Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

NEVER partner with heretics in any way, shape, or form.

A good summation of false teachings and bad ideology from Andy Stanley.

Joel Osteen has proven he is not a true Christian by preaching another gospel.

I think this “church” would violate Paul’s command to do everything decently and with order (1 Cor. 14:40).  This pretty much looks like a goatherd with a goat-pen.

Steven Furtick is being proven over and over again to be someone to completely avoid as well as warning others to avoid him.  Read not only this article, but also the article it links to: “Steven Furtick: His Past, Present, Future.”  There is nothing godly about this man.  In the first article, the first video has just a brief mention of Furtick, by John MacArthur as being unqualified), but the whole video is well-worth listening to as MacArthur has some really solid comments about various false and/or seeker-sensitive teachings. (If you leave the video up after it ends, the next one continues MacArthur’s responses to questions about various false teachings; the man doesn’t mince words.)

A good review of “God’s Not Dead 2.”  I don’t waste my time with this sort of movie.

More teachers to avoid like the plague: Lisa and John Bevere, and their idol Kris Vallotton (who happens to be with Bethel Redding).

Christine Caine continues to demonstrate that she is indeed a false teacher.

“God’s Gang” is a horrible goatpen pretending to be a Christian Church.

Several years ago, during the time of the “Toronto Blessing,” I read John Arnott’s book,
“The Father’s Blessing.”  I saw lots of false teachings in that book, and of course I knew the “revival” in Toronto (later carried to Brownsville, FL) was man-made nonsense.  I found this review of Arnott’s book in my files, so I thought it would be good to share.

“The ultimate oxymoron: ‘Christian Psychic.’”  Well, I think there is a worse oxymoron — “Christian pornography” — but that doesn’t alter the fact that Christianity and psychics don’t mix!

Doug Evans has an excellent article describing the occult roots of the New Apostolic Reformation.  William Branham is an unfamiliar name to most, but he is an important person to know about due to the grave philosophy he started.

I've heard of Ed Stetzer before, but NOW I know he’s someone to avoid listening to.  This man totally forgets there was a Reformation for a reason.

NO!  Paul’s teachings DID NOT conflict with those of Jesus’!

The Exclusiveness of Remnantism.  Starts on page 16.

Very important article about IHOP.  This cult is spiritually dangerous!!

Should women be pastors?  Absolutely NOT. The heretical organization called Sojourners tries to teach otherwise and is exposed by Elizabeth Prata.

The satire at Babylon Bee is just too on target!!!

This Reflects Many Churches!

Would Not All Glide Down the Road to Evil if There Was Nothing to Fear?

But who, when so many incentives to evil were assailing him, would desire that good, which he could despise with impunity? Who, again, would take care of what he could lose without danger? You read how broad is the road to evil, how thronged in comparison with the opposite: would not all glide down that road were there nothing in it to fear? We dread the Creator’s tremendous threats, and yet scarcely turn away from evil. What, if He threatened not? Will you call this justice an evil, when it is all unfavourable to evil? Will you deny it to be a good, when it has its eye towards good? What sort of being ought you to wish God to be? Would it be right to prefer that He should be such, that sins might flourish under Him, and the devil make mock at Him? Would you suppose Him to be a good God, who should be able to make a man worse by security in sin? Who is the author of good, but He who also requires it? In like manner who is a stranger to evil, except Him who is its enemy? Who its enemy, besides Him who is its conqueror? Who else its conqueror, than He who is its punisher? Thus God is wholly good, because in all things He is on the side of good.

Tertullian, Book II Against Marcion, chapter XIII

Sentimentality and Jesus

My wife gets daily devotions from Joni Eareckson Tada’s ministry.  This past Saturday Joni’s devotion was something I’ve addressed many times on this blog, so I thought I’d share it with my readers.

"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on."   Acts 2:24

Have you ever noticed that we treat a person or an object sentimentally because of emotion, not reason? That's certainly true when it comes to the sentimental pictures we have of Jesus¼Jesus with His hair parted down the middle, surrounded by cherub-like children and bluebirds. Everywhere this Jesus walks, strains of organ music sound.

We even have sentimental hymns about the Lord. "He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet, the birds hush their singing." That's a line from one of my father's favorite hymns, and I know those thoughts can comfort us. But they are more reinforcement of a romanticized image. We have gilded the real Jesus with so much "dew on the roses" that many people have lost touch with Him.

Why do we prefer a sentimental picture? It requires nothing from us, neither conviction nor commitment. Because it lacks truth, it lacks power. We have to change that picture. And one way to do it is to think about the resurrection. Sure, romanticists try to color the resurrection with lilies and birds, but lay aside the emotions and think of the facts for a moment: A man, stone-cold dead, rose from His slab, and walked out of His grave.

That's almost frightening.  But that's what Jesus did.  That reality has power; it's truth that grips you.  Some people believe Jesus came to do nice, sweet things like turn bad people into good. Not so.  Our Lord and Savior came to turn dead people into living ones - and there's nothing sentimental about that.

Erase images of syrupy sweetness. Replace them with mental pictures of a powerful God who overcame the harshest foe - death itself.  Then you will begin to grasp how amazing God really is.

Lord of All, refocus my softened view of You onto aspects of Yourself that demand much more of me.  And help me to respond to what I see.

Blessings,

Joni and Friends

Challenge Against Some Roman Catholic Doctrines

The famous appeal of Bishop Jewel, known as “the Challenge at Paul’s Cross,” which he made in a sermon preached there on Passion Sunday, a.d. 1560, is an instance of “Præscription against heresies,” well worthy of being recalled, in a day which has seen Truth and Peace newly sacrificed to the ceaseless innovations of Rome. It is as follows:

—“If any learned man of all our adversaries, or, if all the learned men that be alive, be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholic doctor or father; or out of any old general Council; or out of the Holy Scriptures of God; or, any one example of the primitive Church, whereby it may be clearly and plainly proved, that

—1. There was any private mass in the whole world at that time, for the space of six hundred years after Christ; or that

—2. There was then any communion ministered unto the people under one kind; or that

—3. The people had their common prayers, then, in a strange tongue that they understood not; or that

—4. The bishop of Rome was then called an universal bishop, or the head of the universal Church; or that

—5. The people was then taught to believe that Christ’s body is really, substantially, corporally, carnally or naturally in the Sacrament; or that

—6. His body is, or may be, in a thousand places or more, at one time; or that

—7. The priest did then hold up the Sacrament over his head; or that

—8. The people did then fall down and worship it with godly honour; or that

—9. The Sacrament was then, or now ought to be, hanged up under a canopy; or that

—10. In the Sacrament after the words of consecration there remaineth only the accidents and shews, without the substance of bread and wine; or that

—11. The priest then divided the Sacrament in three parts and afterwards received himself, alone; or that

—12. Whosoever had said the Sacrament is a pledge, a token, or a remembrance of Christ’s body, had therefore been judged a heretic; or that

—13. It was lawful, then, to have thirty, twenty, fifteen, ten, or five masses said in one Church, in one day; or that

—14. Images were then set up in churches to the intent the people might worship them; or that

—15. The lay people was then forbidden to read the word of God, in their own tongue:

“If any man alive be able to prove any of these articles, by any one clear or plain clause or sentence, either of the Scriptures, or of the old doctors, or of any old General Council, or by any Example of the Primitive Church; I promise, then, that I will give over and subscribe unto him.”

All this went far beyond the concession of præscription which makes little of any one saying of any one Father, and demands the general consent of Antiquity; but, it is needless to say that Jewel’s challenge has remained unanswered for more than three hundred years, and so it will be to all Eternity.

Rev. Peter Holmes, Elucidation V to Tertullian’s “On Prescription Against Heretics,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, volume 3.

Heretics Work To Pull Down and Destroy

But what shall I say concerning the ministry of the word, since they make it their business not to convert the heathen, but to subvert our people? This is rather the glory which they catch at, to compass the fall of those who stand, not the raising of those who are down. Accordingly, since the very work which they purpose to themselves comes not from the building up of their own society, but from the demolition of the truth, they undermine our edifices, that they may erect their own. Only deprive them of the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the divinity of the Creator, and they have not another objection to talk about.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics, chapter XLII

Diversity of Doctrine Means Corruption of Scriptures

Where diversity of doctrine is found, there, then, must the corruption both of the Scriptures and the expositions thereof be regarded as existing. On those whose purpose it was to teach differently, lay the necessity of differently arranging the instruments of doctrine. They could not possibly have effected their diversity of teaching in any other way than by having a difference in the means whereby they taught. As in their case, corruption in doctrine could not possibly have succeeded without a corruption also of its instruments, so to ourselves also integrity of doctrine could not have accrued, without integrity in those means by which doctrine is managed.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics, chapter XXXVIII

Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

I’m not going to have time tomorrow to post an RAAH, so I’m going to post this today even though I don’t have a large collection.  Still, it’s always a rough ride.

This woman’s husband is a youth pastor in a Baptist church and yet he is allowing his wife to support Muslims?!?!  He should be relieved of his position because he is not “managing his own family well.” (1 Tim 3:4)  H/T to Erin.

Evangelicals Divided, A Movement Fractured, Part 1.  Marsha West does an outstanding job of explaining what is happening in the “evangelical” Church.  Looking forward to part 2!

Cleaning out my files I came across this excellent review of John Eldredge’s wildly unbiblical book, Wild at Heart.  Don’t wast your money on this book.

I also found this short review of Jessie Penn-Lewis’ book, War on the Saints.  I read the book a long time ago and found way too many problems with it.

Another Gilley book review from that file is this one on Bruce Wilkinson’s Secrets of the Vine.   Not as bad as his “The Prayer of Jabez,” but that’s not saying a whole lot!

Answers in Genesis has a very good technical article reviewing Robert T. Pennock’s book, “Tower of Babel: The Evidence against the New Creationism.”  The book’s intent is to “prove” the errors of creationism while “proving” evolution, but his charges are all easily dismantled by the reviewer.

Just too funny.  Sounds like Steven Furtick’s church.

Speaking of Steven Furtick — SIGH!

Doctrines of Demons.  The whole idea in charismatic circles is not only unbiblical and nonsensical, but also spiritually dangerous to those under the burden of such teachings!

Video exposing Beth Moore as a false teacher.

The Resurrection really happened.

Let’s end with some more humor:  Altar Call Self Defense Training.  Something you’ll need to know for those charismatic meetings!

What Happened?!?

H/T to Ralph M. Petersen

Jesus Is Lord

The thing that marks off the Christian from the man who is not a Christian is not merely that he believes in the Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation, and trusts Him and His atoning work, but that, in addition, the life of the Christian is governed altogether by this Person.  Jesus Christ is Lord; and the Christian believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.  You cannot believe in Him as Saviour without believing in Him as Lord.  If you have any belief in Him at all you believe in the whole Christ; and therefore He becomes the Lord of your Life.  The Christian does not merely do things because they are good and right, and because it is wrong to do certain other things; the differentiating mark of the Christian is the he does everything “as unto the Lord,” “in the fear of Christ,” because Christ is his Lord.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in the Spirit in Marriage, Home & Work: An Exposition of Ephesians 5:18-6:9, pg. 71-72