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Removing the Offense of the Cross
September 3rd 2008 - ...the ineffectualness of candy coated, romantic gospel appeals
Just tell an audience that God is crazy about you; that He doesn't want to punish you; that the dread Sovereign of the universe is a powerless lover down on one knee begging you to be His bride and has to wait to see if you choose to accept Him; that the whole universe is proposing to you; that He wants you to fall in love with Him; that His law is designed just to make this world a better place; and as you proclaim the gospel to insure the highest success from as many nonbelievers as possible, make sure you don't speak about repentance from sin; justification by faith; the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ; submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; don't ever mention Scripture specifically, open up a Bible and actually read it, or use Bible sounding words; just carry a surfboard against the backdrop of beautiful scenery, walk along a beach and show that you're a regular guy who can relate by talking about how fast the planet earth revolves around the sun, get all giggly that God created laugher, and make it as comfortable as possible for people to hear some things about the gospel; but don't ever mention that you must come to the end of yourself--deny yourself; take up your cross and follow Him; don't ever tell them that God is angry with them and His wrath abides on them; don't mention Hell (to negative); don't ever tell them that they have to hate their own lives, their father, mother, brother, sister, son and daughter and love Him more than all other loves or they cannot be His disciple; just reassure them that God loves them just the way they are and wants to give them a better life if they would cry out and say "I love You too."
Read the rest of "REMOVING THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS..."
Spurgeon Speaks to Postmodernism from the Grave
September 2nd 2008 - Titled & Compiled by Dr. James White
"We have to deal with a spirit, I know not how to denominate it, unless I call it a spirit of moderatism in the pulpits of protestant churches. Men have begun to rub off the rough edges of truth, to give up the doctrines of Luther and Zwingle, and Calvin, and to endeavour to accommodate them to polished tastes. You might go into a Roman Catholic chapel now-a-days, and hear as good a sermon from a Popish priest as you hear in many cases from a Protestant minister, because he does not touch disputed points, or bring out the angular parts of our Protestant religion. Mark, too, in the great majority of our books what a dislike there is to sound doctrine! the writers seem to fancy that truth is of no more value than error; that as for the doctrines we preach, it cannot matter what they are; still holding that...'He can't be wrong whose life is in the right.'" CLICK HERE to Read this Article.
PASTOR JOEL HUNTER: "OBAMA WAS TECHNICALLY RIGHT, THE BIBLE DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY TELL US WHEN LIFE BEGINS - IT'S RATHER IMPRECISE"
August 31st 2008 - CAN ANYONE SPELL... PANDERING?
One must wonder when Pastor Joel Hunter actually began to drink the postmodern, Obama Kool-aid on human rights and his deficient view of the authority and veracity of Scripture for all matters of life and godliness? (BTW, Hunter's unbiblical assertion quoted above is something Pastor Rick Warren has never said nor would he ever affirm.)
ANOTHER EVANGELICAL PASTOR TURNS PRAYER INTO A POLITICAL, ECUMENICAL, AND SOCIAL KUMBAYA
August 29th 2008 - Since Wednesday evening I have had a terrible bout with food poisoning. Though I didn't sleep at all Wednesday night, I finally got a few hours of needed rest last evening. But I am still very weak, physically drained, massive headache, and by God's grace - have passed out only once briefly due to uncontrollable vomiting.
But in spite of having a nonstop case of the runs and a horrendous case of projectile vomiting, nothing that I have spewed from my body stinks with the putrid stench like these words from pastor Joel Hunter of Northland Community Church spoke at the end of Barack Obama's acceptance speech last evening. When are pastors in today's evangelical world going to have the "ecclesiasticals" to honor the Lord Jesus Christ in the prayers that they give at political rallies? It's as if they forget their biblical moorings, their biblical convictions, and the faith altogether in order to please the gathered hoi palloi and kiss up once again to the popular political candidate of the hour.
I have ministered in Joel's church before and that is what makes this post doubly hard. Clear and simple: he should know better but is easily swayed by popularity and the pressure of the crowds. In the spirit of postmodernism's false sense of unity he now believes that "people with differing views can work together and can ultimately further their agenda without compromising their core moral convictions." Spoken like a true coward. (At this point you will want to begin singing "We are the Word" and tear up by last chorus).
Watch and listen to another "pastor" compromise biblical truth in this little rant he calls prayer. AND, don't miss the ending - it is the most poignant and saddest commentary on the current state of Christianity in this country to date.
Holding Pastors Accountable... Being faithful Bereans in your church
"Is the Congregation to Hold Their Leadership Accountable?" Polity is a term that theologians use to define how a local church’s government is structured, functions, and characterizes its leader/laity relationship. Churches can take on many forms of polity. There are three that are the most common among churches: 1. some churches are pastoral lead by one man only—you could say this would resemble a dictatorship or what I call a "Protestant Papacy"; 2. others are strictly lead through congregational-rule or voting on all church matters—very much akin to a democracy; and 3. those who govern by what has become known as elder-rule—this is a plurality of godly leaders that the church affirms to lead them. It is the last of these that I believe is the most biblical, balanced and honoring to the Lord.
read the rest of HOLDING PASTORS ACCOUNTABLE.
RICK WARREN AND THE SADDLEBACK FAITH FORUM - POWERFUL AND REVEALING ...Obama was Postmodern; McCain was Presidential
August 22nd 2008 - In some past posts I have been very critical of Rick Warren for aspects of his Purpose Driven Life campaign; his environmental climate initiative, thinking he can cure world hunger, his convoluted 2006 conference on AIDS, and his more pragmatic approach to evangelism. BUT, when he gets it right I am not afraid to say so; and this past Saturday night he really got it right!
Rick Warren was absolutely brilliant. He was lucid, inviting and incisive in how he worded the questions; probed in follow up inquiries; and he kept the evening civil, uniform, and on point. I agree with Charles Krauthammer that this was the best political forum of two Presidential candidates that I have ever witnessed in any venue in recent American politics. The voters on both sides of the aisle were given an honest view of each candidate. I also appreciated that Warren allowed each candidate the freedom to express their convictions without he as the moderator coloring their respective ideological platforms to suit his own political views on the same issues he was asking. IOW, Warren purposely kept himself out of the way and let the candidates have their say. (PMSNBC, CNN, FOXNEWS, CBS, NBC, ABC and PBS were you going to school?)
My conclusion of the faith forum outcome? McCain knocked it out of the park (which I wasn't prepared for) and Obama was more the empty suit than I ever could have imagined. This was a clear case of truth over nuance. McCain was commanding, Obama was conversational; McCain was Presidential, Obama was post-modern; McCain knew the issues, Obama needed his TelePrompTer.
This post could be one of the longest I have ever written. But for the sake of time and thoughtfulness for you the loyal and discerning reader at COT, I have chosen instead to feature below two video segments from the faith forum - one from each candidate. And if you missed this forum, here is the transcript for your further perusal.
Be sure to VOTE; but then accept the results from the only true Sovereign God who is the One who will set men in places of power and leadership over the affairs of men for His own purpose and glory. Amen?
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