Dazzling Confusion

"The repulsion between Revelation and much of modern thought is expressing itself in many ways and through many channels. Man is now thinking out a Bible for himself; framing a religion in harmony with the development of liberal thought; constructing a worship on the principles of taste and culture; shaping a god to suit the expanding aspirations of the age. The process of evolution on all these points is so satisfactory and so well advanced that disguise is no longer needful. Faith and certainty in things outside our senses are, in the meantime at least, not to be taken into account. Whether the human mind was really made for such uncertainty is a question that each one must settle for himself; and whether there may not be a way of escape from uncertainties into a region of absolute truth, in things of religion as well as in those of science, is certainly worth the consideration of the age.

Amid all this dazzling confusion, it is well to keep in mind that the way leading to life is narrow; the way leading to death is broad. The danger arising from want of spiritual discrimination between light and darkness is more serious than many think. For one authentic light, there are a thousand spurious60 ones. The false Christs are many, the true Christ is but one; and whilst glorying in the vitality of truth we must stand in awe of the marvelous fecundity61 of error. Discrimination is not censoriousness." —Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

Quote of the Day

"A man fond of contention in religious things is seldom one who has much love for the practical duties of piety, or any very deep sense of the distinction between right and wrong." -Albert Barnes

None Seeketh!!!

Romans 3:11 "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Why do people consider a song to be Christian when it presents anti-biblical teaching? Just because a song maybe positive and encouraging doesn't make it a Christian song!

Brotherly Love

"It (brotherly love) is, as unto its luster and splendor, retired to Heaven, abiding in its power and efficacious exercise only in some comers of the earth. Envy, wrath, selfishness, love of the world, with coldness in all the concerns of religion, have possessed the place of it. And in vain shall men wrangle and contend about their differences in faith and worship, pretending to design the advancement of religion by an imposition of their persuasions on others: unless this holy love be again re-introduced among all those who profess the name of Christ, all the concerns of religion will more and more run into ruin. The very name of a brotherhood amongst Christians is a matter of scorn and reproach, and all the consequents of such a relation are despised." —John Owen (1616-1683)

Spurgeon on Rob Bell

“Find if you can, beloved, one occasion in which Jesus inculcated doubt or bade men dwell in uncertainty. The apostles of unbelief are everywhere today, and they imagine that they are doing God service by spreading what they call “honest doubt.” This is death to all joy! Poison to all peace!…

I have not much patience with a certain class of Christians nowadays who will hear anybody preach so long as they can say, “He is very clever, a fine preacher, a man of genius, a born orator.” Is cleverness to make false doctrine palatable? Why, sirs, to me the ability of a man who preaches error is my sorrow rather than my admiration.

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 men who would fain make merchandise of souls; and I marvel at those who have soft words for such deceivers.” —C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Being Balanced

There are times when I find myself in a situation where if I say what I believe then I am sure I'll alienate some people, but do I say what I believe based on internal principles or do I succumb to the external pressure and let them hear what they'd rather hear or say nothing at all and let them think I'm on the same page as they are or speak from conviction and let the chips fall where they may? I truly have no desire on my part in any way to alienate a brother or sister in Christ simply based on my own preferences but my goal is simply to stand on the Word of God and the principles laid down in scripture as best as I know how too. Sometimes there's a sense in which people may think your all about the negative rather than the positive. I know that one of the hardest things for me in the Christian walk is reminding myself to stay balanced so that I don't make myself an undesirable person, because I know there is no chance of me ever becoming a mushy man-pleaser, just not wired that way (must have been my military training?). The Biblical message is both negative (Law) and positive (Gospel) and it is always negative first in order to strip us of our human pride so that we might see our need of a savior and then the positive is presented that it might rescue us from our dreadful state. Please be patient with me in my sanctification process as I sincerely seek the grace of Christ to be more Biblically balanced.

Revelation 5:12 "saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

Quote of the Day

"The work of the church isn't difficult because of what Satan's doing in the world it's difficult because of what Satan's doing in the church." —John MacArthur

Quote of the Day

"It is distrust of God which lies behind the fleshly and worldly devices now so commonly employed in the churches." —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

Filth in My Heart

“When I look into my heart and take a view of its wickedness, it looks like an abyss infinitely deeper than Hell. And it appears to me that, were it not for free grace, exalted and raised up to the infinite height of all the fullness of the great Jehovah, and the arm of His grace stretched forth in all the majesty of His power and in all the glory of His sovereignty, I should appear sunk down in my sins below Hell itself. It is affecting to think how ignorant I was when a young Christian, of the bottomless depths of wickedness, pride, hypocrisy, and filth left in my heart.” —Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758)

Quote of the Day

"If human freedom & divine sovereignty are real contradictions, then one of them, at least, has to go. If sovereignty excludes freedom & freedom excludes sovereignty, then either God is not sovereign or man is not free." —R. C. Sproul

The Garment of Obedience

“Too many professors pacify themselves with the idea that they possess imputed righteousness, while they are indifferent to the sanctifying work of the Spirit. They refuse to put on the garment of obedience, they reject the white linen which is the righteousness of the saints. They thus reveal their self-will, their enmity to God, and their non-submission to His Son. Such men may talk what they will about justification by faith, and salvation by grace, but they are rebels at heart; they have not on the wedding-dress any more than the self-righteous, whom they so eagerly condemn. The fact is, if we wish for the blessings of grace, we must in our hearts submit to the rules of grace without picking and choosing” —C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Quote of the Day

"No sinner ever comes to Christ until the Holy Spirit first comes to him." —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)

That is Grace

“God’s electing a certain definite number is a manifestation of His glory. It shows the glory of His divine sovereignty. God is declaring His absolute sovereignty over His creation. He is showing us just how far that sovereignty extends. In purposely choosing some and passing on others, He shows that His majesty and power are unparalled. Those who do not see glory and dominion in election simply do not understand God. They are not aware of His greatness, and do not understand grace.Grace is defined in election. God chose His people to happiness and glory long before they were born. He chose them out of the mass of fallen mankind. He loved them before they knew Him. He chose them when they did not deserve to be chosen. That is grace!

The doctrine of election shows that if those who received God’s grace had earnestly sought it, it was God’s grace that caused them to seek it. It shows that even their faith itself is the gift of God, and their persevering in a way of holiness unto glory is also the fruit of electing love.Believer’s love of God is the fruit of and because of God’s love to them. The giving of Christ, the preaching of the gospel, and the appointing of ordinances are all fruits of the grace of election. All the grace that is shown to mankind, either in this world or in the world to come, is comprised of the electing love of God.” —Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758)

(HT) Defending Contending

Spurgeon on Separation

"I have not much patience with a certain class of Christians nowadays who will hear anybody preach so long as they can say, "He is very clever, a fine preacher, a man of genius, a born orator." Is cleverness to make false doctrine palatable? Why, sirs, to me the ability of a man who preaches error is my sorrow rather than my admiration.

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 men who would fain 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 God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

I would to God we had all 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 the 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. You would have hurled out of your pulpits the men who are enemies to the fundamental doctrines of your churches, and yet are crafty enough to become your pastors and undermine the faith of a fickle and superficial generation." —C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)