Paranormal Activity?- Patton

C. Michael Patton gives his take on Demons:

As a Christian, I believe in angels, demons, and Satan. The Bible is pretty clear about this.


However, outside of coming to passages that speak of them in Scripture, I have never attempted to make a concerted effort to systematize my theology in this regard. I have not developed a course on angels and demons. I have never taught a class entitled “Satan: Understanding Your Enemy” or anything like that. Why? Because I don’t know that much about them. When it comes to “demonic activity,” an Evangelical buzzword, I don’t really know what it looks like. However, I am somewhat persuaded that most of pop Evangelical demonology systematizes itself around many things that we think we know, not allowing for the vast sea of mystery that is involved here.

Just this morning I prayed that God would protect me from “the Evil one” because this is an important part of our battle: calling on God to rescue us from the devil (Matt. 6:13).

Below is my thoughts out loud about what I know, am pretty sure of, don’t know, and imagine to be the case with regard to Satan and demons.

What I know:

•I know that demons, including Satan, are not omnipresent.

How could they be? They would have to be transcendent to be omnipresent. They are not God. So they are not transcendent. They find extension in space just like we do. They cannot be in more than one place at one time.

•I know that demons, including Satan, are not omniscient.

Maybe they are intelligent. Certainly they are crafty. But they, I assume, are like us, learning and relearning, changing and adapting according to the times.

•I know that Satan is an adversary and an accuser (that is what his name “Satan” and “Devil” mean).

•I know that Satan seeks to keep people from having correct thinking (Rev. 12:9; John 8:44).

•I know that Satan wants us to call into question, change, and distort God’s word (Gen. 3:1-7)

•I know that Satan and demons can “go into” people and animals distorting their thinking and actions.

Although, I don’t know what this means, it seems as if they desire to find a “home” or an ontological presence in living organisms. That is just bizarre. Maybe someday we will understand why. Could it be that at their “fall” they lost their “bodies” and don’t want to be without a physical dwelling? Just speculating.

•I know that Satan desires to take the place of God (Matt. 4:8-10)

•I know that Satan and demons seeks to disguise their deception in a way that appears to be trustworthy (2 Cor. 2:14-15)

•I know that demons can bring about physical debilitation (Matt. 9:33; Matt. 12:22).

•I know that Satan and demons have a decent Christology (i.e. they know who Christ is; Mark 3:11).

•I know that we need God’s protection from Satan (Matt. 6:13)

Part 1

Josh Hamilton- I Am Second.

Josh Hamilton, of the Texas Rangers,  is one of my favorite Baseball players, eventhough I am an avid Yankee fan. Pray for his spiritual growth.

Chandler on John the Baptist

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written:
‘ Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Matthew 11

Mohler on the Crystal Cathedral

In his 1986 book, Your Church Has a Fantastic Future, Schuller provided what he called “A Possibility Thinker’s Guide to a Successful Church.” The book is a manual for a ministry built on pure pragmatism, sensationalistic promotion, a therapeutic message, and a constant and incessant focus on thinking positively.


His message about money was simple: “No church has a money problem; churches only have idea problems,” he asserted.

In an odd and upside-down way, the news of bankruptcy at the Crystal Cathedral makes that point emphatically. The most significant problem at the Crystal Cathedral is not financial, but theological. The issue is not money, but this ministry’s message. The “gospel of success” is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, therapy is no substitute for theology, and “Possibility Thinking” is not the message of the Bible.

It turns out that Robert Schuller offers the best analysis of this crisis with his own words. “No church has a money problem; churches only have idea problems.” The theological crisis in Garden Grove is far more significant than the financial crisis.

(vitamin z)

Hard Heart

In the beginning of Mark 3, after a number of altercations with the Pharisees in chapter 2, Jesus "entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand." (v.1)

"And [the Pharisees] watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him." (v.2)

Jesus asked them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”

No answer. (v.4)

"And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart." (v.5)

Hardness of heart. What exactly is meant by this phrase used all over the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament? What is the nature of this thing that so angered and grieved Jesus?

Jonathan Edwards helps us to see that "by hardness of heart is meant a heart void of affection. So, to signify the ostrich's being without natural affection to her young, it is said, Job 39:16, "She hardeneth her heart against her young ones, as though they were not her's."" (The Religious Affections, 47)

The Pharisees couldn't care less about the crippled man. Jesus looked around at them, sensing no love or move of affection in them whatsoever. They had no compassion for those around them, their hearts were hard.

God, soften our hearts. Give us the affection that ought to be there—first and foremost for you, and also for others. Give us hearts of compassion for those around us. Let us not be like a cruel mother ostrich, without natural affection for her young.

(Desiring God-  Jeff Lacine )

James MacDonald's Tweet

This morning Pastor James MacDonald tweeted this:
"Crystal Cathedral files bankruptcy. Off u go, onto the garbage heap of history, where everyone who minimizes sin, and the cross belongs"

What do you think? Are you happy the Cathedral has filed for bankruptcy? Why or Why not?

I feel like this every Monday

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Most preachers will understand. I hate Brett beat the Cowboys Sunday

NOOOOOOOOO!

Someone should have stopped this!!!

A Picture says a Thousand Words

The Power of a Photo

(this is a photo of a child at 10 weeks)


Jennifer Rego:

For myself, the power of the photograph is precisely that it is the reminder that I need that defending the unborn is not simply “a cause”, or an “issue”, because people are not causes or issue, they unique, unrepeatable human beings that I have a relationship with simply because we both share our human dignity, and it is simply because of that, that I have an obligation to defend them.

(Vitamin Z)

How to Save trapped Miners!

Wonder if they got paid overtime?

Wall Street Journal

Give God Glory...

Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory. Acts 12:23a

Herod Agrippa was not a nice guy–he killed James the brother of John and imprisoned Peter–but no one could deny he was important. He was the grandson of the impressive (and murderous) Herod the Great. He was a friend of Emperors and one of the great princes of the East, ruling over the land of Judea. So when Herod, decked in royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a stirring ovation, it seemed only fitting that the crowds would shout, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”

Ah, such a discerning crowd. Such a grateful people. Such a good day to be king. Herod just soaked it all in.

God let it all hang out, and he struck down Herod dead right on the spot.

What made Herod’s crime so serious as to merit such swift retribution? He committed no crime against humanity (not in this moment at least). He decreed no unjust law. He did nothing outwardly heinous. No, Herod’s crime lay in what he failed to do. He did not give God the glory.

No one may mistake us for gods, but someone may hail you as a great quarterback, a fabulous cook, a drop-dead beauty, a powerful preacher, a gifted writer, a tremendous student, a successful entrepreneur, or a really kind person. Now what to do? In most cases rebuking the encourager is a sign of pride more than humility. Just say thank you. But then you ought to quickly say, think, or feel, “to God be the glory.”

We may be self-aware enough not to seek out showers of fame and praise, but it sure is easy to bathe in it when it comes. We all have Herod in our hearts. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. We love the fame of our name more than the Lord’s.

So remember what Herod forgot: the world does not exist to make our dreams come true. Our friends do exist to make us feel special. The church does not exist to make us feel comfortable. And God does not exist to make much of us. His glory he will not give to another. “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1).

(DeYoung)

Mark Dever: Biblical Thoughts on Conversion

What spurs "Biblical Conversion"? Is it spurred by a choir singing old timey hymns for an hour, is it a preacher sharing stories about people dying in car wrecks and going to hell or is it something different. Can people be manipulated into  false assurance thru a thirty minute invitation? What brings Biblical Conversion? Mark Dever gives us his take, from the Bible

Biblical Thoughts on Conversion

We find many people who join the church who are not believers. Instead of focusing on the need for conversion though, many become tolerant to the hypocrisy. The suggestion that people can change is regarded with skepticism. Our mentality is to adapt, not to try to fundamentally change things. We are who we are, and we are taught to be proud of it.
There is no denying people have a deep longing for change. We are not content, so we re-arrange furniture, buy clothes, change where we live, change our work hours, or even change our spouse. In and of ourselves, we end up defeated in our own choices.

It is obvious to non-believers that Christians are different, and it comes from change. We read in 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10:
8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

After Paul left Thessalonica, conversions happened, change happened, and it made a difference. Verses 9-10 tell us the Thessalonians turned to God from idols to serve God and wait for His Son from heaven.

True conversion will always involve turning in faith to the true God from the false ones, which we set up for ourselves. It will always involve realizing that final answers don’t come here, but we wait for the coming justice of Jesus.

In the Old and New Testaments, conversion is the idea of turning. It is the act of turning from sin to Christ in faith. As Christians, we believe there are countless people throughout history that have come to know God. We acknowledge conversion is a miracle and experience the joy of knowing that you really can be forgiven of your sins against God.

3 Steps to Conversion

1. We’re called to repent of our sins and believe in Christ.
In Acts 26:20 Paul summarizes his Gospel proclamation: “…but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.”

True repentance always accompanies saving faith. This faith is not mere knowledge or the approval of some facts. There must be a personal trust in Christ if it is to be saving faith. That’s where the problem comes in – human depravity.

So what do we do? What we need is to be converted. We need the Holy Spirit to convert us. Everyone is either a believer or an unbeliever, converted or unconverted. There is no middle ground. No one is born a Christian. You must be converted to be a Christian.

2. God must give us the gift of repentance of faith.



3. God uses means to give us this gift: the preaching of the Word and the right of baptism.

7 Questions to Ask before you Preach the Bible. Chan

1.Am I worried about what people think of my message or what God thinks? (Teach with fear)

2.Do I genuinely love these people? (Teach with love)


3.Am I accurately presenting this passage? (Teach with accuracy)


4.Am I depending on the Holy Spirit's power or my own cleverness? (Teach with power)


5.Have I applied this message to my own life? (Teach with integrity)


6.Will this message draw attention to me or to God? (Teach with humility)


7.Do the people really need this message? (Teach with urgency)

Why Study the Bible? Mac

Number one, it is infallible. In total the Bible has no mistakes. In it's original autographs it is without error. In Psalm 19, verse 7 the Bible says of itself, "The law of the Lord is perfect". It is flawless; in fact it has to be because it was authored by God who is flawless. Recently I was asked to write a research paper for a certain convention that's going to be coming up in our country, and they asked me to write the paper on the subject authority and inerrancy. And the real issue of the paper was this: if God wrote the Bible and if God is the ultimate authority and if God in His character is flawless, then the Bible is flawless and the Bible is the ultimate authority. You see, the fact that God is perfect demands that the original autograph, the original giving of the word, of God must; in and of itself also must be perfect. So we say to begin with then that the Bible is infallible and that's the first reason to study it because it is the only book that never makes a mistake, everything it says is the truth.

Not only is it infallible in total but there's a second word we use to describe the Bible and that's the word inerrant. Not only infallible in total but inerrant in the parts. In Proverbs chapter 30, verses 5 and 6 it says this, "Every word of God is pure, add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar". Every word of God is pure. Not only is the Bible in total the infallible word of God but in part to the degree that every word is the truth of God.

I would add another term, the Bible is not only infallible and inerrant but it is complete. There needs to be nothing added. Now maybe that's a surprise to some people. There are people today who believe we need to add to the Bible. There is a certain existing sort of a philosophy-theology combination known as Neo-orthodoxy. And they tell us that the Bible was simply a comment in its lay on man's spiritual experience and today man is having more spiritual experiences and he needs another comment. In fact I was reading one writer recently who said, 'that we need a Bible written for today just like the one in our hands was written because we need somebody to comment on what God is doing now'. So that the Bible is still being written. This same writer aid when Tom or Mary stand up in your church and. say Thus says the Lord - they are equally inspired with Isaiah and Jeremiah or any of the other prophets. In other words the Bible is not complete. That's a current philosophical-theological thought but at the end of the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation we read these words, "For I testify unto every man", Rev. 22: 8, "if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book". The Bible ends with a warning, it ends with a warning not to take away anything and not to add anything. That's a testimony of it's completeness. It is infallible in it's total, it is inerrant in it's parts, never makes a mistake in it's total presentation in it's most divisible presentation and it is complete.

No we would have to add a fourth word about the Bible, it is authoritative. If it is perfect and complete then it is the last word. It is the final authority. Isaiah chapter 1, verse 2 says this, "Hear, 0 heavens and give ear 0 earth: for the Lord hath spoken". When God speaks, everybody listens because His is the fin 1 authority. The Bible demands obedience. The Bible is not a book for discussion and by that I don't mean that we shouldn't discuss it's implications, and applications and meanings, I mean that we shouldn't discuss whether it is true or not. It is authoritative; it affirms and assumes that it is true. In John 8:31, you have the little incident here where Jesus is confronted by some of the Jewish leaders and as Jesus faces these leaders there's a little dialogue going on and there of course, are other people there and it says in the text here, "That many believed on Him". No doubt some of them were leaders but said to them, if you continue in My word then are you My real disciples". In other­ words, He demanded response to His truth, He demanded a response to His word, it is authoritative. In Galatians chapter 3 and verse 10 it says this:" Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them". Amazing, cursed is anyone who doesn't continue in everything that is written in this book. Tremendous claim to absolute authority. In James chapter 2 verse 9 we read this: "If you have respect of persons you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors, for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one part is guilty of all." In other words to violate the Bible at one point is to break God's law. It is authoritative in every part. Well, infallible, inerrant, complete, authoritative we ought to add another word, this is a great word, the Bible is sufficient.

It is sufficient. For whatever it is in the heart of a man that is necessary the Bible is sufficient. In II Timothy there's a great word, chapter 3 and verse 15 and Paul here says to Timothy: "And that from a child, Timothy, thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus". Now first of all it is sufficient for salvation. The Bible is able to make you wise unto salvation. You can ask yourself this question, what is more important than salvation? Nothing. The greatest reality in the universe and the Bible is that which makes you wise unto salvation. But more, verse 16 says: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable" now watch... "for doctrine", that's teaching, principles of wisdom, divine standards, divine truths, "for reproof", that means you're able to go t somebody and say - Hey, man, you're out of line, you can't b have like that, there's a standard and you're not making it with that standard. It is also profitable "for correction" that says to that person you've just reproved - don't do that, do this, this is the new path. You teach, you reprove, you show a corrected way and further it is profitable "For instruction in righteousness". Now-you point the new way and, show them how to walk in it. Fantastic book, the Bible. It can take somebody who doesn't know God, isn't saved and then save them. And then it can teach them and then it will reprove them when they do wrong. It will point to them the right thing to do and then show them how to walk in that right path. And then the result is verse 17: "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works". The incredible reality of the Bible is that it is sufficient to do the whole job. It is one product that does the whole job. The Bible is infallible, inerrant, complete, authoritative and sufficient.

Conviction!

Conviction of sin is a wondrous puller-down. When a man begins to feel his sin lying heavy upon his heart, when his iniquity is continually before him, as David puts it in Psalm 51, then his high looks are gone.
Have you ever seen a rich man in the anguish of conviction? You would not know him from a beggar then. His purse-pride has gone; all his wealth gives him but little comfort. “My sin! My sin! My sin!” saith he. “Would to God I were as poor as the paupers in the workhouse, if I were but rid of my sin! What is my wealth while I have my sin?”

Have you ever seen the man of knowledge, the man who knows everything, the sharp, quick, critical man, who takes everybody up, and thinks he can set all the world right—have you ever seen him under a sense of sin? He feels himself to be a fool at once, and would sit down on a form with the infant class in a school if there he might learn of a Savior, being content to give up all his wisdom, and to be a babe in Christ.

Have you never observed the man who was naturally of a high and haughty disposition, who reared up among his fellows, have you never seen how he acts when God’s hand is on him! Why, he would fain hide himself anywhere, and he envies even the meanest and most obscure of the children of God.

Once get a sight of sin, and those things which now prop us up will all give way, and we shall be beggars in the face of all the world, when once we see how exceeding sinful a thing our sin is.
                                                                                                                              Spurgeon

(Reinke)

God loves a cheerful Giver!

Bro. Franklin droppin it in the plate! lol

The Bottom Line- James MacDonald

Bottom line: at Harvest Bible Chapel we now have almost 20 years invested in the notion that church should not, better, must not be an audience-centered effort. NO MORE AUDIENCE-CENTERED CHURCH, unless of course we return to the biblical priority of God Himself being the audience. My thesis is that God simply does not attend most churches in America. He won’t work or manifest His presence in places where His Word is apologized for, His Son is polished and marketed, and His power is not sought in prayer or even anticipated. God does not attend churches where the gospel is watered down to a self-help pep talk about felt needs. God does not attend churches where Jesus’ crucified life is not proclaimed as the only hope for a fallen humanity. God does not attend churches where Bibles are not brought, and the gospel is reduced to a formula that a person can recite in 60 seconds. God does not attend churches where words, biblical words, like holiness, repentance, and Lordship are scrubbed from the vocabulary in an effort to . . . ? You may be able to get people to attend churches like that but God doesn’t show up much at all.

-  Pastor James MacDoand, Harvest Bible Church

Can Women say Amen in Church?

Is this guy an idiot or do I not understand the Bible?