False Christian teachings, trends….
“Are we as Christians saved by works, or by faith alone? The key to understanding what part works and faith play in the drama of redemption is to understand the biblical structure and role of covenants. Without a proper understanding of covenants we fail to grasp the grandeur of Christ’s life and work. In this message, Dr. Sproul gives us the covenantal framework of redemption that finds full resolution in the work of Christ.”
Because of Adam’s sin, the whole world became subject to sin and the rule of Satan. The devil, also called the prince of the world, blinds people from seeing and believing in the truth of the gospel. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “The Strong Man Disarmed,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes the way Christ has broken the grip that the evil one has on the world. For Jesus has bound the strong man and by the proclamation of the gospel, the works of Satan and all who follow him are destroyed.
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. But who is Jesus? Some say Jesus was a great man and ethical teacher. Some say he was nothing more than a human teacher like many who came before him and would come after him. …In the Old Testament God was present with His people through the temple and the manifestation of His glory. But in Bethlehem God became present with His people by being born of a virgin. …As God becomes present in Christ Jesus, it is a new presence and is better than the presence of the Old Covenant. The message of the incarnation goes far beyond the story of the birth of Jesus. He did not come into the world to merely be an example or to simply teach, but he came to die for sins.
The very brief article in this post provides some sound reasons why study of the Old Testament is foundational for New Testament Christians. I know that many have been told that the Old Testament was about law and the New is about grace… preachers that say such things are not being biblical at all. Or they lack biblical understanding; or they called themselves to the ministry…. If you read through the Bible, then you may be blessed by God to see some vital connections you were previously unaware of…. This article encourages one to do just that. It is almost time for New Year’s resolutions….
In times of battle and great war, military leaders will do all that is necessary in order to obtain information about their enemy’s strategy. Likewise, in the spiritual warfare of the Christian, they have to know how the enemy will attack. Thankfully, they have been told in God’s word who the enemy is and how he operates. Therefore, there is great encouragement in considering the works of the devil. In this sermon on spiritual warfare from Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “The Wiles of the Devil,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones uses this Scripture to aid the Christian in their understanding of the fiery darts that come from his hand and his evil army. While Satan is not omnipresent and is always subservient to God, he nevertheless has much power. His attacks on the world and Christian people specifically are strategic….
Ephesians 6:11-12 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil…. In their quest to understand evil and various forms of paganism, fatalism occupied the minds of people in ancient times. Modern people are too sophisticated to believe their problems can be located in the spiritual realm, so they locate the problem in lack of education and ignorance. The belief is that the spread of culture and rationalism is the cure to all problems. Some Christians are likewise guilty of such optimism in the human spirit. To believe in a real devil and spiritual foes is ridiculed. Blinded by hubris, modern humanity marches forward with education with all the hope of “progress” as comfort.
The 5-minute Got Questions Video of this post explains that the Roman Catholic concept of purgatory is not biblical. Also, there are links to Got Questions posts about related topics such as plenary indulgences. Additionally, a few verses of scripture were inserted to show that the doctrines of men are not accepted by God; that show from the Bible how 19 kings of Israel were cursed for following doctrines of men (established by Jeroboam, son of Nebat). That example speaks to such things as purgatory and the counterfeit Pentecostal revival movement that was established upon the lies of Charles Fox Parham and Agnes Ozman (clearly explained by John MacArthur in his book, Strange Fire pages 20-25); furthermore, it speaks to the SBC’s addition of CRT and LGBTQ+ dogmas to the Bible; the JW’s; the Latter Day Saints….
This post contains two 5-minute videos about death; and a 2-minute scripture reading of Proverbs 5: VIDEO 1: Pastor Daniel read the final words of 8 atheists and 5 Christians. We all need reminding of just how close death is and we need to think about the state of our souls, as our opportunities to seek God’s grace run out at the time of death. VIDEO 2: a video about the un-biblical Roman Catholic concept of purgatory. When I listened to video 1, I realized that many do not think that their eternal destiny is locked in when they die, like the Bible says. I was glad to find a video and article by Got Questions that biblically addresses this falsehood. (The article on Purgatory has several links to matters that are extremely relevant to the matter of death and eternal life) finally, video 3, a reading of Proverbs 5. Below that, I pasted in the scripture and a succinct commentary with some verses.
…Many misunderstand the kingdom of God and hold to a false salvation that is rooted in the belief that eternal life is a reward for a good life on earth. But besides offering no hope to a sinful person, it misses the entire glory of the free salvation in Christ — everyone justly deserves hell because they have all broken God’s law, yet Christ was offered as an acceptable substitute in their place in the reception of God’s wrath…. [MLJ explored the themes of this parable sufficiently well as to help listeners see whether they are making such a fatal error.]
On today’s episode we take a look at Tucker Carlson’s recent experience with demons. He claims that while he was asleep he was attacked physically and felt as though he was suffocating. Were these actual demons that attacked him or could there be another explanation? [This post will help readers understand more about how one might have an interaction with the demonic realm. It will also provide some insight into the post of yesterday on Satanism.]