Luther's Convictions

Rather than join in the celebration of Halloween, we as Christians should instead celebrate that on October 31, 1517, which is 489 years ago today, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the castle church door at Wittenberg, Germany calling the Roman church to embrace the genuine gospel of sola fide. This was one of the greatest events of the past 1,000 years which is called today The Reformation. We are the heirs of Luther's convictions and actions that ultimately birthed the Protestantism of today.

Martin Luther was also responsible for a translation of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into German. Soon all the countries of Europe followed his example by translating the Scriptures into their own languages. When he was commanded to appear before Emperor Charles V to answer for his writings, Luther gave this fearless reply:

"I cannot submit my faith either to the Pope or to the Councils, because it is clear as day that they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture ... I cannot and will not retract ... Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God, Amen."

Happy Reformation!

Morality Damns!

Morality damns just like immorality. And morality does not bring divine blessing. Jesus went head to head with the most superficially moral people in His world, the most religious people in His world, the Pharisees and the scribes. And He used His most scathing, His most searing, His most severe invectives on the religious right of His day. Matthew 23, Jesus addressed the religious leaders of his time, the moral people, the people who were the fastidious keepers of the law of God and human tradition. And He says to them in Verse 13: "Woe," which means damn, judgment, curse, "...you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites." Verse 14, He repeats that. Verse 15, He repeats it. Verse 16: "Woe to you, blind guides." Verse 17: "You fools and blind men." Verse 19: "You blind men." Verse 23: "Woe to you," again, "...scribes and Pharisees. 24: "You blind guides." 25: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites." Verse 26: "You blind Pharisee." 27: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees." And it just keeps going like that all the way along. In the end of the Chapter, He says, Verse 37: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets, you stone those that are sent to you." Verse 38 He says: "Your house is being left to you desolate. Desolate." And He was looking ahead to the destruction in 70 A.D., as well as the profound spiritual judgment.

Jesus never used such words as that on the outcasts, the prostitutes, the criminals. In fact, Jesus spent his time with those people; the outcasts of his day, the tax collectors. And they said, that Jesus was a glutton, "and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and sinners." That was a label put on Jesus by the religious right. Moralism was never the message of the Old Testament prophets. It was never the message of the Messiah. It is never the message of the New Testament apostles and prophets. It has never been God's message to the world because, when all is said and done, listen to what Isaiah said: "All your righteousness is filthy rags." Romans Chapter 3 is a very important chapter because it describes the condition of human wickedness. And in Chapter 3 Verse 10 it says: "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God." So whatever imaginary righteousness men have, whatever superficial morality he may exhibit, in the end, they're not righteous before God. It gains them nothing. Nothing. There is no one good enough, "not even one," Verse 12 says. Everybody, Verse 19 says, everybody "under the law," everyone who lives according to the law to some degree or another, will find that their mouths are "closed." They have no defense. And the whole world is "accountable," guilty, "...before God. Because by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight."

So I say again: You can become moral. You can change, you know. You can turn over your life and have some kind of a -- it used to be called moral rearmament. Come through a crisis and decide you're going to turn away from living an immoral life or you're going to start to live a better life, a cleaner life, clean up your act. And that has no bearing on your relationship to God whatsoever. Listen: The biblical message is not that humanity is divided between the moral and the immoral, or that humanity is divided between the good and the bad, or that humanity is divided between the virtuous and the wicked. The message of the Bible is that: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." That there is no division; they're all immoral, bad and wicked. It's only a question of degree, or kind, or manifestation. Whatever somebody's external degree of morality might be, all are condemned sinners headed to hell.

Excerpt was taken from a message that was delivered at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, By John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 80-257, titled "The Deadly Dangers of Moralism".

Seeker Sensitive? Please!

All this talk about today's modern church's being Seeker Sensitive has me all confused! Because it really doesn't seem that any of today's mega church's are Seeker Sensitive at all, if they were then wouldn't they be about preaching the Gospel like the Apostle Paul preached? They don't understand that God is the only Seeker there is! No man seeks God but it's God that first seeks man. So if a church wants to be more Seeker Sensitive shouldn't they be preaching Christ and Christ crucified, sinfulness and repentance, and to believe in the Good News that Christ has been raised from the dead? Now that would be very sensitive to God the Great Seeker of all Mankind! Now I know some will say that the Bible tells us to seek God yes it does, but it is God that first seeks us to seek him, men don't seek God. We Love him because he first Loved us.

Romans 3:11 - "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."

Luke 19:10 - "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Overwhelmed With God's Grace

On this Lord's day I am so consumed with the thoughts of God's Grace that I had to share this with the rest of you. After reading a sermon by Tony Reinke of The Shepherds Scrapbook. I have just been in awe of God's Grace on each and everyone of us. Yesterday as I was pumping gas I couldn't help but look at people and wonder if those around me were totally oblivious to God, His Love, His Forgiveness, then later that night I read these words and it was like Tony had placed my feelings into words. Thank You Tony!!!

"When I look at the world, I see sinfulness, I see an ignorance of God, I see spiritual laziness as souls move ever closer to an eternity – things are black and dark. But also, as I look at the world I begin to see people who have been given great measures of God’s grace. The world has a color to it that comes from God’s grace. When I work or shop or simply talk with people, I meet those who are not Christians who still yet display a level of humility and kindness. He allows His enemies to enjoy life in many ways like He allows everyone to enjoy things like marriage, kids, etc! Wayne Grudem said in his book (Systematic Theology, p. 665) “When we walk down a street and see houses and gardens and families dwelling in security, or when we do business in the marketplace and see the abundant results of technological progress, or when we walk through the woods and see the beauty of nature, or when we are protected by government, or when we are educated from the vast storehouse of human knowledge, we should realize not only that God in his sovereignty is ultimately responsible for all of these blessings, but also that God has granted them all to sinners who are totally undeserving of any of them! … The realization of this fact should cause our hearts to swell with thanksgiving to God in every activity of life”

God is so kind to ungrateful and evil men. This is what makes God’s grace so huge – His grace floods everything – the world is filled with sin – YES – but it’s also filled with artistic talent, architectural beauty, faithful marriages, the joy of children, friendships, an amazing display of humility and morality in others.

God’s grace is most evident in His patience with sinners. If there was no common grace at work in the world, God would judge all sinners immediately. Yet, “’As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live…” (Ezek. 33:11). God grace is most evident in His patience with judging sinners. The first character of God’s grand grace is it's breathtaking scope in the world!"

You can download the entire sermon in .PDF format which is entitled The Grand Canyon of God’s Grace.

Listen To This Sermon!!!

This is a great sermon please take the time to download and listen to it, if you don't have the right view of Christianty you will after you have listened to this sermon. It brings eternity and the true faith of Christ into clear view. A very pointed sermon that cuts through the overlay of false profession in the Church. Paul Washer humbly yet with boldness speaks forth as the Oracles of God to a crowd of 5000 baptist youth. Would be to God that more would speak with a clear conscience of true Christian virtue and repentance. ( Download MP3 )

Religious Deception

We are living in the midst of the greatest religious apostasy ever known. Freewill, works religion is the greatest religious deception this world has ever known. This man centered, man exalting, man pleasing; God debasing, God hating religion seems to engulf the entire world and all religious sects. The world, for the most part, has accepted the doctrines of antichrist.

Any religion that is man centered; any religion that has for its foundation man's will, man's works, or man's rights; any religion that promotes the honor, dignity, and pride of man; any religion that pampers and cultivates self righteousness, self esteem, and self worth is antichrist.

"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. They will reject the truth and follow strange myths." 2 Tim. 4:3-4

These are indeed perilous times!

by Don Fortner

Ecstatic Baptist? Part 2

Earlier this semester one of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's newly elected trustees preached a chapel message in which he defended the practice of a private prayer language. In an Aug. 29 sermon, Texas pastor Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, took issue with the International Mission Board policy refusing to appoint missionary candidates who engage in the contemporary neo-charismatic practice.

Well I am thankful that not only did the Seminary flat out reject this teaching but even Paige Patterson the President of the University also made it quite clear this is not a Biblical practice that Southern Baptist will tolerate. The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary issued a statement that said "It will not knowingly endorse contemporary charismatic practices such as a private prayer language nor hire professors who advocate the practice,". I guess it's fair to say that Mr. McKissic's days as a board of trustee at SWBTS are numbered.

Mr. Patterson said quote "Neither in the past nor in the present have many Baptists believed that the Pentecostal or charismatic movements represented an accurate representation of New Testament doctrine and practice." (Read Article)

Thank God for Godly men who take a stand for truth!
Read Part 1 of Ecstatic Baptist?

Come To Jesus!

Compel them to come in (Luke 14:23)

Now all that God asks of you, and this he gives you, is that you will simply look at his bleeding, dying son, and trust your souls in the hands of him whose name alone can save from death and hell. Is it not a marvellous thing, that the proclamation of this gospel does not receive the unanimous consent of men? One would think that as soon as ever this was preached, “That whosoever believeth shall have eternal life,” every one of you, “casting away every man his sins and his iniquities,” would lay hold on Jesus Christ, and look alone to his cross. But alas! such is the desperate evil of our nature, such the pernicious depravity of our character, that this message is despised, the invitation to the gospel feast is rejected, and there are many of you who are this day enemies of God by wicked works, enemies to the God who preaches Christ to you today, enemies to him who sent his Son to give his life a ransom for many. Strange I say it is that it should be so, yet nevertheless it is the fact, and hence the necessity for the command of the text,—“Compel them to come in.”

Excerpt by C.H. Spurgeon taken from Heritage of Great Evangelical Teaching

Spurgeon on False Doctrine

I cannot endure false doctrine, however neatly it may be put before me. Would you have me eat poisoned meat because the dish is of the choicest ware? It makes me indignant when I hear another gospel put before the people with enticing words by man who would fair make merchandise of souls; and I marvel at those who have soft words for such deceivers. "That is your bigotry," says one. Call it so if you like; but it is the bigotry of the loving John, who wrote, "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed; for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds." I would to God we all had more of such decision, for the lack of it is depriving our religious life of its backbone and substituting for honest manliness a mass of tremulous jelly of mutual flattery. He who does not hate the false does not love the true; and he to whom it is all the same, whether it be God's word or man's, is himself unrenewed at heart. Oh, if some of you were like your fathers, you would not have tolerated in this age the wagon loads of trash under which the gospel has been of late buried by ministers of your own choosing. The apostle spake by inspiration when he said, "If we or an angel from heaven preach to you any other gospel than that ye have received, let him be accursed." According to modem effeminacy he ought to have said, "Let him be kindly spoken with in private, but pray make no stir. No doubt the good brother has his own original modes of thought and we must not question his liberty. Doubtless he believes the same as we do, only there is some little difference as to terms." This is treason to Christ and treachery to truth and cruelty to souls. If we love our lord, we shall keep his words and stand fast in the faith, coming out from among the false teachers. Nor is this inconsistent with charity; for the truest love to those who err is not to fraternize with them in their error, but to be faithful to Jesus Christ in all things.

Why Self Esteem Programs Don't Work!

All these difficulties of yours have their root in the self esteem of our natures, which makes us refuse to be counted altogether sinners, and which shrinks from going to God save with some personal recommendation to make acceptance likely. Utter want of goodness is what we are slow to acknowledge. Give up these attempts to be satisfied with yourself in anything, great or small, faith, feeling, or action. The Holy Spirit’s work in convincing you of sin, is to make you dissatisfied with yourself; and will you pursue a course which can only grieve him away? God can never be satisfied with you on account of any goodness about you; and why should you attempt to be satisfied with anything which will not satisfy him? There is but one thing with which he is entirely satisfied, - the person and work of his only begotten Son. It is with Him that he wants you to be satisfied, not with yourself. How much better would it be to take God’s way at once, and be satisfied with Christ? Then would pardon and peace be given without delay. Then would the favor of God rest upon you. For God has declared, that whoever is satisfied with Christ shall find favor with him. His desire is that you should come to be as one with him in this great thing. He asks nothing of you, save this. But with nothing else than this will he be content, nor will he receive you on any other footing, save that of one who has come to be satisfied with Christ, and with what Christ has done.

Excerpt taken from "God's Way of Peace" by Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

Nothing But The Cross!

What do you think and feel about the cross of Christ? You live in a Christian land. You probably attend the worship of a Christian Church. You have perhaps been baptized in the name of Christ. You profess and call yourself a Christian. All this is well. It is more than can be said of millions in the world. But all this is no answer to my question, “What do you think and feel about the cross of Christ?”

I want to tell you what the greatest Christian that ever lived thought of the cross of Christ. He has written down his opinion. He has given his judgment in words that cannot be mistaken. The man I mean is the Apostle Paul. The place where you will find his opinion, is in the letter which the Holy Ghost inspired him to write to the Galatians. And the words in which his judgment is set down, are these, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Now what did Paul mean by saying this? He meant to declare strongly, that he trusted in nothing but Jesus Christ crucified for the pardon of his sins and the salvation of his soul. Let others, if they would, look elsewhere for salvation. Let others, if they were so disposed, trust in other things for pardon and peace. For his part, the apostle was determined to rest on nothing, lean on nothing, build his hope on nothing, place confidence in nothing, glory in nothing, except “the cross of Jesus Christ.” —J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)

Itching Ears

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.—2 Timothy 4:3

"In the church many are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. If you do not like what I am saying, I want to ask you something. Think about the company you run with. What do they talk about most? God and the love of God, or other things? You decide that. Many Christians today will not endure sound doctrine. Paul described these people as having "itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3). They did not like sound doctrine, but they were Christians. They called themselves Christians, but their ears were itchy. A commentator I read some years back explained this. In Paul's day the pigs had a disease called "itching ears." The symptom was that their ears got inflamed and itched terribly. The only way they could get relief from these inflamed ears was to go to a pile of rocks and rub their ears earnestly and vigorously. The stones scratched their ears for the time being. Paul saw that, smiled a sad smile and said, "I am running into Christians here and there who are just like that. They love pleasure more than God and will not endure sound doctrine. They have itching ears so they will be eager for something else beside the sound docrine and holy ways. They will pile up teachers everywhere and rub their ears for dear life." That is a most dramatic and colorful illustration. A lot of so-called Christians have to have piles of rocks to rub their ears. They will not endure sound doctrine. I think that is a description of the churches, Protestant and evangelical. In the light of New Testament predictions, teachings and standards, is what I just said about the prevailing religious mood untrue? Is what I have said about the prevailing religious mood uncharitable? Is it extreme? I do not think it is, but I only ask you to do one thing: Look around you and look in your own heart. See which of these pictures describes the churches you know." —A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)

Excerpt Taken from The Tozer Devotional Renewed Day by Day

Doctrine First

I have heard many Christians say over the years, I've got it in my heart I just need to get it to my head. But is that the way it really works? Or should we get it into our head first and then into our hearts? Lets take a peek at Dr. John F. MacArthur's commentary on Ephesians and see what the Apostle Paul had to say about this.

"After laying down eleven chapters of doctrine in Romans Paul devotes the remainder of the book to urging Christians to live in accordance with that doctrine to present their bodies as "a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1). In Galatians Paul devotes the first four chapters to explaining Christian liberty and the last two chapters to exhorting Christians to live by that liberty. That sort of division is found in many of Paul's epistles (see also Phil. 2:1-2; Col. 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:1). Right practice must always be based on right principle. It is impossible to have a Christian life-style without knowing the realities of the life that Christ has provided.

Right doctrine is essential to right living. It is impossible to live a faithful Christian life without knowing biblical doctrine. Doctrine simply means teaching and there is no way that even the most sincere believer can live a life pleasing to God without knowing what God Himself is like and knowing the sort of life God wants him to live. Those who set biblical theology aside also sets aside sound Christian living."

Excerpt taken from The MacArthur New Testament Commentary on Ephesians by John F. MacArthur copyrights 1986 The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago

Missing In Action!

With the presence of the Church Growth Movement in our midst I have noticed a lack of familiar items missing from our Churches, first and foremost are Bibles, with the addition of the big screen so dominate and convenient in mega churches we don't need Bibles in the pews any more, just let the AV guys post it up on the jumbo screen, because there is no need to offend the seeker who doesn't know where the Gospel of John is. Hymnals are also MIA these days and now it's a rare blessing to actually go into a church and pick up an Ole' Hymnal and turn to page 269 and sing "Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine". Thank God for First Baptist Church of Oak Grove, Ky which just happens to be my home church where I was first convicted of sin, repented, and was baptised in 1989. Well it seems that God has blessed them with some new hymnals and my Mother in-law was so kind and able to acquire one of the older versions so that I may have my very own Baptist Hymnal, it was printed in 1956 by Convention Press of Nashville, Tn. It is the fourteenth printing of the hymnal and I will treasure it until my death.

In the Preface it states "This singing of hymns is a Christian privilege given to every redeemed soul. The Scriptures admonish all believers to sing "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord." Each worshiper, as he sings "with the spirit, and ... with the understanding," actively participates in the services. He feels the unifying influence of music. His heart is attuned to God and his purposes for human life through hymns of praise, adoration, prayer, consecration, and testimony."

Are You Satisfied?

"I am not satisfied with my faith," says one. No, of course you aren't; nor will you ever be; at least I hope not! The Bible does not say, "Therefore being satisfied with our faith we have peace with God;" it says, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God."

"I am not satisfied with my repentance." That is wonderful! What would you do with your repentance if you were satisfied with it? Would you find peace in repentance? Would you bring it to God instead of the blood? Oh, what pride and self-righteousness must be in any person who is satisfied with his repentance and faith! That person could never find true peace, for such a refuge of lies must fall.

"I am not satisfied with my love." What? Did you expect, on this earth, to be satisfied with any grace found in you? Was it your love for Christ or His love for you that gave you peace at first?

Now then, there is but one thing with which Almighty God is satisfied –entirely satisfied –and that is the Person and work of His Son. It is with Christ that we must be satisfied, not with ourselves, nor anything about us! When we cease from ALL our labors, and ALL our righteousness, and ENTER INTO HIS REST, pardon and peace will come without delay.

Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)