Matthew 2:1-12 - Wise and Wicked Men, (plus When Was Jesus Born?)-Kevin Williams

Click on links to play or Right-Click/Save-As to Download mp3.

.

Matthew 2:1-12 - Wise and Wicked Men, (plus When Was Jesus Born?)-Kevin Williams -35 min.

Other Middleton Puritan Fellowship Sermons:

Matthew 1:18-25 - The Birth of Jesus Christ, You Must Call On God With Us. Kevin Williams -31 min.

John 5:18-29 -Don't Patronize God & How God Sees You. Kevin Williams - 43 min.

John 4:27-54 - "Lift Up your Eyes, and See that the Fields are White for Harvest" Get Planting. Kevin Williams - 42 min.

John 4:3-26 The Woman at the Well of Living Water, In Spirit and Truth - Kevin Williams - 39 min.

John 3:24-26 - It Is All For Jesus, Not For Numbers - Kevin Williams - 39 min.

John 3:16 - The Gospel In A Verse, What People Need To Know - Kevin Williams - 36 min.

John 3:13-15 - Foolish Man Would Not Find God - Kevin Williams - 29 min.

The Birth of Jesus Christ, You Must Call On God With Us

We at Puritan Fellowship wish you a blessed Christmas 2007, and we invite you to listen to our Sunday before Christmas sermon: (Click on links to play or Right-Click/Save-As to Download mp3.)

Matthew 1:18-25 - The Birth of Jesus Christ, You Must Call On God With Us. Kevin Williams -31 min.

See more: Puritan Fellowship Sermons Online.

Ray Comfort gives us a different version of John Wesley's "Hark The Herald Angels Sing"

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
What will happen when you die?
Will you go to Heaven or Hell?
Jesus knows! “Emmanuel.”
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
He’s the One who’ll judge us all
Let’s see who will stand or fall…
Have you ever told a lie?
Wished that someone else would die?
Entertained a lusty thought?
Stolen when you should has bought?
Help! We’ve broken God’s Ten Laws!
Who will come to save us all?

That's why Jesus Christ was sent
To be saved you must repent
Died on the cross for all your sin
Repent and put your trust in Him
Mild He laid His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

'Twas The Night Before Jesus Came'

'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mum in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "it's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!
Author Unknown.

Don't Give Up! Receive Christ-John Owen

"Objection: But I do not know how to receive Christ by faith. I have tried to believe and cannot. So I have decided to do my best without receiving Christ. Frankly, I despair of ever being able to come to Christ by faith. It is not unbelief but this despair that keeps me from Christ.
Answer: Do you remember when the disciples had been fishing all night and had caught nothing (Luke 5:3-4)? Christ told them to go out and try again. Peter makes an excuse but does what Christ commands, and as a result caught an astonishing drought of fishes. So try again. Make every effort once again to receive Him. You do not know what success He may give you.

Frankly, it is not your failure in trying to come to Christ, but your willingness to give up trying that will be your ruin. The woman of Canaan in her cries to Christ for mercy persisted though rebuffed three times (Matt 15:22-28). Firstly, Christ did not respond to her cries. Then His disciples desired that He would send her away. Then Christ gave her two reasons why He should not answer her request. But still she does not give up. She goes on crying for mercy. Had she given up she would never have had the answer to her prayer. It may be you have prayed, and cried and promised, but all without success-as you suppose. Nevertheless, if you do not give up, you will win through in the end. You do not know when God will come to you with His grace. You do not know when Christ will reveal His love to you as He did to the poor woman in spite of His earlier rebuffs. As far as you know, He may enable you to receive Christ today. But if not, then He will enable you to receive Him tomorrow or at some later day. Persevere! That is your duty. Do not give up in despair.

Take hold of this promise: "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors" (Prov 8:34). If you hear Him and wait, though you have not yet been admitted into His presence, but seem to be kept at the gate, in the end you will be blessed.

The rule to follow is this: "Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord." If we do that, then, "He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth" (Hosea 6:3). Are you doing everything in your power to come to the knowledge of Christ? Even although you do not yet have any evidence that you have received Him, nothing can ruin you, but your giving up in despair. If you make every effort to know the Lord, then He will come to you like the rain. Many could tell you that if they had given up when overwhelmed with difficulties and disappointments, they would have been utterly ruined forever. But now they are at rest and at peace in the bosom of Christ. Unable to accept Christ teaching, many disciples "went back and walked with Him no more" (John 6:66). Christ lost many disciples, and they lost their souls. Beware, then, of letting discouragement persuade you to give up. " John Owen, The Glory of Christ, abridged pp135-137.

Merry Christmas-Naughty or Nice (2 min) Video

Pseudo-Christianity by Charles Leiter

Words are slippery customers and often mean different things to different people. For example, the word "love" has come in our day to represent everything from the feeling called forth by a tasty new dessert topping to the most careless and indifferent act of sexual gratification. When words are used loosely like this and take on new and different meanings, a problem soon arises. Unless such words are clearly defined by their users, their meaning in any given conversation is uncertain. Thus, the more meanings a word has, the less it actually means; a word that means everything actually means nothing.

To illustrate this simple but far-reaching principle, let us borrow an argument from philosopher Gordon Clark and suppose that the word "mountain" means literally everything. It means "dog"; it also means "cat". It also means "flagpole". "Mountain mountain mountain," could be the next sentence! Unfortunately, such a sentence might mean, "It is raining," or it might mean, "Thursday is Thanksgiving." Thus, it would, in fact, mean nothing.

This is perhaps an extreme example, but the point should be clear. For a word to mean anything, for it to carry any content, there must be some things that the word does not mean.

Let us apply this principle, then, to the word "Christianity". The mere mention of the word is often sufficient to conjure up in the hearer's mind images of stained-glass windows, a pale pathetic "Jesus" hanging lifeless on a cross, an enormous dust-covered "family Bible", or a towering "church steeple". But is this Christianity? As some people would define the term, it may be; but if by the word Christianity we mean that Way of faith and practice that is taught in the Bible, then it certainly is not.

Our burden in this article is just to let you, who read this little paper from time to time, know that when we use the term "Christianity", we may not be speaking about what you think! We use the term in reference to that new life of Truth and Spirit that was taught by the Founder of Christianity; and the teachings of Jesus are often exactly the opposite of what is called Christian today.

Granted that we are using the word in this sense, what then is Christianity? We can learn some things just by examining what it is not.

Worship
"The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." (Acts 17:24)

When a woman asked Jesus whether it was Jerusalem or Mt. Gerizim to which men should go to worship God, He told her that it was neither. "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father... God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:21-24) The early Christians knew that God didn't live in special buildings. In fact, they even met in private homes to worship God. (I Corinthians 6:19, Colossions 4:15) So, right away we should know that stained-glass windows, steeples, "sanctuaries", "alters", and "choir lofts" should not come into our minds when we hear the word "Christian". Neither should plastic crucifixes or "pictures of Jesus". The early church had a living and invisible Christ within their hearts, not a dead and visible and imaginary one hanging on their walls. "We ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man," said Paul in a somewhat different context, but not without at least some application to the point in hand. Even Bob Dylan could see that "flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark" go to show that "not much is really sacred." In contrast to these externals, Jesus taught that the worship of God was internal —"in spirit", and "in truth".

Prayer
"When you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him." (Matthew 6:7)

These words of Jesus have been contradicted countless times by those who profess His name. The rhyming "prayers" that parents teach their children to rattle off mechanically before bedtime and the memorized or semi-memorized "table graces" used by adults themselves drive the number into the millions! How different and wonderful is the prayer that Jesus taught, the prayer of truly personal communion with a truly personal God.

Hypocrisy
"Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-washed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:27-28)

Jesus came down very hard on hypocrisy of every kind, especially when it appeared in religious leaders. His words to those who "devoured widows' houses, even while for pretense they made long prayers" still apply to the Elmer Gantrys of today who exhort ladies to "trust God and give their last dollar to Jesus" while they themselves drive Lincoln Continentals. Likewise, His words against hypocrisy would surely still apply to those who say that the rapture is "certain to occur within the next year" and at the same time have paid-up life insurance policies! (And, to digress a little, his words against teachers should make us at least a little skeptical of those "Bible scholars" who have confidently and wrongly identified everyone from Mussolini to Kissinger as the antichrist!)

"Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make Him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." (Matthew 23:15) These words of Jesus should serve to warn us that even zealous "missionary activities" ("travel about on sea") and "bus ministries" ("travel about on land") under the banner of His name may not necessarily have anything to do with Christianity. The same is true of zealous "soul-winning" (to make one proselyte"). Under the section on "how to press for the decision," one manual on soul winning "made easy" instructs us: "Lay your hand firmly on the subject's shoulder (or arm), and with a semi-commanding tone of voice, say to him: 'Bow your head with me.'... Bowing your head first, causes terrific psychological pressure." No matter how much sincerity and good intent lie behind such tactics, the practice of psychologically badgering, buttonholing, and bullying people into "making a decision for Christ" bears no resemblance to the inexpressibly precious workings of the Holy Spirit. Unbelievers have long maintained that Christian conversion is nothing more than Pavlov's dogs revisited, and pressure-packed emotional appeals to "come forward" in mass meetings often lend credence to such accusations. Far too many of these "conversions" are indeed no more than applied psychology, worlds apart from the wondrous miracle with which the living God touches man and makes him entirely new.

Jesus' words against hypocrisy were not directed only to the religious leaders, however. Often He warned the multitudes against self-deception. "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" "Not every one who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father." "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven," He told His hearers, and went on to explain that their righteousness must extend even to the inner motives of the heart. Only the "pure in heart" would see God, according to Jesus. (Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21; Matthew 5:20f; Matthew 5:8)

No understanding of the Bible that allows men to live as rottenly as they please, as long as they have "accepted Jesus", deserves the name Christian. Even those of you who claim not to believe in God know that His character can't be as mushy as that! We don't blame you for turning away from those who practice morality only on Sunday, use religious jargon to get votes, or smoke one nervous cigarette after another despite their professed "peace in Christ".

Wealth
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth." (Matthew 6:19)

Jesus often warned His would-be followers that they must choose between God and money, between selfish hoarding and joyful sharing. "No one can serve two masters," He told them, in a context that caused the words to have eternal implications for each of His hearers. (Luke 16:1-15)

"Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed... And do not seek what you shall eat, and what you shall drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek, but your Father knows that you need these things... Sell your possessions and give to charity." (Luke 12:13-34) Such words were spoken, not to a select few, but to all His followers.

Many ingenious methods have been devised over the centuries by professing Christendom to explain why Jesus did not mean what He said so plainly and so often, but the first Christians took His words seriously. We are told that no sooner had the early church begun to grow, than they "began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need." (Acts 2:45) "And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them... There was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need." (Acts 4:32-35) Oh, the joy that must have been present in such an assembly, that had learned by experience the truth of their Master's words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive!" (Acts 20:35)

A man or organization that knowingly hoards wealth in the face of a world full of pressing needs cannot seek shelter under the name of Christ. "Whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" (I John 3:17) Yet, we are told today by professing ministers of Christ that God actually wants His children to be wealthy! "Faith" becomes a magic wand to fatten purses. This is indeed pseudo-Christianity.

We have been dealing here, it is true, primarily with what Christianity isn't. But we tear down only with a view to building up; we root out only in order to plant. The accumulated rubble of two thousand years of man-made tradition must be a least partially cleared away before the one true foundation for all meaning and fulfillment can be securely laid down.

And, after all, perhaps more has been said about the positive nature of Christianity than we realize. It has been found to involve the worship of the true God, not via externals but in spirit and truth, not by meaningless repetition but in living fellowship. Christians are those who are characterized by sincerity and purity; their righteousness is not external only. They share their money with those in need and delight to do the will of God. Though they are far from perfect, and their sins and shortcomings are many and grievous, yet their innermost longing is to be what they should be, and their lives in general are moving closer and closer to God.

It may come as a revelation to some that the Christianity they have been rejecting is not the real thing anyway. At the same time, they may find it to be a little unsettling that their favorite "too-many-hypocrites-in-the-church" arguments are beginning to crumble, and that they are responsible to face the knowledge of the true Christ which is as near to them as the pages of the nearest New Testament.

Those of us who know Him echo His words of invitation, "Let him who is thirsty come!" "O taste and see that the Lord is good!"

John Owen-Many Professing Believers Do Not Seek Communion with Christ.

Wise Words from John Owen:

"Many love to have only the outward form of godliness and could not care less about evangelical privileges. They do not seek the marrow of divine promises which is the very life of communion with Christ. They are not concerned whether they have spiritual peace, refreshing comforts, unspeakable joys, or the blessed peace of assurance. Without some taste and experience of these things, the Christian life is heartless, lifeless and useless and religion itself becomes a lifeless corpse. The peace which some enjoy is mere stupidity. It is a great evidence for the power of unbelief that we can be happy without experiencing the reality of Christ's presence in us by His Spirit. We can be quite happy without any of the joy, peace, comfort, assurance which are promised in the Gospel.

How can we possibly believe the promises concerning Heaven, immortality, and glory, when we do not believe the promises concerning our present life? And how can we be trusted when we say we believe these promises but make no effort to experience them ourselves? It is just here that men deceive themselves. It is not that they do not want the Gospel privileges of joy, peace and assurance, but they are not prepared to repent of their evil attitudes and careless life-styles. Some have even attempted to reconcile these things and ruined their souls. But without the diligent exercise of the grace of obedience, we shall never enjoy the graces of joy, peace and assurance." John Owen, The Glory of Christ, abridged pp113-114.

Propitiation: The Heart of the Gospel-Paul Washer

Another excellent piece of ESSENTIAL Biblical Truth from Paul Washer
How Can God Be Just and Forgive. 10 Min Clip (Full Sermon Below)


Watch the Full Sermon Video (67 min). (or Right-Click/Save-As to Download).

Or Listen to (or download) Full Sermon MP3.

Paul Washer: We Have Forgotten that the Way is Narrow

Click on links to Play (or Right-Click Save-As To Download) this excellent Sermon By Paul Washer:
We Have Forgotton The Way is Narrow-VIDEO. MP3.

Matthew 7:13-27: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Opinion .v. Truth & Why is it Vitally Necessary to be Found in Christ?

"Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 When you leave this life, you will spend a lot longer in the next. So much hinges on these words of Jesus. Seek God diligently until you are found in Christ.
Well, That's Your Opinion... (6 min)


Why is it Vitally Necessary to be Found in Christ? (10 min)

John 3:1-21 "Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

The Alpha and the Apostasy-Why The Alpha Course Should Not Be Used.

What is Wrong With the Alpha Course:

1) It came from the same place as the U.K. home of the Toronto Blessing. We are commanded to avoid false teachers.

2) It claims to have converted over one million people in the U.K. (at the time of this sermon , nine years ago). Where are they?

3) The gospel and doctrine of Alpha is contrary to the Bible.

4) It promotes the Arminian heresy. See: Calvinism is the Gospel-How Letting Scripture Speak For Itself Rather than Trying to Force Man-Centred Ideas Into It, Solves the Debate
and also:To God Be The Glory-Is Your Evangelism God Centred?-Does Your Church Only Teach Half or Parts of the Truth?

5) Rather than proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is a recruitment of charismania. It teaches how to make up an unbiblical version of the "gift of tongues".

6) Nowhere does Nicky Gumble tell us that God is Holy, or what He is really like. The attributes of God are sadly missing. See sermon: John 3:16 - The Gospel In A Verse, What People Need To Know - Kevin Williams - 36 min.

7) It doesn't tell of the wrath of God.

8) It aims at painless conversion. Scripture does not, but rather tells us to count the cost.

9) After Chapter three, of fifteen chapters it assumes the reader converted.

10) It is liberal and ecumenical and fails to see Catholicism as another religion, but rather as another denomination.

Listen to this sermon by David Silversides for an excellent Biblical assessment of the Alpha Course.

Did you know the day is coming When you’ll stand before God’s Throne?

Did you know the day is coming
When you’ll stand before God’s Throne?
If you haven’t found the Saviour
You’ll be naked there – alone –
With no Advocate to plead for you
No mercy will be shown
God will demand you pay the price
For the sin you can’t disown

The book of your life will be opened
Revealed for all to see
The things that you have done in secret
Will be judged – without a plea!
They’ll be shouted from the housetops
What shame and pain there’ll be!
For the sins of this life you’ll pay the price
For all eternity

Each day of your life will be looked at
At all you’ve thought, said and done
God’s faithfully recorded each moment
And your “good works” are counted as dung;
He knows the very day you were enlightened
The day you rejected His Son
Christ is the Light that lightens each man
That enters this world – every one!

You may stand well in the eyes of men
Before God you don’t stand a chance
He says that all men have sinned and come short
At your good works He’ll give not a glance
He says your righteousness is filthy rags
You can even give your body to be burned
You can give your goods to feed the poor
But salvation cannot be earned

I hear you protest of how kind you’ve been,
Of how you’ve helped many a soul,
You’ve maybe tried to keep the law
Good citizenship’s been your goal
Your self-righteousness is pride in God’s eyes
He sees the motives within
You’ve done quite well for yourself in life
But in God’s eyes – this is sin!

You forget the lies you have told o’er the years
He doesn’t! – He knows every one!
He sees the selfishness, nastiness,
The devious deeds you have done:
The pride, the bitterness, critical thoughts
The secret lust of your heart
Don’t tell me you’ve never known any of this!
God remembers it all from the start

When you stand before God on that Judgment Day
‘Twill be far too late to repent,
God sent His own Son to save this world
On the Cross His Life Blood was spent
He gladly paid the price for your sin
But God’s justice must finally prevail
And all who refuse to repent in this life
Will find after life there’s no bail

At God’s Judgment Bar there’s no mercy:
“Too late!” will be the cry
We don’t like to think of a place called hell
But this we cannot deny
“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me!”
God declared it so from the start,
We live for ourself – we worship false gods
And sin is entrenched in our heart

But God found a way to show mercy
In sending His Son to this earth
To pay the price for all man’s sin –
That he find through Christ a new birth
“Repent!” is the way to salvation
Turn from your sin to Christ
But the only way to escape God’s wrath
Is to turn to Christ in this life

You put it off today at your peril
Tomorrow the light may be gone
Conviction today is God’s mercy to you
God reaches to you through His Son
To you! – Yes! - To you God is calling
Tomorrow may be too late
So many have put off this hour of repentance
And sealed for ever their fate!

They do not feel the same way the next day
The devil has blinded their eyes
Once they’ve left the conviction - “Twas just a bad dream!”-
Excuses will then multiply:
“It was all just hyped up emotion!”
“God’s loving and kind – not like that!”
“Maybe one day? - but not just now!”
Hey! You cannot play games with God!

Conviction is so soon forgotten
And passes like clouds on the breeze
The God of Creation’s arrested you now
And offers from sin your release;
Tomorrow your heart may be hardened
Yes! You may live your life just the same,
Achieving success, living on life’s crest -
But to find one day it’s all vain

It’s so dangerous to sit on the fence with God
And put your decision on hold
You put it off – your eternity’s lost
God would you were hot or cold;
You turn your back on the Son of God
Opportunity might ne’er come again
This day is recorded in the annals of time
When you refused to call on His Name

This hour one day you’ll remember
Your eternity’s sealed from here
Almighty God will remind you
On the Day before Him you appear
As sure as you’re reading or hearing these words
That Day will dawn on your soul
For ever lost? Or for ever saved?
Will you perish and let hell take its toll?

HT: www.GospelCrumbs.com .

The Apostate Roman Church-You Can NOT Hold To Roman Catholic Dogma and Be Saved.

By Kevin Williams

"Because the Roman Catholic Church has refused to submit itself to the authority of God’s Word and to embrace the gospel of justification, Sola Scriptura & other Biblical doctrines, taught in Scripture, it has set itself apart from the true body of Christ. It is a false and deceptive form of Christianity. The Church of Rome is not part of the body of Christ and it is the spiritual duty of all true Christians to oppose Roman Catholic doctrine with biblical truth and to call all Catholics to true salvation." See Roman Catholicism.

We highly recommend listening to this excellent sermon by John MacArthur (inside the Way of the Master Radio show), on the Roman Catholic Church:

John MacArthur on Roman Catholicism (part 1).
John MacArthur on Roman Catholicism (part 2).

You can NOT hold to Roman Catholic Dogma and be saved. In some parts of the world Catholic priests even proclaim that Mary 'is the way the truth and the life'. And you may say "well it's not that bad here" but what people often miss is that the Roman church is all things to all men and will paint itself in whatever light it needs to be accepted. There is even such a thing as 'Hindu-Catholics'.

Many people misunderstand and are undiscerning to the extent of the evils and the eternal dangers of the Papacy and I keep hearing about all these Roman Catholics, who are saved "in spite of the system but not because of it." I am yet to meet one of these "saved catholics," now from time to time I have met a Catholic who from the outset showed good signs and said the "right things" and acted like a Christian and looked promising. But the more I probe in love and concern and ask questions about their beliefs, it quickly becomes apparent that they are not saved at all. And when I tell this to other Christians they will often say "Well, I've met some Roman Catholics who are truly born again." But I suggest, the reason they think this, is because they have just not dug deep enough and asked enough or the right questions.

The litmus test of whether a Roman Catholic is really saved "in spite of the system and not because of it", is will he or she then leave the Roman Catholic Church? I suggest that when a Christian thinks he's found a saved Catholic, then he should sit down with them in love and show them with Scripture the error and apostasy of the Church of Rome, and then ask them to leave the RC church and I suspect at that point they will quickly find that their confidence in their Catholic friend's salvation was misplaced and was like a house built on sand.

Every £1 Can Buy 4 New Testaments in an Indigenous Asian Language.

99 percent of Asia's 3 billion people have no access to God's Word.
In helping www.gfauk.org for every £1 you can buy 4 New Testaments in an indigenous Asian language.

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

The Bible is the only book in the universe that tells us how our sins can be forgiven and the Name we must call upon for salvation. It is our light in darkness, our comfort in sorrow and our guide in following Christ; it is our courage, strength and everything we will ever need to safely reach our Father's home.

If the Bible is all this, what then is the fate of more than 99 percent of Asia's 3 billion people who have no access to God's Word?

And what about the thousands of new believers in Asia who are desperately waiting to receive the Scriptures in their own language? No doubt, their spiritual growth, maturity and steadfastness are directly linked to their access to the Bible. In fact, the very survival, stability, effectiveness and future of the Asian Church depend on whether its members become firmly grounded in God's Word.

That's why GFA Bible Society exists. And that's why our presses run day and night to produce Scriptures in the languages of the people of Asia. It only takes £1 to provide 4 New Testaments in an indigenous Asian language.

SEE for this and more gifts at:
Gospel For Asia Christimas Gift Catologue U.K.
Gospel For Asia Christmas Gift Catologue U.S.A.

Watch online three Full Lengh Gospel For Asia Videos (Click Links to play):
The Call To Harvest
Christ's Call
To Live Is Christ.

All Blessings in Christ by Charles Leiter.

From the appendix of the excellent book: Justification and Regeneration.

It was “in Christ Jesus” that God’s purpose and grace were granted to us from all eternity:
• 2 Timothy 1:9 “who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all
eternity.”
• Ephesians 1:4-6 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”
• Ephesians 1:9-10 “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him, with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth.”

In Christ the purposes and promises of God are all fulfilled:
• Ephesians 3:11 “This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• 2 Corinthians 1:19 “For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him.”
• 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”
• Ephesians 3:6 “to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
• 2 Timothy 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus…”

Union with Christ takes place at conversion:
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
• Romans 16:7 “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.”
• 1 Peter 5:14 “Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.”
• 1 John 2:5 “but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.”
• 1 John 3:24 “And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
• 1 John 4:13 “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
• 1 John 4:15 “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
• Romans 16:3 “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus.”
• Romans 16:9 “Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:2 “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third
heaven.”
• Galatians 1:22 “And I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.”

In Christ our spiritual blindness is removed:
• 2 Corinthians 3:14 “But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.”

In Christ we are new creatures, alive in a new realm.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away…new things have come.”
• Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
• Colossians 2:11 “and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.”

In Christ we have redemption:
• Romans 3:24 “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus”
• 1 Corinthians 1:30 “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”
• Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”
• Colossians 1:14 “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”

In Christ we are reconciled to God:
• 2 Corinthians 5:19 “namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

In Christ we have been brought near:
• Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

In Christ we have forgiveness:
• Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
• Colossians 1:14 “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”

In Christ we have righteousness:
• 1 Corinthians 1:30 “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
• Philippians 3:9 “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith”

In Christ we are justified:
• Galatians 2:17 “But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!”

In Christ we have no condemnation:
• Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

In Christ we have freedom from the law of sin and death:
• Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

In Christ we have liberty:
• Galatians 2:4 “But it was because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.”

In Christ religious ceremonies mean nothing:
• Galatians 5:6 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.”

In Christ we have spiritual circumcision:
• Colossians 2:11 “and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.”

In Christ we are sanctified:
• 1 Corinthians 1:2 “to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours”
• 1 Corinthians 1:30 “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”
• Philippians 1:1 “Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons…”
• Philippians 4:21 “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.”

In Christ we are dead to sin and alive to God:
• Romans 6:11 “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

In Christ we have been made complete:
• Colossians 2:10 “and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.”
• Colossians 1:28 “And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ.”

In Christ we have boldness and confident access:
• Ephesians 3:12 “in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him”

In Christ we have salvation:
• 2 Timothy 2:10 “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”

In Christ we have an inheritance:
• Ephesians 1:10-11 “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.”

In Christ is God’s eternal glory:
• 1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

In Christ we were sealed with the Holy Spirit:
• Ephesians 1:13 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise”

In Christ we have resurrection power:
• Ephesians 1:19-20 “and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might, which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.”

In Christ we have spiritual gifts:
• 1 Corinthians 1:5 “that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge”

In Christ we have every blessing:
• Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
• Galatians 3:14 “in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”

In Christ are found the love, grace, and peace of God:
• Romans 8:39 “nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
• 1 Corinthians 1:4 “I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus.”
• Ephesians 1:6 “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”
• Ephesians 2:7 “in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”
• 2 Timothy 2:1 “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
• Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

In Christ we are in the heavenly places:
• Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
• Ephesians 2:6 “and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus”

In Christ there are riches in glory:
• Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

In Christ all things hold together:
• Colossians 1:17 “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

In Christ we have life; Christ is our life:
• John 3:15 “that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life”
• Romans 6:11 “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
• Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:22 “…in Christ all shall be made alive”
• Colossians 3:3-4 “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
• John 6:56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”
• John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
• Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me,
and delivered Himself up for me.”

Those who are in Christ have put on Christ:
• Galatians 3:27-28 “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with (lit. “put on”) Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there
is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
• Colossians 3:9-11 “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have “put on” the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according
to the image of the One who created him—a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

In Christ we are one:
• John 17:21-23 “that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.”
• Romans 12:5 “so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
• Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Joel Olsteen His Best Sermon Now.

Has false teacher Joel Olsteen finally repented of his sins and been soundly saved? Watch this 10 min video clip for Some awesome preaching:
Joel Olsteen His Best Sermon Now (Click link to watch).

Actually the voice on the video is that of David Wilkerson which has been dubbed over the footage of Olsteen . The mp3 of the clip can be downloaded here Wilkerson Hell Clip Mp3 (Right-Click/Save As).

R C Sproul Jr Answers Homeschooling Objections: "Socialization" and "Public School Missionaries."

R C Sproul Jr (When You Rise up-A Covenantal Approach To Homeschooling p134-139) Published with permission.

"There are two objections left that I am aware of, one from the left, and one from the right. The one from the left is the granddaddy of them all: What about socialization?” Before we begin to look at that question let’s consider once again what the Bible tells us. It tells us that it equips us for every good work. It tells us that we are to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. But it not only doesn’t tell us how to socialize our children, but doesn’t tell us that they should be socialized There is no commandment from God “Thou Shalt socialize thy children.” In fact I’m sometimes a little unclear as to what it is these objectors are seeking for my children. What does it mean to be socialized?

Sometimes I ask those who raise this objection, “Now when you speak of socialization, you’re talking about my child’s ability to get along with others who are different. Is that it? Usually I get some sort of affirmative response, “I see,” I go on, “and your solution is for my ten-year-old to spend seven hours a day stuck in a room with other ten-year-olds?” My daughter Darby interacts with different kinds of people far more than any child at a state school. She interacts every day with her mommy and daddy. I’m not like a ten-year-old girl at all. She spends hours on end with her eight-year-old brother Campbell. She “socializes” with her sister Delaney (five). She reads to her sister Erin Claire (three), and she often gets her sister Maili (one) out of her crib in the morning. Not only that, but for the past six years Darby has been part of a mainstreaming program during the school year and during her nonschool days. She interacts with her special needs little sister Shannon.

She does have friends from church, not because we schedule “socialization” time for her, but because our family is friends with all the families in the church. She interacts with the therapists who come to help Shannon every week. She interacts with the folks at the grocery store, at the post office, and at the Highlands Study Centre. She visits with and serves visiting missionaries and their families. Next month she will be interacting with Korean Christians as she travels with her dad to Seoul, where he will be teaching.

But this isn’t really what people mean by socialization. What they want for my daughter Darby is for her to be hip to all the things other ten-year-olds are concerned about, like fashion labels, television shows, pop singers, and other essentials to the good life. They are concerned that my daughter is not under the sway of Madison Avenue, that she is free. But I have none of that concern. Their identity is in Christ. Not in pop culture.

Oh, but how will she ever meet people where they are? How will she ever be able to relate to the world around her, if she doesn’t know what’s up with Harry Potter? And if she doesn’t know that how can she possibly win the lost? This whole drowning-ourselves-in-pop-culture-sludge argument should be wearing rather thin by now. What exactly do our children need to know in order to win the lost besides the Bible, the very center of our curriculum? Everyone remembers the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Does Philip approach the eunuch and ask, “So, how is the Ethiopian bob sledding team doing this year? I was up late last night trying to get a report on ESPN, but I must have fallen asleep. Mercy, I’m still tired. Do you mind if I take a nap here in your cart? Maybe when I wake up I’ll tell you about Jesus.”

All children need to know about the lost is that they are lost. When they, in their lostness, yammer on about the latest boy band, all they need to know is that the latest boy band isn’t the answer.

Now our final objection comes from within the Christian church. Here the concern isn’t that if we home schooled our children, they won’t be hip enough to win the lost, but that if we home school, they won’t ever run into the lost. That is when we home school, we fail to send our children out into a dying world as salt and light. After all, isn’t the purpose of our education that our children might have an opportunity to serve as missionaries? Of all the objections we’ve considered this one at least has the virtue of not being motivated by the same greedy pursuit of personal peace and affluence that drives the world. I don’t doubt that there are parents who sincerely believe it their duty to send their children into a hostile environment for the sake of the lost. Their sincerity however doesn’t make it right.

There are two things on the other hand that cause me to question that sincerity. First, there is always a line drawn. I’ve never met a parent who determined to send their teenage child off to a brothel or the crack house for the sake of the lost. The people there are as lost as the people at the state school. The only difference is, in the brothel or crack house, the bad guys don’t have the authority to make our children sit and listen to their worldview being taught for seven hours a day. But there’s another reason for my doubts. I have yet to hear of a parent who is so concerned for the lost that they actually pay to send their children to attend a Muslim school, or Roman Catholic school. Isn’t it at least suspicious that all those who are motivated to send their children out as missionaries send them where it is “free” to attend?

Do I care about the lost? Of course I do. Do my children care about the lost? Enough that they can pray for them at school, out loud, every day. I am homeschooling precisely that my children will be able to know, recognize, and love their enemy. And just as their ability to love their enemy into the Kingdom isn’t contingent on their being trained by the enemy, in like manner their ability to love their enemy into the Kingdom isn’t contingent on their being in the enemy’s schools. The greatest thing that our children can do for the lost is to so let their light shine before men that they glorify their Father in Heaven. My children do, by the grace of God, show forth the glory of the gospel. They humble their father, by constantly eliciting the praise of men for their good behavior.I don’t want their bushels buried. But neither do I want their flames extinguished. Never will I put my children under the authority of those who are enemies of the gospel, who despise the Lordship of Christ such that his name cannot even be mentioned. That we must never negotiate.

And therein is the end of the matter. I have tried to make the case in this book, under the authority of Christ., that parents are commanded to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. But let me concede this. While biblical education is done by parents’ teaching the Three Gs to their children when they rise up and when they lie down, the most grievous error we can make is to send them off to a school where Jesus is not plainly, fully, and publicly honored. In that great name may we hasten the day when no parent at the same time claims to serve the King, and yet allows his child to be trained by those who will not name that King. May it never be said again of any of those who name the name of Christ that they rendered unto Caesar the things that are God’s-his covenant children."

R C Sproul Jr (When You Rise up-A Covenantal Approach To Homeschooling p134-139) [Bold ours.]

Buy When You Rise Up-A Covenantal Approach To Homeschooling by R C Sproul Jr for just $8.

See also:Thou Shall Not Send Your Child To A Public School - Why Not Homeschooling Our Children Is A Sin.

HOW TO ASCERTAIN THE WILL OF GOD by George Mueller

1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the LORD's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.

2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

3. I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.

4. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.

6. Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.

From: An Hour With George Mueller, Edited by A. Sims. Appendix C.

Lake Road Chapel Podcast - Charles Leiter, Richard Ochs

Lake Road Chapel now have a podcast with sermons from their elders Charles Leiter, author of the excellent book Justification and Regeneration, and, Richard Ochs. It will also include sermons from guest preachers who speak at the church such as Paul Washer.

Go to Lake Road Chapel Podcast and listen to the many excellent sermons.

Christ Commands to Make Disciples, Not Returning Customers. Charles Spurgeon & Mark Kielar Speak Out Against Today's "entertainment preaching"

The Church should be the salt to the world, not the sugar candy.
8 min Video

Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats? by Charles Spurgeon

An evil resides in the professed camp of the Lord so gross in its impudence that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it. During the past few years it has developed at an abnormal rate even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. From speaking out as the Puritans did, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.

My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the Church. If it is a Christian work why did not Christ speak of it? ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’ That is clear enough. So it would have been if He has added, ‘and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel.’ No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to Him. Then again, ‘He gave some apostles, some prophets, some pastors and teachers, for the work of the ministry.’ Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people or because they refused? The concert has no martyr roll.

Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all His apostles. What was the attitude of the Church to the world? ‘Ye are the salt,’ not sugar candy — something the world will spite out, not swallow. Short and sharp was the utterance, ‘Let the dead bury their dead.’ He was in awful earnestness!

Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into His mission, He would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching. I do not hear Him say, ‘Run after these people, Peter, and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it. Be quick, Peter, we must get the people somehow!’ Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them. In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of the gospel amusement. Their message is, ‘Come out, keep out, keep clean out!’ Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.

After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the Church had a prayer meeting, but they did not pray, ‘Lord grant Thy servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are.’ If they ceased not for preaching Christ, they had not time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They ‘turned the world upside down.’ That is the difference! Lord, clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her and bring us back to apostolic methods.

Lastly, the mission of amusement fails to affect the end desired. It works havoc among young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the Church met them halfway, speak and testify. Let the heavy-laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment has been God’s link in the chain of their conversion, stand up! There are none to answer. The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today’s ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.

-Charles Spurgeon (1887)

Watch Revival Hymn (36 min) Humanism Free True Christianity + .v. Heretic Rob Bell

Watch Revival Hymn (36 min)For A Classic Lesson on True Christianity Free of the Shackles of Humanism
Click link to play in Windows Media Player (or right-click & save as to download)
REVIVAL HYMN WMV-VIDEO

See also: Rob Bell a Ravenous Wolf in Sheep's Clothing-The Bullwhip Guy+Mark Sohmer's Velvet Elvis Rebuttal

Psalm 7:11-12 "God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready."