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Paul Washer on dating and relationships.
http://www.heartcrymissionary.com
DISCLAIMER: I don’t necessarily agree with all the ads on videos. I don’t agree with the tithing one.
Author: LaneCh
Keywords: dating relationships paul washer sanderson1611 grasshopperjax devonrose742
Added: August 7, 2008
Click the post title to be taken to the source.
Paul Washer on dating and relationships.
http://www.heartcrymissionary.com
DISCLAIMER: I don’t necessarily agree with all the ads on videos. I don’t agree with the tithing one.
Author: LaneCh
Keywords: dating relationships paul washer sanderson1611 grasshopperjax devonrose742
Added: August 7, 2008
Click the post title to be taken to the source.
Richard Abanes’ claims of libel and his aggressive hostility over an article by Ken Silva three years ago has now opened a very large can of worms. Because of his shrill cries of “libel”, others are now stepping up to claim the same thing. Anyone who doesn’t like an assessment of their book, writings, or teachings can now take up the valuable time of Christians online with multiple email threats, demanding the removal of certain phrases that are not to their liking, or making demands for meetings or phone calls with the parties involved. Sanballot and Tobia in the Old Testament were not nearly so effective in their distraction techniques as some of these Richard Abanes-influenced people are being.
Ken Silva has addressed what is happening in this piece from Apprising Ministries.
The sad part is that it only cuts one way. Several websites right now have material up about me that is dishonest, untrue and misleading. Those who scream the loudest about ODM “libel” and “slander” will kick dirt in your face if you ask them to remove something that is offensive to you. This has happened twice to me in the last few days. But if it involves their name, you’d better take it down, and quickly. Those who reserved their harshest words for Ken Silva for refusing to bend to Abanes’ demands, will send you packing if you come to them and say, “hey, what you have posted about me is hurtful and destructive to my reputation. Please take it down.” When they stand firm, they’re just being true to what they believe. When Ken Silva did that with Abanes, he was called stubborn and defiant. They can’t have it both ways.
Click the post title to be taken to the source.
Richard Abanes’ claims of libel and his aggressive hostility over an article by Ken Silva three years ago has now opened a very large can of worms. Because of his shrill cries of “libel”, others are now stepping up to claim the same thing. Anyone who doesn’t like an assessment of their book, writings, or teachings can now take up the valuable time of Christians online with multiple email threats, demanding the removal of certain phrases that are not to their liking, or making demands for meetings or phone calls with the parties involved. Sanballot and Tobia in the Old Testament were not nearly so effective in their distraction techniques as some of these Richard Abanes-influenced people are being.
Ken Silva has addressed what is happening in this piece from Apprising Ministries.
The sad part is that it only cuts one way. Several websites right now have material up about me that is dishonest, untrue and misleading. Those who scream the loudest about ODM “libel” and “slander” will kick dirt in your face if you ask them to remove something that is offensive to you. This has happened twice to me in the last few days. But if it involves their name, you’d better take it down, and quickly. Those who reserved their harshest words for Ken Silva for refusing to bend to Abanes’ demands, will send you packing if you come to them and say, “hey, what you have posted about me is hurtful and destructive to my reputation. Please take it down.” When they stand firm, they’re just being true to what they believe. When Ken Silva did that with Abanes, he was called stubborn and defiant. They can’t have it both ways.
Click the post title to be taken to the source.
This is a very sobering video! Places like Lakeland, Toronto, and Brownsville are NO revivals such as the Bible describes. Watch this video and let us cry out to our God for mercy that He would show such a revival to us in our personal lives and in our churches!
“Heavenly Father, may we see revival and bring it about in such a way that we have been lukewarm will be restored to full fellowship with you! Help us to realize that miracles are the conversion of souls, not the filling of teeth with gold dust! It is not the calling down of fire, but the changing of the mind about our own sin and our worthlessness before a Holy and Righteous God. May we remember that many churches have seen Ichabod written over the door, and so too could we if we are not willing to confront our sin. Amen.”
The Desert Pastor
HT: DefCon’s Desert Pastor via the Pastors Source
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There are those who have correctly assessed that the unfounded charge of libel/slander leveled against me by Richard Abanes would open a door to ugly things. In this piece at Apprising Ministries you’ll see that, sure enough, already another has come forth with the same baseless charge.
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I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5, NASB)
To Reprove And Rebuke Is Not A Personal Attack And/Or Libel
Toward the end of his life the late great defender of the Christian faith Dr. Walter Martin (1928-1989) used to say of the above passage of Scripture: Well guess what, we’re here. By this he meant the time had already arrived when people will not endure sound doctrine so they will instead gather and accumulate for themselves teachers who will tell them just exactly what they want to hear.
Even if I was alone in thinking he was right, and I am not, I would still say—Amen! Having been called as a pastor-teacher the text I cited forms a large part of my duties in the Body of Christ. First and foremost I am to preach the word, i.e. the Word of God in the Bible; and what is more, I am also to do so in season and out of season. This means whether I live in a time, perhaps like the First Great Awakening, where it is a bit more welcomed or whether I live in a time such as this where preaching what God has actually said will quickly bring one into conflict.
And as much as I don’t personally like it the truth is that this conflict today very often involves others who claim to be Christian. Even so however, the pastor-teacher is still commanded by his Master to reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. Men and women, the social climate in which we find ourselves—even within the Church—is one where to reprove, i.e. criticize, reprimand, and/or to rebuke, i.e. scold, admonish, is often immediately reimagined as a personal attack.
It is true that sometimes we do have to reprove and rebuke individuals, which by that fact alone will make it “personal”; but, it does not then logically follow that this is an attack upon the individual person. Such is the case with my opinion piece A Pastor’s Assessment of Richard Abanes. What needs to be understood is that article followed a very public dialogue, which was begun by Richard Abanes himself. The interested reader can find out more about that in Setting Richard Abanes Straight On My Rick Warren “Attack” .
When Abanes made the choice to criticize me he did so publicly and in my estimation he said some very uncomplimentary things e.g. about my reasoning abilities. So hear me: He was welcome to attack my writing publicly because I am in the public arena and he is certainly entitled to his opinion of me, which is without a doubt quite unflattering. This is his prerogative and I fully support anyone’s right to have whatever opinion they wish to formulate of me. All one need do is Google my name and you’ll quickly find many pretty harsh things said concerning me. It just goes with the turf of the Internet Front of this Truth War.
However, you’ll look in vain to find me crying “libel” as does Richard Abanes concerning the aforementioned assessment piece. And now on the heels of Abanes’ unsubstantiated charges of libel, about which he has never supplied any specifics to either IPower or to me, comes yet another person alleging I am guilty of a “slanderous accusation” concerning him. First of all, this statement is in a short intro I wrote to a post at Christian Research Net called “Because The Bible Says So…”:Stupid Things Christians Say. Having spoken to my legal counsel what this person actually means is “libel” because slander concerns the spoken word.
This man wrote to me privately in an email entitled, “You calling me agnostic” saying that we “need to resolve this issue” of my supposed libel “amicably.” Further he informed me that he’d had “two separate attorneys look at it and both agree there is a claim there that is presented as fact, when there is no facts to support your claim.” I do wish to acknowledge that this person was at least kind enough to inform me what it is that he considers libel. It would be the following opinion: “The title should make it clear to you what this Christian agnostic is communicating in his screed…” (Online source)
Below is my reply to his false charge of libel:
You are correct in that I have received no phone call from you. Concerning “some” whom you refer to [in your email] as having ability to contact me I can’t speak to that. However, in this particular case there really is no need of my sending you a “contact number” because as far as I’m concerned you are actually creating a non-issue even from the very subject of this email itself: “You calling me agnostic.”
The truth is I did no such thing, so therefore, we really do have a non-issue. Anyone, including your attorneys, should be able to see that I did choose to use the qualifier “Christian” prior to agnostic which, for whatever reason, you have left out as you reference what I said here: http://christianresearchnetwork.com/?p=4729
What I share in this introduction is simply my opinion that in your article, and in a way quite similar to Emerging Church teachers, I believe you are denigrating the perspicuity of Scripture just as I see them doing. Further I have publicly shared my opinion that such people are really “Christian agnostics”; as in, a = not; gnostic from gnosis, knowledge, and Christian because I will take their claim to be believers at face value.
In the particular post of yours, to which I link at CRN, it’s also my personal opinion that you are therein exhibiting some of the very same faulty ideas concerning the believer’s ability to know with clarity what the Bible says as does your own pastor Rob Bell, a leading figure within the Emerging Church.
The fact is that these people also make the claim to be Christian, and further they seem to me to be saying they do not have knowledge concerning things the Bible teaches; as such then, in my estimation, they have a form of agnosticism, which they would have to think is also compatible with the historic orthodox Christian faith.
Finally, completely in line with my personal opinions as outlined above, I then used the term Christian agnostic as part of my lead-in for your article because you also do claim to be Christian. And because of this I was very careful to make sure that I clearly delineated you from the non-Christian agnostic.
So I do hope that now you can see there really isn’t any further need for discussion here at all.
Sincerely,
Pastor Ken Silva
Shutting Shut A Door Seemingly Opened By Richard Abanes
The reason I now make this known is because I did discharge my pastoral duty with great patience and instruction. Unfortunately my careful, detailed, polite and thorough explanation wasn’t enough for him and I quickly received a follow up email. In it I was told that in his opinion I failed to “qualify” as my “opinion” the term Christian agnostic, which as matter of fcat I’ve not seen anyone else use. Instead he feels I “state it as fact.” Then he goes on to instruct me:
Because you have positioned yourself as an expert in this area, you have a high degree of responsibility. Of course, if you’d like to modify the post so that it accurately reflects your statement that it is simply your position and not based in fact that too will satisfy in this case. If not, I am afraid I will be forced to go whatever means necessary to protect my reputation from slanderous statements.
It would appear to me that he’s concerned someone might read this short intro and then “believe” he would himself be claiming to be “a Christian Agnostic.” Then this person says:
Once you are an expert, you can state things without qualifications and not expect people to examine them closely. According to my attorneys (and I have to confess I’m uneducated in the law) because you have positioned yourself as an expert on cults, the emergent movement, etc your statement as it is currently written is libel. Now, the great thing is they have assured me they are willing to go to any means necessary to help me and all for quid pro quo. Latin is such a fun language.
It comes as news to me that I have ever claimed to be “an expert” in anything. However, if I were to make such a claim I would only say that I am “an expert” in falling short of all my Lord and Master would have me be. Like any other Christian I simply do the best I can to walk in God’s grace and to faithfully attend to the labors He gives me, which I am not worthy to perform. And finally this man ends his letter asking if I would “be so kind as to email” him contact information:
for your local congregation and your board at apprising ministries? I feel in light of Matthew 18 that the next step will be for me to go to them. After which I will go to your local DOM and ask that you be brought before that body for church discipline…
Thank you for writing me. I am confident we can clear this up. It is not my desire to have the same broo ha ha that has transpired in the last weeks, but as I originally stated, even according to one of your own contributors you are guilty of libel.
Grace and Peace,
It’s quite obvious my attempt to settle this amicably and privately hasn’t worked because I have already been informed that after talking with my local church and my board of directors he “will go to your local DOM and ask that you be brought before that body for church discipline…” With this in mind here would seem to be an appropriate time to bring something to light. There are those who have already pointed out the very dangerous precedent set by Richard Abanes when his unsubstantiated claim to IPower, former ISP of the Apprising Ministries web site, ended up in my being judged guilty upon a mere allegation of libel.
So now another has come forth leveling the charge of libel while alluding to the involvement of “attorneys.” I have discussed this matter with those God has placed around me in leadership and we are in agreement that both of these charges are baseless. Speaking now in the Lord as a pastor-teacher I wish to inform those who need to know that because of the way these two incidents have played out I will not so much as alter a comma of either post alleged to contain libel. And furthermore, for anyone else who feels they wish to try and intimidate me with the mention of attorneys, I will say that you had best think again.
Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. (1 Corinthians 4:2-4)
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A pernicious lie currently permeating the visible Church in our time says that all who profess Christ are genuine believers. This lie conveniently overlooks that even our Lord’s chosen 12 contained one devil. Another closely associated and equally detrimental lie says that Christians must never judge. If taken together, these two lies create an environment of deceit in which professing Christians who prove their disingenuousness by their words, their actions, and their doctrines, which is their “fruit,” cannot be brought before the ecclesiastical court of their church brethren for discipline. In fact, in this environment, to even address the issue is to be classed as a judgmental hypocrite.
(click here to read this post)
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Paul Washer on dating and relationships.
http://www.heartcrymissionary.com
DISCLAIMER: I don’t necessarily agree with all the ads on videos. I don’t agree with the tithing one.
Author: LaneCh
Keywords: dating relationships paul washer sanderson1611 grasshopperjax devonrose742
Added: August 7, 2008
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Relevant Christian has posted a link to an article apparently written by a roman catholic apologist, which deals with his refutation of sola scriptura. The “relevant ones” asked for comments. Let’s not disappoint them.
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Years ago a friend of mine and I were talking about the Parliament of World Religions that was held in Chicago that year. Newspaper reporters wrote about the surreal mixture of every religious garb and practice in the world that descended on that city for that week. We joked that if we had wanted to start a new religion called the Unicornians, all we’d have to do is strap a horn to our heads, wrap ourselves in purple bedsheets and stroll through the Lobby of the lobby of the Omni Hotel on Michigan Avenue where many of the guests were staying. We would have had converts by the time we reached the other side. Anyone seeking to become a New Age spiritual guru these days needn’t even go to that much trouble. With the Internet, all you need is access to a web guy and spend a few bucks on promotion and you’ll have followers by nightfall.
I have toyed with the idea for years of having a news service for press releases with the experience I have had in that area. You write the release in 15 mintues, buy a media list or two, and collect from your customers. Voila. Instant business. There’s only one major problem, however. Ethically, you couldn’t just put out anything people paid you to release. Otherwise, you’d be releasing stuff like this that just landed in my in box a few minutes ago.
World Renowned Minister Reveals Angels to World
Standing in the Gap Ministries presents Ms. Mary Margaret Brown’s knowledge of the spiritual world by describing her encounter with Jesus at nine, and later her visitations by Michael, Gabriel, and other angels. She has written a book called, On the Glory Road with God and His Angels which Rebecca Reads Reviews calls,…”unique and nothing like anything she had ever read before. She recommended the book for all those who wanted to read about one women’s overcoming personal tragedy and depression and the angels who are very active to protect us and their mission on earth”
Ms. Brown said God told her that she had seen more angels than anyone in the world, and she should write down what she had seen and heard. In obedience to His word, she wrote this wonderful book for all to be inspired and recommit their lives to a living Lord.
Visit her website: www.Jesus-angels.com, or email standgap-org1@insightbb.com or it can be purchased on Amazon.com or Booksurge.com. A free copy will be sent to distributors, TV personality, or editors who want to do a story.
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We’re all supposed to take her word for it that the angel Gabriel, Michael and others stopped by for a chat. Herein lies the problem. New Age teachers, con artists, and deranged demon channelers only need email their latest vision to the nearest press release service and they have an instant audience. After seeing the willing followers of Avanzini, I am convinced that there will always be people who will follow anybody, regardless of how ridiculous their claims.
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Berit Kjos has a new article out on the historic evidence for the accuracy of the Bible. The Scriptures’ sneering detractors are always unhappy when anything is unearthed in archeology that makes the case for the historical validity of the Bible. Too bad. Even the rocks cry out as to the veracity of God’s Word.
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But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
-Ephesians 2:4-5
“When Lazarus lay dead in the tomb he could not decide to come to life again. In fact, Lazarus could not even respond to Jesus’ call, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ unless with that call Jesus gave him life. Lazarus’s condition , as he lay dead in the tomb, is a picture of our spiritual predicament. We can hear the call of the gospel a hundred times, but unless that call is accompanied by the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, we can no more respond to it than Lazarus could respond to a vocal call from Jesus.”
-Jerry Bridges from The Gospel For Real Life
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“America’s Most Powerful Religious Leader Takes On the World,” says the Christian Newswire, and further:
In this week’s issue, TIME’s David Van Biema profiles Rick Warren, the founding pastor of one of the country’s largest churches and the host of the upcoming “civil forum,” which will feature the two presumptive Presidential nominees on August 16. Also in the issue, John McCain and Barack Obama write about their own views of faith, and a new TIME poll shows that 70% of white Evangelical voters support McCain. (p. 37)
In his profile of Warren, Van Biema writes that the pastor “is unquestionably the U.S.’s most influential and highest-profile churchman. He is a natural leader, a pathological schmoozer, insatiably curious and often the smartest person in the room…
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The L.A. Times reports that a “Christian” biker group, ironically called the Set Free Soldiers, has been arrested and the men accused of conspiracy to commit murder against some Hell’s Angel’s rivals. Their motto is, “A group of Christian men who love Jesus and love to ride hard.”
Brilliant, guys. Way to show the world how Christians act. I’m sure the world is really impresssed with this. I have some advice for these leather-clad biker afficionados: Grow up!
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This news brief gives us the latest on the civil case against Victoria Osteen, wife of “smilin’” Joel Osteen. The flight attendant that she is alleged to have assaulted, says among other things, that because of the trauma she suffered, she has lost her faith in religion, and developed hemmorhoids.
If this is criteria to file a suit then all of Joel’s tv viewing audience should hire attorneys.
The flight attendant is asking for 10% of the Osteen’s wealth. That is food for thought. 10% of my net worth amounts to about a buck fifty. It seems that the “christian” greed mongers are becoming easy targets.
Click the post title to be taken to the source.
This news brief gives us the latest on the civil case against Victoria Osteen, wife of “smilin’” Joel Osteen. The flight attendant that she is alleged to have assaulted, says among other things, that because of the trauma she suffered, she has lost her faith in religion, and developed hemmorhoids.
If this is criteria to file a suit then all of Joel’s tv viewing audience should hire attorneys.
The flight attendant is asking for 10% of the Osteen’s wealth. That is food for thought. 10% of my net worth amounts to about a buck fifty. It seems that the “christian” greed mongers are becoming easy targets.
Click the post title to be taken to the source.
But of course; Re-imagine–the latest rage in apostatizing evangelicalism:
The 2008 CCCA national gathering, December 8–11, will be filled with enriching educational opportunities, warm fellowship, and valuable networking.
We’re also told that:
REiMAGINE! is a national gathering of Christian leaders who minister at camps, conferences, retreats, and similar organizations. The event is scheduled for December 8–11 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort near Orlando, Florida.
On Monday we open with General Session I w/Alistair Begg: “Reimagining Faith” with General Session III w/ Bart Tarman: “Reimagining Jesus”. Oh, let’s take a wild guess He was really a contemplative mystic. General session IV features Sally Morgenthaler of the Emergent Church and “Reimagining Leadership” with the big finale as Emerging Church leader and “futurist” Leonard Sweet closes the event on Friday while he is “Reimagining the Future.” And every session of this contemplative conference is followed by an open “Prayer and Meditation Room.”
But CRN is asking: Why is Alistair Begg sharing this platform along with Emergent Church leaders like Sally Morgenthaler and Leonard Sweet?
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Ingrid Schlueter brings us this bit of information concerning Rick Warren and his Saddleback circus at Slice of Laodicea:
It’s a pretty lucrative thing to be hosting the Presidential candidates at Saddleback. How lucrative? There are 5,000 seats at Saddleback. They’re holding a drawing to decide who gets the privilege of paying the following amounts to get in that night. There are four different drawings…
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TimesOn Line brings us this story of compromise. Apparently the “Archdruid” of Canterbury knows more than God Himself:
Rowan Williams believes that gay sexual relationships can “reflect the love of God” in a way that is comparable to marriage, The Times has learnt.
Gay partnerships pose the same ethical questions as those between men and women, and the key issue for Christians is that they are faithful and lifelong, he believes.
Dr Williams is known to be personally liberal on the issue but the strength of his views, revealed in private correspondence shown to The Times, will astonish his critics…
