tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post37509191149843876..comments2024-03-10T10:40:32.319-07:00Comments on Pyromaniacs: Open Letter to Our ReadersPhil Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00649092052031518426noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-31851340169086130722011-06-13T09:20:36.245-07:002011-06-13T09:20:36.245-07:00Robert, thank you for your encouragement. The fir...Robert, thank you for your encouragement. The first time I talked to my mother-in-law about how God was convicting me of my wretchedness, she just had this horrified stare like I'd just gone horribly apostate. When God turns the light on, it is hard to understand why everyone else doesn't suddenly see things the way you do.<br /><br />I was just reading Isaiah this morning and realized that I have been taught the Sermon on the Mount my whole life as some new kind of way to teach the law, all the "hyperbole" (which is not hyperbole, but simply a description of what is seen plain as day by the God who sees our hearts!!) The prophets constantly spoke of idolatry as harlotry and the passage that took me back this morning was in Isaiah 9, where God sees Israel's infighting as cannibalism. I was weeping the other day reading Jeremiah's condemnation of the preachers who spoke "peace" (also could be translated "prosperity") where there is no peace, but woundedness from head to toe. This is what we are seeing in a MAJORITY of american churches. Ugh!! Must go blog now about that I think. :)Cindy Stokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03339094524089293276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-14231524509219762662011-06-13T05:28:48.172-07:002011-06-13T05:28:48.172-07:00Cindy,
You'll find the same type of reaction ...Cindy,<br /><br />You'll find the same type of reaction among family and friends who don't have a right view of God's holiness and man's sinfulness. My wife told my sister over the weekend that she is depraved and my sister was shocked that she said that. On the way home my mom was exlpaining by saying that type of description is usually used to describe people in red light districts and such. I stopped the conversation there and said that what she was saying indicated the whole problem. We try to put other people's sin in a worse catagory than our own, but all sin is active rebellion against God. Jesus told the Pharisees that tax collectors and prostitutes would be eating at the table with Abraham while most of them would be in the outer darkness. <br /><br />Self-righteousness is an evil trap and denies that God is the only One Who is holy...and it also denies the need for Jesus living a perfect life and dying on the cross, and taking God's wrath, in our place. This is the problem with what is taught in most seeker sensitive churches...they tell you God loves you for who you are. In reality, God loves us <b><i>in spite</i></b> of who we are.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13987985549747283669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-16411402941209684462011-06-11T13:27:30.032-07:002011-06-11T13:27:30.032-07:00Exactly...Exactly...Cindy Stokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03339094524089293276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-38303253633875164892011-06-11T09:35:50.355-07:002011-06-11T09:35:50.355-07:00The trick, of course, is to see your sin as God se...The trick, of course, is to see your sin as God sees it: serious, damning, intrinsic, and resolved by Christ.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-70867442600906054072011-06-10T16:32:21.545-07:002011-06-10T16:32:21.545-07:00I can appreciate your post. I am a beginning blog...I can appreciate your post. I am a beginning blogger, but think I'm going to lose readers before I even gain them because I (on the advice of one of the Pyro Blogs, can't remember which) am reading John Owen on the Mortification of the Flesh and I'm about as uplifting as Ezekiel at this point because my heart has become so heavy. Totally relate. I feel like there are Monty Python characters out there saying "Blogging is supposed by an 'appy occasion!"Cindy Stokeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03339094524089293276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-40254521392315170752011-06-10T07:37:16.087-07:002011-06-10T07:37:16.087-07:00These letters were a whole lot more fun when I cou...These letters were a whole lot more fun when I could pretend they were about those other guys and not about me.trogdorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452996348717802065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-3527826585743745502011-06-09T22:42:29.143-07:002011-06-09T22:42:29.143-07:00Thanks Frank...Thanks Frank...Tyronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17970123049581654914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-79379071683929381952011-06-09T17:41:18.044-07:002011-06-09T17:41:18.044-07:00God wants us to cleave to Him because He is our li...God wants us to cleave to Him because He is our life (Deuteronomy 30:20, KJV). If we seek God with all that we have, everything else will take care of itself.patriciazellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11173836694277236395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-913997497121507312011-06-08T23:11:20.002-07:002011-06-08T23:11:20.002-07:00Love the comments referring to (originally) the mo...Love the comments referring to (originally) the movie The Court Jester starring Danny Kaye.Eddie Eddingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15864410680077755048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-36423881713018906942011-06-08T16:53:15.573-07:002011-06-08T16:53:15.573-07:00And a straightforward comment for those who don...And a straightforward comment for those who don't share a predilection for irony and roundabout satirical points:<br /><br />If we all consistently performed and heeded the gut-check you're talking about, it could cure us of the bad manifestations of "discernment ministry". It might be that the kind of heart you're pointing toward is the major difference between being a watchblogger and being a faithful shepherd of God's people. (And even those of us who only <i>read</i> blogs need to guard against a watchblogger, controversy-hungry mentality in how we read--even when the writer was writing in the right spirit.)Jugulumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09932658890162312549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-68430589656626842292011-06-08T15:11:03.963-07:002011-06-08T15:11:03.963-07:00You gotta admire the Lutherans, they’ll have a L-a...You gotta admire the Lutherans, they’ll have a L-aw / G-ospel complaint even on an open letter like this.<br /><br />You now know why they all buy LG products :)John Nhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151182349424209838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-48164898111272817982011-06-08T14:15:28.891-07:002011-06-08T14:15:28.891-07:00#touche #haterGottaHate#touche #haterGottaHateFX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-46758401195336449992011-06-08T14:08:44.993-07:002011-06-08T14:08:44.993-07:00Also, Frank: This is the kind of post that makes ...Also, Frank: This is the kind of post that makes me love you foremost amongst the watchbloggers. #ILoveYaMan #TongueInCheek #Mostly #WhyDon'tMorePeopleUseHashtagsOutsideTwitterJugulumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09932658890162312549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-71243411802713025482011-06-08T14:02:45.811-07:002011-06-08T14:02:45.811-07:00@Frank: To distill that into a tweet--check oursel...@Frank: To distill that into a tweet--check ourselves, before we wreck ourselves?Jugulumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09932658890162312549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-11386391517382596852011-06-08T12:22:18.960-07:002011-06-08T12:22:18.960-07:00I read your open letters because they say things t...I read your open letters because they say things that I wish I were smart, articulate, and gutsy enough to say. You often help me to organize my own thoughts on a matter through your careful analysis. Do I see myself in the bullseye? Probably not as often as I aught. I'll stew on that a while... until your next open letter.Cathy M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08107932375538192094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-72517849035516599482011-06-08T11:42:29.660-07:002011-06-08T11:42:29.660-07:00Mr. Frank is saying he read too much this week, an...Mr. Frank is saying he read too much this week, and feels like he is ready to toss his bookies.Nash Equilibriumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06528684112014026512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-79364260473941154632011-06-08T11:22:33.372-07:002011-06-08T11:22:33.372-07:00My week feels like your stomach after a particular...My week feels like your stomach after a particularly-large meal: too full. It (my week) might throw up.<br /><br />It might feel better if it threw up.<br /><br />That's what I'm trying to say.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-52792002364962243532011-06-08T10:31:09.495-07:002011-06-08T10:31:09.495-07:00To quote from "The Princess Bride" – &qu...To quote from "The Princess Bride" – "I'm not sure that word means what you think it means."<br /><br />I enjoyed the post and was encouraged by it myself, actually. However, your first sentence was troublesome (I read books to review and I proofread ordination papers, so bear with me here). "Briefly ... as my week is surfeit..."<br /><br />I looked this word up (since I'm not sure I had heard it before or at least used in this context). Here's what I found:<br /><br />surfeit |ˈsərfət|<br />noun [usu. in sing. ]<br />an excessive amount of something : a surfeit of food and drink.<br />• archaic an illness caused or regarded as being caused by excessive eating or drinking : he died of a surfeit.<br />verb ( -feited , -feiting ) [ trans. ] (usu. be surfeited with)<br />cause (someone) to desire no more of something as a result of having consumed or done it to excess : I am surfeited with shopping.<br />• [ intrans. ] archaic consume too much of something : he never surfeited on rich wine.<br /><br />So Frank; what are you trying to tell us?Kevin Sorensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10930643495363470963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-18852106796174940832011-06-08T10:15:52.760-07:002011-06-08T10:15:52.760-07:00then take the rest up with our good and great savi...<i>then take the rest up with our good and great savior.</i><br /><br />Actually, I'd rather spend the next 4 hours ripping you to shreds for something you said 3 years ago, Frank. Hope that's OK.Rhologyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14245825667079220242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-2440852083247229092011-06-08T09:40:34.696-07:002011-06-08T09:40:34.696-07:00I think I got the Gospel in the last sentence - fo...I think I got the Gospel in the last sentence - for believers anyway, and plainly: that's who this letter is addressed to.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-89211097834783691262011-06-08T09:29:01.701-07:002011-06-08T09:29:01.701-07:00Well Frank, you've preached the Law to me toda...Well Frank, you've preached the Law to me today. I feel convicted for harboring schadenfreude while reading your open letters.<br /><br />I do hope I can get some Gospel somewhere to assuage and mollify my guilt over this... Perhaps I'll try a Joel Osteen sermon. Yeah.Mike Westfallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06944727980772754938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-25270778178942427912011-06-08T08:43:42.426-07:002011-06-08T08:43:42.426-07:00...The chalice in the palace has the brew that is ......The chalice in the palace has the brew that is true.jmbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07164857192077648887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-57407270547987089332011-06-08T08:02:45.204-07:002011-06-08T08:02:45.204-07:00The vessel with pessel has the pellet with the poi...The vessel with pessel has the pellet with the poison...DJPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16471042180904855578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-9160012215341203422011-06-08T07:57:17.868-07:002011-06-08T07:57:17.868-07:00I believe you may only be angry about feeling guil...I believe you may only be angry about feeling guilty, because you're ashamed of being afraid. ha haNash Equilibriumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06528684112014026512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-30715340286460756372011-06-08T07:50:31.546-07:002011-06-08T07:50:31.546-07:00I think I meant to say that this is why I love to ...I think I meant to say that this is why I love to love you, and hate to hate you, and hate to love you, and love to hate you.<br /><br />I drew up a grid to make sure I got them all this time.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.com