http://www.blogigo.com/discernment Created to provide access to Christian resources to help discern between the "bad, the good, and the best". Much care should be taken to glean the wheat from the chaff. "Bring forth the precious from the vile". "Rightly dividing the word of truth" "Prove (test) all things; hold fast that which is good" en dondegr0 dondegr0 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:14:00 +0100 daily 1 http://www.9marks.org/CC/ejournal/2010v7-1/article_johnson.htm The Neo-Liberal Stealth Offensive By Phil Johnson The gospel's most dangerous earthly adversaries are not raving atheists who stand outside the door shouting threats and insults. They are church leaders who cultivate a gentle, friendly, pious demeanor but hack away at the foundations of faith under the guise of keeping in step with a changing world. No Christian should imagine that heresy is always conspicuous or that every purveyor of theological mischief will lay out his agenda in plain and honest terms. The enemy prefers to sow tares secretly, for obvious reasons. Thus Scripture expressly warns us to be on guard against false teachers who creep into the church unnoticed (Jude 4), wolves who sneak into the flock wearing sheep's clothing (Matt 7:15), and servants of Satan who... Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:14:00 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Stealth-Offensive/47/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Stealth-Offensive/47/ Source: Early in the Morning 2 Scripture Reference: Exodus 24:1-18   Reasonable Service And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Consecration to the Lord requires separation from evil, devotion to God, and the endless pursuit of holiness. Although the Lord would have all His children be fully consecrated to His service, He requires of us "reasonable" service (Romans 12:1). Consecration made under the influence of emotion or the excitement of the moment is not to be trusted. The believer must carefully, prayerfully and reasonably count the cost of discipleship before committing his life in service to the Lord. After the great law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai, God sought ratification of the covenant He had made with the Israelites. Once again Moses ascended the holy mountain, this time with Aaron,... Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:55:48 +0100 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Consecration/46/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Consecration/46/ http://stevenjcamp.blogspot.com/2007/01/removing-offense-of-crossthe.html SOME PURPOSE TO REMOVE THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS  ...the ineffectualness of candy coated, romantic gospel appeals " If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord's will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel , insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness." -C.H. SPURGEON Those kinds of words fall on deaf ears today. They are not cool, contemporary, relatable, winsome, attractive. They sound too harsh, too... Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:58:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/The-Offense-of-the-Cross/45/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/The-Offense-of-the-Cross/45/ http://mikeratliff.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/the-abomination-of-easy-believism-part-3-the-way-of-salvation/ The Abomination of Easy-Believism - Part 3 - The Way of Salvation Posted on August 20, 2008 by Mike Ratliff by Mike Ratliff “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV) In John Bunyan’s masterpiece The Pilgrim’s Progress , the main character, Christian, reads a book, which is the Bible, resulting in a huge burden appearing on his back. Day after day as he reads God’s Word the burden becomes more an more overbearing. We learn that he is in rags. He learns of God’s coming judgement upon his city, The City of Destruction. He despairs and calls out to God for help. Then he is approached by a man whose name is Evangelist. After a... Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:32:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Easy-Believism-examined/44/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Easy-Believism-examined/44/ http://www.alittleleaven.com/2008/08/the-fruit-of-pu.html The Fruit of Purpose-Driven / Seeker-Sensitive Methods Granger Community Church is considered to be one the brightest stars in the Purpose-Driven Church universe and is the 6th most influential church in America. Thousands of churches have purchased, downloaded and preached Granger's sermons. Past and present pastors from Granger are considered 'rock stars' and thought leaders in purpose-driven / seeker-sensitive circles. But how effective are these Purpose-Driven / Seeker-Sensitive methods at making true converts and true Christian disciples? Well, Granger just released the results of their Reveal Now survey and the data is bleak. In fact, Granger and their 'pastoral' staff get an F. Here are some of the low lights. 47% of those attending Granger DO NOT believe in salvation by grace. (This means they are NOT Christians, regardless of whether or not they identify... Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:11:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Fruit-from-Seeker-Sensitive-Methods/43/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Fruit-from-Seeker-Sensitive-Methods/43/   by Kevin Williams Some time ago I witnessed to a group of teens on the streets of England, and they had no idea of what sin is, what repentance is, who Jesus is, or what the Gospel is. Yet when I explained, they replied “Oh don’t worry we met some American missionaries yesterday who we repeated a prayer with and so we know we’re going to Heaven.” Is it any wonder, as Paul Washer says, there are Christians in the Third World who pray that God will stop the American missionaries from coming over. “It was seven years before Carey baptised his first convert in India; it was seven years before Judson won his first disciple in Burma; Morrison toiled seven years before the Chinaman was brought to Christ; Moffat declares that he waited seven years to see the first evident moving of the Holy Spirit upon his Bechuanas of Africa; Henry Richards wrought seven years on the Congo before the first convert was gained at Banza Manteka” -A J Gordon, The... Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:31:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Which-Gospel-do-you-believe/42/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Which-Gospel-do-you-believe/42/ Morning: Being With God Evening: All Shall Come Morning: Being With God "Nevertheless I am continually with Thee." --Psalm 73:23 "Nevertheless,"--As if, notwithstanding all the foolishness and ignorance which David had just been confessing to God, not one atom the less was it true and certain that David was saved and accepted, and that the blessing of being constantly in God's presence was undoubtedly his. Fully conscious of his own lost estate, and of the deceitfulness and vileness of his nature, yet, by a glorious outburst of faith, he sings "nevertheless I am continually with Thee." Believer, you are forced to enter into Asaph's confession and acknowledgment, endeavour in like spirit to say "nevertheless, since I belong to Christ I am continually with God!" By this is meant continually upon His mind, He is always thinking of me for my good. Continually before His eye;--the eye of the... Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:35:03 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/With-God/41/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/With-God/41/ Morning: Our Daily Bread Evening: Comfort in God Morning: Our Daily Bread "They gathered manna every morning." --Exodus 16:21 Labour to maintain a sense of thine entire dependence upon the Lord's good will and pleasure for the continuance of thy richest enjoyments. Never try to live on the old manna, nor seek to find help in Egypt. All must come from Jesus, or thou art undone for ever. Old anointings will not suffice to impart unction to thy spirit; thine head must have fresh oil poured upon it from the golden horn of the sanctuary, or it will cease from its glory. To-day thou mayest be upon the summit of the mount of God, but He who has put thee there must keep thee there, or thou wilt sink far more speedily than thou dreamest. Thy mountain only stands firm when He settles it in its place; if He hide His face, thou wilt soon be troubled. If the Saviour should see fit, there is not a window through which thou seest the... Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:34:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Daily-Bread/40/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Daily-Bread/40/ Extra quotes from A.W. Tozer An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand. Aiden Wilson Tozer An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others. Aiden Wilson Tozer If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch? Aiden Wilson Tozer In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety. Aiden Wilson Tozer "Let God be true but every man a liar" is the language of true faith. Aiden Wilson Tozer Man appears for a little while to laugh and weep, to work and play, and then to go to make room for those who shall... Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:28:36 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Tozer-quotes-to-ponder/39/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Tozer-quotes-to-ponder/39/ Source: Early in the Morning 2 Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 29   God's Providence Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart. When we live lives that are pleasing before the Lord, godly lives, righteous lives, we may always be assured that no matter where our steps take us, we have been led there by the Lord God Himself. Indeed, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD" (Psalm 37:23). By this time in his life the madness of King Saul had become so notable that he had nearly destroyed himself and his nation as well. His hatred for David and his jealousy of this young Bethlehemite caused David to be resigned to a life of wandering. Once David learned that the Philistines were besieging the city of Keilah, he immediately hurried to rescue the city. Successful in his rescue, he drove off the enemy and... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:52:11 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Providence-of-God/38/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Providence-of-God/38/ Author: Mrs. Charles E. Cowman Source: Streams in the Desert Scripture Reference: Exodus 14:15   March Forward "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward" (Exod. 14:15). Imagine, O child of God, if you can, that triumphal march! The excited children restrained from ejaculations of wonder by the perpetual hush of their parents; the most uncontrollable excitement of the women as they found themselves suddenly saved from a fate worse than death; while the men followed or accompanied them ashamed or confounded that they had ever mistrusted God or murmured against Moses; and as you see those mighty walls of water piled by the outstretched hand of the Eternal, in response to the faith of a single man, learn what God will do for His own. Dread not any result of implicit obedience to His command; fear not the angry waters which, in their proud insolence, forbid your progress. Above the voices of many waters,... Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:36:27 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/March-Forward/37/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/March-Forward/37/ Author: Woodrow Kroll Source: Early in the Morning 2 Scripture Reference: Job 1:1-22   Standing Tall And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. The ability to meet affliction with an uncompromising endurance and an unflinching respect for God is one of the marks of true Christian character. Certainly Job is the classic example of a man who met affliction in such a way. The author begins the book of Job by describing a beautiful pastoral scene in which Job, a respected and honored oriental sheik, or prince, was residing in the land of Uz. Job was a man of extreme wealth, possessing a flock of 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, large tracts of land and an affectionate family of... Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:09:34 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Standing-Tall/36/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Standing-Tall/36/ How I Went From Being An Atheist-Evolutionist To Religious Hypocrite To True Christian Convert. by Kevin Williams How I Went From Being An Atheist-Evolutionist To Religious Hypocrite To True Christian Convert. I used to be an atheist-evolutionist and then I read www.discovery.org/articleFiles/PDFs/ survival OfThe Fakest .pdf which showed everything I'd been taught as 'proof' for evolution to be fake or misleading. I of course looked for atheist rebuttals, but all they could do was very poorly attempt to explain away and name call. The more I looked, the more ridiculous evolution became. One Small Speck to Man www.OneSmallSpeck.com dismantles every single evolutionary argument. I first looked at the Bible as a history book. I was impressed with statements like this from Nelson Glueck renowned archaeologist: "It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted [disproved] a biblical... Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:39:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Conversion-story/35/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Conversion-story/35/ Christianity is so entangled with the world that millions never guess how radically they have missed the New Testament pattern. Compromise is everywhere. Keep your feet on the ground, but let your heart soar as high as it will. Refuse to be average or to surrender to the chill of your spiritual environment. Perhaps our greatest present need may be the coming of a prophet to dash the stones at the foot of the mountain and call the Church out to repentance or to judgment. For a man to understand revealed truth requires an act of God equal to the original act which inspired the text. We need to learn that truth consists not in correct doctrine, but in correct doctrine plus the inward enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Men who have been used of God in any generation from Calvary down to this hour have not invented and preached new truths. They have simply had the anointed vision to discover truths that had been obscured by the overemphasis of certain other... Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:44:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/More-A.W.-Tozer-quotes/33/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/More-A.W.-Tozer-quotes/33/ Discipleship Quotes Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. --Dietrich Bonhoeffer Take the words of Jesus and let them become the Supreme Court of the Gospel to you. –John G. Lake Some wish to hear the word of God, others wish to receive it.--Anonymous Understanding is the reward of obedience. Obedience is the key to every door. –George MacDonald In the spiritual life only one thing produces genuine joy and that is obedience. --Richard Foster The level of our obedience is most often determined by the behavior standard of other Christians around us. --Jerry Bridges Many Christians have what we might call a "cultural holiness". They adapt to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around them. As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like... Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:17:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Discipleship-quotes/32/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Discipleship-quotes/32/ Author: Woodrow Kroll Source: Early in the Morning 2 Scripture Reference: John 21:1-25   Come and Dine But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Have you ever noticed that the most difficult time to serve the Lord is immediately after a defeat in your life? When we are on a spiritual high, serving the Lord comes almost naturally. But when we experience the roller-coaster ride to the depths of despair after some spiritual tragedy, we have a tendency to become complacent. While activity tends to produce additional activity, inactivity also reproduces itself. The popularity of Jesus Christ had been building throughout His earthly ministry. Thousands of people followed Him through the hills of Galilee, watching His miracles and listening to His teachings. The disciples had become an intimate group, well known for their association with Jesus. As His popularity grew,... Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:15:08 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Come-and-Dine/31/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Come-and-Dine/31/ NIGHT AND MORNING! "Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning."-- Psa 30:5 (R.V.). The Night of Doubt--the Morning of Faith. It is indeed a memorable moment in the history of the human spirit, when we suddenly wake up to see that the Almighty is the All-Loving Father, that the righteousness of God is no longer a ground of anxiety and fear, but of assured hope; that He has no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live. What a glad hour it was to Thomas when, after a week of the blackness of darkness, he stood again face to face with Jesus, and learnt that His heart was beating in sympathy, and that His pierced hands were held out to him. Dare to believe that the Love which died for thee is dealing with all the mysteries, misfits, and dark problems of thy life. Weeping may tarry for the night in which you shut yourself in with yourself, but she is only a lodger! Joy will come in the... Wed, 28 May 2008 22:10:00 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Morning-of-Faith/30/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Morning-of-Faith/30/ Glory to God Then Jerubbaal who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. Natural man has a penchant for trying to explain away God. The theory of evolution was developed in an attempt to remove God from the arena of creation. Liberal theologians have attempted to demythologize the Bible in order to remove the miraculous works of God from it. Man does all he can to explain naturally the divinely originated phenomena in our world. God has always been aware of man's desire to usurp His position and authority. Frequently in Scripture can be found accounts where God places men in deliberate situations so they must recognize that their deliverance is solely of Him. When God removes the possibility of any natural explanation, man is left with the inevitable conclusion that God is in the miracle... Thu, 22 May 2008 19:35:45 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Glory-to-God/29/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Glory-to-God/29/ Author: Mrs. Charles E. Cowman Source: Streams in the Desert Scripture Reference: Genesis 24:15-27   Attitude of Trust "And it came to pass, before he had done speaking...and he said, Blessed be Jehovah…who hath not forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth" (Gen. 24:15, 27). Every right prayer is answered before the prayer itself is finished--before we have "done speaking." This is because God has pledged His Word to us that whatsoever we ask in Christ's name (that is, in oneness with Christ and His will) and in faith, shall be done. As God's Word cannot fail, whenever we meet those simple conditions in prayer, the answer to our prayer has been granted and completed in Heaven as we pray, even though its showing forth on earth may not occur until long afterward. So it is well to close every prayer with praise to God for the answer that He has already granted; He who never forsakes... Tue, 20 May 2008 19:13:53 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Trusting-God/28/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Trusting-God/28/ Author: Mrs. Charles E. Cowman Source: Streams in the Desert Scripture Reference: Psalm 66:12   Sailing Through the Tempest "We went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place" (Ps. 66:12). Paradoxical though it be, only that man is at rest who attains it through conflict. This peace, born of conflict, is not like the deadly hush preceding the tempest, but the serene and pure-aired quiet that follows it. It is not generally the prosperous one, who has never sorrowed, who is strong and at rest. His quality has never been tried, and he knows not how he can stand even a gentle shock. He is not the safest sailor who never saw a tempest; he will do for fair-weather service, but when the storm is rising, place at the important post the man who has fought out a gale, who has tested the ship, who knows her hulk sound, her rigging strong, and her anchor-flukes able to grasp and hold by... Tue, 13 May 2008 18:27:04 +0200 http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Rest-after-Conflict/27/ http://www.blogigo.com/discernment/Rest-after-Conflict/27/