Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Flip Video
Not long ago I purchased the "flip video." This is a sample of how easy it is to take a video and then post to favorite sites.
Beware of your background
Several weeks ago while teaching SS class I warned those in the class of my past activities. In particular I mentioned a video that I hope would never surface regarding my background and former business involvement. However in these days of instant information, headline news, internet and you tube the inevitable has surfaced. Just remember before you watch and make any judgments this was me prior to involvement in full time ministry. Here is the video that has surfaced and again please don't be too critical. Click on this LINK.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Quote for the day
O soul, consider this deeply: it is the life of a Christian that carries more conviction and persuasion than his words. Even if you, like an angel, talk of Christ, of the gospel, of the doctrines of grace, and of heaven, yet if you indulge devilish tempers, and live under the power of any sinful lusts and passions, you will hereby harden others against the things of God and prevent their setting out in the ways of God. Study and pray to be a consistent walker in the ways of holiness; otherwise, all is but windy profession and airy talk. O, how much harm is done to Christ’s cause by the unholy walk of many professors!
– John Bunyan
– John Bunyan
Monday, March 23, 2009
Dying to self
“Suppose you have been neglected or unforgiven. You sting with the hurt of the
insult from such an oversight, but your heart is happy because you have been
counted worthy to suffer for Christ. That is what dying to self is all about. When
your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, and your opinions ridiculed,
and yet you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or try to defend yourself, you are
practicing dying to self. When you lovingly and patiently stand face to face with
folly and spiritual insensitivity, and endure it as Jesus did, you have died to self.
When you are content with any food, money, clothing, climate, society, solitude,
or interruption by the will of God, you have died to self. When you never care to
refer to yourself in conversation, record your own good works, or desire
commendation from others, you are dying to self. When you can honestly rejoice
with a brother who has prospered and had his needs met, and never feel any envy
though your needs are greater and still unmet, you have practiced dying to self.
When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than
yourself, and admit he’s right with no resentment or rebellion in your heart, you
have died to self. Are you dead yet?” - (Author Unknown)
insult from such an oversight, but your heart is happy because you have been
counted worthy to suffer for Christ. That is what dying to self is all about. When
your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, and your opinions ridiculed,
and yet you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or try to defend yourself, you are
practicing dying to self. When you lovingly and patiently stand face to face with
folly and spiritual insensitivity, and endure it as Jesus did, you have died to self.
When you are content with any food, money, clothing, climate, society, solitude,
or interruption by the will of God, you have died to self. When you never care to
refer to yourself in conversation, record your own good works, or desire
commendation from others, you are dying to self. When you can honestly rejoice
with a brother who has prospered and had his needs met, and never feel any envy
though your needs are greater and still unmet, you have practiced dying to self.
When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than
yourself, and admit he’s right with no resentment or rebellion in your heart, you
have died to self. Are you dead yet?” - (Author Unknown)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Georgia homecoming
The events of last Friday with "Ricky the Raccoon" led to Georgia getting herself a little incarcerated. However today Tuesday, March 17 we were able to pick her up at Animal Care and Control. She is a member of the family and so this was a homecoming of sorts and therefore had to get it on camera. It is so good to have Georgia back at the house as she is presently occupying her spot on the kitchen floor. Welcome home Georgia-poo!
William Young author of The Shack denies "the penal substitution of Christ"
This is a warning to all orthodox evangelicals who put their stamp on the authority of the Bible for faith and practice. Many within the orthodox church are reading, embracing and endorsing a book written by William Young who is the author of the best selling book called "The Shack." However without an understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of substitutionary atonement we are creating problems for believers and potential new believers. William Young is so far from the orthodox beliefs that you can't even see his tail lights. Folks it is time to wake up and smell the coffee. I have in this article obtained a recent interview with William Young, he is on a cell phone in an airport. If you want the entire interview with all the context you can go to this LINK and listen to the whole radio program. This is from "Fighting for the Faith" blog site which is an apologetic web site to discern basic Biblical teaching today in the church.
This is the core of the interview and the response of William Young himself when asked if he thinks Christ went to the cross to pay for the punishment of our sins. For those who have been defending William Young and his book I would suggest that you listen to this short audio and then the entire radio program in which he is interviewed. Please understand if you are an orthodox evangelical, this is an essential an absolute essential as to the Christian faith.
I think William Young and his book "The Shack" should not be on a recommended reading list for any Christian. Unless they want to use it from a defense of the faith as what not to believe and teach because of its HERESY!
Here is the short audio clip
William Young author of THE SHACK denies the doctrine of "penal substitution"
Salvation by grace
“God saves no man to his harm. And God saves none against his will. Grace makes the sinner willing. It is a secret exercise of omnipotence on the hidden man of the heart coaxing and alluring him to salvation and glory by Christ. It is always effectual but it is never brute strength.”
- Maurice Roberts, The Thought of God (Carlisle, Pa.: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1993), 21.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Shopping for church
This comes from the Sacred Sandwich blog site:Busy Family Hires Personal Church Shopper
Growing bored with the outdated Purpose-Driven programs at their present church, the Henman family of Cragston, IL, recently hired Lucy Ditmer, a personal shopper, to find them a new church home to meet their spiritual needs for 2009. “Between my boy’s hockey games and my girl’s dance classes, I really don’t have the time to go church shopping,” said Helen Henman. “It’s a great relief to know that Lucy can take care of all that. The last thing Phil and I want to do right now is spend every Sunday morning going to strange churches just to see if they have cushioned seats and a rockin’ praise band.”
Ditmer, who had over five years of experience as a personal shopper at Macy’s before being laid off in January, began advertising her church shopping services when she saw a need for busy families who find it difficult to squeeze religion into their hectic lifestyles. “Most churches nowadays have sermons that last anywhere from ten minutes to an excruciating half hour,” Lucy explained. “My clients just don’t want to put themselves through that kind of ordeal when all they really want to know is whether the youth program has a Wii-based or a Playstation-based ministry. With my service, the clients just give me a checklist of all their felt needs and I do all the dirty work while they’re sleeping in on Sunday morning.”
One of Ditmer’s recent success stories comes from Judith and Bob Nickerson, married sports enthusiasts who were looking for a church that provided for their physical fitness needs as well as their spiritual ones. “Coming from a Methodist background, we were really surprised when Lucy recommended the Beth Israel Synagogue on Fifth Street,” Judith said. “But we had to admit that the synagogue had the state-of-the-art exercise facility and Olympic-sized pool we were looking for. After a couple visits, we knew it was the place for us. In fact, we like it so much, Bob is getting circumcised next Thursday.”
As for the Henman family, they are anxious to see what Lucy finds for them. “Being without a church home these past few weeks has really taken a toll on us,” Mrs. Henman admitted. “Our sex life stinks, Phil hates his job, and the kids are starting to lose their self-esteem. We need a new pastor to show us how Jesus dealt with bedroom problems, work-related stress, and too much school homework. If Lucy doesn’t hurry up and find us a church soon, we may be forced to open a Bible and look for the answer ourselves. Who knows how long that would take?”
Doctrine Divides!
From the Defending and Contending Blog Site:
Whenever you hear this it’s usually followed up with “we all worship the same God” and “can’t we all get along?”
Whenever you hear this it’s usually followed up with “we all worship the same God” and “can’t we all get along?”
Whenever the mantra “doctrine divides” is employed, it’s always with a negative connotation. But have you stopped to ponder why?
Allow me to submit for your consideration, that “doctrine divides” is actually a good thing–a positive thing. It’s true that “doctrine divides,” and here’s what it divides:
The ones just wanting to be fed from the ones willing to take up their cross.
The false conversions from the true conversions.
The ones under law from the ones under grace.
The swine from the pearls.
The profane from the holy.
The tares from the wheat.
The goats from the sheep.
The wolves from the flock.
The hirelings from the shepherds.
The “other gospels” from the one true Gospel.
The false christs from the one true Christ.
The darkness from the Light.
The lies from the Truth.
The errors from the facts.
The wicked from the righteous.
The wide gate from the narrow gate.
The broad road from the narrow road.
and
The many paths from the only Way.
Doctrine divides; doctrine divides; thank God Almighty, doctrine divides!
He's Back!
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Dr. Filbert Bukk was spotted this week at the Target Parking lot. He was helping friends Phil and Karen Divine after they were involved in a small fender bender.
Quote for the day
An almost Christian, if we consider him in respect to his duty to God, is one that halts between two opinions; that wavers between Christ and the world; that would reconcile God and Mammon, light and darkness, Christ and Belial. It is true, he has an inclination to religion, but then he is very cautious how he goes too far in it… - George Whitfield
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Evangelism Stocks are dropping
Blog article by Michael Spencer, click here to view full article
Stocks are dropping. Have you noticed?
I’ll tell you a stock whose value really needs to go down. While we’re devaluing and dumping the worthless, I’d like to add something to the pile.
The stock of evangelicalism is way over-valued. It’s worth less than half of what we’re paying for it, because about half of evangelical religion is worthless.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because its politically useful. (If I read another email telling me Sarah Palin is Esther I’m going to put a drumstick through my eye.)
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it has mastered self-presentation via slick media.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because Hollywood has discovered we exist and can be lured into a theater.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it believes its own press clippings, writes its own promos and does all its own publicity. If an objective voice starts to tell the truth about us, well that’s an attack of the enemy or an example of bias.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it has too much music and too little Bible.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it’s created a Christianity that’s perfectly comfortable for the un-Christian. (Not the non-Christian, but the nominal Christian with no intention of doing anything beyond asking Jesus to clear up the mess.)
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it boldly claims miracles, transformations, healings and impact that’s mostly bogus, but at least half of evangelicals could care less.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it refuses to define itself so that Benny Hinn and the rest of his prosperity Gospel contagion are excluded.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it worships at the altar of entertainment and has created an entertainment obsessed youth culture that it passes off as youth and student ministry.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it talks to itself incessantly and almost completely avoids listening to those it claims it wants to reach with the Gospel.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it’s villanized gays and lesbians, kids with taboos and piercings, and anyone not prepared to be a one issue voter.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it has mastered the art of advertising its churches as warm, accepting communities when, often, they are far from it.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it constantly claims evidence that God is working through it to change the world, but the evidence in those places dominated by evangelicalism isn’t very convincing.
Evangelicalism’s stock needs to drop by at least half. It needs to drop to where the political types, the money grubbers, the celebrity wannabes and the influence peddlers will go away.
Evangelicalism’s stock needs to drop so that it won’t wonder why the Chinese church- with no bookstores, conferences, CCM or megachurches- has thrived under persecution through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Evangelicalism’s stock needs to drop so that we can begin to tell the truth about what it means to be a Christian.
In today’s evangelicalism, if you tell the truth, you’re quite likely going to be fired, or at the least, given a gift certificate for luggage and a plane ticket.
At least half of evangelicalism is nothing more than an embarassing religious scam- and I use the word “religion” purposefully- that says we’re happier, healthier, wealthier, with better marriages, better kids, and wonderful churches. If you walk into the room and start telling the truth about that scam by telling your story in a voice others can hear, you’re going to be declared the enemy or mentally unstable.
Now you may think that I’m being hard, extreme, out in left field, but I want you to think of something for a moment.
When a good stock drops its excess, inflated price….what happens?
People buy it.
I’d love to buy into evangelicalism again. But not at today’s prices.
Stocks are dropping. Have you noticed?
I’ll tell you a stock whose value really needs to go down. While we’re devaluing and dumping the worthless, I’d like to add something to the pile.
The stock of evangelicalism is way over-valued. It’s worth less than half of what we’re paying for it, because about half of evangelical religion is worthless.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because its politically useful. (If I read another email telling me Sarah Palin is Esther I’m going to put a drumstick through my eye.)
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it has mastered self-presentation via slick media.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because Hollywood has discovered we exist and can be lured into a theater.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it believes its own press clippings, writes its own promos and does all its own publicity. If an objective voice starts to tell the truth about us, well that’s an attack of the enemy or an example of bias.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it has too much music and too little Bible.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it’s created a Christianity that’s perfectly comfortable for the un-Christian. (Not the non-Christian, but the nominal Christian with no intention of doing anything beyond asking Jesus to clear up the mess.)
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it boldly claims miracles, transformations, healings and impact that’s mostly bogus, but at least half of evangelicals could care less.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it refuses to define itself so that Benny Hinn and the rest of his prosperity Gospel contagion are excluded.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it worships at the altar of entertainment and has created an entertainment obsessed youth culture that it passes off as youth and student ministry.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it talks to itself incessantly and almost completely avoids listening to those it claims it wants to reach with the Gospel.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it’s villanized gays and lesbians, kids with taboos and piercings, and anyone not prepared to be a one issue voter.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it has mastered the art of advertising its churches as warm, accepting communities when, often, they are far from it.
Evangelicalism is overvalued because it constantly claims evidence that God is working through it to change the world, but the evidence in those places dominated by evangelicalism isn’t very convincing.
Evangelicalism’s stock needs to drop by at least half. It needs to drop to where the political types, the money grubbers, the celebrity wannabes and the influence peddlers will go away.
Evangelicalism’s stock needs to drop so that it won’t wonder why the Chinese church- with no bookstores, conferences, CCM or megachurches- has thrived under persecution through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Evangelicalism’s stock needs to drop so that we can begin to tell the truth about what it means to be a Christian.
In today’s evangelicalism, if you tell the truth, you’re quite likely going to be fired, or at the least, given a gift certificate for luggage and a plane ticket.
At least half of evangelicalism is nothing more than an embarassing religious scam- and I use the word “religion” purposefully- that says we’re happier, healthier, wealthier, with better marriages, better kids, and wonderful churches. If you walk into the room and start telling the truth about that scam by telling your story in a voice others can hear, you’re going to be declared the enemy or mentally unstable.
Now you may think that I’m being hard, extreme, out in left field, but I want you to think of something for a moment.
When a good stock drops its excess, inflated price….what happens?
People buy it.
I’d love to buy into evangelicalism again. But not at today’s prices.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Evangelical Collapse
Here is an excellent article by Michael Spencer that is making the rounds on the internet and getting great reviews from mainstream scholars in the know. Even though these are hard words to read we need to keep a realistic prospective on what is happening today in America as it relates to our evangelical community.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Fruit of Purpose-Driven
From the Extreme Theology blog site:
Granger Community Church is considered to be one the brightest stars in the Purpose-Driven Church universe and is the 6th most influential church in America. Thousands of churches have purchased, downloaded and preached Granger's sermons. Past and present pastors from Granger are considered 'rock stars' and thought leaders in purpose-driven / seeker-sensitive circles.
But how effective are these Purpose-Driven / Seeker-Sensitive methods at making true converts and true Christian disciples?
Well, Granger just released the results of their Reveal Now survey and the data is bleak. In fact, Granger and their 'pastoral' staff get an F. Here are some of the low lights.
47% of those attending Granger DO NOT believe in salvation by grace. (This means they are NOT Christians, regardless of whether or not they identify themselves as those who are 'Growing in Christ' or 'Christ Centered'. The correct term for them would be 'false converts')
57% of those attending Granger DO NOT believe in the authority of the Bible.
56% of those attending Granger DO NOT believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life.
This is exactly what we should expect from churches that spend their time trying to be 'relevant' and scratch itching ears rather than preaching and teaching God's Word in season and out of season. Or to put it another way, Christless Christianity is completely impotent when it comes to making Christians and Christian Disciples. These survey results prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
These results are a complete train wreck and highlight the fact that it is time to abandon the circus church approach once and for all and get back to the 'boring' and 'irrelevant' work of preaching and teaching God's Word, the Lord's Supper and proclaiming Jesus Christ as crucified for our sins.
Granger Community Church is considered to be one the brightest stars in the Purpose-Driven Church universe and is the 6th most influential church in America. Thousands of churches have purchased, downloaded and preached Granger's sermons. Past and present pastors from Granger are considered 'rock stars' and thought leaders in purpose-driven / seeker-sensitive circles.
But how effective are these Purpose-Driven / Seeker-Sensitive methods at making true converts and true Christian disciples?
Well, Granger just released the results of their Reveal Now survey and the data is bleak. In fact, Granger and their 'pastoral' staff get an F. Here are some of the low lights.
47% of those attending Granger DO NOT believe in salvation by grace. (This means they are NOT Christians, regardless of whether or not they identify themselves as those who are 'Growing in Christ' or 'Christ Centered'. The correct term for them would be 'false converts')
57% of those attending Granger DO NOT believe in the authority of the Bible.
56% of those attending Granger DO NOT believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life.
This is exactly what we should expect from churches that spend their time trying to be 'relevant' and scratch itching ears rather than preaching and teaching God's Word in season and out of season. Or to put it another way, Christless Christianity is completely impotent when it comes to making Christians and Christian Disciples. These survey results prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
These results are a complete train wreck and highlight the fact that it is time to abandon the circus church approach once and for all and get back to the 'boring' and 'irrelevant' work of preaching and teaching God's Word, the Lord's Supper and proclaiming Jesus Christ as crucified for our sins.
Quote for the day
When you don’t even lay down clear doctrine at the level of the Gospel, where are you going to go from there? And the cry is, as one man said to me when my book on The Gospel According to Jesus came out, he said, “Your book is divisive!”
You want to know something? He’s right. He’s right. Want to know something else? Doctrine divides. People say, “Oh doctrine divides…doctrine divides.” I say, “Amen, preach it, doctrine divides.” You know what it does? It confronts error. It separates true from false. It makes judgments. Today’s climate, however, of unity in the priority of relationships, that’s not tolerable.- Dr. John MacArthur
You want to know something? He’s right. He’s right. Want to know something else? Doctrine divides. People say, “Oh doctrine divides…doctrine divides.” I say, “Amen, preach it, doctrine divides.” You know what it does? It confronts error. It separates true from false. It makes judgments. Today’s climate, however, of unity in the priority of relationships, that’s not tolerable.- Dr. John MacArthur
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
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