Providence: The Hand of God Over Everything - Charles Leiter

The providence of God has to do with the fact that God is looking out and taking thought for everything ahead of time. Are you in a hard situation right now? Well God says, “I have already thought of that and made provision for that.” Provision means that God saw it ahead of time and provided. God not only created all things in the past, but He also actively and constantly cares for all things in the present. He upholds all things, preserves all things, and directs all things in order that He might ultimately provide for all things.

     MP3: http://illbehonest.com/providence-han...    2017 Fellowship Conference Session #5    Charles Leiter | http://lakeroadchapel.org    http://www.grantedministries.org/

【約伯記：看不見的戰爭】史蒂夫勞森（2010牧者大會） The Invisible War - Steve Lawson

我們會在困境當中敬拜上帝嗎？當我們被擲入火窯時，我們會讚美他的名嗎？當我們在事奉中與到困難的時候，在家庭問題上遇到瓶頸時，我們私人生活遇到挫折時，我們會收攤回家，還是咒詛上帝還是試著逃避？還是我們會說：耶和華的名是應當稱頌的！----史蒂夫勞森 Shepherds' Conference｜Mar 5, 2010｜General Session 8 - The Invisible War｜Steve Lawson｜Job 1

Shepherds' Conference, Mar 5, 2010 General Session 8 - The Invisible War Steve Lawson Job 1
http://www.shepherdsfellowship.org

Amazing Grace: The History & Theology of Calvinism

“Amazing Grace – The History and Theology of Calvinism” is the first video documentary that answers these and other related questions. This fascinating three-part, four-hour presentation is detailed enough so as to not gloss over the controversy. At the same time, it is broken up into ten “Sunday-school-sized” sections to make the rich content manageable and accessible for the average viewer.

Part One explores the history of the debate. It begins with the pivotal dispute between Augustine and Pelagius and continues through the semi-pelagian controversy; focusing particularly on the debate between Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus. Many viewers will be shocked to discover that free-will theology was NOT the doctrine of the Reformation but instead the teaching of an increasingly apostate Roman Catholic Church. The history section ends with a definitive historical explanation of the issues that arose during the Calvinist/Arminian controversy. By examining the five points of Arminianism and the Synod of Dort’s response, the viewer will clearly see that the Protestant Church understood how the Gospel would be compromised if Arminianism prevailed.

Part Two opens the Word of God, our ultimate authority for life and faith. The five points of Arminianism are put on trial as what would later come to be known as the “five points of Calvinism” are clearly and forcefully presented.

Part Three asks and answers the provocative question: If Calvinism is true, if God is absolutely sovereign; then why should we evangelize? It also explores the vital issue of how to and to whom the gospel should be presented so as to be faithful to the great doctrines of God’s sovereignty, man’s depravity, and the miracle of amazing grace.

Rich in graphics, dramatic vignettes, and biblical analogies, Amazing Grace – The History and Theology of Calvinism also features many of the finest reformed thinkers and pastors of our time: Dr. R.C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. George Grant, Dr. Stephen Mansfield, Dr. Thomas Ascol, Dr. Thomas Nettles, Dr. Roger Schultz, Pastor Walt Chantry, Dr. Joe Morecraft, Dr. Ken Talbot, Pastor Walter Bowie and Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr..

Come learn what the great Baptist preacher C.H. Spurgeon meant when he said,“…to deny Calvinism is to deny the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“This video series boldly, clearly, and winsomely sets forth the glorious, saving grace of God in its splendor and will help thousands to understand the gospel better and so to be filled with praise for their Savior.” Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, Associate professor of historical theology and social ethics, Knox Theological Seminary, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

“I want you to know that ever since my wife and I bought our first copy when it was new and being mentioned in World Magazine, we have been excited about the product. We’ve ordered more copies for friends. This year my church asked if I would facilitate an eight-week discussion using your DVD. Week after week in our Adult Sunday school some twenty or thirty people have sat riveted by your presentation. The message and the abundant quantity of Scripture, the well-known and not so well-known speakers – all of them excellent communicators, as well as the extremely high production quality – camera angles, lighting, sets and sound, the humorous vignettes have captured everyone’s attention.  The Doctrines of Grace are, of course, a wonderful gift from our Lord, but your production is an excellent instructional tool, and if others and their churches are benefiting the way we have been, then I think the Lord must be pleased.”  Jack Blake, Charlotte, North Carolina

Available on DVD - PLS CLICK HERE.

Justification by Faith Alone: Sola Fide Debated and Defended - R. C. Sproul, PhD

R. C. Sproul speaks on the doctrine of justification by faith alone and how it was debated among Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians. This video comes from Sproul's Luther and the Reformation.

playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

see also: Justification by Faith Alone

In this series, Dr. R.C. Sproul examines justification — the way in which we are declared righteous by God — as he explains the biblical teaching regarding justification. Demonstrating that Christ’s righteousness is reckoned to us by faith alone, Dr. Sproul joins with Martin Luther in calling the church to proclaim boldly that this doctrine is integral to the gospel of God. - MORE PLS CLICK HERE.

A Living Hope

YouTube Video: A Living Hope - Ligonier Ministries 
Many people place their hope in things that cannot meet their needs such as sports, politics, education, work, or even family and friends. This session will focus on 1 Peter 1:1-8 to explain what it means to be “born again” and why only the gospel of Jesus Christ provides true, lasting hope for Christians.

This message is from our 2017 Regional Conference, Stand Firm: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fX-AplioozuvZ9CQAR2w59F

Purchase a digital download or DVD of this conference: http://www.ligonier.org/store/stand-f...

What John the Baptist Teaches us About the Gospel

"The gospel is light to those in darkness. The light of God is "unapproachable" (1 Tim 6:16) and when God reveals himself openly (though never fully) we are left undone (Isaiah 6:5). Yet, this is a necessary component of the gospel - the light that leads to life is the light which first illuminates our sin. Even the thoughts of our hearts are not left hidden by the piercing light of God. The apostle John emphasises the effects of sin on our lives (as does all Scripture) by describing it as an existence of darkness. It is an existence in which it is impossible to see one's way; an existence where danger and menace lurks in otherwise serene situations. It is an existence of confusion and chaos. In short, it is a hopeless existence. 

But the gospel is light which leads to life by penetrating that darkness. Or, perhaps we should say that the life that Christ possesses intrinsically is the light to all men (Jn 1:4). This light shines in the darkness of the world and of our hearts and opens our eyes to the truth of Christ. For Christ is the "light of the world" that "whoever follows [him] ... will have the light of life" (Jn 8:12). If it is life you are seeking, abundant and eternal life, then Christ Jesus is your only source.  If you have dwelt in the darkness of sin, or of false religion or selfish philosophies, then you have no light but only darkness. If you habitually live gratified by the lusts of the eyes and flesh and the pride of life, then you have only hopeless darkness that leads to death. But Christ has come. The light has shined and continues to shine. Your sin-darkened existence can be forever and radically changed by trusting in the Light that is Jesus Christ. Believe on him and be saved." - Extracted from What John the Baptist Teaches us About the Gospel, you can read the whole article HERE.

Reformation 500 Years Old

The World has Started to Wonder…
Luther and many other reformers embraced the idea that the Papacy is the antichrist. Many protestant denominations used to believe this. If you ask Christians today who the antichrist is, there is generally no clear meaning about it. The characteristics of antichrist found in the Bible, only fit one kingdom: The Papacy. (See Daniel 7 And Revelation 13). However, there are still sincere believers in this system, that live up to the light they have. We are not talking about people, but about the system.

As prophesied in Revelation 13:3, the deadly wound is getting healed. The healing of a wound takes time, but it is sure on a good way to restoration, and the world has started to wonder “after the beast”. Since Pope Francis was elected, he quickly got acknowledged internationally. In media, we find headlines such as:

• “Can Pope Francis heal the deep divisions in Christianity?”
• “Francis continues to take the world by storm.”
• “Pope Francis is only leader respected enough to end today’s wars.”

…Who like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4) Pope Francis has taken a role as peace advocate in many conflicts: Between Jews and Muslims, USA and Cuba, and the harassments done by ISIS.

Another headline in media recently has been: “Pope calls for end to fundamentalism.”, and that with good reasons of course. But soon, God’s people will be the ones looked upon as the fundamentalists and rebellions, because they refuse to worship the beast and his image. Following, a death penalty will threaten this group.

Barack Obama called Pope Francis “A moral leader in word and deed”, followed by an interesting acknowledgment, as Time Magazine listed world’s most influential people of the year. 7

Time to Wake Up, and Speak Up
Wittenberg is getting prepared for the celebration of the reformation anniversary. The mottos for the two next years are:

• “Reformation – Image and Bible” (2015)
• “Reformation and One World” (2016)

Anyone else thinking about Revelation 13?

The message of the book of Revelation for us all is: Choose who you want to belong to. One group will be faithful to the beast, a false system of worship. The other group will be faithful to God and will keep all His commandments. There are hard times ahead if you want to be on God’s side. Standing up for God will lead to great persecution. Let us watch, pray and work, as we behold Christ our Redeemer.

If we forget to protest, we forget our message. We are called to “protest” by sharing the three angels messages (Revelation 14), lifting up Christ and the Truth. God will have His people in false systems, until we do our job to call them out. Ekklesia, a greek word used in the Bible for Church, means called out. 8 God wants to call out His people, into His kingdom. He has chosen us, His Church, to call them out. This has to be done with a Christ-centered, Biblical message, and lives transformed by the righteousness of Christ.

“The Roman Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike garments; but she is unchanged. Every principle of the papacy that existed in past ages exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The papacy that Protestants are now so ready to honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men of God stood up, at the peril of their lives, to expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High. {GC 571.1} 

Let’s not sleep, friends, but rather see the reality and take responsibility to deliver the message of the everlasting gospel.

Do you want to be faithful to God? Is it your wish to wake up and speak up?

The world needs to hear God’s last message. Will you deliver it?
Jesus is coming soon. - 

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE - HERE.

HELL

R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House, 1992), pp. 285-287.

HELL by R.C. Sproul

We have often heard statements such as “War is hell” or “I went through hell.” These expressions are, of course, not taken literally. Rather, they reflect our tendency to use the word hell as a descriptive term for the most ghastly human experience possible. Yet no human experience in this world is actually comparable to hell. If we try to imagine the worst of all possible suffering in the here and now we have not yet stretched our imaginations to reach the dreadful reality of hell.

Hell is trivialized when it is used as a common curse word. To use the word lightly may be a halfhearted human attempt to take the concept lightly or to treat it in an amusing way. We tend to joke about things most frightening to us in a futile effort to declaw and defang them, reducing their threatening power.

There is no biblical concept more grim or terror-invoking than the idea of hell. It is so unpopular with us that few would give credence to it at all except that it comes to us from the teaching of Christ Himself.
Almost all the biblical teaching about hell comes from the lips of Jesus. It is this doctrine, perhaps more than any other, that strains even the Christian’s loyalty to the teaching of Christ. Modern Christians have pushed the limits of minimizing hell in an effort to sidestep or soften Jesus’ own teaching. The Bible describes hell as a place of outer darkness, a lake of fire, a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, a place of eternal separation from the blessings of God, a prison, a place of torment where the worm doesn’t turn or die. These graphic images of eternal punishment provoke the question, should we take these descriptions literally or are they merely symbols?

I suspect they are symbols, but I find no relief in that. We must not think of them as being merely symbols. It is probable that the sinner in hell would prefer a literal lake of fire as his eternal abode to the reality of hell represented in the lake of fire image. If these images are indeed symbols, then we must conclude that the reality is worse than the symbol suggests. The function of symbols is to point beyond themselves to a higher or more intense state of actuality than the symbol itself can contain. That Jesus used the most awful symbols imaginable to describe hell is no comfort to those who see them simply as symbols.

A breath of relief is usually heard when someone declares, “Hell is a symbol for separation from God.” To be separated from God for eternity is no great threat to the impenitent person. The ungodly want nothing more than to be separated from God. Their problem in hell will not be separation from God, it will be the presence of God that will torment them. In hell, God will be present in the fullness of His divine wrath. He will be there to exercise His just punishment of the damned. They will know Him as an all-consuming fire.

No matter how we analyze the concept of hell it often sounds to us as a place of cruel and unusual punishment. If, however, we can take any comfort in the concept of hell, we can take it in the full assurance that there will be no cruelty there. It is impossible for God to be cruel. Cruelty involves inflicting a punishment that is more severe or harsh than the crime. Cruelty in this sense is unjust. God is incapable of inflicting an unjust punishment. The Judge of all the earth will surely do what is right. No innocent person will ever suffer at His hand.

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of hell is its eternality. People can endure the greatest agony if they know it will ultimately stop. In hell there is no such hope. The Bible clearly teaches that the punishment is eternal. The same word is used for both eternal life and eternal death. Punishment implies pain. Mere annihilation, which some have lobbied for, involves no pain. Jonathan Edwards, in preaching on Revelation 6:15-16 said, “Wicked men will hereafter earnestly wish to be turned to nothing and forever cease to be that they may escape the wrath of God.” (John H. Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell [Orlando: Ligonier Ministries, 1991], 75.)

Hell, then, is an eternity before the righteous, ever-burning wrath of God, a suffering torment from which there is no escape and no relief. Understanding this is crucial to our drive to appreciate the work of Christ and to preach His gospel.
Summary

1.The suffering of hell is beyond any experience of misery found in this world.
2.Hell is clearly included in the teaching of Jesus.
3.If the biblical descriptions of hell are symbols, then the reality will be worse than the symbols.
4.Hell is the presence of God in His wrath and judgment.
5.There is no cruelty in hell. Hell will be a place of perfect justice.
6.Hell is eternal. There is no escape through either repentance or annihilation.

Biblical passages for reflection: Matthew 8:11-12, Mark 9:42-48, Luke 16:19-31, Jude 1:3-13, Revelation 20:11-15.

Dr. R.C. Sproul, theologian, minister and teacher, is chairman of the board for Ligonier Ministries. He is widely known for his videocassette series on topics of theology, apologetics, and the Christian life. A graduate of Westminster College, Pittsburgh Theological seminary, and the Free University of Amsterdam, Dr. Sproul is professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida.