Street Preaching II

I went street preaching again yesterday. The last few weekends the weather and other circumstances prevented it. Yesterday, however, I took the time to write my own tract. I went to a local skateboard park and passed some out. I also spoke with some of the young men there. I preached while their backs remained turned to me. However, after a bit of time a young man turned and said he was glad I was there and he had a genuine smile. He was raised in a Christian home and was away from God. So please, pray. I am going to be down there regularly, God willing. I want to make relationships. God has His elect in there. Pray for my purity and faithfulness. Pray for those young guys.

As to the tract I wrote, I am going to keep doing that. The tracts and my messages spoken are intended to be very hard edged. Law, wrath, and repentance will be the emphasis 90%. Then the good news is given. Another reason I am making my own tracts is that most tracts are very simplistic or they are printed in such tiny type they are irritating to read. I'm sure that many older folks are unable to see it. The ones that are not in very fine print are so limited in content that I don't like them.

I am making them on regular 8 1/2 x 11 paper. After I print the text side, I turn them over and print a title in very large print. For the tract I used yesterday I used two titles. One is "Come And Die" and the other is "Do You Have A Problem With God--Here's The Answer." This title is printed in large block letters and positioned so that when I fold them, the title shows.

On the text side of the flyer the headings are large and printed in a color, leaving the rest of the text black.

Anyway, here is my first tract:

------------------------
You have a problem called sin.
Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Genesis 8:21 ... the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth....
Isaiah 64:6-7 For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on Your name,
Who arouses himself to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us
And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities.
Romans 3:10-18 10as it is written,
"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
13"THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,"
"THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";
14"WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS";
15"THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN."
18"THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."

You may not understand that you have this problem.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Because of your sin, God hates you and will destroy you.
Psalm 11:4-7 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Upon the wicked He will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness;
The upright will behold His face.
John 10:26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. –Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 66:24 Then they will go forth and look
On the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be quenched;
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind."

Despite your sin problem, God loves you and offers you a solution.
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

To get this solution, you must be willing to die and follow Jesus.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Psalm 24:4-5 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Questions or objections? Call 406-672-7450.
-----------------------

You may notice the glaring contradiction between "God hates you and will destroy you" and "God loves you and offers you a solution." That is for the purpose of causing thought. I want them to be faced with both wrath and grace. If it makes them angry at least they are thinking about it. Hopefully, they will call.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Quote Of The Week

"What happens in Vegas will go before the throne of God and await you in Judgment!"
--Bullhorn Girl at Faces Like Flint

THE DECLINE OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN AMERICA--Part I of III

The Church Relating To Scripture Like The World.

If you're a hard head who hates compromise in the church, I want to encourage you with this article. It is personal observations about life under the big tent of today's Evangelicalism. I want to share these observations so you can be reminded you're not alone and to encourage you to keep speaking out. Assuming you weren't in a coma since 1962, you might just have the feeling a moral and spiritual slide has taken place. Our big tent covers a dung heap. You can smell it. And I'll bet, if you're a righteous man who loves God, you have actually said something about what you smell. And you've been told to shut up over and over again. So you go to church and you listen and you watch.

And you feel like Lot in Sodom.

That's actually how I've felt for a looonnnggg time. Let's list some of the things we have seen compromised in the last 50 years:

1. The authority of Scripture.

2. The inviolability of Scripture.

3. The clarity of Scripture.

4. The sufficiency of Scripture.

5. The gender roles as laid out at creation and reiterated in the New Covenant.

6. The efficacy of the gospel.

7. Separation from the world.

8. Uprightness in the pulpit.

9. Scriptural practice only.

10. Godly zeal and doctrinal vigilance.

11. Fear of God.

12. Wrath of God preached.

I mentioned 50 years for two reasons. First, that's how old I am. So that's what I remember. Second, the acceleration of evil in both the world and the church seems evident to me. Let's take a quick look at the twelve compromised Christian distinctives I have listed.

NUMBER 1. THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE. When I was a kid, the only authority openly considered in any discussion of doctrine, practice, or message was the Scripture. Oh sure, the old folks were sons of Adam. They wanted to sin as much as you and I. However, at least the veneer was Scripture. The argument was never, cultural relevance or church growth. It was Scripture. Even the man who wanted to sin had to try to argue his case by twisting Scripture or hide it altogether. The ethic was Scripture. And so it served as a dam against the flesh which was always looking for leaks.

Now the dam has fish runs. We can call in the authority of psychology or the latest Christian author. Just before I went to seminary, psychology was introduced to Bible schools and seminaries. Why? Because to really minister to the folks, we needed Skinner and Freud. Paul and Moses weren't good enough. More on this under change number four. We call in the authority of church-growth gurus. We have churches putting aside the Scripture for weeks at a time to study other books, like the Purpose Driven Whatever.

NUMBER 2. THE INVIOLABILITY OF SCRIPTURE. When I was a boy and my uncle was inventing the wheel, my dad had a rule. He made sure my two brothers and myself never did anything disrespectful to the Bible. The lesson he wanted to burn in was the sacredness of God's Word. Even outside the Perkins household, never was there any thought to altering the Scripture to make it more appealing. "Appealing" was just not given a thought. Obedience was all. In the society at large, most would not consider changing the Bible. Debating it would be like debating the blueness of the sky. Mentioning the possibility would put one into the realm of the mentally touched. You'd be thought of as having something wrong with your thought process. There's something you don't understand here. This is the Bible we're talking about.

No longer. With men like Stuart Briscoe and John Stott endorsing the TNIV altered translation the unthinkable is now thinkable. We stand in judgment over the Word. The excuse is that poor old God just got tongue tied. He said stuff that might offend the ladies. So we straightened that all out for Him, like Uzzah and the Ark. Now the ladies will love God, too. Recently I caught a big name Christian blogger, Tim Challies, pushing an audio version of the TNIV. I wrote and asked him why he thought that was okay in view of all the Scriptural demands to always honor, preserve, and accurately transmit the Word from one to another. He didn't see fit to answer the question. Instead, he got angry. When I served notice of Challies' sin to the folks over at another really big name Christian blog, Team Pyro, they just circled the wagons. The excuses from Phil Johnson and Frank Turk ranged from ridiculous to dishonest. Of course, I was impugned as stupid and evil. That was step number one. Turk claimed that the Deuteronomy 18 admonition to reject a prophet who misrepresented what God had said did not apply to translators and translations. Johnson said it was okay to use a purposely altered translation as long as it was not altered to create "damnable heresy." Neither dealt with the sin of lying about what God had said. So they continue to endorse Tim Challies.

NUMBER 3. THE CLARITY OF SCRIPTURE. Theologians call this the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture. "Clarity" communicates it, though. This particular problem has been growing for decades. When I was in college, I knew a young lady preparing to go to seminary. I asked what was her career aim. She said she wanted to be a pastor. Knowing about Paul's teaching to Timothy I asked her about what she did with I Timothy 2. After 30 years I still remember her answer: "You can get around that!" I was shocked at that. The reason I was shocked, was her excuse. I'd never actually heard that particular excuse stated out loud. I had seen it practiced by folks purposely twisting Scripture, but I'd never heard anyone actually have the nerve to say it.

Today this sort of answer is common. The question asked in a doctrinal discussion is often, "What is your position?" Or, "Can you justify your position?" We never talked about that when I was a young drug-to-church boy. We only asked what the Bible said. Nothing else mattered. My position didn't matter and whether or not I could squint my eyes enough to see a Biblical text a certain way was not given a thought. The Emergent takes this uncertainty idea even further. They have excused any and all behavior and doctrine by saying simply that certainty is arrogance. The Bible says disobedience is arrogance, and I'm certain of that.

NUMBER 4. THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE. When I was in grade school the only authority we had as Christians was Scripture. If I had a problem in my soul, it was the Bible to which we looked. We knew nothing of addiction and recovery, we knew all about sin and obedience. We really did not read many Christian books. Instead, we studied the Bible. The first book after the Bible was a concordance to help study the Bible. Then, you might want to buy a commentary. That was pretty much it. The preacher on Sunday read and preached from the Bible. I can't remember hearing many quotes from other authorities.

By the time I was in college, however, three things had changed. First, psychology was fully integrated into our way of thinking. We had biblical doctrine, but to really counsel someone about deep things, psychology was essential in our minds. This lead to a number of bad things. We no longer thought of sin as the worst plague of man. Self-esteem became important. Self-actualization was the new ethic. Self-denial was what Miss Higgins taught us back in Sunday School, and, well, she was nice, but she didn't listen to current music and she was rather dull and negative, talking all the time of sin and obedience. Many of us, including myself, got degrees in psychology. We, including myself, thought of our parents as quaint, but not up to current thought. Most of our parents hadn't been to college and sometimes I wonder if that was not part of the ethos of change in those days. We loved our parents, but they were not educated. We wanted to be Christians, but not like our parents. We wanted to be educated Christians, not fuddy-duddies.

The second thing that happened to shake our confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture was a turning to our own psyches for answers to the deeper questions of life. It is legitimate to ask the chicken and egg question here. Did selfish narcissism lead us away from Scripture, or did our lack of confidence in Scripture lead to our self-centeredness? I don't have the answer. This inward turning led to more than an intellectual change. It lead to a societal change that was manifested both in and outside the church and the change was personal with each and every member in society whose thoughts were not strictly governed by Scripture. The change of which I speak was personal selfishness. This new personal selfishness worked itself out in private ways in our lives and in public ways that degraded the church and revolutionized American law.

For the first time ever, it was thought legitimate to justify behavior personally, ecclesiastically, or nationally because it lead to one's personal fulfillment. As a boy in 5th or 6th grade I knew that argument was just an excuse. Why didn't anyone else? I think they did. We all gave a national wink to each other and went on our merry ways. In the church, we didn't take the behavior as far as the world, but we did adopt "fulfillment" as the new ethic. It was disastrous. In the nation, in 1973, we decided that it was okay to kill babies. We had two very good reasons. We didn't want the baby to grow up unwanted and we didn't want the mommy to be burdened.

I was 16 in 1973. And still I was smarter than our nation's nine smartest lawyers. I knew abortion was not about caring for either mother or child. It was so Tommy could nail Suzy and not get in trouble for it. The Supreme Court couldn't figure that out, though. They thought they saw a penumbra.

About that time in California Governor Ronald Reagan got a law passed to have no-fault divorce. Because of the new ethic of personal fulfillment, marriages were not expected to be honored just because you promised on your wedding day. As a result the courts were flooded in California. In order to relieve the strain of this overload, the state simply decided to have a new kind of divorce. The younger among us will not recall the days before no-fault divorce. There was a time when a couple was expected to be faithful for life. Divorces were only granted if the one suing for divorce could demonstrate the other had broken the contract of marriage by violence, unfaithfulness, failure to support the family, or some other form of debauchery. If the court found in favor of the plaintiff, the defendant would pay a hefty price.

To clear the courts, California simply decided to do away with all that and grant divorce to just about anyone for any reason. The properties were then spit up according to a preordained formula and off go the happy non-couple. The devastation to the country that broken homes would bring was not a big deal. Fatherless children were not considered, either. In fact, the thought that a marriage vow be honored for the good of the kids was often and publicly scoffed at in order to normalize infidelity. These attitudes and ideas may not shock you as a resident of the 21st century, but to me, it was the dissolution of all that I had believed in and counted on. The sheer selfishness of the entire nation and this insidiousness seeping into the church was alarming to anyone who thought about it much.

So we tuned in the rock and roll and turned up the volume.

The third thing to shake our confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture was the proliferation of Christian publication. When I was in high school and college, it became fashionable for teachers and preachers to recommend books to read. And we did. The first real page turner I read was The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsay. I couldn't put it down. On the other hand, Haggai was a bit dry. From that point on it only got worse. By the time I was in seminary, there was no subject in Christian doctrine one could bring up without someone recommending a book. Of course, there was no popular Christian book on the subject of wrath or the mortification of sin, but those sorts of things were not spoken of much in Evangelical circles by that time. Those subjects didn't lead to self-esteem or fulfillment. Talented authors became Christian heroes. To really get the meat of a doctrine, one needed to buy the book. Study of the Bible was not enough. So we didn't do much of it.

Today I can go down to the Bible Book Store right here in Billings, MT and get quite a number of Christian books. Some will tell me not to study the Bible so much. For that, get Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life. Another will tell me that I cannot be sure if I ought to have much confidence in what I believe in the Bible. That is an easier subject to find. Pick just about any Emergent title for that. Interestingly, what started out as a supplement to help us understand the Bible became a replacement for it, and then a denial of it.

Now we are so far from basic familiarity with the Scripture in the Evangelical pew that we are losing even our biblical vocabulary. And that is an entirely different story and it will end in apostacy.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

A Correction About Phil Johnson

In my last post I said Phil Johnson claimed I wanted Tim Challies killed. I thought that was simply a way of smearing me. I was half wrong. I had claimed Zondervan's purposeful misrepresentation of gender roles in its TNIV (Today's New International Version) was a sin worthy of death under the Old Covenant, according to Deut. 18. Read it here. Phil responded at one point by asking me if I really thought Challies ought to be put to death under the Old Covenant. I missed the the "under the Old Covenant" part and called Phil on his tactic of trying to make me look like a hillbilly with a straw hat and a Bible. He said a lot of things like that, including implying that I was a fundie who wouldn't let my wife wear socks. So the intent of painting me up like a buffoon was there.

None the less, I did misunderstand him and I take the correction. I apologized to him over there and do so here again.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Answer To Phil Johnson And "Centurion"

I have recommended Team Pyro on this blog right from the start. I've enjoyed both their theological perspectives and their humor. And I've enjoyed interacting with many of their readers. However, recently they have endorsed the use of the TNIV. I disagree and so the smearing was started. Johnson accused me of calling for the murder of another blogger and Frank Turk says I'm rude for disagreeing. I have steadfastly asked if it is okay to alter God's Word or misrepresent it and if it is okay to promote a purposely altered version of the Bible. They have steadfastly refused. Finally, Turk said he didn't understand the question. (Yeah, right.) I have my last answer to them to date. You may find it interesting and they have already hinted strongly at censoring me for my opinion that God's Word should not be tampered with. So here it is:

-------------------------------------------------------
CENTURION,
Three things:
1. On Deut. 18--So your position is that only prophets are forbidden from misrepresenting what God has said? Is that right?

2. I'm sure most of your readers understand the questions just fine. And many will understand why you hesitate to answer them.

3. Disagreeing with you does not make me rude. Reread the blog rules.

PHIL JOHNSON,
If you really think I've called for a criminal act against Tim, you ought to call the feds. My words went out over state lines. If I'm picked up you've proven your point. If not, you simply smeared a brother.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

------------------------------------------------------------

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

When It Rains Rabbits, It Pours Rabbits!

I cannot believe this. I just strolled over to Team Pyro. There I found an article by Phil Johnson on the dangers of schism and the need for separation.

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk again. I just can't believe it--what an opening! I asked him why he still associated with Tim Challies after Challies has approved of an altered Bible version. (He has not yet answered an email on that very subject and it was sent weeks ago--keep in mind, he was on vacation.)

Smokin' out more rabbits,
Phil Perkins. PS--Here's what I commented over there:

---------------------------------------------

Phil Johnson,
Here's a question I asked you in an as-yet-unanwered email, but it is in line with your topic here. (I understand you're busy, too.) I see you push Tim Challies a lot. I used to recommend him as well. I quit that because he has recently plugged an audio form of the TNIV. When I asked how he could reconcile that with the scriptural admonitions to never alter the Bible, he simply got angry.

In light of the fact that the TNIV was purposely altered from the original to be more feminist-friendly, and in light of the fact that the Scripture strictly forbids such a practice, why do you still associate with someone doing and approving things for which the Old Covenant prescribes stoning and the New prescribes excommunication?

I know you associate with John MacArthur. He would never approve of things like the TNIV would he?

Do you?

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Tim Challies, John MacArthur, and Smoking

If you've followed this blog, you have no taste and you're aware that I recently couldn't get a decent answer out of Tim Challies. Tim used to be on my blogroll at Zits. I recommended him because he has some interesting stuff and it seemed to be completely orthodox. However, he recently plugged the TNIV in audio form.

When I asked how he could do such a thing as push an altered Bible version in light of scriptural injunctions to never do such a thing. He simply got angry and refused to deal with this scriptural issue.

SOOOOO....just today I noticed that his blog is plugged on one of John MacArthur's blogs, Pulpit Magazine in an article by Nathan Williams. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. Here's my chance to get to the bottom of this--to light a fire under the right folks, perhaps.

I sent this comment to Nathan Williams:

-------------------------------------------------------

Nathan Williams,
Speaking of Challies, it was sad to see him recently plug a gendered-altered translation of the Bible called the TNIV in audio form. I asked him if he would please explain why it’s okay to put forward an altered version of the Scripture in light of all the scriptural injunctions that make it clear we are liars when we do such things.

His only response was a complete refusal to deal with passages like Prov. 30:5-6, Deut. 4:2 and others…and to get mad at me for insisting on an answer.

Most everything Tim does is absolutely orthodox and good. Why is this particular sort of thing tolerated?

What is the stance of John MacArthur on altered Bible versions? I have contacted Phil Johnson some time ago on this issue and Challies without response. Is his friendship with Challies above Scripture? Perhaps he has not had time to answer. I simply want to know where you guys stand.

Personally, I can’t believe MacArthur would put up with this sort of compromise.

What gives,
Phil Perkins.

-------------------------------------------------------

Smokin' out the rabbits,
Phil Perkins.

Hey Eddie, You Were Almost Right

Eddie recently commented about a gay-friendly--oh let's tell the truth here--a sodomite bible. (Sorry, I won't capitalize such an abomination--it's not a Bible.) Well, he was wrong. But not all that wrong. Eddie, exercising Berean diligence, had uncovered an article at Lark News outing a new abomination from Zondervan, called the gNIV. It was satire.

Interesting though, it was almost believable. One could imagine this happening. And you would guess Zondervan would be the publisher to do it.

WELL, EDDIE--I now owe you two apologies. First, I misspelled your name at Pulpit Magazine. And now you weren't wrong. Just early.

Read this article about the new bible that is just really, really, really nice to sodomites!

Shocked, but not surprised,
Phil Perkins. Well, okay...I was surprised...that Zondervan didn't do it.

A New Brand Of Legalism

Something hideous is happinging all around the country. It takes place in all sorts of ways and it has nothing to do with the church. But it will affect the church. I just got back from a hospital where I saw an instance of this plague.

It's a plague of the soul. What is it? It's a new American tradition. In this new American tradition, regulations and laws, in government or in the private sector, are enacted with no practical purpose at all. Instead, the purpose of many of these new regulations is simply to make someone we hate feel really, really bad and to cause them some sort of discomfort.

At the hospital it took the form of a sign that accomplished nothing for the health, wealth, or general welfare of mankind and had nothing to do with glorifing God. It was in the parking lot of the hospital. It said, "Our campus is smoke free St. Vincent Health Care." Out under God's beautiful blue sky, the guy leaning against a car three spaces down was not allowed to smoke. Why? Was it because if I inhaled one molecule of carbon from that guy's cig I'd sprout tumors all over my body like a B movie from the 80's? No. The point was to make the smoker feel bad. Notice the sign didn't say, "Please don't smoke." It said, "(We are) smoke free," implying, "and you're NOT, you dirty smoker, you!"

That sign did nothing to protect me, the non-smoker. But that wasn't the point. It was worded specifically to make smokers feel one or two notches below St. Vincents.

And I think that's a crime.

As we Americans loose the concept of the image of God in our neighbors and the golden rule is replaced by selfishness, we find it easier to vent grudges, pride, and hatred in all sorts of ways. One way is to make our hatred a law.

Recently in our Congress, a non-binding resolution was almost passed against the President by the House. "Non-binding" means it has no practical value. No one anywhere in the country is bound to do anything differently because of this new resolution. So the only reason for it was to tell the President and the world that they are angry with him. Do we really pay these guys to pass laws that mean nothing? Why don't they just pass a note around the class that says, "Bush is a doo-doo-head?"

However, it's not always as harmless as that. Today, laws are being pushed by liberals in Congress that seek to punish Christians for speaking of the righteous law of God. If you're a Christian--and I mean a real Christian, not the typical mamby-pamby churchie--they want to punish you for it. They want to cut your tongue out.

For a quick look at what I refer to, see "Freedom to Evangelize" in the blogroll.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Narcissism As A Christian Virtue?

Yesterday or the day before I was in my work truck going for material or some such when I had the great misfortune to hear a broadcast of "Family Life Today." FLT is a branch ministry of the late Bill Bright's Campus Crusade for Christ. I cannot believe a godly man like Dr. Bill would think some of the things coming out of FLT these days are all that bright. For instance, not long ago I heard FLT puff vision casting (a New Age religious practice) and they did an interview with Emergent heretic, Donald Miller. When I emailed them to fill them in with Miller quotes indicating he hates the gospel, I was rebuked and the heretic defended, because not all his stuff was bad. There was some good stuff in there, too, you know.

Well, peachy. Too bad Joseph Smith is dead. He'd make a pretty good interview, doncha think? He was big on family. Especially wives.

Well, this particular day, Bob Lepine or the other guy was interviewing one really nasty, narcissistic woman who'd written some sappy book about "the language of love." (Don't ask. All I'll tell you is it's a self-centered quazi-Christian fad once quite in vogue with the comb-over crowd and their wives and now in the death throws of its usefulness for hawking imitation-Christian books and conferences to churchies with more time and money than sanctification and common horse sense.)

Anyway, back to the wicked witch of FLT...Proverbs 31 she ain't. Now as I entered the listening audience, I hadn't eaten recently so I chanced a short listen. It seems all men just really bite. Yep, men--especially if they don't act like women--are stupid, dumb, ignorant, and supposed to guess just exactly what their women want and if they don't guess right, well they should just be shot, and that's all there is to it.

At dawn.

With a very large gun.

Preferably in the groin area.

With the mood set, we go to the specifics of our conversation between the very sensitive, always-caring, never-doubting-the-word-of-a-woman, sweet, likely-to-buy-flowers-for-no-reason-at-all, never-kicks-the-puppy Family Life Today emcee manette and the wonderful interviewee telling all of America just how hell-bent all men are. (Except the aforementioned lilac of a guy from FLT, ie., the manette.)

The subject was something like, "A man should guess what his wife wants and just give it to her right this instant or be killed." Never once did the interviewer or the interviewee suggest the wife might TELL THE POOR GUY just what that could be. No, that, of course, would not prove his sensitivity (pronounthed thenth-u-tiv-u-tee.) Love language is a language you learn on your own, I guess. Does Rosetta Stone have a CD on that? On the other hand, if he got it wrong, that does prove his INSENSITIVITY, THAT DIRTY, ROTTEN MAN!!!!

The topic narrowed down to taking the wife out for a nice dinner or some event. Two things were important here. First of all, the man was to do so without any expectation of any sort of payback. He was not even to think about getting something for his efforts; the woman could smell his thoughts and be "turned off." Naturally, having an IQ only slightly below the legal limit for blood alcohol, I knew they were talking about...well...you know. And all this makes sense to me since the average bride marries in the hope that the suit next to her in front of the preacher finds her physically repugnant, right?

So, let's get this straight. If the woman wants something, the guy had better guess it right and give it to her pronto. On the other hand, the woman was actually under moral obligation to deny the man what she had known her husband wanted since they were 17. Yeah. That sounds biblical. Just ignore the Scripture. Paul said in I Corinthians 7:5, "Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time..." But what did Paul know? He was a man. And undoubtedly a dirty, rotten man, or he wouldn't have said such a thing.

It seems some of the Corinthians were Bob Lepine fans. Their translation of Genesis said, "Be fruitful and multiply with an abacus." And in Hebrews there's the section that says, "Let the marriage bed be undefiled by a husband." That's in the Hysterically Angry Women's Study Edition of the BLV (Bob Lepine Version.)

The second thing about taking the wife out for dinner, was that even if the man loved his wife enough to go to the vet for neutering, he was still just a dirty, rotten, evil man if he failed to get the dinner just right. If he got it right he would graduate from mere man to absolutely fabulous manette and be eligible to work for Family Life Today, calling all men everywhere to repent and be fem. And what made the dinner and flowers just right? Well, the wife had to feel loved. (I'm not exaggerating on this point. They were talking about the wife not feeling loved.) If he got the wrong kind of flowers or the dinner just didn't do it for her, that's it. The guy's a dud. In that case, the dirty, rotten man who got himself neutered (probably for his own selfish reasons) had to try harder next time. Keep guessing until you get the right flowers and pray her tastes don't change. (I'm not exaggerating. The correctness of the man's actions and the validity of him to his wife was based on her feeling or not feeling loved! Please, someone...anyone...if this isn't severe narcissism, tell me what is!) It was his job to keep guessing until he got it right and she...you guessed it...felt loved. Then she would actually like her husband, he would become a full-fledged, card-carrying, lilac-scented manette, and they would both move to wherever Family Life Today spews from and he could start work there as soon as he was properly fitted with a pink tutu and tights.

That was the conclusion of that part of the discussion. If the man did all he could to make the woman feel loved without any expectation of sex and she did not feel loved, it was the responsibility of the man to continue trying things to make her happy until something worked for her and remain celebate until death do us part.

Even the financial wastefulness is mind-blowing. Imagine a young husband blowing $100 for an evening. Then the wife tells him, "No, it wasn't right, Honey. I don't feel loved. Try again," either in words or in her pouty attitude. What is her responsibility? How much should be spent to make this hag happy? Why is she entitled to such waste? Why shouldn't she be thrifty and care for the welfare of the household? Why can't her husband find a cyanide capsule to bite?

I tell young guys, "Pretty lasts about 2 weeks." With a hag like that, there is no pretty. Five minutes with her and I'd put a gun in my mouth. Solomon called a selfish, hard-to-please woman a dripping faucet. The hag of FLT is a gusher.

Doesn't the Bible tell the woman to love the husband, too? Does that count? Or was that inserted by an evil male scribe too stubborn to wear a tutu? Is not this nasty wife worse than a spoiled, demanding child? After all, she's old enough to know better. This sort of thing isn't Christian. It's not even adult.

Why did it not occur to the interviewer that the woman in front of him was advocating rebellion against God? She promoted unthankfulness. When I was young and my cousin was busy discovering fire, if a total stranger gave me something and I acted unthankful, I'd get whipped until I apologized and said, "Thank you." The hag of FLT says a wife is not even supposed to live up to a simple biblical standard of civility recognized by the world! I tell you, as God is my witness, that woman deserves severe discipline. She is in sin and so is Family Life Today. They are meddling in hundreds of marriages, injecting them with sinful attitudes in the name of God. They do not recognize sin because they do not know God's character. They do not know God's character because they study self-help books and not the Bible. That's why it didn't occur to the interviewer. He doesn't think biblically. There's no Bible in his head--only self-help manuals written from the flesh and radio ratings figures in the 30-55-year-old-unhappy-women-who-go-to-church-because-they-fantasize-about-the-pastor-because-he's-so-much-more-sensitive-than-my-husband demographic.

Think of it for a moment. If you acted like that toward a co-worker, you'd eventually be fired for hurting morale. It's okay for an FLT-trained wife, though, to treat her husband that way. Why? And will she wonder why her husband is never home?

I couldn't take anymore. I turned it off.

On balance, I didn't go back to that program and listen to more sin called Christianity. Right now the divorce rate among Christians is virtually the same as the world around us. If Family Life Today gives the same sort of self-centered advice to husbands, we should be in first place shortly.

And don't get me wrong, if my daughter was married to a man as selfish as this interviewee was I'd be tempted to kill the guy. If she was going to marry such a jerk, I'd take her to lunch and have a little talk with her. In Siberia. For about ten years.

This is why I call the church back into the Bible. Nothing on that program was Christian. None of the thought patterns were biblical. It was carnal. It was selfish. It mitigated against the man as head of the home. It encouraged wives to be self-centered, demanding narcissists who abused their God-given husbands. It glorified and sanctified unthankfulness and rebellion. It called evil good and good evil. I pity any girl brought up by a woman like the hag of FLT. Such a girl will be as good as divorced before she reaches twelve because no man could stand her for any amount of time. And she'll bring the divorce because in her mind the man is evil. He has to be--he's the man.

Family Life Today says to hope your spouse makes you have nice feelings. Scripture says to deny yourself. Family Life Today says if your spouse doesn't give you nice feelings, deny him/her something he/she wants. Scripture says to deny yourself. Family Life Today says thankfulness is contingent on whether or not you like the gift given. Scripture says to deny yourself and give thanks in all things.
Family Life Today or Scripture. Narcissism or self-denial. The flesh or the Spirit.

I'll tell you what, though. The hag of Family Life Today sure made me love my wife more. I called her and told her right from the truck that day.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Tell It To The Judge!

Here's an excellent article from Joel Griffith. Take special note of what he has to say to Christians in the last two paragraphs--especially the last line.

God forgive us,
Phil Perkins.

New Found Treasure

Seventh Sola (check the blogroll) is a pretty cool site. Joel Griffith seems to be a fellow meanie. He just says it like it is. I like that. No quarter for stupid. No excuses. Another thing I think he has in common with me, is the enigmatic name he picked for his site. Ask him.

Anyway, if you want some pretty good social and political commentary from a biblical perspective, Mr. Griffith is good at it. And he's no dummy. He thinks for himself, rather than rehashing stuff from other blogs. I'm hooked.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Celebrating The Wrath Of God--A Cosmic Dance In The Theater Of Space And Time For All Sentient Beings To Watch, Mouths Open. 2nd edition.

Being a real hard head grounded in Scriptural doctrine and valuing the unchanging truths of God, just what would it take to change my doctrine? About 2 weeks. When I first wrote this article, I did not want to go too far. I said that we MAY celebrate God's wrath vigorously some day. Originally posted on January 31, 2007 I have decided to edit it to be more biblical. After reading and meditating on Isaiah 66 I decided that at some future point in time, believers WILL indeed rejoice jubilantly to see the wrath of God poured out in all its fury, even on those we loved in this life. Here is the new article:

As believers we celebrate a lot of things about God. We celebrate the love, mercy, and condescension of God at Christmas. We celebrate the power and promises of God at Easter. Did you know we also celebrate the wrath of God? We do. At communion.

During communion we celebrate the humiliation of the Son, His sacrifice, and His love. However, we also celebrate God's wrath being poured out on Jesus. It goes without saying that we don't celebrate God's wrath in the sense that we jump in the streets and sing. We can't do that now because we are too guilty. Too close to the fire. "The fear of God is the begining of wisdom." In this life, we are not able to be jubilant about wrath, because we are too close to it and too blind to see sin as He sees sin.

Heaven points to God's wrath as a facet of His glory radiating to the universe.

Listen to what the Spirit says:

22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

23And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

24even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
Romans 9:22-24.

So then, according to Scripture God puts His attributes on display for His glory, including His wrath. He does so purely for His glory. This is frightening. He claims to prepare vessels for destruction on purpose in order "to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy."

The plight of the unsaved is incomprehensible. According to verse 23, they are allowed to live for a time on this earth in order to glorify God by showing His mercy to the elect. God's mercy on you, if you're saved, is a shining star in an unlit coal mine of the sin of others and the wrath that awaits them. It's the job of the unsaved to glorify God in their sin and punishment. God uses them in this way without their permission or knowledge, while they revel in their idolatries and evil acts. The atheist is a puppet of the God he hates. The drunk is taking part in an ingenious dance choreographed by God before the universe existed.

Do you see an apology from God for His sovereign dealings with men, destroying one and saving another for His glory? The cosmos watches unblinking as the majestic dance of Providence unfolds to demonstrate the power, righteousness, holiness, mercy, and love of God. The infinitely angry wrath of God is shown so that His power can be demonstrated and His love known in its full depth. Oh, the GLORY OF GOD!

When we read that God will wipe away all our tears, we usually think we will no longer remember our loved ones. How could we possibly be happy if we remembered our loved ones in eternal torment? Obviously, He will make us no longer remember them, right?

No. There are two reasons we will know of God's wrath carried out on all unrepentant humans. First, as we have already read in Romans 9, God is glorified by sin judged. Is it not logical that He would never shield us from His glory displayed? Would He display all His glory to us except His glory displayed in His punishment of our loved ones? It does not seem logical that the Author of truth would hide this from us. So how will He assure our eternal joy? Ignorance must not be the answer. Indeed, Lazarus could see the rich man and the rich man could see Lasarus.

Second, the Scripture does deal with this very issue. I believe after meditating on Isaiah 66 and listening to the teaching of Paul Washer on this subject that the answer lies, not in our ignorance of God's wrath displayed, but in the fullness of the regeneration we will one day experience. One day we will see sin as He sees it. Isaiah 66:24 says,
"Then they will go forth and look
On the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be quenched,
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind."

Note the last line. The wicked will be an abhorrence to all mankind. When we see the actuality of the vileness of sin exposed in the light of God's judgment, our most dearly beloved on earth will turn our stomachs. We will thank God that He has rid the earth of these vile creatures. We will know that His wrath is glorious. We will say with all the angels and all the saints from all the tribes of the earth, "Has not God done right?"

Examine yourselves. Make your calling and election sure.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

FLASH: Pope Rejects Transubstantiation!

Photo from Team Pyro

Imagine

John Lennon wrote and sang a song called "Imagine." It was a lyrical depiction of a socialist, atheistic world as seen through the eyes of a man with pink ping pong ball halves covering his eyes. Soon it may not be so imaginary.

Imagine there's no churches
It's easy if you try
No church to go to
Meeting in our houses
Like the apostles did
Dying for our God...

Imagine there's no Bibles
Only the ones we hide
No place to pray in safety
And no singing praises
Except alone in secret
Living life in fear...

HEY WAIT A MINUTE. Lennon didn't tell us those verses. I guess he saved them for later, when we all drop the pink ping pong balls.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Are We In The Last Hour Before God Judges America?

We are in the last days before God judges America and the American church for the whoredom that is Evangelicalism. Will God stay His hand? If so how long? Well, according to the following World magazine article given to me by Mark Johnson, elderly American women are being jailed right here in America for witnessing on the streets, under the guise of hate crimes laws. And John MacArthur shares in his sermon series, "Happy From The Inside Out," the story of a young man several years ago who had his head bashed in for preaching the gospel in an LA park. And we didn't hear about that as a hate crime, did we?

If these hate crime laws are enacted we will no longer be able to speak about sins like homosexuality in a biblical way. We will no longer be able to say Islam is an evil religion or that it calls for its adherents to murder Christians and Jews.

Already the nation is nearly devoid of gospel preachers that speak the truth. Word-faithers are selling their snake oil. Emergents are calling their no-doctrine doctrine the Christian doctrine. And a very few are saying things like "repent" or "sin" or "wrath." Now God will judge us for our whoredom. For our cowardice.

You don't want to speak the truth because someone might frown at you? Okay. No prob. God is now going to fix it so you can't speak the truth at all. You won't study your Bible because the Super Bowl is on? Okay, God'll take your Bible away soon. You refuse to listen to a preacher who asks you to repent? Instead, you want to hear how your waiter-god can make you happy and successful? Okay, God will take that preacher away to jail or to heaven and you'll die in your sins.

GOD'S JUDGMENT IS UPON US. It's so close I can smell the smoke. You're not afraid? Then you're a fool.

Here is that article:

When grandmas go to jail for witnessing
By Janet Folger
World Magazine

Arrested for sharing the Gospel? An expected outcome in North Korea, China or any Muslim country on the globe. But in Pennsylvania? Yep. Arlene Elshinnawy, a 75-year-old grandmother of three, and Lynda Beckman, a 70-year-old grandmother of 10 (along with nine others), were arrested for sharing their faith on the public sidewalk in Philadelphia, Pa., USA. They faced 47 years (the rest of their lives)in jail for spreading the Gospel because of a Pennsylvania "hate crimes" law that is nearly identical to H.R. 254 – the "hate crimes" bill reintroduced in Congress and said to be on the "fast track" in the House Judiciary Committee. This is the same bill that previously passed both the House and Senate and was killed only because of Republican leadership opposition in conference – something we no longer have.

Don't believe hate crimes will silence your freedom of speech and freedom of religion? Think again.

Pastors in Pennsylvania are now seeking liability insurance to protect themselves from being prosecuted under the "hate speech" law. That's right. They are reacting to Pennsylvania's addition of "sexual orientation" to the state's hate crimes laws. Of particular concern was the expansion of the definition of "harassment" to include "harassment by communication" – which means one could be convicted based upon spoken words alone.

Their fear is a rational one. Hate crimes invariably lead to fines and jail time for those who "violate" them. Just ask Sweden's Pastor Ake Green. Green faced jail time for the content of his sermon. He read from Romans Chapter 1 – something that is no longer legal in Sweden.

The "hate crimes" – or more appropriately, "thought crimes" – bill is the single most dangerous bill in America. Along with its companion, the "Employment Non-Discrimination Act," or ENDA – "Thought Crimes for your Business"– is expected to pass this session of Congress. Bow to the homosexual agenda – endorse, embrace, subsidize and celebrate it – or go out of business. That's what it did to the largest and most respected adoption agency in Boston, Catholic Charities, who, by refusing to place vulnerable orphans in homosexual homes, was forced to close its doors. England's about to get a dose of the same.

But you don't speak out about homosexuality, you say? Think you're safe? Think again. Here are just a few examples I've highlighted my book, "The Criminalization of Christianity," where you'll find a whole lot more.

Protest Islam? That's a hate crime!
Maybe it had something to do with Sept. 11. Maybe it had something to do with the beheadings. Maybe it had something to do with what is written in the Quran. But Canadian Pastor Mark Harding doesn't believe the Muslim religion is one of peace. So when his local high school started handing out copies of the Quran and announced a policy of setting aside a room for Muslim students to pray during school hours, Pastor Harding protested. Didn't think it was a good idea – especially since Christian, Jewish and Buddhist kids weren't afforded the same opportunity.

After losing an appeal to Canada's Supreme Court Oct. 17, 2002, Harding was said to have "willfully promoted hatred" in violation of Canadian law that had just passed six months earlier. He was then forced to undergo two years probation and 340 hours of "community service" at the Islamic Society of North America in Mississauga, Ontario.

So, for the "crime" of handing out leaflets protesting a high school's pro-Muslim policy, Pastor Harding was ordered to do community service to further the very religion he morally opposed.

Harding, an evangelical Protestant, says his evangelism is motivated by love for the Muslim people (rather than hate). In fact, in a phone call used as "evidence" against him in the trial, Harding verbalizes that he loves them. He says he wants them to go to heaven. Yet he received more than 3,000 hate-filled calls – many of them death threats. Some motioned by running their finger across their neck from ear to ear. Upon entering court for his trial, he required police protection from a large crowd of Muslims who were chanting, "Infidels, you will burn in hell." Of course, that speech is loving.

Harding said, "I had a call from someone who said they were from (Louis)Farrakhan's (Nation of Islam) group, and they were going to break my legs." Adding, "Another caller said he would rip out my testicles." Can't you just feel the love?

But instead of just "stuffing envelopes" to promote the Muslim faith, his punishment included Islam indoctrination under the direction of Mohammad Ashraf, the general secretary of the Islam center. Under penalty of going to jail, Harding was forced to undergo Islamic "re-education," which included reading a book called "Towards Understanding Islam," by Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi, which provided a description of one who does not follow Islam, referred to as an infidel or a "kafir":

"Such a man ... will spread confusion and disorder on the earth," the book says. "He will, without the least compunction, shed blood, violate other men's rights, be cruel to them, and create disorder and destruction in the world. His perverted thoughts and ambitions, his blurred vision and disturbed scale of values, and his evil-spelling activities would make life bitter for him and for all around him."

"It was obvious that he intended to make sure I understood that I was a kafir," said Harding, who was forbidden from voicing any objections or saying anything negative about Islam or its prophet, Muhammad.

Harding, who had been prevented from speaking publicly about his case under a gag order, told WorldNetDaily: "He said he was my supervisor, and if I didn't follow what he said, he would send me back to jail."

Harding, 49, has suffered four heart attacks since 1997 and is unable to work in his cabinet-making trade because of his poor health. Yet he must travel three-hours to the Islamic Society of North America to complete his sentence. His attorney has entered a plea based on humanitarian grounds, due to her client's poor health, to allow him to complete his sentence at an Islam Center closer to his home. Isn't that nice? Perhaps, if he's lucky, he can be indoctrinated closer to home.

And speaking of indoctrination, thanks to the city council in Hamtramck, that shrill siren from Muslim mosques is now blasted five times a day just outside of Detroit. Whether your child is sleeping or you're on an important call, for about 15 minutes every day it's going to sound like a tornado drill outside your suburban Detroit home or business beginning at 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. so the Muslims will know
when to pray. But if you were to ring church bells – which typically play music for two minutes once a week – in a Muslim country, you could be shot.

California 'hate crimes' law – pro-lifers automatic suspects "Hate crimes" bill, SB 1234, was signed into law by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Sept. 22, 2004. SB 1234 creates a new hate-crime training requirement for law enforcement called "multimission criminal extremism." In addition to those categories already considered for special punishment under the term "hate crimes," the new multimission criminal extremism training adds "anti-reproductive-rights crimes."

That means if you are pro-life, you are an automatic suspect, and law enforcement is being specially trained on how to handle you. I wonder what that special "multimission criminal extremism" trains officers to look for. "Anti-reproductive-rights" T-shirts? Those who've passed "anti-reproductive rights" laws? Those who've debated the "anti-reproductive-rights" position? If I lived in California, I have a feeling my picture would be found at the local post office. If you think killing children is wrong, they're training people against you, too.

This law also expands "crimes" to include "speech" interpreted as "threats, intimidation and coercion." As long as a "victim" claims the speech makes them "feel" "intimidated," violators will be liable to penalties of $10,000-$25,000 and a year in jail.

"[And] any person who says they are 'fearful' because someone has said homosexuality is wrong could have the speaker arrested and jailed," according to James Hartline, California pro-family activist.

This will be used to criminalize expressions of biblical truth about homosexuality as "hate speech" and could very well target not just organizations who disagree with homosexuality, but Christian bookstores that carry books like "The Criminalization of Christianity" or another book already ruled to contain "intimidating" beliefs: the Bible.

I agree with James Hartline who was quoted saying: "This is the worst bill ever put before the California Legislature – and that's saying a lot."

And now it's about to go federal: the "hate crimes" bill in Congress will pave the way for the very same thing. If you are for "hate crimes" legislation, you are also for the persecution of Christians. It's a package deal. There is no longer any doubt; that's exactly where it leads. Just ask Arlene Elshinnawy and Lynda Beckman.

If we are to stop this freight train aimed at our freedom from passing in Congress, we must work together and speak in a unified voice. Faith2Action and the Christian Interactive Network have reserved the website: www.StopHateCrimesNow.com that features Arlene and Lynda's stories in two 30-second television ads that you can help air. One hundred percent of donations will go toward airtime. With your help, we will place these commercials on cable news like Fox, CNN and MSNBC and earn additional media elsewhere. And if your organization is willing to link to www.StopHateCrimesNow.com , you will keep all your names and all new names generated. But most importantly, by sounding the alarm together, we have a chance of stopping it.

If the "hate crimes" bill or ENDA is passed by Congress, we are ready for Phase 2: sending veto pens to the president with individualized messages urging a veto.

One thing's for sure, if you value your freedom, you need to use it now. Yes, you have the right to remain silent, but if you use it very much longer, those are precisely the words you, your pastor, business owner or grandmother will hear before seeing the inside of a prison cell.

Janet L. Folger is president of Faith2Action and host of "Faith2Action
with Janet Folger" and the "Faith2Action Commentary" currently heard in
70 markets. =

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

So You Want A Prophecy, Huh?

Do you want a prophetic word from God today? Do you want to hear the Spirit speak? When did you last spend two hours with the Bible and only one with the TV?

Did you lie?

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Come And Die!

COME AND DIE!
Come and join a Billings street preaching team. We will concentrate in Billings going to parks, bars, and all sorts of public spaces. You can sharpen your gospel preaching skills. Learn to preach the law and the gospel as God’s tools for saving souls. We will also be preaching repentance at church parking lots all over town to church-goers.

Requirements:
1. Prayer and fasting. You will be expected to do both the day before an event.
2. Holiness of life. You will be expected to confess all sin and get rid of it before an event.
3. Preach and witness at least once a week. Week days and Saturdays we will go to the skateboard park, other parks, bars, gathering places, etc. There we will preach repentance and grace to unbelievers with boldness. On Sundays we will preach repentance to church goers in the parking lots of Billings churches.

Opportunities:
1. Preach repentance and grace in Billings and surrounding towns.
2. Sing for the Lord.
3. See folks saved.
4. Be mocked as He was mocked.

Needed:
1. Musicians.
2. Preachers.
3. Witnessers.
4. Prayer warriors to pray during events.

Contact: Phil Perkins 406-672-7450.

The Rest Of The Pattern

There is something I should have written in my last post. I was thinking it, but I failed to put in down on paper. I failed to tell you the rest of the pattern.

Here is the pattern as stated in that post:
I. A movement starts in the church and it is sold to the people as a way to adapt the gospel to the current culture.
II. As the movement unfolds it becomes evident that it results in a weakening of the authority of Scripture.
III. A result of the abandonment of Scripture is a plethora of radically unbiblical doctrines and behaviors.

Here is the part of the pattern not mentioned:
VI. Another result of the abandonment of Scriptures is the death of the second generation. There will be no second generation.

Remember our discussion of the plight of Europe? Europe lead the Christian world in the implementation of classical liberal theology. Liberal theology was an adaptation of Christianity to modernity. Now the churches in Europe are so empty, they are being sold as apartments, bars, and mosques.

In America, we didn't see the coming of liberal theology until the early 1900's. By the end of the 1900's those denominations that became liberal were so decimated they resorted to national TV ads. They're dying. Their sanctuaries are empty on Sunday. Interestingly, liberalism brought them down, but they haven't learned. Liberal denominations have not returned to Scriptures. They have gone further away from the Scriptures. Untethered, they have no absolute reference by which to judge anything. They started denying the virgin birth. Now they approve of sodomy. As Paul told Timothy in I Timothy 3:13, "...evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."

How did these denominations become so deceived in the first place? It was a seduction that is so common in Evangelicalism today, you will recognize it as soon as I say it. The seduction is the idea that since no one is being converted, we should change the gospel to be more attractive. Sound familiar? It is driven by unholiness in the church and its members. Rather than getting on our faces and praying for the harvest, we sit and whine about the gospel. Rather than going out and saying the gospel, we blame the gospel when no one is saved. Rather than making sure our lives are right, we say God's gospel is wrong. He made the gospel too hard. We see no growth not because the gospel doesn't work for us, but because we refuse to work for the gospel. Have you told your neighbors?

When the gospel is adapted to the culture, there is an influx to the church that is willing to make that compromise. Interestingly, the influx is disobedient church goers, not new converts. But that little detail is never addressed. It is enough that our church is growing in numbers and the offering plate is full.

Give it few years, though, and the reality hits. You see, church members eventually die. Then what? Children of liberals don't go to church. They leave for one simple reason: A kid doesn't get excited about believing nothing. Only very sophisticated churchie adults can do that. The children are never converted because they have never heard the gospel. They will not follow a belief system that says, "Don't believe." In that way they're smarter than their parents.

Now we are seeing the Emergent. It's doing the same thing as classical liberalism did--adapting the gospel to the current culture. Liberalism adapted to modernity, the Emergent to postmodernity. Both are whores. It is reaping the same sort of converts that classical liberalism did: church goers that despise the demands of the gospel. They can go to the new "gospel" and be religious without the rigors. And their kids will never hear the gospel and they will never honor the Scriptures.

The end of American Evangelicalism is upon us. Unless we repent on our bellies.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Wake Up, American Church! Before It's Too Late!

"Visitors to British cities can see this pattern at work, with Moslem minarets replacing Christian steeples. For some time, it has become apparent that "practicing" Muslims will outnumber "practicing" Christians within the current century. Newsweek now reports that it might be within just a few decades." This is from an article at almohler.com.

In Britain, churches are being turned into bars, restaurants, apartment buildings and Mosques.

Only a few years behind Europe's decadent spiritual decline, the US can expect the same. What started the spiritual decline in Europe? After World War II the decline was seen on the streets. However, the seeds were sown in the seminaries and universities by liberal theologians who diminished the authority of Scripture beginning in the 1800's. Barth, Schleiermacher, Bultmann, and so forth. Barth said that one had to add one's own mystical experience to the Bible in a mix. That mix, not the Bible, was the Word of God to you. Others simply said we had to adapt the gospel to current thinking.

Sound familiar? Earlier this century, Harry Emerson Fosdick stormed Princeton and New York City with his message that the miraculous elements of the Bible had to be discarded to accommodate the thinking of modernity that came to us from the Enlightenment. So, out goes the virgin birth, the inerrancy of Scripture, the bodily atonement, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, and the literal bodily return of Christ. Fosdick took his cue from the European liberals. He thought we ought to adapt the gospel to modernity.

In the last few years of the last century, the Emergent was born and it, too, is an attack on the authority of Scripture. It is currently overtaking the Evangelical church in a blitz. It denies the authority of Scripture by denouncing its inerrancy and by beginning with a doctrine that states there is little or no doctrine. Like the classical liberal American religionists, and the European liberals before them, they cast themselves as authentic Christians, but they are not. They undercut the authority of Scripture. They think we ought to adapt the gospel to postmodernity. See a pattern here?

Right now in our "Christian" seminaries and colleges, liberals and Emergents are teaching the next generation of pastors. There's that pattern again.

So what? Here's what: If the Evangelical church in America does not repent of its lethargy and get back to scriptural orthodoxy, it's curtains for America. And by "repent," I mean a real individual and institutional repentance. The plumber going to a church in Peoria must put away the booze, the swearing, and the flirting with the secretary at the dispatch office. And the seminary president must put away the professor that is not orthodox. Both individual and institutional repentance is required. Denominations need to clean out their hierarchies and their colleges and seminaries. Make them biblical again or close them down. Sell the buildings and lands to fund missionaries to go into our suburban churches with a message of repentance.

Already orthodox Christian churches in America are looking overseas to find biblical leadership. Anglican churches in Virginia have had to place themselves under bishops from Africa in order to find biblical leadership that will not ordain sodomites to the clergy. I remember when, as a child in Sunday School, a "missionary" was an American who went to Africa to save black people with the gospel. Now we need to pray for them to come here and save us. I mean it. God bless the ones that are coming. Pray for more. According to Paul Washer, most American Evangelicals would be excommunicated from churches in Central America for our lifestyle. Pray for them to come here and shame us into right living again. If we refuse to repent, may God kill us and raise up true Christians in our place!

Like the Laodecians, we think we're it. God is pleased with us. We have huge churches, right? We have seminaries, right? We're rich, right?

NO! We're sick. And we're going to die, like Europe. It's prayer-and-fasting time. Right now.

Once, Christianity emanated from Europe. God has judged Europe. Do you think He will not spew you out of His mouth? He will. He's proved it over and over. He doesn't need you. You need Him.

Repent. Get in the streets and preach like your life depends on it, because it does.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

AN ABANDONED FELLOWSHIP--Part III (of III)

PERSECUTION AS BOTH THE MARK OF AND ONE MOTIVATION OF THE TRUE MAN OF GOD.

This is the last of three articles on a fellowship that has been abandoned by the Evangelical church, the fellowship of His suffering, based on this passage:

Philippians 3:8-11.
8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

11in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

So then, if Paul's instruction to the church at Philippi is correct, one of the reasons for our salvation is so that we may have the high priviledge of suffering for the same reason Christ suffered at the hands of both secular and religious unbelievers. "Saved to suffer" is an idea that's not big with the blab-it-and-grab-it Word Faith crowd. It's not big with the sinner-indulging seeker-sensitive crowd or the church growth-at-any-doctrinal-price crowd.

In this article I will make a biblical case for two things. 1. The true man of God will be hated. If a man is not hated, he is not a man of God. 2. The persecuted man of God will actually be driven to endure more persecution on purpose, by the very persecution he complains about. This is a kick in the gut for typical Evangelicalism.

SCARS MARK A TRUE MAN OF GOD. SMOOTH SKIN MARKS A LIAR.

Listen to what the Spirit of God says:

II Timothy 3:10-15.
10Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,

11persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!

12Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

13But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,

15and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Reread that portion of the Spirit's Word for you. Look for three words. "Followed," "but," and "however."

First, "followed." Who followed? ANSWER: Timothy. What did Timothy follow? ANSWER: Paul's "teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings." As Christians we are taught all the time to follow God's teachings. As Christians we are taught constantly to follow godly characteristics like faith, patience, love, etc. When was the last time you meditated on the biblical teaching that says we are to actively follow the work of the Spirit into situations we know will lead to our own suffering?

Here is the Evangelical lie. Got it? I said "lie." Don't worry, I didn't mispeak. Lie is the appropriate term. And it's a whopper. Here it is: It is not right to ruffle feathers. All teaching must be relevant (whatever that is) and not offensive. In fact, the man or woman of God who ruffles is often castagated as wrong and sinful, without regard to the truthfulness of what was said. This is a lie. I cannot emphasize that enough. It is a lie. It is not biblical. It is a lie. And if you say this to others you're a liar. Stop it now!

Paul thanked Timothy (and God for Timothy, I'm sure) because Timothy acted like a man. A man of God. Oh, please, God. Raise up fellows like that! The church is dying for lack of them.

Now let's look at the two contrast words, "but" and "however." These two words are like a parenthesis around a short description of false teachers. The first nine verses (not given here because we picked up at verse 10) are a warning about false teachers. "Now" at the start of verse 10 sets apart this passage about Paul's commendation of Timothy. And that commendation continues through verse 15. "But" and "however" bracket a little bit of info that is put in as a contrast with Timothy's obedience. Here we read, "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however..."

Get the significance? The contrast highlights the true man of God who follows true doctrine, righteous works, and persecution. False teachers don't do that. They follow false doctrine and evil works and they avoid persecution. To make it plain, the Spirit says in verse 12, "...all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

Here's the test given to us by the Spirit: If you're not persecuted you're not godly.

Do you wonder how much less false doctrine would be in the church today if we didn't work so hard to please the world? Seeker sensitive churches are lies. We are called to be God sensitive. Or more to the point, God enslaved. When we are sensitive to man's wishes we omit wrath and repentance. This is done under the guise of "love." Love tells the truth. It doesn't shade it. As a result real biblical love is hated by the world. In the Emergent we are told to be postmodern to reach postmoderns. This never works. You will have a postmodern religious club, not a church of saints (holy ones.)

The false teacher often finds his motivation in the multiplication of followers. So he has to leave out those things that will offend so his followers don't have to repent. You get more followers that way. The true man of God loves men and God so much that he tells the truth. And he will always pay for it. He will have scars. The false teacher will have smooth skin with hell's lotion of slick deception slathered all over it. Baby soft and prepared for the fires of hell.

PERSECUTION MOTIVATES THE TRUE MAN OF GOD TO SUFFER EVEN MORE.

Jeremiah's complaint is a really sad story. The prophet whines about suffering and even starts by accusing God of deceiving him. (I have done the same many times.) But by the time it's done, the prophet admits that he cannot help himself. He has to speak the truth.

Listen to Jeremiah's complaint as the Spirit recorded it for our edification:

Jeremiah 20:7-18.
7O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived;
You have overcome me and prevailed
I have become a laughingstock all day long;
Everyone mocks me.
8For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
I proclaim violence and destruction,
Because for me the word of the LORD has resulted
In reproach and derision all day long.
9But if I say, "I will not remember Him
Or speak anymore in His name,"
Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
And I am weary of holding it in,
And I cannot endure it.
10For I have heard the whispering of many,
"Terror on every side!
Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!"
All my trusted friends,
Watching for my fall, say:
"Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him
And take our revenge on him."
11But the LORD is with me like a dread champion;
Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail
They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed,
With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
12Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous,
Who see the mind and the heart;
Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For to You I have set forth my cause.
13Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD!
For He has delivered the soul of the needy one
From the hand of evildoers.
14Cursed be the day when I was born;
Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!
15Cursed be the man who brought the news
To my father, saying,
"A baby boy has been born to you!"
And made him very happy.
16But let that man be like the cities
Which the LORD overthrew without relenting,
And let him hear an outcry in the morning
And a shout of alarm at noon;
17Because he did not kill me before birth,
So that my mother would have been my grave,
And her womb ever pregnant.
18Why did I ever come forth from the womb
To look on trouble and sorrow,
So that my days have been spent in shame?

This is a passage that you may want to spend some time with. It's a gut-wrenching set of three mood swings with four major moods. I can relate to each one and so will you if you've been faithful to proclaim God's word under persecution.

First, is the mood of bitter disappointment. He even gets angry with God in verses 7 and 8. He blamed God. He expected to be a popular leader and he is not. He faithfully brought God's word to the folks and the folks spat on him. They hated him. He became a "laughingstock." Faithful preaching has only brought "reproach and derision all day long." So much for Jerry's Main Street Mega Church.

Second, is an odd mood. It is volatile mixture of frustration, resignation, and a horrible realization. It's hard to separate these out. They seem to be almost simultaneous. (And that has been my experience, too.) He's about to explode. The Word of God in his heart is more than he can contain. The frustrated prophet describes it as a fire in his bones and he can't let it out. He can't hold it in any longer, either. The force of the Word wanting out actually tires his soul. Frustration leads to a resignation in verse 9 where he admits to God, "...I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it." Even though he knows he will pay a price, he admits to God and himself that his life has been commandeered by the Word. He can't keep shut up any more than an elephant can fly. He isn't even going to try anymore. Finally, mixed with the frustration and resignation is anger. It is a realization that his friends are liars. They are not really his friends at all. Not only will they not endure the persecution with him, they have come to hate him so much they want him to fail in verse 10.

Third, Jeremiah reaches an ecstatic elation. Knowing Who God is, he knows he is secure. His critics will fail in verses 11-13. God is his Champion. His enemies will be destroyed.

Fourth and last, the prophet slumps down into a sullen melancholy. Resigned to a life of obscurity, he is downcast, wishing he had never been born. This is verses 14-18. As a warning to us who are called to carry God's Word into the world, this section of Jeremiah's book ends with the statement that the life of the prophet will be lonely and bitter. As such, we had better be close to each other and to God. He will often be our only solace.

In the end, even though Jeremiah's personal journey was arduous, God was his Champion. And remember that persecution only pressurizes the Word in our bones. It may squelch us for a time, but we cannot contain it.

Listen once more to the Spirit: Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12.

Persecute us. It blesses us and it makes us louder.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Mega Church Experience

As promised, I went to a local mega church. I went there in the middle of the afternoon yesterday to find when the evening service would be. Folks were going in and out so I went in. Two pin ball machines were in the entrance lobby. So were about a half dozen TV's showing pregame goings on about the Super Bowl. Popcorn popped. Soda flowed. It was just like a movie theatre. Two big bouncer-like guys stood arms folded at the entrance to the "Worship Center." I peaked inside, not steppeing too far since I didn't have a ticket. Don't know if you needed one, but why take chances? Huge TV's showing the same Super Bowl prelude supplanted the altar. I forgot to look for the beer and nuts.

I asked one of the bouncers when evening service was. He said, "Five o'clock Saturday," with the same superior smile you get from a bouncer at a really popular night club that tells you he just might not let you in. I look forward to preaching repentance this coming Saturday in their parking lot. It will be interesting, at least.

I wonder if those big bouncer guys go to evening service.

Pray for my boldness.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

First Time Street Preaching.

Well, okay. I didn't really preach. I was going to, but it was 28 degrees F and not too many folks were out today. I had decided to go to the local skateboard park and preach there on Saturday afternoons. I like that idea because there are lots of young men there. Lots of boys, but some are 15 through 20. Great ground to start making friends.

There were only two guys, about 16 and 17. When I first drove up they looked at me and I was looking at them. They sensed I was up to something I guess. So I waved, they waved back to the old guy, and I parked. I sat and skimmed the first 2 or 3 chapters of each gospel and Acts for any last minute wisdom. Then I got out and approached them. They were really polite. Neither of them knew what the gospel was. One appeared Native American, the other was Jewish. I told them my name and got theirs. I told them I was going to be there every Saturday afternoon to preach the gospel. They shrugged and nodded their heads as if that was okay with them, kind of in a do-what-you-want-old-guy way.

"Do you know what the gospel is?"

Heads shaking.

"Do you know anything about God?"

Heads shake and shoulders shrug.

The Jewish one: "I'm Jewish," pointing to his chest.

"Do you practice your Judaism?"

"I don't practice anything."

"Do you know what the 10 commandments are?"

"Don't steal..."

I explained what the 10 commandments were and told him where to find them in the OT. I asked them what they thought God would say to them after they met Him. The Jew promised to read the ten commandments in his Torah and see if they fit him. I promised I would see him this coming Saturday and talk about what he thought.

So, my first time out, I didn't really get to preach. But I made at least one friend. I think he knows I care about him and I made him think about meeting God. Pray he will read the Torah and the Holy Spirit will convict him.

Meanwhile, I will be preparing to present the gospel strictly from the OT this week.

Tomorrow, I plan to go preaching in a church parking lot of a mega church. There I will be preaching repentance hard. This will be interesting. Pray for continued boldness and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Pray for my personal purity.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins.

Another After Thought On Suffering

As my three readers know, I have recently paid a price for my stand on the issue of the Emergent heresy. I have to say here and now, I'm not a bit sorry. In fact, I cannot think of a time that God has been closer to me than He is right now. There is a transforming power in persecution. It changes you when you weigh the price you will likely pay for speaking the truth against speaking the truth and make the right choice. God has worked in miraculous ways that I will not bore you with, but the testimony of this Christian is this: He's worth it.

Don't shrink. You won't be sorry. Go for it. Do it. They hated Him. They'll hate you. So? It only makes life sweeter, because you'll have a clear conscience, but mostly because God will be so close you'll feel His breath on your neck. There's a joyful sweetness I never had before. I've never shed so many tears over biblical things and sin in the church. I cannot stop thinking of the lost. I fight back the tears as I write this to you. God is good. Praise His Holy Name forever.

In the Captain of our suffering,
Phil Perkins. PS--If you guys read this tonight or tomorrow, pray. I'm going out street preaching for the first time tomorrow. I know just where I want to go and will give a report Sunday or Monday.

AN ABANDONED FELLOWSHIP--Part II (of III)

"MY CUP YOU WILL DRINK."--Jesus.

This is the second of three articles on the fellowship of His suffering, based on this passage:

Philippians 3:8-11.
8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

11in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

The fellowship of His suffering is currently an abandoned fellowship. No one is signing up. At church we will have services for fellowship, dinners for fellowship, small groups for fellowship. Fellowship, fellowship, fellowship. And when we think of that sort of fellowship we are happy and look forward to good times, laughter, Christian camaraderie, and sympathetic tears.

We don't expect to die.

The Scripture speaks of a number of fellowships. We can have fellowship in the evil doings of false teachers if we offer them any sort of support, according to II John. We can have the type of fellowship with other Christians I described above. However, there is another sort of fellowship that can only come to those who suffer. And that fellowship is intimate and it is between the Christian sufferer and his Captain in Suffering. Christ died first. Is He your Master? Are you better than He?

Here is another passage that sheds light on His will for His followers:

Matthew 20: 20-23.
20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him.

21And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left."

22But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able."

23He said to them, "My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father."

Read that through. Look at verse 23. There are two promises given to the sons of Zebedee:
1. You will die.
2. There is no guarantee of honor or recognition.

Are you ready to die? God requires it. Will you sign up to die?

Paul repeats the promise of suffering to his beloved Timothy:

II Timothy 3:10-13.
10Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,

11persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!

12Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

13But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." According to verse 12, what is guaranteed to those who are real Christians? Good times? Health? Wealth? No. Persecution!

If you are not being persecuted, you are not obedient to Christ. If you are persecuted, it's sign of salvation and obedience.

We are required to be willing to die.

In Christ,
Phil Perkins. PS--In the next of the three articles, we will discuss purposely going into persecution and the contrast between the false teacher and the true and how the mark of persecution identifies the true. I intend to finish that article this weekend, Lord willing.