Burn the Bible!

One man and his church are planning on burning the Koran in remembrance of 9/11. The day in which a group of Moslems attacked the Twin Towers and the Pentagon killing more than 3000 Americans.

In spite of this book burning being an action by an individual protected under the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, his actions are being condemned by:

The President of the United States

The Attorney General of the United States

The Secretary of State of the United States

The General in command of American troops in Afghanistan

Their condemnation comes under the rubric of this being a nation of religious liberty.

Yet a mere 2 years ago the United States Government, Department of Defense oversaw the destruction of Bibles.

May 22, 2009

(CNN) -- Military personnel threw away, and ultimately burned, confiscated Bibles that were printed in the two most common Afghan languages amid concern they would be used to try to convert Afghans, a Defense Department spokesman said Tuesday.

On the one hand we have an individual expressing his Bill of Rights guaranteed activity to burn a book. On the other you have government representatives condemning the destruction of a "holy" book, while at the same time officially destroying another "holy" book.

If the US government had destroyed a box of Korans as they had the Bibles-What do you think the reaction throughout all of the Moslem world would have been?

One book responsible for the rise of all modern society, civilization, and technology of the Western world. The other book responsible for the imprisonment of millions in a "civilization" barely more advanced than the stone age. A civilization which calls for the stoning of women who have been raped -by their own family. And the genital mutilation of small girls to insure they never are able to experience sexual "pleasure."

On one hand is a book promoting world peace and tolerance. On the other a book promoting intolerance and world conquest by the sword to enforce submission to its mandates.

On one hand a book gifted by God to bring peace and reconciliation with Him. On the other hand what is most likely the most evil book ever conceived by Satan.

In all of this why am I not surprised at the continued antipathy toward the Bible and Christianity by Democrats, socialists and liberals in the United States? (yes, I do know those three terms are functionally synonymous)

What does that mean to you?

Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20,21)

All scripture is inspired by God. (2 Tim 3:16)
"inspired" by God - theo pneustos That is literally, God breathed.
God actually breathed the words He wanted to give to us. That is truly amazing! Perhaps that is why scripture tells us "the word of God is living and active." (Heb 4:12) We know that "the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (Gen 2:7) This similarity in creative work should give us reason to esteem the scripture carefully.
The men who were His "instruments" were faithful, and none of what was written was of their own interpretation. It was God's interpretation.

And yet...
So much of what is called "bible study" today is a group meeting, reading a passage from scripture, and then asking, "What does that passage mean to you?"
Just in case there is not someone there to volunteer, "Well, I think this means...", groups usually have a "study guide" which will conveniently have the guided question: "Ask each person to tell the group what this passage means to them."

That is not Bible study. It is simply shared ignorance.
Where is the one to proclaim, "thus saith the Lord?"
If there is no one who knows, let them (all) keep silent.
The key to Bible study is asking "What is God saying here?" "What does He mean?" (What does it mean to God?)

Asking, "What is this verse saying to you?" is making it your own personal interpretation, something even the writers dared not consider.

Whatever shall we do? Who will deliver us from our plight?

"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ."(Eph 4:11-15)

Christ has given us the gift of teachers. Actually the gift of pastor teachers.

Please keep that in mind the next time you hear...
"What does that mean to you?"

The Green Letter Bible

You've heard of the Red Letter Bible? The one where all the words of Jesus are in red letters?

There are "Red Letter Christians" who only read those parts of the Bible and develop their religion from them.

To them Christianity means living a certain lifestyle and making "disciples" of all people so that the whole world will become the "Kingdom" suitable for the return of the King. ("Thy kingdom come")

Well, now there is a Bible for all the Gaia worshippers out there- the "Green Letter Bible."

"The Green Bible will equip and encourage people to see God's vision for creation and help them engage in the work of healing and sustaining it. With over 1,000 references to the earth in the Bible, compared to 490 references to heaven and 530 references to love, the Bible carries a powerful message for the earth."

"Understand the Bible's powerful message for the earth" is how this Bible is promoted. As recommended by Larry Schweiger, president and CEO, National Wildlife Federation, "With The Green Bible highlighting relevant verses and offering solid context, we must heed the call to solve urgent climatic and ecological threats facing creation."

Me? I'm a black letter Christian.

I read the Bible's powerful message for the earth to be:

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! (Rev 8:6-13)

Three more woes yet to come!

The ultimate outcome of the earth?

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:9-13)

Do you wonder if these verses concerning the earth are green in the Green Letter Bible?

The "message" of the Bible?

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor 5:17-20)

ENLIGHTENMENT

Offered without comment:

© SMBC-comics by Zach Weiner

What is New Age (part 3)

      Phil Johnson has added the final installments of his overview of what New Age means with
Part 3: Typical Beliefs and Practices of New Age Spirituality
Part 4: New Age spirituality is Anti-Christian

      I just wanted to add this link, point out the term holistic, and the mish mash of assorted practices which have been brought into the one collective term New Age.

      It is important to understand how truly ANTI-Christian these practices are, and they have been condemned repeatedly in the Bible from the Old Testament all the way through the New.

previously:

• Part 1: "What's So New About the New Age Movement?
• Part 2: Background of New Age

What Is New Age?

The answer to that is multiple choice. Pick a person - get an answer.

Phil Johnson of Pyromaniacs has written an excellent article explaining the New Age "Movement."
Check out this article if you have friends that are into crystals, UFO's, meditation or any of the other so-called "new" spiritual ideas going around.

From the article:
"The New Age movement is a diverse and eclectic approach to spirituality that stresses individual self-exploration through a variety of beliefs and practices borrowed from a wide array of extrabiblical sources and non-Christian belief systems, ranging from astrology to eastern mysticism to science fiction, and beyond."

Read here, "What's So New About the New Age Movement?-Why Christians need to remain on guard against the threat of New Age spirituality"

update: Part 2