Theology

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Quotes (616)

Matthew Poole The abuses of the tongue are many, one of which is the malignity of it. And whereas in David’s time a malignant and virulent tongue was the badge of an Atheist . . . now alas! this blotch [has] become the blotch of God’s children, and of high professors of religion.

– Matthew Poole

1624 – 1679

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Book review: “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus” by John Cross.

The Stranger From the author of The Lamb comes The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus. This book explains the gospel of Jesus Christ in the most detailed yet simple way that I have ever read. This easy-to-read book is full of illustrations and details the gospel beginning all the way back in creation. It shows the many foreshadowing events that point to the Messiah from the animal sacrifice to cover Adam and Eve, to the Passover Lamb, to the bronze serpent on the pole, etc.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-read book that thoroughly explains the gospel of Jesus Christ look no further. Whether you’re someone who’s been in the faith for a while or if you’re someone who knows absolutely nothing about the Bible, this book is for you.

From ChristianAnswers.net:

A breakthrough book for sharing a chronological approach to the Bible with unsaved friends and family in a reasonable amount of time. This can be read through in about eight hours.
A great evangelistic tool.

From the publisher:

What if there was a tool that could not only make sharing your faith less intimidating, but also help give you a better grasp of what you believe? A way to communicate the gospel in such a way that as you shared it, people’s eyes would light up with an understanding of what Jesus Christ did for them? Something that you could walk through with them as a Bible study or simply give to a friend to read? A way to make what many see as a dusty old book come alive with meaning in their lives? . . .This fully illustrated, 304-page book is written for adults and teens who know little or nothing about the Bible. It explains in a straightforward way the greatest themes of the Bible, step by step creating an understanding of sin, substitution and atonement. You yourself may be asking the meaning of these terms, words you’ve heard many times but never quite grasped the full meaning of. These truths are woven through the text as each chapter builds on the previous. By the end, the reader has the foundation needed to understand the importance of Christ’s death and resurrection. The logical teaching of truth from creation to the cross makes for a clear understanding of what the Bible is all about.

Currently www.FamilyFaithBooks.com is offering the accompanying workbook free with the purchase of the book.

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Quote (615)

The idea that the Christian message should be kept pliable and ambiguous seems especially attractive to young people who are in tune with the culture and in love with the spirit of the age and can’t stand to have authoritative biblical truth applied with precision as a corrective to worldly lifestyles, unholy minds, and ungodly behavior. And the poison of this perspective is being increasingly injected into the evangelical church body.

– John MacArthur

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

voddie-baucham Your Wednesday sermon of the week is Biblical Womanhood by Voddie Baucham. This message is also very apropos to men (so don’t you guys think you can skip out on this week’s sermon).

And don’t forget to check out Baucham’s two messages on Biblical Manhood too.


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Quotes (614)

Philip Doddridge We should often repeat to [our children] that God is so holy, and yet so gracious that, rather than He would on the one hand destroy man or on the other leave sin unpunished, He made His own Son a sacrifice for it, appointing Him to be humbled that we might be exalted, to die that we might live.

– Philip Doddridge

1702 – 1751

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What do Mormons think about Islam?

Islam's Religion of Peace We’ve already seen what Mormonism has historically taught and believed about Christians (in spite of their current ecumenical, seeker-friendly image presented to the public). But what is the Mormon position on Islam, the religion of the sword? The following quotes may surprise you.

There had been men, doubtless many men in the various ages of the world, who had light and who had a degree of the Spirit of God. I believe myself that Mahomed, whom the Christians deride and call a false prophet and stigmatize with a great many epithets—I believe that he was a man raised up by the Almighty, and inspired to a certain extent by Him to effect the reforms which he did in his land, and in the nations surrounding. George Q. Cannon, 1883, Journal of Discourses, Volume 24 Page 371

The great religious leaders of the world such as Muhammad, Confucius, and the Reformers . . . received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals. . . . Our message therefore is one of special love and concern for the eternal welfare of all men and women, regardless of religious belief, race or nationality, knowing that we are truly brothers and sisters because we are sons and daughters of the same Eternal Father. In an original letter From the First Presidency, Reference: Apocryphal Writings and the Latter-day Saints, C. Wilfred Griggs (editor), February 15, 1978, Page 29

Latter-day Saints accept all truth, wherever it may be found, as part of our religion—whether in the Quran or in other good books. David Stewart, 2003, Message of Friendship: Muslims and Latter-day Saints, Page 1

Latter-day Saints recognize Muslims as brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father, with whom we can find much common ground. LDS Prophet and Apostle Gordon B. Hinckley stated: “we value our Muslim neighbors across the world.” Latter-day Saints respect the strong family values and moral accomplishments of Muslims as well as Islamic contributions to science, literature, history, philosophy, medicine, and the arts. David Stewart, 2003, A Message of Friendship: Muslims and Latter-day Saints, Page 1

Latter-day Saints recognize the terms God and Allah to refer to the same being in different languages. David Stewart, 2003, A Message of Friendship: Muslims and Latter-day Saints, Pages 1-2

Similarities can be found between the “Five Pillars of Islam” and LDS beliefs. David Stewart, 2003, A Message of Friendship: Muslims and Latter-day Saints, Page 2

Muslims strive to perform a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one’s lifetime. The travels of the early Latter-day Saint pioneers are in many ways comparable to those of devout Muslims. The sacrifices made by many LDS families to attend the temple at least once in a lifetime, and much more frequently, if opportunities allow, are in many ways similar to the sacrifices made by Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. David Stewart, 2003, A Message of Friendship: Muslims and Latter-day Saints, Pages 3-4

When one considers who the source of these two false religions is, it’s no wonder that Islam and Mormonism would have many striking similarities.

Mountain Meadows Massacre

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Quotes (613)

James warns us there is such a thing as a dead faith—a faith which goes no further than the profession of the lips, and has no influence on a man’s character (James 2:17). . . . The only safe evidence that we are one with Christ, and Christ in us, is holy life.

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

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Quotes (612)

Jim Elliot You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems. Ill tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study, hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever. I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man. When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me here. Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible, they were bored with it—while these never heard of such a thing as writing.

– Jim Elliot

1927 – 1956

HT: Desert Pastor

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Modern Ecumenists and the Return to Rome

POPE/

I recently watched an ecumenical dialog at Wheaton College between Timothy George, Dean of the Southern Baptist Beeson Divinity School, and Francis Beckwith, a “Protestant” who recently returned to Rome. Words fail me at how disgusted I was as the cotton candy eating, Kumbaya singing and kid-glove handling of the damnable errors of the religion of Rome. This coming not from a pulpit sitting believer who has never studied doctrine related to Catholicism, but from a Dean of one of the leading Southern Baptist Seminaries who is obviously very well read in these areas. I’m still waiting for the outcry from the Southern Baptist Convention.

More could be said, but I will leave that to James White, a man I greatly respect and one whom I have learned a great deal from. A man who, like, Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon, is willing to speak out against the foundational errors of the Roman religion that separate it from true, Christ-centric, Biblical Christianity. One who also will challenge the ecumenists of our day who are causing a great many to stumble and are fueling the confusion between Rome and true Christianity, and further abetting the plans of the Pope to gather the “lost” sheep back into his open arms.

From the Alpha and Omega Ministries Apologetics Blog, James White writes:

I will be slamming more church doors in my face tomorrow on the DL [Dividing Line broadcast] as I begin working through the entirety of the Timothy George/Frank Beckwith dialogue from Wheaton. What I mean by that, of course, is that it is grossly unpopular to address, in a fair, biblical, historical fashion, the subject of Roman Catholicism, and even more so, to criticize non-Catholics who refuse to see the real issues of the gospel that are at stake when we speak of Roman Catholicism. But, it must needs be done. Someone has to speak up when men are intent upon reducing the gospel to a mere matter of opinion. So I will begin working through the dialogue–all of it–on the program tomorrow, beginning with Timothy George’s opening assertion that the gospel of Rome saves—not that he said those words, but, within the first minute he referred to Beckwith as his “brother in Christ,” making it very clear from the start that whatever “differences” that exist, they do not separate us from salvation. Beckwith likewise provided a number of quotes I will be adding to the chapter I had already finished (but will now expand) on whether he ever actually crossed the Tiber in the first place. (Source: Link)

The programs are not sound bites as the subject is too deep and important to cover with a 15 minute pod-cast. I encourage all those who really want to better understand the nuances of what we are dealing with in the evangelical world of ecumenical compromise, please listen to the following Dividing Line Programs.

  • 9/15 program – Program where James White begins working through the Timothy George/Frank Beckwith dialogue.
  • 9/17 program – Second program dealing with George/Beckwith dialogue.
  • 9/22 program – Third program as James works through the Beckwith/George dialogue from Wheaton.
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Sermons not suitable for children?

Church GrowthJust when you thought the hirelings were done with the “sex sermons,” here comes Eagle Pointe Church and their stab at being relevant to the world. In fact, they’re so relevant to the world that their upcoming sermon series is on the topic of sex and comes with the following disclaimer:

We’re kicking off a new teaching series called “God – Love – Sex” – where we’re going to have a very open, honest, and blunt talk about Love, Relationships, Dating, Marriage, & Sex. BTW: Parents – some material may be inappropriate for younger audiences – parental discretion is advised.

Wow. A “sermon” that is not suitable for children. Search the Scriptures as much as you want, you won’t find Jesus or the Apostles having to give a warning that their message may not be suitable for children. But we do find the exact opposite, don’t we?

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matt. 18:6)

I wonder how the Church survived the last 2,000 years without sex sermons. Try as I might, I cannot find this type of nonsense anywhere in Church history.

Seriously guys, it’s time to move onto exploiting some other lust, the sex sermons are so yesterday.


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Sermon of the week: “Warning to Professing Christians” by Albert N. Martin.

Albert N. Martin Your Wednesday sermon of the week is a powerful one from Albert N. Martin.

Warning to Professing Christians is one of those messages you won’t hear in most churches that dot the landscape of American Christianity today.

Albert N. Martin delivers a convicting exposition of Matthew 7:21, a verse that I have wrestled with countless times (and still do). I’d also venture to say most readers of DefCon (who are supportive of our work here) have also been challenged by this verse at some point in their walk.

With that said, I not only recommend this sermon to the readers of DefCon who support us, but I also submit that this needs to be heard by those who give us the most resistance (like those who sit under such teachers as Robert Schuller, Perry Noble, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, etc.).

If you won’t listen to us (because we’re all just a bunch of prude “Pharisees”), perhaps you may give this sermon a chance and heed the warnings contained within. Although this sermon was delivered in 1994, it is just as apropos–if not more–today!

One of my favorite quotes from this sermon is in response to those who hide behind their sins with the excuse “nobody’s perfect.” Albert N. Martin says:

This is the hypocrites couch; this is the believer’s bed of thorns.

He also asks this cutting question in regards to Christians and their worldliness:

When you’ve got to suck at the world’s fountains for fulfillment, where in the world are you?

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I also highly recommend another exposition of Matthew 7:21 by John Thompson entitled The Saddest Words Ever Spoken. It was DefCon’s sermon of the week for January 03, 2008. Click here to go to the post to listen to it.



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Quotes (607)

hudson-taylor Would that God would make hell so real to us that we cannot rest; heaven so real that we must have men there, Christ so real that our supreme motive and aim shall be to make the Man of Sorrows the Man of Joy by the conversion to Him of many.

– Hudson Taylor

1832 – 1905

HT: The Desert Pastor