Heaven Is For Real But the Book Isn't Biblical

An excellent critique of Todd Burpo's book, "Heaven Is For Real". 

Book Review: “Heaven is For Real”  by Pastor Mike Wing  of Grace Community Bible Church

True Peacemakers: Never Peace At Any Price And Often It Brings Strife First

John MacArthur on Peace Makers:

And He knows that true peace can only come when truth reigns and it's more than a truce. It's a real peace. And so when somebody comes along and says well, you know, you have such a narrow view and you need to be more ecumenical. You need to sort of just set aside what you don't agree with and just find the point of agreement and dive in. We just all need to get together and discuss what we agree on. Well, let me tell you something, Christ never pronounced blessing on apostates. And if there was ever anybody that He met who had a point of error, invariably He nailed that point of error. Because the only real peace comes when we respond to the truth. 

If I disagree with somebody about something in the word of God some great truth that's important in the word of God, I cannot evade it. I cannot avoid that and be called a peacemaker. For while I may call a truce, I haven't helped that individual to make peace with God and the end is going to be the same. So biblical peacemakers are not quiet, easygoing people who just want to make no waves and no issues who lack justice, who lack a sense of righteousness, who are compromisers, who are appeasers. No, people say oh he's such a peacemaker. And they mean by that he has no convictions. That isn't the issue. 

A true biblical peacemaker will not let sleeping dogs lie. He will not save the status quo if truth must be brought to bear on the issue. He doesn't say well, you know, I know the person's doing wrong, but oh I just would rather have a peaceful situation. Don't want to say anything about what my son is doing or what my husband is doing or what our friends are doing. Just want to keep peace, that's a cop out. True peace only comes after the truth. So the meaning of peace it is real peace. It is not just peace at any price. It is not keeping the status quo. It is not calling a halt to the shooting while we reload. It is not simply a truce. It is not reducing it to a cold war. It is resolving it by the truth. Bringing to bear the righteousness of God.

End quote.

Excerpts from the MacArthur Commentary on Matt. 5:

The popular philosophy of the world, bolstered by the teaching of many psychologists and counselors, is to put self first. But when self is first, peace is last. Self precipitates strife, division, hatred, resentment, and war. It is the great ally of sin and the great enemy of righteousness and, consequently, of peace.

The writer of Hebrews links peace with purity when he instructs believers to "pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). Peace cannot be divorced from holiness. "Righteousness and peace have kissed each other" is the beautiful expression of the psalmist (Ps. 85:10). Biblically speaking, then, where there is true peace there is righteousness, holiness, and purity. Trying to bring harmony by compromising righteousness forfeits both.

Jesus’ saying "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34) seems to be the antithesis of the seventh beatitude. His meaning, however, was that the peace He came to bring is not peace at any price. There will be opposition before there is harmony; there will be strife before there is peace. To be peacemakers on God’s terms requires being peacemakers on the terms of truth and righteousness-to which the world is in fierce opposition. When believers bring truth to bear on a world that loves falsehood, there will be strife. When believers set God’s standards of righteousness before a world that loves wickedness, there is an inevitable potential for conflict. Yet that is the only way.

Until unrighteousness is changed to righteousness there cannot be godly peace. And the process of resolution is difficult and costly. Truth will produce anger before it produces happiness; righteousness will produce antagonism before it produces harmony. The gospel brings bad feelings before it can bring good feelings. A person who does not first mourn over his own sin will never be satisfied with God’s righteousness.

To talk of peace without talking of repentance of sin is to talk foolishly and vainly. Peacemaking cannot come by circumventing sin, because sin is the source of every conflict.

The bad news of the gospel comes before the good news. Until a person confronts his sin, it makes no sense to offer him a Savior. Until a person faces his false notions, it makes no sense to offer him the truth. Until a person acknowledges his enmity with God, it makes no sense to offer him peace with God.

Believers cannot avoid facing truth, or avoid facing others with the truth, for the sake of harmony. If someone is in serious error about a part of God’s truth, he cannot have a right, peaceful relationship with others until the error is confronted and corrected. Jesus never evaded the issue of wrong doctrine or behavior. He treated the Samaritan woman from Sychar with great love and compassion, but He did not hesitate to confront her godless life. First He confronted her with her immoral living: "You have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband" (John 4:18). Then He corrected her false ideas about worship: "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father. You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews" (John 4:21–22).

The person who is not willing to disrupt and disturb in God’s name cannot be a peacemaker. To come to terms on anything less than God’s truth and righteousness is to settle for a truce-which confirms sinners in their sin and may leave them even further from the kingdom. Those who in the name of love or kindness or compassion try to witness by appeasement and compromise of God’s Word will find that their witness leads away from Him, not to Him. God’s peacemakers will not let a sleeping dog lie if it is opposed to God’s truth; they will not protect the status quo if it is ungodly and unrighteous. They are not willing to make peace at any price. God’s peace comes only in God’s way. Being a peacemaker is essentially the result of a holy life and the call to others to embrace the gospel of holiness.

End quote.

Come Down Hard On James MacDonald, but Hands Off John Piper for the Same Thing!

Interesting how discernment bloggers have not been really noticed much since this Elephant Room/TD Jakes thing has happened. Yet those who mocked them are quite in demand for folks to hear what they have to say.

The problem is, while these vocal men beat their chests against MacDonald embracing TD Jakes as a Christian (with only a very light treatment of Mark Driscoll who is equally culpable) yet they won't beat their chest against Piper. Piper's been at this for far longer, as has Mark Driscoll.

Perhaps these fiery blogging  wretched men types should just be patient and give MacDonald the respect he deserves, allowing for him to clarify himself, after all, the man's a pastor.

Right?

Oh, that was just for Piper. Over and over Piper (even as I type this) parades around his friend, heretic Doug Wilson (who denies Justification by Faith alone and denies the New Covenant is solely for believers by the blood of Christ), is speaking at the Desiring conference. Why, just a week or two ago, Piper tweeted how Allah and Adonai can be known and loved only through the crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ! Allah--the modern equivalent of Baal in the O.T. days. Allah, who is not triune and has no Son (among other things) and is absolutely without question DEMONIC. Yeah, Piper, the seasoned Tweeter, pastor, author, and speaker said THAT blasphemous statement. And what did the fire blogger say? He told folks to give him some grace (after all, 140 characters is hardly enough room to "exeget" Scripture! Piper wouldn't contradict all his orthodox preaching by merely one tweet!). Where's the same call for grace for MacDonald? There's no difference here: the modalist god and Allah t are both false gods with false gospels, neither can save and both are demons and spout doctrines of demons.

Let's not forget, either, that Piper has also paraded around and defended with stubborn defiance, Rick Warren, another infamous heretic.

So why come down so hard on MacDonald when they give a pass and a myriad of excuses to Piper?

And what about Mark the dirty, x-rated "pastor" Dricsoll?

Well, never mind. Its not like some of us have warned folks about Piper, Driscoll, and Jakes for years or anything. Its not like we didn't sound the warning bell of the Elephant Stampeded or the "Religious" Coalition. Its not like anyone has a REAL problem with Tim Keller who's on that board along with Piper and Driscoll--a man who along with Piper, denies the Genesis Creation account, who denies Justification by faith (yup Federal visionist too), who promotes New Agers.

Nope. It seems these big boy self-proclaimed discerners of the discerners have no discernment nor passion for the truth when it comes to some men rather than everyone who fails the test of Scripture as faithful teachers and Christians.


Welcome to the Post-Modern, man-centered, hypocritical, Christian Hedonistic Jungle. The elephants are only one problem!

Piper's Desiring Conference Includes A Heretic, a Heretic Defender, and an Emergent

Desiring (I don't know what kind of )God conference is going on this week. It will be the platform to fit Piper's latest book "Bloodlines". More propaganda. More book selling. More back-slapping. More good-ole-boy-club.

"Joining Piper at this year's conference, titled, "God, Manhood & Ministry – Building Men for the Body of Christ," will be Doug Wilson, Crawford Loritts, Darren Patrick, and Ramez Atallah." ~ Source

Doug Wilson is a heretic who teaches Federal Visionism. 

Darren Patrick is an Emergent. He was also a panelist at Lausanne Congress in March 2010.

Ramez Atallah is connected to Piper's and Warren's beloved ecumenical Lausanne Congress. Go here for his connection and story of how he got involved in the LC.

Crawford Loritts

Loritts of anti-anti-TD Jakes fame  will be speaking at the Desiring Conference. A racist leaning guy ( "middle aged white Reformed guys" ) and heretic defender, its fitting that he joins the Desiring conference because 1) Piper fellowships with heretics, outright rebelling against the command of 2 John 9-11 and Romans 16:17-18, and Gal. 1:8-9), and 2) fits his social justice book "Bloodlines".

Lorrits who came against Reformers (he says he's a reformer not Reformer, whatever that means), of which Piper and Driscoll claim to be, slaming Reformers for declaring Jakes to be a heretic. Lorrits, revealing his ignorance, doesn't realize Jakes never did repent of his muktiple heresies including his false gospel and defender of homosexual theology apparently. Using 1Cor. 13 to rally Christians around the wolf Jakes out of "love", what he fails to recognize is that 1Cor. 13:6 states that agape love rejoices in the TRUTH and hates wickedness. Agape love would be to hate the heresies Jakes teaches, to reject the man as a Christian, to share the gospel with him, and then to call him to repentance.

Slamming the critics of MacDonald and Jakes for "not coming to the event or considering giving Bishop a fair hearing", he didn't give a fair hearing to the critics either, it seems. Had he done so, and had he truly believed Gal. 1:8-9 and 2John 9-11, he would have supported the critics of Jakes and his cheerleaders, not judge them unrighteously. And by the way, we don't need to sit in elephant dung to know where Jakes is on the doctrine of God and the Gospel; we know by his own words and by knowing biblical truth and therefore HOW to discern error. Besides it was aired later. Had Jakes changed his views, he would have repented boldly, publicly, and repeated on all the media outlets he uses, admitting to finally be saved and rejecting all his heresies. That did NOT happen prior to the meeting. Besides, had he changed his views, what would be the point of being on the show? 

That's right. Lorrits is judging others for judging Jakes. His warnings are empty because he himself doesn't have enough discernment to know that Jakes has not repented of his damnable doctrine nor therefore, gotten saved.

Loving the world is conspiracy against the Lord. True love will tell a heretic the TRUTH and not coddle him in his damnable error as he skips his way to Hell.

James White dealt with his accusations here since apparently he was thrown into the generalization of "middle aged white Reformed guys").

Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

1Co 5:11 But now I am writing to you do not associate with anyone who bears the name of

brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or

swindler--not even to eat with such a one.

2Jo 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Why I Am Disappointed With Voddie Baucham

Voddie Bauchm wrote about his recent activities regarding The Elephant Room 2 and James MacDonald's Men's Conference speaking engagement. While I am glad he did not participate in either, and rightly  publicly rejects TD Jakes as a Christian, I do have some concerns.

Sadly, Baucham showed a few errors in his explanation of why he didn't go to The Elephant Room 2 and MacDonald's Men's Conference following the Elephant Room debacle. I do appreciate his willingness to admit it was an unwise decision to go to the Harvest conference, and I appreciate that he was public to some extent. However here are my concerns....

1) He wrong assumed that two Emergents, namely the dirty X-rated Mark Driscoll, would have ANY spiritual wisdom or discernment regarding Jakes and his modalism. "There was also a possibility that Jakes had truly repented, and these guys (specifically MacDonald, Driscoll, and Jack Graham) were privy to things the rest of us simply didn’t, or couldn’t know at the time."  Prior to the ER show, would've been the right time to reveal this---moreover Jakes himself would have proclaimed this IF he had repented and gotten saved.

 2) He calls the dogmatic defender of Jakes, James MacDonald "a brother in the Lord" with whom he merely disagrees. "I’m not angry with James MacDonald. He’s my brother, and I love him. We disagree. We both understand that. Ironically, that’s what The Elephant Room is supposedly all about. Brothers should be able to disagree with one another and still be brothers. "

It appears that perhaps Baucham was still willing to speak at MacDonald's church because he sees MacDonald as a "brother in the Lord", and frankly he shouldn't. It seems it was MacDonald who had the bigger problem which was Baucham which was publicly judging Jakes (as he should), but Baucham didn't have a problem with the embracing of a heretic by MacDonald.

2Jo 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Joh 3:19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

1Co 5:11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one.

2Co 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

2Co 6:15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

2Co 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

2Co 6:17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.

2Co 6:18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. 

3) He was deliberately silent over the ER 2, which IS the problem with public pastors/teachers, especially when they are connected to the ER's "Gospel Coalition". Silence is NOT an option, I don't care who 'else' has spoken out. Being a contributor of The "Gospel" Coalition, he had a responsibility to speak out on the ER issue. As a member of that religious coalition he had a duty to publicly rebuke the organization he is part of. Moreover, will he continue in that unholy alliance?

"First, I decided not to get involved in the public furor over ER2. I had spoken my piece to James, and saw no advantage in getting involved any further. There were others who were making many of the same points, and I did not want to pile on (James White, Phil Johnson, Thabiti Anyabwile, Anthony Carter, and others were pressing the issue, and bringing the pertinent points to light). I do not regret this decision. "

But when he did go public: "This did not go over well with James MacDonald. Upon my arrival at the church the next day, he and I sat down (along with my assistant and several members of his staff) and had a candid conversation about my decision to answer questions in a public forum. Ultimately, we agreed that it was not a good idea for me to speak at the conference. MacDonald had already made arrangements for a replacement speaker. My assistant and I were escorted to a waiting car and taken back to the airport."

So again, I'm left disappointed, but not surprised.

Why men have to make that tiresome qualification of calling someone in damnable error  (by promoting a known false teacher) a "brother in the Lord" and thus make it an issue of "agree to disagree"  is beyond me. James MacDonald has proven himself over the last few months at least, to be an enemy of the Lord and HIS people (note, not only has he raked his critics over the coals, he jettisoned two of them, from attending the ER, and had already made plans for Baucham to be replaced by another man for the Men's conference, because Baucham was public with the issue).

In The Downgrade Contraversy, written primarily by Spurgeon :

We are grateful to the editor of Word and Work for speaking out so plainly. He says:—
"In The Sword and the Trowel for the present month Mr. Spurgeon gives no uncertain sound concerning departures from the faith. His exposure of the dishonesty which, under the cover of orthodoxy, assails the very foundations of faith is opportune in the interests of truth. No doubt, like a faithful prophet in like evil times, he will be called a 'troubler of Israel,' and already we have noticed he has been spoken of as a pessimist; but any such attempts to lessen the weight of his testimony are only certain to make it more effective. When a strong sense of duty prompts public speech it will be no easy task to silence it.
"The preachers of false doctrine dislike nothing more than the premature detection of their doings. Only give them time enough to prepare men's minds for the reception of their 'new views,' and they are confident of success. They have had too much time already, and any who refuse to speak out now must be held to be 'partakers of their evil deeds.' As Mr. Spurgeon says, 'A little plain-speaking would do a world of good just now. These gentlemen desire to be let alone. They want no noise raised. Of course thieves hate watch-dogs, and love darkness. It is time that somebody should spring his rattle, and call attention to the way in which God is being robbed of his glory and man of his hope.'


End quote.


God will not be mocked. He will indeed bring out what was done in secret by men who call themselves Christian teachers yet wed themselves to wolves. Secondary separation becomes, indeed, primary separation because such men who fellowship ("greet" ---"rejoice" as it says in 2John 11) show that they are wicked men without love for the Truth, God, and the souls of others.  For a simliar view go to Daniel's Place.


2Jo 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
1Jn 2:15  "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. " Wolves like Piper, Driscoll, and MacDonald love the world; they have NO love for the things of God, that which is pure, but rather they love that which is impure, unholy, and approve of those who also do likewise (namely each other).

Sissified Jesus vs the HOLY HOLY HOLY Jesus of Scripture

Be what you profess!
You profess to be a Christian: be a Christian.

You say that you are a follower of Christ: follow him, then.

You know it is right to be a man of integrity and uprightness:
be so.

Count all things but dross that you may be a true man,
a godly man, a holy man, a Christly man.
-Spurgeon, "The Sons of God"

AGAINST THE FLOW! -Spurgeon, "The Beloved Pastor's Plea for Unity" You see that the men of this world are coming this way in a great crowd, all in a hurry, rushing after their gods. And we believers, what are we doing? Threading our way, as best we can, pushing our way 'against' the stream, going in an exactly opposite direction to the rest of mankind. Some of you cannot do this- you keep getting carried off your legs, and you are swept along by the torrent. But the man of God must go against the current. He is not to be swept back- but he is always pressing forward, ever seeking to make an advance, contending for every inch, and making up his mind that, come what may, he cannot go back. That is not his way- he must go forward, ever pressing on toward the city that has foundations. Christians are like a live fish that goes up the stream, always 'up' the stream. If the fish comes 'down' the stream, and you see it floating with its white belly on the top of the water, you know that it is dead. But the live Christian is going straight up the stream- straight up, up, up. Whichever way the tide may be running, whether it is at the ebb or at the flood, he is going straight up the stream, against the flow. And, God helping him, he will proceed in that way right to the end.

Philippians 3:7 (Philpot, "The Loss of All Things for Christ's Sake") "But whatever was to my profit I now consider  loss for the sake of Christ." Philippians 3:7 This includes the loss . . .   of all your fancied holiness,   of all your vaunted strength,   of all your natural or acquired wisdom,   of all your boasted knowledge; in a word, of everything in creature religion of which the heart is proud, and in which it takes delight. All, all must be counted loss for Christ's sake—all, all must be sacrificed to His bleeding, dying love. Our dearest joys, our fondest hopes, our most cherished idols, must all sink and give way to the grace, blood, and love of an incarnate God.

THE POWER OF CHARACTER -Spurgeon, "Words to Rest On" Men will put great trust in the words of one whose life agrees with his teaching. If they can detect something inconsistent in his character, the man's power is ended. But if a man is evidently carried away with the one idea of being and doing good, and consumed with the purpose of glorifying God, then his utterances have power. It is not what he says, but the man who says it, that makes the impression. It is the life behind the words, the holy confidence in God every day exhibited, the calm restful walk with God which everybody can see in his very face, which, to a thoughtful man, makes his feeblest accent more powerful than the most furious declamation of a mere rhetorician.

The "Gospel" Coalition's Silence On Embracing Modalism Is Deafening

I find the silence from the rest of the big boys of The Religious Coalition to be deafening and quite frankly, sickening. It seems many of these men are cowards. I applaud Baucham for standing up for the Truth and dividing away from the heretics.

James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll should be rebuked publicly and frankly quite harshly since these men fancy themselves to be mature Christians via their position as pastors. Tim Keller is another false teacher there, so this isn't limited to just the kindred spirits with heretic TD Jakes.

This is an example of why these coalitions are just silly. They answer to no one and they embrace everyone except those who rebuke them.

Btw, the Religious Coalition threatened arresting a few folks if they did not leave even though they had paid for their registration. One GC employee threatened another person to be silent.

God won't be silent. He will not allow HIS name to be maligned. What was done in secret will be brought to the light BY HIM. Those who are loyal to Christ, those who have the love of the Truth, will NOT find any common ground with such enemies of the Cross, but rather expose the deeds of darkness, hating even the garments worn by such treasonous men.

Voddie Baucham Drops Out As Speaker At the Harvest Men's Conference

"Voddie Baucham Ministries

Urgent Update: In light of our differences regarding ER2, James McDonald and I have agreed that it is best for me not to participate in the event this weekend. My apologies to those of you who made the trip expecting that I would be there."

Well done! Be loyal to Christ alone and be a good example to others by dropping out b/c MacDonald is a heretic as much as TD Jakes whom he has warmly accepted as a Christian when he is not.  MacDonald has violated 2John 9-11:

2Jn 1:9  Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11  for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. 

2Co 11:4  For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. 

Side by Side comparison....MacDonald and Driscoll then....MacDonald and Driscoll now.

How To Deal With False Teachers: utterly reject them, not give them a platform

2Jn 1:8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

Notes on this passage:

8 do not lose those things we worked for. Although a reward is generally promised Christians for hospitality (e.g., Matt. 10:41; 25:40; Mark 9:41), the idea here is of the fullness of a believer’s reward for all the good he has done (see 1 Cor. 3:10–17; 2 Cor. 5:9,10). A loss of that reward may occur to any believer who does not discriminate fellowship on the basis of adherence to the truth (Col. 2:18,19; 3:24,25). This is a potent warning. All the eternal (re)ward one earns by seeing Christ purely, eagerly, and effectively in the Spirit can be diminished by any aiding or abetting of false teaching.

9 does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. A failure to be faithful to the fundamental, sound doctrines of the faith (a proper view of the person and work of Christ, love, obedience) marks a person as having never been born again (1 John 2:23; 3:6–10; 4:20,21; 5:1–3). The word "abide" has the idea of constant adherence and warns that these fundamentals are not open to change or subject to the latest trends or philosophical fads.

10 do not receive him into your house nor greet him. John’s prohibition is not a case of entertaining people who disagree on minor matters. These false teachers were carrying on a regular campaign to destroy the basic, fundamental truths of Christianity. Complete disassociation from such heretics is the only appropriate course of action for genuine believers. No benefit or aid of any type (not even a greeting) is permissible. Believers should aid only those who proclaim the truth (vv. 5–8).

11 shares in his evil deeds. Hospitality to such leaders aids the spread of their heresy and inevitably leaves the impression of sanctioning the teachings of these antichrists (cf. 1 John 2:22). Supreme loyalty to God and His Word alone must characterize the actions of every true believer.

~MacArthur's study bible

Truth: The Test of Christian Hospitality by John MacArthur

Excerpts: [emphasis, mine]

This is written to a lady and her children about how to live in the truth and love in the truth and be loyal to the truth. And what really prompted this letter was the issue of Christian hospitality. As I've been telling you in those times there were preachers who traveled around to the churches to preach the gospel and to bring the truth of God to the people of God. And the only way they could do that would be to be received into the homes. Inns were unacceptable, dangerous places, immoral places. And so people opened their homes. In fact, the Bible lays down hospitality as a very important part of Christian life.

One of the dangers, of course, was that false teachers knew about this. And they wanted to get in too, just like they want to get into Christian radio, Christian television, Christian publications, etc. I asked one of the great publishers in America why he published a heretical book and he looked at me like, "What do you mean? We publish everything." Didn't even understand the question. These people want to get in everywhere. They don't want to operate outside the Kingdom, they want to operate as much inside as they can. So they push their Trojan Horse through the city gates and then let loose the damaging army of error. And what happened was, in the early church, false teachers pretending to represent Christ would travel around, it was a great gig to make a living, you went in, you stayed with somebody, ate their food, they took an offering for you, and you went to the next place, and you just kept getting more money and more money as you went along. And at the time, of course, you were representing Satan and undermining the truth and damaging the lives of people.

Apparently this lady wanting to be hospitable had done this. She had allowed herself to be put in a very compromising situation, a very dangerous situation for both her and the church, to give a place where the false teacher could be embedded in the very fellowship of saints. And so John writes this letter to warn her and her children and everybody else and maybe he had heard about this from her sister who is mentioned in verse 13, because as he was writing, most likely, from Ephesus, he says to her, "The children of your chosen sister greet you," so she had a sister and maybe it was the sister that had told him about this problem. Here was probably a compassionate, tender-hearted, gracious lady and her children that wanted to allow these people who said they were Christ's into the home. And so the letter is written as a warning. The church was loving, the church was hospitable. The church was gracious. And so they were vulnerable.

So John writes to establish the limits of our loving. We live in the truth. We love within the confines of the truth. And we are loyal to the truth. Now we come to verse 9, and let me add another little "L" in our list, living in the truth, loving in the truth, being loyal to the truth, we have to be looking for the truth...we have to be looking for the truth. The perspective here in verse 9 through 11 is a perspective of protection...protection. John laid out the reality of the truth of redemption back in 1 John when repeatedly in 1 John he talks about one of the marks of a true believer being an understanding of the Son of God and the Father. First John 2:22, "Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ, this is the antichrist. Whoever denies the Son doesn't have the Father, the one who confesses the Son has the Father also."

And so, verse 9 says, "Anyone who goes beyond what is written and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God." Now the teaching of Christ...immediately you're asking yourself...what does that mean? Is that a subjective genitive or an objective genitive? That is, is Christ the subject or the object? Is it His teaching or is it teaching about Him?

Answer: yes...yes. It is the teaching about Him which, of course, is consistent with His teaching. You could never separate the two, could you? And that's why you don't need to argue over whether the Greek subjective or objective genitive is in view here, there's nothing to choose between. Both are the same. The truth about Christ is taught by Christ. The point is, the biblical revelation about Jesus Christ...if someone goes beyond that or does not remain true to that, they do not have God. Listen, you can't be saved without the gospel. You can't even be saved with a warped gospel. You can't be saved without believing in Jesus Christ. You can't even be saved without believing in the one true Christ.

You know, you really have to look for this today. I mean, you have to have your theological magnifying glass with the little nuances people want to use to somehow escape a real assessment. The one who is faithful to a biblical Christology, the one who menoremains in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. You don't get the Father without the Son. You don't get the Son disconnected from the Father. There's no possibility of knowing God apart from knowing Christ. This is the strongest statement on gospel exclusivity anywhere. It's a packaged deal. Yo don't know the Father except by the Son. "No man comes unto the Father but by Me."

So that is the principle of looking for the truth. And when you meet someone who has perverted it, deviated from it, added to it, gone beyond it, act wisely...act wisely. And how would you act wisely? Verse 10, "Ifanyonecomes to you," and they did, this is A with the indicative, a likely condition. It probably happened to this lady, as I've said, as to many through the centuries and many even today, and even us as they've kind of come into our house through the television and radio and whatever, and sometimes even knocking on the door. "If anyone comes to you and does not bear this teaching....what teaching?...the teaching of Christ, that is about Him by Him, do not receive him into your house." This is not someone coming to learn from you or you'd never be able to witness to an unbeliever. This is someone coming to teach you lies. Understand the difference? We answer the questions of the ignorant. We answer the questions of those who want to know. We don't affirm or give a platform to the deceivers. The fastest way to put them out of business is to make sure that you never receive them. If anyone comes to you, I'm not talking about someone ignorant who wants to understand the truth. We're talking about an apostate lying deceiver looking for a foothold embedded in the fellowship of believers to make money off the unsuspecting while he plies his evil lies. Don't receive him into your house.

He could have said, "Don't receive him in your church." That's true, but then churches were not the first place they would go. Why? Because churches were protected by what group of men? Elders. And what...what was necessary to be an elder? First Timothy 3, they had to be...end of verse 2...didaktikos, skilled teachers. So you wouldn't expect a false teacher just to invade a church. He's not going to get in here. We have elders who are skilled teachers. Titus 1:9, "Elders are able to hold fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the doctrine and are able both to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict." And they can handle the rebellious men, the empty talkers, and deceivers. That's what elders and pastors do. So they don't come to the church. That's where they ultimately end up, that's where they'd like to end up. They don't come there first, they go to the home. They want to get you on your front porch. They want to get you through the television or the radio. They want to find their way to those who are vulnerable. In 2 Timothy 3 and verse 5 it says, "These false teachers have a form of godliness without power." And verse 6 says, "They enter into households and they captivate weak women." Hmmm, that's what they do. They look for the weak and the sympathetic and tender hearted and compassionate and embed themselves there and start their divesting of those people's resources and the confusion of their minds. Don't let them in your house. "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly." And this doesn't apply to new Christians, or those who seek a full knowledge of Christ. These people are not learners, they are...what?...teachers, the emissaries of deception.

But that's not all it says. They are so dangerous, not only do you not let them in, look at the end of verse 10, "Do not give him a greeting...do not give him a greeting." Saintly Polycarp met a heretic and greeted him with this, "I recognize Satan's firstborn." Greeting...greeting is chairo, it means to give a greeting, literally means to rejoice. That was the Christian greeting, standard Christian greeting to rejoice. That is to say to someone, "Rejoice." In other words, this is a happy occasion to see you, it produces joy. Your presence is a source of joy. Welcome to the fellowship...is an affirmation of solidarity. You don't ever want to say that to a false teacher and a deceiver and a liar and an emissary of Satan, somebody who has gone beyond what the Bible teaches about Christ. Don't ever say that to a false teacher.

You say, "Well, that's narrow." You bet. You say, "That's harsh." You've got it right. You say, "That's unloving." Absolutely. But nothing is as dangerous as deception because nothing is as precious as truth, right? He's speaking of dangerous wolves, Acts 20. He's speaking of thieves in the language of Jesus in John 10 who come to kill and destroy the flock. Any hospitality, any commendation, any acceptance of them would be dangerous exposure to antichrist influences. You can't overstate this. It would be impossible to overstate this. If you ever put yourself in a position in which you give yourself over to lying teachers, you're in defiance of this text. You may think they're academic and you may think they're something very elite about being a part of some academic environment, the appropriate thing would be to borrow from Polycarp and tell your Christ-denying religious professor, "I recognize Satan's firstborn when I see him. Shut the door in their face, John says. John was a real shepherd. He was protecting his flock. The quickest way to contribute to their failure is to shut the door and give them no affirming greeting at all. Their mouths, Titus 1 says, must be stopped. And the church today is not willing to do this...not willing to do this.

How serious is this? You say, "Well, I should do it for the love of the truth." Right. "I should do it for the honor of God." Right. But John goes beyond that, look at verse 11. "For the one...not the one who lets him in the house...the one who gives him a...what?...a greeting participates in his evil deeds." Wow, koionos with him, fellowships, shares, partakes literally in the evil works of him. That's amazing. If you even show hospitality, beyond that, if you even give him an affirming greeting, that's a tight narrow responsibility. Don't do anything to acknowledge them as Christians.

End quote. 

Refute and Silence Heretics, Don't Approve And Parade Them Around Like Brothers In Christ

There is nothing unclear about Scripture's command to refute  and silence heretics. Why are the Elephants stampeding on this command as well, and in direct rebellion against Scripture, they give approval and platform to a heretic like TD Jakes.

Tit 1:9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. 10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.


2Jn 1:10  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11  for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

2Co 11:4  For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. 

Gal 1:6  I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7  which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9  As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! 10  For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. 

Truth Is Knowable, Ignorance Is Not A Virtue

Truth is not only knowable, its essential, for without it, one is lost forever, yet held accountable before God. What mercy that the God of Truth revealed Himself and Truth to us through Scripture and the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ignorance is not a virtue.

Isa 45:19  I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right. 

Joh 8:31  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

1Jo 2:21  I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT, and because no lie is of the truth. 

2Th 2:10  and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

Sins of ignorance need atonement just as truly as do conscious sins. God is holy, and he will not

lower his standard of righteousness to the level of our ignorance. Ignorance is not innocence. As a

matter of fact, ignorance is more culpable now than it was in the days of Moses. We have no excuse

for our ignorance. God has clearly and fully revealed his will. The Bible is in our hands, and we

cannot plead ignorance of its contents except to condemn our laziness. God has spoken and by his

word we shall be judged. ~ AW Pink “The Seven Sayings of the Savior on the Cross”

Elephants In The Room: Stomping on the Essential Truth of the Nature of God

What's going on with the Elephants at The "Gospel" Coalition's Elephant Room with Driscoll and MacDonald so easily convinced by known Modalist and WOF  heretic T.D. Jakes, is the SAME THING that happened with Piper and Warren. Piper was also easily swayed by heretic Warren on what he "believes" even though there is a multitude of evidence that Warren is a heretic.

It matters what question you ask to get to the TRUTH of what they really believe.

There are no more core issues. There are ony optional views. Truth in everything. POMO. Truth isn't knowable. Scholars are not dogmatic on Truth, rather they accept the above statements.

The main problem is that many religious leaders today say one thing and teach another. If you ask Gregory Boyd or the other “Open View of God” heretics if they believe in the “omniscience” of God, they will say, “Yes.” Dumb Christians are satisfied at this point and go their merry way deceived and hoodwinked. But if you force them to define the term “omniscience,” they end up denying that God knows all things! They claim that God does not and cannot know the future.

Just because someone says, “I believe in sola scriptura,” does not mean he really believes in it. If he elsewhere says that the Bible is not the final authority in faith and practice, he has denied in substance what he supposedly affirmed as a slogan. Heretics have always done this. What they affirm with the right hand is what they deny with the left hand. It does not matter what doctrine is at stake.

In the early 1980s, those who denied the inerrancy of Scripture did not begin by openly denying it. They redefined it until the term “inerrancy” meant errors!

Those who deny the bodily resurrection of Christ often pretend to believe in it by tricky words and double talk.

Believe me; I have heard some slick theologians in my day!

Apostasy in Scripture is of two kinds: doctrinal and moral.

A heretic can be a good person who is very moral. Yet, he can also be an anti-Christ. The monk Pelagius was according to all a good man, morally speaking. Thus when I point out some teacher as a heretic, evanjellyfish usually respond, “But he is sooo nice! He is a good man. How dare you attack him!”

They assume that heretics are always mean and vile. A nice heretic who says that right phrases and theological clichés cannot be a heretic in their mind.The problem with heretics who are “nice” is that we tend to let them get away with the most outrageous teaching because they seem to be so nice.

~ Robert Morey

End quote.

More on the transcript here.

Mark DeMoss Defends Mormonism And Rebukes Christians

Report:

Mark DeMoss has a message for his fellow evangelicals: You can’t attack and demean Mormons or President Barack Obama and still consider yourself a follower of Jesus Christ.

It is impossible to abide by Paul’s admonition to regard others as more important than yourself, DeMoss said Tuesday during a Brigham Young University devotional, "and also stand outside [LDS] General Conference hurling insults as [Mormons] walk by to worship with [their] fellow Latter-day Saints."

He urged LDS students gathered in the Marriott Center to think deeply about their goals and motives, making sure their words and deeds reflect their dependence on God and Jesus Christ.

DeMoss, who runs a faith-based public-relations firm in Atlanta, has been an unpaid adviser to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign for the past five years. He has grown to admire the candidate and his family, and, he said in a phone interview, believes that any question about whether Mormons are Christians is "irrelevant to me in the context of choosing a president."

"If you set theology aside," DeMoss said in the interview, "there is no question that Mitt Romney’s values mirror the values of most evangelicals."

End quote.

First of all its no insult to tell Mormons they are earning their way to Hell and are on the Broad road to destruction, as Jesus Christ said.

Secondly, the Jesus of LDS is a different Jesus. They reject the Triune God of Scripture and have a "gospel" of works, believing that Mormon men can attain to godhood and their wives will be eternally pregnant to populate their own planet. "As God once was, we are. As God is, we will be" is the motto of the LDS theology.

DeMoss was encouraging these kids to follow after their demonic god. He didn't call them to repent of their sin and idolatry and turn to the Triune God of Scripture. 

DeMoss is compromising the Truth (IF he even had it) for the sake of a financial and powerful relationship.

Mormonism and Islam ARE doctrines of demons.

2Jn 1:9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one  who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.

2Co 11:3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

2Cor. 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. 

DeMoss is just one of a growing number of "Evangelical Christians" who are including the cult of Mormonism as "Christian" and tells the REAL Christians to back off. HE is an enemy of Christ Jesus. He is no Christian or Evangelical.