Matthew Vines' Greatest Fallacy

On page 178 of his book God and the Gay Christian, Matthew Vines says, “As more believers are coming to realize, [affirming same-sex relations as moral] is, in fact, a requirement of Christian faithfulness.”

Can anyone spot the fallacious argument made in that statement by Matthew Vines? There are actually several fallacies found here, but one big one in particular. Do you see it? He is saying that if you do not affirm same-sex relations then you are an unfaithful Christian. The gullible and easily influenced Christians will read that and think to themselves, "I don't want to be an unfaithful Christian, so I better affirm same-sex relations." Vines constantly and consistently employs pervasive use of logical fallacies, forces false choices, assumes conclusions, makes faulty appeals to authority, makes false analogies, etc., throughout his entire book. Not only that, but when he shares his story, he does so via emotional manipulation, employing the Appeal to Pity and Appeal to Sympathy fallacies. He has to resort to deceptive tactics and manipulation (like all homosexuals) because he does not have the truth and the truth undermines him and condemns him once and for all time.

Affirming same-sex relations as moral is not a requirement of Christian faithfulness and has nothing to do with Christian faithfulness whatsoever. Contrary to Vines' false declaration, more believers are not coming to the realization of his fallacious statement. Same-sex relations are immoral, unhealthy, and unnatural. They are perversions of the created order, as anyone who stops to use their brain knows full well. When they are manipulated via emotional blackmail and fallacious logic they forget their brain and succumb to the idiocy. But let them stop and think, making full use of their brain's capacity (something many people rarely do any more these days because they do not like to think, otherwise they are faced with issues they do not want to deal with), and they know full well that homosexuality is a perversion of both human and sexual natures.

On pages 31 and 32 of God and the Gay Christian?: A Response to Matthew Vines, it has this to say:

"Answering a question about divorce in Matthew 19:4–5, Jesus quotes Genesis 1:27, “male and female he created them,” then Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man. …” Significantly, Jesus attributes the words of Genesis 2:24 to the one who made them male and female. Jesus asserts that God himself declared that what happened between Adam and Eve was determinative for mankind in general. When Vines argues against the idea that Genesis 1–2 teaches that procreation is a fixed standard for marriage (137–41), and when he argues that sexual complementarity is not required for the one flesh union (144–48), he sets himself against the understanding of Genesis 1–2 articulated by Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus said that God the Father created them male and female (Gen 1:27), and Jesus said that God the Father concluded from the union of Adam and Eve that man should leave father and mother and cleave to his wife, the two becoming one flesh (Gen 2:24; see Matt 19:4–5). Matthew Vines does not interpret Genesis 1–2 the way Jesus did. The interpretation of Genesis 1–2 provided by Jesus is the one that binds the conscience of Christians.
Prior to sin, prior to the curses spoken in Genesis 3:14–19, God instituted marriage as a permanent, exclusive covenant between one man and one woman, and the one flesh union of their bodies brings about a biological miracle neither could experience without the cooperation of the other: the begetting of children, procreation. Marriage is referred to as a creation ordinance because God made it in the garden prior to sin as a moral norm for all humans at all times in all places."

Matthew Vines stands against and in direct contrast to Christ Jesus. Vines makes arguments in his book that are contradictory to the very words of Jesus. Jesus affirmed both gender complementarity (that men and women, although equal in value, dignity, and worth, have different roles) and sexual complementarity (that one man and one woman only form the bonds of marriage, and no other union), both of which Vines and other homosexuals want people to dissolve.

Vines also attempts the old "divide and conquer" with the 6 main passages of Scripture that condemn homosexuality. He attempts to remove them from their immediate context, as well as from the context of the rest of Scripture, and then attempts to destroy the understanding held for 2000 plus years by reinterpreting them. He claims that he took a year off school to study this subject, which is another blatant lie. Had he actually studied it, he would have read the opposing side and not merely non-scholarly books that support his position and further tickle his itching ears. Contrary to Vines' self-deception, he is not a Christian and will find himself in hell (like every other homosexual) if he does not repent and turn to the true Jesus (not the one he has created as an idol who accepts and affirms his homosexual choices).

If you would like to learn more about the truth concerning homosexuality and the biblical passages that condemn it, see these blog entries:

1.) "Homosexuality" (The facts and evidences from nature.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2012/01/homosexuality.html

2.) "Exegeting Homosexuality, Part 1" (An in depth look at Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, and Romans 1:26-27.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2012/10/exegeting-homosexuality-part-1.html

3.) "Exegeting Homosexuality, Part 2" (An in depth look at the words Malakoi [Mαλακοι] & Arsenokoiai [Aρσενοκοιται] from 1 Timothy 1:8-11 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2012/10/exegeting-homosexuality-part-2.html

4.) "Exegeting Homosexuality, Part 3" (An in depth look at Genesis 19, Judges 19, 2 Peter 2:6-8, and Jude 7.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2012/10/exegeting-homosexuality-part-3.html

5.) "Exegeting Homosexuality, Part 4" (An examination of several translations in various languages for 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2012/10/exegeting-homosexuality-part-4.html

6.) "Leviticus 18" (Exposing Alex Haiken's crude handling of the Word of God as he is caught with his hand in the cookie jar.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2012/10/leviticus-18.html

7.) "Handling the Word of God Deceitfully" (Answering the homosexuals' recent translation of the Bible.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2013/01/handling-word-of-god-deceitfully.html

8.) "Bow Down and Worship" (Demonstrating how homosexuality is attempting to make the rest of the world bow down and worship it.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2013/01/bow-down-and-worship.html

9.) "The Creation Account vs. Homosexuality" (Demonstrating God's design and intentions for ALL humanity.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-creation-account-vs-homosexuality.html

10.) "Genesis 19: What the Bible Really Says Were the Sins of Sodom"
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2013/09/genesis-19.html

11.) "Romans 1: What Was Paul Ranting About?"
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2013/09/romans-1.html

12.) "Why No One in the Biblical World Had a Word for Homosexuality" (A deliberately misleading title to the article as the biblical world has both words and descriptions for the acts of homosexuality, contrary to the lies of homosexuals and homosexual advocates.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2013/09/biblical-word-for-homosexuality.html

13.) "Leviticus 18 and 20" (An examination of the contexts of both chapters.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2013/09/leviticus-18-and-20.html

14.) "The Bible and Homosexuality" (A thoroughly sound exegetical response to Alex Haiken's erroneous arguments.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-bible-and-homosexuality.html

15.) "Why Christians Should NOT Re-think "Gay Marriage"
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2013/12/why-church-should-not-re-think-gay.html

16.) "Illogical Homosexual Arguments" (The many foolish things they use to argue with.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2014/01/illogical-homosexual-arguments.html

17.) "A Letter to Harry Knox"
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-letter-to-harry-knox.html

18.) "Does the Bible Forbid Homosexual Behaviour and Not Homosexuality?" (A response to some erroneous statements made by William Lane Craig.)http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2014/03/does-bible-forbid-homosexual-behavior.html

19.) "Temptations: The Truth Behind Homosexuality" (What is the the real drive behind people being homosexual?)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2014/03/temptations-truth-behind-homosexuality.html

20.) "Pais (παις): A Young Male Lover?" (A response dealing with the false interpretation of the Centurion passage.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2014/04/pais-young-male-lover.html

21.) Ezekiel 16 and Sodom's Sin (A response to Alex Haiken's eisegetical interpretation of Ezekiel 16.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2014/09/ezekiel-16-and-sodoms-sin.html

And for facts and evidence regarding the behaviours, ploys, tactics, and agenda of homosexuality, please see these following links:

1.) "The True Objective Of `Gay Rights' - Total Domination!"
http://prolife.ath.cx:8000/plae117.htm

2.) "Homosexual Tactics: Anything Goes!"
http://prolife.ath.cx:8000/plae118.htm

3.) "The Real Homosexual Agenda"
http://www.truenews.org/Homosexuality/real_agenda.html

4.) "Crafting 'Gay' Children: An Inquiry Into the Abuse of Vulnerable Youth Via Government Schooling & Mainstream Media"
http://www.defendthefamily.com/_docs/resources/6390601.pdf

And to see how homosexuality is indeed harmful to not only the individuals, but to others and to society as a whole, see this link:

1.) "The Risks of Gay Sex" (Written by a doctor.)
http://bereansdesk.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-health-risks-of-gay-sex.html

Here are some books I encourage you to read in order to educate yourself better on the truth of the matter:

1. The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics by Robert A. J. Gagnon
2. The Same Sex Controversy by James R. White and Jeffrey D. Niell
3. The Gay Gospel? How Pro-Gay Advocates Misread the Bible by Joe Dallas (a former practicing homosexual)
4. A Queer Thing Happened to America by Michael L. Brown
5. The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principle Threat to Religious Freedom Today by Alan Sears and Craig Osten

Honeymoon

The definition of "honeymoon" is as follows:

1. a period of harmony immediately following marriage
2. a period of unusual harmony especially following the establishment of a new relationship
3. a trip or vacation taken by a newly married couple

While today, the term "honeymoon" has a positive meaning, the word was originally a reference to the inevitable waning of love like a phase of the moon. The term originally described the period just after the wedding when things are at their sweetest; it is assumed (note the word "assumed" here) to wane in a month. The "honeymoon" was the period when newly wed couples would take a break to share some private and intimate moments that help establish love in their relationship. This privacy in turn is believed to ease the comfort zone towards physical relationship, which is one of the primary means of bonding during the initial days of marriage.

Typically, the excitement of love in a marriage is at its highest peak at the beginning of a marriage, and then love "settles in" and begins to wane to something consistent (not high, not low). While this is true of most marriages, it is not necessarily the rule for all marriages. For Christians, the more they seek Jesus and find their fulfillment in Him and in each other, the excitement and height of love can remain for years and years. It is not unheard of to see couples in their later years, having been married for 30 or 40 years, still having the same spark as they had when they were younger. This is the kind of marriage I desire for myself, and I will work toward it each day.

If we examine marriage and "honeymoons" back in the early 1900s, 1800s, and earlier, people could not afford the luxurious and lavish expensive vacations and holidays that married couples typically take today. After they married, there was one of three things that happened.

1. They would travel around, sometimes accompanied by friends or family, to visit relatives who were unable to attend the wedding.
2. They would travel to a nearby city and spend a few days at the local hotel.
3. They would return to their new home to begin their life together.
   

In the mid-1900s, married couples would leave midway through the reception to catch a late train or ship. Today, many couples will not leave until 1–3 days after the ceremony and reception in order to tie up loose ends and/or simply enjoy the reception to its fullest and have a relaxing night afterwards to recover, before undertaking a long journey. In fact, it is not unheard of today for many couples to postpone their honeymoon for many months or years because they cannot afford to take a vacation or holiday (or their jobs get in the way and they cannot get the time off to do so).

Today, couples will spend over $10,000 on their wedding day and honeymoon vacation (a down payment on a house) only to end up fighting about money problems for the next three to five years and end up divorcing because they were constantly fighting about money problems. The traditions that we see in marriages and honeymoons today were never traditional 100 years ago. Marriage and honeymoons have become money-making schemes (as well as funerals), and people have ignorantly bought into the foolishness of modern traditions. I have talked to several couples who have gotten married for under $2,000 (in both Canada and the USA). That is also without anybody else contributing anything. The wedding receptions back in the early 1900's and 1800's and earlier were basically potlucks. All the guests would bring something and everybody would enjoy a common meal together. Today, guests mooch off the newly wed bride and groom, expecting them to pay for their meal. Whatever happened to friends and family supporting the newly wed couple so that they did not start their new life broke?!? In fact, whatever happened to friends and family supporting the newly wed couple in any capacity? Nobody cares about the struggles others go through any more. The love of people sure has grown cold...

Whether other people like your wedding and reception or not is of little consequence. It does not matter whether they enjoy it or not. It is not for or about them. It is for and about you (plural, meaning both husband and wife–it is not "her day" alone)! If they think it is the most boring and uneventful wedding in the history of weddings, that is their problem. Not yours. Watch older movies from like 50 years ago and watch how weddings were done in those days. They were nothing like you and I see today in our cultures. We need to smarten up and use our heads when planning our weddings and honeymoons. There is no need to spend exorbitant amounts of money on both. You need that money to start your life together. Use it wisely!

Ezekiel 16 and Sodom's Sin

Alex Haiken says, "In Ezekiel chapter 16...the prophet spells out explicitly what God calls the sin of Sodom: 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord … this was the sin of your sister Sodom:  She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.  They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.' (Ezekiel 16:48-50)"¹

As usual, Mr. Haiken is being deceptively dishonest. He is begging the question and failing to address the whole context of what the prophet is saying. Mr. Haiken fails to notice—or chooses not to address—a significant connection between Genesis 19, the two passages in Leviticus, and Ezekiel 16:48–50. Behold:

"Ezekiel, who makes abundant use of the book of Leviticus, describes various sins of Sodom (Ezek 16:48–49), then concludes, “They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it” (16:50). This indicates that the “abomination” committed by Sodom led to their destruction. Ezekiel’s reference to Sodom’s “abomination” uses the singular form of the term toevah, and that term is used in the singular only twice in the book of Leviticus, when same-sex intercourse is called an abomination in 18:22, and when the death penalty is prescribed for it in 20:13. The four other instances of the term in Leviticus are in the plural, making it likely that Ezekiel uses the term from Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 to reference the same-sex intentions of the men of Sodom."²

By the statement "committed abomination before me" (Ez. 16:50), our minds should be brought to Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, where we find the term "abomination" used to describe homosexual behaviour. The Hebrew word translated "abomination" here is to'ebah (תועבה), the very same term used to describe homosexual activities/relationships in the Holiness Code. To'ebah properly refers to something morally disgusting. Mr. Haiken attempts to dismiss this and sweep it under the rug, but the fact it is a viable correlation between the two can be seen in how 2 Peter 2:6-8 and Jude 7 refer to the sins of Sodom as gross immorality. Proper exegesis arrives at the conclusive fact that Genesis 19 informs us of the homosexual behaviour that the Sodomites were guilty of.

The Sodomites were guilty of many sins, but only one sin in particular lead to their destruction, as attested to by God Himself:  “They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it” (16:50). Sodom was destroyed because of the rampant homosexuality that had enveloped and engulfed it. Make no mistake about it, homosexuality is immoral, unhealthy, and unnatural. It is a perversion of both human and sexual natures, and abomination of the created order.

---

¹ Alex Haiken, Genesis 19: What the Bible Really Says Were the Sins of Sodom.

² Albert Mohler, God and the Gay Christian?: A Response to Matthew Vines, p.35.

Recall Notice

The Maker of all human beings (God) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been identified as "Subsequential Internal Non-morality," more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect. The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (BEST Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list, and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!

—GOD

P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'!

Because HE Lives!

Working for God on Earth doesn't pay much . . . but His retirement plan is out of this world!

Noah's Ark

by Edward Griffin (1770—1837)

"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." Hebrews 11:7

The ark is admitted by the apostle to have been a distinguished type of Christ.

"HE wiped out every living thing that was on the surface of the ground, from mankind to livestock, to creatures that crawl, to the birds of the sky, and they were wiped off the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark!" Genesis 7:23

In that period before the flood, when the age of man was more than 900 years, the temptation to put death out of view was great. A Church there was—but by intermarrying with the wicked world it had become corrupt, and at last almost extinct. This was the first illustration of the fatal consequence of too close a connection between the Church and the world. By these means the Spirit of God was provoked to depart, and general licentiousness ensued. The Church became reduced to a single family, and the rest of the world sunk into infidelity and vice. "The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." Genesis 6:5

Thus the universal and complete effect of the fall was publicly ascertained. This done, God determined to cast away the world as ruined, and to make a new beginning on the foundation of grace, commencing a new stock in the family which included the whole church. This rejection of the world is expressed in the following strong eastern figure, "The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain! So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." Genesis 6:6-7

For a hundred and twenty years, "God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved." The history leads us to suppose that the whole of this period was taken up in building the ark. In the infancy of the 'building arts' such a vessel must have cost immense labor, and it was so unpopular an undertaking, that few if any besides the family of Noah would be induced to engage in the the work. His sons were born about twenty years after the building commenced, and for a long time they could afford him no assistance. Cheered by the society and counsel of his venerable father and grandfather, he wore out the hundred and twenty years in patiently waiting for the fulfillment of the prediction. When the ark was finished, God brought all the creatures into it and shut Noah and his family inside.

The old world is devoted to destruction. The waters are to rise and rage above the highest mountains. No vessel had yet been invented to ride the waves. How can any escape? God only can find out the way. He causes an ark to be constructed, in which his friends find refuge, while the waves of wrath sweep away a wicked world. Who that turns his eye towards this frightful scene, is not reminded of that spiritual ark in which the friends of God are sheltered while the floods of vengeance sweep away an unbelieving world?

This prepares the way for us to meditate on the conduct of Noah while laboring for that refuge, and the conduct of that profligate generation who cast contempt on him. The things most worthy of notice in respect to Noah, are his faith, his obedience, his patience, his self-denial, and his fortitude.

(1.) Noah's FAITH. While he sat at rest in his house, pursuing a life of devotion, and mourning over the abounding wickedness of the times, he heard a voice—a voice declaring that the end of all flesh was at hand—a voice which fixed the event and the manner, but concealed the time. The voice assured him that the wicked would be destroyed, and that the only safety for him was in an ark, which he must at once set about preparing. All this was strange, and different from anything he had experienced. Yet the patriarch believed God. He did not doubt because he had never seen such a thing before, nor because the events predicted might be at a considerable distance. He admitted a realizing belief that the wicked would be destroyed, and that his only safety was in an ark. His faith was sufficient to influence his conduct and to lead him to the labor of 120 years. Not knowing how near the deluge might be, and contemplating so vast a work before him, he saw that he had no time to lose. He felt the urgent call for haste, apprehending that if he delayed, the deluge might come before he was ready; at the same time trusting in God that if he was diligent, that the judgment would be deferred until he was prepared. Here were all the trials of faith which good men experience now. O that they could as fully believe the threats and promises of God; and while they feel the pressing need of haste, could trust in him to connect their diligence with the promised salvation. Let them not doubt because the events foretold differ from their past experience, nor because they are many years distant.

Noah believed God, because his mind was not blinded by sin; but his contemporaries were blinded. This was the difference between them. He believed God's threatenings and promises, and they believed not. Hence he could consume the labor of 120 years in building an ark, and they could spend that solemn time in mocking at his sacred toil. They could not have acted thus, had they really believed that a flood was coming on the world. This is the difficulty with sinners now. Though God has foretold the destruction of the wicked—they do not really believe it. Did they truly believe that the destruction would come, and that there is no safety but in the spiritual ark—they could not thus reject a Savior, and sleep out life in worldliness and vain security!

(2.) Noah's OBEDIENCE. God ordained him to provide for his safety by constructing an ark; he did not hesitate a moment—he entered on the work at once, and consumed 120 years in one unbroken course of obedience. And let us who are commanded to secure the spiritual ark, obey, and devote our whole lives to the attainment of this end.

(3.) Noah's PATIENCE. Consider his patience under labors and sufferings, the length of which he could not foresee. There is no account of his impatience under the hardships of 120 years, nor of his complaining that the time was long, though it probably proved much longer than he had expected. Possibly at no time during the whole period did he look upon the flood as far distant; and yet deliverance continued to fly. But his patience never failed. O that Christians could now as patiently submit to the labors and trials of the spiritual warfare half as long, without complaining that their hardships have no end.

(4.) Noah's SELF-DENIAL. He possessed great wealth, or he could not have built such an immense ark. Before this command came, he was probably engaged in extensive business, and found his wealth flowing in from every quarter. But at the command of God he gave up all other employments, and consumed his wealth upon that immense building, which could be of no other use than to save him and his family and the animal tribes from the threatened destruction. He forsook all, and was content to wait for his remuneration in the new world—in the world that followed the flood. This was as great a self-denial as for Christians now to abandon all their possessions for Christ, and to wait for the recompense of the eternal world.

(5.) Noah's FORTITUDE. Except for his father and grandfather and the rest of his own family, he stood alone against a frowning world. It is hard for Christians now, with millions on their side, to stem the torrent of angry opposition, especially in places where that opposition triumphs. How hard then for the patriarch, who had all the sensibilities of a man—to encounter, single-handed, a contending and ridiculing world. He submitted to the scoffs of his acquaintances, his superiors in rank and fortune, his inferiors, his relations, and his enemies! He heard, undismayed, their endless charges of bigotry, superstition, intolerance, and the like. He was a preacher of righteousness; but he preached without success, and drew taunts instead of tears. He never seems to have made a single convert in 120 years! The uniform tenor of his address must have been that of warning and condemnation. The case admitted of no other.

His daily labor upon the ark carried also the strong language of reprobation, "By his faith he condemned the world." He constantly proclaimed the approaching destruction of the world, for their wickedness.

Such an unheard of enterprise as the construction of an enormous vessel to ride the waves—the construction of it in the midst of the dry land—under the idea that a flood was coming upon the world—was an oddity abounding with apparent folly, and calculated to excite men's scorn as well as their anger; and could not fail to call forth the highest contempt and indignation from the ungodly world. How often was he called a madman and a fool! Those who passed by, would insultingly wag their heads. Others would curse him. The children would mock at him as he walked the streets, and load him with the epithets which they had heard their parents use. All the wit and raillery of the age would be leveled against him! The news of his foolish undertaking would travel to remote nations—and from all quarters derision and reproaches would come in.

All this time he had no man beyond the bounds of his own family to whom he could impart his cares, or on whose bosom he could repose. He could ask no counsel. He could go no where, he could look no where, without meeting the blasting frown of the ungodly world. His  character and reputation were totally ruined with every person on earth, except his own family. He was shut out from all society, except what he found at home. The question would often be asked, "Who made YOU wiser and better than all of us?" That question, had he not been supported by faith as well as fortitude, would have crushed him. Losing sight of the divine testimony and commission, and looking only at himself, he would shrink into nothing, and say, "Who am I—to be the reprover of the whole world?"

But faith joined to fortitude, supported him. His unconquered mind rose above the opinion of the united ungodly race. He would not think that sterling which all men approved, nor that vile which all men condemned. He rested on a higher decision.

The reproaches of the wicked would become more and more triumphant and insufferable, the longer the event was delayed! To see 'the madman', as they would call him, foretelling destruction year after year, without any prospect of a fulfillment; to see him laboring to build an enormous vessel for ten, twenty, forty, eighty, a hundred years, without any sign of a deluge, though he might have expected it long before, and might have intimated that expectation; how great must their contempt and triumph have arisen! How often would they load him with the titles of 'false prophet', 'impostor', and 'liar'! How often would they tauntingly ask, "Where is the destruction which you have so long foretold? Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created!" But this heroic saint, far from being conquered by reproaches, resolved to believe and obey God, rather than man. With astonishing fortitude, he held fast his integrity for 120 years.

At length, the long expected day arrived which was to show that his labors and hopes were not in vain—which was to put an eternal end to the scoffs and exultations of his enemies.

Finally, the frightful morning began! The heavens gathered blackness. Angry tempests conflicted in the skies. The lightnings flashed in the skies! Word was spread, that Noah and his family had entered into the ark. The ungodly then began to fear!

Before long, floods of water poured from the sky. Some now began to turn their eyes towards the ark; others stood doubting; others still dared to scoff!

The waters go on to increase. The rivers fill—and start to overflow. The waters begin to rise in the streets. Some flee into their houses; others, more intimidated, hasten to the hills! Others are now convinced, and with dreadful fright, are seen wading towards the ark!

The fountains of the great deep are now broken up. The waters rise more rapidly, and begin to rush with impetuous force. With difficulty they stand against the stream. They struggle for their lives to reach the ark! Thousands come—some wading, some swimming, some sinking, some hanging onto the ark with the grasp of death—all screaming for admission!

But it is too late! Time was, when the ark was open and they might have entered in—but that time is past! Where are now those tongues which derided the enormous vessel and the man who built it? Now what do you think of him—who for more than a century has borne the character of a fool and madman! They would give a thousand worlds—to be in his condition now!

Those nearest to the ark, cry and plead for admission, but in vain! The waters roar! The ark is lifted up! They sink and are seen no more!

By this time, every wretch on earth is thoroughly convinced. Hear their cries from the tops of the houses, which are answered by wails from those on the hills. See the multitudes who have fled to the mountains. How like frightened sheep they crowd together! Now the waters, roaring and foaming, have reached their feet! They flee up to the highest ridge—but the floods pursue them there! Some are able to climb the lofty oaks—and the waves overtake them there! They flee to the highest branches, and for a moment have time to reflect on their former madness: "How could I disbelieve the Lord's prophet? Where is now the ark which I scorned? Where am I going? O eternity! eternity! What a dreadful God have I despised!" On the topmost bough, the impetuous torrent sweeps them. Their hold is broken—and they sink to rise no more!

The ark floats by—and sails over the heads of the revilers and persecutors! Only that blessed family in the ark, are safe!

The same terrors will seize an unbelieving world when Jesus comes again! "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and swept them all away! That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man!" Matthew 24:37-39

When we reflect on the wretched antediluvians, we perceive their folly in not believing God, and are ready to say with the Jews, "If we had lived in their days—we would not have done thus!" But sinners repeat the same folly now! God has told them that he will destroy the world—that shortly, all the wicked of the present generation shall be overwhelmed in a flood of wrath! To convince them that the destruction is coming, he has set forth a spiritual ark. He has sent out preachers of righteousness to warn them. Every circumstance is the same. The destruction is as certain—it is as near—and there is no escape but in the ark! But sinners will not believe. They spend their time perhaps in scoffing at the serious apprehensions of Christians, and in despising the ark. Greater madness never existed before the flood!

The time is coming when Christians will not be deemed mad men for their concern to secure a saving interest in Christ; when it will appear that they did not believe and labor and bear reproaches in vain. The time is coming when those who are now as secure, as healthy, as those foolish wretches before the flood, would give ten thousand worlds—for the place of the lowest Christian whom they now despise. When the door of the kingdom shall be shut, and there is no more entering in; when they shall stand outside and say, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" and he shall answer, "I never knew you!" when the sluices of infinite vengeance shall be unstopped; when the heavens shall be on fire above their heads, and the earth shall rock beneath their feet; when the sea shall rage and rise and flood the distant land; when all the elements shall make war on man; when they shall flee from the waves—and the flames shall devour them; when they shall flee from the wonders in the heavens—and the opening earth shall engulf them; when they shall stretch out their hands to God—and find him only a consuming fire; when more piteous shrieks shall be heard from every quarter—than were heard in the days of the flood; when they shall see the Noahs whom they despised riding above their heads—and themselves sinking in an ocean of fire!

Ah, what will be their dread then!

O sinners—believe God's Word! Now is your time to avoid the terrors of that dreadful day. Enter the ark—Jesus Christ! By all the solemnities of that coming scene—I entreat, I beseech you to hasten into the ark! Come, for the floods are rising! Come quickly, or the next hour may be too late!

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and swept them all away! That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man!" Matthew 24:37-39

Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church

"And answering, Jesus said unto him, 'Spiritually prosperous are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my Father who is in heaven. Moreover, as for myself, I also am saying to you, You are Rock [petros, masculine in gender, a detached but large fragment of rock], and upon this massive rock [petra, feminine in gender, feminine demonstrative pronoun cannot go back to masculine petros; petra, a rocky peak, a massive rock] I will build my church.'" —Matthew 16:17-18

As you can see from the above, taken from Kenneth Wuest's The New Testament: An Expanded Translation, the Roman Catholic Church is in grievous error with regard to its false teachings that Jesus said He would build His church upon Peter, and that Peter was supposedly the first Pope. An examination of the Greek utterly destroys, once and for all time, their ludicrous claims. The name given to Peter is masculine, demonstrating the fact it is referring to Peter. The object Jesus said He would build His church upon would have to be masculine if it were to refer back to Peter (and even then it is not necessarily the case); but it is not—it is feminine. Demonstratively, you could read it, "You are him, and upon her I will build my church." You see the problem here?

Not only was Peter not the first Pope, but he also was not the head of the church or its leader. Jesus is its head. The object upon which Jesus would build His church has nothing whatsoever to do with Peter. It has to do with His confession: "And answering, Simon Peter said, As for you, you are the Christ, the Son of God, the living God'" (v.16). What does Romans 10:9-10 teach us? "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from among the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart faith is exercised resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation." 1 Corinthians 12:3b informs us that "no person is able to say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by means of the Holy Spirit."

Jesus' church is built upon that confession: "Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the living God." With that confession, however, there must be belief that it is true. Otherwise it is just a lip-service confession and the individual is headed to hell on a greased pole. At the consummation of this age, "every tongue [will] plainly and openly agree to the fact that Jesus is Lord, resulting in the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:11). Only those who confessed this truth prior to this time will enter the kingdom with eternal life. All others will receive what we all richly deserve—an eternity of physical and conscious torment in hell. And all they will be able to say to God is, "You have done right by me."

If you are a Catholic, get your information right and believe correctly if you do not want to spend eternity in hell being reminded of the errors you believed and followed blindly. If you are a non-believer or a nominal "Christian," repent, believe, and confess the Lord Jesus today before your time runs out and your life is taken from you. 

Beware the Yeast

"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which a woman having taken, mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole of it was permeated by the yeast." —Matthew 13:33

In Matthew 16:6, Jesus says to his disciples, "Be taking heed and be guarding yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." By 'yeast' He meant their teaching. Is it possible that in His parable 'yeast' also refers to teaching? Is it also possible that the woman, like in the book of Revelation, refers to a church? If so, is it referencing a specific church or any church? If we look throughout history we can see churches introducing false doctrines that have indeed permeated the whole. We can see even more of it in our modern day, wherein everyone wants their ears tickled. They want their 'religion' to be whatever they want it to be apart from God and His Word. False teachings abound and it seems they have permeated into the hearts of most believers to the point where they refuse to hear sound teaching. It all comes down to feelings and opinions. If the word of truth does not suit my feelings or opinions, then to hell with it. Sadly, the reality is to hell with us. The word of truth will remain true regardless of our acceptance thereof. So beware of churches and teachers who sow false teachings contrary to the Word of God.

Rules For Self-Knowledge

by A. W. Tozer

Rules for Self-Knowledge:

1. What we want most.
2. What we think about most.
3. How we use our money.
4. What we do with our leisure time.
5. The company we enjoy.
6. Who and what we admire.
7. What we laugh at.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also!" Luke 12:34

Unfinished Blog Blurbs

What Happened to the Christmas Spirit?

On Smallville, season 5 episode 9, a Santa Claus character asks this question: "Got a good look at the world lately? It's all take, take, take; [complain], [complain], [complain]. What happened to Christmas? Peace on Earth? Good will to men? The spirit of Christmas is dead." Those words could not be any more true. Open your eyes, take a look around you, and pay attention to the world you live in. Quit hiding inside your imaginary bubble you have created where everything in the world, and your life, is hunky-dory. Everything in this world, including many professing Christians, is all about self. Me, me, me. What I need, what I want, to hell with everyone else. Not a very pleasant reality, but reality nonetheless.

What Happened to Our Education System?

On Last Man Standing, season 3 episode 19, Tim Allen's character, Mike Baxter, had this to say: "This is what America's come to. Real accomplishment plays second fiddle to just feeling good about ourselves. Feeling good whether we've earned it or not. USA! USA! We love to say America's number one. But are we? Our students rank 30th in math, 23rd in science, and 20th in reading. What are we number one in? I'll tell ya, self-esteem. Yeah. We're a nation of confident idiots. ... We demand our eggs be Grade A while we give our kids a free pass. We expect less from our children than we do from our poultry. Let's stop babying this generation, people, and sharpen 'em up." The sad thing is that it is true. North Americans have become a bunch of wussified cry babies who are more concerned with feeling good about themselves rather than educating themselves. The Self-Help section of book stores is the most productive. Guess what? With Self-Help you are left helpless. People want to feel good about themselves while they are headed to Hell on a greased pole.

Paupers Peddling in the Pulpit

(I borrowed this title from the title of a sermon by Jake Klassen)

This blog entry would address the following problems in regard to those filling the pulpit who have no business being there in the first place:

• spiritually bankrupt
• inability to exegete and exposit the Word of God
• fill the pulpit with jokes and stories
• continually dribble pablum while saints starve for meat
• legalistic, missing the gospel
• gospel-void in their preaching, when people need to hear it
• false teachers, false prophets, great orators, unconverted

Jesus Is Not A Password

"Jesus is the last word, He is not a password

that you say to make the pearly gates open up much faster.

Jesus is the master, and Lord over disaster,

He is the Word of God, you can't pass; He is not a password." —Curt Kennedy

This blog entry would address how individuals want absolutely nothing to do with Christ Jesus, and obedience to Him, but how they attempt to use His name as a password in hopes of gaining eternal life while escaping the fires of hell. In other words, they want Him only for fire insurance and nothing more.

Dear Dad, Did You Know I Was A Princess?

Your father. Did he love you enough? Did you feel safe with him? Do you think of him and long for something more? Did your relationship with him leave you feeling abandoned, used or unlovable? Has that heartbreak left you with bitterness, low self-esteem, and shame?

Every little girl is asking one basic question: Am I lovely? In fact, you could break that down into these questions: Am I beautiful? Am I lovable? Is something wrong with me? Every girl looks to her dad to answer these questions. A woman's worst fear is abandonment.

A father is the most powerful man in the world because his children look to him to answer the deepest question of their lives. Gender identity is bestowed by the father. A girl learns if she is worth pursuing, if she is lovely, from her dad.

Every little girl is a princess, and she ought to be treated as such. Not put on a pedestal as if she's God's gift to mankind, but treated as if she is of value as a woman. If she is a Christian, every little girl is a princess of the King. They are gifts given to us only for a short time.

Too many fathers in this world are failing their daughters. Their daughters are online showing off their bodies for money. They are common prostitutes going about the business in a 21st century way. If daughters were brought up correctly by their fathers and if those core questions had been answered by him, they would not be selling themselves short to the male losers of this world who have also been failed by their fathers.

One Word of Truth Outweighs the Whole World

"One word of truth outweighs the whole world." —Alexander Solzhenitsyn

I wish more people understood that factual statement. They seem to think that it is a numbers game and that numbers determine what is true, right, moral, or acceptable. This might work for society, but society does not determine what is true, right, moral, or acceptable, nor does it have the authority or power to change it. As determined as they are to suppress the truth in their unrighteousness, God will hold them accountable and judge them accordingly. It does not matter what kind of numbers society has backing their ludicrous ideologies and beliefs, God outnumbers them all! The Christian would do well to remember and practice these things:

"I am The Way, and The Truth, and The Life." —Jesus; John 14:6a

"Your Word is truth." —Jesus; John 17:17b

"Be diligent [Study] to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." —2 Timothy 2:15

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching [What is right.], for reproof [What is wrong.], for correction [How to get right.], for training in righteousness [How to stay right.]; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." —2 Timothy 3:16-17

"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." —Acts 17:11

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." —1 Corinthians 2:12-13

Below are the most common fallacious arguments typically employed by the world in their illogical thinking, whether it be self-professing "atheists," Evolutionists, homosexuals, or other Post-Modern, Humanistic individuals. Appeal to Common Belief, Appeal to Majority, Appeal to Popularity, or Bandwagon is the most common fallacy employed, assuming that numbers some how determine what is true, right, moral, or acceptable. But as the quote above informs us, "One word of truth outweighs the whole world."

Appeal to Authority: Referencing an 'expert.' (The expert, of course, may not be an expert, but they are a touchstone that people use to avoid having their own expertise challenged.)
Appeal to Common Belief, Appeal to Majority, Appeal to Popularity, Bandwagon: If others believe it to be true, it must be true.
Appeal to Emotion: If it feels good, it must be true.
Appeal to Fear: Gaining compliance through threats. (E.g., calling someone a "homophobe")
Appeal to Pity, Appeal to Sympathy: Going for the sympathy vote. (Please feel so sorry for me or my cause that you agree with me.)
Assertion: What I say is true.
Attack the Person (a.k.a. Ad Hominem): Distracting them from their argument.
Begging the Question: Circular reasoning to prove assumed premise.
Cherry Picking, Incomplete Evidence, Stacking the Deck, Suppressed Evidence: Pointing at individual cases/data that seem to confirm a position, while ignoring significant portions of cases/data that contradict that position.

Example: "There is scientific evidence that homosexuals are born that way because:

• with identical twins, both are homosexual
• with identical triplets, all are homosexual
• with identical triplets where one is female and the other two are male (or vice versa), either all are homosexual or just the two of the same gender."

With the above example, a form of Stacking the Deck, the cases of scientific evidence to the contrary (which far outnumber the above examples) are deliberately overlooked or dismissed entirely, where:

• with identical twins, only one is homosexual while the other is not
• with identical triplets, only one is homosexual while the other two are not
• with identical triplets where one is female and the other two are male (or vice versa), only one of the three is homosexual while the others are not, or one of the two with the same gender is homosexual while the other is not.

Missing the Point: Drawing the wrong conclusion.
Red Herring: Distracting with an irrelevancy.
Repetition: Repeating something makes it more true.
Social Conformance: Agree with me or be socially isolated.
Strawman: Attack a weak argument used by the other person, making it seem their entire argument. (You have a several arguments for your case. I disprove one of those arguments, therefore the whole case is false.)
Wishful Thinking: 'A' is true because I want it to be true.

As you read over the above fallacies, no doubt examples of them were brought to your mind from arguments/debates with self-professing "atheists," Evolutionists, homosexuals, etc. Once you understand these logical fallacies, you will be able to recognize them on the fly and stop your opponent in their tracks by calling attention to their erroneous arguments. These fallacies are all the world has to fall back on, and they will continuously fall back on the Appeal to Common Belief, Appeal to Majority, Appeal to Popularity, or Bandwagon fallacies because they think numbers make the difference. In society they might (for a time being), but on Judgment Day before the throne of God they will not mean diddly because truth and justice will prevail. These people will know how wrong they were and it will be too late for them. Just because the odds seem stacked against you, do not fret; if truth is on your side, that is all that matters.

"Prove [examine] all things; hold fast that which is good." —1Thessalonians 5:21

"Hold fast the form of sound words, which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." —2 Timothy 1:13

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)." —Hebrews 10:23

"One word of truth outweighs the whole world." —Alexander Solzhenitsyn