Sunday, May 12, 2019
Alistair Begg Joins Gnostic Feminist Beth Moore To Preach To Preachers This Fall
Alistair Begg joins the liberal Truitt seminary (of once-upon-a-time Baptist Baylor University) in the fall, as he pulpit fellowships with heretics like feminist gnostic Beth Moore and Tony Evans. Moore is now speaking at preachers' conferences with pastors as she teaches men. Remember, she's never been just a woman's teacher. She's been teaching men for decades, as I reported years ago.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
The Simplicity of Exegeting Scripture
"Ezra...simply read the Scriptures & gave a straightforward exegesis. That was enough to enable the people to understand, & this brought repentance, confession, & worship. No emotional appeals, no gimmicks, no technology, just the Scriptures—taken naturally & literally."
~HM Morris
Absolutely the biblical way. Methods reveal one's true doctrine. Evangelicalism is cluttered and distracted by all the frivolous bells and whistles to make Scripture more appealing, which means they are appealing to the flesh and they doubt the absolute and sole power of God's Word to change a life. They believe then, they must help God out. That never, ever worked out well in Scripture.
~HM Morris
Absolutely the biblical way. Methods reveal one's true doctrine. Evangelicalism is cluttered and distracted by all the frivolous bells and whistles to make Scripture more appealing, which means they are appealing to the flesh and they doubt the absolute and sole power of God's Word to change a life. They believe then, they must help God out. That never, ever worked out well in Scripture.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
There Is No Gap Theory In Genesis
Some are using celebrity Evangelicals to justify their Gap theory or Old Age theory and then say that there's a gap of time in Gen. 1:1-2 (by absence I guess--which how do you prove then, that's it's there?). The problem is that the source of the theories are unbelievers who value "science" as the standard of interpreting Scripture, not Scripture as the standard nor it's Author. In other words, they value the world's silly views and accreditation over that of the King of king's and Lord of lord's --who was the One Who was actually there in the Beginning.
Here are some excellent articles and excerpts:
Quote:
Another often-repeated claim is that Genesis 1:2 should read, "the earth became without form and void," as opposed to the traditional understanding that when God first created the earth in verse 3, it "was without form (i.e., not yet in completed form) and void (i.e., not yet inhabited)." The verb's normal meaning, however, is simply "was," and while it may be translated "become," the context does not warrant it, and all accepted versions of the Bible use "was."
"But science has proved the earth is old," they still insist, "and we dare not alienate the academic community by insisting on a literal Genesis." No, "science" has not proved the earth is old! The oldest written records we have, apart from the Bible, are in Egypt and Sumeria, and these only go back a few thousand years.
End quote.
~ICR
“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:18).
Morris explains:
Quote:
Actually, the meaning of tohu is very flexible; it occurs 20 times and is translated 10 different ways, depending on context. In our text above, Isaiah was not writing about the initial state of the creation, but the purpose of the creation, that purpose being to provide a beautiful and appropriate home for mankind.
The translation “in vain” was required by Isaiah’s context, just as “without form” best fits the context in Genesis 1:2. There is no conflict, since the two passages are dealing with two different subjects, and Isaiah’s message simply extols God’s ultimate and certain goal for His creation.
When God first created the space/time universe, only the basic elements of the earth (Genesis 1:1) were created, with neither structure nor inhabitant, but that was not its full purpose. God had merely “created” the heavens according to this verse. But then, with great care, He formed the earth, made the earth and established the earth, and all this was done to make it ready to be inhabited by men and women who would share His image and know His love.
End quote. Bold, my emphasis.
End quote. (Bold, my emphasis.)
Other info:
Info on Old Age theory origins here.
Insights on the Gap Theory and eschatology.
Here are some excellent articles and excerpts:
Quote:
Another often-repeated claim is that Genesis 1:2 should read, "the earth became without form and void," as opposed to the traditional understanding that when God first created the earth in verse 3, it "was without form (i.e., not yet in completed form) and void (i.e., not yet inhabited)." The verb's normal meaning, however, is simply "was," and while it may be translated "become," the context does not warrant it, and all accepted versions of the Bible use "was."
Each verse in Genesis 1, except verse 1, begins with the conjunction "and," thereby connecting each verse sequentially to those before and after. There is no hint of the passing of millions or billions of years of time between verses 1 and 2.
Gap advocates frequently turn to other portions of Scripture for support, particularly those which use the words "without form" and "void" (Jeremiah 4:23, Isaiah 24:1, and 45:18 are most important). In each case, the prophet refers to a wasted state due to the judgment of sin, thereby implying that Genesis 1:2 likewise implies a condition brought about by judgment. But in each case, the context regards the land of Israel not the original earth. There is no justification for postulating long ages present in a supposed gap in Genesis.
~Dr. John Morris, ICR
Additional info here:
Some do criticize and reject Darwinian evolution, but then will still allow some other form of evolution--"creative evolution," "pantheistic evolution," "punctuational evolution," or something. Some still resort to the unscientific "gap theory" which seeks to insert the "ages" between the first two verses of Genesis. Every such group must turn to either the "local flood theory" or the "tranquil flood theory" if they are going to hold to the geologic ages, since a global cataclysm such as the Bible describes would have destroyed all evidence for the geologic ages...
~Dr. John Morris, ICR
Additional info here:
Some do criticize and reject Darwinian evolution, but then will still allow some other form of evolution--"creative evolution," "pantheistic evolution," "punctuational evolution," or something. Some still resort to the unscientific "gap theory" which seeks to insert the "ages" between the first two verses of Genesis. Every such group must turn to either the "local flood theory" or the "tranquil flood theory" if they are going to hold to the geologic ages, since a global cataclysm such as the Bible describes would have destroyed all evidence for the geologic ages...
The difference is this: we believe the Bible must take priority over scientific theories, while they believe scientific theories must determine our biblical interpretations.
Is the Bible God's Inerrant Word?
It all seems to us to hinge on one overriding question. Do we really believe the Bible to be God's inerrant Word or not? If the Bible is really the Word of our Creator God, then--by definition--it must be inerrant and authoritative on every subject with which it deals. This assumption leads clearly to the conviction that the creation took place in six literal days several thousand years ago. We believe this simply because God said so and said it quite plainly! And then we find also that this revealed fact will fit all the facts of science much better than the long-age evolutionary scenario does.
It is no good to say, as one evangelical leader said recently: "Well, I believe that God could create in six days or six billion years--it makes no difference." Yes it does, because it has to do with God's truthfulness! It is not a matter of what God could do. The question is what God says that He did! And what He said in writing was this, recorded with His own finger on a table of stone: "In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day" (Exodus 20:11; see also Exodus 31:15-18)...
"But science has proved the earth is old," they still insist, "and we dare not alienate the academic community by insisting on a literal Genesis." No, "science" has not proved the earth is old! The oldest written records we have, apart from the Bible, are in Egypt and Sumeria, and these only go back a few thousand years.
End quote.
~ICR
Excellent:
Why The Gap Theory Won't Work by Dr. Henry Morris.
Also, Gap theorists use this verse to establish their interpretation back into Gen. 1:1-2
Why The Gap Theory Won't Work by Dr. Henry Morris.
Also, Gap theorists use this verse to establish their interpretation back into Gen. 1:1-2
“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:18).
Morris explains:
Quote:
Actually, the meaning of tohu is very flexible; it occurs 20 times and is translated 10 different ways, depending on context. In our text above, Isaiah was not writing about the initial state of the creation, but the purpose of the creation, that purpose being to provide a beautiful and appropriate home for mankind.
The translation “in vain” was required by Isaiah’s context, just as “without form” best fits the context in Genesis 1:2. There is no conflict, since the two passages are dealing with two different subjects, and Isaiah’s message simply extols God’s ultimate and certain goal for His creation.
When God first created the space/time universe, only the basic elements of the earth (Genesis 1:1) were created, with neither structure nor inhabitant, but that was not its full purpose. God had merely “created” the heavens according to this verse. But then, with great care, He formed the earth, made the earth and established the earth, and all this was done to make it ready to be inhabited by men and women who would share His image and know His love.
End quote. Bold, my emphasis.
In some cases, a sentence using hayah can make sense whether it is translated as a form of “to be” or a form of “to become,” but it still appears that a form of “to be” makes better theological or historical sense in those contexts (e.g., Genesis 13:8; Judges 18:19; 2 Samuel 7:24).
As noted above, gap theory advocates say that the earth described in Genesis 1 clashes with Isaiah’s earth, positing Isaiah 45:18 as a proof text. In effect, they say Isaiah 45:18 clashes with the history reported in Genesis 1:2. This is the question they often pose:
In Isaiah 45:18 we are told that God created the world to not be formless (lô’ tohû), yet in Genesis 1:2 we are told that the world was formless (tohû). Likewise, we read in Genesis 1:2 that earth was “void” (bohû, meaning “empty,” i.e., empty of inhabitants), yet in Isaiah 45:18 it says God created the earth “to be inhabited” (a form of yashab, meaning “to inhabit”). How can both verses be true, unless they are describing different times in earth history?
Answer: These really are two different times. Genesis 1:2 describes Day One; Isaiah 45:18 describes (the “very good”) Day Six or thereafter.
Genesis is a chronological narrative reporting how and when God created stuff and what God did with it, sequentially, to implement His intentions for creation. Isaiah, however, emphasizes why God created stuff and later developed it: Because God wanted an inhabited, orderly world....
Other info:
"Jesus, Evangelical Scholars and the Age of the Earth" by Fr.Terry Moretenson:
Quote:
Quote:
Besides the above mentioned evidence that Jesus took Genesis 1-11 as straightforward reliable history, the gospel writers record several statements that Jesus made, which are relevant to the age of the earth. Those verses, hereafter collectively referred to as the “Jesus AGE verses,” show that Jesus was a young-earth creationist. They are:
- “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.” (Mark 10:6)
- “For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.” (Mark 13:19–20)
- “. . . so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.” (Luke 11:50–51)
The key phrases that will attract our attention in these verses are “from (or since) the beginning of creation” and “since the foundation of the world.” Old-earth advocates who interact with these verses contend that in them Jesus is not referring to the beginning of the whole creation but only to the beginning of the human race, which they believe was millions of years after the creation of the universe, earth, trilobites, dinosaurs, etc. In what follows I will first present my exegetical arguments for concluding that Jesus is referring to the beginning of the world (Gen 1:1) in these verses. Then later I will come back to these texts as I interact with the writings of the few old-earth proponents who have addressed these verses with respect to the age of the earth.
End quote. Go to the link above for the whole treatment of men who hold to something other than a biblical Creation view and how they do not rightly deal with Jesus' own teaching on the age of the earth.
End quote. Go to the link above for the whole treatment of men who hold to something other than a biblical Creation view and how they do not rightly deal with Jesus' own teaching on the age of the earth.
Scriptural Geology :Abstract:The scriptural geology (SG) movement is described by historians as a reaction among both scientists and theologians to the long-ages models being proposed by geologists in the early nineteenth century. Specifically, it occupied the period of 1820 to 1860 after which time the movement essentially died out until revived by George McCready Price and the modern creationist movement of the twentieth century. Possible reasons for the precipitous decline of scriptural geology after the 1850s are explored. Historians have noted remarkable similarities between scriptural geology (SG) and the modern creationist movement (popularly known as young-earth creationism or YEC). Most of the basic issues have not dramatically changed in the last 150 years and more. A review of the more important issues in the SG movement can prove very helpful in resolving parallel issues being grappled with by YEC scholars today. One issue that caused the most diverse opinions among SG was where to place the biblical Flood in the geological record. This remains one of the most hotly debated issues among creationist geologists today....
End quote. Italics, original. See the whole article linked above.
End quote. Italics, original. See the whole article linked above.
Insights on the Gap Theory and eschatology.
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
Observations of Today's Evangelicals In Light of Scripture
Mat 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
Mat 5:18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.
Mat 5:19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:20 "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus continually taught and upheld the Law and the Prophets (Matt 1:22-23;2:3,5-6,15,23:3 4:4,7,10,14-16;5:17,21,27,33,38; 8:26-27; 9:1311:4-512:3-8,17-21;13:14-15,35;). The apostles did as well. The entire Word of God is a corpus, a body, a unit of Truth. They cannot be disconnected. But it's interesting to see Evangelicals try to do so.
The prophets and the law continue to be upheld in Matthew by Jesus yet most Evangelicals ignore them. They are a unity because Jesus taught them even as He revealed more truth and enacted the New Covenant.
Evangelicals will spend two years in the Gospel of Matthew while ignoring the very things it teaches regarding the Law and Prophets starting with the sound doctrine of Creation in six literal days. Many will eisogete the parables and they all claim that the parables can have various interpretations (thus proving Jesus' point that those who don't understand the parables are under judgment--Matt. 13:16).
It's like they think His Kingdom (which is the theme of Jesus and Matthew), is merely theoretical, as they also see Creation as theoretical, but not actual. They however, war a physical/political one but it's not according to His laws and under His rule. They deny the Millennial kingdom while trying to create a political one right now, as they attach their names to it with their rules, laws, standards, and judgments determining who's in and who's out in their man-made kingdom. Oh, they will slap on the name of Jesus to what they've created, in order to get people to follow them, but it has nothing to do with HIS holy kingdom at all. In fact, they are just modern day Pharisees. But worse, today they don't even attempt to "venerate" or "idolize" Jesus, but they do indeed venerate and idolize their own men (professors, theologians, speakers, writers, pastors). In fact, Jesus is always competing with the rule of their celebrity theologians, traditions, coalitions, etc. Basically they are no different than the RCC which really is to say, they are no different than the Pharisees.
For today's Evangelical leaders, Scripture is too burdensome to them; too precise; too ridged. And so they use pragmatism. God's commands aren't burdensome to those in Christ nor is His rule over them a thing to fight--rather they joyfully and gratefully submit to His dominance and commands. Evangelicals instead fight both.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
The methods of the Evangelicals (which come by their pragmatism, not Scripture as these two are antithetical) become the standard of judging others' spirituality. Coalitions, conferences,music, programs, books, book studies (which they call "bible studies"), favoring famous Christian, etc are their measure of whether one is to be considered on a higher spiritual plane by them. But these things are all fleshly and fall short of God's precise standard of holiness.
Ironically these same Evangelicals, who find God's commands and standard to be too precise (and thus they judge most of them to be "non-essential" and therefore "agree to disagree" on them), are also the ones who will take one verse and turn it into a doctrine, or worse, claim a teaching is actually in Scripture when it isn't. For example they take David's hope of seeing his dead baby again as a proof text of all babies going to Heaven, when in fact Scripture only states that those who have repented of their sins and turned to Christ go to Heaven (what happens to babies is not taught). The other is that no where in all of Scripture do we see infant sprinkling (sprinkling is not baptizing by the way), but many claim "infant baptism" is biblical. Yet these are the same people who will deny multiple verses that speak of God creating all things by the power of His Word, in six literal days. They also deny multiple verses about the Millennial Kingdom. These are quite the rebels and do not speak according to Scripture but merely of men.
By way of clarification, biblical salvation is by faith and trust in the biblical Lord Jesus Christ alone and repenting of all of one's sins. The result is that a truly saved person will bear HIS fruit (1 John 1). Ironically, Evangelicals have attached good works to salvation and now determine a person's salvation by whether or not they are part of "social justice", which is actually injustice and stems from Rome's Liberation Theology and Marxism.
Mat 5:18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.
Mat 5:19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:20 "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus continually taught and upheld the Law and the Prophets (Matt 1:22-23;2:3,5-6,15,23:3 4:4,7,10,14-16;5:17,21,27,33,38; 8:26-27; 9:1311:4-512:3-8,17-21;13:14-15,35;). The apostles did as well. The entire Word of God is a corpus, a body, a unit of Truth. They cannot be disconnected. But it's interesting to see Evangelicals try to do so.
The prophets and the law continue to be upheld in Matthew by Jesus yet most Evangelicals ignore them. They are a unity because Jesus taught them even as He revealed more truth and enacted the New Covenant.
Evangelicals will spend two years in the Gospel of Matthew while ignoring the very things it teaches regarding the Law and Prophets starting with the sound doctrine of Creation in six literal days. Many will eisogete the parables and they all claim that the parables can have various interpretations (thus proving Jesus' point that those who don't understand the parables are under judgment--Matt. 13:16).
It's like they think His Kingdom (which is the theme of Jesus and Matthew), is merely theoretical, as they also see Creation as theoretical, but not actual. They however, war a physical/political one but it's not according to His laws and under His rule. They deny the Millennial kingdom while trying to create a political one right now, as they attach their names to it with their rules, laws, standards, and judgments determining who's in and who's out in their man-made kingdom. Oh, they will slap on the name of Jesus to what they've created, in order to get people to follow them, but it has nothing to do with HIS holy kingdom at all. In fact, they are just modern day Pharisees. But worse, today they don't even attempt to "venerate" or "idolize" Jesus, but they do indeed venerate and idolize their own men (professors, theologians, speakers, writers, pastors). In fact, Jesus is always competing with the rule of their celebrity theologians, traditions, coalitions, etc. Basically they are no different than the RCC which really is to say, they are no different than the Pharisees.
For today's Evangelical leaders, Scripture is too burdensome to them; too precise; too ridged. And so they use pragmatism. God's commands aren't burdensome to those in Christ nor is His rule over them a thing to fight--rather they joyfully and gratefully submit to His dominance and commands. Evangelicals instead fight both.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
The methods of the Evangelicals (which come by their pragmatism, not Scripture as these two are antithetical) become the standard of judging others' spirituality. Coalitions, conferences,music, programs, books, book studies (which they call "bible studies"), favoring famous Christian, etc are their measure of whether one is to be considered on a higher spiritual plane by them. But these things are all fleshly and fall short of God's precise standard of holiness.
Ironically these same Evangelicals, who find God's commands and standard to be too precise (and thus they judge most of them to be "non-essential" and therefore "agree to disagree" on them), are also the ones who will take one verse and turn it into a doctrine, or worse, claim a teaching is actually in Scripture when it isn't. For example they take David's hope of seeing his dead baby again as a proof text of all babies going to Heaven, when in fact Scripture only states that those who have repented of their sins and turned to Christ go to Heaven (what happens to babies is not taught). The other is that no where in all of Scripture do we see infant sprinkling (sprinkling is not baptizing by the way), but many claim "infant baptism" is biblical. Yet these are the same people who will deny multiple verses that speak of God creating all things by the power of His Word, in six literal days. They also deny multiple verses about the Millennial Kingdom. These are quite the rebels and do not speak according to Scripture but merely of men.
By way of clarification, biblical salvation is by faith and trust in the biblical Lord Jesus Christ alone and repenting of all of one's sins. The result is that a truly saved person will bear HIS fruit (1 John 1). Ironically, Evangelicals have attached good works to salvation and now determine a person's salvation by whether or not they are part of "social justice", which is actually injustice and stems from Rome's Liberation Theology and Marxism.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
TGC Pushing The Same-Sex Christian Apostasy Both To The Young and Adults
Excellent article. Makes many of the same points I have made, so I'm very thankful for that! Makes some good additional points as well. Time well spent if you read this.
TGC and The Same-Sex Attracted Christian Apostasy by Chuck O'Neal.
This is just a few excerpts of the article, but please read the whole thing.
The leadership of TGC, T4G, and 9Marks are homophobic. When you fear being called a “homophobic bigot” by a homosexual crazed world to the point you’re willing to exchange God’s Biblical moral terms (abomination, vile passion, against nature, shameful, etc.) for the world’s amoral terms (same-sex attracted, gay, LBGBTQI, etc.) you are in fact homophobic. Homophobic men systematically exchange God’s sin condemning terms for the world’s noncondemning terms because they fear homosexuals and our perverse, God-hating, Romans 1:18-32
culture’s wrath — more than they fear God.
culture’s wrath — more than they fear God.
By their own confession, the homophobic men behind TGC believe Sam Allberry and Jackie Hill Perry to be the “most credible” evangelical voices to speak our message to the unbelieving “world where Christians are seen as homophobic bigots.” Having forgotten the fear of God, TGC’s homophobic leaders are trembling before homosexual activists and a world gone mad in its embrace and celebration of all the things Romans 1:18-32 condemns with incredibly descriptive terminology.
Their intense fear of being “seen as homophobic bigots” for believing the Bible and using God’s Biblical terms has transformed them into homophobic leaders who are actively, habitually, and dogmatically exchanging the truth of God for the same-sex attracted Christian lies Sam Allberry and Jackie Hill Perry are selling in their books and through their conference speaking fees. In full homophobic panic, TGC and much of Evangelicalism have thrown off God’s Biblical vocabulary terms as unnecessary, distasteful, divisive, unloving — even hateful.
You need only listen to Ligon Duncan’s Ligonier Conference Q&A commentary, do a quick survey of Sam Allberry’s livingout.org website, or read Jackie Hill Perry’s Gay Girl, Good God to see how God’s truth, moral terms, and holy commands are being exchanged for the world’s lies, amoral terms, and perverse counsel. TGC, T4G, and 9Marks’ esteemed leaders need to be warned that homophobia is a form of cowardice and “coward” is another unpopular Biblical term found very near “abominable” in Revelation 21:8....
They boast the perverse acting out and unholy feeding of their vile passions through supposedly “non-sexual” hand-holding, hugging, cuddling, and kissing within live-in or casual relationships with other men and women who identify as same-sex attracted Christians. That’s right — Sam Allberry’s website encourages sodomy attracted “Christian” men to live with sodomy attracted “Christian” men, to hold hands, to hug, to cuddle, to kiss, and to raise children together (more on that below).
Those of us who still hold fast to the Biblical definition of repentance found in 2 Corinthians 7:11 must reject TGC’s false repentance that leaves men and women perpetually enslaved to vile passions. Those of us who still believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ saves sinners from both the eternal penalty and indwelling power of sin must reject TGC’s false gospel that leaves men and women enslaved to perversion and acting it out under the guise of sanctified same-sex attracted Christian affection....
It’s long past time to take a stand against their Same-Sex Attracted Christian Apostasy. It’s long past time to stop commending these men, their ministries, and their books until such a time as they Biblically repent with clear, unnuanced, public renunciation. It’s long past time to put these men out of our pulpits and their books out of our bookstores. Call them friends and brothers if you’re still convinced they are erring friends and brothers, but don’t stubbornly let your friends and brothers ravage Christ’s Church with their abominable doctrine like the unfaithful elders in Pergamos and Thyatira.
Faithful men of God don’t knowingly put unfaithful friends in the pulpit for the sake of maintaining fellowship and friendships — or for the sake of maintaining or extending the width and breadth of their ministry. Faithful men of God don’t knowingly lend credibility to dangerous teachers of dangerous doctrines and help draw a crowd to sit beneath their teaching by having their picture alongside and sharing a pulpit with unfaithful Balaams and rebel egalitarian Jezebels at compromised conferences that undermine “the Faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
Faithful men of God love and protect the purity of Christ’s Church and the purity of Christ’s Gospel even when it costs them their fellowship and friendship with erring friends. Sometimes the best message you can preach when invited to speak at a conference is a public Jude 3-like explanation of why you can’t and won’t speak, can’t and won’t lend credibility, and can’t and won’t help gather a crowd to sit beneath dangerous teachers of dangerous doctrines.
-like explanation of why you can’t and won’t speak, can’t and won’t lend credibility, and can’t and won’t help gather a crowd to sit beneath dangerous teachers of dangerous doctrines.
End excerpt. (bold, red original emphasis)
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Augustine was not a biblical Christian, but a Roman Catholic monk.
In his writings outside of his speculations on predestination, St. Augustine was generally reflecting the catholic consensus of the time, and the beliefs which he held as the catholic bishop of Hippo in North Africa. Here are some of the catholic beliefs of Aurelius Augustine, catholic Bishop of Hippo:
1. The canon of Scripture includes the Septuagint OT canon (deuterocanonicals, Apocrypha)
2. Authoritative Tradition
3. Baptismal regeneration and grace
4. Necessity of baptism for salvation
5. Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist (Lord's Supper)
6. The Mass is a sacrifice
7. Necessity of the Lord's Supper for salvation
8. Purgatory and praying for the departed
9. The communion of saints and saintly intercession
10. Authority of the Catholic Church
11. Apostolic Succession
12. Possibility of falling from grace
13. The sacrament of penance
Wednesday, March 06, 2019
Shepherd's Conference 2019 Q&A MacArthur:"I will fight error but not my friends"
Jas 2:1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
Jas 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Tit 1:9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
**UDPDATE**
Friend of John MacArthur and speaker at last week's Shepherd's Conference, Ligon Duncan couldn't address concerns about Revoice and its push for accepting homosexuals as Christians. Instead he suggested a book by New Calvinist and TGCer Kevin DeYoung and a book by gay Anglican priest, Sam Allberry. That's right. No Scripture, no biblical, sound wisdom; just two men's books, one of whom is a false Christian and fake teacher. Duncan was on stage when MacArthur proclaimed he and they (the panel) were all theologically the same on social justice. So then by his own words, he's ok with a gay Anglican priest preaching to Christians about accepting gay Christians?
Shepherd's Conference 2019 Q&A. MacArthur says he'll fight error but not his friends (time mark 26:00). But his friends are the ones spreading error! Truth and error aren't seen as absolutes but rather personal opinions over which they can agree to disagree. They divide the man from his grave error, but God does not.
Al Mohler is a big promoter of the doctrinal triage. Because of that he's joined hands with the cults and the RCC for social justice issues. Here are the articles where I discuss him. He also buys into the psychological heresy of being born gay. He also upholds Romanist Rod Dreher who is promoting the original Benedict Monk which is the promotion of Roman Catholic's mysticism, despite Mohler trying to white wash it. Mohler's found great things in Marxist Nelson Mandela. Moreover Mohler continues to be heavily influenced by Marxist philosphyer Alasdair MacIntyre, as did Rod Dreher.
Ligon Duncan accepts homosexual Anglican priest as a "Christian" and pulpit fellowships with him.
It appears Shepherds Conference removed the video, so it's available here although with commentary (I don't endorse the website or the men commenting).
MacArthur is practicing the sinful doctrinal triage, where biblical truth is triaged into categories of essential, less essential, and non-essential.
Act 20:27 "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
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 20:29 "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
Act 20:30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Act 20:31 "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
1Ti 6:3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,
1Ti 6:4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,
1Ti 6:5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge"--
1Ti 6:21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
Jas 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Tit 1:9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
**UDPDATE**
Friend of John MacArthur and speaker at last week's Shepherd's Conference, Ligon Duncan couldn't address concerns about Revoice and its push for accepting homosexuals as Christians. Instead he suggested a book by New Calvinist and TGCer Kevin DeYoung and a book by gay Anglican priest, Sam Allberry. That's right. No Scripture, no biblical, sound wisdom; just two men's books, one of whom is a false Christian and fake teacher. Duncan was on stage when MacArthur proclaimed he and they (the panel) were all theologically the same on social justice. So then by his own words, he's ok with a gay Anglican priest preaching to Christians about accepting gay Christians?
Shepherd's Conference 2019 Q&A. MacArthur says he'll fight error but not his friends (time mark 26:00). But his friends are the ones spreading error! Truth and error aren't seen as absolutes but rather personal opinions over which they can agree to disagree. They divide the man from his grave error, but God does not.
Al Mohler is a big promoter of the doctrinal triage. Because of that he's joined hands with the cults and the RCC for social justice issues. Here are the articles where I discuss him. He also buys into the psychological heresy of being born gay. He also upholds Romanist Rod Dreher who is promoting the original Benedict Monk which is the promotion of Roman Catholic's mysticism, despite Mohler trying to white wash it. Mohler's found great things in Marxist Nelson Mandela. Moreover Mohler continues to be heavily influenced by Marxist philosphyer Alasdair MacIntyre, as did Rod Dreher.
Ligon Duncan accepts homosexual Anglican priest as a "Christian" and pulpit fellowships with him.
It appears Shepherds Conference removed the video, so it's available here although with commentary (I don't endorse the website or the men commenting).
MacArthur is practicing the sinful doctrinal triage, where biblical truth is triaged into categories of essential, less essential, and non-essential.
Act 20:27 "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
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 20:29 "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
Act 20:30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Act 20:31 "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
1Ti 6:3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,
1Ti 6:4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,
1Ti 6:5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge"--
1Ti 6:21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
Friday, March 01, 2019
Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, TGC Endorse Sodomite Anglican Priest Sam Allberry
So now Ligon Duncan and Mark Dever along with TGC are endorsing homosexual Anglican priest Sam Allberry.
As summed up by Thirty Pieces of Silver:
Tim Keller was in London to be the keynote speaker at the June “Living Out” conference promoted by Sam Allberry, a Same Sex Attracted Priest who, along with other self-identified gay priests in the Church of England, are migrating LGBT language since the 2013 vote of parliament to legalize same sex marriage in the UK. Keller’s TGC and Russell Moore of ERLC have heavily promoted Allberry and his SSA ministry for over 4 years to the US Evangelical Church. Allberry’s Living Out eagerly promoted the Revoice Conference for their “US audience” along with their marketing and Promotion of the Keller/ Allberry Event in London for June 2018.
Tim Keller was in London to be the keynote speaker at the June “Living Out” conference promoted by Sam Allberry, a Same Sex Attracted Priest who, along with other self-identified gay priests in the Church of England, are migrating LGBT language since the 2013 vote of parliament to legalize same sex marriage in the UK. Keller’s TGC and Russell Moore of ERLC have heavily promoted Allberry and his SSA ministry for over 4 years to the US Evangelical Church. Allberry’s Living Out eagerly promoted the Revoice Conference for their “US audience” along with their marketing and Promotion of the Keller/ Allberry Event in London for June 2018.
Allberry is a "celibate" homosexual, but hides under the less clear label of "same sex attraction". His bio is here. Living Out is pushing accepting sodomite Christians in the churches, etc.
The problem is that Anglicanism is the direct daughter of Rome and both are false pagan religions that lead straight to hell. Add to that sodomy and psychoheresy and you've got a heavy dose of perversion now accepted by TGC, T4G, the PCA, and 9 Marks.
The problem is that Anglicanism is the direct daughter of Rome and both are false pagan religions that lead straight to hell. Add to that sodomy and psychoheresy and you've got a heavy dose of perversion now accepted by TGC, T4G, the PCA, and 9 Marks.
Scripture tells us what to do with such men:
2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
2Jn 1:8 Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;
2Jn 1:11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
Christ Jesus taught about sin, sodomy, Creation, marriage, divorce, lust in the heart as breaking the law of fidelity to one's wife, etc. To reject His clear teaching on these and other doctrines is to NOT abide in HIS teachings. After all, HE is the Author of Scripture, Creator of all things and has defined all these issues already.
Monday, February 25, 2019
What Do You Trust In?
Joh 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease.
From a sermon Spurgeon gave on the Lord's day following the death of his dear friend, based on his text Romans 10:5-9:
Quote:
I invite your earnest attention to the first point-WHAT MOSES SAITH: "Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them." This is a clear statement. There is no mystery or obscurity about it. You need not go to the universities and earn a degree of D.D. in order to understand this declaration: it is as plain as words can make it. If you wish to be saved by the law you must do its commands and you shall live. The law is written in the ten commandments; you know them; and if you desire to live by them you must keep them. It will not suffice for you to learn those commands by heart, or to write them up in your churches, or to read them over and say, "Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law": all that may be well enough, but it is not to the point. If you are to be saved by the commandments you must do them: that is clear. Moses does not allow any person to dream that under the law he can be saved in any other way than by perfect obedience thereto. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Whatever it is that God has commanded, you must do; whatever he forbids, you must avoid; for by such obedience alone can you live.
End quote.
From a sermon Spurgeon gave on the Lord's day following the death of his dear friend, based on his text Romans 10:5-9:
Quote:
I invite your earnest attention to the first point-WHAT MOSES SAITH: "Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them." This is a clear statement. There is no mystery or obscurity about it. You need not go to the universities and earn a degree of D.D. in order to understand this declaration: it is as plain as words can make it. If you wish to be saved by the law you must do its commands and you shall live. The law is written in the ten commandments; you know them; and if you desire to live by them you must keep them. It will not suffice for you to learn those commands by heart, or to write them up in your churches, or to read them over and say, "Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law": all that may be well enough, but it is not to the point. If you are to be saved by the commandments you must do them: that is clear. Moses does not allow any person to dream that under the law he can be saved in any other way than by perfect obedience thereto. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Whatever it is that God has commanded, you must do; whatever he forbids, you must avoid; for by such obedience alone can you live.
Mark you, Moses does not tone down the law to suit our fallen state, or talk of our doing our best and God's being satisfied with our imperfect obedience. No, he says only, "He that doeth those things shall live by them." He demands perfect and entire obedience, if life is to come of it. He does not say that if you have broken the law you may still live by some other means. No, if the law is once broken it is all over with you as to salvation thereby: one single fault takes away the possibility of your ever being justified by the law. "He that doeth those things," that is, always, without exception, with all his heart and soul and strength-"he shall live by them"; but nobody else.
Judge ye whether any one of us has fulfilled the whole law. To my mind this word of Moses is conclusive that none of us can possibly live by the works of the law. We cannot keep the law now, for we have already broken it: the vase is fractured, and to talk of keeping it entire is nonsense. But even if it were not already broken, should we get through to-morrow with its temptations, bearing such a heart as we have within us, without breaking that perfect and spotless law? I am sure we should not. You that hope to be saved by your works are indulging a forlorn hope; what never you may do or be in the future, the past has already ruined you. The way to heaven up the steep sides of Sinai is inaccessible to trembling feet like ours. If you were to be saved by the law you should have begun without sin, continued without sin, and then it would be needful to end without sin.
It is just as clear as ever the law was, and quite as sharply distinct. Herein is no mystery: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Wrapping everything up into one, the gospel says, "Trust thou in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thy sins shall be forgiven thee, and thou shalt be saved." This believing, or trusting, is the whole of the matter, and neither heaven above nor the abyss beneath will ever reveal another salvation.
I want to call your special attention to the fact that Paul borrows the words of Moses; for his intent was the ending of all fears. No man among us doubts that if he had performed the law of God the Lord would give him life; but it is equally certain that if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ we have eternal life. No trembling sinner doubts but that by the breaking of the law we are condemned: be you equally sure of it, that by not believing you are condemned. As no keeper of the law would have been lost on any ground whatever, so no believer in Christ shall be lost on any ground whatever; as no breaker of the law could escape punishment, so no unbeliever in Christ can he saved. The gospel states its message as clearly as the law. As positively as the law utters its promise and threat, so positively and unalterably doth the gospel deliver its decree. The believer in Jesus shall be saved because he is a believer; and Christ's veracity is staked thereon:-"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life...."
Yes, and I find a self-denying, Christ-exalting faith to be good in times of jubilation and success. The only way to keep right and humble is to be nothing, and let Jesus be all in all. If God has blessed your ministry or other holy work, the devil whispers, "You are a pretty fellow; you have done wonders"; and up you will go if you are not steadied by the firm conviction that you may not glory, since you are nothing at all in yourself, and your sole help is in Jesus your Lord. When God gives you growth in grace and fruitfulness in good works it will be your safety to be as little as ever you were, and to trust in nothing but the work of the Lord. This blessed faith keeps men down when they are apt to go up, and up when otherwise they would be apt to go down. It is a holy balancing pole: we can walk the narrowest line with this in our hands, and fear no fall. Ourselves nothing, Christ everything-that is it. Keep to it.
Another, despairing of deliverance by his doings, runs upon his feelings, and cries, "If I am to be saved, surely I shall need to experience joys like those which are felt by spirits before the throne. If I had a sense of sin as deep as that of lost souls in hell, I could hope that I should be saved." Thus the second man looks to excitements and feelings just as the first looked to works and self-denials. Now, the gospel forbids us to dream in this fashion. Talk not thus. Say not even in thy heart that by these doings or feelings thou canst be saved. Perhaps thou wouldst be ashamed to say it with thy lips; but do not say it at all; do not say that the way to heaven is hard, or mysterious, or in any degree apart from the simple act of believing. Do not suppose that anything is wanted as to doings or feelings in order to complete the righteousness which is wrought out by the Lord Jesus, and imputed by God to the believer.
Ah, then the heart foolishly cries, "I must know a great deal; as much as if I had been to heaven and seen for myself, or as if I had dived into the depths and made discoveries there." No, you must not: the gospel is simple; salvation is as plain as a pikestaff; familiar an homespun; easy as the A B C of your childhood. Say not in thine heart that thou must be educated, trained, and made into a scholar. No, confess yourself a sinner; trust in the sinner's Savior, and you are saved.
"Ah, well," says one, "I know I must undergo a singular experience-either I must be carried right away to heaven with delirious delight, or be plunged into the waves of hell in frightful despair." No, my dear friend, do not say that even in your thought. The righteousness of faith lies not in dreams and visions, delusions or depressions: it lies only in reliance upon the work of Jesus finished for you. Go not to the loom to weave a righteousness. The garment is woven already; put it on; Christ gives it to you. Dig not into the bowels of the earth to find the gold of salvation. Christ holds it out to you: take it freely, and be rich for ever. So one of the first works of the gospel is silencing the questions of our unbelief.
The top and bottom of the matter is, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ." Be nothing; be nobody; and trust Him. Do not believe in yourself, but believe in Jesus. Have as many good works as you can cram into your life, but never tell anybody about them, or think anything of them. The best of them are but filthy rags: stow them all away in the coal-hole, and look to the merits of your Lord for salvation. Go to Jesus for everything. He says, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou may be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed." Take his counsel. As he whom we sorrow for today could die peacefully, and even merrily, so shall you and I if we rely on the same Savior. When our time comes to depart, we shall just step aside and say, "Good-bye, dear friends, awhile: we will meet again in the home of the blessed." I hear him say so at this moment; and I answer him, "Dear brother, we will be with you speedily."
It is just as clear as ever the law was, and quite as sharply distinct. Herein is no mystery: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Wrapping everything up into one, the gospel says, "Trust thou in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thy sins shall be forgiven thee, and thou shalt be saved." This believing, or trusting, is the whole of the matter, and neither heaven above nor the abyss beneath will ever reveal another salvation.
I want to call your special attention to the fact that Paul borrows the words of Moses; for his intent was the ending of all fears. No man among us doubts that if he had performed the law of God the Lord would give him life; but it is equally certain that if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ we have eternal life. No trembling sinner doubts but that by the breaking of the law we are condemned: be you equally sure of it, that by not believing you are condemned. As no keeper of the law would have been lost on any ground whatever, so no believer in Christ shall be lost on any ground whatever; as no breaker of the law could escape punishment, so no unbeliever in Christ can he saved. The gospel states its message as clearly as the law. As positively as the law utters its promise and threat, so positively and unalterably doth the gospel deliver its decree. The believer in Jesus shall be saved because he is a believer; and Christ's veracity is staked thereon:-"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life...."
Yes, and I find a self-denying, Christ-exalting faith to be good in times of jubilation and success. The only way to keep right and humble is to be nothing, and let Jesus be all in all. If God has blessed your ministry or other holy work, the devil whispers, "You are a pretty fellow; you have done wonders"; and up you will go if you are not steadied by the firm conviction that you may not glory, since you are nothing at all in yourself, and your sole help is in Jesus your Lord. When God gives you growth in grace and fruitfulness in good works it will be your safety to be as little as ever you were, and to trust in nothing but the work of the Lord. This blessed faith keeps men down when they are apt to go up, and up when otherwise they would be apt to go down. It is a holy balancing pole: we can walk the narrowest line with this in our hands, and fear no fall. Ourselves nothing, Christ everything-that is it. Keep to it.
Another, despairing of deliverance by his doings, runs upon his feelings, and cries, "If I am to be saved, surely I shall need to experience joys like those which are felt by spirits before the throne. If I had a sense of sin as deep as that of lost souls in hell, I could hope that I should be saved." Thus the second man looks to excitements and feelings just as the first looked to works and self-denials. Now, the gospel forbids us to dream in this fashion. Talk not thus. Say not even in thy heart that by these doings or feelings thou canst be saved. Perhaps thou wouldst be ashamed to say it with thy lips; but do not say it at all; do not say that the way to heaven is hard, or mysterious, or in any degree apart from the simple act of believing. Do not suppose that anything is wanted as to doings or feelings in order to complete the righteousness which is wrought out by the Lord Jesus, and imputed by God to the believer.
Ah, then the heart foolishly cries, "I must know a great deal; as much as if I had been to heaven and seen for myself, or as if I had dived into the depths and made discoveries there." No, you must not: the gospel is simple; salvation is as plain as a pikestaff; familiar an homespun; easy as the A B C of your childhood. Say not in thine heart that thou must be educated, trained, and made into a scholar. No, confess yourself a sinner; trust in the sinner's Savior, and you are saved.
"Ah, well," says one, "I know I must undergo a singular experience-either I must be carried right away to heaven with delirious delight, or be plunged into the waves of hell in frightful despair." No, my dear friend, do not say that even in your thought. The righteousness of faith lies not in dreams and visions, delusions or depressions: it lies only in reliance upon the work of Jesus finished for you. Go not to the loom to weave a righteousness. The garment is woven already; put it on; Christ gives it to you. Dig not into the bowels of the earth to find the gold of salvation. Christ holds it out to you: take it freely, and be rich for ever. So one of the first works of the gospel is silencing the questions of our unbelief.
The top and bottom of the matter is, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ." Be nothing; be nobody; and trust Him. Do not believe in yourself, but believe in Jesus. Have as many good works as you can cram into your life, but never tell anybody about them, or think anything of them. The best of them are but filthy rags: stow them all away in the coal-hole, and look to the merits of your Lord for salvation. Go to Jesus for everything. He says, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou may be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed." Take his counsel. As he whom we sorrow for today could die peacefully, and even merrily, so shall you and I if we rely on the same Savior. When our time comes to depart, we shall just step aside and say, "Good-bye, dear friends, awhile: we will meet again in the home of the blessed." I hear him say so at this moment; and I answer him, "Dear brother, we will be with you speedily."
End quote.
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Nutshelling by James Woods
He's right. Also included is the cheering of literally murdering live-birth babies by New Yorkers as their governor signed that horrific bill into law and that the KKK/Blackface VA governor also is proud of making live-birth baby murders legal. Not a good month for the Democrats.
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@RealJamesWoods
Nigerians and fake nooses, MAGA hats and a #CraftyBeaver. #CowFarts and trains to Hawaii. A lying Senator saying she’s a Cherokee. A #HeelsUp Senator sleeping her way to the bottom. Congresswoman married her own brother? Governor in a KKK robe. Ah, #Democrats!!! Gotta love ‘em!
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