Something Light - Two All Beef Patties

Book Brief - The Angel Experiment: Maximum Ride, Book 1

The Angel Experiment: Maximum Ride, Book 1
James Patterson
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2007)

“The thing about facing imminent death is that it really snaps everything else into perspective.”

With an opening line like that I had “maximum” expectations for this book. Unfortunately, the “ride” goes downhill from there.

Max and his “flock” can fly, literally. They are unusually strong and have other talents that are emerging as they grow and encounter trials in their “flight” from home. It soon becomes obvious that they are the result of some recombinant DNA technology by scientists from the School. The youngest of the “flock” is captured and the rest of the novel relates the tale of her rescue as Max and the others try to save her, and themselves, from the scientists and their henchmen, a human/wolf mutant species known as the Erasers.

There is really nothing new here, at least compared to the typical, “written like a movie”, young adult fare of today. Parents are “total scuzzes”. “Grown-ups are the ones destroying the world...” and kids are the only ones that can save us. When they do they are going to do it in their own independent, crude (just think of the word and they use it), blasphemous (once again, almost any one you can think of), and violent way. They will go to any extreme including dishonesty, “Honesty is always good, except when it’s better to lie.”, stealing, “Are we stealing that car?...No, we’re sort of thinking about borrowing it.”, and lot’s of violence. Can’t we do better than this?

If you can get past all of the above, not to mention the lack of logic (Angel can’t read the thoughts of everyone?), one redeeming feature that could be used by parents in discussing this novel is around the use of genetic technology. This is just another reminder for us of the danger and potential for evil as we play “god”.

“The “scientists” back at the School had been playing with risky stuff, combining human and non-human DNA. Basically, the spliced genes started to unravel after a while, and the organisms tended to, well, self-destruct. The flock and I had seen it happen a million times: The rabbit-dog combo had been such bad news. Same with the sheep-macaque monkey splice. The mouse-cat experiment had produced a huge, hostile mouse with great balance and an inability to digest either grain or meat. So it starved to death.”

Even if, pragmatically, the technology works at some point, there are other reasons to hope that any DNA experimentation, in real life, is soon starved to death.

Rating: Avoid

Go Ask Your Daddy - What Does “Pearls Before Swine” Mean?

This saying comes from Matthew 7:6. The actual verbiage is specifically from the King James Version which reads, ”Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”

In common usage this phrase usually refers to not offering a good thing to those who don’t appreciate it. Biblically the phrase is, perhaps, a bit more complicated than that. This verse is set within other verses where Jesus discusses judging others. According to the ESV Study Bible:

“Pigs were rejected by Jews, probably because they too were scavenging animals, and they were unclean according to OT law. Pearls symbolize the great value of the message of the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matt. 13:45–46). Believers are to be merciful, forgiving, and slow to judge (7:1–5), yet they should wisely discern the true character of people and not indefinitely continue proclaiming the gospel to those who adamantly reject it, so that they can move on and proclaim the gospel to others (cf. 10:14; also Acts 13:46; 18:6; Titus 3:10–11). "

The IVP commentary provides the following insight:

“In its most general sense 7:6 was probably simply a wisdom saying like Proverbs 23:9: "Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.”… But why did Matthew include this saying here? Some connect the saying to the preceding context by suggesting that it means it is worthless to try to correct (7:1-5) one unwilling to listen….Most likely verse 6 provides a transition between the preceding and following contexts. Correcting those who will not receive correction is futile (vv. 1-5; Prov 9:8; 23:9); we should discerningly continue to offer wisdom (or the gift of the kingdom) only to those willing to receive what we offer, just as God does (Mt 7:7-11)…If verse 6 means something along these lines, it does not allow us to prejudge who may receive our message (13:3-23), but does forbid us to try to force it on those who show no inclination to accept it.”

As you can see, I’ve relied heavily on others wisdom in interpreting this verse. It is somewhat difficult in context but I do think, at a minimum, we can say that we need to be discerning. Do not persist in offering what is sacred or of value to those who have no appreciation for it. We shouldn’t, however, use this as an excuse to not act when we should. We need to be careful in classifying all the wicked as “swine” and offering them no grace. In simpler terms we could say, prejudge but don’t force.

We surf...so you don't have to - Oct. 27

Laws Gone Wild

Grandma goes to jail…and America wants more government?

The Saga Continues

Eagle Scout suspended…and America wants more government?

Apartment Residents Told To Take Down U.S. Flags

Residents told to stop flying flag…and America wants more government?

Quote - A Shallow Brand of Christianity

“As knowledge of God’s truth ebbs, people follow popular views. They seek feelings and experiences. They hunger for miracles, healings, and spectacular wonders. They grope for easy and instant solutions to the routine trials of life. They turn quickly from the plain truth of God’s Word to embrace doctrines fit only for the credulous and naïve. They chase personal comfort and success. The brand of Christianity prevalent in this generation may be shallower than at any other time in history.

Clearly, spiritual ignorance and biblical illiteracy are commonplace among professing Christians. That kind of spiritual shallowness is a direct result of shallow teaching. Solid preaching with deep substance and sound doctrine is essential for Christians to grow. But churches today often teach only the barest basics-and sometimes less than that.

Churches are therefore filled with baby Christians-people who are spiritual infants…They are utterly preoccupied with self….spiritual babies don’t know what is good for them and what isn’t.”

John MacArthur, The Truth War

The Greatest Threat to Christianity - John Eldredge

Undoubtedly, John Eldredge books, workbooks, study guides and media occupy prime shelf space in your local Christian bookstore. His books are wildly popular and have been recommended to me countless times by well meaning believers. I have read through one of his many titles and found the writing engaging. Eldredge draws attention to some problems in the culture and the church that are important to note. His main theme, of which most would agree, is the feminization of men as a whole and thus a despairing lack of male leadership in the home and the culture at large.

Unfortunately, his low and heretical view of God, as well as his unbiblical view of man, undermines his whole proposition. Without a picture of the true God from Scripture then what is left except worldly wisdom and secular masculinity, of which there is plenty in this book. We are called to discernment and to “test all things, holding fast to what is good”. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) When Christianity Today, a magazine never known for its own discernment, calls Wild at Heart a “syrupy pop book that pleases undiscerning ears” you know something is amiss.

Eldredge lays the foundation for his view of man in Wild at Heart.

“…man was born in the outback, from the untamed part of creation. Only afterward is he brought to Eden and ever since then boys have never been at home indoors, and men have had an insatiable longing to explore.”

“The theme of a strong man coming to rescue a beautiful woman is universal to human nature. It is written in our hearts, one of the core desires of every man and every woman”

What scriptural support do we have for such bold statements? Adam was brought to Eden from the outback? Much of Eldredge’s support is from popular or ancient culture. He bases these erroneous views on movies, books, fairy tales and men’s desires.

As Gary Gilley says,

“Quite frankly, this is the root of the problem—Eldredge has virtually no understanding of Scripture and zero belief in its sufficiency. His source of truth is consistently outside the Bible. Had he spent even a fraction of the time contemplating the Word as he did watching movies and reading Bly, this would be a very different book. As it is Wild at Heart is a secular book with just enough proof texts and “God-talk” to fool the undiscerning and the biblically illiterate, which ought to scare us silly when we think about the awards it has won and the people who have endorsed it.”

There is so much else that could be said. From his understanding of women to his unbiblical view of Satan, Eldredge paints a different picture than the Word of God. Undiscerning men everywhere are being led away from a true understanding of God and His revelation and, often, their leaders are implicitly, or explicitly, leading them down that path.

“The overtones of this book to follow your new and good heart only help to create the "false self" that Eldredge is so intent on destroying. What men need is a clear picture of who God is and the truth about their own sinful tendencies as they attempt to follow him. What they need to know is that their regenerated heart still has an inclination to sin, but they can overcome their inclinations to sin by the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells them. They do not need to place confidence in their "good" heart but in the God of the Bible who is not taking risks, wringing his hands, or waiting to see how all of this turns out.

Eldredge has some good things to say to men today, but coupling these good things with an unbiblical view of God and the believer in Christ, deals a blow to the entire book from which it cannot recover.” (The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood)

Daryl Wingerd states it very clearly:

“I feel compelled to warn Christians to keep it away from others, especially from the lost and from the immature believer. Books like Wild at Heart—books that humanize God and glorify man—books that teach a generation of Christian men, already weakened by humanistic philosophy and biblical ignorance, to look anywhere other than the pages of the Bible for guidance—have a seductive appeal to the flesh—a poisoning effect in the already deceitful and desperately wicked heart of man.”

Next week: How did we get to this point?

Previous posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Sermon Notes - Uncommon Marriage - Sacrifice

Uncommon Marriage - Sacrifice, Ephesians 5:21-25
Larry Parsley, Valley Ranch Baptist Church, attended October 25, 2009

We are walking into a “holy mystery” of gender as we look at this. Christians often disagree about this text, so may be walking into a “minefield” here. (?)

Psychologists tell us there are gender differences, i.e. girls walk around and boys walk through, so there are differences.

1. Both husband and wife are called to serve one another – Ephesians 5:21. Christians filled with the Spirit submit and serve one another. This is the thesis statement of this entire text on marriage. (?) Christians filled with the Holy Spirit submit and serve one another. Perhaps she majors on earning wages and she minors on the children. (?)

2. Unique roles in marriage – Ephesians 5:22-25. There are parallels between the husband and Christ and between the wife and the church. Obviously the husbands aren’t saviors and aren’t equal to Christ but is a parallel.

Wives are called to a special submission here. This submission cannot be forced or demanded by the husband but must be freely given. In a culture of equality this is backwards.

3. Paul’s motives for describing unique roles – This was revolutionary at the time. He would have been considered a radical feminist at the time. We live in a different understanding of equality of men and women but we shouldn’t ignore this teaching because we are in a different culture.

There are more similarities than differences between men and women, e.g. we all have eyes, hearts, etc. (?) Adam does have bias to independence from Genesis, i.e. naming animals, etc., while Eve has bias to interdependence, i.e. helper, etc. (?)

4. What Paul is not endorsing – not endorsing a military hierarchy or rigid stereotypes, i.e. one works outside other works inside. The culture tells us can have women CEO’s, women Secretary of State, etc. Bible also tells us this with Deborah, Miriam, Phoebe and the Proverbs 31 woman. Bible women show leadership. Paul wants us to discover the main focus of Ephesians – unity.

5. What Paul is endorsing – discover what God made you to be. She sacrificially undergirds him. She strengthens him to do what he is called to do and it is all done to the honor of Christ.

Something Light - Hold on tight!

Book Review - Peace Like a River

Peace Like a River

Leif Enger

Atlantic Monthly Press (August 20, 2002)

In short: Reminiscent of Dickens and Hardy, this lyrical novel, rich in Biblical allusions, is a poetic tale of relationships and faith.

“Many a night I woke to the murmur of paper and knew he was up, sitting in the kitchen with frayed King James – oh, but he worked that book; he held to it like a rope ladder.”

Reuben Land is an eleven year old asthmatic boy whose father, Jeremiah, like his namesake, is a larger-than-life presence with an ever-present and living faith. Reuben and his sister, Swede, are a witness to the miraculous occurrences that surround their father, especially as they journey across country in pursuit of their fugitive brother, Davy.

“Once traveling, it’s remarkable how quickly faith erodes. It starts to look like something else – ignorance, for example. Same thing happened to the Israelites. Sure it’s weak, but sometimes you’d rather just have a map.”

The cast of rich characters are as varied as they are memorable. Like Thomas Hardy, the setting is as important a character as the humans are. Rural Minnesota and the badlands of North Dakota are mythic and heavenly. Providence could be considered part of this wondrous cast, as well, and plays an important role as the adventure unfolds.

“So no one led you here,” he said.

Well the question was dismaying. Of course we’d been led; why did everyone keep bringing this up? We’d had leading by the bushel!...even the putrid Fed had been part of the old rod and staff employed by the Lord to goose us along.”

This is an adventure novel of the grandest sort - but more. A coming-of-age novel for all ages. A novel of memorable characters that touches on transcendent themes. A work that mixes the simple and profound, like Dickens, in meaningful ways, with descriptive prose giving us glimpses of the after-life, as well as the inner thoughts of a child. Filled with lasting quotes this is a novel for the ages.

“Pride is the rope God allows us all…”

“I saw it happening but could not stop it. Humility came to me too late. I’m a living proverb. Learn from me.”

“Someday, you know, we’re going to be shown the great ledger of our recorded decisions – a dread concept you nonetheless know in your deepest soul is true.”

“Fair is whatever God wants to do.”

Rating: Hardback

Book Brief - The Great Brain

The Great Brain
John D. Fitzgerald
Puffin (February 9, 2004)

Tom, the “great brain”, is conniving and arrogant, as only a ten year old boy can be. After helping to save the life of a friend lost in a cave he says:

“I would have done it sooner but I wanted to give the grown-ups every chance. And now, folks, please go home. I’ve got to rest up my great brain so it will be ready the next time something happens which you grown-ups can’t solve.”

This book might be a little shocking to anyone brought up in the comfortable culture of modern America. Set in the late 1800’s this is a nostalgic, and often harsh, picture of another time. It was a time when losing a leg to blood poisoning, although perhaps not common, was not surprising.

“He kept the secret of his injured foot from his mother and father until blood poisoning had set in and turned in to gangrene. By that time there was nothing else Dr. Leroy could do but to amputate Andy’s left leg just below the knee to prevent the gangrene from spreading.”

It was also a time, however, when children were free to explore and discover the world on their own – outside, away from the “guided discovery” of the computer screen. It was a simpler time.

“A Sunday dinner in our house without guests was unusual…This was the day of the week when we made ice cream, and everybody helped.”

Tom concocts various schemes along the way that showcases his “great brain”. Some are harmless but others are not. Tom ends up hurting others as he learns. He does undergo reformation as the tale progresses and although he may not be the best role model this is still an enjoyable read if for nothing else than to get a picture of an earlier life that has been lost.

Rating: Borrow

We surf...so you don't have to - Oct. 20

Ripples of the Word

Be faithful and let God do the rest.

The Burden of Beauty

“Beautiful” lives are often more difficult.

Though I Starve I Will Bless the Lord

“What does it look like to find joy in God in the midst of trial?”

Go Ask Your Daddy - Who Are the Amish?

The Amish are a popular subject of Christian fiction. It seems every other book on the shelf has a well scrubbed, cherubic face with a bonnet on the cover. Who are the Amish?

The Amish originated in Switzerland about 1525. 80 percent of the Amish now live in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. The Amish take their name from Jacob Amman, one of their first leaders.

As Christians, the Amish believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, that there is one God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, a free gift bestowed by God on those who repent and believe.

However, their particular religious philosophy differs from that of other Christians in how they feel that God wishes them to live. All Christians are commanded to live in the world, but not of it. (John 17:14-16; Romans 12:2) The Amish take this command to another level. Some would say, dangerously close to “works righteousness”.

The Amish believe that modern conveniences promote vanity, pride, and individualism. They wear plain clothing in order to not promote individualism. They do not allow photographs, or to be photographed, because they believe the practice promotes vanity. Automobiles, electricity, and technology can lead to pride and arrogance as it encourages competition and rivalry within the community. They often forbid education after eighth grade, believing that it could contribute to a feeling of self importance. These practices are their way of separating from the world and promoting community bonding.

The Amish are kind, hard-working and God fearing people but their traditions can lead to a legalism that takes away from the grace offered by our loving God.

Quote - Playing in the Shallow End

"This is my endlessly recurrent temptation: to go down to that Sea (I think St. John of the Cross called God a sea) and there neither dive nor swim nor float, but only dabble and splash."

C. S. Lewis

The Greatest Threat to Christianity - Neil T. Anderson

What of another popular Christian author and minister, Neil T. Anderson? His influential ministry, Freedom in Christ, focuses on spiritual warfare and “bondage breaking”.

According to Christian Research Institute:

“Controversial components in Anderson’s message include not only his teaching that Christians can have demons but also his belief that Christians should speak to the devil, that they must specifically identify and renounce past sins in order to be free of them, that they do not possess a sin nature, that correct self-perception is the key to sanctified living, and that satanic ritual abuse and multiple personality disorder are common problems caused by a vast satanic conspiracy.”

Anderson mixes a comfortable dose of historically sound theology with the speculative. He says a lot of the right things but his theology is based on assumptions that are flawed. He overstates both Satan’s role and authority and the believer’s role in our warfare with Satan, with dubious and often erroneous scriptural foundations.

His sensationalistic nature is most apparent in his writings on demons. Among his other teachings on demons, he promotes his belief that Satanists meet from midnight to 3:00 A.M. He says, “…part of their ritual is to summon and send demons. Three in the morning is prime time for demon activity ...” Although I guess this could be true; this seems very subjective and leads to generating much fear and superstition among Christians.

Once again from the Christian Research Institute:

“Anderson’s paradigm incorporates widely disputed theories of dissociative disorders, repression and recovery of memories (e.g., of childhood abuse), and satanic ritual abuse (SRA)… there has been no corroborative documentation that there is any widespread, multigenerational, multifamily, organized, nearly undetectable, almost invincible satanic conspiracy propagating murder, mutilation, cannibalism, and other criminal activities. Investigation by law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals, journalists, academic researchers, and historians here and abroad has conclusively shown that the satanic alarm of the 1980s and 1990s was a hysterical myth, a genuine witch hunt.”

His teachings are often difficult to discern the right from the wrong, the subtleness is amazing. With a shallow understanding of scripture many of these distinctions seem clearly unimportant. Most have neither the inclination nor the discernment to differentiate between this mixture of truth and error.

Next week: A high view of man.

Previous posts: Part 1, Part 2

Sermon Notes - Uncommon Marriage - Mutual Submission

Uncommon Marriage - Mutual Submission, Ephesians 5:15-21
Larry Parsley, Valley Ranch Baptist Church, attended October 18, 2009

Concerned about leaving out a segment of his audience by preaching on marriage, i.e. singles or widowed.

When it comes to marriage, decorating is easier than building. Tend to focus on secondary issues. Tend to ignore the manufacturers instructions. We can’t do this. Paul says the “days are evil”. Our culture doesn’t help the marriage institution. Paul says time is not on your side.

Spirit filled people do things others don’t, i.e. singing praises, worshipping, etc. The number one problem therefore in every relationship is you! Marriages often have one person who is unilaterally trying to wreck it. Self righteousness says the problem is the other when, in reality, I’m the problem. Self-centeredness is a disease.

What is the answer? Ephesians 5:21. Submission is the opposite of slavery. Selfishness is slavery. Submission is an act of God. Submit in the original is a military term. It is like joining the military and giving up our individual freedoms for the good of the whole. Jesus is the commander here. He is our role model, motivation and strength and we should submit out of reverence for Christ.

We need to find the right energy source. The Holy Spirit is the fuel. Used illustration of a paddleboat in which we use our own power and don’t go far or a sailboat which harnesses the wind, God’s power.

A paddleboat leads to finger pointing, i.e. are you paddling as hard as me? A marriage on our own power becomes a business relationship where you stay at 50/50 and never give more unless you are paid.

I am the problem in this relationship because ____________.

Book Brief - The Sound of Sleigh Bells

A guest post from DD15:

The Sound of Sleigh Bells
Cindy Woodsmall
WaterBrook Press (October 6, 2009)

In Cindy Woodsmall’s book The Sound of Sleigh Bells, Beth Hertzler struggles with overcoming the weight of her fiancé’s death. Then she meets Jonah, whose carving's speak to her and help her accept her loss. But when their friendship grows to something more, it is difficult for Beth to move on.

This book is well-written, and the plot holds the reader until the end. I recommend this for anyone who loves a sweet romance, or anyone who enjoys a good Christmas story. Although Beth’s emotions can be hard to relate to for anyone who has not experienced such a difficult loss, the story is still enjoyable, and it gives a cozy Christmas feel for any reader.

To learn more about the book or pick up a copy visit here.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

We surf...so you don't have to - Oct. 13

Popular Logos with Hidden Symbolisms

Creative and subtle.

Look Past The Bully

God is greater than our circumstances.

Pennies per square foot, literally

For all you penny lovers out there.

Quote - Shallowness Among Us

"The kind of God that appeals to most people today would be easy-going in his tolerance of our offenses. He would be gentle, kind, accommodating. He would have no violent reactions. Unhappily, even in the church we seemed to have lost the vision of the majesty of God. There is much shallowness and levity among us. Prophets and psalmists would probably say of us, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." In public worship our habit is to slouch or squat; we do not kneel nowadays, let alone prostrate ourselves in humility before God. It is more characteristic of us to clap our hands with joy than to blush with shame or tears. We saunter up to God to claim his patronage and friendship; it does not occur to us that he might send us away. We need to hear again the Apostle Peter's sobering words, "Since you call on a father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives. . in reverent fear." (I Peter 1:17) In other words, if we dare to call our judge our Father, we must beware of presuming on him. It must even be said that our evangelical emphasis on the atonement is dangerous if we come to it too quickly. We learn to appreciate the access to God which Christ has won only after we have first cried, "Woe is me for I am lost." In Dale's words, "It is partly because sin does not provoke our own wrath that we do not believe that sin provokes the wrath of God."

John Stott

HT: Challies

The Greatest Threat to Christianity - T.D. Jakes

Listed as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America by Time magazine, T.D. Jakes is a popular author, minister and leader. His appeal crosses cultural lines. His positive impact on his community, and evangelicalism as a whole, is undeniable. His books, and videos, are promoted across a wide spectrum of evangelical culture. However, defining evangelical gets a little bit tricky in this case because T.D. Jakes is a Oneness Pentecostal.

Oneness Pentecostalism embraces an unbiblical understanding of the relationship between the persons of the Trinity. Historically referred to as Sabellianism or Modalism, this view was considered heretical by the early church. This is the view that God variously manifested Himself as the Father, other times as the Son, and other times as the Holy Spirit. It teaches that God has simply revealed Himself in three different modes, and that He is not three Persons, as the Bible asserts. Passages like Matthew 3:16-17, where two or all three persons of the Godhead are present, contradict the Modalist view.

Admittedly, the Trinity is a concept not easily grasped by our finite minds. However, we can’t ignore clear, biblical teaching without diminishing the character of God and the Scripture. Many want to embrace the teachings of T.D. Jakes knowing of this view, but with the belief that it isn’t that important. Kevin DeYoung notes, among many others, one reason for the importance on clarity regarding God’s character, as described by the Trinity:

“…the Trinity matters for evangelism and cultural engagement. I’ve heard it said that the two main rivals to a Christian worldview at present are Islam and Postmodernism. Islam emphasizes unity—unity of language, culture, and expression—without allowing much variance for diversity. Postmodernism, on the other hand, emphasizes diversity—diversity of opinion, believes, and background—without attempting to see things in any kind of meta-unity. Christianity, with its understanding of God as three in one, allows for diversity and unity. If God exists in three distinct Persons who all share the same essence, then it is possible to hope that God’s creation may exhibit stunning variety and individuality while still holding together in a genuine oneness.”

We are warned by John not to give false teachers any encouragement else we share in their evil deeds. (2 John 9:10-11) I suspect that most in the church, however, who embrace the teachings of T.D. Jakes, are not even aware of the view. They have a shallow understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity and, since he identifies himself as Christian, are ready to promote him and his products without a second thought.

Next week: A shallow, and unbiblical, view of spiritual warfare.

Previous posts: Part 1

Sermon Notes - Cultivating Saltiness (Part 2)

Cultivating Saltiness (Part 2), Mark 9:30-50
J. Josh Smith, MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church, attended October 11, 2009

This will be a text/sermon that is easier to amen than to apply. It calls us to specific and decisive action. We should fear God more than we feel good after reading/hearing this text. Awe, honor, reverence and fear is how we should feel afterwards.

3. We are salty when we are focused on the purity of others – Mark 9:42-49

He gives a common form of punishment as an example of uncommon concern for the purity of others. This is a brutal death. Going further and further into darkness, unable to get free, then suffocate and drown. They now understand the weight of the issue.

He is not just talking about children here. He is talking about any brother or sister in Christ, especially the weaker. He is speaking of inhibiting the walk, damaging the faith or questioning anyone’s worth before God.

1 Corinthians 8-10 discusses Christian liberty. If our freedom causes another to stumble then it is wrong. We should be more concerned about the purity of others. We should be willing to give up everything to cause no one to stumble. This is where our Christianity is validated. Make sure there is nothing we do, even if allowed by Scripture, that would cause another person to fall into sin. Examples are parents not leading children and boys hurting girls in a relationship.

He turns the focus on us individually in Mark 9:43-48. Are you doing (hands), going (feet) or seeing/looking (eyes) anything that is causing you to stumble? He is showing the inclusive nature of all of our life. He is using hyperbole to prove His point. He isn’t talking about self-mutilation but spiritual mortification. Kill the sin. Get rid of it now. We must do all we can to rid our lives of anything that might cause us to fall into sin. No action is too drastic. Remove internet, TV or whatever it is.

The problem of sin is thus worse than you can imagine. Need to deal with sin in three ways.

Immediately – wait no longer.
Aggressively – don’t play around with it.
Decisively – cut it off.

He wants us to see how much He hates sin. Don’t pray about it, just do it. He is about to give His life to free us from sin. He knows if they don’t repent they will spend eternity in the hell He then describes.

Nothing makes a believer less salty than impurity. Every sin must b punished and every sin will receive the wrath of God, unless we stand holy and pure before Him through Jesus.

Note on verse 49 – Salted with fire? He is talking of disciples so fire isn’t hell but fire of sacrifice and persecution. He makes salty people by putting them through pain and sacrifice.

Something Light - Consonance is Funny

We surf...so you don't have to - Oct. 6

From Global Warming to Global Cooling

"Hmm...maybe it's cyclical."

Finding Censhorship Where There Is None

Who is doing the book banning here?

Endure Like a Daniel

"We have learned only part of the lesson of the life of the Biblical prophet Daniel."

Quote - Mute Christian

"What are your afflictions, your torments—to the torments of the damned, whose torments are numberless, bottomless, remediless, and endless! Whose pains are without intermission of mitigation; who have weeping served for the first course, and gnashing of teeth for the second course, and the gnawing worm for the third course, and intolerable pain for the fourth course! Yet the pain of the body is but the body of pain; the very soul of sorrow and pain is the soul's sorrow and pain. The everlasting alienation and separation from God is served for the fifth course!

Ah, Christian! how can you seriously think on these things and not lay your hand upon your mouth—even when you are under the greatest sufferings? Your sins have been far greater than many of those who are now in hell, and your 'great' afflictions are but a flea-bite compared to theirs! Therefore hush your murmuring, and be silent before the Lord!"

Thomas Brooks

The Greatest Threat to Christianity - Shallowness

What do you consider to be the greatest threat to Orthodox (biblical) Christianity today?

Michael Horton, professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Seminary California, answered:

“Shallowness. It is far worse than heresy. At least heretics take the gospel seriously enough to distort and deny it. And heresy always makes the church think more deeply about what it believes and why it believes it. However, shallowness is deadly for the Christian Faith.

If you just need some helpful advice, encouragement, inspiration, and uplift from your religion… a few slogans and insights will suffice. But Christianity bets all its chips on certain events that happened in history.

…we [however] are channel-surfers. We like to create our own soothing sampler of New Age mysticism, self-help lingo, conservative ideas about virtue, and maybe something to help us keep our kids sober and celibate. Accommodating to this shallow narcissism, churches have largely abandoned their responsibility to teach the rising generations even the basics of the Faith.

If we are only looking for whatever "works"…for what's entertaining, fun, or affirming, we will always be spiritual infants, if Christians at all.”

Do we not see this shallowness throughout our churches? Pastors riding motorcycles in church. Clown communion. “I Love the 80’s” sermon series. And, locally, the recent mega-church pastor’s shenanigans that I won’t even link to. Silliness.

We see this on a smaller scale also. There may not be motorcycles in the church or clowns leading communion but it is apparent in so many subtle ways. Sermon series from the pulpit covering popular, or even Christian, books rather than Scripture. The promotion of the social gospel, or “Jesus met their physical needs first, then their spiritual needs”. What may seem like small issues, if seen on a consistent basis, develop into a shallow understanding of the Scripture, and, most importantly, the character of God.

Examples from recent, personal experience include the promotion of books or videos by popular authors that bring to light the shallow beliefs of so much of the church.

Next week: A shallow, and heretical, view of the Trinity.

The Greatest Threat to Christianity Series

The Greatest Threat to Christianity - Shallowness
The Greatest Threat to Christianity - T.D. Jakes
The Greatest Threat to Christianity - Neil T. Anderson
The Greatest Threat to Christianity - John Eldredge
The Greatest Threat to Christianity - A Low View of God
The Greatest Threat to Christianity - A low View of Scripture
The Greatest Threat to Christianity - A Low View of Theology
The Greatest Threat to Christianity - A Low View of Church
The Greatest Threat to Christianity - What Do We Do?
The Greatest Threat to Christianity - Final Thoughts

Sermon Notes - Cultivating Saltiness (Part 1)

Cultivating Saltiness (Part 1), Mark 9:30-37
J. Josh Smith, MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church, attended October 4, 2009

Everyone who sees us should see Christ. We are called to Him to be conformed to His image. We are thus called to act differently and distinctly. We are aliens. We live in a different kingdom from the world. If you are a follower of Christ you must be distinct from the world, with a “flavor” no one else has.

Mark has two bookends here with related books in the middle.

1st bookend – Mark 9:30-34. The clueless disciples – they don’t get it.

Jesus is speaking directly to the disciples. He doesn’t intend this for the crowd or the religious leaders. He talks of His sacrifice and they talk of themselves. They are the most unlike Jesus they can ever be.

2nd bookend – Mark 9:49-50. Must be like salt to manifest Him.

Salt does things nothing else can do. Nothing else tastes like salt. Saltless salt is useless. Followers of Christ that look like Him are the only hope for the world. To be salty means to display the distinct character of the Kingdom.

To get from 1st to 2nd bookend He gives us three things we must do to cultivate saltiness. We must get from cluelessness to saltiness.

1. We are salty when we serve others – Mark 9:33-37

They never answer His question yet He knows what is in their heart. Doing all the right things with the wrong attitude is not what He wants.

He does not condemn their desire to be great – that desire was placed there by God. He wants to satisfy that desire. He does, however, redefine greatness. Being the last of all and the servant of all is how to be great. Christ manifests through us when others see humility of mind that says you deserve better than I. I am nothing so that Christ is all. Everyone else serves themselves. If we want to be tasty we must serve others. Take off your bib and put on your apron! Salty people live in such a way that they view every single person, no matter how insignificant they seem, as better than themselves. (Philippians 2)

2. We are salty when we focus on Christ and His Kingdom – Mark 9:38-41

They still have an attitude of superiority about them. The man was casting out demons and fighting the enemies of Christ. Everything points to the fact that he was working for Christ. John, however, thought he was doing Jesus a favor and Jesus rebukes him.

He was emphasizing that this isn’t about us. It is about Him and His kingdom. The Kingdom is bigger than us. Also be careful of being the “theological” police.

Something Light - The Cosby Show - Season 2 Bloopers

Book Review - Cast Two Shadows

Cast Two Shadows: The American Revolution in the South

Ann Rinaldi

Gulliver Books (March 1, 2004)

In short: With minor caveats, this is a well researched, suspenseful and fast-paced novel. The characterizations are well rounded and are helped along by the well written dialect of the South.

Fourteen year old Caroline Whitaker lives on a South Carolina plantation in 1780 during the American Revolution. Her privileged world changes quickly when the troops of Lord Cornwallis invade. The novel starts with a brutal and senseless hanging of Caroline’s best friend by the British.

“It was along toward eleven in the morning, when they hanged Kit Gales.”

Soon Caroline finds her Patriot father thrown in prison, her Loyalist brother Johnny wounded, her sister fast becoming the love interest of a cruel British officer and herself and her mother imprisoned in their own house.

Caroline undertakes a journey to bring Johnny home which becomes a symbol for her coming of age as she learns the family secret hidden from her for many years. She struggles with her complex emotions of becoming a woman.

“One doesn’t just become a rebel, Caroline. Your father did after much soul-searching and prayer. He is a community leader. And a man. Men are the lawgivers because they have the better share of reason bestowed upon them by the Almighty.

Flapdoodle, I thought. But I didn’t say it. Does that go for Rawdon and Cornwallis, too?

“But we women have the advantage, because we have it in our power to subdue the men without violence. We have more power in our tears than in our arguments. Remember that.”

She also struggles with her beliefs of God.

“God is good,” she said. “He’ll be back. He said he would.” I mulled the matter for a moment. Before Cornwallis came, I would have believed it in my heart, too. But there was something in my heart that stood in the way of believing anything much anymore. Kit’s body still hung there inside me, twisting in the wind.”

“We cain’t go on an’ leave a body in pain,” she insisted. “’Tain’t right. ‘Tain’t Godly.” “What has God got to do with anything, Miz Melindy?” I snapped. “God isn’t here anymore. He knew enough to get out of South Carolina two months ago.”

As is typical of many “coming-of-age” novels, the heroes lose their religion when they mature. Although it may be common in books, this is not a commonplace occurrence and is something that should be discussed by discerning parents.

“Following your heart” is another common theme in novels for the teen, or tween, set.

“I don’t know, Mama. It’s just a feeling I have in me. Johnny told me that when I had to make a decision I should do what was in my heart and in my innards. And it’s in my heart and my innards right now not to go to Uncle Henry’s. Rawdon may take a notion to look for us there.”

If, as Christians, this is how we make our decisions then sin is right around the corner. As a Christian we should remember that our heart is deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and we need to take care in obedience to our heart, or anything, but God and His Word.

Despite the caveats about belief in God noted earlier, this is a well researched, suspenseful and fast-paced novel. The characterizations are well rounded and are helped along by the well written dialect of the South.

Rating: Borrow