Soli Deo Gloria

Every Christian, especially evangelical pastors, should listen carefully to this sermon. Brother Washer speaks the truth in this passionate call for the American church to wake up.  What a wonderful sermon to take the time to watch on this Reformation Day.

I’ve heard people complain that this sermon is too long. Tally up the time we spend in front of a movie screen or television set and then compare that to the time we give to God in hearing the preaching of His living Word.

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Glorious God,
I bless Thee that I know Thee.  I once lived in the world, but was ignorant of its Creator, was partaker of Thy providences, but knew not the Provider, was blind while enjoying the sunlight, was deaf to all things spiritual, with voices all around me, understood many things, but had no knowledge of Thy ways, saw the world, but did not see Jesus only.

Oh happy day, when in Thy love’s sovereignty Thou didst look on me, and call me by grace.  Then did the dead heart begin to beat, the darkened eye glimmer with light, the dull ear catch Thy echo, and I turned to Thee and found Thee, a God ready to hear, willing to save.

Then did I find my heart at enmity to Thee, vexing Thy Spirit; then did I fall at Thy feet and hear Thee thunder, ‘The soul that sinneth, it must die.’, but when grace made me to know thee, and admire a God who hated sin, Thy terrible justice held my will submissive.  My thoughts were then as knives cutting my head.  Then didst Thou come to me in silken robes of love, and I saw Thy Son dying that I may live, and in that death I found my all.

My soul doth sing at the remembrance of that peace; the gospel cornet brought a sound unknown to me before that reached my heart - and I lived - never to lose my hold on Christ or His hold on me.  Grant that I may always weep to the praise of mercy found, and tell to others as long as I live, that Thou art a sin-pardoning God, taking up the blasphemer and the ungodly, and washing them from their deepest stain.

From Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan Prayers

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“Christ will be master of the heart, and sin must be mortified. If your life is unholy, then your heart is unchanged, and you are an unsaved person. The Saviour will sanctify His people, renew them, give them a hatred of sin, and a love of holiness. The grace that does not make a man better than others is a worthless counterfeit. Christ saves His people, not IN their sins, but FROM their sins. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord.”

- Charles Spurgeon

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Paul Washer, speaking at the Deeper Conference last weekend, proclaims the truth of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In this message, he speaks on the condition of the evangelical church today and how far we have fallen in how we handle the gospel and the idolatry of decisional evangelism.  This is an excellent message in typical Washer fire and is one that every single pastor in America should hear carefully.  This goes along well with an article I posted a few weeks ago on the “Serious Error of Decisional Evangelism“.

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You can also watch the video of brother Paul at the Deeper conference here.

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“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”  (Isaiah 66:2)

Last weekend we spent time in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina on a weekend retreat with our Sunday school class.  The drive up was exhilarating as we approached the mountain line and began experiencing the popping of our ears as our bodies adjusted to the change in pressure.  The colors of the leaves were astounding.  The views from the car as we climbed higher and higher were absolutely breathtaking.

At the retreat we spent time during a prayer walk along the shores of Lake Junaluska enjoying the weather and nature surrounding us at this beautiful location.  The ripples in the lake gently reflected the colors that adorned the majestic mountains as if God had draped the mountains in a rugged coat preparing them for the cold to come.

Read more…

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“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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would 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. 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 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 on the earth.

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, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 

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, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Ephesians 1:3-14 (NAS)  Emphasis mine

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“If your Lord call you to suffering, be not dismayed; there shall be a new allowance of the King for you when you come to it.  One of the softest pillows Christ hath is laid under His witnesses’ head, though often they must set down their bare feet among thorns.”

- Samuel Rutherford, The Loveliness of Christ

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Do you see the lack of morality in people who call themselves Christians?  Do you see open and unrepentant sin among many people who are members of your church?  Why do we see people join a church but they soon stop attending any services? What are we to do, and is there anything we can do?  Have you always been told that the Bible says for you not to judge?  If the Bible says not to judge, then what is all the talk lately about church discipline?

Holly Ridge Baptist Church will have Jeff Noblit speak on church discipline.  This is a must hear.  Visit Holly Ridge Baptist Church’s site to learn more about this conference and to register online.

For more information on Jeff Noblit, visit Anchored in Truth.

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The following video was played at the Desiring God National conference this year.   It’s well done…

James 3:8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHm7IB8Uxc

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How can we preach the Gospel to a man with an empty stomach?

A man’s stomach has nothing to do with his heart’s condition of being a rebel against the holy God. A rich American on Fifth Avenue in New York City or a poor beggar on the streets of Bombay are both rebels against God Almighty, according to the Bible. The result of this lie is the fact that, during the past 100 years, the majority of mission money has been invested in social work. I am not saying we should not care for the poor and needy. The issue I am taking to task is losing our primary focus of preaching the Gospel.  - K.P. Yohannan (Gospel for Asia)

Well said Mr. Yohannan!  When will the church in America wake up and return to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the focus?  The church today needs to step away from humanism and return to the gospel!  I have heard way too many stories of churches sending out “mission trips” only to return with photos of tours, playing games and befriending folks all-the-while never telling them the gospel.  This is not missionary work.  Missionary work is gospel centered with serving the natural by-product of the proclamation of truth.

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From Gospel for Asia:

Gospel for Asia missionary Vinay Ganpati is still facing threats months after an anti-Christian mob attacked his church in Tamil Nadu, India. The attack happened after a local woman, believed to be a goddess, blamed two deaths on the Christian community.

After the attack on the church building and congregation, one of the anti-Christians died in an accident. This caused people to further blame the Christians, and there were threats of more violence.

On September 26, a group approached Pastor Vinay and told him to vacate the church and stop all activities by October 10. Vinay tried his best to reason with the group, explaining the land was lawfully owned by the church and that he couldn’t leave so suddenly.

“The extremists were not ready to listen to him and again warned him to vacate by the deadline or face dire consequences,” GFA’s correspondent wrote. “Vinay seems very worried.”

Vinay and his leaders plan to file a complaint with the police station in an effort to protect their land. This is not their first choice, as it could further hinder relationships with the people of the village.

Vinay earnestly requests prayer that God would remove fear from the Christians’ hearts and make them strong to face these trials. Pray that the Lord will bring a peaceful solution, and that those opposing the Gospel will realize God’s love for them.

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