Wednesday, May 06, 2009
This is NOT what it means to have a "personal relationship with Jesus".
cf. http://www.alittleleaven.com
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Monday, May 04, 2009
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Sermon Outline: Galatians 6 11-13 “Artificial Righteousness”:Glorifying in the Flesh.
· 2 Thessalonians 2:2
1) Religious Pride: Galatians 6:12a
· Matthew 6:1-2, 5
· Luke 18:9-14
· Colossians 2:8, 23
2) Cowardice: Galatians 6:12b
· John 6:55-66
· Matthew 13:20-21
3) Hypocrisy: Galatians 6:13
· Matthew 23:2-11
· 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Worship before Work
“God wants worshippers before workers; indeed the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the lost art of worship. It is inconceivable that a sovereign and holy God should be so hard up for workers that He would press into service anyone who had been empowered regardless of his moral qualifications. The very stones would praise Him if the need arose and a thousand legions of angels would leap to do His will.”
-A. W. Tozer
1897-1963WFriday, May 01, 2009
A Scriptural Critique of Infant Baptism
John MacArthur @ http://www.gty.org deals with the topic of infant baptism while looking at Acts 10, Acts 16,John 4:53,
Acts 2:38,
I Corinthians 7:12-14,
bapto, baptizo
rantizo.
Galatians 2:20, Galatians 3:27,
Colossians 2:12-13,
Circumcision: Philippians 3.
Jeremiah 31:34,
Audio: A Scriptural Critique of Infant Baptism.
Related:
“As I noted, we pre-empted our normal Thursday evening Dividing Line so as to bring you the two hour debate on baptism between myself and Dr. Gregg Strawbridge. This is the first time I have been involved in a debate using Skype as the mechanism, and I must admit, that outside of one or two break-ups (at least from what I heard on my end), it worked quite well. The sound quality was very good. Of course, we live webcast it as well. I have seen some very interesting comments on the web concerning it. Some were surprising, most were exactly as you would expect.”
Here’s the program (Part 1 - 64 MIN; Part 2 - 73 MIN).
Free Audiobook Download of the Month: Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Love in a Time of Swine Flu
On his radio program, Dr. Albert Mohler talked about how Christians should respond to the potential ‘Swine’ flu pandemic. You can download the audio here or listen to it below. In the discussion Dr. Mohler compares the current Swine Flu situation with how Christians in previous eras dealt with plagues.
Dr. Mohler has a commentary on the same topic at his website. He writes:
‘[Martin] Luther ministered in a time of plague and epidemic. He provided a model of the pastor who never leaves his people. He also urged his people never to leave the sick. In 1527 the Bubonic Plague came to Wittenberg. Luther sent his students home, but he stayed to minister to his congregation and the city. He called for others with responsibility, especially pastors, to do the same. Cowardice in ministry is a denial of Christ, Luther warned, for “whoever wants to serve Christ in person would surely serve his neighbor as well.”
‘In Geneva, John Calvin taught his pastors to visit the sick as a primary duty of “a true and faithful minister.” As Calvin explained, “the greatest need which a man ever has of the spiritual doctrine of our Lord is when His hand visits him with afflictions, whether of disease or other evils, and specially at the hour of death.”
‘Calvin taught the faithful minister to offer suffering Christians the consolation of Christ, lest they be overwhelmed by the fear of death and judgment. On the other hand, if the sick person is not “sufficiently oppressed and agonized by a conviction of their sins,” the pastor should speak to them of the justice of God, “before which they cannot stand, save through the mercy embracing Jesus Christ for their salvation.”‘
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Porn and paper pastors
PORN:
The women in the pictures never had bad days, were never crabby and demanding, never disrespectful and demeaning. No mood swings. They always suited his mood, his needs, his wants. They were unreal.
= no relationship in the real world.
Nobody can compete with a fantasy.
Now, some professed Christians sin outright, by never physically attending an actual, in-person church. We've talked about that, and they aren't our focus.
What about those who come to hear a physical pastor, but their heart belongs to another:
They come in, they sit down. They sing, they may give financially. They may look at you, Pastor, as you preach."PAPER PASTORS"
But you know their heart belongs to another.
Their real pastor isn't you. It's Dave Hunt. Or it's John Piper. Or it's John MacArthur, or Ligon Duncan, or Mark Dever, or David Cloud, or Joel Osteen. Or it's Charles Spurgeon, or D. M. Lloyd-Jones, or J. C. Ryle. Or Calvin, or Luther, or Bahnsen, or de Mar, or R. B. Thieme, or J. Vernon McGee.
Well, paper pastors are never in a bad mood. They're never cranky, or sleepy or sick. (Especially the dead ones.)WHAT PAPER PASTOR'S DON'T DO:
They've never just had someone else pull their guts out with a rusty fork, and then had to turn and listen graciously to your complaint about the translation they preach from, or argue about a Greek word you can't even pronounce. They don't have a family who loses the time you use. They never half-listen, never have an appointment that cuts short their time. Their office hours are your office hours. They're available 24/7, and everywhere, at your whim, and you always have their undivided attention.
And these paper pastors maintain the perfect distance. If you don't want to hear something, they don't press it — or you can instantly shut them up, snap! They never ask you to do something uncomfortable and follow up on you. They never persistently probe an area of sin, in you, in person, eyeball to eyeball... nor will they. Church discipline will not be a threat with them. Ever.
Brother, sister: John Piper isn't your pastor. John MacArthur knows nothing about you. Dave Hunt never got on his knees and prayed for you. Lloyd-Jones won't come to your house when you're recovering from surgery, or one of your children shatters your heart, or your marriage is shaking and rocking and barely hanging on. Charles Spurgeon won't weep with you as you weep.God gave you the pastor He gave you. God told Paul to tell you:
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord andGod told the writer to the Hebrews to tell you:admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)Your flesh-and-blood pastor can't compete with these paper pastors for the same reason you can't compete with paper women and paper men.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
How to Kill Sin by Tim Conway
This sermon is a summary of several sermons from Tim Conway's preaching through the book of Romans on killing sin
1/23/2008 (WED) | Romans 8:13
How to Overcome Sin by John MacArthur
1. Recognize the Presence of Sin in Your Flesh.
2. A Heart Fixed on God.
3. Meditate on the Word.
4. Commune with God in Prayer.
5. Cultivate Obedience.
A. How's my zeal for God?
B. Do I love the Word?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Happy "Earth Day": Genesis 1:28
Genesis
cf. www.sacredsandwich.com
Angus notes:
Contrary to what some environmentalists might think, God’s commission to us to subdue the earth is not a bad thing. According to the NET Bible notes, in Gen 1:28 one might paraphrase it as follows: “harness its potential and use its resources for your benefit.”
As Christians we should strive to be good stewards of the earth, yet maintain a biblical perspective that rejects the environmental extremist philosophy that sees humans as a cancer on the planet and of less value than animals.
As John Piper writes, “Since our being created in God’s image leads directly to our privilege and duty to subdue the earth, I take it that human vocation involves exercising a subordinate lordship over creation by which we shape and control it for good purposes. God takes man on as his deputy and endows him with God-like rights and capacities to subdue the world—to use it and shape it for good purposes.”
And what are those good purposes? Glorifying God and increasing our joy; providing for our needs and the needs of others; and spreading the Gospel message throughout all the earth for the increase of God’s Kingdom.
Earth Day and Total Transformation
Carl Teichrib @ http://www.crossroad.to provides some helpful background on "Earth Day". He covers:A Secular Holiday?
Earth Day is Born
On Religion
On Population
On Nations and Economies
On Global Transformation
Here is his conclusion in full: "A Secular Holiday?"
...many Christian congregations across North America have jumped on the bandwagon of Earth Day transformation; Some out of naivety, others with full consent and complicity. One example is San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. During the 2001 Earth Day, Grace held an interfaith song-celebration for the planet.
“The music will be an eclectic blend of the world’s musical traditions. Tibetan temple bells will blend with the Cathedral Organ. Vocal performances will range from Native American and Muslim Chants to Spirituals and Choral canticles. Representatives from a diverse range of religious paths will participate in the festivities, including Native American, Islamic, Hindu, Jewish, Pagan, and Christian.”28
Over the years Grace Cathedral has been a beacon for comprehensive religious transformation, and has done much to promote a contemporary global-spiritual model, such as helping to birth the United Religions Initiative.
The United Church of Canada is another example. During the last twenty years, the United Church denomination has been considered a Canadian trend setter in “progressively left” Christian thought. This denomination has also been viewed as a social pillar by academics, political figures, and other leading personalities. Here’s part of a responsive reading for an Earth-centred worship service.
“Speaking to the Earth Community, we say: Brothers and Sisters in Creation, we covenant this day – with you, with all Creation yet to be, and with the Creator. With every living creature and all that contains and sustains you.
All: With all that is on Earth – and with the Earth itself.”29
Alarmingly, it doesn’t seem to matter if a church is “right” or “left” in its general outlook. Conservative congregations too are focusing on the Earth as a point of service.
A few weeks back, in February 2009, I had a chance to visit with some relatives who attend an evangelical church that has been locally recognized for its stalwart stand in proclaiming the Gospel. But I found out that things have changed. Instead of messages focusing on the truths of God’s Word, sermons have taken an overt ecological edge. Although not promoting Earth-centric beliefs like the United Church – “we covenant this day…with the Earth itself” – the teachings highlighted typical environmental themes: Global warming, the problems caused by Man, and changing consumption patterns and social behaviours. Does this remind you of anything?
Like hundreds of other pastors and churches across North America, naivety to the true intent of deep ecology and its message of global transformation is undercutting Christian based values – right in the church itself.
Does this mean that Christians shouldn’t be concerned about the environment? Not at all. However, a healthy Biblical approach is needed – one that recognizes the rightful place of Man in tending, managing, and using the Earth; not one in which Man is servant to a planetary master made in the image of the United Nations or some other globally inspired environmental agency. Sadly, pastors and congregations around the world are parroting the message of Earth Day and the leaders of global environmental governance.
The quest to involve the Christian community in Earth Day celebrations is especially significant. Not only do individual churches promote Earth Day as a special event, the Earth Day Network (EDN) specifically targets the “faith community” in the hopes that influential religious leaders will move the global agenda forward. And EDN has some clout. The Earth Day Network is a group that arose from the original Earth Day in 1970. Today the organization’s International Council is comprised of the some of the world’s most influential globalists, Presently, EDN works hard to promote their Communities of Faith Climate Campaign, a global warming/Earth Day educational platform targeted at religious groups. In fact, the EDN faith-based website has the motto “Earth Day: Something We Can All Believe In.”31 In 2007, EDN reached out a hand to the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities by creating “12,000 sermons and religious events” to empower religious leaders for Earth Day goals. EDN took this a step further during Earth Day 2008 by activating “500,000 parishioners” to support climate change legislation. Many churches also pledged to join EDN for “Earth Day Sunday” in 2008, focusing on climate change and saving the Earth during their Sunday services.32 Now for 2009, the Earth Day Network is kicking off their Green Generation campaign, which seeks to engage students, churches, and communities in pressuring the world to adopt a new global climate treaty. Moreover, this campaign is slated to continue until 2010 when it’s expected that the world will witness a massive Earth celebration: the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Paradoxically what originally started as a movement to intentionally place Earth on a pedestal while “demonizing” Christianity, nationalism, and human populations – all focused on driving America’s youth to a pagan, socialist utopia – has now been embraced by churches far-and-wide. Furthermore, by hosting and supporting Earth-centered and interfaith services, churches actually contribute to the systemic attack on Biblical values.