Book Comment: You Mean That Isn’t in the Bible?

 

In his book, You Mean That Isn’t in the Bible?, David A. Rich points out ten things you probably think are in the Bible but are not. Rich says, ”… my intention is not necessarily to cause you to agree with everything I write about, but rather to cause you to study for yourself.”

As with most books such as this, the author is not trying to tell you what to think. He specifically says in the quotation above that he does not expect you to agree with everything he says, He is trying to challenge you to read your Bible and to listen to what it says. Do not believe anything just because someone else told to believe it; let the Holy Spirit guide you to the truth.

The ten beliefs Rich mentions include:

There are many roads to Heaven.

When we die, we become angels.

God helps those who help themselves.

God wants you to be rich.

Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.

We are God’s co-pilots.

Pray hard and God will answer.

God and Satan are battling it out.

God is not a micromanager.

Everyone has their own free will.

 

Information you will need to search for this book: Rich, David A., You Mean That Isn’t in the Bible? 10 Popular Beliefs That Simply Aren’t True (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2008)

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A general caution: books may give you wonderful new insights and explanations of subjects, but you should never base your Christian beliefs on any one book or the teachings of one person, no matter who they are. All teachings must be consistent with scripture. Read as the Bereans did, with discernment. “… for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11 NASB

Any doctrines must be consistent with the historical full body of Christian thought. Doctrines or teachings inconsistent with scripture in any way must be rejected. You would not eat cheese which had a fuzzy fungus growing on it.

Are You Bored With Your Life?

If we are bored with life there is something wrong with our concept of God and His involvement in our daily lives.  Even the most dull and tedious days of our lives are ordained by God and ought to be used by us to glorify Him."  Jerry Bridges, The Navigators

Every job is meaningful, every life is meaningful.  God may have you in place to perform one action in His plan for the life of one person, or numerous persons.  You may never know what you have done.  How do you know that you have not already done it?

Joseph probably was not thrilled when his brothers sold him into slavery.  He was being placed into a position in which he could save his people.  Esther probably was not thrilled to be forced to become essentially a sexual slave for a brutal king.  She was in position to save her people from genocide. Brother Lawrence was an uneducated man not suited for any monastery duties except cooking and washing dishes.  He cheerfully devoted his duties to the Lord and became known worldwide for his pious example.

What I Believe

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6543677145883318479#editor/target=post;postID=3277589869921366139

Since Wednesday, I have been responding to “What They Think of Us: God Blames Us for His Mistakes.”  I disagree completely with Gene Roddenberry’s criticism.  Here is what I believe to be a scriptural rebuttal.

1.     God did not make a mistake.  He intentionally made us as we are. (Genesis 1:1-31)

2.     He made us in His image. (1:27)

3.     He made us as we are because we must be free to choose.  God does not purpose to have the mindless obedience of robots or machines.

4.     God knew that the vast majority would reject Him.  He has declared that the few are worth the costs: a. the billions lost (Romans 1:20), and b. the life of Christ. (Luke 15:10)

5.     Those who chose God are invested with the Mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

6.     He is perfecting us into creatures, not Divine, but like Himself.  Our ultimate destiny is one of sinless perfection, able to judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3), and able to exist in the presence of the perfectly Holy God.  We are being perfected (sanctified) into holiness. (Hebrews 7:25)

Film Comment: The Adjustment Bureau

The Adjustment Bureau (2011) is a film based on “Adjustment Team,” a science fiction short story by the writer, Philip K. Dick.  The plot goes like this, David Norris (actor Matt Damon), a failed United States Congressional candidate, has a random romantic encounter with a woman (actress Emily Blunt) he does not know and, as a result, is inspired to give a concession speech which launches him as a strong favorite for the upcoming United States Senate competition.   This sets in motion events which are not prevented because a man in the park is a few seconds late and fails in his assignment to spill coffee on David,

Soon David realizes he is being followed by men in suits and hats, who become increasingly open in  pursuing of him.  Soon, David awakens, tied up in chair,  surrounded by men in suits and hats.  The leader of the mysterious men explains to David that he must not see the woman again or it will jeopardize “the plan” which has been written by “the Chairman.” If David persists after this warning, he will be “reset; ” he will be adjusted to return him to “the plan.”  Of course, David refuses to adjust his actions, and the chase begins.

“The Chairman” is clearly God and the “agents” are clearly angels.   The film raises questions about free will, predestination, the function of angels, God’s omnipotence and omniscience, whether God is an “absentee landlord” or involved in the world second by second, whether or not God is concerned with each individual person, whether or not God has dealt with the world differently during different historical periods, whether or not we are able to influence or change God’s plan for the universe, the possibility of consequences for refusal to follow God's plan, whether of not we can take God "by surprise," what is the exact nature of "time" and "eternity," and what God ultimately wants: what is the ultimate purpose of God's plan. 

The cosmological view presented by the film is not consistent with orthodox Christianity.

Book Comment: 10 Lies About God and the Truths That Shatter Deception

10 Lies About God and the Truths That Shatter Deception (2009) by Erwin W. Lutzer discusses several very hard questions. Pastor Lutzer challenges several misconceptions which have crept into the belief systems of many in the modern church.


The misconceptions are:
1. "God is Whatever You Want Him To Be"
2. "Many Paths Lead Into God's Presence"
3. "God Is More Tolerant Than He Used To Be"
4. "God Has Never Personally Suffered"
5. "God Is Obligated To Save Followers of Other Religions"
6. "God takes No Responsibility for Natural Disasters"
7. "God Does Not Know Our Decisions Before We Make Them"
8. "The Fall Ruined God's Plan"
9. "We Must Choose Between God's Pleasures and Our Own"
10. "God Helps Those Who Help Themselves"


If any of this shocks you, get this book and see why Pastor Lutzer says what he does.

A Christian Discussion of Sexuality

Just as I predicted, my post about the .XXX internet domain brought searches from pornographic sites.  Though you and I may not subscribe to every idea expressed in the interview (and Christians are not required to agree on every issue *) the link below is very interesting.  It is a question and answer session with two sexologists on the Christian sexually-oriented website Intimacy4us.

http://www.intimacy4us.co.za/fifteen-jawdropping-questions-sexologists/

*

"I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that." 1 Corinthians 7:7

"If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing." 1 Corinthians 7:36, 37.

"A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord." 1 Corinthians 7:39

In all these verses, Paul uses the word thelo (wish), which carries the idea of personal preference or opinion. 

Rumspringa

     At first glance, the Rumspringa seems to be an odd, even cruel, religious practice, especially when one realizes that it is practiced by the ultra-strict, ultra-conservative Plain People, the Amish.

     Since they have Anabaptist origins, the Amish utterly reject any idea of infant baptism or of the idea that being raised in an Amish family makes one Amish.  The strongly believe that to be Amish one must make a conscious decision to adopt the life.

     Not all Amish teens (at age 16) participate in the Rumspringa (the "running around") during which they leave the community to live among the "English" (the outside world) and have no rules whatsoever.  Sex, drugs, alcohol, wild parties, telephones, fashionable clothing, smoking, profanity: anything goes.

     The hope is that the teens will be shocked and disgusted by the depravity they see and will voluntarily return to be baptized and assume their rightful place in the community.  This seems quite harsh to outsiders but the Amish see it as respect for the free wills of their  children.  No one is forced to be Amish, the life must be chosen.

     The Plain People know that their life can be seen as hard but most of their adults don't think that it is.  They do know what they're missing.

     For further study on this subject:

1. Schactman, Tom, Rumspringa: To Be or Not To Be Amish (North Point Press, 2007)

2. Video: The Devil's Playground.