Spurgeon Thursday - An Evil in the Camp of the Lord

The following message is commonly attributed to Charles Haddon Spurgeon, but it is actually from the Reverend Archibald Brown, a student of Spurgeon, which is probably why it sounds so much like Spurgeon that the attribution is often confused. The pulpit is no place for actors, entertainers, or performers, it is for preaching Christ risen from the dead. Nowhere does the Gospel say "Go ye into all the world and amuse every creature" (Mark 6:15) nor does it say "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to put a smile on the faces of the entertained" (Ephesians 4:11-12)

An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted Christian can hardly fail to notice it. During the past few years this evil has developed at an alarming rate. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments!

The devil has seldom done a more clever thing, than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. From speaking out the gospel, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses!

My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the Church. If it is a Christian work why did not Christ speak of it? “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel.” No such words, however, are to be found.

WWUTT Wednesday - Coexist?

Is it just me, or do other people feel the same way as I do in feeling that people who demand that the world "coexists" coexist on their terms, and their terms only? Name one theology that tells its adherents to "coexist" and then tells how to do it? There's only one that does:

9 Things You Should Know About Wicca and Modern Witchcraft

9 Things You Should Know About Wicca and Modern Witchcraft

by Joe Carter

A growing number of young women—driven by feminist politics and the #MeToo movement—are being drawn to a new brand of witchcraft, according to a report by NBC News. Here are nine things you should know about Wicca and modern witchcraft.

1. Witchcraft refers to the worldview, religion, and practices associated with using rituals that are believed to harness and focus cosmic or psychic energies to bring about some desired change. Modern witchcraft is the largest and most common subset of neo-paganism, a diverse group of religious movements that claim to be derived from historical pagan religions.

2. Within the witchcraft revival movement, the largest subset is Wicca. The 2008 American Religious Identification Survey estimated that in the United States there were about 600,000 neo-pagans, with about half identifying as Wiccan. Some estimates conclude that in 2017 there were more than 3 million practicing Wiccans.

3. In modern usage, the term “witch” is considered gender-neutral and can apply to either men or women. The term “warlock” is often considered a derogatory term as the original usage of the term meant “oath-breaker.” A group of witches who meet together regularly are known as a “coven.” Some witches believe a coven must have 13 or fewer members, though not less than three.

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

Mr. Pope makes a mockery of God's word again. Seriously, how can become chief cook and bottle washer of the top religious money making machine in history, claim to be the human embodiment of Christ here on earth, and be completely ignorant of Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-28, or 1 Corinthians 6:9-10?

It looks like Jesus has a part time job selling high end luxury business jets to megachurch pastors - "People like Copeland, Benny Hinn, T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and others who push this malignant distortion of Christianity prey on the poor and vulnerable, enriching themselves at the expense of the downtrodden."

If you wonder why Jesus castigates a wicked and adulterous generation for looking for a sign, maybe it's because you can make Christianity look stupid, like Charisma Mag does 

Trapped Kachin Christians reach safety in dramatic elephant escape

With an attitude like this, who would want to be in their neighborhood or church?

Judge rules Christian baker does not have to make gay ‘wedding’ cake

God is the creator of reason and expects humans to use it

Is Genesis a myth?

Spurgeon Thursday - Adjusting the Bible