Take My Free Will . . . PLEASE!


It's good to be back in the much milder climes of good ol' Covington, Georgia. Snow is sure beautiful to look at, but I'd much prefer warm snow!

For some reason, while I was resting in my hotel room in Eagan, MN., my mind was drawn back to this biblically-alien concept of "free will". And as I pondered it, I came to the conclusion that "free will" can get you killed! As the age old adage goes . . . let the buyer beware.

First of all, we are very inconsistent with our application of this concept. We want to enshrine "free will" when it comes to expressing ourselves, the choices we make and of course that ultimate expression: our salvation. But then we turn around and want to limit it where it comes into contact with the "free will" of others. The thinking goes something like this, " you have 'free will' as long as it doesn't interfere with someone else's 'free will'". Well, the question then becomes, how "free" is my "free will"? "Freedom", in it's most popular sense, means completely unbounded. So what does the fact that one person's "free will" might interfere with another's have to do with anything? This seems to be the perfect opportunity to prove Darwin's "survival of the fittest". If my "free will" and your "free will" come into conflict, may the "freeest" "free will" win.

Why should we get upset with murderers and rapists? They are merely expressing their "free will". If their victims were bigger, stronger or more careful then the victims' "free will" would triumph. "But", you say, "that's why we have laws and police, etc." Absolutely, and since the politicians have used their "free wills" to enact laws and the police have used their "free wills" to enforce those laws it all works out. Viva la free will!

So what it boils down to is: who ever has the biggest stick has the "freeest" will. There is one small problem; however, we still inconsistently deprive the One with the biggest stick this prerogative. Somehow, where our salvation is concerned, we deny that God uses His "big stick" in our lives. Due to either, some divine act of civility or just wanting to play nice; our Arminian/Semi-Pelagian brethren believe that God has to sit on His hands until and if man decides to place his trust in Jesus for eternal life.

"God won't violate your 'free will'" is the Arminian/Semi-Pelagian cry. Consider this . . . there was once was a man named Abimelech who wanted to bed down a woman named Sarah. His "free will" was to "know" this Sarah in the biblical sense. But God gave him the first recorded case of erectile dysfunction in the Bible when God appeared to him in a dream and said," . . . it was I who kept you from sinning against Me . Therefore I did not let you touch her" (Genesis 20:1-7). Abimelech's "free will" came into conflict with God's "free will" and God's "free will" won.

There once was a man named Onan, his "free will" was not to impregnate his sister-in-law Tamar and to go on with his life. God's "free will" was for him to impregnate his sister-in-law (according to the customs of the times, you understand) or die. Scripture bears out that Onan's "free will" was severely violated as, the Lord " . . . put him to death . . ." (Genesis 38:8-10)

What is it that we pray for whenever we ask God to save our loved ones; but that He violate their current "free will" to be a sinner and turn them into a saint? As the cliche' goes: sinners are merrily on there way to hell, minding their own business when all of a sudden God just steps right in. He doesn't ask for permission, He doesn't leave a message and wait for them to call back.

OK, so maybe you'll stipulate to a "limited free will". I'm afraid that that just won't fly either. If "free will" is an oxymoron like "jumbo shrimp" and "conservative democrat"; then "limited free will" is a bioxymoron like "mini jumbo shrimp" or "conservative democrat"! This concept of "free will" is founded upon a perverse definition of "freedom". This definition of "freedom" (particularly popular in the good ol' USA) dilutes the idea to the wanton abandonment of all restraint and responsibility. That is diametrically opposed to the biblical definition of "freedom". Biblically speaking, you are not "free" until you are submitted to Jesus Christ. And no human being, Arminian, Semi-pelagian or Calvinst, submits to Jesus Christ of his own "free will". This is because God meant it when He warned Adam that in the day he ate of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" he would surely DIE. Unregenerate man's fallen state is one of death not just injury. He cannot choose to be saved, salvation must happen to him.

"Free will" is woefully overrated. I'm willing to wager that there is no one in hell singing, "(I Did It)My Way"! Marinate on this for a minute, "free will" will land your butt in hell!

Y'know what every roastee in hell is screaming right now? "Why, oh WHY didn't you violate my 'free will', Lord!!!

Take my "free will" . . . PLEASE!!!


Keith,
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

Our Sovereign Lord's Impeccable Timing


Greetings from the frozen tundra of Eagan, Minnesota! I tell you, I cannot figure out how the native Americans ever survived up here. There aren't enough buffalo skins in the world to keep a person warm in this cold. I guess there was a heap of snuggling going on in the ol' tee pee, if you know what I mean!

I'm stealing a moment to share with you my joy and continued amazement at the boundless grace of our God. Yesterday (2/22) marked the promotion of my uncle, Andrew Stoney, from a world of sin and death to the beatific vision and eternal presence of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. I can say this both confidently and joyfully because God allowed me to witness "Bip"'s conversion.

For years now, it has been a constant part of my prayers that our LORD would save all of my family members. "Bip" (that's what we call him) was in the top three of that group. Let's just say that he was not a faithful churchgoer. Matter of fact, I can only recall being in church with him on one occasion: a Christmas Sunday back when I was about 14 years old (I'm 44 now)! The reason that that occasion stands out is because his reaction to receiving communion was so comical (o.k. it was really disrespectful, but when you're 14 it's funny!) that it has left an indelible mark on my memory. My grandmother's church in Augusta, GA wasn't exactly financially well off. I distinctly remember finding out that they had been using "Thunderbird" for the communion wine. For those of you who don't know what "Thunderbird" is; it's known for being one of the wine's of choice for winos along with "Mad Dog 20/20" and "Boone's Farm" because it's very cheap. Well after drinking his small cup of communion "wine", my uncle "Bip" smacked his lips and let out a deep and loud sigh signaling his satisfaction with the church's fine selection! My dad and I laughed hysterically (we were all "heathens" then)!

After years of pleading with God for "Bip"'s salvation the LORD made it clear to me that He was pleased with my persistence; but He chided me that I had not put any "feet" to my prayers. It was as if He had said, "Your prayers are all real nice and everything; but how about you get off your knees and go share the Gospel with your uncle". So, a couple days later I drove to Augusta and visited him. "Bip" was a bit surprised to see me as it was the middle of the week and I wasn't just seeing him as part of a larger visit to my grandmother. We sat down in his living room and I asked him, "Bip, have you come to the point in your spiritual life that you are certain that if you were to die today that you would go to heaven; or is that something you are still working on"? He kind of looked at me as though he was actually considering this for the first time. I went on, "If you were to die today and stand before God; and He were to ask you, 'Why should I allow you into my heaven' what would you say"?

Bip then listed several of his good qualities and good works that he had done. I explained to him that these were dreadfully insufficient to earn the approval of God and that the only way he would get into heaven was to receive it as a gift. I explained that we can't earn heaven and that we certainly don't deserve heaven. We are both sinners by birth and in deeds and that we are the just recipients of God's holy wrath should He not mercifully withhold that wrath. The problem is: God just can't arbitrarily withhold His wrath. "The wages of sin is death" and that sentence cannot be commuted. I explained that God is loving and merciful, but He is also Holy and just. He simply must punish sin. I told "Bip" that that's exactly where Jesus comes in. Jesus, the infinite God-man, provided the solution to "Bip"'s problem. Jesus, by living a sinless life and perfectly fulfilling God's Holy law, qualified as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of His people. Jesus took sinful man's place and endured the unabated wrath of God on the cross. And I told "Bip" that everyone who places their trust in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ, ALONE, has the promise of God that he will live forever in the bliss of God's presence.

I asked "Bip" if he thought this was good news. He said that it was. I asked him was there any reason that he would not accept this gift of eternal life that very day. For the first time in my life, I saw my uncle cry. He said to me, "I know that God sent you here to me today. I needed to hear this". I told him that I was glad he recognized God's moving in his life, "are you willing to place you trust in Jesus, alone, for salvation"? My uncle "Bip" said, "Yes".

I've only seen "Bip" one additional time since that December afternoon. He died yesterday. But due to our glorious God's impeccable timing, I can rejoice that my uncle "Bip" is reveling in His presence. Thank you, Father!

It was a difference of only two months or so before "Bip" would be facing his creator. He was just two months away from spending eternity in hell. Wrap youy mind around that. On the one hand, we can say that as long as we have breath there is time to come to Jesus. On the other hand, "TODAY is the day of salvation" don't presume upon His grace. My uncle was 65 years old, the bulk of those years were not spent glorifying God. But God is, without a doubt, most merciful. It may be a cliche', but tomorrow is not promised to you. Trust Jesus, alone . . . NOW!

I love you, uncle "Bip" . . . welcome to the family!


Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

Off to the Frozen Tundra


Well, I have good news and I have bad news.

The good news is I am upgrading to Captain with my airline, Mesaba! I start this Monday (2/18) and will be training over the next few weeks to fly the Canadair 900 Regional Jet. I'm looking forward to flying to some new cities and at much greater speeds than the ol' Saab 340 I'm used to flying.

The bad news is twofold:(A) I have to go to Minneapolis, MN. for the first portion of my training. The high temperature up there this time of year is like 3 degrees!!! I guess I'll survive, Lord willing. (B) I won't be able to blog for a few weeks. That's the worst part. But I'm sure that after I'm all done there will be plenty fodder for my theological ranting. So please don't bail on me, I shall return. Who knows, if I get a free half-hour or something I may still drop you a line or two!

In the mean time, if you are so inclined, I would truly appreciate your prayers for me that I get through training successfully and pass all of my flight tests. I thank you in advance. Who knows, maybe one day one of you will be on one of my flights!

Take care all, God bless you!


Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

You Might Be in a Cult . . .


What immediately comes to your mind when you hear the word, "cult"? Do you think of people like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Manson or Rev. Sun Myung Moon? Do you think of things like: "killer kool-aid", "brain-washing", or hooded figures chanting around a pentagram? Do you think of Led Zepplin records played backwards revealing embedded satanic messages? Do you think of blue oysters?

These are just some of the things that come to mind when most people hear the word "cult" mentioned. But it would be a gross error to believe that these are the only flavors in which "cults" come. In my last post, "BooBoo's Daddy" declared that another gentleman was in a cult led by false teacher, Joyce Meyer. He made the key statement that people who are in cults don't realize that they are in cults. Certainly, cults don't use the word "cult" in their literature or on the sign at their front door. "World Changers International Cult", just wouldn't have the same ring to it! One reason why telling our friends and loved-ones that they are involved with a cult is ineffective; is that they only consider the extreme examples(like those listed above)to be actual "cults". In this, they make a huge mistake.

How should we define a "cult"? The Britannica Encyclopedia defines a "cult" in this way:

"Collective veneration or worship (e.g., the cult of the saints—meaning collective veneration of the saints—in Roman Catholicism).

In the West, the term has come to be used for groups that are perceived to have deviated from normative religions in belief and practice. They typically have a charismatic leader and attract followers who are in some way disenfranchised from the mainstream of society. Cults as thus defined are often viewed as foreign or dangerous".

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, in its three most typical uses, defines a "cult" as:

1: formal religious veneration : worship
2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents

Dr. Walter Martin, in his classic work "The Kingdom of the Cults", defines a "cult" as "a group of people gathered about a specific person or person's misinterpretation of the Bible".

Throughout the history of this blog, I have endeavored to identify the various misinterpretations of Scripture by the purveyors of that atheology called Word of Faith/Prosperity/Triumphalism. I have also noted the fierce loyalty that these false teachers have engendered among their disciples. So do these facts lead one to the conclusion that the adherents of these teachings are members of a cult?

Let's see, what other clues do we have . . .
(1) they are sheepishly gathered around a charismatic personality.
(2) this charismatic personality's teachings are demonstrably unorthodox, abberant and spurious.
(3) to question or critique the charismatic personality's teachings is considered to be sedition and blasphemy.
(4) said charismatic personality is frequently found to be under(sometimes)armed guard.
(5) a great deal of ecclesiastical power concentrated in the hands of charismatic personality with little or no oversight or accountability.
(6) charismatic personality's image (rather than Jesus, the Bible, etc.)synonymous with the church/cult.
(7) charismatic personality's personal indiscretions, Biblical contradictions and/or arrests have no impact on his continuing leadership or hero status.

I think it was that great philosopher, Goofy, who once said, "if it walks like a duck, it talks like a duck and it looks like a duck; then, by gum, it must be a duck"!

The cults of Jones, Koresh and Manson were undoubtedly the most extreme and immediately dangerous; however, the cults of Dollar, Meyer and Osteen cause no less spiritual damage than the bloodiest cult you can imagine. The sway that these cult-leaders hold over their minions is no less powerful. No, they will probably never lead their people to mass suicide; but why would they when those people keep them in power and rolling in cold, hard, tax-free cash. Martyrdom looks good in the history books; but it won't buy you the latest Bentley! They'd be fools to cut of their own gravy train. Jones, Koresh and Manson were/are stark raving mad (which in a minute way might explain their actions); but for the current charismatic personalities it's just business.

I agree with "BooBoo's Daddy" that there is nothing we can say to convince a "Meyerite" or a "Osteenian" that they have been brainwashed. That is the province of the Holy Spirit alone. Let those of us who have been deprogrammed by the Word of God continue to pray and shout "wolf" from the rooftops!


Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

You might be in a cult . . . if you believe that the U.S Congress' investigation of your preacher is persecution for righteousness sake!

You might be in a cult . . . if you believe that anyone who questions your preacher's teaching is an agent of satan!

You might be in a cult . . . if your pastor's picture upstages the name of Jesus on church advertisements!

You might be in a cult . . .

Have more? Send them in!

Get Out Before They Suck You Dry


This next post was originally posted over at my friend Melvin Jones' blog,
"Pulpit Pimps". It was so poignant that I simply had to share it with my readers . . .

"Get Out Before They Suck You Dry!!!
Posted by Melvin Jones on February 5th, 2008

( On several occasions readers have written comments [in this case it was to another reader by the name of Bill] that are so on the money [and too long be presented as simply a comment] that I see the necessity of promoting those comments to full-fledged postings.

BooBoo’s Daddy made such a comment. His experience is one of the reasons I maintain the site. Telling you about it, marking the wolves, and making sure you understand that they are out there will perhaps equip you to a) avoid getting sucked into the same thing yourself and b) give you information to use in rescuing those who are trapped inside the WoF/Pimp organizations or c) help you understand that you CAN walk away from these pimps.

These types of postings also help all of you to understand what the effects on the individual can be and thereby encourage you to be more willing to be very patient with individuals as they work through the damage done by the pimps and pimpettes. From my point of view, this spiritual pimping is very much like sexual abuse perpetrated by the predators. It’s very difficult to get over and hey, the abuser blames the victim for the abusive behavior. )


BooBoo’s Dad’s Response to Bill

Bill, you say that Joyce Meyer doesn’t run a cult, otherwise you wouldn’t be in it. Let me say that the people who are in cults think the same way! Nobody likes to think that they have been deceived,. They want to think they are smart enough to know better. I assure you that if Joyce Meyer teaches the prosperity gospel or that Jesus went to hell so you wouldn’t have to (and she does!), then she IS running a cult, and if you are supporting her, then YOU ARE in a cult and you don’t even know it!

What’s more, there is probably nothing anyone here can say to you that will convince you otherwise, and I for one will not attempt to do so. All anyone here can do for you is speak the truth. It’s up to God and you from there. If God can’t take some of what we say here and get it through to you, then you cannot be reached sir.

A few years ago, I supported Joyce Meyer with everything I had. I regarded her as a true, down to earth, sincere, and prosperous role model. I hung on every word that came out of her mouth as if they were the words of God straight to me. I never missed a show, and if I did, I watched her internet broadcasts. When she held her conferences in my area, I went to see her in person. I would do as she said to prove my commitment to God and take vacation days and drive 3 hours to Tulsa to see her preach at the ORU campus and drive 3 hours back home, justifying myself to God by reminding Him of these sacrifices.

Talking about sacrifice, not only did I give up a day’s pay to see her, but it was nothing for me to sacrifice $100 or more into the white buckets they’d pass around as offering plates, knowing all along that I’d have to sacrifice again when I didn’t have that money to pay a bill with! That, in addition to the hundreds of dollars I’d send her through the mail every month! In the typical Word of Faith fashion, I would then go to God in “prayer” and tell Him what He had to do (you [God] MUST keep your word; you MUST provide ‘pressed down, shaken-together’ etc; if I delight myself in you, you MUST give me the desire of my heart, ad nausea!).

Bill, that’s NOT praying! When a WoF preacher “prays” by saying “we bind you Satan, we come against all the powers of darkness, we rebuke all poverty and lack” etc, they are NOT praying to God! They are talking to the devil and speaking as if they were God Himself. It is NOT prayer. But I digress.

I absolutely LOVED Joyce Meyer! But God had other plans for me. I was DEEP into the Word of Faith . It was all I had ever known all my life. My grandmother latched onto the seed faith teachings of Oral Roberts back when it first came out. She taught my mother in the ways of the WoF, and my mother in turn taught us the same way!

I grew up thanking God for being numbered among those who knew the “truth!” Needless to say, I naturally equated the WoF to be the one and only WILL OF GOD, and anyone who believed otherwise was deceived and damned to hell! That being the case, I grew up feeling at one with all the T.V. ministers. I loved them ALL! As a young boy, I read Copeland’s “The Laws of Prosperity” and I was determined to make those laws work … after all they are LAWS and even God must abide by them!

But taking an honest look back over the past 30 years, I had to admit that they never worked for me. I grew up into my 40’s all along thinking there was something wrong with me. I would actually look at a mustard seed in the spice rack and wonder why my faith was so much smaller that that and didn’t work. Then I would get depressed because my faith was so much tinier than that mustard seed that God wouldn’t honor it.

I felt rejected by God. Sometimes that feeling of rejection made me angry at Him and there were times I actually told Him that he was a liar! That He WAS a respecter of persons; that He showed favoritism, and that He didn’t love me, even though I was doing everything I knew to do to keep with “His” teachings as I was taught them!

All that being said, let me say this: there was nothing wrong with my faith, so don’t even try to tell me “oh ye of little faith!” I’ve heard that all my life and now I know better. My faith was fine, but the problem was that my faith was in a LIE! The “god” I was mad at was NOT the God of the Bible! The “god” of the Word of Faith is a demon straight from HELL! I know that now, but therein lies the danger in Word of Faith teachings. The people in that CULT don’t even know who the TRUE God really is, and are damned as a result!

Back to Joyce Meyer. I supported her “ministry” with ALL of my substance, and I thought she was truly God speaking straight to me. But the more I gave to her, the poorer I got (the story of my life)! It wasn’t until I got down to where I was about to LOSE MY HOUSE the Lord began to act on the anguish inside me. I remember back in 2005, watching Joyce on T.V. One day she was talking about how she had brought her parents to St Louis and bought them a house close to her. She said “I was just in the mood to buy houses!” I almost screamed at her “why don’t you buy MINE for me?”

I pleaded with God to speak to her heart to send me a check and prevent the impending disaster facing me. Then I would know that God really heard me and loved me enough to finally do something after 30 years of giving!

But of course Joyce never did do that, and since I thought she was close to God and had his attentive ear, that it must be that God wanted me to suffer all the more! I couldn’t understand it. I had donated to her (God’s?) ministry, I helped her build her headquarters building and all the furnishings in it. According to her plea for funds back then, I was promised that I would “own” one square foot for each $100 I gave towards it (I gave $300, so I “owned” 3 square feet).

Had God forgotten that ????? Now I was in desperate need, had NOBODY to beg from like she did, and I felt God didn’t care. I told Him He was cruel and mean! But I still loved Him because even then, if I had given up on my ONLY hope, then I REALLY had no hope at all. Even then, I felt that my breakthrough might still come, so I’d pick myself up and apologize to God for my ill will towards Him.

Then one day, as I was watching Joyce on T.V. it seemed like literally “scales” fell from my eyes! Near the end of the show, as she was begging for donations, and her announcer came on talking about all her books that we could have for a “gift” of X-dollars, and then talked about “seeing Joyce in person” and hearing “Joyce preach the word as only she can do.�? God Himself spoke to my spirit in that still small voice and told me “this isn’t about God, this is about JOYCE!” “Joyce” this, and “Joyce” that! And all the dollar signs on the T.V. screen seemed to “stick-out” like sore thumbs, and the whole thing smacked of one big long INFOMERCIAL about Joyce Meyer!!

That, my friend, was the beginning of my exodus from the Word of Faith! Each time I saw her show, it got even more disgusting to me … and I stopped giving to her. S L O W L Y, by putting a stop to the hemorrhage of money flowing out of my bank account to these people, I was able to recover somewhat, and I never did lose my house. But it was close. That, my friend was GOD showing me that He really did care about my financial well-being. He didn’t want my money!!!!! And not only did He NOT want my money, I was NOT cursed with a curse if I KEPT it !!!! That is freedom!

About the same time, I just happened to stumble upon this website, Pulpit-Pimps.org, and God has used this site TREMENDOUSLY to teach me the truth about where I had been all my life and that the Lord loved me enough to lead me out of it into the truth!

Unbeknownst to me, my mother, who had raised me in the WoF, had been led out of their heresy about a year before I had! She never told me though. I asked her why, and she said that I would have thought she was backslidden and lost in heresy forever. And she was right. Some other members of my extended family are not convinced, and there is a definite divide - but even that is mentioned in the Bible. That’s why I say that nothing any of us say will EVER convince you of the truth. You will just think that we are deceived and damned to hell. If God doesn’t get through to you, then YOU are not reachable. It’s as simple as that!

I know this is a LONG post, but before I stop there is some more I want to say about the Word of Faith.

The salvation of Jesus Christ is NOT about all the things that the Lord gives to His people! And people who seek the Lord for what He can give them are seeking Him for all the WRONG reasons! A person cannot receive the salvation of Christ unless first he realizes that he is a wretched sinner who deserves HELL, not all of the worldly stuff you WoF people clamor after! It’s not about getting all the STUFF. It’s about giving up their lives for HIM and becoming His slaves. Somehow you Word of Faith people have gotten that all backwards. You think salvation is about getting, and getting more It’s just STUFF, material worldly stuff, it’s CARNAL and ungodly! You think that all your STUFF is proof that you are blessed. There is one thing that is promised for sure to all true followers of Christ and that is PERSECUTION!

You Word of Faithers only think of earthly “blessings”. But God does not promise us the things of this world. Think about it What would it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your own SOUL? Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Paula White, all of those hellish creatures on TBN - I can’t even name all of the pulpit pimps on TV (and maybe even your pastor too by the way) all of them have their reward. They have their “Best Life Now” But they can’t take any of it with them where they go

What about later on? The Bible speaks of the rich man and Lazarus. That kind of reminds me of the relationship between all these RICH pastors and their pimped followers. I believe they will suffer the same fate!

God does promise us SPIRITUAL prosperity, but you Word of Faith people only think on things of this world. When people like you give expecting your 100-fold return, you are giving to GET !!!! But the true Jesus tells us to give, expecting NOTHING in return. Do any of you honestly do that? Neither are we supposed to give out of NECESSITY or of COMPULSION … tell THAT to all of the pimp preachers on TV who incessantly compel us to give to their ministries ad nausea! It’s WRONG! If any of them really believed what they “preach” then all they really have to do is give and expect their 100-fold return and leave their audiences ALONE! But they won’t ever do that, because they really don’t believe what they preach either. Otherwise they would practice what they preach. YOU are profitable to them, and they fear that if they don’t ask YOU for it, YOU won’t give it to them. YOU are their cash cow, not GOD.

I am not attacking you, so don’t even go there. I am speaking from a life of experience. As I said, I was all bound up and hog-tied in all that Word of Faith crap for almost 30 YEARS!!! I gave, and I gave. I did all of the right things according to our famous PIMPS! It was nothing for me to fork over almost everything I had … tithes and offerings above and beyond what was expected, because I BELIEVED what the pimps said. I thought that I was doing what GOD wanted, and I suffered the consequences of that for far too long.

Like Joyce Meyer always says “give until it hurts!” — “give SACRIFICIALLY!” My intentions were good. And I had faith. But my faith was in a LIE! I was sincere and honest, but I was sincerely and honestly WRONG. I think that the Lord really knew that, and finally got through to me to just STOP IT! Like, HELL-OOOOO! If this thing still doesn’t work after nearly 30 years, guess what - IT DOESN’T WORK!!

I see myself all over all of you defenders of these people. I was just like ALL of you. And a couple of years ago, I would have been standing right there by your side. That’s why I say that ONLY THE LORD will ever get through to you. Nobody could have EVER gotten through to me so I know that.

I guess you can tell I am just a little bit angry about this lie that is continuously propagated by the deluge of televangelists spewing this prosperity vomit into living rooms across this country and bringing millions to hell with them. But maybe somehow the Lord can use my experience to help lead someone else out of this DELUSION you call faith. It is another gospel, and the “Jesus” you think you worship will someday be crystal clear to you. I just hope that you find out who it really is before it’s too late. REALLY! The Bible is the truth, and it contains the way to the real Jesus. This Word of Faith gospel is pure MADNESS !!!!!"

Pulpit Pimps | 30 Comments »


God Bless BooBoo's Dad!


Keith
B.L.B.B.!!!
Be Like the Bereans Baby!!!

PULPIT PRINCES


Having been completely bowled over by Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile's most recent work, "the Decline of African American Theology", I just had to go back and read his first offering, "The Faithful Preacher". I believe it is actually better to read them in this order because he seems to thoroughly diagnose the problem and perform the surgery in second book. He seems to provide the healing balm and "spiritual" therapy in the first book.

In "The Faithful Preacher" Anyabwile focuses on three of black history's most neglected heroes: Lemuel Haynes, Daniel Alexander Payne and Francis James Grimke ("neglected" is a severe understatement). In the process of delineating the characteristics of a truly faithful preacher, Anyabwile inevitably reveals that many of today's so-called "men of gawd" are sorely wanting.

I would like to compare and contrast what these pulpit princes of the past have bequeathed to us with the offerings of some of the acclaimed preachers of out time.

Lemuel Haynes: "We are taught in the text (Hebrews 13:7) and elsewhere that the work of a gospel minister is not with the temporal but with the spiritual concerns of men: they watch for souls. Their conversation is not about worldly affairs but about things that relate to Christ's kingdom, which involves the everlasting concerns of men's souls. When a minister's affections are upon this world, his visits among his people will be barren. He will inquire about the outward circumstances of his flock and perhaps, from pecuniary motives, rejoice at prosperity, as though that was of greatest concern. But he will have nothing to say with respect to the health and prosperity of their souls, having no joys or sorrows to express on account of the fruitful or lifeless state of the inward man". (The Character and Work of the Spiritual Watchman Described -1792- "The Faithful Preacher" p. 27)

Creflo Dollar: "I don't have to tolerate sickness! I don't have to tolerate bondage! I don't have to tolerate debt! I don't have to tolerate lack! I don't have to tolerate insufficiency! I don't have to be broke, busted, and disgusted all my life...My God is a God that has given me the power to get wealth." (Creflo Dollar, "Growing Up In God," April 4, 2004, Product Number: 6512091)

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Daniel Alexander Payne: "First, then, the preaching of the gospel. . . it is his business to make man acquainted with his relations to God as a sinner. To accomplish this he must re-echo the thunders of Sinai until the slumbering rebel is brought into a sense of his danger and looking into his own heart sees it as a cage of unclean birds or a lair of hissing serpents - the enemy of God by wicked works and the enemy of his own soul". ("Who is Sufficient for These Things?, 1852 "The Faithful Preacher" p.85)

Joel Osteen (from June 20, 2005 interview on Larry King Live):
KING: But you’re not fire and brimstone, right? You’re not pound the decks and hell and damnation?

OSTEEN: No. That’s not me. It’s never been me. I’ve always been an encourager at heart. And when I took over from my father, he came from the Southern Baptist background, and back 40-50 years ago, there was a lot more of that. But, you know, I just—I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe—maybe it was for a time. But I don’t have it in my heart to condemn people. I’m there to encourage them. I see myself more as a coach, as a motivator to help them experience the life God has for us.

KING: But don’t you think if people don’t believe as you believe, they’re somehow condemned?

OSTEEN: You know, I think that happens in our society. But I try not to do that. I tell people all the time, preached a couple Sundays about it. I’m for everybody. You may not agree with me, but to me it’s not my job to try to straighten everybody out. The Gospel is called the good news. My message is a message of hope, that’s God’s [message] for you. You can live a good life no matter what’s happened to you. And so I don’t know. I know there is condemnation, but I don’t feel that’s my place.

_____________________________________________________________________________________


Francis James Grimke: "The minister is a moral teacher. his duty is to rebuke wrong and to keep steadily before his hearers the right. His work, mainly, is character building, to give the right direction to the budding and expanding life around him- in a word, to develop and strengthen Christian character . . . Everything is done to convince men of sin, to lead them to repentance and to show them a better way . . . Character first, last always was the keynote struck by every apostle, prophet and teacher mentioned in the inspired volume". (The Afro-American Pulpit in Relation to Race Elevation - 1892, " The Faithful Preacher" p.123)

Bishop Eddie L. Long: "We're not just a church, we're an international corporation,... (W)e're not just a bumbling bunch of preachers who can't talk and all we're doing is baptizing babies. I deal with the White House. I deal with Tony Blair. I deal with presidents around this world. I pastor a multimillion-dollar congregation. "You've got to put me on a different scale than the little black preacher sitting over there that's supposed to be just getting by because the people are suffering." (August 28, 2005 Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

_____________________________________________________________________________________


Granted these are mere crumbs from the collective teachings of these three great men. I submit to you; however, that if you were to perform a thorough investigation of their teachings, at least four things would stand out in contrast to what is popular today:

1. The faithful preacher will wrestle with Scripture. Attractive or offensive, the faithful preacher brings the entire force of Biblical text to the forefront. In other words, faithful exposition of Scripture is a hallmark of the faithful preacher.
The false teacher will always "cherry-pick" texts to fit his premise. Completely ignoring the context, he seeks passages that will seemingly support his position.

2. The faithful preacher will always return to the Cross and to the Gospel. The false teacher will always get to the temporal benefits and blessings.

3. The faithful preacher will confront sin in order to bring about godly sorrow and (with the Holy Spirit's intervention) repentance. The false teacher will appeal to emotion to bring about short-term relief.

4. The faithful preacher's message will always be God-centered. The false teacher's message is always ultimately man-centered.


The faithful preaching of men like Haynes, Payne and Grimke is in sinfully short supply in our time. Additionally, that the selfishness of our age demands "Your Best life NOW"(Joel Osteen's current bestselling self-help book) provides much reason for concern for the future of the body of Christ. This is why I believe that it is vitally important for those of us who understand the problem to irrepressibly vocal in challenging false teaching. The Church cannot evangelize a society that permits infanticide, endeavors to remove every remaining vestige of God from its public square, promotes acceptance of all manner of deviant sexual lifestyles, syncretizes all religions and generally attacks all things godly; while our greatest interest is our own personal peace and prosperity.

We can't be content with being reformed and just knowing the truth for ourselves. We must put ourselves "out there" like the Luthers and Calvins (as well as the Kings and Xs) that we admire so deeply. We must risk revilement and disdain just as they did because that is the only avenue by which change comes.

"Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ". (Jude 3-4)


Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

"He (Grimke) understood that two great obstacles assaulted the church: ignorance and demagogism. Ignorance he thought could be combated with education and learning. But demagogism, or 'the combination of unprincipled men within the church to get control, the monopoly of all positions of honor and trust of a general character,' needed the warring reaction of godly men who would protect the church and drive out unprincipled men. Without such warfare, Francis Grimke believed, 'the usefulness of the church [was] at an end,' and though 'it may increase in numbers . . . in moral and spiritual power it will become a constantly diminishing factor." ("The Faithful Preacher" p.117)

"Francis Grimke summed up the state of the church thus: 'Up to this time, any ignoramus who imagined that he was called to preach, who thought that the Lord had need of him, felt that it was his right to be ordained, or at least to be licensed; and no objection was interposed by the church, under the impression that if a man opened his mouth the Lord would fill it'". ("The Faithful Preacher" p.78-79)

Joel Osteen on Larry King:
"KING: Where were you ordained?

OSTEEN: I was ordained from the church there, Lakewood, under my dad's ministry.

KING: So you didn't go to seminary?

OSTEEN: No, sir, I didn't.

KING: They can just make you a minister?

OSTEEN: You can, you can.

KING: That's kind of an easy way in.

OSTEEN: Yeah, but I think it happens more than you think. But I didn't go to seminary. I have a lot of great friends that did. But I didn't. But I did study 17 years under my dad. You know ..."

The All Saints Website is Up and Running!


Just a short note gang to invite you to visit my church's new website. For those of you who don't know, I attend All Saints Redeemer Church in Decatur, Georgia. Our pastor is Michael Leach and we are a community of reformed believers. The bottom-line of that is we zealously guard the sovereignty of God in ALL things and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is vigorously and consistently preached.

Our new site contains sermons, various articles by Michael and the membership, and you can even listen to previous broadcasts of our radio program; "the Glory of the Gospel". I invite you to frequent the site and whenever you find yourself in Decatur to drop in and witness what God is doing through this ministry. Also, please feel free to contact us through the link on the site!

www.allsaintsredeemerchurch.org



Keith,
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

Drawing a Line in the Sand


Happy New Year! Yes, I'm eleven days late. Please accept my apologies. I just never want to be accused of publishing "filler". If I don't have truly have something to say, I won't waste your time by just rattling off junk.

Thankfully I found something worthy of blogging about! It has been my extreme privilege to read Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile's new book:

"The Decline of African-American Theology: From Biblical Faith to Cultural Captivity

To say that this book is vitally important would be an understatment of the grossest sort. Bro. Anyabwile throws down the proverbial "gauntlet", calling us to "choose this day whom we shall serve"; the God of the inerrant, infallible Holy Bible or the god of our subjective, personal/cultural experience.

On the one hand is the omnipotent, just and providential God, who has revealed Himself in Holy Scripture; and who has commanded us in the way of true worship of Himself. On the other hand is the sympathetic, manageable and culturally-biased idol whom many of us have created in our own image. This non-God will prove to be naught in the judgement to come.

I challenge all the readers of this blog to obtain and read this challenging tome and consider whether you have inherited the original and more importantly Biblical faith of our enslaved ancestors or the personalized faith of the post-reconstruction era. Your answer is of eternal portent.

I also encourage you to visit Bro. Anyabwile's blog, Pure Church and let him know how his book impacts you. I'm sure he would appreciate it.

I leave you with this quote from his book's afterword: " . . . sincerity and truth are not synonyms. Theological errors and , in some cases, heresies have opened up fault lines that threaten to quake and destroy the souls of those inside a crumbling church. Faulty theology is not a victimless crime".


Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

The Difference Between Jesus and Your PC


Merry Christmas!!! Tis the advent season! The time when those who know Him kick up their celebration of our Lord's incarnation a notch. Yes, we realize that Jesus was not born on December 25th, but for the Christian everyday is both Christmas and Easter! God has intruded into His fallen creation and provided salvation for His people. Glory be to God in the Highest!!!

How is it then that even believers in the Lord Jesus Christ confuse Him with ordinary Christmas gifts? Take, for instance, the personal computer. The vast majority of PC users don't really know how these blasted things work. Yeah we know some of the component names and the functions; but as for how or why they do what they do; but only the computer geeks and manufacturers have a real grasp. The rest of us only care that if we want info, pictures, music or e-mail it shows up when we request it. Who cares how the machine does it; just as long as it does it!

Unfortunately, too many professing Christians today are treating the King of Kings (the gift who truly keeps on giving) the same way. They don't really care about the "how", the "why", or the doctrines of the salvation of man; they just want to be saved. "As long as I make it to heaven, who cares about theology, hermeneutics or pneumatology. Covenant, schmovenant, just get me out of hell!!!"

Can you handle the truth? Jesus Christ is not a "salvation machine". You don't go to www.HeSaves.com, type in Romans 10:9 and your personal information and get salvation delivered to your front door by FedEx overnight shipping. Having Jesus as Savior and Lord requires a relationship; a relationship that goes beyond just warm fuzzy feelings. Speaking of "warm fuzzy feelings"; remember when you first met your spouse? Remember how you wanted to know everything there was to know about them? How many spouses have written entire books that reveal everything about themselves that was important for us to know about him/her? I'm willing to bet that if they had we would have studied that book like our lives depended on it. Well, guess what? Our lives do depend on the book Jesus wrote for us.

Many will protest that they do indeed read the Scriptures. I'm talking about more than just reading the Scriptures. I'm talking about mining the Scriptures for all they are worth. I'm talking about absolutely making the Word of God the FINAL RULE of our FAITH and PRACTICE. Consider the following quote I read from a professing Christian. This woman was responding to the question: "What is our (the Christian's) stance on abortion"?

"Most of you are not going to like my answer...but such as life this is not a popularity contest! In the situation with a young child or rape ... I think at that time there are some instances where abortion is the answer...I know its wrong and the bible says Thou shalt not kill...But it also says he who is without sin cast the first stone"!

When she was challenged about this response (not by me, thank you very much!) she responded with this:

"Sir, I can really care less if you didn't like the answer that I gave, it was my OPINION. Who said it would be ok to have an abortion. I am not here to defend my feeling or thoughts. I am a realist and from a realist position I feel we know its wrong but at times some people are not focused on the act of sin and its result they are focused on the impact that the act of sin will make in their future...meaning if they have a baby from rape then this child may grow up not knowing the father or the criticism of others and there are so many negatives I can name...or if its a young child the impact of having a baby at a young age is a task in its self...especially if this young person is already living at home with their mother in an already crowded house. I didn't really have to justify my opinions however since you went there I decided to at least explain a little..."

I'm not questioning this woman's salvation; but I am certainly questioning her understanding of whom Jesus is and the importance of His Word in her life. Assuming she is saved, she certainly has not conformed her thinking to her Lord's. Perhaps she will someday. I only use these statements to illustrate the serious disconnect there can be between a person's profession and their practice. Of course, we're all guilty of it to some degree. I just hope, by the grace of God, to eliminate the vast majority of it in my life.

There is a huge difference between Jesus and your PC. With your PC, it's "garbage in, garbage out". With Jesus, it's "garbage (us and ours) in and: righteousness, justification, sanctification, glorification, provision, protection, peace, unconditional love, discipline, growth, adoption, wisdom, discernment . . . out"!

The single most important relationship we will ever enter into is that which we share with Jesus Christ. May we develop a ravenous appetite for Him and for His doctrines. That's all I want for Christmas. How 'bout you?





Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

WHAT DO YOU REFORMED GUYS HAVE AGAINST "PROSPERITY" ANYWAY?!


Nothing. It's just the "prosperity gospel", in all it's insidious forms, that I hate. Why? Well, it's not because I think that money, good health and fruitful relationships are bad things. After all, as we all know, it's not money that is the root of all evil. It's the love of money that is the root of all evil. Trust me, I'm the guy who used to hold to the "pre-tribulational rapture". Not because I thought it jibed with Scripture; but because I have a low threshold for pain!

I have several problems with the "prosperity gospel". First and foremost, it just ain't biblical! Regardless of how many testimonies you may have heard to the contrary, the "prosperity gospel" is not the Gospel that courses throughout Scripture. It is a different gospel. One that the Apostle Paul calls for the pronouncement of "accursed" for it and its purveyors (Galatians 1:6-9). Ask yourself this question: What did mankind truly lose when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden? Yes, they lost the comforts of paradise. Yes, sickness now entered their experience. And, yes, all their increase would come through toil ans sweat. These things cannot be denied; but these were mere asides compared to the reality that they had now been cut off from their Creator. Before the Fall, Adam and Eve would walk and talk with Almighty God. Now, their fellowship was entirely severed. Consider this (those of you who have been fortunate enough to have had strong and loving relationships with your earthly fathers), what do you most cherish about your earthly father? What most readily comes to mind when you remember your childhood relationship with him? Is it, how much money he earned and spent on you; or, is it how vital his guidance, wisdom and support was to your growth and maturity?

The Gospel that pervades Scripture is about a loving, righteous and Holy God. Who, although He was spurned for the selfish pursuit of prosperity (a prosperity of knowledge and autonomy), sovereignly conquered sin and death redeeming a people to Himself through the precious and innocent blood of His only begotten Son.

The "prosperity gospel" misses this entire message. It indulges man's proclivity for selfish gain and personal well-being. The Word of God consistently warns us about the pitfalls of pursuing wealth and how riches become idols and enslave us. In fact it commands us NOT to pursue riches. Yet somehow the very same people who can't stop lying, who can't stop cheating, who can't stop buying bootleg DVD's, believe they can overcome the pitfalls of earthly prosperity. How foolish.

The second reason I despise the "prosperity gospel" is that it is predicated on twisted Scriptures.One of the favorites of the prosperity preachers is Mark 10:29-30.

" Jesus said, "Truly I say to you,there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the gospel's sake,but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life".

This passage usually gets a few folks up and running around the building. The problem is, however, these preachers always make the "houses" and "lands" literal and the "brothers", "sisters", "mothers" and "children" figurative. These they say are the hundreds of brothers, sisters and "mothers", etc. "in Christ" that you will receive. And the "persecutions" you'll receive are just the misguided jealousy and backbiting other will do because of your blessings. How convenient.

My third reason for anathematizing the "prosperity gospel" is that it puts believers in bondage. When this "WMD" of a theology (it's unfounded, get it!)fails to work for people, what's the excuse? Usually, it' s the persons fault. Either they didn't have enough faith, or there must be some secret sin in their life. My personal favorite is that it's just not their season yet. If I see another church marquis with the message "Your Breakthrough is Coming" ever again, I think I might breakthrough it with a nice rock! Some people who really want to leave their false church are actually afraid to do so because they think they might miss their "breakthrough" if they leave too soon. And these predators in the pulpit know that they hold people with this type of message. It's down right satanic.

Fourth, the "prosperity gospel" leads believers to inadvertently contend against God.
The credo of this bastard gospel is that if one has faith one should never be sick or in want. This automatically places one in contention with God when He desires to glorify Himself through sickness, want or suffering. Remember John 9:1-3. . .

"As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him . . .'"

If the blind man had been sitting under the "prosperity gospel" he and his parents would have been binding satan and speaking sight back into his eyes. God's sovereignty and divine will would not have even been considered. The disciples and today's prosperity pushers assume sickness is due to sin. The truth is, sometimes God is glorified in sickness. A word to the predators: your arms are too short to box with God.

Lastly, the "prosperity gospel", even when it "works", gives a false sense of security. The Pharisees were prosperous; but Jesus called them "whitewashed tombs".
Solomon was prosperous; but he realized that it was all vanity, a "chasing after the wind" Dives was prosperous; but he woke up in Hades where he couldn't buy anything to drink. Oh, how much better is godliness with contentment. They're not called the "deceitfulness" of riches for nothing!


That's what this "reformed" guy has against the "prosperity gospel". I believe it is far more prosperous for us to pursue what the Westminster Shorter Catechism states is the "chief end of man". That is to glorify God and to enjoy HIM forever!

The question becomes (this is where the preacher begins to "whoop") . . .

Can you glorify God and enjoy Him forever, when you're sick and in pain?
Can you glorify God and enjoy Him forever, when you're broke and have not gain?
Can you glorify God and enjoy Him forever, when you're alone and your eyes are wet?
Can you glorify God and enjoy Him forever, when you're bank account is empty and you're deep deep in debt?
Can you glorify God and enjoy Him forever, when mother and father don't know your name?
Can you glorify God and enjoy Him forever, when wife and kids forsake you and the dog does the same?

Welllll!


Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!


P.S. What did Lazarus die of the second time, anyway?

Representin' for the Reformation


I've been hanging out over at The Black Church Page over the last week. Yeah, I remember what I said, but I figured I'm preaching to the choir over here. So, as I expected, I found some true opposition over there.

I opened a forum on Reformed Theology and as usual it got bogged down into a debate over election/predestination. Nonetheless, I do believe I did win a friend and found another reformed ally. If you would care to review the forum here's a link for you . . .

The Black Church Page Forum on Reformed Theology


I thought I'd just leave you with my semi-closing statement (the forum is still open if you would like to weigh in) from the forum and let you tell me what you think.

"As is far too often the case, this discussion which was to deal with the whole of Reformed Theology, has bogged down to a debate over 'election'.

As my opening quote indicates RT is about much more than just this hot-button issue. The central tenet of RT is not election, but the supremacy and sovereignty of God in ALL things. It also focuses on man's faithful worship of this triune, omnipotent and incomprehensible God in "spirit and in truth". As Pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN says: "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him".

How does RT compare with much of the church ( yea, even the "black" church) today. Here is what I have observed . . .

Modern Church: Increasing emphasis on personal health, wealth and materialism.
Reformed Theology: Emphasis on personal holiness and submission to God's sovereignty

Modern Church: Triumphalism/claiming earthly territory
Reformed Theology: Rejoicing in suffering which produces endurance, which produces character, which produces hope (Romans 5:3-5a)

Modern Church: Declining emphasis on the preaching of the Gospel
Reformed Theology: Insistence on the preaching of the Gospel persistently.

Modern Church: Increasing espousal of heresies ( deification of man, the denial of the deity of Christ, etc.) False prophecy
Reformed Theology: Emphasis of the Five Solas: Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone) Sola Fide (by Faith alone) Sola Gratia (by Grace alone) Sola Christus (Christ Alone) all for Sola Deo Gloria ( the glory of God alone).

Modern Church: Increasing "new" revelation
Reformed Theology: Contending "for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" Jude 3. Agreeing with the Apostle Paul that " even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed" Galatians 1:8. There is no "new" revelation.

Modern Church: Proliferation of female "pastors", "elders", "bishops", and even "apostles" .
Reformed Theology: Honors biblical standard for leadership in the church.

Modern Church: Lack of accountability for pastors/maverick preachers
Reformed Theology: High accountability through governing bodies.

Modern Church: Abandonment of confessionalism resulting in biblical illiteracy and doctrinal ignorance.
Reformed Theology: Strong, well established confessional history and doctrinal instruction.

Modern Church: Compromise with false religions (muslims particularly)
Reformed Theology: Firm denunciation of false religions.

Modern Church: Celebrity status of many Pastors.
Reformed Theology: Pastors castigated for uncompromising stance on biblical truth.

Modern Church: The church as a multinational corporation/ the pastor as CEO.
Reformed Theology: the church as the "house of prayer"/ the pastor as faithful servant and under-shepherd.

That's the short list of what I have witnessed.

I submit to you that a return to the foundational tenets of the historic Christian faith is what is desperately needed today. We have fallen from being the conscience of the nation to being the entertainment of the nation. As a pilot by profession, I travel widely and I frequently hear the world's impression of the church. We are more known for our conflicts, wife-beatings and world-likeness than for our flat-footed uncompromised preaching of Christ and Him crucified.

I believe this can only be because we have abandoned the principles we fought and died for during the Protestant Reformation. We have effectively been cut off from that history ( one of satan's most devious tricks). The average Christian can tell you nothing beyond the history of his own church (if that). What we fail to realize is that all our denominations are rooted in the Reformation. The great reformer,
Martin Luther, understood that when he translated the Scripture into the vulgar (common) languages he was opening a hornet's nest(denominationalism). But He fought for our right to be able to read God's word ourselves in our native tongues. But as is our way, we have turned this to a means toward our ends rather than God's ends.

As blacks we are still so wrapped up in our plight that we believe we hold the patent on suffering. We discount the persecution and suffering of our Christian brothers and sisters have faced long before our enslaved ancestors ever lived. They were fed to lions in the Roman Coliseum, disemboweled and broiled alive in the "iron chair". Their bodies were tarred, set aflame and used as human torches to light the emperor's courtyard. We dismiss the courageous stands of great men like Athanasius, Polycarp, Augustine, Wycliffe and Hus. God used these men to ensure that we'd have this faith that has sustained us through so much suffering.

As proud as we are of our black heritage, how many of us are familiar with Lemuel Haynes, a Calvinist black minister in the 18th century who argued vigorously against the slave trade. Haynes along with other 18th century black authors (Jupiter Hammon, James Albert Ukasaw Gronniosaw, Phillis Wheatley, John Marrant, Quobna Ottobah Cugoano and Olaudah Equiano) "found in calvinsm a tradition of exegesis that could be leveled against the slave trade and slavery". John Saillant, biographer of Haynes, states "early black calvinism was vigorously anti slavery" and Lemuel Haynes was its most prolific voice and writer.

Heart and Mind

Reformed Theology is both experiential and intellectual. It realizes no dichotomy between heart and mind. It's not puffing up the mind (even if fallible people do fall into that trap) leading to a cold, indifferent religion. It's about a mind nourished in the truth of the triune God, who He is and His unimaginable splendor, glory and holiness. All leading to an outpouring, from the heart, of unyielding worship, trust, obedience and love of Him who is infinite. RT recognizes that emotion is a good thing; but it must bow its knees to the truth. Truth is obtained through the mind.

When we enter into the presence of God in our churches on Sunday morning, we are not supposed to check our brains nor our hearts at the front door. I am confident that if any of you were to perform an objective and honest investigation of Reformed Theology, you will find a profound and revolutionary deepening of your walk with Jesus Christ.

If you are willing to accept my challenge, I have a suggested list of books (links) that will be indispensable in conducting your study . . .

History: Eusebius, "The Chuch History"

Not necessarily a RT book, but essential for understanding our roots.

RT:

1) "Knowing God" J. I. Packer

2) "Back to Basics" Douglas J. Wilson

3) "Grace Unknown" R. C. Sproul

4) "When Grace Comes Home" Terry Johnson

5) "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ" John Owen
Tough read. Not for the squeamish!

6) "The Holiness of God" R. C. Sproul

7) "Desiring God" John Piper

"Chosen by God" R. C. Sproul

9) "The Doctrines of Grace" James Montgomery Boice

10) "On Being Black and Reformed" Anthony Carter

11) "Holiness" J. C. Ryle

12) "Essential Truths of the Christian Faith" R. C. Sproul

13) "The Sovereignty of God" Arthur W. Pink

Special Bonus: Reformed websites/blogs (links):

Monergism

In Submission to Sovereignty - My personal blog.

Ligonier Ministries

Non Nobis Domine (Not Unto Us, O Lord)

Blaque Tulip

Council of Reforming Churches"



Viva la Reformation!!!


Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

The Subtle Sinfulness of Silence: The Remix


My regular readers will recognize that I have used the title of this post previously. I have been blogging for just over a year now, and I really thought "The Subtle Sinfulness of Silence" was one of my more original posts. Well, I have found that this is not truly the case.

I have just begun reading the indisputably classic Christian work "The City of God " by one of Church history's most revered fathers, Saint Augustine. In the very first chapter of this masterpiece I have discovered that my previous post was definitely not original and that it certainly was not the most thorough treatment of this topic. I imagine that if he were still among us former vice-presidential candidate,
Lloyd Bentsen might comment," Mr. Tolbert, I served with Saint Augustine, I knew Saint Augustine, Saint Augustine was a friend of mine. Mr. Tolbert, you are no
Saint Augustine".

For those unfamiliar with this seminal work, "The City of God" was Saint Augustine's apologetic for Christianity in the wake of the fall of Rome. It seems that blame for this great catastrophe was placed on Christians by the pagan citizens of this once great empire. They believed that their gods were punishing them because the Roman Christians refused to make sacrifices to their false deities. Saint Augustine authored "The City of God" in order to refute this false accusation. He argued the point that it was only the grace and mercy of the God of Christianity that Rome stood as long as it did (note to the pagans of the USA: those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat it!)

Section nine of the opening book of "The City of God", is entitled: "Of the Reasons for Administering Correction to Bad and Good Together". In this section,
Saint Augustine reprimands Christians for remaining silent while their countrymen fall into sin. It is this section that put my little diatribe to shame.

"For often we wickedly blind ourselves to the occasions of teaching and admonishing them, sometimes even of reprimanding and chiding them, either because we shrink from the labour or are ashamed to offend them, or because we fear to lose good friendships, lest this should stand in the way of our advancement, or injure us in some worldly matter, which either our covetous disposition desires to obtain, or our weakness shrinks from losing . . . If any one forbears to reprove and find fault with those who are doing wrong, because he seeks a more seasonable opportunity, or because he fears they may be made worse by his rebuke, or that other weak persons may be disheartened from endeavouring to lead a good and pious life, and may be driven from the faith; this man's omission seems to be occasioned not by covetousness, but by a charitable consideration. But what is blameworthy is, that they who themselves revolt from the conduct of the wicked, and live in quite another fashion, yet spare those faults in other men which they ought to reprehend and wean them from; and spare them because they fear to give offence, lest they should injure their interests in those things which good men may innocently and legitimately use- though they use them more greedily than becomes persons who are strangers in this world, and profess the hope of a heavenly country . . . do often take thought of their own safety and good name, and abstain from finding fault with the wicked, because they fear their wiles and violence. And although they do not fear them to such an extent as to be drawn to the commission of like iniquities, nay, not by any threats or violence soever; yet those very deeds which they refuse to share in the commission of, they often decline to find fault with, when possibly they might by finding fault prevent their commission. They abstain from interference, because they fear that, if it fail of good effect, their own safety or reputation may be damaged or destroyed; not because they see that their preservation and good name are needful, that they may be able to influence those who need their instruction, but rather because they weakly relish the flattery and respect of men, and fear the judgments of the people, and the pain or death of the body; that is to say, their non- intervention is the result of selfishness and not of love".

"They are punished together, not because they have spent an equally corrupt life, but because the good as well as the wicked, though not equally with them, love this present life; while they ought to hold it cheap, that the wicked, being admonished and reformed by their example, might lay hold of life eternal. These selfish persons have more cause to fear than those to whom it was said through the prophet, 'He is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.' For watchmen or overseers of the people are appointed in churches that they may unsparingly rebuke sin. Nor is that man guiltless of the sin we speak of, who, though he be not a watchman, yet sees in the conduct of those with whom the relationships of this life bring him into contact, many things that should be blamed, and yet overlooks them, fearing to give offence, and lose such worldly blessings as may legitimately be desired, but which he too eagerly grasps".

Please don't get me wrong. I am not saying that our family and friends who sit under false teachers are "wicked" or that they don't have eternal life. Only God knows the heart of man. He knows who truly are His. But when a person places his faith more in a man's teaching than in the Word of God; or gives his pastor more praise than he does to his supposed Savior, there is sufficient warrant for concern regarding that man's salvation. I say, we (after having thoroughly examined ourselves-II Cor. 13:5) must err on the side of caution. We must tell them the truth . . . in love. That is, if you do love them.

It is clear that Saint Augustine was exhorting Christians to be more God-honoring and bold by confronting the pagans in their midst. This directive is even more valid in our present age. The most regrettable fact today, however, is that it seems to be more necessary within the Body of Christ(?). Those of us who have been graced to receive the Holy Spirit's gift of discernment and can see through the shenanigans of the Osteens, the Bynums, the Dollars, et al, must be more faithful to tell the truth to out family and friends who are blinded by the bat-guano that these false teachers are peddling.

If we refuse to do so, according to Saint Augustine (and Scripture backs him up), it is an indication that we also love this present life a tad too much, not holding it as "cheap" as we should.

Will they call you arrogant? You betcha! Will they say you are jealous? Count on it!
Will they cease fellowship with you? Quite possibly. Will they change? Not necessarily. The mere fact that these questions disturb us is evidence that Augustine was right about us. If the praise and favor of men holds that great a sway over us in this transient vapor of a life perhaps it is us who need to know the truth.

"Stand
There's a cross for you to bear
Things to go through if you're going anywhere
Stand
For the things you know are right
It s the truth that the truth makes them so uptight
Stand
All the things you want are real
You have you to complete and there is no deal
Stand. stand, stand
Stand. stand, stand
Stand
You've been sitting much too long
There's a permanent crease in your right and wrong
Stand
There's a midget standing tall
And the giant beside him about to fall
Stand. stand, stand
Stand. stand, stand
Stand
They will try to make you crawl
And they know what you're saying makes sense and all
Stand
Don't you know that you are free
Well at least in your mind if you want to be

Everybody
Stand, stand, stand "

"Stand", Sly and the Family Stone 1969


Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

Say 'ello to the Good Guys: Part III


I must immediately issue an apology to this weeks featured teacher. When I began this series of posts I stated that each of these teachers were "white". Well, Dr Ravi Zacharias is definitely not caucasian, he is of Asian descent. My apologies to Dr. Zacharias.

Dr. Ravi Zacharias is a profound apologist for the Christian faith. I was first introduced to him via radio on Dr. James Dobson's program, "Focus on the Family" in 1992. This program featured Dr. Zacharias' sermon, "I, Isaac, Take You, Rebecca". This sermon was particularly profound for me at that time because I was just a few short months away from marrying my lovely wife, Lisa. The impact of this sermon still resounds with me today after fifteen years of marriage and I try to remember to give a copy of it to anyone I know who is contemplating this huge step.

Dr. Zacharias is a prodigious thinker and a sincere lover of God's truth. I highly recommend his book "Jesus Among Other Gods"; and you must get your hands on his lecture "The Uniqueness of Christ" (his dismantling of a college professor who holds to the Eastern philosophy of the "both/and" is worth the price of the recording!)

Here's a brief biography of Dr. Zacharias from Ravi Zacharias Ministries Intl.


For thirty-four years Ravi Zacharias has spoken all over the world and in numerous universities, notably Harvard, Princeton, and Oxford University. He has addressed writers of the peace accord in South Africa, President Fujimori's cabinet and parliament in Peru, and military officers at the Lenin Military Academy and the Center for Geopolitical Strategy in Moscow. He has been privileged to bring the main address at the National Day of Prayer in Washington, DC, an event endorsed and co-hosted by President George W. Bush, and at the Pentagon. Additionally, Mr. Zacharias has spoken twice at the Annual Prayer Breakfast at the United Nations in New York, which marks the beginning of the UN session each year, and at the invitation of the President of Nigeria, he addressed the delegates at the First Annual Prayer Breakfast for African Leaders, held in Mozambique.

Mr. Zacharias was born in India in 1946 and immigrated to Canada with his family twenty years later. While pursuing a career in business management, his interest in theology grew; subsequently, he pursued this study during his undergraduate education. He received his Masters of Divinity from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois. Well-versed in the disciplines of comparative religions, cults, and philosophy, he held the chair of Evangelism and Contemporary Thought at Alliance Theological Seminary for three and a half years. Mr. Zacharias has been honored by the conferring of a Doctor of Divinity degree both from Houghton College, NY, and from Tyndale College and Seminary, Toronto, and a Doctor of Laws degree from Asbury College in Kentucky. He is presently a Visiting Professor at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University in Oxford, England.

At the invitation of Billy Graham he was a plenary speaker at the International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists in Amsterdam in 1983, 1986, and 2000. Mr. Zacharias has been a visiting scholar at Cambridge University, where he studied moralist philosophers and literature of the Romantic era. While at Cambridge he also authored his first book, A Shattered Visage: The Real Face of Atheism (Baker Book House, 1994, 2nd ed.), which in 2004 was updated and republished by Baker as The Real Face of Atheism. His second book, Can Man Live without God (Word Publishing, 1994), was awarded the Gold Medallion for best book in the category of doctrine and theology. Deliver Us from Evil (Word, 1996) followed with an accompanying video series. Cries of the Heart (Word, 1998) was his fourth book. His first children's book, The Merchant and the Thief (Chariot Victor), was released in 1999, followed by The Broken Promise (Chariot Victor, 2000). Jesus Among Other Gods (Word, 2000) was nominated for a Gold Medallion. The first in a series of great conversations, The Lotus and the Cross: Jesus Talks with Buddha was released by Multnomah in 2001, and the second, Sense and Sensuality: Jesus Talks with Oscar Wilde, in 2002. Mr. Zacharias' very personal response to the September 11th tragedy is Light in the Shadow of Jihad (Multnomah, 2002). Recapture the Wonder was released by Integrity Publishers in 2003 and I, Isaac Take Thee, Rebekah, a book on marriage, in February 2004 by the W Publishing Group. His latest work is Walking From East to West: God in the Shadows (with R.S.B. Sawyer) published by Zondervan (2006). Several of these books have been translated into many other languages including Russian, Arabic, Korean, and Thai.

Mr. Zacharias is listed as a distinguished lecturer with the Staley Foundation and has appeared on CNN and other international broadcasts. His weekly radio program, "Let My People Think," is broadcast over 1500 stations worldwide, and his weekday program, “Just Thinking,” began airing in November 2004. He is president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional offices in Canada, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Zacharias and his wife, Margie, have three grown children

Now listen to the man . . .








Can you handle the truth?


Keith
B.L.B.B!!!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!

Say 'ello to the Good Guys: Part II


I continue my hit parade of sound, biblical teachers this week with a profile of Pastor John Piper.

What stands out about this faithful preacher of God's Word is his intense passion for the supremacy of God in all things. To hear this man preach is to come as close to the beatific vision of God as a human being can be before the actual triumphant return of Jesus Christ.

My life has been irreversibly impacted by his books, "Desiring God", "The Pleasures of God", "Future Grace" and "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ". If you are at all concerned with deepening your walk with Jesus, you simply must read these works.

Here is a brief biography of John Piper from Desiring God Ministries . . .

"The ministry of preaching is the central labor of my life. My prayer is that through that ministry and everything else I do the great glory of our God and Savior Jesus Christ would be magnified as more and more people come to live out the obedience of faith more and more deeply."

John Stephen Piper was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee to Bill and Ruth Piper January 11, 1946. When John and his older sister were still small the Pipers moved to Greenville, South Carolina where John spent the rest of his growing-up years. His father was an itinerant evangelist who is still actively ministering through international radio and Bible courses. John has written a tribute to his mother, who died in 1974, in the booklet, "What's the Difference" (Crossway Books, 1990) which is also chapter one of the book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Crossway Books, 1991).

At Wheaton College (1964-68), John majored in Literature and minored in Philosophy. Studying Romantic Literature with Clyde Kilby stimulated the poetic side of his nature and today he regularly writes poems to celebrate special family occasions as well as composing story-poems (based on the life of a Biblical character) for his congregation during the four weeks of Advent each year. At Wheaton John also met Noel Henry whom he married 1968.

Following college he completed a Bachelor of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (1968-71). While at Fuller, John took as many courses as he could from Dr. Daniel Fuller, the most influential "living" teacher in his life. Through Dr. Fuller he discovered the writings of Jonathan Edwards, his most influential "dead" teacher.

John did his doctoral work in New Testament Studies at the University of Munich, Munich, West Germany (1971-74). His dissertation, Love Your Enemies, was published by Cambridge University Press and Baker Book House. Upon completion of his doctorate he went on to teach Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota for six years (1974-80).

In 1980, sensing an irresistible call of the Lord to preach, John became the senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he has been ministering ever since. Together with his people, John is dedicated to spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.

John and Noël have four sons, a daughter, and an increasing number of grandchildren.


Now see for yourself:









This is what sound teaching looks like.


Keith
B.L.B.B!
Be Like the Bereans, Baby!!!


Please visit and or contact these websites:

Michael Leach, Atlanta, GA (email)
website coming soon. Please email mleach818@comcast.net for more info.

Robert Benson & Anthony Carter, Atlanta, GA

Lance Lewis, Philadelphia, PA

Ken Jones, Compton, CA or
Ken Jones

Roger Skepple, Atlanta, GA

Say 'ello to the Good Guys!


Lest we believing Christians give in to what I call the Elijah Syndrome
(see I Kings 19:1-18), I thought it would be beneficial to share with you some of those who faithfully uphold the blood-stained banner of true Christianity. I may have mistakenly taken for granted that most of you are familiar with the faithful teachers that I have referred to in this blog.

Although these teachers do have a wide following they are not all that recognized in the black church community. The reasons for this are many and I hope race is a very small part of those reasons. Yes, the teachers that I will highlight over the next few posts are white. This, however, is not intended to insinuate in any way that white preachers are more faithful than black preachers. It is my hope that now that we have greater opportunity and access to serious theological training, we will make even greater contributions to the "Queen of the sciences".

Albeit, on a stage that is not yet as widely known as that of these teachers, there is a growing number of strong, sound and reformed black preachers. Teachers such as: Michael Leach, Robert Benson, Anthony Carter, Lance Lewis, Ken Jones, Roger Skepple and many others are, by the grace of God, introducing many in the black community to the reformed perspective. With men such as these the future is bright for a resurgence (or should I say "surgence") of reformed theology among black Christians. I will make it a point to include links to the ministries of these and other black teachers at the end of these posts.

Now, to this week's featured teacher . . . Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Dr. Robert Charles Sproul was born in 1939 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries, which started as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, more than thirty years ago. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and Ligonier’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando, Florida, in 1984, and the ministry was renamed “Ligonier Ministries.”

Dr. R.C. Sproul is featured daily on Renewing Your Mind, an international radio broadcast that has aired for more than ten years with an estimated two million people tuning in every week on more than 235 radio outlets in the United States and throughout more than 40 countries. Dr. Sproul is a respected teacher, theologian, and pastor. He is currently serving as the director of Serve International, and as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida. Dr. Sproul is ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.

In addition, Dr. Sproul was the general editor of The Reformation Study Bible, which was also known as The New Geneva Study Bible, and he is the executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. As a prolific author he has written more than 60 books and scores of articles for national evangelical publications. Dr. Sproul has produced more than 300 lecture series and has recorded more than 80 video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, which affirmed the traditional view of biblical inerrancy, and he wrote a commentary on that document titled Explaining Inerrancy.

Dr. Sproul holds degrees from Westminster College, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and the Free University of Amsterdam, and he has had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and Jackson, Mississippi, and Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Personally, I credit Dr. Sproul as being the vessel God used to lead me out of man(self)-centered religion into Christ-centered Christianity. I came to embrace reformed theology through his radio program and through his book "Grace Unknown". Also very worthy of your perusal are his books: "The Holiness of God", "Chosen by God" and "Essential Truths of the Christian Faith". I truly thank God for Dr. Sproul's relentless desire to "awaken as many people as possible to the holiness of God by proclaiming, teaching, and defending His holiness in all its fullness."

Here is a small dose of Dr. R. C. Sproul . . .















I hope this introduction to Dr. Sproul will inspire you to look deeper into his ministry. Please visit the Ligonier Ministries
web site



Keith
B.L.B.B!
Be like the Bereans, Baby!

Please visit and or contact these websites:

Michael Leach, Atlanta, GA (email)
website coming soon. Please email mleach818@comcast.net for more info.

Robert Benson & Anthony Carter, Atlanta, GA

Lance Lewis, Philadelphia, PA

Ken Jones, Compton, CA or
Ken Jones

Roger Skepple, Atlanta, GA