Spurgeon Thursday - Prayer Pulls the Rope

A Rant and a praise

You can't believe how upset this makes me. How dare these children act this way? They physically assaulted a man because he was going to say "God". These were all "Top 3" - Senior Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs): Master Sergeant, Senior Master Sergeant, and Chief Master Sergeant, and one of them was a First Sergeant. He's the guy who is supposed to maintain decorum during these ceremonies. These are the people who should know that a retirement ceremony is as sacred as the military can get, the ceremony exists to honor the retiree, his service, his family, the Air Force he gave up his life to serve, and the Constitution he swore to protect. They should be fighting for that man's right to free speech instead of attacking him for reciting a time honored speech.

And that man is demanding retribution.

To do this in a retirement ceremony is beyond disgusting... a gaggle of  Senior NCOs acting like street thugs in front of the men they are supposed to lead? This is the military equivalent of blasphemy. A Sergeant  is dedicated to duty, honor, country, and esprit de corps, not petty politics. The morale and discipline of this unit was just destroyed by their selfish, narrow minded actions. The United States Air Force has been weakened because these little boys in big boy uniforms that don't like God. Has the United State military fallen so far under their Impostor in Chief that it can't be salvaged? 

Emergent Monday - The NAR Has Their Own Bible Part 2

Apostle Brian Simmons and wife
Candice

Holly Pivec at Spirit of Error is doing an outstanding job and exposing the New Apostolic Reformation so while my job has been quite ratcheted up, I'm going to repost these articles that Holly has revisited regarding the NAR bible. (Remember what I said about a cult? "Stay away from any group that has made their own bible")

In my last post, I wrote about a new translation of the Bible called “The Passion Translation”–released by New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) apostle Brian Simmons.

In this post, I will show you three of the verses Simmons has drastically changed in his new translation to make it look like the Bible promotes NAR teachings. I will contrast Simmons’ translation of the Bible with the standard English translations.

Galatians 6:6

Standard English Translations

• Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. (New International Version)
• Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. (New King James Version)
• Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. (English Standard Version)

The teaching being promoted: Church members should take care of the financial and other material needs of their spiritual leaders.

The Passion Translation

• And those who are taught the Word will receive an impartation from their teacher; a transference of anointing takes place between them.

The NAR teaching being promoted: The divine authority to minister with a specific miraculous gift–such as the gift of prophesying or healing people–can be imparted or transferred from church leaders to their followers.

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

Young boy in an upstate NY "church" tells the pastorette that he wants to leave the church, so she and several other members beat the boy to death

Why I am not a paedobaptist

Democrats, LGBT activists’ sinister plan to crack down on Christian schools

Mr. Pope demands that you take more immigrants, but the City-State that he commands? not so much

Mr. Obama and his cohorts are forcing churches in California to pay for abortions.

Religion of Peace Update #1 - Your president and his administration has been removing unflattering references to Allah in official transcripts

Religion of Peace Update #2 - Your president has made a choice, and you lost

Religion of Peace Update #3 - Muslim father tied his 9 year old son to a tree and set him on fire for accepting Christ.

Religion of Peace Update #4 - A mob of muslims burn 80 Christian homes because of a rumor that the Christians wanted to build a church

Can you be a gay Christian rock star?

Infographic: The differences between Christianity and Islam

What happens when you ask a charismatic preacher to stick to the bible? Charismatic Bullying

Finally! Documented evidence that Hillary Clinton has actually picked up a bible

Ppremillenial dispensationalists around the world frantically adjust End-Times charts to include Brexit vote -it's true! I saw it on the internet

WWUTT Wednesday - What Does The Bible Say About The Pope?

Mr. Pope recently came out and said

“Today the death penalty is inadmissible, no matter how grave the crime committed. It is an affront to the inviolability of life and the dignity of the human person, which contradicts God’s plan for man, society and merciful justice... [the death penalty] does not render justice for the victims, but encourages vengeance. The commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ has an absolute value and applies both to the innocent and to the guilty.”

You may or may not agree with Mr. Pope on the death penalty itself, but first of all, the bible does not say "Thou shall not kill, it says "Thou shall not רָצַח (ratsach)" which means to commit premeditated murder, a much different thing all together. And besides it is not unusual for God to use death as a form of justice. Ever hear of the Amalekites? They attacked the Israelites without provocation during the Exodus (Exodus 17:8, Deuteronomy 25:17-18), They later attacked Israel during the time of the Judges (Judges 3:13) and raided the Israelites' land leaving them with nothing (Judges 6:2-5). Eventually God dispensed justice through King Saul 

'Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" (1 Samuel 15:3)

Secondly, you may notice that Mr. Pope did not quote this from the bible:

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. (Romans 13:1-2)

Being the King of the Vatican, Mr. Pope is a governing authority, so he can do away with his death penalty all he wants inside the Kingdom of the Vatican (and yes, until recently the Vatican did have a death penalty) but by Romans 13, those living in a country that has a death penalty are now in opposition to the ordinance of God if they listen to Mr. Pope.

Thirdly, what does the bible say about Mr. Pope?

Emergent Monday - The NAR has their own Bible.Part 1

Holly Pivec at Spirit of Error is doing an outstanding job and exposing the New Apostolic Reformation so while my job has been quite ratcheted up, I'm going to repost these articles that Holly has revisited regarding the NAR bible. (Remember what I said about a cult? "Stay away from any group that has made their own bible")

First a quick update. Since I wrote this series back in 2013, Simmons has released more installments of his NAR Bible: Proverbs, Matthew, Acts, Hebrews and James, and Romans. NAR leaders, including Bill Johnson, continue to promote this translation and quote from it in the pulpit. And rave reviews from Simmons’ readers pour in. I’m disappointed to report that the Passion Translation has been selling extremely well based on its rank at Amazon. For those who have never heard of the Passion Translation, you can get up to speed by reading my first post.

A New NAR Bible

Beware: An NAR apostle has come out with his own NAR translation of the Bible, called “The Passion Translation.”

Apostle Brian Simmons, of Stairway Ministries, is the lone translator of this “groundbreaking” project. To date, he has released four installments of his new translation:

• Psalms: Poetry on Fire
• Song of Solomon: Most Amazing Song of All
• Luke: To the Lovers of God
• Letters From Heaven by the Apostle Paul

Next in line is Proverbs, Wisdom From Above, due out in Fall 2013.

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

Welcome to summer! Summer starts Monday, June 20th and if you're like me, you sincerely thank God for summer. What could be better than sitting in the shade of a tree, cool drink, gentle breeze, and the Word of God to study? I've never sat under a fig tree. but if it's anything like my linden tree out back Nathanael was a lucky man, and I can't wait for work to be over so I can go outside and enjoy the warmth of the afternoon.

And a happy Fathers Day to all of you fathers and sons out there. For me, this is my first Fathers Day without an earthly father, but I'm relieved to know he was saved before he passed away and is now with my Heavenly Father

The Evangelical Industrial Complex or A Fool And His Money Often Shop At Christian Bookstores

Not surprised in the least

Why I Am Not Arminian 

Mr. Pope meets with Mike Bickle of  the NAR's very own IHOP and lies to him

Mr. Pope is adored by Kris Vallotton of  the NAR's very own Bethel Redding... can you say Belial?

Mr. Pope has decided that most marriages are null. Why? Because he says so.

Spurgeon Thursday - Fatherhood

I can admire the solemn and stately language of worship that recognizes the greatness of God, but it will not warm my heart or express my soul until it has also blended therewith the joyful nearness of that perfect love that casts out fear and ventures to speak with our Father in heaven as a child speaks with its father on earth. My brother, no veil remains.

Train your child in the way in which you know you should have gone yourself.

   -or-

Train up a child in the way he should go – but be sure you go that way yourself.

If we never have headaches through rebuking our children, we shall have plenty of heartaches when they grow up.

When fathers are tongue tied religiously with their offspring, need they wonder if their children's hearts remain sin tied?

A child's cry touches a father's heart, and our King is the Father of his people. If we can do no more than cry it will bring omnipotence to our aid. A cry is the native language of a spiritually needy soul; it has done with fine phrases and long orations, and it takes to sobs and moans; and so, indeed, it grasps the most potent of all weapons, for heaven always yields to such artillery.

He would have us like children who believe what their father tells them.

The Creator is also a creature. The Son of God is the Son of man. Strange combination! Could condescension go farther than for the Infinite to be joined to the infant, and the Omnipotent to the feebleness of a new-born babe?

WWUTT Wednesday:

Will a tithe save your soul? No. unless your church supports missions and homeless shelters it won't save anything, Our offerings quite often go to some wonderful causes not the least of which is feeding the pastor and his family. 

My own church, the First Congregational Church of the Bereans, is wonderfully generous. When floods ravaged several local communities our tiny congregation was able to raise a fund for flood relief that shocked our new pastor to tears. It was just Christians being Christian. I'm sure there's tens of thousands of stories just like this one because on the whole Christians are a loving generous bunch. Sometimes we're a bit too eager to share our earnings and end up getting 'taken' by con artists and sometimes we've been taken by the church we attend.

I've heard numerous arguments for and against tithing, all of them taken from the bible, and all of them from the Old Testament, most from Leviticus and Deuteronomy - books of Jewish law. My wife and I give offerings that come up to about 10% because that's a good rule of thumb, but we don't tithe. 

Why don't we tithe? For the same reason we enjoy bacon: we're not Jewish.

Christianity's Hardest Task

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:42-45)

One of the hardest things Christians are called to do by our Savior, Lord , and Master, Jesus Christ, is to pray for our enemies and to forgive them. Thanks to the Muslim terrorist attack at the Pulse night club on June 12 in Orlando we have a lot of people to love and even more people to pray for. Several days ago a pro-ISIS group published a hit list of more than 8,000 names they planned to murder, 600 of them live in Florida. We also know that a Muslim scholar, Farrokh Sekaleshfar, pronounced a death sentence on homosexuals while speaking at an mosque in Orlando FL. 

The horrific actions by ISIS and their agent Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, a security officer with Department of Homeland Security contractor G4S, cannot be described as anything but pure Satanic evil. one that Omar Mir Seddique Mateen must answer for, and unfortunately he cannot repent of his sins and instead is going straight to judgement

28 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. (John 5:28-29)

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

Last time around I mentioned that I sarcastically self identified as a retired Major General on facebook and the fact that my retirement pay hasn't quadrupled is proof that the obama administration is a bunch of bigots. My sarcasm is to show the silliness of deciding you're something you're not nor you can ever be. Don't get me wrong, it's fun to day dream and imagine you can fly or are a super spy like James Bond. But to mutilate your body and destroy the lives of your family as they watch you sink into the mire of your fantasies?

We need to stop allowing people to tell our children to follow their dreams and to follow their brains. How many millions of dollars are wasted every year at colleges getting degrees for jobs that don't exist? Art History is fascinating but how many museum curators do we need? Why not teach our children to self-identify with what they are. So I hereby publicly self-identify as a Man made by God in His image, husband to my wife, father to my children, spiritual leader of my family and spoiler of my grandchildren. God is my master, Jesus is my savior and both are owners of my life. I follow my dream which is to do what ever job I find to provide my family with food, shelter, and clothing, for I must keep them fed and safe because in the end I must stand before God and give an accounting of my life.

Iowa Governor angers atheists and liberals. To be honest, it's not that hard to do.

Christian professor in a California university gives up his tenure rather than give up Christ.

The Southern Baptist Conference is singlehandedly proving Ray Comfort right. PLEASE read both links. Heartbreaking

Praise the Lord! After more than 46 years, United Methodist Church reverses anti-Life position on abortion

Spurgeon Thursday - "The Sin" of Human Nature

None are more unjust in their judgments of others than those who have a high opinion of themselves.

Be not proud of race, face, place, or grace.

No matter how dear you are to God, if pride is harbored in your spirit, He will whip it out of you. They that go up in their own estimation must come down again by His discipline.

There is nothing into which the heart of man so easily falls as pride, and yet there is no more vice which is more frequently, more emphatically, and more eloquently condemned in Scripture. Pride is a thing which should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of. In almost every other sin, we gather us ashes when the fire is gone. But here, what is left? The covetous man has his shining gold, but what does the proud man have? He has less than he would have had without pride, and is no gainer whatever. Pride wins no crown.

A proud heart never praises God, for it hoards up praise for itself.

Little learning and much pride come of hasty reading.

Pride may be set down as "the sin" of human nature.

Emergent Monday - Yes, Bethel Redding and Bill Johnson are part of the New Apostolic Reformation

Bill Johnson

Once again Holly Pivec at The Spirit of Error blog exposes more information on one of the most dangerous cults of all times, the New Apostolic Reformation. This time she exposes Bethel Redding and their leader Bill Johnson and their ties to the NAR. Bethel Redding is all about Matthew 24:24, when Bill Johnson took over in 1996 he changed the teaching of the church from Jesus to training people in prophecy, healing and other "supernatural gifts of God". Bethel is a Word of Faith movement that teaches that faith is a force through which anything can be done. The goats at bethel come not for the gospel but that warm fuzzy feel-good feeling and miracles. They come for signs and wonders like speaking in tongues, gold dust, diamonds, and angel feathers...

Yes, Bethel Redding and Bill Johnson are part of the New Apostolic Reformation

Following Christianity Today’s recent cover story on Bethel Church in Redding, California, I’ve been contacted by people wondering about Bill Johnson’s statements made in that article distancing himself from the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). The two specific statements he made are that his church does not have any official ties to theNAR and that he’s “not completely clear on what it is.”

Despite Johnson’s distancing himself from the NAR, he very clearly is part of it. Let’s look at his two claims.

What makes the NAR the NAR?

One of Johnson’s claims is that he’s not completely clear on what the NAR is. Interestingly, the author of the Christianity Today article said he laughed with disbelief. I. too, find Johnson’s claim hard to believe because the NAR is all about apostles–and Johnson clearly sees himself as one. 

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

Recently I 'came out' on facebook and announced to the word that I now self-identify as a retired Major General and the fact that my retirement pay does not reflect the pay of a Major General only proves that the Obama administration is full of bigots.

I know full well that I am not a retired Major General (I'm a retired Technical Sergeant) and will never be a retired Major General, but my post showed that I want the benefits of being a retired Major General without actually having earned them. Of course my post was satire, a satirical jab at our societies sudden love affair with living in a fantasy world and threatening the health and well being of anyone who disagrees with those that choose to live in la-la land even to the detriment of society.

Did you know that all a transexual in North Carolina has to do is go to the court house and change the sex on on their birth certificate and voila, they're legally a girl! Now doesn't all that boycotting of NC sound even more stupid? All the lady wannabe has to do is provide proof that they actually had the sex reassignment surgery and they're now a woman in the eyes of the law and entitled to use the women's facilities. Let's face it, with out that surgery they're not transsexuals, they're transvestites. They're playing dressup. But no matter how you coddle them, or boycott states that refuse to coddle them, it's a mental disorder that is going untreated.

A sign that we are truly living in the End Times: Joel Osteen admits that sin exists.

Barack Hussein Obama blames his transgender bathroom fetish on the bible

Speaking of Obama's bathroom fetish... I know it's unchristian of me, but the word schadenfreude definitely applies here

Spurgeon Thursday - Let the Lion out!

A great many learned men are defending the gospel; no doubt it is a very proper and right thing to do, yet I always notice that, when there are most books of that kind, it is because the gospel itself is not being preached. 

Suppose a number of persons were to take it into their heads that they had to defend a lion, a full-grown king of beasts! There he is in the cage, and here come all the soldiers of the army to fight for him. Well, I should suggest to them, if they would not object, and feel that it was humbling to them, that they should kindly stand back, and open the door, and let the lion out! 

I believe that would be the best way of defending him, for he would take care of himself; and the best “apology” for the gospel is to let the gospel out. Never mind about defending Deuteronomy or the whole of the Pentateuch; preach Jesus Christ and him crucified. Let the Lion out, and see who will dare to approach him. The Lion of the tribe of Judah will soon drive away all his adversaries.

WWUTT Wednesday - The End Is Near!

What do the Christadelphians, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventists, the Mormons, and Pat Robertson have in common (besides the obvious)? To these people the second coming of Christ has come and gone without anyone noticing. In some cases it was rescheduled but the predicted apocalypse was again a non-event.

The Christadelphians had some very interesting predictions. Their founder, Dr. John Thomas, predicted that the end times would start in 1866 with the resurrection of the prophet Daniel and come to a climax in 1911. Robert Roberts who took over after John Thomas' death went one better than Dr. John claiming that Christ would return in 1910. Charles P. Wauchope of Adelaide, South Australia noticed the complete lack of Christ's return in 1910 and 1911 and predicted Christ got delayed, but would be back in 1934 dressed in the tattered robe of a beggar and thief and come quietly into the British headquarters where he would establish His Kingdom. Again He failed to uphold their predictions. Their latest prediction would be Christ's return in 1988, and there's been no update to that.

Charles T. Russell founded the Jehovah's Witnesses and they STILL use the date that Russell set  as the second coming: 1914. When Christ didn't come, Russell claimed he was right, but that Christ came invisibly! Up until about 1996, Jehovah's Witnesses continued to teach that the world would end within one generation after 1914 AD. Even the May 15, 1984 Watchtower magazine echoed this false prediction. Like all cults and date setters, they quietly stopped making the prediction based upon one generation after 1914 and keep going door to door with their ever changing lies and deceptions.