The Cause of the Fort Hood Shooting Spree

“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Matthew 7: 21-23)

Happy Reformation Day

Free MP3 download of Martin Luther’s Here I Stand by Max McClean is available from ListenersBible.com. Offer ends Nov 1.

Quote:

In the late afternoon of April 18, 1521, in the city of Worms, Germany, Martin Luther, a 37 year-old Catholic monk was called to defend himself before Charles the Fifth, the Holy Roman Emperor. The speech he delivered that day, Here I Stand, marked the beginning of the Reformation, a critical turning point in Christian history, that decisively altered the spiritual map of the world.

In this recording, Max McLean introduces the events leading up to the Diet of Worms: Martin Luther’s prayer the night before he delivered his speech; Luther’s stirring defense; the Catholic church’s rebuttal; and, Luther’s final heartfelt response.

We Must All Up and Be Doing

 

 “I dread slack hands in the vineyard — we must all up and be doing.”  — Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon

MP3 Audio about this remarkable Christian woman available for download here. (Source: The Christian Institute, UK)

What Man Means For Evil II

Back in January I posted this article about “China’s 50 Cent Army”. Now, according to some reports, the U.S. Justice Department is up to much the same thing.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is we now have more opportunity than ever before to share the Gospel…

Quote:

…“Let’s say you live in China the U.S. Your every move is monitored. Big Brother is watching and you know it. You work for the Chinese U.S. government and your job is to infiltrate chat rooms, message boards, and comment areas on the Internet in order to spread propaganda.” (Read the Rest)

The Grace of Prayer

“Some are loath to do good because they feel their hearts rebelling, and duties turn out badly. We should not avoid good actions because of the infirmities attending them. Christ looks more at the good in them which he means to cherish than the ill in them which he means to abolish. Though eating increases a disease, a sick man will still eat, so that nature may gain strength against the disease. So, though sin cleaves to what we do, yet let us do it, since we have to deal with so good a Lord, and the more strife we meet with, the more acceptance we shall have. Christ loves to taste of the good fruits that come from us, even though they will always savor of our old nature.”

“A Christian complains he cannot pray. `Oh, I am troubled with so many distracting thoughts, and never more than now!’ But has he put into your heart a desire to pray? Then he will hear the desires of his own Spirit in you. `We know not what we should pray for as we ought’ (nor how to do anything else as we ought), but the Spirit helps our infirmities with `groanings which cannot be uttered’ (Rom. 8:26), which are not hid from God. `My groaning is not hid from thee’ (Psa. 38:9). God can pick sense out of a confused prayer. These desires cry louder in his ears than your sins. Sometimes a Christian has such confused thoughts that he can say nothing but, as a child, cries, `O Father’, not able to express what he needs, like Moses at the Red Sea. These stirrings of spirit touch the heart of God and melt him into compassion towards us, when they come from the Spirit of adoption, and from a striving to be better.”

“`Oh, but is it possible’, thinks the misgiving heart, `that so holy a God should accept such a prayer?’ Yes, he will accept that which is his own, and pardon that which is ours. Jonah prayed in the fish’s belly (Jon. 2:1), being burdened with the guilt of sin, yet God heard him. Let not, therefore, infirmities discourage us. James takes away this objection (James 5:17). Some might object, `If I were as holy as Elijah, then my prayers might be regarded.’ `But,’ says he, ‘Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are.’ He had his passions as well as we, or do we think that God heard him because he was without fault? Surely not. But look at the promises: `Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee’ (Psa. 50:15). `Ask, and it shall be given you’ (Matt. 7:7) and others like these. God accepts our prayers, though weak, because we are his own children, and they come from his own Spirit; because they are according to his own will; and because they are offered in Christ’s mediation, and he takes them, and mingles them with his own incense (Rev. 8:3).”

“There is never a holy sigh, never a tear we shed, which is lost. And as every grace increases by exercise of itself, so does the grace of prayer. By prayer we learn to pray. So, likewise, we should take heed of a spirit of discouragement in all other holy duties, since we have so gracious a Saviour. Pray as we are able, hear as we are able, strive as we are able, do as we are able, according to the measure of grace received. God in Christ will cast a gracious eye upon that which is his own.”

Extract from The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes.

Baptism Part 1 – Paedobaptism and Credobaptism

Two excellent resources containing dialogue between proponents of infant and believer’s baptism:

1. R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur:

A. The Case for Infant Baptism: The Historic Paedo-Baptist Position by R.C. Sproul. (MP3 download)

B. The Case for Believer’s Baptism: The Credo Baptist Position by John MacArthur. (MP3 download)

2. Pastor William Shishko and Dr. James White (debate):

MP3 Download: Part 1, Part 2

Was Jesus a Myth? Debate MP3

Apologetics 315 has the full MP3 Audio available for download of the September 26, 2009 debate between Dr. James White and Dan Barker on the topic Was Jesus a Myth? The audio’s sound quality could be better but it is definitely much better than were the soundness and quality of the arguments offered by Dan Barker.

During the debate, Mr. Barker misused quotes from Justin Martyr’s First Apology even though he admitted to having never read the work. Dr. White addressed this during the debate and recently added this video on You Tube providing more complete details about the misuse, abuse, and distortions of Justin Martyr’s writings.

Related: Repudiate the Book Dan Barker.

No Other Comment Needed

Go Read

Phil Johnson on Heresies

Heard any new heresies lately? I doubt it.

Quote:

“It’s important for Christians to have a grasp of heresies that the church has battled over the centuries, because they often return with new clothing, and the unprepared Christian is likely to fall into these old pits. Phil does an excellent job of looking at some of the major heresies that are revisiting the church today: Socinianism, Arianism, Pelagianism, Gnosticism, and Judaizing. This is an excellent 6 part series that will shore up some weak points in the church today.”

The series is available at the GraceLife Pulpit web site or you can download each MP3 individually below.

1. The Judaizers
2. The Gnostics
3. The Arians, #1
4. The Arians, #2
5. The Pelagians
6. The Socinians

Albert Mohler on the Apostle’s Creed

Dr. Albert Mohler’s 13 part sermon series on the Apostle’s Creed has been around for a couple of years. Nothing new here… but don’t move along too fast. Just as with the creed itself, this series is definitely worthy of thoughtful contemplation, of spending time with, and of being listened to again and again.

The series is available with other Chapel messages delivered by Dr. Mohler here or you can download each MP3 individually below.

 

1. The Apostles Creed: Credo: I Believe
2. The Apostles Creed: God the Father Almighty
3. The Apostles Creed: Maker of Heaven and Earth
4. The Apostles Creed: Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord
5. The Apostles Creed: Conceived of the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary
6. The Apostles Creed: Suffered Under Pontius Pilot
7. The Apostles Creed: Was Crucified, Died, and Was Buried
8. The Apostles Creed: He Ascended into Heaven and Sitteth on the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty
9. The Apostles Creed: Whence He Shall Come to Judge the Living and the Dead
10. The Apostles Creed: The Holy Spirit
11. The Apostles Creed: The Holy Catholic Church and the Communion of the Saints
12. The Apostles Creed: The Forgiveness of Sins
13. The Apostles Creed: The Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting