GalatiansC4V16

This came to me from “The Way Of The Master.” Want to know why we can consider ourselves a “good person” while we suffer from the guilt of knowing the truth? This video explains it, as well as the solution.

From SermonAudio:

Ecumenical meeting marks first time Mormons join in papal gathering

NEW YORK (CNS) — For the first time, representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in a papal prayer service — and it all started over coffee.

In an interview with Catholic News Service and other reporters before the start of the ecumenical prayer service at St. Joseph’s Church in New York April 18, Father James Massa, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interrreligious Affairs, said that during a coffee break at a recent meeting a representative of the Latter-day Saints asked him if there was any possibility of their participation in the papal visit.

“My reaction was, ‘Why not?’ We have shared values and there is a possibility of collaboration on a number of social issues while respecting our theological differences,” he said. …

Sure! Why not? The Mormon church was only founded on the fact that founder Joseph Smith said that all other churches were wrong, an abomination, and corrupt. Why not?

I heard a pastor say that once and it really stuck. No matter what, if issues aren’t addressed or error is confirmed, “what happens, teaches.” Especially when it comes to kids. This ran in our local newspaper as an editorial and I thought it was a great example of this:

Yesterday I learned a lesson in life. As my mom shopped in Food Lion, I waited in the car. While waiting, I saw a woman who claimed to be homeless asking people for money to buy food.

Finally one man gave her a $20 bill. She thanked him and walked away.

Then she waited around the side of the building for the man to leave, walked into Food Lion and purchased a carton of cigarettes.

When she came out, she want over to a friend. They gave each other a high-five, got in a car, and drove away.

I also saw a man my mom has known since childhood. He was born with cerebral palsy. He does not have to work as he could live off of disability, but he works a steady job and drives a nice green pick-up. He came out with a bag of groceries, got in his truck and drove away.

This woman is an example of just how low some people can sink, and this man is an example of integrity and character.

AUSTIN
Age 14

Yesterday was Jerry’s birthday, and also “earth day” for those who worship the earth… oh the irony. In celebration, here is a timely excerpt from FRC.com:

Down to Earth Day
An estimated billion people are celebrating Earth Day around the world, but few seem to understand its true motivation. Today isn’t just another reminder to use recycled paper or drive energy-efficient cars. It’s a calculated attack on the sanctity of human life. Population control is inextricably linked to the environmental and abortion movements. For years, the Sierra Club and other green militants have said that the best way to consume fewer resources is to have fewer children. Their own website says, “Talk to your decision-makers and demand an increase of funding for voluntary family planning programs and access to comprehensive sex education for young people.” Last year, Optimum Population Trust released a paper that was even less subtle. It claimed that children are “bad for the planet” and called on nations to reduce the global population by five billion–which would only be possible by forced abortion and sterilization. And how could we forget Barry Walters? The Australian professor published an article last year advocating a “baby tax” for every couple with more than two children. The crisis du jour is global warming, but even that is just another excuse to fund “Planet” Parenthood and similar groups. Stewardship of God’s creation is the responsibility of every Christian. But we must realize that there’s a greater threat to the environment than climate change or scarce resources–and that’s the threat of environmental extremism that elevates the planet above people.

Additional Resources
Children ‘bad for planet’

Blockbuster speech on “The Gay Gene Hoax” silences pro-gay crowd at Framingham State College

“Very powerful and informative - it blew them away, said one observer.”

Brian over at “Time 2 Change” did an interesting compilation of UMC seminary mission-statements. Very interesting and confirming what we have feared is going on there.

Thanks Brian!

P.S. Here are some UMC reformation resources for those interested in change from within the UMC:

I went to T4G back in 2006 and it was by far the best conference I’ve ever attended. I couldn’t make it this year, but fortunately Steve Camp has provided the audio links for those of us who would still like to participate

Thanks Steve!

Also, Tim Challies has video exerpts as well as live commentary from his blog!

All the messages can be downloaded to iPod here!

Here is an interesting statistical article. I remember listening to Walter Martin’s audio tapes from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and noticing the increase in cultists numbers and his predictions of future growth. Seems he was right on target with his predictions and warnings for the church.

“Are you willing to do for the truth, what the cults do for a lie?”

The two fastest-growing church bodies in the United States and Canada, according to a newly published report, are ones whose beliefs are known to conflict with traditional Christian teaching.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regarded by many Christians as cults, reported the largest membership increases in a year, according to the National Council of Churches’ 2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches.

Although Jehovah’s Witnesses currently rank 25th in size with over 1.06 million members, they reported a 2.25 per cent increase in membership since the publication of the 2007 Yearbook. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – also known as the Mormon church – grew 1.56 per cent and is listed by the NCC as the fourth largest ‘church’.

Notably, however, both Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormon church are not accepted within many Christian circles as part of the larger Body of Christ over a number of controversial beliefs that the two religions hold.

The identification of Jehovah’s Witnesses as Christian is debated largely due to their rejection of the Trinity, which most Christians regard as a fundamental doctrine. Latter-day Saints, meanwhile, are often criticised for their belief in “divine” books of scripture, aside from the Bible, including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

Mormonism was formally listed under “cults and sects” by the Southern Baptist Convention – the largest Protestant denomination in the nation – but was more recently categorised among “newly developed religions” on the North American Mission Board apologetics page.

Other bodies in the newly published top 25 largest churches list that reported membership increases include the Catholic Church with a 0.87 per cent increase; the Southern Baptist Convention with a 0.22 per cent increase; the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church with a 0.21 per cent rise; and the Assemblies of God with a 0.19 per cent growth.

The greatest losses in membership were reported by the Episcopal Church, which dropped 4.15 per cent in members, and the Presbyterian Church (USA), which decreased by 2.36 per cent. Both denominations are currently wracked by theological differences and the issue of homosexuality.

American Baptist Churches in the USA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America also experienced large losses in membership, dropping 1.82 per cent and 1.58 per cent, respectively.

“Some will wish to argue that the slowing growth rate is evidence of an increasing secularisation of American postmodern society,” said the Rev Dr Eileen W Lindner, editor of the Yearbook. “While such an explanation will satisfy some, caution in drawing such a conclusion is warranted.”

Lindner also observed that churches are feeling the impact of the lifestyles of Millenials – people in their 20s and 30s – who attend church but resist becoming members.

The United Methodist Church saw a 0.99 per cent decrease but the mainline group remains the third largest church body with nearly 8 million members.

Only three of the top 10 largest churches are mainline Protestant churches; three of the top 25 are Pentecostal churches; and six of the top 15 are historic African American churches.

Largest 25 Churches (ranked by membership)

1. The Catholic Church – 67,515,016
2. Southern Baptist Convention – 16,306,246
3. The United Methodist Church – 7,995,456
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 5,779,316
5. The Church of God in Christ – 5,499,875
6. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. – 5,000,000
7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – 4,774,203
8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. – 3,500,000
9. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – 3,025,740
10. Assemblies of God – 2,836,174
11. African Methodist Episcopal Church – 2,500,000
12. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America – 2,500,000
13. Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. – 2,500,000
14. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) – 2,417,997
15. Episcopal Church – 2,154,572
16. Churches of Christ – 1,639,495
17. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – 1,500,000
18. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. – 1,500,000
19. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church – 1,443,405
20. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. – 1,371,278
21. United Church of Christ – 1,218,541
22. Baptist Bible Fellowship International – 1,200,000
23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ – 1,071,616
24. The Orthodox Church in America – 1,064,000
25. Jehovah’s Witnesses – 1,069,530

I’ve been following a thread on a Yahoo! group that is discussing the same old arguments about Wal-Mart - good, bad, or ugly. This isn’t the normal theme of this group but somehow they got on this topic. Anyway, a guy named JD sent this email, and I thought his words were accurate, and the article to which he is referring to was simply amazing.

As he puts it, these actions (which I might add are probably rooted in personal Christian world-views) simply speak for themselves.

Here are JD’s words, but please read the article he refers to as I bet you’ve not heard it on your national news channel:

This Walmart thread survived far longer than I expected it too, with opinions as usual,running in the majority against the Media backed ‘Evil Walmart’ storyline.

I tuned into Mark Levin’s show yesterday just in time to hear the end of a tale about the store that I hadn’t heard before so today I went looking and found this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993572/posts

Not at all what we have heard from national sources. Not sure I agree with the writers conclusions, but the actions stand for themselves. As in any large organization, the anecdotal stories good and bad reflect the actions of individuals extrapolated to reflect the leadership of the whole. In this case there is an example highlighting the leadership of the whole directly.

It would be interesting to follow up on the corporate careers of those mentioned in the story, to see how Walmart reacted to these deeds.

-JD-

An excellent teaching from The Way Of The Master:

A number of people called our attention to this clip from the popular TV series ER. It really is amazing for secular television:

The Way Of The Master did a great job with this teaching on evangelism. I couldn’t help but think of this quote from Albert Mohler when I watched this clip:

“If there is no God who makes no demand on us, if there is no God who will be our Judge, if there is no God who is our Redeemer, then who needs a Chaplain?”

Remember these names when election time rolls around:

From FRC.com:

Life on the Hill

In the last few weeks, we’ve all seen how Planned Parenthood manages its money. From allegations that it committed $180 million in fraud to hiring employees that accept racially-motivated donations, the “family planning” movement has proven just how untrustworthy it is. That message has yet to sink in with one of the Senate’s most outspoken proponents, Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). She plans to introduce an amendment that would entrust even more money to the “family planning” crowd as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). During the mark-up of S. 2731, she threatened to offer language that would make abortion providers and promoters eligible for big pieces of PEPFAR’s $50 billion pie. In all likelihood, Boxer will propose the idea on the Senate floor. By integrating HIV/AIDS services with “family planning programs,” organizations like Planned Parenthood would have an even larger federal funding stream from which to draw. The massive government entitlement would redefine the ABC approach for checking AIDS in Africa by replacing “abstinence” with “abortion”–at taxpayer expense! In other Hill news, FRC hosted a bipartisan briefing in the Capitol this afternoon on “Real Stem Cell Treatments and Advancing Science” with House sponsors Reps. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) and Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.). Renowned scientist Dr. Richard Burt and adult stem cell recipients Barry Goudy (treated for Multiple Sclerosis), Amy Daniels (treated for Systemic Sclerosis), and Jill Rosen (treated for Lupus) spoke about their firsthand success. Both Forbes and Lipinski have been instrumental in pushing the Patients First Act (H.R. 2807), which would prioritize funding stem cell research. Last but not least, we were pleased to learn that Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) is refusing to give up on his pro-life amendment to the SCHIP (State Child Health Insurance Program). After a one-vote defeat in 2007, Allard is trying again to codify the regulations that give states the option of covering unborn children through SCHIP. A vote on the Allard amendment could happen as early as today.

This video says it all, no comment necessary!

HT: Thanks cmoore!

From SermonAudio:

Prosperity’ Preacher Moves to Sell Jet

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (AP) — Dwindling donations to the Living Word Christian Center in this Twin Cities suburb have prompted its high-profile pastor, Mac Hammond, to put his private business jet on the market.

Church spokesman the Rev. Brian Sullivan says Living Word has also cut its hourlong Sunday morning television broadcast to 30 minutes to save money.

Sullivan said the church’s problems could be a combination of the recession and the recent bad publicity about churches preaching prosperity gospel, which holds that God wants his followers to flourish financially. …

CLICK HERE to Read Entire Article

I wonder why he just don’t preach to himself? Do you think he has any credibility preaching the “wealth gospel” while loosing his wealth? Maybe his parishionors actually read the Bible and understood what it actually said?

This recent news article regarding the new LDS President caught my attention. Specifically, I found these two phrases to be interesting within the same article:

“There will be no abrupt changes in the courses we’ve been pursuing,” Monson said at an introductory news conference Monday. “Although procedures and programs may be adjusted from time to time, the doctrine is constant.”

and

The president of the Mormon church is revered as a “prophet, seer and revelator.” Because the church believes in continuing revelation, past church presidents have changed church teachings, outlawing polygamy in 1890 and lifting a ban in 1978 on black men holding the Mormon priesthood.

I guess the only thing that is constant, is change itself.

Legal abortion has been the law of the land in the United States for 35 years, thanks to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. How well do Americans know Roe?

Family Research Council would like your help in answering that question, and you can begin by taking the short, three-question quiz below. After you’ve done so, read on for ways to help Americans learn the full truth about the tragic history of this issue.

Question 1: Since 1973, how many induced abortions have been carried out in the United States?

◦ 20,000,000 to 25,000,000
◦ 30,000,000 to 35,000,000
◦ 45,000,000 to 50,000,000

Question 2: The percentage of Americans who say that abortion should be legal at any time for any reason (current law) is:

◦ 31%
◦ 22%
◦ 16%

Question 3: The percentage of U.S. abortions done for reasons other than “health” or “rape and incest” is:

◦ 54.2%
◦ 73.6%
◦ 93.5%

How did you do in answering these questions about abortion in the United States? How many of your friends, family members, coworkers and fellow students could answer them all correctly? As the debate over the sanctity of human life continues, we should all be working with the same facts.

The best online resource for the myths about abortion today is a 20-question test developed by our friends at Focus on the Family and Concerned Women for America. You can see and take the test at RoeIQTest.com.

FRC has also prepared a new 30-page booklet called “The Top Ten Myths about Abortion.” Concise and documented, this booklet sets the record straight about abortion law, health statistics, and the impact of abortion on the well-being of those involved. FRC is offering a free copy of “The Top Ten Myths about Abortion,” a handsome, full-color and footnoted publication, to help dispel the myths and spread the truth. Click here to download a copy in .pdf format or to order a free copy of the print edition you can share with others.