May 17, 2008
Back in March I published a post (with video) entitled: Trish Asks a Catholic Priest a Few Questions. Now here’s the update on that meeting.
You can also listen to a discussion at the end of this episode of Way of the Master Radio between this priest and Ray Comfort and Todd Friel.
May 16, 2008
I’m sure that at some time or another you have probably had some smarty-person try to roll up on you with “Did you know that the character of Jesus was based on Mithra?” nonsense. They may have laid all these “facts” on you about all the “parallels” between Jesus and Mithra. I prefer the Geico Caveman™ response:
“Yeah, I’d like to answer that. Uh…….what?”
In short: There were two separate and distinct “Mithra” worship systems–one Persian (Iranian) centuries before Christ; another Roman, beginning at least 100 years AFTER Christ. The first system (Persian) had none of the hallmarks that make up the “Jesus was Mithra” argument. Even the Roman system did not have any characteristics that are UNIQUE to Christianity.
If you have about a half-hour to spare, read this article over at Tektonics. Make sure you do it with a clear head and as few distractions as possible, because it is rather scholarly, technical, and highly annotated. Here is a sample of their research:
What has been the point of this diversion? The point is to give the reader a warning, to be on the lookout any time a critic makes some claim about Mithraism somehow being a parallel to Christianity. Check their sources carefully. If, like Acharya S, they cite source material from the Cumont or pre-Cumont era, then chances are excellent that they are using material that is either greatly outdated, or else does not rely on sound scholarship (i.e., prior to Cumont; works by the likes of King, Lajard, and Robertson). Furthermore, if they have asserted anything at all definitive about Mithraic belief, they are probably wrong about it, and certainly basing it on the conjectures of someone who is either not a Mithraic specialist (which is what Freke and Gandy do in The Jesus Mysteries) or else is badly outdated.Mithraic scholars, you see, do not hold a candle for the thesis that Christianity borrowed anything philosophically from Mithraism, and they do not see any evidence of such borrowing, with one major exception: “The only domain in which we can ascertain in detail the extent to which Christianity imitated Mithraism is that of art.” [MS.508n] We are talking here not of apostolic Christianity, note well, but of Christianity in the third and fourth centuries, which, in an effort to prove that their faith was the superior one, embarked on an advertising campaign reminiscent of our soft drink wars. Mithra was depicted slaying the bull while riding its back; the church did a lookalike scene with Samson killing a lion. Mithra sent arrows into a rock to bring forth water; the church changed that into Moses getting water from the rock at Horeb. (Hmm, did the Jews copy that one?) Think of how popular Pokemon is these days, and then think of the church as the one doing the Digimon ripoff — although one can’t really bellow about borrowing in this case, for this happened in an age when art usually was imitative — it was a sort of one-upsmanship designed as a competition, and the church was not the only one doing it. Furthermore, it didn’t involve an exchange or theft of ideology.
If anybody tries to pull this fast one on you, point them to this article. It should keep them busy for a while, and dispel any notions they have about such nonsense.
May 16, 2008
Tower To Truth question:
5. Since the Bible’s test of determine whether someone is a true prophet of God is 100% accuracy in all his prophecies (Deut. 18:20-22), has the LDS Church ever reconsidered its teaching that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were true prophets?
——————————-
FAIR Answer:
Believing Christians should be careful. Unless they want to be guilty of a double standard, they will end up condemning many Biblical prophets by this standard.
Learn more here: Joseph Smith and prophetic test in Deuteronomy 18
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My Response:
If you click on the link provided by FAIR, it will take you to a page where their understanding of the Bible (and their sheer hatred for it) becomes apparent. They focus on the words of men like Jonah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Nathan and the angel who spoke to Samson’s parents. Let’s examine each of these and understand what’s really going on (besides FAIR tryting to throw up a smokescreen to defelct criticism).
First, they mention Jonah’s warning to Nineveh. “Forty days and Nineveh is overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). These are the only words of the prophet we have, but we can see from the following verses that he said much more than that. Because in verse 5 it says the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast &c. Besides, this was not a prophecy that Nineveh would be overthrown, as FAIR claims by saying
An example is found in the story of Jonah, who was told by God to prophecy to the people of Nineveh. Jonah prophesied that the people would be destroyed in 40 days (Jonah 3:4)—no loopholes were offered, just imminent doom. God changed things, however, when the people repented and He chose to spare them—much to the chagrin of that imperfect (yet still divinely called) prophet, Jonah.
But it never says Jonah was sent to prophesy against Nineveh–but to preach against it.
Next, they talk about the “failed prophecy” of Ezekiel, in ch. 26-28. However, this only gives further evidence of their hurried attempts to impugn the reputations of God’s prophets. It would take far more space than I have here to show why this will not work, if one studies the words properly. Ezekiel 26:3 tells us that God said “many nations” will come up against Tyre. Also, Nebuchadnezzar was not just the commander of Babylon’s army, but also the armies of those countries Babylon had conquered–those nations whose horses would be so abundant the people would be covered with the dust of their hooves (Eze. 26:10). While those who did the invading got the spoils, Nebuchadnezzar himself did not share in it, thus God gave him Egypt in chapter 29.
Next, they try to smear Jeremiah, by pointing out how he prophesied in ch. 34 that Zedekiah would die in peace, when ch. 52 says that he died in prison. According to many extra-biblical sources (Josephus, the Rabbins, Talmud) Zedekiah was indeed given a royal burial, thus fulfilling the prophecy God gave to Jeremiah.
Then comes Nathan. FAIR says:
Other examples include Nathan:
In 2_Sam. 7:5-17, we read that the prophet Nathan unequivocally prophesied to David that through his son Solomon the Davidic empire would be established “forever,” that the children of Israel would dwell in the promised land “and move no more,” and that the “children of wickedness” would no longer afflict them. These things are quite clearly stated. No conditions are attached to these promises, none whatsoever.[4]
Yet this prophecy clearly did not prove successful if it is interpreted literally.
And there they hit the nail on the head. This passage has Messianic implications. Of course, if you read Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, you find that Joseph was a direct descendant of Solomon, and the legal (though not by birth) father of Jesus. Thus, the davidic kingdom did indeed pass through Solomon. More sloppy work by a group that (ironically enough) calls itself “FAIR.”
Finally, the angel who spoke to Samson. Again, FAIR says:
[In] Judges 13:5, where it is recounted that an angel promised Samson’s mother that Samson would “begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” No matter how liberal or expansive one wants to be with the facts of Israelite history (as recorded in the Bible or elsewhere), there is no way it can reasonably be concluded that Samson fulfilled this prophecy.
Not only did Samson fail to even “begin” to free Israel from the Philistines, but (1) there were times when he consorted with Philistine women, (2) he married a Philistine, (3) he himself never even led any Israelite troops against the Philistines, and (4) the Philistines eventually humiliated him.
You’re kidding me, right? They might want to read Judges 14:3-4–And Samson said to his father, “Get her [Delilah] for me, for she pleases me well.” But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD–that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. Yes, Samson did begin to deliver Israel when he brought down the Philistne temple with all their princes in it (see Judges 16:25-30). The angel never said he would be the one to finish the job.
So, you can now see how fast and loose FAIR likes to play with their interpretations of biblical prophecies, just so long as it makes the true prophets look bad long enough to fool someone into thinking Joseph Smith was a true prophet (which he wasn’t. That Civil War “prophecy” wasn’t so grand once you examie it a little closer).
May 15, 2008
Loretta Heiden posted this encouraging piece on her blog. Her brief story shows that there are still some youth pastors out there (albeit very few) who know that their job is to feed the sheep and not entertain the goats.
I also wanted to take this time to thank and encourage all pastors who are faithful to the Word and to the flock and haven’t sold-out. I know that at times it may seem that you’re alone as you face the daunting task of preaching the whole counsel of God (unaltered and undiluted) to a mass of people who would rather just be entertained, but don’t give up. There are some of us out here that are grateful for your commitment and hard work and we salute your faithfulness in the Lord. Never give up, never give in, never compromise and never forget, your reward will be great!
May 15, 2008
To faithfully hold to the notion that all this happened by chance reveals that you have more faith that God doesn’t exist than I have faith that He does.
Also see this related post.
May 15, 2008
Thank you Albert Mohler for standing up for truth in an age when so many other “Christian” leaders cower on Larry King (like in this post).
May 15, 2008
Click on The Desert Pastor for this mid-week encouragement.
May 15, 2008
2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For 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, whose end will be according to their works.”
There are many, many things wrong with what is seen and heard in this video. You will notice there is NO Scripture being used - it is ALL based on his experiences, his feelings, his lack of true Biblical knowledge, his lack of the true indwelling Spirit of the Holy God!
In case, there was any doubt in anybody’s mind, Todd Bentley is a pawn of his master, the evil one. The Holy God of Israel DOES NOT work in the way this charlatan says he does. The purpose of this blog is to not only bring encouragement to the true believers in Christ, but also to warn when heretical false teachers make appearances seeking ONLY to fleece the flock.
2 Timothy 4:1-4, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”
Charlatans like this man make a living because there are not enough Christians who are willing to be Berean Christians and study the Scriptures for themselves to see whether the things being reported or taught are of God or from the evil one!
Thanks to IMSpeakingTruth for posting this video and warning others.
Studying NOT to be Ashamed!
The Desert Pastor
May 14, 2008
“The Pope is the very Antichrist who has exalted himself above and opposed himself against Christ because he will not permit Christians to be saved. It is nothing else than the devil himself because above and against God he urges and disseminates his Papal falsehoods concerning Masses, Purgatory, the monastic life, one’s own works, fictitious divine worship which is the very Papacy and condemns, murders and tortures all Christians who do not exalt and honor these abominations of the Pope above all things, therefore just as little as we can worship the devil himself as Lord and God, we can endure his apostle the Pope. For to lie and to kill and destroy body and soul eternally, that is wherein his Papal government really consists.” - Martin Luther
Excerpt from The Pope and The Papacy by John MacArthur.
May 14, 2008
San Antonio mega church pastor John C. Hagee is a well known evangelical leader, but it’s what you may not know about John Hagee that might surprise you. For example:
Did you know that John Hagee flatly refuses to preach the gospel to Jews and is on record stating as much?
His warped theology is known as dual covenant theology and is a satanic lie. As Dr. David Reagan well said this false doctrine “is one of the most convoluted forms of anti-Semitism because it is willing, in the name of love, to allow millions of Jews to go to hell”.
The Houston Chronicle reported:
“John Hagee, fundamentalist pastor from San Antonio and friend of Israel, is truly a strange fish. … The man has a mission. He’s out to attack anti-Semitism. He also believes that Jews can come to God without going through Jesus Christ.”
The Houston newspaper then quoted Hagee’s own shocking words: “I’m not trying to convert the Jewish people to the Christian faith.”
And further revealed:
“In fact, trying to convert Jews is a ‘waste of time,’ he said. ‘The Jewish person who has his roots in Judaism is not going to convert to Christianity. There is no form of Christian evangelism that has failed so miserably as evangelizing the Jewish people. They (already) have a faith structure.’ Everyone else, whether Buddhist or Baha’i, needs to believe in Jesus, he says. But not Jews. Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced by Christianity, he says.”
Needless to say the inspired words of the Apostle Paul clearly refute John Hagee’s perverse and demonic false doctrine.
Did you know John Hagee divorced the wife of his youth, an act which absolutely disqualifies him from continuing in the office of pastor?
Personal Freedom Outreach reports:
There are moral and ethical concerns with Hagee and a serious question as to his being biblically qualified as a pastor and teacher are not the main issues of this article. However, one very important factor should be noted. The Liberty Flame reported in May 1994 that during the time when Hagee was serving the Charismatic congregation at Trinity Church (1976) in San Antonio, he divorced his wife, resigned and married a young woman in the congregation, Diana Castro. Custody of Hagee’s two children by his ex-wife, Martha, went to her.
In a letter to the church, Hagee admitted immorality, which later became part of the court records in the custody battle. Martha later also remarried and started another family. Not surprisingly, there is a hiatus from 1976 to 1987 left out of Hagee’s web site biography.
The meaning of the phrase “husband of one wife” in 1 Timothy 3:2 ought to clear up any controversy of whether a pastor can be divorced or not. There is nothing mysterious about the Greek phrase used here which simply and literally means “one woman man.”
Did you know John Hagee is a word-faith teaching, positive-confession espousing prosperity pimp?
John Hagee frequently makes heretical statements to the effect that when it comes to “giving” YOU determine what God can do based on your “gift”. In effect his false doctrine turns the Almighty into a heavenly slot-machine who, if you hit the right combination, will spill out temporal fortunes which you can’t contain. Pastor Hagee bases his heretical teachings from a few selected OT verses in Malachi and Psalms which have zero basis in, or relevance to the church. Friend, God is not a mechanistic impersonal divine slot-machine, He’s a personal and loving Creator Who desires a relationship, not a temporal quid-pro-quo exchange of goods and services.
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. (Psalm 50:10)
Did you know John Hagee allows unbelievers and apostates to preach from his pulpit?
John Hagee frequently allows unbelieving Jews to speak to his congregation from his pulpit during Sunday services. Imagine for a moment that instead of an unbelieving Jew Pastor Hagee invited an Islamic Mufti, or a Buddhist monk, or a Hindu priest, would that be okay? Or how about a good old fashioned Catholic liturgy from the pulpit at Cornerstone Church? After the service would Hagee’s starry-eyed, brainwashed hangers-on gush over the adoration of the Eucharist and the beauty of the monstrance? Would they drive home joyously singing songs of praise to “Mary, Queen of Heaven”?
The unbelievers are bad enough, but one would hope that even the least discerning professing Christian could see the problem with having a non-Christian preaching from the pulpit of a supposedly Christian church! Nevertheless and never one to be outdone - even by himself - John Hagee parades a pantheon of apostates across his pulpit representing the entire abominable doctrinal spectrum of aberrant, heretical, and unorthodox beliefs. Kenneth Copeland, Rod Parsley, Jesse Duplantis, and Oneness Pentecostal heretic T.D. Jakes who denies the doctrine of the Trinity are all welcomed with open arms by the charlatan “Pastor” Hagee.
I’ve got to tell you, after what I’ve learned about this shameless spiritual snake-oil salesman thus far I’m half expecting at any moment for John Hagee to set up a gigantic metallic idol with outstretched arms on his stage, feed it with coals until it glows white hot, and then demand that his congregation to bring their newborn babies down front and place them into the fiery hands of his pagan god in order to obtain “the blessing”.
John Hagee is a theological train wreck, a type of unholy Frankenstein’s monster produced by the modern apostate professing church who is unfit to be called a pastor or a preacher. In point of fact he’s a shameless spiritual prostitute of the lowest order and a disgusting parasite on the true Body of Christ; a biblical bottom-feeder who ought to be roundly and soundly rebuked by true Christians everywhere.
May 14, 2008
The Watergate tapes weren’t the only recordings to come out of the Nixon presidency that shed light on otherwise secret conversations, hidden agendas, and dark hearts. Another recording that is just as damaging but has been all but forgotten occurred between President Richard Nixon and well-known evangelist universalist Billy Graham.
On the tapes Billy Graham calls the Jewish influence on the media a “stronghold” that “has to be broken or this country’s going down the drain.“
The conversation continues:
Nixon: “You believe that?”
Graham: “Yes, sir.”
Nixon: “Oh boy. So do I. I can’t ever say that but I believe it.”
Graham: “If you get elected a second time, then we might be able to do something.”
Here’s one more exchange:
Graham: “A lot of Jews are great friends of mine. They swarm around me and are friendly to me, because they know that I am friendly to Israel and so forth, but they don’t know how I really feel about what they’re doing to this country, and I have no power and no way to handle them.”
Nixon: “You must not let them know.”
For more on the conversation between Billy Graham and U.S. president Richard Nixon, check out the BBC News article.
May 14, 2008
The following is the jist of an exchange I had on another blog with a Jehovah’s Witness about the roles of the Father and the Son in the work of creation.
Suppose a fellow named William Taylor is telling me how a house got built.
William Taylor: Yep, I know the fellow that built that house. Did it all by himself. Every step of the way. And not a soul to help him.
Me: Wow! That’s amazing! You mean he did everything?
WT: Yep, everything. Drew up the plans, mixed the concrete, milled the lumber. Framed it, built the roof tresses, nailed every shingle on the roof. Wired it, plumbed it. Yep, he did everything!
Well, then the man’s son comes along, and says,
Son: So, how do you like the house I built?
Me: What do you mean YOU built it? William, I thought you said his father built it.
WT: His father DID build it!
Me: But the son here did all the work!
WT: Yep!
Me: Then how can you say the father did all the work?
WT: Because he did it through his son.
Me: Huh? You said the father did it all by himself, and that no one helped him.
WT: That’s right!
Me: But the son did the work. The father was NOT by Himslef.
WT: Yes he was. He told his son what to do.
Me: So the father didn’t do the work of building?
WT: Sure he did. He did every single thing by himself–through his son.
I think you get the picture. This is how the Jehovah’s Witnesses see the relationship of the Father and the Son in creation. They claim that when John said “not one thing was made that was not made by [Christ]” (John 1:3), that the apostle meant, “Other than Himself, nothing was made that was not made by Him,” even though the apostle John NEVER makes that distinction. However, when we view creation through the lens of the orthodox view of the Trinity, then it makes sense.
YHVH tells us in Isaiah 44:24–”Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: ’I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself…” In fact, the New World (mis)Translation adds these words of YHVH–”Who was with Me?” Indicating that NO ONE did ANYTHING in creating ANYTHING besides YHVH. He did not “work through” an angel. In fact, this is ludicrous to even think it. This would mean that an angel created everything for himself! (Colossians 1:16).
YHVH created all things. But when we remember that YHVH is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we understand that each one had a role in creation (Genesis 1:1-2; Neh. 9:6; Psalm 33:6, 102:25-27; Isa. 44:24, 45:18; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17) then this Tri-unity lends sense and credibiilty to our understanding of creation. We may not understand ”how” but we will understand ”who.”
May 14, 2008
Your Sermon of the Week is part one of a four-part family series by Paul Washer. This one is entitled Adolescence and Obedience. You can listen to it here, or download it here.
Paul Washer delivers a profound sermon on the family that should be heard by everyone. I believe this message is so important to believers in the way and manner of family relationships that I will present this series for the next four weeks as your sermon of the week.
May 14, 2008
It is vain to shut our eyes to the fact that there is a vast quantity of so-called Christianity nowadays which you cannot declare positively unsound, but which, nevertheless, is not full measure, good weight, and sixteen ounces to the pound. It is a Christianity in which there is undeniably “something about Christ, and something about grace, and something about faith, and something about repentance and something about holiness”; but it is not the real “thing as it is” in the Bible. Things are out of place and out of proportion. . . . It neither exercises influence on daily conduct, nor comforts in life, nor gives peace in death; and those who hold it, often awake too late to find that they have got nothing solid under their feet. Now I believe the likeliest way to cure and mend this defective kind of religion is to bring forward more prominently the old scriptural truth about the sinfulness of sin. People will never set their faces decidedly towards Heaven, and live like pilgrims, until they really feel that they are in danger of Hell.
- J. C. Ryle
1816 - 1900
May 14, 2008
The body of a newborn baby boy was found discarded in a trash can in a Las Vegas casino on Mother’s Day. What is shocking to me is that people are shocked. Why? If she chose to go to the local Planned Parenthood they would have dismembered her child for just a few Benjamins and the child she murdered would have simply been forgotten like the other 4,000 children murdered in this country every day.
I honestly don’t see what all the fuss is about. Didn’t she just make use of the “rights” that others have fought so hard for? Didn’t she merely exercise her “freedom to choose?” Isn’t what she did protected as her “constitutional right to privacy?”
The lesson to learn here is this:
Kill your baby in a clinic = legal and acceptable.
Kill your baby on your own = heinous and unspeakable act.
You can read the news article and watch the video here.
May 13, 2008
I have posted a lengthy blog on my site in regards to the downfall of John Hagee of Cornerstone Church, San Antonio, TX.
Read it at The Desert Pastor.
May 13, 2008
Do you know someone who’s getting married? Are they torn about the life-altering decision of whether to have lillies or daffodils in the bouquet? Is the bride losing sleep and waking up with night sweats about whether her dress should be white, off-white, cream, ivory, or eggshell? Will the groom go ballistic if the guests aren’t seated just right at the reception?
Then tell them to chill out. If their marriage lasts, no one is going to sit down with them in 20 years and say, “Your marriage has lasted so long. You must have had a perfect wedding!” In fact, 5 years from now–nah, 5 months from now–no one will even remember the wedding. It’s all just a bunch of fluff. I dare say, whatever happens at your wedding, it will not even compare to what happened to these friends of Richard Wurmbrand, that he writes about in Tortured For Christ:
One of our workers in the Underground Church was a young girl. The Communist police discovered that she secretly spread Gospels and taught children about Christ. They decided to arrest her. But to make the arrest as agonizing and painful as they could, they decided to delay her arrest a few weeks, until the day she was to be married. On her wedding day, the girl was dressed as a bride—the most wonderful, joyous day in a girl’s life! Suddenly, the door burst open and the secret police rushed in.
When the bride saw the secret police, she held out her arms toward them to be handcuffed. They roughly put the manacles on her wrists. She looked toward her beloved, then kissed the chains and said, “I thank my heavenly Bridegroom for this jewel He has presented to me on my marriage day. I thank Him that I am worthy to suffer for Him.” She was dragged off, with weeping Christians and a weeping bridegroom left behind. They knew what happens to young Christian girls in the hands of Communist guards. Her bridegroom faithfully waited for her. After five years she was released—a destroyed, broken woman, looking thirty years older. She said it was the least she could do for her Christ.
So, still stressed over flowers and dresses?
May 13, 2008
Thanks to Better Than Gold for the heads up on this delight:
Enjoy a bag of Tetzel’s Pretzels today! Unless of course you gave up salty snack foods for Lent.
HT: Tom in the Box.
May 13, 2008
This is a great episode of The White Horse Inn entitled Shallow Waters. Here’s more on this episode:
How deep is your faith? Has the faith “once and for all delivered to the saints” been dumbed-down in contemporary churches? On this edition of the program, the hosts discuss the shallow nature of both American Culture generally, and contemporary Christian faith and practice more specifically.
Certainly a message that many need to hear.
May 13, 2008
The problem with the doctrine of Election is not that it is insufficiently proven; the problem with the doctrine of Election is that it is insufficiently believed.
- Russ Sukhia
May 13, 2008
A twenty year-old woman who permitted her unborn child to be brutally murdered within her, sustained harm to herself during the infanticide. This shocking incident (the injury to mom not the murder of her defenseless innocent child) caused the abortion mill to be shut down.
May 12, 2008
LIAR!
APOSTATE!!
DECEIVER!!!
ANTI-CHRIST!!!!
ANATHEMA!!!!!
The dark depths in which “Pastor” Rick is willing to plumb in his unbiblical, demonically inspired, UNITY AT ALL COSTS madness is simply breathtaking.
From a biblical perspective Warren’s little talk in the clip below constitutes true “hate speech”!
Friends, it’s not kindness or love to tell someone who is deathly ill and in desperate need of strong medicine and immediate surgery that they’re doing just fine! On the contrary, it’s the worst kind of HATE!
It’s not God honoring to tell an audience of unbelievers that God is cheering them on in their carnal, fleshly pursuits - whatever those may be!
The shameless charlatan Rick Warren is completely shot through with a man-centered non-gospel that utterly fails to even confront unrepentant men with their sin and trespass! This is an affront and an offense to the Infinite Creator and Judge of the universe and constitutes a complete rejection of the Great Commission!
Why would Rick Warren - who professes to be an EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN - have spoon fed those poor people with lies from the pit of hell? Why would he have FAILED TO TELL THE TRUTH and choose instead to send them away feeling good about themselves and essentially telling them that “God loves you just the way you are!” Sadly the heinous arch-fiend Rick Warren withholds the offensive truth of the gospel and hides the foolishness of the preaching of the cross out of a FEAR OF MAN. By his words and actions Rick Warren makes it abundantly clear that he cherishes his reputation, his job, his adoring media coverage, his fawning hangers-on, sycophants, yes-men, hirelings and the chiefest seats at sumptuous banquets MORE THAN he cherishes the Lord Jesus Christ and His singular truth as contained uniquely in the Holy Bible. This is no light matter!
Rick Warren has counted the cost and has sided with the world, the lust of the flesh, and the praise of men.
Oh that someone might tell Rick Warren and the followers of Warrenism that friendship with the world is enmity with God!
Oh that someone might pull Rick Warren and the followers of Warrenism back from the precipice upon which they dance, teetering on the brink of eternal damnation and hell fire!
Oh that someone might snatch Rick Warren and the followers of Warrenism from the flames of hell that are even now licking at their soiled and filthy feet!
Watch the clip below and hear the hiss for yourself: “Yea, hath God said?”
HAT TIP: A Little Leaven
May 12, 2008
Rick Warren is NOT a fellow brother in Christ. Rick Warren is a demonic dupe, a satanic stooge, and a pawn of the prince of the power of the air. He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing that is rending Christ’s little flock with his pernicious, abominable, damnable heresy and is leading countless myriads of deceived souls toward the very pit of hell with his false teaching.
Read this entire post here.
May 12, 2008
In the Valley of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard put to it; for he had gone a little way before he espied a foul fiend coming over the field to meet him: his name is Apollyon. Then Christian began to be afraid, and to wonder whether to go back or to stand his ground. But he remembered that he had no armor for his back, and therefore thought that to turn around might give Apollyon greater ease to pierce him with darts; therefore he resolved to venture and stand his ground.
–John Bunyan, from The Pilgrim’s Progress
May 12, 2008
Back in February I asked the question do you support your local Christian bookstore?
I now have a follow-up question: Are the owners of Christian bookstores responsible to their fellow-Christians, the Church, and ultimately God, for the products they sell?
This past week I entered another one of these Christian book and paraphernalia bazaars. The first faces I saw staring back at me as soon as I entered were the prominently displayed faces of Joel Osteen, Juanita Bynum, TD Jakes, and Joyce Meyer (just to name a few) along with all the “Jesus junk” and trinkets that adorned the shelves and displays from wall to wall. A few more steps and I was struck with Rob Bell’s book Sex God and his Nooma videos
Another disturbing book I unexpectedly came across was a children’s book on the virgin Mary and praying the Rosary. In this book were Romanism’s false teaching of Mary being crowned Queen of Heaven and Queen of the universe. This was in a “Christian” bookstore!
I recall a brief conversation I had with the owner of one of these bookstore a few months back in which he provided me two excuses reasons why he sold the merchandise of such heretical teachers as Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Brian McLaren and Rob Bell. He said he 1). cannot possibly read every book that he sells; and that he 2). does not want to promote censorship.
This was such a sad example of wiggling around his deeper responsibility to not lead people astray. First of all he can’t be accused of censorship for not carrying certain books anymore than he an be accused of censorship for not allowing these types of books into his home. He owns his home, he owns the bookstore. He–as a retailer–has the right to sell whatever he does or does not want on his shelves, which explains the absence of such material as the Book of Mormon, the Satanic Bible or pornography. Is the absence of these books considered “censorship?” Furthermore, in order for his refusal to carry certain books to qualify as “censorship” he would have to be a representative of the government.
Secondly, the “I can’t possibly read every book I sell” excuse is a cop-out. You don’t have to read every book by Brian McLaren, Rob Bell or Robert Schuller to know that they’re spreading heresy . . . it’s common knowledge! And if you’re not that aware of what’s going on or you lack discernment regarding the wolves among us, a quick internet search will tell you all you need to know.
Do you need to read every issue of the Awake! that the Watchtower organization produces to be able to confidently say that they are a cult and thus not carry their material? Of course not. So why do certain big name heretics and false teachers under the umbrella of evangelicalism get a pass by the guise of willful ignorance?
These bookstore owners are knowingly or unknowingly selling doctrines of demons; material that an impressionable undiscerning person could buy which would lead them on the primrose path to Hell. This leads me to ask, will these bookstore owners be held responsible before God for selling these heretical, apostate, and often times blasphemous doctrines of wolves in sheep’s clothing?
May 12, 2008
Listen to what Jude says in verse twelve, “These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts, and when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves, clouds without water, carried along by winds, autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted.” I have described a great majority of church membership rolls all throughout this country. And we think that we can somehow cure these men by more discipleship when the fact of the matter is they need the gospel and they need regeneration.
- Paul Washer
May 12, 2008
The only truth that you’ll hear in this video is the curse Mike Murdock calls down upon himself.
May 11, 2008
The hymn for this Lord’s Day encouragement was written by Josiah Conder in 1836. It is entitled, “‘Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee”. The son of an engraver and bookseller, Josiah wrote the lyrics to at least 59 hymns.
Along with a tribute for my mother, you may find the rest of this post at The Desert Pastor!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and a blessed Lord’s Day to each of you.
The Desert Pastor
May 10, 2008
Acquaint now thyself with Him - Job 22:21
If we would rightly “acquaint ourselves with God and be at peace”, we must know Him as He has revealed Himself, not only in the unity of His essence, but also in the plurality of His persons. God said, “Let us make man in our own image” - let not man be content until he knows something of the “us” from whom his being was derived. Endeavor to know the Father; bury your head in His bosom in deep repentance, and confess that you are not worthy to be called His son; receive the kiss of His love; let the ring which is the token of His eternal faithfulness be on your finger; sit at His table and let your heart make merry in His grace. Then press forward and seek to know much of the Son of God who is the brightness of His Father’s glory, and yet in unspeakable condescension of grace became a man for our sakes; know Him in the singular complexity of His nature: eternal God, and yet suffering, finite man; follow Him as He walks the waters with the tread of deity, and as He sits upon the well in the weariness of humanity. Be not satisfied unless you know much of Jesus Christ as your Friend, your Brother, your Husband, your all. Forget not the Holy Spirit; endeavor to obtain a clear view of His nature and character, His attributes, and His works. Behold that Spirit of the Lord, who first of all moved upon chaos, and brought forth order; who now visits the chaos of your soul, and creates the order of holiness. Behold Him as the Lord and giver of spiritual life, the Illuminator, the Instructor, the Comforter, and the Sanctifier. Behold Him as, like holy unction, He descends upon the head of Jesus, and then afterward rests upon you who are as the skirts of His garments. Such an intelligent, scriptural, and experimental belief in the Trinity in Unity is yours if you truly know God; and such knowledge brings peace indeed.
- Charles Spurgeon
1834 - 1892
This devotion was taken from Morning and Evening by C.H. Spurgeon.
May 10, 2008
It’s time for our weekly Saturday sermon on the book of Ephesians entitled Studies in Ephesians: Part Eight by Pastor Mark Escalera.
Click on the link to listen streaming, or right click on the link and click “Save As” (Internet Explorer) or “Save Link As” (Mozilla) to save to your computer. From there you can burn this to a CD or upload it to your MP3 player.
May 10, 2008
What did it take for God to save us? To put it into human terms, I would say this:
Suppose I broke into your house, tied you up, and made you watch as I beat your son, killed your wife, and stole everything you owned. You call the police, they come and arrest me, and I am sentenced to die. In the meantime, I am free on bail. So, to stay your wrath, which is firmly upon me, I mow your grass, do your laundry, paint your house and take out the garbage. However, none of these “good deeds” make up for the fact that I have committed such vile offenses against you. There is nothing I can do to cover over my atrocities, and hide them from your sight. Your wrath abides upon me still.
As the day of my execution approaches, you remember your mercy. For no reason other than the fact that you have so desired in your heart, you make me an offer. In order to spare me from death, you will allow your only son to be strapped to that table, have the needles inserted in his arms, and take the penalty that I deserved. Not only that, but you will then adopt me into your family as your son. I plead with you, saying, “No! No! No! I don’t like that idea! I have a better idea! Let me do good things for you! Let me earn my pardon! Let me do enough good things that I don’t have to accept THAT offer!” You look at me and say, “Either my son dies for your crimes–or you pay for them yourself forever. Which is it?”
This is the dilemma facing every single human being who will ever walk the face of the earth. They have all committed horrific acts against the LORD of all the earth. They have walked through His creation, stolen from Him, blasphemed His name–and have rightly earned His wrath.
Everyone.
EVERY.
ONE.
The only way to avoid the eternal punishment we deserve is to accept His offer of His Son, the blood that He shed, to hide our sins from the sight of the Father. Oh, but how many? How many do not bow their knee and confess salvation is through Christ alone! They rather say, “No, God! I have a better idea! I’ll do good things for You! I’ll do such good things that You won’t have any choice but to pardon me!” And they think they are bringing Him gifts of gold, silver, and precious stones. When in fact they are bringing Him a big, stinking pile of used Kotex. Have these people not read the words of the prophet Isaiah? “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.”
Used tampons.
Sorry to be so blunt, but I feel the translators were much too kind. All of our righteousnesses are as filthy as the cloths a woman has used during her period of uncleanness. They are drenched with the stain and odor of our own uncleanness. And they are good for nothing but to be thrown into a pile and burned. And yet how many people will approach the throne of God, holding them in their hands as their most prized possession, thinking that the Lord will be pleased with such an offering. And He will say, “Get out of My sight! I can’t stand to look at you and all that waste you have brought Me! Who do you think I am that I can be bartered with such filth? Do you think I would be pleased with all your uncleanness? In fact, who are you? I don’t even know you! I never have! So be gone! Be gone! NEVER approach Me EVER AGAIN! You dirty, filthy, vile miscreant! Be burned with everlasting fire, that I never have to be reminded of you ever again!!”
Friend, if you are reading this, and you have been gathering up used menstrual cloths as an offering to God to bribe Him into letting you into His kingdom–I beg you to stop right this minute. Because what you are telling God is this–that the blood in those bloody cloths you are offering Him is better than the blood that was shed by His dear and precious Son. You cannot assuage the wrath of God with your own filthy garments. Do you think that God is under some kind of obligation to overlook your sins because you have earned enough “attaboys” and have done enough “good deeds?” How much is enough? Who decides? You? Are you the final arbiter of how much good is enough? Don’t even think for a moment that you have the keys of the kingdom of God–those are in the Hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who opens the door to the kingdom, for He is the Door. He opens it, and no one can shut it. But, friend, He also shuts it, and no one can open it.
You have sinned against Almighty God. The only offer there is for your pardon is to accept the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross, and to be adopted into His family as His son. No amount of mowing, laundry, painting, or any other little trinket of a deed you can offer Him will ever take away the fact that you are a sinner. Only the blood of Jesus. That’s what it took.
May 10, 2008
People who don’t want scrutiny, people who don’t want to be held accountable for what they teach or what they believe, people who don’t want to be told they’re wrong, they always throw that verse “Judge not lest you be judged!”
- John MacArthur
May 10, 2008
This time it’s a twenty-two year-old mother who died after giving birth to twins. Read the story here. Also see this related post on the Watchtower’s murder of a fourteen year-old boy.
May 9, 2008
The anti-war group Code-Pink is now using Witchcraft at its rallies. See the Fox News report here.
May 9, 2008
Ingrid has reported on her blog Hope in Laodicea of yet another example of problems with the public schools. It’s examples like this that contributes to homeschooling’s growing popularity. Trust me, these kinds of incidents happen more often than you think. In fact, here’s another one.
May 9, 2008
Christian magazines, TV shows and church services often put the spotlight on famous athletes, beauty queens, businessmen and politicians who “make it in the world and have Jesus too!” . . . The typical media testimony goes something like this:
“I was sick and broke, a total failure. Then I met Jesus. Now everything is fine; my business is booming, and I am a great success.”
It sounds wonderful. Be a Christian and get that bigger house and a boat and vacation in the Holy Land. But if that were really God’s way, it would put some Christians living in communist countries and in the Two-Thirds World in a pretty bad light. Their testimonies often go like this:
“I was happy. I had everything–prestige, recognition, a good job, and a happy wife and children. Then I gave my life to Jesus Christ . Now I am in prison, having lost my family, wealth, reputation, job and health. Here I live, lonely, deserted by friends. I cannot see the face of my wife and dear children. My crime is that I love Jesus.”
- K. P. Yohannan
May 9, 2008
Tower To Truth question:
4. If Brigham Young was a true prophet, how come one of your later prophets overturned his declaration which stated that the black man could never hold the priesthood in the LDS Church until after the resurrection of all other races (Journal of Discourses 2:142-143)?
——————–
FAIR Answer:
Peter and the other apostles likewise misunderstood the timing of gospel blessings to non-Israelites. Even following a revelation to Peter, many members of the early Christian Church continued to fight about this point and how to implement it—even Peter and Paul had disagreements. Yet, Bible-believing Christians, such as the Latter-day Saints, continue to consider both as prophets. Critics should be careful that they do not have a double standard, or they will condemn Bible prophets as well.
The Latter-day Saints are not scriptural or prophetic inerrantists. They are not troubled when prophets have personal opinions which turn out to be incorrect. In the case of the priesthood ban, members of the modern Church accepted the change with more joy and obedience than many first century members accepted the extension of the gospel to the Gentiles without the need for keeping the Mosaic Law.
————————————-
My Response:
This is another case of the LDS church saying that a doctrine that they held for over 140 years was simply “one man’s opinion.” Give it a rest, folks. Either the “prophet” is speaking as from God’s mouth, or you can’t trust anything they say. Here we come back to Ezra Taft Benson’s words in “14 Fundamentals”–
Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;
For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.
For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.
Did you hear what the Lord said about the words of the prophet? We are to “give heed unto all his words”–as if from the Lord’s “own mouth.”
That’s right, give heed to the words of the LDS prophet–unless they don’t make sense, or their prophecy doesn’t come to pass, or it becomes an embarassment to their cause, or they really need for Utah to become a state–then you don’t really have to listen, because it’s “just his opinion.”
Interstingly, in this same message, Youngs says,
“Brother George Q. Cannon brought me a god from the Sandwich Islands, made out of a piece of wood. If all the people bow down to such a god as that, it is in accordance with their laws and ordinances, and their manner of dealing among themselves; the Lord permits them to do as they please with regard to that matter, and this illustration will apply to all the nations upon the face of the earth. People who fall down beneath the wheels of Juggernaut, and are crushed to death; who sacrifice their children in the worship of idols; if they act according to the best of their knowledge, there is a chance for their salvation, as much as there is for the salvation of any other person.”
Here is the quote in question:
We have this illustrated in the account of Cain and Abel. Cain conversed with his God every day, and knew all about the plan of creating this earth, for his father told him. But, for the want of humility, and through jealousy, and an anxiety to possess the kingdom, and to have the whole of it under his own control, and not allow any body else the right to say one word, what did he do? He killed his brother. The Lord put a mark on him; and there are some of his children in this room. When all the other children of Adam have had the privilege of receiving the Priesthood, and of coming into the kingdom of God, and of being redeemed from the four quarters of the earth, and have received their resurrection from the dead, then it will be time enough to remove the curse from Cain and his posterity. He deprived his brother of the privilege of pursuing his journey through life, and of extending his kingdom by multiplying upon the earth; and because he did this, he is the last to share the joys of the kingdom of God.
Did you notice that? Blacks will not receive the Melchizedek priesthood until all the sons of Adam have received it, and have been redeemed, and resurrected. And not until then! Obviously, not all of Adam’s sons have received the Melchizedek priesthood, or been redeemed or resurrected. Yet another false prophecy. Go figure!
Of course, this is in line with their beliefs that blacks and Indians were a “dark and loathsome people” (1st Nephi 12:23; 2nd Nephi 5:21; Jacob 3:5; Alma 3:6, etc. etc. etc.)
I would answer the issue of “the mark of Cain” or “disobedience in the pre-existence” or however the Mormon church wants to play this thing. But it’s a rabbit trail, one I won’t even go down. I could mention Galatians 3:28, or Ephesians 2:14-18, or Revelation 5:9, or why it took the Mormon church so long to understand what these verses meant, even though Joseph Smith was supposedly a “prophet of God.” But I won’t.
May 9, 2008
Found this over at YouTube. This is for all those who think God is this uncaring, unfeeling, tyrannical despot whose only desire is to see us suffer. They simply don’t know what they are missing.
May 8, 2008
Ryan Sorba, author of The Born Gay Hoax, was giving a speech at Smith College in Massachusetts when the lecture was overtaken by a group of militant pro-gay activists that not only interrupted Mr. Sorba, but completely shut down his freedom of speech. You can read more about this incident here including a timeline of events in each of the videos and a reprint of the college president’s pandering letter addressing the incident.
Many may shrug their shoulders at this since it happened at a distant college and has no affect on them in Anytown, USA. I beg to differ. It will only be a matter of time before this type of hate comes to a church near you. Are you ready?
I can’t help but wonder how things would have been handled if the invited guest was a pro-gay or pro-abortion speaker and an opposition group came in and acted in this manner.
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
- Martin Niemöller
May 8, 2008
Right across the street from the local high school is a city park, and every day after school there are 50-100 kids that go hang out in the park. My friend had the idea to make copies of some DVDs on creation by Kent Hovind (he encourages free distribution), and go hand them out. We also wrote a tract for the occasion concerning several questions that evolutionists can’t answer, and the gospel. We gave out most of the stuff and had a few good conversations. Hopefully the kids will watch their DVD and get interested in the topic and the Lord Jesus Christ.
A couple of things struck me about the whole thing. We would ask the kids if they believe in evolution, and one kid said that he thinks we’re going to evolve into gods. A couple of them thought God used evolution to create everything. The vast majority of them said they didn’t believe in evolution, but believed God created us. I’m sure most of them have some crazy ideas about God, but I was reminded that it’s obvious that there must be a Creator, and anyone who denies it is lacking the common sense of a teen-ager.
The other thing is that we invited our church to get involved, and they found an excuse not to get involved. I invited people from church individually, and none of them were interested. I continue to be fascinated that so many Christians just refuse to get involved in sharing their faith. Don’t they believe hell is real? Don’t they care to be obedient to the Great Commission? How much easier can I make it for them? I don’t get it.
It was a fun way to share our faith, and I would recommend it to anyone. We plan on returning on a regular basis. If anyone knows of other DVDs on creation that are free of copyright, I’d appreciate a heads-up on that.
May 8, 2008
In my own life, I am finding myself being stretched and at times it feels almost unbearable. While I am fully aware of my need to lean on the Lord, more times than not I can find myself becoming discouraged or despondent. In a world that cares not for our Lord, but desires that we love that which is temporal, it is easy to be discouraged and take our eyes off of that which is eternal.
An encouraging hymn and Scripture for those mid-week blues is posted at The Desert Pastor.