God Talk Radio

Guilty as Charged

2009-07-02T09:44:00.002-05:00

An interesting post from Slice on the role "Talk Show Hosts" will play in HATE CRIMES!!!

This is where things get interesting.

Read the artile here

What's the Big Deal?

2009-07-01T12:28:00.002-05:00

"The difference is scale. Second Baptist is the second-largest 'megachurch' in the U.S., a modern cathedral complex the size of an airport terminal. Inside "E Gym," where the congregation's 'small' Saturday evening service is being held, two basketball courts full of believers in jeans and flip-flops rock out, sing along or just watch as a huge contemporary band jams to the song Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?"

- Jesse Bogan - Forbes.com

Read the Rest of the Article Here

Kids Camp For Atheists

2009-06-30T09:05:00.004-05:00

File this one in the "Are You Kidding Me" category.

Richard Dawkins is doing everything he can.

I can imagine the camp-fire songs now:

(To the melody of Kumbiya)

Random accidents...Is what we are...
Random accidents...is what we are...
Random accidents...is what we are...
Oh-no, there's no God.

Read Post Here

Absolute Trulth

2009-06-24T16:01:00.002-05:00

"I guess where I?m going with this is that there are moral absolutes, and that God?s law indeed is there to protect you from yourself. And there are consequences if you breach that. This press conference is a consequence."

- SC Governor Mark Sanford

At a Press Conference Admitting to an Affair

What's a Boy to Do?

2009-05-19T09:11:00.002-05:00

This is obviously real, so we can't just ignore that it's happening. We see it more and more every day.

I'm not going to pretend like I would know exactly how I would respond if I were the parents, but with things like this revealing themselves very early in a persons life, I think that we must understand how we would react if it was our child coming to us with the same sin issue.

Religion vs. The Gospel - What's the Difference?

2009-05-18T08:52:00.002-05:00

Original Post: Truth Matters

Below is a very insightful comparison between “religion” and “the gospel” drawn from the sermons of Tim Keller (Senior Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan). Tim does a remarkable job of probing hearts and revealing how easily we slip into self-dependence mode. As I’ve been saying each Sunday, real slavery according to the Bible is self-reliance. So, read the comparison list below with humility and care. It will do your soul good.

RELIGION: I obey-therefore I’m accepted.

THE GOSPEL: I’m accepted-therefore I obey.

RELIGION: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.

THE GOSPEL: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

RELIGION: I obey God in order to get things from God.

THE GOSPEL: I obey God to get to God-to delight and resemble Him.

RELIGION: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or my self, since I believe, like Job’s friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.

THE GOSPEL: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

RELIGION: When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a ‘good person’. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.

THE GOSPEL: When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a ‘good person.’ My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ. I can take criticism.

RELIGION: My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.

THE GOSPEL: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.

RELIGION: My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure and inadequate. I’m not confident. I feel like a failure.

THE GOSPEL: My self-view is not based on a view of my self as a moral achiever. In Christ I am “simul iustus et peccator”—simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling.

RELIGION: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other.’

THE GOSPEL: My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments.

RELIGION: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God.

THE GOSPEL: I have many good things in my life—family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

Bible Bangers vs. Bible Bashers (Who Wins)

2009-05-15T11:38:00.003-05:00

Here's a very interesting read. Wrong, but very interesting.

Former fundamentalist 'debunks' Bible - CNN.com*

In this article, Ehrman claims that:

"Christianity has never been about the Bible being the inerrant word of God"

Ehrman also says:

"Christianity is about the belief in Christ."

Ehrman also claimed:

"No one accepts everything in the Bible. Everyone picks and chooses."

Unfortunately, both of these are popular statements today. They shouldn't be, but they are, because people have assumed a much more subjective-relativistic role in shaping their own doctrine and theology.

To me, this just points to our fundamental need to have a source for absolute truth. For us, the Bible is that source. The world is completely comfortable saying there is no source for this truth (so they answer only to themselves and their feelings), but if that is truly the case then no one really knows anything for sure...which is exactly what gives fuel to this kind of thing, the emergent church, and people's claims that everyone has a right to their own opinion.

To me, it just continues to point to our sinful condition and our prideful contempt of who God should be in our lives. We don't want to be told, by anyone or anything, how we should live. And there is a defiance of God and an insubordination that has consumed our hearts and our thoughts. It's very sad, but it's also a very primitive concept and can be traced in the scriptures all the way to Adam and Eve. They had a pride of life and "self" and no longer wanted to live under the authority of God or his word. What a scary place to be....

It's stories like this that prove the need for shows like VOTR and GTR-Live. Someone has to be the voice of the Lord in these trying times.

Note:
We're still kicking around some ideas as to how we can continue with our show. One idea we have, while we figure out a time to bring back GTR-Live, is a non-live-- pre-recorded-- GTR-cast which would be a shortened version of our normal show. Probably picking one item or article to discuss in detail and then posting the recording on our site for people to listen to when they have time throughout the week. What-do-ya-think? Good idea? Any interest?

For His Glory,

Jason

Do You Like Cake?

2009-05-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

?We?ve become very familiar with preaching that, pays scant attention to the Bible; is self-focused; and is consequently only capable of making the most superficial impact upon the lives of the listeners. This would be bad enough were it not for the fact, that large sections of the church who listen to this kind of stuff are actually oblivious to the fact that what they?re getting is a placebo rather than the real medicine. And therefore they leave satisfied with the feeling that it has done them some good. A feeling which disguises the gravity of the situation? They get bloated up by all this stuff, and it gives them the feeling that somehow or another they?ve had a meal, but after a few hours they say, ?You know, I don?t know whether that thing did anything at all?? And so, in the absence of bread the population grows accustom to cake.?

- Alistair Begg

Originally Found at:

God: Loving vs. Just

2009-04-28T11:30:00.002-05:00

For those of you who have heard the commonly used atheist argument for why the Bible can't be trusted, or why the God of the Bible is either make-believe or schizophrenic; you'll probably appreciate the video below. James White makes a very compelling argument for why God would demand immediate justice for entire tribes of people. And why this TRUTH about God should not make Christians question if God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

It Was the Preached Word that Saved Me

2009-04-27T14:23:00.001-05:00

April 27, 2009 By: John Piper - www.desiringgod.org

It seems that God has indeed designed that the inspired Word of the Bible become uniquely powerful by passing through a Spirit-filled person on the way to make a dead heart live.
Since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:21)

One reason for this is that the saving Word is gospel, that is, news. News is to be heralded. The news-quality is captured in the kind of speaking that announces, declares, proclaims, heralds, exults over the truth of what God has done in Christ.

Here is Spurgeon’s tribute to the power of “the preached Word.”

Personally, I have to bless God for many good books…but my gratitude most of all is due to God, not for books, but for the preached Word—and that too addressed to me by a poor, uneducated man, a man who had never received any training for the ministry, and probably will never be heard of in this life, a man engaged in business, no doubt of a humble kind, during the week, but who had just enough of grace to say on the Sabbath, “Look unto Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth.”

The books were good, but the man was better. The revealed Word awakened me, but it was the preached Word that saved me; and I must ever attach peculiar value to the hearing of the truth, for by it I received the joy and peace in which my soul delights.

What's the Beef?

2009-04-17T14:35:00.001-05:00

I was at Walmart last year (and yes, I have repented of this sin) purchasing a pepperoni pizza and some lunch meat, to include ham, among other things.

The woman ringing up my groceries scanned almost all of my goods and then pressed a button which setup the light at her station. I assumed she needed a price check or something? About 30 seconds later another woman showed up (who appeared to be a supervisor) and scanned my pizza and lunch meat and then walked away. I was immediately brought to the realization that the woman ringing up my groceries was a Muslim and was obviously unwilling/unable to touch any of my groceries which contained the contaminated substance called “swine”.

How did I feel at that moment? Umm, well to be honest a bit uneasy. I felt as if somehow I was degenerate simply because I am a connoisseur of pork. But on the other hand, I guess the tolerant-pluralistic-hand (must be my left hand) I thought to myself, if this woman has a moral reason not to touch some of my groceries, then I guess regardless of how it makes me feel, I should honor that. My thought process was that if the roles were reversed, I would want the same courtesy as well. So we both moved on and she remained “clean” and I ate a ham sandwich when I got home.

So then you take what we have in the wonderful state of Iowa. Where recently their rogue-government took it upon themselves to speak for the people of this great state and legalize same-sex marriage. And, as if this wasn’t bad enough, as some of the clerks with consciences are trying to be conscientious objectors to this moral corruption by declining to hand out marriage certificates...[Queue the Outcry] instead of finding a clerk that will grant them their godless marriage license, the offended parties instead cry foul (aka HATE) and we have a full-fledged controversy of discrimination.

The war against Christians wages on….

MY having been His murderer!

2009-04-03T16:16:00.001-05:00

(Charles Spurgeon)

"A great multitude of the people followed Him, including women who mourned and wailed for Him." Luke 23:27

Amid the rabble crowd which hounded the Redeemer to His doom, there were some gracious souls whose bitter anguish sought vent in wailing and lamentations--fit music to accompany that march of woe!

When my soul can, in imagination, see the Savior bearing His cross to Calvary--she joins the godly women, and weeps with them. They bewailed . . . innocence--maltreated, goodness--persecuted, love--bleeding, meekness--dying!

But my heart has a deeper and more bitter cause to mourn:
MY SINS were the scourges which lacerated those blessed shoulders! MY SINS were the thorns which crowned that bleeding brow!
MY SINS cried, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" and laid the cruel cross upon His gracious shoulders! His being led forth to die, is sorrow enough for one eternity--but MY having been His murderer--is more, infinitely more grief, than one poor fountain of tears can express! Those women who loved and wept--could not have had greater reasons for love and grief--than my heart has!

The widow of Nain saw her son restored--but I myself have been raised to newness of life!
Peter's mother-in-law was cured of the fever--but I myself have been cured of the plague of sin!
Mary Magdalene had seven devils cast out of her--but a whole legion of devils were cast out of me!

Mary and Martha were favored with visits from Jesus--but He dwells with me!
I am not behind these holy women in debt to Jesus--let me not be behind them, in gratitude or sorrow.

"Love and grief my heart dividing, With my tears His feet I'll lave; Constant still in heart abiding, Weep for Him who died to save!"

Grace Gems (choice ELECTRONIC books, sermons & quotes)

What the Church is For

2009-03-26T06:04:00.001-05:00

Martyn Lloyd-Jones on what the church is for:

"The primary task of the Church is not to educate man, is not to heal him physically or psychologically.... I will go further; it is not even to make him good. These are things that accompany salvation; and when the Church performs her true task she does incidentally educate men and give them knowledge and information...she does make them good and better than they were. But my point is that those are not her primary objectives. Her primary purpose is not any of these; it is rather to put man into the right relationship with God, to reconcile man to God. (Preaching & Preachers, 30) "

Found at desiringGod.org

It's Your Walk, Not Your Words.

2009-03-24T21:28:00.002-05:00

O soul, consider this deeply: it is the life of a Christian that carries more conviction and persuasion than his words. Even if you, like an angel, talk of Christ, of the gospel, of the doctrines of grace, and of heaven, yet if you indulge devilish tempers, and live under the power of any sinful lusts and passions, you will hereby harden others against the things of God and prevent their setting out in the ways of God. Study and pray to be a consistent walker in the ways of holiness; otherwise, all is but windy profession and airy talk. O, how much harm is done to Christ?s cause by the unholy walk of many professors!

John Bunyan

Found On: Slice of Laodicea

This Poisonous Virus!

2009-03-18T16:19:00.001-05:00

(Arthur Pink, "The Word of Truth")

By nature, both writer and reader are liars. "The wicked are estranged from the womb, they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies" (Psalm 58:3). No child has to be taught to lie--it comes naturally to him. Nor does he have to be corrupted by contact with others--he is born corrupt at the core of his being! This is the inevitable consequence of the Fall. Our first parents preferred the Devil's lie--to God's Truth, and all of their descendants inherit this poisonous virus.

In consequence "the whole world lies in the wicked one" (1 John 5:19) and he is "a liar--and the father of lies" (John 8:44). Thus by nature, we have no love for the Truth--but instead, we all have a strong antipathy and resistance against it. The unregenerate do not want to know the truth about themselves--no, they wish to be flattered and encouraged to entertain a good opinion of themselves. Hence, the Lord Jesus declared "Because I tell you the Truth--you do not believe" (John 8:45). Had He told them pleasant lies--they would have welcomed Him.

Since the whole world lies in the wicked one, and he is the arch-liar, we should not be surprised at the world being so full of pretense and deceit--and that the Truth of God is so bitterly hated. The fact is, that "Truth has fallen in the street!" (Isaiah 59:14) and is now being ruthlessly trampled on, on every side.

Grace Gems (choice ELECTRONIC books, sermons & quotes)

Truth vs. Lies

2009-03-17T14:08:00.001-05:00

It's not a shock that the media would tell us something that isn't the truth. This article is a must read for anyone who is interested in the sanctity of LIFE.

Your Goliath lust

2009-03-11T11:38:00.001-05:00

(Thomas Watson, "Christ All in All")

"Be strong in the Lord, and in the power
of His might." Ephesians 6:10

When you are to resist a temptation, or to mortify a corruption--do not go out in your own strength, but in the strength of Christ.

Some go out to duty in the strength of their abilities; and go out against sin in the strength of their resolutions--and they both come home foiled.

Alas! What are our resolutions, but like
the green cords which bound Samson! A sinful heart will soon break these!

Do as David when he was to go up against Goliath.
He said, "I come to you in the name of the Lord!"
So say to your Goliath lust, "I come to you in the name of Christ!" Then we conquer, when the Lion of the tribe of Judah marches before us!

Grace Gems (choice ELECTRONIC books, sermons & quotes)

Copy Cat

2009-03-11T09:41:00.002-05:00

Wow! This stuff is happening so often that I can't even keep tabs on it anymore. Is this the new W.W.J.D. of evangelicalism? I mean did I miss the memo on this or something? Has Willow Creek or Saddle Back sent out a newsletter on "doing church" that I wasn't privy to? I'm really starting to feel left out here.

I'm not surprised. I mean this is typical of the modern day church. If something works well for one group, then exploit it and repackage it as your own. In a day and age where pastors are no longer writing their own sermons based on their own personal studies in the word it's not shocking to see this trend catching on. It's just a shame. It's a shame because people inside and outside of the church see this for exactly what it is. It's a marketing strategy. Not based on scripture, but instead based on attracting a crowd with the shock-jock style of attention grabbing.

I talked about this on our Radio show (10MAR09). For me, this isn't a reflection of a God-movement in the Church of America. Instead I see this as a judgement of God.

Your Thoughts?

Jason

Abandoned By God

2009-03-10T22:24:00.000-05:00

Examine Yourself

2009-02-24T08:26:00.002-06:00

Written By: A.W. Pink

"The great question between our souls and God is not whether we admit the truths of the Scripture into our understandings--but whether they are so applied to our hearts--so as to have wrought a change, and become vital principles of faith and practice. Nothing short of this can afford evidence of a saved and safe condition.

Be much in prayer and self-examination. The more we see of ourselves--the more we see our sin. And the more we see our sin--the more we flee to the death and righteousness of Christ--for pardon, deliverance, and hope! Let nothing interrupt you in this continual work of self-examination; and let self-examination lead you to earnest and ardent prayer. Let no pursuits of literature, no delights of sense, no passing occurrences, no debility of body, no inferior subjects of recreation, prevent you from keeping your thoughts close to God and to eternity!"

From: Grace Gems (choice ELECTRONIC books, sermons & quotes)

Shame on Who?

2009-02-23T09:18:00.003-06:00

Not that I endorse/promote this stuff, but this is the attitude that we are coming up against ...and the movement is picking up steam. (John 16:33)

My Cat's Name is Calvin

2009-02-21T10:26:00.003-06:00

OK, I’ll let you know right up front, this post is not about felines. In fact it doesn’t have anything to do with cats at all…I just thought it was a catchy title that would get people to click on the blog post…which I was obviously right about…So, if you were expecting an article about cats, I do apologize!!!

I’m reading a book by John Piper called, “Finally Alive”. It’s a look at the new birth (aka being born again, being saved, being a Christian) and what it really means. The definition of the words ‘born again’ have drastically changed in the past 30 years or so, and Piper’s attempt in the book is to get back to a Biblical understanding of what it really means.

With that said, I came across a chapter in the book which gave reference to a verse that I’ve heard at least 1,000 times before, but the way he expounded on the verse really helped me pull its true meaning together.

You see, I am a Calvinist…[pausing to let that sink in]…I believe that God is in control of all things, including our salvation. I believe that if we take an honest (Biblical) look at our condition because of sin, we will realize that the bible paints a very accurate picture of the both the human heart and their ignorance to God, His Righteousness and our condition in his sights.

And so, as I was reading Piper’s book, I read a verse and for the first time paused at the meaning in the passage. The verse, 1 Corinthians 1:23-24:

“But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

Piper explained this verse in a section of his book titled, “Ransomed, Raised and Called”. The point that he was trying to make is that in the new birth (3) very distinct things must happen. We are ransomed by the blood of Christ (for our sins), we are raised from the dead (aka revived from our sin nature, hearts softened…) and we are called (much like Lazarus was called from his physical death to life).

The point Piper made, which really hit me was this. The Gospel is preached to all. They hear it with their ears and they process it with their minds, but not all are saved. Why not? It’s not that they are hearing a different Gospel (assuming they are not members of Joel Osteen’s or Kenneth Copeland’s churches) but not all are saved. And the same message that penetrates one man’s heart and helps him understand the truth of his sin and the glory of what Christ did on the cross, is viewed as foolishness by some and a stumbling block by others. Why is this?

It is because, as Paul points out, not all are called by God. The power is in the Word of God (The Gospel) but God must call us, in order for the Gospel to truly have an effect in our lives. God’s Sovereign hand must first open our eyes to the truth and soften our hardened hearts to it’s beauty, before we can truly believe in Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

Thank You Lord for the Beauty of Your Sovereignty!!!

For His Glory,

Jason

A sermon which Peter never forgot

2009-02-19T08:28:00.001-06:00

(J. C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Luke" 1858)

See the infinite mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"At that moment the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter."
Luke 22:61

There was a deep meaning in that look. It was a sermon which Peter never forgot.The love of Christ toward His people, is a deep well which has no bottom! Let us never measure it by comparison with any kind of love of man or woman. It exceeds all other love--as far as the sun exceeds the candle light. There is about it a mine of compassion, and patience, and readiness to forgive sin--of whose riches we have but a faint conception.

Let us not be afraid to trust that love--when we first feel our sins. No man need despair, however far he may have fallen, if he will only repent and turn to Christ. If the heart of Jesus was so gracious when He was a prisoner in the judgment hall--we surely need not think it is less gracious, when He sits in glory at the right hand of the Father!

Posted on Grace Gems

Oh Be Careful Little Eyes....

2009-02-18T11:00:00.002-06:00

I'm struggling now with this thought. How much of my life is NOT in line with 1 Cor. 10:31 and how much of me doesn't care?

That’s the battle folks. Our flesh is in battle with our spirit, and the things of this world that are so tempting to participate in, watch, listen to, talk about, joke about…are often times in direct contradiction to what we are to be as Christians and to be frank…WE DON’T CARE.

We are called to be holy as Christ is holy, but are we trying to be? Do we care enough about what Christ did for us on the cross to really make changes in our lives? It’s easy to point a finger at what is wrong with the world and what they do…It’s easy to point a finger at the Church and where they are missing the mark in their impossible mission to be relevant to the world…But what about our own lives? What about the areas of our own life and the choices we make? How much of what we choose to do is not a reflection of God and his righteousness? How much of what we choose to watch is not Christ-like?

The Argument…It’s fun to do, I enjoy it, it’s not hurting anyone…Or, It’s a good movie…it’s a great song…It doesn’t effect me because I don’t ‘struggle in that area…

The Question We Must Ask: Does it bring God glory?

If the answer is no. Then the argument is pointless. Our flesh craves things of this world. As Christians, we are called to avoid these things; regardless how fun, entertaining, humorous or ‘good’ they are. If it doesn’t bring glory or honor to God…we don’t do it.

James 4:4 tells us:

“Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Not a rebuke...Just a thought. And I hope that these truths and convictions that God is revealing to me can also penetrate your heart and help you grow spiritually as well.

For His Glory,

Jason

2009-02-12T08:22:00.004-06:00

It's always troubling to see a Church mocking the Bible and turning it into a sideshow. In this video you will find a Church, attempting to be humorous I suppose, taking a Bible story and turning it into a "Jerry Springer" type circus event.

Way to Go Church. You have not turned the Word of God into a joke...