the shack

well, i am just seeing far to much of this book (in places i care about!) to not comment. i first must say that i have not and will not read it. i do not need to. fiction or not, if it conveys truths about who God is... they had better be biblical truths! and The shack is far from biblical. i am not going to take the time to lay out the story line and pick apart whats wrong with the theology and so on, a great Pastor i know has already done so and I'll link to it. before i do, let me just say that i love to read and i love to study theology and even other non christian views on God. so how can i read about Islam and then say the shack is no good? it's because a book on Islam is not trying to pass it's self off as Christian. the shack does and they are both just about equally heretical.

read the full review here.

video review here

live life and do well...

"all men die, not all men really live" (mel gibson - braveheart)

in my last post i asked the question, "are you ready?". and what i meant by that was are you ready to die. of course no one can even talk about death without thinking about life. they are two sides of the same coin, with life comes death. that which is not alive can not die. one always comes with the other (at least in this life, that is true). i have been asking my self, "self! what does it mean to really live?" as America's pastor would say "do i have a purpose driven life?" well, i know i do not want a purposeless driven life! but i think it's more then just finding your purpose. man kinds purpose is easy, it's to Glorify God and enjoy him forever! or as John Piper would say, Glorify God "by" enjoying him forever. and that kinda of answers the question, how do i glorify God? Dr. Piper would say "God is most Glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him". and that sounds good. but whats hard is putting it to practise. what is the pragmatic outworking of that first lesion in the Westminster catechism - "Q. 1. What is the chief and highest end of man?
A. Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God,and fully to enjoy him forever".

well, i don't know. know the answer should sound something like this, "you pray and read your bible everyday and then serve in your local Church, preach and witness". the problem with this answer is that it is not always that simple. i happen to believe that everyone has different callings, and i think most would agree with that. so the working out of how to best Glorify God is personal(though i do think everyone should be ready to give an answer for the Hope that lyeth in them). this much i know for sure, you have to stay in the fight! if you give up and give in to your flesh, it's over. your finished. stay in the fight and God will work it out through you. it's the hardest life, but for those who know Jesus Christ, it's the only life!!!

quote of the day

"Evidently, you do not realize what a wretched person you truly are, and what an offence your depravity is in the holy sight of God, if you can feel nothing in response to the atoning death of God's son."
without a quickened awareness of our depravity, we are Pharisees at best, though most of us are far worse. the best we can approach is a religious performance that brings glory to us and leaves us looking down on everybody else.

quote from,
whats so great about the doctrines of Grace? (pg 31)
by: Richard D. Phillips

are you ready?

if Jesus Christ where to return in the next 12 hours, and you knew it with out a doubt. what would be the things you would want to set right, what would you stop doing or what would you start to do? if your thinking of something right now then the chance is that there is something you may need to work on(everyone should be thinking of something). now we know that no one gets into heaven by just having a cleaned up life, by no means is that what i am implying here. we are all redeemed one way and one way only, by the grace of God! by Grace through faith, not of works lest any man should boast (eph 3:8-9). so that's not what i mean when i ask "are you ready?" what i mean is, if He came and you stood face to face with the sovereign Lord of all that is, He who knows all your darkest thoughts, could you say i lived as best i knew how? i do not expect to be perfect when i die, Isaiah was a mighty prophet and he cursed himself when he saw God! his sin was manifest before his face instantly and he is totally destroyed by it. Praise God we have the righteousness of Christ to cover our filthy lives. but, if we can glorify God better, or give up a sin, or be more zealous for his Gospel... we ought to! lets not just do what we think is enough to get by and still call ourselves Christian. lets not fall into a cold emotionless orthodoxy where we simply do what we have always done because it's what we have always done. make every moment of your life a striving to be closer to Him, to follow Him, to worship Him, to praise Him, to love Him, and to Glorify Him! for he is worthy to receive honor and Glory and Praise forever and ever! lets not be taken by surprise when our Lord comes. let's be ready and waiting, with the prayer on our lips... even so come Lord JESUS!!!

now what?

Psa 33:8, Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9,For he spake, and it was [done]; he commanded, and it stood fast. 10,The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. 11,The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12,Blessed [is] the nation whose God [is] the LORD; [and] the people [whom] he hath chosen for his own inheritance. 13,The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. 14,From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. 15,He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. 16,There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17,An horse [is] a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver [any] by his great strength. 18,Behold, the eye of the LORD [is] upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; 19,To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. 20,Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he [is] our help and our shield. 21, For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. 22, Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Hope in God, not man. no matter what happens in America in the up and coming term, God is still in Heaven, still in control, still Lord of His creation. he builds up and tears down the rulers of men, and if this is His will (and it must be because it happened) then it's good. we must pray for our leaders, pray for Obama's safety, pray for his wisdom, but most of all pray for his salvation!

Hope in God, and may God get the Glory, great things he hath done!

vote vote vote, kill kill kill

Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mat 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!
Mat 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
Mat 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

with the election a week away, it is all we hear over and over.... Vote Obama, he is the one, the saviour of America, republicans bad democrats good bla bla bla!

listen, i really could care less about his economic plans and taxes that reflect socialism. the man has supported the most radical abortion laws ever purposed. and on that one single point alone he is disqualified for my vote. i can not and will not ever vote for a pro choice candidate. the man has innocent blood on his hands and i will not take part in the slaughter of babies!

say what you will, and support what ever political party you want. but do not vote pro choice! listen to your conscience and follow what God tells you.

if Jesus Christ said it is better that you tie a huge rock to your neck and toss yourself into the lake, rather then offend....not kill... just offend one of these little ones. what do you think the happens to those who kill the little ones?

that the minisry be not blamed!

2Cr 6:3 Giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

when i first read this, the thought that came rushin in was of the great scandals that our faith has endured through the years. prostitutes, homosexual relationships, drugs and fornication, as well as major financial scandals within the Christian leadership. when the world looks in at such things they do not blame man kind, or the depraved nature of man. they point to the Christian ministry and say it's all this way. and so the offense is made and the ministry gets the blame. a solid Christian testimony is more to be protected then any other point of your walk (other then your relati0nship with God, which always comes first!)it can take a life time to earn the trust of people and one mistake to lose it forever. people tend toward remembering the bad that people do and not the Good. they assume the worst.

the very next thing i thought:

what was the one thing that takes place in churches that brings offense, and blame to the ministry? hypocrisy! i know that most of the so called hypocrisy that the world slaps on the Church is misunderstandings gone bad. but my friends... not all. i am guilty of reading this text and thinking about major sin and the cataclysmic falls of high profile preachers. and as i do so there is strife and divisions among us. they see it, and sometimes get caught up in it. nothing stumbles a new Christian (or a potential convert) more then to find out that the people they are going to for help, are no better then they are. and when they see us as Christians who are no better then lost men the ministry takes the blame!

let us not spend to much time worrying about the pastors who are on a direct path toward disaster. they have been and always will be there. but we can make a major difference in the way the world see's the Church by being Christ to them. by Loving sacrificially. And when they come into the Church by being what the bible says we are and what they come looking for, Christians. that the Lamb who was slain may receive the reward of his suffering, and God may be glorified!