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A Pastor’s Forum Concerning Pastor’s Training New Pastors
Posted on September 3, 2009 | No Comments9Marks asked a roundtable of pastors the following question: Do local churches have the responsibility to help raise up the next generation of pastors, and if so, why? Answers from: Rickey Armstrong (Glendale Baptist Church, Miami, FL) Stephen E. Farish (Crossroads Church, Grayslake, IL) David... -
A Seminary President’s Forum
Posted on September 3, 2009 | No Comments9Marks Ministries asked a roundtable of seminary presidents the following two questions: Why is your seminary needed? What’s an exciting example you have seen being done in a local church that would encourage pastors to think of raising up the next generation? Answers from: Daniel... -
Seven Seasons of Church Planting
Posted on September 1, 2009 | No Comments -
Elders Affirmation of our Beliefs about Homosexuality
Posted on August 22, 2009 | No CommentsMVC Pastors, the following is a draft affirmation of our beliefs about Homosexuality. Our affirmation that the Bible is the infallible Word of God with “supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct,” and our affirmation that “a Christian should live for the... -
2009 Worship God MP3 Sessions
Posted on August 13, 2009 | No CommentsYou can download the sessions from the Worship God conference (2009): The God of Worship (John Piper) The Heart of Worship (John Piper) The Leaders of Worship (Jeff Purswell) The Church of Worship (Thabiti Anyabwile) Lessons Learned from Three Decades of Leading (C.J. Mahaney and... -
Sanctified — by grace alone through faith alone — One Day at a Time
Posted on July 21, 2009 | No CommentsRod Rosenbladt is professor of theology and apologetics at Concordia University (Irvine, California) and co-host of The White Horse Inn radio broadcast. The following is an excerpt of his article in Modern Reformation: Issue: “God Justifies the Wicked” Nov./Dec. Vol. 1 No. 6 1992 Pages 8-12,... -
Sanctification in an Era of Confusion
Posted on July 20, 2009 | No CommentsThe following are highlights from John D. Hannah’s article “John Owen and the “Normal” Christian Life” once published in Modern Reformation (Nov./Dec. 1996 Vol: 5 Num: 6). ______________________ As sometimes presented, victory over sin is a matter of following correct procedures with wholehearted trust; the... -
Why and How I Am Tweeting
Posted on July 17, 2009 | 1 CommentBy John Piper, June 3, 2009 I see two kinds of response to social Internet media like blogging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and others. One says: These media tend to shorten attention spans, weaken discursive reasoning, lure people away from Scripture and prayer, disembody relationships, feed... -
Keswick Theology Explained
Posted on July 16, 2009 | No CommentsKeswick Theology is a theological teaching concerning sanctification. Its influences are heavy in American Evangelicalism and is connected to the “Holiness Movement” in England and the “Higher Life Movement.” Many godly people are part of this movement and its teachings. But sadly the theology itself... -
Is it Lying?
Posted on July 15, 2009 | No CommentsLying, Hostile Nations and the Great Commission By a missions strategist for Central Asia Can missionaries traveling to a country that’s hostile to Christianity and the Great Commission lie about their reasons for coming? Can they point to a secondary purpose for coming? -
Contextualization in the Muslim Context
Posted on July 14, 2009 | No CommentsPutting Contextualization in its Place By a missions strategist for Central Asia Contextualization is one of the hottest topics in missions today. Simply put, contextualization is the word we use for the process of making the gospel and the church as much at home as... -
Pragmatism, Pragmatism Everywhere!
Posted on July 13, 2009 | No CommentsBy Andy Johnson A friend and I were riding in his car after lunch vigorously discussing a controversial topic in missiology, and with good reason. We served together on the board of trustees for a mission sending organization, and a number of board members had... -
John Calvin and Servetus Controversy Explained
Posted on July 10, 2009 | 4 CommentsThe Facts about Calvin and Servetus: 1. Michael Servetus taught many unorthodox heresies: astrology,pantheism, Neo-Platonism, Semi-Pelagianism, rejected the Trinity,rejected the Deity of Christ. 2. Servetus was convicted by the Inquisition in France for his heresies, but he escaped before sentencing. 3. Calvin warned him not to come to Geneva... -
Book Review: Where Are All the Brothers?
Posted on July 9, 2009 | No CommentsBook Review: Where Are All the Brothers? By Eric Redmond Reviewed by Anthony Carter Where Are All the Brothers?: Straight Answers to Men’s Questions about the Church Crossway, 2008. 112 pages. We have all heard the excuses. “The church is full of hypocrites.” “The Bible... -
John Calvin: Man of Contradictions, Shaper of Modernity. Age? 500 Next Week.
Posted on July 8, 2009 | No CommentsA version of this article appeared in print on July 4, 2009, on page A14 of the New York edition. By PETER STEINFELS. Published: July 3, 2009 in the New York Times He was born on July 10, 1509, a religious thinker and leader who... -
Why Do the New Calvinists Insist on Complementarianism? by DeYoung
Posted on July 6, 2009 | 3 CommentsThe following was posted on Monday, July 06, 2009 by Kevin DeYoung. I am reposting it here on FIDE-O because I think that it is worth reading. DeYoung writes: A friend of mine pointed me to a fascinating, and I think sincerely inquistive, blog post... -
The Anger of God – Romans 1:18
Posted on July 5, 2009 | No CommentsThe Anger of God — Romans 1:18 The Apostle Paul writes this letter to the Christians in Rome to explain the Gospel from God’s perspective. -
The Biblical Motivation for Evangelism – Romans 1:14-17
Posted on June 28, 2009 | 2 CommentsRomans 1:14-17 – We Are Indebted to Sinners Romans 1:14 — I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. ... -
Was I really baptized if the person who baptized me turned out not to be a believer?
Posted on June 25, 2009 | 2 CommentsWas I really baptized if the person who baptized me turned out not to be a believer? Answer by John Piper. I think so. Say you have a man who is in the water with you, and you are a believer, and he is self-deceived... -
Paul Baits the Hook in Romans 1:8-15
Posted on June 22, 2009 | 1 CommentPaul is writing the letter to the Romans to explain the gospel to them and explain to them how it radically affects our lives. Paul begins the letter by introducing himself which we looked at last week. It was obvious that Paul was passionate about... -
What a Youth Pastor Shouldn’t Be
Posted on June 19, 2009 | 1 CommentThe following video is a parody that illustrates to us all that is wrong with many youth ministries these days. -
Romans 1:1-7 – A Passionate Introduction of the Gospel
Posted on June 17, 2009 | No CommentsThis is the passionate introduction by the Apostle Paul of the greatest Gospel treatise ever written. It is longest greeting of all of the apostle’s letters = 93 words of greeting. You will notice how already in the first 7 verses of the letter, everything in... -
Blessed with One Worship Service
Posted on June 8, 2009 | 1 CommentAbout a year ago our church decided that we would no longer have two worship services on Sunday mornings. We made this decision based on our ecclessiology. We knew that having two worship services had caused a division in our church body and had robbed... -
Beware of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
Posted on June 3, 2009 | 1 CommentDr. Albert Mohler reports that when Christian Smith and his fellow researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill took a close look at the religious beliefs held by American teenagers, they found that the... -
Different Theories about the Decrees of God that have produced Three Branches of Calvinism
Posted on June 1, 2009 | 4 CommentsPastor Jason Robertson gives a detailed chart of the different kinds of Calvinists and explains why there is so much confusion and debate surrounding this subject. -
The Unique Perspective of the Gospel on Life Issues
Posted on May 29, 2009 | No CommentsAs seen in 2 Kings 17:41, Christians can fear the Lord externally, engaging in what we perceive to be all the proper elements of worship – singing, giving, praying, kneeling, listening to God’s Word, doing our devotions, helping the poor etc. – and be actively serving false gods in our hearts. -
The Gospel Paragraph by Carson
Posted on May 28, 2009 | 1 CommentD.A. Carson says that a good exercise for everyone would be to attempt to write a single paragraph putting the gospel into the storyline of Scripture. Here’s how Carson does it: The gospel is integrally tied to the Bible’s story-line. Indeed, it is incomprehensible without... -
A Brief Analysis of Full Preterism or Hyper Preterism
Posted on May 26, 2009 | No CommentsThe Following Analysis is written by Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. From time to time I receive letters from men declaring themselves “reconstructionist” and “consistent preterist.” The “consistent preterist” believes that all prophecy is fulfilled in the A.D. 70 destruction of the Temple, including the... -
We are Soldiers – 2 Timothy 2:3-4
Posted on May 25, 2009 | No CommentsA strong believer is one who has the truth and guards it and gives it away. So a strong Christian is a diligent student of Scripture. A strong Christian is faithful to articulate that Scripture. A strong Christian is loyal to the intent and content of that Scripture and involved in the training of others who can train others still. What does it take to be successful in this endeavor? Consider the following characteristic of a successful soldier of Christ: -
Comparing Dispensational Theology and Covenant Theology
Posted on May 20, 2009 | 11 CommentsChart: Dispensationalism vs Covenantalism, comparing the two theologies and providing a short list of proponents. -
Covenant Theology flows from the Nature of God, Dispensationalism Does Not
Posted on May 15, 2009 | 11 CommentsWhy Dispensationalism is not Consistent with Calvinism: It has been rightly said that Covenant Theology flows from the trinitarian life and work of God. God’s covenant communion with us is modeled on and a reflection of the intra-trinitarian relationships. The shared life, the fellowship of... -
Great Hymns of the Faith: Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
Posted on May 12, 2009 | 1 CommentI thought I might do some video post occasionally on great hymns that we do at various places and times. Here is the first one. This is a really nice arrangement of “Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus” done at The Merc in Temecula. ... -
What Calvinism is Not
Posted on May 11, 2009 | 2 CommentsCalvinism is often misunderstood, because it is continually under attack from those who are either enemies of the Gospel or ignorant of the gospel. Therefore, many people have misconceptions about this system of theology. -
The two most popular false gods in the world
Posted on May 7, 2009 | 1 CommentHave you ever seen an idol, a false god? Tertullian (an early church father from Second Century) said, “Just as Christ was crucified between two thieves, so this doctrine of justification is ever crucified between two opposite errors.” These “two false gospels” can be called... -
Two easy ways church can shape the culture
Posted on May 4, 2009 | 23 CommentsThe homepage of the 9Marks.org website poses the following question: Is Your Church Reflecting the Culture or Shaping It? That is a great question. In fact, that very question is being asked by many various groups (Emergents, church growth experts, church planting organizations, postmil thinkers).... -
When Pastors Stoke the Fire
Posted on May 2, 2009 | No CommentsIn Paul’s first letter to Timothy he had already established that the best medicine for false teaching and apostasy is “sound doctrine” (1 Tim 1:10; 4:3). So vital is sound doctrine to the health of the church that it is something to be pursued (1... -
Will the Real Church Planter Please Stand Up
Posted on April 30, 2009 | 1 CommentMuch of the Church is in competition with the world for popularity these days. The world is very good at capturing people’s attention and affections because it targets and appeals to the pleasures of humanity. The church, on the other hand, tends to be very... -
Misconceptions About Plural Elder Led Congregationalism
Posted on April 28, 2009 | 13 CommentsI want to put the following article into the FIDE-O archives. It is a worthy opinion of a fellow blogger, Ben at PALEOEVANGELICAL Once every few months I find myself in a conversation about church polity. When I describe what I believe, more often than not... -
Baptists and Elders by Mark Dever
Posted on April 27, 2009 | No CommentsGo here to read Mark Dever’s great online article about Baptists and Elders. -
What is an Eldership and What Does It Do
Posted on April 27, 2009 | 2 CommentsBiblically the church office of pastor and elder are the same. Pastors are elders and elders are pastors. And the Biblical instuction is that each local church should have a plurality of pastors. The decision of churches as to who shall be their pastors is one... -
Cowards Should Not Apply
Posted on April 24, 2009 | 3 CommentsGod does not call cowards. Thankfully, with the calling of God comes the boldness of God. The Apostle Paul told Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). Paul was calling for... -
Pastors Should Suffer
Posted on April 23, 2009 | 2 CommentsThe Apostle Paul told Pastor Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8-10, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us... -
Miss California Carrie Prejean Stays True to Her Biblical Faith Enduring Attacks and Insults of Angry Gay Hilton
Posted on April 21, 2009 | No CommentsCarrie Prejean chose to do the right thing: she was honest about her values and cared more about a crown of faithfulness than a crown of beauty. Carrie is therefore a good example, a role model, for young people who are tempted to compromise their... -
Is confidence in the gospel a good thing? Or is doubting your faith everyday beautiful and intellectually honest and glorifying unto God?
Posted on April 21, 2009 | 4 CommentsThe Apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:12, “I know whom I have believed.” Paul explicitly declares that he knows something without any doubt, that he knows something by faith without any doubt, and that cognitive faith is in a particular person. Paul does not... -
Why Is Mark Driscoll So Popular?
Posted on April 20, 2009 | 20 CommentsMark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, is always great fodder for blogging. At least once a month he does something that places him in the headlines of the big 5 Godblogs and I would love to know how many comment sections have... -
Will the innocent native in Africa who has never heard the Gospel go to Heaven or Hell?
Posted on April 20, 2009 | 5 CommentsOften people ask, “What happens to the poor innocent native in Africa who has never heard the gospel? When he dies will he go to heaven or hell?” My answer: The innocent native in Africa who has never heard the Gospel will go straight to... -
In what way should a pastor be shameless?
Posted on April 18, 2009 | No CommentsShamelessness is a result of Lordship. Paul was surrendered to the Lordship of Christ as seen in his embracing of a life calling. 2 Timothy 1:11-12 “for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer... -
How to use the presuppositional method of apologetics
Posted on April 17, 2009 | No Comments“Presuppositional Procedure” — By Dr. Greg Bahnsen Here then is how the presuppositional (transcendental) method of defending the faith would proceed once the preliminary discussions and clarifications have taken place with the unbeliever – and the two outlooks now come head to head.[1. It should... -
Since only Christians can understand the Bible, then why discuss the Scripture with unbelievers?
Posted on April 16, 2009 | 1 CommentA. W. Pink on “Heed the Word” [1. A. W. Pink, The Doctrine of Revelation] Today we behold some of the fearful crops which have resulted from that evil sowing: “some of,” we say, for it is greatly to be feared that the full harvest does... -
A Must See Video Revealing the Foolishness of Snobbery
Posted on April 15, 2009 | 1 CommentGo here to see why you should not “judge a book by its cover.” -
Shocking Video that Exposes Postmodern, Emergent, and Seeker Churches
Posted on April 15, 2009 | 5 CommentsWhat if the guy is this video came to your church? -
Which is better stewardship of church resources?
Posted on April 14, 2009 | No CommentsWhich is a better use of Kingdom resources: saving a dead/dying church or starting a new vibrant church? Maybe the best use of resources is to encourage dead/dying churches to actually start new churches. Many such churches have plenty of unused resources. The whole process... -
“Immersed” album finally available
Posted on April 13, 2009 | 3 CommentsThe nine month process of recording an album has finally produced fruit. We have CD’s in hand, it can currently be downloaded at Amazon or iTunes and will be on Rhapsody in a week or two. The songs were all written and produced by David... -
How Do We Revitalize Dead Churches?
Posted on April 13, 2009 | No CommentsWe should help dying churches plant new churches. It very well may result in two vibrant churches; it will at least produce one vibrant church; it is doubtful that it will produce two dying churches. Why might this work? It will work because this is... -
Signs in the Desert
Posted on April 10, 2009 | 3 Comments -
Skeptics can be Supremely Unreasonable
Posted on April 7, 2009 | 5 CommentsIf there can be no assumed starting point for a demonstration, then no demonstration can get started – or finished, depending upon how you look at it. If an unbeliever considers Christianity to be irrational simply on the basis that it allows for something to... -
Autonomy Is No Ladder to Christ’s Supreme Authority
Posted on April 6, 2009 | 2 CommentsIn an article Dr. Greg Bahnsen wrote: The Christian’s final standard, the inspired word of God, teaches us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). If the apologist treats the starting point of knowledge as something other than reverence... -
Getting Honest with God
Posted on April 4, 2009 | 2 CommentsIf a person is going to live by faith, he is going to be confronted by problems. Habakkuk’s life and ministry were plagued with problems. In the first chapter of Habakkuk the man of God complained about his problems and even assigned the blame on... -
When Calvinism Wasn’t Cool
Posted on March 31, 2009 | 7 CommentsNow Time is declaring that Calvinism is the new rage among young evangelicals. Great.... just great. This is the last thing we need is for Calvinism to get caught up in the Fad-driven Church Era. I guess now we shall see Tulip Tattoos on hip pastors and 40 Days of Five Points Bible Studies. Then the fad will run its course and Calvinism will be left more damaged and misunderstood than ever before. -
Exposing the False Religion of the Skeptic
Posted on March 29, 2009 | No CommentsAs Van Til observes: "The natural man then assumes that he has the final criterion of truth within himself. Every form of authority that comes to him must justify itself by standards inherent in man and operative apart from the authority that speaks." -
A Christian View of the Economic Crisis
Posted on January 5, 2009 | No CommentsFirst posted on 10/06/2008 I believe that the current economic crisis is a result of G-R-E-E-D. In the movie “Wall Street,” the character Gordon Gekko famously declares that “greed is good.” But the Bible teaches that greed is a sin, and sin destroys. I believe... -
A Friend, a Funeral, and a Famous Cowboy
Posted on December 15, 2008 | No CommentsDecember 2008 I buried the oldest member of our church. Nick Sibilio died at the age of 93. He had been married to his wife for 67 years. We buried him at Pacific View Cemetery in Corona Del Mar. Nick had the milk route until... -
Ushered Into the Presence of God: the impossible task
Posted on November 20, 2008 | 17 CommentsI have been a subscriber to Worship Leader Magazine for about 3 years. I believe the magazine serves a legitimate place in the kingdom, but magazine as a whole is a little too ecumenical in its chosen writers for my personal taste. While I do... -
The Greatest Argument for “Psalmody Only”
Posted on September 19, 2008 | 3 CommentsThought I would one up Jason’s video. You be the judge. Guard that which has been entrusted to us. -
Women in Authority Need Not Abandon Their Femininity
Posted on September 17, 2008 | 2 CommentsThe following is part 3 of David Kotter’s articles entitled: Does Sarah Palin Present a Problem for Complementarians? Life is endlessly interesting and God’s Word speaks to every facet of this complex and joyful life. Lifted suddenly from relative obscurity, Governor Sarah Palin is now... -
Gender Roles at Home, Church and Abroad
Posted on September 10, 2008 | 6 CommentsThe Bible is full of commandments (instructions and prohibitions) for mankind. The Bible is not sexist, racist, or discriminatory in any way. God has created us all for the purpose of giving Him glory, and He has given us clear precepts in the Scriptures that... -
Mark Dever: God’s Role for Women in the Church
Posted on September 10, 2008 | 15 CommentsIn light of the nomination of Sarah Palin to the office of VP, Christians are looking to the Scriptures for God’s wisdom concerning mothers holding such a demanding job in light of her responsibility to her children. Mark Dever, the pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist... -
The Tale of Two Offices
Posted on September 8, 2008 | 12 CommentsAlbert Mohler Affirms that Sarah Palin Can Serve Family and Country: Sally Quinn wonders how Christian evangelicals — and Southern Baptists in particular — can affirm a woman as President or Vice President of the United States and yet believe that women should not serve... -
Mohler Reacts to Palin Attacks
Posted on September 8, 2008 | 1 CommentMohler writes: Over at “On Faith,” the project of The Washington Post and Newsweek magazine, a debate is raging over this question: Women are not allowed to become clergy in many conservative religious groups. Is it hypocritical to think that a woman can lead a... -
The Audacity of Reform
Posted on September 7, 2008 | 4 CommentsReform is difficult. It requires one to stand against one’s own traditions, one’s own convictions, one’s own positions, and one’s own people. I once tried to reform a little church in Southern Louisiana and failed. I lost friends and relationships with certain family members whom... -
Work From Home Moms
Posted on September 6, 2008 | 36 CommentsChristians who have sound theology have a high-view of the family. Thus the prospect of Sarah Palin becoming VP and possibly even the President of the United States has caused some Christians to ask if that is such a job a mother should want. It... -
Political Jiu-Jitsu
Posted on September 3, 2008 | 32 CommentsJiu-Jitsu (柔術 ), literally meaning the “art of softness” or “way of yielding,” is a collective name for Japanese martial art styles. It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person using leverage and proper technique can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant. The... -
Now I’m Mad
Posted on September 2, 2008 | 12 CommentsAlthough I love American politics, I hadn’t really been enthusiastic about our presidential candidates this time. I had made up my mind a while back about who I will vote for in this election, and the Saddleback forum really helped me feel more confident about... -
Loving to Hate
Posted on August 30, 2008 | 7 Comments[Mark Schlabach covers college football and men's college basketball for ESPN.com and he created the "Hate list" below. You can contact him at schlabachma@yahoo.com.] Michigan hates Ohio State because the Buckeyes added four more Ls to Lloyd Carr’s first name. The Buckeyes hate Michigan because... -
What Do We Call It?
Posted on August 26, 2008 | 3 CommentsWhat do we call it: The Lord’s Supper, an Ordinance, Sacrament, or Communion? This question is common. So let me try to answer it. First, take a look at the 1689 Baptist Confession and notice the four things I emphasized in bold-italics: CHAPTER 30 –...