July 17, 2008
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There are those of us who have been warning of the semi-pelagianism within evangelicalism. This may have been too kind as one could make a strong case that pelagianism itself has slithered deep into the apostatizing American Christian Church.
All the more reason we come to a Biblical understanding of the true nature of unregenerate mankind, which Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse refers to below as “natural” man:
It is God Who tells us that in the heart of every one of us are the roots of those abominable evils which flowered in the annihilation camps of Germany. Jeremiah 17:9 is much stronger in the original tongue than in English; we read “the heart is deceitful above all things and incurably wicked.” When God calls a thing incurable, we may be sure that it is.
If preachers everywhere would constantly emphasize the fact that there is no good in man which can satisfy God, the need for the Gospel would be seen much more clearly. We believe that apart from this declaration there can be no thought of salvation in the heart of any man. Let us therefore boldly and unflinchingly declare the doctrine of total depravity, though it is undoubtedly the most unpalatable truth which can be presented to the natural man.
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July 17, 2008
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Objective (adj): undistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena; “an objective appraisal”; “objective evidence”
Subjective (adj): Based on personal feeling or interpretation
We can treat food with a subjective bias. We can treat art with a subjective bias. We can’t treat the Scriptures with subjective bias. They are objective truth and to treat them otherwise is sin.
http://www.crosstv.com
Author: LaneCh
Keywords: objective subjective truth post modernism modern relativism lies demonic crosstv mark kielar
Added: July 17, 2008
July 17, 2008
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This life here and now on planet Earth is only a small fragment of reality. Not long ago we had a fellow try to shut this blog down with his hateful attack on me and everyone who commented here. One of his attacks was that we are paying way too much attention to eternity. In his “theology” we needed to forget all about that and treat it as a myth because this life is what its all about. Even though most professing Christians would not back that statement they actually appear to live out their life here and now as if what that fellow said was true. Some “church services” appear to be little more than rock concerts these days in an attempt to make a select group of people happy and keep them coming back each Sunday.
(click here to read this post)
July 17, 2008
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Pastor Dustin S. Segers of Shepherd’s Fellowship of Greensboro published An Open Letter to Ray Comfort a few days ago over Strange Baptist Fire. Today there was an interesting exchange between Mark Spence and Ken Silva in the comments section of that post. Apprising Ministries publishes this revealing discussion for you here.
July 17, 2008
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Chris Rosebrough of Extreme Theology has a post that will make you stop and think. He’s taken a couple of Rick Warren’s sermons and created Word Clouds of them to demonstrate what these sermons are really about. Also, for the sake of comparison he’s taken the sermons from a pastor who preaches Christ-Centered sermons. The differences are startling and worth considering.
Is your pastor preaching about Christ and proclaiming Christ and the forgiveness of sins won by Christ or is he preaching about you, your purpose, or just giving you generic ‘God-Talk’? The differences are important and they do matter.
Click Here to Read Rosebrough’s Post.
July 17, 2008
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In this piece over at a fine blog called Soli Deo Gloria Jay Wingard shares a few insightful comments and then points you to an excellent article by John Hendryx.
July 17, 2008
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Scott Brown posted Seven Solas of the Modern Church.
1. Sola Cultura – let culture define church life
2. Sola Successa – let numerical success legitimize activities
3. Sola Entertaina – let entertainment be the guiding principle
4. Sola Edificia – let the edifice be the center of church life
5. Sola Programma – let programs dominate the peoples time
6. Sola Thralldoma – let the people be enslaved by whatever thrills them
7. Sola Processa – let the church be managed by business philosophies and processes
See: Contrast: The Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation.
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July 17, 2008
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In a promotional email Falwell writes:
Dear Friend:
I believe that God has no greater plan than to use people like you and me as a conduit to channel His message of hope, love and life to a lost and searching world. All of us should be focused on Paul’s words… ‘to know Him and make Him known.’
That’s why I am so pleased to invite you August 11-13, to innovatechurch 2008 Conference, designed for Christian leaders and all those who have influence for Christ. Join me as we hear speakers such as Rick Warren, Chuck Colson, Ed Stetzer, Tom Mullins, Jim Cymbala and others teach us how to help our churches be effective in ministering to the next generation.
What I really love is that innovatechurch is all about YOU. Our leadership team here is focused on helping you become more like Christ. We want to help you know Him better. We want you to know that you are not alone. We want to help increase your ministry effectiveness.
Looks like Jonathan Falwell now wants to run with the “big dogs” of the American Christian Church. But it just may be that the good ship evangelicalism has already hit the iceberg of apostasy.
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July 17, 2008
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The Law of Sin is hard for us finites to wrap our little human brains around—not even that, it is utterly impossible for any among us to ascertain all the facets and ramifications of Sin. The closest any one can honestly come is awe of the enormity of evil that Sin defines. It is this Law however, that besets us with a stunning array of problems. Sin is a Law to which all men are bound hand and foot.
Our world has certain natural laws to which all men are bound. We have laws of physics that cannot be tampered with without serious ramifications. The Law of Sin is the very thing from which the believing soul is rescued. He has tampered with it and it has killed him. This we have looked at in depth before, but we must progress towards the goal. That is, we cannot stand too long on Justification alone and not also strive toward being Christ-like.
Read this post…
July 17, 2008
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An interesting question. Steve Camp writes:
I have listened now several times to two messages from the 2008 Resolved Conference by CJ Mahaney and John Piper. The shocking phrase they both chose to use to describe Jesus’ finished work of redemption on the cross for the elect was, The Scream of the Damned…
The Lord Jesus Christ the Righteous now called: The Damned. This is unthinkable. Those words not only stunned me, but it did stir my interest afresh to go back and study again the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross with those provocative words in mind…
In all of my research, I haven’t been able to find anyone who referred to Jesus’ suffering on the cross as “the damning of Jesus”; and not one early church father that referred to Jesus as “The Damned” when speaking of the cross and substitutionary atonement…
You can read the rest here.
July 17, 2008
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Lourdes fears priestly scandal will make profits dry up by Jason Burke The Guardian.UK The Observer
It is called the ‘Zambelli Affair’ and for the town of Lourdes, one of the world’s most famous sites of pilgrimage, it could not have come at a worse time. Last week it was disclosed that Fr Raymond Zambelli, the priest in charge of the sanctuaries of Lourdes, was being investigated by financial police after a computer highlighted suspicious deposits in his personal account, amounting to £360,000.
Lourdes is in the spotlight like never before. It is the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous, a poor, illiterate local girl, in a cave beside the Gave de Pau river and a total of eight million pilgrims are expected at the shrine this year, a third more than usual: in September, Benedict XVI is coming. According to a leaked letter, prosecutors have even suggested soft-pedalling the investigation until after the pope’s visit.
Read the rest at the Watcher’s Lamp.
July 17, 2008
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Dr. Voddie Baucham delivers both a strong rebuke of the Pagan ideas that have infested the church regarding the family, parenting and marriage, and gives sound Biblical advice on the right things to do.
To listen go to: Child Training-Dr. Voddie Baucham 49 min.
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July 17, 2008
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HT: PuritanFellowship
“As I have often told you, there is never a week without some of our number being taken up. Although I have visited a large number of dying believers, I have never yet visited a member of this church who has expressed the least fear in his dying moments, or the slightest dismay in the hour of departure. It makes me feel happy to see how the brethren and sisters die; they pass away as if they were going to a wedding rather than to a tomb, as if it were the most joyful thing that ever happened to them to have reached their expected end.“
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July 17, 2008
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The Link to this Video
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July 17, 2008
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Apprising Ministries brings you this devotion from Charles Spurgeon.
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July 17, 2008
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I realize that I said I wouldn’t post until my stint at Slice this week was over, but I wanted to put this out nonetheless. My friend, Josh Rittenhouse, who runs Truth Matters recently put a blog post about his mother who is battling cancer and needs prayer and financial support. Josh has even had to sell his car to help meet the expenses. Please offer prayer and if you can and are led to give financial support for his mom’s therapy, please do so as well. Here is his mother’s dilemma written by Josh, himself.:
For those of you who do not know, my mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer. This is her 3rd bout with cancer. She’s had a complete hysterectomy, she’s had her entire colon removed and she’s now had a double, radical mastectomy.
The good news: She is doing very well under the circumstances, she has stayed faithful and is in good spirits. She has completed her 12 weeks of chemotherapy at Hershey Medical Center and has completed her chemotherapy shots.
The bad news: My mother, Carol, must be on an oral chemo daily for the next 5 years which we unexpectedly found out insurance will not cover. Although we fought hard to get it covered, insurance will not cover it. Currently she is paying $5,000/year out of pocket for her medications alone. And now, in addition, she needs this oral chemo which is $300/month for the next 60 months. That’s $8,600/year out of pocket with insurance just for medicine.
I am not writing this for any type of pity party. I am just stating the facts. We need help. I have sold my vehicle to help with her previous expenses and now this. Also, my father became disabled and now earns only a fraction of what he used to.
I am asking those of you that would like to help to possibly donate $5 toward her medications. If we could get 1000 people to donate, that would take care of almost an entire year’s worth of medication. Although she must be on this medication for 5 years in total, she wants to take things one year at a time. 100% of all donations received will go directly toward her medical expenses.
Regardless of whether you would like to help her with her medical expenses, please pray for her throughout another tough trial in her life.
You can find out more and/or donate at the link here:
Here is an update on his mom’s situation, too. Please keep them in your prayers regardless.
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July 17, 2008
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“You know, this is a matter of common honesty. The great apostle says elsewhere, ‘I am an ambassador for Christ.’ What is the business of an ambassador? Is it to voice his own opinions? Is it to say what he thinks? Well, if he does so, he is a very bad ambassador. The ambassador’s job is to convey the thinking and the point of view of the country that has appointed him and which he is representing. He may disagree with it entirely, but it does not matter. The business of the ambassador is to deliver the message which has been given to him, to hand on this commission, whatever it is. And Paul says, I have no choice about this; that’s what he told me to say. I’m not here to give you my theories and my ideas, he says. I am determined simply to preach what he gave me.”
-Martyn Lloyd-Jones
July 17, 2008
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Ray Comfort writes:
I need your help. Since the beginning of our ministry we have been supported primarily by the sale of our various tracts and resources. This model worked well when we were a ministry that only produced tracts and resources. But during the past several years God has opened the doors for us to reach millions through the avenues of television, radio, and our free conferences. Frankly we have outgrown the model that has provided for our funding…
You can find out more here.
July 17, 2008
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We have been looking long and hard at the narrowness of the Gospel and how it it is not editable. It is not open to change. No matter how much a person wants it to be otherwise, it is unchangeable. It is God’s Good News to fallen man. This good news is the proclamation that there is a way, only one way, for sinful people to be reconciled to God. It is good news because all people suffer from the same condition. They are born dead in trespasses and sins and are not morally able to do anything about it. This separates all of us from God because He is Holy and must judge all sin. The Gospel declares that Jesus Christ went to the cross and became sin on our behalf. God judged our sin in Him. This “atoned” for our sins. Now let us look at the pardon available to all who believe.
(click here to read this post)
July 17, 2008
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We would have transcribed the lyrics but it would have been so time consuming:
