John Cooper of Skillet

When someone admonishes Christians about not elevating popular "Christians" too high,  ("We must STOP making worship leaders and thought leaders or influencers or cool people or 'relevant' people the most influential people in Christendom," he said, adding, that "yes, that includes people like me!"" but he's attached to the world and the subculture of grunge/alternate/heavy metal rock and looks like this for a magazine...

I'm thinking he has nothing that I need to hear. It's quite hypocritical too, since he's doing the very thing he's rebuking: wanting to be front and center, an "influencer" himself (yup he's been nominated for awards for his "rock").

Evangelicals looking to a heavy mental rock band member for spiritual truth is like asking an actress for wisdom in economics.  

Skillet has opened for Creed, Nickleback, Korn and other Grunge, post-Grunge, hard metal rock--so both "Christian" and secular.

Quote:

Cooper said art can speak religiously to him, even if it wasn’t intended that way. The vice versa is how Skillet has reached so many listeners, especially those outside of the Christian community.

Without having bible-verse lyrics, the band’s faith does come through in Skillet’s music. In fact, the Christianity in Skillet’s music is so broad, that some Christians are offended about the band’s lack of the “wholesome look.” The band’s faith thematically shines through Skillet’s lyrics. Principally, through the theme of hope.

“Even when we sing about dark things or struggles in life, there is always a bit of hope, and it can hopefully inspire people to see the brighter side of life, and see their worth as a person,” Cooper said.

“You can listen to Skillet and never have any idea that it was Christian music..."

However, Cooper said Skillet doesn’t feel out of place touring with bands who do behave in the “typical” rock and roll light.

“I’ve been lucky to have a lot of friends that paint me with the same respect of, ‘hey we’re not a Christian band, but we don’t care what you guys believe, we’re going to bring you on tour anyways’,” Cooper said. “I don’t expect other people to live the way that I live, and I don’t judge people for what they do. But I always respected the people that took a bit of a risk on Skillet like that.”

For Cooper, it’s about the music. “That is why we go out with other bands even though they think something different than what we think. It doesn’t matter. They get to sing what they want to sing and we get to sing what we want to sing,” Cooper said. “Music should bring people together, really.”

...Cooper’s new metal side-project, Fight the Fury. Fight the Fury isn’t a Christian band... The band has recently released its debut EP and is touring Russia.

Cooper started Fight the Fury to stick to his metal influences. Fight the Fury explores the darker side Cooper’s music, and reverberates metal powerhouses like Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Korn.

~ https://www.inkedmag.com/.../john-cooper-skillet-interview.

Quote:

In an interview with STLtoday, front man of the band Skillet, John Cooper, went into greater detail about why he and his band prefer to avoid using the word "Christian."

"I just tell people I'm in a hard-rock band. I leave 'Christian' out," he told STLtoday. "A lot of people don't know what Christian rock is, or they think it's only for Christian people. We're not a band that only sings to Christian people. I meet tons of fans, and I've had fans that said, 'I'm an atheist and I love your message.' "

The rocker stated he does not however want anyone to think he is hiding his faith.

"I want to make it clear Skillet is never embarrassed about the fact we're in the Christian music industry or that we're a Christian band," he explained. "Everywhere we play, I talk about my faith. I leave the 'Christian' off because I don't want to alienate."

Cooper told the publication that attracting the mainstream is key for the group, and he stated Skillet is the most openly crossover Christian rock band since Stryper. Although he does not want to use the label "Christian," Cooper believes the Lord called him to tell people about Jesus.

~breathcast

So how can he "led" people to Christ if he doesn't speak of the biblical Jesus? He admits to wanting to blend in with the world and not offend them. He in fact is ashamed. And instead he loves to identify with the world. And Evangelicals are hailing this guy as a someone who's telling the truth and should be lauded?

1Pe 4:15 By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.

Then on the one hand Cooper says:

"And will your ideas of what is “good” be different from year to year based on your experience, culture trends, poplular opinion etc and furthermore will you continue year by year to lead others into your idea of goodness even though it is not absolute?

We need to value truth over feeling. Truth over emotion. And what we are seeing now is the result of the church raising up influencers who did not supremely value truth who have led a generation who also do not believe in the supremacy of truth. And now those disavowed leaders are proudly still leading and influencing boldly AWAY from the truth." - August 2019

Yet to People Magazine he said in July 2019 (Note "metaphysical" and "transcendental" and the words to describe FEELINGS and EMOTIONS:

“This has a certain metaphysical element to it — that we are living in the ‘right here right now,’ but then our lives will be over and all that’s left is what we stood for,” he shares. “That’s why I wanted the video to have a transcendental quality and tons of lighting effects to give being a supernatural quality to the song. And tons and tons of energy!”

“‘Legendary’ felt like the right first single because it’s so high energy. It feels like a song that should be played in a stadium while your favorite team is winning,” Cooper says. “It’s energetic, positive, and inspiring. It’s what the world needs to hear right now.”

https://people.com/music/skillet-legendary-music-video-premiere/ 

His supposed church doesn't seem sound as it has multiple sights including overseas, and promotes Alpha Course (mystic heresy) and social justice works.

Jas 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Luk 6:26 "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.

There's no such thing as a "silent" witness for Christ. That's not evangelism.

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS!"
Rom 10:16 However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?"
Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

The Problem With Thinking Evangelical Leaders Are Entrusted To "Safeguard the church"

Saw this quote today: "We are in the middle of a war for the soul of the visible church. We are in a civil war, going up against the Evangelical Leaders who’ve been entrusted to safeguard the church, but have betrayed each and everyone of us by allowing Social Justice & Cultural Marxism to infiltrate the church without putting up any resistance."

Who made these men the leaders of "the church"? Who? By what authority? An institution? A consensus? A popular teacher? This is one of the most corrupting influences of the local churches today next to the biggest problem of doctrinal triage. There is no such thing as elders of other churches having authority over anyone else's church--that notion is straight out of Roman Catholicism. 1 Peter 5 makes it clear that elders are to shepherd the sheep of the local flock God gives them. The epistles lay out the structure and function of the local church and it's leadership--and nowhere in Scripture does it give some sort of universal power, leadership, or authority over multiple flocks. Also one cannot test up close and personally men who claim to be elders--the requirements necessitate the testing of their private lives by observation, for example. This is impossible to do when the teacher is not part of the local flock, miles and miles away. Biblcal elders live among the sheep, they don't jet in, give a speech, get paid, and then jet out. There is accountability to be had by the elders to the local assembly. WE test THEM. WE observe them up close. WE discern and vigorously test them. This is impossible for anyone who floats around running from church to church, conference to conference, seminary to seminary (neither conferences nor seminaries are part of the local assembly and won't be found anywhere in Scripture).

1Pe 5:2  shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3  nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 

2Ti 2:2  And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

Joh 10:1  "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 

Joh 10:2  "But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 

Joh 10:3  "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 

Joh 10:4  "When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 

Joh 10:5  "And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." 

Joh 10:6  This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. 

Joh 10:7  Jesus therefore said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 

Joh 10:8  "All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 

Joh 10:9  "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 

Joh 10:10  "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. 

Joh 10:11  "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 

Joh 10:12  "He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them. 

Joh 10:13  "He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep. 

Joh 10:14  "I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, 

"The Calling To The Ministry"

The Evangelical's sin of partiality is shown in the way they raise elders above other Christians by how they describe their position (career): "the calling to the ministry".

There is one faith, one calling, one Lord, one body of doctrine, one baptism. Yet "pastors" and those wanting to be "pastors" talk about THE calling to THE ministry, as if it's of special distinction.

Jas 2:1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

1Co 12:22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;

1Co 12:23 and those members of the body, which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our unseemly members come to have more abundant seemliness,

1Co 12:24 whereas our seemly members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,

1Co 12:25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

Mar 10:42 And calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.

Mar 10:43 "But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;

Mar 10:44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. We don't see that in Evangelicalism. We see elders flying around in first class, given posh houses, cars, offices. We see them get the best seats in the *house*; get free sporting events tickets, Disneyland tickets (nearly $150 per ticket now), kitchen remodels, houses bought, loans given (never to be repaid); conferences, meals (called "ministry") all paid for by the church.

They are considered the only ones who really know the Word and can interpret it correctly--everyone else is held in low regard and patronized at best (which is derision). They are believed over and above non-seminary, non-network Christians. When shown their sin, there is at attempt at justifying,cover up, slander, gossip, threats and the casting away of those who brought it to their attention--even removing them from their jobs ("ministry") (or attempting to), using family members against them, or using family members to shield them. They double dip: salary pay plus "honorariums" when feeding everyone else's flock while away from their own. They get all of this tax-free, while the sheep don't. They are shielded from true persecution while their pack of elders circle around a true sheep of Christ as they plan their attack on him or her and assault them. Yet none of them live lives of true suffering and persecution (being confronted is twisted into "persecution" which then is more sin). They want the benefits of being a shepherd but none of the true hardships and vigorous testing that true ones welcome.

The Ends Justify The Means Is Not Biblical

1 Sam 15:22b Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

1Ti 3:2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach..7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

The opposite of the self-serving "It's better to ask forgiveness later than to get permission now", which was used to justify not submitting to WASC (which said "no" to adding the seminary as MacArthur admitted) in creating TMS. Go here for the audio (first portion, starting at time mark 4:50) (I don't endorse The WartburgWatch website.).

"The ends justify the means" Post-Modern pragmatism is not biblical--it's secular humanism and therefore can't honor the King of kings and Lord of lords.

MacArthur's Rejection of WASC's Rejection Of Adding A Seminary: do it anyway and hope for forgiveness

John MacArthur speaks to The Master's Seminary students in August 21, 2018 and talks about the WASC issue. Big PR stunt. It's very disturbing to hear his anger and belief of his own PR.  At time mark 5:03 is where he talks about hoping for forgiveness later because they had already told them no to a seminary.

**I don't endorse The WartburgWatch website, but they're the ones with the audio which is what is of interest. **

Influence,Position, Truth, Separation: pragmatism is the compromise

"That argument I have heard hundreds of times when people have been urged to come out of false positions and do the right. But what have you and I to do with maintaining our influence and position at the expense of truth? It is never right to do a little wrong to obtain the greatest possible good . . . You duty is to do the right; consequences are with God." 

~C.H.S., 1868, Sermon at Metropolitan Tabernacle.

"One thing is clear to us, we cannot be expected to meet in any union which comprehends those whose teachings on fundamental points is exactly the reverse of that which we hold dear. Cost what it may to separate ourselves from those who separate themselves from the truth of God is not alone our liberty but our duty."

~C.H.S.,The Sword and the Trowel

Hoaxes

photo source

Video of Eric Sparkes who is a Democrat for life and an anti-Trumper.

Let's not forget Rachel Dolezal and Sean King who faked being black. There's also the hoax crimes just in 2018.

Josh Harris, Author, Is Now Separated From His Wife

Josh Harris, author of "I kissed Dating Goodbye" is now separated from his wife.  He made the announcement on Instagram :

"We’re writing to share the news that we are separating and will continue our life together as friends. In recent years, some significant changes have taken place in both of us. It is with sincere love for one another and understanding of our unique story as a couple that we are moving forward with this decision. We hope to create a generous and supportive future for each other and for our three amazing children in the years ahead. Thank you for your understanding and for respecting our privacy during a difficult time."


The changes seem likely to have occurred perhaps in part, while he's been at Regent College. Besides having women teaching men things like the New Testament and also being Dean of Students, Regent College has one mighty heretic, N.T. Wright, on faculty there part-time. Wright is part of the unbiblical Anglican/Church of  England and teaches the heresy of works (which is in line with the COE) which is called New Perspective On Paul. Go here for the problems with both him and his heresy.

Additionally, they have Mark Noll as a part time professor there. He's a graduate of RCC's Notre Dame University. Noll is endorsed by John Piper.

That they have such men there proves they don't hold to sound doctrine (their Statement of Faith is pretty vague and for good reason).

While he's not currently a pastor because of his studies at Regent, he can never take the role of elder because of his violation of Scripture's requirements.

Upon looking at his wife Shannon's Instagram, it appears she's been in a dark place for a while, and she's heading into liberalism. It seems she's against "conservative churches" and is using #deconversion and #exevangelical. She's writing a musical about her break out of bondage of ...? Conservative churches? Biblical gender roles? Furher churches/marrriages? What? Cloak and dagger style nonsense on social media doesn't help especially when both Josh and Shannon claim to want to help others.   Also, why would anyone film a song in San Francisco--it's literally a dung dumping ground of human feces and the modern Sodom and Gomorrah.  Interesting what she says about church leaders and bullies here, here, here. 

It is something many of us have come out of--a church with illegitimate elders who are often overlords and/or do-nothings (yes they can be both--quiet those rocking the boat, pacify those in serious error) and who hold to doctrinal triage (which pushes their action/inaction). But there's a difference between coming out of that and thus finding a sound church that truly holds to all sound doctrine (not doctrinal triaging), and going down the road of liberalism and the world. In other words, the reason for leaving and how one deals with it is quite telling. This has to be part of the "changes in recent years" that the communication expert, Josh Harris, hinted at (he's also the one that said pastors should admit when they're wrong). Before trying to write about something that's lead one down a dark path while they're still very confused, is immature (some might say premature).

And now the world laughs even harder at Christians who hold to biblical purity and marriage.

Well done guys.

Review of John Piper's "Christian Hedonism" - some key things to keep in mind and that reveal his sources

***UPDATE***

Piper continues his false gospel and false love and false God at Passion 2020:



****

Very good review of Piper's "Christian Hedonism" by Michael Butler reprinted by The Real John Piper website.  If you only read two of the six articles, I would suggest the first and the third.

Here is where you can read all six:

Part 1: how Piper wrote his book and how to evaluate it; things to keep in mind. 

Part 3: where Piper got his notion of "love" and is it biblical? **

Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6


Of interest regarding Part 3 and Piper's source and definition of love:

Quote:

First, Piper seeks to gain his reader’s acceptance of his idea by way of philosophy. Piper states that Agape and Eros love are both actively involved in the Godhead. Eros is the Greek word from which the English word ‘Erotic’ originated. Erotic love is sexually driven, man-centred, and Eros contains the same self-centred motives. Rather than citing the Bible as proof for the existence of Eros within the activity of God, Piper cites our human weakness as the reason why we cannot understand that God possesses Eros. In other words, Piper is saying, the reason why we do not ascribe Eros to God is because our weakness as fallen human beings gets in the way of imagining and understanding God’s love. Therefore, the argument goes, Eros must exist in God because we possess some form of Eros in our fallen nature, whether good or bad, and all of this must have come from God.

Second, once Piper has captured the mind of the audience, he denounces the biblical understanding of Agape and replaces it with a perverted love; namely, an Agape mixed with the human concept Eros. Once again, Piper cites his fallen human capability as his authority when he says about the biblical notion of pure Agape, ‘I do not think that such disinterested love exists’ (ibid). Piper’s authority comes strictly from the bedrock of his own thoughts, which are isolated in the sinful psyche processes of the human mind in a fallen world.

Third, in the footnotes on page 124 of Piper’s book Desiring God, Piper makes plain that his concept of love is an admixture of Eros with Agape that forms ‘one kind of love at the root’. Once again, Piper does not turn to the Bible as his sole authority on what he calls ‘a holy Eros’. Instead, Piper tears down the literal-grammatical understanding of Agape in Scripture by saying there is ‘no linguistic basis for such a distinction’ between Eros and Agape in the Bible (DG, p124, endnote).

Fourth, if Piper’s statement is true that there is no linguistic basis to make a distinction between Eros and Agape love, then the doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture is at risk of being lost. The Bible only speaks of God as having Agape love. In order for Piper to insert any idea of Eros into the love of God, he must philosophically develop it and then read it into the text (eisegesis). On the other hand, since the Bible only identifies God’s love as Agape, then the clarity of Scripture makes the point that there is no other love known in the Godhead other than Agape.

The Big Deal

Piper’s view of Agape love as a love united with a so-called heavenly Eros is nothing new. In its most refined form, a heavenly Eros is a Platonic idea. In other words, Piper is headed down the path of resurrecting Christian Platonism and bringing it into mainstream Evangelical Christianity....

The point is that the idea of a heavenly Eros is completely philosophical, not theological or biblical. In other words, Piper is using philosophy to prove the existence of his so-called ‘one kind of love at the root’. Piper is not at all interested in a biblical understanding of Agape love. The Eros love Piper promotes is, as Nygren states, ‘man’s way to God [whereas biblical] Agape is God’s way to man. Eros is egocentric, Agape is theocentric fellowship with God.’ (see footnote) Piper is interested in promoting a philosophy that has its roots in Christian Platonism, which is also the foundation of Catholicism and Arminianism.

John Piper’s ‘Christianized’ Eros is an old philosophical idea that originated with Augustine of Hippo. Augustine’s version of Agape love was also united with a heavenly Eros. The union eventually developed into what is called the Caritas synthesis (Nygren). Piper’s heavenly Eros is the same formulation as Augustine’s Caritas synthesis. During the Reformation, Martin Luther considered the Caritas synthesis to be one of the most important doctrines to correct in the Church.

End quote.

You can see the Neo-Platonic Augustinianism being resurrected. Piper is demonstrating Post-Modernism by redefining words and distinctions, thereby creating confusion and concealment of error by reusing biblical words to mask literal pagan ideas and practices. It is also worth noting that Snedes was a professor at Piper's seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary at the same time he was there.

** My only issue so far is that Butler's view is that God's love is not His "highest" attribute. All His perfections work simultaneously together and full capacity at all times (Ps 136 has examples). Not one is less than another. So God's wrath and love and justice for example, all work together in full capacity. We cannot triage God's attributes any more than we can triage doctrine or the Trinity. So just keep that in mind.

Hey Nike

The Political Scale

Acceptance of Homosexuals

The number of 18-34 year olds that are comfortable with the LBGT especially in personal situations has fallen by around 10% according to GLAAD. That's good news.

About that ban on plastic straws....

The ban on plastic straws is built upon unverified statistics from a child's little "straw free" project. That makes it junk science (not to mention the worldview behind it is a problem, not the least of which is how certain people deem themselves to be the determiners of how many straws is "too many"). Even USA Today had to admit it's a claim, not a FACT.

Besides being based on a guess of how many straws are used per year that was used in a 9 year old's little project, here's a few facts they aren't telling you as reported by Fortune :

*EPS products are significantly cheaper and less resource-intensive than similar products made of different materials. For example, manufacturing a disposable paper cup requires at least 20% more fossil fuel and almost 50% more electricity than a styrofoam cup does. Paper goods, the most likely alternative to EPS, create more waste and water and air pollution than EPS does.

There’s little difference between throwing away a styrofoam cup and a paper one, and paper products used for food handling are less recyclable than EPS products. They can’t be washed like EPS, and any food contamination makes them unrecyclable. Moreover, paper products frequently are thinly lined with plastic to make them sturdier and water-resistant.

* In fact, an MB Public Affairs study found that banning styrofoam in food service and drink containers in New York City would equate to a 94% tax. Since local eateries generate fewer sales than large chain restaurants, they have less wiggle room for compliance costs. As such, these bans are likely to have disproportionately negative consequences for small business owners.

*To address the problems caused by plastic pollution, it’s better to target its improper disposal than plastic itself. Most of the plastic waste in the oceans comes from countries that don’t have good systems for putting trash in landfills. Around 90% of the plastic in the oceans comes from just 10 rivers: eight are in Asia and two are in Africa. So banning plastic here in America will have little measurable effect on pollution worldwide.

End quote. Go here for the full article. Links found in the article. 

Yet again, this shows that the worst polluters in the world isn't the US or UK. They are the poor or developing countries. It doesn't make sense to punish the US (straw dictators) consumer for something they aren't responsible for. This is unjust and frankly unreasonable. But these are the same that call for "social justice" and are pro-abortion, anti-guns, and pro-cannabis, who use fake science to manipulate people into behavior they approve of (global warming isn't a thing), not the least of which God promised in Gen 8:22  "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.") and to reject their notions is to be accused of hate speech. 

Business Financial has an article headlined:

"How green activists manipulated us into a pointless war on plastic: Instead of responding to turtle videos, it would be more useful to zero in on the real sources of floating waste" in which they discuss the manipulation of the environmentalists. Even liberal NY Post's editorial board said it's a scam with an agenda, not about facts. You should also remember that Obama's environmental advisor, Van Jones, a self described Communist, subscribed to the mentality of "Green is the new Red" (and he was the one who started "The New Green Deal", not AOC) and that sure is true. This is how the Left wants to control every aspect of our lives, from thoughts to how we live. It is actually a religion and they get fanatical about it. That building homes is often stopped or delayed for years because of a fly or other insect, or water stopped flowing to ranches to water crops because of a useless sucker fish, should tell you their priority. This is against the Creation order of things on many levels.

The Master's Seminary: surrender to all

The Master's Seminary is pumping out more error, this time in it's cry of "surrender all" to God-hating "authority". Worse, they are hypocrites. They have not submitted to WASC with all the "reverence and joy" that they are telling everyone else to do. 

Quote:

As believers, we surrender to every governing authority over us.

The battle cry of every believer is, “I surrender. I submit to your authority.” I want you to notice the comprehensive nature of this command. Peter says to every human institution, and then he refers to the king – which speaks of national authority, and then he speaks of the governor – which refers to local authorities.

As the government rages against believers at every level, whether it be at the national level, the state level, the local level, or the municipal level, we are to surrender to every manifestation of institutional authority placed over us. Thus, we are to surrender, submit to, and honor President Trump, President Obama before him, President Bush before him, and President Clinton before him.

We are to honor Governor Jerry Brown the first time he was in office, and the second time he was in office. We are to submit to the Supreme Court’s rulings, whether they lean to the left or whether they lean to the right. We are to obey every law that is passed by the legislature, whether we like it or not. Thus, whatever the government’s attitude toward believers, the one thing that the government should be able to count on of all believers is our total submission and deep reverence toward their authority.

The only time we are free to disobey the institutional authorities is when they command us to disobey our Lord and Master, but short of that, we are to be exemplary citizens, submissive and reverential to the authorities over us. That’s because every authority has been placed there by God Himself. This is what Pastor MacArthur refers to as evangelistic citizenship.

But our surrender is not limited to the political level, it applies to the societal level as well.....

End quote. 

~ Carlos Chung, The Master's Seminary blog

It's pretty hard to take TMC seriously anymore, given their abject rebellion against Christ the King and His own sheep. Moreover, their history of not submitting to WASC shows their hypocrisy.

TMC is using an historic and personal event (Daniel & the kings) to try and create an emotional attachment between God-hating employers and Christian employees, while ignoring the hostility between them. What he doesn't address is MacArthur's compromise of willingly surrendering to LGBGT's demand of equality in marriage via Christians baking a cake for their "weddings" which seeks to legitimize such wicked unnatural things. And that's where this seminary is going--submit to the thinking that then drives the "orders" or "suggestions". Our fight is a spiritual one that starts with doctrine and never, ever, are we to submit to anything contrary to sound doctrine.

Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Btw, if all this abject submission, which is actually surrendering to (to surrender is entirely different than submission, btw. Surrender has the connotation of bowing to authority in defeat and having a mindset of giving up, waving the white flag for peace. We aren't at peace w/ those who are outside of Christ. But honestly, Chung is right even for the wrong reasons--he is calling for a surrender to that which is hostile against Christ and HIS sheep--NOT submitting to the government God placed in society) to the government and society authorities is without qualification save one: outright order to disobey God--but again, unsound doctrine is, itself, disobedience, is for "the sake of the gospel", pray tell, where is all the evangelizing going on? Where is his own proclamation of the Gospel? That in itself would cause many to be fired. Or is he of the error that the world will "see your good works and glorify God" --ie, become pro-Christ and pro-Christian or at the very least, become neutral? But I digress a tad.
Herein lies the rub: the claim to surrender to all authority for the Gospel is ONLY the surrendering to keep the job. This is just another friendship (employee? citizenship?) evangelism where attachments are made and the Gospel (the right Gospel) is never given. It is a way to religiously justify the sins of our government and society and claim "it's for the gospel!" so that they don't lose their jobs or tax exemption. This is exactly the pragmatism that these men will indeed claim when they are told to take the number of the Beast. Chung revealed this mindset: "Just recently, we had LGBT training at the superior court where I work. They wanted the name of every judge who refused to attend. It is no secret that private companies oftentimes are monitoring employees’ social media posts to decide who they will hire or fire, who they will promote or not based on what the social view is of those individual employees."  His job is at stake. Pragmatism will keep him surrendering to anti-biblical philosophies and practices while claiming to do it "for the Gospel". The problem is that the Gospel isn't proclaimed in one's works. That is to say, there is no silent witness of the Gospel. There is to be, however, integrity between one's practice and one's practice (which is indeed what we see with Daniel--but I can't say TMS is filled with Daniels since there's but one historic one and today's Evangelical leaders are compromisers). 

God didn't institute employer/employee as such. He instituted three things: government, marriage, and the church. TMC is blurring the lines and saying basically all things, all institutions, are God's vessels for managing order on earth. Chung ignores that slavery was part of the governmental system. That's not an institution God created as good;government, marriage, and church are. Moreover, employment is not the same as slavery. Slavery isn't a choice for most people. That is to say, for nearly all of slavery's history worldwide, it was not the same as being an employee where you could leave if you wanted to and it wasn't indentured service either. Again, once the debt was paid, the indentured servant was free and clear. And I'm not saying we aren't to be good citizens and employees. We are, but we are for the sake of the biblical Lord Jesus Christ. Integrity to the King of kings, however begins with living out sound doctrine. Therefore if you have false doctrine, your already in violation of His commands because Truth is not simply ideas to give intellectual ascent to, but is to be convicted of, believed, treasured, loved and thus practiced because they come from the Holy One of Israel. Chung continues this blurring when he says it's all the same submission (surrendering) whether to the government officials or to an unsaved husband or how to love the wife of the husband. Yet in his trivial treatment of the context, doctrines, and issues he touches on, he fails to acknowledge the spiritual issue of marriage which has no correspondence of a citizen with the government. The result will be a wrong ecclessiology and thus fuehrer elders.

In fact, Al Mohler's offence at being questioned on his stances on homosexuality, etc and then immediately following that, MacArthur's refusal to fight his friends on error seems to show a friendship fuehrer that holds men in contempt of King Jesus' commands and fidelity to Him in order to appease one's influential friends. Ironically, MacArthur's excuse was he "doesn't want to become an island" but that's exactly where all this is headed---exclusion from society and Evangelicalism and the Good Old Boys' Club (conferences, speaking engagements, book tours, publishers, seminary appointments) because of fighting error wherever it's found (and it being among his friends who are supposedly "experts" on all things Bible by position his friends are more treacherous for their error than the "lower class" Christian who IS faithful to Christ but has zero benefit to any of these men for advancement and power) is costly.

It seems to me that this is setting up Evangelical leaders and churches to turn in Christians who in their minds are poor employees, rebels who won't "surrender" to the changing and wicked dictates and the corresponding philosophies that drive them, of the world. They surrender so that they can keep their tax exemption (love of money), accreditation (applause and approval of the world), and avoid persecution. That never worked out well for Israel when she set up alliances and allegiances with Egypt for protection (Is. 30).

Pro 29:25  The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.

Dan 2:21  He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings;

Isa 30:1  "Ah, stubborn children," declares the LORD, "who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; :2  who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! 

Psa 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

2Co 6:15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

2Co 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Isa 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD! 2 And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.

Prov.16: ⁸  Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice.

Truth is simple. Scripture tells us to what and how we're to submit to the authorities God has established for us (not ones made up by the whim of man). It tells us how to practice sound doctrine in a corrupt world. We don't need hypocrites telling us their version of authority (lo and behold, they want to be part of that authority) and demand we surrender to them. Integrity and submission must be to King Jesus first and foremost.

The Preserving Action of the Living Word

"Nothing else will preserve from the infections of this world, deliver from the temptations of Satan, and be so effective a preservative against sin, as the Word of God received into the affections, 'The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide' (Psalm 37:31). As long as the Truth is active within us, stirring the conscience, and is really loved by us, we shall be kept from falling."

~ Arthur Pink, "Profiting from the Word"

Alistair Begg Joins Gnostic Feminist Beth Moore To Preach To Preachers This Fall

Alistair Begg joins the liberal Truitt seminary (of once-upon-a-time Baptist Baylor University) in the fall, as he pulpit fellowships with heretics like feminist gnostic Beth Moore and Tony Evans. Moore is now speaking at preachers' conferences with pastors as she teaches men. Remember, she's never been just a woman's teacher. She's been teaching men for decades, as I reported years ago.

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