Thursday, November 30, 2006

Faith & Works; Paul & James: 2


Faith & Works; Paul & James: 2
Brad Reiches
Nov 30 2006 10:00PM

Please visit our website at www.godthoughts.org, or www.willowspringchurch.org  to download today's audio version of GodThoughts Wired!, music, sermons, sermonettes, the Bible Says Series, and The Lifestyle of the Disciple Series...ALL FOR FREE.  You may also go to the Apple iTunes  Music Store on the web and search the podcast directory for Willow Spring Church and/or GodThoughts. Subscribe there for automatic updates and download the daily GodThoughts podcast directly to your i-pod...ALL FOR FREE! 


Friday, December 1, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"Paul & James;
Faith & Works"
PART 2

Guess who said the following?  "What matters is the keeping of the commandments of God?" (1 Corinthians 7:19).

Practically, the righteous life can never be obtained by obedience to the Law.  James describes the problem in this way.  "Even if a man is able to keep the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).  Nevertheless, Jesus warned,

"Unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the Pharisees, you shall
 not enter the
kingdom of God."
Matthew 5:20

The key to our understanding here is found in the awareness that the kind of righteousness that "surpasses" that of the Pharisees is the righteousness that comes from faith"We have received grace...to bring about the obedience of faith" (see Romans 1:5; 16:26).  New Covenant righteousness only occurs by grace, through faith.  As opposed to the Old Covenant righteousness that is found in the Law, and thereby, falls short.

Faith & Works; Paul & James: 1

Faith & Works; Paul & James: 1
Brad Reiches
Nov 30 2006 01:55AM

Please visit our website at www.godthoughts.org, or www.willowspringchurch.org  to download today's audio version of GodThoughts Wired!, music, sermons, sermonettes, the Bible Says Series, and The Lifestyle of the Disciple Series...ALL FOR FREE.  You may also go to the Apple iTunes  Music Store on the web and search the podcast directory for Willow Spring Church and/or GodThoughts. Subscribe there for automatic updates and download the daily GodThoughts podcast directly to your i-pod...ALL FOR FREE! 


Thursday, November 30, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"Paul & James;
Faith & Works"
PART 1

Ok, let's start off by getting good and confused.

Paul said, "A man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law" (Romans 3:28).  However, James said, "A man is justified by works, and not by faith alone" (James 2:24).  Now how's that for an apparent contradiction? 

Let's continue.  Paul declared, "For by grace you have been save through faith...not as a result of works..," and "A man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16).  Yet, James proclaimed, "Faith without works is useless," and Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself," and "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:14, 17, 26).

So, we have the Bible clearly communicating the following, both at the same time.  1.  The faith that saves us is not based on, nor does it result from, the "works of the Law."  2.  We cannot be saved by "faith without works."  It is "useless," as James describes.  Something that is "useless" has no value.  Salvation, of course, is of inestimable value. 

ARE YOU CONFUSED YET?

Further, guess who said the following?  "What matters is the keeping of the commandments of God?"

 

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

The Purpose of GodThoughts


The Purpose of GodThoughts
Brad Reiches
Nov 28 2006 11:50PM



Wednesday, November 29, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

 
"The Purpose of GodThoughts"

"I believe, with all my heart, that our beliefs - whatever they are -
should be the product of our own conclusions."
-Pastor Brad

In regard to her New Internation Version (NIV) Bible, Casey Batson of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma writes,

"I am not going to throw out the Bible that has seen me through
children shelters, foster homes, both parents dying
and now dealing with my own marriage and children.
I have discovered God's will and purpose despite whatever flaws this translation has." 

Well said.  And here was my response:

Of course, "I would never ask you to "throw out" your Bible. 
Simply to be aware of what's going on in our church-world today. 
The primary purpose of GodThoughtsWired! is to equip people
with the knowledge to help them draw their own conclusions. 

I believe, with all my heart, that our beliefs - whatever they are - should be the product of our own conclusions.  Sadly, far too many people simply mimic whatever their teachers tell them.  My motivation is to instruct, certainly, but also to challenge the reader and to motivate them to THINK.  The Bible teaches us that God will hold all of us accountable for what we believe, and too few of us have the ability or knowledge to explain WHY we believe what we do.

As for the NIV, I absolutely believe and confirm that God has used it POWERFULLY in many peoples lives.  Discernment is what's most important.  I believe that there are certain verses in the NIV that represent God's word well.  Having said that, my concerns remain:

1.  The direction that the church-at-large is going with their irreverent attitude toward the scriptures in general.  i.e. Thousands of churches throughout the United States and Canada using "The Message" as the Bible?  I believe this attitude exemplifies how Satan will be able to bring us to the point of one world religion with one ecumenical bible.

2.  If all we had was the NIV, then it could be argued, which it is, that the Bible (NIV) does not teach that homosexuality, itself, is a sin.  The Word of God clearly teaches that homosexuality IS a sin, whereas the NIV blurrs the issue significantly.
 

Bible Translations: Does it Matter?


Bible Translations: Does it Matter?
Brad Reiches
Nov 28 2006 12:20AM



Tuesday, November 28, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"Bible Translations:  Does it Matter?"

"There will also be false teachers among you
who wil secretly introduce destructive heresies...
many will follow."
2 Peter 2:1-2

Twenty-First Century, "Seeker-sensitive Christianity" has popularized the use of many different translations.  Dr. Rick Warren, in his highly acclaimed and extremely influential book, "The Purpose Driven Church," encourages all pastors to "read scripture from a newer translation" (p. 297).  He further states in his even more popular book, "The Purpose Driven Life," "It is always helpful to compare translations" (p. 325).  THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TEACHING! 

Let me explain.  In "The Purpose Driven Life," Warren uses 15 different translations.  Among them he quotes from "The Message" approximately 98 times.  In almost every case he begins the quote with, "The Bible says."  The problem with this, of course, is that "THE MESSAGE" IS NOT THE BIBLE!  Read what Dr. Eugene Peterson, the author of "The Message," has to say about his own work: 

-"The goal is not to render a word-for-word of Greek into English, but rather to convert the tone, the rythm, the events, the ideas into the way we actually speak" (The Message, Introduction, p. 7).

-"In a congregation where somebody uses it in the Scripture reading, it makes me uneasy...I would never recommmend it to be used as, "hear the Word of God from the Message."  It surprises me how many do...I like to hear the more formal languages from the pulpit...I did the Beatitudes in about 10 minutes" (Christianity Today, December 23, 2002, bold mine).

Can you believe what you're reading today?  The actual author of "The Message" "would never recommend it" being used as the Bible because he knows that it is NOT THE BIBLE, nor did he ever intend for it to be used in place of the Bible.  "The Message" is a useful commentary.  It is really good in some passages and not very good in many others, and NEVER THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD. 

Yet, Dr. Warren uses it as the Bible and has influenced thousands of other pastors to do the same.  The true word of God WARNS against this kind of irreverent approach to God's word (see Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19).  The reality is that in this day and age the average local Christian book store carries tens of different versions, translations, paraphrases, word for word, thought for thought or "dynamic equivalency" (huhh?), ALL OF WHICH CLAIM TO BE Bibles.  What is also true is that some are excellent representatives of the word of God, while others are...NOT!.

So, rather than teaching, "It is always helpful to compare translations," a statement that I believe is dangerous, misleading and WRONG the way Warren practices it, I believe it far more prudent and appropriate to say, 

"It CAN be an excellent practice to compare 
SOME of the highly respected translations
for the purpose of discerning what God originally said."
-Pastor Brad

The Purpose of GodThoughts


The Purpose of GodThoughts
Brad Reiches
Nov 28 2006 11:50PM



Wednesday, November 29, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

 
"The Purpose of GodThoughts"

"I believe, with all my heart, that our beliefs - whatever they are -
should be the product of our own conclusions."
-Pastor Brad

In regard to her New Internation Version (NIV) Bible, Casey Batson of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma writes,

"I am not going to throw out the Bible that has seen me through
children shelters, foster homes, both parents dying
and now dealing with my own marriage and children.
I have discovered God's will and purpose despite whatever flaws this translation has." 

Well said.  And here was my response:

Of course, "I would never ask you to "throw out" your Bible. 
Simply to be aware of what's going on in our church-world today. 
The primary purpose of GodThoughtsWired! is to equip people
with the knowledge to help them draw their own conclusions. 

I believe, with all my heart, that our beliefs - whatever they are - should be the product of our own conclusions.  Sadly, far too many people simply mimic whatever their teachers tell them.  My motivation is to instruct, certainly, but also to challenge the reader and to motivate them to THINK.  The Bible teaches us that God will hold all of us accountable for what we believe, and too few of us have the ability or knowledge to explain WHY we believe what we do.

As for the NIV, I absolutely believe and confirm that God has used it POWERFULLY in many peoples lives.  Discernment is what's most important.  I believe that there are certain verses in the NIV that represent God's word well.  Having said that, my concerns remain:

1.  The direction that the church-at-large is going with their irreverent attitude toward the scriptures in general.  i.e. Thousands of churches throughout the United States and Canada using "The Message" as the Bible?  I believe this attitude exemplifies how Satan will be able to bring us to the point of one world religion with one ecumenical bible.

2.  If all we had was the NIV, then it could be argued, which it is, that the Bible (NIV) does not teach that homosexuality, itself, is a sin.  The Word of God clearly teaches that homosexuality IS a sin, whereas the NIV blurrs the issue significantly.