Monthly Archives: December 2011

DefCon reaches 2 million visits.

Posted on December 31, 2011 by

On December 31, 2011, at approximately 10:00 pm (EST), DefCon received its two-millionth hit. In the four years and four months that this blog has been active, we’ve published 3,768 posts (counting this one) and accumulated 22,220 comments. I wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement, News, Pilgrim's Corner | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Quotes (922)

Posted on December 31, 2011 by

Many unbelievers have threatened or prophesied the destruction of the Bible. Few people know the names of the skeptics. Everyone knows the names of Moses and Isaiah and Luke and Paul. –Will Houghton 1887 – 1947

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Sermon of the week: “Why We Believe and Others Reject” by John MacArthur

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

Your sermon of the week by John MacArthur explains Why We Believe and Others Reject. As a side note, the day that DefCon posts its sermons of the week will change this week. Our sermons of the week will no … Continue reading →

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The Context of the Law

Posted on December 28, 2011 by

For the first time in my ministry, I have been studying in some depth the Ten Commandments. This has been a most profitable study in my own heart and life. I have been encouraged to share my notes, and while … Continue reading →

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Great Heresies – and the Worldviews that Spawn Them

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

“1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow … Continue reading →

Posted in Apostasy/Lukewarm, Encouragement, New Age Nonsense, Theology | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Quotes (921)

Posted on December 26, 2011 by

Does any Christian reader imagine for a moment that when he or she shall stand before their holy Lord, that they will regret having lived “too strictly” on earth? Is there the slightest danger of His reproving any of His … Continue reading →

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Quotes (920)

Posted on December 25, 2011 by

We speak with disdain of politicians not limiting their spending to available revenues. But our national  debt is an extension of the same irresponsible mentality many of us demonstrate in our own lives. Home mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards … Continue reading →

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New Age vs Christianity

Posted on December 24, 2011 by

New Age vs Christianity   Naturalism New Age Christianity God God does not exist; belief in God results from superstition Pantheism: God is impersonal; is above good and evil; everything is God God is the triune, eternal, personal, almighty, sovereign, … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement, New Age Nonsense, Occult, The Occult, Theology | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A Common Thread

Posted on December 24, 2011 by

For the first time in my ministry, I have been studying in some depth the Ten Commandments. This has been a most profitable study in my own heart and life. I have been encouraged to share my notes, and while … Continue reading →

Posted in Expository Moments | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Saturday sermon series: “The Gospel Demands Radical Abandonment (C)” by David Platt.

Posted on December 24, 2011 by

We conclude our eight-week series on the radical demands of the gospel by David Platt with the final message, The Gospel Demands Radical Abandonment (C). To obtain the entire series (or watch the videos of these sermons) visit Disciple Making … Continue reading →

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“The more I studied the more evidence of a cover-up I discovered.”

Posted on December 23, 2011 by

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post (found here), and as a testament to the legacy of Joseph Smith (who was born 206 years ago today), I wanted to direct your attention to the resignation letter of former LDS stake bishop, … Continue reading →

Posted in Mormonism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Quotes (919)

Posted on December 23, 2011 by

The Puritan/Presbyterian wing of the Reformation accomplished a purity in worship not seen since the apostolic church. This purity was attained by making the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments the only infallible standard and authority in determining worship … Continue reading →

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“If the [Mormon] church is not true would I want to know?”

Posted on December 22, 2011 by

Steve Bloor penned a letter to his congregation after resigning from his position as Bishop in his LDS stake. What he did took much courage and I commend him for not only being willing to investigate his organization’s history, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Mormonism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Sermon of the week: “How to Recognize True Repentance” by Don Green.

Posted on December 22, 2011 by

It has been awhile (too long) since DefCon last featured Don Green, but now we break that drought with today’s sermon of the week, How to Recognize True Repentance. Here is an excerpt from this sermon: “I fear that the … Continue reading →

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Thabiti Anyabwile on multi-site churches.

Posted on December 19, 2011 by

Something for you to consider (and discuss) from the article, Multi-Site Churches Are from the Devil: “. . . I think the kind of multi-site churches (realizing there are a few different approaches) that feature one pastor being beamed into … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Selections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Quotes (918)

Posted on December 19, 2011 by

. . . [W]e must restore to the family the responsibility of ministering to youth. In many churches–but by no means all–the purpose of the youth group is founded on premises that are an impediment to the training of godly … Continue reading →

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Book recommendation: “The Giant Killer” by A.L.O.E.

Posted on December 17, 2011 by

I recently finished reading an intriguing story by ALOE (A Lady Of England) to my children entitled, The Giant Killer (1856). This allegorical tale (told in a fashion similar to Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress) is about a noble knight named Fides … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quotes (917)

Posted on December 17, 2011 by

. . . [M]any go away from the “altar [call],” told that they are now Christians, knowing that they are not changed one bit. As a result, their unbelief may harden into skepticism toward anything Christian. R. L. Dabney notes: … Continue reading →

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Modern family.

Posted on December 17, 2011 by

A sobering examination into what the technology age has wrought on our families in this article from the New York Times. Excerpt: Sometimes they hold hands while looking at their screens. But failing that, the couple has developed a form … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday sermon series: “The Gospel Demands Radical Abandonment (B)” by David Platt.

Posted on December 17, 2011 by

We continue our Radical Saturday sermon series with part seven of eight: The Gospel Demands Radical Abandonment (B) by David Platt.

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The Death of Christopher Hitchens

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Renown speaker, author and self avowed atheist Christopher Hitchens died at age 62 yesterday. Mr. Hitchens was perhaps most well-known for his atheism and consistent attacks against religion, primarily Christianity. He was previously diagnosed with esophageal cancer and underwent medical … Continue reading →

Posted in Evangelism, Random Selections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Way of Salvation

Posted on December 15, 2011 by

The Way of Salvation At the heart of the controversy between Rome and historic Protestants is a dispute over the way of salvation. In speaking of salvation, we note that the term “salvation” encompasses a wide range of important topics, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible Reference Notes, Encouragement, Expository Moments, Roman Catholicism, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Sermon of the week: “Christmas Traditions” by Jim McClarty

Posted on December 15, 2011 by

Your sermon of the week delves into the origins of the Christ-Mass. In this casual lecture entitled Christmas Traditions, Jim McClarty peels back the veil of our annual Christmas traditions to reveal the genesis of many of the practices of … Continue reading →

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“Daddy, I Don’t Think God is Real!”

Posted on December 12, 2011 by

I had what was perhaps the most interesting theological conversation I’ve ever had last night, and it was with my seven year old son. It started with overhearing him tell his younger brother that they had to be “normal” by … Continue reading →

Posted in Parenting, Random Selections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Tebow makes us uncomfortable.

Posted on December 11, 2011 by

Regardless of whether or not you like football, you will still like the clarity and keen observations presented in this USA Today article. Columnist Larry Taunton does a great job revealing that even in sports, the media’s bias propaganda machine … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Persecution, Encouragement, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Debate: Walter Martin vs Madalyn Murray O’Hair.

Posted on December 11, 2011 by

Here’s the hard-to-find debate between the great Christian apologist, Walter Martin, and the infamous anti-theist, Madalyn Murray O’Hair.  DefCon makes this classic debate from 1968, entitled Walter Martin vs Madalyn Murray O’Hair, available to you as an MP3 download.   … Continue reading →

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Just what the world needs.

Posted on December 10, 2011 by

(CBS/AP) Houston televangelist Joel Osteen is a preacher, lecturer and author. Soon, he’ll add reality TV star to his accomplishments. The leader of a Texas megachurch, whose Sunday services are broadcast to audiences around the world, has signed an agreement … Continue reading →

Posted in Apostasy/Lukewarm, News, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Saturday sermon series: “The Gospel Demands Radical Abandonment (A)” by David Platt.

Posted on December 10, 2011 by

We continue our Radical Saturday sermon series from David Platt with part six,  The Gospel Demands Radical Abandonment (A).

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The Tragedy of American Compassion

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

The Tragedy of American Compassion – Marvin Olasky Reviewed by Stuart Brogden, 30 Oct 2011 Tragedy and Compassion – two words that we don’t normally associate together. How could compassion be tragic? While we likely have different levels of bad … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement, Recommended Books, Reviews, Theology | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Should Christians Try to Win Morality Through Legislation?

Posted on December 8, 2011 by

In our current culture, especially as we are heading into the next election cycle, moral questions are being hotly debated and people are looking to to political leaders to solve these problems. For example, perhaps the two mostly controversial subjects … Continue reading →

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