Do As I Say and Not As I Do: The Tragedy of the James White Interfaith Dialogue and the Pragmatic Defense Offered by Phil Johnson

The current firestorm related to James White’s decision to facilitate an interfaith dialogue with Imam Yasir Qahdi is puzzling in the least and has become a stumbling block for many who do not understand how White cannot understand that he is “dancing with the devil” as the saying goes.  Mr. White’s response to those critical of his decision has been the polar opposite of remorse and he has in fact dug his heels in and maintained that his actions were right and consistent with what Christians should be doing. Is that true? What bridges can be built to people who teach that Christians who do not submit or convert to Islam should be murdered? What madness is this that has gripped Christians today such that they believe the lie that building bridges to nowhere constitute evangelism? I won’t rehash all of Mr. White’s actions related to this in detail. You can read about that here – http://www.worldviewweekend.com/news/article/facts-reveal-james-white-islamic-dupe-clueless-evangelicals-are-desperate-save-his

What I wish to address is the support Mr. White has received. Surprisingly a couple of people with very different perspectives, one might say two people with theological beliefs very much at odds with one another, have stepped into the fray to defend Mr. White’s error. I am speaking of Phil Johnson and Michael Brown. This has added a layer of intrigue to the entire situation but has also served to obfuscate the truth of what critics of White’s decision to promote an interfaith dialogue have been saying. By engaging in what appear to be damage control activities on behalf of Mr. White, Johnson seems to have exposed himself as a hypocrite of the highest order. You can be the judge of whether or not that is true based on the information contained in this article. His previous statements seem to be completely contradictory to his stated position concerning James White’s ecumenicalism, or to use the new and improved phrase, interfaith dialogue.

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Matthew 7:1-6 – Why the Confusion About Judging?

 

The following story appeared in a recent edition of Leadership Journal.

“A traveler, between flights at an airport, went to a lounge and bought a small package of cookies and a newspaper.  The woman found an empty seat in the gate area and sat down next to a man reading a magazine.  After a couple of minutes she became aware of a rustling noise.  From behind her paper she peeked to see the man sitting next to her helping himself to her cookies.  After the initial shock she decided not to make a scene so she reached over and took a cookie for herself.

A minute or two passed and then came more rustling.  The woman peeked from behind her paper and sure enough, the man was helping himself to another cookie.  Again the woman decided not to make a scene and instead reached over and took two cookies for herself.  This same process occurred several more times until there was one cookie left.  The man broke the cookie in two pieces, ate half, and slid half over to the woman, got up and left.

The woman couldn’t believe the audacity of the man and was still fuming over the whole affair when she boarded her flight.  After takeoff the woman needed something in her purse and when she opened it up the first thing she saw was her package of unopened cookies.”

Our assumptions can be misleading more often than we want to admit!

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Mastering Flexibility And Adaptation – The Amateur Society with Steven Menking

Following up on last week’s discussion of change and growth, we now turn to the related concepts of flexibility and adaptation. Change and growth are certainly necessary ideas for us to grapple with, but in order to understand this dynamic we must also understand our threshold for change. From a worldview perspective, flexibility and adaptation match this concept nicely.

What do flexibility and adaptation mean in this context? Where are the lines for ‘not flexible enough’ and ‘too flexible’ in the process of change? How are those lines determined? What do differing worldviews have to say about this concept? Why should we care?

https://youtu.be/HWDMJ8xzzS4

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Remnant Radio Network Episode 26 – The World Is Heating Up – Dr. Mike Spaulding on WWIII, The War On Christianity And Preparing

Join Chris and Ross, along with special guest, Dr. Mike Spaulding of the Soaring Eagle Radio Show and Pastor of Calvary Chapel in Lima, Ohio. We cut through the noise in this week’s news, deliberate where the world is headed, and brainstorm what it means for the fate of Christians.

The powers are lining up in what promises to be widespread war. Saudi Arabia, the U.S., Japan, and Europe are allying, while Russia, Iran, and Syria are putting their own league together. China, and Israel appear on both sides of the equation, while North Korea places itself at the center on this developing axis of conflict.

Donald Trump continues to baffle conservatives. Domestically, he’s making strides, but has he flip-flopped on his promises to the American public about international conflict and trade? We break it all down in the midst of growing censorship and the removal of Bill O’Reilly from Fox News. Conservatives and Christians are facing a growing threat of complete removal with our backs against the wall.

It’s no time to capitulate. Prepare for tough days ahead before it’s TOO LATE.

 

 

 

Matthew 6:25-34 – Don’t Live Your Life Under The Tyranny Of The What If’s

In our previous study we learned about the deadly disease of affluenza or materialism.  The reason that this is so deadly for the Christian is because it results in an unbiblical focus on the acquisition of things.

Materialism causes people to lose their ability to achieve contentment and leads instead to compromise and coveting.

Jesus tells us in verses 19-24 of chapter 6 to beware of the trap of thinking that possessions satisfy the soul because not only do they not satisfy but they cannot satisfy.  We are not designed by God to be satisfied by material possessions.

Notice that verse 24 serves as Jesus’ summary of the result of disregarding this spiritual truth – you will be mastered by things.

I want to consider two questions and their answers this morning in light of what Jesus says –

  • What happens when we disobey this warning?
  • What happens when we obey it?

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