"Will Your Foundation Pass Examination?" By Shane C. Montgomery

I imagine you might well be growing tired of me and my pleadings for you dear Christian, that you continue to strive and desire holiness in your life.  If you are a regular reader of this blog first of all, thank you!  and second, you have noticed I preach a lot on Sanctification.  This dear Christian,  I confess, I appear "hung up" on this subject because I truly am.  I plead and beg daily on this blog that you my friend will earnestly and vehemently seek out holiness in your life.  It is not my intention to bore you, to tire you or to run you off to another blog, my desire is that you stick around, return often, read till you get your fill and are edified with what you read and just maybe grow a little in personal holiness.  Not that I know more than others, I am more feeble minded than most in fact, but even the feeblest of us can still bear witness and testimony to the Glory of God.  

"THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall

Chapter Fourteen

That you may seek holiness and righteousness only by believing in Christ and walking in Him by faith, according to the former directions, take encouragement from the great advantages of this way and the excellent properties of it.

This direction may serve as an epilogue or conclusion by stirring us up unto a lively and cheerful embracing those gospel rules forementioned by several weighty motives. Many are kept from seeking godliness because they know not the way to it; or the way that they think of seems uncouth, unpleasant, disadvantageous and full of discouragement, like the way through the wilderness to Canaan, which wearied the Israelites and occasioned their many murmurings (Num. 21:4).

Five Facts Friday!

1)  Many pastors and evangelists continue to report a 100% salvation rate for all who come to the altar, but they know better. Charles E. Hackett, national director of the Assemblies of God home missions said, "we realize approximately 95 out of every hundred will not become integrated into the church." Church Growth magazine reported a 6% retention rate for 18,000 decisions. American Horizon magazine reported a major U.S. denomination in 1991 retained only 5% of their "converts." In 1995, a leading U.S. denomination reported 384,057 decisions. Only 6% were retained. Peter Wagner admitted only 3% to 16% of those who make a decision at crusades end up responsible members of a church. Ted Haggard wasn't as optimistic. "Only three to six percent of those who respond in a crusade end up in a local church." 

Church Attendance By State

Rank	State	Percent
	National average	42%
1	Alabama	58%
1	Louisiana	58%
1	South Carolina	58%
4	Mississippi	57%
5	Arkansas	55%
5	Utah	55%
7	Nebraska	53%
7	North Carolina	53%
9	Georgia	52%
9	Tennessee	52%
11	Oklahoma	50%
12	Texas	49%
13	Kentucky	48%
14	Kansas	47%
15	Indiana	46%
15	Iowa	46%
15	Missouri	46%
15	West Virginia	46%
19	South Dakota	45%
20	Minnesota	44%
20	Virginia	44%
22	Delaware	43%
22	Idaho	43%
22	North Dakota	43%
22	Ohio	43%
22	Pennsylvania	43%
22	Wisconsin	43%
28	Illinois	42%
28	Michigan	42%
30	Maryland	41%
30	New Mexico	41%
32	Florida	39%
33	Connecticut	37%
34	Wyoming	36%
35	Arizona	35%
35	Colorado	35%
37	Montana	34%
37	New Jersey	34%
39	District of Columbia	33%
39	New York	33%
41	California	32%
41	Oregon	32%
41	Washington	32%
44	Maine	31%
44	Massachusetts	31%
46	Rhode Island	28%
47	Nevada	27%
48	New Hampshire	24%
48	Vermont	24%

Source: "Religious Composition of the U.S.". U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. 2007. http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/affiliations-all-traditions.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-09.

"An Antidote Against Arminianism" by Rev. Christopher Ness

Author's Preface: Candid Reader, observe these few considerations: Although this small manual be very little in itself and substance, yet ought it not therefore to be despised; for,

"THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall=Chapter 13 of 15

Chapter Thirteen

Endeavour diligently to make the right use of all means appointed in the Word of God for the obtaining and practicing holiness only in this way of believing in Christ and walking in Him, according to your new state by faith.

This might have been added to the instructions in the explication of the former direction, because its use is the same - to guide us in the mysterious manner of practicing holiness in Christ by the life of faith, but the weight and comprehensiveness of it makes it worthy to be treated of by itself, as a distinct direction.

" THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter 12 of 15

Chapter Twelve

Make diligent use of your most holy faith for the immediate performance of the duties of the law, by walking no longer according to your old natural state, or any principles or means of practice that belong unto it; but only according to that new state which you receive by faith, and the principles and means of practice that properly belong thereunto; and strive to continue and increase in such manner of practice. This is the only way to attain to an acceptable performance of those holy and righteous duties, as far as it is possible in this present life.

"The Law and the Gospel" By Louis Berkhof

1. The Law and The Gospel in the Word of God

The Churches of the Reformation from the very beginning distinguished between the law and the gospel as the two parts of the Word of God as ameans of grace. This distinction was not understood to be identicalwith that between the Old and the New Testament, but was regarded as adistinction that applies to both Testaments. There is law and gospel inthe Old Testament, and there is law and gospel in the New. The lawcomprises everything in Scripture which is a revelation of God's will in the form of command or prohibition, while the gospel embraces everything, whether it be in the Old 

"Three Stages of Sanctification" By Shane C.Montgomery

When a believer is Justified, he immediately begins the process of Sanctification.  Most believers are unaware that they have just began a life long journey that ends on the day their earthly life comes to an end.  Today I would like to speak with you about the Three Stages of Sanctification in every believers life.  This is not a process we can choose to begin early, or that we can choose at anytime, for just as Justification, where God imputes the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ, to us in a process that is most correctly viewed as "Penal Substitution" whereby Christ, through His obedient life to the Father has paid our ransom upon the cross and has thereby purchased us from sin unto righteousness and freeing us from  bondage to Satan and Sin, Christ did in fact pay a ransom for our souls with His very life. 

Thursday Terminology- "Agnostic"

agnostic (Greek)
A term coined by Professor Huxley in 1869. The meaning being that a person cannot know. An agnostic is a person who claims that God cannot be known personally and that it cannot be known that a god even exists. Therefore, in claiming that God cannot be known or verified, most agnostics act as if He does not exist, and in the process affirm that they believe He does not exist and are no different than those who are atheists.

"NEW YEAR’S COMFORT" By A.W. Pink

Volume 22—Studies in the Scriptures—January, 1943 
As we launch out into another year there  is little visible prospect of a smooth and  

pleasant voyage. To the natural eye the clouds are dark and fierce storms seem imminent.  

The very uncertainty of what the morrow may bring forth fills many with uneasiness and 

trepidation. But how different should be the state of God’s children: an all-sufficient Object is presented to the eyes of their faith from which unbelief derives no comfort. 

" THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter 11 of 15

Chapter Eleven

Endeavour diligently to perform the great work of believing on Christ in a right manner, without any delay; and then also continue and increase in your most holy faith, that so your enjoyment of Christ, union and fellowship with Him, and all holiness by Him, may be begun, continued and increased in you.

Having already discovered to you the powerful and effectual means of a holy practice, my remaining work is to lead you to the actual exercise and improvement of them, for the immediate attainment of the end.

"Covenant & Sovereignty" By Herman Hanko

"...much of the work done in theology in our day is man-centered. Theology begins with man and ends with man. It is concerned with man's well-being and man's happiness. Man stands at the center of all the church's thinking, and man becomes the chief object of consideration. While it is certainly true that the Scriptures deal with men, it is also true that men are not the Scriptures' chief concern."

Anyone who is acquainted with the history of the development of doctrine since the time of the Protestant Reformation will understand the importance of the truth of God's everlasting covenant of grace. As the truths of the Calvin Reformation developed both in England and on the continent, the doctrine of the covenant occupied an extremely important place. Almost every theologian of note paid attention to it.

"Kenneth Copeland and the Gospel of His Own Making"

Kenneth Copeland stands today as one of the Faith Movement’s leading spokesmen. His numerous materials, combined with his crusades and international outreach centres, attest to his vast influence. Copeland is responsible for spreading many of the Faith Movement’s unbiblical teachings.


The Force of Faith

Of the multiple views of faith held by Faith teachers, Copeland focuses primarily on an understanding of faith as a force.

"THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter 10 of 15!

Chapter Ten

That we may be prepared by the comforts of the gospel to perform sincerely the duties of the law, we must get some assurance of our salvation in that very faith by which Christ Himself is received into our hearts.

"All Kinds of Strange Teachings" By J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

Warning #5 to the Church
"Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them" (Hebrews 13:9) The text which heads this paper is an apostolic caution against false doctrine. It forms part of a warning which Paul addressed to Hebrew Christians.  

"My Idea of God" By J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937)

IF my idea of God were really mine, if it were one which I had evolved out of my own inner consciousness, I should attribute very little importance to it myself, and should certainly expect even less importance to be attributed to it by others. If God is merely a fact of human experience, if theology is merely a branch of psychology, then I for my part shall cease to be interested in the subject at all. 

THE BURNING OF MR. JOHN ROGERS

MR. JOHN ROGERS, minister of the gospel in London, was the first martyr in Queen Mary's reign; and was burnt at Smithfield, February the fourteenth, 1554. His wife, with nine small children, and one at her breast, followed him to the stake, with which sorrowful sight he was not in the least daunted, but with wonderful patience died courageously for the gospel of JESUS CHRIST.

" THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter 9 of 14

Chapter Nine

We must first receive the comforts of the gospel, that we may be able to sincerely perform the duties of the law.

Since man fell from obedience to God, which he was enabled and engaged to perform by the comforts of his first happy state in Paradise, 

" THE GOSPEL MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION" By Walter Marshall-Chapter 8 of 14

Chapter Eight

Be sure to seek for holiness of heart and life only in its due order, where God has placed it, after union with Christ, justification and the gift of the Holy Ghost and, in that order, seek it earnestly by faith as a very necessary part of your salvation.

I hope the reader will observe warily in all these directions, that the holiness aimed at as the great end in the whole discourse does not confide in the grace or act of faith required peculiarly by the gospel,

"A Question Of Belief" A New Book Into the Minds of the Unbeliever.

  I have a friend who lives a few hours north of me here in Ohio, he is a writer, has written several books.  I have known him for a couple of years now and I have found him to be an honest guy.  We do not have the same beliefs when it comes to religion, our beliefs on Christ are miles apart in fact, but this does not change the fact that he is a good friend and a good writer.