This piece by Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries needs no introduction or commentary. It sums up what is at stake in the church today in a way that needs nothing added.

Rev. Allen Baker of Christ Community Presbyterian Church has written an excellent devotional about the state of the church. He is pastor of a vibrant, Christ-exalting assembly in West Hartford, Connecticut. There’s a reason evangelical churches look like they do these days. The problem didn’t start over night, and it didn’t begin with Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. This piece by Rev. Baker goes back into history to point out the roots that have produced the fruit we see today.

The L.A. Times reports that a  “Christian” biker group, ironically called the Set Free Soldiers, has been arrested and the men accused of conspiracy to commit murder against some Hell’s Angel’s rivals. Their motto is, “A group of Christian men who love Jesus and love to ride hard.”

Brilliant, guys. Way to show the world how Christians act. I’m sure the world is really impresssed with this.  I have some advice for these leather-clad biker afficionados: Grow up!

Listen to Crosstalk live now (2pm Central) as we air a recording of a recent rally preacher on the subject of change. All things change, but the Gospel does not.

After reading Ingrid’s latest post, I emailed her and volunteered to add some content to the site until she returns.  Here’s a wonderful sermon by Paul Washer about the true purpose of marriage.  (This video has a Dutch translator speaking with Paul.)

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First Baptist of Boynton Beach

You may have heard Paul Washer mention Charles Leiter as a mentor to him, and I too can not use words to describe how much help his ministry is to me. In his book Justification and Regeneration (forward by Paul Washer) he explains essential Christian truths in such plain and easy to understand language, it is one I would urge all Christians to read.

Here is what Paul Washer said about the book: “I have read this book many times before its going to press. I have greatly benefited from its teaching and heartily recommend its contents. May the Spirit of God illuminate your heart and mind that you may not only understand the Scriptures explained herein, but that they might become a reality in your life.”

Description: What does the Bible mean when it says that Christians have “died to sin”?
How is it possible for a just God to “justify the ungodly” without becoming “unjust” Himself?
What is regeneration?
What is justification?
Why do all men desperately need to be justified?
If I have died to sin, why am I still affected by it?
As a Christian, am I the “new man” or the “old man”–or both?
What does the Bible mean when it says that Christians have “died to the law”?
Are Christians still slaves to sin?

The answers to these and many other questions become clear once we gain a biblical understanding of justification and regeneration. These two great miracles lie at the very heart of the gospel, yet even among genuine Christians they are surrounded by confusion and ignorance. This book attempts to set forth in clear biblical light the nature and characteristics of justification and regeneration that God may be glorified and His children brought to know more fully the liberty that is theirs in Christ.  

Justification and Regeneration is available at Monergism.
May this book help you like it has helped me and so many others.

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Sandy Simpson answers this question and points out that who “Jesus” is makes all the difference. Word of Faith teachers talk about “Jesus” constantly. Like the Mormons, their followers very much believe in a Jesus. It is not the Jesus of Scripture, however. Those who are unaware of the foundational teachings of the Word of Faith movement that deny basic biblical doctrine about Christ, think that everything is fine. They preach about Jesus, right? In bringing the real Gospel to these people, you have to begin by clarifying who Jesus is according to the Bible, and exposing the false Jesus of men like Jesse Duplantis, Mike Murdock, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and so forth. You can’t go into a setting to evangelize the followers of these Word-Faith teachers without clarifying the biblical doctrine of Christ, his eternal existence, the fact that he is co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Failing to do this only adds to the confusion and causes a dangerous mixture of truth and error.

Puritan Fellowship has posted what it calls Paul Washer’s best sermon yet on man’s two problems: the power and condemnation of sin. You can watch it here.

This came in this morning from the American Family Association. Who needs McDonald’s artery clogging, nutritional garbage anyway? I started frequenting Subway a long time ago where you don’t slide in and out on the french fry grease. Hopefully the owners of Subway aren’t following in McDonald’s path and taking sides in the culture war. Hint: It isn’t good for business.

TUPELO, MS – McDonald’s has told American Family Association (AFA) that it will not stop supporting groups promoting homosexual marriage. AFA is asking its supporters to boycott the restaurant chain.

AFA asked McDonald’s to remove McDonald’s name and logo from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Web site where McDonald’s is listed as a “Corporate Partner and Organization Ally†of NGLCC. AFA also asked the burger – fries giant to remove the endorsement of NGLCC by Richard Ellis, Vice President of Communications, McDonald’s USA, from the NGLCC Web site. McDonald’s refused both requests.

McDonald’s donated $20,000 to NGLCC in exchange for membership in the NGLCC and a seat on the group’s board of directors. The NGLCC lobbies Congress on a wide range of issues including the promotion of homosexual marriage.

“This boycott is not about hiring homosexuals, or homosexuals eating at McDonald’s or how homosexual employees are treated. It is about McDonald’s, as a corporation, choosing to put the full weight of their corporation behind promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage,†said AFA chairman Donald E. Wildmon.

Pat Harris, Global Chief Diversity Officer, Vice President, Inclusion & Diversity at McDonald’s, told AFA the company would “reaffirm our position on diversity.â€

Ellis, who is openly homosexual, was given a seat on the NGLCC Board of Directors. Ellis is VP of Communications for McDonald’s USA. He was quoted as saying: “I’m thrilled to join the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and ready to go to work. I share the NGLCC’s passion for business growth and development within the LGBT community, and I look forward to playing a role in moving these important initiatives forward.â€

American Family Association is a pro-family advocacy organization with over 2.5 million online supporters.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

–Luke 12:16-40

*Update: Brian McLaren has posted on the AP story at his own blog. He says he was not an emissary for Barack Obama to evangelicals. He only spoke at one of Obama’s conferences and is a member of the Obama-supporting Matthew 25 Network. And his point is exactly what? He says he hopes abortion rights champion Obama will win in the election. He’s encouraging evangelicals to vote the same way. This statement by McLaren is the same as Rick Warren expressing outrage over a news story that claimed he was meeting with the members of the gay SoulForce group on Father’s Day. Warren loudly denounced such false reporting, but failed to mention that while he wouldn’t be at the meeting, his church officials would be. Methinks that McLaren doth protest too much.*

Here’s a telling quote from an Associated Press story yesterday about evangelicals and the election.

Mr. Social Justice himself, the one who has railed against evangelicals for failing to “live like Jesus” and care for the poor, the disenfranchised, the outcasts of society, the same McLaren who has lashed evangelicals for their attachment to the Republican party and their politicizing of Christianity, is openly shilling for the most radical-left Democratic candidate in history. Obama, who openly opposed legislation that would have saved little babies who survived an abortion in the state of Illinois (The Born Alive Infant Protection Act), was even called an abortion rights radical by the Washington Post. Emerging church author and leader, Brian McLaren, is now openly working as an emissary of the Obama campaign to attract Christians to this pro-death candidate. The reek of hypocrisy is overwhelming here, Mr. McLaren. The blood of 50 million aborted children saturates our soil here in America. That’s more than Hitler and Stalin managed to kill combined. You can sob into your hanky about global warming and polar ice caps and carbon emissions. I’m with the babies, and I will vote for no person who defends their slaughter.

I am not a Republican. I am a Christian, and no Republican or Democrat who wars against God’s moral law and defends gay marriage, child killing or using human embryos for experimentation will get my vote. You can take that to the bank. McLaren has no moral compass because he rejects God’s Word as his only standard. You will notice a distinct correlation between those who reject God’s Word and their support for pro-death, pro-gay marriage candidates, and every other cause that is a revolt against heaven. That’s why the emerging church leaders and followers are up to their armpits in Obama campaign materials. When God’s Word gets thrown out, it affects every aspect of our lives and ethics. Ideas have practical consequences for men and nations.

Here’s a related article from today’s ABC News political blog. Michelle Obama reaffirmed her husband’s support for gay rights and his opposition to the Defense of Marriage act last night at the Gay/Lesbian Leadership Council in New York City. Imagine: Obama can oppose something called the “Defense of Marriage Act” and still have the support of “evangelical” leaders like Brian McLaren, T.D. Jakes and KirbyJon Caldwell. Then again, when we have “Hell’s Bells” as prelude music in church today as I recently reported, are we surprised? Hell seems to be the inspiration for a lot going on in church these days.

This sermon by Ray Stedman deals with a very neglected part of biblical teaching today. We have an implacable foe who rests not, day or night, in his attempts to destroy us. Stedman writes:

Read the rest of the sermon here.

If we don’t understand sin correctly, we can’t understand the message of salvation correctly. This chapter from J.C. Ryle’s famous book on holiness explains the biblical definition of sin. (The entire book is available free online.

In another chapter, Ryle deals with what holiness is as he addresses sanctification.

(J.C. Ryle was a faithful pastor, vigorous preacher and writer in England. He lived from 1815-1900.)

Wingclips.com reports that the top movie clip download by pastors for use in their sermons is from Horton Hears a Who—that has been the top clip every week for the last three months. Dr. Seuss is apparently growing in popularity as sermon fodder. The thrilling true stories from Holy Scripture are no longer enough to hold even adult attention in church, but Dr. Seuss evidently meets the need.

Our family attended a Thanksgiving eve service at a local church one year. We were visitors, and we appreciated the readings, the Thanksgiving hymns and the prayer. The church was heavily attended by faculty from the denomination’s local college and seminary, and the place was full that night. The pastor finally ascended the very large pulpit, looked out into the audience with the intense glare of someone with a serious message to proclaim. A hush fell over the congregation. He gripped the sides of the pulpit. His opening words were:

“I do not like
green eggs
and ham!

I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.

You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.

Sam!
If you will let me be,
I will try them.
You will see.

Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat.
And I would eat them with a goat…”

The theme of the ten-minute crowd-pleaser message was  “taste and see that the Lord is good. If you avoid God like green eggs and ham, you’ll never know what you’re missing. Give God a taste.”

An exit sign never looked as good as it did that night.

Are there moral lessons in many fairy tales and stories? Of course. But when did church become a place for “moral lessons?” We have the whole counsel of God in our hands, the inerrant, powerful, authoritative Word of God, preserved down through the ages by God’s sovereign hand and the faithfulness of those who paid many times with their own blood. Why is that precious book not sufficient?

Why? Because nobody wants rich meat any longer. They want to be entertained and regaled with childish cartoons. They want to see movie clips of Spiderman, The Hulk, Sex in the City, and whatever other garbage the world is doling out. They want cute moral lessons from dancing vegetables on Sunday morning, not the true meat of the Word for grown-ups in Christ. With the persecution of believers that is coming to the West, Horton Hears a Who is not going to cut it. Interviewing Richard Wurmbrand and Christo Kulichev, two pastors who suffered incredible torture and imprisonment in Romania and Bulgaria, it was clear to me that their knowledge of the Word was what got them through their suffering. The promises of God provide the only key to escaping the dungeon of despair in our own lives.

Let those who want silly elephants teaching them on Sunday morning carry on with their cartoons. But let those who desire a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ feed deeply from the true meat of the Word. It alone can sustain us in the one true faith.