got doctrine?

Oh! What Beauty There Is In Communing With God!

2006-03-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

Oh! How wonderful it is that such wicked creatures can commune with such a Holy God! Who are we that God desires to be with us? Who are we that God would desire to deal with us in our daily lifes? What would make God seek to shine His face upon us? My only answer to that is that He is love!

Oh! What beauty there is in the fellowship with the King Of kings and Lord of lords! The Lord Jesus who rules the hearts of rulers with the simple movement of His hand (Proverbs 21:1), seeks fellowship with us!

If you can relate to this hymn, you are one happy person!

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today,
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer.
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.

He Lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way
He Lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me How I know He lives?
HE LIVES WITHIN MY HEART.

We serve a Savior that is always with us! He is within us! He will never forsake us!
If all your friends forsake you, Jesus will not!
The world hates you, Jesus does not!
The world is unkind and full of God haters, But Jesus is with you!!

OH! There is no need to fear, Jesus is with you!
All the trials you go through are nothing compared to the peace Jesus can give you!
All these present sufferings cannot compare with sweet communion with Jesus who is always there

May we seek daily to praise Him for His desire to be in and with us! Make we also seek to fellowship with Him!

Does God Actaully Love You?

2006-02-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

Is this western generation getting the wrong message that God loves them? As they recieve the message "God Loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" they see God as one that approves their lifestyle and has unconditional love for them despite their deep hatred toward Him. Does God actually love eveyone? Lets Go to His word for the answer.

Psalm 11:5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates

Psalm 11 is clear about the intentions of those who love violence and then David explains that The Lord is righteous and He loves righteousness. God hates those that seek to murder and take the lives of the righteous.

Psalm 10:3For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

Again David lets us know of the actions of the wicked and their boastful hearts. God Commands that man not covet, therefore those that BLESS those that covet approve it and glory in it. David explains that God abhors them. Abhor is even a harsher word with the meaning of detesting and to loathe.

This generation needs to know that God is extremely angry with them and that He commands them to repent. Their sins will call them to the judgment seat of Christ who is absolutely just and holy, therefore will judge with the full extent of the Law in mind.

Those that expect to have no existence after their body dies will be terrified with the reality that they rejected their whole lives.

God has sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, to live a life that you could not live and applies it to yours. He died a death you could not die and applies it to you and then was raised from the dead so that you would be justified before God. If only you repent of your sins and believe in Christ will you escape the perfect Justice of God.

On Fire For Christ?

2005-11-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I received a phone call around noon. It reminded me of a man named Galloway. He was a security guard at Hawthorne High School. I first met him when I heard him bashing Jesus Christ and preaching Islam to another Christian. He walked toward me. It angered me to hear what he was saying about the LORD. He said in a loud voice, as he walked toward me, "Jesus was nothing but a prophet." I confronted him saying, "Jesus is God, who is coming to judge the living and the dead!" He smirked with a pompous look and walked away.

In my attempts to witness to this muslim, there were several heated confrontations. As I walked into a small bathroom, I saw him snorting water into his nose, bare feet, with his rug, ready to pray. It felt weird walking in on him. He got upset, I was interrupting his prayer session. I had to go number 2. He said his god would not hear him if I was there doing my business. I responded, my God hears me whenever, wherever.
He picked everything up and left.

The last meeting I had with him, was between bells in front of many students. He got loud as he attacked Christ. His goal was to intimidate me. He did, in front of much of the school this day. In a loud voice he said, "You'll be sorry when you meet Jesus and find out He is muslim. As students looked on, I cowered within and found the strength to tell him he had better repent and believe in Christ as the son of God, who will judge the world and turn from his false god. Again, he walked away and I went my own way.

His car had broken down once and he needed a ride. In spite of the tension between us, I offered him a ride. He had accepted. I was able to share Christ with him again but he still refused. He explained to me that he had been a Christian once, but has now found out that allah is the true god. I simply reminded him that perhaps his mother has prayed for him to come to Christ. He affirmed she did. I eventually left that job. I returned and left him Muhammed's Believe It or Else. This was a comic book explaining the beliefs of Islam and their absurdity.

A friend who works at the school continued to befriend him and share the gospel with him. Let me go back to the phone call, I had missed the original call so I checked my message. It went like this, "Brother remember Galloway, another teacher just told me that he was found dead in his home over the weekend. He had suffered a heart attack. Now he knows who the true God really is."

I was shocked for a moment. This man's time was up. Because he believed a lie, doctrines of demons, he payed the ultimate price. Unless he repented, and confessed Christ, he entered into the presence of Eternal Justice without Christ as his advocate. He entered into eternal damnation, thinking he was going to glory. I realize that sharing the gospel is a great responsibility and more than that, a command from the LORD. There are masses serving false gods and living for a lie. These are going into eternal perdition moment by moment! Think of how many are perishing worldwide this instant! In light of all this as Francis Schaeffer said, "How should we then live?"

Hail Sovereign Love

2005-11-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

Hail Sovereign Love which first began, the scheme to rescue fallen man. Hail Sovereign free, eternal grace which gave my soul, a hiding place. Against the God who ruled the sky, I fought with hand uplifted high, despised the mention of His grace, too proud to seek, a hiding place.

Enwrapped in thick Egyptian night and fond of darkness more than light, madly I ran the sinful race, secure without a hiding place, but thus Eternal Counsel ran, Almighty love ARREST that man, I felt the arrows of distress, and found I had no hiding place.

To Sinai's fiery Mount I flew, Eternal Justice stood in view, but Justice cried with frowning face, "This mountain is no hiding place. Ere long a heavenly voice I heard, and Mercy's Angel soon appeared. He lead me on with gentle pace, to Jesus as my hiding place.

Should seven fold storms of thunder roll and shake this earth from pole to pole, no thunder bolt shall daunt my face, with Jesus as my hiding place, a few more rolling suns at most, shall land safe on Canaan's Coast, where I shall sing the song of grace, and see my glorious Hiding Place!

This hymn takes me to the moment when Christ arrested this wretched man. He poured torrents of living water and brought to life a man that was dead. Hail Sovereign Love.

Man In His Fallen Estate

2005-11-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from Pink's Archive:

"Again, Man in his natural state is a beast, yea below the beasts that perish. In two things he strongly resembles them; in looking no higher then to sensual gratification, and in that selfishness of spirit which prompts him to propose himself and his own interest as his proper and highest end. But in many respects he sinks sadly beneath them. Unnatural lusts, and the want of natural affection toward their offspring , are abominations not to be found among the brute creation. What shall we say of mothers destroying their children with their own hands, or of the horrid act of self-murder! Men are worse than beasts likewise, in their obstinacy; they will not be warned. If a beast escapes from a trap he will be cautious how he goes near it again, and in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird. But man, though he be often reproved, hardens his neck; he rushes upon his ruin with his eyes open, and can defy God to his face, and dare damnation." Taken from Pink's Archive by John John Newton

Polycarp: A Martyr for the Messiah

2005-11-15T22:49:00.000-08:00

"For eighty and six years, I have been His servant and He has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"

It was in A.D. 156 that persecution against Christians broke out in the province of Asia. There is a letter from the Smyrnaean Church that bears record. The authorities had decided to kill Christians. The reasons for doing so were not fully clear.

At eighty-six years old, Polycarp was a target for persecution because of his forceful ministry against paganism. He was known as the "atheist" by pagans, because they said he was a destroyer of their gods. From the perspective of the pagans, Polycarp worshiped a "dead man." He was an irritation to the pagans.

Local believers insisted that he hide from authorities. Polycarp's hiding out did not last. After torturing a servant, authorities learned of his whereabouts and found him hiding in a hay loft. Being that he was up in age, the authorities thought putting him to death was useless. They wanted Polycarp to deny his faith to save his life. What a victory that would be for the pagans and what a blow to the "cult" of Jesus. They addressed Polycarp saying, "What harm is there in saying Caesar is Lord and offering incense and saving your life?" The proconsul begged him to have respect for his age. "Swear by the divinity of Caesar, repent and say, "away with the atheists, take the oath and I will let you go."

"But Polycarp with his face set, looked at all the crowd in the stadium and waved his hands toward them, sighed, looked up to heaven, and cried, "Away with the godless!" The governor still continued to press him saying, "Swear, and I will set you free; execrate(to declare to be evil or detestable) Christ." Polycarp replies, "For eighty-six years, I have been His servant and He has never done me wrong, how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" They threatened him further with beasts. The proconsul then threatened to burn him with fire. Polycarp answered, "The fire you threaten burns for a time and is soon extinguished; there is a fire you know nothing about-the fire of the judgement to come and of eternal punishment, the fire reserved for the ungodly. But why do you hesitate? Do what you want." Just then, a shout went out that Polycarp was to be burned alive. The crowds rushed to collect wood from workshops and public baths. When the wood was stacked, Polycarp began to pray, when he finished the prayer and offered up the amen, the men in charge lit the fire, and a great flame shot up.

Polycarp actually sat at the feet of John, the beloved. He forms the last link with those who had seen Christ in the flesh. His death, though a great loss to the believers in Smyrna, was a great victory for the Christians! Many unbelievers were horrified by what happened. Polycarp's death ended the persecution in Asia and paved the way for those not as courageous, to openly declare their faith in Messiah.

Atheist

2005-11-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

I just watched the news about this atheist filing another lawsuit for having our bills written "in God we trust" (or I think it was something like that. I don't remember.). And the guy mentioned that he is with the science only foundation or something. I just thought it is very weird that there is a huge conflict between Atheist and the Theist. I'm very greatful for God to teach me so many wonderful things in my life yet I just wanted to share something that disturbs me greatly.

Atheist wants to use Science, Logic, and morality as their basis of disproving or "unproving" (according to Gorden Stein) the existence of God. Yet, Atheist cannot even explain the very foundation by which they use Science, Logic, and Morality. I would like to ask the Atheist, by what empirical reasons or proof can they justify that Science, Logic, and Morality is the "only way" to disprove or unprove the existence of God? Can they safely say that by the use of Science, science itself disprove the existence of God?

Theist maintains a position that without God, Science, Logic, and Morality has no meaning whatsoever. Theist also maintains that Science, Logic, and man's consciousness of morality points us back to God. Atheist tries to say that the Solar System has an inherent laws by which planets orbit around the strongest gravitational pole (in our case, Sun). This "law" by which the Solar System operate is abstract (cannot even be tested that Solar System revolves around the Sun. It just does and they cannot explain the reasons why.), unchanging (the law is always constant. The planets do not by any chance get out of their orbit.), Universal (the law of Solar System applies to the entire Space.) entities. By it, in the Atheistic worldview, there cannot be abstract, unchanging, universal entities for this alone contradicts the very beliefs that we live in the Evolutionary Universe, which all things are "random." In the Atheist worldview, they cannot even account for "laws" in general.

Atheist must first explain the reason why there are laws in this universe and why they are abstract. Once dealing with this particular question, they can actually do a scientific explanation but without it, they are pressupposing that "laws" exist and they must be invarient entities. But this pressupposition itself destroys the Atheist for if the laws of Gravity (for example) are invarient, how can they reconcile a connection between forever changing universe and the unchanging laws in particular? In logic, this is in fact called contradiction. It is saying, I have a pencil in front of me but it is not the case that the pencil is in front of me. If Atheist remains consistent with their worldview, they cannot account for laws.

So, who is the Atheist who talks against God? They are the one who is foolishly thinking that they have found the magical key that says there is no God when in particular, their own position is in itself by faith! I say by faith because Atheist has never justified the reason why they have laws. Without laws, this Universe would lose the very thing we are constantly dependant upon. If by any chance this World is by random processes, there would be enormous eruptions of "natural effects," planets constantly crashing, Sun would inflate a lot quicker, the planets would fail to be in "space" or in the "right place."

In short, Atheist cannot account for laws and thus, laws are the many reasons that without God, this world is irrational.

Prove to me that there is "laws" and how you can justify that law in your worldview. How can you make any connection with your changing worldview against mine.

Proof of Goliath discovered?

2005-11-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

"Archaeologists digging at the purported biblical home of Goliath have unearthed a shard of pottery bearing an inscription of the Philistine's name", reports the Associated Press. Archaeologists say this discovery gives credence to the "battle" between David and Goliath. According to the biblical account, this was no battle at all! David went and slayed the Giant Philistine; No problem! David knew the God whom he served!

Dr. Aren Maeir, a professor at Bar Ilan University, stated that this was not definitive evidence of Goliath's existence. He did state that the discovery supports the depiction of "life" at the time the battle was supposed to have taken place. He goes on to say that "at that time there were people named Goliath." The professor further states that the story of David and Goliath "reflects the cultural reality of the time. "

According to the article, the shard dates back to around 950 B.C., within 70 years of when the bible says David "threw down" with Goliath. This is the oldest Philistine inscription ever found. The discovery was made at Tel es-Safi, this is a dig site in Southern Israel, which is the supposed location of the Philistine City of Gath.

The article closes with a statement by Dr. Maeir which states he doubts an archaeological find could ever prove Goliath's existence.

It is encouraging how these finds strengthen the precious truth revealed to us by the LORD. This man proves how unbelievers suppress and of course are blinded by the truth. Day after day, the wrath of God is revealed against those who are without excuse! Not only do they supress the Truth, but exchage it for a lie.

Do we really know that God hears us?

2005-11-06T22:42:00.000-08:00

In getting ready for the preaching practicum, the LORD spoke to me in a great way. We all know how tired we are when we get ready to hit the bed. My wife and I pray every night before going to sleep. Sad to say, the prayers become routine and we find ourselves "just wanting to get the prayers in." Many times I fall asleep as I'm "leading" my wife in prayer and to my shame, she taps me and I wake up to finish the prayer. What I am really good at is leading us in going to sleep.

As I read Paul's prayer in Ephesians, verses 15-19 of chapter1 specifically, Paul prays that "the Father of Glory" gives them a spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the KNOWLEDGE OF HIM. I pondered on the phrase, IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM. Paul is clear with regard to whom he is praying to. Paul is conscious of the Almighty, Omnipotent God that is there to receive his prayer! In Paul's letters; he always begins with God! He acknowledges the Sovereign of the universe! Take verse 1 as an example: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." Let us look at verse 11: "In whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF HIM, WHO WORKETH ALL THINGS AFTER THE COUNSEL OF HIS OWN WILL." Paul recognizes who it is he is coming to. His knowledge of God is not only a superficial, accurate knowledge. Paul's knowledge of the Holy One is experiential! It is a personal relationship. He knows the Sovereign Messiah and is known by Him! He is aware of His LORD at all times; he knows he is coming before the King of Kings.

In the "knowledge of Him" refers to the knowledge of the first person of the Trinity; the Father Himself! I had to ponder this marvelous thought; the Father of Glory, the One to whom Glory belongs! I have access to Him because he has loved me! My warrant to enter into His throne room is none other than the LORD Jesus Christ! He is my glory. He is my door into the presence of the Father of Glory. As John states it so beautifully, "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has explained Him."

I must repent and confess my utter foolishness in approaching my King irreverently! I "throw up" faint prayers while my heart is far from Him! What a wretched man I am. There is forgiveness with Him! What a blessed thought! This led me to look at these examples in the Old Covenant that renewed the way I will approach my LORD in prayer:

Jacob, after he awoke from his dream in Genesis chapter 28:16, said "Surely the LORD is in this place and I did not know it." He was afraid states the text and says "how awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Or take Isaiah's vision:

"I saw the LORD sitting on the throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple." He goes on and says, "and the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of Him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips; FOR MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, the LORD of hosts." (Isaiah 6)

I must repent and say to you LORD that I want to know you in this way! I need to know you in this way! I cannot make it on my own. I am lost without you. I want to be a man that goes into your presence with boldness and confidence as these men did! I want you LORD to know me as you knew the children of Israel. LORD, you said to them, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth."

My brothers may we consider our steps and examine our hearts before entering into the presence of the Holy One! May we acknowledge His Sovereignty. We come before the Mighty King! May we enter clothed in the beauty of our Messiah! May we never dare enter because we think we merit it. It is a privilege! The King of Kings hears us! It is by Grace alone! May He cause us to fear Him! May He grant us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of Him! It is He who does the willing and the doing in us.

Do you find yourself thinking about Jesus?

2005-11-05T22:36:00.000-08:00

If we love someone, we find our minds drifting toward this person. When driving or working or relaxing, do you find yourself thinking about the one you claim you trust in? There are many ways we can examine whether we love Jesus. One other way is to see whether you get excited when you hear others speaking about Jesus. When you hear people talking about Jesus, do you direct your attention toward their conversation? After all, you love the one they are talking about. We are commanded to love God with all our heart, if we claim to be a christian (The word of God says that a christian seeks to love God)we seek to love Him. Oh! The one who saved your soul, He is so wonderful to lay your thoughts upon. Those that have no affection for Him never think about Him unless He is forced upon their mind. They do not have any desire for Him therefore will not be excited when hearing about Him. Do you think about Jesus, the one that sacrificed ALL for the sake of your soul. Do you get excited when you hear about Him?

These things are but a few ways you can examine whether you love the God of the Universe.

Ephesians 3:16-17 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
Ephesians 3:17 SO THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love

Bias, Interpretation, and Hermaneutics

2005-10-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

This writing is just a short summary of what I have been learning. Their won't be any "support" from any of my writing but my personal subjective opinion for what I like to share. So, if you do not want to hear subjective opinion because I won't be adding any support for them, please, don't read. :)

In my Psychology class, "scientific analysis" is one of the most important thing in the world. We learn how human being operate or "react" to certain circumstances. Yet, one of the difficulty with the scientist is that our own bias many times, gets in the way. Suppose we want to study women's intelligence or women's emotions. We, many times, through our stereotype, conclude that women are much more intelligent and emotional than men. When conducting a scientific analysis of these two, if we approach with a bias that women are smarter and much more emotional than men, then we would thus, conclude with that "proofs." Our bias' changes the way how "science" are conducted.

This applies to Bible reading as well. If we read the text with our "bias" we will conclude differently than what the text is proving. Thus, although we might "scientifically analyze" specific passages of the scripture, our bias alters the course of the text themselves.

If that is the case, when doing a Hermaneutics, because of our bias', we do not ask many questions that damage or affect that position. Perhaps, even as a Christian as well, we are required to listen to many other position with an open mind and allow the text to interpret themselves. But text also has its own BIAS!

I was reading NASB Bible and NIV Bible and there are many different changes in the grammar and syntax and even words that affect the very interpretation itself. If we read specific Bible, we will conclude with the Arminian that Salvation is by faith. There are more changes made with the Bible but that is the most controversial changes that Bible can make so I will stick there. Just a small changes in word and grammar affects the interpretation of the Bible. If thus, our Bible is already biased from the beginning, where do we conclude with our doctrine? Do we all require to read Greek and Hebrew with acquiring many different manuscripts of them? Can we dogmatically say that our Bible is the right one!?

I would thus conclude with the Psycho-Scientist that we must not read the text with our or interpretators bias' but let those who has written interpret for you. Perhaps that means that we all must need to study the original language. :)

Can I get a smidge of God with that non-fat mocha?

2005-10-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Is Starbucks now serving up religion? Starting next Spring Starbucks will be featuring quotes from best selling author of the “Purpose Driven Life”, and Pastor Rick Warren. I think they were feeling some opposition when they were featuring, “gay friendly” quotes on their cups. For example one of the quotes was, “Life is too damn short to hide being gay”, by Armistead Maupin. Starbucks also features other quotes from scientists to writers. Not only do they have quotes dealing with gay issues; Starbucks also supports the gay agenda by attending the gay pride parade that is held in San Diego, California. Starbucks also features quotes about evolution and other social issues and points of view.

I think this is a pathetic attempt to reach out to the Christian “coffee drinkers”. Why won’t they actually display quotes from our founding fathers or preachers and writers like A.W. Pink, John Calvin, and Martin Luther. Better yet how about placing scripture like some establishments do ( i.e. In-N-Out, Chick-a-Fila, and Forever 21). I understand that these establishments were owned or are currently owned by Christians whose convictions were to place scripture on their products.

Some might say this is petty to even make an issue of, but I think it deserves attention, as this is a poor attempt at trying to neutralize or divert attention away from heavy issues like the gay agenda. The fact that Starbucks would use Rick Warren says a lot about them, as Rick Warren’s theology is about as strong as a Starbucks DE-CAF latte.

See

2005-10-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

Just some words of encouragement that touched my life today.

Imagine life without sight. Many live in that reality. Life without sight and yet, many of those see far better, see far more, than of us in possession of our so-called sight. They have a perception that is necessary to and cultivated by their existence in the dark; yet, they are illuminated by a light brighter than we'll get to see with our eyes. As I explore this physical gift of seeing, I discover the inevitable connection to sight of spiritual nature. Too often have I found myself sitting in a state of complacency; only seeing the obvious; being content with that. Scared of digging deeper, of finding more, of seeing behind the scenes, of allowing my eyes to be opened. Jesus restores sight to the blind, both figuratively and literally. Not just during this life on earth, but in our lives today, too! Supernatural sight requires surrender and willingness, curiosity and courage. I want to see...

Words by Crystal Lewis

May we dig deeper in the Word of God. Let's put on our scuba gear and go scuba diving. Let's look at all the beautiful things in the Word of God. Let us grow in Spiritual Maturity. Let's press on and fight the good fight. Let us leave the milk and take in the Solid food. Hebrews 5:11-14.

Lord Bless.

Bereans

2005-10-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

Acts 17:11

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

Greetings. {-_-} Something has been on my heart and so I want to take the time to write down my thoughts.

I recently gave a book, written by my Pastor, to someone in my family. To make a long story short, this person said that they gave the book to their Pastor so he can read to see if it's "Sound Doctrine". I couldn't believe my ears b/c I knew why they did it. You see, someone in my family had told them something about the church I attend. I'm not saying what they did was wrong b/c we should examine the Scriptures as Christians/or to see if what the Author is saying is true in the light of the Word. It's just this person that told them something doesn't even want to examine the Scriptures themselves/or sit down to talk about Theology/Doctrine. They would rather have their ears tickled with wrong doctrine. I can't see why they couldn't read the book themselves if we are told to examine scriptures. Personally, the book that I gave to them isn't to hard to read/understand. On top of this, my Pastor even gives verses to back up what he's explaining.

I just want to encourage you all to take the time to search the Scriptures. If something doesn't sound right Biblically, get the Word of God and start examining.

I can say with confidence that I attend a Sound Biblical Teaching Church. Not only this, but I had the privilege of being raised as a Christian. The church that I previously attended was a good church but they were off in their doctrine in some ways. I thank the Lord that He has opened my eyes and has placed me in a Church that encourages people to read/examine the Scriptures. "Bring your Bible and your Brain", my Pastor says.

Recently our Pastor touched on this subject. He spoke on how we should be like the Bereans who examined the Scriptures daily. He told us a story about when he was in Bible college and how one of his professors had them actually sit with their mouths open. Why?, you may ask. The reason being, they weren't allowed to ask questions. They just sat there and listened to him talk. My Pastor had the sin of asking questions. Sadly, he explains, "That's why I was kicked out of college."

So I encourage you once again, dig deep in the Word. Know what you believe and why you believe it. <> <

God Is SO Compassionate!

2005-09-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Isn't God great? Why is He one to continue with us and deal with us so gently? I am constantly amazed that God would put up with wretches such as us.

1. He created us knowing that man would be in His lap, but then jump off and slap Him in the face on their way down.

2. Man would then seek day and night to rebel against Him and if they could they would murder Him.

3. Though they were like this He would redeem many that would deserve erternal torment.

The God of our existence deserves our gratitude and worship. He deals with us with compassion and lovingkindness though we deserve eternal suffering. Though we sin against His grace every day He carries us in His mighty hand because we are redeemed by the blood of His Son.

What person does this! There is none like you OH Lord!

Romans 5:6-8
6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us

God is great. In the midst of wrath, He remembers mercy!

2005-09-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

News Article -->> Survivor Story: 6-Year-Old Leads Five Toddlers, Baby To Safety.

Homosexuals Still Do Not Repent And Continue In Their Hatred Of God

2005-09-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, about 24 homosexuals paraded through Bourbon Street in New Orleans. They were partying and havin a good time while their fellow citizens suffered. They also anounced that their "Southern Decadence" would continue tomorrow. How defiant they are even after God poured His wrath upon them. They still shake there fists, spit in His face and continue in their sin. Oh, may God have mercy on these people and open their hearts to be able to respond to the Gospel. Let us pray for these people for their darkened minds cause them to be blind to what they are doing. May the Light of Jesus Christ reveal to them their sin and may He grant them repentance.

News Article -->> Homosexuals celebrate in ravaged New Orleans.

This is one response from my post on Myspace.com

2005-09-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

You my friend are retarded. why do i say your retarded you ask?

you think your attackign atheism when really your attacking nothing but yourself because Your arguing against yourself. you try and make a "valid" argument by using "logic" to "logically" explain why we must have "logic" because an eternal infinite being that thinks "logically" imparted it upon us? on that note, if an infinite beign thinks logically, and logic is relative, who is it realtive to if no one else was around? a narrow-minded individual as yourself thinks that it is imposibble to even argue against the existence of god without the rules of logic. tell me sir, what are the rules of logic ? and you can argue using your "rules of logic" that there is a god in existence just as i can argue that there isnt using my "rules of logic" you say that everythign is relative, which i note you say to be self-refuting, so why would you even base your argument on logic , if it is RELATIVE. thats the most unintelligent post i have ever seen. and furthermore, you use flawed reasoning to prove a point and you even go as low as citing an example that has no validity in your argument. let me put it this way. what was given to people when they first arrived on the planet??? according to your truths (bible) were they given the knowledge of computers, automobiles, cloning, televisions, radios, ?? i think not. <> and guess what people made, autmobiles and computers. your argument is so biased its blinding and lacking in any form of reason and intelligent thinking.

in short, please do not talk to anyone because the last thing we need is more dumbass zealot christians who think they know their talking about.

Why should I respond to this?

1. He somehow got the idea that I believe everything is relative, then in turn create a strawman out of it.

a. (you say that everythign is relative, which i note you say to be self-refuting, so why would you even base your argument on logic , if it is RELATIVE.)

b. (if an infinite beign thinks logically, and logic is relative, who is it realtive to if no one else was around?)

2. He used rhetoric?

a.(you try and make a "valid" argument by using "logic" to "logically" explain why we must have "logic" because an eternal infinite being that thinks "logically" imparted it upon us?)

3. He begged the question

a. (you think your attackign atheism when really your attacking nothing but yourself because Your arguing against yourself.)

b. (and you can argue using your "rules of logic" that there is a god in existence just as i can argue that there isnt using my "rules of logic") There are not different kinds of logic.

c. (thats the most unintelligent post i have ever seen. and furthermore, you use flawed reasoning to prove a point and you even go as low as citing an example that has no validity in your argument.)

4. He used the fallacy of Ad Hominem

a. (a narrow-minded individual as yourself thinks that it is imposibble to even argue against the existence of god without the rules of logic)

b. (in short, please do not talk to anyone because the last thing we need is more dumbass zealot christians who think they know their talking about)

Atheists and Logic

2005-09-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

What is Logic: The use of arguments in which reasons are presented to prove the truth of what one desires to assert.

What is Atheism: Well, there are many kinds, different kinds of "denominations" if you will. But the specific type I want to mention are those that simple deny the existence of any supernatural forces or beings, just material things.

First, Some questions
1. If everything is relative (which is self-refuting) how can Atheists argue for Logic?

2. Do Atheists have a valid arguement for Logic?

3. How is it possible that all of mankind uses Logic when there was no such thing
as Logic before man came into existence?

4. If they argue against Logic, what rules do they use to do so?

Without an eternal infinite being that thinks logically and imparts logic to finite creatures it is impossible for finite creatures to think logically. If there was no mind before man (there must be thought in order for there to be logical thinking. Example: there is no logical thoughts that exist in rocks because they do not think), then how is it possible that logic came into existence? I use the example of a robot. How much does a robot know? It only knows as much as what was/is given to it. Can the robot go beyond what has been given to it? No. Can a robot perform anything without a person that thinks logically and had already imputed information within it to perform its task? No.

Farah joins Pat Buchanan: Impeach Bush!

2005-08-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

I am getting frustrated with Bushes policies with the border. Either he does not know the threat of Islam (which I do not believe) or he is letting Muslim fundamentalist into this country for unknown reasons. Do we believe George Bush is that much of an idiot to not know the threat of Islam? This President is going to be responsible for our downfall if he does not close the borders. AGHHH!! I can't believe the incompotence! He speaks into the camera and says we are protecting this country and keeping us free, but at the same moment the borders are wide open! The man is lying through his teeth! May God enable us to rise up and get our borders closed because if they are kept open our life of freedom will be no more! We will experience more death then America has ever known. We will be taken over by Islam and this nation will be no longer known as America!

News Article -->> Farah joins Pat Buchanan: Impeach Bush!

Cindy has been contact by demons or she has gone crazy (well, more then she is now)

2005-08-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

"When I get up [to heaven], he's gonna say, 'Good job, mom,'" says Sheehan. hmmmm, yeah, "good job mom. Even though I chose to serve a second term I am glad you opposed everything I did." Lets pray she makes it to heaven. As of yet, she has not repented of her sins.

"I know that they are in heaven," Sheehan said, "and I know that that's why this movement is growing because we have tens of thousands of angels behind us that are supporting us, that are saying, 'Well, you know we died and that was really crappy, but we hope that our deaths are going to make the world a better place,' and it's up to us to make sure that it does."

Do we turn into angels when we die? hmmmm.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45974

Dogs For Cindy Sheehan?

2005-08-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

Michael Savage is right when he says "Liberalism is a mental disorder." Across the country on Wednesday evening, people gathered together in support for Cindy Sheehan. Along with these people were their dogs and on their dogs they had a sign reading "Dogs for Cindy." I don't understand this thinking. Why would you proclaim (Because it sure is not the dog that is proclaiming it) that your dog is supporting this woman? You could put a rock on the side of the road, put the sign "Rocks for Cindy" on them and it would not make a difference. It is stupid if you ask me. Leave your dog out of this, they could care less if Cindy gets what she wants. Take the sign off, lay out some "kibbles and bits" and let the dogs (that don't have any ability to understand this) sleep.

News Article -->> Hold your appaws: Dogs for Cindy

Is Islam A Peaceful Religion?

2005-08-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

"Alfred Guillaume was the Head of the Department of the Near and Middle East in the School of Oriental and African Studies, and Professor of Arabic, in the University of London, and later Visiting Professor of Arabic in the Universaty of Princeton, New Jersey...He was known in the Islamic world as the editor of The Legacy Of Islam, which has been translated into several languages...The Arab Academy of Damascus and Royal Academy of Baghdad honored him by electing him to their number, and University of Istanbul chose him as their first foreign lecturer on Christian and Islamic theology. He died in 1965." ISLAM by Alfred Guillaume, inside cover, Penguin Books, 1954

"Jihad, The duty to fight all unbelievers." ISLAM by Alfred Guillaume, page 201, Penguin Books, 1954

(The translation is by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. He is the most popular commentator in North America.)

O Prophet! Resort to jihad against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be thou harsh with them; their is Gehenna-an evil homecoming! Sura 9:73
They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks;-...Sura 4:89

and

When you meet the unbelievers, smite their necks, then, when you have made wide slaughter among them, tie fast the bonds;"... Sura 47:4a

Abdullah Yusuf Ali's Commentary:

"Once the fight (Jihad) is entered upon, carry it out with the utmost vigour, and strike home your blows at the most vital points (smite their necks), both literally and figuratively. You cannot wage war with kid gloves." THE QUR'AN: TEXT, TRANSLATION, AND COMMENTARY, by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote# 4820, page 1378, Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, Inc., 1934

And the last verse I will mention right now is Sura 5:33
"This is the recompense of those who fight against God and His Messenger, and hasten about the earth, to do corruption there: they shall be slaughtered, or crucified, or their hands and feet shall alternately be struck off, or they shall be banished from the land. This is a degradation for them in this world; and in the world to come awaits them a mighty chastisement."

If you research actions of Islamic governments in countries such as Sudan, you will see that they have crucified, slaughtered and cut off hands and feet in accordance to the Quran.

Those Muslim Terrorists Are Strapping Bombs To Dogs

2005-08-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

Muslim terrorists are strapping bombs to dogs (Proverbs 12:10) to advance their attacks on our troops. I say that they are savage dogs! Let alone using dogs, they use other tactics that involve people that are unaware of the bombs! What sick people they are! May God be pleased to bring Islam to its knees and have its people relinquish the forcing of their false religion on the rest of mankind! May God have mercy on those men and women that are trapped in this system of death and show them grace and truth through Jesus Christ(John 1:17)! He is the way, the truth and the life(John 14:6)! Allah is a liar and a murderer and so are his children. May God reveal His precious Son to these lost souls.

News Article -->> U.S. forces rely on dogs to detect bombs in Iraq. Insurgents rig them with explosives.

Did Allah Have A Lapse Of Memory? Perhaps He Was Getting Old When Revealing The Quran To Muhammad?

2005-08-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; "Oh my sons! Allah hath chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the Faith of Islam." Surah 2.132

So, Surah 2:132 shows us that Abraham and Jacob left this inheritance with their sons. The inheritance was the "Faith of Islam." Allah had chosen that Abraham and Jacobs children would have faith in him as their fathers did. They believd in Islam too.

BUT

"And I (Muhammad) am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam." Surah 39:12

Hmmm, who was the first? Since the Quran came straight from heaven, did Allah forget?
Did Abraham have the faith of Islam? I submit that he never heard the word "Allah" or "Islam."

How did Allah create man? Did he create man with a "sperm-drop," how about "sounding clay, or how about "out of nothing?" Well, again, Allah seems to have a loss of memory.

He has created man from a sperm-drop; and behold this same (man) becomes an open disputer! Surah 16:4

We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape; Surah 15:26

But does not man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing? Surah 19:67

Surely Allah knows how he created man. If it is clay, it can't be sperm because their ain't sperm in clay, neither is there any clay in sperm. If he created man out of nothing, then it can't be the previously mentioned material.

Well, this is one reason I am not a Muslim. Allah can't remember anything. What if he said he would protect me, but then forgot all about me. What if he made a promise and forgot about it. He is not a god that deserves any worship. No god that breaks promises is worthy of worship.

YHWH is the only God that keeps His promises and does not sleep. He will not forget you , nor will your presence slip His mind. His knowledge of all things has been known to Him from eternity and it is impossible for Him to forget it. I thank God for His eternal omniscience!

Psalm 121 :3
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Psalm 121:4
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

God's Deliverance!

2005-08-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am stenchful with depravity
profoundly infested with monstrosity
Incapable of myself to accomplish veracity
so prone to forget probity

There is God that is seperate from this
He is just and untainted
obligated by a just character
to pronounce judgement on this profligacy

Do I have to ultimately face what I deserve?
Do I have to embrace the due justice of my crimes?
Is there any hope of deliverance?
Is there any escape from His terrible rectitude?

There is hope through the one who is beyond compare
Who is this person filled with excellency?
Who is this who can wash me clean?
My sins are thoroughly departed before His eyes?

Because of Jesus Christ and His work
Because of His holy life, My life is now considered blameless
because of His atoning death, I am freed from the penalty
Because of His resurrection, I am now justified!!

Romans 7:24-25
24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin

Oh! May God Show Us Are Absolute Need Of Dependence Upon Him.

2005-08-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Utter beggary and complete bankruptcy

(Joseph Philpot)

"O visit me with your salvation." Psalm 106:4

Salvation only suits the condemned, the lost.
A man must be lost; utterly lost; before he can prize God's salvation.

And how is he lost? By . . .
losing all his religion,
losing all his righteousness,
losing all his strength,
losing all his confidence,
losing all his hopes,
losing all that is of the flesh;
losing it by its being taken from him,
and stripped away by the hand of God.

A man who is brought into this state of
utter beggary and complete bankruptcy . . .
to be nothing,
to have nothing,
to know nothing;
he is the man, who is . . .
crying,
groaning,
begging,
suing,
seeking,
and praying
for God's salvation to his soul.

"O visit me with your salvation." Psalm 106:4

May God Have Mercy On This Nation!

2005-08-03T00:13:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from Patrick Buchanan's "Death of The West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil our Country and Civilization," Page 2

This chasm in our country is not one of income, ideology, or faith, but of ethnicity and loyalty. Suddenly, we awoke to the realization that among our thirty-one-million foreign-born, a third are here illegally, tens of thousands are loyal to the regimes with which we could be at war, and some are trained terrorists sent here to murder Americans. For the first time since Andrew Jackson drove the British out of Louisiana in 1815, a foreign enemy is inside the gates, and American people are at risk in their own country."

This book is an eye opener!

The Cost of Being a True Christian

2005-08-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

An Excerpts From J.C. Ryle's "Holiness,"

"1. THE COST OF BEING A TRUE CHRISTIAN"
3. Also, Christianity will cost a man his love of ease. He must take pains and trouble if he means to run a successful race toward heaven. He must daily watch and stand on his guard, like a soldier on enemy’s ground. He must take heed to his behavior every hour of the day, in every company and in every place, in public as well as in private, among strangers as well as at home. He must be careful over his time, his tongue, his temper, his thoughts, his imagination, his motives, his conduct in every relation of life. He must be diligent about his prayers, his Bible reading, and his use of Sundays, with all their means of grace. In attending to these things, he may come far short of perfection; but there is none of those who he can safely neglect. "The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat" (Prov. 13:4).

This also sounds hard. There is nothing we naturally dislike so much as "trouble" about our religion. We hate trouble. We secretly wish we could have a vicarious Christianity, and could be good by proxy, and have everything done for us. Anything that requires exertion and labor is entirely against the grain of our hearts. But the soul can have "no gains without pains."

"3. SOME HINTS"
2. Think, if you want stirring motives for serving God, what it cost to provide a salvation for your soul. Think how the Son of God left heaven and became Man, suffered on the cross and lay in the grave, to pay your debt to God, and work out for you a complete redemption. Think of all this and learn that it is no light matter to possess an immortal soul. It is worthwhile to take some trouble about one’s soul.

Ah, lazy man or woman, is it really come to this, that you will miss heaven for lack of trouble? Are you really determined to make shipwreck forever, from mere dislike to exertion? Away with the cowardly, unworthy thought. Arise and play the man. Say to yourself, "Whatever it may cost, I will, at any rate, strive to enter in at the strait gate." Look at the cross of Christ and take fresh courage. Look forward to death, judgment and eternity, and be in earnest. It may cost much to be a Christian, but you may be sure it pays.

Why Is Congressman Tom Tancredo Attacked Because Of His Remarks?

2005-07-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

In Florida, July 22nd, Congressman Tom Tancredo said on WFLA-AM,

"Well, what if you said something like -- if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites," Tancredo answered.

He was asking the question what we should do to Muslims if they attacked us again. His hypothetical solution was to bomb the Kabaah in Mecca.

There are those out there that see this as a moronic strategy, but are they actually the ones that are morons? Are they the ones that are ignorant of the genius of this strategy? The credit is due to Robert Morey, who wrote a book called "Winning The War Against Radical Islam." There is a site run by morons who believe this strategy is dumb. Ironically the site is called "web.morons.org."

A quote from "Winning The War Against Radical Islam,

The terrorists and terrorist nations such as Saudi Arabia only fear one thing: the destruction of the religion of Islam. There is nothing in this life that has greater value to them than Islam. They are willing to sacrifice and even die to promote Islam. This religious motivation is the engine that drives the Jihad against us.

Robert Morey has "a PhD in Islamic studies, and was awarded a D. D. for his original work in the pre-Islamic sources," so before anyone comments about how ridiculous the idea is, do your research about Islam and their attachment to their holy sites.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

2005-07-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Before I attempt to write my first article, I would like to say that I’m asking the Lord in prayer to guide and direct my words. My desire is to glorify Christ and to share things that He has impressed upon my heart in a fair and uncompromising way (Sola Scriptura). I will elaborate on issues that need to be dealt with according to scripture. Issues such as FASLE DOCTRINE, SIN IN THE CHURCH, ISLAM, JW’S, NEWS WORTHY EVENTS, ETC. The opinions expressed in my articles are mine and I bare the full weight and responsiblity of them. I would like to say that I will not respond to those who leave comments anonymously. If you have a strong conviction of your beliefs then put your name down so we can have an intellectual discussion. I will not make any personal attacks against you but will try to persuade you according to the Word of God.

Follow Jesus?

2005-07-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

It’s been over week.

Harvest Crusade has come and gone. The goal of this event claims to be the same, to bring the non-believer to a decision for Jesus. Like a seasonal storm it has left a mess behind for others to clean up. Once again it has ridiculed the biblical Christian religion with its unbiblical unorthodox practices. Like other similar events, the easy decisionism/believism schemes were present along with the outrageously relativistic doesn’t matter what or how you do it worship. A few of us attended for the sole purpose of observing the commotion. We were disappointed and became angry at times.

Yes, I thought the entertainment was pretty disturbing. When Mr. Toby first entered the stage, I thought I was seeing Eminem. It rushed memories of a time I was looking around in a Christian store for some music and a music display caught my eye and shocked me where it was making a comparison, "if you like Britney Spears you’ll probably like Jaci Velazquez." I can’t understand why Christian entertainers want to look and sing like the world. Toby must think that as long as you sprinkle a song with some Christian lingo it automatically becomes sort of a worship song. This type of activity just gives the world another reason to call us ‘wannabees’.

I will now give a brief account of how confusing the message was.

Personally, I was more interested in hearing how Greg was going to present the Gospel. Before Greg made the Finney-invention altar call where many of us hung out in the past, he kept mentioning a rather confusing phrase that kept me thinking. I hope I wasn’t the only one who caught it!

"Follow Jesus"

Due to the nature of this event, he had to be addressing the unregenerate.
The unregenerate is one who is continually rebelling/provoking God and who is without Christ, without forgiveness of sin, without salvation, gladly and blindly on his way to hell.
A convert is one who has been enabled/illuminated by the Spirit of God to repent and turn to Christ alone in faith for forgiveness of sin/salvation, one who has been brought to grace.
How is the unregenerate to attain salvation by following Jesus?
Is salvation attained by following Jesus or by repenting and turning in faith "to" Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin?

Jesus did neither! The heathen can’t "follow Jesus" in this respect!

Unfortunately the message gave the heathen little or no sense of how bad they’re in it for, and their sinfulness/depravity/inability and desperate need for a Savior. All the truth was substituted with trying to appeal to the crowd by instilling fear from the current catastrophic events that have been occurring since the creation of the world, and how turning to Jesus will give them hope from these awful things? Are we to preach on the deliverance of terrorism acts/earthquakes or the deliverance from the dominion of sin and the wrath of God?
Many will agree that these guys preach a watered down gospel, I differ, I think they preach a distorted gospel.

Many say, "but God can use anything!"

It may be true . . . BUT the end ought not justify the means! It doesn’t negate our responsibility to correctly preach the Gospel with ‘the’ truth and not distorting it by making it more ‘user friendly’ just to get somebody to walk down. I don’t blame the crowd as much as I blame the organization. The heathen are helpless. Their itchy ears where just taking in the loud entertainment that was being shouted by, I assume, well meaning but ignorant Christians.

I must say, movements like these motivate some of us to seek God’s face and pray that by his grace we may become more diligent and better equipped to be more efficient AND more committed in the work of the Lord!

I hope these Harvest guys and their partners in crime get it right soon one day. There are too many souls at stake.

I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that in the end none of his will be led astray!

Oh! The Precious Beauty Of God's Electing Grace

2005-07-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

I have been studying election for a few weeks now and have seen the invaluableness of this teaching within God's word. God, choosing out of the whole of depraved sinners, ones for salvation and to be comformed to the image of His exellent Son.

Ephesians 1:4
4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will

This action of Gods choosing was an event, specificly one that happened "before the foundation of the world." God chose us in eternity. Before we did any good or bad, as in Romans 9:11, God chose us for many reasons. Why were we chosen, was there a reason within us or was it for the sole purpose of God's own delight? Is there scripture to suggest that the reason God chose people was because they repented and put faith in Jesus Christ? Their is Scripture that says both repentence and faith is given to us (2 Tim. 1:9. 2:25,Phillipians 1:29) in order that we may do them, therefore it is God's chose to whom He gives these two abilities. The reasons why God chose us according, to Ephesians 1:4, is that we would be holy and blameless before Him(vs. 4), because He loved us(vs. 4b), to adopted as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself(vs. 5), and according to the kind intention of His will(vs. 5b).
We were chosen for His own desires. Another reason is unto salvation.

2 Thessalonians 2:13But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth

There are influential people such as Dave Hunt that hold the idea that God chooses people just unto good works and that these are special blessings only for the believer. 2 Thess. 2:13 is clear about God choosing people "for salvation." What makes Dave Hunt think that God must elect us unto the good works after our salvation, but we some how repent and exercise faith by ourselves unto salvation?

Praise God that He is not a slave to man's choices. The god of modern evangelicals is one who desires so desperately to save every individual, but is incapable of do it until they decide themselves to repent and believe. The bible tells us that the Father desires to save His people from their sin, chooses them, sends His Son to obtain their salvation through His life, death and resurrection! The Holy Spirit revives them unto spiritual life and grants them repetance and faith in order that they may believe on Jesus Christ!

Erroneous Teaching of Calvary Chapel

2005-07-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

I just finished listening to Calvary Chapel's very famous radio show, Pastor's Perspective. I hardly listen to them anymore because of the erroneous teachings and the lack of answers that these so-called Pastor gives to the people who wants answers. Today, however, was an exception. After seeing my friend in a gas station, I started to tune in on the Pastor's Perspective. And if by any heretical teachings you would like to hear, it is from these men. Calvary Chapel's understanding of Salvation is no different than the Roman Catholic that faith in God is something that we do.

A young man phoned the radio station and asked a question basically about his conversion. This is how it goes. "Pastor, I have a question about my faith. I know that I am saved because I accepted Christ into my heart but I still have that doubt in my heart that God is not here or that God doesn't exist. I went down the altar 7 or 8 times and still I feel the same way. Do you think I am really saved?" Pastor's reply, "Let me ask you this question. Do you live like a Christian? Do you read the Bible, pray, go to church?" The man answered, "Yes." "Then, you are saved!" Reply from Brian Broderson, "Faith is something that we do, like you pray, read the Bible, go to church, and by that God gives us Salvation. I sometime feel like God doesn't exist but I will continue to believe that Christ came to die for me and I have faith (and that is the justification in which Pastor Brian receives Salvation).

Why oh why does the Calvary Chapel think that Salvation is something that is done by man and thus because man believes, God gives Salvation? Man's belief in God is not what justifies mankind of their eternity! Have we not read in our Bible that Faith is the Work of God? "...Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead" (Col. 2:12). We are told here that "faith" is "the working of God." Even those who asked Jesus the work that we ought to do to enter into heaven, Christ said with his own word, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29). Notice Jesus answers the first clause of the disciple's question, "What shall we do?" In other words, what is the requirement that we ought to give our life in doing? But the answer to that first clause is, "This is the work of God." We believe on Christ not because we do the work but because it is the work of God in our heart. And Jesus answers the second clause, "that we may work the works of God?" Answering the first clause saying that the "work in which I tell you is the work of God," "you believe in Him whom He has sent." But notice that you believe goes back to the first clause of the sentence which our belief is NOT something we do or initiate but it is the Work of God.

Although, these are just a two scripture as an example, let's keep in note that Pastor's in Pastor's Perspective mislead the man who phoned them and gave them the false assuring of Salvation in that "if he continues to attend church, pray, and read the Bible, he is saved." The Bible does not say that is what gives us the Salvation but the work of God that has been accomplished for us and thus because of that we believe. God gives us the faith, and we believe. After listening to the Pastor's Perspective, I felt disgusted to hear such heretical teachings that Calvary Chapel is endorcing to the public: false assurance of Salvation. We need to continually pray that these men would know about their erroneous teachings before they face God on the judgement day! They will stand accountable for the sheep that they mislead.

Poor Old Joseph Smith

2005-07-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true . . . . I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.

Joseph Smith—History 1:25.

It breaks my heart that this man, Joseph Smith, would not take heed the truth of Scripture that the Father is invisible and that the Son is the image of the invisible God. The Father has no body and Scripture is clear about that, but Joseph Smith would rather believe his vision then the Word of God. Yes, he had seen a vision, but it was not of the Son or the Father. The man was a false prophet and has led so many to hell. May we be diligent in our study of Gods word that we may be ready to give a defense for the faith and lead Mormons to the truth.

Is This True Islam?: Just Read Your History Of How Muhammad Lived And Taught.

2005-07-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

San Diego Union-Tribune, July 13th, Article by Toby Sterling, Associated Press.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands --- The Muslim extremist on trial for the slaying of filmmaker Theo van Gogh confessed yesterday, saying he was driven by religious conviction. "I don't feel your pain," he told the victim's mother.
"If I were released and would have the chance to do it again . . . I would do exactly the same thing," Mohammed Bouyeri said in the final minutes of his two-day trial.
"What moved me to do what I did was purely my faith. . . . I was motivated by the law that commands me to cut off the head of anyone who insults Allah and his prophet," he said.
Bouyeri, 27, faces life imprisonment in the Nov. 2 killing of Van Gogh, who was shot, stabbed and nearly beheaded on an Amsterdam street.
A verdict is to be handed down this month.
At one point, he addressed the victim's mother, Anneke, who was sitting in the public gallery.
"I have to admit I don't have any sympathy for you," he said. "I can't feel for your because I think you're a nonbeliever."
The killing is believed to have been an act of retribution for Van Gogh's film, "Submission," which criticized the treatment of women under Islam.
The killer left a five-page note fixed to the filmmaker's body with a knife.

The Joy of Evangelism

2005-07-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

It felt like it was 110 degrees as I waited for the light to change to green! No air conditioning, traffic was horrendous, when suddenly, I hear the music of Islam! I was on my last nerve considering the circumstances, but this took me over the edge! I look to the left and see a taxi cab with a black man driving, hearing the preaching of allah, with his window rolled down. At the same time, I turned and told him to repent and believe in Jesus, who is the Son of God, and God Himself!

I cowarded away by stepping on the gas, but, traffic was very heavy. The muslim caught up to me and said, "Why should I believe in Jesus?" We were stuck at a light on red, in the middle of the street! It seemed as if time had stopped as we spoke. For the next three blocks in heavy traffic, he continued to debate! His questions came and by God's grace, so did the Biblical answers. His main point to destroy the Bible was that Christians believe Jesus died for all people. He actually looked shocked when I told him that was not true. I proceeded to share the Gospel with him according to the Scripture. I Let him know that allah offered him no assurance of salvation, for, not even the prophet Mohammed knew what would become of him. According to John 17, of those that the Father gives to Christ, He would not lose one, I told him! He argued of the Trinity, I simply told him that these things are spiritually discerned and that the carnal mind cannot understand these things. He said, "to you be your way, and to me be mine." I responded that we both cannot be right, but Jesus, who is God said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through Me!" He finally pulled away for the last time. I did not see Him again.

I share this to give testimony to the faithfulness of God! I was miserable in the hot, traffic ridden streets. But boy, when the Power of the Spirit breaks into your miserable day to do His will, no matter how we feel, and when we least expect it, it brings a refreshing reminder, that in Him there are pleasures forever more! There is no greater pleasure than to be an ambassador of the Most High LORD, specially when it does not depend on who we are, but on who our Sovereign LORD is, in us!

For Mr. Anonymous, I have dealt with Muslims in evangelism. Many blacks are being swept up by Islam in the jail and university systems. I referred to the driver of the car as such, for that reason alone. Of the whole article, this is what you focus on? You know what happens when you assume! I have a genuine love for the people deceived by Islam. Specially those who are born here in America! Yes Mr. Anonymous, the majority of them are black. It is my hearts desire to be used by the LORD to witness the Truth of Christ, since they do have mothers and grandmothers who are praying for them! When Christ call us to Himself, Mr. Anonymous, it sure does not depend on who or what we are!

A Small Thought On The Absurdity Of Free Will

2005-07-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

First off, What does free will mean? When you are free, you are free from something (example: Tyranny) and you are free to something (example: Governing yourself without government control). Now, if we have a free will, would we not have to be free from every hinderance in order for our "will" to make unbridled decisions? How is it possible for a man (unregenerate creature) that is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) to be unhindered from the nature of sin, to make an unrestricted descision? The word of God says we were bound by the Law (Romans 7:6) and that the mind of man does not subject itself to the Law of God, neither is it able to do so (Romans 8:7). Free will is never mentioned in scripture, but Gods sovereignty (Psalm 103:19) is throughout the whole of Scripture. Now, if man has free will, is it possible for Gods plans to me thwarted? Yes, what if man did not come together and murder the Son of God? There would be no salvation for man, we would all be on our way to hell. In fact, Acts 4:27 says all the men that came together to murder the Messiah came through the predetermined plan of God to do whatever His Hand wanted them to do. We see in Isaiah 10 that God used Assyria as a tool to destroy Jerusalem, but after He used them, He punished them for destroying Jerusalem. Did they not do what God planned for them to do? They did exactly what God determined them to do, but the intentions of their heart were evil. Assyria had entirely different motives for their actions, evil intentions. God ment all of it for good, but Assyria ment it all for evil. Man is simply going as God determines, but they have wicked intentions. God is in control, He even controls the heart of kings (Proverbs 21:1). God is on the throne, there is no such thing as free will in Scripture.

Toby Mac and the Harvest Crusade

2005-07-17T00:56:00.000-07:00

I must admit, the moment I heard that Toby Mac was going to lead the worship yesterday, I was excited! I would just jump up and down and getting jiggy with it. And as if I was excited for a worship at all, or was I excited period. The moment we reached the stadium, we were greatly surprised by the amount of people that was already there. The whole stadium was literally packed and more people were just coming in! The seats were filled from top to bottom and many were standing near the wall or watching the whole gang of rock show from the TV. The message was truly exciting! I mean, who would preach a whole message about the last day? I must say, the Harvest Crusade completely broke my heart.

Just as we were trying to enter into the parking lot, we were greatly bombarded by the cars around us and the people that filled the entire stadium. I heard from my friend that the security had to close the Parking lot and the stadium because of the amount of people inside! Even as we zoomed into the stadium from the street, you can see that the entire stadium was packed with people. I have honestly never seen so many people in the stadium ever. We were just entering the stadium, paying the fee for the packing space within and squirming our way in.

As we were coming out of the parking lot and as we entered inside the stadium, we can see kids running around, music in the back ground, and these Calvary Chapel guys selling their shirts and their cd's. Of course, we were a least bit interested in what they were selling. We would then walk toward the escalader and the fun begins once we reach the top of the deck.

The moment we were in the stadium, or the deck, or whatever you like to call it, we see Jeremy Camp singing a song that which I did not know. The music was truly astounding. I mean, while Jeremy was singing, we can feel the whole stadium vibrating. Most people seem to not mind the whole vibration within the stadium but not only was the vibration great but the sound of the guitar was like a sound of a lightning which strike near our home. I mean, you have to literally shout in our friend's ear for us to hear what we are saying! That is ridiculous!

My friend left their wives in the seat and with us guys, we walked perhaps around or just within the perimeter of the entrance of the stadium. We were just casually walking around, taking pictures of those who are well into the "music." And, as we were just crusing past the many people that surrounded us, Greg Laurie came up on the podium and introduced our well known singer, Toby Mac. Once Toby Mac was introduced, the crowd literally went wild. The girls up in the front were jumping up and down as though they are watching his concert, the girls to the side were shouting enough to get the attention around us all. And as girls shouted, and guys waited, Toby Mac started rapping.

Toby Mac deserves a paragraph of his own. I mean, his music is suppose to be glorifying to the Lord? And let us take a moment to think about this. Why does the Harvest Crusade play any music to begin with? Was it not to direct their attention to the Lord and not just to dance around and shout with the top of our lungs and scream? If we call that a worship, then the church is no different than the music that the world is promoting. Of course, then, we would imagine that because there are non-believers there, we cannot really play a song of worship because the unbelievers would feel uncomfortable and they would perhaps not "commit and receive Christ." The music is watered down to fit with the world. There is no distinction you can make anymore with the Christian music and the music that the world offers. And because Calvary Chapel promotes these things and even play them in the Crusade, they would bring so many people and receive Christ! There is no longer a separation between Church and the State. Church is in fact turning into the state!

Perhaps one of the biggest problem with rap singers or hip hop singers is that they fail to point to God and his devine Sovereignty. They are expert in bringing the whole house down and getting their hips swinging and screaming and literally forget what is going on around them. But it is left at the area of personal pleasure: the music "sounds" good, plays well, gets people to really move their thang; but other than that, it cannot point to Christ or his Sovereignty! Toby Mac played song such as Extreme Days, and Irene, and J-train. I used to listen to his music and really liked them. He was to me, no different than the Eminem rapper. Toby is a good rapper, I will give a credit for that but all his song has nothing to do with God or Christ. The song Irene talks about how this little girl is going through trouble and hardship and that he tells her that it's ok, cuz the Lord will answer her prayer tonight. There is some hope! That's what the song is about but any mention of God? Nope. All the talks about what he did or her personal feelings.

Other than those three songs that I listed above, he played worldly music such as, we are family, the beat that Usher played in his song "Yeah!" and few more others that I cannot remember. I must mention that the moment they played these music, the crowd got wild. I remember the guy to my left was literally singing so loud and shaking his body like he got some style. Toby started the hand motion that is called the wave, where you make a wave with your hands. The shouts from the crowd, the scream, the dance, it was no different than attending a Rock Concert, and it surely felt like one with all the vibration, music, and the lack of God! While Toby Mac was up on the stage, I felt as though the Holy Spirit has left the stadium and left the mankind in its depraved state. There was no comfort that God was actually "there" regenerating people.

After the EXXXXXXTREEEEEEMMMMMEEE music that men and women experienced through Toby Mac, there came the message by Greg Laurie. Greg did not preach the Law nor the Gospel but he preached what we would call Eschatology: the end of the day. He said, "God does not want to judge you but to save all of you!" These words contradict the very word Jesus spoke in John 3 where He said specifically, if you do not believe, you are judged already. And he spoke that Jesus would return any moment! He could return today, right now! He does not preach Hell as well. He preaches that Christ can return and there would be Hell on earth. He, with his dispentional, pre-trib, unbiblical view of the last days, says that Christians will be raptured from the Earth; the Anti-Christ will rise up and we will forever be with the Lord while the people in the Earth will mourn and suffer until His second coming. Do you by any chance see any conviction of the Holy Spirit being utilized here with these words? (I am not saying that God cannot regenerate people this way for I got saved through the Left Behind series. I am saying, however, is that there is no preaching of the utter depravity of mankind!) Greg, then, had to strategically think how he can bring more "number" of people to Christ and his solution obviously is the preaching of the end.

During the Altar call, I saw a lot of people just walking down because their parents went down or because their girlfriend went down... You will not see anyone going down with the understanding of the utter dependency of Christ and his Work on Calvary. All you will see is that people will go down for the sake of other people. It is, as Greg said, "the commitment and giving your life to Christ" that saves you. We then, no longer look to Christ for our righteousness or our Salvation but to our commitment and in our giving to Christ. Thus the old saying, "Christianity is not a religion but a relationship" is that same phrase used here to mean because you give your life to Christ, God will give you eternal life. That is the heresy that is being preached in the world today! Christianity IS a Religion. James said Christianity is a "pure and undefiled religion" (1:27). And it is not in our commitment or in our giving of our live that saves us but the work of Christ on the cross that justifies us and declared righteous by the Father. The work of Salvation is already finished. We then commit ourselves to Him, and give our life to Him because it is God that sought us and bought us. It is God that saves sinners.

Even after the Altar Call, it is COMPLETELY OBVIOUS that they are declared righteous in their understanding of the Bible, by the simple "sinner's prayer." We then give unbelievers a false assurance of Salvation because they "prayed the prayer," so now they are "saved." Did Christ say pray the prayer and be saved? Did he say give your life to me and be commited to me so that you will be saved? Did he say follow me and my teachings so that you will be saved? What did he say? BELIEVE! BELIEVE THAT CHRIST CAME TO SAVE YOU! Trust in HIM! Is that being preached today? No way!

In summary, I must say that the Harvest Crusade is no different than going to a concert: get your emotions high, give yourself to some God that they pray to today, and go home; eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. There is no bloodshed on the pulpit for the people to repent of their sins. It is just another "event" that they go through. Christianity is another "game." I have learned that Calvary Chapel has completely watered down their understanding of sin. It is as though sin is no longer "evil" in the sight of God. There are no more evangelism where you call people to repent of their sins. There are no evangelism where you bring them to their complete misery of themselves because they are utterly depraved in the sight of God. With it in mind, we must all pray that the Lord may bring a true revival!

"Love Demands a Choice"

2005-07-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

O how true this statement is! Since the first theological debate back in Genesis 3, the serpent deceived the woman by telling her the contrary of what God had revealed. God commanded the man saying, "from any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." The serpent comes along and says to the woman, "you shall not surely die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The devil, deceptive as he is, corrupted her to eat the fruit and she in turn gave it to Adam, who did not question her, but ate the fruit along with her. As a result of this event, the LORD God said to the serpent, "because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field, on your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life; and I will put emnity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed, He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." Gen 3:14-15 This is what is known as the Proto Evangelicum, the first time the LORD reveals He will send the Messiah.

We must view life in terms of Creation, Fall, Redemption. These are the essential spectacles or glasses we must put on, as we read the Word and live our lives! Genesis 1 reveals that, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 2 reveals that God created man. Genesis 3 reveals to us the disaster of man's falling into sin, but God declaring He would fix it!

The point we are trying to make is that what we do as men and women, is screw things up! Since the beginning, perfect Adam and Eve could not do what God required of them! We today, and all of man through the ages, have not been able to meet the requirements of a Holy and Just God! When Adam and Eve fell and sin entered into humanity we all died! Because of what they did, the whole human race is accountable! The bible tells us we are born in sin and shapen in iniquity. The great Apostle Paul declared in Romans 7, "for I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh, for the willing is present in me, but the doing of good is not. For the good I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil I do not want." He goes on in verse 21 and says, "I find then the principle that evil is present with me, the one who wants to do good." When man fell into sin, it rendered him dead! Complete and total separation from God! Genesis 6:5 declares that the thoughts and intents of man's heart is only evil continually! Man according to his nature, fallen and sinful is at war with God. Romans declares of man in chapter 1 that he is without excuse. "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks but they became futile in their speculations and their foolish hearts were darkened." What man does is exchange the Glory of the incorruptible God for images of corruptible man and beasts! Man exchanges the truth of God for a lie! In and of himself, apart from special revelation, man cannot come to know God! Be ready for part 2, as we endeavor to show that love does in fact demand a choice! But I ask you, who's love? and what kind of choice is it? Is it really all up to the individual? We shall see what the scripture reveals......

The Necessity of Biblical Doctrine

2005-07-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

We should first of all acknowledge, that we submit our being wholly to Sola Scriptura. As soldiers, called by the Most High LORD, we stand on the bible as the inerrant word of God, in all that it affirms as truth. Proverbs tells us that, "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." What we know about God determines how we will live our lives. It must be our ultimate goal as Christians, that as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:5, our faith should not rest on the wisdom or philosophy of men, but on the power of God. Today, we have many super preachers proclaiming a man centered gospel! It is man centered because it is a gospel devoid of biblical doctrine. The gospel is proclaimed according to man's opinion and emotions! Today's so-called gospel is watered down so people feel good when they hear it! Many of today's "popular churches" tell the believers they don't need doctrine. I have personally been told by pastors, that theology is not necessary. What is necessary is love. "Just love the people to Jesus." Let us look at what scripture says concerning doctrine:

I. "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16

II. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and doctrine." 1 Timothy 4:1-2

Why did Paul solemnly charge Timothy as he did? In verse 3 it is absolutely clear; "for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires."

It is high time to stop and examine ourselves as Christians! Today's evangelical churches, and yes I do mean churches like Saddleback and Calvary Chapel, are giving a gospel without doctrine! They say knowledge puffs up but love edifies? If we do not wake up, examine what we believe and take true heed to the scriptures, I am afraid that many will perish due to a lack of knowledge! What is it going to take? Wake up America! Wake up Christians!

In conclusion ponder these questions. According to New Testament Christianity, when did any of the apostles ever tell someone that Jesus died for them? When did they beg the heathen? Did they ever say Jesus loves you so much, if you only knew? Absolutely not! What they did do is call the heathen to repentance. The truth is, there is a coming wrath and the heathen must be warned! If we tell them Jesus loves them as they are, why should they change? Today's church preaches like this because I. They are ignorant of scripture with regard to biblical doctrine, or 2. They follow what some "great" teacher says and refuse to look at scripture and in reality say to hell with what the bible says! I'm doing it my way. What did James say in Chapter 3? "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing as such we will incur a stricter judgement."

May we examine ourselves today as never before! Are we growing in the faith? Are we still the same people we were a year ago? If we are growing in the depths of Christ the Messiah, we shouldn't be. Remember, that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he! May we take heed and explore biblical doctrine, the very backbone to knowing what we believe! There is much zeal in today's Christianity but not according to knowledge of doctrine. Paul said in Romans 10:2 concerning Israel, "for I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God." So, my fellow believer, I ask you, how is your Doctrine?

God Is So Merciful To Not Deal With Us According To Our Sin!

2005-07-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

Psalm 103:10He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities

Oh! The precious mercy of God! It's absolutely wonderful that God in His mercy doesn't deal with His people according to their sin, especially our blatant sin that we know we are committing! How great it is that Christ removed the wrath of God that would continually assault us in eternity. There is no more condemnation for those that have been reconciled unto the Father through the costly blood of His beautiful Son! Why? Why would the Father decide to even deal with people according to the merits of His Son? The merits of righteousness, holiness, perfection, etc. are applied to His adopted children. But why? Was there anything in us that would cause God to act in mercy? There is nothing within us that would cause God to act in mercy, but we should merit vindictive anger from God. But since our great God is a merciful God who is pleased to have mercy on whoever He wills, we are saved from the terror that awaits so many. Since God loved us so much based upon the merits of Christ, we are presently dealt with according to our precious Savior's life, death and resurrection!

God is due the glory for His wonderful love for His people! AMEN!

Don’t be Conformed to this World

2005-07-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

What does this statement say? While it is only a part of scripture (Romans 12:2), it is a powerful statement. What I observed at the Freedom Celebration on 7/4/05 was that there were many videos shown prior to the event. These videos consisted of motorcycle stunts, skateboard stunts & surfing. I waited, waited and waited to see what "GOD" had to do with these videos. At the end, after 30-45 minutes, a few people said, "God changed my life". However, they were not very convincing. I was disappointed. Nothing solid happened in these videos that had a solid connection with the Lord. It was simply, "non-Christian entertainment".

Now let’s move on to the music. It opened with a well respected group called The Gutierrez Brothers. The music reverend the Lord and the words were clearly sung as well as placed on the large screen so all could see and follow along. These men sang with a deep love for the Lord which I could clearly see and hear. However, most of the people that filled Cerritos Stadium could care less! The Gutierrez Bros, barely received an acceptable applause. Why!!?? It gets worse…

The last group that performed was called, "Kutless". The crowd went CRAZY. Many people were yelling, screaming, holding up signs saying, "I Love Kutless"! I was appalled!!! These people were IDOLIZING this group which is totally against scripture, (Exodus 20:3-4) I could NOT understand a word that was sung by this crazy, jumping up and down group that made nothing but a bunch of NOISE. Where was the sign, "I Love Jesus"?! Where were the words on the large screen so we could follow along?! Why were the people yelling their head off for this group of ‘people’?! How was this glorifying the Lord!!?? NOT

This event pulled in many non-Christians and other Christians I’m sure. Being a Christian myself, I didn’t see or experience God being glorified here at this event. I saw this event being a regular rock concert that brought people who loved Kutless and put God in the back seat. It was disgusting to see the idolatry and the DECEPTION. Being a Christian is not about attending a circus or being entertained, but goes much deeper. Furthermore, no entertainment will save a person except God and the Holy Spirit ONLY.

Needless to say, we left and skipped the fireworks, for to stay, be exposed to nonsense and to be part of the world was not worth it! Scripture says, "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him". (1John 2:15)

The event, from what I experienced, was in direct contradiction to scripture as stated below:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. ROMANS 12:2

Jesus Saves, He Does Not Simply Make Salvation Possible

2005-06-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

A quote from Spurgeon
"Many divines say that Christ did something when he died that enabled God to be just, and yet the Justifier of the ungodly. What that something is they do not tell us. They believe in an atonement made for everybody; but then, their atonement is just this. They believe that Judas was atoned for just as much as Peter; they believe that the damned in hell were as much an object of Jesus Christ’s satisfaction as the saved in heaven; and though they do not say it in proper words, yet they must mean it, for it is a fair inference, that in the case of multitudes, Christ died in vain, for he died for them all, they say; and yet so ineffectual was his dying for them, that though he died for them they are damned afterwards. Now, such an atonement I despise — I reject it." (4:121 )

Did Jesus come to save sinners? Is Jesus powerful enough to save sinners? Everything is from Him, to Him and through Him. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. He is the creator of all things and has the power to raise Himself from the dead. He is the Rock and the good Shepherd. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and everywhere present. If Jesus is all these things, surely He is able to save a man. He does not fail to do anything that has been ordained from eternity. His did the will of the Father and is doing it today!

Oh! How Beautiful Jesus Is!

2005-06-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from Jonathan Edwards sermon "The Excellency Of Christ."
You can read more of his sermons at http://www.jonathanedwards.com

...1. There do meet in Jesus Christ infinite highness and infinite condescension. Christ, as he is God, is infinitely great and high above all. He is higher than the kings of the earth, for he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is higher than the heavens, and higher than the highest angels of heaven. So great is he, that all men, all kings and princes, are as worms of the dust before him. All nations are as the drop of the bucket, and the light dust of the balance, yea, and angels themselves are as nothing before him. He is so high, that he is infinitely above any need of us, above our reach that we cannot be profitable to him, and above our conceptions that we cannot comprehend him. Pro. 30:4 “What is his name, and what is his Son’s name, if thou canst tell?” Our understandings, if we stretch them never so far, cannot reach up to his divine glory. Job 11:8 “It is high as heaven, what canst thou do?” Christ is the Creator and great Possessor of heaven and earth. He is sovereign Lord of all. He rules over the whole universe, and does whatsoever pleaseth him. His knowledge is without bound. His wisdom is perfect, and what none can circumvent. His power is infinite, and none can resist him. His riches are immense and inexhaustible. His majesty is infinitely awful.

And yet he is one of infinite condescension. None are so low or inferior, but Christ’s condescension is sufficient to take a gracious notice of them. He condescends not only to the angels, humbling himself to behold the things that are done in heaven, but he also condescends to such poor creatures as men, and that not only so as to take notice of princes and great men, but of those that are of meanest rank and degree, “the poor of the world,” Jam. 2:5. Such as are commonly despised by their fellow creatures, Christ does not despise. 1 Cor. 1:28 “Base things of the world, and things that are despised, hath God chosen.” Christ condescends to take notice of beggars (Luke 16:22) and people of the most despised nations. In Christ Jesus is neither “Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free” Col. 3:11. He that is thus high condescends to take a gracious notice of little children, Mat. 19:14, “Suffer little children to come unto me.” Yea, which is more, his condescension is sufficient to take a gracious notice of the most unworthy, sinful creatures, those that have no good deservings, and those that have infinite ill-deservings.

Yea, so great is his condescension, that it is not only sufficient to take some gracious notice of such as these, but sufficient for everything that is an act of condescension. His condescension is great enough to become their friend, to become their companion, to unite their souls to him in spiritual marriage. It is enough to take their nature upon him, to become one of them, that he may be one with them. Yea, it is great enough to abase himself yet lower for them, even to expose himself to shame and spitting; yea, to yield up himself to an ignominious death for them. And what act of condescension can be conceived of greater? Yet such an act as this, has his condescension yielded to, for those that are so low and mean, despicable and unworthy!

Such a conjunction of infinite highness and low condescension, in the same person, is admirable. We see, by manifold instances, what a tendency a high station has in men, to make them to be of a quite contrary disposition. If one worm be a little exalted above another, by having more dust, or a bigger dunghill, how much does he make of himself! What a distance does he keep from those that are below him! And a little condescension is what he expects should be made much of, and greatly acknowledged. Christ condescends to wash our feet, but how would great men (or rather the bigger worms), account themselves debased by acts of far less condescension!...

Matthew 23:37 Is A Verse That Is Commonly Mistranslated

2005-06-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

Anonymous said...Jesus wept in the temple, He pleaded to the Jewish people to accept Him, but they were unwilling (Matt.23).

Matthew 23:37Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

Where is the weeping? It ain't in the text!

At the beginning of Matthew 23, Jesus makes it known who He is speaking about.

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
2saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;

Jesus is clearly making the scribes and Pharisees the center of His speech. He goes on to tell the crowd to do according to what the scribes and Pharisees teach them, not according to what they do because they don't even do what they tell the crowds to do. Jesus continues to show in particular ways how they are hypocrites and so on. By chapter 13, Jesus begins to call out their wretchedness by pronouncing eight woes straight to the scribes and Pharisees.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,”
1)13 because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
2) 14 because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]
3)15 because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
4)16"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'
5)23For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
6) 25For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence
7)27For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
8)29For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

After all of the "woes" toward the scribes and Pharisees verse 37 comes up.

Matthew 23:37Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

Who is Jerusalem? Who is the subject of Jesus speech this whole time? The scribes and Pharisees, as the leadership, killed the prophets. Jerusalem is the scribes and Pharisees. The children are the people of Jerusalem. "How often I wanted to gather your children together." It is so often misquoted, "How often I wanted to gather YOU." It is plain as day that that is wrong!

A great work on misinterpreted verses is "Verse Abuse," by Dr. Robert Morey. You can get it here http://faithdefenders.com

God Wants All Men Saved, But He Cannot Save Them?

2005-06-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

Many people use 2 peter 3:9 as a verse to justify the doctrine that God wants all men to be saved. I ask you this, if God so desires the salvation of every single man, why is He not able to accomplish their salvation? Is the will of man that powerful to resist the Almighty Gods power to subdue mans will, in order that they may believe on Christ? Then you say, God is a gentleman and does not force His will on man. Then how is it that man can even come to God, for the Word of God says that we are unable to do good. Is it not a good thing to repent of your sins and put your faith in Christ? Absolutely! It is a righteous thing to repent of your sins and please God through faith. So, does God not have the ability to save a man, unless the man allows God to do so? Is God so incompetent that He cannot save those whom He desires to save? Your god is an incompetent fool! He cannot even save those He so desires to save. God is on His throne and overthrows the will of a man in order to save his soul! It is not up to men to determine their own salvation, it is up to God!

The Wonderful Grace Of God

2005-06-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

"The Father is Lord of All, Creator of heaven and earth, the eternal Sovereign, the only true God. As Creator, He is the owner of all that exists. It is His right to do with His creation as He sees fit. As owner of all things, including all men, He gives men unto the Son. This is a gift of pure love for the Son, and love for those who are given." (an excerpt from James Whites book, "Drawn By The Father.")

White does a good exegetical work for John 6:35-45 through out the book. John 6:37 brings so much comfort. It is so wonderful to realize the Father loved and loves us so much that He considers us a gift to give to His Son. The chose is His! Out of His love for man He choice whom He desires to reconcile unto Himself. He could have chosen no one, but because He is a merciful God He chose to save many. Praise God He is merciful and His mercy endures forever!

You can go here for the book http://www.aomin.org/

"ACLU wants school officials jailed for flouting prayer ban"

2005-06-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=15287

Those idiots at the ACLU are very active in the desire to remove God out of this country. Their hatred of God is so evident in their actions. We must stand fast because the day is coming when we will be persecuted in this country if there is nothing done about these maniacs. We must stand for the truth which is the Word of God.

Oh, Those Poor Christians!

2005-06-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

Had a chat with a person that believes Roman Catholics are Christians.

Catholic Catechism, Section
1260 "Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery." [62] Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known of its necessity.”

Those who are ignorant of Jesus Christ are in no way able to be saved, for it is in your union with Him that you are saved (Romans 3:24, Romans 6:23). Can someone be saved apart from faith in Christ, apart from the absolutely precious work of Christ? If you believe that the work of Christ is applied to all apart from repentance and faith in Christ, you’re wrong! No one is saved who does not know Jesus or His teachings (2 John 1:9).

Does Jesus Christ have Mary as His Co-redemptrix, mediatrix and Queen of heaven? The Catholic Encyclopedia, page 374 "...Toward the Close of the Marian Year (1954), on Dec. 8, the pope declared the doctrine of the Universal Queenship of Mary and established a feast, that of Mary, Queen, now celebrated as a memorial on Aug. 22..." "...she is Blessed Virgin Mary, the Co-Redemptrix, the Mediatrix of all Graces, the Blessed Mother."

If you believe this, you are no Christian at all!

Jesus is the only Mediator between man and God (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus is the only one that can save us (Acts 4:12). Oh, those poor deceived Christians that are ignorant of the pathetic doctrines of Rome! The Roman Church is of the Devil, spreading wicked doctrines that deceive many into thinking that their works will usher them into heaven and that they should trust Mary to redeem them. Oh, those deceived people! May our gracious God save people out of that terrible church!

Terri Schiavo: A Voice Never Heard

2005-06-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

If there was ever an issue that divided our nation so much it was the killing of Terri Schiavo. This issue was about the right to die, or was it? We had a family who was willing to take care of their daughter, but the courts because of her husband Michael denied them those rights. What difference was it to him that Terri would be taken care of by people who really loved her. They were not seeking any money to be compensated.

What sickens me is that Michael was able to make such a drastic decision that would prevent Terri from getting basic nutrition, which she needed to survive. It sickens me that Michael was only married to Terri on paper, because as far as being committed to her he wasn’t. Michael had already started a new life with his live-in lover and their two children. There was never any clear cut evidence that Terri ever told Michael that if something happened to her she would like to be put to death. What was the real motive of Michael? Was it really that her “wishes” be granted? Was there ever an issue of settlement money? Could it be that Michael had already started a new life and wanted no ties to his former life with Terri? Or could it just be that he had something to hide? We can be rest assured that if he was trying to keep something secret, the Lord will expose it as it says in Ephesians 5:12-13.

I don’t understand how the justice system could let us down like that, We live in the greatest country in the world, no doubt about it, but it seems that there are those that are, “above the law”. These liberal supreme court judges have, “too much power”. In their piety they just wagged their fingers at our Congress, the governor, the President, and Terri’s family.

Here is what I don’t get, when did food become medicine or extreme measures? What would happen to you and I if we were starved for 13 days? There are those who say that Terri was receiving extreme measures in order to be kept alive. When is eating considered an extreme measure?.

I know that since the results from the autopsy were just released this week, Michael feels vindicated. As far as I can see there was no real concrete evidence supporting what really happened to Terri. As we have seen in the past, everybody has a price; jurors, judges, you name it.

All in all, this is one of the worst things our country has ever seen. We literally were glued to our televisions watching someone slowly being killed. What if Terri was a German Sheppard, I'm sure that P.E.T.A. would not have allowed this to happen. One thing that I am sure of, my Sovereign God caused this whole ordeal to play out as he ordained, not one day too late or too soon. Terri met her maker right on schedule. I pray that Terri didn’t have to hear the most awful words ever to be uttered, “depart from me I never knew you”. Rest assured that our God is the ultimate Judge and He cannot be bought.

The Bronze Statue Of Moses

2005-06-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

On the property of the Crystal Cathedral there is a bronze statue of Moses. Moses has the tablets of the Ten Commandments in his hands and the title of the statue is, "God's way to the good life." Schuller has this idea that the Ten Commandments were given to us to better our lives and to become better people. I can only interpret the title of this statue as the Ten Commandments being the way to a good life.

Romans 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Romans 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,

The Ten Commandments can't enable us to be better people. The Law condemns us and reveals to us our sin. If we examine ourselves through the glasses of the Law, we realize that it is impossible to achieve a good life. God's way to the "good life" is through His precious Son. We can accomplish no good in our flesh and through the Law, but through the Lord Jesus Christ we can.

Schuller's gospel is not good news at all. He says we must have faith in ourselves and to have high self-esteems. He says that the Law is a way to a better life. Don't use negativity, he says. Telling people they are sinners heaps upon them a tremendous amount of shame, he says. That's the point! People must be ashamed and realize they are sinners to understand why they need salvation! This is why the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news! We are sinners on our way to hell, but Jesus came to save us from that! Schuller is so negative towards to biblical gospel. What a downer, man!

"What Did Jesus Save Us From? Shame." ~Robert Schuller

2005-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

"If you don't have faith in yourself your not going to dream beautiful dreams."

On June 8th, Robert Schuller was interviewed on KFUO's "Issues, etc." As usual he made such unbiblical statements as the above quote. He gets quite agitated as the host Todd Wilken asks him basic theological questions about sin and the Ten Commandments. Schuller doesn't use the word sin because it offends people and does not attract them. Positive thinking and "God's way to the good life" are many things Schulller brings up. Hear for yourself. Click Here!

Thank You Calvinist Jo Jo for the info.

Did God the Father Want His Son Crucified?

2005-06-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

I recently talked with someone and they asked me the question, "Do you actually think the Father wanted the Son the be crucified?"

I answered with,

"Isaiah 53:10
10But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

Yes, God wanted His Son to be crucified! That's one of the reasons He sent Jesus to the earth. God was pleased to pour His wrath on His Son because the Son willingly submitted to the Fathers will to "crush" Him. He was pleased because through this Jesus would obtain salvation for His people. He was pleased for the Son to bare the cross so that He would not have to pour His wrath upon His elect people. Jesus willingly submitted to bare the wrath of the Father.

Why would Jesus state to the Father Matthew 26:42 "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done,” if it was not the Fathers plan to sacrifice His Son on the cross? The concept of free will keeps people from understanding that God is sovereign. People can't even accept Acts 4:27-28 because they refuse to let go of their "free will." It is God's world and He does as He pleases and no power in heaven or earth can stop Him from doing so!

Wack-O Jack-O & The Catlick (Dark Side) Church...

2005-06-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

Q: What do Micheal Jackson and the Catholic Church have in common?
A: Money (lots of it), and their fondness for little boys.

The Jackson 'Molestation' case proved yet again this past Monday, that if you pay off the right people, (whether they be Lawyers, Accusers or even Jurors) "justice" can be bought. The Catlick church also, bought off their accusers with hush money not too long ago. What ever did happen to that scandel? It was here one day, then "POOF" it vanished. HHmmmm!
I wonder if Bill O'Reilly cashed in.

Although Wack-O Jack-O and the Catlick Church think they may have gotten away with these wicked atrocities against children, they should be WARNED! For there is one who sees all things, everything before him is open and naked (Heb. 4:13), and every man will give an account for their wicked deeds.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Rev. 20:13

The Keyword in the Jackson case is: "FOUND". He was "Found Not Guilty", however that surely doesn't mean he is "Not Gulity". I'm sure we'll be seeing Wack-O Jack-O in court again reeeeal soooooon...

Just A Small Thought on Acts 4:27-28

2005-06-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

Acts 4:27-28
27"For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy (A)servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

28to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.

Does God simply react to the actions of men and base His plans upon them? What if all of these men never decided to murder Jesus? Is the Almighty God of the universe waiting for sin to happen in order that He can make something out of it (ex. Jesus is murdered, therefore God decided to use that as a way to save men?)

As in Acts 4:27-28, man reacts to Gods decisions. God predestined Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles and the Jews to do what He purposed. What was Gods purpose? His purpose was to pour His wrath upon His Son through human tools. No, God did not force them, neither did He make them sin. They in their own heart decided to do what they did, but it was predestined in God's divine will for them to murder Jesus.

I don't know how to reconcile this. God is infinitely wise and infinitely powerful, therefore He knows how to accomplish this perplexing concept.

Section 843 of The Catholic Catechism (Pt. 1)

2005-06-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Do people of religions, outside of Christianity, seek the living God of the Bible? Does God want all men to be saved? Is there goodness and truth in all religions?

If we were to believe the Catholic Catechism all of these questions would have an answer of yes.

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as "a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life."332

But does the Bible teach the same thing as the Catlick Church? Which of these is the final authority, the Catlick Church or the Bible? Let’s take a look at the bible.
What does it mean to seek God?

Romans 3:11 uses the Greek word "Ejkzhtevw" which means “to seek out, search for.”(Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of The New Testament)

Romans 3:10-11
10as it is written,
"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

Man does not naturally seek God and as unrighteous beings we do not desire to submit to God, neither can we do so (Romans8:7). Is man seeking God when they are embracing doctrine that is condemned by Scripture? Religions that are absolutely unbiblical and teach that there is no need to have faith in Christ or teach works based salvation are in no way causing men to search for God. They are actually teaching them to search after false gods.

But when God intervenes and grants men the ability to believe they are then able to seek God (Phillipians 1:29). Embracing who God is and pursuing your search for Him is seeking Him. Allah, the gods of mormonism, the god of the Catholic church, the god of the JW's, the gods of Hindusism, etc. are not in anyway the God of Scripture.

The Assurance Of Salvation!

2005-06-11T01:07:00.000-07:00

I was Just thinking about how great it is to have the knowledge I am saved from the wrath of God and there is no way I can come under it again because of the perfect work of our Messiah! It is amzing to realize that my God chose me in Christ from the foundation of the world in order that I would appear before Him spotless, blamless, holy and justified (Ephesians 1:4). I base my assurance on the testimony of scripture which tells me,

John 6:37-39
37"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
38"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
39"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

I know that I came to Jesus because of the Father giving me to Him. I know that the eternal Son of The Father will accomplish His work, will not lose me and raise me up in the day He returns! Surely the Son is able to accomplish the will of the Father perfectly!? If Jesus fails to accomplish this, I know I am damned, But NO!! The Son accomplished the will of the Father with absolute perfection and is continuing to carry it out!! Praise God it is the work of our Lord that saves us! We in and of ourselves are useless to save ourselves from Gods wrath! How is it possible that we by our works could ever escape that punishment of hell!? Praise God it is the Son of God that came to save us (Matthew 1:21)! Praise God that Christ lived a sinless life (Matthew 5:17,
2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22) and now is imputed unto my life, making me sinless before the Father (Romans 5:16-19). Praise God that Christ died the perfect death (Romans 5:8-9) I could not die. Praise God His wrath was satisfied and as a result of that satisfaction, the ressurection of Christ from the dead (1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:10)! Now I am justified because the Father chose to send His Son to live a perfect live, die the death that satisfied His wrath and rose from the dead for the reason of my justification (Romans 4:25)!! God is good and I don't understand why He did all this for me. Well, two reasons are because of the kind intention of His will (Ephesians 1:5) and because He loved me (Romans 5:8)! You can know you are saved, you are being saved and you will be saved because of the wonderful work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

God Bless you all!
May God Bless you with the Assurance of your Salvation!

This Day in the Year 632...

2005-06-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

Today marks the very day in the year 632 that the false prophet Muhamad met his father the Devil. That's right, he's been 'On Fire for Jesus' for over 1300 years. I'm curious as to what's going through his mind right now. I wonder if has to bunk with the Un-holy Father. I'm sure John Paul wouldn't mind, after all he did admire Muhamad's false book.

Things that make you HHmmmmmm...

Four Attributes Of God That Are Under Attack.

2005-06-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

Every attribute of God is being attacked, has always been under attack and will continue to be attack until Jesus comes to earth to destroy those that hate God. The four attributes I would like to address is God as all-knowing, sovereign over all, a just and loving God, and omnipotent.

There are those that believe God does not know all things, He is growing in knowledge just as man is. Richard Rice explains in the book “The Openness of God,” (page 16) “As an aspect of his experience, God’s knowledge of the world is also dynamic rather then static. Instead of perceiving the entire course of human existence in one timeless moment, God comes to know events as they take place.” This statement is unbiblical, therefore false. God knows all things from all eternity. He is not like a man that he needs to experience things in order to know them. (1 John 3:20) “in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” There is still a future and if God needs to wait for events to take place in order that He may know about them, then this verse would have to be thrown away. There is plenty of scripture to refute this stupid idea (Hebrews 4:13, Jeremiah. 1:5, Isaiah 46:10)

God's sovereignty is under attack with much more vigor then His other attributes. Most Evangelicals are side by side with Catholics, Mormons, Humanists, and Natural Theologians etc. with their certainty that man has a free will and God does not interfere with the will of man. Though they may be sincere in their ideas, they in turn dismiss God as being sovereign over all, in salvation, with the heart of man, the weather and much more. God is sovereign over all (Psalm 103:19, 1 Chronicles 29:12) and even over the hearts of rulers (Proverbs 21:1). This is Gods world and He does as He please (Ephesians 1:11, Psalm 135:6) Even the murder of Jesus on the cross was controlled by His will. Though man is accountable for his deeds, all those that had a hand in the murder of Christ did whatever God predestined them to do (Acts 4:27-28).

God’s love and justice are under attack. Many people accuse God of being a tyrant by sending people to hell, killing men, women and children, destroying nations etc. God is just in whatever He does. People who accuse God of being unjust or unloving are fighting a loosing battle. God is the ultimate standard for what is just and loving. If God says He is just and love, then this means He is just and love, He is the ultimate standard! Charles Templeton, though he accuses God of being monstrous, he is speaking monstrous and blasphemous things of God in his book “Farewell to God.” (page 218) “It is a monstrous concept. If a so-called God of love could banish both the non-believer and the evildoer to a place of endless torment with no hope for redemption or leniency he would be a sadist beyond imagining, compared to whom history’s most famous mass-murderers, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Old Nick himself, would look like rank amateurs.” What wicked things to accuse God of. First of all, non-believers and evildoers are one in the same. The sin of non belief is evil. Second, God would not be just if sinners did not pay for their sins and because they refuse to embrace Christ, they have to pay the penalty for eternity because they have offended an eternal God. Thirdly, hope for redemption is now, in Jesus Christ. God has provided redemption for sinners, hell is for those that reject it.God is just and loving for all that He does (Job 40:8, Psalm 9:8,16, Romans 3:25, 1 John 4:8).

God as Immutable is being attacked. In “The Openness of God,” Clark H. Pinnock says this, “…God experiences temporal passage, learns new facts when they occur and changes plans in response to what humans do. God is unchanging in nature and essence but not in experience, knowledge and action.” God does not change in all of these aspects. "I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."—(Malachi 3:6). Charles Spurgeon said in his sermon “The Immutability of God,” “Every man has his plan, and God has a plan too. God is a master-mind; he arranged everything in his gigantic intellect long before he did it; and once having settled it, mark you, he never alters it.” God’s plans are never changed; all that has happened, is happening and will happen was predestined by God from all eternity. God does not change.
"My name from the palms of his hands
Eternity will not erase;
Impress'd on his heart it remains,
In marks of indelible grace."

Agustus Monatque Toplady

What About the New Pope?

2005-06-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

I just finished listening to a very informative radio segment on The White Horse Inn (Thanks for the heads up Roy). This week’s program is called, "What About the New Pope?”. They talk about Benedict XVI's plans and pull the covers regarding his true agenda. They also speak of the differences between Rome and Geneva on the Doctrine of Justification. Catholic Cannons such as the Cannons of Trent currently (today they are still in effect, have not been changed) condemn Protestants.

Canon 9: "If any one says, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema."

Canon 11: If anyone says that men are justified by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ or by the sole remission of sins or that the Grace by which we're Justified is ONLY by the goodwill of God, let him be Anathema!

Canon 12: "If any one says that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy pardoning sins for Christ's sake or that it is that confidence alone by which we are justified, let him be Anathema!

Canon 24: "If any one says, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema."

Canon 30: "If any one says, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema."

Canon 32: If any one says, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life,-if so be, however, that he depart in grace,-and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema.

Again, I say HOGWASH! This Eccumentical movement between Evan-jellyfish and Roman Catholics must be stopped. Morally we Protestants and Catholics may be of one mind, but theologically we are strictly divided.

I highly recommend this for listening. The only thing I frowned upon was a comment that Michael Horton made, regarding himself learning a whole lot about the Trinity from the Roman Catholic (dare I say Heretical) Thomas Aquinas.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

As for the Anti-christ Pope Paul II's death, there is a EXCELLENT audio sermon over at sermonaudio.com by Ralph Ovadal. This sermon is the best I've heard regarding the Pope's death.

Pope John Paul II masqueraded as a child of God, but his father was the devil. Simply put, the pope was a pope. The nature of popes is the nature of antichrist because they are the antichrist and the Roman Catholic Church is the woman who rides the beast. But in spite of that, you will not hear high-profile, popular evangelical--we should say neo-evangelical--Christian leaders say any of those things about Pope John Paul II. Quite the opposite.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

Are Calvinists Trying To Destroy Peoples Faith? (Pt.3)

2005-06-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

After explaining to the congregation the five points of Calvinism, Raul Ries says this, "And yet, when you look at abiding in Jesus Christ, John 15:1-6. Which we believe in abiding, you see?" I could only assume that this "argument" is against perseverance of the saints. What does this do for the minds of his listeners? Again, there is no exegetical work of Scripture, specifically John 15:1-6. There is no clarification of how John 15:1-6 is a wonderful refutation of the doctrine known as "The perseverance of the saints." There is no expounding on any of the five points of Calvinism whatsoever. Is the perseverance of the saints a doctrine that will destroy ones faith? Oh! How could it be destructive to your faith to know that you will persevere in the truth because (John 6:37)"And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." You will abide (in Christ) because He will not lose you. It is not the other way around that if you do not abide you will be lost. Is it possible for the Son of God to lose those who the Father has given Him? Oh! I shudder at the thought that if I were to depend on my abiding, Jesus would not be able to usher me into the presence of the Father. Let’s take a look at John 15:1-6, which Reis uses.

1"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
3" You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
6"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

Quote from Dr. Herbert Lockyer's "All the parables of the bible.
"At the outmost attention must be drawn to this fundamental principle, namely, that a parable must be regarded as a whole, and as illustrating and emphasizing some important central truth or obligation or principle in the divine government, and which the different parts of the parable only serve in some respect to open out and develop. It is imperative to ascertain the real scope and object of the parable."

Quote from John Calvin's Commentary.
"...Let him remember the rule which ought to be observed in all parables; That we ought not to examine minutely every property of the vine, but only to take a general view of the object to which Christ applies that comparison." There are three parts "first, that we have no power of doing good but what comes from himself; secondly, that we , having a root in him, are dressed and pruned by the Father; thirdly, that he removes the unfruitful branches, that they may be thrown into the fire and burned."

The parts that are the "open out and develop" parts, if examined with such scrutiny as to divert the attention away from the "real scope and object of the parable," will cause false doctrine. The false doctrine I am speaking about is the "abiding" doctrine which Ries seems to boast in. If you do not abide in Christ, you will be thrown into the fire is what this doctrine is. This teaches that you can lose your salvation. That is not the message of John 15:1-6.

To Be Continued...

Chuck Smith's view of A.W. Pink's The Sovereignty of God

2005-06-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

Why had I not read this book before? As a former rejector of Reformation Doctrine, I sided with Chuck Smith's view of the Scriptures. But now, God has enlightened the eyes of my heart, to see the glorious foundation that is The Sovereignty of God! This is God's view, not in accordance with my feelings, but in accordance with Scripture alone! I reject the view Calvary Chapel instills into the minds of sheep, a view that never engages the brain to worship God, but relies absolutely on a zeal without knowledge! As a mindless Christian, I loved the Calvary Chapel Distinctives book by good ol' Papa Chuck! But now, reading in the light of what the Scripture truly teaches, I am shocked at the sheer pride with which Chuck Smith addresses the work of A.W. Pink on the Sovereignty of God! This is a must read for Christians! It is time, now more than ever, as Sean Hannity would say, to awaken from our slumber!

"The LORD has Established His throne in the heavens, and His Sovereignty rules over all."
Psalm 103:19

Here then my brothers is what Chuck Smith said in His book:

"I, like every other student in Bible college, wrestled with this issue. I was reading Arthur W. Pink's The Sovereignty of God. I got so confused because Pink states that man has no choice in the issue of salvation. It is all up to God. There's no human responsibility. As I was reading the book, I got so confused that I finally stood up, took the paperback, and threw it across the room. I felt like Martin Luther throwing an ink well at the devil. I said, "God, I can't understand it." I was frustrated mentally. It was then that the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "I didn't ask you to understand it, I only asked you to believe My Word."

How interesting that Chuck states, "God spoke to my heart and said, I didn't ask you to understand, I only asked you to believe." This could not be further from the truth. This is why Sola Scriptura is of the utmost importance!

Does not the Scripture teach in Proverbs, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding?" "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths?" Obviously, God is asking us not to rely on our own understanding! Psalm 119:104 states, "F rom your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way." We should get our understanding from God's precepts, not from our hearts. As we know, our hearts are deceitfully wicked. Psalm 147:5 states, "Great is the LORD and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite." We should desire God's understanding! Not what Papa Chuck says! Let us look at Proverbs 9:6, "Forsake your folly and live and proceed in the way of understanding." Again in Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." What an exhortation in Proverbs 16:22, which states, "Understanding is a fountain of life to the one who has it, but the discipline of fools is folly." Jesus told Peter, "Are you still lacking in understanding also?" (Matt. 15:16) In 2 Timothy, Paul writes, "Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." In Colossians 1:9-10, Paul writes, "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Last but of course not least is Colossians 2:2, "that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of UNDERSTANDING, resulting IN A TRUE KNOWLEDGE of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself! (Exclamation and emphasis added)

Pastor Chuck says that God never asked him to understand? It is absolutely clear that God wants us to understand! For this reason, it is imperative that we take heed to the Living Word of God. Pastor Chuck sure may be a sweet man with a great smile, but we must not dismiss the Scripture for the word of a man! We must let go of unreliable emotions and great sounding cliches. We must sanctify Christ as LORD and grow in His Grace and knowledge. The Scripture declares that as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. This is why today's church is impotent! Always catering to what the world wants! "We have ten thousand in our church now!" I hear this proclaimed proudly. "God sure is blessing!" Well, I guess He is blessing the Muslims and Mormons as well, because they are growing at an alarming rate.

For the full text of A. W. Pink's The Sovereignty of God, go to Pink's Archive in your search engine.

Are Calvinists Trying To Destroy Peoples Faith? (Pt.2)

2005-06-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

In Raul Ries's rant about how Calvinists are ones who try to destroy peoples faith, he goes through many reasons (justifiable reasons in his mind) why Calvinists are theologically wrong. As I mentioned before, he says Calvinists believe there is no will (of course this is not true). He counters the doctrine of unconditional election with a whopper of an argument, "God does not choose just certain people" and salvation is not for the few, but for all that repent and turn to Jesus. Is their any exegetical work of the Scriptures in order to teach his congregation what the truth is? No! We see the misinterpreted verse of 2 Peter 3:9. We see this all to much. Although Raul does not interpret this verse, we know how he interprets it because of the context of his message.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance

First off, he only quotes the end of the verse, "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." Secondly, With his presupposition that Jesus died for all people, past, present and future, this verse seems to fit quite well. Heck, I can see why he comes up with this interpretation that God is not willing that anyone in the whole world to perish, but for all in the world would come to repentance. It saddens me to see this pastor, who I grew up listening to, making such simple hermeneutical errors.

Peter is speaking to who? "To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ." Peter is speaking to fellow believers in Jesus Christ. Now, as we get to chapter 3 verse 9, Peter is still speaking to them. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient TOWARD YOU. God is not willing for any of YOU (the elect) to perish, but all (of you, the elect) to come to repentance. The key is "TOWARD YOU." The whole clause after TOWARD YOU is directed to Gods elect.

To Be Continued..

Are Calvinists Trying To Destroy Peoples Faith? (Pt.1)

2005-06-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

In the clip of Raul Ries that is posted on this page, Ries claims that Calvinists are trying to destroy peoples faith. How? What are the reasons for his claim that Calvinists are seeking to tear down the faith of those that profess to be believers in Christ? Well, first off, he claims that Calvinists believe that man has no will. Is this true? John Calvin said himself,

"The understanding is, as it were, the leader and governor of the soul; and that the will is always mindful of the bidding of the understanding, and in its own desires awaits the judgment of the understanding." ( Institutes 1 , 1.15.7) If Calvin said it himself that man has a will, can Ries be justified in saying that Calvinist believe man has no will?

Man has a will, but it is bound by sin and is not free (Romans 8:7)

Secondly,
Ries claims "God does not choose just certain people." Is there not scripture upon scripture that says God has chosen people. If something is chosen out of many, does that not mean that just a certain amount has been chosen?

1 Corinthians 1:27 If there are foolish things (people) in this world and wise things (people), the foolish are chosen to confound the wise, then is God not choosing "just certain people?"

Colossians 3:12 "So, as those who have been chosen of God..."
If God has chosen people, does this mean He has not chosen other?

To be continued...

Just another Daisy Theory…

2005-06-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

A response to POTUS the Arminian! You smoke-us to much pot-us! (JK)

First off, please don't ASSUME, you make an -ASS- out of both -U- & -ME-. The article on redwarpath.com regarding Raul Wreaks is not of my works. However, I do wish I could take credit.

I find that you make a lot of broad statements, with only your opinion as your authority. I bet that is also the way you read your bible. You should try convincing people with scripture and not your own understanding. Your use of scripture is probably eisegetical; but hey, you might be able to dupe someone.

How can God choose whom He believes should receive His blessing, thus everlasting life?

The question your raise here does not even make sense and thus proves you have not a clue on how to exegete scripture correctly.

The first part of your question: How can God… He can because he is Sovereign! He sits upon his Throne, ruling over all things. Psa. 103:19; 1 Tim. 6:15; 1 Chron. 16:31; Psa. 47:8 etc.

So for you to even ask the question “How can God…” proves that you truly don’t know the God that you claim to serve.

Secondly, He already has chosen whom he first loved (John 4:19). He chose us before the foundation of the earth (Eph 1:4; Mrk 13:20).

In John 15:19 it says, "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, because of this the world hates you.

Are you telling me that Christ died for the entire world? Even the very ones that hate him AND WILL NEVER REPENT OF THEIR SIN? For one to believe in un-limited atonement (Christ dying for the whole world) is just that, Universalism. Universalism means Christ failed to accomplish whom the father gave him. It means that everyone, including those in hell right now are saved. HOGWASH!

Romans 9 states: What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." So then it does not depend on the man who wills (There goes freewillism) or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH." So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

So Mr. POTUS “who are you, O man, who answers back to God?” God has chosen his elect, and hardens the hearts of the unbelievers whether you or Mr. Wreaks believe it or not!!!

To God be the Glory!

Father draws

2005-06-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:44).

I hate drive-by comments...

2005-06-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

I hate when people make negative comments but can't face up to the heat.

This is what POTUS wrote before he deleted it:

I'm a Calvary Chapel attender, specifically the Diamond Bar location with Pastor Raul Ries. I read briefly through your website and commentaries (are you the one insisting Calvinism is true?) and I'm not understanding your stance against Pastor Ries or the Calvey Chapel churches. Are you a Christian?

My response:

You see, either Mr. POTUS can't read and understand or he's just plain ignorant. Why is it that most Calvary Chapel attendees have to be so vicious as well as ignorant? Why does my Christianity have to be questioned, just because I question Raul Ries's Theology? It just so happens that I Hate (Yes, I said HATE!) his Theology.

Mr. Raul (Reeks) has openly attacked Calvinism on his Radio program, "Somebody loves you". It's time for someone to take Mr. Arminian to task.

He has said on the Air that Calvinism should be considered a "Cult" just like the Mormons & the JW's. Listen for yourself here! There is no way a person can speak such heretical things without a response. I personnally would love to see Mr. Wreaks debate someone regarding Calvinism & Arminanism, but it will never happen in a million years. He doesn't have enough guts or knowledge! He continues to hide behind Papal Chuck Smith and his little radio show. Thank God people are leaving Calvary Chapel's in droves!

I am but "one" out of many who states, 'Calvinism "IS" Christianity!'

So to answer your question, am I a Christian? Yup, just not Mr. POTUS's (Evan-jellyfish) kind of a Christian.

Bob George the pseudo-christian...

2005-03-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Like many contemporary so-called "evangelicals", Bob George believes and teaches the subtle but devastating error of "salvation BY faith" rather than the biblical truth of "salvation by grace THROUGH faith" as recorded in the New Testament and taught by the Apostle Paul. Throughout his ministry and literature, Mr. George promotes an indeterminist view of the human will, which is nearly identical to the historical Wesleyan Arminian heresy.

According to Bob George, the Fall did not render mankind incapable of taking a first step back toward God. Consequently, sinners are never truly lost and he knowingly or unknowingly sides with the Anglo-Catholic tradition and against Paul's Gospel of Grace. One could ask Bob, since the ability to exercise faith toward God was never lost, why would Paul state in Romans 10:17 that "faith" needs to "come."

As heard on his radio broadcast -- all mankind have the innate ability to believe the Word in order to accept the Savior. This premise is the foundation, no matter how subtle, of all meritorious religious systems. When Bob George talks about "free will," his definition includes far more than the concept of human volition. He means absolute autonomy; the central heretical tenet of all Christian humanism. At both first and second glance, one might think these are unnecessary distinctions, but readers should heed the wise words of Lewis S. Chafer: "...the erroneous exaltation of the human ability in the beginning becomes man's effectual undoing in the end" and then exercise extreme caution.

By contrast, the Word of God teaches that faith is not the cause of salvation, but one link in the means. "So, then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17. Similar to the late Arminian Dr. Bill Bright, with his Amazing Faith, Bob's lack of understanding regarding genuine grace and role of faith in salvation is the basis of his other doctrinal errors regarding forgiveness, eradication of the sin nature, and the believer's relationship to the Law.

Regularly in his radio broadcasts, Bob disparages and ridicules all determinist views as being "hyper-Calvinist." For Mr. George, "grace" is not God acting sovereignly as found in Scripture, but the erroneous concept of the 'sovereignty of man'--and women! It is no coincidence that Bob George's teaching is popular with a above-average number of sistern with a feminist bent. To understand the "sovereignty" connection, see Feminist Legacies.

For all Anglo-Catholics, including Bob George and those associated with People to People, the term "grace" is frequently used, but its meaning is far different from that found in Scripture. This is pseudo-Christianity. The consequences of these errors are regularly manifest from homosexual / pedophile priests and feminist / lesbian / gay ministers all the way to carnage inside Bible-believing Christian families.

What sets Bob George apart from other contemporary radio teachers, and contributes to his popularity, is that he attempts to incorporate so-called "deeper life truth" into his teachings. But like one well known politician, George is always trying to re-triangulate his message.

CRI, Roman Catholics and Salvation

2005-02-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

Hank Hanegraaff recently wrote an article entitled Catholics and Salvation. Whenever I hear Hank or CRI talk about Roman Catholics I am reminded of the debate I have between Dr. Bob Morey and Elliot Miller called The Ecumenical Debate. Elliot Miller was and maybe still is (I don't know) the editor-in-chief of The Christian Research Journal which is CRI's magazine. Dr. Morey is a Reformed Protestant who can be found at http://www.faithdefenders.com. Dr. Morey's position was (is) that Rome is a false church with true teachings and Miller took the opposite position. It's an interesting debate and Morey really came out on top. He quoted Vatican I & II to back up his positions while Miller had no real rebuttal. I digress.

In the article Hank's first two sentences are "To begin with, let me state up front that Catholics do not teach salvation by works. In fact, the Catholic church firmly maintains that man can only be saved by God’s grace." Okay great! Mormons say we are saved by God's grace too! The fact lone that Jesus Christ came bringing salvation is in itself an act of God's grace. So then anyone can claim they are only saved by God's grace. But what do they mean by that? Hank continues mentioning that RC's teach that God in justifying us makes us righteous (infused righteousness) and this is why only in the end will RC's know if they're truly saved. The problems I see with this is that it says that God gives you the ability to save yourself and if you do well in the end you will actually be saved. Therefore, it falls back on man to secure his own salvation. That's a scary thought!

Continuing further as Hank makes my point for me. He says that RC's see faith as a "passive agreement" and consider human works as vital to justification. The reason is they see "God’s grace working through and perfecting believers". Well, if we are made righteous and our faith is passive how is it then God who is at work? The first two processes shift the nature of justification to the individual. The RC position seems to tell us that it is God who is there giving us the tools it is then our responsibility to use them properly to gain ultilmate justification and save us. Interesting, Hank.

Remember Hank’s first sentence, "To begin with, let me state up front that Catholics do not teach salvation by works." Towards the end of the article Hank then says, "Catholics say that justification results from a combination of faith and works made possible by God’s grace." So RC’s believe we are saved by faith AND works, but not just works. Um, yeah. Then he goes on to say the RC position is simply "confused". I’d say. Hank tells us that we cannot say RC’s claim salvation by works. Okay, great! It’s faith plus works and that makes it all better? I don’t think so! Faith and works are opposed to each other and it cannot be God and us that saves. Sorry, Hank.

Hank does go beyond the benefit of the doubt when he says, "Though they can be rightly faulted on these points, no one can legitimately claim that Catholics teach a crass system of salvation by works." Right, Hank. We can rightly say that RC’s teach a crass system of salvation by works and faith which is a false gospel.

I have heard people who’ve called in to the Bible Answer Man show and try to get on the air referencing the above debate with no success. That would be an interesting dialogue. ~Mark

Raul Ries Bashes Calvinism!

2004-11-20T21:21:00.000-08:00

Raul (Reeks) Ries: Audio Proof
On-Air Open Attack on Calvinism! Listen while he compares Calvinism to such Cults as the Mormons and the JW's!

A Bad Aftertaste Left By Calvary Chapel.

2004-11-18T01:16:00.000-08:00

No Theology, No Pastor.

I know some may think I have a personal vendetta against Calvary Chapel’s, but the truth is, I don’t. They are decent for new believers (however, I advise against it), but as far as theology, forget it. It’s like being stuck on a merry-go-round, each year it’s the same teaching (No growth, No challenges). How about Sunday night’s? You go through 3-5 chapters in 1 hour. You see that was the norm, we thought that was how all churches taught. Boy did the Lord wake us up.

My wife and I have attended a Calvary Chapel for twelve years, and during those twelve years we were in bondage, but of course at the time we were blinded to it. Since we left Calvary Chapel two years ago, we have learned more in a year and a half than 12 years at Calvary. We also have a real live pastor, who actually cares and knows who we are. He calls and prays with us when we’re sick, and is there for us when we need him. You see at the Chapel, we never even had a conversation with the “Senior Pastor”, we were just a number. He was only available for the elites.

An Open Letter to Calvary Chapel...

2004-11-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

Of Ft. Lauderdale

The heresy of Arminianism permeates this church and its stance on doctrine. They deny the reality of the true Gospel and make great lengths to distort the teaching of the Bible.

Below is a an open letter to Dr. Norman Geisler, Pastor Bob Coy and the congregation of Calvary Chapel of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida which challenges them to rethink their position of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in light of the Bible. I agreed to post it on this site because I believe it is written not only from an orthodox standpoint, but also with an intention of tenderness, kindness, and Christian charity, with a desire that it may it be a help to the souls of men. The writer, and myself, urge the readers to send comments to us by email in light of the letter. ~C. Matthew McMahon August 20, 2001

The Gospel According to Timothy McVeigh
By John Nolan
“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Such were the chilling last words of mass-murderer Timothy McVeigh released to the public shortly before his just execution. He entered eternity embracing the malevolent arrogance of this sentiment borrowed from the words of a dead poet. This was his Gospel. Is it yours? Will you enter eternity believing that you are the master of your destiny? It sounds preposterous, right?

How can man be the master of his destiny? Does the Word of God not say of the Sovereign LORD, “He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:35) And again, the inspired apostle rebukes those who claim to have power over the Great Potter, “Who has resisted His will? But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” (Rom 9:19b-21). Was Timothy McVeigh really the master of his destiny? Was McVeigh the sovereign of his soul? Are you?

Sadly, many believe that they are the masters of their destinies. They believe that they make the final decision in whether they go to heaven or hell. They believe that before the foundation of the world God chose them because He saw something in them that He did not see in others. They believe that God saw their faith. Others did not have it, but they did. They make the “righteous” choice for their destiny, while others make the “unrighteous” choice and perish. They are indeed the “captains of their souls.”

Furthermore, they believe that the blood of Christ shed on the cross at Calvary did not actually save anyone, but merely made salvation possible to sinners; the final “step” in the work being theirs.

On June 24th, 2001 Dr. Norman Geisler declared these false and misleading views of salvation from the pulpit of Calvary Chapel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. In addition, Dr. Geisler declared that the Sovereign LORD over mankind's destiny is a “divine rapist.” At the end of his diatribe, a Calvary Chapel pastor instructed potential converts “Jesus has taken nine steps toward you, now you have to take a step toward Him.”

That one step makes men masters of their destinies in the same deluded sense that Timothy McVeigh believed he was the captain of his soul. That one step indicates that despite Christ Jesus coming into the world “to save sinners” (1 Tim 1:15) the sinners must save themselves by finishing the work that Jesus set out to accomplish. In other words, that one step turns the victorious words of Jesus from “It is finished” to “It is almost finished.”

Supposedly, the Father desires all men to be saved and gives His Son to die for those whom He knows will not take that “final step” and “become saved” anyway. His will for all men to “get saved” is thwarted by the powerful will of mere men. Man has power and sovereignty over his destiny. In this view, God only has enough sovereignty over these “inhabitants of the earth” to make salvation possible, but He cannot actually save one of them without their consent. If God oversteps this boundary He is committing “divine rape” on the sovereign man.

In the past year two elders at Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale have stepped down because they no longer believed they were the masters of their destinies, the sovereigns of their souls. Instead, they embraced the biblical view of God's sovereign reign over all things including the destinies of men. They humbly embraced what the Scriptures said about them: that they had been born walking “according to this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience...fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”(Eph 2:2) They embraced the Bible's teaching that God chose to save them, not because of something that God saw in them, but because of His sovereign will and free grace.

There is more to this than a historic debate. This is not about Calvinists and Arminians. The issues presented by Dr. Geisler, the Calvary Chapel pulpit, and this article, are concerned with the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

How has sin affected man? Can man save himself from the power of sin and free himself from the power of Satan? What has the Holy Trinity accomplished to save lost sinners? Why are some saved and not others? These are some of the questions being discussed. Some say it is a divisive topic. Indeed, it is.

The Gospel is like a sword which divides. The Gospel divides the wheat from the chaff. The preaching of the Gospel is to some a stumbling block and to others the power of God unto salvation. (1 Cor 1:23-24) The Lord Jesus Christ warned that even families would be divided over Him. But is this our goal - to divide? To divide and ostracize brethren from one another is certainly not the goal of this article. The unity of the body of Christ in the bond of peace, in the context of Ephesians 4, is the goal. Does not doctrine divide though? Yes, but that does not seem to matter to the apostle Paul. Consider his inspired words. He said that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given to the church to bring in “the unity of the faith” (v.13) in order that the church would not be tossed about by false doctrine propagated by false teachers (v. 14).

The purpose of this article is to straighten the crooked path that Dr. Geisler has created. He has led those he preached to recently at Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale, and the Calvary Chapel community at large, down this crooked path. It is paved with false views of the Gospel, and even blasphemous statements concerning God. I realize this is a strong statement. But indeed, it is in regard to the thrice Holy Jehovah being called a “rapist” from the pulpit of Calvary Chapel that compel me to make this assertion.

Now, Let us be good Bereans (Acts 17:11) and first briefly measure Dr. Geisler's preaching on the doctrine of sin by God's Word. Is the doctrine of sin an important teaching to understand? Not only is it important, but we will see why it is crucial to this topic.

>>> More <<<

Who has Endorsed the Passion of the Christ?

2004-11-09T15:03:00.000-08:00

Steve Mays, Pastor Calvary Chapel South Bay – “You have my permission to see this Rated R movie!” (Statement made to congregation after seeing a special sneak preview)

Harvest Crusade's Pastor Greg Laurie I think the Passion is going to make history. Even after the film has had its impact in the theatres it will have a very, very long shelf life through DVD, etc. I can see that film being shown around the world to touch untold millions of people. Mel has created a resource that will make a difference in the lives of many for time and eternity. (From an email to Icon)

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Billy Graham, President "The Passion of The Christ" - A Lifetime of Sermons in One Movie I was honored that you would come to see me and show a few of us your film on THE PASSION. Every time I preach or speak about the Cross, the things I saw on the screen will be on my heart and mind. I have often wondered what it must have been like to be a bystander during those last hours before Jesus’ death. After watching ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ I feel as if I have actually been there. I was moved to tears. I doubt if there has ever been a more graphic and moving presentation of Jesus’ death and resurrection - which Christians believe are the most important events in human history. The film is faithful to the Bible’s teaching that we are all responsible for Jesus’ death, because we have all sinned. It is our sins that caused His death, not any particular group. No one who views this film’s compelling imagery will ever be the same.

Rick Warren, Pastor Saddleback Church/Author - "Purpose Driven Life" Brilliant, Biblical - a masterpiece. (Comments following a screening)

Focus on the Family, James Dobson, Chairman It is deeply moving, powerful, and disturbing. A film that must be seen - although the graphic scenes of the scourging of Jesus are emotionally wrenching. (From an email to Icon)

Christian Broadcasting Network, Pat Robertson, Chairman and CEO Without question, this is the finest work that has ever been done on this subject. The casting is superb. The action is gripping, and I believe that having the dialogue in Latin and Aramaic adds tremendously to the dramatic effect. Your treatment of the high priest and temple officials is sensitively done. It is clear that the small group of religious leaders were acting in an extra legal fashion without the full body of the Sanhedrin being present. The terrible suffering inflicted on Jesus Christ by the Romans was at the urging of a small band of power-hungry religious leaders, not by the Jewish nation. More than anything your portrayal of the suffering of Jesus is with a few exceptions in total accord with the biblical narrative. It is therefore wonderfully authentic. I understand there are at least 50 million evangelicals in the United States and nearly as many Roman Catholics. From what I can gather, the interest in your film is very high among those in these groups who have heard about it. In my opinion you will see a very large and enthusiastic audience when The Passion is released next March. It will be my pleasure to use whatever facilities we have available at The Christian Broadcasting Network to help you publicize this outstanding work. (From a letter to Icon)

Trinity Broadcasting Network, Paul Crouch, Jr. All I can say is Whoa! And get ready! It is one of the most powerful things I've ever seen. It basically starts at the Garden of Gethsemane and ends at the resurrection. It is without a doubt the best portrayal of Christ and the Crucifixion I've ever seen. In fact, it makes you want to take all Biblical epics and most "Christian" films and throw them right in the trash. (Including many of ours!!) This will do for "Jesus" movies what "Saving Private Ryan" did for war pictures. Every Christian MUST go see this movie and hold Mr. Gibson up in prayer. He's going to take a lot of heat for this project, but if we'll support him, this movie could have a profound spiritual effect on millions of people. (From a TBN email)

Tim LaHaye, Tim LaHaye Ministries THE PASSION is the finest presentation of the last hours of Jesus’ life I have ever seen. It is a scripturally accurate account of how He really suffered for the sins of the whole world. The acting and production were superb, and the message leaves a lasting impact on both Christians and non-believers. Everyone should see this movie. The believers who see this film will be renewed in their commitment to Christ. Many non-believers will be moved to reevaluate His claim of dying for the sins of the whole world. No film in my lifetime has the potential of impacting more people with the world’s greatest story than THE PASSION. It is sensitive to the Savior, Biblically accurate, and both production and acting are of the highest quality. It could be Hollywood’s finest achievement to date. I was extremely impressed with Mel Gibson’s spiritual passion on wanting to present the true nature of Christ’s suffering for all the world to see. It gives a message that will benefit people of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. (From a letter to Icon)

Max Lucado, Pastor/Best selling Author Thank you for allowing our congregation to preview the movie trailer of The Passion. In just four short minutes, the images and the authenticity left our members "spell bound". Something went right to the heart of those who watched the trailer. You have our prayers and support as we look forward to the release of the movie.

And many, many, more… http://www.bible.com/jesus/PassionEndorsements.html <~~~ Many Catholic and Protestant Leader Endorsements. What’s wrong with this picture? Is this not what Luther and the Reformers fought against? Even though many Christian leaders have jumped on the Bandwagon, should we? Is Mel Gibson’s Movie “The Passion of the Christ” Biblical? NO! This Movie leads to Ecumenical Confusion!

Headed Back to Rome: Those who today insist on the free-will of the natural man believe precisely what Rome teaches on the subject! That Roman Catholics and Arminians walk hand in hand may be seen from others of the decrees issued by the Council of Trent: "If any one shall affirm that a regenerate and justified man is bound to believe that he is certainly in the number of the elect (which 1 Thess. 1:4, 5 plainly teaches.--A.W.P.) let such an one be accursed"! "If any one shall affirm with positive and absolute certainty, that he shall surely have the gift of perseverance to the end (which John 10:28-30 assuredly guarantees, A. W. P.); let him be accursed"! ~A.W.Pink

A Great Critique by: Denis Lyle, Lurgan, Northern Ireland

***Audio Critique here: The Gospel According To Mel Gibson - 4/4/2004 (SUN) Matthew 27:29-38