LIGHTS ON! for Earth Hour

On March 29, 2008 at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time, I will be turning my LIGHTS ON in honor of THIS EVENT.

Oh, I will also be cranking my air conditioner, maybe put on a movie, and will have my Apple computers humming at full capacity and maybe run an errand or two in my SUV. I want to increase my "human footprint" on earth.


Earth Hour - North America

23 GREAT SINS OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALISM

by Phil Perkins

Why We Must Pray For A Reformation Again.

Many Christians today are calling for revival. They are wrong to do so. Revival is the imbuing of what already exists with new life. In the past, Evangelical Christianity has experienced renewed vigor from the Holy Spirit in great moves of God many call revivals. These are times, such as the Welsh Revival, when God, in a special work, in response to the need of the church and the prayers of the saints, breathes into the church and individual saints new spiritual power to live holy lives and to witness.

What we need is a reformation much like the Protestant Reformation. God didn’t revive the Roman church. To make it stronger and more powerful would be to aid the kingdom of Satan because its doctrine was Satanic. God called a remnant out of the Roman church to return to biblical doctrine and practice. Thus, Historical Evangelicalism was born. Modern Evangelicalism is not the same. We have gone into sin and lost doctrines that are essential to make biblical faith possible and added others that make biblical faith impossible. We must not seek new vigor for Evangelicalism. We must change it or simply leave it to return to Historical Evangelicalism, that is, the faith once for all delivered.

May it please God, not to revive an old donkey, but to make us a lion again.

1. The Lost Doctrine of Regeneration.
If we aren’t changed, we aren’t saved. Jesus said that if we are His sheep, we will obey His commands and if we don't, we aren't His. John 10, Matthew 7:18.

2. The Lost Doctrine of Sanctification.
If we aren’t being made progressively more holy, we aren’t saved. Romans 8:28-29.

3. The Lost Doctrine of Personal Holiness.
If we aren’t radically different than those around us, we aren’t saved. Matthew 10:17 & 16:6, Luke 6:26, Ezekiel 36.

4. The Lost Doctrine of Corporate Holiness.
If our churches and institutions aren’t pure from false teaching, false teachers, and any who hold to false teaching, they are no longer Christian institutions. We must change them immediately or stop supporting them in any way whatsoever and leave them. Deuteronomy 12-13, I Corinthians 5:9-13, Revelation 2:6, 14-16, & 19-24.

5. The Lost Doctrine of the Glory of God.
If we seek our own glory or success, we are sinning. Philippians 1:12-18, Psalm 145..

6. The Lost Fellowship of Suffering.
If we avoid embarrassment for being Christians, don't worry. We aren‘t. Matthew 10: 32-33, Romans 10:9-10.

7. The Lost Leadership of Men.
If men don’t act like men again with courage and self-sacrifice, all is lost. Our fathers gave their lives for correct doctrine. Many of today's pastors and leaders won't risk being called "insensitive." Men, let the ladies be sensitive. You be godly. And lead. I Timothy 2:9-3:13.

8. The Lost Doctrine of the Sufficiency of Scripture.
If we read books other than the Scripture for Christian doctrine, we are blaspheming, calling God a fool or a liar. II Timothy 3:16-17. The only two proper uses of other religious works are 1) to illuminate Scripture by way of explanation or example by another more discerning or more familiar than we are, or 2) to research false teaching in order to expose the lie and expel the false teacher for the protection of those weak in the faith and for the preservation of the holiness of each of the saints and for the preservation the corporate holiness of the church, Christian school, or any other Christian institution. I Corinthians 5:9-13.

9. The Lost Doctrine of Truth over Relationship.
If we value anyone, even our families, over being right with God in practice and doctrine, we aren’t saved. This is a call back to holiness and sacrifice, not meanness. Read and take seriously what Moses and Jesus taught in the following references. You will see that following God under either the Old Covenant or the New Covenant meant that many would be separated from families, friends, and loved ones who will not accept the truth. Much false teaching and many other sins in the church are tolerated simply because one brother will not sever ties with another who has fallen. In other words, will you be willing to be divorced by your spouse because he or she will not tolerate God in the house? Pastors, will you jeopardize your career for the gospel? Many will not. This is a disgrace unfit for the kingdom of God. Choose you this day whom you will serve! Deuteronomy 13, Matthew 10:32-39.

10. The Idolatry of Love.
If we worship the god preached in most of Modern Evangelicalism, we are idolaters, because the god of most Evangelicals is only love. The God of Scripture is much more. I John 5:6, Deuteronomy 4:24 & 5:9.

11. The Sin of Reproving the Reprover. (The New Phariseeism--Unbiblical Rules Against Telling The Truth.)
If we continue to adopt the unscriptural ethics of the idolaters of love, we will continue to be like the Pharisees of old, adding laws God has never given, and honoring human tradition over Scripture. In our zeal for the soft, the sentimental, and the mediocre, we hate the prophet and make artificial rules to silence him. Amos 5:10 & 14-15, Matthew 11:16-19, Amos 7:10-17.

12. The Idolatry of the Effeminate. (Worshipping the Uber-mommy.)
The American jesus isn’t the Jesus of Scripture. It’s a bizarre mix of god, goddess, man, and an uber-mommy unknown to Scripture. We have idolatrous pictures of this imaginary girlygod standing at a knobless door, unable to conquer the human heart that Yahweh, the true God, created. This is contradictory to both reason and Scripture. Exodus 20:4-6, Revelation 1-3, Nahum 3:13 Leviticus 19:17-18, II Timothy 2:1.

13. Self Idolatry.
If we continue to preach self-esteem, we deny Christ, Who taught us we are filth. Filth awaiting judgment. Roman 3:23 & 6:23.

14. The Idol of the God Who Serves Me.
If we continue to seek earthly blessings from God, rather than self-denial, we continue to indulge our emotions and expect riches and health on earth, while our souls die. Luke 22:19, I Corinthians 9:27.

15. The Lost Doctrine of the Value of Doctrine.
If we continue to deny the importance of strong biblical doctrine, we are self-contradictory fools, valuing the doctrine that says no doctrine is to be much valued. II Timothy 2:14-18.

16. The Lost Doctrine of the Powerlessness of the Church and Its People.
If we continue to speak as if God cannot act without our cooperation, we will remain idolaters, blaspheming the Sovereign Yahweh, and worshipping a domesticated god we control. Deuteronomy 11:25, John 6:44-65.

17. The Lost Doctrine of Redeeming the Time.
If we continue to spend time in secular entertainment, we will remain unfaithful servants, not evangelizing those for whom God has made each one of us responsible, all the while poisoning our souls with the humor of Satan, the mindset of this world, and the desires of the flesh. Ephesians 5:15-16.

18. The Lie of “Impacting the Culture.” (Whatever That Means.)
If we continue to engage in this and other nebulous doctrinal sophistries, we will go to our graves, not fulfilling the Great Commission, which calls us to the specific task of teaching individuals the Scripture. Culture is the world, and is to be shunned. Learn the customs of politeness and modesty. Avoid the contamination of the values of any human culture. Love not the world. Romans 12:1-2, I John 2:15-17.

19. The Lost Obedience to Witness. (Evangelicals Who Don‘t Evangelize Are Lying!)
If we continue to cower, and not witness, we disobey Christ’s last command on earth and refuse to disciple anyone as Christ taught us to. All His students were required to witness almost from day one. How have we come to the point at which a man can be called a Christian who isn't regularly witnessing? It is dishonest. It is disobedient. It is inexcusable. May God damn the preacher who says otherwise. The book of Jude, Ezekiel 33.

20. The Lie of Relevance.
If we continue to attempt to “make the gospel relevant”, we are apostates, leaving the original gospel, which God told us was plenty relevant since it, and only it, is the power to save from eternal wrath. Are you smarter than God? Romans 1:16.

21. The Lost Doctrine of God’s Hatred for the Wicked. (Lost to the people, hidden by the preachers.)
If we continue to speak and preach about the god who is only love and does not hate evil and the workers of evil, we are idolaters and lie to our hearers, damning even our own children to eternal hell unless they rebel against us and return to the God of Scripture Who is loving to the repentant and burning in His anger against the unrepentant. Psalm 5:5.

22. The Lost Doctrine of Repentance.
If we continue to preach belief without Christ's call to repentance from all known sin, we have another gospel and will spend eternity in hell, with the blood of our followers on our hands. Jude 4, Matthew 4:17.

23. The Lost Doctrine of the Fear of God.
If we continue to tell people that God is to be respected and not feared, we are liars whom God will judge eternally in hell. Most of our preachers have lied to us on this issue. Malachi 1:14, Hosea 3:5 & 11:10-11, Daniel 5:25-26, Jeremiah 2:19, 5:22-24, 10:7, & 10:14, Isaiah 2:10-19, 33:6, 50:10, 57:11, 59:19, 64:1-2, & 6:5, Jonah 1:8-16, Jude 4, Habukuk 3:2-16, Matthew 10:28.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

FEAR and DEATH

A "Hindu/Muslim" Christian--Is It Possible?

"I happen to know people who are followers of Christ in other religions."--Rick Warren

"New Light embodiment means to be "in connection" and "information" with other faiths.... One can be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ without denying the flickers of the sacred in followers of Yahweh, or Kali, or Krishna." --Leonard Sweet

"I see no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity.... I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can."--Thomas Merton

"Allah is not another God ... we worship the same God.... The same God! The very same God we worship in Christ is the God the Jews--and the Muslims--worship."--Peter Kreeft

These are excerpts from the post "Churchless" Christianity" from the Lighthouse Trail Research blog.

The article discusses the topic of missions and shows how some think it is OK to allow Muslims and Hindus remain in their religious traditions, rituals, and practices as they "add" christianity to their beliefs.

Is it rue that rather than "changing or rejecting" the Hindu and Muslim culture, missionaries should be "Christ-izing"? Apparently some people view missions that way.

Here is another excerpt:

"With Rick Warren saying your religion should have no bearing on your spiritual life, Erwin McManus saying he would like to destroy Christianity, and missionary societies telling new converts they can have Jesus without Christianity (or baptism), the results could be devastating and will very likely undo the tireless efforts of many dedicated missionaries around the world. These Bible-believing missionaries have risked their lives and given up comforts and ease to travel around the world sharing the good news that becoming a Christian (having Jesus Christ come into your heart and life) is the way to eternal life. Now, right behind them, come emerging church missionaries who say Christianity is a terrible religion, and Christians are out to lunch--so just become a Christ-follower, and you don't even have to tell anyone about it. In fact, you can still live like you always have."

CLICK HERE to read the rest...

I do

In the Bible the word marriage occurs in most cases in regards to the human institution. In the book of Revelation it refers only to the marriage of the lamb to His bride. The most basic of human relationships, upon which the perpetuation of the species is based, is the marriage of a human male to a human female. For some reason the Bible compares that human relationship to the divine relationship God has with His church. Malachi 2:16 says God hates divorce. Mark 10:6-9 Says He allowed it only because of the hardness of the heart. Why do you suppose God hates divorce? Perhaps we should ask which is more important to God; His law or his Bride? When John says in 1 John 4, 8; He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. … 16. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God and God in him. Jesus, in Matthew 22: 37-40 says, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Is God’s law an expression of his love and a necessary component of His creation, or is it capricious demands of a demeaning potentate placing unfair expectations on his charges for his sake only? God made us from his own mind and did not find us, an accident of chance and time, and decide to make us into something else. Christ Jesus has shown us with His life and death the reason for His Law. Ephesians 5:25-27 shows us the connection. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." Our choice to sin destroys human relationships not God's law.

The Backsliden Church

"When the church begins to backslide, the first, outward and visible sign is usually an increase in worldliness. In the way of life, in talk, and even in dress and fashion, the spirit of the world begins to be found more and more in church circles. That which crept into the church ashamedly in former times, so to speak, begins to walk in freely, often covered and overlooked instead of exposed and admonished. The black and white line of separation between godliness and worldliness, between the world and the church, between those who fear God and those who fear Him not, becomes increasingly more gray.

Instead of walking opposite directions, the world and church begin to have more in common with each other to the church's great detriment. Some of its members begin going to worldly places, partaking of worldly forms of entertainment, and become friends of worldly people. Some thoughtlessly take television, the modern-day sin-box and devil's classroom, into their own homes, quickly addicting themselves to its worldly mentality.

Worldly people, worldly entertainment, worldly fashions, worldly customs, worldly places - is this not what Hosea warned against when the Spirit directed him to write: "Ephraim hath mixed himself among the people"? [Hos 7:8] Is not the sin of increasing worldliness the church's first downward and tragic step in an ever-increasing spiral of backsliding?"


-- Joel Beeke, "God's Church Bent to Backsliding"

No judging allowed

Irenaeus a disciple of Polycarp, said to be a disciple of John the Evangelist, wrote in, Against Heresies, ‘These (the Gospels) have all declared to us that there is one God, Creator of Heaven and Earth as named in the Law and the Prophets; the one Christ and Son of God. If any do not agree to these truths, he despises the companions of the Lord, nay more, he despises Christ Himself the Lord, yes he despises the Father also and stands self condemned, resisting his own salvation as is the case of all heretics.’ In Irenaeus's day, Gnostics, especially Valentinus, challenged the doctrines held by the Church. Irenaeus believed Christ was the Head of His Church that He had purchased by His Blood. A people He had called out of the darkness of ‘untruth’ and ‘sin’. He believed that sin was real and dangerous and God through Jesus His Son had provided a better way. Today that same old challenge appears. Or at least a very similar one. There are some who make light of sin. Some who cast derision on those who have faith in Jesus as the only Divine Savior of man kind, as intolerant fools. They seem to desire a place of preeminence in a culture that resists even the word sin, perhaps sees no sin at all save the sin of intolerance. But aren’t all men of sorts, judges? We judge right from wrong with every decision or turn we make. Even the post modernist judges those who are absolutists as intolerant, perhaps even evil by some new and less offensive name. But is a lie still a lie? The Nazi’s of the previous century as well as countless other ‘isms’ have shown that religion isn’t the only reason man fights his wars or harms others. Perhaps there is something real to repent of. Perhaps Jesus is actually the Savior of sinful men truly deserving judgment. Perhaps He will save even those who as yet think they have nothing to repent of except perhaps that old nasty error, intolerance.

Brian McLaren "Passes the Peace of Christ"

Check out the video below, then please read Brian McLaren's comments below (in blue) about the "Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Witness".

In THIS ARTICLE McLaren speaks of worship, prayer, and the peace of Christ.

I am confused.

How can you have prayer, worship and how do you "pass the peace of Christ to one another" with those who are at enmity with Jesus Christ?

To understand my question, here is a description of the 2008 Interfaith Peace Witness from their website:

On Friday, March 7th in Washington, DC, people from across the United States will attend religious services at over a dozen different houses of worship and centers of faith at noon. Then we will come together for a public witness and demonstration against the war, including inspirational and diverse speakers, opportunities for civil disobedience, and the creation of a "rope of hope."




Brian McLaren dresses up his language with such spiritual terms and phrases but they mean nothing unless he is pointing to the Jesus on the cross. We cannot have true peace apart from reconciliation to God through the penal substitutionary atonement of the cross where Jesus took upon himself God's wrath and became the propitiation for our sins. (Romans 3:25, Romans 5:7-10)

Below are several quotes from Brian McLaren's article:

"When we gather for worship, we pray for peace. We sing of God's passion for reconciliation. We celebrate forgiveness and peace, not revenge and division. We preach about the Prince of Peace. We pass the peace of Christ to one another. We celebrate a holy meal which dramatically enacts peace with God and peace with one another.

...how important it is for all people of faith to gather regularly, Sunday by Sunday or whatever day it may be, to encourage one another and stimulate one another toward love and good deeds. Perhaps this is how we should see all our gatherings for worship, fellowship, teaching, and prayer - as peace groups meeting to plot goodness and prayerfully conspire for the common good and contagious peace in our homes, neighborhoods, nations, and world."

Brian McLaren is not speaking about the same Jesus taught in the Bible.

Don't be fooled.

Galatians 1:6-9: "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."

Sensuous Delights of Sound and Sight

"Our Savior did not use any means which might enlist man's lower nature on his side. When I have heard of large congregations gathered together by the music of a fine choir, I have remembered that the same thing is done at the opera house and the music-hall, and I have felt no joy. When we have heard of crowds enchanted by the sublime music of the pealing organ, I have seen in the fact rather a glorification of St. Cecilia than of Jesus Christ. Our Lord trusted in no measure or degree to the charms of music for the establishing his throne. He has not given to his disciples the slightest intimation that they are to employ the attractions of the concert room to promote the kingdom of heaven.

I find no rubric in Scripture commanding Paul to clothe himself in robes of blue, scarlet, or violet; neither do I find Peter commanded to wear a surplice, an alb, or a chasuble. The Holy Spirit has not cared even to hint at a surpliced choir, or at banners, processions, and processional hymns. Now, if our Lord had arranged a religion of fine shows, and pompous ceremonies, and gorgeous architecture, and enchanting, music, and bewitching incense, and the like, we could have comprehended its growth; but he is "a root out of a dry ground", for he owes nothing to any of these.

Christianity has been infinitely hindered by the musical, the aesthetic, and the ceremonial devices of men, but it has never been advantaged by them, no, not a jot. The sensuous delights of sound and sight have always been enlisted on the side of error, but Christ has employed nobler and more spiritual agencies. Things which fascinate the senses are left to be the chosen instruments of Antichrist, but the gospel, disdaining Saul's armor, goes forth in the natural simplicity of its own might, like David, with sling and stone. Our holy religion owes nothing whatever to any carnal means; so far as they are concerned, it is "a root out of a dry ground".

-- Charles Spurgeon, A Root Out of Dry Ground, 1872