Do we who claim the name of Christ live with eternity in view, or does what the world have to offer with all of its cheap baubles keep us attracted like a moth to the fire? If it is the latter, when will we realize that something is going to burn? It is ONLY what is done for Christ that will last.
Paul Washer
“Salvation MUST Be Evidenced by Works”–Who Said That??
You will be shocked–SHOCKED!!–at who was one of the earliest promoters of “Lordship Salvation”. That is, the fact that if one is a Christian, they will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and their lives will be marked by repentance and good works. Not works leading to salvation, but rather works springing from salvation.
Jonathan Edwards taught “Salvation by Works”!!!
All the “Easy-Believers®” who want to toss men like John MacArthur and Paul Washer under the bus for teaching that the life of a true Christian will be radically different from a Non-Christian because the believer’s life will be marked by repentance from sin, obedience to Christ, and “fruits worthy of repentance”–these “Easy-Believers®” will also have to consign the great Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards to the same fate.
***SARCASM ALERT!!!***
Was Jonah a false prophet?
What’s one of the first things a Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness says when you point out the plethora of false prophecies uttered by their leaders?
“Well, Jonah was a false prophet!”
As if Jonah being a false prophet would somehow give their leaders license to make as many false prophecies as they desire.
But did Jonah prophesy falsely? Or is this just one more example of an attack on God’s word by those lacking even the basic understanding of proper biblical hermeneutics in an effort to drive your attention away from their respective men behind the curtains?
The following piece by Hank Hanegraaf (regardless how you feel about him) quickly, succinctly, and conclusively destroys the shallow argument that Jonah was a false prophet, and it sends those wishing to trample on Scripture (in their pursuit to justify their false leaders) back to the drawing board to search for better proof texts.
From CRI:
THE PROPHET JONAH- Introduction
You wouldn’t normally expect Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and skeptics to agree on much of anything. Yet all three share a similar opinion regarding, of all things, the Book of Jonah. Can you guess what it is? The CRI Perspective in a moment.THE PROPHET JONAH- False Prophet?
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and skeptics all agree that Jonah uttered a false prophecy when he proclaimed, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). But, of course, Nineveh repented and was therefore not overthrown. Skeptics often refer to this as a clear example of false prophecy in the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons claim this unfulfilled prophecy provides biblical precedent for the unfulfilled predictions of their own religious leaders. These arguments, however, are seriously flawed. Let me tell you why.THE PROPHET JONAH- First…
First of all, Jonah did not make a mistake; he said exactly what God told him to say (Jonah 3:1). The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, on the other hand, do not claim that their predictions were exactly what God wanted said. Even they agree that any error is the fault of men, and not God. Therefore, Jonah is irrelevant to their case. Yet they want their teachings to be regarded with the same authority as that of biblical prophets!THE PROPHET JONAH- Second…
Second, Jonah’s prophecy was not in error, because implied in the prophecy was a condition under which the predicted judgment would not take place. The Ninevites clearly understood what Jonah meant — namely, that their city would be overthrown unless they repented (Jonah 3:5-9). Since God spared Nineveh, obviously He meant the prophecy to be understood that way (Jonah 3:10). Even Jonah understood it that way, since he admitted in prayer that he knew God wanted to show mercy to the Ninevites (Jonah 4:1-2). So all of the parties involved — God, Jonah, and the Ninevites — understood that the prophecy was conditional.THE PROPHET JONAH- Finally…
The same cannot be said for the erroneous predictions made by the Jehovah’s Witnesses or by the Mormon prophets. Their predictions were never understood to be conditional at all. Thus, Jonah’s prophecy gives no comfort to the false prophets of today. Nor was it a false prediction, as the skeptics wrongly claim. In fact, I like what the Bible says: “No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21 NIV).On Jonah’s prophecy, that’s the CRI Perspective. I’m Hank Hanegraaff.
Does the Book of Mormon really contain the “fullness of the gospel?”
The following is from Rocky of Mormon Outreach as found on Facebook:
If the Book of Mormon contains the “Fulness [sic] of the Gospel” why aren’t these Mormon Doctrine essentials listed in the Book of Mormon?
1. Church organization
2. Plurality of Gods
3. Plurality of wives doctrine
4. Word of Wisdom
5. God is an exalted man
6. Celestial marriage
7. Men may become Gods
8. Three degrees of glory
9. Baptism for the dead
10. Eternal progression
11. The Aaronic Priesthood
12. Temple works of washings, anointing, endowments, sealing.If I took these 12 Mormon doctrinal points away, would I have Mormonism? Answer: No!
So, answer the question: “If the Book of Mormon contains the ‘Fulness [sic] of the Gospel’ where are these Mormon Doctrine Essentials?”
Sermon of the week: “Dating” by Paul Washer.
Your sermon of the week is–without a doubt–going to step on some toes, but it is one that needs to be heard. Paul washer pulls no punches in his message simply entitled: Dating.
I found myself saying out loud, “Amen, Paul Washer, Amen” when he compared a teenage boy’s desire to date his daughter without his consent like that of the theft of his truck. (You have to hear it in its context to truly appreciate it.)
This message is a combination of three shorter talks he gave on the subject of recreational dating (for a total run time of around 90 minutes) and it is a must-hear for those whose kids are dating or about to engage in dating.
If you’re not sure whether this sermon is worth your while, just listen to the first ten seconds. It’s not a message everyone will want to hear, but then again, DefCon’s not known for posting sermons that tickle the ear.
If you want to hear more on the subject of dating, see Pastor Tim Conway’s message The Ungodly Practice of Dating found on this previous post.
Paul Washer stopping Jehovah’s Witnesses dead in their tracks.
For Him.
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.
Youth ministry: A “50-year failed experiment.”
Like placing a trampoline next to a spiked fence, sometimes you just have to admit when a bad idea is a bad idea (especially when it’s very harmful to children).
The Christian Post recently reported on a message from Scott T. Brown of the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches (NCFIC.org) in which he bravely went where few church leaders will go and criticized the sacred golden calf of youth ministry calling it “indisputably unbiblical.”
Brown gave this speech at the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference in Kentucky earlier this month which also featured Paul Washer, Voddie Baucham, Ken Ham, Doug Phillips, and others. Brown was optimistic though, hoping that “we are now at the end of this 50-year failed experiment.”
Ingrid Schlueter also weighed in on Brown’s lecture in this post when she said the following:
Youth groups that follow the fun and foolishness model of ministry have been an outstanding success—if by success you mean creating at least two generations of biblically illiterate, immature, and conscience-free consumers of American pop culture. As for training up disciplined, mature soldiers of Jesus Christ who possess a comprehensive knowledge of the Scriptures, most evangelical youth groups get an F.
Laodicean parents are concerned that their children will turn out badly. Turning out badly to Christians now means things like doing drugs, getting drunk or holding up the local QuickTrip. In terms of encouraging teens to avoid sex, drugs, booze and armed robbery, youth groups at evangelical churches probably get a few points. But when did avoiding procreation and police contact become the measure of success among Christian youth? Shouldn’t we be aiming a little higher than that? A working knowledge of sound Christian doctrine, knowledge of the Scriptures and the history of Christianity are now considered the arcane specialties of theologians, not tweens and teens.
The real issue is that evangelical parents are too busy servicing their debt providing iPhones and iPods and laptops for their offspring to worry about the biblical training of their children. Fathers are too involved watching the NFL on their large television screens to lead family worship. Mothers are too busy working out to achieve age-defying abs to teach children Scriptures when they rise up and when they lie down. That’s what youth group is for, they think. Except youth groups aren’t doing these things either. Youth pastors, even those well into middle-age, are bent on proving their coolness to the students in their care. They got krunk, see? They like dance-offs and air guitar competitions and having food items lobbed at their heads for entertainment purposes. Biblical training? Catechesis? Ha Ha Ha. Right.
Scott Brown is right. The neglect of biblical training of young people by their own fathers, in their own homes, is seen everywhere. Most frighteningly, we are seeing the increasing acceptance of things God clearly condemns in His Word. Kids today don’t know the Word. That’s why homosexuality is now seen as just another lifestyle option in a growing number of evangelical churches and colleges. Young people don’t know the Word because their fathers have failed them. Next, their “youth leaders” have failed them by perpetuating foolishness and buffoonery in the name of ministry.
Fathers, mothers, take back your roles as the primary disciplers of your children. Stop delegating the job to fools who are leading your children off a cliff spiritually. The times are dark and getting darker all the time, but the evangelicals party on, seemingly oblivious. The enemy is walking boldly into the church and subverting entire congregations with error of every description, not the least of which is an endemic spirit of frivolity and fun at the expense of teaching Biblical truth. But if evangelicals would look up from their revels, they would see the finger of God writing clearly on the walls of their churches.
“You have been tried in the balances and found wanting.”
_______________________________________________________________
See related:
– Peanut butter salvation and other stupid church tricks
– Whos’ pastoring the youth pastors?
– The problem with youth ministry today.
– A story of injured clowns and evil chickens.
– Another church sanctuary turned into a stage for a worldly dance exhibition.
Interview with Paul Washer on the background of his “Shocking Sermon.”
For those familiar with Paul Washer’s “Shocking Sermon” (featured on DefCon here), you will want to check out the following eleven-minute interview piece in which Paul Washer explains the circumstances preceding his delivery of that sermon to 5,000 youth.
You can watch the interview below, or download the audio by right-clicking here.
A reminder.
Sermon of the week: “Gaining the World and Losing Your Children” by Paul Washer.
Your sermon of the week is Gaining the World and Losing Your Children by Paul Washer. It is yet another challenging message directed toward fathers in how they treat their wives and children. When you are done with this sermon I highly encourage you download his message Biblical Manhood Part 1 found on this post.
Sermon of the week: “Biblical Manhood” by Paul Washer.
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.
Quotes (531)
One might clothe a leper in the finest white silk to cover his sores, but immediately the corruption of his flesh would bleed through the garment, leaving it as vile as the man it seeks to hide. So are the “good works” of men before God. They bear the corruption of the man who does them.
– Paul Washer from his Bible study, “The Doctrine of Man” (page 17)
Pulpits Filled with God’s Judgment!
Quotes (426)
Because the preaching of the Gospel is so low, the church is basically—the majority of it—are carnal lost people. And because it is a democracy, they, by and large, govern the direction of the church. And because the pastor doesn’t want to lose the great number of people and because he has wrong ideas regarding evangelism and true conversion, he caters to the wicked in his church and his little group of true sheep that belong to Jesus Christ are sitting there in the midst of all the theater, in the midst of all the worldliness, in the midst of all the multi-media going, “We just want to worship Jesus and we just want someone to teach us the Bible,” and pastors are going to pay for that. . . . Trying to keep together a bunch of wicked people while a little flock in the midst of them are starving to death and are made to go in directions they don’t want to go with the carnal majority.
– Paul Washer
Quotes (424)
The person who loves you most will tell you the most truth. One of the greatest distinguishing marks of a false prophet is that he will always tell you what you want to hear, he will never rain on your parade, he will get you clapping, he will get you jumping, he will make you dizzy, he will keep you entertained, and he will present a Christianity to you that will make your church look like a Six Flags over Jesus. And keep you so entertained you are never addressed with great issues such as these:
Is God working in my life?
Am I growing in holiness?
Have I truly been born again?
– Paul Washer
Quotes (409)
I do not so much have to pray up when I’m preaching under a tent in inner-city San Anton[io], but I have to pray up and know that I am walking with the Lord when I walk into an average Baptist church because of the way most people dress. And you say, “It’s legalism.” No it’s not. They’re commands in the Bible. It doesn’t say we’re all supposed to dress like a Puritan, but it does say we’re supposed to be decent and cause no offense or stumbling. “Well you can’t judge a book by its cover.” Yes you can! Jesus said you can; by their fruits you will know them.
– Paul Washer
Book review: “Justification and Regeneration” by Charles Leiter.
I recently completed the book Justification and Regeneration by Charles Leiter (with a forward by Paul Washer). This was a great book that explained in the simplest of terms the difference between justification and regeneration in the life of a believer.
It’s a quick and easy read and I highly recommend this book, especially to those who struggle to understand the difference between justification and regeneration.
You can purchase the book from Monergism. Thanks to Tom Rayborn from Christ Church Alton for sending me this book.
Christ Alone Wyoming 