"We see, in many a land, the proudest dynasties and tyrannies still crushing, with their mountain weight, every free motion of the Consciences and hearts of men. We see, on the other hand, the truest heroism for the right and the greatest devotion to the Truth in hearts that God has touched. We have a work to do, as great as our forefathers and, perhaps, far greater. The enemies of Truth are more numerous and subtle than ever and the needs of the Church are greater than at any preceding time. If we are not debtors to the present, then men were never debtors to their age and their time. Brethren, we are debtors to the hour in which we live. Oh, that we might stamp it with Truth and that God might help us to impress upon its wings some proof that it has not flown by neglected and unheeded." -- C.H. Spurgeon . . . "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31, 32 . . . . .

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Monday, July 30, 2018

Challenges In Faith

Bobservations Column:
by Pastor Bob Lawrenz


New winds of doctrine constantly buffet the church. Doctrines come, and doctrines go, and sadly, in the process, many undiscerning believers can be turned away from the church. The proof of them all is the Scriptures themselves. True Christian Doctrine for Christ’s Church will withstand the test of time, and the test of Scriptures.

False doctrines that tickle the believers’ ears can be exposed readily, because they that choose to follow these must somehow alter God’s Word to support the doctrine, and give credence to other beliefs of the sect, or cult. Subtlety is the name of their game. Leave enough authentic passages that one might not notice additions, or subtractions. Yet this is why God tells us that He does not change (Malachi 3:6 / Psalm 89:34). He will be faithful to His unchanging Word, and He has even warned us of the consequences of the changing of His word by human hands (Revelation 22 : 18, 19).

This is what Peter faced in today’s passage in Acts 10, a new doctrine, addressing the Gentiles, not just the Jews. For a Jew to have his heart opened to the idea that God’s grace could also be upon the Gentiles, seemed preposterous, and Peter learned a hard lesson at the hand of God: salvation was for all, not just God’s Chosen People. And as proof, here we are on the receiving end of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Fringe Churches and Cults have often used the tactic of altering God’s Word so that their doctrines are supported. From “...the word was god,” in John 1, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have presented us with, “the word was a God...” The founder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church needed to support a spiritual fulfillment of prophecy, so more than 60 words were added to the Book of Daniel to support the doctrine of Soul Sleep. The Golden Plates from the Mormon Angel Moroni promptly disappeared after being received by Joseph Smith. There was no way to check the accuracy of his later teachings.

As Peter is confronted with Gentile salvation, God provides a miraculous display that tells him that God is the Provider of all, for all.


“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” ~ Gal. 1:6-9

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Wednesday, July 18, 2018

The NEW AGE/NEW SPIRITUALITY PRIMER The LEAST YOU NEED TO KNOW


~ By Greg Reid

In the 1980’s there were several groundbreaking books that clearly defined the New Age movement and its dangers and why we needed to recognize it and fight it, including Constance Cumbey’s Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow, Johanna Michaelsen’s Beautiful Side of Evil and then Like Lambs to the Slaughter, and The Seduction of Christianity by Dave Hunt.

The seminal works of these writers and others cracked the code of this very real, very determined spiritual worldwide agenda to move the world toward a one-world, one-religion order which would eventually introduce “The Christ” (Antichrist), returned to bring world peace. There was a definite, if evolving vocabulary which was key to recognizing its intrusions: Global peace, Earth Day, the Christ Spirit, etc. We vigilant warriors from within were ready to fight this dangerous movement that was OUTSIDE the church.

Well, it got inside. And wiped clean in three decades were all the warnings, the teachings, the basic understanding that made it recognizable.

But as the intrusions of New Age/New Spirituality get bolder and face less resistance from Christian pastors and leaders, the need has become greater for at least SOME working knowledge of the New Age and its agenda.
Because like it or not, their writings have made that clear that the church will either comply or will eventually be eliminated. It is a spiritual agenda pushed by Satan since the moment Adam sinned, to set himself up as God and ruler over mankind.
This is being forwarded by those who are often sincere and sincerely convinced that world unity is a necessity and that opposers must change or be removed, eventually fulfilling once again that they will kill you thinking they are doing God a service (JOHN 16:2).


I offer this very basic primer in hopes of helping to arm and prepare believers once again – to spiritually fight this ugly intrusion into the church and begin to push the battle line forward in this fight for the heart of truth in the church. Read it, pass it on, copy and share it if you can.

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Monday, July 2, 2018

WARRIOR's CREED

The following article was written by Greg Reid, of Youthfire! ministries and appears here by permission, unedited and unabridged from its original published date of February 13, 2014.

1. JESUS IS NOT “PART” OF MY LIFE!
Jesus IS my life. I will not give Him 10% of my money, time or obedience. By His grace, I will lay my life down at His feet and give Him 100%. I am not my own.

2. I WILL WATCH MY WORDS.
Proverbs says that life and death is in the power of the tongue. More people have been destroyed by lying, criticism, judgmentalism and gossip than by any war. Before I speak, I will weigh my words, and the consequences. I will pray, “Set a watch at my lips, O Lord.”

3. I WILL VALUE SILENCE.
The more a person talks, the more it shows how empty their heart is and how shallow their relationship with God. I learn far more from listening than from talking. I will listen to others – there are far too few listeners. And with my Father, I will listen as much as I pray. He wants to talk. I cannot expect guidance or comfort, challenge or growth if I simply hand God my wish list and walk away. The world is too full of noise. I will remember that when God spoke to Elijah, first there was a whirlwind, then a fire, then an earthquake, but “The Lord was not in them.” Then came a still, small voice. I cannot be greatly used unless I take time to listen.

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Sunday, July 1, 2018

The GOSPEL of MATTHEW: Ch. 28:1-20 –The MESSIAH and HIS KINGDOM MESSAGE

There are many people who insist that there is no difference among all the religions of the world; that they are all basically the same (and there is some merit to this, see the “TWO RELIGIONS” video at the conclusion of this final study of MATTHEW). Aside from addressing the obvious differences of monotheism, polytheism and pantheism, there are diametrically opposed differences between Islam and Hinduism, and the even more drastic differences between those two, Talmudic Judaism and
biblical Christianity.

The one factor that separates Christianity from ALL world religions is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Suppose for a moment that Jesus was just a man and made the claim (as He did) that He would rise from the dead on the third day; a bold claim to be sure – but once He was laid in the tomb, and three days later if He didn’t rise from the dead, and then three days turned to a week, then two weeks – and He still didn’t rise again, that claim would be proven false. Everything that He said, everything He did, would then become invalid. Without the hope of the resurrection, what hope would we then have?

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