Jude 1:1-2 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ
and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who
are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy,
peace and love be yours in abundance. Jude was the brother
of Jesus Christ. But it is significant that he calls himself
the brother of James. Jude wants everyone to know that,
though he is a half-brother of Jesus Christ through his
mother Mary, he considers himself to be a servant of Jesus.
I’m sure there were those who tried to idolize him for being
the brother of Jesus Christ. If he had the character of some
of the current large crop of false teachers, he would have
written “Jude, the brother of Jesus Christ.” I’m sure if
some of these modern heretics could trace their roots back
to Christ, they would use that information to get support
for themselves and power over people. But Jude does just the
opposite. He calls himself the servant of Jesus Christ. He
is addressing this letter to those who have been called, and
who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ. So
he is addressing this letter to Christians. God has called
every true believer.
You can get more information here. A Word of Encouragement from Paul
Run the Race, Win the Prize by Sandy
Simpson
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a
Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power
that enables him to bring everything under his control, will
transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his
glorious body. Jesus Christ is coming again. We
are citizens of heaven, not this earth, and Jesus will come
to take us to our homeland. So true believers eagerly
await His coming, unlike those who oppose the cross of
Christ who think they must take dominion over the earth or
laugh at the idea of the Rapture. There are many of
them today. We know that when Jesus comes, by His
power, He will bring everything under His control. We
are not called to do that as the Church. Jesus will do
that when He comes, and when He comes we will be changed and
receive our everlasting bodies that will never wear out.
1 Cor. 15:51-57 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not
all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet
will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we
will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with
the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the
perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the
mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written
will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your
sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is
the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Today,
in
a majority of churches, we see the result of the
seeker-friendly,"purpose-driven", church growth,
Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation methods and
teachings and their product I am
calling"Entertainment-style Christianity" (ESC).
But ESC churches are not only missing out on the cutting
edge of true Christianity, but areheading down the road
to apostasy.
True
biblical
Christianity is "interactive". Those in ESC are
taughtto be spectators at mega-church entertainment
events. They are not taught the Bible but rather
to be enamored with the oratoricalskills of the
preacher, and to not dare question anything that is
shoved down the throats of the "laity" by the ruling
"anointed"elite. They are treated to a circus
atmosphere including wild CCM music with people flailing
around and acting like they are on drugs, topreachers
who tell endless stories about themselves and joke about
everything while actually making profundity mundane, to
hula dancing,to banners and marching in the church and
around it, to the blowing of shofars, to slain in the
spirit and wild manifestations. Theirsears are
tickled by guest speakers who make up sermons out of
their own imaginations instead of the written
Word. They are entertainedwith gold dust, gold
fillings, "angel" feathers, "angel" footprints, drunk in
the spirit antics, and during these displays they can go
outand get a latte and a snack at the church snack
bar. They come into these mega churches and leave
without being personally challengedother than with tired
worldly psychology, and without anyone being able to
find out what they are doing in their private
lives. A smallpercentage attend "cell groups"
where they are diapraxed into consensus instead of
challenged to be Bereans and think and act
forthemselves. They live like the world during the
week, then come to church where the world is not only
welcomed but accommodated.
Commentators
seem to think that this section of Habakkuk was addressing
theCeasarsand
their drunken desire for power.Seems
these two things often go together.
Those
who love drunk in the spirit are no exception.They
are trying to get others to share in their debauchery and
the false hope of an end-times worldwide revival,
currently through the Saturate 2020 events.Though
these were two of the hereticaldistinctivesof
the New Order of the Latter Rain, these ideas are nothing
new.The righteous
continue to live by faith, while the proud boast in their
drunken state.
Saturate 2020 is another in a long line of
Latter Rain revivals which do not meet the criteria of a
Biblical revival at all (Acts 3:19). The Toronto
“Blessing” and Brownsville “Revival” both came into towns
all over the world with the promise that people were getting
saved and nothing weird was going on at their
meetings. This was always a lie as the true
Gospel was not preached but instead people were invited
forward to have hands laid on them in order to transfer an
impartation. Meanwhile false doctrines were laid
down in order to get people involved in churches like Bethel
Church in Redding, CA. We are warned in Scripture
about this. Galatians
2:4 But it was because of the false
brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in
to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ
Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.
2 Peter
2:1 But false prophets also arose among the
people, just as there will also be false teachers among
you, who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing
swift destruction upon themselves.
The fact that some formerly Biblical churches have joined
this circus is a testament to their lack of teaching
discernment. Some of these denominations were
warned repeatedly about the Latter Rain, Word of Faith and
the New Apostolic Reformation yet they apparently wanted to
remain “willfully ignorant”. The people
advertised as being involved with this latest “revival” are
almost all associated with Bethel in some way and promoters
of what they teach. This is not a true Biblical
revival but rather a revival of the occult and New Age among
Christians. This meeting is actually hurting the
cause of Christ and will not have any real beneficial effect
on the culture of California, which has turned decidedly
evil for decades. These Dominionists
will not be saving the planet, but are rather setting people
up for the coming antichrist. Nor will they rid
the world of coronavirus, but rather likely add to it.
Should biblical Christian churches be
Christ-centered (Christocentric)? Should the doctrines
of the Father (Patriology) and the Holy Spirit (Pnematology)
also be equally emphasized? Can a church be
Patriocentric or Pnemacentric and be biblical?
The answer to these questions are quite simple from
a biblical perspective. There have been charges leveled
at some movements such as the Pietist Movement in Germany and
other movements that they place too much emphasis on Christ to
the exclusion of the Father and the Holy Spirit. This
may be true to a certain degree. The doctrines of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit must be taught with equal emphasis
so that Christians will know what they believe.
But should a church be Patriocentric or
Pnemacentric? No. For instance, there are far too
many churches today, having been influenced by
hyper-Pentecostalism and the Latter Rain, that are
Pnemacentric. They spend most of their time focusing on
the Holy Spirit to the exclusion of preaching the Gospel
while, in fact, they don't even have a biblical doctrine of
the Holy Spirit. I believe that because classic
Evangelicals, to a certain degree, dropped the ball in
defining the Person and role of the Holy Spirit it gave an
opening to Third Wavers to step in with their erroneous ideas
of Pnematology.
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The
Letter to Laodicea Is
a Warning to the TRUE Church Today by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Rev. 3:14-22
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou
wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art
wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that
thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest
be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not
appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou
mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be
zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the
door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he
with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with
me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down
with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Much has been made of this passage, using it to point out
what is happening today in the apostate churches around
the world. It is true that they believe they are
rich in spiritual things when they are very poor. It
can be applied in one sense to theWord
of Faithmovement.
It is true that the "River" movement of Latter Rain
teachings do think they are hot when actually they are
cold.
But this letter to the end times church
of Laodicea is actually talking to biblical Christians who
are born again. The apostate movements of theLatter
Rain,Third
Wave,Toronto
"Blessing",Vineyard,Brownsville
"Outpouring",Word
of Faith,New
Apostolic Reformation,World
Gathering on Indigenous People,Manifest
Sons of God,Seeker
Friendly,Church
Growth,Emerging
Churchand many others have already
had their lampstands removed (Rev. 2:5) because of their
apostasy and have already been spit out of the Lord's mouth
(Rev. 3:16). We can know this because of what the
Bible says about those who teach false doctrines (1 Tim.
6:3-5, 2 Tim. 4:3) and make false prophecies (1 John 4:1).
These false churches, false movements and false brethren
(Gal. 2:4) are already under the judgment of the warnings of
theseven
letters, as all but two of the original first century
churches are today (only the two who Jesus did not warn
still survive today). Therefore theletters
to the churchesapply to those
churches who have not had their lampstands removed and been
spit out of the mouth of God because of heresy and false
prophesy. So the warning to the true biblical churches
today remains. Why is this warning significant to us?
It
is significant because, by in large, it isthe
true
Church today that has allowed the movements mentioned
above to infiltrate and take over the agenda for what is
called "Christianity" today.
In
Titus 1:6-11 Paul tells Titus to appoint
"overseers" in the churches. The word
"overseer" isepiskoposin
Greek
and means bishop, curator, superintendent,
guardian, watchman. Overseers are to be
shepherds to the sheep, watchmen, guardians.
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You can get more information here. Jesus
Cares for You by Sandy Simpson
The
story
of the feeding of the 5000 is found in all the gospels of
Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. When something is repeated in
the Bible it means that it is important and is something we
must try to understand. There is often a deeper meaning in
sentences or stories that are repeated.
In
this same story repeated in Mark 6:34 it says:
"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on
them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he
began teaching them many things."
One of the main things that Jesus is... is compassionate. He
cares for His people. He was compassionate then and He is
still compassionate today. Jesus came and saw the needs of the
people. So He did two things. He met their physical need of
hunger for bread, and He also met their spiritual hunger for
the bread of life. As Jesus told us in John ... He is the
bread of life. The Bible, the Word of God, being the word of
the Father and the Son, is also the bread of life. Jesus
is the living example of the Word as it also says in John "The
Word was made flesh and lived among us".
This
paper
exposes what General Boykin has been doing in Calvary Chapels
and his associations.
He
isGrand Chancellor of the
Vatican's Jesuitical "Knights of Malta", an ecumenical
society under the leadership of Rome where Catholics,
Protestants and a plethora of others unite in what cannot be
a unity of the Faith.
We just finished as study in the book of Jonah in our
Bible study groups. As we studied through that true
story I became aware of an application for Church leaders
today.
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What Does The Bible Teach About "Synergy"?
by Sandy Simpson
Synergy is also a concept being adapted and taught today
as a major tenet of the Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation
(NAR) movement. Dutch Sheets was one of the first to
introduce this concept to that movement back in the National
School of the Prophets - Mobilizing the Prophetic Office
Conference at Ted Haggard's New Life Church in Colorado
Springs, CO on May 12, 2002.
HUMOR: Time for a rewrite of the old
hymns. In this day and age of Third Wave revival
movements and Word-Faith dominion, the old hymns just aren't
cutting it anymore. Not only are they old fashioned
musically, but the lyrics are, for the most part,
particularly depressing. They talk of sin, death,
repentance, the cross, the blood of Jesus and a whole host
of other disgusting subjects. There are also too many
lyrics in them, frankly, which takes away from the "worship"
atmosphere. Repetitiveness is what we need, not dead
doctrinal concepts. The old hymns are just too biblical.
Give us a beat to move our feet, not concepts to move our
hearts and minds!
Here is a list of some hymns that could be
"upgraded" to meet the criteria of the Third Wave,
Word-Faith, Latter Rain, Manifest Sons Of God, New Apostolic
Reformation. This list is by no means complete.
If you don't recognize the hymns mentioned perhaps it would
be worth your time to go back and read them, then compare
what they say to the new doctrines.
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Saved by Sandy Simpson
“To be almost saved is to be totally lost.”
– Adrian Rogers
There are many so-called
“Christians” today who are clearly “almost saved” by their
testimonies and/or actions.But to be
“almost saved” is to be completely lost.A
person who is drowning and almost saved drowns.A
woman who is almost pregnant is not pregnant.King Agrippa
said, “You are almost persuading me to be a Christian (Acts
26:28)” but being almost persuaded is not enough to be
saved.
The word “almost” means “very nearly”, “not
quite.” In light of this we may conclude that to come close
to the target, or “almost” hit it, means to completely miss
the mark. (Shalem Evangelical
Church Bush Hall Yard Gap, St. Michael)
"Silence
the noise of your songs" by Sandy Simpson, 5/26/19
Amos 5:21-27 “I hate, I reject your festivals,
nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. “Even though
you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I
will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace
offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the noise of
your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
“But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like
an ever-flowing stream. Did you present Me with sacrifices and
grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of
Israel? You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun,
your images, the star of your gods which you made for
yourselves. Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond
Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts. When
I first reread this passage in Amos, a few things struck
me. First of all the Lord is bringing judgment on Israel
for carrying on religious ceremony without true dedication to
the Lord. They sing songs and present their offerings
while harboring idols. I was reminded of how the Lord
must view the heretical apostate mega church celebrations of
today. There is a lot of pomp and circumstance, yet
little or no obedience to the Word of God. The Lord does
not look favorably upon worship of that type, no matter the
hype, no matter the noise, no matter the show. He
actually “hates” it.
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How To Find A Good Church by Sandy Simpson, 2003
Here’s how to find a good church. What
you need to find is a church that not only has orthodox
doctrinal statements but teaches, both explicitly and
implicitly, in line with the core doctrines of the
Faith. These are Bible-believing Christ-centered
churches that are balanced in their theology. Be sure to
test all churches before you become involved. It is
acceptable to get involved with a house church or Bible study
as long as there is someone who has the gift of teaching there
to lead the study of God’s Word.
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling
together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one
another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
The Christian life is not one to be lived
alone. Trust me; I have sympathy for those who have been
spiritually injured by false churches, false prophets, false
teachers and false apostles. It is often a long road
back from the diaprax of heresy. But to undo the
brainwashing you will need help, especially from those who are
already ahead of you on your journey back. The first
century church was known for the following:
Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer.
This is a good gauge to tell if you are
involved in an effective assembly of believers, no matter how
small. Remember that the first century churches were in
homes. In my experience smaller churches are much better
at doing the above and more. Avoid mega churches.
This book was written by my mother and is about
my family's experience as missionaries in Micronesia.
Juanita went to be with the Lord in August of 2018. This
book has been a blessing to many people around the world and I
want to share it with you. - Sandy Simpson
This is the story of a young woman
who goes to the ends of the Earth with her pastor
husband and two small children. While describing the
hardships of living in a remote village on a remote
Pacific Island in the 60's, it also gives us a vision of
the joy the family experienced as well. The heart of the
book is the story of how the author survives the death
of her husband and goes on to serve God and the
Micronesian people in her own right.This book reveals a
woman of great faith and courage. In addition, the book is
well written and a pleasure to read.Having
met the author, I will add that there are thousands of
people throughout Micronesia who love her and who have
benefited by her faithfulness and commitment over the
years. Read the book and get to know this wonderful
woman. Review by Richard
D.
Shewman on Amazon.
Deliverance! A Biblical Guide To
Freedom from "Another Spirit" The Possible
Consequence of the Unbiblical Practice of "Slain In the
Spirit" by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
The cases are legion. Let's look at John
(a pseudonym) as one case in thousands that I read through the
years in the emails sent to my site.
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A Short History of
Dominionism by Sandy Simpson
In order to understand where the modern fusion
called “Dominioism” comes
from, I want to first give you definitions of Kingdom
Now, Dominionism
and Reconstructionism.
Dominionism
is sparsely defined as follows:
“Dominion Theology (also known as Dominionism)
is a group of Christian political ideologies that seek
to institute a nation governed by Christians based on
their personal understandings of biblical law. Extents
of rule and ways of achieving governing authority are
varied. For example, Dominion Theology can include theonomy, but does not
necessarily involve advocating Mosaic law as the basis
of government. The label is applied primarily toward
groups of Protestants in the United States.” [1]
It is more closely defined this way:
“Dominionism, or
Christian Dominionism
is a term coined by social scientists and popularized by
journalists to refer to a subset of American
Christianity that is conservative, politically active,
and believes that Christians should, and eventually
will, take control of the government. The term is
sometimes used as a “catch-all” by bloggers to describe
any politically active Christian, but not every
conservative, politically minded Christian is a Dominionist. Christian Dominionists believe that God
desires Christians to rise to power through civil
systems so that His Word might then govern the nation.
The belief that “America is a Christian nation” is
sometimes called “soft dominionism”;
the idea that God wants only Christians to hold
government office and run the country according to
biblical law is called “hard dominionism.” [2]
“Hard Dominioism”
as it is called in the above definition, is what C. Peter
Wagner (deceased) of the New Apostolic Reformation (a term
he coined) have been advocating, following the teachings
of the New Order of the Latter Rain and Reformed Theology
“Reconstructionism”.
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Maturity Training by Sandy Simpson
Heb. 5:14 But
solid food is for the MATURE, who by constant use have
trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
At the core of
maturity in Christ is the issue of training to be able
to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong.
But in today’s churches this issue has not only been
downplayed, but actually swept aside.
I run a website and
get hundreds of emails every week. Since the website
deals with apologetics against false teachers and false
prophets, about half the email I receive is blasting me
for even bringing up the issue. These emails are from
“Christians” who claim I am not “anointed”, don’t
understand the work of the Holy Spirit, etc. I am forced
to remind them of Hebrews 5 and Ephesians 4 and the
biblical definition of maturity in Christ. Maturity is
not defined as following dynamic speakers, running after
people who claim the ability to perform signs and
wonders, those with wealth, charismatic teachers with
large numbers of followers, those with name recognition,
and prophets who make wild prophecies. It is defined
simply as training ourselves to know the difference
between good and evil.
Where do Christians
get solid food? From voices in their heads, intuition,
imaginations, flights of fancy, signs, wonders? No.
Solid food is consumed by feeding on the meat of the
written Word of God.
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Bill Johnson Quotes by Sandy Simpson
This article is about the use of invective
while attempting to do apologetics or teaching
discernment. Invective is defined as a noun: insulting,
abusive, or highly critical language ie. "he let out a stream
of invective". I admit to using invective at times in
the past. My goal is to stop that practice and focus on
the facts, not attack an individual’s ability to
comprehend.
In the case of Christians, the first thing to
consider when doing apologetics is our mandate to reconcile
people to Christ, no matter who they are.
2 Cor. 5:18-21 Now all these things are from
God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us
the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in
Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word
of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you
on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who
knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.
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further information. Ten Questions For those who Claim the "Supreme Beings" of the Nations are
the True God
by Sandy Simpson
I have some questions for those of the World
Christian Gathering of Indigenous People (WCGIP) adherents
such as Don Richardson, Daniel Kikawa,
Richard Twiss (deceased),
Terry LeBlanc, Danny Lehman, Aloha KeAkua, YWAM as well as many in the
Emergent Church (EC) ... the questions arise from their
claim that the "supreme beings" of the nations are all the
True God, YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
You can read more on this subject in our book "Idolatry In Their Hearts" or in the WCGIP
section of my site.
My main
question for them is this: When did ANY of the Patriarchs
and Prophets in the Old Testament and the Apostles or Jesus
Christ in the New Testament EVER claim that the "supreme
beings" of the nations were Elohim/YHWH,
the one True God? Let's look at some examples in the
form of questions and you can check out the source links as
well.
10 Questions
is available is now available in booklet format. You
can order here or at Lighthouse Trails here.
$1.95
per copy, bulk orders get a discount.
Go here
for further information. Real Revival by Sandy Simpson
Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and return,
so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times
of refreshing may come from the presence of the
Lord;
There has been so much hype of "revival" in
our modern day that it is easy to forget the true biblical
criteria and definition of revival. Revival cannot be
brought about by signs and wonders or "laying" on of hands
to transfer apostolic or prophetic "anointings". In fact
there is no such thing in the Bible.The Biblical criterion
for revival has, as a precondition, repentance. The word
"refreshing" is also defined as "revive".
I received a letter from Peter Popoff. This
infamous televangelist, in the past, was found to be
guilty of wearing an earpiece so that his accomplices in
his sound booth could feed him personal information on
people in his audience while he was claiming to get
personal messages directly from God. This letter
proves that, not only is he back as a regular on TV, he is
also back to his old tricks.
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information. Occult Practices in the
Churches How the occult has been fully
integrated into many Christian lives and fellowships by Sandy Simpson
The Bible is quite clear about occult
practices.Neither Israel nor the Church
is to have anything to do with the way the world tries to gain
secret knowledge.The Gnostics were and
are known for promoting new revelation that is either loosely
tied to Scripture taken out ofcontext or not at all.The
Israelites seeking information from the dead or in omens were
judged harshly by the Lord who had warned them numerous times
to stay away from that stuff.
Yet due to the influences of
heretical teachers in the New Apostolic Reformation, Word of
Faith, Emergent Church, and the New
Age many have been successful in getting lots of churches and
denominations into occult practices that have been thinly
disguised as “Christian�?.Many of those
who follow these people, I’m sure, have
no idea how far they have strayed into the occult.
First I want to give the dictionary
definitions and then Biblical warnings against these
practices.Then I will give examples in
the churches taken mainly from the ElijahList
e-newsletter.
List of Practices Detestable To God
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 “When you
enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall
not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations.
There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son
or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses
divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who
interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell,
or a medium, or a spiritist,
or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these
things is detestable to the Lord; and
because of these detestable things
the Lord your God will drive them out before you.
Isaiah
8:19When
they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and
mutter,�? should not a peopleconsult
their God?Should
theyconsultthe dead on behalf of the
living?
Using
the
above list from Deuteronomy and Isaiah, let’s take a look at
each individual practice.
New
Important Book! Dominionism! How Unbiblical Action Can Change The
Churches by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp & Sandy
Simpson
Preface
By Sandy Simpson
The title and cover art of this work are a play
off of the book by C. Peter Wagner entitled “"Dominion! How
Kingdom Action Can Change The World". In contrast to
this specious claim we have titled this book “Dominionism! How
Unbiblical Action Can Change The Churches�?. We think
that is far more in keeping with what we will present in this
series of articles and essays on the subject of Kingdom
Now/Dominionism.
Indeed, many churches have already been changed
by accepting the false teachings that constitute
Dominionism. This started decades ago under Reformed
Reconstrucionism and Latter Rain theology, but even before
that in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). The attempt of
Constantine to protect Christians from being persecuted, since
he claimed he had become one of them, turned out to begin a
journey in syncretism and Dominion. It wasn’t long
before corrupt church officials began to try to seize power
all over Europe and beyond as the “Holy Roman Empire�?.
The Reformation itself was a reaction to the lengths to which
the RCC had gone to take control over the Scriptures, the
nations, the kingdoms, and the people for financial
gain. They sold indulgences, promising those who came up
with enough money a much shorter time in Purgatory.
Those same ploys are being used today on what has been loosely
called “Christian television�? by the sale of trinkets and
promises of healing, financial gain and even salvation.
These ideas all coalesce in Dominionism.
If it were true that the Church needs to take over the planet,
then we would be seeing the unstoppable plans of God’s
physical Kingdom unfolding. But we do not. All we
see are failed prophecies, empty edicts and declarations
coming from false apostles and false prophets. They love
to fool Christians with talk of the “kingdom�? when it is
clear they are talking about a different “kingdom�?; a Kingdom
Now not a Kingdom come. Jesus taught us to pray: “Thy
Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven�?. The implication is that we are to be about
building His spiritual Kingdom while praying for and expecting
His physical Kingdom to come. The only way we can do
that is to continue in the Great Commission till He comes, not
attempt to rule where God has not given the Church the
authority to rule. Jesus will do that when He returns.
If we go off on the tangent the Dominionists want us to go, we
will not only miss out on the blessings of His Kingdom to
come, but may well be deserving of judgment.
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Seeds, Soil & Fruit by Sandy Simpson
Matt. 13:38-39 The field is the world,
and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The
weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows
them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age,
and the harvesters are angels. Matthew 7:17 Likewise every good tree
bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Original sin is the bad seed in everyone.
We all start with a bad seed.
Jer. 17:9 The heart is deceitful
above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand
it? Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered
the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this
way death came to all men, because all sinned
We need to have the bad seed destroyed and
replaced with good seed.
Gal. 5:24 Those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its
passions and desires. Rom. 6:6 For we know that our old
self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be
done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to
sin 1 Pet. 1:23 For you have been born again,
not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through
the living and enduring word of God.
The good seed is the Word, the Gospel.
Luke 8:11 "This is the meaning of the
parable: The seed is the word of God. 1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will
continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he
cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Bad seeds are from the enemy and are full of
false doctrine and a false gospel.
Matt. 13:38-39 The field is the world,
and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The
weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows
them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age,
and the harvesters are angels.
Will the Real Blasphemers Please Stand
Up? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
This subject is one so serious that I do it
with great fear and trepidation. Nonetheless, because I get so
many e-mails accusing me and other Bereans of blasphemy, among
other serious charges, I felt it was necessary to clear up
some issues on this topic. Because of my stand for the truth
of God's Word juxtaposed against all the false teaching that
is going on today, I think it is important to do a quick study
on what blasphemy is actually all about from a biblical
standpoint. There are many references to blasphemy in
the Bible and from them we can find out how and why that term
was used.
You will see that the word "blasphemy" in the
Scriptures is the very definition of what the false teachers
and false prophets are doing today!
This is a name I came up with for people
attending and teaching at Oral Roberts University in the
70s. Even back then I had come to realize that their way
of representing Christianity was not in line with the
Scriptures. At that time I didn’t know that Oral Roberts
was carrying on the Word of Faith traditions of New Thought
practitioners such as Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Essex
Kenyan, Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuler, and many other
false teachers of the time. Though I didn’t know
anything about Word of Faith or New Thought then I knew that
the way they were representing Christianity was just not right
somehow. Their desire to portray Christians as rich,
beautiful, healthy, perfect, and virtually sinless (holiness)
went directly against the example of Jesus, the Apostles and
the early church.
Studies in Worldview MP3 CD click below to order for $25. plus s/h
Studies in Worldview MP3 DVD click below to order for $25. plus s/h Screwtape Legacy by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
The book by C.S. Lewis called "Screwtape
Letters" was a clever idea in exposing a number of tactics of
the enemy. Those principles are still at work today in
many churches. Following is a list of some of the things
the enemy wants to see in churches and Christians in order to
bring them down.
Bradford Pear Christianity by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I was driving along and noticing that spring
has sprung here in North Carolina. One of the first trees to
bloom is the Bradford Pear. I began to notice how that tree
has proliferated almost everywhere and then my wife looked up
the information on this tree on the web. As she began to read
the facts about this tree and its proliferation I began to see
an allegorical parallel to what is going on in much of
Christendom. But before I get into what the Bradford Pear can
show us about the churches, I need to present the facts about
the tree.
The Lord's Prayer, Our Prayer by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Matt.
6:9-13 This, then, is how you should pray: "Our
Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom
come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also
have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
This model prayer
that Jesus taught the disciples to pray contains many
important precepts. It should probably be called "The
Disciple's Prayer". It starts with a very important
concept in the first verse.
The Fallacious Arguments of
Neo-Universalists by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
The new Universalists are not as vocal about
their Universalism ideas but are far more deadly to the
Church as they are not rejected like classic Universalists
were decades ago. The new Universalists would include
Emerging Church leaders like Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet,
Spencer Burke, Alan Jones and others like Wycliffe, Society
of Biblical Literature, World Christian Gathering of
Indigenous Peoples, Richard Twiss, Daniel Kikawa, Terry
LeBlanc, Rick Warren, Henry Nowen, YWAM, Tony Campolo,
Robert Schuller, George Otis Jr., and even Billy Graham.
The future of apologetics and
discernment ministries by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I admit that I am very
skeptical about the future of discernment and apologetics
ministries. I don't see the next generation coming up to
replace those who have stood for the truth for so long.
Fortunately many apologists have gone to be with the Lord but
who will replace them? I don't see replacements coming up who
will take the place of those who have been fighting the fight
the years. I run a web site where I collect articles and
materials from all over the world and present them in a sort
of Reader's Digest format so that people can come to one place
to get the latest information on heresies in the churches as
well as research past ones. What I've seen in the last couple
of years is that the production of regular materials is
declining to the point where it's becoming difficult to find
one article for my site to post every day. Of course I write
my own articles but don't have enough time to write an article
on a daily basis. I am very concerned because of the tsunami
of false ideas from the enemy in the churches. At the same
time, unfortunately, I see a lot of younger people who don't
even recognize anymore that something is wrong.
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Church History & The Core
Doctrines by Sandy Simpson
This 4-DVD set is a combination of a condensed
study on Church History and the Discernment Toolkit series which
deals with the core doctrines of the Church and how to use them
to discern error. The Church History DVD takes a different
approach to Church History in that it does not celebrate the
Catholic Church but rather exposes it as false
Christianity. It covers World religions, false
Christianity and finally a study of the true remnant Church
through history following the story of the many martyrs who
stood up for true Biblical faith.
The "Weight of Glory" by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (KJV)
This is both an incredible source of hope
for Christians who are downtrodden, and a source of
escalating heresy in many churches.It is critical that we
understand what Paul was talking about when he wrote the
phrase “weight of glory�?.Jacob Prasch has repeated this
phrase in his teachings over the years … “A text, out of
context, in isolation from co-text is always a pre-text."A
huge problem today is that individuals and movements tend to
yank verses out of their context and build a cult of heresy
around them.This is called eisegesis or plugging your own
ideas into the Scriptures instead of exegesis, gaining
understanding and interpretation of the Bible by studying it
in context and in the scope of the whole written Word.
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information. Did God Put "Eternity In Their Hearts" or "The World In Their Hearts"? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
In the introduction to Mike Oppenheimer's
and my book "Idolatry In Thier Hearts" I exposed the fact
that Don Richardson pulled the phrase "Eternity In Thier
Hearts" to use as his book title from it's context in Ecc.
3:11. He did this to support his thesis, which
actually contradicts the second part of that verse, where it
states that man cannot fathom what God has done. Richardson,
rather, sets forth what has become the foundation for the
false teachings of the WCGIP, YWAM, a number of Bible
translation societies and the Emerging Church ... the
propostion that men from Gentile cultures have always been
seeking God and that Gentile cultures were already
worshipping the true God before missionaries came with the
Gospel.
But as I further investigated this verse I
found that Richardson even ignored the true meaning of the
FIRST half of the verse in favor of a few translations that
use the phrase "eternity in their hearts".
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Christians who “turn away�? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Jeremiah 3:10-11 And yet for all this
her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her
whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. And the LORD said
unto me, “The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more
than treacherous Judah.�? (KJV) Israel had turned away from
the Lord and had gone after the gods of Canaan, namely
Baal and Asherah. Because Israel had
prostituted herself with false gods in worshipping the
polytheistic gods that started at Babel, God had declared He
was divorcing Israel and would send them into exile until they
again returned to the true God. But Judah prided itself in
doing what God had commended as they had Jerusalem and the
Temple. They disdained Israel for setting up altars to
Baal and Asherah poles on high hills. Yet God was not
fooled by Judah’s pretence. In the KJV it says they were
not worshipping God with their whole heart but
“feignedly�?.
Prophets for profit by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
2 Cor. 2:17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle
the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we
speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.
There are many false teachers on TV these days
who peddle the word of God for profit. They make
promises of healing that do not come true by claiming if they
are given a financial gift the person will receive healing and
riches. When what they promised does not happen the
person is blamed that they did not have enough faith. This
often destroys the faith of people who fall into the traps of
these snake oil salesmen. I have no problem with people
charging for their materials if they cost to be produced, even
though it is hoped that when a person cannot afford to pay for
books and DVDs they will receive them free of charge.
But the charges levied on people for conferences and speaking
engagements is often excessive. A minister of God can
ask for support and deserves it if they are being diligent in
their study and proclamation of the Word. But
experiences and feelings often come with a price today and
that is not right.
"Mistake" or "Sin"? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Today we often hear the word "mistake"
coming from pulpits, and especially in defense of false
teaching and false prophesy. "Cut him some
slack! He just made some mistakes". "We all make
mistakes, so don't judge lest you be judged." We even
hear the word "mistakes" being substituted for the word
"sin" in many presentations of what I have termed "Gospel
Lite" today. So is it proper to substitute the word
"mistake" for the word "sin"? We'll look at the
problem of one word "mistakenly" being used for the
other.
Holy Ghost IGNORED! by Sandy Simpson
This 3-DVD set is a message based on this
movie review.
"Holy Ghost Reborn" is the second film in
the "Holy Ghost" series released by Bethel Church in
Redding, CA. Tim Wirth and I reviewed the first "Holy
Ghost" film and that review is freely available on YouTube
here:
I am sorry to say this but Bethel is clearly
a cult of Christianity holding to most of the teachings of
the Latter Rain and Word of Faith. They have
demonstrated repeatedly a manipulative atmosphere targeting
young people in particular while preaching rank
heresy. This new film is a continuation of those false
teachings and practices. I pray for the young people
in that church that they will come to know Jesus Christ as
their Savior and thus come to know the true Holy
Spirit.
This 3-DVD set is only $30. plus s/h. for US.
Holy
Ghost IGNORED! Part 4 - Addendum with Tim Wirth &
Sandy Simpson
This "Holy Ghost IGNORED! Part 4 - Addendum is
part of a 3-DVD series by Sandy Simpson reviewing the film
"Holy Ghost Reborn". This addendum features a number of false
teachings of Bethel Church in Redding, CA that I was not able
to include in the 3-Part series. Get
the whole thing! It is very important to see what has
become the "new" Christianity.
Servant Authority by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
The world system has always been a "top down"
structure, starting at the apex of the pyramid and going down
to the bottom. In kingdoms we have the king at the top, then
the princes, common people, slaves. In a democracy we have the
President at the top, the VP, the Sec. of State on down to the
citizens. In business we have the CEO at the top, upper
management, lower management, office workers and the
janitors. Unfortunately, sometime in the third century,
the church started to have a top down structure. This is also
when the church began to be in error. The church of Rome began
to have a "top down" structure that started with the pope,
then cardinals, then bishops, then priests, then the people.
Well, what about that? Eph 4:11 It was he who gave
some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be
evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, This
all sounds like a "top down" structure. But the problem is
that people have not seen an important fact about these gifts
of the Spirit -- man looks at function and title, God looks at
aim and goal! Read on. Eph. 4:12 to prepare God's people
for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built
up. These are not gifts given for title or to give people job
descriptions. They are given because there are people out
there who need our help! The church needed the Apostles. They
were the ones who were the foundation of the church. They were
the ones who saw Jesus in the flesh and were taught by Him
personally. They wrote the New Testament Scriptures. Though
the gifts of apostle and prophet are different today than in
biblical times, the gift of evangelism, pastoring, teaching
and others are still the same. A person who is an evangelist
does not just have a title so he can rule over people. The
reason that he has the gift to be an evangelist is so that he
can tell others the good news. Why do we have pastors? Are
they supposed to rule the church and get everyone to support
them and bow to their demands? No. They are to serve the
church by helping people to come to a fuller knowledge of
Jesus Christ, to equip the saints to become more like Jesus
every day.
The true structure of Christianity is
symbolized as an inverted pyramid!
�Overtake you like a thief� by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you, brethren, are
not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a
thief; How serious will it be for a person to be overtaken
in �that day� like a thief overtakes a household when he
slips in and steals? Will it just be a surprise for
those who claim to be Christians who will get a slap on the
wrist by the Lord but still proceed to heaven? Will
they simply lose rewards but still gain the ultimate
reward? What is this darkness that the brethren are
not in? 1 Thessalonians 5:3-5 While they are
saying, �Peace and safety!� then destruction will come
upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with
child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren,
are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a
thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day.
We are not of night or of darkness;
Generic and Specific by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
In my article �Blasphemizing
the
Bible� I give a number of examples of how a lot of
modern Bible translation societies are putting the names of
�supreme beings� in the Bible in the place of God or YHWH. In
this article I'm going to examine two of the excuses they make
for making those substitutions in the Bible in many hundreds
of different languages today.
(1) They claim that God has many different
names and therefore they think they are justified in putting
the names of various gods of various cultures in Bibles, as
long as they are considered �supreme beings�.
(2) The second excuse they give is that the
names of the �gods� they are placing in the Bible are generic
terms for God, like the words �God�, �Theos�, �Dios� and
�Elohim�. By generic I mean a word that can be used for any
deity whether of the one true God or other false gods who
claim to be God.
I will go through both of these excuses and
show that they are both unbiblical, therefore the Bibles they
have translated with names of other gods in them, or names
they claim are generic, prove that they have �blasphemized�
those Bibles.
The Ugly Side of
Diaprax by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
There has been a concerted effort by the false
teachers from many movements inside the church such as Word of
Faith, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)/Latter Rain, World
Gathering on Indigenous People and Emerging Church among
others to diaprax people into thinking that the church has
been ineffective until they came along with their new and
improved ideas on how to take over the world. This is
always a feature of the Hegelian Dialectical process put into
action by praxis, thus diaprax. In order to form a new
paradigm or worldview the leadership of these movements must
vilify orthodox Biblical Christianity.
Deluded! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
There are so many "Christian" leaders out there
that teach delusional teachings. These teaching are
dangerous and can lead a person to shipwreck their faith.
Healer? Heal Thyself! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
A good subtitle for this article might be
"Practice What You Preach!" There is no doubt that God
can and does heal people today. But the false doctrines
of the Word-Faith Movement about "declaring" healing,
"name-it-and-claim-it", etc. have been proven to be lies by
the very people who sell this deceit. If you don't know
about where these famous "faith healers" go when they need
healing, you may be surprised. Why couldn't they heal
themselves when they purported to be able to heal others by
virtue of their superior faith? What happened to the
extraordinary faith they claimed to have, enough faith to heal
and be healed? Since they are the ones who taught that
all you have to do is claim the healing that is in the
Atonement (Is. 53:5) why did they not do so? Don't their
deaths prove that what they were preaching was a lie and
pragmatic witchcraft rather than biblical relality?
God�s Attitude toward the �Supreme
Beings� of the Nations by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
It is quite clear from Scripture that YHWH does
NOT consider the �supreme beings� of the nations to be
Himself, the One True God. This is in opposition to the
teachings of Don Richardson, Daniel Kikawa, Richard Twiss and
many others promoting the World Christian Gathering of
Indigenous People movement, Emergent Church and Liberal
theologies. I have proven this time and time again in my
articles on the subject but I am going to consolidate the
information from the Bible in this article by studying the
false gods named in the Bible. I am sure I will not be
able to cover every instance of supreme beings mentioned in
the Bible but I (1) want to deal with some of the major ones
(2) show you where they are found in the Word, and (3) prove
that they were the �supreme beings� of those nations named by
the patriarchs, prophets and Apostles and that they were not
monotheistic gods but polytheistic in the tradition of Babel
where the false religion of polytheism first took root through
the worship of Nimrod and Semiramis.
You need to "nip it in the bud"! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I am writing this article to address a
subject that I have often observed. It is the fact
that if you do not get the leaven out of your church the
leaven will become the leadership.The Bible teaches quite
clearly that if you let the leaven in you will leaven the
whole lump.
Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens
the whole lump of dough.
We see this often in the case of many
�Christian� movements that have allowed a small error to
exist in their churches and have not dealt with those
issues. It then ends up metastasizing into worse and
worse problems as time goes by.
The New Panentheistic "God" Of
Christendom by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Now, I bet you read the title of this article
and thought I had misspelled the word "pantheism". Just
so that those of you who write to me advising me of words I
have misspelled in articles (and I do often) I want to tell
you that I am using the term "panentheism" as coined by Karl
C. F. Krause. You can read more about this word and
concept in an excellent book called "A
Time Of Departing" by Ray Yungen.
There is a new "God" being promoted in the
Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and Word of Faith
movements whose teachers are regularly seen on TBN, Daystar,
SkyAngel, CBN and other "Christian" TV networks. Some of
those teachers even have, what would be considered, a fairly
typical statement of faith or doctrinal statement they
endorse. But by what they teach they end up promoting a
false unbiblical view of God, especially through their actions
and experiences. The whole phenomenon of "slain in the
spirit" and all the antics that go with it are brainwashing an
entire generation of Christians to put their faith in another
Jesus, another Spirit, another Gospel. This new "Jesus"
and "Holy Spirit" is clearly pantheistic or panentheistic in
nature. Though some of these teachers would claim to be
believing in the God who is One God in Three Persons, by what
they teach they deny the very revealed character of God from
Scripture.
What Should I Say? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
booklet.
How do you answer an invitation to attend a
meeting where you know nothing about the speaker or what will
be done there? What happens if they want to announce the
meeting at your church and invite everyone? What do you say to
a person who tells you that you don�t have the Holy Spirit
even though you are a Christian? What should you do if you
think something is wrong, or your conscience is bothering you
about something that was said or done? The answer?
Go to the Scriptures!
The Bible has all the answers to your
questions. This little booklet is an attempt to deal with a
few of the typical statements you will hear from people who
have become involved in the Third Wave revival movement. By
�Third Wave� I am referring to teachers, �prophets� and any
meeting associated with the Toronto �Blessing�, Brownsville
Assemblies of God, Rodney Howard-Browne, Benny Hinn, Kenneth
Copeland, Rod Parsley, Marilyn Hickey, Joyce Meyers, Bethel
Church, Lakeland and many others who appear on the Trinity
Broadcasting Network and the 700 Club on TV.
Hopefully the statements and answers in this
booklet will set you off on an investigation of your own in
the Word. If you need help, and you have access to the
Internet, you can visit my web site called �Deception In The
Church� that deals with these issues and has the articles
mentioned in this booklet.
Luring People To Destruction By The Unscrupulous Use Of The
"Gospel" Message by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Phil. 1:14-18
Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have
been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and
fearlessly. It is true that some preach Christ out of
envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter
do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of
the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition,
not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me
while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important
thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or
true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes,
and I will continue to rejoice,
If you see what I see in this passage, this
argument cannot be used for people like Benny Hinn, Kenneth
Copeland and the hundreds, even thousands of Third Wave
ministers today who are not merely envious and self ambitious,
but are also teaching outright false doctrine. Paul was not
talking about heretics in this statement, but "brothers in the
Lord" who preach the Gospel with wrong motives. Third Wave
teachers not only have wrong motives, they also have the wrong
message. This argument cannot be used for people like
Hinn, even if they manage to preach enough of the "Gospel" for
people to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord, because they
are also teaching and practicing heresy.
One of Satan�s Final Masquerades by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
2 Corinthians 11:14 And no
wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
Satan often disguises himself with the
purpose of deceiving people. One way in which I believe
he is putting on a masquerade is by appearing as �Mary� to
millions of people worldwide.
Attack Of The Enemy On The Churches by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
So much heresy is entering the churches these
days. As you would suspect, sometimes it is due to a
pastor attending a conference or reading a book and becoming
diapraxed with unbiblical ideas. He then starts to weave
those ideas into his messages and begins to invite speakers to
the church who expound on those ideas. Then when
confronted by someone in the church who has reservations about
the new stuff being taught, they are told to not talk about it
and just go along with the program. If that person does
not they are ostracized, slander behind their back, and often
told to leave (which is what they should do in any
case).
But my observation is that it is not only the
pastor who causes unbiblical changes to influence a
church. Often the pastor is blissfully unaware of
influences coming into his church. They often come in
through (1) the worship team (2) women�s groups (3) bookstore
(4) children�s programs (5) interdenominational prayer efforts
and (6) relief and mission organizations. If unchecked
this type of infiltration is much more subtle and can become
deeply rooted.
Marks Of False Religion by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you
captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to
the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles
of the world, rather than according to Christ.
In context Paul is especially addressing,
though perhaps not to the exclusion of other false religion,
what had become the false religion of the Pharisees and Jewish
leadership. There were many Jewish so-called
�Christians� making the rounds among the fledgling early
churches who were trying to get the Gentiles to come under the
Law from which Christ had purchased their freedom. John
Gill states this case well in his commentary.
Universalism in the World has Permeated the Church by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
The current fad of interfaith solidarity and
unity is simply a thin guise of inclusivism, Universalism
and pluralism.
Universalism is defined by Dictionary.com
as: The doctrine that emphasizes the universal fatherhood of
God and the final salvation of all souls. (Source)
Universalism is a religion and theology that generally holds
all persons and creatures are related to God or the divine
and will be reconciled to God. (Source)
Pluralism is defined as: The doctrine that
reality is composed of many ultimate substances. � The
belief that no single explanatory system or view of reality
can account for all the phenomena of life. (American
Heritage Dictionary, (Source)
Inclusivism is: "Inclusivism posits that
even though the work of Christ is the only means of
salvation, it does not follow that explicit knowledge of
Christ is necessary in order for one to be saved. In
contrast to pluralism, inclusivism agrees with exclusivism
in affirming the particularity of salvation in Jesus Christ.
But unlike exclusivism, inclusivism holds that an implicit
faith response to general revelation can be salvific. God
expects from man a response proportional to the light given.
Saving faith is not characterized so much by its cognitive
content as it is by its reverent quality." (Ken Keathley,
None Dare Call It Treason: Is an Inclusivist a Paul
Revere or a Benedict Arnold? (Ken Keathley, Assistant
Professor of Theology and Philosophy New Orleans Baptist
Theological Seminary, (Source)
We deal with these old heresies brought
forward to modernity, these ideas that all men have have a
relationship with God that will cause them to be able to
avoid judgement in our book on the teachings of the World
Gathering on Indigenous People movement called �Idolatry
In Their Hearts�. The idea that all men who
worship a �god� are worshipping the true God, YHWH, has
bubbled up to the very top of our societies and religions,
and even Christendoom, and should sound a warning alarm to
true Biblical Christianity. Instead, as usual in our
day, most Christians are asleep at the wheel while
Universalists claim that you can pray to a �god� like Allah
and be praying to the true Trinue God, YHWH. I also dealt
with the fact that Allah is not YHWH, both in our book and
in the article �Is Allah The Same
As YHWH?�.
What We Need Is A Reverse Paradigm
Shift! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I'm going to warn you now. I am going to
let you in on some information tonight that is going to
radically change your world view. You are likely going
to experience the beginnings of a reverse paradigm shift and
after tonight there will be no way to go back the way you
came. You will be faced with choices that you may never
have known you had. You will be faced with a new way of
looking at things that is going to cause you to rethink
everything that is being taught in the Emerging Latter Rain
churches. It is going to be radical because the basis
for this message doesn't come from Jesus Christ visiting my
room last night bodily, but from His holy written Word.
So buckle down your seat belts, you're likely in for a bumpy
ride!
Matt. 7:15-23 "Watch out
for false prophets. They come to you in sheep�s clothing,
but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you
will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes,
or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good
fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot
bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every
tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, �Lord, Lord,� will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,
�Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your
name drive out demons and perform many miracles?� Then I
will tell them plainly, �I never knew you. Away from me, you
evildoers!�
False Teachers Revisited by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I often receive requests to present updated
false teachings and false prophecies by the myriad of heretics
out there. We do try to keep up with all the
latest. But I have to remind people that those we have
exposed as false on our site have not repented of what they
have already done in the past, which is why they are still on
our site. So what they are doing now has no relevance as
to whether or not they are now to be considered a true
Biblical teacher. If and when they repent, that is
renounce their false teachings and false prophecies, make
restitution to those they have deceived, and begin to teach
sound Biblical doctrine we will give you that
information. As of now NONE of the people we have
exposed have repented of their Latter Rain, Word of Faith
teachings, heretical practices or their false
prophecies. But in the interest of helping you to
respond to a person who inquires by saying: "Those articles
are old and you need newer materials" well, here is some newer
stuff you can add to the pile. For you and me this
really makes no difference, but for those who are living in
deception perhaps it might demolish one of their arguments
against the truth.
Testing The Spirits by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Sometimes I really wonder why someone who
claims to be a Bible believing pastor, for instance, refuses
to listen to the truth. It frankly boggles my
mind. I don't know if it is as a result of the
postmodern paradigm or just that they have no love of the
truth left. I don't know how that can happen in a truly
regenerate person. You would think that the Holy Spirit
would confirm the truth to them, first in their conscience,
and finally through the written Word. But these days it
is a miracle if it gets that far. I don't know if their
conscience has been so seared that they don't hear the Spirit
or if they just don't want to know the truth because then they
would be responsible for it. I know that I cannot know
their motives or the reasons why they reject truth and refuse
to talk about false teaching, but I do know one thing: we are
called as true believers to test the spirits. We must do
this even if the result is not to our liking or befuddles us
as to the reasons.
1 John 4:1 Dear friends,
do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, because many false prophets have
gone out into the world.
Questions for Those Who Claim the
"Supreme Beings" Of the Nations Are the True God by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I have some questions for those of the World
Christian Gathering of Indigenous People (WCGIP) adherents
such as Don Richardson, Daniel Kikawa, Richard Twiss
(deceased), Terry LeBlanc, Danny Lehman, Aloha Ke Akua, YWAM
as well as many in the Emergent Church (EC) ... the questions
arise from their claim that the "supreme beings" of the
nations are all the True God, YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. You can read more on this subject in our book
"Idolatry
In
Their Hearts" or in the WCGIP
section of my site. My main question for them is this: When
did ANY of the Patriarchs and Prophets in the Old Testament
and the Apostles or Jesus Christ in the New Testament EVER
claim that the "supreme beings" of the nations were
Elohim/YHWH, the one True God? Let's look at some
examples in the form of questions and you can check out the
source links as well.
How To Discern, Test & Judge
Rightly by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
In running a web
site with thousands of articles, 1-2 million hits per month
from all over the world, and hundreds of e-mails per week, I
have come to realize, with time, that there is a terrible
problem in Christendom today. The problem stems from an
existential subjective view of the world that has filtered
into the church from secular society, but also from the
teachings of heretical wolves who have taught an entire
generation of churchgoers completely unbiblical methods of
discernment or to get rid of any discernment altogether.
We need a firm foundation to weather
the storm of false ideas by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto
them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power
of God. (KJV) Matthew 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears
these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a
wise man who built his house on the rock. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent word! � 1787 Joseph Funk & Robert Keene
A house built on the rock will stand. The
Rock is God and in particular, Jesus Christ. Therefore
His written Word is the teachings of the His Holy Spirit and a
Rock we can depend on. Anyone who wants to prove
anything theologically, historically, scientifically or
anything else needs to start with correct information.
If you start with a faulty foundation, as you build your
arguments, they begin to fall apart because they are not
supported in God"s truth. If you want to build on a firm
foundation, you need to start the process by a careful study
of God"s Word in context of the verse and according to the
whole counsel of God"s Word. The Bible is the best
commentary on the Bible.
Karma (by any other name) by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
According to Wikipedia:
"Karma means action, work or deed; it also
refers to the principle of causality where intent and
actions of an individual influence the future of that
individual. Good intent and good deed contribute to
good karma and future happiness, while bad intent and bad
deed contribute to bad karma and future suffering.
Karma is closely associated with the idea of rebirth in some
schools of Asian religions. In these schools, karma in
the present affects one's future in the current life, as
well as the nature and quality of future lives - or, one's
samsara. With origins in ancient India, it is a key concept
in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Shintoism,
Ching Hai and others."(emphasis mine)
Mirram-Webster defines it this way:
the force created by a person's actions that
is believed in Hinduism and Buddhism to determine what that
person's next life will be like: the force created by a
person's actions that some people believe causes good or bad
things to happen to that person
His Name, The Only Name by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Zechariah 14:9 NIV The LORD will be king
over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD,
and his name the only name.
The reason I wrote this article
based on Zech 14:9 is that I was reminded of how many
so-called Christians, who are influential in the churches, are
promoting the worship of God in the names of other gods.
Replacement Theology On Steroids by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
So, as you can see, the root of this
teaching is that Israel no longer holds the distinction of
being the tree from which the Root of David (Jesus-Rev. 5:5,
22:16) came. They are no longer the "natural branches"
(Israel-Rom. 11:21) on to which Gentile Christianity (the
wild shoots-Rom. 11:17 or wild branches-Rom. 11:24) are
grafted in (Rom. 11:17-24). According to Replacement
Theology, Christianity has now become its own branch apart
from Israel (the natural branch) that produced the Root and
all the promises of the Bible to Israel have been taken away
from them and given to the Gentile Church. This is why
you hear so many false teachers taking verses out of context
from the Old Testament and willy-nilly applying them to the
Gentile Church. This methodology has been going on for
decades in liberal churches and has been popularized by many
false teachers on TV. But the fact is that Replacement
Theology is utter false doctrine. It denies promises
made to Israel, some of which have already been fulfilled
and some which are yet to come to fruition. But when you add
the fact that the Inclusivist WCGIP proponents are now
saying that God planted hundreds of different trees,
cultures all over the world, that are not connected to the
natural branch, tree and Root, you have what can only be
termed Replacement Theology on steroids!
Those Who Do Not Lead Christians to
Maturity by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
The Scriptural definition of maturity is to
learn to discern truth from error so that the Christian will
no longer be double minded, blown about by every wind of
teaching and by the schemes of crafty people. But the
problem today is that so few Christian teachers are feeding
their flock's solid food. They are serving up milk and,
because of that, people are starving. Yet they often don't
even know they have been on a starvation diet. Amos 8:11
"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord, "when I
will send a famine through the land - not a famine of
food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the
words of the Lord."
"... and all liars" by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
Lying is a problem for all people (Ps.
116:11). We are all sinners (Rom. 3:23). Those of
us who are Christians are "sinners saved by grace" (Eph. 2:8)
indwelt by the Holy Spirit in our "new self" (Col. 3:10). But
we still live in our "old self" which we must "put off" (Eph.
4:20-25) by taking up our cross daily and following Christ
(Luke 9:23). The difference between unbelievers and
those who are truly born again is that believers no longer
"practice sin" (1 John 3:9, see my Bible study on 1
John!) They have the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11)
who convicts them when they lie (John 16:8). True believers
then repent (1 John 1:9) and go on to "practice righteousness"
(1 John 2:29) with the Lord's help. The unregenerate,
the false brothers, or those who have fallen away (Gal. 5:4,
Mark 4:17), practice lying. They practice a lifestyle of
lying because their consciences are seared (1 Tim. 4:2) and
the Holy Spirit, when convicting them, cannot break through
the hardness of their unrepentant hearts (Eph. 4:17-19, Heb.
3:13).
Four Books That the Enemy Has Used To
Corrupt Christianity by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
The four books that have changed the church by
giving an introduction to the false teachings of the New
Apostolic/Latter Rain (NAR), the Emerging
Church/Contemplative/Catholic Mysticism (EC), pragmatic Church
Growth (CG) methodologies of C. Peter Wagner, Robert Schuller
and Peter Drucker, and the teachings of the World Christian
Gathering on Indigenous People (WCGIP) are as follows:
Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack
Deer, Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, Purpose
Driven Church by Rick Warren & Etnerity In Their Hearts by
Don Richardson.
These four books were widely read by
Christians from virtually every denominational background
before their ramifications and the movements they would spawn
were known. They lay error alongside truth so were
considered not to be a threat to churches. Therefore
these books then became part of the consciousness of many
Christians and churches, thereby laying the basis for the
introduction of the modern day false teachings of the NAR, EC,
CG and WCGIP that have become part of the landscape of
Christendom today.
Night Marchers and UFOs on the Big
Island by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
With the resurgence of the old religion of
Hawaii and the continual invocation of Pel� and other
"deities" for years in the secular culture and even in
churches with regards to worshipping 'Io, is it any wonder
that those beings are beginning to manifest again? In
a story called "Night
Marchers" on the Kawaihae site and in a YouTube
video on the same subject, eyewitnesses claim all
kinds of sightings that they think are the warriors,
ancestors and demi-gods of Hawaii coming back.
Interestingly the
first
book the Hawaiian Heritage site recommends in its
"Suggested Reading" list is "Perpetuated
in
Righteousness" by Daniel Kikawa that we reviewed in
our book "Idolatry
In
Their Hearts" by Sandy Simpson and Mike Oppenheimer.
Since Kikawa claims that 'Io is the True God and one that
the Hawaiians worshipped in secret, we have to wonder if
Kikawa also thinks 'Io is showing up in these night marches?
Since YWAM, Aloha Ke Akua and Hilo New Hope participated in
worshipping 'Io at the "edge of Hale-ma'uma'u Crater" it
sounds like they have all been inviting the old "gods" to
return to Hawaii.
"They Will Believe The Lie" by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I am doing a Bible study right now on what I
would call "renewing our minds". It is based on this
verse:
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is
- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The only way to renew our minds is to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, confess our sins, and be saved, then
to study the written Word and allow the indwelling Holy Spirit
to teach us. Our minds are corrupted by virtue of the
sin nature and what we have learned in life because our
filters are off. I gave an illustration of straining coconut
to make coconut milk. If you use a 1 inch screen
everything will pass through. Even if you use a quarter
inch screen you will get mostly coconut meat in your
milk. You have to use a fine screen in order to separate
the milk from the leftover. Our filters are off and the
first thing God begins to do is correct our worldview, because
if your worldview is off you will not understand God's
reality. We need to learn to see things from His
perspective. This is why I started this study by going
back to an original problem.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 The coming of the
lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He
will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and
wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that
wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish
because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For
this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they
will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned
who have not believed the truth but have delighted in
wickedness.
This has always been an interesting passage to
me for a few different reasons. What is "the lie" that
is talked about here in verse 9 and 11? What are the
ways that "wickedness deceives those who are perishing" and
how long has this been going on or does this only begin to
happen at the coming of the lawless one? In what way
does "the lie" cause those who do not believe the truth to
"delight in wickedness"?
Updated! The First Nations Movement Deceiving The Nations! 4-DVD Series Critical Missiological
Issue!
The "Indigenous People's" (IPM) or "First
Nations" movement is an unbiblical movement teaching heresies
and doctrines of demons. It is being spread worldwide by YWAM,
Don Richardson, John Dawson, Richard Twiss, Terry LeBlanc,
Daniel Kikawa and many other adherents. The IPM or World
Christian Gathering On Indigenous People is full of the false
teachings of the Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR),
Word-Faith, Dominionism, Latter Rain and many other false
theological systems. But it does have it's own
distinctives that are driven by the works of Daniel Kikawa,
Richard Twiss, and Don Richardson in particular. They
are teaching Christians to "redeem" their cultures by
worshipping their former gods, pretending they are YHWH.
Go here for ordering
information. Only $10. per DVD or $35. for the 4-DVD set, plus
s/h. for US. The First Nations
Movement 4-DVD Set
The First Nations
Movement DVD 1 (1) Perpetuating Nations' Myths - Mike
Oppenheimer (2) 11 Reasons To Reject This Movement, Part 1
- Sandy Simpson The First Nations
Movement DVD 2 (1) The Fingerprints Of God? - Mike Oppenheimer (2) 11 Reasons To Reject This Movement, Part 2
- Sandy Simpson The First Nations
Movement DVD 3 (1) The New Indigenous "Christian" Religion -
Sandy Simpson (2) Did God Put Eternity In Their Hearts? -
Sandy Simpson (3) The Missionaries Brought A Foreign God -
Sandy Simpson (4) Catholic Syncretism - Sandy Simpson The First Nations
Movement DVD 4 (1) "Monotheism" In Ancient Cultures - Sandy
Simpson (2) The History Of The Knowledge Of God - Sandy
Simpson "Christians" Who Try To Poke Holes In
Sola Scriptura by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article: "Christians"
Who Try To Poke Holes In Sola Scriptura
There are a number of the leadership of the
Emerging Church (EC) who do not believe that the Bible is
the highest authority for the Christian faith. Most do
not believe that the Bible is inerrant in the original
manuscripts and many do not acknowledge that the Bible is
our highest revelation. Yet this is a core doctrine
over which true believers and false brethren must separate.
Those who try to poke holes in Sola Scriptura make excuses
like (1) we need to reinterpret the Bible through the lens
of postmodern culture and religion (2) the Bible never uses
the words "Sola Scriptura" therefore it is not a Biblical
concept (3) there is new revelation for the church through
the Holy Spirit apart from what is written and the precepts
of the Bible and (4) the Bible just doesn't address our
postmodern situation therefore we cannot rely on it for the
truth and answers for our problems today. I will prove
that all the above arguments, and more, from EC leaders and
others is exactly what they are teaching. I will give
you quotes from their teachings, videos and books. The
postmodern church and its "movements" are abandoning Sola
Scriptura in their rush to be like the Roman Catholic
Church, which takes its authority from a mix of Scripture
and tradition.
"As a result the Church, to whom the
transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted,
"does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths
from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition
must be accepted and honored with EQUAL sentiments of
devotion and reverence." (Roman Catholic Catechism, Given
October 11, 1992, the thirtieth anniversary of the opening
of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, in the fourteenth
year of my Pontificate. Page 31).
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. per DVD plus s/h. for
US.
Updated DVD! The Question Of Dominion by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this article: The Question Of Dominion.
I am writing this article as an apologetic
against the Third Wave, Latter Rain, Word of Faith and
Reformed Theology teachings that the Church is to rise up
and take over the systems of government, businesses and
every other aspect of life. "See, the problem is, is that
Satan has had too much of his way in our society because he
has a government! And the only way to overthrow a
government is with a government. It won't happen
otherwise. So therefore the government of the church
has to get into place in the extended church just like we do
have it very well in place, we haven't reached our goal yet
..." (Transcript of C. Peter Wagner, Arise Prophetic
Conference, Gateway Church, San Jose, CA, 10-10-2004) Wagner
has substituted the "government of the church" for the
coming government of Jesus Christ in the Millennial
Kingdom. Wagner is "Kingdom Now" while the Bible
teaches "Kingdom Come". What I wanted to do with this
article is put the issue of dominion to rest by studying the
definition the Bible gives to dominion and ruling
authority. When we look at the subject we can easily
ascertain what is going on today and what God requires of
the Church.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. per DVD plus s/h. for US.
Shepherd Or Hireling? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on the article: "Shepherd
Or
Hireling?"
The Bible lays out the definitions of both
an overseer (under shepherd) and a hireling. John
10:11-13 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling,
and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the
wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf
catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling
fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the
sheep. (KJV) 1 Tim. 3:1-3 Here is a
trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an
overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be
above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate,
self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not
given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not
quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (NIV) Titus
1:7-13 Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work,
he must be blameless, not overbearing, not quick-tempered,
not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing
dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves
what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and
disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message
as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by
sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are
many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers,
especially those of the circumcision group. They must be
silenced, because they are ruining whole households by
teaching things they ought not to teach - and that for the
sake of dishonest gain. Even one of their own prophets has
said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy
gluttons." This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them
sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith. (NIV) A
hireling does not really care about being a watchman, but is
more concerned with protecting his reputation, position and
income. A true watchman will guard the flock against
wolves from within (Acts 20:30) and without (Acts 20:29) no
matter the cost to his reputation, position or income.
Following is a little quiz you can take to see if you are a
true Biblical under shepherd as a leader in your church, are
becoming a hireling, or are one now.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
Too many churches today are allowing music
to be used in their services that is not glorifying to the
Lord and can actually be a hindrance to the teaching of
sound doctrine. Pastors and leaders should be using their
leadership role to test what is being played and sung in
their churches. Though some are quick to test preaching and
teaching from their pulpits, many ignore the music being
used in the same services. This is a tragic mistake. Music
is a powerful medium. It is something that effects deeply
the body, mind and emotions. It is a proven fact that music
often stays with a person far longer than what is taught or
preached. Songs roam around in our heads, especially if the
melody appeals to us. What is often overlooked is the
serious impression music makes on people, and the teaching
they are getting over and over again as they allow the song
to repeat in their minds and on their lips. Music teaches
things much more subtly yet sometimes far more effectively.
That's why the lyrical content of music in the church, as
well as its effect on the spiritual lives of those who
perform and listen, should be vigorously examined by the
leaders of the church. This is a 2-DVD set.
Go here for
ordering information. Only $20. per 2-DVD set plus s/h. for
US.
2 Cor. 13:5 Examine yourselves to
see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in
you - unless, of course, you fail the test?
People who call themselves followers of Christ
or "Christians" and claim they are born again must believe
certain things. If they do not then they fail the test
of faith. They can claim they are born again all they
want and "once saved, always saved" but if they fail the test
of faith there is no eternal security. Only God knows
who will be saved, from beginning to end, because of His
foreknowledge and omniscience (Rom. 8:29, 1 Pet. 1:2).
God did not make an arbitrary judgment about who would be
saved and who would not. His Spirit is given to those He
foreknew, when convicted of sin by His Holy Spirit, would
choose to believe and commit themselves to Jesus Christ.
We are not God and we do not have His omniscience.
Therefore, according to Paul, we must be sure our belief
system is in the right place once our eyes have been opened to
the Truth. I am not saying we do not have assurance of
salvation, but our assurance comes not only because of His
Atonement and promises of salvation but from our continuing in
the Faith, which is always the Biblical criteria. Those who
would be Bible teachers must teach according to the whole
counsel of God's Word. Let me be clear. There is
only one way to salvation. That is by grace alone
through faith alone in Christ alone. I will deal with a
few of those issues following, but it is important to
recognize that being saved is not just a matter of believing
that Jesus lived, or that He was a man, or simply giving
mental ascent to His existence in whatever form.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
"Blasphemizing" The Bible by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I am going to go over an article I wrote back
in 2006 in preparation for the book I wrote with Mike
Oppenheimer called 'Idolatry in Their Hearts'. This book
is an apologetic against the false teachings of the World
Christian Gathering on Indigenous People movement, the
Emerging Church and the New Apostolic Reformation which got
their ideas from the book "Eternity in Their Hearts" by Don
Richardson. At the time that book came out no one really
saw the dangerous ideas Richardson was promoting. All
they would have had to do was look at the two subtitles of
that book to understand the implications. The first
subtitle in the 1981 edition read: The Untold Story of
Christianity among Folk Religions of Ancient People.
Those who read this book found some interesting cross-cultural
ideas but apparently missed the false premise of the book
starting with the subtitle. How could Christianity be "among
folk religions" where the Gospel had not been preached (Rom.
10:14-15)? At that time Christians who read the book were
apparently satisfied that, though there was some questionable
material present, it made for an interesting discussion on how
to do cross-cultural ministry. The subtitle it has today,
which was first published in 1984, is as follows: Startling
Evidence of Belief in the One True God in Hundreds of Cultures
Throughout the World. This should have been a red flag
for many Christians but then, who reads subtitles? But
how could the "One True God" be known to Gentiles who did "not
know God".
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
Resources For Pastors including "Good English Bible Translations" by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
I was talking with a pastor after a Wednesday
night service and he mentioned that I said I had done an
article comparing English Bible translations. He called
me up later and asked me to come back and present the contents
of that article I sent out in about 2002 to my mailing list
for the Pacific Waves Newsletter which, unfortunately, I can
no longer afford to publish and mail. However an archive
of past issues of that newsletter can be found here.
In that article I detailed a number of good and bad resources
for pastors including Bible translations, concordances,
commentaries, Bible dictionaries, etc. I present an
edited version of part of that article on this DVD,
particularly dealing with English Translations of the
Bible. Translation is a very detailed endeavor and
should only be undertaken by those with a proper education in
that subject and a sound doctrinal background. I read a
few books on that subject and it helped me understand the
complexities involved. Hebrew is a rich language so it
is hard to distill one Hebrew word down to one English
word. Greek is a very technical language and it is also
not easy to translate. This is why it is imperative to
use the good English translations out there for comparison
along with a good concordance and Bible dictionary.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
A TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS Kingdom Now or Kingdom Come? by Sandy Simpson
This DVD is a message based on this
article.
There are two kingdoms being taught in many
churches today. Teaching about one of the kingdoms is on the
decline while the other is being promoted all over the
place. I am warning Christians that they need to check
out who is using the word "kingdom", the books they have been
reading and recommend on building "the kingdom", the people
they have been hanging out with at conferences, and what they
mean by "the kingdom".
Go here
for more information or click on the "Add To Cart"
below. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
BIBLES STUDIES IN DISCERNMENT by Sandy Simpson
Bible studies in Galatians, Philippians,
Ephesians, Colossians, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Jude with a
focus on applying timeless discernment priciples to our modern
times.
Go here
for more information or click on the "Add To Cart"
below. The price is $18. per book plus s/h.
BIBLES STUDIES IN DISCERNMENT Companion CD! by Sandy Simpson
Contains the PDF text to the book BIBLE STUDIES
IN DISCERNMENT plus extra studies by Sandy & Juanita
Simpson covering many issues of apologetics and discernment.
Go here
for more information or click on the "Add To Cart"
below. The price is $10. per cd plus s/h.
A Whole Lot Of Wishful Thinking
These Days! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD series is a teaching based on this
article.
In this DVD series I want to detail a number
of beliefs people have these days that have no basis in
Scripture. I am going to roam all over the map, so to
speak, and try to give fairly short answers on a number of
topics and also give you useful links to articles that will
help you deal with any particular issue. It is truly
amazing how many false ideas people cling to without giving
a thought to what the Bible has to say on the subject.
Only $20. plus s/h. for US. Go here
for ordering details.
Signs Of Apostasy In The Churches
In The End Times by Sandy Simpson
This 2-DVD series is a teaching based on this
article.
There are many signs of the great Apostasy,
or falling away (2 Thes. 2:3) indicating we are living in
the end times (Mt. 24: 3-14) I am going to go through
some indications of the Apostasy in the churches as a follow
up to the signs of the times in the world.
Only $20. plus s/h. for US. Go here
for ordering details.
The Responsibilities of a Good Shepherd by Sandy Simpson
This CD is a message based on this
article.
Emerging Church CD & Free DVD All the links to
resources and articles we have on the Emerging Church on
one CD. by Sandy Simpson
(The Emerging Church only is downloadable!)
When you purchase the
"Resource Tools - Emerging Church" CD for $10. plus s/h you
will also receive a brand new free DVD called "The
Emerging Church" that features Gary Gilley, Ray
Yungen, Joanna Michaelson, Mike Oppenheimer and Sandy
Simpson.
From Church To Emerging Church DVD
Series by Sandy Simpson
The issue of the Emerging Church and it's
introduction into many churches and mission organizations has
reached a critical point. Many do not undersand what is
being leavened into churches by the EC leadership. Many
would be shocked to know their belief systems involve
Universalism, New Age, defense of postmodernism,
Interfaithism, and many other false doctrines. In order
to reach out to this generation the EC leadership is proposing
a whole new "map" to deal with what they perceive is a lack of
understanding on the part of the churches on how to
communicate. EC proponants believe the "scripture" for
today is evolving and must change in order to reach
postmoderns.
Go here for
ordering details on this 2-part DVD series!
Idolatry In Their Hearts Landmark Book! by Sandy Simpson &
Mike Oppenheimer
Does having eternity in your heart mean that you
know God and are His child? Could Gentile cultures understand
the Gospel from the stars? Did God create man's cultures? Has
God always been in the process of redeeming cultures from the
time of Babel by placing in them a true revelation of Himself?
Is there the worship of YHWH in all cultures and religions
through the names of supreme beings? Have all cultures
always had a way to make things right between them and God?
These questions and many more are answered in this book that
addresses the false teachings of The New Apostolic Reformation
regarding missiological methods as being carried out by many
agencies including the World Christian Gathering on Indigenous
People, YWAM, and many Bible societies.
The New Apostolic Reformation -
What is it and where is it going? Every Pastor Needs
This! by Bill
Randles, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Jacob Prasch, Mike
Oppenheimer, Orrel Steinkamp, Gary Gilley, Dave Hunt, Sandy
Simpson and others.
This is a 6-DVD expose
of the NAR and it's leadership of C. Peter
Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Chuck Peirce, Dutch Sheets, Bill Hamon,
Jack Deere and others.
Lessons In Forgiveness Great Study! by Sandy Simpson Through the years I
have been presented with many opportunities to forgive.
Sometimes the situation was so severe that it took me some
time to forgive and start the process of healing for
myself, and eventually for others. I learned that a
Christian needs to forgive other people even if they have
not repented of their sins. That can be really hard if we
let it be hard. But if we give our burdens over to the
Lord, He will carry them and that frees us up to treat
other people with love, compassion, and be in the right
frame of mind and heart to set them up for reconciliation
with Jesus Christ. That does not mean we tolerate their
sin. We simply forgive them for what they have done to us,
whether perceived or real, and move on to looking for ways
to redeem them. We can then present to them the "truth in
love" even when we have to rebuke them.
by Sandy Simpson was written to help
believers to realize the absolute necessity of growing to
maturity in Christ. Many churches are urging Christians to
push aside discernment in favor of experience. It is our
hope that this book will inspire many believers to fight
the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2
Tim. 4:7).
The New Apostolic Reformation -
What is it and where is it going? Companion Book! by Sandy Simpson is now available in book form. This is the
DVD script plus commentary by Sandy Simpson. The commentary
of the DVD series is not in the book, but there are many
more quotes available than in the video series. Good
reference material. Also available on CD-ROM.
Letters To The Church Timely! by Sandy Simpson is a fitting manual for the Revelation
Christian. All the precepts are in the seven letters in
Revelation 1:9 - 3:22 to help us keep the faith, stay in
sound doctrine, and reach out to those who are perishing. I
hope and pray that this book will
help the reader to be an "overcomer".
DISCERNMENT TOOLKIT Demolish Arguments! by Sandy Simpson Want to be able to see your way through to
clear biblical discernment? Want a set of tools that will
allow you to disciple your loved ones so they will stand
firm in the Faith? Want to sort out many of the false
arguments and teachings that have invaded the churches? Then DISCERNMENT
TOOLKIT book is for
you!
DISCERNMENT TOOLKIT DVD Study Series! by Sandy Simpson is taken from the book but includes a lot of
footage of false teachers and false prophets. It covers the
core doctrines, how we can use them to test, and examples on
the DVD that can be paused for discussion. Also
includes a teacher guide and links to resources on the
web. This 3-DVD series is available now!
SPIRIT OF TRUTH OR SPIRIT OF ERROR? Important Video Information On Benny Hinn! by Sandy Simpson, Mike
Oppenheimer & Jacob Prasch
features tons of video
showing the teachings and prophecies of Benny Hinn.
This is a proven tool to keep people away from heresy.
THE EMPTY PULPIT Highly Recommended! by Mike Oppenheimer What is Christianity? What significance does
the cross have? Are there teachings that can wreck our
faith? We live in an age unlike any other in the history of
man. To follow the Lord among the unique challenges we must
understand Scripture and live by it. Available for $20-
includes shipping. Apologetics Coordination Team
HIGHLY recommends this book. It deals with many crucial
issues for the Church today.
Go here
to order the book by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, P.O. Box 860683, Wahiawa, HI 96786.
Articles on rightly handling the Word of Truth.
(1) The
Doctrines That Cannot Be Compromised by Mal Couch PH.D.,
TH.D. and Russell L. Penney Dr., 1996
Paul's response to doctrinal errors in the church. "Sound in the
faith" (Titus 1:13) means "healthy" in faith. Thus we speak
wholesome words of Christ to create strong and robust and healthy
believers. What about those who are weak and sickly in their
profession of faith? We should rebuke those who are infected with
bad principles and practices, like the physician removing the
causes of disorder; and with rebuke, admonition and censuring.
THIS IS ULTIMATELY FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE CORRECTED. (John Gill -
TITUS, p. 351)."
(2) Accusers
of
the Brethren or Good Bereans? by Debra Bouey,
1995 "It would seem that anyone who wishes to discuss the current
movement proceeding forth from the Toronto Airport Vineyard in
the light of the whole counsel of the Word of God has indeed
become, at best, a "Pharisee", and, at worst, the enemy. There
have been numerous references throughout a variety of Vineyard
venues, both at Toronto, Anaheim and elsewhere, condemning
anyone who calls into question biblically any of these bizarre
manifestations taking place presently."
(3)Is
It Right? To Judge, To Expose Error, & To Call Names?by E.L. Bynum, 1996 "Yes, it is right to expose error and to name those who are in
error. It is right to "earnestly contend for the faith which was
once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). It was once delivered
and it has never been recalled for revision. We had better
beware of "false teachers ... who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies " (II Pet. 2: 1). Faithful messengers will
warn the sheep of these heretics, and identify them by name. It
is not enough to broadly hint of their identity, for the young
lambs will not understand and will be destroyed by the wolves. "
(4)God's
Word:
Our Guard and Guide?by Dave Hunt,
1997 "The fruitful man in Psalm 1 meditates upon God's Word "day and
night," and not from a sense of duty but because it is his
"delight." In his heart and on his mind continually, God's Word
guards and guides him. How essential this is! Common sense and
logic are helpful. However, without God's Word (which transcends
human wisdom) to guard and guide us, we are susceptible to
temptation and error, especially when the latter is presented
convincingly "in the name of God" by those looked up to as
Christian leaders."
(5)Discernment
of
False Doctrine by Dean & Laura VanDruff,
1997 "God has truly "not lead" most of His children "into to
temptation", and those who have fallen He has "delivered from
evil". But I suspect this will change in the end, and many are
unprepared. Satan will be given permission to "sift us like
wheat", and many will fall when the Beast unleashes his lies
about God in the last days. These are sobering times."
(6)Scripture
Twisting by Daniel B. Wallace, Th.M, Ph.D.,
1996 "Evangelical Christians base their lives on the Bible. We
believe that the Bible is God's Word and that it is therefore
authoritative for us in matters of faith and practice. The Bible
indicates the great truths of who God is, how we can relate to
him, how we can understand ourselves and the world. In short,
the Bible contains the words of life. Believers use it to guide
them in discerning God's will, from the monumental to the
mundane. We read it to gain hope as well as to glean truth. It
affects our beliefs, attitudes, and behavior. In short, the
Bible is our pipeline to heaven: without it, we are adrift,
unprotected in a hostile place. "
(7)The
Authority
of the Bible by Patrick Zukeran, 1996 "No book can match the Bible when it comes to prophecy.
Understand that I have only touched the tip of the iceberg.
There are hundreds of additional proofs for the Bible, yet I
have only mentioned a few. I hope this study (will arouse) your
interest to further study the Word of God."
(8)Sinners
In The Hands Of An Angry God by Jonathan
Edwards, 1741
The sermon that brought repentance and revival in 1741. Compare it
to what is being preached today in the "counterfeit" revival. "Therefore,
let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the
wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly
hanging over a great part of this congregation. Let every one
fly out of Sodom: "Haste and escape for your lives, look not
behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed."
(9)The
Bible:
Sound Doctrine by Paul Becker, 1997 "For many years people have jumped on the band wagons of "new
ideas" as they follow various pied pipers. "For the time will
come [is NOW HERE, ed.] when they will not endure sound
doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have
itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers and turn
their ears away from the truth." (2Tim 4:3-4)"
(10)Bibliology:
The
Doctrine Of The Written Word by J. Hampton
Keathley III, 1997 "In the dumbing down we have witnessed in America with its
happy-clappy kind of Christianity so prevalent today, we are
witnessing a growing anti-intellectualism in the church. For
many of the present generation, experience has become more
important than truth, but experience without truth is the menace
and misery of a mindless Christianity, and one of the issues we
face is that God's truth is found for us in the Bible. So not
only have we been faced with a battle for the inerrancy of the
Bible, but for the need to return to the Bible as God's holy
Word as the foundation of our faith and experience. Let me
conclude with these words from the Savior: John 8: 31-32. Jesus
therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you
abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In
praying for the disciples and for those who would believe after
them (the church) He was praying that they might be protected
from the evil influences of the world, the Savior said these
vital words: John 17:16-17. They are not of the world, even as I
am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is
truth."
(11)Obedience
To
God (Uzzah's Disobedience) by Sandy Simpson,
1998 "The first obedience we should show is confessing our sins,
believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, and making
Him the Lord of our life. The second obedience is to serve Him
the way He wants us to serve Him. Worship without
obedience is futile. In fact it makes the Lord angry. Getting
excited and zealous for the Lord without obedience to God by
living in accordance with His law and the doctrine of Scripture
is futile and meaningless, and in fact, dangerous. There's a
famous hymn that says it all: "When we walk with the Lord, in
the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While
we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who
will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there's no other way,
to be happy in Jesus. but to trust and obey."
(12)Rebuttal
To
John Piper's Defense Of The Term "Christian hedonism"
by Deception In The Church, 1998 "The following is a summary of John Piper's use of the term
"Christian hedonism" from his books "Desiring God" and "Future
Grace". I will rebut each item as they appear in his
official defense of his attempt to coin the phrase "Christian
hedonism".
(13)Judge
Not? by Jacob Prasch, 1998 Judge not? What does the Bible say?
(14)Experience
Or God's Revealed Truth? by Oswald Chambers,
1927 "Be ruthless with yourself if you are given to talking about
the experiences you have had. Faith that is sure of itself is
not faith; faith that is sure of God is the only faith there
is."
(15)Leaven
In
The Bread by Sandy Simpson, 1999 "It's time to expel the leaven from among us and separate
ourselves to God."
(17)Why
We
All Need The ABC's by J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M.,
1999 "We live in an anti-intellectual, anti-authority society,
especially when it comes to religious matters. Ours is an
existential (based on human experience, empirical) society
devoted to the �warm fuzzy� feel good, self-centered mentality
that is so characteristic of the New Age movement which has
bombarded the country�including much of the church. As a
consequence, the terms doctrine or theology are not very popular
in Christian circles. In fact, they are often denigrated or
belittled. We hear statements like, �We don't need to know all
that theological or doctrinal stuff. We just need to know
Jesus.� Or, �Well, I am not a theologian and never expect to be.
I just love Jesus.� But knowing and loving Jesus in truth is
dependent on the teachings of the Bible. Doctrine is simply
another name for teaching and theology means �the knowledge of
God.� Often the term theology is used in a general way to refer
to other areas of study that relate to the knowledge of God.
Biblical theology is simply the truths of God's Word that give
us the knowledge of God, of man, salvation, sanctification, the
church, or life and life abundantly."
(18)Bible
Versions by Jacob Prasch, 1999 "Modern Translations have been criticised by many believers,
and the book by Gail Riplinger (New Age Bible Versions) has
caused a stir in the Church. Is there a sound foundation to
these complaints?" We are not going to take up a lot
of space on this web site with this fruitless and divisive
issue. This article articulates our view on Gail Riplinger's
book which has needlessly caused all kind of division in the
church over issues that turn out to be non-issues. Also,
read this article called "Why
Respond To Gail Riplinger". One of the biggest apologetics
against other Bible versions other than the KJV is based on the
argument that there are, for instance, translation errors in the
NIV. However, there are also translation errors in the KJV.
So where does that leave us? If you want to really study the
Word, by all means study the original languages and make use of all good
translations! Read this article "The Biblical Position
on The KJV Controversy" by John MacArthur. For those of you who
may be reading this and are KJV-Onlyites, here are the kinds of
"Scriptures" you ought to be railing against, such as the "World
Scripture" and also this "Good
As
New" Bible! One good balanced series to read by Gary
E. Gilley is The
Bible
Translation Debate (Part 1) and The
Bible
Translation Debate (Part 2). Following are some other good
articles to read on this subject:
(19) The
Five
Basic Doctrines compiled and written by Sandy Simpson,
1999
A thorough examination of the five core doctrines of the Church and
how they compare to the teachings of other religions, cults and the
Third Wave false teachers. This is a paper you will want on
file as a reference. It also forms the basis for the
Deception In The Church web site apologetics.
(20) The
Letters
To The Seven Churches compiled and written by Sandy
Simpson, 1999
A Bible study of Revelation 1:9 � 3:22, the letters to the seven
churches. This study is especially timely for all Christians
today.
(21) The
Untouchables: Are 'God's Anointed' Beyond Criticism?
by Hendrik H. Hanegraaff, Viewpoint, Christian Research Journal,
Fall 1991 "During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ exhorted His
followers not to judge self-righteously or hypocritically. Is
this necessarily what Christians do when they question the
teachings of God's 'anointed' preachers and evangelists? Many
teachers who claim such anointing would say so, and many more of
their followers commonly reply to all manner of criticism: 'Touch not God's
anointed.'"
(23) Beyond
The
Limits by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times
Newsletter, 1999 "Recently a number of Christians have claimed that the Holy
Spirit is falling upon people and causing them to do strange and
unusual things. Although Bible-believing Christians readily
acknowledge the miracle-working power of a supernatural God, the
question is: Can such bizarre and grotesque displays actually be
the work of the Holy Spirit?"
(24) The
Crucified
Life by Jacob Prasch, 1999 "People do not readily believe any more; they have seen too
much hypocrisy and falsehood. The one thing that can still
convince unbelievers of the truth of the gospel is a crucified
life."
(25) The
Sea
Of Subjectivity by Jewel van der Merwe, Discernment
Ministries Newsletter, March/April 1999 "When we leave the parameters of the Word of God, we drift onto
The Sea of Subjectivity. In this Sea, spirituality becomes
relative to whatever new revelation or vision that comes forth."
(27) Judge
With
Righteous Judgment by Craig Branch, Watchman
Fellowship,1995 "A very discouraging and destructive trend has been growing in
the body of Christ. The world has formed people into its mold
rather than the minds and lives of people being transformed by
God's word. Too many Christians have adopted pragmatism or
substituted feelings and experience in place of the truth of
God's word."
(28) Biblical
Reasons
For Leaving A Fellowship by James R Buchan, Vanguard
Magazine, 1999 "In the area of doctrine, I feel the Biblical teaching is that
the Christian definitely needs to leave in situations where
foundational truth is incorrect or ignored. Staying where a
false gospel is preached will do us no good."
(30) "Touch
Not
the Lord's Anointed" - Is the Command for Today? by
Thomas Williamson, Th.M, Ph.D., 1997 "It is clear that to touch the Lord's anointed is to commit an
act of physical violence against the one anointed by God. It
does not refer to those who verbally attack and criticize a
preacher and his doctrine. Such verbal attacks may be quite wrong and sinful, and in some cases they may be
commendable and necessary (see Jesus criticizing the Pharisees
in Matthew 23, Paul criticizing Peter in Galatians 2:14-21, Paul
versus the Judaizers in Galatians 5:12, Philippians 3:2, etc.) but they are not covered by the
idea "Touch not the Lord's anointed." A Baptist
perspective.
(31) A
Desperate Need For Correction by Dave Hunt, 1998
"Correction is one of the most conspicuously absent yet
essential ministries in the church today. There are those who
seek to avoid cor-rection by hiding behind a misapplication of
Christ's words, "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Mt 7:1). It
is conveniently forgotten that these words were spoken by the
same One who warned the Jews to "judge righteous judgment' (Jn
7:24), told us to judge the fruit of prophets (Mt 7:16) and
promised His disciples that they would sit on thrones judging
Israel (Mt 19:28)."
(32) To
Judge Or Not To Judge: The Rights And Wrongs Of Biblical
Discernment by G. Richard Fisher, 1996 "Proper discernment is our privilege and right. The work is
worth the effort and the reward will be not only the favor and
blessing of God but our ability to truly enrich the lives of
others."
(34) Please
Contemplate
This by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call Newsletter,
03/00 "Have you ever found the biblical gospel in any of the classic or modern contemplative materials? Could there be any significance in the fact that this movement practically died out after the Reformation, only to be revived today! How does one discern whether or not the God being "heard" through the subjective, experiential mode of
communication is truly our Lord speaking�especially if the
authority and sufficiency of His Word is downplayed, even
rejected?"
(35) A
Critique of Experiencing God: A Biblical Analysis of the
Popular Book by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King
by Rev. Gil Rugh and the Pastoral Staff of Indian Hills Community
Church "In recent years, more than a million people have been
influenced by the popular book, Experiencing God, written
by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King. Many hold that this
book has finally given Christians the principles they need to
experience God as they never have before. But do the teachings
of this book accurately represent what the Bible says about
experiencing God, or are its teachings in serious error? To help
answer this question, Gil Rugh and the Pastoral Staff of Indian
Hills Community Church have written, A Critique of Experiencing
God: A Biblical Analysis of the Popular Book by Henry T.
Blackaby and Claude V. King. By pointing out many startling and
alarming statements within Experiencing God, this analytical
review shows how the teachings of Blackaby and King depart from
traditional Christianity in the areas of the nature of
Scripture, the person of Jesus Christ, and how Christians can
know God. " The above is a .pdf file. In all fairness
to this issue, I want to give a counterpoint here with an e-mail
I received from a pastor objecting to some of Rugh's arguments
against using "Experiencing God". It also includes a
response he received from Blackaby's organization that answers to
rumors that have been going around about Blackaby's alleged
involvement in the Third Wave movement.
(36) Warnings
Of
Deception In The Bible by Hughie Seaborn, 1999 "The Bible is replete with warnings as to what will take place
in Christendom during the 'end time' or the 'end of the age'. It speaks of a time of increasing deception and false
teaching as the enemy of our souls makes a last desperate bid to thwart the purposes of God. It describes the
types of people who will deceive, and be deceived. It also describes the types of doctrines that will be preached
and how those doctrines will be received by a great number of
professing Christians."
(37) Does
Romans 16:17 Demand Separation On the Basis Of Doctrine?
by David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service,
6/10/00 "There are two different interpretations of Romans 16:17-18
today. One understands it to be a warning about the sin of
divisiveness. The other understands it to be a warning about
those who teach false doctrine. Which is correct?"
(38) Should
Christians
Make Judgments? by Ed Vasicek, 6/00 "Sometimes the "L" word (label) is a good word. The "D" word
(discernment) is not only a good word, but is even a measurement
of spiritual maturity. Truth is meant to be put to work, and you
can't use it if you are afraid to get specific with it! Become a
person of discernment! Gullibility is for squares."
(39) Proving
All Things - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 by The Watchman
Expositor, Vol. 16, No. 1, 1999 "This scripture is arguably the most important passage in the
Bible for realizing the authority of the Bible in determining
doctrine and equipping Christians for salvation. Understanding
what this passage teaches, and the way in which some alternative
religions attempt to reinterpret the passage, is vital to all evangelical
encounters with members of new religions."
(40) Accountability:
The
Way To "Touch" God's Anointed by Clete Hux, The
Watchman Expositor, Vol. 10, No. 3, 1993 "Christians are to be accurate and balanced when giving
criticism. When a person or group that claims to be Christian
and yet seriously departs from the historical biblical doctrines
of orthodox Christianity, one cannot stand idly by in silence.
(Matt. 18:15-16). To not speak out would be dishonoring to God
and unloving, not only to Christians, but also to the
propagators of the error. When the Word of Faith (WOF)
movement's leaders, who through their own revelation knowledge,
bring extrabiblical doctrines into the church, one must be
prepared to respond correctly in accordance with God's revealed
will in scripture. Watchman Fellowship is not the first to call
attention to the unorthodox doctrines of the WOF movement,
sometimes known as the Positive Confession movement. Scores of
scholars for years have spoken out. Those include Dr. Walter
Martin, a charismatic theologian, and D. R. McConnell, also a
charismatic and author of the recent book, A Different Gospel.
Michael Horton, a well-known Christian author, has addressed the doctrinal issues in his book, The
Agony of Deceit, as well."
(41) Come
Ye
Out From Among Them by Charles Haddon Spurgeon,
Morning By Morning, June 27, pg. 181, Published 1984 "Come ye out from among them; be ye separate" (2 Corinthians
6:17).
(42) God
Never
Violates Our Freedom Of Choice by A.W. Tozer, Renewed
Day By Day, July 5 . . . And whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely. Revelation 22:17 The fact of our
creation as freewill beings goes to the heart of the false
revivals we see upon the church today. Would the Holy Spirit
force people to do things against their will? Uncontrollable
laughter, shaking and other purported Spirit induced phenomena,
when seen through the prism of freewill, become a moot
point. God does not force salvation or any other thing on
His creation. We are free to choose and are to be in our
right minds while making those choices at all times. This is
because there is a being that roams around like a lion seeking
whom he may devour. If anything eclipses our God given
freedom to choose, you can be sure that the source is not
God.
(43) The
Wisdom Of God In The Face Of Tribulation by Ed
Tarkowski, 7/00 "Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind
is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Seeing we are
going to live lives of trusting Him for all eternity, now would
be a good time to cooperate with the Holy Spirit's work in us to
to make us individuals who trust their God to the fullest. Thus,
God can turn tribulation to do us good in the end in spite of
what we will have to go through."
(44) The
Dangerous
Dake Bible available at Inner-City Christian
Discernment Ministry, 2000 "As a former member of the Pentecostal Church of God in Ann
Arbor, I became familiar with the Dake study Bible and I was
urged to save up my money to purchase one. It is in
1,000's of homes and Finis Dake's books have helped form the
beliefs of many Pentecostal and Charismatic teachers on the
scene today. Dake was called a great Bible Scholar by the
late Lester Sumrall and Benny Hinn has been known to use Dake
"insights" in some of his more outlandish teachings. I trust you
will benefit from this Real Audio tape. If you enjoy this
teaching (and I am sure you will) I urge you to visit the PFO
web site and order this cassette and their other fine
materials." Access the tape in RealPlayer format here.
(45) Is
It
Right To Judge? by Franklin G. Huling, M.A.,
8/00 "The question �Is it right to judge?� is one that puzzles many
sincere Christians. A careful and open-minded study of the Bible makes it clear that concerning certain vital
matters, it is not only right but a positive duty to judge. Many do not know that the Scripture commands us to
judge."
(46) A
Guide To Testing The Spirits by Tom Smith,
8/26/00 "This document was put together, as a guide to help in some
simple testing of these matters. This is by no means any
substitute for studying and becoming familiar with the
scriptures, but it is intended to be a guide for a new
Christian, or a quick summary or reminder for a Christian who has studied scripture for a number of years. I also do not
claim that what is in here is complete - it is only intended as
a guide."
(47) A
New Decalogue - Thou Shalt Not Disagree by A. W.
Tozer, Renewed Day By Day, June 25 "A new Decalogue has been adopted by the neo-Christians of our
day, the first word of which reads, "Thou shalt not disagree";
and a new set of Beatitudes too, which begins "Blessed are they
that tolerate everything, for they shall not be made accountable
for anything."
(48) Bible
Or
Babel? by Dr. David Allen, Vanguard Magazine, Issue
12, 8/00 "In just nine verses, at the beginning of Genesis chapter 11,
the inspired writer tells a story that stands as a warning for
all time � the story of the rise and fall of the Tower of Babel.
A literary tour de force and the inspiration of numerous
canvases, it is its message that chiefly concerns us today."
(49) How
Many
Gospels Are There? by Tony Pearce, Vanguard Magazine,
Issue 6 "Gnosticism dressed up as New Age presents no moral challenge
to repentance and faith as authentic Christianity does.
Therefore it can fit in well with the permissive immoral
lifestyle adopted by our age and ceaselessly propagated by the
mass media."
(50) Time
To Leave The Playpenby Andrew Gould, 10/00 "When
I hear the phrase �that was so unloving�, sometimes I want to
scream!"
(51) The
Call
To Discipleshipby Dave Hunt, The Berean Call
Newsletter, 11/00 "Christ didn't say, "Follow someone or some church claiming
they represent Me." He said, "Follow me ... Learn of me" (Jn
1:43; Mt 11:29). We go to His Word to learn of Him. Each of us
is expected to know it thoroughly. Yet many who think of
themselves as Christians scarcely study the Bible seriously,
expecting the pastor and Bible teachers to do that for them "
(52) Watchmen
Who
Are Not Watchmenby Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries,
1/01 "We need people who are bible based, and who operate valid
discernment ministries to alert the church and give
understanding to the many, as Daniel predicted by the Holy
Spirit would rise up."
(53) MOVING
THE GOALPOSTS - The Unfolding Tragedy of the New
Evangelicalismby Alan Morrison, Diakrisis,
2/00 "At one time there was just one orthodox, biblical view on a
number of issues which were part of the fundamentals of the
faith. These were generally agreed on, throughout the entire
evangelical constituency. But all that has gradually changed. We
have arrived at a situation now in which people who all profess
to be evangelicals can have a wide variety of opinions on what
were, at one time non-negotiable, essentially fundamental
matters. How have professing evangelicals got into this
situation? It has happened because people have "moved the
goalposts" -- changed the rules which determine what is truth
and what it isn't. In this 17,000 word article, based on two
lectures, we ask 1) In which areas have the goalposts been
moved? 2) What are the motives for moving them? 3)
Is there any action we can take to restore those goalposts to
their original situation?"
(54) TBN's
Bible Code - The Bible Code Or Babel Code?by
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason, 3/00 "This is all mysticism and Gnostic interpretations. It takes us
away from the clear interpretation and applicational teaching of
the Bible."
(55) "Judge
Rightly"
Is Not Some Guy's Name!by Bob Enyart Live, Inc.,
Copyright � 1997 - 2000 All Rights Reserved. "An absurd question has stymied the Church. Should Christians
judge? Of course believers should judge. To not judge is
to be indecent, not to mention inhuman. The only kingdom in
which there is no judging is the plant kingdom. For of living
things, vegetables do not judge. In the animal kingdom, though,
judgment is a must, and members of the Kingdom of God must do
the most judging. "
(55) The
New
Powerless Gospelby Sandy Simpson, Deception In The
Church, 4/19/01 "I have been challenged lately to think again about what the
Gospel message is all about. This has come as a result of
hearing what I consider to be, at the very least, "gospel lite"
and at the most no gospel at all being presented by a number of
neo-evangelicals, Third Wavers and outright heretics. The
interesting thing is that many seem to be preaching the same
message. What is most intriguing is that false
teachers like Benny Hinn, ecumenicals, and even some preachers I
would consider to be orthodox in their theology are preaching a
"gospel" that is very similar. The question is: Is this new
gospel message really the Gospel at all?"
(56) Biblical
New
Testament Prayersby Sandy Simpson, Deception In The
Church, 5/7/01 "With all the talk about "praying the Jabez prayer" making the
rounds in so many churches, I thought it was time to revisit a
short section I wrote in a booklet called "What
Should
I Say". It talked about biblical New Testament
prayers. These are prayers that the apostles and
Christians prayed. Since Christ and the apostles are our
foundation, we ought to be emulating what they prayed and not
some guy who prayed a prayer in the Old Testament that was never
meant to be a model prayer. If you are interested in a
model prayer then go to the Disciple's Prayer (most often called
the Lord's Prayer) in Matthew 6:9-13."
(57) The
Importance
Of Sound Doctrineby A.W. Tozer, The Best Of A.W.
Tozer, pg. 174-176, taken from Man, The Dwelling Place
Of God "It would be impossible to overemphasize the importance of
sound doctrine in the life of a Christian. Right thinking
about all spiritual matters is imperative if we would have right
living. As men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figs of
thistles, so sound character does not grow out of unsound
teaching."
(58) A
Cross-less Christianity, A Christless Christianityby
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 5/01 "All of Christianity begins and centers upon the person of
Jesus and his work on the cross. It was Paul who said the
cross was everything to him. He had a greater education,
knowledge, and revelation than any other apostle, even of those
who knew Jesus personally in the flesh, having been called
before him. Yet all he wanted to know was summed up in one
saying, �Jesus Christ and him crucified."
(59) Pragmatism
Goes
To Churchby A.W. Tozer, "God Tells The Man Who
Cares", from The Best Of A.W. Tozer, 1980, pgs.
254-256 "...this philosophy of pragmatism has had and is having a
powerful influence upon Christianity in the middle years of this
century."
(60) Naming
Names:
A Biblical Approachby Kevin Reeves, 2/02 "In these last days the proliferation of false teachings
assaulting both the Church and Scriptural integrity requires a
closer look at how those promoting such doctrines should be
dealt with. While no one with a genuine desire to follow Christ
should eagerly want to accuse another of error in ministry, the
prophets of the Old Testament, our Lord Jesus Himself, and the
apostles make it clear that many will come in the name of the
Lord who profess to follow Him, yet by their teachings actually
deny or present a different image of God than what is
demonstrated in the Scriptures."
(61) Bible
Studiesat Biblical Studies Foundation
Excellent resource for all kinds of Bible studies all the way from
the ABC's
For Christian Growth to studies on Bible characters,
theology and many other areas for Christian growth.
(62) Servant
Authorityby Sandy Simpson, 10/99 "The church does not have the same system as the world. No
lords, no kings, no dictators. Our only King, Lord and Master is
Jesus Christ. The rest of us are servants -- slaves."
(63)
Mistake
Or
Sin?by Sandy Simpson, 3/13/02 "Words have meanings. Third Wave false teachers are
currently in the process of redefining both the English language
and the truths of God's Word, and calling it "new revelation"
and a "paradigm shift". Let's all be careful that we don't
take a paradigm shift into foolishness and accept new revelation
that drags us further into sin."
(64)There
Is
A Finality In The Biblical Revelationby A.W. Tozer,
Renewed Day By Day Vol. 1, April 16 "Whoever, for whatever reason, denies the finality of the
biblical revelation and insists upon a continuing revelation
having the same authority as the sacred Scriptures has shut
himself out from the name of Christian! He is simply not a
Christian in the scriptural and historic meaning of the
word."
(65) The
Biblical
Basis Of Divisionby Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries,
2002 "There are cases where biblically we must divide. The Holy
Spirit is the spirit of truth, not of error, and He is the
spirit of holiness, not immorality. And where apostasy, with its
twin pillars of heresy and immorality is found, God�s true
people will not be found. There are cases where divisions are
permissible (howbeit not necessarily desirable), but we must
exercise the greatest caution not to equate personal differences with doctrinal differences or attempt to ascribe a
biblical motive for something where none exists."
(66)
How
To
Discern, Test & Judge Rightlyby Sandy Simpson,
7/30/02 Let me start this
article by telling you what methods are being used for
"discernment" today that have no biblical support, then I
will move on to the ways in which the Bible does tell us to
test teaching, prophesy and actions.
(68) Anti-spirits
&
False Teachingby Shirley Ann Miller, From the book,
"Anti-Spirits and False Teaching" and Lampholder Ezine series on
"Mind Control ", Lampholder Publications, 2002 Remember: Always investigate the source and test the spirits
"...to see whether they are of God...(1 John 4:1).
(69) Strange
Fire
& False Anointing - How To Protect Yourself From
Wolves by Jeanette Haley, Gentle Shepherd
Ministries, 8/02 Finally, ask the Lord to give you a love for the truth. Ask Him
to give you a fixed heart. And pray you never, ever fall prey to
any kind of delusion.
(70) THE
TEACHING
OF THE LORD TO THE GENTILES BY THE TWELVE APOSTLES (also
known as DIDACHE) Translated by J.B. Lightfoot,
Adapt. and mod. (c) 1990, ATHENA DATA PRODUCTS
This is not Scripture, but is a historical document on the
teachings of the twelve apostles. Noitce that apparently
they had "televangelists" in the first and second centuries who
plied people for money. Pay attention to what is said about
false prophets, especially the following: "And whosoever shall
say in the Spirit, Give me silver or anything else, ye shall not
listen to him; but if he tell you to give on behalf of others
that are in want, let no man judge him." Obviously we are
to test false prophets, but if they are found to be true then we
don't judge them. This does not mean that we do not test,
discern and judge all prophesy according to the Scriptures as the
Bereans tested Paul, but it means that we must accept true
prophesy and stay away from false prophets who ask for money and
lie in the name of the Lord."
(71) Exposing
Doctrinal
Errors: Heresy Hunting or Biblical Mandate? at Truth
Watch New Zealand, originally produced by the Christian Research
Institute (CRI) We would, therefore, do well to heed Scripture�s explicit
warnings to be on guard for false teachings (Romans 16:17-18; 1
Timothy 1:3-4; 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:13-14; Titus 1:9; 2:1), and to
point them out to brothers and sisters in Christ (2 Timothy
4:6).
(72) How
To Recognize A Good Church by Mike Lloyd, based on a
study by Richard W. De Haan, Truth Watch New Zealand Within the Christian community there is a wide divergence of
opinion, division, and even fierce competition among the
different groups. Subsequently, many believers are confused
about which church is the right one to belong to and which
church being closest to the truth is therefore worthy of their
support.
(73) Don't
Touch
the Lord's Anointed! by Chris Good, Truth Watch New
Zealand, 10/02 "Don't touch the Lord's anointed" is a common cry levelled
against people who are trying to uphold Scripture by testing
their leaders' teaching and practice against the Word. However,
if this is a valid defence - why do we never see the Apostle or
other leaders of the New Testament churches resorting to this
argument? Is it possible that this phrase is being misused to
justify an authoritarian leadership?
(74)Blasphemy
against
the Holy Spirit? by Chris Good, Truth Watch New
Zealand, 10/02 A common criticism levelled against those
who seek to test modern claims to prophecy, miracles and
healings by God's Word is that we are in danger of
'blaspheming against the Holy Spirit'. This is a very serious
charge, which (if true) would mean that such people cannot be
saved! Indeed, many are so intimidated by this charge that
they bury any doubts, relying on the claimant's
self-proclamation for proof of the validity of the claims,
rather than testing it by the Word.
(75) Do
not judge, lest you be judged! by Chris Good, Truth
Watch New Zealand, 10/02 There are a lot of accusations going
around in Christian circles about people "judging" other
people and not being "tolerant". Often the passage above
(Matt. 7:1-3) is cited to support those bringing new teachings
and practices into the church. Indeed, in our post-modern age
- the greatest sin is "intolerance" and it seems this is also
increasingly the case in many churches. Anyone who wants to
critique something is instantly dismissed as 'judgemental' (so
much for tolerance then!).
(76) What
Is The True Gospel? by Al Dagar, Media Spotlight
Ministries When Jesus came He proclaimed what He called the Gospel of the
Kingdom. The English word �gospel� means �good news.� It derives
from the Greek euangelion (Eng., �evangel�). In the Bible the
Gospel is the �good news� of the Kingdom of God and of salvation
to eternal life, received by faith in Jesus Christ on the basis
of His expiatory death, His burial, resurrection, ascension and
coming again.
(77) Apologetics
And
The Dying Of Reason by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us
Reason Ministries, 12/02 What is it and how do we incorporate it in our lives.
(78) Discernment
by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 12/02 The watchman ministry inside the church and the importance of
discernment in the times we live in.
(79) Watchmen
Arise by Steve Mitchell, Answers For India,
12/02 An article that will encourage those who pursue the rejected
spiritual practice of discernment.
(81) Cheap
Grace
vs. The Pearl Of Great Price - An Expose Of Easy-Believismby
Alan P. Medinger and Regeneration, In Plain Site, 1995 Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring
repentance, baptism without discipline, communion without
confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace
is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace
without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. - Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
(82) Those
Who
Are Born Again by the Holy Spirit Continue In The Faith -- The
Easy-Believism "Converts" Do Notby Brother
Robinson, Santa Clarita Bible Baptist There is a heresy that is being taught that says a person may
"get saved," live a Christian life for a certain length of time,
and then "get lost" again. Others teach that a person may
"get saved" and live a Christian life for a time and then go
back to his old ways. He goes back to sins and cannot be
distinguished from a lost person. This school of thought
affirms that such a person will still go to heaven when he dies
because he is still saved (even though "carnal"). Let us
look at the Scriptures which make it very clear what the truth
is concerning this matter of salvation.
(83) What
Constitutes
"Saving
Faith"?by Sandy Simpson, 1/30/03 There are many who claim to be saved today. Ultimately
only God knows who is saved (eternal security) and we can have
assurance of salvation through a commitment to holding on to
faith (conditional security). But what constitutes a saving
faith?
(85) Beware
The
Counsel Of Gamaliel!by Dr.
Peter Masters: SWORD & TROWELL, The Metropolitan Tabernacle,
Issue: 1995, No. 3. Fellow believers--be warned and beware of the counsel of
Gamaliel!
(86) The
Lord's
Prayer, Our Prayerby Sandy
Simpson, 2000 But this prayer is
more than an outline. It is not some thing we are to
repeat mindlessly to get what we want from God. It is
a prayer that should be at the very heart of our faith in
the Lord. We show our complete worship and submission
to our Father. We ask Him to meet our needs. We
don't just expect Him to forgive us but we also forgive
others. We ask Him to protect and deliver us from the
evil one. We are completely dependant on Him for
everything.
(86) The
Blessed
Three-in-One: The Christian Doctrine of the Trinity Proven
from Scriptureby Alan
Morrison, 2003 The doctrine
concerning the Trinitarian nature of God is probably one of
the most misunderstood teachings of the Christian faith.
This is hardly surprising. Firstly, the doctrine is rarely
preached on and therefore there is a great deal of ignorance
about it. Secondly, because of its seeming complexity and
difficulty to be adequately comprehended, people assume it
must be an invented teaching with no biblical references.
Thirdly, because it is such a vital teaching � the very
heart and revelation of true divinity and deity � it is
especially vulnerable to attack. In this brief paper, it is
not our purpose to concentrate on the historical
controversies. There is a great deal of theological and
historical literature already devoted to this. Our main
concern here is to redress the rejection of Trinitarian
teaching by many sincere Christians.
(87) Tares
(Darnel) by Ed Tarkowski, STAND & COMFORT
Newsletter, #44 (Vol 3 No 11) Some are obviously darnel, while with others, it takes time to
make the distinction. This I know for sure: the One who planted
the good seed which bears fruit will come back to harvest His
wheat, and not one grain of darnel will be found in the barn.
(88) The
Role
Of Women In The Church by Sandy Simpson,
7/03 If men were exercising true biblical authority over their
daughters and wives in love, the debate over the role of women
in the Church would not be such an issue. If women today were
submissive to their husbands, we would not have many of the
problems we have today in the Church.
(89) Admit,
Commit
& Submit by Sandy Simpson, 7/03
A study in the difference between the biblical Gospel and what is
being preached in many churches today.
(90) Thou
Shalt
Not Judge? by Paul Proctor, 7/25/03 �Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an
enemy are deceitful.� - Proverbs 27:6
(91) Exposing
Error:
Is It Worthwhile? by Harry A. Ironside
Exposing error is most unpopular work. But from every true
standpoint it is worthwhile work
(92) Why
Halfway
Christianity Will Not Work by Dean &
Laura VanDruff, Acts 17:11 God likes the Gospel. It is one of His favorite things, His
favorite melody, His overarching theme, what He thinks is really
cool. It is nonsense to carnal men, but the very power of God to
those who are being saved. It is oft fussed over in theory, like
the tombs of the prophets decorated by the "Sons of Satan" in
Jesus' day, but rarely tried. Will you, really? It works.
(93) Measuring
The Mixture by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp,
The Plumbline, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2003 The Gospel is the
core of the Church's message; the Church is to proclaim the
true, pure Gospel recipe with no additives, no deletions, no
distortion, no reversal. Each individual Christian
(together, the Church) must "measure the mixture." That
means each Christian must know the Gospel--know it well
enough to realize when something is not right. Even if
it is unpopular and viewed as arrogant presumption, we must
post the warning signs of clear biblical teaching. We
must, in loving and humble obedience to Christ, always be
measuring the mixture!
(94)For
The TRUTH by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 9/03 How important is the truth in a time of deception?
(95) Are
You Tithing? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 9/03 What does the New Testament REALLY teach on the tithe and
money.
(96) God
Would
Save Us From Spiritual Delusion by A.W. Tozer,
Renewed Day By Day, September 23 THERE ARE AREAS OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT�and because of thought
then also of life, where likenesses and differences are so
difficult to distinguish that we are often hard put to escape
complete deception!
(97) The
Truth And Nothing But The Truth by Mike Oppenheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 9/03 Truth is a rare commodity these days. In a world filled with
opinions, lies and deceit, the truth is often overlooked and
ignored. Relative truth has become a fixation in our society and
it is no different for those seeking to be religious or
spiritual; it has become their friend.
(98) Use
And
Misuse Of Scripture by Gary Gilley,
9/03 Those who desire God�s approval must handle accurately, or
literally, �cut straight,� the word of truth. They
diligently study the Bible in order to interpret it correctly
and then apply it properly.
(99) God
Doesn't
Want Your Sacrifices - He Wants Your Obedience!
by Sandy Simpson, 2/9/04 1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight
in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the
voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed
is better than the fat of rams.
(100) The
Vanishing
Gospel by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call
Newlsetter, 2/04 And to attract those thus corrupted, many of the largest and
fastest-growing churches mimic the world in "seeker-friendly"
and "youth-oriented" services that exploit sensuality and
compromise the truth.
(101) Sixteen
Facts
Everyone Should Know About Israel by Jacob
Prasch, Moriel Ministries, 2004 If you are a Christian you need to stand by Israel, and support
Israel as much as possible. God's ancient promise in Genesis
12:3 is still very much in effect: "I will bless those who bless
you, and the one who curses you I will curse." And God, speaking
to Israel, promises, "Behold, all those who are angered at you
will be shamed and dishonoured; those who contend with you will
be as nothing and will perish. You will seek those who quarrel
with you, but will not find them, those who war with you will be
as nothing and non-existent " (Isaiah 41:11-12).
(102) Tithing
by Chris De Wet, Moriel Ministries, 2004 There is a lot of confusion taking place with regard to Bible
doctrines today. One of the topics, is the question on tithing.
Where did it originate and what does it mean today? Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(103) Let's
Take
A Look At The "Judge Not" Argument For A Moment!by
Sandy Simpson, 6/3/04 It's very interesting to me how Christians are quick, these
days, to pull out the old "judge not lest you be judged" excuse
when they are angry at you for warning people away from their
favorite false teachers and false prophets by name. They
come down on those who test the spirits (1 Jn. 4:1), discern
truth from error (Phil. 1:9-11, Prov. 3:21) and judge rightly
(Jn. 7:24) when those are ways in which God has told us we ARE
to judge. They use the "judge not" ploy to make themselves
look like they are holier-than-thou and above the fray, and in
so doing they are already in violation of Matt. 7:1 because they
are judging those they say are being judgmental
hypocritically. But think about the ways in which we all
tend to judge in a whole variety of unbiblical ways every day.
(104) The
Overseer
- A Study In Titus 1:6-11by Sandy Simpson,
6/25/04 There once was a shepherd who loved his flock of sheep.
He fed them and watered them. He bathed them and tended to
their hurts. The only trouble is he did not build a
protected fence around their home. He had a habit of going
to sleep at night leaving no one to guard them. They had
always been safe in the past, but one night wolves came.
In the morning when he woke up many of the sheep were missing or
dead. That day he built a fence and made sure there was
always someone there to guard the sheep at night.
(105) Building
Up
The Bodyby Gary Gilley, Think On The Things, July
2004 One of the most insightful of recent books concerning the
church is actually written by an unbeliever. Alan Wolfe, a
social scientist, has been observing the changing American
religious scene for years. Last year he shared his
research in The Transformation of American Religion. The
message of his book is that �religion in the United States is
being transformed in radically new directions.� [1]
Wolfe claims, �Talk of Hell, damnation, and even sin has been
replaced by a nonjudgmental language of understanding and
empathy. Gone are the arguments over doctrine and theology�.
More Americans than ever proclaim themselves born again in
Christ, but the Lord to whom they turn rarely gets angry and
frequently strengthens self-esteem. [As a result] the
faithful in the United States are remarkably like everyone
else.� [2]
(106) Losing My
Discernmentby Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 8/31/04 A new song the church is singing.
(107) The
Diminishing Message Of The Crossby Mike Oppenheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 8/31/04 Welcome to a new era of rock stars, movie stars and their
producers.
(108) Seeds,
Soil
& Fruitby Sandy Simpson, 9/19/04 Some seeds have been genetically altered. Something has
been added to the seed to produce a certain result. What
has been added is indoctrination, brainwashing, diaprax, false
prophecy, false apostolic edicts, false anointings. These
additives produce seeds that will, in turn, grow bad trees,
producing bad fruit, which in turn produce more bad seeds as the
process renews itself over and over again.
(113) The
End
Of The World by Bill Randles, Believers In Grace
Ministries, 11/04
A meditation on Isaiah 24 by Pastor Bill Randles. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(114) Paul's
Mars Hill Approach by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 12/1/04
What did Paul actually do to
proclaim the gospel on Mars Hill?
(115) Love
for
an Offensive Gospel by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, November 2004 - Volume 10, Issue 11 What would provoke an evangelical, evangelistic-minded church
to so alter the gospel message as to gut it of, as Carson says,
�its historical and biblical sense?� Almost certainly
their motivation is a noble one � the desire to see people get
saved. But they fear that very few will respond to a
gospel which calls sin �sin� and identifies unbelievers as
ungodly, rebellious enemies of God.
(116) The
Duties
Of Christian Leadership by Sandy Simpson,
1/12/05 Christians, and especially Christian leadership, are called to
be salt and light in a dark world.
(117) Getting
Glory
for God�or for Ourselves? by A.W. Tozer, Renewed Day
By Day, January 22 I THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO BE MATURE enough to confess that many
have been converted to Christ and have come into the church
without wrestling with that basic human desire for honor and
praise. As a result, some have actually spent a lifetime in
religious work doing little more than getting glory for
themselves!
(118) True
Vine,
True Fruit -- False Vine, False Fruit by Sandy
Simpson, 2/2/05 There is one true Vine, that is Jesus Christ. Those
attached to this Vine, who have a connected relationship to the
Vine through obedience, will be branches that bear true fruit.
At the core of maturity in Christ is the issue
of training to be able to distinguish between good and evil,
right and wrong. But in today�s churches this issue has not only
been downplayed, but actually swept aside.
Those who are mature in Christ are those
who are reaching unity in the Faith and in the knowledge of
the Son of God. Those who are not mature strive for
ecumenical or interfaith unity thinking that they are
growing in the Lord, and it is usually a point of pride to
them. But they have mistaken what Paul was talking about.
Unity in the Faith is talking about coming to a common
understanding and practice of the core truths of the Faith
as taught to us in the Bible through Jesus Christ and the
Apostles.
The reign of King Asa, God�s warning to
good men. God�s warning to good women. God�s warning to
all of us, but especially God�s warning to good leaders
and to good pastors.
In many churches around the world the concept
of "worship" has been redefined and narrowed to mean the time
when Christians come together to sing songs, raise their
hands, dance around, and get all excited about the Lord
together in church. For most of the younger
postmodernist relativistic generation the concept of "worship"
has become a thing you do once or twice a week to absolve
yourself of guilt. The more you can work yourself into a
state of bliss in feeling like you are really achieving a
state of "worship" by letting yourself go in the music and
rhythm of the "worship" time, the more you can justify what
you are doing the rest of the week when you are not
"worshipping" God. This "worship" then becomes an excuse
and justification process whereby Christians can rid
themselves of the guilt of not obeying the Lord in their
lives. This is not to say that true worship is not done
in the time now called "worship". It can be a time of
worship, but worship without obedience is no worship at
all.
Anointed expository preaching is
absolutely necessary if the church is to experience true
revival, Stephen Olford recently said at The Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary.
I'm going to warn you now. I am
going to let you in on some information tonight that
is going to radically change your world view.
You are likely going to experience the beginnings of a
reverse paradigm shift and after tonight there will be
no way to go back the way you came. You will be
faced with choices that you may never have known you
had. You will be faced with a new way of looking
at things that is going to cause you to rethink
everything that is being taught in the Emerging Latter
Rain churches. It is going to be radical because
the basis for this message doesn't come from Jesus
Christ visiting my room last night bodily, but from
His holy written Word. So buckle down your seat
belts, you're likely in for a bumpy ride!
Should biblical Christian
churches be Christ-centered
(Christocentric)? Should the doctrines of
the Father (Patriology) and the Holy Spirit
(Pnematology) also be equally emphasized?
Can a church be Patriocentric or Pnemacentric and
be biblical?
(127) Have
You Been Saved by the Gospel? by
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 4/26/05 Do you really understand the
gospel of grace or have we come another way to Christ?
(128) A
Departure from Sound Doctrine by
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 4/27/05 What the church is now facing
in epidemic proportions.
(131) The
Disappearing Doctrine Of The Evangelical Church by Mike Gendron, Proclaiming The
Gospel Ministries, 9/16/05 This newsletter is often used
to correct the false doctrines of the Roman Catholic
Church but in this issue we will address the disappearing
doctrine of the Evangelical Church. Many professing
Christians now think it doesn't really matter what you
believe, as long as you label it Christianity. Their only
test for becoming a Christian is a simple acceptance of
Jesus as a historical figure. In our post-modern church,
doctrine is out and tolerance is in. We are told that for
the sake of unity, doctrine should not be tested or
contested. We are not supposed to draw any definitive
lines or declare any absolutes. Doctrinal and moral issues
which were once painted black and white, are now seen as
gray. The state of the church is now in a state of
confusion.
(132) Philippians
Study by Sandy
Simpson, 10/01/05
Ten study series on the book of
Philippians!
(133) Explain
Or
Explain Away?by Sandy
Simpson, 10/25/05 A proper balance of Biblical teaching, as demonstrated by
the Apostles, is to both explain God's Word (good
hermeneutics, exegesis) and to explain away false
teachings of any particular passage (polemics and/or
apologetics).
(134) Men
With No Reputation On Earth by Mike Oppenheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 12/16/05 Those whom God recognizes are doing His work.
(136)The
Necessity
of Separation from Heresyby Jewel Grewe,
Discernment Ministries, Discernment Newsletter, Volume 17,
Number 1, January/February 2006 This neo-evangelical �repudiation of separation,� and its
resultant seduction into heresy, is indicative of the
condition of the Church in the last days. Jude 18 warns that
there will be mockers in the last time who should walk after
their own ungodly lusts. Paul prepared Timothy for the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Tim.
3-4). The sinful nature of man wants to justify sin, even to
the extent of finding false teachers to teach ear-tickling
fables. 1 Peter 1:13 advises believers to gird up the loins
of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace
that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Peter further admonishes that the end of all things
is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer
(vs. 4:7).
(137)Earnestly
Contendby Dave Hunt, The Berean Call,
01/04/06 Hundreds of fulfilled prophecies prove God�s existence,
that the Bible is His inerrant Word, the Jews His chosen
people, and Jesus of Nazareth the promised Messiah who died
for our sins, has resurrected, and is coming again. Yet
prophecy is neglected by most Christian preachers and
writers. No wonder that the �last-days� apostasy warned of
in God�s Word is now upon us with a vengeance!
(138)How
to
Avoid Heresy by Discernment Research Group,
Herescope, 01/05/06 Neo-evangelicalism relies upon marketing strategies to
spread its leaven. For over a century American consumers
have been trained by advertising to buy anything new � a new
detergent, a new vacuum cleaner, a new style of dress, a new
car, a new computer. In the same way, New Evangelicalism has
advertised all of its doctrines, methods and teachings as
�new.� There is therefore a very simple, easy way to avoid
the heresies of neo-evangelicalism.
(139)Is
It Right:To Judge, To Expose Error & To Call Names?
by Pastor E. L. Bynum, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Lubbock,
Texas, 1/06 Many today believe that it is wrong to expose error and to
name names. Liberals have always seemed to believe this, but
in recent times it has been widely espoused by evangelicals
and charismatics. Now we are seeing the same fatal error
being declared by those who profess to be Bible believing
fundamentalists. Those who are faithful in exposing error
according to the Bible are now being widely denounced, and
are accused of being unloving and unkind. We intend here to
present the teaching of the Bible on this vital
subject.
(140)Deviant
Worship by Mark Minnick, Frontline, March/April
1997, Vol 7 N 2 This is the age of the "designer church," the "fellowship
community," the "family worship center." But is all that
calls itself "worship" acceptable to God? What is the
benchmark of true worship? Is it sincerity? A positive
experience? A good feeling? A full auditorium? Or is there
an objective standard by which we can measure what pleases
God in this regard?
(141)Pastors
Who Compromise Their Call by Steve Cornell, Senior
Pastor, Millersville Bible Church, 2/06 Scripture speaks with clarity and directness about sin and
salvation; godliness and ungodliness; heaven and hell. You
are welcome to reject such teaching or to try to make it a
matter of personal interpretation, but one day you will
answer to God for offering a revision of His truth. There is
a great need today for pastors who refuse to compromise
their call to speak the truth in love.
(142)Satan's
Six
Strategic Assaults on the Christian Faith by Mike
Gendron, Proclaiming the Gospel, Jan/Feb 2006 Some evangelical leaders have been joyfully announcing
there is a great spiritual revival taking place in our
country. However, a closer and more discern�ing look reveals
there is a countless mfiltra�tion of deceivers masquerading
as messen�gers of Christ who are counterfeiting the
Christian faith. �And no wonder, for even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light.� (2 Cor. 11:14). These legions
of liars are all part of Satan�s insidious assault on the
only true faith. Satan�s ultimate goal is to thwart God�s
harvest of lost souls by holding them captive with his fatal
lies. His relentless at�tacks are strategically aimed at six
targets: The Supremacy of God�s Word, The Sufficiency of
God�s Son, The Singularity of God�s Gospel, The Sovereignty
of God�s Grace, The Security of God�s Children, The Sanctity
of God�s Church
(143)The
Trinity tract produced by Calvary Chapel,
2006
The doctrine of the Trinity explained in simple terms. A
good tract to give out on the subject. For a more detailed
explanation of this doctrine, read The Five Basic Doctrines here.
(144)The
Prayer
Of Faith by Derald Skinner, Calvary Chapel,
2006 The prayer of faith is answered because God has promised to
answer our requests when we start (the following).
(145)�Touch
Not
The Lord�s Anointed?� � Give Me A Break!!by
Michael C. Gaudiosi - The Berean Radio Network, THE NOBLE
BEREAN: Volume Seven March 2006 IN DEFENSE OF THE TBN ELITE I recently received an e-mail
from a very angry person. What did I do to set off their
anger? What did I say? Well, My guess is because it was due
to one of my previous newsletters in regards to TBN. That�s
right! I had the complete audacity to dare speak against the
great spiritual giant TBN! I would like to share this e-mail
with you and give my reply in this newsletter, considering
the fact that this person did not want a reply from me (as
you will see at the end of the e-mail). So hold on to your
hats, here we go!
(146)From
Traitor
to Hero? Responding to the "Gospel of Judas"by
Albert Mohler, Friday, April 07, 2006 Informed Christians will be watchful and aware when
confronting churches or institutions that present spurious
writings, rejected as heretical by the early church, on the
same plane as the New Testament. The verdict of
Athanasius, one of the greatest leaders of the early church,
still stands: "Let no man add to these, neither let him take
ought from these, for concerning these the Lord put to shame
the Sadducees, and said, 'Ye do err, not knowing the
Scriptures.' And He reproved the Jews, saying, 'Search the
Scriptures, for these are they that testify of Me.'"
(147) Do
you Love or Hate the truth? by Mike Oppeneheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 5/20/06 Where do you stand on what is taking place?
(148) Holding
Pastors
Accountable by Steve Camp, 6/06 Though elder-rule is a good biblical concept, the term can
be misleading and doesn't accurately represent the
Scriptural heart of biblical leadership. Rule too many times
suggests unquestioned authority, religious despotism, or
spiritual heavy-handedness. However, the office and title of
elder is quite different; it is one of
servant-leadership.
(149) The
Current
Downgrade in the Doctrine of the Atonement by
David H. Linden, Action International Ministries, 6/06 The gospel is fading in our consciousness and
understanding. It is ordinary and commonplace. It is our
assumed treasure (we would all sat that!) but it is still
the object of our neglect. When I say the gospel slipping,
Hebrews corrects me to state the issue more sharply, that it
is we who are slipping not the gospel. The gospel is the
dock to which we must be tied. The dock is not floating away
from us; we are drifting away from it. There is only one
place to drift when we stray from the sacrifice of Christ,
and that is into hell itself. Such is the warning of
Hebrews. We are presented with this great salvation that
must not be ignored, as in Hebrews 2, OR it is the consuming
fire when the Lord will judge His people, as in Hebrews 10.
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God, Hebrews 10:31. Yet the gospel is that Christ by the
grace of God fell into the hands of God for us. On the cross
He faced the consuming fire our sins earned for Him.
(150) Imputation
by Warren Doud, Grace Notes, 6/06 Imputation is a wonderful principle of the Plan of God, and
you have been involved with imputation since the day you
were saved.
(151) Discernment
in
an Age of Deception - Defining the Believer's Biblical
Call to Judge by Bob DeWaay, Critical Issues
Commentary, Issue 94 - May / June 2006 Many times, after publishing an article that disputes the
claims of someone's published work, I am asked if I had
talked to the person privately. There are those who claim
that debating ideas in the public arena should not happen
unless there was a prior Matthew 18 process of adjudication.
It is my position that Matthew 18 does not apply to the
public interaction of theological ideas. In this paper, I
shall examine various New Testament passages that explain
what we must and must not judge.
(152) Scriptures
For
Our Times by Berit Kjos, Kjos Ministries,
7/06 God's people have always tended to drift toward earth-based
religions (various blends of pantheism, polytheism and
monism) whenever apathy dimmed their desire for Biblical
truth. But never before have occult beliefs and practices
been promoted as shrewdly as today--nor have God's people
been more ignorant of their dangers or more vulnerable to
their lures. As deception spreads, let us heed God's Old
Testament warnings as well as His New Testament prophecies.
(153) Today's
Christianity:
Let Us Entertain You! by Michael C. Gaudiosi - The
Berean Radio Network, THE NOBLE BEREAN: Volume Eleven - July
2006 There is no mention in the New Testament that Jesus or the
apostles ever tried to make the Gospel appealing to the
masses by entertainment, or to make it a more positive,
feel-good message. They never used gimmicks, games or free
giveaways. If you want to see a great example in the Bible
of how people reacted to Jesus� preaching, read John chapter
six. He lost a lot of so-called �followers� because they
considered His preaching of the truth as a �hard saying�
which was not positive, or what they wanted to hear! Jesus
was not concerned about offending people or if His numbers
would drop (which of course they did!).
(154) Another
Perspective
For Your Consideration by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 8/2/06 In this piece I�m going to present a brief synopsis of a
point of view that has become all too common in the
evangelical community today concerning those of us in the
field of discernment being critical of another�s
ministry.
(155) Redefining
Jesus? by Chris Lawson, Spiritual Research
Network, Newsletter, August 2006 More than any other time in history, the world today is
filled with false ideas and concepts of who Jesus Christ
really is. What Paul the Apostle called �another Jesus,
another spirit, and another gospel� is plaguing the world
with full force as people on all six continents and every
walk of life have �redefined Jesus�.
(156) Quoting
Heretics:
The New Trend for Christian Authors by Ingrid
Schlueter, Slice of Laodicea, 8/3/06 Either these people do not read the material they quote,
which is absurd, or they don't care that they are quoting
someone who long ago left the Christian faith of the Bible.
When cardinal doctrinal issues are at stake, I do not ever
want to favorably quote someone to make a point. What about
those who like the quotes Dr. Jeremiah uses from Sue Monk
Kidd in his book, Life Wide Open and who decide to pick up
her book, Dance of the Dissident Daughter, where Kidd
details her journey from being a Baptist Sunday School
teacher to a proponent of goddess spirituality and
pantheism? Does he have no responsibility for whom he
quotes? The answer to that is yes. We all do.
(157) Modern
Macabees by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 8/21/06 Those who defend the temple and rescue people.
(158) The
Rot
of Religion...the idolatry of self-love by Steve
Camp, 8/28/06 Self has always been the most destructive and dominating
plague to hinder true Christianity. Self-love
(self-righteous pride) is the cancer of the church and
sadly, much the hallmark of modern faith. An unfortunate
example of this would be Robert Shuller's toxic tome,
"Self...The New Reformation" which represents much of this
move away from biblical Christianity (towards the focus on
self) and, therefore, away from the worship and glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ and sacrifical service to others. The two
great commandments of "Love the Lord Thy God" and "love thy
neighbor..." has now been eclipsed with this third
hell-inspired commandment: "love thyself."
(159) The
Prophetic
Calling of Every Believer by Bob DeWaay, Critical
Issues Commentary, Issue #95, July/August 2006 We need to return prophecy to the members of the church.
Every member of the congregation, whether in a position of
leadership or not, has access to the authoritative
Scriptures and may bring forth valid implications and
applications from them. Together, as we prophesy, we benefit
from edification, exhortation, and comfort. The lost are
convicted of their sins while the saved grow in the grace
and knowledge of the Lord.
(160) God
of
Jacob, God of Israel - Part I by Dave Hunt, The
Berean Call Newsletter, 8/06 - See also God
of Jacob, God of Israel - Part II "Has The Church Replaced
Israel?" If �everlasting,� concerning Israel, doesn�t mean
everlasting, then how can we trust the promise in John 3:16
of everlasting life to those who believe on Christ? The God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel, is the only
true God. The Messiah promised to Israel by Jewish prophets
of God came 2,000 years ago. He is the Savior of all who
believe on Him as the one who, in fulfillment of what the
Hebrew prophets foretold, died for the sins of the world,
rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father�s right hand.
He is coming in power and glory to punish the world for its
abuse of His people Israel and to rule the world from
David�s throne in Jerusalem. Let us stand firm on the truth
of Scripture and preach the true gospel of God, to the Jew
first, then to the Gentile.
(162) Trying
The
Spirits by J.C. Phipot, Preached at Zoar Chapel,
Great Alie Street, London, on Thursday evening, August 1,
1844 There are two evils in the human heart, which, when
thoroughly ripened and brought to a head, become, the one,
gross superstition, and the other open infidelity;
superstition crediting everything, however false; infidelity
believing nothing, however true. These two opposite evils,
being closely bound up in the heart of every man by nature,
assume various shapes and gradations in different persons;
and do not, in every individual, reach the same height, or
attain to the same development. And, indeed, one of these
evils will be usually more marked in some individuals than
the other; the bias of some being more to superstition, and
the bias of others, more to infidelity. Generally speaking,
the weaker the mind, the more superstition preponderates;
and the stronger the mind, the more docs infidelity prevail.
(163) The
New Testament Gospel Without Paul by Mike
Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Minsitries, 9/06 There is a movement today (mainly coming from the sacred
name camp and law keepers) telling us that God did not
choose Paul, and that his gospel is false. The reason they
have arrived at this conclusion is because they are mostly
law keepers who do not understand the covenants, nor
understand the differences in the Mosaic and the new
covenant based on the grace of God and the work of Yeshua
(Jesus) on the cross. There have always been attacks on the
Bible and its acceptance. In the early church about A.D.
140, a man named Marcion instituted the first real
controversy. He rejected the majority of the New Testament
He believed God rejected Paul and accepted Peter. He threw
out Matthew, Mark, and John and made a canon of his own
consisting of Luke which he rewrote. There are others today
who want to rewrite the Bible, add other books (Gnostic
books) or reject some that we already have. There are at
least 86,000 quotations from the early church records tha
believed Paul�s writings were part of Scripture. These are
found in several thousand Lectionaries that are
church-service books. After nearly 1900 years of the canon
being established these rebels are causing a lot of
confusion.
(164) Tithing
-
Is It Taught In The New Testament And Does It Really
Matter If It Is Or Isn't? by Philip Powell, CETF,
Volume 12.3, Issue 37, September 2006 Tithing was an Old Testament practice to support the
theocratic governance of Israel. It is impossible to
honestly duplicate it as a means of financing the New
Testament church or Kingdom of God. It is not taught in the
New Testament and those who try to teach it today end up
like the hypocritical pharisees.
In
conclusion, I think that we have been brought face-to-face
with some of our problems as men and women in these
passages. Men have been put in authority by God, both in the
home and in the church. But men don't always take their
God-given authority seriously and live up to it, as Adam
failed to protect and correct Eve. Men have the primary
responsibility of prayer at home and in the church, but that
is often neglected too. Women are more easily deceived and
so should be very discerning and come under the leadership
of their husbands and church leaders. Women can also be very
disruptive in church meetings and need to learn when to be
quiet. Another problem is that women can be used by the
enemy to distract men from worship and from holy living. Men
need to keep their eyes on the Lord and women need to be
careful not to entice them to evil. Col. 3:1-5
What role
do dreams play in the Christian experience?
(167) ...
and
all liars ... by Sandy Simpson, 11/05/06
There is a lesson for all true believers in recent
events. Have nothing to do with deeds of darkness
perpetrated by false brothers. Reject heresy.
Mark and avoid false teachers.
(168) To
judge or not to judge: The rights and wrongs of biblical
discernment by G. Richard Fisher, 1996 It seems clear, since Jesus Himself said, "Judge not,"
(Matthew 7:1), that we cannot "judge." At first glance it
appears that Jesus not only forbids judging others, but
that He catches Himself in a glaring contradiction. Verse
1 seems obvious, "Judge not," yet in verses 6, 15-16, we
are to judge "swine," "dogs," and the "fruit" of false
apostles. How do we reconcile this apparent contradiction?
(169) Dangerous
Christianity
- In Pursuit Of Biblical Christianity by C.
Stephen David, 1/19/07 Dangerous Christianity presents a God who is always
loving, gives whatever people ask, blesses everyone,
forgives whenever people sin, gives good health and
wealth, offers peace and joy. Now that�s true! However,
the other undeniable aspects of God�s character - such as
holiness, justice, discipline and judgment are ignored in
their Christianity.
(170) Artificial
Milk
- Weaning Evangelicals Off The Word by T.A.
McMahon, The Berean Call, 2/07 Apostasy is rampant within the evangelical church today.
At least that�s my perspective as one who has observed
religious trends and developments for three decades. Read
Part
1,Part
2 & Part
3.
(171) Stand
Up
For Jesus by Walter Martin When we see idolatry, we are supposed to be
provoked. When we see evil, we are supposed to get
exercised about it. If you can calmly walk through
this upholstered cesspool of earth; if you can see evil,
filth, degeneracy, and hear vile language; if you can see
the corruption of the media and the perversion of the
gospel; if you can see the multiple forms of idolatry�the
worship of things and of the creation more than the
Creator; if you can see this today and you are not
provoked about it, then you are not in touch with God the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is provoked by evil,
and he stirs up the Church so that we may do something
about it.
(172) Is
It Right To Judge? by Franklin C. Huling, MA,
Fundamental Evangelistic Association THIS QUESTION- "IS IT RIGHT TO JUDGE?" is one that
puzzles many sincere Christians. A careful and open minded
study of the Bible makes it clear that concerning certain
vital matters, it is not only right but a positive duty to
judge. Many do not know that the Scripture commands us to
judge. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Judge righteous
judgment" (John 7:24). He told a man, "Thou hast rightly
judged" (Luke 7:43). To others, our Lord asked, "Why even
of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" (Luke
12:57).
(173) The
Compromising
Church Of America by Michael C. Gaudiosi - The
Berean Radio Network, THE NOBLE BEREAN: Volume Seventeen �
February 2007 The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the simplest message man
has ever heard! Really, it�s true! The Gospel is so
simple! Here it is, in simple plain to the point words of
the apostle Paul: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I delivered
unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And
that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures. That�s it! Jesus died for our
sins, according to the scriptures, was buried and rose
again on the third day according to the scriptures. How
hard is that? Jesus Christ shed His blood and died on the
cross to bring reconciliation back between God and man
that was lost by Adam in the Garden, because of one three
letter word: SIN, and has given us eternal life and kept
us from going to a place of everlasting torment, and
separation from God called: HELL! Simple, isn�t it? But,
like most everything, man has complicated it by trying to
put his own spin on God!
(174) What
Does
The Bible Say About Lawsuits/Suing? by John
MacArthur, The Freedom And Power Of Forgiveness, 2007
The Bible instructs believers not to go to court against one
another.
(175) How
to
Identify Terrorists in the Church by John
MacArthur, Wednesday, May 02, 2007 Within the church . . . who are Satan's Al-Qaeda? What
are their motives? Are spiritual terrorists out to destroy
church doctrine at large . . . or might they be
specifically targeting your faith and the faith of your
family? Listen to Part
1 & Part
2.
.
(176) Devoted To Prayer:
Wrestling With God In Ernest Prayer by Virginia Stem
Owens Christians have always interpreted the splitting of the
temple veil during the crucifixion as symbolic of their
liberation from the mediated presence of God. Henceforth they
were �free� to approach Him directly�which is almost like
telling someone he is �free� to stick his head in the lion�s
jaws. For once you start praying there is no guarantee that
you won�t find yourself before Pharaoh, shipwrecked on a
desert island, or in a lion�s den.
(177) The
Baptism Of Boldness by Walter Martin, Posted
5/6/07
Though Wlater Martin has passed on his legacy of of standing
for the truth remains. Watch this video to get back to
what the Gospel is all about.
(178) Another
Jesus?
A Different Gospel? A Different Spirit? by Rita
Sanders, March 25, 2007 These are the days of great and maybe final deception! I am
eternally grateful to Almighty God for granting me
repentance and leading my family out of the deceptive and
self-centered gospel of greed being promoted in the pulpits
of the churches today. Today's believers are replacing the
call to "deny themselves" with the desire to pursue "their
best lives now". We have ignored the command to "test the
spirits" because of the perverted use of "touch not My
anointed" by today's pulpiteers.
(179) Hank
Hanegraaff's
Conference on Preterism and Replacement Theology,
Essay written by C.C. (LTW Research Team), Thursday, June 07,
2007 It is obvious to any thinking Christian that Hanegraaff�s
�Exegetical Eschatology� is nothing more than the use of his
presuppositions to cloud the natural meaning of the holy
Scriptures. If I were a teacher in Hank's position, I
believe I would have trouble sleeping at night doing such a
thing to Scripture interpretation.
(180) The
Ongoing
Need for Discernment by Prof. Johan Malan,
Middelburg, South Africa, Discernment Newsletter, Volume
18 Number 4, July/August 2007 We should be involved in a contrary movement of increased
righteousness and holiness, while discerning the signs of
Christ�s soon return. Fellow-believers should be assisted to
correctly understand biblical doctrines. That is the only
way to become discerning Christians who will not be deceived
by the many wrong doctrines of our time.
(181) Does
the
Bible call for UNITY in spite of DOCTRINAL differences?
by John MacArthur, 6/07 Are believers who hold to DOCTRINAL PURITY divisive,
intolerant, unloving and ungracious?� �False teaching will
always cry �intolerance� because it can only survive when it
doesn�t get scrutinized�False doctrine cries the loudest
about UNITY�Listen carefully when you hear the cry for UNITY
because it may be the cover of false doctrine encroaching�If
ever we should follow 1 Thessalonians 5 and examine
everything carefully, it�s when somebody is crying �unity,
love and acceptance.�� Audio file.
(182) Designing
your own Christianity by Pastor Steve Cornell,
6/07 Those who reject major themes of the bible have no reason
to believe any of it. The God they believe in is a creation
of their own imaginations. He is a custom designed deity to
fulfill their own desires. But, why do such people feel
compelled to hold to selective forms of Christianity? Why
not reject it entirely and embrace something else? Perhaps
they attend their designer Churches and listen to their
appointed teachers to pacify their guilty consciences. How
sad to pacify what God is willing forgive and cleanse. But
such forgiveness would require a savior who saves sinners
and this is just too much for proud of hearts to
accept.
(183) The Near-Beer Gospel - The
Search for Pale Substitutes by Orrel Steinkamp,
The Plumbline, Volume 12., No. 4, July/August 2007, Assessing
Current Teachings, Issnes and Events with Scripture In this issue I am going to highlight two examples of how
the church is unwittingly calling for pale substitutes from
the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Each of
these examples will be drawn from two movements, which are
seemingly separated far from each other. But it is my belief
that they both represent the same basic error, that the
church itself can manufacture a Near Beer Gospel either
apart from or in addition to the unchangeable word of God.
In both cases the church has been shorn of God's actual
glory as Sampson of old. The first of these could be called
the "marketing and therapeutic" movement. In it's quest for
cultural acceptance and numerical success, they have
marginalized the "word of God" and imported marketing
methodologies as the focus of ministry. Work the system and
you will be numerically successful. It seems to me to echo
the first half of Jesus reply to Satan when tempted in the
wilderness. Rather than, man cannot live on bread alone, it
has the feel of yes! we can live on bread alone, rather than
every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. At the
other end the spectrum, God's authorized word has been
succeeded by a succession of new words from God at the hands
of thousands of newly restored so-called prophets. Thus, the
scriptures languish and are called by Tommy Tenney "old love
letters." In the one the trust is in the new technology and
tools of the culture. In the other the trust and dependence
is upon a continual flow of so-called oracles from God at
the hands of those who struggle to claim less than 50%
accuracy. The above analogy of Near-Beer calls for some
explanation. First Near-Beer. Near-Beer was originally a
term for malt beverages containing little or no alcohol (one
half of one percent or less by volume), which were
mass-marketed during the Prohibition in the United States.
Today the term "Near- Beer" has been revived by some people
to refer to modern versions of non-alcoholic beer. By the
use of this analogy I am suggesting the current evangelical
church can be illustrated by the Near-Beer phenomena. It�s
all about substitutes which only give the appearance of the
real thing.
(184) A
Roadmap To Apostasy by Mike Gendron, interview
with Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries, 6/30/07 What are the tell-tale signs? What can one do? Is it too
late to stop this engine now on a slippery slope? Around the
world it follows a pattern that goes in stages outlined by
Mike.
(185) Berean
Behavior:
Naughty or Noble? by Sherry Neese, July 17,
2007 Bereans in the trenches, Bereans in broader ministry, and
shepherds � we are all on the same battlefield.
Discouragement, Satan�s favorite weapon, lurks around every
corner. We need to work as a team, praying for one another
and valuing each other and if necessary, correcting one
another, following the biblical procedure for correction and
refrain from engaging in gossip. Then and only then will we
see the flocks protected from wolves and the Word of God
held in high esteem as did our Berean ancestors.
(186) Discernment
and
the Watchman by Mike Oppenheimer, 6/07 Just as 1 Peter 3:15 commands us as Christians to always be
ready to give a defense of your faith to those outside
(apologetics) the church, Jude 3 to defend it within the
Church (polemics). Jude had to have been aware of Peter�s
proclamation because his book extends off of Peters second
epistle on the false teachers who were beginning to come
into the church.
(188) Transforming
The
World Within by Herescope, 9/1/07 In this day of evangelical fervor over changing the outward
world, which is called "transformation," the truth of the
Gospel -- the transformation of the inner man -- is
neglected. This outward focus on dominionism always
supplants the inner workings of the Holy Spirit upon the
heart and conscience. What folly! What arrogance! True
transformation of the inner man (Romans 12:1-2) is
inextricably connected with the Cross. J.C. Philpot, in the
excerpt from his sermon "Crucifixion with Christ" below,
begins by noting that this is a mystery:
(190) Novelty and Change Will Lead
Them by Orrel Steinkamp,The Plumbline, Volume 12,
No. 5, Sept/Oct 2007
There exist today hundreds of people in Christian think tanks
and agencies whose whole view of ministry is to promote and
induce cultural change into the church. It is called
contextualization or transformation. But transformation is
basically inducing change into the Christian church. Pastors
who are properly trained in transformation and
contextualization principles are known as transformational
pastors. Pastors are also called to be "change agents." For
further reading on this topic, please refer to my earlier
newsletter, entitled "Transformation Thinking for Dummies."
The overriding feature of seeker-sensitive and
transformational activities is to change the church to
resemble the culture as closely as possible and thereby insure
survival and success in today's changing society. There is
more to it than outward appearances. Seeker-sensitive churches
low key their doctrinal statements, lest they scare away the
seekers. Although doctrinal stances do not officially change,
the week-by-week teaching exhibits the church as fellow
travelers in the culture. The process of transformation calls
not only for change but perpetual, ongoing change; in order to
entice an ever-~hanging seeker population. Forgotten entirely
these days, is the fact that God's people are meant to be a
leaven within the culture, a pocket of resistance to the
foibles and ethos of the flesh. However, I suspect there are
still some seekers left who expect to find something unique
and noticeably different at church than in the world at large.
(191) Was
Jesus God on earth or just an anointed man? by
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 9/25/07 The cults deny that Jesus was ever God before he added a
human nature to His deity. The word faith movement teaches
that His deity was left in heaven and He came to earth as
only a man and was anointed. Because the Spirit rested upon
him he was given power, and it can rest on us and we can do
all the same miracles he did. They forget that he had NO
sin- was perfect and was God before he was born and was God
while on earth. Not even the apostles who were given
the authority directlly duplicated his miracles.
(193) A
Desperate Need For Correction by Dave Hunt, The
Berean Call, 1998 Correction is one of the most conspicuously absent yet
essential ministries in the church today. There are those
who seek to avoid cor-rection by hiding behind a
misapplication of Christ�s words, �Judge not, that ye be not
judged� (Mt 7:1). It is conveniently forgotten that these
words were spoken by the same One who warned the Jews to
�judge righteous judg-ment� (Jn 7:24), told us to judge the
fruit of prophets (Mt 7:16) and promised His disciples that
they would sit on thrones judging Israel (Mt 19:28).
(194) Preterism
by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/07 What are the different views in eschatology and why is
preterism the least biblical?
Preterism
pt.1- Is it a intentional lack of understanding
the prophetic scriptures?
Why Preterism fails pt.2 - Mt.24 - this
generation- Has the majority of Bible prophecies
already taken place?
(195) John Piper � Giving
�license for immorality� while claiming he is not?
by Sandy Simpson, 10/27/07 Not one word about Christians confessing or repenting of sin
in Gutsy Guilt by John Piper. Yes Christians still sin (1 John
1:8). But the point in any true biblical exegesis of this
subject is that Christians no longer practice sin (1 John 3:9)
but rather practice righteousness (1 John 3:7). Those
practicing sin better test themselves to see if they are in
the Faith (2 Cor. 13:5). We as believers have the sacrifice of
Christ for sin but we must still confess our sins and He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness (which was spoken in reference to
Christians) (1 John 1:9). This article is a perfect example of
what Jude calls giving Christians a �license for immorality�
and illustrates why 5-Point Calivinists are deceiving
believers on issues like continued sexual immorality.
(196) Cracking
"the
Code" of Preterism - A Review of Hank Hanegraaff's
"The Apocalypse Code" and a Refutation of Preterism
by Bob DeWaay, ISSUE 100, May/June 2007 May we continue to flee to the word of God for comfort,
encouragement, and preparation for what is �yet to come.�
For the �coming of Christ� does not consist of Rome
destroying Jerusalem, but rather the return of the risen
King to consummate human history and set up His eternal
Kingdom. Since our King is returning to repay the wicked and
rescue His people, we are called to be both prepared and
faithful in light of this reality. We must cling to the
blessed hope of being resurrected to be with the risen King
forever. Until this �great and terrible� Day arrives, may we
live as ambassadors for the Gospel, pleading with the world
to �Be reconciled to God� (2 Corinthians 5:20). For, indeed,
�the end of all things is near� (1 Peter 4:7).
(197) "This
Generation"
and it's Preterist Exegetical Misuseby Bob
DeWaay, ISSUE 100, May/June 2007 Our range of meaning study has concluded that genea is used
more often in the New Testament as a qualitative term than a
chronologically quantitative one. Our study in particular of
the gospel of Matthew shows that Matthew uses it in that
way. We have also shown that taking the usage in Matthew
24:34 to be within that same range of meaning makes perfect
sense in that context and fits with what we know about Bible
prophecy from other passages. Therefore, the typical
preterist interpretation is contrived and fails to consider
the preponderance of evidence in the New Testament for the
meaning of genea in such contexts.
(198) Shepherds
Abiding
In The Field by Herescope, 12/18/07 The shepherds to whom the Lord's Angel appeared announcing
the birth of our Saviour were engaged in a most humble
occupation. They were keeping watch over their flock by
night, a serious responsibility. Sheep are not by nature
easy to care for. They are silly and stupid, prone to
wander, and incapable of helping themselves. Especially they
are susceptible to danger in the night when the nocturnal
predators come out searching for an easy snack. It is under
the cover of darkness when so many things can go wrong. If a
shepherd would slack off on his night watch by dozing, he
could awaken to a disaster where it would be too late to
rescue his flock. Sheep were, after all, the livelihood of
these shepherds and an essential source for food and
clothing for their families.
(199) Unbiblical
Ideas
About Angels by Marsha West, News With Views,
12/21/07 Why is post-modern Christianity sorely lacking in
discernment? Because a large number of Christians don't read
and study the Bible. As a result they have no clue what God
says about mysticism � or anythinng else! Additionally, many
Christians have no interest in attending a church where
they'll hear expository teaching from the pulpit. What they
prefer is to hear the pastor preach on is their "felt
needs." Moreover, Christians spend their free time reading
best-selling books and novels while God's Word goes largely
ignored. So, is it any wonder the Church lacks
discernment?
(200) "Hold Firmly
Till The End" by Sandy Simpson, 1/10/08 The Bible is repleat with examples of both those believers
who stood firmly to the end, and those that did not.
There is nothing sadder than to observe a believer in his or
her twilight years wander away from the faith after having
served the Lord.
(201) Where
Are
the Elders Who Guard the Flock? by Bob DeWaay,
1/29/07 This past weekend I received a call not unlike many dozens
of previous communications from Christians concerned about
unbiblical practices being introduced into their local
churches. This particular one expressed a committed
Christian�s concern that their large evangelical church was
introducing mysticism and eastern practices under the guise
of youth ministry. This church had even created a shrine of
sorts in the church basement for young people to practice
this mysticism. The caller had researched this subject for
several months, documented her church�s new practices and
described why the practices were dangerous and unbiblical.
Confident that her findings would help correct the church�s
direction, she brought her research to the church
leadership, only to be mollified and warned about having a
bad attitude. In response she asked the leaders to compare
these practices to Scripture, but to no avail. The story is
all too common; why does it continue to happen?
(202) �A
Bible
for Kitty!� by Michael C. Gaudiosi, The Noble
Berean, Volume Twenty Eight � January/February 2008 A BIBLE TRANSLATION FOR EVERYONE Even for your kitty cat!
No, I'm not joking, this is real folks! There is a Bible
translation for Lolcats, conveniently titled �the Lolcat
Bible�. Translated by The LOLCat Bible Translation Project.
(203) Have
We Lost Our Fear Of God? by Forgotten Word
Ministries, 2/10/08 Have we lost our fear of God? I believe we
have. This is such a simple matter. Why not let
the Word of God speak for itself! The following verses
are just SOME of the many verses pertaining to the fear of
God and the consequences of not having a fear of God.
Read the following Scripture verses and then look them up so
that you can see the context each was written in. You
should have NO DOUBT in your mind and heart after this quick
study about the "FEAR OF GOD"! It's time to get back
to the truth.
(204) I Never
Heard That by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 2/08
What you will not hear is the gospel presented clearly or
fully ... What you will not hear is the denial of the flesh
and picking up ones cross ... What you will not see practiced
is discipling people to grow mature in the Faith ... They do
not teach that following Jesus will include loss or suffering
... What you will not hear is teaching on living a life of
contentment ... What you will not hear is correcting brethren
who are teaching false doctrine ... What you do not hear is
encouraging the use of discernment and judge what is false ...
What you will not hear is a rebuke for false prophets and
teachers ... What you will not hear is naming names of those
who are the false teachers ... You will not hear teaching on
the deity of Christ nor the Tri-unity ... What you will not
hear is teaching on separation instead of unity ... What you
will not hear is teaching how to witness to people of other
faiths (the cults and other religions).
(205) Personal "Prophecy"
In The Bible? by Sandy Simpson, 2/08 The reason for this article is my contention that the
modern day "prophetic movement", better known as the Latter
Rain, Third Wave or New Apostolic Reformation, is promoting
and practicing divination (personal prophecy) rather than
what the Bible defines as true prophecy.
(206) Legalism,
Cultism, and the Abuse of God�s Authority by Mike
Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 2/26/08 Loyalty is good if it is based on truth, unquestioning
loyalty to any person or church leadership is the mark of
what a cult is made of. When you have people that follow
what the one behind the pulpit says without checking the
Scriptures to see if he is speaking the truth, disaster is
soon to follow.
(207) Gospel
Lite
- Tastes Great; Less Filling by Phil Johnson,
PyroManiacs, 3/3/08 The defining principle of historic evangelicalism was an
unwavering devotion to the gospel. But the broad movement
that calls itself "evangelical" today no longer stands for
any clear point of view and can't seem to find consensus on
even the most basic of gospel truths. How did that happen?
(208) Uncivil
War by Jackie Alnor, Apostasy Alert, 3/8/08
"Goats and Sheep" � "Wheat and Tares" � "Mixed Multitude" �
The Bible�s terms for professors vs. possessors of
salvation. That is the sorry state of the church of Jesus
Christ in the world today. The lines are being drawn and
people calling themselves "Christian" are beginning to join
ranks. Many on both sides of the salvation line have
predicted a civil war in the church � it seems to be
manifesting before our eyes, but there�s nothing civil about
it.
(209) Three
Kinds
Of Faith by Michael Penfold, WebTruth,
3/12/08 The Lord Jesus constantly drew attention to the fact that
it is quite possible to look, sound and act like a
�Christian� without ever actually being one.
(210) Toward
The Prize by Dave Hunt, 9/30/07
An indictment of the acceptance of psychology, the promotion
of self-love, and huminism that have crept into the Church
through the teachings of people like James Dobson and Robert
Schuller.
(211) The Gospel Entrusted
To The Saintsby Sandy Simpson, March 31,
2008 We have a precious Gospel message to share with
others. It is the Good News that saved us and brought
us peace. We now have the hope of eternal life with
Christ when before we were hopeless (Eph. 2:12). This
new life should and will motivate us to share that Good News
with everyone. But sometimes true saints lapse into a
lukewarmness of complacency (Rev. 3:16). I have done
that myself at times. It is time for the remnant,
those who have not joined the Apostasy, to reach out to the
world with the truth and love of the Gospel message of Jesus
Christ. But we must adhere to the teachings of Jesus
Christ and the Apostles to be effective.
(212)Is This
About Us or About Him? by Steve Muse, Eastern
Regional Watch, 4/08
In this March 2004 Commentary, Steve Muse shares the
importance of testing the words, visions, and fruit of those
who claim to be prophets of God.
(223) The
Atonement Wars by Orrel Steinkamp, The
Plumbline, Volume 13. No.2. May/June 2008 "...There was but one way to bring about the desired
salvation which would be in harmony with God's character,
the law of God, the nature of sin and the needs of man. This
one way was by the substitutionary blood atonement of the
incarnate Son of God." (Robert A. Morey, Studies in the
Atonement, p.9)
(224) Three Common Errors Common
Among False Teachers by Mike Gendron, Proclaiming
The Gospel Ministries, 6/19/08 Since we are now living in the age of religious tolerance
and ecumenical unity, there are some people who will
immediately call this article unloving and divisive. Others
will ask "What right do you have to judge another religion?"
The answer is given in Scripture. All God-fearing people are
called to make right judgments, judgments that have already
been established by the objective principles of God's word (John 7:24).
There may be nothing more important than warning people who
are being deceived about their eternal destiny. If we do not
lovingly confront them with God's Gospel, they may never
know how to escape the eternal fire of God's punishment.
Clearly, the most unloving thing we can do is to ignore them
and let them continue down the road to destruction. For this
reason, I am always willing to offend people with the offense and
exclusivity of the Gospel in the hopes that God may grant
some of them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth
(2 Tim. 2: 25). Let us look at three fatal errors of false
prophets and how to handle them.
(225) Invincible
Gospel
and the Modern Evangelical Lie by Richard Bennett,
6/08 Our DVD on the Invincible Gospel and the Modern Evangelical
Lie I had great difficulties as a Catholic priest in
listening to some Evangelists giving a salvation message. I
address this topic in the DVD called "The Invincible Gospel
and the Modern Evangelical Lie." While I have tried
graciously in this presentation to present the Gospel as
God's gift and not man's doing the response has not been
great. On the contrary I think things are becoming worse. In
fact, the way that 'the gospel' is often presented is that
it looks as if man is sovereign and not God! Kindly watch
this DVD, and refer it to others for comments and responses.
Thank you, Richard Bennett
(226) Why False Teachers
Have So Many Followers
by Sandy Simpson, 7/28/08 The reason why false teachers, who deny one or more of the
core doctrines of the Faith, gain so many followers is that
they are saying what the world wants to hear.
(227) Why
is it important to believe Jesus is coming back again
physically? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 8/8/08 According to the Bible, to say Jesus will or has already
come again spiritually is the spirit of antichrist. If
anyone claims he has shown up in their home or at their
meeting they are denying that He will appear in glory, the
same way and in the same place that he left- AS HE PROMISED
(acts 1:11). If Jesus does not come back the way He promised
in Scripture then we cannot trust the Scripture on what it
says about anything about Him.
(229) Can
we do greater works than Jesus? by Mike
Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 9/15/08 What John 14:12 does not say: It does not say greater signs
(miezon semeion). It does not say greater miracles (miezon
dunamis) power. It does not say greater wonder (miezon
teras). It does say greater works (Gr. miezon ergon) ...
Even when the apostles were alive all the Christians could
not do signs and wonders as the apostles did, so we
certainly cannot do them today.
(230) "Until
the Day..." by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call, October
31, 2008 Didn't the Lord in "the great commission" command His
disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature? Has that command ever been revoked?
Absolutely not. It still holds for every Christian today.
But which gospel should one preach? The gospel has been so
perverted, compromised, and Catholicized that the power of
God unto salvation has been taken out of it for fear of
giving offense. Would those in hell thank us for sparing
them the offense that would have taken them instead to
heaven? Do we withhold the gospel from the unsaved for
selfish reasons? Are some of us ashamed of the narrow gate
that the gospel forces us to present to those who prefer the
broad road to destruction? The Word of God is clear: "The
fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in
the LORD shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25). Time is short and
eternity is forever. We need to reexamine our hearts and
begin to live as though we really believe this.
(231) The
Death
Of Absalom by Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries,
11/10/08 This was a terrible situation: Hebrew was not fighting
Philistine, Hebrew was not fighting Canaanite, Hebrew was
not fighting Amalekite � Hebrew was fighting Hebrew.
There was the war between Israel and Judah, and the war in
the last chapter of the book of Judges, which was a civil
war that broke out when a man�s concubine was gang-raped,
and her body hacked up and sent throughout the nation.
That was the worst of all the wars in Judges. Here we
see it happening again. In the same manner, the worst
battles that we as Christians will have to fight will not be
against unbelievers; rather, they will be part of civil
war. The worst battles are against your own kind,
where believer, as it were, raises his sword against
believer. Now, I am of course not referring to a
physical sword, like the Puritans used, but rather to the
spiritual sword, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word
of God. Fighting Canaanites, Philistines, no problem;
fighting Moslems, Freemasons, Roman Catholics, no
problem. But what happens when brother fights brother
� or, in this case, when father fights son?
(232) Willful
Ignorance by Discernment Research Group, November
23, 2008 We live in a time of great apostasy when many choose to
ignore or disbelieve the simplicity of the Gospel of
Salvation, the message of the Cross. Many of the new
heresies are intricate, complex, always evolving, and
�emerging� with new theologies, philosophies, terminologies,
eschatologies, ecclesiologies, etc. These false teachings
puff up people with pride in their human knowledge and lead
them to �ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the Truth� (2 Timothy 3:7).
(233)
Two Lessons From Jonah by
Sandy Simpson, 11/24/08 We just finished
as study in the book of Jonah in our Bible study
groups. As we studied through that true story I
became aware of an application for Church leaders today.
(235) The
"Jesus"
the World Loves by McMahon, T.A., December 2,
2008 Pray that we
who truly know Him would not drift from Him because of
"another Jesus" conjured up by the world, our own flesh,
or the devil. Pray also that the Lord will enable us to
reflect the true character of Christ in our words and
deeds; that He will help us to show the world the true
Jesus, who, being God, came in the likeness of man, was
treated as though He were sin itself, and satisfied the
divine justice of God by dying upon the Cross, thus
providing salvation for all of mankind.
(236) A
Storm out at Sea by Prof. Johan Malan,
Middelburg, South Africa (Dec. 2008) This is a
typological depiction of the entire church of Christ in
its nightly voyage across the sea of life. The meeting
between Jesus and His disciples in the fourth night
watch reflects on the future meeting between Christ and
His church at the rapture, when the storms of life will
finally come to an end for believers in Jesus.
(237) Good
Apologetics by by Dr. Martin Erdmann, posted
at Herescope, 9/08 For those
desiring to hear some good instruction on biblical
apologetics, we refer the reader to 4 audio seminars
posted online. These four lectures were delivered back
in September 2008 by Dr. Martin Erdmann.
(238) Pastoring
With
Both Eyes Opened - Part 1 by Gary Gilley,
12/08
These simple
instructions, if followed, would greatly reduce the
friction found in many churches and thus enhance the
ministries of those churches. Yet many churches and
their leaders behave as if God never anticipated such
problems and has nothing to offer in way of solution. Read
Part
1 & Part
2.
(239) False
Spiritual Warfare Teachings: How the Church Becomes
Pagan by Bob DeWaay, Ciritcal Issues
Commentary, November/December 2008 A pagan is
anyone who lacks special revelation from God. And had
God not spoken in the manner described in Hebrews 1:1,
2, everyone in the world would be a pagan. This is to
say that each of us would have to guess about the nature
of the spiritual world we live in and develop techniques
in order to contact or manipulate our world. We would
wonder how we could manipulate the "gods" to better our
situation. We would create a class of shamans with
special abilities to contact and manipulate the spirits.
That is what every pagan culture looks like.
(240) Religious
Deception by Prof. Johan Malan, University of
the North, South Africa, 2/09 The kingdom of
darkness infiltrated the Christian church with a view to
adulterating it by proclaiming a counterfeit Jesus, a
counterfeit spirit and a counterfeit gospel.
(242) What
is the Trinity doctrine? by Walter Martin,
YouTube video, 3/09 In this
YouTube video, Walter Martin proves that what God has
revealed about Himself in His word we can
understand.
(243) Be
careful what you buy in Christian bookstores
by Marsha West, Renew America, 3/19/09 For hundreds
of years orthodox Christianity has held that the Bible
is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, by
supernatural power, and that every word in it is true.
(2 Tim 3:16) Thus, Scripture has the power, or right, to
command how people of faith live their lives. Then
theological liberalism rears its ugly head and attempts
to undermine established truths. The theological liberal
pretends to be a Christian ("progressive Christian" is
preferable) as he or she blatantly and unapologetically
undermines the Divine authority of the scriptures in
matters of faith and life. As a result of the onslaught
of liberal influences, the Church is in dire straits!
(244) Expos�s
on Beth Moore by Personal Freedom Outreach,
5/09 Beth Moore is
a popular author at LifeWay Christian bookstores and a
fan-favorite within the Southern Baptist Convention and
churches. But there are serious issues with Moore's
false teachings, her lack of discernment, and
more. Personal Freedom Outreach has produced
three, in-depth articles on Beth Moore that should be
read by pastors, laymen, Southern Baptist Convention
officials, and the folks at LifeWay bookstores.
(245) Spiritual
Songs by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 5/15/09
Worship songs
that teach and admonish must do so with lyrics
containing �the word of Christ� which glorifies the Lord
and promotes �one-anothering� in the local body of
Christ. Absent their conveyance logos truth, reasonably
discerned as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, the only
basis of appeal of the music is in the mystical realm.
(246) Avoid
Sleep! by Herescope, 5/18/09 As he that
watcheth doth sleep, in order to some end; so he who
keepeth the spiritual watch must set himself designedly
to avoid sin, upon a prospect of Christ's coming, and
the uncertainty of [the timing of] it.
(247) �Christians�
Who Try To Poke Holes In Sola Scriptura by
Sandy Simpson, 5/18/09 There are a
number of the leadership of the Emerging Church (EC) who
do not believe that the Bible is the highest authority
for the Christian faith. Most do not believe that
the Bible is inerrant in the original manuscripts and
many do not acknowledge that the Bible is our highest
revelation. Yet this is a core doctrine over which
true believers and false brethren must separate.
(249) Recession:
What? Me Worry? by Albert James Dagar,
6/21/09
How should
believers cope with recession?
(250) Letters
from Heaven by Prof. Johan Malan, 6/09
There are
seven letters in Revelation 2 and 3 which the Head of
the Christian Church, Jesus Christ Himself, directed to
the entire church of all centuries, through the
mediation of His servant, John. The letters are undated
and therefore timeless writings to all followers of
Christ � the faithful and the wayward ones. The letters
contain precious promises and loving encouragement to
those who persevere in the right way, but also clear
reprimands and serious warnings to all who started to
err and subsequently departed from the truth. Many of
the latter have completely lost their way.
(251) Are
you Hindu yet? by Jonathan Falwell, World Net
Daily, 8/22/09
I don't want
to think about our nation further abandoning the
biblical principle of salvation. But the fact is that
Ms. Miller may have a point. In fact, as she noted, 65
percent of respondents in a Pew Forum survey last year
said they believe that "many religions can lead to
eternal life."
(252) Defining
the
Believer's Biblical Call to Judge by Bob
DeWaay, 9/9/09 Many times,
after publishing an article that disputes the claims of
someone's published work, I am asked if I had talked to
the person privately. There are those who claim that
debating ideas in the public arena should not happen
unless there was a prior Matthew 18 process of
adjudication. It is my position that Matthew 18 does not
apply to the public interaction of theological ideas. In
this paper, I shall examine various New Testament
passages that explain what we must and must not judge.
(253) Why
The Heathen Rage by Bill Randles, Believers In
Grace Ministries, 9/25/09 - Read Part
1 & Part
2. �Why do the
heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The
Kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together, against the Lord and against His
Messiah saying let us break their bands asunder and cast
away their cords from us��(Psalm 2:1-3)
(254) What
is heresy? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 9/25/09 Heresy can be
defined as any departure from Christian orthodoxy, the
faith that was once for all delivered to the saints
(Jude 3).
(255) Discernment
Ministry
- A Biblical Defense by Gary Gilley, Think On
These Things, October/November 2009 - Volume 15, Issue
6 These men
understood, as we must today, that the �faith once for
all delivered to the saints� is worth defending.
We must not allow the objections of those who lack the
courage or the insight to fight for truth to cause us to
cower from this important God-given obligation.
(256) In
the Church: The Lordship of Christ in Control
by A.W. Tozer,
Renewed Day By Day, October 26 THE NERVOUS
COMPULSION TO GET THINGS DONE is found everywhere among
us and right here is where the pragmatic philosophy
comes into its own. It asks no
embarrassing questions about the wisdom of what we are
doing or even about the morality of it.
(257) Concerned
to Discern by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
10/31/09 As could be
agreed upon by most believers, Christians have the
right, even the duty, to evaluate and hold accountable
to Holy Scripture professing evangelical Christians who,
for reason of their manifest beliefs and behaviors,
appear to be departing from the faith.[1] Jude told his
readers to "contend earnestly for the faith which was
once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). To shirk
this responsibility means that believers are being
disobedient to the faith once for all delivered. To all
Christians the Spirit gives His anointing which places
upon them the responsibility to discern the "spirit of
truth" from the "spirit of error" (1 John 4:6; 2:20-21,
27).
(259) "Feelings
Driven"
Christians by Larry DeBruyn, 11/12/09
If it�s to
survive, faith must be sourced outside ourselves,
therefore it cannot be be based upon how we might feel
or think at a paticular point in time.
(260) A
Dangerous Philosophy: Success Is Everything by
A.W. Tozer, Renewed Day By Day, November 14 THE PHILOSOPHY
OF PRAGMATISM�basically, the doctrine of the utility of
truth, is having a powerful influence upon Christianity
in the latter half of the twentieth century.
(261) Are
We Going Full Speed Backward To Paganism? by
Lottie Beth Hobbs, 11/09 Go, go go!
Today�s frenzied society tends to revere speed and
motion. Without a doubt, people are on the go -
philosophically as well as physically - but activity is
not necessarily accomplishment; and direction is far
more important than speed.
(262) The
Manhattan
Declaration a response by Alistair Begg,
11/23/09 In accord with
others who have chosen not to sign, my reservation is
not with the issues themselves, or in standing with
others who share the same concerns, but it is in signing
a declaration along with a group of leading churchmen,
when I happen to believe that the teaching of some of
their churches is in effect a denial of the biblical
gospel. I wonder whether it might not have been more
advantageous for evangelicals to unite on this matter,
rather than seeking cooperation with segments from Rome,
Eastern Orthodoxy and the Latter Day Saints. The
necessary co-belligerence, as far as I�m concerned, can
never be rooted in a Gospel other than that which has
been given to us.
(263) Is
It Time For a New Reformation? by Ken Ham,
1/3/09 Take one look
around our world. A need for a new reformation is
evident, both for our culture and for the church. We
must return to the Bible as our absolute authority.
(264) Macro
and
micro apologetics by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us
Reason Ministries, 2/1/10 The necessity
for ongoing apologetics to be conducted inside Biblical
churches by those who are called.
(265) A
Whole Lot Of Wishful Thinking These Days
by Sandy Simpson,
2/5/10 In this
article I want to detail a number of beliefs people have
these days that have no basis in Scripture. I am
going to roam all over the map, so to speak, and try to
give fairly short answers on a number of topics and also
give you useful links to articles that will help you
deal with any particular issue. It is truly
amazing how many false ideas people cling to without
giving a thought to what the Bible has to say on the
subject.
(266) Three
Strikes
& You�re Out by MorielDanny, 2/10/10
Show me a
person, group, or organization embracing an extreme
mistreatment of one or more of the foundational issues
discussed above and we will find these behaviors at the
root cause of the problem. Paul explained to Timothy
that unfaithfulness to the everyday admonitions of God�s
Word is what leads to deception where the greater
foundational truths are concerned.
(267) Did
Peter
teach in Acts 2:38 that one must be baptized first to
be saved? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 2/17/10 We can resolve
much of the confusion in Peter�s first sermon by
understanding the JEWISH background. Acts 2 is
addressing law observant Jews that are gathered together
to observe the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (verse 1).
There are no Gentiles (non - Jews) present; Peter
addressing them says, v: 22 �Men of Israel,� v: 36
�Therefore let all the house of Israel know.� Acts 2:37
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, �Men and
brethren, what shall we do?� He is addressing Jews, as a
NATION, not individuals. The NATION of Israel was under
divine judgment for rejecting Jesus.
(268) Will
people
die during the Millennium when Christ is ruling on
earth? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 2/17/10 After the
Judgment of separating the sheep from the goats, the
saved go into the Millennial period (Mt.25) the unsaved
(goats) go into the fire, which is judgment. There are
two kinds of believers that will enter the Millennium.
Those who have come back with Christ (1 Thess. 4:14b)
who are made eternal, been transformed, and have
glorified bodies. And those that are mortal that lived
through the Great Tribulation and survived (sheep).
Those mortals will become the non immortal race of man
on earth which those who were made like Christ in the
resurrection will co rule and reign over (Rev.20:6).
Isaiah states, "There shall be no more thence an infant
of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days:
for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the
sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed"
(Isaiah 65:20). During this Millennial period a
100-year-old person will die as a child, if saved they
will live to the extent of years (likened to Adams day),
v.22 � for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days
of My people.�
(269) Was
Cain's
sacrifice rejected because it was not like Abel�s, one
of blood? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 2/25/10 God had
ordained the means of how man will approach Him in his
sinful condition. The implication is that they were
taught to continually sacrifice for sin. We can assume
that Adam and Eve would have passed it on to their
children Cain and Abel.
(270) Do
you love God? by Paul Proctor, 3/4/10
Frankly, I
believe most Christians don�t have a clue what Jesus�
definition of �love� is. I have alluded to it in
previous columns, but it clearly needs to be addressed
again to correct the confusion being taught in many
churches today.
(271) 95
Theses
for a New Millennium by TruthWatch,
4/16/07 When will the
Church �dare to defy the World?� Truth Watch NZ calls
for a 21st Century Reformation. On 31st October 1517
Catholic theologian Dr Martin Luther pinned his famous
�95 Thesis� to a church door in Germany�s Wittenberg,
sparking a reformation across a Europe then dominated by
the Roman Catholic Church. Luther was branded a heretic
by the church he sought to reform. Out of the conflict
that followed emerged the protestant churches, new
democratic nation states and unprecedented freedom for
evangelical Christians. On the 489th anniversary of
Luther�s proclamation Truth Watch believes another
reformation is needed!
(272) A
Whole Lot Of Wishful Thinking These Days
by Sandy Simpson,
2/5/10 In this
article I want to detail a number of beliefs people have
these days that have no basis in Scripture. I am
going to roam all over the map, so to speak, and try to
give fairly short answers on a number of topics and also
give you useful links to articles that will help you
deal with any particular issue. It is truly
amazing how many false ideas people cling to without
giving a thought to what the Bible has to say on the
subject.
(273) Which
�Jesus�
do you worship? by The Pilgrim, Defending,
Contending, March 14, 2010 False idols of
who Jesus is come in all shades and styles, but there�s
nothing that�s created more false idols of who Jesus is
than man�s own heart. Unfortunately, most people have
created a �Jesus� of their own liking, fashioned in the
recesses of their carnal minds (or created by some
religious leader that they�ve submitted their lives and
entrusted their souls to) and that�s the �Jesus� they
serve and worship. Ironically, these false idols of
�Jesus� bear a striking resemblance to those who created
them (and their desires), but very little�if
any�resemblance to the Jesus of the Bible.
(274) What
is
the gospel and what would be considered changing it?
by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries,
3/23/10 The Bible
warns about adding or subtraction. If one adds healing
or speaking in tongues or baptism to the gospel for ones
to be saved they are changing the gospel message. If one
communicates the gospel can be learned through nature,
the stars or the pyramids they have mislead where it is
found and how it is given. The gospel is preached and it
is about Jesus according to the Scripture: It is
received by hearing and believing it - by faith. There
is no other work included. Paul and the apostles
preached �the cross,� �Jesus Christ and him crucified�
(1 Cor. 2:2). it is the �preaching of the cross� that
contains �the power of God� unto salvation, because only
by believing the finished work of Jesus on the cross can
save us from our sins. 1 Cor. 1:18: �For the message of
the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.�
(275) Charles
Spurgeon:
Those who bury the Gospel with trash at
Apprising Ministries, 3/28/10 The following
excerpt is from �Under Constraint,� a sermon preached
Sunday morning 28 April 1878 at the Metropolitan
Tabernacle in London.
(276) Divination
Is
Forbidden By God by Chris Lawson, Spiritual
Research Network, 4/7/10 Divination:
any attempt to foretell the unknown by occult means. It
is very clear that the God of the Bible strictly forbids
all forms of divination. This includes all forms
of mediumship, channeling, witchcraft [Wicca],
occultism, psychic, fortune telling, tarot cards,
reading tea leaves, etc. Divination is forbidden
by God because it unlocks the door to the world of the
demonic and spiritual deception.
(277) Reflections
on
a Reasonable Faith by The Berean Call,
4/12/10 A false idea
exists in both the world and in the church that faith
and reason do not go together when, in fact, one cannot
exist without the other. When God called out, "Adam,
where art thou?" it was not Adam's physical location He
was asking about but his moral and spiritual
relationship with his Creator. "What happened to that
relationship we once had, Adam? I miss it and am
grieved." As a bumper sticker says, "When you feel far
from God, guess who moved?"
(278) Who
Can We Trust? by Mike Ratliff, 4/15/10
I have been in
many separate discussions with friends over that last
several weeks and months pertaining to the seeming
escalation of growing apostasy all around us. Some have
lamented that it seems that there is no one who can be
trusted anymore. I made the comment last night to a
friend that it was becoming increasingly more difficult
to trust the fruit of those who minister for money or
whose livelihood depended upon popularity. This is
really nothing new. Our Lord, in His Sermon on the
Mount, told us to beware of false prophets who come to
us in sheep�s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous
wolves.
(279) What
is
the Spirit of Antichrist? by Mike Oppenheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 4/19/10 John is the
only writer that gives the term antichrist and describes
this topic in detail in his letters 1 and 2 John. Though
this is not the only way to describe the false Christ
working, it is insight into what His spirit will teach.
(280) The
Gospel
Of Self by Roger Oakland, Understanding The
Times, 4/19/10 An interesting
trend is occurring in our society today. The long held
Judeo-Christian belief that human beings should
concentrate on a God-centered focus for living, is now
being replaced by the view that self-centeredness should
be the ultimate goal for man. Is there any way to help
understand this strange phenomenon?
(281) Jeremiah's
Prayer by Sandy Simpson, ACT, 4/26/10
I am writing
this article as an encouragement to those Christians who
use discernment, especially the discernment/apologetics
ministries. This passage was an encouragement to
me so I would like to pass along what the Lord showed
me. Jeremiah's prayer is reflected in our own
prayers to the Lord when we find ourselves under heavy
attack from the enemy and from his servants.
(282) The
Importance
Of Understanding Scripture by Chris Lawson,
Spiritual Research Network, 6/16/10 A simple
definition of Hermeneutics is �the branch of knowledge
that deals with interpretation, especially of the Bible
or literary texts.� The following article seeks to
explain why a proper understanding of Biblical
Hermeneutics is important. We will look at the qualities
we should seek and bring to our Scripture reading and
what we ought to leave behind. We will also look
at some of the hindrances to proper exegesis
[interpreting Scripture]. We will then seek to
explain Paul the Apostle�s reasoning in 2 Corinthians
3:16-18, and how this passage shapes our hermeneutical
goal of reflecting the glory of Christ, by His Spirit,
through us. But we all, with open face beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into
the same image from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit of the Lord. (2 Cor. 3:18) When we as
believers in Christ manifest the fruit of the Spirit of
God (Gal. 5:22-23), we are progressively being
transformed (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18) into the likeness
of Jesus Christ. This is the goal of the Christian
walk (Eph. 4:22-23; Col. 3:10).
(283) The
Works-Salvation
Delusion by The Berean Call, 5/29/10
Any attempt to
merit salvation by our works is not just futile--it is
impossible: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James
2:10). Worse yet, it is a denial of the infinite penalty
that God imposed, a rejection of God's "unspeakable
gift," and a repudiation of what Christ accomplished for
us. It used to be that most evangelicals would agree.
This is no longer the case as the apostasy gathers
momentum in these Last Days. Recently, a Pew Forum
survey of more than 40,000 Americans found that 57
percent of those who said they were evangelicals
believed that Jesus is not the exclusive way to heaven.
Since Jesus is the only one who provides divine
accomplishment, all that remains is the futile delusion
of human achievement for salvation.
(284) The
Days
of Noah and Lot by Bill Randles, June 27,
2010 Jesus warned
us that the end of days would be just as it was in the
time leading up to the flood and also as in the last
days of Sodom and Gommorah. The saying, the Days of Noah
and of Lot, has a specific meaning in scripture. We can
identify the end of time by what scripture says about
those times. The days of Noah have seven
characteristics, according to Genesis 4-6 . God tells us
that those times were marked by; rapid advances in
technology, a disregard for marriage, a population
explosion,a radical increase in corruption and violence,
the general rejection of the call to repentance,the loss
of distinction between the line of Seth and that of
Cain, and open communion between Humans and fallen
angels.
(285) The
Shack
Author Says: "The God of Evangelical Christianity is a
Monster." by Lighthouse Trails Research, June
30, 2010 This past
Friday night, author and researcher Ray Yungen attended
a lecture at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon to
hear The Shack author William Paul Young. The name of
Young's talk was "Can God Really Be That Good?"
(286) The
"Unlovely" Ministry by Marvin Fieldhouse,
7/9/10 The minister
or Christian worker who has those unlovely things called
convictions is a person who seems to always be in
trouble with someone. Any preacher who professes to be
standing true to the whole counsel of God and who is not
out of joint with all that God has an argument with, is
not a true preacher of righteousness. On the one hand a
Christian must needs be a "savour of life unto life,"
and on the other, "a savour of death unto death." He
must build up and edify on the right, while tearing down
and destroying on the left. The ministry of exposing
error to men's hearts is the one Jesus had. The world
cannot hate a convictionless Christian, because he
cannot, does not, and will not testify against it that
the works thereof are evil. But to expose evil and
correct those who love sin--this takes a man of
conviction, who is absolutely delivered from himself.
(288) Christianity
Today's
Anti-Christianity Today by The Berean Call,
8/10 Galli is
"pretty happy" driving down the road to hell? God is a
Crazy Fellow? God is a Drama Queen? I have two
suggestions: 1) Send your reaction to Galli's article to
the founder and honorary chairman of CT, Billy Graham,
noting what seems to be the ultimate degeneration of
what he started, and 2) Pray for Mark Galli, that he
will repent. "[Regarding the wicked] there is no fear of
God before his eyes" (Ps 36:1).
(289) Four
Ways Christians Are Being Deceived by
Proclamation, Invitation & Warning, written about
1990, Posted on this site about 1998, updated
6/19/10 The Lord put
that and similar verses in his Word to warn us of a
reality of world history: Global deception. And even
those who profess to be Evangelical Christians are
susceptible to the Serpent's lie. "In the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." 1 Timothy
4:1. Four ways that Christians are being deceived in our
day are: The Repackaged Lie, Blurred Distinctions,
Unequal Yoking, Following Gurus.
(290) Excerpts
from The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich
Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) Bonhoeffer was
surrounded by lukewarm pastors and cultural "Christians"
who supported Hitler. To most people in the established
German Lutheran church, security and wealth had become
more important that God's precious Word and faithfulness
to Him. In prison, Bonhoeffer was separated from those
who, like him, trusted God. Compromise was not an
option, so He put all his trust in God. (Of course, so
did Moses, Joseph, David, Paul and many others whose
faith deepened when totally separated unto God alone).
These Scriptures remind us of such tests and triumphs:
"...the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked
one." 1 John 5:19 "If you were of the world, the world
would love its own. Yet because you are not of the
world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the
world hates you.... If they persecuted Me they will
persecute you... for they do not know the One who sent
Me." John 15:19-2
(291) Discernment
Is Essential by Sandy Simpson, 8/29/10
I want to
offer a concrete suggestion on how to stem the tide of
leaven coming into the churches. I do this in
light of criticism often leveled at discernment
ministries that they are only interesting in
criticizing. Though we as believers are to use
discernment and be critical of false teaching, comparing
everything to the ultimate authority in the life of the
believer, the written Word, you will find that most
discernment and apologetics ministries do a very good
job of offering both Biblical true teaching and
practical suggestions on how to implement it. What
I am going to suggest to you is something some churches
are doing but I would like to see every church do
...
(292) The
Two Mysteries by Pastor Bill Randles,
9/1/10 The very
essence of Biblical spirituality is this, God had to
come down to us, in the flesh, God became a man, to save
us from sin. The very antithesis of Biblical
spirituality is this Mystery of Iniquity, this principle
of man ascending up unto God's class. The polarization
of Christians along these lines is upon us, and the
choice is becoming increasingly stark! In closing, Jesus
poses a question which I believe is directed to the last
generation of believers, that on the one hand, to some
incurs serious heart searching, but on the other hand,
to the "new breed," the question is almost irrelevant in
the light of the great and mighty "revival" of signs,
wonders and power sweeping the earth. The question is:
"Will the Son of Man find faith when He comes to the
earth?"
(293) Redefining
Jesus
Christ: The Biblical Jesus Versus The Counterfeits
by Christopher Lawson, Spiritual Research Network,
9/3/10 More than any
other time in history, the world today is filled with
false ideas and concepts of who Jesus Christ really is.
What Paul the Apostle called "another Jesus, a different
spirit, and different gospel" has plagued the
world. The purpose of this article is to point us
back to the Bible and back to the Biblical Jesus!
(294) Fuller
Seminary
Found The World A Fickle Mistress by John
MacArthur, 9/12/10 [A] new kind
of modernism is pushing Christians onto the down-grade.
Why is it that biblical Christianity in modern times has
been so vulnerable to doctrinal compromise and worldly
influence? A fascinating historical account of the
fundamentalist/evangelical movement in microcosm is
found in Reforming Fundamentalism: Fuller Seminary and
the New Evangelicalism, by George Marsden. Tracing the
history of one influential institution, Marsden recounts
in detail how Fuller Seminary compromised and ultimately
abandoned its commitment to biblical inerrancy.
(295) Relationships
and
Religious Agendas by Paul Proctor, News With
Views, September 15, 2010 Have you ever
tried to reason with a religious agenda? It�s hard to
do, isn�t it? You can quote God�s Word until you�re blue
in the face, but those who have fully invested
themselves into it will not be easily swayed even when
it doesn�t square with scripture. Often, what comes into
play is a mystical mindset and performance-based pride
involving a �passion� or �vision.� Persuaded with
sentimental stories, tender tears and a charming
demeanor, a misguided group can, over time, become
spiritually deaf, dumb and blind to anyone and anything
outside that vision, including God�s Word � following
along with a misplaced faith in someone�s persona,
position or personal experience. This happens in the
Church today because Christians have largely relegated
all things scriptural over to leaders for interpretation
having made ministers into magistrates and pastors into
priests � relying on professionals to perceive God�s
Will for their lives rather than prayerfully reading and
studying His Word for themselves like the Bereans of
Acts 17 who �received the word with all readiness of
mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those
things were so.�
(296) Haters
of
the truth by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/23/10
The truth
entered a world of darkness.
(297) Which
religion
is true? by Matt Slick, CARM, 9/23/10
Jesus said, "I
am the way, the truth, and the life, and now comes the
Father but by me," (John 14:6). Instead of looking at
thousands of religious systems and finding internal
inconsistencies, facts that contradict the belief
systems, or try and determine whether or not each is
falsifiable, let's take a look at Christianity.
Why? Because Jesus said that he alone was the way
to God the Father. If Jesus is right, then all
other religions are false since all other religions
don't agree with what Jesus said.
(298) Regarding
the Pre-Trib Rapture argument that the Church is not
mentioned after Revelation 4:1 by Sandy
Simpson, 10/10/10 I am not going
to start a debate on the whether Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib,
Pre-Wrath, Post-Trib or other Premillennial Rapture
scenarios are Biblically correct. They all have a
basis in Scripture. Pre-Tribers, however,
sometimes try to come off as if they have a corner on
the market of truth. But one of their arguments
for a Pre-Trib rapture is not correct. I have
heard the argument time and again ... that a proof of a
Pre-Trib Rapture is that the "Church" is not mentioned
after Revelation 4, therefore proving that since the
Church is not mentioned the Church is no longer on
earth.
(299) The
Watchman by Scottish pastor Horatius Bonar
(1808-1889) He must
remember that he is a watchman; and, having seen danger
pressing on, he must not hesitate to make it known. He
must speak his message of forewarning and rebuke,
sparing no arrows, and neither smoothing down nor hiding
any form of sin, but laying his finger upon every sore,
and beseeching men to turn from their ungodliness. The
evils around him press upon him sadly; the coming evils
are foreshadowed upon his spirit, and, therefore, he
lifts up his voice like a trumpet.
(300) Dangers,
Toils
and Snares by Allistair Begg, Truth For Life,
11/8/10 How are things
going these days? Is everything running as planned, or
does it feel like you�re just barely hanging on? Maybe
you�re lonely, facing illness, stressed over problems at
work, or maybe you�re just overwhelmed with a
never-ending stream of challenges. As you survey the
landscape around you, all you can see are more troubles
on the horizon. Thankfully, we don�t have to face these
twists and turns alone. In this series of messages,
Alistair Begg considers some of the most common dangers,
toils, and snares that we encounter in our daily lives,
and he shows us how a knowledge of God�s character and
the Gospel will give us the tools we need to overcome
both common and uncommon challenges with a Biblical
attitude. This is a series of messages on this
subject in MP3 or CD format.
(301) What
is
the activity we call "discernment" really all about?
by Better Than Sacrifice Ministries, 11/21/10
What is
discernment? Even as I mention that word, a multitude of
Bible passages leaps into our minds: Ezekiel the watchman
(Ez. 3; 33); Jesus warning of the �false christs and false
prophets� that will arise (Matt. 24); the Jews at Berea
who �searched the Scriptures daily� to find out whether
Paul was teaching them the truth (Acts 17); Paul telling
the Thessalonians to �test all things; hold fast what is
good� (1 Thess. 5) and instructing Titus to �reject a
divisive man after the first and second admonition� (Titus
3); Peter warning about false teachers �who will secretly
bring in destructive heresies� (2 Peter 2). And many, many
more � all helpful to us in various ways.
(302) New
NIV Bible Still Draws Criticisms Over Gender-Related
Passages at Understanding The Times,
11/27/10 An update to
the popular NIV Bible that sought to resolve problems
over gender-inclusive language found in the
controversial TNIV Bible is still drawing criticism from
evangelicals.
(303) Doctrinal
Truth
Bears The Image Of Christ by Ken Silva,
12/3/10 There are many
modern professing Christians who would be quick to very,
very fervently profess their love for Christ and his
Word, that would also be just as quick to reject any
fervent defense of doctrinal truth. They would say they
love the Word, because they read it everyday; yet they
simply see no need or urgency to passionately defend the
truth that the Word of God contains.
(304) Here
is Your God! (Audio Series) by Allistair Begg,
12/10 If you travel
to India, you�ll encounter a culture that is governed by
the worship of hundreds of deities. Western society is
no different, although our gods and idols tend to be
much more subtle. But what are these gods and idols? Are
they real? How do they measure up to the God of the
Bible? Any agent of the treasury knows that the best way
to identify a counterfeit is to study the real thing.
The same is true with God: we can identify false gods
best by studying and knowing the one true God. In this
series of messages, Alistair Begg examines the character
traits of God that He reveals to us in the Bible and
through the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ. Learn
how the true God differs from the false idols we all set
up in our hearts and how a relationship with this God
should impact every aspect of our lives.
(305) The
Spirit Of Truth by Herescope, 12/13/10
In these days
of error, it is most necessary that the children of God,
who would not be entangled in the snares of the enemy,
should be well grounded and established in the Truth*;
and this by the teaching and testimony, work and witness
of the blessed Spirit. For want of this heavenly
instruction, how many who are weak in the faith or
ignorant of Satan�s devices are caught with some new
view, some novel interpretation of a text, some subtle,
plausible explanation of a passage in which, could they
see into the real intention of a passage of the writer
or speaker, they would at a glance perceive some
abominable heresy couched.
(306) Billy
Graham:
"Some People Are Born Christians" by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 12/23/10 �Some people
are born Christians,� at least so says renouned Southern
Baptist evangelist Billy Graham according to the former
President George W. Bush's book "Decision Points".
(307) Naming
Names by Spirit of Error, 12/25/10
One of the
criticisms I hear most is that it is wrong for me to
�name names� of people who promote false teaching unless
I first go to those teachers in private to address my
concerns with them. The implication is that no one
should listen to me if I haven�t followed the proper
order � going to the teacher first, then going public.
False teachers, themselves, often promote this idea to
shield themselves from criticism. But this is a misuse
of the teaching on church discipline found in Matthew
18:15-17. Here�s an article I wrote about this subject
three years ago.
(308) December
24th
Show: Discernment Ministries vs. Apologetics
Ministries: Is there a difference? by Jackie
Alnor, Apostasy Alert, 12/27/10 Over the next
several years, ministries that followed Hunt�s lead,
recognizing the prophesied apostasy in the church via
ecumenism with Rome, became labeled as �discernment
ministries.� The view that the false teachings in
the church were propelling the visible church toward a
unification into a global false religious system was not
seen as a valid paradigm by the academic type of
apologists. So the latter tended to marginalize the
former and look down their noses at those who believe we
are in the end times. That idea just isn�t very
scholarly to them.
(309) Witnessing
with
Bible Prophecy by Jackie Alnor, Apostasy
Alert, 1/2/11 The natural
outcome of recognizing the signs of the times for the
Christian should be the urgency to share the gospel with
others. It is inconceivable to think about the looming
wrath of God being poured out upon those we love who
will be left behind if they do not receive the free gift
of salvation before the rapture.
(310) Does
It
Really Matter What You Believe About God? by
Ken Silva, 2/2/11 Does it really
matter what someone believes about God? That is an
extremely important question, and what I�ll do now is to
give you a sound answer by turning to the Bible to see
what the Lord has to say the subject. Another vital
question we should be asking today is: When is the
church visible going to stop letting the world tell it
how to live?
(311) Be
Watchful! by Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(1834-1892) Many in these
days of easy profession are likely to prove tares, and
not wheat; hypocrites with fair masks on their faces,
but not the true-born children of the living God.
Christian, do not think that these are times in which
you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardor;
you need these things more than ever, and may God the
eternal Spirit display his omnipotence in you, that you
may be able to say, in all these softer things, as well
as in the rougher, �We are more than conquerors through
him that loved us."
(312) Is
the Trinity taught in the Old Testament by
Mike Oppenheimer, 3/1/11 From the
beginning God introduces himself to man as Elohim. In
Gen .1:26 God (elohim) said �let us make man in our
image, according to our likeness�� those engaged in this
conversation were all the same in nature and image. God
could not have been speaking to any heavenly creatures
because none of them possesses a divine nature like his.
We know later there were Divine Persons. Each person of
the Godhead can think and communicate with the other.
This verse shows independent thought and cooperation
within a plurality of his being. This means whoever
elohim is speaking to has the same power as him.
(313) Beck's
Bogus Beliefs by T.A. McMahon, The Berean
Call, 3/1/11 Glenn
Beck, the television and radio talk show host who is
best known for his conservative political views, isn't
someone whom we would normally address in our
newsletter. Our concerns are usually directed at
individuals, programs, or organizations that promote
spiritual or theological views contrary to the Word of
God. Beck, of late, seems to be making himself at home
in that realm, and he's attracting many who call
themselves Bible-believing Christians.
(314) "Examine
yourselves to see whether you are in the Faith"
by Sandy Simpson, ACT, 3/3/11 2Co 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the
faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that
Christ Jesus is in you� unless, of course, you fail the
test? People
who call themselves followers or Christ or "Christians"
and claim they are born again must believe certain
things. If they do not then they fail the test of
faith. They can claim they are born again all they
want and "once saved, always saved" but if they fail the
test of faith there is no eternal security. Only God
knows who will be saved, from beginning to end, because of
His foreknowledge and omniscience (Rom. 8:29, 1 Pet.
1:2). God did not make an arbitrary judgment about
who would be saved and who would not. His Spirit is
given to those He foreknew, when convicted of sin by His
Holy Spirit, would choose to believe and commit themselves
to Jesus Christ. We are not God and we do not have
His omniscience. Therefore we must be sure our
belief system is in the right place once our eyes have
been opened to the Truth. I am not saying we do not
have assurance of salvation, but our assurance comes not
only because of His Atonement and promises of salvation
but from our continuing in the Faith, which is always the
Biblical criteria. Those who would teach must teach
according to the whole counsel of God's Word. Let me be
clear. There is only one way to salvation.
That is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ
alone. I will deal with a few of those issues
following, but it is important to recognize that being
saved is not just a matter of believing that Jesus lived,
or that He was a man, or simply giving mental ascent to
His existence in whatever form. The Bible gives this
as the only criteria to be saved: Ac 16:31
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and
thy house. (KJV)
(315) Hold
On! by Sandy Simpson, 3/7/11 1 Tim.
4:1-2 But the Spirit explicitly says that in
later times some will fall away from the faith, paying
attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of
demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in
their own conscience as with a branding iron ...
(NASB) If we are to pay attention and obey the written
Word we must listen to what the Holy Spirit says.
It is not I who wrote the above. I am simply
reminding Christians that in the end times some will
fall away from the Faith. Clear and simple.
This is why the Lord reminds those who claim to be His
followers that we need to hold on till the end. The word
for "hold on" is katecho meaning hold, hold fast, keep,
possess, stay, take, have, make. The Bible tells
believers to hold on and keep what they have till the
end. But what are we to hold on to?
(316) Standing
for the Gospel � It is a Small Price to Pay by
Roger Oakland, Understand the Times International,
3/16/11 According to
the Scriptures and the events that we see happening
around us, we are living in the last days. The Bible
states that the last days will be perilous. Webster�s
Dictionary defines the word perilous to mean dangerous,
grave, threatening, unsafe, and unhealthy. Does this not
describe the world today? "This know also, that in the
last days perilous times shall come." 2 Timothy 3:1
There will be many deceivers during this time. The blind
will be leading the blind. There will be wolves in
sheep�s clothing that desire to devour the sheep and
drive them to market. These wolves may know they are
wolves, or they may not. They are under strong delusion.
The world is under strong delusion as well.
(317) The
Solomon Syndrome by Roger Oakland,
Understanding The Times, 3/28/11 Recently, a
number of circumstances have happened impacting my walk
with Jesus Christ. This has forced me to search my own
heart and try to understand my own behavior as well as
the attitude and behavior of those who are attacking me.
I have come to the conclusion the best way to do this is
to study the Scriptures. All of us know Christian
leaders who were once respected and used by God as
faithful servants. How is it possible then, you may ask,
that someone who started out dedicated to Christ and His
Word and taught the Word, can end up being trapped in a
state of delusion? How can such a person be convinced
that he or she is above the Word of God and does not
need correction? This malady that permeates and
infects Christian leadership in our world today is what
I call the Solomon syndrome. Great leaders are only
great if they faithfully follow Jesus and abide in His
Word. Often great leaders become great deceivers because
they end up following Satan and their own flesh. Because
they have large followings, they are looked up to as
great men of the faith. Further, while they have led
many astray, they may or may not know they have done
this because they are convinced they are God�s agents.
(319) 40
Irrefutable Signs of the Last Generation by
Dr. Noah Hutchings, Date: April 19, 2011 � Host: Vic
Eliason � Guest: Usama Dakdok
Dr. Noah
Hutchings is president of Southwest Radio Ministry in
Oklahoma City. He has written more than 100 books and
booklets covering many Bible related themes. He has
traveled to many places around the world in his lifetime
and his 40 trips to Israel and the Middle East helps to
make him uniquely qualified to speak on the issue of signs
related to last-days events. While Dr. Hutchings doesn�t
set specific dates for Christ's return, Christians can�t
ignore the fact that 40 is the biblical number of
probationary judgment. In light of that, Dr. Hutchings
uses his time on Crosstalk to explain how he�s been able
to document 40 signs that he believes point to the last
generation that will see the return of Christ; signs that
are relative to today's world.
Listen: RealAudio
| Windows
Media | MP3
(320) The
Old Rugged Cross by Crossroad, 4/23/11
To a world
bent on social unity and moral laxity, the cross stands
as a divisive and humiliating obstacle. Attempts to
minimize its offense through laws and intimidation have
bullied both secular and church leaders into continual
compromise. Public crosses are demolished or hidden;
Bibles are forbidden in schools, the traditional days
for celebrating the resurrection have been renamed
"spring break;" and countless corporations and
government agencies ban cross-shaped pins or jewelry.
Even Jesus Himself has become a popular target for media
mockery and ridicule!
(321) What
Have
We Become? by Paul Proctor, News With Views, April 27,
2011 The command from Jesus was so simple: �Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature.� (Mark 16:15) How
complicated is that? The world is right outside our door; and yet,
look at the �church� today and what those claiming to be His
disciples and witnesses are actually conveying to that world just
in the latest headlines alone: � 'Church Sucks' But Come Anyway? � Many Born-Again Christians Hold Universalist Views � Utah church offers free Korans in Easter gesture � Worst place to Celebrate Easter Is in Church, Says Pastor � Nashville-area church offers drive-thru prayer � Church's 'Dance Your Shoes Off' video goes viral � Survey Reveals Decade-Long 'Erosion' of Traditional U.S.
Congregations � 'A Massive Shift Coming in What it Means to Be a
Christian" Is it any wonder there is so much confusion about Who Jesus is,
what He did and what He taught � and that so many frustrated Bible
believers are wandering from church to church these days looking
for someone to simply preach it and teach it as it is written?
(322) Does
God continue to give us new Revelation, new words to
Scripture? by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/4/11 You are not led by the Spirit to challenge the word as true or
disobey it. You are led by the Spirit to accept it and live it. Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will
keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to
him and make Our home with him."He who does not love Me does not
keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the
Father's who sent Me.(John 14:23-24) So to show you love the
savior means you keep, believe, obey his word (which is written
for us), not anothers. It is then we can be fruitful and have
the joy that he wants to give in our lives.
(323) Living in
an age of lies by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/10/11 We are in the time of lying, in both politics and religion. The
lie is told so easily and boldly and the truth is told so weakly
and inefficiently. We have been fed lies portion by portion,
piece by piece for so long that the lie has become as the truth.
And no one wants to believe lies have encompassed the way the
church conducts her practices.
(325) The
forgotten command of Discipleship for personal growth,
multiplication and health of the church by Mike
Oppenheimer, 6/14/11 We are to be �Holding fast the faithful word as he has been
taught� (Titus 1:9). Paul explains God�s preservation process
for the church is to continue, �The things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who
will be able to teach others also� (2 Timothy 2:2). The modern
church has a problem: few are able to teach, few are faithful
men.
(326) This
Is A War Breifing by T.A. McMahon, 6/15/11 It is imperative that everyone who follows Jesus Christ
understands that we are in a war. It's a war that is spiritual,
but it may have physical consequences. If you're not aware that
you are in that kind of war, you very likely have already been
taken captive. If you are a pacifist in this war, you have been
at least effectively neutralized. Neutrality is capitulation.
There is no fence-sitting as the battle rages. Jesus said that
he who is not with Him is against Him (Matthew 12:30). So, if we
are indeed in a war, what's it all about? It's a war for the
hearts of humanity--and the adversaries are God and Satan.
(327) Critical
To
Know Your Bible by Ken Silva, 6/16/11 Sadly, by the way we live today�and the ease in which a rapidly
increasing number of serpentine deceptions are slithering into
the mainstream evangelical camp�we are demonstrating that
there�s far too much of our opening text within the visible
Christian church today. Take for example the sinfully ecumenical
Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church; this was from its evil
inception a rebellion against the proper Christian spirituality
of sola Scriptura and has now with its postmodern form of
Progressive Christian theology raised a barrier up against the
genuine Gospel of Jesus Christ.
(328) Back
To
Basics�Rob Pue Commentary on VCY America,
6/16/11 Rob described how Christians reflect far too many of the
world�s values. This is most obviously seen in today�s
seeker-friendly church movement. However, if seeker
friendliness isn�t what the Bible calls us to, what is our
responsibility as Christians? Are there some basics we can
begin with that we need to get back to? Find out what
Crosstalk callers had to say as well when you review this timely
edition of Crosstalk.
(329) Is
The
Trinity A Philosophical Contradiction? by Jacob Allee,
CARM, 6/20/11 Many people who reject the biblical doctrine of the Trinity do
because of confusion and misunderstanding. They think we are
saying the Bible teaches that God is one person and God is three
persons at the same time and in the same way. If that was
actually what we were saying then the Trinity would indeed be a
logical contradiction. However, when properly understood that
God is one �being� who exists as three �persons,� and we
understand the difference between the words �being� and
�person,� then there is no logical contradiction in the Trinity.
The fact of the matter is that God is simply a different kind of
being than human beings, containing more persons in His
existence than humans. Some will say �but there is nothing else
like this to which we can point!� We as Christians say �Amen.
There is no one like our God!� It is exactly for this reason
that we should not try to explain God by comparing Him to things
in this world, because there is nothing to which He can be
compared.
(330) Testing
the
Ego For Discernment by End Time Delusion,
6/25/11 Ever since his resounding victory over man in the Garden of
Eden, the enemy has recognized that the best place to attack is
at the weak point in human nature � man�s sense of pride and
ego. The more Satan can inflate man�s sense of pride and attack
his sense of humility, the more victories will be won in his
name.
(331) The
Value
of Our Souls � What Price Are You? by Lighthouse
Trails, 6/27/11 In our last article, How Much Does the Gospel Weigh?, we
examined the idea of placing a value on the Gospel. We saw how
the prophet Zechariah had predicted centuries before that the
price man would place on Jesus would be �weighed for my price
thirty pieces of silver� (Zechariah 11:13). All of this was
predicted and then happened about five hundred years later as if
God was making a profound statement on how Jesus, who was
despised and betrayed by man for so very little, from God�s
perspective had immeasurable value. What Jesus did for us at
Calvary cannot be measured by monetary value; in fact, as we
have seen, the Gospel becomes the standard by which everything
else is valued and measured. Now, for the moment, let�s turn our
thoughts to ourselves, and again using the idea of placing a
value on something, examine our value, both from man�s
perspective and God�s perspective.
(332) Seduction:
A
Primer for Persecution? by T. A. McMahon, The Berean
Call, 7/1/11 For the last three decades, Dave Hunt and I have addressed many
trends and teachings that have influenced the evangelical
church, particularly in the United States. Our concern has
focused primarily on unbiblical beliefs and practices that were
turning Christians away from the Word of God. Twenty-five years
ago, we wrote The Seduction of Christianity, a rather
controversial book that was motivated by feedback from those who
had read Dave's earlier books and had watched the film
documentaries to which I had contributed in the early eighties.
Some dealt specifically with religious cults (Cult Explosion,
The God Makers, etc.). Responses from Christians who read those
books and watched the films, however, alerted us to the fact
that the cult beliefs that we identified were also being taught
in their churches, which were being influenced by leading
Charismatic and Word/Faith teachers. Those same false teachers
were also spreading cultish doctrines throughout the country on
Christian television networks.
(333) The
Warning by Roger Oakland, 7/26/11 There is a pattern we find throughout the Word of God.
God always warns before He brings judgment on sinful man. God is
merciful and never reacts quickly without giving sinners a
chance to repent. While He hates sin, He has often allowed men
to carry on even if they do not respond. However there are
always consequences of sin. The Bible states that the
wages of sin is death. Often sin is exposed publically, and
others are reminded to get right with God.
(334) SENSUAL
or
SPIRITUAL? - Dance and Worship by Pastor Larry
DeBruyn, 8/12/11 �It�s difficult to get people to come to church� said A.W.
Tozer, �when the only attraction is God.� So churches now offer
enticements. Driven by the �wants� and �needs� of the audience,
people come to church for �therapy.� Expository preaching from
the Bible is down, but entertainment is up. Welcome to �the
church of Me.�
(335) "Are
We
Fundamentalists?" by Dr. Peter Masters, 8/14/11
THERE ARE NOW TWO KINDS OF EVANGELICAL.... The old is the
authentic, biblical position. The new is far off the
track, not in its basic view of salvation, but in its readiness
to compromise with doctrinal error and worldly ways. The new is
selling the faith for earthly respect and recognition... and
churches are being ruined.
(337) The
Less Than Truthful "Truth Project" by T. A. McMahon,
9/1/11 In summary, The Truth Project, in our view, is akin to a troop
support ship with a mixture of supplies aboard that need to be
carefully scrutinized. More importantly, if the ship's compass
is off even a few degrees, the vessel will not reach its
intended port. TTP has some excellent content along with some
erroneous teachings, but its "intended port" of transforming the
world is not on the course set by the Scriptures.
(338) �Touch
Not
Mine Anointed� by Kevin Reeves, 9/1/11 Perhaps the single biggest factor hindering acknowledgment and
genuine repentance of false doctrine is the unwillingness for
believers to relinquish the superstar status of their spiritual
heroes. And how many times had our [church] leadership supported
this by telling us not to name names? It was the one thing above
all others that tied my hands and put a gag in my mouth.
Although I was told to go ahead and speak to whomever I wanted
to within our group, such presentations were always followed up
with appropriate damage control by the leadership. And I was
forbidden to breach the unwritten hyper-charismatic code and
expose people like Kenneth Copeland during the times I filled
the pulpit ...
(339) Defending
Apologetics by Sandy Simpson, 9/7/11 Why is it that "Christian" leadership, when documented as
having taught false teachings or having done unbiblical things
publicly and then those things are exposed publicly, have a
conniption fit? They berate those who want to warn them
and others not to teach falsely and want you to contact them
personally or want to have a private meeting to talk about
it. But then if you do contact them personally or have a
meeting all you meet with is "attitude" and nothing gets
changed. What is the use of that? Why do people who
may have been true biblical teachers turned false teachers
assume they have the right to air what they do in public but
those who refute do not have the same rights?
(339) An
Examination
and Critique of Claimed Visits to Heaven and Hell by
Justin Peters, Worldview Times, 9/21/11 These accounts are extra-biblical and often unbiblical.
They divert attention away from the true power of God, the
Gospel (Rom. 1:16), and emphasize subjective experiences.
They may be motivational in a superficial sense but they are not
capable of convicting people of their sin and need of the
Savior. In the words of hymn writer John Keith, "How firm
a foundation ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in His
excellent Word. What more can He say than to you He hath
said? To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?" What more
can He say to us, dear friends, than what He has already said?
(340) Dangers,
Toils
and Snares: End Time Warnings by Jenn Lawson,
9/26/11 The 2011 Women on the Watch Conference entitled �Dangers, Toils
and Snares in the End Times� was held in the middle of the
southland on the border of Orange County and Los Angeles county,
in the city of Cypress in mid-September. One would expect
thousands of women to show up, but it was a small turn out with
about 200 people. Speakers with pre-Christian backgrounds
in the New Age/New Spirituality movement, witchcraft and the
occult gave their testimonies and warned about how these things
have not only crept into Christian churches, but are boldly and
blatantly being accepted by many undiscerning people who attend
these churches. This begs the question - Are Christians
being deceived and falling away from Biblical truth?
(341) Is
Your Eschatology Showing? by T. A. McMahon,
10/10/11 What does the Bible say regarding the living out of a
Premillennial eschatology? First of all, the doctrine is
characterized primarily as a believer's "blessed hope": "Looking
for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12-13). Verse 12
indicates what our lives should be like as we are "looking for
that blessed hope": "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,
in this present world;" John, the beloved, and likely the last
of the apostles to go to be with Jesus, gives us this
exhortation, which no doubt he himself lived out: "Beloved, now
are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like
him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this
hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John
3:2-3).
(342) The
Tragedy
of Self-deception by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, August/September 2011 - Volume 17, Issue 4 The fact that we are easily self-deceived should surprise no
Christian for, as the inspired prophet Jeremiah wrote centuries
ago, �The heart is more deceitful than all else and is
desperately sick, who can understand it� (Jere 17:9)? Jeremiah
quickly adds, I, the Lord, search the heart and I test the mind,
even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the
results of his deeds.� (v.10). However, this deceitful heart,
which each of us inherits as a result of the fall, leaves us in
a bit of a quandary. How are we supposed to function so as to
walk authentically before the Lord? If even the best and most
sincere can be deceived by their own hearts, then how can we
have confidence that any of our actions, thoughts or motives are
pure? How can we be sure that we are not deluding ourselves no
matter how hard we try to live in integrity?
(343) Spiritual
Warfare by Berit Kjos, 10/24/11 We don't hear much about spiritual warfare these days. Most
churches seem to ignore the reality of Satan and the depravity
he inspires. God's warnings about compromise with a corrupt
world simply don't fit the new image of Jesus as a gentle,
tolerant, pluralistic helper. Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3 & Part
4.
(344) The
Day Christ Was Born by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call,
12/1/11 Regardless of the day, Christ's virgin birth into this world as
a babe was an event of such stupendous proportions that Paul
declared: "great is the mystery..." (1 Tm 3:16)!
(345) Never
Trifle
With False Doctrine by J.C. Ryle, 12/12/11 The whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, must be our rule of
faith nothing added and nothing taken away. Finally, let us draw
a broad line of distinction between those things in religion
which have been devised by man, and those which are plainly
commanded in God�s word. What God commands is necessary to
salvation. What man commands is not. What man devises may be
useful and expedient for the times; but salvation does not hinge
on obedience to it. What God requires is essential to life
eternal. He that wilfully disobeys it ruins his own soul.
(346) What has
become of apologetics and why do it? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 12/24/11 Apologetics is to be a defense of the faith; it is about the
gospel and anything that pertains to the Bible. Basically it is
answering objections and challenges to the word and the one way
to God made through Jesus Christ. We are told by Peter �But
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to
give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope
that is in you, with meekness and fear� (1 Peter 3:15)
(347) The
Symptoms
of Seduction by Spirits by Discernment Research Group,
1/18/12 The warning is plain. There are false voices, impressions,
experiences, prophecies, and signs and wonders that cleverly
counterfeit themselves to be authentic-experiential encounters
with the afterlife. These spiritual experiences can seem
genuinely real, perfectly timed and intimately personal as they
speak to our needs and comfort our hearts. But even as they may
seem to meet our emotional and spiritual needs, we must
acknowledge our vulnerability to spiritual deception and
therefore measure these experiences by the full counsel of God�s
Word, all the while knowing that such encounters are
unprecedented in and therefore unsanctioned by Holy Scripture,
which reveals to human hearts the true work of the Holy Spirit
(See John 5:39; 15:26).
(348) �Judge not, that ye be not
judged.� by William MacDonald, One Day At A Time,
1998 People who know little else about the Bible often know this
verse and use it in a most bizarre way. Even when a person is
criticized for unspeakable wickedness, they piously gurgle,
�Judge not, that ye be not judged.� In other words, they use the
verse to forbid any condemnation of evil.
(349) President
Obama
and the Bible by Michael Youssef, One News Now,
2/4/12 Many of us who are biblical scholars have watched Mr. Obama's
use, or should I say abuse, of the Bible with dismay.
(350) Churchianity,
Christianity
or Christ by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/20/12 Our faith is to be toward our savior, our walk is with our
savior; our life is about our savior Christ Jesus, who is God.
He came to rescue us from a fallen world, that had death and
evil as the result of the fall which has become the natural way
of life. Christ taught what is right or wrong from the Old
Testament and gave us further teachings as our New Testament.
Christianity is about Jesus, the living savior, the first to
rise from the dead and live eternally. This is what Paul meant
by �We preach Christ crucified� and yet he would tell the church
�I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his
craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ.� (2 Cor. 11:3)
(352) Do The Truths Of Ezekiel 13
Still Apply Today? by Sandy Simpson, 3/1/12 God is going to bring down the false global religion that is
already here consisting of ecumenism, interfaithism and false
teachings and prophecies of all kinds, just as He promised to
break down the whitewashed wall the false prophets built up to
deceive Israel. God will ultimately protect both His
Church and those who actually belong to it who have not been
turned aside by myths and false teachings. Do you think this
chapter still applies or is it ancient history? Let me
illustrate how these timeless truths apply just as much today as
to when God had repeatedly told Israel they were headed for
captivity if they listened to the counsel of false
prophets. God has warned us ahead of time that we of the
end times churches will see a falling away and many will be
deceived.
(353) Beware
Of
Angels From The Dark Side by Marsha West, 3/28/12 Angels fascinate people. For years we�ve been inundated
with books, calendars, stationery, folklore, jewelry,
knickknacks, lunch boxes, tattoos, even cherubic trash
containers. People can�t get enough of angels!
Stories of angelic encounters abound on the Internet. You
ask, �Do you have a problem with angels?� Well, yes. And
herein lies the problem. The messengers are not necessarily
�angels of light� as people have been led to believe. Many
angel enthusiasts have actually met heavenly visitors from the
dark side. Even self-professed Christians are
deceived. How can this be? Shouldn�t Christians be
able to discern what�s real and what�s counterfeit? Not
necessarily. Biblically illiterate Christians are easy to
fool.
(354) Spiritual
Abuse
and the Book of Galatians by Barb Orlowski,
4/4/12 Therefore, though Galatians initially looks like it is dealing
with legalism in the Christian churches there, what Paul was
correcting was a far deeper problem�an entirely erroneous belief
that was fraught with the potential to undermine the true Gospel
of Christ. Once the reader of the Book of Galatians grasps what
the main issue at stake was, then this book will hold a far
richer understanding. From that key perspective, the idea of
church leaders �changing� Christian beliefs today, by adding or
subtracting from the true Gospel message, can be followed with
interest. The need is to question if there is anything that
would lead a follower of Christ away from sole reliance on him
as Savior and Lord. This would gauge if a belief system is
sub-Christian and, therefore, would need to be condemned.
(355) Refute
False
Doctrine Or Adapt It by Ken Silva, 4/5/12 Unfortunately, today too much of the church visible is not
willing to refute those who oppose sound doctrine and instead
has become more like Peter was before back in Mark 8:33. This
would lead to a most startling rebuke from our Lord; Who clearly
told His disciple that he actually held a view that originates
from Satan � �Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your
mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.�
(356) Old
or
Just Sensitive? - The New (Age) Music in the Churches Today
by Pastor John Shipman, 4/10/12 I�m a forty year old but one would think I�m eighty years old!
That is if you listen to worship in today�s churches. Gone are
the days of lovely, Word inspired hymns. No, it will not attract
the young crowd! See why I am feeling old? The well-dressed
choir has been replaced with head-banging young children,
jumping up and down. The song with words that you can hear and
understand has changed into a blur of noise with screams that
hurt my ears (Old Gump!)
(357) Concerned
to
Discern by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 4/16/12 As could be agreed upon by most believers, Christians have the
right, even the duty, to evaluate and hold accountable to Holy
Scripture those who profess the evangelical faith but who, for
reason of their manifest beliefs and behaviors, appear to be
departing from the faith.
(359) The
Gospel
Test: Do Your People Really Know the Good News by The
Berean Call, 4/27/12 Imagine waiting outside the doors of the sanctuary of any
evangelical church in America with a video camera and a
microphone at the end of the Sunday morning service. Your
mission? To interview 10 random members of the congregation with
a simple question, "If I were not a Christian and you were to
explain the gospel to me what would you say?"
Updated! (360) Outcome-Based
Conversion:
By Man's Machinations or God's Ministration? by Larry
DeBruyn, 5/4/12 - Read Part
1, Part
2 & Part
3.
In America over the last two centuries, no event has become
more associated with the evangelical-fundamentalist movement
than the altar call. In evangelistic campaigns, revival
crusades, and many church services, the altar call is synonymous
with winning souls to Jesus Christ, or calling backslidden
believers to repent and return to the Lord.
(361) Discernment
Detractors:
Calling Good Evil by Warren Smith, 5/17/12 While our Adversary furiously attempts to undermine the
importance of discernment by ridiculing it, we are not ignorant
of his devices (2 Corintians 2:11).
(362) Don't
Be
Fooled By Deluded Deceivers by Ken Silva,
5/24/12 Since God cannot change, the spiritually mature should see that
the point is still the same: It�s one thing to say you belong to
God, but it�s quite another to have the life to back it up. You
don�t think that the Pharisees had any good works; of course
they did, but they loved the approval of men, just the same as
Rick Warren and Rob Bell and Joel Osteen and Pope Benedict XVI
seem to today. I exhort you, don�t be fooled by deluded
deceivers any longer because this is what the Lord says to those
who are ...
(363) Isaiah
1:18 speaks to us today by Mike Oppenheimer,
6/5/12 God invites unreasonable people to reason with Him. It is God
that initiates the conversation.
(364) As
Iniquity
Abounds by ApostasyWatch, 6/7/12 There can be little doubt that we live in a culture in which
iniquity abounds. Much of the visible church here in the west is
busily engaged in a great culture war, attempting to stem the
tide of evil that has enveloped our nation. We are told that
every political election today is the most important of our
lifetime. If only we will elect the right leaders and expel the
evil doers from positions of power, our nation will be restored
to its former greatness. The church has come to believe that
engaging the culture in this manner is what being salt and light
is all about. I believe we have greatly missed the mark.
(365) The
Authority
Of Scripture by William Webster, 6/12/12 Jesus clearly taught that Scripture is inspired by God. He
regarded it as truth�infallible, inerrant, historically
reliable, authoritative for living, and an all-sufficient rule
of faith.
(366) Resources For
Pastors by Sandy Simpson, 6/17/12 This article was originally written and published in my Pacific
Waves Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 1 - March 2002 sent out to
hundreds of pastors and church leaders in Micronesia. It
contains recommended resources as well as those that are not
recommended.
(367) The
Spirit
of Error by J.C. Philpot, 6/27/12 Whether we set forth truth or whether we expose error, and we
can scarcely do the one without at the same time performing the
other, the Word of God must ever be the grand armoury whence we
take the weapons of our spiritual warfare. This is both
apostolic precept and apostolic practice. "Take the sword of the
Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Eph. vi. 17). "If any man
speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Pet. iv. 11).
"The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strongholds" (2 Cor. x. 4).
(368) The
Watchman by Horatius Bonar, 7/29/12 "Some one, then, must undertake the ungracious task of probing
and laying bare the evils of the age; for men must not be
allowed to congratulate themselves that all is well. If others
will not, he will.
(369) Was
Paul
a Pragmatist? by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 8/3/12 All of the aforementioned, and more, seek justification from a
statement in the Bible where Paul wrote, �I have become all
things to all men, that I may by all means save some� (1
Corinthians 9:22b). Contortedly, contemporaries interpret this
verse to provide apostolic endorsement to do anything to reach
anyone. Such a ministry motif is pragmatism, a belief that
legitimates any practice so long as it achieves the presumed
result of saving some. To the pragmatist, the end justifies the
means.
(370) Vain
Imaginations
- Speculative Ideas and Enthusiastic Visionary Ramblings
by J.C. Philpot, 8/8/12 "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope
to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13.) "Be sober,"
adds the Apostle, or, as the word might be translated, be
"watchful." Sobriety in religion is a blessed gift and grace. In
our most holy faith there is no room for lightness. The things
which concern our peace are solemn, weighty matters, and if they
lie with any degree of weight and power on our spirit, they will
subdue that levity which is the very breath of the carnal
mind.
(371) The
Evils
Within the Church by Horatius Bonar, 8/17/12 His voice (Jude) is that of Elijah or John the Baptist. It is
�the voice of one crying in the wilderness.� He speaks to the
declining churches of his day. He speaks to the Church of the
last days. It is against the evils within the Church that he
specially warns. What a picture does he draw of error,
licentiousness, worldliness, spiritual decay, and ecclesiastical
apostasy! Who could recognize the image of the primitive Church
in the description he gives of prevailing iniquity? The world
had absorbed the Church, and the Church was content that it
should be so�
(372) Can
Liberal
Christianity Be Saved? at The Berean Call, Douthat,
New York Times Online, 7/14/12 Today, by contrast, the leaders of the Episcopal Church and
similar bodies often don�t seem to be offering anything you
can�t already get from a purely secular liberalism. Which
suggests that perhaps they should pause, amid their frantic
renovations, and consider not just what they would change about
historic Christianity, but what they would defend and offer
uncompromisingly to the world.
(373) Judge
Not�Judge
All Things by Cornelius R. Stam, 9/1/12 Away, then, with the use of such passages as II Timothy 2:24
and Matthew 7:1 merely as excuses for irresponsibility and for
the criticism of those who seek to stand true to God and His
Word. Let us rather consider prayerfully all that God says about
judging, that we might truly please and honor Him.
(374) Question:
We
are trying to stand to defend the faith and have come across
people believing in the evidence of gold dust, jewels from
heaven.... If we stick to the Word-based miracles only�is that
limiting God? by The Berean Call, 9/2/12 God�s servants are not validated by the most amazing miracles.
�To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them�
(Isaiah:8:20To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no light in
them.). Some point to Acts:16:20And brought them to the
magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly
trouble our city,, which reads, �And they went forth, and
preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming
the word with signs following.� Please note, however, the
�signs� confirmed the �word.� The word remains the
focus. There may be all sorts of wonderful signs, but if the
word is deficient, the signs are of no value.
(375) When lies
become more abundant than the truth by Mike
Oppenheimer, 9/20/12 What is a lie? It is like darkness to the light. A lie does not
contain the truth �no lie is of the truth (I Jn 2:21). Light
does not contain darkness, they are not a mixture. A lie
distorts the truth and makes it into something other than its
nature. Truth is often understood as the opposite of what is
false; more accurately it is the absence of falsehood. It takes
integrity and courage to tell the truth, especially in place of
an opposition. The truth can hurt but it will always yield good
fruit when it is accepted and adhered to. It takes integrity to
tell the truth. Unfortunately, in our day, lies are more common
than the truth. There is a raging battle of truth against lies.
(376) Why should
You believe the Bible is the source for all we need to live
and grow for a spiritual life? by Mike Oppenheimer,
10/7/12 �It is written,� is a common used phrase in the Old Testament.
So when we come to the New Testament it would be expected for
Jesus to constantly state �it is written,� along with "Have you
not read� as well as numerous other statement that referred to
looking to the Scripture. He did not mention anything else to
look to. Even after His resurrection when he met his disciples
He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while
I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
concerning Me." And He opened their understanding, that they
might comprehend the Scriptures� (Luke 24:44-45). The Scriptures
alone were pointed to verify who he was what he said and what he
would fulfill. Read Part
1 & Part 2.
(377) The
Bible
Literacy of Teenage Believers by The Berean Call,
10/13/12 Youth ministry researcher Chap Clark says, �I�m convinced that
the single most important area where we�ve lost ground with kids
is in our commitment and ability to ground them in God�s Word.�
As a result, Barry Shafer says, �The church today, including
both the adult and teenage generations, is in an era of rampant
biblical illiteracy.� Duffy Robbins takes this one step further
when he says: �Our young people have become incapable of
theological thinking because they don�t have any theology to
think about. � And, as Paul warns us, this � leaves us as
�infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and
there by every wind of teaching� (Ephesians:4:14 That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;).�
(378) What
is
the difference between exegesis and eisegesis? by
GotQuestions?.org, 10/22/12 Answer: Exegesis and eisegesis are two conflicting approaches
in Bible study. Exegesis is the exposition or explanation of a
text based on a careful, objective analysis. The word exegesis
literally means �to lead out of.� That means that the
interpreter is led to his conclusions by following the text. The
opposite approach to Scripture is eisegesis, which is the
interpretation of a passage based on a subjective,
non-analytical reading. The word eisegesis literally means �to
lead into,� which means the interpreter injects his own ideas
into the text, making it mean whatever he wants.
(379) Testing
the
Genuineness of our Faith by Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(1834-1892) Untested faith may be true faith, but it is sure to be small
faith, and it is likely to remain little as long as it is
without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things
are against her: Tempests are her trainers, and bolts of
lightning are her illuminators.
(380) Evangelicals
Rejecting
God's Word by The Berean Call, 10/30/12 I believe fundamentalist defection has more to do with a
spiritual heart condition rather than home schooled kids being
unable to defend YEC in college. It wasn�t a matter of bad
�science� being challenged by unanswerable evidence. It was a
matter of an unconverted heart.
(382) The
Gospel
as the True Armor of God � Deliverance from Demons as Transfer
of Dominion by Bob DeWaay, Critical Issues Commentary,
11/8/12 It is not where demons are in relationship to us; it is where
we are in relationship to Christ � that is the worldview of the
Biblical writers. Those who have believed the gospel are
transferred from one spiritual domain to another. But while we
physically reside in this world, we are surrounded by spiritual
forces of darkness. My thesis is this � the gospel is the armor
of God in which we must stand.
(382) A Trip To Hell? by
Sandy Simpson, 11/8/12 I am writing this article to expose yet another �trip to hell�
story making the rounds on the web. There is a PowerPoint
presentation about it and people who get it are being urged to
forward it to ten more people. Before I get into
commenting on this story, which is quoted in full from the
PowerPoint, I need to help you understand how to discern these
types of stories. One of the most important ways is to
compare what is said with what the Bible teaches, both in the
actual account of hell we have there as well as comparing it to
what the Bible teaches doctrinally and about Jesus Christ.
The full text of the PowerPoint is in red while my comments are
in black.
(383) Raping
Old
Testament Narratives To Promote False Teaching by Dr.
Orrel Steinkamp, 11/17/12 This title is purposefully alarming in order to get the
attention of the reader. Perhaps a little less volatile word
could be abuse. Rape or abuse is to take something by force that
is not yours for the taking. It is abuse when Scripture is
mislabeled and misapplied. Violence is done to the message and
meaning of Scripture
(384) Confronting Abusive
Leaders from Chris Lawson, Vimeo video, 11/29/12
Are abusive leadership tactics and "the fear of man" pressing
you down into submissive silence?
(385) Judge
Not!
... and you will not be judged by Philip Powell, CWM,
12/6/12 �Judge Not� or �Do Not Judge� is an often-quoted verse of the
Bible � by Christians, pseudo-Christians and non-Christians
alike. This is especially true in the today�s neo-pagan,
politically correct Western world, where �judge not� has been
elevated to the status of the �golden rule�. Similarly, the
second half of the verse of Scripture, from which this phrase
comes, seems to have been re-hashed into a �get out of jail
free� card type idea. But does this verse, Matthew 7:1, say, or
mean: �Do not judge AND you will not be judged�?
(386) The Queen
James Bible, the Gay Bible by Matt Slick, CARM,
12/22/12 The Queen James Bible, also known as the gay Bible, is a new
assault on biblical orthodoxy and sexual purity. This is to be
expected in a world of moral relativism and sexual
perversions. the 1769 King James Bible has been reproduced
with only a very few select verses altered. Those verses are
listed below and analyzed. I hope that you will see that the
Queen James Bible is a perversion of the original text and is
the result of obvious prejudices against the truth of God's
word.
(387) Postmodern
Infiltration:
The Neoevangelical Heretical Idea by Herescope,
12/28/12 Separation is not a passive activity. In these perilous times,
believers are called upon more than ever to be on guard against
the seductions of heretical teachings and their teachers. It is
a defensive posture that requires standing firm on the Word, and
continually filtering every teaching through the lens of the
whole counsel of Scripture. To avoid heresy requires active
resistance on the part of the believer. Sometimes a believer
must physically flee from temptation and its circumstances.
(388) Can
A
Goat Be A Sheep? by Rick Frueh, 12/30/12 This is a dangerous and eternally diabolical situation. How
many church members are not born again? How many preachers are
hirelings? How many churches are offering factories? How many
church members go prayer less and without ever once witnessing
for Jesus? I do not say these things from high atop a pinnacle
myself. But how can we remain silent when precious souls are
being deceived? They are not being led into Mormonism, or the
Watchtower, or Christian Science, but let us be painfully frank.
They are being led into a cult just as insidious as the ones we
love to identify. And because these churches are considered
mainstream, their deceptive practices can be even more subtle
and eternally dangerous. It will only get worse as time goes on.
(389) 2012
Was Not The Apocalypse! But When Is It? by Sandy
Simpson, 1/1/2013 When asked by a number of people if the Mayan prediction was
going to come true for the end of the world to occur on 12/21/12
my answer was �What makes you think the Mayans could predict the
end of the world if they could not even predict their own
demise?� Likely they simply ran out of space in the
scribbling of their calendar on their cave walls. But is
there any reliable source of information about when the
Apocalypse will occur? Yes there is. The Bible
prophecies have been accurate all through history so it is our
only source of reliable prophecy regarding the end times.
If you want information on how close we are to the end you need
look no further than what Jesus told His disciples when asked
that very question in Matthew 24.
(390) Rapture
Already by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, Guarding His Flock
Ministries, 1/4/13 As such, Christians should not attempt to fill in any void of
knowledge regarding the afterlife by engaging in occult
activities (Leviticus 19:31) or paying attention to the reports
of the OBE or NDE experiences of others because curiosity can
kill the Christian and �we walk by faith, not by sight� (2
Corinthians 5:7). Seeking voices other than the Prophet�s
regarding matters of the afterlife betrays a heart of unbelief.
By His words and His works, the Prophet (Jesus) has informed us
about all we need to know of Heaven and how to go there when we
die. So in conclusion, I would ask us, who name the name of
Christ and have put our faith in and given our allegiance to
Him, are His promises not enough? If the answer is negative,
then maybe we need a heart, or should I say . . . faith
check-up. After all, Jesus counseled His disciples, "Let not
your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father�s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John
14:1-3) So we see that in the face of death, Jesus� words are
sufficient.
(391) The
gospel and the kingdom of Godby Mike Oppenheimer,
1/8/13 Jesus Christ must return to establish His authority and rule on
earth for His kingdom to officially commence. To do this He
separates the sheep from the goats (Mt.25), removes those who do
evil and came against his people. Then the faithful church will
rule and reign under his leadership which will be centered in
Jerusalem.
(392) The Demise of Biblical
Discernment by T. A. McMahon, The Berean Call, Volume
28, Issue 2, February 2013 In last month�s issue of this newsletter we exhorted our
readers to discipline themselves to read the Word of God daily.
The emphasis was on developing a habit, the best and most
necessary habit�one that every believer should have. Of course,
we encouraged reading the Bible as a basis for living one�s life
by what it teaches, which is the only way that one who is born
again spiritually can mature in the faith. Yet, here is the
simple truth that too many Christians have missed: if we don�t
read God�s Word for ourselves, we can�t truly know its
instructions. If we don�t know God�s instructions, we can�t
follow Him, and we therefore can�t do what pleases Him.
Tragically, many if not most Christians
haven�t considered that simple truth.
Their spiritual beliefs tend to be a collection of
things they�ve heard (sermons, radio, TV, books, movies, etc.)
mixed with what they may or may not have gotten from the Bible.
They have been spoon-fed rather than getting their spiritual
meals directly from God�s Word.
(393) The
Bible:
Too Low, Too Human, Too Safe? at The Berean Call,
1/18/13 More than once I have been accused of being a bibliolater , a
person who idolizes the Bible, who has excessive reverence for
the letter of the Bible. I�m sure many other Christians have
been accused of this as well. In my experience, this charge
tends to be leveled against those who affirm the infallibility
or inerrancy of Scripture; it may also be leveled against those
who affirm the sufficiency of Scripture. People who level such a
charge are objecting to what they see as a woodenness of faith
and practice that stems from an understanding of Scripture they
deem too literal.
(395) Who
Shapes
Our Conscience and defines RIGHT or WRONG in today's corrupt
culture? by Crossroad, 1/21/13 What determines our values in today's fast-changing world? Who
imprints its values on our conscience? Do parents?
Teachers? The Media? Or our omnipotent God? It depends! In
former times, the Christian conscience played a leading role in
American schools and families. Parents who trusted God treasured
His Word and taught it to their children. With His Word
imprinted on their conscience, they would know whom to follow
when faced with a challenge. We live in a new era! The
Bible-trained conscience has largely been replaced by contrary
guidelines that twist, scorn or deny God's truth. Some still
point to a conscience, but most people redefine it to match
today's cultural values and personal inclinations.
(396) �Babylon
Rising�
and Canon in Crisis by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
1/27/13 Lewis Sperry Chafer (1871-1952), the first president of Dallas
Theological Seminary, once reportedly said that all heresy is
either the Bible plus, or the Bible minus. The work of radical
higher criticism, as it has affected, even determined, the
liberal view of the Christian faith since the late 1800s, has
seen to it that there�s a lot of Bible-minus ideology amongst
professing Christians now-a-days, even among so-called
evangelicals. Now however, voices are emerging which advocate a
Bible-plus view of Holy Scripture.
(397) Marinated
Christianity by Rick Frueh, 2/2/13 For two thousand years Christianity had marinated inside a
cauldron of earthly culture and that process has eventually made
this remarkable faith appear innocuous and unremarkable and even
culturally assimilated. While the first community of faith
seemed to humbly eschew the pleasures of the culture, this new
breed seemed to embrace them. And while the earliest followers
of Jesus remained humble even under the severest of
persecutions, this modern day church fights fire with fire and
complains loudly at the appearance of even what would seem to be
a harmless secular slight against them. No longer would they
pray and fast for their enemies and trust Jesus to take care of
them. Now they would do verbal, legal, and political battle with
those in darkness.
(398) Jesus
is
the Way by Crossroad, 2/3/13 Jesus is the Way -- the only way -- through the pain, fears,
losses and challenges of our times! What's more, He is the
only Way to a victorious life with God today and forever.
(399) Those
Who
Resist by Kevin Reeves, 2/15/13 These are critical days for the body of Christ. We are in the
epoch of church history spoken of by the apostle Paul as
�perilous times� (II Timothy 3:1). What makes the danger all the
more imminent is that not much of the church believes it. Many
of us have owned the glorious but erroneous vision of an
end-times remnant walking in unconquerable power, transforming
entire societies. The result has been nothing short of
catastrophic. How soon we forget. Every cult in the world has
sprouted from the fertile soil of deception, always initiated by
a drastic move away from the primacy of the Word of God into the
nebulous, self-defining atmosphere of experience. At New
Covenant, our desire to accumulate otherworldly wealth (i.e.,
supernatural power) had ushered us into a contrived system of
personal spiritual elevation much like such active cults as
Mormonism and the Jehovah�s Witnesses.
(400) God's
Help
for Hard Times - Biblical Keys to Overcome Pain, Fear and
Hardship by James L. Morrisson with Maria Kneas,
2/17/13 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12 :2) In order to deal with
pain and hardship, we must think Scripturally instead of
thinking the way that the world does. The theme of
transformation runs throughout the New Testament. God does not
want us to stay where we are. He wants us to change --
radically. Change is often difficult and can be painful. But it
is what God wants and expects of us.
(401) Add-Ons:
Augmenting
Scripture With Diverse and Strange Doctrines by
Herescope, 2/18/13 It is an age-old deception. Adding to the Scripture is one of
the easiest ways to deceive believers. Why? Because error is
cleverly brought in as "new information" that it is claimed will
"illuminate" the Word and enrich the life of a believer. Sola
Scriptura is being challenged by many new modes of augmentation.
Adding to Scripture with supplemental "diverse and strange
doctrines" is a form of heresy.
(402) Discernment
Detractors:
Calling Good Evil by Warren Smith, 05/12 While our Adversary furiously attempts to undermine the
importance of discernment by ridiculing it, we are not ignorant
of his devices (2 Corintians 2:11).
(403) The
Doctrine
of Church Discipline by Pastor Daryl Hilbert, 2/24/13
There is a battle to be waged in the Christian life. The war
has been won by our Champion-Savior, but there are myriads of
skirmishes that must be fought in the battle with sin. Do not
grieve if you find yourself always in the midst of skirmishes
with sin. Rather fret, grieve, and awaken if you hardly ever
hear the trumpet sound and you have no bruises to show for your
worth as a soldier in the King�s army.
(404) Hungering
for truth or succumbing to the lies which only bring deception
by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/25/13 Is everyone in the world becoming deceived? Deception can now
be found in every facet of life at various degrees. The
military, businesses, food, the news, school education, the
church. Yes the place you may gather for worship may not be as
safe as you thought. We need to guard our heart with all
diligence in these days. Read Part
1 & Part 2
(405) Setting
Aside
the Power of the Gospel for a Powerless Substitute by
David Dombrowski, 3/6/13 If I were to say to you that much of the church today has set
aside the power of God, would you be shocked? After all, we live
in a time where having the power of God in your life is a major
theme preached from pulpits across the country. And book after
book, sold in massive quantities, pour off the presses promising
a special connection or intimacy with God that will
revolutionize your life and make it more dynamic. Yet, I believe
I can prove that in fact, the power of God is being laid aside,
and I will tell you how.
(406) Backsliding
From
the True Jesus by Prof. Johan Malan, 3/16/13 The world is under strong pressure to turn their backs on the
true Christ of the Bible in order to advance a multireligious
receptiveness to the appearance of the false Christ of all
faiths. The coming Messiah-King of the deceived world will be
the Antichrist, the great adversary of the true Christ. An
increasing number of people are positively inclined towards his
coming, and are completely ignorant of the fact that they were
deceived by the devil to engage in paving the way for the
appearance of a false prince of peace for all of humanity.
(407) Radical
Music
for Radical Times: Has Christian Music Gone Too Far?
at The Berean Call, 3/25/13 TBC: In finding "refuge in the lyrics of current gospel music"
the Church is bypassing the real refuge. Old and now mostly
forgotten composer Ira Sankey wrote in 1885, "The Lord's my
rock, in him we hide, a shelter in the time of storm." He was
simply pointing to our true refuge. Psalm:1:1-2 [1] Blessed is
the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful. [2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in
his law doth he meditate day and night. tells us, "Blessed is
the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his
law doth he meditate day and night." Not all modern music is
without merit, but for those who "push the envelope," they
compromise with the world and in doing so very likely
shortchange their listeners, leading them away from the Rock
which is our refuge," our "shelter in the time of storm."
(408) Kabbalah,
Cahn,
and Hebrew Mysticism by David James, 4/1/13 Jonathan Cahn has over 1,700 of his messages available through
the Hope of the World website. The descriptions of many of these
messages are quite revealing about his approach to handling the
Word of God�which appears to be mystical at its core:
(409) The
Error
Of A-Millennialism by Andrew Robinson, 4/4/13 Augustine is the Charles Darwin of the Church, who abandoned
biblical literalism in favour of allegory, and pioneered a
survival-of-the-fittest theological system which centred on the
Church as the New People of God. He believed Israel was finished
and that all unfulfilled Old Testament prophecies were to be
reinterpreted spiritually or allegorically in favour of the
Church. Consequently, references to Israel, Zion and Jacob, with
their attendant promises, no longer referred to the Jewish
nation.
(410) The
Death
of Reason and the Return of Jesusby Jacob Prasch,
Moriel Ministries, 4/7/13 Due to this suspension of reason, the stage is being set for
Jesus' warning that "For this reason" He will come at an hour
when He is not expected.
(411) Does
the Bible allow lying? Is it ever permissible? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 4/11/13 The Scriptures expressly condemn lies calling the Devil the
Father (originator) of them to man (John 8:44). It was Satan who
first distorted God�s instructions to Adam and Eve. By having
them disobey it affected not just them but all of us through
history.
(413) The
Need
for Discernmentby Mike Gendron, 4/18/13 When asked, "What will be the signs of your return?', the Lord
Jesus mentioned several signs, but he repeated one sign three
times. There will be false teachers, false prophets and false
Christs who will deceive even the elect if possible (Mat.
24:4,11,24). Knowing this we must examine everything carefully
so that we can hold fast to that which is good and abstain from
every form of evil (1 Thes. 5:21). We need to identify and
expose religious leaders who are servants of the devil carrying
out his goal is to deceive the world (2 Cor. 11:13-15).
(414) Overcoming
Obstacles
to Trusting in the Lord by Maria Kneas, 4/21/13
How can we increase our trust in God? One way is to identify
some of the obstacles to trusting so that we can deal with them.
We can ask God to: (1) make us aware when we fall into these
ways of thinking or reacting, (2) deal with things in our hearts
that are fertile ground for these hindrances, and (3) give us
practical strategies, and grace, to overcome these problems.
(415) The Real
Spiritual Warfare taking place by Mike Oppenheimer,
4/23/13 The invisible world is not a separate supernatural realm, it is
not a realm of evil spirits. It is the same dimension we live in
except the spirits are invisible to us, both God's and Satan�s
angels use it. They (fallen angels) have influence on men�s
minds who are darkened by sin. They influence us in writing, in
art, in education and especially in spiritual matters since this
when people come closest to the truth. The warfare is not about
finding what demon is doing what as modern teachers of spiritual
warfare are tecahing, but it is found in the church just as the
Bible warned it would be.
(416) Understanding
the
Mixture by Jacob Prasch, 4/28/13 Can you explain God�s reasoning behind Leviticus 19:19?
(417) Biblical
Literalism by Crosswise, 5/2/13 It�s time the Church, most especially the Emergent and
hyper-charismatic wings, came back to true Biblical
Literalism - instead of engaging in eisegesis,
thereby taking Scripture out of proper context in order to fit
one�s own interpretation. Teaching congregants how to
apply proper exegetical principles will alleviate this sort of
thing and bring forth Biblical literacy. Any subjective
experience or thought must be measured against the literal,
plain sense of the Bible, and, if not found to be congruent with
Scripture, it must be rejected as not of God.
(418) Going
against
God "just for fun" by Marsha West, RenewAmerica,
5/2/13 Christian � take Paul's instructions to heart and daily put on
the full armor of God to protect against the rulers of the
darkness of this world.
(419) Shepherds
Or
Wolves? by Roger Oakland, 5/3/13 If you belong to a church that has a good shepherd who teaches
the Word and follows Jesus, support him in every way. However,
we must always remember that a shepherd is just a man. I have
known cases where shepherds have gone astray and they didn�t
even know it. This is because they are human. If you know a
shepherd like this pray that God, by His grace, will open his
eyes.
(420) Making
Christ's
Last Command Our First Concern by Mike Gendron,
5/8/13 There are few things that should be more exciting to Christians
than being used by God to draw others to Himself. Those who know
and love their Savior will not be content to attend church and
hear the Word preached; they will have a compelling desire to
share it with others. Everything we learn from God's Word should
make us more committed to making Christ's last command our first
concern.
(421) In
Him
All Things Hold Together - A Look at Colossians 1:16-17
by Dr. Bruce K. Alcorn, 5/14/13 It does not take much of an imagination to understand that
major problems would arise if God no longer held together those
forces He used when He made our atoms, our molecules and our
cells. If the electrons stopped orbiting around their nuclei we
would be in deep trouble just like we would be if the earth
stopped orbiting around the Sun.
Updated! (422) The Serpent seed
- Teaching "from the Serpent" by Mike Oppenheimer,
5/23/13 One of the most deceptive doctrines that has slithered into the
church is the serpent seed teaching. First popularized by
William Branham and currently held by Arnold Murray of the
Shepherds Chapel and his followers that have adjusted some of
its meanings. Read Part
1, Part 2,
Part 3 & Part 4.
(423) Has
Bible
Prophecy Already Been Fulfilled? by Thomas Ice,
5/27/13 Like many of the arguments presented by preterists, they appear
to have some initial merit when looked at by the biblically
uneducated, but upon closer examination prove to be without
merit. Preterists falsely built upon the misguided assumption,
that they attempt to "prove" from various prooftexts, that Bible
prophecy had to have its fulfillment within about 40 years of
Christ�s first advent. There are many implications, both
theological and practical, that would require a major adjustment
to the Christian faith if they are right. Since their arguments
are incorrect, so are the implications that flow from such
thought. Because of the recent spread of Preterism, pastors and
teachers need to be prepared to defend orthodox eschatology from
this attack. Those who believe that Christ came in a.d. 70 will
certainly not be found looking for our Lord's any-moment return
when He does rapture the church without any signs or warning
before this blessed event. Are we looking back at the past or
forward to the future? Maranatha!
(424) How close
are we to the Second Coming? by Sandy Simpson,
5/27/13 Matt. 24:34 "I tell you the truth, this generation
will certainly not pass away until all these things have
happened." This verse from Jesus' famous exposition on the
destruction of the temple and what would happen to precede the
end times and His return has intrigued many through the
generations. But it is not until this generation that it's
meaning has become clearer.
(425) Shepherds
Or
Wolves? by Roger Oakland, 5/28/13 The Bible provides a model for leadership. The model is quite
simple. Jesus Christ is the good shepherd. The good shepherd is
in charge of the sheep. Christians are sheep who belong to the
flock. Unlike what some religious groups teach, the sheep should
have personal access to the good shepherd. There is one mediator
between God and man. We don�t need a priest to intervene.
(426) Risky
Things to ask your Pastor by Mike Oppenheimer,
6/3/13 I have been watching a biblical change take place that is not
beneficial, and can bring harm to the pastor member
relationship. Unfortunately there were patient, caring pastors
that have changed their attitude toward sheep that ask questions
that may be uncomfortable to them. There are an increasing
number of pastors that want only smooth sailing in their
ministry without any rocking the boat. If you ask them hard
questions they will either look at you as a trouble maker or
shut down their relationship they have with you. That is not how
they are to treat the sheep that are under them. Those who have
this leadership position are to be just as accountable as any
other member, not less. We should all be equals in the body of
Christ. Pastors are not to be like politicians that go
around and kiss babies and schmooze with everyone and not really
be involved in their lives. Pastors are part of the body; and
though they have a different position they are to be there for
you, really there.
(427) Making
a Fable into Jesus; A different way to present the Gospel, or
a different gospel? by Mike Oppenheimer, 6/19/13
Nonetheless, we have what some are calling the Superman gospel.
It is what is called a recontextualization. Instead of
concentrating on the gospel message from the Bible - our need to
be forgiven for sin, they find correlations from another story
(in this matter, the movie) and use it to illustrate the person
of Jesus. Once you remove the integral parts for the gospel to
be proclaimed, you can shuffle the pieces around and fit
anything into the self-made mode, even portions that are not
from the Bible. One is reduced to banter as they post modernize
the message for an audience that is not be receptive to biblical
truth.
(428) Superman:
Flying
to a church near you at The Berean Call, 6/19/13
TBC: This isn�t a new development. Jerry Siegel and Joseph
Shuster, both Jewish, were the creators of Superman. Superman�s
original Kryptonian name was �Kal-el, which borrowed Hebrew
names which can be taken to mean "voice of God." Siegel and
Shuster were borrowing the terminology and themes of Scripture
for their own use from the beginning. Furthermore, we see
continuing evidence of the (marketing) world using the church
for material gain (2 Peter:2:3And through covetousness shall
they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment
now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth
not.). This is indeed one more example of shepherds fostering
"showtime for the sheep."
(429) Don't Defile True Doctrine
by Allistair Begg, 7/14/13 God's altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of
human skill or labor might be seen upon it. Human wisdom
delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a
system more artificial and more congenial to the depraved tastes
of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the Gospel
carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel and
not the truth of God at all.
(430) Entertaining
Blasphemers by The Berean Call, 7/18/13 We are increasingly concerned with a number of reports seen
regarding evangelical churches inviting false teachers into
their services. For example, singer Joel Hemphill, writer of the
popular song �He�s still working on me,� has for several years
emphatically denied the deity of Christ. His �revelation,�
according to his own statement, was progressive. "Along with
many other things that He told me, He said for me to study the
Scripture, as He was going to reveal Himself to me in His word.
This seemed strange as I was forty-six years old, had been saved
since I was ten, had been a minister of the Gospel since the age
of nineteen and thought I had a pretty good grasp on who He was.
I was Mistaken!"
(431) Replacement
Theology:
Disdaining God's Character by David Ettinger, Zion's
Fire, 7/25/13 For most of Church history, the place of Israel in God�s
present and end-times scenario has been controversial, divisive,
and egregiously flawed. It was the Catholic theologian Augustine
of Hippo (A.D. 354-430), better known as St. Augustine, who
spread the teaching that though God had chosen the Jews as a
special people, their dispersion by the Roman Empire in A.D. 70
was a fulfillment of prophecy. Augustine believed that God
allowed the Jewish people to survive this �scattering� as a
warning to Christians regarding the consequences of disobedience
to God. Subsequently, Augustine began to question those portions
of the Bible relating to Israel and erroneously surmised that
those passages were allegorical rather than literal. He
concluded, for instance, that the thousand-year kingdom of which
Revelation 20 speaks cannot be literal, but rather spiritual.
The kingdom of God, he declared, is �in the hearts� of faithful
believers, but was never intended to find its fruition in
actuality � a physical kingdom on the earth over which Christ
will rule.
(432) Christians
Are
Exhorted To Judge by Mike Gendron, 7/29/13 Many Christians are unaware of their responsibility to judge
and test all things. Paul exhorted: "I pray that your love may
abound still more and more in real knowledge and all
discernment, so that you may approve the things that are
excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of
Christ" (Phil. 1:9-10). Christians need to take judgment
seriously in this life because of the great responsibility that
awaits us in the future.
(433) Can
Christians
Be Spiritually Deceived, and How Can They Avoid it?
by
Roger Oakland, 8/4/13 If our battle is not against flesh and blood, then why is it
that when we are in conflicts here on this earth that flesh and
blood always show up? What are the reasons for this? Is it
possible for believers to be agents for darkness and not even
know it? Is it possible for entire organizations to be misled
because they have not kept their focus on Jesus Christ and His
Word? How is it possible for believers and even leaders to
believe they are following Jesus, when instead they are
following man?
(434) How
To
Do An Exegesis by Moriel Ministries, 8/7/13 Correct biblical exegesis is the second most vital aspect of
studying and understanding God's Word second only to
illumination of The Holy Spirit and prayer.
(435) A
�Cleavage� in the Church by Sarah Leslie, Discernment
Ministries Newsletter, July/August 2013 Recently Charisma magazine � of all
places! � published an article by a female writer, Jennifer
LeClaire, who asked a very simple and bold question: �Why Do
So Many �Born-Again, Spirit-Filled� Women Show Off Cleavage in
Church?� (7/25/13).
(436) Paine
&
Ware - A false eschatology that is plainly heretical,
potentially cultic and ultimately lethal by James
Jacob Prasch, 8/14/13 In the last several weeks Moriel has
received multiple inquiries and flat out expressions of
serious concern regarding the eschatological paradigm of Paine
& Ware. The source of this teaching (which we can only
conclude to be erroneous and dangerous) on the important
subject of the return of Jesus is the hypothesis postulated by
Frank Paine and Arthur Ware in the last century derived from
their writings �Restored Vision� and �Miracle of Time�.
(437) Today's
21st
Century "Christianity" - No Bible Required! by Paul
Proctor, 8/19/13 This may come as a shock to most
Christians, but if you do a search of the less contemporary
translations of Scripture, the word �feelings� is virtually
nonexistent. Where it does appear, it is cited as more of a
superficial, even negative attribute than a positive; and yet,
as we watch and listen to many from today�s churches, be they
leaders or laymen, not only do we see a clear fixation on
feelings, both physical and emotional, we notice that those
feelings have by and large become a replacement for faith. In
fact, if you substitute the word �feelings� wherever you see
the word �faith� in those older Bible versions, it will become
clear to you what motivates and guides the average �Christian�
today � point being: most of us are not following the Living
Word of God by faith, we�re simply following our feelings and
calling it �faith.�
(438) The
Error of Replacement Theology - Part 1 by Andrew D.
Robinson, CWM, 8/20/13 As we move ever closer to the return of
the Lord Jesus, Scripture teaches us to anticipate an
escalation of opposition against Israel from the international
community. Zechariah speaks particularly of the rise of the
nations against Jerusalem (the heart of the Middle East
conflict), a development that is well advanced and which will
climax after the Rapture. Tragically, many Evangelicals, to
their shame, have joined ranks with the enemies of Israel, in
what must be one of the ugliest and most pernicious
partnerships ever witnessed in the history of the Church. It
defies belief to see so-called Bible believers arm-in-arm with
unbelieving Catholics, Quakers, Muslims, (Islamists),
Humanitarians, Secularists, Politicians, and a host of other
lobby groups, in drumming up support for their virulent
anti-Israel cause.
(439) Spiritual
Warfare by Crossroad, 9/1/13 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do
not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into
captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to
punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." 2
Corinthians 10:2-6
(442) Can
Christians
Be Spiritually Deceived, and How Can They Avoid it?
by Roger Oakland, 9/29/13 If our battle is not against flesh and
blood, then why is it that when we are in conflicts here on
this earth that flesh and blood always show up? What are the
reasons for this? Is it possible for believers to be agents
for darkness and not even know it? Is it possible for entire
organizations to be misled because they have not kept their
focus on Jesus Christ and His Word? How is it possible for
believers and even leaders to believe they are following
Jesus, when instead they are following man? These and other
questions intrigue me. Only the Bible has the answers. And
though, I am sure, not all of these questions will be answered
fully in this life, we can gain the vital insights that we
need from the Word of God. The book of Revelation, which has
often been ignored for a lack of understanding, will prove to
be more and more insightful in these last days before Jesus
returns.
(443) Panentheism
and
the Trinity by Crosswise, 10/2/13 Panentheism is an English word derived
from Greek roots: pan = �all�, en = �in�, the, from theos =
�God�. This is in distinction from pantheism, meaning
�all God�, or �all is God�. Before more fully defining
panentheism, we�ll briefly review the Christian Trinity in
order to compare and contrast.
(444) Sin
is
at the heart of what is wrong in your life by Marsha
West, Renew America, 10/9/13 In today's pop culture it's all about a
person's "felt needs." So if a minister's message fails to
meet those perceived needs, disgruntled consumers, like the
aforementioned Beth, go looking for a church where sin is
swept under the rug. Pastor Brent Riggs reminds us that "Sin
is the essence of everything bad, wrong, ruined, spoiled,
messed up and broken in your life. Therefore, you should be
educated about it."
(445) Biblical
Signs
Of A Work Of God adapted from Jonathan Edwards,
10/17/13 I will now show positively what are the
sure, distinguishing scriptural evidences and marks of a work
of the Spirit of God. By these marks we may judge any
operation we find in ourselves or see among people without
danger of being misled. In this I shall confine myself wholly
to those marks that are given us by the apostle John in the
fourth chapter of his first epistle.
(446) Walking
with
God Selected excerpts from a message by J.C.
Philpot, Preached at North Street Chapel, Stanford,
on Lord�s Day Morning, Jan. 23, 1859
The Lord will perfect His work; what He
has begun, He will carry on and complete. And as salvation is
all of his grace, it opens a way of escape for every sinner
sensibly in his own conscience condemned by the law, and
reveals a mode whereby God can not only save him, but be
eternally glorified thereby in the Son of His love.
(447) Did
Jesus have a physical body when He resurrected and will He
return in this body? by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/20/13
In the Old Testament The Angel of The
Lord (known as the covenant maker) appeared as a Christophany,
as a man. Jesus took up a actual human body of man in the New
Testament through the virgin conception. He, the Son of God
became a man. He took up a human nature to house His deity,
the Son of God became the son of man. Jesus rose with the same
body but it is glorified, He is unable to die now (Rev. 1:18).
This will be the body we will have, as he is the firstfruits
to eternal life in the body (1 Cor.15:20). He is now as
Scriptures states in his high priestly ministry in his body
making intercession (1 Tim.2:5). And He will return in this
body with God�s glory, as Scripture states every eye will see
him (Rev.1:7) � they will see the Son of Man coming in the
clouds with great power and glory� (Mark 13:26;
Mt.24:30;26:64) He does not return as spirit, nor does He
exist only as Spirit but He has added a human nature to His
deity since He was incarnated on earth. Thus God became man
but is not limited to the body. So Jesus keeps His humanity
and at no time discarded it, either in death or in
resurrection.
(449) The
Accuser
of the Brethren - Overcome and Cast Down by J.S.
Philpot, preached on Lord's Day morning, August 15, 1852
Look not then to any other quarter for
help or hope; but trust wholly and solely to the Lord, who can
bring you through every trial and difficulty, and give you to
live in His glorious presence for ever.
(451) Come
Back
to the True Living Water by David Dombrinski,
11/10/13 Jesus is that well of living water,
offered freely to whosoever will invite Him into their lives
and hearts to be Lord and Savior. To the unbeliever, He is the
invitation, �let him that is athirst come� (Revelation 22:17).
To the new believer, He is that new life where, �old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new� (2
Corinthians 5:17). But to those who have known Christ for
awhile, even a long while, He is the reminder to come back and
be refreshed again to the only water that �shall be in him a
well of water springing up into everlasting life� (John 4:14).
When we partake of that water, it does us much good. And when
we share that water with others, it does no harm to our
neighbor. It is the only water that is clean and pure and
flows from the throne of God.
(453) The
Critical
Value of the Bible by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call,
11/15/13 Those of us who have been Christians for
a number of years can sometimes lose sight of the critical
value of the Bible in our lives. I�m not referring to those
whose walk with the Lord could be characterized as lukewarm at
best. I�m thinking more of those who consider themselves to be
Bible-believing Christians, who attend and participate in a
Bible-based church, who enjoy fellowship with committed
believers, and who generally see the fruit of the Spirit in
themselves and in their families. As great as those things
might be, however, they can also dull to some degree (call it
a creeping complacency) one�s awareness of how miraculous and
necessary the Scriptures are. What I have in mind for this
article is to underscore some things about the Bible that
perhaps we�ve heard before and some things of which we may not
have even been aware. The goal is to refresh our thinking and
our thankfulness for God�s supernatural communication to
mankind. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(454) �Another
Gospel?� by Harry A. Ironside THE SOLEMN FACT IS THERE IS NO OTHER
GOSPEL. Every pretended substitute is but a Satan-devised
delusion meant to turn men away from the strait gate which
alone leads into the narrow way, and make them contented as
they crowd down the clear side of the broad way to eternal
perdition.
(455) Good
News,
Bad News (Audio) by Allistair Begg, 11/19/13 Committing to follow Jesus is not a guarantee of an easy,
trouble-free life. On the contrary, believers are to expect
unjust suffering and be prepared to respond rightly. Alistair
Begg demonstrates from Genesis 40 that the godly response is not
to give up or seek revenge, but to trust God and care for
others, even in the midst of personal struggles.
Listen to Part
1 and Part
2.
(456) Selfie
Scriptura by Herescope, 12/6/13 [(Selfie: high tech, publicly-displayed self portrait, Oxford
Dictionary word of the year 2013). (Scriptura: Middle English
and Latin scr?pt?ra, writing. See script, -ure). Literally: self
scripture.]
(457) Can
Satan, the devil be saved? by Matt Slick, CARM,
12/6/13 ... there is no atonement for the angelic realm. Heb. 2.16-17,
"For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives
help to the descendant of Abraham. 17Therefore, He had to be
made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Therefore,
since the Bible tells us that there is no help to angels which
means or is no atonement for them, then fallen angels, the devil
included, cannot be saved.
(458) Wicked
Idolatry by Rick Frueh, Following Judah's Lion,
12/9/13 If this raises a lot of money watch for more preachers to put
out their own Bibles. Today we have the Jimmy Swaggart Bible,
the John MacArthur Bible, the Max Lucado Bible, the Schofield
Bible, the Ryrie Bible, the Dake Bible, the Joyce Meyers Bible,
the C. S. Lewis Bible, the Henry Morris Bible, and many, many
more who added their name to God�s Word and profited by their
sale.
(459) The
�Work
Crew� of the Church�the ministry of discernment by
Barbara Wilhelm, 12/15/13 On today�s stage ministries engaged in biblical discernment are
often beleaguered and harassed as being critical and judgmental.
Yet the Bible holds the ministry of discernment to be one of the
finest tools in establishing and maintaining biblical
purity.
(460) Taking
Care
of God's Flock by Chris Lawson, 12/20/13 Christian maturity is about obeying our LORD Jesus Christ
personally, obeying His message of righteousness on a daily
basis, obeying Christ's doctrine, and being willing to defend
God's truth regardless of the cost. It is only when Christians
are able to discern between good and evil and practically live
out a godly Christian life that they will be fully equipped and
useful "for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Our hope and
prayer is that the following articles will help you be a more
discerning Christian, that you will mature in your faith
properly, and that you will be equipped so that you can help
instruct others. There is absolutely no reason for biblical
compromise and spiritual dullness, even in an age of apostasy
and deceit. God has given us His Life, His Son, His Spirit, and
His Word - what more do we need?
(461) Should
we
use genderless terms when referring to the God of the Bible?
by Matt Slick, CARM, 12/22/13 No, we should not use genderless terms when referring to the
God of the Bible. The Bible tells us that every word is
inspired. Everything that God has given us is there for a
reason. If we adopt the politically correct ideology and impose
it upon the Bible regarding the use of the masculine, feminine,
or neuter pronouns, then what is to stop others from altering
other words in Scripture that don't suit their politically
correct, gender equality perspective as they relate to things
such as male eldership (1 Timothy 2:12-13)?
(462) Question:
Are
you familiar with Randy Frazee [co-editor Max Lucado] and his
book called The Story? by The Berean Call,
12/25/13 Question: Are you familiar with Randy Frazee [co-editor Max
Lucado] and his book called The Story ? Our church is
promoting it for small group study and I have a few concerns.
Would appreciate any information you may have. Response:
We have been going through a copy of The Story for
some time. When someone condenses the Bible into what they
perceive are the important parts, what becomes quickly apparent
is the truth of Paul�s inspired statement that � all
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness...� (2 Tm 3:16-17). What some deem to be
unimportant often contains the most pertinent details.
(463) Warning
All
Churches by The Berean Call, 12/26/13 Over this year, there have been a number of news reports on
another movement in the church advocating for the acceptance of
homosexual behavior and same-sex relationships. Matthew Vines,
an openly homosexual 23-year-old student at Harvard University,
posted a video on YouTube of a speech he gave on homosexuality
and the Bible. In the talk, he claims repeatedly that God�s Word
does not condemn monogamous same-sex relationships. Now, a
recent report from the Christian Post highlighted the amount of
compromise happening within the church on this issue. The
headline of the article explains, �50 �Hand-Picked� Christians
Trained To Convince Churches To Re-Interpret Scripture�s Gay
Boundaries.� Vines apparently hosted a training conference
recently in his home state of Kansas for Christians who want to
convince their churches to accept same-sex relationships.
(464) Three
Kinds
of Groups by Crossroad, 1/4/13
A helpful chart comparing Christian, Pluralistic and Dialectic
church groups.
(465) "They Will Believe
The Lie" by Sandy Simpson, 1/16/14 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 "The coming of the lawless one will be
in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of
displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,
and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are
perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth
and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful
delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will
be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted
in wickedness." This has always been an interesting passage to
me for a few different reasons. What is �the lie� that is
talked about here in verse 9? What are the ways that
�wickedness deceives those who are perishing� and how long has
this been going on or does this only begin to happen at the
coming of the lawless one? In what way does �the lie�
cause those who do not believe the truth to �delight in
wickedness�?
(466) Being
Encouraged
in God�s Word: Facing the Unexpected by Maria Kneas,
1/19/14 We can ask God to increase our trust in Him and our love for
Him. We can ask Him to make us faithful. We can ask Him to
enable us to stand with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego�to be
determined to be faithful to our God no matter what happens to
us and the people we love. "The LORD God is my strength, and he
will make my feet like hinds� feet." (Habakkuk 3:19)
(467) Denominationalism
-
The Sin of Party Spirit Masquerading as Christian Unity that
Ultimately Unites with Apostasy and Unbelief by Jacob
Prasch, 1/21/14 When we, the Body of Christ, have unity of The Spirit we only
need a fellowship of fellowships for practical cooperation in
things like missions, Christian education, and charity, not any
hierarchical structure other than the headship of Christ and
doctrinal supremacy of scripture devoid of any organised or
institutional monolith. One Faith, One Baptism. Once a movement
fragments doctrinally it is fragmenting spiritually. Theological
fragmentation is symptomatic of spiritual dissolution, and
spiritually dissolution will conversely always result in
doctrinal disharmony. When this happens it is inevitable that
the movement morphs into a denomination that is theocratically
held together by a combination of administrative, legal, and
financial priorities and considerations. There is an artificial
unity that is cohesive only by the glue of temporal factors that
displaces and replaces doctrinal and authentic spiritual unity.
(468) Biblical
Discipleship
� the Scriptures by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, January/February 2014 - Volume 20 Issue 1 As we consider the means by which spiritual change, growth and
development takes place we find that the Scriptures constantly
point the believer to the very inspired words it contains. We
need not look to extra-biblical sources such as those found in
the Spiritual Formation Movement, among others. Growth in
godliness comes primarily through the power of the Holy Spirit
who enables believers to understand and apply the Word of God to
our lives.
(470) Biblical
Discipleship
� Prayer by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things,
November/December 2013 - Volume 19, Issue 5 The Spiritual Formation Movement has rocked the church. Ancient
disciplines, most often practiced within the monastic movement
in the early centuries of Christianity, have been dusted off,
repacked, and resubmitted to believers as the means for
obtaining spiritual growth. There is increasing discussion about
fasting, journaling, pilgrimage, simplicity, solitude, silence,
contemplative prayer, and spiritual direction in Christian
literature. What can be learned from this renewed interest in
spiritual formation and what are the dangers? The last eight
editions of �Think on These Things� have been written to
interact with the history, teachings and dangers of the
Spiritual Formation Movement. I want to now turn from the
disciplines practiced in modern spiritual formation to the
biblical alternative to spiritual formation, as described in the
earlier articles. We will examine the means, or disciplines if
you choose, which the Word of God clearly identifies as ways God
has designed for His people to be transformed into
Christ-likeness and to experience intimacy with Him.
(471) Blood
Moon
Madness at The Berean Call, 2/24/14 There ARE a lot of prophetic signs being fulfilled in our
lifetime. But there's no Biblical basis for tying the Blood
Moons into predicting the return of Jesus--they mean zilch!
(472) The
New
Tolerance Is Cruel� by Bill Randles, 3/1/14 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender
mercies of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10) Currently,
there is an alternative to the judeo christian concept of
love for our fellow-man, which is called tolerance. It looks
like love and perhaps more importantly to many it actually feels
like love, but it�s not love at all.
(473) Treason
in
the Church: Trading Truth for a "Social Gospel" by
Berit Kjos - September 2006 Infiltration and deception have been tools of conspirators
through the ages, and the Church has been a primary target!
After all, God warns us that "the whole world is under the sway
of the evil one." (1 John 5:19) One of his most effective
schemes is to redefine God's Word and divert Christians from His
unchanging Truth to man's shifting ideals. For example, God
calls us to serve the poor and fills our hearts with love for
the needy. That's why His true followers around the world have
willingly given their lives to share His truth and love in
perilous places. But today's world-centered church illustrates a
different kind of service. Designed to please man rather than
God, it trains its servers to hide the "offensive" truths of the
gospel. Like Rick Warren, it uses the Bible to validate its
purposes but emphasizes organizational behavior rather than
Biblical beliefs -- in short, deeds instead of creeds.[3] Behind
its noble appearance hides a postmodern version of the
century-old "Christian Socialism."
(474) A
World In Revolt�Psalm 2 by Bill Randles, 3/9/13
The first two Psalms go together. Perhaps it isn�t immediately
apparent, because in some ways they are completely different,
but I believe the Holy Spirit led those who placed them side by
side as the opening of the Psalter. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(475) Faithful
Ministers
Versus False and Corrupt Ministers - A Brief Overview with
Compiled Resources by Chris Lawson, 3/21/14 In an age of mass confusion as to what a "Christian Minister"
actually is and does, the following compilation is given in
order to help clarify what the Bible teaches about what a
biblical "minister," or "servant" is, and does, as opposed to
what false, corrupt and deceitful ministers are and do.
(476) Question:
How
to Find a Biblical Teaching Church? by Lighthouse
Trails, 3/23/14 We have often been asked, �How do I find a good Bible-believing
church?� There are many believers who are struggling to find one
in their own communities. We usually recommend they make phone
calls to potential churches and ask a few concise questions such
as ...
(477) The
Holy
Spirit and Holy Scripture by Pastor Larry DeBruyn ,
3/29/14 Jesus told His disciple/apostles: �When the Helper comes, whom
I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth
who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you
will testify [about Me] also, because you have been with Me from
the beginning� (Emphasis added, John 15:26-27, NASB).
(479) Measuring
The
Experience by Roger Oakland, 4/12/14
While visiting the home of Joseph Smith near Palmyra, New York,
the location where Mormonism originated, I met a Mormon girl at
the information center by the name of Sadie. When I expressed
interest in knowing more about her faith, she gave me a booklet.
Later in the day, I read through the information Sadie had given
me.
(480) Four
Blood moons are coming - Significant or not? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 4/13/14 For something spoken of in prophecy to be fulfilled all the
elements, the descriptions must be included. This means those
points not just found in one particular scripture but others
that also give information on the same event and time period. If
the sun is darkened or the moon turns red it does not mean
fulfillment has occurred unless the other points mentioned
coincide. This is where prophecy teachers get ahead of
themselves and make something out of near nothing. We should be
careful not to say this will be fulfilled or is fulfilled when
it is not.
(481) Has
the
Genesis Account of Noah's Ark Been Discredited? by The
Berean Call, 4/14/14 Does a �Recently Deciphered 4,000-Year-Old Tablet� Discredit
the Genesis Account of Noah's Ark? �But forget all those images
of a long vessel with a pointy bow�the original Noah�s Ark, new
research suggests, was round.� Those words highlight the AP
article discussing the tablet that just went on display at the
British Museum on January 24. This recent assault on God�s Word
comes from Irving Finkel, the assistant keeper of Ancient
Mesopotamian script, languages, and cultures at the British
Museum. According to reports, Finkel received the tablet a few
years ago from the son of an amateur historian named Leonard
Simmons, who had acquired it in the Middle East following World
War II. The cell-phone-sized tablet is also the subject of
Finkel�s new book, The Ark Before Noah.
(482) We need a firm
foundation to weather the storm of false ideas by
Sandy Simpson, 4/15/14 Matthew 7:24 �Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine
and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his
house on the rock." "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the
Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!" � 1787
Joseph Funk & Robert Keene. A house built on the rock
will stand. The Rock is God and in particular, Jesus
Christ. Therefore His written Word is the teachings of the
His Holy Spirit and a Rock we can depend on. Anyone who
wants to prove anything theologically, historically,
scientifically or anything else needs to start with correct
information. If you start with a faulty foundation, as you
build your arguments, they begin to fall apart because they are
not supported in God�s truth. If you want to build on a
firm foundation, you need to start the process by a careful
study of God�s Word in context of the verse and according to the
whole counsel of God�s Word. The Bible is the best
commentary on the Bible. There are many false ideas floating
around out there that have been there, some from long ago.
Those ideas were formed in lieu of God�s Word, not from
it. I am going to give some examples of false ideas in
history, science and theology and show how they could have been
avoided if the Bible had been consulted. Yes, the Bible is
accurate for more than just theology. Keeping it in
context we can accurately understand history, science and a
whole host of other subjects.
(483) Why
Is
the Church Powerless? by William MacDonald
(1917-2007)
Spiritually we are in a shocking condition. The status of many
local fellowships is bad news, and deteriorating by the
minute.
(484) Does
the
Bible really say we're not to judge? by Marsha West,
5/9/14 Some professing Christians become infuriated when a
"watchblogger" has the chutzpah to report on a false teacher by
name, as if naming names is unbiblical. High-profile leaders and
bloggers who mention heretics by name are often accused of
demonizing or judging them.
(485) Discernment
by Acts 17:11 Bible Study, 5/11/14 Are we to "judge" teachings, situations, and even people in the
church? Many Christians are fearful of making judgments, and
unclear if this is the mission and duty of the church. After
all: "Judge not!..." (We will consider hypocritical judgment, or
criticism, in a moment.) This fear of using proper judgment may
come from a simple lack of understanding of God's will, or from
superstition (Col 2:18-19), or even from a lack of the Holy
Spirit (Jude 17-19). Scripture is useful for correcting such
conditions (2 Tim 3:16-17).
(486) Those
Who
Do Not Lead Christians to Maturity by Sandy Simpson,
5/11/14 Eph. 4:12-14 to equip his people for works of service, so that
the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in
the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth
by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching
and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful
scheming. Heb. 5:13-14 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,
is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid
food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained
themselves to distinguish good from evil.
(487) What
is
Redemption? by Dr. Harry Ironside, 5/18/14 The word �redemption� is one that runs all through the Bible;
in fact, we can say without any suggestion of hyperbole that it
is the great outstanding theme of Holy Scripture. This important
truth runs through the Book like the proverbial red strand that,
we are told, runs through the cordage of the British navy.
Everywhere, from Genesis right on to Revelation, you find God in
one way or another presenting to us the truth of
redemption�redemption in promise and in type in the Old
Testament; redemption in glorious fulfillment in the New
Testament.
(488) The
End
Of The World (re. Blood Moons) at The Berean Call,
5/21/14 TBC: A number of those promoting Blood Moons theories also
pushed warnings in 2012 based upon the Mayan calendar (see:
http://www.thebereancall.org/content/question-i-ve-been-astonished-how-s...).
Other dates have also been singled out in recent years with the
same results as seen as in the eclipse occurring in April�i.e.,
nothing. In short, these predictions are based upon unbiblical
foundations that cannot stand.
(489) Flocking
to
other Christianities at The Berean Call, 5/23/14
That's why scholars took to the "Jesus's Wife" fragment and
various so-called "gospels" like, well, seagulls to trash piles.
That's why Taussig can insist, as the Washington Post put it,
that the fragment is "ostensibly as important as documents that
make up the accepted New Testament."
(490) Keep
Thy
Heart With All Diligence by David Dombrowski,
5/25/14 It is all too easy in the busy world in which we live today to
get caught up in worldly concerns that would tend to draw our
hearts in a different direction than God intends. A Scripture
that comes to mind is the one in Proverbs that says: Keep thy
heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23
(491) Biblical
Discipleship
� The Transforming Life by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, (May/June 2014 - Volume 20, Issue 3) Other forms of spirituality, both in biblical times as well as
today, may have the appearance of �wisdom in self-made religion�
(2:23), but in the end they are mere detours from the real life
found in Christ. Like the Colossians, Paul was concerned that
the Corinthian church was being led to a spiritual dead-end. He
writes, �But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by
his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the
simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ� (2 Cor 11:3).
Spiritual formation, mysticism, New Age spirituality and a host
of other influences draw believers today away from the
simplicity of Christ. Our Lord would have us cling tenaciously
to Christ Himself, shedding the weights that slow us down and
the sins that so easily entangle us, so that we can run the race
set before us with endurance, �fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of faith� (Heb 12:1-2).
(492) A Response To To The Larry De
Bruyen Follow Up Article To Mark Mullins On Herescope
by Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries, 6/11/14 Here , unlike Mark Mullins, Larry De Bruyen rightly
distinguishes between the Haggadik midrash (based on a
hermeneutic employed by Jesus and Paul) and the Halakik midrash
(rejected by Jesus & Paul), but then muddles the two.
The fundamental failure to address the Midoth of the School of
Hillel where Paul was trained in the New Testament (which
Longenecker - his quoted scholarly source insists to be true)
would (as with Mark Mullins) get his paper automatically
dismissed by academic peer review in a scholarly forum or
academic institution and contributes to his convoluted
speculations in the issues he labeled as 1 & 2 in his
propositions and conclusions. His conspicuous avoidance of
the use of the very term Midrash where it is found in scripture
though ranks as absurdity.
(493) Is
The
Drum Beat Of Rock Music Demonic? by Watchorn Church,
6/13/14 A Scriptural, Musical, & Historical response to the
assertions of Larry De Bruyen with ragards to rock music.
Six WMA audio tracks downloadable.
(494) Christian
Marching
Orders by Charles Spurgeon And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, �All power is given
to me in heaven and in earth; go, therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.� (Matthew 28:18)
(495) Bright
Hope
in Dark Days by Charles H. Spurgeon The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine.
He has his seasons of darkness and of storm. True, it is written
in God's Word, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace," and it is a great truth, that religion is
calculated to give a man happiness below as well as bliss above.
(496) SRN
April
2014 Newsletter (PDF) by Chris Lawson, Spiritual
Research Network, 6/27/14 Gateway to Ghosts, Hauntings and Apparitions (Part 1):
Occultism and the Paranormal - By Chris Lawson One of Satan�s Final Masquerades - By Sandy Simpson Mantra Meditation: A Warning! - By Chris Lawson Mantra Meditation - By Ray Yungen
(497) What
is
inerrancy and why should we care? by Biblical
Inerrancy, 7/4/14 These are the professors of some of the finest evangelical
schools in the nation, who are responsible for training the
pastors of today and future generations, and they are saying
that they are comfortable with these verses not being factual.
This is an outright departure from the historic definition of
inerrancy.
(498) Biblical
versus
Cultural Christianity - Oswald Chambers comment on Modern
Christianityat Crossroad, 9/8/14 Biblical Christianity means being joined to Jesus Christ
through faith in what He did for us at the cross, then allowing
Him to live His life through us, so that others might know Him
and see His love. (That love may include sharing His warnings as
well as His promises with those in need.) The established
Church, like Old Testament Israel, has always tended to drift
away from its devotion to God and become just other
institutions, subject to the same human impulses and painful
consequences as the rest of the world. Please don�t blame human
evils on a "straw-man" or a convenient cultural distortion of
Christianity. Consider some of the differences between Biblical
faith and today's cultural deviations.
(499) Leviathan by Sandy
Simpson, 9/22/14 This study is up for interpretation but I find descriptions of
leviathan in the Bible fascinating. This creature that
existed, and may yet exist, is used as a description of the
might and power of the enemy.
(500) Worship
More
Pagan than Christian? at The Berean Call,
10/15/14 There is a great misunderstanding in churches of the purpose of
music in Christian worship. Churches routinely advertise their
�life-changing� or �dynamic� worship that will �bring you closer
to God� or �change your life.� Certain worship CD�s promise that
the music will �enable you to enter the presence of God.� Even a
flyer for a recent conference for worship leaders boasted: "Join
us for dynamic teaching to set you on the right path, and
inspiring worship where you can meet God and receive the energy
and love you need to be a mover and shaker in today�s
world�Alongside our teaching program are worship events which
put you in touch with the power and love of God." The problem
with the flyer and with many church ads is that these kinds of
promises reveal a significant theological error. Music is viewed
as a means to facilitate an encounter with God; it will move us
closer to God. In this schema, music becomes a means of
mediation between God and man. But this idea is closer to
ecstatic pagan practices than to Christian worship.
(501) The
Need
of Discernment in the last days (DVD series) by Mike
Oppenheimer, 10/18/14 We are told in the last days that false prophets will increase,
that deception will be pervasive in the world and IN THE CHURCH.
What are the New spirit movements and methods that are
consistently springing up and entering the church? Discernment
is the need of the hour for our survival and keeping the faith
of Biblical Christianity. In this video we use some of the worst
examples to show the dumbing down of the church in discernment,
resulting in deceiving the church. We will learn where and from
whom this originated in modern times. Revelations that
contradict the Bible, new books in heaven, glory services,
Dominion goals of the New apostles and prophets, people claiming
to go to heaven, prophetic interpretation of tattoos and
piercings, new age healing, drunken stupors, becoming frozen and
silent. What is passing for revelation and Bible teaching is
astounding. We need to understand what is taking place and stand
in the faith to be victorious. How do we identify it or refute
it? How can we protect ourselves and others. Discernment
is a gift that accompanies the Holy Spirit who is our umpire
that keeps us awake to distinguish truth from error. The Bible
tells us to grow in discernment, so that we can mature and help
others who are easily deceived. Being grounded in the core
doctrines of the faith and building on them makes one immune to
the many deceptions that surround us today, this is what this
video series is about.
(502) What
Is
Christian Palestinianism? with Paul Wilkinson at The
Berean Call, 10/31/14 Program Description: Tom McMahon discusses the dangers of
Christian Palestinianism with Dr. Paul wilkinson of Hazel Grove
Full Gospel Church as they critique Hank Hanegraaff's interview
with Dr. Gary Burge. Listen to the MP3 or read the
transcript of Part
1, Part
2, Part
3 & Part
4.
(503) Take
Heed
To Yourselves And All The Flock by Dr. Harry Ironside
(1876-1951) Objection is often raised even by some sound in the faith -
regarding the exposure of error as being entirely negative and
of no real edification. Of late, the hue and cry has been
against any and all negative teaching. But the brethren who
assume this attitude forget that a large part of the New
Testament, both of the teaching of our blessed Lord Himself and
the writings of the apostles, is made up of this very character
of ministry-namely, showing the Satanic origin and, therefore,
the unsettling results of the propagation of erroneous systems
which Peter, in his second epistle, so definitely refers to as
"damnable heresies."
(504) Characteristics
of
Cults and Cultic Influences! by Chris Lawson,
11/7/14 Four patterns found in CULTS and CUTLIC movements that can
shipwreck your Christian faith and destroy you and your family!
(505) EXPECTATION
(He
is Coming!) by Dr. Harry Ironside This, then, is our expectation; this is our hope! And the Lord
would have us living day by day in view of the possible
fulfillment of the promise of His coming again. When you get up
in the morning, cultivate the attitude of soul that leads you to
say, �Christ may come today; and if He were to come today, I
want Him to find me walking in obedience to His holy Word.� And
when you go to sleep at night say, �Christ Jesus may come
tonight, and I can rest in perfect peace, knowing that when He
comes I shall be caught up to meet Him.�
(506) Evangelicals
that promote the mystical power of communion by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/24/14 Lets begin with a general in the NAR of Pierce and Wagner, Ana
Mendez Ferrel who teaches. �He told His disciples that the bread
was His body broken for their sins, and the wine was His blood,
sealing the covenant of forgiveness. Even more important, He
said His body was real food and His blood was real drink. If our
spirits don't take in their needed food and drink, is it any
wonder we are weak?� So then the covenant was sealed before
Jesus went to the cross? Why does anyone listen to this kind of
nonsense that is clearly Catholic teaching. She claims we need
to understand the Jewish feast of the Passover- does she? No one
was healed by participating in the feast, it was a shadow of
Christ the genuine light who redeemed us with his own blood.
(ACT Note: This is the same lady who allegedly climbed
up Mt. Everest and killed the Queen of Heaven and the devil
there.)
(507) Howling at
the Moon by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/7/14 The false teaching teaching of blood moons occurring today.\
(508) Watchmen
Who
Are Not Watchmen by James Jacob Prasch, 12/10/14
What Ever Happened To Matthew 24? On Your Walls O Jerusalem I
Have Appointed Watchmen; All Day And All Night they Will Never
Keep Silent. You Who Remind the Lord Take No Rest For Yourselves
(Isaiah 62:8). The prophetic watchman of Jerusalem and Judah,
then and now: It was Isaiah who first prophesied God would raise
up watchman concerning the forthcoming events in the history of
the Hebrews generally, and their country Judah specifically,
with special reference to their capital Jerusalem, where the
Temple and Holy Ark were located - God's presence with them. As
the events prophetically predicted by Isaiah unfolded we indeed
see God calling the Prophet Ezekiel as the definitive watchman
in the scriptural usage of the word (Ezekiel 3:17, 33:7), and it
is Ezekiel that biblically most demonstrates what a watchman is
and what he does. But first we must note that it is not a term
found in the New Testament, it firstly was an office for the
ancient Hebrews. Therefore, although there are without doubt
those functioning as 'watchmen' in the church, in order to grasp
their raison d'etre we must first grasp their Old Testament
nature exemplified in Ezekiel (the only individual specifically
called a 'watchman'). We need to understand some of the
differences between Old and New Testament prophets (which
despite the license that cessationists effectively issue
themselves to pronounce passages of scripture not to their
liking null and void, still do exist in the church - eg. 1
Corinthians 12:29 & 14:32).
(509) Fight
the
spiritual forces of wickedness -- and win! by Marsha
West, 12/11/14 Satanism...religious liberty...beheadings...gender
confusion...ecumenicalism. My tendency is to fret about such
things, even though God reminds us in His Word: Do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil
4:6-7) Likewise, 1 Peter 5:7 commands believers not to be
anxious but to lay all our worries on God because He cares for
us. So is there any question that His people are to go to Him
with the hard things, lay them at His feet, and trust that we
can literally "let go and let God"?
(510) Temptations,
Tests
and Triumph - The Victory of the Cross by Crossroad,
12/14/14 "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory
divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit,
washed in His blood. "My brethren, count it all joy when you
fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience." James 1:2-3 "...the Lord your God is testing
you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 13:3
(511) Discernment
or
Criticism? by Roger Oakland, 12/16/14 Taking a stand from a biblical perspective with regard to
purpose-driven-emerging Christianity is not very popular these
days. Those working towards establishing the kingdom and
�getting closer to Jesus� through contemplative practices rooted
in eastern mysticism are very outspoken. If you are not in favor
of what they are promoting, you are labeled a hater and against
everything.
(512) Certain
Men
Crept In by Roger Oakland, 12/24/14 What would Paul and Jude write to the church if they were here
today? Would their message have changed in any way? Based on
current trends that dilute the simple gospel of Jesus and make
it into a �social-humanistic-psychological-what�s-in-it-for-me�
gospel that rejects the imminent return of our Lord� I
don�t think so. Let the book of Jude be a wake up call for us
today!
(513) Another
Jesus
or the True Jesus � Whom Are You Serving? by Roger
Oakland, 4/10/09 The apostle Paul was a man with a passion for the truth. While
his ministry clearly focused on proclaiming the saving grace of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he was also concerned when he saw
the truth being compromised by Satan�s subtle deceptive plan.
While Paul made every effort to teach the church at Corinth the
truth about Jesus and His death on the Cross to save them from
their sins, false teachers and false doctrines had infiltrated
the church. Obviously some were being led astray.
(514) When
Change
is Expressly Forbidden by Danny Ison, 2/13/15 There are those who try to tell us that the warning at the end
of the Book of Revelation applies exclusively to revisions
attempted to only that book of the Bible and not the rest, but
as with all things biblical, our understanding of any principle
of the Lord comes from the whole of Scripture and not by lifting
out and highlighting just a single reference. Moses, Solomon and
Paul, at various points of history, provide the foundation for
what is finalized in the last verses of the Bible on behalf of
the whole of Scripture, that God�s entire Word is closed canon
and provides no option for human editing, be it in any form of
redaction or embellishment. And yet something has taken place
within the walls of the Church since the turn of the new
millennium for which I can find no previous historic parallel:
openly changing God�s Word in spite of the express mandate
otherwise.Some of the most popular leaders within Christianity
have altered God�s Word in ways that no Christian cult, no rival
religion, nor any enemy of the cross I know of has dared to do.
If such distortions of God�s Word had been engaged in by the
usual suspects working against the true Church, I would
characterize it as some kind of desperate attempt to fabricate
their lie to give it an outward appearance of authority. But how
one explain this coming about at the hands and from the mouths
of those whom most of the present-day Church�s membership
recognize as their own?
(515) I
can�t be deceived because I�m a Christian! by Mike
Oppenheimer, 2/23/15 The Bible speaks of a certain time at the end of the age where
deceivers will become commonplace and there will be so much
confusion that truth will become rare, few will speak it.Matt
24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no
one deceives you."For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am
the Christ,' and will deceive many.� To those who believe. Luke
21:8 And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many
will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has
drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them. The word he is not
in the original translation. So we have Jesus warning of mean
saying they are Christ (or christed- anointed) and men saying �I
am�, saying they are God (i.e. the new age and word faith
teachers)
(516) Is
there a rapture? Is there a resurrection? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 2/27/15 What is called the rapture (the removal of the believers
upwards, the church meets Jesus in the air) is when the living
saints are transformed to be in immortal like Christ. If you do
not believe in the rapture then you cannot believe in the
resurrection, they are both joined together as the same event,
nearly simultaneously.
(517) Disingenuous
Hermeneutics by Sandy Simpson, 2/23/15 I was reminded of a comment by Rev. Gary Gilley made on our
6-DVD series called �The New Apostolic Reformation � What is it
and where is it going?�. He was addressing proper exegesis
versus wrong ways to interpret the Bible. He said that
those who inject their own ideas and doctrinal methodologies on
the Bible, making it into their own image and to their own
liking, are using �Fairytale Hermeneutics�. I always liked
that definition and will now add one of my own with regards to
how people lie about what the Bible says when it comes to their
own preconceived notions, upholding mistaken Biblical
interpretations. When you find yourself having to make up
false definitions and other interpretations that are not
according to the clear teaching of Scripture, you end up being a
type of false teacher. I learned long ago that if you want
to teach the Bible correctly you let it interpret itself.
You teach what Jesus, the Apostles, Prophets and Patriarchs did,
with the help of the Holy Spirit instead of trying to plug in
manmade doctrinal systems on top of Biblical truths
(518) God's Method of
Consistently 'Warning' and 'Teaching' (Video) by Chris
Lawson, 3/12/15 One of the ways God expresses this is through his consistent
warnings against satanic spiritual deception, false teachers,
false prophets, deceivers, the enemies of Israel, liars,
deceivers, spiritism, sorcerers, the tools of the occult, the
enemies of the Church, false gospels, counterfeit "Jesus's,"
false apostles, false brethren, doctrines of demons, the
antichrist spirit that dominates each age and the world's
system, Mystery Babylon, end-times deception the coming personal
Antichrist and his false prophet (Rev. 13) and more.
(519) They will
reject truth and believe The Lie! by Mike Oppenheimer,
3/15/15 John 14:16-17 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- "the Spirit
of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees
Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and
will be in you. This is what separates believers from the world,
keeps them from the world and the enemy who rules over it,
TRUTH. We are kept by the Spirit of truth.
(520) The Danger
of "New Revelation" by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/15/15
Paul writes in 1 Cor. 4:6, �that you may learn in us not to
think beyond what is written that none of you may be puffed up
on behalf of one against the other. Once someone is allowed to
tell people stories like; Jesus appeared to them in their room
or they visited heaven and they were given new revelation, the
rest comes easy. They become as if lost at sea, adrift with
their fantasy revelation that makes them more important. They
have something to say that no one else does because they were
chosen.
(521) Those
Who
Are Spiritually Deceived Are No Longer Able to Think for
Themselves by Kevin Reeves, 3/18/15 Some may think it is extreme to compare the spiritual deception
and control tactics within the church today to that of the Nazi
regime and the death camps, but we should remember that the
church in Germany in the 1930s was very much like the church is
today�having a head in the sand mentality about spiritual
deception and turning religious leaders into super-human heroes
who can do no wrong. Perhaps we are not all that different than
Christians in Germany back then. We should not fool ourselves
and think we would never be duped like that.
(522) The
Old
Rugged Cross by Crossroad, 3/29/15 "...the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are saved it is the power of God." (1
Corinthians 1:18) To a world bent on social unity and moral
laxity, the cross stands as a divisive and humiliating obstacle.
Attempts to minimize its offense through laws and intimidation
have bullied both secular and church leaders into continual
compromise. Public crosses are demolished or hidden; Bibles are
forbidden in schools, the traditional days for celebrating the
resurrection have been renamed "spring break;" and countless
corporations and government agencies ban cross-shaped pins or
jewelry. Even Jesus Himself has become a popular target for
media mockery and ridicule!
(523) Noah�s
story...will it become our story? by Mike Oppenheimer,
4/1/15 Noah�s story is one of separation as he kept himself and his
family from the defections and corruption of the society he
lived in. He gave a testimony to all those who would ask about
the boat he was building, not doubt being mocked as it was being
built. The people watching him do this year after year for their
whole lives until it was completed.
(524) Warning!
Spiritual
Deception Abounds! (MP3) by VCY America, 4/8/15
Today more than ever we seem to be bombarded with individuals
who are intentionally attempting to get people to believe lies
regarding Christianity, our Lord and Savior and His word, the
Bible. One example is Reverend John Shuck, who ministers at
Southminster Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, Oregon.
Reverend Shuck claims he doesn't believe in God yet defends his
'Christianity.' He also claims that the Bible is a human
product and that while Jesus may have been a historical figure,
most of what we know about him is legend. To Reverend
Shuck, God is a symbol of myth-making and isn't credible as a
supernatural being or force. This is just one example that
Vic presented of people today who, while standing in their
pulpits wearing their religious garb, propose ideas that have
nothing to do with the Bible. The result? A survey of more
than 4,000 adults shows that Americans are conflicted regarding
Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. The survey
showed that the idea that Jesus is God just doesn't register
well with 'millennials' (those born between 1984 and 2002). This
edition of Crosstalk also mentioned a new Bible that replaces
the name of God with that of rap star Kanye West, Vic retells
the story of The Modernist Preacher Entering Hell and callers
share their comments as well.
(525) Is
the
Bible Better on T.V.? with J. B. Hixson and Tom
McMahon, 4/11/15 On this program and next week, the subject is the upcoming NBC
special broadcast on Easter Sunday titled A.D.: The Bible
Continues . It is a followup to the series aired on the History
Channel and its theatrical spinoff Son of God , and my guest to
discuss this production and the problems with translating the
Bible visually is J.B. Hixson. J.B. is the author, Bible teacher
- he�s a Bible teacher and radio host. His ministry is Not By
Works, and can be found at www.notbyworks.org, and you can go on
his website to order his latest book The Great Last Days
Deception . Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(526) The
Unseen
Foe Behind Rising Evil by Berit Kjos, 5/1/15 We don't hear much about spiritual warfare these days. Most
churches seem to ignore the reality of Satan and the evil he
inspires. God's warnings about compromise with a corrupt world
simply don't fit the new image of Jesus as a gentle, tolerant,
pluralistic helper. Since the 18th century's birth of the "Age
of Reason," an increasing number of "enlightened" Western
leaders and influential "change agents" have tried to discredit
the Bible and silence Christian believers. More recently, a vast
number of politicians, media masters and educators have joined
the battles against Biblical truth and morality.
(527) God�s
Desire
and A Warning and a Plea by Ray Yungen, 5/5/15 Just what exactly is God�s desire for mankind? Does He want to
send people to Hell? Does He want anyone to live eternally
without Him? Scripture is very clear about this when it says:
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter
3:9) God makes a strong plea to all people, giving them every
opportunity to receive Him. It is God�s desire that none should
perish eternally. That�s why he offered His Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ�the only perfect sacrifice for mankind�s sin: Therefore
as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Jesus] the
free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans
5:18) What it comes down to is the preaching of the higher self
versus the preaching of the Cross. The New Age is saying that
God is the higher self in man�that God is just a meditation
away.
(528) The
"New
Model" Gospel by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp, 5/15/15 For over 50 years at least, a new message to call the
unconverted to Christ has been inching it's way virtually
undetected into a dominant place among evangelicals.
(530) Knowing
Our
Triune God by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call,
5/23/15 The doctrine regarding the Trinity (the three Persons of the
Godhead) isn�t something that any finite individual can fully
comprehend. The concept is beyond the grasp of our mortal minds.
And yet, God has given to mankind a great deal of information
about the Trinity throughout the Scriptures�information that His
created beings may and must understand, albeit imperfectly.
Although the term �Trinity� isn�t found in any Bible verse, that
which the Trinity comprises is found from Genesis through
Revelation.
(531) The
Necessity
of Biblical and Discerning Pastors (MP3) by Chris
Lawson, 5/27/15 This audio includes a brief overview of Ephesians chapters 1-3
and an expositional study of Ephesians 4:11-16. It also serves
as a clarion call to pastors and church leaders to "Prove [test]
all things, hold fast that which is good" (1 Thes. 5:21).
Based on Ephesians 4:11-16, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle
Paul makes is very clear that pastors are to equip the saints
for the work of ministry. Many pastors and church leaders in our
day, including countless church elders and youth leaders, are
not only not teaching the whole counsel of God, they are
allowing many aberrant and heretical teachings into the Body of
Christ. This leaven of false teaching comes through in sharing
speaking platforms with false teachers, the allowance of false
teaching in church �book� studies, conferences and compromised
bookstores. This study will help church leaders take a closer
look at their own lives as well as the doctrines they profess to
believe.
(532) Raising
Up
Biblical and Discerning Leaders (MP3) by Chris Lawson,
6/3/15 The Fear of the Lord; Repentance; Dealing with heresy; Revering
God instead of man; Consistent Bible reading; Seeking out Bible
teaching leaders and ministries; Avoiding excesses and extremes;
Defining your terms; Interpreting Scripture with Scripture;
Using the Bible and Bible study tools instead of
pop-Christianity books and fads; Defining biblical terminology
in context; Knowing the basic essentials of the Christian faith
and teaching them; Teaching the basics of biblical discernment;
Using the proper rules of biblical interpretation; Understanding
what a �cult� is, what �the occult� is, what �aberrant� means,
and what a �pseudo-Christian cult� is; Finding out what leads to
heresy and why; Educating yourself on the threats and dangers
that are in the church today; Learning what biblical
hermeneutics is all about; Educating your spouse and children in
Scripture; Understanding schools of Interpretation and the
dangers of �allegorizing� and �spiritualizing� Scripture;
Testing all things by the Word of God; Avoiding all appearance
of evil; Recognizing the signs and symptoms of cults, spiritual
abuse; and more.
(533) "...whether
things
on earth or things in heaven" by Sandy Simpson,
6/2/15 Col. 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness
dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making
peace through his blood, shed on the cross. I ran across
this verse again the other day and it made me stop and
think. Why would Jesus Christ have to reconcile things in
heaven? I understand fully why He had to do that on earth
where sin took control, as well as the physical universe which was
also affected by sin, but in the third heaven? In looking at
the various commentaries on this subject it is apparent that
people have different ideas about what this means.
(534) Marks of False
Religion - A study of Colossians 2:8 in context with
applications for today by Sandy Simpson,
6/11/15
Christians, in order to remain faithful, need to take seriously
the repeated admonitions of the Apostles to stay true to Jesus
Christ, the Gospel and sound doctrine. This is the only way
to protect ourselves from the wolves who continue to invade the
churches. Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets.
They come to you in sheep�s clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves.
(535) The
Reality
of Spiritual Warfare: The Invisible War & the Victory
of the Cross by Berit Kjos, 6/20/15 God's creation is truly amazing! We may be familiar with
life on planet earth, but the dimensions of His unseen
habitations reach far beyond our human comprehension. That
heavenly realm -- including God's armies of supernatural angels
-- is mentioned throughout the Bible, but few of us seem to take
it seriously. Usually hidden from our earth-bound eyes stand two
kinds of warriors: God's faithful angels and Satan's malicious
demons. God uses His loyal angels to guide, fight, protect and
watch over His people. He uses Satan's demonic hordes to enforce
His justice, punish the wicked, and train us in spiritual
warfare. While He calls us to follow Him, share His Word and
spread His love, He also prepares us to face spiritual battles
that involve evil forces as well as the good. "Then my
enemies will turn back in the day when I call; this I know, that
God is for me.... In God have I put my trust: I shall not be
afraid. What man can do unto me." (Psalm 56:9, 11)
(536) Noah�s
story, will it become our story? by Mike Oppenheimer,
7/6/15 Matt 24:38-39 "For as in the days before the flood, they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the
day that Noah entered the ark," and did not know until the flood
came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son
of Man be.� Noah�s story is one of separation as he kept himself
and his family from the defections and corruption of the society
he lived in. He gave a testimony to all those who would ask
about the boat he was building, not doubt being mocked as it was
being built. The people watching him do this year after year for
their whole lives until it was completed.
(537) Is
Psychological
Counseling Biblical? with Martin and Deidre Bobgan (Part 1)
by The Berean Call, 7/11/15 On today�s program and next week, as well, we�ll be discussing
what the Scripture has to say about believers ministering to one
another, which, sad to say, is foreign to the way most churches
with rare exceptions go about counseling, even under the label
of �biblical counseling.� My guests to discuss this important
subject are Dr. Martin and Deidre Bobgan. They are prolific
writers with more than 20 titles to their credit, nearly all
addressing the scriptural problems with psychological counseling
and Christian psychology, so-called. Many of their books can be
downloaded from their website, which is www.pamweb.org, or you
can order their books, their hardcopies, from The Berean Call.
(538) A
Brief Review Of The Theological Paper Of Daniel R. Jennings
Entitled �Except For Fornication� by James Jacob
Prasch, 7/14/15 In his public paper freely available on the Internet, Daniel R.
Jennings, (without doubt a sincere and genuine brother in
Christ) represents himself as one formerly holding to the
doctrinal belief that adultery provided scriptural grounds for
divorce based on the teaching of Jesus in Matthew�s Gospel,
(Matthew 5:31-32 & Matthew 19: 3-12) but that based on
further primarily linguistic study, he now maintains that this
is not the case and that the only New Testament grounds for
divorce is a case of pre-marital fornication by a wife who
deceitfully misrepresents herself as a virgin.
(539) The
Danger of New Revelation by Mike Oppenheiimer,
7/18/15 Paul writes in 1 Cor. 4:6, �that you may learn in us not to
think beyond what is written that none of you may be puffed up
on behalf of one against the other. Once someone is allowed to
tell people stories like; Jesus appeared to them in their room
or they visited heaven and they were given new revelation, the
rest comes easy. They become as if lost at sea, adrift with
their fantasy revelation that makes them more important. They
have something to say that no one else does because they were
chosen. The reality of demons should not be dismissed, or
underestimated, they are deceptive. They have one think they are
in contact with God and pride is always the bait on the hook.
Encapsulated in their new teaching is God is with me as they
present to the hearers their new revelation.
(541) Will
Catastrophe
Strike The Earth In September? by Al Dagar,
8/2/15 Will it be an asteroid, a comet or a meteor that will strike
the earth? What of the Four Blood Moons, the Year of Shemitah,
Jade Helm 15? Christians are hearing that prophets are
predicting terrible things to occur this coming September, 2015.
Some claim that God has given them prophecies about calamities
that portend His judgment upon the earth and the imminent
return of Jesus. It is even
reported that the Rapture will occur on
September 23, 2015. Christians around the world are being moved
to move. Someplace, anyplace, to escape God�s wrath. What to do?
What to do? Even before John Hagee brought the message of Mark
Biltze�s four-blood-moons theory to the forefront of Christians�
consciousness, there has arisen a new fervor of expectation that
�God is about to do something!�
(542) Sunday
Morning:
�Another Gospel?� by Harry A. Ironside, 8/3/15 Note carefully: The Gospel is God�s wonderful story of His
beloved Son. It is a message of grace to be received in faith.
It is not a code of laws to be obeyed or good advice to be
followed. It is not a system of ritual observances or a call to
submit to certain ordinances. It does not set forth the claims
of any human church organization, however venerable, nor does it
exhort men to seek after experiences, however remarkable, though
a blessed experience follows its acceptance. It simply sets
forth Christ crucified and risen as the Savior of all who
believe in Him.
(543) Spiritual
Warfare:
The Foe We Prefer to Ignore by Berit Kjos - January
2010 Our two centuries of peace, freedom, and relative comfort in
America may soon come to an end. But God invites us to train our
minds with His Truth and our hearts to follow Him in the hard
times ahead. Only by trusting Him and walking by His strength
can we share in His victory. So let's pray that He will
encourage and equip us for the times ahead.
(544) The
Armor of God by Berit Kjos, 8/10/15 God's armor brings victory because it is far more than a
protective covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ
Himself. "Put on the armor," wrote Paul in his letter to the
Romans, "...clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ."
(Romans 13:12-14) When you do, He becomes your hiding place and
your shelter in the storm -- just as He was to David. Hidden in
Him, you can count on His victory, for He not only covers you as
a shield, He also fills you with His life. "I am the vine; you
are the branches," said Jesus. "If a man abides in Me and I in
him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
(John 15:5)
(545) Considering
Him
Who Endured the Cross: Scriptural examples for daily living
(Hebrews 10:32-12:1-3) by Chris Lawson, 8/22/15
God Spoke and He Has a Faithful Remnant (Hebrews 10:32 - 11:29)
1. God spoke to His people through His Word. 2. The lives of the
people were changed and they were moved to action. 3. They
sought to obey God and do His will. 4. God has borne witness in
His own Word about them. Considering Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3) 1.
Looking at the example of faithful believers who have gone
before us. 2. Let us lay aside every weight and sin that is
entangling us. 3. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of
our faith.
(546) Spiritual
Warfare
and Guarding Your Soul by Chris Lawson, 9/2/15 Spiritual warfare, trials, suffering, affliction,
persecution�are we forgetting that we are in a spiritual battle?
The valiant-for-truth believer in Christ ought to never forget
that there is an unseen spiritual world that is in hostile
opposition against Jesus Christ and His Church. This study is
meant to help the believer consider the reality of the Christian
warfare and the the importance of doing the will of the Lord in
the strength that God provides. You must know: 1. Your own
weakness, and the weakness of your enemy. 2. Your own strength,
and the strength of your enemy. 3. Your victory through the
person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Scriptures: 2
Corinthians 4:16; 2 Kings 6:8-23; Ephesians 6:10-24; Romans
12:1-2
(547) The people
Perish from a lack of Knowledge of Scripture - The unity of
Spiritual zombies by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/9/15 There are those who deviate from being accurate in doctrine and
take advantage of the sheep. The distinction of those who teach
things contrary on purpose or those who teach by mistake are
known because the latter repents. Hosea 4:6 "My people are
destroyed (perish) for lack of knowledge ." Here God is
referring to what they should learn from the Scripture from the
priests and the prophets. They will be destroyed spiritually
first. Israel's lessons are ours to learn and correct if we
listen. Today, the knowledge of God in is in a closed book to
some, but it can be opened at any time and applied to change
their conditions. One needs courage to do this and if prevented,
resisted by those who oppose the them, they need to stand on the
truth.
(548) The
Reappearance of the Bethlehem star? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 9/9/15 The wise men were led to Jesus by a radiance in the heavens,
they were Biblical, these men teaching this canard are not. As
the end times escalates we will find spiritual paranoia present
and many will try to connect the dots making up their own
picture[s] from Scripture. This is the same reason why people
will be deceived by the signs from the antichrist and the false
prophet as they convince people of their mission. They are not
interpreting the Scripture but conforming it to what they think
it should mean.
(549) The
Mystery of iniquity by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/12/15
Great is the mystery of righteousness; (God was incarnated in
the flesh�) God was manifested in the flesh, (God appeared; was
revealed in the flesh to mankind). He who became man was made a
priest after the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:6, Psa. 110:4),
both a king and a priest (Heb. 7:1-2). This intriguing subject
of Christ�s priesthood is fully explained in Hebrews chapters
7-9. The mystery in Christ is made known. God�s Mystery is
simple: it is belief in Christ as the God/man: that God became
man. Who came from above (heaven) to live on earth as a man
(Called the mystery of godliness 1 Tim.3:16). To those who
disbelieve, the Messiah would be a �rock of offence� and a
�stone of stumbling.� Peter explains the mystery by showing that
all depends on one�s attitude toward Christ, whether they have
faith or unbelief: �God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a
son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not
do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?� (Num.
23:19) Man lies, God always tells the truth. God�s
characteristic, attributes are infinite. We are to become like
God in his moral qualities and character but we cannot become
God as in His nature. The image of God in man is a moral image /
likeness but there is another image that is foreign that was
introduced when the first couple sinned. It came to us by God's
enemy who lied to them and continues to lie to all mankind.
There is no mystery mentioned in the Old Testament like the New
Testament has mysteries, one mystery is the Gospel (Rom.16:25),
which was concealed. There are two specific mysteries we face in
the last days, The Mystery of Iniquity and Mystery Babylon.
Babylon is where all false religion of the people began (Cain
was the first) to be dominant over the true religion that was
passed on through Noah and his family.
(550) You need to �nip
it in the bud� by Sandy Simpson, 9/18/15 I am writing this article to address a subject that I have
often observed. It is the fact that if you do not get the
leaven out of your church the leaven will become the leadership.
(551) Rejoicing
Through
It All - What The Scripture Tells Us (Booklet) by
Warren B. Smith, 9/28/15 As challenging as it may seem at times, God�s Word tells us to
rejoice always (Philippians 4:4) and evermore (1Thessalonians
5:16). The various Hebrew and Greek words for rejoicing range in
meaning from calmly happy to exceedingly glad and jumping for
joy. The Bible reminds us that God�s people should be a �happy�
people because our God is the Lord (Psalm 144:15). We know that
�though our outward man perish� yet our �inward man is renewed
day by day. Therefore, we rejoice and give thanks for the
�abundant grace� so mercifully bestowed upon us by God our
Savior.
(552) What is your
covering? by Sandy Simpson, 10/3/15 The question every human being must ask themselves is this:
�What is my covering?� Is it fig leaves or animal skins? I
state this not literally but figuratively. Are you
depending on your good works or the blood of Jesus Christ to
save you? This is the ultimate question all the way from
the Garden of Eden. It is apparent that those who are
truly saved are �in Christ� (Rom. 6:7, 8:1), washed in the Blood
(1 Cor. 6:11, Rev. 7:14), crucified and buried with Christ (Gal.
2:20, Rom. 6:4) and born again (John 3:3, 1 Pet. 1:23),
anticipating eternal life (John 17:3, Rom. 6:23). But there are
also those who rely on their works (2 Tim. 1:9). Every person
will be judged according to their works (Eph. 2:8-9, Rev.
20:12), whether they were relying on them to be saved or relying
on the work of Christ on the cross for their salvation.
Even many people who call themselves Christians will end up
trying to rely on works instead of grace.
(553) The
Devil's Algebra (Video) by Jacob Prasch, 10/5/15
What happens when someone adds to or takes away from the Word
of God?
(554) The
Unseen
Foe Behind Rising Evil by Berit Kjos, 10/11/15 Satan's captivating lies have sparked wars and cruelty through
the ages. Ever since Eve chose to follow her feelings rather
than God's wise guidelines, humanity has faced assaults from
"the evil one" -- often through his human pawns. Call him Devil,
Deceiver, Satan, or serpent; it doesn't matter. It's all the
same haughty oppressor: "...that serpent of old, called the
Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world..." Rev. 12:9
(555) The
teaching of unclean spirits (demons) being the spirits of
pre-Adamic man: A short Lesson in demonology by Mike
Oppenheimer, 10/13/15 You will not find any biblical texts that mention (fallen)
angels or demons together, because they are different titles of
the same creatures. The demons, unclean spirits (which are the
fallen angels), both seek to possess men, both war against God�s
will and ways and want to use humans in this fight.
(556) The
Five
Wonders of the Gospel: The Truth Proclaimed by Johan
Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (October 2015) John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted verses from the
Bible. This famous verse is also called �the Gospel in a
nutshell� because it is considered a summary of the foundational
New Testament doctrine of salvation: �For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.� Five core truths
in connection with our salvation are mentioned in this verse,
which are all five divine wonders. They are the wonder of divine
love, the wonder of a heavenly Savior, the wonder of faith in
God, the wonder of salvation from perdition, and the wonder of
eternal life. The Bible offers a full exposition of these
supernatural works of God, and emphasizes the fact that Jesus
Christ is the only Savior of the world and that no person can
save himself from his state of spiritual deadness and moral
depravity.
(557) Praying
Circles, Think On These Things (Volume 21, Issue 5
Sep/Oct 2015) by Gary Gilley, 10/23/15 This latest prayer fad stems from the teachings of Mark
Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church in
Washington D.C., and in particular his 2011 book, The Circle
Maker. The publisher claims that Batterson is offering a new way
of praying (see advertisement on page 233 of The Circle Maker)
based on a Jewish legend of Honi the Rainmaker, also called Honi
the Circle Maker (pp. 11-13, 226). Honi, who lived a century
before the ministry of Christ, supposedly drew a circle in the
dirt, stepped into that circle and prayed for rain to end a
devastating drought. He told God that he would not leave the
circle until the Lord sent rain and, according to the myth, God
soon sent rain. It should be noted that the story of Honi is at
best a legend and most likely a myth. There is no independent or
historical evidence that anything like this event ever took
place. Even more importantly, this account is not drawn from
Scripture. Nevertheless, when Batterson discovered the story he
claimed it forever changed the way he prayed (p. 21). Now he
circles his prayers, either by stepping into a drawn circle (it
is recommended that a circle be drawn on the ground with chalk)
like Honi, or by walking around the object of his desire, as the
Jews walked around Jericho in the Old Testament.
(558) When
a
False Teacher Calls America "Israel" by The Berean
Call, 10/26/15 Jonathan Cahn, a popular Christian author, claims that his
books reveal mysteries and predict the future. He thus portrays
himself as like the Biblical prophets, including the claim of
having new revelations. The main point of his book is that
America is a second Israel and that she is being judged
according to the seven-year Sabbath law called "shemitah" that
was given to ancient Israel. This judgment manifests itself in
seven-year cycles of stock market collapses or other cataclysmic
events.
(559) Is Jesus
the Abomination that makes desolate, the covenant breaker of
Dan.9? by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/29/15 A number of years ago I sat down with some preterist�s who were
convinced in their view of Daniel 9.25-27 is Jesus breaking the
covenant and becoming the abomination that makes desolation.
This view becomes one of the most distorted errors of the
Scripture I have ever encountered. Since then it has come up a
number of times and needs to be addressed.
(560) Do you
gather or scatter? by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/29/15
Many use the parable of the wheat and the tares for not
judging. That we are to let the tares grow amongst the wheat
inside the church. But, this is NOT what this parable is about.
Matthew 13 is part of the mystery kingdom parables. Jesus tells
us �The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in
his field; while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among
the wheat and went his way.�
(561) The
Importance
of the Rational Mind by Ed Tarkowski, 11/5/15 When God speaks to a man in his spirit, he understands with the
mind the will of God, and can thus perform it with the full use
of his faculties and in full assurance that he is doing what God
expects of him. The occultist or spiritist must bypass the
mind by shutting down his thinking processes in order to reach a
passive state, at which point contact with a spirit is made. One
way of doing this is with a mantra; that is, repeating the same
word, word segment, or phrase over and over again. There is no
such practice found in Scripture.
(562) What
Seems
Right Might Be Wrong by Roger Oakland, 11/12/15
Every Christian wants to see the church grow. Jesus made it
clear before He ascended to the Father that His followers are to
be His witnesses. Believers are called to share the good news of
the gospel until He returns. We want to see our churches filled
to overflowing. This is right. But what happens when the
Christian church, in its zeal to reach the unconverted, begins
to embrace methods to attract the lost that are extra-biblical?
(563) �Overtake you like
a thief� by Sandy Simpson, 11/13/15 1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness,
that the day would overtake you like a thief; How serious will
it be for a person to be overtaken in �that day� like a thief
overtakes a household when he slips in and steals? Will it
just be a surprise for those who claim to be Christians who will
get a slap on the wrist by the Lord but still proceed to
heaven? Will they simply lose rewards but still gain the
ultimate reward? What is this darkness that the brethren
are not in? 1 Thessalonians 5:3-5 While they are
saying, �Peace and safety!� then destruction will come upon
them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child,
and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in
darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you
are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night
or of darkness;
(564) The
Bible
Anticipates Islam . . . Islam and the Bible by Bill
Randles, 9/20/14 Islam as a world religion didn't burst onto the world scene
until the 7th century AD. But in the 14 plus centuries since, it
has played a major role in world affairs, as a foil to the Judeo
Christian world, and a scourge on India, the Levant, Persia,
Southern Asia, much of Africa, the Caucasus, and even part of
China.
(565) Biblical
versus
Cultural Christianity (Chart) by Crossroad,
11/15/15 This chart is an attempt to answer those who judge Christians
by the atrocities committed in the name of "Christianity"
through the ages -- including our own times. Those wars,
persecutions, and cruelties had little to do with Biblical
Christianity. They had everything to do with man's greedy,
power-hungry human nature which seeks its own ways rather than
God's. The ungodly expressions of our human nature may change
from culture to culture, but the result is usually the same: the
people imagine a god that fits their new cultural wants and
values, and they learn to see this distortion of Christianity as
the true church. Biblical Christianity means being joined to
Jesus Christ through faith in what He did for us at the cross,
then allowing Him to live His life through us, so that others
might know Him and see His love. (That love may include sharing
His warnings as well as His promises with those in need.) The
established Church, like Old Testament Israel, has always tended
to drift away from its devotion to God and become just other
institutions, subject to the same human impulses and painful
consequences as the rest of the world. Please don�t blame human
evils on a "straw-man" or a convenient cultural distortion of
Christianity. Consider some of the differences between Biblical
faith and today's cultural deviations.
(566) Famine
in
the Land Yet God Remains Faithful by Chris Lawson,
11/18/15 Psalm 89 - A psalm (Maskil) of Ethan the Ezrahite. Author:
Ethan (or one of his descendants) is the author of this Psalm.
Ethan is possibly the Levitical leader and one of the head
musicians/singers in the Temple (1 Chronicles 6:42; 15:17-19).
Historical context: God had promised to make David the mightiest
King on earth (2 Sam. 7; 1 Kin. 8:23; 1 Chr. 17; 2
Chr. 21:7; Ps. 110). In doing so, God would protect David and
David�s descendants (2 Sam. 7:13; 16, 18), and ultimately
Messiah Jesus would reign from David�s throne - forever
(Luke 1:31-33). Even though Jerusalem was destroyed and no kings
were reigning in Jerusalem at this time, God remained faithful
and He continues to carry out His promises. God�s promises are -
and forever will be - fulfilled through our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, the Messianic descendant of David (Matt. 1:1; Luke
3:23-28) and the Eternal Prophet, Priest and King of Israel
(Heb. 1:1-10:18). Looking beyond the pale of the author�s
personal national dilemma - the apparent total ruin of the
Davidic monarchy - the author chooses to focus on the LORD and
His greatness, regardless of his own personal circumstances and
future. As always, man is humbled, and God is glorified. In one
word, with restored confidence in God and His Word, the author
closes with, �Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.�
(Psalm 89:52) The Lord�s Covenant with David and Israel�s
Afflictions (89:1-37) Praise and remembrance of God�s love and
faithfulness (89:1-4). God�s worthiness to be praise and adored
(89:5-14). God�s covenant blessing and protection upon David
(89:15-37). God�s Seeming Neglect of the Davidic Covenant
(89:38-52) The Psalmists heartfelt cry (89:46-51). The Psalmists
heartfelt distress (89:46-51). The Doxology - �Blessed be the
LORD forever!� (89:52) Scriptures: Psalm 89; Luke 1:30; Exodus
19:5; Deuteronomy 26:16; Psalm 135: 1-4; Deuteronomy 14:2; Titus
2:11-15; 1 Peter 2:9; Psalm 89:52.
(567) The
Fall of Satan resulted in the fall of many by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/21/15 A Spiritual war wages all around us, and Satan is a master
planner, he constantly feeds the world false information about
himself and of Christ, their only means of escape. Many people
dismiss his existence. Some see Satan as a mythical invention
and stay completely unaware of his plans. The Bah�'� 's do
not believe Satan exists, the devil is a metaphor for man�s base
nature. Charles Fillmore of Unity church said the Devil is a
state of consciousness adverse to the divine good. The Devil is
overcome by denying his existence. Mason's see Lucifer got a bad
rap and that he is good and that they need to learn to use his
energy. So they do not see the need to resist him not consider
his deceptions in their lives. They have no clue what is coming
to this world.
(568) Should
Christians
Expose Error? by H.A. Ironside, 11/22/15 Objection is often raised�even by some sound in the
faith�regarding the exposure of error as being entirely negative
and of no real edification. Of late, the hue and cry has been
against any and all negative teaching. But the brethren who
assume this attitude forget that a large part of the New
Testament, both of the teaching of our blessed Lord Himself and
the writings of the apostles, is made up of this very character
of ministry�namely, showing the Satanic origin and, therefore,
the unsettling results of the propagation of erroneous systems
which Peter, in his second epistle, so definitely refers to as
�damnable heresies.�
(569) Making
God�s
People Trust in a Lie� by Bill Randles, 11/29/15
It is happening all over again. In the church, as in the last
days of Judah, immediately preceding the devastation of the
Babylonian captivity and the destruction of the temple,
Christians are being inoculated to conviction
and preparedness by the soothing Words of false prophets like
Hananiah.
(570) The
Bible's Amazingly Accurate Account of the Flood by
Creation Moments, 11/30/15 Genesis 8:7 "And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and
fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth." On May
18, 1980, Mount St. Helens exploded, devastating over 200 square
miles in Southwestern Washington State. The heat spewing from
the volcano melted the snow that covered its heights, creating
mud flows that covered the surrounding area. The grim prediction
was that forests and wildlife would never be found on or near
the mountain within our lifetimes. Mount St. Helens' recovery
from the devastation provides us with a comparatively
small-scale model of the recovery from the great Flood at the
time of Noah. Only ten years after the eruption, much of the
plant and animal life in the devastated area had returned.
Today, evergreens stand taller than a man, fish swim in the
lakes and rivers, and frogs are in the ponds. Even larger
animals like elk can be found in the once-desolate area. This
suggests that it would not have taken generations for the
foliage that God preserved in the Flood waters to re-grow
forests and jungles, providing homes for the growing, migrating
population from the Ark. Before that could happen, Noah had to
know that there was somewhere for the animals to go. So he first
sent out a raven. Mount St. Helens illustrates why Noah decided
to send a raven first. Among the first new colonizers at Mount
St. Helens was the raven. They are part of God's army of
scavengers to remove the dead and can live in a wide variety of
conditions. Here again we see that even the small details
recorded in the Bible are true to real life.
(571) The
Gospel
in the Last Days by Jacob Prasch, 12/7/15 We�re looking, of course at �The Gospel in the Last Days�. In a
sense what we�re doing now is a sequel � a part two � to
something we did a number of years ago. You may remember a
number of years ago people were talking about �prepare for
blessing�, and �revival�s coming�, and �prepare for the victory�
and all this kind of stuff, and of course it didn�t happen. And
we had a conference at that time telling people to prepare for
persecution and we�ll have to see which has happened: Has
persecution come or has revival arrived? Well, revival has
certainly not arrived, but as we�ll look at in a minute,
persecution has. We�re preparing for persecution. And at that
time we pointed out to people the same kinds of challenges that
were faced by the Early Church will be faced by the church in
the Last Days. The same things happen. I�m not going to go into
it in any depth, just very briefly review. Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3, Part
4, Part
5, Part
6, Part
7, Part
8, Part
9, Part
10 & Part
11.
(572) Is
Jesus the Abomination that makes desolate, the covenant
breaker of Dan.9? by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/20/15
A number of years ago I sat down with some preterist�s who were
convinced in their view of Daniel 9.25-27 is Jesus breaking the
covenant and becoming the abomination that makes desolation.
This view becomes one of the most distorted errors of the
Scripture I have ever encountered. Since then it has come up a
number of times and needs to be addressed.
(573) Paul�s
Conduct
in Ministry and Appeal for Scriptural Separation by
Chris Lawson, 12/23/15 Do they see beyond our words? A practical look at being set
apart for the Lord and living for Him so that the Gospel may not
be maligned, blasphemed and hindered. Various topics covered in
this message include Paul's sufferings, his personal vindication
of his ministry, God's appeal to His church - through Paul - to
"be ye separate" from the world, and what true repentance looks
like and does. 2 Corinthians 6:1-4 � �We then, as workers
together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the
grace of God in vain.(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time
accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee:
behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of
salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be
not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the
ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in
necessities, in distresses�� Scripture: 2 Corinthians
6:1-7:12.
(574) The
Priority
of Not Neglecting Jesus Our First Love by Chris
Lawson, 12/31/15 Jesus Rebukes the Church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7)
Christian ministry and service should never replace our personal
love and devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ. This message is a
reminder for each of us to personally consider what priority we
individually place on our personal relationship with Jesus
Christ, our obedience to His Word, and whether or not we are
neglecting Jesus as our �first love� (Rev. 2:4). This sermon is
not intended to needlessly offend Christians, nor is it an
attempt to drive people into more �service� for the Lord.
Rather, it is a compelling message intended to encourage
believers to remember the goodness of the Lord, to repent from
spiritual apathy, and to love Jesus and adore Him, thereby
returning to Him as one�s first love - in sincerity and in
truth. Scriptures: Revelation 1:1-2:7; Ephesians 1:22; 4:15;
Colossians 1:18, 24; 2:9; 1 John 5:4-5. Revelation 2:1-7 (KJV) -
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things
saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who
walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know
thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst
not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say
they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 and
hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name�s sake hast
laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat
against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the
first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the
Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in
the midst of the paradise of God.
(577) Setting
Aside
the Power of the Gospel for a Powerless Substitute by
David Dombrowski, 2/13/16 We are living in a time of mass deception and delusion. If you
were to fall off a cliff and only had a rope to hold you, would
you not hold onto that rope more tightly? That is what we must
do with the Gospel. Jesus� death on the Cross purchased our
salvation; we have also been bought by His blood, sealed in a
new covenant, and His indwelling presence empowers us to live
the Christian life. There is no other power to save!
(578) Bright
Hope
in Dark Days by Charles H. Spurgeon, 2/15/16 The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine.
He has his seasons of darkness and of storm. True, it is written
in God's Word, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace," and it is a great truth, that religion [i.e.
Biblical Christianity] is calculated to give a man happiness
below as well as bliss above. But experience tells us that if
the course of the just be "As the shining light that shineth
more and more unto the perfect day," sometimes that light is
eclipsed. At certain periods, clouds cover the believer's sun,
and he walks in darkness and sees no light.
(479) Mythicism
by Robert Stewart, Ph.D. & Marilyn Stewart, M.Div., Watchman
Fellowship, Inc., 3/17/16 The claim that Jesus never existed is virtually unknown prior
to the 18th century. Up to that time even Christianity�s
fiercest detractors did not deny that Jesus was a historical
person. Most New Testament scholars have viewed the arguments
behind this claim as too weak to merit a response or to merit
anything more than a reference in a footnote. The radical
English Deist Lord Bolingbroke in the late 18th century is known
to have promoted this idea, followed by French Enlightenment
thinkers Constantin-Francois Volney and Charles Francois Dupuis
who argued that Christianity borrowed from ancient Persian and
Babylonian myths.
(480) Scoffers
Will
Come by Roger Oakland, 3/18/16 Bible prophecy is being fulfilled as I write this commentary.
While many professing Christians ignore the connection between
current events and portions of the Bible that were written
thousands of years ago, my advice is that it would be wise for
these scoffers to wake-up.
(481) What to do
when Biblical counsel is not received? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 3/20/16 The bottom line, if you have a pastor who lacks or refuses to
exercise discernment and integrity, this is dangerous to the
sheep they are entrusted to protect. The church is their
spiritual family. Read Part
1 - What to do when Biblical counsel is not received? and Part 2 - Who's in
charge of your church? Do you have a pastor or a politician?
(482) Elektos by Jacob Prasch,
4/5/16 So often it is the extremists that divide the body of Christ
and cause unnecessary problems, it really is. You�ve got
people who are ultra-Pentecostal or extreme Charismatics who
confuse spirituality with mysticism, who confuse basic emotion
with the leading of the Holy Spirit; emotional impulse.
Their doctrinal theology is so often a false theology based on
experience, not based on the Word of God and we know the
Charismatic movement, having been around since the late 1960�s,
has never brought any revival. There was a revival among
the hippies but the Charismatic renewal has not renewed these
denominations. These denominations are far worse off now
than they were a generation ago; they are ordaining homosexuals,
lesbians, and everything else. The Methodists, the
Reformed churches, the Presbyterians, pick any church you want
that had the Charismatic renewal and you would be hard pressed
to find one of them that has been renewed or restored to
biblical foundation. Now this is in no way a denial of the
authenticity of Holy Spirit baptism or a properly understood
manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit practiced
scripturally. It is just to say, as we pointed out many
times, too much, in fact probably the majority of what we see
today, in terms of Charismatic phenomena, is not genuine
charismata but the term Chuck Smith once coined,
�charismania.� The theological term for charismania, the
actual term, again if you don�t know, is neo-Montanism.
The kind of disorder and chaos you saw at Corinth resurfaced in
the early Church with people called the Montanists and this kind
of thing has happened at other times.
(483) Can
Bad
Hermeneutics Lead to Heresy? with Rob Congdon (Part
1), 4/16/16 Hermeneutics is one of these words we don't speak about every
day in our life, but actually we experience it. Every time you
read a book or read a newspaper, you apply a system of
hermeneutics. It�s a method to interpret what you�re reading.
You expect certain rules, whether you realize it or not, to be
applied to that. So, hermeneutics is really, as we use it, a
method of biblical interpretation � a system, if you will.
(484) Almost
Saved
... But Entirely Lost! by Dr. C. L. Cagan,
4/23/16 You can�t be changed from a little devil to a real Christian by
simply coming to church. You can�t have a conversion by learning
things. Your heart is wrong. You are wrong inside. Your heart is
�desperately wicked� (Jeremiah 17:9). You cannot change yourself
from a goat to a sheep, from a little devil to a real Christian.
�With men it is impossible� (Mark 10:27). And with you it is
impossible. You need God�s grace! You need a miracle of
conversion from God. You are almost saved, but entirely lost.
Without a miracle from God, you will always be entirely lost �
lost in this life and lost forever in the next world.
(485) A time to
weep Eccl. 3:4 by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/8/16 Israel, the Jewish people and nation has become the dividing
line for the church in the last days. There are more that reject
God keeping His covenant with them than those who believe God
will never forsake Israel because of his covenant. Called by
many names, known as replacement theology, this predominant
false teaching today is infecting many in various ways.
(486) Slackerly
Sloths by Herescope, 5/12/16 The opposite of the biblical diligence is the idea of
sloth. The sloth mammal was aptly named because its habits
so matched the biblical description!
(487) The Key to being able to teach
both Predestination and Free Will by Sandy Simpson,
5/14/16 When I was in college one of the favorite all night jam
sessions was the Predestination vs. Free Will debate. We
would stay up all night and never resolve the problem.
Though I was a Christian I was somewhat immature at the time and
had not learned the principle of not imposing manmade constructs
on the Scriptures (eisegesis) but rather letting the Bible
interpret itself (exegesis) since it consists of the Word of God
as breathed by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16) through the
prophets, Apostles and of course, the Word incarnate, Jesus
Christ. There is a famous saying that states: "A text, out
of context, in isolation from co-text is always a
pre-text." It certainly was a �pretext� for our lengthy
useless arguments on this subject.
(488) Discernment
Detractors:
Calling Good Evil by Warren B. Smith, 7/14/15 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my
sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward
in heaven:��Matthew 5:11-12
(489) Biblical
Texts
Older Than Estimated at The Berean Call, 6/13/16
Studying ancient handwriting reveals biblical texts are older
than estimated. By using handwriting analysis technology,
Israeli scholars from a number of fields have concluded that
certain ancient biblical texts are older than originally
thought.
(490) Spiritual
Warfare:
The Unseen Foe Behind Rising Evil by Berit Kjos,
6/14/16 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron�� 1 Timothy
4:1-2 We don�t hear much about spiritual warfare these days.
Most churches seem to ignore the reality of Satan and the evil
he inspires. God�s warnings about fellowship with the world�s
alluring thrills doesn�t fit the contemporary image of Jesus as
a tolerant, easy-going friend.
(419) The
Message
�bible� butchers Psalm 1:1 by My Word Like Fire,
6/15/16 Eugene Peterson�s horrendous translation (?) of Psalm 1:1
compared to the genuine thing.
(420) Christians who
�turn away� by Sandy Simpson, 6/22/16 Jeremiah 3:10-11 And yet for all this her treacherous sister
Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but
feignedly, saith the LORD. And the LORD said unto me, �The
backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous
Judah.� (KJV) Israel had turned away from the Lord and had gone
after the gods of Canaan, namely Baal and Asherah. Because
Israel had prostituted herself with false gods in worshipping
the polytheistic gods that started at Babel, God had declared He
was divorcing Israel and would send them into exile until they
again returned to the true God. But Judah prided itself in doing
what God had commended as they had Jerusalem and the
Temple. They disdained Israel for setting up altars to
Baal and Asherah poles on high hills. Yet God was not
fooled by Judah�s pretence. In the KJV it says they were
not worshipping God with their whole heart but
�feignedly�.
(421) God�s
Word:
The Only Protection against the Winds of Theology at
The Berean Call, 6/29/16 Jaw and hands clenched, knuckles white, I fought the sporadic
gusts of wind that threatened to wrest the wheel from my
control. With each renewed gale the Explorer threatened to skate
off the corridor of ice that now constituted I-29. Every quarter
mile�or less�we saw yet another car, truck, or semi that had
careened into one of the ditches on either side of the
interstate. Others were pulled off, idling on the shoulder. I
continued on, determined to reach home after a long winter
weekend in Minnesota. Despite the relative chill of the
vehicle�s cabin, I felt a thin sheen of sweat on my brow as I
glanced over at my wife who was similarly on edge and frequently
checking on our frightened children in the back seat. One false
move and we would join the other travelers, waiting out the
blizzard in a ditch. Perhaps you have had a similar driving
experience, perhaps not; but if you are a fellow traveler
through the life after Adventism, then you�ve almost certainly
had a parallel journey. In Adventism you have �the Truth� on
nearly every topic imaginable, and you have the assurance of
being in God�s true remnant church. Things aren�t nearly that
simple after Adventism, though. In fact, there�s a good chance
that you, like me, have spent some time lurching back and forth
between one ditch or another. When I first came out of
Adventism, I found myself flirting with some of the more fringe
elements at the edges of the charismatic movement. Over-steering
back from the brink of that ditch, I went in the opposite
direction and drove straight down into a liberalized version of
the seeker-sensitive movement. I spun my tires in that ditch for
quite a while before God pulled me and my family out and got us
back on the road of our spiritual journey. So how did God get us
back on track and where He wanted us? The answer is through a
focus on the Word. Early in my journey, God had introduced me to
the line-by-line exegetical teaching of a pastor named Bryan
Clark�.I continued to listen to Bryan�s sermons online while
attending church elsewhere. Hearing the Bible taught like that
was the equivalent of refocusing on the road and allowing the
ditches to fade into peripheral vision. At the risk of pushing
the analogy too far, the Bible paints the solid white lines at
the edge of the highway. It tells us what is in bounds, what is
out of bounds, and where the ditches are. It also highlights the
center line, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which keeps us focused
on moving forward in the right direction. Having these guides,
we can let off the gas, relax our grasp, and enjoy the ride,
secure in the knowledge that God is in control. I see so many
former Adventists who, like me, seem to go from one questionable
belief system to another, tossed about by the winds of theology.
There is really only one remedy: getting deeply immersed in the
Word while being plugged into a healthy, well-balanced community
of believers. We need the Word and, as we recover from
Adventism, we need the guidance the Holy Spirit provides through
the church so that we can see and understand the Word in the way
He intended. I eventually found that Word-centered community in
my home church, and I pray that you will too. It�s time to start
living the life after!
(422) What
is
the Gospel? (Excerpt from An Urgent Call to a Serious
Faith by Dave Hunt), 7/1/16 What is the gospel that saves�and from what does it save us? In
order to answer that question, we must go back to the Garden of
Eden. It was there, in the most perfect environment that God�s
heart of love and His creative power could provide, that man�s
rebellion against his Creator had its awful beginning. Eden is
not mythology but history, as human experience, selfish
ambition, and false religions continue to demonstrate to the
present day. Surrounded by beauty, satisfied by abundance, and
enjoying the fellowship of their Infinite Friend, our first
parents, nevertheless, fell to the seductive lies of Satan. �Ye
shall be as gods� was his deceitful promise�and to realize that
delusion has been man�s passion ever since. False religions,
such as Hinduism and Mormonism, are based upon this lie. Though
not deceived himself (1 Timothy:2:14And Adam was not deceived,
but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.), Adam,
in loyalty to Eve, joined in his wife�s disobedience and ate of
the forbidden fruit. Thus, �by [this] one man sin entered into
the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned� (Romans:5:12 Wherefore, as by one man
sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:).
(423) The lack
of expository preaching and consequences of sin by
Mike Oppenheimer, 7/4/16 Many stand behind the pulpit who should not be there. So many
teach extra-biblical nonsense, stories that are not the focus of
the Bible, or their experiences. Either they were not called, or
if they were called to ministry they did not allow the time for
training and education and have found themselves neglecting the
call.
(424) Do you
gather or scatter? by Mike Oppenheimer, 7/8/16 Many use the parable of the wheat and the tares for not
judging. That we are to let the tares grow amongst the wheat
inside the church. But, this is NOT what this parable is about.
Matthew 13 is part of the mystery kingdom parables. Jesus tells
us �The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in
his field; while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among
the wheat and went his way.� Jesus explains, Matt 13:27-30 "So
the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you
not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'
"He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to
him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' "But he
said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot
the wheat with them. 'Let both grow together until the harvest,
and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First
gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them,
but gather the wheat into my barn."' The theme in this parable
is the field, which is the world, not the Church (the church is
in the world). Paul explicitly tells us to purge out leaven from
the Church, remove what is false and wicked. The field, which is
the world has both believers and unbelievers in it, this
separation is done by Christ. And we find only the wheat will go
into the Millennium (Messianic Kingdom).
(425) The
Nature
and Tactics of Satan by Crossroad, 7/14/16 "...the whole world is under the sway of the evil one." 1 John
5:19 "Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform
themselves into ministers of righteousness..." 2 Cor.11:14-15
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,
whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone
out into the world...." 1 John 4:1
(427) Does
Doctrine
Matter Anymore? (Video) by Gary Gilley, 8/6/16 A recent front page article featured in our local (Springfield,
Illinois) newspaper was entitled �Mega-Growth.� The article
described the phenomenal numerical increase of three of the
largest churches in our area. What is it about these churches
that have sparked their growth? Why are people flocking to these
churches rather than to others? In response one of the pastors
said, �Understanding budgets and balance sheets is as important
as understanding church doctrine.� Another pastor said, �Church
members are more interested in relational issues than doctrine.
People care less about questions pertaining to what a church
doctrine is and more about the question, �Does this church care
for me?��[i] We should not minimize the importance of fiscal
responsibility, organizational needs and loving community, but
not too many years ago Christians sought out churches that
reflected what they believed the Bible taught. No longer. As is
evident by what these pastors said, the average Christian today
simply does not care much about theology; they are seeking a
community that cares for them, or a particular style of music,
or an intimate experience, or a service project they can plug
into, or any number of things. For the most part they are not
choosing to become a member of a church on the basis of what it
teaches. To be sure, certain managerial and practical elements
are important to the operation of a local church. And the church
should be a community, even a family, composed of those who love
one another in such a way that the world stands up and notices
(see John 13:35). But this almost-wholesale dismissal of
doctrine as unnecessary baggage has been uncommon throughout
church history. Watch Part
1
- Does Doctrine Matter Anymore? and Part
2
- Does Doctrine Matter Anymore - To Pastors?
The first author to identify himself as "Pre
Wrath" was CS Lovett in his book "The Latest Word on the Last
Days" (1980). It was probably Lovett who actually invented the
term 'Pre Wrath'. His view of Pre Wrath combined the Post
Tribulational views of Dr. Samuel Tregallis with a Pre Wrath
position because he placed the wrath of God only at the very
closing phase of the final 7 years preceded by the rapture.
(429) Do
Gentiles become Jews when they believe? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 9/1/16 As a believer
(Gentile) you become part of the body of Christ, not Israel.
You are a spiritual Gentile, not a Jew. Israel is a
nation consisting of Jews, Hebrews are an ethnicity who are
from the linage of Abraham Isaac and JACOB (the twelve
tribes). A Gentile (both believer and non believer) is from
Abraham not Isaac and Jacob. Being Abraham�s seed does not
make one Jewish. This is where people have been taught wrong.
It's Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, (from whom came the 12 tribes)
otherwise the Arabs are Jewish too. selah
(432) The
Father's
House and the Way There by H.A. Ironside, 9/5/16
Oh, don�t talk about many ways. There is only one�Jesus is the only
way. There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved, but the name of Jesus. Have you come to Him? Are
you trusting Him? If you are, you are on the way to the Father�s
house, and now you can wait with equally glad expectation for the
hour of His return, for He said, �If I go, I will come again, and
receive you unto Myself.� When will He come? We can�t tell that, but
we are waiting for Him day by day.
(433) Jesus and
the gospel - A Bible exposition on what the gospel is and how
to use it effectively by Mike Oppenheimer,
9/12/16 If one says Jesus did not rise physically from the dead but
came back in a spiritual body, this is a denial of a core
teaching that is related to the gospel of salvation - the
resurrection. It changes the 3rd point of the gospel.
1. He (Jesus) died for our SINS. 2. He was buried (proving He
actually died), 3. He rose again, resurrected. Taking up the
same body He was born and lived in, and still exists in today
(in a glorified state). It is this gospel Paul said He delivered
to them in. The Gospel concerns God�s only Son and His work on
the cross (the crucifixion) on our behalf to forgive our sin. If
its focus is on something else, no matter how sacred or from the
Bible, then it is not the gospel of Christ.
(434) Casting
Our
Cares on God by Maria Kneas, 9/19/16 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that
he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7) The parable of the sower
in Scripture reveals a condition (the third kind of soil) that
can be especially problematic for the Christian who is trying to
serve the Lord and be fruitful for the Kingdom�namely that of
seed sown among thorns (weeds) that would choke out one�s
effectiveness. In explaining this part of the parable, Jesus
said: And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as
hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering
in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. (Mark 4:18-19,
emphasis added)
(436) Are
we in Acts 29? by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/12/16
The church is built upon the "foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone"
(Ephesians 2:20). While it continues to grow upon this
foundation to compare our time period to the early gospel
history among those who were alive with Jesus is a mistake and
can lead to many errors. While we can draw from it and see
modern application in the persecution of Christians and the
gospel continuing we must keep this written record inspired of
the Holy Spirit as a unique time in the the history of the
Church. We are not all apostles that can duplicate or do even
greater miracles than Jesus, they didn't.
(437) Sins
of
the Fathers, Nepotism, and Apostasy in the Church by
Roger Oakland, 10/21/16 There is an obvious pattern observed from a brief study of
genealogies found in the Old Testament. When a father follows
God and leads the people, overseeing in the right direction,
there is absolutely no guarantee this virtue will carry over to
the next generation. In other words, the saying �he is a chip
off the old block� is not always the pattern we find when it
comes to biblical history.
(438) Can
water wash away sins, forgive sins? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 10/25/16 If baptism saves, that would be the first thing we would have
to do, not believe, but do. We would be told to believe in our
baptism, then Jesus could not be the savior but our act of
immersion would be saving us.
(439) The
Sabbath is not in the New Covenant by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/3/16 You do not get grace or peace through the law, but by only
through the Father and Jesus Christ, through the NEW COVENANT.
Those who insist on requiring the Sabbath in the new covenant as
it was for Israel (only) in the Old Covenant, show their bad
bible interpretation skills. They have not been taught the new
covenant of grace accurately; some not at all. Some think
the Old Testament laws have been synthesized to the new
covenant, some even think they as Gentiles become Jews. Where
did the apostles teach the Sabbath was mandatory as it was in
the Old Testament? They cannot point to one Scripture after the
new covenant is ratified that requires the Church to keep the
Sabbath as Israel kept the Sabbath under the Old Covenant. It
was personal choice.
(440) On
Those who claim to have trips to Heaven by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/6/16 On the authority of the Word I can say when you hear someone�s
personal heavenly experience; remember the bible. Those who
claim they are making visits to heaven are not telling the
truth, but have departed from it (1 Cor. 4:6).
(441) What of
those who claim they died (NDE) and went to heaven and
returned by Mike Oppenheimer, 11/20/16 John, who was the last living apostle was allowed to write his
vision as he relayed the future for all the believers to read
throughout the centuries. He gave to us the revelation of Jesus
Christ which brought the Bible to its conclusion, closing the
canon on what God would reveal to man of the future. There are
no others that went to heaven (no young children, no adults).
From these two apostles we have all the insight we need to have
faith of what is waiting for us as pilgrim believers on earth.
There is no one else’s word we can trust on this except
God’s.
(442) The
truth versus THE Lie - When the truth becomes a lie and the
lie becomes the truth by Mike Oppenheimer,
12/6/16 True believers are to not only to know the truth, but should be
able to tell the difference of a lie from the truth. The
indwelling Spirit of God is called the Spirit of truth
(Jn.14:17; 15:26; 16:13.) He gives them discernment to cut away
the chaff from the wheat. The same ways that are used in
advertising are being used to lay the groundwork for this Lie
that will unite the world to accept the fake Messiah. The
biggest lie from self - help and human potential, new age and
heretical teachers is that when you find yourself you find God.
Or that you are God, or a god, as it is being taught from the
false teachers inside the church. There is only one true God.
The only way one can stretch this to be acceptable is to tell
everyone we are all part of Him, he is us, thus we are all god!
(443) What
happened to you after YOU received the gospel? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 12/17/16 Life is filled with changes, accepting Jesus as ones Lord,
savior is the greatest change, for it changes everything. So
many things took place in our life after we accepted the gospel
as the truth. First our eternal destination, direction changed,
we are now promised heaven at death whereas before we did not
have this hope. Our present relationship with the world changed
because we have God personally working in our lives. We have
God's Holy Spirit residing in us guiding us. We are now
spiritually, not carnally minded as we read the Bible and allow
it to inform us and conform us to Christ. Christ’s nature is
deposited in every believer to transform us. As we live by His
word we spiritually grow. The Holy Spirit reveals the nature of
God, transforming His children to be like the Son by this new
nature residing in us. Too many struggle with surrender. Many do
not want to give up their control, even if they made tremendous
mistakes, bad decisions in life. The want to stay in charge, so
it becomes a matter of trust. But there is no one you can trust
better than the Lord. No longer do you depend on yourself to
find the answers, God has given them to you. The gospel does not
just have you believe in Jesus, it changes your life into
service for Him. Your affections for the world changed, before
you were attracted to it and had no power to resist it, now you
struggle against them are repelled by sin. Now you have a power
inside you that you did not before, to resist and overcome. You
have come under new ownership. Jesus is no only your Lord, your
savior but he is now your master. You are bond servant.
(444) Filling Up the
Sufferings of Christ — Colossians 1:24-26 (Video) by
Bob DeWaay, 12/18/16 This difficult passage has often been misused by those who
claim that the “merits of Christ�? can be added to. We explain
and defend the eschatological view that Christian suffering is
necessary and eventually reaches the limit that God has set for
it. What is lacking that is being filled up are sufferings that
will ultimately reach that limit and God will avenge His
righteous ones. God reveals His truth to those who are like
infants and not wise in their own estimation. We must
contemplate the claims of the gospel and respond with faith and
obedience.
(445) He is
Wonderful by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/19/16 Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is
given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His
name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 700 years prior, in Isa 9:6
where the son is promised to be given, born as a man there are a
number of descriptions of our Lord, one of them is wonderful. It
is what begins of the many names the Son is to be
called.Wonderful means Indescribable beyond comprehension to
fully grasp. He is the perfect o
(63)