The Reformed Rant

In this episode, I talk about how Andy Stanley admits that Sam Harris has influenced and reshaped his preaching and framing of the gospel and Christianity for over 15 years now.

In this episode, I deal with the incoherence in Andy Stanley's apologetic method and theology. It is impossible to separate "the Bible says" from what Matthew or Luke or Paul says. What the authors of the Bible say, the Bible says. Moreover, if one of the authors of Scripture proves unreliable in regards to one miracle, say the virgin birth, then how can we consider that author to be reliable regarding his claim about any miracle? The first step in being able to defend Christianity is to make sure you actually have the true version of Christianity.

If you want to destroy your enemy's army, convince them that their weapons are useless. Satan has convinced most American churches that the weapon they have for flourishing within a sinful culture is useless. The homosexual movement has exposed a crisis of Biblical Authority within the pastors and churches in American society. In this episode, I talk about the tactics and strategies being employed and how Christians can see them for what they are: demonic tools designed to weaken your convictions regarding God's Word and the gospel of Christ.

In this episode, I have a special guess on to do my very first Q&A. Chris Soules is both a Christian brother as well as a Jiu Jitsu brother. On this episode, Chris asks about the doctrine of election and the conversation takes off from there. I hope you enjoy the discussion.

In this episode, I rant about the Christian Franchise. Modern Christianity has adopted the franchise model in the 20th and 21st centuries. The Christian Franchise's top service is affirmation. Everything she says and does is geared toward affirming people in the marketplace so as to attract and retain market share. All across the globe, people suffer from my newly coined term Affirmation Addiction Disorder Syndrome (AADS). The Christian Franchise reacts to the pagan market share with the goal of having much of that market as possible. From being politically correct to being hip, cool, woke, affirming, etc. Whatever it takes, the Christian Franchise does. The sad thing is that the bigger the market share, the more the pastors feel affirmed as well. 

In this episode, I rant about the denial of original by men like Leighton Flowers and movements like Provisionism. The denial of original sin is a rejection of historic biblical Christianity.

In this episode, I rant about the concept of the Southern Baptist Convention and contemplate the question: Is the concept itself a good idea? a

In this episode, I close out my rants on Provisionism with a summary critique. If Leighton Flowers and his provisionists followers want to object to provisionism being compared to Pelagianism, they need to specifically outline the distinctions between their view and Pelagianism. They also need to account for why they defend Pelagius and condemn Augustine. Finally, they need to explain why they platform unorthodox Christians who claim that Pelagianism is little more than a myth, a theological construct created by Pelagius' opponents in order to proper up their own theology. What's more, they need to explain why such a creation was necessary if there really wasn't a Pelagian kind of movement from the start. 

In this episode, I rant about Provisionism and its view of free will. I conclude that it is exegetically bankrupt, theologically baseless, logically incoherent, and a philosophical non-starter.

In this episode, I rant about Leighton Flowers and the Provisionist's incoherent view of divine sovereignty. No one should hold to a system that is internally inconsistent with itself. Irrationalism is antithetical to Christian belief. 

In this episode, I review the doctrines of Regeneration and Election as stated by Provisionism. As it turns out, both doctrines fail in that they prove to be logically incoherent and exegetically untenable. 

It's difficult if not impossible to get the gospel right if you get grace wrong. Provisionism gets grace terribly wrong. 

Provisionism claims to affirm the penal-substitutionary view of the atonement. On the other hand, Provisionism claims that Christ atoned for the sins of people who will not be saved in the end. These two propositions are contradictory to one another and reflect a muddled and confused doctrine of the work of Christ.

Why did Jesus say men need to be born again if they are born innocent with a will that is not impacted by Adam's fall and a nature that is merely inclined to sin and not actually sinful? It is one thing to say we are born with a nature inclined to sin and another to say we are born with a sinful nature. Provisionism claims the former and seems to deny the latter.

In this episode, I cover the unavoidable incoherence between Provisionism's soteriology and theology proper. If God really wanted to avoid anyone going to hell, then He could have simply chosen NOT to create or He could have created man with the ability to freely choose various ways to only please Him. But God created a world in which He, according to Provisionism, knew that most men would die and go to hell and still He created this world. How does provisionism reconcile this obvious contradiction in its system? 

In this episode, I rant about the principle of sola Scriptura and the critical role that this principle plays in Christianity.

In this episode, I rant about Mason's not so brief overview of Critical Race Theory and his continued slide into full-on apostasy. This is what happens to someone when Scripture is no longer their source of authority for truth and you don't plant yourself in a godly church with godly elders who care about your own godliness.

In this episode, I rant about the popular practice of manipulation among pastors and elders. Pagan society engages in open and shameless manipulation in order to advance its agenda. While it may seem unthinkable that pastors and elders would mirror this same behavior, it is happening nonetheless. What is worse is that the practice of malicious manipulation in the churches has passed into business as usual.

In this episode, I rant about the practice of modern pastors to reduce everything sermon, bible study, and Sunday school lesson to the lowest common denominator in order to look out for the new believer. This tactic is a ruse on the part of pastors to keep people comfortable and coming to their little kingdoms.

In this episode, I rant about the God who is a God of purging. God purged the earth of wickedness during Noah's day. God demanded that his covenant people in the OT purge their communities of wickedness. God demands that his covenant people in the NT purge their communities or wickedness. In the end, God will purge the wicked from among the righteous for all eternity. Why do the churches and their leaders refuse to obey God's demand to keep the body of Christ pure?

In this episode, I rant about the continued deterioration of the human condition under the curse. Modern humanity has displaced rational thought with the evil desires of the human heart and assigned a new role to the cognitive faculties: justify my evil desires and behavior and shape the will accordingly. As we carry on our lives, humanity has redefined life, marriage, sex, gender, masculinity, leadership, the family, and so forth. If God designed it, man hates it. And our churches are marching in lock-step with this insanity because they are filled with unregenerate sinners. 

In this episode, I rant about the ever-shifting irrational views of the two least incoherent and untenable expressions of atheism: materialism and naturalism. Christians must shed their intellectual and spiritual laziness and stand up to the challenge and command issued by Peter 2,000 years ago. We must prepare ourselves to defend the claims of biblical Christianity. 

In this episode, I rant about the sleight of hand employed by Josh Wester over at the ERLC and his attempt to continue to convince evangelicals that you can support the philosophy, values, and ethics of the democratic party. He uses the ruse of parent-child relationships. It wouldn't be a good ruse if he were just plain honest. 

In this episode, I rant about my observations on the history and beliefs of Postmillennial Eschatology. While I reject the notion that we should divide over eschatological schemes, I also acknowledge that some systems open the door to issues that can, do, and should create division. These other views would include issues like theonomy, reconstructionism, and dominionism. I would ask that you listen to what I am saying, and not what I am NOT saying. 

In this episode, I rant about Gary DeMar's criticism of my criticism of James White's criticism of John MarAcrthur's criticism of Postmillennialism. My biggest concern with the Postmil eschatological scheme is the little branches that seem to consistently spring up within it. Those branches are reconstructionism/theonomy and dominion theology. These are very dangerous branches that must be avoided at all costs. I do NOT claim that they are the necessary conclusion of PM theology. It is interesting that White spoke positively about Rushdoony in his episode and Rushdoony is the founder of Christian reconstructionism. I hate to say I told you so, but there it is. 

In this episode, I rant about the tactics of manipulation being employed by those who would want to shut down dissent. If these tactics do not work, I predict they will, like the Jesuit Catholics in the Ottoman empire, use the pagans to shut it down. Taking someone's claim to its logical conclusion and evaluating that conclusion based on the teachings of Scripture is not a false gospel, it is not violating divine command, it is not unloving, and it is not being divisive. 

In this episode, I rant about James White's criticisms of John MacArthurs premillennial views on how the end-times will proceed from bad to worse. The postmil guys all ignore Jesus' comparison of the days of Noah with his return. That said, I do not offer a critique of postmillennialism, a view that I consider the weakest of the eschatological schemes. 

I this episode, I provide a very high-level overview of the social structures in Greco-Roman times, specifically, class and status. Then I ask the question: did Jesus or the Apostles work to change things in that structure? What are the implications of the answer to this question?

In this episode, I rant about Mohler's article on the subject of structure sin and systemic racism. Christians need to think more critically about what our leaders are saying about these incredibly important issues.

In this episode, I rant about an interview that took place over the summer between Frank Turek and Tricia Scribner regarding a book that Scribner helped edit: Answering the Music Man. The Music Man is a response to many of the arguments that Dan Barker has made against Christianity. I offer up criticism of the method employed by Turek and Scribner to answer the music man.

In this episode, I rant about Team JD Greear's complete obliteration of The Jerusalem Conference all for the sake of defending the new Woke Cult that most of the SBC has become. Did you know that the apostles were actually trying to figure out how to remove obstacles to the gospel? This is how Greear frames the theme of the first conference in the history of Christianity. The insanity of these men knows no bounds.

In this episode I rant about the way forward for the churches in light of the recent infiltration of Woke-Liberation Theology. It is an infectious disease that is deadly if not rooted out. I talk about the deconstruction of Christianity, of the American idea, and a return to a focus on Sola Scripture, the Gospel, and the Mission of the church.

In this extended episode, I rant about what your voting behavior reveals about your beliefs and what your beliefs tell us about your Christianity. Do you embrace the version of Christianity that is supernaturally revealed in Scripture or have you unwittingly embraced a contemporary version designed to appease and satisfy your own conscience? 

In this episode, I do a follow up on Piper's voting article in light of his statement that he will not vote for Trump or Biden which is effectively a waste of time. Why vote at all? The point of the riposte is to counter the claim that Piper was not targeting Trump. I believe the evidence strongly contradicts that claim. 

In this episode, I RANT about TGC's manipulative use of Q-Anon, David Platt's "Before You Vote" and John Piper's article, "Policies, Persons, and Paths to Ruin." While each of these is tackling different subjects, they are all working hard for the same end: they want to turn you into democrats or, at a minimum, get out of the way of the democratic machine.

In this episode, I rant about the great deconstruction of Biblical Christianity and American, why they go hand in hand, and sadly, the church's complicity in the project. 

In this episode, I rant about the recent slander of all white people by Tim Keller. I point out that the principle Keller employs to indict white humans everywhere is not based on Christian doctrine and that his idea of privilege vs no privilege is a false dilemma. The fact is that privilege is not a have or have not sort of thing. Privilege comes in degrees. Enjoy the Rant.

In this episode, I rant about the ecumenism of Tim Keller, the judgementalism of J.D. Greear, the tyranny of the Gospel Coalition, and the new Generation Z Bible translation that amounts to blasphemy. And oh, I return to my view on COVID and in-person vs digital worship.

In this episode, I rant about the way pagan culture, liberal Christians, and even evangelical Christians and leaders are arrogantly employing the second greatest commandment to bully and intimidate Christians so that they behave and think according to their own personal standards.

In this episode, I rant about an article by Jarvis Williams who implies that Christians who have a problem with saying black lives matter could mean they are not saved. 

In this episode, I rant about my concerns regarding the very popular series, "The Chosen." Another American fiction tale about Christ that only serves to misinform, confuse people but it is entertaining or so they say.

In this episode, I rant about the recent SEBTS and its symposium which included a lecture from Elisabeth Mburu on the topic of African Hermeneutics..

In this episode, I rant about the complete vacation of duty that most modern American pastors have been on for decades now and its impact on the Christian message in American and Western society.

In this episode, I rant about the mission and beliefs of the organization Black Lives Matter and ask the question, what kind of relationship can the Church have with such an organization.

In this episode, I rant about the overlooked fact that what we see happening in American society right now is a new form of domestic terrorism that is every bit as dangerous as any terrorism imported from the outside and the fact that leaders and pastors, as well as the civil authorities, seem paralyzed to anything about it.

In this episode, I rant about the inept state of evangelical leaders. Pastors who refuse to speak up about this issue, bring Scripture to bear on the current milieu reveal more about their true character than they realize. You should listen to what is being said but more importantly, listen to what is NOT being said. 

In the episode, I rant about Evan Minton's response to my critique of his article on the evidence from Scripture for prevenient grace. Minton fails to understand that irresistible grace is not the same as resisting the divine commands. And because of that, we end up with another terribly confused Arminian/Pelagian who simply does not understand Calvinism, or Reformed Theology and in this case, Biblical Christianity.

In this episode, I rant about another attempt from David Platt to supposedly take up the cause of racial injustice in light of the Ahmaud Arbery situation. In this episode Platt mangles Ps. 133 while unwittingly putting forth a number of ideas that are racist and unjust. One of the pastor's advocates for judging the McMichaels based on the color of their skin without realizing that is what he is doing. That pastor's wife admits to having a greater connection with people based on melanin rather than Christian convictions, theology, ethics, and values. Something is very wrong at McLean Bible Church. 

In this episode, I rant about Al Mohler's repentance from what was clearly the biblical position on the morality of slavery to one that is approved by pagan culture. Now that the pagans know that Mohler values their opinions of him, my guess is this only the beginning. At least Jonathan Merritt has hinted that he is coming after Mohler on other issues.

In this episode, I rant about how leaders in the SBC and pastors all across the SBC and other evangelical churches are just not being honest about their real objectives concerning the Arbery incident. You cannot be interested in justice and indifferent to truth. Either you are incompetent or immoral. In the spirit of Christian charity, I will allow them to choose which one best describes them.