Doctrinal Danger & Lost Friendship

Since I used to endorse and share things from Tony Miano in years past, I believe it is right to share the following two videos.

I know I'm rather late saying anything about this on my blog, but I would encourage people who are familiar with Mike Reid or Tony to watch the interviews and strongly consider them.

I truly care about Tony Miano, his family, and the others in the church he is in (though we are no longer online friends).
I could not support his move to that church, and now, I see the red flags even more.

Sharing these is not about my personal hurt.
This is not about wanting to hurt others.
This is not about slander.
This is about researched information and testimony from different people.
My hope is that God will work in the hearts of people and that truth will prevail.
I care about people enough to share these things.

I have been removing posts related to Tony until such time as things turn around.
I cannot guarantee that I haven't missed some of them for those checking.
I hope that I will not lose friends, but I believe this is the right thing to do.

 Please hear what the doctrinal views and practices are of the church mentioned, and please consider the risks to people due to them.

Heretical Error, Shepherds' Conference 2017, Reformation & Great Awakening

How do you know what doctrine is the most important, and what heresy sends people to Hell?
The following article is one that is superb on this subject:
 When Does Error Become Heresy? - Mike Riccardi


2017 Shepherds' Conference - 500 year anniversary of the Reformation 
"We Preach Christ" 
I know the last conference seems hardly over with (and it was great), but next year's looks to be quite exciting as well.  Some of my online friends are already planning to go, and those of us who can't attend will hopefully get to watch online again next year!

Watch the Introduction! 

From the Reformation to the Great Awakening:  
I'm still creeping my way through the historical Theology lectures that are online that were given at the Master's Seminary.  Although they are primarily for pastors, you don't have to be a pastor to benefit.  We all can learn about church history, and how heresy creeps in and Theological creeds were helpful.  Also, it shows how God continues to work to keep a remnant for Himself -  even though many stray from Biblical truth.

It is helpful for Christians to see why the Reformation was needed (to recover the truth - especially the Biblical Gospel that had been strayed from), and then again why the Great Awakening was needed as the age of so-called "Enlightenment" began to make idols of human reasoning and science.
This is the Lecture I'm currently making my way through:
Nathan Busenitz talking about what led to the necessity for the Great Awakening.

                          

Preaching Conference, Love, Temptation, & Homosexuality

Events & Links Worth Noting:

The Bible & Homosexuality

I wanted to remind people that the conference on The Bible and Homosexuality starts Friday at 7 PM Eastern U.S. time (which would be 4 PM Pacific).
It will be Live-streamed!
This is an important topic in these times, so I hope people will share about it with their friends. The church having the conference has a pastor that was once an adult Sunday School teacher at Grace Community Church in California.

The Bible & Homosexuality Conference

To View Completed Conference Sessions, Click Here.

Herald Society Days of Old Conference
Update: Conference postponed until 2016 due to a family member death

If you are a pastor or street preaching evangelist or just an interested Christian, the Herald Society Conference is for you.  I highly recommend it!

Herald Society - Days of Old

How do you balance truth with love?
The Apostle of Uncompromised Love by John MacArthur

Test or Temptation? 
Every Test & Every Temptation by Tim Challies

Talented Young Singers, Gospel For Catholics, David Platt Goes Biblical

I'm starting out the year sharing three distinctly different videos for my viewers.

The first is a new song by a group named "Dave's Highway" published on December 30, 2013, the second is directed to Roman Catholics about the mass, the last is amazing and especially great if you have the time to listen.  I suggest bookmarking it for later if need be! 

 

Here is a lively new song to start out the new year:

 

The Gospel for Catholics:

 

David Platt gave a great message on Missions at the recent Cross Conference (the focus of the conference being unreached peoples).

What made it especially great was that he seemed to be quoting the book of Romans in a way that made things stand out differently bringing the glory of God to the forefront. It may be hard for you to follow...especially more so if you are not familiar with Romans or English is not your primary language.


CROSS 2013: Mobilizing God’s Army for the Great Commission (Session X) from CROSS on Vimeo.

Pray for the Persecuted Church Around The Globe

Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.
Hebrews 13:3 NASB

In China, people from house churches risk being put into jail, and in Central Asia and other Muslim countries Christians and those who convert from Islam to faith in Christ are often at risk of losing their lives.

Recently I shared about a street evangelist named Tony Miano who was arrested in England, and these arrests are spreading. A pastor named Josh Williamson was arrested in Scotland not long after another street preacher was arrested in the U.K. 
  If you are a Christian, you won't want to miss the interview that Tony Miano did with Josh that I am sharing the link to on this post.

Don't think that America is immune to this. Freedoms get eroded a little at a time and when nobody says anything it can go downhill faster. While Christians are warned in the Bible of persecution, people in western countries may think that will never happen here. Well, the U.K. has been seen as a country of freedom, and now we see the example of when authorities there step out of line and exceed their authority when people don't want to hear the Gospel.
 People are hardened in their rebellion against God and the Gospel as evidenced by the reaction that you will hear about on this hour long program. It's worth your time to listen, so I hope you will make time to hear it!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cross-encounters/2013/09/23/cer-monday--christian-profiling-in-the-uk/scrub/97

September 11, 2001 - Twelve Years Ago

Twelve years ago America was attacked on September 11, 2001.

Many of us will not forget how we heard about it and how we felt.

I turned on the radio while still in bed and made guesses about who had done these things after realizing that it was a real event.

People flooded into church and were ready to acknowledge God for awhile.  Patriotism was high.

I was thinking this afternoon about some of the facts that stand out when events like this take place in the world.

1. Evil exists - Sin exists in the hearts of all mankind.  All the world is guilty before God... although events like terrorist attacks stand out to us as a particular threat to our comfort and safety.  It is a symptom of the callousness that some have toward human life.
2. We should not trust in our own security or in man to be able to protect us.
3. How am I living my life in a way that will count for what matters for eternity should I die today?
4. Saving lives is a noble thing, but the saving of souls is what matters most.  God uses people to bring the Truth.  People who are saved from physical death by heroic people will still stand before God one day - either for judgment or resting on the blood of Jesus who died for sins and rose from the dead conquering death and its power.  If someone lives after a terrorist attack or an accident or some medical emergency, what good will it do in the end if they go on in rebellion to God and face an eternal judgment?

Warnings about Common Core, Charismatics, Paul Washer Interview, Don't Give Up

Beware of the Common Core Curriculum that the Obama administration has put out.
It is very invasive into privacy.  Questions are asked that are not only not anyone's business, but I heard an account that a girl was asked a question that reached into her parents' bedroom.  I won't put the exact question, because it makes me uncomfortable.  Also, questions about discipline problems and religious affiliations are asked.  You can read more clicking here.

I have shared about the Strange Fire conference coming up in October.  I've been places where people were mumbling under their breath and speaking supposed words from God or words of knowledge or something.  I learned at an early age the dangers of the charismatic movement, as it had infiltrated a church that we had been going to as well.  Thankfully, we heard MacArthur which helped keep some of my family from getting too sucked into that.  We ended up going to Grace Community Church for awhile after that.  Still, I ended up places and had friends in high school that were of that persuasion which I admit gave me great discomfort.
Tony Miano of Cross Encounters who was arrested in the U.K. in early July wrote a blog post to share his experience with "spiritual heroin addicts" in this movement.
http://www.crossencounters.us/2013/07/spiritual-heroin-and-blasphemy-of-holy.html

Tim Challies did an interview with Paul Washer recently.  You might want to check it out!
Click here to read part one.
Click here to read part two.

Persevering in Evangelism: reflections on a godly stranger - this was worth sharing again for those of you who did not see it before.  When someone responds in a discouraging way to the Gospel, God can still be at work in that person to draw them.
 

Conversion Questions, Abortion Abolitionist Robbed, Chameleon Rick Warren, Lecrae Interview

Do you remember exactly when you became a Christian?  Perhaps you prayed at one point as a child, but you went through periods of sin and doubt and prayed again.  Todd Friel wrote an article on this subject that I found encouraging. 
http://blogs.christianpost.com/wretched/help-i-dont-have-a-conversion-story-14567/

Last week Tony was robbed of his sign near an abortion clinic.  Tony not only is an abolitionist regarding human abortions, but he gives the Gospel to people ... which should not be ignored in the defense of life.
You can read his blog post about it  by clicking here. 
You can listen to the audio below.
 

Is Rick Warren a chameleon? Tony Miano did a blog post a year ago on Rick Warren.
http://www.crossencounters.us/2012/02/theres-lion-on-ground.html

Lecrae is a hip hop / rap guy you may be familiar with.
He did a PBS interview that gives some insight into his background and the changes going on with his lyrics.  Personally I believe solid doctrine is sadly lacking in a lot of music today, but I know that David Meece style lyrics can minister to a lot of people as well.  My desire is that Lecrae will be able to come to have a balance of doctrine and ministry which means that the redemptive elements are important beyond expressing experiences.  
 

Watch Lecrae Extended Interview on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.