The Vulnerable Church (John MacArthur)

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Rob

What is a Christian?

A Christian is not someone who says they believe in Jesus. A Christian is not someone who prays a certain formula prayer. A Christian is not someone who goes to church or belongs to some “Christian institution”. A Christian is not someone who feels good about God or about Jesus. A Christian is a person who has been delivered.

Listen to the video below as John talks about why it is critical to determine “who” is a Christian, and how the lack of discernment in this area is causing major problems in the church.

What do you think is the main problem facing the church? The main issue facing the church is the lack of discernment…The church doesn’t distinguish between truth and falsehood…it does not have the ability to fight error because it does not know the truth…the church is blissfully ignorant and consequently it is victimized easily by error.

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The New Evangelical Christian Creed

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Rob

I am a Christian
I’m just not obliged to acknowledge the founder

I love Jesus
But not enough to obey his teachings

His ways are not my ways
My ways are my ways

I believe in being salt of the earth
as long as that means “making the world a better place”

I believe in the Bible
but it isn’t factual

I believe God spoke to us in His Word
but personal revelation can trump his Word at any time

The Bible speaks words of truth to me
but those words can mean whatever I want

I believe in Heaven and Hell
but what kind of God would condemn you to hell?

Jesus said I will be outcast, set apart and persecuted
but I believe we should ignore our differences and unite by our similarities

I believe in equal rights for all people of all faiths, lifestyles and preferences
Just not for fundamentalists Christians who are the ones keeping the church from growing

God’s Son Jesus was beat, tortured, starved, stabbed, whipped and abused
but God has a wonderful plan for me to prosper and not harm me

I believe we have to be tolerant of everyone
except those who don’t believe what I believe

What I believe is what the church has always believed
at least that is what the emergents tell me

I’m Orthodox to the bone
but lack the spine to support it

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The light of this world obscures God’s light

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Rob

I was working outside in the garage tonight about 10 PM when the power went out. It was after dark so it got really black outside. Being a star-watcher from way back, as soon as I realised there were no street lights, I went out in to the yard to watch the stars.

In this case, half the town had the power go out. That meant it was dark. Really dark. No streetlights, no house lights, even the casino lights that normally shine miles into the sky were off. The only thing I saw were the emergency lights on in the stairwells of the condos nearby, and the solar garden lights from my neighbours yards.

When I looked up I saw stars. Stars like I hadn’t seen in a long time. The milky way was plain and clear. There was no moon to dull their shine. Everything was just as God had intended it to be.

Now when I was younger I saw something to rival this event. The hydro plant went down on a starry night and took out power to every city in about a 300 km radius. That night was amazing. The stars were bright, there were no solar lights in those days so it was as dark as can be, and being younger, my eyesight was better.

The fear of the Lord

But tonight was no minor event. I stood out in the yard with my arms wide out and I marvelled at how large the Creator must be. And I was a little afraid. I was in wonder, in amazement, but I was trembling. I shook. I couldn’t help but be awestruck that someone could make those tons of stars that I could now so plainly see, but at the same time how could I not be a little fearful of someone so powerful. What is man that you are mindful of us?

The Revelation

It wasn’t until I was inside that the thought came to my mind, and the point that I would like to clearly make.  The light of God’s glory is obscured by the light of this world. Why is it that we can’t see the stars clearly on most nights?  If you are a city dweller like me, it is because the lights of the street are strong enough to block out all but the brightest stars.  Even if you live in the country, you probably aren’t far enough from the city to be away from the light pollution it throws off.  Maybe you or your neighbour has a yard light that blocks your view.

Whatever the case, it is the light in this world that blocks us from seeing the glory of God’s creation.  It is the daily distractions, the routine that keep us blinded.  To have the childlike kind of perception and faith that notices the things that we take for granted.  To be able to see the things we ignore because they are somewhere between the point A that we are at and the point B where we wish to be.  To be able to see the glory of God because it is His glory, and to ignore the light we create to falsely illuminate our path, if only through this world.  The light that really only obscures the light of God.

Back in this world

Having been back in the light of this world for only a little bit of time, I was already wishing I was fully illuminated in the light of God.  The light that we read about in Revelation 21:

23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.

To have been able to share my experience tonight with my children, or with you.  That you would be able to see a little bit more of God’s own light.

Oh well…until that glorious day when together we both understand the light in Revelation 21.

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Can you tolerate homosexuality in the church?

Posted on September 11, 2011 by adminII

Homosexuality has sure come a long way, and these days it isn’t unusual to find a pastor giving a sermon on it to his church. The general consensus is that they should be able to live in love with whoever they want, and you’ll find many churches and “pastors” who not only support this but actively teach it to, and live it out in front of their congregations. But why have they taken aim at this particular sin and ignored many others?

It was brought up in a recent conversation between friends, that homosexuals are a different case because they have a genetic cause for their behaviour. Of course the discussion quickly turned, and even if you did believe there was some kind of science to support this claim, it is just trying to explain away their sin.

A popular comment was made about how homosexual behaviour was no different than any other kind of preference, including the love of chocolate. How naive.

In reality, let’s say you have a practising homosexual in your church. They aren’t repentant and have no desire to change. They want to continue to live in their sin, and they want to continue to attend your church. What do you do? Well, with 60% of evangelicals supporting this lifestyle, many churches would embrace them, overlook their sin, and should anyone speak out about it the church might undertake a program to help people shake off their fears and do everything they can to accommodate this brand of sinner. Soon they are attending church, openly displaying affection for their partner at services, and receiving the blessing of the church for doing so.

Now, let’s say a man in your church is given to anger. It is genuine – whether a learned behaviour, something from their environment or genetic. What is the response from the church. That’s easy. When the person shows a display of anger it makes others uncomfortable. Wind of the persons problem gets back to the pastor who works with others to plan an intervention at the home of the man’s family. They assure the man he can get better and begin a plan of counselling and prayer to help heal him of his affliction. After several unsuccessful attempts at becoming rehabilitated, the man shows he has no desire to calm his anger and in fact has embraced it as part of who he is. The church realizes they’ve done everything they can for him and eventually considers him to be not of the family of God nor a true Christian, and refuses to allow him to attend the church.

What a stark contrast to what we are seeing here today. Selective acceptance and the source of which come totally from outside influence. To the point that the church has no idea any further when they are being influenced by God, and when they are being influenced by Satan. They’ve lost discernment and good judgement.

This video clip of James White is sure to make you question just how acceptance of these sins has become so rampant. The only authority for such acceptance comes from within the individual or church itself. Which makes one wonder if those churches are already decieved and under some kind of judgement.

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You don’t have to go to church to believe in God

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Rob

I recently heard someone exclaim that you don’t need to go to church to believe in God. This was in response to a relative who wanted her children to be “confirmed” in a certain church.

Of course, you don’t need to go to church to believe in God. The statement I heard was met by approval from many people who were listening. But is that the end of the story? Belief? All you need to do is ‘believe’ in God and you’re done?

I like to think about it this way. I believe in Uganda. That’s it. No more.

Let’s examine that, because the statement itself says nothing, does it?

I believe in Uganda. I believe it exists. I saw it on a map one time. I heard about it on the news. Some people say they’ve been there and back again. And when I die, I believe I may go to Uganda.

Therefore, you can rightly call me a Ugandan.

Correct? No. Not by a long shot, and if you described your belief in this way to someone, they would think you are crazy. But unfortunately, when you describe your feelings about God in the same way you are met with approval from others. Let’s try that same situation with ‘God’ instead of Uganda.

I believe in God. I believe He exists. I’ve seen the Bible. I heard on the news about someone who says they’ve been to heaven and back and have seen Him. And when I die, I believe I may go to be with God. Therefore, you can rightly call me a Christian.

No, a belief in God doesn’t make you a Christian, and just because you believe you are on your way to heaven doesn’t make that right either. To believe in God makes you no different than the demons, which the Bible says also believe in God. A belief in Jesus doesn’t make someone a Christian either. Just like a belief in Uganda doesn’t make you Ugandan.

If you want to be a Ugandan you move to Uganda, learn about Uganda, pay your taxes to Uganda, become a citizen of Uganda and conform to the laws of Uganda. Then you can be rightly called a Ugandan.

A belief in Christ, coupled with a desire to know Him, a desire to follow His teachings, a desire to be a citizen of heaven, to live with Him in Heaven, and the desire to bend your will to conform to His – combined with repentance – makes you a Christian.

And personally, I find a real Bible believing, Bible teaching church to be a good source of knowledge of God. If you want to believe in God and believe you are going to heaven, then you should have something to back up your belief other that your own feelings. Don’t cobble together your idea of God from someone else’s concept that you heard somewhere but are so far removed from that you can’t even remember where. Go to the source, the Word of God, and find your answers. And a proper Bible teaching church is a great help.

I hope this helps some better understand the extent of their belief in God.

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Did God Really Say? Rob Bell says “Everything Is Spiritual”

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Rob

With Rob Bell’s “Love Wins” book making the rounds many are focused on the controversy. Here’s a video I recorded in Nov. 2010 that I never uploaded when it was created. Rob Bell’s video “everything is spiritual” reveals a trend about the authority of those giving sermons in today’s churches. When God says it, is it good enough? Or does it need to be proved from another source? When it comes to creation, is it enough that God said it? Or do we need to attempt to prove it from a human point of view? The book of Genesis reminds us that the enemy’s primary method of attack was to ask “Did God really say?”

Originally recorded Nov 04, 2010.

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James White versus Rob Bell – History In The Making

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Rob

It’s a shame this video by James White has to be one-sided, but like many liberal Christians, I don’t think we would see Rob Bell willing enter into a scholarly debate with James White.  Look at the outcome of the debate with Barry Lynn.  You see, if the Bible is not your authority then you are free to make any argument you like, with or without any evidence or proof, as you’ll see in a minute.

If you watch the Nooma #15 video, you’ll see a condescending Rob Bell rip out your faith with claws, disprove your “God,” assist you in seeing that your Christian faith is just a mash-up of other religions, and bring you down to the level of doubt.  Naturally once you are down he kicks you with “YOU are the good news – YOU are the gospel.”

For those of you that thought Rob Bell was giving you “the facts” then please take the time to watch this video by James White.  When you use revisionist history as the sole proof to make your point, then there is no point to made.  It is only a matter of time until someone points out your error and thereby decimates your conclusion. Just as he did with the DVD “Everything is Spiritual,” Rob Bell is using extra-Biblical texts to prove his point in subject areas where he is not an expert.  And once again, the authority of Rob Bell is in question.

If you pay close attention to this Nooma, you’ll notice that Mr. Bell was giving this speech to himself in a men’s room, in front of a mirror.  There are some of us who wish that is as far as it would have ever gone.

2 Timothy 4:
3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

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Selling Freedom From Hell

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Rob

Thanks to Ken at apprising.org for the transcript of Rob Bell’s recent promotional video for the new book “Love Wins.”

Gandhi’s in hell? He is? And someone knows this, for sure; and felt the need to let the rest of us know? Will only a few, select, people make it to heaven? And will billions and billions of people burn forever in hell? And, if that’s the case, how do you become one of the few? Is it what you believe; or what you say, or what you do, or who you know—or something that happens in your heart? Or do you need to be initiated, or baptized, or take a class, or converted, or being born again—how does one become one of these few?

Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill church, should already have the answers to these questions he poses to you.  Of course he does.  But would a minister of the Gospel put out a video (for hype, controversy, shock value) without answering these questions for you?

It is sort of like a salesman tactic.  Imagine a salesman putting up flyers or running around town saying “I have the cure for cancer in 1 simple food that you can buy at the grocery store.”  Would you believe him?  Someone with cancer would want to test it out and see if it’s true.  Why?  Because they are desperate for a cure.  But the salesman isn’t going to just tell you about his cure.  A loving person would just give you the answer out of love because they want to see you cured.  But the salesman – he wants to sell it to you – for the sake of love for himself, or greed, or love of money, or any other selfish reason.

Likewise, Rob Bell isn’t going to just tell you the answers to the questions posed in his video.  He’s going to sell them to you.  “Love” gives without expecting anything in return, but love of money demands payment for good deeds.

Now I know someone is going to say he has to make a living, etc.  But if he can put out a video, online, for you to watch without payment – for free – then the information he chose to put in this video (out of love) could have just as easily been “here’s what hell is” instead of “what is hell? Buy my book to find out.”  This is manipulation, promotion, marketing and sales.  This isn’t an area where a Christian may wish to delve further into study in order to equip themselves for ministry or enrich an aspect of their life.  This is the core, foundational salvation issue, and Rob Bell isn’t willing to give up his insight on salvation without payment for services rendered. Is this the new way of ministry or the “new way of doing church” that we are often told about?  For an interesting take on this see Chris Rosebrough’s audio commentary at Did God Send Rob Bell to Correct the False Teaching of Jesus RE: the Afterlife?

I expect it goes further though, because Rob Bell doesn’t believe in the traditional view of the Biblical hell.  Apparently in his book he has a new definition of it.  Imagine if he doesn’t believe that many are going to hell.  Then what is he selling?  He’s selling you peace of mind.  A loving minister of the Gospel would want to save you from hell, not convince you that you aren’t destined for hell.  And some of the websites I read say that Bell is just focusing on God’s love instead of God’s judgement.  I say he’s probably ignoring God’s judgement.

But maybe we’re barking up the wrong tree here.  Someone recently made the (assumed) comment that Rob Bell was chosen by God to be a minister.  But is that true?  Are all ministers chosen by God?  Here’s Rob Bell’s own words as recently appeared at CNN about 1 week prior to the appearance of the Love Wins promotional video.

My Faith: Suffering my way to a new tomorrow

In the days and weeks following the band’s breakup, people I barely knew would stop me out of the blue and say things like, “Have you thought about being a pastor?” Friends I hadn’t talked to in months would contact me and say, “For some reason I think you’re going to be a pastor.”

Me, a pastor? Seriously?

The idea began to get a hold of me and it wouldn’t let go. A calling welled up within me, a direction, something I could give myself to.

Someone may say they are “called” to something, but when the thought doesn’t cross your mind until people on the street put it there, then I have concerns. Just “who” is calling? The one who wishes you to tell people they aren’t destined to hell? Or the one who has you selling those people “peace of mind?”

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Rob Bell Talks Hell

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Rob

Rob Bell has gone to Harper Collins to publish his new book, due out in a month, and already the marketing hype is beginning.  It seems the new church isn’t content to bring you a message, they have to sell you a message.

In the rather ambiguous promotional video(thanks to apprising.org for the transcript), Rob Bell makes the following statement :

Several years ago we had an art show at our church and people brought in all kinds of sculptures, and paintings, and we put them on display. And there was this one piece that had a quote from Gandhi in it; and lots of people found this piece compeling. … Somewhere in the course of the art show somebody attached a hand-written note to the piece, and on the note they had written: “Reality Check—He’s In Hell.”Gandhi’s in hell? He is? And someone knows this, for sure; and felt the need to let the rest of us know? Will only a few, select, people make it to heaven? And will billions and billions of people burn forever in hell? And, if that’s the case, how do you become one of the few? …

And then there is the question behind the questions, the real question: What is God like? Because millions and millions of people were taught that the primary message—the center of the Gospel of Jesus—is that God is going to send you to hell, unless you believe in Jesus. And so, what gets, subtlely, sort of caught and taught is that Jesus rescues you from God. But what kind of God is that; that we would need to be rescued from this God? How could that God ever be good; how could that God ever be trusted? And how could that ever be good news.

…See, what we believe about heaven and hell is incredibly important because it exposes what we believe about Who God is, and what God is like. What you discover in the Bible is so surprising, unexpected, and beautiful, that whatever we’ve been told or taught, the good news is actually better than that; better than we could ever imagine.

Without seeing the book we really don’t know where Bell is going with this, but I think it is obvious that he follows others of his kind, in his order, that don’t agree with hell. He does try to cast into question what you’ve been taught by others who have brought their teachings from the Bible.  No, what Bell promises is his interpretation from the Bible, which is better than Sunday school and hellfire preachers.  No fear of God here at all, because love wins.

And look, this again is an issue with authority. Rob Bell doesn’t necessarily submit to the authority of the Bible.  He says “what kind of God is that; that we would need to be rescued from this God? How could that God ever be good; how could that God ever be trusted?”  Basically, it sounds like he doesn’t like the God of the Bible.  It is the old “Would a good God do that?”  The tired old “would a good God send people to hell.”  Nothing new to see here folks.  This is rebellion.  Rebelling against the God of the Bible because Bell doesn’t seem to like him.  Trying to use our own concept of what we think “good” should be – our own standard – to disprove hell and promote universal salvation.  Sorry folks, a good judge demands a penalty according to the law.  A good judge doesn’t abolish prisons the way Bell sees his god abolishing hell.

I’ve been stuck in 2 Peter lately and I think there’s some wisdom to be had here, if you do believe the Bible is the Word of God. From 2 Peter 2:

2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;  7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions,  while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption.

In order for Bell to acknowledge what 2 Peter says about hell he would also have to acknowledge what Peter says about false teachers and where they will be headed – and that doesn’t fit Bell’s theology.  God casting down angels to hell when they sinned and bound them in chains, flooding the ancient world, condemning cities to their extinction for their wickedness,  causing wrongdoers and ignorant blasphemers to suffer wrong for their wrongdoing – would a good God do that?  I think some need to re-examine their own definition of what “good” is.

In other words, you have to ignore a lot of facts placed in evidence to arrive at the pop culture quip and book marketing campaign, that “love wins.”  No, the real Good News according to 2 Peter is that while a good judge gives what is due to sinners, he also preserves the godly from that same fate.

I don’t want you to go to hell for eternity.  But there are some who, instead of telling you how to escape hell, would rather spend their time trying to convince you that there is no hell, no eternal punishment and nothing to lose.  Just like a politician on a disinformation campaign.

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YouTube Terminates Todd Friel and TheWretchedNetwork

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Rob

“It’s only when it is the light that they fight against it.”

Those may become famous words from Todd Friel, whose YouTube channel was recently shut down by complaints filed against the video hosting website that is owned by Google.  Todd spoke those words in a critique about the television show “The View” which went to the ends of the earth to defend Muslims when Juan Williams was fired for making a comment that at times after 9/11 he was “nervous” to see them on an airplane.  Todd’s comments always stuck with me, particularly the “darkness defends and partners with darkness” statement which I use frequently.

On Jan 11, 2011, (01/11/11) I went to Todd’s TheWretchedNetwork channel on YouTube to be shown this message instead of his 500+ original uploads:

YouTube account TheWretchedNetwork has been terminated because we received multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement from claimants including:

  • Media Wave Video Productions

Now, I don’t know if Todd infringed upon anyone’s copyright claim to their original work at all because I’m not a lawyer, but in the videos I’ve seen of him – which would be all of them, he has used clips in what I would estimate the fair use policy allows for, in that most of the clips were used as part of a critique or commentary, in the same way countless other YouTube clips are presented.

Now I don’t know what other claimants YouTube claims filed “multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement” but they do list Media Wave. You can make your own decisions about them and their clients if you like, but I don’t have all the facts on this case at this time. I also don’t understand why, if multiple notifications were received, there was no attempt by YouTube to deal with the claimants one by one as they arise instead of accumulating them and terminating the account.  Who knows, only time and some information will tell what really happened here.  But I do understand one thing very clearly, thanks to Todd’s past work.

That it is only when it is the Light that they fight against it, because darkness partners with and defends darkness.

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