Listen and be edified...

Voddie Baucham from Rasmus Gade on Vimeo.

Libya burning....

Who would have thought Brother Leader would have come to this? The self-appointed President of the United States of Africa (his own idea) is fighting for political suvival as bloodshed and violence overtakes the country that he has ruled as his personal fiefdom. It was a matter of time. Who is it who said "Even a worm will turn"?

The latest reports on Fairfax Media news sites and a live blog on the Al-Jazeera website document the turmoil in Libya, even as the official press denies the numbers of dead and wounded being reported by bloggers, twitterers and international media. Junior "Brother Leader" Saif al-Islam Gadaffi cut an almost Comical Ali-type figure in his televised interview last night - without the utter buffoonery of Saddam's erstwhile spokesman. His strident refusal to face reality, though, was frighteningly similar. It was the picture of a regime utterly out of touch with its subjects and completely dumbfounded by how quickly it was losing control - and completely incapable of dealing with it.

Gadaffi's initial response to the protests in Benghazi was to send troops out firing live ammunition and - get this - anti-aircraft guns at or above the protestors. I believe that was the moment he sealed his fate. A measured response, more reflective of the general mood may have allowed him, at the very least, to exit with some honour. At the most, he may have continued to enjoy some role in a reformed government set-up. Unlikely, but possible. All that has changed now. If he thought that getting out the sledgehammer to deal with a bunch of ants would do the job, well, the the ants came back with reinforcements. As one blogger/twitterer put it: "these people are not after Gadaffi anymore. They're after blood". The ire of a subdued nation has been aroused. 40 years of pent-up rage is now unleashed. Most recent reports on CNN and other international news media suggest that Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, is now in the hands of anti-government protestors.

If he still listens to sound advice, it would be this: Leave now, and never come back. Ride off on your camel into the Saudi desert, where you will receive succour like the rest of your fellow dictators. Saudi Arabia, land of oil, Mecca, Bin Laden and the welcoming home for any brutal, savage dethroned despot with an Islamic name. Go now, before you share the fate of Nicolae Ceausescu.

I wonder what Nelson Mandela thinks of Gadaffi now. Does he still think "this man is our friend", as he insisted soon after taking office, when he paid a state visit to Triploi to thank "Brother Leader" for his support for the ANC while in exile. In return for his support, the ANC turned a blind eye to his brutal regime and the suppression of basic freedoms in Libya. While his support was very real and beneficial from a South African perspective, it was a morally compromised choice. Altriusm would have been farthest from Gadaffi's mind as, even back then, he entertained grandiose designs of himself at the head of a union of African states. Whatever it is, it will be interesting to see how Jacob Zuma's government responds officially to the latest developments in Libya - if at all.

Does a tree...

What's that age-old question again - "Does a tree falling in a forest make a sound if there is no-one to hear it?"

We could ask that in different ways and applied to different things.

Is an athlete the best in the world if there is no-one to compete against him?

Is someone a writer if no-one reads his work?

Would I be a house builder if no-one lives in the houses I build?

Would I be a dog lover even if I don't own a dog?

Would I be a cat lover even if I don't own a cat?

Is someone still a leader if no-one follows him, or all his followers desert him?

And we could go on and on in that vein, I suppose.

So, what's my point?

Well, it's a bit self-centred. I have this blog and I write here. I also write several other things outside of this blog. Much of what I write may never be seen by anyone. I write because I want to and I'm able to articulate things better when I think about things and put them down on paper. (Yes, I know this is a keyboard, but you know what I mean). So, am I still a writer if no-one ever reads what I write?

In my opinion, yes. Being a writer is not predicated on having an audience in the purest sense, anymore than being a farmer requires people to buy your crops. Being a farmer means that you should be someone who 'farms', i.e. grows crops, raises livestock, etc. That is a given. But if no-one ever bought your produce, it could be either that you produce only for yourself, you like to give away your surplus, or you're a bad farmer. Likewise, being a writer means that you have to be someone who 'writes'. Whether someone ever reads what you write or no, does not determine whether you are a writer or not.

Lessons from yesteryear...

If you ever thought that false teachers are a 21st century phenomenon, think again. First, read the Bible, and see how even in Paul's time, false teachers began to spring up. Simply from the witness of Scripture, there is no basis for us to consider this a new thing. However, it is good for us to know what has passed through the history of the church. Read this about Spurgeon and what is referred to as the "Down-Grade Controversy".

http://www.spurgeon.org/downgrd.htm

A Study in Disingenuity...

Let's consider a particular scenario: You're a Christian, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. You have a wife and a family with growing teenagers. Your kids are not doing too well at school, so you decide you want to take them to a motivational coach, who will help them focus on their strengths and get themselves better organised with their school work, etc.

Ok, but then I come along and happen to notice this motivational coach coming to your home. I've done some research on his teaching methods and note, with concern, that he promotes sexual activity as a way to build confidence and 'expand horizons' and he has no qualms about encouraging teenagers and unmarried people to engage in sexual activity. So, I contact you and warn you of the danger of letting this person teach your children. Additionally, I tell others I know of the dangers of accepting this motivational coach into their midst because of his promotion of immorality. You listen to my communication and decide to ignore it because of this person's value as a motivation coach. So, you proceed to bring him in and, sure enough, he tells your children to engage in sexual activity. I and others persist in reminding you of what the Word teaches about sexual purity and that you should not be allowing someone who promotes sexual immorality to teach that to your children. We persist to such a degree that you decide to tell your children about sex and tell them how the Bible defines sex as right and necessary and set within a marriage. Then, however, you start telling them about how some very, very confused Christians - meaning me and others -  have been talking against sex and running away from sex, and tell them that there is nothing wrong with sex and they should not be dismayed by such confused people.

Is that a straw man argument or not? Nowhere did any of these "confused" Christians say anything against the Biblical definition of sex. All we did was tell warn you against someone encouraging your children to engage in sex that falls outside of the Biblical definition!! Moreover, since you clearly know what the Biblical definition of sex is, how would you explain how you allow your children to be taught to engage in unbiblical sexual activity?

Yes, I know, that's not a very good parable mainly because I have thoughts stumbling over each other and racing ahead in my mind. But, in essence, this is what the esteemed Rev. Rick Warren has just done.

To recap for the benefit of those of you who're thoroughly mystified, Rick Warren has started his Saddleback church in California on a 'Decade of 'Destiny' and has decided that 2011 will be the year of health and has set up what he calls 'The Daniel Plan' to encourage people to live healthy, eat right, blah, blah. Apparently, none of this has ever been said before, so people don't know that they need to eat right and exercise, etc. It requires Saddleback to make people aware of these things.

Ok, that was a rather pitiful attempt at sarcasm. But, I digress.

Anyway, as part of this 'Daniel Plan' - so called because of Daniel and his friends who, as captives in Babylon, decided to forego the Babylonian king's dainty dishes and lived on a diet of vegetables and fresh water, though he did it to honour God and not to 'be healthy' - he's called in three health experts, three renowned doctors, to teach his church how to be healthy. First of all, none of the doctors are believers. Ok, that's not a big deal. If all they're going to do is tell people how to lose weight by eating right and exercising, can't faut that. But wait - in checking these experts out, what if you find that they promote what is called "holistic" health, which is a euphemism for saying they try to incorporate 'spiritual' health into what they're promoting. But...but, we just noted that none of them are believers, so what 'spiritual' health can they possibly be pushing? Aha! Therein lies the rub. All of these gentlemen promote 'meditation' and laud its benefits. Two of them say 'meditation' AND 'yoga', while one pushes 'meditation'. If you're a believer in Christ, the hair on the back of your neck is standing up just about now. Anyway, several Christians began to question this, including yours truly. Scroll down to look at my first and second letters to Saddleback in this regard and you'll get the rest of the picture.

Suffice to say that these guys have been encouraging 'meditation' and 'yoga', etc to Saddleback, just like they do to the rest of the world. It's not their fault, that's what they do with everyone. At least, they're being true to what they believe and are not being hypocrites, unlike certain 'famous leaders' who will remain unnamed.

That's right, they've been telling the Saddleback church, that's people who say they are believers in Jesus Christ, to 'meditate' and practise yoga. Now this is the eastern kind of mantra meditation, transcendental meditation, the sort of kooky, occultish stuff that most Christians were warned about in Rabindranath Maharaj's book 'Death of a Guru'. This is not 'read the Scriptures and think/ruminate about what you read' meditation, which is what the Bible exhorts us to. This is the real deal - the occult, eastern, weird stuff that's done by hindus and buddhists. In short, nothing that is remotely Christian in essence or practice.

Now, watch the video below and wait for the bit where Rick Warren starts bemoaning the fact that "confused" Christians are whingeing about 'meditation' and running scared every time meditation is mentioned. He then proceeds to explain what biblical meditation and then decries all those 'confused' Christians who don't seem to understand that there is nothing to be worried about in biblical meditation.

Have you seen it yet? Have you seen the problem yet?

Yep, that very little problem - somehow Rick Warren forgets to mention that, despite his actually telling his church what biblical meditation is, this is NOT the same as the meditation his esteemed health panel has been telling his church to adopt! They're worlds apart! Somehow, he tries to make it sound like the critics are all idiots because they're opposing what the Bible does not - oh man! How does this wolf get away with it?? How does he continue to pull the wool over people's eyes?? He sets up a straw man and proceeds to tell his people how the Bible is at odds with the straw man.

Here's what I think, Rick Warren is a tool of judgement upon the church at Saddleback and American Christianity and a lot of the church across the world. I think he is the epitome of the false teacher that people love to gather for themselves today, who tells them what their ears are itching to hear. With the same mouth he teaches truth and lies. Not surprising, since the devil himself knows the Scripture thoroughly. Why wouldn't a man know the scripture and still be a wolf in sheep's clothing - a man who pretends to be a Christian, but is a false teacher par excellence. Because this biblically illiterate and spiritually lazy generation want nothing more than to be stroked and tickled and entertained, God has given them over to delusion, so that they may believe a lie. If you don't believe me, read the Bible.

So, here it is, me nailing my colours to the wall. I'm saying it out loud now. I never have before but this incident forces me to voice it out. Rick Warren is an apostate, false teacher and one of those roundly condemned in the Bible, numbered among the false prophets and teachers that Jesus warned us of in Matthew 24. And his end, and those end of those who follow him blindly, will be destruction, unless he repents.

I'll take militant atheist Richard Dawkins any day over this man. Dawkins says what he believes and sticks by it - there's no middle ground. Rick Warren, on the other hand, is a chameleon, a hypocrite, a liar and a deceiver.

If you have any love for God and the Body of Christ, pray for this man to be saved. Else, he will draw numberless millions into judgement with him. Your friends, your family, your loved ones. Pray, pray without ceasing. Pray for God to have mercy. Jesus said that for such a person who causes others to stumble, it would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and be cast into the sea. His judgement will be terrible.

Even for such as he did Christ shed His blood. While there is still an opportunity for him to repent, pray for Rick Warren and his people in Saddleback, that their eyes be opened and the scales fall away, so that they may see clearly and walk after the Lord Jesus.

Spread the word around to those you care about and urge everyone to test this man and his teachings by the Scriptures.

I await the indignant emails, calls and messages from those eager to protect their 'anointed' leader.

Netbook....or not to netbook...

That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler still to suffer the weight of larger computers on one's knees, or to bite the bullet and 'netbook', and save oneself virtual arthritis.

The choice is clear.

Now, to check my money tree...

Tell me why....

It's considered that Christians are 'required' to pay a tithe, in accordance with the Law of Moses but not to keep the Jewish Sabbath or get their male children circumcised? 

Now, which was was more important under the Mosaic law? If the Sabbath and circumcision are not 'required', why is tithing? Not taught anywhere in the New Testament, none of the apostles required it of the church (i.e. the body of believers), not once anywhere in the New Testament is there an injunction or even an encouragement to tithe. On the contrary, we are exhorted several times to give to the saints in need, to give liberally and reminded that if we sow sparingly we reap sparingly. Nope, no 'requirement' to tithe. Can't find it.

Dare I say, to all those pastors out there that burden your people with this 'law', examine your doctrine and see whether it is really zeal for the Lord or your own selfishness or, perhaps, your own laziness (i.e. to test the doctrine that others have taught you) that causes you to lay a burden on believers that Israel was never able to bear (Not my words, but the apostle Peter's)? There is judgement for all you at the hands of the Lord for taking people's generous giving and applying it to buildings and programs and your own lifestyles, when the Biblical injunction is to give to the saints in need. How many of your people go hungry, lack medicines, lack a decent place to live, are unable to afford good clothes, better schools for their children, etc because of this pernicious LIE that is foisted on them by those who ought to know better? When did the church metamorphose from being 'ekklesia' - the 'called-out people' to a building, an organisation, a megachurch, a 'tv ministry', etc, etc???

In that inimitably South African expression - EISH!!!!!