Granola Quote: Jesus Is My CEO

Owning corporations is a part of your destiny as a believer. Think of the worldwide impact you will make once you take over the major industries of the world-telecommunications, real estate, computer technology, publishing and so on. God is strategically placing believers in places of authority to prepare for a global shifting of power-out of the world's hands and into theirs. His goal is to promote you and others like you to a position where you can directly affect the lives of millions. The plan is to get as many people born again as possible. Many people only think of Jesus as the Savior of the world; However, He is also the ultimate corporate executive. In fact, He owned a successful carpentry business while on earth (Mark 6:3). -Creflo Dollar

Source: http://interactive.creflodollarministries.org/bible/bsc_entrep_t.asp?site=CDM

Christian Quotes Commentary: First off, Mark 6:3 simply states, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him." The text never eludes to any idea that Jesus' family trade was wonderfully successful. Actually the point of the text is that the people in Nazareth were REJECTING Christ because they didn't see that he was the Son of God... they simply viewed him as a worldy carpenter.

It's good that Creflo realizes that our goal is to see people get born again and to make disciples. BUT God reaches people through the preaching of Scripture, not through our pursuit of owning corporations. And yes, Creflo, many people DO see Christ as the Savior of the world... those people are called Christians. To proclaim that Jesus is the ultimate corporate executive is utter nonsense because Christ came into the world but was not of this world -- we should follow His example and seperate ourselves from worldliness!

Dictionarium: CHRISTIAN

CHRISTIAN, n.
1. A believer in the religion of Christ.
2. A professor of his belief in the religion of Christ.
3. A real disciple of Christ; one who believes in the truth of the Christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts, of Christ; a believer in Christ who is characterized by real piety.
4. In a general sense, the word Christians includes all who are born in a Christian country or of Christian parents.
CHRISTIAN, a. [See the Noun.]
1. Pertaining to Christ, taught by him, or received from him; as the Christian religion; Christian doctrines.
2. Professing the religion of Christ; as a Christian friend.
3. Belonging to the religion of Christ; relating to Christ, or to his doctrines, precepts and example; as christian profession and practice.
4. Pertaining to the church; ecclesiastical; as courts Christian.
CHRISTIAN, v.t. To baptize.

Source: http://65.66.134.201/cgi-bin/webster/webster.exe

Blogroll: Josh Harris Blogs

Here is an interesting quote I read today on my blogroll:

“But we humankind have a hard time with self-knowledge. [Our] pride spins webs of self-delusion. We usually put the best spin on ourselves. My opinions, my perspective, and my way of doing things seem intuitively plausible—if not the sum of all righteousness! Even when we get down on ourselves, we reserve the right of judgment. Have you ever noticed how a person with ‘low self-esteem’ reacts when someone else does the criticizing? Have you noticed how self-hatred so often correlates to failure to measure up to pride-generated standards for oneself? Self-pity is then a most delicious narcotic: It feels so good to feel so bad, because it’s all about me. Self-absorption erects an in impenetrable barrier to self-knowledge. To know myself as I truly am, I must come to know myself through the eyes of someone outside of myself—the God who searches and weighs every heart.” -David Powlison

Source: http://joshharrisblogson.blogspot.com/2006/04/redemption-requires-self-knowledge.html

C.H. Spurgeon: Come Ye Out

I have taken a deep interest in the struggles of the orthodox brethren; but I have never advised those struggles, nor entertained the slightest hope of their success. My course has been of another kind. As soon as I saw, or thought I saw, that error had become firmly established, I did not deliberate, but quitted the body at once. Since then my one counsel has been: 'Come ye out from among them.' If I have rejoiced in their loyalty to Christ's truth which has been shown in other courses of action, yet I have felt that no protest could be equal to that distinct separation from known evil. -C.H. Spurgeon

Source: Sword and Trowel Magazine: December, 1888

Special thanks to Rick Barnes for this quote!

Resource: ESV Reformation Study Bible

I thoroughly enjoy reading and studying my ESV Reformation Study Bible. In an age when it's "hip" to be Arminian, it's nice to find a bible with study notes from a reformed perspective. I personally recommend it, but let's look at some other quoted endorsements:

"The Reformation Study Bible helps the reader explore the awesome sovereignty of God -- it's a wonderful guide for anyone who desires to understand the great, historical doctrines of the church embedded in God's Word." -Joni Eareckson Tada

"The Reformation Study Bible is a milestone in evangelical publishing. This magnificent resource offers insightful commentary, study notes, and background material on every book of the Bible, written by some of the most faithful and insightful evangelical scholars of our times. The notes combine theological clarity with genuine scholarship and practical application. This is a serious study Bible for serious students, and it belongs in every Christian's library." -Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr

"I would like every English-speaking Christian to own and use The Reformation Study Bible. First because it is a Bible, God's Word to mankind-and the English Standard Version is the translation I pray will become the church's standard for the next fifty years. Second, because it is a study Bible-and the God-centered scholars who wrote the notes are reverent and rigorously faithful to the facts of faith and history. Third, it is a reformation study Bible-and the whole counsel of God's sovereign grace is affirmed and illumined. Study notes are not infallible, only the Bible is. But I know of no study Bible that comes closer to the truth than this one." -Dr. John Piper

Source: http://www.reformationstudybible.com

Mark Dever: Imposing Christianity

"Christianity is actually unique among world religions for the impossibility of imposing its belief structure on others. Only God convinces people to repent and believe." -Mark Dever

Source: http://marks.9marks.org/Mark5/LessonB/Slide1of4

Special thanks to Chris de Vidal for this awesome quote!

Blogroll: Reformation Theology

The Gospel is about God acting on and speaking to us onto the stage of world history. A truly orthodox evangelical theology affirms the priority of the Word and Acts of God in Christ (ultimate) over our response of faith, obedience and spiritual experiences (penultimate). The Divine Word revealed in Christ is supreme over all man-made religions which would speculatively formulate a 'bottom-up' theology of fallen human actions over Divine actions. What is most distressing is, although most urgent task and function of the church is to make known the gospel to men and women in the world, there is still utter confusion in the world as to what the Gospel is. -J.W. Hendryx

Source: http://www.reformationtheology.com/2006/04/bottom_up_vs_top_down_theology.php

Dictionarium: MARRIAGE

MAR'RIAGE, n. [L.mas, maris.] The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity,and for securing the maintenance and education of children.
Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Heb.13.
1. A feast made on the occasion of a marriage.
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage for his son. Matt.22.
2. In a scriptural sense, the union between Christ and his church by the covenant of grace. Rev.19.

Source: http://65.66.134.201/cgi-bin/webster/webster.exe

Monte E. Wilson: Modern Evangelicals

Modern Evangelicalism bears little resemblance to the faith of our Puritan and Pilgrim fathers. Our aim is to make people feel better, theirs was to teach them how to worship God. We hear of how God enables people to save themselves, they spoke of the God who saves. Our aim is to evenly distribute honor and praise between man and God, their chief aim was to see that God received all glory. The average modern evangelical believes that revivals come via techniques, our Puritan and Pilgrim fathers believed that revivals were sovereign acts of God. Today, the local church is held in low esteem and evaluated not by the fruit of changed lives but by the standard of numbers: how many buildings, how much money, how many converts. -Monte E. Wilson

Source: http://www.graceonlinelibrary.org/etc/printer-friendly.asp?ID=392

Jack Stephens: Compromise

Compromise seeks to infiltrate and take over the local church and its work. Its beginnings always seem small and innocuous, but it stifles the true work of the Spirit in God's people and smothers the Gospel in the twisting vines of a weak, watered-down, worldly message. This never happens as a sudden diversion into error, since such a move would be too obvious and the church would react against it. Jude warns us to "contend for the faith" because "certain men" have "crept in unawares."

If you notice a gradual decline in emphasis on truth and an increasing emphasis on love, perhaps stated as a need for balance between the two, look for the fatal flower of faulty doctrine. Scriptural love is always firmly rooted in and grows out of Truth. If there is a flaw in our love, it is because of a flaw in our stand in the Truth. -Jack Stephens

Source: http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/creeping.htm

Christian Quotes Index

Although the main focus for this blog is quotes from Christian authors, teachers, and theologians, there are several other types of posts you will commonly see here. Listed below are some brief descriptions:

• Dictionarium: the latin word for "dictionary". These posts are a Word of the Day taken from Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary. Oh how meanings have changed!
• Blogrolls: are quotes from the blogs that I enjoy and read daily. Check the sources to find blogs that may interest you.
• Granola Quotes: reveal the [sadly] humorous side of Christianity. These are the quotes that show the "fruity, nutty, and flakey" side of Christian thought. A commentary is provided to help you decipher sound teaching from unhealthy teaching. These quotes are shared to help emphasize the need for personal (daily) Bible Study.
• NewsFlash: are quotes from current events in the news and popular culture. Check the sources to stay informed about hot topics of the day.
• Sightz: are snapshots from the frontlines of Christianity. A picture is often times worth a thousand words.

Granola Quote: God Belongs To You

From time to time we will be looking at "Granola Quotes" which are the [sadly] humorous side of Christianity. They are called granola because they make Christianity look "fruity, nutty, and flakey"! Granola Quotes should inspire you to study the Scriptures so that you can identify the difference between right and wrong.

Now do you understand? Increase doesn't just have to do with financial prosperity. Paul's spirit of increase led to the advancement and furtherance of the gospel. And God can increase every circumstance of your life. Do you want more friends? Better grades? A job promotion? Is your prayer--like that of the apostles--to increase your faith? (See Luke 17:5.) Then you need to start proclaiming that you belong to God, and He belongs to you. Believe that you are going to come out of this circumstance better than when you went in. That's the spirit of increase! Allow God to add, multiply, and increase your life! -Marilyn Hickey

Source: http://www.mhmin.org/MHarticles/Success.htm

Christian Quotes Commentary: This quote leads me to the question -- Where does the Bible tell us that proclaiming that we belong to God will bring us better grades, more friends, and a job promotion? Actually Jesus promises that we will be persecuted for being associated with His name (2 Timothy 3:12). "[Proclaim] He belongs to you," is just plain ridiculous if not blasphemous! God is Sovereign and we belong to Him (1 Corinthians 7:23).

Dictionarium: GAY

Dictionarium is the Medieval Latin word for "dictionary". We will be looking at the definition of words as taken from Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary. This 1828 dictionary reflects our Christian heritage, and the Christian philosophy for life, government, and education. The American Dictionary of the English language is based upon God's written word, for Noah Webster used the Bible as the foundation for his definitions.

GAY, a.
1. Merry; airy; jovial; sportive; frolicksome. It denotes more life and animation than cheerful. Belinda smiled, and all the world was gay.
2. Fine; showy; as a gay dress.
3. Inflamed or merry with liquor; intoxicated; a vulgar use of the word in America.

GAY, n. An ornament. [Not used.]

Source: http://65.66.134.201/cgi-bin/webster/webster.exe

Todd Friel: Heart Problems

There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use Rev. 3:20. To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong. The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone's heart but to have fellowship with His church. Even if the context didn't tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn't knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist. The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart.

So, what must one do to be saved? Repent and trust. (Heb.6:1) The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ. Every man does have a "God shaped hole in their hearts," but that hole is not contentment, fulfillment and peace. Every man's heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, we must preach that God judges and Jesus satisfies God's judgment... if a man will repent and place his trust in Him.

Source: http://www.ttwministries.com/articles/10%20Reasons%20Not%20To%20Ask%20Jesus%20Into%20Your%20Heart.pdf

Steve Shank: Why Me?

Why did God choose you? It wasn’t because you showed potential. It wasn’t because your parents presented you to God at the altar while you were an infant. It wasn’t because you frantically cried out for help from under the garbage of your sinful life, nor was it a reward for anything you had done. In fact, God chose you before you or anyone else influenced his decision in any way. Scripture says God “saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time…” (2 Timothy 1:8-9).

It would be nice to think our own wisdom or insight caused us to follow Christ, but it just isn’t true. “As it is written, ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God’” (Romans 3:10-11). Human hearts don’t naturally seek God or submit to him. Quite the opposite. So even though it may be a little hard to swallow, please understand: your longing to know God and be reconciled to him didn’t originate in your own heart. It originated with God. It is wonderful evidence that he had chosen you and pursued you, long before you even thought of searching for him.

In his infinite mercy, God chose you for himself and set in motion the events leading to your conversion. As Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Allow your mind to bask in the truth that before time began, the Sovereign God of the universe graciously hand-picked you to be one of his children.

Source of quote: http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/pdf/books/fsof_ch1.pdf

J.I. Packer: Theologically-Fuelled Evangelism

Evangelism and theology for the most part go separate ways, and the result is great loss for both. When theology is not held on course by the demands of evangelistic communication, it grows abstract and speculative, wayward in method, theoretical in interest and irresponsible in stance. When evangelism is not fertilized, fed and controlled by theology, it becomes a stylized performance seeking its effect through manipulative skills rather than the power of vision and the force of truth. Both theology and evangelism are then, in one important sense, unreal, false to their own God-given nature; for all true theology has an evangelistic thrust, and all true evangelism is theology in action. -J.I. Packer

C.H. Spurgeon: The Living Example

Here is the full text of the quote that I used in the logo for this blog:

Some, under the pretense of being taught of the Spirit of God, refuse to be instructed by books or by living men. This is no honoring of the Spirit of God. It is disrespect to Him, for if He gives to some of His servants more light than to others - and it is clear He does - then they are bound to give that light to others, and to use it for the good of the church. But if the other part of the church refuse to receive that light, to what end did the Spirit of God give it? This would imply that there is a mistake somewhere in the economy of god's gifts and graces, which is managed by the Holy Spirit.

Source of this quote: http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/spurgeon.html