Olive Tree

I’ve recently succumbed to the Apple way of life. I love the feel and functionality of the iPhone and iPad, iTunes does its job very well, and Apple’s hardware can’t be beat. I originally bought the iPhone 4 because I needed a schedule that worked for me. Paper hadn’t done the job and I was enjoying some of the simpler online calendars. But besides the calendars and apps, the one function I fell deep in love with was having my Bible handy every second of the day. So I began my trek to decide which Bible app was best for me. My all time favorite? Olive Tree.

I bought my wife a birthday gift before we were married. It was a beautiful NASB reference and study Bible. It was very expensive, but it was also worth it. Olive Tree allows me to spend much less per Bible but offers features that revolutionize my Bible experience.

1. Sharing. Anyone in my family who has a iDevice can access the same Bibles. One price . . . four Bibles.

2. Note Taking. If I make a note on a verse in my NASB, I will be able to see that same note on every other translation I have!

3. Tags. I recently created a tag called, “Following Your Heart.” I tagged Proverbs 28:26, Ecclesiastes 11:9, and Jeremiah 17:9. Now when I need to remember what God’s Word says about the foolishness of “following my heart,” I have the passages right there; linked together, highlighted, and noted!

4. Backup. Olive Tree backs-up all of my notes, tags, and highlighters. I can also share all of those elements with any family member who uses my iTunes account.

Olive Tree also has many free resources that make my iLibrary rival my paper one . . . but take up much less space.

Let us know what you think of Olive Tree in the poll below and feel free to comment if you have found other Bible apps that are just as good or better.

An Educational Awakening

I am saddened that Erica Goldson’s pursuit of truth has not yet introduced her to God, but I am amazed and thrilled that an 18 year old was wise enough to see the flaws in the American School system.

Instead of celebrating her achievements and reliving sophomoric memories, this valedictorian gave the American school system a sound whooping and a generation of students a much-needed wake-up call.

The following is her valedictorian address:

“Here I stand

There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, “If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, “Ten years . .” The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast — How long then?” Replied the Master, “Well, twenty years.” “But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?” asked the student. “Thirty years,” replied the Master. “But, I do not understand,” said the disappointed student. “At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?” Replied the Master, “When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.”

This is the dilemma I’ve faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.

Some of you may be thinking, “Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn’t you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.

I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I’m scared.

John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, “We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness – curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don’t do that.” Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.

H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not “to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. … Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim … is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States.”

To illustrate this idea, doesn’t it perturb you to learn about the idea of “critical thinking.” Is there really such a thing as “uncritically thinking?” To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?

This was happening to me, and if it wasn’t for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.

And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.

We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren’t we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.

The saddest part is that the majority of students don’t have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can’t run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be – but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.

For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, “You have to learn this for the test” is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.

For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.

For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.

So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn’t have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.

I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a “see you later” when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let’s go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we’re smart enough to do so!”

Credit Where Credit is Due

The following blog was copied from http://dougwils.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7848%3Askanky-movie-iii&catid=39%3Aeducation

Doug Wilson is the author and his insights are completely accurate. It is so right-on that I had to make sure you read it. The following is Mr. Wilson’s “Skanky Movie III.”

One trap that parents fall into is the trap of not wanting sin around their kids. But I suppose this requires some explanation.

The mistake arises because there are a bunch of sins that parents should keep away from their kids — kidnappers, for starters, and cocaine dealers, and pornographers, and seducers, and Cartesian dualists. One of the accusations leveled against private Christian education is that conservative parents are sheltering their kids. What next?! Parents sheltering children! We feed them too.

But here is where the mistake come in. There is a question of degree here. We are not supposed to keep our children away from the presence of all sin whatever. And that’s a good thing, too, because it is impossible. There is a type of sin, common to the human condition, that your children will encounter (on a daily basis) on the playground of the finest Christian school imaginable. If you don’t send your kids to that school (because of all the sin there), they will encounter even more of it at church, in their relationships with their siblings, in their bedroom all alone, and in the midst of all the dirty thoughts between their ears. The task of parents in this is not to avoid this kind of sin, but rather to teach their children how to battle it. You cannot learn to battle something if you are constantly endeavoring to stay away from it.

In short, with this kind of sin, there are two errors — equally bad. One is to accommodate yourself to the  presence of this kind of room temperature sin, in such a way as to assume room temperature yourself. That is the way of spiritual death. The other is to pretend to yourself that the choices you have made have somehow successfully distanced you from all that icky stuff. But it is as close to you now as it ever was, but is now invisible because you have daubed your eyes with a special Pharisee salve. This is another way of spiritual death.

The mere presence of sin discredits nothing and no one. A school is not a poor school because junior high girls are catty at lunch, because one of the boys in the fourth grade makes earthy observations about certain bodily functions, or because some blonde named Kimberly gets great grades and the word among the kids in the back row who don’t like to study is that she might be the teacher’s pet. Welcome to earth, everybody. This is not the kind of sin parents are required to keep their kids away from. They are in fact required not to try. This is the kind of sin that parents need to teach their kids to handle, and avoidance is not a biblical strategy. Because it will be necessarily unsuccessful, avoidance is simply a pretence of avoidance, with the down side — because you are too busy kidding yourself — of having children who are not learning how to respond and resist.

Suppose your child is in the classroom of a fine Christian school, one with a great reputation. You know the teachers and administrators, and they really love the Lord. But you know for a fact that two/thirds of the kids in your son’s class are all hot about the latest skanky movie. Just last night, after the youth group get together, they all went to see Skanky Movie III, one that has set records for both kinds of box office gross. What will your temptation be? Your temptation will be to think that however well-intentioned the folks running the school might be, the “tone” of the school is not nearly “high enough,” and that all these families clearly have poor standards. You regret having to do this, but you are considering pulling your son, wrapping him up in cotton batting for two final semesters of Mom School.

You think the problem is low entertainment standards, when the actual problem is that no Christian parents — including you — are teaching their kids what moral leadership looks like. About a third of the kids who went to that movie didn’t really want to, and wouldn’t have gone if someone in the class — I am thinking of your son in particular — had done more than simply studied his shoelaces when the subject came up. You are tempted to think that the others have low entertainment standards, when the real lesson is that your son is not a moral leader. The response ought not to be to do something that will make him even less of one.

Destined to Choose

I’ve been reading and re-reading I Thessalonians for my devotions, and I knew, undoubtedly, that many truths from this passage would make it from the The Word, into my heart, and eventually onto these digital pages. But you never can be sure what truths the Lord will impress on your spirit as you read a passage. I try to go to my personal devotions like David; “open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” And sometimes you’re surprised by what He shows you.

Today’s “wondrous thing” rests easily between the comfortable armchairs of everyday Christian life and the well-worn benches of deep biblical study. I’m not going to flesh out this truth in its entirety, but the Holy Spirit impressed it on my life today and I believe I should share it with you.

In I Thessalonians 3:3, Paul speaks of the afflictions that he and Timothy had been experiencing. He even mentions that he sent Timothy to encourage the Thessalonicans so that no one would be disturbed by the trials of Paul and Timothy. Isn’t that just like Paul? Looking out for others spiritual needs even as he is in need himself!

But at the end of verse 3 he makes a little comment that has huge doctrinal importance. “For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this;” speaking of the afflictions he’d referred to earlier in the verse.

Merriam-Webster tells us the word destined means “decree[d] beforehand: predetermine[d].” Paul was completely aware that God is, and was, 100% in control of all that enters into our lives; just read Romans. Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” That’s how he learned to be content regardless of what happened to him.

“How can I fear?
Jesus is near? He watches over me.
Worries all cease.
He gives me peace. How can I fear with Jesus.”      -Ron Hamilton-

But then in verse 10, Paul says, “We night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face.” Why does a man who believes in the complete supremecy of God; the One Who foreknows, predestines, and predetermines everything, think he needs to pray “most earnestly” for a personal desire?

This is the core of the lesson I was reminded of today. This is the beauty of the true, biblical doctrine of God’s supremecy and our free will. God is not bound by our mortal views. He can predestinate an action that will be born from the free will of the person acting! There is a balance, nay, a synchrony of divine determination and personal prerogative to every moment.

In the same way, even though we know that “what will be” is “what will be,” we can go to our Heavenly Father and request blessings of Him, and rest assured that our prayers have real efficacy.

We serve an awesome God! May your soul be quieted knowing that He hears our prayers and that nothing that happens in life surprises Him.

A Call to the Willing

Yahoo! news posted an aticle today (May 30th) about photographs taken of an “uncontacted” tribe in the Amazon. This photo shows three natives; the two painted bright red are preparing to fire arrows at the plane.

  

The article quoted Survival International in saying that this tribe is one of “more than 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide, more than half live in either Brazil or Peru.” Imagine that! More than a hundred villiages that have never been contacted by the outside world. They’ve never seen a white man. They’ve never taken advantage of modern medical practices. They’ve never see a T.V. or listened to an iPod. They’ve never known anything or anyone outside their own thatched huts.

The article also interviewed Stephen Corry, the director of Survival International.  “The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct.” What is endangering these primative peoples? Apparently deforrestation and new diseases are so bad they threaten to wipe these tribes off the face of the map.

So, here we have hundreds of people, possibly on the brink of extinction . . . and they’ve never heard of Jesus.

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14)

This is a call to the willing. A call to the Hudson Taylors and the Adoniram Judsons. A call to the David Livingstons and the William Careys. And possibly a call to the Nate Saints and Jim Elliots of the world. Which of us are willing to go and reach these people with the gospel? Which of us desire to fulfill the great commision by going into “the uttermost part of the earth”? (Acts 1:8- KJV)

I have a fantastic opportunity next week to minister to missionaries and their children. GFA Missions is having their annual Family Camp at The Wilds in NC and my family is running the children’s program for the week. I’ve been participating in this ministry since 1992 and am struck every year by the supreme privilage it is to work along side missionaries. They are the most wonderful people I know and I am honored to be a blessing to them.

But . . . “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:37)

This news story should be a wake-up call, a ministry call, a missionary call. Are you willing?

Fundamentalism

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Islamic Fundamentalists.

Christian Fundamentalists.

Is there a difference? Is it fair for the media to bunch together everyone who utilizes the “Fundamentalist” title? Scott Bidstrup, author of a hypertext essay called “Why the ‘Fundamentalist’ Approach to Religion Must Be Wrong,” says that:

“A fundamentalist religion is a religion, any religion, that when confronted with a conflict between love, compassion and caring, and conformity to doctrine, will almost invariably choose the latter regardless of the effect it has on its followers or on the society of which it is a part.”

It is a sad reality that many people hold to this hyper-dogmatic definition of Fundamentalism. Unfortunately few people turn to the originators of the word for an appropriate definition. The term was coined to describe a group of Christians who separated from theological liberals of the early 1900′s. Since then the movement has expanded and the word has taken on definitions not originally intended.

Dictionary.com says that Fundamentalism is 1.  A movement in American Protestantism that arose in the early part of the 20th century in reaction to modernism and that stresses the infallibility of the Bible not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record, holding as essential to Christian faith belief in such doctrines as the creation of the world, the virgin birth, physical resurrection, atonement by the sacrificial death of Christ, and the Second Coming. 2. The beliefs held by those in this movement, & 3. Strict adherence to any set of basic ideas or principles.

If someone is speaking about a group or individual that is not a Christian Fundamentalist then the third definition is an acceptable derivation of the original intent: “Strict adherence to any set of basic ideas or principles.” To squeeze and manipulate this definition and employ unnecessary extrapalations, as Mr. Bidstrup did, does nothing more than show an a priori bias against the belief system of the chosen “Fundamentalist.” Also, to group together various organizations/belief systems who use the term “Fundamentalist” is not a wise idea and verges on propoganda. I don’t agree with Muslim Fundamentalists. Therefore I will not group myself with them, and I’m not oging to redefine the word.

As a Fundamentalist, myself, I believe that the doctrines of love and holiness are equally important. Mr. Bidstrup doesn’t realize that both can exist in perfect union. God is perfectly loving, and yet perfectly just. He loves everyone and wants them to spend eternity with Him, but if a man chooses to rebel against God, God’s perfect holiness demands punishment for sin. In the exact same way, Christian Fundamentalists strive to adhere to the express commands of the Bible. But if a Fundamentalist truly wants to glorify God she will always be loving, even toward people who are unsaved or living in sin. God commands us to love just as He commands us to be holy.

This short article does not even begin to deal with which fundamentals Fundamentalists hold to. But I hope it serves to present a more accurate picture of the word fundamentalist and explains that just because different groups utilize the title does not mean that they can be grouped together or attributed the same beliefs.

Peace: Part II

To start with, if you missed the first installment, please click on the following link to join us in our study on peace. We wouldn’t want anyone to feel left behind.

 

Peace Part I:  http://ambrewster.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/peace-on-earth-introduction/

 

 

Peace Part II:

 

As we delve back into our study in Philippians 4:4-9, we need to determine what “peace” actually is. Since we’re commanded to have peace (Galatians 5:22) it would behoove us to know what we have to do or be. How many Christians commit the sin of lasciviousness because they never bothered to figure out what it was? Let us not make that same mistake here.

 

1. Peace (as used in Philippians 4) does not mean a lack of war. If you look up “peace” in The American Heritage College Dictionary the first four definitions deal with the dichotomy of war and peace. For example, the first definition says that peace is “the absence of war or other hostilities.” The fourth definition maintains that peace is “public security and order.” It’s true that, more often than not, the Bible uses “peace” to refer to a lack of war, but in Galatians 5:22, Philippians 4:4-9, and Isaiah 26:3 a “lack of war” is not the appropriate definition. A person could posses this peace, even in the middle of a war. 

 

2. Peace is not a feeling. The belief that peace is an emotion lies at the root of many misunderstandings concerning God’s will for our lives. Today’s society is emotion soaked. Disney tells us to “follow our hearts,” psychologists speak of emotional disorders, and the media encourages us to amass stock in the “feelings-market” lest we bruise our self-esteem. Though emotions are wonderful gifts of God, we as Christians must realize that they are neither formative nor trustworthy.

I truly wish I could take a moment to flesh-out the “doctrine of Christian emotions;” but it would require a thorough going-over that we don’t have time for now. Still, there are cogent points to be made concerning peace and feelings. 1. Emotions are untrustworthy. In Jeremiah 17:9 we are told “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” How many times do our feelings rise and fall like an out-of-control roller coaster? I don’t know about you, but occasionally I don’t feel like a Christian. What if my reality was tied to my capricious feelings? That’s a horrific thought. 2. Emotions can’t be turned on and off. I can’t tell you to “have” loving feelings for an individual. It’s difficult to “shut off” anger. How many of us can genuinely laugh with no provocation? Emotions grow from the soil of our minds. What we believe and think puppet the stringed-joints of feelings.

Since we’re using analogies, I happen to like this one . . . Feelings are like a fuel guage. When the gas in your car is gone your car stops running. The fuel gauge is not the reason your car doesn’t run, it’s just there to warn you that there’s a problem. Our emotions were designed to confirm, and sometimes warn us about what is happening in our spirit, but they are in no way seminal to the issue.

So to sum it all up, God is not commanding us to possess a “peaceful feeling.” In times of distress it might be nearly impossible to work up positive emotions. Sure, there are many wonderful feelings that accompany biblical peace, but I don’t always have to “feel peaceful” to have peace. 

 

3. Peace is not a divine stamp of approval. This point ties in with the latter. Often times in decision making we search for some ethereal feeling of peace from God to validate our choices. The problem with this kind of thinking is two-fold. First, God does not give us extra-biblical revelation. The Bible is complete. The Cannon is closed. God is not in the habit of sending “angelic Post-It-Notes” with special messages designed exclusively for me. If I want to know what God says all I have to do is turn to His Word. I cannot depend on how I feel to discern God’s will. Though good feelings often accompany right choices, how many times do those same “good feelings” partner with awful choices? I cannot innumerate the number of decisions I’ve made that were hurtful to my relationship with God, and all the while I felt good about my course of action. Secondly, consider Moses. Moses stood before a burning bush that was not being consumed. God manifested Himself through the bush, and the ground around the bush was so holy that Moses needed to remove his shoes. Then God’s Own voice emanated from the bush and commanded Moses to go to Egypt and free Israel. But what was Moses’ response to the simple, obvious command from God? Here’s my interpretation of his words: “Lord, I just don’t have peace about that!” God gave Moses a clear command yet Moses was not “at peace” with God’s will. Now consider David. In the midst of troubling years, being hunted by his king (and later by his son), we read that David often experienced the peace of God.

 

4. SO WHAT IS PEACE???

 

In all scholarly honesty . . . I can’t tell you!

Peace is very difficult to define. But in my defense I turn you back to Philippians 4:7. Paul tells us that genuine peace from God “surpasses all comprehension;” it cannot be communicated in its entirety. This is both a sad reality and yet a wonderful promise (which we will deal with later). So why is it so difficut to define? Peace is not a feeling or an action. It’s not a thought or a word. Peace is a state of being. It is a reality that exists in our minds. Dr. Mark Minnick, pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville, SC, defines peace as “soul-rest.” It is pretty easy to describe emotions, actions, and thought patterns, but it is not so simple to define a state of being. That is why Dr. Minnick’s explanation is so helpful. The fifth definition in The American Heritage College Dictionary is also helpful, it describes peace as “inner contentment; serenity; a state of tranquility.”

Serenity. Tranquility. Rest. To truly have the peace of God is to experience a state of being that defies comprehension. It can be accompanied by wonderful feelings, or it can sustain though our feelings are in chaos. It’s a knowledge. It’s an understanding. It’s a plane of living. That is what we’re commanded to have.

So, how do receive this peace? What must we do to achieve this state of being? Read Philippians 4:4-9 and we’ll discuss it in Peace: Part III.

Until then, God bless.

Not as the Word of Men

On my drive to school today I listened to talk radio. To be perfectly honest I don’t do that often. I don’t even like to watch the news. Since there are as many opinions as there are opinion-makers, they must be ingested with a strong draught of discrimination if anything intellectually-nutritional is to be gained from them.

Pretty strong words coming from someone who writes a blog! Thankfully, on Taking Back the Bible, we have one saving grace: I Thessalonians 2:13.

On this blog, if we’re careful, our words are not the “word of men.” I Thessalonians says “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe [italics mine].” Every true Christian understands that the Bible is not just a collection of works from forty different writers spanning thousands of years . . . it is the very Word of God. It is true, perfect, and efficacious.

As I said, human beings are fallible. My writing is not inspired; it has the potential of being very wrong! But as long as my opinions and philosophies are grounded in God’s Word I cannot go wrong. That goes for you as well! That’s what this site is all about: 1. Taking a firm stand that the Bible is indeed the spoken Word from the one and only, Almighty, All powerful, All knowing God of the universe, & 2. From that starting point, dissecting God’s Word so as to apply it to our lives.

Peace on Earth: Introduction

Peace. What is it? Christmas seems to be the “season of peace.” Of course, Green Peace is a year round endeavor. In high school, the word “peace” (accompanied by V shaped fingers) was a favorite salutation. Alright, I still use it today too. People drink to “peace in the middle east.” Protestors contrast peace and war on spray-painted banners. When making decisions, Christians search for the “peace” they believe will affirm their life-choices. Anxiety attacks and phobias are a mainstay of psychological counseling sessions, and what child hasn’t experienced a lack of peace in a dark room at one point or another?

Peace seems to be much longed for yet seldom achieved.

No doubt many of you have a favorite Scripture passage you turn to in times of turmoil (moments without peace). There are numerous scriptures that deal directly with peace, and countless more that bear such wonderful tidings a Christian can’t help but let the truths wash over their soul with a peaceful, contented froth. So, if it’s impossible to pick up the Bible without facing truths designed to deliver peace, why do so many Christians struggle with inner doubt, anxiety, stress & distress, fear, and depression?

There was a time in my life I sloughed through discontentment and despondency. I hated my life and couldn’t believe this was God’s will. Thankfully, instead of running from God I searched the Bible for answers. My joy, my peace, was found in a thorough study of Philippians. To this day, Philippians 4:4-9 is one of my favorite passages.

Over the next few weeks I will do a series on Peace. We will learn from God Himself what peace is and how we can achieve this elusive virtue. I hope it will be a study of supreme joy to every believer in God. Please join us as we take the first steps to “peace on Earth,” by beginning with our own lives.

Thank You for Your Word

“I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.”

Psalm 138:2

It was Shakespeare who asked the immortal question, “what’s in a name?” When the Bible speaks of a name it means far more than the title you call when trying to get someone’s attention. Firstly, in ancient times names carried a deeper denotation. The word Abraham meant “father of multitudes.” The word Jacob meant “deceiver.” And more often than not a child was named for a very particular reason. Consider Hosea’s daughter, Lo-ruhamah (literally: “she has not obtained compassion”), named because God had chosen to no longer have compassion on the house of Israel (Hosea 1:6). There are also occasions were adults changed their birth names to reflect a modulation in their lives. Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi tried to change her name to Mara (“bitter”) for she believed God had “dealt very bitterly with [her].”

Secondly, without delving too deeply into the original language, the word often translated “name” speaks to the character of the individual. Proverbs tells us to choose a “good name” over great riches. Not that “Aaron” is necessarily a good name, but that my character should be pure.

God has magnified His Word according to His name. Who is God? What is His character? Isaiah tells us He’s Holy. We know He cannot lie. He keeps His promises. He’s righteous. He’s loving, kind, merciful, and gracious. He’s eternally faithful. He seeks only our best interest. He’s infinitely an infinite amount of things . . . and everything He is has magnified, literally “made big,” His Word.

Do we make God’s Word big? Do we make it preeminent in our decision making, in our thinking, in our lives? The Bible is a perfect, though not complete, record of God’s doings in regard to man. He created the world. He ordered its way, and when the world chose a different way, God provided the ONLY way though Jesus Christ (see “What You NEED to Know). It is the all-sufficient guide for every situation in life. All of it is from God; you can’t pick and choose which parts God said, which He might have said, and which He didn’t say. It is all directly breathed out by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If it wasn’t completely inspired, then God is a liar.

Thank you for You Word! Thank you for leading us to You and showing us how to glorify You in this life!

A Personal Note about Thanksgiving

As November twenty-second descends on our country the vast majority of citizens will celebrate it without even a moment sacrificed to gratefulness.

As for me, Thanksgiving is a special time and I celebrate it much the same way any God-loving Christian would: I love having a day off to commune with my family and friends, and eat turkey, and play games, and go to parades . . . But most importantly I’m abundantly thankful for the countless blessings God has bestowed on my little family. We are packed, shaken down, and running over. And I’m sure each of you could share the same glorious testimony. But in my household we’re thankful for something very unique . . . it was my family who started Thanksgiving.

I’m a direct descendant of Elder William Brewster of the Mayflower Pilgrims. Interestingly enough, my wife is also a descendant of William Brewster (by marriage on the girls side of the family). This time of year is a big deal for my family because we’re not only celebrating a Christian, National Holiday . . . we’re also celebrating an ancient family tradition! In fact, we are so proud of our godly heritage we named out son Micah William Brewster.

But even though you may not be related to the men and women who crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower, if you’re a Christian they are your spiritual parents. Without the firm stand the Pilgrims took our country might be religiously enslaved.

As we thank God for His innumerable blessings this year, don’t forget the one that allows us to worship God without persecution . . . freedom of religion. Never take that for granted. I told my 6th graders a few days ago there are countries today where Christianity is illegal and men and women are imprisoned, and sometimes killed, for their faith in God.

Make sure your focus is right this Thanksgiving and take a moment to thank God for the men and women who have fought to make this country free: The pilgrims, the Christian’s of ages past, our military, and the folks continuing the good fight of faith today.

And remember, on the first Thanksgiving they didn’t eat turkey!

What You NEED to Know

The single most important factor in your entails a relationship.

The Bible reveals that God exists. He is not merely a force, ethereal energy, a collection of souls, or an uninterested observer. He is a real person Who created you, loves you, and has a perfect plan for you. But that plan cannot be fulfilled outside of a personal relationship with Him. My son receives benefits that no other little boy on the planet receives by virtue of the fact that he is my son. The Bible is clear that my human relationship with my son is a perfect picture of our relationship with God. We cannot be estranged from Him and yet demand the benefits of an intimate relationship.

The first thing we must know about this relationship is that since God is perfectly good He cannot tolerate wickedness. Sin is a simple word to ecapsulate all that God cannot abide. What is sin specifically? Well, God’s Word has much to say on the subject, but this much is enough for our discussion here: we must realize that we have all sinned in one way or another (Romans 3:23). Have you ever stolen, lied, hated someone, disobeyed your parents, committed adultery? Of course you have. I have. In fact, everyone has done at least one bad thing. Everybody has sinned. “As it is written, none is righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:9-10) And since we have all sinned, we must also understand that our sin drives a wedge between ourselves and God. This wedge is not mere ambivalence, our sin puts us at odds with God. The old phrase “if you’re not with us, you’re against us” would be quite appropriate here. Whether you feel “against God” or not, you must realize that this is the precise position you are in. The worst part about the whole situation is that anyone who is against God must be separated from Him for eternity in a place called Hell. We are criminals deserving of a sentence, and and eternity of punishment is the only way to pay for sin against an infinite God. Former President Bush outlawed broccoli from the White House because of his disdain for the green vegetable. How much more will the perfectly just Creator of the universe cast wickedness from His sight?

But there is glorious news! Knowing that we humans were incapable of rectifying our standing before Him – and knowing it would take an eternity of torture to pay for our high crimes against God - the Father sent an Advocate. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth in our stead. He not only lived a perfect life, He not only died in our place, but He conquered death when he raised from the dead three days later! He now offers the free gift of reconciliation to everyone who believes in Him and His advocacy for us (John 1:12). He promises to take our sentence, to stand in our place before God, and to proclaim us sinless based on His own righteousness.

So what must you do to claim Christ’s righteousness as your own and enter into an intimate relatioship with God the Father? All you have to do is ask. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Jesus possess infinite righteousness and He’s willing to impart it to you to fulfill your debt to God. If you accept the free gift of reconciliation, God the Father will credit Jesus’ righteousness to your account. That’s all you have to do. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

Now, you might ask “I believe in God, isn’t that enough?” Well, the Bible says that even the demons believe in God. But they don’t love Him, they don’t beg Him for forgiveness from their sins, and they don’t ask Him to enter their hearts and clean out the sin that’s keeping them from having a relationship with Him. They believe God exists but they don’t want Him to rule their life.

God wants to be your Savior. He wants to be your lover. He wants to have a relationship with you. All you have to do is accept His offer. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! If you don’t know what to say, even if you’ve never prayed before, all you have to do is talk to God just like you’d talk to me. Tell Him, “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner. I know You hate my sin and would never have an intimate relationship with me the way I am. I believe that Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross and rose again. I believe He did that for me. Please forgive my sin and cleanse my heart.”

These aren’t magical words and they’re not the only things you can say, but it’s a start. If you’ve never asked Jesus Christ to cover your wickedness with His holiness, please do it today. He will change you life and He will even change your after-life. And that is the key. God is not offering a “fire escape” from Hell. It’s about a relationship He wants to start with you today and carry on every day between now and eternity.

If this article has helped you realize your need for salvation, or has helped you understand what it takes to have a relationship with the God of the universe, or if you still have more questions . . . please leave a comment. I’d love to hear if you’ve become a believer! I’d love to know if God has cleansed your heart from sin! I’d also love to answer any more questions you may have.

This is the single most important part of a person’s life. Please enter into a relationship with God today, don’t wait. “Today is the day of salvation!”

Taking Back the Bible

This blog is specifically designed for people who 1. believe the Bible says what it means and means what it says, or 2. are trying to find out what the Bible says in the first place.

Of course I’m not foolish enough to think we’re going to agree on everything, but you can feel safe knowing the writers (and most of the readers) are here because they yearn for the voice of God to resonate off the pages of His Word.

With that said please feel free to leave comments. In fact I strongly encourage you to comment and discuss. We need all of the accountability we can get, and a little friendly debating never hurt anyone.

Please keep visiting this weblog as it grows . . . and may you grow because you visited it.