Top Ten Reason the Dispensationalist Did Not Cross the Road

From Parchment and Pen:

10. Thought he would be raptured before he got there anyway.

9. Thought that the other side was for the ‘Israel’, and this side was for the ‘church’.

8. Charles Ryrie was still on this side of the road, why cross?

7. Thought it was pointless since Jesus was just going to bring him back after 7 years.

6. Like the OT prophets and the church age, he was unable to see the other side.

5. He was afraid that if he went, there would be nothing to restrain the man of lawlessness.

4. He was not a part of the dispensation of ‘crossing’.

3. Dallas Theological Seminary hadn’t yet published anything telling him how to do it.

2. Thought there was a two thousand foot gap between the 69th and 70th step.

1. By taking a consistently literal approach, he thought that ‘cross the road’ meant something about the crucifixion.

Can’t just pick on the Dispys:

Top Ten Reasons the Reformed Theologian did not Cross the Road

Christians in a Globalized World; Performance Based Christianity

SEE previous installments: (1) Saints in Rome. – (2) The Just Shall Live By Faith. -  (3) God’s Wrath on Rome. – (4) Moral Duplicity in Rome. – (5) Spiritual Disparity in Rome

(6) -Christians in a Globalized World; Performance Based Christianity

By Kato Mivule

Romans 3:1-18
The Roman society was a performance driven society, one in which Roman generals were rewarded for the more territories they conquered. The Roman army was trained to produce results…and at any cost, with any methods…as in the case of Titus and his conquest of Jerusalem.

If it meant burning down Jerusalem to get results, he did it. Performance was a key to the success and ultimately the fall of the Roman civilization, for when they ceased to ‘perform’, they failed.

Our current Western Civilization is driven by the same philosophy of performance and the results that are attained.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is epidemic in the Church

A very good post today at Phoenix Preacher: Mirror, Mirror…

quote..

“It’s All About Me: NPD and Church Leaders “ finally discusses what has been suggested on these pages for years. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is epidemic in the church.

PPreacher also has a few well chosen words to say concerning the latest Todd Bentley/ Rick Joyner video.

Complete post HERE

The ‘New Norm’ – Gutter Talk

We’ve all been reading the reports of Pastors (and Churches) which are now turning to the ‘sex’ and ‘profanity gospel’. Its become a popular way for these men to entice first-time visitors to their churches…leading to what they hope will be “Church growth”.

Its become so prominent today within our churches, to hear sex-talk and even profanity coming from the pulpits across America, that secular news sources have even been reporting about it. I’ve posted a few news stories in the past. One can be read HERE.

Its another form of the apostasy folks–which if it continues, may end up as full blown paganism occurring in these churches, before its through.

I know it may be difficult for you to listen to the entire hour at one time. But this video is well worth your the time to try.

If you can’t, recall where you stop and come back to it later–you can move the slider up to where you stopped and just pick it back up where you left off.

This is an excellent teaching also, concerning Christian maturity.

The speaker is Phil Johnson, who operates teampyro.blogspot.

Here is the lecture that is making a little stir by Phil Johnson called “Sound Doctrine; Sound Words”. He gave this at the 2009 Shepherd’s Conference.

GETHSEMANE: The Necessity Of Standing Alone

One week from today Christians around the world will be celebrating Palm Sunday and entering into a week, which for many, is a season of renewed reflection on the last days of Jesus leading up to Friday, the crucifixion, his death, and ultimately, Resurrection Sunday. During this time of year, more then any other time, I find myself drawn to messages and sermons related to these events. The one below by Charles H. Stalker I came upon tonight and want to share a few excerpts.

The title caught my eye because of a saying my youngest son and I use, one which we discussed in depth years ago and now use to speak to each other on occasions when one or the other of us must decide to take a stand against popular opinion….even if that popular opinion is held by loved and respected brothers and sisters in the Lord:

“There are times when the man or woman of God must stand alone”

If you’ve served and followed Christ for very long, you’ll know this is true. But as hard or lonely as this may be for the believer, it cannot compare with Jesus’ time spent in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Christian fellowship is wonderful–and needful. But our greatest struggles on this Christian journey are experienced alone with God. Not only in wrestling with our flesh–the old sinful nature, but in working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Amen?  Submission does not come easily for any of us.  I’m convinced true burden carrying, or standing in the gap for the souls of others, can only be done through first, total submission to God: after all, we wouldn’t think of trying to place a “load” to carry on a wild ass, would we? LOL. Well, neither would God.

GETHSEMANE: The Necessity Of Standing Alone
By Charles H. Stalker

And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.  And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,  And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Luke 22:39-46

The Son of God had five thousand when He was feeding them with the loaves and fishes, He had a multitude when He was opening the eyes of the blind, but when He was sweating the death sweat for a lost world, He was alone.

I want to say, beloved, that this is as true as it has ever been. You will spend much time alone with God, and the greatest struggles and the greatest battles of your life will take place when you are alone. There will be meetings and there will be messages, but you must have something that will take you through alone.

Mission to Lepers, “The Unknown Saints”

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH IN A FINE PASSAGE states his belief that there are many more poets in the world than we suppose,

“… men endowed with highest gifts, The vision and the faculty divine,”

but who are unknown because they lacked or failed to cultivate the gift of versification.

Then he sums up his belief in a sentence that suggests truth far beyond any that he had in mind at the time:

“Strongest minds Are often those of whom the noisy world Hears least.”

Most of us in our soberer moments would admit the soundness of this observation, but the hard fact is that for the average person it is not the findings of the sober moment that determine our total working philosophy; rather it is the shallow and deceptive notions pressed upon us by the “noisy world.”

Human society generally (and especially in the United States) has fallen into the error of assuming that greatness and fame are synonymous.  Americans appear to take for granted that each generation provides a certain number of superior men and the democratic processes unerringly find those men and set them in a place of prominence.  How wrong can people get!

We have but to become acquainted with, or even listen to, the big names of our times to discover how wretchedly inferior most of them are.  Many appear to have arrived at their present eminence by pull, brass, nerve, gall and lucky accident.  We turn away from them sick to our stomach and wonder for a discouraged moment if this is the best the human race can produce.

But we gain our self-possession again by the simple expedient of recalling some of the plain men we know, who live unheralded and unsung, and who are made of stuff infinitely finer than the hoarse voiced braggarts who occupy too many of the highest offices in the land.

If we might paraphrase Wordsworth we could make his lines run,

“Purest saints Are often those of whom the noisy church Hears least,”

and the words would be true, deeply, wonderfully true. (excerpt: The Dwelling Place Of God, pg. 95-99, The Unknown Saints by A.W. Tozer)

Posted at youtube by BereanBeacon:

Harbor Evangelism is a non-profit organization, that was founded by Missionary Tommy Tillman, who has been a missionary for over forty years and in the ministry for over fifty years. Some of the things that God has done and is doing through Harbor Evangelism:

Over Thirty Years In Thailand:
1. Leper Colony in Mae Lao, Thailand with church built on the premises.
(In the process of building the second leper colony at this writing.)
2. Orphanage and Invalid home right outside Chiang Mai. Church built on the premises.
3. Two leper churches in southern part of Thailand.
4. Leper Church at Prapadange Leper Colony right outside Bangkok.
5. Hill Tribe Church in Mae Hong Son, (not leper church). In Northwest Thailand.
6. Over one thousand Home Study Bible Courses being mailed out each month to Buddhist believers.

Over Twelve Years In Mongolia:
1. Adult Church in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia.
2. Two adult churches in the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar.
3. Twenty children churches over Mongolia. Including Ulaanbaatar and the Gobi Desert.
4. Three churches in the Gobi Desert with eight to be built. ( Need Pastors).
5. Prison ministry with church building inside the woman’s prison.
6. Orphanage with 15 Children at this writing. Children are being adopted out.
7. Printing Ministry: Printing Bibles and Gospel Tracts.
8. English lessons being taught in secular schools and giving out the gospel of Christ.
9. Translation Ministry.
10. Ministry with alcoholics and street people.
11. Two hospitals completely built in the Gobi Desert with doctors and nurses.
12. A feeding center at the city dump. Also, a medical clinic built at this location with a doctor.
13. Four feeding centers in the Gobi Desert for starving desert children.

Bentley/Joyner – “I call bullhockey on that statement…”

The title is taken from an observation within the review of the latest Bentley/Joyner video, posted tonight at Available Light on Line, (Christian Celebrity Repentance, Episode 6) and after watching it myself,  I concur. The only thing I would say differently is its all ‘bullhockey’.

I’ve not been recommending watching these clips up until now. But this one is so full of ‘it’ (Restoration Foundations & Timeframes, 3/27/09) its well worth 10 minutes of your time,  just to hear and watch the lies and excuses fly out of the mouths of these 2 men. Unbelievable…

Check out the review at Available Light on Line too.

JOSHUA MILLS – “MIRACLE” FISH STORY

I have nothing to say.

Unheeded or Misinterpreted Signs – The Destruction of Jerusalem 70AD

Someone sent me a newsletter in which they quoted Flavius Josephus from his work, The War of the Jews (Or The History Of The Destruction Of Jerusalem).  The quote was from book VI, chapter 5.

Though I’ve read the entire sobering eye witness account in the past, for some reason felt led to read book VI and this chapter again. Though its quite long, I’ll condense it below: but if interested, you can find the entire book VI HERE.

What intrigued me was the account of the false prophet[s] and how signs were  misinterpreted as being ‘good signs or omens’ from God rather then warnings of God’s wrath being poured out onto Jerusalem. It brought to mind the words from false prophets today.

This isn’t pleasant reading folks; But God’s judgment and wrath is never pleasant.

CHAPTER 5:  THE GREAT DISTRESS THE JEWS WERE IN UPON THE CONFLAGRATION OF THE HOLY HOUSE. CONCERNING A FALSE PROPHET, AND THE SIGNS THAT PRECEDED THIS DESTRUCTION.

WHILE the holy house was on fire, every thing was plundered that came to hand, and ten thousand of those that were caught were slain; nor was there a commiseration of any age, or any reverence of gravity, but children, and old men, and profane persons, and priests were all slain in the same manner; so that this war went round all sorts of men, and brought them to destruction, and as well those that made supplication for their lives, as those that defended themselves by fighting.

Jesus, the Year of Opposition (4)

See: Part (1) - Part (2) – Part (3)

The Life of Jesus Christ: the year of opposition by James Stalker

Five Thousand Fed

At last, however, the decisive hour seemed to have arrived. It was just at that great turning point to which allusion has frequently been made—the end of the twelve months in Galilee. Jesus had heard of the Baptist’s death, and immediately hurried away into a desert place with His disciples, to talk over the tragic event. He sailed to the eastern side of the lake and, landing on the grassy plain of Bethsaida, ascended a hill with the Twelve. But soon at its foot there gathered an immense multitude to hear and see Him.

The Government of Christ

Outstanding!

Torture Needs You

This is a very thought provoking article. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it all. Below are a few portions:

From Religion Dispatches, Torture Needs You

During his first week in office, President Obama issued an order to close the Guantánamo Bay Detention Center within a year, and the collective sigh of relief was almost audible.

But if we think a promise to close a single detention center marks the end of US-sanctioned torture, then we have bought the Bush administration line from 2004: that this was an isolated incident, that the soldiers were “rotten apples,” that the torture caught on film had not been authorized. Our relief signals that we remain in denial about just what those photographs—and the detainees’ testimony collected by the Red Cross and detailed by Mark Danner in a recent New York Times Op-Ed—reveal.

What if this denial is not a response to torture, but is, rather, a necessary part of torture?

Seen in this way, denial is not a response to torture; it is torture itself. I will argue here that the way out of denial—and therefore the way to stop torture—begins with imagination. And it just may be that the people most prepared to practice this kind of imagination are communities of faith.

Anger, Militancy and Riots?

Thanks to Ricardo for sending this link: Busload of Crazies to Tour Homes of AIG Executives This Weekend.

Less than a year ago, the most repellent area bus tour we knew of was the one that induced Sex and the City–crazed tourists to put $40 on their Citi cards for a cupcake and a glimpse at Carrie Bradshaw’s brownstone. How times have changed! Now, everyone’s clamoring aboard the Populist Rage Bus.

• Also a story at AOL Financial news: Protests Outside AIG Execs’ Homes

A busload of activists representing working- and middle-class families paid visits Saturday to the lavish homes of American International Group  executives to protest the tens of millions of dollars in bonuses awarded by the struggling insurance company after it received a massive federal bailout.

Newsweek has an interesting article today which traces back similiar groups and protests to the days of the great depression: The Outrage Factor

Dorothea Lange traveled around rural America during the late 1930s, creating indelible images of the Great Depression. One day, she stopped outside a gas station and snapped a picture of a large sign. It read: THIS IS YOUR COUNTRY. DON’T LET THE BIG MEN TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU. Seventy years later, citizens irate at the huge bonuses AIG paid out to top executives know just how that feels…

(more at the 3 links)

I’d like to post some of the comments Ricardo included. He made some interesting points.

Jesus, the Year of Opposition (3)

See: Part (1) – Part (2)

The Life of Jesus Christ: the year of opposition by James Stalker

Very early they had formed their adverse judgment of Him, and they never changed it.

Even during His first year in Judaea they had pretty well decided against Him. When the news of His success in Galilee spread, it filled them with consternation, and they sent deputations from Jerusalem to act in concert with their local adherents in opposing Him. Even during His year of joy He clashed with them again and again. At first He treated them with consideration and appealed to their reason and heart. But He soon saw that this was hopeless and accepted their opposition as inevitable.

Stories of Revival (Holy Chaos) – Bob Jennings

I’ll Be Honest website can be found HERE and Blog HERE.

*Related, The Asbury College Revival of 1970

Rick Joyner addresses Lee Grady’s Charisma article (video)

This is becoming a soap opera.

3-18, Rick Joyner addresses Lee Grady’s Charisma article

Listen closely to what Joyner says about his ‘concern’ for Grady AND especially what he says about authority…What manipulation! Its very clear that Joyner intends to take on any ‘voice’ publicly, who questions Bentley or himself…

Also see: Todd Bentley – Rick Joyner -Satan’s Vomit

National Sins And National Judgments

“For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.” Isa. iii. 8, 9

Someone in a recent thread mentioned National judgments, questioning if God today still sends specific judgments on a Nation and people. America was the Nation in question, and my response was ‘to whom much is given much is required’. I believe that.

Tonight I came across a sermon by John Owen posted at The OldTimeGospel, National Sins And National Judgments. I would recommend reading it.

Below are a few quotes which I noted:

1. When God takes away the good, the sober, the understanding part of a nation, and leaves a nation very thin of such kind of persons: Verses 1-3, it is a preparation and disposition to their ruin.

“Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, the captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.”

2. Weakness in their government is another preparation and disposition:

“And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them,” verse 4.

3. Horrible disorder in the minds of men, and contempt of God’s order, that should be among them:

“And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable,” verse 5.

4. When there is great oppression and persecution: “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them,” verse 12.

And what did they do? “Ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts,” verses 14, 15.

5. And, lastly, there is horrible pride, and especially the pride of vain and foolish women; which the prophet insists upon from verse 16 to the very last words of the chapter, and concludes, “Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

This is the end of it all. So that you have an account of what are those causes whereon God in his word doth pronounce cities and nations to be ruined and destroyed, even then when they stand in their fullest security, in their own opinion.

NAR Apostle Claims Pastor Killed Was God’s Judgment for no Apostolic Covering

Some things just leave me speechless.

quote…

As many of you know, the Rev. Fred Winters was recently tragically shot down and killed while delivering a sermon at First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois. This incident is tragic enough news.

However, a NAR [New Apostolic Reformation] apostle speculated to other apostles that being shot down in the pulpit was judgment from God starting in the House of God, because the pastor had no apostolic ‘covering’!

…worse still, other ICA apostles party to this conversation, including Lakeland’s Stephen Strader, did not correct or rebuke this statement.

• See full story at EndTimesProphetic

Pat Boone dreams of civilian uprising and becoming President

Pat Boone writes a regular column at WND now. In my opinion Pat’s been hanging around Joseph Farah too long and has caught the Christian rebellion/militancy ‘bug’. He now joins the ranks with fellow WND contributor, Chuck “I’d like Texas to secede so I can be its future President” Norris. (link)

From the Examiner:

Entertainer Pat Boone in a WorldNetDaily column writes that he dreamed that an uprising removed all U.S. government leaders and when the dust settled he was president. In the column he begins with his dream news bulletin:

News Bulletin: In a stunning, unprecedented civilian uprising, President Obama, Vice President Biden, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid were recalled and sent packing. Practically overnight, responding to the national emergency, an extraordinary election propelled entertainer/activist Pat Boone into the White House. The new president just revealed his first-term agenda. …

In his dream he lays out a detailed agenda;

Jesus, the Year of Opposition (2)

See, Part (1)

The Life of Jesus Christ: the year of opposition by James Stalker

One thing about Jesus which from the first excited their opposition to Him was the humbleness of His origin.

Their eyes were dazzled with the ordinary prejudices of the rich and the learned, and could not discern the grandeur of the soul apart from the accidents of position and culture. He was a son of the people; He had been a carpenter; they believed He had been born in rude and wicked Galilee; He had not passed through the schools of Jerusalem or drunk at the acknowledged wells of wisdom there. They thought that a prophet, and above all the Messiah, should have been born in Judaea, reared at Jerusalem in the centre of culture and religion, and allied with all that was distinguished and influential in the nation.

For the same reason they were offended with the followers He chose and the company He kept. His chosen were not selected from among themselves, the wise and high-born, but were uneducated laymen, poor fishermen.

Nay, one of them was a publican. Nothing that Jesus did, perhaps, gave greater offence than the choice of Matthew, the tax-gatherer, to be an apostle. The tax-gatherers, as servants of the alien power, were hated by all who were patriotic and respectable, at once for their trade, their extortions and their character.

Evangelicalism is in trouble..

Excellent question,

What do you have when you have a person who is…

• passionately against abortion and gay marriage (and able to explain why)

• self-identified as a “conservative”

• able to relate their social, cultural and political beliefs to their beliefs about God

• not distinctively anchored in the historic Christian faith, particularly its beliefs about the authority of scripture, the fall, the church, the Gospel and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. These doctrines seem to play little or no part in this person’s thinking/living.

Is this a disciple of Jesus Christ? Is this a picture of what the church is to produce?

Asked by Michael Spencer at Internetmonk. You can read his article HERE

Weeping over ‘Zion’..

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land? Psalm 137: 1-4

When looking closely into the Babylonian Church, as I do most days, this is how I feel. Like one in the midst of a strange land, and a strange people.

There is already a sense of exile which God’s people experience; We are only sojourners passing through, foreigners  — one’s belonging to an invisible Kingdom, but still physically occupying this one for now. That’s ok…its how we should feel and view things! But its a different experience altogether when you can get this same sense of “strange land” and “strange people” from many Churches now and from those today who claim Christ. Or perhaps its not so different and shouldn’t be. But knowing this doesn’t stop the grieving and tears. And perhaps that too, shouldn’t be..

just some late night musing..

Rick Joyner’s Angry Response to Lee Grady’s Column, Plus..

HT to Onward, Forward, Toward: Christian Celebrity Repentance, Episode 1

This is getting uglier by the day folks.

Lee Grady responded to Rick Joyner’s Bentley bulletin a couple days ago, (Lee Grady speaks out on the Todd Bentley “Bulletin”) and it now appears it ruffled Mr. Joyner’s feathers to the point he has responded at Charisma. Sounds like He’s threatening Lee Grady to me. My prayer is that Lee holds to his stand and refuses to allow Joyner’s rebuke (and threat) to move him off of the truth in this matter. Sadly in the past Lee has been known to flip-flop.

Rick Joyner’s Response to Lee Grady’s Column, “The Tragic Scandal of Greasy Grace”

Lee, I think what you call “the Lakeland disaster” would be disputed by multitudes of people who got healed or touched there. If you are such judge of this what gives you the credentials? What moves of God have you led? What have you built? Paul the apostle claimed to have authority for building and for tearing down, but what gives you authority to tear down the work of others is having built something yourself.

Jesus, the Year of Opposition (1)

One month from today, the 12th of April, Christians around the world will be celebrating ‘Resurrection Day’.

Today I was thinking on what Jesus was doing in the month leading up to Calvary and the Cross, which he knew awaited him in Jerusalem. It appears he spent as much time as possible with the disciples, teaching them over and over, the principles of the Kingdom of God.  There almost seems to be an urgency on his part, during the weeks leading up to his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and his last week, in reiterating these Kingdom principals to them.

Over the next 3 weeks I want to look more closely at the third year of his ministry, or the year of opposition, as its commonly called.

From the book, The Life of Jesus Christ by James Stalker

FOR a whole year Jesus pursued His work in Galilee with incessant energy, moving among the pitiable crowds that solicited His miraculous help, and seizing every opportunity of pouring His words of grace and truth into the ears of the multitude or of the solitary anxious inquirer. In hundreds of homes, to whose inmates He had restored health and joy, His name must have become a household word; in thousands of minds, whose depths His preaching had stirred, He must have been cherished with gratitude and love.

Wider and wider rang the echoes of His fame. For a time it seemed as if all Galilee were to become His disciples, and as if the movement so set a going might easily roll southward, overbearing all opposition and enveloping the whole land in an enthusiasm of love for the Healer and of obedience to the Teacher.

But the twelve months had scarcely passed when it became sadly evident that this was not to be.

One reason for “The coming evangelical collapse”

Something to think about..

From Ethics Daily:

Rush Limbaugh told what he thought was a joke to a cheering crowd at the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering of conservative activists and politicians.

Dispensational – Dementia

I won’t go into the whole ‘why I believe dispensationalism is biblically wrong and teaches error’, as that ground has been covered on here in the past. This article is interesting though, especially to those who understand the dispensationalist thinking on Prophecy and End Times.

As an ex-dispensationalist myself, I recall how exciting it was to search for specific news events and try to tie them to prophecy, and how every new World Leader was looked at as the potential ‘antichrist’. Over the years there were many; Prince Charles was even in the running for awhile, as was Bill Clinton and G.W. Bush. We still have those who believe any of these 3,  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Blair, and Javier Solana, have a shot.

Its kind of like playing pin the tail on the AC..it gets the believer no where.

From Religion Dispatches: Is Obama Satan’s Warm-up Act?

The co-authors of the eschatological Left Behind series appeared on the Rachel Maddow show to offer a variation on the theory that Obama may be the Antichrist.