church

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Liberian elections.

For those who have been praying for Liberia, I wanted to bring your attention to some news coming out just before the election coming up this Tuesday in the West African country. Less than a week before the election the current president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was just awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This could only be in her favor for reelection.

Liberia has been slowing rebuilding its infrastructure after emerging from the civil war a few years ago and the Liberian Christians I spoke with seemed to be happy with the peace and progress they’ve experienced under President Sirleaf.

There is fear, however, that if Sirleaf’s opponent is elected, the religious freedom that Liberia is now enjoying may very well be stifled and the country could be cast into more civil unrest. This, obviously, would affect missionary efforts on the ground in that country.

Please commit this matter to prayer and pray that God’s will to be done in this upcoming election and continue to pray for the work being done in Liberia.

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Top Ten Reasons Not to Join A Reformed Baptist Church

Top Ten Reasons Not to Join A Reformed Baptist Church 

Dr. James White has some pretty honest reasons why, if you are shopping for a local Christian fellowship, you may want to dismiss a Reformed Baptist Church. You tell ‘em Doc.

  1. You don’t get to leave after every sermon feeling good about yourself. You may even desire repentance.
  2. You don’t get to hear the sermons in the same way you may be used to. It’s frequently verse by verse, maybe not even relevant to your current situation.
  3. You don’t get to be entertained. We don’t want to entertain you.
  4. You don’t get to go to church every weeknight for programs. We don’t have ‘em.
  5. You don’t get to be ‘lost in the crowd’. We tend to have accountability to one another.
  6. You don’t get to hear social commentary. Sermons are mostly biblical and serious.
  7. We’re not considered ‘seeker-friendly’. We don’t believe in seekers. Apart from regeneration, they don’t exist.
  8. You’re asked to apply the sermons to your life.
  9. You’re asked to attend services regularly, to support your elders in prayer and give sacrificially to the advance of the Gospel.
  10. You will experience conviction of sin with regularity.

HT: http://5ptsalt.com/

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Quotes (908)

voddie-baucham How does a mother build biblical truth into her daughter’s life, nurture her, guard her, and encourage her toward the application of that truth, then send her into an environment that will oftentimes by its very nature be hostile or at least ambivalent toward that truth? How does a father raise his son to respect young women and protect their purity only to send them off to the youth building with exposed midriffs, low-cut tops, and skin-tight jeans?

– Voddie Baucham

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Too little too late.

Why is it that today’s “prophets” always tell you about their visions after the events occur and never before? In the following case, Jim Bakker tells viewers on August 12, 2011, that he predicted 9/11.

He was only a decade late in mentioning it.

HT: Slaughter of the Sheep

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Quotes (907)

  Christ’s death is the Christian’s life. Christ’s cross is the Christian’s title to heaven. Christ “lifted up” and put to shame on Calvary is the ladder by which Christians “enter into the holiest,” and are at length landed in glory. It is true that we are sinners–but Christ has suffered for us. It is true that we deserve death–but Christ has died for us. It is true that we are guilty debtors–but Christ has paid our debts with His own blood. This is the real Gospel! This is the good news! On this let us lean while we live. To this let us cling when we die. Christ has been “lifted up” on the cross, and has thrown open the gates of heaven to all believers.

– J. C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

HT: JC Ryle Quotes

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Sermon of the week: “Reforming Modern Youth Evangelism and Discipleship” by Paul Washer.

Paul Washer pulls no punches as he exhorts the church to evangelize youth the biblical way. Some of the things Washer says in this sermon, Reforming Modern Youth Evangelism and Discipleship, may surprise you.

I encourage all youth evangelists, preachers, and pastors to listen to this message with an open mind; leaving your preconceived notions about youth ministry (and youth ministry abolitionists) at the door.

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Where have I read that before?

The origin of the Book of Mormon is a fascinating subject as there is clear evidence that its source was not divine, but was actually conjured up in the imagination of Joseph Smith, inspired by similar stories circulating around his time.

It’s precisely because the Book of Mormon was drafted by Joseph Smith (a “poor farm boy” as Mormons like to refer to him) and not divinely inspired, that we’re not surprised to see the almost 4,000 changes, alterations, and corrections to the Book of Mormon since its first publication.

And it doesn’t shock us that many parts of the Book of Mormon are simply plagiarisms from the King James Version of the Bible, including the use of King James English long before there was King James English (just one of the many anachronisms found in the Book of Mormon).

And we’re not stunned that absolutely none of the huge cities and civilizations described in the Book of Mormon have ever been found.

And we’re not astounded that there’s no historical, archeological, or anthropological support for the claims of the Book of Mormon.

And we aren’t astonished that DNA science has actually proven the claims of the Book of Mormon to be false.

And we aren’t beside ourselves that there’s not even one ancient manuscript to support the validity of the Book of Mormon (like the over 25,000 ancient manuscripts that support the Bible). 

These are some of the many problems that we’d expect to see from a book created by finite man, not from an inspired work by an infinite God.

So where did this “poor farm boy” get his ideas and inspiration for the Book of Mormon?

Continue reading →

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Sermon of the week: “The Rich Man and Lazarus” by John MacArthur.

Your sermon of the week is on the subject of Hell in the sobering message The Rich Man and Lazarus by John MacArthur.

This sermon is a follow-up to this previous message by MacArthur. I encourage you to listen to them both.

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Christian Book Distributors now selling the Koran.

If you want to purchase the Islamic Koran you can now turn to the nation’s leading Christian bookselling website. That’s right, you can now buy the Koran from Christian Book Distributors (CBD).

And CBD is even encouraging the mass distribution of this book (that fuels the terrorism that’s raging around the world and which calls for Jews and Christians to be put to death) by offering a discount of fifty cents per Koran if you order forty or more.

Isn’t this like selling your axe to the executioner as you’re laying your head on the chopping block?

CBD also offers Introducing the Qur’an: For Today’s Reader and Islam: A Short Guide to the Faith

The pied pipers of Universalism (and those wishing to eradicate Christians from the face of the earth) get one more voice of solidarity and support from within our own camp.

 I suppose there’s no better time to revisit two questions I posed back in 2008: Are Christian bookstore owners responsible for what they sell? and Do you support your local Christian bookstore?

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A visit to a megachurch.

Here’s an article by Chris Dunn on his recent experience of visiting a megachurch.

It’s not pretty.

Last Sunday I went to a megachurch.  Normally I attend small churches with a gathering of local believers who strive to live according to the Bible.

Having already attended countless churches from many denominations and faiths, I was eager to see what the average parishioner experienced at one of these stadium-sized complexes.

It was horrific.  Megachurches like this one can have almost nothing to do with biblical Christianity and may actually do violence to the ‘Word of God.’

Continue the article from Collegiate Times here.

HT: The Cross and the Lamb

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Sermon of the week: “The Sufficiency of Scripture and the Gospel” by Paul Washer.

We who home educate, oppose youth ministries, believe Christians should dress modestly, etc. are often accused of believing this way of life makes one a Christian and makes one holy. And of course, we deny those baseless charges of “legalism” but nevertheless, the accusations are still hurled at us.

This is why I’m pleased to present this Thursday’s sermon of the week entitled The Sufficiency of Scripture and the Gospel. Paul Washer (a home education proponent and youth ministry abolitionist himself) proves that not everyone in this camp is a legalist, and to those in this camp who may tend to lean that way, he does for them in this sermon as he did for the lukewarm in his famous Shocking Sermon from 2003 (found here).

Paul Washer addresses the notion that these wonderful family oriented ideals (along with manners, modesty, etc.), albeit beautiful and virtuous and good, they in and of themselves do nothing to save a man’s soul. And he did this at a conference sponsored by the National Center for Family Integrated Churches.

This is classic Paul Washer.

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Quotes (905)

 Never are men’s hearts in such a hopeless condition, as when they are not sensible of their own sins. He that would not make shipwreck on this rock, must beware of measuring himself by his neighbors. What does it signify that we are more moral than other men? We are all vile and imperfect in the sight of God. “If we contend with Him, we cannot answer him one in a thousand” (Job 9:3). Let us remember this. In all our self-examination let us not try ourselves by comparison with the standard of men. Let us look at nothing but the requirements of God. He that acts on this principle will never be a Pharisee.

– J. C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

HT: JC Ryle Quotes

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It’s the same thing.

Not one to shy away from controversy, I present the following short video that I can only describe as sobering, shocking, and disturbing. This video depicts one of the arguments I’ve made for years in the abortion debate, and now that argument is effectively visual.

I wholeheartedly believe this video needs to be seen (truth should never be hidden), but I strongly urge caution for younger viewers. It’s one of the most powerful videos I’ve seen in quite a while (first viewing left me speechless, second viewing brought me to tears). Its impact will leave you shaken.

Viewer Discretion is Advised

HT: Hope For the Helpless

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You might be a Calvinist . . .

The following is from the Disciple Man blog:

You Might Just Be A Calvinist If….

If you have a Martin Luther Jell-O mold… you just might be a Calvinist.

If your DVR has over 25 episodes of Wretched With Todd Friel recorded on it… you just might be a Calvinist.

If your child’s first word was “Westminster”… you just might be a Calvinist.

If your 4 year old can explain what the word “propitiation” means… you might just be a Calvinist.

If you send your mother tulips on Mother’s Day… you might be a Calvinist.

If your passion for evangelism blows away your Arminian friends… you might just be a (true) Calvinist.

If you hate rap music BUT you listen to Lecrea, The Cross Movement, Flame or D.A. T.R.U.T.H. because of the lyrics and theology… you might be a Calvinist.

If quotes from Pink, Spurgeon, Luther, Piper, and McArthur make up 90% of your Facebook statuses…you might be a Calvinist.

Continue reading →

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Nephi or Moroni?

The following is an interesting article from an unlikely source.


What most LDS have been taught in church and believe as truth.

The name of the angel that visited Joseph Smith three times on the night of Sept. 21, 1823 was named Moroni.  The name of the angel is mentioned several times in many LDS publications and he has always been referred to as Moroni.

Significant details & problems that most LDS are not aware of.

This angel is the one who told Joseph Smith where the gold plates were buried and can be seen on top of most LDS temples.  However, a close examination of early church history tells a different story.  Some early LDS sources which say that the angel’s name was actually Nephi are as follows:

Keep reading here.


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Sermon of the week: “The Carnal Christian Doctrine” by Albert N. Martin.

Albert Martin delivers a riveting message putting to rest the false doctrine of Carnal Christianity so rampant in evangelicalism. This message is as important and as timely today as it was when he preached it 47 years ago.

The Carnal Christian Doctrine (Part 1)

The Carnal Christian Doctrine (Part 2)