God is “Cool”?

Posted by Dan C. on

Last Sunday in Chapel we had another young worship leader (we have seen many over the last couple of years). After the first song during ‘worship time’, he paused and asked hypothetically (and VERY sincerely): “Isn’t God cool?”, after which we joined in the second song of the day, the lyrics of which told us that because of His love, in His Name we find comfort, shelter, healing, safely, peace, and happiness.

Right off the bat I need to say that I am not criticizing this young worship leader or commenting on the state of much of today’s popular “worship” music. I am wondering about the “God is cool!” mentality that pervades much of postmodern Christianity. Also, I am not saying that God is NOT “cool”. It depends on what “cool” means to the speaker/hearer.

When I heard the question asked it just didn’t ‘compute’. You see, I have started listening through the Bible (mostly while driving anywhere and everywhere) again this year and I’m in the Old Testament. On my way in to Chapel I had been listening to the wilderness journey of the Israelites, with all the instances of rebellion and disobedience, followed by God’s judgment and severe consequences. God was definitely NOT being cool!

Where am I going with this? I’m so glad you asked!

After service, while driving home I realized that there are thousands if not millions of young believers (and many not so young) who have never met or known the God who isn’t “cool”. While they know something of God’s love, a bit about grace, they know little or nothing about His other attributes. Such “weighty” doctrinal issues are no longer in fashion in much of today’s church. As for those other attributes – it’s quite a list. Christian evangelist and Biblical scholar Arthur W. Pink (1886-1952) defined, from Scripture, seventeen attributes of God. “Love” and “Grace” are but two.

While I agree that “two out of three ain’t bad” (so the song goes), ‘two out of seventeen ain’t good!”. It is in knowing ALL of God’s attributes that we can come close to apprehending the meaning of Jesus’ words to His Father in John 17:3; “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” We can’t even know very much about God’s love and grace, about which we know something, WITHOUT knowing something of the other 15!~! We are limited to our human concepts of both, and strictly human concepts are far short of God’s reality.

So the heart of this old soldier goes out to this young worship leader (and all believers),who in only knowing a little, are missing out on so much of God!

And by the way, if you are reading this only knowing something, I encourage you to visit Pink’s Archive for “the rest of the story”. Not exactly light reading, but well worth it!

Man in His Fallen Estate

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. . .and sacrificing Truth on the Altar of Niceness

“Man, with all his boasted understanding and attainments, is a fool: so long as he is destitute of the saving grace of God, his conduct, as to his most important concernments, is more absurd and inconsistent then that of the meanest idiot; with respect to his affections and pursuits, he is degraded far below the beasts; and for malignity and wickedness of his will, can be compared to nothing so properly as the devil.” – John Newton (1725 – 1807 & author of “Amazing Grace) from the letter “Man in His Fallen Estate”.

That is HARSH! I can’t even imagine Rev. Newton preaching that in  some many most(?) of today’s churches!  Where did he ever get such a low opinion of people who have not believed in and received Christ as Savior? That’s a BIG difference in the way many preachers and teachers talk about man’s condition in today’s Christian environment.

Was John Newton too harsh? Do some of today’s preachers sacrifice hard truth on the altar of niceness?

Think about it and feel free to share your thoughts.

CHARLES SPURGEON: MEET THE ONLY GOD THERE IS

Posted by Dan C. on

From the Charles Spurgeon devotional At the Master’s Feet for January 20. Using the Sword of the Spirit Spurgeon slices through the mystic mist of the mush god of contemporary Christendom:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:7-8, KJV)

And we now declare that the God of Holy Scripture is a God of inflexible justice, He is not the God Whom some of you adore. You adore a god who winks at great sins; you believe in a god who calls your crimes peccadillos and little faults. Some of you worship a god who does not punish sin but who is so weakly merciful, and mercilessly weak, that he passes by transgressions and iniquity and never enacts a punishment.

You believe in a god who, if man sins, does not demand punishment for his offense. You think that a few good works of your own will pacify him, that he is so weak a ruler that a few good words uttered before him in prayer will win sufficient merit to reverse the sentence, if indeed you think he ever passes a sentence at all. Your god is no God; he is as much a false god of the Greeks or of ancient Nineveh.

The God of Scripture is one who is inflexibly severe in justice and will by no means clear the guilty. “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked” (Nahum 1:3, KJV). The God of Scripture is a Ruler who, when His subjects rebel, marks their crime and never forgives them until He was punished it, either upon them or upon their Substitute.

Online Source

What is the Goal of God’s Love?

Posted by Dan C. on

We hear so much these days from so many different sources about how wonderful we are in God’s eyes, about how much God wants to do for us to make us happy and successful in this life, one might think that we mere mortals are the center of God’s universe! I even heard recently that everything God does, he does just for us! That’s awesome! But is it true?

Your thoughts please.

How to Hate Your Neighbor – Redux

Posted by Dan C. on

II don’t spend a lot of time using the WordPress tools to analyze this blog, but a few days ago I actually took a look at my blog’s Dashboard and noticed that the “Most Active” post right now is How to Hate Your Neighbor, with triple digit views. Discounting the possibility that some of my own views are in included in the count, It’s still a sizeable number, at least for an ‘average guy’ blog. There are only four comments for the most active post, however, two of them being author replies to reader comments.

Apparently, while the title attracted curious viewers, few wanted to talk about the subject matter. Either they just thought the author was nuts, might have had a point but it was hard to understand, or the point just escaped them. Whatever the case, a bucket load of viewers didn’t comment, even though discussion was invited and encouraged at the bottom of the original post.

Perhaps the ‘personal’ tone generated the usual “he’s judging ME” in the minds of viewers who either don’t share the Gospel, or who share the “wrong” gospel (that would have been the “don’t ever tell them” list).

That post was only as personal as any reader perceived it to be, and if perceptions are a a kind of reality, I guess it was personal. When I remember the time, years ago, when I shared a tract with a prostitute on a downtown street of a small Kansas town that maximized God’s “wonderful plan” but gave second place to “sin”, it’s personal to me.

I was really proud of myself for not ‘witnessing’ like the fellows on the other side of the street who passed out tracts that talked about Hell and judgment and asked passersby “Where’s your soul going to die?”, with what I thought was a snarky tone. Those same fellows, from an Independent Protestant church in town with what I called “legalistic” tendencies, operated a little Servicemen’s Center on that street. Night after night, they would stand outside of the entrance and “ambush” unsuspecting sinners. The “regulars” just walked on the other side of the street.

Back to the point. . .

I was really proud that I was engaging a few people on the street that night in real conversation and not ambushing them. I simply walked both sides of the street striking up a conversation or two and guiding it to spiritual matters. If the person with whom I was speaking seemed receptive, I pulled out one of the pamphlets I had in my pocket and shared all about “God’s love and wonderful plan”. Sure, sin was mentioned, but in the sense that it separates us from God and the “wonderful plan”.

Does God have a plan” Sure He does, but it might only be wonderful in His mind and not ours. He doesn’t think like us. If you take a close look at evangelistic encounters in the New Testament, you don’t find the “wonderful plan” approach anywhere!

Where did that leave me, considering I loved sharing the Gospel? It left me with SIN as the main issue. I would have to be able to talk about that which unbelievers find extremely offensive and I certainly wouldn’t win friends and influence people. The ONLY reason a non-believer needs to come to Christ is to deal with the SIN issue. Everything else falls into place after that is taken care of.

“Leading” people to a “decision” to accept Christ for all the great things in store for them, is disingenuous at best, and an outright lie at it’s worst. You see, a half truth is still a lie, and representing something as the “main thing” when it’s not, is likewise a lie, at least in my book.

So yes, that last post was personal – and you are still encouraged to read it and respond, whether you agree, disagree, or just don’t care. I would love to talk about it.

To My Catholic Friend,

Posted by Dan C. on

I am writing you here because I want the readers of this blog, and yours, to know that I speak from the depths of my being as I write these words, and that I bear you no ill will. I have come to this point primarily because you have concluded, in your latest blog, that the difference between Catholics and Protestants is that Catholics have access to the all of the Sacraments of the Church and Protestants do not. In fact, you give great importance to that difference, even above differences in the doctrine of scripture, an observation that I find deeply troubling, but I will debate no more.

I shan’t even trouble you again with exercises in logic for logic’s sake. Your latest  missive has betrayed you and my suspicion has been, at least for the purposes of continuing our conversation, confirmed. I appeal  to Jesus’ words in His High Priestly prayer found in John 17. . .

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” – John 17:3

Eternal life is not bound up in any earthly organization, Catholic or Protestant. It is bound up in the knowledge of God and His Son, as found in the very pages of scripture. I am not debating on behalf of Protestant Church, or the Reformation. If I have given you that impression, forgive me. Your latest post, along with what I have read of those preceding it, have been about extolling the glories of your Church, it’s teachings and it’s history.  You have even thanked me for causing you to dig deeper into its history. That has certainly not been my intent, and if all I have said to you did not point you to Scripture for it’s own sake, and to Christ Himself, I apologize for having spoken at all. 

The very title of your blog “The Real Difference between Catholics and Protestants” signals your true agenda – to state your case that there is only one true church, as if the Bride of Christ is an organization rather than the body of believers who have placed their trust in Christ from “every tribe, tongue and nation”. The true difference(s) between us, sir, is not the issue at hand.

All of us, whether we are called Catholic or Protestant (or any derivation thereof), must ask ourselves, in whom have we trusted for our justification and salvation. The Apostle Paul, with all of his religious education and learning, and who could have debated things religious all day and all night, said it best:

“. . .but we preach Christ crucified. . .” – 1 Cor 1:23, and ” For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” – 2 Cor 2:2

Your definition of what separates us, that we do not have certain Sacraments that are only available through the single organization on earth with the authority to administer said sacraments, lays to rest any thoughts I may have had that you might be interested in knowing more about God and His Son, rather than learning more about your church. I fear that you might even be fearful of gazing at your professed Savior other than through “Catholic” lenses. However, such is the bondage into which you are willingly submitting yourself.

Call that sarcasm, rudeness on my part, or even personally insulting, but I intend nothing personal. Your very words demand I consider the possibility.

So, my Catholic friend, I leave you with this question, the one question we all must ask ourselves. In whom are you REALLY trust for salvationl? If it is Christ, we are safe. If it is anything, or anyone OTHER than Christ, we are in grave danger.

So long, my friend. You are welcome here anytime you wish to discuss our Christ and His Gospel.

Dan

"Strawmanicus Maximus"

Posted by Dan C. on

That’s a term I came across researching the issue of Sola Scriptura, a Christian doctrine restored to the church as a result of the Protestant Reformation. It appeared in this article by Dr. James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries, in which he summarized some of the main points made during a debate with the Catholic apologist, Patrick Madrid. The straw men presented here are typically seen an most debates between Protestant and Catholic apologists.

Straw Man Number One: Misrepresent the issue(s). In this case we are talking about Patrick Madred misrepresenting what Sola Scriptura actually means.

Straw Man Number Two: Misrepresent the opponent’s point/argument. In this case Patrick Madrid misrepresents James White’s position concerning 2 Timothy 3:16-18 and the passage’s presentation of a case for Sola Scriptura.

Following is a direct excerpt that appeared in the beginning of the above referenced article (and the actual debate), in which Dr. White explains exactly what Sola Scriptura does not mean and what it does mean.

What the doctrine of Sola Scriptura does not say.

First of all, it is not a claim that the Bible contains all knowledge. The Bible is not exhaustive in every detail. John 21:25 speaks to the fact that there are many things that Jesus said and did that are not recorded in John, or, in fact, in any book in the world because the whole books of the world could not contain it. But the Bible does not have to be exhaustive to function as the sole rule of faith for the Church. We do not need to know the color of Thomas’ eyes. We do not need to know the menu of each meal of the Apostolic band for the Scriptures to function as the sole rule of faith for the Church.

Secondly, it is not a denial of the Church’s authority to teach God’s truth. I Timothy 3:15 describes the Church as “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” The truth is in Jesus Christ and in His Word. The Church teaches truth and calls men to Christ and, in so doing, functions as the pillar and foundation thereof. The Church does not add revelation or rule over Scripture. The Church being the bride of Christ, listens to the Word of Christ, which is found in God-breathed Scripture.

Thirdly, it is not a denial that God’s Word has been spoken. Apostolic preaching was authoritative in and of itself. Yet, the Apostles proved their message from Scripture, as we see in Acts 17:2, and 18:28, and John commended those in Ephesus for testing those who claimed to be Apostles, Revelation 2:2. The Apostles were not afraid to demonstrate the consistency between their teaching and the Old Testament.

And, finally, Sola Scriptura is not a denial of the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding and enlightening the Church.

What then is sola scriptura?

The doctrine of sola scriptura, simply stated, is that the Scriptures and the Scriptures alone are sufficient to function as the regula fide, the “rule of faith” for the Church. All that one must believe to be a Christian is found in Scripture and in no other source. That which is not found in Scripture is not binding upon the Christian conscience. To be more specific, I provide the following definition: The Bible claims to be the sole and sufficient rule of faith for the Christian Church. The Scriptures are not in need of any supplement. Their authority comes from their nature as God-breathed revelation. Their authority is not dependent upon man, Church or council. The Scriptures are self-consistent, self-interpreting, and self- authenticating. The Christian Church looks at the Scriptures as the only and sufficient rule of faith and the Church is always subject to the Word, and is constantly reformed thereby.

This explanation by Dr. White of what Sola Scriptura does not mean was quite useful to this blogger because it told me why conversations I have had and/or observed seemed to go in endless circles. Opposing parties in the debate often argue from different perspectives. I hope you find this information useful.

As for SM#2 and 2 Timothy 3:16-18, well, that’s another blog post.

How to Hate Your Neighbor

Posted by Dan C. on

Recently I watched a short video clip from a well known American entertainer and atheist in which he made a very thought provoking statement. The speaker defended both atheists’ and Christians’ efforts in proselytizing.  About Christians he asked a question that could be summarized: “If you believe there’s a Heaven and a Hell and people go there, that eternal life is a possibility, how much to you have to hate others to NOT tell them about it?”

Think about it for a minute. . ., or two, or three, or more. This guy did.

Well, after the dust settled in my brain, and I picked my heart up off the floor, I had to admit that the man had a point. We MUST really hate our neighbor to NOT share with him/her the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, I couldn’t get it out of my head. Could there even be anything worse, more cruel or hateful, than NOT to share the truth that sets men free, can keep them from Hell, and assure them a home in Heaven? And it hit me like a ton of bricks. . .

Tell them, but. . .lie. . .

Just tell them . . .

  • God loves them so much He can’t imagine His heaven without them in it.
  • They can come to Jesus WITH their sin.
  • They can have their best life now !
  • They have a special purpose in life, custom made by God, and they just need to discover it to be happy and fulfilled.
  • Jesus died for their dreams.
  • God knows we are just human and make mistakes that separate us from Him, so He sent His Son to “bridge the gap”.
  • All they have to do is “decide” to follow Jesus, “ask/accept”  Him into their heart”, or repeat a little prayer. That way they are in total control.

In other words, tell them stuff that emphasizes that they are the very center of God’s universe and everything He does, He does just for them!

But don’t ever tell them. . .

  • That apart from Christ, we are all DEAD in our SINS, deserving of God’s wrath – that we are “born on death row”.
  • The truth about SIN – it’s not just mistakes and errors in judgment (things we do) but a terminal illness we are born with (who we are).
  • That Jesus died for their sins, in their place, to appease the wrath of His Father against all sin.
  • That the first word of the Gospel preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter and John on Pentecost, was “repent”.
  • That repentance is part and parcel of the gift of faith and genuine belief in Christ.
  • Being a Christian is no guarantee of a better job, house, car, or any other form of material gain.
  • That they would face trials, persecution, be hated, and might face death because of their faith in Christ.

In other words, don’t tell them that God’s primary concern is His own Name – that everything He does is first and foremost a demonstration of His power, designed to bring Himself great honor and glory!

There you have it. Two ways to hate your neighbor: 1) Don’t tell others about the path to peace and eternal life, or 2) tell them, but lie about it.

And how might following the above lists of “do’s and don’ts” show a greater hatred for my neighbor than not telling them at all? 

Think about it and let’s discuss it.