This is the next installment on the subject of creation vs evolution by John MacArthur from his series The Battle For the Beginning. It is entitled God: Creator and Redeemer. Look for the next installment in two weeks.
Apologetics
Quotes (746)
Scripture declares clearly, and without a doubt, that there is only one cleansing agent for the sin of believers. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Yet, Rome diverts its people from the Savior’s blood and instead offers a place called purgatory as a dreadfully contrived hoax.
– Mike Gendron
Bruce McConkie’s “Mormon Doctrine” out of print due to low sales.
For those dealing in counter-cult apologetics, if you do not have Bruce R. McConkie’s Mormon Doctrine you better get your hands on it soon, as it’s about to get harder to find and possibly more expensive to purchase. Anyone dealing with Mormons knows the value of this book, and now it will no longer be in print due to a decreased demand. I procured my copy a few years back and I won’t be selling it anytime soon.
Part of me wonders if the decision to stop printing it has anything to do with how much of the real Mormonism it reveals: God was once a man; you can become a God; the black race is cursed; Christ couldn’t atone for all sins and you yourself must atone for some of your own sins by your own shed blood just to name a few.
None of these teachings, I might add, were of McConkie’s own imagination; he merely expounded on already established LDS teachings and doctrines, even though the mainstream LDS organization has been back-peddling from many of these core Mormon doctrines in recent years as they’ve done a phenomenal job at PR in their attempt to look just like Christians. This, of course, is perplexing when you consider that the genesis of their very existence was precipitated on the idea that Christians are apostate.
Oftentimes when a non-Mormon quotes from Mormon Doctrine he is met with the typical Mormon responses that it is not authoritative, it is not scripture, it is not part of LDS canon, and it was only McConkie’s opinions. Ironically these excuses are never appealed to whenever they quote from the Mormon apostle’s work.
This selective use of LDS teachings by Mormons makes the following article from the Salt Lake Tribune even more revealing as they admit:
Although McConkie, an LDS apostle who died in 1985, took sole responsibility from the start for Mormon Doctrine ‘s content, it often was quoted over the pulpit and treated by members as quasi-official. The book, with its presumptive title, seemed to provide an answer to every question and left little room for ambiguity.
“Mormon Doctrine served two generations of the Mormon rank and file as the main authoritative source of LDS teachings,” said LDS sociologist Armand Mauss. “With its authoritative tone and constant promotion from high places, it came to be regularly cited in the church curriculum, especially in [Church Educational System] materials, and soon took on almost a scriptural stature.
You can read the entire article of the demise of McConkie’s tome on the Salt lake Tribune website by clicking here or below by clicking the following link:
Quotes (744)
It may seem a harsh sentiment; but he who in his soul believes that man does of his own free-will turn to God, cannot have been taught of God, for that is one of the first principles taught us when God begins with us, that we have neither will nor power, but that He gives both; that He is “Alpha and Omega” in the salvation of men.
– C.H. Spurgeon
1834 – 1892
Sermon of the week: “You Must Be Born From Above” by Randall Easter.
Your sermon of the week is another must-hear powerhouse sermon by Randall Easter entitled You Must Be Born From Above.
If you haven’t heard Randall Easter’s previous sermon on Jonah (and I highly recommend that you do), you can find it on this post.
HT: The Bororean
When the world gets it but the “church” doesn’t.
I just saw this news piece in which a softball coach required eight of her players to drink soda out of a shoe. The matter is being called a mistake and the coach has apologized. Yet, when “Christian” youth groups in American churches participate in drinking foot bath water and licking peanut butter out of armpits and off toes, for some reason they view this as ministry.
Quotes (742)
We believe that much that is called evangelism today is little more than psychology and salesmanship; we are appalled by the superficial work which goes on under the name of evangelism; we are appalled by the pressures, gimmicks, and schemes all calculated to produce “decisions” and impressive statistics but which work havoc in the souls of men. No! Because we believe in evangelism does not mean that we are going to cooperate with every scheme which bears that name. We believe that in evangelism as in everything else . . . we must be governed by the Word of God. The message of evangelism must be according to the Scriptures, and the method of evangelism must be governed by the Word of God!
– William Payne
1938 – 1997
Smoke, mirrors, and some very bad hermeneutics.
This is a classic! The man in this satirical video uses some ingenious methods in an attempt to prove that Jesus is not God. Although the video is in jest, it illustrates the absurdity of how some go to great lengths to make the Bible say what they want it to say, including denying Jesus’ deity (like Jehovah’s Witnesses).
Although the video is funny, the ramifications of those who deny Jesus’ deity certainly isn’t.
Quotes (740)
A false faith can only float in smooth water, but true faith, like a life-boat, is at home in storms. If our religion does not bear us up in time of trial, what is the use of it? If we cannot believe God when our circumstances appear to be against us, we do not believe Him at all. We trust a thief as far as we can see him, shall we dare to treat our God in that fashion?
– Charles Spurgeon
1834 – 1892
Sermon of the week: “Creation – Believe it or Not” by John MacArthur.
We’re beginning a new series here on DefCon by John MacArthur on the subject of God’s creation (versus man’s theory of evolution) from his series The Battle for the Beginning. We begin with the following two-part message entitled Creation – Believe it or Not.
Creation: Believe it or Not (Part One)
Creation: Believe it or Not (Part Two)
Look for the next installment in two weeks.
Quotes (739)
Let me ask you, where in Scripture do you find the teaching that we are to treat false teachers with charity and the apostles of apostasy with Christian love? That is exactly the opposite of the teaching of 2 John . . . . Scripture terms the purveyors of false doctrine as “grievous wolves.” The faithful shepherds of history have not dialogued with grievous wolves.
– John Ashbrook
“Doctrine that every mother should teach their child” by Jonathan Sims.
Sermon of the week: “Preaching the Gospel in the Age of Apostasy” by Josh Williamson.
I had another sermon scheduled for this week, but then I heard this one and didn’t want to wait to share it with the readers of DefCon. It’s a bold message entitled Preaching the Gospel in the Age of Apostasy by twenty-four year-old Josh Williamson. It’s also very apropos for the persecution that some of us are currently enduring for the sake of Christ.
Josh Williamson is pastor of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Australia, and I think I’ll be listening to more from this guy.
A DefCon milestone: Our one millionth visitor.
It was two years ago that DefCon entered the blogoshphere and today we’re celebrating our one millionth visitor. We’re marking the occasion with a whole new look, and I’ll be tweaking it over the week to come till it’s perfect.
We’ve seen a lot, been through a lot, learned a lot, and grown a lot. What keeps us going is the myriad of comments and e-mails from those whose lives have been changed, strengthened, and encouraged by this blog. We truly appreciate our readers and would not be where we’re at today if it weren’t for you.
We also know that this will not last forever. Like many things in life, there is a season for everything, and seasons come and go. The handwriting is already on the wall, and sites like this will be labeled “illegal” and “subversive” in the near future as attacks and persecution continue to increase worldwide against Christians who preach and hold to the exclusivity of Christ.
We appreciate your continued support as we work while there’s still light, for the darkness is fast approaching when we will no longer be able to labor for the Kingdom. Again, thank you all for your readership and encouragement.
Quotes (736)
Noah’s message from the steps going up to the Ark was not “Something good is going to happen to you!” Amos was not confronted by the high priest of Israel for proclaiming, “Confession is possession!” Jeremiah was not put into the pit for preaching, “I’m O.K., you’re O.K.” Daniel was not put into the lion’s den for telling people, “Possibility thinking will move mountains!” John the Baptist was not forced to preach in the wilderness and eventually beheaded because he preached, “Smile, God loves you!” The two prophets of the tribulation will not be killed for preaching, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world!”
The message of the true God-sent missionary will be like the message of Noah – “Repent from your sins, for judgment is coming!” It will be like that of Jonah – “Repent from your sins, for judgment is coming!” It will be like that of John the Baptist – “Repent from your sins, for judgment is coming!”
The message of the true God-sent missionary will resemble none of the fluff found in many of today’s pulpits, but will be hard-hitting and will point out the truth that the gospel message is trans-cultural!
The message of the true God-sent missionary will not seek to provide health, wealth or prosperity. It will not provide for the stomachs or well-being of the heathen with no concern for their eternal destiny!
– Steve Lawson
HT: Desert Pastor
Three years ago today.
It was three years ago today that I sat through my last Sunday at a seeker-sensitive, man-centered social club operating under the guise of a church. Prior to that liberating Sunday I had begun reading the Bible through; not just selected parts here and there, but book by book, chapter by chapter, line by line, verse by verse.
As I was doing this, God began working on my heart and I began to notice a striking disconnect between the Church in the New Testament and the church I was sitting in (and the various others I had gravitated to in my life). I began to slowly see that something was terribly wrong.
I arranged to meet with the pastor to discuss some of the many issues that I simply couldn’t ignore. One of these issues happened to be the pastor’s proclivity to treat the pulpit as a venue to tell jokes and quaint little stories. When I urged him to stop telling so many jokes and instead preach the Word, his response was that God made him funny and that’s how he was going to be.
Our two-hour conversation ended on a promising note, but that quickly vaporized and it was apparent that it was time for me and my family to separate from that church amidst the scowling gossip that I was a “judgmental Pharisee” (not a surprising ad hominem attack—without any foundation in truth—from a congregation woefully ignorant of Scripture as they nursed on watered down milk year after year from the “funny” pastor).
After we left we began participating in a home church with a few other couples who had also left since there were no other churches in the area that we knew of where we could go to hear the preaching of the Word without compromise.
Shortly after we began our home church a couple that were friends with another couple already in our home church joined. This new couple had not been attending any church for quite some time as they were disenchanted with things that were happening in the local churches, yet they were fans of Joel Osteen.
We were meeting regularly for almost a year, during which time we also fed on sermons downloaded from the internet from great Bible teachers and we regularly went street witnessing. Everything was going good and during that time there was an incredible amount of growth among all of us, unlike anything we ever experienced in the lukewarm churches we had been attending. It wasn’t until later that I discovered the last couple to join us (the Osteen fans) were actually there to infiltrate the group to report back to the pastor what it was that we were doing and what I was “teaching.” The reason for this was that the pastor’s own son had defected from his father’s teachings and church and was meeting with us. After seeing that I was not a “Pharisee” as initially alleged, the couple sent in as spies remained with us . . . for a while.
Quotes (735)
I honestly, for the life of me, do not understand how somebody who professes to be in Christ can still continue to take God’s name in vain. And I will tell you I hear it all the time. Not in the profane ways of the world but in using the word God as an expletive. If you’re in Christ and Christ dwells in your heart then what comes out of your mouth should be words of praise and thanksgiving to God, not using God’s name in vain. The same filth that used to come out of your mouth is now cleaned up; why? because Christ lives in you. . . . I was an alter boy, and I went to Holy Family Catholic School, and I was surrounded by all this religious atmosphere, but you know what, I was excellent at was cussing. Most alter boys do cuss by the way. . . . I was a prolific swearer at twelve years old. When God saved me there was an immediate sense that those words no longer fit inside of this mouth. To be in union with Christ affects the way that you think, it affects the way that you speak, it affects the way that you use your body.
– Brian Borgman
Sermon of the week: “The Coming Final Persecution” by Steve Lawson.
As a follow-up to last week’s post on the coming persecution (found here), we bring you DefCon’s sermon of the week.
Steve Lawson discusses the uncomfortable subject of Christian persecution in the message The Coming Final Persecution. This message is not just about persecution in general, but is more specifically about the coming final persecution that Jesus warned us about.
Quotes (734)
Those who think that unsound ministers ought never to be exposed and held up to notice, and men ought never to be warned against them, would do well to study this passage. No class of character throughout our Lord’s ministry seems to call forth such severe denunciation as that of false pastors. The reason is obvious. Other men ruin themselves alone: false pastors ruin their flocks as well as themselves. To flatter all ordained men, and say they never should be called unsound and dangerous guides, is the surest way to injure the Church and offend Christ.
– J. C. Ryle
1816 – 1900
HT: CrossTalk Blog
What is man?
What is man that You are mindful of him? (Psalm 8:4)
Here’s the information behind this spectacular photograph of a “three-light-year-tall pillar of gas and dust“ from the Hubble space telescope.
NASA is releasing today a brand new Hubble photo of a small portion of one of the largest seen star-birth regions in the galaxy, the Carina Nebula. Towers of cool hydrogen laced with dust rise from the wall of the nebula. The scene is reminiscent of Hubble’s classic “Pillars of Creation” photo from 1995, but is even more striking in appearance. The image captures the top of a three-light-year-tall pillar of gas and dust that is being eaten away by the brilliant light from nearby bright stars. The pillar is also being pushed apart from within, as infant stars buried inside it fire off jets of gas that can be seen streaming from towering peaks like arrows sailing through the air.
Christ Alone Wyoming 