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.
The gospel is not about helping [un-churched] ‘Harry’ feel better about himself and his circumstances; it is about his rebelliousness against a holy God who will ultimately condemn him to Hell if he does not repent and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of his sins. The distinction between the market-driven approach and the biblical approach lies largely in understanding this fundamental difference.
– Gary Gilley
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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 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.
As a follow-up to The Brewing Storm and the Coming Demise of DefCon, Another Clap of Thunder, and I Feel Raindrops, I now submit for your consideration more proof of the coming storm of persecution against true Biblical Christianity.
Although I don’t agree with everything he says (i.e. what appears to be his Dominionist view), this article from Chuck Baldwin entitled Army Report Says Christians Threaten US Foreign Policy should raise the hair on the back of every Christian’s neck.
Here’s what Ingrid Schlueter had to say about it:
Islam may be sending its warriors to fly planes into US buildings, bomb our subway systems and plan[t] dirty bombs in major cities, but the threat that gets the attention of the US military is Christians and their end-times beliefs. This is a very disturbing column from Chuck Baldwin who tells about the army report that fingers American Christians as a threat because of their eschatology. Please see how your tax dollars are being spent and how you, as Christians, are being once again promoted as a “threat.”
With the terrorist shooting by a Muslim soldier at base on American soil recently, you’d think the Army would have a better grasp on the real threat from within.
If you cannot come to Christ with a tender heart and burdened conscience, then come to Him for them.
– A.W. Pink
1886 – 1952
Today’s sermon is another great one from John MacArthur entitled Ministry in an Age of Itching Ears. This is not a message that most American pastors would appreciate; which is precisely why it’s DefCon’s sermon of the week.
I wanted to share with the readers of DefCon a sad story concerning a Christian family in Canada. This was brought to my attention by a faithful reader of DefCon, Paul Bayne, and this is his story.
A Surrey family that had their three children seized by the government of British Columbia in October of 2007 is still desperately trying to get them back more than 26 months later. Their children were taken by the province after Child Services believed that the parents had shaken their then two-month-old baby girl, Bethany, even though those allegations now seem to be false, and government workers even advised their boys be returned as early as November of 2007.
The children have been in foster care ever since. The two boys who are aged five and four, respectively, and Bethany, now two, were taken by the Ministry of Child and Family Development when Paul and Zabeth Bayne were suspected of shaking their baby girl causing a head injury. The accusation is commonly known as “Shaken Baby Syndrome.” The Bayne’s insisted the injury occurred when their younger son tripped and fell on their daughter, but those pleas fell on deaf ears.
But the case has been fraught with concern about the power that government authorities have to seize children from their parents on slim evidence, and the lengthy time it has taken to restore the children to their parents again. Worse yet, evidence has surfaced which indicates the province had numerous opportunities to return their children, but for some reason did not. (Source: http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/communityofinterest/archive/2009/12/28/a-family-in-need-of-reunification.aspx)
The lawyer representing the children’s ministry had suggested the return of the two older boys to the parents because there was no evidence of harm done on the boys, according to documents obtained by CBC News on Friday.
Government lawyer Finn Jensen believed the case for holding the two boys would not hold up in court, and John Fitzsimmons, a community services manager, was aware of the lawyer’s position, according to a ministry correspondence dated July 14, 2008.
“[A] medical report of November 2007, completed shortly after the two older children came into care, indicates that there was no evidence of harm of injury to the children,” the correspondence said.
“No new evidence has come to light, which would indicate a risk to these children,” it said.
Jensen’s opinion on the case was that “the director should consider a return of the two children to the parents.”
The couple consulted more than a dozen experts in Canada and the U.S. — including pediatricians and pathologists — who all concluded there was no evidence of inflicted injury, abuse and injury from shaking on the girl.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/03/05/bc-child-seizure-protest.html#ixzz0l6KqALBF
The Baynes have posted ten experts reports on their website which confirm that no abuse occured and the history of their son falling on their baby was consistent with the injuries seen. Some of the experts involved include the chief neuroradiologist from Stanford University Dr. Patrick Barnes, child forensic expert Dr. John Plunkett, biomechanics, Dr. Chris Van Ee and Dr. Kenneth Monson. You can view these reports online here: http://apleaforjustice.org/Reports.aspx
In May of 2008 the Baynes attended a mediation in which the Ministry of Child and Family Development returned their two oldest children to them. Unfortunately prior to the mediation Global TV had interviewed them and following mediation aired their story. You can view this interview here: http://paulandzabethbayne.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/global-tv-bayne-family/ In response to this the Ministry canceled their agreement with the Baynes.
The Surrey couple, Paul and Zabeth Bayne, also obtained internal documents from the Ministry of Children and Family Development that suggest their daughter likely suffers glutaric aciduria, a rare disease often mistaken for child abuse.
Glutaric aciduria is a genetic disorder with varied symptoms, sometimes including bleeding and swelling of the brain.
Several doctors told CBC News on Thursday that the disorder has been mistaken for child abuse in other cases, and children suffering from it can die.
The Baynes, who hadn’t heard of the condition until they obtained the ministry documents, said they want their daughter assessed and treated immediately: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/04/02/bc-surrey-parents-children.html
Surrey councillor Marvin Hunt is personally stepping into the fight of a former Hope couple to regain custody of their children seized more than two years ago by the B.C. Children’s Ministry.
And Hunt is not alone among the doctors, social workers and others imploring the ministry to follow its own rules and return the three children.
Your sermon of the week is Saving Faith: Genuine or False? by Steven Cole of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship (fcfonline.org). This is a great exposition on the erroneously ‘supposed conflict’ between James and Paul on the matter of justification.
Last Sunday was Resurrection Sunday (Easter) and I thought I’d give you a peak at what services were like at a few churches in America.
SOS church had a message based on Avatar.
You’re invited this Easter. Bring your family and friends to come and experience CHRIST IN 3D! The one true AVATAR!
Granger church had a message based on The Matrix complete with a marching band.
You never know how GCC might open an Easter service. This year, for the “Wake Up! What if some dreams only come true when you’re awake?” series, it was a little bit of The Matrix and a marching band of volunteers performing “This Too Shall Pass.” It was an unexpected and must see arts element.
And North Point church had a laser light show described as a “spectacular Easter laser show” to kick off their “Paparazzi” theme.
If your pastor presented a doctrinally sound exposition of Scripture that exalted the risen Lord without all the distractions, consider yourself blessed and part of an ever-shrinking and endangered populace within American Christianity.
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See also, last year’s DefCon post: What is the sermon topic at your church going to be for Resurrection Sunday?
Long ago I ceased to count heads. Truth is usually in the minority in this evil world.
– Charles Spurgeon
1834 – 1892
Your sermon of the week is simply entitled Jonah. I listened to this sermon after posting my short piece on Jonah (found here) and wish I had listened to it earlier.
This is yet another powerful hour of preaching from Randall Easter. He pulls no punches as he steps on toes while preaching the gospel that is so desperately lacking in far too many churches.
HT: The Bororean
Surely that man must be in an unhealthy state of soul who can think of all that Jesus suffered, and yet cling to those sins for which that suffering was undergone. It was sin that wove the crown of thorns; it was sin that pierced our Lord’s hands, and feet, and side; it was sin that brought Him to Gethsemane and Calvary, to the cross, and to the grave. Cold must our hearts be if we do not hate sin and labor to get rid of it, though we may have to cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye in doing it.
– J. C. Ryle
1816 – 1900
Men wish to go their own way, to please themselves, to gratify their lusts. They want to be comfortable in their wickedness; therefore, they resent that which searches the heart, pierces the conscience, rebukes their evil. Christ was absolutely uncompromising. He would not wink at wrongdoing but unsparingly denounced it, in whomever He found it.
– A.W. Pink
1886 – 1952
Your sermon of the week is a fantastic one. Grab a pen and paper because you will be taking copious notes (I had to keep pulling the car over to write). I bring you this Thursday’s sermon by John MacArthur entitled The Atonement: Real or Potential?
This is a great message. The only disappointment I had was that in this 30 minute sermon MacArthur did not (in my opinion) spend enough time dealing with the arguments against limited atonement. For another great sermon on limited atonement in which the opposing arguments are dealt with in greater depth, check out the sermon Grace Secured: Limited Atonement found on this post.
MacArthur sums up the universalist atonement proponent’s argument perfectly when he says those who reject limited atonement believe that Jesus died for everybody in general, and no one in particular.
Christ Alone Wyoming 