Shepherds' Conference: Part 3 - Fear The Lord & Preach The Word • Spiritual Pharisaism

General Session 6: Albert Mohler

There is no more restless person on earth than a preacher who's not preaching when somebody else is. - A. Mohler #ShepCon

There are no minor prophets. There are just short books. - Albert Mohler #ShepCon

Where does true ministry start? What we really start with as a called preacher is the fear of God. - Al Mohler #ShepCon

Albert Mohler points out the lie of Joyce Meyer's book title, "God Is Not Mad At You." #ShepCon

How many of us have ever experienced a second, a moment, of genuine awe? - Al Mohler #ShepCon

We have so temperamentally changed the expectation in worship that they don't expect to experience a moment of awe. #ShepCon Hearing AMohler

To preach anything other than the Word of God & rightly divide the Word of God is to take the name of the Lord in vain. #ShepCon (A Mohler)

Nike says No Fear. The Lord of hosts says to fear God. (Listening to A. Mohler) #ShepCon

Albert Mohler reads from "Holiness" by JC Ryle. ►http://gracegems.org/Ryle/holiness.htm … #ShepCon 

Can you imagine....? Wanted: Messenger of the Lord of Hosts A Mohler #ShepCon

(On FB) Can you imagine... Wanted: Messenger of the Lord of Hosts 1. He must fear the Lord & be in awe of His Name 2. He must walk in peace & uprightness & turn many from iniquity A Mohler ‪#‎ShepCon‬

The only way we're actually going to know the Word of the Lord is in our mouth & not 1 wrong word on r lips is 2 preach the Word.#ShepCon AM

— K T (@KTinHills) March 11, 2016

It's one thing to be a messenger. It's another thing to be a messenger of the Lord of hosts. - Al Mohler #ShepCon

General Session 7: Tom Pennington

As frightening as physical blindness is, spiritual blindness is worse.  Christ is the only One who can treat spiritual blindness. #ShepCon

Nothing undermines our ministry like our lack of spiritual integrity....
Are you excusing or tolerating a secret life of sin? #ShepCon Tom P

It is the integrity of the messenger that establishes the credibility of the message. - Tom Pennington #ShepCon

The drift from Theological  orthodoxy doesn't begin with an exegetical argument, but a drift from moral integrity. #ShepCon

We fail to have compassion for the people under our care when we fail to practice church discipline. - Tom Pennington #ShepCon

Our authority as elders and leaders stops where the Word of God stops. #ShepCon Tom P

Jesus taught His disciples for 3 1/2 years, and we want people to change with one sermon. Listening to Tom P #ShepCon

When our greatest desire is to be noticed by men...who are you worshiping? -Tom Pennington #ShepCon

The sincere Christian's motive is to glorify God.  The hypocrite's motive is for self to be noticed. Don't embezzle God's glory. #ShepCon TP

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 6:1 NASB
Listening to Tom Pennington

Is your public persona different than your private character?  - Tom Pennington #ShepCon

What makes a man spiritual?  When he is consumed with a passion for God's glory.
Listening to Tom Pennington #ShepCon #ShepCon2016

We must never embezzle for ourselves the glory that belongs to God alone. - Tom Pennington #ShepCon #ShepCon2016

— K T (@KTinHills) March 11, 2016

"Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. Matthew 23:10 NASB #ShepCon #ShepCon2016 

One of the greatest mistakes we can make as leaders is forgetting we are just clay pots. - Tom Pennington #ShepCon

The church is the body, and Christ is still it's Head. Hearing Tom Pennington #ShepCon Pastors are just a mouth.

"Marriage", Marijuana, Mandate, & Mortality %

Judge's Opinion On "Marriage"

Last night, Federal Judge Arenda Allen in the state of Virginia ruled that the ban on homosexual so-called "marriage" is unconstitutional. 
See newspiece here 

The judges making these decisions claim that it is based on the equal protection clause of the Constitution as though behavior and skin color are equivalent.  They are not.   Homosexuality is a behavior rather than something that came from God...just like fornication/adultery is a behavior. 

Racism is a terrible thing, but homosexuality is not a natural thing like race.  People are not born having intimate relations, and marriage is defined by God not man.  It is a reflection of Christ's relationship with the church.  Every adult in the U.S. had the right to marry someone of the opposite sex.  So, homosexuals had the same rights as everybody else, but they wanted special rights. Homosexuals have chosen to rebel against God's character just as those who worship idols, those who steal, those who commit adultery, etc..   There is a problem when people try to get others to accept and sanction behavior that God calls sin.
 
See Albert Mohler's article on Kentucky's U.S. District Judge's decision which included recognition of other states so-called "marriages".
Albert Mohler Article

Marijuana

The subject of marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes has become a popular yet controversial issue in the U.S.  Not long ago the Gospel Coalition had a much discussed article about whether the use of recreational marijuana is a sin.
Is Recreational Marijuana Use A Sin?

A couple of days ago, a New York Times article had this to say even about the idea of the use of marijuana for medical purposes:

"The truth is we lack evidence not only for the efficacy of marijuana, but also for its safety."
We Need Proof On Marijuana --NY Times

Obama Mandate

President Obama has now made another executive order decision which would include mandating some businesses swear that lay-off decisions were not made based on Obamacare.  President Obama seems to believe that he is above the law, and the Congress seems to be too weak, fearful, or not motivated enough to assert their Constitutional power to stop his unchecked power-grabbing.

See Fox News Article

Here's a list of some of the over-stepping executive decisions Obama has made.
7 Times Obama Ignored the Law to Impose His Executive Will - Heritage Blog

The ACLJ has put out a petition for those who want to voice their opinion to Obama:
Say No to Unconstitutional Orders

Mortality

This past week, Shirley Temple Black and Ralph Waite with an e both died at the age of 85.  There were some positive and negative elements in the things they acted in.  I have watched most of  Shirley Temple's old movies and saw some of the Waltons episodes.  There were some elements that I didn't approve of but Shirley was cute and Ralph Waite was good at playing the part of the father on the Waltons. 
 
The percentage of physical death in this world has held pretty steady throughout history. 
No matter if someone dies at a young age or lives their full life expectancy here on earth, each one will face either God's wrath or mercy, love and forgiveness.  It won't matter how famous or idolized a person is or how giving and selfless they may appear, it will only matter your standing before God. 

Do you know where you will go when you die? 
If you have any doubts, please view the following link:

Bad News And Good News
 

Free Song, Worship, Lacking Evangelism, Free Master's Seminary Lectures

• I noticed that Sovereign Grace Music has the song "Nothing In All The Earth" as a free download.  The song is very encouraging to me as someone who is struggling with physical suffering right now.  Check it out here.

• Worship is not just music and is not about entertaining people into having good feelings toward God.  Albert Mohler wrote a superb article "Expository Preaching—The Antidote to Anemic Worship" that you may also want to read (if you didn't already read it).

• Why do many Christians not evangelize?  9Marks blog had some interesting points on this subject.  I really can identify with isolation, although not entirely.  Still, people do not have to be "friends" before giving the Gospel to people.  Five Reasons We Don't Evangelize - by Michael McKinley.

• For those who would like to audit some seminary classes from The Master's Seminary free online, they have made some of the lectures free online.  There are men out there who may not be able to attend seminary, and this is one helpful tool for those interested in ministry.  You can visit the site here.

I am having a lot of difficulty doing this post, but I hope that it will edify some people and is worth the effort.  I pray that God will use it.
 

Security in Troubled Times & Probing the Gosnell Syndrome

The IRS scandal, terrorist threats, some forms of immorality being exalted, Lies, murdering of babies, denying God, and pressure for Christians to disobey God ... this is just the tip of the iceberg of what is coming.  In China and Islamic countries we can see already what it is like for freedom to be taken away.  How do we find peace and security and react in a way that pleases God in difficult circumstances?
I just listened to a recent message by John MacArthur that has some excellent Biblically based timely answers.   To listen click Here .

A lot of people are now familiar with the abortionist Gosnell who was sentenced recently to life in prison.  He is not the only one whose desire for money and callousness brought him to the point of not caring where the location of the baby was when he took his or her life.  After all, people allowed him to kill in the womb and the child is just as human and alive there as outside and the law didn't care.  Mothers go to those places wanting their babies dead, so abortionists are willing to oblige them.  Is our culture not accepting of this?  Many of us as Christians cringe, but how many of us do anything?  Do those of us who are Christians often not throw up our hands helplessly or think we have done enough?  The mother and the abortionists and "clinic" workers need the Gospel, and on a human level it is good to offer help to at least save a life and make sure babies are cared for.  One day that child may grow up and be granted repentance and faith. 

Here are a couple of good articles that I read about the Gosnell trial.
 

• God help us if we don't learn from Gosnell's crimes - Denny Burk

• Kermit Gosnell's America - What His Trial Really Reveals - Albert Mohler