The Church Today – The Welcome Home

Desiring God 2.18.13 – reprint

The Day Luther Died

By Jonathan Parnell | Feb 18, 2013 12:00 am

Original In Germany 467 years ago, in a small, backwater town called Eisleben, the shaking hand of a dying man scribbled this simple line: We are beggars. This is true.

Martin Luther died on February 18, 1546. These last words of weakness echoed the life-changing truth he’d unearthed in the Scriptures: we don’t bring anything to the table of our justification. Jesus truly died for the ungodly.

Luther came to understand that if we are to be accepted by God, we need a perfect righteousness we can’t produce — we need an alien righteousness given to us by Another.

But this discovery didn’t just happen. It came after hours of the painstaking study of Scripture. Luther gave himself to the Book, which he later explained as the primary actor in the Protestant Reformation. And a great movement of God in our day won’t happen apart from that same ingredient. Pastors and Christian leaders must be devoted to God’s word.

So we have much to learn from Luther, says John Piper.

Luther was the subject of Piper’s biographical message at the 1995 Conference for Pastors. We’ve since reformatted that message into a five-chapter ebook, which presents a sketch of Luther’s life and distills relevant lessons for not only pastors and leaders, but all Christians.

Get a free download of Martin Luther: Lessons from His Life and Labor (available in PDF, MOBI, or EPUB).

The Truth (About Abortion) Will Set You Free

By John Piper | Feb 17, 2013 12:00 am

Facts help us grasp abortion in our communities. With the internet no one is innocently ignorant. Here are some facts from the Twin Cities to San Antonio. There are no grizzly pictures here. But there are some miracles. I won’t show you what the babies look like after they are killed, but before.

Start with the on-the-ground facts. There are five places to get elective abortions in the Twin Cities, Planned Parenthood (671 Vandalia St.,  St. Paul), Robbinsdale Clinic (3819 West Broadway, Minneapolis), Mildred Hanson (710 East 24th St., Minneapolis) and two locations of the Whole Woman’s Health (33 South 5th St, Minneapolis, and 825 S. 8th St. #1018 Minneapolis). I encourage you to visit them and pray, or perhaps see if any of the workers will talk with you.

All of them do abortions up to 13 weeks gestation. Here is what the baby looks like at 13 weeks.

Mildred Hanson advertises that she does abortions to twenty weeks. Two pictures show the babies she is willing to dismember.

Whole Woman’s Health advertises that they do abortions to 22 weeks. This little fellow, at 22 weeks, is ready to fight for his life.

In addition, Whole Woman’s Health advertises that their San Antonio facility will do surgical abortions through 24 weeks.

But at 24 weeks babies are being born and thriving. Here are a few examples. (If you want to see the 23 week babies when born and then years later go here.) If you want names and ages check out the L’il Aussie Prems Foundation.

These pictures are of babies born at the age when they are being legally killed. The irrationality of our legal system is that we are expected to believe that a seven inch movement down the birth canal transforms a child from one with no right to life into a person under law with full rights of protection. This is the kind of reasoning that creates Gulags and death camps. Whatever else may be said of these children, if they had been dismembered and evacuated one hour before they were born at 24 weeks, it would not have been tissue that was lost.

I encourage you to do your part by putting the facts before as many people as you can. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Related resources from John Piper:

We Know They Are Killing Children—All of Us Know (article)
Exposing the Dark Work of Abortion (ebook)
When Is Abortion Racism? (sermon)
Abortion: The Innocent Blood of Our Sons and Daughters (sermon)
A Poem for the Crying, Coming Children (Video)

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The Love of the Truth

Can you believe we’re living in these days? That in the history of the world — His-story — we’re alive in these days! Remarkable! Truly remarkable! These thoughts and more came to me while reading in 2 Thessalonians 2 and elsewhere today.

All over the world there are great surges of sensational events — and they truly are worldwide; the world is in chaos. And the catastrophes are piling up! The multifaceted cataclysmic tragedy in Japan seems to me to be a great picture of these days — especially within the church.

And a subtle, but similar rumbling is afoot in the church today — the resulting conclusion will be the same: mass decimation. Great spiritual death is occurring as the church succumbs more and more to great delusions (this example is but one). People are seeking answers for the troubling questions they face and all too often are grasping and believing the most detrimental teachings to come along in the church.

The church — not separated from the world, believes worldly answers — easy answers given by the smooth teachers (especially when these teachers are well known and “popular” in bookstores and other Christian circles.

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Matthew 16.26

Thus, mainstream preachers teach lies to appease the masses by teaching easy stuff, entertaining the flocks, tickling ears with provocative messages. Then, selling millions of books, deceiving great multitudes… giving in to the great lies of pride and humanistic thought they lead millions to believe great deceptions.

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
2 Thessalonians 2.10

The church is but one example, though, because, in reality, it’s seeming as though the whole world’s going completely mad. Consider the great moral decline, the lack of sanctity of marriage, motherhood and human life. Add to all that, the duping of America by those elected to lawfully govern — the empty promises, the great fallacy of budgeting by redistributing ill-gotten funds, the preposterous demands, the assumption of entitlement and the fighting over non-existent funds. Upside-down…

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” Romans 1.28

Relationships are out of balance — if you’ve not experienced tension, misunderstandings, disappointment in relationships lately, don’t be surprised if/when you do so. That cataclysmic tragedy in Japan yesterday is on a greater scale what’s happening in marriages, families, friendships and churches.

More 2 Thessalonians 2.1-5

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

You can continue reading your own Bible… as you look at things from a spiritual perspective, you’ll believe you’re reading the front page of the daily newspaper.

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”
Luke 21. 25-26

And now, one of my favourite words in the Bible — beside the word “but” — is the word, “therefore.”

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.” 2 Thess 2.15-17

I pray as I write this that I would be — that we would be — recommitted to “retaining the truth” and that we would increase, cultivate and reaffirm our “love for the Truth” and that the Lord God would be merciful with us all as we rededicate ourselves to the great calling on our lives, to seek to serve Him more faithfully, to love the brethren and to proclaim His salvation to those who are perishing.

slip-slidin’ away…

So, you’re here again today for a visit at the kitchen table. I’m having a cup of tea… because of some recent health problems, I’m making some radical changes. Yes… sniffle, sniffle, one of them includes drastically reducing coffee consumption — caffeine, really, and anything that contributes to high blood-pressure and high cholesterol. I have a little elevation of one and a lot of the latter.

So, I’m trying not to get too caught up in the going’s on. But it’s really difficult to ignore blatant apostacy. I mean, as I have written a number of times in the past, it’s expected that the world will decline, degrade and decay. And it’s really not unexpected that the most effective way or place for the devil to move is to have a slow and steady, multi-pronged attack against and within the church — either subtly, boldly, directly or indirectly. Watch for it — you’ll see: it’s happening! It’s really happening. And I’m not talking about trends of worship style in what most mainstream Christians mean when they refer to church — the meetings that happen on Sunday mornings — or for the very contemporary: Saturday evening. Because, contrary to common misconceptions — what happens on Sunday mornings (or Saturday evenings) isn’t church — it might be a meeting of the church, but it’s not church. Church is not a place or event but a body of believers — and people do a lot of things for or against ‘the church’ because of what they think of the event (or location) that happens on Sunday mornings — or what’s happening to the building ‘the church’ meets in.

The Proverbs (27.12 & 22.3)

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

A combination of local and national headlines and news stories, recent ‘church’ news and clips, and recent scripture studies have me just shaking my head again and again. I’m grieved over the slip ‘n slide of the church in America. Just read titles of books in the “christian” bookstore or read anything by “progressive” christians and you’ll see the blast of decay. I’ve been trying to make a point to not be caught up in all the verbiage and mess of politics and global garbage and all the emergent lies — I really have been looking for glimpses of fruit — sweet fruit. So, truly, it’s with near anguish I consider the pitiful decline of the church... the shameful view or portrayal of God and His Word — the utter lack of wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God’s Word coupled with the arrogance and carelessness of so-called “pastors” and “preachers” of the Word.

So… here at the kitchen table this afternoon I’ve been reviewing some different mails that have come in, newsletters and links that have been suggested. I think of the different things going on and I marvel at the stunning actions, remarks and positions being made or taken by notorious ‘mega church’ pastors and ‘leaders’ today. People are flocking after many of these illustrious individuals and I would hazard to guess they don’t really even know what these men are actually saying — and truly, it’s a lack of understanding what the Bible really says and their simple acceptance of whatever’s being bandied about.

I had no idea that Frank Navasky was so down-to-earth… You read his stuff, you think he’s going to be so obscure and abstruse. He’s always talking about Heidigger and Foucault and I have no idea what any of it’s about, really.”

This is a line from the movie, You’ve Got Mail, and the character was gushing over reporter, Frank Navasky’s work. It seems to me that that’s how many Christians are behaving toward *many* of the mainstream church ‘leaders’ today — just gushing. It’s amazing… and what’s so astonishing about it all is that I truly believe a lot of them don’t even know they’re being totally duped by these ‘pastors.’

In the “you-just-can’t-make-this-stuff-up” category, consider this: a local church is giving away money to its congregants —or, actually, anyone…

“People who take the money aren’t required to be members, and it doesn’t matter if they’ve never been to the church before, Ehoff said. He’s not worried about losing the odd $100, and expects most families to bring in a profit.”

They say the plan is biblical… a loaves and fishes sort of deal. I’m trying to be charitable here, I am. I really am. But I’ve just gotta say — this. is. unbelievable. and. it’s. sad. Considering the justification of what really is looking a lot like gambling… justifying their decision because of Jesus’ parable of the talents and also His miracle of feeding thousands with five loaves and two fish. And to make it applicable to their situation?!?!!?!!?!! So… in three months the folks will return the money and any profit they miraculously make — hmmmm… it’s like a game — each member needing a $40,000. miracle. Only… it’s not a game — the church needs a f.o.u.r m.i.l.l.i.o.n. d.o.l.l.a.r. “miracle” for their expansion bcz their bank loan fell through. It’s like they might as well just check in with the government and its form of miracle-making… you know: money out of thin air — but it’s really money that’s not even theirs to budget, grab and spend.

I know I am sounding critical — and believe me, I do not want to be harsh—I so want to be loving here. I just must say — this seems to me to be sooooo lacking true faith, trust and obedience in, for and to the LORD — our Living LORD God. It’s just unconscionable.

I keep wondering… will the church wake up and see?

A famine in the land…

“Living in Union with Christ…” This is the title of a series of messages by a Romanian born pastor, Josef Tson. He makes so many, many vital comments — it’s difficult to determine which to relate to you — it’s difficult to choose which are the gems of the gems. I’d like to share more on this in the days to come.

I feel like I’ve been at an ongoing banquet for the last few weeks as I’ve had the huge privilege of listening to some of the greatest teachings I’ve ever heard — I’m not inferring these are sensational teachings — or that these are exciting teachings or that these have been so thrilling and entertaining — no. The different talks I’ve been able to listen to, either in person, audio or video, have been profound — not the sort of ~~entertainment~~ ‘teaching’ so common in ‘churches’ today. No tickling of ears or exaltation of ‘self’ in these teachings.

The Word says (2Timothy 3.1-7) this of the last days:

1 ¶ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away, 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

I’m sharing this here as I do many times bcz I think sisters all over the world are being mesmerized and seduced by attractive, smooth talking ‘preachers’ and ‘spiritual leaders’ and ‘christian’ writers. They are promoting, by the things they teach, “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10.5

And I want to boldly say, as is said in 2Timothy, from such turn away. Turn away from teachings of prominent ‘leaders’ who are denying the gospel and preach a different Jesus. Beware of prominent ‘leaders’ who teach another Jesus — teachers who have immersed themselves in feel good, big tent, ‘have it your way’ theology and have fallen into deception by teaching the ‘many ways’ to heaven. Turn away from prominent ‘leaders’ who lie about who God is — who lie about hell, about eternal damnation, the centrality of the Cross, the only means by which one can be saved.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:” Amos 8.11

But they’re so interesting, so believable, and they sound so right. How will you know the Truth? How will you discern?

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10.17

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Hebrews 4.2

There is a reason so many are being deceived. There is a reason so many have left off sound reasoning…they do not know the Word of God — they do not know Jesus – the Only Living Lord — the Lord God — they are deceiving and being deceived. Starved for the truth, even silly things seem good — even lies seem fine… Super Sugar Crisp. Starved for the truth, many are dying in their sin. There is a famine in this land. There is a famine of the hearing of the Word of God.

Galatians 1.3-10
3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
6 ¶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10 ¶ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Random thoughts on intolerance

I’m doing housekeeping today… many things needed sorting and filing, washing and ironing. Teatime brought to mind some thoughts from the past weekend.

It’s getting fiercer and fiercer, the slick and sick double standard of those who scream to be tolerated — not just tolerated, but venerated — endorsed — lauded. I’m not a proponent of beauty pageants per se, but it’s sure detestable that a ‘qualified contestant’ is being dragged through the mud for articulating her answer to a question regarding her thoughts on marriage — the answer was contrary to one or more of the “judges'” personal beliefs and, therefore, she’s unqualified. So much for tolerance.
The new Free Speech: You’re free to say what you like and hold the beliefs you choose to hold so long as you make sure you agree with homosexual behaviour and the propaganda machine that is ravaging the world. And if you don’t believe there’s an agenda, read: The Marketing of Evil by David Kupelian — you’ll be introduced in that book to another book, After the Ball, and if you dare to read it (and I don’t say this lightly, it is not light reading and may not be suitable for anyone) it is sobering, you’ll see the agenda is well underway and very, very successful in a dark way. (I wrote about Mr. Kupelian’s book a few years ago…. I can’t recall the blog date on that).
Voddie Baucham

Family Driven Faith

A man who is not afraid to speak the Truth.

David Kupelian’s

The Marketing of Evil

it’ll change the way you see everything in society!

As long as you don’t mess with the agenda, you’ll be accepted — if not, you’ll be castigated, mocked and scorned to death. You can read a bit more of what happens when you dare to teach the truth which is not believed by a percentage of the population. We attended the Worldview Apologetics Conference held at the Crossroads Bible Church in Bellevue last weekend — obviously a predetermined target — at the start of the conference, the church building was vandalized by a group determined to “bash back” with pink paint, foul words and phrases and broken locks and other damages.

Two of the speakers at the seminar were Voddie Baucham and Doug Geivett. Both were excellent at articulating the Truth of the Word, the climate of society today and the bold attempt to destroy the Truth and Believers. Voddie Baucham is probably one of the most articulate and inspiring speakers I’ve ever had the privilege of listening to. I first heard him and thought this two years ago at the Heritage Homeschool conference — he will be the keynote speaker again this year. If you haven’t heard him or read any of his books, I would highly recommend that you hear his talks and read his books. For info on the Christian Heritage Conference being held this coming weekend go here. I would recommend this conference for *every* believer… *every* parent.

One of the weapons against the church or “conservatives” is the word: hate. If you disagree, you hate. If you disagree, you’re a hater. If your view is Biblical, you’re intolerant. If you, on biblical grounds, disagree with a lifestyle choice, you are an intolerant, judgmental person. But those who disagree with Christians… are not judgmental?Christians must judge situations — Christians must prove all things — must hold to that which is good.

Those in disagreement are duping Christians into believing they must be tolerant… they say Christians are not to judge — au contraire — Christians must identify that which is Truth and follow it — and those things that are contrary to the Truth are to be condemned – it takes wise judgment to discern good and evil. I marvel that Christians are willing to allow ideas contrary to the Word of God to determine their world view. For lack of knowledge, believers are being destroyed. When Bible teachers do not teach what the Word says and believers do not read what the Word says — and when, instead, “pastors” teach from stories of paraphrases of the Bible, people, who do not study for themselves what the Scriptures say, will be ignorant of the Truth.

Fear of being judged by those who hate God’s Word
is keeping those who would love God from obeying His Word.

On Colbert…

This isn’t a blanket endorsement of Stephen Colbert or The Colbert Nation… but I’m just posting this so that you’ll see the lengths to which some people are going to deceive others or to discredit the Bible. I first saw this at an apologetics conference this weekend during a talk by Dr. Doug Geivett. He was talking about evidence and why it matters — evidence for Christian theology. He made an interesting comment regarding evidence:

Evidence has never mattered more than it does today.

Evidence has never mattered less than it does today.

Do you get that? Let it sink down in your ears.

I’ve been mulling this thought over and over. I have been trying to articulate this for years — that the Bible matters. Truth matters. Knowing God matters. Knowing God’s Word matters. Faith matters. Obedience to God’s Word matters. But it seems — if you listen to or read books by mainstream pastors — like none of all that matters all that much. Truly… if you follow mainstream preacher/teacher sorts, you will find that *the Truth* doesn’t always matter so much as what it is that they think that matters.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/224128/april-09-2009/bart-ehrman

Link Potpourri

Men Pleasers
I’ve often wondered how, or by what means, the church will be carried away — what will it look like when the elect are deceived (Mark 13.22) and who’ll deceive and be deceived (2Timothy 3.13). When “An influential evangelical leader is coming under fire for saying in a NPR interview he believes in homosexual civil unions and that Christians who oppose same-sex marriage and abortion may still find reasons to support Obama.” the church ought to take notice!

Perfect Turkey Every Time. No Kidding.
Was your Ts’giving turkey heavy-duty dry? Well, if you’ll follow Mrs. King’s advice, you’ll never have to serve dry-as-shoe-leather turkey again. She explains it quite well — you’ll have to bookmark this one when you want to prepare your next turkey.

Browsing the News
Did you think OJ would ever be brought to justice? Me neither. The judge called him “arrogant and ignorant.” I always wondered how this would play out.

Kaz humidifier & Vicks
I’ve been sick this week… coughing, coughing, coughing. O, I’ve been taking it easy — I have this tremendous fear of a bout of pneumonia — so I take it easy when I have chest congestion like this. So I have a Kaz cold-air humidifier going and for the last couple of nights my husband has been rubbing my feet with Vicks. We’ve been told that doing so quiets coughs – and though I know it sounds like a hoax, I have slept better the last couple of nights and my feet feel terrific when I wake up!! ;o) So, after my bath, he rubbed the Vicks on the bottom of my feet and then covered them with cotton socks. Nice. Try it… if you’ve been coughing, maybe the Vicks will help you, too!

(I must say, though, with the humidifier going in our room, I was dreaming that I was on an jetliner and the steward was telling the passengers that the cabin would soon be pressurized and… yeah… different jetliner dreams all night. )

You just gotta wonder… that 7 day challenge

I don’t know about this one. I mean, I know about this – and read the article and listened to the challenge and I think I ‘get’ what he’s trying to accomplish and the point he’s trying to drive home – but I’m just really wondering about the sheer lack of godly wisdom there… and I’m really wondering what it’ll be like tomorrow morning when the church meeting begins – will there be snickering, will everyone be looking around at the other folks? Will they be self conscious? Will there be chiding and joking or will this very sensitive and private matter just be left alone.

Texas pastor, Ed Young, challenged ‘his congregation‘ to 7 days of intimacy – says he thinks his church will have been the happiest place in America after this. But what of all those for whom the challenge was a challenge? Over the years I’ve received many letters from women for whom this challenge would be totally over the top – women who have longed for the intimacy but the “programming” of it or the demand just sends them to the edge. I wonder if there’s been any help or hope for whom this challenge would bring painful consequences or reactions.

So, yeah… I seriously pray the man will be sensitive tomorrow as the church gathers – it’s sort of too late to pray he will be wise – well, maybe I pray he will be a truly wise man from here on out. I mean, we all learn from silly things we say and do. Well, most of us learn. Some just remain wiseguys.

And there’s a huge difference between wise men and wise guys.

I saw a billboard

for a church in Seattle.

It said:

IT’S ALL
ABOUT
JESUS.

in huge letters.

All I could see was:

IT’S ALL
ABOUT
~~Jes~~US

You just really gotta be paying attention

Anything, repeated often enough, will be believed by the masses. And if you’re not careful, thoughtful and understand the Word of God and the enemy’s relentless attack on or distortion of the Truth, you’ll be swallowed up in the easy-believeism or the magnanimity of ‘leaders’ in ‘the church’ today. You just really gotta be paying attention — both to what they’re saying and what they’re meaning.

These are incredible times in which to be alive – as free people, as abundantly rich people, as believers in Jesus… for many, many reasons, this is an incredible time, in the history of the world, to be alive.

As believers, we’re instructed in the Word, to be wise. We’re instructed to watch the signs of the times – that in the last days, perilous times should occur – giving way to all sorts of depravity and distortions or misrepresentations of the Truth. Read Joseph Farrah’s “Give The Glory To God!” and then, Rick Warren’s response: “Give PEACE A Chance” (get your Bible out and read what the Word really says – compared to paraphrases Mr. Warren uses) and then read Mr. Farrah’s very succinct, carefully written response to Rick Warren’s reply: Who Gets the Glory?

This is a great study in the ‘think’ of today and the talk of today in ‘mainstream’ churches… the subtle nuances just might be missed if you’re not careful.

From Let Us Reason Ministries A Global PEACE Plan
Kjos Ministries: The PEACE Plan
Want to discover more? Google.