One Over 99 Ministry - OneOver99.org

TIM TEBOW'S 'A' GAME IS AGAPE

2012-02-01T20:59:00.004-05:00

Tim Tebow's 'A' game means

'Agape'

for the men in blue.

Today's most controversial athlete, is Tim Tebow. His controversy is his willingness to put God first in everything he does. Tim would rather you see God than himself. He uses football as a vehicle for ministry. Even ESPN says, The Heisman Trophy provides Tebow a broader audience for his message of faith. So ask yourself, how many people do you know, including yourself, that work in a secular job and use it for God's glory? Well Tim Tebow does, and people don't trust him for it. I believe its because they don't do the same. I don't know for sure, but it sure seems that way. We have a brother in Christ who does what we Christians are all supposed to do, and yet there are those who would question if Tim is truly saved, or if he has a biblical theology and is worthy of their fellowship and approval. Shame on them. That is a sin.


Tebow preaching the gospel.

As many of you know, I am newly devoted to Prison Ministry. God has answered my prayers and called me away from street preaching and placed me into Prison Ministry. By the grace of God, A very close brother in Christ, Gary Meyers invited me to attend a Sovereign Grace Ministries event in Gainesville FL. a year ago. It was at this event where I met a man named Jerrod Powers of Faith For Freedom Ministries, a prison ministry. Jerrod is an ex-offender that would gladly tell you his incredible testimony and attach the gospel to it every time. After Jerrod and I got to know each other, he invited me to Kairos meetings and the rest is history. Since then, the Lord allowed me to meet, and become very close to my dear brother in Christ, Chaplain Barry Hedrick of Union Correctional Institute. He has embraced me and allowed me to come into his world and share the blessings of ministering to the men in blue. When I was asked by someone on Twitter about Tim Tebow's faith after posting a blog entry about him, I did a little search. I found this video, and the language Tim uses on here should hush the mouths of those who doubt him. He shares the same fire for sharing the gospel to the men in blue as I do, Praise God! Jesus said, "Know them by their fruits" in the Sermon On The Mount, Matt 5-7. Well based on this speech and by this fruit, I embrace Tim Tebow as a brother in the faith. I hope you do too. In the very near future, I am going to try to get hold of Tim and see if there is any way I can assist his ministry in the Florida prisons, as well as keep them in my prayers. Please pray for Tim's ministry, and please pray for Chap Hedrick, Jerrod Powers and myself. The prison ministry is a risk every time you go in. There are guards and such, but you are usually minutes away from help if something goes wrong. Still there's nothing compared to the persecution you go through as a Christian living behind the walls of a prison. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in blue, and take a lesson from Tim Tebow, and keep your 'A' game 'Agape'.
From the narrow path,
Len

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DOUBLE STANDARDS AGAINST TIM TEBOW'S RELIGION

2012-02-01T20:33:00.002-05:00

...That's a very good question, isn't it? Why has there been such an attack on the Christian Religion these days? Why is everyone so against Tim Tebow for being such a wonderful Christian role model? Is it because they are jealous? Because they hate God and Christianity? Or is it because they have never seen a truly sold out Christian before? Tim Tebow is a man who doesn't wear his faith on his sleeve... Tim Tebow is a man who is completely clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus our Lord, by the grace of God. Praise God! Amen Tim! Amen.

Please comment below. I would honestly like to know your thoughts either way. I will not prevent anyone's comments as long as the language is clean. Feel free to sa what ever you want regarding Christianity, Tim Tebow, Muslim Prayer, Public showing of religion, or anything about this topic. Thanks in advance. Grace to you.

TEBOW REJECTS FELLOWSHIP WITH THE WORD OF FAITH GOSPEL

2012-02-01T19:39:00.001-05:00

GREAT PLAY TEBOW!

DISPLAYING DISCERNMENT OFF THE FIELD

My favorite athlete and ex Florida Gator, Tim Tebow has displayed more discernment than the recently confused and doctrinally twisted James MacDonald, and New Calvinist Mark Driscoll, as the Denver Broncos quarterback has denied fellowship with a semi-famous Word Of Faith Pastor from Ohio, Rod Parsley. Huffington Post reports the following:

Tim Tebow has canceled an appearance at a revival organized by a controversial Ohio preacher, a spokesman for the star athlete said Wednesday.

The Denver Broncos quarterback and dedicated Christian had been scheduled to speak at a three-day Columbus event in March led by televangelist Rod Parsley.

Tebow's brother Robbie said in a phone interview that he was canceling the talk. Robbie Tebow said his brother's speakers' bureau hadn't researched the event before saying yes to the invitation.

"I know for a fact that Tim is not going to be a part of it," Robbie Tebow said. "That's being resolved."

Parsley teaches that God wants the faithful to be rich. Last year, he asked followers to donate more than $1 million to ward off satanic attacks. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican Sen. John McCain disowned an endorsement from Parsley after learning the pastor called Islam an "anti-Christ" religion.

Parsley's gathering is called "Contending for the Faith Weekend." Texas televangelist Kenneth Copeland, who also preaches the prosperity gospel, is another featured speaker, according to the event website.

Mark Youngkin, a spokesman for Parsley, said the quarterback has a contract with the event organizers, who have asked Tebow to reconsider. Youngkin said national advertising for the event had just been approved Tuesday.

"The ball's in their court at this point," Youngkin said.

CONTENT VIA HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

WHY I LOVE JESUS BUT REJECT ISLAM

2012-01-31T09:34:00.002-05:00

My good friend and brother in Christ, IV Hisson, does spoken word about the lies of Islam and the truth of Christianity. He teamed up with Dr. James White of Alpha and Omega Ministry, as Dr. White heard a Muslim rapper spewing lies from the pit of hell against the God of the Bible and all of Christianity and felt it needed a just reply. He chose IV, since they have worked together in the past on IV's album 'The Justice System'. Crown Rights Media is responsible for the production of the video.

Go get 'em IV. Soli Deo Gloria!

SEPARATION OF CULT AND STATE

2012-01-31T02:51:00.000-05:00

ROMNEY AND HUNTSMAN

We began the 2012 GOP Nomination race with two of the hopefuls who would simply rather keep the topic of Religion out of this 2012 election. You see, former Governors Mitt Romney (MA) and Jon Huntsman (UT), would love to get your vote but they'd rather not debate religion. Why you may ask? Because the truth of what these religious radicals believe about God is just enough to push even some of the most liberal voters away, much less the true born again Christian. The funny thing is, both of them would lead you to believe that they are indeed Christians. They'd even pull it off of they were speaking with a new Christian, or someone who believes what they see on television. The view of Mormonism could be seen as Christian only for people in a fog.

The Fog Clears, Mormonism Defined

The press uses the term 'evangelical' when speaking of the states that have a heavy presence of Christianity-type religions. Unfortunately, the media is wrong. Evangelical isn't an accurate word to use that umbrellas every religion which believes in Jesus Christ. Well, not the way they use it as compared to what it really means. The fact is, not everyone who says they are evangelical are evangelical. Look it up in your Funk and Wagnall's! (My dad used to say that) Anyway, never mind looking it up. I did it for you.

Evangelical: The word evangelical comes from the Greek (euangelion) and Latin (evangelium) words for “good news,” which evolved into the word gospel, and has long been in use. In the 16th century Martin Luther and his followers, who stressed justification by faith in Jesus Christ and based their faith on Scripture.

The Evangelical Church is defined as:

Any of the classical Protestant churches or their offshoots, but especially in the late 20th century, churches that stress the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, personal conversion experiences, Scripture as the sole basis for faith, and active evangelism (the winning of personal commitments to Christ).

I'm in agreement, somewhat. But not every church who claims to be evangelical is. I think its more the liberal media who lump all the churches together, because they stand apart from church, supporting an atheist view mostly. But as for being evangelical, the Mormons certainly are not! They do NOT preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, in the Bible, The Apostle Paul warned against the dangers of following those who 'preach another Gospel' as he wrote to the Galatians who abandoned what they believed about Jesus Christ and how he 'hung on a tree, freeing them (and us born again Christians as well) from the curse of the law', Gal 3:13. He was amazed that they stepped away from the faith and he showed it in the opening chapter of his letter to the churches of Galatia,

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-10 ESV)

If he were alive today, the Apostle Paul would be preaching very hard against the heresy of Mormonism as it is a "wolf in sheep's clothing". In this day and age, the passage above applies directly to the Mormons, no doubt about it. They are not servants of Christ, but servants of Joseph Smith. Servants of man. In verse 6 Paul even warned against a gospel from an angel! Call me crazy, but don't you think Joseph Smith would have known that he'd have friction over his claim that he met an angel named Moroni? His friends would have been like, 'Uh, yea. Whatever you say Joey'. It's blasphemy. Heresy!

So today, the day of the Florida Primary, Mitt Romney is leading in every poll. Even those against Obama. I should be happy about that, right? Well, not exactly. Yes, I do want to beat Obama out of office, but not so much with Romney. Ron Paul is my guy, you eleven readers know that. He's the one candidate that speaks the truth... Especially when it comes to God and Jesus.

What makes Romney so radical?
Let's take a look at why the Mormons are so radical and not at all in line with the true Christian religion. First of all, the Mormons have a few different names you need to be familiar with, including: LDS, The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, The True Church, The Church, and Mormons.

These are the guys you typically see riding around on their bicycles with white shirts and black ties. Not to be confused with the Geek Squad at Best Buy, these guys are true missionaries. They are committed to perpetuating their message of faith, and salvation by works, for at least two years away from home. They call themselves 'Elders', and they're in their late teens or early twenties. Elder they are not.They actually are pretty easy to talk to regarding their religion, and they assume that you know nothing about yours. Let's remember what Christ said, 'few there be that find it'. Meaning there would be few on the narrow road to glory. He also said many would be on the road to hell and destruction.

Mormonism teaches:
Just in case you were wondering, here are a few of the lies that Mormons believe. I've tweeted them recently with the hash-tag #RomneyBelieves
- God used to be a man on another planet and Mormon members may become gods of their own worlds.
- There are many many gods.
- The Trinity is three separate Gods.
- Entrance into celestial heaven is by the consent of God and the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith.
- God has a body of flesh and bones.
- God is married and produces spirit babies by having physical relations with his goddess wife.
- Jesus, Satan, and all of us are spirit brothers and sisters procreated in a pre-existent spirit life.
- God had relations with Mary to make Jesus’ body.
- Jesus had many wives, and his polygamy is the reason he angered so many
- You must shed your own blood for the forgiveness of some sins.
- Good works are necessary for the forgiveness of sins.
Be very careful. Rarely will they mention these 'higher doctrines'.
Therefore, you really don't know what they are teaching until long
after you have joined. Be warned.

FACTS:

Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses (Russellites), are non-Christian cults because they deny the true biblical doctrines of Jesus and salvation including the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
First, Mormonism says Jesus is the brother of the Devil. J.W.'s teach that he is an angel who became a man. These teachings are not biblical.

Second, the Mormon cult erroneously says that in order to be saved you must cooperate with God by doing good works. The Bible says that salvation is a free gift from God (Rom 6:23). The Bible condemns the addition of our works to the finished sacrifice of Jesus. Galatians 2:21 says that if salvation comes by works ("if righteousness comes through the Law"), then Jesus died needlessly. Salvation comes by God's grace through faith alone, not by our works which are impure (Isaiah 64:6). Simply put, they each preach a false message of salvation. A false Gospel!

What The Bible teaches: there is only one God; God is spirit not man; Jesus' sacrifice cleanses from all sin; Jesus is the only way to God; all who have receive Jesus as Savior and have repented of their sin will be saved; and Jesus is God in flesh who rose from the dead in the same body He died in. These are some of the things the Christian church has always believed. These two cults distort them and thus lead many into eternal damnation. Why? Because... Only the Jesus of the Bible saves, not the brother of Satan (Mormonism), not an angel made into a man (Jehovah's Witnesses or Russellites as I call them). Faith works only when you trust someone who is true. The Mormons and Russellites are good people and we love them; but, they are misled. They do not know that the true gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our sins and that we receive His forgiveness by faith alone (faith in the true Jesus). Satan has blinded them. Jesus said that if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit. That is why this Christian ministry is exposing these cults, so you won't be deceived. If you want to be assured of the forgiveness of your sins and have peace with God, then you must realize that you have sinned against God, and are separated from Him. Then, ask Jesus to be Lord of your life; REPENT - ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and save you from eternal hell. Ask Him to sustain you and to teach you His word, The Bible. He will. He is Savior and Lord and He is as close as the call of your mouth. Then read your Bible and do what it says. Find a Bible believing church with Reformed doctrines. We go to a Presbyterian church, but a Reformed Baptist church is acceptable as well, if you want solid teaching. At least now you know which two cults not to join, and certainly who not to vote for. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.

Eternity is a long time to be wrong.

What does it mean to be saved?

Thanks C.A.R.M. and MRM for content

RON PAUL'S OLD FASHIONED MEDICINE

2012-01-30T09:22:00.000-05:00

WAKE UP PEOPLE! Same problems as 2008 but his remedy remains. @RepRonPaul isn't "blowing smoke", he's speaking truth.

This video is from last election's GOP nominee debates. It was one where CNN allowed the candidates to jump in with an answer as they wanted. Ron Paul didn't waste any time taking this question on, but there was a slight pause from the others on stage.

Ironically we are faced with the same crap today since Obama has taken office, not to mention he even had a Democratic congress for his first two years in office. Still, he has done nothing for our country with regards to jobs and the economy. In fact, He shot down the Keystone Pipe Line recently which would have major relief effects on the country in a very short time. I firmly believe that if we made it known that we were going forward with the Pipe Line, OPEC would drop the price of oil faster than a phony cripple hits the floor at a Benny Hinn revival!

Be sure to see the other videos on Ron Paul in the older posts as well.

RON PAUL'S OLD FASHION MEDICINE

WHERE POLITICAL ATTACK ADS BEGAN

2012-01-28T00:41:00.000-05:00

This is funny. Thanks Matt Simms of Grace For Sinners Blog for sharing.

I VOTE FOR THE CHRISTIAN

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

RON PAUL 2012
JOIN ME. VOTE CHRISTIAN
Ron Paul answers a question, and in the first sentence, he has it spot on. No other candidate can answer it like this. Not a Muslim President. Not a Catholic, and not a Mormon.

RON PAUL 2012

2012-01-27T23:48:00.000-05:00

So, I have made my choice people. I choose life.

Life and Liberty, freedom for my Christian beliefs. I feel that my Bible, my guns, and my freedom will never be at stake with Ron Paul as the leader of the free world. I believe the lives of the unborn, without a voice will be protected. I believe my money will regain it's value. I think the United States will become what it once was; a strong and thriving nation that bows down to no one, not even an Arab King.

I choose Ron Paul for President of the United States of America for 2012-2020. I regret not supporting Ron Paul in the past. I won't make that mistake again. I will vote for him in the upcoming primary in FL., and if for some reason he doesn't make it as the GOP nominee, I pray that he runs as an independent, because I will vote for him then. Please watch this video. Hear what it says and listen to it's message. I've often wondered why even Fox News wouldn't give Dr. Paul the time of day, and it's because he isn't one to drink the cool-aid. He says exactly what he believes and believes what he says. He will not tell you what you want to hear. Don't listen to the spin media puts on Dr. Paul nor buy into the ads on TV. If you are a Bible believing Christian that wants Liberty and Freedom to serve the same God of the Bible that Ron Paul serves, then you owe it to God and everyone to support Ron Paul. It's time we get the country back that our fathers believed in and that my relatives bled for.

Thanks for taking the time to watch this.

THEY CALLED ME HATER?

2012-01-27T22:25:00.002-05:00

They did WHAT?!

This is a post that would probably make Jesus laugh. This week on Youtube, some friends and I were called a haters by one of the best in the business. That is, the business of heresy.

Stevie Furtick sent out this video in response to myself and a few others who tweeted to our followers during the revival at Elevation Church called Code Orange Revival. I will write more on that very soon.

In this post, is the video put out in response to all us "haters" who called him out for unbiblical teaching. The video is unedited, but it has a wonderful new voice over that fits the face to a tee. Enjoy.

One more thing... Even though I posted this funny video, the narcissist pastor Furtick and his Gnostic gospel are no laughing matter. He has created a ton of goats who are no closer to knowing the God of the Bible than they were since birth.

PATERNO DEAD OR HOAXED?

2012-01-22T02:12:00.001-05:00

Oh boy...

I heard that Penn State coach Joe Paterno died today. It came across my Twitter feed this evening from WOKV News in Jacksonville, and they were reporting it from a CBS news report that was later retracted and an apology was issued.

I didn't know that it wasn't true so I tweeted immediately that I hoped Coach Joe Pa had at least repented of his sin and believed the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Then I heard, from Twitter again, that he went to see Benny Hinn, and that his death was a hoax.

I thought, which hoax is worse? Then I checked out the viral trend that read, 'Joe Pa' and I saw a picture that I just had to show here. Though it's funny, I still hope coach repents of his sin as well as Benny Hinn. Coincidentally, Hinn is the Joe Pa of televangelist heretics and Joe Pa was the Hinn of football coaches. I don't agree with either one of the men due to their sinful behavior, especially since coach didn't expose assist. coach Jerry Sandusky of his perverted acts with young boys in the Penn State locker room. I hope they both come to humility, hit their knees and cry out to God for forgiveness before its too late.

Repent and believe the gospel.

LOVE IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING

2012-01-09T15:46:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I see something that catches my eye and I want to share it with you. This video did just that. It depicts the foolishness of a ridiculous religion devoted to ungodly laws; The selfless love of a true believer in Christ who would give more than the shirt off his back; A fearless messenger who carries the gospel into a dangerous area with no regard for his own life, but the love of others; and complete forgiveness at all cost.
Although I'm not the biggest Todd Friel fan in the world, this is pretty good stuff and definitely worth seeing. Enjoy.

1 CORINTHIANS 8 YOUR BROTHER'S KEEPER

2012-01-03T12:04:00.001-05:00

I saw an image on Google+ today that offended me. I wasn't totally freaked out, but I didn't expect that type of content to come across my screen. I do my best to follow people and surround myself with people daily, who are totally sold out for God. You see, it makes a difference to me what comes into my sight and goes into my ears every minute of every day. I take this 'Christian thing' pretty seriously. Sure, I rely on the filter of the Holy Spirit, but temptation leads to sin when you least expect it.

IV HISSON = JUSTICE SYSTEM

Connie and I went to see IV Hisson, who is one of my best Christian friends in the world, perform in a Reformed Christian Rap concert New Year's eve. We were watching one of the opening acts when one of the rappers who goes by the name Nazarene really hit me with something that made a lot of sense. So much sense, I logged onto Twitter with my cell and Tweeted it to my followers. Here is what it said:

...Isn't that tweet the truth? Lets apply this to pornography for instance. A lot of people who know me well have heard my testimony and know that I come from a past of owning adult web sites and being over my head in porn. I have looked at pornography as well as some of you who may be reading this, and you and I both know, that you can't just take a peak. Once you make the decision to allow the temptation lead you to it, it's almost impossible to repent and look away. Its much like a drug addiction; once you take the drug, the drug takes you. So any time I can avoid temptation, I do my best to avoid it.

What about you? Do you avoid placing yourself into tight spots where you can be tempted? What about those around you? Do you avoid putting those around you into a place where they can be tempted? A true believer should do both. Loving your neighbor, in its entirety, is a tough thing to do. It sometimes requires protecting those around you by setting an example as well. So how do we do this? Is this really a biblical principal? Yes it is. Please read on.

I pray daily for many things. Things that glorify God. I ask for loving eyes and gracious speech (Col 4:6). I pray that I glorify the Lord through word and deed, and I pray to the Holy Spirit directly, to guide me to do those things. Being a Trinitarian, I believe in praying directly to either if the three persons which make up God. I love the Trinity! Also, praying that way is a significant part of my sanctification and growth in Christianity that I know I need help with and I desperately seek to have. Being a hum-drum Christian is not what its all about. We are to persevere and strive for the gospel as true disciples of Christ Jesus. We should strive to glorify God in all we do. Putting Him first and your neighbor second is truly the behavior of someone sold out for Jesus.

So I saw this image on G+ and I admonished the one who posted it. I couldn't believe it was content that a Christian man would want to promulgate to Christian brothers and sisters who follow him on G+, much less content that was a dishonor to God. Not by my standards, but by God's. I then thought about if this brother even cared about my feelings regarding this picture. He should. (Update: as it turns out, he did not. He offered no apology as requested and gave an irrelevant reply since writing this blog post. I un-followed him on G+ and Twitter)

Paul teaches in 1Corinthians ch8 to be mindful of the brethren. Paul gives an example using meat that was sacrificed to idols. He was strong enough in his faith to eat it and not be affected by doing so.

Rather than writing a discourse on 1 Corinthians ch8, I wanted to share some excellent teaching with you from a man who has the gift of rightly dividing the word of truth. I stumbled upon his teaching, while using the Net Bible Online while studying the word. The Net Bible offers notes and links to articles on the entire Bible, not to mention the original Hebrew and Koine Greek, which I love! The following content comes from Keith Krell from Timeless Word Ministries in WA state. Keith gives sound teaching regarding the passage 1Cor 8:1-13.

Washington State allows motorists to make a right turn when the traffic signal is red—if the way is clear. This gives drivers liberty and keeps traffic moving. At some intersections, however, signs read, “No turn on red.” These corners are exceptions because they are potential danger spots. By turning on red at one of these intersections, a motorist could cause a serious accident.

Similarly, in the Christian life we have been given great freedom, yet there are certain potential danger spots that can cause a serious accident between brothers and sisters in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 8, we have a dangerous intersection concerning meat offered to idols.¹ Paul had perfect freedom to eat meat offered to idols.² He knew that there was only one true God and that idols were nothing. Eating meat offered to them was neither right nor wrong. But not all believers felt that way. A person who had a weak conscience believed that the meat was defiled by the idol, and therefore it was off limits. Paul recognized the need to take special care, lest by eating he would influence such a person to eat, thus violating his conscience. Concern for weaker believers kept him from exercising his liberty.
As Christians, we are free in Christ—free to engage in social practices and customs not specifically forbidden by biblical commands. Yet, the Holy Spirit may prompt us to refrain from some legitimate practices. Then the principle of love must take precedence over the principle of liberty. A mature Christian will heed the “no turn on red” sign to keep from causing a weaker believer “to have a serious accident.”³ In 1 Cor 8:1-13, Paul will explain that we are not only responsible for ourselves but for one another. To put a spin on the words of Cain, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen 4:9), Paul will insist, “You are your brother’s keeper.” You do have a responsibility to look out for your brother’s welfare. With this high calling in mind, Paul lays out two principles to guide us...

To read the rest of Krell's discourse including notes and scriptural references, click here. Please come back to comment and let us know your thoughts.

May you be blessed abundantly by this post, live to glorify God, and love your brother further more.
From the narrow path,
Len

BEST CHRISTIAN BOOKS OF 2011 - MONERGISMBOOKS.COM

2011-12-30T10:14:00.000-05:00

This top ten 2011 book list was emailed to me by John Hendryx of Monergismbooks.com so I thought I'd share it with you 12 readers of this blog.

By the way, I downloaded #3 Kindle edition and I can tell you that it's worth reading because we finally have another Systematic Theology of sound doctrine. I do like the book. However, I was disappointed that it wasn't so much a Systematic Theology as taught by Horton. Rather, it is a compilation of many works with which Horton is in agreement, and then regurgitated by Horton as proving his Theological opinion. Every other sentence it seems refers to another man's work. As I said though, other than that I liked it. 3 stars (teehee!) At the bottom, there is a 'back in print' by MLJ that I want, just in case anyone forgot me for Christmas, and also a new arrival at Monergismbooks that piques my interest. I have some of Sproul's commentaries on Kindle that are great. I'm in the middle of reading 1&2 Peter right now. I will let you know how it is, but so far its excellent. A must read! Without further adieu -

Monergism.com's Top Ten List:

COMING IN AT #1

God Is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Contributor(s): Yiwu, Liao (Author), Huang, Wenguang (Translator)

Chinese dissident author Liao Yiwu—the once lauded, later imprisoned, and now celebrated author of The Corpse Walker—profiles the extraordinary lives of dozens of Chinese Christians, providing a rare glimpse into the burgeoning underground world of belief that is taking hold within the officially atheistic state of Communist China. A luminous writer, and not a Christian himself, Yiwu offers a uniquely objective and insightful perspective on the position Christians occupy in mainland China, in a book that readers of Philip Jenkins' The Lost History of Christianity as well as Peter Hessler's Country Driving will not want to miss.

A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New

G. K. Beale (Author)

"Certainly Beale has written his magnum opus, in which he deftly integrates the Scriptures via the new creation theme. The use of the Old Testament in the New Testament forms the backbone of this work so that readers grasp how the storyline of Scripture coheres. We stand in debt to the author for his detailed and profound unfolding of New Testament theology."
--Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way
Michael S. Horton (Author)

"Horton's Christian Faith has the great merit of never letting the reader forget that doctrine is for disciples who want to walk the way of Jesus Christ. Horton knows that the best systematic theology is a practical theology—one that helps us understand the ways of God, makes sense of life, and gives direction for God-glorifying living. He also knows that the best systematic theologies draw on biblical and historical theology. May many readers therefore take up this book, read, and walk!"
--Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Blanchard Professor of Theology, Wheaton College and Graduate School

The Doctrine of the Word of God: A Theology of Lordship Volume 4
John M. Frame (Author)

"The fourth volume in John Frame's Theology of Lordship series, The Doctrine of the Word of God, is the best of them—and that is high praise. In a 700-page "draft" of what he hopes will be a longer and more definitive work, Frame thinks through what Scripture is, what authority means, how to understand inspiration, canon, and a host of other categories intrinsic to any responsible treatment of revelation, especially the revelation provided by Holy Scripture....More so than the other volumes in the series, this book works hard at developing its theology, the theology of the word of God, out of Scripture itself—and without descending to vicious circularity. This is an important book, and those who write on this subject in the near future without wrestling with Frame will merely testify to their own narrowness."
--D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL

Union with Christ: In Scripture, History, and Theology
Robert Letham

"This is a stimulating work that all pastors and students should read and absorb into their preaching and teaching ministry."
--Gerald Bray, Research Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, AL

"Letham has established himself over the years as a first-class expositor of key themes in the Reformed faith. This outstanding book goes to the heart of the truth of salvation with deep learning, acumen, and pastoral wisdom. Highly recommended."
--J. I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College

What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission
Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert (Authors)

"Christ is the greatest message in the world, and delivering it is the greatest mission. But are we losing our focus? Are we being distracted, sometimes even by good things? Zealous Christians disagree sharply today over the church's proper ministry and mission. Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert bring us back to first things in an age of mission creep and distraction. Offering balanced wisdom, this book will give us not only encouragement but discomfort exactly where we all need it. It's the kind of biblical sanity we need at this moment."
--Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

Also available as an ebook

The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God
Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller (Authors)

There has never been a marriage book like THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE.

Based on the acclaimed sermon series by New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller, this book shows everyone--Christians, skeptics, singles, long-time married couples, and those about to be engaged--the vision of what marriage should be according to the Bible.

Isaiah By the Day: A New Devotional Translation
Alec Motyer (Author)

As a man who loves the word of God, Alec Motyer presents these daily devotionals from Isaiah. For him, daily devotion is not a mere habit but a real desire to be transformed by the challenging word of Isaiah. These devotionals reassure us that the Lord can restore what sin has robbed us of. These daily devotionals are birthed from a lifetime of study on the prophecy of Isaiah. Day by day you will be provided with passages from Isaiah and an opportunity to explore the passage further. Take time to acquaint yourself with these passages from God's Word and treasure them in your heart.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything
Tullian Tchividjian (Crossway)

“Tullian Tchividjian knows, by biblical study and personal experience, that the greatest dangers to the church exist inside the church not outside and the greatest of these dangers is the subtle, deceptive, and seductive self-reliance and self-sufficiency of legalism. Perhaps the greatest contribution of this book is its page after page plea to the church not to be afraid of the glorious provisions and freedoms of the grace of Jesus.”
--Paul Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries; author, What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage

“My friend Tullian is a loser. So am I. If we’re honest, all of us fit that description, but the good news is that Christ came for people like us. We qualify! Under the rubric of ‘Jesus plus nothing equals everything,’ this accessible yet astonishingly profound book rearranges the furniture. If you’re looking for hope instead of hype, please read this book.”
--Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

Tempted and Tried:
Temptation and the Triumph of Christ
Russell D. Moore (Crossway)

“Russell Moore is a riveting writer, and you won’t have to read this book for long before you also find out that he knows some things that you need to know about the deceitfulness of our hearts, the trials of temptation, the schemes of the Tempter and the power and grace of the Savior. Wise beyond his years, and unashamedly supernatural and biblical in his approach, I almost hear the old Puritan Thomas Brooks speaking to me in Dr. Moore’s words (albeit in a Mississippi dialect!). In one of the great hymns of the church, ‘Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners,’ we sing ‘Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing, He, my strength, my victory wins.’ But how? That’s what Russell Moore shows us in this book. Read it. Search your heart. Pray for grace. And join the fight.”
--J. Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi; President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

Honorable Mentions:

These Last Days: A Christian View of History
Richard D. Phillips & Gabriel N. E. Fluhrer (Editors)

Family Shepherds: Calling and Equipping Men to Lead Their Homes
Voddie Baucham Jr. (Author)

Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith
By: Douglas Groothuis

One-to-One Bible Reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian
David Helm (Author)

Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine
Gregg R. Allison (Author)

Back in Print!

Romans (14 Volume Set)
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Author)

No New Testament epistle is more foundational to the faith than Romans, and no exposition of Paul's letter is more insightful than that of Lloyd-Jones. Drawn from his messages at Westminster Chapel from 1955 to 1968, this masterful series of sermons blends evangelical interpretation with practical applications to provide sound doctrinal teaching on this fundamental document.

New Arrival!

Mark (St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary)
R. C. Sproul (Author)

Mark presents the fruits of Dr. R. C. Sproul's lifetime of biblical study as expressed in his most recent calling. After a long and distinguished ministry as a teacher in various settings, Dr. Sproul accepted a call in 1997 to preach at St. Andrew's in Sanford, Florida. There, he adopted the ancient practice of preaching through books of the Bible, eventually working his way through several of them. He has now begun to adapt those sermon series in book form, and the result is the St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary series.

REPEAT OFFENDER - IV HISSON

2011-12-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

One of my best friends in this video by Crown Rights Media.

I love to chop it up with IV whenever we get together. Love you brotherman!

Please support this brother by purchasing his music at IVHisson.com

POLITICALLY AND BIBLIACLY CORRECT

2011-12-28T09:17:00.001-05:00

When asked if I would support or vote for a candidate based on religious views, I easily answer, Yes. Its a no brainer. Ive already posted about Mitt Romney and his troubled faith in the Mormon cult. This time its Rick Perry who catches my eye. @WOKVnews 106.5 here in Jacksonville just reported that Perry switched his view on abortion. I stopped what I was doing and said, "How could he do that? He's a Christian". I knew Perry was proclaiming to be a born again Christian, and if that were true, then he should be against murder. And abortion IS murder.

My wife works for First Coast Women's Services in Middleburg two nights per week as a volunteer. Since she is part of that ministry, I have learned a lot about abortion. Did you know that LESS than 1% of abortions are result of rape or incest. That is not very much. Yet, that is the 'go to' argument for everyone who believes abortion should remain legal in the US. If you say you oppose it, almost every time someone wants to debate it they ask, "What if you, or your wife, sister, or mother were raped". Some Christians would agree and then they would say abortion should be legal.

GOP Presidential candidate Rick Perry has finally got it right. He finally decided to view abortion through biblical eyes. The following is from WOKV's web site and reported by the Associated Press

GOP Hopeful, Gov. Rick Perry

OSCEOLA, Iowa —

Republican Rick Perry is shifting his opposition to abortion, saying he opposes it even after rape or incest.
Perry on Tuesday told potential caucus-goers in Iowa that he has changed his mind.
Previously, he believed abortion was acceptable in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is at risk. Now, he says abortion in all forms should be prohibited.
Perry told a pastor who asked him about his views that, in his words, "you're seeing a transformation."

Gov. Huckabee

Perry says he recently watched former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's documentary about abortion. He says he met a woman in the film and that she told him she was the result of rape and that her life has worth.
Perry says that encounter led him to rethink his position.

Copyright The Associated Press

KWANZAA - ANOTHER MAN CENTERED HOLIDAY

2011-12-27T18:57:00.000-05:00

Kwanzaa is a made-up holiday invented by the racist Marxist Maulana Karenga in 1966, as an alternative celebration for blacks beginning the day after Christmas and ending on January 1. Karenga once said, "People think its African but its not, I came up with Kwanzaa because black people wouldn’t celebrate it if they knew it was American. Also I put it around Christmas because I knew that’s when a lot of bloods were partying." - Wikipedia

Kwanzaa was called "The holiday for chumps" by the main contributor cited in a wonderful blog post called, "The Kwanzaa Deception". The article was written by a brother in Christ named Justin Edwards, in his blog, Airo. Since I read that blog from time to time, as it usually hits the mark on doctrine and current events, I thought I'd post a link to The Kwanzaa Deception. I believe he exhausted all efforts to inform readers of the lies of this man centered holiday for blacks in his blog as well as provide useful links to other info on Kwanzaa including the lie of Liberation Theology. Click here to read the truth about Kwanzaa from my friend Justin.

NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS

2011-12-20T09:10:00.000-05:00

Our Twitter friend Ken Silva of
Apprising Ministries has been sounding the alarm about the warped and toxic teachings of the Emerging Church original pastor Rob Bell for many years now.
You likely know that he’s resigned from Mars Hill Bible Church and has turned it over to his good friend and fellow apostate Shane Hipps to pursue—among other things—producing secular television.
CONTINUE READING KEN'S BLOG

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-12-06T19:03:00.000-05:00

A must have for every home in America occupied by a do-it-yourselfer! - Here's a tool so versatile and useful that everybody will want one! - A solution for various problems near and far! A way to defeat those Washington bureaucrats after our guns, and best of all, a way to BLOW AWAY that 'honey-do' list.

Washington might try to take away our guns, but not any more... The solution is, NAIL GUNS! You don't even have to REGISTER or have a LICENSE for them. AND, you don't have to worry about them being CONCEALED!

Once in awhile something so totally cool comes out, that even a guy who doesn't normally even know what he'd like for Father's Day or Christmas would immediately ask for it after seeing it.
Thank you, DeWalt for the new DeWalt N-16 Rapid Fire Nail Gun!

It can drive a 16d nail through a 2x4 at 200 yards! This makes construction such a breeze, you can sit in your lawn chair and build a fence. Just have your wife hold the fence boards in place while you sit back, relax, aim and shoot! With a 1000 round capacity magazine, you can build a fence with a minimum of reloading.

PLUS…….After a day of fence building with the new DeWalt N-16 Rapid Fire Nail Gun, your wife will never again ask you to build or fix anything else!!!!!

Just kidding around. Not sure where this came from, but it was emailed to my wife and then to me. Thanks!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-11-20T19:03:00.000-05:00

I want one of these things for Christmas! Or for my birthday this Tuesday. Or for father's day, Reformation day, or simply any day that ends in 'y'. What a cool toy! I thought the Green Machine was uber bad, and remember the day as a kid in Chicago, when I first got one and all the other kids on Big Wheels were totally jealous.
So, this little kid doesn't think his dad has an 'S' on his chest, he KNOWS his dad is Superdad for building this awesome toy. Seriously, I want one.

EX-MORMON SAYS "DON'T VOTE FOR ROMNEY"

2011-11-18T01:29:00.002-05:00

I'd like to preface this blog post by stating that it is the opinion of One Over 99 Ministry that every Christian should vote biblically. As fellow Christians, we beseech that you would examine the candidates against the Bible as well. We would like you to consider the candidates after much prayer and ask God for discernment when choosing the right candidate for the job. Remember that no matter what happens, no matter who holds the office of President of the United States, God is sovereign. There are no surprises to God. Always remember the prophetic words of the wise, "In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds." Eccl 7:14, and find comfort in the words of Jesus Christ our Lord, " Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" John 14:27 Praise be to God. Amen.

Following, is a blog post by a former Mormon cult member, named Rauni Higley. She and her husband know Mormonism inside out She gives an interesting Christian perspective of why Mormon cult member, Mitt Romney, would be the wrong man to have for President of the United States.

"Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Eph 5:11

Why I, as a former Mormon, would not vote for Mitt Romney

By Rauni Higley

I would not vote for Mitt Romney, not because I think he is a bad person, or that Mormons in general are evil people. Quite the opposite. I can say that I do not think we could find a much more morally decent person for president in this country than Mitt Romney.

So what is the problem? The problem is that Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and Mormonism is a very aggressive cult, a religion that leads people to eternal separation from Jesus Christ of the Bible.

A US president with no definite religious beliefs, or a membership in some mainstream Christian denomination, may not have influence that could effect the eternity of individuals, but a man with deep-rooted cultic beliefs could influence millions into joining Mormonism, especially when taking into consideration that the LDS Church has a nearly sixty-thousand-strong missionary force, that could and would use President Romney as ”bait” for an introduction into Mormonism, not only in the United States, but around the world.

Majority of people in this country as well as elsewhere are not familiar enough with Mormonism to be able to separate it from traditional Christianity – after all, they sound the same – but are they?

Rev. Al Sharpton made a visit to Salt Lake City to apologize and clear up some derogatory statements he had made about Mitt Romney. According to the papers, the LDS leadership “cleared” them up all right. After this visit Al Sharpton said, “It [his visit] was about our trying to learn about each other as believers in God and Christ, to find a common ground… [and] work together for the good of humanity.” (SL Tribune, May 22, 2007 – Section B, p. 1.)

Al Sharpton obviously did not ask enough questions, or if he did, he was not told that the Mormon Church does not believe in the same God and Christ as biblical Christianity, even though President Gordon B. Hinckley has said publicly that he does not believe in the traditional Christ of Christianity.

Sharpton may not know that Mormonism uses Christian terms, but that it has given to all of them a totally different meaning. He also may have gotten some vague answers that seemed to speak of the same beliefs, but in reality they are not even close. Had he been told the truth, he would have learned that the God of the Mormon Church is not Eternal God of the Bible (Isa. 43:10; Ps. 90:2). He is a creation of Joseph Smith, made after his image.

Quoting Joseph Smith, “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man…I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea…you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves…the same as all Gods have done before you… until you attain to the resurrection of the dead and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings…” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 345-347.) [Everlasting burnings? That is hell, is it not?]

Mormon men, including Mitt Romney, are planning on becoming gods themselves, “same as all Gods have done before [them]”.

Jesus of Mormonism is not a unique and the only Son of God, but he is the eldest of all spirit children of God born to God and his multiple wives in the “pre-existence”. Mormon-Jesus is also a spirit-brother of Lucifer and all angels. When Jesus of Mormonism was born into mortality, He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost, but he was begotten by their “father in heaven”, an exalted god-man. Their doctrine says: “Christ was begotten by an Immortal Father in the same way that mortal men are begotten by mortal fathers.” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 547.) Thus He was not Virgin born, Immanuel (Matt. 1:23), God, who became a man to die for mankind’s sins, but He is a man who became a god, as all Mormon men are told they too can become.

There are many more differences between Mormonism and Christianity.

Are evangelical Christians going to support Mitt Romney’s presidency if they know more about his beliefs? Are religious matters important when electing a president? Maybe not in an ordinary case, but Mormons say that they are Christians, but they are no more Christians than Muslims are.

Mitt Romney does not believe what Christians believe. If Mitt Romney knows what Christianity believes about God and Jesus, then he is being deceitful when he says or implies that he is a Christian. If Romney is willing to deceive for votes in this issue that could effect the eternal destiny of people world-wide, can he be trusted in protecting our interests in temporary matters?

Mitt Romney and Mormons in general maybe nice people as people go, but would his influence lead millions, who do not know what Mormonism teaches about God, Jesus and salvation, into the Mormon Church, thinking they are Christians, and thus away from true Christ and to Christ-less eternity? I would say that would be the case.

Another Testament?! Whatever.

The only way to solve this problem would be for Mitt Romney to be honest and make it clear publicly what Mormonism teaches and believes, that Christian words used by Mormons do not mean the same as what they mean to Christians. He needs to admit that Mormonism is polytheistic, that they believe in many gods and men becoming gods, and that they too in the future will create worlds and populate them with their spirit children, who in turn will worship them as Father and Mother Gods. He needs to let the world know that in Mormon temples they go through rituals that include “eternal or celestial marriage”, which makes Mormon couples potential gods and goddesses and promises them eternal increase in their posterity.

Only the most faithful of Mormons are eligible to enter a Mormon temple. Mitt Romney is in that elite group of Mormons. He is a temple-card (recommend) holding Mormon. Not only is he planning on godhood after this life, through his temple vows and oaths, he has also taken oaths in a Mormon temple to put the LDS church above all else, he has taken a solemn oath in a temple to “consecrate himself, his time, talents, and everything he now has, or will have in the future, for the building up of the Kingdom of God here upon the earth, and for the establishment of Zion”. It is important to know and understand that the Kingdom of God to a Mormon, as they have been taught, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as it is now constituted, is the Kingdom of God on earth. The Church and the kingdom are one and the same.”(Mormon Doctrine, p. 415, 1966 ed.)

His oath to consecrate himself means that he would have to do all that his church orders him to do, even if the US Government and her interests some day, while he is the president, are in opposition to the wants and desires of the Mormon Church.

As a temple Mormon he must believe and accept what the LDS Church says it is, “”the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.” (Doctrine and Covenants, 1:30.) The LDS scriptures also teach that all other churches and their professors (believers) are abomination to God. (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith – History – 1:19.) Romney, as a temple-card holding Mormon, must accept and believe that, whether he admits it or not to his voters.

Joseph Smith is the founding prophet and all Mormons must revere him as such. Joseph Smith was, in a secret ceremony of his council of fifty, “ordained as the King to rule and reign over the House of Israel forever.” Joseph Smith was also a candidate for presidency, as was Brigham Young. The Mormon Church has had political ambitions from the start, and Joseph Smith even made a prophecy concerning the “elders of the church” saving this country’s government and the world.

Some years back all temple-Mormons were swearing an oath against the United States, that said, “You and each of you do covenant and promise that you will pray and never cease to pray to Almighty God to avenge the blood of the prophets upon this nation, that you will teach the same to your children and to your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation.”


Polygamist-Child Molester, Warren Jeffs

Mitt Romney’s grandfather and his ancestry prior to that have participated in this oath. This oath was discontinued about 80 years ago, but Mitt Romney is under that covenant, since his grandfather, great grandfather and great-great grandfather have taken that oath. The “prophets” spoken of in this oath are Joseph and Hyrum Smith, who were both killed in a gunfight, in Carthage Ill. in 1844. Joseph Smith killed two men and wounded a third one before he was gunned down (all that is documented in LDS History).

Mitt Romney has close relations to polygamy. His grandparents were polygamists. His father, George Romney, former presidential candidate and governor of Michigan, was born in Mexico, because his parents chose to leave Utah to be able to “legally” practice polygamy.

Maybe this is something to think about and consider. I do not have anything against Mitt Romney as a citizen and a man, but as a president of the United States, he would become a “poster-boy” for the Mormon Church, and draw millions into Mormonism – and he could be influenced by the LDS church on how this country and the world should be run.

For more details in this issue, please get Dr. Charles Wood’s book, The Mormon Conspiracy, A Review of Present Day and Historical Conspiracies to Mormonize America and the World. It can be ordered from www.amazon.com

Credit SaintsAlive.com for this article

TERRIFYING TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL

2011-11-15T19:01:00.001-05:00

JOBS IN HEAVEN

2011-10-10T17:49:00.000-04:00

Cute.

DIGITAL DEAD SEA SCROLLS

2011-10-06T23:41:00.000-04:00

Great video and excellent site. View the interactive Digital Dead Sea Scrolls.

What Christ Was Made | Blue Letter Bible: The Blog

2011-09-21T15:58:00.002-04:00

Thought this was an excellent blog post from the Blue Letter Blog.

Of course, I had to reply with my wretched perspective. Have a look:

What Christ Was Made | Blue Letter Bible: The Blog

SCOTT WESLEY BROWN - I BELIEVE IN GOD

2011-09-21T15:21:00.000-04:00

I love it!

A gospel song inspired by an atheist.

God is truly amazing to inspire this brother to write music which glorifies Him by refuting Dawkins. Way to go Scott!

To hear more from Scott Wesley Brown, go to http://www.scottwesleybrown.com/

DUBIOUS DRISCOLL

2011-09-16T15:49:00.000-04:00

NEW CALVINISM'S LATEST HERETIC

Dissing Mark Driscoll - An open letter to an exposed lunatic... er, uh, I mean heretic.

Look, I'm no Pharisee, and I'm certainly not pointing to the Publican here. I actually can't stand it when people do that unjustly, while a telephone pole protrudes from their eye.

I normally do not share the views of the author of this open letter, and I certainly do not visit his blog. I read this from another person who cited it on his blog. I don't follow the author, mainly because he is angry, and has created his own little doctrine of flame throwing. I don't think he had biblical intentions this time either. I feel like he was flame throwing again, so I wanted to make it a point to state that I do not endorse his blog. However, he got this one right. Dead right. Because it's biblical.

Eph. 5:11 - "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."

Driscoll forcing Piper to kiss the Ring of Heresy

Well, a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. So you might ask, why endorse the open letter? ...Mark Driscoll, is a self proclaimed, 'Reformed' pastor from Seattle. I say self proclaimed, because he has never followed the truly Reformed faith along the narrow path. He's never been a true 5 point Calvinist. He is a four pointer like his buddy there, John Piper. Driscoll founded The Resurgence, a theological cooperative whose partners include Acts 29 Network and Mars Hill Church. It is also associated with Desiring God (a ministry of John Piper), The Gospel Coalition (including Tim Keller and D. A. Carson), Crossway Books and The Hub. By the way, Piper had his hiccup this year when he had Rick Warren take the pulpit at his own Bible Conference. It's like the equivalent of Charlie Sheen's *winning* campaign, only its in the evangelical realm.

I've been distant from Driscoll's teaching for several reasons before this, but now he has gone too far and I want everyone of you, my eleven readers, to beware. He has consistently created twists and turns along the way, and this time he has fully left the narrow path. Good bye and good riddance!

Flame thrower's open Letter to Driscoll:

Dear Mark,

I’m going to make this short for a variety of reasons, none of which are important enough to list for others to read.

I wanted to write this not only to express my concerns for your spiritual well-being, but also to thank you. Yes, I am grateful for your ministry, but not perhaps, for reasons you might presume.

I am not impressed with your notoriety. But I am concerned.

I’m concerned that you have recently claimed to be able to ‘see things’, pornographic things, about other people you don’t even know, which, quite frankly, is a claim to powers no one on earth has. Why do you claim such? Doesn’t that make you uncomfortable, knowing that no one else on earth has such powers, and yet, you, for all practical purposes, claim you do? Or, has fame gone to your head to the extent that you have actually believed the press Acts 29 and the Gospel Coalition has promoted about you?

Mark, can you tell the Church where in Scripture that this is a gift from God? It’s an important question, because if you insist you have this gift, and it is not from God, well, you know the rest.

No, if you will be honest, you can’t my friend. Because it isn’t. You have no such powers or abilities, none whatsoever. It makes you look silly when you claim such things, and, I dare say, stupid. Yeah. Stupid, arrogant, self-centered and self-exalting. It’s sad. Sad because it’s everything Christianity isn’t, and yet, you continue to draw followers. I’m not sure what kind of followers – worldy, unregenerate perhaps, but nonetheless, you are drawing followers.

But I love you, man. I think. I’m not sure. I’m not sure because I don’t know if you are a brother in Christ or the enemy who crept in silently, unnoticed and then promoted and mentored by John Piper. I just don’t know. Jury hasn’t read the verdict….but they’re walking into the courtroom to have a seat.

I’m also concerned about this latest tweet of yours:

Now Mark, I don’t care who heard what, whether it was you or the alleged ‘warlock’ who heard God, but when you imply you can determine who is an elect of God…that’s too far man. You’ve lost it. You claim to be God when you have that ability.

Guess what? You’re not God. I wouldn’t let you mow my lawn. You don’t havethat ability, you never did and you never will, ever. You’re nada. In fact, you’re less than nada when it comes to those attributes. Charles Spurgeon suggested chalk on the coat tails for those of you who think you have such abilities, but even Spurgeon didn’t have that one.

Mark, If you hear voices, it’s not God. If you see things. Not from God. If you elect people to salvation, you are not God. Not your department hotshot.

You are a Seattle-based, YRR, religious person. I’ll try real hard to not go further with the adjectives….[delete, delete, delete].

Mark, I am glad, in fact, very thankful, for your ministry. Listen, no one enjoys negative criticism. But honestly, listening to your fantasies is like watching Lethal Weapon 4 in order to establish guidelines for family television use.

I’m thankful for your ministry for one reason, and that only:

Christians need to understand error. You give us error. That error and the struggle that goes with it (we win btw) gives us a clearer grasp of Truth from God. When more believers recognize that, and gain experience standing against mystic knuckleheads (bless your heart) like yourself, the Church grows stronger in its faithfulness to the Lord, a renewed love and devotion for Christ.

And for that, I thank you Mark, I truly do.

In His service,

J.T. (source)

Driscoll is dumber than dirt... Joe Dirt

Some other Driscoll Doctrine from Wikipedia

Driscoll distinguishes between double and single predestination, and says that unlike John Calvin, he believes only in single predestination. - Sermon
Driscoll denies the orthodox Calvinist view of Limited Atonement and believes instead that Jesus died for all people in some sense, and for some people (the elect) in another sense. - Sermon notes
He thinks this position was what John Calvin believed, saying in a humorous tone: 'Calvinism came after Calvin... I will argue that the Calvinists are not very Calvin. I will argue against Calvinism with Calvin... What kind of Calvinist are you? I'm a Calvin, not a Calvinist, that came later'. - Sermon
Driscoll also believes that this position (or slight variations thereof) was held by men like Charles Spurgeon, John Bunyan, Martin Luther, and Richard Baxter -Notes

DOES ISLAM PROMOTE VIOLENCE

2011-09-14T22:50:00.000-04:00

1 of 3 FROM ANSWERINGMUSLIMS.COM
The Qur'an commands Muslims to fight non-Muslims. Can Muslim apologists defend Allah's violent commands? David Wood and Nadir Ahmed debate the evidence.

BOTTOMLESS SOUP

2011-09-12T13:59:00.003-04:00

OLIVE GARDEN!
Just gotta love that 'Bottomless Soup, Salad and Bread Sticks"!..

Well, this week was the Wretched Radio Psalm 119 Conference. I didn't get to go, but like most people, I followed the Tweets form the people who were there. One of the people who was keeping me informed was my BFF, Ralph.

Dr. James White & Pastor Ralph (my BFF)

From what I here, the Olive Garden is a great place for Theology, Apoligetics, and of course, the endless soup, pasta, and breadsticks.
So recently on Twitter, I poked a little fun at my BFF, Ralph (@ralphprovance) and his pal Dr. James White (@DrOakley1689) AOMin.org,

@OneOver99 One Over 99 Ministry
Register today for Olive Garden's Pastapologetics! Endless pasta and doctrine from bald guys with goatees: @ralphprovance & @DrOakley1689!

Anyway, I found a clip from the conference. Not Psalm 119, but Pastapologetics. Here it is-

Just kidding.

Yup!

REFORMED CHARISMA

2011-09-10T03:30:00.000-04:00

REFORMED AND CHARISMATIC?

By Dr. Michael Horton

Pastor Mark (having a naughty vision)

I was so happy to see one of today's greatest theologians (imho), chiming in on the ridiculous claims by one of today's cutting edge weirdo pastors (imho). Recently, Pastor Mark Driscoll made claims that he has 'visions'.

He was already known to be a gifted charismatic, so now this? If I wrote a blog post about him, only you my 11 readers would see it. So Dr. Horton has said some of what I would say, and even more. (I shoulda stayed in school)

For the record, I've listened to Pastor Mark a few times, but never counted anything he said regarding gifts or cessation as credible, and furthermore, I feel like he is nearly out of bounds as one calling himself reformed. I'm not calling him a liar, but what I mean is that I am certainly not now nor have ever been spiritually fed by Driscoll's teaching. He isn't Reformed in my book. Much like any other teacher's pretrib, premil exegesis of scripture, I don't share that view, and I believe it gives a different interpretation of scripture. It leads to eschatological differences, although the gospel and most essentials are the same.

Dr. Michael Horton, on the other hand, has fed me for a while now as he's been hanging with one of the best, Dr. Kim Riddlebarger, on their podcast The White Horse Inn. Most recently Horton's been my focus for learning Theology as I've been reading his book, The Christian Faith - A Systematic Theology For Pilgrims On The Way. This work of Horton's will be the systematic Theology book to replace Grudem's spot in the truly reformed library. - Len Qualls

So without further adieu, Dr. Michael Horton.


Dr Horton

Thanks for the healthy debate and interaction on the previous post. Obviously, those who believe that miraculous prophecy continues after the apostolic age should not be lumped together with radical movements like the New Apostolic Reformation. Nevertheless, it does provide an occasion to think carefully about the compatibility of Reformation theology with Charismatic emphases. This is especially the case when there have been renewed calls for a “Reformed Charismatic” synthesis in our own circles.

I’ve never been willing to die on the hill of cessationism: that is, the belief that the miraculous gifts such as prophecy, healing, and tongues have ceased. I’m still not. Nevertheless, I am convinced that non-cessationism is neither exegetically sound nor historically compatible with Reformed theology. Furthermore, the surprisingly widespread popularity of more radical views of ongoing sign-gifts, coupled with political ambition, pushes me into the unpleasant position of challenging the views even of far sounder brothers with whom I agree on so many important points.

As a Charismatic Calvinist, Wayne Grudem has been used by God to bring the doctrines of grace to many who would likely not have encountered these truths otherwise. I have immense respect for his clear defense of many cardinal doctrines of Christianity. At the same time, the Calvinism-Charismatic bridge goes in both directions and his view of continuing prophecy has contributed to a curious hybrid that in my view cannot survive in the long run. Reformed theology is a system—not one imposed on Scripture, but one that arises from the self-consistent Word of God.

Mark Driscoll, a student of Grudem’s, has recently claimed to have regular visions of the sinful—usually sexual—behavior of people he encounters. “I see things,” he says, although the gift he describes is nowhere exhibited even in the apostolic era. Also posted on his Mars Hill website is a critique of cessationism as “modernistic worldliness,” lumping this view with deism and atheism. “Functional cessationism is really about the mind, but functional charismatic theology is really about the heart.” He concludes with a plea: “…you Reformed guys, especially you who are more Presbyterian, you tend to ignore the Holy Spirit and attribute everything the Spirit does to the gospel.” Sovereign Grace Ministries, led until recently by C. J. Mahaney, has also followed Grudem’s path toward a synthesis of Calvinistic and Charismatic emphases.

There is much to admire in these men and their labors. I am not targeting these friends and brothers, but pleading with them—and with all of us—to rediscover the ordinary means of grace, ordinary ministry, ordinary offices, and to long for a genuine revival: that is, a surprising blessing of God on his ordinary ministry in our day. The false choice between head and heart, the Spirit and the Word, has been a perennial polemic of the radical wing of Protestantism. Mark Driscoll’s plea above reveals that dangerous separation of the Spirit from his Word. Only by assuming such a cleavage can one argue that Reformed theology ignores the Holy Spirit.

We have had enough “apostles,” “prophets,” and “Moses-model” leaders who build ministries around their own gifts. We need to recover the beauty of Christ alone upon his throne as the Priest-King of his church, exercising his ministry by his Spirit through preaching, sacrament, and discipline in mutually accountable communion with the wider body of Christ. Reformed theology is not just the “five points” and “sovereign grace,” but a rich, full, and systematic confession. It’s a human and therefore fallible attempt to wrestle with the whole counsel of God—in both doctrine and practice, soteriology and ecclesiology. Until we rediscover this richness, “Reformed” will mean “whatever my leader or circle believes.”

Of course, the biblical case that must be made cannot be made well in this brief space. However, I’ll focus on the question of whether the gifts of prophet and apostle have ceased. In Ephesians 4:7-16, the apostle says that offices prophets and apostles as well as pastors, teachers, and evangelists are gifts of his heavenly ascension.

Against both Rome and the radical Anabaptists, the Reformers argued that prophet and apostle are extraordinary offices, for a foundation-laying era. They are sent at key moments in redemptive history, and their writings are added to the canon of Scripture. Like the distinction between a nation’s constitution and its courts, the biblical canon is qualitatively distinct from ecclesiastical interpretation. The former is magisterial (normative), while the latter is ministerial (interpretive).

Particularly in the wake of the Pentecostal and charismatic movements, this question has divided Christians into two camps: cessationists (believing that the gifts of healing, prophecy, and tongues have ceased) and non-cessationists. Non-cessationists find no exegetical reason to distinguish some of these gifts and offices from others in terms of their perpetuity. However, cessationists hold that the New Testament itself makes a distinction between the foundation-laying era of the apostles and the era of building the church on their completed foundation (1 Cor 3:10-11). Although the New Testament establishes the offices of pastors/teachers, elders, and deacons, it does not establish perpetual prophetic or apostolic offices with their attendant sign-gifts. With this in mind, we must examine each gift in question.

Paul treats prophecy (prophēteia) as preaching, which although illumined by the Spirit is (unlike the scriptures) un-inspired and therefore must be tested (1 Cor 12:29; 1 Thes 5:19-21). At Pentecost, the gift of tongues was a Spirit-given ability to proclaim the gospel in languages that one had not been taught. The diverse crowd of visitors to Jerusalem for the feast asked, “And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” (Ac 2:8). We should therefore understand “tongues” as synonymous with natural languages, which some were miraculously gifted to speak and others to interpret. This served not only as a sign that Christ’s universal kingdom has dawned but as a practical way of disseminating the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. None of these gifts was given for the personal edification of believers alone, but for the spread of the gospel and the maturity of the saints in that Word.

Similarly, the gift of healing was a sign that Christ’s kingdom had arrived, bringing a preview of the consummation in all of its fullness at the end of the age. Yet signs always cluster in the Bible around significant turning-points in redemptive history. Like the temporary prophesying of the elders in Moses’ day, the extraordinary gifts of signs and wonders are given to validate the sacred ministry of human ambassadors. Once that ministry is validated, it no longer requires further confirmation. (For an excellent treatment of this topic, see Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Perspectives on Pentecost (P & R, 1979), especially 94-95, in relation to Wayne Grudem’s contention that “prophets and apostles” in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11 refer to the same group.) It would seem, then, that the gift of prophets and apostles (along with the gifts of miracles, prophecy, and tongues) was given but fulfilled its foundation-laying function. Just as Paul’s understudy Timothy is an ordinary minister, we find no evidence that his ministry was attended by extraordinary signs and wonders.

Some theologians, such as Wayne Grudem, recognize that the office of apostle has ceased, but are “unsure if this question” of the cessation of spiritual gifts “can be decided from Scripture.” [This and following Gruden quotes from his Systematic Theology, 906-912, 1031; cf. Wayne Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament Today (Westchester, IL: Crossway, 1988), 226-252.]

With Grudem I agree that 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, which speaks of prophecies and tongues passing away “when the perfect comes,” is inconclusive. Paul is most likely referring to the consummation, when there will be no need for faith and hope and all that will endure into eternity is love (v 13).

However, I do not find Grudem’s case for continuing prophecy persuasive. He clearly distinguishes prophecy today from the prophecy that delivered the sacred oracles of Holy Scripture. This is both the strength and the weakness of his position. Grudem believes that the kind of prophecy that is ongoing in the church is distinguished from preaching and teaching by being “a spontaneous ‘revelation’ from God….” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 1058)

So the distinction is quite clear: if a message is the result of conscious reflection on the text of Scripture, containing interpretation of the text and application to life, then it is (in New Testament terms) a teaching. But if a message is the report of something God brings suddenly to mind, then it is a prophecy. (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 1058)

In my view, this interpretation introduces a definition of prophecy that is not consistent with its practice in the apostolic church. Nowhere is prophecy distinguished by its spontaneous quality. Furthermore, in spite of his salutary caution against raising such prophecies to the level of Scripture, this interpretation still raises the question as to whether the Spirit issues new revelations that are not already communicated in Scripture. If prophecy is defined simply as Spirit-given insight into Scripture, then is this not synonymous with preaching?

Today, the Spirit validates this ordinary ministry of the gospel through preaching and sacrament: the signs and wonders that Christ instituted to confirm his Word. If it is true that the apostles understood their work to be an extraordinary ministry of foundation-laying and their miraculous signs as its validation, then “no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ….If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward” (1 Cor 3:11, 14, emphasis added).

While living stones are continually being added to the temple, the edifice itself is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone” (Eph 2:20). As the person and work of the head is distinct from that of its members, the foundation-laying ministry of the apostles is different from the “up-building” ministry of their successors.

Where apostolic preaching became Scripture, our proclamation, faith, and practice stand in continuity with the apostles to the extent that they conform to that rule. To understand Scripture as canon, within its Ancient Near Eastern treaty background, is to recognize that, like the redemptive work to which it testifies, it cannot be revised by addition or subtraction (Dt 4:2; Rev 22:18-19). While interpretations are always subject to change, the constitution has been given once and for all.

Similarly, the canon that witnesses to Jesus is the covenant that he ratified in his self-sacrifice. In its appeal to this canon and its practice of its stipulated rites, the church participates in the heavenly reality as servant rather than Lord of the covenant. Just as Jesus-history is qualitatively distinct from our own, the apostolic canon is qualitatively distinct from the subsequent tradition (or preaching) that interprets it. One is magisterial, the other ministerial. Just as the church does not extend or complete the work of redemption but receives, interprets, and proclaims it, the church does not extent or complete revelation. The interim between Christ’s advents is not an era of writing new chapters in the history of redemption. Rather, it is a period in which the Spirit equips us for the mission between Acts and the Apocalypse—right in the middle of the era of the ordinary ministry with its new covenant canon. Just as the church cannot extend the incarnation or complete Christ’s atoning work, it cannot repeat Pentecost or prolong the extraordinary ministry of the apostles, but must instead receive this same word and Spirit for its ordinary ministry in this time between the times.

Source - The White Horse Inn

There are a ton of comments on this located at the WHI blog..

BLACK GENOCIDE

2011-09-06T17:15:00.000-04:00

BLACK ON BLACK CRIME

HERE IS PROOF THAT PRO CHOICE IS RACISM

CLICK HERE

CALVINIST AND HOBBS STUFF

2011-08-17T17:42:00.000-04:00

Silly, but so what.

REGARDING STOTT, OR MAYBE NOT

2011-08-02T15:20:00.000-04:00

Rev. John Stott NY Times

Every once in a while, I read something that captures my opinion exactly, and it blows me away. I'm kinda weird. (some of you are nodding in agreement) Not everyone shares my views on things, and especially on religion, or better yet, my position on Reformed Theology. I read the following passage today in a NY Times article about the recent passing of Rev. John Stott, and it certainly speaks truth in volume. Not sure if the author is a believer or someone punching holes in Christianity, and I really don't care to investigate him. I'm not even a huge fan of Stott, because of some of his views. Anglican, yes. Reformed, not quite. Regardless, I just totally agree with this statement from the article, and I wanted to make it public to you, my precious 8 blog followers and two readers whom have yet committed to following this blog. Because I think you get it, I dare the ten of you to comment on this statement!

Centuries ago, serious religious study was extraordinarily demanding and rigorous; in contrast, anyone could declare himself a scientist and go in the business of, say, alchemy. These days, it’s the reverse. A Ph.D. in chemistry is a rigorous degree, while a preacher can explain the Bible on television without mastering Hebrew or Greek — or even showing interest in the nuances of the original texts.

Those self-appointed evangelical leaders come across as hypocrites, monetizing Jesus rather than emulating him. Some seem homophobic, and many who claim to be “pro-life” seem little concerned with human life post-uterus. Those are the preachers who won headlines and disdain.

How true is that? 'Pro lifers little concerned post-uterus'. Wow. I certainly agree with that beat down. And the inference of preachers less loving to their fellow man, whether homo or straight is certainly true. These hypocrites represent mainstream Christianity in the eyes of some believers and non-believers alike. This statement has to be one of the most accurate descriptions regarding the hypocrites. At least the view from the 'cheap seats'. What I mean is the people who do not hold Christ as Lord have tainted the definition of a Christian or true Christianity because of those men, and women, who spew the lies of man centered Theology from their pulpit on TV. I actually know people who think that by watching TV on Sunday morning, they do not need to go to Sunday worship, and worse than that, they believe that by watching these people on TV, they are Christians by default. It's sad. I have preached in open air against this before. You should see the look on the faces of those who believe Christianity is well represented and portrayed on television when I try to expose them. The audience is totally bamboozled when they hear a real Christian uncover the phony ones from TV.

Justin Peters

A perfect example is how my friend Justin Peters has made it a full time ministry to unveil the pretenders. I implore you to see his video, A Call To Discernment. I have had people tell me that they just couldn't believe it even after they've watched this video. They didn't want to believe what Justin uncovers regarding the phony televangelists, and the lies of those men and women. People have been lied to for so long form the pulpit that it's hard for them to believe the truth when they hear it. I pray that you can hear it now and forever.

The whole hypocritical televangelist movement and false doctrine is no surprise to God of course. Nothing ever is. The word says, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions," - 2 Timothy 4:3

It is those who have man centered gospels and man centered Theology who have lied and continue to lie. If it's unbiblical then it's a lie. Are you trapped by the tickling of the false teaching? Could you be fooled and not know it? Sure you could. Or perhaps, could you be involved in a church where the doctrine is more about church tradition? What if your church possibly the lacks solid biblical doctrine, and it is more about bending the way church is done to attract new members? All are equally as bad. If you are involved in a church where your pastor has allowed materials in which promote the philosophy of men making a church for the un-churched then you need to get out, quickly. Church for the un-churched is unchurch. Church done proper is for believers. Church is now, and always has been, according to the Bible, meant for believers.
You may be asking yourself, how do I know if I am in that type of a bad setting? This isn't the only way to tell, but it sure does help. Ask yourself this question, if you died right now and went before God, and he asked you why he should let you into his heaven, what would you say? If your answer has anything to do with what you have done for him or others, or anything that you have done at all, then you are possibly glazed with man centered Theology and waiting to be thrown into the fiery furnace for eternity. You may be poisoned by traditions of unbiblical teaching and barely hanging on. God is sovereign. Suppose you are meant to read this? Suppose this is the moment where you have been appointed to turn around and get on track? In other words, repent and believe. Seriously. Do not be angered by reading this. Be eager to know the truth. If you base your salvation on any work of yourself or others, then you may not be saved. You should take a moment to click HERE to read what it means to be saved.
I guess this wasn't a post regarding Stott. It wasn't only about that true statement either. Never the less, I'm glad you read this far, and I'd still like to know your thoughts of the original statement.

Note: I will not credit the author for various reasons. It's my blog, so there! (sticking my tongue out)

NASCAR PRAYER

2011-07-29T13:53:00.002-04:00

GENTLEMEN, REPENT, AND START YOUR ENGINES!

OLDER THAN DIRT

2011-07-29T13:41:00.003-04:00

CAJUN REPENTANCE

2011-07-29T13:22:00.000-04:00

Okay y'all. Put on yo bess Cajun accent, and read the following.

I love a good, clean joke, and this one's pretty good. My wife got this from one of her Avon buddies and I wanted to share it here... Enjoy!

Brother Boudreaux is lead pastor of the "Oh Son - Pentecostal Church Of The Cajun Full Gospel". He first started preaching at the age of 12 and is well known in the community as Brother Boo. The locals know he's a serious prayer warrior and it was even said he could talk to angels... He's a very charismatic man, anointed and baptized by the Spirit, and he's quick to lay hands on anyone needing healing. Even if you barely looked sick! He preaches with fire, quoting his King James Bible like he wrote it. He often preached of reaping and sowing. He'd say that God gave gifts to those whom he loved and Pastor Boo wasn't afraid to tell anyone in town that God would thwart their efforts if they weren't under submission to him.

"Oh Son" lies just before the bend on county road 316, and smack dab right across the road from them sits, "Grace Trinity Baptist Church"...

Grace Trinity is led by a preacher that the locals call the "Cajun Spurgeon", and his name is Reverend Thibodeaux. The people who know him, call him that because he's a die hard soul winner, and his faith is unshakably strong. He believes the Bible to be infallible and reads a literal translation. He's a walking library of Reformed Theology, and an expert in ancient Greek and Hebrew with a Cajun twist. He knows that God is sovereign over all things. He says, "For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." 'Reverend T' affectionately calls those people, "The Select Elect". In church, he's an expository preacher going through the Bible verse by verse. In town, he shares the gospel while open air preaching. He preaches a message of mercy and grace, repentance and faith. He's never afraid to tell people about the wrath to come.

Well, as you might have guessed, these two didn't share the same views on Theology. Even though they were right across the road from each other, they rarely ever spoke to each other without entering into a heated, yet friendly debate. Most times they would debate free will, but recent days, they debated Escatology. ...And of course, they were miles apart when it came to their completely different views on the end times.

However, the day had finally come... They agreed that the Lord had brought them together at this exact moment, to join in an ecumenical effort to warn the passers by of imminent danger that was certain to come. The men worked swiftly as a team as they built and painted a large warning sign. Even though the paint was still wet, they didn't have a care in the world as they quickly ran as fast as they could to get the sign in the ground out by the road. By the grace of God, these two pastors had immediately put aside their differences, joined together by the road, and frantically pounded their warning sign into the ground. It was awesome! The giant sign read:

DA END IS NEAR!

TURN YO SEF 'ROUN

AFORE IT BE TOO LATE!

...As a car sped past them, the driver leaned out his window, made foul hand gestures, and yelled at them angrily,

"YOU RELIGIOUS FREAKS!"

Just a few seconds after that, they heard what sounded like the final trumpet screaming very loud!

..from the around curve, it was the screeching tires of the car that blew by them, followed by a big splashing crash!...

Boudreaux turned to Thibodeaux and asked, "Do ya tink maybe da sign shoulda
jussay... 'Da Bridge Be Out'?"

SGM - HITMAN

2011-07-28T05:29:00.000-04:00

I recently saw a post on my G+ from Phil Johnson that pointed towards a great blog regarding the CJ Mehaney, Sovereign Grace fiasco. This has to be the best blog post I have seen on the topic. I have a few dear friends who attend separate SGM churches, and one of them kind of admonished me recently, or so it seemed, about my opinion of the whole thing. My friend disregarded my experience with apologetics, and used adhominem, attacking my knowledge (or lack there of) of the SGM camp. My friend figured that Since I never went to SGM church, I had no understanding of it's mechanics, and therefore, could not comment intelligently regarding the whole fiasco. My friend condescended me and disrespected me in an email huff. I forgive them, but 'Au contraire mon frere'! I'd like to revert to my favorite quote from a not so favorite person here which says,

"Before you can convince me of error, you must first demonstrate that you understand what I say."

Since my friend has no knowledge of my knowledge, they should not have underestimated me or my understanding of SGM and as well, should have scuttled the snarky email. I'm just saying, I do have an understanding of the word of God, and some of the SGM stuff doesn't jive with my understanding. Some of the SGM behavior and ecclesiology is simply not biblical. I attended once as a guest at a great SGM retreat, and although I felt a few things were odd and not biblical, I still didn't make a big deal out of it. I wasn't there for them anyway. I was there to worship Christ.

However, I once stopped attending a church right before joining because of the structure of it's leadership and the way the leader treated former members who left him. He was behaving unbiblical, and suffered a great loss as a result. I believe it is in part due to the way he structured his church as well. I also know of another church that failed for similar reasons, causing the pastor to re-open under another name. If this seems shady it should, because it is... I believe God thwarts the efforts of those who bend the word to apply to their lives. The flesh is a formidable opponent.

This blogger pretty much hits the nail on the head with his opinion, which mirrored mine. That is, minus a couple scriptural references and such. After I read it, I imagined me grabbing hold of a pillow with the letters "PCA" embroidered on it, and then giving the pillow a big ol', warm Calvinist hug. In times like these I sure do like being a part of a body of worshipers under the precedent 'Westminster Confession Of Faith', especially when it comes to issues like the SGM ordeal. Listen, I'm not rubbing anyone's nose in the SGM mess, nor am I gloating about their woes. It is sad indeed.

I think I better clarify now that I'm certainly not saying that Pinewood PCA (where I worship) doesn't have it's problems either, because it does. In fact, I'm lamenting over it because right now Pinewood PCA suffers from a serious case of the "Willow Creek Flu" that I wish it would shake once and for all. I pray that Pinewood would trust in the work of the Spirit rather than bad philosophy on church building using Christless Christianity, but I guess for now, under God, Pinewood will remain to be sick due to poor hermeneutics and politics. Proverbs 16:25 (Sorry, but should there be a loud, facial-flesh, punching sound effect inserted here or the sound of a kiss? Proverbs 14:25, 27:5) When did this post become the topic of Pinewood PCA? Sheesh!

Anyhoo, the blog post I mentioned was excellent and worth a read for yourself. Note: One of the comments at the end of the post said something jocular and truthful that I would like to take credit for, but since I didn't write it, I can't. Here's what that person wrote kind of exposing one of the weird SGM traits:

The use of the word "Apostle" is problematic regardless of what sense it's used in. The word has been used in the "Pauline sense" for 2,000 years. How can they really believe that they can redefine it? The meaning and function was established by Christ when He appointed His twelve.

Could I reinvent the word "hitman" to mean "someone who pats crying babies on their backs to help them fall back asleep" and then assume that no one is going to be skittish about entrusting their kids to me?

And another said this:

I was marveling at how this situation was being handled.
Good job at getting to the core of it.

The fact that all these emails/documents are available online via a 'SGMwikileaks' website and that Brent was writing 140+ pages of stuff (including table of contents and history of his entire friendship --WITH FOOTNOTES! is beyond comprehension.

Soon we'll be church disciplining people using twitter!

NUFF SAID?

PS - Look me up on G+ and add me to your circles if you haven't already, and of course, hit me up on Twitter @OneOver99

SUING CASEY

2011-07-13T18:01:00.000-04:00

I'm wondering how Equusearch (the 'volunteer' search team from Dallas) can sue Casey Anthony for $15Gs? They are asking for a trial with jury as well. That shoudl cost Orange County a few bucks.

Wait a minute... Aren't they a 'not for profit' company? The wiki page about them says there are few permanent members, and the rest are volunteers. If they sue her, who's donations are going to pay for that? I think people donated the money for them to use while searching for missing persons, not for "forming a posse for a hangin'!" And if they do sue, wouldn't they have to prove that Casey Anthony in fact called them to search for Caylee and that someone else didn't 'hire' them? If the prosecution couldn't convince a jury of her peers that she murdered her daughter, then Equusearch will certainly have a difficult task to prove she hired them. “It sounds to me totally frivolous,” Mason told News 13’s Jacqueline Fell. “How can they have a lawsuit? Casey didn’t hire them. She had no contact with them. She didn’t ask them to come in. Her parents did.”

By the way, they claim that they can sue her based on her 'defense team' stating that Caylee (may have) drowned. Casey never said that happened, her attorney did. At least I didn't hear her say that, did you? Besides, the defense never proved that happened, you knuckleheads. They only used that nonsense to create doubt in the minds of the jurors. It worked! By suing her, they admit it worked on them. It's all smoke and mirrors. Don't get me wrong, even though she wasn't convicted of anything other than lying to the police, I think she's guilty of something. Its all twisted. The whole Anthony family is twisted! I just can't condone the continual 'stirring of the crap' so to speak, as if it's is going to make a difference. No matter what you say, it's all certainly less than biblical. I don't know about you, but this kind of stuff makes 1John 2:15 easy for me. I think Equusearch is a group of vultures, or the remnants of an angry mob at best. They should be so fervent about their walk with Christ. Let it go people. Trust the Lord, and let it go. Because I tell you what, you'll be judged for that too. Judged for hating Casey Anthony... Judged for taking the law into their own hands... Trust me when I tell you that justice will be served by a 'just judge'. His name is Christ Jesus. How do I know this? The Bible tells me so.

All for now!

BEST BAR JOKE

2011-06-07T16:49:00.000-04:00

Guy goes into a bar, there’s a robot bartender.
The robot says, “What will you have?”

The guy says,
“Martini.”

The robot brings back the best martini ever and says to the man, “What’s your IQ?”

The guy says, 168.”

The robot then proceeds to talk about physics, space exploration and medical technology.

The guy leaves, but he is curious…

So he goes back into the bar.

The robot bartender says, “What will you have?”

The guy says, “Martini.”

Again, the robot makes a great martini gives it to the man and says, “What’s your IQ?”

The guy says, “100.”

The robot then starts to talk about Nascar, Budweiser and Farmall Tractors .

The guy leaves, but finds it very interesting, so he thinks he will try it one more time.

He goes back into the bar.

The robot says, “What will you have?”

The guy says, “Martini,” and the robot brings him another great martini. The robot then says, “What’s your IQ?”

The guy says, “Uh, about 50.”

The robot leans in real close and says, “So, you people still happy you voted for Obama?”

Thanks Johnny for this one.

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD - HUMOR

2011-06-07T15:52:00.000-04:00

Doesn't it seem to be godly for us to have a 'glass is half full' outlook on things? Just saying, reacting positively when someone effects us in a negative way is much healthier than harboring feelings and its certainly gracious to be that way towards our brothers.
With that being said, God has a wonderful way of molding us into what he wants us to be, and its almost always against our will. This photo records a divine act which could possibly be a life changing moment for a couple of people. Of course, that depends on how many people are inside the pup John!
Not sure if humor is an attribute of God, but seeing situations like this photo depicts, I believe it is.

HELL'S BELL

2011-06-02T11:11:00.001-04:00

I saw this on my friend Marcus Pittman's web site. I thought you would get a kick out of it too. Thanks Marcus.

Transplant Ministries

Yea... Its Rob Bell. He is perfect for "itching ears". Its biblical, you know? As in, 1Tim 4:3 - "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions" Yup! You nailed that one Marcus. I concur.

And did you notice the packaging is the new "vanity pack"? Although its a parody, this portion of the 'dig' is biblical in epic proportions too... "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity" - Eccl 1:2

Rob Bell and his followers would do well to read Ecclesiastes as well as Proverbs 14:12. I'm not saying these folks are headed to a place they don't believe in, I'm just saying that they follow doctrines less than biblical. I can't send anyone to hell any more than I can save them from hell. I can however, pray for them and pray that they get back to, or come to sound doctrine. All jokes aside, wake up people, wake up.

JONES vs DEARBORN

2011-05-02T11:34:00.000-04:00

Found this interesting video regarding the recent Terry Jones protest in Dearborn MI. Done by one of the guys I follow on Youtube named Acts17Apologetics. Kick back and have a look:

PARTY'S OVER

2011-05-02T07:58:00.001-04:00

Born March 10, 1957 – Died "May 1, 2011" (aged 54). Allegedly.

Why allegedly you may ask? For various reasons, actually.

I'm reminded by what my father said it ten years ago, "How do you hide a 7ft Arab?". So I guess as it turns out Dad, the best way to hide him is to stick him in plain sight, located in Pakistan, and in a mansion none the less!

The United States military has been on what some of the rednecks I know affectionately call a "dune coon hunting trip" located in the mountainous caves of Afghanistan. We've been looking for this Usama Bin Laden character for nearly ten YEARS! Now the hunt is supposedly over.

'The hunt' has actually been an intensive costly war paid for by the blood of American men and women fighting in Afghanistan and all this time, he has been hiding out in his man cave in Pakistan. Probably wearing a really cool party hat, clinching his unholy Qur'an, and surrounded with lots of guns, pizza & beer, video games and babes galore! Okay maybe not that stuff, but certainly in a mansion laden with all of the things with which those types of Muslim extremest morons indulge.

So I say 'allegedly', because of the reports that have ensued since the whole situation first surfaced. Killed by Navy seals... I can believe that. But what about the report that says we knew of his location since August 2010? Does that mean all of the men and women who died hunting him have died in vain? It does to me. I'd be miffed to say the least if either of my sons died in the military since August of 2010. Heck, I'm miffed anyway on behalf of American's related to those who's blood is spilled while our government knew, allegedly, that Bin Laden was in Pakistan.

Then there is a report of him being 'buried at sea' withing 24 hours after his alleged death. Nice of Obama and Special Forces to honor yet ANOTHER Muslim tradition and give the creep his burial in 24 hours. No autopsy. No anything physical to prove the death. Way to go Obama.

So the morning of May 2nd, we hear a report of the mansion where he was allegedly killed, burning down. A fire? How convenient! Perhaps the long version of Obama's birth certificate was lost in the fire as well. No maps of strategic terrorist plots? No intelligence captured? No chance to dig deeper where the man has been hiding? Already know all that stuff fellas? Makes me think, that's for sure.

So which Navy Seal gets the reward money?

What will this do for our economy? I saw a report this morning of our dwindling dollar bouncing back just a touch, and the price of oil coming down as well. Wouldn't that be nice?

I'd like to know, seriously, how much more of the Kool-aid are we made to drink by our government? If Obama got Usama, then he did it right when election time is coming up. To think, I thought Bush would have pulled this off back when he was in office. Hanged Saddam and Bin Laden. One out of two ain't bad...

This will certainly Trump the birth certificate issue for a while (pun intended - note the capital T).

So since the party is over, when are the troops coming home from Afghanistan. The hunting trip is over so our boys need to come home. Or maybe they will be sent to the next middle Eastern soil we want to invade. Finish Libya since Qaddafi's sons and grandchildren are dead, and we know where he is. Snuff him out, take some oil, and skeedaddle out of there, on the way to Syria. Who knows?

So another chapter is closed and its on to the next. I can't help but wonder what prophecy has been filled or will be filled next?

Scandalous? Conspiracy? Not sure. I smell a rat though, regardless.

Lord, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. Amen.

ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR

2011-04-28T08:32:00.001-04:00

Barbara Walters, on behalf of the TV show 20/20, reported some time ago, before the war, deep within Afghanistan. She closely observed the women of Islam, and told of how they were becoming more western with their age old customs. She witnessed their customs first hand as she ate their food, wore their garb, and she observed their obedience by the display of respect while walking 5 paces behind their men with their faces covered. Some of the women, leaning toward western culture, were against walking behind their men and even uncovering their faces.

Recently, Ms. Walters returned to Kabul, and much to her dismay, even after the overthrow of the oppressive Taliban regime, all of the women now seem happy to walk five paces behind their men.
Intrigued, Ms. Walters asked one of the Afghani women, "Why do you now seem happy to follow an old custom that you tried so desperately to change?"

The woman looked Ms. Walters directly in her eyes, and without hesitation said, "Land mines"

Nice.
Thanks to my sister Karen for sending this joke for me to post. Yayee!

ALMOST HEAVEN

2011-04-28T07:51:00.001-04:00

A very old man lay dying in his bed... He certainly didn't have much time left. He'd already met with his pastor, seen his last doctor, and now, nothing was left but to meet his Lord and Savior.
In death's doorway, the man suddenly felt a warm comfort come over him that he felt so many times before. He exclaimed out loud, "Could it be?!", just as he smelled a familiar aroma wafting up the stairs, from his wife's famous, delicious, chocolate chip cookies.

He was caught up in the moment as he gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed. He was simultaneously praying, "O Lord, if I could just have one more of my darling wife's cookies before you bring me home!". Leaning against the wall, with every ounce of strength in his aged, sickly body, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom. And with even greater effort, he forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands as not to fall. At his age and condition, the fall alone wound certainly kill him if he lost his grip.

He finally made it down the stairs and was creeping through the living room towards the kitchen while bracing himself on each piece of furniture, and all the while he thought what a loving and selfless act from his wife of 63 years, for giving him such a gift...

With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen, he did not see his wife. And if it were not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven.

To his wondrous surprise, as he 'gazed in wide wonder', his eyes focused on one of the few things he loved that always made him smile so many years of his life. Right there before him, spread out on newspaper over the entire kitchen table, were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.

Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table! He caught the edge and proudly braced himself up... With his aged and withered hand, shaking like it never shook before, reached for one of the finest looking cookies he'd ever seen before. Just when he was about to pick up the cookie for what could be the last thing he ever tasted in his life, he suddenly felt a horrible pain in the back of his head. It was a sharp pain from the swift smack of a spatula! "Stay out of those!" his wife said. "They're for the funeral!"

3 THINGS ABOUT ISLAM

2011-04-25T10:27:00.002-04:00

THAT YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW

OBAMA'S BRETHREN WIN

2011-04-25T09:49:00.002-04:00

DEARBORN MICHIGAN:

Obama's Dearborn MI brethren, the Muslims, win an unconstitutional battle as Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville's Dove World Outreach (the guy and congregation who burned the Qur'an) was jailed for organizing a protest at the Islamic Center of America, against what he calls "the rise of Sharia law". Oddly enough, there were several Muslims gathered on the very ground where Jones was set to protest. That ground obviously belongs to Muslims. We do not agree with Jones and his antics, but we do believe he is allowed to practice the same free speech protected by the constitution as we are.

Pastor Terry Jones

Read the full article from The Huffington Post HERE.

We at One Over 99 Ministry wonder who or what is next? Perhaps we will not be able to read scripture in public or open air preach before too long. Who knows, maybe we will decide to read on so called "Islamic ground" here in Jacksonville just to see. As long as it is public property, we should be constitutionally allowed. We'll have to pray on this as not to follow the flesh (Rom 8:7)

We have one biblical thing to say to Muslims, the US Govt. and Terry Jones. We are ready. Are you?

MARANATHA

Have a look at these, friends:

Thanks Ralph for the heads up on this. Follow @ralphprovance on Twitter

WHEN GOD HURTS US

2011-04-25T09:04:00.000-04:00

How To Speak about God When He Hurts Us - John Piper

The book of Lamentations is the heart-cry of Jeremiah when he and his people were being hurt by God, and by their enemies, and by their own sin. How he speaks of this divine hurting shows us some of the various ways we may speak about God in our own pain. If we affirm them all, then not one of them will be taken amiss.
The Lord directly does the hurting (2:1-4).
"The Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! . . . The Lord has swallowed up without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; . . . He has cut down in fierce anger all the might of Israel; . . . he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around. . . . 4 He has killed all who were delightful in our eyes in the tent of the daughter of Zion."
The enemies have done the hurting and God has exalted their might (2:16-17).
"All your enemies rail against you; they hiss, they gnash their teeth, they cry. . . . The Lord has done what he purposed; . . . he has made the enemy rejoice over you and exalted the might of your foes."
The enemy has done the hurting, as if the Lord were not watching! (1:9-11; 3:49-50).
Her fall is terrible; she has no comforter. ‘O Lord , behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed! . . . Look, O Lord, and see, for I am despised.' . . . My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite, until the Lord from heaven looks down and sees."
The hurting happens as if by God's "forgetting" and "forsaking" them (5:20).
"Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?"
The Lord will repay the enemies who did the hurting on earth (3:64).
"You will repay them, O Lord, according to the work of their hands."
The Lord will follow his hurting with compassion (3:32).
"Though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love."
God's hurting us is not "from his heart"—not his deepest delight (3:33).
"He does not willingly [literally "from his heart" millibboi] afflict or grieve the children of men."
In his hurting the Lord shows mercy every morning (3:22-23).
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
God's decisive mercy is his causing the erring people to repent; he removes the cause of his own wrath (5:21).
"Cause us to return (hasibenu) to yourself, O Lord, and we will return (wunasub)! Renew our days as of old."
When God is hurting us, wait patiently for the salvation of the Lord (3:26).
"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him."
In and after God's hurting us, he is our only hope and portion (3:24).
"‘The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.'"
Pastor John

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

NO OTHER GOSPEL

2011-04-25T08:40:00.002-04:00

GALATIANS 1:9

THE EXISTENCE OF HELL

2011-04-19T04:47:00.000-04:00

“Save some, O Christians! By all means, save some. From yonder flames and outer darkness, and the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, seek to save some! Let this, as in the case of the apostle, be your great, ruling object in life, that by all means you might save some.”

CHARLES SPURGEON

Could you be wrong in your claims about Judgment Day and hell?

The existence of hell and the surety of the judgment are not the claims of fallible man. The Bible is the source of the claim, and it is utterly infallible. When someone becomes a Christian, he is admitting that he was in the wrong, and that God is justified in His declarations that we have sinned against Him. However, let’s surmise for a moment that there is no Judgment Day and no hell. That would mean that the Bible is a huge hoax, in which more than forty authors collaborated (over a period of 1,500 years) to produce a document revealing God’s character as “just.” They portrayed Him as a righteous judge, who warned that He would eventually punish murderers, rapists, liars, thieves, adulterers, etc. Each of those writers (who professed to be godly) therefore bore false witness, transgressing the very Commandments they claimed were true. It would mean that Jesus Christ was a liar, and that all the claims He made about the reality of judgment were therefore false. It would also mean that He gave His life in vain, as did multitudes of martyrs who have given their lives for the cause of Christ. In addition, if there is no ultimate justice, then the Creator of all things is unjust—He sees murder and rape and couldn’t care less, making Him worse than a corrupt human judge who refuses to bring criminals to justice.
Here’s the good news, though, if there is no hell: You won’t know a thing after you die. It will be the end. No heaven, no hell. Just nothing. You won’t even realize that it’s good news. Here’s the bad news if the Bible is right and there is eternal justice: You will find yourself standing before the judgment throne of a holy God. Think of it. A holy and perfect Creator has seen your thought-life and every secret sin you have ever committed. You have a multitude of sins, and God must by nature carry out justice. Ask Him to remind you of the sins of your youth. Ask Him to bring to remembrance your secret sexual sins, the lies, the gossip, and other idle words. You may have forgotten your past sins, but God hasn’t. Hell will be your just dessert (exactly what you deserve), and you will have no one to blame but yourself. This is the claim of the Bible. If you don’t believe it, it is still true. It will still happen. Yet, there is good news—incredibly good news.We deserve judgment, but God offers us mercy through the cross. He paid our fine so that we could leave the courtroom. He destroyed the power of the grave for all who obey Him. Simply obey the gospel, and live. By doing that you will
find out for yourself that the gospel is indeed the “gospel truth.” Jesus said that if you obey Him, you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (see John 8:31,32). Get on your knees today, confess and forsake (turn from) your sins. Tell God you are truly sorry, then trust the Savior as you would trust yourself to a parachute. Then you will find yourself in a terrible dilemma. You will know for certain that hell is a reality. When you get up the courage to warn people you care about, they will smile passively and say, “Could you be wrong in your claims about Judgment Day and the existence of hell?”

Some who are enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season will brush off thoughts of God’s eternal justice by joking, “I don’t mind going to hell. All my friends will be there.”Obviously, those who flippantly say such things don’t believe in the biblical concept of hell. They are like a slow-witted criminal who thinks that the electric chair is a place to put up his feet for a while and relax. Their understanding of the nature of God is erroneous, so it may be wise to speak for a few moments about the reasonableness of hell. Explain that the Bible tells us that God will punish murderers and rapists, and the place of punishment—the “prison” God will send them to—is a place called “hell.” However, God is so good, He will also punish thieves, liars, adulterers, fornicators, and blasphemers. He will even punish those who desired to murder and rape but never took the opportunity. He warns that if we hate someone, we commit murder in our hearts. If we lust, we commit adultery in the heart, etc. All are sins that will send us to hell.

C. S. Lewis summed up all the terrors of hell when he said, “There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than the doctrine of hell, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, especially, of our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by the Christian Church, and it has the support of reason.” Take the time to tell people of the reality of hell and its biblical description. Some sinners like to picture hell as a fun, hedonistic, pleasure-filled place where they can engage in all the sensual sins that are forbidden here. Others accept that hell is a place of punishment, but believe that the punishment is to be annihilated—to cease conscious existence. Because they can’t conceive that a loving God would punish people in eternal torment, they believe hell is just a metaphor for the grave. If they are correct, then a man like Adolph Hitler, who was responsible for the death of millions, is being “punished” merely with eternal sleep. His fate is simply to return to the non-existent state he was in before he was born, where he doesn’t even know that he is being punished.

While it is true that God is love (1 John 4:8), He is also just (Nehemiah 9:32,33; 2 Thessalonians 1:6) and eternal (Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17). God will therefore punish the evil doer (Isaiah 13:11) and this punishment will be eternal. It will also be conscious. Scripture tells us of the rich man who found himself in hell (Luke 16:19–31). He was conscious and was able to feel pain, to thirst, and to experience remorse. He wasn’t asleep in the grave; he was in a place of “torment.” We tend to forget what pain is like when we don’t have it. Can you imagine how terrible it would be to be in agony, with no hope of relief? Many human beings go insane if they are merely isolated for a long time from other people. Imagine how terrible it would be if God simply withdrew all the things we hold so dear—friendship, love, color, light, peace, joy, laughter. Hell isn’t just a place with an absence of God’s blessings; it is punishment for sin. It is literal torment, forever. That’s why the Bible warns that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. The fate of the unsaved is described with such fearful words as the following:
● “Shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2)
● “Everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46)
● “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:51)
● “Fire unquenchable” (Luke 3:17)
● “Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish” (Romans 2:8,9)
● “Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
● “Eternal fire . . . the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 7,13)

Revelation 14:10,11 tells us the final, eternal destiny of the sinner: “He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone . . . the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night.” Scripture is quite clear: hell is a real place. It is not mere unconsciousness. It is not temporal. It is eternal torment. If hell is a place of knowing nothing or a reference to the grave into which we go at death, Jesus’ statements about hell make no sense. He said that if your hand, foot, or eye causes you to sin, it would be better to remove it than to “go into hell,into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:43–48). Jesus spoke more of hell than of heaven and spent much time warning people not to go there. After all, if people just stopped existing, why warn them? If hell were temporal, they’d get out in a while. But because it is eternal and conscious, we must do everything we can to warn them. However, a sinner won’t see that hell is his eternal destiny unless he is convinced by the Law that he has sinned against God. He may consider hell a fit place for others, but not for himself. That’s why we must not hesitate to open up the Law and show that each individual is personally responsible for his sin, and that God’s wrath abides on him because of it.

This content courtesy of Living Waters School of Biblical Evangelism

IGNORANCE IS BLISS

2011-04-18T17:08:00.000-04:00

“Each person we meet on a daily basis who does not know Christ is hell-bound. That may make some folks bristle—but it’s a fact. When we refuse to warn people that their actions and lifestyles have eternal consequences, we’re not doing them any favors. If everybody feels good about his or her sin, why would anyone repent?”

FRANKLIN GRAHAM

"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

ACTS 17:30-31

PROCLAIMING TRUTH

2011-04-18T09:24:00.003-04:00

What is it that our preaching should accomplish?

"Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom" - Col 1:28

There are many styles of preaching the gospel and witnessing to the lost. But which is the proper way to do it?

Would it be best to draw a crowd using magic or trickery? Using trivia questions or someone dressed as an ape? (Too much focus on the show, less on the message)

Drawing a crowd using painted signs with man apostate on one side of a valley called hell, and heaven on the other side, with a cross sent from God drawn in, which is ultimately used as a bridge built by Jesus, to lead us to the other side? (Nice metaphor, but no talk of wrath? No understanding of sins consequence and power? Why do I need the bridge again?)

Should it be presented as a decision where the sinner makes a choice to open a knobless door, that a powerless god can not open, and that the good news is: Jesus is waiting with open arms for you to receive Him? ("Sinner says, its my door. I have control over Jesus. I'll open it when I'm ready, and I'm just not ready. - then he dies later that day without Christ. Isn't the God of the Bible omnipotent? Wouldn't He have the power to open any knob whether it be knobless, locked up from the inside, or even completely bolted shut?!)

Should the preacher hold signs with racial slurs or words casting a certain someone into hell for their sinful behavior? (Since when did the job description of being a pastor include condemning people to hell? Its not the same as using God's law to show one where they need a savior)

Should we preach outside of a funeral, uninvited, happily derogatory while taunting the friends and loved ones of the deceased person who has died in their sin? (Westboro style. Again, no love of Christ shown here, and certainly not biblical)

Should we preach as not to offend, by removing the 'scary', intimidating, words from our message like, sin, wrath and hell? (Huge chance of causing false conversion due to an unregenerate person who was looking for a friend rather than a Lord over their life. Chances are that the person doesn't know why they need a savior)

Or should we preach the gospel as it were preached the way Jesus did and Paul taught, with the call to repentance and faith, and making the sinner aware of their continued storing up of wrath for themselves on the day of judgment from a holy and just God of the Bible, How about using law and then grace? (BINGO. That's it for me)

I'll stick to the latter example. Biblical preaching. Using words of truth like, sin, wrath, mercy, grace, and repent, repent, repent! Could someone be saved by the other methods? Absolutely! I would never discount the Holy Spirit and His power to save the lost wherever and whenever He wants. Someone could get saved watching my kid tear up a bowling ball with a rubber mallet in a sandbox if the Spirit wanted to use those means. (Thought I'd throw that in there. My boys would never do that. *wink*)

You know, I have been accused of being a "Hell Fire, and Brimstone" preacher many times. Even by my own family! The fact is, this is probably true or very close to true. I don't lean towards the "felt needs" way of preaching/witnessing as some say is the only way to evangelize or open air preach. I find it that most people who feel this way have not had a true conversion, based on their fruitful behavior and outward display of lacking inward Spirit.
Like when Jesus spoke of the woman who washed his feet in Luke 7:47, "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." Seems to me, those people who dislike the law and grace type of witness seem to lack the testimony of that grateful woman who washed the feet of Christ with her tears, and they also seem to lack having to have had a contrite heart and an understanding that they were bound for hell unless they had a savior (John 3:18). They resemble the crowd of disciples who followed Christ documented in the gospel of John until John 6:66, where they had all left when Jesus got radical and asked them to drink his blood and eat his flesh. In other words, they were only there for the show, the endless fish and bread buffet, or to get healed or a loved one healed. They knew or wanted nothing more from Christ. Just wanted to be friends of his, not slaves of righteousness.
I believe open air preaching and evangelism are one in the same. Our message must be biblical and therefore consistent whether on the box or one-to-one at Starbucks. Preaching the gospel requires the 'faith' of an Atheist! This does not mean that you don't believe in God, rather, that you would have as much faith believing in God as the Atheist has in disbelief. Believing so much in Him and His effectual call, that someone, by simply hearing the word preached biblically, would be drawn to the message. Having faith, enough faith, that the Holy Spirit will draw His own crowd. Thus, there is not need for trickery, magic, and/or the lure of money. I still have a hard time swallowing that one. ...Using money, "the root of all evil", to lure a crowd to hear the gospel? Huh??

So if you are ever given the chance to proclaim the gospel to anyone, whether it be in the open air or one-to-one at Starbucks, preach the truth of scripture. The heart felt needs method and waiting to be friends methods are not biblical. Jesus may have found common ground, but he didn't waste any time pointing out that a sinner was a sinner, and good works would not get them to heaven. Paul might have been relevant (to an extent), but while he was, he was sure to give the truth in his preaching and that truth was scripture. There is danger in giving someone a message that is not biblical. If someone you lead to Christ or if you've been led to Christ and can't answer the questions "Saved from what", then you told them or you were told something wrong. If you do not know what you are saved from, then you may be believing in some other gospel, and if people you have witnessed to do not know what they are saved from, then much the same, they have yet to hear the gospel. In order to understand why someone needs a savior, one needs to know what it is that they are being saved from. So put the 'warning' back into your sermon and/or witnessing opportunity. Don't neglect to preach the law and then grace. Paul said if it had not been for the law, he would have not known sin, and James said that God gives grace to the humble. Likewise, if you do not know sin, and its effects, then logically, you wouldn't know why you'd need a Savior. Remember, God saves us for Himself, by Himself, and from Himself. That is the essence of biblical evangelism. So again, I implore you to tell the message that Paul told the Colossians, "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom".

THE SPIRIT OF GOD, IN PRAYER

2011-04-18T08:09:00.000-04:00

YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ASK!

Pastor Tim Conway, Grace Community Church, is touching on praying to the Spirit in this short sermon and shedding light on traditional prayer of believers with truth. I really like Pastor, because he uses the scripture to interpret scripture. He's not just preaching on some topic with the typical verse recital, corny joke, then tell some relevant story. Enjoy this 12min video!

HIPPER-THAN-THOU-HERESY

2011-04-15T10:08:00.001-04:00

The Hipper-Than-Thou Pastor, Rob Bell's infectious heresy:

TIME MAGAZINE in their infinite wisdom, oh yea, just in time for Easter, (gotta love that marketing) has a wonderful new cover story:

What If There's No Hell?

Inside, you'll find a great little controversy to back up the cover.

Click HERE to read the entire TIME article

and

Click HERE to read a great review written by

Al Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Titled, "A Massive Shift Coming in What it Means to Be a Christian? - TIME Magazine Considers Rob Bell

OBAMA, YOU'RE FIRED.

2011-04-12T17:27:00.000-04:00

The next US president, Donald Trump, was interviewed by CBN.

Can't wait to hear him use the title of this post on his campaign commercials.

Here's the video.

ROB BELL'S HELL

2011-04-11T09:56:00.000-04:00

EXAMINING CHAPTER FOUR

Dr. James White, exegeting the eisegesist.

I guess this would have been avoided if Bell had Dr. White as a prof in school.

DON'T LOVE THE WORLD - Tim Conway

2011-03-29T14:44:00.000-04:00

NO MORE MR. NICE GUY

2011-03-29T12:10:00.001-04:00

WISH LIST

2011-03-26T10:54:00.001-04:00

One Over 99 Ministry has a wish list! Certainly, we have a prayer list, but this is something you can help with that allows you to team up with us in sharing the gospel of Christ Jesus to the world.

We have often said that being in the ministry is like going into the well full of the Living Waters of Christ Jesus and bringing it to those who who thirst for eternal life. So if we are "down in the well", then we need you to "hold the rope". You can do this, by purchasing the Bibles and tracts that we give out to the world through our continued evangelism efforts. Being full time ministry means there is no paycheck at the end of the week, so we could really use the help. We are putting a list of the items needed below, along with the links of where to purchase them. Our shipping address is a postal box, but we have received materials from others at this location, so there should be no problems in sending them there.

BTW - The event yesterday at Pinewood Mercy Ministry was awesome! God was glorified and the body of Christ was edified. We completely ran out of New Testament Bibles given to the homeless, and went through a ton of tracts. I even gave the bracelet from my own wrist and we are out completely. Praise God!

So needless to say, we are counting Christ and counting on you too. Thanks so much, and please Tweet this and post to your Facebook page. Soli Deo Gloria!

DROP SHIPPING ADDRESS: ONE OVER 99 MINISTRY, PO BOX 1171, MIDDLEBURG, FL. 32050

WISH LIST:

100 OF THESE

PURCHASE

50 OF THESE BRACELETS

PURCHASE

25 OF THESE BOOKLETS

PURCHASE

25 OF THESE BOOKLETS

PURCHASE

3 OF THESE SURVEY PADS (100 IN EACH PAD)

PURCHASE

100 OF THESE ATHEIST TESTS

PURCHASE

200 EACH OF THESE BOOKLETS

PURCHASE

5 PACKS OF THESE (100 EACH PACK)

PURCHASE

COULD REALLY USE 200 EACH

WOULD LOVE ANY AMOUNT OF THESE BIBLES

(CHEAPER BY THE BOX)

PURCHASE

OPTICAL ILLUSION VIDEO

2011-03-24T13:58:00.002-04:00

My brother, Tony Miano shares the optical illusion with James and Suzi.

HOLY CRAP

2011-03-23T14:46:00.000-04:00

Ever notice how people say and do the weirdest things? Maybe this blog post will be one of them.

Ever hear someone call the restroom, the library? I know it can get lonely in there, and sometimes even scary, like in the image to the left.

Lord knows the restroom makes a great place to read the Tabletalk Magazine. So I'm not saying it's weird to read on the toilet. We all do. but the next content, I found on a web site called fatwa-online.com.

Someone wrote into the website for advice on the Koranical thing to do regarding taking the Koran into the "library". Seems as though it is not only bad hygiene, but against the teaching of Allah as well. So, just to be sure, this question was posed by a concerned Muslim and answered by fatwa. I thought the whole scenario was amusing.

Question: What is the ruling regarding entering the toilet with audio cassettes of Qur.aan recitations on them?

Response: Regarding the audio cassettes which have recitations of the Qur.aan, or ahaadeeth, or general religious advice, then there is no harm in entering the toilet with them. This is because the [contents of the audio] cassettes are not actually written. So if you were to open up the audio cassette, you will not be able to read anything. This is contrary to written text; so it is prohibited for a person to enter the toilet with the Qur.aan, unless he feared it being stolen or the like.

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen
I'laam al-Mu'aasireen bi-Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen - Page 197

HOLY TOAST

2011-03-22T18:01:00.001-04:00

Looks like Terry Jones went through with it... He burned the Qur'an.

This is certainly an extreme measure. He held a mock trial and found the book guilty as charged, and burned one in his congregation. Not sure I agree, and not sure I care, because the book isn't holy to me. So why post this you may ask?

Look, this stunt is as 'extremist' as Muslim terrorists are. Not all people of Muslim faith are extremists, and not all Christians are either. Surely, the extremists are going to see Terry Jones and his 'court' as committing a crime against Islam. There will be some sort of retaliation, I would guess. But I think this will spark attacks against weaker Christians as well as Jones and his congregation. To that speculation, I have to think of the teachings of Christ Jesus in the book of John 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you".
That being said, I can't wait to see what happens next. Pop some popcorn and watch the show. I live very near Gainesville, so this is practically in my back yard. Dip stick, Terry Jones has kicked the cage of a much too big, angry dog. Better left sleeping I'd think. This wasn't an accident. Kind of like when I was a kid, I would see how close to a hornet's nest I could get and toss a rock at the nest... I'd run away as fast as I could to see if I'd get stung. I would get stung, but it was fun. Dangerous fun for a child. This looks like the same thing here.
You see, if Terry knew his Bible, he wouldn't have done this stunt. Romans 9:22 and 1Corinthians 1:18 come to mind. I don't think we as Christians should be angry with those who do not understand the message. Rather, we should have compassion. There's nothing you can do about the destiny of those who reject the true word. Burning the Qur'an does not show mercy for the lost. It angers a false religion and wakens the extreme. It is a blemish to true Christians. Seems like we can't separate our selves from idiot stunts like this. Since he, Jones, claims to be Christian, we will all have to watch our backs for a little while. Besides, my wife and I already do that. We have been known to hang out at GRPC with Ms. Ruger and Mr Kahr, and my son works at Keltech. Needless to say, we exercise daily. That is, we exercise our right to bear arms of course.

Anyway, about this little book burning trial... This stunt is contrary to all biblical teaching. Christ never acted out that way. This is not what he would do or have done had he been here. Apostle Paul didn't burn the idols of those he approached or those who opposed Christ. Neither should we. Terry Jones and his court are no more Christian than Hitler and his Nazis were. They just wanted attention. Well, they got it.

Click HERE if you want to waste time to watch the mock trial and book burning video.

CHINESE PROFESSOR

2011-03-22T10:58:00.000-04:00

PHILOSOPHY OR FUTURE REALITY?
A MUST SEE.

HELL'S BEST KEPT SECRET

2011-03-22T10:55:00.001-04:00

Why do 80-90% of those making a decision for Christ fall away from the faith? What is the principle that Spurgeon, Wesley, Whitefield, etc., used to reach the lost? Why has the Church neglected it? Don't let anything stop you from listening to this incredible teaching.

LOVE WINS PARODY

2011-03-22T10:31:00.002-04:00

FARRAKHAN ON US vs LIBYA

2011-03-20T01:45:00.001-04:00

Ooh... Angry boy. See his goon standing behind?

CHILDLIKE FAITH

2011-03-18T08:25:00.000-04:00

Whether this be real of not, there is a lesson to be learned here. I can only hope that God grant you, and I, childlike faith. Enjoy.

TWISTED SCRIPTURE

2011-03-09T14:07:00.000-05:00

Do you read scripture with this much inflection? Not only does it make interpretation clearer, but I'm sure it makes memorizing it a lot easier. Piper is awesome! This is the kind of twisted scripture I like.

RADICAL RISK, RADICAL REWARD

2011-03-08T13:17:00.000-05:00

Excellent video!
This video shows David Platt telling it like it is. Must see.

Huge thanks to Justin Edwards for sending me this via the comments on RADICAL PART I.

By the way, for more godly content in your life, I recommend that you would follow my friend Justin's blog, and on Twitter, look here @airo_cross
Enjoy the video!

Radical Risk, Radical Reward
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

RADICAL PART I

2011-03-08T08:17:00.000-05:00

I am going through this book in a small group setting called, Radical. Not my idea, but I am all in. I liked the title when I heard it. So far, I have read through a lot of the book, and have recently decided to give my two cents here. It may make for good content, or it may step on toes. So what. It's Radical content! I live for Christ and the sake of His gospel. I've been called a rogue, and confrontational by people who sit in church on Sunday and live like hell Monday through Saturday. The same people who are ashamed of the gospel (Rom 1:16), and are the objects of Christ's words in Mark 8:38. After reading that passage, they have a serious gut feeling that makes them wonder, "Is that directed to me?". They fit the description of "The Almost Christian Discovered" to a tee, which Mathew Meade wrote about in 1661.

It's real simple. Merriam-Webster defines 'confrontation' as: A meeting face to face.

Somewhere along the lines, preaching the gospel has been deemed confrontational. with the wrong definition. I think most people have confused the definition of confrontation with the definition of 'offensive'. I may be confrontational, my friend, but it is according to the Bible, that the message of the gospel is offensive! It is offensive, to those who are perishing (1Cor 1:18). It's not up to me, but to you, to work out your salvation with trembling and fear (Phil 2:12).

So, if the message of the gospel is offensive, and my love for the lost is confrontational, then the theme of RADICAL sounds really good to me!

Watch this trailer... Right off the bat, I feel like this will be another of those books pastors may deem, 'best not read by the congregation'. I think there are a lot of Pastors who will not want their flock to know what David Platt has to say. Because it throws a wrench into what they are trying to build. So far, I believe David Platt's message needs to be heard. But of course, I had better read the book to see if it's anything like the movie. *wink*

Enjoy.

THE DEFICIT

2011-03-07T14:02:00.000-05:00

GOD IS SOVEREIGN.

...AND YET, THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!

No wonder Obama's hair is so gray.

DYING WITH THE MOST TOYS...

2011-03-07T13:36:00.000-05:00

Much like this cartoon, many of us today are shadowed with unsustainable debt. The country has reached an unbelievable all time high in the trillions. Gas prices are soaring again, and people are working for, pretty much, the same wages that they made years ago. But again, the cost of everything has gone extremely high. Will there ever be an end?

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" Matt 11:28

What about the cost of being a Christian? What have you given to Christ in exchange for your eternal salvation? Well, the fact is that his grace is free and you owe him nothing, but technically, receiving the gift of eternal life should make you want to do anything for Christ, no matter the cost (Rom 12:11). Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, snake bit, and died for the sake of the gospel (2Tim 2:10).

How serious are you? If ten of your friends, or ten of your co-workers, or perhaps your neighbors were asked, "What is most important in [your name]'s life? If they do not answer with a resounding, Christ Jesus, then you must do something to change that immediately. Do you live to glorify him or your fellow man (Col 3:17, Rom 12:1)? Have you put on the yoke of Christ, and do you honestly allow him to steer? If not, you are headed for a crash course and you will surely die.

He who dies with the most toys is an idolater!

Dear friend, we work so hard to have "things", but those things mean nothing. Idolatry is one of the oldest sins in the Bible. For centuries, man has made for himself many idols. This is a violation of the first commandment. The sad truth is that if you have to work so much to pay for what you have, that you barely have time to be with your family, or read the Bible, then all has been revealed about you. You need to stop! Stop being a slave to the idols in your life and begin today being a slave to righteousness. I'm not suggesting that you embrace asceticism, but the old adage "less is more" is pretty accurate. All you need is Christ. Why do you think that Christ Jesus himself said, ""If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." - Matt 19:16-23

Repent for disobedience and make a change today.

I know that the things you do for Jesus will not make him love you more than he already does. However, it will make you love him more. How often do you read the word? Do you know that the more you read the word, the less likely you are to sin? "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." - John 8:31,32

How about prayer? If Jesus is truly your best friend, then how much do you pray? We have the truth of the ability to speak directly to the creator of everything, as a friend (John 15:15). We also see his grace working in our lives as those conversations with him come to fruition. Its amazing! Answered prayer is amazing (John 14:13).

So take my advice, and do as he says (Mark 1:15)... Come to him and cast all your cares upon him as I have (Matt 11:28). There is nothing in your life too heavy for God to carry. His Spirit will carry you through (1John 4:13). He will sustain you. Remember, everything you see is temporary and everything you do not see is eternal (2Cor 4:18). Don't waste time on the temporal things. Focus on your eternity by focusing on Christ Jesus now (Col 3:2).
If you need prayer or would like a free Bible, then please email your request here. All email requests will be made confidential.

DEFENSE FROM NEW CATHOLOCISM

2011-03-04T07:07:00.000-05:00

by "Arctic" Dan Harris

According to over 40 articles I have seen so far, The U.S. Conference of Bishops (Catholic) has a new 2011 version coming out March 9, 2011.

Who cares right? I mean we see these things happen all the time - right?
Well, if we see most of the stuff it looks like a better change, or silly, or funny. But in the pile of stuff that may or may not make sense there
is sometimes and I (Danism) think this time there is. It is hidden in plain site, all one has to do is go to the Episcopal Church division (Anglican)
and look at what lead up to what was stated as the lead question. It had the same underlying question, but with debated change.
First to understand- the Catholic could not own his own Bible until the end of the 1900's (Twentieth Century) and only decades
earlier was allowed to read the bible for themselves.
Note the Catholic version includes (after Nehemiah) Tobit, Judith, (Esther) then 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, The Wisdom Books. Then back on line with Job -
then Song of Songs (check song of Solomon in your Bible) Wisdom, Sirach, (then after Lamentations) Baruch.
This is not trying to confuse you but if you are going to be witnessing and evangelizing you need to be aware of some of this.
My personal way to explain these quickly are to say - great history books. No new prophecy, or doctrine. Some stray and create problems
within the added text itself and added only by the catholic church. Nicene conference got it right for this.
Personal history. In 1968 a catholic family next door were having certain blessings held back from them by the Catholic church they attended because they could not have a baby. The couple (in their late 30.s) had been married since they were barley 20. They were told by doctors they could not have children due to a physical/medical situation. The local Monsignor (Mon-senior) told them to have a baby. They were even afraid of excommunication. My father showed them places in the Bible to ease their souls.
They went to the Monsignor and explained they had seen scripture and read where it did not teach that you had to have babies or pay penance, or it was sinful not to have children, or you were sinful and therefore could not have babies. He asked where they got the ideas. They proudly said a friend had been teaching them. Then they pulled out a Bible (they weren't suppose have one, this monsignor was old school)
He asked to see it. They handed it to him with many places marked off to read, he simply looked at the front and back, looked at them and dropped it in the trash can under his desk. Told them to have babies. The woman left sobbing. The Catholic church was on Merritt Island in Florida.

(Reuters posted 3/2/11 2:44 PM / UPI posted Wednesday 02, 2011 earlier)
Back to the articles: It would appear the root of this is from a UPI and Reuters articles. I do not have permission to redistribute or use their article so I will go to the text of the conference.
The headlines read where the word "booty" was changed to "spoils of war". Doesn't seem very important and in fact sounds good. Not to go into some of the argument over it really means plunder... according to a bishop being quoted in another article. It said that school children giggled when 'the' verse was read 'Booty'.
In an article written only hours before I started this Mary Sperry (Oversees bible licensing for the Bishops) said "is a beautiful translation - it's a new way to look at an old love."
The article says "The changes go beyond a few words being altered, and include freshly -written notes that should help readers better understand the Catholic Church's interpretation of biblical concepts, Sperry said. the Book of Psalms contains over 70,000 words, both of text and notes, she said."
"The revision more accurately reflect translations of ancient Hebrew and Greek versions of the Old Testament and the constant evolution of modern language."

Dan's note: Most of the changes I have seen simply put it into the words they like from existing texts used by protestants already.

Before I go into my fear of this - let me note a couple of the phrase changes.
Strange either way - holocaust to burnt offerings - (old not in your Bible remember, new is in your Bible)
Revert to more poetic? Pslam 23 - from "dark valley" - to - "I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" (ok, the new change is in your Bible already)
NOTICE HERE IT IS!!!

"In a change of passage in Isaiah 7:14 that foretells the coming of Jesus and his birth to a virgin mother, the 1970 edition's reference
to 'the virgin' will become 'the young woman', to better translate the Hebrew word 'almah'. "
"The Bishops and the Bible are not signaling any sort of change in doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus. None whatsoever," Sperry added.
First note: 1970 edition was when Catholics could own their own bible as approved by the church. (clearly there were some out there however, a Parishioner was not to be in possession, and only a few certified individuals were allowed to read it out loud previous to that.
Second Note: Sperry is quoted as saying this is a beautiful translation - changing innocence to questionable - by saying young woman instead of virgin.
Third note: The word evolution was first designed to mean how life begin with out God by Darwin. Why use the word as Sperry does? The official stand by the Catholics
is to agree with evolution as described in--- well, not the Bible.
Fourth Note: To this point many of the changes simply bring the Catholics up to speed with your protestant Bible versions. They seem to have used words that are used in protestant version rather than use other or different words - except - changing the virgin word. I won't go into the huge ramifications of the word poetically, or righteously, or innocence. Why did Sperry say it is a new way to look at an old love? All this is - they are just the warning signs, red flags as it were.
Now retired Archbishop John S. Spong Episcopalian Newark Archdiocese - Largest Archdiocese in the USA. - Making Spong the highest ranking clergy in the USA in the Episcopalian church. He wrote a call for New Reformation of Christianity in the 1990's and had been re-posted and examined and re-examined in 5/22/09.
Spong's 12 Theses is not what is considered to be the most dividing factor in the split of the Episcopalian church. However, it started the public debate.
He lead's off in a logical mind set to restate how God should even be talked about and the old thought of what God is - is wrong.
Then he builds to #12 All human beings bear God's image and must be respected for what each person is. Therefore, no external description of one's being, whether based on race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, can properly be used as the basis for either rejection or discrimination.
Doesn't sound so bad, yet it is this point that killed the Episcopalian Church.
Here is the biggest problem. What got them there and why is it important for us to be on guard?
Theses #1. Theism, as a way of defining God is dead. So most theological God-Talk is today meaningless. A new way to speak of God must be found.
   #2. Since God can no longer be conceived in theistic terms, it becomes nonsensical to seek to understand Jesus as the incarnation of the theistic deity. So the Christology of the ages is bankrupt.
   #3. The biblical story of the perfect and finished creation from which human beings fell into sin is pre-Darwinian mythology and post-Darwinian nonsense.
   #4. The Virgin birth, understood as literal biology, makes Christ's divinity, as traditionally understood, impossible.

Here we see where the virgin birth is questioned in a 'for debate Theses' stating that the Christ Divinity and Jesus virgin birth impossible. Do we want to go there? Do we want to be aware the appearance - in spite of the denial - is the Catholic church going there?
I heard a report on TV proclaiming 4 words were being change. The is a far cry from acknowledging that words phrases and even notes have been examined and will be changed.
While most of the changes are bringing the Catholic Bible closer to the protestants, this one change is not, and i would think very dangerous.
Sola Scriptura - Soli Deo Gloria
Dan

APOLOGIA WORDS

2011-03-04T06:56:00.000-05:00

by "Arctic" Dan Harris

When we are witnessing and defending the faith, often we will run into the discussion on old earth vs. new earth beliefs.
When you are defending the Bible stand firm on scripture you are familiar with. Don't allow a person to either lead you down a path of humanism or relativism and take away your presupposition of the Bible, God's Word.

When we use words like micro-evolution and say well yes that is correct. We see change in dog breeds (kinds) and cat breeds (kinds)
and viruses all the time.

We just erred. Even though we did not error in what we said, we acknowledged the a part that a piece of evolution might be correct.
While i have used that to slide into an argument, it is a slippery slope, and allows a well heeled debater will turn it on you.

Words are very important. We need to hold on to our presuppositions as an evolutionist or atheist does. It sounds innocent, however, I have seen the wolves close in on something that simple, and make a person of strong faith come out scratching his own head - wondering - questioning.

I have heard over the last few years a phrase i like and have used - however, I believe there is a better way to explain the same thing.

'God made it old.' Last night i heard someone say this, and had to smile that it really explains what he meant - then someone asked what does that mean???
Today I was talking with a friend and he said the same thing, and asked a question about creation.

While there is technically nothing wrong with that explanation; You might want to consider a different approach. The reason
not to use it is because you are still using their language, and after all for your witness to become effective you may want them to begin to use your biblical language.

"The earth looks old, feels old, tests and tastes old - however, when God created the new earth, he made it functional. Therefore it had to be useful immediately. It was inhabited and growing within 6 days, nothing could be left that wasn't functional."

Soli Deo Gloria
Dan

[If you have an apologetics question, you may email "Arctic" Dan Harris by clicking his name above]

CHRISTOCENTRIC

2011-02-28T10:45:00.000-05:00

On a Monday afternoon in 1861, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, London’s famed “Prince of Preachers”, delivered his first sermon in the Metropolitan Tabernacle. That momentous day, Spurgeon saw fit to preach on the centrality of Christ in all of Scripture:

In the days of Paul it was not difficult at once, in one word, to give the sum and substance of the current theology. It was Christ Jesus. Had you asked anyone of those disciples what he believed, he would have replied, “I believe Christ.” If you had requested him to show you his Body of Divinity, he would have pointed upward, reminding you that divinity never had but one body, the suffering and crucified human frame of Jesus Christ, who ascended up on high. To them, Christ was not a notion refined, but unsubstantial; not an historical personage who had left only the saviour of his character behind, but whose person was dead; to them he was not a set of ideas, not a creed, nor an incarnation of an abstract theory; but he was a person, one whom some of them had seen, whose hands they had handled, nay, one of whose flesh they had all been made to eat, and of whose blood they had spiritually been made to drink. Christ was substance to them, I fear he is too often but shadow to us. He was a reality to their minds; to us—though, perhaps, we would scarcely allow it in so many words—rather a myth than a man; rather a person who was, than he who was, and is, and is to come—the Almighty.
I would propose (and O may the Lord grant us grace to carry out that proposition, from which no Christian can dissent), I would propose that the subject of the ministry of this house, as long as this platform shall stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by worshipers, shall be the person of Jesus Christ.

From a sermon entitled “The First Sermon In The Tabernacle,” delivered March 25, 1861.

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” (Acts 5:42 KJV)

Source - BlueLetterBible.org

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ...Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" Gen1:1 26a.

"No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also" 1John 2:23

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Revelation 22:13

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" 1John 5:20

He (Christ), is God. What more do you need?

Paul wrote, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." 1Cor 2:2

Read the Word and do what it says. James 1:21-22 and 1Peter 2:1-3

AHMADINEJAD ON EGYPT

2011-02-16T11:31:00.000-05:00

Ahmadinejad: Egypt Revolution Reveals Hand of the 'Mahdi' – www.worldmeets.us

In the near future, will America and Israel somehow leave the Middle East? According to this news account from Iran's state-controlled Kahyan, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told cheering crowds celebrating the 32nd anniversary of the Iranian Revolution that the Mahdi, the Muslim version of the messiah, is managing the Egyptian Revolution and global affairs, and that he will soon deal with the 'child of Satan' - the United States.

TEHRAN: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday that a new Middle East is being created, that would be free of the United States and the occupying regime of Israel. He backed the Arab uprisings, but also warned Egyptians to be wary of America's "friendly face."

Massive crowds of Iranians, waving flags and chanting "Death to Mubarak" and "Death to America," descended on Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Square. There, the president lashed out at the West and the Zionist regime in a speech marking the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

"We will soon see a new Middle East materialize - one without America and the Zionist regime, and there will be no room in it for the World Arrogance," Ahmadinejad told the cheering crowds, who gathered despite cold and cloudy weather.

He warned Egyptians that the United States had “adopted a friendly face," saying that "we are friends of the peoples of North Africa and the Arab countries," and to be watchful and united. "You will be victorious,” he said. He went on to express Iranian support for the uprising in Egypt, with which Iran has no diplomatic ties: “The Iranian nation is your friend, and it is your right to freely choose your path. The Iranian nation backs this right of yours."

He urged the arrogant powers not to interfere in the internal affairs of countries like Egypt and Tunisia, saying that, "If you want people to trust you, first of all don't interfere in their affairs, and that includes Tunisia and Egypt. Let them be by themselves." He also asked of them, "What are you doing in Afghanistan? What are these military bases in the region for? Are you compassionate or just hypocrites?"

PLAYING CHURCH PT1

2011-02-15T13:57:00.001-05:00

IF THIS IS LIKE YOUR CHURCH, RUN! GET OUT OF THERE NOW! You need biblical teaching and you need to be in a church where Christ is King. There is no 'show'. If you need to have a church that has entertainment before and or after the preaching, and that entertainment is longer than the sermon and prayer time, then you need the gospel. You need prayer. Email us here if you are looking for a real church.

MAKING SCIENCE LOGICAL

2011-02-08T07:05:00.000-05:00

This was shared to me by another street preacher. Please visit their site at http://streetapologetics.com

JUSTIFIED

2011-02-04T14:23:00.000-05:00

by Ralph Provance

Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness. (Isaiah 45:24)

He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Martin Luther said that “Justification by faith alone is the article by which the Church stands or falls on.” John Calvin said that it is the “main hinge on which religion turns.” Leon Morris said “Understand justification and you understand everything that matters.”

The purpose of this brief study is to explain the glorious doctrine of justification from a Reformed perspective. There have been volumes written by many brilliant men of God over the years covering every aspect of this doctrine. It is a topic that demands a great deal of diligence in study so we may grasp an understanding. Again, this paper will be a “surface level” overview.

John Murray defined justification as “a constitutive act whereby the righteousness of Christ is imputed to our account and we are accordingly accepted as righteous in God’s sight. Justification is both a declarative and constitutive act of free grace.” (Redemption Accomplished & Applied p.124)

There are three areas where the doctrine of justification from a Reformed perspective differs from other traditions, i.e. Lutheran, Methodist, Orthodox, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic. They are in that 1. Justification is divinely monergistic; 2. Justification is a one-time event (not a process); 3. Justification is permanent.

Reformed Christians hold to the fact that there isn’t anything that we can do to cause or earn our justification. We are dead in our sins (Eph 2:1). We have a heart of stone (Eze 36:26). We are completely unable to exercise any saving faith apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Once we are “born again/regenerated” by the Holy Spirit, God grants to us the gift of faith that we may repent. It is then that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us and we are justified. This is part of the “ordo salutis,” or the order of salvation. The ordo salutis as held by those of the Reformed tradition is as follows- 1) election, 2) predestination, 3) gospel call 4) inward call 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, and 9) glorification. (Rom 8:29-30.) This is in opposition to those that hold to a synergistic view of justification. While the views vary slightly within Protestantism, the general ordo salutis is 1) outward call 2) faith/election, 3) repentance, 4) regeneration, 5) justification, 6) perseverance, 7) glorification. They state that we are able to exercise “inherent” faith and work in conjunction with God to be born again. Never is our faith the cause of our justification in the New Testament. That would be a “work” and therefore something to boast in (Eph 2:8,9). An examination of the Greek text shows we are justified “pistei, dia pisteos, ek pisteos, kata pistin, epi te pistei,; “by, through, upon, according to” faith. Never are we justified “dia pistin” or “because” of it. Faith is our act, coming from a new heart, but not our work. We must never look to ourselves, anything that we do, as grounds for our justification.

Those of the Reformed tradition hold to the belief that justification is an instantaneous event, only occurring once. God, the just Judge (Psalm 96:13), legally declares the sinner righteous because of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. It is a legal declaration, a “forensic justification.” It is not that the sinner is made righteous; but that he is seen as righteous because of Jesus. Martin Luther framed the idea well with the phrase “simul iustus et peccator,” “At the same time, just and sinner.” This is in stark contrast to the Romanist understanding. They hold that justification is not a one time declaration of Christ’s righteousness to the sinner but a process that is conditional upon the ongoing work of man. This is why Rome is confused about the doctrines of justification and sanctification. Rome holds that there are three main sacraments necessary for justification and ultimate salvation. The sacraments allegedly give grace to an individual and help to maintain him in a state of sanctifying grace. They are baptism, penance, and the Eucharist/mass. In fact, according to the Roman Catholic Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, “If any one saith that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary unto salvation...and that without them, or without the desire thereof, men obtain from God, through faith alone, the grace of justification...let him be anathema.” This statement by the Roman Catholic Church denies the clear teaching of Scripture. The grounds for our justification can only be found in Christ alone. (Romans 3:24; 5:9,19; 8:1; 10:4; 1Cor 1:30; 6:11; 2Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9)

The final distinctive of the Reformed tradition, as relating to justification, is that our justification is permanent. This means that we can never lose our salvation. It is known as the “Perseverance of the Saints.” It stands in contrast to every other religious tradition which says that our salvation can be lost by either a mortal sin (Catholic) or a loss of faith (Arminian.) If our salvation is entirely of God, and not of any work of man, then how can we lose it? As a Reformed Baptist, I hold to the creedal statement of the 1689 London Baptist Confession. I believe that it summarizes the doctrine better than I ever could. It states “Those whom God hath accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, whence he still begets and nourisheth in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet he is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palm of his hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity. (John 10:28,29; Phil 1:6; 2Tim 2:19; 1John 2:19; Psalms 89:31,32; 1Cor 11:32; Malachi 3:6)
We are kept by the power of God, if we are in Christ!

Ralph Provance wrote this discourse for another blog which is doing a comparison between four views on the doctrine of Justification. We posted this content here because we believe there is no other correct view than this biblical one. Now, by the sovereignty of God, brother Provance finished his discourse with a wonderful statement," We are kept by the power of God if we are in Christ". This leads us to ask him to segue from this discourse into the next , which is known as the doctrine of Assurance. What do you say brother? Would you please oblige? :0)

THE HOLINESS OF GOD

2011-02-04T09:11:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite teachers, Dr. James White preaches a message on the Holiness of God. Enjoy!

The Holiness of God from pat necerato on Vimeo.

This video courtesy of Pat Necerato,
GO STAND SPEAK Ministry

PART III - Why Did God Stop Talking To Us?

2011-02-04T09:06:00.000-05:00

by "Arctic" Dan Harris

God Continues to Instruct US!

Psalm 19:7,8

“The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. (8) The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

Many church leaders today question the need to even know the law of the Lord. If a person is a true convert – regenerated in the Christ – and is not under the law – then what is the value???

First Point: The Law of the Lord is the 10 commandments (Exodus 20) it is not the Laws in Leviticus for Israel.

Second Point: “The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” If my lord presented it, and it is perfect, I need to make sure I know this perfect transmission. This perfect communication is Holy and right. The fact it is perfect and from my Lord tells me I need to know it, period. However, in His perfect transmission of this information tells us the law is perfect for the conversion of the SOUL! We have been commissioned to do one thing for Jesus Christ. Spread the good news of Jesus the Christ our Savior and the Salvation he has provided by his blood shed on the cross, to receive God’s grace by believing in him.

When asked why is it important to know the Law of the Lord the first response is if a person does not know the law of the Lord (that is perfect for the conversion of the soul) then how can one claim to be truly regenerated, a true convert?

If a person does not know the Law of the Lord then how can that person use the perfect communication that God himself has given us in his words; to JOLT a soul into understanding a life without the Law is certain chaos, and darkness for eternity.

We can use the Law of the Lord to help people understand where they have fallen short of the Glory of God, and hunger for a conversion of their very soul. This by quoting the Bible; inspired by God, is perfect in converting the soul. Does it convert the soul? NO! it is perfect to bring the person to Jesus the Christ – our only hope after we have the knowledge of the Law of the Lord and we have fallen from God.

Has God stopped Talking to US??? This Psalm by it self screams out to all of mankind, through all of history. From the Creation, to the second coming.

God inspired this Psalm. It declares his greatness, it declares what teaches people ‘why they must repent’. This Psalm enlightens ones understanding, it opens eyes causing a rejoicing of the heart once the greatness of God is declared. This Psalm is in context to say – for all time and everyone. It is a communication God has given to us showing how much he strives with us in our failure to be enlightened of what will please Him, and his continued love for a sinful man. His desire to open our eyes, and show us his greatest attribute – the Grace offered to man. This is a pure communication that is right and sure. It is certain this testimony of the Lord is perfect.

A person, now understands what the law of the Lord is, and what to do to search for true salvation if he did not understand before. This Psalm is a perfect communication with a need for all mankind to understand.

The New Covenant does not negate anything. The new Testament churches which declare they do not need to study the old testament because it is for ancient times, and for ancient people may want to read a little more scripture.

I would guess then that a man (not God) has determined the Law of the Lord is not perfect for use today. It is not right and has no need to enlighten someone to bring them out of the dark and into the light.

This sounds almost as much an abomination as false teachers. Keep people in the dark. Not being enlightened. A total contradiction to this teaching by God himself.

The new Covenant is what Jesus Christ DID! Through him, and only him; he is the way- can we receive salvation, Receive Grace freely, and only through him, and by no works or deeds of our own.

We are told in this Psalm the Law of the Lord is perfect for the conversion of the soul. This is not the heart, and not to save the soul. It causes a soul to understand where he has fallen short why God CAN’T glorify him. The Law of the Lord, the ten commandments convicts all men. It is certain and perfect.

Matthew 5:16-18 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in Heaven. (17) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

The Lord Jesus, by his own word did not destroy the law of God, therefore it is still operable. Perfect for the conversion of the Soul.

A point Dr. Henry Morris makes is that alone, of all men, from Adam to present day, Christ alone, Kept the Law of the God and obeyed it perfectly. He did fulfill all of it’s demands and requirements, which no other man or woman could ever do. Consequently, He alone can redeem us from the curse of the law

Galatians 3:10-13 “For as many are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is everyone that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for the just shall live by faith. (12) And the law is not of faith: but, the man that does them shall live in them. (13) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs from a tree.”

Christ has borne the curse – he took the burden of the curse on himself from every man. Both the Adamic and the Mosaic curses. Even to the extent of the very form of His death, being executed by hanging on a tree as specified and prophesied.

Instructions for a criminal:

Deuteronomy 21:22,23 “And if a man committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and you hang him from a tree: (23) His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall bury him that dayLfor he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that your land isn’t defiled, which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance.”

Psalm 22:1,6,16 (A Psalm by David) “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

(6) But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men and despised of the people. (read verses 7-15 for enlightenment)

(16) For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. (read verses 17-31. Most Prophetic)

A Note to tie prophecy, symbols, and teaching together across the Bible.

Psalm 22:13 “They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening, and Roaring Lion.”

I Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour:”

God speaks to us in many ways today. He teaches us through the scriptures. He shows us gently what we are convicted of. He teaches us what not to bring inside our house.

Soli Deo Gloria,

"Arctic" Dan Harris

WWIII

2011-02-03T09:33:00.000-05:00

Sermon Jam Elder DJ Ward

2011-02-02T13:32:00.000-05:00

RELATIVISM

2011-02-02T12:45:00.000-05:00

I love this. Its hilarious!

PART II - Why Did God Stop Talking To Us?

2011-02-01T07:58:00.002-05:00

by "Arctic" Dan Harris

God the Communicator:

Psalm 19:4-6 (last sentence of 4) “...In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, (5) Which is set as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices as a strong man to run a race. (6) His going forth is from the end of heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat there of.”

The Hebrew word "goes forth" does not refer to the Sun’s daily orbit (appearance), but that which “goes forth” from the Sun itself. That is the radiant energy, which sustains all life on earth, and the entire solar system. (Dr. Henry Morris)

Apologetic Note: There is an argument in some science circles how this verse reflects the belief the Sun orbits the Earth.

Consider “his circuit”: The question becomes is that the scientific position of the Sun orbiting the earth as does the Moon?

In a study of motion – motion is relative to a static frame of reference. Literally all surveyors, astronomers (think Hubble Telescope) and navigators (think sexton as used by naval astral navigation) use the earth as a static frame of reference to gain position and measurement. Radar works by using a static subject (building, tree...) and then bounces a signal off of the object in motion for information of the speed and position of the object in question.

Sir Isaac Newton in explaining gravity and motion used earth bound objects and earth reference points for descriptions of motion, movement, work, and energy.

King David (writer of this Psalm) would have taken the navigator and surveyor position in his description. Always remember, this is inspired by God. So, we must remember the Bible is inerrant.

Going from a God point the Sun, solar system, galaxy, and Universe would be in motion from any fixed point of reference.

Therefore from any scientific view, or world view the statement is scientifically sound. The point of an argument that the sun is static would in fact be scientifically unsound.

Consider “: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” (verse 6) The Laws of Thermodynamics drive our understanding of all energy. (Heat, Light, motion, changes of matter, Life itself) It is the description of the Law that considered the most important and considered universal of laws of science. The sun’s heat “going forth” from it’s surface provides the Basic energy for all of life’s processes. The first Law of Thermodynamics - Conservation of energy in quantity and the Second law – decay of energy quality, both ultimately depend on the sun’s heat for any meaningful operation.

This scripture is so virtual science it could make any college student of energy’s head spin. Imagine King David aware of Jesus (prophetic) the key to the light of man.

John 1:2-5 “The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. (4)In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in the darkness and the dark comprehended it not."

John1:9 “That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

I feel so small writing this or commenting because it is so perfect in what it teaches about The universe, our solar system, our sun, our earth – our very existence, and even our only hope of eternal salvation.

The second law of thermodynamics is also called Entropy. This is a thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailable of a systems thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder, or randomness in the system (symbol S).

I must always take a swing at evolution when the Laws of Thermodynamics is mentioned. Entropy is energy disorder. That is why we cannot have perpetual motion. The energy becomes spent; into disorder and unusable for work of any kind. This definition applies to everything – including life. In other words once something is established it immediately begins to depreciate. Consider depreciation of physical plant of any business. The moment you drive a car off of the lot you bought it from, it is worth less money.

Life is controlled by Entropy. An individual organism begins to go closer to death from the moment it is born. The only process described in today’s so called modern science that completely ignores Entropy is ‘Evolution’. Rather than falling into disorder in evolution a species gets better, and gains information. Without further discussion there is no evidence of any kind that life adds information. That is complete and direct opposition to Entropy. Entropy is the epitome of chaos, disorder. Loss of energy, loss of life, no gain but loss.

Psalm 19 is so concise and accurate it screams out the Glory of God. It tells us of Gods sovereignty. It declares the Glory of God through the creation. It declares The light of man. The life giving salvation of man as coming forth from his tabernacle knowing of all things, giving life to all. It declares those that don’t perceive/understand the light have nothing to believe or receive but Entropy. Falling into energy-less darkness with no hope but to fall further into disorder and chaos. The Bridegroom that comes forth is all life energy. He is the giver of life. Jesus the Christ.