Posts

Showing posts from October, 2015

Don't Forget to Remember the Living Reformers While They're Still Living!

Image
Don't wait until these guys go to glory before you remember them! I was reminded of an illustration given by a pastor in one of many services I attended to in Bible Baptist Church-Katipunan where the members gave the flowers and gifts only after the pastor died.  Considering that October is Reformation Month, it's certainly nice to give honors to the Reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldyrch Zwingli or any of the classical Reformers or Reformed preachers like Charles Haddon Spurgeon.  It's almost like October 31 has become a date to remember the departed Reformers but it has failed to remember living Reformers. Nothing is wrong with remembering the departed Reformers unless you go into the superstitions of Rome like praying to the Reformers, praying for their eternal repose when they are already rejoicing in Heaven, or deifying them like Roman Catholics do to those whom the Pope has canonized saints.  I would admit there is a huge list of stuff that I owe

The Christian Life Will Get More Complicated As the Days Go By

Image
Being a true Christian means getting a lonely life.  At first I got surprised to why my life got more complicated but later, the more I read the Bible, the more I understand why Christian life is so complicated.  John 15:18-19 and James 4:4 is clear as day that the Christian is not going to be liked by the world.  The unsaved man is most likely going to be the friend of the world but never the true Christian.   The Christian life is complicated because 1 Corinthians 1:18 says that Christianity is foolishness to the world.  A true Christian preacher is bound to be accused of teaching a license to sin by the works salvation crowd or accused of teaching works salvation by the Antinomian.  Rival cults may even accuse the true Christian of working for each other.  The Christian is caught in between a rock and a hard place but Jesus Christ is the Rock of Ages (1 Corinthians 10:4) and the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against Him (Matthew 16:18)!   When Jesus told Peter that the Gate

John Calvin's Quote on Understanding One's Sinful Condition

Image
The problem of man today is their self-righteousness, the are satisfied with themselves like the Pharisees who thought too highly of themselves.  The Pharisees thought they were good enough for God and felt that Jesus should have gone near them instead of the tax collectors and prostitutes.  In those days, the tax collectors and the prostitutes were outcasts of society and many of them saw their sinfulness.  But the Pharisees saw none of their sinfulness which was a problem for them considering what Scriptures really say in Romans 3:10-19 that we are all guilty before God. In works salvation, it's nothing more than a mindset that if my good works exceed my bad works, I am going to be okay.  However, God's holy righteous standards says in James 2:10 that if we break even only one rule of the Law, we are considered cut short of the glory of God.  The problem is that we are holding on to a ten knotted rope that regardless which knot was cut, we are bound to fall down.  The

So the Man of God is Now a "Pharisee"?

Image
Looking at the comic strip above, it's very easy to see how the man of God can be so easily judged and verses are taken out of context.  One of the most misused and abused verses ever is judge not and you will not be judged (Matthew 7:1) all because people do not bother to take the Bible into context.  The more I observe about how Scripture is misquoted (note Satan also quoted Scriptures to tempt Jesus), the more I realize that people misquote the Scripture just to get their own way.  False prophets just love to misinterpret the Scripture, don't they? Jeremiah was doing his best to warn people of the sheep but the people think that he had no right to relay the truth.  Most people today cannot tell the difference between judging people as the final judge and judging people's actions.  While I should not judge the final fate of people that so and so should have died already, however I am commanded to make sound judgment about doctrines and actions as to warn others of

Reflecting on Charles Spurgeon's Quote on the Highlands of Affliction

Image
I always thought of why Christians had to suffer affliction, I complained on why the righteous must suffer while the wicked are allowed to prosper.  But when you think of it, Christians are still imperfect and there's perfection to work.  A Christian is not perfect, they are still sinners even if they are no longer enslaved by sin, they still struggle and fall into sin.  No Christian's sins are 100% nailed to the cross but daily, the sins are nailed to the cross until glorification.   I am convinced that affliction teaches perseverance.  Psalm 119:71 says, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes. "  I remembered the quote from John Calvin which said that Christians are in bigger danger in prosperity than in affliction.  In success, it's very easy to get complacent.  Remember the illustration of the vineyard in John 15:1-8?  While the Father throws away the false converts, He prunes the true converts making sure that th

Reflecting on Jonathan Edwards on Growing in Knowledge

Image
Considering it's the Reformation and I believe that Christians today must continue what the Reformers started.  Now for the quote by Jonathan Edwards, I would agree with what he said that one must not seek to gain knowledge for the sake of applause or debate but rather for the benefit of the well-being of the Christian.   Proverbs 1:7, 9:10 declares that the fear of the L ORD is the beginning of knowledge.  Gaining godly knowledge is by fearing God and shunning evil.  Based on my experience, fearing others makes me dull but fearing God is where I gain godly knowledge.  Job 28:28 declares that fearing God includes shunning evil.  Any true Christian is called to grow in knowledge by God's grace to shun evil.  If a person is truly saved then they may fall into sin but not indulge in sin.  A Christian is never comfortable in the pig pens because he is not a pig. The Bible also warns in 2 Timothy 2:16 that profane babbling should be shunned.  In other words, debates are n

Bible Page Fused to Steel From 9/11 Says...

Image
While I personally have no interest in Pope Francis and that guy is opposing the Bible, here was something that was uncovered during his brief visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum . That stuck page had these words permanently exposed from the Gospel of Matthew and it was from a King James, red-letter version: Retaliation. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. God commands us to forgive and even if we are not to tolerate error, we are not to hold grudges against people who wronged us. The problem with Islam is that it hardly believes in forgiveness, it misapplies the eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. If we are to take a look at Matthew 5:38 (the verse that widely exposed), I would now present another verse that is included in that chapter: Matthew 5:43-44 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thine

Watch This Video of Ray Comfort on Militant Evangelism!

Image
Sometimes, it's very easy to just focus on Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, William Tyndale Charles Spurgeon or Huldyrch Zwingli when it comes to Reformation month.  A sad fact that many Christians may be celebrating October 31 by singing "A Mighty Fortress is our God" or by dramatizing Martin Luther, giving Gospel tracts to Trick or Treaters, evangelizing witches wherever they appear but do we also spend time to honor Reformed pastors who are still alive?  Remember, the Reformers of the past may be dead and gone but they intended the Reformation to continue. While I used to think preachers like Ray Comfort, John F. Macarthur, Paul David Washer and Robert Charles Sproul were part of the "New World Order" (as some conspiracy nutjobs would want me to believe) or they taught salvation by works (no thanks to a website I read for several years but thank God I avoided that site courtesy of my good friend, Atty. Zigfred M. Diaz of The Master's Communit

Sooner or Later, Growing Christians Will Love to Read the Bible All the More!

Image
Reading the Bible cover to cover once is never enough and I want to read more of it.  Even if I know what happens from Genesis to Revelation, I still can't stop putting the Bible down because I can never outgrow it.  The reason why I cannot stop putting the Bible down meaning I can't stop reading it and why is that?  It's because the Bible has a warm message for me every day and when there's something that's difficult to understand, I seek a good commentary to read through it and finding out what it means. As a former Roman Catholic, I didn't like the idea of studying the Bible and I was soon placed in Bethany Christian School.  What I didn't realize was that it was the hand of God that placed me into that school.  I still insisted on Roman Catholic tradition but he mightily used Pastor Armando Candido Borja to preach the Gospel and I became among a few to be of the chosen.  From a person who hated Bible studies because it went against the Roman Catho

Well, We Christians Warned You, Didn't We?

Image
From Repentance Cry, well here's a picture that really summarizes people who tell me that my work for God is useless.  So they tell Christian workers in general, "You people better stop criticizing.  You are not making God happy." then they misquote the Bible never mind Jesus said in John 14:6 that only He can lead men to the Father and John 5:23 makes it clear whoever rejects Jesus Christ also rejects the Father. Isaiah 30:10 says, "Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:" and well, they got it.  It just reminded me of Pastor Paul David Washer's statement saying, "False teachers are God’s judgment on people who don’t want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires. That’s why a Joel Osteen is raised up! Those people who sit under him are not victims of him, he is the JUDGMENT OF GOD UPON THEM BECAUSE THEY WA

The Problem with Thin-Skinned Friendly Preachers

Image
Looking at this quote by Pastor John F. Macarthur, I always thought of how the truth offends, then let it offend.  After all, people have been offending God with their sin so why should they not be offended with the truth?  While I have stopped my previous method in my old blogs that the best way to reach the Gospel is to be as cheesy and offensive as possible, however being too soft and thin-skinned friendly is not the way either. It just made me think of how witnessing has never been easy and the Gospel is offensive to sinful man.  What truly upsets sinful people is the message against sin and self-righteousness.  If a man who loves sin is offended by the message of repentance of sin, the idea of salvation by grace through faith is offensive to the work salvationist's ears.  Either sinful people want to keep reveling in sin or they just want to keep up with their self-righteousness.  Reading Jeremiah and the Book of Acts, the Gospel offends.  Jeremiah was alone and broken du

A Friendly Reminder: A Christian's Enemy is His or Her Mission Field!

Image
When I remembered Pastor Robert Kent Jesalva's sermon on Jonah, it's very easy to forget that your enemy is your mission field.  It's very easy to fall into Jonah's mistake or to say that so and so does not deserve God's forgiveness.  When I think I get into a state of unforgiveness and bitterness, it's time to really address the issue to myself, "Did I even deserve forgiveness?"  Not at all, when you look at the Bible, it doesn't matter who did more wrong than the other, God has condemned everyone just the same.  The person who stole brass and who stole gold are both sentenced to Hell.  The person who told a "white lie" and the con artist are both sentenced to Hell.   James 2:10-11 and Romans 3:10-19 are clear as crystal to reveal the reality that all are guilty before God and nobody really deserves forgiveness.  You cannot live salvation by merits and demerits from one's own sinfulness.  Jesus did not die for the righteous be

The Pentecostal Movement Gives a Wrong Impression of the Holy Spirit!

Image
When I was newly saved, I really had no idea about how the Pentecostal or Charismatic Movement ran, I thought that they were a healthy bunch of Christians but I was so dead wrong.  The more I looked at events within the Charismatic circles, the more I think those people are really demon-possessed plus the preachers themselves are con artists who claim, "I am a miracle man."  My question is, if they are truly able to heal, why not heal those in need as Jesus, the Apostles and the Prophets of God did to those who were truly in need?   After receiving Holy Spirit conviction of the Charismatic meetings, I have noticed how people made fool out of themselves whether the preacher was pro-Catholic or anti-Catholic.  I remembered some videos way back in the past where the pastor was not only hissing but also, people are already acting in utmost lunacy and I can ask, "Is this movement really from God?"  The more I examined the Charismatic chaos, the more I realize that

Proverbs 14:12 - What May Seem Right May Soon Lead to the Dead End Towards Hellfire!

Image
Whenever I meditate on the meaning of Proverbs 14:12, I always think of people doing what's right in their own eyes. In Judges 21:25 it summarized the whole problem of Israel during the days of the judges, people were doing what they thought was right but it was not right. The problem is no different than today especially when it comes to the issues of sin and doing what's right. When I read the Book of Judges and the Book of Jeremiah when I am frustrated, I find myself not a bit surprised to what's going on in the world. The quote in the topmost picture is from Arthur W. Pink on "The Devil's Delusion" and I am afraid many people are trapped in Satan's program of self-righteousness while believing they serve God, they are unknowingly serving the Devil. Works salvation as a system of man's own justice ignores the total depravity of man. Now one can say, "How dare you say I am totally depraved?" I am sorry but Isaiah 64:6 calls our righteo

Is Arminianism is Just Another Form of Diet Roman Catholicism?

Why do I say that the Arminian is a diet Roman Catholic?  It is because even if they are not of Rome, they adhere to the Papist heresy of conditional security which was set by the rules of mortal sin and venial sin. Since From Got Questions , here's a definition of mortal sin and venial sin: In the Catechism of the Catholic Church is found this description of mortal sin: "For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: 'Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.'" According to the Catechism, "Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments." The Catechism further states that mortal sin "results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace.  If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of hell." Regarding venial sin, the Ca

Reading Many Good Christian Books but Living in the Bible

Image
Here's a quote from C.H. Spurgeon that I can really take in my study of Reformed Theology, "Visit may good books but live in the Bible."  What does that mean?  When I start to think of the meaning of that quote, Christians are encouraged to visit as many good Christian books as they can but remember, they are not a substitute for the Bible but rather, like spices, the are complements for the Bible.  If you happen to know this, Charles Haddon Spurgeon himself was also a writer of books such as the Sword and the Trowel, and Lectures to My Students. During my early stages of my Christian life as an immature believer struggling with sin, I always wondered if reading good Christian books was going to be helpful for my Christian growth and one of my former mentors in the faith, Pastor Armando Candido Borja had allowed me to read a few of his books.  The first piece of Christian literature I read through was "Not Just Sundays: Being a Christian in the Everyday World&

The Felix Manalo Film: Nothing but Another Deliberate Attempt in Deceiving the Masses!

Image
"But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." - 1 Corinthians 11:12-15 Thanks to Bro. Gerry Soliman for this image While there's an ongoing internal schism such as the expulsion of INC Minister Elias Samson as well as the mother and son team of Tenny and Angel, I am amazed to see how this cult in the Philippines has the guts to spend money to have a film to present Felix Manalo as a minister of God. If it's wrong to have a film that glorifies adultery, then it's also wrong to glorify a man who is a habitual adulterer and womanizer to be a ma

Nine Signs of an Intellectually Dishonest Roman Catholic Apologist

I am always amazed that how it is when me or some other Christian apologist such as Bro. Gerry Soliman always attacked with accusations of intellectual dishonesty.  The issue is whether or not I have never committed the acts below because we are all sinners, but the problem is when a person has been calling the kettle black.  I'll admit I have done some intellectual dishonesty myself and I pray by the grace of God I avoid such illogical stupidity. 1.) The tendency to only read (websites, books, periodicals), listen (audio materials) or watch anything (videos) he or she just agrees with.   We all have this tendency do we?  It just made me think how some Roman Catholic faith defenders tend to only cite Roman Catholic sources most of the time.  Now I admit that there's my tendency to do so but sometimes, I bother to read through Roman Catholic sources to get information like Alfonsus Ligouri's own prayer to prove Roman Catholics indeed worship Mary to cut through their gob

Ray Comfort's Quote Against Non-Soulwinning Churches

Image
While I am simply praying to God that I can get a copy of "The Evidence Bible", I felt compelled to share this inspiring quote by Ray Comfort.  There's a whole world out there that's dying in their sins, many people who need to get saved from sin by the grace of God.  But why are many churches today not doing any missions or soulwinning?  If God doesn't get happy if Christians aren't doing any form of soulwinning or evangelism such as one on one or passing Gospel tracts, how much more if a local church isn't doing any soulwinning at all. His comparison between emergency vehicles and evangelism stresses the urgency of missions.  The Church's mission is to send evangelism to a dying world just as emergency vehicles must send their dying patients to the hospital to be treated as soon as possible.  2 Corinthians 6:2 says that today is the day of salvation so why should people delay?  There's a whole world of people dying and according to statist

Thomas Watson's Quote on Affliction

Image
I always felt asking myself, "Why Lord?" whenever times of trouble come. Nobody really wants to be in times of trouble for most of the time. Looking at the promises of the Bible, you can see more times that the Bible warns of persecution than it promises prosperity. At first, it makes God look unjust and cruel but take a look at the quote of the Puritan preacher, Thomas Watson on what he said about the affliction of the saints comparing them to diamonds that are being cut. In real life, the more finely cut a diamond is, the more beautiful it is to look upon and the more expensive it is. A rough diamond vs. the cut diamond shows the immature believer and the Christian only after affliction A dull diamond would never sell compared to a finely cut diamond. Take a look at the picture above of the uncut diamond vs. the finished, cut diamond. The uncut diamond can represent the Christian prior to affliction and persecution as they are still dull. Remember that the uncut

Meditating on William Tyndale's Inspirational Quote for the Christian Minority

Image
While it's true that there is strength in numbers but it's also true that quality exceeds quantity. Now I want to see an increase in the flock of Christ but many are called but a few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). The issue is not about numbers but who supports them and when it comes to the truth of Christianity, there are more people who enter the broad way than the narrow way. William Tyndale's quote really speaks the Scriptural truth that it's not numbers, it's the Lord Jesus Christ that matters in the ministry. Matthew 7:13-14 warns people that strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and broad is the way and wide is the gate that leads to destruction. Some people say I'm a bigot and an extremist for upholding such views, saying I'm no better than ISIS when I uphold such doctrine. I didn't say it, Jesus said it. For people who say that Jesus won't say such things are missing several points in the Bible especially that when J

John Charles Ryle on Jellyfish Christianity

Image
Here's a quote by John Charles Ryle to what Jellyfish Christianity is which is not Christianity at all. I am sick and tired of hearing people saying the nonsense of not condemning any man's doctrinal views and that everybody is right and nobody is wrong (until convenience comes). Ryle is right to call this "Christianity" as without bone, muscle or sinew at all. I am afraid many people who claim to be Christians are missing the point with Christianity. They just want Easy Christianity where everybody is just one happy family. John 15:18-19 and James 4:4 warns that if you are in Christ, the world is your enemy and if you are a friend of the world, Christ is your enemy.  How often is it when the worldly men takes the Scriptures out of context, they only quote love one another or do not judge whenever I attack false religion. They say I should stop criticizing or that I'm just picking fights whenever I tell people of their doctrinal error. While being cheesy an

Arthur Wellington Pink's Quote Against the False God of the Average Pulpit!

Image
This preacher is such a point missing phony! "How vastly different is the God of the Scripture from the god of the average pulpit." is indeed a quote that I can say that, "Yes Lord, yes!"  I would say that even if I have problems in my Christian life or at times, a compromise with sin but I could never feel comfortable with a pastor who endorses that stupid feel good Gospel.  It just reminded me of why I even didn't finish reading through Joel Osteen's garbage called "Your Best Life Now" because the prosperity or feel good message is not in the Bible.  Rather it's preached by stupid preachers who choose to follow the ways of man rather than the ways of God. I remembered the time when I was newly saved when I was told, "Well even some Protestant pastors are friendly enough to have an ecumenical yoke with Rome.  We have nothing against you leaving Catholicism, just continue to be yoked with us." by showing me the garbage of pre

John Calvin's Quote on Prosperity, Adversity and the Christian Life

Image
Looking at this quote by John Calvin, this phrase fully agrees with the Bible to why we are even tested.  Based on my experience as a born again Christian, it's much easier to stay faithful when I am in danger than I am in prosperity.  Why is that?  Remember that even when a Christian is saved, they still have the flesh to struggle with and remember, the old nature has always been about "Me, myself and I." instead of "Father, Son and Spirit".  Even after a person accepts their own works cannot save, they can still become braggarts and say, "I did it!" The Reformers were simply, "Sola Deo Gloria" or "Glory to God alone."  The problem is when a Christian faces too many successes, they end up undoing what they do for God.  I felt it myself that after some victory, it's very difficult to give the glory back to God.  So what does God do?  He uses adversity to remind us of Isaiah 42:8 saying that He will not give His glory to an

The Arminian's Daisy From Calvinistic Cartoons

Image
Image above taken from  Calvinistic Cartoons Arminianism itself at first appears to preach Scriptural truth but it doesn't teach it.  If there's anything that reveals the ugly veil of the Arminian is that it actually teaches works salvation.  So let's examine the letter Y that says, "You better make sure you keep doing good or you're out."   The typical excuse of Arminian theology is that when you teach the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, you teach a license to sin.  It's stupid and annoying how these self-righteous Arminians just keep missing the point whenever, whenever and they say that they don't teach works salvation but they say you need to do works to stay saved.  Whether you like it or not, having to work to keep your salvation is just as wrong as saying you need to do good works to attain it.  The Arminian theology is just like the Roman Catholic doctrinal stand that says, "You are first given grace but you must work