Discern before buying!

Discern…discerning…discernment. You hear these words tossed around in church and read them in the Bible. What does it mean to be discerning, and how does it apply to literature? If you are discerning, you are perceptive, have keen insight, and can detect subtleties. When spoken of in the Bible and the Church, it means that you can apply Godly-principles to what you are seeing, hearing, and reading. To be discerning in literature means that you do not blindly accept facts just because the book was written by an alleged biblical scholar. People who are new to Christianity or who have yet to develop a strong biblical foundation might be tempted to accept what they are reading or hearing as fact, especially if the author or lecturer is widely acclaimed as an expert.


Let’s use Remembering The Parables: Using The Art of Memory to Remember Jesus’ Parables as an example of what to look for when you are discerning whether or not the book is based on a solid biblical foundation. When I was approached to review the book, the only information I knew was the publisher, the authors’ names and a brief description. I’ll admit, I didn’t really check it out prior to saying I’d review it. So, if you found the book in your local bookstore, what would raise red flags?

First, the back cover quotes Giordano Bruno. Bruno was a Dominican Friar who left the order to lecture against basic church beliefs, to declare Christianity irrational, and to proclaim anyone who believed the Bible was illiterate. He was sentenced as a heretic and burned at the stake. What if you didn’t know all of this? If you are unfamiliar with the authors and people quoted on the back of the book, what should you look for?

Read the table of contents. If everything still looks ok, read the introduction. Read the first chapter. Turn to the back of the book and look at the names of the people who were quoted. Remembering the Parables relies heavily on Dominic O’Brien, a British memory champion who peddles his program online and promises his quantum memory system will provide you with a limitless memory (hence the god-like ability to know everything). The majority of the alleged experts, though claiming to have religious backgrounds, spent many years teaching religion at secular institutions. Several were members of the Jesus Seminar. Adolph Julicher, a German scholar of the late 1800’s—early 1900s, taught that the Gospel of Mark contained a hidden message and that Jesus was a historical figure who never claimed to be the Messiah.

By doing this, you would have found Remembering the Parables included the Gnostic gospel of Thomas. Gnosticism is one of the original heresies of the church. Alleged experts have declared that it precedes the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Gospel of Thomas is not accepted by the Catholic Church or by Protestant Denominations. The majority of biblical scholars have declared it a collection of sayings which are based on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and which contains statements which cannot be attributable to Jesus. (apologeticsindex dot org has more information on the gospel of Thomas and the Jesus Seminar. Perform a site search by clicking on how to use and scrolling down toward the bottom of their page.) You would have also found that the book only included 30 parables that “experts” had agreed were valid. A book with a strong, biblical foundation would not question the legitimacy of any text contained within the Bible.

When in doubt, don’t purchase a book until you have had a chance to research the authors, quoted experts, and read some book reviews online.

I'll take the super-sized fries with that!

We’re all familiar with the saying, “It’s not what’s on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.” Did you know that is in the Bible? Seriously....in 1 Samuel 16:7, ”But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”  Apparently, people during Old Testament times were just as concerned with body image as we are today.

What spurred my thoughts to run to jiggley arms and muffin tops?  I just read Margot Starbuck's book, Unsqueezed: Springing Free  From Skinny Jeans, Nose Jobs, Highlights, and Stilettos.  If you're not familiar with Margot, she has a dry, sarcastic, witty sense of humor and draws heavily on her own life for examples.  Stiffling chuckles and silently being convicted as I read, I began to think about body image, relationships, and life in general.

The Bible says we are made in God’s image (Gen 1:27), and our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20).  I fail to see anything divine in the jiggly underarm wings and muffin tops we develop as we get older.  But wait......could it be that we defiled our temple with daily runs to Starbucks for caramel macchiatos and to McDonalds for super-sized value meals?  Jesus walked--a lot--and ate a healthy diet.  If we are to care for our bodies, we should follow suit.

It's not just our eating habits in which we are negligent.  We are also apathetic in our pursuit of Christianity.  Our lives have become convenient and comfortable.  Christianity has shifted from a "go" mentality ("go ye therefore into all the nations...baptizing..teaching) to a "come" mentality (come to church and see what God can do for you).

Stay tuned as we explore these themes in upcoming articles!

Blessings!

Which version are you contemplating?

Someone asked what I have against contemplative spirituality. I’ve heard some people apply the term to a quiet life of prayer. One in which you spend time in solitude to clear your mind and converse with God. That’s fine; we DO need quiet times of prayer. Unfortunately, the growing trend of contemplative spirituality that is popular involves a mixture of new age, eastern mysticism, and secular humanistic elements. If you are quietly and prayerfully journeying, and are focused on Christ…that’s ok. When you start trying to tap into the “god within us….spiritual oneness”, when you remove the focus from Jesus and place it on human reasoning or on yourself, and when you manipulate Bible verses to support your purpose…there’s a problem.

Simply expressed, contemplative prayer encourages the use of breathing techniques and repetitive chanting to achieve an altered state of higher consciousness. This is simply transcendental meditation (TM). Wrap TM in some scripture verses and throw in the backing of one or two big names and the end product is contemplative spirituality.

Early monks used a memory system to memorize the Bible so that they would be able to meditate upon it later. Contemplation, as exemplified in monastic orders, is different from that which is arising in the Emergent Church.

New-fangled contemplation puts the focus inward upon the person. It is not longer God-centered. It is a blend of New Age and eastern mysticism.

So, as a matter of semantics, I am both for and against it. When the definition becomes clear, as a Jesus follower, I cannot endorse something which eradicates the need for Jesus and puts the focus solely on man, a collective consciousness, and a god-within mentality. I can; however, support quietly pondering on God’s word while prayerfully communicating with Him and attempting to draw nearer.

Another Gnostic Train Wreck

We've all seen movies in which the protagonist is torn between listening to the cute little angel on his/her left shoulder vs. the demon on the right shoulder.  The cartoonish portrayal is complete with the golden halo and the li'l red devil complete with pitchfork.    A similar battle ensued in my head when I was approached to review Remembering The Parables:  Using The Art of Memory to remember Jesus' parables jointly co-authored by Susan Elliott and Gary Lee Entsminger.  I should have listened.....I should have researched it more.  Then again, perhaps not for it provides a valuable lesson. 

Remembering The Parables is one of several books, lately, whose authors or publishers have gleefully shipped a copy to me in exchange for a fair review.  While I'm sure they were also hoping the respective reviews would be glowing, these authors and publishers possess no degree of influence over the resulting review.  It is also one of several books whose author(s) embrace the modern-day version of Christianity that embraces New Age ideals, eastern mysticism, and secular humanistic thought.  Proudly relying on Dominic O'Brien and John Dominic Crossan as experts and a standard to emulate, the book is a theological disaster and one more in a line of many that relies heavily on the gospel of thomas.

For those unfamiliar with who these men are, Dominc O'Brien is a British mnemonist.  Billed as an 8-time world champion, he is able to remember an astounding amount of facts, numbers, etc.  He has developed a quantum memory system which he peddles online to unsuspecting sacrificial lambs who are interested in improving their own memories.  John Dominc Crossan was a professor emeritus at DePaul University--a private, secular school--with several books to his name.  One of his biggest achievements was his role in co-founding and running the Jesus Seminar.

Sounds harmless and impressive, right?   Sure, except for the fact that O'Brien's memory system is based on quantum memory (thought is matter; reality is what you perceive....think The Secret) and Crossan is a hero of the Christian Aetheist movement (a rejection of God, but the belief in following the teachings of Jesus who was not God but just a great man with a really cool idea of how to live a revolutionary life). 

O'Brien's Quantum Memory system promises a limitless ability to memorize data.  There will not be a limit on the amount of data that you will be able to memorize-therefore know-if you use his system.  Sounds as though he is promising you will become omniscient.   Eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil didn't really work out for Adam and Eve.  Trying to build a tower to Heaven didn't really work out in Babel. And, I'm sure studying quantum memory and buying into the new age ideology when applying it to religion is not going to work for a true follower of Jesus.

Crossan, Irish born, predominantly European educated, and ordained a priest from 1957--1969, was elevated to professor emeritus at DePaul University where he taught world religion.  Self-taughted as an expert on Christianity, and proclaiming to be a Christian, he dispelled belief in all doctrines of Christianity.  He taught that mankind explains the higher power through each culture's religious system, espoused Christianity was not the only way, and declared anything he found difficult to believe in as unfounded events that did not happen.  Indeed, Crossan declared the majority of Jesus' sayings in the New Testament as fiction.

The Gospel of Thomas....ah, where do I BEGIN with the problems associated with esteeming it as a legitimate gospel...the equivalent of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?  Ah, yes, but it was validated by none other than John Dominic Crossan and the Jesus Seminar.  The Gospel of Thomas was one of 13 volumes found in 1945 at Nag Hammadi.  Most true, biblical scholars believe it was actually written in the second century in Syria and is a restatement of what was contained in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John along with its own ideology.  This contrasts with the view of the new-agey, christian aethists who date it older than the accepted gospels.

How on earth have these beliefs managed to infiltrate mainstream Christianity?  The Bible warns followers to beware.  Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds." (Jeremiah 14:14).  In the New Testament, Jesus referred to them as "ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:25)

New Age beliefs are not actually new. They spring from the ancient heresy of gnosticism and espouse the "god within....know yourself and know the gods, heaven is not a place but is a state of mind" rhetoric.  Pray for discernment. Memorize scripture. Stay focused on Christ.
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. (1 Timothy 6:3) These people, though they may proclaim they know Jesus, will not be known to Him in the end.

New Age Lies Exposed

This is a repost from my personal blog that, sadly, I have been lax in keeping.

A friend told a story to me this week. She heard it on television, but couldn’t remember which religious show she heard it on. It went like this, “Some teenage boys wanted to see an R-rated movie, however, their father refused. Sulking, they went to their bedroom. Meanwhile, the father gathered some dirt from outside and poured it into the brownies that he was baking. When the boys tasted the brownies later that night, they wondered what was wrong with them. Their little brother, who was not eating any, laughingly explained to them what their father had done. In astonishment, they stared at their father. He lovingly explained to his boys that the dirt represented the things of the world that they wanted to participate in: things that didn’t seem too bad, but that went against their Christian values. While one or two movies might not seem like a big deal to them, it would have an effect on them nonetheless. This was the best way he knew to illustrate to them that a little dirt did affect the batter just as a little sin affects our lives.”




What is being done to Christianity today is similar to the dirt in the brownies. The Bible is the inerrant word of God. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Yet, in today’s world, we see an increase in people and denominations attempting to manipulate the scriptures to fit their modern lives. There are many verses in the Bible that warn us to not be deceived by false teachers. In her book, New Age Lies Exposed: How To Stand Firm In God’s Truth, Dr. Sandra Clifton gives a brief history of the New Age Movement, explains the difference between Gnostics and true Christian mystics, and defines the differences between the various definitions of humanism. From her book, you will also learn the gradual shift from a God-centered theistic humanism to deistic humanism, to naturalism where God doesn’t exist and finally to the modern New Age rhetoric being spouted by people such as Eckhart Tolle, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Wayne Dyer. Clifton presents detailed explanations of New Age arguments mentioned above as well as existentialism, relativism, pantheism, and quantum physics. More importantly, she also tells you how to recognize their rhetoric, gives prayer strategies to combat them and pertinent Bible verses to meditate upon.



I have encountered many Christians who faithfully watch Oprah (not all of her shows are bad) and who claim that they have learned from and been benefited by the books of Eckhart Tolle, Rhonda Byrne and Wayne Dyer. They have even attempted to point out that the books reference God and that some reference Jesus. It is not the Jesus of scripture, however. The books do not mention Jesus as Savior; rather Jesus is one of many enlightened teachers. These people have been misguided by self-proclaimed experts who use a little truth combined with their new age rhetoric to manipulate scripture so that it fits their lives. Just as a little dirt in the batter ruined the brownies, a little new age rhetoric that sounds good in the moment can pollute the true meaning and message of the Bible. New Age Lies Exposed will show you how to address these arguments. The book is available from sources such as the publisher at www.bridgelogos.com or from www.amazon.com

What's a Biblical Worldview?

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)


So, what is a biblical worldview?  For starters, it is based upon the Bible. Absolute moral truth exists as defined by the Bible. There is a Heaven, hell, Satan, absolute morality exists, salvation is through grace not by works, and there is a requirement for sharing your faith. Our lives should be modeled after Jesus and we should look to the Bible--the living Word of God--for guidance instead of new age gurus. While this is a basic summary definition, what does it actually mean? How does it impact our lives?

If we live using the Bible as our compass, it will affect every area of our lives. God's word, conveyed to us through the Bible, is clear on the use of psychics--whether called psychic, intuitive, etc--gambling (lottery, betting, etc), gluttony, drunkenness, murder, sexual sins, respecting parents and elders, respecting government, loving one another, and many other things. 

We are warned in the Bible to "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13-14. In other words, in life, we cannot take the easy way out to escape persecution or to enjoy secular--but ungodly--pursuits.

The Bible also cautions us, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them." (Luke 21:8) New age gurus, self help books, and alleged spiritual experts advocate a self-development and self-reliance to develop the god within us. People, including some Christians, have been led astray to believe that "all paths lead to the same God". Yet this is not what the Bible says.

There even exists a group, The Jesus Seminar, made up of men claiming to be biblical scholars. Most were hand-picked by founder, Robert Funk who, himself, advocated "demoting Jesus" and called Christianity fiction.   You might be familiar with some of their work.  Around the time of the release of the DaVinci Code, "experts" from the Jesus Seminar were often quoted in interviews as biblical scholars to support the erroneous historical facts and bad theological doctrines used in the book and movie.   The members of the Jesus Seminar met to vote on biblical stories and to decide, by casting colored beads, what made sense to them.   Whatever didn't make sense, they deemed fictitious.  It's not up to man; however, to decide what makes sense.  God is bigger than man and heavenly concepts are often difficult to grasp.  Jesus spoke in parables.  Those that were hungry for the word, sought out the meaning and understood.  Unbelievers failed to grasp the meaning of any of his stories. 

This is just one of many instances of the secularization of Christianity. We're all familiar with the saying "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." In terms toward the shift modern Christianity is making, the saying should be edited to "When the going gets tough, we change the rules to suit ourselves." 

Increasingly, Christians are attempting to change Christianity to suit their lifestyles.  Pastors, anxious to draw people, are failing to preach the true gospel and are embracing new age practices and eastern mysticism.   The new growing fad in Christianity is contemplative spirituality.  If you do a Google-search of “contemplative spirituality”, you will find many articles, mostly negative.  By its definition, I found the following terms and beliefs applied to it “divinity in all of us, no need to connect through Jesus and the cross, Eastern Mysticism, spiritual oneness.”  All contrary to a biblical world view and warned of in the Bible, “Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit….” (Col 2:8 KJV)

So, is a biblical worldview relevant to us today? Of course it is. The Bible is living Word of God.  Living. It is the same yesterday, today and forever. It tells the story of God's relationship with and love for people. Within its pages are words of guidance, love, inspiration, and reproof. It provides a code by which we are to live and gives us the example of Jesus' life on earth. We are to guard our hearts because they affect our lives (Prov 4:23). The movies we watch, the music we listen to, and the books we read have an effect on us. If we watch or read ungodly material, over time it will desensitize us and have an effect on how we live our lives.

So what is a Christian to do?

You've heard of "putting on the armor of God", right?  Ephesians 6:13--17 is our action plan.

• Speak truth: have integrity, don't lie--let your word be your word---and don't gossip
• Live righteously: respect the Lord, love others, help those who are less fortunate
• Recognize pitfalls and traps ahead of time (what tempts you) and memorize some scriptures to recite when you get tempted.  If you can identify triggers to your temper and environments that cause you to stumble and fall, you can plan to stay away or limit contact.
• Guard our minds:  garbage in = garbage out.  Stop reading lustful books, quit going to movies and watching television shows that are sexual, violent, etc.
• Study the Bible: memorize verses to help you in your daily walk
• Pray: ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength and to help you in times of temptation. 

The world is ever changing.  The way a  Christian reacts to it; however, shouldn't.