My Crazy Faith

Today we're going to look at a general time we're vulnerable to Satan's attacks, when we need to be alert, discerning, and careful.  And we'll look at a few more in the next posts.   ( I looked at fear, specifically, in  the last post .  So I won't cover it here.)    T he more aware we are of his schemes, the more we can recognize and resist them.   And notice it's "schemes" -  Ephesians 6:11 :  "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes"  - not willy-nilly, shot-in-the-dark attacks.  These are strategically-planned attacks, tailored to you. Satan (demons) knows each of us, our weaknesses, desires, hang-ups, etc.  He's been watching us our whole lives (and watching humankind for millennia).  He hears what we say, what we mumble under our breath.  He knows what we read and watch and listen to and gaze at.  He knows when we discreetly peek at something, when ...

  In the comment section of a Soteriology 101 post -  Flowers Man Bad  - someone (Simon Peter) was defending John Calvin, quoting him as saying  "the gate of salvation is open to all," making it sound like he thought Calvin really taught that salvation is truly available for all and possible for all.   I replied that Calvin contradicts himself in his writing, and so I wouldn't believe what he said in one place because he would contradict it or qualify it or add another layer to it in another place, changing what he originally said.   Simon Peter replied: " A sign of being a great scholar is the ability to change one’s mind and improve one’s system of thought. Calvin had that ability, as did Luther and many other great theologians.  In this light I would ask you to demonstrate the alleged contradictions from Calvin’s writings?" I'm guessing he thought that I made a baseless, ignorant comment, that I didn't have anything to back me up. And so I...

In the comment section of the Soteriology 101 post   "Calvinism Obscures the Simple Gospel" , Jeff left this comment, sharing an article that had the famous sermon from Calvinist Charles Spurgeon: Jeff writes:   “Charles Spurgeon: “Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.”   JULY 4, 2014 / DREW MERY If there is any doubt in anyone’s mind as to whether or not the so-called “Prince of preachers” was a Calvinist, let the following quotation, taken from his sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (“Christ Crucified”), settle it in your minds–Spurgeon was most definitely a Calvinist. "And I have my own private opinion, that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and him crucified, unless you preach what now-a-days is called Calvinism.  I have my own ideas, and those I always state boldly.  It is a nickname to call it Calvinism.  Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.  I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by fai...

This "giggle translate" is about my relationship with one of my brothers (I did two translations, just for fun). You know what, I'm gonna put the translated versions first and then the original paragraph of what really happened.  This way, you can read the translations first and try to figure out what really happened, and then see how right or wrong you are. Here goes: Translated version #1   ( After running my original paragraph through several languages with Google Translate) : Why hasn't one of my relatives loved me so much when we had so much fun and children?  We ate our table very quickly, and we got a reply within five seconds, but I did or ate so much that we ate less than half an hour later while watching.  Oh how beautiful!  The time has come when he may exchange fivepence when he asks, because he was more than fivepence.  And I extend it to meenie-miney-moe, so it always has to be "he" (so he has the power of blaming me but "I told him he alw...

After seeing  some of the sad Reddit comments from people hurt by Calvinism ( see here ) - particularly "why-homo-sapien" who wanted assurance of salvation as a 12-year-old but couldn't find it in Calvinism - I  wanted to repost this critique of John MacArthur's view on it.  T he following (with some additions) is a combination of things I wrote in  Exposing Calvinism: Assurance of Salvation?  and  Can you lose your salvation?  and  Is Calvinism's TULIP Biblical? (Perseverance of the Saints) :    The Calvinist’s Security of Salvation:   In a video clip I saw online ( click here , but be warned it's from a website that looks favorably on him), a young woman - with shaky voice, on the verge of tears - asked John MacArthur (a Calvinist of the highest order) how she can know for sure that she is saved (one of the elect).   And MacArthur’s answer is that she (that Calvinists) can know she is saved because of her desires to know...