Preview of an upcoming post: BALANCING HOLINESS AND LOVE?

Here is an post I've been working on for about two weeks. Sorry for the logn lay off. Some have emailed asking about me and the blog. I DO appreciate the support. Some of it has been work, some of it has been family, but most of it has been a lack of diligence about the work I believe God has given me. Your support and interest does help.

Here's the preview:

Francis Schaeffer wrote in The Great Evangelical Disaster that both love and holiness must be "evident simultaneously". (1) Both were together, two batteries in the flashlight. Neither was to be omitted or limited. At first this may sound as if we are to balance the two, but in the context of the rest of what Schaeffer wrote, balance may not be what he had in mind. And in actual fact, Schaeffer didn't speak of a balance.

Today, on the other hand, many speak of a balance between holiness and love. Is this biblical? Is it logical?

LOGIC FIRST
Let's look at the biblical doctrines of holiness and love, apply sound logic, and see if a balanced approach makes sense. Later, we can look at Scripture, the real authority, to see if our logic is correct.

We won't take the time here to go in depth concerning the definitions of holiness and love until we first logical at Who is holy and loving and our Great Example of holiness and love. Instead we are simply going to ask two logical questions.

Is God One?
Huh? Of course God is One, but what has that to do with holiness and love? Simply put, the Scripture says three specific things pertinent here.  1. God is One. (2) 2. God is holy. (3) 3. God is love. (4)

Are both love and holiness commanded for men to live out?

(1) Schaeffer, Francis A.; The Great Evangelical Disaster ; Wheaton, IL; 1970; p 69.

GOD BLESS THE JEWS (A Lesson In What Matters In Life)

Here's a very interesting video about the miracle of Israel. When you watch it, listen for the role of biblical doctrine and it's outworking in practical life. (As if doctrine isn't practical, right?)


For a better screen shot, see the video here at youtube.

THE LESSON ABOUT DOCTRINE
Hebrew Bible and New Testament both tell us God's people will be a light and a blessing to the world. Of course, the blessing has it's fulfillment in the coming and rule of Messiah.

But the Jews have never lost sight of their role as God's light to the world and the high place of knowledge and critical thinking in the life of the child of God. Even in their current state of denial of the Messiah Jesus, they still seek to fulfill these two doctrines. As a result of these two doctrines lived out by people who don't even know Messiah at this point, the rest of us are blessed. As a man thinks, so is he.

See the point? Study. Consider. Live.

Phil Perkins.

DO YOU THINK LIKE A CHRISTIAN?

Watch this video:

Did you like that? If so, why? What was good or bad about it? Take a second right now and write your thoughts down. I know it's hokey to ask you to do that, but it'll be worth it. Write it down.

There. Thanks.

Now, think back to what the video actually did and answer these questions:

1. Did it include some Scripture?

2. Were the Scripture passages linked to points in the subject logically, emotionally, or artisticly?

3. Did it have scientists in it?

4. Did you enjoy the video? Why?

Write down your answers.

Now, let's take a look at the questions.

1. Did it include some Scripture?
Technically, yes, but until the very far in, the only Scripture was the snippet term "new earth". And even that was deceptive. But more about that after question 2.

2. Were the Scripture passages linked to points in the subject logically, emotionally, or artisticly?
Not logically. There was an intense emotional appeal, and the production value was pretty good for the internet. The art put the Scripture passages together with the images.

Starting with the term "new earth", I was immediately aware I was watching a very deceptive piece. The producer(s) of this video used the biblical term "new earth" in a way that illustrates a logical trick common in debate. I call it bait and switch definitions. It works like this: When in a debate, one can often turn the entire debate by redefining a key word or phrase in the middle of the debate if it's done so that one's opponent (and the audience) doesn't notice. It's very dishonest and very effective. The Bible teaches this earth and universe will be destroyed and substituted with one not infested with sin. "New earth" and "new heaven" denote the new. This video, however, speaks of a scifi scenario in which a large celestial body comes so close to the earth that the continents and poles are rearranged and that is the "new earth" in the video. The "new heaven" is how the sky will look if the earth ever has the poles moved drastically.

At the end, the art gets really thick. Dramatic music and pictures of lions with captions saying "Lion of Judah". Nice art. What does that have to do with the "new earth"? We've just watched a pack of lies, and now we're expected to stop all critical thinking because of the cheesy, overly-dramatic exhibition of religious cliche and symbol. Obviously these scriptural terms are used to pluck heart strings, and stop any thinking.

3. Did it have scientists in it?
There's no way to know from the video. While it starts with an older gentleman in what seems to be his personal library, we aren't told who he is. Whoever he is, he starts by telling an obvious lie, "Do you know where 98% of the population of the United States lives? Within 20 miles of a coast." Really? Chicago, OK City, DesMoines, Salt Lake City, Buffalo, Portland, Omaha, Dallas, Atlanta... Most of LA isn't within 20 miles of the coast, but never mind the facts, the music is quite dramatic and he looks like some sort of authority. And the same goes for the other interviewees. Some may have been scientists, but who's to say? And who's to say where all the stolen video came from and just how many times copyright law was violated? The important thing, it seems, is to project an air of factuality and expertise.

My personal favorite is the fellow who starts at 5:15. He quotes Revelation 6:14 where we're told "every mountain and island were moved out of their places." He then takes a desktop globe and tilts it to illustrate what might happen if the poles were moved. He then says that tilting the earth like that the mountains and islands will be moved. No, the poles will be moved and there would likely be a lot of nasty stuff happening. He then tilts the little globe again, quotes Revelation 21:1 and says this is the "new earth" and since the stars would appear in different places in the sky, that is the "new heaven". Did he even read that verse? It says both will be destroyed, not rearranged and that there would no longer be a sea.

Believe me, I wish this sort of thing actually worked. I have an old Chevy truck. If I parked it on a slant and that made it new...WOW!! I'd go for that. I'd start a car lot, buy junkers and park them on ditch bank over night and SHAZAM! I'm rich!

4. Did you enjoy the video? Why?
If you think it's the content, go back and watch it without the sound. It's boring and it's really stupid. The things claimed are ridiculous. The art covers a plate of nonsense served with a big glass of ice cold pretention.

THE LESSON?
If you started by enjoying this video, being "blessed", don't feel too bad. There are a lot of folks taken in by this. Christians are to test every spirit, even if the spirit is very "spiritual" and has dramatic music.

Did you see the watermark? It said prophecyfilm.com. You can find that here. It's a website that belongs to a very far out, nutty group. Read the link to "spiritual information must know to be saved". Turns out you have to believe certain things about Tinkerbell and Disney to be saved. Yeah, gotta have that info. And they do things like claiming to have a video of a girl who dies and goes to hell on camera. When you watch, it's just Hollywood horror movies scenes stolen (regardless of copyright and without proper attribution), put together and set to cheesy music. Then look up the other group, Salt Ministries here. They believe in numerology and the "Numeric Greek New Testament" and the "Numeric English Bible". It's kabbalistic and mystical, a sort of numerology. The belief is that the correct text of the Greek NT can be found, not by good textual criticism, but by finding the correct combination of numbers.

Still like that video?

Come let us reason. If you want to emote, rent a real movie, not one patched together by stealing the work of other people without paying them.

Phil Perkins.

PASSING AN IMPORTANT BILL

Here's a logical chain for your consideration:

1. Bill is very religious, but he doesn't know much Scritpure.

2. Scripture is God's word to us as a group and to each one of us personally.

3. When one person loves another, the first listens to what the second has to say and reads his/her letters with great interest.

4. Scripture says the saints are new creatures, including a great love for God.

5. Because of point 1, we know Bill must not read much Scripture.

6. Because of point 5, we know Bill doesn't love God.

7. Because of points 4 and 6, we know Bill isn't regenerate.

Don't be a Bill.