Posts

Showing posts from September, 2013

FF: What the Fox Say?

Image
At the time I'm posting this, it has over 33 million views, some two weeks after it was posted on YouTube.  The only other videos keeping up are those featuring actual fox noises.

What's wrong with drawing attention to the Holy Spirit?

Image
Steve Lawson on the Role of the Holy Spirit http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130730 Christians exalt God—we understand that. That means we should exalt each member of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The charismatic movement, however, tends to focus attention on the Holy Spirit to an inappropriate degree. In the following video, Steve Lawson explains why that is a problem. The ministry of the Spirit is to primarily magnify the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is a mark of any true movement of the Holy Spirit. The Strange Fire conference will declare and defend a biblical view of the Holy Spirit. For more information about the conference, please visit www.tmstrangefire.org. In anticipation of the sold-out Truth Matters' Strange Fire Conference taking place October 16-18, 2013, we will be looking at each of the promo videos.  God bless!

Identifying False Teachers

Image
John MacArthur on Identifying False Teachers http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130723 "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." -- Romans 16:17 , KJV Identifying and confronting false teachers is extremely unpopular today. But Scripture calls Christians to discern truth from error, providing guidelines for identifying and dealing with those who try to corrupt Christ's church with false doctrine. John MacArthur elaborates on this in the following audio. Governments recognize the necessity of protecting their citizens. The church should be even more vigilant against spiritual terrorists, especially in light of what's at stake—people's souls. The Strange Fire conference will equip believers to spot false teachers and their destructive heresies. For more information about Strange Fire, please visit the conference website http://www.tmstrangefire.org . In anti

John MacArthur's Major Concern with the Charismatic Movement

Image
John MacArthur's Major Concern with the Charismatic Movement http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130709 The charismatic movement claims that it is the movement of the Holy Spirit, but there's a serious problem with that assertion according to John MacArthur. In the following video, John explains what that problem is and how to address it. Before you can determine whether the Holy Spirit is at work in your life, you need to rightly understand who He is and what He does. And God's infallible Word is the only reliable place to find that understanding. A major goal of the Strange Fire conference is to equip believers to discern the Spirit's work in their lives and the surrounding world. For more information about Strange Fire, please visit the conference website. http://www.tmstrangefire.org In anticipation of the sold-out Truth Matters' Strange Fire Conference taking place October 16-18, 2013, we will be looking at each of the promo videos.  God bless!

Documentary: "Out of Darkness: The Story of the English Bible"

Image
Truth Remains is a ministry which travels to churches and conferences with original copies of English translations, allowing Christians access to the pages soaked in martyrs' blood.  They've now also placed a free, four-part documentary on their website reciting the history of the English Bibles.  Out of Darkness; The Story of the English Bible  is a four-part mini documentary, produced by Truth Remains, that tells the story of God's careful preservation of Scripture through the centuries. The men who gave their lives to translate the Bible into English are not household names, yet the bloody price they paid fueled the Reformation and shaped the modern world, enabling countless Christians to enjoy the privilege of owning and studying God's Word in English. Listen to David Parsons, John Glass, Dennis Swanson, and Nathan Busenitz tell one of the greatest stories in church history. You can watch the documentary on its website , where you can also learn of

FF: Be More Dog

Inspired: O2 "Be More Dog" from Keith Schofield on Vimeo .

What Does It Really Mean to Worship God in Spirit and Truth?

What Does It Really Mean to Worship God in Spirit and Truth? http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130716 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24 ). That frequently quoted verse has become a popular proof text for charismatic doctrine. In fact, a recent article in Charisma magazine used it as biblical support for speaking in tongues as a form of "spirit-to-Spirit communication with God." But do Jesus' words in John 4:24 really affirm sign gifts as necessary parts of our worship? In the following audio, John MacArthur explains the true meaning of worshiping God in spirit and truth. God calls His people to be worshipers—people who revere Him with all of their adoration and affection. The Strange Fire conference is designed to encourage true spiritual worship by defining it rightly. For more information about Strange Fire, please visit the conference website http://www.tmstrangefire.org . In anticipation of the so

How the Zwickau Prophets Influenced Church History (Part 2)

Image
How the Zwickau Prophets Influenced Church History http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130702 Most Christians have heard of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformers. But there is good reason why you have probably never heard of their contemporaries, the Zwickau prophets. In the following two videos, R.C. Sproul and Steve Lawson explain who they were and why they left no lasting legacy. The principle of Sola Scriptura—Scripture alone—lies at the heart of the Protestant Reformation. Rejecting the pope as God's voice on earth required that there be a true and superior authority on which Christians could depend. Replacing the pope with someone else who claimed direct revelation from God would have only served to perpetuate the original problem. The scope and extent of the Reformation legacy, still felt today, is primarily due to the Reformers' unshakable commitment to God's unchanging revelation found in the pages of your Bible. A major objective of the Strange Fire con

Can Evangelical Chaplains Serve God and Country?

There was a time in American history when the Christian chaplain led many desperate souls to hope in Christ.  Today, to be both Christian and a chaplain is becoming a contradiction in terms, at least according to the policies of the U.S. government. Al Mohler posted an important article highlighting this very challenge , writing in part to respond to another article on the same theme.  He says, Make no mistake — the moral revolution driven by those who demand the total normalization of homosexuality and same-sex relationships will not stop with the crisis over military chaplains. But at this moment, the chaplains are on the front lines of the great cultural and moral conflict of our times. This is a moment of crisis for the chaplains — but it is also a moment of crisis for the entire nation. If religious liberty is denied to evangelical Christian chaplains in the military, if they must surrender their convictions or their commissions, then religious liberty is lost in America, and

How the Zwickau Prophets Influenced Church History

Image
How the Zwickau Prophets Influenced Church History http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130702 Most Christians have heard of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformers. But there is good reason why you have probably never heard of their contemporaries, the Zwickau prophets. In the following two videos, R.C. Sproul and Steve Lawson explain who they were and why they left no lasting legacy. The principle of Sola Scriptura—Scripture alone—lies at the heart of the Protestant Reformation. Rejecting the pope as God's voice on earth required that there be a true and superior authority on which Christians could depend. Replacing the pope with someone else who claimed direct revelation from God would have only served to perpetuate the original problem. The scope and extent of the Reformation legacy, still felt today, is primarily due to the Reformers' unshakable commitment to God's unchanging revelation found in the pages of your Bible. A major objective of the Strange Fire con

FF: A way around the NSA

Image
Within all the blog and Facebook posts advocating secure email, DNS services, and other enhanced security measures, YouTube.com is too often an overlooked arena.  Understand that ISP's know what videos you watch and hence, President Barack Hussein Obama knows.  He's briefed daily . Few people know about a recent product YouTube released in the United States, a product from which no NSA agent can currently mine data.  It's called The YouTube Collection - the videos you love on DVD - and its sent right to your home.  Now, there's no way the gub'ment can see how many cat videos you've clicked on this month: Place your order TODAY , before the Feds see this post and turn the Internet off for ever!

Is Spirit Baptism a One-Time Event?

Image
John MacArthur on Is Spirit Baptism a One-Time Event? http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130625 At the heart of the controversy over charismatic theology and practice is a simple question: What is the nature and purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Is Spirit baptism an internal, one-time event that occurs at the moment of salvation, or is it a subsequent event that's manifest through ecstatic expressions of tongues, signs, and special revelation? In the following audio clip, John MacArthur explains from the Bible the nature of Spirit baptism, and how it is brought about in the lives of believers. By categorizing Christian conversion and baptism in the Holy Spirit as two separate works of God, charismatics have created for themselves two separate classes of Christians. The Strange Fire conference will bring necessary correction to this false dichotomy by carefully examining what Scripture teaches about the work of the Spirit. For more information about Strange Fire, pl

Providing Cover to Charismatics

Image
John MacArthur on Providing Cover to Charismatics http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130618 Today there is widespread hesitancy among many evangelical leaders to criticize the claims of charismatic theology. While many of these leaders are not charismatics themselves, they are open and sympathetic to the supernatural claims prevalent in the movement. In the following video, John MacArthur speaks to genuine believers who subscribe to that open-but-cautious perspective on the charismatic movement. He also addresses the need for all believers to exercise biblical discernment. Being reluctant to criticize charismatic theology may seem like a safe, middle-ground approach for noncharismatic leaders. But as John pointed out, their silence has given cover to false teachers. One of the goals of the Strange Fire conference is to awaken open-but-cautious believers to that reality, and encourage them to be strong voices of discernment. For more information about Strange Fire, visit the con

R.C. Sproul on The Montanists and the Nature of Special Revelation

Image
R.C. Sproul on The Montanists and the Nature of Special Revelation http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130611 The charismatic movement is a recent development in the history of the church, but its distinguishing belief is not. The idea of modern prophets who receive special revelation from God is nothing new. In the following video, R. C. Sproul discusses the Montanist movement of the second century. As he explains who the Montanists were and what they believed, consider the parallels between that movement and twenty-first-century charismatic theology. New revelation is old news. And whether intentional or not, it always amounts to an assault on the sufficiency of Scripture. The early church fathers properly brought biblical truth to bear on the errors of the Montanists in their day. In the same way, the Strange Fire conference is a necessary biblical response to the many errors that plague the modern charismatic movement. For more information about Strange Fire, please visit our

The Alternative to Boy Scouts

Image
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) will soon loose 200,000-400,000 of its members due to its recent decision to allow openly homosexual boys to take part in scouting, according to John Stemberger, Eagle Scout and former scoutmaster.  In a move to create an alternative scouting organization for these concerned families, Stemberger and other like-minded individuals to formed " Trail Life USA ," an ecumenical coalition led specifically by Christian adults. Originally launched at the website OnMyHonor.net, this new group has received over 30,000 calls from former scoutmasters, Eagle Scouts, parents, and church leaders across the country who are concerned where the BSA will assign these "out-and-proud" youths to tent and whether their inclusion will increase boy-on-boy sexual contact .  The group unveiled the name "Trail Life USA" at their first national convention on September 6, 2013, where representatives from 44 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, learn

What Do Cessationists Have in Common with the Reformers?

Image
Steve Lawson on Cessationists and the Reformers http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130604 Steve Lawson is a dedicated student of the Reformation and the great Christian men behind it. His understanding of modern church trends is heavily informed by his knowledge of the theological wars that have been waged throughout church history. And the crucial battles fought by the Reformers in the fifteen hundreds provide valuable lessons in assessing the twenty-first-century church landscape. In the following video, Lawson points out the common ground that contemporary cessationists share with the Reformers of five hundred years ago. The Strange Fire conference will provide a much-needed response to the extrabiblical revelation synonymous with the charismatic movement, and will affirm the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. For more information about Strange Fire, please visit the conference website. http://www.tmstrangefire.org In anticipation of the sold-out Truth Matters' Str

Can Believers Bind Satan?

Can Believers Bind Satan? http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130528 There is pervasive confusion among many modern evangelical churches—especially those that are charismatic—regarding Satan's activities and operations. Modern worship anthems that are focused on spiritual warfare tell Christians to go to "the enemy's camp" and take "back what he stole" from them. Prayers are offered up to put hedges around believers. Furthermore, it is widely thought that the louder and more fervent the prayer, the more effective it is for binding Satan. But is this really the true role of Christians in the realm of spiritual warfare? In the following audio, John MacArthur shares from his own experiences with bizarre spiritual warfare and provides valuable biblical insight into how Christians should, and should not, respond to the satanic realm. The Strange Fire conference will provide much-needed clarity and correction to the mass confusion on the evangelical landsc

Why Confront False Teachers?

Why Confront False Teachers? http://www.gty.org/Blog/B130507 The issue of false teaching and the question of how to address it is a present reality for every believer. Many Christians choose to respond with silence rather than incur the wrath of a world that demands tolerance. But is silence the best reaction to doctrinal error? In the following audio clip, John MacArthur examines Christ's confrontations with false teachers, how His example clashes with our polite society, and what it means to fight for the truth. As we look forward to the Strange Fire conference in October at which John MacArthur and several other outstanding preachers will follow Christ's example by confronting the errors and excesses of the charismatic movement. You can view this or any of our other Strange Fire media at the conference website. http://www.tmstrangefire.org In anticipation of the sold-out Truth Matters' Strange Fire Conference taking place October 16-18, 2013, we will