Advice for Preachers :: Matt Chandler

[simpleminded123]

The thing about Calvinism is that man by himself is totally depraved. With Christ however, we are able to stray from that,.

[TheKJVberean]

@jeditoe We constantly sin? Wrong. A true Christian will not constantly sin, when we become born again, we are a new creation. Romans 6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid! If you are one that is truely born again, yet constantly sinning then you are living a lukewarm life. Btw John Calvin was a heretic that brought the damnable doctrines which we now call calvinism, John Calvin unless he repented, is in hell right as we speak.

[bighilly74]

@TheKJVberean Romans 7:13-25 1 John 2:1

I love you guys and i hope that you read the Word for what it is and not what we want it to be.

[StrumstickJoe]

Advice for preachers:

Stop spreading lies; it's an evil thing to do - (especially to children.)

[madmax8903]

Despite the strangely (strange for a so-called "preacher", that is) inarticulate blurb of this blowhard, the best advice I could give preachers, as well as politicians, most journalists and most lawyers is to stop what you're doing immediately and start working towards an honest and proper career. Either that or just kill yourselves.

[bookingtime]

"For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander to myths."

[jeditoe]

John Calvin was a man, who like us sinned constantly. Sin isn't just the action committed, it's the condition of our hearts. We are justified and sinners at the same time! We don't stop struggling with sin, it's going to be a fight until we are with the father! Just like Calvin said, we are constantly in sin. JESUS CHRIST is our only hope

[danielraysir]

@jeditoe Jesus already took care of the sin issue. If you're still IN sin then you should probably get saved, anyone who is in Christ cannot remain IN sin (1 John 3:9). Go read Romans 6, 7, 8, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 5:24, 1 John 2:2, the sin issue has been dealt with. We cannot be sinners and saints at the same time, we are either one or the other. Thankfully, through Christ we have been transformed into saints. We no longer live FOR victory over sin, we live FROM it ;).

[zwreckless1]

My off the top of my head reaction to what he's saying is ......It's not a NEW gospel , it's not a fresh word or a secret unveiled ...It's time to get down off the stage and grab a few men and ask them to participate and then turn and grab 12 more and have them touch another 80 till the people in the church become the church and collectively make a huge impact .. asking one man to be mr. super human super dude and walking out unsatisfied week after week?? Get a vision and spread it

[XtianMetalFan]

needs to do something bout that fringe, but great preacher still!!

[whenitallgoes4]

yay for matt chandler :)

[stevetl2112]

Someone is saying they deny that people (Christian or non- Christian) sin every day. This is because of a skewed meaning of sin. Remember sin is not just lying, murder, sex before marriage, etc. Christ was trying to make this point in the gospel of Mt. where their were people who seemed to live perfect lives. Christ says the greatest command is to LOVE the Lord God with all your heart, and I believe that this is the sin that more people struggle with than any other sin! All fall short here!

[MackLeeGreen]

This is a misunderstanding of sin. Every sin is violation of God's law, and thus every sin is a failure to love the Lord God with all our heart. All sin can ultimately be connected to unbelief.

[openairpreacher]

thats why calvinism is so dangerous

if people have NO choice and sin is unavoidable then God would be wasting His time judging them, and God would not care , if as according to Calvinism sinning is unavoidable then Jesus would not have needed to come! and at Judgment God would let everyone in His kingdom since sinning is unavoidable and also obedience.

under the deception of Calvinist reformed doctrine Gods kingdom would crumble in anarchy...

[gelndjjrskc]

You are totally confused as to what Calvinism is. Furthermore, your logic is extremely faulty.

[openairpreacher]

gelndjjrskc because you have allowed the deception of calvinism to ship wreak you,, anyone who does not buy into your westminster catechism is according to your illogical Ideas confused people ARE able to choose to sin or not! wake up! calvinism's westminster catechism claims all christians always sin everyday in word thought or deed,,, that sinning is unavoidabe

[gelndjjrskc]

I never claimed to be a calvinist, so don't assume that I am. But if one is going to criticise it they should fairly represent it and use sound logic to do it. What you have written is replete with logical fallacies and straw men.

[openairpreacher]

gelndjjrskc

before you stand up for calvinism you should study it and understand why its so deceptive! two issues

1; the calvinism westminster catechism

states all christians sin daily in word thought or deed,, always sin ...

2; calvin had michael servetus executed because they disagreed on doctrine

that should be enough for a honest person to run!

[eastcoastsurfer06]

Before you strike Calvinism down.

1.Romans 3:12 "All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one"

2.God turned Lots wife into a pillar of salt for turning around.

Are you running from God?

[patboyuk]

Why don`t you just support a doctrine that condemns virtually all beings to an eternal suffering? Even those babies who only take a few breaths before they die and were not baptized are sent to eternal suffering? Why don`t you support the killing of millions of innocent people who work on the sabbath day as our moral guide clearly says? Why don`t you support judgement, hatred, racism, slavery, oppression, murder, and condemnation as our doctrine / bible clearly states.(SKEPTICS ANNOTATED BIBLE)

[patboyuk]

Why don`t you just "blindly" believe that god created the earth before the stars and planets as our bible says despite science proves this wrong and shows the planets to be older than earth. Why don`t you just believe that god made mammals before reptiles and insects when there is multipal evidences proving reptiles and insects existed prior to mammals. Why don`t you believe as we do and call it faith when it clearly crossed the line of ignorance and moves into self imposed stupidity?

[patboyuk]

So Matt, did you just direct the sheeple to follow those preachers who are in your own words posessed, sick, and full of energy ? So your sheeple should follow posessed sick entities? Traditional christianity or Gnostic (true) christianity. Christ means annointed one not a savior. Then again traditional christians symbolocially drink the blood and eat the flesh of a zombie. How ritualistic and cannibalistic that is, some even talk of bathing in his blood after drinking blood and eating his flesh

[Svenleigh]

Mate, don't just come back with "yeah, well, you're going to hell!!!" It doesn't answer the question, it only confirms that you fit the stereotype you've been placed in.

[patboyuk]

Perhaps i will visit hell for a while. After that, i will visit Heaven,The Valhalla, Summerlands, Happy hunting grounds, Elysian fields, and countless other mental constructs, plains, or dimensions within the astral plain that people have created over the ages.

[patboyuk]

ThinkOutsideTheBox>ThinkOutsid­eTheBox>ThinkOutsideTheBox>Thi­nkOutsideTheBox>ThinkOutsideTh­eBox>ThinkOutsideTheBox>ThinkO­utsideTheBox>ThinkOutsideTheBo­x>ThinkOutsideTheBox>ThinkOuts­ideTheBox>ThinkOutsideTheBox>T­hinkOutsideTheBox>ThinkOutside­TheBox>

[patboyuk]

WARNING: Independent thinking is not endorsed be religions, governments, or any other groups that financially gain from brainwashing and enslaving people. DISCOMFORT may occur as independent thoughts challenge you dogmatic views of the universe. Alot of books say alot of things. They all claim to have the "only" direct line to god. They have no resources of their own and must exploit their followers based upon fear. But each one is going to have to work out their own salvation. Save yourself.

[Svenleigh]

WARNING: From your previous crack it's been proven that you don't think independently, however ostensibly you support it. For instance, where did you come up with the word 'enlightenment?' What makes you think your mind is free? How can you know, completely and definitely, that you aren't being controlled by some other entity? What is your basis for filtering information, making a judgment on it, and rating it's significance or credibility? Your mind is a receptor. It is independent of nothing.

[patboyuk]

Atleast my mind is not limited to a book or certain scriptures. It is free compared to those who are limited to theological constructs. I do not require others to define things for me. Rather than follow scripture, i look within. Do you really not understand the difference between judgement and discernment? All of our minds are a receptor. The cosmic intelligence projects itself into infinite manifestations. For we are all projections of the one mind. Metaphysical energy we all are.

[Svenleigh]

You don't require others to define things for you, eh? But by making that statement you prove that you are defined by others, even if you don't conform to them, by your desire to be their opposite. (Admitted or not...) And mate, if we are all of one mind, then it doesn't really matter what we believe, does it? In the end it's all the same. And your life means... nothing. If you want energy, rip the plate off the socket and wire up the electrodes.

[patboyuk]

Svenleigh, Yes, a world of people thinks a world of things. They are free to think whatever they wish about me, self, and the cosmos. I am to them whatever they think me to be. According to what fits into their cosmology or their consciousness level. You say in the "end"? There is no end, eternal we are.Energy can not be created or destroyed. What you do not work through in this life, you will face again in another reincarnation. There is no hurry we only have forever.

[Svenleigh]

I apologize for using a common expression. You are quite pedantic with your nomenclature and conceptual labels. Do your concepts dissolve when you remove the skin of the words? Eternal we are indeed. However, it would seem obvious that we diverge in the outworking of this eternity. If you have forever... then you have nowhere to arrive, no there for your here, no goal, no purpose. If you only have one shot, you had better get it right on the first try. You should take life far more seriously.

[patboyuk]

Skin of words? Words are defined by our consciousness level. Relativity reigns everywhere, as our consciousness raises, so to does our definitions we attach to certain words. Nowhere to arrive: Depends on our chosen path we preplaced within the gridline points of our incarnate blueprint. We came her to experience. Like climing a ladder, after we learn a certain experience we move on to the next. We are here to raise our consciousness. What we do not learn in this life, we will face in the next.

[Svenleigh]

Words are defined by a need to communicate. We use words, but if our concepts hang on mere words, then they are pathetic, unreliable just as words are unreliable. (Even more so using a language as recent and transient as English...)

And you do have nowhere to arrive. If you and all else are apart of this cosmic intelligence, you are completely alone, and any alterations to yours or others states is completely meaningless. You have no basis for morality, objection to injustice, hate, murder, etc.

[patboyuk]

Did you read skeptics annotated bible?I only feel sorry for growing up under and propetuating that propaganda as long as i did. But,a mind once enlightened will never go dark again.I will never ever again support ideologies that justify a group hurting another with a clear conscious. Crusades, holocausts, inquisitions, etc.The bible "moral guide" supports these + some, i say that book greatly devalues human life. Spirituality is in oneness not seperation theological constructs)unholy scriptures

[Svenleigh]

Well, if you follow the implications of particular theologies back to their effect on the day to day, instead of parking up in the abstract and conceptual (as so many Bible scholars tend to), then God is the author of all evil, death and disaster, and endorses the administering of such (for His glory)... it's all very contradictory sometimes. Don't write off God or the Bible because He's been misunderstood. (By you or others). And tell me what you think Holy means...

[patboyuk]

I am going to continue upon my metaphysical path of self realization.I will not support death, ritual sacrifice, hate, oppression, slavery, judgement or condemnation as the bible clearly does (SKEPTICS ANNOTATED BIBLE)look up old testament and click on cruelty and scientific sections. I will not condemn little babies to eternal suffering as scriptures say they are born of sin. What sinners babies are? I do not support that doctrine. Nor do i personify divinity or god. Holy is a hole in something

[Svenleigh]

For one who doesn't believe in scripture you do like that Skeptics version... So you dismiss what you do not understand in your lack of experience of it. This is indeed very enlightened.

Holy is something that is... Set apart... Different... Unlike anything else...

Enjoy looking inside yourself, but occasionally pull your head out of your anus for a breath...

[patboyuk]

Yes, the skeptics version clearly shows some of the mental constucts within. Sums it up without subjective rationalizations from delusional followers. There is a reference point for every scripture as well. There are different degrees of enlightenment. Perception is everything. I do not consider religions or any book that clearly orders the death of millions of innocent people "holy", Boy, the holy crusades, holy inquisitions, holy holocaust, Holy ethnic cleansing, maybe holy ignorance.

[Svenleigh]

Classic examples of people who missed the entire point of knowing God... As Isaiah said, "no wonder people curse God because of you."

So you don't like someone else's theology... so you sell God off too. Again, you don't understand something, but speak as one with authority, and completely discredit God because some of those people who claim to follow him are spanners.

Very enlightened. It's like an art critic writing a review on painting he's never seen.

[patboyuk]

The word or label god derives from a 6th century Germanic origin. First time the label God was seen in capitalized letters was in the new testament. Being humanity is much older than 6th century, god is a relatively new label attempting to defing the primordial cosmic intelligence. Some enlightening advise, you did not incarnate in the 3rd dimension for someone to come and rescue you from yourself. You are going to have to work out your own salvation. Save yourself and don`t look for another to

[Svenleigh]

Thank you for the lesson in Etymology. You confuse the IDEA of God with the English word 'god'. A lot of English derives from a 6th century Germanic origin. The idea of God predates history in the oral tradition of cultures. Now study the origin of 'Metaphysical Energy'.

You speak of salvation? So you think we are in need of salvation? From what?

I don't need to save myself because I am not alone. It's done.

But your ideology says that all are of the same. And thus, you are completely alone.

[patboyuk]

Who`s IDEA of god ? Which god ? You create the label "god", you create the parameters "box', you define it accordind to your consciousness level. Salvation from the reincarnational cycle. Through lifes many trials and tribulations we disolve our ego constructs "self" and merge back into the sea of consciousness where we are all one with all that is. I am a seperate manifestation / expression but i am not seperate from the cosmic intelligence. For nothing can exist outside of the one mind.

[Svenleigh]

You want everything to fit inside the mind. The mind is so very finite. I did not create the label 'God'. I usually use the word 'dad' when I'm talking to him. And He talks to me. I don't know a set of facts (mind things) about God, I have fellowship with God (Spirit things). You know friends and family, and you can define them using basic facts, but that is what you know ABOUT them, that is not knowing them (present continuous tense). God supersedes my 'cons. level'. And I'm never alone.

[patboyuk]

Sure you know god. God is love. You know a unconditional love that only loves you based upon certain conditions? You sure do understand unconditional love. You know and understand god / love is like saying you gathered up all the love in the cosmos, confined it into one place, labeled, defined it, and now understand all love. How presumptuous you are: You can either wait for lifes many trials and tribulations to dissolve those ego constructs or systematically question and release them yourself.

[Svenleigh]

I recently perused your 'Skeptics Annotated Bible,' and to be honest I was quite disappointed. The people/person annotating was obviously not versed in any of the manners and customs of the originating cultures. As well, the commentators seemed to lack even a summary knowledge of the context and purpose of sections of the text. If those individuals want to credibly dissect the Bible, they should consider furthering their education first.

[patboyuk]

Perception is everything. Not everyone sees through your eyes and vise versa. Some can read the writting on the wall, others can not. Memorizing scriptures and creating subjective rationalizations for statements that support murder, hatred, slavery, ritual sacrifice, judgement, and oppression is not spiritual to all people. Clinging on to beliefs that are proven wrong by geology, archaeology, and science and calling it faith crossed the line between ignorance and self imposed stupidity.

[Svenleigh]

You believe in Karma, in a circular worldview (you may prefer mental construct) that strips the value of the lives of 2 Billion+ people in the world, and then you dress up an elegant attack on a book that centres on the teachings of one who decided to die for all, and thus gives them value, and you expect me to take you seriously? You need to look a little deeper into the implications of your belief system and be less ready to stick your foot in you rmouth accusing Christians of Holocausts.

[patboyuk]

Do rationally tell me what you perceive god to be. What happens at the moment of death? What kind of things do you think you will do in your heaven? How long will you stay there? Where do you go when you finish there? Just curious. I am on a path of enlightenment / self realization and like others on such a path, i consider religions anti-spiritual and pointless to follow. Religions seperate people and teach the fear based derivities. Being judgement, condemnation, hate, fear, sin, etc. etc. etc

[Svenleigh]

I chuckle... I see your version of enlightenment and self realization is placed neatly in the anti-religion box. Very postmodern of you. And very limiting. That's fine. And what you would refer to as religion, I'm taking as simply application of individual interpretation of scripture, compiled into a set of laws prescribed for others... and yeah, a lot of people do condemn, judge, hate etc. those who don't interpret scripture the same as them. Discounts the interpretation, not the scripture.

[patboyuk]

I view religion as a man made construct or organization that claims to have the "only" direct line to the primordial cosmic energy (some label it god) others have other names. They all create a label, shove the infinite "god" into certain parameters "a box" and then define it according to their consciousness level. Those ego constructs then claim to understand that which is infinite and unknowing . Man creates god in mans image / all sorts of strange mythologies emerge.How presumptuous they are

[Svenleigh]

And your view is a limitation for you. It doesn't feel like a limitation because it is self imposed... But limitation it is.

And it's interesting, because I think God would agree with you, and that's why he said "oi, don't make any images of me" because in people's attempt to define God, they'd reduce him to what they could understand. And no, you can only understand the concept of infinite, not understand infinite itself. That God would interact with people is pretty flippin amazing, then...

[patboyuk]

Svenleigh, I do not personify divinity "he", or make the infinite prime creator into a large male humonoid being as you apparently do. Unlike you, i do not believe any cognative process can explain that which is infinite and unknowing, That is why it is called infinite and unknowing. What you label "god" is not seperate from anyone or anything .But is in all things or we are a projection / manifiestation of the cosmic intelligence. We are all made of the same "metaphysical energy" some label god

[Svenleigh]

If this is the case, then why do you object to things like genocide? It is simply some bits of the metaphysical energy altering the states of some other bits of the metaphysical energy... Seems a bit pointless and ostentatious...

Tell me, do you believe in Karma or some sort of governing force that dictates what you reconstitute/reincarnate as after you die?

And intelligence can't understand emotion. It can give a skin of vocabulary, but can't experience it. Intelligence is unfeeling, amoral.

[patboyuk]

I don`t object in the sense you think. It is disharmonious to hurt others and much karma is collected and paid from such acts. It is a experience of settling a collective karma for the victims and a experience of accumulating it for the oppressors. What we do in this life sets up a chain of events in the next. Some are born with handicaps, poor, etc. as a karmic debt. E-motion: energy in motion based upon a reaction to thoughts and perceptions. A thousand people have a thousand emotions.

[Svenleigh]

You condemn a book (and everyone who believes in it) that people have used and interpreted to justify their actions in a few cases throughout history, but yet you support a worldview that keeps billions in poverty and oppression. I have seen personally what the belief in Karma does, the apathy it creates (look at India's caste system). You are very hypocritical in this. The crusades were childsplay in comparison (and they contradicted Jesus' teachings).

[revlai]

Matt has a Bachelor in Bible from Hardin-Simmons. He is educated in the subject, and he is ordained to the gospel. I attended his bible studies weekly while we were both at Abilene, and saw in first hand how he reached to the lost, and not so lost.......it was amazing!

[patboyuk]

So you want to preach scriptures to others. The old testament clearly supports hatred, murder, slavery, ritual sacrifice. SKEPTICS ANNOTATED BIBLE. Those scriptures propetuated the crusades, holocaust, inquisitions, all funded and directed by the church. If you support that doctrin, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. How are you not saying, I support all of what the church did all through history if you continue to propetuate its propaganda and hate / doctrine towards everyone else?

[anenamolen73456]

pat. One of the great things Chandler points out is that Scripture must interpret Scripture. Sure if any man who has an evil heart (btw that's all of us, in case you didn't know :P) wants to justify his evil deeds he can take just about anything from religion, to oil needs, to hunting weapons of mass destruction for example and justify his human atrocities, right? Study the message of the ENTIRE Bible. If you truly feel that this message promotes the horrible things men do then so be it.

[patboyuk]

Did you actually read the scriptures from your bible (skeptics annotated bible)? These "theological constructs"devalue human life. Born of sin, condemnation, personification of divinity, statements one knows and uderstands that which is infinate. The bible is written by primitive men. Please explain these mental constructs to me that people with degrees in theology simply can not. Common sense interperates limited scriptures:judgement, condemnation, murder, slavery, opression, ritual sacrifice

[hansenlung]

when you say clearly, pat, I would expect some examples please. because right now it sounds like instead of intellectually presenting your case you are instead just lashing out in anger. Granted, the church isn't spotless, but show me any group that is. Islam isn't, neither are buddhists, neither are athiests. so really, I think everyone of us is part of the problem because it looks like it is not a physical thing but evil acts, thoughts and motive are part of our modus operandi.

[hansenlung]

that being said, I will own up to what the church has done in the past. And I do admit that some stuff has been incredibly horrific. Let me remind you that the church is made up of people, just as broken and messed up as you or me. Limited in our knowledge, arrogant in our attitudes, and bitter in our anger. Just because you are not part of a broken messed up organization, doesn't mean you aren't part of a broken messed up people.

[dubzy25]

hes bringing the message and as long as he's doing that then who cares if he didnt go to seminary

[JimmyJamaica68]

that's not cool

[fireballtotheface]

Matt Chandler didn't go to seminary.

[thermometer]

no, he did go.

same place as other pastors at the village church.

[JimmyJamaica68]

the fact that he (along with martin luther mark Driscoll John piper and the apostle paul)

is a calvinist is kind of an outgrowth of the fact that he went to seminary and read the bible and everything. Go read Romans 9

[Reate8]

excellent...does he have a web site?

[ExcelsisDeo]

hes a man that follows Christ thats what matters

[ExcelsisDeo]

who cares

[akshock03]

Amen

[sandstone97]

he is a calvinist

[ralphbrynard]

You're a dick head. You think that just because you can label someone based on some small bias they may have in their theological understanding that it some how makes you more righteous? YOU have theological biases. Seriously... what a dick head.

[dwbattles]

Wow. You missed that completely.