Pray For Tony Evans' Wife

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Please say a prayer for Tony Evans' wife, who is battling cancer.  This is my favorite preacher, and it makes me sad to know they're going through this.


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Destroying Calvinism in 28 Easy Steps (tiny version)

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Here is the tiniest-I-could-make-it version of "Fending Off Calvinism (a.k.a. Destroying Calvinism in 28 Easy Steps)"  (from my other blog) - which itself is the second half of a post called "Calvinism's Systematic Theology (and how to fend it off)" - about the fundamental errors of Calvinism that trap well-meaning Christians into a very bad, very deceptive, very tricksy theology.  I cut out as much as I could here, so check out the longer posts in the links above if you want a fuller picture and more information.   [Despite the title of this post, I know there's nothing easy about defeating or debating Calvinism.  It's such a tangled web of errors, with a cult-like vice-grip on people's minds, that it can't be defeated with just a few verses or rebuttals.  Its errors are so complex, interconnected, and deep-rooted that it needs to be completely dismantled idea by idea, wrong definition by wrong definition, misinterpreted verse by misinterpreted...
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List of Calvinist Preachers, Authors, Theologians, Websites, etc.

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I  found a lot more names to add to my list of known Calvinists (found in my various  "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist"  posts).  But instead of adding this huge list to all those posts, I am going to put it here, and I'll just provide a link on those posts to this one.  [FYI: I added a note at the bottom of this post on May 5, 2021.] So here it is, a "master list" of known Calvinists to help you be careful and discerning about who you listen to and where you get your theology from.  There are plenty more Calvinists out there, but these are just the names that I ran across the most.   These are either definite, self-professed Calvinists or "most likely Calvinist," in my estimation.  (I haven't heard of most of them, but it's good to know their theology before I do.)   After finding these names in various places online, I looked up each person to see if they are Calvinist.  If they did not self-identify ...
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Christian Testimony: Elizabeth - "How I Came to Jesus (depression and anxiety), Part 1"

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Here is Elizabeth's 13-minute-long testimony: "How I Came To Jesus (depression and anxiety), Part 1" . Of all the ones I've seen so far, hers is probably the most touching, deep, heartfelt one.  My heart breaks for her.  But it's a great testimony about how n o matter how hopeless life feels and how lonely you are, God is always there for you.   As she says, no matter what hard trials life throws at you, “God is real.   And He has me…. God cares.” She says that she feels like she's lived 30 lives already, and yet she's only 22.  Wow!  So much wisdom, heart, and goodness ... and in someone so young, too! And she not only has a beautiful, touching story to share, but she's also got a beautiful, touching voice too!   Beautiful worship songs. God bless you and your ministry, Elizabeth!  Thank you for opening your heart and life up to us!
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What Real Encouragement Looks Like Sometimes!

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Who would've thought that "encouraging each other in the Lord" would take the form of two hours of telling each other, "Yep, that crap's hard!"? - A text I got from a friend after a long conversation about the trials we've been through, the heartaches we've known, and how difficult life can be sometimes.  It made me smile!
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John Calvin: Master Manipulator

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This is point #5 from "Problems in John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion" : Calvin manipulates people into agreeing with him in subtle ways: reminding us of how small our minds are, how incapable we are of comprehending God and how God works (after, of course, teaching us all about his own grand, inspired ideas of who God is and how God works), and telling us that if we resist believing what he says, it's because we are rebellious or small-minded. Calvinists do this same kind of thing today.  They get you to agree with them (or at least to shut up if you disagree) by convincing you that you simply don't - can't - understand what the Bible really says and so you just have to trust them, that you are questioning God if you question them, that you are being proud and unhumble if you disagree with them, etc.  (See " Predestination Manipulation" and "What's The Best Way To Make People Agree With Your Calvinist Views" an...
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A Cell-Phone Choir Sings "It Is Well With My Soul"

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I didn't think I'd be so moved by this, but I was.  Check out this cell-phone choir sing "It Is Well With My Soul" during this time of coronavirus chaos and social-distancing.  Not only is it a beautiful a cappella rendition of the song, but it's a great reminder that the church can survive times of crisis, social distancing, and isolation.  There are always ways to pull together and encourage each other, even at times like this.   Because Church isn't a building; it's a people.   And this song isn't just a bunch of empty words about convincing yourself you're at peace during times of great trial and heartache.  It wasn't written by someone who doesn't understand, by someone offering lame Christian platitudes or pathetic pat answers for pain.  For anyone who doesn't know the story behind this song, the tragic events that led Horatio Spafford to write it, click here .  This song was written from a heart that understands.   We ...
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A Pre-Trib Rapture is the Most Merciful Option (repost)

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(Repost, with some additions) Some people have a lot of trouble accepting the idea that God would rapture the church out but leave everyone else to go through the tribulation.    They think it is heartless and cruel of Him.    I, however, think that a pre-trib rapture is the most merciful thing God could do. In the movie   Left Behind   (with Nicolas Cage), a young woman who missed the rapture looks around at all the pain and heartbreak and devastation ... and she screams out about how the loving God her mother worshipped would never cause something as tragic as that to happen.    He would never take people away and let others be left behind to face the troubles of the tribulation. Or would He? The thing is, I think a pre-trib rapture shows just how loving and merciful and patient He is, how much He wants everyone to come to Him. [And I have to ask ...  If God created a way for us to be saved ... ... if He Himself, out of ...
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Sermons by Tony Evans

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Taking a break between the "end times" stuff and the upcoming "predestination" stuff: Tony Evans is my all-time favorite pastor.  He always gives messages that convict, challenge, and comfort.  Listen to some of his sermons from his YouTube channel and be encouraged.   There are so many great ones to choose from. You can't go wrong with any video of his.  I found him to be the most biblically-accurate preacher (especially as I researched Calvinism and found out how wrong it is), who is also great at helping us practically apply God's truths to life. [Update: I removed the list of sermons I originally had here because most of the links were broken.]
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My "When Anxiety Strikes" Playlist

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In the post "Getting through the 'broken' times," I said that I had made a CD to listen to when anxiety hits.  It has some of my favorite Christian songs on it.   Here are as many of the songs as I could find online, plus some extra.  Listen to some of them when anxiety threatens you.  It really does help to hear godly truths spoken out loud (and to speak them out loud yourself).  And personally, I think godly music helps repel evil, giving you some extra spiritual protection when you are most vulnerable.  They don't like to hear God being praised and Truth being sung! (FYI: Videos are constantly being removed from online.  So if the video is no longer available, type in the name and artist and see if you can find it.  I simply can't keep up with replacing links.) From The City Harmonic: Love, Heal Me  - The song that inspired the title of one of my blogs, Love, Heal Me - my heart's cry for the past year. Fell Apart  - One...
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Hardest Spiritual Lesson #9: Humility and Brokenness

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The last of the "Hardest Spiritual Lessons" posts (finally): Humility and Brokenness (Once again, another long post which repeats some things that I’ve said in other posts.    But it’s totally worth reading.  At least I think so.  But then again, I'm the one who wrote it.😁) Matthew 18:4:   “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”   Whoever humbles himself like a child!    This, I believe, should be the ultimate goal of every believer.    Humility.    Brokenness.    Now, everyone might define humility a little differently, but here’s my attempt at it:   Humility is recognizing and freely admitting that we are needy, helpless, and dependent.    It’s knowing that we need our Heavenly Father desperately, that we are helpless to do anything without Him, and that we are fully dependent on Him daily.    It’s resting in and so completely trustin...
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