A Humorous Look at the "Perfect" Christian Novel

When I was the church librarian I would often have books donated to the library from members who had finished them. Sometimes they were very good books. Sometimes they were so old and outdated (not classics, or solid authors, but outdated) that I sent them on to the thrift store. But the fiction was always a concern.

I was amazed at what was passed off as Christian fiction. There were romance novels that had nothing to do with Christianity other than at the end the couple went to church. There were violent novels that dealt with the end times but left you wondering what the gospel really was. I was shocked at the books that were donated. I wouldn't put a book in the library until I had screened it. I also rated books according to "my" rating system. My rating system was "Would I let my child read this book and at what age?" See I have a much more conservative system than the movie rating system.

Several times I would not let a child or youth check out a book without discussing the matter with the parent. That didn't always go over well, as you can imagine. But I was responsible for what I allowed the children to be exposed to.

Since this was a Southern Baptist Church, the Left-Behind series was very popular to several members. Don't bother though, you won't learn a thing and there is much better things to read. The Amish Novels where also popular. I feel sorry for the Amish as a people having just trash written about them. While I do not agree with the Amish theology and their decisions with life, you must respect them for living out their beliefs unlike the average church member who says one thing and lives differently.

Being a church librarian has much potential but honestly I think a church library really needs to consider eliminating most fiction. The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan and maybe the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis being the few exceptions. Although I have serious concerns about even the Narnia books by Lewis, that would be hard to convince the average believer of the problems with that book.

Here is a humorous look at the "Perfect" Christian Novel. What does this say about us?

The Ultimate Christian Novel

I think I have done it. I’ve come up with the ultimate idea for the ultimate Christian novel. This novel seamlessly blends today’s most popular genres into one beautiful, compelling, cohesive whole. I thought you would want to know all about it. So I give to you…

Cassidy: Amish Vampiress of the Tribulation

That’s right. It’s an Amish novel; it’s a vampire novel; it’s an end-times novel. It’s the best of all worlds. Continue

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I Work So My Children Can Go to College – Is College that Important?

College seems to be pushed as the ultimate cap to childhood. Children have not grown up until they have gone to college for a few years and gotten a degree. But what is the purpose of college?

Is the goal of college a well rounded education?

Is college just an extension of the teen years, more freedom and less demands?

Is the goal of college to be able to make more money than flipping burgers at McDonalds?

Is college for finding a spouse?

Is college an extension of the high school sports playing?

Is college for receiving a degree and a piece of paper to hang on the wall?

Is college required in order to obtain the necessary credentials for a chosen career path?

Is having a college degree a matter of pride, a notch in your belt, which says you are important?

Have you really sat down and contemplated why or if your child should attend college?

Cannot many of the reasons for college be met in different ways with much less expense?

See when I was a young mother one of the first things others stressed is that you shouldn’t have too many children, nor have them too close together, because then how would you be able to afford college. Honestly, the issue was of a little concern then, but not something I stressed about, now I know that the Lord will provide for ALL our needs. We even at one time signed up for the PACT (Prepaid Affordable College Tuition) college funding available in our state, which is now defaulting. After signing the papers with a salesman who came to our home, we had 30 days to review the papers before it was final. But upon closer reading we found that what we were going to have to pay would be so limited in what we could do with it and really it was only a savings account regulated by the government. It wouldn’t cover out of state schools, had problems if we moved across state lines, and was really restricted if my preschooler at the time was not intending to go to college upon graduation. We dropped that and haven’t regretted it at all. Especially after the issue our state has had this past year with PACT funding for colleges, the year our oldest was eligible.

Throughout high school we were not only encouraged to attend college but we were seriously recruited from the colleges. We were taught that anybody worth anything would attend college. Only those who desired to be live in poverty or live off the government wouldn’t attend college and get a good supporting career (only possible with a degree supposedly). But is that true? No, it isn’t true at all. That is just one of the many lies the public school system will strive to convince students.

Another lie that is fostered by the college mentality is that young people should finish college before getting married. Only red-necks and country bumpkins got married right out of high school; intelligent people waited until after college. It didn’t matter if you had been dating the same person for three or four years during high school (courtship and not dating weren’t popular then); you still needed to wait until you graduated from college. College was more important than marriage. Need I point out the issues this causes!

So one of the first things for parents to determine is what prominence a college education holds in the life of their family. Is it a requirement or it is dependent on the actual career choices of the child? What if your son desires to do carpentry? What if your daughter just desires to be a homemaker? Now of course if your other son feels called to be a surgeon he will have a decade of college ahead of him. But will one be more highly favored just due to the college education?

Must mothers give up being home with their children in order to pay the outlandish prices for a college education? Which will have more influence on a child, eighteen years of an available mother or four years of college?

Is the Lord more concerned with the externals of a college education or with the internals of the heart?

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Ink & Blood Has a New Artifact

New artifact added to Ink & Blood

For archaeologists, at least, one generation’s trash can be a future generation’s great treasure.

What is considered to be the third oldest portion ever found of the Gospel of John has been added to the Hardin Center’s exhibit, “Ink & Blood: Dead Sea Scrolls to Gutenberg,” on exhibit through Dec. 23.

The fragment, which is the size of about half a page, is a portion of the Gospel of St. John 8:14-22.

It has Greek writing on the front and the back and has the number “74” on one side.

Exhibition director Dillon Poss said, “It is the oldest document in the world with a page number that we know of.” Continue

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Praying Mothers

One important mother in the Bible was Hannah. She received her child as the direct result of her broken prayers and she only had him until he was weaned, about 3 to 6 years typically. She then returned the much prayed for child to the Lord to serve Him. 1 Samuel 2 records her prayer and her faith in the Lord. She left her son, Samuel, with Eli whose sons were “worthless and did not know the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:12) Yet although she only saw Samuel yearly, you can be sure there was much prayer offered for him during those years.

Samuel is the only child in the Bible that I know of that the same statement used of our Lord was used of him. Both their mothers were Praying Mothers, with their prayers recorded in Scripture! (1 Samuel 2:1-10, Luke 1:46-55)

1 Samuel 2:26 Now the young man Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man. ESV

Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. ESV

Oh, if the Lord could say that about my children!

The Lord will accomplish His purpose despite or even because of the circumstances. Our children will be responsible for their decisions. But even so, we as parents will be held accountable for our decisions in raising our children, whether good or bad.

As I often point out to my children, I am the perfect mother for them. Not that I am perfect, by no means, but that the Lord in His perfect wisdom knew what mother they needed to become what He desires them to be. That includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. But it also works both ways. See the Lord knew what children I needed to become what He wants me to be. Including the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sometimes He gives you a child that there is no doubt what character flaws in yourself the Lord is working on. :)

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Half-Baked Christians

Hosea 7:8

Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples;

Ephraim is a cake not turned.

This verse has always caught my attention when I've read it.

You think this might be the basis for the American expression "half-baked"?

The tribe of Ephraim is accused of mixing with the pagan people and following their customs.

Being half-baked is being over done on one side and uncooked on the other. Similar to trying to cook pancakes but never flipping them. The bottom side would be burnt while the top side would be raw. Nothing suitable for eating but only for spewing out.

It is very easy for someone to pick a few verses of the Bible and make them their mantra and to only focus on them while ignoring the rest of Scripture. Everyone has seen those who claim to be Christians who are adamant about certain portions of Scripture. Drawing man-made lines in the sand saying you can never cross this line, yet in other areas seeming to totally ignore the Scriptures.

These are the ones you hear about in the news often. The strong Christian leader who is well respected in the community yet is found to have been living a double life at home or at least is not as he seemed.

"Ephraim is a cake not turned." Hosea 7:8

A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine grace: though there was some partial obedience, there was very much rebellion left. My soul, I charge thee, see whether this be thy case. Art thou thorough in the things of God? Has grace gone through the very centre of thy being so as to be felt in its divine operations in all thy powers, thy actions, thy words, and thy thoughts? To be sanctified, spirit, soul, and body, should be thine aim and prayer; and although sanctification may not be perfect in thee anywhere in degree, yet it must be universal in its action; there must not be the appearance of holiness in one place and reigning sin in another, else thou, too, wilt be a cake not turned.

A cake not turned is soon burnt on the side nearest the fire, and although no man can have too much religion, there are some who seem burnt black with bigoted zeal for that part of truth which they have received, or are charred to a cinder with a vainglorious Pharisaic ostentation of those religious performances which suit their humour. The assumed appearance of superior sanctity frequently accompanies a total absence of all vital godliness. The saint in public is a devil in private. He deals in flour by day and in soot by night. The cake which is burned on one side, is dough on the other.

If it be so with me, O Lord, turn me! Turn my unsanctified nature to the fire of Thy love and let it feel the sacred glow, and let my burnt side cool a little while I learn my own weakness and want of heat when I am removed from Thy heavenly flame. Let me not be found a double-minded man, but one entirely under the powerful influence of reigning grace; for well I know if I am left like a cake unturned, and am not on both sides the subject of Thy grace, I must be consumed for ever amid everlasting burnings.

(from Spurgeon's Morning & Evening, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 1999, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

As Spurgeon said "... there must not be the appearance of holiness in one place and reigning sin in another, else thou, too, wilt be a cake not turned."

Are you striving to be well done through and through?

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Warming at the Enemy’s Fire – Abraham

Yesterday I posted about Lot enjoying the pleasures and safety of living in the city while being grieved at heart by the sin and soon falling into sin himself. Today let’s look at Abraham.

We find that Abraham enjoyed the benefits of the enemy at least twice by going down to Egypt during a famine and once going to Gerar. But in the process of enjoying the food for his family and household even Abraham fell into sin by lying about his relationship to his wife.

Genesis 12:10-13
10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, "I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance,
12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.
13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake." ESV

Genesis 20:1-2
1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. ESV

Not only did Abraham lie about his relationship to Sarah in both cases, he also placed his wife at risk since she was placed in the Pharaoh’s or the King’s harem.

While the Lord still protected Sarah despite her husband’s sin, could not the same Lord have just as easily kept Abraham from being killed as he feared?

Or could not the Lord have fed Abraham?

I mean really, the promises God had given Abraham had not yet been fulfilled so surely the Lord would do what He said.

We see the reason Abraham gave for lying was because he knew he was in the midst of the enemy.

Genesis 20:11 Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. ESV

Abraham knew he was “warming with the enemy” just as Peter did (Luke 22:54-62). The enemy didn’t sneek up on them, but both Abraham and Peter, just as Lot, went to the enemy to enjoy the "warmth" (benefits). Yet all three soon found themselves in sin.

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Warming at The Enemy’s Fire – Lot

When contemplating how we might today be Warming At The Enemy's Fire, I was having trouble thinking this out very well. (May have something to do with spending the past couple of days listening to orchestra rehearsals all day.)

At first the only thought I had was Lottery Funding. Some states use the income from lotteries to fund scholarships for qualified students. Is this not “warming ourselves at the enemy’s fire”? Especially when we consider those who buy lottery tickets are often those who can least afford it.

But this doesn’t affect me. I don’t buy lottery tickets nor do I use lottery funds to send my children to college. But surely I cannot just say well I’m not guilty of ever “warming at the enemy’s fire”?

So I decided to see who else in Scripture was guilty. It wasn’t hard at all to find several examples.

Lot

Lot choose the well watered plains with the cities of Sodom and Gommorrah when he separated from Abraham.

Genesis 13:5-13

5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together,
7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
8 Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.
9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left."
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.
12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.
13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. ESV

See that in verse 12 Lot was just pitching his tent near Sodom, yet by Genesis 19:1 Lot is living in the city and sitting in the gate.

Genesis 19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. ESV

Lot was “warming himself” by enjoying the protection and benefits of the city despite being grieved by the sin of the city. We of course know of the troubles Lot was soon to find himself in.

2 Peter 2:7-8
7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked
8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); ESV

Notice who tells us of Lot being grieved by the sin of the city.

None other than Peter!

You think Peter understood being in the wrong place, warming himself with the enemy, and falling into sin?

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Dust If You Must

Luke 10:38-42

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me."
41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." ESV

For the Marthas:

Dust If You Must

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

-Rose Milligan

If you still need to dust, my house could use it.

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Warming At The Enemy's Fire?

Last night while reading a passage of Scripture in our Bible study class my attention was drawn to the following verse:

Luke 22:55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. ESV

This verse just really caught my attention. It is from a very familiar passage in Luke about Peter's denial.

Luke 22:54-62
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance.
55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.
56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, "This man also was with him."
57 But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him."
58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not."
59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, "Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean."
60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times."
62 And he went out and wept bitterly. ESV

Peter did the following:

1. Followed at a distance. (There will be problems when you distance yourself from Christ.)


2. Warmed at the enemy's fire.


3. Denied Christ three times.


4. Wept bitterly.

You could spend days discussing each of these things that Peter did and how one led to another.

But my specific attention was drawn to the warming at the enemy's fire.

What does that look like to us today?

How do we as New Testament believers warm ourselves at the enemy's fire and cause us to fall into sin?

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Youth Groups - Losing Your Inhibitions Is a Good Thing !?!

If you've noticed in the post about Christian Schools several references were made to them being like large youth groups. I know that there are a few good Christians trying to teach youth who are basing their teaching on Scripture. But they are few and far between. The majority of youth groups across this country are more interested in the pizza parties, games and wild ideas than they are studying the Scriptures.

A couple of weeks ago a particular youth group's activities were brought to my attention entitled Peanut Butter Salvation: Why a Southside MegaChurch Thinks That Goldfish Swallowing and Toe-Licking Will Lead the Next Generation to God. Honestly, I have read alot of stuff involving our youth especially some sickening things concerning the music directed at the youth when I was preparing the CCM pdf. But I was so disgusted and saddened by this particular article that I couldn't finish reading it at first.

Why such a reaction? Because I have two teens and a preteen that could very well be involved in these same activities if we had not decided years ago to eliminate youth group activities from our church experience. Although some of my children are strong enough that they would not do something that they felt uncomfortable with, I do know that some would follow the crowd especially if directed to do so by a trusted leader.

The Pilgrim at Defending. Contending. took the information I shared with him and was able to write a very good explanation of some of the issues involved in the typical youth ministry and their activities to get a crowd. While it is not a pretty subject it is very necessary for anyone with youth, or even younger children, to become aware of what is being done in youth groups today. Even if the activities are different the ideas and worldly view behind much of the activities are the same.

A general idea behind these activities is to encourage our children to:

Lose your inhibitions. Young people usually have inhibitions against doing anything too embarrassing or shameful. These exercises are designed to free people from such hang-ups. For some reason, post-Freudian psychologists­ whose “sensitivity groups” are the model for these kinds of exercises­ maintain that such inhibitions are bad. Christians, though, have always insisted that we need to feel inhibited about indulging in things for which we should feel ashamed. This is part of what we mean by developing a conscience. ~ Gene Edward Veith

They are actually encouraging the youth to give into to peer pressure! What many parents are fighting tooth and nail to keep our children from doing. The youth group is encouraging all under the assumed respectability of the "Church".

Peanut butter salvation and other stupid church tricks.

... just silly men who have never grown up, getting paid to play silly games with kids who will eventually be inoculated against true Biblical Christianity.]

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[So let me get this straight. Standing up for Jesus requires boldness and fearlessness, but instead of instilling that in the youth by having them actually stand up for Jesus, or even showing them by example, instead you have them perform sick, twisted, and erotic games and this will somehow help them stand up for Jesus? And if they need to perform these juvenile games to stand up for Jesus then does that not mean that you're suggesting to them that their source of strength comes not from God but from them and their willingness to act like fools? Here's a novel idea: Try having them become "fearless" by actually proclaiming Jesus Christ, and start with you by boldly preaching Jesus Christ. Then encourage the one's that are really sincere to take missions trips to countries where standing up for Jesus will get you imprisoned, tortured and/or killed. Somehow I don't think the countless martyrs throughout church history and today needed to lick peanut butter off someone's toes in order to stand up for Jesus.]

Please pass this along to any who feel having their children in a popular youth program in a church will be beneficial to their salvation or spiritual growth. One parent can't change the direction of the average youth group but several parents standing together just might.

I would also encourage anyone to pull their children from any youth group of this type. You just might be surprised at how your teen grows when actually in a serious, Biblical Bible study.

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