Ancient Paths Blog

Omar Khalife: One of Whom the World is not Worthy

I am humbled by the likes of this man...

SOMALIA — Christian transporting Bibles killed — Compass Direct News

On Sept. 15, 69-year-old Omar Khalife, a Somali Christian, was shot dead by members of al-Shabaab, a Muslim extremist group, when Bibles were found in his possession, according to Compass Direct News.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., a bus transporting Omar Khalife was stopped by extremists at a checkpoint near the city of Merca. When the extremists discovered 25 Somali Bibles in one of the bags Khalife was delivering to an underground fellowship group they demanded to know who owned them.

When Pragmatists Run the Church

I was recently asked by a member of our congregation via Facebook to comment on an article at ChristianityToday.com regarding automated giving in Church.  The article entitled E-giving: Bring the Convenience of Electronic Payments to Church Tithes and Donationsthought this was a good idea principally because "many of your members have been eagerly waiting for the convenience of tithing or donating electronically" already and "giving a tithe or donation using online services is even easier than buying a value-meal."

The bottom line however is the bottom line as "the convenience of electronic giving could lead to increased giving and reduced costs associated with handling cash" and with the set up of automated electronic giving "donations continue to be made even if the congregant is not able to attend."

Here's how I replied:

Bring On the Strippers!

Ok, I'll bite...

Recently posted on the New York Times' website an article on evangelical churches in Brazil entitled Fight Nights and Reggae Pack Brazilian Churches starts off:

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — The atmosphere was electric at Reborn in Christ Church on “Extreme Fight” night. Churchgoers dressed in jeans and sneakers, many with ball caps turned backward, lined a makeshift boxing ring to cheer on bare-chested jujitsu fighters...

Hubby, Hubby and the NIV

Last week I proposed a definite link between Ben & Jerry's new ice cream, Hubby, Hubbyand Zondervan's announcement to revise the NIV.

"How in the world...?" you say.  Not that Bibles and ice cream have much to do with each other, directly.  Come to think of it, the only dairy product mentioned in the Bible (besides milk) is curds...

But both announcements demonstrate how our culture is in the grip of the same homogenizing spirit of the age - that tendency of our modern world to reduce all true variation and diversity into a single featureless mass.

Signs of the Times

Two recent headlines highlight symptoms of one underlying cause in our culture.

One is the upcoming revision of the NIV Bible for the first time in 25 years.   The other is the naming (actually a renaming) of a Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Yes - these two things are of a piece.  Do you know why?

The publishers of the NIV admit they made mistakes in prior NIV revisions - specifically in the gender neutered TNIV (Today's NIV).  But the impression given is their mistake was in the marketing not in the gender neutering translation.

Ben & Jerry's is a corporation unabashedly celebrating the state of Vermont's legalization of gay marriage.

Again, both of these share the same theological root.  Do you know what it is?

Somewhat Related Thoughts on the Incarnation, Relevance, and Marketing the Gospel

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is."  Romans 12:2 NLT

The evangelical church "is now driven by trends that are indisputably modern... the therapeutic culture... consumerism... by managers... [and] entertainment... Evangelicalism has bought cultural acceptability by emptying itself of serious thought, serious theology, serious worship, and serious practice in the larger culture.  And most evangelicals appear to be completely oblivious to this sellout or at least unconvinced that the deal was a bad one."   David Wells, God in the Wasteland

Pray For the Persecuted Church

Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first" (John 15:18).  In light of that here are some notices from the Voice of the Martyrs' prayer update page:

BANGLADESH - Pastor tortured by police

On June 7, police raided an evangelism meeting, arrested and tortured a pastor and two others in Boalia, Bangladesh, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. Pastor Habibur Rahman, of Boalia Spiritual Church was leading the meeting when suddenly the police came in and took them to the police station. That night the police blindfolded them and beat them ... READ MORE

NIGERIA - Pastors beheaded in Borno State

On July 26, 12 Christians were killed, including three pastors, in northern Nigeria after members of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram launched attacks... READ MORE

VIETNAM – Christians attacked and beaten by authorities

On Aug. 9, a service was raided and those in attendance were beaten by a mob of Vietnamese authorities... READ MORE

Are we worthy to stand in the same company as these faithful witnesses?  May God make us so.

How conservative Christians are losing nation's culture war | San Francisco Examiner

This article by Daniel Allot, a columnist for the SF Examiner, reflects much of what I said in my last post on how the Church is responsible for the rise in homosexuality - though he emphasizes my second point regarding Christians' lack of holiness.

Note particularly his statement:

"The faithful are falling short. Practicing Christians and political conservatives rightly warn of the perils of same-sex unions. But it is in their hands that the institution of marriage has suffered.

The Barna Group, a Christian polling firm, recently found that the divorce rate among evangelical Christians was 32 percent, statistically identical to the 33 percent figure among non-evangelical American adults."

How conservative Christians are losing nations culture war | San Francisco Examiner Shared via AddThis

How the Church is Responsible for Homosexuality

Most evangelicals read Paul's words against homosexuality in Romans 1 approvingly, automatically assuming a clearly cut black and white distinction between "us" and "them."  But a closer reading of his words imply a rebuke toward Christians.  In fact, Paul implicates the Church in the rise of homosexuality every bit as much as the secular culture.  How? Two ways...

Why Homosexuality Will NOT Bring About God's Judgment

It is axiomatic among conservative Christians today that if the so-called "gay agenda" is not turned back God's judgment is sure to fall on America.  Even Billy Graham has supposedly said, "If God doesn't bring judgment on America, He owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology."

Yet this outlook fails to understand what Paul has written in his letter to the Romans concerning both homosexuality and God's judgment.  Paul teaches not that homosexuality will bring about God's judgment but that it is God's judgment.  Read on...