The Wartburg Watch » Doctrine

Sovereign Grace Ministries – Who’s Confused About Apostolic Ministry?

deb — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 02:11:31 +0000

“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (ESV) Pope With the College of Cardinals (courtesy Malta Diocese) “Change is here to stay” is the mantra long-time SGMers have heard over and over and over again. You see, Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) has been morphing itself over the years. First it was called “People of Destiny”; then its name changed to “PDI International”. Finally, in 2002 this family of churches became known as “Sovereign Grace Ministries”. The “Gathering of Believers”, which is the Gaithersburg fellowship, also had a name change. Now it is called Covenant Life Church. Names aren’t the only things that have changed in SGM. Methodologies and theological interpretations have been subject to change since it was formally organized in 1982. The most recent change was announced on the SGM blog earlier this week, which you can read here. It seems that two Sovereign Grace church members wrote SGM headquarters to inquire about whether the apostolic team still exists. Yes, Sovereign Grace Ministries has had “apostolic” leaders until very recently. Here’s an excerpt from the SGM website: “The apostolic team, for those of you new to Sovereign Grace Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Fri, Jan 21 2011.

Categories: Doctrine, SGM, Sovereign Grace Ministries, Spiritual abuse

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Serious Questions for Evangelicals: Why Two Missionaries Became Catholic (Part 2)

dee — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:41:50 +0000

We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty. -G.K. Chesterton Communion courtesy of freefoto.com Part 2 Yesterday, we left our missionary couple entering Guatemala in 1992. Here is what Kristine had to say. “Shortly after we arrived in Guatemala, my tidy paradigm of “true Christianity” began to disintegrate.” The Americanization of Christianity They hoped to find a church with a distinct Latin American flavor. Instead they found transplanted, American-Christian styled churches, the only difference being that Spanish was spoken. The music, the curriculum, the governing style were clones of the American church. She said it was like "watching the Dukes of Hazard dubbed into Spanish." Evangelicalism has been present in Guatemala for over 100 years. Supposedly there are Latin American, national pastors. However, she claims that American missionaries are the bosses, holding the real power in the churches. Years ago, I worked for the Navajo Tribe as a home health coordinator (or should I say hogan health coordinator?). Under the Indian Self-Determination Act, the Tribe was, over time, to assume the functions and duties of various aspects of government Continue reading →

Written by: dee on Thu, Jan 06 2011.

Categories: Biblical evidence, Biblical literalism, Christian apologists, Apologetics/Debates, Church conflict, Culture and the faith, Doctrine, Ed Young Jr., Evangelism, Legalism, Wealth/ church/pastors/leaders

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Are You Rapture Ready?

deb — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:50:46 +0000

“The doctrine of the Second Coming teaches us that we do not and cannot know when the world drama will end. The curtain may be rung down at any moment: say, before you have finished reading this paragraph.” CS Lewis Imagine waking up one Monday morning, sitting down to enjoy a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper, and discovering that the rapture will occur on May 21, 2011… Folks, it’s not a joke because that’s exactly what happened to both Dee and me in our respective homes early yesterday. The article that shocked us – “Cruisin’ to the Rapture, May 21” – can be accessed here. “Allison Warden proclaims that Jesus Christ shall return May 21. As in 151 days from now,” states the article. Allison is proudly pictured in her Subaru with the following words printed prominently on the side of her vehicle: “SAVE THE DATE: RETURN OF CHRIST MAY 21, 2011 WECANKNOW.com” How did Allison Warden and hundreds of like-minded Christians come up with that specific day? According to the news story, “Judgement Day can be calculated precisely by tracing biblical genealogy, or by following history forward 7,000 years from the day Noah shut the Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Tue, Dec 21 2010.

Categories: Doctrine, Legalism

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Buffalo Bills’ Johnson Drops Touchdown: Blames God

dee — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:41:05 +0000

“There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way” CS Lewis Living History Well, well, well, the chickens are coming home to roost. The years of “name it and claim it” are taking their toll. Joel Osteen, here is your legacy. Ed Young Jr., here is the result of giving to get. “If you confess it, you must possess it”. (Didn’t know that meant the football). If we throw some prayers in His direction, we’ll catch the ball. God must be gratified that we are condescending to tell Him what we need and when we need it so He can put it on His calendar. Let’s see what one of America's deep theologians, Stevie Johnson, Wide Receiver for the Buffalo Bills, has to say about God and His grand mistake this weekend in a game against the Philadelphia Steelers. Take a look at the play (Updated 9PM 11/30 with new video) Here is what he tweeted after the game as posted on TMZ.com. I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO Continue reading →

Written by: dee on Mon, Nov 29 2010.

Categories: Culture and the faith, Doctrine, Health and Wealth Gospel, Joel Osteen, Uncategorized

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Robert Schuller: We Should Have Seen It Coming

dee — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 22:06:42 +0000

“Poverty hath slain a thousand, but riches have slain ten thousand. They are very uncertain, they promise that which they cannot perform, neither can they afford a contented mind.” -Martin Luther Crystal Cathedral I once took a church history class in which the teacher made a strong point that the culture today is merely a reflection of the culture that came before. For example, he discussed how the rebellion of the 1960s came on the heels of the culture of the 1950s in which Ozzie and Harriet were the prototype for the perfect family. The culture wanted to reflect the good, churchgoing family with two perfect kids in an upper middle class home. Everyone got along and everything was “nice.” However, for many, this was a sham. Alcoholism, bad marriages, affairs, fathers ignoring their families while off pursuing the American dream and unhappy housewives simmered just below the surface. Then, James Dean, the anti status quo bad boy who, everyone secretly admired, became a cultural folk hero. He was the harbinger Continue reading →

Written by: dee on Thu, Oct 28 2010.

Categories: Doctrine, Robert Schuller

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Why I Am Not a Young Earth Creationist-Michael Spencer

dee — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:05:38 +0000

THE BEST OF THE BLOGS "In the midst of a world of light and love, of song and feast and dance, [Lucifer] could find nothing to think of more interesting than his own prestige." –A Preface to Paradise Lost- CS Lewis As regular visitors know, TWW thinks very highly of Michael Spencer, the recently departed Internet Monk. His blog was subtitled "Dispatches From the Post Evangelical Wilderness and this struck a chord with many Christians. He is the Godfather of all Christian blogging, starting his in 2001. Although we have recommended his blog in the past, we think that an actual article would whet our reader's appetite for more of his thinking. We hope everyone will visit this fine blog. Thankfully, some of his likeminded friends have decided to carry on Spencer's blog and have done a yeoman's job in their efforts. Well done, folks! We think you have done Michael proud. Spencer originally wrote this article in 2001 and then reposted it on 10/2009. TWW would like to dissent from his article on two points. Spencer calls Ken Ham a "scientist." Ham is no more a scientist than we are Continue reading →

Written by: dee on Tue, Oct 19 2010.

Categories: Answers in Genesis, Creationism, Doctrine, Ken Ham

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Creationism and the Great Debate

deb — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:35:13 +0000

My apologies to those of you who are light years ahead of me with regard to the great debate – Old Earth vs. New Earth Creationism. I must confess, I have not been terribly interested in this topic UNTIL NOW… For our experts following TWW, please bear with me during the next few posts, and for those who are ignoramuses about creationism like myself, I hope the information I'll be sharing will familiarize you with what’s going on and what I believe is at stake – that being CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. In yesterday’s post, I introduced you to Ken Ham, who appears to be the self-appointed spokesman for Young Earth Creationism. Since coming to the United States, this high school science teacher has made quite a name for himself. His B.S. in Applied Science has taken him quite far. Today I will be featuring a debate that took place between Ken Ham, Jason Lisle (Ham’s associate with an earned Ph.D. is astrophysics), Walt Kaiser, and Hugh Ross. Allow me to share some biographical information about the individuals who are debating Ham and Lisle. Hugh Ross is a Canadian-born Old Earth Creationist who is also an astronomer Continue reading →

Written by: deb on Fri, Oct 15 2010.

Categories: Answers in Genesis, Creationism, Doctrine, Hugh Ross, Ken Ham, Old Earth Creationism

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