Bold Hearted Men

Bold-hearted men are always called mean-spirited by cowards.
- Spurgeon

Unity In Error Is Unity In Ruin

I have already told you that unity in error is unity in ruin; we need unity in the truth of God through the Spirit of God. This let us seek after! Let us live near to Christ, for this is the best way of promoting unity. Divisions in churches never begin with those full of love to the Savior. Cold hearts, unholy lives,inconsistent actions, neglected closets—these are the seeds which sow schisms in the body!

But he who lives near to Jesus—wears His likeness and copies His example—will be, wherever he goes, a sacred bond, a holy link to bind the Church together more closely than ever.

~Spurgeon

Greg Laurie, Harvest Crusade, and Lou Engle Join To Usher In A New Azusa Revival Experience; remove denominational differences and embrace RCC

Pirate Christian website is reporting that Lou Engle and Greg Laurie (Harvest Crusades) have joined together to unite all denominations along with the Roman Catholic Church (which they consider to be another denomination of Christianity) in experiencing signs and wonders aka the "third awakening". This is an attempt to recreated the Azusa Revival of 1906 (the beginning of modern Charismaticism). They are calling this rally "Azusa Now" and it's set for Spring of 2016. Engle is part of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), straight out of the Kansas City Prophets, Latter Rain Movement, and the IHOP movements. These men want to invite pastors to come together in preparation for this rally, and additionally there are pre-rallies leading up to the "main event" at the LA Colosseum in the Spring.

As evidenced in this email which Amy Spreeman, the author of the article about this over at Pirate Christian, Harvest Crusades is at best committing spiritual harlotry.

Also this from 2007:

This is no different than the Billy Graham Crusades that did the same thing with Rome:

Self Identification

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Isa 5:20  Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!

Rick Warren's Recipe For Happiness

The best way to avoid letting the sorrows of daily life get you down is to avoid being consumed by pop culture, Warren writes, adding that focusing on the eternal will help Christians shake America's obsession with consumerism and fads.

"You can't earn God's approval. You can't earn his love. You can't earn his recognition. God is love, and he loves you unconditionally. If you want to be a happy person, you need to relax in God's grace every day," Warren writes.

Warren goes on to suggest that a dangerous way to lose happiness is by constantly trying to prove that you are worthy of God's love. Such an attitude can result in judgment and feelings of guilt, subsequently removing the happiness from the special relationship a Christian shares with God.

~Rick Warren in "Christian" Post article

The pastor of all things trivial, says don't sweat the small stuff (like one's weight) and certainly don't worry about getting God's approval. Nevermind that he did a whole huge marketing scheme of his unbiblical Daniel's Plan weight program and that his Purpose Driven Life along with his Socialism is nothing but earthly matters designed to distract unsuspecting professing Christians. This is the same man who also denies God's sovereignty over all creation.

Also, we are to guard ourselves carefully, constantly measure ourselves against Scripture to see if we're thinking,much less acting according to Scripture. We are told to aim to please God, not "relax" (code for: Christian anarchy).

1Th 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

1Ti 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

1Co_11:28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 

2Co_13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? 

Gal_6:4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 

1Th_5:21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;

Moreover, happiness is based on circumstances. Joy is based in the Triune God and Scripture as we walk in the light, keeping in step with the Spirit. It is a fruit of the Spirit, not a product of our feelings.

Brian McLaren Rewrites Hymns Because They Don't Fit His Liberal Agenda

"So much about the original hymn is disturbing to me," the "emergent" church leader tells Baptist News Global, citing the example of the 19th century English hymn. "For example, it speaks ambiguously of 'the foe' — which could (in the minds of some) refer to our neighbors outside the Church. It would be very different if it identified "the foe" as, for example, corporate greed, racism, domestic violence, apathy or pride. But the ambiguity leaves room for trouble, I think. The hymn models Christian mission on warfare 'against flesh and blood' — the very opposite of what Jesus and Paul taught …."

McLaren, who is part of a group of songwriters, "Convergence Music Project," has rewritten "Onward, Christian Soldiers," as it reflects a pro-war theology, according to him.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-brian-mclaren-rewrites-pro-war-church-hymns-as-republicans-talk-carpet-bombing-in-debates-158216/#lHAtLdfyvkGDyuGS.99

As the "Christian" Post reported:

"So much about the original hymn is disturbing to me," the "emergent" church leader tells Baptist News Global, citing the example of the 19th century English hymn. "For example, it speaks ambiguously of 'the foe' — which could (in the minds of some) refer to our neighbors outside the Church. It would be very different if it identified "the foe" as, for example, corporate greed, racism, domestic violence, apathy or pride. But the ambiguity leaves room for trouble, I think. The hymn models Christian mission on warfare 'against flesh and blood' — the very opposite of what Jesus and Paul taught …."

McLaren, who is part of a group of songwriters, "Convergence Music Project," has rewritten "Onward, Christian Soldiers," as it reflects a pro-war theology, according to him.

~End quote.

The arrogant and prideful false teacher is clueless about the real foe to Christians. Thou art the man, McLaren. You. You're a devil who attacks biblical Christianity constantly. You mention pride as a foe and you are a glaring example.  Your battles are only of the flesh. The only racists are liberals like yourself who think in terms of skin color and dare to presume Christians are racist (which is slanderous). His Marxism is nothing but worldliness.

McLaren ignores all the passages about "fighting the good fight of the faith", the "armor of God", and being soldiers in this spiritual battle. Instead McLaren's eyes are ONLY for that of the flesh because he is unregenerate.

Examples of "warfare" language in the New Testament:

Php_2:25  But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; 

2Ti_2:3  Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 

2Ti_2:4  No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. 

Phm_1:2  and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: 

1Ti_1:18  This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 

1Ti_6:12  Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

2Ti_4:7  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 

2Co_10:4  for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 

Jud 1:3  Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Additionally, CP reported in the same article:

Referring to "I'll Fly Away," he continues, "I love the traditional tune, and of course there's nothing wrong with singing about looking forward to going to be with Jesus beyond this life." However, he adds, many songs say this world is not my home "right when this world, our home, is in great peril from human abuse." This, he says, led him to write a song called "I'll Get Involved" to the old tune, which urges people "not to evacuate but to engage and transform."

~article

Again, a liar if there ever was one, but so fitting for most of today's "Christians" who love humanism's Socialism.

1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

Col 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Col 3:2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Col 3:3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Eph 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household,

Eph 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

Spurgeon Speaks: truth wrapped up succinctly

He who does not hate the false does not love the true. 
- “Under Constraint,” a sermon preached April 28, 1878.

Not that our salvation should be the effect of our work, but our work should be the evidence of our salvation.

When we deal seriously with our sins, God will deal gently with us.

Steve Chalke: heretic claims biblical Christians are farther from the Gospel of Jesus than many Muslim beliefs

Heretic Steve Chalke has made the headlines again by saying, 

“There are Christians who worship a militant, violent God,” said Steve Chalke, pastor and founder of the UK-based Oasis charity. “There are Christians who worship a God who doesn’t want women in leadership. There are Christians who worship a God who says if you are gay you will burn in hell. There are Christians who worship a God who does not believe in global warming.”

Chalke said that these aberrant forms of Christianity are further from the gospel of Jesus than many Muslim beliefs.

“I know some emphases in Islamic teaching come closer to the teaching of Christ and the Bible than some teaching in Western churches,” he said.

~ Breitbart

Elsewhere he has stated that the atonement is "cosmic child abuse" of Jesus and denies man's inherent sin nature from the fall of Adam. He also denies the inerrancy of Scripture.

I figured he then must also deny the Beginning, Genesis 1 and God's record of a literal 6 day Creation week. And sure enough, he does.

As reported by Ekklesia, "My personal belief is that... those who wish to read into Genesis chapter one that God made the world in six days... are not being honest and scholarly. It won't be taught in the school because I think it's rubbish. It's a bizarre thing to claim the Bible suggests that. Genesis is saying that behind creation is a good God."

When people embrace sodomy as normal or bred through DNA, when they embrace other religions as having some truth, when they deny there is a clear and exclusive distinction between biblical Christianity and all other religions including the Roman Catholic Church, you can be sure the real issue starts from the Beginning.

Gen 1:3  Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4  God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5  God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. 

Heb 1:2  in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3  And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2  For by it the men of old gained approval. 3  By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 

Ultimately and primarily, denial of biblical doctrine such as mentioned above comes down to unbelief and echoing Satan's own words of rebellion in his attempt to attack God's Word and nature:

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" 

Biblical Doctrine

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True Fellowship

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Semi-Political Dominion vs Individual Evangelism and Discipleship

We hear grand theories of a theocracy of a kind unknown to Holy Scripture—a semi-political dominion of the Lord over masses wherein the individuals are unregenerate. We listen to great swelling words about the uplifting of nations and the advancement of the race. But these lofty ideas do not produce facts, nor have they any moral power. Our “cultured” teachers are weary of the humdrum work of bringing individual souls into light. They want to do it wholesale, by a far more rapid process than that of personal salvation. They are tired of the units—their great minds dwell upon “the solidarity of the race.” I am bold to assert that if ever we despise the method of individual conversion we shall get into an unsound order of business altogether and find ourselves wrecked upon the rocks of hypocrisy.

~Spurgeon, "One Lost Sheep", April 28, 1889

Individual Christianity, Not Christian Socialism

I fear lest in any of you there should be even the least measure of despising the one lost sheep because of the large and philosophical methods which are now so loudly advocated. I would not have you exchange the gold of individual Christianity for the base metal of Christian Socialism. If the wanderers are to be brought in, in vast numbers, as I pray they may be, yet must it be accomplished by the bringing of them in one by one. To attempt national regeneration without personal regeneration is to dream of erecting a house without separate bricks. In the vain attempt to work in the gross, we may miss the practical result which would have followed working in detail. Let us settle it in our minds that we cannot do better than obey the example of our Lord Jesus given us in the text and go after the one sheep which has gone astray.

~Spurgeon, "One Lost Sheep", April 28, 1889

FDA

Grudem, Mohler, and Tada Support Roman Catholic Pro-Abortion Marc Rubio

Marc Rubio the Roman Catholic is pro-abortion via the abortion pill. So it begs the question, why would Evangelical leaders like Mohler, Grudem, and Joni Tada endorse him?

As World Magazine reported:

In a statement from the Rubio campaign, the longtime disabilities advocate, Christian author, and founder of the global ministry Joni and Friends, said, “American society, as with any nation, is judged on how it treats its weakest members, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and the unborn. … On all issues relating to sanctity of life, Sen. Rubio is solidly committed to a compassionate social conservatism which lifts up the needy.”

I went to On The Issues that keeps tabs on how each candidate has voted or what they've said on record in regard to several issues. On abortion, Rubio is pro-abortion:

 I'll support any legislation that reduces the number of abortions.

Source: Meet the Press 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls , Aug 9, 2015
Rubio would ban abortion after 20 weeks. Rubio co-sponsored a 2013 Senate bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks since fertilization, making exceptions for the life of the mother, rape or incest.
Source: PBS News Hour "2016 Candidate Stands" series , Apr 13, 2015
End quote.

As Pulpit and Pen reported Mohler's own words previously:

Concerning the availability of the Morning After Pill, Mohler said on April 24, 2009 that making it available over the counter is a “central obsession of the left, and it has infected many who would otherwise call themselves conservative.” It seems that Mohler is now lending his credibility to a presidential candidate who has caved to that central obsession of the left, and who has been infected by someone who would otherwise call himself conservative (source link).

(bold, original)

"On all issues relating to sanctity of life, Senator Rubio is solidly committed to a compassionate social conservatism which lifts up the needy," added Tada, who has been a quadriplegic for close to 50 years. "I strongly urge you to join me in supporting his campaign for U.S. president."
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/joni-eareckson-tada-endorses-marco-rubio-president-156949/#gFYHD5FdyofckJKF.99

Oh the irony that their man is pro-abortion....

The "Gospel" Coalition's Thabiti Anyabwile Advocates Socialist and Anti-Christ Bernie Sanders

As Pulpit and Pen report, Thabiti Anyabwile (aka Ron Burns) is now advocating socialist Bernie Sanders for president:



Anyabwile is a social justice, anti-police preacher now, and the influence of Luis Farrakhan from his college days is clearly coming through, although he tries to infuse some things from Christianity to make it palatable.  Some of Anyabwile's history is given in the report as well. I've reported on him here.

The bottom line is why would a Christian (also a pastor and a leader in the TGC), promote a Democrat leader when the DNC has removed God from their platform, is pro-abortion, and pro-homosexuality? Moreover Sanders is a socialist and socialism is against Scripture's call for believers to be working for their own food with their own hands and provide for their families (aka personal responsibility).  Also, the fact that Thabiti's call for rebellion for a supposed disenfranchised group is wrong--even the premise is wrong. Racism against Blacks isn't "the" issue now; fatherless families and a willing to work for one's own keep is. Moreover, with Obama and the invention of Black Lives Matters, not only has anti-law enforcement grown, but so has hatred and prejudice against white people by these liberal black people. This is NOT biblical in any way. It's self-serving, it's false, and it's a distraction from the real issue which is salvation and Christ Jesus and His glory. White guilt and socialism is a disgrace and should be rejected.

Repentance and Forgiveness

In Acts 5:31 we read that Jesus is “exalted to give repentance and forgiveness of sins.” These two blessings come from that sacred hand which once was nailed to the tree, but is now raised to glory. Repentance and forgiveness are riveted together by the eternal purpose of God. What God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

Repentance must go with remission, and you will see that it is so if you think a little upon the matter. It cannot be that pardon of sin should be given to an impenitent sinner; this were to confirm him in his evil ways, and to teach him to think little of evil. If the Lord were to say, “You love sin, and live in it, and you are going on from bad to worse, but, all the same, I forgive you,” this were to proclaim a horrible license for iniquity. The foundations of social order would be removed, and moral anarchy would follow. I cannot tell what innumerable mischiefs would certainly occur if you could divide repentance and forgiveness, and pass by the sin while the sinner remained as fond of it as ever. In the very nature of things, if we believe in the holiness of God, it must be so, that if we continue in our sin, and will not repent of it, we cannot be forgiven, but must reap the consequence of our obstinacy. According to the infinite goodness of God, we are promised that if we will forsake our sins, confessing them, and will, by faith, accept the grace which is provided in Christ Jesus, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But, so long as God lives, there can be no promise of mercy to those who continue in their evil ways, and refuse to acknowledge their wrongdoing. Surely no rebel can expect the King to pardon his treason while he remains in open revolt. No one can be so foolish as to imagine that the Judge of all the earth will put away our sins if we refuse to put them away ourselves.

Moreover, it must be so for the completeness of divine mercy. That mercy which could forgive the sin and yet let the sinner live in it would be scant and superficial mercy. It would be unequal and deformed mercy, lame upon one of its feet, and withered as to one of its hands. Which, think you, is the greater privilege, cleansing from the guilt of sin, or deliverance from the power of sin? I will not attempt to weigh in the scales two mercies so surpassing. Neither of them could have come to us apart from the precious blood of Jesus. But it seems to me that to be delivered from the dominion of sin, to be made holy, to be made like to God, must be reckoned the greater of the two, if a comparison has to be drawn. To be forgiven is an immeasurable favor. We make this one of the first notes of our psalm of praise: “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.” But if we could be forgiven, and then could be permitted to love sin, to riot in iniquity, and to wallow in lust, what would be the use of such a forgiveness? Might it not turn out to be a poisoned sweet, which would most effectually destroy us? To be washed, and yet to lie in the mire; to be pronounced clean, and yet to have the leprosy white on one’s brow, would be the veriest mockery of mercy. What is it to bring the man out of his sepulcher if you leave him dead? Why lead him into the light if he is still blind? We thank God, that He who forgives our iniquities also heals our diseases. He who washes us from the stains of the past also uplifts us from the foul ways of the present, and keeps us from failing in the future. We must joyfully accept both repentance and remission; they cannot be separated. The covenant heritage is one and indivisible, and must not be parceled out. To divide the work of grace would be to cut the living child in halves, and those who would permit this have no interest in it.

I will ask you who are seeking the Lord, whether you would be satisfied with one of these mercies alone? Would it content you, my reader, if God would forgive you your sin and then allow you to be as worldly and wicked as before? Oh, no! The quickened spirit is more afraid of sin itself than of the penal results of it. The cry of your heart is not, “Who shall deliver me from punishment?” but, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Who shall enable me to live above temptation, and to become holy, even as God is holy?” Since the unity of repentance with remission agrees with gracious desire, and since it is necessary for the completeness of salvation, and for holiness’ sake, rest you sure that it abides.

Repentance and forgiveness are joined together in the experience of all believers. There never was a person yet who did unfeignedly repent of sin with believing repentance who was not forgiven; and on the other hand, there never was a person forgiven who had not repented of his sin. I do not hesitate to say that beneath the copes of Heaven there never was, there is not, and there never will be, any case of sin being washed away, unless at the same time the heart was led to repentance and faith in Christ. Hatred of sin and a sense of pardon come together into the soul, and abide together while we live.

These two things act and react upon each other: the man who is forgiven, therefore repents; and the man who repents is also most assuredly forgiven. Remember first, that forgiveness leads to repentance. As we sing in Hart’s words:

Law and terrors do but harden,
All the while they work alone;
But a sense of blood-bought pardon
Soon dissolves a heart of stone.

When we are sure that we are forgiven, then we abhor iniquity; and I suppose that when faith grows into full assurance, so that we are certain beyond a doubt that the blood of Jesus has washed us whiter than snow, it is then that repentance reaches to its greatest height. Repentance grows as faith grows. Do not make any mistake about it; repentance is not a thing of days and weeks, a temporary penance to be over as fast as possible! No; it is the grace of a lifetime, like faith itself. God’s little children repent, and so do the young men and the fathers. Repentance is the inseparable companion of faith. All the while that we walk by faith and not by sight, the tear of repentance glitters in the eye of faith. That is not true repentance which does not come of faith in Jesus, and that is not true faith in Jesus which is not tinctured with repentance. Faith and repentance, like Siamese twins, are vitally joined together. In proportion as we believe in the forgiving love of Christ, in that proportion we repent; and in proportion as we repent of sin and hate evil, we rejoice in the fullness of the absolution which Jesus is exalted to bestow. You will never value pardon unless you feel repentance; and you will never taste the deepest draught of repentance until you know that you are pardoned. It may seem a strange thing, but so it is–the bitterness of repentance and the sweetness of pardon blend in the flavor of every gracious life, and make up an incomparable happiness.

These two covenant gifts are the mutual assurance of each other. If I know that I repent, I know that I am forgiven. How am I to know that I am forgiven except I know also that I am turned from my former sinful course? To be a believer is to be a penitent. Faith and repentance are but two spokes in the same wheel, two handles of the same plough. Repentance has been well described as a heart broken for sin, and from sin; and it may equally well be spoken of as turning and returning. It is a change of mind of the most thorough and radical sort, and it is attended with sorrow for the past, and a resolve of amendment in the future.

Repentance is to leave
The sins we loved before;
And show that we in earnest grieve,
By doing so no more.

Now, when that is the case, we may be certain that we are forgiven; for the Lord never made a heart to be broken for sin and broken from sin, without pardoning it. If, on the other hand, we are enjoying pardon, through the blood of Jesus, and are justified by faith, and have peace with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, we know that our repentance and faith are of the right sort.

Do not regard your repentance as the cause of your remission, but as the companion of it. Do not expect to be able to repent until you see the grace of our Lord Jesus, and His readiness to blot out your sin. Keep these blessed things in their places, and view them in their relation to each other. They are the Jachin and Boaz of a saving experience; I mean that they are comparable to Solomon’s two great pillars which stood in the forefront of the house of the Lord, and formed a majestic entrance to the holy place. No man comes to God aright except he passes between the pillars of repentance and remission. Upon your heart the rainbow of covenant grace has been displayed in all its beauty when the tear-drops of repentance have been shone upon by the light of full forgiveness. Repentance of sin and faith in divine pardon are the warp and woof of the fabric of real conversion. By these tokens shall you know an Israelite indeed.

To come back to the Scripture upon which we are meditating: both forgiveness and repentance flow from the same source, and are given by the same Saviour. The Lord Jesus in His glory bestows both upon the same persons. You are neither to find the remission nor the repentance elsewhere. Jesus has both ready, and He is prepared to bestow them now, and to bestow them most freely on all who will accept them at His hands. Let it never be forgotten that Jesus gives all that is needful for our salvation. It is highly important that all seekers after mercy should remember this. Faith is as much the gift of God as is the Saviour upon whom that faith relies. Repentance of sin is as truly the work of grace as the making of an atonement by which sin is blotted out. Salvation, from first to last, is of grace alone. You will not misunderstand me. It is not the Holy Spirit who repents. He has never done anything for which He should repent. If He could repent, it would not meet the case; we must ourselves repent of our own sin, or we are not saved from its power. It is not the Lord Jesus Christ who repents. What should He repent of? We ourselves repent with the full consent of every faculty of our mind. The will, the affections, the emotions, all work together most heartily in the blessed act of repentance for sin; and yet at the back of all that is our personal act, there is a secret holy influence which melts the heart, gives contrition, and produces a complete change. The Spirit of God enlightens us to see what sin is, and thus makes it loathsome in our eyes. The Spirit of God also turns us toward holiness, makes us heartily to appreciate, love, and desire it, and thus gives us the impetus by which we are led onward from stage to stage of sanctification. The Spirit of God works in us to will and to do according to God’s good pleasure. To that good Spirit let us submit ourselves at once, that He may lead us to Jesus, who will freely give us the double benediction of repentance and remission, according to the riches of His grace.

“BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED.”

– Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
taken from: Chapter 15 of  All of Grace.

Truth Is Exclusive

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Steven Lawson‏@DrStevenJLawson

Truth by its very nature is exclusive. Everything outside the truth is an error or lie.

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7:48 PM - 2 Feb 2016

Exactly!  Truth is dogmatic and cannot be mixed with error. Anything other than the Truth is a lie and that begins with Genesis 1:1.

God's Word

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Marc Rubio Says He Is Not Against "Gay Marriage", Says People Are Born Sodomites

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This is the man that Al Mohler, Ravi Zacharias, Wayne Grudem, and Rick Warren ,  supporting:

"It's not that I'm against gay marriage. I believe the definition of the institution of marriage should be between one man and one woman," Rubio said in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation." "States have always regulated marriage. And if a state wants to have a different definition, you should petition the state legislature and have a political debate. I don't think courts should be making that decision."

"I don't believe same-sex marriage is a Constitutional right," Rubio added. "I also don't believe that your sexual preferences are a choice for the vast and enormous majority of people. In fact...I believe that sexual preference is something that people are born with."

~CBS

Rubio is a Roman Catholic.

When people reject the completion and sufficiency of Scripture, they open themselves up to all kinds of doctrines of demons, like Evolution, sodomy, and charismaticism. This is what we've seen with Tim Keller, and what we're seeing with Grudem. 

Encouragement In Christ

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BELIEVER, look back through all thine experience, and think of the way whereby the Lord thy God has led thee in the wilderness, and how He hath fed and clothed thee every day—how He hath borne with thine ill manners—how He hath put up with all thy murmurings, and all thy longings after the flesh-pots of Egypt—how He has opened the rock to supply thee, and fed thee with manna that came down from heaven. Think of how His grace hasbeen sufficient for thee in all thy troubles—how His blood has been a pardon to thee in all thy sins—how His rod and His staff have comforted thee. When thou hast thus looked back upon the love of the Lord, then let faith survey His love in the future, for remember that Christ's covenant and blood have something more in them than the past. He who has loved thee and pardoned thee, shall never cease to love and pardon. He is Alpha, and He shall be Omega also: He is first, and He shall be last. Therefore, bethink thee, when thou shalt pass through the valley of the shadow of death, thou needest fear no evil, for He is with thee. When thou shalt stand in the cold floods of Jordan, thou needest not fear, for death cannot separate thee from His love; and when thou shalt come into the mysteries of eternity thou needest not tremble, "For I am persuaded, that neither death; nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now, soul, is not thy love refreshed? Does not this make thee love Jesus? Doth not a flight through illimitable plains of the ether of love inflame thy heart and compel thee to delight thyself in the Lord thy God? Surely as we meditate on "the love of the Lord," our hearts burn within us, and we long to love Him more.

~Spurgeon, Morning and Evening Devotions