Relating to Others/Being In But Not Of

Several of us have been discussing, among other things, Christians' interaction with unbelievers and with the culture at large. Some issues were touched upon that I'd like to address.

Here is David's thoughtful response to Amy, emphasis mine:

The masses didn't follow Him [Jesus] around because He lived without a house like a radical or because was telling Him the truth about what was screwed up with their way of thinking. That's what happened while they listened to Him, but He had to engage them first. He had to love them. He ate with them. He talked with them.

The Pharisees didn't like that.

Secular America doesn't see enough of this. Especially here in the south, where everyone grew up in church but left it when they got out on their own. They know what it's like.

Why are our lights so dim? Because we don't love God like we should. We don't see a God-saturated everything. But why doesn't the culture want to engage us?

They can't tell the difference between our worldview and theirs. They just see our gossiping and backbiting and hypocritical rules. They just see our "intolerance" and our "ignorance" because they've never had anyone kind enough to sit down and explain to them WHY we think it's wrong to be a homosexual, WHY we think it's wrong to have an abortion, WHY we think it's wrong to leave God out of the picture. We'd rather lobby Congress (a secular institution) harder and harder for a stricter moral code, and nobody even understands why morality matters anymore.

They just see us producing record after uninspired record, movie after cheesy inoffensive movie, Christian coffeehouse after wretched Christian coffeehouse. What's wrong with their music, they wonder? It sounds just the same--better, even, usually. What's wrong with their cofeehouses[sic]? They certainly make better coffee.

We're so afraid of eating unclean meat that we've left the whores and moneylenders to feed themselves.

And rubbing our set-apartness in even harder isn't going to draw anyone to the Lord.

David makes some wonderful points here; I just wanted to respond to a few things.

1. I agree wholeheartedly that in most cases, evangelism and discipleship are best nurtured into existence through a loving relationship--if I know you love me, I am much better able to understand and accept a difficult message than if I think you automatically disapprove of me! But that doesn't mean that is the only context in which truth can be communicated and received (not that David was saying that--just making the point).

I've been convicted, sharpened and edified by strangers communicating hard truth to me at times. It all depends on how God wants to speak to someone's heart; HE knows what they need in that moment. No matter what we do, if we are communicating the true gospel to someone, it is a difficult message, and many will simply not accept it no matter how you package it.

However, David's point here, I think, is that we shouldn't hold ourselves back from engaging with non-Christians over meals, etc., where we might be able to talk to them. I heartily agree with doing this as the Lord leads (I got in many scrapes as a new believer by continuing to spend time in relationships that God was not leading me to be in. The people I was with were not saved, and I was dragged down--and I've seen that happen to others).

2. 'Why doesn't the culture want to engage us?' There are at least two answers to that question, and David does a great job with the first: the "pop Christianity" culture doesn't engage unbelievers because it's overwhelmingly lame. I don't say "our" culture, because, frankly, I don't claim it. When I became a Christian, there are many ways I separated myself from the world--but it doesn't mean I became part of the pop Christianity culture by default. To be honest with you, I view it with as much caution, and approach it with as many prayers for discernment, as I do anything in the world.

Another answer to the question above is, 'Because the world is NEVER going to engage us.' Not by and large. There will be individuals who respond to the Good News, and their lives will be changed. But Jesus said in John 15 that the world would hate us:

John 15:18-19
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

We don't need to run around trying to get their approval...it's not coming. Many things that are done in the name of reaching out to seekers is really just ear-tickling. We need to seek the Lord and communicate the Gospel in the same pure way that has opened and melted hearts since Jesus' resurrection. Sure, now that we have various technologies, the Lord may use those to communicate to people. But the message and discipleship will not change.

3. My favorite thing David wrote: "they've never had anyone kind enough to sit down and explain to them WHY we think it's wrong to be a homosexual, WHY we think it's wrong to have an abortion, WHY we think it's wrong to leave God out of the picture." HOW TRUE! That's my heart, in a nutshell, in reaching out to those who don't know Jesus. Many people simply haven't heard the truth, spoken lovingly and rationally. They're on one 'side of the fence' and may not have thought about why. They may not even realize that Christians are not mean people who say "NO!" to everything!

4. Lastly, regarding "rubbing in" the "set-apartness"--agreed. But a follower of Jesus still must separate from the world, to a Biblical degree (I know there is a lot of debate there). A prideful separation that looks down on others is obviously not godly and, I believe, angers the Lord (Ps 138:6, Prov 6:17).

I know this is turning into a novel, so I'll shut it down. Thanks, David, for all of your incredibly gracious and thought-provoking comments yesterday. I appreciate the way that you lovingly disagree with others.

Also, give Molly's wonderful comments a look.

Bono

It will help you understand where I am coming from here if you know the history of Rock N Roll, and maybe read Media Choices and the Christian.

I offer the following simply because I run into this issue so much. I have seen whole blogs devoted to this. There is no other artist, it seems, who inspires as much worshipful rapture as does Bono, lead singer for U2. Does his life mirror Biblical Christianity?

I have encountered myriad Christians who take it as the greatest insult if I express grave doubts about the 'Christianity' of Bono. The Bible tells us to "test everything; hold fast what is good." (1 Thess 5:21). Some people believe you aren't supposed to hazard any guesses about who is a Christian and who is not. To them I offer 1 John 3:10:

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Why would John give us a way to know who the Christians are if we are never supposed to know, if there is no way to tell?

"But you can't see his HEART!"

Jesus said that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matt 12:34). What someone does has everything to do with where their heart is: our actions are connected to our life in Christ. Now, I don't claim that the 1 John passage is the only way to know--there are other scriptures that help us determine what it means to be a Christian, to claim to follow Christ. But my point here is that we are indeed able (and expected) to discern these things.

First, check out these lyrics. Everyone probably knows this song...what is it saying?

I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for...

The writer knows what Jesus did for him, but still hasn't found 'what he's looking for.'

I believe, based on observation and research, that Bono talks some of the talk and doesn't walk the walk. I don't take away anything from his good deeds; that's great. But what does he believe and say?

The following is taken from a Beliefnet interview.

"'I've successfully avoided talking about my faith for 20 years,' he said after we completed this interview, which he did by phone from Ireland."

What Christian avoids talking about his faith? The Bible says to always be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have. The goal of a Christian is to spread the faith, not avoid talking about it.

"During U2's Zooropa tour, you would often call prominent figures by phone from the stage. In London, you were dressed as the devil character you invented, MacPhisto, and, as you tried to call the Archbishop of Canterbury, MacPhisto remarked that religious leaders were some of his closest friends."

[Bono]"It's true. I often wonder if religion is the enemy of God. It's almost like religion is what happens when the Spirit has left the building.

God's Spirit moves through us and the world at a pace that can never be constricted by any one religious paradigm. I love that. You know, it says somewhere in the scriptures that the Spirit moves like a wind--no one knows where it's come from or where it's going. The Spirit is described in the Holy Scriptures as much more anarchic than any established religion credits."

This has an ecumenical, even universalist ring to it. And the Holy Spirit of God is not anarchic--God is a God of order, not chaos or confusion (1 Cor 14:33, James 3:16).

Now it gets even more interesting:

"For all that, U2 has often been seen as a Christian rock band.

We really f--ked that up, though. We really f--ked up our corner of the Christian market. I think carrying moral baggage is very dangerous for an artist. If you have a duty, it's to be true and not cover up the cracks. I love hymns and gospel music, but the idea of turning your music into a tool for evangelism is missing the point.

Here's where things should get very obvious. God commands us in His Word to be pure in our speech. One of the first things I knew, immediately after getting saved, was that the f-word had to go (for me, at the time, that word was used VERY OFTEN). If a baby in Christ knows that, why doesn't Bono? Could it be that he doesn't care about God's commands concerning our speech?

And what about music being used for evangelism? For a follower of Christ, how is that missing the point?

Another interesting statement: "The most powerful idea that's entered the world in the last few thousand years--the idea of grace--is the reason I would like to be a Christian." That's so full of pathos, to me. He would like to be? Why isn't he?

I like the anger of the blues--I think being angry with God is at least a dialogue. You know, [Robert Johnson's] 'Hell Hound on My Trail'--the blues is full of that. And [it runs] right through to Marilyn Manson.

These are big questions. If there is a God, it's serious. And if there isn't a God, it's even more serious. Or is it the other way around? I don't know, but these are the things that, as an artist, are going to cross your mind--as well as "Ode to My New Jaguar." [laughter] The right to be an ass I will hold on to very tightly. I just have to be allowed that."

Marilyn Manson is an avowed Satanist, an actual "clergy" member in the church of Satan. Bono claims to like the anger of the blues, and cites Manson as one of its agents of expression today.

Please do check out the links from Goodfight.org--they do a great job on video of showing Bono's MacPhisto character. In the video, Bono holds up an upside-down cross.

I am just really, really tired of the world mixing with Christianity, and I'm tired of Satan deceiving people into thinking that Bono actually represents a wonderful Christian. If he represents this to you, I urge you to take up your Bible like a Berean and really examine how a Christian is to live and speak. Let's pray for Bono to repent and be saved, but let's not pretend that he is a paragon of Christianity. To do so is to ignore the Word of God itself, and the holiness of life in Jesus.

Labels

I can really appreciate Ambra's State of the Blog Address.

I'm weary of labels because I think they should follow and not precede. You don't have to declare yourself to be anything. Just be 'it', and if 'it' is, people will recognize and call it as such. Only insecure ninnies need to be called something to feel validated in it. Lately, it seems like people are trying to catch up with their descriptors. Instead of just being, they announce.

She's writing primarily about political labels--people calling her (or expecting her to be their exact version of) "conservative" or "Republican."

It's far more important--and it's my goal--to be recognizably Christian, as in "Disciple of Jesus Christ". Anything else you might call me should flow from that primary identity, and by God's grace, will be consistent with that identity.

Transforming the Culture?

Over at Amy's there's an interesting discussion going on.

I tend to agree with Sandra's comments:

There is another element to this dialogue that needs to be brought to the table. That is that darkness hates the light, and wants no part of it. So those who are excellenct [sic] in what they do, and boldly make Christ the center of it, will be coldly turned aside. I don't know exactly how this fits into the discussion. But we have to be careful about thinking that if we just play our cards right (i.e., attractive marketing), the world will readily receive the Gospel since it is relevant, surrounded by excellent art, philosophy, etc.

It's never a matter of making the Gospel relevant. The Gospel is relevant. But even if we remove as many barriers to receptivity as possible, it is still the Gospel. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (I Cor. 1:18)

The cold, hard truth is that Jesus expected the world to hate us because of our love for Him. They hated Him first (John 15:18-19). (emphasis mine)

I like Amy's point, too, that Christians must be salt and light to give the word "Christian" any meaning at all; to be seen as separate from the world, well, there must be an actual separation. Seems like an obvious point, but too many professing Christians say that 'Christians can live like the world--it's okay!' for me to believe that it's as obvious as it should be. The true way is narrow; it is the path to destruction that is broad. Be not deceived.

As for Cal's comments, and all the rest of the discussion about that subject, I am a little at a loss. I believe that Christians should listen for the Lord's Spirit speaking to them; I believe we should study the Word diligently to show ourselves approved. We already know from the Word that whatever we do, we should do as unto the Lord. But as for the culture (no tomatoes, please!), I do not believe we will transform it. We must seek out those who have ears to hear the gospel, preaching in and out of season so that those who have not heard may hear and believe.

To think that we will change the entire culture flies in the face of what the Word says about the end times. HOWEVER, I do believe we should stive to be salt and light, individually and collectively, wherever we are. But keep watch, and don't be surprised when the days get darker. That's not a call to inertia--it's a call to love Jesus and live the Life more and more "as we see the Day approaching" (Heb 10:24-25).

2 Tim 3:1-5
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Friends from BHC, over for dinner 

My cousin :)  

So Talk to Me about Translations

We've had a lively discussion about the NIV, NASB, ESV and Message today.

What's your favorite translation, and why? What do you find yourself using most often? I know Kim posted something about this the other day after her Bible-hunting trek, and Amy is trying to help us win an ESV Bible.

I think I mentioned that I use the NASB. I like a translation that's on the literal side...my NIV use has been mostly out of habit. I have several of them, and it's what I had when I first came to Jesus.

I read up on the ESV a tiny bit and was extremely impressed with what I saw.

Why The Message Drives Me Nuts

Oh Message, how do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.

I could write a book about Eugene Peterson's rough paraphrase of the Bible, titled The Message, that is inexplicably sold next to Bibles in the Christian bookstores. Due to time constraints and domestic duties, however, this blog will have to do.

Perhaps I should explain, first, how I see the Bible. In the original Greek and Hebrew (and a bit o' Aramaic), it's perfect, infallible, and wholly God-breathed. In my opinion, all translations are going to fall a bit short somewhere, which is why I like to study many different ones and go to the original languages in my studies. But at least the NIV, NASB, KJV and many others can claim to be translations. I fear many readers don't know that The Message is a paraphrase. There is a HUGE difference. Nothing gets my hackles up like someone distorting the Word of God.

I don't intend to reinvent the wheel in this short article. Other ministries, pastors, teachers and leaders in the church at large have already sounded the alarm about Petersen's work. I highly recommend this article, which includes tables showing side-by-side Message/Bible comparisons:

Throughout both Old and New Testaments, God forbids us to distort His Word. Additions and deletions are strictly forbidden in Scriptures like Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:32, Proverbs 30:6, Galatians 1:8-9 and Revelation 22:19. Acts 17:11 exhorts us to learn from the Bereans who 'examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.'

Eugene Peterson would probably agree. His own interpretation of 2 Corinthians 4:2 holds him accountable to this timeless standard:

'We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.'

While the above verse corresponds to the original Greek, many other passages do just what The Message promises not to do: they 'twist God's word to suit' human inclinations. In fact, the very next sentence (verse 3), fails the test. It does not 'keep... the whole truth on display.' Instead, it deletes the original references both to 'those who are perishing' and to the glory of 'Christ, who is the image of God.'

It doesn't take a Greek scholar to recognize the appalling distortions of God's holy Word. Any Bible student willing to compare Peterson's Message with a Greek/English Interlinear Lexicon and take time to look up key words in a credible New Testament Bible dictionary will discover alarming deletions, distortions and additions to the original text. If Peterson is right, then all our other Bibles - the KJV, NASV, NIV, Greek-English interlinear Bibles - are false."

Dave Hunt writes in The Berean Call:

"The Message, like other paraphrases, substitutes man’s words for God’s words! Peterson says that The Message is 'not...a word-for-word conversion' of God’s Holy Word into modern language but what he thinks God’s Word means -- not a translation but an interpretation (Introduction). What audacity to rewrite the Bible!....Paraphrases based upon 'dynamic equivalency' partake of two destructive errors: 1) instead of translating the words of Scripture, they interpret in modern language what they believe are the ideas presented; and 2) they dumb down the language to make it 'understandable.'

Interpretation is proper in sermons and commentaries, which listeners/readers can compare to the Word of God. The Message, however, is offered as 'This version of the New Testament...' (p. 7), misleading readers into thinking they have the Scriptures in their hands."

I'll level with you: the widespread acceptance of The Message and its seemingly permanent place next to real Bibles frightens me. It means that when I talk to someone who has had that book as their 'Bible' from the inception of their Christian walk, we are probably going to speak two different languages when we talk about the Word, the Gospel, and God. So much damage is being done to new disciples because of one man's biases and hubris.

If you've been using The Message, I ask you, I challenge you to compare Petersen's words with Scripture.

Proverbs 30:6
Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

The Kindness and the Severity

Kim got me thinking about this topic this morning.

Romans 11 admonishes us to consider the KINDNESS and the STERNNESS of God. A lot of heartache, bad fruit, and loss can come from emphasizing either one to the exclusion of the other. This chapter contains one of my favorite passages of Scripture, because it reveals so much about God's character and our relationship to Him. In it Paul is speaking to Gentile believers about salvation, Israel, and their own standing as Gentiles:

Romans 11:13-22
"I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, 'Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.' Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off."

A sobering warning, to be sure. But our God is that awesome, that amazing, that terrifying (do a study on "fear" and see how many times people are terrified, frightened, phobeo in the Greek--yes, even in the New Testament).

This is the very same God who speaks in a still, small voice; who is a consuming fire; at whose name demons tremble--and yet is the God who numbers the hairs on our heads and whom children were unafraid to gather around! Who is this amazing and wonderful Creator?

He does not change. He is the only true God (John 17:3), and He is the same in the Old Testament as in the New. Did you know that the Hebrews in the desert, after fleeing Egypt, had the gospel preached to them?

Hebrews 3:17-19, 4:1-2
And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

The gospel has been preached, in a sense, throughout the entire Bible. Salvation has ALWAYS been by grace through faith, even for those in the Old Testament.

Which brings me to another favorite passage...Heb 11, the "faith chapter."

Heb 11:1-2, 6-10
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval....And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

By faith, by faith, by faith. Look at the whole chapter, at the saints of the Old Testament, the faithful, those who hoped in God: they believed that He had a plan. Many people make the mistake of thinking that for faithful Jews in the Old Testament, salvation came through the Law. Many places in the NT make it clear that it never came through the Law--it has always been by faith, and was made complete by the obedience and suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross. By Him we gain entrance to "a better country, that is, a heavenly one" that Abraham and the other OT saints looked to and believed in (Heb 11:16).

Let's press on in faith, that we too might enter His Rest (Heb 4:1-6).

Dave Agrees

I posted the other day about True Love Waits, and some problems I have with the whole paradigm of crusade-like, parachurch 'ministry'. Dave Black writes:

"It doesn't matter how much people focus on getting our youth to pledge their purity as long as we refuse to deal with the more fundamental problems in our 'evangelical' youth culture."

Problems such as: a lack of understanding of the rudimentary teachings of Christianity, ignorance of the "teaching about righteousness" (Hebrews 5:13), and compromise with the world come to mind. Again, I don't blame the kids. I want to search for solutions for them, because the current setup at home, school and church is obviously not working. There is no quick fix. I understand that ministries like True Love Waits can have an impact, and I praise God for all lives that have been changed. But it's not the answer...it's a band-aid at best and, as I said before, a spiritual one-night stand at worst.

What does God say?

Deut 6:6-9
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Prov 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

People in Virginia...Keep Them Pants UP!

Virginia isn't taking it any more.

Yahoo! News - Va. Bill Sets Fine for Low-Riding Pants

Excerpt:
"Virginians who wear their pants so low their underwear shows may want to think about investing in a stronger belt. The state's House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday authorizing a $50 fine for anyone who displays his or her underpants in a "lewd or indecent manner."

HILARIOUS! I can't tell, though, if it's aimed at men or women? Sad to say, both are now dropping the "under" in "underwear."

I wonder if they will also outlaw those little lingerie tops (camisoles, whatever) that women are wearing now? Since when is lingerie appropriate attire outside of the bedroom?

Amy the Humble Gets Her Comeuppance

Well, not in the traditional sense. But she was given the Best New Evangelical Blog Award! (Insert trumpet blast here.)

One of my bestest blogging friends was interviewed yesterday, and it's posted at Evangelical Underground.

Here's one of the amazing, brilliant (and, of course, humble) things she had to say:

"Regarding my opinion of present day soul-winnin’ techniques, I don’t think it should be an either/or, but a both/and. We are called to be people of grace, but the gospel itself is a stumbling block. I do my best to 'live at peace with all men', but the gospel truly is offensive to those who are perishing. We do have a responsibility to communicate the gospel to all people, so I personally do not buy into the just-live-your-life-and-people-will-somehow-fall-on-their-knees-in-repentance method. It’s never worked for me. I think the 'living the gospel' approach is just another method we modern Christians made up in order to shirk the mandate. We love our reputations more than His commission.

On the other hand, we bring shame to the very message we preach when we do not 'live our best life.' I think gospel must be both spoken and lived."

That's just the beginning of the good stuff she shared. Amy loves the Truth, and I am glad to have found her.

Off the Top

Check out Bonnie's blog. I'm glad Molly commented on her latest post (both make intelligent, insightful points). This is one of my favorite things about blogging: the connections, the conversation. It enriches all of us.

And Such Were Some of You

I am so thankful that the Lord has delivered me from who I was, and continues to deliver me from who I struggle with being.

1 Cor 6:9-11 contains one of my favorite warnings (did I mention that I find them exciting?), as well as a reason to be supremely thankful:

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."

The Spirit says we are not to be deceived: the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom. If we are walking in Christ, though, and have trusted Him for salvation, we have been and are being washed, set apart (sanctified), and justified (made right with God) by the blood of the Lamb and by His Spirit. Praise God!

Part of my testimony comes from my wild past. People who meet me now are shocked to know a little bit of what I participated in before Jesus. I mention it not to glorify anything from the past, but to marvel at how the Lord so completely cleanses and delivers. I used to pepper many of my sentences with expletives; I took drugs; I did not keep myself pure (to put it mildly), and in fact despised purity when I saw it in others.

But that girl is dead, and God has raised me to new life.

Rom 6:1-4
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Holiness is so beautiful, in part because I know how incapable I am of being holy on my own. When I "strive to enter the narrow gate" (Luke 13:24), it is not through works that are of the flesh, but a striving that comes from the Spirit within. It is Christ in me that is the hope of glory! But it manifests in transformation, personal transformation that I could not effect by myself. It is not silent or invisible.

Back in those dark days--the first months of my collegiate life--I hit bottom through a set of circumstances that showed me clearly what my life had become. I cried out to Jesus, because in my filth I knew of only One who could clean me up.

Obviously, I am not perfect now. I struggle, I stumble. But God has changed me so much. The same girl who used to spew profanity...doesn't. The girl who was so defiled was made new. I felt new and clean, and I knew only God could do that. I lost friends; some started calling me "Virgin Mary" because they knew that now I was chaste. I took it as a high compliment (though, of course, it was an epithet to them) and rejoiced that they did see a difference.

Eph 3:16-18
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

Million Dollar Baby Ain't Worth Two Cents

Please check out Cindy's interview with Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic who lives victoriously in Jesus Christ.

Clint Eastwood lied to you about his new movie. Read this interview and tell me if you see anything remotely indicating the dark topic that this film is really about.

Here's a pretty typical media synopsis:

"Boxing trainer Frankie Dunn has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone-- then Maggie Fitzgerald walks into his gym. In a life of constant struggle, Maggie's gotten herself this far on raw talent. But more than anything, she wants someone to believe in her. The last thing Frankie wants is that kind of responsibility, but won over by Maggie's sheer determination, he begrudgingly agrees to take her on."

Aww, kinda sounds like Karate Kid, right?

The truth is that Eastwood's movie is about euthanasia. I don't care if that's a spoiler: I think knowing the truth and eschewing the devil's propaganda is more important. The media has been complicit with the conspiracy to keep the "spoiler" under wraps so that audiences will be hit with the full force of the "power" of Eastwood's film.

What does God say? I don't have space and time to list everything that's relevant to this in the Word, but here's a start:

Job 12:10
In his [God's] hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

Daniel 5:23 (speaking to King Belshazzar)
You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.

Psalm 31:15
My times are in your hands.

Psalm 68:20b
...from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

Life and death are in the hands of God. We dare not have the hubris to assume that murder is sanctioned because we deem it to be just. The sad fact is that our country has already traveled this road with the infant holocaust that is abortion; this is just propaganda to take us down the same road with the issue of assisted suicide.

Meeting

Did you have any experiences with God as a child?

I did, and perhaps my experience with the Lord was one of the reasons why there was never a doubt in my mind about whether God exists.

I went to church with my Uncle WC and Aunt Sylvia when I was probably nine years old. Aunt Sylvia and WC went to an Assemblies of God church (or maybe Church of God?), so I saw some things that night that, believe me, I'd never seen before, including someone praying in tongues. I didn't know what they were.

The pastor called for a time of prayer. Aunt Sylvia, who is the most soft-spoken, gentle, genuinely sweet, Southern woman you'll ever meet, grabbed my hand and marched me right down the aisle to the front of the church (maybe other people were going down to the front to pray; I don't know). We knelt at a pew at the front of the church. I looked at her. She was praying earnestly, head down, so I closed my eyes and tried to do it too.

This is the part I remember very clearly: I felt like I was surrounded by light, but my eyes were tightly shut. I felt, literally felt, God pour love down on me like water--like honey. I knew it was Him, and I knew He loved me beyond anything I could understand. I basked in it--I just felt so happy.

Similarly, when I was even younger, maybe four or five, I had what I can now only call a vision, though a very simple one: I knew what it felt like, or at least what He revealed it felt like, for God to give me a hug. I imagined hugging Him: His robe was softer than anything I'd ever felt, and I've never since had such a feeling of utter peace--the ultimate "everything is okay right now" feeling.

When I think of being with Jesus, I most often think of how those two experiences felt, and I can't wait to go Home. And I want to be as much of a child as He wants me to be right now to remember (and to feel) what it felt like to experience His love and trust Him so totally.

We often talk about not building our understanding of God on feelings--and that's very true. The Bible says that the heart of man is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). We must test everything by the Word of God. But that doesn't mean that God won't give us glimpses of His love and His amazing character, and that we can't experience that through feelings. I thank Him that He gave us the ability to experience His love in the here and now.

A Controversial Issue

Nope, it's not abortion, the State of the Union Address, or homosexuality (though I'd be glad to talk about any of those).

It's music.

Ryan and I first encountered Fight the Good Fight ministries in 2001. We'd heard a few of Joe Schimmel's messages and were really impressed by his handling of scripture and willingness to tackle tough issues. We ordered the audiotapes of Joe's expose on Rock N Roll and were blown away.

His message was simple and difficult to swallow at first because of our culture and upbringing: Joe set about proving, through artists' own words, song lyrics, and Scripture that Satan, the enemy and accuser of man, is the guiding power behind RNR and is using music to shape popular culture and usher in the New World Order.

When you first hear what it's about--well, it sounds crazy. If you believe in the Word of God, though, and have ears to hear, I challenge you to just listen to what he says. I recommend his video--particularly the one from 1992--so highly. If you don't have the money for it, no sweat. Blessed Hope will give them away; they just want the message out there.

At the very least, you will learn things you didn't know before and hear lots of scripture. But if you're like us, you won't ever look at pop culture the same way again.

Just to clarify: Ryan and I do not believe that certain 'beats' are wrong, or that drums are wrong, or anything like that. We go to a church that has contemporary worship. My husband plays guitar. It's about who is being glorified through music, and what message is being preached through it. There's always, always a message coming through all media: art, music, text, film. What message are you listening to? Are you conscious of what's being said to you?

To Believe Is to Obey

Below is something I wrote (just the first part) to Kim, who wrote a post entitled "Do Christians Have the Right to Instruct Each Other in How to Live?":

"Many times, the hard truth is that we don't want to hear anything that might result in our having to give something up that we like, or change in some way that doesn't please our flesh.

You wrote, 'They say it doesn't matter what they wear, how they look, how they live, so long as they love Jesus.'

I have encountered that attitude many times. I always think of Jesus' own words: 'If you love me, you will obey what I command' (John 14:25) and 'If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love' (John 15:10).

Love is inextricably tied to obedience. I simply can't claim to love Jesus if I disobey Him. Love is defined by what God says it is, and He says it's obedience. Who am I to argue?"
______

That is not to say we do not stumble--of course we do, and if you say you have no sin, you deceive yourself, and the truth is not in you (1 John 1:8). But what I am addressing here is the prevalent belief that you can do whatever you want, and actions don't convey your love for Jesus one way or the other. It is nearly gnostic, divorcing what you do from what you "believe." And in from a Biblical standpoint, it's absurd.

"But I DO believe in Jesus," protests the drunkard. No, you don't, or you'd be doing what He said to do.

I, too, used to think that "belief" meant some form of mental assent, a recognition that something is true. If I believe in Jesus, I recognize and assent that He is the Son of God and died to save my sins. That is belief, right?

Well, in a sense, but that belief won't do much for you on the Day of Judgment.

What Jesus wants from us is faith in Him and obedience to Him. What does James say about belief?

James 2:19-20
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

It is not enough simply to "know" what Jesus did for you and live as you please; James makes it clear that the demons' sure knowledge of God does nothing to save them from His wrath (that's why they are trembling). No one may live however he pleases (the definition of lawlessness, by the way) and call himself a disciple of Jesus.

Many people are upset by this idea, but they are allowing themselves to be upset by the Gospel itself. Jesus came to set captives free from sin, not just to let them "know" what He did so they can continue in it. Our freedom in Him is freedom to obey, not a license to do whatever we want.

Jesus said I show my love to Him by my obedience. Thus, God's commands are of paramount importance to me and to any of His followers. I love Him, so I seek to obey Him.

People get so hyper about "works" that they don't even want to touch the word with a 10-foot pole--someone might think they believe in a "works"-based salvation! I don't; we are sinners saved only by the grace of God. But James had no such qualms with "works," and neither should we. And did you know that the Bible tells us to actually try to please God? It's not wrong. It's not "striving," except in a good way, as long as you realize that only the sacrifice of Jesus saves you--you couldn't do it yourself. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to do, or that works is a bad word! Check it out:

Eph 5:8-10
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

2 Cor 5:9
So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

Gal 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Gal 6:8b-9
[T]he one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

And look at this about "striving" (below). It's not a bad word. It's okay to seek to please God and to strive to know Him and to walk the narrow road. Be encouraged! Seek to live as God commands!

Luke 13:24
Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Acts 24:15-16
and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

The Bible says that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He empowers us to live holy lives by His Spirit...and He expects us to pursue holiness. We dare not live lawless lives.

1 John 3:4
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

Matthew 23:28
You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 13:40-42
So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Roddy and Gabe, friends from SC 

True Love...

I went back and edited this after reading Steve's comments. My original post was more sarcastic, and the sarcasm could be seen as directed towards the kids, which is not my intention. I think that so many things in this world fail children--parents, schools, teachers, leaders. God never fails; His Love, and the Love He imparts to us, never fails. True Love DOES Wait, no doubt...it waits, always hopes, always loves, always perseveres. My heart grieves for all the kids making destructive choices.
_____

Most of the kids who signed pledges to wait until marriage to have sex...didn't.

"True Love Waits, a program sponsored by the Southern Baptist Convention, is one of the most famous evangelical efforts to reduce premarital sexual activity among our youth. Since 1993, about 2.4 million young people have signed a pledge to wait until marriage to engage in sexual intercourse. Are these young evangelicals keeping their pledges? In March 2004, researchers from Columbia University and Yale University reported on their findings. For seven years they studied 12 thousand teenagers who took the pledge. Sadly, they found that 88 percent of these pledgers reported having sexual intercourse before marriage; just 12 percent kept their promise. The researchers also found that the rates for having sexually transmitted diseases 'were almost identical for the teenagers who took pledges and those who did not.'"

I know how these "crusades," or whatever you want to call them, go. They attract youth groups to arenas for a one-night conference. A few speakers, a 'cool' band, and then the pledge cards come out. Kids who either feel like they'll be looked down upon if they don't sign or who have been emotionally piqued sign the card (and, of course, the 12 percent who kept their word). All of them are now counted in the ministry's numbers as a success. I am simply uncomfortable with that 'crusade' kind of ministry--I prefer one-on-one discipleship. I distrust glitz, crowds, and things that end quickly. I guess I have been burned.

I grieve for teenagers in this country, kids whose parents think they can raise them in the world and then drop them off at a convention for a night to learn not to have sex before marriage. I know I am totally oversimplifying, but there is a sense in which many youth groups as they exist today, and many parachurch ministries for teens--all of it is in some sense absurd, appealing to the flesh, or flitting down for the spiritual equivalent of a one-night stand. Kids need and deserve so much more.

I pray for more good soil for the sower. I pray against the schemes of the enemy to drown children (schools and media are such cesspools). I pray that people will see that what we need to do is FOLLOW JESUS and teach others to do the same.

The Changing View of Women--a Cultural Snippet

Terry Gross interviewed Christine Todd Whitman on the January 27 edition of Fresh Air on NPR.

Here's the blurb about Whitman:
"Former New Jersey governor and Environmental Protection Agency head for the Bush administration Christine Todd Whitman. She is a moderate Republican and in her new book argues against the hijacking of her party by zealous "social fundamentalists." Her new book is It's My Party, Too: The Battle for the Heart of the GOP and the Future of America." (emphasis mine)

I heard part of the interview as I ran some errands. The part I found interesting was not her stance, because it's not really news that some people in the Republican party don't like the evangelical influences; nor was I surprised at Terry Gross, who is constantly seeking to undermine Biblical Christianity.

I wish I had the transcript, but lo, I am too poor and lazy to purchase one--so you'll have to a) take my word for what was said or b) buy yo' own transcript.

Anyway, Terry brought up an incident that occurred when Christine was governor of New Jersey. Christine was at some public event and fell; I assume the fall was not only embarrassing, but maybe exposed her in some immodest way. Terry and Christine then discussed Christine's shift from wearing skirts to wearing pants at gubernatorial functions. At first Christine felt it wasn't proper for a governor to do that, but (I am paraphrasing) because of the changing views of women in society, she felt it was time to make a change.

Now, don't hear me wrong. I don't personally advocate the position that dresses are the only acceptable attire for a Christian woman--I am not going in that direction with this. My thoughts on their conversation were twofold:

1) Isn't it totally bizarre, from a worldly perspective, for them to be talking about that? Skirts vs. pants?? Modern women, and women in positions of power, have been wearing pants for a long time. Yet from the fact that it could be a topic on a liberal radio talk show shows that we haven't come as "far" as the feminists would have us believe. I was fascinated by that.

2) It is little, tiny, barely discernable moments like these--little decisions like those Christine made--that have caused the huge paradigm shift we've seen in the past 40 or 50 years. Once it would have been absolutely unthinkable to wear pants, as they were considered men's clothing. Change didn't happen overnight; it's the result of many decisions like the one Christine made, which I didn't even realize were still decisions any worldly woman struggled with. She said she did it because of the changing view of women. These kinds of actions have created the society we have today. I don't like it, but here I am. (By the way, I recommend Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America. Jeff Pollard does a great job of treating the subject Biblically without prescribing unBiblical or extra-Biblical solutions.

JCPenney catalog photo shoot 

Two new ones

I am adding to my blogroll...delighted with these new finds:

As I See It Now

And

Coffee and a Muffin

Me and cousins 

Blogosphere

I guess that's what I have been checking out lately. It's amazing to get a tiny taste of HOW MANY BLOGS are out there! Even just considering the number of blogs from Christian homemaker/home-minded, anti-feminist, conservative Christian women...it's astounding and, frankly, exciting.

I always wanted to have an underground publication of some type. (I am such a geek!) In high school I tried briefly to organize one, but quickly had the depressing realization that I didn't have anything earth-shattering to tell everyone. I just wanted the thrill of subversive, underground publishing. If we had had blogs then (in the early 90s) I would have been all over it!

Anyway, without further ado--I've been enjoying the following blogs:

Molly's Three Pennies Worth
Carmon's Buried Treasure
Amy's Humble Musings

Most of the blogs I have read are Reformed, and I am not. Can we still be friends?

The demise of family love

CNN.com - Teen accused of putting rat poison in family's food - Jan 27, 2005

Did you notice that things are getting worse? That more and more things like this are happening? It's the 'astorgos' spoken of in 2 Tim 3--the lack of natural affection. I mentioned that scripture in an earlier post.

Even in the recent past--in the last generation--teens would stomp to their rooms, or pout, or maybe sneak out at night (if they were REALLY rebellious). Increasingly, though, there are reports of teens beating, stabbing, shooting,
murdering their parents or peers at school. It's a disturbing trend, but it's one that is prophesied.

Rat poison...wow. The heat of passion is one thing, but this kid wanted his family to suffer. My heart breaks and cries out for him, for his family, and for our nation and lost world.

Yes, Bush did say this

"That edifice of character is built in families, supported by communities with standards, and sustained in our national life by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people."

Are these the words of an orthodox Christian? Honestly? No. 'The truths' of all of these 'varied faiths'...no. There is only one Truth, and it's revealed in the Bible.

"When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner “Freedom Now” – they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled."

If you know ANYTHING about the New Age, this doesn't sound good. It does sound quite...recognizable. 'An ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled.' It will be fulfilled, but not for long, and then Jesus will return. I want to be on the right side of that

An appetizer from the Christmas party--that is raw fish! MMMMMM!! 

My Fruitful Barrenness

This article below speaks exactly what my heart cries about infertility. It is so very hard...I grieve often and deeply. But the Lord may have other plans for me, and no matter what happens in my life, I want to glorify HIM and desire HIM above everything in this world, even the good things He can give me.

My Fruitful Barrenness

Kelly S. says many profound things in this short article, not the least of which is her meditation on longing:

"I would encourage other ladies experiencing infertility to use your grief and barrenness as a gateway to deeper service unto God and others. Sometimes we live a lifetime with unfulfilled desires. This burden can either make us bitter or better."

I praise God for this encouragement. Truly, He is what we need and fulfills every desire through His presence and hesed (lovingkindness or covenant loyalty).

Are you kidding me?

USATODAY.com - 'Pleasant': The devil went down to 'O.C.'

Yep, they're making a TV show about a girl who is the 'devil's daughter' and has evil Carrie-like powers.

I really feel like anything I say about this is going to be stating the obvious. It is interesting to me that even the world recognizes, as is evidenced by this article, that in shows or movies like this, Satan is one of the "stars":

"Having failed to clone the success of The O.C. with North Shore, Fox is trying again with the odder, darker Point Pleasant, a beachfront soap about a young woman who doesn't know she's the devil's daughter. It's as if Who's Your Daddy? was not only spawned by Satan, but also was a star vehicle for him."

More from CNN: "The network has ordered 13 episodes, and hopes the series -- Noxon alternately describes it as "'Rosemary's Baby' meets `Peyton Place,'" or "'Twin Peaks' meets 'The Omen' " -- will catch on."

The prince of this world likes to glorify himself. Usually, though, it's a little more discreet than this.

The Way of the Master

The Way of the Master

Check it out.

Our pastor's work will be featured in one of their upcoming shows.

Who would have thought...some truth being told on TBN?!

Living Here and Now

I can't believe I'm here.

Looking at history--at cultures throughout history, that is--we live in such an amazing, contradictory, insane, singular time. You and I are living in a society where women walk down the street wearing something that, just a few years ago, would have gotten them arrested. Mores have changed so much that when I survey the thinking and values of the past, I'm simply stunned. Granted, I too am the product of this nation, this culture, this generation; none of us can totally escape modernity. I'm not suggesting we should escape, though it does seem preferable, often, to what I see around me. I have a sense of disbelief, quite frequently: a feeling that the world has truly gone mad and only a few people see it.

I'm not just writing about clothing, although clothing is one of the best examples I can think of to illustrate just how much society has changed in the past 40 years, especially, or even the past 100 years. It's not just a covering (or lack thereof) for the body: clothing symbolizes and illustrates the wearer's beliefs, however unconscious that may be. There is meaning in it. If you're dressed in Daisy Dukes and a tank top, it does say something about you, however much society may protest that thought at the moment. Now, just because someone is dressed appropriately doesn't mean his heart is in the right place; truly, the Lord sees and knows the heart, and man just the outward. But it doesn't follow that the outward tells you nothing, no matter what it is!

This observation about how the world has changed applies to so many other areas, too: how people spend their time; what attitudes, words and actions are tolerated from child to parent; beliefs about God and the universe; what, where and how children are taught; the role of males and females in society, families and workplace; on and on I could go.

I feel compelled to mention some people who stimulated my thinking on some of these points: John Taylor Gatto, regarding education; Wendy Shalit and Jeff Pollard, as well as LAF, on modesty and changes in sexual mores; Mary Pride on family and work issues; Kent Hovind on the origin of life; and perhaps most of all, Joe Schimmel regarding societal change, music, and Biblical study.

I am not at a loss to understand why this has happened or where it's going. The Bible is very, very clear that in the end times, "the abounding of the lawlessness" (Matthew 24:12, YLT) will occur and increase.

2 Tim 3:1-5
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

We are certainly there. Such things as those listed above have existed as long as man has had sin nature (read: a long time!). But they're getting worse. Daily we are horrified by an increasing number of crimes--mothers killing their children in cold blood, pregnant women mutilated, strangers killed without mercy, and mothers producing a holocaust of babies, citing their inconvenience. Sure, murder has occurred since Cain murdered Abel, but it's happening more frequently, just as the Bible warned it would as this age draws to a close.

There is nothing to do but recognize our own sinfulness and our need for Jesus, and throw ourselves at His feet. There is no other answer! Only He can navigate us safely though times like these. But let's recognize what's happening. One thing must be totally obvious to the honest observer: these are perilous times.

Totally Bizarre Quote of the Day

Here's one for you.

The blurb below is from a new movie Kevin Bacon is in, called The Woodsman. In it he plays a convicted child molester who has been released and is trying to rebuild his life. What I am directing your attention to is not so much the movie, but something this reviewer says:

CNN.com - Review: 'Woodsman' bold film of tough subject - Dec 24, 2004: "There's enough else about 'The Woodsman,' though, that makes it worthwhile, including his relationship with Vickie, a co-worker played by Kyra Sedgwick, Bacon's real-life wife. Sedgwick provides much-needed warmth as the tough, slightly damaged woman who sees something inside him worth saving. (And after the first time, you get over that uncomfortable sensation of watching an actual married couple having sex on screen.)"

Um, is it more 'comfortable' to watch two people who have no connection in real life perform a sex scene? I don't want to watch ANY simulated sex, ever--how is that justifiable before a holy God?!--but surely, as long as we're splitting hairs, a couple who is really committed to each other in real life is better than two people who've been hired to simulate sex and then will go home to their respective partners. After all, it's just a job, right?

Just one more of one billion things that proves how totally WACK our culture is.

Oh, and Merry Christmas Eve!

Quick Link: Megiddo II

We are in the process of watching this amazing expose on Thursday nights at my church. This film by Chris Pinto is absolutely a must-see!

_____________________________________________________________

NEW RELEASE from Adullam Films -- MEGIDDO II: THE NEW AGE

Part II in the Megiddo series explores the influence of the highly popular New Age movement. This “new” age is presented in contrast to what might be called the “former” age of Christianity. Megiddo features powerful quotes from early American leaders who emphasized the importance of the Christian faith in education & government.

In tracking the history of the new age/new thought movement designed to change those beliefs, the documentary reveals:

1. Little known pagan practices in early America.

2. The birth of the modern “spiritist” movement that began with the Fox Sisters (spiritual mediums) in 1848.

3. Historical figures involved with the occult, such as: Thomas Edison, Adolf Hitler, Carl Jung, Hillary Clinton, and a host of American presidents.

4. Witness footage of 20th century spirit mediums that channel spirits who deny the Gospel and teach that man is his own “god.”

5. Hear popular “Christian” leaders such as Paul Crouch & Kenneth Copeland who teach the same doctrine, calling themselves “gods.”

6. Learn the role of Evolution, its foundation in the occult, and its impact on Hitler, world religion, abortion and genocide.

8. Hear Robert Schuller & Billy Graham preach the New Age Christ.

9. Learn the origin of the Theosophical Society, its impact on the United Nations, and the drive to establish a one-world religion to usher in the Antichrist.

10. Satanist Aleister Crowley’s vision for a New Aeon (age) and his influence among popular musicians. Learn of Crowley’s chilling plan for a “bloodbath” to bring forth his New Aeon of Horus (Crowley’s code-name for Antichrist).

11. See original footage of the Georgia Guidestones – a mysterious monument that promotes the new age goal of depopulating the earth.

12. Documented quotes from new agers who advocate the mass murder of Christians who are seen as the single obstacle to world unity.

Featured speakers: Dave Hunt, Caryl Matrisciana, Dr. Kent Hovind, Pastor Joe Schimmel and Dr. Stan Monteith.

An Adullam Films Production, Running Time 180 min.


Visit Adullam Films at www.adullamfilms.org for more information.

Adullam Films
P.O. Box 27554
Los Angeles, CA 90027-0554
Toll-free 888-780-5049
www.adullamfilms.org

Hypocrisy: What America Says, What America Does

Here's an incredible article from the New York Times. The headline?

Many Who Voted for 'Values' Still Like Their Television Sin.

I believe the challenge for Christians is to live what they believe (actually, you're not a disciple of Christ if you don't). What are you watching?

______________

The results of the presidential election are still being parsed for what they say about the electorate's supposed closer embrace of traditional cultural values, but for the network television executives charged with finding programs that speak to tastes across the nation, one lesson is clear.

The supposed cultural divide is more like a cultural mind meld.

In interviews, representatives of the four big broadcast networks as well as Hollywood production studios said the nightly television ratings bore little relation to the message apparently sent by a significant percentage of voters.

The choices of viewers, whether in Los Angeles or Salt Lake City, New York or Birmingham, Ala., are remarkably similar. And that means the election will have little impact on which shows they decide to put on television, these executives say.

It is possible that some secondary characters on new television shows will exhibit strong religious beliefs, and an occasional plotline may examine the impact of faith on some characters' lives. But with "Desperate Housewives" and "C.S.I." leading the ratings, television shows are far more likely to keep pumping from the deep well of murder, mayhem and sexual transgression than seek diversion along the straight and narrow path.

"It's entertainment versus politics," said Steve McPherson, the president of ABC Entertainment. He dismissed the notion that program creators might be developing ideas specifically to chase voters who claimed moral values as an important issue in this election. "I have not heard an idea of that kind,'' Mr. McPherson said, "none whatsoever."

As much as network entertainment executives believe in taking note of trends, the rating figures from Nielsen Media Research remain their bible.

"They tell you more about creative values than anything that's in the political zeitgeist," said Dana Walden, the president of one of the largest production studios, Twentieth Century Fox Television, which produces shows like "The Simpsons" and "N.Y.P.D. Blue." "It's those values that are striking a chord with the American people," Ms. Walden said.

So if it is true that the public's electoral choices are a cry for more morally driven programming, the network executives ask, why are so many people, even in the markets surrounding the Bush bastions Atlanta and Salt Lake City, watching a sex-drenched television drama?

"Desperate Housewives" on ABC is the big new hit of the television season, ranked second over all in the country, behind only "C.S.I." on CBS. This satire of suburbia and modern relationships features, among other morally challenged characters, a married woman in her 30's having an affair with a high-school-age gardener, and has prompted several advertisers, including Lowe's, to pull their advertisements.

In the greater Atlanta market, reaching more than two million households, "Desperate Housewives" is the top-rated show. Nearly 58 percent of the voters in those counties voted for President Bush.

And in the Salt Lake City market, which takes in the whole state of Utah and parts of Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming, "Desperate Housewives" is fourth, after two editions of "C.S.I." and NBC's "E.R."; Mr. Bush rolled up 72.6 percent of the vote there.

"We say one thing and do another," said Kevin Reilly, the president of NBC Entertainment. "People compartmentalize about their lives and their entertainment choices."

Regional differences, of course, do exist in the country's entertainment choices. Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" and Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" both took in staggering profits, but the busiest theaters for "Fahrenheit" were in Democratic territory, like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, while "The Passion" performed best in Republican states like Texas, Ohio and Florida.

But moviegoing requires active and out-of-home decision-making, and has a price attached, unlike broadcast television. Watching television has always been a passive activity, with people selecting their entertainment in the privacy of their homes.

Even on television there are modest discrepancies in the popularity of various shows. "Desperate Housewives" may make it into the top 10 in Birmingham, Ala., but in the eighth spot. And "Will and Grace," the NBC comedy with two gay main characters, ranks in the top 10 in New York but just 22nd nationally.

Any geographical differences are overwhelmed by the distinct viewership patterns among blacks and whites. A study conducted last year by the advertising-buying firm Initiative Media found that while "Friends" and "E.R." were among the top-rated shows among whites, they were much less popular among blacks. And the highest-rated shows among blacks, like "One on One" and "Girlfriends," could not crack the top 100 of network shows.

The divide between what people accept as proper in public and what they choose to enjoy in their private lives is, unsurprisingly, nothing new in the history of the world or this country.

"When the Pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock left behind writing, it was William Bradford's, and you can clearly see what they believed in and what their values were," said Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University, referring to the colony's first governor. "Then you look at the court records and you see all kinds of fornication, adultery and bestiality."

Herbert J. Gans, professor of sociology at Columbia University and the author of "Popular Culture and High Culture: An Analysis and Evaluation of Taste," said, "For some people it's a case of 'I am moral therefore I can watch the most immoral show.' ''

That point was echoed by Gary Schneeberger, the senior manager of issues for Focus on the Family, an influential evangelical Protestant group that urged its supporters to vote on values. "History has shown that even people who could be described as values voters are prone to sinful behavior and watching representations of sinful behavior," Mr. Schneeberger said. "Is it shocking that people would be enticed by it? It's not shocking, but it is tragic."

He said he understood how some viewers might enjoy the murder-mystery aspects of "C.S.I.," the No. 1 show his group has assailed for its graphic depictions of violence, even though justice is served most weeks. But, he added, "is it worth having to go through all this garbage to solve a mystery?"

Mr. Schneeberger said he was encouraged by the criticism heaped on ABC last week for using a sexed-up opening for its "Monday Night Football" coverage, which included one of the stars of "Desperate Housewives" dropping a towel and jumping, apparently naked, into the arms of a football player. But even while ABC was apologizing for the segment, cable news and sports networks like ESPN (which is owned by ABC's parent, the Walt Disney Company) were incessantly replaying the offending scene. It is a contradiction played out again and again in popular culture, where for all the backlash against everything from Murphy Brown's single motherhood to Janet Jackson's exposed breast, the boundaries of what's acceptable keep being pushed by the increasingly graphic shows on cable, like FX's "Nip/Tuck," and even offerings from the networks.

There have been successful series with religious overtones, like "Touched by an Angel."

But since that show went off CBS, the record is less impressive, said Leslie Moonves, the co-president and co-chief operating officer of Viacom, which owns CBS and UPN. On the CBS show "Joan of Arcadia," God is a recurring character. But he is not pulling in the viewers, and that goes for almost all states.

If moral and religious values were truly what people most wanted to see depicted on television, Mr. Moonves said, "I guess we'd be seeing 'Joan of Arcadia' doing better than 'C.S.I.' ''

Mr. Moonves said his network had no plans to tinker with its shows. "As soon as you think of something that makes you start putting other things in a show, you change the nature of the show," he said.

Mr. Reilly of NBC, however, said, "I do think we tend to give short shrift to certain areas of the country."

"One of the things we're playing with is having characters with strong religious beliefs included in some of our new shows," Mr. Reilly added. "This would not be the premise of the show, but we could have a character who simply has this strong point of view."

And over at Fox, Preston Beckman, the executive vice president for program planning, said he had some advice, however marginal, for producers pitching the networks. "Make sure that a lot of them are at least located in red states," he said. "And give the characters a dog."

Music in the New Testament

What is the role of music in the New Testament? How does it compare to the Tanakh usage and role of music? Granted, that topic could fill the pages of a book, but I'd like to take a brief look to see what the Scripture instructs on this topic.

Some OT examples of music's role and usage:

1) Moses and Miriam leading the rejoicing of the Hebrews after being delievered from the Egyptians (Exodus 15).

2) The book of Psalms is a collection of songs. It references many different instruments and even commands believers to praise the Lord using them (Psalm 150:5).

3) Music was used to celebrate the Ark of the Covenant being brought to the City of David:

1 Chronicles 15:19
The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth, and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith. Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

4) God clearly approves of the use of music to worship Him:

2 Chronicles 5:12-14
All the Levites who were musicians--Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives--stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:
"He is good;
his love endures forever."
Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.

There are MANY more examples, but you can see the gist: music had a prominent place in the rejoicing of God's people and in the worship of God.

What are some New Testament examples?

1) When the Prodigal Son returns home, the older son, coming in from the field, hears the sound of "music and dancing" (Luke 15:25). The parable is a picture of the return of a believer back to the Lord after leaving Him; we're told in Luke 15:7 that heaven rejoices over the repentance of a sinner.

2) Making music is a command for New Testament believers! Note that the command includes "to one another" as well as "in your heart"--so there's a basis for singing together as well as privately.

Ephesians 5:19-20
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3) Music coexists with teaching, and is commanded alongside it:

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

4) Music is again associated with rejoicing:

James 5:13b
Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

5) Revelation 14 and 15 make it clear that there will be plenty of music in heaven.

Revelation 15:2-4
And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:
"Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."

6) Music is definitively part of corporate Christian worship. The early church experienced and expected to sing and make music together in addition to teaching, reading the Word, and prophesying.

1 Corinthans 14:26
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

None of this is to say, though, that the way music is incorporated into the services today is anything like what the early church did. To my way of thinking, early church music methodology would more resemble a campfire or home Bible study's use of music than a band up front on a stage. But times are different, technology is different. I am still not sure what we've gained or lost with our current way of doing things.

In the Old Testament, you could say there was a band: the skilled Levites who played the instruments and sang. Perhaps the modern "worship band" at the front of the church is fulfilling this type of role. That makes sense, but I feel a sense of loss of intimacy and group participation with the "stage" aspect. Yet another reason why the home church model is the best, and the most like the early church.

Current Films

The movie industry is one of the enemy's primary indoctrination tools for the US and for people around the world who embrace American pop culture. Movie theaters are like temples for postmodern worshipers. Inside these places of "idol" worship (isn't that what many stars are called?), audiences are exposed to everything from serial killings, rapes, incest, adultery, and much more...all in the name of entertainment, the pop culture's god.

Two films I read about recently that I find particularly appalling, even in these dark times, are Birth, a movie about a woman's reincarnated husband, now 10 years old, coming to claim her before she marries her live-in fiance, and Saw, a film about a serial killer's torturing of his victims (in a nutshell).

It's not that surprising that the film industry is promoting and glorifying themes of pedophilia, murder and psychological torture; but I see in both of these movies an "upping" of the ante.

Even many non-Christians see the inherent depravity of pairing an adult woman with a ten year old CHILD as love interests: a screening of Birth at a film festival--where crowds are usually hungry for novel things and ready to embrace "new visions"--drew widely-reported boos and hisses as Nicole Kidman's character shared a bath with the boy claiming to be her reincarnated husband. Regardless of the context, this movie has the effect of giving credibility to pedophiles (see, she's in love! It's not a boy--it's really her dead husband!).

I don't really even want to go into Saw's story, it's so revolting. See the review above if you want to know more of what it's about. But check out this particular portion of what the reviewer had to say:

"Touting torture as a treat becomes the heart of Saw—something that should automatically send most morally minded moviegoers running for the exits. And yet, sadly, it won’t.

In all honesty, Saw's perverse pictures weren't the most disturbing things I saw while reviewing it. It was disconcerting enough to sit in a theater full of mothers with their 8-year-old boys in tow and groups of 12-year-old girls chaperoned by solitary adults. It was nearly intolerable to witness them—kids and adults—applauding when a man onscreen got his brains bashed in. And laughing when Lawrence sobbed helplessly on the cell phone while his wife and daughter struggled at gunpoint with their kidnapper.

So in the end, Saw may say even more about the people who see it than it does about the people who created it."

Great News Regarding British Vote!

Britain Spanking Vote

"Parliament has overwhelmingly rejected calls for all smacking of children to be outlawed despite the wishes of some Labour MPs."

YAY!

Check out this part, though:
"Hinchliffe, head of parliament's Health Select Committee, said Britain was in breach of its obligations under the U.N. Convention of the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights."

In BREACH of its obligations? Is Britain a sovereign nation, or is it subject to a world governing body? What was once a question with a clear answer is becoming muddier by the day.

The UN Convention of the Rights of the Child was approved by nearly every nation in 1990:
"Only two countries have not ratified: the United States and Somalia, which have signalled their intention to ratify by formally signing the Convention" (Unicef).

Recently the UN sought to persuade Canada to prohibit spanking, and in fact "ruled" that Canada should ban it. The UN doesn't currently have the power to enforce its "ruling", but an attentive observer will see which way the wind is blowing.

Stephen Macklin (a blogger) looks at the issue from an individual-rights perspective and makes some good points.

The sovereignty of nations is waning and will eventually disappear, replaced by a one-world government. We are hurtling towards that time...I am just surprised that so many nations are already willing to hand their sovereignty over to world govemment without protest. Decisions are being made on an international level by the World Court, and once sovereign nations are expected to abide by its rulings.

Britain May Make Spanking Illegal

Article on Spanking in Britain

Britain is considering outlawing spanking. Many other nations already have outlawed it, and I believe the U.S. is headed in the same direction.

The Bible is incredibly clear on this point, but it's not as simple as "spanking is good," and I think that's where many people run into trouble when thinking about spanking.

First, Christian parenting should reflect the character of God and be obedient to His commands. What is God's character? He is defined as love:

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

This begs the question, though--what is love? Love is a fundamentally misunderstood concept, though perhaps nothing else has been the subject of more writing and rumination. According to the Bible, love is not a warm feeling; it's not getting whatever you want, or giving someone whatever they want; it's not physical affection. God repeatedly defines love for us in the Bible, and what's especially important is to know how to love HIM. How do we love God?

1 John 5:2-3
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.

So love, in a very basic and rudimentary way, has to do with obedience. If we don't obey God, we don't really love Him and can never be in relationship with Him. He enables us to obey by cleansing us and giving us everything we need for life and godliness, but we must choose to obey Him in order to say we love Him.

What does that say about parenting?

Look at the facts: we are all sinners; we have all fallen short of the glory of God and are doomed to Hell because of our own rebellion against a loving Maker. What has God done? He sent Jesus to die for us, so we could be redeemed from a deserved death and begin life as children of God.

1 John 4:9-10
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1. God made a way for us to be able to obey Him. He did this out of His love and tenderness toward us--He desires NO ONE to perish. He loves the world, even though His wrath abides on those who rebel against Him. That's why He sent His Son.
2. Once we are in Christ, God expects obedience--He has enabled us to obey Him and desires us to walk in loving closeness with Him.
3. There is chastisement for every child of God.

Hebrews 12:5-7
And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
"MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

Christians should parent as God does: lovingly, tenderly, firmly--always guiding the child toward godliness. Sometimes this is done with words; sometimes with the "rod," which is not condoned but commanded by Scripture. If you do not spank, you hate your child. That's not me talking, but the Word of God.

Proverbs 13:24
He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Proverbs 22:15
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

There are many scriptures on the rod, and I won't list them all. Suffice it to say that a Biblical understanding of discipline will include the use--the loving and careful use--of the rod. Spanking should never be done in anger or in retaliation. It is a tool of discipline, with the design of breaking a child's rebellion to help him, later, not seek to rebel against God. To help him understand that sin always has consequences, and those consequences are invariably painful. The ultimate consequence for sin is Hell. A permissive parent allows his child to believe that his sin has no repercussions.

Don't ever forget that children desperately need and desire boundaries. That's why the shepherd's staff is a comfort--it's not a torture device.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

I praise God for His lovingkindness and for His discipline. I pray the U.S. does not quickly follow the steps of other nations in this matter.

Other resources:
No Greater Joy
Shepherding a Child's Heart

Citizenship--Voting Day special

Here's what I am thinking about as we reach the culmination of months of arguments, accusations, reporting, factions and strife:

This world isn't my home; I don't really belong here now that Jesus has made me a new person. Just as Paul was first a citizen of heaven, I am also an ambassador of Christ in a foreign land.

Philippians 3:18-21
For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Hebrews 11 contains testimony about people throughout the Tanakh who were faithful to God. They knew by faith that their true home was elsewhere, and they trusted that God would someday bring them to this home they had never seen.

Hebrews 11:13-16
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

As the citizens of America go to the polls, I want to remember where my true home is and where my allegiance lies: solely in the Kingdom of Heaven, and solely at the feet of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying 'don't vote'; I'll be voting tomorrow. But I know there's something much greater I am expecting and longing for.

Which brings me to my favorite verse!

Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.