Prosperity Videos

Here are two videos I came across recently speaking to the issue of the prosperity "gospel". This false gospel is something that is very prevalent especially in areas of poverty, including the neighborhood I live and work in.

The first video is John Piper explaining some of the many reasons he "abominates" this perversion of the Truth.



The second is a short documentary about how the teaching has taken deep roots in Africa.

The Prosperity Gospel from The Global Conversation on Vimeo.

Gospel thoughts

Alright so I'm back from Europe, almost done with the Navy application process and crawling to catch up with ministry here in Los Angeles. I really want to get back soon to our journey through systematic theology, but that will have to wait for now. In the meantime chew on this and let me know your thoughts.

The Gospel is composed of objective propositional truth that must be believed to be effective. But since the ultimate truth is a living Being (John 14:6) the Gospel is not only propositional but experiential and relational. This is not some emotional high or vision from heaven (necessarily), but there is an aspect of the Gospel that affects not only what we intellectually assent to but also emotionally and relationally commit to. True belief involves not only the intellect, but the body, soul, and heart of a person (Matt 22:37). True knowledge and understanding is not just mental but experiential and practical. To receive the Gospel is to receive a new belief system and worldview. But it is more than that. It is to receive a new life. A new way of thinking and a new way of living. Mere behavioral change is not the Gospel. But a salvation that is not being worked out (not worked for) is no salvation at all (James 2:14-26, Phil 2:12-13).

your friend
jrf

Litmus test for Great Commission faithfulness

Just wanted to share something that I heard listening to Al Mohler's podcast this morning.

In response to a caller's question he stated that a good test of whether or not the American church is faithfully fulfilling it's Great Commission mandate is not so much by looking at whether there are those who are ready to go as missionaries (which there are) but whether or not our churches are eager and mobilized to send those missionaries.

What do you think? Is the American church taking their mandate seriously? Are we spending as much time, money, and effort in seeking the salvation of souls, the healing of bodies, and the glory of Christ among the nations as our unbelieving counterparts are in seeking a profit in the Global community?

Did you know that more people know the name of Coca-Cola than they do the name of Jesus? Just sayin.

Word of God more important than freedom?

"All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against."
- I Timothy 6:1

If I'm reading this right Paul is saying that the honor and reputation of the Word of God is more important than the freedom of slaves that are believers in Christ.

Would you agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think.

PS I don't think this is a case for dismissing Christian Social Action

Evangelistic Methodology Gum

Chew on this question posed by Will Metzger in his book, Tell the Truth
"Instead sending His Son, why didn't God just send a tract?"

Theological Reflections - why I don't like systematic theology

Well a whole summer has passed since I last posted, so I'm not sure if anyone reads this anymore. If you are looking for up to date information and important discussions on topics like "what's on John's mind right now" (that's a joke) I regularly post low-thought updates on my facebook page. But I am am going to make a quasi-valiant effort to get back to posting on this site.

I am attempting to post a series of theological reflections. I have no idea how long this series will last. The subject matter (God) is infinite and therefore the limiting factors will be not the lack of things to ponder but my ability or lack thereof to ponder them coupled with my lack of discipline.

I ask you to please challenge me and interact with what I post as much as possible. Hopefully this will be a fruitful journey for us all.

The idea for this series comes from my realization that I feel like systematic theology is one of the weakest areas of my life. There are probably many reasons for this but here are a few I could think of:

1. All systematic theologies have an inherent bias in them. The Bible is not a systematic theology book. Systematic theology requires the filter of a human mind and therefore can and most likely will have fallibilities in them. Wading through the muck of the author's presuppositions can often be daunting.

2. There is a strong temptation when studying theology to make it only academic. Every fiber of my being loathes studying just for studying's sake (although I too often fall into that trap). For that reason I have tended to deemphasize systematic theology. I remember being frustrated in seminary when the practical things I was experiencing in inner city ministry didn't seem to find a place in the systematic theology syllabus we were being taught. Part of that I believe was the personal bias' and perspectives of the professors who were not concerned/exposed to the issues of the inner city. Most of it was my failure to convert orthodoxy into orthopraxy.

3. I love expository preaching/studying. I have strong convictions that the expository method is the best and most faithful way to understand and explain the Word of God. Systematic theology done bad has all of the pitfalls of a bad topical sermon, namely taking verses out of context and eisegesis.

4. The Bible is not a systematic theology textbook, and I really like the Bible.

5. Systematic thinking is very much a western concept. Does that make it necessary for understanding and living out the truth of Scripture?

6. Good systematic theology books are huge and I am a lazy, slow reader.

7. I prefer reading narratives to didactic writing.


Well that's it for now
Next up: What I like about systematic theology and why I think it is essential

Shalom in Jesus
jrf

Ralph Winter pt III

Here is a 16-minute video from the U.S. Center for World Mission telling the story of Ralph Winter's life and ministry.

Ralph D. Winter Tribute from U.S. Center for World Mission on Vimeo.