Dr. Al Mohler weighs in:

The California Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision striking down the state’s definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman throws open the door for a massive redefinition of human relationships. The people of California approved Proposition 22 by a huge margin in 2000, clearly stating their understanding of marriage and their desire to protect marriage from legal revision. By a one-vote margin, their state Supreme Court renounced the will of the people. The ruling is both revolutionary and radical. It sets the stage for a much broader reorganization of human society.

It’s not all that surprising that the authorities would overrule the people in this decision. Remember, this is the state that hosted the sex parade in which sexual relations took place in the public streets while the police stood by and did nothing, providing ample evidence of the point of view of the authorities at least in San Francisco toward public sexual deviancy.

Just remember: this is not something that can be resolved by some fleeting political action. Christians need to take this before the throne of God in prayer because these lost people still need Him, even if they don’t realize it. Our country is rapidly choosing the path of Sodom and we will not be allowed to get away with it forever. If you are not taking this to God and being obedient to Him more and more every day, this land will have no hope.

Be a light to this dark world.

Blogspotting, Happenings | No Comments »

We continue our conversation with Jonathan Shirk of North Park EPC church, I get invited to give the beachside chat, and we present our special dramatic Pentecost presentation! Listen live or download your own copy of the show, 9 PM eastern time on 101.5 Word FM Pittsburgh, or go to Bible Burgh.com. When you get there, go to the bottom right of the front page and click the listen link.

I have been hearing that the link is a bit confusing, and I’m going to change it soon. For now, where it says listen here, click on the word “here”.

I worked very hard on the show, so any feedback would be much appreciated!

Happenings, Making it happen | No Comments »

Here is an excellent explanation from someone you know. Watch the whole video and if you have friends who follow “Purpose Driven…” or if your pastor is adopting these strategies, challenge them to watch this video and refute the message presented. Refute it with facts not opinion.

Blogspotting | No Comments »

“Because thou hast kept the word of My patience.” Revelation 3:10

Patience is more than endurance. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says - “I cannot stand any more.” God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God’s hands. For what have you need of patience just now? Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. “Though He slay me, yet will I wait for Him.”

My Utmost for His Highest 

Making it happen | No Comments »

Have you ever noticed the high number of people who have the type of mentality which causes them to ignore 14 compliments and to hold on to the one criticism in the bunch? These people could have praise heaped high upon them for something they did and if just one tiny grain of a negative comment comes in that mountain of praise, all they can think about is that one comment. That’s really a shame.

I can remember dealing with that mindset in the past, but after I recognized it I was able to face it head on and now I’m happy to say that while it tries to surface from time to time, my dominant response to ask myself if that negative comment has any merit, and if it doesn’t I set it aside.

I recently had a chance to exercise this again, yet it was completely turned around.

Some of the comments I’ve gotten from my brothers and sisters in Christ in reference to living out my Christianity include “you are a real wet blanket sometimes” and “you’re trying to be a Pharisee”, “you’re making an idol of the Bible”, “you think you know everything” and “you must never have experienced hard times yourself”. There are more but you get the point. I just got a positive comment that truly makes all those negatives worth hearing.

An unsaved friend of mine said to me “Mark, I’ve been watching you these past few years and seeing how what you say doesn’t change and how you always are the same person everyday, I recently started going to church to try and get to know God better. You always make Him seem so real I want that too.”

There is very little I can say to describe to you what hearing him say that did for my heart. Joy would be just the beginning of what I felt. This one positive statement made all the hurtful statements by my brothers and sisters in Christ worth hearing, even as much as they hurt. For the sake of one unbeliever possibly coming into the family of God, I’d hear them all over again.

Please pray that “T” and his wife will know a deep, true and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.

Happenings, Personal experiences | No Comments »

This past Sunday was one of those rare Sundays when I got ready early enough to sit down and have breakfast, and when I started eating I turned on the tv to get the weather, and when I flipped a few channels I realized that there are an awful lot of obstacles between the unbeliever and Truth and even Christians and Truth, when it comes to what’s on television. The most successful at being an obstacle call themselves Christian, because the best lie always has a little truth mixed in.

On one channel was the preacher telling people the lie that the Holy Spirit does NOT come into them when they are first saved, and that they’ll know when they are saved because they’ll speak in tongues. On another channel was the car salesman motivational speaker guy, telling people they’re okay and that they  can have their best life now. On another channel was the group which tells you that you must light a candle, say a number of prayers, attend a certain amount of church services and yet even then you can’t be sure of salvation. On yet another channel was a couple telling people that they can defeat cancer merely by the power of positive thinking.

ugh

This is what the world sees on Sunday morning television, claiming to be Christianity. What are they seeing in you? You are the opportunity for God to shine into their lives the true light of Christ, honed by study and practice into an accurate representation of Truth.

Sunday through Monday, you are the face of Christ to counteract the counterfeits that the media pushes forward.

Shine beloved, ’cause the battle is heavy.

Making it happen, Personal experiences | 2 Comments »

Hey!

I’ve been taking care of a sick friend for a bit, so I haven’t been able (or inspired) to blog, but my time should be opening up soon and I haven’t forgotten ya’!

Family Matters | No Comments »

1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “Repent,” He willed that the whole life of believers should be one of repentance.2. To “repent” means to be contrite for one’s sins and to trust Jesus Christ and solely in His completed work for one’s forgiveness, life, and salvation.

3. Those who describe the Christian life as purpose-driven deny true repentance, confuse the Law and the Gospel, and obscure the merits of Christ.

4. Impious and wicked are the methods of those who substitute self-help and pop-psychology for the Gospel in the name of relevance.

5. This impious disregard for the Gospel wickedly transforms sacred Scripture into a guidebook for living, a pharisaic sourcebook of principles, and sows tares among the wheat.

6. Relevance, self-help and pop-psychology have no power to work true contrition over sins and faith in Jesus Christ.

7. Like clouds without rain, purpose-driven preachers withhold the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins won by Christ on the cross and enslave men’s consciences to the law which they cleverly disguise as so-called ‘Biblical Principles’.

8. By teaching tips for attaining perfect health, debt-free wealth, and better sex in marriage, the purveyors of relevance undermine true fear, love and trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Oh yeah, this is a good reminder.

h/t CRN

Blogspotting, Making it happen | No Comments »

Lord Jesus,

the only true Love,

the only Way to Heaven,

the only Source of real joy.

Christ who is Holy, perfect in every way, added to His perfection the limitation of men- cold, heat, hunger, pain

all because He was the only one who could.

The only sacrifice capable of satisfying the Holiest requirement of God.

The second Adam, this one instead of inviting us to sinful bondage as did the first, invites us to drop our shackles, be cleaned of our dirty Sin, have our filthy clothes exchanged permanently for new, to have our blind eyes opened and our dead souls made truly alive for the very first time…

…to fill that empty space inside.

He did this in love as a gift to us because we can’t reach Heaven by our own means, and no other sacrifice was worthy. We could never be good enough, nice enough, work hard enough, say enough prayers, gain enough wisdom, or build a tower high enough to get to Heaven.

It is given through His pain, His generosity, His gift for you.

Choose life, Real Love | No Comments »

There I was, winding down my day, eating a late snack and watching a bit of tv when a commercial came on that dropped my jaw. There before me sat Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson on a couch, all smiles.

They were sharing about something they’d finally found which united them. Something which had caused them to set aside all their differences to link arms and hold common ground together.

What was this thing you ask? Was it defending the Word of God against Scripture alterers? Was it standing for the truth and unity in essential matters of faith and grace in non-essential matters?

Nope.

Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson have found common ground in the one cause uniting so many others today: the environment. That’s right, these two men have found common ground in committing their sizeable followings to the cause of green.

I was certainly glad that my snack was small and easily digestible, because I nearly lost it.

How long before they hook up with Rick Warren?

quick update: Looks like I missed this announcement of the filming, but Michelle Malkin didn’t.

Getting to know you, Happenings | No Comments »