Effectual Calling and Conversion

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3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:3–4, NASB

All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed time, effectually to call, by His Word and Spirit out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ: yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.

Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter X: Of Effectual Calling

As many of you know, I was born in 1951 and grew up as a Southern Baptist in Oklahoma. I never heard of the Westminster Confession of Faith until 2006 or so. That article above is entirely biblical and I had read those passages from where they were drawn, but I had never heard Christian Conversion described that way. No, what I heard continually in church services, Sunday School, Youth Groups, and Revival Services was all about us making a decision. It was all about what we did, not what God did. View article →

Why has Liberty University agreed to bring Mark Driscoll to teach on sex?

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Warning: This piece contains sexually explicit language that some readers will find disturbing. Nonetheless, David Kupelian accurately reports on what some Christian pastors with rock star status are preaching in their churches.

There’s a new form of Christianity sweeping the U.S. Its main focus: sex. Don’t be surprised. We already have a Christian denomination catering to every other worldview, comfort zone and obsession, so why not sex? As I said in “The Marketing of Evil”:

No matter what kind of person you are, a form of Christianity has evolved just for you. There’s a politically liberal Christianity and a politically conservative Christianity. There’s an acutely activist Christianity and an utterly apolitical Christianity, a Christianity that holds up a high standard of ethical behavior and service, and a Christianity for which both personal ethics and good works are irrelevant. There’s a raucous, intensely emotional Christianity drenched in high-voltage music, and there’s a quiet, contemplative Christianity. There’s a loving Christianity and a hateful, racist Christianity, a Christianity that honors Jews as God’s chosen people and a Christianity that maligns Jews as Satan’s children.

So, it was just a matter of time before we got a version of Christianity for people obsessed with sex. View article →

Celestial Love

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No doubt there are many disheartening things going on within the church visible for the genuine Christian.

Perhaps you’re battling with the result of sin. In any event, Apprising Ministries brings you Biblical encouragement from a real preacher of God’s Word in this devotional post. View article →

‘New Theological Position’ of Saddleback Church Concerning Islam

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CRN contributor Erin Benziger wonders if we’re seeing some sort of King’s Way Cover-up going on with Saddleback Church.

Apprising Ministries now gives you the opportunity to take a look at the Muslims view of this controversial document. In this new article we’ve recovered a post from The Islamic Center of Southern California.

King’s Way was co-authored by Jihad Turk, who is director of religious affairs for ICSC. As you’ll see, they appear to be under the impression that this document represents a new theological position of Saddleback Church concerning Islam. View article →

Preserving Grace

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28 κἀγὼ δίδωμι αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀπόλωνται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ οὐχ ἁρπάσει τις αὐτὰ ἐκ τῆς χειρός μου. 29 ὁ πατήρ μου ὃ δέδωκέν μοι πάντων μεῖζόν ἐστιν, καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται ἁρπάζειν ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ πατρός. 30 ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν. John 10:28-30, NA27

28 And I give to them eternal life and they will never perish into the age, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the hand of the Father. 30 I and the Father are one. John 10:28-30, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1

I have always been puzzled why some become so angry when we declare the doctrine of eternal security of God’s people. Of course, those who do are the very same ones whose theology is man-centered and, therefore, based on the “Free-Will” of man, which is found nowhere in the Bible. When the will of man is discussed in God’s Word it talks of it being enslaved to his sinful nature and how the washing of regeneration at the working of God in man’s salvation, his will becomes free from that bondage. In any case, when we do declare the doctrine of the eternal security of God’s people, it is perhaps clearer to speak of their preservation rather than their perseverance. Perseverance means continued adherence to a belief despite discouragement and opposition. However, the reason believers persevere in faith and obedience is not the strength of their own commitment, but that Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit preserves them through Preserving Grace. View article →

Something Deadly This Way Comes — “After-Birth Abortion”

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Dr. Albert Mohler addresses an article in the Journal of Medical Ethics that argues for the morality and legalization of “after-birth abortion”:

The debate over abortion comes down to one essential issue — the moral status of the unborn child. Those making the case for the legalization of abortion argue that the developing fetus lacks a moral status that would trump a woman’s desire to abort the child. Those arguing against abortion do so by making the opposite claim; that the unborn child, precisely because it is a developing human being, possesses a moral status by the very fact of its human existence that would clearly trump any rationale offered for its willful destruction.

View article →

Roman Catholic Church, Islam, and God

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Apprising Ministries reminds you that the King’s Way document co-authored by Saddleback Church is in the news. It certainly seems to imply that Christians and Muslims believe in same God.

So now in this well-documented article you’ll see this has been the position of the Roman Catholic Church since at least Vatican II; and worse, the RCC says Muslims “adore the one God.” View article →

Rick Warren, Ed Stetzer, And Watchbloggers

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Ed Stetzer made the choice to take a swipe at critics of Rick Warren referring to them as watchbloggers. Then he refused to publish my comment showing him there’s more to this story.

Apprising Ministries now walks you through the issues and questions raised by a segment of the King’s Way document sent to me by Jim Hinch. View article →

Definite Redemption

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Καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ νύμφη λέγουσιν· ἔρχου. καὶ ὁ ἀκούων εἰπάτω· ἔρχου. καὶ ὁ διψῶν ἐρχέσθω, ὁ θέλων λαβέτω ὕδωρ ζωῆς δωρεάν. Revelation 22:17, NA27

And the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And the one hearing let him say, “Come.” And the one thirsting let him come; let the one desiring take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1

The Reformed Doctrine of Definite Redemption is also called “The Doctrine of Particular Redemption” and, historically, “The Doctrine of Limited Atonement.” This doctrine speaks about the intention of the triune God in the death of Jesus Christ. Without questioning the infinite worth of Christ’s sacrifice or genuiness of God’s sincere invitation to all who hear the gospel (Revelation 22:17 above), this doctrine states that Christ in dying intended to accomplish exactly what he did accomplish, that is, to take away the sins of God’s elect, and to ensure that they would all be brought to faith through regeneration and preserved through faith for glory. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not intend to die in this efficacious sense for everyone. The proof of that, as Sacred Scripture and experience unite to teach us, is revealed very clearly in the fact that not all are saved. View article →

To Live is Christ

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For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1

As we have been seeing over the past several months (or is it years?) as we have dug deeper and deeper into the persons of the Holy Trinity, the doctrines of the Church, which is the Body of Christ himself, hasn’t it also been true how in our drawing closer and closer to God that in this that the disingenuousness of the man-centered elements of the visible church becomes more and more exposed to those with eyes of genuine saving faith? On the other hand, those with their self-focused, self-edifying faith in their in their own self-made religiosity simply continue to go deeper and deeper into their self-made deceptions that are based on a world view as shallow and insipid as post-modernity. Those people actually are guilty of saying that Christianity and the Church as formed by Jesus Christ is wrong and they have a better idea. View article →

The "God" Of Glenn Beck

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Apprising Ministries reminds you that Mormon talk show host Glenn Beck is making the rounds and doing a little preaching in some ostensibly Christian megachurches.

Here we take a look at official sources of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and find out what the Mormons really believe about God the Father and Jesus Christ, God the Son. View article →

Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Religion?

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Christians in A.A. may not see it this way, but they are in agreement with a belief system that lifts up strange gods (Amos 3:3). In Alcoholics Anonymous all gods are called the “higher power,” thus relegating Christ our King to commonality, as if He were simply one nameless deity among many.

I am the Lord, that is My name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to idols. Isaiah 42:8

In 1941, Jack Alexander of the Saturday Evening Post wrote the article that provided A.A. its first national publicity. Describing A.A.’s “higher power,” Alexander noted the alcoholic “may choose to think of his Inner Self, the miracle of growth, a tree, man’s wonderment at the physical universe, the structure of the atom, or mere mathematical infinity. Whatever form is visualized, the neophyte is taught that he must rely on it and, in his own way, to pray to the Power for strength.” View article →

Planned Parenthood Urges Students to Share Their Sex-perience

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Most Americans are unaware that National Condom Week has been an annual occurrence since the 1970s, commencing the week of 14 February. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) did not give out the customary flowers and chocolates; instead, they distributed condoms to students at universities in the Pacific Northwest. In its effort to promote safer sex, the organization launched WhereDidYouWearIt.com and passed out 55,000 condoms wrapped with smartphone-scannable QR codes that link to the site, so that students can ‘check in’ to their booty call locations. View article →

The Deity of Jesus Christ

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Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. John 1:1, NA27

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word. John 1:1, Possessing the Treasure New Testament V1

Going back to Genesis 1:1, which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” we understand that the Bible always assumes, and never argues, God’s existence. Although everything else had a beginning, God has always been (Psalm 90:2). In John 1:1-10 we see that the Apostle, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, stresses the work of Christ in creation and opens in v1 (above) with the same phrase as in Genesis 1:1. In John 1:1, the word “Word” translates λόγος (logos). Λόγος was used by the Greeks not only of the spoken word but also of the unspoken word, the word still in the mind—the reason. When they applied it to the universe, they meant the rational principle that governs all things. Jews, on the other hand, used it as a way to referring to God. John, therefore, used a term that was meaningful to both Jews and Gentiles. He goes on to say that the λόγος was with God. The λόγος is, therefore distinct from the Father. However, he then says very clearly, “καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος” or, ”God was the Word.” Jesus was God in the fullest sense. View article →

Harvard Hosts Born This Way Foundation Launch Event

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The Guardian writes that ‘Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey are among the luminaries lending their egos to the Born This Way Foundation launch event at Harvard today’:

We’re getting set to live blog the launch event of the Born This Way Foundation, a youth empowerment project started by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. As youth outreach goes, this is way beyond after-school-special territory: BTWF is big. Oprah-big. Plus Harvard. Attending today’s launch at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre are Ladies Gaga and Winfrey; Deepak Chopra and the US health secretary, among other luminaries.

Participating in the foundation are Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the California Endowment.

View article →

The Conflict of Two Natures

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Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Romans 7:24, NASB

This is written to Christians, that is, those who were dead in their trespasses and sins in which they formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them they too all formerly lived in the lusts of their flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved them, even when they were dead in their transgressions, made them alive together with Christ (by grace they have been saved), and raised them up with him, and seated them with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the ages to come he might show in the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward them in Christ Jesus. For by grace they have been saved through faith; and not of themselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For they are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that they would walk in them. View article →