I wonder how many bus riders have been escorted off buses for using Christ name in vain, out loud? This bus driver felt he had to escort a woman off a bus for reading her Bible out loud to her children on the way to church.

In America, the worst you can expect for trying to share the gospel or defend biblical truth is an insulting email in your inbox. At worst, you can expect hostile weblogs to pop up and call you names. In many parts of the world, the persecution means potentially losing your life, your property, your education or your children. The persecution of Christians by Hindu extremists is worsening as this WorldnetDaily story reports.

This news story proves that there is still a remnant that cares about biblical truth, even if it means leaving behind $7,000,000 worth of property. The up side of these battles over biblical authority is that there is a massive sifting and sorting going on. Things are so bad in many denominations that the only choice for a Bible believing Christian is to walk out. The apostasy causes Christ’s true Bride to come out from among the falseness and take a stand. That’s a good thing.

Here is video of the heroic pastor from a year ago as the church was about to vote to leave. Note that the use of term catholic, small c, refers to the Christian church worldwide (universal), not the Roman Catholic Church.

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth was a guest on Crosstalk last week, discussing Mitt Romney’s pro-gay policies and his recent statements on Meet the Press. With conservative leaders like Dr. Bob Jones III and Paul Weyrich jumping on the Romney bandwagon early in the game, LaBarbera is calling on these men to withdraw their endorsements. The Christian Post reports.

You can listen to the Crosstalk interview from our archives of last week. For further information on Romney’s policy track record on special rights for homosexuals, click here for a 28-page report and other documentation.

**Update** Pastor Tim Reed took down his morally offensive post after Slice linked to it. It was up for a year and a half. **Pastor Reed claims that his insult of another gamer’s mother, i.e. claiming to have had sex with her, was just a hold over from his old life. This only adds to my long time contention that those being placed in the office of holy ministry today are often novices in need of serious discipleship themselves. This is why Scripture warns about placing someone in leadership too early. Those addicted to gaming, prone to filthy language, are not able to lead in spiritual maturity. This was a mere year and a half ago.

If you want a taste of the new pastors today, here you go. This is a comment on a game forum by Pastor Tim Reed of Owosso Church of Christ and a contributor to a Slice attack blog. I quote:

Just click on the name Tim on the left on the page and it will take you to a link to Tim Reed’s website.

A pastor, friends. He calls himself a pastor who sends out “vulgar missives” where he insults another with a claim of having had sex with his opponent’s mother, using what he calls “anatomically correct terms.” I understand Pastor Tim Reed’s vulgar attacks on me and Ken Silva in a far clearer light after reading this. We now have men in the pulpit who are showing by their fruit that they are enemies of Jesus Christ. Why are they enemies? Because they embrace the moral filth that Jesus died to save us from. Those who love Christ and His true church will warn about “pastors” like this.

I have added a beautiful blog to my blogroll, Reformed Voices. This site features recordings and video of some of the great Bible teachers and preachers, both of today and days gone by. This post caught my eye because it gives a Scripture reading plan by the long ago Scottish preacher, Robert Murray M’Cheyne. If you would like to read systematically through the Bible in 2008, this plan will walk you through.

Just a reminder that the Anchored in Truth Reality Check Conference is being streamed live. Don’t miss some of these powerful messages geared to young people and their parents. They have an overflow crowd. Praise the Lord.

(They are on a break for the next few hours and the preaching begins again at 7:00 PM Eastern time.)

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Philippians 3:17-21

“It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master” (Matthew 10:25)

“No one will dispute this statement, for it would be unseemly for the servant to be exalted above his Master. When our Lord was on earth, what was the treatment He received? Were His claims acknowledged, His instructions followed, His perfections worshiped, by those whom He came to bless? No; ‘He was despised and rejected of men.’ Outside the camp was His place: cross-bearing was His occupation. Did the world yield Him solace and rest? ‘Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.’ This inhospitable country afforded Him no shelter: it cast Him out and crucified Him. Such—if you are a follower of Jesus, and maintain a consistent, Christ-like walk and conversation—you must expect to be the lot of that part of your spiritual life which, in its outward development, comes under the observation of men. They will treat it as they treated the Savior—they will despise it. Dream not that worldlings will admire you, or that the more holy and the more Christ-like you are, the more peaceably people will act towards you. They prized not the polished gem, how should they value the jewel in the rough? ‘If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they them of His household?’

If we were more like Christ, we should be more hated by His enemies. It were a sad dishonor to a child of God to be the world’s favorite. It is a very ill omen to hear a wicked world clap its hands and shout ‘Well done’ to the Christian man. He may begin to look to his character, and wonder whether he has not been doing wrong, when the unrighteous give him their approbation. Let us be true to our Master, and have no friendship with a blind and base world which scorns and rejects Him. Far be it from us to seek a crown of honor where our Lord found a coronet of thorn.”

–C.H. Spurgeon

“If I had my way, I would declare a moratorium on public preaching of ‘the plan of salvation’ in America for one to two years. Then I would call on everyone who has use of the airways and the pulpits to preach the holiness of God, the righteousness of God and the law of God, until sinners would cry out, ‘What must we do to be saved?’ Then I would take them off in a corner and whisper the gospel to them. Such drastic action is needed because we have gospel-hardened a generation of sinners by telling them how to be saved before they have any understanding why they need to be saved.”

-Paris Reidhead, Getting Evangelicals Saved

Today on Crosstalk we aired the message from the VCY America Rally held on October 6. Pastor Jeff Noblit is the preacher. He lays out what a Bible-Driven church is and why our churches should be Christ-centered and focused on the glory of God. The entire message, which was longer than the Crosstalk show, is available through VCY America by calling 800-729-9829.

It appears that registration may not be all that Robert Schuller and company wish for his “cutting-edge” Rethink Conference coming up. The list of churches carrying the satellite feed is a short one and so far, there are few of the big name churches on the list. I’ve been repeatedly receiving email press releases from their PR people trying to hype the event. There is a whiff of desperation in the air. Now they have taken a racial angle in their press releases, hoping to draw from the African-American community. These people’s mindset is that if you just hit the right promotional strategy, you’ll go viral. So they keep trying, trying…

Could it be that there is a conference fatigue at work here? Is it possible that Christian leaders are burned out on the Next Big Thing? Is it also possible that Robert Schuller’s heretical views are starting to catch up with him? These kinds of conferences cost megabucks to put on. If there aren’t thousands of Schuller enthusiasts lined up at the door, waiting for autographed copies from this big name or that one, it would be tough to break even. Then again, there always seem to be plenty of evangelical pastors and leaders who are desperate to find new strategies and new ideas to keep the crowds coming. Here’s the latest release.

GARDEN GROVE, California, December 26 /Christian Newswire/ — Embracing the cutting-edge influence of African-American pastors, leaders, thinkers and entertainers, Church Communication Network (CCN) and Crystal Cathedral founding pastor Dr. Robert H. Schuller are hosting an unprecedented convergence scheduled for January 17-19, 2008, at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, which will also be simulcast live via satellite to host sites in cities across North America.

The Rethink Conference will be co-hosted by Dr. Robert H. Schuller and cultural architect Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic Church in Los Angeles. Other speakers will include Bishop Charles Blake, Dr. Ben Carson, Olympian gold medalist and entrepreneur George Foreman, former NFL star Miles McPherson, entertainer and humanitarian Ben Vereen, as well as world leader and former US President George H. W. Bush, justice reformer Chuck Colson, broadcaster and author Larry King, atheist turned apologist Lee Strobel, children and women’s advocate Kay Warren, and others.

“It is an honor to be able to take part in a conference that is bringing such influential world leaders together to share their thoughts, opinions and beliefs with thousands of people on what our world issues are through their eyes,” states Bishop Charles Blake of West Angeles Church of God in Christ. “I am hoping that many who attend this conference will be transformed and energized as they rethink their future.”

Speakers confirmed so far:

George Barna
Bishop Charles E. Blake
Jim Burns
Pres. George H. W. Bush
Dr. Ben Carson
Dr. Tim Clinton
Dr. Henry Cloud
Chuck Colson
Phil Cooke
George Foreman
Jon Gordon
Dr. Michael Guillen
Lou Holtz
Jason Illian
Kathy Ireland
Dan Kimball
Larry King
Mark Kvamme
H.B. London, Jr.
Erwin McManus
Miles McPherson
Mark Mittelberg
Rupert Murdoch
John Ortberg
Nancy Ortberg
Dr. Les Parrott
Dr. Stephen G. Post
Donna Schuller
Dr. Robert A. Schuller
Dr. Robert H. Schuller
Chris Seay
Jay Sekulow
Gary Smalley
Ben Stein
Lee Strobel
Dr. John Townsend
Ben Vereen
Kay Warren
-and more to be announced soon!

A special feature of the conference will be the Rethink Tanks, where prominent thought leaders become thought partners. Registrants will take what they’ve heard and talk about it in breakout sessions led by presenters and other facilitators. They’ll wrestle with it, dialogue about it, agree or disagree with it-then take it a step further and make it their own.

Each speaker will give attendees a tool, a technique, or an idea…a rare opportunity to get inside the minds of some of today’s top thinkers and innovators. What have they been thinking about in the last year? What keeps them up at night? What new ideas are they grappling with? What are they rethinking?

Miles McPherson, motivational speaker and pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego asks, “The Rethink Conference will be popping with bright ideas from today’s top leaders. It’s an opportunity for you to jump start your life with fresh advice and a true perspective from thinkers that have already done what you’re trying to do-succeed.”

Thousands of people are expected* to be onsite at the Crystal Cathedral and many thousands more will participate through CCN’s network of satellite simulcast technology. The first 500 onsite registrants for the Rethink Conference will be able to choose one of the speakers with whom to have a small-group luncheon and will also receive VIP seating and a free, signed copy of the speaker’s latest book.

###

*My response: The wish being father to the thought…

I was listening to a St. Olaf Christmas Festival CD today, and they ended their concert with this hymn, not always used at Christmas. I can’t think of anything more appropriate. The babe in the manger was the King of all the ages, and some day we will cast our crowns at His feet for He alone is worthy to be crowned.

(This is the Ralph Vaughn Williams version of the hymn which has a slightly different ending of each stanza than the one commonly found in hymnals.)

All hail the power of Jesus’ name;
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
To Crown crown Him, crown Him,
Crown Him Lord of all.

Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God,
Who from his altar call;
Praise Him whose way of pain ye trod;
And crown Him, Crown Him, crown Him,
crown Him Lord of all.

Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,
Ye ransomed of the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him, crown Him, crown Him,
Lord of all.

Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line,
Whom David Lord did call;
The God incarnate, Man Divine,
And crown Him, crown Him, crown Him,
Crown Him Lord of all.

Let ev’ry tribe and ev’ry tongue
To Him their hearts enthrall,
Lift high the everlasting song
And crown Him, crown Him, crown Him,
Crown Him, Lord of all.

Jim Bublitz at Old Truth has addressed the puzzling inconsistencies of some watchers of the watchdog sites. He focuses specifically on a pastor named Tim Reed who has targeted me repeatedly for his ugly rhetoric for some time now. I am not wrongheaded or deluded, mistaken or wrong, I am a “ridiculous clown”. I am “noted Christian nutjob”, Ingrid Schlueter. I have an “idiotic hermeneutic”. In one comment, Reed refers to my “retardedness”. This is a pastor, friends, and a pastor who claims that I am unloving on Slice. I thank Jim Bublitz for his honest appraisal of the fruit from this man who has the office of a pastor. I would suggest to Tim Reed that he either reign in his speech in accordance with the clear instructions from the book of James or admit the obvious—that he has no regard at all for God’s commands in His Word. Strong disagreement is one thing, but calling people nutjobs, idiots, retards, asses, and several other things that I won’t repeat is the language and behavior of someone with a heart in serious need of Jesus Christ.

This Scripture is convicting to me in my own life, and it is a serious reminder to us all as believers.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

–James 1:26

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

–James 3

I recently interviewed Doug Pagitt on the Crosstalk Show and came to the conclusion that the man was a universalist. Todd Friel’s interview with Pagitt on Way of the Master strengthens that belief. Pagitt tells listeners that hell is not a place and a whole lot of other things that contradict the Scriptures. This is emerging error at its clearest.

The youth conference sponsored by Anchored in Truth Ministries (Pastor Jeff Noblit) will be aired live on the Internet. If you want to hear some hard-hitting Bible teaching (Paul Washer will be there) and many powerful biblical messages directed to Christian young people, you can listen here at the Anchored in Truth website beginning Friday, the 28th of December. They actually are now into overflow arrangements due to the incredible interest in this conference! Praise the Lord.

Apprising Ministries reports on Joel Osteen’s interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday today. The ignorance of Mr. Osteen takes your breath away. He says he doesn’t “get hung up” on theological things, he lets God decide. When Mr. Wallace displays a better knowledge of Christian doctrine that Osteen, America’s Smiling Pastor admits he hasn’t studied the matter. That never stops him from expressing the opinion that Mormons are Christians before millions of people.

The video is here. Scroll down to see the Osteen interview.

Here is a four minute compilation of Paul Washer’s testimony of his conversion to Christ. It will bless your heart.

Over 30 years ago, VCY Ministries brought Nicky Cruz to Milwaukee to share his testimony of how Jesus Christ saved him. Once a member of the Mau Maus, one of the most vicious Puerto Rican gangs in New York City in the 1950’s and 60’s, the love and testimony of a young David Wilkerson reached him for Christ. As a 10-year-old girl, I remember listening in awe as Nicky shared his story. My son recently discovered this video on YouTube from the same era when Nicky was in South Africa, sharing the same testimony. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, this testimony really explains what the Gospel is all about—the transformation of souls from the kingdom of darknesss to the Kingdom of Light through Jesus. The video is in three parts. I’m starting with the third part 1st. The first two explain Nicky’s childhood where he was born into witchcraft and hatred and how he came to be a member of the Mau Maus.

Part 1

Part 2

(The following is taken from Andrew Murray’s book, Like Christ. Someone sent me an old copy of this book, originally given to a woman in England named Elizabeth Farrow, back in 1891. Throughout this old book, Elizabeth’s notations can be found, including her notes on answered prayer for specific people. She wanted to be Like Christ. Do we?)

Taking up the cross was always spoken of by Christ as the test of discipleship. On three different occasions (Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Luke 14:27) we find the words repeated, “If any man will come after me, let him take up his cross and follow me.” While the Lord was still on His way to the cross, this expression—taking up the cross, was the most appropriate to indicate that conformity to Him to which the disciple is called.

Note. Christians entirely miss the point of the Lord’s command when they refer the taking up of the cross only to the crosses or trials of life. It means much more. The cross means death. Taking up the cross means going out to die. It is just in the time of prosperity that we most need to bear the cross. Taking up the cross and following Him is nothing less than living every day with our own life and will given up to death. But now that He has been crucified, the Holy Spirit gives another expression, in which our entire conformity to Christ is still more powerfully set forth,—the believing disciple is himself crucified with Christ. The cross is the chief mark of the Christian as of Christ: the crucified Christ and the crucified Christian belong to each other. One of the chief elements of likeness to Christ consists in being crucified with Him. Whoever wishes to be like Him must seek to understand the secret of fellowship with His cross.

At first sight the Christian who seeks conformity to Jesus is afraid of this truth: he shrinks from the painful suffering and death with which the thought of the cross is connected. As His spiritual discernment becomes clearer, however, this word becomes all his hope and joy, and he glories in the cross, because it makes him a partner in a death and victory that has already been accomplished, and in which the deliverance from the powers of the flesh and of the world has been secured to him. To understand this we must notice carefully the language of Scripture.

“I am crucified with Christ,” Paul says; “nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me”! Through faith in Christ we become partakers of Christ’s life. That life is a life that has passed through the death of the cross, and in which the power of that death is always working. When I receive that life, I receive at the same time the full power of the death on the cross working in me in its never-ceasing energy. “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live; and yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me” (R.V.); the life I now live is not my own life, but the life of the Crucified One, is the life of the cross. The being crucified is a thing past and done: “Knowing this, that our old man was (R.V.) crucified with Him;” “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh;” “I glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world hath been (R.V.) crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” These texts all speak of something that has been done in Christ, and into which I am admitted by faith.

It is of great consequence to understand this, and to give bold utterance to the truth: I have been crucified with Christ; I have crucified the flesh. I thus learn how perfectly I share in the finished work of Christ. If I am crucified and dead with Him, then I am a partner in His life and victory. I learn to understand the position I must take to allow the power of that cross and that death to manifest itself in mortifying or (R.V.) making dead the old man and the flesh, in destroying the body of sin (Rom. 6:6).

For there is still a great work for me to do. But that work is not to crucify myself: I have been crucified; the old man was crucified, so the Scripture speaks. But what I have to do is always to regard and treat it as crucified, and not to suffer it to come down from the cross. I must maintain my crucifixion position; I must keep the flesh in the place of crucifixion. To realize the force of this I must notice an important distinction. I have been crucified and am dead: the old Adam was crucified, but is not yet dead. When I gave myself to my crucified Saviour, sin and flesh and all, He took me wholly; I with my evil nature was taken up with Him in His crucifixion. But here a separation took place. In fellowship with Him I was freed from the life of the flesh; I myself died with Him; in the inmost centre of my being I received new life: Christ lives in me. But the flesh, in which I yet am, the old man that was crucified with Him, remained condemned to an accursed death, but is not yet dead. And now it is my calling, in fellowship with and in the strength of my Lord, to see that the old nature be kept nailed to the cross, until the time comes that it is entirely destroyed. All its desires and affections cry out, “Come down from the cross, save thyself and us.” It is my duty to glory in the cross, and with my whole heart to maintain the dominion of the cross, and to set my seal to the sentence that has been pronounced, to make dead every uprising of sin, as already crucified, and so not to suffer it to have dominion. This is what Scripture means when it says, “If ye through the spirit do make to die (R.V.) the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Rom. 8:13). “Make dead therefore your members which are upon the earth.” Thus I continually and voluntarily acknowledge that in my flesh dwells no good thing; that my Lord is Christ the Crucified One; that I have been crucified and am dead in Him; that the flesh has been crucified and, though not yet dead, has been for ever given over to the death of the cross. And so I live like Christ, in very deed crucified with Him. read all »