Does the Trinity equal polytheism?

Radio debate between Abdullah and Christian apologist, Dr James White on the topic: Does the Trinity necessitate polytheism? Debate held on Christian Premier Radio, the programme was aired 15th November 2008

Timothy Brindles New Album Restoration

Need God?

Ravi Zacharias giving a great lecture on mans need for God!

Should You Invite a JW or Mormon into Your House?

Great video explaining some of the verses that is used by many to not allow non-Christians into their home. This video explains that we are to take advantage of the opportunity God has given us to share our faith.  We do not even have to leave our home, they come to us!

This is why theology matter because if one does not know how to defend their faith they really are muzzled and can not speak truth because they do not know how to defend things like the doctrine of the Trinity, deity of Jesus, etc. We are to love God with out minds and need to study to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15). My family came out of Mormonism because our Sovereign      
 God sent a co-worker to share the faith and it was what eventually led us out from the kingdom of the cults to the kingdom of Christ.

For further study please read Ron Rhodes book

CLICK HERE  http://www.amazon.com/Reasoning-Scriptures-Jehovahs-Witnesses-

Also Dr. James Whites book:       http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Trinity-The-James-

Both of these books will equip you to defend the essentials of the Christian faith.  May God bless you as you study his word and share the faith!




Please visit my friend Brian Dempsey's  youtube channel  http://www.youtube.com/user/GraceOnlineLibrary?

And his tremendous website which has a ton of great articles at Grace Online
http://www.graceonlinelibrary.org/

The "Seeker"-Sensitive Gospel

Excellent video showing the problems with the "seeker sensitive" movement. Sadly this has taken over evangelicalism in America. The result is that the church is filled with false converts and Christians who have such a week shallow view of the Gospel they are on life support.

Friends when giving the gospel to our friends we can not leave out sin, the cross, repentance and the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all things. It is the preaching of the cross that shows men the need for repentance. To tell people that coming to Jesus will make them happy or bring them money is to pervert the Gospel of our Lord. Coming to Christ requires a cost:
Matthew 10:39 
"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."


John 12:25 

"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.'

Mathew 16:25

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

This of course is not a popular message.  Imagine going to a service and hearing the pastor say that if you want to follow Christ you have to deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow him daily (Luke 9:23) and that if you want to be a Christian you better be ready to hate your father, mother, brother and even your own life if need be (Luke 14:26).

Paul Washer hits it on the head! This is the beauty of believing in the sovereignty of God is you do not have to worry about trying to attract people by carnal, unbiblical and unGodly means but rather give them the truth of scripture as God has ordained the Holy Scriptures as the instrument to which draws people and they are saved.  If America ever comes under any type of persecution you will see this 80% of America which claim to be Christian shoot down to about 15%.

We need to pray God continues to raise up Godly men who will stand up and fight relentlessly to proclaim his word and not flinch!  To stand up for truth, to defend truth, and to love truth!.  Let us not fall into the trap of trying to talk people into believing the gospel by misrepresenting what the gospel is and trying to attract people by un-Godly means.

The Way of The Master - The Motive of the Sinner - Episode 3

The reason a sinner responds to the Gospel determines whether or not he continues in his faith. This is a vital teaching. Multitudes are being inoculated to the true Gospel, because of a lack of understanding when it comes to this principle.

To think that one should come to Christ because it will make him happy is to miss the whole point of the Gospel.  If we are telling people to come to Christ because it will make them happy then we do not understand the gospel.  Man comes to Christ to be reconciled to a Holy God because we have sinned against him.  If this is not how we present the Gospel then we are not presenting the true gospel and this is why the church is filled with false converts.  Instead of embracing Jesus as their Lord and Master they have simply added Jesus to their list of things that they hope will bring them happiness. One must abandon all else and see themselves as blind, wretched, and naked and unless they throw themselves on the cross, God's wrath abides on them. Not a popular message but it is the most loving thing we can do.

Acts 17:31
 "Because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

A Response to 5 Pt. Salt- Is Reformed Rap Promoting Syncretism?

I recently came across an article that  was posted on  the website below

http://5ptsalt.com/2012/07/14/new-calvinism-the-sin-of-syncretism/

If one wants to read the full article it will take you to

http://www.newcalvinist.com/holy-hip-hop-and-new-calvinism/

When on FB I disagreed with the guy who had posted this article on his blog (He says he is not the author of the article) in which he said on his FB post that he was open for dialog yet when I responded he deleted my comments instead of engaging in a healthy dialog.  

Here is where I found the original post on FB

(  http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=344986225576491&id=141534049207578&notif_t=share_reply )

I see these type of arguments used against Christian Rap all the time and in my opinion they have no substance at all and always ends up with those who disagree with it because they do not themselves like it and thus pronounce it to be sin for all others.  The arguments were very weak, shallow and do nothing to demonstrate his point that Reformed Christian Rap encourages   syncretism.  I would encourage those interested to read the article that was posted and the readers can decide for themselves.

Lastly let me say I am GREATLY disappointed that instead of engaging in dialog 5ptsalt chose to delete my comments and refused to dialog.  During an exchange he said

" And yes, i'm happy to engage in dialogue - as long as it's on-topic"

He was not the author of the article but posted it on FB and his blog so I would expect him to be able to defend the serious charge that he is promoting on his blog and FB. I would invite 5ptsalt to feel free to comment on my blog if he cares to defend the claim that Reformed Rap promotes syncretism, and unlike what he did to me I will not delete his comments and censor him but would love to have good healthy debate.

My response which was deleted is reposted below.

So it is clear I am not angry. I am disapointed because I was wanting to have a healthy dialog and I think if people are going to make such claims they really need to be willing to defend them.  I wish 5ptsalt well and certainly have no bad feelings towards him.  I see these arguments used many times by those who do not like Christian Rap so I think it is important to show the arguments just dont hold under scrutiny!

My Response which was deleted

In your article I see three arguments that you say are normally given in defense of Christian Rap.
http://www.newcalvinist.com/holy-hip-hop-and-new-calvinism/


1) Redeeming hip-hop culture for Christ

2) A matter of musical preference

3) Music is morally neutral


I am going to go through all of your responses to these arguments because I do not think the objections you raise demonstrate your point at all.

In response to the first argument

1) Redeeming hip-hop culture for Christ

It would be helpful to get a definition of what you mean by "hip hop" culture? Do you mean drugs, guns, pimps, etc? If this is what you mean then obviously to be a Christian would mean to abandon all this stuff to follow Christ.

The Reformed Rappers I have seen such as Shai Linne certainly do NOT promote anything but Godly living and devotion to Christ. Which maybe there needs to be a distinction made between Christian Rap, and hip hop culture.

I found this definition from the Urban dictionary which defines hip hop as

" Hip-Hop"
A culture and form of ground breaking music and self expression with elements that consisted of the elements of graffiti art, DJing, MCing, and breaking. Today Hip-Hop is considered to be dead in the mainstream because so-called mainstream Hip-Hop doesn't have the elements of hip-hop and have no meaning.
The stuff on MTV and the radio can't be called Hip-Hop because the lyrics don't have any meaning or self expression."
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hip-hop

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hip-hop

I would ask why would you say that hip hop could not be redeemed for Christ? A Christian could do those things and be expressing their love for Christ and His word. The fact you may not do it or do not like it does not mean it is a sin. I would ask you to explain why these things could not be redeemed for Christ. (Note: Graffiti if it was done from a Christian would be done in a legal setting and would be part of aesthetics).

Sadly I was hoping to find your response but did not see one. You have stated the argument but never went on to refute the point. Maybe you (or the author if you are not him) could provide a response because the definition of hip hop as I find it I think could certainly be redeemed for Christ.


To your second point

2) A matter of musical preference



I agree it is more than a matter of preference in that the words have to be theologically sound. In response to this point you said

"Punk music [including hip-hop] is the ultimate statement of musical rebellion. Changing the words and the artists and calling it Christian will never sanctify it. It has no place in a new Christian’s life."

1-Please demonstrate the music is rebellious

2-Changing the words will not make it God honoring and Christ glorifying? It is the propositions in the music which determines if the song is glorifying to God or not. Are you saying sound in itself can be immoral or ungodly? One could play whatever sound they wanted with an instrument and it would be neither Godly nor unGodly because the words are not there.

The words is HOW we determine if something is Christ honoring or not. I could sing a Garth Brooks song set to "Amazing Grace" and it would not make it God honoring because you may like that style of music better. Sorry but this point really demonstrates you do not understand the issue. It really highlights the fact that you do not like it but it is not based on actual content but rather a "straw-man" caricature that you have made up of what you think SOME Christian rap is.

You posted Go on to say

"When we examine the lyrics of rap songs we are amazed to see that they are incoherent, meaningless drivel, although they invariably contain a few biblical phrases."

There probably is some Rap out there like that, but you can not throw out all of it because some are bad. There are some really silly hymns that are not theologically deep at all, should we throw out all Hymns?
I posted a song and gave an example and REALLY hope you will respond and tell me what in that song is theologically inaccurate because that song has more theology in it then most Christians are exposed to in a year at their church.

It is simply sophomoric and fallacious to discount all Christian Rap based on some bad ones.


Lastly you say in your third point

3) Music is morally neutral


This point you respond by saying

"But this is wrong thinking. According to the Oxford Companion to Music, a composer ‘has the desire to express himself. If he were a poet he would do so in words, if a painter he would do so in line and colour, and so forth. As a musician he uses sound.’[8] The composer has a dual aim—to express his emotion and his sense of beauty. Therefore the only valid question about a composition is, ‘has the composer succeeded in expressing his emotion and his sense of beauty.’[9] So when music is composed it is not composed into a neutral nothing, it has a form that expresses a message and shows the composers vision of beauty. The message of hip-hop is of rebellion against all that is good and decent, and the vision of beauty is a vision that has been corrupted by evil."


So is it your contention that one could tell whether a song is glorifying to God or not by simply listening to the music playing (for example a guitar)? If so please tell me how you are able to tell without hearing the words. If you are going to claim based on the Holy Spirit giving you discernment then what about Christians who say there discernment finds nothing wrong with it?

I really would love to have a dialog and go over these points and hope to hear from you soon. None of my response has been rude, nor have I tried to offend you in anyway so please do not be offended.

That being said I see you have removed one of my previous comments and I really hope you do not remove this before people can read it and we can engage in fruitful dialog.

What I have seen is nothing more than your dislike for Christian rap which is fine, but you take it a step further and claim those that promote it are guilty of syncretism. I have yet to see a solid argument from you that demonstrates your point and numerous reasons to praise God and thank Him for raising these young reformed rappers who are actually getting out in the community and reaching people for Jesus Christ and are doing so with good, sound, Biblical reformed theology.

Sola deo Gloria!

C.J. Mahaney

(Mark 15:33-41 ESV)

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

Theology Matters With the Pellews

If you missed yesterdays radio show, here is what you missed. You can follow the link to hear the podcast. We are very excited about this show and plan on having some very big names in the world of Apologetics joining us on the show so stay tuned!.. This is a 2 hour show once a week from 6-8 eastern on Thursday nights. We welcome your phone calls (760) 542-3907 during the show

Join Devin Pellew and Melissa Pellew on "Theology Matters" Thursdays from 6-8pm (EST)! This week's discussion (the thumbnail below hasn't updated) will be on Arguments for God's Existence. Te first hour, we will look at the different ways in which God has revealed Himself to us (general and specific revelation). The second hour, we will focus on Thomas Aquinas' Third Way argument (argument from contingency) as proof for God's Existence. Joining us on the air during the second hour to discuss this topic will be Michael Willenborg (M.A in Apologetics- Southern Evangelical Seminary) to share his thoughts on the topic. Put your thinking caps on and join us for a fun time of learning and growing more in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-visible-conservative-christians-unleashed/2012/07/12/theology-matters-with-the-pellews  CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SHOW

Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?

Great video on the Jehovahs Witness view of Jesus and why it is heretical and is damning.  Make no mistake about it. The JWs are a cult and worship a false God!.  Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity and is fully God and Fully man.


Here is a section of the article linked below:


"1. The Apostle Thomas called Jesus God.

John 20:27-29: Then He [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

2. The Apostle Peter called Jesus God.

2 Peter 1:1: “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”

3. The Apostle Paul called Jesus God.

Titus 2:12b-14: “...we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

4. The Apostle John called Jesus God.

John 1:1-3, 14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word wasGod.” See verse 14 for confirmation that this reference to the "Word" is a reference to Jesus.

5. God the Father called Jesus God.

Hebrews 1:8: “But to the Son He [God the Father] says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom."

CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE   http://www.alwaysbeready.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=94&Itemid=0

Is Lucy A Missing Link?

Many evolutionists think that Lucy is a great example of macro-evolution (All life forms have a common ancestor) and often use Lucy when asked to give evidence for their theory.  This video explains in detail why Lucy is not a missing link. Please checkout the article as well!

"Since 1974, however, more bones have been recovered from other members of Lucy’s species. Her toes have been shown to curve like tree-dwelling apes; her shoulders have been found to be nearly identical to living great apes; her wrists resemble those of other knuckle-walking ape species; and her hands—far from being like human hands—are similar to those of chimpanzees."




Read Article Here
http://www.answersingenesis.org/get-answers/features/lucy?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=lucy-campaign

Is Grace Irresistible? Dr. R.C. Sproul Explains

Is Grace Irresistible?


The debate over man’s moral ability did not end with Pelagius. In southern France, a man named John Cassian objected to Augustine’s doctrine. His view became known as semi-Pelagianism.

From the series: Willing to Believe

Trinity vs Oneness Debate! Part 1

Trinitarian vs Oneness! Very good debate between two knowledgeable guys. If you live in the south it will not be long before you run into a oneness believer. Learn how to defend the Trinity as it is an essential of the faith

Tinity vs Oneness Debate! Part 2

Very Important to understand this issue as the Trinity is an essential of the faith!

Matt Slick Interviews Mormons, Manti, 2012

Matt from carm.org does a FANTASTIC job while interviewing these Mormons.  This interview should show the need for memorizing scripture and studying to show ourselves approved!