This Isn’t What the Bible Teaches

Of course, the principal that you must have approval of someone to evangelize is nowhere found in Scripture. In fact, Christ commanded everyone to make disciples. We are all priests and the head of every man is Christ.

Here’s what Bojidar Marinov has to say about this.

Actually, this is quite a good news. Uncontrolled expansion is a challenge to every false system, because uncontrolled expansion always leads to a point where the elite has to face too many challenges by “non-professionals” who achieve that growth. So, at some point, they have to start building walls: both to stop outsiders from coming in and upsetting the balance, and insiders from going out and expanding and rendering the elite obsolete. The ecclesiastical system White is part of already has both: they jealously “guard the Table” (a concept present nowhere in the Bible) and they jealously guard their monopoly of preaching and evangelizing. Which means, they have self-consciously stopped expanding, and will fight any expansion from now on. Thus, for all practical purposes, they are a dead body.

A similar thing happened to the Covenanters 100 years ago. Look at them today: an insignificant sect at the periphery of the culture. Anabaptists were like that from the every beginning: and they never expanded beyond their limited communities and never influenced any culture.

And this is why the Charismatics are eating everyone’s lunch around the world.

That’s why Christian Reconstruction can’t afford to have “leadership.” If we do, we will end up as a dead body, the “leadership” deciding the terms of expansion. We will teach people but we will also trust them in the Holy Spirit, letting them decide the terms of expansion each one in their own sphere. This is how we build a culture. White wants a ghetto, and ghetto is what he is going to get.

Security Guard with a Big Head

We went to the bus station yesterday, and there was a security guard I’d never seen before. I handed a tract to a guy that was talking to him, and the guard took it away from the guy, and said, “You can’t do that here.”

I told him that it’s public property and we have the right to do this as it has been worked out between our attorney and the city attorney. I asked to see the written policy. He said he’d show me and we walked inside.

As we were walking he said this is federal property. I told him that he’s wrong and it’s city property, and even if it’s federal property, it wouldn’t matter as government property is public property.

Assessor’s website shows ownership of the property as the City of Pueblo

So we got inside and he tried to interpret the document hammered out by lawyers. I thought it was the proper document at the time, but after reviewing my copy, I’ll have to verify that they actually have the correct version on display. Anyway, it’s a little bit confusing if you’ve never read it before, and he was befuddled. He thought it had contradictory provisions where solicitation was banned but distribution of non-commercial literature is acceptable. He thought we were doing religious solicitation, but solicitation is generally asking for money or selling something.

Since he thought it was contradictory, he said he’d meet us 50/50 and let us continue. I assured him that I wasn’t interested in his 50/50, we would be following the document 100%.

After that, I walked away and tried to talk to someone sitting on the first bench by the door. He said I was within 10 feet of the door (that is one of the provisions in the document–that we stay at least 10 feet from the doors and bus doors). I told him he better get his measuring tape, as I wasn’t within 10 feet, and 10 feet is 3 big steps plus 1 foot. He just scoffed. I told him if he’s going to be following me around that we’re going to have problems. Looking back, I guess that could have been taken as a threat, but I just meant that him following me around was unacceptable.

He went and talked to the ladies in the ticket booth, and he came back and said they don’t want me in the building. I just said I don’t care, call the cops. I went on passing out tracts, and the next time I walked by him, he was on the phone, and asked me my name. I said I don’t give out my name. I should have specified that I give out my name to decent people–not power hungry dorks.

That was the last time I saw him. I think his shift ended. I wish I would have recorded it.

Quote from Bojidar Marinov

“If you are a Calvinist, you should know this corollary from Calvinist soteriology: The reprobate won’t become less reprobate because you were friendly and soft; but the elect will be driven to respond if you speak as one of authority, not like their academically-feminized seminary professors (Matt. 7:29).”

Encouraging Comment

I noticed an encouraging comment from Rose. She’s put me in quite interesting company. I appreciate her kind recommendation. I can’t help but agree completely with everything she’s said.

May 5, 2010 at 6:08 pm

Rose

Jonathan, you might want to check out these sources for some excellent tracts:

1) At this site, you can order some excellent full gospel tracts OR create one of your own which they will customize and print for you.

Custom Tract Source: http://www.customtractsource.com/Holiday-Items_c_41.html

2) Transfired ministries: http://www.transfired.org/tftracts.html

3) Living Waters (WOTM) http://www.livingwaters.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=8&Itemid=199&lang=en

4) Fishers of Men has tracts you can download and copy. There is a wonderfuil tract there for Christmas. I copied it out unto pretty Christmas paper and put it into every Chrisimas card I mailed this year.

https://billphillips.wordpress.com/downloadable-tracts/

Never underestimate the power of a good full gospel tract. A tract ministry is something even the shyest person can do. Just putting them in the envelope with the bills you pay…leaving one in the tube at the drive in bank…putting one in a library book you are returning….one next to a pay phone in the hospital lobby…in the restroom. Sure maybe some of them just get tossed…but if even one gets read and plants a seed in a hungry heart…it is worth the little bit of effort it takes to hand them to people or to plant them. I won’t stop. i love tracts!

Joseph Smith Did Not See God the Father

I had a little debate with some Mormons in the comments on a Youtube video. The Mormons I’ve talked to elsewhere on the internet, and in real life are usually very nice people. These Youtube Mormons weren’t nice at all. I think it may be because Youtube is even more anonymous than other internet sites. It inspired me to make a quick video on the topic.

The way the Youtube Mormons decided to deal with my objection was to say that since I believe in one God, and people have seen Jesus, then people have seen God, and my objection is moot.

I hope that they think that through a little more. Hopefully this video will lead to more discussions with Mormons, either here or on Youtube.

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

I like to scroll through the blogs tagged with “evangelism” on occasion, and if there’s something terribly wrong I’ll comment. If there’s an inspiring story of courage and boldness in witnessing I’ll comment. The other day, I happened upon this blog, dripping with sarcasm towards an event and preacher I’d never heard of–Tony Nolan at Winter Jam.

I truly have no idea what went on Winter Jam, and I’ve never heard of Tony Nolan.  I would normally assume that it would be the usual unbiblical Christian M.O. Trick people into coming to some worldly event, and then pop them with the gospel–not usually a biblical gospel, but a squishy version thereof. However, the blogger was mad at Tony Nolan for mentioning hell and sin, so maybe it wasn’t all that bad.

I decided to pick one facet of the blogger’s mistake that I’ve discussed at length in the past. The mistake is saying that creating converts is a bad thing. I really have little patience for it, because I think it’s a very basic mistake, and comes from either:

1. Saying there are people somewhere between saved and unsaved.
2. Believing that the gospel isn’t adequate for salvation. We need to add our impressive discipleship techniques to make it really work.

Either way, I think we need to stand against those mistakes, and I left a comment asking for the blogger’s definition of convert. He said that a convert is “an individual who simply calls on Jesus and continues living life in their previous manner.” So, according to him all converts are false converts? I don’t know if he thinks a convert is going to heaven or hell, but I say you’ve either converted or you haven’t. You’re either born again, or dead in your sins. If someone converts, and continues living in sin, they are false converts. The problem is that you’re distorting the definition if you’re redefining all converts as false converts.

Later his girlfriend left a comment saying,

This blog was more important then what someones definition of “converts” and “disciples”. I am sure there are many definitions in the dictionary at your local library!!! Do you have a library card??? Oh wait what about the internet you can find it there too. http://www.dictionary.com is a great tool when in doubt.

This portion of her comment was leveled at me, and I decided to play along and said,

I agree that there are accepted definitions of disciple and convert available in every dictionary. Hopefully, the terribly unbiblical use of the terms by [the blogger] will lead him to borrow your dictionary or your Bible.

The latter phrase (borrow your dictionary or your Bible) was replaced by the blogger with “[edited due to negativity].” Furthermore, I was warned that I was in danger of being banned from the blog.

Neither the blogger, nor his girlfriend offered any sort of biblical defense for any of their viewpoints. I think at some point it becomes clear that they have no defense, and don’t know the Bible very well. I pointed this out to them, and the fact that it appears that Tony Nolan and any commenter who disagrees with them is likely to receive the “intense criticism” that they choose not to stand for themselves.

Finally, the blogger defends his criticism of Tony Nolan, saying it’s OK since he’s a public figure. I guess that pesky verse about “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” doesn’t apply if the other person is a public figure. Not only that, but the blogger took the opportunity to heap more criticism upon Tony Nolan for having the audacity to defend himself on the blog. The blatant hypocrisy on display amazes me.

Personally, I have no problem with calling people on their mistakes, and aspire to be teachable and humble when called on my mistakes. The blogger and his girlfriend pulled no punches with their sarcasm, and I think my sarcasm was mild in comparison. I don’t necessarily think I sinned in responding with sarcasm, but I’m open to opinions. I don’t even necessarily think the blogger and his girlfriend sinned with their sarcasm. The sin arises when they demand to be treated differently than they treat others.

Christmas Gospel Tract at the Christmas Parade

A friend and I went to the Christmas parade this evening, and passed out 200 Christmas gospel tracts. (I just uploaded it to the “Downloadable Tracts” page.)  It was a small parade, and I’m very happy with 200 tracts. That’s about 1% of the population of this town.

The thing that struck us about the parade is that while it was a CHRISTMAS parade, it had very little to do with Christ. A small minority of Christians choose not to celebrate Christmas because they say it has pagan origins. They may or may not be right about its origins, but any paganism that was ever being obscured has come out of hiding, and there is very little Christian about how America celebrates Christmas.

Debate Ended

A serious weakness of Islam is that Muslims can have their sins forgiven if they have a repentant attitude, believe certain doctrines and do certain good deeds. They say the Judge of the universe will overlook justice and forgive their sins on a whim. They don’t understand the requirements of justice.

It is evident that the Creator of the universe is just, and will punish sin. He cannot forgive guilty sinners without justice being served. Not even a traffic court judge can forgive guilty speeders, but Muslims describe Allah as having even less concern for justice than a human judge. Nevertheless, the true God wanted to forgive sinners, and He came and gave His life’s blood to pay for the sins of His people (Acts 20:28). The Christian is given the payment for His sins as a gift. In doing this, God maintains His justice, and shows infinite mercy to His children by paying our penalty Himself. There has never been better news in the history of mankind!

I attempted to share this shortcoming of Islam with a Muslim on her blog. You can check out our conversation here. It appears that I can no longer leave comments on her blog, and I hope that is due to a computer glitch, and not due to the author banning me in order to squelch the truth.

Most of all, I pray that Roqayah (the blog’s author) would pursue the truth in this matter as avoiding eternity in hell depends on having her sins forgiven, as is true for all of us. I pray that she will understand God’s holiness, righteousness and justice, and that it would drive her to seek the Savior.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Just Don’t Get It

Thomas’ Lord and God

In John 20:28, Thomas sees Jesus risen from the dead, and proclaims that Jesus is his Lord and his God. Thomas was a good Jew, and certainly a staunch monotheist. He would never admit that someone besides the LORD was God.

This is a good verse to show Jehovah’s Witnesses. I’ve heard from various sources that they often have never seen this verse. When they see it, their immediate reaction is to say that Thomas was taking the Lord’s name in vain. Supposedly they think this is what Thomas was doing because that is their reaction when they see the verse. I’ve never seen any Jehovah’s Witness do this in person until the other day. In fact, I have it in writing for everyone to see. You can check it out here. The person who said it has made it clear that he or she isn’t a Jehovah’s Witness, but shares many of the same beliefs.