“This is theological fraud” Joel declares in a book review.
I agree with his assessment. Theological fraud is a good description of what is unpacked in the video below. Joel Richardson reviewed a book and the results were not pleasant. Especially for the writer of the book. I have posted the video with it time-stamped to begin just before Joel refers to some deceptive editing as “theological fraud.” Sorry, but I don’t think it’s necessary to name the culprit or the book. Joel does that for you. Actually, a large number of names and book titles could be inserted. There is too much dishonesty and poor teaching in the Churches today.
“Theological fraud.” Those are strong words for anyone and more so for Joel. He is known for his humble approach when criticizing other Christians. He is always careful and respectful. We find the same here, but you do see his passion for studying well and presenting the truth to readers, listeners, or viewers. The passion is warranted. The Western Church is plagued with a glut of prideful teachers who show very little respect for those they teach.
And frankly, shame on all of us who are too eager to listen to and accept poor interpretations and deceptive scripture twisting just to support false doctrines. But, to be fair, this kind of thing has been going on for thousands of years. It’s not just modern church leaders who are guilty. So often, the O.T. writers, inspired by the Lord, called out spiritual leaders who would feed themselves and starve the sheep of their respective flocks.
And of course, Jesus called out the scribes and Pharisees who were religious frauds as well.
Here is where Joel claims it’s theological fraud
Thank you Joel for calling out deceptive teachers.
He often says that he doesn’t enjoy calling out other teachers. Which I appreciate. But he does this to honor a personal call from God. As such, he is doing his best to see what God is doing now. With that focus, the Lord is preparing the Body of Christ for the tough days ahead. Joel and the Fai Ministry team are answering the call to help awaken the Church.
And now for us. What shall we do?
Beware: Theological Fraud – 1 Thessalonians 5:6
Beware: Theological Fraud – Romans 13:11
Young Samuel was born at such a time as we are seeing again.
I’m sure you are familiar with the story of young Samuel. Born to a distraught woman, unable to bare children. She begged the Lord to give her a child. He honored her request. And the boy Samuel came into a world that was steeped in spiritual corruption. A desperate woman prayed. And a boy was called by God to bring judgment to wickedly corrupt religious leaders.
1 Samuel chapter two:
The Sin of Eli’s Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were useless men they did not know the LORD.
13 And this was the custom of the priests with the people: when anyone was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was cooking, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.
14 And he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot. Everything that the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. They did so in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.
15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take cooked meat from you, only raw.”
16 And if the man said to him, “They must burn the fat first, then take as much as you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you must give it to me now. And if not, I am taking it by force!”
17 And so the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD disrespectfully.
Samuel before the LORD as a Boy
18 Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.
19 And his mother would make for him a little robe and bring it up to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the LORD give you children from this woman in place of the one she requested of the LORD.” And they went to their own home.
21 The LORD indeed visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up before the LORD.
Eli Rebukes His Sons
22 Now Eli was very old. And he heard about everything that his sons were doing to all Israel, and that they slept with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
23 So he said to them, “Why are you doing such things as these, the evil things that I hear from all these people?
24 No, my sons, for the report is not good which I hear the LORD’S people circulating.
25 If one person sins against another, God will mediate for him. But if a person sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the LORD desired to put them to death.
26 Now the boy Samuel was continuing to grow and to be in favor both with the LORD and with people.
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In Search of Antichrist
The mysterious man called the Antichrist struck fear in me the first several times I heard about him. The Exorcist movie was in the theatres around that time and I was foolish enough to watch it on the big screen. Since I was scared of the Antichrist before then, I was terrified after watching that sickening girl’s head spin around on her neck, spewing vomit, and cursing those ill-equipped priests who were in over their heads against the forces of darkness.
Yes, I was afraid, but so were a lot of us.
When I first heard about the Antichrist I was a young Christian attending Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa California. The Pastor, Chuck Smith, was an older man who had a strong appeal to the growing masses of young believers who were attending his church. I liked his teaching style as did a lot of us teens and young adults. Every week the church was full of young people like me who flocked to the church.
Let me know what you think.