Book Review: The Jesus you can't ignore (Jesus unleashed: a condensed version).

 

John MacArthur wrote this book in order to combat a popular myth out there that "Jesus would not condone judgements being made by Christians of other people's religions." If I had point on single discourse given by our blessed Lord which systemically debuses us this notion it would be Matthew 23:1-39 because this section offers up a systematic denouncement of any works based religion out there. it has an introduction which breaks apart such a false system; then 8 woes which deal with the nature of religions of works; and a final judgement upon the establishment (key one is Pharisaic religion; but it applies to all). 

In the introduction, he mentions about the books he read relating to the new emergent trend that "if Christians want to reach unbelievers in a post-modern culture, we need to be less militant, less aggressive, less preachy less sure of our own convictions." (prologue: location 116)  And this trend, though the system has been abandoned, nonetheless it remains even in the church today. It simply a modern variant of old spiritual disease know as Liberalism. And we as true born of the Spirit Christian must take a stand and fight for the truth as we have always done from the inception of the church until now.  

As it suggest this work "The Jesus you cannot ignore" has recently been put out again under a new title with the same number of chapters that have been abridged. But no matter which one you happen to have or get it will be both a blessing and real eye-opener into the kind of person that our blessed Lord truly was. He was both meek and humble to those whom were in need of it; and stern and fierce to those who needed to be corrected for their corrupt and error filled lives. In other words, he love the down-trodden; and hated the people who lived in hypocrisy.  

This book has 8 needed warning for the church today which must be heeded. (1) when it is wrong to be nice; (2) two pass-overs; (3) a midnight interview; (4) The man who speaks blasphemies; (5) breaking the Sabbath; (6) Hard Preaching; (7) unpardonable sin; (8) woe.  

I want to finish this out with one quote from this book:  "The one class of sinner Jesus dealt with sternly were the professional hypocrites, religious phonies, false teachers, and self-righteous peddlers of plastic piety" (pg.1)  "any thought they might of had for authentic godliness always took a backseat to more academic, pragmatic, or self-serving matters. They were the quintessential religious hypocrites." (pg. 1)  I highly recommend this book.

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: something must be known and felt.

Image
  Here we have a book which should be taken seriously by all serious minded Christians; who if they are are protestant in their thinking must always be willing to adapt their current understanding on doctrinal truths and practical issue (think of 'sempre-reformanda' which means always reforming). And if this were taken seriously then it should always welcome deeper understanding on certain issues. Let us always be of this frame of mind:  we should never say that the previous generations was in error; but that because of certain things being put in the spot light; therefore, many other areas which are equally important did not get as much coverage-- they were either taught upon in a foundational manner or simply assumed to be agreed upon. And this is the case at every high period of Church History. And it means some points will eventually have their moment at a later date. Take note of these words from Stuart Olyott . He writes: "In true Christianity God's revealed trut
Read more

The insidious Gnosticism in Feminism

This title may be a little confusing because it is strange concept; yet I believe it is correct.  Now what Do I mean?  Let me explain:  Preliminary thought While what can be called "classical feminism" had an aim; no matter how misguided it may have been as what it was trying to fight for was a good thing just that it never needed to do such a thing; in the first place.  There had always been equality for the sexes due to the Christian faith-- just not identical rights-- for both men and women were equal before God in all thing pertaining to the faith. However, this equality did not rule  distinctive trait that defined each sex rather worked to enhance those wonderful points.  let me ask this:  did women gaining the vote ever do any good to society?  my answer is simple: NO.  the good it may have done was far overshadowed by the evils that were to seep through because of it being a slippery slope. for example: the vote was the catalyst to the dysfunction and utter break-down
Read more

The problem that Christians face.

  What is the primary thing that is consistently destroying the life of the ecclesia?   It is the institutional usurpation of the way things were meant to be carried out in the body of Christ. Let me make this point clear-- for much of the last 1800 years (but more so, from 325ad onwards) everything that we assume to be the correct manner is not only error; it is a danger to the health of the church.  In other words, the hierarchical system has no scriptural bearing.  The church as it was brought into existence through Christ and His Spirit by means of His apostles was an organic reality and not an institutional system. Take note of the following passages and tell me that what we have today in Evangelicalism (Today: institutional Christendom)  is what Christ put in place.  Paul teaches us that the function of the church is an internal all body dynamic-- and that all believers are to be participants and not spectators of some grand show: "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the
Read more