man’s opinion.  We have the word of God and the mind of Christ.  Let us live in such a way as to make this present world know we don’t belong to it – we belong to Jesus!

In His grip,

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“Cavalry” to Rob Bell’s rescue!

Apostate false preachers unite behind Rob Bell! Carlton Pearson to the “rescue”, quoting Wayne Dyer and denying the Bible as the Word of God – he claims it’s the “inspired word of man about God.” He sounds just like Rob Bell and enthusiastically agrees with him in the video below.

Thin ice, a tender strand of a spider’s web – is all that withholds these people from the wrath of God. Their feet shall slip in due time.

From http://apprising.org/2011/03/16/universalist-carlton-pearson-defends-rob-bell/

UNIVERSALIST CARLTON PEARSON DEFENDS ROB BELL

By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Mar 16, 2011 in Current Issues, Emergence Christianity, Emergent Church, Features, Rob Bell, Youth Ministry

I told you in Apprising Ministries: Rob Bell Resources that online apologetics and discernment ministries have been warning you about the warped and toxic teachings of the Emerging Church rock star pastor Rob Bell for years now.

I know I’ve been trying to tell you that Bell himself is under the spell of a ne0-Gnostic corruption called Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), which is now pandemic within mainstream evangelicalism through its foolish embrace of the sinfully ecumenical neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church with its quasi-universalism in a new version of postmodern Progressive Christian theology under their spiritual circus “big tent” of empty Emergence Christianity.

And this is the point being missed: Rob Bell’s gospel is essentially the same as the newer postmodern form of progressive/liberal Christianity—Liberalism 2.0—that McLaren began laying out systematically in his last book A New Kind of Christianity (ANKoC). You need to remember that liberal theology, aka modern theology, was the doomed attempt to come up with a verison of Christianity compatable with the modern culture of its day; and with the EC, what we’re dealing with is the same ill-fated idea; only this time to a postmodern culture.

As you can see e.g. in Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Panel Discussion On Brian McLaren Dr. Al Mohler and some of his professors recently held a round table discussion on ANKoC; and Dr. Mohler himself said, “If you actually read the Bible, you are going to end up having to say that this is a dishonest attempt to make the Bible say what is does not say.”

The same thing can now be said about Bell’s mythology concerning heaven and hell in his new book. Currently in the midst of his book tour Rob Bell takes us deep into the postmodern Wonderland of Humpty Dumpty Language where words take on whatever meaning an individual wishes them to have; for example, Bell says he’s not a universalist all the while teaching a form of Christian Universalism in that book.

Even people normally supportive of Rob Bell are starting to notice; today we see a case in point from Ben Witherington in Rob Bell on the Hot Seat, where he says of Bell’s appearance on MSNBC:

What I find troubling about this video, and with the interview Tuesday night in New York that is also making the rounds on YouTube is that Rob  is evasive in both cases.    This is not the same approach he has taken in the past on a variety of complex issues,  and it is troubling indeed.    Whatever else one can say about generous orthodoxy, it should not include suggesting that polar opposite views about God are equally orthodox,  nor that contradictory views on key Scriptures  are equally plausible or possible. (Online source)

It’s now really beginning to appear that Rob Bell has made a real tactical blunder because in Brian McLaren Speaks As A Universalist I showed you that at the corrupt heart of this Liberalism 2.0 is the doctrine of universalism; and the popularity of men like McLaren and Bell within mainline progressive churches is perfectly understandable because — they speak from the world, and the world listens to them (1 John 4:5).

Here’s the crux of the matter, both Brian McLaren and Rob Bell claim to be evangelical all the while espousing a newer postmodern hybrid form of progressive Christian theology that’s completely at odds with evangelicalism, and which is still being cobbled together by such characters as uber-liberal theologian Harvey Cox and his friend panentheist/process theologian Philip Clayton.

However, Dr. Michael Horton is very helpful here as he correctly teaches us that:

The term [evangelical] itself derives from the Greek word euangelion, translated “Gospel,” and it became a noun when the Protestant reformers began their work of bringing the “one holy, catholic and apostolic church” back to that message by which and for which it was created. People still used other labels, too, like “Lutheran,” “Reformed,” and later, “Puritans,” “Pietists,” and “Wesleyans.”

Nevertheless, the belief was that the same Gospel that had united the “evangelicals” against Rome’s errors could also unite them against the creeping naturalism and secularism of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century. The so-called “Evangelical Awakening” in Britain coincided with America’s own “Great Awakening,” as Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards, Tennant, and so many others centered their preaching on the atonement. (Online source)

Sadly, neither Rob Bell nor Brian McLaren can even see the evangelical neighborhood from where they’ve currently drifted; and in my opinion frankly, I don’t think they even want to see it. With this all in mind, it does speak loudly against the mystical musings of Rob Bell when Word Faith universalist Carlton Pearson decides to come to his defense below with an all-out attack on Holy Scripture, which is the only way one could ever defend Rob Bell’s mythology.

But I have some sobering news for you. Absolutely nothing; I repeat, absolutely nothing on this earth could ever even begin to compare with hell and the wrath of the LORD God Almighty:

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
(Hebrews 10:26-31)

I strongly suggest that you make some time to seriously meditate upon that; before it’s too late…

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The Painful Truth

NEW YORK — An outdoor advertising company has taken down an anti-abortion billboard that pictured a black girl along with the tagline, “The most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb.”

Some residents had said they found the billboard offensive, and members of the black community were especially outraged by it.

Taken from this article. 

Members of the black community are outraged by the billboard. They should be outraged. Not because they take offense at the billboard’s message, but because its message is true.

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Parents – Pay Heed!

Many parents who give their children to the government to train up fail to comprehend a doctrine that most government schools operate under – that of in loco parentis: [Latin, in the place of a parent.] The legal doctrine under which an individual assumes parental rights, duties, and obligations without going through the formalities of legal Adoption.

You can read more of the background, use, and implication of this doctrine here: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/In+loco+parentis

Do not neglect the Word of God, as our Lord holds parents (especially fathers) personally responsible for the training up of children – NOT the church (which has a biblical role of support) NOR the unbiblical “public school”.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

And for some practical understanding of this, read the following story, reported by OneNewsNow.com and note the issue: while your children are in the custody of the government school, who has parental rights? Pray for the Supreme Court to have wisdom.

High court to decide if parents ‘forfeit’ rights

According to John Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, the case before the high court will determine whether a state human services caseworker and deputy sheriff violated the rights of a nine-year-old Oregon girl in 2003 when they removed the child from her classroom, without parental consent or a court order, to question her about allegations of parental abuse.

John Whitehead (Rutherford)“She was left alone with the sheriff for two hours, and he interrogated her, trying to get her to say that her father had sexually molested her. She became visibly sick…that night… [and] the mother later filed a lawsuit,” Whitehead accounts. “This has wiggled its way up through the court of appeals. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the parents, saying this is an unreasonable search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment. And now, the U.S. Supreme Court is going to hear this case.”

So The Rutherford Institute, a non-profit conservative legal organization, has gotten involved and has filed a friend-of-the-court brief.

“What the case really stands for is whether you forfeit your rights as parents if you send your children to public schools,” the conservative attorney reasons. “In other words, do they really have any constitutional rights? Do you have any constitutional rights? Can government officials show up [and] take your children out of school without probable cause [or] without a search warrant in violation of the Fourth Amendment? That’s what this case is all about.”
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday, March 1.

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How to brainwash a nation and a people.

Very interesting video clip, on so many levels; especially when you realize how many Christians have been seduced–thinking “conservative” politicians are somehow the answer to this nation’s dilemmas. We’re headed to one conclusion, regardless of who’s in power . . . one will just get us there faster than the other.

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It’s better for Timmy.

Thanks to Revival And Reformation for posting this sobering piece:

This fictitious “letter” was taken from the book ‘Facts of the Matter, Daily Devotions for the Marketplace‘, by Dwight Hill.

“‘Dear Mom:

‘Gosh, can you believe it’s 2023 already?…It seems just yesterday I was sitting in first grade celebrating the century change. I know we really haven’t chatted since Christmas. Sorry. Anyway, I have some difficult news and I really didn’t want to call and talk face-to-face. Ted’s had a promotion and I should be up for a hefty raise this year if I keep putting in those crazy hours. You know how I work at it. Yes, we’re still struggling with the bills.

‘Timmy’s been ‘okay’ at kindergarten although he complains about going. But then, he wasn’t happy about daycare either, so what I can I do? He’s been a real problem, Mom. He’s a good kid, but quite honestly, he’s an unfair burden at this time in our lives. Ted and I have talked this through and through and finally made a choice. Plenty of other families have made it and are much better off.

‘Our pastor is supportive and says hard decisions are necessary. The family is a ‘system’, and the demands of one member shouldn’t be allowed to ruin the whole. he told us to be prayerful, consider all the factors, and do what is right to make the family work. He says that even though he probably wouldn’t do it himself, the decision is really ours. He was kind enough to refer us to a children’s clinic near here, so at least that part’s easy.

‘I’m not an uncaring mother. I do fell sorry for the little guy. I think he overheard Ted and me talking about ‘it’ the other night. I turned around and saw him standing at the bottom of the steps in his PJ’s with the little bear you gave him under his arm and his eyes sort of welling up. Mom, the way he looked at me just about broke my heart. But honestly, I believe this is better for Timmy, too.

‘It’s not fair to force him to live in a family that can’t give him the time and attention he deserves. And please don’t give me the kind of grief Grandma gave you over your abortions. It is the same thing, you know. We’ve told him he’s just going in for a vaccination. Anyway, they say it’s painless. I guess it’s just as well you haven’t seen that much of him.

Love to Dad:

Jane’”

“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20.13)

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John MacArthur on James 2:20.

The following is a question regarding James 2:20, and John MacArthur’s answer.

Question

Please explain James 2:20, “…that faith without works is dead.”

Answer

“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” What does this mean: “Faith without works is dead”? Does this mean that to be saved we have to do works? Well let’s find out.

Back up, verse 14. We have got to get the context. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?”

Now what he is saying, James, that’s why Marten Luther said that the Book of James was a right strawy [something of little value] epistle, he didn’t like it, because it kind of fouled up his doctrine of justification by faith. But that is only because he didn’t study it in deep detail to see what was really being said.

What does the Bible teach about salvation? Abraham was justified by works? Romans four, is that what it says? “Abraham was justified by what…? “Faith.” Abraham was not justified by works. Romans chapter three says, “No man is justified by works. By the deeds of the law shall…” what? “No flesh be justified,” none. There is no way that we can be justified. In Romans 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” Salvation is by faith, not by works. Galatians chapter three tells us the same thing, that you cannot be justified by works, you cannot be saved by what you do, in terms of deeds. He says, “…they that are of faith,” Galatians 3:9, “are blessed with faithful Abraham.” It’s all a matter of faith. The man that is justified, he says in verse 11, “But no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, … The just shall live by faith.” Now the Bible teaches that you are saved by faith, well you say that what in the world is James saying?

Can faith save him? James is looking at this from the stand point of evaluation. He is looking at a man who says, “I have faith!” And he is saying, all right if you have true saving faith then I ought to see some evidence of it, right? “By their fruits you shall…” what? “…know them.”

He is simply saying, if your faith is genuine then it’s going to manifest itself. “If any man be in Christ he is a new creation, old thing are passed away and behold all things become…” what? “…new.” There is going to be a manifestation. And so he says, what kind of faith have you got my friend, I don’t see any evidence?

For example, he says, “If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you who claims to have saving faith says depart in peace be warm and filled.” Just what he needs. Condolence. Hope you feel better, hope you find some food. But you don’t give him the things needful to the body, what kind of faith is that? If you’re really saved it’s going to be a working kind of salvation that will bear fruit. That’s all he’s saying. So, in verse seventeen, “…so faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead, because it’s alone.” So it’s a dead faith not a living faith. If “a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works; show me your faith without your works, and I’ll show you my faith by my works.” And he contrasts two kinds of faith.

One kind of faith is the faith that doesn’t have any works and it is dead faith and the other faith is the faith that produces something and its living faith. One saves and one doesn’t. That’s what he is saying, “Oh,” but he says “I believe, I believe,” “Yeah,” he says, “The devils believe and they tremble.” It’s not enough to believe unless that believing results in an act of commitment to Christ that results in a changed life that bears fruit. That’s his whole point.

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The ten signs of a flesh-pleaser.

by Richard Baxter

The signs of a flesh-pleaser or sensualist are these:

1. When a man in his desire to please his appetite, does not do it with a view to a higher end, that is to say to the preparing himself for the service of God; but does it only for the delight itself. (Of course no one does every action conciously with a view to the service of God. Nevertheless, the general manner or habit of a life spent in the service of God is absent for the flesh-pleaser.)

2. When he looks more eagerly and industriously after the prosperity of his body than of his soul.

3. When he will not refrain from his pleasures, when God forbids them, or when they hurt his soul, or when the necessities of his soul call him away from them. But he must have his delight whatever it costs him, and is so set upon it, that he cannot deny it to himself.

4. When the pleasures of his flesh exceed his delights in God, and his holy word and ways, and the expectations of endless pleasure. And this not only in the passion, but in the estimation, choice, and action. When he had rather be at a play, or feast, or other entertainment, or getting good bargains or profits in the world, than to live in the life of faith and love, which would be a holy and heavenly way of living.

5. When men set their minds to scheme and study to make provision for the pleasures of the flesh; and this is first and sweetest in their thoughts.

6. When they had rather talk, or hear, or read of fleshly pleasures, than of spiritual and heavenly delights.

7. When they love the company of merry sensualists, better than the communion of saints, in which they may be exercised in the praises of their Maker.

8. When they consider that the best place to live and work is where they have the pleasure of the flesh. They would rather be where they have things easy, and lack nothing for the body, rather than where they have far better help and provision for the soul, though the flesh be pinched for it.

9. When he will be more eager to spend money to please his flesh than to please God.

10. When he will believe or like no doctrine but “easy-believism,” and hate mortification as too strict “legalism.” By these, and similar signs, sensuality may easily be known; indeed, by the main bent of the life.

HT: Thoughts From A Pastor

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Dangerous pragmatism.

I just read a great article on why a transformed life is not proof of salvation that I highly recommend to all DefCon readers. It is well thought-out, well-written, and can be found here at Better Than Sacrifice.

Here’s an excerpt:

The seed which fell upon stony ground appeared to burst into life – it ‘immediately sprang up’. Why? ‘Because there was no depth’. Far from the immediate flourishing of growth being an indicator of eventual fruit, that growth was caused by the seed falling upon unprepared ground. This is sobering; the implication is that a quick conversion – an abundance of early growth – might very well prove to be ill-grounded. . . .  The seed which fell on stony ground is likened to one who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet there is no depth there, no true understanding of what has been declared.

If this is sometimes the case with those who hear the true Word of the Kingdom, properly proclaimed, how plainly this exposes the dangers of our modern watered-down presentations of man’s sinful state. Rather than risk offending people by telling them of the wrath of a holy and just God toward sinners, we instead talk of having ‘made mistakes’ and ‘messed up our lives’. Instead of warning of the coming judgement, we tell people that God loves them, omitting any mention of His holiness and justice. Rather than call sinners to repent, we entice them with the offer of a better, more abundant life.

And thus we emasculate the Gospel, robbing it of its majesty and power. For if God is not angry with sinners, the punishment of His Son in their place on the cross can make no sense. Truly, it is this kind of diluted evangelism that results in false converts, lacking depth and with no understanding of the amazing grace that has been poured out upon sinners through the cross of Jesus Christ.

The Church’s task is not to make the Gospel palatable to unbelievers. It is to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Christ so clearly that the offence of the Gospel – Christ crucified in our place, the just suffering for the unjust – is plain to everyone who hears.

Our message should be such that it is impossible for anyone to accept, except the Holy Spirit be at work supernaturally in people’s lives. The Church is charged with preaching the Law in all its severity to frighten comfortable sinners, and then to comfort frightened sinners with the Gospel.

HT: CrossTalkBlog

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Chuck Smith on predestination.

WARNING!!! This is an example of BAD theology.  Believe at your own peril…

“…you could go to the race tracks with this kind of knowledge (God’s foreknowledge). Imagine what you could do, having foreknowledge knowing every horse what he was going to do in that race and you would go to the race track with this kind of knowledge. Now if you could do you think you would go there and pick out a ticket of losers?…Would you pick out a bunch of losers? You would be stupid if you did. Of course you wouldn’t you would pick the winners, because you know in advance who is going to win the race. What the outcome is going to be. And so you make your choices predicated on what the outcome is because you already know in advance what it is going to be. That is just using your head. Now that’s what thrills me about God choosing me.  Because he don’t choose no losers.  God’s only chosen winners. … God already knows the choice you are going to make. But you are the one that makes the choice, but God in all of His wisdom, knows the choices each person is going to make. But He doesn’t make the choice for you. He only knows in advance, that which you are going to choose.”

[Source: Teaching on Ephesians]