What's Happened to Orthopraxy?

Is It Time?

March 19, 2010

http://micahmandate.blogspot.com/2010/03/is-it-time.html

As I pen these words, the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to use duplicitous parliamentary maneuvering to essentially put into law the version of healthcare passed by the Senate in December and advocated by the Obama Administration. If passed under the so called "deem and pass" legislative sleight of hand, the initiative would be the single largest entitlement ever enacted by the United States government, overshadowing both the New Deal initiatives of President Roosevelt and the Great Society measures put into law under the Johnson Administration.

Practically speaking, the legislation will lay the foundation for fundamentally changing the landscape of American life as we know it. Most are simply not aware of the odious aspects of the bill that would seriously impinge upon individual freedom; mandatory compliance, with associated penalties for failure to comply, an astounding concept to consider given our history; hordes of new officers to "swarm and harass" (echoing the language of the Founding Fathers in the Declaration) the citizenry; the increase of an already oppressive and unbiblical tax burden, and the willful funding of abortion in the name of preventive care, just to name a few. At the risk of sounding trite and anachronistic, let me take a moment to respectfully proffer how we got here and what we now must consider next, neither one of which is pleasant to ponder.

First, how we got here:

The American Experiment with liberty was not developed in a vacuum. Concepts of freedom, individual rights, democratic capitalism, rule of law, consent of the governed and republican structures didn't just drop out of thin air as many are led to believe. Sadly, many Americans hold to the notion that modern freedom began in 1776, in some sense disconnected from the history that preceded it. Nothing could be further from the truth. The facts of history speak plainly to anyone objectively desiring to understand the origins of our experiment in freedom. The freedoms bequeathed us were the fruit of a particular worldview, one shaped, refined and centered upon biblical formations of thought. In short, the Founders imbibed the ideas of Western Christianity and put those ideas into practice in throwing off tyranny and establishing a new outpost of freedom. Many of the worn out arguments around this center on which Founders were Christians and which ones were not - that is not the point. What is clear is that they shared a common worldview that had been shaped, yes, in part, by Enlightenment thinking, but also heavily by Christian thought.

Sadly, over the past several decades (gradually over a much longer period of time), American life has become captive to humanistic thinking and has moved away from the dominant worldview that existed during our country's struggle for independence. All the while, the Church has been complicit in this shift, albeit not intentionally in most cases, but through the propagation of a seriously deficient and truncated theology expounded from the pulpit. No one spoke of this more forcefully and cogently than the late Francis Schaeffer. In his classic work, The Christian Manifesto, which diagnoses our dilemma in an eerily prophetic manner, Schaeffer opened with these profound words:

"The basic problem of the Christians in this country in the last eighty years or so,in regard to society and in regard to government, is that they have seen things in bits and pieces instead of totals."

His point was that Christians for the most part have tried to battle on particular fronts, i.e. prayer in school, abortion, breakdown of the family, etc., in isolation, without realizing that these were but symptoms of the seismic worldview shift away from biblical thought and toward a worldview that would inevitably produce opposite results. He said this had happened because most of Western Christianity had adopted a defective view of the faith that relegated it to matters pertaining to "spiritual" things and neglected "material" things. Don't think this is true??? Think about the vast majority of sermons you have heard lately. In fact, I dare say, think about the majority of sermons you have ever heard! In the heartfelt tradition of pietism, virtually most will simply speak to the need for salvation, forgiveness of sins, accepting Jesus as Savior, prayer, bible study, etc. Now don't get me wrong; man's greatest need is having his sins forgiven, something only Christ can do. Yet most don't consider that we, as Christians, are not only saved from something (our sins), but are saved to something as well. For what purpose are we saved ??? The typical evangelical response to this question usually takes the form of, "we are saved solely to tell others about Jesus." May I submit that this is seriously deficient? Again, telling others about Christ and his redemptive work is vital for the Christian, yet it is not the whole story. Christ saves us and restores us to do what he originally intended for man to do in the beginning: take dominion over every area of life for His glory. This means that the faith can't be relegated to the inner life; all of life is spiritual! How I work and play, eat and drink, make love to my wife, educate my children, what vacations I take, what books I read and movies I watch, all of these things fall under the Lordship of Christ, for His claims are total over a man. As Schaeffer said so eloquently, our faith does not reside in one story of the house (what he referred to as the Upper Story), with the rest of life lived out in the other story (Lower Story).

How does this have bearing on the current state of affairs? Simple. Christians have adopted the notion that issues pertaining to government such as legislation and taxes are neutral. Sure, higher taxes may be bad the thinking goes, but there is no longer a basis to say they are unjust and immoral. The foundations are destroyed and we are left trying to argue with no footing to ground us.

This leads to my second point: What to do next?

This is tough and I must warn you it is not for the faint at heart. While we, as a country, have been slouching toward socialism for over a half century now, something totally and unequivocally contrary to the teachings of Sacred Scripture, we are now facing the real possibility of tyranny on a level previously unknown in our history. If you are one that thinks this is not the case, don't read any further - stick your head in the sand, keep reading your Max Lucado devotion, say your prayers before bed, and accept in practice now what you will be forced to confess down the road if things don't change - that Caesar, not Christ, is Lord. For the rest that are willing to move forward, things must begin with God's people in our time.

First, as a believer, stop relegating the things of the faith to the "inner" life. Understand that true spirituality covers all of life. I am not saying that we ever achieve this in perfection, but we must strive more and more to understand God's mind on every issue. Learn what the Bible says about the sphere of government, taxes, economics, athletics, leisure, entertainment, family, education and a host of other issues.

Second, encourage you pastor and church leadership to begin to address these issues from a biblical perspective. There are numerous resources available from many who have been fighting on this front for several years now. If they are resistant, suffer long with them and continue to encourage and love them. If (and only if) over a long period of time, they refuse to address these issues, consider, after much deliberation and prayer, linking up with a like minded community of believers who do understand the importance of not relegating the faith to a compartmentalized area of life.

Thirdly, and this is to Pastors, let me say with all humility and love, that, for the most part, you have failed your flock, and by extension, your country for your failure to preach, teach, and proclaim the whole counsel of God (I am not speaking of all pastors; many are faithful and this is intended as a generalization, but one that I believe is nevertheless true). You have accepted the dualistic model of the faith and focused your attention on the "spiritual" over the "physical," as if God Himself was not concerned about the wholeness of His creation. As a result, God's people are woefully equipped for the battles of the day. In years past, the pastor of a parish was consulted over matters not just pertaining to the faith directly, but on matters regarding every area of life. Thomas Chalmers wrote on finance and business; Abraham Kuyper laid out an economic recovery plan for the Netherlands in his role as Prime Minister. Repent of this failure and begin to discern God's counsel in all areas of life and teach the flock you have been entrusted with those very things. In addition to the above, begin to seriously formulate a theology of civil disobedience. Yes, you read that correctly! Schaeffer's book is a great place to start, but don't end there. There is an entire wealth of work to draw upon, from Luther to Calvin, Rutherford's Lex Rex and numerous other works. If you think there is no place for civil disobedience, then may I respectfully suggest that you have already, in one sense, forfeited Christ as Lord and replaced Him with Caesar. Consider what Schaeffer profoundly said at the end of The Christian Manifesto:

"If there is no final place for civil disobedience, then the government has been made autonomous, and as such, it has been put in the place of the Living God."

Understand that I am not talking about anarchy and individuals taking the law into their own hands - that is patently unbiblical and totalitarianism would be far preferable to such conditions. I am speaking of biblical civil disobedience that draws attention to the repressive and unjust statutes that are arising and will arise over the next several decades. Be a part of the new "Blacked Robed Regiment" and emulate the previous one that was so instrumental in shaping the direction of the fledgling republic over two hundred years ago.

What might this look like??? Read beneath the headlines today of the healthcare debate and you will see that several of the State Attorneys General, such as our own in Florida, and the Attorney General of South Carolina, are already stating that their respective states will not implement the federal health care bill as currently configured, as they rightly believe that it is unconstitutional. As we recover the doctrine of sphere sovereignty (that different spheres have different responsibilities and jurisdictions), this will mean that lower elected bodies check and refute the overreach of higher bodies, which was the entire framework for the American War for Independence, which was not, as many believe, a revolution in the purest sense, but a just and legal interposition of one sovereign against another. We must begin to support such measures wholeheartedly, all the while holding local and state representatives accountable and continuing to seek change at the federal level as well to repeal unjust statutes.

Finally, if you think this is all academic, then, as I said earlier, crown Caesar as Lord now but don't scream for help when his so called "benevolence" enslaves you down the road. If you fall into another category all together and still think that the Bible doesn't concern itself with this, consider the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 94:20:

"Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death."

The relevance for our day could not be more clear. Is it time to act? I believe that it is. May God help us!

Posted by Todd Leonard at 4:46 PM

What's the Goal Again?

Seven Reasons Not to Send Your Kids to College

By JAMES ALTUCHER Posted 10:00 AM 08/02/10

Retrieved 8/5/2010 from http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/investing/seven-reasons-not-to-send-your-kids-to-college/19572537/?ncid=webmail#

Imagine a retirement where you could have an extra $1million to $3 million in the bank with basically no effort. Now imagine telling your kids that you aren't going to send them to college. And, you go on, you want them to immediately start a business or get to work as soon as they finish high school.

These are difficult things to imagine because we've been so scammed by the "career industry" that tells us we need college degrees in order to succeed in life, regardless of how much money we spend for those degrees or what we actually do with our lives during the four to eight years it takes us to get those degrees.

But in my view, the entire college degree industry is a scam, a self-perpetuating Ponzi scheme that needs to stop right now.

Here Are Seven Reasons to Say "No College" to Your Kids:

1. More than 60% of people entering college take more than four years to graduate. So whatever you think your kids are going to cost you to go to college, add 20% to 100%.

2. The cost of the average college tuition has gone up nine-fold since 1976 versus seven-fold for health care and three-fold for inflation.

3. The differential in lifetime income between a college graduate and a non-college graduate over a 45 year career is approximately $800,000 (read on).

4. If I put that $200,000 that I would've spent per child to cover tuition costs, living expenses, books, etc. into bonds yielding just 3% (any muni bonds) and let it compound for 49 years (adding back in the 4 years of college), I get $851,000. So my kids can avoid college and still end up with the same amount in the worst case.

5. If smart, motivated, ambitious kids (the type of kids who get the most out of college) avoided college I'm sure the differential would be a lot less than $800,000 and may even be negative (i.e. they would make more if they avoided college and started going into the business world earlier).

6. The average debt burden of a college graduate is $23,000. Up from $13,000 10 years ago. Students with professional degrees can see their debt burden go higher than $200,000. Total student borrowing has topped $75,000,000,000. It's too much for young adults just starting their careers.

7. Alternatives to spending $200,000 per kid so they can waste four years of their lives:

    * Give them $20,000 to start one to five businesses. Most businesses fail but that's ok. The education from the process lasts a lifetime and the network you build when you start a business will lead to many future jobs and possibilities.

    * Travel the world. That would be an education that pays many dividends and is much cheaper. Your kids can then go to college with a much more mature view of the world.

    * Work. They won't get the best jobs but they can make money, network, get a "hands-on" education, learn the value of money and go to college in their 20s when they can afford it -- and make every dollar worth it. Plus your kids will have a more clear idea of what they want to do in the world.

    * Volunteer. Let them see a side of life that is harder and where they can add value. An education like that is invaluable.

    * Do nothing but read. Get the benefits of a college education without paying the $200,000. I'd be happy to support a child that wants to home school a college education.

KATIE NOTES: I don't like the slightly arrogant and know-it-all tone this article has so I apologize for that aspect of it, but the LOGIC is good. That is why I posted it. So let me know what you think :)

Too Strong...

"Lead me on
I will follow where you go
through suffering
May my faith never falter
Grace is too sweet
Your love too fine
That I could ever leave you behind
So lead on
Lead me on...

You won't let me fall away!
You won't let me fall away
You won't let me fall away

Lead me on
Though I often lose my way
I faintly see
So on this road I'll walk by faith
Your grace is too sweet
Your love is too strong
That I could ever fall from your arms
So lead on
Lead me on lead me on!!

You won't let me fall away
You won't let me fall away
You won't let me fall away..."

A little known band called West Coast Revival wrote and performed this song. I encourage you to visit their website and buy their CD if you appreciate quality music and VERY Gospel-centered rock :) (but not too rocky). Anyway, I'm not blogging this song to promote this band and give them more publicity (although I do wish more people knew about them). This song keeps coming up on my MP3 player's random play list and every time I hear the beginning, I don't skip it, but listen to it. And every time I feel chills (the good kind). I feel *good* chills because it's true: God has me. He has literally--completely and totally captured my heart. His love is too strong--there is no way that love will be cheated by me falling away. It's because of God's mercy and grace that I am in his hands, and that's how it's always been, and always will be.

And I am so glad. My heart rejoices in God my Savior.

Thank you Jesus....

Titus 2 :)

(please note this was not written by ME. it was forwarded to me by my mom and i don't know who wrote it, but it's amazing)


Hallowed Be His Name

It is our duty to defend the Word of God and proclaim all that it teaches. If we don’t, we allow His Truth to be ravaged, His people to be deceived, and His name to be mocked. Serious stuff. Therefore, it's important for us to rightly divide the Word, and not add to or take away from its intended meaning.

There are many places where God rebukes His people for allowing His name to be blasphemed among the heathen. One memorable place was in 2 Samuel where David not only committed adultery with Bathsheba, he also murdered her husband to cover his own sin. Remember Nathan saying to David:

"By this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme." (2 Samuel 12:14)

Then in Romans, Paul rebukes the teachers who are marring God’s name with their hypocrisy:

"You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you…." (Romans 2:23-24)

In Ezaekiel, God rebukes the Isrealites for profaning His name with their evil deeds:

Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went." (Ezekiel 36:22)

Since writing Passionate Housewives Desperate for God with my friend, Jennie, I’ve received questions as to what is meant in Titus 2 where Paul talks about God’s Word being blasphemed. They wondered if working women blaspheme God’s name. First, let me say no; from what I’ve studied in the word of God, a woman who works outside of the home does not blaspheme God’s Word by doing so.

Hallowed of Blasphemed?

But let’s look a little closer at what Paul does mean. I simplified the verses here, taking out all the examples, so that it would be little easier to understand, but remember “blaspheme” in this context literally means to slander God’s Word—to communicate something about Him that’s not true. Titus 2:1-8 simplified, says:

"But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine… that the word of God may not be blasphemed… that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." (Taken from Titus 2:1-8)

So who is Paul concerned about here? Who would dare blaspheme God’s name? He’s talking about the “opponent”—in most cases, the Heathen. Paul is describing the way we, as a Church, can cause God’s Word to be blasphemed by onlookers when we falsely represent His holiness by teaching or living a life counter to His Word.

In other words, we should pay close attention to how God says we might do violence to His reputation—and avoid living a life that communicates a false picture of who God is and what He has done in us.

Titus 2 teaches us that we are to “adorn the Doctrine of God our Savior”—we’re to hallow His name by living the Truth, the virtual opposite of blaspheming His Word. So what are some of the ways He teaches we are to do this—to “adorn the Doctrine of God and avoid blaspheming His Word?


Notice I placed “homemaker” in red. That’s because I’d like to point out that out of all the things Paul lays out for old men, young men, older women, and younger women, the biggest controversy today seems to be over the homemaker. Do you think it’s a coincidence that this would be so, as we sit in a culture bathed in feminist theology?

Glance through the above chart and see if there is anything else listed in Titus 2 that is something we should toss. Now, obviously loving a husband isn’t possible if you don’t’ have a husband, and loving your children isn’t possible if you don’t have children. God is sovereign and He certainly isn’t going to require us to walk in a role that He hasn’t provided for us. But look close, is there anything else?

Now, let’s examine this verse one more time: “Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine [now insert all those things in the chart] that the word of God may not be blasphemed. So these are the things!

Ladies, this is the Word of God! We may be able to debate the definition of a keeper at home, but we really can’t argue about the fact that being a “homemaker” is in fact included in the list of things young women should be taught to practice. And it seems pretty clear that Paul is saying God’s Word is blasphemed in society when the church rejects or ignores the teachings of Titus 2.

Some people have asked, “But, doesn’t that still mean you’re saying that any woman who works outside the home is blaspheming God?

First of all, remember, it’s not the Christian who blasphemes God’s Word; remember Titus 2 lays out how we might cause God’s Word to be blasphemed. There’s a difference. But, still, it’s not that simple. You can’t take a small portion of a general truth and try to turn it into a black and white rule…or doctrine. That just can’t be done. God is sovereign and so many factors are involved in each woman’s life; there’s no way in the world anyone should make such a blanket judgment.

But what we can see from Paul’s instruction here is that when Christians minimize or reject the importance of women nurturing their families and keeping their homes (just like when we reject any other part of Titus 2), we open the door to all sorts of problems that could lead to God being slandered by the heathen.

You see this with latch key kids, burned out moms trying to juggle home and work, husbands not having the support they need, marriages falling apart, and families so disconnected they don’t have a family identity anymore. It’s a progressive cycle that can lead to more and more breakdown in the family.

Again, the problem is the rejection of Titus 2 teachings—any of them. It’s our failure, as a church, to properly adorn the doctrine of God that causes God’s name to be blasphemed.

I believe that it’s because so many men weren’t obeying God and properly honoring women that the feminists were given a voice or had any credibility in the first place. If the heathen were offered a true and living picture of godly womanhood, blessed by godly manhood, what legitimate thing would the feminists have to say? None; their sinful desires would fall right in their own laps and would be much easier to expose. A godly man leading, sacrificing for, and serving his family in humility would indeed shut the mouths of lions.

"Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." (Titus 2:6-8)

And as we women use our gifts, talents, and intellect to glorify God we impart a quiet lesson to a watching world and communicate true contentment in the loveliness of womanhood. As we truly live this out, our testimony will declare “His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people” (Psalm 96:3) and multiply generations of those who love and glorify God.

May His holy Name be hallowed in us before all the nations. 

Delight

I am sitting here in the Barnes and Noble cafe with a stack of books and my laptop--life couldn't be more delightful. :) Today my selection ranges from a fat book on St Augustine to Mormonism for Dummies (and no, I am not looking into becoming a Mormon, I just want to know how to address them if I ever talk to one! *smile*). As for the book on Augustine, I must say I already share most of his principles (or, at least, the ones I have studied). Here is an excerpt from a book I'm reading called "Augustine of Hippo" by Peter Brown.

"....'delight' itself is no longer a simple matter. It is not a spontaneous reaction, the natural thrill of the refined soul when confronted with beauty. For it is just this vital capacity to engage one's feelings on a course of action, to take 'delight' in it, that escapes our powers of self-determination: the processes that prepare a man's heart to take 'delight' in his God are not only hidden, but actually unconscious and beyond his control: 'The fact that those things that make for successful progress towards God should cause us delight is not acquired by our good intentions, earnestness and the value of our own good will--but is dependent on the inspiration granted us by God... Surely our prayers are, sometimes, so lukewarm, stone-cold, indeed, and hardly prayers at all: they are so distant in our thoughts that we do not even notice this fact with pain--for if we were even to feel the pain, we would be praying again.' 
        Augustine came to view 'delight' as the mainspring of human action; but this 'delight' escaped his self-control. Delight is discontinuous, startlingly erratic: Augustine now moves in a world of 'love at first sight', of chance encounters, and, just as important, of sudden, equally inexpressible patches of deadness: 'Who can embrace wholeheartedly what gives him no delight? But who can determine for himself that what will delight him should come his way, and, when it comes, that it should, in fact, delight him?' In only a few years, Augustine's Confessions will show that a work of art could spring from such a dictum."


I found myself praising my Lord for giving me delight in himself. Indeed, how can a wicked soul delight in something pure and holy? Unless it itself is pure and holy.... I will say no more--Augustine says it all much better than I ever can. :)

Encouraging Words...

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD - by Martin Luther (1529), 

Translated by Frederick H. Hedge (1853).



           A mighty fortress is our God,
           A bulwark never failing;
           Our helper He, amid the flood
           Of mortal ills prevailing.
           For still our ancient foe
           Doth seek to work us woe;
           His craft and pow'r are great,
           And, armed with cruel hate,
           On earth is not his equal.

           Did we in our own strength confide,
           Our striving would be losing,
           Were not the right Man on our side,
           The Man of God's own choosing.
           Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
           Lord Sabaoth His name,
           From age to age the same,
           And He must win the battle.

           And though this world, with devils filled,
           Should threaten to undo us,
           We will not fear, for God hath willed
           His truth to triumph through us.
           The prince of darkness grim -
           We tremble not for him;
           His rage we can endure,
           For lo! his doom is sure;
           One little word shall fell him.
           
           That word above all earthly pow'rs -
           No thanks to them - abideth;
           The Spirit and the gifts are ours
           Through Him Who with us sideth.
           Let goods and kindred go,
           This mortal life also;
           The body they may kill;
           God's truth abideth still,
           His kingdom is for ever.

                        Amen.

Going to the ROOT of the Problem...?

Semi-pelagian theology root problem, not some generic "Christianity"

Orthodox historic Protestantism is solution

E-mail from Tidbits reader James Atherton, 7/9/10.

Thanks for posting the Chuck Baldwin article [America Is In A Societal Meltdown, http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?p=1862], I voted for him.  Unfortunately, his prescription will not cure what ails America. Chuck is seeing the tree within a forest, but is far from laying the axe to the root.  Government control of education is the tree producing the rotten fruit we are all repulsed by, but the spiritual root feeding the tree is not so easily exposed.

The Protestant Reformation was a return to Augustinian Theology (historic Calvinism) and a rejection of the Roman Churches Semi-Pelagian Theology (Arminianism).  Even secular historians (Bancroft) recognize America as being founded by John Calvin.  Central and South America were mostly colonized by Spain with their “papal” semi-pelagian theology.  Because ideas have consequences and belief precedes action, S. America is statist and “third world” today.  Semi-pelagian theology always produces statism because it enthrones man, to some degree, over our Sovereign Creator.

“No King but King Jesus”, was the battle cry in 1776; by which time two thirds of America’s population had been schooled “in Geneva”.  America was not founded by “Christians”, but by Protestant Reformation Christians educated in the systematic theology of Calvin.  All the “good guys” listed in Baldwin’s article were Calvinists, except Osteen and Warren, who are at best, deceived Christians. 

America is embracing Socialism because ninety five percent of the churches are teaching semi-pelagian theology.  Yes, sin is the problem, but semi-pelagianism is humanism, encouraging mans “cooperation” with God’s “plan”. 

If government control of education were to end tomorrow, and American families inculcated semi-pelagian theology to their children, we would be back in this socialist mess within one or two generations.   I am completely committed to returning education to the family, yet I harbor no delusion it will produce our desired result without a second Protestant Reformation and a return to Augustinian Theology, one family at a time.

American society is melting down because of it's theological rejection of orthodox historic Protestantism, not some generic "Christianity".


KATIE'S NOTES: I know I am just posting these notes now when I posted this article several weeks ago, but I thought I'd make something clear. First off, I would call myself a Calvinist (even though that term, unfortunately, has negative implications) or reformed so part of me agrees with this article because I do fervently and whole-heartedly believe that when people believe they can choose God and God is helpless as to who should choose him etc, that it can breed a "man is God" attitude (not saying that everyone who believes this has this attitude, just saying it can breed it). SO, while I agree that getting back to a Sovereignty of God approach with teaching our children would immensely help restore our spiritually poor society, I am not going to say it's the only way to restore our society. It might be, but I am not sure on that. I would say instead that seeing the Lordship of Christ (without using the term Calvinism) in every area of life: education, right to life, government, social studies, history, business, art, etc would produce a more godly nation. But for me, Lordship of Christ means Calvinism. I hope that makes sense. That is all. :)

The Gospel

Grace Amazing - Jimmy Needham ft. Trip Leehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLYJaX8xWA4
yeah, You give me grace amazing
You give me grace amazing

You found my heart in the tomb
Wrapped up all lifeless and bruised
I was the living dead
Couldn't even lift up my head
To see You enter the room
Oh, Oh, Oh

That's how it is with us all
We weren't just damaged we fell dead at the fall
Only the innocent can breathe the air again
Underground, over my head
I'm almost sure I'm dead

Unless You breath life into me
I won't ever feel my dead heart beating
But you open these, my eyes to see
That's what makes Your grace amazing

No one can come to the Son
Unless the Father compels him to come
Our hearts are bottomless
If we're autonomous 
Why do we choose corruption
Underground, over my head
I'm almost sure I'm dead

Unless You breath life into me
I won't ever feel my dead heart beating
But you open these, my eyes to see
That's what makes Your grace amazing

Who's a cripple encased in his heart of stone
Christ's the name that I'm calling on, calling on
He's the hope for the hopeless, yall
We were saved when He chose and called
Where is life if its not in the King
You're the God, lift Him up to all things
To His One, His Son

Rap:
Look, you might have heard I was dead in the grave
With some shackles on my wrist
I was very enslaved to the lusts and the passions
In various ways
In the band, on the horse, I was dead and depraved
Sight wasn't just blurry and vague
I was blind as a bat, couldn't thoroughly gaze 
At the glory of Christ or the story of life
The Father said come to Him, but I hurried away

I was stuck, couldn't choose to be found
Tell me when the last time 
You seen a dead man moving around
Couldn't buy my freedom I was truthfully bound
Couldn't get myself saved
I was shooting them down
Only by Gods will does grace heal with great might
Cuz only the words of God can create life
Give joy, remove shackles and replace shame
I was raised by grace and I praise Christ

chorus:
You breath life into me
Now I finally feel my dead heart beating
You open my eyes to see
That's what makes Your grace amazing

You breath life into me
Now I finally feel my dead heart beating
You open my eyes to see
That's what makes Your grace amazing

You give me grace amazing
Praise God for that grace amazing
You give me grace amazing
Praise God for that grace amazing

"The Shack" Evidence of the Church in need of Renewal....

How 'The Shack' seduced evangelicals

Prof who knew author says book's acceptance exposes weakness in church

Posted: June 16, 2010

10:12 pm Eastern

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=167717

Thursday, June 17, 2010

WorldNetDaily

As a seminary professor and a former colleague and neighbor of the author of "The Shack," James De Young has a unique perspective on the mega-best-selling work of fiction that has captured the hearts of many wounded Christians and skeptics and become the topic of sermons and Bible classes in churches nationwide.

While well aware of the testimonies of many who claim they have experienced emotional and spiritual healing from the book's portrayal of God, De Young warns in a newly released book of his own that "The Shack" author William Paul Young's primary intent was not to tell a good story that happened to contain theology but to teach an unorthodox view of God he claims changed his life.

Undergirding "The Shack," De Young told WND in an interview, is an age-old heresy – universal reconciliation – that diminishes the work of Jesus on the cross and the holiness and justice of God by asserting that everyone eventually will be saved from eternal damnation.

Get "Burning Down 'The Shack'" autographed by author and professor James De Young now exclusively at the WND Superstore.

Paul Young has vigorously and repeatedly denied he is a universalist, but De Young says he was personally acquainted with Young's spiritual journey over more than a dozen years. De Young points to a 103-page paper Young wrote that presented his embrace of universal reconciliation and rejection of the "evangelical paradigm."

DeYoung's new book, by WND Books, is his attempt to warn of "The Shack"'s seductive theology and present what he believes are the biblical answers to the questions it raises.

"I think it is very clear 'The Shack' is written to teach theology," said De Young, a New Testament language and literature professor at Western Seminary in Portland, Ore. "It's not just written to tell a mystery story."

De Young told WND his hope is "that as the truth is known about the universalist background of the author – and how it can be found throughout 'The Shack' – that people will realize a good story needs to be good teaching as well."

In 1997, De Young and Young, whose families socialized through a Christian school and youth sports, co-founded a Christian think tank called M3 Forum. For the next seven years they discussed and probed topics, doctrine and problems facing the church as it approached the new millennium. Young submitted his surprising paper embracing universal reconciliation in 2004.

Less than two years later, Young asked friends to read the early draft of a novel he was writing as a Christmas gift for his children. Though highly impressed by the manuscript's potential, the friends were opposed to the universal reconciliation they found in it and acknowledged publicly that they spent over a year trying to remove that message. Mainstream Christian publishers declined interest in publishing what became "The Shack," so Young and his friends formed their own publishing company.

In need of revival

Now, with 10 million copies in print, "The Shack" has been on numerous best-seller lists for more than two years and become an iconic work among enthusiastic evangelicals, with many buying multiple copies to hand out to their friends.

But De Young believes the acceptance of "The Shack" by evangelicals and their institutions is evidence of a church in need of renewal.

"I'm really dismayed to see that Christian publishers and radio programs, TV programs have basically imbibed the feel-good spirit of 'The Shack' and have not critically examined the theology," he told WND. "If you point that out to them they feel offended. They feel that you're being overly critical. They feel something like, 'Well, can't you look beyond the doctrine and appreciate the story.'"

De Young laments "a great lack of discernment" in Christian media and publishing that is willing to "look askance at the doctrine" if a book enjoys widespread popularity and makes a lot of money.

Many evangelicals and churches have been seduced by "The Shack," he said, because the story resonates with many who have difficult backgrounds in which they've been deeply wounded emotionally and spiritually.

War

Where was all this handwringing in 2002-2003?

e-mail from Philip Troutt, Tidbits reader, 6/21/2010

Where was all this handwringing (How wise for US to be in Afghanistan [in 6/21/10 Tidbits]) back in 2002-2003 when "our" president, GeorgeW. Bush, was beating the drums of war and planning the immoral and illegal invastion of Iraq. Make no mistake, it was the knee-jerk support of the "Christian Right" that made this possible.

All the church rallies, all the mindless "pray for our troops" campaigns (dear Lord, please protect our troops while they kill and destroy people in a country that has never done us any harm).

Where was all these questions when Christians were engaging in national days of prayer, calling on their opponents to repent and seek God's face.

THIS IS NOT OBAMA's war. This is George Bush's war and Barack Hussein Obama is George Bush's legacy. The irony is that most of those Christian leaders who supported these wars still think they can be "won" (just like they still think that Viet Nam could have been won).

If Christians hand't been lined up uncritically accepting the president's false information about weapons of mass destruction and Hussien's non-existent nuclear arms program, this could never have happened (I heard Christians spouting this non-sense even after it was known to be false). If Christian leaders hadn't been compromised because Bush offered them a sop on their "moral" agenda, he could not have perpetrated this abomination. There is blood on the hands of every Christian and every Christian who supported this war.

Never fear, nothing will change. The "Christian right" will dutifully line up behind Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney or whoever else their leaders ordain as the "right" choice and things will remain fundamentally the same.

There is one savior and he is not a member of the Republican party.

Stop whining about Obama's election and start asking why this "Christian" nation was willing to enthrone a man who was fundamentally and overtly opposed to all our cherished notions of liberty and law. Stop pretending that you didn't know what was going on. Stop pretending that you haven't been supporting the people who are responsible for this.

Obama didn't run this country into bankruptcy. It was a republican president and a republican Congress that drove this country into war, who squandered our national treasures on fruitless foreign campaigns. It was a republican president who ran up these deficits that will drive us into national and personal bankruptcy. It was a republican president who pushed through the trillion dollar bailout of Wall Street.

Next time there is a day of prayer, Christians need to shut their mouths and get on their knees and confess "their" sins; not the sins of the opponents of righteousness, but the sins of those who knew better and stood by while righteousness was trampled in the street.