Back in the Saddle!
GodWords #123: The Return
Welcome, new subscribers! I’m glad you’re here. 😎
Whew. It’s been a very busy year, which explains - no excuses - why newsletters have been less than weekly. Time to get back to my irregularly scheduled schedule. 😁
Rather than a short devotional note, I thought I’d give you an update on the kinds of questions people have been asking in recent months. This will give some insight into what goes on behind the scenes at GodWords, but it will also give some insight into the kind of help people are asking for.
Please take a moment to pray for each of these folks.
T (not his real name) thinks that I “sound like the accuser” when I point out obviously false teaching. In this case, it’s the claim that the Bible never actually says that Jesus died. A weird thing for an internationally-known preacher to say, but hey… he did.
K wanted to ask about biblical reasons for divorce, as she’s concerned for her daughter and wants to make sure she knows God’s position on the subject.
S wanted to know whether a woman could be an apostle.
C wanted to double-check that someone who’s known for being a false teacher is actually still a false teacher. The answer, unfortunately, is yes.
S&C asked what, specifically, made me think that one couple in ministry are in the unbiblical Word of Faith movement. There was plenty of evidence.
S asked for advice… her pastor seems to be twisting Scripture, and she wants to honor those in her church while trying to address the problem.
T is concerned that her church is using materials and programs created by false teachers. She hasn’t heard any troubling teaching yet, but is concerned about the lack of discernment in those choosing the resources. Before deciding to leave, she wanted to try to bring attention to the problem… and was hesitant about how to proceed.
K asked about a disgraced pastor who’s being restored (to fellowship, but not to ministry) and wanted advice I’d give to someone considering full-time ministry.
V asked whether I’m familiar with author Gene Edwards, and I am… and I recommend him. I often give away copies of his book A Tale of Three Kings.
B found himself looking for spiritual resources but rejecting anyone with whom he disagreed, even on minor, secondary issues. We spent some time talking about what should, and should not, cause us to separate from our brothers and sisters.
R asked when the third temple will be built, B said that I should remove the plank from my eye, J wondered about our responsibility toward difficult family members, and C wondered which books of the Bible he should be reading.
Of course, a fair number of folks wrote to tell me what a bad person I am, that nobody should be judging anyone’s teaching, and that I would agree with this false teacher and that false teacher if I only understood what they were saying.
That covers about half of the last six weeks, I guess. It’s only Tuesday, but - because my schedule just loosened up a bit - I thought I’d just touch base and let you know what I’ve been up to. As always, if YOU have questions, I may not have the answers… but I’m here to help.
Hopefully, I’ll have a regular newsletter this Friday morning!
I love you all.
❤️
The Sanctification of a Bad Morning
Growing is hard. We can’t just switch off our frustration, annoyance, and anger… we have to grow through them, cooperating with the Holy Spirit while He grows us from the inside out. A good reminder, especially for parents of younger children.
Toy Story 2: The Original ASMR Video
Over at Family Movie Night, John reminds us that what we all long for is restoration. We know that we were created for more. We know that things are not as they should be… and we crave fulfillment.
Read Paul’s Letters in Order. Something Extraordinary Appears.
While this post is for paid subscribers, there’s more than enough free content to provide food for thought. Excellent!
The God Who Holds Galaxies Together Knows Your Name
Just the title alone is enough… but then Ronin reminds us that God is present, personally involved in creating you, knowing you, and loving you intensely.
Pour Me Out
I miss PFR. They made some awesome Christian music.
Lyrics and links at Awesome Christian Music.
Pour me out
'Til there's nothing left of me
Pour me out
Pour me out
So that someday I might see
Pour me out
Jesus’ mission is not to make converts, and it never has been. His mission is to make disciples.
– Jim Putnam
GodWords has been a free online resource since 2001, serving tens of millions of visitors by answering their questions about God, the Bible, and false teachers. Almost every article comes directly from a real person asking a real question. If you have a question, feel free to ask.
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I would love to know more about your answer to B about what should, and should not, cause us to separate from our brothers and sisters.