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Reprinted by permission of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary's Faith Pulpit, December, 1999. The virgin birth refers to Mary's miraculous conception of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, without any male participation, so that, though the birth process was not unlike that of other humans, Mary was still a virgin when Jesus was born. This Biblical doctrine should be distinguished from the Roman Catholic tenets of Mary's immaculate conception and her perpetual virginity (Erickson, 179). The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception According to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Mary was "preserved free from all stain of original sin"...

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 [caption id="attachment_5052" align="alignright" width="215" caption=""The Water Torture.— Facsimile of a Woodcut in J. Damhoudère's Praxis Rerum Criminalium: in 4to, Antwerp, 1556.""][/caption] Pouring water over the covered face of an immobilized person is a brutal thing to do. The captive experiences severe pain and an overwhelming sensation of drowning. Some victims have even been known to break their bones as they struggle against the restraints. But waterboarding is nothing compared with what American theologian...

My friends the world abounds with liars in all classes of politics and life in general but particularly here in America for the last six years (2006 elections) the Progressive Democratic Left has faithfully lied about everything under the sun to promote, preserve and protect their lawless Marxist agenda and their chosen chief chosen one. From Health Care to Medicare, from Republicans to the Tea Party, from the economy to tax increases, from the Fast and the Furious to the Stimulus, from the war on terror to Guantanamo, from drilling to green energy, from Limbaugh to Bush to Palin, from...

April 19, 2011 I believe I am among a sizeable subset of Christians in this country who believes that the United States is now on the fast track to judgment. Down through history the Bible shows that God periodically judges individual nations for their bad conduct. He chastens by lowering a nation's position, status, wealth and power among the other nations. He destroys by war, by famine, plague, or natural disasters. God judges individuals, both those who believe and those who do not. "For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we...

Contemplating what God has graciously done for hell-deserving sinners ought to encourage and thrill the soul of every blood-bought child of God! As the hymn writer has said, "Oh to grace how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be!" (Robert Robinson). Paul, in referring to the redemption and forgiveness that believers have in Christ, spoke of "the RICHES of His GRACE" (Ephesians 1:7). Elsewhere he said, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10). God has given to every believer everlasting consolation (eternal encouragement) and good hope through grace (2 Thess. 2:16-17). "For...

Well here we are my friends. After three and a half years of nonstop conservative radio and TV commentary and rallying cries, national Tea Parties, emailing, writing and calling our U.S. representatives, protesting vehemently against socialism, optimistic appraisals and evaluations, and taking our own personal stands for conservatism the relentless leftward movement of this nation has brought to pass our greatest fears for the 2012 elections, a weak moderate/liberal Republican nominee for President. The optimistic voices that put optimistic appraisal in front of the reality of the hour are speechless. Let me ask those of you who have fought valiantly...

After the world war will come the famine and then the plagues. Yet, prayer can mitigate the chastisement My dearly beloved daughter My followers need to know the sequence of events for, by understanding this, they will be empowered with the knowledge so that they can help to mitigate the Chastisement. The Warning is taking place as a last resort by My Eternal Father in order to plunge the light of God, the light of the Truth, into the hearts of mankind. Without it most of humanity would be cast into Hell for they would not be worthy of My...

The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.(Isaiah 17:2)Damascus is known as the oldest continuously occupied city in the world. The prophets Elijah and Elisha went there to minister to Assyrian Kings. The blinded Saul of Tarsus was led by the hand to a home on DamascusÂ’s Straight street, where he found his Christ, and recovered his sight. That very street still exists in Damascus. This Ancient...

Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation....

Not only will we be worshiping God in heaven, but we will be serving Him as well in whatever capacity He has in mind. It’s very possible some of these things be hobbies you enjoy here on earth and where your talents and interest lie in. You very well might be doing that in heaven as a service to the Lord. Funny how we don’t think on these things as it’s hard to imagine. We are so caught up in the here and now, that thinking on future things like this is hard to picture. How often do we contemplate...

Most of will say... YES - of course! If we're a Christian, we want to be very ready to share the good news. If you're not then this is the most important thing you can find out. Either way, I encourage you to read below... Most of us think that if we stay on the straight and narrow we just might make it though those pearly gates. Sadly most people don’t know exactly how to be saved. The majority of people overall believe they will be in heaven when they die someday because they strive to be a good person....

The 17 Most Misused Verses in the Bible By Trevin Wax Last weekend, I read a helpful book by Eric Bargerhuff titled The Most Misused Verses in the Bible: Surprising Ways God’s Word Is Misunderstood (Bethany House, 2012). Eric takes the reader through 17 often misquoted verses and helps us see their proper meaning and application.Since some of these misinterpretations are more damaging than others, Eric doesn’t recommend we run to correct people who innocently mis-apply the passages. He does recommend, however, that pastors and teachers take special care to avoid the common mistakes that lead to misuse.I should note that...

I would like to demonstrate that Jesus’ crucifixion and death occurred not on a Friday (the sixth day of the week), as has been traditionally accepted, but rather on the previous day, Thursday (the fifth day of the week). My Holy Week chart, near the bottom of this page, displays my depiction of the week during which the following occurred during the month of Aviv (also called Nisan) of that year:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.( 2 Timothy 3:1-5)There is a Chinese ‘blessing’, the kind you confer upon an adversary, in which you wish him or her ,”May you live in interesting times”. We certainly do, don’t...

You know what? I have been watching this blog for some time and this is my first post. I seem to see those who take the name Christian, but through their post they don’t seem to baring much good fruit. A lot of the posts are slanderous to say the least. Some condemn Romney others condemn Gingrich etc. People we as Christians need to get down on our knees and first and foremost ask our LORD to forgive us of our Backslidden sinful ways (sin is sin with no degrees). God is the Person who will put our next president...

Our confidence that the account of the flood and Noah’s ark happened in space, time, and history is grounded in the Bible, not in remnants of ancient timber. For centuries, an inordinate and unhealthy attention has been directed to certain items claimed to be relics of Christ, Christian leaders, or illustrious Christians. The veneration of relics has been a major feature of Roman Catholic popular piety since the earliest centuries of its history, reaching its highest official sanction in 787, when the Second Council of Nicaea decreed that every church should have some relic at the altar. Now, much attention...

What must I do to be saved from God’s wrath and be made acceptable to Him? Is it good works that saves? Is it God that saves? Galatians 2:16 ...for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

1 Timothy 2:5 ...one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. If there is a debate here then it must follow Bible Scriptures to advocate reproofs, corrections, and instructions on how God the Father has ordained and appointed someone other than HIS SON Christ Jesus as that mediator. In light of 1 Timothy 2:5 - there is no debate here since God's Word clearly points out that that mediator is is Christ Jesus, who has been appointed 2,000 years ago between God and men.

The question posed by late yesterday’s post, “What’s So Great About Heaven” elicited some responses, many of which ring true from a Biblical perspective. I was compelled to put in my two cents and was blessed by the research done to compile the Bible verses to support the response. After some editing, I have now posted the response in an effort to resurrect the thread of this discussion. However, words do not do any justice in even beginning to scratch the surface of describing this state of Eternal Bliss we call Heaven. Incidentally, Heaven has nothing to do with the...

Was the thief in Luke 23 heaven (paradise) bound or purgatory bound? Luke 23:41: And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. Luke 23:42: And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. Luke 23:43: And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Catholics who believe a purifying fire will purge away their sins are deluded victims of a fatal fabrication. The invention of a place for purification of sins called Purgatory is one of the most seductive attractions of the Roman Catholic religion. Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church described this deceptive hoax brilliantly. He said: "Purgatory is what makes the whole system work. Take out Purgatory and it's a hard sell to be a Catholic. Purgatory is the safety net, when you die, you don't go to hell. You go [to Purgatory] and get things sorted out and finally get...

© 2011 WND The early church did not have it. None of the apostles ever held the job. In fact, it appears nowhere in the New Testament. Now, author Jon Zens states what undoubtedly has occurred to many Christians: The role of the "pastor" needs to be reconsidered. In his new book, "The Pastor Has No Clothes! Moving from Clergy-Centered Church to Christ Centered Ekklesia, Zens asserts that the unbiblical office of pastor has grown via tradition into a hindrance both to church congregations and the pastors themselves. It surely is not what our Lord had in mind, he contends....

Jesus said that the truth will set us free. (John 8:32) However, He did not say that the truth would necessarily be easy to accept. It was painful for me to learn the information that I am about to share with you, but it was also liberating and it led to a closer relationship with God. As a faithful Catholic, and later as a nun, I practiced Mary worship for many years without realizing it. The prayers and practices were so familiar. They were taught to me by good people, sincere people that I trusted. I prayed rosaries and wore...

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church I challenge a Scripture quote that refutes this correct doctrine truth regarding Christ as the head of the Church.

Question:What would a baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic need to do in order to join the Orthodox Presbyterian Church? Answer: Allow me to answer you question with a brief autobiographical anecdote. I was born, baptized, raised, confirmed, and educated in the Roman Catholic system. In fact, it was while I was at a Roman Catholic college (of all places) that I was converted by the grace of God. After realizing how different the teachings of the RCC are from Scripture, I joined with a Baptist church. And that church required that I be rebaptized as an adult. So, I went...

Lucifer is the despotic tyrant and oppressor of all of Adam’s fallen race. He fully understands the behavior of his unregenerate human slaves (Eph. 2:1-3; Heb. 2:14-15) and he is the “supreme hunter” of souls (Isa. 14:16-17; Ezek. 28:19; Luke 4:5-6; 2 Cor. 4:34; 1 Peter 5:8). Satan fully comprehends the fallen nature of humanity and our sensual desires, which are governed and dominated by our five physical senses. He fully knows how to manipulate, entice, bait, snare and catch his prey for his twisted godless will (Eph. 6:11-12). He has been an “active observer” of the transgressions of humanity...

Greetings in the Name of The Lord Jesus Christ! For a future not so distant day... This brief letter is written to those of you who have been left behind. May I calm your great anxiety and fears with this great message of hope! God loves you and cares greatly for you. He has a great plan, purpose and future for you and your life. He wants only and always the highest and best things for you. So please give your ear and full attention to the words that follow. The days ahead will be days that will not be...

Predestination is the doctrine that God alone is the One who chooses who is saved, that He ordains the means, the time, and the circumstances of salvation and that without His predestination, no one would ever be saved. In part this is because human nature is so completely corrupted by sin that no person is capable of choosing God unless God first regenerates that person. But any Bible student will soon discover there are verses which say God wants all men to be saved. For example, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be...

The ProblemIsaiah 591 ¶Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's...

I am stunned at the intentional misinterpretation of the Bible to keep you in the bondage of "works'. Christ died on the cross to ATONE for your sin if you believe in Him as the Son of God. You then stand imputed righteous !! There is nothing left to judge. THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST JESUS. Romans 8:1. You are a joint heir with Christ himself . How could you be tried by Jesus? Look at the main scriptures used by professional Christians to make you do stuff.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A Christian group said Monday night it believes the end of the world is on May 21, 2011. Tom Evans, the group's spokesman, said he believes Harold Camping -- the president of Family Stations, Inc. -- has mathematically computed judgment day based on signs from the Bible. "We believe that God has built into the Bible a timetable of events," Evans said. The group has put up a website, familyradio.com, to make its prediction known. Evans said the group has started a national movement to let people prepare for the end of the world. In Oklahoma City,...

After you are saved, why are you still sinning like Paul in Romans 7? Why are you still despicable? Why are you still thinking in the gutter? Because you are living in the human self. Not the "old self". You will never change . But you want to change but you don't know what to do. Now God has GIVEN you eternal life. All he asks is that you believe in his Son. Is that it? Your parents can not separate themselves as your parents and neither can God. Your parents will come to the penitentiary to visit you for...

What did Jesus (not) say about... His mother, Mary? "You know what you lot's problem is? You just don't think enough about My mother." I've often had two thoughts about Mary: I dearly hope that her heavenly bliss has not been spoiled by the knowledge of how monstrously men came to pervert her significance and place in relation to her Son. And... In that view, I've thought that my article on Mary in a Bible dictionary might read, "The mother of Jesus. A pivotal yet minor figure in the New Testament, mentioned by name in only four books." On the...

Lucifer, God’s greatest of all God's creation (Ezek. 28:12, 15), in eternity past enjoyed a relationship to Almighty God. I truly believe there was a point in his existence that he loved and adored and the Triune God with all his heart. He had the chief place as Protector of the Holiness of God (Ezek. 28:14) and was the worship and choir director of Heaven (Ezek. 28:13). Lucifer enjoyed all the heavenly blessings of his rank and position. As events proceeded, though, there came a time when he became proud, arrogant, envious and bitter. In his foolish heart he sought...

Monday, This study seeks to present from God's Holy Word what the Bible teaches about Mary of Nazareth, the young Jewish virgin that bore the Messiah, the Savior of the World. In this study we will seek to look at EVERY Bible verse found in the Holy Scriptures that pertains to Mary of Nazareth. Be sure to check out all the links for this study, for they will provide a deeper perspective into the person of Mary. Introduction . In beginning this study, the clarifying statement should be made that the Bible, God’s infallible (reliable) and immaculate (perfect) Word, is...

“All you gotta do is say this prayer.” Really? If you just say these magic words you’re saved? Think again or, actually, read again…read the Gospels again, the book of Acts again and the Epistles again and guess what you’ll find? Not once does Jesus or any of his followers ever lead one person through “the sinner’s prayer” for salvation! Saying a prayer never saved anybody. It’s faith alone in Christ alone based on his finished work on the cross that regenerates the lost soul, nothing else. I was once on a national radio show where a guy called in...

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

Many people profess that Jesus Christ is their savior - but always with a caveat (always with some ADDITIONAL factor - WHICH ALWAYS ADDS UP TO WORKS). Many people today profess that Jesus Christ is their savior; but - if they are laboring under the delusion that they must DO something (some sort of WORKS) in order to KEEP their salvation they are TAKING AWAY from the FINISHED WORK of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary and ADDING to the Gospel of the Grace of God! When the Lord Jesus Christ spoke the words It Is FINISHED [John 19:30] -...

1 Timothy 2:5 ...one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. There is NO debate here: God's Word clearly points out who the mediator is between God and men: i.e., Christ Jesus If you believe in God's Word, who is Christ Jesus: The Word of God, then 1 Timothy 2:5 will be easily be understood as Christ the mediator.

This paper is written in two parts. The first explains and documents the Roman Catholic Church's position on justification. The second part presents the true gospel in contrast to the Catholic Church's position. If you want to go straight to the gospel presentation for Catholics, simply scroll down the page. Because of the great emphasis on Sacred Tradition within the Catholic Church and because so many Roman Catholics appeal to the authority of the Roman Catholic Church, the Word of God is often placed after the Catholic Church itself in relation to authority. Because of this, many Catholics appeal to...

Bible is the FINAL AUTHORITY Bible believing Christians should know what authority and which Bible is God’s Holy word.

Consider these sobering thoughts from Tim Keller (The Prodigal God) on the need to repent, not simply of our unrighteousness, but our righteousness also: What must we do, then, to be saved? To find God we must repent of the things we have done wrong, but if that is all you do, you may remain just an elder brother. To truly become a Christian we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too. We must learn how to repent of...

A flurry of media attention was directed in recent days to a meeting on exorcism organized by Roman Catholic bishops. The meeting, held in Baltimore, drew fifty bishops and sixty priests who learned how to discern if an individual is truly possessed by a demon and how to conduct an exorcism when needed. Rachel Zoll of The Associated Press reported that the program of the meeting was intended to “outline the scriptural basis of evil, instruct clergy on evaluating whether a person is truly possessed, and review the prayers and rituals that comprise an exorcism.” Major media reported two different...

Dear FReepers, Twice in the last two tumultuous years, we have witnessed the true nature of Imam Hussein Obama. Over the weekend, the President stumped for flailing Democrat leaders in stalwart bastions where the re-election of left-wig nuts has been a sure thing. That was certainly true before the advent of this bizare, one of a kind politition. Photos released by the White House show an angry, nearly out of control President whose grip on reality shows signs of deterioration. Before we evaluate these photos out of context, I would like to remind all of you just how extreme Imam...

God’s word, in relationship with those He has made new creations “in Christ”, is to be trusted implicitly. The plain fact is the Bible is God’s truth, period. You either believe His word or you believe man, there is no in between area to where one might reside and feel vindicated. “Well I believe the Bible is God’s word, but I believe He’s speaking in allegories and metaphors.” NO, you believe man over God. Scientists would have us all believe that the edge of the universe is billions of light years away, which means that by traveling at the speed...

2-THE RAPTURE: IN BRIEF BY SCRIPTURE BUT NOW IS CHRIST RISEN FROM THE DEAD, AND BECOME THE FIRSTFRUITS OF THEM THAT SLEPT. FOR SINCE BY MAN CAME DEATH, BY MAN CAME ALSO THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. FOR AS IN ADAM ALL DIE, EVEN SO IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE. BUT EVERY MAN IN HIS OWN ORDER: CHRIST THE FIRSTFRUITS; AFTERWARD THEY THAT ARE CHRIST’S AT HIS COMING-1 Cor 15:20-23. So the saints are to be LOOKING (or watching) FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE, AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST-Titus 2:13. They...

It is Easter morning. All across the world, Christians of all flavors -- Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Mennonite, Amish, Lutheran, Presbyterian, non-denominational, and Christians under persecution meeting in twos or threes -- meet to commemorate, to Celebrate, the mystery and the miracle of the Resurrection. Many Christians differ on various points of doctrine, or of application: infant baptism, marriage of priests, ritualized confession, wine or grape juice. But let us remember -- we are ONE BODY, all baptized into Christ, and as the Church we are all the Bride of Christ; we all name one confession, that...

During the Protestant Reformation the primary language used by the western side of the Christian Church was Latin. Out of that reform movement to correct areas where the Roman Catholic Church had moved away from the teaching of Holy Scripture and from the church fathers as understood from the biblical perspective, five Latin phrases arose which summarized in capsule form what the Reformation movement was all about. One of those slogans was sola gratia or grace alone. What exactly is the doctrine of grace alone? In order to give a complete answer one must look both to Scripture and to...

Almighty saying, 'You are good' – no exceptions On the third day of her televised "Best Life" week-long series, even Oprah Winfrey was stunned to hear one of her pastor panelists, Rev. Ed Bacon, declare, "Being gay is a gift from God." With wide eyes, Winfrey responded, "Well, you are the first minister I've ever heard say, 'Being gay is a gift from God,' I can tell you that." The comment was made earlier this month on the "Your Spiritual Journey" segment of Winfrey's "Best Life Week" by Rev. Bacon of the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, Calif., a...

Was to watch out for deceivers... In your opinion, was he speaking of the *Church* if so what Church? Jesus answered: Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. (Mat 24:4, 5) The Lord also mentioned the success that false prophets will have in their deceptions. This should cause all Christians to stay on their spiritual guard, for many will be deceived: Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (Mat 24:11 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,...