False Christian teachings, trends….
This post contains a 3 minute, 30 second video that explains Romans 12:1 and 2. All born-again believers need to learn and do the things specified in these two verses. It also indicates how that is accomplished in a believer’s life. For those who might want more, a recent post is added; that post explains the mindset of surrender
A new Pew Research Center in-depth report, “Spirituality Among Americans,” revealed that “7 in 10 U.S. adults describe themselves as spiritual in some way, including 22% who are spiritual but not religious.” …they think of themselves as spiritual people or say spirituality is very important in their lives.” Seeking to define what “spiritual” meant to the 11,000-plus nationwide survey respondents, the report found that 27 percent “define ‘spiritual’ by mentioning beliefs or faiths associated with organized religion, such as belief in God (12%); Jesus, the Holy Spirit or elements of Christian theology (8%); or obedience to religious teachings (5%).” The survey added that many also say the word “spiritual” is about being connected with nature, “such as mountains, rivers or trees – can have spirits or spiritual energies.”
Got Questions Podcast interviewed Rosaria Butterfield, former gay-rights activist; professor of Queer Studies as Syracuse U…. They were discussing her book in terms of our current social problems. She understands them very well. Christians could benefit from her perspective regarding the social issues of our time surrounding LGBTQ and the church….
I went to Pastor Hines Sermon Audio site to hear something on the Lord’s Supper. I decided to post the following 13-minute podcast because it provides understanding that connects the Passover with the Lord’s Supper and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was particularly interested in improving my understanding of the Lord’s Supper, as I am discovering that my anxiety about partaking of this sacrament is typical among believers that do not rightly understand Christ’s work, believing that they have to be sufficiently worthy to partake of the bread and wine…. Also, the incarnation and the Christmas story can best be understood when one sees it in the context of God’s plan of redemption; the Passover and Calvary. Those connections are established in the material of this post
This post contains a 4-minute sermon excerpt of Pastor Voddie Baucham explaining the gospel. I wanted to post it because he actually explains the necessity of the virgin birth, something that I have rarely heard from the pulpit. A very brief post follows the video, it fills in many gaps that Pastor Baucham’s excerpt did not cover. He did start explaining the gospel from the Garden, the fall… but the post says many things about God’s plan of redemption, culminating in the gospel. Together, they provide a very good biblical explanation of God’s plan of redemption.
This post is explains some errors of Keswick theology by comparing it with scripture. An excerpt: After salvation one must have another encounter with the Spirit; otherwise, he or she will not progress into holiness or the “deeper” things of God. This second encounter with the Spirit, in Keswick terminology, is called “entire sanctification,” “the second blessing,” or “the second touch.” This emphasis on a second, post-salvation experience corresponds with the Pentecostal idea of the “baptism” of the Spirit. Some Keswick teachers would even say that sinless perfection is possible after one receives the “second blessing.”
This post contains a video by John Henry that critiques false prosperity and word-of-faith teachers: Joel Osteen; Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, Victoria Osteen, Robert Morris, Joseph Prince. They are all shown to say the same things that Osteen speaks. In the middle of the video, a Ted Talk on Law of Attraction is given. Thereafter, Osteen’s words are compared and shown to be 99% Law of Attraction (secular philosophy), with 1% scripture. John MacArthur and Justin Peters clarify and contrast the false teachings with scripture. MacArthur closes by specifying how these heretics are stumbling blocks in the church
This post contains a 5-minute video from Got Questions Ministries that explains what it means “to take up your cross and follow Jesus.” You will also learn what it does not mean and how you may evaluate your commitment to Jesus.
This post contains a 50-minute sermon by Pastor Patrick Hines that focuses on God’s grace in salvation and unconditional election. The chief texts he used were Ephesians 1:36 and Romans 4:14-16. In the course of his sermon, he brought numerous additional texts into play, also a few quotations: one from the work of J Gresham Machen; one from the Westminster Confession of Faith; one from Luther’s works. He clearly identified all the blessings that are found ‘in Christ.’ There are links to other very brief articles to explain: ‘second blessing,’ ‘hidden in Christ,’ and ‘foreknowledge.’ It is an extremely educational sermon for those who have been Christians for a while. Sermon HIGHLIGHTS follow the MP4 sermon which had to be divided to be uploaded
This post contains a 10-minute podcast by Pastor Patrick Hines on the ‘righteousness of God.’ He frames it in terms of Martin Luther’s experience before he discovered this righteousness that God; how he discovered this righteousness; how it impacted him. In the middle of the podcast is a 3+ minute example of the typical thoughts a woman had on her way home from shopping; the example typifies human sinfulness and helplessness to enter into heaven without the imputation of Christ, our Savior’s righteousness to us and our trusting in that instead of anything we might do