Is Gandhi in Hell? No Rob Bell Here!

Posted on by
2

Today on my Facebook wall I saw a quote from Mahatma Gandhi where he was being asked if he was a Hindu and he replied, “Yes I am. I am also a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, and a Jew. “ Now before I get into this idea I want to say that I support the reasoning behind the post as it is my belief that this was an attempt by the poster to encourage being respectful to people of other beliefs. Being respectful is a concept we see in Christianity, although admittedly it has often been wrongly pushed to the side.

In the book of Titus chapter 3 verses 1-2 Paul is telling Titus how to instruct the Church on how to live properly, particularly in regards to outsiders; as you will see it is a call to be respectful and kind.

 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

So please, if you decide to read on and perhaps comment, remember as Christians we are supposed to be respectful. But to be respectful does not mean we have to agree.

So the question that seemed most obvious to me is if Gandhi is all those religions which version of Heaven or hell did he arrive in?

Buddhism’s heaven and hell are neither eternal nor are they even particular places, but rather levels you arrive at that are not eternal in nature. You may descend or ascend according to your good works.

Islam’s concept of hell is that it is eternal and unbelievers will reside there forever; however sinful believers of the Muslim god will eventually come out. Muslim heaven is called Jannahand has multiple levels. Muslim men are given 72 perpetual virgins and according to the Tafsir ibn Kathir will have eternal erections.

Hindus believe that their concept of heaven and hell exists as simply different worlds bound to time, space, and casualty. There are 7 upper “heavens” and 7 lower “hells” at which you arrive in different carnations, based on  your works in the former life.

Christians believe that not only are Heaven and hell eternal but our residence there is also eternal. Hell consists of eternal torment and Heaven is eternal life with God. Matthew 25:41-46  for example says:

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

We also believe you arrive in Heaven by the grace (unmerited favor) of God through faith in Jesus Christ. While we may do good works, we see those as something designed not as something we did, but rather something He did through us. See Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

So having shown that there simply cannot be many paths (religions) to the same place because by investigation of the beliefs these are not the same places, I would also point out that the teaching of Buddha says it is the true path to be accepted by faith. Islam says, “He, Allah, is one. Allah is He on whom all depend. He begets not, nor is He begotten and none is like Him” (Holy Qur-an 114:1-4). In Christianity, Christ himself says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

In short it is this author’s belief that it is illogical and inconsistent to claim to have faith in all these religions. You cannot through studying them come to a reasonable position that they are talking about the same god, heaven or hell. So the logical conclusion is either one is right and the rest wrong, or they are all wrong; but they cannot be all right.

 

Cited Sources:

Buddhism
http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/whatbudbeliev/303.htm
http://www.dharmanet.org/DhammaBBodhi.htm
Islam
http://www.islamicinformation.net/2008/05/hell-in-islam-jahannam.html
http://wikiislam.net/wiki/72_Virgins
Hinduism  
http://www.ramakrishna.org/activities/message/weekly_message42.htm
Christian
All Scripture was taken from the ESV translation

Are We “But” Brothers?

Posted on by
Reply

Are We “But” Brothers?

So recently I have been thinking a lot about contextualization and in doing so it has led me to realize that everything we do, we do in a very particular context; it’s inescapable in a very real sense.  As I have been pondering this, I have come to realize that I make little to no effort to step out of my context, to see what can be seen from a different context, nor do I really place value on doing so.

My context is a middle class, family-oriented, white, somewhat educated, angry, tattooed Christian with a pretty colorful past. As I sit in the pew I tend to look around and I see that I am sitting next to, or behind, or in front of some person whom I should identify as a brother or sister but since they are not like me, they are my brother or sister “but”.  How often do we as Christians look at those who are not like us experientially, or who dress differently, or are fatter, skinnier, prettier, uglier, manlier, girlier, richer, poorer , younger, older or even a different color, and we will say they are joined to us in brotherhood through Christ “but”.

For me, when I see a person who has lived piously their whole lives, I will tend to think of them  as a nerd, or a goody-goody. Perhaps I’ll question whether they will understand grace properly because they weren’t in as much need of it as I (even though I believe at the cross we stand equals in terms of guilt). So yeah, they are my brother “but”. What about those who would look at me and judge me from their context? I am not like them so maybe we are brothers “but”.

Some of this in inevitable in the sense that we will gravitate towards the paths of least resistance and find ourselves building relationships with those we can understand, and that makes sense. I am also not talking about dramatic doctrinal differences here either, and while that is another important issue, I am specifically talking about those who will worship with us on Sunday.

I think we need to, when addressing who our brothers and sisters in Christ are, drop the “but”. The context that someone is in or was brought out of pales in comparison to the glory of the cross and their union with us and in Christ. So next time I look across the pew I hope God grants me the willingness to love my brothers and sisters and accept the context that they are in or have come from, and not draw unnecessary and unhelpful lines between us. What would it do to Christian unity if quit we saying “but”?

Let Them Grieve!

Posted on by
Reply

Let them grieve!

Disclaimer:
I will be honest here and say I am writing a blog entry that I know will capitalize on the deaths of children and school teachers. If you have any soul at all, it should sicken you that I would have the audacity to push forward when I am also cognizant of that fact. My only defense is that I don’t care if anyone reads this entry, but I think it is something not being said that very much needs to be said. I am going to post it once and leave it and, unlike your past experiences with me, you will not see it reposted for the next week by me in vain hopes to make it go viral.

Friday morning, as I learned about what went on at Sandy Hook Elementary School in New Town, Connecticut, I, like the rest of America, was in shock at the evilness of what went down. I was and am brokenhearted and sickened by the wickedness of this world. This is a time when our response is so telling as a society of our self-centeredness and need to be relevant, and I could spout off some ideology that I thought explained it. I could parallel some silly story of mine to show you how I’d have handled it, or to show you how I also have some special need for attention. I could blame different groups and cast stones at fellow sinners to make me feel better about it. I could blame the government, the guns, the medical system; or I could simply let the family who lost someone grieve that loss. This is a loss that in at least 20 of the cases reflect my biggest fear as a father – the murder of my children and the helplessness those fathers now have to deal with.

Events like this make clear that there needs to be major changes to our culture and society; maybe we do need to look at our gun culture, maybe we need to address the media glorification of anti-heroes, maybe we do need to look at our mental health treatments. It’s hard to say and, frankly, inappropriate at this time. These parents lost their children, not to mention the families of the adults who died who are, by and large, being ignored as if their loss was insignificant. Heck, we are so desperate for a story we are enticing children who were there and survived to tell their stories as if it isn’t akin to rubbing salt into the fresh wounds of the parents and families who tragically don’t have their child to tell it.

One thing is very clear to me – now is a time to let the families grieve as they bury their dead. Now is the time to spend in prayer for them as they pick themselves back up in the wake of the unspeakable sorrow this tragedy has wrought. Now is the time to minister to them and help them with any needs that arise so that they don’t have to deal with any unnecessary hardship.

And yes, that Friday morning God was sovereign, just like He was the day before. I don’t have all the answers but I do believe that the healing needed is contained inside of the restorative power of the Gospel. I do believe that our own personal sin is compounding and adding to this wound. And I do believe this massacre is a symptom of a world that would deny its Creator, but like characters in a book trying to write out the author, I know it to be impossible and so we must deal with the realities of sin and its effect on humanity.

So to a father or mother who is looking down at the face of their baby who just Friday morning was hugging them and smiling back bright-eyed and bushy-tailed but now lies still in a coffin cold and lifeless, I cannot even begin to understand the pain they must be feeling, the helplessness, the anger. We as Americans, as Christians, as humans, need to be there to comfort them, not to tell them how our plans or ideologies or political positions could have saved their child because they live in a world now that could’ve, should’ve, but didn’t spare their child (or family member); which serves as proof that we live in a fallen and broken world… So let them grieve and not insult them by trying to offer a solution to a problem that can no longer be solved for them this side of eternity … for now LET THEM GRIEVE…

Sola Gratia!
Papa Tat

God Bless America or Not: What is Happening Now in America

Posted on by
Reply

This election cycle was really rough for me. I, for the first time, didn’t vote for the party of my parents. I grew up in a home that, to the best of my knowledge, voted straight ticket Republican and in the last 14 years of me being eligible, I have too. Before you start leaving this blog, it won’t be about who I voted for or even why. It’s about moving forward as the Church in America.

The churches I’ve been affiliated with have always been conservative-leaning reformed churches so even there I saw the party line being drawn even though it was never preached from the pulpit. This election cycle the other guy won (again) and it is the first time I have ever sat back and simply watched more or less as an observer; or at least I tried to be that. As an observer I realized that both parties put out a lot of rhetoric and propaganda, something I thought only the bad side did normally. I had never really stopped to wonder if I had been indoctrinated to be an ultra-conservative. I had always thought I was politically aware having spent a great deal of time listening to the talking heads on the radio who were apparently all-too-eager to tell me what I wanted to hear. I never took the time to actually properly evaluate what I was taking in because it just seemed right to me.

As many of you know the last few years for me have been a time of immense growth in my faith. God through His grace has seen fit to renew in part my mind and I have in response been thinking a lot more about what my duties as a Christian truly are. As recently as 5 years ago I had been absolutely obsessed with money and social status and had even recklessly pursued it; but then God stepped in in His providence and hit me with the biggest stick I’d ever seen. While I was off pursuing the American dream of beating the Joneses, God allowed my mother, who was widely regarded as a shining star in the local church and, in my eyes akin to a saint, to fall terminally ill with a disease called PICKS. At the time I went to a pastor of mine and told him I didn’t want God to teach me anything from my mom’s illness, that I would refuse to learn from it. Men make plans and God laughs, and my worldview was about to radically change.

Mom and I were very close. When my wife and I had any problems, rather than protect my wife’s good name I’d go tell my mom all the dirt. My mom would in turn give me some not-so-helpful advice (or so I thought) about how to love my wife and point out my part in the problem. (Mom loved my wife and my wife loved her and I was usually in the wrong.) As a child I struggled in school and in learning to fit in. I’ve always marched to a different beat and I struggle with ADD (or so I am told). Mom had been my ambassador my whole life, going before me and behind me and smoothing things over so that I could succeed in life. She was my earthly rock on which I relied heavily, selfishly taking up a large portion of her time which she gladly gave to me.

Now PICKS disease is similar to early onset Alzheimer’s with a few distinct differences. It’s better for you to Google it then for me to explain it here for time’s sake. I remember when they first diagnosed her, she was only a little loopy and still had most of her senses and wits about her. I remember clear as day her coming out and hugging me and telling me that I shouldn’t cry (very much like I am doing now) and that she would put this in the lap of Jesus Who would heal her. (I don’t believe she meant here on earth, but I know she wasn’t excluding that possibility either). From that moment I began to covet her faith. My mom, as long as I can remember, could often be found reading her Bible which was held together with tape and was underlined and highlighted; it was worn out. She also read a lot of other books about Christianity from her favorite authors like C.S. Lewis and Jonathan Edwards. She, in the moment I knew she feared most (her mom also died of this and she had worried for years it would happen to her), was trusting in God to provide for us.

As my mom continued downhill in a rapid progression of the disease, I had to choose to either make money or make time to spend with her and through the grace of God I chose the latter. God was teaching me in a crash course that money wasn’t everything. My wife and I lost almost everything we had including our house, our business, our boat, our motorcycle and our nice car, and almost $100,000 when it was all said and done. All this was happening while my mother was failing and could no longer could be my earthly rock. God used that time to build my wife’s and my relationship so that I would ultimately and finally truly cleave myself from my parents and cling to my wife (Genesis 2:24).

It was also around this time that God chose to restore my relationship with my earthly father, who throughout my life I had not gotten along with. He was a great dad, but he didn’t understand me at all and I was not a good or respectful son; in fact I was an embarrassment to his good name. It is safe to say we didn’t by and large care for each other’s company even after I became an adult.

My dad was an excellent husband to my mom. He even retired early which he knew would drastically affect his retirement funds and potentially force him to work later on in life even after mom would be gone. He did it just so he could take care of her and spend those last years together, even if that meant cleaning her up after she soiled herself and spending huge amounts of time spoon feeding her. I saw the most amazing display of Christian marriage I have ever seen. Even as mom became deformed and looked nothing like the youthful lady she had so recently been, he kissed her and told her she was beautiful and that he loved her every day, several times a day and he meant it; it was truly awe-inspiring.

But even that wasn’t enough for me to rectify my relationship with my father so again God stepped in. My dad was diagnosed with heart disease and needed to have 5-valve bypass open heart surgery. Because I had the time, as the real estate market had crashed (that was my career at the time) and my business was closed, I became the one he came to rely on during his surgery and his recovery process. It was a scary time as I worried about his health and my mother’s health. However, through that time I got the chance to really know my father and now as a result we are very close and our relationship is exactly the type of relationship I needed with him.

I remember the day and the emotions that were present when the decision was made to put my Mom into hospice. She had forgotten how to swallow and was aspirating her food, which meant we could no longer give her food or water. It was a surreal day.

I wasn’t mentally ready to deal with it. I even thought it was too soon somehow; but my reasoning told me it wasn’t. The next seven days that surrealism continued. I stayed by her side not ever leaving her for more than a couple hours total. On the last night before she left us I remember going into the chapel at the hospice and dropping to my knees and crying out to God from the bottom of my soul, weeping and brokenhearted; I was a scared little boy about to lose his beloved mommy. I prayed for miracles. I prayed for faith. I prayed for strength. God didn’t give me those things that night.

The next day after her bath, as I was sitting in the room she started breathing really funny and I had a gut feeling this may be it. I called for my dad to come into the room because he was in the hallway talking to some of our church family, who incidentally had surrounded us with so much love and compassion it was unbelievable. Pastor Meuther started reading scripture over her in a way that I actually at the time thought was rather dramatic and my dad ran into the room. Mom had for many months not been able to make clear eye contact and always seemed to only glance at you for a moment before looking afraid and then going blank. Her eyes also were in general distant and cloudy- looking.

When my dad rushed to her side and reached out for her hands, she clasped his hands with hers and she looked directly into his eyes. Her eyes were oddly clear and were concentrated on him and she smiled for what seemed like several minutes; it was a thing of beauty. Then, as if that wasn’t miraculous enough, she looked up at the ceiling with those same cognizant eyes and her smile became huge. I watched from the end of the bed and immediately felt a peace I cannot describe and have not felt in such a measure since and she breathed her last; I too was smiling. Cindy Frye, my mother, went to be with Jesus that day and it was beautiful. That day my faith in God began to grow by leaps and bounds.

Here is where I will tie this story to the original premise. For those 4 years my life was incredibly bleak, especially if you were looking in from the outside. I lost my career, my house, tons of money and my social status, my mother died and my dad was in bad shape. But God, in His providence, used all those things to create for me a life that is more centered around His Son and I am closer to Him and more content in life than I have ever been. I am not rich, my house is much smaller, my car is not as fancy, and my mom is still dead, but life is better and I am happy.

I don’t know what God is doing here in this country and I agree that from the outside it looks bleak. Our economy is failing, morality is declining, our rights as Americans are being depleted and the Bride of Christ is being openly mocked. But the God we serve is in control and I would humbly suggest we look for and be thankful for the lessons He is teaching us, His Church, here in America and throughout the world. We can rejoice in the beauty of His grace and providence knowing that He has promised that His Church, and not necessarily this country, will endure. Life for us here may drastically change, however our God will be faithful to us even in the face of persecution and death (which I think incidentally is a little extreme to worry about now here in the USA).

God may not bless America, and yet I earnestly pray He does; but God will bless His Church…

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Mom and I at the hospice
Taken a day or so before my mom died

Christians and Tattoos: Liberty or Liable?

Posted on by
1

Here is a quasi entertaining video done on tattoos. Now, most people
assume that I am a big proponent of tattoos but, sadly, I am not. That’s
not to say I don’t enjoy them or that I am against them, because I do and
I am not. I believe them to be a Christian liberty and I would say I, at
the very least, am testing the border between exercising a liberty and
gluttony of my liberty.

Not only do I think the letter he received was incredibly weak, I actually
think both his first and last points were pretty weak as well. As a guy
covered in tats I was utterly unconvinced.

The key here is that this was a law that was given in a specific
time in history and in a specific context of pagan practices for
influencing the souls of the dead. To a Christian I would simply ask
if they can eat shell fish and round the corners of their beards. When
they can answer that, they will also have the underlying answer to tattoos.

But for argument’s sake:

God set the Israelites apart as a nation to Himself; they not only
looked different on the inside (hearts) but on the outside as well, both
in actions and appearance. His people could be known on sight. However,
since now He calls from all nations and being that we aren’t Israel,
such bans are lifted assuming we can comply with the moral underlier.
The underlying moral law in this instance is to not participate in pagan
worship which, to the best of my knowledge, I do not.

As for the dragon thing, I don’t necessarily think dragons are demonic
signs, although I suppose I can follow his logic since Revelation uses
them to illustrate a point. But in that train of thought, Puff the Magic
Dragon was stealing children’s souls in the 70′s and 80′s and Peter, Paul
and Mary were worshipers of the devil…and let’s not even talk about the
damage “Dragon Tales” and “How To Train Your Dragon” are then doing to
our youth!

I think what bothered me the most about this video was how arrogant he seems. Very
intelligent and sincere Christians often bring up this subject with me
and I hope that I am always able to defend my position in grace, knowing
that we are beloved brothers and sisters and part of the very same Body.
The truth of the matter is that a better argument for not getting
tattoos can be raised by acknowledging that God knit our bodies
together and what God saw fit to do – who am I to change? (Psalm
139:13)… I am still without a good answer to this one.

Take it not for granted!

Posted on by
Reply

Sorry, no nerdy stuff on this post. Fear not, though; for I indeed have a couple more works in the pipe which will bring the nerd candy back with a vengeance.  Today, though, I wanted to take a more somber tone.

The pastor at my personal church was asked by someone elsewhere in the OPC (www.opc.org) to apply for a call to a small OP church in Roanoke Virginia; a place about half the size of Des Moines (speaking in terms of metros), though situated at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and with both he and his wife being natives of North Carolina, it’s “on the right side of the Mason/Dixon line”, where “folk don’t talk funny”, and “got proper manners”.

Well, needless to say, he got the call.

This past Lord’s Day was his final Sunday with us. Our pastor’s final sermon to us was a wonderful exegesis of Acts 20:17-38, a pastoral farewell. This sermon was not self-aggrandizing, self congratulatory, or even self-focused. Though not completely absent was his personal sense of loss in leaving (both expressly stated in his sermon and manifest throughout the entire service in his win-some/lose-some struggle to maintain composure), nor his [I feel legitimate] claim of sincere efforts to have faithfully shepherded the flock, his focus was on Paul, the church there, the warnings found there of what may transpire after the undershepherd is gone, and of course, the Lord of it all!

Paul warned the church he was leaving behind that after he was gone, wolves would attack the flock, and attempt to scatter and devour them. The frightening thing is: these wolves didn’t come from without, but instead, rose up from within.

It is –very- rare, so I’m told, that serious conflict does not arise in a church in the aftermath of a pastor’s departure. People arise, and attempt to draw others after them. This is not just in leadership vying for power, or in leaders and non-leaders breaking off, and starting a new church, though these happen as well, but instead, people in the congregation rising up and making noise about which direction the church needs to go, uninformed, or improperly informed by the Word of God (and the misunderstandings and mishandlings they bring to it). Pride abounds, and factions arise, and the church is either split, or taken down other bad roads, perhaps even worse ones yet.

Having a presbyterian polity (form of government) will go some distance to buffer and protect us (over and above what a congregational or hierarchal polity would), but even in Presbyterian and Reformed churches, this situation commonly goes wrong, for no matter how solid and biblical a church’s or individual’s polity and ecclesiology are, fact is, it is still overseen by sinful men (this is a huge part of why I’m not a theonomist, and do not want a theocracy…well, not until the Lord returns and runs it himself anyway).

The point is: chances are there will be wolves, or at least a wolf in our church who will reveal themselves in the days ahead, be they leader, laity, or stranger. Chances are, he/she/they were even in attendance for this sermon. Hopefully, all of us had an “is it I, Lord?” moment of self-examination. Hopefully all of us will keep the “is it I, Lord?” in view as we go on from here. Hopefully our collective guard will be up…-BUT-…hopefully we will avoid the ditch of being on “hyper-guard”, which itself would lead to all kinds of strife and division. Hopefully the “is it I, Lord?” voice in our heads will be louder than the “is it him/her/they, Lord?” voices.

But beyond a trepidation of what lies ahead for us with the wolves, and a general sense of loss in having to say farewell to an undershepherd who intimately knew and loved his Lord’s sheep in this small flock, and was intimately known and loved by his Lord’s sheep is a more specific sense of loss in that we had a man who –both- a) preached the word rightly in its depth and fullness,  preaching powerful expository sermons that took us chapter by chapter, verse by verse with no compromise, that brought us up to the Word, rather than the Word down to us, and sought after a gimmick-free, deeply biblical regulative and dialogical worship -and- b) was a real mentor/counselor/shepherd.

How tremendous a blessing it is to be in a church where the Pastor is both a preacher and a mentor, and not just one or the other…or neither! How many churches are there where someone can deliver a whizz-banger from the pulpit, but is unavailable for his people, or else, one who’s ever available, and a genuinely nice fellow, with good advice and a gentle approach, but either puts you to sleep in the pew, or worse, cuts the Word crooked, and does not preach the full council of God’s word, or lets worship go completely awry? Or, what about those churches where the pastor neither rightly divides the word, nor is all that disposed as a counselor/mentor/friend? See, I could drop into my old pastor’s office just whenever. I’ve been to his house, he’s been to mine, and we had a good enough relationship where he could be candid enough to call me an idiot when I needed it, or laugh over a Dilbert or Non-Sequitor comic when I didn’t. He would discuss deep theology with me when I wanted to and XBox 360 with me when I didn’t. And you could –always- count on him being one of the first in and last out whenever one of us was in the hospital…How valuable is that?!

Now, I certainly don’t want to imply that he was perfect, he most certainly wasn’t. Though there were manifold things I observed in him that I should strive to emulate, there were also a smattering of things I observed that I should interpret as cautionary tales to avoid. I simply intend to convey how valuable he was to us. His wife was likewise super involved in the church, and with the people she sat in the pews with. Anne could talk to anyone, and anyone could talk to her, and she did so much work with the ladies. They will both be missed. I hope and pray that their ministry will be similarly blessed in Roanoke, that the sheep there will be blessed like we have, and that the church will recognize and appreciate what it is they’re getting in these two.

Now, wolves, and loss aside, I know that if the Lord wills for this particular manifestation of his visible church to continue, he will preserve it through the wolf attacks and put a man in place who will likewise rightly divide the Word of truth. Perhaps God intends to shut our doors. His promise is to preserve his church at large, not necessarily individual congregations, so we must be open to the possibility. Maybe we’re in our twilight. If so, the good news is that there are other good reformed churches in the area where we will get to receive Word and Sacrament rightly and in right worship.  However, in the not knowing, I will labor as if we’re going to last forever, and will encourage my fellow churchmen will do the same. Perhaps it is not the twilight at all, but rather, an incitement to band together as never before, and draw closer, better lifting each other up. I have no way of knowing, but I will aspire to act out my part of the latter.

Friends, I cannot stress enough how deeply important it is to have your doctrine of God’s sovereignty down before the times like this come! To know that God is in control of it all, and it will go the way he intends is a tremendous comfort, and takes the panic out of the “what do we do now?”s. It will work out just the way it’s supposed to. Though right now, the urge I have might be to be all like “My Father, my Father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel”, I know that the Lord will provide, either a man for our church, or another church for our flock, and I can rest in that (that, and neither Rodney or I are Elijah or Elisha, and Rodney was not taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire via a whirlwind, but only up to Roanoke in a Pontiac via the interstate, and this chariot better not be on fire.) :-)

In fact, though I’m not at liberty to give details, one of the pastoral candidates is somewhat famous in our circles, and a young man I’ve been following for about two or three years now. So, that’s very exciting! How cool would it be for person x to be my direct pastor?! And even if it’s not to be person x, it’ll be person y, and person y will have been providentially selected by God…just for us, to bless or to chastise us, but to sanctify us. Or if it’s neither person x, or y, or any other letter of the alphabet, then at least our closing will strengthen the other reformed churches in the area. Praise God for his infinite wisdom and grace!

So to conclude: One of the pitfalls of being in a church for any length of time where the word is rightly and faithfully preached, where worship is biblical and profound, and where the man behind the pulpit “walks in the midst of his people” is that we can take it for granted, even become bored, and not realize just what we have. There’s truth to the saying that you never know what you’ve got til it’s gone. But in a time and place where so many of the churches (if they are even truly churches at all) are such an absolute mess, where the teaching is superficial and anthropocentric, or even egocentric, where doctrine is minimized and lost, where anything goes in the “worship”, where pastors only talk to their people behind a podium, and where everybody in the pews does what is right in their own eyes, yielding untold strife and conflict, to be in one of the scarce churches that are so solid, not perfect (neither the sheep or the undershepherd), but solid….you are –truly- blessed! Cherish it, relish in it, soak it all up, fight for it, cling to it for dear life!

-TAKE IT NOT FOR GRANTED!-

God Bless!

-J

Why I can’t vote but am fine if you can

Posted on by
Reply

Yeah, I said can’t, not won’t or don’t want to, but that I can’t!

In this blog you will find my thoughts which have led me to this perceived inability. My first and primary concern is that I do not believe either of these men are Christians. Here that statement becomes mightily inconvenient because, since I cannot really really know whether someone is a Christian, I am forced to take them at their word. Which of these candidates claim to be a Christian? Obama. Well, crap, I am not voting for him. So lets look at Mitt. He is a Mormon, and Mormons take their basic morals from Christianity so I should be good, right? Yeah, I see you nodding your head, but unfortunately that is not true. Mormonism is a “theosis” meaning that the basis for their religion is, simply put, that they believe, by being in compliance with the laws of their religion, that they not only work their way to heaven but that if they are “good” enough they become gods themselves (or goddesses) complete with the ability to resurrect themselves and their wives. Wow!

So let’s weigh this against Christianity. Mormons get to heaven based on works because the death and resurrection of Jesus did not pay a complete atonement. Also notable is that they also deny the deity of Jesus. Christians believe not only that Jesus is God but that His death and resurrection were completely sufficient for all, even if it is only applied to some, and that it comes by way of grace and is a free gift. Mormons, because they believe that they can become like God (in fact gods themselves), deny that God is the Alpha and Omega that He claims He is (and He is) meaning that He isn’t the only God Who is, but someone who was like them at one time and through works and a little luck made it to godship. Christians recognize God as the Alpha and Omega, the great I Am, the One and only true God. Furthermore we do not become God but rather we worship God eternally. The last point I will highlight is this – they do not believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God. Mormons believe that their Book of Mormon is not only a continuance of scripture but is also superior to the Bible. Christians recognize the Bible for what it is, the infallible Word of God which is not only complete but finished and not to be added to.

So are some of their rules the same? Perhaps, but the basis for their morality comes not from God but from a book that tells them that they can become a god, which is similar to what satan says to Eve in the garden of Eden. Since their morals are based on a source that I see as teaching and being an abomination, I am convinced it is then a wicked and evil source. I cannot say they are the same morals I have. Furthermore this religion is not content to simply ensnare whom it might but is perhaps the most active major religion when it comes to proselytizing (shame on us); they strive to lead both me and my children astray. I have, by the Grace of God, as a father taken my boys, whom I love more than my own life, to Church. I have spent hours in prayer for their souls. I have read them scripture. I have even been fortunate enough to send them to a Christian school. In short, I have raised them as best I can to become Godly men. Then why would I vote for and help put over them a man whose religion would actively pursue them and attempt to lead them away from God, a man whose religion reeks of the very cause of the fall of mankind – that we should become like God, and lead them from God and towards destruction? I cant.

If that wasn’t enough, scripture tells us to look at the fruit, and I do not see good fruit. Mitt’s fruit is his voting record and it’s all I feel inclined to view because I cannot simply trust his word based on my view of his morality. Mitt has flipped and flopped without giving good reason on every issue that I care about. I believe that he is desperately fighting to try and find a way to relate to the base and is not genuine in his newfound positions. Historically he has not voted in line with the conservative platform. So if the Bible is true (and it is) and we should know them by their fruit, then I want none of this rotten fruit.

I do want to be clear here – I will be voting in local elections and maybe I will even vote third party if I can find a suitable candidate. I can say that I will be in prayer that whoever wins the presidential election (or any election) will make wise decisions for our country. I will also be praying that these men who will reign over us will come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and because I believe in a sovereign God I will trust that He will stay the hands of evil men regardless who ends up in office. With God all things are possible!

I am a Christian who lives in America. I am not an American who just so happens to be a Christian. And I cannot vote in this election because, to invoke Luther, “my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.”

Missio Dei!
Papa Tat

I’m Back: Propaganda “Excellent” Review and FREE Download

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged but today I found something that I was genuinely impressed and blessed by and thought I’d share. This is a unsolicited review which I undertook because I truly am excited by the Gospel Message that is present and clear in a masterfully done Rap Album

Propaganda “Excellent” review

Excellent

The very first track seems to set the stage for this interestingly gifted rapper or perhaps more accurately titled; poet. It came as no surprise to me after listening to the album to find out that this dude not only came from some rough conditions but also is a qualified secular teacher who has a degree in intercultural studies as well; in other words his an educated man who has both street smarts and book smarts. His lyrics illustrate the deep divide between the racial perspectives that exists in both modern America and Church goers, and perhaps presents the remedy for this divide. Apparently raised by a Black Panther he is able to see some real and valid criticisms of both white and black Americans that were and are probably lost to most people; including myself. I would equate him to a Biblically sound Tupac, meaning you can feel both the pain and hope behind the lyrics skillfully woven together into a well rounded album that is inspiring. This guy is a awake and aware of his context of African American in the Christian Church and has a beautiful way of getting out a Godly message and is clearly proficient at delivering the Gospel message.

In “Excellent” Propaganda addresses hard truths that we as Christians all come across ranging from doubt, failed parenting, troubled marriage, to the lifting up of our Paper Popes. He clearly has a love for his family and for the Church that creates a unique role model figure for a younger audience who is otherwise bombarded by rappers that show a lack of respect for women and a hatred for the Church. In short this album is genuine hardcore hip hop yet delivers a message that not only is Biblically and Theologically sound but powerful, thought provoking, and relevant to both my generation and the ones below me. Warning “Excellent” is a THEOLOGICAL POWERHOUSE that isn’t watered down to be anything less; the listener will have to rise to the level presented and pay attention because the bar is set high and is so without apology.

In closing “Excellent” is masterfully produced by Beautiful Eulogy of Humble Beast Records and contains the artistic rhyming and spoken word style of a extraordinarily talented poet who has a real passion for Christ, and his Church. I believe it to be both Theologically sound and well put together by an extremely talented artist and production crew making it one of the best albums I’ve heard in a long time if not ever…

One of the coolest things about this blog is below is a link to download Propaganda’s NEW album “Excellent” for free which literally hit iTunes and Amazon today… That’s Crazy!

Please download and give it a listen and if you like it I suggest buying a copy to show your support for well done and Biblically sound music. You can also find more awesome music from the guys at Humble Beast by going to humblebeast.com

Here is that link directly to the free Download….

http://humblebeast.com/downloads/excellent-download/

Thoughts from the Booth

Posted on by
Reply

Hey guys, its been two weeks since I last posted, partly due to me not being in the booth last week. Thursday’s show was fun. The booth was rearranged so it now utilizes space a lot better, and gives the producer easy movement on his cushy cool chair. It seemed like I was able to pay attention more this week, maybe the week off loosened me up a bit.

I actually just got back (at the moment I am writing this) from the apple store, looking for part-time work there. looking for work with my worldview is hard. I believe that it is a sin to work unnecessary work on Sunday. I want the job, it would help me with my tech knowledge. I was talking with the hiring manager and she said that I would not have to work on Sundays, but there would be meetings. Meetings? Does that count as labor? (Whether I got payed or not). A big factor in the Sabbath is its uniqueness from the other days of the week. It is a special day of rest. One of my thoughts waif since I would be willing to meet with friends on Sunday, would I be willing to meet with work friends? But the reason for that meeting is work.

I could keep on going, but I’ll leave it here a see if anyone can help. I am praying over this. Believing that God has given me grace and this He has a plan in all this. Please pray for me, that the right job would turn up if I am to get one.

In Christ, Ryan

Thoughts From the Booth.

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t know how I can top Puritan’s posts, especially since he’s nerdier than I am, but I decided to write something for fun.

Last week’s show was fun, I had a couple problems which I will try to fix in later weeks, such as the intro video cutting out. Some of you may not know this, but Dan was interviewed for a documentary this last week. As a part of this, there was a videographer at the studio during our last show wandering around the studio. He came into the producer booth and did some filming. This makes me ask who would ever want to see what happens behind the scenes? I realize that I personally would be interested in how a big show (lets go with the tv show Psych;) is run! Wow, that would be sweet!

Along with this thought comes the fact that I must remain humble. My God commands and desires it! So now that I’ve shared my thoughts, I’ll leave it there.

As I produce, I feel the need for improvement. Improvement in my personal skills. This being an apparent open door for a job, I am gradually seeing that my skills are limited. Especially after I see the production of other shows. Setting myself in thought processes that I am a mere teenager, and ignoring any numbers or unnecessary praises thrown my way, I search for ways I can improve. I ask myself what I can do to further fulfill my job description. Audio and video being the two biggest, I am quickly overwhelmed with directions I can take. At the end of the day I am left with large vision, a list of things i want to accomplish, and ultimately a trust that my visions and lists very well may not happen. (Philippians 2:13) Thus I live the life of the slave, slave to only serve the Lord who deserves all obedience. I pray that you all will discipline your lives accordingly! Do it, and God just might bless you. Now THAT is awesome.

If I’m terrible at blogging, just say so. In the meantime, this is Mr. Xtreme, needing of prayer, desperate for Christ, and producing edifitainment in the process.

PS I’ll see you guys in two weeks, for I will be helping with techy stuff at the Providential History Festival this next Thursday, the 13th.