Be Content With The "Old" Revelation of Scripture

God, by his Spirit, brings old truth home to the heart, gives new light to our eyes, and causes the word to exercise new power over us, but he reveals no new facts, and he utters no words in any man’s ears concerning his condition and state. We must be content with the old revelation and with the life and power and force with which the Holy Spirit brings it to the heart. Neither must any of us seek to have any additional revelation, for that would imply that the Scriptures are incomplete. 

~CHSpurgeon

Why would God give something "new" to those who reject what is "old"? That heart is an arrogant, unbelieving heart to begin with and He will not honor such  wickedness.

The "Loss" Of Democrat Seats This Mid-Term Election: not a victory for anyone but the liberals

Democrats cast protest votes yesterday, not votes of principle. Consider how left-leaning the Republicans had to be for die-hard Democrats in die-hard Blue states to vote for them. That's not a reflection of conservativism among the Left. It's a reflection of liberalism of the Right.

More Mars Hill Pastors "Repent" In An Open Letter

Some pastors from Mars Hill came out with an open letter of apology to two men they sinned against for years, Brent Meyer and Paul Petry.


While part of me is glad, and indeed they should publicly and profusely apologize for sin, the cynic in me notes that only after MHC imploded & Driscoll left, did these pastors along with Steve Tompkins, finally come out and apologize & perhaps repent. The timing is suspect... Like rats jumping off a sinking ship but were happy to stay on board while it was good for them . It's easy to apologize when it's safe, when the bully is gone. This smacks of political posturing to me. Bottom line all of them are disqualified & the true proof of repentance would be that they would admit this & never try to be pastors again.

The Errors of the Claims of the Mass Muslim Visions of "Jesus"

Here are the classic claims of visions of "Jesus" to the Muslims  as reported recently at WND, and why they are not biblical. The quotes are in italics and I will respond below each on.

This one said:

“And just as suddenly I ceased to be a witness to my dream. I was in it, walking toward the man walking toward me. I knew him immediately. He was Jesus. Without knowing why, I fell to my knees. He stood over me and touched my face with his right hand.”

In Scripture, visions of Jesus caused the two apostles, Paul and John, to fall to the ground in holy fear, as He is thrice holy and King of kings.  A silent Jesus? No Gospel? No call to repentance? When Jesus walked this earth that's all He preached! This "Jesus" is not the one of Scripture.

In another testimony:

He said Jesus appeared to him and said: “Son, I am the way, the truth and the life. And if you would give your life to Me, and follow Me, I would save you from the hell that you have seen.

“This came as a surprise to me, for I did not know who this Jesus was. Of course, He is mentioned in the Quran and in the book Surah Mariam. He is stated as one of our prophets, but not as a savior who could save us from hell. So I started looking out for a Christian who could give me some advice about this Jesus I have seen.”

He said he had to reach out to an Egyptian Christian, because Christianity is “totally banned in Saudi Arabia and if a Christian is caught witnessing to a Muslim, [it is] almost sure that he would be beheaded.”

End quote.

This Jesus did not tell the Muslim that he is a sinner before the Holy One of Israel. He did not identify himself as Jesus Christ the risen Lord, God over all, Son of God. The fruit of this "Jesus" likely led him to an Egyptian Coptic, who are really just Romanists. The biblical Jesus would have sent His missionaries to preach the Gospel of Himself to him, called him to repent of his sin, and get into Scripture. The fruit of the true work of the HOLY Spirit would be a real sense of one's sin before the Holy One of Israel.

Here, this "Jesus" calls the Muslim "son", which is not according to Scripture. Further he doesn't say what truth, what way, what life--to where? from what? Jesus actually did in John's Gospel where that snippet is taken out of context. Scripture states that the name of Jesus is part of the gospel,:

Act 4:10  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by him this man is standing before you well. 

Act 4:11  This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 

Act 4:12  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." 

Rom 10:9  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 

Also, Jesus is not fire insurance. Scripture teaches that the biblical Jesus Christ saves us from the Father's wrath (Muslims deny the Father has a Son) because of our sins against Him:

Rom 5:9  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 

Nothing about repentance in this encounter.

In another claim:

An account of her experience includes: “She found herself in the open field. There was nothing much special in this scenery but she felt peace in her heart, the kind of peace that she has never felt before. It seemed like she has been in this field before and somehow, she knew what was going to happen next.

“And then suddenly there appeared before her a bright light. She didn’t get startled when she saw the figure. It was a man wearing a white robe that seemed to shine. There was so much of joy and love that flooded in her heart when she saw the figure. She immediately knew that Jesus was appearing to her. Then she woke up.”

End quote.

First of all, Scripture warns about false teachers with false dreams about giving peace while being at war with God:

Jer. 23: ^16 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. ^17 They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The LORD says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’

All people outside of Christ are HOSTILE toward Jesus Christ:

Rom 3:9  What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 

Rom 3:10  as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; 

Rom 3:11  no one understands; no one seeks for God. 

Rom 3:12  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." 

Rom 3:17  and the way of peace they have not known." 

Rom 3:18  "There is no fear of God before their eyes." 

Rom 5:10  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 

Rom 8:7  For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 

Only those IN Christ Jesus AFTER being regenerated and justified, are at peace with God, NOT before:

Rom 5:1  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Also, this woman wasn't afraid. That's interesting given that all people who ever came into contact with the HOLY HOLY HOLY One of Israel, were full of fear, most notable:

Isaiah:

Isa 6:1  In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 

Isa 6:2  Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 

Isa 6:3  And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" 

Isa 6:4  And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 

Isa 6:5  And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" 

Paul:

Act 9:3  Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 

Act 9:4  And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" 

Act 9:5  And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 

Act 9:6  But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 

Act 9:7  The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 

Act 9:8  Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 

Act 9:9  And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 

Rev 1:14  The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 

Rev 1:15  his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 

Rev 1:16  In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 

Rev 1:17  When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 

Rev 1:18  and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 

The reaction to those who have been preached the Gospel is their own sense of unholiness, as Isaiah, Paul, and John show. No one can be at peace in his sin while standing before the HOLY HOLY HOLY One of Israel or the biblical Gospel:

When Peter went through Scripture and the recent events of Jesus's death and resurrection, proving He is God the Son, the promised Messiah who died and rose from the grave three days later, here's what happened:

Act 2:36  Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." 

Act 2:37  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 

Act 2:38  And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Another claim:

Darg says the Sufi leader’s experience is typical.

“He related the most beautiful encounter that he had experienced with the risen Lord Jesus, and how the Lord had embraced him in a way that the sheik had become a believer and follower of Jesus without realizing that he was a Christian,” Darg said.

Darg pointed out many Muslims “do not readily relate these supernatural experiences out of fear of reprisals.”

Notice the subtle deception here. This is a claim to Chrislam: a "Christian" Muslim, even though according to both the quran and the Bible, both religions are mutually exclusive. Only Westerners (and liars of Islam trying to seduce them into the political religion) will make a claim of being able to be both, but according to their history and teachings such is NOT the case.

Secondly the inclusivism that both Romanist Anglican CS Lewis and pro-Romanist Billy Graham both taught: that the Muslim religious leader was saved AS a Muslim and didn't even know it. This is nonense. The Gospel demands that people hear about their sins before the thrice Holy One of Israel, to repent, and to turn to the Jesus of Scripture alone, rejecting all false religions and works. Not one single soul in Scripture is ever saved without knowing he was saved by the biblical Jesus by the biblical way, and was commanded to follow Him in everything. Note the verses I've posted thus far about being saved only by the Gospel and the Lord of that Gospel.

In this claim:

The woman told him: “Would you put your life on the line for a proposition? We need something transformational, that’s what these dreams are.”

Dreams don't change hearts, the Holy Spirit does through the proclamation of the Gospel. Throughout Scripture true believers were indeed martyred for their "proposition"--that is, the TRUTH about Jesus Christ and salvation. Dreams don't save, biblical truth does because it is that truth that rests and centers on the Person and work of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Even Paul heard the Gospel preached from Scripture as the Scriptures were read in the synagogue, and also by the saints as he had them killed for precisely that reason, not the least of which was Stephen who preached the Gospel as Paul stood by. Even when Paul was sent to Macedonia by a dream another man had, it was not the dream that saved him, but his preaching the Gospel.

1Co 15:1  Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2  and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5  and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 

And then there's this claim:

Darg’s book has examples of Jesus appearing to multiple people at the same time.

This happened once as recorded in Scripture, when Jesus appeared to over 500 people at one time after His resurrection but prior to ascending up to the Father to sit down on His throne.

1Co 15:6  After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7  then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8  and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. 

These were Christians that Jesus appeared to after His resurrection, to confirm His finished work and His Gospel as God the Son.

Mat 24:23  "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him. 

24  "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 

2Th 2:9  that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 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. 11  For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12  in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 

Jesus is not appearing to anyone. He came once, ascended into Heaven, has given the final Word to John the Apostle (the book of Revelation), and will come a SECOND TIME as Judge and Executioner (the book of Revelation and the book of Isaiah and Daniel all state). 

Plus, we know that the pagan Roman Catholic Church has mass visions all the time, but not according to Scripture. Interestingly many of these Muslim "conversion" end up in the RCC.  

And while this Scripture was given to the Jews, the timeless truth behind it remains which is this: false prophets and false dreams and dreamers that are not biblical are not of God but are demonic and punished by God.

Deu 13:1  "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2  and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,'3  you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4  "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. 5  "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you. 

There is but one way of salvation and that is by the preaching of the biblical Gospel of the biblical risen Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other way in all of Scripture. It was for this very gospel, that of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, that true Christians were slaughtered, as summarized in the book of Hebrews, but seen in the book of Acts as well. 

Heb 11:35  Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 

Heb 11:36  and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 

Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 

Heb 11:38  (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 

Joh 7:7  The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works

are evil.

Joh 15:18  "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

Joh 15:19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Joh 15:20  Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

2Ti 3:12  Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13  while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Are Muslims somehow God's exception to the rule of being promised trials, tribulations, and persecutions? Why them and not the Jews? No where in all of Scripture is such a massive appearance of Jesus Christ to Muslims ever spoken of. No, Scripture repeatedly says that the ONLY way of salvation is through the sending of preachers to preach the biblical Gospel that centers on the biblical risen Lord Jesus Christ, which of course gives the bad news of the absolute sin of every person before the thrice Holy triune God of Scripture, from which repentance is required. These are all missing in these "testimonies".  God's way is clear and the desire of sliding out of any persecution for His sake is bad fruit.

Rom 10:13  for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." 

Rom 10:14  How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 

Rom 10:15  How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" 

1Pe 4:16  but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

The biblical Jesus will point to Scripture:

Ps. 138:2b   You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.

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." 

Luke 11: 28  But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."

Mat 5:18  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 

Mat 4:4  But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Psa 119:13  With my lips I declare all the rules of  Your mouth.

Joh 17:8  For I have given them the words that You gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that You sent me.

Joh 17:14  I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Psa 19:8  the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 

As John MacArthur points out about Jesus Christ:

"And whether He is speaking to scholars, Pharisees and scribes, or to common people, He always assumes that they are to blame for their misunderstanding of any teaching in the Scripture. Again and again He says, "Have you not read? Have you never read? Have you never read the Scriptures?" He says to them, "You're wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. Your problem is, you don't search the Scriptures. They are they which speak of Me.""

The problem with these so-called visions of "Jesus" is not just what they say, a lot of the problem is what they do NOT say. Testing these claims against Scripture, we see that they fail, from the presumption of those promoting them (one of the authors presumes these are true because of her own experience), to the ignorance of God's way of saving people, to the fruit of such dreams.

For more go here, here and here.

Evaluating Muslim Dreams and Visions - Repost

Evaluating Muslim Dreams and Visions of Jesus/Isa Part 2

***Update***

More dreams of Isa, not Jesus, being hailed as the Jesus of Scripture, supernaturally coming to myriads of Muslims and some Hindus in this recent  WND report. Interestingly the Jews are always left out of these visions. As always, this "Jesus" (Isa is NOT Jesus at all, but a ficticious Muslim myth of a Muslim man), never lays the weight of sin upon the person having the vision, doesn't announce Himself, doesn't display His absolute holiness, doesn't call them to repent of their sins. As usual, they have a vision that makes them feel at peace while at war with God; their Isa doesn't proclaim to be God the Son, born of a Jewish virgin named Mary who died and was resurrected according to the Scriptures. Their Isa leads them to Roman Catholicism, which is also filled with false visions and dreams of "Mary" and "Jesus" (neither are the biblical Jesus or Mary for the same reasons--and with Mary she's dead).

An Evaluation of Muslim Dreams & Visions of Isa (Jesus) Part 2 by Dennis McBride

McBride goes through the various passages in the NT regarding visions and dreams, since defenders of a gospel-less Jesus-vision is claimed to be saving tens of thousands of Muslims.

Excerpts:

The visions Peter and Cornelius experienced are often cited as patterns for Isa preparing unbelieving Muslims to receive the gospel from Christian evangelists.But Peter and Cornelius aren’t a pattern even for New Testament evangelism, much less modern-day evangelism. Theirs was a unique situation in which the Lord drew them together supernaturally for a specific purpose that has no parallel today or in any other period of church history.

Further, there is no correlation between Cornelius’ experience and Muslim unbelievers whom Isa is reportedly preparing to receive the gospel. Cornelius was not an unbeliever, but “a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people, and prayed to God continually” (Acts 10:1-2). He did not see Jesus, but an angel (Acts 10:3, 7, 30-31) and was then directed by the Holy Spirit to send for Peter (Acts 10:20). Cornelius’ vision was clearly revelatory and intended to be included in the canon of Scripture (as were Peter’s).

But beyond those dissimilarities is the unique role their visions played in redemptive and revelatory history. Peter’s visions were intended to teach him that God was including gentiles in His covenant promises. Peter represented Jewish believers to whom the gospel was entrusted, and through whom it was first proclaimed following Christ’s Ascension. He also represented apostolic authority. Cornelius represented gentiles, who were previously outside the covenant (cf. Eph. 2:11-12) but who were now to be included.

End quote.

We know in Scripture there is but one way to be saved:

Rom 10:9  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

Rom 10:10  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 

Rom 10:11  For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." 

Rom 10:12  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 

Rom 10:13  For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 

Rom 10:14  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 

Rom 10:15  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good 

2Co 4:2  But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 

1Co 15:1  Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2  and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5  and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 

It's important to note that Isa is NOT in any way, shape, matter, or form, the risen Lord Jesus Christ of Scripture. Isa is a Muslim prophet, not God the Son who was born of a Jewish virgin, Mary. True biblical Christians who were saved out of Islam do not use "Allah" nor "Isa" to refer to God or Jesus. The distinction must be made and is desired to be made between the false gods of Islam and the true triune God of Scripture. It's also of interest that Muslims refuse to share "Allah" with Yahweh. They don't want Christians using their god's name.

His name matters.

Php 2:9  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10  so that at the name of Jesusevery knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Exo 3:13  Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 14  God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 15  God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 

Psa 79:9  Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name;deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake! 

Isa 54:5  For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. 

http://letusreason.org/Islam6.htm :

"Muslims claim that the name Allah can be found in the Bible. This is no different than what the Jehovah's Witnesses do for the name Jehovah. Allah is not called Yahweh once in the Koran but neither is Yahweh called Allah in the Bible. So they can't be the same God. Neither is the word Elohim which is applied to Yahweh over 2,500 times in the Bible used in the Koran. Neither is he called I Am, which He said to Moses would be His name forever."

Mars Hill Shuts Down For Good

Relevant Magazine (the Emergent periodical) reported:

Very big, very unexpected news out of Mars Hill today. Following the sudden, surprise resignation of famously controversial pastor Mark Driscoll, the massive, multisite church he founded will dissolve over the next two months. Each of the 13 churches that comprised Mars Hills' empire will either go their own way, merge with another church or close their doors for good. 

In the meantime, Mars Hill will sell all their existing church properties or allow them to be assumed by the new, independent churches. Mars Hill will also fire all their existing staff and then dissolve entirely. 

End quote.

That must've been hard to report for the Emergents, as Mars Hill was a stalwart of the Emergent Church Movement, with Mark Drisoll (head of Mars Hill), being an earlier prominent leader of the ECM.

I wonder then, if Steve Tompkins, pastor of Mars Hill- Shoreline, will finally see that Mars Hill is NOT of God. He said in his open letter of repentance, that he thought that God was working inside Mars Hill, thus believing it was a church Jesus built. My contention with his letter was this very view. Mars Hill and the ECM was built not on truth, but on pragmatic rebellion against what the youngsters thought was "old" and not hip and exciting enough.

The fact that it was never built upon Truth and a LOVE FOR the Truth, shows that Mars Hill was never founded by Christ Jesus. They hated the unchangeable message and means that the Lord Jesus Christ set forth to save and sanctify His elect from the world: preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and calling people to holy living, separated from the world of darkness, and submit to the Lordship of the Lord and to do things in a biblical, orderly manner inside the church. Instead they wanted to BE the world "in order to" win the world. They wanted to be fleshly and worldly while being religious--the very thing the Pharisees did and were condemned for. Slapping the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ onto that which is carnal is treating Him with dishonor and disrespect.

That's what happens when leaders disregard the godly counsel of godly elders and instead look to their own peers:

2Ch 10:6  Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you counsel me to answer this people?"

2Ch 10:7  They spoke to him, saying, "If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever."

 2Ch 10:8  But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. 

2Ch 10:13  The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders. 

2Ch 10:14  He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions." 

2Ch 10:15  So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from God that the LORD might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 

Sin and DNA

"Straights must be taught that it is as natural for some persons to be homosexual as it is for others to be heterosexual." - Voddie  Baucham quoting author Russell Kirk (sp?).

This is exactly what Christians are saying only they say it's a mere "struggle" with "same sex attraction" and that "it's like any other sin we struggle with." Do you see how the world has infested it's thinking on "Christians"? Do you see the subtlety there? Sodomy is NOT normal. It is perverted and UNNATURAL and is the judgment of God upon a hardened heart that refuses to acknowledge Him as Creator (Romans 1).

By the way it also accepts the psychological and evolution's notion that certain behaviors are encoded into our DNA. Realize what that is saying there. They are saying that there is a predisposition to certain particular sins for people. 

Christians have also bought into the world's philosophy of "alcoholism" being an eternal "struggle" with which one never overcomes --and that thinking is applied equally to sodomy--a "struggle" they will just live for the rest of their lives, contrary to God's Word that says, once saved, you STOP with the sodomy (which btw, begins in the heart), you STOP being a drunk, you STOP stealing, you STOP committing adultery.

They are also inferring that  morals come via DNA. Violence, drunkenness, sodomy, pedophilia, adultery are someone in our DNA? That is not biblical either. DNA has no bearing on sin. Sin is not encoded on our DNA. Sin is what our NATURE IS.  And sodomy is the result of God removing His hand off of hardened hearts that hate God so much they have unnatural, deviant lusts, and so He lets them get their fill as well as their DUE PENALTY.

Voddie Baucham on Genesis, Creation, Sodomy, and Education

Finally a pastor says the same thing I've been saying: the sin of sodomy is UNIQUE. It is the ONLY sin that God destroyed entire cities for.  It is called an abomination, unlike "all" sins.Time mark: 12:18 on the video.

This is very true and very biblical. Sadly many professing Christians are now saying that it is NOT unique and they equalize the heinous sin of sodomy by humanity. That is to say, they equalize the UNIQUE SIN by claiming humanity's imperfection. That is not a biblical view whatsoever. It is an anti-biblical, anti-God view and should be rejected

Al Mohler Has Friendly Open "Dialogue" With False Teacher and Sodomite, Matthew Vines In An SBC Meeting

Wall Street Journal reports:

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—A gathering of Southern Baptists here opened this week with Albert Mohler, stalwart head of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, apologizing for “denying the reality of sexual orientation,” but saying orientation “can change.”

Mr. Mohler, head of the theological seminary, said he hoped the conference would make Christians “motivated to be unafraid to engage with LGBT persons.”....

It closed with a pastor saying “no one goes to hell for being homosexual,” but he added Christians must remind gay friends and family members that “the day of judgment is coming.”...

Mr. Mohler this week met with Matthew Vines, an openly gay Christian author who argues the Bible doesn’t prohibit lifelong same-sex marriage. Mr. Mohler wrote a response to Mr. Vines’ book, “God and the Gay Christian.”

“It was a gracious, honest conversation. I think all evangelical Christians are having to learn anew how to discuss these issues,” Mr. Mohler said.

The pair agreed to keep in touch over email, and alert each other if one ever felt wrongly portrayed by the other.

~End excerpts

This is behavior of Mohler's is the fruit of his bad and sinful thinking on sodomy which he declared back in 2011. He has bought into psychology and evolution and seeks to please men rather than faithfully stand by God and His Word.

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. 

1Jo 2:4  Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 

Eph 5:6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Eph 5:7  Therefore do not be partakers with them;

Eph 5:8  for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light

Eph 5:9  (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

Eph 5:10  trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

Eph 5:11  Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;

Eph 5:12  for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 

Calvinist Tim Keller said the exact same thing about how being a "homosexual" doesn't send a person to hell. God, however, says indeed it DOES.

What Mohler did actually emboldened the sodomites in their sin and has softened the biblically hard stand that we should be taking against sodomy and sodomites. There's nothing to dialogue about. Preach the truth and tell these people they are not saved, they are still in darkness, they are earning Hell--with urgency. Mohler seems to think it's just an exercise in good will tolerance of the most heinous of sins.

This is exactly why I say that the issue of sodomy is The Dividing Issue. The idol of "graciousness" over the urgency of such a heinous and perverted sin has become lord of most of today's celebrity "Christians".

It sounds like Mohler took a page from heretic Brian McClaren who said in 2006 as reported in "Christianity" Today magazine:

"Perhaps we need a five-year moratorium on making pronouncements. In the meantime, we'll practice prayerful Christian dialogue, listening respectfully, disagreeing agreeably. When decisions need to be made, they'll be admittedly provisional. We'll keep our ears attuned to scholars in biblical studies, theology, ethics, psychology, genetics, sociology, and related fields. Then in five years, if we have clarity, we'll speak; if not, we'll set another five years for ongoing reflection. After all, many important issues in church history took centuries to figure out. Maybe this moratorium would help us resist the "winds of doctrine" blowing furiously from the left and right, so we can patiently wait for the wind of the Spirit to set our course."

Jud 1:23  save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Voddie Baucham deals with these issues here:

Steve Tompkins of Mars Hill Shoreline Begins Repentance for His Sin Toward the Church

***UPDATE***

Relevant Magazine reports all Mars Hill churches are shutting down for good.

********

Here is an open letter of repentance and accountability from Steve Tompkins, pastor at Mars Hill, Shoreline:

There were two things that caught my attention. Here's the first one:

Quote:

Eight or nine months ago as I was reflecting on Revelation 2-3 (the letters to the seven churches), I began to feel that Jesus was placing Mars Hill under discipline and calling us to repent. Over the course of these past months this text of scripture, especially the first and last letters (those to Ephesus and Laodicea), have consistently formed the paradigm through which I have come to view events, attitudes, and decisions at Mars Hill. In these letters we see Jesus walking among his churches. He knows what is happening. He speaks his words of commendation as well as rebuke. He calls the churches to have ears to hear. .....

First of all it means that what has been happening at Mars Hill is the work of Jesus in our midst. It means that the root of the problem is not satanic opposition or attack, nor is it social media or vocal online critics, nor is it the members or attenders of the church (past or present). Nor is it elders, deacons, staff and leaders who have called for change from within. In fact the root of the problem has been the leadership of the church who have been blindly committed to maintaining the status quo as if we simply need to push through what has so frequently been referred to as a “difficult season.” ....

Some may wonder why I have stayed at Mars Hill if indeed these are my convictions. The answer is quite simple and brings me back to Revelation 2-3 where Jesus calls—not just individuals—but entire churches to repentance. And if Jesus is calling Mars Hill to repent, then it is incumbent upon the elders to lead the way as those who must give an account. Therefore, I must repent as an elder in the office of elder taking responsibility for my sin as an elder. I must also seek to lead repentance and call others—especially among the elders—to join me every chance I get. This is what I am doing within Mars Hill as Jesus graciously continues opening my eyes. In addition, I have felt conviction before Jesus that I need to apologize and repent personally, face to face when possible, to former members, leaders and staff. I have therefore been revisiting situations that are years old as well as recent. I have been seeing them with new eyes and coming face to face with my own sin. 

End quote.

I believe that Mars Hill was not built by Christ Jesus, because it was built out of a rebellious heart through the Emergent Church Movement. It was built on arrogance, youth, rebellion, on unbelief in Scripture, on pragmaticism, on seeker-friendly nonsense.  What I think this pastor is missing is that God is destroying that which was never HIS to begin with (thus the downfall of Mark Driscoll). God doesn't reform a false church. Maybe he'll eventually see the root problem.I don't know....

That said, I am glad he's taking personal responsibility for his own sin and going to as many people as possible to reconcile and repent regardless of the time of those particular events.

But this was good, I have witnessed this personally:

Quote:

What I have seen on multiple occasions is that when a leader raises an issue with Mars Hill or Mars Hill leadership, they themselves soon become the issue rather than the issue they raised. What they said, for example, is invalidated by how they said it, or because they did not follow proper procedure or protocol. Then, almost inevitably it is not long before they are gone from their position, their job, or the church itself. Often, their integrity was then slandered and their character maligned. Resorting to ad hominem narrative as a response to conflict is horrible and devastating in the extreme. Ad hominem narrative is essentially to defensive one’s own righteousness rather than to trust the righteousness of Another. It never confesses or takes responsibility for sin. It is inconsistent with humility. It resists repentance at any cost. It is therefore antithetical to the gospel.

End quote.

False unity within church leadership is not only sin and hypocrisy, it's transparent by those gifted with biblical discernment and who love God and biblical Truth. And as usual, when such people challenge the status quo which is perpetrating sinful doctrine and practices among their church, they are shut down,  minimized, disregarded, and even unbiblically disciplined for superficial issues like "tone" (always a trump card by those who compromise the truth for the sake of tradition or unholy relationships).

The number one problem that discerning and truth-loving Christians are seeing among the churches is that of having disqualified shepherds try to lead the churches. Wrong doctrine (what they REALLY believe, not what they SAY they believe--and there's a huge difference) leads to wrong practice. Unqualified men in the shepherd's position end up misusing and abusing their role, not even understanding what an elder is,much less how to perform such a duty. Unbiblical authority becomes their hallmark.

If anything, let this be clear:  man does NOT ordain men to the office of elder (or deacon). Either one is qualified or he is not. Being called by a church does not make one called by God, nor does going to a seminary qualify a man to be an elder. The one God ordains is already demonstrating the qualifications and is serving--thus his God-ordained qualifications are observable, not created nor redefined to make him suddenly qualified.

I believe that, although his repentance appears to be genuine, Tompkins is disqualified for the eldership, because he has violated quite a number of requirements. If he's truly humbled, he should step down from the elder board while continuing to repent and reconcile. There's no other biblical solution.  A role doesn't cause change from within: true humble repentance and actions that meet with it, can, by God's Word and Spirit.