LEAVING OPEN THE DOOR TO HELL

BY STEVE DUNN

I am in the process of reading through and reflecting upon the Sermon on the Mount.  Today I found myself in the following text.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.: - Matthew 5.  

We live in an angry, combative and passionately intolerant world today.  Unfounded accusations delivered with virulence, unbridled angry tweeting, the demonization of anyone who does not agree with us--all of become a part of the communication of our culture.

This passage was delivered by Jesus to a 1st century audience that would have contained people who considered themselves religiously superior, others who were tired and/or cowered by such self-righteousness, and others who were relegated to the fringes of their society as sinners and probably chafing under perceived injustice and prejudice they had experienced.

In pronouncing these words, Jesus was not trying to further fuel that contempt and division that marked that 1st century community.  But he WAS attempting to reframe the discussion and open their minds to a difficult truth that their narrow minds had been closed to.

I would say it in this way.  The language of unbridled contempt is the front door to hell for such contempt violates the Law of Love—both of God because it is despising someone for Whom Christ has died and of your neighbor because we are saying that we are worthy of God’s love and respect than another.

Many would, and did, reject this teaching because they were trying to organize their lives and society around the values of a sinful humankind.  Both those then and today, who accept this truth could begin to bring about healing and reconciliation to this troubled American landscape.


© 2019 by Stephen L. Dunn.  You have permission to reprint this provided it is unchanged, proper authorship is cited, it is in a publication not for sale, and a link is provided to this site or to www.drstevedunn.com. For all other uses, contact Steve at sdunnpastor@gmail.com 

MONDAY MORNING REFECTIONS - FREE SPEECH AND LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR

BY STEVE DUNN

I am thankful to be an American.  I live in perhaps the most prosperous nation on earth.  I enjoy freedom and security still unequaled around the globe.  My neighbors are by and large good people seeking to live at peace with one another.  I believe that my nation, despite its flaws and inconsistencies, has done more good for our world than most other countries and has often carried a load for the larger population of this planet far beyond our fair share—and have done so generously and sacrificially. I dislike when others bash our nation because we are a convenient whipping boy while at the same time aspiring to come to our land to find fulfillment, safety, and some measure of prosperity.

As a Christian, committed to living by the truth and facing the consequences of that truth. I am deeply troubled by fellow Americans who would deny the truth because it inconveniences or offends them.    And I am offended by fellow Americans who attack people who simply tell the truth because they do not do it in a politically correct way.  (Note: The Left does not have a monopoly on “political correctness.” The Right has its own version and just as resolutely promote and enforce it).

But more than anything, my heart grieves when Christians make earthly political positions and man-made symbols more important than Biblical integrity in their words and behaviors.  And I am sure that God is grieved when our words and actions, Facebook posts and Tweets, and other public pronouncements ignore the Second Commandment, “Love thy neighbor as Thyself.” Ignore is not too strong a word.

Although you may be offended by taking a knee during the national anthem, have you bothered to try and understand the motivation behind such exercises of free speech?  (Many of those athletes are devout evangelical Christians).  You may not agree with them, but have you sought to understand them?

And when several million of our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico have had their lives devastated by two hurricanes, why is all of our attention on sports stadiums and what occurs there instead of getting help to our brothers and sisters in need?

For those who would honestly want to think about the current NFL and MLB protests, you might find this helpful reading.

© 2017 by Stephen L. Dunn.  You have permission to reprint this provided it is unchanged, proper authorship is cited, it is in a publication not for sale, and a link is provided to this site or to www.drstevedunn.com .  For all other uses, contact Steve at sdunnpastor@gmail.com 

BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

This post originally appeared in a blog I no longer publish, THE ROAD TO JOY

 

BY STEVE DUNN

“… be filled with the Holy Spirit.” – Ephesians 5:18a

      We often make statements that to others appear as self-deluding.  When I was growing up, such statements were greeted with the comment, “You are full of it.” (We will have to stop there because the etymology of that expression refers to something very nasty that you are full of.) But for Christians, being full of something refers to being filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

     Some Christian groups use this command as a code word for a specific kind of religious experience or as a litmus test of a certain type of Christianity that they believe to be superior to all other forms of Christianity.  I tend to disagree with both usages but that is a theological issue beyond the scope of what I want to say today

     We fill our lives with many things — jobs, family, and even religion.  All in pursuit of happiness or fulfillment or meaning.  But those things are often delusions because they are expressions of a delusional belief that say, “It’s all about me.”  For too many our highest aim is self-satisfaction not significance.  We believe our lives have meaning when we get to be who we want to be.

     Such an attitude ultimately requires us  to ignore our neighbor, be indifferent to our community, and abandon any true responsibility for our world.

      The one true antidote to this outcome is not saturate our lives with self but to let the Spirit indwell us shaping us and empowering us to be people whose lives are immeasurably and whose impact brings God’s wholeness to all.

(C) 2014 by Stephen L Dunn

MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS: WEEPING FOR THE CULTURE AND ITS PEOPLE

Dr. Michael Cheatham, chief surgeon of the Orlando Health Regional Medical Center hospital, addresses reporters during a news conference after a shooting involving multiple fatalities at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, 2016. Watching are Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, second from right, and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.                           (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

 by Steve Dunn

A horrible tragedy occurred this past weekend in Orlando.  At a night club popular with gays and lesbians,an attack was unleashed by a man with suspected ties of Islamic terrorism.  At least 50 people were killed and 53 more injured in what is the worst mass shooting in US history.

A year ago another group of people were shocked and saddened as a young man murdered people in a Bible study in Charleston SC. 9 people including the senior pastor and the gunman died when the young man opened fire in a Bible study at the Emmanuel AME  Church.

In between those two of high profile events there have been hundreds of such incidents--often unexpected, mostly inexplicable, filled with fatality and tragedy.  Sadly, such events are almost daily in this country.

I could launch here into an emotional plea for gun control (which I do support) or some theologically judgemental pronouncement about the lifestyle of the victims in Orlando. I could rail against terrorists-Islamic and otherwise.  There are a wealth of responses and comments that can be made and will be made.

But my immediate and daily response was articulated quite well by Southern Baptist ethisist Russell who following the Orlando incident,  tweeted "Christian, your gay or lesbian neighbor is probably really scared right now. Whatever our genuine disagreements, let's love and pray."

Why do I say this?  Because this is what the Bible tells me is the appropriate fist response:

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit" - Psalm 34:18

^"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." - Romans 12.15

"He heals (God) the broken-hearted and binds up their wound"- Psalm 147.3 

Would you join me in this prayer not only for this incident but for our American culture and its people?

MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS - ADRIFT WITHOUT A MORAL COMPASS

BY STEVE DUNN

It's the evening of the Fourth of July.  My wife and I have just finished watching A Capital Fourth a semi-tradition for us. Now we are watching a live fireworks show via another channel--a magnificent display over New York Harbor.  I have just heard the words sung of what is my favorite "patriotic" hymn by Samuel Frederick Smith.

My country tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died!
Land of the Pilgrim's pride!
From every mountain side,
Let freedom ring!
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love.
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture fills
Like that above.
Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song.
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.
Our father's God to, Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!

I am glad to be an American . Besides it's sheer beauty, no nation on this earth has done more to proclaim the cause in the world nor sacrificed more to obtain or preserve the freedom of other peoples.  It has afforded me a place to live that allows me to worship and serve God in magnificent ways.  It has been a beacon of hope to the persecuted, oppressed, and disadvantaged of the world.
But I am concerned for my nation as well.  We have become a nation without a moral compass--and we are adrift in the seas of the dangerous times in which we live.

I am tolerant person but I have always understood tolerance as meaning respecting the right of another to be the person they believe their conscience requires them to be. Now tolerance means acceptance of who that is as being right, i.e. agreeing that there is nothing wrong with what they do or what they believe.

Our common social contract has come to be defined not by an objective standard of right and wrong to which we are all accountable. It is now defined by what political correctness declares to be the right thing today. And that standard of political correctness does not respect anyone's right to respectfully disagree.

There is much debate over whether or not we are a Christian nation or if we have ever been one. If you define Christian by the peculiar wedding of biblical morality with cultural convenience, then I would say we have had more of a civil religion than a biblical one. The Bible clearly stands against the materialistic greed that has been characterized as success, the enslavement of people of other races, the use of power that clearly contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ, racial prejudice that spawned Jim Crow and the Klan. That list goes on.

Not all of our founding Fathers were Christians, but not all of them were the cynical secularists that the modern day secular liberal likes to claim. And it is clear from history that wherever they stood on the religious spectrum, they believed that those "inalienable rights" were to be grounded in the basic moral teachings of our Judeao-Christian roots,

William Penn wrote these words in the formative years of our nation: "Those who will not be governed by God, will be ruled by tyrants. "

But his are not the only words from our beginnings as a nation. From George Washington:
"While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian."
_{--The Writings of Washington, pp. 342-343.}

From John Adams, who signed the Declaration of Independence and served 2nd President of the US:
2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God ... What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be."
_{--Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.}


John Hancock, the first of sign the Declaration of Independence:
"Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. ... Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us."
_{--History of the United States of America, Vol. II, p. 229.}

FOR MORE GO TO MARY FAIRCHILD

I pray that my nation, our nation, would once again claim its moral foundations so that we could truly insure the common good.

© 2015 by Stephen L Dunn
Permission is given to reprint this post as long as it is not included in material that is for sale, that it is reproduced in its entirety including the copyright notice, and that a link is provided to this blog.

MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS--HOW DOES GOD VIEW THE ALIEN IN OUR MIDST

BY STEVE DUNN

Saturday a good friend of mine and highly regarded Churches of God pastor, Andrew Draper posted this on his Facebook timeline:

Andrew Thomas Draper

Yesterday at 12:15pm ·

"Fox News and the Southern Baptists are accusing President Obama of "rewriting" the Bible in his speech on immigration and not quoting any particular verse.

Obama: "Scripture tells us, we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger. We were strangers once, too."

Exodus 23:9: "You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt."

We can debate the hermeneutic choice, disagree about the extent of presidential authority, and even wonder about appeals to the Bible in public policy. However, it seems like a pretty accurate paraphrase to me."

Andrew is the Senior Pastor at the Urban Light Community Church in Muncie IN, a graduate of Winebrenner Theological Seminary, and Visiting Assistant Professor of Christian Education at Taylor University.   I think his hermeneutic credentials are more than solid.

Within a few hours 67 persons clicked the LIKE box and 16 others commented on the post, some objecting to the assumed endorsement of President Obama but NONE debating the accuracy of the scriptural teaching.

The reality is that the current policies of this nation and the general political mindset of our nation are at variance with the clear teaching of the Word of God.  I am not saying that the nation's policies are obligated to follow the Bible (although our nation would find its elusive healing and hope if we did). But I object strenuously to Fox News (which claims to be the most truthful of media) and the Southern Baptists (who should know better) misrepresenting an important prophetic truth from God's Word.

I understand the necessity of the rule of law and the need to affirm obedience to the laws of a democratic nation.  I hear the complaints about jobs being taken from honest Americans by the "illegals", although the evidence is mounting that these aliens are holding down jobs that honest Americans eschew.  But I urge Christians, especially politicians who claim to be Christian, to remember that God of the Bible is the Protector of the alien and stranger in our midst and seek some solutions which are true to that truth by which we as Christians and we as a nation will ultimately be judged.

WHEN WE SABBATH WE CELEBRATE

Lately one of my strong concerns as a pastor is the disappearance of Sabbath as a lifestyle value even for Christians.  Michael Kelley in his blog FORWARD PROGRESS gave one of the most thorough and articulate explanation/defense of this grossly undervalued/underpracticed which is a core value of the Judaeo-Christian faith. - STEVE

BY MICHAEL KELLEY

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” That’s how it all begins. And when I say “all” I mean all. This is the source of all things. It was an event that is absolutely unrepeatable. Unreproducable. Unobservable – because God was the only one there. Out of nothing, God made “everything.”

God created not out of boredom, because eternity was getting a little stale. Not out of loneliness, for God is completely and totally sufficient in and of Himself. God created out of love. It’s not unlike the reason why we have children. Some people have kids because they’re lonely or because they feel like there is a void in their lives. But often times, when kids come into the picture, it doesn’t necessarily fix that hole; it might put a band aid on it for a while, but it will come back. The best reason a husband and a wife have children is out of an overflow of love for one another. They love each other, and they want that love to spill over into others as well. So they have kids.

Before anything was created, there was an inexhaustible amount of love among the members of the Trinity. And that love spilled out into the creation of all that we see and know. So in the beginning God created. He created the molecules and the cellular division. He created the ecosystems that work in tandem with each other through His common grace. He knit together the vast number of individual species in all their glorious variety. He set the orbits of the planets in such a way that the tides on earth don’t rise more than they should. He planned night and day to be an appropriate amount of time to support different life systems in different areas. God not only created, but He created in such a way that all of His creation fits together in a harmonious way.

But let’s not stop there either. For in as much as God created the physical universe, He also created things that are invisible to us and yet are integral for the way we live. Take time, for instance. God thought that up, too, in the same way He thought up the Venus fly-trap or the brown trout. This too sprang from His creativity.

And so the process of creation went for six days. The heavenly bodies. The creatures and plantlife of the seas and the air. Then humanity, stamped and made uniquely with the imprint of the image of God. And then, quite suddenly it seems, creation is over. The end and conclusion comes at the end of day 6, as recorded as chapter 1 closes and moves into chapter 2, beginning in verse 31:

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. But the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

That’s how the account of creation ends. And at first glance, it doesn’t seem to end with a bang, but with a whimper. Don’t we expect some more? Some bigger fireworks? Something more extensive? Like one final grand act? What’s more interesting and even confusing, is the use of the word “rest” to describe God’s lack of activity on day 7. That seems to contradict much of what we believe to be true about God.

That sounds more like a term that should be applied to us, because that’s what we do on the weekends. We work and work and work until we can’t work any more, and finally when the weekend rolls around us, we want to do nothing except rest. To nap. To stop thinking. To lay on the couch. We want to rest because that’s what you do when you’re exhausted. But God?

Don’t get me wrong – I’m sure it’s exhausting work to create. It’s not like He had been idle for the previous 7 days; God had been busily working hard during those days. But rest? Our God? The one who doesn’t slumber or sleep? That God?

And we’re right to suspect something fishy going on here, because a better translation for the word “rest” is actually “cease.” That’s the context in which we should read this. God stopped, but He didn’t stop because He needed a break. God doesn’t need breaks. He stopped because He was finished. There wasn’t any more to do. It was very good. The verb translated as “rest” in most other contexts carries the implication of taking up a position of safety, security, or stability; of settling down or settling in. It is marked by God’s ceasing the work of the previous six days and settling into the stability of the cosmos. And that is important.

In our eyes, this might be the “bang” that we think creation should end with, but the institution of the Sabbath is more than just an appendix to bring creation to its closure. This is actually the climactic moment of creation – the thing that brings it all together for us.

The reason we have trouble seeing Sabbath as the climactic moment is because it’s not centered on us. We would much rather that the climax be the creation of man and woman, and that this seventh day is just something tagged onto the end, but it’s not. It’s the summation. And we struggle with that because if that’s so, then it’s not about us. It’s about God. It’s about His completed and very good creative work and recognizing it as such.

Those two elements – completion and celebration – are what the Sabbath is all about. It’s not about exhaustion for God, and it shouldn’t be about that for us. God doesn’t invite us as His people into the story of creation until this moment. And by inviting us in here, indeed commanding us to be regular partakers of this Sabbath moment, we know that in Sabbath-ing we are to have the same purpose as He did on this first Sabbath. We are to celebrate the completed, creative work of God. But as we close the Old Testament and move to the New, we begin to see the true implications not only of Sabbath but of creation as a whole.

The creation of the universe, as it turns out, is a paradigm – a precedent – that is repeated over and over again throughout redemptive history. And it’s one we have a personal knowledge of. Though this was the first time when God called light out of darkness, substance out of the void, and life out of nothingness, it wouldn’t be the last time. This model of creative activity has been repeated over and over and over again throughout the years following His initial creative work.

The same thing has happened in us. At one time, we were all children of darkness. Slaves to the kingdom of the air. Void of hope and life. And yet the Great Creator once again stepped into the darkness and the void and spoke, and life sprang up again inside of us. He called us from darkness to light, from nothing to significance, from outsiders to children. And He created a new heart inside of us that is bent toward Him. What God did at creation started the pattern He has continued throughout the rest of history, and we stand in the long line of His workmanship.

And now, much as He did on the seventh day then, after He created life in us in Christ, He stands back in Sabbath. Not because He’s tired, but because He’s finished. When Jesus hung on the cross, His pronouncement was one that has great meaning for the followers of Jesus and the children of God. It is indeed finished. We don’t need to strive any more. We don’t need to improve on what God has done. The work He has done in us is His work, and it is very good. The call for us now is to Sabbath along with God, reflecting on and enjoying His finished work in creation. Creating us in Jesus.

THE MOST IMPORTANT SPEECH OF THE 20TH CENTURY

BY STEVE DUNN 

Wednesday was the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, or as it was shortened to "The March on Washington."  It was the event where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, whose prophetic words helped launch the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and inspired generations of Americans - black and white - to pursue the dream of racial equality in this country and end the Jim Crow Laws in the South that had embedded racial bigotry in the body politic of America.  I was 12 years old on that day.  Now, 50 years later, I and many Americans consider it to be the most important political event/speech after Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.  I share it with my readers today with the challenge to remember that racism still exists in this nation and until we end it, our nation will never be fully healed .Do we still have a dream? What will it take to make it a reality?  - Steve

ANDREW DRAPER ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

This is a powerful and insightful presentation by a friend and a respected pastor within my denominational stream-Steve

THE FUN THEORY

Maurilio Amorim writes a blog that I really like. Today he posted a great one. - STEVE

 The Fun Theory

Intuitively we know that the more fun we inject in activities, the more likely people are to respond positively to them. When my boys were small I used to play let’s-see-how-fast-we-can-put-up-the toys game. They would clean the room in a matter of minutes as opposed to the whining and gnashing of their teeth that would be manifest during other chores. This video is another reminder that people will choose even a more difficult path if we make it fun.


Where have you experienced the fun theory in your work or ministry?

DOES GOD CARE ABOUT FOOTBALL?

A whole lot of us invested a whole lot of time this weekend to football-NFL football to be precise.  Even if you didn't watch the pre-game shows, the countdowns, and the post-game highlights; if you watched both championship games you invested about 7 hours of your Sunday.  Two thrillers with much last second drama. The AFC contest was decided by a field goal, or better yet--the lack of one. After kicking 16 field goals in a row, Ravens kicker Bill Cundiff shanked a relatively simply 32-yarder that would have forced that game into over time.  Instead the New England Patriots are heading to their 5th Super Bowl in 10 years.The NFC version featured overtime.  It was settled by a Lawrence Tynes field goal with almost ten minutes gone in the overtime, the second time in his careers has accomplished this feat in a championship game.

The waitresses at my favorite restaurant, Silver Spring Family Restaurant, were clearly for the Giants. In fact they cajoled their boss (who normally could care less about football) to wear a blue Eli Manning jersey for the entire weekend.  George doesn't even like football, but he was caught in the currents of what was dominating his staff and wore a blue Eli Manning jersey with Manning on the back. One of the waitresses told me she was secretly rooting for the 49ers because she didn't like football.  I think she was also defending her sense of personal independence in the hysteria.

Football became the focal point of a cultural debate over a young Christian named Tim Tebow who led the Denver Broncos from a dismal season's beginning to a playoff game where they humbled the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers.  "Tebowing" - an imitation or a mockery of Tim's prayer stance became a fad.  And the most zealous of his supporters noted prophetically that he threw for 316 yards in that game.  Say "John 3:16 everyone" and spread the idea that four officials were named Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (Actually football has more than four officials.)

A giant and horrendous child molestation scandal broke out in Happy Valley as the charges against Jerry Sandusky mounted and Joe Paterno, fatherly coaching icon was stripped of his job.  I was never sure which aroused more ire in football fandom - the crimes against young boys or the perceived injustice of Penn State Trustees in firing Joe Pa.

Obviously, a whole lot of us care about football.  But at the same time, the iconoclasts have asked the question, "Does God care about football?"

I think certainly not in the way we care about it.  I mean do we truly believe as thoughtful Christians that God seeks vindication by having Alabama triumph over LSU in the BCS?  Are the Tigers somehow spiritually inferior to the Crimson Tide, even though there are fine young Christians on both sides of the ball who publicly thank God for their gifts and skills?

I think not.

God cares about football in the way that He cares about all of His creation.  All of his creation is the object of His love, and all of Creation shares equally in that love.  Be it lilies of the field or puppy dogs or linebackers or coaches who have fallen from grace.  All of His Creation is intended to bring glory to Him and to reveal His goodness.

As with anything He loves, God grieves when it is used to replace Him in the affections of men.  He is saddened by things that He loves, things He has created living at cross purpose to his purposes. After all he went to the cross to affirm that absolute love found in His purposes.

So maybe we need to take football off of its pedestal. We should stop seeking to find our worth and joy in that, which like the other BCS games, will soon be forgotten. We should remember to use football for His purposes so that people might really discover what is important.

(C) 2012 by Stephen L Dunn

THERE ARE NO OFF LIMITS QUESTIONS

Earlier this year popular preacher and teacher Rob Bell stirred considerable controversy with a new book called Love Wins. (Just for clarification, I have purchased the book but not yet read it. I believe no one should comment on a book if they have not read it thoroughly and reflected upon it honestly. I intend to read it in the next month.

I have unfortunately or fortunately read an avalanche of comments about the book and its supposed premise. I have noted that very few commentators have actually yet to read Love Wins either, just what other commentators have said about it. To those who have charged Rob with universalism, others have responded with a question, "How does belief in free will (which Rob believes) co-exist with universalism (everyone will come to God)?"  One of my Facebook friends wrote in response to some of my questions, "It seemed more a calling out of Calvism that anything." (He, by the way, had read the book.)

My purpose in all of this is not to comment on Rob's book. I still have not read it.  And because many of his writings and videos have been extremely helpful to me as a biblical Christian, I intend to give him the respect of reading and reflecting upon it with honesty.  My intent is to note something far more at issue here.


When it comes to God and our desire to understand His truth, are there no "off limits" questions? This is no small question for those of us engaged in apologetics with persons who have no Christian roots and no biblical reference points in their life experience.  More often than not, the very fact that I am willing to say, "There are no off limits questions, just questions for which you do not yet have answer" has been the springboard to genuine dialogue that God used to reconcile people to Him.  Actually, the questioning usually begins with, "This is probably a stupid question ..." meaning a whole lot of their self-esteem is about to be invested in this investigation of the truth and they want to be sure that their quest will be respected by those who claim to know the Way.

I find it hard to believe that God, Who is Truth in Person, is offended by questions since it is He who embedded in us a hunger for the Truth when He created us in His image.  And God does not cease to God simply because we are rebellious in our motives for asking questions.  God can handle the Truth because He is Truth.  And in the end it is not reason that convicts of our inescapable need for God, it is the Holy Spirit who is more than human answers and theologies and systems.

There are too many Christians that are offended by any questions, except softball ones.  Perhaps they are offended because they don't have all the answers and secretly believe that their salvation is dependent upon being able to pass some kind of biblical intelligence test.  That still smells of salvation by works, and for that we have the Apostle Paul's clear admonition, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power" (Colossians 2:4) and " "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2.8-9)

Questions are the way that truth is revealed and appropriated.  Asking questions was at the heart of Jesus' teaching method.  God is not someone Who needs protected from the skeptics and defended against the atheists.  He is the One who through open hearts grants us new minds which are ultimately what is required to understand the truth and live the truth.

Every time we launch an assault on someone who asks questions we say that Truth is fragile.  God, Who moves the mountains and holds the universe in His hands is anything but.

LION KING HAS RETURNED - SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Jeffrey Totey was posted in the spirituality THE OOZE   http://www.theooze.com 

The Gospel According to The Lion King (by Jeffrey Totey)

One of Disney’s most successful and popular animated movies, The Lion King, has made its way from its den to theaters beginning September 16th. For two weeks, the classic film will be shown in a 3D version.
Back before home video devices were invented, Disney used to re-release their animated movies into theaters about every seven years. It was a brilliant plan. Disney would spend a small amount of advertising for a movie that had already been paid for and had already made a profit, only to do it again for the next generation of viewers. Now that nearly every home owns a Blue-ray or DVD player, movie companies have to come up with new gimmicks to find a reason to re-release their films. Last year, Disney tried this new plan out with a double bill of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in the 3D format in preparation for the release of Toy Story 3. Next up – Beauty and the Beast. With today’s new technology, 3D home versions can’t be far behind. It’s the circle of life I guess.

It’s interesting to see how Disney markets a story said to be inspired by biblical stories and Shakespeare’s Hamlet, to various audiences. I recently saw a promo on the Cartoon Network that features all and funny and cute scenes of the movie but none of the scary stuff. Parents of small ones that want to see this film (and haven’t seen the film themselves) should note that even with its G rating, the film has some dark moments. At one point, we see two lion cubs singing about how they “Can’t Wait to Be King” in a bright technicolor background and the next we’re taken to a dark cave where hyenas are chomping on parts of a zebra. You would never find THAT in a Winnie the Pooh movie.

Since the original version of The Lion King came out in 1994, this isn’t actually a review of the movie itself but rather a commentary on biblical truths (intentional or unintentional) that can be found in it. Some will argue that the film embraces reincarnation or new age thinking and that can be valid as well if you choose to look at it that way. The film also had its share of controversies over the years including a cut of the original VHS and LaserDisc release of the film. In it, it appears as if the word “SEX” might have been embedded into the dust flying in the sky when Simba flops down. This made headlines as some activists alleged that the this was a subliminal message intended to promote sexual promiscuity (as if sex needed any help promoting itself). Disney animators stated that the letters spelled “SFX” a common abbreviation of “special effects.” At any rate, read into to movie what you will, but the following are some similarities found in the Bible that one might share with their family members:

The Birth of Christ
The opening sequence, it appears to be a re-telling of the nativity story. It’s a beautiful scene that still brings tears to my eyes. The music, (written by Elton John and musical score by Hans Zimmer), starts out calm as the images show the early morning in Africa with animals awakened to the news that a new lion prince has been born. All animals great and small make their way to Pride Rock for a ceremony. Mufasa, the reigning king, is standing there alongside his mate Sarabi, the Joseph and Mary of the story. The mammals on land represent the shepherds, the birds or the air represent angels. Rafiki, the wise baboon, represents the wise men. Rafiki blesses the cub and lifts Simba up for all to see and worship. The music swells. The crowd bows down in obedience and honor. Black out. That sequence alone is worth the price of admission.

God and Man
The relationship between Mufasa and his son Simba can be seen as a representation of our relationship with God. In this sense, we are Simba, Mufasa is God. Like Simba, we tend to follow the rules of our father one minute, and then go down the Elephant Graveyard on our own the next. We know that we are born of royalty but struggle with the boundaries that keep us in line. Whenever Simba wanders off the “straight and narrow path,” his father finds him and leads him back home.

Later in the film, Simba find himself in the middle of a stampeded of wildebeest. Just like Jesus dying on the cross to save us from our sins, Mufasa risks his own life to save his son. Even later, an older Simba feels that he is all alone, but the voice of Musfasa again speaks to him through the stars above. He tells Simba to look at his reflection in the water. As he does so, he realizes, for the first time, that he looks like his father just as Bible tells us that we too were made in the image of God. Simba is also assured by Mufasa, that even though he cannot see him, he is still with his son. We are never alone and God speaks to us with a still small voice.

Satan
Scar, Mufasa’s jealous brother, is much like Lucifer, the former archangel in the bible before being tossed into hell. Scar hates Mufasa and his “little brat.” Like Satan, Scar befriends the friendless and speaks lies to them. He makes promises he has no intention of keeping. His is evil through and through. Shenzi, Banzai, Ed and the other hyenas represent Satan’s demons who do much of his dirty work.

In the scene where Mufasa risks his life to save Simba, it is revealed that Scar is responsible (spoiler alert) for Mufasa’s death, much like Satan is said to have rejoiced when Jesus died on the cross. Mufasa also convinces Simba that it is the cub’s fault that his father is dead and that he should run away. But at the end of the movie, Mufasa is attacked by his own henchmen and is thrown into his own hell.

The Good Samaritans
Convinced that he caused Mufas’s death, Simba takes flight and meets Timon, a meerkat, and Pumba, a warthog. Seeing that Simba is still a small cub and not able to take care of himself, the two embrace their enemy and take care of his needs, much like the Good Samaritan story in the Bible. Unfortunately, the well-meaning fiends teach Simba the phrase, “Hakuna Matata” which is interpreted as “no worries” and stretched to mean “no responsibilities.” When Simba’s childhood friend, Nala, finds him and tells him how the Pride Lands are falling apart under Scar’s leadership, Simba chooses to follow the new mantra and not get involved.

The Apostle
Rafiki can also be seen as the apostle Paul, who warns the Christian churches where they were going wrong in their ministries and allowing sin in their congregations. Rafiki, like iron sharpening iron, reminds Simba whose child he is and what his true responsibilities are. Between the words of Nala, Rafiki and Mufasa himself, Simba realizes his true calling and comes back to the Pride Lands to assume responsibility for his father’s tribe, much like we are called to do.
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Jeffrey Totey is a pop culture enthusiast, a contributing writer for Examiner.com, a future screenwriter (aren’t we all?) and former director of Acts of God Drama Troupe in Everett, Washington. He is a student of television, movies and more. He has written six full length plays and numerous sketches. Follow Jeffrey at writerofpop.blogspot.com.

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