Continue reading »]]> Fox News recently reported on a survey done by the American Bible Society:

The research, commissioned by American Bible Society and conducted by Barna Research, found that the majority of Americans (69%) believe the Bible provides answers on how to live a meaningful life. But while 79% believe they are knowledgeable about the Bible, 54% were unable to correctly identify the first five books of the Bible.  And approximately half of Americans surveyed didn’t know the fundamental differences between the teachings of the Bible, Koran and Book of Mormon, with 46% percent saying they believe all three books teach the same spiritual truths.

While nearly half of Americans (47%) believe the Bible has too little influence in society—a far cry from the anti-faith picture often painted in culture—approximately half (46%) say they read the Bible no more than once or twice a year.

So, 79% believe they are knowledgeable about the Bible, but only 46% can identify the first five books.  Which means 33% were lying or incredibly ignorant about what they don’t know.  I used to be amazed at the lack of basic bible knowledge by those who claim to be Christian – ok I admit – I’m still amazed, bewildered, and a bit angry at the lack of basic bible teaching in American churches.

The next statistic about the difference between Christianity, Islam and Mormonism I can believe because apologetics are not taught to the average church goer.  If the only input people get is from the mainstream media – they will be deceived into thinking all three teach the same thing because that is the current “groupthink”.

Currently in America, you can call yourself a Christian, go to church once a week and not even carry a bible (after all, if the pastor does quote a verse it will be on the overheads) not read the bible during the week and be convinced (usually by the pastor’s feel good sermons) that you are doing ok.  Many who practice this type of Christianity don’t even know they aren’t saved.

The apostasy spoken of in 2 Thess. 2:3 is in full bloom.  The only cure is for the truth to be preached from the pulpit but alas, even that has been taken out of most churches and replaced with a stage.  God help us and may Jesus come quickly.

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Continue reading »]]> Here we have, yet again, another version of the bible – simplified of course – for those who just can’t seem to read or understand the hundred or so modern translations available.

A new translation of the Bible into English does not contain the name "Jesus Christ" nor the word "angel." It also prefers the word "emissary" over "apostle."

The Voice, a Bible that replaces "Jesus Christ" with terms like "Jesus the Anointed One," had its complete edition released by Thomas Nelson Publishing last month.

The article goes on to explain exactly why we need this new translation:

Frank Couch, Thomas Nelson’s lead editor on the project, told The Christian Post that the purpose of The Voice was to make the Gospel message easier to understand for modern audiences.

"The Voice has not claimed to be more accurate than any other translation, rather it is more easily understood than any other translation," said Couch.

"When translators are limiting themselves to conveying the complete essence of a word from the Hebrew or the Greek with one English word they have difficulty bringing in the nuances held in the original language."

Because other translations have more literal renderings, Couch believed they are "why it has been necessary for commentators and preachers to spend so much time explaining what the words in the original language mean before the lay reader can understand fully a text of Scripture."

Yes, we all have trouble with those pesky little nuances don’t we?  After all, we can’t expect people to actually study the bible, attend a bible believing church or go to a bible study where they will be taught now can we?

"Because we have a more expansive translating technique we can more fully develop the English translation and thus bring out the more difficult nuances found in the original language," he explained.

The scholars and authors who collaborated on the translation say their intention was to help readers "hear God speaking."

"One of the byproducts of the information age in the church has been its focus on biblical knowledge. Many Bibles reflect this, packed with informative notes, charts, and graphs. While there’s nothing wrong with having a deep knowledge; a personal connection and deep relationship are far better," according to hearthevoice.com. "The Voice is focused on helping readers find (or rediscover) this connection with Him. Scripture is presented not as an academic document, but as an engaging story."

I will translate the above section for you –

“We (the editors) know better than you or your pastors what the bible is really saying.  So we will rewrite the bible so it conforms to a more postmodern approach – away from such nastiness as doctrine and knowledge and toward a more subjective experience like “hearing the voice of God” and “personal connection.”  That way, you can feel free to interpret any passage the way you see fit in the way many postmodern people like to conduct bible studies i.e. “what does this passage mean to you?”

The editors have done away with such troublesome phrases as “Thus saith the LORD” and replaced it with “I feel this passage is saying this to me today.” In doing so, they have annihilated absolute truth and the need for anyone to search the Scriptures for himself.  We are left with a version of the bible that doesn’t even qualify as milk – more like milk flavored water.  God help us.

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Continue reading »]]> In the Christian Post today, the following article appeared:

While pro-lifers are often seen running prayer campaigns to stop abortions, one California group affiliated with Planned Parenthood has launched its own 40-day prayer in defense of abortions.

Started by the Humboldt County Clergy for Choice, a committee of the Six Rivers Planned Parenthood of Eureka, "40 Days of Prayer and Contemplation: Supporting Women Everywhere" has participants praying for "an end to the stigma perpetrated against women who have abortions" and giving "thanks … that abortion is still safe and legal."

How do we know this type of prayer will never be answered?

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

1 John 5:14-15 (ESV)

God doesn’t answer prayer that isn’t according to His will.

29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 15:29 (ESV)

Here we see that God is far from the wicked.

I think we have established that God does not hear the prayers of the wicked. Now let’s connect the dots and show that abortion is wicked.

It seems God isn’t too happy with people who sacrifice their children on the altar of an idol whether the god’s name is Molech or convenience makes no difference.

What is God’s attitude toward children?

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Continue reading »]]> The following article is written by Michael McNichols, Director of Fuller Theological Seminary’s Regional Campus in Irvine, California.

My commentary will be in text in blue.

Evangelicals Need a New Definition

And maybe even a new name.

I once asked a group of Catholic friends how they defined the term evangelical, and they saw it as identical to fundamentalist. Each one had a story of an evangelical cousin or uncle who hammered them at every family gathering, insisting that Catholics were on a sure pathway to Hell. For these folks, evangelical brought up descriptors such as judgmental, condemning, and mean. [I’m sure most Catholics have this idea in mind – so I’ll give McNichols this point.  It doesn’t make it correct, it just means it is what most Catholics think.]

If I’m reading the political pundits correctly, evangelical is a term that refers to a block of USAmerican voters that conflates nation and religion, lining up with the extreme right of the political spectrum. Evangelicals appear to hold a great deal of power in making or breaking particular political campaigns. [Notice his term – misspelled – of USAmericans – a term of mockery.  Notice that they “conflate” nation and religion as if that is the wrong approach to take.  All judgments from one judging that others are too judgmental.]

I’ve heard others say that evangelicals are the folks who hold to a wooden and hyper-literal view of all aspects of the Bible, see the theory of penal substitutionary atonement as a theological hill to die on, and have a clear understanding of who is in and who is out with God. [So “hyper-literal” would be those who believe the bible to be true as opposed to this author who doesn’t.  As for penal substitutionary atonement – Jesus thought is was worth dying on a hill for – shouldn’t you?]

I am saddened by what I see in these descriptors. If these are what define evangelical, then I don’t want to be one. [Fine – you’re out!]

But none of these are proper definitions of the word. [Agree – they are fabricated for the purpose of his argument which makes his conclusion invalid.] The word evangelical comes from a Greek word (used in the New Testament) that means good news. When Jesus, in Mark 1:15 says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news,” [repent? Aaahh – the liberals scream at this term.  Also the good news was that Jesus would die on a theological hill – the very one this author spurns.] the term “good news” utilizes that Greek word. It’s actually an ancient term with military implications. After a battle, a runner would leave the front lines and bring news of the outcome to the military leaders. If the battle had been won, then it was good news. The messenger was the good news bringer. The messenger was the person who bore witness to the good thing that had happened.

This meaning is at the heart of the word that we now call evangelical. To be evangelical is to be the bearer of the same good news that Jesus brought: That the kingdom of God is at hand. [Don’t forget to repent and believe!] It is to speak of a reality that has already come to pass. Keeping in mind that those folks who don’t like the idea of God’s rule and reign (perhaps like the army who lost the ancient battle) might not hear the message as good news, it is proclaimed nonetheless because it is believed by the messenger to be true. [Unless of course you are a postmodernist who spurns those who literally believe the bible and hate those who hold to the penal substitutionary atonement.]

The message granted to us is not one of political power or domination; [yet the author used the illustration of a military messenger to illustrate his point.] it is not about who has been assigned to heaven or to hell; [it’s not? wow, guess we need to cut John 3 out of our bibles then!  It says those who don’t believe are already condemned! ] it is not license to stand in judgment over anyone. It is a message that is intended for the good of all, and it is one to be both proclaimed and demonstrated.

If the earlier definitions I offered hold sway, then I suggest we find a different word with a proper definition. It would be a shame to lose a word that is rich with meaning and purpose, but it might have to happen. There is some biblical precedent for such a change: The ancient Hebrews became Jews; the followers of The Way became Christians. It has happened before.

I don’t have a replacement term. But maybe one might emerge [hint – the author is an emergent] if we Christians, rather than being known by our political preferences, or by our tendency toward judgmentalism, or by our rigid theologies, we were known by our love. [Of course this presupposes that one cannot be conservative politically and a Christian at the same time, nor hold truth to be absolute nor to have theologies that aren’t full of holes.] I wonder what would happen then. Maybe those who are impacted by that love would hear that good news and offer a new name to us.

Let’s give it a shot.

[How about this – if you don’t like the truth that the bible holds forth – quit calling yourself a Christian.  Here’s a term for you – heretic – you have denied the truth that the bible is the absolute word of God and that Jesus died as a substitute for our sins and that, sir, is a heretic.]

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“The god of racists is not the God of righteousness. The god of the greedy is not the God of grace. The god of Wall Street is not the God of Main Street,” Wright proclaimed. “Those are two different gods and I ain’t talking about Allah and Yahweh. Those are the same names for the same God.”

So says Jeremiah Wright in this article from The Blaze.

This is a common myth brought to you by the same people who specialize in the propaganda that Islam is a religion of peace.  It was Lenin who said “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” Richard Belzer defines The Big Lie, in his book UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have To Be Crazy To Believe, this way: "If you tell a lie that’s big enough, and you tell it often enough, people will believe you are telling the truth, even when what you are saying is total crap.”

This is what has happened with Western civilization’s understanding of Islam – most have swallowed the big lie without ever taking the time to do a little research on their own – a process called fact-checking.  I say “Western civilization’s understanding” because those who have lived under Sharia would understand the propaganda being used under their principle of deliberate deception or “taqiyya”. 

Is Yahweh different from Allah? Eric Barger competently answers this question in his article “A Biblical and Historical Rebuttal to “Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to a Common Word Between us and You.”  I heartily suggest you read this article.

The next question might not be so easy to answer – why do most Christians swallow the Big Lie?  I offer several possible explanations:

• An incredible lack of solid bible teaching has produced a generation who will believe anything a celebrity tells them.  Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of the bible would know that Wright’s statement is false.
• Political correctness has taught the masses not to disagree with anything the mainstream media puts forth as a truth.  People are unwilling to be labeled intolerant and so keep their mouths shut when obvious falsehoods are put forth.
• God said in the last days apostasy would increase and deception would be widespread because people don’t love the truth ( 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).

Be assured of this beloved – there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4) and His name is Yahweh (Exodus 3:14).

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