In an astounding display of ignorance, double think, and illogic, the editorial board of the Chronicle provides us with this opinion piece. The premise is, President Reagan opposed big government, so when the state of Montana tells the city of Bozeman it can't do things, Reagan would apparently approve when the city resists.
I’m the enemy, ’cause I like to think; I like to read. I’m into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I’m the kind of guy who likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, “Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?” ...Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? -Edgar Friendly, character in Demolition Man (1993).
Disclaimer: Some postings contain other author's material. All such material is used here for fair use and discussion purposes.
Monday, July 28, 2025
Our View: In snubbing Helena's overreach, Bozeman wins one for The Gipper - Bozeman Chronicle
In an astounding display of ignorance, double think, and illogic, the editorial board of the Chronicle provides us with this opinion piece. The premise is, President Reagan opposed big government, so when the state of Montana tells the city of Bozeman it can't do things, Reagan would apparently approve when the city resists.
Friday, July 25, 2025
Five Prayers Every Pastor Should Pray for His Church - by Tim Counts
---------------
We are completely puzzled by this presentation. First, the author is a pastor, and apparently everything revolves around him in his church. He is the instigator of prayer as if there was no prayer ministry in his church. He is the leader of evangelism, apparently because no one else is available. He as pastor seems to have no need for, or cannot obtain, anyone in his church to serve, minister, or lead.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Ongoing Prophecy - by Rev. Angus Stewart
We thought we had heard every argument in favor of cessationism, but this author offers a couple of truly odd twists. And he makes some glaringly false assertions.
(...)
Test 1
Test one involves asking, and getting answers to, these sorts of questions: Have you heard teaching by a modern prophet which is contrary to the Bible's teaching? Do renewalist prophecies contain false predictions? Do you know of a prophecy which was contradicted by events? One brother I know asked these questions to many renewalists and all of the people with whom he spoke said, “Yes!” What a damning indictment!
David Wilkerson, an Anglican Charismatic, predicted in 1972 that within the next twelve months the Berlin Wall would fall. But it fell 17 years later, in 1989!1 What did the church do in that instance? What did the church do in the many other instances where renewalist predictions have been proven false? If not in all cases, at least in the vast majority of them, Pentecostal and Charismatic congregations do absolutely nothing by way of church discipline. So much for the third mark of a true church (Belgic Confession 29)!
Deuteronomy 18:22 declares, “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” Regarding a prophet who makes a prediction which does not happen, “that prophet shall die” (v. 20). I Corinthians 5 tells us that the New Testament equivalent is excommunication. (Well, no. 1 Corinthians 5 is about sexually immoral people, not false prophets. There is only one place false prophets are mentioned, 2 Peter 2:1:
2Pe. 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them — bringing swift destruction on themselves.
1Co. 5:11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
The Kansas City Prophets maintain that, if two-thirds of their prophecies come true, that is "pretty good," for that is a lot higher than it has ever been up until then! All the Kansas City Prophets have admitted that they have made predictions which did not come to pass. The Charismatic John White, who prophesied that he was going to live but subsequently died, said that, since we are all human beings, modern prophets will make mistakes in their predictions (even though God is speaking through them)!2
Do you know how many false prophecies it takes to reveal a person as a false prophet? One! Just one! Anyone who utters a single false prediction in God's name and remains impenitent should be excommunicated as a liar and a false prophet. (No, he must be killed. Perhaps we might press the author into service to administer the coup de grâce, unless of course he doesn't actually believe the Bible.)
Test 2
Imagine a Pentecostal prophet who makes a prediction that actually happens. However, the one who predicted it teaches false doctrine. How do we evaluate such a thing?
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 deals with this and so provides us with our second test. Verse 1 speaks of a prophet who performs "a sign or a wonder" which comes to pass (v. 2). (A prophecy is not "a sign or a wonder.")
Deuteronomy 13 explains that God's purpose in all this is to test His professing people. If you really love God with all your heart and keep His commandments, even though someone does wonderful signs, because he teaches false doctrine, you must renounce him and excommunicate him (vv. 3-5). (No, this passage does not say that. It's right there:
Deuteronomy 13:5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death...
If tomorrow morning's newspapers carry accounts of remarkable prognostications by the Pentecostals that have been fulfilled—let us say, the nation's capital is destroyed by an earthquake and prophets from a Pentecostal assembly had predicted this—we still would not receive them as Christ's messengers. Why? Because mixed in with their proclamations comes Arminian free-willism and other false doctrine. (??? Calvinists usually don't go this far, to proclaim that those who don't believe Calvinist doctrines are all false teachers. Usually a Calvinist regards non-Calvinists as saved but mistaken.
Test 3
To go further, here is a third test. Let us say, for sake of argument, that there is a man who claims to be a Christian prophet and who makes predictions that always come to pass and who teaches orthodox doctrines. (So, even passing the first two tests is not enough?)
Ep. 2:19-21 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
Therefore, whether or not an extra-biblical prediction comes to pass, and whether or not their other doctrines are orthodox, any person who claims to be a prophet who receives direct revelation from the Lord is, by definition, a liar and a false prophet. Why? Because God is no longer giving direct revelation, since He has already laid the foundation of His church in the Holy Scriptures He delivered by the apostles and prophets whom He sent almost 2,000 years ago! (The author's exuberance is inexplicable. He thinks he's tossed down the trump card of his argument, but he's actually playing a different game.
- Prophecy is the same as the Bible
- Prophecy's only purpose was to become the Bible
- The completion of the Bible means prophecy has ceased
- The foundation of the Church was the Bible
Two Evasions
There are two main attempts to wriggle out of this. The first evasion is the claim that there are two types of prophecy: inerrant and infallible prophecy found in the Bible, and fallible and errant modern prophecy which can and does include mistakes. This is the teaching of Wayne Grudem, amongst others.
This ought to strike you as a wretched argument, one to which the renewalists have been driven simply because they know (and practically everybody else knows) that there are numerous failed prophecies in the Pentecostal, Charismatic and Neo-Charismatic movements. Direct revelation from God is, by definition, authoritative, inerrant and infallible, ("By definition?" This is the matter under discussion. The author is not permitted to use his premise as evidence.
The second evasion—and this one is increasingly popular—is that God speaks today to unevangelized heathen (especially, it would appear, to Muslims) by dreams or visions. (Dreams and visions are not prophecies.)
There are even a number of Presbyterian and Reformed people who accept their claims. For some of these Protestants, this is the start of their own descent to Pentecostalism or Charismaticism, while for others, at the very least, it weakens their grasp of the truth of the sufficiency of Scripture (This comes in from left field. How would a dream impact the sufficiency of Scripture? What does the author mean by this?
Setting aside questions about the sort of church or Christian (whether true or false) these Muslims went to, and to what sort of Jesus they were converted (whether the true Christ or a false Christ), we deny that God gives direct revelation through dreams or visions, even to unevangelized heathen, even in Islamic countries. We do this because receiving a revelatory dream or vision from God, especially one that does not declare divine judgment upon the recipient (cf. Dan. 2; 4), constitutes a person as a prophet.
A prophet has two aspects to his office. First, he receives direct revelation from God and, second, he passes it on to the people. But the extraordinary office of a prophet has ceased since it was a temporary office involved in the laying of the foundation of the New Testament church (Eph. 2:20). (He repeats himself.)
What we need today is not false prophets or false prophecies but the proper exercise of the believer's office as prophet, so that he hears, loves, obeys and witnesses of Jesus Christ, as He is set forth in Scripture and through the faithful preaching of His gospel by true ministers in their office of pastor or teacher. (Still no Scriptural documentation, especially since this is an astonishing claim.
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Christian faith and hope - by Mike Ratliff
The Greek word for "faith" is pistis, which means:
From peitho; persuasion, i.e. Credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself -- assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
Word Origin: [from a primary elpo "to anticipate, usually with pleasure"]
1. expectation
2. (abstractly or concretely) confidence
expectation of what is sure (certain); hope.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
15 Ways to Discern False Teaching - by Kevin DeYoung
-----------------
1Co. 12:10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues...
Discernment requires the Holy Spirit:
1Co. 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Discernment can be honed into maturity:
He. 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Discernment happens in the gathering of the saints for their edification and evaluation:
1Co. 14:29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
Discernment bears spiritual fruit:
Ph. 1:9-10 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ...
1Jn. 4:2-3 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
Monday, July 21, 2025
Social Security has plenty of reserves, and other myths
Friday, July 18, 2025
Bad worship songs: Spirit break out - Bryant, Hellebronth, Dhillion, Hughes (Bethel)
With the great volume and variety of worship music available, none of us should have to settle for bad worship songs. We should be able to select hundreds or even thousands of top notch songs very easily.
What makes a song a worship song? Is it enough to contain words like God or holy? How about vaguely spiritual sounding phrases? Should Jesus be mentioned?
We think an excellent worship song should contain the following elements:
- A direct expression of adoration (God, you are...)
- A progression of ideas that culminates in a coherent story
- A focus on God, not us
- Lyrics that do not create uncertainty or cause confusion
- A certain amount of profundity
- A singable, interesting melody
- Allusions to Scripture
- Doctrinal soundness
- Not excessively metaphorical
- Not excessively repetitive
- Jesus is not your boyfriend
The Mailbag: Potpourri (…Jesus died for YOU?) - by Michelle Lesley
Ro. 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
(Plain meaning: He didn't die just for the elect, He died for the ungodly. )
2Co. 5:14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all...
(Plain meaning: Jesus died for all, not just the elect.)
Jn. 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
(Plain meaning: He took away the sin of the world, not just the sin of the elect.)
Ro. 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
(Plain meaning: His one act of righteousness brings life for all men, not just for the elect.)
Ro. 11:32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
(Plain meaning: God's intent is to have mercy on all men.)
1Ti. 2:3-6 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men — the testimony given in its proper time.
(Plain meaning: He is given as a ransom for all men, not just for the elect.)
1Ti. 4:9-10 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10 (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Crushed For Our Iniquities - by Justin Huffman
The author explains the Calvinist/Reformed belief that the Father punished Jesus for our sins. We reject this repulsive and pernicious doctrine. We will explain below.
-----------------
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Distorted Doctrine Destroys Lives - by John Piper
We have commented on Dr. Piper's teachings several times on our blog. We haven't been impressed, unfortunately.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Letter to the editor: Dissent was once part of our DNA; now we see automatic consent - by Douglas Mawhinney
Apparently the letter writer doesn't understand that dissent is only permitted for the Left. Conservatives are shouted down, deplatformed, shadow banned, and boycotted. Here's the Left's position on dissent:
Monday, July 14, 2025
What Does a Pastor Do? - by Joel Smit
This author repeats the talking points of the traditional church view, that the pastor is the presiding head of the local church. This is not found in the Bible.
1Pe. 5:2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers...
Friday, July 11, 2025
What Is TULIP? - by Robert Rothwell
We have previously commented on this author's articles here and here. We are not surprised, therefore, that he does not quote Scripture today, because he didn't before. Well, in fairness, we must concede he quote a snippet of a verse, but it does not document any of the points he makes.
Thursday, July 10, 2025
The Mailbag: Is it biblical for women to carry out The Great Commission? - by Michelle Lesley
1Ti. 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Hebrews 2:3-4 and the Sign Gifts - by Bible.org
This article goes way over our heads in its discussion of Greek grammar. We could barely follow. However, the presentation has a fatal flaw. It's not the author's analysis of the Greek, but rather the assumptions upon which that analysis is based.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
What is "born again?" - rethink
Our questions include, how did we arrive at our doctrines? Does the Bible really teach what we think it teaches? Why do churches do what they do? What is the biblical basis of church leadership structure? Why do certain traditions get entrenched?
It's easy to be spoon fed the conventional wisdom, but it's an entirely separate thing to search these things out for one's self. In the past we have read the Bible with these unexamined understandings and interpreted what we read through those lenses. We were lazy about our Bible study, assuming that pastors and theologians were telling us the truth, but we rarely checked it out for ourselves.
Therefore, these Rethinks are our attempt to remedy the situation.
We should note that we are not Bible scholars, but we believe that one doesn't need to be in order to understand the Word of God.
Monday, July 7, 2025
Five Years (Pastors making changes in their churches) - By J.V. Fesko
---------------------
Dr. Fesko has quite a resume:
Dr. Fesko is a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Harriett Barbour Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi. He initially served as a church planter from 1998 until 2004 when the church particularized and called him as their pastor. He served as pastor of Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church from 2004 until 2009 when he was called to serve as Academic Dean and Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary California until June of 2019. Dr. Fesko's research interests include the integration of biblical and systematic theology, soteriology, and early modern Reformed theology. Dr. Fesko’s publications include, Reforming Apologetics, Romans: Lectio Continua, The Spirit of the Age, Death in Adam, Life in Christ, The Trinity and the Covenant of Redemption, The Covenant of Redemption, The Theology of the Westminster Standards, Songs of a Suffering King, and Beyond Calvin: Union with Christ and Justification in Early Modern Reformed Theology, among many others. His scholarly essays have appeared in various books and journals including Perichoresis, Reformed Theological Review, Journal of Reformed Theology, Church History and Religious Culture, Calvin Theological Journal, Trinity Journal, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and the Westminster Theological Journal.
As a scholar and a highly-educated pastor and theologian, Dr. Fesko is expected to provide us with an unparalleled and insightful biblical commentary. But there isn't a single mention of the Bible, let alone a quote from it.
1Pe. 5:1-2 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow-elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers...
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Social Security can benefit future generations – if Congress acts Margie McDonald, Guest columnist
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Why did you use the word "Imputed?" An analysis of imputed righteousness
impute - verb
1. To ascribe (a misdeed or an error, for example) to:2. To regard as belonging to or resulting from another:
This means imputation is a quality or attribute affixed or assigned to something that doesn't actually belong to it. So this doctrine teaches that Christ's righteousness is assigned to believers, and our sin is assigned to Christ (double imputation).
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (KJV)
Ps. 44:22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
Ps. 88:4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.
Ps. 144:3 LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?
Is. 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
I quoted some of the other uses of the Hebrew word in order to broaden the sense of how the word is used in various contexts. Notice that none of these verse make sense if the word "imputed" is substituted. Our preliminary conclusion is that imputation rests on a shaky foundation.
Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. (KJV)
Monday, June 30, 2025
Contemporary Challenges to Christian Soteriology - Keith Mathison
The author makes a superficial attempt to explain his topic, but requires his readers to possess an understanding of terminology not commonly known. Thus it is a basic explanation which requires advanced knowledge. We simply don't understand what profit there is to require the reader to know so much to understand an explanation about elementary things, but this seems to be the author's preferred approach.
This knowledge will help the reader to some degree, but as we will note, the author fails to explain a lot of the terminology he uses, as well as the concepts he references. We will insert a double question mark whenever we come across one these instances. There will be a lot of them.
We must deem this Bad Bible teaching.
Friday, June 27, 2025
Since Satan Knows the Ultimate Outcome of God’s Plan, Why Does He Continue Opposing God? - Randy Alcorn
This is an incredibly well-documented presentation, filled with Scripture and light on personal commentary. Truly a Bible teacher after our own heart.
If Satan was free to decide not to do what the Bible reveals he will do, then Satan would be more powerful than God. God would be proven not to be Sovereign. Additionally, God tells us He is Truth (“I am the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6) and His Word is Truth (John 17:17); if, in fact, Satan could decide that he will not act as prophesied in Revelation, then the Word would be false. If the Word is false, and it is the source that reveals both God and Satan, then nothing could be believed about either.
Satan’s entire delusion is that he is “like God.” This is the reason he fell and introduced sin into the creation.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Why We Urgently Need a Progressive Policy Infrastructure - By Rob Kall
This author seems to believe that the 80-plus years of Leftist political domination didn't happen, that the wrecking ball of leftist policies is non-existent, and that the installation of Leftist politics at every level of government isn't actually there. The leftist control of the news media, Hollywood, public education, and corporations is near total, but not according to the author.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Soul ties? - Michelle Lesley
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Gallatin County Health Department - Happy pride month
As much as they want to blame society and intolerant straights, discrimination is simply a questionable reason for higher tobacco use:
...if tobacco use is conceptualized as a coping behavior resulting from psychological distress associated with social rejection and stigmatization—as is the case in the Minority Stress Model26—then what accounts for the greater disparities in use among sexual minority women compared to sexual minority men?
Indeed, Since lesbians have a higher rate of tobacco use, are they subject to more discrimination than gay men? Of course not, blaming discrimination is nonsense.
Monday, June 23, 2025
Understanding the Old Testament sacrifices - By Simon van Bruchem
- Jesus did not "pay for the depth of our sins," He paid for us:
1Co. 7:23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
- Jesus is not "the substitute for all who believe." Jesus didn't substitute for us, His blood washed our sins away. His sacrificial death was propitiation, that is, the turning away or satisfaction of wrath:
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
There was no need for Jesus to be punished in substitution for us if His blood is sufficient.
We must deem this Bad Bible Teaching.
Trump isn't the fascist here - by Paul Kienitz
Friday, June 20, 2025
What Must I Do to Be Saved? - by Michelle Lesley
The gift God offers you is that, on the cross, Christ took the punishment you deserve for your sin.
This is a false and pernicious statement. There is no Bible verse that says Jesus substituted for us. None. Nor did the Father did not punish Jesus. Ever. To state otherwise is to completely misunderstand (or misrepresent) Jesus' sacrificial death. There isn't a single verse in the Bible that tells us the Father punished Jesus or poured out His wrath on Him. Not one. Check it yourself, dear reader.
- were not tortured to satisfy the priest
- were never imputed with the sacrificer's sin
- did not receive God's wrath
- were not regarded as substitutes
- Jesus was not tortured to satisfy the Father
- Jesus was not imputed with our sin
- Jesus did not receive God's wrath
- Jesus did not substitute Himself in our place
He. 9:28: ...so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
He didn't "bear" our sin as in "bear" our punishment, He carried it away. He was sacrificed, not sacrificed and then punished.
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
"Propitiation" is the Greek word hilaskomai, which means appeasement/satisfaction of divine wrath on sin") – properly, to extend propitiation, showing mercy by satisfying (literally, propitiating) the wrath of God on sin; "to conciliate, appease, propitiate...
Jesus's death on the cross, His spilled blood, is the effective agent in His propitiation:
Col. 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
The way you receive that gift and have Christ’s righteousness “credited to your account” is to repent from (have the heart desire to turn away from and ask God’s forgiveness for) your sin and trust that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection paid the penalty for your sin.
Jesus did not pay the penalty for our sins, He paid for us:
1Co. 6:19-20 You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
1Co. 7:23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
Ro. 5:16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
Jn. 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already...
Ro. 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Thursday, June 19, 2025
The problems with being a Calvinist
- (T)otal depravity
- (U)nconditional election
- (L)imited atonement
- (I)rresistible grace
- (P)erseverance of the saints
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Rehabilitating ministers? Why churches and organisations need to be careful about the idea of 'restoring' their leaders - by Andrew Roycroft
----------------------
Matt 7:17-20 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.A repentant sinner who consistently bears good fruit for a long time must at some point be relieved of his scarlet letter.
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Bad worship songs: When wind meets fire - by Gamboa, Holiday, Mooring, Furtick (Elevation Worship)
- A direct expression of adoration (God, you are...)
- A progression of ideas that culminates in a coherent story
- A focus on God, not us
- Lyrics that do not create uncertainty or cause confusion
- A certain amount of profundity
- A singable, interesting melody
- Allusions to Scripture
- Doctrinal soundness
- Not excessively metaphorical
- Not excessively repetitive
- Jesus is not your boyfriend
Monday, June 16, 2025
"Pastors Only Work 30 Minutes A Week” - by Michael Krahn
-----------------
This article smacks of self-aggrandizement. Here we have a noble, selfless pastor laboring away under a great burden, called to selfless service, who is the only one in his church able to carry these responsibilities and endure these hardships. And it seems the congregation simply doesn't appreciate him enough.
Friday, June 13, 2025
Friendship With the World is Enmity with God - by Mike Ratliff
---------------
The author attempts to explain James 4:4, but doesn't get around to it until the second to the last paragraph. After hundreds of words devoted to tangents, he supplies us but a single line of explanation:
It is doing whatever it takes to imitate worldly ways of thinking and worldly activities.
He goes on to provide a very appropriate remedy, thankfully, but does not explain how the remedy works out practically. This is really what he should have written about.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
1 Timothy: Women Preaching as Pastor or as a Guest Violates Scripture, even with “Permission” - By Elizabeth Prata
A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.Ordinarily those who approach this Scripture do so by forcing it into the context of a church service. They do this by thinking the epistle is "pastoral," that is, instructions on how to pastor a church. This is false, because Timothy wasn't pastor of this church, he was a troubleshooter sent by Paul. Otherwise Paul would not tell him that the elders direct the affairs of the church (1Ti. 5:17).
Because of the mistaken idea that this is about a church service, Ms. Prata extends the error by raising the issue of pastoral authority, i.e. the pastor as the leader cannot give permission to do an unbiblical thing like allowing women to preach. Since we believe that Paul was not talking about women preaching in church, this point of course is moot.
"[Scripture] denies a woman the ecclesiastical authority to teach men or be an authority in the church. (1 Timothy 2:12.)"
- Paul wasn't talking about what happens in a church service, he was telling us about what a woman cannot do to her husband. Thus Adam and Eve.
- Pastors, biblically speaking, do not lead churches, elders do:
1Pe. 5:1-2 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow-elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers...
- Preaching, therefore, is not an exercise of authority.
Monday, June 9, 2025
The blight of CEO pastors - rethink
Our questions include, how did we arrive at our doctrines? Does the Bible really teach what we think it teaches? Why do churches do what they do? What is the biblical basis of church leadership structure? Why do certain traditions get entrenched?
It's easy to be spoon fed the conventional wisdom, but it's an entirely separate thing to search these things out for one's self. In the past we have read the Bible with these unexamined understandings and interpreted what we read through those lenses. We were lazy about our Bible study, assuming that pastors and theologians were telling us the truth, but we rarely checked it out for ourselves.
Therefore, these Rethinks are our attempt to remedy the situation.
We should note that we are not Bible scholars, but we believe that one doesn't need to be in order to understand the Word of God.
Friday, June 6, 2025
Bad worship songs: Fullness, by Steve Furtick, Chris Brown, Matthews Ntele
- A direct expression of adoration (God, you are...)
- A progression of ideas that culminates in a coherent story
- A focus on God, not us
- Lyrics that do not create uncertainty or cause confusion
- A certain amount of profundity
- A singable, interesting melody
- Allusions to Scripture
- Doctrinal soundness
- Not excessively metaphorical
- Not excessively repetitive
- Jesus is not your boyfriend
Video here.
Is there Injustice on God’s Part? - by Mike Ratliff
---------------
The author didn't write this article to teach about the Bible, he wrote it to teach about his Calvinism. He thinks it is critical to understand the Calvinistic doctrine of election, but he doesn't tell us why it is important. But in actual fact, it isn't important. Whether we are saved by His sovereign choice or if we are saved because we responded to His invitation, it doesn't make any difference at all in our lives or Christian walk.