False Christian teachings, trends….
This post by the Babylon Bee is humorous, but it emphasizes a concern about which half the nation is distressed: liberty; constitutional rights of Americans. It seems, unfortunately, that half the nation is oblivious to the harm that is occuring. Furthermore, half the nation’s population doesn’t seem to mind government making all their decisions for them?
Local unemployed waitress and single mother Alissa Martins spoke to reporters, saying she is “very happy” about this development. …”I haven’t made a dime in over 3 weeks,” said the struggling young mother. “But I’m so glad Congress came through to provide the one thing that can sustain me through this difficult time: impeaching Trump again! Trump impeachment is the sustenance I need right now. I used to think food and shelter were essential, but now I realize that impeaching Trump is so much more important. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi!”
The purpose of this post is to remind readers of the attitudes and graces spoken of in each of the eight parts of this series. A sampling of points was copied and pasted from each post; by knowing where these specific attitudes and graces are explained, one might more easily return to review those he wishes to know more intimately.
Indeed, the very first legislation they are proposing in Congress institutionalizes and makes permanent, even extends, the fraudulent maneuvers in our electoral system everyone on the right has been complaining about, assuring the Democrats of perpetual victory, yet we have barely heard anything about it from the Republicans. …Should it be preserved or should there be a new party that actually is in synch with its rank-and-file, the Patriot Party, as some are calling it? …Trump is apparently interested. According to the yellow journalists over at the Daily Mail, that’s just because the now ex-president thinks flirting with a Patriot Party gives him leverage over the Republican Senators for the coming impeachment trial. They’re scared of his popularity with their voters come the next primary, as well they might be.
It’s not enough to rely on political action alone in so important a cause, vital as such action may be. It’s also not enough to rely on the exemplary, skilled efforts of standout patriots among us. Nor is it enough to depend on the prayers or religious efforts of others. If our country is to survive, God requires our own individual faithfulness — as shown by our righteous life, the sincerity of our supplications for deliverance, our commitment to overcome — through Him — our lapses and weaknesses, and above all, our submission to His will, no matter the outcome, as we seek to supplant evil with good, as He defines such things scripturally.
Now this is a way of getting contentment that the men of the world do not know: they can get contentment, if they have the creature to satisfy them; but in getting contentment from the Covenant of grace they have little skill. I should have opened two things here, first, how to get contentment from the Covenant of grace in general (but I shall speak of that in the next sermon, and now, only a word on the second). Secondly, how he gets contentment form the particular branches of the Covenant, that is, from the particular promises that he has, for supplying every particular want.
2020 resembled, the church at war, with trials such as the following: every Sunday since August, LA county has tried to close Grace Church; then they tried to revoke the lease of their parking lot; the courts ruled in GC church’s favor… MacArthur loves it that we will be seeing the True Church and The Lie, that is all; there will be no fake church, as the price will be too great to call yourself a Christian if you really aren’t …Those evangelical elite who have embraced social justice, for example, will obviously be part of the lie: under God’s justice all are equal, that is, if you sin, you are held accountable; under SJ, those who sin are called to blame their sinning on others… The Christian life is about two crucifixions: of Christ and the believer: you signed up for death… Firstly, “I am crucified in Christ.” You came to Christ and repented, therein was a death… The second crucifixion is that of consecration, as Luke 9 calls us to take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Him: death of self is the sanctifying… Paul said, “I die daily”
Thomas Smyth’s sermon identifies symptoms of spiritual backsliding; how to discern these and what to do about this state. He also looks at nominal professing Christians, clarifying this condition and its dangers. In the process, he states the characteristics of true believers. [I found it to be a great sermon to enable one to see his own backsliding, his cool affections for Christ; the sermon also offers encouragement and direction about how to return.]
The beauty of Jesus, the excellencies and wonderfulness of Jesus – Jesus is excellent because He is able to save: He is fully God and Man in the same person –
Since He is both divine and human, He is able to bridge the gap between us and God which sin created – An excellency of Jesus is that He has the power to endear Himself to us that we might turn from lesser things and pursue Him – We have many needs (genuine needs, not wants): His life, His strength and salvation – Go to Him now and pray that He might reveal Himself to you – if / when He does, you will mourn for having neglecting Him – He fully satisfies the souls who truly know Him – Pray for the grace to believe and to see His beauty: by grace through faith you can come to know satisfaction of soul that has previously eluded you
…five considerations with which a godly man finds contentment in what he has, though it is ever so little; 1. Because in what he has, he has the love of God to him; 2. What they have is sanctified to them for good; 3. …Grace shows a man that what he has, he has free of cost, from God as from a Father, and therefore it must needs be very sweet; 4. A godly man may very well be content, though he has only a little, for what he does have he has by right of Jesus Christ, by the purchase of Jesus Christ; 5. Every little that they have is but as an earnest penny for all the glory that is reserved for the. …Can I have the strength of Christ? Yes, it is made over to you by faith: the Scripture says that the Lord is our strength…