Gospel

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My local Christian bookstore: Leaping from one great heresy to another.

RelaxOne expects to see Osteen, Warren, Jakes, Meyers, Bell, Driscoll, and Schuller on the shelves of their local Christian bookstore because they will sell whatever people will buy (regardless if it’s damaging to the soul, detrimental to the Christian’s walk or out right heretical). But I was shocked to discover what my local “Christian” bookstore was selling now .

I walked into the bookstore and (once I passed all the Jesus trinkets) lo and behold staring at me from the bookshelf was none other than The Shack. This tome of doctrines of demons was prominently displayed eye-level in the number one spot on the best seller’s bookshelf.

This, if you recall, is the same bookstore I previously posted about in regards to the owner’s reasons for selling books steeped in rank heresy. In that post (you can read it here) I asked the question if Christian bookstore owners are responsible for what they sell? In a post prior to that on the same topic I inquired of whether or not the readers of DefCon support their local Christian bookstore? You can read it here.

There is absolutely no excuse (other than the desire to make money) for any supposedly Christian bookstore to sell The Shack. And claiming ignorance will not suffice.

For those wondering what the stink about The Shack is all about, allow me to quote a description of the book from the January 2009 Writer’s Digest magazine (a secular periodical) who wrote a favorable piece on William Young’s book:

In Young’s story, Jesus is a dark-skinned Middle Eastern Jewish man who thwarts Mack’s expectation of a hunky blonde Jesus. God isn’t a white-haired wizard figure, but rather a matronly black woman who calls herself “Papa” in an attempt to challenge Mack’s preconceived notions. The Holy Spirit is a transparent creature named Sarayu who can’t be seen directly.

What business does a “Christian” bookstore have selling this rank heresy?

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Sermon of the week: “Biblical Manhood” by Paul Washer.

image-4-14280 Your sermon of the week is part one and part two of Paul Washer’s message entitled Biblical Manhood. This concludes our four-week series on manhood leading up to Father’s Day.

If you only listen to one message on fatherhood this year, make it this one. I think I’ve certainly saved the best two sermons on fatherhood for last, and I trust that you’ll agree.

Biblical Manhood 1

Biblical Manhood 2

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Africa desperately needs help with combating cults.

I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock . . . – Acts 20:29

Source: Africa Center for Apologetics Research

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See related posts:

Charismania unrestrained: Africa’s witch children

The Hell-bound false prophetess Helen Ukpabio of Liberty Gospel Church in Nigeria

Sam and Esther: The least of these

Who they were then, and who they are now

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Quotes (544)

Puritan Devotions Take notice, that it stands as a blot in the reputation of the Corinthians, that they were altogether for a gospel that should cost them nothing. Corinth was the most convenient, and so the most frequented, port of trade in all Greece. The inhabitants are said to have been very wealthy, proud, and voluptuous. They had abundance to spend upon themselves, but could find nothing for Paul, while he resided among them, and preached the gospel to them. . . . It is a sad word, but too frequently experienced, that a faithful minister of Christ may labor, and yet live in want, in a wealthy city.

– George Hammond

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CrossTalk: Death of the grown-up.

Ingrid covers the arrested development plaguing many Westerners in this CrossTalk episode: Death of the Grown-up.

This edition of Crosstalk begins with Ingrid’s review of Diana West’s book, The Death of the Grown-Up: How America’s Arrested Development is Bringing Down Western Civilization.

Do you remember a time when kids wanted to grow up to be like their father or mother? Unless you are a certain age or older, you may not even notice the shift that has taken place whereby American adult men and women, many in the church as well, often look and act like “teenagers.”

The highlight of this program is caller discussion that focuses on this idolatry of adolescent immaturity, and how we can get beyond that and raise children properly toward Christian adulthood.

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Sermon of the week: “Biblical Manhood” by Voddie Baucham.

Baucham on Screen We continue with week three of our four-week series on Biblical manhood. This week’s sermon of the week is aptly entitled Biblical Manhood by Voddie Baucham. I trust that you will be blessed, challenged, convicted, and encouraged by both parts one and two.

Biblical Manhood 1

Biblical Manhood 2

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Lipstick on a bullet.

King Solomon said there was nothing new under the sun, but this pushes the limits. Take a look at the following picture and consider for a moment what you think it is. A mother posing for a picture with her newborn daughter? Wrong!

Little Tess

This is a picture of a mother posing with her daughter, Tess, who she just paid an abortionist to kill.

Why the picture? It was part of a “memorial service” following the murder of Tess in the abortionist’s infanticide facility in which he drove a pair of scissors into the back or Tess’ skull and evacuated its content–killing her in a most horrific fashion. And do you know who this murderer was that so barbarically ended the life of baby Tess? None other than the church-going George Tiller.

A memorial service in the abortion mill where you just paid a man to kill your daughter . . . it’s like putting lipstick on a bullet.

To find out more (including more pictures), go to KGOV Radio.

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Quotes (538)

tedd-tripp You must equip your children to function in a culture that has abandoned the knowledge of God. If you teach them to use their abilities, aptitudes, talents, and intelligence to make their lives better, without reference to God, you turn them away from God. If your objectives are anything other than “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” you teach your children to function in the culture on its terms.

– Tedd Tripp

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Sermon of the week: “The Desire To Be A Godly Man” by Paul Washer.

image-4-14280 We continue our series of sermons on manhood (leading up to Father’s Day) with a two-part sermon by Paul Washer entitled The Desire To Be A Godly Man.

The Desire To Be A Godly Man: Part One

The Desire To Be A Godly Man: Part Two

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Two questions in the wake of George Tiller’s demise.

Throwing BabyThis past Sunday morning abortionist George Tiller was gunned down in his church where he served as an usher (that’s another whole issue). In the wake of this event, the pro-life groups have quickly worked on damage control in an attempt to make it known to the world that they disapprove of Tiller’s murder. So much so, I’m afraid, that it seems to be the overarching theme of all their commentaries and interviews on the issue, overshadowing the legacy of death this wicked man left behind. Resulting in (yet again) all the focus of the abortion debate being diverted to everything but the countless babies victimized by this horrific evil.

While the pro-lifers are busy making every effort to show just how virtuous they are by denouncing Tiller’s death, the pro-abortionists, on the other hand, are gearing up to capitalize on this event by:

* Using it as a distraction from the ever-increasing body count of babies murdered in this country at the hands of Tiller and others like him.

* Exploiting Tiller’s death to help enact legislation for the censorship and even criminalization of any views that oppose this barbaric “right.”

* Gaining the sympathy (and thus changing public opinion) of the masses of lemmings (most of which are eligible to vote) who don’t question what they’re told or know how to think for themselves, but instead prefer to be told what to think via such outlets as the evening news.

So I pose a question for those on the pro-life side and a question for those on the pro-death side:

For the pro-life community who are falling all over each other to denounce this killer’s murder, I have the following question: Would you have been–with equal fervor–so anxious to be the loudest voice denouncing the murder of say . . . Heinrich Himmler, Josef Mengele, Adolf Hitler (or any others directly involved in the Nazi death camps) had they been stopped by a gunman?

And for the pro-abortion community who’s currently lamenting Tiller’s murder, I have this question: How would you feel if George Tiller, instead of being killed in church, had instead been murdered in his mother’s womb by an abortionist?

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Sermon of the week: “Men After God’s Own Heart” by Carey Hardy.

carey-hardy For the next few weeks (leading up to Father’s Day) DefCon’s sermon for each week will be directed toward men, husbands, and fathers. We begin with this week’s message by Carey Hardy Men After God’s Own Heart from the 2005 Shepherds’ Conference.

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Quotes (535)

Puritans In the ordinance of singing, we must not make noise, but music; and the heart must make melody to the Lord. Augustine complained of some in his time, that “they minded more the tune than the truth; more the manner than the matter; more the governing of the voice than the uplifting of the mind;” and this was a great offense to him. Singing of Psalms should be joyous breathing of an elevated soul; and here the cleanness of the heart is more important than the clearness of the voice. In this service we must study more to act the Christian than the musician. Many in their singing of Psalms are like organs, whose pipes are filled only with wind.

– John Wells

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The life and death of Madalyn Murray O’Hair.

In spite of this documentary attempting to paint Atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair in a favorable light, you can’t help but see the irony of her life in the oddity surrounding her death.

In this documentary the true O’Hair is revealed including a domestic incident which resulted in her battery on police officers which led to her running from the law. Also included is O’Hair’s desire to defect to Russia during the height of the Cold War, but even the Godless Soviet Union wouldn’t take her so she did the next best thing . . . she helped bring Communism to America.

However, in spite of her life being devoted to mocking God and hating Christians, it was her death that was the events surrounding her death that I found most interesting. Scoffers are a dime a dozen, but O’Hair’s demise was anything but normal.

As with any documentary dealing with God-mockers, viewer discretion is advised.

Part One:

Part Two:

Language Warning: Uncensored profanity at 9:47

Part Three:

Part Four:

Part Five:

Also check out the famous Walter Martin vs Madalyn Murray O’Hair debate on this post.

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The brewing storm and the coming demise of Defcon.

Persecuted Not Persecuted

There’s something in the air. You can’t see it, you can’t smell it, but you can feel it. It’s not necessarily tangible but you can sense its impending approach.

It is persecution. And not just “they-laughed-at-me-because-I-go-to-church” persecution that we’ve all come to consider as persecution here in America, but an intense, relentless, horrifying persecution. A persecution of the likes of which we have never seen.

I’ve pondered posting the following thoughts earlier but I did not want to sound like an alarmist, a conspiracy theorist or jump to any conclusions. However, I just viewed the short video at the bottom of this post and realized that I am not the only one who can see the thunder clouds on the horizon. The video encouraged me to pen my thoughts on this matter to share with those who also hear the clapping of the distant thunder.

The tide is changing, the pendulum is swinging, and the winds are shifting. Although the American government, legal system, churches, and mindset of the masses have been changing for quite some time now, it seems like lately those changes have been increasing in speed.

Intolerance, antagonism, opposition, and hostility against Christians are growing not only from outside the Church, but even more so from within.

This coming persecution will not affect those merely professing Christianity (like the average Emergent or mega-church attendee for example). Instead this persecution will be waged against those who tenaciously hold to the exclusivity of the Gospel; that salvation is found only in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

I once believed that the coming inevitable persecution would be against all who claim Jesus as their Savior, but I’ve come to realize that this is not true. Those who are merely professing Christians who just go to church need not fear. The persecution will be directed at those whose lives and doctrine actually reflect and bear the mark that God has called them out of this world because all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).

We are warned of the great Falling Away from the Faith (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and that the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12) and that Christians will betray one another (Matthew 24:10). Those who are secreted within the true Shepherd’s flock that are currently among us but have never been of us (1 John 2:19) are the ones that will give us over to whatever persecuting body comes down the pike. It’s those who we once counted as brethren–those whose books we purchased, those whose sermons we listened to, and those sitting next to us in the pew–that will eventually deliver us up with a Judas kiss.

* We’ve seen many who claim the name of Christ—who fully believe they are bound for Heaven—fall under the charming spell of a political leader who is responsible for the bloodshed of countless children. These professing Christians cast their ballots for this king to rule over them and they justified it!

* We’re seeing laws being proposed to squelch any speech the government deems as “intolerant” or “hateful.”

* We’re seeing sinful lifestyles being given a protective status while anyone who disagrees is deemed an enemy and their right to free speech is being revoked.

* We’re seeing false teachers rise up from the floorboards like cockroaches at such an alarming rate that they’ve deluged our churches with their diseased false doctrines and have sickened the Body of Christ.

* We’re seeing those who’ve stood along side us (nodding their heads in agreement when we take on cults like Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses), only to turn on us with a savage bloodlust when we hold their favorite “evangelical” leaders to the same Biblical standards and doctrinal integrity we hold the cults to.

* We’re seeing once respected men in the Faith begin holding hands with the enemy and push for a religious ecumenicalism that will eventually try to stamp out all those who believe Jesus meant what He said when He said He was the only way to the Father (John 14:6).

These and many other signs are coming together to create the perfect storm. When things begin heating up and moving forward, expect to see sites like DefCon taken down for violating some fairness or tolerance law. Expect to see pastors (who take a stand for the purity and exclusivity of the Gospel) removed from the pulpit and jailed as is already happening. And as things get worse, expect to lose your job, your home, your family, your friends, and even your very life as those who call themselves Christians pick up stones to kill you, thinking they’re doing God a service (John 16:2).

Those who have come to cherish the fellowship and encouragement of fellow believers on blogs such as this (because they’re outcasts at their local church), and those who rely on sound Biblical teaching from sermons on the internet (because their pastors are doing yet another “sermon” series on sex) will suffer as this once thriving venue dries up under hate crime laws.

It won’t be long before the true believers of Jesus Christ will be forced to go underground, not because of a lack of churches, but because of persecution and the fact that leaven has infected almost every church in America and those who resist will not be permitted to exist.

The blood of the martyr is the seed of the Church. It was in times of prosperity that Israel turned her back on God and it is with us as well. It wasn’t until Israel suffered greatly that they returned to their Creator. Whatever is soon to happen–no matter how terrifying it may be–we must remember that God has ordained it to accomplish His purposes.

History testifies this is going to take place, current trends indicate this is about to take place, and Scripture reveals this will take place.

We must be ready and prepared. We must do everything possible to make our families ready and prepared. We must remain steadfast and we must trust that God is sovereign in the storm as much as he is in the calm.

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It seems to me that persecution never hurts the Church and prosperity always does.

-Paul Washer

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See also: John MacArthur’s sermon A Nation Abandoned by God.

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A convicting insight from a Mennonite gospel tract.

Mennonite Children

An honest evaluation reveals that not all is well today with twenty-first century Christianity. There are trends that should alarm us, even among the so-called fundamentalists. One of these trends needing urgent attention is the loss of holiness—the absence of a Bible-based, God honoring expression in the daily lives of many professing believers in Christ. True Christianity is not just a talk but also a walk, a way of life. . . . But today, mainstream Christianity has exchanged piety for pleasure, conscience for convenience, and modesty for moral looseness. People have taken God’s holy Son and reduced Him to a “popular” Jesus. He is now supposedly the Jesus of the professional athlete, of the country rock singer, and of the seminude beauty contestant. This Jesus supposedly smiles and forgives as unisex, divorce and remarriage, immodest dress (undress), fashion, sports, and the pleasure craze, along with the health-and-wealth gospel, settle into comfortable acceptance in many church circles. Dear friends, this is not the Jesus I know, and this is not the Jesus of the Bible!

– From the Mennonite gospel tract What Happened to Holiness?