Never Loved, Regardless?

 Doug Robinson:

There is a notion that if one if bright enough, well read enough, wise enough, that one can earn the respect and affection of non-believers and bridge the gaps between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of this world.  That one can reject and be unlike all those foolish Christians who put their feet in their mouths and embarrass the rest of us.  

Problem is the biblical narrative tells us otherwise....... There is the trap once again, thinking that wise thinking people can avoid the conflicts with the spirit of the age and win over our adversaries through thoughtful reasoning!  

......Jesus failed on many levels to do that.  St. Paul was no slouch in the field of apologetics and where did it get him?  The bible teaches the need not for mere reasoning in search of common ground, but that men and women are lost and blinded and need to be converted from the ways of death to the paths of life  Sometimes notions of apologetics avoid that hard truth..

Jesus said: "Do not be surprised when the world hates you. They hated me first." 

A Christianity that wants to be loved by all men is bereft of loyalty to King Jesus. The real Christian loves his enemies because he actually has enemies who do not love him because they hate God.

  —Doug Robinson, August, 2018

Teethy Gospel Sharing?

“Christianity is not a modern success story. It is to be preached with love and tears into the teeth of men, preached without compromise, without regard to the world’s concept of success. If there seem to be no results, remember that Jeremiah did not see the results in his day. They came later. If there seem to be no results, it does not change God’s imperative. It is simply up to you and to me to go on, go on, go on, whether we see the results or whether we don’t. Go on.”

― Francis A. Schaeffer, Death in the City

The No Religion, Religion

"What if our main battle as a church TODAY, Right Now... isn't battling a secular worldview..... we are actually battling another RELIGIOUS worldview....
It isn't SECULAR or atheist worldview AT ALL.
We are fighting false religions and false religions of many different kinds. They have exchanged true religion not for NO religion, but for idolatry. We are in a country full of idolaters. They are not "secular people", they are religuous idolaters."

- Ben Witherington lll - ( Loose Paraphrase)

Dog's Bark At The Church

"The moon walks in brightness, though the dogs bark at it."

Matthew Henry

Psalm 2

Speaking of Church and Kingdom

"Those that did evil raged at the light"

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"Why do men oppose religion but because they are impatient of its restraints and obligations?"

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Psalm 2 Matthew Henry! (Worth reading Psalm 2 first)

The Eight Million Way!

"The way of the most
is neither the best,
the wisest,
nor the safest way to follow:
better to follow the eight in the ark than the eight millions drowned by the flood and damned to hell."
- Matthew Henry -
Commentary on 1 Peter 3

Tremble At No Other Name

“I will tremble at no other name
My heart's surrendered to no other reign 
I will bow at no other throne
Rest my heart at no other home 
Let these hands lift no other crown 
Let these knees fall on no other ground
Draw these eyes from the gold that won't shine
You turn this life from water to wine,” 
I tremble. I tremble, Lord In your presence,
- Lauren Daigle

Gate Post Compromise?

"When you start pushing on the gate posts of the narrow gate, to try and make it wider, so you can get through. There is usually more at work in your life that needs addressing."

Paraphrase of a statement I heard on a podcast.

Don't Preach From The Word?

Preach the word!
Don't preach from the word!
Don't preach about the Word!
Preach the word!
- Dr. J.Vernon McGee

KNOW IT IS.....

I don't believe the Bible is the word of God.
I know it is the word of God."

Dr. J. VERNON MCGEE  

Let The Lion Out

"When you got a lion in the cage, you don't need to put a guard there to protect it from the pussycats in the neighborhood. The lion will take care of himself if you just open the cage. The word of God is like that today."
Dr. J. Vernon McGee
He was very old then with cancer.