Let’s Do It Again…

Well, God through His infinite wisdom (and through the Shed Blood of His Son) saw fit to allow me to see another year – and I am eternally grateful.

Subsequently, God has ordained that this blog continue to expose His enemies and draw all men to Him through His Son, and I am humbled that he would use a wretched man like me to labor on His behalf.

I’d love to be as wistful and deep as I was last year, but I used up all my pretty words – so I’ll simply draw your attention to the top 25 articles read on the blog this year (in their respective order):

Title	Views
“Why Aren’t More Blacks Interested In Re	11,030
“Pulpit Pimps”…Too Harsh?	4,250
Ah, C’mon…Another One? ***UPDATE***	3,983
Why I Speak Truth	3,771
The Black Value System Vs. The Bible	3,426
Is Pastor John Hunter of First AME L.A.	2,525
“…get me my money!”	2,409
Ahhh, Now I Know Why…***UPDATED***	2,284
Is Hillsong Church A Cult?	2,129
Fred K.C. Price…Apostle?	2,034
Happy Birthday, False Prophetess!	1,845
Studying The Bible: The Topical Method	1,833
The Prince Pimp Of Baltimore Endorses Ob	1,821
Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy…	1,815
Roman Catholicism Is A False Religion	1,787
False “Prophetess” Bynum’s Birthday Pict	1,786
“…materialism, flashy self-promotion,	1,722
So, Todd Bentley Is A Drunk?	1,566
The Cursing Preacher and the $900,000 “D	1,558
Earl Paulk’s Neph-Son Donnie Earl – Maki	1,521
The Pimp of Hampton Finally Paid His Bil	1,510
The Musings of “Apostle” Fred K.C. Price	1,490
The “Spiritual Covering” Lie Gone Wrong	1,463
Pimps – The Gathering	1,367
D.E. Paulk Has Officially Lost His Mind	1,335

For 2010, I will be just as indignant with false teachers and their pimpistries, but I will not be incendiary just for show. I will write as the Lord allows and only what He allows.

I pledge to piss off more comfortable Christian’s for the sake of getting them to read the Word of God for themselves.

I will stoke the anger of pimp and wolve apologists even more, hopefully prompting more death threats than I got in 2009.

I will go even further into the Word (for my own study and in articles that I will write) to exalt the Word of God even higher than I did in 2009 (providing even more antidote to the false gospel that permeates the airwaves today).

I will  not entertain those who attempt to use this blog to spread their false and viscous distortions of God’s Word…there are plenty of bootlicker blogs that will let you fawn all over the pimps de jour, so go visit them instead.

I will continue to wave the Blood-stained banner of Christ. Period.

So, let’s do it again folks…

*UPDATED*: Marketing The Gospel – Bad Or Good?

My recent article on church marketing (“Jesus Is Not A Brand”) really got me thinking about marketing the Gospel.

As I stated in the article, I don’t intend on being a rigid “traditionalist”, but I’m just tired of seeing horrific examples of cheap gimmicks that are passed off as “evangelism”.

I mean, c’mon…“Pimp My Church”?

Really?

I was recently made aware of some folks who are trying to get “it” right- and I realize that I’m not against marketing (per se…the jury is still out…), but I AM against bad marketing.

That said, what do you think?

Feel free to respond to the poll, leave a comment, or both. If you want to defend it, then do so with sound scripture. If you want to rip it apart (as I have in the past), then defend yourself.

So, what do you say?

*UPDATE 1/14/09*: When I originally wrote this article, I forgot to mention an example of tasteful (and effective) church marketing. Regular contributor (and fellow blogger) Pastor Jim was featured in an article that detailed his marketing efforts when first planting his suburban Atlanta church a few years ago:

“Reaching Out or Selling Out?”

Jim Moon started his church with cold calls. Presented with 10,000 names to call, his core group thought he was crazy. But three months later, they launched a church.

Marketing methods, such as cold calling, have long created a canyon of division and controversy within the church. On one edge of the canyon are those that claim “selling” your church with telephone calls or radio ads is “selling-out” to the world. Across the divide are those that claim marketing techniques gleaned from the consumer world can equip the church to more effectively accomplish its goals.

Here’s where a potential disaster (e.g. “emergent church”) was averted and an example of successful marketing took place instead:

“I feel like I could start a business now from all that I learned about marketing,” he continued, with a sigh of relief that the start-up stage of Crosspoint is over. Reflecting on his journey, Moon describes his overall approach as “unmarketing.” These days he focuses on straight talk about Christ and sin. “What we’re ‘selling’ is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s hard to compete when you’re preaching the Gospel. It’s not a popular product because it tells you what’s wrong with you first,” says Moon. “There are people out there selling an experience, trying to remove all the barriers – including sin. They are an abomination because they don’t talk about Jesus Christ.

Amen, Pastor Jim.

The Things I’ve Learned…

It has been a very interesting year.

In His infinite wisdom and sovereign grace, God through Jesus Christ saw fit to allow the cloud of delusion to be lifted from my eyes for a literal moment – long enough to see that I was in submission to a scripture-twisting pimp who got more and more wealthy (and brazenly heretical) as his congregation grew poorer and more hopeless.

As I fled the plantation with my family and the remains of my self-respect, I developed and insatiable thirst for the TRUE Word of God, and I committed to reading His Word for myself instead of being spoon-fed by those with malcontent in their hearts. Through God’s grace, the gelatinous mass between my ears began to thaw – transforming me from a subservient drone to a student of the Word – and a walking, breathing BS detector with the ability to spot a false teacher a mile away.

Thus, the inception and development of the blog you read today.

Along the way, my mind has been exercised – and I’ve learned quite a few things, namely that you folks enjoyed reading these top 8 articles I posted in 2008:

1. “Pulpit Pimps”…Too Harsh?  – 3,496 views

2. The Black Value System Vs. The Bible – 2,285 views

3. Studying The Bible: The Topical Method – 2,240 views

4. Todd Bentley…Demon Possessed? – 1,804 views

5. “Why Aren’t More Blacks Interested In Reformed Theology?” – 1,689 views

6. Why I Speak Truth  - 1,592 views

7. So, Todd Bentley Is A Drunk? – 1,493 views

8. A Pimp Dispenses Relationship Advice? – 1,389 views

I learned that there are some excellent blogs out there defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ (just take a gander at my blogroll on the right column of this page) – including some of the newest additions to my personal reading list:

• The Way of Truth
• Broken Pastor
• Eric’s Corner

I learned that no matter how the wolves, vipers, false teachers, pulpit pimps et al deceive the sheep, there are legions who will defend their shenanigans to the fullest – as evidenced by the countless hate emails and death threats I have received this year (although the hate has been tapering off for the past few months…I guess I need to poke the vipers with a bigger stick in 2009).

I learned that as detached as I try to make myself appear, I get vehemently upset when I read of/hear/am informed of a pimps assault on God’s people – and I weep when I receive a note of thanks from those who gather the strength to flee. I know that I am a wretched man apart from the Blood of Jesus Christ – and that my daily surrender of my sinful flesh to the Will of God is a just enough to keep me from becoming one of the dolts I blog against. I am not stupid enough to think that I am anything more than a pawn in God’s plan – and I am ever humbled that He would find me worthy of His service.

I learned that there are still thoughtful pastors out there who care for the sheep more than they do their own wallets – and I am fortunate enough to have them read and comment on this blog.

I learned that there are awesome men and women of God who agree and disagree with me throughout the comment threads here. They admonish, chastice, and encourage me publicly and privately, and agree to disagree without being disagreeable. They bless me with their wit and insight, and pray for me when I teeter close to “the edge”.

Finally, I learned that what started out as one man’s public venting space has in fact become a ministry. No, not a building fund money begging, 3 services a day having, pastor & 1st lady Bently driving ministry – an earnest, grassroots call to a return to traditional, historical, biblical Christianity.

I invite you to join me as I venture down this “blog road” in 2009. I can’t guarantee that I won’t use harsh (yet not vulgar) language, that I won’t call out one of your favorite ministers, or that I won’t get so angry that I nearly toss my computer across the room while revealing the latest blow to the Body of Christ.

I can guarantee, however, that I will remain as humble as I can (through God’s grace) – and that I will without hesitation always honor God through His Son Jesus Christ…and I will continue to speak truth as the Lord wills – and leads.

In Case You Didn’t Notice…

…I’m off enjoying some time away with my family – and praying that you and yours are doing the same as well.

I’ll be back in limited capacity the week of 12/29 – and back up to full speed the week of 1/5.

May the God of peace keep you safe during this season, and that you glorify Him through His Son as we celebrate His birth.

President Barack Obama. He Did It…Now What?

Well, Barack Obama has done it.

He won.

This isn’t a joke, or a flashback to President David Palmer’s election on Fox TV’s “24″ (or his brother’s election to succeed him).

The citizens of the United States of America have actually elected a Black man (well, a biracial man) as the next President of the United States of America – and leader of the free world.

I can’t say that I am surprised, given the support that Obama has had for quite some time. Even though I have voiced my continued opposition to his candidacy, I am man enough to take a moment to acknowledge the historical weight of this event – and to (yet again) humbly witness the sovereign will of God.

Hold on a moment Obama supporters. Before you start writing new books to add to the bible to herald your next messiah, please know that the world won’t just change overnight because there is a new Captain at the helm of the ship. Oh, and unlike the woman in the video below, please continue to pay for your mortgage and your gasoline as the new President-Elect won’t be doing that for you…just yet:

I thought this day would never happen. I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car, I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage, you know, if I help them, they help me.

Lord have mercy. Let us pray for the new President – that the Lord’s will be done in his administration. Let us also pray for this nation – particularly for the millions of voters who sincerely believe they’ve just elected Christ Himself.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (New American Standard Bible)

1 First of all, then, I urge that ^(A)entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,

2 ^(B)for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

I Did It (I Mean, I Didn’t Do It)…

I have explained at length that I do not support John McCain or Barack Obama – primarily because I believe that neither espouse true Christian values, even though they profess Christianity with their mouths.

I did not come to this decision lightly – I stayed in serious prayer (and the Word of God), and I realized that I couldn’t trump my allegiance to God with my affinity for those who share my race. Since I have been open and honest about my take on this year’s major presidential candidates, I thought it was only fitting that I close the loop on my personal decision & formally conclude the matter.

I participated in Georgia’s early voting process several weeks ago.

I thought about my grandmother – who was the direct descendant of Tennessee slaves, and always lowered her head and called white folks “yessa” and “nossa” (no matter the age) until her death at age 92.

I though about my parents who fought to place me in a home in a comfortable middle class neighborhood after raising my older brothers and sisters in housing projects.

I thought about the racial slurs hurled at me and my buddies growing up in the city – in the late 70″s and early 80′s!

I thought about my own children who revel in their comfortable “middleclassness”, and who have benefited (along with me and my wife) from people who held tightly to their God-ordained convictions.

I voted for county commissioners, judges, senators, the district attorney for my county, school board members, and county initiatives and bond issues.

I did not vote for John McCain or Barack Obama.

I don’t say that flippantly or as a cast-away remark. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done (or not done, in this case). I can talk as big and bad as I want to, but when confronted with the opportunity to vote for a viable (in many eyes) black candidate – I prayed hard and with conviction…in the polling place!

As painful as it was to my flesh, the indwelling Holy Spirit comforted me as I stood firm in my godly convictions.

The only thing that I vehemently advocate on this blog is self study of the Word of God and the avoidance of false teachers of all persuasions. Vote for who you want to vote for, and don’t blame me for inflaming an already tense election cycle or promoting apathy.

Oh, and I’m thick skinned so continuing to call me a “sell-out nigger”, ”Uncle Tom” or “Black Judas” in my email will only drive me closer to God. Besides, you’ve got to get in line with all of the hate mail and death threats I get from the pimp defenders anyway – and you’ll be at the end of a very long line.

Unlike many, I’m not trying to vote for the next “Jesus” (black or white, Republican or Democrat) – I’ll simply put my trust in the real One instead:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

The “Christian Right”: Holding Their Noses & Supporting John McCain

For the umpteenth time – I do not support John McCain or Barack Obama, primarily because I don’t believe that either of them are true Christians. I’ve written (at length) about both of the candidates, but I’m starting to get a chuckle while watching the “Christian Right” hold their noses and choke back the vomit while endorsing John McCain – particularly since it’s no secret that they openly detested one another until Sarah Palin magically landed on McCain’s ticket.

My brother Independent Conservative’s latest foray into McCainland is a look at the Messiah-complex on the other side of the aisle. Not to be content with letting Obama’s supporters deify him, McCain’s camp is getting in the trinket business:

The God Is My Co-Pilot, But John McCain Is My Wingman Heresy.

by IndependentConservative @ 6:40 pm. Filed under Nuts on Parade

I noticed an online advertisement today, that basically takes a heretical statement and compounds it. I’m sure you who have learned God’s place is above your own, already know God is not anybody’s “co-pilot”. So you already know how horrible it is to claim the creator of all things is somehow sharing or even under your command. Given somebody has to be in the role of “pilot” and the “God is my co-pilot” statement places God as equal or subservient to man. And we all know, when we get on a plane, we don’t consider the co-pilot as leader, but rather the pilot. Anyway, God made all things, including humans who fly planes, see Psalm 139:13. So He’s way above even “pilot”.

But this advertisement I saw today. Here’s the actual product page. Take a look at this:

John McCain: Wingman 3.5″ Button (blue)  TEXT READS: God may be my co-pilot, but John McCain is my wingman.

God, creator of all things, creator of the creator of the button, gets a “may be” placing at “co-pilot”. And then John McCain gets wingman honors. Since when did God become so common to man, that we treat Him that way? And since when did John McCain become so near deity, that he gets to play the role of “wingman” to God’s “co-pilot” status? It’s just heresy compounded with more heresy.

Click on the title to read the excellent article in it’s entirety. Also, take a look at how McCain is now “opening up” about his “faith”:

Talking the Walk

After years of ambiguity, Senator McCain reveals his spiritual side for public viewing. How will evangelicals respond?

Tony Carnes | posted 10/07/2008 12:57PM – Christianity Today Magazine Online

John Mccain has finally begun to talk his walk with Jesus. Until recently, the details about the Republican presidential nominee’s Christian convictions were missing in action. Starting this summer, McCain and some of his closest Vietnam War-era buddies began pulling back the narrative curtain.

…To this day, McCain’s devotional practice remains a bit of a mystery. Perhaps this commitment to spiritual privacy is one reason McCain has not connected well with the high-profile faith of many evangelical leaders.

Few if any of the evangelical leaders consulted for this article consider themselves intimate with the Arizona senator—including some of McCain’s most fervent faith-friendly supporters. McCain’s maverick persona also grates on many mainstream evangelicals. It’s no surprise, then, that many evangelical voters remained wary of McCain’s bid for the presidency until he named as his running mate Sarah Palin, the conservative governor of Alaska.

Of course McCain is starting to “open up” about his faith (which in McCainland that means he’s not frowning or grumbling as much)- he’s loosing in every national poll, and even more points disappear when Sarah Palin opens her mouth without a handler nearby. It’s gotten so bad that they’re even “preaching him up” in pulpits across the country.

Oh, and if you need a reminder as to why the “Christian Right” detests John McCain, remember that:

• McCain pandered in Jerusalem at the wailing wall, and he pandered to Catholics by visiting idols of Mary.
• He dusts off his “faith” when convenient
• He told the “Christian Right” to go “kick rocks”when their boy GWB was mopping up the South with him back in 2000 – and they told McCain to “kick rocks” when they had more choices of candidates earlier this year.

All in all, it’s pretty funny to watch. The Right has effectively portrayed Barack Obama as the Devil in black skin – in direct opposition to Obama supporters who have anointed him as the “new jesus”. Yet in all their moral indignation, they have to bite their tongues and cast their votes for a man that they absolutely abhor.

Ah…American politics…ain’t it grand?

Just a gentle reminder – if you pin your hopes on either one of these bozos to dramatically increase the quality of your life, then you are sadly mistaken.

Our only hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ – and in Him ALONE.

 

I’m Not Voting For McCain Either!

Imagine my surprise to learn that my post about the deification of Barack “new jesus” Obama (and his subsequent pursuit of the “faith community”) has ruffled a few feathers.

I received lots of “feedback” (yeah, let’s just call it that) from people who want to do me bodily harm because I’m calling out Barack Obama on his faux Christian stance and the endless fawning that he’s privyed to on a daily basis. One email was from a friend of this blog, and I’ve been given permission to share it with everyone as the basis for defending my overall opinion regarding this presidential race:

Dear ST:

I follow politics pretty closely, and I have yet to feel/sense any Christian is equating Barack Obama with Jesus or a spiritual saviour.  I do see people enthusiastically endorsing his candidacy for various reasons.  But the deification I really don’t see or hear much of in my circles or in the news media in general.  The merchandise that you are showing is simply directed at and provided for Christians who support him. Period. Are you now questioning the Christianinty of his supporters?

It’s obvious that you are no fan of Sen. Obama’s as your commentaries are very hostile concerning him.  But, in the spirit of the fairness doctrine, don’t you think it’s time that you shared a little of that hostility with his opponent and the christians that are on his bandwagon?  Or do you feel that he is a “true’ Christian?  If not, why only attack Sen. Obama? Is there something else going on here? I have yet to see you dedicate a critical post to Sen.McCain and his running mate.  If you have, please point me in that direction.

And, finally, you might have already seen this site, but it’s www.jamesdobsondoesntspeakforme.comwhich was started by a Rev. Kirbyjohn Caldwell and I believe some other Christian ministers.  I think you might find it a good read.  It provides context for many of Sen. Obama’s remarks as opposed to simple “sound bites.”

You know I love and I’m not trying to pick a fight….

I sincerely respect the person who wrote this email. We’ve disagreed before, but we always end up at the same place – defending the Gospel and loving God.

Now that I’ve dispensed with the mushy stuff, let me “break it down”:

I follow politics pretty closely, and I have yet to feel/sense any Christian is equating Barack Obama with Jesus or a spiritual saviour.  I do see people enthusiastically endorsing his candidacy for various reasons.  But the deification I really don’t see or hear much of in my circles or in the news media in general. 

Gospel singers are making songs about how hope resides in him, Jesse Jackson “sees a new heaven” in him, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. wants to add a new chapter to the bible to acknowledge him, and many supporters call him “the messiah”. All that aside, the mainstream media has fallen in love with him as well. While people may not come out and call Obama the “new jesus”, they certainly infer it (it’s the really stupid and giddy ones who faint at the sight of him and really do think he’s God’s chosen Son).

The merchandise that you are showing is simply directed at and provided for Christians who support him. Period. Are you now questioning the Christianinty of his supporters?

The trinkets that I showed in the previous post is junk that folks are pushing to the faith community (and others) to show that “he’s one of us”.It’s basic marketing. I don’t know if his supporters are “real Christians” – and I frankly don’t care. I think many folks are just swept up in the hype – and racial pride is driving a lot of the overlooking of sound reason when supporting Obama.

It’s obvious that you are no fan of Sen. Obama’s as your commentaries are very hostile concerning him.  But, in the spirit of the fairness doctrine, don’t you think it’s time that you shared a little of that hostility with his opponent and the christians that are on his bandwagon?

I’m no fan of Obama’s, but I don’t think my posts have been hostile. I’m a quick-witted guy, so my commentary can be a bit biting, but not hostile. I’ve been far more hostile in exposing some of the degenerate pulpit pimps out there today. For the record, I’M NOT VOTING FOR MCCAIN/PALIN EITHER.

I choose to focus on Obama because as a black man I am constantly told that I must vote for him as a nod to my ancestors and that “we may never have another black viable candidate again”. McCain is not a Christian either, and my brother Independent Conservative (a political and Christian blog, BTW) has exhaustively covered both of these pretenders (Obama and McCain). I don’t dedicate any space to McCain/Palin because most folks can see that they’re about as doctrinally sound as pregnant nuns – it’s Obama that is a bit more cunning and chameleon-like, thus he warrants attention from a member of the “faith community”.

And, finally, you might have already seen this site, but it’s www.jamesdobsondoesntspeakforme.comwhich was started by a Rev. Kirbyjohn Caldwell and I believe some other Christian ministers.  I think you might find it a good read.  It provides context for many of Sen. Obama’s remarks as opposed to simple “sound bites.”

I don’t give any credence to that phony James Dobson – who held the “evangelic line” against McCain…until Sarah Palin showed up out of nowhere. Now, all of a sudden, McCain (through Palin) has been “born again”

Also, Kirbyjohn Caldwell is a phony (wanna be) pulpit pimp who is so eager to align himself with Obama that he ignores his previous stand against homosexuality (because Obama believes in “equal rights”). Read this article (and the subsequent links) to get the background on Caldwell.

The bottom line is this, Obamamaniacs (and others): Vote for whomever you want to. Vote early and often. Hand out flyers, organize house parties and prayer circles, volunteer to work the polls for them. It’s a free country and you can vote for whomever you want (or not vote at all).

This blog is my forum to express my opinion in relation to the Word of God – and my opinion is that Barack Obama and John McCain are phony faux Christians who will say and do almost anything to get into office.

There…I’ve gotten that off my chest.

“YES I CAN!”

WWPD – What Would the Pope Do?

OK folks, other commitments have kept me from blogging this week.

Although learning about Jeremiah Wright’s adulterous affinity for a white woman was a bit eyebrow-raising (not because of her race, but because of his “pro-black” theology), it’s been rather quiet.

Until I saw this:

Priest Accused Of Dealing Coke From Church

A Catholic priest on the University of Illinois campus has been charged with selling cocaine from his church office and rectory.

The Reverend Christopher Layden pleaded not guilty Thursday to two counts of delivery of less than 1 gram of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church and one count of possession with intent to deliver 1 to 15 grams of cocaine near a church.

The 33-year-old was arrested Wednesday at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center after investigators found 3 grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia while searching his home and office. His bond was set at $50,000.

Take a gander at this “man of God”:

So it’s safe to say that this nutjob was acting apart from the wishes of the apostate “mother church”, but I have to wonder – what would the pope do?

I mean really, the RCC is the oldest (and most visible) church mafia organization on the planet – and Joey “The Rat” Ratzinger (a/k/a his antichristness pope Benedict) has men in robes and red hats dispatched all across the globe to keep these kinds of incidents (including sexual molestation) under wraps.

So, what would Joey “The Rat” do? Probably tell “Rev.” Chris to say 10 “hail Mary’s”, pray to “St. Tony Montana” (the patron saint of cocaine)…

Oh, and to stop pushing weight (that’s inner-city speak for “selling drugs) – unless he’s kicking a few dollars up to “the holy see”.

On Vacation…

OK – some of y’all have been stressing me out lately , so I’ll be taking a few days off, enjoying some beach time with the family. I’ll try to get to a keyboard in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep (otherwise I run the risk of being harmed by my wife and kids), but don’t expect much in the next week.

During my down time, take a moment to read (or re-read) the top 3 most popular posts on this blog (as calculated by the number of times they’ve been searched or read):

1. “Todd Bentley…Demon Possessed?”
2. “Earl Paulk’s Neph-Son Donnie Earl – Making The Family Proud!”
3. “Like Son, Like Father?”

Also, be sure to visit the residents of my blogroll (if you don’t already), and take a look at a few new blogs I’m reading regularly:

• Pimp Escape
• Christ-O-Centric
• Dead Theologians
• Street Corner Prophet
• His Scrivner
• Joyful Freedom
• Non Nobis Domine (Not Unto Us, O Lord)
• Anointed Vessel

Off I go…

An Award In Excellence…For Me?

 

The Lord has blessed me to serve Him.

As I’ve mentioned ad infinitum, I blog to contend for AND defend the faith that I hold dear, and to warn the sheep to avoid all manner of false teachers, apostates, heretics, wolves and vipers stalking pulpits today. My reward is knowing that the Lord is glorified in all that I do – and an occasional email thanking me for giving someone the inspiration to return to God’s Word and flee the control of a pulpit pimp.

Imagine my surprise to learn that Doug (my younger brother in the Lord) over at Contemplations of a Young Calvinist has passed a blog award on to me. Maybe it’s because of my biting wit, or my recent ascension to the office of Apostle (why should Fred K.C. Price have all the fun?), but the Lord saw fit to use Doug to direct a little more light on my small corner of cyberspace. Glory to God – and God alone!

The Award in Excellence was created by Dan King over at Bibledude.net for a specific purpose:

I have to admit that I am a bit of a lurker, and really should comment more. However, there is a great deal of excellence out there amongst Christian bloggers, and I wanted to take a moment to recognize that fact. So I created this “award in excellence”. This award in excellence has two short statements on it. The first one is, “love the creator.” The first thing that I notice about certain bloggers is that they have this great passion for God. They are serious about their faith, and want nothing more than to see God move. The second statement is, “love the creation.” This one appears on the award because these people also display a great love for God’s various creations. For some, it might be the people that He created. For others it might also be the planet (or some other part of His creation). Whatever it is, they realize that God made all of it. They look at God’s creations through His eyes, and see all of the goodness that He put into it.

A requirement of receiving the award is that I have to pass it along to three others – and I do so with distinct honor. I could give this award to any and all of those folks represented on my blogroll (and well beyond), but I want to draw specific attention to three brothers who defend the Gospel with holy boldness and stand flat-footed on the irrefutable Word of God:

• Darnell McGavock over at Independent Conservative: This brother was the first person I reached out to after fleeing the plantation and has been a source of personal strength to me
• Melvin Jones over at Pulpit Pimps: Boldy calling out the various pimps and their “pimpistries” and directing people back to the Word.
•  Pastor DL Foster over at Gay Christian Movement Watch: This brother masterfully deconstructs the gay christian movement and hearkens us all back to holiness through God’s Word.

I’m blessed to be able to blog about God’s truth - and to serve alongside these true men of God (as well as the other men and women who grace my blogroll, and who’s blogs I visit often). May the Lord continue to strengthen EVERYONE who sees fit to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and defend that Gospel until His return!

A Quiet Milestone…

This weekend marked a quiet milestone in the brief history of this blog. 

It’s been almost 90 days since I penned my first article defending the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ, and over 10,500 visitors have stopped by since then.

Soli Deo Gloria – To God be the Glory, and to Him Alone.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this blog only exists as a testament to my love for God and his unadulterated Word.

Having been both a perpetrator AND victim of the “church mafia”, my earnest prayer is that every saint learn to read and understand the Word of God so that no man (or woman) can ever deceive them.

Some visitors agree with my approach to exposing God’s enemies, others think that I’m part of the problem – yet I’m daily reminded of the liberating power of The Gospel of Jesus Christ when I read emails from recent escapees of false teachers, pimps, and twisted doctrine.

I won’t break my arm patting my own self on the back, I’ll simply go back to God’s Word – and continue to use it as a standard to identify His enemies.

A Closer Look At The “Seeker Sensitive” Movement

Here are a few brief videos that take a closer look at the phenomenon known as the “seeker sensitive movement”.

Video #1 – A Spoof:

Video #2 – RC Sproul Explaining the Fallacy of the Seeker Sensitive Movement:

The 1st video is funny – sad, but truly funny.

In the 2nd video, RC Sproul masterfully gets to the core of the seeker movement by asserting it’s fundamental errors: (1) that unbelievers are “seeking” God, and (2) that the purpose of weekly worship is to reach the lost. 

That last statement probably made you stop cold in your tracks.

Let’s face it, the job of every believer is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the Good News that if you acknowledge your sinful state, repent of your sins and accept Christ as your Savior, then you would gain eternal salvation and relationship with the Father.

It’s our daily job, evidenced by our daily lives. But because we don’t live the Gospel message, we assume that if we hit “sinners” over the head with a bat and drag them into church on Sunday, then the Gospel will “get into them” through osmosis and they would be changed!

So, the church and worship service becomes a marketing event that uses worldly tools (car raffles, coffee shops, provocative sermons, etc.) to attract new clients worshippers.

Sproul said it best:

If you want a power in your Church, be an expository preacher; preach the Word because that’s where the Spirit is. Isn’t that God’s strategy? If we believe God’s strategy, we’re going to preach the Word.

Amen, RC…Amen!

Hear The Gospel, Get A Gas Card…And An SUV?

I wrote about an example of the “seeker sensitive” movement a few months ago, and it appears as though it’s rearing it’s head again here in the Metro-Atlanta area. An article in this weekend’s Atlanta Journal-Constituition jumped out at me - “Gas to save your soul? Church has offer for you”.

Let me be clear – I don’t know anything about this church, their doctrine, or their pastor – so I’m not condemning them or their desire to attract more people to hear the Gospel message.

I am concerned, however when churches use “gimmicks” to make the message of the cross more palatable. The Apostles never offered gimmicks to make disciples of men, they simply preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the message itself stirred the faith of those who would believe (Acts 14:21-22).

Romans 9:33 reaffirms that Jesus Christ is a Rock of offense – meaning that many will be offended by His message, and reject it.

Should we assume that He is less offending if you dangle a chance to win a gas card or an 8 year old SUV (which will guzzle MORE gas…) in front of Him?

Sure, some may come for the raffle, but will they come again to learn of or return to the True and Living God?

Will their perception of the message of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ be cheapened by thoughts of disappointment that the gas cards weren’t higher in value? Alright, I don’t want to seem cynical, but could there be a different motivation for “gas & SUV card Sunday”? Well, the article says: 

The church has about 9,000 members on it’s rolls, but only 2,500 regularly attend Sunday morning services, the pastor said. Obviously, that something he hopes to change.

Hmmm.

If You Love Jesus, Then Forward This Message To 7 People!

I’m just going to come out and say it – and I pray that I don’t offend anyone:

I HATE CHRISTIAN CHAIN EMAILS!

There, I’ve said it.

I know, “hate” is such a strong word, but I wanted to emphasize my frustration with the phenomenon. I am not against sending someone an inspirational email, or forwarding one that you receive. Who doesn’t want to hear that Jesus loves them, and that their day is going to get better? I sure do.

I don’t, however, like to be threatened into forwarding an “inspirational message”. I’ve already put my friends and family on notice: if you ever send me more than one of these chain emails, I will permanently block your email address (unless they’re from my mom, then I’ll just delete them – you can’t just “block” your own mother).

Don’t know what I mean? Well, the letter generally says:

Someone who loves you wants you to know that Jesus loves you. Jesus died so that yo would have a great day! Is your boss making you angry? Well, Jesus’ Resurrection should put joy in your heart.

If you love Jesus, then you’ll forward this message to 7 other people. You do know that 7 is the number of perfection, right? Well, if you send it to 7 people, then God will give you a perfection miracle.

Jesus said that if you deny Him before men, then He’ll deny you before His father – don’t delay – forward this to at least 7 people right now!

Pray this prayer and you’ll receive a $100 blessing when the 7th person opens their email:

“Father, in the name of Jesus I release the blessing of the “7″ miracle over my life. I untie the hands of God and declare that I will receive a financial blessing because of my obedience. In Jesus’ name…”

Hurry, time is running out! You’ll spend eternity tormented by demonic imps and hell fire if you don’t send this message right now!!!

God Bless You…

Of course, I just made all of that up – right off the top of my head (not a bad facsimile, huh?). The chain emails I’ve received aren’t that different from my illustration above.

While some people pass them along as a joke, others really do believe that you can exercise your faith and demonstrate your allegiance to Christ by forwarding spam.

This is a by-product of the twisted prosperity gospel that the pimps have been pushing for some time now (you did know that I would blame this on pulpit pimps, didn’t you?). Many Christians have been taught that all you have to do is go through a few motions, and God will respond to our insane requests (“go to the car dealership and lay hands on the car you want” or “go to the neighborhood you want to live in and lay hands on someones house”).

This is also a by-product of our lust of the flesh. The spiritually immature think that we can tell God what to do, and He’s beholden to our demands. If we just “turn to our neighbor and say money cometh!“, then money would…well…cometh.

I don’t speak as merely a casual observer. When I was on the Long and Landers plantation, I believed that spiritual gymnastics and odd ritual would “compel God to move”.

When Jesus walked the earth, He was confronted by non-believers who would listen to His words, but not accept what He said unless there was “proof”:

48“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” (John 4:48)

Sadly, Jesus was speaking to the people who either didn’t believe that He was the Son of God, or those who were new to the faith and didn’t know any better (yet). If we are to be truly mature in Christ, then we’ve got to believe that He is the Son of God, and that through Him we have eternal victory.

Don’t wait for Him to send you a check in the mail as a result of your allegiance to a silly email request.

Just believe…