So True

 "How often unsaved people, after sudden conviction have resolved to break from their evil doings, and serve the Lord, but only after a short season to return to their course of sin, like a washed sow to her wallowing in the mire (2 Peter 2:22), Where there has been no miracle of mercy wrought within the heart, no change of disposition, and where there is no dependence upon divine grace for needed strength, resolutions, however sincere and earnest, seldom produce any lasting effect. Unmortified lusts quickly break through the most solemn vows; where the fear of God does not possess the heart, fresh temptations soon arouse the dormant corruptions, and this gives Satan good opportunity to regain complete mastery over his victim...... Nothing short of the regenerating work of the Spirit can make any man a new creature in Christ Jesus.”

~ Arthur Pink 1886-1952

Encouragement For The Children of God

 

photo source

Comfort For the Believer: God's Absolute and Total Sovereignty

"God’s supremacy over the works of His hands is vividly depicted in Scripture. Inanimate matter, irrational creatures, all perform their Maker’s bidding.

At His pleasure, the Red Sea divided and its waters stood up as walls (Ex. 14); the earth opened her mouth, and guilty rebels went down alive into the pit (Num. 14).

When He so ordered, the sun stood still (Joshua 10:13); and on another occasion went backward ten degrees on the dial of Ahaz (Isaiah 38:8).

To exemplify His supremacy, He made ravens carry food to Elijah (1 Kings 17); iron to float on the waters (2 Kings 6:5); lions to be tame when Daniel was cast into their den (Daniel 6:16-23); fire to burn not when three Hebrews were flung into its flames (Daniel 3:23). Thus, "Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places" (Ps. 135:6).

Here then is a sure resting-place for the heart. Our lives are neither the product of blind fate nor the result of capricious chance. Every detail of them was ordained from all eternity and is now ordered by the living, reigning God. Not a hair of our heads can be touched without His permission. "A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the LORD directeth his steps" (Prov. 16:9).

What assurance, what strength, what comfort this should give the real Christian! "My times are in thy hand" (Ps. 31:15)."

~ Arthur Pink, "The Supremacy of God"

The Distinction Between Knowing About the Lord and Knowing Him

 "There is a very real distinction between knowing about the Lord and in knowing the Lord Himself. As one can see the one consists merely of information concerning Him and the other is a personal and a saving acquaintance with Him. In the Scriptures we are told that at first “many of the Samaritans...believed” in Christ because of the testimony borne to Him by the woman at the well; but later, when they came into His presence and listened to His teaching, they declared, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:39, 42)."

~Arthur Pink, Exposition of John's First Epistle "

The Faithful Are Always In The Minority

 "Faithful people have always been in a marked minority. "Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!" (Psalm 12:1), cried David. Note how those two characteristics are conjoined, for piety and faithfulness are inseparable. Compare "good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:23). So, too, Solomon exclaimed, "A faithful man—who can find?" (Proverbs 20:6). Why is this? Because it is the part of fallen human nature to take the line of least resistance and choose the path easiest to the flesh."

~ Arthur Pink, “Studies in the Scriptures- June 1939”

I am reminded of these passages:

Mat 7:13  "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. 14  "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. 

Rom 11:2  God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?  Rom 11:3  "Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED THY PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN THINE ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE."  Rom 11:4  But what is the divine response to him? "I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."  Rom 11:5  In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. 

2Ti 3:12  And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 

Tim Keller Congratulates Atheist Hired By Harvard To Be The New Chaplain

 Tim Keller, ex-pastor and dying of cancer, diggs his heels in rebellion against God, while trying to represent Him. He congratulates atheist for his new position as Harvard chaplain. You can't make this stuff up. Well, you could, but then you'd be The Babylon Bee. Or more like Not The Bee. 

This is the fruit of a heretic who has been nothing more than an empty, man-centered, world-loving, shell of a man who built his "church" around the godless to lure them to his "church" where they'd feel comfortable. 

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

Sodomy Pride Oppression

 

ES Williams Examines the SBC, Marxist Critical Race Theory, and Al Mohler

"The Stain of Mohler 3" by ES Williams on thenewcalvinist Youtube Channel

These foolish depraved religious pharisees don't believe all Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, rebuking, equipping, etc the true Christian (1Tim 3:16). Therefore they DENY the absolute Truth and fact of a literal 7 day creation week and instead, in their unbelief and rebellion against God, hold to evolution as a "tool" to interpret Scripture. That's precisely why they also are ok with feminism, sodomy, racism, marxism, communism, psychology, etc. When you deny the Beginning as literal and you favor the world's philosophy of the Beginning, you WILL end up accepting what follows (and it's ALL rebellion and suppressing the Truth with their unrighteousness). Their "tools" are of the flesh, not the Spirit (2 Cor. 10), are demonic in origin (James 3), and have consequences---wrong interpretation leads to wrong application and division. This IS a worldview, contrary to what Woods said. Their worldview is worldly, fleshly, and rebellious. The true Christian does as Scripture does--interpret Scripture with Scripture. Sound doctrine, Scripture states, leads to sound living. 2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,  2Co 10:4  for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  2Co 10:5  We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,  2Co 10:6  and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

Scripture rebukes these religious God-haters (who are just like the pharisees)--they follow the world and it's god and sow seeds of division, rebellion, unbelief in Scripture, and unholy living: 1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God,  1Co 2:13  which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.  1Co 2:14  But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.  1Co 2:15  But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.  1Co 2:16  For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.  Mat 15:7  "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,  Mat 15:8  'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"  Jas 3:13  Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.  Jas 3:14  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  Jas 3:15  This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.  Jas 3:16  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  Jas 3:17  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

Self-Centeredness "Mental Illness" Chart (includes Schizophrenia)

 

                                                                      source

John Stott Promoted Homosexuality Christianity, Contrary to Clear Scripture

John Stott, a false teacher of the Anglican church and an annihilationist, omitted two other passages that teach against homosexuality:

Mat 11:24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

1Ti 1:10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,

Moreover, Scripture speaks even about it's desire being UNNATURAL:

Jud 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

In Matt. 5 Jesus says that the lusts in the heart are tantamount to doing the sin with the body before God. Moreover in Romans 1 sodomy is listed as "LUSTS of their HEARTS" that God finally turned those who refused to acknowledge Him, over to; that He gave them up to "a debase MIND". Scripture also lists sodomy as "unnatural", "dishonorable passions", and "consumed with passion for one another". Such is the description of those who refuse to acknowledge God as Creator. For those in Christ, they DO acknowledge Him as Creator and moreover, love and obey Him, therefore they don't suffer such hardness of hearts. They have a NEW heart at regeneration.

I wrote years ago:

So if God is so clear on homosexuality (- In the patriarchs (Genesis 19:1-28), the Law of Moses (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13), the Prophets (Ezekiel 16:46-50) and in the New Testament (Matt.11:24; Romans 1:18-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Jude 7-8), there is no way to accept it on any level, but that's what the liberals are doing as they secretly sneak in among us and then redefine things by trying to cloud the issue regarding sodomy. They try to use "science" and psychology, and even try to equalize the unnatural passion and lust of sodomy as if its like any other sin. That way they can play the victim and say it's merely a struggle like, say, drinking (eternal victimhood is a play right out of psychology's playbook---you never have victory over the sin or its desire but rather always struggle, thus always "recovering" but never recovered).

The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were sexual in nature and therefore earned God's special judgement. If He destroyed not only those two cities, but the surrounding ones because of such heinous sexual immorality, then how in the WORLD can "Christians" think He's any less angry and less holy now with sodomy? Both the Old and New Testaments show God's absolute consistency regarding sexual immorality. Or do these "Christians" fancy themselves more tolerant and "loving" than the HOLY HOLY HOLY God of Israel Himself?

If liberals can't get sodomy into the churches by full frontal attack, they'll do it by a more subtle means--incrementalism, psychology, the great sin-equalizer, and victimization.

The "Gospel" Coalition: compilation of article links

                                                               photo source
 

A few of the well known men who are foundational to The Gospel Coalition are:

Tim Keller (Evolution, Marxism, Liberation Theology, Mysticism, Feminism, gay agenda), Al Mohler (Liberation Theology, gay agenda, Ecumenicism) and  and John Piper (Hedonism, Mysticism, Evolution, Feminism, Sensual spirituality, Romanism, gay agenda). It is now pretty much full-on pro-sodomy, pro-social "justice", etc. But if you look into it's foundation, which is Tim Keller (and D.A. Carson), you'll see why. At the bottom of this list are several articles on Keller himself about his Marxism. 

How it began with these men:

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2017/10/friendship-alliances-is-what-built-t4g.html

 Here are some of the significant problems with TGC:

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2019/03/tgc-pushing-same-sex-christian-apostasy.html

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2019/03/mark-dever-ligon-duncan-tgc-endorse.html

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-gospel-coalition-is-reprobate.html

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2018/03/john-macarthur-hosting-gospel-coalition.html

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2018/08/thabiti-anyabwile-ron-burns-that-was.html

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2018/12/roman-catholicism-is-infiltrating.html

https://warhornmedia.com/2018/01/12/gospel-coalition-jesus-not-like-doctor/

 

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-gospel-coalition-pushes-sodomy.html

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2017/04/marxism-is-infiltrating-evangelicalism.html 

 

https://surphside.blogspot.com/2014/06/certain-heresies-are-ok-for-tgc-and.html

Tim Keller: 

https://surphside.blogspot.com/search?q=Keller

 A solid website that deals with Keller as well as several others is The New Calvinist website. Here are some of their articles (you can find their videos on Youtube under the same name):

http://www.newcalvinist.com/kellers-political-motivation/

http://www.newcalvinist.com/tim-kellers-false-gospel/

http://www.newcalvinist.com/kellers-affinity-with-rome/

http://www.newcalvinist.com/kellers-books/

 
For news items, these two have info, although proceed with caution:

https://protestia.com/?s=The+Gospel+Coalition

https://reformationcharlotte.org/?s=the+gospel+coalition

 

 

 

 

John MacArthur's Hypocrisy Continues

 Apparently, according to Protestia, John MacArthur labeled (rightly), Ravi Zacharais and Carl Lentz as "phonies". But there's a problem. MacArthur's being a hypocrite. 

He says, "I will fight error but not my friends" and that he "doesn't want to be an island" (see my article here). MacArthur's fried Ligon Duncon couldn't address concerns about Revoice and it's push for accepting homosexuality as Christians. He gave no Scripture, no biblical sound wisdom, but just referred to a couple of men's books.  Yet MacArthur sat there and said they were all on the same page on social justice and doctrine? Mohler's no better (I address that in the link above). 

The hypocrisy of MacArthur is that he shared the platform with Zacharias and other unprincipled men in 2018. In 2019 he was scheduled to share the platform again with unbiblical men at the 2019 Getty Sing! conference

In 2019 at the Shepherd's Conference he shared the pulpit with more unprincipled men like Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, Albert Mohler, Sinclair Ferguson.

Ligon Duncan and Mark Dever along with TGC have endorsed homosexual Anglican priest Sam Allberry.

The serious errors and affiliations of Mark Dever are here.

Ravi Zacharias was well known for his anti-biblical view of homosexuality well over 10 years ago and he went downhill from there. It's not until after he died that MacArthur now speaks out against him? He shared the platform with this man two years ago and by doing so, gave the fake man credibility. I suggest MacArthur address and sever ties with the ones that are living and stop being a hypocrite. God hates hypocrisy and teachers are held to a stricter judgment according to James 3:1.

 

 

NAR heretic Francis Chan now claims to be Jesus and that he can do greater things than Jesus

 NAR heretic Francis Chan now claims to be Jesus and that he can do greater things than Jesus (13:25 mark where he says it).

https://youtu.be/9X7uqS_m1FI?t=805

Costi Hinn Isn't That Sound

 "We have a stellar lineup of shows already in the queue with our team, and guests like Nancy Guthrie, Randy Alcorn, Lee Strobel, Carl Trueman, Kristyn Getty, and more." These are problematic people. Hinn is not sound even though he broke away from his uncle. He just has his own empire now." - Costin Hinn on his new empire plans.

The problem is that these people aren't sound. So you can leave a heretical uncle but that doesn't make you sound.

https://surphside.blogspot.com/search?q=lee+strobel

https://surphside.blogspot.com/search?q=carl+trueman

https://surphside.blogspot.com/search?q=randy+alcorn

https://surphside.blogspot.com/search?q=getty

https://surphside.blogspot.com/search?q=Nancy+Guthrie

Perfect Peace In Christ Jesus

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee" (Isa. 26:3).

"What is signified by a mind "stayed on" the Lord? At least three things:

First, to make the Lord the Portion of my soul. All around us are those vainly seeking contentment in things: such as money, and what it can buy, social prestige, fame, pleasures, etc.—all of which are broken cisterns which hold no water. Only the One who made us can satisfy the heart; only as our affection is set upon "things above" do we drink of the Fountain of living waters. Just in proportion as "Delight thyself also in the LORD" (Psa. 37:4) will "perfect peace" be mine now.

Second, to receive from God's hand whatsoever enters my life. I need to cultivate the habit of looking beyond all secondary causes, all intermediary agents and human instruments, recognising that "of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are ALL things" (Rom. 11:36). "Cease ye from man" (Isa. 2:22); conclude no more it is Satan who is seeking to disturb your rest; but say, "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it!" (John 18:11). Just in proportion as we are enabled to say from the heart "It is the LORD: let Him do what seemeth Him good" (1 Sam. 3:18) will "perfect peace" be ours in this world of sin and turmoil.

Third, to leave the future entirely with God. And why not? Are not my "times" in His hand (Psa. 31:15)? Has He not graciously cared for me and faithfully supplied my every need hitherto? Then why be fearful of what lies ahead? Has He not promised never to leave nor forsake me! Just in proportion as I live a day at a time, and "Take therefore no anxious thought for the morrow" (Matt. 6:34) will "perfect peace" be mine even now.

But each of these three things is dependent upon the exercise of FAITH; as the text says "because he trusteth in Thee." O to know more of this experimentally."

~ Arthur Pink, "Perfect Peace"

There's No Such Thing As "Mental 'Illness' "

“No biochemical, neurological, or genetic markers have been found for Attention Deficit Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Depression, Schizophrenia, anxiety, compulsive alcohol and drug abuse, overeating, gambling or any other so-called mental illness, disease, or disorder.” — Bruce Levine, Ph.D., psychologist and author of Commonsense Rebellion

“Unlike  medical diagnoses that convey a probable cause, appropriate treatment and likely prognosis, the disorders listed in DSM-IV [and ICD-10] are terms arrived at through peer consensus.”— Tana Dineen Ph.D., psychologist

“It’s not science. It’s politics and economics. That’s what psychiatry is: politics and economics. Behavior control, it is not science, it is not medicine.”— Thomas Szasz, Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus

“No claim for a gene for a psychiatric condition has stood the test of time, in spite of popular misinformation.” — Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, Harvard Medical School psychiatrist

“In reality, psychiatric diagnosing is a kind of spiritual profiling that can destroy lives and frequently does.” — Peter Breggin, Psychiatrist

“…modern psychiatry has yet to convincingly prove the genetic/biologic cause of any single mental illness…Patients [have] been diagnosed with ‘chemical imbalances’ despite the fact that no test exists to support such a claim, and…there is no real conception of what a correct chemical balance would look like.” — Dr. David Kaiser, Psychiatrist

~Excerpts from CCH 

Why Tim Challies Can’t Be Trusted

 

 In short, Challies lacks discernment and fidelity to Christ and His Word and therefore in his compromise, leads others astray. 

The most glaring example is when he apologized for rightly criticizing Ann Voskamp after she contacted him to get together for dinner and discuss things. He contended after that contact that she was a fellow Christian. But she’s not. She’s a pagan (panentheism, Romanistic, mystic, spiritual sex, extra-biblical revelations/visions, which Challies admitted to in his original critique of her “One Thousand Gifts” book, prior to her contacting him when he suddenly backpedaled).

How bad is Voskamp's spiritual erotica? It begins:

“God makes love with grace upon grace, every moment a making of His love for us. Couldn’t I make love to God, making every moment love for Him? To know Him the way Adam knew Eve. Spirit skin to spirit skin?”

“I fly to Paris and discover how to make love to God.”

*There’s a whole lot more than these particularly in the chapter about flying to Paris (starting around p. 201), but you get the point.  Eros is NOT agape, let's be clear about that. But this is what John Piper does with his "Christian hedonism" as well, after all "hedonism" comes from "hedone" and "HEDONE was the spirit (daimona) of pleasure, enjoyment and delight. As a daughter of Eros (Love) she was associated more specifically with sensual pleasure. Her opposite number were the Algea (Pains). The Romans named her Voluptas." Moreover, Piper is obsessed with "pleasure" and "delight" and feelings, even invoking "ecstasy": "Never forget, the point of the kitchen is the banquet. The aim of hermeneutics: happiness. The goal of exegesis: ecstasy."

For a non-apologetic critique: https://reformationcharlotte.org/2019/07/22/please-women-stop-reading-ann-voskamp/

Additionally Challies is a hypocrite when it comes to discernment and discernment bloggers, giving grace (“we should think the best”, ie have no opinion, wait and see re: CJ Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries sexual abuse charges --Mahaney’s church went to court about sexual abuse under his leadership, spiritual abuse, highly charismaticism) to false teachers like Rick Warren or Ann Voskamp, yet he assigns motives to discernment bloggers (“they often operate by fear and are marked neither by truth nor love”). https://surphside.blogspot.com/2013/04/challies-and-discernment-bloggers-his.html

 

*Voskamp’s panenthism and spiritual sex examples: http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_OneThousandGifts.html

Race Homicide Statistics

This is objective reality, not subjective emotions.