April 9, 2009 by Pilgrim

What is the sermon topic at your church going to be for Resurrection Sunday?

It’s a sad sign of the times that a question like that even has to be asked, but such is the way of life in Laodicea, USA.

If you thought last year’s Easter sermon series at New Spring entitled Sex, Money and Power reached a new low, brace yourself for more evangelical apostasy, because nothing says ‘Ichabod’ like the following examples of scheduled sermons to be preached across the tattered landscape of what was once American Christianity.

– If you go to New Spring in South Carolina, this year you’ll be subjected to AC/DC’s Highway to Hell.

– If you go to SOS Church in St. Louis, you will see the message of the Gospel mocked as Jesus is depicted as an extreme cage fighter. They even boast “For the kid fighters, join us in the ring for your own Easter smack down (infant to 12 years)” on their website.

– If you go to North Point Church in Springfield, Missouri, you’ll hear the first sermon in a series entitled “God at the Movies” about the film Slumdog Millionaire in which you’ll get to experience Easter in 3-D.

– If you go to Crosspoint in Alabama, your sermon will be Rockstar: Live Famously.

– If you go to Eastlake in California, your sermon will be something about a man dressed in a rabbit costume singing “I like big butts . . .”.

– If you go to Cross Roads in Indiana, you can “ditch church” this Resurrection Sunday for a party.

– If you go to Discover Church in Ohio, you can enjoy a day filled with an Easter egg hunt, free food, a prize drawing, and you can even meet the Easter Peep.

*** CLARIFICATION: The Easter egg hunt, free food, prize drawing, and the Easter Peep, will all be part of the fun and frivolity on Saturday, not Sunday, at Discover Church. The sermon on Saturday will be about The Cross where you can, “Find out some eye opening facts about the cross and how it is affecting our culture today.” ***

– If you go to Mecklenburg Community Church in North Carolina, you may be asked to ponder this simple question: “What if . . . we make an Easter promo video that excludes any mention of Jesus Christ?”

– If you go to Momentum Church in Georgia, you will be subjected to a mockery of Jesus Christ and a man in a bunny suit punching people for eating chocolate . . . all in one video (which is a complete rip-off of the 6th video in this post)

– If you go to Christ Church in Montgomery, Alabama, you’ll be subjected to this juvenile idiocy.

– If you go to Calvary Church in Irving Texas, you can be involved in this stupid pastoral stunt.

– If you go to Converge Family Church in California, you’ll get a dose of potty humor.

– If you go to Revolution Church in Canton, Georgia, you can learn all about “Jesus” the rebel (and perhaps what the risen Savior has to do with motorcycles).

– If you go to The Gathering in Tennessee, your Easter sermon will be Wimpy Jesus Has Gotta Go.

– If you go to Granger in Illinois, your Easter sermon will be Sync: Your Life in Rhythm.

– If you go to The Orchard in Illinois, the sermon will also be all about you: Livin’ Venti, complete with a helicopter Easter egg drop.

– And finally, if you go to Velocity Church in Powder Springs, Georgia, your Resurrection Sunday service sermon will be a series entitled Beer, Babes, and Baseball.

The God-mocking hirelings are out of control and the goats are loving it!

Maranatha, Lord Jesus!

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.– 2 Timothy 4:1-5

That time has come!

April 7, 2009 by Pilgrim

Isn’t that the truth!

HT: Slice of Laodicea

See related sermon on this topic: Whatever Happened to Christian Unity?

April 2, 2009 by Pilgrim

Dear Mormon: Which version of the first vision do you believe?

Here’s a quick time-line of how the conflicting accounts of Joseph Smith’s first vision(s) overlapped.

1820 – 1838 The first vision consisted of angels only.

1842 The introduction of the “God the Father and Jesus the Son” version of the first vision.

1838 – 1890 The first account of “angels only” continued to linger on in spite of the new 1842 version.

1890 – Present The “God the Father and Jesus the Son” version is the only one accepted (and most Mormons today don’t even know about the whole “angels only” version).

To view a downloadable, easy to read, superbly detailed, full-color pamphlet on the various versions of the first vision click this link here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

joseph-smiths-vision

I received the first visitation of Angels which was when I was about 14 years old.

Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith’s Diary 1835-1836

An American Prophet’s Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith

Page 59

It commenced by an angel of God flying through the midst of heaven and visiting a young man named Joseph Smith, in the year 1827.

Wilford Woodruff

Journal of Discourses

Volume 13 Page 324

1869

He sought the Lord by day and by night, and was enlightened by the vision of an holy angel.When this personage appeared to him, one of his first inquiries was: “Which of the denominations of Christians in the vicinity was right?”

George A. Smith

Journal of Discourses

Volume 13 Page 78

1869

Just as it was when the Prophet Joseph asked the angel which of the sects was right that he might join it.The answer was that none of them are right.What, none of them?No.We will not stop to argue that question; the angel merely told him to join none of them that none of them were right.

John Taylor

Journal of Discourses

Volume 20 Page 167

1879

Some one may say, “If this work of the last days be true, why did not the Saviour [sic] come himself to communicate this intelligence to the world?”Because to the angels was committed the power of reaping the earth, and it was committed to none else.

Orson Hyde

Journal of Discourses

Volume 6 Page 335

1854

How did this state of things called Mormonism originate?We read that an angel came down and revealed himself to Joseph Smith and manifested unto him in vision the true position of the world in a religious point of view.He was surrounded with light and glory while the heavenly messenger communicated these things unto him, after a series of visitations and communications from the Apostle Peter and others who held the authority of the holy Priesthood, not only on the earth formerly but in the heavens afterwards.

John Taylor

Journal of Discourses

Volume 10 Page 127

1863

Upon the reality and truth of this vision rests the validity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. – Gordon B. Hinckley

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first-vision

See also: This video on the first vision.

March 23, 2009 by Pilgrim

You deserve the best?

I’m not sure which “church” this comes from, but they offer the following necessities (emphasis theirs):

– Text messaging: Interactive communication during the service.

– Youth dramas and kids’ choir presentations.

– Video message enhancements.

– Refreshing atmosphere.

– Get out in plenty of time for lunch.

– Message that brings out the best in you.

– Inspiration and encouragement that will see you throughout your week.

best-1 best-2

HT: Fish With Trish

March 23, 2009 by Pilgrim

Utah’s dirty little secret.

Mormonism’s been playing the shell game; hiding many of their beliefs from the public eye since its very inception, including the sins of their prophets. And now there’s yet another secret sin permeating among the Mormon-saturated state of Utah.

You see, anytime we challenge Mormonism’s false doctrines, inevitably some adherent to LDS comes in and–ignoring the facts–repeats the mantra referring to how good of a people they are and thus, this “proves” they’re the only true church.

They love to misuse Jesus’ teaching that “you will know them by their fruit” when applying it to themselves because they don’t drink, smoke, or cuss. However, those who’ve studied Mormonism know very well that this false religion is replete with the evil sins of deception, lies, wickedness, adultery, polygamy, and murder. But these LDS apologists always fail/refuse to consider these wicked fruits of LDS: “Pay no attention to that, look only at the good things we do.”

So when I saw this article exposing Utah’s addiction to pornography, I realized this is just another decomposing, rotting, spot of mold festering just below the surface of the facade of “perfect” Mormon fruit.

After controlling for differences in broadband internet access between states – online porn tends to be a bandwidth hog – and adjusting for population, he found a relatively small difference between states with the most adult purchases and those with the fewest. The biggest consumer, Utah, averaged 5.47 adult content subscriptions per 1000 home broadband users; Montana bought the least with 1.92 per 1000. “The differences here are not so stark,” Edelman says.

March 20, 2009 by Pilgrim

Quotes (502)

Catholic bishops have condemned us as heretics and have cursed us over 100 times with anathemas pronounced by the Council of Trent and the 2^nd Vatican Council. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “Every heretic is to have part with the Devil and his angels in the flames of eternal fire, unless before the end of his life, he be restored to the Catholic Church.” What a paradox! Christians, who embrace God’s infallible truth, are eternally condemned by this apostate religion, and then called Catholic-bashers for trying to rescue Catholics who are enslaved by doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1).

– Mike Gendron

March 16, 2009 by Pilgrim

Doctrine divides!

“Doctrine divides!”

Whenever you hear this it’s usually followed up with “we all worship the same God” and “can’t we all get along?”

Whenever the mantra “doctrine divides” is employed, it’s always with a negative connotation. But have you stopped to ponder why?

Allow me to submit for your consideration, that “doctrine divides” is actually a good thing–a positive thing. It’s true that “doctrine divides,” and here’s what it divides:

The ones just wanting to be fed from the ones willing to take up their cross.

The false conversions from the true conversions.

The ones under law from the ones under grace.

The swine from the pearls.

The profane from the holy.

The tares from the wheat.

The goats from the sheep.

The wolves from the flock.

The hirelings from the shepherds.

The “other gospels” from the one true Gospel.

The false christs from the one true Christ.

The darkness from the Light.

The lies from the Truth.

The myths from the facts.

The wicked from the righteous.

The wide gate from the narrow gate.

The broad road from the narrow road.

and

The many paths from the only Way.

Doctrine divides; doctrine divides; thank God Almighty, doctrine divides!

– The Pilgrim

March 14, 2009 by Pilgrim

Rudeness, vulgarity, and profanity. The ‘next big thing’ in church.

This announcement video is actually from a church. Thank you Mark “The Cussing Pastor” Driscoll for blazing new trails in the area of crude and carnal speech in church. The trickle-down effect of your example is bearing much fruit.

Don’t worry, Josh (on the right) and the folks at The Journey Church had a vestige of decency to bleep out the cussing.

HT: Slice of Laodicea & A Little Leaven

Apparently Josh is a motivational youth speaker (imagine that) who literally believes that in our words we hold the power of life and death (see this video). This really makes me wonder what he was thinking when he said the things he said in the above video. Oh, and Josh also has an opinion on homosexuality (see this video). I bet you’ll never guess what a hip, cool, relevant, and culturally vulgar youth speaker thinks about homosexuality.

This guy reminds me of Ignatius the fictional youth pastor.

March 13, 2009 by Pilgrim

Classify this under: “Self-fulfilling prophecy.”

March 11, 2009 by Pilgrim

The First Church of the Tares.

March 11, 2009 by Pilgrim

Quotes (499)

To say that reunion with Rome would be an insult to our martyred Reformers is a very light thing; it is far more than this: it would be sin and an offense against God!

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

March 9, 2009 by Pilgrim

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

So who is this Helen Ukpabio and why has she rightly reserved her spot in Hell lest she repent? She’s a self-proclaimed “prophetess” who is becoming rich on the abandonment, abuse, and murder of innocent children. She runs Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries and is responsible for much of the false teaching in Nigeria.

helen-ukpabio

You can learn much more about her from the documentary exposing the wickedness that she’s up to her neck in. If you haven’t seen it, you can check out the fruit of Helen Ukpabio’s false, Hell-spawned “gospel” in the six-part video on the post Charismania Unrestrained: Africa’s Witch Children. You cannot remain unchanged or at least unaffected after viewing it.

The secular organization Stepping Stones is one of the very few in Nigeria trying to help the victims of the millstone-wearing Ukpabio. On their website they write:

Stepping Stones Nigeria does not wish to denounce any faith organisation. However the role of the church, especially some of the new Pentecostals, in spreading the belief in child witches cannot be underestimated. There are numerous so-called pastors in the region who are wrongly branding children as ‘witches’ mainly for economic self gain and personal recognition.

Ukpabio, who claims to be anointed to cast out witches, is making her living on preaching a false gospel. Below is one of the propaganda videos she produced to indoctrinate the naive into believing that their own children are witches, thus leading to their abandonment and even murder. Viewer discretion is advised.

You can sign a petition to stop this madness by clicking here.

March 7, 2009 by Pilgrim

Raise your hand.

Ingrid Schlueter has given three cheers to the Catholics for their valiant fight against the billion dollar baby butcher business (while evangelicals are becoming increasingly silent on the issue of abortion).

I too would like to chime in on this issue: I wholeheartedly disagree with the soul-damning false gospel of the Roman Catholic institution, but I have to ask why they continue to fight for the unborn while evangelicals have fallen silent? I believe part of it is that Roman Catholicism is a works-based false religion and thus, its adherents must strive to win God’s favor by their works and what’s more “favorable” to God than protecting the unborn? I believe that the problem on the other side of the coin is that many evangelicals have become so relevant and accommodating to the world that they’ve absorbed the world’s standards, morals, wisdom, and ways and can no longer be distinguished from the world.

As the Catholics continue to take a stand against this murderous rampage perpetrated upon the most defenseless class in our society, many evangelicals have begun to support the shedding of innocent blood by their collective silence and some even voted for our current pro-abortion commander in chief. By abandoning the fight for life, evangelicals actually lend support to the heinous act of abortion.

The church that remains silent on the issue is no better than those whose murderous ways are furthered by such silence.

March 4, 2009 by Pilgrim

National Youth Ministry Conference.

In contrast to the other videos out there produced by “churches” (like these and these) and especially those produced for youth “ministry,” the following videos are rather mild. However, Ingrid Schlueter really hits the nail on the head with the following quote on the state of perpetual adolescence in church leadership. It begs the question Who’s pastoring the youth pastors?

The problem with a lot of youth “ministry” today is that it is all youth and no ministry. With the collective emotional age of a lot of youth pastors not exceeding 12, it is difficult to know what these youth events accomplish aside from furthering the cause of permanent adolescence. Remember Scripture’s injunctions that the older teach the younger? What happens when there is no “older?” What happens when nobody matures mentally or emotionally past childhood? What happens when the supposed “men” are flabby, undisciplined kids who spend their time posting videos of themselves on YouTube? Here’s what happens.

The above video was produced for an announcement segment plugging the 2010 National Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago.

The following video (produced by the same folks) is definitely catering to the lowest common denominator. Violence, youth rebellion, disobedience to authority . . . all the elements you’d expect to see in a video for youth ministry in American Christianity. And by the way, (at the 39 second mark of this video) does the kid’s shirt on the left say what I think it does?

There’s a name for this type of behavior. It’s called Rejuvenile.

Additional worldly and childish “youth ministry” antics:

A story of injured clowns and evil chickens: When the gospel is so watered down that you get no gospel at all. But hey, the kids are entertained!

The problem with youth ministry today: God’s laxative? Because every Christian needs a spiritual bowel movement?

March 4, 2009 by Pilgrim

Quotes (493)

The Roman Catholic Church did not exist when the canon was closed in the first century. How do we know? You cannot find any of the following Catholic traditions in the church of the apostles: priests offering sacrifices for sin, purgatory, indulgences, infallible popes, Mary as a sinless mediatrix, etc.

– Mike Gendron

March 2, 2009 by Pilgrim

Where have we seen this before?

The second video below looks strikingly similar to the second video in this post. I guess what works at one mile-wide, inch-deep, entertainment-driven “church” to herd goats, must work at another.

So what could be worse than kidnapping the Easter Bunny, physically battering him, and spitting in his face? Well, the “church” staff performing their own rap video in which they shake their rear-ends for the camera is a close second.

I have two observations:

1). Two thousand years ago a handful of men began to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. How did they possibly achieve this without employing such cool, hip, and relevant means as seen in these videos?

2). I can’t help but think of the man who was just diagnosed with terminal cancer and is about to leave behind a wife and children. He realizes that his life has been one of sin and an affront to a holy God. He thumbs through the yellow pages with a heavy heart as he tries to find a church. He knows that if he died he would go to Hell . . . this much he’s sure of.

He’s a dying man looking for answers. He stumbles across Ridge Stone “church” (the one who produced these videos) and attends the following Sunday. He seats himself at the front as a man desperate for answers with time against him. The lights dim. The video screen begins to light up. The above Christmas Eve promo video is shown with the “church” staff wiggling their butts for the camera and he inwardly asks himself, “Is this what Christianity is all about?” He leaves at the end of the “show” and this is the last “church” service he ever attends.

Now imagine if you will; what if you were that dying man?

This juvenile display of intimacy with the world and its culture is the fruit of an apostate false church, not the spotless, unblemished Bride of Christ. Make no mistake, this social-club masquerading as a church (and those like it) are an abomination unto a holy and righteous God.

Ichabod!

February 22, 2009 by Pilgrim

When you can’t tell the difference between the “church” and the world.

holiness

Can someone please tell my why it is so necessary for “churches” in America to mimic the world, its ways, and its culture . . . the very world that’s antithetical to Christ and His Church?

Case in point: For your consideration of the state of the “church” in America today, I’ve posted the following dozen videos produced by a “church” called Waters Edge. I included each video’s own introduction as found on YouTube along with my brief commentary.

Brace yourself.

1). In this video, Jamey shows us the “correct” way to invite people to our upcoming series on love and relationships entitled “Let’s Get It On.”

Is it me or do the words “sexual innuendo” and “double entendre”come to mind after watching this video? Could you imagine being a visitor to this church with your children present when they played this clip? At least they warn us on their website about the content of their “sermon” series: “Parental Discretion is advised… preschoolers and kids should participate in Kid Kraze and WeeWorld.” Can any Church historian please tell me if there’s ever been a time in Christian history when the church had to give a “parental discretion” warning to its congregants?

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2). This video aired on Sunday, November 2nd at Waters Edge. Enjoy!

Kidnapping, physical violence, and spitting in the face of Santa Clause. All in a day’s work for the staff at Waters Edge.

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3). This video aired on Sunday, November 16th at Waters Edge Church. It was our third Christmas Eve promo video on a Sunday and offered the best Christmas Toy idea. It also offered the opportunity to go ahead and order it, to help free people up to attend our Christmas Eve services, since they wouldn’t need to shop on Christmas Eve.

Narcissism and a total irreverence for Jesus Christ. What more do you need to promote your church?

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4). This was one of the videos featured in our first Big Dream Series. Lots of fun!!!

Hmmm. The church mocking the Church. How relevant.

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5). Here it is!! The VIP Rap Video From Christmas Eve 2007 at Waters Edge Church! Starring Lead Pastor Stuart Hodges!!

Introducing the new breed of shepherds of the church.

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6). This Video Aired on Sunday, July 13th at all of Waters Edge’s Services. Enjoy!

So you mean those in each Waters Edge service were subjected to this? How tragic.

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7). This video aired on Sunday, January 11th as a part of our “Crank It Up” series.

No comment.

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8). This video was part of the finale day in our “House” Series in July, 2008. Rob was awesome!!

After watching this video I have a strange burning in my bosom to go to church . . . and not just any church, but Waters Edge.

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9) This video aired on Sunday, January 25th at Waters Edge Church as a part of our “Crank it Up” Series. Enjoy!!

Using a parody of a sexual dysfunction commercial to promote your “sermon” series is so Scriptural. Didn’t the Apostles do this?

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10). This video was part of the finale day in our “House” Series in July, 2008. Rob was awesome!!

If you need to use a product like this may I suggest you reexamine yourself to see if you’re in the Faith? (2 Corinthians 13:5)

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11). This is a video of the Waters Edge Staff Guys performing “Hangin’ Tough” at Waters Edge in June of 2008. This was a part of our “I Love the 80s” Series.

Uh, what part of “Do not love the world . . .” do you guys not understand?

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12). Every year we do an “emmy awards” type event called The WEC Awards to honor say thanks to all of our volunteers. We make a video for each of the teams and this is the one we did for our setup and teardown team. It was a fun video and I thought you guys at PCI would like to see it. It is kind of a big file so that is why I had to post it online for you to download.

Using MTV as their inspiration . . . that bastion of Christian morals and standards. Listen around the 3:20 mark for the quote “These chairs are so comfortable it will make you feel like you’re not even in church.” And once the show service begins that feeling will only increase.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:15-16

See: Suffering Christianity vs. Chipper Christianity

February 21, 2009 by Pilgrim

And the most admired hero in America is . . .

According to a recent Harris Poll, the following people are the top ten most admired heroes in American:

10. Mother Teresa

09. Chesley Sullenberger

08. John F. Kennedy

07. John McCain

06. Abraham Lincoln

05. George W. Bush

04. Ronald Reagan

03. Martin Luther King Jr.

02. Jesus Christ

01. Barack Hussein Obama

Yes America, Barack Obama is bigger than the Beatles!

February 21, 2009 by Pilgrim

Mormon blasphemy illustrated.

The following picture is found on page 126 of the 1972 LDS Family Home Evening Manual to describe to Mormon children “how Jesus was the only begotten Son of God.”

Utter blasphemy!

For more information check out: