DISCIPLE

Millions of people think so, and occupy their lives with little else. Many Americans would try and make it a question of patriotism, and base their argument on the well-known phrase in the Declaration of Independence, primarily drafted by Thomas Jefferson, himself a non Christian and a Bible mutilator:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But a look at American society today shows what these supposed "ideals" have produced.  A. W. Tozer wrote these comments in an article titled “The Modern Cry: I Have A Right To Be Happy.” "A selfish desire for happiness is as sinful as any other selfish desire because its root is in the flesh which can never have any standing before God! People are coming more and more to excuse every sort of wrong...

Advice to Women: Seek the Inner Adorning “...a  Christian woman should be very careful about the kind of person she sets up as a model of character and example in daily life. It is a sad thing to have our minds occupied with the wrong kind of people! English history books will not report that Suzanna Wesley was one of the best-dressed women of her day or that she ever received a medal for social activity. But she was the mother of Charles and John Wesley, those princes of Christian song and theology. She taught her own family, and her spiritual life and example have placed her high in God’s hall of fame for all eternity. So, if you want to take models to follow day by day, please do not take the artificial, globe-trotting females who are intent only upon themselves, their careers and their publicity! God help us all men and women of whatever marital, social or domestic status, that we may do the will of God and thus win our crown!” A. W. Tozer, Renewed Day By Day, Chris...

The following are excerpts from a lengthy article written by David Cloud. (1) THE DENOMINATIONAL SYSTEM ITSELF IS UNSCRIPTURAL.  The Lord’s apostles planted autonomous congregations and they did not build denominational structures yoking the congregations together. The New Testament gives detailed instructions for the government and discipline of the assembly, but there are no instructions for the establishment of intra- or extra-church institutions. Denominational structures are man-made entities that have no biblical authority...  (2) THE SBC IS ECUMENICAL.  Until 2004 the Southern Baptist Convention was one of the chief members of the World Baptist Alliance, an organization almost as radically liberal as the National Council of Churches in America and the World Council of Churches... Regardless of its disassociation with the World Baptist Alliance, the SBC has many other ecumenical associations. It has a relationship, for example, with the American Bibl...

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: True Obedience by A. W. Toze r “As you think of this story (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace), keep in mind that their obedience to God was what got them in trouble in the first place....True obedience is the refusal to compromise in any regard our relationship with God, regardless of the consequences. “As long as you believe in God as millions of Americans do today, and do not make Him the number one exclusive priority in your life, the devil has no issue with you. The evangelical church today is following the course of the liberal movement and going down the same pathway of compromise. One compromise here, another compromise there, and soon there is very little, if any, difference between the so-called Christian and the man in the world. “True obedience, as illustrated in the story of the three Hebrew children, always brings us to a point of no return.  This is where faith comes in. We do not have to understan...

Getting your way is not a sign of being in God's will. Consider Jonah, Balaam, and others. Scripture employs examples from history, precepts and exhortations to impress upon us the importance of walking in God's will and not being deceived by self-will. Consider this quote from Keith Green in an article about Balaam and self-will. “Let's put this in a modern setting. Someone asks Suzy out on a date, but her mom says, “No, I don't think he has enough character for you,” or something like that. Now there are two ways Suzy can respond to this fellow. “Well, I asked my mom, and she pointed out some really good reasons why I shouldn't go. She doesn't feel that this is a right relationship, and I trust her, and I really believe I'm supposed to obey her.” Or, “Boy, I'd really like to go, but my mother just won't let me!”  If she uses method number two, all she does is encourage this guy to find a way to get her to disobey her mom. If someone knows tha...

David Dunlap's excellent monthly newsletter articles are listed and accessible at this site: http://peter.sff.home.insightbb.com/newsletters.htm - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  by David Dunlap       Christians have debated for many years the issue of membership in the local church. Some churches have taught that, unless a Christian is a church member, he cannot partake at the Lord's Supper, be married in the church, or be involved in ministries of the church. Some have gone so far as to refuse to recognize baptism from other evangelical fellowships and insist on re-baptism. (1)    What does the Bible say about fellowship in the local church? What is "Reception"?        Many churches talk about "joining a church", but the language the Bible uses for fellowship in the local church is not "join" but "receive". We read in the New Testament: "Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have de...

“Let me go out on a limb a little bit and prophesy. I see the time coming when all the holy men whose eyes have been opened by the Holy Spirit will desert worldly evangelicalism, one by one. The house will be left desolate and there will not be a man of God, a man in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, left among them. The curse of worldliness I hear Jesus saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matt. 23:37). As the Church stands now, the man who sees this condition of worldly evangelicalism is written off as being somewhat fanatical. But the day is coming when the house will be left desolate and there will not be a man of God left among them.  I would like to live long enough to watch this develop and see how things turn out. I would like to live to see the time when the men...