Sorry!

We are dealing with some issues concerning this blog and a new one will be forthcoming.  Stay tune for updates.

Sorry . . . for not posting regularly. Pastoring and such has kept me super busy.  But . . . here's one for you from the Associated Press via Yahoo News.

Southern Baptist leader on yoga: Not Christianity

• 109 votes

AP – In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, Stephanie Dillon conducts a yoga class in Louisville, Ky. …

By DYLAN LOVAN, Associated Press Writer – Thu Oct 7, 5:32 am ET

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Southern Baptist leader who is calling for Christians to avoid yoga and its spiritual attachments is getting plenty of pushback from enthusiasts who defend the ancient practice.

Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler says the stretching and meditative discipline derived from Eastern religions is not a Christian pathway to God.

Mohler said he objects to "the idea that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine."  Click to read full story.

I am not surprised in the least at the pushback Mohler is experiencing from supposedly professing Christians.  Many evangelical churches have become sideshows of "anything goes" in their worship services.  So bent on pleasuring themselves with bombastic music, lights, fog machines, sound effects, and any other worldly notion, the practice of yoga was just another exercise in the long list of pragmatic ideas.  These are the same people who believe that Allah is just another name for the same God we worship, that Mormonism is just another Christian denomination, and that the first eleven chapters of Genesis is just a fairy tale.  Having not heard one ounce of true Biblical doctrine from the pulpit by which they would know the difference, they are left with nothing by which they might understand the nature and religion of Christianity.  Thus, they clamor for the next new thing or old thing as long as it gives them some form of pleasure.  They are looking for Jesus in all the wrong places.  It's sad . . . but not unexpected as they are doing exactly as Christ said NOT to do in Matthew 24:23 - 26:  

"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.  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.  Behold, I have told you before.  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not."

Click here to read Mohler's full commentary on this subject.

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I Just Didn't Know!

To those of you in Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Singapore, Jakarta, Indonesia, Canada, Alaska and of course all of the USA, thank you for reading this blog.  I am amazed you found it and took the time to read anything on it . . . but I must remember . . . this is the Worldwide Wide Web.  I am not worthy of your attention, and I am certainly overwhelmed by your visit.

Whether you are a Believer or not, I pray that something I wrote said something to you.  Everything on here is for God's glory and the glory of my Lord and King, Christ Jesus.  He said to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel."  He has given me the free access to do so by the publishing of this blog on the web and I must do so with such a calling and direction laid before me.  I will try to post as often as I can.  Meanwhile, please pray for me and the little church God has me pastoring and for this vital effort.  I just want to be faithful to His will as much as lies within me.  I want to live out Philippians 3:10 and Titus 2:11-15.  God bless you in your part of the world.

THINK ON THESE THINGS!


I have been reading "The Supremacy of God in Preaching" by John Piper and have been also reading the biography of Jonathan Edwards as Piper recommends in his book.  


I've learned in my reading that Jonathan Edwards was one of America’s greatest theologian/preachers.  Known as one of the great revivalists of the Great Awakening era of the 1700s and early 1800s, his great sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” caused convicted sinners to grip the pews and cry out in repentance when they heard the sermon which Edwards read verbatim from his manuscript.  So impassioned about the Word of God and its contents, Edwards constructed a list of resolves that he intended to live by which he kept the rest of his life.  There were 70 of those resolutions that we would all do well to live by.  But 3 of those resolutions really stand out on the page that we all need to consider and really think about everyday, ourselves.  Edwards resolution #6 is the first:

6. Resolved, to live with all my might while I do live.

9. Resolved, to think much on the occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

And also #55

Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if, I had already seen the happiness of Heaven, and hell’s torments.

John Piper writes that Edwards had an overwhelming conviction of the reality of the glories of Heaven and horrors of hell that made his preaching utterly earnest.  He came under severe criticism for his revival fervor in his preaching by some Boston clergy who accused him and others of stirring up to much emotion with their dreadful seriousness about eternity.

Edwards responded:

“If any of you that are heads of families saw one of your children in a house that was all on fire over its head, and in eminent danger of being soon consumed in the flames, that seemed to be very insensible of its danger, and neglected to escape, after you had often spake to it, and called to it, would you go on to speak to it only in a cold and indifferent manner? Would not you cry out loud, and call earnestly to it, and represent the danger it was in, and its own folly in delaying, in the most lively manner you were capable of?  Would not nature itself teach this, and oblige you to it?  If you should continue to speak to it in only a cold manner as you were wont to do in ordinary conversation about indifferent matters, would not those about you begin to think you were bereft of reason yourself? . . .

If (then) we who have the cure of souls, know what hell was, had seen the state of the damned, or by any other means, become sensible how dreadful their case was . . . and saw our hearers in eminent danger, and that they were not sensible of their danger . . . it would be morally impossible for us to avoid abundantly and most earnestly setting before the deadfulness of that misery they were in danger of . . .  and warning them to fly from it, and even to cry aloud to them."

This is where I am of late.  I am in agony of soul as I can see the happiness of Heaven in sight and at the same time being fully aware of the terrors of hell, I can't help but speak boldly to sinners.  With Paul,  "knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, I persuade men, 2 Corinthians 5:11. The clock speeds away for every soul toward an appointment with death (Hebrews 9:27).  And then there is the coming of the Lord. How can we be relaxed and non-chalant?  The house is burning, souls are in danger.   Jude 22-23 instructs: "And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."

We have not a moment to spare.  The Gospel must go forth and the sinners hanging over the edge must be pulled back.  Yes, I know that God is sovereign in the salvation of sinners and will save His elect with a mighty arm.  But God also uses means and has sent us into the world to preach the Gospel and bring the lost sheep to the Gospel feeding trough.  We must point it out.  We must put the food near their mouth.  We must cry "eat and live!"  

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said:

 “Men are going to Heaven or to Hell and it is time that we came to close grips with them about this all-important matter. God help us to do so!”—1893, Sermon #2327  (http://www.spurgeongems.org/quotes1.pdf).

I am going to be like Spurgeon.  Will you? 

The Head of all Things!

Devotions from Colossians                             by Darrell Lingerfelt

1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

We must give all blessing, honor, glory and praise to the Head of all things this day. And who would that be? Christ Jesus!

What a thrill it was for me when the doctor came and told me that my wife had delivered our first child. As I looked down at that little face lying next to my wife, I was hit with the realty of us now being a family, of which, I was now the head. Now that baby is over thirty years old. I have been the head of the household for quite sometime.

I say all of this to focus our mind on the Head of the body, the church, whose head is Christ Jesus. He has birthed us everyone through His vicarious suffering on Calvary's cross, by His blood, His dying, being buried and rising again. His death satisfied the demands of God making Him the firstborn from the dead to claim the position of the Head of church. And from this position He sees, directs and leads His family, supplies their needs and is working for their good in all respects, even to the catching of them away to where He is some great day. And might I add that He is a proud Poppa? He loves His family. He loves the church. He beams with pride when it sings His priases. He is overjoyed when they go into the highways and hedges for Him and bring them in. He sends out wonderful blessings on them when they stand for the truth. He dolts over them like a hen does her chicks, ever seeing to their safety, their welfare, their eternity, John 14.

Oh we are priviledged beyond our wildest imaginations this hour. We have such a wonderful Head looking out for us. Our earthly fathers tried their best for us, but could not give us that which we need beyond the grave. But Christ Jesus has seen to the eternity of our need and given Himself a ransom for us that we might be with Him where He is...for eternity. Isn't this grand? Let us praise Him for being that that Paul says He is, and we know in our hearts that it is true. How? For our Head, Christ Jesus dwells in us.

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"Enter Glenn, P.T. Barnum, Beck!!!"

Saturday the greatest show on earth came to Washington, D.C.  Thousands upon thousands of red, white and blue Americans came to meet together in what would appeared to some as a great "revival" meeting.  But was it?  Could it be that what really transpired was a big giant "hoodwinking?"

For all intents and purposes Glenn Beck is right about America, right about our national government, right about our president.  But he is wrong about religion and Beck's is Mormon, and Mormonism is not Christianity in any shape, matter or form. Yet, Beck has managed to get Evangelicalism to forget that and embrace Beck and his religion as just another Christian denomination and another form of Christianity.  But "no, he's not," and "no, it ain't!"

Unfortunately, modern evangelicalism doesn't know the Bible enough, Biblical doctrine enough, nor the tenets of Mormonism to know the difference.  Most of Evangelicalism knows little about justification through God alone, Christ alone, Scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone. And obviously, by the number who showed up to support Beck's Washington Revival, few Evangelicals know, remember, or have chosen to look the other way, that Mormonism rejects the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, see What Mormons believe about Jesus?.  Beck is a nice guy and for all accounts a moral one.  But behind this maybe something more dastardly than even Obama's Christian disguise.

So what is the "real deal" with Beck?"  Could the tears and platitudes and flag waving be a veiled move to mainstream Mormonism as a mainline Christian religion?  Could he be at work to make all of Evangelicalism accept Mormonism as a Christian denomination on par with Baptist, Methodist, etc.?  Appears like it.  Beck's big tent revival has got every denomination and Christian religion locking arms with him to "restore America."  They've all laid their doctrines down to have this great ecumenical move for God and country.  But at the heart of it is the great big dumbing down that will eventually play well for a false prophet to latch on and have his bidding with the masses.  

Whatever is in the heart of Glenn Beck is dangerous for true Christianity.  Beck may be moral and have more integrity than any Christian you currently know.  But the grand difference between Beck and Christians is that we have placed our faith and trust in the LORD JESUS CHRIST as THE ONLY substitute for our sins. Jesus, being the sinless Son of God, sacrificed Himself, becoming sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God, 2 Corinthians 5:21.  In spite of Beck's wonderful love for America, that will not be enough to save him in the Day of Judgment.  Jesus was right when He told His disciples, "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy," Luke 12:1.

Look up the definition of "ecumenicalism."  Watch carefully. 

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Devotions from Colossians 1                 By Darrell Lingerfelt

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

How do men claim that they believe the Bible is the Word of God, yet refuse to believe these verses? What madness is it to think that Jesus is a "Johnny Come Lately" on the scene of eternity? What blasphemy is it to believe that He "was just a good man," or a "great teacher" who lived in olden times? What sacriledge is it to deny His eternal deity and Sonship in the godhead of God? Much I say! And the purveyors of such heresy will burn with the devil and his angels on that great and fateful day of the Lord.

The Apostle John declares in John 1:1-5 that, 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men." 

The Psalmist records this of Jesus: 

"Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end," Psalm 102:25-27. 

These two references were made by men who hold prominate position in the Word of God. But Paul weighs in on this subject several times, himself, with such statements as found in Hebrews 1:10-12: 

And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." 

We could go on and list even more Scriptural evidence. But they that know Him personally are already familiar with the evidence and worship Christ as Lord already.

So today for our devotion we will simply rest in the knowledge of Christ and His eternal deity. We will glorify and praise Him for His work before the foundation of the world, reveling in the fact that we had our beginnings in Him. Yea, even before He spoke the first star into position, we were there in His heart where He held us awaiting the day when He would make us a physical reality and save our souls. Oh Saints! Can you grasp the reality of this!? Can your heart step into the vision of eternity past and see yourself there?  It is true! Ephesians 1:3-6 tells us, 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." 

And when were we made accepted? The very moment that He penned our name in the Lamb's Book of Life before the world ever was. 

I will take these verses today and revel in Christ Jesus. As verse 17 in our Scripture text says, "He is before all things, and by him all things consist." What a marvel! He has laid down His life for me.  The thought that He had known me from eternity is awesome. The thought that He would still save me is incredible. But grand also is the fact that my Lord is King of kings and Lord of lords from eternity. I then will worship Him as the eternal God that He is and not let the heathen tell me otherwise. All hail the power of Jesus name!