Below is a Special Edition of the Fighting for the Faith radio program that exposes the Cult-Like Hostile Takeover Tactics of Dan Southerland’s Purpose-Driven Church Transtioning Seminar. The list of cult-like tactics employed by Southerland is LONG. They include:
Flat out lies and manipulative double speak
Blatant Scripture Twisting
New & Direct Extra Biblical Revelation and Visions from God
Flat out intolerance for anyone who questions or challenges these “new” Extra Biblical Revelations and Visions that are supposedly from God.
After a listen, tell me what you think. How does this movement compare to the Word of God? Have you seen these hostile takeover tactics in your church?
Unfortunately, the youth minister Matt Chandler speaks about preaches law in a way that most of us can relate to. Meanwhile, Chandler portrays the glory of the cross in saving sinners like you and me. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Let us rejoice and proclaim the good news.
Join us tonight as we look more closely at Law and Gospel.
My devotional for Psalm 28 is up today on the Vertical site.
Remember that scene in Star Wars (Episode IV) where Luke discovers the holographic message hidden in R2D2? In the hologram Leia says, “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope!” In times of trouble where do you turn for help? Who is your only hope?
In Psalm 28 we see David cry out to God in time of need. David specifically names the trouble he’s in, what he’s afraid of, what he wants. We too should be direct with God during our anxious moments and take our concerns to him in prayer. Whether it be our children, our careers, or evildoers, the Lord will hear our prayers.
David’s anxiety lessens and his prayer turns to the praise and glory of the sovereign God. He proclaims that “The Lord is my strength and my shield.” (v 7) We have so much to be thankful for…our spouses, our children, our careers, our health, even our very lives. But things are far from perfect.
We are in a world of hurt and we have a great need. We are rebels. Our sins and the guilt they bring cause lots of anxiety, physical death, and the eternal torment of hell. Only a perfect savior could propitiate the wrath of God. Our good shepherd died for his people like a lamb that is led to the slaughter (Is 53:7). The anointed one poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. (Is 53:12 ESV). He is the only hope in this world of hurt. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the answer to our greatest need.
Who is your only hope? Can you proclaim “The Lord is my strength and my shield”
Books, magazine, television shows, classes, programs, seminars and more are dedicated with helping you become a better you. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent trying to improve lives. Our churches and ministries too have gotten on board, offering a message of self help and life application tips.
Does it work? I’ll let you answer that one. Just look around. I think you will agree that society isn’t getting any better.
Our focus on ourselves only feeds our problem. Our hearts are evil. Jesus says in Matthew 15 “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”
Who are we to think we can solve this problem on our own? We can’t. We need an external solution. That solution is Jesus Christ. The very one who gave us the law which now condemns us, died on a cross to pay our debts. He died to propitiate the wrath of a holy God. Only he can turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.
Join us Saturday night as dive more deeply into the subject of the proper use of Law and Gospel.
