The Wraps Are Off! The Issue Is Clear!

The casual observer, and many Christians, think about Christianity and The Bible in terms of God's Love: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…."  [Jn. 3:16]

Love, however, is NOT the Theme of The Bible. That designation belongs to Redemption. From the very beginning, everything that happens to mankind points toward God's Redeeming the fallen race. Our celebration of Christmas is oriented toward Redemption, as we remember Christ's entry upon this Earth in the likeness of man. He came 'unto [for] you,' a Savior: Christ the Lord.  Luke 2

This week, Unbelievers, Agnostics, Atheists and The Ignorant let loose with tirades and epithets against a man who -- when asked the question -- answered it, quoting from The Bible. I speak of the now-famous [or infamous] GQ interview of Duck Dynasty star: Phil Robertson.

I have never seen Duck Dynasty, I refuse to pay the exorbitant fee being charged by my cable provider, for 82 channels I don't want. However, the Robertson family's reputation / testimony precedes them, in large neon letters. They are Everywhere!

What's At The Heart of all this? You might think it's another attempt to denigrate Christians and Christianity. You might think it is the Liberal's continual effort to keep people from hearing and/or thinking about things godly. You would be right.  However, there is something much more insidious and destructive in this particular effort.

Cable TV and TBN, specifically, has spread the 'gospel' far and wide, for well over 30 years. Liberals, Agnostics, Atheists and Change-Agents have largely ignored these folks, unless they are laughing at or mocking them. They are no threat! Only the Christian community has been loathe to condemn these false teachers, clowns and mystics.

But, here comes Phil Robertson with another declaration of The Truth! It may not have been expressed elegantly. It may have been off-the-cuff. It certainly came from an unpolished and unsophisticated source. But, listen, now, to how the unbelieving world responded. They didn't laugh. They didn't write it off. They certainly didn't ignore it. They rose up with one voice to denounce Phil and condemn everything he said….with every ounce of energy they possess.

Why? Simply because Phil has a 'bully pulpit!' Duck Dynasty is The Most Successful Reality Show, ever! More people watch this show than almost anything else on TV. What he says is going to be heard! And when he dares to say these people are sinners before God and candidates for eternal judgment, that must not stand!

The Message? We can tolerate the things we see as silly and non-essential, like Church services and Evangelistic Meetings. We know they don't amount to much. Church people are not much different from us. But this? This must STOP!

This what? The declaration that God hates sin, along with a recitation of what sin is; what it looks like; who is doing it. Essentially, pointing the finger at just about every New Social Initiative in the last 50 years and saying: This is what God condemns.

There is an outcry. A&E is on the wrong side of this issue. But, the Entertainment Community, the News Industry, the Educational Community, the Psychological Community and most of Congress and the Judiciary have too much to lose if Phil's pronouncement is allowed to stand.

The road just got a little more rocky. However, it may have just gotten a whole clearer.

When Someone Makes Your Point It's Not Always Fun

Are You Keeping Up?

   Last Sunday night, on The Bible Forum, we talked about Mark Driscoll's new book ["A Call To Resurgence"] bemoaning the dominance of post-modern thinking ravaging the country, and the world.

  My Thesis was/is: Mark Driscoll [the so-called 'Cussing Preacher"] is The Poster Boy for post-modernism in The Church! He has thrown out biblical authority and a lot of moral authority in his effort to be 'relevant.'

  If you want to hear how I develop that concept, go to the website  [  www.thebibleforum.net ] and click the video image to access the Archives. Last weeks' show is there.

  NOW….it seems, Driscoll was interviewed on the Janet Mefferd Show. If you don't get that in your area, go to her website  [ www.janetmefferd.com ].  You will be educated, entertained and edified….biblically.

  Anyway….The interview is about his new book. Janet pointed out that he had copied extensively from Dr. Peter Jones' work. Driscoll was surprised and said he had interviewed Dr. Jones but had not taken notes.

  Mefferd pressed the issue as unethical [immoral] and the conversation got tense. It's fair to note Mefferd's background is in journalism.

  Whether she was right to press her point or Driscoll was justified in being peeved at her efforts is secondary to my point: To copy another man's work and then pass it off as "Oh, if I did that I'm sorry," is a classic Post-Modern Response!

  In another time; with another generation, this would have elicited a far greater sense of either outrage OR repentance, even among non-Christians. Tyndale House knows better than to do this, so it seems reasonable that Tyndale would have questioned Driscoll extensively before publishing the book.

  My Point last Sunday [Nov. 17] was that Driscoll IS post-modern! This interview and his response proves my point.

  What do you think?

19 Kids And Counting

  Who are these Duggars and how dare they keep having children! The TLC Channel features this family each week, with about 1.5 million Americans watching. Mom [Michelle] has been pregnant for most of the last 25 years! She Home-Schools the children and teaches them social and domestic skills that will be a lasting benefit to them and to their prospective families.

  However…Jim Bob [that's Dad] had the temerity to suggest that abortion was akin to Nazi Germany's atrocities! Not on the Show! In a meeting of like-minded souls [The Value Voters Summit]. He suggested that we live in a society that is deliberately and systematically killing off a large segment of its population for political gain and nobody [well, not those who have the power] is willing to do anything about it.

  That was too much for the abortion crowd! MoveOn.org sponsored an online petition demanding the cancellation of the show ["19 Kids and Counting"], the author of the petition claiming their 'right wing views have gone too far.' One signer commented: "This show disgusts me on every possible level." "Here's hoping that Duggar's offensive, pig-ignorant comments constitute the last straw."   [www.christiannews.net    Nov. 11, 2013]

  Amazing! If a Christian points at homosexuality or divorce or any other socially-destructive practice, declaring those behaviors wrong, they are being Judgmental. But, if a politically liberal person points that same finger back….it's being socially responsible!

  Keep in mind the Duggars are not on welfare, do not put a strain on the educational system and are raising their children to be responsible citizens and productive family members. Why can't they simply live their lives the way they want, speak out on the issues they believe in, without being threatened?

  Is abortion a 'baby holocaust?' Ask the 50 million babies that have been murdered in the safety of their mother's wombs! Babies who did nothing wrong; didn't ask to be brought into this world; have no political support system to protect them and present no threat to society except the need to be cared for until they can take care of themselves.

  We had abortion in this country BEFORE Roe v. Wade! That case was NOT about abortion rights. It was about women being able to get an abortion simply because they didn't want the baby. This was the first time one person's Right meant the murder of another person -- the most vulnerable of all persons: unborn babies.

  We did this by declaring that baby a non-person! Science has since demonstrated the fallacy of that assumption, but the abortions continue. We demonstrated our capacity for the macabre by eventually killing that baby AFTER it was delivered. We called it (euphemistically) a partial-birth abortion. Most of that has been eliminated….now that we know what it is like.

  The Duggars are letting God decide how many children they will have. They have that choice….so far. You don't have to like it; understand it nor support it. The couple with one child has made a similar, personal, choice. Why is one decision OK and the other "pig-ignorant" and must be stopped?

  And when will America Stand Up -- Speak Out? Mr. Duggar's comment was simply that the folks in Germany didn't, and the world is still appalled! What makes this "holocaust" less repugnant?

  Logically? Nothing!

WHERE'S MARTIN LUTHER WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

   Thursday was Reformation Day!  You thought it was Hallowe'en -- I know.
   Philip Melancthon says this was the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the Wittenburg Castle door. We only have his word for it.
   For two weeks prior, Luther had been writing them down and sending them to various priests, bishops, Cardinals, etc. 
   In all this, apparently, some had gotten hold of them and began distributing them around to the common folk.
   Nailing these statements / accusations to the door was the academician's way of saying: Let's Debate. The propositions were written in Latin, the scholar's language. They were not meant for the common folk nor to be published.
   If you're a Christian, you probably know how all this worked out: Luther was condemned as a heretic, rescued by a prominent friend, was kicked out of the Roman Church, eventually married and had four children.
   Oh, and he stimulated a movement that is now called The Reformation! Hence, Reformation Day.

   Question: Where's Our Martin Luther's? 
   Where's the men and women who understand enough of The Bible to stand up and say: "That's Not Right!"
   The Charismatic Doctrine. The Seeker-Sensitive Doctrine. The Emergent Doctrine. The Missional Church Doctrine. Not to mention the pure Mysticism creeping into almost every church in America.  Can anyone say: Christian Yoga? Or Centering Prayer?
   The Bible Forum is about exposing these things; about looking at the doctrines; about turning the light on the rats. 
   How many sincere, true Christians have any desire for that? Like the political news, Americans are getting very, very tired of hearing all the 'bad news.' 
   Christians are no different. We just want to be left alone to raise our families and love our God. I understand. I feel the same way.  [of course I'm old, that's my excuse -- what's  your's]
   The average church-goer doesn't know enough Bible Doctrine to fill a thimble. John MacArthur says his grandfather [also a preacher] said everyone comes to church with a container: some have buckets; some thimbles.
   Everyone's container gets filled, but invariably the one with the thimble will trip on the door sill, upon leaving the church, and spill what he has!  40 years of ministry has taught me the same lesson.

Are You As Confused As I Am?

  Washington D.C. is NOT the bastion of Normalcy nor Reason. That said, what's up with these people and the Budget? I have to live with the money that comes in, why don't they? What am I missing, here?

   Some Christians believe the government [and politics in general] should be left to the secular realm, meaning to the unsaved citizens. Others believe The Church should get involved and seek to change the political climate for God! I think it's somewhere in between.

   America is not like any other country in the world. Our government is based on biblical principles of social justice, economics, law and equality. We have never been, nor will we ever be, strictly speaking a Christian Nation. However, we exist in harmony with biblical principles and have generally given lip service to our Christian heritage.

   So, should we seek to Christianize America through the ballot box? I say No. But, America is tied to these roots and as long as we have the right to vote, Christians should exercise that right! It is a God-given right.

   But, who do we vote for? What do we vote for? It is doubtful anyone gets to be President or even a Key Player in the political process, in the country, without sacrificing their moral values. Political Leaders are generally beholden to those who put them where they are. It does not speak well of their moral compass.

   Citizen Christians should be looking for and voting for men and women who represent Christian values. Leaders who tell the truth! Do the Right Things! Value what God values and hate what God hates! That we would find ourselves NOT voting, in most cases, would then be an honor to God, not simply a political statement.

   Today, our leaders are struggling with The Budget! What's The Problem? We're borrowing 1/3 of all the money we spend, each year, and only paying on the Interest not the Principal. Is this Right? Moral? Godly? Of course not. No financial advisor would ever recommend such a thing.

   The President is nominating a woman to head up the Federal Reserve who believes strongly in this philosophy. It's called Keynesian Economic Philosophy, after a completely immoral British Economist, loved by President F.D.Roosevelt and followed by President Richard Nixon.

   Between the two, we were taken completely off the gold / silver standard and left adrift in a system where we simply print more money, should we need it. We are calling it Quantitative Easement, at present, but with every new dollar pumped into the system, the one in your pocket is worth less.

  I give you this illustration to highlight our choices. A Christian should vote biblical values. Honesty, Integrity, Responsibility, Morality, Accountability, Decency, etc. No government can satisfy everyone's need. No government should try. Every government should simply create a system where citizens can achieve and let individuals decide if they want to.

   Those who cannot, should have a strong Family Structure to help -- something the government should be encouraging, not undermining. Those who cannot should have access to godly Churches who are ready to help -- something churches, today, don't seem to understand. Those who cannot should have help from the government....to be productive, not dependent.

    Those who still do not? They get to reap what they've sown. I think that's a Bible Idea!  It's called The Law of The Harvest  [Gal. 6].

   God says efforts to defeat this principle are efforts to mock Him and He isn't having any part of that!

IS IT ME?

  Or has the world suddenly become more violent?
  It seems violence is increasing. Once relegated to Inner Cities and Banks [that's where the money is], violence has reached into every area of our life.
  Not just someone being struck with a fist! These are serious, violent, vulgar, senseless attacks!
  People being beaten, mercilessly, or killed over small, otherwise inconsequential things. The way someone looks at you! A tone of voice! The possibility of someone being aggressive toward you! Just being in the wrong place!
  And this isn't accounting for Gang Violence or Street Violence, which often collects innocent by-standers.

  Is this our version of The Barbary Coast? With the outlawing of biblical morality, has our world gone mad? Or is this simply the natural consequence of a society with no inner control?
  We have more laws on the books, today, than at any other time in our history -- and more coming. We've run out of jail space and are turning people loose we once locked up. Judges are being jailed! Cops are joining in on an attack against a motorist [in NY]. Children are being shot or beaten to death in and out of our homes. And this doesn't account for the sexual crimes against children and others.

  But...it doesn't matter what people believe. A committed Christian, a devil-worshipper, an atheist....they're all the same, right? No one's value system is better than another. Those who believe otherwise are bigoted or judgmental. The 'Thought-Police' will hound you until you sit down and shut up!
  Welcome to A Brave New World!

What Changed?

  Remember when everything was Modern? The Modern Age peaked in the 1920's, but that didn't stop us from calling every new invention or social improvement, Modern.
  We stopped that a few years ago. Now, everything is Contemporary. Like modern, if it's contemporary it must be good! At least it's not Old, which is Bad! Contemporary means we're keeping up with the times, not rotting on the proverbial vine.
   We've even done this with Church, as though the concept of Church evolves through time, depending on what is popular at the moment.
   In the past, various evolutions of 'church' have occurred, not all of them bad. Remember The Reformation? Of course there was that charismatic movement of yesteryear. That wasn't so good. But, it didn't last. It morphed!
   We thought folks who believed it necessary to speak in gibberish, to verify that they were actually saved, was nonsense [and it was / is]. These folks infiltrated various churches, spreading their variant doctrine and undermining many. But that pretty much faded away.
   It faded away because it was replaced with something New and more exciting: Healings! Now, the concept of spiritual gifts was expanded to include the special ability to touch someone and have them healed. It was wonderful! Or, at least it would have been, had there been such a gift of God.
   Healings went the way of tongues, that is it gave way to the Health/Wealth gospel. Now God wants all His children to be healthy and have great wealth! It's in The Atonement, don't you know?
   No, I didn't know! But, then all I have is The Bible.
   Things kept going, with all sorts of new gifts popping up and more and more preachers and preacher-etts holding forth with ever-increasing New Teachings and New Power from God. An entire Cable TV Channel was dedicated to it. Soon, we got tired of it all.
   Or did we?

   Today, in churches all across America; country churches, city churches, mainline denominational churches and independent churches, the story is the same: We have our Traditional Service at 11, but our Contemporary Service is at 10!
   Meaning? The young people [or the young at heart] like the more jazz-ed up choruses and the swing and sway they engender, as opposed to the old, staid, sorry hymns.
   Meaning? The younger set doesn't want to be preached at! They want 'Teachings' on practical subjects they can use everyday. They want non-judgmental teachings. They don't want finger-pointing or negativism. They get enough of that from their parents and on the News.
   This is the 21st Century! Things are different, now! That old stuff is no longer relevant!
  
   What "old stuff" are they talking about?
   Preaching? But doesn't The Bible tell us that it is by the preaching of the Word of God that people    are saved?
   Negativism? Isn't The Gospel negative? "You are a sinner, hell-bound, if you don't repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" sounds negative to me!
    Hymns? Aren't they designed to lift our soul to God? To challenge our heart to bow before Him? Don't they exalt the nature and purpose of God? Are they not emotionally stirring....for those who love Him?
    Worship? Isn't that the bowing of the heart before God? Isn't that an abject denial of our worldliness and recognition of His worth?

   See, I must have it all wrong! Or has someone changed The Bible, when I wasn't looking? Then I saw the Trailer for the new Reality Show on the Bravo Channel: Thicker Than Water. Now I know where I went wrong. These folks are living the life God intended for every believer.
   Wealth, Greed, Pride, Selfishness, Pride....have you seen the trailer?

   The Point? God doesn't change. His Word doesn't change. Worship of God doesn't change. Sin doesn't change. God still honors preaching, even if no one [popular] is doing it.
   I read an article, lately, entitled: Pastor INC.  It's about how every pastor, who wants to get somewhere, is doing whatever he must in order to elevate his 'brand.' Pastor as commodity. Big congregation; TV ministry; Internet presence; Book deal; DVD's; Conference Speaker; whatever it takes to 'make it big in the preaching business.'
   Now that's Modern!