Upholding the Truth

Fighting for the Faith: Piper / Warren Debrief With Phil Johnson Part 1

2011-06-07T20:20:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, the growing apostasy of Rick Warren is being given an audience and, believe it or not, is being justified by John Piper! "Fighting for the Faith" has provided a debriefing of an interview that Piper had with Warren. A listen to this is well worth the time:

Fighting for the Faith: Piper / Warren Debrief With Phil Johnson Part 1

Dr. Michael Horton interviewed by Lane Chaplin

2011-03-31T21:41:00.001-04:00

Dr. Michael Horton has written extensively on exposing that which claims to be gospel and yet isn't. He is worth the listen. Below are a few excerpts from his books as well as the interview...

Excerpts: The Gospel-Driven Life by Michael Horton

“If we try to make the gospel ‘relevant’ and ‘accessible’ to people who are still judging stories, problems, and resolutions in terms of their own life movie, it will never rise above moralistic therapy. It is amazing how stubbornly we deny the reality of death and facing God’s judgment even when we are faced with it….When we are placed in God’s courtroom, the definition of wisdom—that which is useful for us to know in life—changes. God has a way of creating his own publicity.” p. 72

“Faith is not the same as religious experience or pious activity. Rather, it is turning away from both in order to cling to Christ as he is clothed in his gospel. We live in a ‘follow your heart’ culture, where it is simply assumed that this will get us to the right destination.” p. 75

Excerpts: In The Face of God by Michael Horton

"In contemporary preaching, the goal is to meet the “felt needs” of the self. The tone is congenial, happy, informal, and – above all, friendly. This approach has been described as “Church Lite,” and it is this “lightness of being,” this “weightlessness” of it all, that has characterized Gnosticism in every age. Every spiritual scheme that celebrates spirit over matter, soul over body, individual over community, freedom over form, subjective over objective, eternity over time, and experience over doctrine will necessarily dismantle anything of weight.” p 24-25

“We “share” our experiences or our “personal testimony,” and this sharing often becomes the center of discourse. The church building itself is designed to make us comfortable. The liturgy and sermons are calculated to satisfy the self. The songs are increasingly centered around our feelings, experiences, and longings. It is not a very large step from all these to the expressivism that marks so much of contemporary “praise.” p 26-27

“Throughout Scripture, it is always the preaching of Christ, not of conversion and Christian experience, that is held forth as saving truth. My purpose is not to deny that personal and subjective side, but to argue that this orientation has almost entirely shoved the external and objective message of Christianity aside.” p 34

Martin Bashir "Interviews" Rob Bell

2011-03-16T16:28:00.012-04:00

First Multiple Choice Question for Your Day:
Which is Objective Truth based upon the Word of God?
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes
A. judgment.
B. a second chance for God to show His love to you.
(Hint: Hebrews 9:27)

Second Multiple Choice Question for Your Day:
Based upon your review of the above video:
Who is more likely to believe Hebrews 9:27?
A. Rob Bell
B. Martin Bashir

Thanks for our conversation with God's Word!

Real Passion versus Artificial Enthusiasm

2011-01-13T14:20:00.002-05:00

There is a great post today over at Pyromaniacs:
Real Passion versus Artificial Enthusiasm by Phil Johnson
Well worth the read and so true.

Passivity at the Hands of Antichrist

2011-01-06T14:11:00.003-05:00

American Evangelicalism is losing ground due to the passiveness of leaders and attendees. Important Biblical matters are being swept under the rug for another time. God terms these people a "carefree multitude" (Ezekiel 23:42)
Read full article Passivity at the Hands of Antichrist

The Knowledge of the Self-Revealing God: Starting Point for the Christian Worldview

2010-12-07T10:19:00.006-05:00

"Christian thinking is not reducible to mere theism—belief in the existence of a personal God. To the contrary, authentic Christian thinking begins with the knowledge that the only true God is the God who has revealed himself to us in the Bible."

Read Albert Mohler's full article

A Holy God Plans A Witness!

2009-01-23T15:45:00.002-05:00

The State of "Evangelicalism"

2008-11-17T13:53:00.001-05:00

The Pulpit & Preaching

2008-11-05T11:02:00.002-05:00

The Gospel

2008-10-12T17:09:00.006-04:00

2008-06-16T13:38:00.004-04:00

I’m Not Ashamed of the Scandal
(Paul Washer - 53 minutes)

2008-05-08T18:04:00.012-04:00

MacArthur on Warren’s Apostate “Gospel”

Fake Evangelicalism

2007-11-16T07:57:00.001-05:00

According to Tony Campolo the best way to really be filled with "Christ" is to get everything out of your mind through centering prayer. Is he Catholic, mystic, Quaker, new ager? Hmmm.
Please note his heretical thought and listen carefully for it: every person is born with "Christ, the light," already in them.

So has the entrance into the eternal kingdom now become a mystical inner-knowing of a "Christ" who is already present in everyone?
Or is it repentance/faith in the Holy Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who was sent into the world as "the Light" to the world?
True evangelicalism says the later.
Please carefully consider how he takes out of context his quote in the first chapter of John's gospel. Jesus Christ came into the world. He is "the Life" and "the Light."
Does the context indicate that He shines from "within" the darkened human heart?
Or that He shines in, from without, the darkened human heart that desperately needs to receive Him and, thus, be regenerated by this very Light?
The later is the truth.
John 1:1-13 ESV

The Kingdom without King Jesus?

2007-07-23T09:06:00.001-04:00

The "neo-evangelism" of Brian McLaren shows us very clearly how a person can articulate the "kingdom of God" as ushered in by our own good works and without the Lord Jesus Christ of Calvary.

Take your pick: liberal "Jesus", liberation theology "Jesus", gnostic redeemer "Jesus", kingdom-now "Jesus" - but not the Jesus we know from the New Testament revelation.

MacArthur's thoughts on the "New Evangelical Inclusivism"

2007-06-05T14:13:00.001-04:00

Is There a New Purpose to "Evangelism"?

2007-05-29T09:02:00.001-04:00

I read with great interest the following article.
Please note especially the quotes taken from Francis Schaeffer from 25 years ago!
Big Box Churches Ring Pavlov's Bell

Fighting for Truth

2007-05-23T11:41:00.001-04:00

TeamPyro - Phil Johnson - had a link to the following article on their website - May 23, 2007 and titled it "On Controversy in the Church" I thought the full article so excellent that I wanted to pass it along.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN SCHOLARSHIP IN THE DEFENSE OF THE FAITH - by J. Gresham Machen
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 1:3 ESV

Diabolical Thinking

2007-02-20T12:09:00.002-05:00

Our society has undergone a paradigm shift in its thinking process. In the past, most people thought in a didactic manner, (2+2=4, light/dark, right/wrong). Today, we have moved to a dialectic thought process where 2+2= what do you feel it should be. In the name of relationship/community, feelings and opinions replace law and obedience as the arbitrator of truth. Truth and change is supposedly found by a method of consensus.
Consensus is based on a system known as the dialectic, (Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis) In the first step, a person or group brings their thoughts and position into the groupthink, (thesis). An opposite position consisting of opposing views is offered, (antithesis). The "change agents" then, through dialogue and consensus, reach a compromise (synthesis), by combining both positions. This becomes the new thesis and the process begins again, until the desired change or the change agents accomplish their goal. It is Socialism/ Marxism anew with the idea of bringing about world peace and unity. Anyone that opposes this thinking must be ostracized, marginalized or minimized. They are referred to as Fundamentalists, old-fashioned, troublemakers. These people hold to a standard of right and wrong that is given by God, family, law, which claims an exclusivity in what is right or wrong.
Most of our political, socio-economics (Sustainable Growth), and educational systems (Bloom's Taxonomies) have already succumbed to this group think as well as much of the church as evidenced by the Seeker/Purpose Driven concepts, as well as Rick Warren's new P.E.A.C.E. plan which mirrors the U.N.'s peace initiatives to build consensus and a New World Order.
This thinking process is diabolical and is the same one used by Satan in the Garden of Eden against Eve. Satan got Eve to dialogue and reach a consensus with him as to what she "felt" she "ought" to be able to do based on her feelings and desires instead of doing what was commanded by God. Unless we recognize this process we are headed down a slippery slope.
Fred Pursley

Tough question: By our silence do we lead men to ruin?

2007-01-26T18:51:00.001-05:00

This is a quote from Spurgeon which I relate to you after reading it on "Christian Research Net"

“On all sides we hear voices inviting us to peace apart from righteousness. ‘Oh’, they say to us, ‘a confederacy, a confederacy.’ What mean you? You are to preach a lie, and we are to preach the truth, and yet we are to call each other brothers. We are no brothers, and we will not by our silence aid the fraud. ‘Oh but,’ say they, ‘be charitable.’ Charitable with what? Charitable with God’s truth, flinging it down into the mire of error? Charitable by deceiving our fellowmen? That we cannot be. Brethren, we must so hold and love the truth as to hate every false way; for the way of error is ruinous to the souls of men, and it will go hard with us if even by our silence we lead men to ruin therein… ‘Hold your tongue’, says the world. ‘Do not fight against error. Why need you speak so loudly against a wrong thing?’ We must speak, and speak sharply too, for souls are in danger. We must uplift the banner of truth, or we shall be meanest of all cowards. God has made us kings and we must be first kings of righteousness, and after that kings of peace…”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Why is the Church Assembled?

2007-01-26T05:25:00.001-05:00

Spurgeon seems to always say it so well.
"Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats"
A.W. Tozer called entertainment an "evangelical heresy"
I couldn't agree more.

Forgiveness in Salvation

2007-01-05T10:50:00.001-05:00

Spurgeon says it well.

Discerning God's Hand

2006-11-24T11:33:00.001-05:00

One of the more troubling things that I have been pressed to consider for the past 20-30 years is the reality of God's hand "doing" things that relate to His holiness and judgment. We all pray and want to see God do "good things" that relate to His mercy and lovingkindness and certainly we should. But God also is committed to doing things that relate to His holiness and He makes those things visible. So we tend to not be fully illumined in our own hearts to God giving anyone or any people over to judgment. The world certainly doesn't see nor believe it. Will God actually move by giving a people over to deception because they refuse to receive the love of the truth? Yes. (See text below)
A few weeks back I listened to Dr. MacArthur's message at Southern Seminary on just this thing. The crux of the message was that he believes that God has abandoned America because we have abandoned God.
In this scenario God still works in our lives but his "seeming methods" have shifted. We should anticipate this. I call it the "revival of preparation" and it is basically personal and internal. It is God preparing His own to "weather" the deceptions and judgments to come.
As we consider God moving us toward the end of this present evil age we dare not have our heads in the sand. His Word will be absolutely fulfilled to the very letter. And Jesus Himself will deliver His own from the wrath to come.
In the meantime let's pay attention to our witness to the Lord Jesus Christ of the Gosepl and to the events of this age.
Here is an interesting article on events/perspective that we should ponder.
"And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." II Thessalonians 2:6-12 English Standard Version

Thanksgiving by Oswald

2006-11-23T12:43:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving with Oswald Chambers

In Him We Have Been Made Complete

2006-11-03T06:11:00.001-05:00

In September 21 and August 10, 2006 posts I had written articles warning about "contemplative spirituality" coming into the church. To get a feel for the teachings and an example of what is taking place please listen to Crosstalk's interview with Brian Flynn from November 1, 2006 here. Brian, as a former New Ager, is well equipped to see the mystical and contemplative inroads that have been made into the "evangelical" community. I was made very aware of this incredibly subtle influx back in 1981 as I graduated from seminary and entered into the ministry. It was right about this time that "Celebration of Discipline" was making a big "splash" in many churches and with many church leaders. (You should see my side comments in the book that I have!) I wrote a review here were I attempt to warn the Body of the mysticism of Richard Foster, the author, who has his roots deeply embedded in Quakerism.

The fountainhead, to various degrees, of this mysticism having entered into the church are the charismatic movement, Vineyard/signs & wonders, river revival, Promise-Keepers, the Third Wave, and currently the New Apostolic movement and, yes, the Emergent Church, and even has an "amen" from Rick Warren. But we must understand that it is already entrenched in the church and that is why it is "popping up" all over the place, per the Crosstalk interview. And, in my opinion, it is the underlying "teaching" issue in many of the "worship" issues - we probably just don't quite yet realize it. And although I enjoy talking about issues of Cessationism versus Continuationism I believe this to be what I would call a "surface" debate. Because lurking under the waters of many (not all) who hold to continuationism is mysticism. Please be aware of this.

As we plummet toward the end result of the current great apostasy taking place in the visible church - we should make sure we completely understand mysticism/contemplative spirituality. Because this is more than likely the thing that will move Protestantism (if you can call it that anymore) into the "Great Rome Death Embrace." Mysticism/Contemplative is like the small bubbles that slowly begin to form at the bottom of a pan of water just before it starts to boil like crazy!

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Colossians 2:8-10 ESV

Singing Truth

2006-10-13T10:30:00.001-04:00

The "worship wars" have always been, for me, the "truth wars." They are not so much about "tune" as they are about "truths" being spoken to God (and witnessed to each other). The reality is there are some old hymns that do not have very good theology let alone modern day "7-11" songs. Here is a brief article to once again help us stay on track with the issue. Enjoy. {Please notice there are some additional resource articles at the bottom of this article in case you would enjoy further reading on the subject.}
"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:18-21 ESV