What Pleases the Lord?

Doesn't it seem that the troubles in this world that Jesus Christ warned us about have increased exponentially over the last few years? If this world, and everything in it, were all that "there is," how sad, depressed, and worried we should be at this time in our nation's history.

No matter what happens regarding the Obama ineligibility issue, I can STILL have the peace that surpasses all understanding because I belong to Jesus. No matter what transpires here on this earth, God is STILL on the throne of heaven - and His ultimate plan for our salvation and the salvation of His people - the Jews - will come to pass.

Non-believers often scoff at Christians for believing in the prophecies of the Bible. They don't believe in Christ, or the Rapture, or Christ's Second Coming. However, we have the proof that we need because God's Written Word has never failed us - and never will fail to achieve what is written in prophecy regarding the end times. With over 300 prophecies about Jesus (many of which have already been fulfilled - the rest to be fulfilled at his second coming) in the Bible, we can trust our Lord and Savior to do exactly what he has spoken through the Scriptures.

Who do YOU trust in this world?

Don't you find it very difficult to trust ANY politician these days? I think that the last presidential politician that I found quite trustworthy was Ronald Reagan. No one is perfect, but President Reagan was probably THE most trustworthy and when compared to our Founding Fathers through individual faith, hope, love, governance, and adherence to our U.S. Constitution, Reagan can be looked up to, highly regarded and fondly remembered for his pride, patriotism, security, and love for America.

Conservatives were thrilled with V.P. candidate Sarah Palin. She reflected many of the beliefs and policies of Reagan. How awesome it would have been to have her serve as vice president! She is a future, conservative candidate who will hopefully bring our nation back toward the Founding Father's original intent.

Today, I feel as though we are hopelessly surrounded by liars, cheats, usurpers, Marxists, Communists, socialists, licentious liberals and downright immoral politicians. And, those who should speak out against this onslaught of misery apparently refuse to do so.

Why?

Probably hundreds of reasons.

Perhaps the biggest reason is because they don't want to lose their jobs and source of income. The second reason is that they don't want to lose their power and prestige; therefore, they will go along with the crowd in order to keep the status quo - no matter how damaging, debilitating, and dangerous this will be - to our people, our military, our economy, our laws, our morality, our rights, our religious rights and freedoms, and our future as a nation.

The United States of America was built upon a love for God and the Judeo-Christian laws, ethics, and values. How very far we have drifted from the original intent of our Founding Fathers! If any one of our nation's founders could come back and see how our nation is being governed today, they would never believe it! Imagine how absolutely appalled they would be!

This nation was created as a Constitutional democratic republic. But we cannot survive as such unless we are a moral, God loving and God-fearing (revering) peoples.

In a previous comment thread, I shared the fact that one of the first acts of our new Congress was to suppress the Republican minority from influencing legislation and decisions over the next four years. This is just the tip of the iceberg, my friends. Look out and hold onto your wallet - we are about to be tsunami ed into economic, moral, and foreign policy turmoil by Big Government that wants nothing to do with republicanism nor conservative values. To them, the Constitution of the United States of America is either "just a piece of paper" or "a document that can be usurped" because a popular politician mesmerized and manipulated millions of voters through the use of appealing to their feelings rather than towards what is right, true and good for our nation. The Media of Mass Deception, unfortunately, helped keep the truth about Obama and his ilk from public scrutiny. Now, we are stuck with the possibility of a usurper being sworn into the highest office of the land.

I have no idea what will transpire between now and January 20th. Either SCOTUS will uphold our Constitution, or they will renege on their sworn oaths to do so and allow Obama into the White House.

I was thinking about what Christians will be doing over the next four years. It is quite possible that the Internet will come under Marxist government control and blogs like mine will be undermined or even shut down. It is quite possible that the "Fairness Doctrine" will eliminate conservative talk radio. Free speech will become "politically correct speech only" allowed.

I think that Christians will not only be suppressed from sharing the Bible (via "hate-crimes" legislation that is actually "thought crimes" in action) verses that "offend" some; but also will come under persecution as well. It is already happening. It will only get worse. The ACLU will see to it that Christians are silenced from openly sharing the gospel. Wait and see!

So what are we to do over the next four years?

I found a blog post (via "Dave" at Digg) that shares what is most important for Christians in this life. Through Scripture verses, it shares "What Pleases God." I found it very informative and comforting. I hope and pray that reading it will bless you and give you hope - the real kind - not the fake "hope" that has been touted by a politician whose views change direction every time the wind blows.

Jesus is the Rock of our salvation. Nothing can take us away from being His. He is the genuine Hope that lives within all believers. One day, we will each see him face to face at the culmination of all of history. When my work here on this earth is done, He will call me home. The excitement in my soul and spirit as I look forward to that day makes me shout, "I can't wait to see my Lord!" Meanwhile, I will continue to work at what pleases the Lord!

In Christ's service,

Christine

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Copy of post at "Beef on the Grill" blog:

Thursday, November 08, 2007

What pleases God? Let the Scriptures speak…

I read in Ephesians 5:10 where it says in the NIV, “and find out what pleases the Lord.” What pleases the Lord?

Hebrews 11:6: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 13:16: …and do not forget to do good and share with others for with such sacrifices, God is pleased.

Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Psalm 69:30-31: I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

Micah 6:7-8: Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.


I Timothy 5:4: But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

I Timothy 2:1-3: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior,

Colossians 1:10-13: And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

I Thessalonians. 4:1-12: Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Galatians 6:7-8: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Romans 15:2-4: Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

1 John 2:17: The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.


Posted by Judi Seehusen at 10:49 PM

(some bold mine)


Hat Tip: Judi at Beef on the grill blogspot

Compromise + Enabling = Heresy

There have been so many great posts at many blogs on my Christian Blog List that have touched on the subjects of compromise, enabling and heresy. I think that this is a subject that is one of the most important issues that Christianity faces today.

Does compromise plus enabling equal heresy?

I truly believe that all three are actively at work in today's postmodern Christian church culture. In years past, those churches that obviously compromised the truth of the Bible and true Gospel (regarding sin, pride of self, ignoring and/or allowing unrepentant rebellion against God and His Word, and the re-making of Jesus Christ in their own image) were typically labeled as the "liberal" wing of Christianity.

However, compromise, enabling and heresy (CEH, for short) is creeping into Evangelical church circles at an increasingly alarming rate. Those of us (called the elect in God's Word) who see this are attempting to sound the alarm bells to warn those who may be caught up in such movements to return back to the Bible and what Jesus said was needed to inherit the kingdom of God - namely - our need to repent of sin, follow the Law (Jesus said, "if you love me, keep my commandments) and the Prophets, and the true gospel which points us towards righteousness and holiness.

Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Mar 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect.

The "elect" are the truly saved in Jesus Christ. Notice that Jesus himself acknowledges that the "false Christs and false prophets" [s]hall deceive the very elect. But notice what Jesus said just before those words - "if [it were] possible!! This means that it isn't going to happen! There will always be a remnant of the faithful who will not be deceived by powerful "signs and wonders" that will deceive those not genuinely born again in Christ.

Human nature (especially the nature of the unsaved) is likely to deem such terminology as elitist, bragging, or much worse. What they are missing is the fact that it is the humbling of the heart, confession of sin, repentance of all our sin, asking for mercy and grace at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ that enables us to be His (Jesus Christ's). There is no pride allowed in such an act. We know from whence we came (sinners, desperately in need of the Savior) and that if it weren't for Christ's sacrificial, substitutionary death on the cross, WE WOULD ALSO BE LOST FOR ALL ETERNITY. We can't boast in anything - but the cross of Christ.

Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Look at Paul's instruction for the elect:

Col 3:12 ¶ Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;


Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.


Col 3:14 And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness.


Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.


Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.


Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Also, look at Jude's admonition to seek out the lost and if necessary, pull them out of the fire:

Jud 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

How are we to balance all of this?

Some choose to use compromise so as not to offend anyone.

Others, choose to utilize a certain level of enabling - so as to appear loving, kind, tolerant, and non-judgmental.

Still others, go all the way towards heresy - willingly or unwittingly - and may THINK they are saved but because of following false doctrine, are not.

Here are some links that discuss various forms of CEH:

Culture Watch: The Bitter Fruit of Apostasy

GCMWatch: Never Congratulate Rebellion and Sin

SAFE - Students Against False Equality: Equality Riders Respond With Arrogance at School's Hospitality

There are MANY more that I need to locate and post. Also, if you have links you would like to include (there are several on abortion I need to locate) please post them in the comment section.

Ultimately, the primary reason that the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible is rejected by those who are CINOS (Christian in name only) is discussed in this post:

Immorality - One of the Main Reasons People Reject God

After reading that post, go over and read Carlotta's blogpost entitled What Exactly is Gay Bashing? Read the comments, too. Quite eye-opening.

Carlotta points out the fact that hyper-tolerance towards homosexual activism has created an intolerant vacuum - designed to silence Bible believing Christians. She also demonstrates that there is much more at stake in the same-sex marriage issue due to such a fact:

Gay bashing is a very important term, because if gay marriages are approved permanently, then it may come to the courts to decide that “gay bashing” is illegal and therefore punishable. If it’s okay for gays to be married, then it certainly has to be okay period! Which is why it’s so important for many of us to take the stand for marriage between men and women. It seems to be coming to that point with people being fired from jobs, suspended from schools, and etc for people merely expressing disagreement with the gay sexual orientation.

This agrees with what I had read in the book "The Homosexual Agenda - Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today."

It's not only about "gay marriage," people. If these activists get their way - your Christian religious rights WILL BE TAKEN AWAY. Once legitimization of sodomites happens through the acceptance of such unions as "marriage," then the persecution of those who adhere to God's Word on the subject will reach an all time high. Mark my words!

There are Christians who (unfortunately) don't understand the dire consequences of this issue. Proposition 8 MUST PASS IN CALIFORNIA! VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 8!!!

Excerpt from "The Homosexual Agenda":

The Price for Taking a Stand

The reality is that radical homosexual activists and their allies are looking for any opportunity to attack and silence any church that takes a biblical stand with regard to homosexual behavior, regardless of denomination.

[T]he heat is only going to get higher and and temptation to compromise the gospel in face of persecution is going to become more attractive. However, if the church fails to stand strong in the face of attack, then its very reason to exist (evangelization to spread the gospel) is compromised.

This book was published in 2003. We can already see how prophetic those paragraphs are because we are seeing such things happening right before our very eyes!

In the comment section at Carlotta's blog, here is a portion of one of her responses to a homosexual man named "Ted":

But fortunately I don’t have to depend upon my own thinking to decide whether or not homosexuality is wrong - a sin. You are relying upon YOUR own thinking to come to your conclusions. The only way your conclusions can make sense is if the bible is completely rejected, because otherwise, we have a very powerful, reliable source as a guidebook for the human being. The Lord knows we wouldn’t have thought of this ourselves!

As far as our civil rights are concerned, the bible talks about the moral code being written upon our hearts, given to us by God. That’s how we have the laws on murder, stealing, etc, and etc. God gave those to us! There are things that fit and things that don’t and it doesn’t take a genious to figure out that homosexuality is NOT natural! Every human being on earth has one mother and one father. That’s natural!

So you can cry the blues about us taking away your civil rights but it’s actually America leaning away from the moral code written and given to us by God Himself. We are heading for certain societal destruction if we ignore this code.

That I assure you!

Hebrews 10:16-18
“This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds. “Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

Carlotta shared a verse from Hebrews that shows THE ONLY WAY OUT from our sins and lawless acts; be they homosexual, heterosexual, or the breaking of any of the other laws God has given man in the Bible. God's laws are HIS LAWS! No man's opinion trumps the truth of this!!

Now, the title of this post includes the word "enabling." I want to share a story about this from chapter ten of "The Homosexual Agenda" book:

A new missionary was walking the streets of Colombia one day, a nation ravaged by organized crime and rampant drug use, accompanied by a Christian native of the country. As he walked the streets of the country, child after child would come up to the missionary and beg him for money. Even though he had limited funds, it was his inclination to give whatever he could to these poor and destitute children. However, his Christian companion quickly admonished him that giving into the demands of the children would cause the children more harm than good.

"You see," his companion said, "these children are trapped by the mafia at an early age to go begging in the streets. The crime syndicate breaks their fingers and other horrible things are done to them. But if you give in and just hand them the money, they will just take the money to the mafia and all it will do is perpetuate the problem. You may have thought that you helped the child, but all you did was treat a symptom, the cause of the problem will go on and on, and future generations of children will fall into the same trap."

*This story was told to Craig Osten by an employee of Food for the Hungry, and internationsl relief ministry.

This story also serves as an analogy when it comes to our response to those trapped in homosexual behavior.

Many Christian ministries that are devoted to helping men and women out of sinful sexual activity attempt to "speak the truth in love." This does not mean that they should be telling those who are actively violating God's standards for marriage and sexual activity that what they are doing is "OK" in God's eyes. Yet, this is what some Christians are doing when they compromise and enable fellow Christians who desire to continue with sinful behavior.

Book excerpt:

It is vital for members of the Body of Christ to understand the homosexual agenda and how it threatens many personal and religious freedoms. If we sit back and surrender, giving those involved in homosexual behavior everything they think they want, we are just like the missionary in Colombia who thought he was solving a problem but instead making it worse.

Jesus told us, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his own soul?"

What is that worth??

These dear people lost and trapped in sinful behavior and relationships will never be able to hear and respond to Christ's redemptive love for them!!

What's more, our ability to raise our own children and grandchildren to know and live the uncensored Christian life and faith is at risk as well. Parental rights are also an essential part of religious freedom: the ability to raise and guide one's own children and grandchildren according to one's God-given, Bible following, Christian beliefs.

Excerpt:

We cannot allow [a false understanding] of love to trump truth." In our hope of being accepted, we have often backed away from the spiritual battle for the hearts and souls of men. Rather than confront the culture, we have often chosen to conform to it. Instead of promoting self-fulfillment in our churches, we must get back to modeling self-sacrifice. Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and like him, we must be humble servants and not haughty judges. We need to point the individual traped in homosexual behavior to the true cross, not a revised, meaningless gospel that requires no sacrifice, no repentance, and provides no real lasting deliverance from sin and its pain and sorrow.

We must be willing to be salt and light in our culture, no matter what the price.

This is what is known as the agape love of Christ.

I realize that the homosexual men and women who come to this blog and post comments don't understand that true Christian love expressed for them is a love where we want to see them redeemed from a lifestyle of certain, ultimate despair.

There are SO MANY who have been released from the bondage of homosexual behavior and identity and redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ! Several of these dear people have posted comments here and have shared their testimonies!

Deliverance is real - when one is repentant and redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed on that cross at Calvary over 2,000 years ago!

My prayer is that those involved in compromising churches (on this issue as well as many other non-biblical movements); enabling churches that refuse to call sin what it is - rebellion and separation from Holy God; and heretical churches that ultimately lead to apostasy and rejection of Christ, will be spiritually awakened by the Truth.

Each of us will spend eternity in one of two places. Choose God's Kingdom!

Mat 7:13 "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.

Mat 7:14 "Because[fn1] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Mat 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Mat 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Mat 7:17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Mat 7:18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Mat 7:19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Mat 7:20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Mat 7:21 "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.

Mat 7:22 "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?'

Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Mat 7:24 "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:

Mat 7:25 "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.

Mat 7:26 "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:

Mat 7:27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Mat 7:28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,

Mat 7:29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.


Reference source: The Homosexual Agenda by Alan Sears and Craig Osten

HT's: Christocentric, GCMWatch, Culture Watch, SAFE, Coral Ridge.org


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Update: There is an absolutely excellent and thorough post over at Neil's Eternity Matters blog called, Endless Errors From Soulforce

Some Evangelicals Dumping Sola Scriptura??

A fellow Christian blogger and good internet friend (Mark at Chester Street) has made me aware of a recent controversial essay written by J.P. Moreland which was delivered at The 59th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society held November 14-16, 2007 in San Diego, California.

Herescope has a blogpost that shares a link to Anton Bosch's website. Bosch writes some pertinent comments about this rather blatant shift in focus.

Why have I given so many link that contain so much information about this topic? Because I wanted to demonstrate that Mark and I are not the only ones who are concerned about what Moreland has written.

My analysis?

Here's a copy of a comment that I posted at Mark's blog:

Hi Mark,

Thanks so much for sharing Moreland's paper with me. I agree with your analysis! I really got worried when I read:

"Today, I am more convinced of inerrancy more than any time in my Christian life, but the charge of bibliolatry , or at least a near, if not a kissing cousin, is one I fear is hard to rebut. To be more specific, in the actual practices of the Evangelical community in America, there is an overcommitment to Scripture in a way that is false, irrational, and harmful to the cause of Christ. And it has produced a mean-spiritedness among the over committed that is a grotesque and often, ignorant distortion of discipleship unto the Lord Jesus."

Everything after the word "but" sounds so similar to what the gay christian movement would claim in order to continue in its rebrobate theology! Doesn't it?? It also sounds "emergent-church-ish."

Perhaps I could be misinterpreting Moreland's meaning when he wrote:

"...a mean-spiritedness among the over committed that is a grotesque and often, ignorant distortion of discipleship..."

To me, it sounds eerily similar to what gay christians often use as an excuse to lay claims of "hate" against orthodox, biblical, Christian
believers...doesn't it?

This can be very dangerous.

Dare I mention that he almost sounds like he is countering what Isaiah says here?

Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, [in whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Of course, that portion of Scripture is talking about Jesus. Judgment belongs, ultimately, to Him alone. However, as followers of Jesus, aren't we supposed to share the entirety of the Gospel (including the bad news of judgment) and point to Him? We are supposed to point out that His judgment will befall all of those who do not repent and accept Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives!

As Matthew Henry states in his commentary on Isaiah 42:1 -

"Let our souls delight in Christ, rely on him, and rejoice in him; and thus let us be united to him, and then, for his sake, the Father will be well pleased with us."

Unlike Anton Bosch, I don't think that Moreland is a false teacher in this. I just think that he is in error about this particular opinion that he holds. Fellow Christians will let him know about it, too!

As I read through the article I have to admit that Moreland did a good job revealing the history of what has transpired in the educational realm at the university level (i.e. drifting away from God, the Bible and teachings of Jesus Christ towards total secular humanistic ideas) quite well.

However, I don't think he made his case for his initial premise very well at all. The accusations (in that quoted paragraph above) were not, IMHO, addressed correctly nor proven to be true. Maybe I need to read it again. But my first impression was, as Mark had pointed out in an email message to me, "him making a mountain out of a molehill."

My first thought regarding blogging about this was to be hesitant. Sometimes, it's just not smart for a female "layperson" to counter a well-educated male, Christian scholar who is so highly regarded in most Christian circles. But it appears that he has raised the ire of many people. Ted Olsen (writing in Christianity Today) and Anton Bosch, for example.

This is good. It goes to show that when a person attempts to trump the wisdom and knowledge of God's revelation to us through the Scriptures with his/her own, fleshly and prideful form of education; the Holy Spirit's guidance upon our hearts, minds, souls and spirits will not allow us to be fooled.

Plus, other Christian brothers and sisters can (and should!) call us out on such errors in thinking.

I am always grateful when people correct me! None of us are perfect.

However, God's Word IS PERFECT!. It is the plumbline of Scripture that allows imperfect Christians to share HIS PERFECT WORD with an imperfect, sinful, rebellious, and evil world!

What was missing from Moreland's analysis, was that he should have said that if Scripture is not used as the sole source of knowledge and authority on any given topic, it should still remain as the "plumbline" to determine the ultimate source of relevant knowledge and authority. In other words, the additional sources that one might want to use (which, in some cases, like the archaeological finds case example in Moreland's paper) which doesn't appear to need Scripture to determine what the find reveals, none-the-less, should not go against what is written in Scripture. If it does, then the person doing the interpretation is in error; not Scripture.

The Bible informs us that the Holy Spirit of God reveals the infallibility of Scripture to the mind of the believer. Therefore, what we, as Christian believers preach and teach should never counter what God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit reveals in said Scripture.

Again, it is that plumbline that keeps us straight and out of the error realm of interpretation (which can happen at times because we are fallible whereas God and His Word is infallible).

It's just my opinion, of course, but on this subject, I think that Moreland may be relying more on his fleshly thinking rather than on the mind of Christ that Paul speaks of in Scripture.

1Cr 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

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HT's: ChesterStreet, Herescope

Deceive the Elect? If That Were Possible...

Susan Smith's guest post on Saturday was truly awesome! Her thorough examination of what Scripture says regarding "the lie of the serpent" and "the deception of sin" should lead us all to examine our lives and see to it that we are not deceived.

Susan wrote, "The greatest deception of all is to believe we cannot be deceived."


As Mark of Chester Street shares in a post at his blog, even pastors and elders can, and are, being deceived today.

This fallen world that we live in is loaded with deceptive practices and techniques that could deceive "even the elect...if that were possible."

That quoted part above is a portion of the verse from Matthew 24:24.

Also, we can unequivocably say that this fallen world that we live in today is loaded with seductive practices and techniques that could seduce "if [it were] possible, even the elect."

One of my favorite Bible verses (there are hundreds, of course!) is:

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:8 (NIV)

Along with that verse, we read what the Lord would want us to be doing; as well as the reward we will receive (that is, to show Himself strong to us) when we are fully committed to Him:

The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)

Regarding Colossians 2:8, my Bible notes read:

Paul writes against any philosophy of life based only on human ideas and experiences. Paul himself was a gifted philosopher, so he is not condeming philosophy. He is condeming teaching that credits humanity, not Christ, with being the answer to life's problems. That approach becomes a false religion. There are many man-made approaches to life's problems that totally disregard God. To resist heresy you must use your mind, keep your eyes on Christ, and study God's Word.

Today, I was responding to a commenter in an earlier post at my blog and placed links to several former blogposts that deal with the issues of deception, seduction, manipulation, and utilizing lies to promote a humanistic philosophy that is contrary to God's will for our lives.

1. Chopra's Jesus is Liberalism's Gospel.

2. Hostility Towards Christian Faith.

3. It's About Manipulation.

These are only just a few of the dozens of blogposts that I have shared on avoiding deception.

The "It's About Manipulation" post is the entire first chapter from David Kupelian's "Marketing of Evil" book. It's long, but worth the read.

Two of the posts above deal with the deception of the "New Age" craze. The last post deals with the deception of "selling gay rights" to America.

I am including just an excerpt (below) because I wanted to demonstrate that what is currently happening in the liberal and homosexual behavior affirming churches is evident of the final "stage" as outlined in Kirk and Madsen's "After the Ball" book. The brilliant (yet evil) marketing techniques that these guys designed have worked like a charm on an unsuspecting public. Take a look at the psychology involved.

Excerpt from chapter one:


Rondeau explains Kirk and Madsen's techniques of "desensitization," "jamming," and "conversion" this way:

"Desensitization is described as inundating the public in a "continuous flood of gay-related advertising, presented in the least offensive fashion possible. If straights can't shut off the shower, they may at least eventually get used to being wet." But, the activists did not mean advertising in the usual marketing context but, rather, quite a different approach: "The main thing is to talk about gayness until the issue becomes thoroughly tiresome." They add, "[S]eek desensitization and nothing more. … If you can get [straights] to think [homosexuality] is just another thing – meriting no more than a shrug of the shoulders – then your battle for legal and social rights is virtually won."

This planned hegemony is a variant of the type that Michael Warren describes in "Seeing Through the Media" where it "is not raw overt coercion; it is one group's covert orchestration of compliance by another group through structuring the consciousness of the second group."

"Structuring the consciousness" of others? If that phraseology is uncomfortably reminiscent of various mind control and brainwashing tales you might have heard over the years, don’t be surprised. Manipulating the emotions and thereby restructuring the thoughts and beliefs of large numbers of people is what modern marketing is all about.

"Jamming," explains Rondeau, "is psychological terrorism meant to silence expression of or even support for dissenting opinion." Radio counselor and psychologist Dr. Laura Schlessinger experienced big-time jamming during the run-up to her planned television show. Outraged over a single comment critical of homosexuals she had made on her radio program, activists launched a massive intimidation campaign against the television program's advertisers. As a result, the new show was stillborn.

But perhaps the highest-profile example of jamming occurred after the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming freshman Matthew Shepard. Lured from a bar, robbed and savagely beaten by two men, Shepard died five days later of head injuries. In the frenzied, saturation media coverage that followed, the press and homosexual activists singled out conservative Christians as having created a "climate of anti-gay hate" in which such a brutal act could happen.

NBC's Today show took the lead, focusing on a Christian ad campaign running at the time that offered to help homosexuals change their orientation. Reporter David Gregory narrated: "The ads were controversial for portraying gays and lesbians as sinners who had made poor choices, despite the growing belief that homosexuality may be genetic. … Have the ads fostered a climate of anti-gay hate that leads to incidents like the killing of Matthew Shepard? Gay rights activists say the ads convey a message that gay people are defective."

And in a now-infamous interview, Today's Katie Couric asked Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer: "Some gay rights activists have said that some conservative political organizations like the Christian Coalition, the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family are contributing to this anti-homosexual atmosphere by having an ad campaign saying if you are a homosexual you can change your orientation. That prompts people to say, 'If I meet someone who's homosexual, I'm going to take action to try to convince them or try to harm them.' Do you believe that such groups are contributing to this climate?"

Consciously or not, the media were following Kirk and Madsen's playbook to the letter, discrediting anyone who disagreed with the homosexual agenda by associating them with lowlife murderers. In reality, none of the Christian groups smeared by NBC had ever condoned mistreatment of homosexuals – in fact, they had explicitly condemned it.

As if to add even more shame to the whole-hog jamming of Christians after the Shepard murder, in 2004 a comprehensive new investigation by ABC News 20/20 concluded that homosexuality very likely wasn't a factor in Shepard's murder, but rather Shepard had been targeted for his money.

So much for desensitization and jamming. But what about "conversion"? Here, Kirk and Madsen announce defiantly:

"We mean conversion of the average American’s emotions, mind, and will, through a planned psychological attack, in the form of propaganda fed to the nation via the media. We mean "subverting" the mechanism of prejudice to our own ends – using the very processes that made America hate us to turn their hatred into warm regard – whether they like it or not."

Transforming another person’s hatred into love ("warm regard") is the object of classic brainwashing. As Kirk and Madsen explain:

"In Conversion, we mimic the natural process of stereotype-learning, with the following effect: we take the bigot's good feelings about all-right guys, and attach them to the label "gay," either weakening or, eventually, replacing his bad feelings toward the label and the prior stereotype. … Whereas in Jamming the target is shown a bigot being rejected by his crowd for his prejudice against gays, in Conversion the target is shown his crowd actually associating with gays in good fellowship. Once again, it's very difficult for the average person, who, by nature and training, almost invariably feels what he sees his fellows feeling, not to respond in this knee-jerk fashion to a sufficiently calculated advertisement."

We're talking about some serious messing around with Americans' minds here. Do the homosexual activists thus engaged really know they're deceiving the public, or are they convinced they're just telling the truth?
"It makes no difference that the ads are lies," write Kirk and Madsen, "not to us, because we're using them to ethically good effect, to counter negative stereotypes that are every bit as much lies, and far more wicked ones."

Far more wicked?

I think not!!

Let's research what the Bible has to say about the gay activists psychological "techniques" and how there will always be a remnant of Christian believers who will not be seduced, deceived, manipulated, confounded, or led to disobedience:

Mar 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect.

Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Here is a verse that instructs us as to why, despite the pressure to succomb to fleshly desires, the elect will still follow after godliness:

Tts 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Why being born again in Jesus allows us not to be deceived:

1Pe 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Jesus told us that we would, "know the truth and the truth shall set you (us) free."

Jhn 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

2Jo 1:1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

As Susan had shared, we are to utilize the gifts of the Holy Spirit in bringing people to the knowledge and truth of God's written Word, the Bible, and follow after His Living Word, the Person of Jesus Christ:

Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.


Col 3:14 And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness.


Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.


Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.


Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Yes. It's a tall order to fight against the deceptions raging today. There will always be people who will not believe our warnings and reject the truth.

Yet, when even one person turns to Christ for salvation through the seeds planted by Christians here on this earth via "The Great Commission," then it's all worth it!!

When Jesus returns for His own, those who confessed, repented, and believed on the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross for their sins; will be united with the One who overcame the effects of sin, evil, and death. We will be united in eternal life with Jesus in heaven.

Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Mar 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.




HT: Chester Street
HT: gcmWatch

*******
Update at 10:06 a.m. PT:

Just visited gcmWatch and wanted to share a post that all who have read this blogpost should read. It is the perfect example why the gay christian movement must be challenged and exposed by Bible teaching Christians everywhere!

Bishop Threatened by Church for Refusal to Accept Homosexuality

Another example of what direction deception leads.

In this case, those who were formerly perceived as being oppressed, have now become the oppressors.

Which stage in Kirk and Madsen's playbook are we in now? I'll let readers decide.

Excerpts:

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Proverbs 29:2

Take for example, the Bishop of the Pittsburgh diocese who is under threat of “discipline” for his refusal to accept the religious monarchy’s edit to accept homosexuality as a “gift from God”.

Conclusion?

Although some falsely claim homosexuals are being persecuted by the church, stories such as these reveal the face of the real persecutors of God’s people.

gcmWatch Trackback:
http://gcmwatch.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/
episcopal-bishop-threatned-by-church-for-refusal-
to-accept-homosexuality/