Why the Book Give Aways?

I don’t remember if I ever explained why I am passing along books, etc, from my library, so I’ll do it now for those curious.

My apologetics/theology library has over 1000 volumes of books and journals in six, 7-foot bookshelves and boxes.  I  also had a couple hundred other books which were left over from our old book table ministry.

We are anticipating moving in a few years at the most and I would like to not have to move all these publications!  Aside for the leftovers from the book table ministry, I have been slowly going through my shelves to see what is redundant — i.e., what books have been later replaced by others with more information or revised editions, etc.  Also, what books have I not used for reference in years.  Essentially, I want to divest myself of any material for which I do not see a future need!

Since I started offering them on my blog in 2016, I have given away over 250 books, 25 videos, numerous journals and magazines, and other booklets and small publications.

I find it worth spending the postage to be able to pass along this material to the younger generation (I’m going to be 67 in April), especially since many health issues are slowing me down in my "research and development” for articles and studies, etc.  After all, it costs me much less in media mail postage than it would for any of the recipients to purchase the book!  And many of the books I have sent out were acquired from unusual sources.

Mind you, every single book in my library, including those I’m passing along, have been read by me.  I will not pass along something with which I’m not familiar, and I’ve destroyed probably another 100 books published by cults or false teachers and which were used by me for researching them.  I didn’t want these to get into the wrong hands and mislead people.

So just keep your eyes out for when I post books for give-aways—the first comment or email I receive (based on time stamps, since I might not see them until the next day) requesting the book is who will get it.  

Personal Bible Notes: John

Refer to my 9/25/18 post about the margin notes in my Bible, and why I decided to share them on this blog.

1:18: “revealed”, i.e., “exegeted.”

1:51: “you” is plural, not spoken just to Nathanael.

2:  Wedding In Cana.  Bride or groom most likely related to Mary, else why her concern?  Maybe a child.

2:12:  “brothers”.  These are literal half-brothers, sons of Mary.

3:3: “born again”.  Born from above.

3:5: "of water and the spirit” is parallel with 3:3, i.e., born again means born of water and the spirit. See Isa.44:3. The Holy Spirt in the O.T. is often depicted as water: Prov.1:23; Joel 2:28-29; Zech.12:10.  Jesus was saying “an outpouring of God’s Spirit.”

6: One year before crucifixion.

6:14: see Deut. 18:15-19.

6:35 is NOT literal.

6:37-40: Those who put their faith in Christ are given to him by God.

6:40 and 6:54 are parallels, so they mean the same, proving the eating and drinking is not literal.

6:44 is contingent on 12:32.

6:59: His audience was Jewish.

7:3, 5, 10 all refer to brothers as literal brothers, i.e. sons of Joseph and Mary.

7:16-17: Jesus’ doctrine vs man’s

7:37: this is about 6 months before the crucifixion.

7:38: Jesus is the water. Isa.55:1; Zech 13:1; Ezek.47.

7:39: Believers have the Spirit.

8:4: “caught in the act”. Then where is the man because he is also guilty!

8:6b-8: What was he writing? Could it have been the law that both needed to be charged?

8:12: This is actually picking up from 7:39. During this festival lights were important. Lighting ceremony at the festival of the booths is at Zech 14:5b-9, Isa. 49:6 which is read at the festival.

8:41: They knew that Joseph wasn’t Jesus’ father.

8:44: Satan “killed’ Adam and Eve when he seduced them into losing life.

8:58-59: Jesus claimed to be God, proven by their desire to stone him IAW Lev.24:15.

10: 3 months prior to crucifixion.

10:10: “life”, i.e. union with God vs “death” as separation.

10:30: “The Father and I are one” is literally “I and the Father we are one.”

11:35: “Jesus wept.” Over the results of sin in addition to friendship.

11:38: Angry at sin, death, unbelief.

11:44: He was restored to life, not resurrected.

12:3: Nard is from India.

12:23: Probably time wise right after Mark 11:15-17.

12:40: They hardened their own hearts by rejecting God—because of God their hearts were hardened.

13:2: Better rendering: “his heart (the devil’s) to use Judas”

13:10: “You are clean” is plural.

13:18: Refer to vs.10

14:6: Only one way of salvation.

14:26: The Holy Spirit to teach the apostles.

14:30: This refutes the Word of Faith heresy.

15:16: He chose them as disciples/apostles, not for salvation.

17: 3: Defines eternal life.

17:7-8, 14, 26: Jesus personally taught them.

18:12-13, 19: Annas was deposed by Romans in 15 AD; Jews were upset and considered him still the authority.

18:31b-32: John 12:32-33. Crucify vs stoning was Roman execution.

19: The crucifixion seems to be dated at April 3, 33 AD. 

20:11-17: Why didn’t she recognize Him? Distance? Turned away and saw in peripheral, and that’s why when she turned around she recognized Him?

20:25: “nails in his hands” - “nails” plural rather than nail singular, meaning both were separately nailed, destroying JW “torture stake” claim.

20:28: Literally “The Lord of me and the God of me”

21:4: Due to distance?

More Wolves and False Teachings

It seems like the devil never ceases to find things to tempt people into believing rather than the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Educate yourself by studying Scripture and being aware of what is going on within the “church” at large so as to be able to discern what to avoid.  So here is my latest “round up” of news I’ve come across in the past couple of weeks.  Forewarned is forearmed.

I’ve written a series and posted articles and links to articles about the fraudulent and anti-Christian nature of psychology.  This article explains even moreso why it is anti-Christian.

This man is NOT a pastor, but he IS a narcissist.  Just another clown entertaining goats.

Nasty fallout over the James MacDonald imbroglio. Pastor John Secrest was in the right to refuse to allow MacDonald to speak, and yet HE gets fired!!!  So much for church discipline. But the latest information says James MacDonald himself has now been fired.  Then there is a big shake up with the Elder Board and Executive committee.

No dead person ever had a “mantle” for another Christian to take on.  Lou Engle is a very, very dangerous wolf; beware of him and the false teaching group Youth With A Mission.

Good resource of examinations of Beth Moore’s teachings.

Avoid teachings by Lisa Bevere as if your spiritual life depends on it — because it does.

Brannon Howse continues to demonstrate how he is more about promoting himself than about promoting truth.  I used to respect this guy but he went “off the rails” sometime back and it looks like he will never be on track again.

How many times do I have to warn people that Hillsong is NOT a Christian organization!?!?  And yet churches still financial support them by using their music.

Christianity Today Astray again attacks the Bible and real creationists.

Southern Baptist Convention continues their spiral into apostasy.

Followers of Todd White have absolutely NO discernment and actually want to be deceived.  White is a fraud and a tool of Satan.

How to delete a Commandment you don’t like.  Yep, the Papists did just that.

Bethel goat-pen, again. People seeking God would never go there.

True Worship

As a pattern for true worship [Nehemiah 9] should be seriously studied and earnestly followed. Several important elements of worship should be noted. First, it springs from the reading and teaching of the Word of God. Second, it is centered in a knowledge of the greatness, holiness, and mercifulness of God. Third, both confession and adoration of God are the natural consequences of reading the Word of God and meditating on His person and precepts.

Norman L. Geisler, A Popular Survey of the Old Testament, pg.169

Don’t Allegorize the Bible

Allegories are empty speculations and as it were the scum of Holy Scripture. Origen’s allegories are not worth so much dirt. To allegorize is to juggle the Scripture. Allegorizing may degenerate into a mere monkey game. Allegories are awkward, absurd, inventive, obsolete, loose rags.

Martin Luther. Cited by Roy B. Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, pg. 45

Wrong Spiritual Warfare

How then has the church survived for over 2000 years without the need for the modern day spiritual warfare movement? The answer is quite simple. Man created the modern day spiritual warfare and man also created the supposed need.

Ignacio Rovirosa, The Bondage Makers, pg.29

Christianity vs Other Religions

QUESTION: How do you know that Christianity is true versus other religions?

This has to be answered using logic and philosophy to first show that other types of religions have problems with being true, and that, to start with, only a theistic religion can be true — a religion that has a God beyond and within the world, a God that is both creator and sustainer.  This argument can get quite involved and will be left to you to study while we will assume here that everyone believes in a God. Theistic religions can be classified as Deism, pantheism, panentheism, and theism. I will only highlight some of the problems that disprove these first three viewpoints. A study of the individual worldview is very interesting and quite enlightening as to why none but theism really work. (This article was developed from the book, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be An Atheist, by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek.)

A. Deism says that there is a God who alone is eternal, and who created the world and then walked away from it so that the world operates by natural and self-sustaining laws that He put into existence. A deist says that the supernatural does not exist, that miracles do not occur. This position is inadequate and illogical. If they admit to the miracle of creation, then they have to accept the possibility of other miracles. And if God was concerned enough to create man, it would follow that He would be concerned enough about man as to intervene personally.

B.  Pantheism says that all is God and God is all; that God is the world, is us, etc. Hinduism and other Eastern and so-called New Age religions profess this, and this idea is promoted as the “Force” in Star Wars. There are actually several types of pantheism, some of which devolve into polytheism.  Their god is not a personal god and is more “it” than “him.”

The very quick way to demonstrate the self-defeating aspect of this system is that if God is unknowable and inexpressible by language or thought, then how do they know and express this about God?

Another way to demonstrate that it it self-defeating is to point out that, in this view, “God is and I am not,” that is, God is all that is. But one must exist in order to claim they don’t exist! And if all there is, is God, then there is no I-thou relationship because there is only one entity. Religious experience then becomes impossible.

This view also claims evil is only an illusion, but if that is the case, what is the source of the illusion? This makes God the source of evil.

Pantheism’s god is dependent on creation; without creation the god doesn’t exist. But then they have to explain where the creation came from.

Another problem is, by saying God is all, he must include opposites. This then says nothing meaningful about him because he is and he isn’t.

Finally, there is a contradiction of God’s nature. If he is infinite yet shares his being with creation then part of him is finite, which now makes him infinite and finite which is a logical impossibility. This gets involved in philosophical arguments about contingent and necessary beings, which pantheism tries to make both at the same time.

C. Panentheism.  This is similar to pantheism. God is in the world the way a soul or mind is in a body. A lot of New Age teachers promote this. God is finite and limited. There are two poles of God: an actual temporal pole and a potential eternal pole. A form of this is also known as process theology because God is in a continual process of change.

A primary proof of falsehood is that the concept of God as an eternal potential seeking temporal actualization is self-defeating. No potential can actualize itself. And then there is the problem of evil: a finite god cannot guarantee the defeat of evil.

D. Theism.  Proving the other theistic belief systems false leaves us with theism. It becomes the only adequate worldview. So once we determine theism is true, how do we prove that Christianity is true instead of Judaism or Islam? The need would be to prove that Christianity is true, which by extension falsifies the other belief systems. This proof is for another time.

Cults Separate Families

New religions usually want to alienate children from parents. When one thinks of cults, one of the first associations is the attempt to drive a wedge between parents and children.

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Biblical Literacy, pg.430

Alerts About False Teachers and False Teachings

A review of an interview with William Lane Craig demonstrates problems with the theology of some who are acclaimed as top-notch apologists. I, personally, would never point anyone to Craig for defending the faith.

James MacDonald escapes the consequences of his actions!  The leaders of Harvest are not acting biblically. MacDonald should never again exercise any leadership roles in the church.

Another false teacher/heretic seem to be born every minute.  Kevin Zadai is a new one on me!

Another example proving the Pope does not represent Christ.  And another one: he is promoting violation of laws. Do we really need more proof that the Pope is not a Christian?

The Gospel Coalition has continued their slide into apostasy, and now they are assisting the forcing of children to not have two parents.

Black Hebrew Israelites — a dangerous, racist cult.

When women’s ministries abandon the Bible.

Russell Moore has gone beyond the pale, and has been promoting apostasy and learning from false teachers.

Todd White has proven he isn’t a Christian, but a tool of Satan.

Proof that Hillsong is an heretical organization.

Mark Driscoll is still a dangerous wolf.

Andrew Wommack — beware that he is just another vicious wolf.

Why isn’t this Catholic bishop excommunicated?  He blasphemes Christ.

Do not trust the teachings of David Barton.

A Bit of Humor

A funny way to make a very good point about “worship” music.

Christians, Stay Away From Psychology!

I’ve previously posted many articles about the fraudulent and spiritually dangerous teachings and practices of psychology, especially a 7-part series in November 2011.  However, I just found a sheet in my file with reasons to not trust psychology and I felt I should post it here. I don’t remember if it is a collection I personally drew up or if I got it from somewhere else, but it’s a good list nevertheless.

Seven Reasons to NOT Trust Psychology:

1. It is not a genuine science.

2. It is relatively ineffective.

3. It is motivated more by money that by compassion.

4. Labels produce dysfunction rather than healing.

5. Psychology is incompetent in dealing with the inner person.

6. It cannot produce healing from the past.

7. It is incompatible with Christianity; it is a competing faith. Psychology by definition is the study of the soul. Without Christ, one cannot solve the problem.