Tag: blasphemy

Why I’m No Longer Self-Identifying As A “Reformed Calvinist”

I love my Reformed Calvinist brothers and sisters, but I can no longer claim to be a “Reformed Calvinist.”  I have removed it from my About section.

I have been attacked by only three groups of people: militant atheists, a handful of fanatics from Steven Furtick’s church, and Reformed Calvinists.  So basically non-Christians, false Christians, and Super Christians.  And the worst of these attacks were from — you guessed it — Reformed Calvinists.

I can take persecution from the frontlines.  I’d gladly take a bullet or be tortured to death for Jesus or for my fellow friend.  I can handle discouragement and perversity in the world.  But what I cannot understand is when those who claim to love Jesus destroy others who love Jesus.

This is not a theology issue, but rather a love issue.  The ivory tower of Neo-Calvinism has reached so high, I’m not sure what the point is anymore.  Calvinist bloggers only stimulate other Calvinist bloggers.  Neo-Calvinism has become the ghetto of the ghetto of the Christian subculture.

Continue reading “Why I’m No Longer Self-Identifying As A “Reformed Calvinist”” →

I Want To Read My Bible — But How?

You cracked open your journal, busted out your favorite pen, and finally opened your Bible.

Five sentences later, you have no idea what you just read.

Confusion, frustration, resignation: But the pastor made it so easy. It was better when he told it.

And the final excuse: At least I tried.

It’s happened to all of us, from rookies to veterans, when we catch the excitement of digging into Scripture and come out cold. Most of us will conclude the Bible is too hard, that we’re not mature enough, that we need to be spoon-fed, that something’s wrong with me, that we’ll try it again later. And with each pass at reading, we grow more bewildered.

Every pastor with the best of intentions is yelling at you to read your Bible, but they forget to tell you how.

Of course the simplest way would be to turn to Genesis and just rip right through it. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a little help in reading Scripture. If you genuinely want to read the Bible but have had some false starts, here are some ways to dig into the Greatest Truth in the universe.

Continue reading “I Want To Read My Bible — But How?” →