The “Problems” with Biblical Prophecy By Nathan Busenitz

Recently, I have been studying biblical prophecy from an apologetics perspective. It is a fascinating topic, and one that I have found to be very confirming.
In my studies I have come across five major objections to biblical prophecy (from critics and skeptics). Perhaps there are others, but these are the primary ones that I have found. Without going into too much detail, for the sake of space, I would like to briefly respond to each of these five objections in today’s post.

Critical Objection 1: Many biblical prophecies were written after the events they predict.
This objection is usually reserved for prophecies that were both predicted and fulfilled during Old Testament times (since it is impossible to credibly assert that the messianic prophecies of the OT post-date the life of Christ).
In response, a couple points can be made. First, very compelling cases have been made by conservative commentators for the authenticity of each of the Old Testament prophecies in question. Excellent discussions on the dating of each prophetic book, and even each individual prophecy, can be found in solid exegetical commentaries and other resources on the Old Testament.
To cite one example, after extensively studying Daniel’s prophecies (one particular hotbed among critics) from a linguistic and historical point-of-view, Gleason L. Archer concludes, “The linguistic evidence from Qumran makes the rationalistic explanation for Daniel no longer tenable [i.e., that it was written later than the events it predicts]. It is difficult to see how any scholar can defend this view and maintain intellectual respectability.” Later he notes, “There is no evading the conclusion that the prophecies of the Book of Daniel were inspired by the same God who later fulfilled them, or who will fulfill them in the last days.”[1]
Second, it is important to understand that the case for redating OT prophecies (as the critics attempt to do) is an arbitrary one—driven primarily by their antisupernatural presuppositions. But if messianic prophecies (which everyone agrees predate Jesus Christ) can be shown to have been fulfilled by Christ, then there exists an undeniable example of predictive prophecy being fulfilled. Such would directly undermine the antisupernatural presupposition that critical scholars bring to the text.
Evangelical scholar Robert C. Newman, who has written considerably on the topic of biblical prophecy, notes the failure of critical scholarship to discount the authenticity of OT prophecies: “Even when critical scholarship has done its best to redate Old Testament texts so as to avoid fulfilled prophecy, the constraints provided by the translation of the Old Testament into Greek (250–150 B.C.) and the rise of the Christian church leave a substantial residue of clear examples [of fulfilled prophecies].”[2]
Critical Objection 2: Many “fulfillments” were arbitrarily directed toward Jesus by His followers (even though the original prophecy had nothing to do with the coming Messiah).
I believe this objection is due in large part to confusion over the way that the New Testament writers speak of prophetic “fulfillments.” As Bible scholar William Varner explains:
Regarding the specific number of promises about the Messiah, there is a wide divergence of opinion. Rabbinical writings refer to 456 separate Old Testament passages used to refer to the Messiah and messianic times (Edersheim, 710-41). One Christian scholar lists 127 personal messianic prophecies (Payne, 667-68). The differences are due to the way in which the New Testament refers to the Old Testament promises. There are direct messianic prophecies (e.g., Micah 5:2; Zech. 9:9); typical messianic prophecies, utilizing an immediate referent in the prophet’s day which pointed to the ultimate referent (e.g., the sacrificial levitical system); and applications of Old Testament concepts to the Messiah (e.g., the reference Matthew 2:23 makes to the prophets saying: “He will be called a Nazarene.”) If we limit ourselves to the direct messianic prophecies just mentioned, a conservative number would be around 65.[3]
When we talk about “fulfilled prophecy” with unbelievers, I believe it is best to either explain how the New Testament speaks of fulfillment, or to focus on direct messianic prophecies. Narrowing the “prophetic field” to just the direct messianic prophecies does not diminish the apologetic value of prophecy. Rather (in our opinion) it increases the credibility of our apologetic case by removing potential confusion from the hearer.
It has been calculated that the probability of only 48 prophecies coming true in one person is 10 to the 157th power, making it a statistical impossibility.[4] The point is that the case for Christ does not get any weaker when we get more specific.
We would add also that the Jews before the time of Jesus saw key passages like Genesis 3:15; Deuteronomy 18:15, 18–19; Psalm 2; 118:22; Isaiah 7:14; 11:1–10; and 53:1–12 as messianic in nature. Jesus’ followers did not invent the messianic implications of these passages.[5] As Alfred Edersheim explains, “A careful perusal of their [the Rabbi’s] Scripture quotations shows that the main postulates of the New Testament concerning the Messiah [i.e. that Jesus Christ is the Jewish Messiah] are fully supported by Rabbinic statements.”[6]
Critical Objection 3: Many of the “fulfillments” were intentionally fulfilled by Jesus, meaning they were faked. Jesus was motivated to try and fulfill messianic prophecy, so He manipulated the circumstances to make that happen.
The answer to this objection is easy. On the one hand, there are prophecies that Jesus intentionally fulfilled. We cannot deny that He was very aware of the Father’s timing (cf. John 13:1; 17:1), and that He deliberately purposed to accomplish certain things at the proper moment (cf. Luke 9:51; 18:31).
On the other hand, Jesus fulfilled many prophecies that no mere man could accomplish in his own power, no matter how intentional he might be. The Old Testament predicts that the Messiah would be a physical descendant of Abraham (Gen. 22:18), Jacob (Num. 24:17), Judah (Gen. 49:10), Jesse (Is. 11:1), and David (Jer. 23:5), but not of Jeconiah (Jer. 22:30—making the virgin birth necessary); that He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); that He would have a forerunner like Elijah (Mal. 3:1); that He would be able to perform miracles (Is. 35:5, 6); that He would cause a major stir among His people and eventually be rejected by them (Psalm 118:22); that He would be beaten and killed as a criminal (Is. 53:5–12); that He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9); that He would have His side pierced (Zech. 12:10); that He would die before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple (Dan. 9:26); and that, in spite of His death, His days would be prolonged, implying resurrection (Is. 53:10).
This list is not exhaustive, but it makes the point because these are things that would be humanly impossible to fake or manipulate. Jesus fulfilled many prophecies that an ordinary human being could not have “orchestrated” or “pre-arranged.”
Finally, it should be noted that even if Jesus did fulfill some prophecies intentionally, this does not invalidate those predictions. The fact that Jesus fulfilled OT prophecy perfectly, intentionally or not, points convincingly to Him as the Messiah. No one else in all of history (in spite of their best efforts) can make such a claim.
To quote Newman again: “Of all the Messianic claimants that Judaism has ever had, the only one ever considered an outstanding historical figure and ethical teacher (even by atheists) is Jesus of Nazareth. And He ‘just happened’ to conduct His short public ministry and be ‘cut off’ (killed) in the period A.D. 28-35 [in fulfillment of Daniel 9]!”[7]
Critical Objection 4: Many of the “fulfillments” were invented by Jesus’ followers (as recorded in the NT gospels) and cannot be independently verified by other sources.
This objection can also be answered on several fronts. First, as we have discussed in previous articles, the New Testament gospel writers demonstrate themselves to be historically reliable sources. Second, the main points of the Jesus’ life are attested to by sources outside the Bible (see here).
Third, even Jesus enemies (in places such as the Babylonian Talmud) do acknowledge certain key aspects of Jesus life by attempting to explain them away: such as the virgin birth (prefigured in Isaiah 7:14), Jesus’ healing and other miracles (see Isaiah 35:5–6; 61:1–2), Jesus’ claim to deity (prophesied in Isaiah 9:6), His rejection by the religious leaders (foretold in Psalm 118:22); and His horrific death (predicted in Isaiah 53).[8]
Fourth, as we noted above, Daniel 9:26 predicted that the Messiah would come before the destruction of the temple (something that would have been necessary for his ancestry to be confirmed by the temple’s genealogical records). Not only would this have been completely outside of Jesus’ control, it is also clearly attested by historical fact.
It might also be added that other prophecies (regarding the nation of Israel) have also been fulfilled since the time of Christ. Following the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem by the Romans (Daniel 9:26; cf. Luke 21:24), such prophesies include the dispersion of the Jews among the nations (Deuteronomy 28:64; cf. Ezekiel 22:14–15; Hosea 9:17), the persecution of the Jews throughout much of history (Deuteronomy 28:65–67), and the subsequent return of Israel to the land (Ezekiel 20:34; Hosea 3:4–5; Amos 9:14–15; cf. Isaiah 11:11).
Nearly two millennia after Rome destroyed Jerusalem, the Jews again established a nation in the Promised Land in 1948. As Jewish-Christian scholar Arnold Fruchtenbaum explains, “The restoration of the Jewish State is a fulfillment of those prophecies that spoke of a regathering [of the nation] in unbelief in preparation for judgment” (cf. Ezekiel 20:33–38; 22:17–22; 36:22–24; Isaiah 11:11, 12; Zephaniah 2:1, 2).[9]
Critical Objection 5: Many biblical prophesies have not come to pass.
This is easily answered by noting the difference between historical prophecies (those which spoke of events which would occur in a relatively short time after they were predicted—including messianic prophecies), and end-times prophecies (which will not be fulfilled until Jesus returns) or heavenly prophecies (those which are not fulfilled on this earth).
To quote again from Dr. Varner:
The key to understanding the role of the promised Messiah, and also the main difference between traditional Jewish and Christian messianic views, lies in recognizing His dual role of suffering and reigning. While there are many passages that describe a glorious reign for the Messiah (Jer. 23:5,6; 30:1–10; Zech. 14:3ff), there are others that describe His rejection and suffering (Psalm 22, Isa. 53, Zech. 9:9; 12:10; 13:5-7). The NT views the suffering and glory passages as fulfilled in Jesus’ first and second comings respectively (Luke 24:25-27; I Peter 1:10,11).[10]

Oral Roberts president faces corruption lawsuit He is accused of illegal involvement in political campaign, lavish spending

TULSA, Okla. - Twenty years ago, televangelist Oral Roberts said he was reading a spy novel when God appeared to him and told him to raise $8 million for Roberts’ university, or else he would be “called home.”
Now, his son, Oral Roberts University President Richard Roberts, says God is speaking again, telling him to deny lurid allegations in a lawsuit that threatens to engulf this 44-year-old Bible Belt college in scandal.
Richard Roberts is accused of illegal involvement in a local political campaign and lavish spending at donors’ expense, including numerous home remodeling projects, use of the university jet for his daughter’s senior trip to the Bahamas and a red Mercedes convertible and a Lexus SUV for his wife, Lindsay.

She is accused of dropping tens of thousands of dollars on clothes, awarding nonacademic scholarships to friends of her children and sending scores of text messages on university-issued cell phones to people described in the lawsuit as “underage males.”
Roberts: Suit about blackmailAt a chapel service this week on the 5,300-student campus known for its 60-foot-tall bronze sculpture of praying hands, Roberts said God told him: “We live in a litigious society. Anyone can get mad and file a lawsuit against another person whether they have a legitimate case or not. This lawsuit ... is about intimidation, blackmail and extortion.”
San Antonio televangelist John Hagee, a member of the ORU board of regents, said the university’s executive board “is conducting a full and thorough investigation.”
Colleagues fear for the reputation of the university and the future of the Robertses’ ministry, which grew from Southern tent revivals to one of the most successful evangelical empires in the country, hauling in tens of millions of dollars in contributions a year. The university reported nearly $76 million in revenue in 2005, according to the IRS.
Oral Roberts is 89 and lives in California. He holds the title of chancellor, but the university describes him as semi-retired, and his son presides over day-to-day operations on the campus, which had a modern, space-age design when it was built in the early 1960s but now looks dated, like Disney’s Tomorrowland.
Students worry about school's reputationCornell Cross II, a senior from Burlington, Vt., said he is looking to transfer to another school because the scandal has “severely devalued and hurt the reputation of my degree.”
“We have asked and asked and asked to see the finances of our school and what they’re doing with our money, and we’ve been told no,” said, Cross who is majoring in government. “Now we know why. As a student, I’m not going to stand for it any longer.”
The allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by three former professors. They sued ORU and Roberts, alleging they were wrongfully dismissed after reporting the school’s involvement in a local political race.

continue reading here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21156263/

Church or Sex Club?

This is from The Gathering in Sevierville, Tennessee (a Purpose-Driven Church). They sent 51,000 of these mailers to the people in their community which means that thousands of children were exposed to this scintillating marketing piece when they opened their mailboxes. This upset many parents in Sevierville county (and it should have). Reaction to this mailer can be seen in the video posted in this exhibit.
What ever happened to the idea that, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea?" (Mark 9:42) What about holiness and not causing a brother to stumble?
All of these Biblical restraints are gone because these purpose-driven, culturally relevant, innovative churches only care about the numbers. It doesn't matter what you use to get people to come to church, the only thing that matters to these churches is that their attendance is growing. In fact, The Gathering is reporting that 87 people 'got saved' during the first week of their Red Hot Sex sermon series. So in their mind the ends justify the means. But, how is this ANY different than using Pole Dancers to attract people to a church?

This video shows the fallout from these types of church marketing campaigns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKs7mihO_yU

Puritan Quote of the Week

"A hot iron, though blunt, will pierce sooner than a cold one, though sharper."
JOHN FLAVEL

A Warning & An Open Invitation By John MacArthur

Today we will consider two final ways in which God’s love extends to the whole world. This will conclude our series on the love of God. This series was adapted from John’s book The God Who Loves published by Thomas Nelson.
Admonition
God’s universal love is revealed not only in common grace and His great compassion, but also in His admonition to repent. God is constantly warning the reprobate of their impending fate, and pleading with them to turn away from sin. Nothing demonstrates God’s love more than the various warnings throughout the pages of Scripture, urging sinners to flee from the wrath to come.
Anyone who knows anything about Scripture knows it is filled with warnings about the judgment to come, warnings about hell, and warnings about the severity of divine punishment. If God really did not love the reprobate, nothing would compel Him to warn them. He would be perfectly just to punish them for their sin and unbelief with no admonition whatsoever. But He does love and He does care and He does warn.
God evidently loves sinners enough to warn them. Sometimes the warnings of Scripture bear the marks of divine wrath. They sound severe. They reflect God’s hatred of sin. They warn of the irreversible condemnation that will befall sinners. They are unsettling, unpleasant, even terrifying.
But they are admonitions from a loving God who as we have seen weeps over the destruction of the wicked. They are necessary expressions from the heart of a compassionate Creator who takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. They are further proof that God is love.
The Gospel Offer
Finally, we see proof that God’s love extends to all in the gospel offer. We saw earlier that the gospel invitation is an offer of divine mercy. Now consider the unlimited breadth of the offer. No one is excluded from the gospel invitation. Salvation in Christ is freely and indiscriminately offered to all.
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 22:2–14 about a king who was having a marriage celebration for his son. He sent his servants to invite the wedding guests. Scripture says simply, “they were unwilling to come” (v. 3). The king sent his servants again, saying, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast” (v. 4). But even after that second invitation, the invited guests remained unwilling to come. In fact, Scripture says, “They paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them” (vv. 5–6). This was outrageous, inexcusable behavior! And the king judged them severely for it.
Then Scripture says he told his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast” (v. 9). He opened the invitation to all comers. Jesus closes with this: “Many are called, but few are chosen” (v. 14).
The parable represents God’s dealing with the nation of Israel. They were the invited guests. But they rejected the Messiah. They spurned Him and mistreated Him and crucified Him. They wouldn’t come—as Jesus said to them:
You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life. (Jn. 5:39–40)
The gospel invites many to come who are unwilling to come. Many are called who are not chosen. The invitation to come is given indiscriminately to all. Whosoever will may come—the invitation is not issued to the elect alone.
God’s love for mankind does not stop with a warning of the judgment to come. It also invites sinners to partake of divine mercy. It offers forgiveness and mercy. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28–29). And Jesus said, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (Jn. 6:37).
It should be evident from these verses that the gospel is a free offer of Christ and His salvation to all who hear. Those who deny the free offer therefore alter the nature of the gospel itself. And those who deny that God’s love extends to all humanity obscure some of the most blessed truth in all Scripture about God and His lovingkindness.
God’s love extends to the whole world. It covers all humanity. We see it in common grace. We see it in His compassion. We see it in His admonitions to the lost. And we see it in the free offer of the gospel to all.
God is love, and His mercy is over all His works.

The Sin of NOT Fighting For The Truth

Quoting John MacArthur . . .
As always, a war is being waged against the truth. We are on one side or the other. There is no middle ground--no safe zone for the uncommitted. Lately the question of truth itself--what it is and whether we can truly know it at all--has become one of the major points of contention. We also happen to be living in a generation when many so-called Christians have no taste for conflict and contention. Multitudes of biblically and doctrinally malnourished Christians have come to think of controversy as something that should always be avoided, whatever the cost. Sadly, that is what many weak pastors have modeled for them.
Controversy and conflict in the church are never to be relished or engaged in without sufficient cause. But in every generation, the battle for the truth has proved ultimately unavoidable, because the enemies of truth are relentless. Truth is always under assault. And it is actually a sin not to fight when vital truths are under attack.
That is true even though fighting sometimes results in conflict within the visible community of professing Christians. In fact, whenever the enemies of gospel truth succeed in infiltrating the church, faithful believers are obliged to take the battle to them even there. That is certainly the case today, as it has been since apostolic times. ...
When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, believers from this generation will not be able to justify their apathy by complaining that the strife of conflict over truth just seemed "too negative" for the kind of culture we lived in--or that the issues were "merely doctrinal" and therefore not worth the effort.
Remember, Christ rebuked the churches in Revelation 2 - 3 who had tolerated false teachers in their midst (2:14-16;20-23). He expressly commended the Ephesian church for examining the claims of certain false apostles and exposing them as liars (2:2). Churches have a clear duty to guard the faith against false teachers who infiltrate. Christ Himself demands it.
At the same time, we need to notice carefully that a polemical defense of the faith by no means guarantees a healthy church, much less a healthy individual Christian. Christ also rebuked the doctrinally sound Ephesians for departing from their first love (Revelation 2:4). As vital as it is for us to enlist in the Truth War and do battle for our faith, it is even more important to remember why we are fighting--not merely for the thrill of vanquishing some foe or winning some argument, but out of a genuine love for Christ, who is the living, breathing embodiment of all that we hold true and worth fighting for.

Email From Jeff

Hello my brother - long may you run.

Kind regards,

Jeff Tihansky

Puritan Quote of the Week From the Pastor's Desk

"Neither be idle in the means, nor make an idol of the means."
WILLAIM SECKER

Pity the Fool(s) By John MacArthur

Yesterday we considered God’s love for all mankind as seen in common grace. Today we will look at the compassion He has for the whole world.

Compassion
God’s love to all humanity is a love of compassion. To say it another way, it is a love of pity. It is a broken-hearted love. He is “good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon [Him]” (Ps. 86:5). “To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him” (Dan. 9:9). He is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Exod. 34:6).
Again, we must understand that there is nothing in any sinner that compels God’s love. He does not love us because we are lovable. He is not merciful to us because we in any way deserve His mercy. We are despicable, vile sinners who if we are not saved by the grace of God will be thrown on the trash heap of eternity, which is hell. We have no intrinsic value, no intrinsic worth—there’s nothing in us to love.
I recently overheard a radio talk-show psychologist attempting to give a caller an ego-boost: “God loves you for what you are. You must see yourself as someone special. After all, you are special to God.”
But that misses the point entirely. God does not love us “for what we are.” He loves us in spite of what we are. He does not love us because we are special. Rather, it is only His love and grace that give our lives any significance at all. That may seem like a doleful perspective to those raised in a culture where self-esteem is elevated to the supreme virtue. But it is, after all, precisely what Scripture teaches: “We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly” (Ps. 106:6). “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Isa. 64:6).
God loves because He is love; love is essential to who He is. Rather than viewing His love as proof of something worthy in us, we ought to be humbled by it.
God’s love for the reprobate is not the love of value; it is the love of pity for that which could have had value and has none. It is a love of compassion. It is a love of sorrow. It is a love of pathos. It is the same deep sense of compassion and pity we have when we see a scab-ridden derelict lying in the gutter. It is not a love that is incompatible with revulsion, but it is a genuine, well-meant, compassionate, sympathetic love nonetheless.
Frequently the Old Testament prophets describe the tears of God for the lost:
Therefore my heart intones like a harp for Moab, and my inward feelings for Kir-hareseth. So it will come about when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself upon his high place, and comes to his sanctuary to pray, that he will not prevail. This is the word which the Lord spoke earlier concerning Moab (Isa. 16:11–13).
“And I shall make an end of Moab,” declares the Lord, “the one who offers sacrifice on the high place and the one who burns incense to his gods. Therefore My heart wails for Moab like flutes; My heart also wails like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have lost the abundance it produced. For every head is bald and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands and sackcloth on the loins” (Jer. 48:35–37).
Similarly, the New Testament gives us the picture of Christ, weeping over the city of Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matt. 23:37). Luke 19:41–44 gives an even more detailed picture of Christ’s sorrow over the city:
And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Those are words of doom, yet they’re spoken in great sorrow. It is genuine sorrow, borne out of the heart of a divine Savior who “wanted to gather [them] together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,” but they were “unwilling.”
Those who deny God’s love for the reprobate usually suggest that what we see here is the human side of Jesus, not His divinity. They say that if this were an expression of sincere desire from an omnipotent God, He would surely intervene in their behalf and save them. Unfulfilled desire such as Jesus expresses here is simply incompatible with a sovereign God, they say.
But consider the problems with that view. Is Christ in His humanity more loving or more compassionate than God? Is tenderness perfected in the humanity of Christ, yet somehow lacking in His deity? When Christ speaks of gathering the people of Jerusalem as a hen gathers her chicks, is this not deity speaking, rather than humanity? Do not these pronouncements of doom necessarily proceed from His deity as well? And if the words are the words of deity, how can anyone assert that the accompanying sorrow is the product of Christ’s human nature only, and not the divine? Do not our hearts tell us that if God is love—if His tender mercies are over all His works—then what we hear in Jesus’ words must be an echo of the divine?

Calvin, Geneva, & Reformed Worship Speaker: Dr. Derek W. H. Thomas

Dr. Derek W. H. Thomas (holding Mary Hannah Payne) and Dr. Jon Payne

Click below to listen to these great session's http://www.box.net/shared/92ad7ut1j8

Q&A WITH DR. RC. SPROUL

Why would a loving and holy God allow a child to suffer through a serious illness such as cancer?

We usually associate the love of God with the benefits we receive from him and the blessings that come from his kind and merciful hand. Because his love usually manifests itself in good things that happen to us, we sometimes fall back in shock and consternation when we see a child struck by disease or some other trauma. Before we speak to the question of why God allows children to suffer, we need to ask the bigger question: Why does God allow suffering to happen to any person, whether he’s two years old, two months old, or twenty years old? The Scriptures tell us that suffering came into the world as a consequence of the fall of man and of creation; that is to say, it is because of sin that God has visited judgment upon this planet. That includes the curses of pain, disease, sorrow, and death that attend the consequences of wickedness. How could a loving and holy God allow a baby to suffer a debilitating disease? I think the answer is partly contained in that very question. God is holy, and in his holiness he exercises judgment against the wickedness that is prevalent in human nature. When we ask the question with respect to infants, sometimes lurking behind that question is the unspoken assumption that babies are innocent. Virtually every church in the history of Christendom has had to develop some concept of what we call original sin because the Scriptures teach us so clearly that we are born in a sinful state and that the curse of the Fall attends every human life. That sounds grim and dreadful until we realize that in that judgment on fallen humanity comes also the tempering of God’s wrath with mercy and grace and his whole work of redemption. We believe with great joyous anticipation that there is a special measure of grace God has reserved for those who die in infancy. Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” One warning that I have to raise at this point is that we dare not jump to the conclusion that an individual per-son’s particular disease or affliction is a direct result of some particular sin. That may not be the case at all. As humans, all of us must participate in the broad complex of the fallenness of our humanity, which includes the tragedy of disease.

The Universal Grace of God By Dr John MacArthur

In light of all the comments last week about God’s love for those never saved, we wanted to continue the discussion by examing the question: In what sense is God’s love universal? What aspects of God’s love and goodwill are seen even in His dealings with the reprobate?
There are at least four ways that God’s love is manifest universally to all people. Today we will consider the first.
Common Grace
Common grace is a term theologians use to describe the goodness of God to all mankind universally. Common grace restrains sin and the effects of sin on the human race. Common grace is what keeps humanity from descending into the morass of evil that we would see if the full expression of our fallen nature were allowed to have free reign.
Scripture teaches that we are totally depraved—tainted with sin in every aspect of our being (Rom. 3:10–18). People who doubt this doctrine often ask, “How can people who are supposedly totally depraved enjoy beauty, have a sense of right and wrong, know the pangs of a wounded conscience, or produce great works of art and literature? Aren’t these accomplishments of humanity proof that the human race is essentially good? Don’t these things testify to the basic goodness of human nature?”
And the answer is no. Human nature is utterly corrupt. “There is none righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:10). “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9). Unregenerate men and women are “dead in … trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). All people are by nature “foolish … disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending [their lives] in malice” (Titus 3:3). This is true of all alike, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
Common grace is all that restrains the full expression of human sinfulness. God has graciously given us a conscience, which enables us to know the difference between right and wrong, and to some degree places moral constraints on evil behavior (Rom. 2:15). He sovereignly maintains order in human society through government (Rom. 13:1–5). He enables us to admire beauty and goodness (Ps. 50:2). He imparts numerous advantages, blessings, and tokens of His kindness on both the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt. 5:45). All of those things are the result of common grace, God’s goodness to mankind in general.
Common grace ought to be enough to move sinners to repentance. The apostle Paul rebukes the unbeliever: “Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4). Yet because of the depth of depravity in the human heart, all sinners spurn the goodness of God.
Common grace does not pardon sin or redeem sinners, but it is nevertheless a sincere token of God’s goodwill to mankind in general. As the apostle Paul said, “In Him we live and move and exist … for we also are His offspring” (Acts 17:28). That takes in everyone on earth, not just those whom God adopts as sons. God deals with us all as His offspring, people made in His image. “The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works” (Ps. 145:9).
If you question the love and goodness of God to all, look again at the world in which we live. Someone might say, “There’s a lot of sorrow in this world.” The only reason the sorrow and tragedy stand out is because there is also much joy and gladness. The only reason we recognize the ugliness is that God has given us so much beauty. The only reason we feel the disappointment is that there is so much that satisfies.
When we understand that all of humanity is fallen and rebellious and unworthy of any blessing from God’s hand, it helps give a better perspective. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail” (Lam. 3:22, NIV). And the only reason God ever gives us anything to laugh at, smile at, or enjoy is because He is a good and loving God. If He were not, we would be immediately consumed by His wrath.
Acts 14 contains a helpful description of common grace. Here Paul and Barnabas were ministering at Lystra, when Paul healed a lame man. The crowds saw it and someone began saying that Paul was Zeus and Barnabas was Hermes. The priest at the local temple of Zeus wanted to organize a sacrifice to Zeus. But when Paul and Barnabas heard about it, they said,
Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them. And in the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness (vv. 15–17, emphasis added).
That is a fine description of common grace. While allowing sinners to “go their own ways,” God nevertheless bestows on them temporal tokens of His goodness and lovingkindness. It is not saving grace. It has no redemptive effect. Nevertheless, it is a genuine and unfeigned manifestation of divine lovingkindness to all people.

Dont Miss This on 60 Minutes October 14th

Mike Horton is due to be on 60 Minutes on October 14th discussing Osteenism [Joel Osteen]. Set the Tivo now!

'Creative Worship Experiences' or Strange Fire? By Jim B [Old Truth]

On this Lord's Day, Chad is back to talk about one of the most chilling passages in the bible, and how it relates to one of the most popular church-packing trends of our day. If you attend a church that feels called to orchestrate creative worship experiences for the masses, you'll want to tune in for this post. Right away, you know the premise is faulty, just by the way it's designed to cater to people. That's not the aim of true worship. Chad takes over now and unpacks for us this key passage in Leviticus 10:3 - "Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it what the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace".
The subject of what is appropriate worship to the Lord has been the focus of much discussion here on Old Truth in recent weeks. The worship of the church has been corrupted to the point that the church is scarcely distinguishable from the world in it's worship. The commands of God have been put aside, scripture has been forgotten, and creativity and innovation have replaced them. Ignorance of scripture has grown to the point where those who claim to be God's people insist that God does not prescribe the manner in which the church is to worship and that he is in fact pleased and glorified with innovation and creativity. The antics of many so called churches is closer to the worship of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32 than it is to the worship of the Lord typified in Revelation 4. Frequently the excuse used for innovating worship is that God is creative and he made man in his image, therefore we glorify God by being creative in worship. Not only is there no scriptural support for such a claim but this type of thinking shows a dangerous and inexcusable ignorance of scripture. The command of scripture is "You shall be holy for I am holy" 1 Pet 1:16, not "You shall be creative for I am creative". Worship as devised in the heart of man is unaccepted by God and condemned as idolatry (Gen. 4:5, Ex. 32, Duet 27:5) and God brings sure judgment on those who would be so bold as to transgress. Ignorance of the commands of scripture is no excuse as we shall see. In his book "Gospel Worship", Jeremiah Burroughs 1599-1646 expounds upon Leviticus 10:3 and shows us that the Lord is angry with innovative worship and that only worship which He commands is acceptable. Burroughs begins by opening to us the judgment that befell Nadab and Abihu. He points out that these men were most noble men, the sons of Aaron and appointed by God to be priests, yet all of this did not protect them from the God's judgment when they deviated from the prescription of worship that God had commanded.
Question: What was their sin?
Answer: Their sin was offering strange fire that God had not commanded them. But had God ever forbidden it? Where do we find that God had ever forbidden them to offer strange fire, or appointed that they should only offer one kind of fire? There is no text of Scripture that you can find from the beginning of Genesis to this place where God had said in so many words expressly, "You shall offer no fire but one kind of fire." And yet here they are consumed by fire from God for offering strange fire. I find in Exodus 30:9 that they were forbidden to offer strange incense, but I do not find that they were forbidden to offer strange fire. In Leviticus 6:13, and divers verses in that chapter, we find that God had appointed that they should constantly keep the fire on the altar burning and never let it go out. It seems that it was God's intention that they should make use of that fire and that fire only. God would have them to pick out his meaning. God sent fire down from heaven upon the altar. In the latter end of the ninth chapter, God sent down fire from heaven and gave them charge to keep that fire on the altar constantly and to never let it go out. So it seems that God would have them pick out his meaning, that because He had sent down fire from heaven upon the altar and gave them power to keep it constantly, God would have them understand therefore that what incense or sacrifice He would have them use should only be that fire and no other. It should be noted, though, that God never did say to them directly in these words, "You shall make use of this fire and no other," but God would have them understand this. That's their sin, therefore, offering strange fire. In connection with this judgment of Nadab and Abihu, Burroughs shows us how it is that God will be sanctified by those who draw near to him thus opening the meaning of our text, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified". "I will be sanctified," That is, "I will be hallowed." It is the very same word that you have in the Lord's prayer, "Hallowed be thy name," only that's the Greek word and this is the Hebrew. But if you would translate this into Greek, you must translate it by the same that Christ spoke when he taught his disciples to pray, "Hallowed be Thy name." Hallowed and sanctified are all one. "Lord, let they name appear to be holy.""I will be sanctified," that is, "I will have my name appear to be holy. I will make know unto my people, and to all the world, that I am a holy God." That's the meaning of "I will be sanctified." I will be known to all the world as a holy God."And before all the people I will be glorified." So it is in the latter part of the verse. It is as if God should say, "I account it to be My Glory that I should be manifested to be holy before all the world." "I will be sanctified," that is, "I will have my people demean themselves so as to hold forth their acknowledgment of My holiness, so that by their behavior, I my appear to be a holy God. I will be sanctified by them, or otherwise, if they shall not in an active way sanctify My name, that is, if they shall not demean themselves so as to hold forth the glory of My holiness, then I will be sanctified upon them. I will demean and carry Myself towards them so that by My actions upon them I will make it appear what a holy God I am."So God is sanctified in two ways:
One is by the holiness of His people in their conduct towards Him, holding forth the glory of God's holiness. So you have it in 1Pet 3:15 "Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts." The saints sanctify God in their hearts when they fear God as a holy God, and reverence Him and love Him as a holy God. They sanctify HIM in their lives when their lives hold forth the glory of God's holiness. Then God is sanctified.But then, if we do not do so, God sanctifies himself in ways of judgment upon those who do not sanctify His name in ways of holiness. Thus you have it in Ezekiel 28:22 "And say, thus the Lord God, behold I am against thee, O Sidon, and I will be glorified in the midst of thee, and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall execute judgment in her, and shall be sanctified in her." This is all one with "I will be glorified in the midst of them." And in Ezekiel 38:16 and 23 you have verses to the same purpose: "And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land, that the heathen may know Me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes" (verse 16). "Thus I will magnify Myself, and I will be known in they eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord" (verse 23). In the way of the execution of judgment, thus I will sanctify myself, so I will be sanctified in those that draw nigh unto me." "In those that come nigh Me," that is, especially in the priests who approach God (Ezekiel 42:13). They approach God especially , but it is meant generally of those who deal in God's worship. "Whosoever shall come to me, let them look to it. They must sanctify My name; they must so demean themselves in My worship as to hold forth My name to be holy. Otherwise, I will manifest Myself against them in the ways of judgment; for I will appear to be a holy God. I will have the glory of My holiness in one way or another from those who come near Me."
To confuse creativity with holiness is a great folly. It must always be remembered that we can offer nothing in our worship to the Lord that is acceptable to him that he has not first commanded. You remember Deuteronomy 27:5 "And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them." Here we are to learn an important lesson. The Israelites had not yet entered the promised land, they could not yet build the altar that God provided the pattern for. They were, therefore, to leave the stones uncut, they were allowed no creative input in their worship. All designs of their own hearts were foul in God's sight, therefore they were not allowed to fashion the stones according to their own designs. So it is with us, out of our hearts come filthiness (Matt 15:19). Those who would suggest that our creativity "in doing church" and our innovations in worship are pleasing to God will do well to consider these things, for God says, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me."

Pastors, Pragmatism, Pleasure, and Pride By Pastor John Piper

My calling on the staff at Bethlehem includes the charge to study and preach the Scriptures, to sharpen and shout the vision, and to sound the bell of warning when there is danger ahead. So on our recent pastors’ prayer and planning retreat, I rang the bell three times. Of course, there is always danger ahead. So there was nothing unusual about this. The Bible is strewn with ever-relevant warnings. And I felt that three were urgent. Actually, there are two warnings, and one positive exhortation. Here is a summary of what I said. Please pray this for yourselves and for us on the staff.
1. Beware of the idolatry of pragmatism (2 Chronicles 28:19-27).
Ahaz, king of Israel, “had made Judah act sinfully and had been very unfaithful to the Lord” (2 Chronicles 28:19). So the king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him. Ahaz tried to take portions from the house of the Lord to placate the Assyrian king. It did not work. His folly he became more foolish, and he “sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him” (v. 23). Incredible! He sacrificed to the enemy’s gods! Why? What made this king tick?
Answer: “For he and said, ‘Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me’” (v. 23). In other words, it looks like prayer to the gods of Syria worked. So if it worked for them, it might work for me. This is pragmatism in its rawest form. The idolatry of pragmatism. Pragmatism worships what works. The end of Ahaz’s story: His sacrifices “were the ruin of him and of all Israel” (v. 23).
Beware, Bethlehem, of sacrificing truth and holiness on the altar of what seems to work. Things are not what they seem. Instead of pragmatism . . .
2. “Welcome the love of the truth and so be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
That’s a literal translation of the last clause of 2 Thessalonians 2:10: “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” They did not “welcome the love of the truth that they might be saved.” If a person does not love the truth, he is not saved.” Loving truth is one of the sure fruits of the justified life.
What happens in the end to those who will not welcome a love of truth into their lives? Paul says, “God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (vv. 11-12).
That last phrase is astonishing. We spent a good while as a staff unpacking it for our ministry. Paul contrasts “believing the truth” not with disbelief but with “pleasure in unrighteousness.” In other words, wherever anyone considers Jesus and rejects him, it is not owing merely to an intellectual conclusion but, more deeply, to stronger pleasure, namely, “pleasure in unrighteousness.” The fallen human mind is not a neutral observer of Christ. People do not believe in the light because they love the darkness (John 3:19). Love. Take pleasure in. The pleasure of sin is the alternative to loving the truth. So, Bethlehem, love the truth. Flee the idolatry of pragmatism, and love the truth.
3. Beware of pride which brings destruction (2 Chronicles 26).
Uzziah became king of Judah when he was sixteen. He reigned 52 years. “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. . . . He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper” (2 Chronicles 26:4-5). He became very strong and everywhere he went God helped him. But then the constant and thudding theme of the Old Testament happened again. The best kings fail.
“His fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.” (vv. 15-16). His God-given success proved to be his ruin! He became proud. And his pride expressed itself in feeling himself to be above the law and above criticism. So he entered the temple to do what only the priests were allowed to do.
Azariah and eighty priests who were “men of valor” confronted the king in the name of the Lord. “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. . . . Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God” (v. 18). When Uzziah became angry, God struck him with leprosy in his face, and he lived the rest of his life in a separate house as a leper (v. 21).
Bethlehem, God has strengthened us. We are at risk of this leprosy: “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.” What then shall we do? I said two things to the staff: 1) Never let me be above criticism and correction. I invite you to give me constructive criticism whenever you see some attitude or words or actions that dishonor the Lord. 2) Stay close to the cross and never cease to be amazed and thankful that you are saved. People who are perpetually and thankfully amazed that God has saved them are not likely to be destroyed by pride. Pray for us concerning these three P’s: The idolatry of pragmatism that ruins the church; the pleasure in unrighteousness that refuses to love the truth; and the pride of being strong that leads to destruction.

Transforming Culture: Christian Truth Confronts Post-Christian America By Dr Albert Mohler Jr.

Peggy Noonan is right. At some point, in some moment, all of us must admit that something remarkable has happened to American culture. Mrs Noonan, a former presidential speechwriter, recalls that this moment came for her during a high school graduation in the early 1970s. A young girl walked across the stage to received her diploma. The girl was obviously pregnant. Noonan recalls that her first impulse was admiration for the girl's grit and determination against social disapproval. "But," recognized Noonan, "society wasn't disapproving. It was applauding." As she reflected, "Applause is a right and generous response for a young girl with grit and heart. And yet, in the sound of that applause I heard a wall falling, a thousand-year wall, a wall of sanctions that said: We as a society do not approve of teenaged unwed motherhood because it is not good for the child, not good for the mother, not good for us."
To this the Christian Church would say far more, but the great danger today is that many Christians are seeing the same evidence, and saying far less. A remarkable culture-shift has taken place around us. The most basic contours of American culture have been radically altered. The so-called Judeo-Christian consensus of the last millennium has given way to a post-modern, post-Christian, post-Western cultural crisis which threatens the very heart of our culture.
Reflecting on the changes experienced by America over just the last half-century, John Howard of the Rockford Institute described the end of World War II as "a half century and a whole civilization ago." We know how he feels. Looking back on the America of 1945, it does look like a whole civilization has passed.
The evidence is overwhelming. Moral relativism has so shaped the culture that the vast majority of Americans now see themselves as their own moral arbiter. Truth has been internalized, privatized, and subjectivized. Absolute or objective truth is denied outright. Research indicates that most Americans believe that truth is internal and relative. No one, the culture shouts, has a right to impose truth, morality, or cultural standards.
In the courts, revisionist legal theories and psycho-therapeutic issues have replaced concern for right and wrong. Justice has become a political argument, not a societal standard. Righteousness is rejected as a concept, a relic of an older age of a common morality, nuclear families, and Victorian dreams. The discourse of a revealed morality commanding right and forbidding wrong is as out of place in contemporary America as a log cabin on Wall Street.
The most influential sectors of society are allied in furthering the process of social disintegration. Television and mass culture have so shaped the American consciousness that many citizens are now intellectually unable to sustain a serious moral conversation. Those who attempt to engage the American people in a serious moral conversation are met with immediate dismissal or--more worrisome still--blank stares.
The arts are increasingly decadent, portraying violence, pornography, and banality as high culture. In the academy, deconstructionism and other purportedly post-modern theories have largely destroyed some disciplines and thrown others into incoherence. The search for truth has been abandoned in favor of political arguments over rights and privileges.
Looking within, Americans have adopted a therapeutic worldview which has transformed all issues of right and wrong into newly created categories of authenticity, self esteem, codependencies, and various psychological fads which basically tell us that we are victims, not responsible moral agents. A cult of self-worship has developed, substituting a search for the inner child in place of the worship of the transcendent God.
The Church has constantly been perplexed concerning its proper relation to culture. H. Richard Niebuhr traced five different patterns of cultural response in his famous work, Christ and Culture. The book over-simplified the issues and now looks awkwardly optimistic, but some of the patterns Niebuhr described are still evident. The Church as at times withdrawn from culture and sought refuge in attempted cultural isolation. At other times and in other contexts the Church has simply abdicated to the culture, thus reflecting the culture rather than proclaiming the cross. A myriad of patterns and be traced between these two extremes. The fact is that the Church has often exhibited several patterns at once, capitulating to culture on the one hand and seeking isolation on the other.
In candor, we must admit that the Church has been displaced. Once an authoritative voice in the culture, the Church is often dismissed, and even more often ignored. At one time, the influence of the Church was sufficient to restrain cultural rebellion against God's moral commandments, but no longer. The dynamic of the culture-shift marches onward. On the Protestant left, leaders have simply capitulated to the revisionist ideologies and surrendered revealed morality. On the evangelical wing, however, the greater temptation is to affirm biblical morality in principle, and wink at infractions as matters of merely individual interest.
The displacement of the Church is characteristic of the process of secularization, which has now so thoroughly altered the landscape of American culture. Though sociologists point to continuing high levels of religious activity and statements of belief--both of these in sharp contrast to other western nations--the truth is that very little of this activity translates into authentic discipleship, active church membership, and bold Christian witness.
The worldview of most Americans is now thoroughly secularized, revolving around the self and its concerns, and based on relativism as an axiom. We Americans have become our own best friend, our own therapist, our own priest, and our own lawgiver. The old order is shattered, the new order is upon us.
What, then, is the Church to do? At the onset, we must disallow both optimism and despair. We have no right to expect, as did a previous generation, that "every day in every way things are getting better and better." The same culture that has developed the microwave oven, the CAT-scan, and the vaccine for polio has also produced social pathologies which threaten the very existence of the culture. The operating room and the abortionist's table are both symbols of our culture. Though claiming to be concerned with the quality of life, America is increasingly characterized by a culture of death. At the same time, though the direction of the culture may be dramatically downward, we have no right to assume that this slide cannot be corrected.
We must understand that, in the Christian worldview, culture is important, but never ultimate. Beyond this, we acknowledge that God is sovereign, and His providence rules over all.
The mission of the Church in the midst of this cultural crisis is to proclaim the truth and reach out to the casualties. In the face of rampant relativisms, the believing Church must proclaim the truth of God's Word, the permanence of His commands, and the reality of His judgment. Given the cultural context, this task is one of the most important tests of Christian faithfulness. To proclaim biblical truth to this culture is to risk social isolation, outright rejection, and, in some cases, potent attacks.
The Church which proclaims that adultery, premarital sex, and homosexuality are inherently and unquestionably sinful will quickly discover what it means to be cut off from the cultural mainstream. The preacher who takes on the divorce culture and takes his stand for the enduring covenant of marriage will run into direct confrontation with society's attraction to "open marriage" and what some now describe as "serial monogamy." The Christian who stands in defense of the unborn will be told that her voice is unwanted, unheeded, and unwelcome--and in no uncertain terms.
To contend for Christian truth in the face of this culture is to discover what it means to be a member of a cognitive minority; that is, a minority which quite evidently thinks and lives differently than the larger culture. To confess the truths of God's Word in late twentieth-century America is to take on a counter-cultural posture; to stand against the stream and to press against the grain.
At the same time, we must reach out and minister to the casualties of our cultural rebellion. The Church of Jesus Christ is comprised of sinners saved by grace. With the message of grace, we must reach out to those whose lives have been ruined and warped in the course of our cultural decay. Only the Church has the honest and truthful answers concerning the most basic issues facing our society. Our challenge is to match truth to compassion, and mercy to confrontation.
This was true in the first century, it is true now, and it may well be true until the Lord returns. In our depravity, human beings naturally rebell against the truth of God's Word, but it reveals the only means of salvation. Our charge is to bear witness.
The truths of God's Word reveal the Gospel of spiritual transformation, and the proclamation of the truths of God's Word is the only means available to us of cultural transformation. From beginning to end, it is all in God's hands. We are called to faithful witness and compassionate ministry. In the context of post-Christian America, our task is to preach the Gospel and to proclaim the truths of God's Word. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, the Gospel is foolishness to those seeking wisdom and a scandal to those looking for power. To the redeemed, however, the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Here is found the only genuine transformation. Therein is found our charge.

Putting Sin to Death By Dr J. Ligon Duncan III

http://www.fpcjackson.org/resources/apologetics/putting_sin.htm

Preparing for Spiritual Service By Dr John Macarthur

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable . . . that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Each week I have the privilege of interacting with more than one hundred students at The Master's Seminary. One of my greatest joys is seeing their determination to do God's work in God's way.
That attitude is the key to success in ministry, as Joshua learned when he assumed leadership over the Israelites after Moses' death. At that point, God said to him, "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success" (Josh. 1:8).
This is how Paul described spiritual success to Timothy: "In pointing out [the things I have said] to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following" (1 Tim. 4:6).
"Servant" speaks of one who oversees and dispenses the goods and property of another. A good spiritual servant is one who knows and dispenses God's Word. Whatever level of ministry you pursue, you must conform to biblical teaching. To do that, you must know what God says about ministering to His people.
I've met many people who love the Lord and want desperately to serve Him effectively, but haven't taken time to learn the principles that govern spiritual ministry. Consequently they're ill-prepared and in some cases unwittingly participating in activities that actually violate God's Word.
Don't let that happen to you. God's Word supplies all the strength, instruction, and comfort you need to serve Christ properly. Study it thoroughly and follow it closely.

What's Emerging in the Church? By Dr. Philip Ryken

Last year my cousin called to share some serious concerns about her local church. One of her pastors had just attended a cutting-edge ministry conference and was starting to introduce some radical changes to the worship service. Among other things, she was asking what I thought about using a medieval labyrinth to encourage contemplative prayer. My cousin felt uneasy about the changes and wanted to know what was going on.

Well, as she soon found out, her congregation was facing the newest wave to hit the American church. This new wave is also one of the hardest to define, but it is usually identified as the “emergent” or “emerging” church. Some people call this radical new way of doing church a movement or a network, but its participants generally prefer to call what they are doing a “conversation”—a conversation about what it means to be the church in a postmodern culture.

By their very definition, emerging churches are decentralized and diverse, yet most of them are united in their grassroots protest against the styles and structures of contemporary Christianity. They are especially critical of mega-churches and other congregations in the old seeker-sensitive movement. Instead, they are seeking a closer-knit spiritual community—a place that has as many questions as answers and values authenticity more than absolutes.

Emerging churches are non-traditional congregations that want to move beyond the old liberal and conservative labels. They typically prefer the communal to the individual, the ancient or the postmodern to the modern, the city to the suburbs, dialogue to declaration, mystery to certainty, images to words, and stories to doctrines. Leadership in emerging churches tends to be collaborative rather than hierarchical. The emergent gospel is not just about individual salvation in the life to come, but about building the kingdom of God right here and right now. The order of worship is often fluid—an eclectic mix of sharing, storytelling, and silence, with a mix of music and multi-sensory worship practices borrowed from the history of the church, including incense, candles, and ancient creeds.

These broad generalizations are not all true of all emerging churches, but they seem to be characteristic of the conversation. I believe that many of the criticisms that emergent leaders make of contemporary evangelicalism are justified, and that the basic goal of the emerging church is the right one: to reach the lost in our culture with the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ. However, I also believe there is a real danger that some of these churches will overcompensate for what they are trying to correct and end up making equal errors in opposite directions.

I have several specific concerns. First, it is always dangerous for the church to marry the spirit of the age, for soon it will become a widow. In its embrace of Gen-X culture, the emerging church is displacing the seeker sensitive church, which was so closely tied to the values of the Baby Boomer generation. Eventually another new kind of Christianity will replace the emerging church too. How much of its ministry will endure?

Second, the emerging church tends to be one-generational and therefore somewhat one-dimensional. Yet the church of Jesus Christ was always intended to be a multi-generational family, and it functions best when its local ministry is united across the generations.

Third, some leaders in the emerging church (we can praise God for the exceptions to this rule) seem reticent to draw clear theological boundaries, and this threatens the orthodoxy of their entire enterprise. In speaking about the story of Scripture, they tend to downplay the importance of doctrine—at least any doctrine that is stated in the form of a proposition. Of course it is true that the gospel is a story, and that there is a narrative structure to Scripture as a whole. However, narrative is not the only form of biblical truth. In fact, the apostles found it absolutely necessary to explain the Christian faith by making affirmations and denials that distinguished truth from error in theology.

Unfortunately, some emergent churches seem reluctant to follow the apostolic example in this regard. Perhaps the most influential example is Brian McLaren, who calls himself an evangelical, post-protestant, liberal/conservative, biblical, charismatic, fundamentalist, Calvinist, Anabaptist, Anglican, Methodist, catholic, incarnational, emergent Christian [see Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004]. McLaren’s experiential approach to theological truth has a decidedly postmodern feel. Needless to say, some important doctrinal distinctions have been lost along the way!

Today it is not uncommon to hear leading voices in the emerging church make reckless statements that cast doubt on the absolute divine authority and complete historical reliability of Scripture, downplay the doctrine of personal sin as an offense against a holy God, deny that the substitutionary atonement is central to the gospel, or open the door to salvation through non-Christian religions. Emerging churches also tend to be critical of confessional Christianity. Although they use the ecumenical creeds, they are uneasy about the Reformation confessions, with all of the specificity they bring to doctrines like total depravity and justification by faith. It is good to ask honest questions about theology, but a church that fails to give clear and complete answers will inevitably become a divergent church.

All of this raises questions about what kind of church our culture really needs. The answer is a church that strives to find the biblical balance. This means being humble about our own finite understanding of theology, while at the same time boldly declaring everything the Bible says to be true—especially about our need for atonement. It means telling the gospel story in the Bible’s own way: through the exposition of Scripture. And it means having a passion for all the things that seem to be missing in so many evangelical churches today, but are vital to biblical Christianity: close community fellowship, genuine confession of sin, compassion for the poor, a heart for the city, and a vision for the kingdom of God that stretches from here to eternity.

Can You Take the Prosperity Gospel to the Bank? By Rev. Richard D. Phillips

Tonight’s question has to do with the so-called Prosperity Gospel, as taught in the Word of Faith movement. “Is this sound teaching?” I am asked. Or, as I would like to put it, “Can we take it to the bank?” This teaching is spread by numerous televangelists, such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Hagen, Kenneth Copeland, and T. D. Jakes. The question I received asked about the aptly-named Creflo Dollar, who pastors a 20,000 member church in Atlanta, so I want to focus on his teaching.
According to his websites,1 Creflo Dollar believes in total life prosperity. This means that those who trust in God will “prosper economically, socially, emotionally, mentally, and physically.” It is, he says, God’s will for you to have financial prosperity. He argues this from the fact that we are called God’s heirs, and by citing passages like Psalm 35:27, which says that God, and I will cite the King James Version, “hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” On this basis, Dollar exclaims, “Claim it NOW! You possess the blessing to seize and command wealth and riches to come to you.” Later, he writes, “Owning corporations is a part of your destiny as a believer,” citing as proof the large catches of fish Peter was able to make after he had joined up with Christ. According to Dollar believers also have power to heal themselves and others, to ensure their ability to bear healthy children, and even to raise the dead by their own command.
I want to respond by citing just a couple of passages from Scripture that did not make it onto Creflo Dollar’s website. The first that comes to my mind is Matthew 6:19-21, in which Jesus told his disciples:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Dollar packages his teaching in a Believer’s Bill of Rights. Jesus, however, taught in strikingly different terms. In Luke 9:23-25 he said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”
Just these two citations not only debunk the Prosperity Gospel, but also show that it relies on a selective presentation of Bible texts. Viewers are constantly being told to take God’s Word at face value, while passages are presented without context or comparison to other Bible verses. A key principle of Bible interpretation is that Scripture interprets Scripture. If Jesus says you are not to devote yourself to storing up money on earth, then broad and general statements about God’s blessing cannot mean that he intends us to all enjoy earthly riches.
In addition to their selective use of Scripture it is important to know the Word of Faith teachers’ concept of faith. Without doubt, one of their key texts is Hebrews 11:1, which says, again in the King James, that “faith is the substance of things hoped for.” That is a verse to which they constantly refer. According to them, this means that by faith you have power to possess practically anything. Dollar writes, “Words are nothing but containers.” God speaks in order to create and so can we, causing things to take substance by the power of faith. This is where the expression, “Name it and claim it,” comes from, the view that faith is a divine power capable of shaping reality, a teaching that fits in quite well in with the dominant pantheistic and mystical attitude of our age.
But faith is not a power. By believing something, you do not possess power to make it happen. Believing might make you more confident, the way a baseball player is more likely to hit the ball if he believes he can. But faith does not grant to you the attributes that God possesses as Creator. Christian faith is powerful not because of itself but because of its object. Our faith is generally weak, but the Savior we grasp by faith is strong. The power we gain from him is for godliness, for self-sacrifice and service, for endurance in poverty and difficulties.
The third aspect of the Prosperity Gospel I want to point out is perhaps its most pernicious. According to teachers like Dollar, if you lack prosperity in any area of your life, if you are suffering in any way, if you are poor or sick, if you are unable to have children, if your child is sick or perhaps has died, the reason is that you just didn’t believe hard enough. This is their fool-proof answer to the evidence against their teaching. It is also a cruel and godless manipulation that is mainly used to draw money out of peoples’ wallets as a sign of their renewed commitment to faith. In one article, Dollar lists twelve things you must do with your money to show the kind of faith needed to make you rich. Giving to teachers like him is placed ahead of providing for family and children, paying bills, and giving to the poor.
I want to conclude by returning to the question I received. The writer seemed to realize the problems of the Prosperity Gospel. But he is afraid of “saying or viewing God's anointed teachers in the wrong way.” The problem with this is that false teachers generally promote themselves as “anointed.” But the Bible plainly tells us that we must be on guard against false teachers. Jesus said in Matthew 24:24 that “false Christs and false prophets will appear,” and even anticipates their deceptive use of purported miracles. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul describes the false teachers who will arise in the church as “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive … treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power.” I cannot think of a better description of Creflo Dollar, or Benny Hinn, or Kenneth Hagen, or T.D. Jakes. Paul concludes his description with advice we need to follow: “Have nothing to do with them.”
Given the certain threat of false teachers, it is the duty of every Christian to obtain a sound grasp of doctrine from the Bible so as not to be, as Paul puts it in Ephesians 4:14, “blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” Standing firm upon God’s Word, we are to shun and oppose false and anti-Christian teachers who rise up in the church, “speaking the truth in love” (v. 15) for the protection and edification of weaker brothers and sisters in Christ’s fold.

The Real Prayer of Jabez By Dr. Steve Lawson

Riding a tidal wave of surging popularity, few Christian books have burst onto the publishing scene and been as widely received as The Prayer of Jabez (Multnomah). In only its sixth year of circulation, this brief, ninety-three-page book has sold a staggering 10 million copies, pushing its way to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. In its wake, a virtual Prayer of Jabez sub-culture has emerged, complete with journals, backpacks, jewelry, vanilla-scented candles, and myriads of assorted marketing paraphernalia. But, unfortunately, many well-meaning evangelicals have been swept up in this trendy phenomenon.
Prefacing this work, author Bruce Wilkinson writes, “I want to teach you how to pray a daring prayer that God always answers. It is brief—only one sentence with four parts…but I believe it contains the key to a life of extraordinary favor with God…In fact, thousands of believers who are applying its truths are seeing miracles happen on a regular basis.” But is the prayer of Jabez really the single greatest key to a spiritual life that is pleasing to God? Is Wilkinson’s teaching true to the full counsel of God? Hardly.
Those with doctrinal moorings and spiritual discernment know that this simplistic approach to the Christian life is an inadequate means by which to view God, true spirituality, and prayer. True, certain features of the book can be sited as positive, such as its much-needed emphasis upon prayer. But The Prayer of Jabez, quite frankly, suffers from a deficient theology. The book is seriously plagued with: (1) an inadequate view of prayer, trivializing its true profound nature, (2) a misguided focus upon prosperity, overtly emphasizing miracles and financial blessings, and (3) a defective doctrine of providence that fails to see God sovereignly and actively involved in all of life. Polemics aside, however, it will do us well to revisit the prayer of Jabez—not the book, but the biblical text—and discover what this prayer actually teaches.
Tucked away in a long genealogical record (1 Chron. 4), Jabez emerges from relative obscurity as one who “was more honorable than his brothers” (verse 9). A spiritually strong man, he was highly esteemed in his day, more virtuous and upstanding than others. His extraordinary piety is well documented in that a city was named after him, a place where “the families of scribes” gathered (1 Chron. 2:55). Moreover, his name, Jabez, means, “He will cause pain,” a perpetual reminder of the agony he caused during delivery. Yet, despite such a difficult entrance into this world, there was a divinely scripted plan for his life, sovereignly orchestrated for God’s glory and his good.
With complete dependence upon God in prayer, Jabez “called upon…God (Elohim)” (10a), the divine name meaning the Supreme One, Mighty Ruler, and Sovereign Lord (Gen. 1:1). By appealing to this name, he acknowledged that God providentially reigns over all the works of His hands (Ps. 103:19). Moreover, He is the God “of ,” closely related to His chosen ones (Amos 3:2). To Jabez, God is both infinite and intimate, both accessible and able to answer his prayers.
In petitioning God, Jabez prayed, “Oh that you would bless me” (10b). That is, he asked God to extend His undeserved favor toward him. Specifically, Jabez asked, “Enlarge my border” (10c), thereby requesting that God would expand his territory by defeating his enemies, the Canaanites, expelling them from the adjacent territory. In the days of Moses and Joshua, God had promised that He would give the Promised Land to . Accordingly, Jabez prayed for this increase in land.
Is it right to ask God for material things? Of course it is. Jesus Himself taught His disciples to pray for their “daily bread” (Matt. 6:11; Luke 11:3). God desires us to petition Him for all good things needed to fulfill His will, even for physical provisions (James 4:2). But, ultimately, God is sovereign and will answer prayer as He wills, not as man wills. To be sure, the motive of every prayer must be for the glory of God, not the greed of man. As a lowly servant before his exalted king, prayer should always be a humble request, never a haughty demand.
Furthermore, Jabez prayed “that your hand might be with me” (10d), a petition that the invisible hand of Providence would empower him in this heroic endeavor. The truth is, God’s work must always be done in God’s power, or it will surely fail (Zech. 4:6). Moreover, Jabez requested “that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain” (10e). In this, he asked for God’s supernatural protection to be upon him throughout this conflict. To be sure, all God’s servants are exposed to constant danger and desperately need divine protection from Satan’s relentless assaults.
With unwavering faith, Jabez placed this entire matter into the all-sufficient hands of God—and there are no more reliable, on more capable, and no more powerful hands than those of our sovereign God.
What was the result of such a humble prayer? Simply this, that God “granted his request” (10f). Not because Jabez used the right formula in prayer. Nor because he somehow manipulated God. For God is not a genie to be conjured out of a bottle and used for one’s own personal ends. Rather, God sovereignly chose to be glorified through Jabez in answering his petition. The prayer of Jabez is not a mindless mantra that God always answers, chanted for self-advancement. Instead, it teaches us to faithfully seek God, who supremely does as and when He pleases. When He alone is magnified, we will be truly blessed indeed.

What is going on in the world?

There has been a growth of False teaching in churches, a lot of people come under this manipulation and don't recognize the danger signs, for many it is becoming harder to spot erroneous doctrines, iIt is easier than people think to come under the power of suggestion, many think that what they believe is a work of God or is it really just an emotionalizing of faith?

WHAT IS FALSE TEACHING?

WHAT IS FALSE TEACHING ?
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
Doctrine is simply “Teaching”.
Jesus Christ and the New Testament writers placed great store in, and warned against things contrary to, SOUND TEACHING.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The Word of God is truth. We gain faith from hearing, and our hearing comes via the Word of God, the truth.
Our faith can only be built on a solid foundation of truth. If we put our faith and trust on something that is not solid and true, then it will not stand. This is why the whole issue of Sound Teaching is so important.
The Lord warned us all to be alert because there would arise a plethora of False Teachers and False prophets who would deceive many!
Mt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
This was His first warning to us all concerning the coming of the end. As the time draws nearer the problem will only grow until eventually a great falling away from truth will beset the whole of Christendom:
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
This whole issue has been a problem within the churches for centuries, in fact the majority of the epistles were written to address this very thing; the amount of false teachings that were circling the churches in the time of the Apostles.
These same teachings are around today wrapped up in various packaging, but the same in essence.

FALSE DOCTRINES/TEACHER'S

WHO ARE THEY AND HOW ARE PEOPLE DECEIVED ?
Sincerity of belief is often confused with soundness of belief. The great British Prine Minister Benjamin Disraeli once stated: "What is the earnest is not always true; on the contary, error is often more earnest than truth."This is the first means by which people are deceived. Many times a false belief is built on scripture. Every Christian heresy is based on a false understanding of scripture. In fact the best lies are 90% true.
The only remedy for this is to have a devotion to the word of truth.
2 Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.False teachers always come into the churches in the same fashion:
1 Ti 4:1 Now the Sprit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing sprits, and doctrines of devils;People will abandon the faith and give heed to seducing sprits. These seducing sprits come via the mouths and the pens of false teachers and the source of all this is demonic!In the face of heresy and deceit only those who have an intimate knowledge of the truth will be able to stand firm and confident, and abouve all CALM!Ps 119:165 Great peace have they with love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. The two major routes through which error enter into the mind of Christians is through "Liberalism" and "Legalism".The liberalists place the main emphasis on their concept of what "love" is and what the "Sprit" is to the exclusion of sound principles of scripture, which they see as being "legalistic".Legalists place the main emphasis on their concept of keeping rules and regulations, often manmade - sometines based on scripture - and they reject any kind of emotional feelings as being of the flesh and carnal!Both mishandle the Word of truth, one despises Biblical orthodoxy the other despises freedom.The liberal teacher sees that UNITY is the main thing, but a unity based on common experience rather than commonly held beliefs. Liberal teachers often promote the idea of continual revelation of doctrine which they assert comes directly from God Himself to the point where this will generally contradict biblical doctrines!Liberal teachers will denounce dogmatism, whilst being even more dogmatic about their beliefs.Liberal teachers will have an ambiguous attitude towards sinful practices, especially in the area of sexuality. Liberals often are Antinomian in practice; believing that "being saved" justifies sinful behaviour!Legalist teachers, on the other hand, often display an attitude that they are the only ones with truth. Their emphasis is often on the need to keep certain traditions, ceremonies and rituals. Hierarchies are inportant to the legalist and followers are made to feel subservient to Priests, Pastor's, Bishops and/or Elders! These divide the church into two "Clergy and Laity", whereas in Christ we are ALL priests unto God, ALL members of the Body of Christs co-dependent upon one another!True there can be a mixture of Liberalism and Legalism in various groups.Another route by which people fall away from truth is through the acceptance of ALL of signs, wonders, and "spritual" experiences. If the sprit of God is active then it will be accompanied by sound doctrine and the fruit of the Holy Sprit.Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Sprit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.Ga 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.False teachers promote covetousness and disguise it as godliness:
1Ti 6:3-12…….destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself……..These people will promote the idea that godliness will lead everyone into material success and prosperity.
Any one who teaches such should be avoided like the plague

Puritan Quote of the Week

"Guilt is to danger what fire is to gunpowder."
JOHN FLAVEL

HIDDEN AGENDAS

“Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the LORD demanded.
“I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.”
NUMBERS 22:32

READ: Numbers 22:4-41

What you see is what you get” is not always true, particularly in the business world.
Take Balaam, for example. He is one of the Bible’s most perplexing characters.
When King Balak of Moab saw the children of Israel approaching the Promised
Land—through his backyard!—he sent for Balaam to pronounce a curse on them and
thereby halt their progress. Balaam consulted the Lord and was told not to accede to the
king’s request, even though financially the offer was very attractive. King Balak, on hearing
of Balaam’s refusal, increased the offer. In response, Balaam sought and was given permission
by the Lord to go—on the condition that he only say what the Lord told him to say.
Then, when Balaam set out, the Lord was upset that Balaam was going, even though the
Lord had said he could! Either the Lord was being incredibly fickle, or Balaam was hiding
something and the Lord knew it. The latter solution is most in keeping with what we know
of God’s character.
After being rebuked by his donkey and the Lord for “stubbornly resisting” the Lord,
Balaam finally came through and did what was right. It would appear that he continued to
struggle with whether to obey or disobey the Lord; otherwise, there would have been no
reason for him to respond repeatedly to Balak’s requests that he curse the people. Also,
even though Balaam blessed Israel verbally, he was later responsible for causing them to
rebel against the Lord (31:16; see 25:1-3; Rev. 2:14). On the outside, Balaam was claiming
to do what was right, but on the inside he was flirting with a desire to do what was wrong
(see 2 Pet. 2:15-16). The pressure point in this case was money, and the motive was greed.
There’s nothing new about that. When money enters the equation, principles come
under pressure. The natural tendency is to opt for that which is comfortable, profitable,
and popular. Sometimes the choice is between what is comfortable and what is right, what
is popular and what is true, or what is profitable and what is good. The right choice is to
opt for what is good and right and true. Men in business must constantly scrutinize their
inner motives and make these tough decisions. A torn heart may beat under a well-cut suit,
but God knows the heart and examines the motives, and he is the one who passes
judgment. Better to be poor and right than wrong and rich.

The Dark Side Of Halloween By Charles J. Paul

http://home.computer.net/~cya/cy00061.html

Below is a Holloween add from a local church. My problem is why are churches not just teaching the Truth about Halloween? The problem today is the felt needs of the person seems to be more important than the TRUTH OF GOD'S HOLY WORD. Does the TRUTH MATTER anymore?

Below is the add from a local church. Does this sound like your church/ If so PLEASE print out the above artical and take it to your pastor and tell him you want the kid's exsposed to the Truth not the Evil of Halloween.

Trunk or Treat-A Safe Halloween Alternative

All children and their parents are welcome to join us on Halloween--Wednesday, October 31 for our safe Halloween alternative in the Christian Life Center Parking Lot.
Free Prizes include two $50.00 Gift cards to Toys ‘R’ Us, register at our table in the parking lot that evening.
5:30 – 8:00 pm
Prizes, games, puppets, FUN, music and MORE!
Face Painting, Moon Bounce, Balloon Animals
Games Include:Pumpkin toss, basketball, darts & balloons, ring toss, penny toss, soccer, skeeball, space toss, dog bone toss and much more!
Please note that all Christian Life Center services that would normally be on this night are moved to Tuesday, October 30.

NOW AFTER READING THIS I ASK YOU. WHERE IS THE CROSS OF CHRIST ?AND THE GOSPEL THAT SAVES?

WONT YOU STAND WITH US HERE AT TRUTH MATTERS AS WE SEEK A MODERN DAY REFORMATION.

Rev.Charles J. Paul