I am not predicting per say that post-modernism is def. going to usher in the reign of Anti-Christ and the one world religion.....BUT this type of oneness speech is VERY common today.
The 'holy father' recently said this, "I hope that in several occasions during the visit ... my deep respect for great religions, in particular for Muslims — who worship the one God and with whom we are engaged in defending and promoting together social justice, moral values, peace and freedom for all men — has emerged clearly."
Talk about compromising for the sake of superficial unity and peace (and at the expense of gospel truth, Acts 4:12).
Shame on Evangelicals for watering down the gospel and for doing this type of thing ourselves on so many different occasions.
That's why one pastor's book is so spot on: "Why ONE way? Defending an Exclusive claim in an Inclusive world."
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Thursday, September 14, 2006
R.C. Sproul on.......
From the blog at http://fide-o.blogspot.com,
Jason Robertson writes:
Today, I am attending “The Cross of Christ: Redemption Accomplished” Conference in Anaheim, California with R.C. Sproul and Ligon Duncan.
Last night I got a chance to spend some time with Dr. Sproul and talk about eschatology. I mentioned to him that I felt like in his book “The Last Days According to Jesus” that he really didn’t let his readers know which eschatological camp he was in: Premil, Postmil, or Amil. He laughed heartily and replied, “That’s right, because I don’t actually know. I see valid points in all of them and weaknesses, too.”
R.C. made sure that I knew that he was a partial preterist who viewed this age in a very positive way. He talked about how the church in the West is filled with apostasy and liberalism but in other parts of the world the church is doing great. When he spoke of these matters he sounded like an Amillennialist. But he said that when it came to Romans chapter 11 that he agreed with Charles Hodge and believed that there was something in the future specially for the ethnic Jews of Israel. His view of Romans 11 was similar to Historical Premil. He then apologized to me for being confused. Now that was humbling. If it were not for Dr. Sproul quite possibly I could still be an Arminian – so don’t apologize to me, Dr. Sproul. In fact, to confess that some theology confuses you encourages me and reminds me that we all approach the Bible from the same place – a place of desperate need for God’s wisdom!
The service last night was a Q&A session with Dr. Sproul. Here are some of the answers he gave. There were more questions than what I have listed below and, of course, Dr. Sproul’s answers were longer than what I have given below. But I thought you may enjoy this abridged version.
Q – How do you feel about current supernatural works of the Holy Spirit?
A – I feel good about the Holy Spirit miraculously doing His work of bringing men to salvation… But concerning miracles as defined theologically I am a cessationist…. Miracles in Scripture were used by God to verify and authenticate agents of revelation and to verify the divinity of Christ… God is not doing such miracles today.
Q – Are Arminians saved?
A – The real question is whether they are safe… Saved? Most are, barely… really the debate between Calvinists and Arminians is an intramural debate among Christians.
Q – Why is tension between Reformed Christians and Conservative Evangelical over the doctrine of predestination?
A – There has been tension in nearly every century for 2000 years so we shouldn’t be alarmed… The good news is Conservative Evangelicals believe that there is a biblical doctrine of predestination. The issue is what is the definition… Some are upset with this doctrine because it seems to cancel human free will and it seems to make God unfair and unloving… Arminians never get charged with their gospel making God look unrighteous. But Paul knew that his definition of predestination would bring that charge, so he anticipates the charge in Romans 9 by asking, “Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!”
Q – Is Israel still an entity in God’s plan or has Israel been replaced by God?
A – Yes… but Dispensationalism is flat out wrong!
Q – How do you feel about last nights game between Pittsburg and Miami?
A – It reconfirmed the grace of God.
Q – The church is always under attack, but what do you see as the most dangerous?
A – Hostility of the secular culture and those who want to use the power of the state to mute and marginalize the church… the secularization of worship… but always the greatest enemy of the church is not from without but within, the false teachers.
Jason Robertson writes:
Today, I am attending “The Cross of Christ: Redemption Accomplished” Conference in Anaheim, California with R.C. Sproul and Ligon Duncan.
Last night I got a chance to spend some time with Dr. Sproul and talk about eschatology. I mentioned to him that I felt like in his book “The Last Days According to Jesus” that he really didn’t let his readers know which eschatological camp he was in: Premil, Postmil, or Amil. He laughed heartily and replied, “That’s right, because I don’t actually know. I see valid points in all of them and weaknesses, too.”
R.C. made sure that I knew that he was a partial preterist who viewed this age in a very positive way. He talked about how the church in the West is filled with apostasy and liberalism but in other parts of the world the church is doing great. When he spoke of these matters he sounded like an Amillennialist. But he said that when it came to Romans chapter 11 that he agreed with Charles Hodge and believed that there was something in the future specially for the ethnic Jews of Israel. His view of Romans 11 was similar to Historical Premil. He then apologized to me for being confused. Now that was humbling. If it were not for Dr. Sproul quite possibly I could still be an Arminian – so don’t apologize to me, Dr. Sproul. In fact, to confess that some theology confuses you encourages me and reminds me that we all approach the Bible from the same place – a place of desperate need for God’s wisdom!
The service last night was a Q&A session with Dr. Sproul. Here are some of the answers he gave. There were more questions than what I have listed below and, of course, Dr. Sproul’s answers were longer than what I have given below. But I thought you may enjoy this abridged version.
Q – How do you feel about current supernatural works of the Holy Spirit?
A – I feel good about the Holy Spirit miraculously doing His work of bringing men to salvation… But concerning miracles as defined theologically I am a cessationist…. Miracles in Scripture were used by God to verify and authenticate agents of revelation and to verify the divinity of Christ… God is not doing such miracles today.
Q – Are Arminians saved?
A – The real question is whether they are safe… Saved? Most are, barely… really the debate between Calvinists and Arminians is an intramural debate among Christians.
Q – Why is tension between Reformed Christians and Conservative Evangelical over the doctrine of predestination?
A – There has been tension in nearly every century for 2000 years so we shouldn’t be alarmed… The good news is Conservative Evangelicals believe that there is a biblical doctrine of predestination. The issue is what is the definition… Some are upset with this doctrine because it seems to cancel human free will and it seems to make God unfair and unloving… Arminians never get charged with their gospel making God look unrighteous. But Paul knew that his definition of predestination would bring that charge, so he anticipates the charge in Romans 9 by asking, “Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!”
Q – Is Israel still an entity in God’s plan or has Israel been replaced by God?
A – Yes… but Dispensationalism is flat out wrong!
Q – How do you feel about last nights game between Pittsburg and Miami?
A – It reconfirmed the grace of God.
Q – The church is always under attack, but what do you see as the most dangerous?
A – Hostility of the secular culture and those who want to use the power of the state to mute and marginalize the church… the secularization of worship… but always the greatest enemy of the church is not from without but within, the false teachers.
Hollywood strongly pushing for gay marriage
Fox News article..."It's hard to imagine where society would be without Brad Pitt. And to think, mankind survived thousands of years without our hero.
By now you've probably read that Pitt said he would not marry Angelina Jolie, with whom he has three children, until "everybody who wants to be married can do so legally." At least that's what he reportedly said in an Esquire magazine interview due out this month. And while I'm sure he's received lots of accolades from a lot of his Hollywood pals, the statement, if it was not taken out of context, is ridiculous. Think about it — even if you're gay and you cannot legally wed in your home state, it's ludicrous if Pitt thinks he's doing a public service by making such a hypocritical play.
What, was his wedding to Jennifer Aniston just another publicity stunt, or did he not hold the first Mrs. Pitt up to the same standards as he does Ms. Jolie? Do you think the next time Pitt is offered a ride across the country on some studio's private jet he'll decline, stating, "I'll take the ride when every person in America can afford such luxury," or "for the good of the environment, I will fly commercial"? On his next big movie contract, do you think he'll refuse the big money and say, "I'll take that ridiculous amount of money for my job playing make believe, when more deserving people like doctors, scientists, firefighters, police officers and members of our armed forces are compensated just as much for the important work that they do." Hah! The next time his 10-percent-off-the-top agent takes him to Spago for lunch, do you think he'll decline, or better yet, invite along a busload of kids who could never afford such fine dining to join them? Highly unlikely.
Do you think the next time Oprah Winfrey invites him on the show, Brad will share the stage and the national platform where he usually shills for his next flick with a gay couple who wants to get married but can't, so that they can share their story with the Oprah viewers and as a result, Congress and the Supreme Court might revisit the issue? Huh? And lose the promotional time? I don't think so. Pitt's statement is just another example of how delusional "celebrities" are today, and I use that term loosely. Hey Brad, make a movie people want to see. Better yet, how about an acting lesson?
Maybe in between her worthy charity work and her United Nations duties, Angelina can teach you how to act. She's awesome at it, frankly. Pitt may not believe in the concept of marriage — this week. But if the right script came along from the right screenwriter, for a film with the right director attached, for a studio willing to pay the right price, in a movie that will be released at the right time (i.e. Oscar time), there's no doubt in my mind that Pitt would put his heart and soul into playing the perfect husband, the perfect father and the perfect conventional family man ... if the price is right. He'll call it acting, but it's typical Hollywood hypocrisy at its finest. And oh yeah, Whitney Houston is divorcing Bobby Brown. Surprised? Yeah, surprised it took so long."
This taken from foxnews.com
By now you've probably read that Pitt said he would not marry Angelina Jolie, with whom he has three children, until "everybody who wants to be married can do so legally." At least that's what he reportedly said in an Esquire magazine interview due out this month. And while I'm sure he's received lots of accolades from a lot of his Hollywood pals, the statement, if it was not taken out of context, is ridiculous. Think about it — even if you're gay and you cannot legally wed in your home state, it's ludicrous if Pitt thinks he's doing a public service by making such a hypocritical play.
What, was his wedding to Jennifer Aniston just another publicity stunt, or did he not hold the first Mrs. Pitt up to the same standards as he does Ms. Jolie? Do you think the next time Pitt is offered a ride across the country on some studio's private jet he'll decline, stating, "I'll take the ride when every person in America can afford such luxury," or "for the good of the environment, I will fly commercial"? On his next big movie contract, do you think he'll refuse the big money and say, "I'll take that ridiculous amount of money for my job playing make believe, when more deserving people like doctors, scientists, firefighters, police officers and members of our armed forces are compensated just as much for the important work that they do." Hah! The next time his 10-percent-off-the-top agent takes him to Spago for lunch, do you think he'll decline, or better yet, invite along a busload of kids who could never afford such fine dining to join them? Highly unlikely.
Do you think the next time Oprah Winfrey invites him on the show, Brad will share the stage and the national platform where he usually shills for his next flick with a gay couple who wants to get married but can't, so that they can share their story with the Oprah viewers and as a result, Congress and the Supreme Court might revisit the issue? Huh? And lose the promotional time? I don't think so. Pitt's statement is just another example of how delusional "celebrities" are today, and I use that term loosely. Hey Brad, make a movie people want to see. Better yet, how about an acting lesson?
Maybe in between her worthy charity work and her United Nations duties, Angelina can teach you how to act. She's awesome at it, frankly. Pitt may not believe in the concept of marriage — this week. But if the right script came along from the right screenwriter, for a film with the right director attached, for a studio willing to pay the right price, in a movie that will be released at the right time (i.e. Oscar time), there's no doubt in my mind that Pitt would put his heart and soul into playing the perfect husband, the perfect father and the perfect conventional family man ... if the price is right. He'll call it acting, but it's typical Hollywood hypocrisy at its finest. And oh yeah, Whitney Houston is divorcing Bobby Brown. Surprised? Yeah, surprised it took so long."
This taken from foxnews.com
Monday, September 11, 2006
Are you ready for some football?
NFL: Go Bears!
So how did your Sunday go yesterday? My wife and I had a great day of worship combined with a wonderful day of football. Now typically i reserve my posts for serious matters (theology, doctrine, church matters) but from my TMS experience i know many of you men love the NFL (so a few posts now and again on trivial matters is probably appropriate).
I've been a Bears fan since 1982 (my first childhood photograph w/Bears clothing on) and I've stuck with them these 26 years. I was born in WI so you understand this never made me a popular guy around the house. My dad and older brother are both huge Packer fans. My little brother is a Houston Oilers fan (now the Tenn. Titans) which makes things interesting.
Moving from CA to IN has been great. One of the things that has been annoying is getting use to being on E.S.T. Monday night games start at 8:30pm or later so I'm in bed before the start of the third quarter.
People at our church are serious Colts fans! We live only 25 minutes from the RCA Dome. As you can imagine Peyton is a very popular baby name out here. I've rambled on long enough so I will ask one last time: How was your Sunday?
Keep on keeping on,
Caleb
So how did your Sunday go yesterday? My wife and I had a great day of worship combined with a wonderful day of football. Now typically i reserve my posts for serious matters (theology, doctrine, church matters) but from my TMS experience i know many of you men love the NFL (so a few posts now and again on trivial matters is probably appropriate).
I've been a Bears fan since 1982 (my first childhood photograph w/Bears clothing on) and I've stuck with them these 26 years. I was born in WI so you understand this never made me a popular guy around the house. My dad and older brother are both huge Packer fans. My little brother is a Houston Oilers fan (now the Tenn. Titans) which makes things interesting.
Moving from CA to IN has been great. One of the things that has been annoying is getting use to being on E.S.T. Monday night games start at 8:30pm or later so I'm in bed before the start of the third quarter.
People at our church are serious Colts fans! We live only 25 minutes from the RCA Dome. As you can imagine Peyton is a very popular baby name out here. I've rambled on long enough so I will ask one last time: How was your Sunday?
Keep on keeping on,
Caleb
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
http://www.sfpulpit.com/
What Does This Verse Mean “to Me”?
(By John MacArthur)
Check their site out http://www.sfpulpit.com/ It goes along with my series on basic bible interpretation.
"That’s a fashionable concern, judging from the trends in devotional booklets, home Bible study discussions, Sunday-school literature, and most popular preaching.
The question of what Scripture means has taken a back seat to the issue of what it means “to me.”
The difference may seem insignificant at first. Nevertheless, our obsession with the Scripture’s applicability reflects a fundamental weakness. We have adopted practicality as the ultimate judge of the worth of God’s Word. We bury ourselves in passages that overtly relate to daily living, and ignore those that don’t.
Early in my ministry, I made a conscious commitment to biblical preaching. My first priority has always been to answer the question, “What does this passage mean?” After I’ve explained as clearly and accurately as possible the meaning of God’s Word, then I exhort people to obey and apply it to their own lives.
The Bible speaks for itself to the human heart; it is not my role as a preacher to try to tailor the message. That’s why I preach my way through entire books of the Bible, dealing carefully with each verse and phrase–even though that occasionally means spending time in passages that don’t readily lend themselves to anecdotal or motivational messages.
I am grateful to the Lord for the way He has used this expository approach in our church and in the lives of our radio listeners.
But now and then someone tells me frankly that my preaching needs to be less doctrinal and more practical.
Practical application is vital. I don’t want to minimize its importance. But the distinction between doctrinal and practical truth is artificial; doctrine is practical! In fact, nothing is more practical than sound doctrine.
Too many Christians view doctrine as heady and theoretical. They have dismissed doctrinal passages as unimportant, divisive, threatening, or simply impractical. A best-selling Christian book I just read warns readers to be on guard against preachers whose emphasis is on interpreting Scripture rather than applying it.
Wait a minute. Is that wise counsel? No it is not.
There is no danger of irrelevant doctrine; the real threat is an undoctrinal attempt at relevance. Application not based on solid interpretation has led Christians into all kinds of confusion.
No discipline is more sorely needed in the contemporary church than expositional biblical teaching. Too many have bought the lie that doctrine is something abstract and threatening, unrelated to daily life.
It is in vogue to substitute psychology and spoon-fed application for doctrinal substance, while demeaning theological and expositional ministry.
But the pastor who turns away from preaching sound doctrine abdicates the primary responsibility of an elder: “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).
Practical insights, gimmicks, and illustrations mean little if they’re not attached to divine principles. There’s no basis for godly behavior apart from the truth of God’s Word.
There are only three options: We teach truth, error, or nothing at all.
Before the preacher asks anyone to perform a certain duty, he must first deal with doctrine. He must develop his message around theological themes and draw out the principles of the texts. Then the truth can be applied.
Romans provides the clearest biblical example. Paul didn’t give any exhortation until he had given eleven chapters of theology.
He scaled incredible heights of truth, culminating in 11:33-36: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
Then in chapter 12, he turned immediately to the practical consequences of the doctrine of the first 11 chapters. No passage in Scripture captures the Christian’s responsibility to the truth more clearly than Romans 12:1-2. There, building on eleven chapters of profound doctrine, Paul calls each believer to a supreme act of spiritual worship–giving oneself as a living sacrifice. Doctrine gives rise to dedication to Christ, the greatest practical act. And the remainder of the book of Romans goes on to explain the many practical outworkings of one’s dedication to Christ.
Paul followed the same pattern in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians. The doctrinal message came first. Upon that foundation he built the practical application, making the logical connection with the word therefore (Rom. 12:1; Gal. 5:1; Eph. 4:1; Phil. 2:1) or then (Col. 3:1; 1 Thess. 4:1).
True doctrine transforms behavior as it is woven into the fabric of everyday life. But it must be understood if it is to have its impact. The real challenge of the ministry is to dispense the truth clearly and accurately. Practical application comes easily by comparison.
No believer can apply truth he doesn’t know. Those who don’t understand what the Bible really says about marriage, divorce, family, child-rearing, discipline, money, debt, work, service to Christ, eternal rewards, helping the poor, caring for widows, respecting government, and other teachings won’t be able to apply it.
Those who don’t know what the Bible teaches about salvation cannot be saved. Those who don’t know what the Bible teaches about holiness are incapable of dealing with sin. Thus they are unable to live fully to their own blessedness and God’s glory.
The nucleus of all that is truly practical is sown up in the teaching of Scripture. We don’t make the Bible relevant; it is inherently so, simply because it is God’s Word. And after all, how can anything God says be irrelevant?"
(By John MacArthur)
Check their site out http://www.sfpulpit.com/ It goes along with my series on basic bible interpretation.
"That’s a fashionable concern, judging from the trends in devotional booklets, home Bible study discussions, Sunday-school literature, and most popular preaching.
The question of what Scripture means has taken a back seat to the issue of what it means “to me.”
The difference may seem insignificant at first. Nevertheless, our obsession with the Scripture’s applicability reflects a fundamental weakness. We have adopted practicality as the ultimate judge of the worth of God’s Word. We bury ourselves in passages that overtly relate to daily living, and ignore those that don’t.
Early in my ministry, I made a conscious commitment to biblical preaching. My first priority has always been to answer the question, “What does this passage mean?” After I’ve explained as clearly and accurately as possible the meaning of God’s Word, then I exhort people to obey and apply it to their own lives.
The Bible speaks for itself to the human heart; it is not my role as a preacher to try to tailor the message. That’s why I preach my way through entire books of the Bible, dealing carefully with each verse and phrase–even though that occasionally means spending time in passages that don’t readily lend themselves to anecdotal or motivational messages.
I am grateful to the Lord for the way He has used this expository approach in our church and in the lives of our radio listeners.
But now and then someone tells me frankly that my preaching needs to be less doctrinal and more practical.
Practical application is vital. I don’t want to minimize its importance. But the distinction between doctrinal and practical truth is artificial; doctrine is practical! In fact, nothing is more practical than sound doctrine.
Too many Christians view doctrine as heady and theoretical. They have dismissed doctrinal passages as unimportant, divisive, threatening, or simply impractical. A best-selling Christian book I just read warns readers to be on guard against preachers whose emphasis is on interpreting Scripture rather than applying it.
Wait a minute. Is that wise counsel? No it is not.
There is no danger of irrelevant doctrine; the real threat is an undoctrinal attempt at relevance. Application not based on solid interpretation has led Christians into all kinds of confusion.
No discipline is more sorely needed in the contemporary church than expositional biblical teaching. Too many have bought the lie that doctrine is something abstract and threatening, unrelated to daily life.
It is in vogue to substitute psychology and spoon-fed application for doctrinal substance, while demeaning theological and expositional ministry.
But the pastor who turns away from preaching sound doctrine abdicates the primary responsibility of an elder: “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).
Practical insights, gimmicks, and illustrations mean little if they’re not attached to divine principles. There’s no basis for godly behavior apart from the truth of God’s Word.
There are only three options: We teach truth, error, or nothing at all.
Before the preacher asks anyone to perform a certain duty, he must first deal with doctrine. He must develop his message around theological themes and draw out the principles of the texts. Then the truth can be applied.
Romans provides the clearest biblical example. Paul didn’t give any exhortation until he had given eleven chapters of theology.
He scaled incredible heights of truth, culminating in 11:33-36: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
Then in chapter 12, he turned immediately to the practical consequences of the doctrine of the first 11 chapters. No passage in Scripture captures the Christian’s responsibility to the truth more clearly than Romans 12:1-2. There, building on eleven chapters of profound doctrine, Paul calls each believer to a supreme act of spiritual worship–giving oneself as a living sacrifice. Doctrine gives rise to dedication to Christ, the greatest practical act. And the remainder of the book of Romans goes on to explain the many practical outworkings of one’s dedication to Christ.
Paul followed the same pattern in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians. The doctrinal message came first. Upon that foundation he built the practical application, making the logical connection with the word therefore (Rom. 12:1; Gal. 5:1; Eph. 4:1; Phil. 2:1) or then (Col. 3:1; 1 Thess. 4:1).
True doctrine transforms behavior as it is woven into the fabric of everyday life. But it must be understood if it is to have its impact. The real challenge of the ministry is to dispense the truth clearly and accurately. Practical application comes easily by comparison.
No believer can apply truth he doesn’t know. Those who don’t understand what the Bible really says about marriage, divorce, family, child-rearing, discipline, money, debt, work, service to Christ, eternal rewards, helping the poor, caring for widows, respecting government, and other teachings won’t be able to apply it.
Those who don’t know what the Bible teaches about salvation cannot be saved. Those who don’t know what the Bible teaches about holiness are incapable of dealing with sin. Thus they are unable to live fully to their own blessedness and God’s glory.
The nucleus of all that is truly practical is sown up in the teaching of Scripture. We don’t make the Bible relevant; it is inherently so, simply because it is God’s Word. And after all, how can anything God says be irrelevant?"
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