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A Shocking “Confession” from Willow Creek Community Church
By Bob Burney
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

 

Willow Creek has released the results of a multi-year study on the effectiveness of their programs and philosophy of ministry. The study’s findings are in a new book titled Reveal: Where Are You?, co-authored by Cally Parkinson and Greg Hawkins, executive pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. Hybels himself called the findings “earth shaking,” “ground breaking” and “mind blowing.” And no wonder: it seems that the “experts” were wrong.

The report reveals that most of what they have been doing for these many years and what they have taught millions of others to do is not producing solid disciples of Jesus Christ. Numbers yes, but not disciples. It gets worse. Hybels laments:

Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn’t helping people that much. Other things that we didn’t put that much money into and didn’t put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for.

If you simply want a crowd, the “seeker sensitive” model produces results. If you want solid, sincere, mature followers of Christ, it’s a bust. In a shocking confession, Hybels states:

We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.

Incredibly, the guru of church growth now tells us that people need to be reading their bibles and taking responsibility for their spiritual growth.

The ground breaking, earth shattering, "Who'd a thunk it?" conclusion?

The secret of a spiritually successful church is to be committed not to dramas, special effects, incredible entertainment opportunities or "felt needs" as determined by surveys, but to God's Word, prayer and loving people.

One of the most interesting evaluations of "how to do church" is found in the book of Revelation chapters 2-3. There we see the Lord Himself give either a thumbs up or down to seven churches that seem to be custom designed to represent the challenges God's people would face down through time.

I have always been struck with Jesus' passion and perspective of His people in these passages. But one church He deals with has always grabbed my attention. It is one of the few churches where Jesus offers no word of correction - the church at Philadelphia.

The seductiveness of the seeker sensitive church movement is that it promised tangible, even financial results.

But now we see that if we seek the same basic things God has always honored among His people, the results will take care of themselves.

This sloppiness and lack of intellectual scruple, with the assumption of certainty where there is none, combined with adolescent shrillness and intolerance, reach an apogee in Sam Harris’s book The End of Faith. It is not easy to do justice to the book’s nastiness; it makes Dawkins’s claim that religious education constitutes child abuse look sane and moderate.

Harris tells us, for example, that “we must find our way to a time when faith, without evidence, disgraces anyone who would claim it. Given the present state of the world, there appears to be no other future worth wanting.” I am glad that I am old enough that I shall not see the future of reason as laid down by Harris; but I am puzzled by the status of the compulsion in the first sentence that I have quoted. Is Harris writing of a historical inevitability? Of a categorical imperative? Or is he merely making a legislative proposal? This is who-will-rid-me-of-this-troublesome-priest language, ambiguous no doubt, but not open to a generous interpretation.

It becomes even more sinister when considered in conjunction with the following sentences, quite possibly the most disgraceful that I have read in a book by a man posing as a rationalist: “The link between belief and behavior raises the stakes considerably. Some propositions are so dangerous that it may be ethical to kill people for believing them. This may seem an extraordinary claim, but it merely enunciates an ordinary fact about the world in which we live.”

I always wondered what kind of moral and ethical staircase one would have to descend to end up in the basement with Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot. It seems like Harris has found the express elevator.

In Harris' vision of utopia, killing off people of faith isn't just a necessary evil , it is actually the "ethical" thing to do.

And herein lies a key insight into the plight of the world.

Is religion the problem? No.

Is atheism the problem? No.

What is the problem? Here's a hint. It can't be debated, or educated or eradicated out of existence by force of arms.

It's us. Each of us has a destructive war going on inside our hearts, that manifests itself in the wicked, selfish actions that daily destroy a bit more of this world.

As James put it:

There is a war that rages inside every human heart. It is a war of rebellion against our Creator. Some are more active and vocal in their fight for control, others more passive and subtle. But this war goes on 24/7-365 inside all of us.

The only way we will ever find peace is by surrendering to the Prince of Peace.

And what blessings await those who surrender to Him.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

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Scott's Blog - 10/30/07

Is This Your Great Great Grandson At the Prom?

100,000 years into the future, sexual selection could mean that two distinct breeds of human will have developed.

The alarming prediction comes from evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry from the London School of Economics, who says that the human race will have reached its physical peak by the year 3000.

"While science and technology have the potential to create an ideal habitat for humanity over the next millennium, there is the possibility of a monumental genetic hangover over the subsequent millennia due to an over-reliance on technology reducing our natural capacity to resist disease, or our evolved ability to get along with each other.

"After that, things could get ugly, with the possible emergence of genetic 'haves' and 'have-nots'."

Dr Curry's theory may strike a chord with readers who have read H G Wells' classic novel The Time Machine, in particular his descriptions of the Eloi and the Morlock races.

In the 1895 book, the human race has evolved into two distinct species, the highly intelligent and wealthy Eloi and the frightening, animalistic Morlock who are destined to work underground to keep the Eloi happy.

OK.

Let me get this straight.

A man named Oliver Curry gets paid by the London School of Economics to dress up the plot of a B-grade sci-fi flick and call it "evolutionary theory"?

This is good work, if you can get it.

I mean, I must have watched enough Star Trek and My Favorite Martian re runs to crank out "evolutionary theories" until my retirement.

Where do I sign up?

This prognostication concerning our progeny is silly and speculative stuff, but no sillier than what evolutionists tell us about the past.

Consider this "whale of a tale".

The whale is amazingly well designed for life in the sea.

Wonderful whales

Cetaceans have many unique features to enable them to live in water. For example:

• Enormous lung capacity with efficient oxygen exchange for long dives.

• A powerful tail with large horizontal flukes enabling very strong swimming.

• Eyes designed to see properly in water with its far higher refractive index, and withstand high pressure.

• Ears designed differently from those of land mammals that pick up airborne sound waves and with the eardrum protected from high pressure.

• Skin lacking hair and sweat glands but incorporating fibrous, fatty blubber.

• Whale fins and tongues have counter-current heat exchangers to minimize heat loss.

• Nostrils on the top of the head (blowholes).

• Specially fitting mouth and nipples so the baby can be breast-fed underwater.

• Baleen whales have sheets of baleen (whalebone) that hang from the roof of the mouth and filter plankton for food.

So where did whales find their origins?

BOSTON - OCTOBER 24: Todd Helton #17 of the Colorado Rockies hits a single in the sixth inning against the Boston

Rockies Place Their Faith in God, and One Another

DENVER, Oct. 22 —

Now, Hirsh said not once during the season had he felt uncomfortable with the place Christianity occupies within the organization.

“There are guys who are religious, sure, but they don’t impress it upon anybody,” Hirsh said. “It’s not like they hung a cross in my locker or anything. They’ve accepted me for who I am and what I believe in.”

The article included interviews with several players and front office members, but team players and officials interviewed this week said it unfairly implied that the Rockies were intent on constructing a roster consisting in large part of players with a strong Christian faith. Asked how his own Christian faith affected his decision-making, General Manager Dan O’Dowd acknowledged it came into play, but not in a religious way. He said it guided him to find players with integrity and strong moral values, regardless of their religious preference.

“Do we like players with character? There is absolutely no doubt about that,” O’Dowd said during a recent interview in his Coors Field office. “If people want to interpret character as a religious-based issue because it appears many times in the Bible, that’s their decision. I believe that character is an innate part of developing an organization, and to me, it is nothing more than doing the right thing at the right time when nobody’s looking. Nothing more complicated than that.

“You don’t have to be a Christian to make that decision.”

The Rockies have kept that character-first philosophy in place even when it has been painful.

One of the most embarrassing moments for the franchise came early on a December morning in 2004 when a pitcher with a $51.5 million long-term contract, was arrested here for soliciting a prostitute. It was his second scrape with the law in 14 months and it cost him his job. The Rockies terminated his contract three days later, eventually choosing to pay him $16 million to never again pitch in a Colorado uniform.

(The Rockies clubhouse is) one where the players, bonded by shared experiences in the minor leagues, have a chemistry that Sullivan said reminded him of his college days at Wake Forest. No fewer than 14 slots on the Rockies’ expected 25-man World Series roster will go to those who came up through the system, but even those, like relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt, who came from a different organization, said he fit in immediately. Affeldt called the team “a band of brothers.”

“When you have as many people who believe in God as we do, it creates a humbleness about what we do,” Affeldt said. “I don’t see arrogance here, I see confidence. We’re all very humbled about where this franchise has been and where it is now, and we know that what’s happening now is a very special thing.”

The Colorado Rockies illustrate a key principle in our task of reaching the world with the message of Christ. The world will immediately disparage those who faith is only to be found on their lips and not in their lives. But when there is a consistency of commitment to godly principles, non believers will sit up and take notice.

Whether the Rockies continue their phenomenal rise all the way to a World Series championship remains to be seen. But for the core of believers who are walking their talk under a media microscope, there is a victory that has already been won.

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. (I Peter 2:11-12)

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Scott's Blog - 10/24/07

More Heat Than Light?

Anderson Cooper and Tom Foreman warn that global warming may be to blame for Southern California fires.

     During the October 23 “Anderson Cooper 360: In the Line of Fire,” Cooper reported from Southern California saying, “People are wondering if these fires are a result of global warming in some way.”

 

     Although Cooper admitted that, “no one really knows for sure,” the broadcast still took the time to predict the future with CNN’s Tom Foreman who warned of a possible “century of fires, just like what we're seeing now” as a result of global warming.

     "Climatologists say, while we can't blame on fire on climate change, we can say that these factors are combining in that area [Southern California] to set up what could be a century of fires just like what we're seeing now," said Foreman.

     Foreman cautioned viewers that, “greater periods of rain” that fuel “increased vegetation growth” over the next century may provide a “potential link between these fires and global warming.”

     He then pointed to a map showing “plant growth is expected to double or even triple as a result of greater periods of rain, driven by climate change.”

 

     Earlier in the broadcast Cooper also plugged CNN’s documentary:

 

     “At the top of the next hour, as I said, the big picture. These fires are really a piece of it. Fire, drought, global warming, climate change, deforestation, it is all connected, tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern…‘Planet in Peril’ starts in just 30 minutes.”

     But was there a source refuting the claims that global warming was to blame for the fires in California? Nope. Not one.

     Alan Zarembo’s story in the Washington Spokesman-Review that was attributed to the Los Angeles Times asked a similar question to Cooper’s broadcast, “Are the massive fires burning across Southern California a product of global warming?”

     But, Zarembo came up with a much different answer:

     “Scientists said it would be difficult to make that case, given the combustible mix of drought and wind that has plagued the region for centuries or more,” said the reporter.

     “Southern California is already perfect for wildfire, and the small changes from global warming are unlikely to make it much worse at this time.”

     A climate scientist at the University of California, Merced, told Zarembo that these wildfires are the result of two “staples of the region's climatic history,” meaning “strong Santa Ana winds” and “a drought that turned much of the hillsides to bone-dry kindling.”

     "Neither can be attributed to climate change," said the UC Merced professor.

So who or what was to blame for this disaster that in a few days time has caused such destruction?

Some will say it is the fault of local governments who allow developments to be built in more and more outlying areas where the potential for brush fore damage is greatly increased.

Some say its the fault of man's dependency on fossil fuels that has thrown the climate out of whack.

Some say no one is to blame for a cycle that has been continuing unabated in that area for centuries.

Who is right? I have no idea.

But I'd like to suggest that perhaps the least profitable pursuit in a disaster like this is a good old fashioned game of "Let's point the finger!"

The bigger question is, what can we learn from this? What constructive steps can be taken to minimize the damage the next time this cycle repeats?

It reminds me of what Jesus said when informed of the impact of another unavoidable cycle we encounter in this life.

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”(Luke 13:1-5)

The unavoidable cycle in this case was life and death.

The irresistible temptation? To play the blame game.

The undeniable wisdom? Instead of asking "Why?", it is far more constructive to ask "What?"

Since death is eventually coming for us all, better be prepared to meet it.

How?

Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." (John 5:24)

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Scott's Blog - 10/23/07

A Rumor of War

Olmert and Abbas during their meeting in Jericho.

JERUSALEM — Palestinian gunmen planned to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert when he went to the West Bank in August to meet with the Palestinian president, an Israeli security chief told the Cabinet on Sunday, a participant in the meeting said.

Shin Bet director Yuval Diskin said gunmen loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement planned to attack Olmert's convoy as it entered the West Bank town of Jericho on Aug. 6, according to the participant, who was not authorized to disclose meeting details and thus spoke on condition of anonymity.

Israel notified Palestinian authorities of the plan, and they arrested an unspecified number of Fatah militants, Israeli news reports said. Although the men admitted they planned the attack, the Palestinian Authority released them last week, media reported.

Olmert's office has protested their release to Abbas, they said.

Abbas has little control over pro-Fatah armed factions, which frequently act counter to his efforts to reconcile Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel Radio cited a Palestinian security source as saying three men were arrested, questioned for two months, but were released for lack of evidence

So if you are keeping score at home, we have:

One assassination plot

Three suspects arrested

Three suspects released after a suitably respectable period of time

One strongly worded letter of protest from Olmert

One shrug of the shoulders from Abbas.

 Some have pointed to the lack of control over pro-Fatah factions as a reason to let Abbas off the hook in this incident.

But if  Abbas has so little control over elements of his own party that they are about the business of trying to kill off his negotiating partners, why would anyone assume he would be able to exercise any more control if he becomes the head of a Palestinian state?

And if he cannot (or will not)control even those loyal to him, what about those who hate him nearly as much as the hate the Jews (i.e. Hamas)? If Abbas is essentially powerless over his own people how could any agreement made with him be worth the paper it was printed on?

The pathway of appeasement has not resulted in increased security for Israel. And this should not surprise anyone familiar with the Old Testament.

God considers the Land His. It does not belong to Israel. It does not belong to Fatah. It does not belong to Hamas.

And those who attempt to divvy up what is not theirs to give have some serious problems with the Land Lord.

No wonder the lead up to the United States sponsored peace talks in November has been carpeted with one embarrassing disaster after another.

Consider this response from Olmert's own countrymen:

"Olmert must immediately halt his contacts with Abu Mazen [Abbas] and announce the cancellation of the summit as long as Abu Mazen continues to provide cover for terrorists," said MK Zevulun Orlev (NU- NRP). His party colleague MK Arye Eldad added that Olmert should visit a synagogue and recite the special prayer for those who have been saved from great danger.

"Olmert must recite the traditional blessing, for having been saved from an assassination. Abu Mazen should recite a blessing for having a partner like Olmert, because anyone else would have cut off negotiations long ago, and the State of Israel should say a blessing for getting rid of Olmert," said Eldad.

It looks like this series of almost comical missteps may cause Olmert to be shown the door before any negotiations can formally begin.

Look for more of the same as any attempt is made by the Israeli government to cede the Temple Mount or any part of Jerusalem to Palestinian control.

The Land Lord is watching.

 

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Scott's Blog - 10/18/07

Lead Me to the Water

Have you ever wondered why some believers have daily demonstrations of God's power and presence, while others' Christian experience seems to be dry and lifeless?

A dynamic experience of the love of the Lord could be just a promise and a prayer away.

Check out our SRL Weekend Video Blog "Living Water" for the key to an abundant Christian life.

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Scott's Blog - 10/18/07

What You Can't Say On Radio Disney

At this stage in my journey through life, I am accompanied by my wife Pam, and my two children, Sean and Sara.











Sean and Sara are 12 and 10 years old respectively, so there is something else that is also along for the ride.

Radio Disney.

As we have carpooled, run to the store and made trips across vast arid expanses of land to visit relatives, I have found that Radio Disney provides a wonderful service. It keeps the time honored question, "Are we there yet?" at bay.

It also allows an oldster like myself to annoy my children with my knowledge of the latest from "Hannah Montana", and "The Jonas Brothers". The fact that I can recognize a line or two from "High School Musical Parts I and II" makes me feel a bit less dinosaur-ish these days.

Radio Disney goes out of its way to avoid controversy. It is an upbeat marketing tool that is amazingly effective. The "High School Musical" sound track has elbowed its way past popular artists like Kanye West, Alicia Keyes and Fifty Cent to the top of the charts.  There is no doubt that Radio Disney doesn't want controversy to get in the way of moving product.

But at times, the desire to avoid controversy has a funny way of stirring it up.

Radio Disney: Remove God From 'Ten Commandments' Movie Ad

It's a movie about the Bible, but family-friendly Disney Co. is moving heaven and earth to make sure the word "God" is stricken from some advertisements promoting an upcoming animated film on Moses and the Ten Commandments.

Radio Disney was to broadcast a radio spot for Promenade Pictures, makers of the film "The Ten Commandments," but the company sent an e-mail earlier this month instructing that the phrase "chosen by God" be stripped from the script.

 Promenade Pictures

"Our BS&P [Broadcast Standards and Procedures] said Both scripts need to include the studio mention and omit the following line: CHOSEN BY GOD.... Please let me know if you have any questions," reads the e-mail, sent Oct. 2 to Promenade media buyer Casey Baker by Radio Disney Network sales associate Jason Atkinson.

Although calls to the Radio Disney people asking for an explanation were not returned, the producers of "The Ten Commandments" were both unhappy with the decision and not the least bit afraid to say so.

"In connection with the Ten Commandments, I did find it offensive," said Promenade president and Chief Operating Officer Cindy Bond. "God in our movie is the main character. You rip the whole guts out of the piece."

So what do you do in the face of such an outbreak of political correctness run amok?

Organize a boycott? Take your business elsewhere?

In this case, I believe cooler heads prevailed.

Bond said that because Disney has just the target audience the film seeks — children and 'tweens — she complied with Disney's request and had the ad redone without mention of God.

"To walk away from a place that has our exact core audience ... I ordered the spot to be recut and re-edited," Bond said. "If you get them into the theater, they'll hear plenty about God."

I really like that last line.

If the goal is to build a bridge for children to see a presentation of Biblical truth, why let an overly cautious decision by a bureaucrat at Disney Inc. stand in the way?

I am far more interested in finding out how the story of the Ten Commandments is presented in the film than in a commercial.

There is a powerful principle that we can apply in our walk with God in play here.

Let's not get so reactive toward the offensive practices of our hyper sensitive, politically correct culture, that we lose sight of sharing Jesus and become just another member of the "Victim De Jour" society.

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. (I Corinthians 9:19-23)

 

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Scott's Blog - 10/17/07

Birth Pains On Parade?

One of the most intriguing statements Jesus made concerning Biblical prophecy is found in Matthew 16.

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’;  and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. (Matthew 16:1-3)

According to Jesus, the wise person is the one who not only knows what the Word of God says about future events, but also keeps a weather eye on current trends to see where we stand in God's plan.

What did Jesus tell us to look for as His return would draw near?

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7-8)

Jesus said that international instability, natural disasters and outbreaks of disease would increase in frequency and intensity, just as the pains of a woman in labor as the time of His return draws near.

I couldn't help but think of Jesus' heads up warning as I took a look at the stories that made the Drudge Report today.

BUSH WARNS OF 'WORLD WAR III' IF IRAN GOES NUCLEAR...

US President George W. Bush said Wednesday that he had warned world leaders they must prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons "if you're interested in avoiding World War III."

"We've got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel," Bush said at a White House press conference after Russia cautioned against military action against Tehran's supect atomic program.

"So I've told people that, if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," said Bush

TB-tainted man crosses border 76 times...

A Mexican national infected with a highly contagious form of tuberculosis crossed the U.S. border 76 times and took multiple domestic flights in the last year, according to Customs and Border Protection interviews and documents obtained by The Washington Times.

Bush urges Turkey not to strike...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - President George W. Bush on Wednesday urged Turkey not to carry out cross-border strikes on Kurdish rebels in Iraq, advice shrugged off by lawmakers in Ankara who greenlighted such attacks.

FEDS: Drug-Resistant Germ Spreading; killing more people each year than AIDS...

A dangerous germ that has been spreading around the country causes more life-threatening infections than public health authorities had thought and is killing more people in the United States each year than the AIDS virus, federal health officials reported yesterday.

The microbe, a strain of a once innocuous staph bacterium that has become invulnerable to first-line antibiotics, is responsible for more than 94,000 serious infections and nearly 19,000 deaths each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculated.

Although mounting evidence shows that the infection is becoming more common, the estimate published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association is the first national assessment of the toll from the insidious pathogen, officials said.

"This is a significant public health problem. We should be very worried," said Scott K. Fridkin, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC.

Putin gave 'special' atomic message to Iran...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin gave Iran a "special message" on its disputed atomic program and other issues, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator was quoted as saying on Wednesday, without giving details.

Putin's visit to Tehran on Tuesday was watched closely because of Moscow's possible leverage in the Islamic Republic's nuclear row with the West. It was the first time a Kremlin chief went to Iran since Josef Stalin in 1943.

Red Alert for Volcano Kelut in JAVA...

I think you get the picture. And these stories are not from some prophecy oriented/signs of the times web site.

This is the Drudge Report.

And this is just today.

Jesus' words in Luke 21 seem more relevant than ever.

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

 

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Scott's Blog - 10/16/07

Does This Get You Fired Up?

Is this Pope John Paul II waving from beyond the grave? Vatican TV director says yes

By NICK PISA

 

This fiery figure is being hailed as Pope John Paul II making an appearance beyond the grave.

The image, said by believers to show the Holy Father with his right hand raised in blessing, was spotted during a ceremony in Poland to mark the second anniversary of his death.

Details appeared on the Vatican News Service, a TV station in Rome which specialises in religious news broadcasts.

Service director Jarek Cielecki, a Polish priest and close friend of John Paul II, travelled to Poland after hearing an onlooker had photographed the image.

Father Cielecki said he was convinced the picture showed the former pontiff.

"You can see the image of a person in the flames and I think it is the servant of God, Pope John Paul II," he said.

The pictures were being broadcast continuously on Italian TV and also posted on religious websites, some of which crashed as thousands logged on to see for themselves the eerie figure formed by the flames.

The bonfire was lit during a service at Beskid Zywiecki, close to John Paul's birthplace at Katowice, southern Poland, on April 2 - the second anniversary of his death.

So what do you think? A sign from beyond, wishful thinking, or flat out superstition run amok?

Let's face it, the reactions to this are pretty easy to anticipate.

The cynical will roll their eyes.

The sympathetic will say, "As long as it makes them feel better, what difference does it make?"

The faithful will celebrate and steadfastly defend this sign and wonder.

So what are we to make of this Biblically?

A few questions that can be definitively answered from the Word can offer some solid perspective.

Question #1 - Do the dead return to visit the living?

The Bible's answer is emphatically no.

Contrary to what fortune tellers and seance providers tell us, looking to the dead for guidance puts us on incredibly slippery ground spiritually.

And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8:19-20)

Question #2 - Are signs and wonders a reliable foundation for faith?

Yes and no. It depends on which sign you decide to follow.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:38-40)

There is one definitive sign that God wants all of us to follow - the sign that points us to Heaven and His loving arms - the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

A sign is only good if it gets us moving in the right direction. Any sign that points us to anyone or anything less than Jesus Himself is definitely directing us in the wrong way.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Question #3 - Is seeing really believing?

The problem with getting overly excited about seemingly supernatural events is two fold. Professional magicians can amaze us with demonstrations that seem miraculous but are only slight of hand deceptions. False prophets like Sai Baba in India regularly trade on such special effects.

But what if something takes place that seemingly couldn't be faked or explained away scientifically? We aren't out of the woods yet.

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,  and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’  you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. (Deuteronomy 13:1-4)

God warns us there is another possible source of miracles.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (II Corinthians 11:13-15)

If Satan came to our door dressed like a refugee from an Underwood Deviled Ham can, few of us would be taken in. But if he can use even the image of a loved one who has passed on to lead us astray, bet on the fact that he will.

But if we follow a simple set of Scriptural safeguards we won't get burned.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (I Thessalonians 5:19-22)

 

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Scott's Blog - 10/15/07

"If You Won't Preach, I Won't Sing!"

Have you ever spent time listening to J. Vernon McGee's Through the Bible broadcast? There are literally millions of people whose lives have been touched as they joined that gifted man for his five year journey on "the Bible bus" 


On one broadcast I heard J. Vernon talk about the problem he encountered when he was invited to speak at churches. There was a tendency among worship leaders to give increasingly long introductions to the songs they would play. At one such event, J. Vernon pulled the worship leader aside before the service began and said in his unmistakable Texas drawl, "I'll make you a deal. If you won't preach, I won't sing."

I couldn't help but think of J. Vernon's words when I came across a theological dust up that made the news this week.

 George W. Bush Covers "My Sweet Lord".

It has been said that when we vote for our president, we are voting for a politician, not a theologian. After reading the following interview, that's a relief!


TESTING THE FAITH
Bush: All religions pray to 'same God'
'That's what I believe. I believe Islam is a great religion that preaches peace'

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

President George Bush has repeated his belief all religions, "whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God" – an assertion that caused outrage among evangelical leaders when he said it in November 2003.

Bush made the statement Friday in an interview with Al Arabiya reporter Elie Nakouzi.

Al Arabiya is Al Jazeerah's top competitor in the Mideast.

As the president and Nakouzi walked from the Oval Office to the Map Room in the White House residence, Nazouki asked, "But I want to tell you – and I hope this doesn't bother you at all – that in the Islamic world they think that President Bush is an enemy of Islam – that he wants to destroy their religion, what they believe in. Is that in any way true, Mr. President?"

"No, it's not," said Bush. "I've heard that, and it just shows [sic] to show a couple of things: One, that the radicals have done a good job of propagandizing. In other words, they've spread the word that this really isn't peaceful people versus radical people or terrorists, this is really about the America not liking Islam.

"Well, first of all, I believe in an Almighty God, and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God. That's what I believe. I believe that Islam is a great religion that preaches peace. And I believe people who murder the innocent to achieve political objectives aren't religious people, whether they be a Christian who does that – we had a person blow up our – blow up a federal building in Oklahoma City who professed to be a Christian, but that's not a Christian act to kill innocent people.

"All the world prays to the same God"?

I'm not sure Elijah would agree with him.

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

I'm sure Paul wouldn't.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:18-23)

And I know Jesus would beg to differ.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."(John 14:6)

As you could imagine, more than a few people expressed disappointment with the president's remarks.

Reaction from U.S. evangelical leaders was swift and strong.

Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, was quoted in the Baptist Press as saying the president "is simply mistaken."

According to a Washington Post account, Land said in an interview: "We should always remember that he is commander in chief, not theologian in chief. The Bible is clear on this: The one and true god is Jehovah, and his only begotten son is Jesus Christ."

Gary Bauer, former presidential candidate and president of American Values, said Bush's comment was "not helpful to the president. Since everybody agrees he's not a theologian, he would be much better advised to punt when he gets that kind of question."

It is always interesting to me how people who are extremely competent in one area, get into trouble when they decide to cross the line and dabble in an area beyond their expertise.

George W. Bush undoubtedly knows more about political science than I will ever know. And if I called the White House and said, "Hi! I'm Scott Richards. I have been studying the Bible for quite some time and I wanted to share with the president my ideas on health care reform."

The next sound I would hear would probably be a dial tone.

We can't be experts at everything. But we can decide to really get to know a few things, or maybe even more accurately, one thing.

This is why God tells us that we as believers are to focus our attention on becoming people who can speak with authority on one crucial issue - What does it mean to know God in a personal way?

That is why even a man as brilliant as Paul said:

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (I Corinthians 2:1-2)

Stick to understanding and sharing God's Word and you will never go wrong!

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Scott's Blog - 10/11/07

Can Osama Be Saved?

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Scott's Blog - 10/10/07

Imagine There's No Dawkins

Being unable to account for human altruism is not enough for Sam Harris, author of Letter to a Christian Nation. In a recent debate with Rick Warren, he complained about Christians “contaminating” their altruistic deeds in places like Africa with “religious ideas” like “the divinity of Jesus.” Instead of rejoicing at the alleviation of suffering, he frets over someone hearing the Gospel.

In response, Warren pointed out the inconvenient (for Harris, that is) truth: You won’t find many atheists feeding the hungry and ministering to the sick in places like Africa or Mother Teresa’s Calcutta. It is precisely because people believe in the divinity of Jesus that they are willing to give up their lives (sometimes literally) in service to those whom Jesus calls “His brothers.” And that’s why my colleagues and I spend our lives ministering in prisons.

In contrast, the record of avowedly atheistic regimes is, shall we say, less than inspiring. Atheist regimes like the Soviet Union, Red China, and Cambodia killed tens of millions of people in an effort to establish an atheistic alternative to the City of God. For men like Stalin and Mao, people were expendable precisely because they were not created in the image of a personal God. Instead, they were objects being manipulated by impersonal historical forces.

One atheist understood the moral consequences of his unbelief: That was Nietzsche, who argued that God is dead, but acknowledged that without God there could be no binding and objective moral order.

Of course, the “New Atheists” deny this. Instead, they unconvincingly argue that you can have the benefits of an altruistic, Christian-like morality without God.

Nietzsche would laugh—and wonder why they don’t make atheists like they used to.

No wonder the Scriptures declare:

The fool has said in his heart,“There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1)

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Scott's Blog - 10/09/07

That Dweam Within a Dweam

Israel may OK division of Jerusalem

AP Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM - Senior Israeli officials expressed support Monday for the transfer of Arab parts of Jerusalem to Palestinian control, offering a concession on one of the most contentious issues in the Mideast conflict. The offer appeared to fall short of Palestinian calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from key areas of the holy city.

The officials spoke as Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were to begin talks in Jerusalem to work out a joint document they hope to issue at a U.S.-sponsored peace conference next month. The meetings were closed.

Ahead of the talks, a confidant of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he has proposed in recent talks with Palestinian officials to turn over areas of east Jerusalem to the Palestinians. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, as capital of a future independent state.

Deputy Vice Premier Haim Ramon's proposal marked a potentially significant Israeli concession. Israel has annexed east Jerusalem and claims all of the city as its undivided capital.

But the Israeli transfer would not include the Old City and surrounding neighborhoods, Ramon said. These are the key disputed areas, since the Old City contains the holiest site in Judaism, the Temple Mount, and the third holiest site in Islam, the Al Aqsa mosque compound.

Ramon was not clear about what areas would be transferred. But his opposition to relinquishing control of the Old City and neighboring areas with holy sites — known as the "holy basin" — falls short of Palestinian claims to all areas captured in 1967.

If you have been following the efforts to bring peace to this troubled region, you know that every attempt at solving this conflict has a strange way of digging the hole a bit deeper.

When the Israelis withdrew from Gaza, the world hailed it as a meaningful step toward peace. Surely the Palestinians would be happy with this step toward a state of their own!

But what has happened? The terrorist group Hamas not only seized power, declared a civil war on Mahmoud Abbas' (allegedly) moderate faction, and has also established the territory as a launching pad for increasingly sophisticated rocket attacks on Israel.

Now in order to "strengthen" the deposed Abbas, Israel is making the unprecedented move of granting Fatah control of portions of Jerusalem itself.

What will happen?

Before the ink dries on the treaty the "Arab street" will be enraged with the agreement. Why?

A) It leaves the Temple Mount in Jewish hands.

B) It leaves the Jewish state in the land at all.

The only "solution" radical Islam will accept is the one voiced by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejhad - Move Israel to Europe. Or short of that wipe them off the map.

Why are all these efforts at peace bound to fail?

The Bible tells us that the Holy land doesn't belong to the Islamists, or the Jews. It belongs to God.

And God takes a very dim view of man messing with His land.

The Valley of Jehoshaphat is another name for the place you may know as Armaggedon.

How ironic that the "land for peace" approach of solving the Middle East conflict will eventually lead mankind to it's ultimate day of reckoning.

Stay tuned.

U.K. judge: Gore film biased but OK in schools

Climate documentary may be shown as long as teachers don't endorse it

A lorry driver from Kent has forced the Government to rewrite guidance for schools that want to show Al Gore’s climate change film, An Inconvenient Truth.

Stewart Dimmock, a father of two, brought a High Court action against the screening of the documentary in schools, claiming that it was “politically partisan” and “sentimental”.

His lawyers argued that the film contained serious scientific inaccuracies. They accused the Government of backing the film, by the former US Vice-President, as a way of “brainwashing” pupils on global warming.

Mr Dimmock, a school governor with children aged 11 and 14, said at the outset of the hearing: “I wish my children to have the best education possible, free from bias and political spin, and Mr Gore’s film falls far short of the standard required.”

Yesterday the High Court judge Mr Justice Burton said that the film did promote “partisan political views”.

No doubt you are already familiar with the ongoing debate over the issue of global warming. Some see it as a product of man made (and in some cases cow made) greenhouse gasses. Others see it as an example of the cyclical nature of the Earth's climate. Others question whether we are in fact seeing any significant warming at all.

But all sides have one thing in common. They are looking at the world through the lens of bias.

Quite frankly, it is hard for me to get too excited about all this.  I am old enough to remember the panic stricken predictions of a new ice age. The "settled science" of the late '70's told us that there would be world wide starvation because the main grain growing areas of the world would soon be turned into Tundra.

If you are keeping score at home, it didn't happen.

Does this mean we shouldn't be concerned about our environment? No.

But when the same people who have a hard enough time telling me what the weather will be next weekend, begin to state that "there is no debate" as to how things will be 50 years from now, I think some one is woofin'.

Bias rides again.

As I said at the outset we are all biased. And that includes yours truly.

I go about life in this world under the following assumptions.

As CS Lewis once put it, "I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen. not only because I see it, but also by it, see everything else."

Francis Shaeffer said, "Christianity is a key to reality that fits exactly right."

I am biased. And so are you.

But which set of biases bests corresponds to reality? Which leads us to satisfying answers of the big questions of life - Who are we? What are we here for? What awaits us after death?

How are you looking at life today?