Quote of the Day

Miserable are those who measure the authority of a doctrine by the numbers receiving it. Truth always overcomes, though for a time it is found among the few. - Athanasius (296-373)

Spineless Christianity

One does have to applaud Thomas E. Trask for some of his recent comments at the 52nd General Council in Indianapolis, where he made an emotional plea to tens of thousands of "brothers and sisters" not to let a 'Spineless' Christianity enter the Assemblies of God. But he is sadly mistaken if he thinks that it isn't already in his denomination, though it may not be in the form of a seeker-friendly, liberal, or social gospel as he clearly described, but any form of Christianity that lives in direct opposition to the Word of God is a Spineless Christianity.

"Many churches in America today are offering ... new religion that guarantees no hell, requires no holiness, It is a limp, Spineless Christianity that does not confront sin for fear of being judgmental. It is an impotent gospel that tells people everything is okay." Thomas E. Trask

Trask listed several causes of what he calls 'Spineless' Christianity one of these issues is situational ethics in which biblical absolutes are rejected. How ironic that the general superintendent of the largest Pentecostal denomination in the nation would point to what is running so rampant within his on denomination to describe what 'Spineless Christianity' is and then denys it by saying "May it never ... invade this church!", this reminds me of Luke 6:42 "How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?"

If Pentecostals truly want to kill 'Spineless' Christianity they might want to start with purging their own churches of 'Word Faith' false teachings and expose all the heretics that parade the 'Prosperity Gospel' on TBN who attach themselves to the Pentecostal statement of faith. Second it would also be a bright idea to condemn Roman Catholicism as a false religion, even if they do claim to speak in tongues. Third they should repent of allowing women to take the role of pastoral leadership in the church as 1 Corinthians 14:33-34 says "for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says." Fourth they should stop being unequally yoked with unbelievers as they tend to align themselves with Roman Catholics, but 2 Corinthians 6:14 says "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?". Fifth they should stop teaching a second helping of the baptism which divides Christians into the haves and have not's and elevates some Christians into 'All Star' status. I truly believe Trask statement was dead-on describing a 'Seeker Friendly' gospel but not to the extent that it should have be directed to the Pentecostal denomination, their issues were not addressed at all.

No Beggarly Elements

O my friend! We can make no atonement to a violated Law - we have no inward holiness of our own - the Lord Jesus is the Lord our righteousness.

Cling not to such beggarly elements - such filthy rags - mere cob webs of Pharisaical pride but look to Him who has wrought out a perfect righteousness for His people.

You find it a hard task to come naked and miserable to Christ... But if you come at all you must come thus ... There must be no conditions - Christ and Christ alone must be the only Mediator between God and sinful men - no miserable performances may be placed between the sinner and the Savior. Let the eye of faith be ever directed to the Lord Jesus Christ; and I beseech Him to bring every thought of your heart into captivity to the obedience of our Great High Priest.

George Whitfield (1714-1769)

Taken from God's Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century, by Arnold A. Dallimore (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1990), p. 161. and excerpted from Whitfield Gold, Pure. Refined. by Ray Comfort (Gainsville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2006), p. 99.

Cultural Morality? NO!

I know it seems that I'm beating a dead horse with this post but it just seems like people aren't grasping the error of being involved with this movement of making the cultural more moral. Below are 16 Reasons why Christians should not be involved in the cultural morality movement. Please don't ask me to explain these in detail for more details please download the sermon preached by John MacArthur titled "The Deadly Dangers of Moralism". It really turns my stomach to hear Christians attack those who are dead in their trespasses and sins and have yet to been born again, as if one thinks that they some how mustered up their own good morals and then were regenerated. Where is the compassion for the lost?

01. Cultural morality is not our commission.
02. Cultural morality wastes immense amounts of precious resources, time, money, human energy.
03. Cultural morality sets up inevitable failure.
04. Cultural morality fails to understand the nature of the Kingdom of God.
05. Cultural morality puts the responsibility on man rather than God, well-intentioned people trying to do the impossible.
06. Cultural morality creates morality without theology.
07. Cultural morality fails to understand that salt and light are not moral influence, but gospel witness and the power of holy living.
08. Cultural morality has no New Testament model to follow except the Pharisees.
09. Cultural morality creates unholy unions in which unbelievers and enemies of the gospel are welcomed.
10. Cultural morality leads to acceptance of inclusivism.
11. Cultural morality becomes selective as to the sins it attacks.
12. Cultural morality fails to understand the true nature of spiritual warfare.
13. Cultural morality makes the mission field into the enemy.
14. Cultural morality brings persecution and hatred of Christians for the wrong reasons.
15. Cultural morality reverses the divine order. That is, it makes morality the power for salvation. Works rather than Grace.
16. Cultural morality fails to understand the wrath of God.

List compiled from Dr. John MacArthur's sermon titled "The Deadly Dangers of Moralism".

Lost Hymns

Free From The Law

Free from the law, oh, happy condition,
Jesus hath bled, and there is remission.
Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,
Grace hath redeemed us, once for all.

Once for all, oh, sinner receive it,
Once for all, oh, brother believe it;
Cling to the cross, the burden will fall,
Christ hath redeemed us, once for all!

Now we are free, there's no condemnation,
Jesus provides a perfect salvation.
"Come unto Me," O hear His sweet call,
Come, and He saves us once for all.

"Children of God," O glorious calling,
Surely His grace will keep us from falling;
Passing from death to life at His call;
Blessèd salvation once for all.

Philip P. Bliss

McChurch

The precise origins of the term "McChurch" are unclear, some say it's origins date as far back as to the early 1990s. Prominent media sources using other terms to describe a "McChurch" may include: "Hot Tub Religion", "Superchurch", "Megachurch", "Gone Las Vegas", "Christian Country Club", "MeChurch", "ChristCo," "Six Flags Over Jesus," "McJesus," "Fort God", "Religion Lite", "Fast Food Christianity" and "Krispy Kreme Christianity" and many more which all describe a bent toward a consumerism mentality within the evangelical Christian community.

Some elements of a McChurch may include the following: Gift shops, coffee shops, and other revenue-generating amenities incorporated into the main structure of the church building. Worship services focus on a presentation, via skits or music, and the messages are geared more to a motivational drive at the expense of doctrinal discussion. Placement in a suburban or exurban areas to attract an upper middle class clientele, in order to boost donations. Participation in other revenue-generating activities, such as selling curriculum materials or franchising. Despite these common elements, the term is understood differently by conventional (secular) and Christian sources which contend that a "McChurch" promotes socially conservative political philosophy or better know as the "Social Gospel". On the other hand, some Christian sources define a "McChurch's" theology as unduly permissive, especially with respect to sexual behavior, which also suggest a ploy to boost membership and donations. However you may perceive a "McChurch" It's quite clear that they have the same motive as it's counterpart "McDonalds" and that is to draw in the big CHA-CHING $$$.

Beware of Preachers

It's amazing how this list names so many televangelist without calling them out by name.

1. Beware of men whose preaching is shallow, and who never seem to say anything new, in the sense of the understanding of Scripture.

2. Beware of preachers who fail to preach on the holiness of God and His hatred for sin.

3. Beware of preachers who emphasize feelings and emotions rather than doctrine, who are shallow and lack depth.

4. Beware of preachers who are preoccupied with physical appearance; who is preoccupied with clothing, jewelry, cars, houses, wealth, fancy hotels, fancy restaurants.

5. Beware of preachers with a lack of deep seriousness about sin.

6. Beware of preachers who have a preoccupation with sexual matters and subjects in the pulpit.

7. Be very wary of preachers who are more concerned with relationships to people than they are with peoples' relationships to God.

List compiled from a sermon preached by John MacArthur titled "Creatures Born to Be Killed, Part 3"

Atonement Quotes:

"Christ is to us just what His Cross is, all that Christ was in Heaven or on earth was put into what He did there, on this the whole church rest. If you move faith from that center you have driven the nail into the Church's coffin. The church is then doomed to death and it is only a matter of time until she expires." - P.T. Forsyth

"Leave out the cross and you have killed the religion of Jesus, atonement by the blood of Jesus is not an arm of Christian truth it is the very heart of it." - C. H. Spurgeon

"The atonement is not a part of Christianity - it IS Christianity!" - Oliver B. Greene

"A Christianity which is not Cross centered is not Christianity at all." - Leon Morris

Abandoned Faith...

I usually don't like to post two video's back to back but since I made this one I thought I would go ahead and let you see it, it's my first attempt at making a video so don't laugh, or cry. When one stops and ponders why our landscapes are scattred with so many abandoned church's I can't help thinking that the seeker-sensitive mega church movement is directly or indirectly to blame.

My King

Just proclaim Him!

Justification & Regeneration

I picked up a copy of Charles Leiter's newest book titled "Justification and Regeneration" and I know I am not one to give a book review in detail but after reading the first two chapters I highly recommend this book to every believer in understanding these two fundamental Christian doctrines that seem to be an enigma to Modern Christianity. Paul Washer has written the forward and you can pick up a copy at HeartCry Missionary Society for only $9.00.

"In this work, Pastor Charles Leiter has done a great service to the Church in that he has taken two of the greatest doctrines of Scripture and two of the greatest miracles in the Christian life and explained them in simple language without loss of content. As I read through the manuscript of this book I was amazed at its simplicity and scope…Of particular interest to me was the setting forth of a proper view of regeneration…" - Paul Washer

His Absurdness

There are so many disturbing comments coming from the Pope in this article at MSNBC that I'm at a loss of where to start. I guess I'll just let you make the connection. I can't imagine a Christian in their right mind that would take spiritual advice from a man who thinks that the clash between creationism and evolution was an "absurdity," and also claims that evolution "enriches our understanding of life". When I compare those two statements with the Word of God written in the Bible, its the Pope who is left looking absurd!

"This obedience to the voice of the Earth is more important for our future happiness ... than the desires of the moment. Our Earth is talking to us and we must listen to it and decipher its message if we want to survive." - Pope Benedict XVI

Ill-Deserving

"I was taught that Grace is God's favor to undeserving people, WRONG! Grace is God's favor to ill-deserving people. It's not that we don't deserve anything its that we deserve something and that something is judgement. Jesus Christ didn't die for people who were neutral he died for people who were guilty." - Dr. Arturo Azurdia

Faith

"Faith is firm persuasion and expectation, knowing that God will perform all that He has promised to the believer in Christ; and this persuasion is so strong and complete that it assures the believer of possession, even NOW, of those things for which we exercise faith. Faith gives the believer substance in the soul by the first fruits and foretaste of things desired and requested of God in faith.

Faith does not look to God with a cold heart and clouded thoughts concerning things to come. Faith inspires confident expectation in the heart of the believer concerning the objects his hope promises. True faith imparts reality and life to the things promised in Christ Jesus. Faith does not give the believer an imaginary appearance of things promised, but real substance. Genuine faith is a grace which marries subject and object. The true believer does not ask to be allowed to visit heaven and SEE what is there; faith brings heaven to the believer:" - Oliver B. Greene

Excerpt taken from "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews" by Oliver B. Greene p.436, The Gospel Hour, Inc.

Call To a Worldly Christianity

I just want to take the time to introduce to you Dr. Arturo Azurdia III who is the Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Director of Pastoral Mentoring at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, having attended the California State University at Hayward where he received a B. A. in Music Performance. His M. Div. was earned from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, California, and his D. Min. from Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California. He was the founding minister of Christ Community Church in Fairfield, California, where he subsequently pastored for 19 years.

I downloaded a sermon by Dr. Azurdia a few days ago from his website titled "Spirit Empowered Preaching" and just got around to listening to it last night and I believe it to be such a profound message that I don't think I will ever be the same. The message is titled "A Clarion Call To A Worldly Christianity, Part 1". I highly recommend this message to every believer of course it may just be because of where I am in my walk and this message may not effect you the way it did me, but I don't think that's the case.

Download: "A Clarion Call To A Worldly Christianity, Part 1"

"God has placed you here as a mouth piece for Jesus Christ, and until you understand that my Christian friend you will never know your true purpose. You will walk through this life the way a great many older Christians do, incisively indulging in self pity because of the bummer of a life you think God has given to you."