False Christian teachings, trends….
Spurgeon’s words in today’s devotional are very encouraging, as usual. But not all his devotionals are equally inspiring, encouraging…, this one is among the best I have read. Furthermore, it overlaps with the last post by MLJ, that is why I’m posting it too.
This post contains a brief letter written by John MacArthur, which you may read for yourself, and the channel host’s commentary related to that letter and related matters. The video is worth hearing if you have 16 minutes to listen, as you will get a much better appreciation for what Pastor MacArthur is going through and how he continually dedicates his life to God for kingdom work. (I did not get that from merely reading the letter). Additionally, I am in my early 70’s, and I got from listening that MacArthur is providing a great model for the elderly among us, in terms of contemplating our own demise… it is so easy to be selfish, trying to grab the gusto before death occurs…. I survived prostate cancer… but realize death is hastening towards me and want to deal with it rightly.
This post contains a 10-minute video on autosuggestion, its message is something like the word-faith gospel. I typed out a transcript of the video and critiqued it a paragraph or few at a time. The critiques are biblical. I do not think the video is within the Christian biblical worldview and do not recommend just hearing that and leaving, without reading the critique.
This post contains Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening thoughts devotionals for Feb. 19: The morning verse is from Ezekiel, I think it is the most explicit verse in the Bible about God requiring His children to pray if their needs will be met by Him…. The evening thoughts are about Andrew first telling Peter when he had found the Messiah; Spurgeon applied that to witnessing the gospel to those nearest first….
The preacher begins by addressing the context of the epistle to the Hebrews, written to Jewish Christians who were becoming discouraged in their faith. He emphasizes the importance of prayer in the Christian life and highlights the difficulties that can arise when attempting to pray. …In conclusion, Dr. Lloyd-Jones exhorts his listeners to rely solely on Jesus Christ and His finished work for access to God in prayer, rather than on human efforts, rituals, or earthly intermediaries. [In the last third of the message, he compared the RCC to the old way that the Hebrews were also struggling with. His comparison helped me see another problem with such rituals and sensual stimuli: although MLJ likely preached this sermon in the 1950-60’s, protestants are still going back to Rome in our day; MLJ’s words might help such people see their error more clearly.]
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.
The sermon of this post is an introduction to Ephesians 6:10 and the passage about the armor of God. This is foundational stuff for the Christian because it is about the daily warfare that automatically becomes a major part of the born-again Christian’s experience.
The apostle Paul recognized the fact there is an internal battle within each one of us; every believer has an “enemy within” that we must fight. This lifelong battle between the flesh and the Spirit will rage until our death. Romans 7:21–23 addresses the enemy within: “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” Paul understood that his fleshly nature would never conform to God’s will. No matter how much he might want to obey God in every way, he was fighting the “evil . . . right there with me,” the enemy within.
This post contains an Mp3 message by John MacArthur, it is another installment of John MacArthur’s series, Exposing the Campaign for Immorality. …While the DNC is the catalyst, the need for addressing these pressing issues is much bigger than any political agenda, as society at large has moved beyond acceptance of sinful behavior and now celebrates it. The promotion of this behavior is inescapable and spreads far wider than the borders of the United States. In light of this, I want to provide a series of messages offering clarity to many critical issues. …The current state of the world mirrors the time of Israel’s judges: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 21:25). Rebellious humanity echoes the words of Psalm 2, “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” (v. 3). The restraints have been thrown off—and mankind is paying the price….
Doreen had a lot to say about the following 7 New Age deceptions that are infiltrating the church. In particular, her assessment of The Chosen: she showed a very brief clip that conveyed how wrongly this show presents Jesus, it began 2 minutes and 30 seconds in. HER 7 POINTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: Mark and avoid Jesus Calling books; Mark and avoid The Chosen; Mark and avoid all forms of Yoga; Mark and avoid the Enneagram; Mark and avoid contemplative practices; Mark and Avoid Deliverance Ministries and Self-Deliverance; and finally, Mark and Avoid False Prophets.