tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33888165331557619602024-02-19T22:23:01.001-08:00Roger's Random RemonstrancesRoger--because that's my name.<br>
Random--because I will be posting random thoughts about random topics at random intervals.<br>
Remonstrances--because I will try to speak out against those things which are contrary to Christ and His glorious gospel.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-59927815343385492032014-12-15T14:24:00.000-08:002014-12-15T14:24:41.126-08:00Exodus: Gods and Kings Movie Notes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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What follows is a bit of play-by-play highlight reel (as it
were) as I recall from viewing the new Exodus movie from Ridley Scott (who
happens to be an atheist). It is from memory and a few note I scratched, so don’t
get upset if I mixed something up. That was an unorthodox spoiler alert if you missed it. If you haven’t read the account in a while,
stop right now and read Exodus 1–20, the approximate time the film covers.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wrong Timeframe</b></div>
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The movie opens with the Hebrews as slaves in Egypt under
Ramses, with the younger Ramses and Moses in the court together as
generals/princes. Both appear to be in their thirties. (1300 BCE and the
reference to 400 years of slavery appears on the screen, but this places it
about 200 years later than the biblical record with the Exodus in 1491 BC. This
is why many claim there is “no evidence for Hebrew slaves in Egypt” at this
time—they are looking in the wrong period.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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There is a big battle with the Hittites with gratuitous
imagery. Moses and Ramses Jr. fulfill a prophecy previously pronounced by a
priestess, though both of them make it very clear that they are rationalists
and don’t believe in their father/uncle’s reliance on a goose liver to
determine the outcome of a battle.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Moses Goes to Pithon</div>
<a name='more'></a>where the Hebrews are enslaved under
taskmasters and learns of his identity, though he denies it. He kills two
Egyptian guards in a fit of rage at this revelation.<br />
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This brings him back to Memphis where the older Ramses dies
and the younger takes over. Once on the throne, he finds out Moses killed the
guards and that he is a Hebrew, so Moses gets exiled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moses murders some more people on the way to Midian (in what
we later learn was self-defense from these assassins).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As he arrives in Midian, he defends the ladies at the well
and marries one. They have a son, but the wedding night scene was clean (phew!).
(Incidentally, there were a few shots with underclothed men and women in the
background.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moses mocks God at several points (he is presented as a
rationalist up to this point) for His silly rules. He chases some sheep up the
forbidden mountain where a storm causes a landslide and he is buried in the mud
with only his face exposed, but only after Moses takes a knock on the head and
goes unconscious.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Enter the God
Caricature</b></div>
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A bush near him ignites and godboy appears. Yes, I said
godboy. The theophany is a boy of about age 10 with a British accent (there was
a strange blend of accents throughout the film) who talks to Moses in unclear
terms while Moses is still buried in the mudslide.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His wife nurses his broken leg and bumped head, thinking he
is delusional (the whole burning bush encounter may have been while he was
unconscious). Godboy appears to him again and tells him “I need a general.”
This leads Moses to conclude that he is supposed to go back and free the
Hebrews as a general.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He heads back to Egypt after nine years, leaving his wife
and son behind. This sparks comments like, “What kind of god would ask you to
leave your family?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Becoming a Terrorist</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When he gets to Pithon, he starts the Moshe Terrorist
Training Camp and develops a plan to overthrow Ramses by subverting his social
structure and turning his people against him. He leads a series of terrorist
attacks and they are having an effect…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moses confronts Ramses alone at night and asks him to
consider giving the Hebrews slaves equal rights and equal pay (not kidding
there, fuh realz). Ramses refuses and Moses goes back to the jihadi camp where,
eluding the many Egyptian guards, they train with bows/sword/horses and have
their own underground foundry for making weapons. (Really? This was a bit
ridiculous. Is the same thing going on at Guantanamo Bay?)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then godboy appears again and asks Moses if it is going
well. Moses is prepared to stick to his plan, but godboy is not that patient.
He gets angry and screams about getting revenge on these pharaohs and bringing
them to their knees. Godboy tells Moses to stop fighting and says. “For now,
you can watch.” This initiates godboys plan to expedite the release of the
Hebrews and carries the theme of “God’s plans are better than man’s plans.” (Removed
from its blasphemous context, this could be seen as an expression of a
Christian trying to do things in their own strength and not relying on God and
His power and timing.) As Aaron, who never speaks, watches from a distance,
Moses appears to be talking to a rock which is replaced by godboy when the
scene changes to the tight shots of the conversation. (I suppose this was Scott’s
metaphor for divine interaction, and it was used in several places.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Naturally
Supernatural Plagues</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The plagues are initiated by crocodiles attacking men in
boats and their blood staining the water. While this is a natural explanation,
the extent of the bloody river cannot be explained by this event alone and it
lasts for an extended period, even moving inland to the rice fields and
irrigation canals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the fish die and the frogs come and then the flies (they
skipped the lice). The boils follow and bring the doubling of the workload for
the Hebrews and the removal of straw (biblically out of place). Ramses hangs a
family every day to get them to present Moses so he can be killed, but the
people protect him and Moses is clearly conflicted over this loss of life at
his continuance of life. Again, the terrorist/idealist/freedom-fighter motif
plays out here as a modern cultural commentary smuggled into the biblical
account. (Can you say “anachronism”?)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After all the cattle die, Moses gets mad at godboy and asks
why so many Egyptians have to die and claims to be more moral than godboy.
After the locust come, the people try to raid pharaoh’s grain storage and he
kills them. Moses again questions godboy who says he wants to see the pharaoh
beg for mercy and take his revenge (this presents a capricious and petty view
of God). Moses lets godboy know that he “wants no part of this” seeking of
revenge and killing of the Egyptians, to which godboy reminds Moses of all of
the suffering and death of the Hebrews for 400 years. (This could easily be
seen as a tribal my-god-can-beat-up-your-god interaction as the Egyptian
priestess is beseeching her gods for relief.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Passover</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moses then goes to warn Ramses to protect his son (we don’t
know how he knows this is coming) and tells all of the Hebrews to sacrifice a
lamb and mark the doorposts. However, Moses says “If I am right, the lamb’s
blood will protect you forever, if not, pity the lambs” [paraphrased]. Here
Moses is not depicted as receiving clear instructions, a common theme in the
movie, and slaps the biblical text in its face.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The death of the firstborn is shown in a clearly
supernatural way and it was the most compelling sequence of the film. Although
Scott has directly said he wanted to show a rational view of the supernatural
elements of the “story,” he utterly fails at this point and the power of God
over life and death is evident as He (godboy couldn’t pull this one off) snuffs
out the lives of the Egyptian firstborn—including Ramses’ son.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ramses confronts Moses and the Hebrews, armed to fight him,
with his dead son in his arms and asks, [roughly] “If this is what your god
does, kills little children, what kind of fanatics could worship such a god?”
Moses replies with “No Hebrew died.” This is a valid question presented in the
film, and one we need to be able to answer as Christians.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A Profaned Prophet</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moses tells them to go, so the Hebrews all head out for
Canaan, the land of promise from their fathers. They do not pillage the
Egyptians (I wonder how they made the golden calf depicted later?), and head
for a place in the Red Sea where Moses had crossed on foot earlier. Ramses
rallies the army in pursuit and Moses turns the people to the mountain pass,
not the safe crossing he knows of. As they reach the top, Moses does not know
the way and asks godboy for guidance and receives none. Moses lies to Joshua
who had asked, “What does God tell you?” directing the masses in a direction
Moses thinks is right, but he knows is toward the sea. Rather than a prophet
receiving instructions from God, Moses is shown as a leader making decisions
based on a hunch without letting his people see him waver.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When they get there, there is no clear passage and Moses is
discouraged and unsure. He sees a falling star streak across the sky and
disappear across the sea’s horizon as he falls asleep. He throws his sword into
the sea in anger and disappointment at godboy’s lack of directing him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the morning, the Egyptian chariots thunder down the
mountain road as the Hebrews awaken to the sea flowing rapidly away, exposing
the sword and Moses calls them all to follow him across the sea…wading through
the water. The water continually recedes as they move across, but nothing like
the dry ground and wall of water to the left and right we see in Exodus 14:21.
As the Egyptians close in, Moses rallies his warriors on horseback to confront
their army. A storm in the distances brews as the wall of water returns,
smashing the Egyptian army as the Hebrew soldiers and people make it across
safely. Moses and Ramses meet in the middle and both are swept by the wall into
the sea…but they both make it out alive and on their respective sides of the
gulf. No, that’s not in the Bible either, but sounds a lot like this animated
version of the story I once saw. (Apparently, this receding water and the
returning tsunami was caused by an earthquake that accompanied the demise of
some of the Egyptian’s, but I totally missed this point while watching the film
and it seemed pretty supernatural to me. There is another of Scott’s
rationalizations of God’s power over His creation which Moses just “thought”
was God’s hand.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moses leads them to Midian and gathers his wife and son and
then they all head toward Canaan. Interestingly, Moses is shown in a wagon with
a box, presumably the bones of Joseph. There is a scene where Moses is on the
mountain with godboy and you can see the “golden calf” thing going down in the
background. They go into a cave where godboy makes Moses some tea as Moses is
carving the Ten Commandments. Once Moses dies, these laws will guide the people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The End.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Commentary</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall, the film is unbiblical, though not necessarily anti-biblical
in the sense that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Noah</i> was. It was a
blasphemous presentation of God’s Word. It was a blasphemous representation of
Moses (who surely had his flaws). It is a blasphemous presentation of the
thrice-holy God of the Bible. Other than that, it was great.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While godboy has some of the attributes of God (e.g., he
tells Moses he heard Ramses threats even though Ramses made these in a room by
himself; omniscience), it is a twisted and blasphemous representation that
removes any notion of holiness, awe, and majesty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I could set aside the blasphemy and pretend that it
wasn’t a part of the Bible and God’s redemptive plan for all of
humanity—ultimately bringing the Son of God in the loins of the tribe of Judah
out of Egypt—I would see this overarching theme: To follow God by faith is a
messy situation in which we don’t always have perfectly clear direction and
must move forward by faith, setting aside our own plans to allow god to work
things out in His timing. If that is what Ridley Scott set out to do, he didn’t
do a terrible job, but he did not do a God-honoring job. But that is what I
would expect from someone who is not abiding in Christ.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ridley Scott demonstrates his utterly lack of respect for
the Word of God, treating it as a myth from history he can reshape to his own
liking. There were several plot holes and absurdities that made it a generally
mediocre movie. Ridley Scott will have to answer to the movie critics for those
things, but he will have to answer to God for his dismissal of His Word. I pray
that he will see the connection between the man God used to bring the Hebrews
out of slavery and the Man God used to free His people from their slavery to
sin—Jesus Christ (John 1:14–18; Romans 6).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a nutshell: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Exodus</i>
was less antibiblical than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Noah</i>, but
not any better at presenting truth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(I plan to expound a bit on themes from the film that can be
used to lead into a gospel-directed conversation, but I trust you can get there
without my help.)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-37113367728331796852014-12-03T14:05:00.001-08:002014-12-03T14:06:51.914-08:00FLEE from Bethel Church and Jesus Culture<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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[This post was originated after hearing about a sermon by Eric
Johnson, “The Joy of Consecration” and other teachings from the teachers of
Bethel Church in Redding, CA, including Jesus Culture and the Bethel School of
Supernatural Ministry.]</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this sermon, Eric Johnson (son of Bethel founder Bill
Johnson and co-pastor with his wife Candace) tells the people to open to Daniel
1, then shares a bunch of thoughts without ever referring to the text (which he
finally reads at 19:15—that’s 20 minutes without the text). He talks about
ideas and then says he has convictions about something he wants to share
(14:45). The problem is that these convictions find no grounding in the truths
of Scripture. He is not preaching; he is sharing his own thoughts. His thoughts
are false and stand in direct opposition to God’s true words. He is asking
people to believe in the Pelagian heresy—that man is inherently good and has no
stain of original sin. Sadly, the crowd agrees with him when he makes these
false claims.</div>
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“You are not born evil. It is
amazing how many teachings and theologies start with that thought. And each
time you start with that, you will create a controlling manipulating
environment. . . . Every government, every structure every system—fundamentally
and theologically—must start with the concept and the idea that people are good
and they mean to do good, even if they’re not saved. [Hoots from the crowd.]
You have to start from that premise. When God created the heavens and the
earth, in Proverbs 8 [:31] He said, ‘And my delight was in the sons of men.’
This was before the Cross. He created everything and said, ‘Oh, My delight is
in people. My delight is in people. I just love people.’ He didn’t love them
after they turned to Him, He just loved people. It has to start with that. That
is how God sees humanity. He hates sin. There is a big difference between
hating sin and hating people—big difference. Massive. And however you stand, wherever
your starting point, the way you think and live your life . . . if your
standing in He hates sin, then you realize He loves people. He just loves
people.” [My transcription of the sermon section where he teaches the Pelagian
heresy]</div>
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<br /></div>
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He is absolutely right—what he is teaching is a “massive”
difference. The only scriptural support for his thoughts demonstrates what a
poor exegete He is. Proverbs 8 is a personification of wisdom, not God speaking
about creation. He is attempting to pull the wool over your eyes by pulling an
isolated phrase out of its context. The cheers from the crowd demonstrate their
affirmation of his deception. This is in accord with Paul’s warning that people
will gather together for themselves false teachers to tell them what they want
to hear (2 Timothy 4:2–4) rather than looking to God’s Word as truth. No one wants
to hear people are bad—especially ourselves. But what does Scripture teach
about the nature of all people?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Compare Eric Johnson’s statements to God’s Word (please read
them in their context to evaluate my claims):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought
forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Psalm 7:11 God is a just judge, and
God is angry with the wicked every day.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Isaiah 64:6<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we are all like an unclean thing, and
all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our
iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Romans 5:6–8 <span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For when we were still without strength, in due
time Christ died for the </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one
die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God
demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Romans 8:5–8 For those who live
according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those
who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally
minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the
carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor
indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Ephesians 2:1–3 And you He made
alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all
once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the
others.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Colossians 1:21–22 And you, who
once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has
reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and
blameless, and above reproach in His sight.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good people don’t need the Savior. This false teaching is
founded in the premise of the Pelagian heresy and stands in contradiction to
God’s Word. Look to Christ and flee Bethel Church and all its associated
organizations, including the Jesus Culture band which is a ministry of Bethel
Church and sits under this teaching and its authority.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-58885224629413667862014-04-17T14:30:00.000-07:002014-04-17T14:42:32.240-07:00Roasting Ham; or, You Aren’t Really a Presuppositionalist Unless I Say So<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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[Although I work for Answers in Genesis (AiG) and was very
involved in the debate preparation and strategy, what follows is my own
personal view on the debate and should not be considered an official AiG
response. I intend to adapt this response into an article that will appear on
the AiG site without all of the personal aspects. Please do not quote or use
this article’s contents as coming from AiG, but from me personally.]</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
[A second note: I did intend and arrange to publish this
blog on the Gospel Spam blog site in late February where Jon Speed’s article was originally
published, but the arrangements did not work out. I regretfully post this here
on my personal blog and hope that the appropriate interactions may still take
place. I trust there are many who habit that site who may benefit from what I
have written and those from whose comments I might benefit, as well.]</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grab a cup of coffee and your favorite slippers—this is
gonna be a long one!</div>
<h3>
I Lost It</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am writing this article partially in response to the
previous article by Jon Speed (“<a href="http://gospelspam.com/ham-on-nye-a-debate-critique/">Ham on Nye. A Debate
Critique.</a>”) as well as a host of other comments I have heard regarding the
debate on blogs, social media pages, and various radio shows and podcasts. My
comments are directed primarily at those who consider or refer to themselves as
“extreme presuppositionalists,” though others will be addressed as well.</div>
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<br /></div>
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First, let me get a few things off of my chest.</div>
<a name='more'></a>You might
call me a pansy, but some of the comments immediately following the debate were
hurtful and outside of the type of speech I understand Ephesians 4:29 calls
believers to share with one another. God made me with emotions, but I have to
be in control of those emotions as I seek to take every thought captive to the
obedience of Christ. I tried. I failed. My flesh raged against the descriptions
of the debate as a “failure,” “sad,” “a waste of time,” “Jason/Sye/Paul/JoeBlow
would have done better,” “AiG put God on trial,” Ken shoulda/coulda mopped the
floor with Nye,” “AiG sponsored a 45-minute blasphemy session,” and several
others. I am sure there was a bit of righteous anger in there, but I still
sinned in my internal responses.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Between those comments from my brothers and sisters and
monitoring the thousands who flooded the AiG social media pages I administer, I
was overwhelmed with grief. I was disheartened and discouraged by such a strong
backlash against the debate’s content and methods, especially when some
commentators were willing to do entire shows having not even watched the debate
(but they saw a few clips!). In most cases there were acknowledgments of the
good aspects, but it seemed the focus was on drawing out the perceived failures
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ad nauseum</i>. Several people even
acknowledged they were going to say things in a kind way even though they
didn’t really want to (Ephesians 4:29, anybody?).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the Saturday following the debate and after a few
exchanges on Facebook and by email, I lost it. Big time. Between my grief over
so many perishing souls raging against God and the constant bickering between
brothers over how much evidence was enough and for how many more seconds Ken
should have held Bill’s feet to the fire, I limped to my closet. Sitting with
my back against the cold steel of my gun safes in the small, dark room that
seemed to fit the size of my soul, I wailed and sobbed for the unity of my
brothers and sisters and the impending doom of so many scoffers, crying out to
God for His mercy and grace for all of these things. I repented and am trying
to rest in Christ through all of this.</div>
<h3>
The Strategy</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the concerns many had about the debate was the format
and topic. I wasn’t involved in that aspect of the debate, so all I can say is
that I wish it had been different. Don’t bother asking me how those aspects
came about because I don’t know and I don’t really care to know. The debate is
over and I can’t change the past. A period of cross examination would have been
helpful, no doubt. The topic put Ken on the defense, so we made the best of
that. It seems the only topic some would have been pleased to accept would have
been: Bill Nye hates God and needs to repent and acknowledge he is a fool! (I
don’t think Bill would agree to that as a debate topic.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some have implied or stated that this debate put Bill on the
stage to blaspheme God for 45 minutes (really, each speaker had 68 minutes of
talk time, so it is worse) and that this was sinful. If you truly believe this
is what happened, then I ask you to write up a scriptural case and present it
as a rebuke, calling us to repent. I have directly asked two brothers for this
and neither even replied to me (they may be preparing them). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another said it
would have been sinful for him, but not necessarily for Ken. So if this type of
critique is indeed a matter of conscience, we need to make that clear in our
critiques rather than making broad pronouncements of the sinfulness of the acts
and serious moral charges against our brothers and sisters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would suggest that the topic actually assumed the
existence of God rather than asking for a seat at the secular scientific table.
Further, the way that Ken constantly rooted his explanations for the scientific
models and evidence he presented firmly in Scripture and affirmed that apart
from God science is impossible at least ten times acknowledged this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a priori</i> assumption. We can’t talk about
“biblical creation” without first assuming the Creator. There was no point in
the debate at which Ken looked to any scientific model that was not based on
Scripture, especially in light of his multiple acknowledgements that whenever
he interprets the past he does so based on the true history of the Bible as his
authority. For example, in his opening statement, Ken said, “Here at the
Creation Museum we make no apology about the fact to our origins or historical
science actually is based upon the biblical account of origins.” Ken then went
on to suggest that Bill’s worldview had no firm foundation (a point he would
develop throughout the debate), saying:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
You see I assert that the word
“science” has been hijacked by secularists in teaching evolution to force the
religion of naturalism on generations of kids. Secular evolutionists teach that
all life developed by natural processes from some primordial form, that man is
just an evolved animal which has a great bearing on how we view life and death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
For instance, as Bill states:
[video clip] “It’s very hard to accept for many of us that when you die it’s
over.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
But you see, the Bible gives a
totally different account of origins, of who we were, where we came from, the
meaning of life, and our future:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
“From the beginning of the
creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave
his father and mother and be joined to his wife.’” (Mark 10:6–7, NKJV)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
Through one man sin entered the
world, and death through sin. (Romans 5:12, NKJV)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have everlasting life. (John 3:16, NKJV)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
So, is creation a viable model of
origins in today's modern scientific era?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I say: The creation/evolution
debate is [really] a conflict between two philosophical worldviews based on two
different accounts of origins or [historical] science beliefs. Creation is the
only viable model of historical science confirmed by observational science in
today’s modern scientific era.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So Ken closed his opening statement by pointing out the
conflict of worldviews is the ultimate question in the debate. “Creation is the
only” scientific way to look at the universe that actually corresponds with
reality because it is the only view that starts with the right foundation.</div>
<h3>
Consider the Audience</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In James White’s helpful critique on the “Dividing Line” on
February 6, 2014, he offered a helpful explanation about considering the
audience. The audience was not Bill Nye—it was much broader, some unbelievers
intent on rejecting God no matter what they heard, some unbelievers truly
interested to hear what both sides had to say, some soft Christians, and some
strong Christians. Of course, there are many flavors within each of those
categories, but the audience was far broader than one agnostic science guy on
the stage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Dr. White pointed out, you always lose the debate to some
segment of the audience. As the debater, you have to make a decision regarding
your strategy knowing that you will miss some portion. With millions watching
live and millions more to watch in the subsequent days, we made a decision.
That decision was to address multiple parts of the audience that we would have
one opportunity to engage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about those in the listening audience who were the 1
Peter 3:15 “askers” with sincere questions? (“I am sure there is a God, but I am
not sure if these Christians have it right. I wonder why they think it is so
important to believe in a young earth? Is there really any evidence for such a
claim? How does that relate to Jesus?”) We chose to address those people within
the remarks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about those in the listening audience who were
young-earth believers? We offered them reassuring evidences for the
reasonableness of their faith. For the old-earth believers, we offered the
challenge of thinking about death before sin in any view that allows for
billions of years before the creation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about the believers who think you should leave the
Bible out of it and argue from purely “scientific” reasoning and arguments from
design (the Discovery Institute and the broader Intelligent Design Movement)?
We ignored them, knowing they would say we lost as soon as we mentioned Jesus
or the Bible. (And they did, as men like Eric Metaxas and Casey Luskin wrote
about the debate.) We ignored this part of the audience because we understand
this to be an unbiblical approach. To divorce the identity and character of the
Creator from the description and explanation of His creation is to deny God as
Creator, and especially the Lord Jesus Christ who created all things. We will
never divorce the issues because the Creator is the Savior.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about those who think you should beat the opponent with
the TAG until they cry “uncle”? We knew we would disappoint them by using
evidence in what we understand to be a biblical manner even though Bill was
challenged to provide a rational basis for his naturalism multiple times.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about those who checked out and began mocking and
scoffing as soon as they heard the Bible mentioned? We offered them the
challenge of providing a basis for their worldview, especially as it relates to
laws of logic, uniformity of nature, and consistent morality. This is where we
understood Bill to stand, and he demonstrated his willing rejection of the
biblical and scientific evidences presented to him out of hand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In all of that, the strategy was to hold up the Bible as our
only inerrant revelation from the Creator God and our absolute authority. We
rejected naturalism, challenging its foundation. We affirmed biblical
creationism, pointing to its foundation. We never set the Bible aside. We
preached the gospel to a broad audience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whether you liked the format or not, the audience was
involved not only as hearers, but as those who asked questions. This fact alone
makes the audience and the consideration of how to respond wisely a much more
complicated issue. We care about each soul and how they receive the truths we
share, seeking to do so in a God-honoring and wise way.</div>
<h3>
Role of Evidence</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many on both sides of the use of evidence have cast scorn
upon the debate. The evidentialists wanted more. The “extreme presuppers”
wanted less. We chose the middle in a desire to meet the two-pronged approach
of Proverbs 26:4–5.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul uses the witnesses of the
Resurrection as a possible confirmation to those he was reasoning with and
points to prophetic fulfillment as an evidence. He used the actual physical
evidence of witnesses rooted in the truths of the OT prophecies as an argument
for the truthfulness of his claims. In his interactions with the Jews in the
synagogues, Paul used the Scriptures to show how the events of the day were
consistent with the Scriptures. For those who acknowledge God but need some
correction in their thinking, we seek to explain the physical world in light of
the Scriptures to provide a reasonable answer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Paul “reasoned in the synagogues” or “reasoned from the
Scriptures,” he was showing how what the Bible said was consistent with the
evidence of the life of Jesus in the recent past. This is analogous to showing
the consistency of evidence with what we would expect from the Bible. This
approach was intended to persuade those who may acknowledge God but are not
sure whether the Bible makes sense. These are people God may be drawing, and
offering them a reasonable explanation alongside the hope of the gospel may be
what the Holy Spirit uses to bring them to salvation (1 Peter 3:15). Also,
there are many Christians who also needed to hear this message to assure them
in their faith.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How to use evidence found in or rooted in the Scriptures is
a challenging question for those who call themselves presuppositionalists (as
addressed below). As a ministry, AiG is dedicated to never divorcing any
argument from the truth of God’s Word whether those arguments are
epistemological, physical, historical, or theological. Apart from God’s character
and what He has revealed to us in His Word, the universe does not make sense.
Interpreting the evidence in light of God’s Word is the only way to make sense
of God’s world.</div>
<h3>
Answer/Don’t Answer</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the most helpful things I have learned regarding
biblical apologetics is the Answer/Don’t Answer strategy (A/DA) derived from
Proverbs 26:4–5. I was introduced to this concept by Dr. Jason Lisle who calls
Dr. Greg Bahnsen his teacher in the discipline of presuppositional apologetics.
I am indebted to both men for my understanding of this issue, as well as men
like Sye Ten Bruggencate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ken and AiG have been accused of not being presuppositional
enough and of blending evidential arguments with our presuppositionalism in a
way that sullies the proclamation of the glorious gem of the gospel. We see the
debate strategy as an implementation of the A/DA strategy promoted by Bahnsen
and Lisle, my two main teachers. Maybe they would take exception. The heart of
an evidential argument is to use that argument apart from the truths of
Scripture to convince someone of a position by appealing to their reason apart
from the truths of God’s Word.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We agree that this form of argumentation alone is inadequate
and unbiblical. Starting at 23:30 in the debate, Ken drove this point home with
predictions from the Scriptures applied to the world God created. He had
already offered the “answer the fool” by stating that Bill has no basis for
using the uniformity of nature and logic within his worldview. He then moved on
to talk about the “don’t answer” aspect by showing how the biblical worldview
makes sense and how the examples of the one race of humanity and the created
kinds predictions are consistent with what we observe in creation. All of these
explanations were solidly rooted in the truths of Scripture.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ken repeatedly pointed out the failure of the naturalistic
worldview to account for reason and the inherent conflict of the worldviews
being presented—21 times according to my analysis of the transcript. (I have <a href="http://randomremonstrances.blogspot.com/2014/02/roasting-ham-supporting-document.html">documented
these</a> and posted them on another page for your evaluation.) Whether
this number or form qualifies as a presuppositional approach I leave to the
reader to determine.</div>
<h3>
A Critique of the Critique</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having dealt with some of the general ideas, let me turn to
the article by Jon Speed. I appreciate Jon’s opening remarks and commendations.
I also appreciate his willingness to critique the debate knowing that he would
be criticized for doing so. We knew the debate would bring criticism, and we
hope to learn from those critiques that bring a scriptural rebuke or
exhortation. There were a few errors of fact in the piece (e.g., 600 tickets
were sold, not 900) and a few interpretations that I am unsure of (e.g., I have
no idea what Jon means by saying that creationists “won” the Scopes trial), but
I will focus on the main criticisms here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon claims that</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
In Ham’s introductory remarks he
refers to scientists who are Creationists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While this is encouraging to Christians, it does not prove
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Francis Crick, half of the
brain trust that mapped DNA and a Nobel prize winner, believed in transpermia,
the idea that alien life forms (think E.T.) “seeded” the universe with the
building blocks for human life (see his book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Life Itself: Its Origin and Nature </i>published by Simon and Schuster
in 1981).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What reputable scientists
believe about origins does not prove its viability otherwise transpermia would
be widely taught in public schools, and for the most part, it has not
been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not believe in Creationism
because the guy who invented the MRI believed in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he believed in transpermia, would you
believe that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not need to create a
baseball trading card mentality in apologetics in order to score points. If
there was not ONE accomplished scientist who was also a Creationist it would
have no bearing on the truthfulness of creationism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To start with this worst of evidentialist arguments
started Ham on a bad foot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This whole paragraph is a straw man of Ken’s use of this
point in the debate. Ken never said this proved God’s existence or that the
biblical creation model was the only one—he used it as a confirmation of his
assertion that the Bible is truth and as a refutation of Nye’s claim that
evolution is necessary. Ken turned the mirror to Bill to show him how silly his
argument looked. Bill used the no-true-Scotsman fallacy and Ken pointed out the
foolishness of his argument. Bill’s repeated bald assertion that creationists
can’t be real scientists is false. That was the main goal of using this point
in the presentation, not to say that you should believe it because Dr. Jones
believes it. We knew Nye would bring this up and we attempted to head him off
at the pass, employing the Answer/Don’t Answer strategy: Ken answered his
objection by showing him the examples that disprove his objection based on his
own foolish thinking; then Ken told him he can’t even understand science or do
science apart from God, God is essential for science:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Think about it. When they’re doing
observational science using the scientific method they have to assume the laws
of logic, they have to assume the laws of nature, they have to assume the
uniformity of nature. I mean think about it. If the universe came about by
natural process where did the laws of logic come from? Did they just pop into
existence? Are we in a stage now where we have only half logic? So you see I
have a question for Bill Nye: How do you account for the laws of logic and laws
of nature from a naturalistic worldview that excludes the existence of God?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have to disagree with Jon that affirming the Bible (God’s
Word) as our starting point and showing how reality is consistent with our
foundation is the worst of evidential arguments. As Ken stated, it is
ultimately the Bible’s description, not any particular scientist’s description
that makes it true. The Bible is the authority we look to as we consider our
origins.</div>
<h3>
No-true-presupper Fallacy</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s try a test. Ten of you who are reading this blog
please write a definition of presuppositional apologetics that addresses the
following: the exact nature of man with respect to his ability to reason in
light of Romans 1–2 (mediated versus immediate knowledge of God); the role of
evidence including how biblical and extrabiblical evidences should be used when
the audience includes unbelievers of different degrees of active rebellion;
which aspects of the gospel are essential to be communicated; under what
circumstances and topics to agree to a public debate; exactly when and how to
employ the A/DA strategy. I trust you are likely of the Reformed camp, so we
will set aside the exact role of the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration. I
think we might be shocked at how many differences within the camp come to light
through an exercise like this, and it would surely be a healthy topic to pursue
for our mutual edification.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My aim is to get you to think about who is the gatekeeper of
who is and is not a presuppositionalists and what argument structures are
acceptable. We already know the camp is divided between Bahnsen, Frame, and
others (I will leave Clark out of this one). So, who gets to claim the label
and protect the brand? Which sett (kilt pattern) will be the standard worn by
the general?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You might think you are a presupper, but no true presupper
would have done it the way you did it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon acknowledges that Ken stated the presuppositional nature
of his argument, but says that Ken failed as a consistent presuppositionalist
by not staying true to the argument (he showed his gun, but never fired it). In
fact, Jon claims that Ken started “with this worst of evidentialist arguments”
by saying that the evidence we see in the world is consistent with what God has
revealed in Scripture (as I described above).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
However, Ham did not stick with
this line of argumentation and this is why he did not mop the floor with
Nye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some outspoken believers have
suggested that Ham lost this debate and I would suggest that this is the reason
why. If you think “mop the floor” is too strong of a term to use of an
opponent, let me remind you that the purpose of a debate is to win and if you
do not think you can then perhaps you should rethink your position.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, neither of these points are supported with a scriptural
backing. We could play a game of “my passage can beat up your passage” (as was
the case on one thread of discussion I was involved in), but the whole counsel
of God provides us with examples where prophets pronounced sharp words of
rebuke and calls for gentleness and patience. I bet you can quote five examples
on the harsh side, so consider Paul’s words to the Colossians: “Walk in wisdom
toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be
with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each
one” (Colossians 4:5–6). Or Paul’s command that “a servant of the Lord must not
quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting
those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that
they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the
snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I described above, the audience was much
broader than Bill Nye. Was Ken’s approach sinful or a matter of preference and
perceived inconsistency?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Secondly, I think Ken did stick with his line of
argumentation, using the A/DA strategy repeatedly and never setting aside the
authority of Scripture. May I humbly suggest that there is a reasonable range
of approaches to a debate such as this one that can still fall within the
presuppositional camp. If I am in error, I truly seek your biblical correction
and a clear set of guidelines to let me know if I can be a part of the club or
not. If not, I will work on making a new sign for our clubhouse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After calling Ken’s approach blasphemous and unscriptural,
Jon claims that, “when Ham asks the (apparently) rhetorical question of Nye
regarding one technological advance using molecules to man evolution, he asks
the wrong question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who cares?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if he could?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would that send Ham on his way back
home?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Better debaters than Nye can point
to several.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If this is the case, I would ask Jon to provide such an
example. No one on staff at AiG has been able to identify one. If we are in
error, we would like to be corrected so we don’t make this foolish mistake in
front of someone who can answer it. We have made this claim many times in the
past and have never received an answer form an evolutionist. If I may, what Ken
was doing here was showing Nye how his thinking leads him to a foolish position
(answering the fool according to his folly). If you say that evolution is
essential for technology, put up or shut up, Bill! Bill was silent on the
matter and provided no refutation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon continues:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Around the 53:00 point, Ham makes a
case for the Book of Genesis as the record that God has given for origins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, he stumbles into the presuppositional
argument as most Christians do by referring to the Word of God as the
authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has always been the
strength of AIG’s ministry—it’s commitment to the Word of God as the only
reliable source on origins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ought to
be applauded for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My family owes
him much in this regard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I believe
is missing from Ham’s presentation in this debate is a Scripturally and
logically consistent argument, that if held to resolutely, would have exposed
Nye’s arguments as patently foolish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
would have also shown that Biblical Christianity owns the argument on origins
and that nothing else should be taught in any school because it is a lie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is where I point out the harshness of words. To say
that Ken “stumbled” into a presuppositional defense of the faith is unkind at
best and slanderous at worst. I don’t know Jon’s heart, so I will ask him to
clarify. Again, I disagree with Jon’s definition of what it means to make a
scripturally and logically consistent argument when Ken mentioned the
foundational nature of God’s Word countless times during the debate and
challenged Nye’s foundation multiple times.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And for the record, AiG has never promoted the idea that
biblical creation should be taught in public schools. Teaching origins,
teaching in general, is the parents’ responsibility, not the government’s.
Currently, the religion of humanism is the dominant religion in the classrooms
of America, and the teaching of evolution as truth is a symptom of a much
broader disease. This is a shame and Ken called for this to be changed several
times during the debate: “Actually, we're told that if you teach creation in
the public schools, that's teaching religion; if you teach evolution, that's
science. And I'm going to say, ‘Wait a minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Actually, the creation model here based upon the Bible, observational
science confirms this.’ This is what you observe. You don't observe this tree.
[Visuals displayed] Actually, it’s the public school textbooks that are
teaching a belief, imposing it on students and they need to be teaching them
observational science to understand the reality of what's happening.” This has
been a clarion call from our ministry since I began there eight years ago. Ken
and I wrote a chapter in one of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New
Answers Books </i>if you are interested.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After rebuking Ken for not confronting Bill more directly
about attacking God’s Word, we read, “Ham would have done well to at least
follow the example of Nye during the question and answer period of holding his
feet to the fire.” Really? Ken would have done well to abandon the agreed-upon
format of the debate to stoop to the level of his ungodly opponent’s emotional
and contract-breaking tactic? I am not so sure about that. May I suggest that
Ken kept his agreement and honored his word to stay within the format. This was
a cowardly debate trick on Nye’s part and did not fit the format. Had there
been a cross examination, I agree that this would have been appropriate. Would
it have honored the person who asked the question to skip it to challenge Bill?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon also claims that his “respect for Ken Ham’s ministry is
enormous” and I will take him at his word. But I must ask, how can you have
enormous respect for someone who just gave a platform for millions of people to
watch a blasphemous fool spout his nonsense? Is a critique of such damning
proportion really commensurate with enormous respect? I sincerely do not
understand this point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon closes his piece with the following rebuke and
exhortation:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
However, in a debate forum the
materials that AIG has produced cannot win debates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can encourage Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they cannot reveal the atheistic
worldview as foolish as long as the evidential approach takes their unbelief
seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a debate you may have the
opportunity to present the gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
the gospel is a jewel and ought to be presented as such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Presuppositional apologetics gives the gospel
an opportunity to be presented with all of the pomp and circumstance of the
crown jewels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evidential apologetics
provides a background that is not worthy of the gospel in a debate setting. My
hope and prayer is that AIG will pursue the presuppositional approach as they
confront unbelievers and use the evidential material for the encouragement of
believers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If Jon is talking about the “materials” that AiG produces
and promotes, he would find Bahnsen and Lisle among those materials as well as other
articles that do just what he is espousing Ken should have done in the debate.
He may be ignorant of these facts, so all I can do is ask for clarification. We
can sell you a copy of the Bahnsen-Stein debate if you need one—it is great
stuff and a fine example of how a Christian might approach such a debate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until we have a clearer definition and practical methodology
of “evidential” and “presuppositional” apologetics, I don’t know that we can go
much further. Also, the debate targeted a mixed audience and I think we did a
bit of both confronting the unbelievers and encouraging the believers. Let’s
all work together to understand this point. I don’t know how to confront the
unbeliever using the A/DA without using some evidence from the world we live in
and share. I know he is borrowing my lumber, but the lumber is evidence.</div>
<h3>
Point Taken</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Regardless of how criticism is offered, we do well to
consider the points of our critics. Ken presents his materials in a public
forum and critique should come in similar manner. Part of my job is to gather
the criticisms (my new nickname is Dartboard) and analyze those that hit the
mark. I will be sharing the things I have learned with Ken and offering him
counsel. Not to mention, much of the criticism is on me in light of my
involvement in the debate prep and follow-up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are several points at which Ken could have gone to
Scripture more directly and other points which I will bring to bear on our
post-debate discussions. When talking about secular scientists, he could have
done better to talk about their laboratory methodology as commendable, his
obvious intent in the scope of all of his points. However, let’s cut a little
slack to a brother who was on the spot in front of millions attempting to honor
Jesus Christ with every word, thought, and action. I am doubtful I would have
been a suitable ambassador in the eyes of most of the judges, either. I know I
am not worthy in God’s eyes. As Jon noted, we can at least commend Ken’s focus
on proclaiming the gospel to millions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will consider carefully the points about holding to a more
consistent argument from the “extreme presuppositional” approach, but I will
also question whether it is always wisest to dash your opponents head on his
faulty foundation until his brains fall out in front of the rest of the
audience. We may be at an impasse on that point.</div>
<h3>
Riddle Me This . . .</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me offer some questions for reflection in light of all
of this dustup. Hopefully these will help us all think through the issues.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did Ken fail to do certain things in the debate that are
Scripturally mandated, or did he not do them to the extent you would have
preferred?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you say someone is using an evidential argument, what
exactly do you mean by that?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Was there a point in the debate where Ken denied the Bible
or God as his foundation?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What role does wisdom and godly counsel play in choosing how
we interact with various audiences on apologetic topics?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What aspects of this discussion may be sinful for you for
conscience sake, but allowable for another believer without causing division?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you offer criticisms, are you offering them in a spirit
of love and gentleness for the edification of all hearing (Ephesians 4:29;
Galatians 6:1)?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If Baptists can minster alongside Presbyterians and
post-millers alongside pre-millers, can “extreme presuppers” minister alongside
the “soft presuppers” without being called promoters of blasphemy?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did AiG promote blasphemy and use an unscriptural strategy
in the debate? (If so, this is a serious error that must be dealt with.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have already acknowledged the problems with the format, so
I will do what I can to relay that information. I will strive to grow to be
more like Christ in all that I do, especially as a part of a ministry that
claims to represent Him. Pray for me. Pray for us. Pray for unity centered on
the truth. May our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in all of this.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-72270272742236370202014-02-26T15:57:00.000-08:002014-02-26T15:57:05.039-08:00Roasting Ham Supporting Document<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
References to the necessity of God’s Word/God
as a foundation from Ken Ham during the Ham v. Nye debate. Time references are from the
beginning of the moderator speaking. This list has been prepared in support of
Roasting Ham, and article published on the Gospel Spam blog site.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Opening Remarks (7:10): “Here at the Creation
Museum we make no apology about the fact to our origins or historical science
actually is based upon the biblical account of origins.” [This was followed by
a description of the imposition of secular humanism on students in public
schools.]</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Opening Remarks (8:15): “But you see, the Bible
gives a totally different account of origins, of who we were, where we came
from, the meaning of life, and our future: “From the beginning of the creation,
God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father
and mother and be joined to his wife.’” (Mark 10:6–7, NKJV); Through one man
sin entered the world, and death through sin. (Romans 5:12, NKJV); For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16, NKJV). So, is
creation a viable model of origins in today's modern scientific era? I say: The
creation/evolution debate is really a conflict between two philosophical
worldviews based on two different accounts of origins or historical science
beliefs. Creation is the only viable model of historical science confirmed by
observational science in today’s modern scientific era.” [In saying “creation,”
he has already established this as a biblically-founded idea, not a scientific
one.]</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>30-minute Presentation (18:00): “Non-Christian
scientists are really borrowing from the Christian worldview anyway to carry
out their experimental or observational science. Think about it. When they’re
doing observational science using the scientific method they have to assume the
laws of logic, they have to assume the laws of nature, they have to assume the
uniformity of nature. I mean think about it. If the universe came about by
natural process where did the laws of logic come from? Did they just pop into
existence? Are we in a stage now where we have only half logic? So you see I
have a question for Bill Nye: How do you account for the laws of logic and laws
of nature from a naturalistic worldview that excludes the existence of God?”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>30-minute
Presentation (22:50): “</a>You know why that is? Because it’s really a battle
over worldviews and starting points. It’s a battle over philosophical
worldviews and starting points, but the same evidence. Now I admit my starting
point is that God is the ultimate authority. If someone doesn't accept that,
then man has to be the ultimate authority. And that's really the difference
when it comes down to it.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>30-minute Presentation (23:32): “There’s a big
difference between those two, and that's not what's being taught in our public
schools and that's why kids aren't being taught to think critically and
correctly about the origins issue.” [Ken then went on to describe the
predictions based on the Bible and the confirming evidence.]</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>30-minute Presentation (30:10): “Actually, it’s
the public school textbooks that are teaching a belief, imposing it on students
and they need to be teaching them observational science to understand the
reality of what's happening. Now, what we found is that: Public school
textbooks present the evolutionary “tree” as “science,” but reject the creation
“orchard” as religion. But observational science confirms the creation orchard
– so public school textbooks are rejecting observational science and imposing a
naturalistic religion on students.” [This was in reference to the evolutionary
tree of life which runs counter to observations. This is another example of the
A/DA strategy and Ken calls them to stop teaching falsehoods as truth.]</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>30-minute Presentation (33:45): “Can you imagine
if in it was in the public schools today? And yet that’s what was taught, but
it was based on Darwin's ideas that are wrong. You have a wrong foundation; you
are going to have a wrong worldview. Now, had they started from the Bible and
from the creation account in the Bible, what does it teach? We're all
descendants of Adam and Eve, we go through the Tower of Babel, different
languages so different people groups formed distinct characteristics, but we’d
expect, we’d say, ‘You know what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
means there’s biologically only one race of humans.’”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>30-minute Presentation (35:00): “And you know
what? The secularists don't like me doing this because they don't want to admit
that there’s a belief aspect to what they’re saying, and there is, and they
can't get away from it.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>30-minute Presentation (37:20): “And I challenge
the evolutionists to admit the belief aspects of their particular worldview.
Now, at the Creation Museum we’re only too willing to admit our beliefs based
upon the Bible, but we also teach people the difference between beliefs and
what one can actually observe and experiment with in the present. I believe
we're teaching people to think critically and to think in the right terms about
science. I believe it’s the creationists that should be educating the kids out
there because we're teaching them the right way to think. You know, we admit
our origins in historical science is based upon the Bible, but I'm just
challenging evolutionists to admit the belief aspects of evolution and be
upfront about the difference here. As I said, I'm only too willing to admit my
historical science based on the Bible.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>30-minute Presentation (42:30): “I assert this: Public
school textbooks are using the same word science for observational and
historical science. They arbitrarily define science as naturalism and outlaw the
supernatural. They present molecules-to-man evolution as fact. They are
imposing the religion of naturalism/atheism on generations of students. They
are imposing their ideology on the students, that everything is explained by
natural processes. That is a religion. What does she mean by religious liberty?
They tolerate their religion. You see the battle is really about authority.
It’s more than just science or evolution or creation. It’s about who is the
authority in this world, man or God?”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>30-minute Presentation (37:20): “If you start
with naturalism then what about morals? Who decides right and wrong? Well, it’s
subjective. Marriage? Well, whatever you want it to be. Get rid of old people,
I mean why not. I mean, they’re just animals, they’re costing us a lot of
money. Abortion? Get the rid of spare cats, get rid of spare kids. We’re all
animals. But if you start from God’s Word there are moral absolutes. God
decides right from wrong. Marriage: One man and one women. The sanctity of
life: We care for old people; they’re made in the image of God. Life begins at
fertilization: So abortion is killing a human being. We do see the collapse of
Christian morality in our culture and increasing moral relativism because
generations of kids are being taught the religion of naturalism and that the
Bible can't be trusted.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>First Rebuttal (1:16:45): “Now just to
understand, just so you understand where I'm coming from, yes, we admit we
build our origins from historical science on the Bible. The Bible says God
created in six days.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>First Rebuttal (1:20:30): “And I claim there's
only one infallible dating method, it's the Witness who was there, who knows
everything, who told us, and that's from the Word of God. And that's why I
would say that the earth is only 6,000 years …”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Second Rebuttal (1:36:30): ” As I talked about,
you know, I said we have the laws of logic, the uniformity of nature and that
only makes sense within a biblical worldview anyway, of a creator God who set
up those laws. And that's why we can do good experimental science because we
assume those laws are true and that will be true tomorrow.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Q&A (1:43:00): “Bill, I just want to let you
know that there actually is a book out there that actually tells us where
matter came from. And the very first sentence in that book says, “In the
beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And really that’s the only
thing that makes sense; it’s the only thing that makes sense of why not just
matter is here and where it came from, but why matter – when you look at it, we
have information and language systems that build life, not just matter. And
where did that come from, because matter can never produce information? Matter
can never produce a language system. Languages only come from an intelligence;
information only comes from information. The Bible tells us that the things we
see, like in the Book of Hebrews, are made from things that are unseen, an
infinite creator God who created the universe, created matter, the energy,
space-mass-time universe, and created the information for life. It’s the only
thing that makes logical sense.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Q&A (1:49:30): “Bill, I do want to say that
there is a book out there that does document where consciousness came from. And
in that book, the One who created us said that He made man in His image, and He
breathed into man and he became a living being. And so the Bible does document
that; that’s where consciousness came from, that God gave it to us.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Q&A (1:50:00): “And you know, the other
thing I want to say is, I’m sort of a little – I have a mystery, and that is,
you talk about the joy of discovery. But you also say that when you die, it’s
over, and that’s the end of you. And if when you die it’s over and you don’t
even remember you were here, what’s the point of the joy of discovery anyway, I
mean in an ultimate sense? I mean, you know, you won’t ever know you were ever
here, and no one who knew you will know they were ever here ultimately, so
what’s the point anyway? I love the joy of discovery because this is God’s
creation and I’m finding more out about that to take dominion for man’s good
and for God’s glory.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Q&A (2:03:30): “God imposed information, a
language system, and that’s how we have life. Matter by itself could never
product life no matter what energy you have.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Q&A (2:10:00): And let me just say this—my
answer would be God is necessary for science. In fact, you know, you talked
about cell phones; yes, I have a cell phone. I love technology, we love
technology here at Answers in Genesis. And I have e-mail; probably had millions
of them while I have been speaking up here. And satellites and what you said
about the information we get, I agree with all that. See, they’re the things
that can be done in the present. And that’s just like I showed you. Dr. Stuart
Burgess, who invented that gear set for the satellite; creationists can be
great scientists. But see, I say God is necessary because you have to assume
the laws of logic, you have to assume the laws of nature, you have to assume
the uniformity of nature. And there’s a question I had for you. Where does that
come from if the universe is here by natural processes? You know, Christianity
and science, the Bible and science, go hand in hand; we love science! But
again, you’ve got to understand, inventing things, that’s very different than
talking about our origins, two very different things.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Q&A (2:18:30): “Any scientist out there,
Christian or non-Christian, that is involved in inventing things, involved in
scientific method, is using creation. They are, because they are borrowing from
a Christian worldview. They’re using the laws of logic; I keep emphasizing
that. I want Bill to tell me in a view of the universe that’s a result of
natural processes, explain where the laws of logic came from. Why should we
trust the laws of nature? I mean, are they going to be the same tomorrow as
they were yesterday? In fact, some of the greatest scientists that ever lived –
Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxell, Michael Faraday – were creationists. And as
one of them said, you know, he’s thinking God’s thoughts after Him. And that’s
really – modern science really came out of that thinking, that we can do
experiments today and we can do the same tomorrow, we can trust the laws of
logic, we can trust the laws of nature. And if we don’t teach our children
correctly about this, they’re not going to be innovative and they’re not going
to be able to come up with inventions to advance in our culture. And so I think
the person was trying to get out that, see, there are lots of secularists out
there doing work and they don’t believe in creation and they come up with great
inventions. Yes, but my point is they are borrowing from the Christian
worldview to do so.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Q&A (2:24:30): “What is the one thing upon
anything else which I base my belief? Well, again, to summarize the things that
I’ve been saying, there is a book called the Bible. It’s a very unique book,
it’s very different to any other book out there. In fact, I don’t know of any
other religion that has a book that starts off by telling you that there’s an
infinite God and talks about the origin of the universe and the origin of
matter and the origin of light and the origin of darkness and the origin of day
and night and the origin of the earth and the origin of dry land and the origin
of plants and the origin of the sun, moon and stars, the origin of sea
creatures, the origin of flying creatures, the origin of land creatures, the
origin of man, the origin of woman, the origin of death, the origin of sin, the
origin of marriage, the origin of different languages, the origin of clothing,
the origin of nations. I mean, it’s a very, very specific book, and it gives us
an account of a global Flood and the history and the Tower of Babel. And if
that history is true, then what about the rest of the book? Well, that history
also says man is a sinner and it says that man is separated from God. And it
gives us a message that we call the gospel, the message of salvation, that
God’s Son stepped into history to die on a cross, be raised from the dead and
offers a free gift of salvation. Because the history is true, that’s why the
message based in history is true.”</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-13976710170999651202014-01-22T19:43:00.000-08:002014-01-22T19:43:21.614-08:00What Agreement Has the Temple of God with the Temple of Joseph Smith?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have found myself grieved today. It all started 10 years
ago, even though I only found out about it a few years ago. Then it happened
again this past weekend. I found myself drawn to this presentation because I
care about Mormons. I was one. My mom’s side of the family are still involved
heavily in the religion and what I saw in these presentations scared me. Not
because he presented very clear biblical ideas, but because he only presented
those ideas that are held in common with the Mormons without drawing any
distinctions. He failed to define his terms, and that failure could have dire
eternal consequences.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you may have guessed from the title of this post, I
sincerely believe that those following the Mormon faith are deceived by a
doctrine of demons. An angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:12–15) revealed a
different gospel (Galatians 1:6–10) to a boy in New York, and now millions
around the world are following his prophecies, writings, and a different Jesus.
I used to be one of them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On his Facebook page, Dr. Ravi Zacharias noted: When asked about
my goals </div>
<a name='more'></a>for visiting with the LDS community here, I said that I hope in our
discussions we come to a Biblica<span class="textexposedshow">l understanding of
who Jesus is. I always want to leave the door open for dialogue and show
everyone the love of Christ, and I hope that through the process of
interaction, we will arrive at the truth.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow">I am sorely afraid that did not
happen as a result of the two speaking sessions that will live on as the legacy
of this visit. While he did use biblical language to describe the things he
spoke of, that language is the same language used by the Mormons in the
audience. If there was an atheist or a Buddhist in the audience (very
doubtful), then they heard about Jesus and redemption (without any call to
repent), but the Mormons were affirmed in their beliefs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In apparent response to some critics, this video was posted
on his website the following day. <a href="http://www.rzim.org/rzim-news/ravis-recap-from-utah/">http://www.rzim.org/rzim-news/ravis-recap-from-utah/</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He says he wants to build bridges, but he made everyone in
the audience think they believed in the same Jesus. Later he will have to tell
them it is a different Jesus and I built this bridge so I could tell you that
you are wrong. This seems deceptive. And what about those Mormons he will never
speak to again who heard his message which made no distinctions and did not
seek to define terms?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">To the Students</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first talk was at BYU to an audience of faculty and
students there. You can see the video at this link: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD3v-vZ_ix0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD3v-vZ_ix0</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At 36:55, he made the only comment that might even approach
a distinction. Mormons believe that Jesus is a created being. Zacharias drew
from Isaiah 9 to describe the eternality of the Son of God. The Son is not
born, the Son eternally existed. It is the child that is born; the Son is
given. I agree. But so might the Mormon in the audience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have discussed this point with Mormon missionaries within
the last year, as well as one of the local church elders, and they affirmed the
eternality of the Son. When I first heard this I was a bit taken aback. As a
Mormon, I was taught that Jesus was born of the Heavenly Mother and Father. As
a Christian I, and others, reasoned that this means He cannot be eternal. However,
the Mormon apologists have devised a way of making Jesus eternal, so that when
a Christian approaches a Mormon with this obvious biblical contradiction, they
can send the Christian reeling by agreeing that Jesus is eternal. They simply
say that He eternally existed in the mind of God or that His spirit always
existed, it was just awaiting a body…the body provided by the sexual union of
the Heavenly Father and Mother. So, to a Mormon, Jesus is eternal. Zacharias
failed to make a meaningful distinction because he did not carefully define his
terms. So the Jesus he spoke of and the Jesus in the Mormon’s mind are the same
Jesus.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At 49:00 into the video, Zacharias speaks of the unity of
worship that “we” will have at the consummation. This is only one example of
the multitude of inclusive pronouns he used to describe everyone in his
audience. As I will describe in some of the comments below, he also included
them in his use of the phrases “the Scriptures,” “the Word of God,” and “His
Word” by failing to make any distinctions between the Mormon and Christian
conception of these terms.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given to a Christian audience, his talk would have been a
brilliant explanation and defense of the value intrinsic to humanity redeemed
by Christ and created in the image of God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given to a majority Mormon audience who thinks it is Christian,
it was an ecumenical hash that may have lulled many into a slumber.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He said nothing that distinguished the Mormon concept of
humanity or God from the Christian view, he only propped up their belief by
referring to Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit as if the Mormons had the
same conception.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In the Temple of Baal</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The speech at the Tabernacle (the large meeting house on
Temple Square) was preceded by several other speakers who tried to make some
form of distinction between Mormons and Evangelicals, but there was a simple
statement of doctrinal differences. You can watch the speeches at this link: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h3aVs4imQI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h3aVs4imQI</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well into his talk, I picked up what I think he believed was
a distinction he was making. I believe he was trying to affirm that the Bible,
containing the 66 books, was the only authoritative source. However, he never
says that. He leaves that to the listener to think about. Unless you knew both
doctrines, I doubt you would ever pick up on what he was trying to do. Again,
by using the same terminology the Mormons use without any distinctions, there
is no real difference in the mind of the Mormon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At 1:14:00 he talks about the Transfiguration and links it
to Peter’s words in 2 Peter 1:19–21. He emphasizes that Peter saw and
experienced this event. He appeals to the words of the prophets and the
movement of the Holy Spirit in recording the words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“God’s Word is truth.” The Mormon hears this
and thinks that the same has happened in the modern times; God spoke through,
and continues to speak through, modern prophets to reveal the “Word of God.” As
Zacharias speaks of “the Scriptures,” the Mormon mind does not think of the
plural coming from many writers in one book, but the four different books that
their prophets have delivered to them from their god. Every time he refers to
God, His Word, or the Scriptures, the Mormon hears his words in
non-distinguishing agreement. As before, I can’t imagine my mother disagreeing
with anything he said—she just understands his words to mean something he doesn’t
intend them to mean. It is not because they are speaking different languages,
but because they are using two different dictionaries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At 1:32:45 Zacharias exclaims, “Young people, if you are a
young man or woman here, don’t underestimate your value in commitment to
Christ. Take the mind that God has given you and give it to Him as an
expression of your worship. He will make you an instrument of His truth and for
His glory.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This quote will wind up on a plaque sold at Deseret Books
and used on the Mormon social media sites and publications to encourage their
youth to follow Christ. But it is a different Christ, and they follow him to
Hell.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At 1:38:15 we hear, “If there is just one application you
take away tonight, can I urge you to open the Scriptures and make it a
commitment to read the Gospel of John. Just take the Scriptures; read the
Gospel of John. Stay with the Word! Stay with the Word, because that is what
turned the heart of a nation back under young Josiah; that is what turned
David’s heart and that’s why he said what he did in his psalms when he says, you
know, Your Word is truth, is a lamp and a light, and how the Scriptures cannot
be broken.’ Paul says to Timothy to bathe in those Scriptures that he learned
as a little boy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Christian hearer opens the dictionary in his mind to s.v.,
<u>Scriptures</u>: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the 66 books of the
Old and New Testaments inspired by God and the final and sole infallible
authority for the Christian.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Mormon open her mental dictionary to s.v., <u>Scriptures</u>:
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the four books delivered by prophets,
ancient and modern, including The Bible (insofar as it is correctly translated
and interpreted by the General Authorities), The Book of Mormon (the most
perfect book ever written), The Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great
Price . . . and any other teachings of the modern prophets.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I heard this line, I shuddered . . . literally. (1:47:00)
“God can turn the tide in America. You pray; I’ll pray. The day will come a few
years from now when we’ll look back and say, ‘Did you ever imagine something
like this could happen?” But it has to begin with your heart and mine. So
before you go tonight and before you go to bed, get onto your bedside and ask
the Lord to make you right with Him. That’s where it begins.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Mormon will be praying to a false god who has no power,
a lord who cannot be Master. What good will those prayers do him?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The following is an article posted in the RZIM website.
Rather than exhaustively analyzing the talks he gave, I will use this as a way
to point out my concerns. The italicized portions are from the article and my
comments in normal face and inset. I am sure I could write a book on this topic
(if I haven’t, already), but I hope this will help you to see my concerns.</div>
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ravi Zacharias at the Mormon
Tabernacle: God’s Word Must Be Central; Redemption Comes Before Righteousness</i></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dr. Zacharias Challenged
Diverse Audiences at the Mormon Tabernacle and Brigham Young University to
Read the Scriptures and Understand True Freedom</span></em></div>
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A diverse crowd
of around 3,000 people attended Saturday’s gathering at the Mormon Tabernacle.</i></div>
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saturday night at the Mormon
Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Christian apologist and author
Dr. Ravi Zacharias spoke to an audience of around 3,000 people on “Lessons from
History, Building a Nation Under God.”</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> He read from 2 Kings 21-22 and examined King Manasseh, who led the
Israelites to practice child sacrifice. Of Manasseh and other demagogues he
suggested, “It is possible for one person to lead millions into untold evil.”
Zacharias contrasted Manasseh’s destructive reign with the leadership of King
Josiah, who upon hearing the Book of the Law, tore his clothes in repentance
and instructed it to be read aloud before the nation.</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“We must build our lives upon things
that are eternal,” said Zacharias. “Stay with the Word because the Word of God
is what turned the heart of a nation around.”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">Any Mormon hearing this
will equate his phrase “Word of God” with their Scriptures; The Bible, The Book
of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. While
Zacharias means the Bible alone, that is not what the Mormon’s hear. They are
encouraged to find verses of truth from their prophets Alma and Brigham Joseph
Smith . . . in the Scriptures.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He observed that if we are to impact
society, “Our hearts need to be transformed…. We need a new birth,” and
continued, “Only Jesus can give you the power to change. Has your heart been
redeemed by Christ?”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">Every Mormon would
agree with this statement, but they mean something totally different within
their theological system. They agree hearts are transformed and redeemed by
Jesus. The problem is they know a different Jesus. Every baptized Mormon
believes they have been redeemed by Christ.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Redemption is prior to righteousness.
You cannot be righteous until you are first redeemed,” Zacharias emphasized. </i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">No Mormon would
disagree.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“That is where it begins,” he said.
“We will never change the outside until we are changed within. Then the world
will see the beauty of Christ and follow Him. If we who claim to follow Christ
do not have the Word of God, why point the finger outside?”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">You have probably heard
Glenn Beck tell you how important the “atonement” is to his salvation. But he
is a Mormon and has an entirely different understanding of what the atonement
is and what it accomplished. The Mormon’s think they have the Word of God. In
fact, they think they have a fuller and richer and purer Word of God than
Zacharias claims.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zacharias asked the diverse audience a
series of questions and challenged them to make the personal reading of
scripture a priority. “Do you know what life’s purpose is? That you may have
communion with the living God, your Maker,” he said, and continued by
highlighting the sufficiency of Jesus Christ in salvation. “Do you have the
Son? We are complete in Him.”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">Again, no Mormon would
disagree with this statement, they just believe they get to become gods on top
of that. They believe Jesus is infinitely important in their salvation. The
subtle difference is so obscure to the average Mormon that they will not get
it. The average evangelical in the audience won’t know that the Mormon thinks
differently and won’t know to ask. </span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zacharias first spoke at the Mormon
Tabernacle on November 14, 2004. “It was a historic moment, as the last time an
evangelical Christian had spoken there was in 1899 when D.L. Moody spoke,” he
recalled, and expressed gratitude for the return invitation. “I am truly
honored and privileged to stand behind this pulpit and I do not take it
lightly.”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">I was greatly
disappointed by this first event, as well. Zacharias made no clear distinctions
and constantly referred to the audience with common plural pronouns (e.g., we,
our) that would make them think they were included in his views. While he was
careful to describe Jesus biblically, he failed to make any distinctions that
were significant.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christian singer and songwriter
Fernando Ortega provided the music for the gathering at the Tabernacle, and his
selections included “I Will Sing of My Redeemer” and “Give Me Jesus.”</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"> </span></i><br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">And every Mormon could
“amen” him heartily. They offered their worship to God/god alongside one
another without explanation. Mr. Ortega invited the Mormons into the communion
of the saints to worship the One True God without telling them he doesn’t
believe their God exists (if indeed he believes Mormons are not Christians, you
couldn’t tell that from his statements at the piano). He deceived them into
thinking they were worshipping the same God. To invite those who do not worship
in spirit and truth into worship alongside the saints is to invite a profane
thing to the throne of God.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Representing the leadership of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a
member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He praised Dr. Zacharias for his
“uncompromised witness of the divine and powerful use of the Word of God,” and
called him “a dear and special friend.”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">This actually came
before Zacharias spoke, so I am not sure why it is placed after the above
comments. Placed here, it seems to be saying that Elder Holland was praising
the use of the Bible in the message (Mormons don’t have sermons). Elder Holland’s
use of the phrase “Word of God” makes my point for me. He knows Zacharias
rejects what he believes are all of the words of his god, but he is pleased to
use Zacharias to prop up the façade and claim that Mormons are Christians, too.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holland explained that “No joint
ecumenical statement of any kind is being attempted here” and acknowledged that
“there are doctrinal differences,” but emphasized that “We are witnessing a
diminution of religious expression that is unprecedented in Western culture and
certainly in American culture” and “the very least we can do is know and
understand each other better than we do.”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">If the goal was to
understand one another better, it would seem that those doctrinal differences
would have been plainly presented with respect and clarity. Rather, the
differences were glossed over and plural pronouns were used that constantly
propped up and embellished the façade of union in Christ. Evangelicals have
“doctrinal differences” with Lutherans; we have fundamental theological
differences with Mormons. There is no union between the temple of God and the
temple of Satan (2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1). By not making any statement of
distinction, the ecumenical statement was loud and clear.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On Friday, January 17, Dr.
Zacharias spoke to an open forum of about 400 students and faculty at Brigham
Young University in Provo on the topic of “What Does It Mean To Be Human?” as
part of BYU’s “Faith, Family, and Society” lecture series.</i></b><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As I noted above, throughout this presentation, Zacharias used the inclusive
pronoun “we”</span><span style="color: #0070c0;"> to refer to himself and the
audience, connecting the word “Christian” to his comments. I humbly suggest
that this is an error of immense consequence—an error that will leave the
students and others in the audience believing there is really no distinction
and that they are Christians, too.</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I want to give you the Christian
answer to this question of what it means to be human and remind you how
important it is that we understand how critical these definitions are,” said
Zacharias, lamenting that “the great loss in our time as been the loss of
definitions – of good, evil, humanity, sacredness of sexuality, family, and
home.”</i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"></span></i><br />
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">Starting the discussion
with the “Christian” answer and then never making any meaningful distinction
affirms the Mormon in believing they, too, have the Christian answer that
Zacharias has. After all, he is speaking from “the Scriptures.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“If we don’t understand life’s
purpose, then all other questions become just footnotes,” said Zacharias,
emphasizing that “the intrinsic value of human life comes from being created by
God in his image,” and that “ultimate freedom comes from knowing what Jesus
Christ has done for you.”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">And every Mormon agreed
. . . with no distinctions.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zacharias opened by reading from Psalm
8 and explained that being created in God’s image gives us essential worth,
particularity in relationships, and a reflective splendor. He continued by
reading from Philippians 2, saying the incarnation of Jesus Christ gives us
“the absoluteness of the moral law and the supremacy of love.”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">And every Mormon agreed
. . . with no distinctions.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zacharias was introduced by Dean Brent
L. Top, BYU’s Dean of Religious Education. “We are pleased to have one of the
great defenders of the Christian faith and one of leading apologists of our
time,” he told the audience. “Dr. Zacharias is a great defender of the sanctity
of human life, the dignity of marriage as the union of a man and woman,
religious liberty, justice, and the common good.”</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">And every Mormon agreed
. . . with no distinctions.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zacharias’s local host was Standing
Together, a network of evangelical congregations along the Wasatch Front aiming
to “work together in a united way to advance the message of God’s love to the
people of Utah and our communities.” Standing Together’s President, Rev.
Gregory Johnson, was very pleased with both events. “The Mormon and evangelical
communities were given a wonderful gift by Ravi Zacharias at the Mormon
Tabernacle and BYU, the gift of courage to reach out to others with different
beliefs and to engage each other with gentleness and respect as we seek
together to know the Truth,” he said.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #0070c0;">And every Mormon agreed
. . . with no distinctions.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The complete programs at Brigham Young
University on January 17 and the Mormon Tabernacle on January 18 were streamed
live, and <a href="http://www.rzim.org/rzim-news/ravi-zacharias-at-byu-and-the-mormon-tabernacle/">both
video recordings are available here</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
I know this may sound odd, but I am so grieved by this event. If one of my
Mormon relatives were in the audience, and they may have been, I am afraid that
they heard nothing that would call them out of the dark cult they are trapped
in.<br />
<br />
Can the Holy Spirit use the words spoken to raise a doubt in their minds?
Surely.<br />
<br />
Can an evangelical friend or neighbor engage a Mormon who heard the message
and help them see the differences? Surely.<br />
<br />
But what about the majority who won’t have that followup conversation and
who were emboldened and affirmed in their belief that they are Christians, just
like that kind and gracious man who came and spoke to us to build bridges of
dialog? And those who will listen online?<br />
<br />
All I can do is direct my grief into prayer and trust in the Triune God to
help me boldly speak as I ought to speak to proclaim the mystery of the gospel
. . . with clear distinction.<br />
<br />
I hope my mom wasn't listening. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-13491180482345044722013-12-07T12:26:00.000-08:002013-12-07T12:26:03.132-08:00God Told Me?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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We gathered around the table with our Bibles open at the end
of our small group with some Skyline dip and Fritos (I always exegete better
with some Skyline dip at the ready). The issue of how we hear God today had
come up over the last few weeks as the result of the Strange Fire conference
held by Dr. John MacArthur. The discussion was edifying and we agreed on almost
everything as we looked to Scripture. I have been having similar discussions with others, so I decided to take some time to think through what I see as the core issues.</div>
<h2>
The Claim</h2>
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Matt Chandler is a pastor in Texas who doubted the continuation
of the charismatic gifts</div>
<a name='more'></a> until he had an experience which he describes in a
video (video from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKn6xFN2YSA">Matt
Chandler</a> and an additional perspective on the same incident from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clPy3ZHH4Wk">Bob Hamp</a>). Basically, he
believes God told him to go to a certain place and meet a certain person at a
certain time. His conclusion is that he must be living his life in this “radical”
way as a normative practice.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
What if he would have gone to the restaurant and the person
described wasn’t there? What if one of the details would have been off? What if
two details would have been off? Would any of these circumstances prove or
disprove the gift of prophecy being active today? Absolutely not. Experience
cannot be allowed to determine doctrine (in the Bob Hamp video, he seems to say
we should separate reality from theology). The only guide we have for doctrine
is the faith once delivered for all the saints. The Bible is the standard by
which we must judge every belief we have. This is known as the doctrine of the
sufficiency of Scripture and is derived from passages like:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
But you must continue in the things
which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to
make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God
may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14–17)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Grace and peace be multiplied to
you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has
given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the
knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to
us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world
through lust. (2 Peter 1:2–4)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
And so we have the prophetic word
confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place,
until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this
first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for
prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:19–21)</div>
<h2>
Avoiding Flammable Arguments</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s define some terms. Continuationists believe the Bible
teaches that the charismatic gifts (described in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians
12–14, and other various passages) continue today as they did in the past.
Cessationists believe that certain gifts have ceased, particularly the “sign
gifts” which include prophecy, tongues, healings, and miracles, with the
closing of the canon and the death of the Apostles. Cessationists tend to
straw-man continuationists by saying they believe anything goes and they are
receiving new revelation which should be tacked onto the Bible.
Continuationists tend to straw-man cessationists by saying that they deny the
Holy Spirit can do miracles today. Those are broad terms, but a basic point
from which to begin our discussion. There is a spectrum from Benny Hinn to Mark
Driscoll to John Macarthur. I will let you tell me where you fit rather than
assuming to tell you where you are. I would appreciate that same courtesy. </div>
<h2>
You Read My Mind</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks to YouTube’s ability to read my mind and tell me what
else I should watch, a video where Doug Wilson (a self-affirmed cessationist)
interviews Mark Driscoll (a self-affirmed continuationist) on the nature of
prophecy today. Driscoll affirms <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sola
scriptura</i> and yet demands that God gives him special visions which allow
him to know how to minister to his church members better. Wilson presses him on
the issues and brings up points that I would have also pressed on. This video
does a good job of framing the issues that I am interested in discussing. If
you think the whacky charismatic stuff is allowed by or taught in the Bible, we
have a different issue to discuss. If you want to watch the Chandler videos
above, go for it, but this one is worth watching so that we can get to the
heart of the matter about what is called the gift of prophecy in these videos.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vEiqqfvsh0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vEiqqfvsh0</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would like to frame the discussion on two fronts: 1-What
is prophecy and are there two different forms of it? 2-If you believe the
modern practice of speaking a “word from the Lord” or receiving extrabiblical
revelation, why do you not conform your practices to the biblical prescription
given by Paul? While I am using Driscoll as an example here, my goal is not to
denigrate him, but to evaluate his public teaching in a public forum (even
though his forum is a bit bigger than mine). I ask you to weigh his words, and
mine, against Scripture. He is not a heretic based on the views he presents
here. (If you want my views on Driscoll, take me out for sushi and we can talk.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Driscoll introduces 1 Corinthians 14 into the conversation,
so I trust he is either talking about speaking in tongues or prophecy. Since
there is no mention of tongues, let’s go with the prophecy angle and trust that
is what he meant by receiving revelation, making a declaration, and prophesying.
Stop and take a minute to read 1 Corinthians 14 before you proceed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No, really…read it! God’s Word is the standard, so don’t go
from your fallible memory on this one. If you have it memorized, recite it to
yourself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Wilson asks Driscoll about the gifts, Driscoll makes an
interesting statement at the 5:40 mark, “1 Corinthians 14 says ‘If you think
God gave you a word, run it by the leaders.’” Did you see that in 1
Corinthians? I couldn’t find it. Paul did say that the prophecy should be
spoken before the church and that the prophets should judge one another
(14:26–33), but there is nothing about the elders (leaders) in that passage. The
context is clearly a gathering of the saints (vv. 4, 5, 26, 28), not a private
meeting with the elders. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the 16:00 mark, Driscoll says that he would not allow
people to offer prophecies in his church service because it would turn into the
Jerry Springer show. That was exactly Paul’s concern about the Corinthian
church. Paul offers a prescription to deal with this concern and he expected
the Corinthians to follow his commands. 1 Corinthians 14 is a prescription for
how the church was to operate, not simply a description of what was happening—it
is a command.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the prophets are to judge the prophets, and Driscoll says
the “prophet” should bring his prophecy to the elders to be judged, then the “prophet”
must be an elder. But this is not the language Paul used.</div>
<h2>
Biblical Unbiblicalness</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Driscoll has described an extrabiblical process to evaluate “prophecies”
because he believes the Bible allows for prophecies to be delivered today. If
He is looking to the Bible, he should judge the prophecies the way 1 Cor. 14
prescribes. He must submit himself to Scripture rather than creating a system
that is contrary to Scripture.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In his effort to be biblical, he has developed an unbiblical
test of prophecies rather than submitting to the biblical test already given.
His argument for adopting a different test is pragmatic—we can’t allow people
to prophesy like Paul describes because that would interfere with our service
schedule and the 11:15 people would be left waiting in the lobby. In fact, that
is the very intent of Paul’s instructions—that there would be order (14:26–33).
Driscoll’s concerns are met by following Paul’s instructions, not creating a
new system that eliminates prophesying in the gathering. Pragmatism cannot
govern the prescriptions of Scripture.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But if prophecy has ceased, as I believe it has, there is no
need to invent a system to regulate it to replace the biblical system that
regulated it when it was in operation. If you begin a thought with “thus says
the Lord,” “God gave me a word,” or “God told me,” you are acting as a prophet
and you should be more than willing to subject yourself to the biblical
prescription for delivering and adjudicating prophecies: delivering them to the
church and letting the other prophets decide. (Acts 11:27–30 gives a good
example of this practice in the early church under the direction of the Holy
Spirit.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A consistent continuationist would allow for, and supposedly
encourage, the speaking of tongues and the delivery of prophecies in a church
service for the edification and exhortation of the church. If a pastor denies
his church this opportunity, he is not being as biblical as he might think he
is, at least by the clear prescription given in 1 Corinthians 14.</div>
<h2>
Prophet, Beware!</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The issue of what prophecy is was sandwiched in the middle
of the video. Throughout Scripture, the main role of a prophet was to declare
the words of the Lord. “Thus says the Lord” or some variation is the constant
refrain of the prophets. They were not to speak presumptuously (Deuteronomy
18:20) or falsely (Jeremiah 14:14–15) but to proclaim and declare God’s words
to man. This was done in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God
and God does not lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God’s standard for a prophet is a most frightening one, and
those who violated those standards claiming to be from God were to be put to
death (Deuteronomy 13:1–5, 18:17–22). When did that standard change? Where is
there another definition for prophecy apart from surely delivering the true
words of God? Why do some demand that those with the gift of prophecy can be
wrong? Which passage answers any of these questions?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can find none. If you can demonstrate these things to me
from Scripture, I would be interested in examining them. I truly desire to be
teaching truth from God’s Word and submitting myself to it.</div>
<h2>
Chalk It up to Experience</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What did Matt Chandler experience that night? Does Mark
Driscoll get visions of the abuse of his church members? I don’t know. I can’t
exegete experience. I have no reason to doubt the truthfulness of what they
relayed. I would love to ask them if they have ever had a vision that was wrong
or did not come to pass. I do know that if that is prophecy, it was not handled
in the way the Bible prescribes. Was it a word of knowledge? Was it a leading
of the Spirit? I have experienced similar impressions and leadings, but I don’t
think that makes me a prophet—it makes me a Spirit-filled Christian (as if
there were another kind). Any experience must be evaluated by Scripture, not
the other way around.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know what you want to call it, but if you are going
to call it prophecy, submit it to the Word of God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God the Holy Spirit is active in the lives of every
believer. He brings to our minds truths that we have learned from the words He
inspired to be written. He convicts us of our sin. He empowers us to live lives
of holiness. He heals in miraculous ways. He changes stony hearts to hearts of
flesh in the miraculous regeneration of the dead. He is awesome and I love Him
and worship Him as a member of the Godhead. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And no, He didn’t tell me to say that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would love to interact with you on this topic. If you
choose to comment, please watch the videos and read the relevant biblical
texts. If you have an experience to share, maybe that would be better discussed over a
cup of coffee (my treat) rather than on this forum. Please let the Bible be
your argument, not your experiences.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-81133007829201712492013-05-31T20:13:00.000-07:002013-05-31T20:13:48.218-07:00Careless Words<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes I am a fool. Yes, just sometimes. A recent post I
made on Facebook proved that point. I carelessly tagged someone in linking to a
blog before I had even read the blog or considered the possible outcome of my
actions. After receiving a much-deserved rebuke, I removed the post and sought
forgiveness for my sinful actions. Forgiveness was graciously extended and I
was reminded of the beauty of Christlike character shining through a brother
and sister in Christ.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The issue was referring to one’s wife as “hot.” The <a href="http://www.barnabaspiper.com/2013/05/quit-calling-your-wife-hot.html">blog
item</a> by Barnabas Piper spelled out several reasons why this is not wise,
though the comments on my post and the blog were mixed on the issue. This
phrase seems to have been popularized lately by all of the seeker-sensitive
megachurch sermons on “Seven Days to Hotter Sex,” “Sexperiment” and the like.
</div>
<a name='more'></a>You can buy a sermon kit and even get a billboard to announce that your relevant
and hip church is going to be offering advice on the topic.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, hearing a man say this is a bit problematic. And I
am sure it is for many others, as well. But there are surely also some for whom
this whole topic seems a bit silly. They might think, “So what, a guy is
communicating that he finds his wife attractive! Are you a perv or something?”
Well, actually . . . </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am grateful to God that there are many men who have never
been engrossed in pornography. Sometimes I wish I was one of those. But then a
message I heard from Voddie Baucham comes to mind—remembering your sin is a
grace of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 demonstrates this. I cling desperately to
the truth of the gospel in Paul’s words because I am in that passage—both the
before and after.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those who did not grow up in the vulgar and debauched
way that I did, I can understand how extolling your hot wife could seem very
innocuous. Your wife might even appreciate the announcement (as was evident in
the comments on Piper’s blog). But if she does, I would suggest that she fails
to grasp the depravity of the minds of many men who may hear the announcement
as an invitation to discreetly evaluate the claim. I can see no good that can
come from such a statement, though I have no “slam dunk” Bible passage that
says so. It is simply a matter of wisdom and prudence. According to recent
surveys, somewhere between 45 and 60% of men who attend church view pornography
at least monthly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Several people in the comments referred to Song of Solomon
as justification for the practice. Solomon talked about his lover in explicit
terms. So is that book a prescription or license to describe your wife for
others in the way Solomon did? You may use that justification if you like, but know
that it will only heighten my (and others’) struggle in continuing to uproot
the sin that I had so meticulously cultivated for decades. And, I don’t have
the opportunity to check out Solomon’s hotty. If you tell me how hot your wife
is . . . how, exactly, would you like me to respond to that? A bit more than
awkward if you ask me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be quite transparent, in the days when I was scouring the
internet for images to gratify the lusts of my flesh, “hot” was one of the best
words to use in the search. That is exactly how many porn sites describe the
women in the images they display, not to mention the Disney channel. To me, and
to most of our American culture, “hot” is a word of lusty ogling. When used in
an advertisement for clothing and makeup, or by a gawking man (or boy), “hot”
is intended to communicate sexual attractiveness, not simply a beautiful woman.
When guys sit on benches in the mall, they are there to scope out the hotties,
not look at beautiful women.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And this isn’t just a man’s perspective on the issue. In a
blog linked in the comments of the blog that I developed this blog from (are
you following me?), Amber Van Schooneveld writes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Sure, “hot” has become a common
colloquialism that has crept it’s [sic] way into most of the under 45′s
vocabulary (thanks a lot, Paris), but let’s not kid ourselves, it means one
thing: sexually attractive. When you casually say during a sermon, “My wife is
so hot,” we all know it’s shorthand for: “I find my wife sexually
attractive.” Or when you use the ubiquitous “My wife is smokin’,” all it
tells your congregation is, “I <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">really</span></em> want to
have sex with my wife.”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Words are not things to be slung around carelessly. I know
what damage they can do, and I am sure that you do as well. I am afraid that
social media has only catapulted our ability to use them in a flippant manner
to new heights. So, all I can do is ask you to consider my thoughts in light of
your understanding of Scripture and choose which course of action is most
fitting for you. And whatever you choose, I am not your judge, just your
brother. In absence of a command, you have liberty in Christ to tell us how hot
your wife is. But whatever you do, do not stop extolling your wife to others.
My wife is an amazing woman who loves God and serves others with a humble
spirit, I am pleased to let you know that and I hope that doesn’t offend you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please leave a comment or a reaction and let me know if I
need any correction.</div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> Amber
Van Schooneveld, “Pastor: Stop Telling Us How Hot Your Wife Is,” <a href="http://www.ambervanschooneveld.com/pastor-stop-telling-us-how-hot-your-wife-is">http://www.ambervanschooneveld.com/pastor-stop-telling-us-how-hot-your-wife-is</a>.
This is not an endorsement of anything else she has written. This is the only
item of hers I have read.</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-60881469643456681602013-05-09T16:08:00.002-07:002013-05-09T16:08:56.748-07:00Proclaiming the Truth for King Jesus<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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In several recent avenues, I have been confronted with the
bold proclamation of the truth of God’s Word set in contrast to the ideas of
classical and evidential apologetic methodologies. It is interesting to me how
many people have never even heard of presuppositional apologetics (presupp).</div>
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<br /></div>
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For example, in the men’s group I lead at church, we use
Grudem’s Systematic Theology as a text to understand doctrine of the faith.
Grudem doesn’t even give presupp a nod, let alone a mention.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is he unaware of the method or just choosing not to present
it?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He mentions, the moral, ontological, teleological, and
cosmological arguments for the existence of God, but he never touches on the
transcendental argument. So, I had to offer those ideas to the men so that they
could be exposed to them</div>
<a name='more'></a> and consider them as they share the hope of Christ
with those around them who reject God.<br />
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<br /></div>
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God exists!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Everyone knows God exists!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everyone.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And not just some random force that created the universe—they
know the true God and at least some of His attributes by simply looking at the
creation that He has made. God makes this perfectly clear through the Apostle Paul
in Romans 1:18–32:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God
has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His
eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although
they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became
futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to
be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into
an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping
things. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Therefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among
themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For this reason God gave them up to vile
passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against
nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in
their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and
receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And even as they did not like to retain
God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those
things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual
immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of
God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to
parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who,
knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are
deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice
them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did you just blow through the words of God because you are
familiar with them, or did you take the time to read them?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you just skipped through there, let me point out one very
important thing—the eternal and omnipotent God who created the universe is
known by every person on the planet. They know this because God has clearly
shown Himself. Looking at the amazingly complexity of the world and universe,
THE GOD is evident, not just some vague creator who painted on a canvas.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This leaves those who suppress this truth without an excuse
on the Day of Judgment. No one will be able to stand before God on that great
day and say, “I didn’t know whether you were real or not.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are no atheists. Everyone who is not worshipping God
the Father through the Son by the Spirit is an idolater. In most cases, the
idol that is worshipped is Self.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sye Ten Bruggencate is an apologist who understands these
truths and has embraced, to the glory of King Jesus, and applied them to a
faithful and bold proclamation of the Gospel. A recent documentary titled<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> How to Answer the Fool</i> features Sye as
he travels to several locations to confront those in rebellion to his King. (<a href="http://www.howtoanswerthefool.com/">www.howtoanswerthefool.com</a> and <a href="http://www.proofthatgodexists.org/">www.proofthatGodexists.org</a>)</div>
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<br /></div>
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In this documentary-style film, Sye takes us through the
basics of the presupp apologetic in various settings. From a classroom to
interviews to open-air proclamation on a college campus, he confronts the
rebels with the truth that apart from God, they could not know anything is
true. By denying God, they are denying any claims to truth and reducing their
own worldview to absurdity. This allows them to see their need for a worldview
grounded in the One who has created all things and sustains all things. They
have sinned by not acknowledging God and need to repent and trust Christ so
that their reasoning can be redeemed as well as their souls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many will find Sye’s methods a bit abrasive or harsh, but I
would suggest a large part of that is a sensitivity to the culture’s unbiblical
view of tolerance. Jesus said some very sharp things to those who were caught
up in idolatry, but he did it with grace and truth. I would suggest that Sye
does the same as he does not allow the rebel off the hook as he confronts his
suppression of the truth.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a film, it is very engaging. The crew has done a
masterful job of presenting an already compelling subject in a visually
enticing way. The story is told in a way that unfolds in little cycles that
overlap just enough to drive you forward in the film while repeating many key
elements that will be new, and probably quite radical, for many viewers—even
seasoned evangelist and apologists. This makes the film a great teaching tool.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what’s with the title? I thought we were supposed to love
people?</div>
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<br /></div>
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When the Bible calls someone a fool, it is a moral judgment,
not an intellectual one. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
(Psalm 14:1) This fool faces judgment for his wicked suppression of the truth,
not his ignorance. Sye explains this and uses several passages from Scripture
to demonstrate the need to confront the fool in his folly while pointing them
to hope in Christ with meekness and fear. He does all of this without allowing
the fool to sit in judgment over the King.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sye doesn’t use various evidences to allow people to decide
if God exists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People don’t need evidence for the existence of God—they
already know He exists.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When we present people with various evidences for God’s
existence, we are saying, “Hey, you! You with the unregenerate mind that is
darkened by sin: I am going to give you some evidence for the existence of God.
You get to sit in judgment over God and decide if He really exists. Sound good?”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course it sounds good to them. They get to sit in
judgment over God—something they have been doing all along. And, we encourage
them to put our Lord in the defendant’s chair, where those accused of a crime
typically sit, while they sit as judge and jury over the righteous, holy Judge
of all the earth.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kinda silly when you look at it that way, no?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are no theists…everyone who is a non-Christian theist
is actually an idolater because they are not acknowledging God as who He is,
but making a god in their own image.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Same goes for deists. Idolaters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are not being obedient to 1 Peter 3:15 if we simply give
a pile of evidence for the rebel to sift through because we have not first set
apart Christ as Lord—Lord of everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Without
acknowledging God, the unbeliever has no ground to stand on in order to build
his worldview and begin his arguments.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He must trust Christ, repenting of his idolatry, so that he
can reason. Let Sye show you how to do this and apply what he teaches you for
the glory of King Jesus. Get the film and watch it, absorb it, and apply it.</div>
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In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. (Colossians 2:3)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Look to Christ!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Also, check out the work being done by Crown Rights Media <a href="http://www.crownrights.org/">www.CrownRights.org</a>, the producers of the
film. Marcus and Crew do some great work for the Kingdom.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can also find more great resources on the presupp method
at <a href="http://www.answersbookstore.com/">www.AnswersBookstore.com</a> by
searching for “ultimate proof” and other resources by Dr. Jason Lisle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Articles on the topic can be found at <a href="http://www.answersingenesis.org/">www.AnswersinGenesis.org</a>.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-46076487909445624812013-04-04T19:12:00.000-07:002013-04-05T15:53:35.419-07:00 I am not Always Right<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am quite arrogant…if you didn’t already know that. In my
BC days, I was inordinately sure of myself, my methods, my ideas, and I was not
afraid to tell you how wrong you were. I was shameless.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But God…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
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 homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And
such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians
6:9–11)</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I still struggle with my pride, God has helped me by
the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome its voluminous and vociferous
manifestations. It is one of the idols that I constantly place on the throne of
my heart, seeking to usurp the rightful authority of King Jesus.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I love to read books on various theological topics. All of
the elders at GFC are currently reading a book that I really didn’t want to
read. I had read portions of <i>The Reason for God</i> in the past and knew that I had
significant disagreements with the author’s theology and methodology in
evangelism.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I asked Jesus to step off the throne as I placed my pride in
His rightful place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Respectable Sins</i>, another book that I have studied through
three times in the past helped me to put a more accurate face on this
particular idol. Rather than simply looking like a figure of a man, I can now
see the details of his face, his broad shoulders, the color of his eyes, and those
gigantic earlobes. The idol is me with my theological arrogance and I think he
is a respectable enough little guy. But as respectable as he might be, he is a
sin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have grown to hate him the way I hate Reese’s cups . . .
not nearly enough for my own good.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I trust that Tim Keller is a man used of God to accomplish
much for the kingdom of Christ, but I think I am smarter than him. Well, not
really, but he gets several things wrong, and he doesn’t have as high a view of
Scripture as I do . . . or so I tell myself. I begin reading a chapter looking
for his flaws so I can justify the coldness in my heart. But why would I do
that to a brother in Christ? Only because Jesus is not there to be warming my
heart—a cold, lifeless trinket sits in His place.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tell myself it is because Keller is courting the world and
compromising the truths of doctrines like sin, creation, Hell, evil and
suffering, and others. While there are clearly areas of compromise, my harsh and
arrogant judgment is not charitable or warranted.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have had to pray several times as I began reading to check
my attitude and ask the Holy Spirit to soften my heart that I might learn from
the good things he has to say. While there is much I disagree with, I learned
some things and several of the chapters were very well done. His distinction
between religion and grace was very edifying and when he finally gets to the
gospel, he calls people to repent and trust in Christ.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His wholesale endorsement of all forms of evolution
(cosmological, geological, and biological) gives me great pause and is a clear
compromise with the world’s system of thinking. He has a fatal inconsistency in
claiming that God had originally created the world in a “good” state (a view
that is fundamentally inconsistent with his view of evolution) and dodges the
hard doctrinal edges of Hell as a punitive state while he tells the skeptical
reader that he is going to be honest and open with them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are issues that would lead me to recommend this to
very few people, but I am glad I was challenged to read it. It helped me to
see, once again, how much I need to be killing my sinful pride. I will not
embrace Keller’s evangelistic methodology or his view of the origin of the
cosmos, but I did learn some things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although I know I will disagree with much of the book, I
plan on reading Chosen but Free by Norm Geisler followed by James White’s rebuttal,
The Potter’s Freedom, this year. I need to continue to challenge my theology
and make sure that I know why I believe what I believe and that it is grounded
in Scripture and not traditions or systems.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am sure that I will have to stop and pray for wisdom and
patience as I open Geisler’s book, but I trust that God is faithful to continue
to help me battle those sins as He conforms me into the image of Christ. He has
begun a good work in me, and He will complete it. He is faithful even when I am
faithless.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you know the faces of your idols, or just their
silhouettes?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-86766730389436066672012-02-27T13:32:00.000-08:002012-02-27T13:34:13.878-08:00Is the Law Written on Everyone’s Heart?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many Christians are of the opinion that God has written His
laws on the hearts of every man so that they may know right from wrong. The
classic proof text is from Romans where Paul is discussing the extent of the
sin in the world. I am not convinced that this passage teaches such an
expansive idea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Earlier in Romans, Paul describes how everyone knows from
the creation that there is a Creator, but they suppress that truth in
unrighteousness—knowing that if there is a God, they are accountable to Him for
their actions. God has made it plain to them that He is the Creator and that He
is powerful (Romans 1:18–32). Everyone knows there is a God who created this
world—they either acknowledge Him in some form or suppress that truth because
of its effect on their life. There are no atheists!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, does this mean that everyone knows right from wrong?</div>
<a name='more'></a>In
Romans 2:12–16, Paul speaks of Gentiles who do what is right by the law since
they have the law written on their hearts. Many Christians understand this to
be a statement that affirms that every individual has the law of God “written
on their hearts” so that they know right from wrong. Knowing right from wrong,
their conscience bears witness to that truth and either excuses them when they
do right or makes them feel guilty when they do wrong. This idea is often
classified among one of the “common graces” God gives to all mankind to
restrain the evil on the earth. Others suggest that this is the active work of
the Holy Spirit in the heart of every human. I want to challenge those notions
with other passages of Scripture that seem to me to teach something different.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Ten Commandments</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we speak of God’s law, we understand this broadly to
mean the decrees that God has made which man is to follow. As the Creator, God
has the right to set the rules for His creation and creatures to follow. Just
as He has ordained the gravitational effects of the moon creating the tides, He
has decreed that to murder or to lie is against His will. He has clearly
condemned these actions and set out severe temporal punishments as well as
eternal consequences for sin. God takes sin very seriously.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The law can be summarized in various ways as Scripture
affirms. In Romans, Paul often uses the Ten Commandments as a summary of what
the law requires of man. In one very clear passage, Paul informs his readers
that he would not have known coveting was a sin against God unless someone had
showed him so in God’s written law (Romans 7:7). Elsewhere Paul uses stealing,
lying, adultery, and murder as summaries of what God commands of men (Romans
2:21–22, 13:9, and others).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Question: If every person has the law written on their hearts,
then why didn’t Paul know that coveting was a sin? If it was a sin, surely his
conscience would have accused him of this rebellion against God’s good
provision, even to the Gentile. I have had the occasion to ask many people if
they ever felt guilty about coveting before they had received God’s forgiveness
through Christ. Not a single Christian has ever said yes and no unbelievers
have ever said yes. In fact, the typical response is that it is good to covet
because it makes you work harder to get the things you want.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I understand that
this is an argument from anecdote, but it is still an interesting angle to
pursue further. Why don’t you ask around and see if any young boys ever felt
guilty (on their own, without any instruction) about spending an hour with a
Lego catalog or any little girls with an American Girl catalog. Let me know if
you find any.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Either covetousness is not in view in Romans 2:12–16 or the
law isn’t really written on everyone’s heart.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Greatest
Commandments</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just as Jesus says in Mark 12:28–31, the Law and the
Prophets, that is, all of the commands of God, can be summed up in two ideas—Love
God with all your being, and love others as yourself. Paul also affirms this in
Romans 13:9–10. The Apostle John uses this idea in several places, including 1
John 4:21 (see also Galatians 5:14; James 2:8; Leviticus 19:18; etc.). Jesus
called everyone to believe in Himself as the Messiah who was sent by God. To
reject that He is God is to fail to love God (John 6). Is the conscience of
everyone who fails to worship Jesus causing torment in their very souls? If the
law is written on their hearts, surely their conscience is condemning them for
not kissing the Son and loving their neighbors as themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A Heart of Flesh</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the Old Testament prophets look forward to the time of
the Messiah, one of the important details God reveals is that there will be a
New Covenant. The signs of this New Covenant are many, but one has to do with
the heart. In Isaiah 36:22–29, we learn that God will one day place His Spirit
in His children and give them a heart of flesh to replace their heart of stone.
God will cause the people to walk in His statutes and they will obey. In Jeremiah
31:31–34, we see similar language regarding the New Covenant. The mark of this
New Covenant includes putting the law in the minds and hearts of God’s people.
They will have knowledge of God and their sins will be forgiven. I understand
this passage to be referring to Christians who have received forgiveness
through Christ (Hebrews 8:6–13). I trust that God has given me a new heart of
flesh, that His Spirit is living in me and convicting me of sin, and that the
law is written on my heart.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Written on Whose
Heart?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the sign of the New Covenant is that the law is written
on their hearts and the Holy Spirit indwells them, how can we say that every
person on the earth has the law written on their hearts or that the Spirit is
actively working in their hearts? To say these things must also mean that their
sins are forgiven and that they are the people of God, as the Jeremiah passage
clearly teaches.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why would God write His law on the hearts of every person
and then make the law written on the heart a sign of the New Covenant? It would
seem quite odd that God would use something He gives to everyone as a sign to
His elect children. Jesus makes it clear that only those who trust in Him as
Savior and are called by God will “be taught by God” (John 6:41–51; quoting
Isaiah 54:13). If God is teaching everyone by placing His law in their hearts,
then where is the distinction among people that Jesus seems to be making?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, if these passages are all referring to those who
are in Christ as partakers in the New Covenant, then there are no conflicts
that I can see. They are forgiven of their sins, they have the Holy Spirit
dwelling in them, the law is written on their hearts, they are the elect
children of God, and God teaches them through His Spirit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who Are these Gentiles?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would suggest that the Gentiles Paul is referring to in
Romans 2 are not random people around the globe, but the Gentiles who have come
to faith in Christ. Having the Holy Spirit in them, their conscience is attuned
to God’s law—the very law that is written on their hearts as a sign of the New
Covenant that they have entered with God. Their sins are forgiven and God is
growing them in holiness that they might be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not believe that the law is written on the hearts of
all men. I do believe that every person on this earth knows there is a God and
that they are accountable to Him. One of the keys to evangelism is to help
people understand the nature of their sin; using the law as a tutor and Christ
as the standard of perfection. In light of their sin and a knowledge of the
Savior, they can flee to the Cross for mercy and forgiveness. Without that knowledge
being presented, how can they know they need a Savior.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is not a topic I have just come to, but one I have been
seriously thinking and praying about for years. I understand that many, if not
most, commentators would disagree with me, but I want to make sure I am looking
to Scripture for truth not the thoughts of other men, as godly and wise as they
may be. I humbly welcome your critiques, but please bring your arguments from
Scripture and not from feelings or what you heard someone say once in a sermon
somewhere.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-42528298874390500962011-12-28T07:39:00.000-08:002011-12-28T07:42:04.969-08:00Blunt Objects<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
With a few exceptions, every Thursday morning I gather with
a group of men for breakfast and fellowship around the Word of God. The coffee
is pretty lousy, but the food is good and the encouragement and fellowship
makes it well worth getting up before 6:00. We don't have a leader or any
specific structure<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span>we just show up knowing what topic or passage we are
studying, and, after a few minutes of light chatter, we dig into the topic.
Sometimes the depth of conversation is amazing and always edifying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, I have been guiding us through a study of Christ<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span>from
eternity past to eternity future. We are in the early parts of His ministry,
hoping to move forward through the Gospels chronologically. As we approached
John 4, I was trying to think of how to frame the</div>
<a name='more'></a>discussion. One night as I
was walking out of the office, a thought struck me. I don't know if it was the
sharp December air or the anticipation of meeting in a few days, But I think it
is a helpful question to keep in mind as we study Scripture.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We've all heard one—someone uses a passage of Scripture to
support a certain point and it sounds good. Two weeks later, you read the
passage in its context and wonder exactly how the person wrestled their idea
out of what Paul was writing or what Jesus was saying. It seems more like they
took a large pounding instrument and made their idea fit into the verse. The
problem is, I am sure I am guilty of the same.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me give you an example. I was listening to someone
teaching on making peace within relationships. The specific context at one
point in the lecture was of a local church having a ministry to reconcile
outside parties—a mediation service for the community at large. What a noble
cause and a way to intentionally bring God's Word and His gospel into the
conflicts people have. So what verse was the justification for such a ministry . . . 2 Corinthians 5:18. He
emphasized that God "has given us the ministry of reconciliation." Sounds
good if you just look at those few words.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what was Paul really trying to teach" Let's look at
the context to see if we can justify a church mediation team from this passage</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the
flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know
Him thus no longer. Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to
Himself through Jesus Christ, and <u>has given</u> <u>us the ministry of
reconciliation</u>, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to
Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the
word of reconciliation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were
pleading through us: we implore
you on Christ’s behalf, be
reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him. </div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 Corinthians 5:16–21</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After reading this verse in its context, you can see that it
has nothing to do with bringing two companies feuding over their property line together
to make peace. The ministry of reconciliation is for those who have been
redeemed by God ("in Christ" v.17) are to work to reconcile lost
sinners to God by proclaiming the gospel, even imploring people to be reconciled
to God through Christ's work on the Cross.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here is the question to keep in the back of your mind as
you approach a particular passage: What methods or doctrines is this passage
typically used to support, and is there warrant for those claims based on the
context?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I read over John 4 in preparation for our time of
fellowship, I knew that section is typically used to support specific
evangelistic "methods" and the idea of the importance and immediacy
of sharing the gospel. As we discussed the passage, I asked those questions and
my brothers confirmed those ideas in the context.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I continue to study Scripture, I will have this question
in the back of my mind, along with others, to make sure that I am not using
God's words to support ideas that were not intended by the text. I hope that
this will help me, and you, to avoid using blunt objects to pound ideas into the
Word of God.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-61347597344815023932011-12-17T19:14:00.000-08:002011-12-17T19:14:37.604-08:00So Much Sausage ... So Little Time<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
So, I have a small obsession. The funny thing is, my wife
hates it. She can’t stand to look at it or the smell of it. It’s sausage …
summer, kielbasa, andouille, brats, polish, you-name-it. Even though my wife
does not enjoy my little hobby, she was kind enough to buy me a sausage
cookbook a few years ago for Christmas. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bruce
Aidells’ Complete Sausage Book</i> is my guidebook, but Bruce has some issues.
Everything he makes<br />
<a name='more'></a> has about 20% fat content! So, I took Bruce’s wonderful
recipes and leaned them down.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have another small obsession. The funny thing is, my wife
doesn’t get it. I like to kill deer and eat them. But this works quite well
with my other obsession since now, I have lots of meat to make into sausage.
However, venison is not quite the meat you use to make your typical sausage.
The problem is, it is way too lean. (Interestingly, though it is a leaner meat
than beef, it is higher in cholesterol.) So, Bruce’s recipes don’t work
so well with venison.</div>
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<br /></div>
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If you visit the meat department at your neighborhood
grocery, chances are good you will find some packaged sausages made by Bruce,
or at least people who put his name on the stickers. Starting from Bruce’s
recipes, I fiddled around with different combinations of venison and pork until
I found a ratio that worked for me. Mixing three pounds of ground venison with
one pound of ground pork gave me just the right texture, though most would
consider it a little dry for a sausage. But, if you don’t overcook them they
have a great flavor and texture. After getting the meat mixture right, I
tweaked some of the seasonings and now I have eight sausages that I make
regularly from my venison (kielbasa, andouille, brats, Italian, summer sausage,
and three breakfast sausages).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are reading this, you have probably sampled some of
my sausages and I appreciate the feedback some of you have given me. I think I
have a pretty good handle on the varieties I make now, so who knows what the
future holds. I have my chicken apple sausage down pat, so I am going to try a
batch of chicken pineapple bacon the next time boneless thighs go on sale at
Meijer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know this is a lot lighter reading than my typical blog
topics, but this is something I truly enjoy doing and lots of people have asked
me for my recipes. I thought this would be a good way to get them online so
that I can send someone a link and they can enjoy some wonderful recipes that
have taken me years to develop. It is a joy to share these with you and I hope you
enjoy them if you can. Feel free to pass these along to any hunters you might
know.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To my wonderful wife's credit, she has helped me stuff the sausage casings on several occasions, and she even ate a tiny bite of summer sausage once. Wow, she really loves me in spite of my hobby and I am very thankful for her. She does like the jerky, so I do get to share a little with her. Now, my boys usually help me with the deer and sausage, so she is off the hook.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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For a PDF version of the recipes, see <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4gOusXGP-IxNDJhZDY0NWQtODFjOC00YjgyLTlhZWMtZGQ5ODg1OWIzMzc1" target="_blank">this PDF document</a> and feel free to share it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a picture montage of the field-to-freezer process,
including making the various sausages, see the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1358637144696.43426.1794557466&type=1" target="_blank">Deer Processing gallery</a> at my
Facebook page. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-60456807768650862322011-08-31T18:20:00.000-07:002011-09-12T14:20:40.850-07:00Biblical Patriotism (?)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I expect this will make me less popular in the eyes of some
of you, but I hope only to call your attention to what Scripture teaches. This
post comes about through a combination of the study of Christ’s birth with dear
brothers I gather with each Thursday morning and a DVD discussing the merits of
the black-robed regiment of “patriotic preachers” who promoted rebellion
against England at our nation’s birth. The connection will become clear if you
bear with me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had an epiphany!<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t remember exactly who said it,
but as we gathered around God’s Word and the announcement of the birth of the
Messiah, I asked a question: What did the Pharisees miss as they looked forward
to the Messiah? The answer came in what seemed to be a remarkable recognition
of the nature of their blindness. They were spiritually blind (see John 10) and
could not see that the Messiah was coming to set them free from their bondage
to sin, not from their bondage to a foreign government. They had misidentified
the enemy of the Messiah as described in many Old Testament prophecies. They
thought it was a political system that was keeping them from worshiping in
freedom. They were wrong.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We dare not fault them or judge them too harshly as we as
Christians cannot seem to come to agreement on the nature of the events of
Christ’s Second Coming and there will surely be some of us, barring God’s grace
in revealing it to us, who will miss it (unless the pretrib rapture folks are
right and then it doesn’t matter). Much of the language of the prophecies is
focused on “ruling” and “reigning.” We can understand their mistake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We make the same mistake the Jews at the time of Christ made
by misidentifying the freedom that the Messiah was to bring at His first coming.
They thought Christ was to release them from the political oppression of the
Romans when, indeed, His only mission was to free them from their bondage to
sin and the Law.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, on to the DVD. Let me be clear: I enjoy the freedoms I
have as an American and thank God for placing me here. I recognize that many
brave men and women have fought to secure those liberties. I do not intend to
defame what their efforts and sacrifices have provided for me. Yet, I do not
agree with the way that our country was founded. Our founding fathers and the
ministers who preached in support of them, even leading men into battle, equated
the spiritual liberty that they had in Christ to the civil liberties they
sought to enjoy and believed were God’s desire for a civilization.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we stop and think about the formation of the Church in
the New Testament writings, we cannot find any examples of the Apostles or
their followers making such an equation. The Church was born in a governmental
system that was far beyond the tyranny of the King of England in 1775. Yet, I
know of no references in the Epistles or the Gospels that call for a rebellion
against Rome. There were surely many opportunities to express such sentiments,
had they been the objective, but Christ and the Apostles never broached the
subject.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we equate spiritual liberty with political liberty, as
the film supports and states the “patriot pastors” did, we twist Scripture to
allow us to fight for the system of government we think would be best. When we
look at the Revolutionary War as a holy war, we do the same thing the Pharisees
did—we turn the Messiah into a political operative.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jonas Clark was a pastor in Lexington and led the group that
confronted the British troops where the first shots of the revolution were
fired. He preached a sermon at the one year anniversary of that momentous event
titled “The Fate of Blood-thirsty Oppressors and God’s Tender Care of His
Distressed People.” He missed the real enemy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were many such men who preached sermons in support of
overthrowing a king who made their life hard by taxing them in a way that caused
financial discomfort. I wonder what they did with passages like Romans 13:1–7
where Paul exhorts believers to submit to the authorities. Peter called the
exiled Christians who had been scattered across the land to honor the king (1
Peter 2:17) in spite of the horrid treatment they received from him. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The famous phrase “no taxation without representation” was
coined in a sermon by a New England pastor. I wonder if he compared that
sentiment to Christ’s command to render to Caesar what is due to him (Matthew
22:21). It seems this pastor, had he been questioned by the Pharisees, would
have told them to take up arms so that they could have a vote in the Roman
Senate. It seems his advice runs contrary to the Savior’s command. [Note: After a bit of research, it seems that this is a false claim that was added to Wikipedia with no citation. A series of articles by a historian, linked on the Wikipedia entry "no taxation without representation" demonstrates the fallacy of this claim. I also read the original sermon and the phrase is used nowhere. I notified the speaker who made the DVD and he is working to correct it.]</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Were the hearts of the oppressors won to Christ, or was the
might and determination of the colonists shown greater than the redcoats? The
revolution was not a gospel-informed response. It was not informed by the
admonitions to respect the authorities set over us regardless of their
political persuasion. The gospel could be preached freely under the king’s rule
and there was no command of God that the colonists could not fulfill (unlike
the situation faced by the Apostles in Jerusalem who were commanded not to
preach in Jesus’ name).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It would seem this was a rebellion of convenience rather
than gospel-centered motives. Western culture seems to elevate and glorify
rebellion against authority, but Scripture teaches against it. The “patriot pastors”
used the language of watchmen on the wall defending Zion. If we accept that
line of thinking, then we must be allowed to replace the nation Israel in the
Bible with “America.” To do so misidentifies the enemy of Messiah and adds
words to Scripture. These “patriot preachers” made the same mistake the
Pharisees did.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesus did not come to this earth the first time to overthrow
any earthly political systems—He came to overthrow sin and its dominion over
those who call Him Lord. When we equate the freedom from sin with freedom to be
in the government we prefer, we miss the gospel and we miss the reason Christ
came.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-69058606664982040732011-06-28T00:12:00.000-07:002011-06-29T09:41:14.728-07:00Down with Traditional Values<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There is much talk these days, especially since we are in perpetual campaign mode here in America, of the value system of a particular candidate or movement. The most common of these in the conservative circles I run in is “traditional.” Everyone wants to return to traditional values for the family, for television, for advertising, for schools, etc.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you are a Christian, may I encourage you to fight strongly against such measures.</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are two significant problems that I see with this approach to the clash in the culture. I’ll start with the third reason, as it is not nearly as significant. If you argue that you want to return to traditional family values, how far back do you intend to go? 50 years? 87 years? 136 years? 200 years? And then, you must answer why it is better to return to one specific time over against another. Is it because there was no extensive education system at that time and you want to make your kids work in the fields to provide for the family? Or is it the time when Lucy could lie to her husband, facing only a wry smile as condemnation for her sin, to give us a chuckle?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It may sound silly in those terms, but that is a very important point to define if you use such loose language. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traditional</i> has such a broad range of meaning that it really doesn’t communicate any specific views. Maybe that is why the conservative pundits and candidates are so willing to use it as they pander to their audience.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Second, if what you really mean when you turn the phrase “traditional values” are values that are informed by the Bible’s morality, you are lying to your audience. You are using a phrase that appears wholesome and would appeal to conservatives who reject biblical Christianity (though they may call themselves Christians during a Barna survey). There is no truth apart from the truth revealed in Scripture and no basis for morality apart from the same. We could identify any number of traditions (slavery, burning witches, child labor, etc.) that we would not want to return to, and we would not call them biblical. It’s really not about the tradition, it’s about the truth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, to use such a label when we really mean what is revealed in Scripture is to hide from our role as ambassadors. If we cannot boldly stand up and call for the biblical standards of morality to be the benchmark, then we ought to be careful to let others know we claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Rather than focusing on the outward appearance of a moral society, as we suppose was the case in the good ol’ days, we should be proclaiming the word of the Lord to those who are far from following its commands. It is not tradition that pleases God, but obedience to His commands as perfectly demonstrated by His Son.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Nostalgia is no replacement for the excellencies of Christ. May I encourage you, Christian, to speak plainly and promote biblical values rather than traditions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Matthew 15:1–9</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Honor your father and your mother’</i>; and, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’</i> But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> a gift <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to God</i>”— then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And honor Me with their lips, </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But their heart is far from Me. </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And in vain they worship Me, </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 27.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ “</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-33877407525076314092011-04-04T14:54:00.000-07:002011-12-28T07:40:22.586-08:00Paul Was Wrong (?)Many of you have heard of the kerfuffle with Ken Ham and Peter Enns over invivtations to speak at certain homeschool conferences. In researching some information for Ken (in full disclosure, he is my boss) I dug into an essay by Enns posted on the BioLogos website. Many Christians within the homeschool movement, some who agree with Ken’s young earth position, have been defending Enns and his view of the inspiration of Scripture as orthodox and have chastised Ken for calling Enns a compromiser. Having read this article, Dr. Enns clearly understands<br />
<a name='more'></a>the nature of the debate at hand. He is very intelligent and presents his arguments clearly. There is a bit of loaded language in his essay, but we all carry a bias that can be seen between the buttons on occasion.<br />
<br />
In his article "<a href="http://biologos.org/uploads/projects/enns_scholarly_essay.pdf">Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Bible: Moving Toward a Synthesis</a>," Dr. Enns suggests we need a new hermeneutic, or at least a reorientation, to solve the issues at hand. He rightly frames the debate as being between Christianity and evolution, not science and faith. He then goes on to accurately explain the connection that most see between Adam and Christ and the implications for the gospel. He gets it! There is no straw man in his argument.<br />
<br />
Enns sets up four basic options as solutions to the tension between evolution and Christianity:<br />
<blockquote>
1. <i>Accept evolution</i> as valid and embodying tremendous explanatory power, and <i>reject Christianity</i> on the whole as untenable;<br />
2. Develop a <i>true scientific model</i>, open to peer review, that supplies Christian theology with a first pair of some sort and so reconcile Christianity and evolution;<br />
3. <i>Rethink</i> the biblical origin story and related passages so as to <i>synthesize</i> Christianity with scientific reality;<br />
4. <i>Accept Paul’s</i> understanding of human origins as scientifically accurate and <i>reject evolution</i>.</blockquote>
I'll overlook the loaded language for now and let you see the conclusion Enns reaches in his own words.<br />
<blockquote>
The fourth option is untenable as members of the human race in the twenty-first century. Ignoring the scientific and archaeological evidence is not an option. <br />
The first option, rejecting Christianity, is more viable than the fourth and does not suffer from the <i>ad hoc</i> posture of the second, but it is certainly not the necessary one. Another option remains, the third listed above: synthesis. In my opinion, it is with this third option that our intellectual energies are most profitably expended, and that should be the focus of future theological and hermeneutical work.</blockquote>
In a rich twist of irony, Dr. Enns informs his readers that to embrace option four, a young-earth view of the Bible with a real man Adam created from the dust of the Ground, is to either not be human or to not be living in the current century. I think option four is quite tenable and so I am either living in another century or I am not a human. I will let you decide which is true.<br />
<br />
So what’s the irony? Ken was chastised for “calling names” and pointing to Enns as compromising the authority of the Word of God. So it is acceptable for Enns to refer to those who hold a young earth position as non-human (or possibly not living in the current century), but unacceptable for Ken say that he believes Enns has compromised the truth of Scripture by saying that Paul was wrong “scientifically” when he made the connection between Adam and Christ in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15. He was correct “theologically,” but he didn’t know about human evolution what scientists have “proven” to be true to date. (If you like, you can find a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36T3tbygQgA&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1">video</a> of Dr. Enns teaching at Westmont College on the typology of Adam and Israel or read his other essays on his personal website or the BioLogos website.)<br />
<br />
In my understanding of Christian orthodoxy, to say that it would be better to reject Christianity and accept evolution than to accept that Paul meant what he said is out of bounds. This approach undermines the authority of Scripture placing “science” as the authority. If this is not compromise, I don’t know what is. This is nothing new in evangelical circles, but it is the present danger that faces those of us who are jealous for the gospel. I stand with Ken in calling out such error within the church and pray that it can be done with love and humility. May Christ be honored as this battle continues.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-59313292616814307962011-02-06T10:21:00.000-08:002011-02-06T10:21:46.326-08:00A Kangaroo on a Leash<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">Have you ever had a kangaroo jumping on you? Me either, but it sure feels like that emotionally this past week. God has brought highs and lows into my life in a way that I have never experienced in so compact a space. Four days of fixing my eyes on Him—knowing more is to come.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thursday morning I enjoyed sweet fellowship surrounded by dear brothers amplifying the faith we have in Christ and sipping on</div><a name='more'></a> coffee that needs a lot of sugar. At work, our morning devotional set me on edge as an unbiblical concept was touted as truth—twisted Scriptures as support.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Up, then down.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That afternoon I had the privilege of serving a dear sister and brother in Christ. Paul was diagnosed with cancer in September and had taken a hard turn—this disease ravaging his body with haste. I brought some groceries and sat with Cindy trying to show her love and support. Paul was asleep for the hours I was there, but I was able to lift him up in prayer as I sat next to his bed crying tears of bile mixed with fragrances I can’t even imagine.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sorrow mixed with joy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I moved from there to rejoicing in a new life born to another dear couple. Baby Julie was so small and fresh and glorious. God had created her as a new life—just as he had created Paul many years ago. She steps into a world that will prove to be harsh and wonderful and confusing. Paul is preparing to do the opposite.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Joy mixed with sorrow.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thursday night finds me receiving news of another beloved couple deciding to leave our church and small group. Nothing personal, but doctrinal and practical. My heart melted and the grief that had faded as I held baby Julie returned—a different source, but the same bile.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Deep grief and crying out to an awesome God.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Friday finds me sharing lunch and encouragement with another dear brother and then giving another brother a ride home. The purpose was to follow up Thursday night’s grief with some necessary and clarifying conversations. More grief is added, but in an open, honest, and loving way. Driving back home through more tears to find comfort through God’s grace administered by yet another dear brother and my loving wife.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">More grief and comfort.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Saturday morning I was lifted up in prayer by many more brothers and sisters as I led my first Joshua’s Men group (a men’s discipleship group in our local body). It was a glorious, and I don’t use that word lightly, time of worship through voice, prayer, and exalting God’s Word. As I returned home, I found my two beloved sons in agony from an illness.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Glory and corruption.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunday morning brought me a message from God about how His church should function; delivered through the lips of my dear pastor. My heart was stirred up to remember to love doctrine AND love people—not an either/or proposition. We sang and read of God’s throne in heaven and the Lamb who was slain as we celebrated communion with the bread and wine. As I was basking in those truths, my brother Paul was witnessing those things, too. He was face to face with Jesus reveling in the things I was hopefully singing of and meditating on. Another dear brother had delivered that message as we cried and embraced.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Awesome wonder and bile mixed with fragrances Paul now finds encompassing him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After more solace from other brothers, it was off to Dunkin Donuts for a sweet treat with my precious daughter—and we had a donut, too. I see in her great hope of a life being built on Christ mingled with the struggles of the flesh. I am thankfully fearful of being her father and know that without the grace of my Father I will fail her. The same goes for my two precious sons.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hope swirling with trepidation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Looking forward to a Super Bowl party this evening where I will enjoy the company of many more dear brothers and sisters. I will share my struggles with them knowing that they will help point me to my true hope. We will have joyful fellowship and I am sure I will find myself crying as we do.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Go Packers! Go get a tissue.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t want you to pity me or feel sorry for me right now. That’s not why I wrote this. We live in a world that is suffering under the curse of sin and corruption after God had created it in perfection—His perfection. Sometimes the smell of decay overpowers the brilliant fragrance of the blossoming trees. Sometimes the reverse. Both are part of the reality of this world. Both are part of God’s plans and purposes in this life. God is holding the leash on this kangaroo. In God's kindness, He has also surrounded me with many more of His children—those dear brothers and sisters I have been mentioning.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I can only call them brothers and sisters because we are all part of God’s adopted family. Each of the loved ones I have mentioned above has been bought out of this corrupt world with the precious blood of Christ. His perfect life and obedience has been credited to their accounts and their sin against God has been canceled by Christ’s work on the Cross.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Corruption conquered by redemptive love!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am resting firmly in the goodness of God, the work of Christ, and the sealing and comforting of the Holy Spirit. I am excited to see how God will work all of these things together for my good and His glory—as He has faithfully promised to do. Don’t pity me, pity those who do not know this hope. Paul has been received into glory by His precious Savior—and I know I will join him some day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hope despite circumstance.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If Christ is precious to you, share that with everyone you can. If Christ is not precious to you, find someone who knows Him and find out why He is. The Apostle Peter knew. Listen to God’s words through him . . .</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Behold, I lay in Zion </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“The stone which the builders rejected </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Has become the chief cornerstone,” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“A stone of stumbling </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And a rock of offense.” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 2 Peter 1:1–10</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-36523504460302011452011-02-01T14:56:00.000-08:002011-02-01T14:57:43.052-08:00The Nexus of Evangelism and Apologetics<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3388816533155761960&postID=3652350446030201145" name="OLE_LINK1"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Two sides of the same coin. That is how we describe many ideas that are so intimately related that we can’t separate them despite their distinctions. Evangelism and apologetics are two different concepts but they are linked in a very intimate way—so intimate that one is unlikely to happen without the other.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Evangelism is a term that comes from the Greek word<a name='more'></a> <i>euangelion</i> which is often translated as “good news.” The good news is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and evangelism is the call for each Christian to share that good news. The classic passages come in Matthew 28:19–20 and Mark 16:15 where Jesus commands the disciples to spread the gospel to all people on the earth. From a biblical perspective, evangelism does not take place unless the person and work of Christ are declared with words.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Many in the modern evangelical culture of America have bought into the idea that we can share the gospel by our actions. Some will quote Saint Francis of Assisi as saying, “Preach the gospel, and, if necessary, use words.” Two problems—he didn’t say that and it is antibiblical. If you can communicate to another person that they are a sinner in need of redemption through the sacrificial work of a perfect Christ on the Cross, then you are a better mime than I.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A cursory look at Scripture shows that the gospel is spread by the preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:12–17). And, it is most often described as a public proclamation in city squares and community centers (synagogues). This does not mean that it never happened on an individual basis, but that those who insist street preaching is not how the gospel should be spread must argue against Scripture.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Apologetics comes from the Greek word <i>apologia</i> that means to offer a defense or reason. Apologetics, in a biblical sense, only happens when we are offering a defense for the salvation that we have in Christ. 1 Peter 3:15 is the passage that exemplifies a command for Christians to defend their hope in Christ.</div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.</span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">All too often, people claim to be practicing apologetics when they are defending the manuscript integrity of the New Testament or asserting the problems with radiometric dating methods. It is possible that both of these could be done in a way that would not be considered biblical apologetics. In the verse above, the reason is directly connected to the hope that we have as Christians. That hope is found in Christ alone and described to us in the Bible. If we are not intentionally connecting our defense and reasoning to the authority of the Bible so that we may affirm our hope in Christ, we are not doing biblical apologetics. To make sure that we are connecting our intellectual arguments to Christ takes a special effort, but it is essential to keeping our efforts grounded in Him. If we excise the center of this verse by simply saying “always be ready to give a defense,” we run the risk of focusing in vain on academic arguments.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another important component to consider in this verse is the manner in which we should approach apologetics—with meekness and fear. Too often, apologists come across as boisterous and uncharitable in their presentations. We should not be afraid to proclaim the truth, but we do it under control and with an attitude of a messenger delivering truth from the King. Secondly, we perform this function with reverential fear knowing that is only by the grace of God that we have been granted the status of ambassador for the King, and that without the Holy Spirit’s convicting work, our efforts cannot succeed in bringing anyone to salvation. We might also consider the fear that we should have in misrepresenting the One we are in service to through misapplying the truth He has revealed to us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Evangelism is not simply living a moral lifestyle, though that is a witness that supports your proclamation of the gospel. Apologetics is not simply defending a scientific model, though such a defense may confirm a biblical account. If either of these activities is not centered on whom Christ is and what He has done, they cannot be seen as meeting a biblical command.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As Christians seek to evangelize those around them, there will surely be questions that arise from the explanation of the gospel message. Answering those questions demonstrates the intimate connection between sharing the hope of Christ and defending that hope. If someone seeks to defend a position for the sake of argument and apart from a gospel-oriented purpose, neither evangelism nor apologetics is taking place. Offering the hope of Christ and defending that hope cannot be separated any more than the two sides of a coin.</div>******************<br />
I would love to hear your feedback on these ideas, especially if you believe something I have said is unbiblical. If you don't have time, just check one of the reaction boxes below.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-43442249482014305352011-01-19T19:11:00.000-08:002011-01-19T19:11:54.002-08:00Miss America<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">I never want this blog to turn into a rant, but that might just happen today. You have been warned . . . and so have I.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The 90<sup>th</sup> Miss America pageant was held recently and I was alerted to the outcome by a Christian news source I subscribe to. The news story lauded the crowning of a homeschooled young woman, Teresa Scanlan, who gives credit to God for creating her the way she is and for guiding the outcome of the contest. I don’t dispute that God has created</div><a name='more'></a> her nor do I dispute that God controls the outcome of this pageant. I do, however, dispute that God is pleased with her actions in winning this competition—despite her giving the credit to Him. Should Christians be celebrating this achievement or calling her to repentance?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">For her to say that God wants her to be involved in this competition is to say, “God desires me to parade across the stage in a bikini and a tight-fitted gown so that people can evaluate my body, to help empower young women to achieve their personal and professional goals, and to travel around the country giving self-esteem pep talks to girls.” Based on what God has revealed to us in Scripture, is that really what God wants for this young lady?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. (1 Thessalonians 4:1–7)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is one of the passages of Scripture that clearly tells us what God desires in the lives of His children—among whom Miss Scanlan would place herself. The Greek word for “sexual immorality” in this verse, <i>porneia</i>, is the root of our word pornography. It carries the broad connotation of any sexually immoral action. Not only does this passage direct us to avoid sexually immoral acts with our own bodies, it also calls us not to “take advantage of and defraud our brother” in such matters.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I would submit to you that just the swimsuit competition portion of the pageant alone violates both of those commands. Miss Scanlan intentionally dressed in a scant, black bikini and paraded herself across the stage knowing that she was to be evaluated by others, including men, for the form of her body and the way she carries herself. This is not how a Christian “possess[es her] own vessel in sanctification and honor.” This is a sexually immoral act that not only involved her own body, but it undoubtedly led to men in the audience having lustful thoughts. This is not how a Christian avoids “tak[ing] advantage of and defraud[ing her] brother.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This in no way is an attempt to excuse the sin of those men who indulged in lustful thoughts while watching her perform. Each man is accountable for his own sin, but causing a brother, or any man for that matter, to lust after you by the way you dress is placing sin upon sin.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">[Speak to] the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (Titus 2:3–5)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>It may sound old-fashioned, but I really do believe Paul’s words to Titus, among other passages, are a prescription for biblical womanhood. Nothing about this pageant conforms to these standards, but it does conform with the standards of this world. Miss Scanlan also intends to pursue a career in law or politics after her time as spokeswoman for empowering women is over. I am not able to find that in this passage either. I realize that she does not have a husband yet, but these same things apply to her father at this stage in her life. I cannot imagine finding biblical justification for allowing my daughter to participate in such exhibitionism.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before you announce the praises of a Christian young woman winning such high honors from the world, consider what this says about the person of Christ. As Christians, we are to be conformed into the image of Christ and to live our lives in such a way that the gospel is demonstrated. Is this how we want the world to think of Christ and the gospel? I’ll leave that for you to decide.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I can’t wait to tell my young daughter about the great success that this young woman has had, about her accomplishments, and about her aspirations . . . so that I can point her to real biblical womanhood. I am waiting for the day when a young Christian woman might approach one of these pageants to answer the questions with Christ-centered, gospel-focused answers while wearing an elegant dress that draws attention to her face and then displaying a skirted swimsuit with sleeves. That would be a message to the world about how Christians are called to be separate. But then again, a young woman with those values would probably not be interested in being evaluated for praise by the world.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-4814182262794845152011-01-12T14:10:00.000-08:002011-01-12T14:10:15.559-08:00Motivation<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">I bought my wife a Wii Fit for Christbirth. We got everything set up and when I took the little tests it had for me, I found out that I am obese and I should lose 90 pounds to be “normal” on the BMI scale. Well, I didn’t throw the machine across the room—even when my wife’s test came back normal. Maybe she should have bought it for me.</div><div class="MsoNormal">All that aside, I want to make sure that my motives for “getting healthy” are not focused on myself or this temporal existence. Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 4:8 that “bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” I want to make sure that I am seeking to honor God by</div><a name='more'></a> desiring to understand Him more and taking care of this body that He has blessed me with. Setting my mind on things above while remembering that I still have to complete my pilgrimage on this earth requires balance.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The real problem is that I tend to seek comfort in food rather than in gazing on Christ. I know this is a problem and I hate that I sin against my Savior in this way. My flesh wants to look thinner and receive praise from those who recognize that I am losing weight, so I have to constantly remind myself that is not my motivation. I can tell you now that it won’t be me who puts this sinful pattern to death. It is only by cooperating with the Spirit that I will be more conformed into the image of Christ.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The other day, I caught myself thinking in a way that did not honor Christ. I said to myself, “I really fell off the wagon on Thursday.” WHOA! To suggest that I have no power over my own flesh is a slap in the face of Christ. He has conquered death and sin for me and given me His Spirit to fight that battle. I had to correct myself and recognize that I should have said, “I really jumped off the wagon on Thursday.” I am not a victim of sin—I am responsible for the sin I allow to dwell in my heart.</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you see me in a few months and I am down a few sizes, don’t ask me how much weight I have lost or what diet plan I used. I don’t want that to be the focus or the motivation. Ask me what sinful patterns the Spirit has helped me put to death and praise God with me for sending Christ to conquer bondage to sin. Don’t let me boast in what I did and steal the glory that belongs to God alone. If I lose 30 pounds without dying to sin my effort has been in vain and in my own strength.</div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:5–15</div></blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-12035434491022605552010-12-22T18:48:00.000-08:002010-12-24T05:31:11.973-08:00Culture: An Ambiguous Interface<div class="MsoNormal">If you walk in Christian circles today, you are likely to hear much about the culture. There are culture warriors, culture changers, clashes of culture, culture wars, cultured yogurt, and the counter culture. Christians are told they need to engage the culture, impact the culture, infiltrate the culture, understand the culture, challenge the culture, and a host of other dramatic imperatives.</div><div class="MsoNormal">But the Bible doesn’t talk about<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a name='more'></a></span></span></span></a> the culture! So why do we?<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I understand that it is an easy way to reference our society as a whole, but there are several problems with using that word.</div><div class="MsoNormal">First, it is ambiguous. There can be many different meanings and I don’t know that the context always makes clear what we are talking about. America is a diverse nation and there are many different segments of the culture. I guess it is generally used to refer to the whole of American society, but there must be some part of society that is doing what we want, so we don’t need to take our message to them, do we? The term is too ambiguous to be useful.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Second, it is impossible to interface with the culture. I can’t communicate with an ambiguous entity. If the culture is made up of individuals, I can interface with them. I can’t walk into the server room where I work and start interacting with the information on the servers—I need a console to interact through. If I go back to my desk, I can access the information on those servers through my laptop that is connected to them. I think that is somewhat analogous to asking Christians to interact with the culture—there is no interface. Talking of interfacing with a nebulous concept is daunting.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Finally, the Bible never directs Christians to change the culture. There are clear commands to make disciples and share the good news of Christ, but not to make sure the school systems teach the Bible or that the government bans gambling and prostitution. In fact, the Bible never speaks of the culture. The closest we might come is the concept of the “world” found in passages like John 7:7 or 15:18–20. I don’t think it a stretch to insert “culture” for “world” in these passages where Jesus says</div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><i>If the “culture” hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the “culture,” the ”culture” would love its own. Yet because you are not of the “culture,” but I chose you out of the “culture,” therefore the “culture” hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If “the culture” persecuted Me, “the culture” will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.</i></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">Or when the Apostle John warns of being caught up in the world, we could insert our common understanding of culture and do no harm to the meaning of the text. </div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><i>Do not love the “culture” or the things in the “culture.” If anyone loves the “culture,” the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the “culture”—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the “culture.” And the “culture” is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.</i> 1 John 2:15–17</div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">The culture cannot find salvation in Christ. The culture has not sinned against God. The culture cannot hear the message of the gospel. The culture will pass away at the end of the age.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Individuals can find salvation in Christ. Individuals have sinned against God. Individuals can hear the message of the gospel. Individuals will not pass away at the end of the age—each person will live forever in heaven or hell.</div><div class="MsoNormal">While I understand that it is easy to talk about how evil everyone around us is becoming and how debauched the culture/society is, it is individuals in the culture that make it that way. If we focused on sharing the gospel with individuals we could then expect those who are saved to follow the Bible’s principles as the Holy Spirit makes that possible. Apart from regeneration, there is no hope for an individual to live a life that is pleasing to God—no matter how outwardly moral they are. As more and more individuals come to faith in Christ, that will affect the overall culture and there will be less debauchery. But let us not fool ourselves—we live in a world corrupted by sin to such a profound level that even the righteous deeds of the redeemed of God are filthy rags compared to His holiness.</div><div class="MsoNormal">What if I worried about seeing Jeff Miller and Ann Franklin changed rather than trying to change the culture? I know how to interact with them. I see him in his yard and her at the grocery store. We can talk. I can share the hope I have in Christ with them as individuals, but I have no idea of how to share that truth with the culture. I can pray for God to convict them of their sin, but the culture has no conscience. I have a mandate to share that truth with them, I have no mandate to share that truth with the culture. I can show love to my neighbors, but I can’t show love to the culture.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rather than attempting to change the culture, I would encourage you to focus on individuals. Pray for them. Love them. Preach the gospel to them. Show Christ to them. I don’t know about you, but that sounds much more accessible in the world I live in. I know how to interface with individuals.</div><div><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></a> When I use “we” in posts like this, I will generally be referring to the community of Evangelical Christians in America. That is my context and the group I would most closely identify with. Though, I do not like what that word has come to mean, but I will tackle that topic another day.</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-4030742727534060292010-12-04T14:56:00.000-08:002010-12-06T18:11:13.381-08:00They Know Not What They Do<div class="MsoNormal">When Christ was being crucified at the hands of the leaders of Israel, He asks for their forgiveness in light of their ignorance. Ignorance is one thing, but there are many who spit in the face of God and sin against Him with full knowledge.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Upon hearing the phrase “for the hell of it” the other day, my mind started down a path. Etymology fascinates me. Entomology does too, but that’s another topic. Where do some of the crazy things we say come from? What is the Latin root of that word? How did awful become awful? I think I figured out where this hellish phrase came from and how it can be used to glorify Christ.</div><div class="MsoNormal">If I were to say I was going to commit adultery this weekend<br />
<a name='more'></a> for the hell of it, I would be implying that I am ignoring the consequences that might come from my actions. But that is superficial. Hell is not. Despite the opinions of J.I. Packer and others, hell is a place of physical and spiritual torment for those who have sinned against God and rejected the salvation and righteousness that comes through Christ. Hell is a punishment from an infinitely holy God. A flip attitude about what hell is underlies this irreverent phrase.</div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">“I know it is a sin against God to commit adultery, but I am going to do it even though God claims He will send me to hell for it. I am going to do it with a full knowledge that it is wrong in the eyes of God and ignore the consequences that might come—not only the temporal, but the eternal.”</div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">The next time you hear someone use this phrase, seize the opportunity to share the gospel with that individual. Ask them why they used the phrase and explain what they are really saying—whether they know it or not. Use the acknowledgment of sin and hell to explain that they will get exactly what they are asking for. Explain that God’s standard of goodness is the righteousness of Christ and that there is a real hell that should not be taken so lightly. Show them it is a slap in the face of the God who created them and the Savior who died to atone for sin. Beg them to repent as you explain to them the goodness of God and the glorious work of Christ, praying that the Spirit will grant them repentance and faith.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let us not trifle with hell and let us boldly warn those who would. They need to know what they do will have real consequences apart from Christ.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388816533155761960.post-88304376572106666552010-11-22T09:43:00.000-08:002010-12-06T18:09:54.863-08:00Christian Extortion<div class="MsoNormal">A prominent Christian activist group is calling for a boycott on Dick’s Sporting Goods<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></a> because their advertisements fail to mention that their upcoming sales boon is related to Christmas and the giving that accompanies said observance in our country. (Yes, I used that word intentionally rather than holiday.) I have no disdain for the celebration of Christmas and will do so with my family. I will, however, strive to make sure that Christ is at the center of our observances. This is the very slogan of such activism: Tell them to keep “Christ” in Christmas. So, what is my problem with such an effort? I’ll get to that in a bit.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First, let’s set aside the likelihood that most of the symbols we employ today have pagan origins. Then, let’s set aside the gluttony, covetousness (which we promote by telling our kids to make a list of toys they want), irresponsible spending, unbiblical descriptions of the events of Christ’s birth in the stories we read and carols we sing, and a myriad of other trappings. Next, let’s set aside the notion of the timing of the birth—it was almost certainly not in December. Lastly, let us set aside the glory-robbing man in the red suit (<a href="http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/12/15/wintertime-worship-santa-jesus">I have already written on that</a>). All that aside, I have two points that I would ask you to consider in light of such moral outrage at a pagan company designed to make money by selling us merchandise.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first point is the pettier of the two. If we want to keep <i>Christ</i> in Christmas, why don’t we also want to keep <i>mass</i> in Christmas? The word is a contraction of Christ’s Mass—a Roman Catholic observance.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span></span></a> Sure, that’s not what people think of, but that is what it means. I personally detest the idea that Christ is resacrificed in the Mass. I use the word only as a societally recognizable word. I propose we biblically minded saints use the idea of the incarnation of the Son of God to express this time—if we choose to celebrate at all. Maybe Incarnation Day, Kenosis Day, He-Stepped-Into-Our-Filth Day, or Immanuel Day. Any name that would help to point to the Savior who humbled Himself to be born and laid in a feeding trough that He might be hung on a cross on our behalf.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My second point is more than a preference.<br />
<a name='more'></a> I believe it approaches the very heart of the gospel itself. If I ask someone to do something that makes me happy or I won’t give them my money, I am committing extortion through intimidation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Extort: <span class="ssens">to obtain from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal power</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[5]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To add to my sin of extortion I am asking the company to lie to me and say that they actually do endorse the celebration of Christmas. Using extortion to get somebody to lie to me so that I can feel good about giving them my money is a quagmire of sin. To top it all off, it simply promotes a façade of moralism in our society and teaches a company to irreverently use the name of Christ to increase their bottom line and feed the sinful greed that already plagues our society. We are begging this company to become a whitewashed tomb that we feel comfortable with.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The connection to the gospel might not be clear, but bear with me. The company in question is not Christian—corporations are not eligible for salvation—and makes no pretense of running its business according to biblical principles. This Christian activist organization is asking this corporation to recognize the Savior as a valuable part of their business. To meet this demand, all they have to do is print “Merry Christmas” on a few of their ads. It doesn’t matter if they mean it; they just have to say it. Christ is not a gimmick to attach to a flyer. Forcing someone to elevate Christ’s name when they do not mean it cheapens who He is and what He has done. The gospel is tarnished as the person of Christ is tarnished.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Too much emphasis is placed on outward appearances and doing the right things. A television program is “family friendly” if it has a prayer in it and someone talks to a minister. It doesn’t matter that the minister never uses the Bible or that Jesus is not invoked in the prayer. It’s clean. It’s moral. It’s a whitewashed tomb.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Calling people who are unregenerate to act in a moral fashion is cruel. Would we expect ourselves to act morally apart from the Spirit of Christ in us? To ask anyone to meet a standard that is less than perfect righteousness is inadequate. Less than Christ’s perfect righteousness is not good enough. Whether they stop fornicating, use Christmas in an ad, or obey the speed limit, they are still without Christ. If we really had compassion for them and sought to see Christ glorified, we would share the gospel message with them clearly and place only that demand upon them which God places—to come to Him in repentance.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Addendum de Ironia</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">As I was finishing the last paragraph of this diatribe, I received an email.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[6]</span></span></span></a> It was a follow-up to the email that sparked this discourse in my brain earlier this morning. It looks like the extortion worked. Dick’s will be using Christmas in its ads starting November 18. They had already intended to before the massive blackmail campaign was launched.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sadly, based on the email, “Dick's website will display the Christmas message prior to the first insert (next week) in time for Thanksgiving day.” They think the Christmas message is a word on a page rather than the Word became flesh . . . and they will be rewarded for lying to us and making us believe they value Christ.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Doubly sad, the Christian activists think that “it is amazing to see the culture change that is occurring inside corporate board rooms. All across America, companies are coming to realize they should include Christ and Christmas in their advertising.” We have whitewashed the tomb for them . . . or, at least supplied the paint.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I guess the boycott is off! Who can we blackmail next?</div><div><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1"><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></a> <a href="http://action.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147500566"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">http://action.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147500566</span></a></div></div><div id="ftn2"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span></span></a> In full disclosure, in the last months I have purchased shotgun shells for turkey hunting and new bolts for my crossbow from Dick’s Sporting Goods. I’d go back tomorrow if they had what I needed. I also bought some shotgun shells from WalMart and a hunting coat from Meijer.</div></div><div id="ftn3"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span></span></a> Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “Christmas,” Origin: Middle English <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Christemasse,</span></i> from Old English <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Cristes mæsse,</span></i> literally, Christ's mass, <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/christmas">www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/christmas</a>.</div></div><div id="ftn4"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span></span></a> Likewise, Easter is a blasphemous name for a time to celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior.</div></div><div id="ftn5"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[5]</span></span></span></a> Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “extort,” <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extort">www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extort.</a></div></div><div id="ftn6"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3388816533155761960#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[6]</span></span></span></a> <a href="http://action.afa.net/email/online.aspx?cid=1141&mid=20329704&tid=aai">http://action.afa.net/email/online.aspx?cid=1141&mid=20329704&tid=aai</a></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412209856883754883noreply@blogger.com4