This Is Interesting . . .

I was reading through the venerable Louis Berkhof's Systematic Theology and found this very fascinating section.  Read it carefully!

Moreover, in connection with the subject of "hell" the Bible certainly uses local terms right along.  It calls the place of torment gehenna, a name derived from the Hebrew ge (land or valley) and hinnon or beney hinnom, that is Hinnom or sons of Hinnom.  This name was originally applied to a valley southwest of Jerusalem.  It was the place where wicked idolaters sacrificed their children to Moloch by causing them to pass through the fire.  Hence it was considered impure and was called in later days the valley of tophet (spittle), as an utterly despised region.  Fires were constantly buring there to consume the offal of Jerusalem.  As a result it became a symbol of the place of eternal torment."

Beney Hinnom?  Benny Hinn?  So what's the connection?  Coincidence?  Any thoughts?

More of "You Can't Make This Stuff Up."

If you can't get enough of lovable ole Joel Osteen from his books or on TV, now there's the "Your Best Life Game."

Click here: Press Releases from Endless Games

The cynic in me wants to ask, "what happens if two players each claim victory and they have equal faith?  Who will win?"

(H. T. J. V. Moore)

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Jesus has appeared again, this time in the drywall of a church in Saraland, Alabama, which had been severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

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"Many have been healed," said Pastor Ella Roberts. "One young man that belonged here was scheduled to go on dialysis. "The next week, he laid his hand there on the wall on the image, went to the doctor and they said they can't see where, why, how."

Church members say miracles occur when you touch the wall. "From touching that, my eyesight began to clear up completely," said Benita Bogan.

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To read the entire account (although I can't imagine why you would want to--if you've seen one Jesus appearance on drywall you've seen them all) click here: 

Click here: WLTX News19 FYI Jesus on the Drywall 

Any thoughts?

Who Said That?

Who Said That?

One of the derivative aspects of an amillennial perspective is that it denies Israel's future role in God's plans.  This also leads to a "replacement theology" in which the Church is viewed as replacing Israel in God's program for mankind.  In addition to forcing an allegorization of many key passages of Scripture, this also led to the tragedy of the Holocaust in Europe.  The responsibility for the six million Jews who were systematically murdered in the concentration camps has to include the silent pulpits who had embraced this heretical eschatology and its attendant anti-Semitism.

Update on Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 09:32AM by Kim Riddlebarger

While this comment could have come from Hal Lindsey, John Hagee, Mal Couch or a host of others, these loving words come from Chuck Missler in a 2002 essay on the millennium, "Thy Kingdom Come."  Missler is of the opinion that the people in heaven with the lowest IQ's will be amillennial.  He's also famous for his lecture series on the "Sovereignty of Man."

Welcome Visitors--Come and Eat and Drink Judgment Upon Yourselves!

According to a recent post on ChristianityToday.com, Jack Hayford actually recommends that we invite non-Christians to the Lord's Table to make them feel welcome and so that we do not exclude them from anything in the worship service. 

This is utterly remarkable in light of Paul's very clear warning not to do this in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32.

"Welcome visitors!  Come to the Lord's Table without discerning Christ's body, and then get sick and possibly die . . ."  

Reformed Christians "fence" the table because of Paul's exhortation.

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A less traditional means we use to encourage commitment is the Lord's Supper. We invite all the people to gather around the Lord's Table and partake in small groups. We believe it is the Lord's Table we are invited to, the Lord is doing the inviting, and no one is excluded. To us that means unbelievers are invited, as well.

We explain clearly, of course, what we are doing, and what an unbeliever is doing by partaking: making a commitment to Christ. We stress the gravity of the event to reflect the serious nature of faith in Christ.

At the same time, we want people to know that they are welcome. For example, I might say, "If you are visiting with us today, you are not only welcome to participate, you are urged to. If you were at my house and it came dinnertime, I wouldn't leave you sitting in the other room while I went to the dining room. And if you said, 'Well, I'm not really hungry,' I'd say, 'Come in and sit with us anyway.' Now, as we come to the Lord's Table, join us. And when the bread is served, take a portion."

To read the rest of the article, Click here: Including Non-Christians in Christian Worship - BuildingChurchLeaders.com

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While Reformed churches could learn a thing or two from others about how to be friendly and how to better welcome visitors to our churches, this is not exactly the way to do this, bringing them under God's judgment.

(h.t.--Click here: Slice of Laodicea)

Who Said This?

Who Said This?

"It is self-evident that, until the sinner breaks off from sins by repentance or turning to God, he cannot be justified in any sense.  This is everywhere assumed, implied and taught in the Bible."

Take a guess, answer to follow in a couple of days . . .

Acts 19:26-28 Revisited

This video from "her church" will make you sick or angry--or both.  Have a barf bag handy!

click here

(H. T. Rod Rosenbladt)

Update on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 at 09:58AM by Kim Riddlebarger

If you think the "Her Church" video clip is bad, you ought to check our their website.  The re-worked Lord's Prayer ("Our Mother, who is within us") is indicative of how thoroughly pagan this group has become.  It is not a church nor a congregation.  Click here: herchurch

Pastors Can't Answer Questions About Basic Doctrines

The Romans Revolution Continues at the White Horse Inn.

We are in the midst of taping our series on Romans called "The Romans Revolution."  Our producer, Shane Rosenthal, went to the National Pastor's Convention in San Diego (Click here: National Pastors Convention 2006), where he conducted a number of interviews with those in attendance.  These include pastors and their wives and key ministry leaders. 

Shane asked a large number of conference attendees some simple questions about basic Christian doctrine.  The answers are not only shocking, they are maddening!  You simply will not believe the interviews when you hear them.

When Shane asked, "are you familiar with the doctrine of imputation?"

33% were "familiar," 67% said they were "unfamiliar."

When Shane asked "is justification by works, faith and works combined, or faith alone?"

0% (thankfully) responded "by works."   25% responded "by faith and by works," while 75% responded "by faith alone."  Sadly, this figure is grossly misleading if people say they believe in justification by faith but don't even know what imputation is!  Many of those who said "by faith alone," qualified their answer with some sort of appeal to sanctification or the transformed life.  It was utterly tragic.

When Shane asked "Is justification a one time declaration or a life long process?"

49% said that justification is a process, 31% said a declaration, while 14% indicated that is was both.  6% were not sure.                    

                                                                                             When Shane asked, "What are we saved from?                             

43% said "ourselves."  24% said from "sin and death" while 17% said (correctly) that we are saved from eternal judgment or the wrath of God.  Another large group were not sure about the question and some admitted to have never even given this subject any thought.

These interviews were absolutely heartbreaking and you won't believe the answers these shepherds gave when interviewed.                             

                                                                                              

For more info about broadcast dates for our upcoming programs on Romans 3-4, Click here: White Horse Inn                                                  

Update on Monday, March 6, 2006 at 09:33AM by Kim Riddlebarger

FYI--

Shane asked a number of questions on various topics and we will play them throughout the year-long series.  Shane's been to NRB, to the 2006 Pastor's conference, megachurches and several Christian colleges.

While some of the answers are appalling, there are a number of people who answer correctly.  We play these too.  The one thing that is missing from most answers is an appeal to Scripture.  People know the clichés, but not the verses!

A Reformed Pastor's Toolkit

Rick Warren has a minister's toolkit (Click here: Pastors.com | Encouraging pastors and church leaders), so here is one of my own.

Tool # 1 -- The Word of God rightly divided and proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit.  This will create faith!

Tool # 2 -- The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  These will confirm and strengthen faith!

Tool # 3-- A biblically based, God-honoring liturgy. This will keep our focus on Christ, not ourselves.

Tool # 4 -- A pulpit.  Symbols are important!  This will demonstrate that we respect the Word of God.

And when I say "pulpit", I mean a big wooden pulpit (below), not some cheesy plexiglas one

Tool # 5 -- A Pastor's Study.  This is a place to prepare to preach and to pray, and a place to shepherd God's flock by applying the preached word to struggling sinners.

Tool # 6 -- Uplifting music from God's own songbook!  Let's sing the songs God gave us!

Tool # 7 -- Prostitutes and Tax Collectors.  You need people to whom to preach, and we all are tax-collectors and prostitutes at heart (or else we are Pharisees cf. Luke 18:9-14).

   

Did I miss anything?  What's in your ministry toolbox?

Now This Is Awful . . .

This has to be the worst church advertisement I have ever heard.  Not only is it blasphemous, this ad shows shows the lengths to the which "the end justifies the means" crowd will go.  The end, of course, is getting people to church so that, supposedly, they'll hear about Jesus.  The means is this clever, but absolutely inappropriate mockery of word and sacrament.  I can't help but think of Paul's words, "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you!" (Romans 2:24)

http://www.bradbrad.com/mt.mp3

H. T. to Drew Collins

Want to Turn Your Church into a Cathedral? What You Need Is a Relic!

If you want to turn your drab little church into a grand cathedral, what you need is a relic!  Saint's Alive might have just what you are looking for.  Click here: Introduction to Relics/ Saints Alive Kudos

Calvin had an interesting thought or two on this topic!  Click here: John Calvin: An Inventory of Relics

Does anyone know of any good Reformed relics?  I have a coffee cup that Mike Horton used.  I have a glass that R. C. Sproul drank from . . .  Any thoughts?