Why Tithing is wrong

Puritan Belief pretty well sums up the problem with tithing as taught by the church today.

When I converted to Christianity at age 23, I started tithing because I was taught to tithe 10% by my church. The typical passages from Malachi was preached in regards to the tithe and how if we tithe then God will bless our giving.

Years later, I started researching the Bible seeking Scripture to back up all my beliefs. When I studied the tithe, I discovered that it is not taught correctly today. The book of Colossians chapter 2 deals with how we are free from the OT Law which also includes the tithe.

When dealing with the OT tithe, we must remember that when Jesus was walking the earth, He had not yet completed His atonement for sin. Because of this Jesus did instruct people to listen to the Rabbi and to continue following the requirements of the OT. After His sin atonement, Jesus gave us the new covenant of Grace thus abolishing the Law that was against us. If we are to tithe today are we also to bring sin sacrifices to the temple for our sins?

Here is the article from Puritan Belief http://puritanbelief.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-tithing-is-wrong.html

Would the Devil Do This?

Discernment Ministries has an interesting blog about the Devil's attack upon the church. You can read this at http://herescope.blogspot.com/2009/08/would-devil-do-this.html

Religous but lost, to saved by God's Grace at 71

A powerful video on YouTube about the Grace of God. See Religous but lost, to saved by God's Grace at 71

EMERGENCE CHRISTIANITY PASTRIX NADIA BOLZ-WEBER EXPOUNDS ON PSALM 45

Ken Silva from Apprising Ministries has been doing the grunt work for many of us by following the apostasy brewing in the emergent seeker-friendly movement.

Mr. Silva has another good blog about this problem.

The seeker-sensitive movement just keeps getting farther and farther away from Sola Scriptura. In their efforts to be relevant and inclusive, the seeker-sensitive emergent movement "moves" God out of the way.

The bible warns us about these types of false teachers and false prophets:

2 Peter 2:1-3 (New American Standard Bible)

2 Peter 2

The Rise of False Prophets

¹But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

²Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;

³and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Please visit EMERGENCE CHRISTIANITY PASTRIX NADIA BOLZ-WEBER EXPOUNDS ON PSALM 45 and read Mr. Silva's article. If possible please donate to his ministry to help him continue his fine work.

Lane Chaplin Interviews Dr. James White

Lane Chaplin has interviewed Dr. James White on the topic, "Does Reformed Theology Matter?"(source) http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=3466

JOHN MACARTHUR: WHEN BEING “NICE” IS WRONG By Ken Silva

The problem is that the needed reformation within evangelicalism won’t occur at all if false ideas that undermine our core theological convictions cannot be openly attacked and excluded. When peaceful coexistence “with our deepest differences” becomes priority one and conflict per se is demonized as inherently sub-Christian, any and every false religious belief can and will demand an equal voice in the “conversation.”

That has actually been happening for some time already. Listen, for example, to what some of the leading voices in and around the Emergent movement have said. Tony Campolo is a popular speaker and author who has a major influence in evangelical circles. He believes evangelicals should be in dialogue with Islam, seeking common ground. In an interview conducted by Shane Claiborne,Campolo said:

I think that the last election aggravated a significant minority of the evangelical community, believing that they did not want to come across as anti-gay, anti-women, anti-environment, pro war, pro capital punishment, and anti-Islam. There is going to be one segment of evangelicalism, just like there is one segment in Islam that is not going to be interested in dialogue. But there are other evangelicals who will want to talk and establish a common commitment to a goodness with Islamic people and Jewish people particularly.

Brian McLaren is perhaps the best-known figure in the Emergent conversation. He thinks the future of the planet—not to mention the salvation of religion itself (including Christianity)—depends on a cooperative search for the real meaning of Jesus’ message. In McLaren’s assessment, this means an ongoing dialogue between Christians and followers of all other religions. This, he is convinced, is of the utmost urgency:

In an age of global terrorism and rising religious conflict, it’s significant to note that all Muslims regard Jesus as a great prophet, that many Hindus are willing to consider Jesus as a legitimate manifestation of the divine, that many Buddhists see Jesus as one of humanity’s most enlightened people, and that Jesus himself was a Jew, and without understanding his Jewishness, one doesn’t understand Jesus. A shared reappraisal of Jesus’ message could provide a unique space or common ground for urgently needed religious dialogue—and it doesn’t seem an exaggeration to say that the future of our planet may depend on such dialogue. This reappraisal of Jesus’ message may be the only project capable of saving a number of religions, including Christianity.

Indiscriminate congeniality, the quest for spiritual common ground, and peace at any price all naturally have great appeal, especially in an intellectual climate where practically the worst gaffe any thoughtful person could make is claiming to know what’s true when so many other people think something else is true. Besides, dialogue does sound nicer than debate. Who but a fool wouldn’t prefer a calm conversation instead of conflict and confrontation?

In fact, let’s state this plainly once more: Generally speaking, avoiding conflicts is a good idea. Warmth and congeniality are normally preferable to cold harshness. Civility, compassion, and good manners are in short supply these days, and we ought to have more of them. Gentleness, a soft answer, and a kind word usually go farther than an argument or a rebuke. That which edifies is more helpful and more fruitful in the long run than criticism. Cultivating friends is more pleasant and more profitable than crusading against enemies. And it’s ordinarily better to be tender and mild rather than curt or combative—especially to the victims of false teaching.

But those qualifying words are vital: usually, ordinarily, generally. Avoiding conflict is not always the right thing. Sometimes it is downright sinful. Particularly in times like these, when almost no error is deemed too serious to be excluded from the evangelical conversation, and while the Lord’s flock is being infiltrated by wolves dressed like prophets, declaring visions of peace when there is no peace (cf. Ezekiel 13:16). Even the kindest, gentlest shepherd sometimes needs to throw rocks at the wolves who come in sheep’s clothing. (The Jesus You Can’t Ignore: What You Must Learn from the Bold Confrontations of Christ, 17-19)

John MacArthur

The above article was taken from http://apprising.org/2009/08/john-macarthur-when-being-nice-is-wrong/ by Ken Silva

Life Past the 10th Grade..from Lane's Blog

Here is an interesting blog by Lane Chaplin from Lane's Blog. He is dealing with some of Pastor (CEO) Perry Noble's poor judgement and filthy mouth.




Here is an example taken from Lane'e Blog:

One of the things I deal with a on a daily basis is comments from unbelievers and immature professors of Christ. I'll usually block the abrasive unbelievers and try to at least converse with those who profess to believe but aren't clear about things and even the unbelievers who are cordial. One thing that I notice in each is a fundamental misunderstanding of their beliefs about what exactly I believe. Unfortunately, this tendency is fully functioning not only in the groups previously mentioned, but also in the professing pastors that come and comment occasionally... which brings us to the case in point. (source)

Please check out "Life past the 10th grade" for more info and some good insights from my friend Lane Chaplin.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 is talking about marriage. NOT preaching, NOT methodology. Really?

While discussing Perry Noble and his love of the world a blogger made this statement about 2 Corinthians 6:14-17:(source)

"your 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 reference is talking about marriage. NOT preaching, NOT methodology."

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (New American Standard Bible)

¹⁴Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

¹⁵Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

¹⁶Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
"I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
¹⁷"Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord.
"AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;
And I will welcome you.

This blogger is trying very hard to defend the carnality and worldliness of Senior Pastor Perry Noble from NewSpring Church. I'm amazed at the hoops many NewSpring defenders will jump through to defend Noble and his rebellion.

Here is a reference that might help explain this passage:

6:14-15. What hampered the Corinthians’ open, loving response, which Paul called for? (v. 13) Answer: rival suitors vied for their affections and allegiance. Though verses 14-15 are often applied to various sorts of alliances (e.g., mixed marriages, improper business associations), Paul’s primary association was probably ecclesiastical. The rival suitors were possibly pagan idolaters (cf. 1 Cor. 10:14) or more likely false apostles (cf. 2 Cor. 11:2-4). In censure or affection Paul was equally candid (cf. 6:11).

The solution to the dilemma was for the Corinthians to separate from the false apostles. Whatever may have been their own and others’ estimation of their spiritual status, Paul considered the false apostles to be unbelievers (cf. 11:13-15) from whom the Corinthians needed to separate. But Paul did not say that Christians should have no contacts whatever with unbelievers. Earlier he argued the absurdity of such a position (1 Cor. 5:9-10). But religious unbelievers might lead believers astray from “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3), and the fact concerned Paul greatly. A believer can be rightly yoked only with Christ (Matt. 11:29-30).

To illustrate, Paul asked five rhetorical questions (2 Cor. 6:14-16), posing antitheses that reflect the wide chasm between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan (cf. Col. 1:13). Belial (the Gr. Beliar is a spelling variation) transliterates an Old Testament word that means “worthless person.” In Greek it came to mean “a lawless person.” It was then used of Satan, the most worthless and lawless of all.

6:16. Paul’s fifth rhetorical question provided a transition to his citing several Old Testament verses. Their cumulative effect bolstered Paul’s exhortation (v. 14a). The church is the temple of God (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16) where the Spirit of God and Christ dwells (cf. Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 2:22). The promise of God to live among His people was ultimately fulfilled in Christ (Matt. 1:23).

6:17. Enjoying God’s presence requires personal holiness. Paul cited a portion of Isaiah 52:11 and Ezekiel 20:41, passages that speak of Israel’s redemption. God’s people are redeemed from pagan bondage (come out from them and be separate) in order to be clean before God (touch no unclean thing) and thus enjoy fellowship with Him (I will receive you). In Galatians Paul spoke of the bondage of those who are under the obligation of the Law (Gal. 3:13-14; 4:5; cf. 2 Cor. 3:7-9). Paul wrote to Titus that redemption implied two things: (a) deliverance “from all wickedness” and (b) a purified people who are “His very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). Personal purity makes it possible to serve God and be received by Him.^[1]

---

^[1]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (2:570-571). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

ELCA, GOSPEL REDUCTIONISM, AND HOMOSEXUALITY

Reformata has another insight post about the growing attacks upon Sola Scriptura and the authority of God's Word: ELCA, GOSPEL REDUCTIONISM, AND HOMOSEXUALITY

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection

Psalm 141 (New American Standard Bible)

Psalm 141

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.

A Psalm of David.

¹O LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
²May my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
³Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
⁴Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds of wickedness
With men who do iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
⁵Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me;
It is oil upon the head;
Do not let my head refuse it,
For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.
⁶Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
⁷As when one plows and breaks open the earth,
Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
⁸For my eyes are toward You, O GOD, the Lord;
In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.
⁹Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the snares of those who do iniquity.
¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I pass by safely.

MARK DRISCOLL AT CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL—FAILURE

It's really sad to watch a man slide into the luke warm seeker-sensitive swamp of good intentions. Over at Reformata there is a post about Mark Discoll's visit to Robert Schuller's church. Instead of preaching the pure Gospel, Driscoll just spoke a little ear tickling encouragement. You can read about it here: Mark Driscoll at Crystal Cathedral.

ELCA AND HOMOSEXUALITY

The ELCA has fallen captive to the world. It's truly a disturbing move by the ELCA.

Ken Silva from Apprising Ministries has a blog up called "ELCA and Homosexuality" about this dive into sin.

Sola scriptura has officially been retired by the ELCA.

The Berean example in Acts 17:11

One of the most common criticism I get from fellow Christians is I spend a good deal of time talking about what is wrong with other churches and preachers. I'm often told by these people that I should spend this time trying to further the kingdom of God instead of tearing down other ministries. While this advice sounds good on the surface, making many in the seeker-sensitive movement applaud, it's not very biblical advice. The misconception is that by discussing these types of issues within the church, that I am trying to tear down another person's ministry. This is not the case nor is it my agenda. By pointing out problems within movements like the seeker-sensitive camp, shining the light of the Scriptures upon errors taught in the church, and calling people out by name is by no means tearing down these ministries. It's simply exposing problems in hopes these errors will be corrected in the future and also warning fellow Christians about the dangers of poor doctrine.

In the Scriptures, the Apostle Paul went to a group of believers in Berea. When Paul delivered the message these people were not quick to accept it as the truth. They dug deep into the Scriptures and examined what Paul said in order to verify his word as the truth.

Acts 17:10-11 (New American Standard Bible)

Paul at Berea

¹⁰The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

¹¹Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

This example encourages me to blog about dangerous teachings within the Christian faith. I cannot sit around and say nothing just because I might be perceived as tearing down the kingdom.

2 Timothy 4:1-4 (New American Standard Bible)

2 Timothy 4

"Preach the Word"

¹I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

⁴and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

The Bible tells us to reprove and rebuke errors with great patience. It does not tell us to remain silent and do nothing. In Galatians 2 we see a good example of this when Paul correcting Peter's error in public.

Galatians 2:11-14 (New American Standard Bible)

Peter (Cephas) Opposed by Paul

¹¹But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

¹²For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.

¹³The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

¹⁴But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

Paul did not remain silent just because Peter was in the same camp. Paul corrected Peter and contended for the faith.

Romans 16:17-20 (New American Standard Bible)

¹⁷Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.

¹⁸For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

¹⁹For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

²⁰The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

The Berean example encourages deep study and backing our beliefs with the Scriptures. There is nothing wrong with exposing false teachers, false doctrines, and errors in the church as long as we expose these errors in truth and love.

Rob Bell and another gospel

Ken Silva from Apprising Ministries has another good article exposing heresies coming from Rob Bell.

Rob Bell and Another Gospel

I'm thankful Mr. Silva and others are working to expose heretics like Rob Bell. We cannot stick our head in the sand and pray these heretics will simply go away. We must expose these false teachers and warn people about the dangers coming from people like Rob Bell.

Minimal Morality? Just go back to the world! - Tim Conway

Watch this video in a new window

Tim Conway pretty much sums up the problem with many of the seeker-sensitive think tanks of today. Too many times emergent pastors want to flirt with the limits of sin. They are ever striving to get as close to the sin line as possible in order to reach out to the world with relevance. Many times these seeker sensitive Christians just keep moving the line farther and farther down the road until they are consumed by the love of the world.

This is a short video that sums up the attitude we should have as Christians about sin and not loving the world. Minimal Morality? Just go back to the world! - Tim Conway

You Won’t Believe Your Eyes….

One would think that relevance would be enough to fill a purpose driven church. Well, relevance is no longer enough! The need of wanting more has been acknowledged and met by our sensitive pastors in the seeker sensitive movement. Come one, come all...fill out the application for your chance to win big this Sunday at church! Yes, we have food, drink, and prizes! I wish this was a joke, but sadly it is no joke.

Refomata sent out a tweet today with a link to this blog:

http://www.reformata.org/2009/08/you-wont-believe-your-eyes/

It's amazing how the purpose driven mindset works to lure people into the house of God. It seems they do not believe the Gospel is enough anymore. It seems they feel the Holy Spirit needs entertainment and giveaways in order to draw people unto Himself.

Shortly after I became a Christian, my pastor gave me some advice one afternoon about how to build a church. He told me, "If you lead them in on entertainment, then you must keep them entertained. If you preach the Gospel, then Christ will keep them in the church." I really wish these seeker-sensitive purpose driven CEO's would take my former pastor's advice.

Seeker-sensitive church doctrine

Rob Bell heresy and NewSpring leadership's lack of discernment

Rob Bell is a heretic. There is no other way to describe this man's beliefs without using the term heresy.

In my last blog, I mentioned that Perry Noble, Senior Pastor of NewSpring Church, listens to Rob Bell (refer to iPod). It seems this poison has been spread to Brad "BAMF" Cooper as an example to follow because of Perry Noble (See this link). One of the dangers of Perry Noble's worldliness and poor interpretation of the Bible is seen by a lack of discernment (See this Cooper tweet) from his under ministers. The fruit of Noble's liberal, humanistic, self-help topical teachings is seen clearly when his leadership reads after Rob Bell.

Please check out Fighting for the Faith's radio broadcast about the heresies of Rob Bell. If you are a supporter or member of NewSpring Church, then ask yourself why does Perry Noble listen to this heretic? Where is the warning from NewSpring Church's leadership about the dangers of following a man like Rob Bell?

I'm truly concerned for the people going to NewSpring Church. This is why I discuss these issues on my blog to serve as a warning by uplifting the Scriptures to expose the worldliness, bad advice, and rebellion coming from NewSpring Church.

I simply do not understand why Perry Noble does not warn his people about the dangers emerging from Rob Bell.

Perry Noble's bad advice and love of the world

NewSpring Church Senior Pastor Perry Noble is running full steam ahead with the "score" and "scoreboard" slogan lately. James Duncan from Pajama Pages has been discussing this "scoreboard" defense used by Perry Noble to counter or should I say ignore his critics.

I want to examine this Twitter post from Perry Noble and take a hard look at some of his more colorful antics at NewSpring Church. I will focus on his statement that "God did not call the church to withdraw from the world" and compare it with what God told us about the world in the Bible. I have already dealt with the "scoreboard" logic in my blog Confessing Christ, false professions, and the numbers game, so I'm not going to get into that part again.

The first bad advice from Perry Noble is assuming that pastors and leaders can run up a spiritual scoreboard. This is very flawed advice that puts the emphasis on the pastor and church leadership rather than on Jesus Christ. This type of advice leads to a cult of personality with heavy emphasis on the leaders and church culture. I would suggest that Perry Noble ponder the Doctrines of Grace a little more or think about what he is posting to Twitter before he posts it.

Let's move on to the subject of the church not withdrawing from world. I fully agree with Perry Noble that the church must not withdraw from the world (Refer to my blog "In the hedge and on the highway" for my thoughts on how we reach out to people). Perry Noble is big on outreach and numbers. He is always referring back to his slogan, "to make the name of Jesus famous one life at a time!" as his rallying battle cry. To me, this slogan is just another marketing tool used to promote NewSpring Church. It's not like Jesus needs us to make His name famous. I'll put aside my prejudice of this slogan for a moment to say I fully agree with it and Perry Noble's vision. In making the name of Jesus famous should we not focus on more than just saying the name and counting heads? In making Jesus' name famous we should show the world Jesus as Jesus is described in the Bible. Perry Noble's visions for making Jesus' name famous does not accurately reflect the outline found in the Bible for spreading Jesus' name. Let's dig a little deeper into Noble's rabbit hole and see what we find. As a former NewSpring Church member, I have some first hand knowledge of how NewSpring's rabbit holes work.

When Perry Noble gives advice that the church is not to withdraw from the world it sounds really good until you get to know what Noble is referring to with this statement. Perry Noble uses the hooks and snares of the world to bait and switch unregenerated people into visiting NewSpring Church. This tactic works, and it works well. The proof is easily seen in the numbers of people who attend NewSpring Church.

Let's examine some of Perry Noble's advice and actions from the past:

Last Easter Perry Noble used AC\DC's Highway to Hell as an opening song at NewSpring Church (see also Perry Noble's message from AC/DC Sunday). Perry has claimed people were saved because of using AC\DC's "Hell's Bells" . If you read the links, you will see how Perry Noble believed that God used worldly music to spread His Gospel. Perry Noble's severe lack of discernment is seen in his blog called I-Pod as he refers to Rob Bell (see link for Bell's heresy) as a preacher he listens to on a regular basis. Perry Noble also uses some very colorful language(cussing), crude language, prophetic visions , and bad advice. He promotes worldly songs like those by Usher (refer to Can I enjoy movies and culture and still be a Christian? around the 35-40 minute mark) that encourage people toward sinful thoughts, and uses lust- filled songs like "Crazy in Love" (refer to NewSpring's "Crazy in Love” by Beyonce) all in the name of making Jesus name famous. These antics are used by Perry Noble to help spread the the Gospel of Jesus Christ by reaching out and appealing to culture to draw those without Jesus into the church.

We can see in these examples how Perry Noble details what he means by "not withdrawing from the world" which is translated: "Use the world's music, tactics, and language to be relevant to reach the lost. As long as we worship Jesus this is all good because the ends justify the means." Perry Noble adds to his statement by saying, "Run up the score" which is translated: "When you are criticized for your actions, simply point to the number of members attending your church as evidence God is working in your ministry through your vision".

Now let's examine Perry Nobles's actions and claims using the Berean example found in Acts 17:11.

Acts 17:11 (New International Version)

¹¹Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

In the Bible it clearly tells us not to love the world (1 John 2:14-18 ,1 John 2:15, Romans 8:5-8) or to be held captive by it (Colossians 2:1-9).

The Bible tells us to abstain from evil (1 Peter 2:10-12 ,1 Thessalonians 5:21-23) and to be of good reputation (1 Timothy 3:1-7 , Titus 1:1-9 ,Titus 2:6-8, Philippians 2:14-16)

The Bible tells us to not have a filthy mouth (Col 3:8).

When we compare the Scriptures to Perry Noble, we see a problem with his ministry. Do we see Perry Noble when we read this passage?

Titus 2:11-13 (New American Standard Bible)

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

¹²instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

¹³looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

Lastly, I want to discuss Perry Noble's distortion of Acts 17:22-24 he presented in Can I enjoy movies and culture and still be a Christian? 08/10/08 from week 5 of the "You asked for it" series. This is a very good illustration by Perry Noble that shows us exactly what he means by not withdrawing from the world. The way Perry Noble twists and distorts the Apostle Paul is borderline heresy. Noble paints a picture as if Paul dug deep into Greek culture. I'm sorry, Mr. Noble, but in Greece Zeus was considered the god of the gods and many people knew about Zeus. It's not like the quote that Paul used was unknown except for an enlightened few who followed Greek culture. This did not mean that Paul spent his time partaking in the Greek culture. I challenge anyone reading this blog to listen to this message and simply study the Scriptures. One thing we must keep in mind is that Paul was dealing with a false religion and not popular culture as implied in this sermon by Perry Noble.

In this account of the unknown god in Acts 17, Perry Noble's carnal interpretation of this event fails the test of the Scriptures. One would think Paul studied and regularly used Greek pagan culture in his preaching to the Greeks according to Noble's presentation of this event. Paul did not bring this idol, Greek culture, or any relevant secular works into the church to draw the Greek people in. Paul did not use the relevant excuse to put worldly culture into the church like Noble uses to justify his antics at NewSpring Church. Paul warned us against these things in Romans 12:1-3, 2 Corinthians 10:1-3, Romans 6:1-3, Romans 6:14-16 so why would Paul tell these Greeks they are the exception to the rule? If this was the case then why did Paul even bother writing 1 and 2 Corinthians?

I can explain the point of Acts 17:22-24 using myself as an example. If I walked by a group of Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses debating who God is and how we know who Jesus was, then this would be very similar to what happened in Acts 17. Because I have studied the Mormon and the Jehovah Witness faiths, I can answer their questions using their terminology about who Jesus Christ really is by simply leading them to the true Scriptures. If I took Perry Noble's explanation of this event as a guide to my walk with Jesus, then I would add Mormon/Jehovah Witness culture and literature: The Book of Mormon and the New World Translation, to my study and include them in my sermons. Taking Noble's advice a little further, I could go back to my church to add Mormon and Jehovah Witness books, study guides, magazines, lesson plans, etc... in the church to lure Mormons and Jehovah Witness into the house of God. I could turn right around and claim that because I used Mormon/Jehovah Witness culture that God used this "relevant" material to lead "x" number of people to Christ! Clearly this poor explanation from Perry Noble about the Apostle Paul is laying a foundation of foolish advice, worldliness, confusion, and carnality in the Christian faith. The bottom line is Perry Noble willingly twisted the Scriptures out of context in order to defend his love of the world and the world's culture that holds him captive. Noble jumps through hoops in order to make the Word of God sound as if it justifies Noble's rebellion and love of the world.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (New American Standard Bible)

¹⁴Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

¹⁵Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

¹⁶Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
"I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
¹⁷"Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord.
"AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;
And I will welcome you.

The Scriptures command those of us in Christ to separate ourselves from loving the world, abstain from any appearance of evil, to live a life striving to live godly for Jesus. The old Perry Noble "No Perfect People Allowed" defense does not justify loving the world and walking in carnality. When God inspired the prophets to write the Bible, God clearly understood that we are not perfect people which is why He gave us 1 John 2:1-3 as a reminder when we fall short and sin. God wants us to love Him above all. Mr. Noble, you cannot mix light with darkness no matter how many members you have, your church's good works, how many million dollar buildings you have, etc... and then say God is telling you to do so. God will never tell us to use sin as a tool to spread the Gospel. The father of lies will tell us that sin is not that bad as long as something good comes from it. In other words, Satan will lead us to believe that if worldliness leads to a profession of Christ then worldliness is justified because it helps make Jesus' name famous.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (New International Version)

¹³For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

Fighting for the Faith: The Perry Noble NewSpring Church Special

Fighting for the Faith has an excellent interview with Ron Click who is a former NewSpring Church member. This interview is very insightful about some of the errors being taught at NewSpring Church. I highly recommend listening to the episode from Pirate Christian Radio.

Chris Rosebrough did a good interview with Ron Click. Mr. Rosebrough has a very insightful critique of one of Perry Noble's sermons after the interview that reflects some of the major issues brought up by Mr. Click.

I am a former NewSpring member. I am very concerned by NewSpring's antics and liberal interpretations of the Scriptures.

I testify that I have seen and heard the things that Ron Click discussed in this interview. We cannot be taken back by NewSpring's good works, friendly outreach, and Sunday shows without searching the Scriptures to see if what NewSpring is teaching is correct. Perry Noble's view of sin, total depravity of mankind, God's grace drawing us to repentance, and our carnal nature being hostile towards God is presented very weak in many of his sermons.

Outlaw preachers seek to destroy the authority of the Scriptures

Pastor Ken Silva has been following these rebels for a while now. He has written some very good articles exposing this heresy creeping into the Christian faith.

"Outlaw Preachers" is a good name for these liberals. These humanistic teachers are trying to hijack the authority of the Holy Scriptures by replacing them with emotional justifications . These outlaws seek to redefine the teachings of the Scriptures concerning the sin of homosexuality. The Scriptures are very clear about homosexuality as sin.

"Outlaw Preachers" seek more than just taking homosexuality out of the sin category. You can be sure that this is just the tip of the iceberg. They are part of a larger liberal movement that seeks to destroy the orthodox doctrines of the Christian faith replacing them with a substitute consumed with the spirit of anti-Christ!

"These self-proclaimed outlaw preachers are now beginning to band together—chiefly around Jay Bakker—in order to sow their perversion of the grace of God, which ala the original cult of liberal theology so over-emphasizes the love and grace of God they end up obliterating His justice." Ken Silva source

I recommend following Pastor Ken Silva's exposing this heresy at APPRISING MINISTRIES.

We cannot stand back and let heretic rebels like Jay Bakker abuse the Grace of God.

Romans 6:1-3 (New American Standard Bible)

Romans 6

Believers Are Dead to Sin, Alive to God

¹What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

²May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

³Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

Our Bill of Rights and religion

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

I find it alarming how so many churches cow down to the government during election years. The government tries to hinder our rights when we speak out against a party or politician. Government officials and some leftist groups claim we are being "political" when we speak out. These groups seek to transform us into a political entity. By transforming us into a political machine, they try to force laws upon us to censor our speech all in the name of "fairness."

The church has every right to call people out by name and speak out against those who support things we deem sinful. The church has a moral right to inform its members about political agendas. We have a right to point out a politician's views and discuss what will happen if elected to office. We are doing nothing wrong because it is our duty as Christians to warn our people about supporting policies that the Bible calls sin.

The government has no right to tell us we cannot speak out about current issues from our pulpits. The Bill of Rights forbids these types of threats, so why do we fear the government? Why do we cow down and allow this type of abuse? It's time to stand up for our liberties and rights by upholding our Constitution.

I'm not saying that we are to pass laws based on our religion. In the Bill of Rights it says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion," which clearly forbids basing laws on religion. The Bill of Rights also says,"Congress shall make no law... prohibiting the free exercise thereof" which is directly referring to religion. We are given the right to freely practice our religion. We use our freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the freedom to assemble peacefully to practice our religion. We do not have the right to create laws based on our religious preference, trying to force people into our system of beliefs. The government has no right to make laws and issue threats from the IRS, trying to herd us into politically correctness by overlording what we can preach, circulate, and teach concerning our faith.

I fully support the freedom of religion and the freedom from religion. I am offended by some people's condemnation of Christianity, but it is their right to do so. These citizens are protected by the Bill of Rights just like I am, therefore I defend their rights as well as mine.