Comments for The Esther Project http://theestherproject.com Bringin' theology back Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:04:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Allow me to explain (0 of 439) by Allow Me to Explain (49 of 439) – Excess Baggage | The Esther Project http://theestherproject.com/2010/11/22/allow-me-to-explain-0-of-439/#comment-5626 Allow Me to Explain (49 of 439) – Excess Baggage | The Esther Project Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:04:15 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=3070#comment-5626 [...] back-story is here. The collection is here. You can subscribe over there. [...] [...] back-story is here. The collection is here. You can subscribe over there. [...]

]]> Comment on Review: I Am a Follower by Lex http://theestherproject.com/2012/01/03/review-i-am-a-follower/#comment-5610 Lex Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:39:54 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=4198#comment-5610 Tom - Thanks for the comment. I agree with your criticisms of "emergent" theology, but I don't know if it applies to I Am a Follower. I haven't read anything else by Sweet, so you may be more familiar with his general philosophy/theology than I am. As per I Am a Follower, I didn't really the the impression that he's advocating being a "Christ-follower" without being a "Christian," it had more to do with a questionable understanding of biblical leadership. Tom – Thanks for the comment. I agree with your criticisms of “emergent” theology, but I don’t know if it applies to I Am a Follower. I haven’t read anything else by Sweet, so you may be more familiar with his general philosophy/theology than I am. As per I Am a Follower, I didn’t really the the impression that he’s advocating being a “Christ-follower” without being a “Christian,” it had more to do with a questionable understanding of biblical leadership.

]]> Comment on Review: I Am a Follower by Tom Lessing http://theestherproject.com/2012/01/03/review-i-am-a-follower/#comment-5589 Tom Lessing Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:48:25 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=4198#comment-5589 Leonard Sweet's thoughts on discipleship in his book "I am a follower" is nothing new. The Theosophist, Alice Bailey, has written extensively on how to be a Christ-follower without having to be a Christian. In fact, any one from whatever religions persuasion can be a Christ-follower. There are Hindu Christ-followers, Mormon Christ-followers and even Muslim Christ-followers. How do people like Monsignor Sweet who claims to be followers of Jesus turn others into Christ-followers? By telling them that a Christ-follower is someone who serves and loves other people. Well, of course there is nothing wrong in that. Jesus taught us to love even our worst enemies. Nonetheless, is loving and serving other people the litmus test for following Jesus? NO! absolutely not. The litmus test can be found in the following passages in Scripture - Mat 16:24-26; Luke 14:26,27 & 33. The Emergent Church fraternity usually only quote fragments from Bible passages. They would for instance quote the first part of Mat 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples . . ." and conveniently leave out the rest which is a command " . . . "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." They don't like to be taught and they don't want you to teach others sound biblical doctrine. Why? Because it discourages others from different faiths to become followers of Jesus. Who is this Jesus they are following? Is it the real Jesus or another Jesus? <blockquote>But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.(2Co 11:3-4</blockquote> Leonard Sweet’s thoughts on discipleship in his book “I am a follower” is nothing new. The Theosophist, Alice Bailey, has written extensively on how to be a Christ-follower without having to be a Christian. In fact, any one from whatever religions persuasion can be a Christ-follower. There are Hindu Christ-followers, Mormon Christ-followers and even Muslim Christ-followers. How do people like Monsignor Sweet who claims to be followers of Jesus turn others into Christ-followers? By telling them that a Christ-follower is someone who serves and loves other people. Well, of course there is nothing wrong in that. Jesus taught us to love even our worst enemies. Nonetheless, is loving and serving other people the litmus test for following Jesus? NO! absolutely not. The litmus test can be found in the following passages in Scripture – Mat 16:24-26; Luke 14:26,27 & 33.

The Emergent Church fraternity usually only quote fragments from Bible passages. They would for instance quote the first part of Mat 28:19: Go therefore and make disciples . . .” and conveniently leave out the rest which is a command ” . . . “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” They don’t like to be taught and they don’t want you to teach others sound biblical doctrine. Why? Because it discourages others from different faiths to become followers of Jesus. Who is this Jesus they are following? Is it the real Jesus or another Jesus?

But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.(2Co 11:3-4

]]> Comment on Book Review: Simply God by Lex http://theestherproject.com/2011/12/10/book-review-simply-god/#comment-3645 Lex Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:17:27 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=4106#comment-3645 Rick - Thanks for the comment, and the grace. You're a brave man for publishing what you feel the Lord would have you publish, especially without experience as a writer. Your passion for, and intimacy with, Jesus is awesome. God bless. Rick – Thanks for the comment, and the grace. You’re a brave man for publishing what you feel the Lord would have you publish, especially without experience as a writer. Your passion for, and intimacy with, Jesus is awesome. God bless.

]]> Comment on Book Review: Simply God by Rick Richards http://theestherproject.com/2011/12/10/book-review-simply-god/#comment-3631 Rick Richards Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:49:56 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=4106#comment-3631 I was not pleased with the comments of simply God, but I thank you for your honesty. I had never written anything before and I do not use it as an excuse. I really do have conversations with God and try my best to get things right. I do study the bible, but sometimes I go with God thoughts knowing that he is always right. I depend on him for the truth. Sometime God gives me thoughts that are not mine and obediently I write them. I do not believe that God shut his book after Revelations. I believe that all around us he is using others that finds new wisdom for these times. I wish we could have a cup of coffee together. It would be nice. When we do things for the first time we do make mistakes, and being a first time writer I make no excuses. I have no animosity for your review. Your comments helpful. God bless rick Richards I was not pleased with the comments of simply God, but I thank you for your honesty. I had never written anything before and I do not use it as an excuse. I really do have conversations with God and try my best to get things right. I do study the bible, but sometimes I go with God thoughts knowing that he is always right. I depend on him for the truth. Sometime God gives me thoughts that are not mine and obediently I write them. I do not believe that God shut his book after Revelations. I believe that all around us he is using others that finds new wisdom for these times. I wish we could have a cup of coffee together. It would be nice. When we do things for the first time we do make mistakes, and being a first time writer I make no excuses. I have no animosity for your review. Your comments helpful.

God bless
rick Richards

]]> Comment on Matthew 18 by Lex http://theestherproject.com/2010/06/09/matthew-18/#comment-3179 Lex Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:19:01 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=2643#comment-3179 Agreed. Balance is so key. We want to build healthy disciples and healthy churches, not humiliate people. (Great site, BTW.) Agreed. Balance is so key. We want to build healthy disciples and healthy churches, not humiliate people.

(Great site, BTW.)

]]> Comment on Matthew 18 by Remy Russo http://theestherproject.com/2010/06/09/matthew-18/#comment-3163 Remy Russo Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:25:16 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=2643#comment-3163 I definitely think the church doesn't address it ENOUGH, but sometimes there's an extreme. As with everything, you just need to find the balance. Remy postforgive [dot] tumblr [dot] com I definitely think the church doesn’t address it ENOUGH, but sometimes there’s an extreme. As with everything, you just need to find the balance.

Remy
postforgive [dot] tumblr [dot] com

]]> Comment on Biblical Leadership (1 of 2) by Lex http://theestherproject.com/2012/01/04/biblical-leadership-1-of-2/#comment-3005 Lex Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:32:36 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=4208#comment-3005 "it is healthy for us submit to some kind of authority." Great point, Garret. Couldn't agree more. It's painful sometimes, but healthy. “it is healthy for us submit to some kind of authority.”

Great point, Garret. Couldn’t agree more. It’s painful sometimes, but healthy.

]]> Comment on Biblical Leadership (1 of 2) by Lex http://theestherproject.com/2012/01/04/biblical-leadership-1-of-2/#comment-3004 Lex Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:30:28 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=4208#comment-3004 Great thoughts [again ;) ]. "Making disciples" is often different from what we think about when we thinking about "building a church." Great thoughts [again ;) ]. “Making disciples” is often different from what we think about when we thinking about “building a church.”

]]> Comment on Coffee With Jesus by RFB http://theestherproject.com/2011/12/24/coffee-with-jesus/#comment-2839 RFB Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:15:14 +0000 http://theestherproject.com/?p=4161#comment-2839 Thanks for the love, though we won't ask which of these strips you found theological disasters. Thanks for the love, though we won’t ask which of these strips you found theological disasters.

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