tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304615132024-03-23T13:27:59.216-05:00coffeetrader-news&viewsLindonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12655601618953971431noreply@blogger.comBlogger401125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-64572721701281232112015-05-07T17:14:00.001-05:002015-05-07T17:14:25.890-05:00John Locke's Constitutional Influence<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugncg2Y0bDI8tX87VYBuqEgqMXfQtehaOIcSBMLhqWAAcpeOdyNLuxdKzFOUNGnPXhT_6fcOSNmSqw7OP-AqWkJyY0mNciyVKkqBLeONuv4D8icOGudSOYK-RNjTOC5NErQqN/s1600/john-locke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugncg2Y0bDI8tX87VYBuqEgqMXfQtehaOIcSBMLhqWAAcpeOdyNLuxdKzFOUNGnPXhT_6fcOSNmSqw7OP-AqWkJyY0mNciyVKkqBLeONuv4D8icOGudSOYK-RNjTOC5NErQqN/s1600/john-locke.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Unlike his English rival <u><a href="http://www.americassurvivalguide.com/thomas_hobbes.php">Thomas Hobbes</a></u>, Locke argued that because governments were instituted to protect the <u><a href="http://www.americassurvivalguide.com/unalienable-rights.php">unalienable rights</a></u> of individuals, they had no power other than what was necessary to protect such rights. In other words, a free and just government was necessarily a <u><a href="http://www.americassurvivalguide.com/limited-government.php">limited government</a></u>. Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-41063194386356841832015-05-07T17:07:00.000-05:002015-05-07T17:08:23.686-05:00Were Franklin and Jefferson Right?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBZKDTY6gsopeHbWcggL9il1muyiGFDVlgfHwlhQ2LIh-HTc8dEP-7Q2Ajr_oVz9qCcxx8L0MyUenfBBwqd2MjSb1SjZrXns5WMgvYcai2MRjKNpwJqmPMVMRSGwAKGh18vei/s1600/vc100t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBZKDTY6gsopeHbWcggL9il1muyiGFDVlgfHwlhQ2LIh-HTc8dEP-7Q2Ajr_oVz9qCcxx8L0MyUenfBBwqd2MjSb1SjZrXns5WMgvYcai2MRjKNpwJqmPMVMRSGwAKGh18vei/s1600/vc100t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBZKDTY6gsopeHbWcggL9il1muyiGFDVlgfHwlhQ2LIh-HTc8dEP-7Q2Ajr_oVz9qCcxx8L0MyUenfBBwqd2MjSb1SjZrXns5WMgvYcai2MRjKNpwJqmPMVMRSGwAKGh18vei/s320/vc100t.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
On July 4, 1776, in addition to approving the Declaration of Independence, Congress chose Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin to design a great seal for the new country. Franklin proposed the phrase "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God," a sentiment Jefferson heartily embraced and included in the design for the Virginia seal and sometimes stamped it on the wax seals of his own letters. Although Congress rejected the elaborate seal, it retained the words "E Pluribus Unum," which became the country's motto.
Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-69771551591877392472015-05-07T16:55:00.002-05:002015-05-07T16:55:50.943-05:00Character Matters<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ukyNU51OcnA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-25553203585335803952014-05-19T13:53:00.001-05:002014-05-19T13:53:15.683-05:00The New Christian Hate Speech<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNraQinWqytq7f9WJMFNoCzkxDo4YT0z4Y_-Q-eKxT-4oEfE6BhSHdeRNqG9Z2hsG9CakxgOBZfhjRWoP_oEaDw_VxUpAeJv9cYqZQ8vgwn8HdizFD83O-1wYGe-pWzpRR5zC0/s1600/Truth+the+new+hate+speech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNraQinWqytq7f9WJMFNoCzkxDo4YT0z4Y_-Q-eKxT-4oEfE6BhSHdeRNqG9Z2hsG9CakxgOBZfhjRWoP_oEaDw_VxUpAeJv9cYqZQ8vgwn8HdizFD83O-1wYGe-pWzpRR5zC0/s1600/Truth+the+new+hate+speech.jpg" height="241" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-42647573789756367272014-05-11T11:38:00.000-05:002014-05-11T13:05:20.742-05:00Evil Christians?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iT8vYNWjgjz7GSKXfq2EcapuG9DAW86BKNk8ng6ioMVAVniboz6Gn7EnkuHp2npu0FEBx1f77eA1JOfxebJcIkIZSp1dhF-mdTH_3yWtGGiFiz2IIhmdLGRSpDQiuAqcgynp/s1600/wolf+taking+off+sheep+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iT8vYNWjgjz7GSKXfq2EcapuG9DAW86BKNk8ng6ioMVAVniboz6Gn7EnkuHp2npu0FEBx1f77eA1JOfxebJcIkIZSp1dhF-mdTH_3yWtGGiFiz2IIhmdLGRSpDQiuAqcgynp/s1600/wolf+taking+off+sheep+hat.jpg" /></a>Is there such an animal as an evil Christian? Please stop and think about that for a minute. If your knee jerk reaction is that as believers we are both evil and good at the same time it is probably because you were taught that. It might have been from some proof text of scripture by a teacher or it might be because you were taught we are "born sinning" from the errant doctrine of imputed guilt for Adam's sin. <br />
<br />
Or you might believe it because it is too hard to believe anything else and exist in this world. Let me give an example.<br />
<br />
Remember the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_sex_abuse_cases">Catholic Priest scandals</a>? It scaled the Western world. Wiki can give you an overview in case you have forgotten how vast was the evil inside that denomination. So in light of the vastness and numbers of that scandal, can you tell me why the Catholic church still exists as a reputable institution? The "system" that produced that evil is still in business. It has not changed its structure or beliefs. <br />
<br />
Why do people believe the problem is solved? The children (now adults) who were victims are just a blip on the radar. I am sincerely asking the question: Why does it still exist? Why do millions of Catholics still give money and attend mass? Because it is too big to fail? Because what happened STILL does not prompt them to seriously ask how it could have gone on so long in so many places and so many little children devastated from it? How in the world is Jesus Christ in such thinking? What about Milstones? Do the priests and bishops think the milstone does not apply to them?<br />
<br />
The Evangelical Protestants have plenty of their own institutionalized evil and more of it is starting to come out in terms of greed, politics, child molestations, adultery, etc. It is a huge train wreck that is being excused by millions of evangelicals who view it simply as "sinners sin" or "there but for the grace of God, go I" or some sort of cheap grace that is supposed to cover any future evil committed by long time professing believers. Often they are the ones who make their living off Jesus and find it easy to hide the evil because they have titles and stand on a stage.<br />
<br />
So what was the point of the Cross/Resurrection? Why is the dichotomy sinless perfection or evil Christians? Where is growing in Holiness or you won't see God? What about those "lists" in Galatians, Revelation and other places that warn us believers about who won't make it to the New Earth? What about the 58 "one another's" sprinkled all through the New Covenant? Can we really ignore those to excuse evil in the Body?<br />
<br />
After all, many of us know agnostics who have more character and integrity than some of the pastors we have experienced who have sold their souls to growing an institution that pays them quite well to teach Jesus. Are we experiencing cognitive dissonance or do we not know the real Jesus Christ? I keep seeing the parallels in not only post A.D. church history (which was an evil bloody mess) but in the Old Testament. It was the religious leaders of His time that Jesus had the biggest problem with and showed His anger. The corrupt priests in the OT is a constant theme. Jesus first went to the oppressed and poor to tell them the truth. The religious leaders were too busy with their titles and places of honor. And they found the lowly Jesus quite the threat. History is repeating itself with our culture of the celebrity Christian or the revered title on a stage.<br />
<br />
What I find even more interesting is how many Christians will excuse the evil done by other Christians (often the celebrities) but won't excuse the same evil done by unbelievers. It is as if the professing Christian gets a "get out of jail free" card the unbeliever does not deserve for some reason. Is it really as simple as buying a plastic fish for your car and attending church? In fact, these days ministry is a magnet for sociopaths and narcissists. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_sex_abuse_cases">Check this out</a> . <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-watts/selfdeprecating-narcissis_b_843434.html">Or, this</a>. Where else can you get instant credibility, a respectable title and an audience sitting in pews in rapt attention. All because of a title. Often the pew sitters don't even know the guy personally. That, is cult of personality.<br />
<br />
Many Christians actually have lower ethical and moral standards for those who profess Christ (often those who make a nice living off His Name) than they do for unbelievers. I once had a local judge point this out to me. He was an old friend from undergrad days, an agnostic, who asked me why Christians will pack out a court room on a zoning hearing concerning a porn shop but then come back and pack the court room to give character witness for a pedophile (while the victim looks on helpless with no such support from the "church') and beg for leniency in sentencing. The only difference is the pedophile professed Christ so, for some reason, he deserves a break. Why? It makes no sense. I would imagine many pedophiles would profess Christ to receive a lighter sentence. Often the victim is accused of being unforgiving in those situations, too. See SGM/CJ Mahaney as an example.<br />
<br />
The agnostic judge asks a good question and we should think hard about our answer so we don't cheapen that priceless Blood. Here is a rule of thumb as a believer: Remember the Cross. LIVE OUT the resurrection. We are supposed to be the light of the world. People are supposed to be able to trust us. We are supposed to overcome evil. Not look for excuses to do evil to others.<br />
<br />
Yet, what happens in Christendom is often the exact opposite of what 1 Corinthians 5 teaches us concerning the Body of Christ. We are to judge those IN the Body. We are not to judge the world. But that does not make for a good culture war that evangelicals have engaged in since the 70's...and lost, BTW. <br />
<br />
Now our problem is that the world is often looking more virtuous than we do. Our scandals are coming out faster than we can say, "sinners sin" or "cheap grace". At least the world is honest about sin as they don't do it in the Name of Christ or making a living off His Name while doing the evil. No, in many ways evangelicals are worse than them. Hebrews 10: 26-31, anyone?<br />
<br />
If you wonder why the world hates us, it might not be because of Christ or because we are "the light of the world". It might be because we deserve it. It might be because we spend more time excusing "walking in darkness". (1 John 1)<br />
<br />
We have sold people on the idea a benign Savior who has no power. We promote a form of godliness that has no power of the Holy Spirit or personal transformation. (2 Timothy 3)<br />
<br />
Instead evangelicals promote the false notion that Jesus Christ covered our future evil. That totally negates the reason for the Cross. We support or excuse evil all the time done by fellow Christians (often pastors) and the world does not trust us. I don't blame them. I don't trust "us" either. Which is why more and more of us are joining the "nones". The institutions are not to be trusted. <br />
<br />
The saddest part of this is when "Christians" are offended by the victims of the institutional evil that so permeates much of evangelical Christianity. They want them to shut up. Move on. They censure them by shaming and insisting they are unforgiving. The victim of institutional evil makes them uncomfortable because they might be forced to think about what they believe and why. We saw this with the Catholic priest scandal. We see it with the scandals of CJ Mahaney, Driscoll and many others. So these professing believers require a cheap grace to make it through their cognitive dissonance of believing Christians can continue to do evil. They don't stop to think how the Name of Christ is blasphemed by excusing evil done by ministers, priests or those who have made their living off the Name of Christ. <br />
<br />
I have spoken to so many victims of the institutional evil and the refrain is almost always the same. The evil done to me by the institution (pastor, priest) makes other Christians so uncomfortable. They always end up blaming the victim instead of the evil doer. They end up making excuses for the one who did the evil. Perhaps it is the title they have been taught to respect. <br />
<br />
Victims of the institutional evil need to understand that it is almost impossible to move on when you are around "Christians" who think that way about evil done in His Name. As if you are a lesser being than the one with the title who did the evil. They get a pass. The victim becomes a survivor when they come to the realization of the true Jesus Christ and move on from those who believe lies about Him. This is called having "boundaries". Not being censored because the evil done to you makes them uncomfortable about what they believe about Christianity. You are most likely safer around agostics who believe in a basic right and wrong. Anything to get away from the mentality that long time believers do evil to others so no big deal. How can anyone trust that? Lock up the children and hide the silver, pastors who do evil are coming over.<br />
<br />
Problem is most of institutional Christianity believes in the Jesus who hung on the cross so we could continue in sin after the resurrection. That thinking comes in many forms from the cheap grace of the seeker movement to Calvinists who believe that God is controlling every molecule 24/7. In essence, they believe all Christians are powerless to stop sinning. You have to wonder the motivation for teaching people such a thing. Cover for when their evil comes out? You also have to wonder what they really think of the priceless blood shed for us by a powerful Savior who made it possible for us to overcome evil. Why is the Holy Spirit AWOL from them?<br />
<br />
So, can Christians continue in evil deeds or even ignore evil in the Body?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/16621383">http://vimeo.com/16621383</a><br />
<br />Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-25543843379022115582012-06-01T18:01:00.003-05:002012-06-01T18:01:52.906-05:00Becoming a Dissident<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"You do not become a 'dissident' just because you decide one day to take up this most unusual </span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kH79YefPMtiR1446vC_pvHy19H4YEAcXiiJQ-MuHGrAbujyOlusN9kkqc6VK1bixpsRyji6t4br-g4axEOHxHIMUpg56ehO1IQCH0CaOs29mZx59AFGzOppd75CB_e0Uoaz3/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 287px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 173px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kH79YefPMtiR1446vC_pvHy19H4YEAcXiiJQ-MuHGrAbujyOlusN9kkqc6VK1bixpsRyji6t4br-g4axEOHxHIMUpg56ehO1IQCH0CaOs29mZx59AFGzOppd75CB_e0Uoaz3/s1600/th.jpg" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> career. You are thrown into it by your personal sense of responsibility, combined with a complex set of external circumstances. You are cast out of the existing structures and placed in a position of conflict with them. It begins as an attempt to do your work well, and ends with being branded an enemy of society." </span></strong></em> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>Lindonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12655601618953971431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-78242936309321191272012-05-19T12:31:00.000-05:002012-05-19T12:33:30.062-05:00New Calvinism and Church Discipline<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Px931u8JGogH5ns0k6ShsMS_4h-gma9aFvXDoQUA4_yLl70V18pxihLoycuwqytC1sTuqc2RQqTj7P_VjX7neMtstAWXitVNbZiDZuCRQWMOSQchVgNlqtIgawv5ydEUvx1O/s1600/church-discipline-ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Px931u8JGogH5ns0k6ShsMS_4h-gma9aFvXDoQUA4_yLl70V18pxihLoycuwqytC1sTuqc2RQqTj7P_VjX7neMtstAWXitVNbZiDZuCRQWMOSQchVgNlqtIgawv5ydEUvx1O/s320/church-discipline-ebook.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Dear Reader,</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Whatever you do, do NOT sign any "membership Covenants" or any type of agreements in order to join any church. No matter how nice or sincere they may seem at first. You have been warned. Here is one example of thousands making their way to the light of day.</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="http://paulspassingthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/ebook-church-discipline.pdf"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Calibri;">New Calvinism and Church Discipline</span></a></div>
</div>Lindonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12655601618953971431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-38562606783410214312012-04-06T21:54:00.000-05:002012-04-06T21:54:51.618-05:00Pastoring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Alan Knox over at, <a href="http://www.alanknox.net/">theAssemblingoftheChurch</a>, hits one out of the ballpark with a series on "Pastoring". I especially loved this quote from Jamal from the post, <a href="http://www.alanknox.net/2012/04/but-he-has-an-mdiv-and-ordination-papers/">but he has an MDiv and Ordination papers</a>:<br />
<br />
<em>These precious saints who ask me to pray for their ‘Elders’ are frustrated because their ‘Elders’ (wise ones in the faith) are not really wise in the faith. I want them to realize that putting a descriptive term like ‘elder’ (one who is wise in the faith) upon a person who is not wise in the faith makes no sense. Instead of being frustrated with these people, simply see them for who they are, and who they aren’t.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>I want these precious saints to realize that if someone is not ‘wise in the faith,’ they are NOT an elder even if they do carry the job description or title of ‘Elder / Pastor.’ Simply realizing this could free many from being held hostage to a system or organization led by a set of ‘unwise’ people who carry the title of being ‘wise.’ After all, the title of ‘elder’ does not make a person ‘wise’ in the faith.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><em>The problem is not really with these unwise ‘Elders,’ rather the problem is with the people who think the term ‘elder’ refers to some type of ‘office’ that carries a hierarchical weight that is separate from the person itself. This is foreign to the New Testament. It is absurd to look to someone whom we already know is not ‘wise’ in the faith and refer to them with a term that means ‘one who is wise in the faith.’</em><br />
<br />
Amen. Quote from "Jamal" over at <a href="http://jamaljivanjee.com/2012/04/please-pray-for-our-elders/">illuminate</a>. Read his whole post, too. </div>Lindonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12655601618953971431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-16540981246752130312012-03-27T18:34:00.000-05:002012-03-27T18:36:11.563-05:00A Cry for Justice<em><span style="font-size: large;">"Good people never pretend to be evil, but evil people pretend to be good. Sheep don't wear wolves' clothing." </span></em><br />
<br />
~ Jeff Crippen<br />
<br />
<br />
Check out Jeff's great blog <a href="http://cryingoutforjustice.wordpress.com/">http://cryingoutforjustice.wordpress.com/</a><br />
<br />
It is a bit too complicated to comment there but the articles are definitely worth readingLinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-56372666813895640142012-01-26T21:39:00.000-05:002012-01-26T21:39:19.101-05:00The Gentiles Lording It Over<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Wade Burleson has hit the nail squarely on the head with this post:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wadeburleson.org/2012/01/our-problem-is-authoritarianism-and-not.html">our-problem-is-authoritarianism-and-not legalism</a></div>Lindonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12655601618953971431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-70882129334534474942011-11-29T21:30:00.000-05:002011-11-29T21:30:26.041-05:00Facebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLE06SwZ_jTi-hmxbEcqtZ_L0AFyjsc2TFiqCrifv-3HKtRDDQFz6wsV-4s1vGwMX6xf_foB3JFIYw-Ss329RO4cPklUaQ_ipPDrnuM9cElZmQo25WmdspOt7AWtQT_ZmdV8mY/s1600/santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLE06SwZ_jTi-hmxbEcqtZ_L0AFyjsc2TFiqCrifv-3HKtRDDQFz6wsV-4s1vGwMX6xf_foB3JFIYw-Ss329RO4cPklUaQ_ipPDrnuM9cElZmQo25WmdspOt7AWtQT_ZmdV8mY/s400/santa.jpg" width="293" /></a></div></div>Lindonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12655601618953971431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-26281815350979153642011-10-21T22:54:00.003-05:002011-10-21T23:03:49.784-05:00The Forgotten Man<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pI4qZDsDRPyJJuzblibIhoyJ8NS0JqMJEDGLzYLEd1pHAYiCos6uiMVn6t3opUwJgHtZkXNd88U2uwbjUEP1FQhU5O02BBLI84rT9ALKAFLGQMMp-fg4AN3r6uIr0Hn-p69V/s1600/thumbnail.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666161840140817938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pI4qZDsDRPyJJuzblibIhoyJ8NS0JqMJEDGLzYLEd1pHAYiCos6uiMVn6t3opUwJgHtZkXNd88U2uwbjUEP1FQhU5O02BBLI84rT9ALKAFLGQMMp-fg4AN3r6uIr0Hn-p69V/s200/thumbnail.jpg" /></a> <em>As soon as A observes something which seems to him to be wrong, from which X is suffering, A talks it over with B, and A and B then propose to get a law passed to remedy the evil and help X. Their law always proposes to determine what C shall do for X, or in the better case, what A, B and C shall do for X....</em><br /><br /><br /><div><em>What I want to do is to look up C. I want to show you what manner of man he is. I call him the <strong>Forgotten Man</strong>. Perhaps the appellation is not strictly correct. He is the man who is never thought of....</em></div><br /><br /><div><em>He works, he votes, generally he prays....but he always pays....</em><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>--William Graham Sumner</div><br /><div>Yale University, 1883</div>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-83456587373415861942011-10-14T22:52:00.002-05:002011-10-14T22:57:03.869-05:00Toxicity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZC9UMoFA-1NhVwn_Q1qz4uPE3YO9XN7Hy21BoJ9_97mpX6TRFd2eNFpROTFiRdHLNQU-mG0n3y_LnXw8yIiOYV_9qMpr4a_DtZZqnvxEy1OHZff30prpSCwpQS0uiVlvNT6Zb/s1600/churchsign2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZC9UMoFA-1NhVwn_Q1qz4uPE3YO9XN7Hy21BoJ9_97mpX6TRFd2eNFpROTFiRdHLNQU-mG0n3y_LnXw8yIiOYV_9qMpr4a_DtZZqnvxEy1OHZff30prpSCwpQS0uiVlvNT6Zb/s400/churchsign2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>When concern over abusive and unbiblical church leaders at least equals concern over gossip, it will be progress. One of the reasons abusive leaders are able to continue on so long is that they suppress the cries of the injured and shove the victims out into the night as quickly as possible. Pietists are trained to look the other way for the sake of the “cause of Christ” when in fact, Christ’s cause is very much with the wronged, the abused and the injured. The cause of Christ is not keeping big names from being tarnished, it is found in truth.</em> </strong>~Ingrid Schlueter</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>HT: <a href="http://www.ingridschlueter.com/shows">http://www.ingridschlueter.com/shows</a></div>Lindonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12655601618953971431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-28911136780345049552011-08-28T10:30:00.001-05:002011-08-28T14:49:19.917-05:001 Timothy 5 – “Older Women” or “Elderesses”?<div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none"><a style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; CLEAR: right; cssfloat: right" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDDVpthZmhtnu-F4-f9cYzcigA26ySqXmLqeFxAUy3tnH8bQegSBVS0Ua7tyrmhRcXEWa5yJiggwnvEcpa_-v4-UtJ2zYXkUjraBtKeTFhs7Re-S827c_DN02_sOFlz9UuRT_/s1600/sinaiticus.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDDVpthZmhtnu-F4-f9cYzcigA26ySqXmLqeFxAUy3tnH8bQegSBVS0Ua7tyrmhRcXEWa5yJiggwnvEcpa_-v4-UtJ2zYXkUjraBtKeTFhs7Re-S827c_DN02_sOFlz9UuRT_/s200/sinaiticus.jpg" width="189" height="200" qaa="true" /></a><em>My good blogging friend, Junkster, sent me this study after he was inspired by a comment of Dr. James Willingham's in this </em><a href="http://sbcvoices.com/female-pastors-graceless-responses-in-mayberry/"><em>SBCVoices</em></a><em> post, to take a deeper look at 1 Timothy 5. He gave me persmission to post it here: </em></div>
<br /><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none">
<br /></div>In an interlinear translation of 1 Timothy 5:1-2, we have these interesting verses:
<br />
<br />5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
<br />(Presbuterw mh epiplhchv, alla parakalei wv patera, newterouv wv adelfouv,)
<br />
<br />5:2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
<br />(presbuterav wv mhterav, newterav wv adelfav en pash agneia.)
<br />
<br />The context of 1 Tim 5:1-22 is a set of instructions for relating to various people in the church -- elder males, younger males, elder females, younger females, elder widows, younger widows, all summarized in the instruction in 5:21 to "observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality." Thus the passage is providing instructions for fair treatment of all in the body, whether old, young, male, or female, while recognizing and acting according to the unique needs and circumstances of each. We may do different things with or toward different people, but we are not to elevate some over others just because of their gender and/or age.
<br />
<br />Verses 1 & 2 give the instruction to entreat (rather than rebuke) various people. Verse one deals with entreating "elders" (presbutero, the singular masculine form of presbuteros, which we are to entreat "as a father") and then younger men ("as brothers"); verse two gives the same instruction for "elder women" (presbuteras, the plural feminine form of presbuteros, whom we are to entreat "as mothers"), and then younger [women] ("as sisters").
<br />
<br />Given the parallel construction of these two verses, the appropriate translation should be consistent. One could either translate presbutero as "elder men" (referring not to the concept of a specific church function, but just to "old dudes") and presbuteras as "elder women" (referring to "old ladies"). Alternatively, one could translate the former as "male elders" (referring to the church function) and the latter as "female elders".
<br />
<br />Well, now, that changes things a bit, huh?
<br />
<br />The question of which way the words should be translated, either "old men” and “old women", or "male elders” and “female elders", cannot be discerned from those two verses alone. But the rest of the passage gives insight into the appropriate translation -- in instructions regarding "widows" (chera) in verses 3-16, and in further instructions regarding elders in verses 17-22.
<br />
<br />The instructions regarding "widows" in verses 3-16 indicate some sort of formal recognition by the church of specific individuals that fall into that category. Reference is made to "the list" ("the number" in KJV), which is katalego, referring specifically to some sort of registry used to keep track of people (also used of enlisted soldiers elsewhere). In this passage, the list is to be used to keep track of who should and should not receive direct support from the contributions made to the church. Thus Paul uses "widows" to refer to individuals who have a specific designation within the church, including what functions those persons are to perform in the church (prayer, good deeds, service to others, etc.).
<br />
<br />In verses 17-22, Paul comes back to elders, first giving instructions to provide "double honor" to those who "direct the affairs of the church" ("rule well" in the KJV, a poor translation) and then giving instructions on how to deal with an accusation against an elder -- not to be done except "before two or three witnesses". (The KJV translation, which, by the way, is a better translation in this case than the NIV, which says "brought by two or three witnesses." Translated correctly, the instruction is, if you are going to listen to someone making an accusation against an elder, there need to be others present to hear the accusation, not that the accusation has to come from more than one person. Big difference.) Also, verse 22 refers to the “laying on of hands”, the normal way of indicating that someone is being prayed over to be set apart for a specific task or function in the church.
<br />
<br />So we see that both "widows" and "elders", in context, are specific designations, filling specific functions in the body. The overall context of the passage is dealing with relating to those who have those specific, designated functions in the church.
<br />
<br />Thus, we can conclude that "elder' in verse one is not referring just to a man of advanced age, but to the concept of one who fills the church function of elder. And, if we use sound principles of translation, the correct translation in 5:2 should then be "elderesses" or "female elders".
<br />
<br />One of the things we can see from this is that the KJV translators (and most since) had a vested interest in maintaining the hierarchical status quo, and they allowed their own cultural biases and assumptions to influence their translations.
<br />
<br /><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none">
<br /></div>
<br /><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none">There's no good reason to translate presbuteras in 5:2 as "elder women" unless you are trying to avoid the conclusion that the Bible indicates that both men and women can be elders. </div>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-11532958856084815122011-08-15T16:25:00.000-05:002011-08-15T16:25:08.721-05:00Mark Driscoll: I See Things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div closure_uid_4e8xhg="167"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aVyFyauE4ig" width="425"></iframe></div><div closure_uid_4e8xhg="167"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_4e8xhg="167">Video Transcript: </div><br />
<br />
Some people actually see things. This may be gift of discernment. On occasion, I see things. I see things. Uh, like I was meeting with one person and they—they didn't know this, but they were abused when they were a child. And I said, "When you were a child you were abused. This person did this to you, physically touched you this way." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He said, "How do you know?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I said, "I don't know. It's like I got a TV right here. I'm seeing it." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He said, "No that never happened." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I said, "Go ask him. Go ask him if they actually did what I think they did and I see that they did." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
They went and asked this person, "When I was a little kid did you do this?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And the person said, "Yyyyeah, but you were only like a year or two old. How do you remember that?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He said, "Well, pastor Mark told me." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm not a guru. I'm not a freak. I don't talk about this. If I did talk about it everybody'd want to meet with me and I'd end up like one of those guys on TV. But some of you have this visual ability to see things. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Um, uh, there was one women I dealt with. She never told her husband that she had committed adultery on him early in the relationship. I said, "You know—" (she's sitting there with her husband). I said, "You know I think the root of all this—I think Satan has a foothold in your life because you've never told your husband about that really tall blonde guy that you met at the bar. And then you went back to the hotel. And you laid on your back. And you undressed yourself. And he climbed on top of you. And you had sex with him. And snuggled up with him for a while. And deep down in your heart, even though you had just met him, you desired him because secretly he is the fantasy body type." I said, "You remember that place it was that cheap hotel with that certain-colored bedspread. You did it—you had sex with the light on because you weren't ashamed and you wanted him to see you. And you wanted to see him." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She was just looking at me like— <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I said,"You know, it was about ten years ago. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"I see everything." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She says—she looks at her husband. He says, "Is that true?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She says, "Yeah." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"He was 6'2", blonde hair, blue eyes?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"Yeah." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Some of you when you're counseling you will see things. I mean you will, you will literally gift of discernment see things. I can't explain it. It doesn't happen all the time. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sometimes your counselee, they will see things. Ye—eh—there's pa— I found this with people—ok, now let me—I'm gonna ask the demon questions. You tell me what they say." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"They don't say anything." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I say, "What do you hear?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And they say, "Nothing." They say, "But I'm seeing stuff." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"Oh, oh, well tell me. What's that?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"I'm seeing—you know when I was little my grandpa molested me. I didn't know that." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I said, "Well, let's not assume it's true. Go ask your grandfather." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Grandpa says, "Yyyeah, when you were little I molested you." Grandpa was assuming they'd be too young to remember. So he'd only molest grand kids up to a certain age. But they saw it. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It's the supernatural. It's, it's, it's the whole other realm. It's like the Matrix. You can take the blue pill, you take the red pill. You go into this whole other world. And, and, and that's the way it works. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So I say—tell me everything you hear, tell me everything you see. And sometimes I see things too. I see things too. I've seen women raped. I've seen children molested. I've seen people abused. I've seen people beaten. I've seen horrible things done. Horrible things done. I've seen children dedicated in occultic groups and demons come upon them as an infant by invitation. And I wasn't present for any of it, but I've seen it visibly. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Upon occasion when I get up to preach I'll see—just like a screen in front of me—I'll see somebody get raped or abused and then I'll track 'em down and say, "Look I had this vision. Let me tell you about it." All true. One I had—I was sitting in my office at the old, uh, Earl Building. This gal walks by. Nice gal, member of the church. This is when the church was small. And it's just like a TV was there and I saw the night before her husband threw her up against the wall, had her by the throat, was physically violent with her. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And she said, "That's it, I'm telling the pastors." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And he said, "If you do I'll kill you." He was a very physically abusive man. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She was walking by and I just saw it. It was like a TV. And I said, "Hey, come here for a second." I said, "Last night did your husband throw you up against the wall and have you by the throat, physically assault you and tell you if you told anyone he would kill you?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And she just starts bawling. She says, "How did you know?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I said, "Jesus told me." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I call the guy on the phone: "Hey, I need you to come to the office." Didn't give him any clue. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He comes in and I said, "Dude, what'd you do to your wife last night? Why'd you do this? Why'd you throw her up against the wall?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And he gets very angry. They're sitting on the couch and he says, "Why did you tell him?" <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I said, "She didn't. Jesus did. Jesus did." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
. . . And there are some people that have real gift of discernment, and I'm not saying I'm a hundred percent always right with it, but some of you are going to have gift of discernment, and you need to—you need to learn to grow in the use of that gift. And sometimes people will hear things. Sometimes people will see things.</div>Lindonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12655601618953971431noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-54419747592808864352011-07-10T11:37:00.007-05:002011-07-13T12:05:13.008-05:00CJ Mahaney and SGM: The Systematic Approach to Sin Sniffing<em>(Note: I had to edit out some of the information due to counsel that warned me these guys don't play around and are starting to throw out charges of "slander". Even though what I wrote is cooberated elsewhere, I don't need the hassle. So, I simply edited out a specific sin/crime that is part of this whole saga of PDI/SGM)<br /><br /></em><a href="http://www.scribd.com/sgmwikileaks">http://www.scribd.com/sgmwikileaks</a> (pack a lunch before reading)<br /><a href="http://sgmsurvivors.com/">http://sgmsurvivors.com/</a><br /><a href="http://sgmrefuge.com/">http://sgmrefuge.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.sojournsg.com/">http://www.sojournsg.com/</a><br /><br />Check out the links above for everything you need to know about SGM and C.J. Mahaney.<br /><br />Now, before reading this post, take the red pill. If you are reluctant, all I can advise is to definitely take the red pill before reading the sgmwikileaks documents. You will thank me...someday.<br /><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 122px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627775843855312850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFzepcmu0rWUOrGrwWA3jmrsL2FXTTX78dv4LfnrjMSsKvYPTlbR57Uut8Wa-DCeHp2xUsbdTQ1AFZwWQOOh8Eqi-XoKK4QJ0bAHbNCuL88-mwS5KLQfmJuL9k0_0KrMBJz66/s320/header4.jpg" /><br /></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p>Blue pills are still being administered all over Christendom as they have been for years to prop up evil systems. You will hear the ominous threats of "gossip" from religous leaders and their sycophants if you dare read the documents above. But don't feel guilty. Read them. Truth is important. Truth is not gossip.<br /><br />Of course, some of us have long known there were serious systemic problems with CJ Mahaney and SGM. All one has to do is google (always do this before joining any movement or even your local church) and one finds, sgmsurvivors, sgmrefuge, my sojournwithsgm, etc, a veritable litany of what is wrong with SGM and a trail miles long littered with it's victims.<br /><br />Just a few hours of reading the docs and you can pretty much tell it is a cult or cultish at the very least. But wait, how can it be a cult or cultish if Mohler, Dever, Duncan, Piper, etc, all vouch for SGM's leading "Apostle" C.J. Mahaney? The answer is that you have been taking blue pills for way too long so you missed the reality that Christendom has become a huge business full of power, fame,greed and lots of "merchandising" of the Gospel with conferences and "you blurb my book and I will blurb yours" going on. With power and celebrity being the main focus. None of this can go on for so long without followers giving their money and adoring the celebrities...even obeying them.<br /><br />A few things struck me in the documents:<br /><br />A long time leader in SGM (Brent) kept meticulous notes and documentation for over 13 years. He claims to be the unofficial historian of SGM.<br /><br />This document guy is one of "them". Many of us are thankful he kept the documentation for so long but to be honest, he is one of them. He did not keep them to "out" SGM so much as to keep a list of sins to be confronted and timelines of how they were not confessed...or not confessed properly. He is like a relentless, annoying Nathan who is just as guilty as David but cannot see it.<br /><br />He thought this was normal. SGM thinks this is normal. The entire leadership of SGM thinks this is normal. People who attend SGM churches think this is normal. This.... "sin sniffing".<br /><br />Now, you may be thinking...wow! Sins such as embezzelment or adultery....no, my friend, it is much worse. The sins documented are things like pride, lack of being accountable, not having the proper reaction to a rebuke, etc....... ad nauseum.<br /><br />Now, I had heard the term "sin sniffing" from former SGMers but I never really understood the depth of the terminology UNTIL I read the docs. It is unbelievable. These "men" have way too much time on their hands, way too much money and way too big of egos. They need to be rebuked. Just kidding. It is way too far far gone for that. That would be simply playing their game. Run away from them.<br /><br />I am not so sure what is worse, the "sin sniffing" or the method of confrontation for the sin of having a "look of pride".<br /><br />Every single confrontation is preceeded by a lot of cheesy "Christianese" such as, " I love you, you are a brother in Christ" and ends with praises to God. The Dale Carnegie approach to sin sniffing? Do they not see how fake it all sounds while they rip each other to shreds or ignore the glaring REAL sin that is never to be named? No, it is all vague and broad.<br /><br />This is the system that CJ built. Our Lord is mentioned A LOT but no where in sight.<br /><br />My first thoughts upon reading this were, 'This is what highly paid ministers in the top rungs of a large "family of churches" do with their time'? I am not joking when I say they sounded like Junior High girls trying to analyze each other and nit picking every action, every word. I had flashbacks!<br /><br />And this went on for years....because it is the FOUNDATION of SGM. It was built on this sort of sin sniffing and it is universal in their "family of churches" . It was as if the Resurrection never happened for them. They did not get the indwelling Holy Spirit because they are stuck on a "pre Cross" religion.... living under a sort of "Christian" Oral Law they created and fine tuned just for their movement.<br /><br />Now, as I am reading the docs, I am fully aware of how victims of sexual molestation were treated at SGM by their "pastor college" trained pastors...or are they apostles (little" a" because Mahaney is the big "A")? I was already aware of the trail of wounded from PDI (People of Destiny) to SGM before I read the docs.<br /><br />Rabbit trail alert: Does anyone else find the name "People of Destiny" like a neon sign warning "cult ahead"? Good move changing the name, CJ. It gave you some breathing time before the cult methods were outed. I cannot picture Al Mohler partnering with an "Apostle" from the "People of Destiny", can you?<br /><br />So, reading the docs,one stumbles upon "CJ the blackmailer".<br /><br />But even before we get to the blackmail we see that CJ is quite good at what he does. Whenever he is confronted, he is very nice about it while he cleverly twists it around to make the other person confronting him the "real sinner". Very clever. Machiavelli would be proud. Too bad email was invented. If it had not been, this would be a simple matter of he said/he said and CJ would win by default as an "Apostle", big A.<br /><br />Back to blackmail. Well, CJ was not demanding money so I am not sure blackmail is the right word. Perhaps "pastoral confidence hostage" is better. And this happened with his former partner and "brother in Christ", Larry Tomczak, in the PDI days. Well, actually he is using Larry's teenage son (at the time) as the hostage, to blackmail Larry.<br /><br />CJ used a private pastoral confession as leverage to keep his former partner (Larry Tomzak) quiet about PDI/SGM going Calvinist. It is not easy to take Charismatics to Calvinism when you have promoted "prophecy mic's" and are speaking in tongues. Even being a "big A" Apostle does not quite fit with "going Calvinist". (They prefer the more acceptable term, "Reformed")<br /><br />Here is the back story if you are too lazy or busy to slog through the 600 pages of documentation.<br /><br />Larry's teenage son had some (edited out) sin in his life. And it was serious. It is not quite clear if it was ___ (edited out) or not but that seems to be the case since there was a victim. If it was, CJ should have called the authorities and at least acknowledged the victim. But we know SGM does not "do" victims who have suffered any molestation from their own. In fact, victims of sexual molestation are in sin for not giving instant forgiveness... as we know from Noel's story of her 3 year old being molested by another SGM'er. (google sgmsurvivors-noel's story and it is not the only sexual victim story from SGM and how it was handled)<br /><br />Anywho, so CJ hears Larry's teenage son's confession and promises pastoral confidentiality. I am not clear on the details of what happened with the victim but CJ seems to have wrapped it all up nicely for Larry and his son and made the problem "go away".<br /><br />Then CJ wants to make changes in the movement that Larry does not agree with.<br />So, CJ simply alludes (CJ never comes right out and says what he really means)<br />he will make the (edited out) sin stuff about Larry's son known if he does not go along or keep his mouth shut about them. Let us just say that Larry, his wife and some others in leadership think it was blackmail.<br /><br />Larry and CJ split, PDI becomes the more acceptable name of SGM and PRESTO! a new brand of Reformers appear as Calvinists waving their hands in song and praying in tongues. Frozen Chosen? I think not. And like magic, we have a charistmatic wing of Calvinism in the New Reformed Movement that is sweeping our land.<br /><br />CJ climbs his way up the Reformed elite ladder...acceptance by the big cheeses....Piper, Mohler, Dever, T4G, etc....becomes a player with book deals (one on Humility, no less!) and lots of speaking gigs. He is accepted into the Reformed elite, making big money and is quite popular. (They even had the grace to ignore his constant "giggling")<br /><br />All the while, he has Brent (the author of the docs and unoffical SGM historian) dogging him...sin sniffing him. Email after email..... for years and years. Meeting after meeting with the "A" team. (If you can believe it...they have an A team. Let me guess...Apostle team?)<br /><br />After all, this is the "shepherding" system CJ created. It had everything but the state magistrates Calvin had at his disposal. But who needs magistrates when you have apostles, care team leaders and brainwashed sycophants running all over SGM churches sin sniffing people? The Soviets could not have devised a better system of control. One blog commenter said the docs reminded him of reading the tactics of the Chinese under Mao, during the cultural revolution, where forced confession and re-education were everyday happenings.<br /><br />But there was one tiny problem. CJ was not supposed to be a recipient of his own system.<br /><br />This sin sniffing was only for everyone else. He is a big A Apostle, remember? Doesn't Brent realize this? No. Brent did not get that memo. In fact, Brent did not think the "unwritten" rules applied to him. He did not take into consideration that CJ is the brand. He IS SGM. He has the ear of Mohler, Dever, Piper, etc.<br /><br />Big mistake, because they tried to fire Brent (forced resignation just like they do in the corporate world.) And remember, Brent is one of them. He has left a trail of wounded in his long career with PDI/SGM.<br /><br />There is more but I will cut to the chase because the timeline becomes very interesting. And this is just in the last few weeks. SGM has been busy...I am sure their PR people and lawyers have earned their keep these few weeks. (Ken Sande, we see you in the shadows, buddy)<br /><br />SGM announces,in house,that....SURPRISE!...after all these years....Larry is coming in for a man hug with CJ. Reconcilation and forgiveness all around after all these years. Larry will be coming to attend an SGM conference for pastors. Seems Larry did not just go quietly into that good night all those years before....there was a split. You mean the humble big A apostle had some baggage from way back? Not to worry, man hug announced and scheduled.<br /><br />But we did not know the docs had been circulating around SGM tight circles for several months, now did we? Brings new light to the annoucement of the sudden Larry man hug after all these years.<br /><br />Then shortly after THAT surprise announcment, CJ announces he is stepping down for a while to contemplate his sin and be accountable to Mark Dever (of T4G fame but not of SGM). Now, we find out that CJ knew the docs had been circulated to a "wider audience" by Brent right before CJ made his "stepping down for a while to contemplate my sin" announcement. Timing is everything, isn't it? Did you know you could time "humility"? You can. CJ proves it.<br /><br />But, be rest assured, he is not stepping down "for a while" for any sexual or moral sins. Of course, to name the horrible sin that caused him to step down 'for a while'<br />would be wrong...yikes...more sin..because we know only they have the authority to define for us, what is sin.<br /><br />No, we must leave people wondering because then we can nail them for the "sin of wondering" what the horrible sin was that caused this great man of God, Big A Apostle, to have to leave his dynasty for awhile and be accountable to another Reformed big cheese. We must trust our leaders. We must "trust positive intentions".<br /><br />Quick, grab a blue pill before you wake up to reality!<br /><br />Now, around the blogosphere in the zany world that is Christendom, he is being lauded as the most "humble-humble" pastor in all America" and anyone who reads the docs is only a gossip. Before, he was only "humble". Now, all of this proves he is: Double knot humble.<br /><br />You cannot make this stuff up.<br /><br />To paraphrase one blogger in a comment: I expect to see Mahaney to now miraculously discover GRACE. He will claim he has left out the GRACE in SGM. He will write a book about it and be more popular than ever. The celebrities will rally around him, (because they blurbed his books and had him speaking on their stages before he was double knot humble) bring him in to speak (for a fee, of course) on their conference stages. They will be "covered" in doing so by not only Larry, who came in for a man hug, but by Mark Dever's good housekeeping seal of approval for sin contrition. He will be a huge humble hero at T4G in Louisville. He might just steal the show. Giggles all around.<br /><br />These guys are good at reinventing themselves and redefining sin.<br /><br />See, sin pays well in American Christianity if you are a celebrity Christian. So, sin more because GRACE abounds. But NEVER be foolish enough to confess or acknowledge the REAL sin. Be vague about it. No specifics allowed. Have a "broad sin heading" You can even claim "acceptable" sins like "pride" and "arrogance".<br /><br />The Holy Spirit always convicts us of "vague sin". Right?<br /><br />Then, if anyone inquires, since you are a leader and your income derives from their support, you can use your title and position to say, "that is gossip" and you are in sin for wondering what my sin really is, specifically. Nevermind that I instituted the sin sniffing system for you to live by. I am exempt. I am a big A.<br /><br />So, there you have it. Thousands of people have supported this system and found it credible...even after reading the New Testament and the part about the Resurrection.<br /><br />But, I just had to to save the best for last. Because this is America and we have our own brand of Christianity. You see, Larry's son, (edited out) the teen raised in the legalistic sin sniffing shepherding system, is now running for poltical office!<br /><br />Is that perfect or what?<br /><br />Better get your script for blue pills filled soon. </p>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-89694348251082157272011-04-29T14:10:00.002-05:002011-04-29T14:14:37.270-05:00David Wilkerson, RIP<iframe height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/41GPCKc1rmM?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="560"></iframe>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-21638032759146904022011-04-16T19:44:00.003-05:002011-04-16T19:59:28.605-05:00The People Formally Known As The Congregation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgNUSwnJAPwg-ncXWb-BBL3irXqPIwUtnk8AOC3qClnSqA6yYaG8vtNGdFIUKx8r6gSNmaA9qTly0-fydHAmREB8tjkweZLLTLSweE956SegJnOiDvCHczC-hzlCAkTVZC_hO/s1600/churchgr.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 267px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 201px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596350535487281650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgNUSwnJAPwg-ncXWb-BBL3irXqPIwUtnk8AOC3qClnSqA6yYaG8vtNGdFIUKx8r6gSNmaA9qTly0-fydHAmREB8tjkweZLLTLSweE956SegJnOiDvCHczC-hzlCAkTVZC_hO/s320/churchgr.jpg" /></a> <br /><div>This is an old post by the ever articulate </div><br /><div>Bill Kinnon over at <a href="http://http//www.kinnon.tv/">http://http//www.kinnon.tv/</a> </div><br /><div>but it is certainly timeless in content.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.kinnon.tv/2007/03/the_people_form.html">http://www.kinnon.tv/2007/03/the_people_form.html</a> </div><a href="http://www.kinnon.tv/2007/03/the_people_form.html"></a>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-53225102573657947222011-04-10T09:37:00.005-05:002011-04-10T09:47:56.768-05:00Count the Costs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqzxE99wiI8pX_9wSE9gc8vp8YkkhiQXnKKtuUj3cUfwh0CPYO5iXgPoL-1GMFjLnqIdgiUPJwzyn2qcvFVSLTTuElyAMcwSLZurufWMYfMM1PNtYlqPkzj62xLDCaQPJRuU6/s1600/bonhoeffer.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 358px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 265px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593966540370757682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqzxE99wiI8pX_9wSE9gc8vp8YkkhiQXnKKtuUj3cUfwh0CPYO5iXgPoL-1GMFjLnqIdgiUPJwzyn2qcvFVSLTTuElyAMcwSLZurufWMYfMM1PNtYlqPkzj62xLDCaQPJRuU6/s320/bonhoeffer.jpg" /></a> <br /><blockquote><br /><p><em><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;">"Where the world despises other members of the Christian family, Christians will love and serve them. If the world does violence to them, Christians will help them and provide them relief. Where the world subjects them to dishonor and insult, Christians will sacrifice their own honor in exchange for their disgrace. Where the world seeks gain, Christians will renounce it; where it exploits, they will let go; where it oppresses, they will stoop down and lift up the oppressed. Where the world denies justice, Christians will practice compassion; where it hides behind lies, they will speak out for those who cannot speak, and testify for the truth. For the sake of brothers or sisters—be they Jew or Greek, slave or free, strong or weak, of noble or common birth—Christians will renounce all community with the world, for they serve the community of the body of Jesus Christ. Being a part of this community, Christians cannot remain hidden from the world. They have been called out of the world and follow Christ".</span></strong></em></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Dietrich Bonhoeffer,<em> "Discipleship</em>" 1937 </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">(Later published as <em>The Cost of Discipleship</em>)</span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><br /><p></p></blockquote><em></em>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-32568553616300242172011-01-08T18:26:00.003-05:002011-01-08T18:39:12.452-05:00Biblical Womanhood Roles<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pQEy2uFfn0IWnVdwlKVxItnvM1my85ERyO3J4k-mxRRfHtHSPryOiYFMG71rpkLryz3owkAvQ_LxJjql-DXsZm2JOsXhVAdRt4M1OSNcMt3-KTcIlK1HVIZg_ka_DBRMB59V/s1600/tent+peg.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 312px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 157px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559962957390441602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pQEy2uFfn0IWnVdwlKVxItnvM1my85ERyO3J4k-mxRRfHtHSPryOiYFMG71rpkLryz3owkAvQ_LxJjql-DXsZm2JOsXhVAdRt4M1OSNcMt3-KTcIlK1HVIZg_ka_DBRMB59V/s320/tent+peg.jpg" /></a></p><br /><br /><strong></strong><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Specific "Roles" for Women found in the Bible:</strong><br /><br /><br />1. Driving a tent peg into a man's head<br /><br /><br />2. Hiding Spies<br /><br /><br />3. Cleaning out the pantry to feed the king and his men because your husband is a jerk who insulted him and is going to get the entire family killed<br /><br /><br />4. Sitting under a palm tree and making judgments for an entire nation<br /><br /><br />5. Demanding your personal maid sleep with your husband when you cannot bear a child<br /><br /><br /><em>Add your own specific "biblical womanhood" role in the comment section</em>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-78081378601633663612010-09-20T15:45:00.002-05:002010-09-20T15:51:51.832-05:00Complimentarian Genetics 101<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-cn3cInYmQYmuRn4hMgu2sBDQTN4VIkLtui8dNu8_LAFQx-hzjvxQp9gLPJOQbtq4Dr9fUZPmCj89qmwiOASyo6EPcU6lkNoB5k6cPDqF5_b4ZNcFTe_QKz942TgL4fNiJlK/s1600/x+and+y+chromosone.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 229px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519101179068329058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-cn3cInYmQYmuRn4hMgu2sBDQTN4VIkLtui8dNu8_LAFQx-hzjvxQp9gLPJOQbtq4Dr9fUZPmCj89qmwiOASyo6EPcU6lkNoB5k6cPDqF5_b4ZNcFTe_QKz942TgL4fNiJlK/s320/x+and+y+chromosone.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br />Based on 1 Timothy 2:9-15 and what we know from biology, the following is Complementarian Genetics 101:<br /><br />The “x chromosome” carries the “deception gene.”<br /><br />The “y chromosome,” however, carries the “anti-deception gene.”<br /><br />So if a person has two x chromosomes, and is therefore a female, they are by nature and physiology “[completely] deceivable” (εξαπαταω).<br /><br />However, if a person has one x chromosome and one y chromosome, and is therefore a male, they have a genetic defense against being completely deceived.<br /><br />It is for this reason that only those with both an x and a y chromosome are to be entrusted with positions of authority in the church, and only they can teach both men and women.<br /><br />And I would ask: If this is not Complementarian Genetics, why isn’t it?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">HT: Eric W at http://www.patheos.com/community/jesuscreed/2010/09/13/a-question-for-the-gospel-coalition/<br /></span></div>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-82603731754429775262010-09-13T14:49:00.001-05:002010-09-13T14:50:47.632-05:00Can we Clone this Guy?<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PkuTm-ON904?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PkuTm-ON904?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Finally, A Governor that talks to us like we are adults!Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-12723800955943390652010-06-13T12:11:00.004-05:002010-06-20T08:58:28.842-05:00The Final Inspection<div align="center">Final Inspection<br />By Paula Fether </div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.fether.net/">http://www.fether.net/</a></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left"><br />Many “pastors” today like to use their being “under-shepherds” as a weapon of mastery over other believers. But when the Chief Shepherd appears (1 Peter 5:1-4), what will he find? Let’s take a walk with Jesus as He inspects the work of those who were entrusted with caring for His sheep, as He might on Judgment Day.<br /><br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Jesus comes to the first shepherd, who snaps to attention and proudly proclaims that the sheep are all safe and secure, spotless and accounted for. But instead of a pen there is something like a boxcar for a train. Jesus opens the door, and sure enough all the sheep are there– in cages, stacked row upon row. The sheep certainly are safe and spotless, but they’re also staring blankly ahead without any concept of life outside the boxcar. They’ve never walked, much less run. They don’t know how to eat except from the trays placed in their cages and filled with whatever the shepherd doles out to them. They don’t make a sound nor interact with each other at all. And they are thin and weak.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboBP22OUKdeS0O7ZBiidZLDp90wGlJq3zukcLtE5ni5EMTJB-BkCttDRiLWzdSBsPVXLy0LsYweQ0hHCY4rU-YqqCgvweF3zRlsIygnKhcZl64f3BcCApxB9DTZ0kG1zU0CwU/s1600/lamb.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 261px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484854391534655282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboBP22OUKdeS0O7ZBiidZLDp90wGlJq3zukcLtE5ni5EMTJB-BkCttDRiLWzdSBsPVXLy0LsYweQ0hHCY4rU-YqqCgvweF3zRlsIygnKhcZl64f3BcCApxB9DTZ0kG1zU0CwU/s320/lamb.jpg" /></a><br />Jesus stands there aghast at the sight, barely able to conceal His great pity for the sheep– and His great rage at this so-called shepherd. “My dear, deluded child,” He finally whispers through clenched teeth, “What have you done to my sheep? Where is the green pasture I promised them? Where are the quiet waters? Why has the flock not increased? And what is this slop you’ve been feeding them? They are wasting away on their feet! I died for them, and for you, but you have treated them worse than pets, worse than the wolves that run freely. I’m sorry but you have brought this on yourself: you will spend eternity confined to your room, dining on the slop you fed my sheep.”<br /><br />Sadly He moves on to the second shepherd. This one is sitting on a throne, which is being carried by several large, fat sheep. Behind them is a long line of smaller sheep, each branded with the shepherd’s mark and carrying a banner with his name and insignia. Some are pulling a large cart filled with fine clothing, and behind them are the shivering sheep who were fleeced to make them. “I did what You said,” the shepherd announces from his throne, not even bothering to rise. “I took them to the river, I let them graze in the pasture, and I gathered many sheep who were wandering around without a shepherd.”<br /><br />“Get down from there!” Jesus growls. “Who do you think you are? Whose sheep are these, and why are they branded with a mark that I don’t recognize? Were the added sheep really wandering, or did you lure or steal them from other pens, which I’ve heard reports of? And this clothing– all the garments look like they were stitched by monkeys! Only the finest linen is allowed in My kingdom, and you know that. And what do you mean by shearing My sheep and leaving them shivering, while you live in luxury? Alright then, your royal highness: you will spend eternity wearing these rags you weaved and waiting hand and foot on the very sheep you fleeced.”<br /><br />Finally Jesus comes to the last shepherd. There is a modest flock grazing peacefully, some playing together, others drinking from the stream. The shepherd is in the middle of the flock, sitting on the ground to tend to a lamb that had been injured. Jesus asks, “What happened to this one?” The shepherd replies, “I found it coming from the direction of another pen. It was limping and starving, missing some fleece and showing signs of having been beaten. I had to teach it how to graze and drink from the stream, and it took quite a while for it to relax around the other sheep. But I will care for it until it is healthy. I really hope I haven’t neglected the other sheep while I care for this one. Please forgive me if I have!”<br /><br />Jesus, with tears in His eyes, gently responds, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You remembered Whose sheep these are, you cared for the abused, and you did not fail to protect them from wolves– even those that claimed to be fellow shepherds. I will reward you with all that the others grasped for on their own: luxury, honor, respect, comfort, and much more.”<br /><br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />There is still a short time left for any of you shepherds out there who aren’t like the third one to get your act together. Remember Who other believers belong to, and treat them like the children of the King they are. Stop robbing them, beating them, confining them, and blaming them! Love does none of those things. Consider them as better than yourselves and not slaves to do your bidding. Treat them as you have been demanding they treat you. Heal the wounds you yourself have inflicted and feed them only the best theological meat. Be motivated by the fact that you will be judged more strictly (James 3:1) and held to account (Heb. 13:17). If you think yourself to be an “under-rower” (Gk. doulos), then what are you doing at the helm?</div>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-21039714814112478832010-04-30T23:21:00.003-05:002010-04-30T23:28:01.353-05:00Pastor?From: http://www.paganchristianity.org/zensresponds1.htm<br /><br /><br /><br />If I may, I’d like to quote Frank (Viola) in a recent interview he did with George Barna. The whole interview is worth hearing as they discuss the book and their views on the modern pastorate. In it, he issues this challenge to his listeners:<br /><br /><blockquote>Pick up your NT and look for this man. Show me a man in the NT who preaches to the same congregation week after week, month after month, year after year. Show me a man in the NT who is called the head of the church. Show me a man in the NT that makes the decisions for a local church. Show me a man in the NT that represents the church in the world, that blesses civic events, that marries the living and buries the dead. And if you can find that man in the NT who fits all of those descriptions, then George Barna will give you $500,000.</blockquote>Linhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04723395060585207854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30461513.post-14855933295501241022010-04-24T17:32:00.000-05:002010-04-24T17:33:43.412-05:00Run for Your Life<object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xcvemw"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xcvemw" width="480" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcvemw_to-desiring-god-2010-rick-warren-jo_webcam">TO DESIRING GOD 2010 RICK WARREN JOHN PIPER ATTENDEES</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/MRWBBIII">MRWBBIII</a>. - <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/webcam">More video blogs and vloggers.</a></i>Lindonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12655601618953971431noreply@blogger.com0