What’s Wrong with Pragmatism?

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1 I 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: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1–5, ESV

The proponents of the seeker-sensitive church growth model may very well have had good intentions when through it was spawned the rise of contemporary mega-churches such as Willow Creek and Saddleback Valley Baptist and their clones. The focus was outreach to the unchurched. While that appears to be a proper function of the New Testament Church one of the model’s fundamental components is actually an antithesis of the clear instruction to Church leaders found in God’s Word. That component is pragmatism. View article →

Does the Church Need a Revival or a New Reformation?

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1 Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty- nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites and assembled them in the square on the east 5 and said to them, “Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. 6 For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs. 7 They also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:1–7, ESV

We must admit that the spiritual condition of the 21st Century Church in this country and in most of the West is generally or mostly apostate. Thankfully, God always has His remnant of faithful believers even in the worst apostate periods. Over the last several years as I have posted on the topics of righteousness, repentance, sanctification, Antinomianism, and the nature of salvation, the resistance to some of these teachings has, at times, been quite eye-opening. There are some who see any call to walk righteously as hypocritical because they associate it with self-righteousness. Is walking in right behaviour hypocritical? View article →

The Sufficiency of Jesus Christ in Our Salvation

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2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 2 Peter 1:2–4, ESV

The root of most heresies springs from those who profess Christ as Saviour, but who believe in various ways that what the Christian receives at Salvation is not sufficient. Something else must be added in order for the Christian to enter into a fuller relationship with God or to go deeper into the things of God. Some even go so far as to say that unless certain things are added to salvation then it is not complete and, therefore, void. A good example of this is found in the book of Galatians. Some Judiazers had entered the churches Paul and planted in Galatia. They were teaching that salvation was indeed by Christ, but it was not complete unless the converts also were circumcised and kept the Law of Moses. View article →

All Genuine Christians Are Called to Undergo the Test of Patient Endurance

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And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 1 Thessalonians 5:14, ESV

I totally agree with Dr. John MacArthur’s assessment of the spiritual status of the United States of America in which he stated that we are in the process of being abandoned by God. Why is God doing this? Our leaders, which which include those in all levels of the government as well as religious leaders have, for the most part abandoned God. They have turned away from a Christian Worldview and have pursued a secular, humanistic worldview in its place. As we read in Romans 1:32, God gives people over to their false gods. This, in turn, causes deep spiritual blindness that only God can take away. As a result of a nation being given over like this this causes those who do hold to a Christian Worldview and who do pursue the holiness of God in their lives to find themselves at odds with every fabric of their society. View article →

Father Fights to Save His Baby From Abortion After Seeing Pro-Lifers at Clinic

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Life News posted this piece by Matt Yonke, who writes for the Pro-Life Action League:

Sometimes praying outside the abortion mill can be a tiring and thankless work. Sometimes it seems like you spent an hour outside, often in the freezing cold or burning heat, for nothing.

But even when we see no immediate fruit of our efforts, the world is watching. And sometimes, the simple act of standing in prayer outside the abortion facility has effects we don’t hear about for years, if ever.

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Unprecedented Blood-Filled Mosquito Fossil Raises Questions Over Evolutionary Dating Methods

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According to Christian News Network:

The discovery of a fossilized mosquito has led some scientists to question the presumed age of ancient fossils and rock layers.

The National Academy of Sciences recently published a journal article written by a team of five American and European scientists. The 5-page paper details the recent discovery of a well-preserved, fossilized mosquito in northwestern Montana’s Kishenehn Formation. Remarkably, the fossil appears to contain traces of preserved blood—a feature that the discoverers describe as both “rare” and “unique.”

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Hobby Lobby Asks Supreme Court to Stop Obama Admin From Forcing it to Obey HHS Mandate

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Life News reports:

Christian craft store Hobby Lobby today filed papers with the Supreme Court asking it to take it case against the Obama administration, which is attempting to make it comply with the HHS mandate that compels religious companies to pay for birth control and abortion-causing drugs for their employees.

In July, a federal court granted Hobby Lobby a preliminary injunction against the HHS abortion-drug mandate. The injunction prevented the Obama administration from enforcing the mandate against the Christian company, but the Obama administration appealed that ruling today. The government’s appeal makes it highly likely that the Supreme Court will decide the issue in the upcoming term.

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The Ultimate Contrast

Posted by ∙ ∙ In Devotion/Teaching ∙

οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλʼ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον John 3:16, NA28

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16, ESV

ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν, James 2:26, NA28

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26, ESV

There is no more dramatic contrast between two words than those describing what are alive and those describing what are dead. For instance, in James 2:14-26 James describes the difference between living faith, which is saving faith, and dead faith, which does not save. In v26 the first occurrence of “dead” translates the Greek adjective νεκρόν (nekron), the Nominative, Singular, Neuter case of νεκρός (nekros), which speaks of a dead body or corpse. The second occurrence of “dead” translates the Greek adjective νεκρά (nekra), the Nominative, Singular, Feminine case of νεκρός. What James is describing is a false faith that is as dead as a dead body. The ultimate contrast is to take that which is the state of death compared to the state of eternal life, which our Lord described in John 3:16. View article →

Oprah Draws Ire of Atheists for Telling Swimmer Diana Nyad She’s Not an Atheist Because She Believes in ‘Awe’ and ‘Wonder’

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From the Christian Post:

Billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey has drawn the ire of unbelievers online for telling atheist swimmer Diana Nyad that if she believes in “awe” and “wonder” she wouldn’t call her an atheist.

Nyad, 64, who made history last month by becoming the first person to swim 110 miles from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage, declared in a conversation with Winfrey on Oprah Winfrey Network’s “Super Soul Sunday” program that she is an atheist and “a person who is deeply in awe.”

Oprah, however found it difficult to reconcile Nyad’s position.

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Judicial Commission Reprimands Christian Judge for Refusing to Officiate Same-Sex ‘Weddings’

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Christian News Network reports:

A Christian judge in Washington was recently reprimanded by the state Judicial Conduct Commission for refusing to officiate same-sex ‘weddings.’

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Gary Tabor had made met with court employees following last year’s election, which legalized the practice in Washington, and informed his colleagues that he did not feel comfortable with performing homosexual ceremonies. An attendee of the meeting leaked Tabor’s comments to reporters, who in turned contacted the judge for further explanation.

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Colorado to Vote on Initiative Declaring Unborn to Be Persons, as Mother Fights Injustice in Son’s Death

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According to Christian News Network:

Voters in the state of Colorado are set to vote on a ballot initiative that would declare the unborn as persons as a mother who lost her baby in a tragic accident last year is seeking justice for other children just like her son.

As previously reported, Heather Surovick was heading home from her final prenatal appointment in July 2012 when she was struck by a drunk driver—who had been charged with DUI four other times.

When she woke up in the hospital hours later, Surovick was informed that her son Brady, who was days from being born, weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces, died in the accident.

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Roman Catholic Manufacturer Brings Contraception Mandate to the Supreme Court

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Daily Caller reports:

The CEO of Autocam, a Michigan-based manufacturer, will file a petition with the Supreme Court Tuesday requesting the high court review a lower court’s dismissal of the company’s challenge to the HHS contraception mandate.

“The HHS Mandate is forcing me and my family to choose between practicing our religion, losing our family business, or stripping our employees of benefits they need,” Autocam CEO John Kennedy said in a statement Tuesday.

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The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia

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“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. Revelation 3:7, ESV

One of the big errors of our time in the visible Church of the 21st Century is the misguided concept that truth is subjective. In other words, truth is what you want it be. This concept is, of course, simply borrowed from the world, which loves it. While I do not contend that I know when our Lord will return, I do know that it will be at the end of this age prior to the age to come. I know that He has been given a people for Himself from the Father. I know that His blood purchased them at the cross. I know that those whom He saves must live in this sin-sick world in order to be sanctified, to mature in Christ, and for their lives to glorify God. These truths, and so many more from God’s Word, are not subjective. View article →

Southern Baptists Fight Affordable Care Act ‘Contraception’ Regulation

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USA Today reports:

Three non-profit religious organizations, including a division of the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention, are suing the federal government over a controversial contraceptives regulation that is a part of the Affordable Care Act.

The organizations Monday announced the class-action lawsuit against the federal requirement that employers cover the cost of contraceptives, including drugs that can cause abortions. The groups argue the requirement infringes on religious liberty.

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Brothers, Do not be Surprised that the World Hates You

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Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 1 John 3:13, ESV

There are many ministries in our time that are run by people who have either forgotten that friendship with the world is a sin or they are deliberately overlooking it. If a ministry operates in such a way that the world loves it then there is at least one missing component in it, which is obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture is clear that Christians cannot be friends of the world. Why? Satan is the one who dominates the evil world system, which is in rebellion against God (John 14:30). Therefore, the world not only hates Jesus, but also those who follow Him. This hatred is also focused toward the Father because He sent Jesus to testify against it. Now, since this is true and clearly taught in Sacred Scripture, what does this say about those ministries who work overtime to accommodate the secular and to appeal to temporal ways and means? View article →

Air Force Officials Decide They No Longer Need God’s Help

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World Magazine reports:

The U.S. Air Force appears to be systematically removing the phrase “so help me God” from the oaths of office taken by officer candidates and enlistees.

According to Judicial Watch, a legal watchdog organization, the United States Air Force Academy has removed the phrase from some written materials, including the oath administered to new cadets, because of a single atheist’s objections.

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The Superiority of Christ

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1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Heb. 1:1–4, ESV

The Church in the early part of the 21st Century is very sick. This sickness has not happened all at once. Instead, it is the result of centuries of compromise after compromise on the part of Christian leaders and their followers to adapt the Gospel and the Church doctrines to conform to what men want. As a result, the Church has lost its savor. It is no longer salty. The countries in Europe where the Reformers restored the Gospel at the cost of untold numbers of martyrs would not now be considered Christian at all.

In the United States, the visible Church still has some influence in politics and society, but is that what the Church is supposed to be about? The segment of the American Church that would consider itself evangelical has become so doctrinally shallow that most of the members as well as their leadership have no idea what they really believe. If they are confronted with the Arminain/Semi-Pelagian vs. Calvinism debate they would be clueless about what each side believes and does not believe. In fact, they are so spiritually shallow, they don’t understand why it is important to know what you believe and why you believe it; hence the childish attacks upon Reformed Theology using the reasoning methodology of pre-teens.

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Those Who Will Not Inherit the Kingdom of God

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I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1 Cor. 15:50, ESV

There are only two religions in the entire world. There is genuine Orthodox Christianity and then every other form of religiosity including humanism. The latter are all opposed to the truth and are part of the rebellion against the sovereignty of God. Genuine Orthodox Christianity is made up of those who have been redeemed from the slave market of iniquity. This slave market preys on people and keeps them in bondage to the flesh. On the other hand, Genuine Orthodox Christianity, which is the Church, is spiritual. Those in it are adopted into the family of God. Those spiritually alive right now await the completion of their redemption. Those who have already died are with the Lord now. Those who remain are in process. This process is their progressive sanctification, which is the mortification of the deeds of their flesh, which is sin. However, all outside of the Church are in their sins and can only operate in the flesh. View article →

Jesus Christ Our Redemption

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33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Romans 8:33–34, ESV

The “Emergent” gospel is one that claims that the sound doctrines of orthodoxy which teach us about the atonement, advocacy, and propitiation of Christ for the sake of His sheep are unnecessary “add-ons“ to Christ Jesus and, in fact, simply get in the way of truly knowing and emulating Him. Interestingly, these are the very same arguments made by the “christian liberals” who were decimating the so-called mainstream evangelical churches in the late 19th and early 20th Century. J. Gresham Machen effectively addressed this in his fine book Christianity & Liberalism showing that “Liberal Christianity” was a completely different religion from genuine, Orthodox Christianity. If what the liberals and emergents say is true then why did the God-inspired writers of the New Testament give these sound doctrines to us in such great and clear detail? These are not “doctrines” of demons. These are not “doctrines” made up by men. No, these are the doctrines given to us by God Himself that reveals God to us, gives us the truth about our own sinfulness and spiritual bankruptcy outside of His grace, and the superiority of Christ our Saviour, our Advocate, Our propitiation, our Redeemer.

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USC Professor Claims Ray Comfort’s ‘Evolution vs. God’ Documentary Is ‘Biblical Porn’

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Christian News Network reports:

A well-known evolutionary professor stated in a recent interview that those who do not accept evolution are “fundamentally irrational” with “a kind of slightly crazy mindset,” and claimed that a Christian apologist’s evolution-challenging film is “a great example” of “Biblical porn.”

Craig Stanford is a professor of anthropology and biological sciences at the University of Southern California. Known for his outspoken evolutionary and atheistic beliefs, Stanford appeared on The No God Cast Podcast – a weekly program that, according to the show’s website, provides “a platform” from which atheists can “share their stories and speak their minds.” Though the podcast’s weekly audience is rather small, comments Stanford made on the September 20th episode have generated controversy.

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Family’s rescue at Nairobi mall: as if ‘whole world was praying’

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Baptist Press reports:

Katherine Walton was sitting in her backyard during the Skype interview. Her 13-month-old was toddling in and out of the camera, beautiful blond hair shining in the sunlight. Voices in the background of her sons, Blaise and Ian, sometimes interrupted – once to report a scraped knee from the trampoline, other times just to ask a question.

They could have been any American family playing in the yard after school.

Just days ago, however, they were crouching in a grocery store in Westgate Mall in Nairobi, praying that God would protect them from terrorists who were shooting guns and throwing hand grenades. Walton’s 4-year-old Portia has been seen worldwide running to the arms of a rescuer.

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The Storm Center of the Protestant Reformation

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1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1–2, ESV

I shared in a previous post how I had in an incident in a Bible Study class while attempting to teach about the Doctrine of Election back in 2006 by a couple of men who were dead set on stopping me from simply reading certain texts from Sacred Scripture. I have had similar experiences when teaching on the Doctrine of Justification, which is what this post is about. Justification by Faith is a doctrine that was the storm center of the Reformation. It was also a major concern of the Apostle Paul. As we study his epistles we can plainly see that he considered this doctrine to be the heart of the gospel. (Romans 1:17; 3:21-5:21; Galatians 2:15-5:1) It also shaped both his message (Acts 13:38-39) and his devotion and spiritual life (2 Corinthians 5:13-21; Philippians 3:4-14).

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Therefore Make your Calling and Election Sure

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22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:22–25, ESV

The Puritans had a term they used in their theological writings and discussions describing professing believers who fell away or were in some way not consistent in their walk. They called them “temporary believers.” This may be a little offensive to many these days, but there are untold numbers of Pastors, Deacons, Elders, Evangelists, or whatever in our churches in our time who would not even qualify for membership in a 17th Century Puritan Church. As I have stated many times, I grew up in Oklahoma as a Southern Baptist. I have seen literally hundreds (if not more) of “invitations.” In a large percentage of these invitations, people walked an aisle, prayed a sinner’s prayer, was Baptised, and made a full member of the church. All of this taking place in a just a period of days. I have also observed a staggeringly high percentage of those professing believers last only a short period of time before disappearing from church never to be seen again. View article →

Sin Is at the Heart of What Is Wrong in Your Life

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Marsha West begins her article with a stern warning from A.W. Tozer:

No one has any right to believe that he is indeed a Christian unless he is humbly seeking to obey the teachings of the One whom he calls Lord. Christ once asked a question that can have no satisfying answer, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

Marsha then illustrates an important aspect of Christianity that is largely ignored by many professing Christians: Repentance. Sadly, believers have failed to realize that every sin we commit is first and foremost against the “One whom we call Lord.” Moreover, God is “independently, infinitely, immutably holy;” therefore our sins separate us from God and in some cases He will turn His face away from those who persist in sin.

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