Blog Culture

Just a simple thought that I had today:  It seems that with blog culture, or at least in my experience with it, you are encouraged to write frequently and provide new, exciting content that readers will want to keep coming back for.  You are also encouraged to speak your mind.  This seems quite opposite from wisdom, which would be quiet, observant, and would only speak when necessary.

Consider these verses:

“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” (Proverbs 29:11)

“Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” ( Proverbs 17:28 )

Wisdom is what seems to be a paradox to humanity.

Past, Present, Future } Christianity

    Our God, the God of the Bible, is the God of all things past, present, and future.  He created all things.  He is the Alpha.  He is the uncaused cause of all that we know.  We can take much comfort in this thought, for the God who created the universe also cares for us.  His care toward us leads me to the fact that He is the God of the present as well.  Not only did God exist in all times past, He exists in the constant present, drawing us ever closer in our walk toward Him, and wooing the lost to come in as sons and daughters through Christ.  He actively hears our prayers.  He is aware of the pains and the sorrows that we face in this sin-affected world with our sin-affected bodies.  There is comfort found there.  Also, God is the God of the future.  He is the Omega, the End.  Only He has the right to end things as they are, as He sees fit.  God is the Victorious Warrior over sin, and the punishment for the evil one has been spelled out.  As sure as we, in our broken bodies, will one day face our appointment with death and then be judged, the great deciever will meet his end at the hand of the LORD.  God has reigned from the beginning, He continues to reign, and He will reign in the future forever.  Amen!!!

    As God Himself is the God of all things past, present and future, it is rightly reflected as such in His word, the Bible.  In the Bible, we have a historical account of the dealings of God with man.  We understand why things are as they are through history, which in turn provides us with a clear worldview by which we live.  The stories of the dealings of God with man hit home, because we can see certain qualities of ourselves in the characters of the Old Testament.  Namely, the brokenness of man that is common to all.  It is a comfort to know that God cares about the broken.  By relating the past to ourselves in the Present, and through the active work of the Holy Spirit on our lives, the Bible is a book of the present as well.  Amazingly, although this book is thousands of years old, it still pierces to the heart of sinful man, drawing men to come to faith in Christ.  God has spelled out the future for us in the Bible as well.  It is through the reading of His word that we understand our gift of eternal life and the punishment that will come to those who reject Him.  We understand that the enemy has already been defeated, because God has decreed it to be so.  And now, we wait, and we look, and most importantly, we work.

    Thus, as God is the God of all things past, present, and future, and as His word reflects all three, it only makes since that we, as God’s children, should be concerned with the past, present, and future as well.  Personally, I would venture to say that most of my life is spent in the present-past, immediate present, or the present-future.  Basically, most of my attention is turned toward the events that have happened, are happening, or will happen in a week or so.  I truly think that this is a problem that I have.  How would my life be different if I considered the far past in relation to today more often?  How would my life be affected if I considered the far future, even unto death, and the promise of God of eternal life after death, and yet even the judgement of God?  I think that focusing on such things cannot help but change the way that we live out our lives in the present.  Now, there is also work to be done in the present.  And there is joy to be found in life and in rest in the present.  My case is simply that I do not spend nearly enough time thinking about the past or the future.

    On a personal note, I am truly benefitted in my own life to stop and think about some of the great memories of times past and the hopes of the time future.  God has blessed my life richly.  I have had a wonderful life so far, and I look forward to what God will do with my flawed person in the future as He sanctifies and draws me to Himself. 

    Mostly, though, I praise God today for rest.  Rest in things past, rest in present troubles, and rest in life eternal.  Glory to God in the Highest!

What’s In A Name?

My birth name is Daniel.  When I was younger, I remember going into Christian bookstores and looking at all of the different name tag trinkets.  Many of them had a name listed, along with the Hebrew meaning of the name.  Not suprisingly, I looked mine up and found out that Daniel means “God is my Judge.”  When I was a child, I did not understand this entirely.  I mean, sure, I understood the basics behind judgement and grace, but nothing of the deeper implications of what they meant.

I am realizing more and more the necessity for me, and for many other Christians, to say as a matter of fact that “God is my Judge” or even “God is our Judge” and finally ”God is the Judge.”

All too often, Christians are criticized for being judgemental toward others.  The conservative church is characterized by self-righteousness and intolerance instead of love and compassion.  Here’s a great example, which I’m sure many of you have heard.  In the book unChristian, research shows that these percentages of people outside of the church believe that Christians are:

* antihomosexual 91%
* judgmental 87%
* hypocritical 85%
* old-fashioned 78%
* too political 75%
* out of touch with reality 72%
* insensitive to others 70%
* boring 68%

Notice that the top three things on the list directly relate to the judgement of others.  So I think: What right do I have to criticize someone of wrongdoing when I myself am guilty of wrongdoing every single day (if not in deed, in thought)?  It’s quite simply the pot calling the kettle black.  Also, my definition of wrongdoing might differ from someone else’s definition of wrongdoing, because not everyone believes in the Bible as the Word of God.  And even of those who claim to believe in the Bible, not everyone believes that it is inspired in plenary verbal form, which in effect allows for personal interpretation to cloud the intent of the Bible’s message, if you even believe that the authors of the Bible had an intent to begin with.

I do know this, though.  When it comes to matters of accountability for sin, I am accountable to no man, but to God.  God is my judge.  I believe, based on the Bible, that we will all give an account for our lives, even for every idle word that is spoken.  I have no right to condemn my fellow man, but I do have an obligation to bring my fellow man into the knowledge of the good news of Christianity:  That there is forgiveness found at the foot of the cross of Christ!  I am not ashamed of this message, for it is the power of God unto salvation.

I cannot judge a person’s righteousness or lack thereof, but God can.  He is the one Just Judge, and He alone defines morality.  No man is accountable to anyone else other than Him.  My only goal is to bring people face to face with the Scripture, as I myself was brought into contact with it.  Sure, it’s offensive.  It hurts our human pride, because we want to think we’re basically good.  The prophet Isaiah even considers our good deeds to be polluted garments in the sight of God’s pure Holiness.  The scripture reveals to us who we really are: sinful humans in need of a Savior.  But…ultimately, what a person does with the gospel is up to them.  I am just thankful for the opportunity to preach it and to try and live it out as God works on me.

Hebrews 9:27,28 – “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Christianity and the Movies

I was reading reviews on a movie that I saw around a year ago.  You’ve probably heard of it: There Will Be Blood, which stars Daniel Day Lewis, who plays a greedy oil prospector in the early twentieth century.  I honestly had mixed feelings about viewing this movie before I actually did watch it.  “It’s anti-Christian!” some said.  Others were just opposed to the idea of lots of blood in a movie, although the fact is, there really isn’t that much (at least, compared to some of the torture porn movies…aka Saw series…favorited by many these days…yikes).  What I found after viewing it was a really good, thought provoking movie about greed and evil human nature.  If you want an excellent review from a Christian perspective, check out this one that was posted to the Christianity Today online magazine.  He came to the same conclusion that I did:  I wouldn’t recommend it for those who have impressionable ideas about Christianity, since Christian faith is not overtly represented in a positive way.  The guy that wrote this review is Jeffrey Overstreet, who is a Christian film reviewer and author.  You should most definitely check out this interview that he had with Christianity Today.  They asked some hard questions, and he had some very good answers:  Studying the Silver Screen: An Interview With Jeffrey Overstreet.

This brings up an excellent question though, and I’m sure that it’s one that you have struggled with as well if you are a Christian:  What movies are acceptable to watch as a Christian, and why should a Christian watch movies anyway?

Obviously, I can’t answer that question for everyone.  I have wrestled with this issue before though.  I really like what Overstreet said (in the above interview – bottom of the first page) in reply to a question about offenses to the conscience through the viewing of film:

“I’m learning to proceed with caution, but I’m also learning to reject the approach I learned growing up in the church. I want to quit lamenting culture and start engaging it. We need to approach movies the way we approach people. Jesus and the apostles got involved with messed-up people all the time and walked in to some of the most pagan places. But they did so with discernment, conscience, discipline, and, above all, grace.”

Right on, Jeffrey!  I usually come to the same conclusion that I always do when I think about such things, and that is this:  Perhaps the best way to live life is not in a state of extremity, but rather in a state of continual temperance through God-given wisdom and prudence.

A Few Words on Shane Claiborne

I had the chance to hear Shane Claiborne, the author of The Irresistible Revolution and coauthor of Jesus For President, speak tonight at Lipscomb University in Nashville.  For the most part, I had to agree with (and was convicted by) the general concepts that he presented.  His ideas are quite simple and are based on the Biblical commandments to love God and love your neighbor.  I do have a few observations, however.  Feel free to discuss them, as they are all relatively fresh on my mind.  I will revise them as I think more about the subject.

1) Is free market capitalism really such a bad idea after all?  The introduction video to his message seemed to look down upon those who participate in the stock market (targeting Wall Street as a societal problem?).  Are not investment and smart money management considered to be wise actions?  A great example of the good that can come of such an economic system is none other than the work of Bill Gates himself.  For instance, did you know that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has generated $38.7 billion in dowry for the worldwide enhancement of healthcare and to work toward eliminating extreme poverty?  Do you think that such a generous donation could be possible in a different economic system?  I guess my point is, even though some rich people make entirely wrong and greedy decisions with their wealth, that is no excuse to throw out the entire economic machine.  The problem isn’t with statistics, or who has what, but rather with how those use what they have.  Unfortunately, you can’t force people to do good things.  And why should you even expect non-Christian people to behave like perfect Christians?  It seems nonsensical to expect such.

2) Should I feel bad about living modestly and frugally as a stereotypical middle class, white American?  I believe that I can be a good example of Christianity to others by a) giving generously without living extravagantly and b) managing what I do have well and being a good steward of what has been given to me by God.  I mean, what kind of husband would I be if I generously gave away more money than we had and missed electricity bill or rent payments?  To me, it’s not as much an issue about every single person selling everything and living as a ragamuffin community, but it’s about the heart of each and every individual.  I just don’t believe that Jesus’s command to the rich young ruler to sell all that he had, give it to the poor, and follow Him was a direct command to every Christian.  The point of the passage is that the young man had his priorities set on wealth and things.  If you find that most of your resources are being spent selfishly, perhaps it would be a good time to reevaluate your giving.  For instance, instead of buying that guitar loop station you’ve always wanted (yeah, I’m pointing the finger at me…ouch), consider giving a $300 check to missions, or better yet spend it or use it to directly impact the lives of those who you come into contact with on a regular basis.  It’s not really sacrificial giving if there is no personal sacrifice involved.  Sacrifice WANTS though, not NEEDS.  God provides our needs, and sometimes even our wants, but true contentment cannot be found in wanting or having, only in giving and sharing.  It’s a crazy paradox of life that I’m learning more and more about the longer I live.

3) It seemed to me tonight that Claiborne was not an advocate of pure socialism.  Many do not seem to understand his viewpoint, which is that Christians should consider living socially in order to accomplish more for Christ’s kingdom on Earth.  Sometimes the lines do blur though, so perhaps he would do well to define his ideals a bit more clearly.  I plan on reading one or two of his books in the near future to try and grasp just what he imagines Christian communities to be like.

Basically, I don’t believe that democracy and free market capitalism are inherently bad. Perhaps Claiborne does, I’m not sure.  If he does, he’s welcome to disagree.  Certainly America’s economic system does allow for some bad things to happen, yet it also allows for some really good things to happen as well.  It all depends on the good, or bad, people who participate in the system.  On a personal level though, I do think that we should take careful consideration about what things we value, and that’s where I am challenged by Claiborne.  I want others to look at me and my wife and not see just more “greedy Americans” but rather wise stewards who choose to willingly give abundantly to those who have greater needs.

Yet Another Neomodern Link

I found an article about neomodernism on probe.org today, which addresses the inevitable coming of the new age of thought and how that might possibly affect us.  Since I am (admittedly) not an expert in the area, I am trying to soak up every bit of knowledge I can find about what this new mindset and worldview would consist of.  I doubt this author would contend to be an expert in defining the term, but he does have an M.A. from Southwestern (so that helps).

link:  What Comes After Post-Modern?

ps – If anyone knows of any good, scholarly sources for this topic, let me know.

Shoddy Biblical Scholarship

Oftentimes critics of the Bible engage in rather shoddy scholarship, resorting to weak theories of analysis, picking apart apparent inconsistencies, and then acting as if they are indeed scholars of the highest regard.  (Perhaps not always the last part.)  What many fail to realize is that the Bible is indeed one of the most complex books ever written, which draws upon at least 9 different areas of expertise.  I ran across a well-written article on the internet that addresses this topic.  Be aware though:  he’s rather sarcastic and blunt; however it’s worth reading if you are new to reading the Bible or have questions regarding Biblical interpretation.

Calculated Contempt: Why Bible Critics Do Not Deserve the Benefit of the Doubt

What amazes me is how the Bible can be so complex, yet simple enough that all who will can understand and accept Christ.  Only the inspiration of God could have led to the formation of such a book.

On a side note, the same author addresses in detail the flaws in the popular atheistic film “The God Who Wasn’t There,” which caused a bit of a stir last year (I think last year???).

Again, I do not quite agree with his overall presentation.  Sure, it can be funny to sarcastically make fun of the inconsistencies of others (as atheists often attempt with Christianity), but it does nothing to further the cause of Christ (or atheism, for that matter).  Instead of attacking boldness and pride with boldness and pride, perhaps it would be better to respond with Christ-like humility.

On Dangerous “Absolute Unabsolutes”

I am a very, very BIG fan of doctrine.  It is the safeguard of the church against false teachers.  Also, the way in which one views and interprets the Bible can have a huge impact on that person’s holistic view of life.  As I learn more about Scripture, God changes my thinking about myself and those that I come into contact with.  I am very much in support of Christians consulting God’s Word as inspired scripture and building doctrine based on the exegetical meaning of passages.  I am also in support of churches adopting doctrine to follow (as long as they don’t approach it with hubris).

That having been said, it’s obvious that there are certain viewpoints of Christianity that are still disputed and have been disputed for a long time.  Let’s use Calvinism and Arminianism as examples.   I also believe that there are other areas of Christianity that are simply indisuptable to all (Based on a plenary verbal interpretation of the Bible), such as the way to salvation (by grace through repentance of sin and faith in Christ Jesus), and the concept that all men are sinners before a Holy and Just God.

A big problem that I see taking place, and it’s something that I have seen ever since I have been a young person growing up in church (even if I wasn’t aware of what was going on), is that these “absolute unabsolutes” are driving problematic wedges between the unified body of Christ.

Here’s a good example, fresh off of the front page of WordPress.com today, by one of the most-read religious bloggers on the site.  You may not have time to read the whole article, so just take a look at the last paragraph if you are short on time:  A Short Response to the Arminian Doctrine of Prevenient Grace.  The overall conclusion to this post is as follows:

My prayer for the universal church is that we would all come into the unity of the truth as God has revealed it to us … and that God-dishonoring theology, wherever it may come from, would be trampled under foot.

In this case, “God-dishonoring theology” is in direct reference to Arminian theology, which is followed by a group of well-researched, well-respected, Godly men.  I know this, because the Bible College that I attended largely taught this doctrine.  I am not ridiculous enough to assume that all Calvinists are dishonoring to God, even though I do believe, personally, that the doctrines of Reformed Arminianism are more cohesive with a holistic view of scripture.  The “us” in this passage acts as though all rational thinking Christians will come to the same conclusion that the author did.  In this case, the “us” is ill-founded.  The author should know better.  There are God-fearing, wonderful Christians on both sides of the coin.

The question that I am asking is quite simple:  Does this difference of interpreting scripture justify mud-slinging, bitterness, and lack of communion among brethren?  I consent that it does not, and in fact I wish that it were not so.  Someone once said that if you took today’s best theologians from the Calvinist side and put them in a room with today’s best theologians from the Arminian side, neither side would ever give in to the other side’s theological system.  The issue would still remain.  Scholars and seminaries have been debating it for years.  Certainly only one side can be the absolutely correct answer, as all scripture is hermeneutic; HOWEVER, since the issue has not been absolutely resolved at this point, it makes no sense to act like it HAS been and completely dismiss the other course of thinking.

Again, let me say that I am firmly certain of my belief in Free Will doctrine.  If others want to believe in the doctine of Calvinism, however, I cannot call them heretics.  I personally enjoy studying the differences between the two, and there is nothing wrong with debate over the issue either.  If these issues are in the Bible, then they are important to study.  Doctrine is important to formulate; however, acting as though one person’s doctrine is the end-all-be-all of all doctrines everywhere demonstrates an immense pride in human knowledge.  Remember: Biblical wisdom and understanding is of God, not of man.

There should be healthy debate over the scriptures.  I welcome healthy debate here on my blog and whereever else I may post, as long as it is founded on the basic, indisputable doctrines of scripture that all Christians believe in (in other words, as long as we approach the scripture with the same frame of reference: inspired by God).  I cannot tolerate blatant heresy, nor should any Bible-believing Christian.

I have said all of that to say this:  Instead of blasting one another, name-calling, and mud-slinging over scriptural disputes, we should be working together to resolve such disputes in a rational, good-natured manner.  This is one way in which Christians can witness to the immense love of God, by loving each other and working with one another out of respect for one another’s viewpoints on scripture.  Most of all, since the basic doctrines are indisputable, as a unified body we should put aside our differences and focus on spreading the good news that Christ has paid the penalty for all men and that God will save men from their sins.

I submit that doctrine is indeed important, but the spreading the gospel to those who have not heard it is much, much more important in the scheme of eternity.

On Christian Testimony Part One: A Preface

This next short series of posts will deal with the topic of Christian outreach and with the outspoken testimony of the Christian faith.  I fear that there are opportunities for some rather offensive issues to arise here and there, so before I get a bunch of nasty comments, I feel that I must first post a short preface. (*Note: This preface will eventually end up being a portion of a bonifide doctrinal statement page in the future*)

I believe, as I have mentioned before, based on Scripture (Romans 3:23) that all men are basically sinners, including myself.  Without the grace of God and the perfect offering of His Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins, we would be hopelessly lost and would receive the just reward of our sin:  Eternal damnation in Hell.  I believe this based on the idea that scripure is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16) in plenary verbal form.  I do NOT believe in Bibliolatry, though, as some would state that this viewpoint leads to.  Does it not make sense that in order to have accurate translations of the ancient texts we need to study them in their original language and context?  I submit that it does.  This does not mean that the original texts are intrinsically better than the new translated texts, but it does place a vital importance on quality, translation, and accuracy.

Before I get too lost on non-topical topics, I will pull the reins in and get back to the original point.  Bear with me.

I am afraid that there has been a widespread misconception about Christians in the past.  Hopefully this preface will work to clarify a bit about that.  For those who might be unfamiliar with Scripture, you might be persuaded to think that once a person becomes “saved” and becomes a Christian that they are mystically transformed into a flawless, perfect being.  Okay, so not many would believe that.  There are no perfect people, obviously.  Then perhaps a much more widespread view of Christianity is that they view Christians as being just like themselves, but with a self-righteous, hypocritical bent.  Many people end up leaving the church for this reason.  In fact, it’s the very reason why my grandmother would not go to church any more.  Personal disputes with so-called “holy rollers” and “holier-than-thou” Christians have driven people away from the church body time and time again over the course of history.

For clarification’s sake, certain things DO happen when a person repents of his sin and accepts Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of his life:  1) That person is made to be righteous in the sight of God the Father.  The only way this can happen is through Christ, as GOD the Father cannot tolerate sin.  God’s wrath is taken away and is placed on His only begotten Son (in that fateful instance in time when Christ suffered and was forsaken by God) for all eternity.  (Romans 6:10)  2) The free gift of salvation is given. (eternal life with God after death)  3) The Holy Spirit indwells the believer and acts as a constant comforter and director. 4) The Spirit begins the process of sanctifying the believer.  The believer becomes regenerate, conforming his image to the Image of Christ as he is changed by God.

In summation, the key differences between the believer and the non-believer are that the believer is now under the grace of God instead of the wrath of God, the believer has hope after death, the believer has the Holy Spirit as a constant comforter and guide, and the believer has begun the process of sanctification, or becoming Christ-like in every area of his or her life. 

DON’T MISS THIS – HERE’S AN IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!  This is where many get frustrated with Christianity.  Just because a person becomes regenerately saved does not mean that the person will completely stop sinning immediately!  Certainly there is no longer a desire to offend God and other people after the act of true repentance of sin has taken place.  It does not mean that the person will live a miraculously flawless life after salvation, however.  We are constantly surrounded with Christians who are in different stages of sanctification and maturity.  Unfortunately, we are also surrounded by many who are only Christian in name, yet they do not show forth any fruit of the Spirit.  If a person is truly repentant, that person will eschew the old sin nature and will cling to the regenerate nature that God has given.  Also, that person will want to serve and worship God in Spirit and in Truth.  Occasionally that person might even make a mistake, possibly even a big mistake, and get involved in sin, but “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)  Also, the Bible is clear that a Christian will not continue in sin.

So, I said all that to say this:  If you have ever had a bad experience in church or with Christians outside of church, it’s understandable, but not acceptable.  Christians should be the ones reaching out, loving, caring for, and sacrificing for the community.  Christians should also be the ones who are working to abstain from sinful acts.  Sadly, quite sadly, too often it is not so. 

To the Christian:  We can and must do better in all points of the Christian life.

To the skeptic: Please do not confuse the actions of a few individuals who may or may not be truly repentant and regenerate for the actions of the entire Christian religion.  To do so is quite stereotypical and illogical.  If you want to find good examples of Christian living, there are many out there.  Look to those who are staying the course as good examples of Christianity.  Also, I implore you to seek out the input rather than the output.  Look to the Word of God, the Bible, instead of the average Christian.  The only one who was ever perfect was Jesus Christ.  He is truly worth looking at, and ultimately worth getting to know.

Neomodernism Defined on Wikipedia

I decided to check the most obvious of sources about neomodernism, that is, wikipedia.  Here is the link to the article, and I suggest that you read it.  Basically, what people are connecting the word “neomodernism” to is exactly what I described in my original post on the topic, minus the apathy and association with agnosticism.  As expected, neomodernism does not endorse “absolutes” of any kind.  It does, however, contest that there are purposes, and that there is only one intent given to an authorial work.  It didn’t suprise me to see Richard Dawkins’s name on the page either.  Atheism and neomodernism seem to go hand-in-hand.  Most of the atheists that I have known tend to think of themselves as intellectual counter-culturalists.  Thus, they percieve order, even natural order and basic truth, but do not purpose absolute truth other than that they are “absolutely sure” that God does not exist.

In my opinion, this philosophical construct of the humanities more aptly defines the reality of what many believe in society at present: percieved and undeniable order, but unwillingness to have faith in the unseen.