Movie Review · Uncategorized

Don’t Take the Kids to See Warner Bros. “Smallfoot.”

Bob Snyder3 Comments

smallfoot

This is not a feel-good, cute, animated feature for families!  It is nothing more than atheist propaganda, and programming!  If you are a P.O.F. (person of faith) of any kind, you will be very irritated by this movie.  We decided to give it a shot, in hopes of seeing something whimsical, family friendly, and fun.  This movie was none of those things.  Apparently, when atheist try give you what they think you will find to be funny, or a naive good time, it comes off feeling forced, cliche, and condescending.  I truly wanted to enjoy this movie with my Wife, and Daughter, but alas, we were all disappointed.  Even my Daughter talked about how it was transparently propaganda. (my words, not hers.)

The entire plot was about how at best, religious people are naive, stupid, dupes, kept in line by religion, and that they are holding the atheist minority back from progressing.  At worst, we are knowingly deceiving everyone, and controlling them with religion like the leader of the yetis was doing.  The plot was not fun at all.  It was all anti-religion.  The subplot/subtext was what was intended to be the plot that people noticed, but the subplot in this movie was so blatant, and hateful, that it was the obvious plot, even to my Daughter.

Don’t waste your money.  Go home, and watch something good off of DVD/Bluray, or read a book for crying out loud, or just take the family out to lunch instead!  Warner Bros. you are horrible!  You all should be ashamed of yourselves for doing a bait and switch!

Book Reviews · Uncategorized

A Review of Joe Siccardi’s book, “Heaven Shining Through.”

Bob Snyder2 Comments

heavenshiningthrough

I need to premise this review with the following, I base my final judgment on a Christian book on whether or not it would add significant value to the individual’s Christian library. This novella seems to be skirting the secular, and Christian realms without boldly being in either. It was kind of like an episode of the Michael Landon series, “Highway to Heaven.” It tugs at the heartstrings of Protestants, and Roman Catholics. In my opinion, this is its failing. If it were merely a secular work with the occasional mention of faith, I would have a different opinion. As I understand it, this is intended to be a Christian work.

Without giving any spoilers, this book is a tear jerker. Siccardi tells a story that gets the water works going. I felt for the main character Samantha. She had some great times, and some sad times. It is set back east in the 60’s and 70’s. The story telling moved along, and didn’t make me sit through long tracts of boredom. I thought the author did a good job of bringing the female lead to life in this story, but I am also a middle aged man. I wouldn’t attempt it, but Siccardi did. I don’t think he did a bad job of it. I enjoyed the sacrificial love her husband demonstrated to her, and for her. I think it is what made her character understand real love. It also paralleled her father’s love for her, in light of her mother’s ineffective demonstration of love that seemed to rely on reciprocation, which is not true love at all. I think this theme was well played out, but could have culminated in a direct preaching of the gospel to her mother.

It is a story of reconciliation, but in my estimation leaves out the more important reconciliation, the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to justify sinners to a holy God. In the progression of the story there were more than a few opportunities to preach the real gospel of reconciliation, and make the distinctions between it and the false gospel of the Roman Catholic tradition. I know many folks have heard, and repeated the idiom, “Preach the gospel, and if necessary use words.” This is falsely attributed to Francis of Assisi. It is also blatantly unbiblical. The Lord Himself commands us to preach the gospel to all the world and make disciples of all men. This by definition requires words. Jesus is the word made flesh. Jesus used words, and so did the Apostles. To preach requires the use of words. I’m not saying that Siccardi used the above quote in his novella, but it seems that principle was employed whether consciously or not.

To be clear, the Roman Catholic tradition relies on the practitioner’s works righteousness by keeping the sacraments. This is akin to the pre-incarnation works righteousness of the Jewish sacrificial system. In contrast the Biblical gospel is that we are fallen sinners in Adam our federal head. If we die in our sins, we will be sent to Hell for eternal punishment by God, who is holy, righteous, and just. In His mercy, and love, He has made a way for guilty sinners to be saved from Hell, and justified to Himself, without violating His justice. Jesus is the incarnate second person of the eternal triune God. He lived a perfect sinless life, was righteous, and in obedience to the Father, and love for His Church, went to the cross of His crucifixion, where the wrath of God was poured out on Him, instead of us. He who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf. He took our punishment on Himself, and atoned for our sin. He expiated it, and when we repent of our sins, and trust solely on, and in Christ, His work on the cross, we are justified to God, by grace, through faith. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us. We are born again, and translated from death to life. We will be with God for eternity. If you haven’t already, I urge you to repent, and believe.

Would I recommend this book? I would recommend it as a secular work of fiction, with some redeeming qualities. I would not recommend it as a Christian book. So if you are a Christian looking for distinctly Christian fiction, I would look somewhere else. If you are a Christian, and are looking for a quick e-read, and don’t mind a P.G. rating, this is an emotionally compelling story, that can get you crying, unless you are a heartless fiend. If you are not a Christian, you might be offended by some of the faith content, but then again, there is no pleasing you, is there Frank!? So, with everything that I mentioned in mind, I enjoyed the story. It may not be up to the standard of being a seminal Christian classic, but it was a good story, and did demonstrate sacrificial love, and reconciliation of estranged family.

cultural · heresy · hermeneutics · Liberal Christian · Uncategorized

“Methodist Pastor Uses Bible Verse to Defend Forcing Christians to Fund Abortions” Original article is from LifeNews.com

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aliciabaker

As the title suggests, this Free Methodist, female, “Pastor” has twisted the very words of Jesus, to justify her pro-abortion stance. Here is what she had to say,

“Jesus directs us to advocate for a just society that allows people to live their lives to the fullest. Jesus directs us to advocate for a just society that allows people to live their lives to the fullest. In John 10:10, Jesus says, ‘I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full,’ Baker said. “And this means supporting access to affordable birth control, because by permitting individuals to plan if, whether and when to become pregnant, birth control allows us to live our fullest lives.” You can read the full article on LifeNews.com

You might ask, “How someone could twist God’s word to justify such evil?” Well it starts with liberal theology. You might ask, “What is liberal theology?”

Here is a quote from GotQuestions.org answering that question;

Answer: In liberal Christian teaching, which is not Christian at all, man’s reason is stressed and is treated as the final authority. Liberal theologians seek to reconcile Christianity with secular science and modern thinking. In doing so, they treat science as all-knowing and the Bible as fable-laden and false. Genesis’ early chapters are reduced to poetry or fantasy, having a message, but not to be taken literally (in spite of Jesus’ having spoken of those early chapters in literal terms). Mankind is not seen as totally depraved, and thus liberal theologians have an optimistic view of the future of mankind. The social gospel is also emphasized, while the inability of fallen man to fulfill it is denied. Whether a person is saved from his sin and its penalty in hell is no longer the issue; the main thing is how man treats his fellow man. “Love” of our fellow man becomes the defining issue. As a result of this “reasoning” by liberal theologians, the following doctrines are taught by liberal quasi-Christian theologians:

1) The Bible is not “God-breathed” and has errors. Because of this belief, man (the liberal theologians) must determine which teachings are correct and which are not. Belief that the Bible is “inspired” (in that word’s original meaning) by God is only held by simpletons. This directly contradicts 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2) The virgin birth of Christ is a mythological false teaching. This directly contradicts Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 2.

3) Jesus did not rise again from the grave in bodily form. This contradicts the resurrection accounts in all four Gospels and the entire New Testament.

4) Jesus was a good moral teacher, but His followers and their followers have taken liberties with the history of His life (there were no “supernatural” miracles), with the Gospels having been written many years later and merely ascribed to the early disciples in order to give greater weight to their teachings. This contradicts the 2 Timothy passage and the doctrine of the supernatural preservation of the Scriptures by God. 

5) Hell is not real. Man is not lost in sin and is not doomed to some future judgment without a relationship with Christ through faith. Man can help himself; no sacrificial death by Christ is necessary since a loving God would not send people to such a place as hell and since man is not born in sin. This contradicts Jesus Himself, who declared Himself to be the Way to God, through His atoning death (John 14:6). 

6) Most of the human authors of the Bible are not who they are traditionally believed to be. For instance, they believe that Moses did not write the first five books of the Bible. The book of Daniel had two authors because there is no way that the detailed “prophecies” of the later chapters could have been known ahead of time; they must have been written after the fact. The same thinking is carried over to the New Testament books. These ideas contradict not only the Scriptures but historical documents which verify the existence of all the people whom the liberals deny.

7) The most important thing for man to do is to “love” his neighbor. What is the loving thing to do in any situation is not what the Bible says is good but what the liberal theologians decide is good. This denies the doctrine of total depravity, which states that man is incapable of doing anything good and loving (Jeremiah 17:9) until He has been redeemed by Christ and given a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

There are many pronouncements of Scripture against those who would deny the deity of Christ (2 Peter 2:1)—which liberal Christianity does. Scripture also denounces those who would preach a different gospel from what was preached by the apostles (Galatians 1:8)—which is what the liberal theologians do in denying the necessity of Christ’s atoning death and preaching a social gospel in its place. The Bible condemns those who call good evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20)—which some liberal churches do by embracing homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle while the Bible repeatedly condemns its practice.

Scripture speaks against those who would cry “peace, peace” when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14)—which liberal theologians do by saying that man can attain peace with God apart from Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and that man need not worry about a future judgment before God. The Word of God speaks of a time when men will have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5)—which is what liberal theology does in that it says that there is some inner goodness in man that does not require a rebirth by the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ. And it speaks against those who would serve idols instead of the one true God (1 Chronicles 16:26)—which liberal Christianity does in that it creates a false god according to its own liking rather than worshiping God as He is described in the whole of the Bible

You can see that it boils down to a belief in man’s reason, and his culture, over the Bible. If you’ve ever wondered how people ignore scripture verses like;

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB Strong’s)  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

1 Timothy 2:12-15 (NASB Strong’s)  But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.  For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

Titus 1:5-9 (NASB Strong’s) For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the  overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,  holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Now you have your answer. They ignore these verses because they interpret them through their modern liberal theological hermeneutic which denies the accuracy, and authority of Scripture.

The Free Methodists have been in trouble for a long time. They are almost as liberal as the Episcopalians. One of the first things that happens when a denomination starts down the road of liberal theology is that they start ordaining women as elders/pastors. When you see that happening, you know they have put their feet on the other side of the slippery slope. Satan’s lies haven’t changed over the years. He tells us to not believe God’s words, and that we can be like God. We can live how we want to live. Don’t believe people who claim to be Christian, and are also pro-abortion, because chances are, they are not Christian at all, but self-deceived dupes of the devil.

When Jesus, God incarnate, the eternal Son, the second Person of the Triune God said in John 10:7-10 (NASB) “So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Does it look at all like He was trying to justify having a convenient, child-free life, of sexual immorality, and infanticide? Nope! In context, it looks like He is saying that in Him you can actually have true life. You can be forgiven of your sins, granted true repentance and faith, be born again spiritually, and live for all eternity with Him. Not only that, but while you are here on this Earth, living your life, you can do it for the glory of God, and be free from the bondage of sin! That isn’t a license to go and murder babies. It isn’t permission to do whatever your evil little unregenerate hearts want to do as false converts! Eternal life, in Christ our Savior, and Lord, free from sins bondage, is what Jesus is talking about. He is not talking about the one command of the satan worshipers, “Do as thou will.”

Book Reviews · Uncategorized

“Knowing and Growing in Assurance of Faith” by Dr. Joel R. Beeke.

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knowingandgrowinginassuranceoffaith

If you are a Christian, you’ve probably had questions about the topic of assurance.  We’ve all had doubts about our faith at some point in our growth.  While nobody can give you assurance of your salvation, this book can help you, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith;” 2 Corintians 2:5a (NASB)  Dr. Beeke cites the Bible, and the writings of some very astute Puritans, and their explorations of this topic.  The book is very logically organized, and walks you through a process, by which you can examine yourself, if you are having questions about your salvation.  He unpacks where some of our problems come from, and what we should know to help us on our way.  This is one of the most accurate, and helpful books I’ve ever read on the topic.  If you are having difficulties with your assurance, I highly recommend this book.

You can pick up a copy at any of these sites; Reformation Heritage Books, Christianbook.com, and Amazon.

ISBN-13: 9781781913000

Uncategorized

Guilt Over Sin, and Victory in Christ.

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golden-chain-Romans-8-28-30

I say, with absolute truth, and certainty, “My death is imminent, it looms about me, it is just, and well earned, for my sins are countless, except to God, who knows each one in perfect detail, for the cost of them was laid upon His precious Son.” If you know this to be true about yourself, do you also know that in Christ Jesus, we have been granted life giving repentance, and faith, a new heart, with new affections and desires, a new existence as a born again saint, a new family of adopted brothers and sisters in Christ, a true Father, Christ as our Lord and King, Priest intercessor, true Prophet, dear brother, and Savior. We have been granted life eternal with God, for His glory, and our good. Look at your sins, but do not lay your mind on them to the degree that they become greater than the Savior! If your guilt and shame have come at you like breaking waves on a dark and gloomy shore, thundering against your mind, like a death knell, let the next thought be about how you have a sacrifice that pleases the justice of the one true God, that was made by His Son on the cross! Surely, see your sins, and what they cost, but remember why He did what He did. For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. God has love for those whom He saves. They become His Children through adoption, and Christ Jesus is the door, the way in. No man comes to the Father except by Jesus Christ! What a glorious, and beautiful Savior we have! Lift your head from your contemplation, brokenness over sin, and self-abasement, and focus on the glorious, eternal, and resurrected Lord! May His love for you be known, and felt. May it be ever in your mind, balancing the right perspective of guilt over sin, and God’s great love. There is a tension between the two, and it is good for us to know them both.
 
Romans 8:26-39 (NASB Strong’s) Our Victory in Christ
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was  raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
WE were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Uncategorized

We Create Gods in Our Image, Paganism and Idolatry.

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We humans are very self-centered, or anthropocentric.  When we make up a god, or religion, we make it in our image as a collective society.  It is usually a god that looks, and values what we do.  Consider the Norse mythological system, their gods valued fighting, and dying an honorable death in combat.  They valued strength.  All the false world religions look like the people they came from.  Men always imagine gods that are able to be appeased through their efforts.  We make our gods in our image.  We make gods that think, and look like us, and value the same things.  This is called idolatry.  Our ancestors did it, we do it, and chances are many of us don’t even realize we’re doing it.

Christianity is the only true faith, and worships the only true God.  He made us in His image.  He cannot be appeased by us, nor does he value the lowly, base, and sinful things we value.  We could never imagine a God like the true God.  He had to reveal Himself to us.  The record of His revelation to us, and all that is needed to know Him is in the Bible.  There we can read about Him, and come to know Him.  Through that process, I think you’l find, as I and many other Christians have, there is no way, anyone could have created such a God.

Many people claiming to be Christians have made a god in their own image.  They go to Church with true Christians, and other false converts.  They sing songs to their god, they pray to him/it, they worship him/it, but it won’t avail them.  They might say things like, “Don’t judge!” or, “My god would never send anyone to Hell.” or, “I don’t believe in the god of the Old Testament, I like the one in the New Testament better.” or, “God is love, love is god.”  Keep in mind, this god reflects what that person values, not the God of the Bible.

I encourage you to examine yourself, and see if you have created a god in your own image, or if you worship God in truth and in spirit.  Eternity is a long time to be wrong.

Uncategorized

Please Consider Keeping Monergism Funded.

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monergismfunds

If you are a Christian, you’ve probably heard of, or used Monergism.com.  They have been publishing public domain, free to read, Christian e-books, for years, as well as some contemporary works, and some for purchase.  I have downloaded, and benefited from their work personally, and encourage you to check them out.  They are also in need of funds to continue their work.  Please consider giving to them.  They are a valuable resource, and I’d hate to see them go.

gender dysphoria · gospel · sin · Uncategorized

The only true cure for gender dysphoria.

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sin

If you have unbiblical preconceived notions about how you should be treated, or how your life should be going, you are not only in sin, but you will never be content, and you’ll always be angry.

If you are confused about your gender, you need the truth, not lies. If you pretend to be a man, when you are actually a woman, you will always know that you are not a man. It will be with you all the while. You will always know you are a woman pretending to be a man. You will never fit in with actual men. You don’t need people to help you lie to yourself. You need the truth. Your emotions are not tempered with knowledge that is true. This will only lead to more suffering. Accept the truth. The truth is that you have sinful feelings and thoughts. You, along with the rest of us, are perverted. We all need God to grant us repentance, and faith. Pray for God to lead you to actual truth, and free you from your sins.  Trust the finished work of Jesus Christ, on the cross for your righteousness.  He took our punishment, and satisfied the just wrath of God with His sacrifice.  We need to repent of our sins, and trust solely in Him.

Church · Uncategorized

We need Church.

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One of the many reasons we,as hypocritical sinners, should attend Church, is so we can obey Christ, in being sanctified through learning to humbly love other hypocritical sinners. Remember, if you find the perfect Church, run because you will ruin it by joining. There is no such thing as a, “perfect Church” All local bodies are made up of wretched worms, who have gathered to worship the only true and living, good and merciful, God who saves.  If your excuse is that the Church is full of hypocrites, then it is invalid.  You yourself are also guilty of hypocritically judging.  Please take a look, and a listen to these resources available at Wretched.org

 

 

Church · gospel · Repentance · Suffering · Uncategorized

Now it seems it is time to persevere.

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foundry

Keep in mind, what I am going to be writing about is not a prophecy, nor did I get a, “word from God.”  This is just my own personal observations, and thoughts.  I have been thinking lately, that we have had an unusual time of learning, and growing for the last decade or so.  There have been good teachers, and plentiful resources.  Even though there has been persecution around the world, and oppression in other parts of the world, we have been pretty safe here in the USA.  We have had a lack of tribulation.  We have had plenty of time to mature in Christ.  We have been sitting in relative comfort.

I think this time is coming to a close.  I think many Pastors, and teachers are headed for a fall.  The world system, and the enemy are going to be putting Christians, their faith, and knowledge of Christ to the test.  Our sins will seem to come at us with a vengeance, and destructive force that we are not accustomed to.  This is where the rubber meets the road.  Will we buckle under the temptation?  Will we resort to being greedy, selfish, unkind, mean, arrogant, prideful, lustful, adulterous, covetous, abusive, addicted, or fill in the black with whatever sin has been eating at your assurance over the past years, some besetting sin, that you’ve as of yet not had victory over?(1 Peter 1:7, Heb 10:32-36)

We’ve already seen some Pastors/Preaching Elders fall into heterodoxy, or outright apostasy.  We have seen marriages end, and abuses happen.  I think these are just the beginning of what is to come.  We’ve had time to prepare, grow, and learn to fight sin.  I think the time has come, and God is going to put us through trials, and tribulations.  I’m not talking eschatologically here.  It seems the season is here for our good, the Churches good, and sanctification.  Those who are left standing after the fire, will be the ones who have persevered.  We need workmen who have shown them selves approved. (2 Tim 2:15, 1 Cor 9:24-27, James 1:2-4)

Don’t fret or worry.  Rest assured in the God who saves, and sanctifies.  He will also glorify.  When you fall to sin, repent immediately.  Accept Church discipline.  It is for your good, and the Churches good.  Don’t resist out of pride.  Don’t go to another Church, or movement.  Don’t utilize a loophole like that to escape what will bring you back to spiritual health in Christ.  It is the means He has ordained. (Rom 5:3-4)

Let’s do our due diligence, and submit to our Savior fully, and with all the zeal due Him.  Study His word, apply it, discipline your mind and body, make war against sin!  Rest in His righteousness, and utilize the weapons, and protections He has given us. (Eph 6:10-18, Heb 12:1-3)