BIBLICAL THEOLOGY: SCRIPTURE INTERPRETING SCRIPTURE


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INSOMNIA

1/30/2024

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Insomnia: “A common sleep disorder which entails difficultly falling asleep or staying asleep.” ​

The quest for worldly happiness in the daytime leads to restless hours of trouble at nighttime (Job 20:4-8). The wages of sin is death! All the security of the First World cannot make the soul feel safe and sound for a good night of sleep. Silk sheets cannot soothe the soul! Good food doesn’t produce good sleep! Friendly company doesn’t bring about serenity! A good day isn’t necessarily welcomed with a good night. 
“And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.” - Isa. 8:22
Restless and weary sinners pay a visit to the Doctor and are immediately prescribed sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Around 61 million Americans are taking sleeping pills! They don’t want to encounter nightfall without them on hand. Some are disturbed at night by a noisy mind and racing thoughts. The constant chatter going on in their heads doesn’t stop! Only because fleshly ambitions and earthly goals are fueled by the hellish sin of covetousness (Prov. 27:20). Some people can’t sleep because they have been estranged from their lovers! Meanwhile, others lay awake in bed at night because they are stricken with a poisonous feeling of envy, jealousy, and hatred which then makes them devise mischievous plans to solve their problems on the morrow. 
“the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep” – Eccl. 5:12

“for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes” – Eccl. 8:16

“For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.” - Prov. 4:16
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“Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.” – Micah 2:1

“But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” – Isa. 57:20-21
There is a resting place for sinners in the presence of God! Divine love conquers and quiets the souls of restless sinners (Matt. 11:28-30). This is how true Christians find peace to lay down and sleep without any regrets plaguing the conscience. There is a heavenly security to this serenity! There is a divine power in this peace! Needy souls are swaddled and carried by the omnipotent arms of an everlasting Father both now and forevermore. 
“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep…” – Ps. 4:8

“…He giveth His beloved sleep.” – Ps. 127:2

“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.” - Prov. 3:24

“For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.” – Jer. 31:25-26
What about you? It is time for you to taste and see that the LORD is good. Indeed, sin will not suffer sinners to sleep! However, a real encounter with Jesus Christ will clear the skies and silence the storm. No matter how bad you feel! Remember, salvation is the miracle of miracles. A good night of sleep is one of the many benefits of this divine work upon the human soul. 
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DEPRESSION

1/30/2024

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Depression: “A serious mood disorder involving a loss of interest and pleasure.”

​All the bells and whistles of modern society aren’t enough to remove the plague of depression that is smothering millions. A staggering 49,449 people in America died by suicide in 2022! Generations of kids have been reared in a culture of entertainment and have never been more depressed. The experts will tell you, “Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder.” (American Association of Suicidology). This kind of sorrow is a spiritual poison that is produced by sin. 
“Many sorrows shall be to the wicked…” – Ps. 32:10

“God distributeth sorrows in His anger.” – Job 21:17

“Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.” - Job 17:7

“For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.” - Psalm 38:17

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”  - 1 Tim. 6:10
Depressed sinners pay a visit to a local Doctor and are immediately prescribed antidepression medication. They leave with empty promises that everything is going to get better as they begin consuming mind-altering drugs (Jer. 6:14). Meanwhile, these people don’t feel right about taking the weird medication! This compels them to suddenly get off the drugs repeatedly in a battle for sanity. It is then that the dark nights of hopeless despair grow blacker and longer (1 Sam. 16:14-15). Time itself seems to torment the heartsick people! Why? They feel trapped in an unending cycle of misery. Therefore, sadly, these same people often end up killing themselves hoping to find relief from the suffocating presence of sorrow. One person dies by suicide every 40 seconds! According to the World Health Organization, a staggering 700,000 people worldwide die by suicide every year! 
“Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”  - Eccl. 2:17

“For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.”  - Eccl. 2:23

“…the sorrow of the world worketh death.”  - 2 Cor. 7:10
Salvation from sin is the only solution to the problem! Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can heal the pain of badly hurting sinners. Only the free grace of God can transform the minds, hearts, and souls of sinners (2 Cor. 4:6, 5:17). “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (Matt. 4:16). Immediately, when the face of Jesus Christ begins to shine upon lost souls, sinners are brought out of the dungeon of despair and into the glorious presence of God! A strong chorus of happy saints has borne witness of this heavenly experience for generations. 
“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” – Isa. 35:10

“Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.” – Isa. 38:17

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.” - Psalm 28:7 (Ps. 19:8, 119:111)

“Thou hast put gladness in my heart...” – Ps. 4:7, 16:9

“…in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” – Ps. 16:11 (Jn. 17:13)

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” – 1 Pet. 1:8
The salvation of the soul will put an end to all the loneliness. The Face of God will illuminate the darkness. When those who are separated from God are finally reconciled to God, they will then experience the peace and rest that heaven is offering to weary souls who are burdened by sin. This can be your testimony if you repent and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Are You Depressed? Consider Job.

1/22/2024

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​Revival For the Depressed 

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." - Isaiah 61:3
The Church on your street corner will tell you that the Book of Job is a philosophical masterpiece on why or how a good God allows so much human suffering to take place in the world. Sitting in the galleries, the Christian Academics of today would have you bow in reverence to such a thesis as this for the Book of Job. Nevertheless, something about it just doesn’t heal the hurt of sad and gloomy Christians (Jer. 6:14, 8:11). What amuses insensitive Scholars in seminaries then abuses suffering sinners who resort to Job for hope and comfort.
"They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." - Jer. 6:14

"​For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." - Jer. 8:11
Job is popular today, and referenced often by peace preachers, because it seems that people have never been more depressed than in modern times. Of course, they misinterpret Job! So, his story becomes nothing more than a dimly lit candle in the dungeon of despair to help the mourners cope with their misery. No cure is offered through an incorrect interpretation (2 Cor. 1:24). No freedom is granted through false peace. Job needed to repent! “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16). Why else do you think Elihu and Jehovah so sorely rebuked Job in the end of the Book in Job 32-42. Likewise, may a correct interpretation of Job’s misery serve as a wakeup call to the tens of thousands of depressed and impenitent Christians of the modern era, even as they delight to trace their misery in Job’s experience to tell themselves that everything is going to be okay.

Depressed souls like these become sadder at the sound of preaching on repentance. They cannot suffer anyone to tell them about the faithfulness of God – how the LORD would certainly lift their spirits if only they would denounce and totally divorce their secret affection for iniquity. They don’t want anyone to tell them that their sadness is sin! For the record, the bible calls it worldly sorrow (2 Cor. 7:10-11).
"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." - 2 Cor. 7:10
Coincidentally, modern readers also believe Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar to be the antagonists of the situation simply because they had a heavy burden for Job and were persuaded that he was in sin. They totally disregard the fact that Job was in total agreement with the doctrine and practice of his friends, even echoing them, and at times excelling them, which shows that these were universally recognized truths among all the saints of the Early Church, namely because they were all learning from the same sources of aged counselors and teachers.
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Sadly, the most noble morals of ancient generations are totally disregarded by future generations. The most noble doctrines of former times are totally denounced in latter times. Even so, today, Christians are prone to grossly oversimplify the discourse between Job and his friends because they are totally ignorant of the Early Church in Genesis 1-11.
A book written about a controversy is bound to be controversial. A situation that confounded the most godly men of the Early Church will no doubt confuse readers today. Doubtful readers of the Book of Job would do well to put aside all preconceived notions, and let the Scripture interpret Scripture without any personal interference. 
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A Commentary on the Book of Job
 🎶 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝑶𝑹𝑫 🎶 - 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑛 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑟

𝘍𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴
𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴.

𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸
𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘸
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰.

𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴
𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥.
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘥

𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥
𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘥.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸!

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭’𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦
𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙪𝙨
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦
𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦
𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 “𝘠𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥!” 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦.
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The Age of Fear: Psychiatry's Reign of Terror

9/20/2022

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Great Evil is Committed in the Name of Psychology  

The Industry of Psychiatry in America brings in over 20 billions dollars a year. A staggering 34 million adults and 5 million kids in the U.S. are on psychiatric drugs. The diagnosis and administration of drugs to patients is highly incentivized for the profit of filthy lucre. The best of physicians are compromised. "For the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim. 6:10). Accountability is nearly nonexistent. Innumerable captives of some bogus diagnosis are branded by the system with some psychological disorder, and hereby they are forced to take drugs by some rogue Doctor who fears no retribution. 

​The inalienable rights of citizens in a free world are violated everyday. The physical force used by the Industry of Psychiatry cunningly circumvents the 6th Amendment. The captives that are taken by the system are given no fair trial in court. They possess no ability to defend themselves as the accused. Those who are deemed mentally ill are easily and quickly taken and held against their will, except they succumb to the drugs prescribed by the men in white coats.
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The following video exposes the vicious, unfounded, and humanistic nature and routes of Psychology. Some of its content is unseemly with defiling images. Nevertheless, the abominations done in the name of psychology need to be uncovered and exposed for what they are in reality. We must not look the other way from such injustice simply because it is defiling to learn about. Rather, with broken hearts, tear-stained faces, and persevering prayers, we should appeal to God as to what He will do about it! [Note: I have no association with the secular organization that made this video.] 
"From instilling fear in asylum inmates with brutal treatments, to the modern application of restraint, senseless drugging and electroshock, psychiatrists have a long and hidden history of force, intimidation and outright terror.

This is where Germany enters the picture, for it was here that psychiatry was born, here where psychiatry was nurtured and grew, and here where psychiatry would commit one of the world's most horrific atrocities.

Filmed in Germany and Austria, The Age of Fear contains shocking personal testimony and revealing inside footage that tell the true story of psychiatry, whose reliance on brutality and coercion has not changed since the moment it was born." 
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Legacy Standard Bible Exposed

9/16/2022

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John MacArthur, over the past many years, has served as a beacon of hope to many for theological conservatism and fundamentalism. But in the already precarious year of 2020, he joined together with the Lockman Foundation (who have held copyrights for the NASB) to begin the production of his own translation with his Master’s Seminary, which would be subsequently called “The Legacy Standard Bible.” John MacArthur has publicly stated concerning his new Bible version: 
 “...it’s the best English translation I have ever read. It’s the most diligently compared translation. One of the wonderful features of it is it calls God by the name he asked to be remembered by Yahweh… It is [the LSB] a priceless treasure– an amazing effort.” - John MacArthur 
Such major claims as these (and more!) must be searched out.

The Divine Name 

When we speak of the divine name, we are referencing the four consonants in the Hebrew, יהוה (i.e. the “tetragrammaton”). This is a unique name for God, different from “Elohim”, which we translate as “God”, or “Adonai”, which we translate as “Lord”.

Historically, when the Divine Name exists in the Hebrew texts, the translators would (in almost all cases) translate it into the English as “Lord”.

The uniqueness of this name is emphasized in the following verses:

“And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.” – Genesis 4:26

The use of the Divine Name in this passage of scripture is very startling, for at the beginning of redemptive history, when men began to plunge perilously into sin, God, in that hour, operated a work of revival. And this revival was a severance of Seth’s line from the line of his brother Cain. And this revival was captured by this one single attribute: “then began men to call upon the name of the Lord [יהוה]”.

Also, in Genesis 22 we find multiple shocking references to the Divine Name, but specifically in verse 14.
“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.” – Genesis 22:14

This scripture is further evidence to us that the early patriarchs indeed knew the name of Jehovah! Yet, as we will see, yet not as well as they knew the name of “God Almighty” (“El Shaddai”)

“And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.” – Exodus 6:3

The principle that is demonstrably set forth for us here in this scripture, as well as in Exodus chapter 3, is that when God is purposed to work a new work of redemption, that is absolutely without precedent, he is going to reveal a new name to his people, and the corresponding attributes thereof, so that his people would stay themselves and trust in that name of God!

“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” – Exodus 3:13-15

“Doesn’t God know our hearts? Even if we say Yahweh, and we’re wrong, won’t God understand?” Very important questions, and the Scripture has an answer for them. 

“Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.” – Psalm 44:21

By these scriptures, we are able to see that knowing the Divine Name is of the utmost weight and eternal consequence.
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We dare not tread lightly in our treating of this most solemn matter!

Worthy Translation? 

The translators of the Legacy Standard Bible have stated, “Yahweh is a major change in this translation”.
You will also hear them speaking lightly of the precedent set by Christ and confirmed by the apostles in the New Testament of translating the Divine Name as “Lord”. But if it was truly good enough for Christ, the angels, and all of the apostles, should it not truly be good enough for us?

You will also hear them leveraging the antiquity of the early church fathers as authority for the vocalization of the Divine Name as “Yahweh”, citing Theodoret, Origen, and Clement - who do not even agree amongst themselves!And who is Theodoret, anyway? Who was Origen? Does it even matter that Yahweh is the known Samaritan vocalization of the Divine Name?… Surely the translators of the LSB know the answers to these questions, right?

What about the universalist claims of the ISBE and the Anchor Bible Dictionary confirming Gesenius’ claim of the “ante-biblical”, Babylonian, Ammonitish, and Egyptian origin of the supposed Divine Name, Yahweh? Or what about their complacency with guessing at the vocalization of the Divine Name?… Does this trouble the translators of the LSB? Surely they have something to say about this.

“He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.” – Proverbs 18:17

We should not leave the issue where the translators of the LSB have expressed contentment to leave it. There is a controversy. The debate has not been settled. There have been centuries of battles, and the war is not over. So let us not turn a blind eye as though the issue doesn’t even exist, or nominalize it as if it’s actually irrelevant, but let us treat it with the utmost moment and gravity, as did the noble translators coming out of the dark ages, between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Controversy Background 

​A debate wrapped in a contention buried within a strife.

Five-hundred years’ worth of controversy. And, truly, there would be no controversy concerning the vocalization of the divine name, if there were not such stark divisions over the originality and inspiration of the Hebrew vowel points from the time of the Protestant Reformation until now!

Elias Levita of the sixteenth century was first to positively postulate the theory that the Masoretes were responsible for the invention of the Hebrew vowel points. Of course, Levita, being a Jew himself (proud, when he came to die, of his want of conversion to Christianity), would therefore not hold to the same convictions as Christians concerning the traditions of the Jews (Mark 7:5-13, Titus 1:14, etc.). It is no wonder, then, how such a bold assertion as this could have come to be! For, to ascribe the invention of the Hebrew vowel points to the Masoretes, between the eighth and tenth century, is all one and the same with claiming the oral traditions of the Jews to be equally inspired as the Hebrew text itself! You see, if this theory is true, and the Masoretes indeed invented the Hebrew vowel points, then they must have been - truly - inspired, or re-inspired, by the Holy Spirit of God! For they would have flawlessly and inerrantly performed the feat of pointing the purely consonantal Hebrew text!

This theory of Levita played right into the hands of the Roman Catholic Church and their counter-reformation agenda, for it was sola-scripture which was the heart of the reformation. And, according to Levita, the Latin Vulgate antedated the Masoretic edition, thus leveraging its antiquity for authority. And if the inspiration of the scriptures could be undermined, then the protestants would have to return and submit themselves to the mother church and her magisterium.

Thus did mighty Puritans arise to the defense of the originality and inspiration of the Hebrew vowel points (such voices as Owen, Gill, Whitefield, and the likes)! Indeed, the fight was so fierce, and the opponents so implacable that as a climactic, reformed confession in the late seventeenth century, this point was overwhelmingly proven and put beyond the realm of dispute, for all Calvinistic churches of Switzerland.

“But, in particular, The Hebrew original of the OT which we have received and to this day do retain as handed down by the Hebrew Church, ‘who had been given the oracles of God’ (Rom 3:2), is, not only in its consonants, but in its vowels either the vowel points themselves, or at least the power of the points not only in its matter, but in its words, inspired by God. It thus forms, together with the Original of the NT the sole and complete rule of our faith and practice; and to its standard, as to a Lydian stone, all extant versions, eastern or western, ought to be applied, and wherever they differ, be conformed.” – Helvetic Consensus of 1675, Canon II

Throughout all of these centuries of debate concerning the Hebrew vowel points, yet there was no dispute about the vocalization of the Divine Name, until Gesenius in the nineteenth century!

In the vacuum of higher criticism in the nineteenth century, Wilhelm Gesenius’ theories surrounding the Divine Name found favor. This liberal departure from the fundamentals of the faith (which Spurgeon died fighting for LINK SPURGEON on the downgrade controversy) was the necessary context for the name of God to be changed!
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If the integrity of verbal plenary inspiration could be undermined by the denial of the originality of the Hebrew VP’s, and the universalist view of semitic religions could be granted, and the obnoxious traditions of the Jews and their fables could be venerated, then the stage was set for the stripping of the very name of God himself out of His people’s mouths!

Fallacious Cornerstones 

There were necessary principles upon which the attack against the Divine Name was made…

#1: The Masoretes Invented the Vowel Points.

That is to say that the vowel points didn’t exist until the Masoretes, according to the groundless claim of the sixteenth century Hebrew scholar, Elias Levita! This would presuppose and necessitate the inspiration of the oral traditions. This would also require the re-inspiration of the Masoretes.

#2: The Divine Name is Ineffable.

This was based upon a heretical understanding of the third commandment, which said you cannot vocalize the name of God, as if God had said, “thou shalt not take my name at all”, when he had only ever said “thou shalt not take my name in vain” (Exodus 20:7, Deuteronomy 5:11). Beware, reader, of the commandment-corrupting, text-destroying traditions of the Jews (Mark 7:5-13, Titus 1:14). But what is true?

#3: The Hebrews Borrowed the Divine Name from the Egyptians.

Tragically, this universalist claim is taken for granted among biblical scholars in our day. They know that the name of Yahweh has been found in the tents and tablets of the enemies of the Lord for millennia, and was the well-known vocalization of the Samaritans themselves! As if the Lord Jesus had never said to the Samaritans, “ye worship ye know not what” (John 4:22)!

Of course, these compromised, apostate positions simply cannot be!

​Inspiration + Preservation = Translation

There is no other way!

Inspiration: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4

Without the vowels, the scriptures would be inexplicable in thousands of instances. Consider Deuteronomy 33:27, “the eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms”. This, revocalized, according to the ESV, would be, “he subdues the ancient gods, and shatters the forces of old”. Or, consider, I Kings 17:4, “And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.” Without the vowel points, it would be indiscernible whether God were speaking of of ravens, or Arabians, or those of the rock Oreb!

The vowel points are critical to knowing that we have every word of God! According to the testimony of Deuteronomy 17:18-19, we see that there were two types of manuscripts throughout Israel. The first being that manuscript which was peculiarly entrusted to the hands of the priests (which could be called the temple manuscripts), while the others would be personal copies, whether of the common people or the kings, as in this instance (which would be historically considered the vulgar manuscripts). The vulgar editions, being given much less time and diligence, would therefore be susceptible to copiest errors, and would not contain the overwhelming minutia of the vowel point system of the temple editions.

God was intent to establish a testimony throughout his word of the manner in which he inspired the scriptures. That is, as it proceeded from his mouth, or, in other words, the manner in which God himself vocalized his words. What is this? Consonants only? Or consonants and vowels? (Deuteronomy 8:3, Nehemiah 8:8, Isaiah 59:21, Jeremiah 9:20; 36:4,6,17,18,27,32; Ezekiel 3:17; 33:7; II Timothy 3:16)

Preservation: “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

As with inspiration, so also with preservation, the Lord Jesus has something very important to say about the manner in which the scriptures were preserved by God in the first century. The law was not contained in consonants only (i.e. the “jot”), but also in “tittles”. What are tittles? If the jot represented the smallest, most diminutive character of the Hebrew consonants, then could the tittle possibly represent the smallest dot of the Hebrew vowel points? And is the Lord Jesus – the MAN of inspiration Himself – declaring that the law was contained in consonants with their corresponding vowel points in the first century (some seven to ten centuries before the Masoretes)!

The translator and his translation, which fails to hold these principles of inspiration and preservation steadfast, is castaway! And this is precisely where the LSB, MacArthur, and his five-man committee fail the test!

Theophoric Names 

​The end of the argument and all debate is not who can utter the most spectacular theological rhetoric, or who can present the greatest intellectual masterpiece. But, for all sincere Christians with childlike faith throbbing in their regenerated breasts, the question ever-uppermost in their hearts is simply this: “what saith the scripture?”

The Lord has not left us to be eternally tossed upon the waves of unstable scholars, but has given us a more sure word of prophecy (II Peter 1:19-21) — the Holy Bible.

Contrary to the popular notions of theologians (as formerly stated in the second fallacious cornerstone), that the divine name was ineffable, we see, rather, that devout Jews of Biblical times, so loved the name of God that they quite boldly took his name and called their own children thereby! And not the generic terms, merely, Elohim or Adonai, but even the Divine Name itself — Jehovah!

And herein lies the key of the theophoric names. You will need no Hebraicist to guide you by your hand (through their grammars and lexicons) or the oral traditions of the apostate jews, just simple childlike faith that God has provided in his word for all things pertaining to life and godliness and that it is, truly, the final authority of all matters of faith and practice! And if this matter of the Divine Name, and its vocalization, is, indeed, of such gravity, then would not God have preserved the answer for us in his word?

It is so, beloved reader.
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Stargazer, Read Your Bible!

9/8/2022

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The Bible is an inspired book of infinite power! Nevertheless, powerless Preachers deliver boring sermons to sleepy congregations every single week of the year. How can it be? The finger of God points to the Seminary downtown. 
"Too many dead men in pulpits giving out dead sermons to too many dead people. Oh! The horror of it. There is a strange thing I have seen “under the sun,” even in the fundamentalist circles; it is preaching without unction." - Leonard Ravenhill 
Rest assured that the problem isn't with the Word of God! The Preachers are to blame. God will not countenance their finely crafted messages. The average Seminarians of today force themselves - in the flesh! - to pick up the Book of God and preach it to people without any personal experience of its power and glory (Heb. 6:4-5). This is hypocrisy. 

The world looks on with wonder at a cold and dry religion. Irreligious men and women are deeply offended (Lk. 17:1-2)! Howbeit, the spiritual reality of things is much more disturbing than they realize (Acts 20:26). Crimson stains of bloody murder cover the graduation robes of Scholars and Seminarians in America! Souls are perishing. Through formal training in an academic environment Preachers have become strong and fearless intellectuals who adulterate the Word of God. ​
"And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in DEMONSTRATION of THE SPIRIT and of POWER: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in THE POWER OF GOD." - 1 Cor. 2:3-5
As blind leaders of the blind, these professional Preachers can't see what they are missing. They have forfeited what Paul gained through weakness, fear, and trembling before God. What? THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT & THE POWER OF GOD! A dreadful blindness is upon them and they don't even realize it. They are oblivious to THE POWER OF GOD contained in the smallest punctuation mark of Holy Scripture. 
"And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the Law to fail." - Luke 16:17

"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." - Matt. 5:18
There is more power in one dot of an “i” in the Bible, than the seemingly inexhaustible power of all the stars in the galaxy. It would be easier for the earth, sky, space, and galaxy of our world to dissolve into nothing and suddenly disappear, than for one stroke of a “t” in the Bible to fail.

Billionaires should stop looking to the stars for glory and immortality! Instead, they should humble themselves before God and begin reading the Bible. Meanwhile, everyone else should stop believing in the filthy dreams of billionaires! Nobody’s rocket will usher in a new age for humanity. No! There is no hope for mankind on the hellish Red Planet called Mars.​
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You are going to have to look beyond the stars. For, there is One who is higher than the heavens! He, even He, publishes peace to condemned sinners through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Therefore, all men everywhere should repent and believe the Gospel. 
"For thus saith the High and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the High and Holy Place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." - Isaiah 57:15
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Hebrew, Greek, & English?

9/7/2022

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The Abuse of Lexicons and Dictionaries 

"Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?" - Eccl. 7:16
Christians today have been made to doubt the sufficiency of the English translation of the Bible that they regularly read and study. Therefore, in order to understand the meaning of any given text, the people delve into the Hebrew or Greek words being used with hope to find some answers. However, this complicates the issue by presenting to the reader a number of various definitions to choose from which slightly or significantly alter the meaning of the verse in question. While endeavoring to understand the English, the untrained Christians become overly occupied with trying to understand the Hebrew or Greek words being used in conjunction with any rules of translation that are relevant (seeing that learned men and scholars often cannot agree amongst themselves!). This quest for truth is taxing and it yields little fruit! It perpetuates questions like a deepening abyss of uncertainty. 

Nevertheless, a much easier path is available! One that doesn't include a hasty submersion of the mind into Hebrew and Greek, as this can cause men to lose sight of what is known or can be certainly determined by the English that is provided. Just read the English, memorize it, and live it! Only then will you be able to discern what advantages are to be gained through understanding the original languages. On the contrary, many overly righteous Christians of the 21st century aspire to shoulder the burden of a scholar because they feverishly idolize intelligence (Eccl. 7:16). This is a different path. The whole process defers the hope of earnest new believers who are hungry for the truth, and over time, it produces doubt in them on whether they will ever come to understand what is certainly meant by any Scripture in question! Instead, they should be basking in the light of a sufficient translation of the Bible in English with childlike faith and sincerity. 
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An Encounter with a Prophet of God

9/1/2022

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Teaching #1: A Man Full of Power by the Spirit of the LORD

Have you ever had an encounter with a Prophet of God? Many men have gone away impressed when encountering a Prophet, but the same could be said of Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9-11). Sometimes what the man says even comes to pass, but the same could be said of the damsel possessed by a spirit of divination in Acts 16:16-18. She was possessed by a devil! All that really matters is if the Prophet is turning people from their sins and from the wickedness of their doings (Jer. 23:18-22).
“For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?...I have not sent these Prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.” – Jer. 23:18-22
Have you ever heard a Pastor preaching by the power of God? Passion does not equal power. Passionate preachers these days can stir up congregations into a frenzy of celebration, all the while they are powerless to turn the people from their sins. Sadly, the people go out of the building the same way that they came in, except with a little more hypocrisy and a little less sadness. Maybe the people need more sadness! A godly sorrow over sin.
“Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” - James 4:8-10
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“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” – 2 Cor. 7:10
The world doesn’t need more happiness (Lk. 6:25)! From Heaven’s perspective, the world needs a lot more sadness (Lk. 6:21). “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.” (Eccl. 7:3). A little hellfire preaching on repentance would make a house of hypocrites a lot less happy (Rev. 1:7). “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.” (Eccl. 7:5). So it was when the hypocritical Jews of ancient times encountered true Prophets. They would get rebuked! God cannot tolerate the stench of hypocrisy, and neither can the Prophets. In fact, this is the remarkable difference when encountering a true Prophet. 
“But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.” - Micah 3:8
Have you ever had an encounter with the power of the Spirit of the LORD? If you find yourself sitting under preaching that is full of the mighty power of the Spirit of the LORD, then you are going to be hearing about the judgment of God against transgressors and sinners, and this will lead hell-bound sinners to a place of godly sorrow and repentance (Micah 3:8). To put things in perspective: If you sat through a service and you weren’t reproved, and you learned nothing about sin, righteousness, and judgment, then you can be sure that you were listening to a Preacher that is void of the Holy Spirit of God (John 16:8). 
“And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” - John 16:8
If the word preached comes with penetrating power upon the human conscience, sinners will be moved to repent and get right with God through faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Prov. 9:10). By this means sinners will feel their need for a Savior (Rom. 7:7-14)! However, false Prophets are cunningly employed by the devil to give impenitent sinners a false peace by forcing them to claim the promises of salvation without the power and victory they provide over sin (Ezek. 13:22-23; Rom. 6:1-7). 
“Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life: Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” - Eze 13:22-23
This is the real need of the hour: Deliverance from false Prophets! There are too many to count. Week after week, millions of souls flock to God-forsaken Churches to hear preaching from God-forsaken false Prophets! The earth rings with the sound of their voices on Sunday as they cry to God for a visitation of the Holy Spirit, while the King of Heaven looks down with disdain, saying, “I will even forsake you” (Jer. 23:31-34). The unsuspecting people don’t know it, and even if it was told to them they wouldn’t believe it, because truth is silenced when heretics take the stage in doomed generations (Ezek. 14:1-9, Isa. 66:4, 2 Thess. 2:11-12, Jer. 23:39-40). 
“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” - Gal 4:16 
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Theology | The Study of God | Knowing God

8/31/2022

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The normal enterprise of Theology these days certainly acquires knowledge about God. Yet, for the most part, the soul is left empty and bereft of divine life (Eph. 4:17-19).
"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." - John 17:3 [Jn. 8:19. 2 Thess. 1:7-10] 
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"He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." - 1 John 2:4
Theologians and academics have failed to put a difference between acquiring knowledge about God and personally knowing God (Jn. 17:3; 1 Jn. 2:4; Titus 1:16). A lack of focused emphasis on this vital issue has poisoned countless volumes of theology to date (Matt. 7:28-29, Mk. 1:22, Lk. 4:32, Acts 4:13, 2 Cor. 4:2). Consequentially, the Priests of the LORD have failed to put a difference between the clean and the unclean (Lev. 10:10, 11:47, 20:25, Jer. 15:19, Ezek. 22:26, 44:23; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1); neither have they discerned between the living and the dead (Prov. 21:16, Matt. 15:13, Eph. 2:1, Col. 2:13, 1 Tim. 5:6. Rev. 3:1).

This negligence is nothing short of murder (Acts 20:26). Eternity depends upon a real and living personal encounter with the LORD (Jer. 2:12-13). Unadulterated Theology directs the soul into a personal encounter with God at salvation and a growing knowledge of God coming with sanctification as one walks with God in the beauties of holiness. The true utility of the word of God humbles the soul rather than puffing it up (Heb. 4:12-13, Jer. 23:29), because only humble souls do abide and walk with God (Ps. 138:6, Micah 6:8, Isa. 57:15, 66:2). However, when and if Theology is committed into the hands of unconverted men, the divine utility of the word of God is compromised; therefore, instead of humbling the soul, "the knowledge of God" is puffing it up (Isa. 5:21). 
"...Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of Him." - 1Cor. 8:1-3
With depravity taking its course, suddenly a whole generation is given over to the pride of knowledge about God in the brazen idolatry of human intelligence. They feel themselves to be the most humble people on the face of the earth by virtue of truly knowing God, but in reality what they believe to be the knowledge of God is the source of the problem. The knowledge they have acquired hasn't ushered their souls into the blazing light of God's Presence (Isa. 6:5). In all their knowledge about God they haven't come to know God! For, had they come to know the LORD in truth, they wouldn't feel so much that they have come to know anything, but rather that God has come to know them (Ps. 1:6, 4:3, 36:10, 139:23-24) and in the process they have found Him to be lovely beyond human description ("the love of Christ which passeth knowledge" - Eph. 3:17-19)! 
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If you entrust your soul to the good intentions of godless men, they will forbid you from knowing God by teaching you "the word of God". What they teach you about the Bible will make you wise unto damnation (Jer. 8:5-9, 1 Cor. 3:18-20, Php. 3:4-6). What they teach you about the Temple of the LORD will banish you from the presence of God (Jer. 7:4). In a demonstration of zeal that inspires you they will destroy you (Rom. 9:32-10:3, Gal. 5:7-9, 6:13-14). In eloquence of speech that fascinates you they will bewitch you (Rom. 16:17-19, Gal. 3:1). In formal training to master "divinity" they will make you an enemy of the Cross of Christ (Gal. 1:10, Php. 3:17-19). 
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WHEN CELEBRITY PREACHERS CONFESS! ...Is Matt Chandler Unconverted?

2/19/2014

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Not too long ago Mark Driscoll and Matt Chandler were the rising stars of Neo-Calvinism. Even John Piper hoped that they would champion the cause of Calvinism before the up-and-coming generation. However, sadly, considering the fact that Piper has "laid hands" on Rick Warren and Lecrae, that's not saying much. 

Everyone knows how Mark Driscoll rose to popularity. The so-called Rockstar Preacher struck a chord with worldlings as an attractive role model. However, Matt Chandler was different. Long before Chandler drifted into charismatic practices, among other things, he seemed more polished as a man of character, and everyone thought he was an outstanding Preacher. The Reformed Community of Christianity was buzzing with excitement about it. As a formally educated graduate from Seminary, Chandler personally understood complex theological doctrines, and yet he was able to effectively communicate them in a simple way that was agreeable to laymen. This is how Matt Chandler became a Celebrity Preacher! ...and then calamity struck. 

By sovereign design, the LORD unearths secrets through tragedy. When mortal man is faced with death he becomes much more sincere and introspective. Matt Chandler is no exception. After waking up one morning and suffering a horrific seizure before the eyes of his wife and children at home (due to an unknown tumor in his head), it turns out that this Celebrity Preacher had some confessions to make. As usual, Chandler chilled the mood of the audience by describing the following confessions as "a few random thoughts". Nevertheless, these sins are so grave that everyone should be asking themselves: "Is Matt Chandler Unconverted?". 

The following excerpts are from a blog post that was written about a year after Matt Chandler's surgery to remove the tumor. 
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"This Saturday, Dec. 4 marks the one-year anniversary of the 7-8 hour craniotomy that removed a malignant cancerous tumor from my brain and started a year of radiation, chemo and recovery. To say that we’ve been doing some reflecting as a family would be an understatement. So on the one-year anniversary here are a few random thoughts I’ve had:

...

I found out on Nov. 26 that I had a mass on my frontal lobe, on Tuesday Dec. 1 that I was going to need surgery soon and that the scans “didn’t look good,” and on Dec. 4 had a good portion of my right frontal lobe removed. I’ll be honest, that season was terrifying, and we wept. I wept with Lauren, my friends, family members, partners in ministry and by myself.
If it’s not by grace alone, I’m in a lot of trouble.

Jonathan Edwards was right to resolve, “to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.” The thought of dying, though repulsive to most of us, brings an uncanny clarity to life. I was told in mid-December that what I had was fatal and that the average lifespan was 2-3 years after diagnosis. So I have at max, 2 years left (I want to quote Twain here on statistics but don’t want to answer the e-mails and complaints in the comment section I would get). When you hear that kind of news, you do some real soul searching and here is something disturbing I found out about me. I don’t trust all my motivations in ministry. Now don’t get me wrong. I deeply, deeply love the God of the Bible. I love to proclaim Him and think about Him and talk about Him to anyone who’ll listen, but I learned in college that when I do that, good things happen and by good things I mean good things for me. People want to hear me teach; they pay me money. I’m actually “famous” in some circles. What a dangerous culture we live in. In some places being used powerfully by God can get you killed and here it makes you “famous.” Hear me confess this. I like it. I like that people download me, watch videos of me, want my take on things and I believe that there is a part of me (that’s hopefully dying) that likes it not just because it makes much of Jesus but makes much of me. That is an embarrassing truth about me, and I have fasted and prayed that God would put it to death. So to quote Lecrae “If Heaven ain’t a gift then I ain’t getting in.”

I suck at praying.

I didn’t think I did before this. I thought it was a strength, but I was wrong. When you realize that all you are is His, you realize or at least I did, that I don’t stay connected to Him as I have been commanded to. I would spend some time praying in the morning, but my life wasn’t saturated in it. I lived like I put my time in and now I can handle this. So again, I confess that I went into hundreds of meetings over my first seven years as pastor of The Village without asking for direction and wisdom, without asking for power and clarity. Although I knew I wasn’t wise enough, experienced enough or seasoned enough, I went and tried to be what they needed. I have grown exponentially in this area this year and I’m hoping that when I’m done with my race, I would be known not just as a faithful preacher of God’s Word but a man who communed with his Father without ceasing." 
Matt Chandler confessed to being motivated to preach for the fame and money of the enterprise. To communicate the point, he said, "People want to hear me teach; they pay me money. I’m actually 'famous' in some circles." Chandler boldly went on to say, "I like it.". Granted, he said that he still loves the God of the Bible. He confidently affirmed that not all of his motivations are bad. Nevertheless, if you interpret Matt Chandler's earlier confessions in the light of the others he ended up making in the same blog, the reality of his spiritual condition before God becomes apparent.
"Ye shall know them by their fruits." - Matt. 7:16
Fitting to Matt Chandler's character as a hip, cool, and relatable Preacher, the man went on to confess his sin in a crude way, saying, "I suck at praying.". By that he meant that he hardly prayed at all! Surely, the man spent some time religiously "praying in the morning" ...but who doesn't? So do the godless religious people of all religions worldwide! Apparently, after a pathetic and momentary time of morning prayer, Matt Chandler then began his day by strutting into the daily affairs of preaching and pastoring while feeling that he could "handle" it in the flesh. Then comes the most horrifying confession of them all! 
"So again, I confess that I went into hundreds of meetings over my first seven years as pastor of The Village without asking for direction and wisdom, without asking for power and clarity."
​Only an extremely proud, carnal, and godless man would go into a single day of ministry like this. Only a blind, unconverted hypocrite could go on like this for seven years! The guilt must be weighing heavily upon Matt Chandler. No wonder that he borrowed the words of Lacrae to describe his own situation, when he said, "If Heaven ain't a gift then I ain't getting in.". The man feels so accused by his conscience and condemned before God that he forgot all about the strict criteria for being a qualified Preacher according to the Bible. Coincidentally, instead, he focused on how he was coming short of the basic qualifications of being a Christian. 
This is your typical run-of-the-mill seminarian. These unconverted boys go into Christian Academia, and they come out it with the ability to regurgitate the knowledge that they have acquired to the satisfaction of the Modern Church, all without the help of the Spirit of God. For them preaching is a class. Debate and argumentation is an art. Logic and rhetoric have rules and laws. Nevertheless, the Scriptures warn against the enthusiastic and eloquent Preachers whose power resides in human wisdom. ​
"For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." - Rom. 16:17-18

​"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." - 1 Cor. 2:3-5

"But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:" - 1 Thess. 2:4-5
How do you think Matt Chandler got so much wisdom without being a man of prayer? Read James 1:5 and answer the question. Don't follow this sacrilegious blind man into the ditch! Every true Christian knows that a man must learn to pray before he ever learns to preach. You know it, and I know it! ...if anything under heaven is to be done in the fear of God, and with utter dependency upon the Spirit of God, it is the ministry of preaching as a Pastor of a Church. 

If Matt Chandler had come to the Lord Jesus Christ the right way - through the Cross! - the man would not be so rattled-up by a sudden brush with death from the tumor in his head (Mk. 8:34-38). The Cross requires sinners to do some soul-searching! Really. It's called counting the cost (Lk. 9:57-62, 14:16-35). No stone is left unturned. Furthermore, the Gospel has power to transform evil men, making them sincere, holy, and free from sin (Jn. 8:31-32; Heb. 12:14). The power of the Holy Spirit in a true conversion to Christ makes sinners more sincere and repentant than the uncanny clarity provided to a hypocrite when faced with 2 years left to live (2 Cor. 5:17, Tit. 3:3-7). 
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." - John 10:1
Apparently, instead of counting the cost to enter into the ministry, Matt Chandler was preoccupied with counting the gain. Can you believe it? In being allured by the popularity and fame of preaching, and all that is to be gained, he couldn't possibly be preaching the Cross to people in his college years (1 Cor. 1:18)! He certainly wasn't compelling others to count the cost - so as to meet the demands of an execution device - so that men and women might become truly converted Christians by the power of God (Jn. 12:25). Matt Chandler couldn't direct men to enter into the door of the sheepfold if he climbed up and entered by some other way. 
PictureMatt Chandler confessing sin and stepping down from being the lead Pastor at Village Church
If Matt Chandler is indeed unconverted, then his pharisaical desire for popularity and fame is exactly as Jesus Christ described in Matthew 23:5, when He said, “But all their works they do for to be seen of men”. Naturally, as sinners, unconverted men delight to be seen by men. However, true faith in the Gospel liberates the soul from the pride of seeking the honor of men (Jn. 5:44; Gal. 1:10)! "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD" (Prov. 16:5). This applies to everyone, literally, even your very own inhouse Celebrity Preacher. 

The rich and famous work in Hollywood - not in Biblical Churches. Popularity isn't one of the perks of the job as a biblical Pastor. No! You can be sure that the job description will bring about tribulation, persecution, dishonor, and unpopularity (Acts 14:22, Matt. 24:9, 2 Tim. 3:12). Why? The Cross! "For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God" (Lk. 16:15). Confessedly, Matt Chandler was enticed to take on the job as a condemned hireling, with money on his mind. He thought it would pay well for him. All people everywhere should beware of such men (Jn. 10:10-13). The congregants at The Village should do some soul-searching while repenting in dust and ashes. 
"Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure." - 1 Tim. 5:20-22
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