The Bible Tells Me So

Control is the victory for either the devil or the Lord

2012-01-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

Christians that are living faith correctly have enemies. The reason those enemies rage against Christians are usually because they are unable to control Christians’ belief, path, mindset, speech, personality, or life. “Control” is the key word; it is the one thing enemies of Christians seek, and it is the one thing that is denied to the enemies by wise folk that are faithful to their walk with Christ.

Sometimes I wonder if the carnal and wicked seek control of each other as much as they seek control of Christians. Is it a prevalent human condition, where the desire to control another life brings reward of two lives lived? Or is it the false assumption of the ill-informed that believe Christians are of weakened character following a gentle Jesus and an easy target of wicked manipulation? Or is the worldly life so pathetic, so lonely, so unfeeling, that it becomes necessary to control other lives to quench the driving need of power that forces actions and beliefs contrary to Christ’s teachings? Is the need to seek control of another life ultimately a fight against Satan and Christ?

Those worldly and wicked who spend their day-to-day lives spreading hatred, rumors, and spins to Christians’ lives would argue that it has nothing to do with Christ. Usually, in their protest of the attack, they claim absolute innocence in attacks against Christ and His followers because of what they believe. They will almost always declare that their beef with the Christians have no relationship to their faith in Christ, and to prove it with their “goto” argument, they will pull misinformed examples from their delusions. They will often argue that particular Christians are not following Christ’s teachings; they will guffaw and spit their disdain with words such as “hypocrite,” “holier-than-thou, “and goody-two-shoes.” They will claim their own origins from the “good-stock” family and often state something that shows their full ignorance but expresses their high self-love that “If people like that are in Heaven, then I want to be in Hell with the people that are good.”

And don’t Christians accommodate the vocal wicked and worldly well! Often, they keep coming back to them, over and over, and try to explain Christ’s teachings, or defend their Christian walk, or justify their position by quoting Scripture. That defining moment, when Christians allow the worldly and wicked to have a semblance of control over them by caring what they say and think, has given a piece of control to the enemy. Once that bit of control is given by Christians who are also often misinformed about Christ’s expectations, the destruction of Christians lives begins, as more and more control is seized easily as the Christians are removed farther and farther from the path of Christ.

Childhood Sexual Abuse

Some paths of control by the wicked and worldly taken against Christians are more effective than others, especially when the control begins at the age of innocence. Child sexual abuse is the ultimate attempt of the worldly and wicked to seize the lives of the young, and initiate a control over them for the rest of their lives. This type of wickedness ensures compliance by the innocent by drawing upon the shame of the act, threats to do harm to those who tell the secrets, and a reinforcement of the entitled perverts desires over the small victims who have no rights to live a life free from the control of another. The early rapes of children, whether gentle, vulgar, or painful in its nature, takes immediate control of the children’s’ rights to choose, and touches the depths of soul with threats based upon the physical, mental, or spiritual survival of them or those they love.

The devil attempts to destroy one child at a time, through the willing participation of the wicked perverts, who place the need for personal satisfaction over the needs of children to grow strong and free to decide their chosen lives and beliefs later on. In most cases, the perverts quickly recognize the power that comes to them when the offended victims of rape are unable to save themselves and too scared to reveal the secrets for fears of loss to the threads of life left to them. Most perverts master the victimization of a child quickly, and become adept at wielding that control that allows easy access to self-pleasure.

Don’t be mistaken that it is happenstance, however; the child abusers go after their targets long before the actual attacks begin, and their rites of sexual domination gives them full control over a child’s life. Ultimately, as long as that child remains a victim to the perverse actions of their abuser, the perverts have control of another life, giving power to them, and making it very difficult for the child to grow to adulthood and recognize their rights to choose their own beliefs and ways of life. An extra benefit to the sexual abusers are the sad truths that once children have been offended, the future adult is scarred, confused, scared, and unable to function at high levels of normal humanness and sanity, giving the nasties future control of adult lives as the secrets become too large and too threatening to reveal.

But, the masters of control through the abuse of children are not lightweights that are only able to direct the lives of victims. Quite the contrary; once the perverts taste the power through the control of other human beings, they are unable to stop. Their lives become a series of manipulations and lies that gather weak people around them to provide a hiding place for their ways. That circle of the protectors of the perverts form intricate webs of protective accusations, ridicules, disdains, and character assassinations that remove any hope for the victim to recover.

Childhood sexual abuse is one of the most prevailing attacks in families, churches, and institutions today that seeks the control of innocence in order that the control of lives can be accomplished before children mature in healthy fashion and able to prevent the attacks. Statistics this month, which vary depending upon purpose of study, say that 1 in 3 children are attacked in this fashion. Becker Bible Studies Teachers and Counselors are kept so busy trying to help victims gain control of their lives in order they have the ability to learn of Christ, that we are often overwhelmed. The problems of wicked control seized at childhood are the perfected plans of the devil who assumes that most victims will be unable to recover and see Christ. Sadly, that seems to happen far too often; it is only through the special Grace of God and His ultimate superior power that can punch through the control of the Devil and give victims a chance. Thankfully, that happens often also. But, the battle is only beginning when victims break free from the hands of the wicked and claim control of their lives, and are finally able to give that control to Christ. The power of control is then transferred to familial ties that force the released victims to make choices that become mind-numbing, soul-wrenching experiences that remove any expectations of the normalcy of love and protection one should expect from family members, coaches, priests, and teachers.

Family Ties

The Lord Jesus Christ warns Christians that He will ultimately bring division among families by those who follow Him. It is not peace, but division in families that define His path:

“I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (Luke 12:49-53)

Why would division be necessary in families? Control by the devil and his workers must be removed from those who choose to follow Christ, and that control is prevalent in the midst of most secular families. How do family members gain ultimate control over another? By seizing control before the child is able to grow up and insisting that control of familial ties remains as a condition of belonging to that family.

It doesn’t always happen with just childhood sexual abuse; there are many ways families use to control their members; for instance, protection of family secrets, loss of inheritance, love, or financial support. Whatever control is seized, it becomes a painful barrier to clear decision making and a forces a fight against the soul of the child. It is in the interest of the devil’s minions that he maintains control of potential Christian children. It is in the interest of Christ that those coming to Him are able to break free from the devil’s control, and give complete control to Him over their lives. Without giving Christ full control, there is no expression of full faith, and the path of the seeking Christian is pretend.

So the battle begins and often ends in the family setting where care should be expected, as the battle lines are drawn between wickedness and righteousness. The wicked, worldly, and self-focused choose the side of family ties; the righteous choose the side of Christ as the battle begins.

Borderline Bystanders

If only the battle remained within the secretive family dungeons and families fought the fight behind closed doors. But, why would the devil risk losing any control, when he can simply stir chaos into the mixtures by sending his borderline bystanders to stir the conflicts and agitate the attacks against those seeking the side of Christ. It is a fact of life that a certain portion of human beings that exist upon this earth today are in dire need of attention.

The borderline personalities demand a part to play in order to contribute to the drama as it unfolds; their lack of restraints in self-discipline quickly finds them free battlefields to play in and feel important for a moment. They have no business in the fight, they contribute nothing to the outcome, but stir the pot as the battle builds, which empowers them with some self-perceived control of events that are really way out of their league. Sadly, for them, the devil uses them quickly and then drops them by the wayside, used, battered, and alone, with no chance of seizing control for themselves or others ever again.

Rumor Control

The wicked and the worldly go for the jugular vein and don’t stop until blood is drawn in their public reactions to their perceived wrongs. Christians limit public responses to only those positions and postures allowed by Christ’s teachings, thereby a one-sided rumor report gains teeth and represents a lie that looks truthful. It takes only the loudest and most often shouted voices from being declared truthful in this shallow world that is ruled by evil intentions; Christians have little defense against rumors that are spoken in a world that they have absolutely no control within.

Bystanders are drawn in to the one-sided lies which often cause a rejection of Christians and ultimately the rejection of the teachings of Christ. The devil seemingly wins some by just letting the tongue wag the dog.

Control is the Victory

Control is the measure of victory for both sides. If the devil is able to maintain control of souls and prevent their walk toward Christ, he wins. If seekers of Christ are able to break free of the controls that have been placed upon them since childhood, then Christ wins. It is apparent from the news today how big these battles between families, Churches, and Institutions have become. The fights are being waged, and God’s strength coming to bear upon the wicked abusers who dare hurt God’s beloved. The grip of the horrible is being loosened upon the hurting faithful every day, and God is providing escape to them if only they choose to run toward Him when that door opens.

It is a matter of control, not a matter of abuse. While the side effects of sexual abuse can be repaired by a healing of the soul through God’s touch, the effects of control cannot be loosened until the victim removes the grip from the attacker, and those that support the perverse wickedness of the abuser.

Victims of child abuse still under the control of abusers and their protectors, behold the power of God that comes your way! When given opportunity to break away and come to Him, do it quickly, faithfully, and with full confidence that He will protect and defend you. The most painful decisions to break away from family, the most evil taunts of borderline bystanders, the viral rumors that seem so out of control, the most severe of mental and physical pains visited upon you at the hands of perverts when you were a child can be soothed by a loving Father that is waiting for you to give Him the control of your life. The journey might be painful but the victory will be complete, when you come to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ in faith; the bonds of wickedness will be broken, and no longer restrain those choosing to give God the control. We will continue to pray for your release.

Special note to the Abusers:

Let go of the innocent children NOW in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ! And since you are reading this, take time to begin the healing process from the tremendous damage you have brought upon the children you have abused by confessing your guilt to those who have protected you by proclaiming your false innocence. Most importantly, confess your sins to the almighty God, proclaim confidence in the forgiveness of your sins through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of your wicked ways, and go and sin no more; even you can be saved. And, should the new righteousness added to your life so move you to make-up for the wicked controls you have placed upon others in the past, begin the reconciliation process by publicly taking the full blame for your actions, with a sincere promise to withhold the power of control over others for evermore.

The Conflict of Time for Seminary and My Works for Him

2011-12-28T15:32:00.001-08:00

This has been a tough semester as I have slid in to the advanced work of seminary. Paper after paper is due following three to six books required reading for each class. Used to getting A’s and graduating with the highest honors in my Baccalaureate days reflects nothing of my experience with the grading process in graduate school. A’s are separated by F’s by a lesser point spread; what normally would be a really good A becomes a B or C depending upon the grading scale in this higher education process.

Of course, it’s not about the grades; but, if you don’t pay attention to every assignment and dot your p’s and q’s with t’s and i’s or whatever, you quickly get sucked under the quicksand and have a tough time regaining momentum that can lead to passing a class. So far, I’ve had qualified professors teaching me really good material and I’m learning more than I ever imagined possible. Historical Christianity and Old Testament exegesis have been my focus this semester; next brings Theology and New Testament. So far, I’ve gathered all my notes together, and started writing major papers for the website during this Christmas break. There was so much material that needed a deeper examination, and I have a 30-day break to get it all produced. Then class starts again.

I am a better teacher to you because of everything that I am learning in graduate school. I am a worst teacher than I was before, because now there is limited time to produce Bible Studies. That is my job given to me by God. I am supposed to be preparing lessons and writings that instruct hungry Christians. And quite frankly, not many of my students care as much about Christian history as do my professors; it’s a different focus for sure. While I like to have my full attention upon the Bible, my professors are constantly moving me to great men, ideas, and writings of the past. This complicates my life considerably; on one hand, every bit of education I am currently receiving is going to benefit my students greatly in the long term; but in the short term, I feel I am neglectful in not producing the quantity of studies I once did. On the other hand, the things I am writing and teaching today so surpass my first teachings that they can hardly be compared.

I commit to you to figure it out. I’m measuring it this Christmas break, and will continue to measure the benefits derived vs. the loss of works and see if I can figure out how to adjust things perfectly. That is probably a complete impossibility; but, I know the Lord wants me in Seminary, and I know the Lord wants me to teach you, so, I’ve got to measure it better than I have been doing. I appreciate each of your patience with my slowness in producing lessons during the first semester of graduate school. Hopefully, I will pick up speed and put in place a study and writing schedule that satisfies both my professors and my students. I’m realizing the need for dedicated time to each; now, I just have to figure out how to do it all.

Then, in the middle of it all, is the networking thing. I have inserted myself in the midst of some pretty special scholars in different places so I can learn more than the conservative, fundamental perspective on belief. Though they have no time for conservative belief, their views of liberal theology give me a balance that is hard to describe; seems the more they talk, the more conservative I am; that’s a good thing when folks can figure out exactly where they belong, what they believe, and why they think the way they do. But, I am appreciative of all the scholars that have let me sit in the sidelines of their debates; I’m learning more than I ever thought possible.

And then there is the social outreach emphasis that we have been involved in recently to promote the sufficiency of Christ to all sinners, as we have tried to encourage conservatives to allow sinners into their churches to hear the Gospel message. We are dealing with the sexually abused children and adults who have been scarred by the devil’s touch when they were innocent and blameless. We are fighting against the protectors of abusers, who do all they can to bring blame upon the victim, and elevate the perverts to an even higher platform of worship. In the midst of it all, we are receiving political requests of support, and we are always trying to measure how our ministry can support good cause without tying ourselves up into someone else’s projects.

Thankfully, my family is growing and prospering and supporting all of my efforts. My children are doing well in school and their careers, and our health continues to be good, and more time than ever is made available to write, write, and then write some more.

Even my enemies have ceased many of their efforts; last year their self-promotion went to the highest level of attacks and they failed; they ended up naked, wanting, and foolish in their wicked ways. God is good, and protects us in the midst of the most horrendous wrongs. But it sure is nice to get a breather, as the latest surge of evil ones have self-immolated and given us the chance to prepare for their next attacks spiritually, mentally, and legally.

So that is the state of my works for God. How I long for the time, time, time, to learn and do all He wills. If I can just figure out a way to squeeze a little bit more time, I’m going to have it made. Speaking of which, I am also writing a book about the time of God, and how it is expressed in people’s lives and His Word. I’ve got a couple editors that I met on my recent AAR/SBL convention in San Francisco that have requested I send them my manuscript as soon as it is finished, which is one step that is often difficult to achieve. I’m planning the book to be finished this coming year, and hopefully, by next Christmas on the shelves for you to purchase, God willing.

Please pray for me, my family, and my ministry. Please be patient as I work through the time constraints and balance the important works of God and push away the things that matter little to Him. God’s blessings in all that you do to bring glory to Him in the upcoming year!

Kathy L. McFarland

Celebrate!

2011-12-20T08:53:00.000-08:00

To all my readers: Have a very merry Christmas, filled with peace and good-will toward God's created beings, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord.

Sexual Abuse is Satan's Act to Prevent Children From Coming Close To God

2011-11-28T08:26:00.001-08:00

Well, another sexual abuse revelation leads to the dismissal of a demigod at Syracuse. How nice it is for the victims of this animal as witnesses come out of the darkness to report their experience, adding credence to the initial accusations; having a taped conversation with the coach’s wife acknowledging that her child-abusing husband had “issues” with boys helped also.

I’ve got to tell you, there are thousands of child abuse victims today that are cheering the dirty secrets coming to light, and taking down a pervert. But, you’ve also got thousands of child abuse victims crying today, as the frustrations of their own persecutions have been perpetrated at the hand of the pervert, and then again wickedly protected by the wall of the naïve, needy people that surround him to keep their own status of life. The only thing wickeder is those who have knowledge of the abuse or who have been protected from it going to the abuser and embracing him.

We’ve said it a thousand times here at Becker Bible Studies, and we will say it that many times more, at least. We promise to keep accusing the perverts and supporting the victims. Sexual abuse of children is the Devil’s actions trying to destroy children before they are able to develop a relationship with God. Satan chooses situations and people to do his bidding, and the perverts do their nasties, and then the children suffer. When the “dirty secret” is involved, they suffer and suffer and suffer. In more cases than not, mommies protect nasty husbands, colleges protect nasty coaches, and families protect nasty secrets.

I have known victims who have quietly exposed the secret in private to those closest to the pervert, and seen a whirlwind of hatred attack the victim with lies and venom thereby removing the victim from family. I have seen victims who publicly take a stance, and seen them cut off at the knees, publicly humiliated and shamed. I have talked with victims who hold the secret close to them, so close that their mental and physical health suffers, and they die young because the secret is so powerful. I know victims that have become abusers themselves because they don’t know any other way. I have seen countless victims come closer to God, but always an arm length away, because the idea of “father” means perverse sexual attacks when they are at their most vulnerable places.

I think we have helped some victims at Becker Bible Studies; at least, I pray we have. It is such a difficult problem. I do know a few students that have been in life and death situations when reports of their abuse are made public; we have sat with them, prayed with them, protected them, and cried with them. We have seen some remarkable healings as past victims separate from the abuser and his protectors, and receive Christ as their only hope. It is a long and difficult process for a sexually abused child to grow into a healthy adult, and it is my opinion that this terrible attack can only be conquered through the active intervention of God inside the victim that removes the sores, scabs, and scars of abuse.

Until that healing begins, it is almost impossible for a sexual abuse victim to know God and have relationship with Him.

I’ve also gotten a bit more insight into the abuser mentality in my involvement with sexual abuse victims. They are generally cocky, arrogant, and profane. They know their victims by their insecurities. In the case of many step-father abuses, they marry tiny women with tiny children to perpetuate the fulfillment of their sick needs and justify their behavior as being nothing worthy of reproach. Their fifteen minute sexual attacks to them are not noteworthy; it is only the victim’s scars that pain.

Those that protect the abusers are often as wicked as the abuser. What kind of mother would want to protect her social or financial security so much that she would turn a blind eye, or fail to confront the abuser when the secret comes out? What kind of University would turn their backs to a known child abuser to ensure the money from their sports programs continues to roll in. What kind of siblings would protect the nasty abuser and reject their victimized brother or sister?

One interesting characteristic of child abuse protectors is their abnormal and extreme love for money; whether it is in a family or a University. At some point, abuse protectors count their money and tie it up into the hands of others to prevent its loss. The mentality is, “I don’t believe the accusations of the child abuse victim, but just in case, I better protect my money.” Apply that mentality to almost every case of the protectors of the abusers; as odd as it sounds, it has been a major trait of those protectors that we have known. Preserving their accumulated fortunes or social standing are far more important to them than saving the innocent children and broken adults that are victimized by sexual abuse.

Amazingly, the victims are destroyed by the protectors of the abuser. Note how I don’t say the abuser destroys them. Usually, when the abuse is revealed, the abuser shuts up, and lets their protectors do the talking. Seldom are they publically accountable; when they do speak, they risk slipping and saying things that reveal their perverse nature. Thus, they let their protectors do the talking. They have groomed both their victims and their protectors well. The protectors become empowered with their support of the abuser, and begin spreading “false accusation mantra” around to anyone that will listen. Then the attacks upon the character of the victim begin, and family and friends begin their rejection, driving the victim to deeper depression and hopelessness. Even when the victim is finally believed, usually after several other abused victims speak out against the same abuser, the damage of false accusations linger upon the victim, and the relationship of family is broken forever.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS! It is the Devil that attacked you when you were a child to keep you from coming close to Christ. It was his wicked intentions to scar you to the place that you felt unworthy of walking toward the cross. If you can realize that one fact, deep in your soul, you will have the ability to begin the process of walking to the cross and receiving eternal life. You may well be abhorred by your family and community as the Devil moves his people to protect the abusers, you may well be sickened and disabled from keeping the awful secret to yourself, and you may think yourself unworthy to receive the love of God.

GOD KNOWS YOUR PAIN, YOUR SCARS, AND YOUR VICTIMIZATION! He is calling you to Him. At some point in your spiritual walk with Christ you will be able to lay the burden of sexual abuse at His cross and grow farther and faster in His love than most are able. God has a special heart for those who are victimized as children, and He gives special blessing to those who are able to rise above their victimization and seek Him.

Last week at the San Francisco Convention, I met a Presbyterian Pastor from Tennessee who was involved with seeking medical care for the impoverished. She said that a large majority, up to 75% of those that use their services, are childhood sexual abuse victims. It was becoming quite apparent to them how the victimization of children leads to severe disabilities and medical problems in their adulthood as the secrets begins unfolding.

The problem of childhood sexual abuse is of the Devil, and it is meant to destroy youth before they become adults, to prevent them from seeking Christ. Let us pray for the victims, stand against the protectors of abusers, and seek the light of Christ as the darkness tries to envelop the injured by abuse.

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Mt 18:6–7).

AAR/SBL Status of Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, And LGBTIQ Persons Strategy Workshop

2011-11-24T14:30:00.001-08:00

I have just returned from the San Francisco American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature annual convention meetings. The powerful meetings, talks, and networking accomplished this past week have both invigorated and challenged my scholarship efforts more than any single event in my recent educational past. Not only that, but God has honed His expectations for me into a deeper understanding, and I am more focused on carrying out His will in my works for His glory. That acknowledgment is ever present upon my lips as I begin to sort through a myriad of problems that exist in the scholarly theological and evangelical worlds that were revealed to me through these contacts. I plan on sorting through some of the major areas of conflict between religious scholarship and Bible scholarship these coming weeks, to both capture my learning experiences, as well as record my take on some very complicated stances.

I was able to attend a partial Strategy and Action Workshop entitled, “Status of Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, And LGBTIQ Persons.” There were some powerful, well- known, articulate, highly educated speakers on the panel that presented their underrepresented viewpoints in commanding ways that got the attention of all the listeners in the small audience.

The feminist viewpoint was represented by famed activist Dr. Judith Plaskow, Professor of Religious Studies from Manhattan College, author of several books including “Sex, Sin, and Grace,” Weaving the Visions: New Patterns in Feminist Spirituality,” and “Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective.” She is a Jewish tiger of a woman that speaks her mind both effectively and bluntly. Her lecture focused specifically on the resistance towards insurgent scholarship by the powers –to-be in scholarship endeavors, and advocated a mentoring relationship with minority scholar students to begin the process of inclusion within the field.

The Latino point of view was spoken by Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre, Professor of Social Ethics from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. His activist tome was spiced with a controlled frustration that was occasionally peppered with hints of a deeper anger toward the AAR establishment who fails to uphold their support toward underrepresented minorities. Specifically, he addressed the lack of Latino and Hispanic “Brown” representations in scholarly publications and the difficulty in breaking through the white barriers that prevent people of different colors from achieving publication in important scholarly journals. He had some revealing statistics that showed in 40 volumes of Journals that published 340 articles, only 7 included Latino contexts and only 2.5% of 11,000 references were citing Latino authors, in a scant 32 articles. His disdain for those who stand on “color-blindness” attitudes charges that it is this thought process that leads to “political correctness” without solving the problem of the disenfranchisement of Latinos in scholarship endeavors. He accuses the powerful white-controlled Universities, publication companies, and the American Academy of Religion of token hiring and lip-service to satisfy the political need to look right while subduing Latinos with racist exclusion. He alleges the AAR, the organization of learned scholars and professional association that includes all religions, of systematic exclusion of colored works, and came close to provoking a walk-out and the establishment of a separate organization that represented their causes better.

I was honored to meet one of the most highly educated, powerful, well-spoken black women that I have ever known personally. The viewpoint of the black and female minorities was represented by Dr. Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas, an Associate Professor of Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Her womanist positions seem balanced upon the black liberation theology effort of the 60’s and 70’s, and when she walks into a room, all eyes focus upon her. Some of her notable writings include “Deeper Shades of Purple: Womanism in Religion and Society” and a textbook “Black Church Studies: An Introduction.” The small contact we shared in the meeting, as well as in the inconsequential shared elevators during the week, gave me suspicion that she holds my white skin in disdain and cares little about making my acquaintance; but like the white power mongers in the institutions that systematically discriminate while holding the “colorblind” attitudes for public display, she also plays the game as well. Her approach to defining the problem of underrepresented women in religion presents a methodology that overcomes their own resistance, and upholds the mentoring of upcoming students as a positive influence and changing force on the racist climates. She suggests strategic activism that creates context that removes minority thinking, replacing it with an “underrepresented” appeal to instruct the institutions that discriminate and show them the loss of opportunity for scholarly enlightenment through this stance. The bravado of a liberated black-woman who has achieved educational heights that now allows her superior stance over the exclusionary white people was softened during the meeting when a lowly student asked a question of the panel that was met with a deafening silence. It was Dr. Floyd-Thomas who broke the silence and offered relief and good answers to the uncomfortable questioner; her teaching credentials were elevated by that kind act, and I was touched by her care, though I doubt I would be stupid enough to tell her to her face.

Dr. Judith “Jack” Halberstam is a Professor of English and the Director of the Center for Feminist Research at the University of Southern California. She focuses upon female masculinity issues, gender binarism, and transgendered issues that confuse identities and brings light to Queer issues that affect the LGBT community. She has written “In a Queer Time and Place: Transgender Bodies, Subcultural Lives” and “Female Masculinity,” and other books concerning Queer theology and life. Dr. Halberstam is my first personal exposure to a masculated female; though her outside affect is fashioned upon male appearance and her nickname denotes male identity, her feminine voice with lilting accent and a seemingly female attitude has caused me some confusion in how to properly address her with respect to her identity. Quite frankly, I have not yet learned the proper social language to address a publicly-known transgendered person, and I offer my apologies if I get it wrong. The audience, filled with many from the LGBT community referred to “her” several times, so I take their direction in my analysis. Dr. Halberstam argued that Universities publish "money-maker" literature; content that cannot be used for fund gathering is thrown away. She encourages a middle-ground approach that grapples with questions that emerge from the transformation process as it unfolds through active participation against regulatory control by contributing to disordered scholarship that balances the issues. In simple talk, she stresses that intellectual emancipation requires new ideas, new archives, and new initiations that go against the grain of dominant systems in the Universities.

Dr. Tat-siong Benny Liew is a Dean and Professor of New Testament at Pacific School of Religion, and author of “What is Asian American Biblical Hermeneutics” was a speaker that represents the underrepresented Asian minority scholars who are shunned by the mainstream institutions. Sadly, his presentation was confusing to me, and conflicted so greatly in many places with my understanding of the Word of God, that I cannot fairly represent his points. Not only did I not understand his presentation, but those points I did, seemed heretical to conservative interpretation of the Bible, and I quit listening to him.

Dr. Emilie M. Townes, Professor of African American Religion and Theology with Yale Divinity School at Yale University, is a proud black woman who reminds me of Maya Angelou in both her speech and her persona. Her interests include Christian and womanist ethics, critical social and cultural theory and social post-modernism. She has published “Breaking the Fine Rain of Death: African American Health and a Womanist Spirituality as Social Witness,” and was a past president of the American Academy of Religion in 2008. Her poetic sharing of the village of people who raised her to become whom she is today was delightful, but conflicting with the second half of her address to the issues confronting minorities. Her solutions to the underrepresentation of minorities included an encouragement towards insurgent scholarship to bring the magic back to scholastic religious institutions.

What a powerful group of spokespeople! Lunch time came, and the audience was instructed to return in the afternoon to form breakout groups that could wrestle with the issues and present a unified plan to deal with the scholarly discrimination of minorities. I did not return in the afternoon, because I am not part of their group, and it would have been insulting to their effort for me to even be in quiet attendance.

I cannot be part of their group, because I am an underrepresented minority in my religious belief, and I agree with that underrepresentation, to a certain degree. I cannot be a part of the insurgent scholarship because it would cause me to go against my interpretation to the Word of God. What a predicament! On one hand, I acknowledge the problems these eloquent spokesmen present and the need in their world to create solution to their problems; on the other hand, those same problems in my corner of the religious world exist, but it would be wrong for me to challenge God’s ordering of things. While that might not make sense to this distinguished panel, I suspect my conservative brothers and sisters, who hold to the inerrancy of the Word of God, understand perfectly.

For instance, my opinion on the participation of women in the ministry as pastors is that it should be prohibited. I fully support the Baptist Faith and Message as amended by the Southern Baptist Convention of June 2000, and believe the office of pastor to be filled by males only, according to God’s Will as expressed in His Word. My belief cannot be swayed in this matter, and it conflicts with the panel of experts end goals.

Even though I do not hold an activist position in the underrepresented scholarship of minority people, this does not mean that I cannot benefit from this conference experience. I learned about the problem, and some possible solutions in the activist world, that will probably never involve my participation since it is not my issues, and to represent this discrimination in my conservative world would require an action against my belief, which I cannot take. However, I have been blessed by these speakers to learn of the problem. I can consciously make an effort to search out minority writings and include it in my research, to get a broader paintbrush of thought and reference that presents a more valid picture of God’s creations and movements in today’s world. In that sense, though I don’t belong to the afternoon crowd debating the solutions, I belong to the crowd of caring Christians that want to learn from every place that God moves through, to grow better as a human being made in the Image of God. My thanks to the brave scholars who fight the battles that will place that scholarship in my hands, as God moves me to discover these things from all types of moral life experiences.

Perfumed Christians in Public Places

2011-10-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

I know it is hard to believe! Dutch painter Jan Brueghel painted this painting in 1598 (10 1/2 x 14 1/2, oil on copper, The Sermon on the Mount) that is displayed at The J. Paul Getty Museum. It shows a large crowd of people surrounding the Lord Jesus Christ in a clearing of magnificent trees, symbolizing the spiritual heights that surround Him. Christ is hardly discernible in the crowd; look for the center figure in an off-white gown, and a quiet halo upon his head. Note the light that falls upon the people who are closest to Him as they sit with awe and reverence, seemingly latching upon His every Word. Then, look upon the crowd where the light turns to shades and shadows, capturing the rest of the crowds brilliant dress and standards as they socialize together in this peaceful setting. In the midst of the greatest Sermon ever told upon the Mount by our Lord, a gypsy tells the future and a vendor sells pretzels on the outskirts; they have plenty of customers that are more attuned to physical and social needs than they are with their spiritual welfare.

I am so glad we did not live in 1598, and have to see such a crowd of perfumed Christians sitting in pews with Christ NOT on their minds.

Theistic Evolution Interpretation of Genesis 1

2011-10-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

Warning! This teaching goes against the beliefs of conservative, fundamental Christians who believe in the literal interpretation of Genesis 1, that is contrary to the full majestic creation unfolding, filled with deeper expression of the Divine first acts of creation, evolution, and patterned creation that is typologically revealed in the Word of God.

This teaching is recorded clearly; open your Bibles (really do it - you need to touch these verses with your own eyes and realize the significance fully) to Genesis 1:24-26:

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

It is these three key verses that reveal literally and typologically the incredible, complicated, and fully rational creation processes that show God watching the evolution process, and then creating with the pattern that unfolds from His original creation. In simple terms, God created the Heavens and Earth, let them mature through evolutionary process, saw that it was good, and began forming new life based upon that pattern of evolution. It is right there in black-and-white words, just waiting for enlightened individuals to see!

The usual problem with the word “evolution” often assumes the meaning of monkey turned into man, which is a ridiculous hypothesis that goes against the Creation of God. But we are not talking about that definition; rather, evolution that is mentioned in Genesis 1:24-26 speaks of God letting the earth bring forth different creatures, and when He saw it was so good, He began the creation process once again with that pattern. It is the typical nature of fundamental discourse to include all layers of scientific terminology for the evolution process in one big definition, rather than separating scientific ideas to the evolutionary process into specific categories. This misinformed but popular, all-inclusive definition for evolution effectively prevents the actual evolutionary techniques of God’s creation from being recognized and understood.

The different Creation process recorded in Genesis 1 include the creation of light after God’s contemplation (v. 1-3), darkness through separation (v. 4, 5), heavens through expansion (v. 6-8), seas through gathering together (v. 9-10), and herbs and fruit trees by allowing propagation to evolve (v. 11-13). The key passages that leave no doubt to the unfolding evolutionary process are contained within Genesis 1:24, 25 which shows God letting the earth and animals to evolve “after their kind”. We then find God pleased with this result, and subsequently creating the beast, cattle, and creeping things after this pattern of evolution. Then, separate from the evolutionary process but stirred by the patterns formed by the evolution results that pleased Him, God purposely and specifically creates man in His Image, with His breath.

Evolution is made up of different processes that provide variations in genes, organisms and populations, through reproduction, genetic drift and gene flow; at least some of these evolutionary processes are indicated by Genesis 1:24-25. But, the evolutionary processes of speciation (where a species becomes a brand new species) and biased mutation (flawed or deviant original development) cannot be found in the Word of God, because we know that species evolved in “like-kind” populations, and since we know that God creates perfection, flawed variants are impossible in His Works of Creation.

All of God’s creations have unique genes within their species that propagate through reproduction of the shared male and female genes to create the next generation (in most cases). Thus, a certain species and even a specific population can remain uniquely different from all others as God created; yet, it can have different gene combinations within those groups due to reproduction, genetic drift, and gene flow that continue to reproduce into the exact Creations that God planned from the beginning.

Theistic Evolution based upon Genesis 1 correctly interpreted does not show that one species evolves into another species. Most certainly, man created in God’s image did not evolve from an ape. God created perfection, and the processes He used in creation brought the most perfect specimens to existence.

Literal and figurative definitions of words also become important in the analysis off the time periods of God’s Creation; but, care must be taken that these definitions are considered with theological ideas consistent within the complete Word of God. When one recognizes that the timing of God lies outside the realm of time normally known to mankind, then the “day” assumes different measure.

It is not in Genesis 1-3 that defines the time of God; rather, the meanings is partially revealed in the study of the Greek Word “kairos” scattered throughout the New Testament that gives us a fuller theological meaning of God’s time. Kairos defines a specific time that exists between regular times known to mankind (“chronos”). It is a watershed moment of undetermined period where something unique occurs when time stands still and life unfolds with eternal significance. Two examples are the coming of the Son of God (Mark 1:14-15) and the reflection of the time at the End (Luke 21:8-9).

Our LORD God is not contained by time; rather, He moves it according to His Will. Thus, the days spoken about in His Creation are the figurative “kairos” time of God that can never be fully measured by the literal “chronos” time of man. However, the literal day record gives typological significance to Believers in understanding the Commandment of God concerning the six days of natural life work followed by the Seventh Day, sanctified day of rest.

This idea of God’s time also prevents the age of the universe from an exact dating and is not literally addressed by the Word of God, or known by the current science of man. It is impossible to measure God’s “kairos” time and the inherent pauses between those times without a timepiece that measures it perfectly. We have no tool for kairos measure. Science’s “old earth” theory is wrongly based upon suppositions and dates that are randomly assigned and designates many dates based upon faulty ideas of evolution rather than de-evolution of creation. Religion’s “new earth” theory is wrongly assumed through limited revelation of Scripture that does not address this issue in a literal, scientific measure. Further, there is no evidence in modern geology or the Word of God that supports the Gap theory’s two global catastrophes with two distinct geologic periods.

Christian leaders must stand strong in their presentation of the Word of God as inerrant and always remember that the interpretation of Scripture by human beings is often flawed. Genesis 1 supports Theistic Evolution, if a careful analysis is conducted, and the words of faulty science or extreme fundamental belief are avoided. The LORD God did in fact use a form of evolution by letting His creation evolve into what they were destined to become. When He allowed this, He was fully aware of its unfolding perfection. He was pleased. When evolution is argued by Christians with a blanket denial, good science places unfavorable light upon the accuracy of the in the Word of God.

Evolution is a fact of life since the Creation by God; parts of that scientific principle (reproduction, gene drift, gene flow) have been allowed by Him since creation. Two of the Evolution principles (speciation, mutation) originated from the fall of God’s Creation into a de-evolution state as a result of sin. Science and the Word of God can come closer to truth when Scripture and science are interpreted correctly.

One key issue is that NO creation of the LORD God has ever evolved into a different “improved” life. It is after the fall of man, when sin ran rampant through God’s creation, that brought the de-evolution of all things created by the LORD God, and showed some changes as the once perfectly-made creations had to adapt to fallen natural life to survive.

It is important for Bible scholars to make careful exegesis of Genesis 1 and not form a debate of the time or date of Creation; Scripture simply does not reveal time always in terms man can understand. Scientists need to conduct good science, and ensure that any of their hypotheses are measured upon known facts, rather than suppositions and guesses. Believers must uphold Biblical Authority and its truth without error always, and define any perceived discrepancies as faulty interpretation through flawed human understanding.

Bibliography

Davis, John J. Paradise to Prison - Studies in Genesis. Salem, Wisconsin: Sheffield Publishing Company, 1975.

Driscoll, Mark. What are the Various Christian Views of Creation? http://theresurgence.com/mark_driscoll_2006-06_answers_to_common_questions_about_creation (accessed 8/24/2011)

Hall, Francis J. Evolution and the Fall: The Bishop Paddock Lectures. London; Bombay;Calcutta: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1910.

Starr, Cecie. Biology: Today and Tomorrow with Physiology, Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, 2010.

Jessy Dixon has gone home

2011-09-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

I can barely wait to see Jessy in his brand new home. I know for certain that Heaven is dancing today, as Jessie enters into the presence of the Lord, and those that love Him that have passed to Glory. 73 years of life standing close to fame with his unique musical talent opening, supporting, or writing songs for Paul Simon, Randy Crawford, Cher, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, Amy Grant, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Bill Gaither. He was born March 12, 1938, and entered Heaven on September 26, 2011. He was my soul-brother; though he was an integral part of my spiritual development, he only knew me from a short talk and a very awkward handshake. I will never forget him.

Of all the Southern Gospel greats that the Lord brought my attention to, it was Jessy who stirred the Holy Spirit within me the most. I found it odd and a little funny; you would think that the Spirit within me would match the Spirit within someone from my age, my era, and my race. You would think that common experiences would come together in praise to the Lord, and that the Holy Spirit would be stirred by that commonness. Nope.

I could get charged up with all kinds of music, and feel the surge of the Spirit move my soul to great heights as the Southern Gospel music played. But nobody, absolutely no other human being in this world, could make my feet start dancing in praise to the Lord, but Jessy Dixon. Our experiences and our lives were different than night and day; his music background came from a foreign place in my own experience. He was cool, suave, and neat; I have never been. He could sing Gospel in perfect tune; even when I listened to it, I would mess it up.

But here is the weirdest thing...Every time, no matter where or when I heard him sing, my feet would start dancing, my arms would raise in the air, and I would start shouting my praises to God. Now, I'm not a Pentecostal, and my subdued worship seldom reaches that intensity; that is, until Jessy started to sing. Every time, I would dance. It became quite a little teasing by my family; they thought it was odd and so did I; How one man so different from me could stir the Holy Spirit so greatly within me through music that was usually not my favorite type of Southern Gospel was supernatural. I would just explain that the Holy Spirit within him and the Holy Spirit within me somehow matched, and it worked, and Praise Be to God! My family learned that when sadness or depression sank me low, they merely had to say a prayer and put on the music of Jessy and my feet would start dancing before the song was over. Our relationship was that powerful and close, on my side anyway.

I met Jessy in Spokane, Washington about twelve years ago. At the midpoint of the Gaither Concert, all of the singers sat at tables, selling pictures, music, and autographs of themselves. All of the fans were crowding all of the Gaithers, except for Jessy's table. Everyone was walking past him and no one stood in his line. I remember my nervousness as I approached him; it was as if time stood still. He had such a major impact on my spiritual celebrations with the Lord, and I wondered if he would know that when I met him personally. I wondered if his Holy Spirit would activate as strongly as mine did within me when we met.

I went to his table, his eyes penetrating my eyes as I approached. I built up the courage, and walked toward him. He just sat there, unmoving, but continuing to stare in my eyes, and I in his. I reached out to shake his hand and introduce myself; he gave me a pretty limp handshake, and we both stumbled with some words. My eyes must have surely plead with him to recognize our connection, because it was as real to me as my soul. He did not know me; he did not know my soul. I was sad after the encounter, and I cried a bit when no one was looking.

Then one day, the familiar depression crept in, and my family once again put on the Southern Gospel music to raise my soul to embrace the Lord. Song after song comforted me, but I couldn't stand strong. Then my Jessy's song came on, and once again, like always, my feet began to dance, and my soul became strengthened by the Holy Spirit rushing through me with a force that would move a mountain.

How do I define my relationship with Jessy? It was one-sided, and weird. He was just a man, with a very good voice that could write and make music that was moving. But, he had the Holy Spirit in Him, and when He sang that pure Gospel sound, he shared his love for the Lord with those able to contain that same love for Christ as he had. That is our common ground; both Jessy and I love the Lord powerfully.

I can hardly wait to see Jessy in our brand new homes.

Conservative Christians, Teach the Sinners!

2011-09-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Recent postings have focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ’s sufficiency to raise up sinners to the place of holiness, if only His Gospel is heard by them. To hear His Good News, requires proclamation of that blessed Gospel; but, it cannot be heard if churches prevent sinners from coming into their midst. Many conservative Christians have become homophobic, judgmental, bigoted, and exclusionary in their ministries, and as a result, have prevented the conservative interpretation that fully represents the Truth of Christ from being received by sinners.

This week, in my seminary studies, I learned some history of the early Christian church that may well be applicable in today’s atmosphere, and possibly offer a solution to Conservative Churches whose congregations desire to spread the Gospel of Christ to sinners. During the times of great persecution of the early Church, there were two conflicting ideas. Christians who thought the church should be a place where saved people were separated from sin were called “Rigorists.”[1] Those who thought the church should be like a hospital for sick souls and be instruments to salvation were called “Laxists.”[2] So, maybe it is not so different today. Maybe there are two different schools of thought concerning the purposes of churches, and it is those differences that are creating the disparity of witness to sinners from conservative churches.

Those rigorists who desire to keep their churches pure and their congregations separated from sin would be inclined to reject sinners before they entered into worship services. It is that policy that is glaringly popular among conservative churches today, and is seriously compromising the witness of Christ and His Great Commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God. (Matt. 28:19). Further, conservative Christians stand upon the inerrant Word of God, unlike the more liberal congregations of Christian faith. When sinners are only introduced to that flawed, liberal interpretation that accepts sinners of all natures in an inclusive relationship without teaching the Truth of God’s Word, the sinners are unable to reach the places of holiness that God desires.

The Early Church in the fourth century divided their service into two separate parts; the first session was attended by all those seeking to hear God’s Word. Scripture readings from the Law, the Prophets, the Epistles, the Acts, and the Gospels were read and a cantor would sing psalms with the congregation responding back in melodious praises. The presbyter or bishop would deliver the sermon to the entire congregation.

Following the delivery of the Gospel teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Catechumens were dismissed. Catechumens were those Christian converts who were receiving instruction before baptism, those possessed by evil spirits, and those under discipline.[3] Therefore, the sinners who had not yet received Christ as Savior were escorted from the Church following the conclusion of the first session. Once separated, the rest of the congregation who walked with dedicated purpose in faith, and had received the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ, and were not walking in sin, received the Supper (the Mass of the Faithful also known as the Eucharist), prayers of the faithful, the Kiss of Peace, Offerings received, Canon of the Mass, Invocation of the Holy Spirit, Words of Personal address from the Leader, Oblation, Intercession with the Lord’s Prayer, Communion, and Benediction.[4]

It is apparent that the Early Church recognized their duty to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to sinners, while protecting those baptized Christian congregants from soul exposure to impure contact. It is time for the conservative churches today to recognize the same requirements, and open their doors to the sinners in a way that allows the Gospel of Christ to be taught to them, and gives them ample opportunity to observe the ways of Christians and receive the love of Christians that leads them to the path of Christ through example. Those churches who have the ability of forming services at the local level have no reason to not implement services that are inclusive to sinners, but protective of the holiness of Christ’s blessings. The pattern was laid long ago in the midst of terrible persecutions and heresies; let all of the conservative churches with a heart toward perfect witness of Christ today use this example to open the doors for the sufficiency of Christ to be preached to all sinners with an ear and a desire to hear.

Bibliography

Ferguson, Everett. Church History Volume One: From Christ to Pre-Reformation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.

[1] Everett Ferguson, Church History Volume One: From Christ to Pre-Reformation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 145.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid., 246.

[4] Ibid., 248.

Spiritual Music Can Quench the Holy Spirit and Become a Sin

2011-08-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

Music has been the center of my life since I was very young. Most said my Mom had the voice of angels and she was a popular funeral and wedding singer in our small town, as well as flirting with a little state-wide fame in special events. I did not inherit her talent. However, I learned music theory from Mrs. Brook’s piano lessons, and Mr. Porter’s band direction, and was able to assist my Mom by transposing the notes to keys that were in her register. Back then, note transposition was done by hand, with lined paper, a pencil, and an eraser; my biggest fear was making an error and ruining her performance. So I was involved in writing, transposing, and fixing music scores at a very young age, and it was one of the few skills I possessed that gave me notice and worth to my mother.

Then the Jesus Movement came, and I was surrounded with more important uses for music; the right choices for the right teen programs could lead the lonely and scared youth to yearn for God. As a teenager I was caught up in the youth Lay Witness Ministry; I taught myself a little bit of bad guitar, and accompanied our youth group on the “Kum Ba Ya” religious songs for our groovy generation. Once again, music gave me a little worth, even if I played the guitar badly I was still noticed, because I had the only guitar.

Then the music died. A decade of my life came crashing down when the devil completed his business and forced me into a corner of false accusation, rejection, and loss of loved ones. That was the decade of no music at all; my soul was dying, day by day, and I had no desire to resurrect the tunes that stirred my memories and fears in the past. Then, on one defining day in my life, a stranger approached me with a cassette tape in her hand; she told me that God had moved her to bring this tape to me, and while she thought it strange that he would choose a Whitney Houston song to give me, she did what He said. I had no idea who Houston was, but I recognized the supernatural moment, and went into the car and listened to “The Greatest Love of All.” I listened to the words over and over and over; “you can’t take away my dignity” screamed into my soul. No matter how hard life had become, no matter how many of my past loved ones were gathering together to push me out, the Lord let me know that I had the Greatest Love of all in Him, and no matter the lies my enemies spread, they could never take away my dignity.

New love with new music soon enveloped my world, and songs with deep meaning and importance associated with key points in my new life. Music began to heal my deep wounds, and bring me a sense of well-being even when the devil’s darts were flung toward me in wicked attacks. When they got so bad I wondered if I would survive, I would put the soul strengthening music on and lay by the fireplace and just exist, as the music filled my soul and gave me a sense that I would be able to survive, when evidence seemed quite contrary to this notion.

The next decade of my life was once again filled with music as my soul was repaired and then uplifted by Him. It was the method and the means the Lord used to lift me up when I had been laid so low by my enemies. At critical times in my life he introduced the Southern Gospel groups to me through Bill Gaither and I felt the surge of His Spirit move the minute those popular tunes unfolded. Soon, as I accomplished spiritual works that pleased the Lord, He would bring me to a city where the Gaither’s were in concert, and I would be rewarded with good seats so that I might fill-up my spirit and be strengthened to do even greater works for Him. It became a pretty predictable pattern in my life; I would accomplish some tough works that were impossible to do without His full moving through me, and in return, He would provide the music that perfectly charged me for the next work.

Then the really tough work of the Lord began, as he started teaching me His mysteries and typologies through the study of His Word. It was a new decade that required my separation from the world at His Will; for ten years I stayed upon our acre of land with little contact with anyone else. Each day was filled with ten to twelve hours of study, followed by personal worship and soul-filling music by Southern Gospel greats. I got into quite a pattern; I would turn the music on at the start of our day with the volume at its highest setting. The thumping beats of the bass, with the stirring voices of my favorites, would automatically stir the Spirit strong. At the point that my spiritual union with Him seemed strongest, I would shut the music off, and begin my study and writing. The Holy Spirit surge was powerful, and the things I learned and accomplished during this time was supernatural.

Sadly, there were side effects. Human bodies are not made to be spiritually high for long periods of time. The most I could muster was three hours of full spiritual height; when I reached my peak and my endurance began to shake, my soul came plunging down quickly, and I knew I had to break for a while. One moment I was so high in the Spirit that I could understand the deep things in His Word and soar with His Spirit uplifting my heart, and then suddenly I found myself in my natural, pathetic, existence, unable to form simple sentences in my writing, or feel God’s closeness to my being. The roller coaster effect of high spiritual awakening followed by miserable down times forcing the music to be turned on once again to get that high for a few more hours to be plunged back to quiet despair became the norm in my life. And it is important to know that the Lord wanted me to do just what I was doing. He was teaching me in spurts, in the highest places I could climb; when my endurance could sustain no more height, He protected my soul in that weakness through my seclusion from the world.

Wow! I grew leaps and bounds! He prepared me well. The music had charged me and sustained me for ten years, as I received the special instruction of His mysteries through the Holy Spirit led studies of His Word. Then He opened the doors to the outside world and the music had to stop.

His carefully laid instruction with the spiritual climbs initiated by the music was safe in a protected, secluded, environment; but, in the world of carnal wickedness, exposed souls don’t do so very well. Suddenly, I found myself trying to do His works through His moving in me, in the middle of the messy World that prevented me from feeling Him. My practiced spiritual safe places of mountaintop soars stirred by my beloved music could not be accessed any longer. The time required to complete His Works, and the need to protect my vulnerable soul from attack, forced me to steady my relationship with Him. Somehow, I had to find a place in my being that could walk steadily with the Lord, without making my soul vulnerable and weak through the roller coaster rides of emotional worship. So, I turned the music off.

It was tough. Music had made special memories in my heart, saved my life, brought me to the Lord, and carried me to great heights where I could learn His Word deeply. But now, it was time for work, and music became burdensome and dangerous, and the journey impossible to navigate if a steady walk was not used. No longer able to sustain the great heights that brought me so close to Him without the enveloping music, I worried that I was less of a tool in His hands than I had been before. Slowly I learned how to reach high and sustain movement with Him that lasted the amount of time He needed to accomplish His works through me without the music beating.

“Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19) was difficult to resolve. On one hand, it seemed as if I were suddenly rejecting the heights of close relationship with Him, thus possibly quenching His Spirit, by turning the music off. But then He made me to understand something that is crucial for mature Christians to realize: By failing to complete the works given for us to do through the moving of the Spirit, we are quenching His works. On one hand, I knew how to turn on the music and soar to great heights and learn all I needed to know from Him. On the other hand, I knew that I had to stay steady and develop a solid relationship with Him that resulted in His works being accomplished. In an odd way, coming close to Him through the musical mountain climb would quench His works in this place in my life.

So the music no longer raises me to the heights it once did. In its place, the Lord has given me new life and worship in a steady way that ensures the greatest amount of His Works being accomplished through me in a timely way. No longer is my being drained or exalted; my new relationship with Him is sustained in a constant, protected, peace-filled way that allows consistent, predictable, and fruitful works to be done. Music brought me close to God; but it is His Holy Spirit and my love for Them that must fill my heart for a fruitful relationship to blossom.

Augustine’s words capture my points perfectly:

Augustine, Confessions
Book 10, chapter 33

“I used to be much more fascinated by the pleasures of sound than the pleasures of smell. I was enthralled by them, but you broke my bonds and set me free. I admit that I still find some enjoyment in the music of hymns, which are alive with your praises, when I hear them sung by well-trained melodious voices. But I do not enjoy it so much that I cannot tear myself away. I can leave it when I wish. But if I am not to turn a deaf ear to music, which is the setting for the words which give it life, I must allow it a position of some honor in my heart, and I find it difficult to assign it to its proper place. For sometimes I feel that I treat it with more honor than it deserves. I realize that when they are sung these sacred words stir my mind to greater religious fervor and kindle in me a more ardent form of piety than they would if they were not sung; and I also know that there are particular modes in song and the voice, corresponding to my various emotions and able to stimulate them because of some mysterious relationship between the two. But I ought not to allow my mind to be paralysed by the gratification of my senses, which often leads it astray. For the senses are not content to take second place. Simply because I allow them their due, as adjuncts to reason, they attempt to take precedence and forge ahead of it, with the result that I sometimes sin in this way but am not aware of it until later.

Sometimes, too, from over-anxiety to avoid this particular trap I make the mistake of being too strict. When this happens, I have no wish but to exclude from my ears, and from the ears of the Church as well, all the melody of those lovely chants to which the Psalms of David are habitually sung; and it seems safer to me to follow the precepts which I remember often having heard ascribed to Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, who used to oblige the lectors to recite the psalms with such slight modulation of the voice that they seemed to be speaking rather than chanting. But when I remember the tears that I shed on hearing the songs of the Church in the early days, soon after I had recovered my faith, and when I realize that nowadays it is not the singing that moves me but the meaning of the words when they are sung in a clear voice to the most appropriate tune, I again acknowledge the great value of this practice. So I waver between the danger that lies in gratifying the senses and the benefits which, as I know from experience, can accrue from singing. Without committing myself to an irrevocable opinion, I am inclined to approve of the custom of singing in church, in order that by indulging the ears weaker spirits may be inspired with feelings of devotion. Yet when I find the singing itself more moving than the truth which it conveys, I confess that this is a grievous sin, and at those times I would prefer not to hear the singer.
(from Saint Augustine, Confessions, trs. R.S. Pine-Coffin (Penguin, 1961) 238-239.)

And that says it all. Music can quench the Holy Spirit, and when it does, it is a sin. When music moves itself more than it moves the truth, it prevents His Works, and stops the shared relationship with your Lord.

Kathy L. McFarland

Albrecht Ritschl corrupted God's Truth in his contribution to Liberal Theolgy

2011-06-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

German Theologist Albrecht Ritschl developed a new theology based upon positivism in faith, religious and spiritual experience within the Christian community, by rejecting reason, the value of morally conditioned knowledge and the doctrine of the kingdom of ends. Ritschl’s own pupils were on the faculty of nearly every German theological school by 1880, and his influence on the development of religious thought in German speaking Europe and American Protestantism is unquestioned.[1] His teachings made a profound change on German thought and theology, but provoked great controversy for removing the attention away from the extreme positions of faith and reason that were embraced in his time.

Author Swing writes about the theology of Albrecht Ritschl to answer the question of the nature of Ritschilianism from the point of view of Ritschl himself by examining his work Instruction in the Christian Religion. [2] This book of instruction, written by Ritschl, presents practical illustrations of what he believed to be the true method of approach in theological teaching, and is worthy to examine to determine his theological stance. Theological teachings are spiritually incomplete, however, without an examination of the fruits they produce; thus, the consideration of the things that went wrong as a result of Ritschl’s teachings brings the attentive scholar to a balanced understanding of this important movement.

Ritschl’s theology stands between two extreme and opposing parties of German theological schools of thought. The Confessionalists, led by Luthar, made up the right wing of modern thought, while the left-wing liberals were represented by theologians such as Biedermann, Lipsius and Pfleiderer. Ritschl took the middle-of-the-road approach, and his method brought criticism from both sides of extreme thought. The Liberals of rational reason thought that Ritschl’s teachings could lead to the loss of their influence in German universities and the scholastic Lutherans feared that their sacred doctrines would be reconstructed. [3]

Many fundamental misunderstandings of his views are accepted as historical truth in an effort to discredit Ritschl. Author Swing suggests that these false interpretations, by theological scholars Professor Orr, Dr. Denney, Dr. Van Dyke and Professor Mead, include the representation that Ritschl is subjective in his theory of knowledge and judgments of worth, and that Ritschl fails to hold the objective reality of sin and redemption, which leads to the imputation of the resurrection of Christ. He is also suspected by leading theologians of his day as leading to a new Socinianism movement by professing belief in God and adherence to the Scripture, but denying the divinity of Christ and consequently the Trinity. [4]

Ritschl’s Theology

Ritschl believes foremost that Christianity is realized in actual experience with God with justification through Jesus Christ. [5] He believes that theology must always originate from the positive historical form of the Christian faith according to both biblical writings and the development of church history. [6] In layman’s terms, the experience of Christianity is not one of critical thought, but, rather, positive participation.

Ritschl deals with the challenge to religious faith that the emerging science discoveries were placing upon it by doing away with the mystical and untouchable, metaphysical things of faith completely. He chooses to define Christian belief through the facts of the historical existence of the Church, rather than the mystical, untouchable and immeasurable experiences of belief. [7] On one hand, Ritschl rejects the supernatural that cannot be measured, but on the other, he attaches great merit to subjective analysis of the historical experiences of others, to create his positive, “feel good” doctrine. His belief suggests that the individual Christian is not saved by faith, but rather by membership in a church which is historically rooted in Jesus Christ and in the ethical precepts established by him. [8]

A youthful Jung argues his position in his analysis of Ritschl How can Albrecht Ritschl be a committed Christian when his God is compelled to go through official channels whenever he wishes to do something good for man? [9] Jung points out that Ritschl uses the vocabulary of Pietists in describing man’s relationship with God in mystical terms, however transposes the experience of religious feeling to an outer sensation. Jung argues that a relationship with Christ must be experienced with the heights and depths of emotion, unlike Ritschl who encourages a relationship with the church instead.

Ritschl’s Technique of Thought

Ritschl strays from systematic theology and the focused dogmatic thought. Instead, he thinks upon historical lines, and his exegetical works were always preliminary and progressive toward dogmatic results. The process that is always in development, without the foundational limitations and protections that a system of study imposes, seems to have led to an earnest discovery of new thought; however, this free thinking approach might well have contributed to the eventual misdirection of the Ritschlian movements that followed. Even the positive-spinning author Swing acknowledges that Ritschl’s treatment of concrete doctrines are sometimes inconsistent, however, defends his method of creative theology as allowing the fundamental principles to still remain valid.

Rather than focus on the mystical or dogmatic parts of theology, Ritschl seeks the component parts of a doctrine and brings his thought process upon them in an analytical method. Thus, Ritschl’s method of Theology reflects the active principles that also represent the conclusion of his work – that faith is not a passive virtue, but an active component that is expressed through the congregation of Faithful believers. However, without systematic study and a dogmatic approach to analysis, Ritschl’s teachings easily morphed into many different views and practices by various followers as the years progressed. Apparently there is some evidence in later writings of Ritschl that he dispensed of the historical-critical method and less controlling in his handling of the gospel materials, his picture of Jesus Christ is still influenced greatly by this approach.[10]

Ritschl’s objective conclusions based on subjective experiences reveals the methodological and presuppositional crisis of modern liberal theology. [11] His process of discovery might well have been part of the reason that adherents radically expressed his positive spiritual in so many different ways, placing emphasis on the journey rather than the message, and developing different avenues of liberal expression of “positive experience” faith.

Problems with Ritschl’s Liberal Theology

Ritschl puts great focus upon the relationship of man to God as a restored relationship through Christ to be enjoyed. However, he neglects Christ’s priesthood, and ignores propitiation of the wrath of God, and the sacrifice of the cross as the necessary for the removal of sin through redemption. [12] He ignores the future eschatological glory of Christ, and concentrates his attention to the worldly participation of Christianity. Ritschl fails to correctly access other doctrines of Christianity by permitting ethical and epistemological concerns to override primary Bible foundations of belief. [13]

Ritschl bases his theology upon experience of history, rather than history itself, which produces the fruits of “value judgments” in Christianity today. Regrettably, we now see many Christian doctrines that liberally proclaim the positive value of historical Christianity, and neglect the Scriptural requirements of a wrathful but just LORD God. If a Christian belief excludes this aspect of the nature of God, they eliminate the fear of God, which removes the ability to perfect holiness according to the Word of God, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV) Sadly, the way of liberal Christianity has followed the path of worship without fear, Christian walk without balancing upon the narrow path, and joy of fellowship with acceptance of sinful natures and practices; this approach takes only half of the perfect faith that the Lord gave us through His Word, and can be traced, in part, to the flawed theological conclusions of Albrecht Ritschl.

Footnotes

[1] Marilyn Nagy, Self and freedom in Jung's lecture on Ritschl, Journal of Analytical Psychology 35, no. 4 (October 1990): 443-457, (ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed January 24, 2009)).

[2] Albert Temple Swing and Albrecht Ritschl. The Theology of Albrecht Ritschl. (University of Michigan: Longmans, Green, 1901).

[3] Swing, The Theology of Albrecht Ritschl

[4] Ibid

[5] Jonathan Hill, Zondervan Handbook to the History of Christianity,( Oxford: Lion Publishing Plc, 2006).

[6]Cornelis P. Venema, Christ's Person and Life-Work in the Theology of Albrecht Ritschl with Special Attention to Munus Triplex, Calvin Theological Journal 29, no. 2 (November 1994): 525-529, (ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed January 24, 2009)).

[7] Nagy, Self and freedom in Jung's lecture on Ritschl.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] William R. Barnett, Albrecht Ritschl and the problem of the historical Jesus: a study in the relationship between historical-critical research into the canonical gospels and Christian theology with special reference to the theological method of Albrecht Ritschl, Journal of Religion 74, no. 3 (July 1994): 401-402, (ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed January 24, 2009)).

[11] Venema, Christ's Person and Life-Work in the Theology of Albrecht Ritschl.

[12] Venema, Christ's Person and Life-Work in the Theology of Albrecht Ritschl.

[13] Ibid.

Bibliography

Barnett, William R. "Albrecht Ritschl and the problem of the historical Jesus: a study in the relationship between historical-critical research into the canonical gospels and Christian theology with special reference to the theological method of Albrecht Ritschl." Journalof Religion 74, no. 3 (July 1994): 401-402. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials,
EBSCOhost (accessed January 24, 2009).

Hill, Jonathan. Zondervan Handbook to the History of Christianity. Oxford: Lion Publishing Plc,2006.

Nagy, Marilyn. "Self and freedom in Jung's lecture on Ritschl." Journal of Analytical Psychology 35, no. 4 (October 1990): 443-457. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed January 24, 2009).

Ritschl, Albrecht. A Critical History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation. Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas, 1872.

Swing, Albert Temple and Albrecht Ritschl. The Theology of Albrecht Ritschl. University of Michigan: Longmans, Green, 1901.

Venema, Cornelis P. "Christ's Person and Life-Work in the Theology of Albrecht Ritschl with Special Attention to Munus Triplex." Calvin Theological Journal 29, no. 2 (November 1994): 525-529. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed January 24, 2009).

Kathy L. McFarland

Is Homosexuality a Sin?

2011-06-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Mark Finger asked in our post "The Cross and the Gay Blade":

“You wrote, "Sexual identity is not a SIN!"

I don't understand this sentence in light of Genesis 19 [which clearly illustrates homosexual practice as wickedness deserving of destruction], as well as Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 and Deuteronomy 23:17 and Romans 1:26-32 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.

Is God right to call homosexuality a sin?

Hi Mark!

Is God right? ALWAYS! Is man's interpretation of Scripture ALWAYS correct? RARELY!

Here's the most important problem with conservative witness of the Word of God to the LGBT community (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, and Transgendered): Christian leadership is not doing it. They take these Scriptures, declare the sinners and the sins, and shut the door on evangelism. I think many Conservative leaders justify this by observing the more liberal religions ministering to them and call this good. However, would any conservative Christian leader send his congregation to a liberal, unified, inclusive church? Of course not! As Conservatives, we believe the watered-down message of the Liberal churches is against the Word of God. So if we believe this, we have an obligation to stand and declare the Word of God to all sinners, not just the pretty ones.

Why any Christian leader would focus on the sin, rather than the sinner, I cannot figure out. But, you have asked me a fair question, and I'm going to bravely answer your question the way the Lord has revealed to me, and through my experience of witnessing Christ to the LGBT community.

There is a vast difference between homosexual practice and homosexual identity. There are perverse homosexuals, celibate homosexuals, committed homosexuals, spiritual homosexuals, nasty homosexuals, and wicked homosexuals. It compares exactly the same to heterosexuals, with the same different divisions within each group present in the other. Yet, when Conservatives evangelize, it is the bedroom of the homosexual that is focused upon, while the heterosexuals' perverse ways dealt with only when it comes to extreme light and leaves no choice but to address. Many will be surprised to find strong Christian homosexuals in the midst of the Holy that are gathered around the throne of Christ upon resurrection. The LGBT community is as diverse and as seeking toward God as the "normal" folk the Conservative churches thinks exists.

Every individual that is created by the Lord God in His Image is loved by Him. And every individual that He created was made an individual and given a formed soul of identity. Yes, God made some homosexuals, transgendereds, and two-soul people for very specific reasons to carry out His will perfectly on this earth. This group of purposefully created souls is never outwardly perverse, struggles mightily with living a life dedicated to God that is often in conflict with their identity; usually, as they spiritually mature into the role God has given them, choose celibacy and focus fully on the spiritual things to avoid addressing their natural yearnings. However, each of these spiritually charged individuals will tell you that the Word of God was placed in their hands by a dutiful believer that did not reject their oddity or dualism, but loved them as Christ that placed their walk squarely upon the path of Truth and eventual reconciliation of their soul with God's will.

There is a very, very, large group of homosexuals that have identified with the same sex because they were abused as children. Becker Bible Studies authors and teachers have written many articles about this condition, but let me capture it in a nutshell. Sexual abuse is the work of the Devil; it is quite apparent that Satan watches for certain people to be born and tries to destroy these people before they become adults and can carry out the will of God. He is very successful in what he does. In the end, the broken adult tends to gravitate toward safety, and with the encouragement of a profane culture, think it okay to be loved through perverse practice rather than be abused through so-called "righteous heterosexual" things; some go for joining the perverse heterosexuals, while some just grow up to be broken and sick.

Of course, the Devil is wily, and often places the perverse in victims’ path to give them security or love. To minister to a group of abused homosexual or heterosexual victims requires a great deal of focused counseling and endurance as the things the Devil put inside them is unraveled. This unraveling cannot be done outside of belief; it is a tremendously painful and spiritually challenging effort that requires full faith, prayer, and the moving of God to fix. First, a relationship with Christ must be present, or the works the devil did upon the innocent victim will not be able to be removed. Let me be clear on this point: It is one of the hardest jobs a Christian leader can have; as the leader reaches the places of “blocks” that the devil has formed within the victim, it often becomes as mind-ripping and terrifying as a rare but real exorcism rite. If the victim is not surrounded by strong Believer’s that reveal God’s movement to them in a constant reassurance, the hold of the Devil will not be broken.

So, a small group of specifically created LGBT, and a very, very large group of LGBT victims are kept away from the teachings of Conservative Christian leaders because of their short-sighted pronouncement of the rejection of the sin before they meet the sinner. I would hate to have to face the Lord with the revelation that He sent me some of His to help guide along the spiritual journey toward Him, and I turned them away because they were sinning. Sadly, I believe that is the position that the Conservative Christians have placed themselves, as they become the sinners, turning away people who Christ called toward Him.

Now for the more arguable of my stances, that I have no absolute answer, but strong belief in righteous weighing: I personally believe that God created some people differently than others, and that is exactly the way He intended them to be. He loves them fully for exactly who they are and who they become. He is God. He can love whom He wills. While this belief is not fully supported in Scripture, the loving relationship between David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1-5) (1 Samuel 20:17) expresses the type of relationship that is often given by God to two people to help them navigate this rough life. I personally believe that to try to separate a loving relationship like this is wicked and against God. Sometimes it important for Christian leaders to not look so closely at the Law, that righteous relationship is destroyed. Of course, this type of LGBT is never outwardly perverse or profane, and is generally found to be serving liberal religious congregations in generous ways. While the conservative Christians reject their association, the liberals take advantage of their great spiritual and natural sharings and count themselves blessed to have them in their midst. It is a great loss to conservative Christianity when these are rejected.

Now, let’s talk about the nasty, wicked, profane, perverse, in-your-face, sinners that hate our Lord and our God. THROW THEM TO THE CURB! REJECT THEIR WAYS! That is what the Lord instructs us to do! Stay far out of the way of them. Let them have their wicked world, led by the nasty Devil that will one day come to an end. The Word of God is clear, and the Scripture you quote are clearly stated!

Do you understand? In the midst of the nasty LGBT are many, many of God’s beloved people who need to be part of the Conservative Christian teachings to the Word of God. If we, as Conservative Christian leaders, believe our message reflects the Truth of God fully based upon His Word, then we are obligated to share that Truth with even those that seem odd and outside the faith. It is very, very easy to identify the nasty LGBT from the seeking LGBT, and it is this rejection of the entire group that has led to bringing shame upon the ministry of Conservative Christianity.

Kathy L. McFarland

The Cross and the Gay Blade

2011-06-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a spiritually refreshing Alaskan interior cruise on the Sapphire Princess, hosted by Governor Huckabee with nightly special gospel music performances by Guy Penrod, the Nelons, the Triumphant Quartet, Karen Peck and New River, Aaron Wilburn, and the Dixie Echoes. Our invited group of about one hundred Christian leaders and believers had personal contact with the performers and the politician, and there was little doubt that the Lord had brought us together for specific spiritual refreshment to prepare us for the new directions of our ministries and the difficult times unfolding. Most of our gatherings were restricted to the invited guests only, giving us freedom to worship the Lord together and fellowship with each other in an intense and personal ways that are often impossible in uncontrolled settings.

The Sapphire Princess sailed with about 2500 people on board. Our little group was overshadowed by the normal makeup of the worldly; we had the gamblers, old folks, newly married, partiers and the quiet. Interestingly, the LGBT community had gathered their own group of like-kind and hosted get-togethers usually at the same time as the revivals were going on in the other part of the ship. I did not witness the faithful revivalists coming close to the LGBT group, but I got to be honest and tell you I watched closely, hoping one would bump into the other. It would have made the trip extra special to see the different worldviews collide and watch as both groups wrestled for position in their extreme beliefs. Sadly, the ship was big enough to keep everyone away from each other, and just like in the world, groups kept separate and unchallenged.

Guy Penrod, once with the Gaither’s, has broken away from the group, and begun a new ministry on his own for the first time. His strong vocals can raise believers to exceedingly great heights, stirring the Holy Spirit in ways that seldom is moved by common worship. He is that good! But, trouble is coming his way, and he has no idea the direction or the punishment that will be exacted to his spiritual being. The Lord is moving him to deliver a message that SINNERS can come to Christ just the way they are. This message is a radical change-up from the Conservative Baptist platform that says kind of the same words, but practices an exclusionary separation from many different types of sinners. So Guy has been moved by Him to begin this lonely journey that preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ to sinners, rather than comfortable congregations that he has affiliated with in his past. I fear that he is not prepared fully to understand the road he is beginning to walk.

Right now, life is simple for him. He pronounces the Gospel of Christ from the stage with a message of inclusion; however, the tide of accolade might soon turn from him if he carries the message of Christ forth to specific sinners that are despised by conservative believers. There is a special place for rejection and admonishment reserved for any evangelist that dares cross the chasm between the church and the sinners, and Guy will soon find that he cannot straddle both sides. Thus, he might be tasked with a work of the Lord, but may well be prevented by those whom have guided his spiritual upbringing in the past.

David Wilkerson, author of “The Cross and the Switchblade,” started a ministry in the 1960’s by going into the ganglands of New York City and witnessing the Gospel of Christ to them, bringing the broken youth to Him. Wilkerson, who recently was taken to the Lord following a tragic accident, focused his message on bringing the sinners to Christ just the way they were, without requiring a perfect presence before accepting salvation from the Lord. Guy Penrod mentioned his admiration of the messages of Wilkerson, and Penrod’s beginning ministry has a certain mindset that is highly reflective of the style of Wilkerson.

Wilkerson was one of my distant mentors, and I grew up with him in the time of the Jesus movement, where his style of evangelism was prevalent. When Wilkerson brought the cross to the ghettos, he risked bodily harm and endangered his spiritual reputation. He had no choice. The Lord had instructed him to go to the inner city, and he did. Remember, this was the time that the televangelists and the ministers were building their big religious empires, filled with fame, fortune, and “family-values.” Christianity became an exclusive club of the perfumed pretties, and Wilkerson didn’t fit into that worldview so very good, until he wrote his book, and the 1970’s movie came into production. Suddenly, his ministry became worth much more to Christian leadership as fame and fortune appeared to surround him.

Penrod needs to realize that if he is to emulate the spiritual works of Wilkerson, he will be going to places that are far removed from the ghettos of New York, and preaching the message of Christ to people that are much more difficult to understand. His ministry will be accomplished with the declaration of Christ’s salvation being sufficient for all sinners that include the disenfranchised, rejected, scorned, repugnant, unchurched, lost, ugly, poor, oppressed, persecuted, and perverse sinners. Frankly speaking, if you are fully tasked by the Lord to preach the message of salvation through Christ to the sinners, you need not fear the switchblade, but rather, the gay blade!

The gay blade does not slice from the hands of the LGBT community, but rather from the stuffy hallows of false Christian judgment. Contrary to the pretend Christian’s hateful attitude and hurtful exclusion, heterosexuals and homosexuals are equally sinful and equally destined for Hell if they do not embrace Christ as their Lord and Savior. Yet, most conservative Christian leaders judge those who deviate from their lusts of nature to be less pure and unworthy of receiving the Gospel of Christ. Don’t be fooled by their mantra “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” Most conservative churches have manipulated and strategized their congregational standards to prevent the undesirables from fully participating in regular worship. And now Guy, if his inclusive sinner message is brought to full fruition, is faced with preaching that the Lord loves the homosexual just as much as the heterosexual, and that God’s love is sufficient for both.

Sexual identity is not a SIN! Only the perverse actions that separate a person from the Lord is judged unrighteous, and those actions happen in both heterosexual and homosexual carnal relationships. The Lord Jesus Christ does not want any sinner to come to him under false pretensions. He wants a sinner to come to Him just as he or she was made. There is not one soul in the LGBT community that is able to pretend to be someone different and pull the wool over the Lord’s eyes. He made each of us, and he made each of us different! Any heterosexual or homosexual sinner that thinks they can change their sinful nature by participating in correct behaviors, are not only mistaken, but cursed with eternal damnation. Quite frankly, the sexual status is furthest from the Lord’s mind; his sacrifice covers the sins of every person that was cast upon them originally by the fall of Adam and Eve, if his Lordship is embraced by a repentant believer.

Sadly, many, many, many people are excluded from the conservative message of the Gospel of Christ as expressed through the inerrant Word of God, because Christian leadership prevents the brave messengers from delivering the message to the undesirables. Time will tell whether Guy Penrod will join Becker Bible Studies ministry to those labeled unworthy by the pretenders of faith; my suspicion is he will buckle under the condemning eyes of those he has been spiritually raised by. However, just in case a man of God is brave enough to embrace the full sufficiency of Christ, and go out and proclaim His Gospel to the rejected, please remember him in your prayers. He is going to need all the support he can get!

Crucifixion Nails Were NOT Found!

2011-04-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

The Easter scams are upon us again. Usually, around this time of celebration for the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, scurrilous moneymakers take this time of the year to put lies and propaganda out there for profit. Conservative Christians often fall target to these practices through a subtle manipulation of truth that often creates a platform for new falsehoods to enter into belief later on. It is important that present-day Believers fight for the Truth of the Resurrection of the Lord Christ by publicly standing against any lies that try to penetrate the light of day.

The crucifixion nails used to hang our Lord upon the cross have not been discovered by "The Naked Archaeologist" and revealed to the world through his questionable work. While the nail-story circulates the media this week, be confident in the fact that it is a lie.

The nails displayed by "The Naked Archaeologist" are falsely purported to have been found in Caiphas' tomb, which he was buried with in repentance for his participation in Christ's crucifixion. However, these nails can be traced to insignificant archaeological finds; two small collections of iron nails (a couple of them bent at 90 degree angles), typical of the late Roman period, were among some archaeological artifacts under the care of Professor Nicu Haas, Professor of Anatomy at the Hadassa Medical School in Jerusalem.

Professor Haas was responsible for handling much of the forensic anthropology in Israel until a tragic accident in 1975 left him in a coma until his death in 1987. Joe Zias, Anthropology/Paleopathology Science and Antiquity Group - Jerusalem, took charge of the collection state property that had been under Professor Haas' care, and it was stored in the Rockefeller Museum until the early 90's. At some point, the Israeli Minister of Religious Affairs ordered all human remains in storage to be reburied. Zias complied with this order; in order to be rid of anything which the religious authorities might consider in violation of the directive, they removed the nails to Tel Aviv University Department of Anthropology, where they are today.

The nails that are being falsely declared as coming from the tomb of Caiaphas have been known and possessed by leading archaeological experts in Israel since the 1970's; they were of little importance then, and they are of little importance now. They were a collection of many different nails, found at many different times in many different digs; if there were any archaeological significance to them, they would have been isolated and studied in detail upon their find. Any possible significant finds are never thrown together in a collection for over thirty years, just waiting for the Naked Archaeologist to discover them around Easter time for the benefit of hopeful Christians and a yearly payday windfall for him. It is a hoax. The crucifixion nails were NOT found!

Which leads me to a very important point; Christians must take extreme caution during the time of our Resurrection celebration. There are many who take advantage of our joy by adding the leavening of falsehood; just as the obedient Jews throw out all leavening at the beginning of their Passover week, so should we ensure that the leaving of falsehood is removed from our own lives as we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Praise God, He is Risen!

Reference:

Zias, Joe. (2011). "Shorter version from the essay on the nails of Jesus." Yahoo Groups-Biblical Studies. Retrieved April 20, 2011 at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biblical-studies/.

Zias Nails

Update: 5/3/2011

I fear I have crossed into an intellectual archaeological debate which I have limited knowledge. The purpose of my post is to warn Conservative Christians to beware of the traditional Easter propaganda that is wielded by those who seek financial gain or prestige each year. Even the Conservative side of things has false representation, and we must take care to always follow the Truth when we are able. Usually, I restrict my representation of Truth solely upon the Word of God. However, in this case, I tried to make sense out of some nails falsely represented on television as the crucifixion nails to trick vulnerable and gullible Christians. While my attempt to expose this trickery might be noble, my archaeological expertise is very limited, and I must depend on scholars that excel in this field. Thus, I offer the newest scholarly comments to this false representation of the origination of the nails to allow those who need to know a place to go to know!

Itzhak Rabihiya, acting spokesman of the Israel Antiquities Authority, 054-799209, is the guy in the know, and is ready to provide further details as needed. Here is the latest:

Dr. Zvi Greenhut of the Israel Antiquities Authority as Head of the IAA Artifacts Treatment and Conservation Department, declares that the nails in the Tel Aviv University Medical School anthropology laboratory are not the missing nails from Caiaphas' Cave. The two nails shown in the filmy by director Simcha Jacobvici are some of the nails stored in Professor Nicu Haas' laboratory in the Jerusalem Medical school until the late 70's. Their provenance is not known.

Dr. Greenhut rejects the claims made during the press conference on April 13 by Simcha Jacobovici, who maintains that he found the nails in an ossuary in a burial cave in Jerusalem. These nails that appear in the film are unregistered, with no marks of identification, which is solid proof that these nails did not come from a proper archaeological excavation.

Further, the nails that have been in the custody of Professor Nicu Haas, to Joe Zia (Curator in charge of the State of Israel archeological collections and responsible for physical anthropology in the Israel Department of Antiquities), to the Jerusalem Medical School, and finally to the National Treasures (responsibility of the Department of Antiquities and Museums in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem) and then to the Tel Aviv University Anthropology Department where they are currently stored. The custody of the nails originating from Haas is traceable from beginning to end.

Thus, the nails purported on television to be the crucifixion nails of Christ are not; further, the claim presented in the film that the provenance of the nails that are located in the Tel Aviv University physical anthropology lab as coming from the tomb of Caiaphas, discovered in the Jerusalem Peace Forest in 1990, is UNSUBSTANTIATED and has no factual basis. The custody of the nails proves this, because they came to be in the Medical School lab approximately 15 or more years before the tomb of Caiaphas was excavated.

I hope those of you out there that need access to the truth surrounding these archaeological finds have been fully satisfied, and empowered with the information you need to explore this issue deeper.

More importantly, I hope all Christians are able to realize the tremendous difficulty in following after Truth through popular media. I also hope that my readers realize that sometimes those whom we think represent the Truth are not and that we must not reject scholars and scientists efforts so completely that we are led by the nose by evangelistic pretenders in the media who profit off of our naivety.

Kathy L. McFarland

Loosing My Wicked Loved Ones

2011-04-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

My belief is sure: the Lord has given me the choice to loosen whom I choose upon this earth and to remove relationship with whom I choose from my future life eternal upon the New Earth.

It is important to first note that I am not talking about Salvation. Salvation comes to a repentant believer who acknowledges the Lord Jesus Christ as Risen Savior. If you do that, you’re saved. If you fail to acknowledge Him, you are going to one day go to Hell. Simple as that.

But, I’m not talking about Salvation. I’m talking about what the power to loose means to those I have loved in this life before they chose to embrace wickedness over righteousness and lies over Truth in an effort to control me or to control their lives.

Possibly, my loosing has absolutely no meaning to you, or, it might well bring you great joy. On the chance that it does matter, however, I thought it only fair to warn you. If I loose you upon your death or mine, I will forever deny you in the coming life. You will lose any position you might gain from associating with me in a fruitful spiritual life in the eternal life to come. You will not be greeted by me if you should come to Heaven after me. If I come to Heaven after you, I will not seek your presence, and will ask the Lord to keep you from me forever.

This is my belief. If you embrace the wickedness and lies on this earth at the expense of righteousness, if you try to control me by utilizing wicked means, if you try to slander my spiritual or natural Christian walk to gain temporary attention to yourselves, then you have until the moment of my death or yours to seek my forgiveness and change your ways against God and Truth. If you fail to try to make wrongs right, I will be loosing you.

Here’s the kicker; whether you come to me or not, I’m going to forgive your wickedness as quickly as I can to prevent Satan’s seeping wounds from coming upon me. There is not a wickedness under the sun that can be visited upon me, that has not been tried by someone. Each time, I forgive, not because I’m some pathetic crybaby that needs everyone to just get along; rather, I forgive quickly so my Lord in Heaven will forgive me quickly as he promises.

But, forgiveness is not relationship, is it? Spiritual Christian relationship comes only when both parties rise above Satan’s playground and embrace the Truth of God. Guess what! I’ve been representing that Truth to you all along! Not only that, but I’ve been talking natural truth forever. One day you will see, you will know, and you will be ashamed. One day, you may wish to come to me and fix the terrible damage you have forced upon my life; you will be surprised. Each of your wicked attacks has brought greater relationship to Him and blessed me greatly. Thank you.

I have already loosed one upon her death. It caused no pain to me at all; in fact, it caused a joy within me to no longer have to struggle with making righteous choices of compassionate understanding with the full attack of the devil coming to bear upon my life. I knew with certainty that my loosing was effective and that the loosee will one day, if not already, regret not facing righteousness in her lifetime and embracing liars instead. For eternity, she will no longer be a part of mine. How sad for her; I am so beloved by so many, and especially by the Lord.

Maybe our permanent separation makes her happy; maybe it does not. Regardless, it is a fact of eternal life and an option that I claim fully for dealing with those in my life that wallow in filth and are tricked by the lies of the wicked. If you cannot come to me in life and rise above the horridness you have wallowed in, then in death, I will not know you. You will be freed from obligation by me, and I will free myself of obligation to you.

What most matters is that you believe in your salvation through Jesus Christ. But, if you were thinking of making peace with me someday in Heaven, where things are surely more easily dealt without the control of wickedness, you will be sadly mistaken if my strong belief holds true. By that time, it will be too late. You will already be loosed by me through the grace of my loving Lord that grants my prayers special note, and loves me more than you can ever imagine.

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18)

What are the identities of the Four Kingdoms and Kings in Daniel 7?

2011-03-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

That is a tough question to answer fully and is dependent upon the various End Times beliefs to explain toward better understanding. Daniel's prophecies are given before any events happen; but some events have happened before our age. Also, some of Daniel's prophecies have yet to happen. So the interpreter of Daniel must consider both times; those that happened after Daniel's prophesy but before our time and those that will happen in the future with the unfolding of End Times.

I seldom teach this difficult subject of interpretation because I am not confident that I understand it fully. However, I can answer your question a little bit and give you some idea of the arguments concerning Daniel 7. Any personal views that I offer are based upon my prewrath pretribulationist view; but, I doubt there are many personal claims made in my answer since I do not fully comprehend all aspects of the arguments.

The Identification of the Four Kingdoms (Daniel 7)

Babylon - 1st Beast: (Lion with the wings of an eagle) – Babylon was known to be represented with winged lions, and some artifacts have been discovered in the ruins of Babylon. Further, Nebuchadnezzar was symbolized as a lion and an eagle in Jer 4:7, 49:19,22;50:17, 44 and as an eagle in Jer 49:22.[1] There is little debate concerning the identity of the first kingdom as Babylon.

Medo-Persia – 2nd Beast: (Bear, raised up on one of its sides, with three ribs in its mouth, or is it fangs, between its teeth. It was told to “Get up and eat your fill of flesh!”) Most scholars either identify the bear as being having one side larger; some think the visualization portrays a walking bear.[2] Regardless, both larger and higher can indicate an empire of two different parts that is portrayed by a higher and lower side of the bear. The Media and Persia alliance fits this description perfectly; Persia (higher side) rose to a “position of dominance” in the alliance; together, they were noted for their “great size and fierceness in battle.” [3]

Author Miller favors the Medo-Persian Empire because it compares with the description of the ram in chapter 8, that has two horns, one larger than the other, which is identified as that alliance of two nations.[4] It is a literal fact that Medo-Persia controlled many nations; their dominion stretched from “Egypt and the Aegean on the west to the Indus River on the east” with more territory subdued by the empire than any other up until that time.[5]

The identity of the bear as the Median Empire implies that the Median kingdom followed the Babylonian; yet, history records Cyrus the Persian as conquering Babylon in 539 B.C. This makes a chronological mistake; we learn in Daniel 5:30-31 that Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain and that Darius the Mede received the kingdom.[6] Whether this discrepancy adds value to the identity of the four Kingdoms is debatable.

Greece – 3rd Beast: (Leopard with four wings and four heads with the authority to rule) – Following the domination of Medo-Persia, Greece dominated the world. Alexander the Great led Greece to capture the entire Medo-Persian Empire to the borders of India with a lightning speed and an insatiable lust for territory.[7] The division of Alexander’s seized territories were carved into four parts, (1) Antipater, (2)Thrace and Asia Minor (3) Syria, Babylon, Middle East and Asia (except Asia Minor and Palestine), and (4) Egypt and Palestine, after his death.[8] These divisions might allude to the four quarters of the earth signified by the four wings.

Rome or Modern Europe – 4th Beast - (A terrifying, frightening, very powerful beast with iron teeth that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot all that was left. It was different from the former beasts, and it had ten horns. Another little horn came up among them, and then three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully) – By the second century B.C., Rome became the dominant world power over Greece, and would be signified by the iron legs and feet of the statue. However, there are some scholars that identify the fourth empire as the Seleucid-Greek division of Greece. This does not seem to represent the awesome power and influence of historical Rome, and representing Greece with powerful symbolization with iron incompatible with known history according to Miller.[9] The difference of the Roman Empire from all others that had come before it is indicative of the rise of the powerful Kingdom, with its Roman legions and widespread reach in government.

Westminster Theological Seminary Professor E.J. Young’s proposal that Modern Europe originated from the Roman Empire, and thus becomes a possible candidate for the fourth kingdom is intriguing and warrants some inquiry.[10] This might indicate the Antichrist will come from future developments once Roman conquered European soil.

Another interesting argument that disagrees with common interpretation by scholars is based upon the subjugation of the Jews by the different Kingdoms, which can be ordered when Daniels’s dreams and Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams are joined. Thus, the seven beasts are identified as possibly (1) Egyptian (Hamitic), (2) Assyrian (Semitic), (3) Babylonian (probably Semitic), (4) Medo-Persian (Japhetic), (5) Greek (Japhetic), (6) Roman (Japhetic) and the mysterious seventh beast empire, possibly the (7) ancient Roman Empire. [11] In this interpretation, the first three beast empires of Satan (before the “seventy weeks” of Daniel in 445 B.C. were all descendants of Hem or Shem; however, the fourth beast empire (Medo-Persian) begins the seventy week “curse” on Israel, and from then on, the Satanic Kingdoms are derived from the Japhetic background.[12]

It would be interesting to consider ideas in further discussion of the identity of the Kingdoms based upon Jewish history, which is at the center of all of God’s End Times preparations, rather than world domination that has a more relevant connection to carnal mankind. Some scholars acknowledge the connection with the shifting historical circumstances of the Jewish community with the formation of the book of Daniel.[13] If Daniel was moved to keep these circumstances in mind as he wrote, an argument might be made that identity of the four kingdoms should be based on this connection.

The Ram and the Goat (Daniel 8)

Scholars agree that the Ram with two horns (8:3,4) represent Media and Persia, one divided by the other in power. This the powerful Media to the North, and Persia united, the Medo-Persian Empire became large, powerful, and undefeatable. [14] Further, the symbolism is directly interpreted by Gabriel in 8:20 as Media and Persia.

The charging goat (8:5-8) is identified by Gabriel as the symbol of the king of Grecia (Alexander the Great of the Greek Empire)[15] in 8:21. The charging goat portrays the conquering Greek military led by Alexander that brought an end to the Medo-Persian Empire in 331 B.C.[16]

The Kings of the South and the North (Daniel 11:2-35)

Miller identifies the King of the South as Ptolemy I Soter (323-285 B.C), who was ruler of Egypt as one of the generals under Alexander, and later Ptolemy II Philadelphus.[17] Daniel 11:8 identifies Egypt specifically.

Miller identifies the King of the North Antiochus II Theos of the Seleucids (Syria).

The revelation was thought to be limited to these two divisions because Palestine lay between them. The agreement married Berenice, Ptolemy’s daughter (daughter of King to the South) to Antiochus (King of the North) to form an alliance; the powerful union did not last after Antiochus other wife Laodice, murdered Antiochus, Berenice, and their child.[18]

In my prewrath pretribulationist view the opening of the second seal connects the collision of the king of the South with the Antichrist, with the king of the North storming against him as prophesized in Dan 11:40-45.[19] Van Kampen, a leading scholar of this view, identifies the king of the South as probably the ruler of Egypt, and the king of the North as most probably the ruler of Assyria or Babylon or both.[20]

The King who Exalts Himself (Daniel 11:36-45)

Daniel’s vision up to 11:36 is agreed to be concerned with the events in the time that Daniel lived. However, 11:36 might begin prophecy that introduces future details concerning End Times. There are two different sides to this interpretation.

The Maccabean thesis believe that 36-45 continues to speak about Antiochus IV Epiphanes.[21]

The careful exegetical interpretation of 36-45 requires these words to be interpreted within the future last days, immediately prior to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.[22] It is verse 40 that confirms this to be the time at the end, and confirms the promised understanding given to Daniel in 10:14 to future end time’s events.[23] Since the future resurrection of the dead from their graves is promised in Daniel 12:2, and the king in Daniel 11:36-39 seems to be a new introduction,[24] it seems highly plausible that it is End Times prophesy.

I hope this answer helps position you for further study and gives you some part of a platform to begin your inquiries.

Bibliography

Gammie, John G. "Classification, Stages of Growth, and Changing Intentions in the Book of Daniel." Journal of Biblical Literature 95, no. no. 2 (1976).

Miller, Stephen R. The New American Commentary: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, Daniel. Vol. 18. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 1994.

Rhodes, Arnold B. "Kingdoms of Men and the Kingdom of God: A Study of Daniel 7:1-14." Interpretation 15, no. no. 4 (1961).

Van Kampen, Robert. The Sign: Bible Prophecy Concerning the End Times. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1992.

Young, E.J. The Prophecy of Daniel. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949.

References:

[1] Stephen R. Miller, The New American Commentary: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, Daniel, vol. 18 (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 1994), 197.

[2]Ibid., 198.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid., 199.

[6] Arnold B. Rhodes, "Kingdoms of Men and the Kingdom of God: A Study of Daniel 7:1-14," Interpretation 15, no. no. 4 (1961): 418.

[7] Miller, 197.

[8] Ibid., 199,200.

[9] Ibid., 201.

[10] E.J. Young, The Prophecy of Daniel (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949), 323.

[11] Robert Van Kampen, The Sign: Bible Prophecy Concerning the End Times (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1992), 103-105.

[12] Ibid., 105.

[13] John G Gammie, "Classification, Stages of Growth, and Changing Intentions in the Book of Daniel," Journal of Biblical Literature 95, no. no. 2 (1976): 204.

[14] Miller, 222.

[15] Ibid., 223.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid., 293.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Van Kampen, 195.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Miller, 305.

[22] Ibid.

[23] Ibid., 305.

[24] Ibid.

Spiritual rhetoric stirred by the primitive nature of Caliban’s false god Setebos

2011-03-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

The all-knowing, all-powerful, most holy LORD God JEHOVAH is revealed to Christ’s followers and His Chosen people through spiritual revelation that is dispensed to believers according to His time and Word. Throughout history, carnal mankind has tried to create gods that circumvent the need to receive higher spiritual revelation, obey laws, and exercise faith in the unseen, in an effort to understand and control the worship of false gods by their naturally reasoned creators. Browning captures the common characteristics of little god belief in his poem “Caliban upon Setebos, Or, Natural Theology in the Island,” that reflects the primitive nature of false god Setebos as it is revealed through Caliban’s natural reason. When the nature of false god Setobos is contrasted to the superior and only LORD God of all Creation, the ridiculous notion of natural theology over spiritual revelation is made common and unworthy of serious contemplation, and argues against the Gnostic belief system that prevents Believers from coming spiritually close to the Triune God.

Maybe it is carnal mankind’s need to create false gods because of its lack of understanding to grasp the notion of relationship with the Almighty LORD God. Their natural reluctance to come close to an unknown LORD God may be a survival instinct of those without Christ to shield them; scientist-cosmologist Brian Swimme observes “that an immediate experience of the divine would be “shattering” to any creature” (O’Gorman 76). The most-holy nature of God requires a “host of beings and creations that you can apprehend and endure without obliteration or collapse” (O’Gorman 76). That concept requires spiritual revelation, an idea that causes those of nature worship great distress.

The Gnostic approach of natural theology requires explanation from things that can be only seen in nature; if unseen, it is non-existent and unworthy of belief. Spiritual revelation is the only way the LORD God can be received; but, the false gods of natural theology allows their creators to observe with an ordered reason that can be expressed in limited human terms. Caliban represents the host to his false deity, observing his god’s nature through a natural theology without risk of extermination; in contrast, the most severe results of unfiltered face-to-face contact with the real LORD God would quickly obliterate the naked approach of an observer (Exodus 19:21-24). Yet, in Setebos case, only a little false god anger is expressed if done before the winter time of ending season draws near; apparently it is safer before that time to come closer and witness his wrath and talk of him without fear of being extinguished immediately (Browning Lines 17-19).

Interestingly, Caliban calls for his god in threes: “Setebos, Setebos, and Setebos,” just like those who worship the real Triune God (Browning Line 24). Apparently, the full understanding of the relationship between the real LORD God, Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit cannot be grasped by those of false natural faith; instead, they mimic the exaltation of fervent prayer to the Triune God, and attach the three names when they call for their own. It would not do for the nature worshipers to have an inferior summons to their god in prayer.

Some say that Caliban’s theology is based upon exposure to Darwin’s “Origin of Species” which pollutes the reliability of spiritual revelation with the suspicion that nature holds only random chance (Fry 67). Caliban’s analogy of his false god’s random choice of granting life or making death upon the marching crabs certainly suggests a sort of natural selection, albeit by a god (Browning Lines 100-108). Natural selection in Caliban’s world is further advanced by his silly god’s purposeful creation of life to kill life to sustain life (Browning Lines 45-55). In fact, the little god Setebos is mocked for his inability to make a mate of perfection, equal to himself, forcing him to spitefully create life that is unsatisfactory and an eyesore in his presence (Browning Lines 56-60).

How different is the creation efforts of the most Holy LORD God as He shapes man perfectly in image of Himself (Genesis 1:26). The nature of Caliban’s god to create life out of spite for sport or boredom to make gladness come to him (Browning Lines 61-63) is in stark contrast to the true LORD God who creates life that reflects His Glory and fully empowers His created people with His Holy Spirit (Psalm 22:23-29; John 14:26). The tiny false gods of the natural theology of Gnostic belief make playthings to first admire, and then mock in a cruel cycle of self-glory (Browning, Lines 64-65).

Setebos is a cruel, ugly, tiny god in Caliban’s contemplation. Setebos can choose to give him wings, or not, out of the miry play-doh of gods; if the brittle clay snaps, laughter erupts (Browning Lines 85,86). Caliban’s god is not the LORD God of love, redemption, grace, sanctification, holiness, or life; his god is one of ridicule, rejection, rebuke, meanness, and selfishness. Setebos makes and mars life clay at his will and has no sense in justice between kindness and cruelness; it is his strength that makes him lord rather than a holy nature able to measure wisely the things of righteousness (Browning Lines 97-99).

The LORD God creates perfection; it is mankind’s transgression and active disobedience against His will, ways, and holiness that prevents the righteous development of His people. Setebos, as presented by Caliban, creates imperfection with a heavy foot placed upon the developing beings to prevent them from growing powerful and becoming a challenge to him (Browning Lines 65-67). The LORD God allows his creation to progress naturally, but always according to His time and will; the false god Setebos causes his creation to depend solely upon the timing and ways of nature for mere entertainment purposes.

Greek legendary false gods have always been portrayed as playing with human being destinies as they toyed with men, placing them in dire troubles and serious situations for their amusement. Setebos reflects this same nature as he toys with his creatures to relieve his boredom in a mythological drama that removes freewill in spurious shadows and replaces it with puppet strings of a weary deity that has nothing better to do than play.

Conclusion

Many in the Victorian Age held the belief that the material world “was flawed, created by an imperfect and selfish god, characteristically equated with the Hebrew Jehovah” (Fry 69). Caliban’s description of Setebos describes the little false god created by natural theology; but, there is also hint of the Triune God among his sarcastic contemplations. When Caliban makes statements like “I make the cry my maker cannot make, (w)ith his great round mouth; he must blow through mine!” (Browning Lines 124, 125) an undercurrent of disdain for the Holy Spirit relationship between the LORD God and His people seems under attack. That attitude is actually the underlying foundation of Gnosticism, a belief that attributes the evils of earthly life not to original sin but to the world’s and humanity’s initial creation and creator” (Fry 69).

Caliban’s presentation of Setebos reveals the consequences of natural theology, which births Gnosticism and leads to the enlightened new-age belief that has developed in our own times. Natural theology makes human beings under the control of the order of nature, without moral or spiritual reason (McIlroy 508). When the “New Natural Law” develops fully, moral order becomes the framework of life, and revelation from the Triune LORD God unnecessary (McIlroy 511). Caliban’s posturing in the “warm mire under his Pompion plant” reeks of the self-enlightened presentation of Buddha-like worship under the Bodhi tree of many different gods to suit each believer’s sensibilities, as he attempts to understand this never-ending ordered control of natural law (Fry 70).

Be aware; natural theology is not limited to Caliban upon Setebos from Victorian times long ago! The Roman Catholic Church expresses natural theology through Thomas Aquinas and Vatican I, with a “dualism regarding the relationship of nature and grace,” and the order of salvation and creation (Echeverria 88). Even the foundational Hebrew Bible that upholds ancient Jewish spiritual theology is being challenged by nationalistic Israelites and wannabe Theologians of note who charge its content as filled with natural philosophy that is unable to even prove that God really exists (Gericke 1). The systematic theology of the Protestant elite also move toward a “theology of nature” that offers a third dialectical option that provides answers to the meaning of life that transcendent revelation and natural knowledge cannot explain (Buitendag1). When this happens, human beings are left with a notion of an inferior, hateful and manipulative god that rules them with chance and fate, spite and hate. Anytime mankind defines the most omnipotent, omniscient, holy LORD God with reason over revelation, nature over spirit, little false gods are created with natures perfectly portrayed in Browning’s “Caliban upon Setebos, Or, Natural Theology in the Island.”

Works Cited

Browning, Robert. "Caliban upon Setebos, Or, Natural Theology in the Island." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. Julia Reidhead. NY-London: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006.

Buitendag, Johan. "Nature as Creation from an Eco-Hermeneutical Perspedtive: From a ‘Natural Theology’ to a ‘Theology of Nature’.” Hervormde Teologiese Studies 65, no. 1 (December 2009): 509-518. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 24, 2011).

Echeverria, Eduardo J. "The Reformed objection to natural theology: a Catholic response to Herman Bavinck." Calvin Theological Journal 45.1 (2010): 87-116. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. EBSCO. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.

Fry, Carrol L. "Caliban upon the Demiurge: Gnosticism on the Island in "Caliban upon Setebos." Victorian Newsletter 113 (2008): 67-76. Humanities International Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.

Gericke, Jacobus W. "Natural (A)Theologies in Ancient Israel: Descriptive Perspectives from Philosophy of Religion.” Verbum et Ecclesia 31.1 (2010): 1-6. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.

McIlroy, David. "What's at Stake in Natural Law?." New Blackfriars 89.1023 (2008): 508-521. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.

O'Gorman, Kathleen. "The natural world as religious educator: a mediated address by the natural world." Religious Education 102.1 (2007): 75-92. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. EBSCO. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.

Why are so many Christian-raised youth rebelling against their parents today?

2011-01-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

It is a sign of the times.

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

However, it is not just the end days that causes expressions of betrayal to come from our once-trusted family members. Even John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress in the 1600's, noticed the same problem of youth rejection of Christian parents. He wrote a powerful poem that sadly reflects his experience with some of the same pains that so many Christian parents feel today:

Upon the Disobedient Child [pp. 761–62]

Children become, while little, our delights!
When they grow bigger, they begin to fright’s.
Their sinful nature prompts them to rebel,
And to delight in paths that lead to hell.
Their parents’ love and care they overlook,
As if relation had them quite forsook.
They take the counsels of the wanton’s, rather
Than the most grave instructions of a father.
They reckon parents ought to do for them,
Though they the fifth commandment do contemn;
They snap and snarl if parents them control,
Though but in things most hurtful to the soul.
They reckon they are masters, and that we
Who parents are, should to them subject be!
If parents fain would have a hand in choosing,
The children have a heart will in refusing.
They’ll by wrong doings, under parents gather,
And say it is no sin to rob a father.
They’ll jostle parents out of place and power,
They’ll make themselves the head, and them devour.
How many children, by becoming head,
Have brought their parents to a piece of bread!
Thus they who, at the first, were parents joy,
Turn that to bitterness, themselves destroy.
But, wretched child, how canst thou thus requite
Thy aged parents, for that great delight
They took in thee, when thou, as helpless, lay
In their indulgent bosoms day by day?
Thy mother, long before she brought thee forth,
Took care thou shouldst want neither food nor cloth.
Thy father glad was at his very heart,
Had he to thee a portion to impart.
Comfort they promised themselves in thee,
But thou, it seems, to them a grief wilt be.
How oft, how willingly brake they their sleep,
If thou, their bantling, didst but winch or weep.
Their love to thee was such they could have giv’n,
That thou mightst live, almost their part of heav’n.
But now, behold how they rewarded are!
For their indulgent love and tender care;
All is forgot, this love he doth despise.
They brought this bird up to pick out their eyes.

John Bunyan. “A Book for Boys and Girls: or, Temporal Things Spiritualized.” Pages 746–62 in vol. 3 of The Works of John Bunyan. Edited by George Offor. 3 vols. London: Blackie and Son, 1853.

Let us pray that the betrayal of youth against their Christian parents ends with separation, rather than annihilation. Let us hope that some of the wicked youth turn back to their first-love, and begin to walk as Christ taught them. And let us especially pray for the parents who must endure the betrayal of their children, whom they gave all their life, love, and teachings to raise them up; may God break the beaks of the children, before the parent's eyes are plucked out!

Kathy L. McFarland

Why is the existance of the Israelite Kingdom in 10th Century B.C. questioned?

2010-10-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

Many researchers and scholars doubt the inerrant Word of God; thus, the lack of evidence found for the existence of the Israelite Kingdom in 10th Century B.C. causes them to make many false assumptions. The most perfect reason that can be given for their doubts of the 10th Century B.C. Israelite Kingdom must be placed squarely upon their doubt of the Word of God, since that same Word is the basis of all Truth, and should be the confirming and foundational basis for which all archaeology in Israel and surrounding areas should be interpreted.

But, that is the answer from the Christian perspective. There is a secular excuse for those scholars who do not believe in the existence of the 10th Century B.C. The artifacts from that time cannot be found; thus, they must not exist. This argument reminds me of the time when scientists suggested that the atom existed or the planets circled the earth, and the church called them heretics! In ignorance, the church battled new ideas, fearing the Word of God would not stand. And now, we have the absolute reverse! The Word of God stands sure in archaeological discoveries over and over; so often, that present-day archaeologists take extra care, after the discovery of other unbelieved cultures and cities have been found, just like the Bible said! The reliable, foundational Word of God reflects the truth, but this time, the minimalist archaeologists and ivory tower intellectuals can't see the evidence, so it does not exist. My we have come a long way in the debate between science and faith!

Scholars should consider why there is a lack of evidence for the Israelite Kingdom. Israel is a giant Tel, with city upon city upon city built upon the top of generations of cities. The task of pealing back the layers of history one brush and trowel at a time, surely must take more time than any present-day scholar would be able to analyze in his lifetime. Also, the lack of idols and images are explained when one considers the religious prohibitions to the Jews to not make a graven image of the LORD God. Their religious practice never produced the evidence that is commonly found in the secular world antiquities.

There is scant evidence. Archaeologist Kathleen Kenyan points out that the stories of David and Solomon are not known outside the Bible, and there is absolutely no evidence to prove their existence (Price, 165). On the other hand, the Tel Dan dig has found pottery, without pig remains (indicating a Jewish camp) that has altar style worship depicted. Another small piece of evidence, the Gezzur Tablet, shows how Israelites raised crops. Also, archaeologists have found a place that melted copper ore, which is also found in 2 Samuel 8:14. Also, clay seals that were attached to papyri documents have been found, and Hebrew inscriptions on stone from the Gezar Calendar verify the Israelite civilization. The most exciting find is the discovery ivory pomegranate scepter head with the inscription from a priest of the First Temple. (Price, 186)

In the end analysis, it is a foolish venture to try to base a life work of discovery of ancient history that was probably stirred by the Bible from the beginning but denied when analysis begins. Of course, if silly men can prove God does not exist, then they become gods themselves. Seems like funky science with a little bit of Garden of Eden sin thrown in for good measure!

Reference:

Price, Randall. The Stones Cry Out: What Archaeology Reveals About the Truth of the Bible. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 1997.

What are the "brothers and sisters" translation options in Acts 1:16?

2010-10-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

“And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men [and] brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.” (Ac 1:15-16 AV)

Different interpretations of those present on the day Peter stood in the midst of the disciples speaking to the crowd of 120 include a crowd of just men or that women were also present. We know the number of witnesses because it is recorded in Scripture. However, we cannot be certain of their gender identities, because of the word used to describe them. Peter uses the Greek word “andres adelphoi” to address his viewers. This word can be translated as “brothers” indicating a male gender exclusively, or “brethren”, allowing for a word representing an ambiguous gender of both women and men (Bock 2007, 81).

Interestingly, the word references a woman named Damaris in Acts 17:34, by using the Greek word for “believers” (Polhill 1992, 26); yet another scholar declares this reference to be an address to males only (Jervell 1998, 123). While it is clear that women are present during the speech of Peter, it is uncertain to whom his speech is addressed; whether it is to all present, to men only, or to the eleven cannot be determined (Bock 2007, 81). Acts 1:16; 2:14, 22,29, 37; 7:2; 13:38; 15:13; 22:1; 23:1; 28:17 identifies this same Greek word as “brothers”, because the qualifier identifies them as the apostles.

My opinion is that a general address is made to a group of men and women in Acts 1:16, and that the generic term of “brethren” is the best translation. I am not convinced however, that women had the authority to participate in the gathered Sanhedrin and whether they were counted as actively involved in this discourse cannot be determined.

Bibliography

Bock, Darrell L. Acts: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.

Jervell, J. Die Apostelgeschichte: Kritischexegetischer Kommentar uber das Neue Testament 3. Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1998.

Polhill, J.B. Acts New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman, 1992.

Where is the Uttermost Part of the Earth spoken in Acts 1:8?

2010-10-03T12:41:00.001-07:00

Acts 1:8 promises the Holy Spirit to be given to men, to guide them to perfect witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the “uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8), as it establishes the theme of Acts (Longenecker 1981, 257). The locations that Christ designates for this witness is interpreted many ways by different scholars, however, and can make a difference in how we identify the “church” that Acts speaks. This dispute includes places of the “uttermost part of the earth” to be Rome, Spain, Ethiopia, Israel, the whole world, the farthest end of the earth, or as merely an ethnic designation of Gentiles or Diaspora Jews witness (Bock 2007, 64)

Initially, I wanted to take the position that once again the Word of God was being over thought, by pompous scholars hoping to gain notice for their different interpretations. There is something wrong with trying to make the “uttermost part of the earth” anything other than EVERYWHERE. However, the more I pondered this, I wondered after one thing, and that is the interpretation that expresses Rome as the destination spoken about as the “uttermost part of the earth.” This position holds that Rome is suggested with a literary license to support the hub of the Gentile world; once the Gospel has reached Rome, it can proceed everywhere (Barrett 1994, 80). It would not be a far stretch for some to argue that since Rome became the centralized point for the witness of the Gospel, Scripture might support the authority of the Roman Catholic Church to dictate and control that witness.

Strong Protestant belief is not going to accept this interpretation ever. Predictably, Calvin assigns the whole world as the stage of Christian witness, and thinks that Christ’s point was the need for both Jews and Gentiles to unite into one holy people (Calvin 2005, 48). Yet, many believe it was the imperial capital city of Rome that was the final destination of the Gospel witness and that the Book of Acts accounts that destination focus completely without regard for witness to the literal “uttermost part of the earth”. (Longenecker 1981, 257).

Certainly, the Roman Catholic Church accepts the duty of spreading the Gospel message to the ends of the earth, starting from Jerusalem, and in the course of time, achieving a universal effect (Beovitch 1942, Ad gentes divinitus 3 763). So far so good! Their take was the same as a Protestant’s view! But then I found the evidence I sought in their Catechism of the Catholic Church under the title of “The Church – instituted by Christ Jesus” #763. “…’The Lord Jesus inaugurated his Church by preaching the Good News, that is, the coming of the Reign of God, promised over the ages in the scriptures.’ To fulfill the Father’s will, Christ ushered in the Kingdom of heaven on earth. The Church ‘is the Reign of Christ already present in mystery.’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1994) When Acts 1:8 is interpreted by misguided scholars as Rome being the final destination for the witness of Christ’s church expressed in Acts, they are giving full credence to the claim of the Roman Catholic Church has authority and full responsibility for the spread of the witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the universe.

Bibliography

Barrett, C.K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1994.

Beovitch, Matthew. Companion to the Catechism. Melbourne: Catholic Education Office, 1942.
Bible, Holy. The King James Study Bible: King James Version. Columbia: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1988.

Bock, Darrell L. Acts: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.

Calvin, John. Calvin's Commentaries: Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Vol. XVI. 22 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker Books House Company, 2005.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. New York: Doubleday, 1994.

Longenecker, Richard. The Expositor's Bible Commentary: John and Acts, Vol 9. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981.

Jesus Christ has the Power on Earth to Forgive Sin

2010-09-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Delia Knox is a popular singer who pastors at Living World Christian Center in Mobile, Ala, with her husband, Bishop Levy Know. She has been paralyzed since a car accident on Christmas Day 1987.

British evangelist Nathan Morris, along with other ministers in the congregation laid healing hands upon her at a revival service in the Mobile Convention Center on Friday night, August 27, 2010, and the nerves in her legs began healing and feeling. In a wonderful movement of the Holy Spirit that leaves little doubt of His healing power, Delia stood upright with assistance, and walked. The congregation danced and jumped in joy as He surged through their presence.

Jesus heals the Palsy for one reason, to announce that He has the power on this earth to forgive sins!

“And again he entered into Capernaum after [some] days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive [them], no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken [it] up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this [man] thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, [Thy] sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.” (Mr 2:1-12 AV) (Check out Matthew 9 and Luke 5 for extra proof!)

Let us be amazed together, and glorify the LORD God for both His miracle and His message. May those who see this powerful healing know with certainty that the Lord Jesus Christ can indeed forgive sins of sinners who transgress in their lives on earth; merely repent, believe, and ask Him!

Update: December 16, 2010

Praise be to God!

One Christian's Analysis of Frost's "The Road Not Taken"

2010-08-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

An Uncommon Man of Natural Regret

At least three different types of travelers navigate through life - the faithful man belonging to God and whose every step is led upon the path He chooses toward his eternal life, the common man belonging to the world and whose led by his nose with a ring pulled by propaganda and tradition in his pathetic life, and the natural man belonging to himself and has obtained the ability and freedom to choose a direction and path in his mortal life. “The Road Not Taken” symbolizes the difficulty for the natural man, who has evolved above common man but not reached the life of faithful man, to make a choice between two different paths in life and experience the regret that comes from the choices of life a man makes without the leading of our LORD God.

Frost’s poem shows that a natural man traveler is free to choose between two different paths in life. The undergrowth on one path and the lack of wear on the other reveals that neither of these paths along the road is traveled often; yet, others have walked the same path in past time, and have had the same choice of two very separate paths.

The traveler is faced with the choices between two paths without the benefit of knowing the destination. He strives to see past the paths immediately before him by looking as deeply as he can toward the horizon to weigh his future reward. Unfortunately, his destiny can only be imagined from scant clues that offer little revelation to the end results. He realizes that even though he desires to journey along both paths, the reality of life would prevent him from returning to the fork in the road to explore the road not taken.

In the end, the natural man traveler chooses to take the road less traveled according to his justified perception, and admits that his choice made a difference to his life. His sighs of regret of not knowing the destination of the road not taken, reveals the ultimate disappointment that a man of nature will always experience, when the realization of his “free will in life” smacks right into the inevitable “only one life to live” principle that all mortal, natural men must accept. It is in this last stanza, that the reader is able to realize how insignificant the choice of a path in the woods, and look deeper into the meaning of words to find the significance of that travel.

Poet Frost brings the reader to full understanding of the self-focused traveler, the one who has neither God nor man leading him, through the generous use of the word “I” throughout the poem. He specifically uses the word “and” over and over, to create the idea of choice, and then creates dilemma through the use of words such as “sorry,” “perhaps,” “really,” “oh,” and “yet” to qualify the confused traveler’s options. The pattern of rhyme in the ABAAB format causes the reader to feel the back-and-forth argument that the natural man reflects within himself, which intensifies the conflict between the present day choice, and the future result.

Through a simple reading of “The Road Less Traveled,” the reader might quickly conclude that the brave traveler was given a choice between an often traveled road and a barely navigated one. By examining the descriptions of both roads, it is apparent that while there are distinctions in each road, the measure is lacking because the final results cannot be seen and weighed. This frustrates the natural man, as he struggles to compare two similar choices of direction without the proper measuring tools.

In the end, the natural man declares his choice of the direction to travel to be the “one less traveled.” This might well convince a casual reader to believe that the traveler was noble and brave, choosing a path to destiny that is not chosen often; however, when the words used to describe both roads are carefully weighed, that case cannot be made. The reader might assume, then, that the “one less traveled by” was not actually known from the start of the trip, and might well be a justification of the traveler to both define a “good” choice made by him, and to offer excuse if his future holds failure.

The metaphors to this poem are easily discerned at first glance. The roads represent two choices in life, two paths to walk, that a natural man must ponder. Because life is as it is, only one path or the either will ever be navigated by this traveler. The natural man’s regret of not knowing the right answer, though apparent at the end of the poem, is somewhat mellowed through his justification that he was unique and choosing his own way. In fact, if careful reading is not done at the end of this poem, this concept might well be thought the theme of the entire poem. The title of the poem, however, adds understanding to the theme and reflects the regret of a natural man and the quiet development of self-pride and arrogance that often accompanies decisions made by the worldly free when based on man-made and scant evidence.

It is this carnal evidence that natural man must judge each of the choices he makes. Sadly, whatever direction he chooses will be a failure to him. In the end, he will look back with dismay, and wonder if the road not chosen would have brought a deeper fulfillment and meaning to his life. His justifications for his choice will long be forgotten, and he will long for the do-over of life to experience another chance for eternal joy, that will never be his.

It is only in the travels of a faithful Christian, where the LORD God will show the path of life to be taken, and bless the traveler with the fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16:11). It is only the faithful man who is without threat of being overcome by those who lay traps for him along the path of life, and it is only the faithful man that is shown the path of life by God, when his spirit is overwhelmed and unable to choose (Psalm 142:3). It is the light of Jesus Christ that lights the path of a faithful man, and His Word that becomes a lamp to guide his feet (Psalm 119:105). Regrettably, the natural man is without guide or protection in his freedom, and will always reach the end of his mortal life with sorrow, and sigh over “The Road Not Taken.”

How does persecution affect the Great Commission witness efforts?

2010-07-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

The Great Commission

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20 AV)

The persecution against the early church was significant and can be found specifically in Acts after the martyrdom of Stephen. Acts 8:4-8 shows the Christians were forced to flee abroad to avoid persecution. This brings the preaching of the Word of God to Samaria ( Acts 8:4-25), and to a people that moves away from the Chosen Tribes of Israel, and toward the mixed blood Samaritans. The significance of persecution is actually reflected from Acts 8 to the end of the book and beyond, where Christian missionaries scattered abroad, preaching the Word in all places in all seasons to all people.

This "persecution escape” mentality must surely have contributed to the development of Paul’s commitment in “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (Acts 8:28-31) as long as the physical threat was put in the Hands of God.

Sadly, the worldview of Christian commitment to spreading the Word of God has developed over the centuries to form the Evangelistic efforts of the church today, without the “no man forbidding him” part, as Christians take due care to follow the rules of the country they minister within, and stay meekly obedient to the cultures and laws of the places they go. The deeper concept of this Christian missionary response to persecution has a more cynical result. It places the teaching of the Word of God into the darkened, back-room, hushed whispers of a careful people, and prevents the wide assimilation of the Word of God to those that desperately need to know Him. If Christian missionaries shouted from the towers five times a day, disregarding the threat of persecution and condemnation, and pronounced the Truth of God to mankind as vigorously and openly as the Islamic nation professes the precepts of their belief in their god, they might die, but mankind might live.

Interestingly, that same “ducking the head” approach might have been practiced by some Christians in the early church. Acts 8:1-3 speaks of a great persecution that broke out at the church of Jerusalem, scattering the apostles throughout Judea and Samaria, and the persecution by Saul visited upon people in the houses of Jerusalem. In the broader context, the persecution recorded is primarily against the Hellenistic Christians of Jerusalem rather than against the whole church. According to Longenecker, “the native-born and more scrupulous Jewish Christians” became inconspicuous and were able to disassociate themselves from the Hellenistic Jewish Christians among them (Longenecker 1981, 353). Bock seems to also agree on the identity of the Hellenist Christians as the focal point for the persecution, with a reasonable explanation as to why the apostles stayed (Bock 2007, 318). Accordingly, it was only the Hellenistic Jews that left for distant lands, while the Hebraic Christians ducked their heads and whispered quietly amongst themselves.

The broad stroke of Luke’s “all” records the importance of the Hellenistic Jews escape, and the carrying of the Gospel past the confines of Jerusalem. The contributions to the whispering Hebraic Jews led to nothing, while the brave apostles who spread the Gospel throughout the world, allowing no man to stop their truth speaking Word of God, prospered the church. This history should lead to a deeper consideration among evangelical missionaries of the presentation of the Word of God. Should it be done in whispers and head-ducks and under control of man, or should it be shouted from the mountain tops and the towers and the hills and the high points, without regard of threats of persecution. Acts 8 shows us that it was the aggressive and sincere effort, done in the open, regardless of threat, that prospered the church and the head-ducking, quiet, meek and unassuming ones did nothing with regard to spreading the Word of God. The contrast between “whispering from the closet” and the “shouting from the mountaintop” evangelists lead to the obvious answer to the next question…

Is suffering persecution normal for a Christian?

The easy answer, again, is a resounding “of course!” We are joint-heirs in suffering with our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 8:17-19), and we MUST suffer for the His gospel to be advanced (Bible, 1Co 9:12). These two truths, with the knowledge that the Lord provides all things to us, means that these sufferings are not from a lack of provision by Him, but rather, an attack from outside the faith by carnal mankind. Our suffering comes from persecution that has the same nature as the persecution that Christ endured.

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” (Php 1:27-29 AV)

It is normal for a Christian to suffer persecution if the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being advanced. If the Christian is a head-ducking whisperer of their witness of the Lord and His Word, then persecution would unlikely come to them. If they are shouting the Word of God as Paul did, without restriction of man, then persecution is almost guaranteed!

It was as a direct result of persecution that began with the martyrdom of Stephen, that the gospel was carried beyond Jerusalem (Longenecker 1981, 353). When Luke uses the word “all” to record the extent of persecution the early church suffered, he is denoting that a significant portion of the church is persecuted, affecting the whole church (Bock 2007, 318).

In these difficult days, as the things of prophecy appear to be fulfilling in our time, each Christian must make a choice of their stand for Him. Chances are great that aggressive and vocal Christians will suffer persecution before the quiet and hiding ones. Some believe that prophecy suggests Christians will be raptured before the great tribulation is visited upon mankind, and offers hope to some that persecution can be avoided entirely if they remain quiet, polite, respectful and all-inclusive of all belief. My preference is to go out like a rocket, with the light of Jesus Christ being the last thing someone sees as I am propelled to my new life with Him. So, I expect attacks daily; and the consistent aggressions by common, carnal and sometimes wicked men have yet to contradict my belief that persecution will come to me always as I walk the way of Christ

Bibliography

Bock, Darrell L. Acts: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.

Longenecker, Richard. The Expositor's Bible Commentary: John and Acts, Vol 9. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981.

Transgression with Cause

2010-07-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Mature Christians sometimes commit transgression on purpose, with cause. They have specific reason that they must get their hands dirty. This action of disobedience is also sin, even if it is done for the most righteous of purposes. It is an act of sin that requires the forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this type of sin must be addressed by the sinner and the Lord.

Holy cause is an interesting predicament for strong Christians. On one hand, Christians try hard to stay righteous and as close to the LORD God and upon the path of Jesus Christ as possible. On the other hand, life is imperfect, harsh and almost unlivable today. Sometimes transgression must be made in defense against oppression, persecution, wicked attacks, police actions and war, especially when it is to protect the innocent, poor, and unborn in the upholding of the sanctity of life. Sometimes, Christians get their hands dirty as they march into hell for a heavenly cause.

THIS IS IMPORTANT! When you transgress with righteous cause, YOU SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED!

Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. (Psalm 25:1-3)

Those Christians who transgress with cause, with full purpose and intent, are NOT ASHAMED! They purposefully commit a transgression, fully knowing that their hands are being dirtied, but fully accepting the need to stand in against the attack upon the sanctity of life, or the right of all living beings formed by the LORD God to have a chance to live.

Those whom transgress without cause should be ashamed. They should approach the Lord Jesus Christ on their knees, and cry out to Him in prostrate and tearful admission of the choice to sin against God for unknown or unrighteous reason. However, those who transgress with righteous cause should not be ashamed; rather, they should face the Lord Jesus Christ in intimate and protected prayer, and explain the cause and the transgression with confidence that He will understand and forgive when asked.

Now some of you might be thinking I’m talking about abortion, and some might wonder if I’m speaking about war or terrorism or those big ideas and causes that many strong Christians become embroiled; you are right! But I’m also talking about day-to-day life decisions made by strong Christians to wrestle with life problems and resolve them always with righteous cause at the forefront of their decisions. That means, when given a choice between saving a life or not committing a sin…you save a life.

The secular world will not understand, and the wicked will use that sin against a Christian at every turn. But, sometimes there is something more important than being perfectly clean in the eyes of the world, nation, state, county, community, and family. Sometimes a Christian stands tall with dirty hands, and addresses the sin with his Lord and nobody but them will understand. But maybe now, if you have been in the place to receive dirty hands as you have stood tall for righteousness, you will NOT BE ASHAMED as you approach the Lord and ask His forgiveness.