The book "180" by the House Studio just went "The Wrong Way!

The book “180” by the House Studios (a new publishing arm of the Church of the Nazarene) is a recent publication being promoted to Nazarene pastors.

I read the book as I was asked by a NPH representative to review it, since I objected to how it was being marketed.

The book was more shocking than I expected. After careful review of the book I would say a more accurate title might be, “The cultural effects of 30 years on a Holiness Church: Stories of people who changed their values from conservative to liberal”.

The book is made up of 34 easy to read short testimonies of how men and women of various backgrounds and Christian heritages changed their minds and perspectives and became more tolerant.

The stories seldom quote scripture and none of the stories seemed to reflect Holy Spirit’s conviction of heart, but rather the change of mind from life impacting moments.

The book was something I would never expect to read from a “Christian Holiness Publishing House”. The reader will find testimonies of people changing their own minds on various topics, but nothing reflecting a move of God in the writers’ hearts leading to a life of holiness.

Many write about the bible, doctrine and ethics in a questioning mode verses an affirmative fashion. Just as the serpent in the garden in Genesis 3:1 proposed a Question "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? So in like manner many write questioning their own original fundamental values and convictions and end up with a more tolerant open-minded world view and set of values.

This is the type of book that will create damage among younger growing Christians as it really gives validity to humanistic thinking, heretical understanding of the fundamentals of the faith.

Tolerance, evolution, hell and celibacy are embraced in this book as they would not have been a generation ago. Tolerance is lifted high as a virtue. Evolution is embraced as an acceptable value which one can have and maintain as a Christian. Hell is liberalized and narrowed as to who might actually go there. Celibacy and the Catholic Church are lifted to a place of favor as one writer shares growing up protestant and becoming celibate on the way to the priesthood. The validity of Scripture and moral absolutes are questioned and even denied. Doubt is recognized as a gift and open-mindedness and inclusiveness as a healthy viewpoint to hold.

Not every story is controversial or doctrinally heretical, but the ones that are ruin the book for its full impact. One quote from a writer left my wife and I wondering how this book got published from a holiness Church was, “why boobs had their magical draw”. Even if this was the language and comment of a life before it was changed, that kind of coarse comment is not necessary and would not be the kind of speech becoming of a person of holiness.

Where are the stories of people who were changed 180degrees from darkness to light? Where are the inspirational stories of lives God touched in a radical way? I believe the Nazarene Church should be encouraging readers to pursue holiness of heart rather than confusion of the mind. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. Most of these stories and opinions are very confused – the inevitable result of denying the authority of Scripture.

This was a most unfruitful book and left me dismayed at the direction of the publishing house that this book was even published.

How do you DEVO?

How do you DEVO?

Spiritual Devotions are a common term among most of evangelical Christianity. The options available today to help people spiritually grow and stay closer to God are more diverse than ever. The most common way to grow and develop has always been to read the bible since the advent of the printing press. Then of course we should pray and meditate upon the written word on a daily basis. With the progress of technology many options have progressed with how to spend time in devotion to God for our spiritual growth and development. Considering that only about 26 % of the world’s population can read there has to be other methods than just reading.

In my earlier years I tended to just read the word, meditate and pray. In recent years I have adopted to listening to bible by cds and then mp3 files verses just reading it. Actually I think I enjoy listening to the word read to me on headphones intern mixed with music on my mp3 player.

The American Bible Society (ABS) has recently released some very high statistics about how most professing Christians do not spend very much time at all in spiritual devotions with the word of God. There studies have revealed that if Christians will spend time in the word 4 times a week on 4 different days it makes a significant positive impact on their lives. Because of a younger technology oriented generation ABS has now made available a 1 minute a day phone call that can be place to any phone number to keep a 1 minute audio reading of the scriptures before people. As well they have a text message system of the word of God and they email devotions to help people keep in the word of God.

Part of doing ones devotions with God also has a lot to do with personality types in my opinion. Some people tend to enjoy reading in a quite room in their home while others a walk outside in nature. I presently am enjoying going through the word of God in a year using the Youversion.com options of reading through the Word.

A great part of devotions that many exclude today is the aspect of fasting with prayer as part of seeking God on a periodic basis. The self denial of food (or other meaningful pleasures) to seek God is a part of devotion that is far less practiced today than perhaps even 20 years ago. A new fast I plan to start soon is a lengthy period away from all social network sites such as Facebook and twitter so I can be less distracted throughout the day and spend more time with God and in his word. It may seem like an odd thing to fast from technology, but you would be surprised how many social internet junkies are really in the culture. Social networking is basically sharing and commenting on other people’s lives, texts and comments on a daily basis through the computer or cell phone. Have you ever noticed how many people walk around in public just pressing and looking at their cell phones verses talking on them? When you see someone doing that, then this is a good sign they are social networking at that moment with someone somewhere in world.

A one size fits all devotional style is not realistic with today’s technology options. It seems that Americans truly are without excuse to spend time in the Word of God. I remember in the 80’s when Christians actually carried their bibles to church with them. Then churches started putting bibles in the pew racks and then with advance of screens and projectors they beam scripture on the walls. Now many people carry their bible with them electronically on their cell phones. Even though ways and means of technology have changed one thing for certain should not change and that is letting God’s Scriptures continue to get inside of us by some means or method so we stay in devotion to the one who redeems us.

I believe ABS has truly assisted the Church with their survey results and the tools they offer to Christians in helping them maintain a healthy relationship with God.
All Christians need to spend a focused time with God and His Holy Word at least 4 times a week in order to maintain spiritual growth and development for the renewing of their minds.

One of my all time favorite devotional books has been and remains “My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. There are many Devotional Books that are basically commentary snippets of God’s word for each day of the year. In these last days we must do more than devotions, but rather be devoted as we seek the face of God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind.

So if you see me in town with my face to my cell phone I might be actually reading the scriptures and not just social networking. Let us keep our eyes and ears focused on the Word of God that He might continue to transform us.

I agree with President Obama, but ......

For months I have been concerned about the values of the Christian community let alone those we are trying to reach. I have spoken to those beyond the walls of my own denomination and church. It really seems the church in north America has slide back in its values. Issues from the Emergent church to creationism verses evolution and the rapture verses the great tribulation. The Church is in decline while the lost have no interest in traditional church.

In my own ministry I have seen lives changed and some growth, but never the way I had hoped and thought would be when I entered the ministry. I could blame others, but I’ll take my fair share of the blame upon myself. In large measure, trying to be politically correct combined with a lack of prayer time has probably hurt more churches then most would be willing to admit.

Within the last year I discovered that one of my old professors from College is still teaching science, but now he has adopted the theory of evolution as part of his Christian faith. I don’t know how he believed the lie from the devil on that one, but he continues to this day to teach that man evolved and that it fits right inside the creation story perfectly. Truly his writing in my opinion are a bunch of bunk and junk. Even one of the students on campus currently told me that everyone knows him as the professor who teaches evolution.

Then there is the emergent church mystery of the day. What is it and who are they? Well after a year of reading about it and discussing it, I finally came to my own conclusions. I can look back now and see that I was headed into that slippery slope myself through the blind acceptance of the Christian pop culture theology . Even within my own denomination I see many whom I am friends with that have accepted evolution and emergent thinking as the way of the progressive Christian thought. But as for me I am sticking to the bible regardless of what anyone says including President Obama.

So what did Obama say? He said we were no longer a Christian nation, but a nation of many thoughts and religions. Well, as much as I did not like those statements, I must admit, that he is right. I wish he were not right and I would rather he made a more politically correct statement so as to not offend so many Christians, but nevertheless he said what he said for reasons of acceptance I am sure among the secular world. Yet his statement was so true! Snce indeed so much of our culture has gone by the wayside of Christianity we are not a total Christian nation as we once were.

Recently I watched the Ken Ham broadcast from the Creation Museum and his presentation on the state of the Union 2 as he spoke about the Presidents comment. He really nailed it as to the true situation we are in. He did not give solutions per se, but at least he has given me a solid perspective that feels accurate for us as bible believers to respond too.

What do you think?

The True Meaning of Christmas

Christmas year is the most celebrated holiday of the entire year. Regardless of what someone’s faith might be, there just seems to be an acceptance of the giving of gifts in the Christian tradition. However, let us remember the truth behind all the traditions of Christmas and its trimmings. With children at home, I love this time of the year. My seven year old gets so excited and my special needs son starts singing Christmas songs. Everyone in my family enjoys the season in so many different ways. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year. But behind all the man-made traditions of Christmas trees, Santa Claus, reindeer and so forth, there is a true story that is historical, biblical and very miraculous.

A child named Jesus was born to a virgin woman named Mary. It was first and only time that this encounter has happened between God and man. It is true that they travelled likely a six day journey because of the census bureau of the day. Please keep in mind how easy you have it this year when your form comes in the mail from the 2010 census bureau with 10 questions, What can take us 10 minutes of our time took Mary and Joseph on a journey of a lifetime when they went to register for the census.

When the day for his birth arrived, they ended up in an animal shelter in a busy city with no available rooms. After Jesus was born, angels proclaimed this historic news to a group of hillside shepherds who probably smelled as bad as the animals they worked with. Jesus was born as the King of the Jews, but he certainly was not born with a silver spoon in his hand or in a palace.

Sometime later, while this new young family was adjusting to life with a newborn in the city of Bethlehem, a caravan of Magi arrived after a brief visit to King Herod in Jerusalem. This was when the political and religious world were clued in. The prophesied Messiah was born. I still am amazed at how many of the religious leaders of the day missed it. However, the wise men from the far east had been watching, looking in the scriptures as they discovered a historical event. This event caused them such excitement, that they journeyed perhaps months to find this child. When they did find the child born of a virgin they presented the family with 3 precious gifts to acknowledge him as a Prophet, Priest and King.

Within a day the family headed south to Egypt, the wise men returned by a different route, and King Herod had approximately two thousand male children ages 2 and under murdered in Bethlehem. He was hoping to kill the new King of the Jews.

Centuries later, we still find ourselves celebrating His birth. It is the day when God birthed His own Son from eternity into the human race, announced it to poor shepherds by way of a host of angels and placed a star in the sky to lead foreign rulers to the Roman Empire acknowledging Him as king.

Today children still learn, adults still wonder and many truly believe. I am glad I can enjoy it all, but especially the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus was born as the anointed Messiah and King.