Dangerous Enemies

It is the wolf in sheep’s clothing and Satan in the garb of an angel of light who have always proved the most dangerous enemies of the church of Christ.

J.C. Ryle, “Churches Beware!”  p.64

Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

We took a week vacation and I really got behind on reading all the news!  So I’ve gleaned what I consider the most important stuff to alert my readers to.  

Let’s start with asking how a Catholic Cardinal can welcome gay activist participation in a predominantly Catholic St. Patrick’s Day parade?!?  Is he perhaps “gay” himself?  Has the RCC disciplined this man?

Jimmy Carter, one time worst president of the United States, has often been in the news as an example of a good Christian.  After all, he’s taught Sunday School for adults at his church, and since he used to be President that makes him an authority on the Bible.  I’ve previously reported on his false belief system, especially in regards to interviews about the “study Bible” in which he authored the commentaries.  Carter has also in the past said that Mormons are Christians.  In one of my “Random…” posts I noted how Carter twisted Galatians 3:28 to “prove” to the Catholics that they should allow women priests.  In another “Random…” post I noted that Carter claimed that wife-beating and other anti-woman behavior is due to such things and Rome not allowing women to be priests.  NOW Carter wants us to follow the teachings of Allah!  This man is what we call a CINO - Christian In Name Only.

Did you know that “confronting climate change” is a responsibility that the Bible teaches?  Well, Secretary of State John Kerry says so, and we know if he said it, it must be true!  Rather than checking with real Christians and real theologians, the media loves to get their Bible teaching from politicians who abuse Scripture as bad as do cults.  By the way, Mr. Kerry, man can’t do anything about the changing climate.

I’ve previously addressed problems with the Hebrew Roots Movement.  I came across this excellent article from the trenches — a woman whose husband got wrapped up in the movement.

The First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Davenport, IA, has a woman “reverend” who “married” two lesbians.  Apparently the Disciples of Christ denomination is getting more and more liberal while walking away from the truth of Scripture

Humor for today, look what happens when martyrs read Joel Osteen tweets!

If you are not familiar with the original “9/11” massacre in 1857 when Mormons wiped out a wagon train which “violated” their territory, take a look at this Mormon Coffee article about a ballad which was written about it.  Mormons continue to claim that it was rogue members with no authorization from LDS leaders, but the evidence is pretty conclusive that Brigham Young was responsible; John D. Lee (leader of the attack) states as much in his book, “Mormonism Unveiled”.  For those of my readers who have an interest, I can suggest the following titles:
American Massacre, by Sally Denton
The Mountain Meadows Massacre, by Juanita Brooks
White Flag: America’s First 9/11, by Wayne Atilio Capurro
Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows, by Will Bagley

For any Mormon readers, I would like to challenge you to listen to my pastor’s sermon from this past Sunday, as he discusses “The Spirituality of God.”  God is not, and never was a man.  He has always been spirit.

Oh boy, oh joy!  Another visit to heaven, this time by false teacher Rick Joyner.  

Elizabeth Prata has some interesting information about Coptic Christians — and about Eastern Orthodoxy.

I’ve previously mentioned a new movie titled, “Holy Ghost,” and how it appeared to be unbiblical.  Well, I’m not disappointed in that initial belief — the movie is by heretic Bill Johnson and his Bethel Church!  You just know it has to be unbiblical with that starting point.

Gary Gilley has a good review of a new book which challenges teachings by Tim Keller.  For all the good teachings Keller might have, I think this book would demonstrate why we should not recommend anything by Keller.

Lastly, just this morning I read an excellent analogy by Elizabeth Prata.  I don’t want to spoil it for you — go read it for yourself.

Show Me!

It does not matter in the least who says a thing — whether he is a bishop, archdeacon, dean, or presbyter.  It does not matter that the thing is well expressed, said eloquently, attractively, forcibly, and in such a way as to turn the laugh against you.  We are not to believe it unless it is proved to us by Holy Scripture.

J.C. Ryle, “Churches Beware!” p.70-71

The Purpose of the Assembly

Nowhere in the New Testament is there any indication that the church met to preach the gospel.  Rather the church met to worship, to teach the word, to pray, to have fellowship.  The meeting of the church was to edify believers and to glorify God.  But it was not to preach the gospel to unbelievers.  Rather the saints went out into the world to preach the gospel. . . . 

The practice of preaching the gospel in the church meeting developed when many unbelievers started attending church.  It was a convenient time to present the claims of Christ.  But there is no biblical mandate for an “evangelistic service” when the church comes together.  There is a mandate to equip the saints to preach the gospel.  The work of Christians is not to invite unbelievers to church so that they might hear the gospel.  It is to preach the gospel themselves.

John H. Fish III, “The Life of the Local Church.”  From the book, Understanding the Church, compiled and edited by Joseph M. Vogl and John H. Fish III, p.132

Are You In A Sect?

If your church associates with a group of churches that requires exclusive allegiance to itself, you are part of a sect.  Despite their boastful claims, sects do not understand the New Testament doctrine of the Church.  They are in error.  All sects are based on half-truths, faulty reasoning, doctrinal oddities, deceptions, guilt-manipulation, and fear, which are not of the Spirit of truth and liberty.  If your church denies you your Spirit-given right and privilege to fellowship with all Christ-loving, bible-loving Christians and churches, you need to obey God rather than man and free yourself and family from these unbiblical chains.

Alexander Strauch, “The Interdependence of Local Churches.”  From the book, Understanding the Church, compiled and edited by Joseph M. Vogl and John H. Fish III, p.206-207

Do Battle or Frolic?

Our fathers believed in sin and the devil and hell . . . [and in] God and righteousness and heaven. . . . Humans, our fathers held, had to choose sides — they could not be neutral.  For them it must be life or death, heaven or hell, and if they chose to come out on God’s side, they could expect open war with God’s enemies.  The fight would be real and deadly and would last as long as life continued here below. . . .

How different today. . . . People think of the world not as a battleground, but as a playground.  We are not here to fight; we are here to frolic.  We are not in a foreign land; we are at home. . . .  [This idea] has now been accepted in practice by the vast majority of fundamentalist Christians.  They might hedge around the question . . . but their conduct gives them away.

A.W. Tozer, cited in The Berean Call, April 1993, “Quotable.”

Random Aberrations, Apostasies, and Heresies

Let’s start today’s program with Joel Osteen!  By now everyone has probably heard about his wife, Victoria, and her claim that we obey God not because we should obey God, but because it makes us happy, and when we worship God it’s also to make us happy.  And God wants us to be happy! Joel was behind her nodding approvingly, of course, because she learned his message well.  This self-centered message is taking over the Church, especially among those of the “seeker-sensitive” variety.  Albert Mohler posted an excellent commentary about this nonsense of the Osteens.’ 

Michael Gungor has really been demonstrating his heretical beliefs.  I have to wonder about what sort of “Christ” he worships.

More about the recent Mark Driscoll flap, and who was really responsible for Driscoll’s rise.

The Episcopal Church is so apostate that it is not surprising when one of their women priests teaches abject heresy.  The question I have is, will the Episcopal HQ rebuke her and rebut her teachings?  I highly doubt it.

For many years I’ve been saying that Christian book stores are nothing more than minefields of apostasy, heresy, and all other aberrational teaching.  Sad to say, but it seems like many church book stores have also become minefields.  Even church libraries can be theologically dangerous, as I discovered when I became the church librarian for a church we attended many years ago - I removed dozens of books from the shelves and trashed them because of the horrid teachings.  So be discerning when you use your church library or book store.

Here’s a good article explaining just about all you need to know about dominionism, reconstruction theology and the “New Apostolic Reformation.”  Just more false teaching leading many, many people astray.

Back in early July I posted an article explaining that Christianity does not equal patriotism.  This whole ideology has now led to a new Bible - “God’s Glory Bible.”  Erin Benziger had an excellent commentary about this latest foolishness — and idolatry!

Pope Francis says that if you don’t feel “Mary” is your mother, then you are an orphan.  If you haven’t read my article proving that the Catholic “Mary” isn’t the Mary of the Bible, 
you might want to take this opportunity to do so.  My response to the pope is, I’m no orphan because I’m an adopted son of God.

Another interesting question for the KJV Only types:  Does God really expect everyone to read the KJV and no other version?

Lastly, for those who promote the belief that Christ would have no problem with same-sex “committed” unions (i.e., same-sex fake marriage), and who abuse Scripture in their attempt to prove their case, homosexuality is NOT just another sin.  Of course Paul told us that, didn’t he? (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

Make the Church Attractive?

We have been told that we have to make the Church attractive to the man outside, and the idea is to become as much like him as we can.  There were certain popular padres during the first world war who mixed with their men, and smoked with them, and did this, that, and the other with them, in oder to encourage them.  Some people thought that, as a result, when the war was over, the ex-service men would be crowding into the churches.  Yet it did not happen, and it never has happened that way.  The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it.  It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first.  That is how revival comes.  That must also be true of us as individuals.  It should not be our ambition to be as much like everybody else as we can, though we happen to be Christian, but rather to be as different from everybody who is not Christian as we can possibly be.  Our ambition should be to be like Christ, the more like Him the better, and the more like Him we become, the more we shall be unlike everybody who is not Christian.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount,” p.37


This is something all those “seeker-sensitive” and “market-driven” pastors should pay attention to!

A Conditional Marriage?

If you were proposing marriage to someone, what would the one receiving the proposal say if you said, “I want you to know this proposal changes nothing about my allegiances and my behavior and my daily life; however, I do want you to know that should you accept my proposal, we shall theoretically be considered married.  There will be no other changes in me on your behalf.”  In a strange way we have minimized every sacred commitment and made it the lowest common denominator.  What does my new birth mean to me?  That is a question we seldom ask.  Who was I before God’s work in me, and who am I now?

Ravi Zacharias, “The Church’s Role In Apologetics and the Development of the Mind”
From the book, “Beyond Opinion,” Ravi Zacharias, author and general editor, p.306-307

Give Our Youth Meat!

Herbert Schlossberg reminds us, “In their uncompromising determination to proclaim truth, Christians must avoid the intellectual flabbiness of the larger society.  They must rally against the prevailing distrust of reason and the exaltation of the irrational.  Emotional self-indulgence and irrationalities have always been the enemies of the gospel, and the apostles warned their followers against them.”  Indeed, the apostles left no doubt as to the place of intellect in their work.  Peter’s masterful presentation of the Christian faith in Acts 2:14-36 displayed his grasp of the substantive issues.  His ability to expound on the intricacies of the relationship between David and Christ was a brilliant piece of verbal tapestry that appealed directly to the minds of his Jewish audience.  Soon thereafter, Paul effectively engaged all manner of groups and individuals in his missionary journeys, using his reasoning capabilities to present the gospel of Jesus Christ with lucid clarity. . . .

It might be an interesting exercise to randomly survey our young people coming out of their next emotionally charged rally.  Let’s ask them if they, like young Timothy, could adhere to Paul’s instructions to defend the faith.  Their answers, or perhaps more precisely, bewildered looks, will reflect leaders who have bought into the myth that dumbing down the faith will make it more palatable for our youth.  In addition to the “it’s boring” cant, these leaders offer other arguments: “We do whatever works,” they say, leaving us to wonder, works to accomplish what? . . . 

Perhaps most disconcerting is the realization that once leaving the cozy, entertaining subculture we have created for them, our youth are ill prepared to face the bombardment of “isms,” which carry no warning labels for the unwary neophyte. . . .

What should be do about this state of affairs?  In his most recent book, Charles Colson comments that “local churches need to encourage youth leaders to go beyond volleyball and pizza parties and begin to teach apologetics and worldview issues.”  Indeed, the bar should be raised, and nothing less should be accepted by parents and leaders alike.

Paul Kerr, “Where’s Timothy,” Christian Research Journal, Vol. 23/No.1, p.61