The Gates of Hell

Here is a good little essay by Shane Claiborne. I added the photos.

C.S. Lewis understood hell, not as a place where God locks people out of heaven, but as a dungeon that we lock ourselves into and that we as a Church hold the keys. I think that gives us new insight when we look at the parable of Lazarus or hear the brilliant words with which Jesus reassures Peter: “The gates of Hell will not prevail against you.”

As an adolescent, I understood that to mean that the demons and fiery darts of the devil will not hit us. But lately I’ve done a little more thinking and praying, and I have a bit more insight on the idea of “gates.”

Gates are not offensive weapons. Gates are defensive—walls and fences we build to keep people out. God is not saying the gates of hell will not prevail as they come at us. God is saying that we are in the business of storming the gates of hell, and the gates will not prevail as we crash through them with grace.

People sometimes ask if we are scared of the inner city. I say that I am more scared of the suburbs. Our Jesus warns that we can fear those things which can hurt our bodies or we can fear those things which can destroy our souls, and we should be far more fearful of the latter. Those are the subtle demons of suburbia.
As my mother once told me, “Perhaps there is no more dangerous place for a Christian to be than in safety and comfort, detached from the suffering of others.” I’m scared of apathy and complacency, of detaching myself from the suffering. It’s hard to see until our 20/20 hindsight hits us—but every time we lock someone out, we lock ourselves further in.

Just as we are building walls to keep people out of our comfortable, insulated existence, we are trapping ourselves in a hell of isolation, loneliness and fear. We have “gated communities” where rich folks live. We put up picket fences around our suburban homes. We place barbed wire and razer-wire around our buildings and churches. We put bars on our windows in the ghettos of fear. We build up walls to keep immigrants from entering our country. We guard our borders with those walls—Berlin, Jerusalem, Jericho.
And the more walls and gates and fences we have, the closer we are to hell. We, like the rich man, find ourselves locked into our gated homes and far from the tears of Lazarus outside, far from the tears of God.Let us pray that God would give us the strength to storm the gates of hell, and tear down the walls we have created between those whose suffering would disrupt our comfort. May we become familiar with the suffering of the poor outside our gates, know their names, and taste the salt in their tears… then when “the ones God has rescued,” the Lazaruses of our world—the baby refugees, the mentally-ill wanderers, and the homeless outcasts—are seated next to God, we can say, “We’re with them.” Jesus has given them the keys to enter the Kingdom. Maybe they will give us a little boost over the gate.
And in the New Jerusalem, the great City of God, “on no day will its gates ever be shut.” The gates of the Kingdom will forever be open. (Revelation 21:25)

Freedom

Below are 2 photos of my friend Dennis. Click the link below the photos for his website and his story.

http://www.deliveredfrommeth.com/

History

A person I love, but who does not trust to even have his name mentioned in the blogosphere, recently taught a class on the historicity of the resurrrection of Jesus. I found a good article by one of the scholars at the forefront of this discussion today. Below is an excerpt and a link if you would like to read further.

'Man,' writes Loren Eisley,'is the Cosmic Orphan.' He is the only creature in the universe who asks, Why? Other animals have instincts to guide them, but man has learned to ask questions.'Who am I?' he asks.'Why am I here? Where am I going?'
Ever since the Enlightenment, when modern man threw off the shackles of religion, he has tried to answer these questions without reference to God. But the answers that came back were not exhilarating, but dark and terrible.'You are an accidental by-product of nature, the result of matter plus time plus chance. There is no reason for your existence. All you face is death. Your life is but a spark in the infinite darkness, a spark that appears, flickers, and dies forever.'
Modern man thought that in divesting himself of God, he had freed himself from all that stifled and repressed him. Instead, he discovered that in killing God, he had also killed himself.
Against this background of the modern predicament, the traditional Christian hope of the resurrection takes on an even greater brightness and significance. It tells man that he is no orphan after all, but the personal image of the Creator God of the universe; nor is his life doomed in death, for through the eschatological resurrection he may live in the presence of God forever.
This is a wonderful hope. But, of course, hope that is not founded in fact is not hope, but mere illusion.

http://bethinking.org/bible-jesus/advanced/contemporary-scholarship-and-the-resurrection-of-jesus.htm

Harry Potter

I found this great commentary on Harry Potter. It says a lot of things I have been thinking and saying in regard to one of the more embarrassing parts of "church life" I can remember over the past few years. I especially like the commentary about Calvin in the last paragraph (if you read nothing else...scroll down and read it).

Disclaimer: I am not a fan and certainly have not read all of the books...but this is primarily because I am not a huge fan of the fantasy genre. No philosophical or spiritual problems with it, I am just more interested in other genres.

This is and article written by Jerram Barrs at http://www.bethinking.org/.

A. Introduction

The Harry Potter books are an extraordinary success story in the publishing world. Over the past few years they have aroused much interest and excitement not only in the original English language editions, but also around the world as they have been translated into many other languages. Their translation into Chinese was reported to be the biggest publishing event in China’s history. The Harry Potter books strike a chord with both children and adults, and the Harry Potter movies have been released to packed theaters. The fourth book in the series had an initial print run in the U.S. of 3.8 million copies, 40 times as many as an average bestseller.
As well as being extraordinarily popular, the books have encouraged millions of children to start reading for the first time. Many parents are delighted to see their children eagerly reading these stories, and then moving on to read other books as well.

B. Attacks on Harry Potter

There have been passionate attacks on the Harry Potter series by many people and in particular by Christians. This has occurred especially in the United States — much more than in Britain or other places. In the U.S., Christians on the radio, in magazine articles, on television, on web sites, and in a growing number of books, have attacked this series very strongly. There are Christian schools where the books have been banned. I have had several telephone calls from confused parents saying, “My children love these books, I love these books — what is going on?”
Because the books bring readers into an imaginary world of magic and wizards, many Christians say they teach occult practice.
The second criticism leveled is that the books teach a rebellious attitude against authority. Critics cite the way Harry sometimes responds to his uncle and aunt who are raising him as proof of this — though it has to be said that the uncle and aunt treat him very poorly (to say the least, for they are abominably cruel guardians).
Thirdly, there are many Christians who simply say that fantasy is dangerous, and that to present this kind of fantasy world to children is automatically hazardous to them.

C. Positive Remarks Regarding Harry Potter

These books are great fun (just consider a game like Quidditch!)
J.K. Rowling has created a delightful world of the imagination. She has constructed an alternative universe, another dimension (rather like C. S. Lewis’s Narnia or J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth), but, right within our world.For those who have a problem with the idea of fantasy and alternative universes - we need to recognize that almost all children play imaginative games in their minds starting at a very young age and have no difficulty whatsoever in distinguishing between fantasy and reality.
The books are well written. Try reading them aloud – this is the simplest test of good writing.
The multitude of characters in the books. J.K. Rowling has brought into being an entire portrait gallery of people, adults and also children who are growing up book by book.
Additionally, the Harry Potter books send a strong message about moral behavior.There are beautiful and enjoyable human relationships among the characters, and there is a depth of commitment and service among them.The characteristics celebrated in the relationships are friendship, loyalty, integrity, kindness, and self-sacrifice. Harry Potter himself is prepared to set aside his own success, in order to serve his friends. These are qualities in which we can all delight. There is also a very clear portrayal of the distinction between good and evil — Both the appalling destructiveness of evil to human life And the beneficial fruit of treating people with justice, kindness, mercy, faithfulness, and integrity. It is particularly significant that the books recognize that goodness and faithfulness in relationships have a cost. Virtue is rewarded primarily in terms of character development and the increasing depths of relationships among the characters, rather than through the attainment of popularity or success. J.K. Rowling also has a very deep understanding of the folly of those who turn their eyes blindly towards evil and of evil’s destructive consequences.
Finally, I see the books as valuable because they consistently include the three fundamental themes that can be found as a subtext in almost all good literature: -The beauty of creation -The appalling reality of evil -The universal human longing for redemption — for a better world -These themes touch the way the world truly is, the way God has made it

D. Themes from Harry Potter

As a Christian, I am fascinated by the fact that the stories show how a better life comes primarily through self-sacrifice. This is brought out unmistakably in the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In this book Harry is prepared to sacrifice himself on behalf of his friends whom he loves and to whom he has a deep loyalty.
At the heart of all four of the books is a reference back to Harry Potter’s mother, who died when he was a baby in order to save his life from a great force of evil. Rowling says the mother’s death on Harry’s behalf is an example of the most powerful act imaginable.
Recognizing that this theme of self-sacrifice is running all through the series, it is extraordinary to me that there has been such a violent and negative response by Christians. I think this negative response is a tragedy for all sorts of reasons.
The Word of God challenges us to be prepared to celebrate anything that is good and true, wherever it is found.
There is a deep misunderstanding and inappropriate suspicion of fantasy present in the negative accusations.
There is a misunderstanding in the response to the magic in the books. The same criticisms have been made of C.S. Lewis’s and Tolkien’s books, even though both of these authors were committed Christians.
It is said that because magic is a part of the Narnia books, they may have the effect of interesting children in the reality of the occult. The same charge is brought against Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
However none of these books are encouraging occult practice. The magic is simply a part of the imaginative worlds that Lewis, Tolkien, and Rowling have created. In such an imaginary world, people can become invisible; animals talk; mythical creatures like unicorns and centaurs exist; and rings and spells work wonders.
Watch a little child playing, and you will observe many such magical things. But this does not equal an interest in the occult.
Some people have gone on record as stating that they believe that J.K. Rowling is purposely and explicitly teaching occult and even Satanic practice.
As a Christian, I have to say I am profoundly ashamed of those who have responded with this kind of malicious gossip. Rowling has stated that she does not believe in the occult, and she certainly does not wish to promote it.

E. How are we to react to our culture?

Some 450 years ago John Calvin encouraged people to read books by the great writers from Greece and Rome. He wrote instructions for the teachers in the school system he designed in Geneva, Switzerland, asking that they have the students read the great classics of Greece and Rome that were pagan and non-Christian. And he asked that they not criticize them, but rather encourage the students to celebrate what is good in them, and to learn from the truth that they could find in them. Calvin said on another occasion that it is a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit to deny that pagan writers like Plato wrote many things that are true and helpful. We must be prepared to act similarly in our day when it comes to the Harry Potter series or any other product of our culture.

Movie Discussion: The Invasion

Movie Discussion: The Invasion
Starring, Nicole Kidman

Okay, let’s get this out of the way. The movie is not a great movie. It is the 3rd remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers since 1956. Entertaining, perhaps. Brilliant, no.

We are primarily done breaking down the movie now, and ready to get busy examining some of the ideas put forth in it. Leading lady Nicole Kidman plays a psychiatrist who can prescribe a pill to solve any problem. Her son has nightmares…a pill. A patient is having trouble with her husband…a pill. You get the picture, just like a real psychiatrist. She describes herself in a pivotal conversation as a “post-modern feminist”. She also calls upon the father’s of psychology and tries to tie them to evolutionary theory in a weak attempt to explain the pathetic condition of man…war, murder, rape, greed, etc. You can tell she has trouble swallowing her own theory.

When the alien “virus” begins to infect people it becomes clear that it will make mankind into something like selfless zombies. The infected retain something of their former selves, but they act as one emotionless organism, and seek to infect everyone else, while killing those who are immune to the virus. Everyone will be sort of zombie like…that’s the downside. The upside is that wars will cease, crime will be non-existent. It becomes clear that if Nicole Kidman’s son had not been one of the immune, to be killed, she would have probably infected herself on purpose.

One thing I did like about the movie is that it fleshed out some of the primary issues in post-modern feminist thought, and postmodern thought in general. I have known a number of post-modern feminists and almost to the woman, I liked and respected them all. I think this is probably for a few reasons. First, someone who arrives at post-modern conclusions has done some thinking about life and the nature of reality and begun asking questions about how it all fits together. Second, the conclusions of post-modernism (and feminism) are impossible to consistently live out in practice and require great intelligence and determination to even attempt. This movie points that out very well….although I don’t think that was the intention.

Kidman’s character desperately wants to “fix” mankind…one person at a time. She is distraught at news of wars and violence…as we all should be. Unfortunately as an evolutionist and (apparent) atheist she has concluded that societal troubles must be caused by various and widespread psychological anomalies. Her best weapon in this battle for humanity is her prescription pad. I love this. It accurately describes the current state of modern (post-modern) psychological medicine. They have failed to accurately describe the problem, thus, their solutions are at best band-aids on surgical wounds, but typically abject failure.

The fact that a self described post-modern feminist could believably have a battle in her conscience about whether or not being zombified by an alien virus is a good thing really tells us something. She realizes that there is something very wrong with mankind and that only something very radical could be expected to solve the problem. Even in prescribing of pills, we sense her helplessness in the face of the enormous problem. This is the state of post-modernism. A philosophical system has been constructed where moral absolutes have become ambiguous (philosophically) but war is not an ambiguous evil…neither is murder…neither is rape. Like I said earlier…some smart people can pretend not to believe in absolutes (like wrong and right) but try to start a war or rape them and all of a sudden you are doing something “wrong”. When you throw reality into the mix post-modernism falls flat on its face.

As a side note: I realize there are a few obstinate idiots out there who would let me hit them in the face with a tire iron or cut off their mom’s pinky finger and say that it was not necessarily a bad thing…only undesirable from their perspective….just to prove their point….but hear me now, everyone inherently knows you are an obstinate idiot. Just as everyone inherently knows that rape and murder are evil. You are the pretender.

Of course as a Christian I join with my post-modern feminist friends in condemning rape and murder. Only I have a reason to do such a thing (they do not). I have an objective standard by which I can measure good and evil. Christians have a very cohesive and philosophically robust way of understanding how the depraved state of man and human dignity can co-exist. No other philosophy even comes close to the elegance in tying these things together as Christianity. Not even close. Unfortunately, it is often the case, that professing Christians have put much less thought into the philosophy behind their religion than the post-modern feminist has….so when they misguidedly show up at the psychiatrists office for help, they take the prescription down to the pharmacy hoping this pill will be the one that makes it all stop.

Watch this movie next Friday night if you’re bored.

Is God Necessary for Morality

Obviously you know what I think. If you are interested in seeing the issue debated...well...enjoy.

Running

Running. Have I ever mentioned why I love running. A lot of reasons really. Probably the most important is the spiritual aspect. After a while, on a good run, the body wants to quit. It begs to quit. Then the mind takes over and forces the body to run against its will. After another few miles the mind is exhausted. Then calmness comes and I am running….just running. Past the point of desire. Past the point of self discipline. Running within a will that doesn’t seem to be my own.

By the way…have you seen Chariot’s of Fire? Great movie.

Rebellious Children

I recently read a question on another blog asking a mother what she would do if her children developed views that were not Christ centered. The question was not addressed to me…and I jumped into the conversation prematurely (violating many of the principles set forth in Proverbs chapter 10) and did more to harm the conversation than to move it along. My apologies to you if you were involved in that conversation. It did cause me to think, however, about the underlying question. What is the appropriate parental response in this situation, from a biblical perspective?

Now first, I realize many unbelievers read this blog. I am sensitive to that fact. Regardless of what we call ourselves; Christian, Buddhist, humanist, Hindu, atheist, agnostic….we all have SIGNIFICANT influence in how our children view the world. The bible is sensitive to this fact. In Proverbs 22:6 we are told, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” As with all other Proverbs…this is a principle set forth by God…NOT a promise. I can raise my children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and they can still rebel and reject His offers of mercy. The principle is, though, that they have a much greater likelihood of repentance and accepting the Lordship of Christ if I “train them up in the way they should go.” I believe this principle holds true for other worldviews as well. A quick look at the world will tell us that much. That is why we see most people raised in western countries claiming to be Christians, just as most people raised in Middle Eastern countries claim to be Muslims. It is easy to see that children raised by people who do not think deeply about these matters…would, in turn, grow to be adults who ignore or do not think deeply about spirituality. This, of course, holds across the spectrum. As a side note…I also believe that most people who claim to be Christians, Muslims, Catholics, agnostics, etc. do not really understand what they are saying and are merely claiming a heritage. While I would love to get into a broader discussion with any proponent of an alternative (to Christianity) philosophy…this post is not doing that. As a Christian I have a high calling to have well thought out reasoning for the things I do…especially fundamental things, like parenting. So the rest of this post will primarily be relevant only to Christians who believe that the Holy Scriptures contain the infallible wisdom of the very real, non-silent, holy, and only living God. If you are an unbeliever I promise you will be offended if you keep reading. God specifically designed Christianity to be a stumbling block to the unbeliever. True Christianity (not typically on display in most American churches) is diametrically opposed to the “natural” thought systems currently prevalent in western culture.

First things first. I became a Father before I became a Christian…an obedient, spirit-filled Christian anyway. Some of you reading this will be much Godlier fathers than I am and I could learn a lot from you. This post is as much about me working out my understanding as it is teaching others. If you have something to add…please chime in. Sometimes when I read what I have written I am struck by how dogmatic I sound. Please accept the following as I wrote it…with a humble spirit.

Childhood is over. It is too late to “train the child up in the way he should go”. Obviously parental love is important. That must continue, and even increase. Obviously, praying for your heathen child will be easy for a Christian parent. Why? What does a Christian believe? All unregenerate souls spend eternity suffering in a very real place called hell. Jesus taught about hell more than nearly any other topic. Any true disciple of Christ cannot ignore this reality. The fact that it is your child who is in rebellion does not change the reality of where he/she (I hate political correctness…from here on it will be “he”) will go when he dies. That is fundamental to following Christ and it is a stumbling block to many people. If that does not drive you to your knees begging the Lord for the salvation of your child…then what does? You cannot “save” your child. You can only do your best to show them the love of Christ. As most of you know…shining the light of Christ on a darkened soul is often very offensive to those living in rebellion. Your unrepentant child will likely not thank you for it. In fact they may be hostile. Just keep loving and praying though. Don’t stop.

Now, for those of us with multiple kids. Older siblings have SIGNIFICANT influence on younger children. It is our job as parents to manage this. If I had an older son, who was a rebellious whore-monger, practicing homosexual, pornographer, rapist, murderer, and drunkard (whore-monger is one of the funniest of all hyphenated words in my opinion….totally irrelevant…sorry) then, once he is out of the house and living on his own, I would do everything in my power to limit his influence on his younger siblings still under my roof. First and foremost would be not just reducing but eliminating any of the time the younger siblings spend alone with the rebellious child. Again, this only seems radical if you deny that the eternal future of your children is hanging in the balance.

As for the sinful practices of the child….I would do what I do now with my smaller children. When my 9 year old says something rude to her big sister…my wife and I do not tell her she is a rude person….we tell her that God calls us to be kind and to lift others up in love. We tell her that her actions were sinful and rude, while maintaining her dignity by not defining her as that. On the other hand we DO also teach (not us but the bible) that we are eventually defined by what we think…what we do…what we live. That is why it is important to learn self control and obedience as a child. I, personally, did not learn those things as a child and spent many years in severe sin…drug abuse, debauchery, leading others astray, and yes…whore-mongering. If my adult child was a practicing homosexual, or was an outspoken atheist, or just someone who didn’t care to think about these things…of course I would still love them. Of course they would still have a welcome place with me. But I would not have the same attitude toward their sinfulness as they have come to expect from modern western culture. I would not condone any portions of their lifestyle that was sinful or allow displays of it in my home or around my minor children. I would not beat around the bush. My position would be clear to them.

In Ephesians 6 we are told: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We literally live in a spiritual war zone. We fight against not only demonic activity and the sin of fallen man….but philosophies, and established worldly patterns of thought. Handling a rebellious adult/child must be viewed from this perspective. Love and shine the light of Christ, and do so with a sense of urgency…as if your child is dying. We cannot save our children. We can only show them the one who can.

More Questions / Spiritual Warfare

A New-Think reader e-mailed me the following question.

It has been said in many different ways, even by Jerry Garcia that “the first days are hardest days don’t you worry anymore, cause when life looks like easy street there is danger at your door”….
So, does the Bible suggest that when you try to grow closer to God and walk with him, the “transition” days are much harder than even what you experience when you are walking in sin? Basically, does the Bible say anything to support this common idea of spiritual warfare? And if so, does it say anything about being “attacked” by the enemy as you try to walk closer to the Lord? Or is it just life and when you are trying to do right it just “feels” like an attack? I mean, change is hard in general….so is it a spiritual attack by the enemy to keep us far from our Father or is it just life? And how much control do we have as man over this type of situation?

You have asked a lot of questions, some of them very closely related. I will answer them all in a rambling manner, but not necessarily in the order they were asked.

Spiritual warfare is very real. Before I get into this, however, let me address two common errors Christian’s make when considering spiritual warfare. The first is placing too much emphasis on it. The second is basically ignoring it. Like seemingly everything else in the Christian life there is error to the left and to the right, and in order to stay on the narrow path one must stay constantly focused on Christ.

Yes, spiritual warfare is real and should be taken seriously. Ephesians 6:12 says,

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Also Jesus (among others) drove demons out of people. Other times he simply healed people with no mention of demonic forces. Satan, demons, and the spiritual realm are real. Very real.

That being said, Christians are not to live in fear of evil spiritual forces. You are not possessed by Satan (as ALL unbelievers are), you are possessed by Jesus Christ. He bought you with his blood on the cross. Satan is a created being…like us. He is totally and completely under God’s thumb.

In 1st Peter we are told,

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that your brothers around the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

We can resist the devil only when we are spiritually alert and standing firm in the faith. This does not happen by accident, we must discipline ourselves with the daily reading of scripture, pray without ceasing in order to put on the full armor of God (see Ephesians chapter 12).

Do you and/or members of your family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) have histories of mental illness, depression, suicide, addictions, pornography, physical abuse, mental abuse, sexual abuse, witchcraft, etc.? Patterns like this in families are often signs of generational curses (Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9). Upon salvation Jesus Christ sets the believer free from these curses. He is the ONLY hope to break these bondages and chains. You cannot do it yourself or for anyone else. Although someone in a family like this may be free in themselves, they still must suffer as they watch their unregenerate family members suffering under this curse. But it will also serve as a constant reminder to be evangelizing lost family members.

There is much more to be said about spiritual warfare (so go STUDY your bible), but the overarching theme is, Jesus has defeated death and the grave (and thus Satan). Satan has a lot of authority (as much as God has given him) in this world. The only hope of man in this spiritual battle is to be saved by grace through faith.

I mentioned 2 errors earlier. If you are someone who does not take spiritual warfare seriously enough, then some of what I have said may seem shocking and even unwelcome. Oh well…if you believe I am in error please let me know and be prepared to discuss.

Some folks (in fact some entire "Christian" denominations), however, want to blame everything bad that happens in their lives on the devil. That is just not the case. In fact, I would argue that most of the time we cause ourselves more trouble than Satan does. Some mistake the righteous judgment of God for an attack of the enemy. Here are some examples.

Are you a believer who is still beset by iniquity (repeated sins in your life)? If so, you are in disobedience. Christ set you free from these sins and you have left your first love and wandered back in to your previous ways. Are you living in a way that honors the Lord? Have you separated yourself from the world? Many folks (and I do mean many) claim to be Christians, but they act like the world, talk like the world, and live like the world. They go to church and say, “Oh Lord bless me”, but out of their mouths the rest of the week comes cursing, gossip, slander, and strife. They watch things on television that grieve the Holy Spirit. They are drunkards. They live with a spirit of fear and uncertainty. The Lord has called us to repent of these things. If you are a believer who is still living like this, then you should be MUCH more concerned with the judgment of God than the attack of Satan. He will have patience with you for a season, but he will eventually turn you over to your sins. If you do not feel convicted to repent of these things, you have reason to doubt that you are saved at all.

I can not think of anywhere in the bible where it implies that Satan is any more active on new believers than he is more mature believers (if you find something, let me know). In fact, if you search it seems that God places an extra special protection around new believers. All believers are set free from the bondage of sin upon salvation. All believers are told to put on the armor of God and beware of the enemy. All believers must be prepared for battle. A believer is expected to grow in the faith through constant and sober bible study, prayer, repentance, and obedience. The fact is, a lot of people, get baptized, go to church a few times a month, give Jesus lip service, and call it good enough. Such people are luke warm and the Lord will spit them out of his mouth.

I hope this answers your concerns. Be noble like the Berean’s and search the scriptures to make sure I am telling you the truth.

Yet Another Questions / Please Send Yours

New-Think reader, Theresa, asks:

I am wondering though what do you think about arranged marriages? How do you plan to insure your daughters and now son marry men and women of faith?

Excellent questions. First let’s define “arranged marriage”. Since New-Think is a blog for the masses we will go with the modern popular definition of arranged marriage.

Arranged-marriage: A marital union between a man and a woman in which the neither the bride nor the groom have authority in selection of the marriage partner.

This type of marriage is still prevalent today in some cultures. From a parental point of view some parts of it are obviously appealing. However, I reject this methodology as unpleasing to God.

One of the mandates God has given me as a father and head of my household is to train up my children. I, along with all earthly fathers, will be judged in this area on that great and horrible day.

There is one fundamental biblical concern that really settles the issue in my mind…I can probably come up with more if you want to press me on it.

Here it is. God is primarily concerned with what goes on in the hearts of men. For instance, Jesus tells us if we hate, we have committed murder in our hearts. If I, as a husband, look at a woman other than my wife in lust, then I am an adulterer.

If my child is not a believer, forcing them to marry a believer will not save them.

If my child is a believer, then the point of arranged marriage is largely irrelevant.

Either way, if they are only marrying a believer because I forced them to, I fail to see how this could be pleasing to a God who is primarily concerned with motives.

Here is the logic. IF you are truly a believer you desire to honor God in all areas of your life. God has commanded that believers not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. THEREFORE if you marry an unbeliever it does not honor God. In fact, it is sin.

NOTE: If you have already done this, don’t fret, you can be forgiven…but now you are suffering the consequences of being married to an unbeliever. Pray that God will have mercy on you and save your spouse. You are not permitted divorce for this reason.

Furthermore I do not imagine that a believer, living in the spirit (as opposed to the flesh) would even have the desire to marry an unbeliever. Why would you desire to marry someone who does not even acknowledge what you believe to be the entire purpose of life? I contend that if that is your desire you are either a very immature Christian, not a Christian at all, or totally bowing to the desires of your flesh without regard to the Word of God.

Giving my children a firm understanding of this principle is the first part of my strategy in regard to my children and marriage.

The second part is more of a contingency plan. No matter how well Michelle and I do as parents God has not guaranteed that they will all be saved or if they are saved that they will always walk according to his will. It is a general principle that they have a much greater likelihood to be saved…but it is not a promise.

For the unregenerate child, I suppose we will have to eventually (and begrudgingly) release them to themselves and their sins (once they are adults) in hopes that God will save them through the fire.

For the saved child who is living in the flesh and who desires to marry an unbeliever or someone claiming to be a believer but having major character flaws, I will simply withhold my blessing from the union. That does not mean they cannot marry. But it does mean Dad won't be walking you down the aisle and your family will not be at your wedding. Why would a Christian father walk down the aisle and give his daughter away to an unbeliever? Why would a Christian father bless his son’s marriage to a contentious, ungodly woman?

So I hope my point is clear. Will I actively arrange and force marriage upon my children? No. Will I exercise my responsibility to raise them up with a biblical worldview? Yes. Will I exercise my responsibility as their protector to guard them from unwise decisions in this area? You can bet your life on it.

Reader's Asking the Tough Questions / Ask Your Questions Now

New-Think received 2 new questions regarding Christianity yesterday. They will be answered in the order they were received.

Michelle asks: How much control do we have over our own lives? If God knows and predetermines everything, do I really have a choice in what I do?

Great question Michelle! I like the way you think! If you weren’t married, I would snatch you right up….oh, wait.

Anyway the answer to your question is that ultimately we have no control over our lives and we are God’s robots. No, not really, but that is the conclusion of a lot of folks who haven’t studied and thought deeply enough about this topic.

You have begun your questions with the assumption that God knows and predetermines everything. This assumption is totally in line with scripture therefore I will begin at this point to answer your question. No doubt there are many New-Think readers who will balk at this assumption. If so…speak up and we can discuss this at length.

Yes, you are accountable for what you do. Let’s take the account of Pharaoh during the time preceding the exodus. If you read Exodus 9:8-17 you will see that the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart then a few verses later he brings judgment upon Pharaoh for what he did while his heart was hardened. This passage is special because God tells us why he did it….he usually does not reveal his ends. In verse 16 the Lord says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” The Lord’s means are allowing the disobedience of Pharaoh. The Lord’s end is that he is glorified. In fact this is God’s primary purpose in everything he does. God’s primary purpose in all of human history is to glorify himself. He even does so in man’s disobedience.

From Pharaohs perspective, he had a choice to make. In fact in other similar passages it says, “Pharaoh hardened his heart.” So did the Lord harden his heart or did Pharaoh do it? The answer is yes. Both.

This makes sense only when you view humans as the means to God’s ends. Take prayer for instance. The great scientist, mathematician, and Christian, Blaise Pascal has said of prayer, “Prayer is God’s bestowal upon human beings of the dignity of causality.” You see it is only hard to understand how God can be in control and man can still be accountable for his actions if you assume that everything works the way you see it working in the natural world. The bible tells us our prayer is effective. Jesus even said that the reason we don’t have a lot of things is that we do not ask for them. God uses our prayer to bring our needs before himself. Could he do it without our prayer…YES. But, he has chosen to enter into communion with man. That is why prayer is so important, it is where natural man TRULY interfaces with a supernatural God. And it is only this way because that is the way God designed prayer. People who don’t think prayer is important do not grasp this fact. A Christian, praying in good faith, is serving as the conduit between the supernatural world and the natural world. AMAZING!

The fact that he knows what we will pray before we pray it does not contradict the effectiveness of our prayers. God is in control and he is using us as means to his ends. The same principle applies to missions. If God is in control and preordains all things as scripture says he does, then why bother telling others about Christ? God will save whom he will save, right? Well, for one thing, the same God who claims to preordain everything told us to go forth and make disciples of all nations. You can either claim the bible is internally contradictory and reject it, or you can confess, as Job did,

1 Then Job replied to the LORD :
2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."

The Lord’s ways are high, oh so high, above man’s. The Lord’s knowledge and wisdom are high, oh so high, above man’s. We must take the Lord at his word and confess, God you are in control AND I am accountable for my actions.

I have not exhausted this topic..not even close…if you have more questions, please ask.

Objections to Christianity...Please Send Your Objections/Question

Here is the first question I received.

Since there is so much evil in the world how can a good "god" be in control. If god exists, he is either not "almighty" or he is a monster.

Here is the reply.

This is not a new objection to Christianity or to theism in general. It is popularly know as The Problem of Evil.

Volumes have been written and said about the problem of evil. In fact, there exists today a philosophical consensus that the objection has been disproved as a logical attack against theism. That being said, this has not yet trickled down to the popular culture or into the layman’s understanding….so I will say a few things about it here on New-Think.

Most people’s objections to the existence of evil are emotional rather than logical. How can a good God allow the rape of little children?…This is not a logic based objection, rather an emotional one. How can a good God have allowed the holocaust?

I submit that we do not sit in a position to be able to pass such judgments on God. Using the Christian presupposition, God knows the end of all things. How can we then sit in judgment on the means he uses to his ends if we do not know the ends?

Here’s an illustration: Suppose I can see into the future. I know that at 4 o’clock tomorrow afternoon you will be struck by a car at the corner of 5th and Vine. My first plan is to meet you at 3:59 at the corner of 5th and Vine and try to persuade you to leave the area immediately. Since I can see into the future I know you will laugh at me and ignore me if I approach you like this. So instead I grab you and drag you down the sidewalk for 100 feet and at 4:01 I let you go. You may think I am crazy and you will probably call the cops. Had you known my motives, however, you would be grateful. You only saw the mean, not the end.

I admit this illustration only works if you presuppose the existence of God. Something I realize an atheist is not about to do (at least consciously…they/you do it all the time in daily life though). So let’s have a look at the presuppositions of atheism.

If there is no God then there are no moral absolutes (good or evil). So really, it is absurd for an atheist to bring up the problem of evil….since in the atheist worldview there is no such thing as objective evil. True, you may say you do not like it when children are raped. But on what basis can you say that it is “evil”? Sure you didn’t like Hitler, but what objective standard can’t you point to that shows you are better than him? Just because you don’t like something or even a lot of people don’t like something doesn’t make it evil. Hardly anyone likes root canals, but they are not evil. Hitler presupposed that Jews were subhuman and that exterminating them would bring us to a glorious future. Imagine a pack of wild dogs was roaming your town devouring who they could…that is how Hitler saw the Jews. Based upon those presuppositions the holocaust was good. So you see, without an objective standard anyone can define good or evil as he or she pleases AND (this is the important part) no one is any more correct or incorrect than anyone else in their assertions.

When non-theists talk about good and/or evil they are shooting themselves in the feet and showing their own ignorance since they have to borrow a theistic frame of reference in order to even come up with an objection to theism. How embarrassing for them.

Submit Your Questions...This Means YOU!

Are you a skeptic, agnostic or athiest? Are you a Christian with unanswered questions? Do you find hard or impossible intellectual or emotional obstacles that prevent your from believing in the Christian God? Please submit your questions!

Also, if you would like to attempt to throw down a challenge in this arena that you think cannot be overcome...go for it.

I will attempt to answer all questions and/or assertions submitted. Thanks for playing.

Listen to This

Cool stuff. Copy and paste into your browser.
Jeff

www.relevantrevolution.com/mp3/ravi-lord.mp3

www.relevantrevolution.com/mp3/john-suffer.mp3

Jesus is not an ATM

Seriously...

This is disgusting. Oil prices went over $130 per barrel today. Any regular reader here will know there is a sound, unavoidable, and irreversible reason for that (check out my peak-oil posts if you are a newb). Anyway, there are some things we can do to mitigate some of the problems if there is some general awareness and conscientiousness in the population and in the government. Instead…what do we get? Pathetic stuff like this:



House Passes Bill to Sue OPEC Over High Oil Prices

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080520/pl_nm/congress_opec_dc



Judiciary Committee to seek answers for rising oil prices on day crude crosses $130 a barrel.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/21/news/economy/oil_hearing/index.htm?cnn=yes



Not to mention the brilliant proposals by democratic presidential front-runners to give a tax free gasoline summer to Americans. YOU ARE RUNNING TO BE THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD.....IS THIS REALLY THE BEST ENERGY POLICY YOU CAN COME UP WITH?????



Man am I ever fired up about this stupidity.

If you are a leader of men...please listen to this.

http://globalpublicmedia.com/interviews/615


OKAY BREATHE. Here's a cute picture of Asa.



Also a word to all Christians. Don't forget. Christ calls you to DENY YOURSELF, take up your cross, and follow Him. This week, I suggest we all focus on denying ourselves. This literally means dying to yourself, and not giving any thought or provision as to your own desires. Instead seek to serve others (and in doing so serving God) all of the time. Not just a few times a day, Christian. It is to be our lifestyle. If you find yourself getting annoyed, angry, grumpy, or anything else along those lines...you are in sin. Selfish sin. Repent and get back on the narrow path that leads to life eternal. Amen. Check out the following link if you are interested in going further into selflessness.

http://bibletruthpublications.org/publications_files_and_images/ADC9.pdf

Roman Catholic Doctrine Paves a Path to Hell

Some of you may find the title of this post harsh. It is. I pray this post will shock at least one person into the truth of God's revelation. And yes....for a short time, when I was younger and less knowledgable, I was Catholic.

Do I believe all "Catholics" are bound for hell? No. I do, however, believe all people who understand and believe the doctrine of salvation as stated by the Catholic church ARE headed for hell and do not know the Christ of scripture.

Many heresies of the Catholic church (and there are MANY) have been well documented. This post is simply meant to document one damnable heresy....which is enough.

What Catholic Doctrine Teaches (from the churches catechism) Versus what the Bible Teaches

HERESY: page 320 catechism: The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude

TRUTH: John 5:24, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life".

HERESIES: page 292, paragraph 1129, "The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation."

page 487, paragraph 2010, "…we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed to attain eternal life…"

TRUTH: Galatians 2:16, "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified".

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved though faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Titus 3:4-5, "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit."

HERESY: page 224, "Outside the [Roman Catholic] Church there is no salvation",

TRUTH: John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

I've only scratched the surface....but if you are intellectually honest you can see that you can believe in Catholic theology or the Bible....but you cannot believe in both.