spiritualtyranny.com

If you haven’t caught it yet, here is a review of Blight in the Vineyard.

This article was originally posted at Pauls Passing Thoughts.… Read the rest

by John Immel

“Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me! I’m the Gingerbread Man!” Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there were two bloggers taking on abuses in twenty-first century American Christianity. Rumpelstiltskin was clever, adorably blunt and talked about Metaphysics and Epistemology. The Gingerbread Man was sweet and cuddly, serving milk and cookies to his readers while grumbling about blogging for the greater good. Rumpelstiltskin talked about Ethical and Political theory. The Gingerbread Man gave people a safe place to tell their stories of being under the thumb of giants up the SGM beanstalk chanting, “Fee-fi-fo-fum! We smell the blood of an Arminian.” Rumpelstiltskin combated the roots of the Giants’ power and the absurdity of reform. The Gingerbread Man railed against the “unbiblical” nature of Sovereign Grace Ministries’ polity. 

For many days Rumpelstiltskin’s blog was listed on the Gingerbread Man’s blog.  And then one day, it was not.… Read the rest

By John Immel

The Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8: 36)

From the inside, people hunger, yearn, and need

The cry of their soul; to be free indeed

Elusive like a reputation that cannot be bought

Corrupted by death, a hope vainly sought

Indulge my thoughts, my words, my whim

Give me no law, Give me no duty, Give me no sin.

The addict, The alcoholic, The Whore;

Doing as they please, bound by a fleshly door

Man is snared as surely as he lives

By his lusts, passions, enemies, and friends

Indulging his whims, fearing their wrath

Like a dog to its vomit, praise he must have

Freedom’s mother is Choice, its father is Want

Birthed of these parents man can plot his course;

Tyrants tremble, and slaves weep

for the power of choice, the power to keep

The counsel of one’s soul, the determination of desire

To live as one wills, to throw off the mire

To the free Joy no longer wars with grief,

Success is not stolen by failure’s thief

Liberty puts health and Life in the hands

A thrill in the heart where Courage stands

Embracing all, condemned by no expectation

Fearing no God, or man, or mortification

The melody of freedom sings over the shame

Destroys the guilt, and heals the pain

A life of choice: both good and bad

Overcoming the chaos, by word, by will, and hand

IF the Son, therefore shall make you free

To choose what you will, whatever you will be

Copywrite 2003 John Immel.  All rights reserved

… Read the rest

By John Immel

Today, we talk about Philosophy.

In the mind of many, this word is synonymous with useless ideas batted around like so many beach balls at the intellectual equivalent of Thelonious Monk concert: really abstract with endless indecipherable phrases.

The idea of philosophy has been further tarnished because the bible doesn’t speak too favorably on “vain” philosophies. So most Christians usually turn their mind off when the word comes into a conversation. The tragedy is everybody has a philosophy. Actually, better said, they have a whole basket full of philosophy but rarely do folks know they are carrying the basket, let alone what that basket contains.

So let me cut to the chase: what is this thing that nobody seems to want, yet carry around unaware? Here are some examples.

Do you recognize these comments?

“Give it over to the Universe…”

“No one can know anything for sure…”

“Jesus died for our sins…”

Some of you have even said one or all three of these comments, fully expecting to be understood.… Read the rest

By John Immel  (Mp3 audio)

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

                                                      - George Santayana

The man who has no sense of history, is like a man who has no ears or eyes.

                                                      - Adolf Hitler

We learn from history that men and women never learn anything from history.

                                                      - Friedrich Hegel

Men without the sense of an idea’s history are slaves.

                                                       – John Immel

The ravages of collectivism are upon us and the Christian world is profoundly silent.  A few voices are rising, addressing the elements of liberty, participating in tea parties, and advocating a return to the Founding Fathers’ vision, and God.  The typical prophetic melody of America getting her comeuppance for sin—men are buggering men the forecast is brimstone and rocks—sings out with the endless refrain to humble ourselves and pray–God will heal our land, God will heal our land, God will heal our land, please, please, please… if only the Church would… if only the Church would… if only the Church would… blah blah blah blah.… Read the rest

By John Immel

(Mp3 Audio) 58 mb 50 min audio

I feel my temperature rising
Higher and higher

It’s burning through my soul
Abdul, Abdul, Abdul
Gonna set the book on fire

My brain is flaming
Don’t know which way to go
Lord have mercy

What would Jesus do?

Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love
Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love

A recent release on Elvis Gospel Greats released by Infi Del Records.

Uh…

Er…

Ehem…

Qur’an burning…

The Muslim world heard about this issue half a planet away, so  it is a fair expectation that few people haven’t heard that Terry Jones, a preacher in Gainesville, Florida was going to burn Islam’s bible on 9/11.  The common summary of the story is: Preacher says Islam is of the devil: crazy preacher is gonna burn the Islamic Holy book.  Mass criticism flooded the ether from all quarters seeking, begging, cajoling Terry Jones to stand down.… Read the rest

One of our own, Juli, recently had the opportunity to argue before the Texas state legislature on behalf of a bill directly affecting information given to women considering abortion.

Some of you might ask what does this have to do with Spiritual Tyranny. Here is my answer. I have been saying for some time that the body of ideas that leads to tyranny are making a gruesome insidious comeback in America and I want you to see how the philosophical premise drives the public outworking. Over the next three posts, I am going to draw your attention to themes already identified in an Arena of Ideas not directly related to Them Who Shall Not Be Named. In this post, notice how Juli preempted the stock dismissal and advocated in behalf of life by advocating in behalf of reason. You all are a very smart readership, so I suspect you will begin to see the application and relationship immediately.… Read the rest

By John Immel

Concerned asked me a couple of questions in my post Speaking of Church Polity.  I think the content of the question and the corresponding answer needs its own treatment.

Here is what she asked:

John, in reading some things about the various forms of church government, it seems most “truly” reformed churches adhere to either a congregational or presbyterian form of church government. However, the SGM model is episcopalian it seems (heirarchy: power flows from the top down only)

So here is my question – why do you think SGM tries to pass themselves off as Reformed simply because they are Calvinistic when none of their other beliefs remotely resemble historical reformed theology?

Is is fair to say SGM is Calvinistic but not reformed, even though they call themselves reformed?

*     *     *

I LOVE these questions.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE QUESTIONS.  LOVE IT.  LOVE IT. LOVE IT.  That means you all are catching on.  These questions show forth that people are actually looking at the content of what the Hair Club for Men claim.  And if you are looking at the content, it becomes very easy to see that the Arena of Ideas they fancy themselves in is NOT as neat and tidy and unarguable as Sovereign Grace Ministries would like to pretend.… Read the rest

By John Immel

Lay Down Your Mind (Click here to listen to an Presage Publishing MP3 Audio production)

I can make you lay down your mind down in one article. In the space of a few words, you will forgo your motivation to think. No, I won’t put a gun to your head. I won’t originate any violence. You will freely lay your mind aside and bow to my polity. Here is how I will do it: I will remind you of who you really are. And upon concession, you will then cheerfully surrender your time, talents, and resources.

You are scandalized. How could anyone make such a claim? You are daring me inside now, girding yourself against the onslaught. So very sure that it cannot be done. You are an independent thinker, an original thinker and the master of your own destiny. A free man! A free woman!

It is good that you resist: I count on it.… Read the rest

I originally posted this on SGMsurvivors.com some months ago:  http://www.sgmsurvivors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=124

However, this is classic CJ Mahaney and SGM thinking and practice, so it bears repeating and repeating and repeating. >snicker<

Bill Belichick is not humble. Or so seems to be Vicar Charles Joseph’s assessment.

Heheh… this is rich. I’ve made it a point to ignore SGM doings for a long time. I probably shouldn’t have because now I realize how many choice moments of laughter I’ve missed.  This one article is so full of hilarity that I could write for a week with the jokes. http://www.sovereigngraceministries.com/Blog/post/Reflections-on-Super-Bowl-XLII.aspx

Before I digress into peals of mirth, let me focus my comments: CJ’s Belichick article is classic SGM non sequitur… sequitur.

Notice Vicar Charles Joseph’s comments: “Would he be humble and gracious in defeat? Sadly, he didn’t appear to be. Before the game officially ended, he had already left the field. Sure, he did make his way across the field to congratulate Tom Coughlin, but then he left the field and the game was not over!… Read the rest