Emergent or The Story is in the Pages, Keep Your Eye on the Bible

You not only have a purpose in life, you are worth it. God thought you were worthy of His love so much that He sent His son to earth for you. Does that not sound nice, regardless if it is true? Emergent literature seems to agree with that, it tends to dance down the pathway of emotional responses. Authors such as Rob Bell, Brian McLaren and Donald Miller say this and even more, but they usually do not have the authority behind their statements and subtle whispers. They try to find a way to blend the bible with post-modernism, but they have trouble realizing the blend is not right. Emergent, or emerging, authors and thinkers try to use the fundamental truths of Gods scripture along with the ever swaying lack of truth in post-modernism. The result is an emerging movement (or conversation) of social gospel made up of emotional reactions, antithetic usage of scripture and a lack of truth.

A few quotes from leaders in the conversation:

"The Way is not a method or a map, The Way is an experience."
- Leonard Sweet, SoulTsunami

“The Christian faith, I am proposing, should become (in the name of Jesus Christ) a welcome friend to other religions of the world, not a threat”
-Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy McLaren

"Heaven is full of forgiven people. Hell is full of forgiven people. Heaven is full of people God loves, whom Jesus died for. Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for. The difference is how we choose to live, which story we choose to live in, which version of reality we trust. Ours or God's."
-Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis

”The main reason of the incarnation of Jesus is so that we can understand how to be human”
- Rob Bell

"I once listened to an Indian on television say that God was in the wind and the water, and I wondered at how beautiful that was because it meant you could swim in Him or have Him brush your face in a breeze."
— Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

"I don't agree with 1/4 of my first book"
-Donald Miller

"religious doctrines just aren't very compelling, even if they're true."
- Shane Claiborne

"[In Calcutta] The goal was not to keep people alive...but to allow them to die with dignity, with someone loving them, singing, laughing, so they were not alone."
- Shane Claiborne


The problem with this movement (or conversation, as it is called by people in the movement) really is the lack of substance when it becomes spiritual, as they prefer to skim the outside of spiritual truth or even flat out refuse it. The truth of the cross and the reason Christ died for us is muddle up by this movement.

Steve Chalke (an author highly praised by Brian McLaren) has even called the death of Christ on the cross "cosmic child abuse" and even goes as far as claiming, "Jesus believed in original goodness." After that, the author and dreamer Shane Claiborne claims that Jesus is in the eyes of everyone (The Irresistible Revolution). Donald Miller seems to believe that pain and brokenness are the main problems of humanity and we need to learn to love ourselves (Blue Like Jazz). Even Rob Bell says that Christ died so we can "understand what it means to be human." These authors miss the fact that Christ died to free us from our bondage of sin. They ignore 1 John 4:10, "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Christ died and suffered on the cross so he could absorb the wrath of God so we did not have to.

They also twist and mold scripture to fit their idea of Christ. Share Claiborne claiming the Christ was a revolutionary, rebellious leader who was crucified because he hung out with sinners (The Irresistible Revolution). He also says that the principalities and powers and rulers of our dark world that Ephesians tells us about are the empire because it makes the world unsafe because millions live in poverty. He totally ignores the truth that Ephesians actually talks about darkness spiritually.

That is just two main issues I have found with the emergent church, they also distort scripture when discussing war and violence (and ignore the perfect demands of God for Israel to go to war)and become spotty when they are presented with big morality hot topics such as homosexuality ("Frankly, many of us don't know what we should think about homosexuality. We've heard all sides but no position has yet won our confidence so that we can say "it seems good to the Holy Spirit and us." -Brian McLaren). These issues are too much for me to continue writing about currently, Perhaps I'll expand with a Part II to this.

This movement very well could be remembered when Paul warns us to be wary of false teachers who exchange to truth of God for a lie, perhaps a lie that drips honey to our ears.

How Do You Like This Now?

People love to manipulate and twist scripture so it can fit their ideas. Why do people tend to twist peacemakers in Jesus' sermon on the mount to mean people who make worldly peace and not spiritual? What ever happened to God commanding the annihilation of the Amalekites? That's sure not peaceful, but that was perfect and right. How do those people explain those old testament scriptures like that? The holy, just, righteous and perfect God command that a nation be blotched up, that meant that Israeli going to war and slaying the Amalekites was holy, just and perfect. What kind of kink does that put in the peace loving misconception that people lick up in this current age?

A Plan For Peace?

"It is our job, it is our responsibility, to help people make peace with God and then to help them make peace with each other. That is the commission that was given not to a government, but the church." - Rick Warren

P.E.A.C.E.

Promote Reconciliation
Equip Leaders
Assist the Poor
Care for the Sick
Educate the Next Generation

This plan is formed, by Pastor Rick Warren, to combat the Giants of spiritual emptiness, corrupt leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic diseases, illiteracy and lack of education. Of course you could interchange any semi-emergent leader in Warrens place and it'd still fit. Here are some names for you to try it with: Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, Shane Clairborne, Donald Miller, Rob Bell, and even Robert Schuller.

Okay, so how is this biblical? Why is this the churches commission? What is the hang up with people thinking Christ becomes suddenly superficial when he teaches about peace? What is the deal with pulling out the social gospel so often anymore? When does God command us to fix the worlds messed up, superficial problems? When does God command the church to make every poor person not poor and command the church to make everyone literate?

I'll emphasize that I'm arguing at the superficial standing point, and I'm not arguing this is wrong but that is is not the command from Christ for us to do. Too often people are just seemingly lazy or looking for biblical justification for the things they do when there may not be. The command from Christ is to spread the word of Him and what He has done for us. A social gospel and desire for worldly peace are not the objectives of the savior of our souls. Christ even says he does not come for worldly peace:

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34)

"Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;" (Luke 12:51)

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:27)

Just as when he tells us the beatitude of being a peacemaker, it is not superficial, worldly peace He is telling us about. It is spiritual peace, which will not be accomplished by fixing this faulty planet (which is impossible by the way). Jesus also talks about the poor, saying they will always be with us and that a sign of Him being the Son of God is the fact the poor are getting preached the Word of God. Nothing about the poor getting an easier life on this decomposing planet called earth.

Making someones earthly body healthy again so it can die a few years later, or making someone earthly body recognize earthly words will not save their souls. The ultimate commission from Christ is to tell people of His grace and glory, not make them feel better about their earthly body.

"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18,19)

Christ is the reconciler, we are a way to let other know who the true Reconciler is. Our commission is to let it be know that one can only be reconciled to God through Christ Jesus, our commission is to let Christ's death for us on the cross be known, our commission is to let God grace through Jesus be known. Our peace should not be that of the world, superficial and with other men, but that of Christs, spiritual and with God alone.

The Backyard Project

Quick history, my grandfather took care of an acre of land until he died, about 8 years ago. Since then the care given to it has been extremely limited, mainly mowing weeds (that thing called grass, it's gone) and killing everything that could be. Everything else was let go, not taken care of. Over the past few months I've been working on it myself and trying to get it up to par with not only being a regular backyard, but a decent garden and general good looking place. Sometimes I look at it and can't believe I've been doing stuff with it for four or so months (since March), it looks like I've hardly done anything with most of it. I have worked one corner to be pretty good and I'm ever so slowly expanding. I didn't take any pictures when I first started, I'm just doing it now. First the little area I've been busting my butt on then I'll post the rest later, next week hopefully. I'll explain more later, next week too, about it when I have more time.

After all that, I'll be posting stuff periodically showing some progress and changes done. I'm hoping the change will be not only extremely noticeable, but fantastic looking. (Some picture you'll have to click on to see the whole thing)





Between the Mock Orange and the light were two stumps I took out, dug them, and I cleaned up all the weeds as the aera all along the fence was overflowing with them. I put down about an inch of manure mix all through the area and behind the tree slightly on the left and up.



The I took about four dying/overgrown flowers out of the little garden place surrounded by the railroad ties on the right. I put new soil down and added three Dahlias. The grass in the center was a bit of a project as I've been pulling weeds from it periodically. I reseeded the empty patches in it and the new grass is growing very well so far.





There was a stump between the tree and the Mock Orange bush (there's a few of these around this place) I dug out also. You can see where I placed the manure mix (along with some new top soil), the messy bricks and the dirt area will eventually be turned into a brick patio.





From the fence looking at the house, those bricks will just continue towards me.



I'm not sure what to put here, maybe some cat mint?



The other side, not so pretty. I'm in the process of scraping the grass out and re-seeding it all and putting in some new grass.





The well pump! Everything is irrigated by this little sucker. Well water is nice.



Not a pretty sight.



Looking out to the lawn. I like that Hydrangea, and I like that lawn.



The other Hydrangea I put in and some deer.



Some more deer action.



Along the fence. Those tall flowers on the left are Bachelors Buttons.


Thanks for looking, I hope this turns out great.

Hear Me

Free my soul from it's self made prison, Lord. I have no righteousness in me, You know that fuller then I ever will want to. I need to escape those that persecute my heart, those that pull me down and away from You. You know I have to escape these evil men and desires, and I cry out to You to come to my rescue again.

Take me off the dark path to Sheol and place me on the lit and slender path to You, I want nothing to do with the evil and violent today but I only want to follow the righteous pathway to You. Do not judge for the path Your child has taken, but forgive me. Forgive me for the hardened parts of my heart, cleanse it and make it soft in it's entirety again.

I need Your deliverance because I am weak and overpowered by evil, only You can save me. Bring my wandering heart back to You so that I may give thanks to Your name, the Lord of all!

I want to bask in the light of Your truth forever, I want to be as a firm tree by a river. I do not want to wither, but be dealt with graciously by You, my Father and God.

Humanity is a Child

Humanity is like many small children who are picky in what they eat. They get taught and shown that vegetables are good and healthy for their bodies, that brussels sprouts and broccoli strengthen them. But they ignore that and instead go for the chocolate truffles because the taste of chocolate is so much more pleasing to their palette, all the time ignoring the fact the chocolate is damaging to their bodies and is, in fact, poisonous.

Dream 2

I had a dream that I was standing in a barren field of gravel. About ten feet in front of me was a high electric fence and a gray brick wall behind that, the fence stretched as far as the eye could see on either side of me. Next to me was a chain linked fence with barb wire at the top. The fence went straight down until it disappeared in the distance. On the outside of the fence there were high bushes and thick trees, they were perfectly green and secure feeling. I started to walk forward, in between the two fences, when I suddenly came alongside an author.

I instantly recognized him as a famous Christian writer, someone who is greatly admired by many people. He was tall and wore clothes of his own making, even his sandals were his own. This author had a distraught look on his face, I told him to walk with me and he began talking about what he believed and felt. The books this man wrote grasped many flawed arguments and that was the reason for his distress. He came to the realization that his writing and beliefs where not something high, but something fruitless. He claimed foolishness and simple mindedness in those writings.

At that very moment we came upon a hole in the fence. The hole was about eight feet tall and just wide enough for two people or a small automobile. It was green with healthy bushes on both sides, and those bushes were so think it was impossible to see through them. The bushes fluttered over the pathway too, giving it a peaceful and pure sense. The ground lost all traces of the gravel and was instead grass and dirt. This path was perfectly lit, and appeared to have the sun itself waiting at the end. I looked at the author and we both agreed to turn onto the path.

At this my dream ended, that was the second.