What the Greek Orthodox Church teaches on various issues

What the Greek Orthodox Church is (excerpts):

Holy Tradition, of which Holy Scripture is a part, includes the writings, teachings, and acts of the apostles, saints, martyrs, and fathers of the Church, and her liturgical and sacramental traditions throughout the ages, the oral tradition of the early Church, and the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils. All of this collective wisdom and experience through the centuries are combined to form this second great source of sacred authority.

The Sacraments are seven in number. They are the visible means by which the invisible Grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted to us. Four Sacraments are obligatory:

1.    Baptism,

2.    Chrismation (anointment with holy oil),

3.    Confession, and

4.    Holy Communion.

The central worship service of the Church is the Divine Liturgy, which is celebrated each Sunday morning and on all holy days. The Liturgy is also the means by which we achieve union with Jesus Christ and unity with each other through the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

While the Orthodox Church considers herself the Mother Church of Christendom, she cooperates with other churches in programs of educational, philanthropic, and social endeavors insofar as this is consistent with her theology. 

At the center of the life of the Church is the Holy Eucharist, which is the principal celebration of our faith and the means through which we participate in the very life of the Holy Trinity. The major Sacraments are closely related to the Eucharist, and they bear witness to the continuing presence of Christ in the lives of His people.

The Church blesses individuals, events such as trips, and objects such as icons, churches, flowers, fields, animals, and food. In so doing, the Church is not only expressing our thanksgiving, but also affirming that no gift, event, or human responsibility is secular or detached from God. For the Orthodox Christian, all good things have God as their origin and goal. Nothing is outside of God's love and concern.

Death alters but does not destroy the bond of love and faith which exists among all the members of the Church. Orthodoxy believes that through our prayers, those "who have fallen asleep in the faith and the hope of the Resurrection" continue to have opportunity to grow closer to God. Therefore, the Church prays constantly for her members who have died in Christ. We place our trust in the love of God and the power of mutual love and forgiveness. We pray that God will forgive the sins of the faithful departed, and that He will receive them into the company of Saints in the heavenly Kingdom.

Epiphany, one of the oldest and most important Feast days of the Orthodox Church, commemorates the manifestation of the Holy Trinity which took place at the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. Recognizing rich meaning in this event, Orthodoxy believes that when Christ was baptized, it not only marked the beginning of His public ministry and revealed the Trinity, but also signified that the entire creation is destined to share in the glory of redemption in Christ. While Christ entered into the Jordan to be baptized, two things were happening: He was identifying Himself with the people He had come to save, and He was identifying Himself with the whole of Creation, which was represented by water. Through His baptism, the Lord revealed the value of the created world and He redirected it toward its Creator. Creation is good and it belongs to God.

The Great Blessing of Water is held on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany and on the day itself, following the Divine Liturgy. The Blessing not only remembers the event of Our Lord's baptism and the revelation of the Holy Trinity but also expresses Orthodoxy's belief that creation is sanctified through Christ. The Blessing affirms that humanity and the created world, of which we are a part, were created to be filled with the sanctifying presence of God. After the solemn blessing, the Holy Water is distributed to the faithful and is used to bless homes during the Epiphany season. When the faithful drink the "Epiphany Water," we are reminded of our own baptism. When the Church blesses an individual, or object, or event with the water, we are affirming that those baptized, their surroundings, and their responsibilities are sanctified through Christ and brought into the Kingdom of the Father through the Spirit.

The Orthodox Church worships God alone. Yet, she does offer veneration to individuals who have been important human instruments of God in the history of salvation. Among those so venerated is Mary, the Mother of God, the Theotokos. The Orthodox Church greatly honors Mary because she was chosen to give birth to the Son of God. As one of the hymns declares:

"By singing praise to your maternity, we exalt you as a spiritual temple, Theotokos. For the One Who dwelt within your womb, the Lord who holds all things in his hands, sanctified you, glorified you, and taught all to sing to you ..."

The most beautiful and poetic service of the Orthodox Church in honor of Mary, the Theotokos, is the Akathist Hymn. The word “akathist” means “without sitting.” The congregation stands throughout the Service out of respect for Mary and her unique role in our salvation in Christ. The Akathist Hymn is chanted in four parts during the first four Fridays of Great Lent. On the fifth Friday, the entire Service is chanted.

The sacraments :

The Sacrament of Baptism incorporates us into the Church, the Body of Christ, and is our introduction to the life of the Holy Trinity. Water is a natural symbol of cleansing and newness of life. Through the three-fold immersion in the waters of Baptism in the Name of the Holy Trinity, one dies to the old ways of sin and is born to a new life in Christ. Baptism is one's public identification with Christ Death and victorious Resurrection. Following the custom of the early Church, Orthodoxy encourages the baptism of infants. The Church believes that the Sacrament is bearing witness to the action of God who chooses a child to be an important member of His people. From the day of their baptism, children are expected to mature in the life of the Spirit, through their family and the Church. The Baptism of adults is practiced when there was no previous baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity.

Confession is the Sacrament through which our sins are forgiven, and our relationship to God and to others is restored and strengthened. Through the Sacrament, Christ our Lord continues to heal those broken in spirit and restore the Father's love those who are lost. According to Orthodox teaching, the penitent confess to God and is forgiven by God. The priest is the sacramental witness who represents both Christ and His people. 

 The holy eucharist:

The Eucharist, the principal sacrament mystery of the Orthodox Church, is not so much a text to be studied, but rather an experience of communion with the Living God in which prayer , music, gestures, the material creation, art and architecture come into full orchestration. The Eucharist is a celebration of faith which touches not only the mind but also the emotions and the senses.

In so doing, Orthodoxy has clearly avoided reducing the Eucharist to a simple memorial of the Last Supper which is only occasionally observed. Following the teachings of both Scripture and Tradition, the Orthodox Church believes that Christ is truly present with His people in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharistic gifts of bread and wine become for us His Body and His Blood. We affirm that these Holy Gifts are transfigured into the first fruits of the New Creation in which ultimately God will be "all in all".

On Mary:

The birth and early life of the Virgin Mary is not recorded in the Gospels or other books of the New Testament, however this information can be found in a work dating from the second century known as the Book of James or Protevangelion.

According to the story found in this book, Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, were childless for many years. They remained faithful to God, but their prayers for a child were unanswered. One day, when Joachim came to the temple to make an offering, he was turned away by the High Priest who chastised him for his lack of children. To hide his shame, Joachim retreated to the hill country to live among the shepherds and their flocks.

As Joachim was praying, his wife Anna was praying at the same time at their house in Jerusalem. An angel appeared to both of them and announced that Anna would have a child whose name would be known throughout the world. Anna promised to offer her child as a gift to the Lord. Joachim returned home, and in due time Anna bore a daughter, Mary.

More on Mary:

It is on the Feast of the Annunciation, that Orthodox Christians commemorate both the divine initiative of God, whereby He took on flesh from the Virgin for our salvation, and the human response, whereby Mary freely accepted the vocation offered to her. He elected to become man, and He desired to do this with the willing agreement of her whom He chose as His mother. Mary could have refused, for she was not a passive instrument, but an active participant with a free and positive part to play in God’s plan for our salvation. Thus, when on this and other feasts the Orthodox Church honors the Theotokos, the Mother of God, it is not just because God chose her but also because she herself chose to follow His will.

On the right side of the icon the Virgin sits on an elevated seat, indicating that as the Mother of God she is “greater in honor than the cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word.” 

The three stars on her garments (7) represent that she was a Virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ.

Further teachings on Mary:

Following her repose, the body of the Theotokos was taken in procession and laid in a tomb near the Garden of Gethsemane. When the Apostle Thomas arrived three days after her repose and desired to see her body, the tomb was found to be empty. The bodily assumption of the Theotokos was confirmed by the message of an angel and by her appearance to the Apostles.

In front of the bed of the Theotokos is a candle (5.) that helps to form a central axis in the icon. Above the candle is the body of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. Standing over His mother is Christ holding her most pure soul. Above Christ the gates of heaven stand open, ready to receive the Mother of God.

We also affirm through this Feast as we journey toward our heavenly abode that the Mother of God intercedes for us. Through Christ she has become the mother of all of the children of God, embracing us with divine love.

End quotes. Bold or italics are my emphasis.

These teachings are in direct opposition to the biblical doctrine of Scripture. Only by and through Christ is a regenerated person, who places full trust in the life, death (propitiation) and resurrection of the biblical Jesus. Baptism which is immersion in water, is for those who already have repented of their sins and turned to the biblical Christ Jesus alone for salvation, realizing there's nothing they can do or add to His work on the cross and His resurrection to get save or stay saved (Matt. 28:18-29).  The Lord's Table is indeed merely symbolic of the cross work of Christ, for even as Jesus gave it for the first time, He wasn't on the cross; moreover John 6, 

1 Tim, 2 Tim, etc. which teach that it is the doctrine of Christ that feeds us; not that Jesus becomes literal bread and wine, but that His life, death, resurrection, and doctrine are the only Truth which brings eternal life. To say Jesus becomes that which is eaten and then expelled from the body is blasphemous. Our unity to Christ comes by way of the Spirit giving us a new heart, a new nature, faith, repentance, etc., not by fleshly means. 

Mary has nothing to do with our salvation in any way. She was an instrument through which the humanity of Jesus was given birth, but she is never hailed as anything more than a believer. In fact, Scripture condemns veneration of Mary:

Luk 11:27  While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed." 

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

Mary doesn't participate in mediating between God and man because only Jesus can do so:

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 

1Ti 2:6  who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 

See my other articles on Roman Catholicism for more reasons why these teachings are unbiblical.

Hank Hagegraaff Apostatizes

According to Pulpit & Pen:

There are numerous reports that Hank Hanegraaff, the well-known talk show host, and evangelical apologist known as “The Bible Answer Man,” has left the biblical Christian faith for Greek Orthodox tradition.

On Palm Sunday, April 9th, 2017, Hanegraaff was apparently received into the Greek Orthodox church through a rite known as Chrismation, at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. A well-known Orthodox priest, Thomas Soroka, from St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in McKees Rocks, PA, stated on his Facebook page,

“Many years to Hank Hanegraff (aka “The Bible Answer Man”) and his wife Kathy, newly Chrismated Orthodox Christians as of this morning in Charlotte, NC.”

It is also reported that Hanegraaff hinted at his possible conversion while defending the Orthodox tradition on his radio program a few weeks ago.

End quote.

This is just part of the course for one who denies the literal-historical-grammatical interpretation of Genesis and thus denies Satan was in the serpent talking to Eve, as well as some creatures being literal  and also denies biblical eschatology (he apparently is a partial preterist Amillennialist.  

Biblical doctrine cannot be divorced from each other nor can it be divorced from the very nature and character of God. It all rises together or falls together. When a person denies the Genesis creation account, you can be sure that such a person also denies other doctrine too. Such false doctrines which contradict Scripture are earmarks of someone unregenerate, particularly those who once claimed to hold to the Truth but have studied themselves away from it.

Political Christianity

"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.” 

~Spurgeon

Russia Training Camps For Spies: a parallel for the devil's terrorist/spies in Christianity

How they train and send their spies to infiltrate America might be political, that's what the devil does with his "spies", by training them and getting them to look just like Christians, to sound just like Christians, to act just like Christians, and to get hired in the seminaries, colleges, and churches, but in reality they are spiritual terrorists serving Satan. It's uncanny the parallel.

Quote:

Anyway, the Nelson DeMille book details what was a very famous Soviet operation. And this TV show The Americans is all about. What happened was Soviets would recruit from their own population young men and women, and they would take them to training camps where they would literally learn to become American. These training camps were miniature American towns with a typical American Main Street, a typical American suburbia, a typical American mall experience.
And these Soviet agents learned to totally drop their Russian accent. They learned English flawlessly. They were educated to get American jobs. They were spies. They came and they were dispatched, and they lived in suburban Washington, they lived all over the country. They had kids who ended up being American citizens, because they were born here. Their neighbors never knew that they were Soviet spies.

One of their big objectives was to actually get hired in the government bureaucracy wherever they could, or to recruit other Soviet spies or Americans via blackmail or whatever to learn details of American military operations or what have you. We know that these types of agents existed. We know that they were deployed predominantly during the Reagan years. That’s what this TV show The Americans is all about.

End quote.

~Rush Limbaugh

If....Then

(Rom 1-3) If the lies of man can’t glorify God (as they try to justify one’s sin and saying it helps glorify God’s righteousness; if evil can’t make good come; if all men are equally totally depraved; if man’s mouth is an open grave, if they deceived with their mouths and curse, have bitterness, and murderous (literally and metaphorically –Matt. 6 as well as Rom. 3); if their paths are ruin and misery; if they don’t know the way of peace which is Jesus Christ) and have no fear of God in their eyes; if they refuse to acknowledge God as God and Creator and give thanks,

(Eph 4) if their minds are futile, their understanding is darkened; if they are ignorant and alienated from God; if they have hard hearts and have become callous, given themselves up for sensuality and are greedy to practice every kind of impurity;

(James 3) if their wisdom is earthly, unspiritual and demonic, and produces bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, and they curse men while blessing God;

(Col. 2) and if all the treasure of truth and wisdom is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ and Scripture;

(Eph. 4,Rom. 12) and if we’re to renew the spirit of our minds in Scripture;

(Rom. 12) and not by the world’s wisdom;

(Ps 1) if we are blessed because we are not walking in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but instead meditate on the Word day and night;

(2 Cor 6) If there is no combining light with darkness, Christ with Belial, believer with unbeliever,

Then we cannot find wisdom nor truth in psychology or philosophy.

Tim Keller: Scripture twisting

More Scripture twisting. This is against what the Bible says.

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Heb 13:5  Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU

Tim Keller Says That The Old Desires Can Be Reformed. Wrong!

This is more false teaching. Ephesians 4 emphatically states we are to put OFF the old man and it's sinful desires, not get them IN LINE with another one. The old man and its desires have a difference source of origination (of sin and the world) than that of the new man and new will (created in Christ by Christ) This is a Reformer denying the doctrine of mortifying sin. He isn't calling for the death of sin's desires, but a reformation of them. HUGE difference.

Eph 4:17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 
Eph 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
Eph 4:19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
Eph 4:20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,
Eph 4:21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 
Eph 4:22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 
Eph 4:23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
Eph 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Pe 2:24  and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 

Rom 8:5  For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 

Rom 8:6  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 

Rom 8:7  because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 

Rom 8:8  and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 

Rom 8:9  However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 

Rom 8:10  If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 

Tim Keller - More False Teaching

This is blasphemy as well as heresy.And it's from an "expert" in the Bible and "expert" communicator. Jesus NEVER, EVER lost the love of the Father because Jesus Christ is eternally God the Son, without sin, and never ceased to be God.  Moreover, this is elevating man above Jesus, and love of man above love of God. This is damnable doctrine that Keller is spreading on Twitter.

Joh 15:9  "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 

Joh 15:10  "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 

Joh 17:20  "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 

Joh 17:21  that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 

Joh 17:22  "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 

Joh 17:23  I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 

Tim Keller And His View On Churches

Of course ex-pastor (or soon to be) Keller is wrong, but then quotes himself from the article. How entirely arrogant can a man be?

"His aim isn’t to take people away from the churches where they already belong but “to welcome and serve those who do not currently profess faith.” New churches, he says (and research backs him up), have a much better chance of attracting unbelievers than older ones do." - The New York Post

As I've said for years, Keller is the Reformed version of Rick Warren, as they both started churches for the unregenerate, seeking out their counsel of what would get them to come to church. This is indeed, regardless of their denial, the notion of a church being a building. Why? Because the church is a group of called out believers assemblying together to worship God, be feed the Word of God, use one's spiritual gifts, enact church discipline, baptize new believers, and partake of the Lord's Table--these ONLY Christians can do. These are what the unregenerate cannot love from a pure heart and a good conscience. But to Tim & Rick, just getting God-haters into church is the goal. However, God says that church discipline is the avenue through which the worldlings are ejected. And Keller's view that "newer churches" are more effective in bringing in the Christ-haters should be a red flag to a true Christian. What are these new churches selling that the Christ-haters would desire?  Besides, there's no such thing as "chance" with God. The elect will hear the biblical Gospel of the biblical Jesus Christ and God will regenerate them--it's all His work. But if one is relying on man to entice the unregenerate (by appealing to felt needs) and hope to get big numbers of them, then "chance" is all they have. That is to say, it's solely of the flesh and not of Christ. It will fail. And souls will be tricked into thinking they're saved when they're lost. 

Act 20:28  "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 

Act 14:23  When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 

Eph 5:26  so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 

Eph 5:27  that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 

Col 1:18  He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 

Mat 16:18  "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Mat 18:17  "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.  

1Co 5:11  But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. 

1Co 5:12  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 

1Co 5:13  But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. 

The God of Scripture

"Everything about God is great, vast, incomparable. He never forgets, never fails, never falters, never forfeits His word. To every declaration of promise or prophecy the Lord has exactly adhered, every engagement of covenant or threatening He will make good

~ Arthur Pink, "The Attributes of God"

Mouw and Olsen Claim Mormonism Is Becoming Orthodox

Mouw continues to be a problem as he seeks to reconciles a demonic religion with Christianity. The first problem with Mormonism is that their God is an entirely different God and they reject the sole sufficiency of Scripture. Mouw wants to skip that part and move on with some sort of presumption it seems, that there's common ground somewhere. 2 Cor. 6:14-18 makes it clear that there is no such thing with LDS.

Notice the subtlety of using MUSIC to get people to hear and re-evaluate the demonic LDS--and they will because Evangelicals don't believe in biblical doctrine and are easily enamored with nice-sounding music. Folks, music MATTERS--the lyrics and the spirit from which it came. And just because someone sings a "right" song doesn't make him a "right" Christian.

According to his interview with "The Christian Post": "Mouw noted that there have been developments within Mormon churches that "should be seen as hopeful patterns for evangelicals," such as more sermons and hymns being sung that focus on the Bible rather than the Book of Mormon:

"Whether they mean that Mormons are moving toward Orthodoxy — I don't know. But my extensive contacts with Mormons tell me that many Mormons testify to their deep conviction that their salvation rests on the work of Christ, and that the gift of salvation comes by grace alone," continued Mouw.

"This is confirmed, not in doctrinal pronouncements, but — as I give evidence for in my essay — in the hymns they love to sing and the biblical texts they frequently cite."

Mouw is not alone in this assessment of a possible move by Mormons toward more traditional Christianity. Roger Olson, theology professor at Baylor University, wrote a blog post on Patheos last year arguing that the LDS Church was becoming "more biblical."

End quote.

The problem is that at the very foundation of Mormonism is everything that is false: a false book, a false gospel, a false Jesus, a false God, a false church, a false prophet, a false atonement, a false religion. There is no way to modify Mormonism and have biblical Christianity. Indeed to claim this, one might as well say there can be a more biblical Satanism or Hinduism. It's literally impossible because as 1John says, lies have nothing to do with Truth.  A little leaven leavens the whole loaf; here it's bakery full of leavened bread. No, for Mormonism to become biblical, it would cease to be Mormon and cease to exist, with Mormons REPENTING of their pagan idolatry and deceptive cult and turning to the biblical Christ Jesus and His Gospel.

Here is a video that proves Mouw and some of the leaders he's listened to are lying. Mormon Leaks note: "This internal training video given to the General Authorities instructing them how to powerfully testify of Jesus Christ and other Mormon gospel topics. The video contains many examples of General Authorities past and present speaking in public about these topics and declaring their beliefs with authority."
The LDS leaders are continuing their demonic doctrines. You can hear the subtle use of truth with error--Moroni called Jesus "the author and finisher of our faith", not the apostle Paul, not the Triune God (as He is the Author of Scripture). They instruct people on the "atonement" and their desire to have Mormons grow in the atonement and in life in order to achieve "exaltation". Now, if you know anything about LDS doctrine, you know that refers to becoming a god. They mention the "saving ordinances" and all of this is just less than 5 minutes into the message.

2Co 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. 

God Absolute, Unbounded, Unfettered, Unchanging

On the sovereignty of God in salvation:

And we say to all of you who gnash your teeth at this doctrine, whether you know it or not, you have a vast deal of enmity towards God in your hearts; for until you can be brought to know this doctrine, there is something which you have not yet discovered, which makes you opposed to the idea of God absolute, God unbounded, God unfettered, God unchanging, and God having a free will, which you are so fond of proving that the creature possesses. I am persuaded that the Sovereignty of God must be held by us if we would be in a healthy state of mind. "Salvation is of the Lord alone." Then give all the glory to his holy name, to whom all glory belongs.

~Spurgeon, "Divine Sovereignty"

Not All People Are Children of God

Suppose a father should have a certain number of children, and he should give to one all his favors, and consign the others to misery—should we not say that he was a very unkind and cruel father? I answer, yes. But the cases are not the same. You have not a father to deal with, but a judge. You say all men are God's children; I demand of you to prove that. I never read it in my Bible. I dare not say, "Our father which art in heaven," till I am regenerated. I cannot rejoice in the fatherhood of God towards me till I know that I am one with him, and a joint heir with Christ. I dare not claim the fatherhood of God as an unregenerated man. It is not father and child—for the child has a claim upon its father—but it is King and subject; and not even so high a relation as that, for there is a claim between subject and King.

~Spurgeon, "Divine Sovereignty"

1Jn 3:1  See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 

Eph 1:4  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5  He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6  to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8  which He lavished on us. I

Rom 8:8  and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 

Rom 8:9  However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 

Rom 8:10  If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 

Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 

Rom 8:13  for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 

Rom 8:14  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 

Rom 8:15  For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 

Rom 8:16  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 

Rom 8:17  and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 

Al Mohler and Carl Truman: Reformers Obey Rome's Siren Call

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.

Al Mohler had an interview with Rod Dreher, author of "The Benedict Option". Dreher is a Romanist in the guise of EO:

" I came to Christ as an adult through the Roman Catholic Church in my mid-20s...I’m no longer Catholic; I’m an Eastern Orthodox Christian, and our churches are not necessarily any better. But I think it’s a temptation for intellectuals who love to talk about ideas and read books of theology and philosophy to think that this is what we’re going to encounter at the local church, and it’s just not so. That’s not to say that everybody needs to sit around and, you know, be at the Diet of Worms, you know, talking about theology and arguing about heresy and things like that. That’s not real life. But our pastors and teachers and we ourselves have starved ourselves for generations, and now we have given our kids stones when they need bread." - Dreher

Theology and arguing about heresy isn't real life? This IS the very heart of the problem with men like this. Doctrine is connected inseparably to life--if it's sound doctrine, one will have a sound life; if it's unsound doctrine, one will have an unsound life. What Dreher said is nothing but a satanic attack on the Truth.

The problem is that intellectuals might sit around and talk about doctrine but they don't believe the true biblical doctrine as absolute truth--to them it's a matter of personal opinion, not something that convicts them to the point of a changed heart, mind, and behavior, and a willingness to die on the hill for it. They treat doctrine trivially, blaspheming it as a result. It's the modern day version of phariseeism.

Dreher is promoting the original Benedict Monk and that is promotion of Roman Catholic's mysticism, despite Mohler trying to white wash it. Dreher went on with his goal of inter-faith: "What I call the Benedict Option is sort of a blanket term referring to Christians, the choice that we all have to make now to be countercultural, to quit trying to shore up the imperium and instead focus on building new forms of local community, churches, Christian schools, things like that that will thicken our relationship to each other and make our roots go deeper in the gospel, in the Christian tradition, so we can survive these dark ages to come...What I hope happens with the publication of this book is that serious Christians who can read the signs of the times, again Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox, will come together within their own communities and even across denominational lines and say, “Hey, we’re in a bad situation. How can we build the structures now that will enable us to live out the faith even under persecution and not lose it, keep it alive until such time as the dark age we’re entering now is over?”"

The problem of course is that the RCC and EOC are not Christian at all, they are of the devil with a works-righteousness that can't save. Dreher looks to the flesh to save his religion. But for the true Christian, we know that Christ Himself preserves HIS church and it's not through a collaboration with other religions until the "dark age is over". The days are indeed growing darker because the end of all things is near. Christ is about to return to gather His own to Himself and then He will return as King and Judge. Things won't get better. They are getting worse as Scripture says they will. Revelation talks about this very thing.

Carl Trueman, another Reformer also embraces Dreher as a Christian:

"I have been accused of defeatist and separatist views myself, within my small Reformed subculture. Certainly Rod and I share a number of convictions. We both believe that the culture war is over and that “our side” has lost. We both believe that it is pointless simply to shout Bible verses louder, or to base arguments on the private religious convictions of the Founding Fathers, or to huff and puff that we must be taken seriously because Christianity was important way back when. And we both believe that the language of exile is appropriate for the imminent condition of Christians in the USA. But these beliefs do not logically demand that we withdraw into the mountains, dress in animal skins, and live on locusts and wild honey. Rod and I both still believe that Christians should be involved in their communities, cast votes in elections, and be “in the world but not of it.” '

Roman Catholicism and it's daughter, Eastern Orthodox are not Christian. Why can't these intellectuals understand that? These are different religions entirely, antithetical to the one Gospel and one Christ Jesus and all His doctrine. What I said about Mohler goes for Trueman too. Considering Dreher's claims and statements in the Mohler interview, his desire for inter-faith cooperation--should be enough to realize that Truman (who purports to have read about Dreher and what he's written) has no discernment and is a traitor to Christ and HIS sheep.

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. 

Creation Versus Evolution

The sound doctrine of Creation is directly bound to God's attributes and His revealing of himself through Creation--His eternal power and divine nature., in a clear, plain way so that it is clearly perceived by all men and therefore without excuse. Evolution attacks these things and at the very least, makes these things about God unclear and not plainly perceptible by men so they are then without excuse. Evolution in all it's forms, even it's "integration" with the Bible (it can't be done but Evangelicals attempt it) is bound to: not honoring God as God and Creator, futile speculations, of foolish hearts/minds, and such people who hold to and teach these things claim to be wise but are fools.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 
Rom 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 
Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 
Rom 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
Rom 1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

Evangelical's "God"

The philosophic "Christian world" knows an effeminate, indiscriminate fatherhood, but not “the righteous Father.” It will not bow before the majesty of His justice. According to the tenor of its teaching, sin is a misfortune, transgression a mere trifle, and the souls that suffer for willful guilt are objects to be pitied, rather than to be blamed. 

~ CH Spurgeon

The Church And The World

"There are some, in these apostate days, who think that the church cannot do better than to come down to the world to learn her ways, follow her maxims, and acquire her "culture." In fact, the notion is that the world is to be conquered by our conforming to it. This is as contrary to Scripture as the light is to the darkness. The more distinct the line between him that feareth God and him that feareth him not, the better all round. It will be a black day when the sun itself is turned into darkness. When the salt has lost its savor, and no longer opposes putrefaction, the world will rot with a vengeance." 


~ CH Spurgeon John 17:17

TalkingTo Your Therapist

This is meant to be funny I guess, but it's the sad destruction by psychology (including the "biblical" counseling/integration hybrid which attempts to blend psychology with Scripture). Slander and tail-bearing, especially against a biblical Christian (when they tell the truth) is sinful and cannot help a person be sanctified. It is anti-biblical. Blessedly God avenges those who afflict and persecute His own, in His due time (2 Thes 1:5-7).

photo source

Eph 4:29  Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 
Eph 4:30  Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 
Eph 4:32  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. 

The biblical way to deal with sin issues is simply to pray, read Scripture, and go to that person.

Mat 18:15  "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
Mat 18:16  "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
Mat 18:17  "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

If it's just a matter of a personal preference or quirk that isn't sin, we're to bear with them in love:

Eph 4:1  Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 

Eph 4:2  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 

Eph 4:3  being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

Of course all this is predicated upon the sound doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture in all things pertaining to life and godliness and its prohibition against psychology(Eph. 4:17-21, Col. 2-3, Rom. 12:2, Ps 1:1-3, Ps 119).

Why Are "Christian" Bookstores Closing

The irony is, while Family Christian Stores has imploded, the carcass will simply remain for a while on the highway of “Christian” resources, and the road is well traveled. If books are no longer sold by Family Stores, they will be sold by Amazon, or Saddleback Church, or North Point, or Willow Creek. Et cetera.

You see, a dirty secret of the Evangelical world is that if heretical books no longer have a home in bankrupt retail stores, they live and thrive in conferences, mega-churches, and media.

Celebrity pastors don’t need no stinking Family Christian Retail. They have myriad platforms to rake in the cash.

Mystical, contemplative spirituality, weird experiential-driven claptrap, and social justice progressivism passes today for Christian resources. They all contribute to the biblical illiteracy in this country.

At the Family Christian Stores fire sale, one can find books by Jen Hatmaker (a Never-Trumper, socially progressive “evangelical”), Hillsong’s Brian Houston and William Paul Young, who wrote “The Shack.”

That’s just the tip of the iceberg that has rendered the Evangelical community just another glitzy, over-confident Titanic.

Family Christian Stores made a conscious decision years ago to make cash the only real priority. No vetting of books being peddled by publishers and salesmen who were, in some cases, more pagan than Baal. Anything labeling itself “Christian” was allowed in the door, more enthusiastically if the book sold like hotcakes as we used to say.

~ WorldNetDaily