Comments for BetterThanSacrifice.org

Comment on Pastor Bob DeWaay’s visit to ask Rick Warren to preach Christ by Douglas

Douglas — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:58:06 +0000

"I practiced the strategy of asking specific, direct questions and requesting Bible preaching and teaching myself when I met with Rick Warren several years ago. As soon as I got a chance, I pleaded with him to "preach Christ." Then I proceeded to preach Christ to him to make sure he understood what I meant. I specifically mentioned that people needed to be warned about God's wrath against sin and the need for the blood atonement. He did not answer. History since then has shown that the plea fell on deaf ears. Gospel preaching is not part of Warren's PEACE plan." How the Church Growth Movement Drives the Gospel out of Churches (emphasis mine) Even up until the present time I believe Rick Warren is still NOT proclaiming the whole Gospel of the LORD Jesus Christ. He proclaims his false Purpose Driven™ Life gospel every opportunity he gets. I think Mr. DeWaay's pleas have fallen upon deaf ears? Rick Warren cannot see, how blind are those who cannot see, who do not want to see. He has oh so much to lose. God help him.

Comment on Pray for Rick Warren’s speedy recovery by BetterThanSacrifice

BetterThanSacrifice — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:57:24 +0000

No, I am not a pastor. As I say on the About page:

Why should you listen to what I have to say? No reason. I am just Some Random Guy on the Internet. Be like the Bereans – they even compared everything that St. Paul taught with Scripture. You should therefore most certainly test everything that I say:

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Act 17:11 NKJ)

And if I get something wrong? Leave a comment and let me know! If it’s a point of doctrine, remember to make your critique from Scripture. Or feel free to ask a question. I’m usually quite civilized!

Peace and grace.

Comment on Pray for Rick Warren’s speedy recovery by mmanson

mmanson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:51:43 +0000

my mr neades,u are sooooo compassionate, however u will find that Christ Jesus taught people that the soul is infinately more important than the body and you to neglect to tell your readers of the importance of praying for Ricks salvation in your initial post is desperately lacking in love for his soul. it is also unsettling for you to choose to leave comments from other readers on various otherd posts giving you glory and praise for the advice and council you offer them, Sir this shows a huge degree of vain glory and promotion of self to your readers , the scripture “Surely, they have thier reward” springs to mind. Sir, be carefull because some of the praise you receive should not appear publically as it gives the impression to your readers that you are someone, rather than a simple blogger , blogging with other bloggers! the whole idea of blogging is so that everyone has
equal validity to thier particular argument. your website fails in this area as you come across as an pastor albeit online. are you a pastor Mr neades? if you are then fin continue ministering to others , but if not (as id guess is the case due to no reference being made anywhere on this site that you are on) then you are falsely bearing witness to mny people. its always nice to get a “well done” pat on the back, but to have these praises of men on full view when you could simply prevent them being made public is putting it bluntly, egotistical and proud. oh, learn humility, learn that the praises of men, however much you want them, should be kept in the heart not broadcast to the nation! remember Jesus where he said on a number of occasions to “tell no one”of thier healing. Mr neads learn humility and begin to seek the praise of God not men.

Comment on Our transformed lives: what are we to make of good works? by walt

walt — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:10:28 +0000

I agree with your father that a reformed sinner deserves a hearing. But ultimately the “good tree” that produces fruit produces after is own kind. In other words, a true believer will witness to the saving grace of his Lord and lead others to know Jesus. Not just by his morality. There are a lot of moral people who do not know the Lord.

Comment on Pray for Rick Warren’s speedy recovery by BetterThanSacrifice

BetterThanSacrifice — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:54:10 +0000

Thank you, Jean. And yes, let us give thanks and glorify our loving heavenly Father, who spared not even His only begotten Son for us!

Comment on Pray for Rick Warren’s speedy recovery by Jean

Jean — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:54:28 +0000

Daniel wrote, “I find it desperately sad that anyone could look upon a fellow sinner in distress with anything other than a heart of compassion – one that longed for both physical and spiritual healing. So very much love and grace has been poured out upon us from the Father through Christ Jesus by the Spirit – how could we wish for anything less to be bestowed upon others who are no worse than we ourselves?”

I totally agree with you. I thank God for your compassionate heart. And thank God for his mercy and compassion towards us!

Comment on Pray for Rick Warren’s speedy recovery by BetterThanSacrifice

BetterThanSacrifice — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:52:04 +0000

1. When praying that God grants Rick Warren his vision, we need not choose between the opening of spiritually blind eyes and the restoration of physical sight. We may pray for both. My assumption is that the two or three readers of this blog (as you put it) who are inclined to agree with its sentiments would already be praying for the former, and therefore in need of no encouragement in that direction. 2. Recall St. Paul’s words to the Ephesians:

‘For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.’ (Eph. 6:12, NKJV)

Rick Warren himself is not the enemy, no matter how much some of us might disagree with his teaching. 3. To answer your question directly, if Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens were to fall ill (as indeed Christopher Hitchens has), yes I should pray for their physical healing. And also, that the Lord might grant them repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Christ. Once again, the alternatives are not mutually exclusive. 4. What of the potential leading of ‘thousands more people astray by his false teachings’? Simply this: our God is sovereign. My petition to Him to restore Rick Warren’s sight, or Christopher Hitchen’s health, will in no way thwart our Creator’s eternal purposes. Our great, glorious and gracious God shall surely save all those whom He wishes to save. I find it desperately sad that anyone could look upon a fellow sinner in distress with anything other than a heart of compassion – one that longed for both physical and spiritual healing. So very much love and grace has been poured out upon us from the Father through Christ Jesus by the Spirit – how could we wish for anything less to be bestowed upon others who are no worse than we ourselves?

Comment on Pray for Rick Warren’s speedy recovery by mmanson

mmanson — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:21:52 +0000

Why do you tell your readers to pray for Rick Warrens speedy recovery? You obviously do not like his ministry and have done your level best to seriously undermine him as a person and the ministry he seeks to do for his lord. You say to pray for his recovery – WHY!? According to you he’ll lead thousands more people astray by his false teachings? Why pray for his recover Mr Neades? So that he can propogate a gospel which you obviously think is not a gospel at all? Your hypocrisy is amazing for all your readers to see!! You obviously think he is not a beliver at all as your own words point out:- “Rick Warren thus preaches a message of what we must do for Christ. This back-to-front gospel is from the world of Alice Through the Looking Glass”. – You obviously believe that he preachers a gospel which is not the true gospel as you say it’s a “back to front” gospel – therefore he is preaching “ANOTHER GOSPEL” – yet you say to pray for his recovery..!! you cannot see that his soul needs to be saved! You have failed in your duty to exhort the two or three people (maybe more..?)who read these blogs to pray for his conversion so that he can be used as mighty tool in Gods hands. Tell us Mr Neades – would you also ask us to pray for Charles Dawkins recovery if he fell ill? OR would you rather we pray for the salvation of his soul? According to your request for Rick Warren whose teachings you basically rip to shreds publically, we should rather pray for Dawkins to recover, than pray for his salvation! What hypocrisy! What double standards – you should be ashamed of yourself!!!

Comment on What if? (Absolute truth) by BetterThanSacrifice

BetterThanSacrifice — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:21:20 +0000

Amen!

Comment on What if? (Absolute truth) by Sola Sister

Sola Sister — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:51:27 +0000

Daniel – what a great post. I am so weary of postmoderns and emergents with their non-gospel gospel and their talk of “your truth” and “my truth.” There ARE universal truths to which we are all beholden. To say otherwise is as silly as a man standing on top of a 10-story building and saying, “Ha! I don’t BELIEVE in gravity!” and then jumping off. His belief- however sincere it might be- will not keep him from being subject to the effects of the law of gravity…….10 stories below.

The same is true of spiritual laws. We are each beholden to our sovereign Creator God, whether we want to be or not, and whether we “believe” we are or not. Sincere belief to the contrary will not be any protection on the day of Judgment. And sadly, we have all broken God’s laws: we have all lied, stolen, dishonored our parents, failed to put God first in our lives, etc. We are without excuse. And, we are each born with a conscience, which attests to us from within the knowledge of right and wrong; not one of us can say we’re innocent. Our own consciences bear witness to us of our sins, by which we stand condemned. A price must be paid.

And thankfully, a price WAS paid, on the behalf of all who would repent and believe in Jesus, who paid for our sins by his death on the Cross. What glorious news, and what a glorious gospel. But emergents want to trade this precious pearl of the gospel, this supernatural truth, for cheap, man-made trinkets. The best man can come up with is always a system of works by which to achieve righteousness (and thereby ascend to heaven)…..whether that is:
Hinduism/Buddhism – through yoga, meditation, fasting
Islam – through mecca, prayers, Jihad
Wicca – through meditation, energy work, spells
Emergent/liberal “Christianity” – through extrabiblical spiritual disciplines, social justice, going green, etc.

But no rat wheel of “works” will ever be enough to grant a person entry into heaven. No matter how hard a person might try, there would always be the matter of sins already committed. The wages of sin is death. The price must be paid! Will we pay with our own life’s blood? Or will we let the blood of Christ make payment for us? It really is as simple as that.