When we come to the New Testament searching for how God would have us make decisions, what categories do we find? Rather than directions on how to discern the individual will of God we are given principles of decision making. Rather than pointing us to hunches, inner voices and promptings, we are pointed to scriptural guidelines that enable us to make wise choices to the glory of God. The New Testament paints a picture of a believer who knows and obeys Scripture, indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and who has been given a mind whereby he is able to think, reason, discern and choose. He is an individual who is quite capable (due to regeneration, the Scriptures and the renewing of his mind) of making wise decisions which please God. It is for these reasons that God does not call for Christians to make subjective choices based upon what they “feel” God might be telling them. Rather we are to be students of the Word, knowing how God wants us to reason and choose based upon principles He has given us. (Read More »)
“I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider a story from the February 1998 edition of Reader’s Digest, which tells about a couple who “took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells.” At first, when I read it I thought it might be a joke. A spoof on the American Dream. But it wasn’t. Tragically, this was the dream: Come to the end of your life—your one and only precious, God-given life—and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and collecting shells. Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: “Look, Lord. See my shells.” That is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. Over against that, I put my protest: Don’t buy it. Don’t waste your life.”
- Don’t Waste Your Life, p. 45-46
To those who don’t know: Gail Riplinger is lady who teaches that the King James Version of the Bible is the exact Word of God. All Hebrew and Greek studies are tainted; in fact, all Hebrew and Greek Bibles are tainted. According to her, only the King James Version is pure. I’m not sure if she considers the 1611 printing or later revisions such as the 1769 that is used in most modern printed editions of the KJV. She doesn’t believe God’s promise to preserve His words in their original languages: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). Jesus clearly designates the Hebrew language and says not one Hebrew letter or part of a Hebrew letter will be lost. Mrs. Riplinger apparently does not agree. If I am misreading her, please correct me in the comments.
On to the point: Mrs. Riplinger has distributed a “Final Reply to “all” (1 Tim. 5:20) about D.A. Waite.” From what I understand the Waite’s questioned Mrs. Riplinger about her previous divorces and she flatly denied ever being married to anyone other than her current husband. Then court records were discovered that proved otherwise. This really stirred the hornet’s nest! In answering her critics, Mrs. Riplinger manages (without ever mentioning the word “marriage” or “divorce”) to ramble for 61 pages in her “defense” (er, I mean attack of the Waites). Phil Stringer’s assessment seems to be accurate. I agree many pastors have dealt with such women – unable to see their own faults they go on a rampage against all who try to expose them.
Personally, I do not have a dog in this fight, but it is disturbing that so many Bible-believing Christians will link with this lady. She has a very difficult time being accurate in her research. Proponents of the King James Version make themselves fools when they reject Greek altogether saying: “We believe Greek study has been and will continue to be the downfall of Protestant Fundamentalism.” Over at Jackhammer, you will find a good article on different views on the KJV.
Instead of leading on Mrs. Riplinger, let’s head to the Bible for what we believe about the KJV and preservation. There is a very helpful book, entitled Thou Shalt Keep Them, which examines what the Bible says about its own preservation.
Obama’s Show and Teleprompter Presentation
I was blessed by these words tonight so I decided to share them:
Evening December 28
“I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword.”— Matthew 10:34
The Christian will be sure to make enemies. It will be one of his objects to make none; but if to do the right, and to believe the true, should cause and to believe the true, should cause him to lose every earthly friend, he will count it but a small loss, since his great Friend in heaven will be yet more friendly, and reveal himself to him more graciously than ever. O ye who have taken up his cross, know ye not what your Master said? “I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother; and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” Christ is the great Peacemaker; but before peace, he brings war. Where the light cometh, the darkness must retire. Where truth is, the lie must flee; or, if it abideth, there must be a stern conflict, for the truth cannot and will not lower its standard, and the lie must be trodden under foot. If you follow Christ, you shall have all the dogs of the world yelping at your heels. If you would live so as to stand the test of the last tribunal, depend upon it the world will not speak well of you. He who has the friendship of the world is an enemy to God; but if you are true and faithful to the Most High, men will resent your unflinching fidelity, since it is a testimony against their iniquities. Fearless of all consequences, you must do the right. You will need the courage of a lion unhesitatingly to pursue a course which shall turn your best friend into your fiercest foe; but for the love of Jesus you must thus be courageous. For the truth’s sake to hazard reputation and affection, is such a deed that to do it constantly you will need a degree of moral principle which only the Spirit of God can work in you; yet turn not your back like a coward, but play the man. Follow right manfully in your Master’s steps, for he has traversed this rough way before you. Better a brief warfare and eternal rest, than false peace and everlasting torment.
