Clearing Off My Desk

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ. Based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the apostle Paul said, but we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn't for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we're called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her king.

Here's our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Cleaning Off the Desk and Talking Through the Day's Topics

Welcome to No Compromise Radio ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth, and we are talking today about all kinds of issues. Today is kind of clean off my desk, whatever day of the week this is today. For me, it is Tuesday.

But these shows are taped, and they're taped in advance. I talked to someone the other day, and they said, that show that played a couple days ago where you said such and such, we had a lady visit the church on Sunday.

She said something like that. I said, I have no idea what I said two days ago on the radio. Because I tape three or four at a time, we slap them up in the air and let them roll. Well, these days I have been privileged enough to teach the Bible regularly and often enough where I pretty much say to myself when I wake up, I know I have to teach the Bible someplace today, to someone today.

I just don't know who these people are at the moment and what I'm going to say, but hopefully it'll be biblical. So No Compromise Radio, always biblical, always provocative, always in that order. And it is getting cold in New England.

Brr, it's raw here today. So we want to clean off the desk today and a variety of things. One of the things you might want to do, this is just for free as I was thinking about it. I pulled up Eric Lutie and he is at Ellerslie and I listened to him preach a sermon on does God still heal?

I think it's back from December. So go to Sermon Archives, listen to that and tell me what you think. That'd be a good call-in. Write me at info at nocompromiseradio .com. Many people, I believe, are duped into thinking that that young man is a good theologian.

And you listen to that sermon. For those of you that say, oh, Mike, you know what? You don't support Eric Lutie and the ministry there at Ellerslie. You're not a Braveheart Gospel guy. You're not into that stuff.

And for what reason? You're just a no person. You just like to say you don't like people if they're more successful than you are or they have more influence or I don't know. Just listen to that sermon.

And tell me, tell me who's the crazy one. Tell me who's the one who, I mean, biblically crazy. I don't mean mentally, IQ crazy, but tell me who's the one. Is it me for saying that kind of teaching is dangerous and wrong, uneducated, and not biblical?

That kind of sermon, does God still heal while it comes across as, ooh, I'm doing something dangerous to teach this. And people don't want to hear this message. That's the kind of sermon that turns into word faith fairly quickly when it deals with you've got to say no to colds.

And it's a good religion for young, healthy people, but it's not a good religion for sick, older people or sick young people as that goes. And it's not a good religion for people who want to study what does the Bible say about miracles and healings biblically?

What does the text say? And to slap on an intro that says, God's the same God as he was today, as he always is, and throw out some Hebrew words, God's Rafa and all this, that doesn't do it. So listen to his God Still Heal sermon archives and tell me who's the one who is teaching the weird stuff.

Me? And if you think I am, just write me at info at uncompromisedradio .com. Okay, what is next? You can get my book, The Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus on day one publishing. You can go to the website and you can get a copy there.

And we've passed along most of the author's discount. And I think I want to say almost all of it. By the time you get the book, $10, which includes shipping, that's going to be a lot cheaper than Amazon or CBD or anyplace else.

So we still have some copies left with the author discount. If you want to get the book about Jesus as King, influencing your prayer life, your worship of God, preaching, listening to sermons, et cetera.

I think you'll like the book. I actually reread it a couple of times and I thought, you know what? I agree with that guy. Oh man. We are having an outreach concert here at Bethlehem Bible Church. Great evangelistic outreach concert.

That is to say great news will be proclaimed from the scripture. 10 minute message. I'll probably preach about God's salvation, forgiveness in Christ Jesus, the risen savior alone, who made atonement for all those who would believe.

Friday, December 16th, 7 p .m. When you get here early, it'll be a packed house. We're about ready to have to go to two concerts, I think, because so many people are interested. The children will have the, I was going to say the children will have the cow bell.

They'll have the hand bells. This is not Blue Oyster Cult. We need more cow bell. I just need more cow bell. That isn't that. It is evangelistic outreach concert with basically we have world-class musicians here at Bethlehem Bible Church.

The quality of musician at Bethlehem Bible Church has only gotten better over time. And I really think this is true. I can't prove it. But the more you continue to keep preaching the Bible, the more that kind of Bible teaching attracts good musicians.

I guess that's just the way I could say it. So experientially, I can say that. So if you want tickets, you need tickets to get in. If you're a visitor, Friday, December 16th, 7 p .m., an evening of Christmas joy.

I've got tickets here at No Compromise Radio Ministry. And you write me, info at nocompromiseradio .com. If you've got a cold though, first say no to the cold and then write me at info at No Compromise Radio.

We don't want anybody who has a cold here because then you might get us infected. All right, what else do we have today on No Compromise Radio? What else? We have IBS classes, Institute for Biblical Studies on Thursday nights here at the church.

And even if you don't attend the church, you can come and learn about, right now it's soteriology. Some crazy Greek pastor is here preaching and teaching. Harry is here teaching us about soteriology, the doctrine of salvation.

I still have one book to give out, Glorifying God by Thomas Watson, compiled and adapted by my friend Patty Hummel on Thomas Nelson Publishing, Glorifying God. It's a good devotional with Thomas Watson.

He is a Puritan or was a Puritan writer. And if you want one of those copies, I've got one left. Write me at info at nocompromiseradio .com. The first person who writes me and I get your full address, I will send you a copy of the book gratis, free.

No shipping charges, no nothing. All right, what else is here on my desk? I'm trying to clear off, on No Compromise Radio. Digital Journal, a global digital media network. November 21st, 2011, New York pastor organizes kissing contests during service.

That wasn't the sound of a kiss. A New York pastor, I'd say small P for small pastorette, is using public kissing contests during services to help, what? What would be the next thing that would be said there?

To help teach married couples how to keep romance alive in their marriages. His Sunday sermons have been described as the sexiest in town. Now, I think you've probably gotten the idea if you've listened to No Compromise Radio at all, that I'm not a Victorian prude.

I'm not at all. And to me, the Christian sex ethic is not don't. The Christian sex ethic is do, enjoy regularly with your spouse, but nobody else. So man, woman, holy covenant of marriage, enjoy yourself, Proverbs 5.

Intoxicate yourself with physical love. But, well, let me, before I get to the but part, Song of Solomon certainly is in Scripture. There are passages in the Bible that are spicy, but during the sermon, during the church service, this is just all nonsense.

That's what it is. Let's just call it what it is. This is stupid. This is idiotic. This is nonsense. This is man-centered. This does not glorify God. It does give glory to God when husband and wife in the privacy of their own home, or domicile, or hotel room, enjoy one another.

I have no problem with that at all. Matter of fact, it's even commanded in Scripture. How about that? 1 Corinthians 7. Talk about obedience. But here, this is just, it's all wrong. With sermon titles, The Power and Pleasure of Romance, Pastor Maurice Johnson.

That's not Magic Johnson. It'd be closer to true if it was Irvin Buck Magic Johnson, of the non-denominational, and then I have to say, how apropos sometimes when there are certain names to churches.

Now, Bethlehem Bible, maybe that's not apropos, but non-denominational, Winners Church, W-I-N-N-E-R-S Church in Queens. It's a real winner of a sermon, is what I have to say. It couldn't have been more apropos.

It's highlighting the importance of marriage in the African-American community. The New York Post reports. Now, certainly, I would be very happy if a pastor was talking about marriage and how it reflects Christ loving the church, the bride.

I'd be very happy to have marriage between a man and a woman exalted. I would like that. Especially in situations where there's a low view of marriage. And in many men in the African-American community, they have a low view of marriage.

That's not a racist statement. That's just true. If you wanna look at men who leave pregnant ladies, that just happens a lot in that community. Now, you say, well, I'm gonna already get in trouble for that.

I probably am going to get in trouble. But if a pastor is saying, we have a particular problem in our social, economic, racial mix, then I'm glad if somebody addresses the problem. When a white man leaves his wife pregnant or just impregnates a woman who's not his wife and then runs off and never marries and never supports, that's a problem.

That is a serious problem. If it's an Indian man, if it's a Puerto Rican man, it doesn't matter who, but if you've got a special concentration of trouble in Queens, then if a pastor addresses that, I think that's fine.

But that is not the issue here. In one of his sermons, the pastor tells his non-denominational congregation of 75 that, quote, your bedroom and your love life are fires that must be nurtured and fought for.

Use the power of touch to ignite passion in your marriage. I'm trying to think if that's a Bible verse someplace. I'm trying to figure that out. But you know what? How do you get press if you've got 75 people at your church?

I guess you do things like this. You should be visually stimulated for your husband or your wife. It's your biblical responsibility to look good for your spouse. Really? Now, you might talk about all kinds of issues that might relate to this, but I don't think you're going to find a Bible verse.

Now, I don't know every Bible verse. I haven't memorized every Bible verse, but I've read the Bible quite often. And I don't know where that's to be told. I think it might be good common sense, but I think pagans know that too.

I think Mormons know that too. I think moralists know that too. I think therapeutic counselors know that too. At the peak of the pastor's sermon, four married couples are called to the pulpit, while a keyboardist and drummer create a romantic air with R &B tones.

Romantic air. Is it like Old Spice smell or something? I don't know, what, romantic air? Oh, it's not literal, I get it. The couple practice what is preached, kissing for uninterrupted five minutes. So you need to, everybody go home, kiss if you're married for five minutes uninterrupted.

And that's going to really help, I guess. That's going to be good. Friends, when it's moralistic therapeutic deism, to coin the term or use the term coined by Christian Smith, then this all goes. People don't need to know, you should kiss for five minutes.

They need to go to church to be reminded of the triumphant indicative, as Machen would call it. That is the gospel, the good news, what Jesus did, who Jesus was. That's what they need to hear about. And I think if you get the right view of Christ loving the church, if you're a husband, you're going to love your wife better, including every area of love, erotic love, agape love, et cetera.

You don't need to do this in church. This is not becoming, this is immaturity. You know how kids blurt out something where they're not supposed to blurt it out? Maturity says time and place. That's what I'm trying to teach my kids all the time.

Time and place. I like to have fun. I like to blurt things out. I like to be crazy. I like to do weird things. I like to do off-key things, but not in certain circumstances like at the public worship service on Sunday morning.

When I run around like a grizzly bear chasing my daughters throughout the house like a maniac. Oh, that's fine if you're doing it at home privately with your family and you're just trying to have fun.

Grizzly Adams, grizzly Avenroth. So here, I'm not against kissing. Okay? Let's just make that perfectly clear. Here it says, the couple who demonstrates the most passion while lip locked in front of the judging congregants wins $50 to spend on a date night.

Can you make this up? Can you get any more asinine than this? How do you show passion? So let's have couples up on stage. I'm assuming their mouths are doing a variety of different things, open mouth, closed mouth.

Who wants to think that far in advance? But you're going to try to kiss the best and then you win 50 bucks. You see kissing in all kinds of contexts, but you don't necessarily see it in a marriage context, says Frank's Franz Somebody 39, who won the contest with his wife of 13 years, Makita 36.

I wasn't embarrassed, but I guess I felt a little awkward, he said, as he cashed the check. The Winner's Church, that's a real, he's a winner of a pastor too, who advocates physical affection to strengthen romantic partnership, encourage married couples to push the boundaries and experiment with each other in public.

See where this goes. Bad, worse, appalling. Those are the three levels. I wish this was a radio because I'm speechless. I have nothing to say. Any society that celebrates marriage, romance and love is going to be a free society.

The Post quoted Johnson as saying, public displays of affection aren't wrong. Adam and Eve were naked and they were not ashamed. So using that hermeneutic, then it's okay to be naked in society today.

See, there you have it. So I'm going to get that off my desk. I'm just going to kind of toss that down on the ground. There it goes. All right, what else do we have here? Here's another Freaky Friday thing.

This is a Kooks and Barney's Award today we have. A Kook and Barney Award is an award given to somebody who should know better, but doesn't. And they teach something funky. When you are a surfer and you want to have a lineup to get the best waves and you're out the best spot because you're the best surfer, there's a hierarchy and somebody comes in from Hollister.

I always think that's funny, Hollister Surf Shop, when Hollister's out in the middle of nowhere, not even close to a beach in California. But people come in over the hill from Hollister and they take your spot and they slide in and they cut you off and they drop in on you.

They're known as a Kook and a Barney. Kooks and Barneys are here. So here's a Kooks and Barney's Award going to Greg Kenyon, MD. And he wrote an article on spindleworks .com, spindleworks .com. And it's called Sharing Reformed Christian Resources Around the World.

I don't think there's gonna be much reformed here, but we'll soon find out. Organ Donations, A Christian Family Physician's Perspective. Now, he may, and certainly he does know much more than I do, medically.

I'm not a trained doctor, although I practice one on TV. I would be lost when it comes to reanastomosis and other things like that. And he would win that. But just thinking about this theologically, I think it's fair for me to critique it.

I'm not critiquing the person. I'm not saying I hate the person. He's probably nice. He's probably fun. He's probably fun loving. He probably wins kissing contests. You never know what'll happen. But here, Dr. Greg Kenyon, K-E-N-Y-O-N, let's see, last updated February 17th, 2001, basically is challenging Christians from taking donations, organ donations.

And so here it says, growing as a Christian involves re-evaluating many practices and beliefs in light of God's word. It is interesting that it took the seemingly big things like liver or heart transplants to make me consider more seriously what the Bible teaches about seemingly smaller things like blood transfusions and cornea transplants.

Jesus says, by the way, tell me what this verse has to do with transplant stuff and what he's just talking about. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. And he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much, Luke 16 .10.

What does it have to do with anything? I have no idea. I have no idea. Now I do agree with Dr. Kenyon that we should examine what we do through the grid of scripture. What does the scripture say? What does wisdom say?

What should we desire to do? I think that's a fair thing to do. Medical ethics is a hot topic and you can read the Feinberg brothers on ethics. You could read Walt Kaiser on ethics. You can read John Davis on ethics.

There are a lot of good books about Christian ethics. And the one that I'm thinking about that I can't remember right now, it's probably the Feinberg one. I think Christian medical ethics is a big deal and I'm not advocating brain stem cell use.

We have babies that have died and we use brain cells and all this stuff. I'm not really getting into that but I wanna just talk about organ donations. Would you have an organ donated to you? It does say here, this list claims that Lutheran churches endorse organ donation, Presbyterian churches encourage and endorse organ and tissue donation regarding his or her own body.

And that our body's not really ours, Kenyon says, it's Jesus's, that's true. Together, the members of Christ's body possess all the information needed to identify Christ according to the DNA blueprint of the Holy Spirit.

The importance of every individual and the necessity of each member of the body is described in 1 Corinthians 12, 12 to 26. I think what he's trying to do here is to say that we have individual DNA and we are who we are as individuals but then he uses those verses to compound the problem, compound the understanding.

These verses have nothing to say about, can I have a blood transfusion? Can I have a cornea transplant? Can I have a kidney transplant? Although scripture does not speak directly on this issue, it contains principles that may promote the use of organs for transplants.

The greatest example can be seen in the life and work of Christ. He used the very essence of his being to give life to others. See, we just have bad hermeneutics. This is not the way to go about it. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, reminds him of how greatly they cared about Paul and his weakness, saying, if it had been possible, yet we would have plucked out our own eyes and have given them to me.

Galatians 4 .15, in that day, donating one's eyes was not possible but Paul seems to be commending the desire to donate them. Yai, yai. Then we get to this one, Acts 15. Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God but that we write unto them and they abstain from pollutions of idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood.

For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. Now the doctor says this speaks against taking in blood. It does? It speaks of taking in blood?

This says, he was talking about transfusions here, taking in blood or heart valve, was this meat with blood in it? Maybe I've been wrong the whole time. This appears to teach that blood transfusions and transplantations of any organ that contain blood are not permissible.

Friends, that's just not right. And so if you're influenced by this kind of thinking, it could hurt you, literally hurt you. If your conscience doesn't wanna do something, I understand that, don't go against conscience.

But if you need a kidney transplant, there's gonna be some blood involved, fine. I think the author here is saying cornea transplants, there's not really any blood, so it's okay to do. Here it says, next, some may be concerned about the impact of transplanting an organ from one person into another in regard to the resurrection of the body.

And then he says, well, God can figure all that out at the resurrection. He says, yes, yet I believe this way of thinking is too simple. And then what about blood? And blood, excuse me, not about blood, but animals and animal heart valves, pig heart valves.

Friends, the Bible doesn't address this issue. And with a good clean conscience, if you'd like to have a heart transplant, you can have a heart transplant, a lung transplant, lung transplant, liver transplant, whatever's can be transplanted.

Maybe the doctor can tell me some of these things can't be transplanted, but you need to be careful. And here's what you need to be careful of and from, internet gurus. How about radio hosts? I think you should be careful of radio hosts.

Who just throw stuff out, like me. I think you should be wary of, be careful of, unless you're a member of the church and know me personally, you should say, whatever that guy says, I'm going to measure against scripture.

I'm not going to use some Bible verses about Paul or other things to say you shouldn't have transplants. Has nothing to do with anything. You can have a transplant. This is hearkening back to Jehovah's Witness days and you can't have blood transfusions.

What does that have to do with anything? Study Acts 15, one to 20 and come up with what you find out. Don't go to some doctor first. Let's leave doctoring to doctors and let's leave theology to theologizers and let's not ever let the twain meet.

How about that? That might be better. So my name is Mike Abenroth. This is No Compromise Radio Ministry and the 24 minutes and 30 seconds has gone by quickly. Info at nocompromiseradio .com and you can ask me all your doctoral questions.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abenroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life transforming power of God's word through verse by verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at six. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE its staff or management.