A snippet of a Barth Quote with a thought....

"Our challenge, as preachers, is not to master God’s word but rather to develop the skills to listen to God without despising God for speaking to us." ~ Conversations with Barth on Preaching by William H. Willimon p. 165

Interesting thought as so many see that they can "conquer" and "master" God's word. It then seems to reduce God's word into a tool and make it subject to our human will than to allow it to change us by the prompting and moving of the Holy Spirit. I sometimes am amazed when I find my theology hold me back from growing. Some seem to think this is the same thing, that knowledge = growth, yet sometimes it is the things we "think" we know that keep us from learning what we need to know to grow...

Perhaps Hillary Inhaled Instead?

I offer this with no comment...

Hillary Clinton calls Bosnia sniper story a mistake

In a speech in Washington and in several interviews last week Clinton described how she and her daughter, Chelsea, ran for cover under hostile fire shortly after her plane landed in Tuzla, Bosnia.

Several news outlets disputed the claim and a video of the trip, showed Clinton walking from the plane, accompanied by her daughter. They were greeted by a young girl in a small ceremony on the tarmac and there was no sign of tension or any danger.

"I did make a mistake in talking about it, you know, the last time and recently," Clinton told reporters in Pennsylvania where she was campaigning before the state's April 22 primary. She said she had a "different memory" about the landing.

"So I made a mistake. That happens. It proves I'm human, which, you know, for some people, is a revelation."

One subtle deception of John MacArthur: Bad Quotes

I am amazed that more people do not understand that Truth protects us... we do not protect truth.

John MacArthur states in his book The Truth War...

“It is our duty to guard, proclaim, and pass that truth on to the next generation." [1 Timothy 6:20–21]

Now let's go look at his reference.

"O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen."

Note how subtle this is... but that is how Satan works!

Yes, Paul is stating to Timothy to "Guard what was committed to your trust.." but does Paul go on to say "go out and fight and expose those who attack truth."? No.

Paul simply states to Timothy to guard Truth by, "avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge..."

Notice the word... "avoiding". It does not nor has ever meant to declare war on others.

My Truth is the Person of Jesus Christ. I see that He protects me... I cannot do anything to protect Jesus for He is God and I am a mere man.

So, my question is this... What kind of god needs protecting? And if that god does, how can a finite man protect an Almighty, all powerful God?

It seems to me that John MacArthur has diminished God from Who He really is in this "truth war" and the more I learn of John MacArthur's theology, the more I wonder if he thinks himself greater than God Himself...

Devotional: Exchanged Life

EXCHANGED LIFE
By: Major W. Ian Thomas

Christian living is not a method or technique; it is an entirely different, revolutionary principle of life. It is the principle of an exchanged life" not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20).

This is all part of our Gospel - it is not the Gospel plus! We must not get our terminology wrong. To divorce the behavior of the Christian from the Gospel is entirely false and is not true to the Word of God, yet all too often such is the characteristic of gospel preaching.

I would like to explore with you what is the true spiritual content of our Gospel ­ not just heaven one day, but Christ right now! Christ in you, on the grounds of redemption ­ this is the Gospel! To preach anything less than this must inevitably produce "Evan-jellyfish" ­ folk with no spiritual vertebrae, whose faith docs not "behave!"

Do you remember what James says in his epistle? "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead" (chapter 2:26). The "spirit" there means breath, and a body without breath is dead. Stop breathing ­ and folk will bury you! In other words, a living body breathes, and a living faith breathes, and a living faith breaths with divine action. A living faith breathes with the activity of Jesus Christ. That is why the Lord Jesus, in John 6:29, said, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent."

That is the work of God. It is your living faith in the adequacy of the One who is in you, which releases His divine action through you. It is the kind of activity that the Bible calls "good works," as opposed to "dead works."

"Good works" are those works that have their origin in Jesus Christ - - whose activity is released through your body, presented to Him as a living sacrifice by a faith that expresses total dependence, as opposed to the Adamic independence (Romans 12: 1,2).

It is only the life of the Lord Jesus -- His activity, clothed with you and displayed through you, that ultimately will find the approval of God.

From: The Saving Life of Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House. ©1961.

Do we live by "Christianity" or by Jesus.

I have to wonder at some of critics that are out there.

I have seen these things.

1. A person write against Erwin McManus' "the Barbarian Way" as he took the side of the civilized religionist... proudly!
2. A person add to statements so that they fit their critic...
3. People who lift up foul mouthed reformers like Martin Luther then attack Mark Driscoll. (Martin Luther like to use colorful scatological language.)
4. People who when challenged for their teaching as being biblical quote Spurgeon to prove it is!
5. People who condemn me for "playing down heaven and hell" and that the Gospel is all about "me"... I have to laugh as it is them who say "I got saved so I will not go to Hell and I get to go to Heaven"... I state that God came through Jesus to preach the Kingdom of God and that I am privileged to be called and enter into His Kingdom. Heaven is a by product of the big picture God is doing... and so is my salvation... so I am wondering... were is this all about me. Yet, it seems that many do accuse myself and others, then turn around and preach a "me-driven" gospel themselves! The focus of Christianity is not me, but Jesus Christ.

Now, here is the big difference that I see and it is summed up it this quote by Chris P.

"I believe that Mike’s point is that the majority of those claiming christianity, which is a religion btw, are not necessarily true saints."

Notice that "Christianity is a religion to Chris and if you look at the other examples that seems to be the consensus of this group! It is not a relationship with God through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son Jesus and then being filled with the Holy Spirit! Nope, it is a religion that is civilized and controllable and that can be understood by mere human reasoning.

They worship a controlled God of their own vain imaginations!

Then they accuse others of being me-based, when their whole religion is the same as the Pharisees who thought they could get God to move by their strict obedience to the Law.

God is sovereign and in no way impressed with man's religion. He is impressed only with His Son and those who depend totally on Jesus for salvation.

Be Blessed,
iggy

John MacArthur and Kenneth Nally

Rev. MACARTHUR: "I don't think we went wrong at all. We have absolutely no regrets. My regret is that Ken Nally took his life."

BETTY ROLLIN: Kenneth Nally was 24 years old and living with his family in Southern California when he put a gun to his head and shot himself to death. Kenneth was a devout member of the Grace Community Church in suburban Los Angeles, and when he began to suffer from what turned out to be clinical depression, he sought help from one of the church counselors. Kenneth's parents to this day blame the church for their son's suicide. They say the counselor, who had no training in psychology and provided only Bible-based advice, seemed not to comprehend the seriousness of Kenneth's condition.

Here is the story of John MacArthurs "absolutely no regrets." Here is the story of John MacArthurs "absolutely no regrets."

The only comment I will make is that this is the type of people that I run into from John MacArthur... they abuse others and "absolutely have no regrets". It seems that John is just fine having contributed to this persons death. Though he regrets Ken Nalley shot himself. (Talk about double speak!)

It was really sick as John started the spin on this case that God's Word was on trial... yet truly it was a case of bad judgment and careless words that caused a 24 year old boy to point a gun to his head and pull the trigger.

It was never God's Word on trial... It was a person who claims to love Jesus, but "has absolutely no regrets" in contributing to another persons death.

Beware of false teachers.

iggy

Great quote! G.K. Chesterton

"If there were no God, there would be no atheists." G.K. Chesterton

Great Quote ~ John Wesely

Are you persuaded you see more clearly than me? It is not unlikely that you may. Then treat me as you would desire to be treated yourself upon a change of circumstances. Point me out a better way than I have yet known. Show me it is so, by plain proof of Scripture. And if I linger in the path I have been accustomed to tread, and am therefore unwilling to leave it, labour with me a little; take me by the hand, and lead me as I am able to bear. But be not displeased if I entreat you not to beat me down in order to quicken my pace: I can go but feebly and slowly at best; then, I should not be able to go at all. ~ John Wesley

Be Blessed!
iggy

Quotes

"Subtract miracles from Islam,Buddhism,Confucianism,or Taoism, and you have essentially the same religion left. Subtract miracles from Christianity, and you have nothing but the cliches and platitudes most American Christians get weekly (and weakly) from their pulpits."

Peter Kreeft

Great Quotes

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees, and flowers, and clouds, and stars. "

"All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired."

"Be thou comforted, little dog, Thou too in Resurrection shall have a little golden tail."

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."

"I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men. "

~ All Quotes From Martin Luther

Close your eyes if you want to...

Close your eyes if you want to...

"How do you want to posture yourself for the spiritual re-formation that is about to occur?
Do you want to study the fine art of inquisition in order to repress the emerging culture?"
So, ignore this transition if you want to, and treat it like a phase if you want to. I think you'll miss one of the most exciting times in anyone's memory.

Here's how I think about it: Imagine yourself a Roman Catholic monk in say 1510, in Germany or Austria or England or Switzerland. The world is about to change. The institutions and theologies that have sustained and nourished your faith are about to be challenged. Jon Huss has already been burned at the stake, and a fellow named Martin Luther is beginning to think some dangerous thoughts. Your institutions are bastardizing themselves (if not through indulgences, then through TV/radio evangelists, the religious right, and other fear-based fundraising machines). How do you want to posture yourself for the spiritual re-formation that is about to occur? Do you want to study the fine art of inquisition in order to repress the emerging culture?

Or maybe simply observe it, uninvolved? Critique it, feeling smug, as if only "they" are in danger, and not also "us"? Tame it, trying to neuter it and co- opt it into a gentle, incremental evolution (and so preserve our modern structures, etc.) instead of a radical, energetic innovation? Or help lead it, passionate, involved?

Something to think about.

You can guess where my heart is." Brian Mclaren


Now re-read the post before this by Spurgeon.


Blessings,
iggy

Spurgeon would have been an "emergent".

Spurgeon would have been an "emergent". ; )

"We admire a man who was firm in the faith, say four hundred years ago...but such a man today is a nuisance, and must be put down...Yet imagine in those ages past, Luther, Zwingle, Calvin, and their compeers had said, 'The world is out of order; but if we try to set it right we shall only make a great row, and get ourselves into disgrace. Let us go to our chambers, put on our night-caps, and sleep over the bad times, and perhaps when we wake up things will have grown better.' Such conduct on their part would have entailed upon us a heritage of error. Age after age would have gone down into the infernal deeps, and the pestiferous bogs of error would have swallowed all. These men loved the faith and the name of Jesus too well to see them trampled on.

"It is today as it was in the Reformers days. Decision is needed. Here is the day for the man, where is the man for the day? we who have had the gospel passed to us by martyr hands dare not triffle with it, nor sit by and hear it denied by traitors, who pretend to love it, but inwardly abhor every line of it...Look you sirs, there are ages yet to come. If the Lord does not speedily appear, there will come another generation, and another, and all these generations will be tainted and injured if we are not faithful to God and to His truth today. We have come to a turning point in the road. If we turn to the right mayhap our children and our children's children will go that way; but if we turn to the left, generations yet unborn will curse our names for having been unfaithful to God and to His Word."C.H.S., Sermons, 1888, 83-84

It seems that the idea that the Reformation is not done was held by one of the greatest Calvinist himself.

(Update May 13, 2007: I noticed a bit of traffic to this post and wanted to point out that in case anyone missed it, this is posted under "fun" "humor", and "satire"... which makes me really wonder at the mean and nasty comments I received on it... It does though seem to point out as I stated that Spurgeon viewed that reformed theology was not "finished" but was still in process which is what many of the emerging conversation still believe. Yet, even with Spurgeon saying this, and emerging person agreeing, we are still deemed wrong about it. I will not state the obvious on that other than if someones view does not fit certain peoples views and theology they do seem to get mean and nasty... while I think the scripture is clear to bear with patience those who we see need to grow more in their faith... in that I will stand here and bear with patience those who seem to have no humor, and are more out to prove their self right is more right than mine. Theirs is a one-sided argument as I stand with Luther's quote:

"I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men. "

Though I am not a Calvinist nor Baptist, I could easily exchange "emergent/Vineyard" or any other label I may hold; so I to hold to the spirit of this Spurgeon quote:

"I AM NEVER ASHAMED TO AVOW MYSELF A CALVINIST; I DO NOT HESITATE TO TAKE THE NAME OF BAPTIST; BUT IF I AM ASKED WHAT IS MY CREED, I REPLY —
"IT IS JESUS CHRIST."

I stand first and foremost on Jesus Christ. In that I stand on the side of Peace.)

Great Quote by Scott McKnight

Scot McKnight is becoming one of my favorite Theologians.

In an interview concerning some questions about the emergent conversation he was asked:


Is this conversation all that different from past movements within Christianity?

"The emergent conversation operates more in theology than in the past. In the past, the evangelical conversation and theology take place by believing in the total doctrine of scripture so that all of scripture must be mined to find out what we are to believe. The emergent conversation says we begin with Jesus, and everything else is secondary to what Jesus says in his vision for the kingdom. And it's not just what Jesus says, it's the community around Jesus, it's the practices of Jesus, it's the relationship to Jesus that gives rise to all other theological reflections. They're trying to figure out how to live the gospel in our culture today, as other Christians have always tried to work out the gospel in their generation. But they are so self-conscious about the culture and how to relate to that culture that there's a sharper knife and a deeper perception than some generations that simply absorbed the culture in previous eras."


Another great article that should make one think a bit is on Out of Ur called, "Have We Become Crypto-Christians?"

Blessings,
iggy

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