Who Said That?

Who said that?

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"The best honor is that which a man gains in communion with the Most High. Jabez, we are told, was more honorable than his brothers, and his prayer is immediately recorded, as if to insinuate that he was also more prayerful than his brothers. We are told of the petitions in his prayer. All through the prayer it was very significant and instructive. We have only time to take one part of it - indeed, that one part may be said to comprehend the rest: `Oh, that you would bless me!'

I recommend [the prayer of Jabez] as a prayer for each one of you, dear brothers and sisters; one which will be available at all times; a prayer to begin Christian life with, a prayer to end it with, a prayer which would always be appropriate in your joys or in your sorrows.  Oh that you, the God of Israel, the covenant God, would bless me!"

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Go to it!  Please, no google searches or cheating!

Update on Monday, June 26, 2006 at 02:42PM by Kim Riddlebarger

As many of you correctly guessed, this is from a sermon by C. H. Spurgeon on the prayer of Jabez.  You can read Spurgeon's sermon here (Click here: The Prayer of Jabez - C. H. Spurgeon). 

In bringing the sermon to a close, Spurgeon said, "I have one thing more to mention before I bring this sermon to a close. The blessings of God’s grace are true blessings, which in all seriousness we ought to seek after.  By these marks shall you know them. True blessings, are such blessings that come from the pierced hand; blessings that come from Calvary’s bloody tree, streaming from the Savior’s wounded side - your pardon, your acceptance, your spiritual life: the bread that is true food, the blood that is true drink - your oneness to Christ, and all that comes of it - these are the true blessings."

This is a far cry from Bruce Wilkinson's version, in which he writes, "God really does have unclaimed blessings waiting for you . . . . And with a handful of core commitments on your part, you can proceed from this day forward with the confidence and expectation that your heavenly father will bring it to pass."

Let's see, Christ's work for me (Spurgeon) or commitment on my part (Wilkinson)?  Gospel or law?  I'll stick with Spurgeon's version!

Who Said That?

Who Said That?

"Indeed, God would save all men if He could . . . . God will achieve the greatest number in heaven that He possibly can.  He does not love just some men; He loves all and will do everything within His loving power to save all He can . . . . God will save the greatest number of people that is actually achievable without violating their free choice."

You know the drill!  Leave your answer in the comments section.  Google searches do not count!  Answer to follow in a few days.

Update on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at 10:03AM by Kim Riddlebarger

Many of you got this one right since a number of Reformed writers make mention of these words! 

This comes from Norman Geisler, in an essay he wrote in 1982, entitled, "God, Evil, and Dispensation," in the book, A Tribute to John Walvoord (Moody Press, 1982), 102-103.

Who Said That?

Can you guess who uttered these rather embarrassing words?

"From my understanding of biblical prophecies, I'm convinced that the Lord is coming for his Church before the end of 1981.  I could be wrong, but its a deep conviction in my heart and all my plans are predicated on that belief.  In 1986, Halley's Comet is coming again.  Jesus said that prior to His return in glory there'd be signs in the heavens.  Halley's Comet could be one of those signs . . ."

As usual, no cheating--google searches or otherwise!  Answer to follow in a few days.

Update on Friday, May 19, 2006 at 12:29PM by Kim Riddlebarger

Yes, these words come from Chuck Smith, in his book Future Survival (1978), p. 20.  I used to buy them in bulk and give them away to witness to people!  At least Chuck has cool hair . . .

Who Said That?

OK, who said this?  No cheating or google searches!  Answer to follow in a few days . . .

"As we have learned from Almighty God in the words of Holy Scripture, that the end of the present world is already near and that the unending kingdom of the saints is approaching.  As this same end of the world is drawing nigh, many unusual things will happen--climate changes, terrors from heaven, unseasonable tempests, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes.  All of these things are not to come in our own days, but they will follow upon our times."

Update on Monday, May 8, 2006 at 11:26AM by Kim Riddlebarger

These words come from Pope Gregory the Great in a letter written to Ethelbert in June of 601.  End-times prognostication is nothing new!

Who Said That?

Who said this?

Q. What is the direct antidote to . . . the doctrine of heart-holiness?

A.  Calvinism:  All the devices of Satan . . . have done far less toward stopping this work of God, than that single doctrine.  It strikes at the root of salvation from sin, previous to glory (death), putting the matter on quite another issue.

Q.  But wherein lie the charms of this doctrine?  What makes men swallow it so greedily?

A.  (1)  It seems to magnify Christ; although in reality it supposes him to have died in vain.  For the absolutely elect must have been saved without him; and the non-elect cannot be saved by him.

(2)  It is highly pleasing to the flesh and blood, final perseverance in particular.

Can you guess who said this?  No cheating--google searches or otherwise!

Update on Monday, May 1, 2006 at 10:40AM by Kim Riddlebarger

As many of you correctly guessed, these words come from Rod's Rosenbladt's favorite Arminian, John Wesley.  The quotation comes from the Methodist Minutes (Wesley's Works, Vol. VIII, 336).

Who Said That?

Who said that?

Where is this place represented by "outer darkness" in Jesus' parables? To be in outer darkness is to be in the kingdom of God but outside the circle of men and women whose faithfulness on this earth has earned them a special rank or position of authority (italics in original).

The "outer darkness" represents not so much an actual place as it does a sphere of influence and privilege. It is not a geographical area in a kingdom where certain men and women are consigned to stay. It is simply a figure of speech describing their low rank or status in God's kingdom. . . . Now, imagine standing before God and seeing all you have lived for reduced to ashes. How do you think you would feel? How do you think you would respond? Picture yourself watching saint after saint rewarded for faithfulness and service to the King--and all the time knowing that you had just as many opportunities but did nothing about them. . .

We do not know how long this time of rejoicing and sorrow will last. Those whose works are burned will not weep and gnash their teeth for all eternity. At some point, we know God will comfort those who have suffered loss.

As usual, google searches don't count! Answer to follow in a couple of days.

Update on Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at 02:14PM by Kim Riddlebarger

Although many of you couldn't wait and did google searches--probably the same people who were able to sneak a peek at your Christmas presents without your parents knowing--the answer is . . . Charles Stanley.

In his book Eternal Security (pp. 120-130), Stanley is forced to explain what happens to those who walk the aisle, pray the prayer after the minister, and who are "saved" and therefore "eternally secure," but who then cease to believe.

Stanley rejects the Reformed doctrines of perseverance (the elect will persevere in faith and holiness until the end of their lives) and preservation (Christ's current priestly work will ensure that all his elect remain in the faith). Instead, Stanley replaces this with decisional regeneration--if I accept Jesus as "mypersonalLordandSavior" at any point in my life, I am born again and cannot be "unborn". And so Stanley must explain, therefore, why it is that someone who is regenerated by an act of their will, should do good works if they are "eternally secure."

The solution--we do good works to earn rewards! Those who don't have enough rewards must wait outside heaven and weep and gnash their teeth in a realm called "outer darkness" until God relents and lets them in.

This is nothing but a Protestant purgatory! Yuck! Amazing!

Who Said That?

Who Said That?

One of the derivative aspects of an amillennial perspective is that it denies Israel's future role in God's plans.  This also leads to a "replacement theology" in which the Church is viewed as replacing Israel in God's program for mankind.  In addition to forcing an allegorization of many key passages of Scripture, this also led to the tragedy of the Holocaust in Europe.  The responsibility for the six million Jews who were systematically murdered in the concentration camps has to include the silent pulpits who had embraced this heretical eschatology and its attendant anti-Semitism.

Update on Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 09:32AM by Kim Riddlebarger

While this comment could have come from Hal Lindsey, John Hagee, Mal Couch or a host of others, these loving words come from Chuck Missler in a 2002 essay on the millennium, "Thy Kingdom Come."  Missler is of the opinion that the people in heaven with the lowest IQ's will be amillennial.  He's also famous for his lecture series on the "Sovereignty of Man."

Who Said This?

Who Said This?

"It is self-evident that, until the sinner breaks off from sins by repentance or turning to God, he cannot be justified in any sense.  This is everywhere assumed, implied and taught in the Bible."

Take a guess, answer to follow in a couple of days . . .