Head-dibs

"Have you ever heard of anyone in history being imprisoned or executed for distributing copies of Grimm’s fairy tales? What would you say if you’d heard that copies of The Iliad and The Odyssey had been banned in Saudi Arabia and North Korea? Imagine people trying to smuggle copies of Hans Christian Andersen’s works into China? Such ideas are comical, but the Bible, which has been called a mere collection of myths and fairy tales, has suffered all of these fates. Throughout history and even today, copies of the Bible are banned and burned, and those possessing it are persecuted and imprisoned. There’s something about this ancient book that threatens and frightens those in power, especially those who use power to oppress people weaker than themselves. And they have every reason to be frightened.” Eric Metaxas, Everything You Always Wanted to Know about God (Colorado Springs, 2005), page 155. (ht: Ray Ortlund) Other "Randoms": Even literature has its " one hit wonders...

ht: SermonIndex

Listen to (or watch ) John Piper's biographical sermon on "The Life and Ministry of George Whitefield: Living and Preaching as Though God Were Real (Because He Is)." Read the transcript here .

Ten Indictments (A Historical 21st Century Message) by Paul Washer "Preached Wednesday, October 22nd at the Revival Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Paul Washer delivers a urgent appeal to the Christians and Churches in North America that many have been believing a false gospel and have false assurance of their salvation. He lists 10 indictments against the modern Church system in America. This is a historical urgent message, tell others and spread the message. We need a reformation and revival of a biblical standard!" posted by Greg Gordon at Sermon Index ************ "There is little need for the devil and evil men to oppose a man praying for revival unless he is also laboring for reformation. We have been given truth, and we cannot simply do what is right in our own eyes and then expect the Holy Spirit to come down and bless our labors." (Paul Washer, from the above message)

Thoughts on “Religious Affections” “Religion” has been explained to be an attempt to explain or understand the Creator. The noun “religion” can be actually be traced to the French root “relier” which implies the idea of “connection”; that is, “to rely.” Is your life characterized by commitment, devotion and practice, service in worship of the Creator on whom you rely? In other words do you demonstrate a mastery of divinity, or are you mastered by divinity? Human beings exist either in the state of action or the state of non-action. If we are not caused to move or act, then we will remain at “rest” until we choose to move. Jonathan Edwards, in his master-work “ Religious Affections ,” explains the nature of humanity is to be inactive unless influenced by our affections. “These affections are the ‘spring of action,’ the things that set us moving in our lives, that move us to engage in activities.” In other words, we are disinclined to act unless our own purposes are served. Edwards conti...

What do you think happens when a handful of evangelists set up a small box to preach the gospel to folks waiting in line for a Todd Bentley event? Read about it here.

by Greg Gordon, at Sermon Index A warning against preaching an unbiblical modern gospel. A POPULAR PERVERSION. Is it possible that modern popular Christianity is preaching a spurious, superficial, shallow Gospel in the 21st Century? If you look carefully at the history of the people of Israel many times the “popular” majority of priests and prophets turned from preaching the truth before the people and became profane in their speech and life’s. In Jeremiah’s time we see this recorded in Holy Scriptures: “For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord.” What horror! what dismay to see almost all of the spiritual leaders of Israel speaking lies in the name of the Lord. Could this happen again? Is it possible that in our modern day evangelical circles there are many that are not preaching a true genuine, Biblical Gospel? True Christianity is never popular Christianity! True Christianity is accepted by few and rejected by many. True ...

Hanegraaff, Hank. "Counterfeit Revival: Looking For God in All the Wrong Places". Nashville: Word, 1997. Hank Hanegraaff presents a telling work on the trend called “revival,” that is in fact no revival at all. Hanegraaff craftily guides us through the sections of his expose (in which he does not hesitate to name names) on this false sensationalism with the acronym FLESH, under which the chapters are found: Part 1: Fabrications, Fantasies and Frauds. Part 2: Lying Signs and Wonders Part 3: Endtime Restorationism Part 4: Slain in the Spirit Part 5: Hypnotism. While each section delves deep into the characteristics of so-called “revivalism,” the accounts found therein become repetitious, laborious and typical. In the 307 pages of this book, this reader found himself desiring to move on past recurring accounts of “holy laughter,” staged healings, animal noises, tongues, hoaxes and various states of so-called “Holy Spirit” manifestations, to the point of the book. Hanegraaff spen...

When: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 12:00 am through Thursday, October 23, 2008 Where: Lilburn, Georgia Will God send another great awakening? Can revival still change nations? There are over 10,000 conferences that happen every year. The 'Revival Conference' is not to be just another conference but a honest, sincere, earnest plea for the desperate need of revival. There is no cost to attend the event. No materials will be sold. There will be no big bands. The conference will have the chief object to be God-glorifying. The speakers will come on their own accord trusting God for provision. There will be no emphasis on money during the event. The event will be a simple, apostolic, yearning for a genuine biblical revival in our day. The conference is hosted by the ministry of sermonindex.net and is a inter-denominational event. Pre-register here . SPEAKERS : Henry Blackaby - Dr. Henry Blackaby, founder and president emeritus of Blackaby Ministries International , provides consu...

“Easy-going preachers produce easy-going believers. We have more star preachers than scarred preachers, more expositors than exposers, more who are concerned to ‘get it over’ than to ‘pray it through.’ We have more religious educators than soul emancipators. The pulpiteer of our times is expected to enlighten the mind rather than to enliven the conscience. To many, the width of his head matters more than the depth of his heart. So, even with a steel ring of communism around the world, and the sewers of moral filth pouring over it, we find the Church more interested in pie than piety, and the Lord's weakened army 'by schism rent asunder' and by conflicting interpretations oppressed.” Leonard Ravenhill, quoted in the April/May 2008 Old Paths Newsletter

“If the gospel be not preached, Jesus Christ is, as it were, buried. Therefore, let us stand as witnesses, and do Him this honor, when we see all the world so far out of the way; and remain steadfast in this wholesome doctrine. . . . Let us not deceive Jesus Christ in the testimony we owe Him, by stopping our mouths, when it is needful to maintain His honor, and the authority of His gospel. Yea, and when we see our brethren afflicted for the cause of God, let us join with them, and assist them in their affliction. Let us not be shaken by the tempests that arise, but let us always remain constant in our purpose; and stand as witnesses for the Son of God, seeing He is so gracious as to use us in such a good cause. Let us mark well, whether men suffer for their sins, or for the truth of God . . . . Every man will confess this: but they add, we are weak, and shall quickly be beaten down by the cruelty of our enemies. But St. Paul taketh away this excuse, by saying, God will strengthen us, ...

"Many a church is praying for a revival that does not really desire a revival. They think they do, for to their minds a revival means an increase of membership, an increase of income,an increase of reputation among the churches, but if they knew what a real revival meant, what a searching of hearts on the partof professed Christians would be involved, what a radical transformation of individual, domestic and social life would be brought about, and many other things that would come to pass if the Spirit of God was poured out in reality and power; if all this were known, the real cry of the church would be: 'O God, keep us from having a revival.'" R.A. Torrey, "How to Pray" ( scroll down for the online book )

“IT was in 1904. All Wales was aflame. The nation had drifted far from God. The spiritual conditions were low indeed. Church attendance was poor. And sin abounded on every side. Suddenly, like an unexpected tornado, the Spirit of God swept over the land. The Churches were crowded so that multitudes were unable to get in. Meetings lasted from ten in the morning until twelve at night. Three definite services were held each day. Evan Roberts was the human instrument, but there was very little preaching. Singing, testimony, and prayer, were the chief features. There were no hymn books; they had learnt the hymns in childhood. No choir, for everybody sang. No collection; and no advertising. Nothing had ever come over Wales with such far-reaching results. Infidels were converted, drunkards, thieves, and gamblers saved; and thousands reclaimed to respectability. Confessions of awful sins were heard on every side. Old debts were paid. The theatre had to leave for want of patronage. Mules in th...

"Our Heavenly Father, we pray that thy blessing may rest on each one of us who profess to be Christians. O Lord, help us to love Christ more than we love ourselves: help us to be more like him in our way of life. Help us, O Lord, to walk humbly, prayerfully, consistently on, in the dust of our pilgrimage so that men may not stumble over us and say, "They profess only; they never do anything." o God, help us to live up to what we profess, through thee, in Christ Jesus, and may it be shown in each one of us. We pray for any that may have backslidden in this assembly, who may have wandered from God. This day fill them with regret that they ever turned their backs on thee. We pray that thou, O Lord, may meet them this day in this Tabernacle, and turn their faces to thee again. O God, they have wandered from thee; but do thou grant that this day they may meet the Lord of eternal life. We pray for those also without God and without hope. We pray for the unsaved in this assembl...

This is a very powerful video message that will stir your spirit for revival! Clips of following speakers included in this message: Ian ... all » Paisley, Leonard Ravenhill, Paris Reidhead, Duncan Campbell, A.W. Tozer, T. Austin Sparks. This is probably one of the most potent and powerful recordings on this entire site. You will be changed as you view this remarkable video.