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.
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
The Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence) - by Dean Good
Monday, June 24, 2024
How Do I Know If I’m One of the Elect? - by: Andrew David Naselli
What's wrong with using the word "saved" Instead of "Elect?" Why the unnecessary Calvinist posturing?
Friday, June 21, 2024
Are Images of Christ OK? No. - by RYAN M. MCGRAW
The author bases his entire presentation on the idea that making images of Yahweh is biblically impermissible. But he is unable to cite a verse that tells us this. Now, we don't advocate that we should make idols, but we also don't permit the author to assert things the Bible doesn't tell us.
The Proverbs of Rich - tidbits of wisdom from my prayer times
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Bad worship songs - Goodness of God - Ed Cash, Jenn Johnson (Bethel Music)
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
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
3 Reasons Why Your Small Group Is Not a Church - by: Matthew Emadi
We have found a surprising number of "Bible teachers" who diligently defend the traditional practices of their church to the point where any deviation from them by other churches constitutes a threat to Christianity.
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Worship Should Feel (Somewhat) Awkward - by David de Bruyn
The reason the author feels this way is because he thinks his church's practice is the proper way to conduct a service. Thus the idea of a casual, celebratory worship rubs him wrong. What he's in fact defending is his own comfort and tradition.
Now, we would concede that it is possible to take God too casually. We ourselves bristle at the idea that the fear of the Lord is explained away as merely awe. Rather, He is a consuming fire (He. 12:29) and not to be trifled with. Nevertheless, He is welcoming (2Pe. 1:11) and approachable (He. 10:19). The author wants an either/or when God is both, even at the same time.
Monday, June 17, 2024
Don’t be too easy to join - by T. M. Suffield
The author writes about his view of church but explains nothing about the Bible, any Bible principle, or even what the Bible explains about church. He doesn't quote the Bible at all, and provides but a single irrelevant Bible reference.
Friday, June 14, 2024
Carl Lentz: ‘I’m Not a Disgraced Pastor’ - By James Lasher
Ordinarily we fisk self-described Bible teachers, the Doctrinal Police, and cessationists, but today we examine Charisma News' reporting on Carl Lentz, and Mr. Lentz's statements.
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
“Greater Works” Will You Do Than Jesus? - By Costi Hinn
When a cessationist encounters a problematic Bible verse, inevitably he must reinterpret it, explain it away, or clarify it. Such is the case with Mr. Hinn and John 14:12. Mr. Hinn's cessationist perspective cannot permit this verse to allow for the word "greater" to mean something miraculous.
Jn. 14:10-12 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
"Philip, you've been around me for a long time and yet you still don't know who I am? If you can't figure that out, at least you should know based on my miracles."
Jesus then says, I tell you the truth (vs. 12). The Greek is amḗn, amḗn. This word is an "emphasis marker," introduces a statement of pivotal importance... Thus Jesus heavily emphasized the importance of what is was about to say. Let's get literal:
This is of pivotal importance - the one who believes in me will do the works I do.
It's important, Jesus said. Crucial to understand. Pay close attention.
Interestingly, this first sentence of verse 12 is more problematic for cessationists than the second sentence. We have seen in the first sentence that Jesus flat-out says that believers will do what He does, i.e., miracles. Now we have arrived at the subject verse, and here Jesus doubles down: He will do even greater things than these... So not only will the ones who believe do the works He did, they will do even greater ones. Two things, the works He did, and also even greater works.
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Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Does the Bible call us to unilateral forgiveness without repentance? - by STEPHEN KNEALE
Found here. Our comments in bold.
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The author is a Calvinist, so he believes the saved are predestined and already chosen by God. Which of course means that repentance is irrelevant. Requiring repentance before forgiveness is an empty exercise, because the Calvinist thinks it's all preordained.
Further, the author wants us to think that God's forgiveness and our forgiveness are the same thing. So on that basis the author tells us we must not forgive unless there's repentance, just as God will not forgive unless there's repentance.
This suggests that a trespasser must earn their forgiveness by doing the required steps. But this in essence is a salvation by works, antithetical to the Gospel. This is essentially what the author is teaching, that forgiveness is earned.)
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Monday, June 10, 2024
Why Only Pastors Can Baptize - By Kevin P. Emmert
It seems the author is attempting to set us up for the idea that pastors need to retain their position at the top of the church pyramid. In fact, it's the primary assumption upon which his entire article is built, that pastors are the pre-eminent leaders of the local church.
Lastly, the author manages to quote only a couple of Bible snippets. How can he teach the Bible without quoting it? We must deem this Bad Bible Teaching.
Friday, June 7, 2024
Did Christ Become Sinful on Our Behalf? - by Jeremiah Johnson
It is a Calvinist/reformist perspective that the Father punished Jesus instead of us, a doctrine called Penal Substitutionary Atonement. We discuss this problematic doctrine here. We assert that the Father did not punish Jesus for our sin. Nor did Jesus pay for our sin.
1Pe. 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
The (one) having not known sin for us sin he made...
The man Jesus was constructed, made for a purpose. Not imputed. He was "made sin" to reconcile us to God, which is what we read just a couple of verses before:
2Co. 5:19...God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ...
Further, poieó has many shades of meaning in the Greek. One that caught our eye was this:
to (make i. e.) constitute or appoint one anything...
Ac. 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Ac. 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
We think it possible that Paul was actually discussing His incarnation as much as His sacrifice. That is, Jesus' position as a man. Here's what we mean:
Ro. 8:3-4 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.All the same concepts are here that are also in 2Co. 5:21, expanded with some additional information. One thing leaps out at us: "In the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering." This is very interesting phrasing. This is where our speculation about Him being made sin leads us.
2Co. 5:21 God appointed him who was unacquainted with sin to the position of a sinful man, for our benefit...
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Is Salvation by Faith in Jesus Unfair to Those Who Never Hear of Him? - by Amy K. Hall
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The author is confused about what grace, mercy, and justice mean. The confusion arises from her Calvinistic beliefs, which include the idea that God has already selected those who will be saved (the Elect). As we have noted in other posts, Calvinism creates doctrinal and Scriptural difficulties that need to be worked around or explained away. And that is what the author grapples with here.
Ro. 11:32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.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 andmen, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men — the testimony given in its proper time.1Ti. 4:10 ...we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.Tit. 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
So He offers mercy and grace to everyone, not just the Elect.
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Bad worship songs: Trust In God, by Christopher Joel Brown, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake, Mitch Wong
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
Monday, June 3, 2024
Is God angry right now? - rethink
Recently we've been reconsidering many of the things we thought we understood regarding doctrine and faith. We have begun to question certain beliefs, church structures, and practices of the western church. Too often we have discovered unbiblical doctrines and activities. This causes us concern. We have deemed this our “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.