Soli Deo Gloria

From Gospel for Asia:

“India is in a scary situation,” says Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan. “While violence continues in Orissa, on India’s east coast, anti-Christian extremists have unleashed another wave of attacks on Christians in Karnataka, a state on India’s west coast.

“At the same time, churches are under attack in Jharkand and other states, and Muslim extremists have set off bombs in Delhi.

“But we know that, in the end, the future is bright, because Jesus is with His church.”

On Sunday, Hindu mobs rushed into churches and prayer centers of many different denominations in Karnataka, attacking Christians during their times of worship. The extremists then destroyed the church buildings and their properties. At least 11 churches were destroyed, including at least one led by Gospel for Asia missionaries.

Christians responded with protest rallies, and more than 60 extremists have been detained by authorities as a result of Sunday’s attacks.

“What we saw in Orissa was a well thought-out and detailed agenda to eradicate Christians from the state,” said Dr. Yohannan. “As you can see, the same pattern is being followed in Karnataka. It is well planned and orchestrated by Hindu radicals.”

Read the rest of this article over at Gospel for Asia and remember to keep those who are dying for their faith in Jesus Christ in your prayers.

Evangelism, Prayer Requests, The Church, The Gospel

In an age where the evangelical church today focuses more on humanism than the true Gospel, Paul Washer’s brief message below is a stark warning to all professing believers.  May we truly come to an understanding of just what “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” truly means.  (Rom. 3:23)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

To learn more about Paul Washer and his ministry, visit Heartcry Missionary Society

Preaching, The Church, The Gospel

O GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT,
That which I know not, teach thou me, keep me a humble disciple in the school of Christ, learning daily there what I am in myself, a fallen sinful creature, justly deserving everlasting destruction; O let me never lose sight of my need of a Saviour, or forget that apart from Him I am nothing, and can do nothing.

Open my understanding to know the Holy Scriptures; reveal to my soul the counsels and works of the blessed Trinity; instil into my dark mind the saving knowledge of Jesus; make me aquainted with His covenant undertakings and His perfect fulfillment of them, that by resting on His finished work I may find the Father’s love in the Son, His Father, my Father, and may be brought through Thy influence to have fellowship with the Three in One.

O lead me into all truth, thou Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that I may know the things that belong unto my peace, and through Thee be made anew.

Make practical upon my heart the Father’s love as Thou hast revealed it in the Scriptures; apply to my soul the blood of Christ, effectually, continually, and help me to believe, with conscience comforted, that it cleanseth from all sin; lead me from faith to faith, that I may at all times have freedom to come to a reconciled Father, and may be able to maintain peace with Him against doubts, fears, corruptions, temptations.

Thy office is to teach me to draw near to Christ with a pure heart, steadfastly persuaded of His love, in the full assurance of faith.  Let me never falter in this way.

From Valley of Vision - a collection of Puritan prayers.

Daily Walk, Devotional

Paul Washer has to be one of my favorite preachers.  He preaches with Biblical clarity and with a passion that is Spirit-led.  We need more preaches/teachers like Paul in America.  This sermon is one that every single person should watch and listen to carefully.  This is the true Biblical Gospel and one that glories in the miracle of a changed life through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God in the face of Christ.

It is evident today that many preachers need to spend less time preaching and more time studying their Bibles.  It is rare to hear the Word preached like brother Washer.

May we examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith…

Bible Studies, Preaching, The Church, The Gospel

I haven’t been posting as often on my blog as I normally do for a few reasons.  First, I started back classes at CIU and I’m taking Greek so needless to say my head has been in the books <grin>. (So please pray for me!!!)

Second, I’ve been battling a nasty cold/flu bug for over a week now and just haven’t had the energy to post.

I’ve also learned through this that I do tend to spend more time than I should on the internet - even browsing the Christian blogs and catching up on the latest heresy I’ve found takes away valuable time I could be spending in the Word and in prayer with my Lord.  

To all us bloggers out there -  the blogosphere is an excellent ministry but don’t allow it to overshadow the sweet time in prayer and meditation of the Word.

Uncategorized

One of the most fearful things about sin is its power to harden the one who practices it. The deeper a man goes in sin, the less sin bothers him. . . . Every sinner finds himself now committing sins that he once despised, and the sins that he now despises, he will someday find himself committing. It should shock us to remember that Adolph Hitler was once a little boy playing with toys just like other little boys. Man knows the beginning of sin, but no man has ever known the end of sin.

Culture, The Church, Theology

This is a very powerful audio message that will stir your spirit for revival! This audio message has clips from powerful preachers and theologians including Ian Paisley, Leonard Ravenhill, Paris Reidhead, Duncan Campbell, A.W. Tozer and T. Austin Sparks.

“The church of Jesus Christ is largely sleeping, like a great bedroom, and you have all the Christians in bed and they’re all sleeping … and they’re saying “Please, don’t wake me up! I want to sleep on!” And of course when God starts to operate a revival people cannot sleep, you can’t sleep in church when the Spirit of God awakes the people. Look at the 1st verse of this 52nd chapter…”Awake! Awake! Put on strength!” Wake up! You’re sleepy Christians! Awake thou that sleepeth, Arise from the dead! Christ will give you life!” - Ian Paisley

This is probably one of the most potent and powerful audio recordings I have heard. You will be changed as you listen to this compilation.  May we all seek to serve our Lord and Savior mightily by His power and for His glory!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

• right click here to download this in mp3 format
• download the transcript of the audio in pdf format

Evangelism, Preaching, The Church, The Gospel

This is not usual for me to post on my blog about “culturally relevant” things but as I was browsing some blogs this evening I came across a couple of Christian blogs that are talking about the latest Batman movie called “The Dark Knight”.   Some of the blogs are using the content of the movie to describe the condition of man and assessing the evil of evil through the character “Joker” played by the late Heath Ledger.

Before I begin to rail on movies in general let me start by saying that I love to watch movies.  I believe there are some fantastic movies out there that get us thinking.  For example, John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” was recently made into a feature length film and it is outstanding.  The story is true to the book and the acting is wonderful and of course it is Christ exalting and causes us to use our mind to reflect on God and His mercy and grace.  However, I draw the line with many of the movies out today and refuse to sit through several hours of a film that attacks Christianity or worse blasphemes Christ.

Read more…

Culture, Daily Walk, Rants

Great God, in public and private, in sanctuary and home, may my life be steeped in prayer, filled with the spirit of grace and supplication, each prayer perfumed with the incense of atoning blood. Help me, defend me, until from praying ground I pass to the realm of unceasing praise. Urged by my need, invited by Thy promises, called by Thy Spirit, I enter Thy presence, worshipping Thee with godly fear, awed by Thy majesty, greatness, glory, but encouraged by Thy love.

I am all poverty as well as all guilt, having nothing of my own with which to repay Thee, but I bring Jesus to Thee in the arms of faith, pleading His righteousness to offset my iniquities, rejoicing that He will weigh down the scales for me, and satisfy thy justice. I bless Thee that great sin draws out great grace, that, although the lest sin deserves infinite punishment because done against an infinite God, yet there is mercy for me, for where guilt is most terrible, there Thy mercy in Christ is most free and deep. Bless me by revealing to me more of His saving merits, by causing Thy goodness to pass before me, by speaking peace to my contrite heart; strengthen me to give Thee no rest untiI Christ shall reign supreme within me in every thought, word, and deed, in a faith that purifies the heart, overcomes the world, works by love, fastens me to Thee, and ever clings to the cross.

From Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers

Daily Walk, Devotional

It is no doubt that television is the true American Idol.  One commenter on a blog I frequent said it best: if you were to sit down and tally up the amount of time you watch TV and the amount of time you spend in prayer and Bible reading which would be larger?

May we step back and assess our lives and realize that idols are everywhere and can so quickly become our god.  This video presentation should cause all of us to step back and assess….

Culture, Preaching, The Church

The world today whispers and yells to us that our pleasure, security and contentment are the cornerstones of a happy, healthy marriage.  In fact, the grounds for divorce in most instances are labeled as “incompatibility” and “unable to get along”.  If one carefully lifts up the labels will find that the true reason is simple selfishness.

Read more…

Daily Walk

In a culture where everything in most churches is man-centered the way that we interpret Scripture is often focused primarily on us.  What we must realize is that all of Scripture points to Christ.  The only way to correctly interpret Scripture is to have a Christ-centered focus on the text - for no other reason than that is exactly what Scripture does - it points to Christ!

Jesus most clearly taught that “you search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”  (John 5:39-40)

Hendryx comments in his paper that “Jesus never condemned a Pharisee for taking Moses too seriously. They take him far less seriously than they should. For Jesus says, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for He write of Me. But if you don’t believe His writings, how will you believe My words. Your accuser is Moses.” (John 5:46). So to understand Moses is to come to know Christ when He is revealed. Likewise, Abraham saw Jesus’ day and was glad, the Bible testifies. And “…foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” (Gal)”

“The Scriptures should be read with the aim of finding Christ in them. Whoever turns aside from this object, even though he wears himself out all his life in learning, he will never reach the knowledge of the truth.” - John Calvin

I ran across an excellent article by John Hendryx entitled “Five Errors that Arise from Christ-Replacements” and it’s a must read.  He outlines five examples of doctrinal errors that arise when Christ is unBiblically removed as the key focus of Scripture (which is so terribly common today).

Take some time to read this excellent article over at monergism.com.

Bible Studies, Preaching, The Church, Theology