Category: Truth


‘Worldviews’ Don’t Just Have a Beginning

Filed under: Creation, Truth — Leave a comment
August 26, 2010

The concept of ‘worldviews’ has been popularized over the last several years and is now integrated into Christian terminology as a way to explain how Christians should “see” the world around them.  Arguably, someone cannot properly understand the present without understanding the past.  But a ‘worldview’ does not just have a beginning.  Nor does it  just a middle.  So for simplicity sake we might say that a ‘worldview’ has three basic pieces.  Any ‘worldview’ has a beginning (past), middle, and a future (an end).  For the born-again, Bible-believing Christian, a ‘worldview’ should come from one place and one place only- God’s Word.  Here it is interesting to note that although many good Bible teachers hold to a literal, biblical beginning (creation), and the complete redemption and atonement of the Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ, they may fall very short in the last piece of the Bible puzzle- The Future.  Below I’ve attempted to ‘boil down’ the three basic puzzle pieces both biblically and rationally and welcome any discussion or debate on any or all.

The Beginning:  Creation.  Not evolution plus creation, but as we let God’s Word speak for itself, telling us our history, creation is revealed as a miraculous six-day event in which God created all things out of nothing by His all-powerful Word. (See Genesis 1.)  All things were created without sin (very good).  Nothing with blood was created to die.  All creatures were created to eat plants. However, once Adam and Eve rebelled against God, things changed.  Sin and death entered God’s perfect creation.  This piece of the puzzle is quite controversial not only in the world, but also among many Christians.  interestingly, the debate becomes fairly simple if you just let the text speak for itself.  After all, Genesis is grammatically written as a historical account, not an allegory. 

The Middle:  (Although there is much to be explored between Creation and Jesus’ birth some 4,000 years later, this post is meant to explore the contradictions that exist in the last piece of the puzzle.)  Jesus Christ, being God and Creator, came from Heaven to Earth.  He became a man, born of a virgin (Mary).  He never stopped being God.  He lived a sinless life, was crucified on a cross, died and was buried, just as the Old Testament Scriptures prophesied.  (1 Corinthians 15:3-4.) Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, never to die again.  He paid for mankind’s sin against their Creator, the Just for the unjust.  Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life.  No one comes to the Father,  but by Him. (John 14:6.)  This is the Gospel of God which was foretold by the prophets and seen by  hundreds of eye-witnesses.  This teaching is neither a fairy tale nor religion.  This is reality!  This is the only truth that will set men free.  (John 8:31-32.)

The End:  Jesus, the Lamb will return from Heaven to Earth as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  All saints would agree on this truth; however God goes to great lengths to give us much more detail than this.  And even though many Christians cannot seem to agree on the details, God’s Word is clear.  When one applies the same logic and reason to discerning Scriptural text regarding the future as in the beginning and middle of God’s Word, there is only one way to understand the return of our Savior and King.  No where in God’s Word does it teach that Jesus returns for His saints.  Rather Jesus returns from Heaven with His saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:13, Jude 1:14.)  The Bible does reveal that the Lord does return for Israel, not the Church. (Matthew 24:24, 31.)  But hasn’t Israel been replaced by the Church?  Isn’t Old Testament Israel more or less just an allegory for the New Testament Church?  No and No. 

Israel: A Key in the End– It is this Christian blogger’s view that your understanding of Israel and it’s relevance and place in the last piece of your ‘worldview’ puzzle will affect your entire ‘Worldview’ sooner or later.  Even though the beginning of someone’s ‘worldview’ will most likely shape their understanding in other areas; all pieces of one’s ‘worldview’ will affect and influence one another.  Why?  Simple.  God’s Word is not just made up of one piece.  All the pieces are intertwined and interrelated for the purpose of not exposed the pieces, but to reveal the One True God.  No one piece of God’s Word enlightens a man, rather it’s the One true God, through His entire Word, who illuminates the entire heart and mind of man.  Back to Israel… Israel has played a huge role in all of Scripture, yet it is somewhat ironic and truly tragic that many who hold to a literal Creation, don’t seem to understand the role of a literal Israel in this piece of the puzzle.  For example, Lord is called “The God of Jacob” 25 times and “The God of Israel” 205 times. Without Israel, God has no reason to return to earth. (Matthew 24:31.) Without Israel, the Antichrist will have no reason to gather the world together.  The whole point of gathering the world will be to destroy Israel. Without a literal and Biblical Israel, many Old Testament prophecies become allegorical at best; empty and worthless lies at worst. 

While it seems many saints understand what happens when you allegorize the Genesis account, these same saints don’t see the danger in allegorizing the Lord’s future return for Israel.  You could reason if one allegorizes the beginning, why not allegorize the middle.  Could it not also be reasoned that if you allegorize the end, why not allegorize the beginning and middle?

From Cover to Cover: Putting all the Pieces Together.  Many Christians claim to believe God’s Word from cover to cover.  And many teachers have been willing to become very unpopular by teaching a literal creation, as well as the power of the exclusive Gospel of God.  So why is it that such willing vessels become so unwilling to allow God’s Word to speak plainly of the role of Israel in the end times, as well as God’s never-ending love and faithfulness for them?  If God does not hold to His promises made to Israel in the Old Testament, assuming they are now nullified and replaced by the Church due to Israel’s disobedience, what kind of hope do we have as New Testament saints.  Does God’s faithfulness depend upon any man’s works?  It is clear from Scripture God is dealing with Israel today and has blinded them in part (Romans 11:25), but God is not through with them.  This is clear.

Praise our God that His faithfulness endures not just in the beginning and not just in the middle, but forever and ever!  “If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments, If they break My statutes and do not keep My commandments, Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My loving-kindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail.”  Psalm 89:30-33

May we always be willing to allow the Lord to reveal our inconsistencies when reading and teaching His Word.  May we all allow God’s Word to speak plainly in those areas that are plain, leaving the teaching of men behind.  May we all be willing to not only be unpopular with the world in the beginning and middle of our biblical ‘worldview’, but also in those doctrines regarding the end, no matter what the cost!  “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Psalm 118:8

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Sorcery or the Savior?

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August 10, 2010

Can a sorcerer inherit the Kingdom of God?  The World English Dictionary defines sorcery as: “the art, practices, or spells of magic, esp black magic, by which it is sought to harness occult forces or evil spirits in order to produce preternatural effects in the world.”  In God’s Word there are many things forbidden and for those who practice these things, their’s is not the Kingdom of Heaven.  In Revelation 21:8 it says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” 

When examining the subject of sorcery there are four quick questions that will hopefully be helpful in growing in discernment and understanding.   To better understand a thing, it’s often best to go back to its roots.  So the first question asked is who was the very first sorcerer? Before answering this it might be needful to add another couple definitions here.  In painting a broad brush one could say that generally sorcery is the ritualistic practice which attempts to discover and use certain phrases and actions which allows a person to tap into the power supposedly available to them.  Sorcery might also be defined as:  seeking to use physical objects along with certain discovered spiritual laws to attain spiritual power and enlightenment. For example, let’s look at the sorcerer’s wand.  To the sorcerer, the wand is a physical tool that can help channel or direct certain spiritual energy to and from the sorcerer.  So most simply stated, sorcery is the act of using something physical to attain something spiritual.

Okay, so with all this said, who was the first sorcerer?  See if you can figure it out.  Who was the first person to seek wisdom by eating something physical?  If you are thinking Eve you’re correct.  Even though Eve never went to Hogwarts School of Wizardry, she was taught by the top professor himself- The Serpent.  “And when the woman saw that the fruit was…to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat…” Genesis 3:6  Wisdom is not a physical item, yet Eve sincerely believed that by eating the physical fruit that she would magically attain wisdom.  This act of reaching out to something physical to tap into the spiritual is not new age, rather the oldest lie in human history.  Satan’s promise to Eve was not subtile, but extremely enticing.  “You shall surely not die.  For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods…”  Genesis 3:4-5  Here Eve’s heart is revealed.  She desired to be as one of the gods.  This is the heart of all sorcery. 

The next question: “Isn’t it just make-believe?”  There are many books, movies and video games that are designed to both entice many into magic and also make it seem like harmless fun.  But a simple Google search reveals that sorcery is not designed to be harmless and for many it is much more than fun.  For many, even in today’s technological society, sorcery and witchcraft are a way of life.  We might never question if adultery, fornication, or murder is harmless, and go to great lengths to keep young children from these actions. Nor do we tell our children it’s okay to watch these things as long as we know they’re just pretend.  Yet too often we let our guard down when it comes to the subject of sorcery.  However the Word of God does not separate them.  The Bible puts them all together and has nothing good to say about any.  See: Galatians 5:19-21.

Thirdly, why does God forbid the practice of sorcery?  Hopefully it should be obvious by now why God forbids sorcery and witchcraft.  To God these practices are not make-believe, fantasy, nor fun.  Sorcery enslaves and binds just as any sin, but even more so, it opens doors to demonic teachings and an unseen world bent on destroying mankind.  Whether intentional or not, doors can be opened, ones that are very difficult to close.  God has never winked at such actions.  Before Israel even entered their land, God clearly forbade them from practicing such things.  See: Deuteronomy 18:10-11. 

The final question: So now what?  The answer is simple.  In fact, God made sure He gave us a crystal clear example from His Holy Word.  In Acts 19:19 it says, “Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.”   May we all be willing to say goodbye to those curious things in our lives that only lead to destruction.  

If you had to choose between sorcery or the Savior, which would you choose?  As for me, I choose the Savior!

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Is Christianity Like Going on a Diet?

Filed under: Truth — 1 Comment
August 7, 2010

Too often too many people find themselves falling off the ‘diet wagon’.  When asked why people have a hard time staying on their diets, many nutritionists and dietitians would agree.  Most people have a difficult time staying on a diet because of how they understand the changes in the foods they eat.  There are two basic misunderstandings that can trip us up. 

The first one has to do with our access to certain kinds of food.  If we begin a diet without letting go of the idea that we can eat any food at any time, then a diet merely becomes a system of withholding food.  Instead of thinking of a diet as withholding certain foods, maybe we should finally admit that certain kinds of foods are just not good for us.  The second belief has to do with the overall idea of a what we’re doing when going on a diet.  We call it a diet because it has a starting and a stopping point.  Instead of thinking “diet”, perhaps we should think of food changes as if we’re making a life long, lifestyle change for our benefit and the benefit of those we love.  This way, we’re not hopping on and off anything, rather making a change for good simply because it’s good. 

Perhaps the same could be said for those who have become born-again Christians.  It is easy to come to the Lord without counting the cost.  There is definitely a cost in becoming a Christian.  But once we count the cost, too many tend to look at this new life much like a diet instead of a life long, ‘lifestyle’ change.  Christianity isn’t a diet.  Christ isn’t asking us to withhold certain actions and attitudes as if we’re some kind of hero to God for giving up our sinfulness.  “Look God,” we sometimes think.  “Look at all I’m giving up for You!.”  Really?  If we’re honest God isn’t asking us to give up anything of value.  All that we have before coming to Christ is temporal and fleshly.  All of it will burn.  If we are truly willing to allow the Holy Spirit to open our eyes, all that we held so tightly to- the world, the flesh, and the devil, was only keeping us from our blessed Redeemer.  And again, it will all perish some day.  To the Christian, we were not holding onto anything of ‘nutritional’ value, rather bags of rotten potatoes, rancid meat, and moldy bread at best.   We are not called to enter into some kind of straight-laced, narrow-minded way of living that we have to white knuckle through, gritting our teeth until one day we finally get to Heaven.  That isn’t Christianity, that’s just religion.  Jesus said, “Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

Christianity should not be like a diet because it does not start and stop when we feel like it, giving ourselves permission to go back to our old ways of ‘eating’.  Rather, we are called to reckon ourselves dead that we might fully live in Christ.  This new life is eternal and has no stopping point.  May we beware of putting our relationship with Christ into compartments, only allowing our Lord access at certain places and times.  May Jesus truly be our All in All, no matter the cost because we know that any cost on our end is nothing compared to the cost He already paid to redeem this rotten sinner from the chains of the flesh.  God is good all the time.  Nothing He asks us to do is for anything but the eternal good for both us and those we love.  

Let us not think we are dieting from this world, rather died from it, letting Christ renew our minds daily in His Word so that we may grow in Him, bearing much eternal fruit to feed to those who are starving around us.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:11-14

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God is Not ‘The Force’ -Quotable by Dave Hunt

Filed under: Edifying Quotes, Truth — 1 Comment
July 19, 2010

“Rejecting the truth God has revealed to everyone, man perverts the witness of creation and conscience and creates his own gods. The very appeal of the “Star Wars Force” or some “higher power” is that a force, being impersonal, cannot hold one morally accountable but, like atomic power, can be used by man to his own ends. Clearly, God has to be a personal Being to create and relate to mankind.

The Bible gives the factual account of Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven itself and how Eve believed the lie that she, too, could become one of the gods. To this day that lie remains the great hope and motivation of mankind. The remainder of the Bible is a recital of the devastating consequences of that rebellion, and the working out of God’s plan to restore mankind into the “new heaven and…new earth” (Rev 21:1) which He has planned in His love and grace.”

Justice and Justification, The Berean Call, Feb. 1, 2002, Dave Hunt.

Referring to the Antichrist, the Holy Spirit through Daniel writes, “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor…” Daniel 11:38-39

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To Be or Not to Be… Consistent

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July 10, 2010

Consistency is basically defined as carefully sticking with what you believe both in word and deed. No matter the profession, sport, or trade, consistency usually demonstrates mastery over a particular practice.  Even though consistency is many times looked at as an admirable trait, an important question must be asked. In the areas of religion, philosophy, and spirituality, is consistency always a good thing? I believe the answer to this is no.  I, for one, am glad that most who claim to be spiritual are not consistent.  Let me briefly explain. 

Although there is much to be said in this area, for sake of time let us look at those who fall under the category of spiritual relativism.  There are many who would say that there is no such thing as absolute truth.  They would say that spiritually speaking everything  is relative. They would also say that nothing can be known with certainty, and meaning is up to the individual.  Those falling under this loosely defined category would most likely say that experience is the best way to determine truth, and knowledge is trumped by one’s personal experiences.  With regards to Heaven and eternity, they would say that all roads lead to the same place and that many different beliefs, regardless of contradictions all basically mean the same thing. 

What if those who hold to spiritual relativism decided to express their philosophical and spiritual beliefs consistently in their day-to-day lives? If this happened, it would actually lead to the world being a much more dangerous place.  Before you say this is ridiculous, let’s say I believe there are no absolutes.  Let’s say I  think I can create reality any way I want. One morning it occurs to me that I have not been consistent with my beliefs in every area of my life.  So I pledge to practice consistent relativism throughout my days from that point forward.  So while driving to work, I am emotionally moved to drive on the opposite side of the road.and despite the obvious consequences I obey my feelings.  After causing several accidents,  I decide to continue practicing consistency in my belief that all roads lead to the same place by driving in the opposite direction of my job, blindly hoping that I will eventually end up at my place of employment.  After driving for hours, I’m finally forced to put my spiritual beliefs aside for a time, turning on my Garmin to prevent getting fired for missing a full day of work.   

In the same vein, I’m very glad the spiritually relativistic man who is a doctor does not practice his beliefs while I’m on the operating table.  Even in education, most teachers who pride themselves on being relativistic use assessments that are far from it.  Can you imagine answering questions on the test any way you feel, then after receiving an F, you protest to your teacher?  You argue, saying, “Excuse me Mrs. Teacher, I believe my way is as good as yours.  After all, there really are no absolute truths.  What’s right for you may not be right for me.”  Then your teacher realizes her inconsistencies between belief and practice, changing your grade from an F to an A.  While you might rejoice in the short run, after graduating high school you realize that you have actually learned almost nothing. 

Not only would the world be more dangerous and unlearned,  it would also be a much less productive place. From the factory to the construction site, once relativism is put into practice, all would basically come to a stand still. So as for me, I must say I am elated that most who show signs of relativistic beliefs are not consistent. By taking spiritual relativism to its logical conclusions, I must say that it is not good for every spiritual and philosophical belief to be practiced consistently.   

So do consistency and spirituality ever come together in an eternally beneficial way?  Absolutely!  Let us quickly consider the one belief system which is different from any other in the world- that which is found in the Bible.  While relativism, when practiced day-to-day would logically lead to degradation, those born-again, Bible believing Christians who practice consistency will bring true Light and Life to the dark and dead world around them. 

So the question to everyone who believes that the Bible is the exclusive and absolute true Word of God is this: Are you consistent with what God has revealed in His Word? Israel serves as a good example of inconsistency.  Even though redeemed by the True and Living God, Israel chased after other gods, to which the Lord spoke through Jeremiah saying, “Has a nation [ever]changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but My people [Israel] have changed their glory for that which does not profit.” Jeremiah 2:11 

A word of encouragement…

Thank God that the Christian’s consistency is not left up to him to accomplish alone.  The Lord has sent His Spirit to dwell within all those who have accepted the Gospel of God, turning from sinful self to the one and only Savior of mankind, Christ Jesus.  “Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 1:6 “Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12 

Conclusion…

So I rejoice in the inconsistencies of those who hold to lies, and pray that they would see their own folly, but am saddened by the inconsistencies of myself and fellow brethren who hold to the Word of God.  May all earnestly seek to allow the Lord to reveal those areas which do not line up with His perfect Word so that we might more fully know and reveal the truth and love of Jesus both in word and in deed. 

To those who have ears, let them hear.

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He Is! (You Tube Clip) Song by Aaron Jeoffery

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April 22, 2010

How amazing indeed that the God who created this marvelously intricate universe, from the multifaceted nanomachines in our cells to the vastness, size, and beauty of the stars that adorn the skies, reveals Himself in the most wonderfully simple, yet incredibly profound name- “I Am“.

I once heard A.W.Tozer explain that he was careful never to use the word “adore” in reference to any person, even his wife.  He explained that adoration was that sacred place in our hearts only meant for our Great God and Savior. May we keep our heart’s doors wide open to the True and Living God in the days we live!

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A Parable- The Fresh Stream

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April 18, 2010

Once there was a battle. Both sides had been fighting  evenly for several years, until finally one side had the other on the run. That is until the side running found the perfect location to dig in. Not only did the place have a height advantage, it was very close to a fresh stream, allowing the troops steady access to good water. The side that was advancing figured out how to keep some supplies from coming in, however they could not keep the fresh stream from flowing. 

Over the next few weeks there was seemingly a stalemate, until a captain from the advancing side came up with an idea. “What if we can convince their troops to no longer drink from the stream, forcing them to dehydrate or move out into the open?” So the captain carefully planned his strategy. Once his planning was complete, he reasoned correctly that the first and major step would be to convince their enemies to no longer trust the water in the stream.

So the captain strategically sent a few of his soldiers in undercover. They persuaded several key troops from the opposing side that the stream could not supply all the water that they needed. The newly deceived soldiers reported directly to those able to make decisions, convincing them that wells should be dug if the battle was to be won. So troops were given the task of relentlessly digging wells, until, to their own dismay, many were completely worn out, with no fruit to show for it, but dry holes in the ground. 

Then the undercover soldiers passed on a second lie. This time they managed to convinced the captains of the need to look far beyond the river’s water.  They were duped into believing that there were bigger and better sources of water beyond the stream. Once convinced, several regiments were ordered onward, only to find desert and wastelands.  They became weak and weary, and many did not make the journey back.

These first two lies weakened and ruined many, however the third lie was the most tragic of all. This final lie did not focus on the insufficient water supply provided by the stream, nor did it lead the troops to believe that there were bigger and better sources to discover.  No this lie deceived the troops into believing that the stream itself had become poisoned.  Once most of the remaining troops were convinced of this, they ceased to even sip from the stream. (Their actions proved that they honestly believed the water source could no longer be trusted.)  Only two weeks after this lie, the enemy easily advanced up the hill.  And sadly, most of the troops that were before so strategically positioned were now of no strength. And many were found dead only feet from the freshly flowing stream convinced that the waters were poison to them.

Thoughts on the meaning of the parable are welcomed. I’ll be posting mine in a few days.

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Keith Green- My Eyes are Dry (live)

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April 9, 2010
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Unity in the Truth Part 3

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April 3, 2010

We cannot create unity, but we can enter into the unity already created.   Who has made this unity for man, you might wonder?  You might reason, and rightly so, “If man is already condemned, serving his sentence, then man surely cannot exit his ‘jail cell’ to solve the emnity between God and all of manking.”  So then who has broken down this separating wall between God and man?  The answer is clear.  There is only one who could do such a marvelous, selfless and truly loving work.  It is none other than the man, Christ Jesus.  Continue reading →

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Unity in the Truth Part 2

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April 2, 2010

As previously stated in Part 1, the desire and push towards unity is repeatedly repelled by the prideful result of division.  The push towards world peace seems always trampled under by war.  So before us lay two contradictory ideas: “Unity” and “Division”; “Peace” and “War”.  I also suggested that peace has already been obtained, yet to many it is not known.  Why?  For one simple reason.  Many have chosen to leave God out Continue reading →

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