Passion 4 Him

If you have ever wondered why so much of the Church looks and acts just like the world, you will love this teaching.

1. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. A correct interpretation will always be consistent with the rest of the Scriptures. Therefore, it is essential for us as students of the Bible to interpret a passage in light of what the rest of the Scriptures say on the topic. There are Scriptures that are somewhat confusing. Peter himself tells us that (2 Ptr. 3:16)! When that is the case, rather than seeking to make an interpretation based on one verse, it is essential to examine other, perhaps more clear, passages of Scripture. You recall there in the wilderness, Jesus was fasting for 40 days, when Satan came along to tempt him. We see there in that temptation something pretty interesting. Satan knows the Word of God. He seeks to lead Jesus astray from the will of His Father, by quoting Psalm 91:11. Satan said, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall ...

Hell's Best Kept Secret is Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron's lesson on Biblical Evangelism. This method preaches the Law to soften a sinner's heart for grace.

By John C. Whitcomb, Th.D. www.whitcombministries.org www.sermonaudio.com/whitcomb Christ and Antichrist What will the world be like just before the second coming of Christ? Our Lord emphasized the enormous potential of global deception at that time. In answer to the disciples' urgent question: " What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? " (Matt. 24:3, NKJV), our Lord warned them: " Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many… Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many… For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect " (Matt. 24:4, 5, 11, 24). Note the emphasis on the words "false" and " deceive " in our Lord's answer. One moment after the rapture of the church, every surviving religious leader in the world will be a false one....

By Brannon S. Howse   Much of what we see in the Word of Faith movement and New Apostolic Reformation is "Christianized" shamanism. Dave Hunt warned about this growing trend in his 1985 best-selling book, The Seduction of Christianity , when he wrote: Shamanism promises power to heal and transform through contact with a parallel universe of the spirit, from which this mysterious energy is allegedly drawn. That contact is said to be made in our minds: The thoughts we think and the words we speak become the vehicles of spiritual power. Those who accept this concept become victims of the great delusion that displaces God with self. In seeking power for self, they have become susceptible to the power of Satan. Nevertheless, even as the irrefutable evidence mounts documenting its destructive and evil power, shamanism's popularity and general acceptance is exploding in the secular world, and in "Christianized" forms is gaining increasing accepta...

By John MacArthur A working conscience is one that’s free from the burden of unchecked sin and unaddressed guilt. It’s not weighed down by impurity or dulled by neglect. In a word, it’s clear . But how can we keep our consciences clear? How do we properly respond to guilt feelings in a way that keeps our consciences soft, sharp, and strong? Here are some simple, practical principles to keep in mind. Confess and forsake known sin . Examine your guilt feelings in light of Scripture. Deal with the sin God’s Word reveals. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” First John 1 speaks of confession of sin as an ongoing characteristic of the Christian life: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (v. 9). We should certainly confess to those we have wron...

By John MacArthur It can be easy to forget how destructive sin is—not just in terms of eternity, but in our everyday lives. We’ve seen plenty of examples of how unaddressed sin routinely destroys families, friendships, and careers. But it also has devastating internal results, like robbing you of your joy and assurance, stifling your spiritual growth, and distancing you from the fellowship of God’s people. It also pollutes and ruins your conscience. It is possible to virtually nullify the conscience through repeated abuse. Paul spoke of people whose consciences were so convoluted and corrupted that their “glory is in their shame” ( Philippians 3:19 ; cf. Romans 1:32 ). Both the mind and the conscience can become so defiled that they cease making distinctions between what is pure and what is impure (cf. Titus 1:15 ). After so much violation, the conscience finally falls silent. Morally, those with defiled consciences are left flying blind. Th...

By Brannon S. Howse Living a life of good works is not going to keep anyone from hell. Attempting to legislate a city, state, or nation into righteousness is a wasted effort that will yield no eternal rewards. That doesn't mean we should do away with laws against murder, rape, stealing, and fraud. Romans 13 tells us that the purpose of government is to reward the righteous and punish the wicked. God created civil government for the purpose of maintaining a stable and just society so the other two institutions God created-the family and the Church-could go about their respective biblical mandates. Cities, states, and nations need laws. Some Christians have, and I pray will continue to have, a godly impact in government as individuals. But collectively, the Church needs to realize how foolish it is to spend so much time and money trying to force our biblical values onto an unsaved culture. The way to produce a change in any culture is to preach the Gospel. I...

           The late Dr. Francis Schaeffer was one of the greatest defenders of the Christian faith in the 20 th Century. He predicted the American church would become inconsequential because of a false concept of spirituality. Self-professing Christians would talk about God and proclaim a belief in God while rejecting the God of the Bible-instead following a man-made New Age god.           I believe one of the main reasons we have a crisis in the American church, that Christians poll no differently from the world, and that students are leaving the church in large numbers is that we have an epidemic of false converts within the American church.  Many people today call themselves Christians but do not believe in many, if any, of the essential Christian doctrines. My own study of the Old Testament moral law revealed to me that I was not a good person, but it was when I opened ...

 By Brannon S. Howse Much of what I share in my book "Religious Trojan Horse", I would never be allowed to present in most "evangelical" churches or on "Christian" radio or television stations. Most are either hostile to biblical truth or are afraid of the public relations fallout from the truth we speak at Worldview Weekend conferences. In 1983, Walter Martin spoke at the ordination service for my friend and mentor, Ron Carlson. I have played Dr. Martin's sermon on my radio program because it is still so timely. He told those assembled in the California church that they needed to understand that people who speak biblical truth are not censored primarily by the secular media but by the Church and "Christian" media: You see, the attitude of the Christian media is don't rock the boat, and the Christian Church is suffering from that disease today by its Latin name, non rock-a-boat-us. Whatever you do, non rock-a-bo...

The following questions are not intended for short answers such as a mere "yes", but are a means to meaningful discussion between a man and a woman who have vowed to love each other "until death do us part." Take your time to talk them over. Let the conversation flow. You may answer these questions in any order you wish, or all at one time. Two rules apply: First, be painfully honest. Nothing much has happened to improve marriages without truthfulness. Second, be calm, peaceful, accepting, and eager to listen with your ears and your eyes as the discussion goes on. Do all you can not to be hurtful or to pay back for some pain you've experienced. Listen rather than press your point. Marriage union means, among other things, that the way you treat each other is the way you treat yourself. Seek to heal wounds and to find out more about the spouse you love. What was the happiest period of our marriage and what were the reasons you think so? In your ...

Check out this great testimony of a brother in Christ and close friend of mine. Our stories are similar in that we both came to know the Lord while incarcerated. In fact, I met this brother while incarcerated with him! Glory be to God!

John MacArthur The conquering of the city of Troy is one of the famous stories of ancient history. Greek soldiers had laid siege to the city for over ten years, but were unable to conquer it. In exasperation Ulysses, a brilliant strategist, decided to have a large wooden horse built and left outside the city walls as a supposed gift to the unconquerable Trojans. The Greeks then sailed away in apparent defeat. The curious and proud Trojans brought the wooden horse inside their fortified walls. That night Greek soldiers hidden inside the horse crept out and opened the city gates to let their fellow soldiers into the city. The soldiers massacred the inhabitants, looted the city, and then burned it to the ground. Ever since, the Trojan horse has been a symbol of infiltration and deception. Throughout its history, the church has embraced many Trojan horses. Satan has effectively used enemies disguised as gifts to lure people away from...