IF YOUR GOD IS SO LOVING NOBODY GETS HURT, NO MATTER WHAT THEY'VE DONE.....................SHE'S NOT HERE.


ROOLZ O' DA BLOG--Ya break 'em, ya git shot.
1. No cowards. State your first and last name. "Anonymous" aint your name.
2. No wimps.
3. No cussin'.
4. State no argument without reference to a biblical passage or passages and show a strong logical connection between your statement and the passages you cite.
5. Insults, sarcasm, name-calling, irony, derision, and humor at the expense of others aren't allowed unless they are biblical or logical, in which case they are WILDLY ENCOURAGED.
6. No aphronism.
7. Fear God, not man.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

NEW FEATURE COMING--THE INTERNET BIBLE INDEX

There's something I've been doing. It's not done. I make it a practice to read through the Bible in the original languages over and over. When I'm done, I start all over. I read some in the NT and then some in the OT.

The last time through, I started taking notes and saving them on memory sticks simply for my own use. They're arranged in alphabetical order based on topic. It's basically an updated Nave's Topical Bible, but Mr Nave isn't involved and the topics chosen are arranged differently.

Then one day, I thought, "This is a lot of work and it really slows my reading down, so why not let others have the fruits? If this is a great help to me, it should help others, too." So I decided to publish it.

Currently I'm only about one third done. I'm in I Samuel and Luke. I have thought it may be helpful for your Bible study if I went ahead and published it as is, adding as I progress. That way you can begin to use what's there.

Once category is the Passage Index, an index of the Index that lists verses and passages according to their appearances in the topic categories. So you can look up topics and find the passages under the topic category, or you can look up passages and find the categories under which I've listed them.

I've tried to make the topics reflect the biblical issues current today. For instance, some today tell us "brothers" in the Bible actually means "brothers and sisters" and "sons" means "sons and daughters". Now you can look up that specfic topic category, read biblical passages that use those terms, read the context for yourself, and decide for yourself. To get there look up the topic category GENDER and the subcategory “Sons of Israel” and “people of Israel” and “brother” used generically or specifically, find your passages and simply read for yourself.

In addition, the passages will be listed in both English and the appropriate biblical language. Many passages have notes with specific details concerning important aspects of the Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew.

TOPIC CATEGORY NOTES
At least some of the topic categories will have short explanations of why those categories are included, what current doctrinal controversies they are intended to address, or exactly what the name of the topic category means.

YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
And I hope you do. Please feel free to add to the index by contacting me at philperkins99@yahoo.com. Please  mention to me passages you think fit into a specific topic category. Suggest categories, too. I will do the editing, deciding what will and won't be included and I will email you back with my decision on your passage with the reasons. And PLEASE call attention to any mistakes. Especially, tell me about passages listed under a category, but not listed in the Passage Index.

It will appear on my sidebar and under "INTERNET BIBLE INDEX".  God willing I will start publishing topic categories this weekend.

God bless,
Phil Perkins.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

HOW RELIGIOUS FOLKS CAN GO TO HELL IN ONE EASY STEP

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

That's right. All you have to do to go straight to eternal punishment after a life of religion is to fail to stand for biblical doctrine. So, just be nice and make sure everybody likes you.

Neat!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

NEW FALL POLL

Check out the new fall poll in the sidebar, just below the Martin Luther quotes.

Did you get it right?

For the answer, read Mark 1 and Matthew 4.

Surprised? What are the implications for doctrine and evangelism?

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

JUST THE BIBLE ACADEMY FALL CLASSES


Learn the biblical languages online in seminary-quality classes. These are face-to-face seminary-quality classes.

Classes start the weekend of September 17.

What you will need:
1. High speed internet connection.
2. Webcam.
3. Textbooks. (Care is taken to pick books that are economical, as well as accurate and thorough.)
4. Computer with printer.

What you will need to do:
1. Set up your computer with OOVOO, a free service that allows video calls. Pick the free option. You will still be able to see the instructor and the electronic chalkboard. To do this go to oovoo.com.
2. Go to this website philperkins.wordpress.com to view class offerings.
3. Contact me at philperkins99@yahoo.com.
4. Set up a time at least a week before the start of class to check out our oovoo connections, register over oovoo, and pick a class time.

What this will cost you:
1. The textbooks are "required", but in many cases we can work around them if you don't feel you can afford them. In special cases we can provide them for you. In any case, NEVER let that stop you from seeking God by learning more of His word.
2. You will need to pay for your own internet and equipment.
3. For tuition, search the Scriptures. Find what Moses charged Joshua, what Paul charged Timothy, and what Jesus charged Peter and John. Add those amounts up and divide by four to find the average. Pay me that amount.

Changes at JTBA:
1. Lesson plans will now be available in PDF. Instead of getting them as attachments in your email, you can access them online more quickly.
2. I am currently working on an Aramaic module. After completing your work in Hebrew, you can learn Aramaic easily. This module will be only three weeks, with an option to continue and read all the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament in class which will likely take an additional 3-5 weeks.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

THE LOST DOCTRINE--Part IX The Practice of Holiness--What Do We Do?

This is the ninth installment in a series on holiness. This has not been a fun article to write. It won't be easy to read. It's heavy and you may not like what you read. Read it anyway. If you've been in American Evangelicalism for very long time, this article will contradict a lot of what you may think you know. But I dare you to try to refute what I've written here biblically. You may try to, but you can't.

Then you'll have to make a choice or two.

THREE REMINDERS
Here are three items by way of review from the first eight installments:

1. Holiness is unknown today. Unlike the day of Spurgeon (1834-1892), most of today's "Christian" religionists know nothing of holiness. Go to a religious book store or website and find more than you can read about a happy marriage, well-adjusted kids, a smooth career, and "Christian" diet tips. Ask the clerk or do a search for the section of books on sanctification and get nothing but a very confused clerk or "no items found". Ask the average pastor about his last four sermons on separation and watch the man (hopefully, a man) stumble, stammer, and make excuses. Or do what I've done. Mention the word "separation" to a pastor and watch him act like he just stuck his tongue in a light socket.

2. God's primary attribute is holiness, not love. From the very beginning, God is depicted in Scripture as unique and apart from all else, as the only uncreated Creator of all else. Genesis 1:1. "Holiness" and all the biblical words around "holiness" like "consecration", "dedication", and "sanctification", whether in Hebrew or Greek, have the central meaning from the very beginning of their usage of "apartness", "separateness", "uniqueness", or "devotedness to a particular use or state of being". And, by logical extention, these words often denote the concept of "purity". (1) When God introduced Himself in Scripture as the only Creator, He was telling us He is unique, holy, sole, and like no other. This is the historic understanding of the implications of Genesis 1:1 from the time of the Jews. (2) (3)

3. Because God is holy, we're called to be holy, too. In Leviticus 11:45 God said, "For I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; thus you shall be holy for I am holy." The reality of this plain command is buttressed many times in the New Covenant when the New Testament calls us "saints", a word that means "holy" or "holy one". The early Christians called themselves "saints". Imagine calling each other at church "holy man" or "holy woman". That's what the New Testament saints did.

So just how far are we from the Bible when the primary attribute of God and His people is a forbidden subject?

HOLINESS AS DONE UNDER THE OLD COVENANT
Under the Old Covenant, holiness received a very physical expression. Leviticus has many pages of purity laws. Most involved water immersion of some sort and some involved sacrifice. The purity laws had to do with pollution from all sorts of things. The most polluting thing was a corpse. Death and disease were the opposite of holiness, but it's wrong to conclude the purity laws were simply God's way of enforcing a primitive code of hygiene. They were mnemonic devices to teach the people of God the importance of holiness. The purity laws had only to do with the people of God.

The first symbol of holiness was circumcision. From the time of Abraham God's people were marked as different. Only those who took the mark were God's people and anyone who didn't were not God's people. Genesis 17:14 says, "But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." Remember that phrase "cut off from his people". It's VERY important and will come up again in later installments.

The mark is personal. The mark is intimate. The mark is permanent.

The congregation was also involved in the purity of the individuals. Individuals involved in sin polluted the congregation, as well. That has been covered in the last installment.

THE GREATEST MNEMONIC
"Mnemonic" means having to do with memory aids, or something that aids memory. How did God keep His people reminded of His holy standard?

Simple.

You killed someone you love.

With rocks.....up close......with your neighbors and family watching.....even the women and kids.

Under the Old Covenant, the nation was to be purified of false religion by death. Foreigners or native Israelites who taught or encouraged false religion were to be killed. Foreigners were to be warred against until they were either dead or chased off the land. Deuteronomy 11 and 12. Numbers 33:50-52 says, "Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying,  'Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places...'"

Native Israelites who encouraged false religion in any way at all were to be killed as soon as it was proven they were guilty. Deuteronomy 13 and 18. Wars and killings. Deaths by stoning. Blood on your hands. Screams. Wailings. Blood-soaked clothes. Broken bones poking through ripped flesh. Crushed heads with distorted faces. Smashed hands and feet. Dogs licking blood. A child crying as a dying parent screams. A mother wailing as a son dies one broken bone at a time. Begging. Terror. Fear.

Why is the Old Covenant method of practicing holiness important to New Testament saints? All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable. That should be enough, but in this day when so many seem to think that holiness isn't a big deal, or that the New Covenant punishments for unrepentant sin and false-teaching are too harsh it's good to remember how intensely God hates. He hates false religion so much He wants false teachers dead.

And the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel."  Numbers 25:4.

HOLINESS AS DONE UNDER THE NEW COVENANT
So are we to kill false teachers? No.

But we aren't to be squeamish, either. There is no such thing as a godly man who's effeminate or timid.

What many of us have called "the church" today in America is deep in sin. And that sin is of the sort that marks it as a group of pagans, not Christians. Today's American "church" is no church at all. Few of the folks in either its pew or in its pulpit are saved people. The OC mark of circumcision was a mark on the body. With it, you're God's people. Without it, you're going to hell. The NC mark is circumcision of the heart. Obedience to God is the mark. Fidelity to God is the mark. Antipathy to falsehoods is the mark.

Without it, you're not God's people and you'll spend eternity without Him.

And the sooner you understand that, the sooner you'll understand why the "church" is such a doctrinal mess.

Hebrews 12:14 names holiness (some translations use "sanctification") as the marker that defines those who will see God. Those without it won't see God. In today's "church" holy separation from false teachers isn't practiced. No holiness, no heaven.

The New Testament teaches us to keep no company with anyone in unrepentant sin. II Corinthians 6:14-18 and I Corinthians 5. Paul tells us,"...not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one."

That's plain. We aren't to treat folks in unrepentant sin, including false religion (idolaters), like brothers and sisters in Christ. They are to be put out. And if you read II Corinthians 6, we are to "come out from" those involved in sinful behavior and we are never to "be bound" with them. Then and only then will God fulfill His promise to "dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people." II Corinthians 6:16. Today's "church" isn't God's people because it isn't separate. Therefore, the "church" in America isn't the church of Christ.

A PHENOMENAL CONTRAST
So, I've stated that the "church" in America isn't Christian at all. I've noted that the Bible requires us be holy from sin and sinful teachings. I've also noted that the American "church" doesn't do that.

But what if I'm wrong? What if I've overstated the case? What if I've exaggerated in my own mind and I'm seeing what isn't there? What if you agree and you're wrong, too?

Well, you don't have to take our words for it at all. Harold J. Ockenga (1905-1985) claimed he came up with the term "New Evangelicalism". He listed for us the doctrinal changes that Modern Evangelicalism made from the historical faith they received in three areas:

1. Repudiation of the doctrine of separation.
2. Greater social involvement.
3. Theological dialogue with liberalism. (4)

Did you get that?

Point 2 replaces the Great Commission with politics. Point 3 tell us not to separate from false teachers in the so-called Christian camp, but to have talks with them. The Bible, though, says not even to offer a word of encouragement to a false teacher. II John 10-11. Point 1 tell us to abandon holiness. The Bible, on the other hand, says that without holiness, no one will see God. All three of these changes are sinful and antibiblical. God says without holiness no one will see God. Modern Evangelicalism forbids the doctrine and practice of holiness. Modern Evangelicalism is a heresy or God is mistaken. Modern Evangelicals are not Christians or the Bible is wrong.

You cannot be a New Evangelical and a Christian. The Bible says so.

And lest you think Ockenga was alone, he also listed four "agencies" to accomplish these changes. They were as follows:

1. National Association of Evangelicals (Ted Haggard's organization).
2. Fuller Theological Seminary.
3. The magazine Christianity Today.
4. The ecumenical evangelism of Billy Graham. (5)

AN IMPORTANT FINAL NOTE
Please note one thing. Conservatives have often advocated a type of separation that isn't Scriptural and it's due to a difference between separation as done under the Old Covenant and under the New Covenant. Under the OC Israel was to be physically separate from those who weren't God's people. They were to be put out of the land. Not so in the NC. Under the New Covenant, we are to draw sharp lines separating us from people who call themselves Christians, but remain in unrepentant sin. I Corinthians 5:10-13.

It's unbiblical for Christians to make rules such as "Don't go to a bar", "Don't go to movies", etc. The separation in the New Testament is from those who call themselves Christians and remain in sin. Unlike Israel, we are to go out into the world and share the gospel.

Be holy,
Phil Perkins.
(1) Cohen, Abraham; Every Man's Talmud; Schocken Books; New York; copyright 1949 by E. P. Dutton; pp. 22-23.
(2) Telushkin, Rabbi Joseph; Biblical Literacy; HarperCollins; New York; 1997; p. 1.
(3) Jewish sources are given here to demonstrate that these meanings, and this particular understanding of Genesis 1:1 is ancient, not recent. This is not an endorsement of the particular theologies of the authors cited.
(4) Beale, David O.; In Pursuit of Purity: American Fundamentalism Since 1850; Unusual Publications; Greenville, South Carolina; 1986; pp. 261-262.
(5) ibid. p. 262.

STILL TO COME IN THIS SERIES
PART X--What Do We Do, The Details What do I do about my church? With whom do I worship? Work? Fellowship? To whom do I give? Degrees of separation.

PART XI--The Great Unsin, Tolerance and The Great, Flaming Hypocrisy of the "Tolerant" Ockenga, the New Evangelicals, and repudiating the doctrine of holiness. Beale 262. J. Frank Norris and the University of Des Moines.

PART XII--Who Are You? Three Types of People, or Only Two? The examples of Abraham and Moses.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

SOME HOUSEKEEPING AND SOME ANSWERS

As many of you know, I’ve separated from Phil Naessens because of a constant bent to defend false teachers and spiritual charlatans. I’d hoped that would be the end if it. Naessens, though, has continued his haranguing at his blog. I’ve not read it since the separation, however, a friend of mine has and Naessens has made two accusations that need to be answered. First, he has said I refuse to answer his questions and challenges. Second, he has said that I’ve been hiding the fact that I was fired from Yellowstone Baptist College in Billings, where I once taught as an adjunct.

His claims are misleading in several ways on these issues:
1. The school where I taught isn’t an honest school. For instance, they were using a textbook for pastoral studies that promotes homosexual marriage, as well as other textbooks that approved of evolution, female pastors, and more. I wasn’t aware of all that until the end of the time I taught there. Thus, the split between the school and me was inevitable, because I won’t tolerate that sort of thing, and Mr. Naessens knows that. He also knew of the sin at YBC because we’ve discussed the situation over emails and the phone.

2. The “victim” was a fellow who calls himself “Iggy”, whom I supposedly abused, or whatever, was a self-proclaimed Emergent/Emerging nut. He also had a habit of claiming he was ordained. He wasn’t. He obtained his “ordination” from a scam website that makes a business of selling fake ordinations and diplomas, while posing as a legitimate school. I exposed Iggy with relish and continue to expose every liar I can find. Iggy got mad and wrote the school all about what a brute I was.
3. Phil N. pretends this is scintillating and new. Wrong. He’s known of this episode for some time and I’ve made it known repeatedly on a number of blogs. You can read the details of what happened between “Iggy” and me on my other blog, Zits Emerge. It’s on my blogroll. It’s a lot of reading, but you can do it if you're unemployed or a speed reader.

4. Phil N. is himself doing a very sinful (and even illegal) thing by trying to use embarrassing information about someone to get that someone to comply with his wishes. That’s what he did by threatening to unveil this. It’s a felony in the US, called blackmail or extortion depending on the jurisdiction. Yet he poses as a victim?

5. While he is currently trying to claim I refuse to answer whatever it is he’s doing on his blog, he has refused to publish my answers. That’s why I had to publish answers here on Al Tosap. So, I quit reading Naessens. The fact is he’s not contacted me with those challenges and questions. He just wants to fight even if no one else does.
6. This sort of behavior isn’t strange to Phil Naessens. He has commonly threatened others with lawsuits. I was aware of that and recently rebuked him for threatening another man with legal action over a personal issue. Since then others have come forward with stories that Phil Naessens secretly recorded phone calls and let others listen, published confidential emails without permission, and even taunted one fellow for a stuttering problem. As of now, all I have is a he-said-she-said, but if he did it, that’s childish.

7. Finally, Naessens evidently hopes no one will notice that all this started with his own dishonesty. James White admitted attending Fuller Theological Seminary in full knowledge that the school denied the reliability of the Bible on Naessens’ blog. In spite of White's admission, Naessens claimed there was no evidence White did so. And while White has publicly advertised “Christian” cruises, Naessens said there’s no evidence of that, either.

I started by recommending no one trust Phil Naessens because of his stance on many false teachers. I made no judgments about his honesty, allowing the problem may be because of a simple intellectual deficit. However, I now fear Naessens very well may be a very malicious man who will try to hurt you if you disagree with him. You decide for yourself.

I apologize for this nonsense, but I felt I owed an answer on these two accusations and a warning to others so they not be victimized by this fellow legally or otherwise. I won't revisit this topic again. You can do your own research and draw your own conclusions.

My next post will be the next installment in the series on holiness.

Phil Perkins.

Thursday, August 05, 2010

GOD BLESS THE JEWS (A Lesson In What Matters In Life)

Here's a very interesting video about the miracle of Israel. When you watch it, listen for the role of biblical doctrine and it's outworking in practical life. (As if doctrine isn't practical, right?)


For a better screen shot, see the video here at youtube.

THE LESSON ABOUT DOCTRINE
Hebrew Bible and New Testament both tell us God's people will be a light and a blessing to the world. Of course, the blessing has it's fulfillment in the coming and rule of Messiah.

But the Jews have never lost sight of their role as God's light to the world and the high place of knowledge and critical thinking in the life of the child of God. Even in their current state of denial of the Messiah Jesus, they still seek to fulfill these two doctrines. As a result of these two doctrines lived out by people who don't even know Messiah at this point, the rest of us are blessed. As a man thinks, so is he.

See the point? Study. Consider. Live.

Phil Perkins.

Sunday, August 01, 2010

WHY I APPRECIATE JOHN COLEMAN

Here's a great audio from John Coleman to take in. The specifics of the false teaching he is exposing isn't important to you if that sort of falsehood isn't effecting folks in your circles. But listen to this man's heart and his commitment. John Coleman can use your prayers and he's really defending the faith. God bless John Coleman.

Click here , scroll down to find Ram Radio The Web Cast "Confused Minds Speak" 7-29-2010 and click on the date to listen.

His website is on my blogroll, too.

Phil Perkins.