And according to legend Jonathan Edwards did, in fact, read through his resolutions as a sort of altimeter in order to gauge his spiritual trajectory and altitude at least once per week.  I trust that the gentle DefCon reader will be both challenged and edified by reading through Edwards’ Resolutions!  Soli Deo Gloria!

 The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (in .pdf)

 Resolutions 1 through 21 were written by in one sitting in New Haven in 1722.

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.  Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don’t hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, “A faithful man who can find?” may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec.26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narration’s never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec.22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord’s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s, agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12. Jan.12, 1723.

44- Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan.12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan.12 and 13.1723.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5,1723.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether ~ have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July ii, and July 13.

60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; “knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.” June 25 and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan.14′ and July ’3′ 1723.

64. Resolved, when I find those “groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those “breakings of soul for the longing it hath,” of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be wear’, of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton’s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.  Aug. 17, 1723

Pastor Steve Lawson has written an excellent and concise biopic on Jonathan Edwards entitled “The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards“.  This and many other helpful resources are available from Ligonier.

-  Richard Baxter

1615 – 1691

Jesus Our High Priest – Part 6

I bet you didn’t know that, huh? That all those songs they sang about drinking and sex and partying and all other kinds of debauchery were actually declaring the gospel? Well, that’s because you weren’t blessed with the same kind of discernment as Perry Noble of NewSpring church!

Why, if you had simply listened to their lyrics, you would know that Bret Michaels & Co were very faithful in declaring the whole counsel of God! After all, if they weren’t faithful to God’s word, do you really think that Perry Noble would let the “praise” band at NewSpring play their hit song “Nothin’ But A Good Time?”

[/sarcasm]

Oh, yeah, you’re right.

He would……AND HE DID.

You’ll have to go to A Little Leaven to see the video; it won’t embed on WordPress. Of course, it’s just as well.

WOW!! If I had only known that all that time that I thought I was rocking out to Poison because they were singing about the same desires I had–sexual gratification, drunkenness and revelry–they were actually trying to lead me to Jesus!

Er………something.

Just more proof that Perry Noble doesn’t care about preaching the word of God, and that he’s more comfortable joining the filth of the world to the things of God, and creating a worship of his own making, and not according to the ways of God.

- Stephen Charnock

1628 – 1680

Your sermon of the week is the final installment from John MacArthur’s series

We will be featuring one more sermon from MacArthur on the subject of creation (unrelated to this particular series) in two weeks.

- Psalm 1:1-2

- Mike Gendron

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.”  - 2 Timothy 4:13

We do not know what the books were about, and we can only form some guess as to what the parchments were.  Paul had a few books which were left, perhaps wrapped up in the cloak, and Timothy was to be careful to bring them.  Even an apostle must read. Some of our very ultra Calvinistic brethren think that a minister who reads books and studies his sermon must be a very deplorable specimen of a preacher.  A man who comes up into the pulpit, professes to take his text on the spot, and talks any quantity of nonsense, is the idol of many.  If he will speak without pre-meditation, or pretend to do so, and never produce what they call a dish of dead men’s brains – oh! that is the preacher.

How rebuked are they by the apostle! He is inspired, and yet he wants books!  He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books!  He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books!  He had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books!  He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books!  He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books!

The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, “Give thyself unto reading”.  The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted.  He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains of his own.  Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people.  You need to read.  Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritan writers, and expositions of the Bible. We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying.  You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master’s service.  Paul cries, “Bring the books” – join in the cry.

-C.H. Spurgeon

1834-1892

The following quote comes from a great article by Randy Lovegreen regarding a recent episode of

Beck is using his show to break the ice for Mormon theology, and promoting a worldview that supports the beliefs of his church. His hour long infomercial for Mormon history only makes it easier for those well groomed young men on bicycles to strike up a conversation, and lead folks astray. . . . As Christians, we must constantly be on guard against anything which may seek to corrupt our faith. This includes charming conservative talk show hosts, even if they are on Fox News.

Read the whole article, Glenn Beck’s Mormon Infomercial, here.

Wrapping up the series with Paul reinforcing Christ’s teachings to his young proteges in the “Pastoral Epistles.” Hopefully this has been a helpful series, and next time you hear someone claim that they deny Paul’s writings because he “never quoted Jesus” you can show them that they are clearly wrong.

1st Timothy 1:12-13–And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man.

• Acts 26:14-18–“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads…I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”

1st Timothy 1:15–This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

• Luke 19:10–“The Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.”

1st Timothy 2:5-6–For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all.

• Matthew 20:28–“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

1st Timothy 6:6-10–Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

• Matthew 6:24-25–“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

1st Timothy 6:17-19–Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

• Luke 12:15-21–“Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

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2nd Timothy 2:3-7–You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

• Luke 9:59-62–Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
• Luke 17:31-32–“In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife.”

2nd Timothy 2:12-13–This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

• Luke 17:33–“Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
• Mark 13:12-13–“Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
• Matthew 10:32-33–“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

2nd Timothy 2:19–Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

• John 10:14–“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
• Matthew 24:45-47–“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.”

2nd Timothy 3:12–Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

• John 16:33–“In this world you will have tribulation.”

2nd Timothy 4:3-4–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.

• Matthew 24:37-39–“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

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Titus 2:11–For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

• John 12:32–“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Titus 3:8–This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.

• Matthew 5:16–“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”

Titus 3:10-1–Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

• Matthew 18:15-17–“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone…But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

“All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.” – Numbers 6:4

Nazarites had taken, among other vows, one which debarred them from the use of wine.  In order that they might not violate the obligation, they were forbidden to drink vinegar of wine or strong liquors, and to make the rule still more clear, they were not to touch the unfermented juice of grapes, nor even to eat the fruit either fresh or dried.  In order, altogether, to secure the integrity of the vow, they were not even allowed anything that had to do with the vine; they were, in fact, to avoid the appearance of evil.  Surely this is a lesson to the Lord’s separated ones, teaching them to come away from sin in every form, to avoid not merely its grosser shapes, but even its spirit and similitude.  Strict walking is much despised in these days, but rest assured, dear reader, it is both the safest and the happiest.  He who yields a point or two to the world is in fearful peril; he who eats the grapes of Sodom will soon drink the wine of Gomorrah.  A little crevice in the sea-bank in Holland lets in the sea, and gap speedily swells till a province is drowned.  Worldly conformity, in any degree, is a snare to the soul, and makes it more and more liable to presumptuous sins.  Moreover, as the Nazarite who drank grape juice could not be quite sure whether it might not have endured a degree of fermentation, and consequently could not be clear in heart that his vow was intact, so the yielding, temporizing Christian cannot wear a conscience void of offence, but must feel the inward monitor is in doubt of him.  Things doubtful we need not doubt about; they are wrong to us.  Things tempting we must not dally with, but flee from them with speed.  Better to be sneered at as a Puritan than be despised as a hypocrite.  Careful walking may involve much self-denial, but it has pleasures of its own which are more than a sufficient recompense.

-C.H. Spurgeon

1834-1892

Regardless of how it is interpreted, I have NEVER in 40 years of being a Mormon, met another Mormon who believes we can “earn” our way into Heaven. For you and others to continue to portray us in that light is dishonest. Dishonesty is NOT a Christian attribute.

Apparently Chris never met this Mormon:

This young girl has a better grasp of Mormon theology in regards to their view of justification and salvation than most Mormons I speak with.

I guess, according to Chris, this Mormon girl is just being “dishonest,” but I think she’s been reading her 1997 edition of the LDS published Gospel Principles (pages 303-304). It’s so refreshing to find a Mormon willing to be honest about what Mormonism teaches.

Jesus Our High Priest – Part 5

Below is a fantastic article by Brannon Howse on Glenn Beck’s upcoming “Divine Destiny” gathering. This article is definitely a must-read, especially for those Christians who still mix politics (the affairs of this world) with the church (the affairs of God).

Following Glenn Beck’s Divine Destiny or God’s Word
By Brannon S. Howse

Would you approve or disapprove if some of America’s evangelical pastors and religious leaders announced they were going to show up at “Oprah’s Divine Destiny” meeting at the Kennedy Center for an evening that would include uplifting music and nationally-known religious figures from all faiths as they unite in prayer and recite historical speeches? Would it concern you if you knew that on her radio program Oprah has taught the book called A Course in Miracles written by Helen Schucman? This book and the workbook include such quotes as:

“A slain Christ has no meaning.”
“The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.”
“Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross’.”
“My salvation comes from me.”

True Bible-believing Christians would not approve of evangelical pastors and leaders uniting with Oprah in a self-described, religious and spiritual meeting. Why? Because most Biblically thinking Christians do not agree with Oprah’s liberal politics and they know that the truth of God’s Word and Oprah’s pagan spirituality do not mix.

However, many of these same Christians will have no problem when some of America’s evangelical pastors join radio personality and television host Glenn Beck for a spiritual program, because unlike Oprah, they share Beck’s conservative, political views. To many it makes no matter that Beck is a self-described Mormon because his political views trump his religious views and for this reason many will justify taking part in “Glenn Becks Divine Destiny” program at the Kennedy Center on August 27^th.

The Apostle Paul warns Christians against uniting with unbelievers in spiritual endeavors in 2 Corinthians 6:14 where we read, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” In verse 16 Paul declares that Christians must be spiritually separate from non-believers. Remember Paul is talking about being spiritually separate. “Glenn Beck’s Divine Destiny” program at the Kennedy Center on Friday evening August 27, 2010 has been specifically described by organizers as “a unique spiritual event.”

While I applaud and agree with many of Glenn Beck’s conservative and constitutional views, that does not give me or any other Bible-believing Christian justification to compromise Biblical truth by spiritually joining Beck in an event, that according this his own website, will include an evening in which “nationally-known religious figures from all faiths will unite…”. The website continues “The audience for the event will be overwhelmingly made up of pastors, ministers and clergy…” The event is also described as an evening “that will help heal your soul.” This event is clearly a spiritual event with Glenn declaring on a video on his website that the hymn Eternal Father Strong to Save “is the message of 8/27″.  The problem is that as a Mormon, Glenn’s definition of God the Father is not the same as that described by Jesus Christ Himself in the Bible. Glenn says, “I have been reaching out to the biggest names in faith for the last year…I have met with the biggest leaders of faith in the country privately and I have asked them to help me put differences aside and to reach out with one another so we can remind people to get down on their knees for our brethren’s shield in our dangerous hour.”

Christians that want to be committed to Biblical truth cannot “put aside” the cross and Gospel of Jesus Christ nor the supremacy of Scripture by spiritually uniting with those that proclaim another Jesus, another gospel and declare the cross foolishness.

Many  American Christians will allow their commitment to reclaiming the country, reclaiming Congress, lowering taxes, and defeating the progressives trump their commitment to the Biblical mandate declared in 2 Corinthians 6 as well as the mandate of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 which commands Christians to expose every high and lofty thing lifted up against the principles of the Lord.

American Christians should not and cannot rate our success on whether or not we return our country and culture to its Christian roots. Our success or failure must be based on whether or not we have been faithful servants of the one and only true God and have earnestly contended for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

We appreciate the strong and courageous stands that Glenn has taken but Christians must understand that Glenn is now, by his own choice, promoting something that is not compatible with Biblical Christian doctrines. While Christians can join Glenn in opposing tyranny, socialism, cultural Marxism, and the like; we cannot join him spiritually. We can be co-belligerents on many moral issues with non-Christians but we cannot find common ground theologically, doctrinally, and spiritually. This is not according to me, Brannon Howse, but according to the Word of God. Christians must understand that the Jesus of the cults is not the Jesus of the Bible.

Please remember that I started the website www.keepglennbeck.com to support Glenn when the radicals wanted his advertisers to stop advertising in his program because at the time he was not promoting spirituality but simply providing excellent information about what was happening in the arena of civil government and law. However, Glenn has now moved into an area where we must draw a clear line theologically, doctrinally and spiritually.

I have yet to see anything that would cause me to have a problem with the 8-28 event at the Lincoln Memorial because I have not seen that event described as a “spiritual event” or a “uniting of all faiths” for the purpose of “healing your soul.” If that is what it becomes then I will be equally opposed to the 8-28 event. My concern is really focused on the 8/27 event for the reasons I have articulated.

Some misinformed Christians have e-mailed me Mark 9:38-41 to try and convince me that partnering with Glenn Beck for a “unique spiritual event” is acceptable Biblically even if Glenn Beck is not a Christian, but indeed a Mormon by his own admission. Verse 40 says “For he who is not against us is on our side.” There is just one big problem; the people emailing me this verse are taking this scripture completely out of context. Mark 9 is not speaking of a non-Christian that is doing something good but it is clearly speaking of a true follower of Jesus Christ that was successful in casting out a demon.

If you do not think it is Biblically acceptable for a Biblically committed Christian to be united in a spiritual event with Oprah Winfrey then why is it not also unacceptable to unite spiritually in the 8/27 event with Glenn Beck or any other religious leaders that do not adhere to Biblical orthodoxy? How much different are the religious beliefs of Oprah and the beliefs of Mormons?  Christian author Ed Decker who was a Mormon for 20 years of his adult life and was a member of the Melchizedek priesthood, a Temple Mormon and active in many church positions before becoming a Christian has revealed to me such facts as:

• Mormons believe the cross of Christ is foolishness and thus you will not find a cross in or on top of a Mormon temple.  Thus a Mormon could say “Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross’.”
• Mormons believe the blood Jesus Christ shed on the cross is not what saves and thus Mormons will not use red wine or red juice for communion but they use water. Thus a Mormon could say “A slain Christ has no meaning.”

• Mormons believe that salvation is not found in placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone but in good works.  Thus a Mormon could say “My salvation comes from me.”

• Mormons believe that God is one of many Gods and that every good Mormon man can become a God himself. This belief is called the law of eternal progression and is best described in this popular Mormon saying, “As man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become.” Thus a Mormon could say that “The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.”

Do these pastors and Christian leaders not understand that by appearing on stage at this “unique spiritual event” they are sending the message that Biblical Christianity and Mormonism (and any other unbiblical worldview represented) can indeed find spiritual common ground? This is not only a public relations victory for Mormonism but also for universalism.

According to the LDS General Authority and President of the Council of the Twelve, Ezra Taft Benson, the LDS doctrine is that the living prophet is above the scripture.[1]  I would humbly plead with those Christians taking part in this spiritual event to not put their own personal desires and agenda above the scripture.

Christians e-mail me to tell me that Glenn Beck uses Christian terms and thus he must be a Christian. Indeed Mormons, as well as New Agers, use many of the same terms that Bible believing Christians use but their definitions of those terms are in direct opposition to the Biblical definitions.

Christians also e-mail me to tell me that they heard Glenn Beck give the gospel on his television program one night. I watched that program and Glenn clearly stated that he had called Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention to have Land explain to Glenn the gospel message according to evangelicals so Glenn could contrast it with the collective salvation of President Obama. Glenn provided this contrast; he did not state that he had rejected Mormonism for the truth of the Biblical gospel.

It is not Biblically acceptable for Christians to join Oprah for “a unique spiritual event” and it is equally not Biblical for Christians to join Glenn Beck for “a unique spiritual event.” I do however urge all Christians to pray for Oprah and Glenn that they may indeed come to know the Jesus Christ of the Bible as their personal Lord and Savior. (John 14:6)

Millions of Christian families are watching to see who will have the Biblical discernment and courage to be obedient to God and His Word in which He has clearly revealed His will for us concerning this matter. My heart grieves for the teenagers, college students, and spiritually immature Christians that will be confused and even led astray by this co-mingling of spiritual worldviews.

Do not be shocked, pastors and Christian leaders, when your personal appearance and endorsement of this spiritually pluralistic event increase the already rising numbers of young people leaving evangelical churches to join the Mormon Church. Neither be surprised, my friends, when discerning Christians are leery of your future work because of your betrayal of clear Biblical instruction on this very issue. I want your testimony and credibility preserved and beg you to graciously cancel your participation in this “spiritual event”.

I have received numerous e-mails from former Mormons who understand the seriousness of this issue. Here is one such e-mail:

I was a tenured professor at Brigham Young University from 1999-2008, a dug-in Mormon for 30 years. Christ drew me and I went face down in surrender to the Biblical Christ, now a strong Christian. As former Mormon leaders, my husband and I have been speaking to Christians about Glenn Beck for some time and are shocked at the resistance we hear from Christians who don’t seem to understand the gravity of this false and slippery “christ” of Mormonism.

The late Vance Havner was correct when he declared:

The devil is not fighting religion; he is too smart for that. He is producing a counterfeit Christianity so much like the real one that good Christians are afraid to speak out against it.

As long ago as 1898, Abraham Kuyper warned in the Stone Lectures at Princeton:

Do not forget that the fundamental contrast has always been, is still and always will be until the end; Christianity and Paganism, the idols and the living God.

I pray that America’s Christians and pastors will understand that there is an unbiblical and dangerous spiritual convergence taking place throughout the nation and the world and today is the day to choose whether you will uncompromisingly stand for the living God or give creditability to pagan spirituality.

In I Kings 18:20-21 Elijah declared to the Children of Israel, who were seeking to follow God while also mixing their worship of God with pagan spirituality, that they must choose to whom they would pledge their allegiance. Elijah asked the Israelites “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

Yes, I would like to see the progressives defeated and the original intent of America’s Founding Fathers restored, but that certainly will not happen if the true Bride of Christ compromises on Biblical truth. This is no time to be committed to pragmatism because the end does not justify the means. The means simply declares our priorities and Whom we really serve.

I first met Rose Marie a few years ago. She is a 20-something nun who works a booth at the local fair

Rose Marie, or as I’m sure she prefers to be called, Sister Rose Marie, is still relying on her own efforts to save her from the coming wrath of God.

I only had a chance to chat with her for about a minute or two this time, but I am researching a way to correspond with her like a pen-pal. If this does not materialize, then I’ll have to wait another year to have an opportunity to speak with her.

I ask that the readers of DefCon please keep this precious young lady (who has devoted her life to a dead religion of works in hopes to find favor with God) in your prayers. To read a brief post on my first encounter with Rose Marie from 2007, check out: A conversation with a nun in the most unlikeliest of places.

A Las Vegas man is suing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for medical expenses after he injured his back in 2007 performing baptisms for the dead.

In a civil suit filed in 3rd District Court on Wednesday, Daniel Dastrup claims he suffered a severe herniated disk in his lumbar spine after performing about 200 baptisms on Aug. 25, 2007. The then 25-year-old claims some of the young men and women he completely immersed in water in the name of the dead weighed as much as 250 pounds.

Read the entire article here.

On Darwin and Darwinism: A Letter to Professor Giberson

An open letter to Professor Karl Giberson, in answer to his posting, “How Darwin Sustains My Baptist Search for Truth.”

Dear Professor Giberson:

I read with interest your posting at The Huffington Post, brought to my attention by friends. I will respond by means of this open letter, though your tone and chosen forum are not indicative of any serious desire for an honest exchange. Your choice of a secular website, well known for its more liberal leanings, is quite a statement in itself. Did you write this in order to gain the favorable attention of the readers at The Huffington Post? If so, presumably you have your reward. But your tone — hardly the tone of a serious scholar or scientist — is even more disappointing.

Continue reading here.

On August 03, 2010, while lying in bed nursing a 102 degree fever, I received a call that my grandfather (who was in the hospital recovering from a minor operation) had stopped breathing on two separate occasions but they were able to resuscitate him both times.

When I arrived at the hospital he was on a ventilator (tube down his throat feeding him oxygen) in addition to a myriad of other tubes and wires, and loaded with a plethora of medications—all of which were keeping him alive.

The following day tests confirmed that his condition was only growing worse and that his organs were beginning to shut down. It was unanimous: his wife and family decided that there was no need to artificially prolong the inevitable.

The day I’ve always dreaded arrived on the evening of August 04, 2010. With his family by his side, my grandfather slipped into a Christless eternity, ending his life of eighty-three years on earth.

So much happened in those 36 hours that it felt like the whole ordeal was a week in duration. I went from being at home, sick in bed, to being by my grandfather’s side as he lay unconscious and dying–desperately trying to convey to him one last time to let go of his dead religion of works and cling to the only One that could save him. Sadly I knew at that point it was too late for that. He had eighty-three years on earth to seek after God, and he had a grandson that tried to share the Gospel with him on several occasions, but he rejected the free gift of God’s grace for the false hope of Rome again and again. Now he lay sedated, unconscious, and moments from death. There was not much more that I could do but mourn for what was about to happen.

This was the third time I had been at the bedside of a dying man in three years; my boss in 2007, and my wife’s stepfather in 2008. This last one, however, was the toughest to endure. My grandfather had been more like a father to me, helping my single mom raise me when my biological dad didn’t even stick around long enough for my birth. And not only was my grandfather the only father-figure in my life through my early years, but he was the only father-figure who showed me unconditional love–something my step-dad years later could never bring himself to do. My step-dad provided physically, but never emotionally. That’s something only my grandfather and I shared; the God-given bond that is supposed to be shared between a father and his son.

Although my grandfather and I grew apart later in life, and although we shared stark differences of opinions on such things as politics and religion, that bond that was formed as a child could never be severed. And in spite of thinking that it had evaporated at some point along the way, his death quickly revealed to me that it had been there all along.

My grandfather had a minor operation on Saturday, July 31^st. He was recuperating for the next couple days and on Tuesday, August 03, 2010, he was scheduled to return home. My grandmother had arrived at the hospital that morning with his clothes for him to change into. While she was awaiting his discharge, the first Code Blue went out.

I certainly don’t blame the hospital for the infection that entered into my grandfather during the operation; I understand that things happen beyond their control, however, I was somewhat displeased in the way some matters were handled afterward.

For instance, as I sat by my grandfather’s bedside, one nurse could easily be heard referring to my grandfather as a train wreck. (There are more tactful ways of addressing things when family members are within earshot.) I also noticed how slow everything went in regards to doctors coming by to talk to the family, yet, when the decision was made to take my grandfather off life support, it was all “wrapped up” within an hour! Getting help and answers was at a snail’s pace, but when it came time to end my grandfather’s life, the hospital performed at break-neck speeds. The only thing that actually prolonged that process was waiting for the hospital’s priest to arrive for “last rites.”

Once he arrived he did his “magic;” attempting to reverse what my grandfather had become after eighty-three years. In just five minutes the priest (who knew not my grandfather, the life he led, his sin, his views of God, nor whether or not he even understood the Gospel), churned out a program of prayers, readings, and other rote babblings from one of his books of Rome as the family stood there thinking that this “holy man” and his traveling sideshow was somehow going be of some benefit to an unrepentant sinner who was about to fall into the hands of the living God . . . a “terrifying thing” according to Hebrews 10:31.

He went through his list of the deceased he petitioned to pray for my grandfather: the saints and Mary. He and some of the family recited the “Lord’s Prayer.” Oil was placed on my grandfather’s forehead and the sign of the cross was done over him. All of this was very impressive stuff to the biblically illiterate. However, to those who know better, none of this horse and pony show can save a man, and that is what makes this whole ordeal even more grueling. Those witnessing this five-minute fix at the end of my grandfather’s life, by a stranger with a white collar, are lulled further to sleep believing that all this religious stuff needs to be left to the professionals, and that we can live our lives as we see fit and in the end some nice man will peek his head into our room for a few minutes and make everything right between us and God. Somehow, this man will serve as “mediator” between us and the “man upstairs,” so no need to worry, no need to fret, in the end it will all be all right. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow the peddler of false assurance comes and will make everything good before we die. (And Rome thrives off that level of ignorance and blind dependency.) 

After the rote salvation-in-a-box type program was over, the priest was done. Before making his hasty exit, he said a few words to the family while wearing his deceptive little grin. I thought he was a little more chipper than he should have been considering the circumstances, but when he himself can’t even grasp the gravity of what was about to happen to my grandfather because he believes the lie he spreads, how could I expect anything more?

Before the peddler of false assurance left the room, the male nurse had already loaded a syringe with morphine and was waiting to get through the circle of family to inject my grandfather with what would be his final medication. This was to help him pass away more painlessly as they removed him from all the life-sustaining equipment.

I couldn’t believe how fast they were moving to get rid of my grandfather. Again, getting help and answers in the hospital is a long arduous process of hurry up and wait, but once it’s decided to end a man’s life, they couldn’t move fast enough.

After the life support was terminated it was only a few minutes before he breathed his last breath–succumbing to the wages of his sin. My world slipped away at that moment; the man I knew all of my life was gone; childhood memories flashed before me; an era had passed. There was never a time I existed that he hadn’t existed, until now.

After the family had left the room, I remained. I was incapable of leaving him. I kissed his cheek, I kissed his forehead, I held his hand, I asked God to have mercy on his soul, I lamented. I tried to leave several times but could not get my legs to carry me to the door. After a few minutes one of the doctors came in and introduced himself. He didn’t say much–mostly just looked at my grandfather. He asked if there was anything else we needed him for, so I directed him to the waiting room to inquire of the rest of the family. A few minutes later the impatient morphine-wielding nurse returned with his clip board. He said he thought I had left. I then expected him to leave us alone again but he did not. Instead he proceeded to begin his work while I stood by my grandfather’s side, which included checking my grandfather’s pupils for reaction to light. The more time I’ve had to ponder this, the more appalling the very notion of his callousness seems to me. A few more minutes to say goodbye to my grandfather without the nurse examining his body would have been appreciated.

Assisting him was another nurse who I had never seen before during the previous two days. However, she was the only one who showed any compassion whatsoever. She placed her hand on my back as I stood by my grandfather’s lifeless body and said that she was sorry for my loss. Considering the circumstances, that meant so much to me because no one else, not the doctor, not the male nurse, not the various other nurses who had been in and out of the room over the past two days, and no one from the nurse’s station that sat right outside his door, took a moment of their time to offer their condolences. It only compounded the tragedy of the situation to see how indifferent the hospital staff was.

Although I wasn’t with every family member at all times, I was still surprised that I never once heard anyone in my family utter the hollow phrase, “He’s in a better place now.” That seems to be one of the most common phrases heard at times like these and it’s grounded solely on pure conjecture with no basis of truth.

My grandmother did, however, pay homage to this platitude when she said that my grandfather’s son “will be there to meet him.” She was referring to my uncle who had passed away thirteen years earlier from cancer: A man who wanted nothing to do with God his entire life, and even refused my grandparents’ request to have a priest perform “last rites” for him. How soon we forget these uncomfortable realities about our loved ones’ and replace uncomfortable facts with sentimental images to ease our pain.

So, could my grandmother’s comment be true? Can two men who were at enmity with God their whole rebellious lives and rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ somehow be together for eternity in Heaven with the very God they wanted nothing to do with on earth? If this is possible then I might as well throw my Bible in the trash can, for it is full of lies. When what we feel supersedes the very written Word of God, then we have successfully created a god of our own imagination.

This is exactly what we’ve done. Man rejects the Words of God and replaces them with flowery sentiments of what they think and want God to be like. Thus, they end up with a god who winks at eighty-three years of wickedness, and ushers that rebellious man into Heaven anyway. And these people never once think through what implication this universalism means for their god’s character in regards to righteousness, justice, and why their god punished his own son upon a cruel Roman cross.

My grandmother told me something interesting on that Tuesday while we sat in the hospital room. She said that earlier my grandfather had awoken from his unconscious state and frantically said, “Get the worm out of me,” before falling unconscious again. It never dawned on me till later that night as I tried sleeping at the hotel how shocking that utterance was. Was my grandfather simply hallucinating due to his altered levels of consciousness from the medication, or did he actually see the worm that Scripture tells about that will not die? I perish the thought.

With all deaths, time will cover over the hurts like wind-blown sand, obscuring the realities of this most unnatural event. But even for those moments when one’s mortality is brought before them and they have no choice but to stare death in the face as it quickly approaches them, there will always be a grinning gentleman in a white collar readily available to sing you back into a spiritual sleep as you place your trust in his soft voice, never once noticing his words of assurance fall from a forked tongue.

May God grant repentance and forgiveness to my grandmother while she remains alive, and may God have mercy on my grandfather’s soul. I miss you terribly papa.

” I love you, a bushel and a peck, a kiss on the cheek and a hug around the neck “ . . . too, grandpa.

__________________________________________________

I highly recommend the following related posts:

- The prequel to this post from last October which will put the above post into better perspective, The Peddler of False Assurance.

- Brother Michael’s own family loss in the post A Catholic Funeral – The Dead Burying the Dead.

- The sermon Paul Washer preached at his own mother’s funeral found on this post.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” -Job 38:4

1st Thessalonians 1:9-10–For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

• John 17:3–“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

1st Thessalonians 2:14-16–For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

• Matthew 23:13-15–“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
• Matthew 23:29-36–“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”

1st Thessalonians 4:15-5:2–For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

• Matthew 24:39-44–“…so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

1st Thessalonians 5:15–See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

• Matthew 5:38-42–“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”

———————————————–

2nd Thessalonians 1:6-10–Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day...

• Matthew 25:31-46–“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory…He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left…Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4–Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

• Matthew 24:15-16–“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place…then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…”

2nd Thessalonians 2:9-12–The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

• Matthew 24:23-26–“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.”

2nd Thessalonians 3:3–But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

• Matthew 6:13–“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

2nd Thessalonians 3:14-15–And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

• Matthew 18:15-17–“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

2nd Thessalonians 3:16–Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way.

• John 14:27–“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

DefCon has made reference to Christian Smith’s work on Moralistic Therapeutic Deism in the past, and I recently came across an article written in 2005 by Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he explored the implications of this theme in a well written and thoughtful article at The Christian Post.

In the article Mohler observed:

As described by Smith and his team, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism consists of beliefs like these: 1. “A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.” 2. “God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.” 3. “The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.” 4. “God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.” 5. “Good people go to heaven when they die.”

That, in sum, is the creed to which much adolescent faith can be reduced. After conducting more than 3,000 interviews with American adolescents, the researchers reported that, when it came to the most crucial questions of faith and beliefs, many adolescents responded with a shrug and “whatever.”

Most mature believers can easily conjure up images, and perhaps not-so-fond memories of numerous professing Christians, including clergy, who espouse precisely this type of worldview, who for all practical purposes live their lives by, and teach others to uphold, the one true ”Golden Rule”: Be Nice.

My intent in linking to Mohler’s article, as well as Christian Smith’s original work, is to help familiarize those who may have sensed this phenomenon, but have never quite put their finger on what’s wrong with it.

While Smith’s original work points out, and I think importantly, that Moralistic Therapeutic Deism infects multiple “faith traditions” including Judaism, Mormonism, Islam, and atheism [yes, atheism is a faith tradition] in addition to Christianity, the focus of my emphasis shall be upon the latter.

When one examines the broader professing church the incorporation of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism into its overall framework is breathtaking.  And while anecdotal evidence is helpful, Smith’s original work goes beyond casual observation into statistical verification.  His conclusion?  A totally separate, alien, and parasitic “faith tradition” has infiltrated the common consciousness of various ostensibly Christian faith traditions almost invisibly co-opting and neutralizing their distinctives while quietly but inexorably moving their collective worldviews toward the 5 Pillars of MTD.

1. “A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.”  This bare perspective left to itself apart from the One true and living God’s self-expression as it is contained uniquely within the 66 books of the Holy Bible is quintessential deism.  From Wiki: Deism (pronounced /ˈdiːɪzəm/, us dict: dē′·ĭzm) is a religious and philosophical belief that a supreme being created the universe, and that this (and religious truth in general) can be determined using reason and observation of the natural world alone, without the need for either faith or organized religion. Many Deists reject the notion that God intervenes in human affairs, for example through miracles and revelations. These views contrast with the dependence on revelations, miracles, and faith found in many Jewish, Christian, Islamic and other theistic teachings. Deists typically reject most supernatural events (prophecy, miracles) and tend to assert that God (or “The Supreme Architect”) has a plan for the universe that is not altered either by God intervening in the affairs of human life or by suspending the natural laws of the universe. What organized religions see as divine revelation and holy books, most deists see as interpretations made by other humans, rather than as authoritative sources.  Clearly not all MTD adherents would deny the miraculous, in fact in some cases they would even anticipate that the god of MTD might intervene in their own personal affairs and lives from time to time, particularly when they ask for help.
2.  “God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.”  Moving from the abstract concept of the supreme being, the next logical step for the functional Moralistic Therapeutic Deist is to put his faith into action by good works.  The god of MTD is a great and good and loving god, and therefore the “Golden Rule”: Be Nice, is the one inviolable moral truth.  Obviously the definition and level of niceness varies from person to person, but after all, it’s the thought that really counts, right?
3. “The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.”  Because the great and good and loving god of MTD wants us to “Be Nice” to others, it only stands to reason that we should also “Be Nice” to ourselves.  If we’re not nice to ourselves, we can’t rightly be nice to others, now can we?  It’s important to practice what we preach, so we deserve to be happy and to feel good about ourselves so that we can be our very best, which can only lead to a positive outlook and a “nice” disposition towards others.  In fact if we’re very good at being “nice” to ourselves by being happy and feeling good, then we can point other less mature people in the right direction by helping them learn how to put into practice the happy feel-good techniques that work so well for us, so that they might also self-actualize and improve their self-esteem.  Be your best you!  You’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and doggone it, god loves you!  Shouldn’t that kind of wonderful news put a spring in your step and a smile on your face?  Of course it should!  So smile, god loves you and he has a wonderful plan for your life!
4. “God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.”  god is always there, when you need him, all you have to do is ask.  god gave you a brain, common sense and reason to find your way through the world, but when things get really bad, or seem hopeless, or you’re feeling really bummed out, or frightened you can call on god for comfort.  god doesn’t want you to feel bad, and it’s never his will for bad things to happen.  Bad things are always from the devil.  Sometimes just talking to god will make you feel better.  He’s a lot like your bff, only way, way better, smarter and nicer!  Try prayer, it works!
5.  ”Good people go to heaven when they die.”  The sad fact is that everyone dies.  After all, the Bible says that even Jesus died, right?  And He was a really, really good man, probably the best person who ever lived.  But along with its other teachings MTD necessarily assures us that all good, nice, moral people go to heaven to be with Jesus when they die, even people who we might not think are very nice, good, or moral because god is love, and hell sounds really bad, awful actually.  What kind of loving god would ever send his helpless, beloved creatures to a place where they burn forever?   That doesn’t sound like the god of MTD at all.  Plus when’s the last time you ever attended the funeral of someone who died and went to hell?  The preacher/priest or whoever conducts the service, as well as those who eulogize the deceased, uniformly assure all in attendance that the dearly departed is rejoicing in heaven in the presence of god and his angels; and well…let’s face it…uncle Walt really wasn’t that nice…so if he’s in, I’m in because…well…let’s face it…I’m a much nicer and more moral person than uncle Walt was.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? 

It should because in all likelihood MTD is quite likely the de facto faith of many – if not most – of your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, fellow churchgoers, and even pastors whether you – or they – know it or not.  My suggestion is that you familiarize yourself with the contents and concepts of MTD and prayerfully, carefully, and lovingly disabuse the MTD adherents within your sphere of influence of their defective, demonic faith.  The aberrant beliefs of MTD are little different in character from the aberrant beliefs of the cults, yet in both form and function its effects are much more subtle and sinister because, not unlike an invading virus, MTD infects from within as opposed to manifesting itself as a recognizable stand-alone organism or organization.

And while we know that hearts and minds are only changed by the power of the Holy Spirit, we also know that the One true and living God’s Word promises that His Word will not return void, and that it will in fact accomplish all His holy will.  Furthermore we know that His will is for His Word to be faithfully proclaimed by the foolishness of the preaching of the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation for all those who believe.  Let’s trust in His own unfailing faithfulness to His Word, and boldly go forth armed with the Truth of Jesus Christ crucified, dead, buried and resurrected on the third day offering the free gift of salvation and eternal life to those who believe in accordance with the scriptures.

Jesus Our High Priest – Part 4

“As long as we use the image of our experience, of our feelings, of our answers to prayer, we shall never begin to understand what the apostle Paul means when he says, “It is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me.”

The whole exercise of humanity’s essential reason is drawing on God as the source of life. The hindrance comes when we begin to keep sensuous images spiritually in our minds. Those of us who have never had visions or ecstasies ought to be very thankful. Visions, and any emotions at all, are the greatest snare to a spiritual life, because when we get them we are apt to build them round our reasoning, and our reasoning round them, and go no further.”

Oswald Chambers
1874-1917

Part 7, continuing the daunting task of correcting those who would rather live by their own righteousness than to admit that God is God.

Colossians 1:5–…because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit.

• John 15:16–“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

Colossians 1:13–He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

• Matthew 11:26-28–“Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Colossians 2:6-7–As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

• John 15:1-8–“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit…As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing….By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

Colossians 2:16-17–So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

• Mark 2:25-28–“Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
• Matthew 23:25-28–“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Colossians 2:20-23–Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why…do you subject yourselves to regulations—“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

• Matthew 15:16-20–“Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Colossians 3:4–When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

• Matthew 25:31-33–“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.”

Colossians 3:14–But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

• Mark 12:39-40–“The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Colossians 4:2–Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

• Luke 18:1-8–Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.”

“I know, let’s get a neat package we could sell at Life Way. We could call it the ABCs. Surely they could understand that.”

“I know, we’ll do a twelve step formula. Boy, if they get up to the twelfth step then they’ll get it.”

“I know, we’ll write it up in such a way, I know—we’ll sell it to the church—‘How to Share Your Faith Without Fear.’ And we’ll make it real easy where we don’t offend nobody, and it’s not hard for us, and everybody’d be happy, and we’ll all gather ‘round at the end of the service we’ll bow our head and close our eyes, nobody look around, everybody wave your hand, come to the front, pray this prayer, we’ll dunk you in the water, and we won’t see you again till we meet you in Hell.”

-Randall Easter