Here is a selection of things I’ve read in the past week in preparation for this morning’s sermon.
Hardly any of the things I read makes it into the sermon (it would take hours longer!) which is a pity. So I thought I’d give you the links to some of it here if you did want to read up on these things for yourself.
On Persecuted Christians:
On Christianity vs Other Religions:
http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2013/07/christianity-the-worlds-most-falsifiable-religion/
On False Teachers:
Shai Linne and why he wrote the song ‘Fal$e Teacher$’ – http://www.christianpost.com/news/rapper-shai-linne-explains-why-he-named-names-in-fale-teacher-94851/
7 Traits of False Teachers – http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/03/19/7-traits-of-false-teachers/
A sample of Paul’s instructions on false teachers – http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/thabitianyabwile/2010/07/21/a-sampling-of-pauls-instruction-re-false-teachers-and-sound-doctrine/
An exhaustive list of verses about false teachers – http://www.openbible.info/topics/exposing_false_teachers
Watching out for false teachers (sermon manuscript from John Piper) – http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/watch-out-for-those-who-lead-you-away-from-the-truth
MUST READ! Long but very insightful article titled ‘Discernment in an Age of Deception: Defining the Believer’s Biblical Call to Judge – http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue94.htm#.UfOFq40Q4mA (a similar article which is shorter and a bit more ‘combative’ – http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=6684)
Important note: please read all of these things with your own discernment and always checking back to our ultimate source of authority which is God’s Word! Just because I recommend an article to read doesn’t mean I am giving that article, author or website a wholesale endorsement. For that matter, just because I usually speak the truth (which I hope I do!) doesn’t mean I always speak the truth… so be like the Bereans who upon hearing the Apostle Paul and Silas teach, ‘they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so‘ (Acts 17:11).