The blog below is written by one of my student's who has been thinking on the challenge that faces us of the Emergent church. I think he gives an interesting perspective.
Jeremy says:
I have read an article on Rob Bell not being affiliated with The Emergent movement, but the article did note some of the issues with his writing. Like I said before, to read his first book will help me understand this big picture issue.
I was thinking today; generally Christians will not think about the potential falsehood of a human writing. They will however generally defend what they agree with. In the emergent books that you've talked about a standard among criticisms deals with postmodernism's relative truth and whatever you call the lack of absolute truth(probably just "relative"?). Perhaps the best counter to this is to build the foundations of absolute truth to all believers before the call to actually argue discrepancies in doctrine in a public setting. It's funny how people will change their mind so quickly when they figure something out themselves as compared to having someone tell them about the facts.
I think that foundations go a long way. Even as developed believers we need to hone our foundations so they don't lose their strength. Emergent pastors bring up a great point. Our culture is post-modern. What can we do about it? Go down to the basement, dig up the old material we learned and taught when we first started our walk on God's perfect path and fill it back in with the only thing that fits. His word.
I was thinking about an analogy when these thoughts of fundamentals and foundations came to mind. The basement that I'm working on with my dad's business. The foundation of this home is old, really old. It's strong enough to support the house, that's for sure, but the problem is that over the years it’s been overlooked and weathered too. Now we're digging it all out and filling it back in with the same stuff that it was built with, mortar. Only its fresh, strong and its going to last another age and probably a few generations before it needs taken care of. When it was first built the joints in between the stones were small and many stones sat in between the larger ones. Now that we've dug the old dusty mortar out most of the small stones have come with them. The new mortar fills the holes of the old joints and fills the holes of the small stones.
In the same way when we are saved we start to take an interest in things eternal and we [usually] start studying God's word. We build up our faith on everything that happens to us during that time. Definite and indefinite. Later in life when we re-examine ourselves or question whether or not what we believe is sound, or structurally sound. We start to take a huge interest in our foundation. It's natural to set the things that we found were dubious and false aside and mentally block their existence. As if we would be wrong to have found the complete truth. In the end we have a stronger man of God and a more sound faith.
Foundations are always important. Whether they are idlely supporting us or actively being built or repaired. The point is, we must examine the stone walls of our current self.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Jesus' Body Found -- Give Me a Break!
There is about to be a bunch of hoohaa over this documentary coming out claiming they found the tomb of Jesus and His family. I figure I would put up an article by someone that has a very strong reputation in the Christian setting. Please read below, and then do not fret, this is just an old claim being rehashed. History repeating itself.
By Kerby Anderson Posted on www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com: 02/27/2007
Tales from the Crypt
Do we have the bones of Jesus?
by Kerby Anderson
The last week in February started out with an incredible announcement. James Cameron (director of the film “Titanic”) and Simcha Jacobovici announced that they have found the bones of Jesus! At their news conference, they promoted their Discovery Channel special “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” that will air on March 4th and also promoted the book by Simcha Jacobovici and Charles Pellegrino entitled The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History released by Harper-Collins.
The foundational claim is that they have discovered the family tomb of Jesus Christ. But is this really the tomb of Jesus or his family? There are many good reasons to believe this tomb has no relationship at all to Jesus and his family. Many are asking what to think about these claims. Therefore, I put together a quick two-page summary of some of the criticisms and concerns that surfaced in the first few hours after the announcement. Before we look at those criticisms, let’s first review the history of this tomb.
We have known about this tomb since it was discovered in 1980. Back then,
Israeli construction workers were digging the foundation for a new building in a Jerusalem suburb. Their digging revealed a cave with ten limestone ossuaries. Archeologists removed the limestone caskets for examination.
When they were able to decipher the names on the ten ossuaries, they found: Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua. At the time, one of Israel’s most prominent archeologists (Professor Amos Kloner) didn’t associate the crypt with Jesus. He rightly argued that the father of Jesus was a humble carpenter who couldn’t afford a luxury crypt for his family. Moreover, the names on the crypt were common Jewish names.
All of this hasn’t stopped James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici from promoting the tomb as the family tomb of Jesus. They claim to have evidence (through DNA tests, archeological evidence, and Biblical studies) to prove that the ten ossuaries belong to Jesus and his family. They also argue that Jesus and Mary Magdalene might have produced a son named Judah. However, a number of biblical scholars say this is a really just an old story now being recycled in an effort to create a media phenomenon that will sell books and guarantee a large audience for the television special.
First, does it really make sense that this would be the family tomb of Jesus? Remember that Jesus was in Jerusalem as a pilgrim and was not a resident of the city. How would his family be able to buy this tomb? As we already mentioned, Joseph (who probably was not alive and died in Galilee) and his family did not have the funds to buy such an elaborate burial site. Moreover, they were from out of town and would need time to find this tomb location. To accept this theory, one has to believe they stole the body of Jesus and moved it to this tomb in a suburb of Jerusalem all within about a day’s time.
Second, if this is the family tomb of Jesus and his family, why is Jesus referred to as the “son of Joseph?” As far as we can determine from history, the earliest followers of Jesus never called Jesus the “son of Joseph.” The record of history is that it was only outsiders who mistakenly called him that.
Third, if this is the family tomb of Jesus, why do we have the name of Matthew listed with the rest of the family? If this is the Matthew that traveled with Jesus, then he certainly was not a family member. And you would have to wonder why James (who remained in Jerusalem) would allow these inscriptions as well as allow the family to move the body from Jerusalem to this tomb and perpetrate a hoax that Jesus bodily rose from the grave. Also, the fourth-century church historian Eusebius writes that the body of James (the half-brother of Jesus) was buried alone near the temple mount and that his tomb was visited in the early centuries.
Fourth, there is the problem with the common names on the tombs. Researchers have cataloged the most common names at the time. The ten most common were: Simon/Simeon, Joseph, Eleazar, Judah, John/Yohanan, Jesus, Hananiah, Jonathan, Matthew, and Manaen/Menahem. These are some of the names found on the ossuaries and thus suggest that the tomb belonged to someone other than Jesus of Nazareth and his family. In fact, the name Jesus appears in 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries.
Finally there is the question of the DNA testing. Apparently there is evidence that shows that the DNA from the woman (in what they say is the Mary Magdalene ossuary) and the DNA from the so-called Jesus ossuary does not match. So they argue that they were not relatives and thus must have been married.
But does the DNA evidence really prove that? It does not prove she is his wife. In fact, we really don’t even know who in the ossuaries are related to the other. Moreover, we do not have an independent DNA control sample to compare these findings with. At best, the DNA evidence shows that some of these people are related and some are not.
All of this looks like sensationalism from Simcha Jacobovici (who has a reputation as an Indiana-Jones type) and James Cameron (the director of the “Titanic.”). The publicity is certain to sell books and draw a television audience, but it is not good history or archaeology.
Distributed by www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com
By Kerby Anderson Posted on www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com: 02/27/2007
Tales from the Crypt
Do we have the bones of Jesus?
by Kerby Anderson
The last week in February started out with an incredible announcement. James Cameron (director of the film “Titanic”) and Simcha Jacobovici announced that they have found the bones of Jesus! At their news conference, they promoted their Discovery Channel special “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” that will air on March 4th and also promoted the book by Simcha Jacobovici and Charles Pellegrino entitled The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence That Could Change History released by Harper-Collins.
The foundational claim is that they have discovered the family tomb of Jesus Christ. But is this really the tomb of Jesus or his family? There are many good reasons to believe this tomb has no relationship at all to Jesus and his family. Many are asking what to think about these claims. Therefore, I put together a quick two-page summary of some of the criticisms and concerns that surfaced in the first few hours after the announcement. Before we look at those criticisms, let’s first review the history of this tomb.
We have known about this tomb since it was discovered in 1980. Back then,
Israeli construction workers were digging the foundation for a new building in a Jerusalem suburb. Their digging revealed a cave with ten limestone ossuaries. Archeologists removed the limestone caskets for examination.
When they were able to decipher the names on the ten ossuaries, they found: Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua. At the time, one of Israel’s most prominent archeologists (Professor Amos Kloner) didn’t associate the crypt with Jesus. He rightly argued that the father of Jesus was a humble carpenter who couldn’t afford a luxury crypt for his family. Moreover, the names on the crypt were common Jewish names.
All of this hasn’t stopped James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici from promoting the tomb as the family tomb of Jesus. They claim to have evidence (through DNA tests, archeological evidence, and Biblical studies) to prove that the ten ossuaries belong to Jesus and his family. They also argue that Jesus and Mary Magdalene might have produced a son named Judah. However, a number of biblical scholars say this is a really just an old story now being recycled in an effort to create a media phenomenon that will sell books and guarantee a large audience for the television special.
First, does it really make sense that this would be the family tomb of Jesus? Remember that Jesus was in Jerusalem as a pilgrim and was not a resident of the city. How would his family be able to buy this tomb? As we already mentioned, Joseph (who probably was not alive and died in Galilee) and his family did not have the funds to buy such an elaborate burial site. Moreover, they were from out of town and would need time to find this tomb location. To accept this theory, one has to believe they stole the body of Jesus and moved it to this tomb in a suburb of Jerusalem all within about a day’s time.
Second, if this is the family tomb of Jesus and his family, why is Jesus referred to as the “son of Joseph?” As far as we can determine from history, the earliest followers of Jesus never called Jesus the “son of Joseph.” The record of history is that it was only outsiders who mistakenly called him that.
Third, if this is the family tomb of Jesus, why do we have the name of Matthew listed with the rest of the family? If this is the Matthew that traveled with Jesus, then he certainly was not a family member. And you would have to wonder why James (who remained in Jerusalem) would allow these inscriptions as well as allow the family to move the body from Jerusalem to this tomb and perpetrate a hoax that Jesus bodily rose from the grave. Also, the fourth-century church historian Eusebius writes that the body of James (the half-brother of Jesus) was buried alone near the temple mount and that his tomb was visited in the early centuries.
Fourth, there is the problem with the common names on the tombs. Researchers have cataloged the most common names at the time. The ten most common were: Simon/Simeon, Joseph, Eleazar, Judah, John/Yohanan, Jesus, Hananiah, Jonathan, Matthew, and Manaen/Menahem. These are some of the names found on the ossuaries and thus suggest that the tomb belonged to someone other than Jesus of Nazareth and his family. In fact, the name Jesus appears in 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries.
Finally there is the question of the DNA testing. Apparently there is evidence that shows that the DNA from the woman (in what they say is the Mary Magdalene ossuary) and the DNA from the so-called Jesus ossuary does not match. So they argue that they were not relatives and thus must have been married.
But does the DNA evidence really prove that? It does not prove she is his wife. In fact, we really don’t even know who in the ossuaries are related to the other. Moreover, we do not have an independent DNA control sample to compare these findings with. At best, the DNA evidence shows that some of these people are related and some are not.
All of this looks like sensationalism from Simcha Jacobovici (who has a reputation as an Indiana-Jones type) and James Cameron (the director of the “Titanic.”). The publicity is certain to sell books and draw a television audience, but it is not good history or archaeology.
Distributed by www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com
Monday, February 26, 2007
Purpose of Christian Worldview: Our Minds
“Now I have no other desire than to love Jesus even unto folly.” – Little Flower of Lisieux.
G.K. Chesterton has said that the Christian man, or man of faith, must be prepared to not only be a martyr, but to also be a fool, as the world is not going to think like you.
We are called to have a different mindset from the rest of the world. The mindset is not only intellectual, but also spiritual. In order to have a Christian worldview the two have to go hand-in-hand and are intricately intertwined. So, what does it take to have these both focused in a Christian perspective? Paul who was a very intelligent man was called “out of his mind” by Festus, and Jesus, the smartest of all, was called a “madman” and “possessed.” Kind of makes at least one test to see if you are living as the Christians did in Biblical times. Are you seen as different in the way you see things as compared to others? Have you been called names? Today it could come off as a “tea-totaler,” “goody-two shoes,” “boring, and/or dull,” or my favorite, “you are just an intolerant Christian.” 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
“God will not make me think like Jesus, I have to do it myself; I have to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” – Oswald Chambers. We have to obediently go after Jesus. It is an undertaking and something that we have to commit to, and it is something that is not easy. Mark 8:34, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” This is a strong statement in the cost and the obedience. It would be like saying today, “. . . take up his electric chair/gas chamber, and follow Me.” We are to deny the things of the world and follow Christ.
There are those times in our daily lives when we are foolish and deserve the attacks, but if we are not continually growing we will never see the foolishness we commit, nor learn from it. Are you ready to be called a “madman” for God? How about foolish? Iacapne da Todi said, “It seems to me great wisdom in a man if he wishes to go mad for God.”
How do we develop the Christian thought style? Certainty, humility, spirituality, rationality, mystery, and intensity of Christian knowing are all styles of thought. We utilize all of these as we move towards taking a thought captive in our lives. All knowledge and truth are from God no matter whom it comes from in society. Learning truth and living it out is part of developing a Christian worldview lifestyle.
Knowledge comes from the Hebrew word, “to know,” which means, “to care for.” Meaning there is more to having a Christian mind then just knowing knowledge for knowledge’s sake. It means using that knowledge and caring for it appropriately. When we learn and know the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, soul, and mind; are we doing it? When we know that we are to love others as ourselves? Are we doing it? Caring for it is acting upon the knowledge that is laid down before us in the Word of God. “The wicked person, by contrast, understands all knowledge in relation only to himself or herself rather than to God and therefore ‘understands no such concern.’” The worldly person does not take care of what he/she knows, but only uses it for selfishness.
Apologetics, in my opinion, is one critical piece that today most Christians do not understand, nor do they utilize it effectively. Apologetics has slipped under the radar and has become complacent today, as it was referred to in the previous blog. We are struggling in the Evangelical circle with anti-intellectualism. We need to bring back intellect into our faith that is supported and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
What is apologetics? 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” As the verse says, it is a defense of the Bible, and what it is to be a Christian. Today churches are moving away from orthodoxy and it happens down a slippery slope. Without people learning what the Bible says in the right context we become susceptible to transient philosophies and unorthodox practices within the church.
We are too caught up today in victim playing, blaming, and acting in fear. We need to get our minds and hearts in line with what God says. What would happen if we started make a move towards moving our minds in a more a Christian intellectualism?
What do we need to add to our lives or turn away from so we can grow in Jesus?
Matt. 10:34-35, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;”
G.K. Chesterton has said that the Christian man, or man of faith, must be prepared to not only be a martyr, but to also be a fool, as the world is not going to think like you.
We are called to have a different mindset from the rest of the world. The mindset is not only intellectual, but also spiritual. In order to have a Christian worldview the two have to go hand-in-hand and are intricately intertwined. So, what does it take to have these both focused in a Christian perspective? Paul who was a very intelligent man was called “out of his mind” by Festus, and Jesus, the smartest of all, was called a “madman” and “possessed.” Kind of makes at least one test to see if you are living as the Christians did in Biblical times. Are you seen as different in the way you see things as compared to others? Have you been called names? Today it could come off as a “tea-totaler,” “goody-two shoes,” “boring, and/or dull,” or my favorite, “you are just an intolerant Christian.” 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
“God will not make me think like Jesus, I have to do it myself; I have to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” – Oswald Chambers. We have to obediently go after Jesus. It is an undertaking and something that we have to commit to, and it is something that is not easy. Mark 8:34, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” This is a strong statement in the cost and the obedience. It would be like saying today, “. . . take up his electric chair/gas chamber, and follow Me.” We are to deny the things of the world and follow Christ.
There are those times in our daily lives when we are foolish and deserve the attacks, but if we are not continually growing we will never see the foolishness we commit, nor learn from it. Are you ready to be called a “madman” for God? How about foolish? Iacapne da Todi said, “It seems to me great wisdom in a man if he wishes to go mad for God.”
How do we develop the Christian thought style? Certainty, humility, spirituality, rationality, mystery, and intensity of Christian knowing are all styles of thought. We utilize all of these as we move towards taking a thought captive in our lives. All knowledge and truth are from God no matter whom it comes from in society. Learning truth and living it out is part of developing a Christian worldview lifestyle.
Knowledge comes from the Hebrew word, “to know,” which means, “to care for.” Meaning there is more to having a Christian mind then just knowing knowledge for knowledge’s sake. It means using that knowledge and caring for it appropriately. When we learn and know the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, soul, and mind; are we doing it? When we know that we are to love others as ourselves? Are we doing it? Caring for it is acting upon the knowledge that is laid down before us in the Word of God. “The wicked person, by contrast, understands all knowledge in relation only to himself or herself rather than to God and therefore ‘understands no such concern.’” The worldly person does not take care of what he/she knows, but only uses it for selfishness.
Apologetics, in my opinion, is one critical piece that today most Christians do not understand, nor do they utilize it effectively. Apologetics has slipped under the radar and has become complacent today, as it was referred to in the previous blog. We are struggling in the Evangelical circle with anti-intellectualism. We need to bring back intellect into our faith that is supported and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
What is apologetics? 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” As the verse says, it is a defense of the Bible, and what it is to be a Christian. Today churches are moving away from orthodoxy and it happens down a slippery slope. Without people learning what the Bible says in the right context we become susceptible to transient philosophies and unorthodox practices within the church.
We are too caught up today in victim playing, blaming, and acting in fear. We need to get our minds and hearts in line with what God says. What would happen if we started make a move towards moving our minds in a more a Christian intellectualism?
What do we need to add to our lives or turn away from so we can grow in Jesus?
Matt. 10:34-35, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;”
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Emergent vs. Emerging
The video below is the first I have seen of this type of definition. If there is anyone else out there that has information on the definitions in the video that demonstrates what he is saying then I would appreciate it if you left it in a comment. I find it interesting to say the least.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Fits with Purpose!
This article could not have been more fitting for my blog I just wrote below. Demonstrates the mindset of a many in our culture. Do you think any other group would have gotten away with everything in this article if they were not rich, and popular and our culture was not so accepting of such sin.
http://sports.aol.com/whitlock/_a/mayhem-main-event-at-nba-all-star/20070220103009990001
Then read the blog below. Rather fitting.
http://sports.aol.com/whitlock/_a/mayhem-main-event-at-nba-all-star/20070220103009990001
Then read the blog below. Rather fitting.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Purpose of Christian Worldview Part 1: What it Isn't!
1 John 2:15-16, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
The literacy rate of more than half the population of the United States in 1994 was at the level of twelve-year olds, and most likely not much better today, and probably worse. Being focused on the world is a major reason for this scary reality.
Let me state up front that the areas we are going to discuss are not bad in and of themselves, but they have taken the Christian by storm and hampered any real relevance or growth.
When we look at our worldview we must first look at what worldly things are dominating our lives today and if they are in any way adding value to how we see life and our walks as believers. This will also give us an idea of what is not to pervade our lives and what we should be watching out for in how it affects our faith. As 1 John tells us, that if we love the things of the world then we sure are not loving Him, and His love is not in us.
Television has taken us from the age of reading and writing (exposition) to an age of being entertained constantly. T.V. has become most powerful and persuasive medium in our culture today, as it blends instant satisfaction with image. I believe the computer and video games are a near second. People tend to discuss their favorite shows, commercials, and what star is doing what and who is divorcing whom. As Os Guiness says, “The problem becomes not the mindlessness of T.V., but how it transforms our minds in to the life of the T.V. and entertainment.”
Television creates biases in how we look at the world. Understanding, responsibility and rationality are just three areas that television will corrupt your Christian worldview and start you down the secular worldview road. T.V. is devoid of context and gives a false reality of consequences, which are usually no consequences for our actions. It gives no time for reflection or debate of ideas as that is too slow and not entertaining enough. Lastly, truth is thrown out the window, as celebrity gives more credibility then real research and debate. Just watch a political debate or pay attention to all the turmoil in the news industry as the figure heads make up news and claim it as truth.
Think for moment to yourself and on average how many hours a day do you watch T.V.? What benefit did you gain from it?
By the time you were/are 20 you have seen 800,000 advertisements on the center piece all your furniture points too in your family room. What did they do before T.V.? Did they all point their furniture towards the radio? Of course what did they do before radio? I bet they had to look at each other and talk, and that is just crazy. This figure does not take into account all the billboards, computer pop-ups, radio, print or other forms of advertising we are flooded with on a daily basis.
This devalues individual thinking, discernment, which in turn keeps you from being an individual. We forget that advertising has no morals; they are amoral. They are only concerned with the bottom line, which means they have to get you to think how they want you to think. They need to you to buy what they put out there and believe they that you need it to live. Advertisers focus completely on the consumer, which makes me wonder why so much sex ads are out there if we are a Christian nation? Makes one wonder how much we are in love with the world and not our Creator. This creates a nation of people more interested in feeling then significance.
How many things do you own are from seeing an ad and thinking you had to have it? How much value has it added to your life? How does the Church fall prey to this?
Today one of the best selling items is anything that deals with our self-image. Whether it be the newest diet pill, meal or wonder drink, or it be the beer, car, house, or body spray that gets us the girl or guy. We are a nation fixated on ourselves. “Superficially is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.” – Richard J. Foster
This has caused a preoccupation with trendiness and being up to par with the culture around us. Self-image has also undermined Christian Speech today:
8% of the audience pay attention to the speech
42% pay attention to the speakers appearance
50% to how the person speaks
Style has overcome the substance (Os Guiness, Fit Bodies, Fat Minds).
Our obsession with self-image has also caused emptiness in our culture. What do most people compensate with when they feel empty? Sex and violence. What does the majority of our television shows have in them? One, the other or both. Try to find one that has neither one on television today, or for that matter a lot of the older shows. Just because it was more covered in the “Happy Day” era does not make it better. This has created a “Christian Lite” scenario, as image is always in the background and it destroys all significance. It permeates in our church today. Everyone seems to know if the pastor’s tie did not match, but ask them to give the key points in the sermon and they would have a hard time. We also see it with the debate of what should be acceptable to wear in church. Isn’t there more to worry about in our faith then what we look like?
We must be super Christians if we are at the point that we have to fixate on clothing in church. We look good, but we have no real faith, nor do we have any foundation for what we believe. Hopefully that counts for something when we stand before God. Look God I may not have been strong in my faith, or done much evangelizing, or living what Your Word commands, but didn’t I look good? What do you mean there is no points for being attractive or trendy? This clothing debate is in my opinion nothing but a rebellion of sorts and a self-image issue. How about we get off ourselves and start focusing on the One we should be longing to know better.
There are other issues today that permeate and are destroying our faith by worldly fashion. Post-Modernism’s main tenets (relativism in particular), the Emerging Church (challenging all central aspects of the faith), the Word of Faith movement (making us little gods), and plain lack of longing to know our Savior, Jesus Christ.
If what I described above is you then it is time to make some changes and commit to a Christian worldview. What is a Christian worldview? Check next week’s blog to find out. I can give you one hint that there will not be too much of the above in it.
James 1:26-27, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (emphasis mine).”
The literacy rate of more than half the population of the United States in 1994 was at the level of twelve-year olds, and most likely not much better today, and probably worse. Being focused on the world is a major reason for this scary reality.
Let me state up front that the areas we are going to discuss are not bad in and of themselves, but they have taken the Christian by storm and hampered any real relevance or growth.
When we look at our worldview we must first look at what worldly things are dominating our lives today and if they are in any way adding value to how we see life and our walks as believers. This will also give us an idea of what is not to pervade our lives and what we should be watching out for in how it affects our faith. As 1 John tells us, that if we love the things of the world then we sure are not loving Him, and His love is not in us.
Television has taken us from the age of reading and writing (exposition) to an age of being entertained constantly. T.V. has become most powerful and persuasive medium in our culture today, as it blends instant satisfaction with image. I believe the computer and video games are a near second. People tend to discuss their favorite shows, commercials, and what star is doing what and who is divorcing whom. As Os Guiness says, “The problem becomes not the mindlessness of T.V., but how it transforms our minds in to the life of the T.V. and entertainment.”
Television creates biases in how we look at the world. Understanding, responsibility and rationality are just three areas that television will corrupt your Christian worldview and start you down the secular worldview road. T.V. is devoid of context and gives a false reality of consequences, which are usually no consequences for our actions. It gives no time for reflection or debate of ideas as that is too slow and not entertaining enough. Lastly, truth is thrown out the window, as celebrity gives more credibility then real research and debate. Just watch a political debate or pay attention to all the turmoil in the news industry as the figure heads make up news and claim it as truth.
Think for moment to yourself and on average how many hours a day do you watch T.V.? What benefit did you gain from it?
By the time you were/are 20 you have seen 800,000 advertisements on the center piece all your furniture points too in your family room. What did they do before T.V.? Did they all point their furniture towards the radio? Of course what did they do before radio? I bet they had to look at each other and talk, and that is just crazy. This figure does not take into account all the billboards, computer pop-ups, radio, print or other forms of advertising we are flooded with on a daily basis.
This devalues individual thinking, discernment, which in turn keeps you from being an individual. We forget that advertising has no morals; they are amoral. They are only concerned with the bottom line, which means they have to get you to think how they want you to think. They need to you to buy what they put out there and believe they that you need it to live. Advertisers focus completely on the consumer, which makes me wonder why so much sex ads are out there if we are a Christian nation? Makes one wonder how much we are in love with the world and not our Creator. This creates a nation of people more interested in feeling then significance.
How many things do you own are from seeing an ad and thinking you had to have it? How much value has it added to your life? How does the Church fall prey to this?
Today one of the best selling items is anything that deals with our self-image. Whether it be the newest diet pill, meal or wonder drink, or it be the beer, car, house, or body spray that gets us the girl or guy. We are a nation fixated on ourselves. “Superficially is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.” – Richard J. Foster
This has caused a preoccupation with trendiness and being up to par with the culture around us. Self-image has also undermined Christian Speech today:
8% of the audience pay attention to the speech
42% pay attention to the speakers appearance
50% to how the person speaks
Style has overcome the substance (Os Guiness, Fit Bodies, Fat Minds).
Our obsession with self-image has also caused emptiness in our culture. What do most people compensate with when they feel empty? Sex and violence. What does the majority of our television shows have in them? One, the other or both. Try to find one that has neither one on television today, or for that matter a lot of the older shows. Just because it was more covered in the “Happy Day” era does not make it better. This has created a “Christian Lite” scenario, as image is always in the background and it destroys all significance. It permeates in our church today. Everyone seems to know if the pastor’s tie did not match, but ask them to give the key points in the sermon and they would have a hard time. We also see it with the debate of what should be acceptable to wear in church. Isn’t there more to worry about in our faith then what we look like?
We must be super Christians if we are at the point that we have to fixate on clothing in church. We look good, but we have no real faith, nor do we have any foundation for what we believe. Hopefully that counts for something when we stand before God. Look God I may not have been strong in my faith, or done much evangelizing, or living what Your Word commands, but didn’t I look good? What do you mean there is no points for being attractive or trendy? This clothing debate is in my opinion nothing but a rebellion of sorts and a self-image issue. How about we get off ourselves and start focusing on the One we should be longing to know better.
There are other issues today that permeate and are destroying our faith by worldly fashion. Post-Modernism’s main tenets (relativism in particular), the Emerging Church (challenging all central aspects of the faith), the Word of Faith movement (making us little gods), and plain lack of longing to know our Savior, Jesus Christ.
If what I described above is you then it is time to make some changes and commit to a Christian worldview. What is a Christian worldview? Check next week’s blog to find out. I can give you one hint that there will not be too much of the above in it.
James 1:26-27, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (emphasis mine).”
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Hurley Catches the Spirit--How About You!!
Pastor Rick Hurley is excited about where Graystone is going and what is happening within it's walls. Come and see what all the excitement is all about if you are not already a member. If you want to be at a church where you can Enjoy God, be part of building others, engaging the world for the cause of Christ, being discipled and helping make disciples, and going out into the mission field local or the rest of the world then you want to be part of our family at Graystone Church.
Come engage your mind and your heart. See what it is like to be excited about following the Bible and enjoying a deeper relationship with Christ.
Check Graystone out at www.graystonechurch.net.
Come engage your mind and your heart. See what it is like to be excited about following the Bible and enjoying a deeper relationship with Christ.
Check Graystone out at www.graystonechurch.net.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Two Things to be Thankful for:
This was sent to me in an email and I found it very interesting and worthy of thought.
In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-Americansentiment and negativity, we should remember England's PrimeMinister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked byone of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, hesaid:
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how manywant in... And how many want out." Only two defining forces haveever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G.
I.One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.AMEN!
In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-Americansentiment and negativity, we should remember England's PrimeMinister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked byone of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, hesaid:
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how manywant in... And how many want out." Only two defining forces haveever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G.
I.One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.AMEN!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Scary Stuff
I watched a video this morning that gets to the core in a lot of ways with the emerging church movement. In this video you will see how little they care for orthodox Christian beliefs. According to this group, if you are a conservative Christian then you are only concerned with power and money and basically not a "real" Christian. Jesus is a liberal socialist who only cares about the issues of the times, which is love, peace and environmental issues, and not really about things eternal.
I will also warn you that they like to use swear words to talk about their deep commitment to Christ and their new movement. Make sure young children are not listening if you decide to watch this 11 minute video.
I will also warn you that they like to use swear words to talk about their deep commitment to Christ and their new movement. Make sure young children are not listening if you decide to watch this 11 minute video.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
The Purposeful Mind
What are younger generation of Christians are saying today:
63% do not believe Jesus is the Son of the true God.
58% believe all faiths teach equally valid truths.
51% do not believe Jesus rose from the dead.
65% do not believe Satan is a real entity.
68% Do not believe the Holy Spirit is a real entity. (Barna Research Group).
Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
What these young believers are saying is that their minds are not truly renewed, and they have been mislead somewhere by the church, friends and/or parents – the world. We are all to blame for this and there seems to be a real issue here. We are not teaching nor demonstrating how to respond to our world a purposeful mind.
There are only several ways that we can demonstrate how we are going to live out our faith. We can choose to live with a depraved mind that focuses first and foremost on the world and what it deems as important. You will be more worried about your looks, grades, money, reputation then the things of God. You base who you are on how the world sees you instead how Christ sees you. Probably more worried about the judgment of the world then the judgment of God. The Word of God tells us there is not a happy ending to this outlook. Romans 8:6-8, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” If you goal is to be an enemy of God then I would choose this path.
The next choice is responding with a lukewarm purpose. If you want to be lukewarm then you will play on both sides of the fence. The only difference between this purpose and the depraved mind is they want the acceptance of the church as well as the world. Your idea of spirituality is to attend church once in a while, probably during the Easter and Christmas season. If necessary maybe a couple of other times throughout the year to keep up appearance. You know the Christian jargon and how to use it to appear that you are spiritual. You will at times get involved in a church activity to make sure you are doing good deeds, as this will even out the worldly you do the rest of the time. Your personal spiritual life is sporadic prayer and Bible reading. Praying is mainly left before meals and if something is going wrong in your life and is typically never to truly develop a relationship with the Savior. Bible reading is when there is nothing left or possibly because you read one of those daily devotions with a verse, but otherwise you do not engage the word of God and use it as a love letter to you from the Alpha and Omega.
God tells us very directly what He will give as a response to the lukewarm at the day of judgment. Rev. 3:16, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” Matthew 7: 22-23, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” There is nothing left to add to this response. Being a lukewarm Christian is not something that God smiles at.
Lastly, there is the mind that sees its purpose as Christ, and reflects on Him daily. 1 Peter 1:13-16, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” We are to conform to the things of Christ.
This person reflects on the Word of God daily, prays to grow closer to God and not just for things (Genie in the lamp syndrome). A mind of God belongs and participates in church, because it is the fellowship of believers. Their worldview is guided by the Holy Spirit and they are able to hear Him because their mind is filled with Scripture and followed up with prayer. When you are praised you remember your gifts come from God and you are thankful for the opportunity to serve Him in any fashion He deems. You experience joy and not selfish pride. Loving others even in the face of criticism, and remembering that God supports what you do because you are following what He says over people or the world, continually remembering that God hates the things of this world.
Who you want to be is up to you, but there is only one way that God praises and accepts. It is the person who strives to be holy because the I AM is holy. You must choose and the choice will be very apparent by the way you live your life. Are you more worried about the world or the One who saved you from an eternity in Hell? Would you rather be accepted by the world temporarily or eternally by God? Now is the time to choose, and to not choose is really choosing the world. To remain stagnant in whether or not you are choosing Christ is to not choose Him. You are either for God or against Him. There is no middle ground.
Would our younger generation believe the things they do if we were choosing purpose that God wants for us? Would we see a change in who they are and what they believe? Only one way to find out! It is time for us to reject the world and accept Christ and His ways laid out in the Bible. Start engaging your hearts and your minds, conforming them to Christ and not the world.
“We often want to be able to hear guidance from God about important decisions such a whom to marry or what job to take. But we also want to reserve the right to feed our minds on whatever junk comes along.” – John Ortberg
63% do not believe Jesus is the Son of the true God.
58% believe all faiths teach equally valid truths.
51% do not believe Jesus rose from the dead.
65% do not believe Satan is a real entity.
68% Do not believe the Holy Spirit is a real entity. (Barna Research Group).
Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
What these young believers are saying is that their minds are not truly renewed, and they have been mislead somewhere by the church, friends and/or parents – the world. We are all to blame for this and there seems to be a real issue here. We are not teaching nor demonstrating how to respond to our world a purposeful mind.
There are only several ways that we can demonstrate how we are going to live out our faith. We can choose to live with a depraved mind that focuses first and foremost on the world and what it deems as important. You will be more worried about your looks, grades, money, reputation then the things of God. You base who you are on how the world sees you instead how Christ sees you. Probably more worried about the judgment of the world then the judgment of God. The Word of God tells us there is not a happy ending to this outlook. Romans 8:6-8, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” If you goal is to be an enemy of God then I would choose this path.
The next choice is responding with a lukewarm purpose. If you want to be lukewarm then you will play on both sides of the fence. The only difference between this purpose and the depraved mind is they want the acceptance of the church as well as the world. Your idea of spirituality is to attend church once in a while, probably during the Easter and Christmas season. If necessary maybe a couple of other times throughout the year to keep up appearance. You know the Christian jargon and how to use it to appear that you are spiritual. You will at times get involved in a church activity to make sure you are doing good deeds, as this will even out the worldly you do the rest of the time. Your personal spiritual life is sporadic prayer and Bible reading. Praying is mainly left before meals and if something is going wrong in your life and is typically never to truly develop a relationship with the Savior. Bible reading is when there is nothing left or possibly because you read one of those daily devotions with a verse, but otherwise you do not engage the word of God and use it as a love letter to you from the Alpha and Omega.
God tells us very directly what He will give as a response to the lukewarm at the day of judgment. Rev. 3:16, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” Matthew 7: 22-23, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” There is nothing left to add to this response. Being a lukewarm Christian is not something that God smiles at.
Lastly, there is the mind that sees its purpose as Christ, and reflects on Him daily. 1 Peter 1:13-16, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” We are to conform to the things of Christ.
This person reflects on the Word of God daily, prays to grow closer to God and not just for things (Genie in the lamp syndrome). A mind of God belongs and participates in church, because it is the fellowship of believers. Their worldview is guided by the Holy Spirit and they are able to hear Him because their mind is filled with Scripture and followed up with prayer. When you are praised you remember your gifts come from God and you are thankful for the opportunity to serve Him in any fashion He deems. You experience joy and not selfish pride. Loving others even in the face of criticism, and remembering that God supports what you do because you are following what He says over people or the world, continually remembering that God hates the things of this world.
Who you want to be is up to you, but there is only one way that God praises and accepts. It is the person who strives to be holy because the I AM is holy. You must choose and the choice will be very apparent by the way you live your life. Are you more worried about the world or the One who saved you from an eternity in Hell? Would you rather be accepted by the world temporarily or eternally by God? Now is the time to choose, and to not choose is really choosing the world. To remain stagnant in whether or not you are choosing Christ is to not choose Him. You are either for God or against Him. There is no middle ground.
Would our younger generation believe the things they do if we were choosing purpose that God wants for us? Would we see a change in who they are and what they believe? Only one way to find out! It is time for us to reject the world and accept Christ and His ways laid out in the Bible. Start engaging your hearts and your minds, conforming them to Christ and not the world.
“We often want to be able to hear guidance from God about important decisions such a whom to marry or what job to take. But we also want to reserve the right to feed our minds on whatever junk comes along.” – John Ortberg
Emerging News
I would typically just put this on my news blog, www.drfuzzy.blogspot.com, but because of the information provided I find it to be worth putting on my opinion site. I fully agree with this particular commentator and also encourage Christian leaders to start standing up and defending our faith that is under attack right within our church.
By Brannon Howse Posted: 02/11/2007
The Emerging Apostasy Among Some Kids Who Should Know Better
By Brannon S. Howse
The last time I checked, 1 Timothy 3:5 was still in the Bible, and it should be making a lot of evangelical leaders squirm. The verse is a parenthetical comment about qualifications for a church leader: “(If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?)” Unfortunately, the squirm factor is missing virtually everywhere you look.
Many now-prominent adult children of long-prominent evangelical leaders are enmeshed in an oppressive affair with the Emerging Church. EC authors and pastors are extremely popular with these children, and it’s recently dawned on me that this just may explain why so many of the aforesaid leaders remain strangely silent on the bizarre and unbiblical spirituality of the Emerging Church movement.
These leaders (I could name names but won’t) have had no compunction about going after Bill and Hillary, Nancy Pelosi, the NEA, ACLU, and liberal judges. But the EC has largely received a huge pass despite the fact that some of its authors and leaders see no problem with abortion, homosexuality, big government, socialism, and radical environmentalism. As this condition demonstrates, there are Christian celebrities among us who are more interested in reclaiming Congress than they are the church. I even fear that if you ask some of these folks about a few doctrinal points—like how we know the Bible is true, how we know Jesus rose from the dead, and how we know Jesus is God—you would get nothing but a blank stare in return. At least they might be able to update you on the latest political news and legislation, and tell you who is secretary of state, secretary of defense—and probably attorney general, too.
Although I’m reluctant to bring up names of the leaders for whom I still harbor at least a sentimental level of respect, there is an EC name you should know about—if for no other reason than to guard against the influence of his rising popularity. Rob Bell is a favorite of several adult-children-of-evangelical-leaders. He’s the author of an extremely popular book, Velvet Elvis, and has produced Nooma, an avant-garde DVD series viewed in thousands of churches across the country.
In “Emergent Mystique,” a recent article in Christianity Today, Bell admits to a new view of Scripture (hint: it’s not so divine any more) and credits his changed views on the Bible and Christianity to a book by EC guru Brian McLaren. As the title of McLaren’s book suggests, Bell is apparently now A New Kind of Christian. To give you a flavor of this “newness,” I’ve included below an extended excerpt from the CT article. This is as emergent as it gets:
"…these Wheaton College sweethearts [Bell and his wife, Kristen] have more on their minds than just cultural adaptation. “This is not just the same old message with new methods,” Rob says. “We’re rediscovering Christianity as an Eastern religion, as a way of life. Legal metaphors for faith don’t deliver a way of life. We grew up in churches where people knew the nine verses why we don’t speak in tongues, but had never experienced the overwhelming presence of God.”
In fact, as the Bells describe it, after launching Mars Hill in 1999, they found themselves increasingly uncomfortable with church. “Life in the church had become so small,” Kristen says. “It had worked for me for a long time. Then it stopped working.” The Bells started questioning their assumptions about the Bible itself—“discovering the Bible as a human product,” as Rob puts it, rather than the product of divine fiat. “The Bible is still in the center for us,” Rob says, “but it’s a different kind of center. We want to embrace mystery, rather than conquer it.”
“I grew up thinking that we've figured out the Bible,” Kristen says, “that we knew what it means. Now I have no idea what most of it means. And yet I feel like life is big again—like life used to be black and white, and now it’s in color.”
The more I talk with the Bells, the more aware I am that they are telling me a conversion narrative—not a story of salvation in the strict sense, but of having been delivered from a small life into a big life. The Bells, who flourished at evangelical institutions from Wheaton to Fuller Theological Seminary to Grand Rapids’ Calvary Church before starting Mars Hill, were by their own account happy and successful young evangelicals. Yet that very world, as the Bells tell it, became constricting—in Kristen’s phrase, “black and white.”
An earlier generation of evangelicals, forged in battles with 20th-century liberalism, prided themselves on avoiding theological shades of gray, but their children see black, white, and gray as all equally unlifelike. They are looking for a faith that is colorful enough for their culturally savvy friends, deep enough for mystery, big enough for their own doubts. To get there, they are willing to abandon some long-defended battle lines.
“Weak is the new strong,” it turns out, is not just Rob Bell’s knowing reference to the world of fashion, nor just his clever reframing of Paul’s message of Christlike life. It’s a roadmap for a new way of doing church, even a big church. And how did the Bells find their way out of the black-and-white world where they had been so successful and so dissatisfied? “Our lifeboat,” Kristen says, “was A New Kind of Christian.”"
…To this day McLaren continues to receive grateful e-mails from readers. The book also confirmed the intuitions of many who sensed that major changes were under way in the culture. By offering a fundamentally hopeful, rather than despairing or defensive, reading of those changes, McLaren staked out an attractive position for young people like Rob and Kristen Bell.
Many evangelical and pro-family leaders are either asleep at the wheel or deliberately hiding in tall grass because calling EC people on the carpet would hit too close to home. But these guys need to find a voice and the courage of their convictions or get off the stage.
If today’s Christian and evangelical leaders will not join in defending the true Gospel, the inerrancy of Scripture, and essential Christian doctrines, then I say the real goal of these leaders is unity—and maintaining big organizations, popular radio programs, their own celebrity status, comfortable salaries, and profitable book sales—at the expense of truth. And though I may applaud their efforts to fight a particular lady running for president, even that is secondary.
Fighting the liberal left outside the church has become big business and big money. Fighting the liberal left inside the church requires the courage of Luther, nailing right doctrine on the door, and risking the fallout. If the kind of sell-out we see can happen among well-known evangelical and pro-family leaders, it’s no wonder Jesus asked the question, “When I return will I find true faith?”
[Here's a link to the Rob Bell article that originally appeared in Christianity Today: http://culture-makers.com/articles/the_emergent_mystique]
Distributed by www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com
By Brannon Howse Posted: 02/11/2007
The Emerging Apostasy Among Some Kids Who Should Know Better
By Brannon S. Howse
The last time I checked, 1 Timothy 3:5 was still in the Bible, and it should be making a lot of evangelical leaders squirm. The verse is a parenthetical comment about qualifications for a church leader: “(If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?)” Unfortunately, the squirm factor is missing virtually everywhere you look.
Many now-prominent adult children of long-prominent evangelical leaders are enmeshed in an oppressive affair with the Emerging Church. EC authors and pastors are extremely popular with these children, and it’s recently dawned on me that this just may explain why so many of the aforesaid leaders remain strangely silent on the bizarre and unbiblical spirituality of the Emerging Church movement.
These leaders (I could name names but won’t) have had no compunction about going after Bill and Hillary, Nancy Pelosi, the NEA, ACLU, and liberal judges. But the EC has largely received a huge pass despite the fact that some of its authors and leaders see no problem with abortion, homosexuality, big government, socialism, and radical environmentalism. As this condition demonstrates, there are Christian celebrities among us who are more interested in reclaiming Congress than they are the church. I even fear that if you ask some of these folks about a few doctrinal points—like how we know the Bible is true, how we know Jesus rose from the dead, and how we know Jesus is God—you would get nothing but a blank stare in return. At least they might be able to update you on the latest political news and legislation, and tell you who is secretary of state, secretary of defense—and probably attorney general, too.
Although I’m reluctant to bring up names of the leaders for whom I still harbor at least a sentimental level of respect, there is an EC name you should know about—if for no other reason than to guard against the influence of his rising popularity. Rob Bell is a favorite of several adult-children-of-evangelical-leaders. He’s the author of an extremely popular book, Velvet Elvis, and has produced Nooma, an avant-garde DVD series viewed in thousands of churches across the country.
In “Emergent Mystique,” a recent article in Christianity Today, Bell admits to a new view of Scripture (hint: it’s not so divine any more) and credits his changed views on the Bible and Christianity to a book by EC guru Brian McLaren. As the title of McLaren’s book suggests, Bell is apparently now A New Kind of Christian. To give you a flavor of this “newness,” I’ve included below an extended excerpt from the CT article. This is as emergent as it gets:
"…these Wheaton College sweethearts [Bell and his wife, Kristen] have more on their minds than just cultural adaptation. “This is not just the same old message with new methods,” Rob says. “We’re rediscovering Christianity as an Eastern religion, as a way of life. Legal metaphors for faith don’t deliver a way of life. We grew up in churches where people knew the nine verses why we don’t speak in tongues, but had never experienced the overwhelming presence of God.”
In fact, as the Bells describe it, after launching Mars Hill in 1999, they found themselves increasingly uncomfortable with church. “Life in the church had become so small,” Kristen says. “It had worked for me for a long time. Then it stopped working.” The Bells started questioning their assumptions about the Bible itself—“discovering the Bible as a human product,” as Rob puts it, rather than the product of divine fiat. “The Bible is still in the center for us,” Rob says, “but it’s a different kind of center. We want to embrace mystery, rather than conquer it.”
“I grew up thinking that we've figured out the Bible,” Kristen says, “that we knew what it means. Now I have no idea what most of it means. And yet I feel like life is big again—like life used to be black and white, and now it’s in color.”
The more I talk with the Bells, the more aware I am that they are telling me a conversion narrative—not a story of salvation in the strict sense, but of having been delivered from a small life into a big life. The Bells, who flourished at evangelical institutions from Wheaton to Fuller Theological Seminary to Grand Rapids’ Calvary Church before starting Mars Hill, were by their own account happy and successful young evangelicals. Yet that very world, as the Bells tell it, became constricting—in Kristen’s phrase, “black and white.”
An earlier generation of evangelicals, forged in battles with 20th-century liberalism, prided themselves on avoiding theological shades of gray, but their children see black, white, and gray as all equally unlifelike. They are looking for a faith that is colorful enough for their culturally savvy friends, deep enough for mystery, big enough for their own doubts. To get there, they are willing to abandon some long-defended battle lines.
“Weak is the new strong,” it turns out, is not just Rob Bell’s knowing reference to the world of fashion, nor just his clever reframing of Paul’s message of Christlike life. It’s a roadmap for a new way of doing church, even a big church. And how did the Bells find their way out of the black-and-white world where they had been so successful and so dissatisfied? “Our lifeboat,” Kristen says, “was A New Kind of Christian.”"
…To this day McLaren continues to receive grateful e-mails from readers. The book also confirmed the intuitions of many who sensed that major changes were under way in the culture. By offering a fundamentally hopeful, rather than despairing or defensive, reading of those changes, McLaren staked out an attractive position for young people like Rob and Kristen Bell.
Many evangelical and pro-family leaders are either asleep at the wheel or deliberately hiding in tall grass because calling EC people on the carpet would hit too close to home. But these guys need to find a voice and the courage of their convictions or get off the stage.
If today’s Christian and evangelical leaders will not join in defending the true Gospel, the inerrancy of Scripture, and essential Christian doctrines, then I say the real goal of these leaders is unity—and maintaining big organizations, popular radio programs, their own celebrity status, comfortable salaries, and profitable book sales—at the expense of truth. And though I may applaud their efforts to fight a particular lady running for president, even that is secondary.
Fighting the liberal left outside the church has become big business and big money. Fighting the liberal left inside the church requires the courage of Luther, nailing right doctrine on the door, and risking the fallout. If the kind of sell-out we see can happen among well-known evangelical and pro-family leaders, it’s no wonder Jesus asked the question, “When I return will I find true faith?”
[Here's a link to the Rob Bell article that originally appeared in Christianity Today: http://culture-makers.com/articles/the_emergent_mystique]
Distributed by www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Something to Laugh About!
Three boys are in the schoolyard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, "My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50. The second boy says, "That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, and they give him $100." The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!"
A police recruit was asked during the exam, "What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?" He answered, "Call for backup."
Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, "What do you think about all this Satan stuff?" The other boy replied, "Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your Dad.
A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class As she ran she prayed, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!" While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again. As she ran she once again began to pray, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late... But please don't shove me either!"
A police recruit was asked during the exam, "What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?" He answered, "Call for backup."
Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, "What do you think about all this Satan stuff?" The other boy replied, "Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your Dad.
A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class As she ran she prayed, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!" While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again. As she ran she once again began to pray, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late... But please don't shove me either!"
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Eve of Destruction
Here is a little video that was sent to me, which I found interesting enough to put on my blog. If you are reading this from facebook, you will have to come to my blog to see the video, www.aleris.blogspot.com.
Whether you like it or not it is a video that should get you thinking and praying. It also demonstrates the urgency for Christians to stand up and start evangelizing by living and preaching the Christ.
Matthew 28:16-20, "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (emphasis mine). And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Whether you like it or not it is a video that should get you thinking and praying. It also demonstrates the urgency for Christians to stand up and start evangelizing by living and preaching the Christ.
Matthew 28:16-20, "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (emphasis mine). And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Monday, February 05, 2007
As a Child!
“The person who is unwilling to leave the things of the world for the things of the Lord has no genuine desire for salvation.” – John MacArthur
Matthew 18:1-4, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
The disciples just prior to this were arguing amongst themselves as to who was the greatest. Can you imagine this scene? You are walking with Jesus, the Savior of the world, the Living God, and you and a bunch of your friends are arguing who is the greatest. Apparently Jesus was not even part of the conversation. Was His name even brought up in the argument?
Instead of just answering their question, Jesus calls a child to Himself and says that you must be as this child to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I wonder how much of an ego shot this would be to the disciples. He does not use any of them, but pulls a child out of the crowd. Ouch!!
He says we are to receive as a child, but what does that mean? Children are completely and totally dependent for all their needs. They are totally reliant on their parents for everything. Are children sinless? Absolutely not, and anyone that has been around a two or three year old will realize this within two minutes. But, children sin not from ambition or delusions of grandeur; their sin is usually from being naïve and unassuming. Where our sin is purposeful and selfish in nature, as we should know better.
Children also live in the moment, and are not consumed by the past or future. Their only concern is now, and even then they tend not to worry because they believe whole heartedly that their parents have it under control. Being a child of God we should be enjoying Christ in the moment right now. Now is the only moment we have. We cannot change the past and there is no promise of a future, but we have right now with our Savior. How are you enjoying Christ right now? Worrying, staying busy, lusting, envying, or just plain doing nothing.
All we have is now, so just as the child humble yourself and enjoy God in every moment. Recognizing that you only exist because He allows it. Every breath you take is because God loves you so much that He wants a relationship with you. We are not to ignore our responsibilities, but we are to remember the only reason we can do anything in this moment is because we have a God that cares about us as a child. I like how Jon Ortberg put it, “We are not meant to embrace moments, but to embrace God. Moments are not always good; God is never anything else but good. Moments are simply the place where we meet Him.” Are you meeting God in this moment right now?
This very moment with us here together is a gift from God. If you are going to be with God, you must be with Him everywhere, including this very moment. Wake up with God each morning and acknowledge your complete reliance upon Him, as you cannot live one moment without Him. Talk to Him throughout the day. Tell Christ your concerns, your joys, your worries, building that relationship. Ask Him to remove fear, laziness or whatever is standing in your way for the task at hand. Renew your invitation for God to spend the Day with you. Ask Him!!!
Lastly, believe that God wants to spend time with you. He does! Most of the time this will start in the mind, as this is where God communicates with us most. We build our relationship by reading Scripture, praying, spending time with other believers, as God will use all these different forms to speak to us. He will plant thoughts in your mind as you think upon Him.
What a wonderful thought. The God of the universe tells us that He wants us to be children of His.
“For Christians, the beginning of the day should not be burdened and haunted by the various kinds of concerns they face during the workday. The Lord stands above the new day, for God has made it. . . all restlessness, all impurity, all worry and anxiety flee before Him. Therefore, in the early morning hours of the day may our many thoughts and our many idle words be silent, and may the first thought and the first word belong to the one to whom our whole life belongs.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Matthew 18:1-4, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
The disciples just prior to this were arguing amongst themselves as to who was the greatest. Can you imagine this scene? You are walking with Jesus, the Savior of the world, the Living God, and you and a bunch of your friends are arguing who is the greatest. Apparently Jesus was not even part of the conversation. Was His name even brought up in the argument?
Instead of just answering their question, Jesus calls a child to Himself and says that you must be as this child to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I wonder how much of an ego shot this would be to the disciples. He does not use any of them, but pulls a child out of the crowd. Ouch!!
He says we are to receive as a child, but what does that mean? Children are completely and totally dependent for all their needs. They are totally reliant on their parents for everything. Are children sinless? Absolutely not, and anyone that has been around a two or three year old will realize this within two minutes. But, children sin not from ambition or delusions of grandeur; their sin is usually from being naïve and unassuming. Where our sin is purposeful and selfish in nature, as we should know better.
Children also live in the moment, and are not consumed by the past or future. Their only concern is now, and even then they tend not to worry because they believe whole heartedly that their parents have it under control. Being a child of God we should be enjoying Christ in the moment right now. Now is the only moment we have. We cannot change the past and there is no promise of a future, but we have right now with our Savior. How are you enjoying Christ right now? Worrying, staying busy, lusting, envying, or just plain doing nothing.
All we have is now, so just as the child humble yourself and enjoy God in every moment. Recognizing that you only exist because He allows it. Every breath you take is because God loves you so much that He wants a relationship with you. We are not to ignore our responsibilities, but we are to remember the only reason we can do anything in this moment is because we have a God that cares about us as a child. I like how Jon Ortberg put it, “We are not meant to embrace moments, but to embrace God. Moments are not always good; God is never anything else but good. Moments are simply the place where we meet Him.” Are you meeting God in this moment right now?
This very moment with us here together is a gift from God. If you are going to be with God, you must be with Him everywhere, including this very moment. Wake up with God each morning and acknowledge your complete reliance upon Him, as you cannot live one moment without Him. Talk to Him throughout the day. Tell Christ your concerns, your joys, your worries, building that relationship. Ask Him to remove fear, laziness or whatever is standing in your way for the task at hand. Renew your invitation for God to spend the Day with you. Ask Him!!!
Lastly, believe that God wants to spend time with you. He does! Most of the time this will start in the mind, as this is where God communicates with us most. We build our relationship by reading Scripture, praying, spending time with other believers, as God will use all these different forms to speak to us. He will plant thoughts in your mind as you think upon Him.
What a wonderful thought. The God of the universe tells us that He wants us to be children of His.
“For Christians, the beginning of the day should not be burdened and haunted by the various kinds of concerns they face during the workday. The Lord stands above the new day, for God has made it. . . all restlessness, all impurity, all worry and anxiety flee before Him. Therefore, in the early morning hours of the day may our many thoughts and our many idle words be silent, and may the first thought and the first word belong to the one to whom our whole life belongs.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Sunday, February 04, 2007
More Than Just a Super Bowl!!
Click on the picture to enlarge it.
It is nice to see two coaches who know where their success comes from.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
News Blog
I have started a news blog that will have stories and links to stories that I find either interesting, funny, or absurd. You decide which I am trying to convey. I will once in a while give my opinion on them, but mainly I will just list stories that you will probably not find in the local or national papers.
The link is: www.drfuzzy.blogspot.com
Enjoy.
The link is: www.drfuzzy.blogspot.com
Enjoy.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Hilarious Commercial!!
Warning, you will laugh hard. Remove all liquid from the vicinity before watching.
Again, I do not recommend everything on the site, but this commercial was very funny and sometimes you just need to laugh.
Enjoy. . . .
| Video and Code Provided by WhoIsTheMonkey.com |
Again, I do not recommend everything on the site, but this commercial was very funny and sometimes you just need to laugh.
Enjoy. . . .
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