“It is not faith that saves, but faith in Jesus Christ… It is not, strictly speaking, even faith in Christ that saves, but Christ that saves through faith. The saving power resides exclusively, not in the act of faith or the attitude of faith or in the nature of faith, but in the object of faith.”

- B. B. Warfield

I have intentionally wanted to ignore Todd Bentley, self-proclaimed revivalist in Florida, hoping that he would soon go away.  I usually do not like to blog about people like this. There is no doubt that anyone claiming to be of God who speaks to angels and then tells the audience that they must believe in the angel is a false prophet.  We are to believe in Jesus Christ - not an angel.  Todd’s “angel dialogue” is just one of many real problems with this man’s “ministry”.

My friends we are in a time in America where there is so much of a need for discernment.  We live in a time where pastors in other countries are being arrested for preaching the gospel and pastors in America are being arrested for child abuse, drugs and sexual offenses.  Our American Christianity is so watered down that it is no wonder thousands and thousands flock to people like Todd Bentley and genuinely believe he is from God.  Where is the Gospel?  Where is Christ preached?  It is clear in Scripture that when one is filled with the Holy Spirit Christ is proclaimed and glorified.

I was over at Slice of Laodicea this morning and saw a video that caused me to write this post.  It’s a video of Todd Bentley kicking a man with stage 4 colon cancer in the stomach to be “healed”.  That’s right - Todd physically kicked the man so hard he fell to the floor and Todd then told the man that God told him to do it.  This isn’t the first time Todd has proudly announced to his audience that he has kicked people.  He told his audience not too long ago that he kicked an elderly woman in the face because God told him to.

To see the video for yourself head on over to Slice and be dismayed.

My friends… pray!  Pray for Todd Bentley that he will be convicted and that the Lord would bring him to repentance.  Pray for the thousands that have been led into his false teachings.  Pray for discernment!  Maranatha!

Please watch…  this is so true, and so heartbreaking knowing that this is the problem of American Christianity today….

A Jehovah’s Witness knocked on the door of Ray Comfort, an evangelist and street preacher.  This recording of the actual conversation shows that no matter who we are talking to, the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ is all we need.  They are using what is called the “Way of the Master Technique” to deliver the Gospel.  A very Biblical and excellent gospel presentation.  To learn more, visit www.wayofthemaster.com.

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Paul Washer is probably one of my favorite preachers right along with Piper, Noblit and MacArthur.  In this short clip from a missions conference Paul Washer speaks the truth with such passion.  This is a message that must be heard….

I love to write in my Bible.  It’s so hilited and written in that certain pages look like just about every color of the rainbow.  (My wife prefers a yellow hiliter and so we call her Bible the “sunshine Bible”.  Taken outdoors it will blind you when opened. <grin>)

I’ve spent quite some time finding the best pens and hiliters to use to mark and take notes in my Scriptures. The best hiliters are definitely the Bic Brite Liner Z4’s.  They don’t bleed through and don’t fade like many others.

But oh what I ran across yesterday at Staples.  I happened to go down the pen isle and what did my wandering eyes see…  a new Sharpie Pen.  In fact, it’s called the “Sharpie Pen” and it touted not to bleed through almost all papers.  So I grabbed a package and couldn’t wait to try it out in my Bible.

I am impressed!  This is one great pen and even on some of my more worn pages it truly does not bleed through the pages - even the thin pages of most Bibles.    So if you’re one who loves to write in your Bible get one of the new Sharpie Pens!

“How could we have such a low view of the gospel of Jesus Christ that we have to manipulate men psychologically to get them to come down and pray a prayer? . . . How many times have I heard evangelists say, “It’ll only take five minutes.“? No my dear friend, it will take your life–all of it! “We’re just trying to attract people and then we’ll gradually bring them in further and further.” That is what the cults do, that’s not what Jesus did. Notice that in the gospels every time a great crowd is following Jesus, he turns around and says something so radical to them that most of them walk away. Of course Jesus probably would not get invited to teach evangelism [in most churches today].”

- Paul Washer

There has been a trend in American Christianity lately to focus on the confession of sin.  If this was a focus that was Biblical I would be rejoicing but what we are seeing is a trend that focuses on confession of sin outside of the only basis for that confession - the cross of Christ.   Do a cursory search on the internet for online confessionals and you’ll find that most if not all are encourage people to confess their sins, often anonymously, in an effort to help the sinner feel better - all without ever mentioning the only way forgiveness of sins is offered…  through the substitionary atonement of Christ on the cross.

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