Robert R. Reilly, who has more accomplishments than I can list, has written a fascinating historical account of 9th century Islam, and how the more Hellenic (Greek) version of Islam, which viewed reason and faith as complementary, was ousted by the anti-reason school of thought led by Al Gazali.1

In his book, The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis, Reilly does not reject Islam directly, but claims that Islam as we know it took form in the 9th century, and all Islam is now essentially Islamism. He defines Islam(ism) this way:

Islamism is a spiritual pathology based on the deformed theology that has produced a dysfunctional society. If you get the idea of who God is wrong [so profoundly], it will affect everything in your culture.

Al Ghazali, the father or the anti-rational, anti-Hellenic spiritual view that has taken over Islam, wrote this:

“Once you arrive at the truth of the Prophet, the mind must cease to act.”

In addition, Reilly outlines why cause and effect is rejected in Islam, because only Allah can be the cause of events and behaviors in nature.

The audio below (Source: American Conservative University Podcast) is a compilation of two interviews – one on The Janet Mefford Show, the second his first of two lectures at The Institute for Catholic Culture.

Download

1. The Rise and Fall of Mu‘tazilism (LostIslamicHistory.com)

In chapters 4-6 of Hosea, a passage occurs that Jesus quotes at least twice in the New Testament:

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,

This has a lot to say to us religious people about how we view ourselves and others. It discusses how religious ritual and self-righteousness can sneak into our lives, fooling us into thinking we are better than others, and spiritual in doing so.

To download Mercy not Sacrifice, please subscribe to our podcast feed.

A few weeks ago, the excellent British radio show and podcast Unbelievable aired a 30 minute debate (way too short) on the topic of Conditional Immortality – the doctrine that claims the Bible does not teach eternal conscious torment for the unrepentant, but rather, annihilation. I am convinced that this position is correct, and my friend Chris Date, a leader in this modern movement and co-contributor at RethinkingHell.com took on Evangelical thought leader Al Mohler very well.

In this series of two podcasts, Chris, myself, and Peter Grice, one of the founders of RethinkingHell.com, discuss the content of the debate. Enjoy.

Episode 65: A Response to the Mohler-Date Debate, Part 1

Episode 66: A Response to the Mohler-Date Debate, Part 2

Some suffering can be avoided if we change how we think and act, especially when we are at fault. But some suffering comes from doing good, or from just the difficulty of life. That suffering must be endured, and with a perspective that gives hope and leads to strength and maturity.

Here’s the sermon, with outline below.

To download Willing to Suffer for Doing Good, please subscribe to our podcast feed.

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Spheres of Government

Self

Family

Husbands, wives, fathers, children

Church

Pastors, elders, young men & women, older men & women

Governors, kings

Slaves, servants, masters

1 Peter 4:1-3 (NKJV)

1 Peter 4:1-3 (NLT)

Second in a mini-series on the book of Hebrews (Part 1 here), this podcast addresses the question “Does God expect all of us to eventually mentor and teach others?” Yes, but we often linger in spiritual infanthood, and God through the passage below, will have none of it:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Here’s the sermon, with outline below. To download The Call to Maturity, please subscribe to our podcast feed.

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Review

So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest. ~ Hebrews 3:19 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. ~ Hebrews 4:10

Hebrews 5:12-14

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

1. The goal of every living thing is to                                        2. Maturity is the most fulfilling because it is                           full grown

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law. ~ Galatians 5:22-23

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ ~ Romans 1:16-17 (NKJV)

MATURITY THROUGH                                              

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (NAS)

We must be                                            

TAG

T =  Time      

A = Alone    with

G=  Good   

If your faith does not give you rest and peace, you may be missing the central message of the Gospel. The gospel provides rest for us in three phases:

Here’s the sermon, with outline below.

To download Starting with Rest, please subscribe to our podcast feed.

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A. Many of us are still bothered by our past                                                      

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. ~ Philippians 1:6

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. ~ Philippians 2:13

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ~ Matthew 10:28

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ~ John 3:16

What does the Bible say about our relationship to work, and do those same scriptures also clearly approve or condemn slavery?

My main thesis is that the household codes that discuss the obedience of servants to masters, in the Roman context, is primarily addressed to the majority of people who earned a living by being servants in the homes of others.

Chattel slavery is condemned in scripture, but poor English translations of the word for servant/slave have caused the kind of historical confusion that led to slavery supporters and abolitionists both quoting the Bible to justify their positions. Not good.

Here’s the sermon, with outline below.

To download Work and Slavery, please subscribe to our podcast feed.

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Common to All Government (Rom. 13:1-7)

1. Servants/slaves was a                                                                     in the OT and Roman times.

2. Was condemned in both OT/NT

3. Servants/slaves were considered in the faith

4. Masters (employers) were to treat servants with justice, fairness, and compassion

5. Christianity laid the for abolition of slavery

1.                                                       even when imperfect

4. Remember                                        who suffered

Based on the beginning of the famous love passage in 1 Corinthians 13, this sermon covers the four actions we ought to take if we are to obey the instruction to suffer long and be kind.

BTW, if you want to track my progress,  you can listen to me preach on the exact same passage back in 2007.

To download Love Suffers Long, please subscribe to our podcast feed.

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 â€œYou have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  ~ Matthew 5:38-48

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ~ Matthew 18:21-22

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. ~ Ephesians 4:15

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. ~ Proverbs 27:12

Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  ~ Luke 23:34

I wish that experienced believers would not skip over this, but know it well enough to explain it to new believers. So here’s your chance, genius!

I apologize for the first 2 minutes, in which my mic was on backwards, and there is a little scratchiness. Sound quality improves greatly after that point.

Listen Now:

To download Why Baptism, please subscribe to our podcast feed.

Worksheet below.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ~ Mt. 28:19

1. HOW: Sprinkling or Immersion?

It is an OUTWARD declaration of an INNER change

a. Our old life tries to come take us back to slavery like Pharoah and his armies chased                                                       

This Sunday sermon contains the following points:

To download The Practice of Christian Silence, please subscribe to our podcast feed.

Listen Now: