Crucial Distinctions

This is from "Already Not Yet," the blog of Pastor P.J. Cockrell:

In the twentieth century, liberal Protestants put the Bible on trial and found it guilty of error, abandoned their dependence upon God’s Word, and replaced it with the lifeless lyrics of their own wisdom. What social Gospel theorist Walter Rauschenbusch preached, Charles Sheldon popularized; “What did Jesus do?” became “What would Jesus do?” Morality and social justice supplanted redemption, and the living Christ died again, this time buried beneath unbelieving, yet captivating rhetoric. He was not to rise again in the liberal Protestant Church.

The ability to make crucial distinctions is a gift from God. PJ points this out in his quote above by distinguishing between "what Jesus did" - the Truth - and our distorted desire to be God by deciding for ourselves "what would Jesus do."

Our joy as Christians is to rely only on the revealed Word He left us for guidance and not try to be God-like by speculating about what He would do. That is the hook that Satan used to trap Eve in the Garden: "You shall become as Gods." Because of this distortion many Christians have gotten caught in the postmodern belief system which has twisted the word "tolerance" to mean love or concern for every belief system and every human without the condemnation it and they deserve, Islam is the prime example of a systemic evil.

For example we often hear "love the sinner, but hate the sin." That is not Biblical it is the pacifist Ghandi from his autobiography. Jesus hated sin and he obviously hates those who refuse to repent from it. He sends them to Hell doesn't He? As a matter of fact scripture is pretty clear about this fact  as some were created for just that purpose. ( Rom. 9:17 )

So those who condemn others for their "intolerance" of the evil that is Islam make me wonder how it is they can say they are Christian while they themselves are "intolerant" of those who hold to the actual teachings of Gods Word.

Sharia in Dearborn II

My earlier post on Sharia in Dearborn elicited some reactions. One comment surprised me. My friend and Christian sister Jan said:

What would our response be if Muslims came to our church or a Christian function and started passing out literature? I know that I would call the cops to have them dispersed. Do we have the right to limit other people's freedoms under the law and under God (who gives us all the freedom to choose) because we don't like what they say? We know that it's not truth, but they still have rights.(Read her complete response in the comments to the article below).

What surprised me I think is the apparent misunderstanding about the Arab Festival that is held in Dearborn each year. It is not a private event, it is open to the public, and is held on public property. Streets are blocked off, traffic is rerouted, food and other vendors set up booths from which they sell things, a carnival is on hand, and Muslim mosques and Imams set up tables from which they provide written and verbal information about Islam. They solicit questions and often try to dialog with the curious as they proselytize. This way of doing things is as American as Apple Pie.

The fact that they solicit questions and try to dialog with non-Muslims is an open invitation for literature from other belief systems to be passed out in the free America I knew as a child. Only in Dearborn - to the best of my knowledge - is the power of the Police used to silence this kind of non-aggressive speech, Giving a copy of the book of John to those willing to take it is not aggressive. It is a form of what we are commanded to do as Christians. Give the gospel to the uninformed then allow the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts.

If Americans continue to refuse to confront Islam believing it to be a religion that lives quietly with those who do not believe, we are in serious trouble. I would suggest a crash course in history is needed along with a quick perusal of news from around the world.

A good place to start is by clicking The Gates of Vienna link in my blog list and reading as much as you can stomach from the news of this "peaceful" religion in Europe. The picture is not pretty and its' ugliest manifestation was seen in Dearborn, using the Police to silence dissenting voices. That is not the American way and it should not be condoned nor "tolerated."

Sharia Law in Dearborn, Michigan

Some things are hard to understand. What is happening in this video is not. Because of multiculturalism - the belief that all cultures are equally just no matter the atrocities they commit - our government no longer believes that unconstitutional activities should be legally prevented. No, what we believe now, apparently, is that any activity which offends a politically correct group is wrong and police power should be used to stop that offense.

The Federal Government refuses to enforce our laws against illegal aliens sneaking into the United States, and now they refuse to enforce the Constitutional right to freedom of assembly and speech if that speech happens to offend a certain religious group.

If Muslims were to be the one's handing out literature on the blessings of enslavement to Sharia Law at a Christian festival I wonder if the police would respond in the same manner. I don't think so. Anyway watch the video then tell me once again about our supposed Constitutional freedoms.

This is not the United States of America I was born into. It is the Peoples Republic of Political Correctness.

I like Driscoll

Some friends have looked at me with quizzically raised eyebrows from time to time when I mention Mark Driscoll. He is the young (relative to me) Pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Like me, he occasionally will slip and his language get a little salty. (That means he will swear when he thinks it appropriate).

Unlike me, however, and some folks I know, he was called to preach and it is evident when you listen to him. The following video shows him presenting the complete Gospel message - in ten minutes. He does it coherently, quickly, relevantly to listeners of any age, and with appropriate illustrations. The "Dude" can preach; and, I like him.

Lighten Up!

Years ago I heard a joke about a young man who wanted to join an order of monasticism which allowed no talking with the exception that every five years he would be allowed to speka two words. The young man was fully cognizant of what life without speech would involve so he joined.

After his first five years had passed, the monk in charge of the monastery summoned the young man to his office. He was told that his fifth year anniversary was up and he would be allowed to say two words. Silently the young man thought for several minutes then said aloud "bed hard." With that he returned to his cell and duties for another five years.

Eventually he was again summoned to the chief monks office. Once again he was informed that another five years had passed and he was granted permission to speak two more words. Again, the young man thought for a few moments then said, "food bad." Again, he was told to return to his cell and his duties.

Time passed and finally after 15 long years he was summoned to the office. The monk in charge told him that he had now been in the order for 15 years and he was again allowed to speak two words. Without hesitation the man replied "I quit." The head monk replied, "you might as well quit, all you've done since the day you arrived is complain."


Although this joke has a certain irreverence about it I still think it is funny. Perhaps I need to do some soul-searching. Anyway a friend sent me another irreverent monkish joke, but this time in video. I think it is a riot. I don't know when I'll stop laughing. (Do I need to go to confession?)