For millennia, religious liberals, secularists, agnostics and atheists have torn through Bibles—at times, literally—to uncover all its presumed, hidden errors and inconsistencies. Hoping to counter the prejudice of faith, such free-thinking folks believe, without question, in a vast, ancient, Judeo-Christian conspiracy to protect the Scriptures from open scrutiny.
"Through the tedious process of hand-copying manuscripts, generation after generation, onto scrolls, then paper," say such free-thinking skeptics, " the scribes obviously made mistakes, both in translating and in transcribing tens of thousands of ancient words thousands of times."
Scientific Versus Prejudiced Skepticism
In answer to such assertions, Dr. Robert Dick Wilson once stated, "When a man says to me, 'I don't believe in the Old Testament, he makes no impression upon me. When he points out something there that he doesn't believe, he makes no impression upon me. But if he comes to me and says, 'I've got the evidence here to show that the Old Testament is wrong at this or that point' then that's where my work begins! I'm ready for him!"*
Dr. Wilson bore an insatiable curiosity about ancient history, and more specifically, the histories of Old Testament peoples and lands. Yet, ever skeptical about the assertions modern histories present as absolute fact, Dr. Wilson set about to learn the ancient languages so he could conduct his own primary research without the influence of other scholars' hearsay accounts. His quest led him to a thorough familiarity with forty-five ancient tongues, whereby he consumed thousands of ancient, original language texts as handily as most literate people consume their native tongue's popular fiction.
Therein lies the difference between the arbitrary, prejudicial skepticism of the atheistic or agnostic Bible critic and the truly open-minded, scientific curiosity of the scholar. As schoolyard bullies pick fights with kids they know they can beat, intellectual bullies pick controversies with ignorant opponents, hoping to make them and their beliefs a complete laughingstock. Somehow, the intellectual pursuit has become a personal vendetta; the refusal of faith has become its own, quite emotional, belief system.
Simple Question ... Simple Answer?
When leveling the telescopic sight of literary and historical criticism on the Bible, critics must be willing to question their own preconceptions as diligently as they do the Bible texts. Any critic must be willing to ask himself one question before challenging the Bible's accuracy: Why, through the millennia it took to finalize the Biblical canon, did thousands of scribes and scholars allow so many obvious textual contradictions and inconsistencies to remain uncorrected? In other words, if, as critics assert, ordinary men wrote the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, then assembled them into today's Bible simply to subjugate the superstitious, unwashed masses, why would they have not produced a more believable hoax?
* Is the higher criticism Scholarly? By Robert Dick Wilson, Ph.D., D.D. (Chicago: Sunday School Times, 1922)
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
On Observing the Sabbath
Disclaimer #1: Please feel free to take exception to this little study on God's Sabbath. You are welcome to contact me(jlthomp{at}gmail{dot}com) with scripture to counter my evidence, but without pique. Leave your rant for your own blog … er … please.
Disclaimer #2: Don't feel daunted by this post's length. You will notice that half of this tome is Scripture, pasted here for your reading pleasure. The blogger has also provided links to relevant Scriptures on the Internet.
And now, on to the study.
God commanded us to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. Though no believer can dispute that fact, we frequently dispute how it applies to His saints under the New Covenant.
The following passage from the prophet Jeremiah reiterates the Sabbath law to the people of his time. Obviously, the eternal, self-existent One1 had not ended or fulfilled it by then.
Then, writing under the Holy Spirit's authority and voice, he draws our attention to the Hebrews' rebellion in the wilderness over a period of forty years: As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.' Can any oath be more binding than one breathed by God? Because of their unfaithfulness and presumption, God promised they would not enter His rest. Does that mean their Sabbath rest was ended? Quite the contrary; their disobedience bound them to the ceremonial law, the Sabbaths and the holy days.
Vs. 12 warns us against falling away from the living God due to the evil of an unbelieving heart. And verse 13 tells us to exhort one another "every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of (us) may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin," making every day the right time for such exhortation, not only the Sabbath.
Does that mean we are bound to celebrate the Sabbath seven days a week? Chapter four, verse one, clarifies God's principle of the Sabbath as a perpetual rest to which we must aspire by faith.
Verse three is the pivotal verse for this new application of God's Sabbath; For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest,'" although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. The challenge to the literal, calendar Sabbath is, "Does God still rest from His six days of labor creating the universe? Or is His Sabbath periodic, as it was for the Hebrews?" Since God's word tells us nothing of any of His further works of creation, His rest from creation is perpetual, and by entering into His rest, ours is perpetual as well.
Verse six states that those under the Old Covenant failed to enter God's rest, even though they semi-faithfully honored the weekly Sabbath. And this verse reiterates the Sabbath as a rest to which we must aspire.
Okay, verse seven tells us, again he appoints a certain day .... That must be Saturday, right? Try again. The day He appointed is Today. Which day is "today?" Every day.
Verses eight through eleven are clear: For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. Our weekly Sabbath was never God's rest, but a type of the rest we have in Messiah, not only on Saturday, but every day, unto eternity.
From the reasoning presented above, we must at least admit that first-day worshipers have some basis for that practice. Seventh-day worshipers, though their arguments sound convincing as far as they go, have no justification for dogmatically berating others who do not share their convictions.
This blogger will again visit this touchy issue at some time in the future. Until then, glorify the eternal, self-existent God every day, and you will do well.
Footnotes:
1; The name most translations give to God is Jehovah. A few of them get it closer by using the name, Yahweh. Either way, however, His holy Name is only approximate. Through the centuries, Jewish scribes, believing His Name too holy to pronounce, lest they risk breaking First Commandment(Exodus 20:2-7) made it unpronounceable by omitting the word's vowels. Scholars since then have made a stab at its correct spelling by inserting the vowels from adonai, the Hebrew word for Lord. The author chooses to use the meaning of the Name lost to history because of religious piety, thereby avoiding any ambiguity.
2; The name Jesus is the English approximation for the Greek translation of Jesus' Hebrew name, Yeshua. Why use an approximation of a translation of a name when the name itself is perfectly valid? In a word: TRADITION
Disclaimer #1: Please feel free to take exception to this little study on God's Sabbath. You are welcome to contact me(jlthomp{at}gmail{dot}com) with scripture to counter my evidence, but without pique. Leave your rant for your own blog … er … please.
Disclaimer #2: Don't feel daunted by this post's length. You will notice that half of this tome is Scripture, pasted here for your reading pleasure. The blogger has also provided links to relevant Scriptures on the Internet.
And now, on to the study.
God commanded us to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. Though no believer can dispute that fact, we frequently dispute how it applies to His saints under the New Covenant.
The following passage from the prophet Jeremiah reiterates the Sabbath law to the people of his time. Obviously, the eternal, self-existent One1 had not ended or fulfilled it by then.
Jeremiah 17The following passage from Mark's gospel demonstrates Yeshua's2 attitude toward celebrating the Sabbath one day each week. In it, Yeshua compared Himself with King David, who violated the temple and ate the bread of the Presence, yet suffered no curse for his disobedience of the law, in a time when such recompense was swift and sure. Then Yeshua applied that lesson to his violation of the Sabbath by allowing His disciples to pluck heads of grain on that Holy Day. His operative principle; "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
19 Thus said the Lord to me: “Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem,
20 and say: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates.
21 Thus says the Lord: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem.
22 And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers.
23 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction.
24 “‘But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it,
25 then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever.
26 And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord.
27 But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.’”
Mark 2In Hebrews chapter 3, pasted below, the author established Yeshua's authority, even over Moses the law-giver, as compared with a builder over the house he built(including us), and a king's son over his servants.
23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:
26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”
27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Then, writing under the Holy Spirit's authority and voice, he draws our attention to the Hebrews' rebellion in the wilderness over a period of forty years: As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.' Can any oath be more binding than one breathed by God? Because of their unfaithfulness and presumption, God promised they would not enter His rest. Does that mean their Sabbath rest was ended? Quite the contrary; their disobedience bound them to the ceremonial law, the Sabbaths and the holy days.
Vs. 12 warns us against falling away from the living God due to the evil of an unbelieving heart. And verse 13 tells us to exhort one another "every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of (us) may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin," making every day the right time for such exhortation, not only the Sabbath.
Does that mean we are bound to celebrate the Sabbath seven days a week? Chapter four, verse one, clarifies God's principle of the Sabbath as a perpetual rest to which we must aspire by faith.
Verse three is the pivotal verse for this new application of God's Sabbath; For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest,'" although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. The challenge to the literal, calendar Sabbath is, "Does God still rest from His six days of labor creating the universe? Or is His Sabbath periodic, as it was for the Hebrews?" Since God's word tells us nothing of any of His further works of creation, His rest from creation is perpetual, and by entering into His rest, ours is perpetual as well.
Verse six states that those under the Old Covenant failed to enter God's rest, even though they semi-faithfully honored the weekly Sabbath. And this verse reiterates the Sabbath as a rest to which we must aspire.
Okay, verse seven tells us, again he appoints a certain day .... That must be Saturday, right? Try again. The day He appointed is Today. Which day is "today?" Every day.
Verses eight through eleven are clear: For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. Our weekly Sabbath was never God's rest, but a type of the rest we have in Messiah, not only on Saturday, but every day, unto eternity.
Heb 3:11-19; 4:1-11 ESVIn the following passage, John 5:16-17, Yeshua explains His reason for healing on the Sabbath. That explanation gives another perspective on the Sabbath of God, it completed His creation of the universe; since He rested, there was no more creation work to be done. Again, since God's word says nothing about God going back to His creation work after the sixth day, that Sabbath is still in effect.
11 As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'"
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
15 As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?
17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
4:1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest,'" although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works."
5 And again in this passage he said, "They shall not enter my rest."
6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,
7 again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.
9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
John 5Did the writer of the letter to the Hebrews contradict Yeshua's statement in John 5? Is God, or is He not, still working since He finished creation? The believer's answer is "No," and, "Yes." God's creation work finished at the end of the sixth day of creation, but His recreation work continues until now.
16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.
17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
From the reasoning presented above, we must at least admit that first-day worshipers have some basis for that practice. Seventh-day worshipers, though their arguments sound convincing as far as they go, have no justification for dogmatically berating others who do not share their convictions.
This blogger will again visit this touchy issue at some time in the future. Until then, glorify the eternal, self-existent God every day, and you will do well.
Footnotes:
1; The name most translations give to God is Jehovah. A few of them get it closer by using the name, Yahweh. Either way, however, His holy Name is only approximate. Through the centuries, Jewish scribes, believing His Name too holy to pronounce, lest they risk breaking First Commandment(Exodus 20:2-7) made it unpronounceable by omitting the word's vowels. Scholars since then have made a stab at its correct spelling by inserting the vowels from adonai, the Hebrew word for Lord. The author chooses to use the meaning of the Name lost to history because of religious piety, thereby avoiding any ambiguity.
2; The name Jesus is the English approximation for the Greek translation of Jesus' Hebrew name, Yeshua. Why use an approximation of a translation of a name when the name itself is perfectly valid? In a word: TRADITION
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
The Curse of Plenty
Proverbs chapter 30:1-9(ESV quoted below) begins in a dark mood, with Agur Jakehson(son of Jakeh), the oracle, introducing this Proverb with, "The man declares, ..." But who was the man speaking the subsequent, despairing words? For one thing, he was obviously discouraged from fatigue, but what were his other issues?. Vs. 2 shows his sense of self-worth is dismal, in that he assumes his intelligence is less-than human. Vs. 3 confesses failing to learn about the Holy One. Yet, anyone smart enough to know their own stupidity isn't all that stupid. And only those who know something of the Holy One can know how little they actually know.
Vs. 4 lists the type of wonders only God could perform. Yet, this man whom the oracle is quoting, though he knows enough to ask the questions, seems not to know the answers. And though he knows of God's son, he knows neither his name, nor the name of his father.
These are obviously rhetorical questions, asked as from the mouth of a dimwit. The truly remarkable question is how, other than by specially-given divine knowledge, did the oracle know of God's Son? All Old Testament appearances of God's Son treated Him as the LORD, or the angel of the LORD.
The rest of this passage begins with the oracle praising God by acclaiming some of His attributes. Then he makes two requests that demonstrate the depth of his wisdom. And vs. 9 clearly shows the oracle as one who has either seen or experienced the curse of plenty.
1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.
2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know!
5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9 lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
Monday, October 06, 2008
A Non-review Book Review, or, If I'd Only Read It
BUT FIRST, A WORD FROM OUR BLOGGER:
Boy! Did I space this one off. When Bonnie sends out lists of prospective books for these CFBA campaigns, I briefly look them over for the special one that Nancy would love to hear from my croaky voice. Obviously, this time I hadn't taken enough time in making our selection.
Siri Mitchell is a name I should have remembered from reading The Cubicle Next Door, a wonderful book that had Nancy and me alternately laughing out loud, spitting out words of frustration over the characters' failure to read each other correctly, and squeaking emotion-laden words past a tightened larynx when they finally got it right. Mitchell's works are true emotional roller coaster rides.
Why, oh why, did I ever start reading Nancy these romance novels. I should've stuck to my manly guns and refused to read any but guy stuff, like sports novels(ho-hum),gangster/crime/stalker/slasher novels(yuckey-pooh), and science fiction stories(well, alright!). But no, I had to go and act like I love my wife enough to read things she would like to hear. Too late now, though, I'm addicted to stories of relationships.
To any guys reading this, let this be a lesson to ya. Never read anything but your favorite stuff if you don't want your literary tastes broadened.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi. But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.
Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.
A Constant Heart is her sixth novel. Two of her novels, Chateau of Echoes and The Cubicle Next Door were Christy Award finalists. She has been called one of the clearest, most original voices in the CBA.
ABOUT THE BOOK
In a world of wealth, power, and privilege...love is the only forbidden luxury.“Trust was a valuable commodity at court. Traded by everyone, but possessed by no one. Its rarity was surpassed only by love. Love implied commitment and how could any of us commit ourselves to any but the Queen? Love implied singularity and how could any of us benefit another if our affections were bound to one in exclusivity? Love was never looked for and rarely found. When it was, it always ended badly.”
In Queen Elizabeth’s court where men and women willingly trade virtue for power, is it possible for Marget to obtain her heart’s desire or is the promise of love only an illusion?
A riveting glimpse into Queen Elizabeth's Court...
Born with the face of an angel, Marget Barnardsen is blessed. Her father is a knight, and now she is to be married to the Earl of Lytham. Her destiny is guaranteed ... at least, it would seem so. But when her introduction to court goes awry and Queen Elizabeth despises her, Marget fears she's lost her husband forever. Desperate to win him back, she'll do whatever it takes to discover how she failed and capture again the love of a man bound to the queen.
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Constant Heart, go HERE
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh
BUT FIRST, A WORD FROM OUR BLOGGER:
For the thousands of brain cells who fanatically follow these precious pearls of profundity, here is not only the customary CFBA review, but also a special treat: this blogger's personal thoughts about Tamara Leigh's insightful novel Faking Grace.
Leigh, with daring and humor, lampoons both "Cultural Christianity," and the holy grail of Christian literature, CBA publishing in one, hard-to-dodge, fell swoop. The fact that Multnomah Books, a main-line, Evangelical publishing house, was willing to back a novel that challenges so many of Evangelical Christianity's cliches, gives new hope to this borderline-disillusioned blogger.
Anyone out there in Cyber-Land who has a hard time stomaching Churchianity's cavalier acceptance of hypocrisy and popular culture must read this delightful novel. And be prepared for a rare treat: Leigh's writing style and voice is a delicious, honey-coating on her otherwise hard-to-swollow Rx for hyper-orthodox believers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
After Tamara Leigh earned a Master’s Degree in Speech and Language Pathology, she and her husband decided to start a family, with plans for Tamara to continue in her career once she became a mother.When the blessing of children proved elusive, Tamara became convicted to find a way to work out of her home in order to raise the children she and her husband longed to have. She turned to writing, at which she had only ever dreamed of being successful, and began attending church. Shortly thereafter, her agent called with news of Bantam Books’ offer of a four-book contract. That same day, Tamara’s pregnancy was confirmed. Within the next year, she gave up her speech pathology career, committed her life to Christ, her first child was born, and her first historical romance novel was released.
As Tamara continued to write for the secular market, publishing three more novels with HarperCollins and Dorchester, she infused her growing Christian beliefs into her writing. But it was not enough, and though her novels earned awards and were national bestsellers, she knew her stories were lacking. After struggling with the certainty that her writing was not honoring God as it should, she made the decision to write books that not only reveal Christianity to non-believers, but serve as an inspiration for those who have accepted Christ as their Savior. Her inspirational romances are peopled with characters in varying stages of Christian faith, from mature believers to new believers to non-believers on the threshold of awakening.
Tamara Leigh enjoys time with her family, volunteer work, faux painting, and reading. She lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, David, and two sons, Skyler and Maxen.
Two of her latest books are Splitting Harriet and Perfecting Kate.
ABOUT THE BOOK
All she wants is a job. All she needs is religion. How hard can it be? Maizy Grace Stewart dreams of a career as an investigative journalist, but her last job ended in disaster when her compassion cost her employer a juicy headline. A part-time gig at a Nashville newspaper might be her big break.
A second job at Steeple Side Christian Resources could help pay the bills, but Steeple Side only hires committed Christians. Maizy is sure she can fake it with her Five-Step Program to Authentic Christian Faith–a plan of action that includes changing her first name to Grace, buying Jesus-themed accessories, and learning “Christian Speak.” If only Jack Prentiss, Steeple Side’s managing editor and two-day-stubbled, blue-jean-wearing British hottie wasn’t determined to prove her a fraud.
When Maizy’s boss at the newspaper decides that she should investigate–and expose–any skeletons in Steeple Side’s closet, she must decide whether to deliver the dirt and secure her career or lean on her newfound faith, change the direction of her life, and pray that her Steeple Side colleagues–and Jack–will show her grace.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Faking Grace, go HERE
“Tamara Leigh takes her experienced romance hand and delights readers with Chick-Lit that sparkles and characters who come alive.” - Kristin Billerbeck, author of The Trophy Wives Club
“A delightful, charming book! Faking Grace has romance, truth, and a dollop of insanity, making Tamara Leigh a permanent addition to my list of favorite authors. Enjoy!”
- Ginger Garrett, author of In the Shadow of Lions and Beauty Secrets of the Bible
“Tamara Leigh does a fabulous job looking at the faults, the love, the hypocrisy, and the grace of Christians in a way that’s entertaining and fun. Maizy Grace is a crazy character I couldn’t help but like. I loved this book and highly recommend it!”
- Camy Tang, author of Sushi for One? and Only Uni
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
An Audience of One
Since The Radio Bible Class publishes Our Daily Bread, one would expect that spiritual bakery to daily, declare some evangelical Christian theme, which is indeed true of today's title. "An Audience of One" suggests a solid, Biblical theme that we should expect to periodically hear from the pulpit, but its possible familiarity must never dull our hearing or sate our appetite for its always timely message.
The author, Philip Yancey, kindly suggested reading Matthew 6:1-6, to complement today's devotional, so I dutifully clicked on the link. My eyes embraced the Scripture passage at first glance as a familiar excerpt from Jesus' sermon on the mount. Of course, verse one elicited a sub-verbal "amen," as it always does. For years I've accepted and believed those words as part of Jesus' teaching that cut across the religious establishment's grain. So I charged into verses two and following with every expectation of more "same-ol'-same-ol'."
What I found, however, was anything but mundane. What I found was a sword-thrust, fresh from God's hand to my religious-establishment heart.
I tithe and give, not because it's a valid principle of Christian living, and certainly not because I expect God to return the favor a hundred-fold. I tithe and give because I love to, and because those funds aren't mine anyway—or that's what I always thought. Though these Bible verses had become as familiar and comfortable as old shoes, when I put them on this time it felt as if God had, without my knowledge, installed some radical orthotics. And they pinched!
"Lord, those words fit just fine as they were. I've been walking in them for years, so why fix what ain't broke?"
But they were "broke," at least, as I had always worn them. How many years had I read those words and applied them directly to the rich, elitist religious establishment of Jesus' time? And YEAH! They had it coming … in spades! This time as I approached those words, Jesus held up His mirror-finished, double-edged sword and blinded me with His Truth … blinded me to my self-delusion so I could see my motives as He did.
Yes, Lord! Guilty as charged. All this time I've been giving during the Offertory—that is, when I thought I could afford it—and feeling good about it. And why did I feel good about it, especially when my giving has been inconsistent at best? Because people could see me put something into the offering basket.
Why, it's plain as day now. I've been using that Offertory ritual to boost my own ego. I would have given anyway, but I chose that time when the Offertory music was playing, just like "the hypocrites do in the synagogues and the streets, so they may be praised by others!" And during prayer meetings, when I utter a few holy words of profound wisdom aloud, I'm just like the hypocrites, who stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.
The truth is, the Offertory, is for giving myself, as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is my spiritual worship. And if that's my motive for dropping a check into the basket, then I can praise God for so convicting me.
Now, I am NOT saying everyone should give at some other time than the Offertory segment of the worship service. And I am NOT saying everyone should sit like a wart during prayer meetings, for fear of appearing to grandstand. I am saying we must not do anything for appearance's sake—or avoid doing them for the same reason. We must only fear God—not what others think—and trust Him to illuminate our motives to us.
The author, Philip Yancey, kindly suggested reading Matthew 6:1-6,
What I found, however, was anything but mundane. What I found was a sword-thrust, fresh from God's hand to my religious-establishment heart.
I tithe and give, not because it's a valid principle of Christian living, and certainly not because I expect God to return the favor a hundred-fold. I tithe and give because I love to, and because those funds aren't mine anyway—or that's what I always thought. Though these Bible verses had become as familiar and comfortable as old shoes, when I put them on this time it felt as if God had, without my knowledge, installed some radical orthotics. And they pinched!
"Lord, those words fit just fine as they were. I've been walking in them for years, so why fix what ain't broke?"
But they were "broke," at least, as I had always worn them. How many years had I read those words and applied them directly to the rich, elitist religious establishment of Jesus' time? And YEAH! They had it coming … in spades! This time as I approached those words, Jesus held up His mirror-finished, double-edged sword and blinded me with His Truth … blinded me to my self-delusion so I could see my motives as He did.
Yes, Lord! Guilty as charged. All this time I've been giving during the Offertory—that is, when I thought I could afford it—and feeling good about it. And why did I feel good about it, especially when my giving has been inconsistent at best? Because people could see me put something into the offering basket.
Why, it's plain as day now. I've been using that Offertory ritual to boost my own ego. I would have given anyway, but I chose that time when the Offertory music was playing, just like "the hypocrites do in the synagogues and the streets, so they may be praised by others!" And during prayer meetings, when I utter a few holy words of profound wisdom aloud, I'm just like the hypocrites, who stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.
The truth is, the Offertory, is for giving myself, as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is my spiritual worship. And if that's my motive for dropping a check into the basket, then I can praise God for so convicting me.
Now, I am NOT saying everyone should give at some other time than the Offertory segment of the worship service. And I am NOT saying everyone should sit like a wart during prayer meetings, for fear of appearing to grandstand. I am saying we must not do anything for appearance's sake—or avoid doing them for the same reason. We must only fear God—not what others think—and trust Him to illuminate our motives to us.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Uncivil Religious Warfare
It usually starts like this: "I did nothing to provoke such a blatant snubbing! She's not going to get away with treating people that way … she needs to be taught a lesson." Okay, it may not materialize in such lucid terms, but that's often the attitude behind the declaration of uncivil war among church members.
So let the games begin! The first shots fired are subtle, indirect warning shots, "Are you well, dahling? You seem to have lost weight, haven't you. This calls for a new wardrobe, I should say." (translation: "That dress looks baggy on you.")
The target reels at the sudden realization that she's just been fired upon, so reflex action ignites a return volley, "Why, thank you for that observation. You're so fortunate to not have to worry about clothes bagging on you." (translation: "Better skinny than fat.")
If looks could kill, the war would be over before it really starts. But they don't kill, at least not directly. So the exchange of "broad sides" escalates into offhand comments behind enemy backs. And of course those comments find their way back to their subject, more or less—mostly less—accurately, deepening the rift between the brethren.
The original combatants begin confiding in friends, who become outraged, taking up the offense as their own. Each friend feels it is their Christian responsibility to lift up every last minute detail in "prayer" through a somewhat abridged prayer-chain. Factions form around both horribly mistreated brethren, and with volunteer armies enlisted, people's names are excluded from key social and church functions' invitation lists. After all, we can't have that sort of people poisoning the atmosphere at the dessert social/fund raiser. It simply wouldn't be Christian. "Why, I heard ...." And on it goes.
What may have originated as a thoughtless gaffe soon escalates to open warfare, with allies enlisted on both sides in a systematic campaign of attacks on the other's personhood. And all with airtight self-justification. Outright carnal behavior becomes a holy war as deadly in a way as an Islamic jihad.
How can anyone who claims to follow the Biblical Christ justify such un-Christian behavior as bitterness, rage and anger? And that's just the short list of wrong attitudes.
One might wonder how professed Christians manage to justify such character assassination. Perhaps if we isolate each clause of the above quoted passage from its neighbors, we can warp God's word enough to rationalize the message into oblivion. Wouldn't we be in the best of religious company by so doing?
Today, ungodly people—whether religious or irreligious—can broadcast unwholesome conversation through e-mail, instant messaging and chat far more quickly than their infernal progenitors did by mouth or conventional mail. Though such uncivil war begins with righteous indignation, volleys of "justifiable" anger, bitterness and rage soon follow. While today's brethren may still consider bitterness, rage, brawling and slander to be bad things, we miss the fact that such aggressive behavior quickly follows the more passive sin of unwholesome conversation. Jesus didn't mince words when He said, For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." (Mar 7:21-23 ESV)
Some will defend their spite with such excuses as, "evil things" aren't even in the same hemisphere as the "unwholesome talk" Paul refers to in Ephesians 4:29. But if a heart and mind hungry for godliness examines both passages, they will see that the offenses are disturbingly similar. They're not only in the same hemisphere, but cohabiters in the same household.
War between brethren, whether civil or uncivil, is sin. And while Jesus pronounced judgment on the world's sin through His death, burial and resurrection, the church's sins of presumption on His grace remain to be judged.
So let the games begin! The first shots fired are subtle, indirect warning shots, "Are you well, dahling? You seem to have lost weight, haven't you. This calls for a new wardrobe, I should say." (translation: "That dress looks baggy on you.")
The target reels at the sudden realization that she's just been fired upon, so reflex action ignites a return volley, "Why, thank you for that observation. You're so fortunate to not have to worry about clothes bagging on you." (translation: "Better skinny than fat.")
If looks could kill, the war would be over before it really starts. But they don't kill, at least not directly. So the exchange of "broad sides" escalates into offhand comments behind enemy backs. And of course those comments find their way back to their subject, more or less—mostly less—accurately, deepening the rift between the brethren.
The original combatants begin confiding in friends, who become outraged, taking up the offense as their own. Each friend feels it is their Christian responsibility to lift up every last minute detail in "prayer" through a somewhat abridged prayer-chain. Factions form around both horribly mistreated brethren, and with volunteer armies enlisted, people's names are excluded from key social and church functions' invitation lists. After all, we can't have that sort of people poisoning the atmosphere at the dessert social/fund raiser. It simply wouldn't be Christian. "Why, I heard ...." And on it goes.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.(Ephesians 4:29-32 NIV)If there is an ungodly behavior that much of Christendom passively accepts, unwholesome talk would certainly not be it—unless, that is, we were to drink deeply enough of God's word that we might understand His definition of the term. Is reading Ephesians 4:29-32 without grasping its message possible? Anyone who has spent much time around "church," would have to admit that it is.
What may have originated as a thoughtless gaffe soon escalates to open warfare, with allies enlisted on both sides in a systematic campaign of attacks on the other's personhood. And all with airtight self-justification. Outright carnal behavior becomes a holy war as deadly in a way as an Islamic jihad.
How can anyone who claims to follow the Biblical Christ justify such un-Christian behavior as bitterness, rage and anger? And that's just the short list of wrong attitudes.
One might wonder how professed Christians manage to justify such character assassination. Perhaps if we isolate each clause of the above quoted passage from its neighbors, we can warp God's word enough to rationalize the message into oblivion. Wouldn't we be in the best of religious company by so doing?
Today, ungodly people—whether religious or irreligious—can broadcast unwholesome conversation through e-mail, instant messaging and chat far more quickly than their infernal progenitors did by mouth or conventional mail. Though such uncivil war begins with righteous indignation, volleys of "justifiable" anger, bitterness and rage soon follow. While today's brethren may still consider bitterness, rage, brawling and slander to be bad things, we miss the fact that such aggressive behavior quickly follows the more passive sin of unwholesome conversation. Jesus didn't mince words when He said, For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." (Mar 7:21-23 ESV)
Some will defend their spite with such excuses as, "evil things" aren't even in the same hemisphere as the "unwholesome talk" Paul refers to in Ephesians 4:29. But if a heart and mind hungry for godliness examines both passages, they will see that the offenses are disturbingly similar. They're not only in the same hemisphere, but cohabiters in the same household.
War between brethren, whether civil or uncivil, is sin. And while Jesus pronounced judgment on the world's sin through His death, burial and resurrection, the church's sins of presumption on His grace remain to be judged.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Who Is Wise?
The worst thing a preacher can do—the quickest way to get fired—is to "preach at" individual congregants' wrongdoing, especially those of the more tenured saints. On the other hand, Jesus' brother James—Ya'aqov in Hebrew—stood out from his brethren by living an entirely sanctified, righteous life. His community revered him as "James the Just." And other sources call him, in Hebrew, "Ya'aqov the Sadiq," or James the Brother. We can tell by the contents of James' letter that he didn't mind crossing the "saints" who had become smug and judgmental due to their position within the church, as the following excerpt attests.
There has to be some way of discerning the higher qualities in those we encounter, other than taking their word for it. The first direct product of wisdom that James mentions is a life of good works done in humility. Of course, discerning the works of those we don't know well can be a dicey proposition. And even those we think we know well can be clever enough to carry on an Academy Award Winning performance, both of good works and of humility. So there must be other ways of discerning genuine, heavenly wisdom.
In verses 14 and 15, Ya'aqov the Lord's brother gives us the other side of the "Wisdom Equation." The "wisdom" that is not from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish, is often as hard to discern as the Gold Standard of true wisdom. Perhaps we can call it "fool's gold."
Many who succeed in this world demonstrate that same worldly wisdom, and are proud of the bitter envy, and selfish ambition they harbor in their hearts. Others, depending upon their audience, flat-out deny the envy and ambition that fills their hearts. Oddly enough, we find blatantly religious folks in both camps. If one were to suggest to them that such worldly wisdom is carnal, unspiritual, or of the Devil, there'd be "hell to pay."
Human affairs have always produced certain … ah … "fruit," such as vs. 16 enumerates: Such fruit looks and tastes a lot like disorder and every evil practice. The secular world's remedy of choice for this bitter fruit is regulation and control. We all know how well that works. Back in 1887, Lord Acton summed it up rather succinctly: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
The corollary to Lord Acton's Law would be, "Laws are made to be successfully exploited by powerful men." Of course, we all know that "powerful" and "rich" are synonymous.
One caveat is in order here: History has witnessed many wealthy people who refused to succumb to Lord Acton's Law, or, once corrupted, repented openly and liberally of their corruption. They were the philanthropists, the agents of righteous and social change, and even a few ministers who underwrote effective humanitarian and gospel works. Nowhere does the Bible say wealth is inherently sinful. But love, or even more often envy, of wealth has brought down many.
But Ya'aqov the sadiq isn't finished with us yet. Verse 17 lists other characteristics that, if practiced successfully, guarantee the practitioner will conspicuously lack worldly power. Such things as purity, love of true inner peace, deference to others' needs, submissiveness, mercy, good fruit-bearing, impartiality and sincerity, virtually assure those who possess them of running at cross purposes with the world system.
And the apostle's parting statement in chapter three sounds rather like a religious platitude. But listen carefully to the words and what they mean: Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
The Real vs. The Counterfeit
Sounds so nicely passive, doesn't it. Just try it and see how easy it is. The world cries for peace, but do they really want it? No, the cost of righteousness is far too high.
The Biblical fruit of the Spirit from Galatians chapter five sounds nice: Love-Joy-Peace-Patience-Kindness-Goodness-Faithfulness-Gentleness-Self-control. Let's all serve it up in HUGE portions. Just go out and pluck that fruit off the Tree of Life 'til the basket overflows.
But there's one thing we harvesters must remember: The world is full of counterfeit spiritual fruit, and it is quite clever. They are infatuation instead of love, situational joy, aggressive peace-seeking, grudging tolerance instead of patience, altruism rather than kindness, and religious, Sunday-righteousness.
And the last four are simply convincing performances of superficial goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These counterfeits are convincing enough to fool anyone, so we can't rely on our own discernment to know them. In fact, our attempts at discerning spiritual fruit can easily head us into the sin of judgmentalism. For that reason, Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.(Luke 6:37 NIV)
So, how can we know the true fruit from the counterfeit fruit? Simple! Care for your own, and let God care for the rest.
John the baptizer said it right. Speaking to all the religious leaders who came out to the Jordan River to make a show of righteousness, he said, Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.(Matthew 3:8 NIV)
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.Wisdom and understanding are noble pursuits. Most of us will readily admit we possess far too little of those characteristics. And the ones who won't admit those shortcomings? Well, we just relegate them to the loony bin with all the other self-deluded wackos.
14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
15Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.(James 3:13-17 NIV)
There has to be some way of discerning the higher qualities in those we encounter, other than taking their word for it. The first direct product of wisdom that James mentions is a life of good works done in humility. Of course, discerning the works of those we don't know well can be a dicey proposition. And even those we think we know well can be clever enough to carry on an Academy Award Winning performance, both of good works and of humility. So there must be other ways of discerning genuine, heavenly wisdom.
In verses 14 and 15, Ya'aqov the Lord's brother gives us the other side of the "Wisdom Equation." The "wisdom" that is not from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish, is often as hard to discern as the Gold Standard of true wisdom. Perhaps we can call it "fool's gold."
Many who succeed in this world demonstrate that same worldly wisdom, and are proud of the bitter envy, and selfish ambition they harbor in their hearts. Others, depending upon their audience, flat-out deny the envy and ambition that fills their hearts. Oddly enough, we find blatantly religious folks in both camps. If one were to suggest to them that such worldly wisdom is carnal, unspiritual, or of the Devil, there'd be "hell to pay."
Human affairs have always produced certain … ah … "fruit," such as vs. 16 enumerates: Such fruit looks and tastes a lot like disorder and every evil practice. The secular world's remedy of choice for this bitter fruit is regulation and control. We all know how well that works. Back in 1887, Lord Acton summed it up rather succinctly: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
The corollary to Lord Acton's Law would be, "Laws are made to be successfully exploited by powerful men." Of course, we all know that "powerful" and "rich" are synonymous.
One caveat is in order here: History has witnessed many wealthy people who refused to succumb to Lord Acton's Law, or, once corrupted, repented openly and liberally of their corruption. They were the philanthropists, the agents of righteous and social change, and even a few ministers who underwrote effective humanitarian and gospel works. Nowhere does the Bible say wealth is inherently sinful. But love, or even more often envy, of wealth has brought down many.
But Ya'aqov the sadiq isn't finished with us yet. Verse 17 lists other characteristics that, if practiced successfully, guarantee the practitioner will conspicuously lack worldly power. Such things as purity, love of true inner peace, deference to others' needs, submissiveness, mercy, good fruit-bearing, impartiality and sincerity, virtually assure those who possess them of running at cross purposes with the world system.
And the apostle's parting statement in chapter three sounds rather like a religious platitude. But listen carefully to the words and what they mean: Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
The Real vs. The Counterfeit
Sounds so nicely passive, doesn't it. Just try it and see how easy it is. The world cries for peace, but do they really want it? No, the cost of righteousness is far too high.
The Biblical fruit of the Spirit from Galatians chapter five sounds nice: Love-Joy-Peace-Patience-Kindness-Goodness-Faithfulness-Gentleness-Self-control. Let's all serve it up in HUGE portions. Just go out and pluck that fruit off the Tree of Life 'til the basket overflows.
But there's one thing we harvesters must remember: The world is full of counterfeit spiritual fruit, and it is quite clever. They are infatuation instead of love, situational joy, aggressive peace-seeking, grudging tolerance instead of patience, altruism rather than kindness, and religious, Sunday-righteousness.
And the last four are simply convincing performances of superficial goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These counterfeits are convincing enough to fool anyone, so we can't rely on our own discernment to know them. In fact, our attempts at discerning spiritual fruit can easily head us into the sin of judgmentalism. For that reason, Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.(Luke 6:37 NIV)
So, how can we know the true fruit from the counterfeit fruit? Simple! Care for your own, and let God care for the rest.
John the baptizer said it right. Speaking to all the religious leaders who came out to the Jordan River to make a show of righteousness, he said, Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.(Matthew 3:8 NIV)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Why I Go To Church
From stuff I've written, you can no doubt tell how fed up I am with the effect that Kool-Aid drinking lemmings, whether Left, Right, Secular or Religious, have on culture. I attend "church" because the Bible warns me not to forsake the assembling of believers. When I go, it's not to socialize or discuss the weather, hunting, politics, or others' personal affairs. When that goes on around me, I concentrate on God, and my own struggles in growing toward Him. I'm afraid some of the folks see me as standoffish, or elitist, not realizing that if they would only fellowship in God's word, I'd be all over it. There is a significant minority of attendees, however, who love God the way I do, and we learn from one another—hopefully—how to get it right. If I had to name the denomination with which I align myself, it would have to be the Tuppence—you know—"Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them." (Matt 18:20)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Wonderful News
Isaiah 28
5 In that day(of judgment on Ephriam) the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,
6 and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,
and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
Just as there will always be judgment for God's wayward people, there will always be a remnant of His people, crowned by the Lord of Glory, a diadem of beauty. The church has no glory but God, and no beauty but His holiness.
What of those who would fancify His glory and find beauty other than His? Theirs is a hopeless quest. He does not need or want great cathedrals, and the beauty of fine furnishings and art are to Him, ugliness.
9 “To whom will he teach knowledge,
and to whom will he explain the message?
Those who are weaned from the milk,
those taken from the breast?
10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little.”
One can almost hear the prophet saying, "Does God have any volunteers?" If He can find them, they will have grown past the milk of the gospel. They will be teachable and patient, not having to know it all up front, but willing to accept any crumb of knowledge or wisdom that falls to them.
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