Grace is a concept. But it’s not just a concept. Grace is a gift, but it’s not just a gift. Grace is a force. Think about how powerful grace is. Think about its power as it exists in Jesus, as it is delivered to the saints, its common state as it covers the world, and its special state as it enlivens the saints to do our work.
Here is an excerpt about grace from a sermon from John MacArthur called, Strength Perfected in Weakness, looking at this verse: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In speaking of the linchpin part of the passage, ‘my grace is sufficient for you’, MacArthur said,
But grace is not just an inert sort of concept; it is a force, it is a power. It is a power that transforms us. It is a power that awakens us from sleep. It is a power that gives us life in the midst of death. It is a power that is dynamic enough to transform us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s dear Son. It is the power that saves us. It is the power that keeps us, the power that enables us, the power that sanctifies us, and the power that one day will glorify us. You have to look at grace as a force, a divine force that God pours out into the lives of His people at all points to grant them all that they need to be all that He desires.
Grace is a gift. Grace is a state. and… Grace is a POWER.
Last Sunday I was headed to church and turned on the car radio. There’s a program I can catch the last 20 minutes of while I drive. It’s the Old Time Gospel Hour.
As the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet began singing their old timey gospel song, I grinned. As a former New Englander elite Ivy League family agnostic with ingrained bias against the south, here I was loving the bluegrass songs from the Hee Haw quartet on my way to church. 20 years ago if you’d told me this was going to be my life, I’d have dropped of shock.
Isn’t it amazing how the Lord preserves a life of His intended, then after the moment of justification He changes it completely? Slowly but surely He has brought me along to love the things He loves and hate the things He hates. The Lord Jesus is amazing.
On to today’s links:
This is from Pastor Tedd Mathis. He pastors Pueblo West Baptist Church in Colorado. From a pastor’s perspective on people using cell phones in church and making potty runs during service. Gently, but accurately.->
Phil Johnson has a great explanation of who Jesus is and how to rebut Jehovah’s Witnesses from scripture alone:
“But for the moment let’s ignore the writings of Athanasius, the documents of the Nicene Council, and every other historical and theological source except Scripture itself. Is it possible to demonstrate conclusively from the Bible alone that Jesus Christ is set forth in Scripture as God? I believe it is. And I am convinced that those who reject Christ’s deity must therefore also reject the plain meaning of the Word of God…” more here -> Who is Jehovah? Who is Jesus?
Here, Media Gratiae writes of English Hymn writer Francis Ridley Havergal, who I love. She gave her soul to Christ at a young age and went on to live a quiet life of devotion to Christ. In Royal Bounty, Havergal writes of the joy the Christian finds in belonging to God’s “everlasting service.” Havergal wrote,
The Hebrew servant had trial of his master’s service for six years, and in the seventh he might go out free if he would. But then, if the servant shall plainly say (plainly, avowedly, no mistake about it), “I love my master,… I will not go out free,” then, publicly and legally, he was sealed to his service for ever. It all depended on the love… more here “Everlasting Service“
Darryl Dash visited a small but amazing museum in Chicago with his wife, and was astounded at the history, artisanship, and biblical reality of the people depicted, who are written of in the Old Testament. Dash said,’
“Char and I spent a couple of hours working our way through the museum, but we hope to return. It’s staggering to be able to see a collection like this, and to see items that people like Daniel might have seen.” more here -> Daniel looked on These Lions
In a moving tribute, Dallas Holm writes a mournfully joyful goodbye of his wife of 54 years, who passed into glory in December. “Cancer left its mark on her body but it could not remove the joy in her heart, the determination in her mind, nor the smile on her face, even as she prepared for her “promotion” to Heaven.” -> Next Time it Will be Forever
Sharon Lareau of Chapter 3 Ministries has a super Interactive Journey Through the History of the English Bible. “I invite you to find out and take an interactive journey through the history of the English Bible. This journey will take you through time and highlight some of the history of how the Scriptures came to be available to us in English. It’s an incredible story that will surely increase your appreciation for how easy it is for us to have a Bible in our native language. It is a treasure for sure!” Check it out!
In “1939’s movie breakthroughs” World Movies discusses “The Wizard of Oz and Stagecoach expanded the art form by excellent storytelling coupled with innovations in color and sound”. Both movies are 85 years old! Can you believe it? 1939 was a great year for film. Released that year also was Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Gunga Din, Dark Victory, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Wuthering Heights…in fact, the year was so filled with quality film entertainment it was a rare year the Academy nominated TEN movies for Best Picture instead of the usual 5. Tune in to the podcast or read the transcript of World’s discussion of how Wizard and Stagecoach advanced film technology in “1939’s movie breakthroughs“.
Speaking of movies, the current year has another Academy Award winner coming to streaming (Netflix.) Even Forbes Magazine calls it “One of the best movies of 2023 is finally coming to streaming this weekend.” What is the film? Godzilla Minus One. Forbes wrote: “But Godzilla Minus One, which takes place in the days after World War II when Japan is rebuilding after the nuclear carnage, is a different beast altogether. It has a great story with compelling characters and manages to make Godzilla truly terrifying with some clever special effects that cost a fraction of the American Godzilla movies.”
I saw it in the theater when it came out. I loved the emotional heart of the movie, the well-drawn characters, and the adherence to the Godzilla canon RE the monster himself. Great special effects, but not any gore, and the rest of the movie is clean. In Japanese with English subtitles. OR if you’re not a fan of subtitles Netflix offers a setting option of dubbed in different languages, including English.
It’s summer and for many that means grilling season. Good Cheap Eats has a brats recipe for 94 cents. Who doesn’t like good cheap eats? GRILLED BRATS WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS (94 CENTS EACH). Check out her other menus while on the site!
Last week I wrote a series on discernment in 6 essays. They are below. I called it “Wolf Week” because false teachers are called wolves in scripture. My own version of Shark Week, lol.
A short follow-up series I am publishing contains 5 more essays in short form focusing on 4 influential ‘Bible’ teachers. I have written discernment essays on these four previously in years past, but those essays were longer. Nowadays however, people like to read less lengthy material. So I cut to the chase and made shorter essays showing why these folks are false.
Last week I wrote a series on discernment in 6 essays. They are below. I called it “Wolf Week” because false teachers are called wolves in scripture. My own version of Shark Week, lol.
A short follow-up series I am publishing contains more essays in short form focusing on influential ‘Bible’ teachers. I have written discernment essays on these teachers previously in years past, but those essays were longer. Nowadays however, people like to read less lengthy material. So I cut to the chase and made shorter essays showing why these folks are false.
Today I look at 6 reasons not to follow Joyce Meyer.
Bullet points on why Joyce Meyer is a false teacher
Joyce Meyer is a very popular female Bible teacher and preacher. She has been on the scene for decades, and shows no signs of slowing down. She has 10 offices around the world and employs 500 people. Her brand of charismatic/name-it claim it religion has deceived many. This is sad, but the Bible says that many will be deceived by false teachers. I pray that anything here will spark a further Berean investigation by the reader and through prayer, come to the other side of discernment in understanding why Meyer should be avoided.
Joyce Meyer preached that Jesus was a sinner, had been born again, stopped being the Son of God, paid for our sins in hell (from 1991 Booklet called The Most Important Decision you Will Ever Make), and was tormented there. Meyer preaches a different Jesus. She is a heretic.
Joyce Meyer preaches to men and mixed gender audiences in violation of 1 Timothy 2:12.
Joyce Meyer operated as an associate pastor in a church in violation of 1 Timothy 2:12.
Joyce Meyer preaches that it is normal and expected to hear directly from God, yet the scriptures claim they are sufficient (2 Timothy 3:14-17), and the Bible canon is closed. (Revelation 22:18-19). Yet she teaches that God speaks individually to people today. Example, in essay “It’s not that complicated” (scroll down!) she wrote -“Do you ever wonder if God speaks to people? You’ll be happy to know the answer is yes. But first let me explain how distractions can hinder His voice” and taught more from her book How to Hear from God or in this video.
Joyce Meyer claims she is not a sinner. This is in violation of 1 John 1:8, which says that such people are deceived and the truth is not in them.
There’s more, but these should suffice to illustrate to the reader that Joyce Meyer’s teaching is not edifying.
Please do not allow a teacher’s longevity lull you into thinking they must be good. Please do not allow a ministry’s global breadth to lull you into thinking he or she is good. In fact the Bible says that popularity is often a mark of falsity. (Luke 6:26). The world wants their ears tickled. In 2 Timothy 4:3 we read
For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,
If you follow Joyce Meyer, please consider these things. Please stay in the pure, undefiled faith, and find some good Bible teachers to follow, beginning with your own pastor and elders at your own church.
The title is a euphemism. I’m not speaking of actual countries.
Another brouhaha erupted on TwittX this week. That is not abnormal, sadly. But no one likes a fight. It makes all of us sad when people act badly in public. Ugly words are said and it’s just disheartening to watch it unfold. I won’t mention the names of the man and the woman involved because I do not want to give the bad actor in this any publicity (and there was only *one* bad actor- the woman. The man involved was fine).
It was started by a woman professing to be a Christian. The woman was the bad actor. She needs strong discipline from her pastor. She says she attends church. Hopefully she is not self-deceived about her status in Jesus.
Her words were mean, harsh, unnecessary, and hurtful. The tweet she replied to was not even aimed at her or about her. She simply intruded and said some awful things.
Have you noticed that a lot of these quarrels are started by women? Women professing to be Christian?
Even though no one likes a fight (and let me be clear, the ‘fight’ was one sided, the man in this behaved biblically), there are some things we can take away that are positive.
First, look at 1 Corinthians 11:19 which says, For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.
Note, “must”. Also note “among you.” Not all who profess Christianity are actually saved. But the tares lurk among us. How people behave when there are divisions, people lined up in a fight, one side supporting one side and the other supporting the other shows us a lot. Is there self-control? (Galatians 5:22-23). Kindness? (Galatians 5:22-23). Is grace being extended? (Ephesians 4:29). Is there gracious speech? (Proverbs 16:13, Ecclesiastes 10:12).
Or is there unwholesome talk coming out of the mouth? (Matthew 12:34). Hardness of heart? (Mark 3:5).
To mature Christians, the bad-acting side might as well hang a sign around their necks because it becomes so evident who is approved and who is not. Ultimately this is helpful.
Source Accidental Shakespeare Company
Secondly, in addition to discovering who is approved and who is not approved (based on biblical standards), during a public fracas we can be encouraged by mature men. A lot of ink is spilled about the lack of maturity in men these days, even mourning over so-called immaturity in Christian men. But it is not so. People gravitate to and remember the bad, and tend to forget the good more quickly. Mature men are all over Christ’s church. It’s encouraging to see self-restraint, humility, and grace in action. Praise our Lord for raising up so many good men.
If we are unfortunately witnesses to a fracas in real life, the words rush by and it’s hard to remember who said or did what. On social media, the adage “the internet is forever” comes in handy. We can see who said what, pray over it, ponder it, compare the words to the biblical standards outlined for us in God’s word. We can make measured and proper decisions about it, whatever those decisions may be.
Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. (Titus 2:2).
At the very least, we can simply scroll on by and not view or absorb that which would make us mournful or upset.
Last, though quarrels may be recorded forever online for anyone to see and comment on, for standards to be judged and decisions made, there is another recording of it. The LORD is recording all our deeds in His book. Some are recorded in the Books plural. Others are recorded in the Book of Life. On Judgment day, the bad actors in a fracas, the quarrelsome women, the foul mouthed harridans, will stand before Him and BOOKS WILL BE OPENED.
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. (Revelation 20:12).
So observing a quarrel online helps to know who is approved, helps to remind US to behave according to biblical standards, displays true ugliness in all its black nastiness, and reminds us that Jesus sees all and our words and deeds are recorded in the Book of Life. Or the other book.
If online fights upset you, avoid them. I don’t get involved in Facebook Groups focused on doctrine for this reason. Twitter doesn’t bother me as much, becuase I carefully curate who I follow. If a fight pops up, I usually scroll by. If it involves someone I know and love, I watch for the above reasons. I can practice restraint, charity, grace, and self-examination. If I get involved against my better judgment and say something I regret, I can repent. All good things.
While nobody likes a fight, think on how many New Testament books record one. Even Peter and Paul got into it. Paul and John Mark. Jesus and the Pharisees. The quarrelsome Corinthians among each other (1 Cor 1:11). The unruly Corinthians and Paul. Our global church is full of self-deceived unforgiven sinners, forgiven sinners, mature Christians, immature Christians…it’s bound to happen. We are blessed with the word of God to know what to do when situations like a quarrel pops up.
The best we can do is hope and pray for the day when these things will be no more. Someday we will all be at peace. What a day that will be.
Last week I wrote a series on discernment in 6 essays. They are below. I called it “Wolf Week” because false teachers are called wolves in scripture. My own version of Shark Week, lol.
A short follow-up series I am publishing contains 4 more essays in short form focusing on 4 influential ‘Bible’ teachers. I have written discernment essays on these four previously in years past, but those essays were longer. Nowadays however, people like to read less lengthy material. So I cut to the chase and made shorter essays showing why these folks are false.
Today I look at 5 reasons not to follow Jackie Hill Perry.
Jackie Hill Perry (JHP) is an author, spoken word artist, poet, and speaker. She was saved, she said, in 2008. Until that point, Jackie had indulged in all manner of sins, including long-term lesbianism.
Issue # 1- Direct Revelation
Jackie’s manner of conversion began with a voice from God. As an aside, many of the false teachers I warn you about claim either as part of their conversion story or part of their foundation of their ministry, a voice from ‘God’.
In Jackie’s case when she was an active lesbian, she said that despite knowing the scripture for ‘the wages of sin is death’, apparently the biblical statement was not enough for her to repent of her perversity. It wasn’t until she heard the Lord speaking directly to her that she believed. Source and Source. And notice the displacement of the core issue. Jackie said she ‘heard’ the Lord say of her girlfriend, “She will be the death of you” and Jackie said, ‘then things clicked.’ Emphasis mine
No. SIN is the death of us. In JHP’s case, her lesbianism. The girlfriend isn’t the problem, choosing sin and indulging in it is the problem.
Issue # 2: Lack of Discernment
After her stated conversion in 2018, Jackie Hill Perry was seen as solid enough (by some) to be invited to appear in the American Gospel film, which combatted word-faith doctrine and prosperity gospel. But in 2022, JHP renounced her participation in AG film, saying she wished she had never been featured in it. She said it was “too tribalistic” whatever THAT means; and reeked of “theological superiority”.
As a side note: true doctrine IS superior to false to half-true doctrine. The Bible commands us to separate from liars, the greedy, false teachers, and so on. Jackie became unwilling to set doctrinal boundaries and separate. See the following-
In 2019, Jackie Hill Perry was invited from the upcoming Answers in Genesis Conference where she had been slated to speak. That is a pretty big deal, because not many other ministries have been consistently faithful and biblical over decades. It spoke volumes.
Then she was disinvited. Her disinvite followed on the heels of a controversy after Perry publicly endorsed Jenn Johnson of Bethel Church, who is a heretic and her organization is a heresy factory. No wonder Answers in Genesis said, ‘no thanks’ to JHP’s participation in their conference. The disinvite from a credible ministry like AiG spoke volumes, yet it did nothing to prompt JHP to reconsider her endorsement of Jenn Johnson, at least publicly. In fact, JHP doubled down. She later defended her endorsement of Jenn Johnson of Bethel by claiming that Word-Faith theology isn’t ‘actual heresy’. These were Jackie’s own words. Jackie’s unwillingness to separate shows her to be a man-pleaser.
Issue # 3: Reverse racism
In 2020 in an episode of her show “With the Perry’s” she said many woke things, including that “all white people” must look within themselves to search out the deceitfulness in their hearts over their inherent racism and reject the notion that, “all white people” have bought into the narrative that all black people are criminals. Source.
Issue # 4: Usurper
JHP preaches. Here she is at Liberty University in April 2024 preaching at the convocation where men are present. Here she is in 2023 preaching at the Passion Conference, where men are present. Other examples abound. You cannot listen in good faith to a ‘Bible’ teacher or preacher who openly and brazenly rebels against the very scriptures they purport to uphold.
Issue # 5: She is a Prideful ‘prophet’
In 2022, Jackie came out as a prophet. See #1 again, direct revelation.She quotes what God has allegedly said, and claims that ‘God’ has allegedly given Jackie information about other people, for whom she then intercedes. God had told her she’d have a boy. She didn’t. She had a girl.
The canon is closed. God is not speaking directly or individually to people today, giving inside information. The ‘voice’ Jackie says she is hearing is not God’s. She is either lying, massively deceived, or mentally incompetent.
The size of a ministry isn’t an indicator of their standing with God or the credibility of their organization. In fact, the larger and more popular a so-called ministry is the more we should be suspicious of it. In Luke 6:26 we read, ‘Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to treat the false prophets the same way.‘
Last week I wrote a series on discernment in 6 essays. They are below. I called it “Wolf Week” because false teachers are called wolves in scripture. My own version of Shark Week, lol.
A short follow-up series I am publishing contains 4 more essays in short form focusing on 4 influential ‘Bible’ teachers. I have written discernment essays on these four previously in years past, but those essays were longer. In articles like that, I include sources, explain the teacher’s errors thoroughly, and provide examples. All this make the essays longer. Nowadays however, people like to read less lengthy material. So I cut to the chase and made shorter essays showing why these folks are false.
Today I look at 4 reasons not to follow Lori Alexander, half of the duo behind godlywomanhood/ The Transformed Wife.
Last week I wrote a series on discernment in 6 essays. They are below. I called it “Wolf Week” because false teachers are called wolves in scripture. My own version of Shark Week, lol.
A short follow-up series I am publishing beginning today contains 4 more essays in short form focusing on 4 influential ‘Bible’ teachers. I have written discernment essays on these four previously in years past, but those essays were longer. In articles like that, I include sources, explain the teacher’s errors thoroughly, and provide examples. All this make the essays longer. Nowadays however, people like to read less lengthy material. So I cut to the chase and made shorter essays showing why these folks are false.
Today I look at 6 reasons not to follow Beth Moore.
I like visiting cemeteries. I always have. I grew up next to a large one. It was beautiful and even had a beautiful name. Stone columns adorned either side of the entry and a babbling brook ran in front and all along the side. Gentle hills were fun to swoop my bike down and were not hard to pedal up. Huge pine trees looking like Christmas trees allowed a solitude-seeking girl to part the boughs and lay inside the greenery on a bed of pine needles, reading Nancy Drew, at once protected and apart from the world. I liked that cemetery for its quietude, but I was not yet old enough to really ponder the eternality of those residing in it, under the ground.
I write earlier today about two missionaries in Haiti who were beaten, killed and burned by a vicious gangs in Haiti. In the first of two incidents on Thursday, May 23, a roving vicious gang entered the compound, tied up Davy adn Natalie, and also Jude Montis, the mission’s leader. They were beaten, and their belongigns from the Lloyd’s house and around the comploud were loaded onto a truck and stolen. Stafferes untied the thrio after the gang left.
However, a short time later, a second, even more vicious gang overcame the barricades the leaders had erected, and killed the couple. Also killed was Jude Montis. The men’s bodies were burned.
Natalie Baker Lloyd is the daughter of Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker.
On his Facebook page, Rep. Baker announced the news of the young couple’s murder. Davy was 23 years old and Natalie was just 21. The two were married in June 2022. The compound, which hosts a dormitory, bakery, dorms, home, and a church, was built and maintained by the mission, which is Missions in Haiti, founded in 1998 by Davy’s father, David Lloyd II and his wife Alicia.
David LLoyd wrote on the night in question that he had been on the phone with his son Davy when the gang arrived. Mr Lloyd Senior wrote,
Davy, Natalie and the kids were coming out of Youth at the church they were ambushed by a gang of 3 trucks full of guys. Davy was taken to the house tied up and beat. The gang then took our trucks and loaded everything up they wanted and left.
This first gang left. But another one soon arrived.
So they are holed up in there, the gangs has shot all the windows out of the house and continue to shoot. Their lives are in danger. I have been trying all my contacts to get a police armored car there to evacuate them out to safety but can’t get anyone to do. I also am trying to negotiate with the gang so how much $ to stand down and let them leave and get to safety. PLEASE PRAY…it’s going to be a long night…
Little did Davy’s father know how long. The worry for their children so many thousands of miles away must have been wrenching for the family.
We know from reports that Davy left the phone conversation with his dad to go see what the commotion was by the gate. That was the interruption in the conversation that later ended his life.
Rep. Baker had written that if you see a link to the bodies of Davy, Natalie, and Jude, PLEASE do not view it. An update from the family posted on Rep. Baker’s Facebook page states,
Things are looking very positive for the transport home for Davy and Natalie. There are two very good options for the family to choose from, mostly settled. Prayers for their discernment in their choice, and then for all of the logistics to be worked out smoothly as planned. Rough timeline seems to be about mid to late next week, best case scenario. Dealing with a foreign country presents its unforeseen challenges, but we are all hopeful. Another reminder that there are only 2 officially sanctioned GoFundMe pages out there, one by Jeremie Bridges, and another by Dirk Deaton and Chris Slinkard. Please report any social media posts that are advertising anything but those two.
Davy had loved Haiti all his life. He learned Creole as a tot and was eager to return from Bible college and begin serving, which he did in 2022. He ‘knew’ he would serve the Lord there even when he was a young boy. Davy wanted only to marry a woman who would joyfully serve in Haiti with him, and he found that mate in Natalie.
As Natalie’s father, Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker said in a Facebook post. “They went to Heaven together.”
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. James 4:14.
They were there, and then they were not. The Lord took them. The Lord is good.
Source Natalie’s reel on Instagram from their wedding album
the-end-time.org 