Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Influential book list

Someone asked me the other day to put a list of recommended books together. I have done that in the order that they most influenced me. Of course the Bible would be my most influential book, but that's kind of assumed. The links are to amazon.co.uk because the person who asked me for the list lives in the UK. Hope the list is useful to you.

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Monday, March 17, 2014

Post Modern Google+ Post Response

Original text, posted publicly 20140315 on Google+. I have added numbers to each sentence to make it easier to refer back to them and address each:
“(1) To all you wild bible people out there, take note. (2) Religious fanaticism is a mental disorder. (3) You can be spiritual or religious, and love God, without shoving it down people's throats. (4) Everyone has their own truth. (5) Respect the ones different from yours. (6) The reason Jesus said I am the way and the light was not so you would worship him as an idol, but so that you would follow in his footsteps. (7) He has the right path in the sense that he was a nonconformist to the society, he followed the natural laws, not the ones of rome and he wanted everyone to LOVE AND RESPECT EACH OTHER. (8) I dont know how you all missed all that but go and reread it if you still dont get it. (9) If you are the Christians who are cool, I salute you. (10) I am one of those too. (11)Jesus, among others, has been one of my greatest teachers. (12) Showed me I dont have to be bowing down to authority of man only of the natural God. (13) He was a misfit, like me. (14) I think he is awesome. (15) I also like Buddah for teaching enlightenment. (16) I am part Moroccan but I never got into Muslim but I have been in many churches and participated in many faiths. (17) In the end I chose meditation in nature. (18) I landed on theistic agnosticism, because for me, Religion is man's interpretation of God. (19) I want to be with God alone in nature. (20) That is where I find him. (21) I respect all other religions and faiths, and always think people should do what brings them LOVE and PEACE in their heart. (22) If it doesn't bring either of those, you are probably not in the right religion. (23) Look again. (24) Search like I did. (25) Go to every church of every religion you can. (26) One day you will find the true path for your heart to find peace. (27) One love, one light. ”
(1) Jesus was a ‘wild Bible person’. So much so that He believed even the little dots over the i and the cross of the t were important. Matthew 5:18-19
(2) Jesus was a religious fanatic. So much so that he upset the schemes of those who were using religion to take their followers’ money. John 2:13-22.
(3) Jesus was spiritual (Luke 4:1) and loved God (John 14:31), and never feared to tell people the truth, especially those who didn’t want to hear it. Positive example - Woman at the well: John 4:1-42. Negative example - Scribes & Pharisees: Matthew 23:1-36.
(4) Jesus is the one truth. There is no other: John 14:6-7.
(5) Jesus did not lend any credence to other truths. He cared about their freedom which comes from true truth and not falsehood. John 8:31-32.
(6) Jesus specifically said the “Way, Truth, & Light” comment in the context of convincing the disciples to worship Him as God. He was not merely asking them to ‘follow in his footsteps’. John 14:1-11.
(7) Jesus conformed to God’s law perfectly, not some imagined ‘natural law’. 2 Cor 5:21 , John 8:29,55. Jesus did rebel against religious works and those promulgating them. John 8:12-59. Jesus did preach turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-48), but He also taught that telling the truth (especially when it was hard to hear) was more important than just getting along with people. Positive example - Rich young ruler: Mark 10:17-22. Negative example - Peter’s blasphemy is condemned: Matthew 16:21-23.
(8) I agree. Re-read all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John). Jesus will surprise you.
(9) Jesus was un-cool and warned us that we would be un-cool: Matthew 10:16-33.
(10) Actually she doesn’t know the Father or the Son, because she denies His deity in (6). 1 John 2:21-25.
(11) Jesus is more than just a teacher. He is God. John 13:12-17, John 10:22-39, Colossians 1:15-21.
(12) Actually we are to obey the government we are under as it is placed there by God: Romans 13:1-7.
(13) Jesus was not a mistake, Galatians 4:3-7. He is the return of the original intent of mankind, Romans 5.
(14) Jesus is more amazing than people who don’t know Him, can imagine. He does more than teach love and respect: Hebrews 1:1-4, He is to be worshiped forever: Revelations 4 & 5.
(15) Buddha’s teaching was one of self works to reach enlightenment. Self works are anti-Christ since they depend on our work instead of His (Ephesians 1:1-9). 2 John 7-11 says that anyone who does not teach Christ and His work is evil. Galatians 1:6-9 says that anyone teaching any other ‘good’ news shall be cursed. Therefore Buddha is not good, but evil and likewise his teaching.
(16) Islam teaches an adherence to the 5 pillars in the hopes of Allah’s mercy upon you. This is works based relition again and the same passages and comments apply to Islam as did to Buddhism. See comments in response to (15).
(17) Looking at creation and confusing it with God is foolish and deserving condemnation. Romans 1:18-23.
(18) Jesus doesn’t care about religion and condemns those who foster it: Matthew 23:1-36. He cares about pursuing us in relationship: John 6:35-40.
(19) We must seek the Son, Jesus. Without Him we cannot access the Father. John 14:1-11.
(20) Yes, Creation does point to God, but equally does His word: Psalm 19.
(21) Jesus did not respect all other religions or faiths, He only cared for worship based in truth (Matthew 5) and He promised to separate those who did not believe the truth from those who do: Matthew 25:31-46.
(22) Only Christ can secure us love and peace from the Father. Romans 1:1-17.
(23) Searching the Bible is the way to know the true message of Jesus. Acts 17:11-12.
(24) Yes pursue Christ and He will open to you. Matthew 7:7-11 & John 10:7-18.
(25) No, do not waste your time pursuing things which only bring you death. Proverbs 9:1-6, 13-18.
(26) Don’t waste time, you could die at any moment. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.
(27) Unless Bob Marley believed that Christ’s death and resurrection paid for our sins, he is in hell. Don’t be fooled. Titus 3:3-7.

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Saturday, March 2, 2013

I just don't get restoration theology

I'm not sure that's the official name for it. But it's this 'newish' gospel that people have been preaching, it says that Jesus' death on the cross not only restores those elected, but also begins the restoration of the Earth itself and we as believers must assist Christ in that restorative act. Usually this manifests in efforts by the local church to improve the socio-economic status of those around them and even improvements to the environment around them.

Now of course I'm not against caring for the poor and needy, nor am I against taking care of the Earth. I'm an out-doors guy and understand the value of caring for what we were entrusted with. Gen 1:28-30;  2:15. And more importantly I'm very happy to serve the poor and needy as Christ did and the early church did. Mark 6:53-56; Acts 2:45. But in this case, Jesus healed the sick as an opportunity to get their attention to preach the truth to them. It wasn't merely to make them better, though He of course cared and valued that. His actions were clearly to create a venue to teach. Mark 1:21-28; 2:1- 12; 3:1-6; 5:1-20; 6:30-43 (esp vs 34); etc...  Jesus in fact said He came to preach and teach. Mark 1:35-39. He sent the apostles out to teach: Mark 6:7-12. I can't find any scriptures where He said: "I come to restore the earth and make this world better." If someone can point me to scriptures where He says this, I would like to learn about them.

I'm not trying to lose the kindness and love that Christ shows to people, and that we are to show to people as models of Him. If we don't love them, how can they hear our message? But that's the point, we should have the goal of them hearing our message and our service to them should be for them to hear. If we are merely serving, just to raise up their socio-economic status, then I don't see how Christians are any different from secular organizations who do community service projects. My favorite example are men's fraternities in college. Most frat houses do lots and lots of community service. They feed the poor, they raise money for cancer, and they build shelters for the needy. But their ultimate goal is to party hard on the weekend. They are not trying to preach a message of faith and repentance in the slightest. Service without message makes the church no different.

To get back to this restoration theology, I don't see any scripture supporting mankind's efforts to restore the earth. In fact the scriptures I see show Christ coming back and creating the new heavens and new earth after throughly destroying the old one.

  • Rev. 3:12 -- "... the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God, out of heaven."
  • Rev. 6:12-17 -- "... the stars of the sky fell on the earth, ... the sky vanished like a scroll, ...and every mountain and island removed from its place..."
  • Rev. 8:6-13 -- ... hail and fire... third of trees and grass burned up...; third of the sea becomes blood, third of living creatures in the sea are killed; third of the rivers and springs ruined and people die; third of sun, moon, and stars are struck;
  • Rev. 9:13-19 -- a third of mankind is killed by plague
  • Rev. 16:17-21 -- final plague is brought destroying many things & people with hailstones
  • Rev. 21:1-2; 5,6 -- new heavens and a new earth, the first earth had passed away; Jesus makes all things new

If Jesus is going to destroy the old one and replace it with a new one, why should we work so hard to maintain it? Again, not saying we shouldn't help the poor and needy. Nor am I saying we shouldn't be involved in government and social structures as individuals. Of course we need to let our light shine in the darkness. (For instance I'm kind of against home schooling my kids b/c it removes an opportunity to shine into the darkness.) But the whole point of letting that light shine is to bring people to Christ. Not to merely make the current structures better.  This new restoration theology seems to have a goal to improve the socio-economic status as a means to its own end. And that's my problem with it.

Let's just leave the gospel alone, the way it has been understood for 2000 years. The penal substitution of Christ on the cross to redeem us from our sins and restore us to a right relationship with the Father. (Romans 3:23-26, 6:23, 5:6-11, 10:9-13). Let's not try to reform and add to it with this restoration concept if it's not supported by scripture.



A little post script. I don't want to be an arrogant jerk. If there is some scriptures supporting restoration theology, please someone post them so I can learn. Maybe I'm missing some major component and theme in the New Testament. In the end, my goal in life is to magnify Christ. If my theology is short-changing His glory, then I am very open to correction.

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Generous Orthodoxy Leads to Loss of Mission

Read this article tonight:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/tim-suttle/will-evangelicalism-last_b_2727883.html

 Two troubling paragraphs:
"Mission fosters the capacious orthodoxy necessary for us to stick together. Mission allows for the generous diversity of thought which is essential to a healthy evangelical gene pool. Biologists teach us the less diverse the gene pool, the more at-risk the species. The more homogeneous our beliefs become the less likely evangelicals are to survive. We need a rich, diverse orthodoxy. As the evangelical truth-police work to silence all minority reports, they are actually working against the overall health of the tribe.

Those who wish to functionally excommunicate Rob Bell and others like him are alienating the very Christians who promise to provide the kind of theological diversity essential to our healthy future. We should be welcoming Bell's voice, not silencing it. If evangelicals have a future together, it will not be the way of those who cry "heresy" and let slip the dogs of war. It will be with those who unite around mission and prefer a rich theological landscape."

The Bible and orthodoxy are not something that needs a diversity. It is not acceptable or compatible to say that 'everyone gets into heaven' as Bell does, and what Jesus says in John 6:37-40: "37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 ForI have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus is quite exclusive. He only permits into heaven, those He has called.

His biodiversity argument doesn't make any sense at all. God spent the entire Old Testament calling out his people to separate them from the diverse orthodoxy around them. Jesus carried that torch further in His ministry showing how the religious elite had perverted God's message of grace.

The second paragraph doesn't make any sense compared to Jesus and Paul's in the New Testament. Both of them fought for orthodoxy continuously. Jesus didn't 'generously diversify' His message to include the religious elite's view of works and hereditary based salvation. Paul opposed Peter in front of a group of church leaders in Galatia when Peter tried to act like a Judizer and put salvific value in circumcision. 

Both of these paragraphs highlight what my own church so often promotes: "Let's spend our energies helping God restore the earth. This is our most important goal." I would argue, the Bible describe's God's most important goal as giving Him glory and enjoying Him forever. We do this best when we do as His Son called us to do, and that's to make disciples from here to the nations. Disciples who individually dedicate themselves to Christ as Lord of their life, and then influence the area around them with His light to draw others to saving faith. 

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Monday, January 2, 2012

Daily Bible Reading 1/2/2012

Some friends and I are trying to read through the Bible this year. I'll be posting comments I make on the passages I'm reading as I read them. I'm following the One Year Bible Reading Plan where you jump around and get a passage of OT, NT, Psalms, and Proverbs.

Gen. 3 always catches me.
1) Eve makes up her own religion in Gen. 3:3. She add's a prohibition of touching to God's command in Gen. 2:16-17 not to eat. We are the same way, at least I am. I produce new rules to relate to God in an effort to 'protect' myself from wrong doing. When I add to God's law, I change what He, in His perfection, has laid forth, and it leads me to eventual ruin like it did Eve.
2) Eve sort of works her way up to the sin in Gen. 3:6. She sees its good for food, that it looks good, and that it will make her wise, and then she dives in. Aren't we the same way? Don't we see a sin and justify it to ourselves slowly but surly to assuage the pain of the sin we our flesh desires us to commit?
3) Adam does nothing to defend his Wife from sin in Gen 3:6. Do I do anything to help my wife? I mean I try to set a good example, but it's not that great. And how do I defend her without being over-bearing and nagging? We don't do any Bible study together or pray together. I'm sure I drop the ball in many other relationships as well in helping to protect my loved ones from sin.
4) God is so merciful to them in Gen. 3:9-24. God promised in Gen. 2, that He would kill them if they ate of the tree. And yet he mercifully doesn't kill them, and instead talks to them. He of course lays out consequences for their actions, but even in the laying of consequences He provides the 'proto-evangelion', the first prophecy of Christ. There is an implied slaying of an animal in Gen 3:21 to make skins to cover their nakedness which does a much better job than the fig leaves they had made for themselves in Gen. 3:7. Another fore-taste of Christ's infinitely better covering of our sins. And He prevents us from living forever in a tainted sinful flesh. I couldn't bear permanent life associated with Sin. He is so kind to us despite ours and our forebears complete lack of deserving. (english major's toss some help to a nerd's poor english on that last phrase...)

Matt. 3:1-6 is a striking display of the call to repent and its affect on people. Such that the call would drive them into the wilderness to be cleansed. Do I have the strength to call people to repent, and help lead them to Christ?

Psalm 2 is such a scary warning of false belief. I pray those who have made new years resolutions have not resolved to oppose God. It will not go well with them.

Prov. 1:7. Being in Afghanistan was a big maturation change for me. I realized while I was there, that if I wanted to become a leader it was time to pick up that mantle and stop messing around. Actually it was John Snow who taught me to 'put the boy aside'. Given that charge, I want to be a wise leader. And to do so, I must fear the Lord above all.
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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

1 Peter 1 Gospel Moment 8

1 Peter 1: 22 - 25 -- Lastly as a result of the Gospel and our salvation, we are to serve others. Why? Because if the point of salvation was merely to redeem us, then God would take us home as soon as we are saved. Instead it is our role to share the gospel with others who don’t know Him. How do we get ourselves heard? By serving them. Just as our Lord did. He did miracles and served even those who were outside of His normal community, so that their hearts would be softened to His message of grace. We shouldn’t be serving out of a desire merely to elevate someone’s socioeconomic status. Our goal in service is to preach the good news of new birth. We must tell people that they, like us, are sinners and desperately need the blood of Christ to pay off the debt that we owe to God as a result of that sin. We must tell them that they not only have to intellectually understand this information, but they must repent and believe it so that they can be born again. This is the good news. This is the greatest news ever heard by man. Praise to our Lord for providing this amazing news to us.
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1 Peter 1 Gospel Moment 7

1 Peter 1:20 - 21 -- We are believers in Christ because not only did He die for us, but His sacrifice was ruled acceptable to the Father. How do we know it was acceptable? That it was an effective payment for the debt owed? Because Christ was raised from the dead. Death could not hold Him! What amazing wonderful good news. We can inherit that same perpetual life, raised from the dead as it were, ourselves because of the work of Christ. Look at the evidence of the empty tomb. Believe that it’s barren status is the receipt that proves Christ’s redeeming work was and still is effective. And the best part is that we get to give glory to God as a result of His work. We don’t have to have any focus on ourselves, but instead get to spend eternity praising Him and lifting Him up. What a privilege that the creator God of time and space would permit our eternal praise to Him. What great glorious news!!!
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