Captivating Language: Vocabulary As A Means of Grace

**To be fair to all who read this, I must warn you right off the bat that this entry contains a topic with some language that some may find a little harsh, or offensive.  Some may even consider it to be downright vulgar, but that's okay.  Read at your own discretion.  - Shon

Christian singer/songwriter Derek Webb's latest release has been put on hold by his record company.  If you are a fan of his music, you know by now that Webb is no stranger to controversy.  However, this time it appears that some of the content is just too much for the label to handle...(more here)

The majority, but not all, of controversy seems to revolve around one song in particular, which contains the word "shit". Much of the context of the usage is unknown, but some have stated that it is about the Christian community's treatment of certain groups of people (race, sexuality, etc.). In the light of scripture, what is it that makes the use of this word so bad? Granted, it is considered by the majority to be "offensive", but what is it that makes a stand alone word a sin?

This is a topic that I've actually had experience with first hand. At my old church, this very topic came up when we were talking about taking the Lord's name in vain and swearing.  The problem with most seemed to be a vocabulary issue on the basis that no one seemed to have a clear understanding of what either of these things truly meant. The pastor leading the bible study gave a great example of the use of  the highest of all the "swear words", God Damn. He gave the example of a seminary professor that frivolously taught students to say these words in several different languages.

"Now, which is worse? What this professor was doing, or calling something a 'God-damned lie'? The professor is teaching people to just arbitrarily throw this phrase around for the purpose of amusement.  But there may be a time when the phrase is appropriate. We have to be careful in how and when we say things.  Those words should not be taken in vain or lightly, but sometimes a God-damned lie is just a God-damned lie." 

Obviously some were offended, but you also could see the light start to go on.  This isn't about vernacular, this is about the situation. Here's an example:

The serpent tells Eve that she will not surely die if she eats of the tree of knowledge (Genesis 3:4).  Now, would it be a sin to call that a God-damned lie?  Absolutely not. However, it is wrong for me to invoke the name of God to damn someone or something.  That would be taking the Lord's name in vain and speaking where God has not spoken. It is more sinful for me to say "God wills it" when I have no authority to do so, than it is for me to utter a four letter word that may offend cultural sensibilities.

Now, before you rally the pitchfork brigade, we have to make sure that we understand these things from a biblical perspective.  Here is where most would make a case against using such language by quoting Ephesians 4:29. But we must take note of the verse, for it says clear "as fits the occasion".  Words are given in order for us to appropriately communicate or convey our message. That sentence alone would make no sense to someone who lacked the vocabulary to comprehend it (i.e., a child). So, I would have to find another way to say it.  There is plenty of strong language in Scripture itself.  One of the first verses that comes to mind is Paul speaking Philippians 3:7-11. In verse 8, we see the word rubbish being used, but this has been cleaned up over the years by translators.  The actual translation of the word is dung. That's right.  So if I were explaining this verse to someone, and I said that what Paul is trying to say there is that he counts everything else as shit in comparison to knowing Christ, would I be wrong?  I guess you could say that it all depends on who I'm talking to.  If it were a five year old, disdain would most definitely be warranted. But what if I'm sharing the Gospel with an inmate, gang member, or a biker (not of the Lance Armstrong variety)? After all, I could replace dung with quite a few words that I'm sure would offend someone: Boo-Boo, Dookie, Crap, Feces, Doo-Doo, Poop...the list could go on and on, and we haven't even touched other languages yet.  It will all depend on the understanding of the person with whom I'm speaking and what end I'm trying to accomplish (Colossians 4:5-6).  This is truly what decides whether the words we use are profane or not.

Soli Deo Gloria, 

Shon

Winfrey/Puritan: Mr. Puritan Goes on the "O" Show

It appears that our friend, Mr. Puritan, is becoming a pretty popular guy...

As a result of his public forum debate/discussion with President Obama, Mr. Puritan is invited to be a guest on Oprah's Web Show to discuss Religion, Spirituality, Liberty, and Freedom.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

HSWTB? Presents: Mr. Puritan Goes To Washington

Good Evening.

Since this is my 100th entry, I wanted to do something a little bit different...

Have you ever wondered what would happen if one of the original founders of this great land of ours was able to have dialogue with say...I don't know...President Obama?! Me too!! The only problem is that I don't have a time machine, so I came up with the next best thing. I decided to try my hand at movie making. It's an independent film, so forgive the production value, but I think that the dialogue is worthwhile.

So without further ado, I present for your approval...

Mr. Puritan Goes To Washington!!!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

How to Kill and Be Killed 101: The Real Reason That People Go To Hell

Often times, you will hear Christians say that the reason that people go to hell is because they failed to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the One true Lord and Savior. However, if we examine the scriptures carefully, we will see that this is just not the case. I know this statement may seem a little confusing at first glance, but let's unpack this notion carefully.

It is safe for all who are Christians to affirm and proclaim that if you don't believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ that you will go to Hell. What is not safe to affirm or proclaim is that this is the reason that you are going to Hell in the first place (which is the implication that the statement seems to lend itself). We must remember that Jesus' life and death were sacrificial, not damning. Jesus died to bring us to God, not to further solidify our condemnation. I think that one of the problems for the confusion is that we have a strong tendency to read John 3:16 and then stop there, never paying attention to how Jesus explains the implications of it in the verses that follow (John 3:17-18). People end up in Hell, not because the don't believe in Jesus (first and foremost), but because they are in fact sinners deserving of punishment.  When a person rejects Christ as the Messiah and the salvation of their soul, it simply shows that God is just in his judgement in sending anyone to hell, due to their hostility toward him (John 3:19-20, Romans 8:7).

This may just all sound like an exercise in mere semantics or hair-splitting, but it is much more than that.  The implications on the way we do evangelism and view sin (both our own and that of others) run very deep.  First of all, as far as evangelism is concerned, a misunderstanding of what Jesus actually accomplishes in life, death and resurrection will serve to diminish the threat of our already existing condemnation.  In other words, people will never truly understand what they are being saved from.  This ties right into the second point; since our condemnation doesn't proceed salvation under these implications (i.e. "God loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your life"), the need to accept Jesus will be diminished as well.  After all, if you don't know that you're sick, why would you need a physician?  This leaves wiggle room for us sinners to run to our "works".  We are all rich young rulers at heart - ready to deceive ourselves into believing that we are good enough on our own.  Therefore, accepting Christ becomes superfluous.  This is where true danger lies; as we have seen in passages of scripture above, natural man will sooner leave it than take it.

We must remember that there is no good news without the bad news first.  But, the bad news is not that unbelief will surely send you to Hell.  The bad news is that we're going to Hell already (and rightfully so!).  But a prodigal God has been gracious and has provided a substitute in his own son, and laid the punishment due squarely on his shoulders.  All we must do is repent of our sins and believe in him who has paid the debt for us (Isaiah 53:5, Acts 17:30-31, Romans 5:12-21).

When you hear it put that way, why would you ever want to screw that up?  It's our only hope...at the Cross is where we are forgiven, not condemned (John 12:31-33, Romans 3:21-26, 1 John 2:2; 4:10).

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Relying on Egypt: The Sovereignty of God and The Recession pt. 2

Sure you're angry about what has recently happened with AIG...

But can you really say that you are surprised?!  After all that has been revealed about America's business corporations and their mismanagement of funds (most importantly, other people's funds), this should come as no big shocker.  I will be as bold to say that the shock should have worn off after the Enron/Tyco scandals of yesteryear.  The bottom line is this:  Big business of these United States needs a major overhaul and is in desperate need of a review in the Puritan/Protestant Work Ethic.  It may seem like a strange thing to say in our day, but much of this can be traced back to an abandonment of biblical principles in regards to work.  However, God is still at work during this time of massive financial corruption.  John Piper sheds some insight on this matter here:

So everything is being brought to the forefront.  But, I think that it's safe to say that we can't completely lay all of the blame solely on the shoulders of "Wall Street".  We have to take some of the blame ourselves, don't we?  I know, I know -- but just put the pitchfork down and here me out for a second.  I was thinking about this the other day; isn't a lot of what we see going on a direct result of the greed on "Main Street"?  We have to have some culpability.  We're angry because our trust has been betrayed.  For that, we should be.  But why did we trust them in the first place?  I believe that in many cases it was because of the promise of prosperity.  We buy into the idea of the promise of something for nothing.  All we have to do is sit back and watch the grass grow, then, BAM!!  Mo' Money, Mo' Money, Mo' Money!  How do ponzi schemes happen? As P.T. Barnum so eloquently put it, "There's a sucker born every minute".  How do people get put into homes with upside down mortgages?  In most cases (not all), it involves a willing participant who allows themselves to suckered in by the allure of promises that cannot deliver.

Truth be told, the only place where the promise of something for nothing can be found is in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  In these times of financial and social dereliction, there is no message that needs to be proclaimed more than this (Isaiah 31:1-6, 55:1).

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

The Coming Evangelical Collapse

I heard this topic being discussed this week on Issues, etc. - For what it's worth I think that the writer of this article is dead on.  My only disagreement would be in the timeline...I would think that this would all begin to happen much sooner.  This is  exactly what Francis Schaeffer predicted would happen in his day.  For more on the subject,  you can get it here.

ONEIDA, KY. - We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.

Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.

This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.

Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline. I'm convinced the grace and mission of God will reach to the ends of the earth. But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close. (more...)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

"The Cattle on a Thousand Hills": The Sovereignty of God and The Recession

I was watching the news today, listening to all of the pundits discussing our current recession and the "Stimulus Package".  Suddenly, I was struck by the profundity of two of the verses that I've been meditating on recently (Job 1:21-22, Psalms 50:10-11).  If we truly understand what Scripture is teaching us here, we will find peace amid these pressed economical times; realizing the fact that there are no maverick molecules in the universe by which God has no control. 

John Piper - What is the Recession For?  (Sermon Series 1-10)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

How to Kill and Be Killed 101: The Art of War

"If you are ignorant of both your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril."  - Sun Tzu

This is a sermon excerpt from John Piper, based upon Romans 8:13.  I pray that you find it both convicting and encouraging...

MAKE WAR

"Do you mortify?  Do you make it your daily work?  Be always at it while you live;  cease not from this work - Be killing sin or it will be killing you."  - John Owen

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Blessed Non-Assurance: The Truth About Atheism

"Science is nothing but perception." - Plato

I ran across this ad for the Atheist Campaign not too long ago. It intrigued me a bit, so I decided to click on the link to see what this was all about. As you would have guessed...it was about, well, nothing (get it - because they're atheists). These were the logos and buttons that could seen around the holidays in the UK and other places that have been designed to try to put the mind and soul at ease (as clearly seen by the slogan). Except for there is one small problem. We'll call it the "Problem of Probability".

How in the world could this set anyone's mind at ease?! If there IS no God, then there's no judgement, no wrath, and no accountability to him (Never mind the fact that the ramifications of such a proposal are horrendous, but we'll save that for another time). But they don't give a definitive answer; all they actually offer is a 'definite maybe'. You would have to be irrational to find comfort in something like that. Truth be told, what we have here is a tell-tale slogan. Most telling of all is the lack of surety, due to the fact that the statement isn't atheistic (no god); it is most certainly agnostic (no knowledge - or not sure of god). So, this leaves one to question:

Why so hesitant to pull the trigger?

Even with all of the popularity surrounding writers such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, no one seems to really be able to put a nail in God's coffin. Nietzsche tried. He failed. Even during the French Revolution, the leaders who abolished the religious structure because they believed in reason ended up making reason itself into a goddess because they realized that people needed something to worship. Why? Because it is intrinsic to human nature. Even when wrongly pursued, the fact still remains that we are inherently aware of the fact that something, someone greater than ourselves governs the order of things in the universe (Romans 1:18-25). This is why George Herbert is right when he says, "The devil divides the world between atheism and superstition".

So even though these New Atheists try to posture behind the guise of empirical scientific evidence and sound reasoning, the truth is that they are no closer to the truth than when they started. It's all word games, straw men, and ad hoc arguments...

Ben Stein Interview w/ Richard Dawkins

"Atheism is a disease of the soul, before it becomes an error of the understanding." - Plato

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

It Means Everything: The Greatest Reason Ever Given

Luke 2:8-20

"A Charlie Brown Christmas"

Merry Christmas,

Shon

The Reason for the Season: The Story Behind the Story of Christmas

Ephesians 1:7-10

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

The Gospel According to St. Nick?!

I had never really given much thought to the words of  "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", until I saw this excerpt from John Piper.  When held up to the person of Christ (Isaiah 9:2-7; John 3:16), one can't help but notice a stark contrast between the two:

-Santa Claus is coming to judge me for what I've done and will reward me accordingly.

-Jesus came in order to save me from what I've done because he is full of grace and mercy, AND, he is in fact coming again to redeem the world from what I've done.  And since he has already accomplished everything that is required of me in himself (Matthew 5:17-20; John 19:28-30), all I have to do is believe in him...

So, which one should we be singing about?!

Bad News:  Santa Claus is Comin' To Town  -  John Piper

Come Thou long-expected Jesus 
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel's strength and consolation, 
Hope of all the saints Thou art; 
Dear desire of every nation, 
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King, 
Born to reign in us forever, 
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone; 
By Thine all sufficient merit, 
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Come Thou long-awaited Emmanuel.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Christianity and Politics: A Savior on Capitol Hill?!

It is so easy to get caught up in all of the hype and spin that surrounds election time.  It can be an enticing thing to buy into the people and the promises that are being placed out before us.  Each trying to sell themselves as agents of "hope" and "change".  These claims at time become somewhat Messianic!  But as I said in a previous blog, Jesus Christ is not running for office in 2008.  Does this mean that Christians should have no care or have nothing to do with politics?  Not at all!  We definitely should.  But as Christians, our view of government should be shaped by something other than a popularity contest or personal political agendas.  It should be shaped by Christ through the Word of God (Matthew 22:15-21, John 18:33-37, Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17).

In this segment from Issues, etc., Dr. Uwe Simeon-Netto lays out a great framework by which we Christians should govern and discern our political viewpoints. Enjoy!

"A Savior on Capitol Hill" - Derek Webb

*My name is Shon White, and I approve this message.  But more importantly, Jesus Christ does...

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Jesus: Too Scary for Halloween?!

This is sad and hilarious at the same time...

I'm pretty sure that this kid never thought that he would end up winning the scariest outfit award by dressing up like Jesus Christ.  After all, on Halloween you have people dressed up as superheroes, monsters, killers, even demons; but Jesus had to go.  Why? Because he was there.  It's not even as though the kid was trying to make some sort of evangelical/religious statement (this is apparent from the description of the religious value in his home- talk about polar opposites!).  To him it was just a costume.  But to the watching world, it was a symbol.  It smacks of the same controversy that was brought on by Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ, which was deemed to be 'too violent' by critics.  Did I forget mention that Saw V opened in the theatres last weekend...?  The outfit was deemed to be offensive because it was Jesus. That's all.  Nothing more.  Nothing Less.  The thing that makes this story hilarious is that same thing that makes it sad:  The fact that it's true!  But in the words of singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, "You don't have to be a weather man to know which way the wind blows." 

So what's the message that the discerning Christian takes away from a news story like this?  The more that one looks like Jesus (apparently physically or spiritually), the more offensive you are to the world (Matthew 5:11-12, Ephesians 2:2, 1 John 5:19-20).  And to the world, know that there is a day coming when getting rid of Jesus won't be as simple as sending him home for a "dress code violation" (Revelation 19:11-16).

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Francis Schaeffer's "Stupid" Question

I just had to post this...even though this was done more than 20 years ago now, this message is still just as timely as ever. May you find it both convicting, encouraging, and insightful. Enjoy!!


Where Have the Bible Believing Christians Gone?



Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst. - Isaiah 5:13 ESV

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. - Hosea 4:6 ESV


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Evangel Lies: "Not THAT Death...Your Other Death!"

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. - Philippians 1:21 ESV

What you are about to see is indeed disturbing. At times it may seem funny (as they do make some really outlandish statements), but please remember that these are real people talking about real events that they have actually taken part in. But understand, this is what happens when there is a famine of the word and a poor understanding of the gospel; where people rely on dreams and visions rather than relying on the whole revelation of Christ that we find in the scriptures...

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. - Matthew 10:5-8 ESV





A Mortuary Outreach?!

Comments on the Xtreme Prophetic Teams urging fellow Christians to start up a "morturary outreach "(raising people from the dead).



No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. - John 6:44 

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. -Colossians 2:13-15 

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. - Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” - Revelation 14:12-13 

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. - Revelation 20:6 



Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Salt of the Earth: Unapologetically Apologetic

Blog Shut Down by 'Christian' Apologist's Threat
Contact: Pastor Dustin Segers, Coalition of Concerned Bloggers, ChristianResearchNetwork.com, 336-848-7197

MEDIA ADVISORY, July 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- Pastor Dustin Segers submits the following and is available for comment:

How safe are our blogs? That question was raised again when on the evening of July 26, 2008, a popular religious blog was shut down by an Internet service provider. A complaint filed by Christian author and apologist, Richard Abanes, claiming that one article on the religious opinion site, Apprising.org, had slandered him, caused the web host, IPower, to send its publisher, Ken Silva, a 48-hour warning to remove the offending piece or be taken down. In that the piece was not believed to be slander at all, but rather religious and theological opinion, he refused to be forced into censoring his site by Richard Abanes. The site went down.

There are serious implications here for all bloggers, regardless of what sort of blog they publish. Anyone who has a complaint about your views can claim that you have engaged in slander and the ISP Terms of Service usually allow for the companies to remove your website if you don't take the material in question down. The First Amendment means nothing in these cases. ISP's cannot and will not explore the claims of slander and simply notify bloggers to remove whatever is causing the problem. This opens the door for anyone to censor what a blogger writes online.

Everyone who values the right to read and publish blogs on the Internet has a vested interested in the issue. There is growing concern in the blog world over this, and a number of servers are popping up that offer "First Amendment" hosting. These are web hosts which require a court order before they will remove someone's website. Their day has clearly come.




Below are some comments that I have about this article (In word and song, no less!!)


Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.” - Ephesians 5:11-14

“The more you love something, the more you will want to defend it against abuse. If you want to get a mother bear mad, just attack her cubs. Jesus, who was normally meek and gentle, cleansed the temple because he loved his Father’s house so much and it made him angry to see it abused. We often forget that Jesus is not just a Lamb, he is also the Lion of Judah. So also when we see God’s Word misused and abused, it is an issue worth defending. If anything is worth fighting for, it is God’s truth.” - anonymous

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

"Uncommon Nonsense": G.K. Chesterton's Critique on Modern Man and the Rise of Postmodern Thought

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. - Romans 1:21

I think that it can easily be said that G.K. Chesterton is one of the most gifted commentators on modern thought and life in almost every area. I was watching Ravi Zacharias', Deliver us from Evil the other day (one of the rare times that I've actually watched Christian TV!), and I was reminded how profound Chesterton's analyses were when it came to the thought of modern man and the coming trend that we now know as "Post-Modern" thought. While there is some difficulty in labeling what postmodernism is, I believe that Chesterton does one of the best jobs of actually nailing down such a slippery topic. In his book, Orthodoxy, he states:

"In case the point is not clear, an historic example may illustrate it. The French Revolution was really a heroic and decisive thing, because the Jacobins willed something definite and limited. They desired the freedoms of democracy, but also all the vetoes of democracy. They wished to have votes and not to have titles. Republicanism had an ascetic side in Franklin or Robespierre as well as an expansive side in Danton or Wilkes. Therefore they have created something with a solid substance and shape, the square social equality and peasant wealth of France. But since then the revolutionary or speculative mind of Europe has been weakened by shrinking from any proposal because of the limits of that proposal. Liberalism has been degraded into liberality. Men have tried to turn "revolutionize" from a transitive to an intransitive verb. The Jacobin could tell you not only the system he would rebel against, but (what was more important) the system he would not rebel against, the system he would trust. But the new rebel is a Skeptic, and will not entirely trust anything. He has no loyalty; therefore he can never be really a revolutionist. And the fact that he doubts everything really gets in his way when he wants to denounce anything. For all denunciation implies a moral doctrine of some kind; and the modern revolutionist doubts not only the institution he denounces, but the doctrine by which he denounces it. Thus he writes one book complaining that imperial oppression insults the purity of women, and then he writes another book (about the sex problem) in which he insults it himself. He curses the Sultan because Christian girls lose their virginity, and then curses Mrs. Grundy because they keep it. As a politician, he will cry out that war is a waste of life, and then, as a philosopher, that all life is waste of time. A Russian pessimist will denounce a policeman for killing a peasant, and then prove by the highest philosophical principles that the peasant ought to have killed himself. A man denounces marriage as a lie, and then denounces aristocratic profligates for treating it as a lie. He calls a flag a bauble, and then blames the oppressors of Poland or Ireland because they take away that bauble. The man of this school goes first to a political meeting, where he complains that savages are treated as if they were beasts; then he takes his hat and umbrella and goes on to a scientific meeting, where he proves that they practically are beasts. In short, the modern revolutionist, being an infinite skeptic, is always engaged in undermining his own mines. In his book on politics he attacks men for trampling on morality; in his book on ethics he attacks morality for trampling on men. Therefore the modern man in revolt has become practically useless for all purposes of revolt. By rebelling against everything he has lost his right to rebel against anything."

Amen and Amen!! For more on Chesterton, click here.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Selling Jesus: "Christian" Consumerism

This is great vid from my favorite radio program, The White Horse Inn. These guys give a great critique on the model of modern evangelicalism and its roots...seriously awesome stuff!! God bless these guys in the work that they do. Also, a special shout out to Lane for posting this on YouTube. It's rare that you get to see a live broadcast of WHI. It is about an hour long, but worth every minute. Enjoy and be edified.

WHI Live from Oceanside, CA


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

The Top of the Dunghill: The Spirituality of Oprah Winfrey

Most Bible-believing Christians may be quick to just dismiss the things that come from Oprah's mouth as silly. However, I think that this is one of the times that we must, as it says in the scriptures, to answer a fool according to their folly. While it may be apparent to some, you can't just make the leap and assume that it is apparent for all. Regardless of how ridiculous it may be, we have to take into account that Oprah has one of the largest (if not the largest) fan bases in the world. Knowing that we must entertain the things that she says and take them seriously as to be able to enlighten people to the truth when the opportunity presents itself. There are after all many earnest Christian folks who also at times have been led astray by some of the things that Oprah has said. It is the job of those who are more mature in the faith and who have grown into a fuller knowledge of the truth to edify and teach our spiritually younger brethren.

Listen to the "doctrine" that Oprah presents and then hear the objections of Pastors Mark Driscoll and R.C. Sproul as they lay out a clear and concise apology to Ms. Winfrey's postmodern, quasi-theological rant - specifically pertaining to the person and work of Jesus Christ. All roads may very well lead to Rome, but there is only one way to God...


Oprah's Spirituality (w/ scripture references)



Mark Driscoll's Response the "Oprah Spirituality"



R.C. Sproul on the Exclusivity of Jesus Christ



Isaiah 64:6
Philippians 3:8-11


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon