The Church’s One Foundation?

This satirical hymn, sung to the tune of The Church’s One Foundation, was written by Barbara Goodin. It was published at the back of the book, 12 Steps to Destruction: Codependency Recovery Heresies, by Martin and Deidre Bobgan. It pretty much sums up how the Church has come to rely on secular psychology for its problems.

The church’s one foundation

Is co-dependency;

Relationships are in

As is psychotherapy.

We do not read our Bibles

For God is out of date; 

Our self-help books and magazines

Well keep us feeling great.

We each have our addictions,

Like infidelity;

We use our twelve-step programs

To help us feel so free.

We do not follow Jesus,

For narrow is His way;

His rules are much too negative

For Christians to obey.

Our families were dysfunctional

There’s so much help we need;

Like years and years of counseling

Our self-esteem to feed.

We’ve heard the blood of Jesus

Our sins will wash away; 

This doesn’t feel right to us.

The World doesn’t talk this way.

The church is getting better,

More social and more fun;

There’s lots and lots of seminars

To keep us on the run.

The radicals are leaving

And we think that’s just swell;

There’s no more boring preaching

On heaven and on hell.

Oh, yes, it’s getting better

Our image is so nice;

No talk now of a Savior

Or God’s Own Sacrifice.

With warm and fuzzy feelings,

We strive for unity;

And Jesus, our good buddy,

Brings peace and harmony.

Was Mary Magdalene a Prostitute?

There is no evidence that the early church tried to tarnish Mary Magdalene’s reputation by making her out to be a prostitute. Any reference to her as a prostitute does not come from the Bible. Here is what we do know of Mary from the biblical record: Seven demons were cast out of her by Jesus (Luke 8:2); she witnessed the horror of the crucifixion (Matthew 27:32-56); she was present at the burial of Jesus (Matthew 27:57-61); she, along with two other women, went to anoint the body of Jesus (Mark 16:1), and she was the first person to see Jesus in his resurrected body (John 20:10-18).

Some have surmised that since her name and story appear immediately following the account of a prostitute, the two are one and the same woman (see Luke 7:36-8:2). But there is no biblical support for this conclusion. (Most historians agree that the reference to Mary Magdalene as a prostitute was started in the sixth century by Pope Gregory I). Still others have conjectured that she is the anonymous woman caught in adultery. There is no evidence to support that assumption, either. Some have guessed that she might have been a prostitute simply because she came from Magdala, which was often associated with prostitution. Once again, the Bible says no such thing. Any association of Mary of Magdala with either of the above-mentioned anonymous women would have been merely a result of conjecture--or very careless scholarship--probably dating to the Middle Ages, as opposed to a smear campaign.

James L. Garlow and Peter Jones, Cracking Da Vinci’s Code, pg.59-60

The Catholic Eucharist is Unbiblical

Not a single miracle in the Bible exists where all outward evidences reveal that nothing happened. Biblical miracles are always tangible and practical. … And at the Last Supper, the Lord took bread and wine at a table, not an altar. In the Bible, sacrifices were made on an altar, and God commanded the Jews that there was to be only one altar. 

[T]he consecrated wafer has been known to become moldy, corrupted, and rot if not ingested in a reasonable time. Of course, if the consecrated elements were truly Jesus’ body, this would be impossible. Repeatedly the Bible states that Jesus’ body would NOT experience corruption.

Roger Oakland with Jim Tetlow, Another Jesus? The Eucharistic Christ and the New Evangelization, pg. 59, 60, 96

Jesus in the Eucharist?

If Jesus’ body, blood, soul, and divinity is with us in the Eucharist, the words “this do in remembrance of me” would make no sense. A memorial service is not held for someone who is in attendance, but rather for someone who has departed.

Roger Oakland with Jim Tetlow, Another Jesus? The Eucharistic Christ and the New Evangelization, pg. 51

John 6 and The Last Supper

It is imperative to recognize that John 6 does not deal directly with the Last Supper, or with the breaking of the bread. That’s worth repeating. John chapter 6 has nothing to do with the Last Supper! … John deals with the Last Supper starting in chapter 13, but chapter 6 is a separate subject. In chapter 6, Jesus never even alludes to a procedure to follow concerning the Communion meal, nor does He tell His disciples to institute a priesthood that will consecrate bread and turn it into his literal flesh. Nor does He teach here, or anywhere in the Bible, to worship His body and blood under the appearance of bread.

Roger Oakland with Jim Tetlow, Another Jesus? The Eucharistic Christ and the New Evangelization, pg. 47, 48

Have A Blessed Easter

Christ the Lord is ris’n today. Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say: Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high. Alleluia!

Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply: Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King. Alleluia!

Where, O death, is now they sting? Alleluia!

Dying once, He all doth save. Alleluia!

Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done. Alleluia!

Fought the fight, the battle won. Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids Him rise. Alleluia!

Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led. Alleluia!

Foll’wing our exalted Head. Alleluia!

Made like Him, like Him we rise. Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!

Charles Wesley

The Old Cross vs The New Cross

If I see aright, the cross of popular evangelicalism is not the cross of the New Testament. It is, rather, a new bright ornament upon the bosom of a self-assured and carnal Christianity. The old cross condemned; the new cross amuses. The old cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new cross encourages it.

A.W. Tozer, cited by Gary Gilley, This Little Church Went to Market, pg.47

Some Recommended Good Reading

Who was St. Patrick, and should Christians celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?  Patrick was a “proto-protestant,” and not a Catholic.  I used to wear an orange shirt to work on St. Patty’s Day, with a British Union Jack on the pocket!

The cost of leaving cults and false teachings.

Regular readers (and new ones) have perhaps noticed that I don’t normally address the creation/evolution debate except from a biblical point of view, using proper hermeneutical principals. I also will expose as false teachers those who espouse progressive creation, theistic evolutionism, or any other old earth creation nonsense. Once in a great while I will slip and make note of scientific fallacy, but that is rare. For those looking for good scientific arguments there is Answers In Genesis, the Institute for Creation Research, and many other ministries with solid scientists who are young earth creationists. I will also point you to a site by a fellow blogger who DOES like to spend time with examining the scientific evidence for young earth creationism and against evolutionism, and here’s an example of the latter. Jesse also has excellent articles exposing the errors of Roman Catholicism, as well as other general apologetics issues; you may enjoy visiting his blog. 

An examination of the Jehovah’s Witness idea of Jesus’ resurrection — bizarre.

Some good responses to atheists’ “proof” that God cannot exist.

It Was Not So From the Beginning. Same-sex attraction is sin.

How Do You Plant a Church?

How to demonstrate to Jehovah’s Witnesses that Jesus died on a cross, not a stake.

Using proper hermeneutics with Seventh-day Adventists.

Are biblical manhood and womanhood cultural constructs?

More Wolves and False Teachings

Bewitching Believers Through the Hebrew Roots Movement.

Timothy and Kathy Keller — ruining the church.

More about Francis Chan, and this ISN’T satire! Chan gets worse and worse.Take the time for a more in-depth look at the situation here. If that one doesn’t make you totally avoid Chan at any cost, then you aren’t paying attention.

When socialist, leftist “Christians” abuse Scripture for their agendas. Since no one living now was enslaved, nor were anyone living now enslavers, how do we determine who pays reparations and to whom do they pay? Actually, shouldn’t the Africans who sold the slaves be the primary ones responsible?

It’s getting worse than Sodom and Gomorrah out there.

Sozo is dangerous and totally unbiblical, and was developed by false teachers.

Just because it claims to be a Christian institution, that doesn’t mean it really is.

Bill Johnson and Bethel Church continue to prove they are a cult of unbelievers.

Homosexualists are invading the church, and are being given platforms for discussing family issues!

Why do so many worship leaders look so gay?  Because they are wolves.

In my opinion, only wolves would use a bar for “church.”

These students are apparently NOT real Christians.

Brian Houston continues to PROVE why he is a dangerous wolf, and that Hillsong is nothing more than a cultish goat-pen.

Personal Bible Notes: Romans

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

1:3 “according to the flesh”: This statement is unnecessary if Jesus was merely a man.

1:7 “Grace…peace”:  “Grace” is Greek, “peace” is Jewish.

1:8 “telling”: This word actually limits the intent; Paul lives the gospel, which includes “telling.”

1:14: “barbarians”: These didn’t know Greek or Latin.

2:25ff: “circumcision” represents faith.

3:27-31: This section is the outline for chapter 4.

4:2: Abraham was before the Law.

4:16-18: The faith was not in his inability to have a child (he doubted that) but God’s ability to make him a father of nations.

6:3-5: Baptism is by immersion.

8:2 “law”: the word here means “principle.”

8:8: refers to unbelievers.

8:9-11: The Spirit lives in you if you are a believer. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of God.

8:14: Only Christians are God’s children.

8:19-22: The Earth is under corruption.

8:29: “foreknew”—NOT “fore-ordained”

8:30: “predestined,” i.e. planned for.

Chapters 9 through 11: about nations, not individuals, chosen for service, not for salvation.

Chapter 9: Israel’s past.

9:13: Israel vs Edomites; Israel chosen, Edomites enemy.

9:15: reference is to the aftermath of calf worship. Despite Israel’s sin, Moses asked to see God’s glory. God’s mercy to Moses over idolaters.

9:21ff: “Clay” is Abraham: One part, Isaac, for honor-chosen; One part, Ishmael—not chosen. Could also be Israel at the calf incident; objects of wrath being the idolaters.

Chapter 10: Israel’s present.

Chapter 11: Israel’s future.

11:13-24: The trunk is not Israel, the tree is the place of spiritual blessings. The branches are not saved but Israel and gentiles. The root is Abraham’s faith.

12:1 “urge”: literally, “exhort”

12:19: see 13:4b

15:18-19: Paul was personally inspired, and confirmed by signs and wonders.