An Unqualified Defense: A Review of Stephen Furtick’s (Un)Qualified

Posted on by markwchristy
By Mark W. Christy, PhD Furtick, Stephen. (Un)Qualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things. Multnomah: 2016. In a Q&A Session at the 2012 Shepherd’s Conference, John Macarthur was asked about his view of Stephen Furtick, the pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. In response, Macarthur offered a one-word response, “unqualified”.[i] Given that this conference was focused on the pastoral ministry, it should be clear that Macarthur is offering his assessment of Furtick’s ...
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A Warning from Hebrews to Those Who Call Themselves Christians

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Hebrews 10:22-27 “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing ...
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Satan’s Hermeneutic: A Lesson from How the Devil Used the Bible to Tempt Jesus

Posted on by markwchristy
In a recent article series, the belief statement from a Prosperity Gospel was carefully studied and ultimately determined to be misguided (see https://battlehardenedbeliever.com/?p=859). In a nutshell, their statement employed Scripture that in general discussed God’s temporal blessings of the faithful and declared them to be certain in a believer’s life. While these verses did most certainly support the belief that God delights in blessing His people even during their earthly existence, these ...
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Should Believers Expect Blessings in Regard to Finances, Health, and Success? (Part 5 of Interaction with the Belief Statement of a Prosperity Gospel Church)

Posted on by markwchristy
While giving a sermon at a local SBC church in Shreveport, the pastor mentioned his joyful willingness to partner a local church called the Word of God Ministries. Honestly, the name alone drew my attention as it suggests affiliation with the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movements. Given this concern, it made sense to tour their website (See link in 1st endnote) and determine whether or not grounds existed to support my suspicion. On their website, I accessed their belief statement which...
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Should Believers Expect Blessings in Regard to Finances, Health, and Success? (Part 4 of Interaction with the Belief Statement of a Prosperity Gospel Church)

Posted on by markwchristy
While giving a sermon at a local SBC church in Shreveport, the pastor mentioned his joyful willingness to partner a local church called the Word of God Ministries. Honestly, the name alone drew my attention as it suggests affiliation with the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movements. Given this concern, it made sense to tour their website (See link in 1st endnote) and determine whether or not grounds existed to support my suspicion. On their website, I accessed their belief statement which...
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Preaching: The Call to Excellence Rather Than Success

Posted on by markwchristy
2 Timothy, written around A.D. 66, was Paul’s last epistle (cf. 4:6). At that time, Paul was imprisoned and treated like a criminal (2 Tim 1:16; 2:9). He was abandoned by all except one of the Christian brothers, Onesiphorus.[1] In this letter, he addresses Timothy who was serving in Ephesus. From both epistles to Timothy, it is clear that the Ephesians were still struggling with doctrinal issues which is somewhat surprising since Paul had ministered there for three years in the past. Sadly,...
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Should Believers Expect Blessings in Regard to Finances, Health, and Success? (Part 3 of Interaction with the Belief Statement of a Prosperity Gospel Church)

Posted on by markwchristy
While giving a sermon at a local SBC church in Shreveport, the pastor mentioned his joyful willingness to partner a local church called the Word of God Ministries. Honestly, the name alone drew my attention as it suggests affiliation with the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movements. Given this concern, it made sense to tour their website (See link in 1st endnote) and determine whether or not grounds existed to support my suspicion. On their website, I accessed their belief statement which...
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Should Believers Expect Blessings in Regard to Finances, Health, and Success? (Part 2 of Interaction with the Belief Statement of a Prosperity Gospel Church)

Posted on by markwchristy
While giving a sermon at a local SBC church in Shreveport, the pastor mentioned his joyful willingness to partner a local church called the Word of God Ministries. Honestly, the name alone drew my attention as it suggests affiliation with the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movements. Given this concern, it made sense to tour their website (See link in 1st endnote) and determine whether or not grounds existed to support my suspicion. On their website, I accessed their belief statement which...
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Why Does Jesus Call His Disciples Evil?

Posted on by markwchristy
“So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13 NASB) When speaking to disciples and giving instructions to them in regard to how to pray, Jesus refers to them as “being evil”. Here, He is not discussing their actions but their natures. As Christ-followers, the disciples were rightfully labelled in this manner because their flesh is still a part of this world and unde...
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