Monday, August 28, 2006

False Teachers in Church

7 Characteristics of False Teachers - by Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)

Now, the best way to deliver poor souls from being deluded and destroyed by these messengers of Satan is, to discover them in their colors, that so, being known, poor souls may shun them, and fly from them as from hell itself.

1. False teachers are men-pleasers. They preach more to please the ear than to profit the heart.

2. False teachers are notable in casting dirt, scorn, and reproach upon the persons, names, and credits of Christ's most faithful ambassadors.

3. False teachers are venters of the devices and visions of their own heads and hearts. Are there not multitudes in this nation whose visions are but golden delusions, lying vanities, brain-sick phantasies.

4. False teachers easily pass over the great and weighty things both of law and gospel, and stand most upon those things that are of the least moment and concernment to the souls of men. They are nice in the lesser things of the law, and as negligent in the greater.

5. False teachers cover and color their dangerous principles and soul-impostures with very fair speeches and plausible pretenses, with high notions and golden expressions. They will put a great deal of paint and garnish upon their most dangerous principles and blasphemies, that they may the better deceive and delude poor ignorant souls. They know sugared poison goes down sweetly; they wrap up their pernicious, soul-killing pills in gold.

6. False teachers strive more to win over men to their opinions, than to better them in their conversations. They busy themselves most about men's heads. Their work is not to better men's hearts, and mend their lives.

7. False teachers make merchandise of their followers. They eye your goods more than your good; and mind more the serving of themselves, than the saving of your souls. That they may the better pick your purse, they will hold forth such principles as are very indulgent to the flesh. False teachers are the great worshippers of the golden calf.

Now, by these characters you may know them, and so shun them, and deliver your souls out of their dangerous snares; which that you may, my prayers shall meet-yours at the throne of grace.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

RIP Maynard Ferguson

Walter Maynard Ferguson born 4 May 1928 died Ventura, California 23 August 2006.

If you have never heard Maynard play high notes - you have sadly missed out on an incredibly talented trumpet player of the highest calibre.

He involved everyone in his music and loved to teach. "A professional is simply an amateur with a job," he said. "Outside influences are fine, but the greatest delight for any musician is when you begin to sound like yourself."

Elephants and Groucho Marx

Have you ever wondered what an elephant and



have in common??

"If an elephant is thundering towards you, you are probably not too concerned with the finer points of biomechanics or whether they are truly running or not," said John Hutchinson, of the Royal Veterinary College.

Dr Hutchinson led a team of researchers who recorded elephants moving at speed. Analysis showed that while at least one foot remains on the ground even when an elephant is moving at top speed, its legs exhibit the bounce and springiness to qualify the species as a runner.

"We call it Groucho running because they have the same gait as Groucho Marx," said Dr Hutchinson. "Like Groucho with his famous silly gait, elephants never quite leave the ground. We are finding they seem to bounce -- they use their legs like pogo sticks without leaving the ground. They use them like springs and that's what running is all about.

"They speed up the way they move their feet but never change the sequence. ... They are really, really bizarre. As elephants speed up they get more and more springy."

Dr Hutchinson added: "Studies of animal locomotion are key to the design of effective walking robots."

Now I might be able to claim that watching

is scientific research.

Truth - the first casualty of war

Traditionally the first casualty in war is the truth and the latest Middle East conflict is certainly no exception with thanks to some astute investigation of the truth at zombietimes

Saint mentions in the quote below who the real war criminals are and sheds light on the hypocrisy that is Hezbollah and the propaganda promoting terrorists.

Every Katyusha - an inherently indiscriminate weapon - launched by Hezbollah was a war crime under international law.

Using civilians as human shields is a war crime under international law. On every single day of the war, Hezbollah violated Article 58 of Protocol 1, which requires parties to a conflict to "avoid locating military objectives within or near densely populated areas" because it had located its command outposts, weapons and ammo storage, and rocket launchers in residential areas - including in and under schools, hospitals and mosques - and consistently fired from behind civilians.

Israel is within its rights to pursue Hezbollah in populated areas under Article 28 of the Fourth Geneva Convention: "The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations." My guess is that that right comes with or without cluster bombs, bombs which are legal under international law against soldiers or enemy fighters.

Do we go on?

Anyone want to remind Reuters and a few hundred newspaper editors about smoke - with or without photoshop?

Shall we spell it out again: Hezbollah are the war criminals here.

All terrorists are war criminals.

Every. Single. One. Every. Single. Time. They. Attack.

Biblical Realism

We have been losing our grip on biblical realism to the point where even in our own churches we often fail to hold leaders accountable, as though somehow they are too good, too holy to be questioned...No one is excluded from the fall[of man] and it's effects ... No one is exempt from checks and balances in power.

[The doctrine of man's fall and sin] magnifies God's grace. If we don't have a sufficient knowledge and understanding of the seriousness of sin and it's consequences - we can't appreciate grace of God as the cure.

Modern day man warps this concept out of shape so that we feel stressed out instead of feeling guilty and hence we re-design a gospel message that offers a stress relief instead of a relief from guilt. If we are man enough to face up to our real problem then we will be ready for God's solution - Grace. (From Michael Horton-Putting Amazing back into Grace)

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Salt and Light

Christ said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” (Matt 5:13)

What does this mean to us today? We know that salt is used for flavour enhancement today and especially in 1st century Palestine it was used for preservation. But Christ called us who follow Him ‘the salt of the earth’. We are the preservative of the world around us and we are to apply it daily and liberally. If we water it down or dilute it we become weak and useless. We are to retain the essence, strength and value that we were meant to be – otherwise we are useless. He wants us to continue being of use as a preservative to the world. However, some Christians wrongly get the idea that they have the pious and legalistic right to apply ‘salt’ in every situation in disregard of the other person’s needs or situation. May we apply ourselves as salt with gentleness, compassion, in the right dosage and not throw salt in raw, open wounds.

Christ expounds further and calls us “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”. (Matt 5:14-18)

If we are to be the light that God wants us to be we should use it appropriately and effectively. We are to shine to illuminate and show people God – not to illuminate ourselves. By doing good deeds people will see God (not us) and give the praise to Him (not us).

May we use the light of God as He wants to – as a lamp that gives light to everyone. Too often that same light is thrust full glare into the eyes and thus blinding people against God. In order to show someone the way to God we need to light the path not blind the eyes.

In all this striving to be salt and light may we do this with love and compassion. Being careful to avoid open wounds and not shove blinding light into their eyes.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Benn Hinn or Benny Hill ???


So which Benny is it?

How is that so many people get sucked in by this charlatan??
Obviously they must check their brains at the door on the way in.
Discernment on sleep mode and gullibility on overdrive.

Why do so many of the Australian penetcostal churches welcome this guy with open arms??

A very sad state of affairs.