Pornography and The Gospel of Christ - June 8, 2017

Allen Raynor Weblog: “Pornography and The Gospel of Christ”
(June 8, 2017)

The world is full of problems some of which we hear about constantly, some occasionally, and some hardly at all. Pornography falls into that last category but make no mistake, porn is a huge problem. Andrew Walker says “Pornography is perhaps the most widespread, supposedly anonymous sin afflicting both American culture and the culture of the local church.” (“Introduction” in The Gospel & Pornography; 1) The numbers are almost too overwhelming to comprehend while the effects are hidden, yet destructive, much like carbon monoxide in a sealed garage. Tim Challies reports “In 2016, people watched 4.6 billion hours of pornography at just one website [Pornhub] (the biggest porn site in the world). That’s 524,000 years of porn or, if you will, around 17,000 complete lifetimes. In that same time people watched 92 billion videos (or an average of 12.5 for every person on earth). Significance: So many people are using so much porn today that it is really impossible to tabulate. But understanding how much is consumed at just one site can at least help us see that this problem is nothing less than epidemic. (Tim Challies; “10 Ugly Numbers Describing Pornography Use in 2017” available at https://www.challies.com/…/10-ugly-and-updated-numbers-abou… )
In the past people had to go to a store and purchase a magazine or go to a seedy adult theater in a bad part of town to view pornography. It involved a lot more effort than it does today to simply set at your computer or with your iPhone. There was risk involved in the past that you might be seen by someone your knew, but the anonymity of the internet has created a near perfect environment for pornography to grow exponentially and flourish.
It is not just a problem for men. Increasing numbers of women are getting hooked on porn. Children at younger and younger ages are seeing porn for the first time, then becoming regular viewers. Not so long ago, the answers were “filtering software” and keeping your home computer in a public, open area of the house. Now children and teens have access to the entire internet on the phones they carry and even with filtering software they can easily access it by picking up a Wi-Fi signal somewhere else.
Statistics point to widespread usage among Bible-believing Christians and even many church leaders. Believers are taught to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is our reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12 1-2). The mind has always been a battleground where demons, the Holy Spirit, and we ourselves battle it out. Satan wants to see our minds captivated by sin. Pornographic sex scenes never present sex as God intended but a deviation from His design because what God really said is never good enough for Satan. You can almost hear Satan saying as he perverts sex in many different ways "Hath God said” . . . just like he did in the Garden of Eden.
Trevin Wax writes “Pornography is a vice that touches on many aspects of human sinfulness: the glorification of sex outside of marriage, the objectification of other human beings made in God’s image, the fanning of the flames of lust, and the indulgence of our worst instincts . . . The world sees porn as something to be managed; the Bible sees it as something to be killed” (Trevin Wax; “What Are We For?” The Gospel & Pornography; 6-7) Perhaps surprisingly, the root of the pornography problem is not sex, but rather dissatisfaction with God. Wax goes on to write “When Adam and Eve ate from that forbidden fruit, they were taking something good that God had made and directly violating His command. They were grasping for something ‘delightful’ and ‘desirable’ apart from God’s original intention and design.” (Wax; 13)
God is not against sex. He created it and even gave mankind the command to “Be fruitful and multiply.” When God first made Eve and presented her to Adam, his response was “Wow!” He immediately recognized that she (woman) was the perfect complement to him in every way, including physically/sexually. Sex is one of God’s many wonderful gifts, but there are certain parameters which God gave. In the Garden of Eden there was all things to enjoy except for the fruit that grew on one tree and God said to leave it alone. God is 100 percent in favor of sex inside the commitment of the marital relationship. But God warns that expressions of sex, including pornography, outside marriage is hurtful and harmful to us.
One-hundred years ago sex was almost universally associated with marriage, and it was almost universally linked to procreation. Further, this had been the overwhelming pattern of all of history. But the 20th century saw rapid changes one stacked upon the other. The highly flawed Kinsey Reports of the 1940s were a major factor in the society’s movement toward more deviant behavior. The advent of sexual liberation and free love in the 1960s, no-fault divorce, birth control pills, cohabitation and its widespread acceptance, homosexuality and its widespread acceptance, easy access to pornography, etc. have made the sexual values of the past almost unrecognizable. Little by little sex and marriage were separated and little by little sex and having children were separated from one another. Wax writes “Pornography is just one [of many] examples of sexuality being severed from its original purpose . . . We separate sex from procreation, then separate sex from marriage, and even separate sex from partnership (think of the ‘recreational’ or ‘casual’ sex). Pornography goes further than these other steps, leading to the separation of sex from another person . . . In pornography, the ‘one-flesh union’ of a man and a woman becomes the ‘no-flesh’ aloneness of a man or woman before the flickering image of a screen, or in the pages of a novel.” (Wax; 15-16)
No one is really safe from pornography’s reach. It is pervasive in our culture. It is hard, even embarrassing, to address. It makes for uneasy conversations, sermons, and lessons. But, the church of the Lord Jesus has to admit the ugly reality taking place in our midst. Christ has already defeated pornography, along with all sin which brings forth death in the most ultimate sense; however carnal, weak, human flesh seeks to fill certain, unmistakable voids. It has been pointed out that many do not have a “porn” problem, but rather a “worship” problem. Jared Wilson writes “Every sinful act is the product of a sinful belief, a disbelief in God. Sin is faithless. It is how we demonstrate our distrust in God to satisfy us, comfort us, or provide for us. When we sin, we are saying essentially, ‘God, You cannot be trusted to meet my needs. Right now I choose instead to trust this.” (Jared C. Wilson; “How Should the Church Engage?” The Gospel & Pornography; 72) These may seem like strong, even harsh words, but they are true words. He goes on “Until we replace the idol of porn with the glory of Jesus found only in the gospel, we will just be switching out one idol for another.” (Wilson; 75)
The allures of the flesh are undeniably strong, but the Holy Spirit of God is stronger. All people must continually submit themselves to God and prayerfully ask for His strength. We also should be praying for our families, friends, and leaders that they too will have strength to not be led astray. The availability of pornography is so overwhelming that we are all vulnerable all the time. As we submit ourselves to the Lord Jesus we echo the words of the old hymn and make it the prayer of our heart today; “Just a closer walk with Thee; grant it Jesus is my plea; Daily walking close to Thee; Let it be, dear Lord let it be.”

In Christ,

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Re-Issue of ‘What Pastors Wish Church Members Knew’ May 31, 2017

Almost every church is struggling today.  No one feels the weight of the struggle more than pastors.  Most pastors have truly given their lives to service in the Lord’s work and to see minimal amounts of fruit produced often brings deep sorrow.  Further, to see the petty things many church members worry about and how childish adults can act at times only contributes to frustration.  The research done by Denise George into these matters is insightful, but it is of little value if only pastors know about it.  Five years ago, after reading her book, I realized laymen needed to become aware of the facts George presents in her book What Pastors Wish Church Members Knew.

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: “What Pastors Wish Church Members Knew”

(Aug. 9, 2012)

 

            The view from the other side of the pulpit is sometimes misunderstood.  Pastors have had the privilege of seeing things from the vantage point of both laymen, and as pastors.  Unfortunately the way things look from the congregation side is quite different than from the pastor side.  Pastors face challenges that can hardly be imagined by most church members.  The deeper a person gets into leadership positions in the church, the more they are able to see what the pastor faces; however, even then it is but a glimpse.

            Both internal and external pressures are affecting pastors today like never before.  In her 2009 book What Pastors Wish Church Members Knew: Helping People Understand and Appreciate Their Leaders, author Denise George writes from the unique position of being a pastor’s wife, a pastor’s mother, a pastor’s daughter, and a pastor’s granddaughter.  Seeing and processing pastoral ministry from a variety of perspectives has equipped her to write concerning issues that pastors face.  However, rather than merely writing about her own observations and experiences she has, through extensive research, let the pastors tell in their own words what they face.  The book is a collection of responses to survey questions gauging the gamut of life and work as a pastor.  This book needs to be read by every church-member in America for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of the reality their pastors face each day.  In so doing congregations can better pray for, encourage, and understand their leaders.

            In this current cultural climate pastors feel enormous pressure.  George quotes Kevin McGhee who wrote in the December 21, 2007 issue of The Examiner, “Dwindling church attendance is affecting many churches today, and the situation often causes today’s church pastors great spiritual angst.  A recent study of 350,000 evangelical churches in America showed that four out of five have either plateaued or are declining and no county in America has a larger church population than it did ten years ago.  The study also showed that a ‘significant percentage of those who have attended church in recent years are either ‘stalled’ in their spiritual growth or ‘dissatisfied’ with their current church.’”

            Pastors, all around the nation, respond to question after question posed by George.  The list covers family life, marriage, parenting, hurt, pain, victory, defeat, success, calling, hopes, dreams, finances, disappointments, etc.  Many pastors share the ways they have been hurt by members of the same congregations they love so dearly.  They recall blatant lies being spread about them, their motives being questioned, their call being questioned, even their commitments to Christ.  They recall times of being attacked for perceived shortcomings only minutes or seconds from stepping into the pulpit to preach.  They recall times of being challenged and/or demeaned as they greet people upon exiting the sanctuary after the Sunday sermon.  Many pastors fear going on vacation believing they could be fired while away, knowing of other pastors to whom it has actually happened.  Many recall feeling pressure knowing that someone is seemingly always trying to get them to bend rules and policies in their favor all the while expecting strict enforcement of the same rules and policies for others.  Many pastors shared the hurt their family had experienced because of the way their families were treated.  Pastor’s kids, many shared, were assessed differently than the other kids of the church.  Many pastors shared how that while most of their congregations lived comfortably they were expected to live on a shoestring and apparently be happy and content doing so along with their wife and kids.  Many shared the hurt they had repeatedly experienced as person after person came to them with problems and issues seeking forgiveness and understanding from the pastor and even the church, but when the pastor had any type of perceived failing there was strong reluctance to forgive him or a member of his family.  Pastor after pastor lamented the fact they seemed to have so little time for prayer, reading, study, and sermon preparation as other demands of a pastor seemed to always pull them in different directions, yet they are expected to have a fresh Word from God each time they step into the pulpit.  Many pastors shared the hurt from feeling they had poured their life into a church only to be thrown under the bus.

            Interestingly enough, despite all the hurt and negative aspects to this book, there are many positives as well.  Even though many have felt the sharp sting of ministry many times, the vast majority of pastors still felt a great deal of satisfaction in their labor and were quick to appeal to a calling God had placed upon their lives.  Near the end of the book, George quotes one pastor who sums up the hopes and dreams of every pastor: “I dream of leading and pastoring a group of people who embrace spiritual gifts, their own calls to ministry, and start taking kingdom-living more seriously than they take their own comforts, likes, and preferences.  I also dream of doing team ministry with loyal, loving friends who also love Jesus and his ways more than anything else – people I can really do life with, even when things are hard.” (165)

            Truly, pastors would not do what they do for long if they did not sense a much higher calling, but the people of God can come alongside their leaders and make the labor of ministry much more enjoyable and less stressful for the pastor and his family.  This book gives tremendous insight to the struggles faced by pastors.  It is a much needed read for all Christian laymen.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

“Light, Darkness, and Terror in Manchester”, May 25, 2017

          Our hearts go out to those killed in Monday’s terror attack at a concert in Manchester, England.  It is very difficult for the average person to understand why people would do things like this to other people.  Those coming from a Judeo-Christian worldview are not going to really grasp it at all apart from understanding evil and the place from which evil originates.

         Terrorism seems to violate everything Christians have been taught both explicitly and implicitly from childhood.  Believers in Christ are completely aware that actions of this sort violate all Christian teaching and practice.  Jesus taught to treat others in the manner you yourself wish to be treated.  Also, that love is the fulfillment of the law and that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Believers in Christ often fall short of Gods glory, but there are clearly those in this world, operating and laboring on behalf of another god.

          The politically correct response to this latest barbarity is to say that most Muslims are peaceful, and do not condone such behavior.  That may or may not be true; however ex-Muslims, authors, and other experts on Islam have consistently maintained that today’s radical expressions of Islamic terrorism (I.S.I.S) are much more consistent with the actual words/teachings of the Koran and the life and beliefs of Islam’s founder Muhammad.   Are there really peaceful Muslims?  Yes, but we must conclude it is in spite of the teachings of the Koran rather than because of them.

          Christians are taught, and should believe, that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and that no true peace can be found anywhere but in Him.  Further, there will be no lasting peace among mankind until the millennial reign of Christ where all nations will be in submission to Him.  No treaty or accord will ever achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.

          Some Christians tend not to want to take the good news of Jesus to people who are seemingly convinced, confirmed, and at peace in another religion/faith.  But, Muslims have been deceived by the evil one – Satan.  Unless their eyes are opened to the truth of Scripture and they confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior they will face eternity in Hell.  Jesus could not have been more explicit when he said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; No man comes to the Father except through Me.”  (John 14:6)

           Islam is the epitome of works-based salvation and man trying to achieve it by his efforts.  There is no appeal to God’s grace in their religion, but instead attempts to try and impress their god.  The most ultimate expression comes in making an offering of themselves in the battle against the West.  They have it all backwards.  Satan has completely scrambled the truth and got them to believe lies.  It is Jesus Christ Who died for us so that we do not have to pay the penalty for our own sin, and furthermore we do not have to offer our life for Him in order to attain salvation.  Instead we are to present our bodies as a “living” sacrifice holy and acceptable unto Him (Rom. 12:1).  This is said to be the “reasonable” standard of service for us to give.

          Muslim men are promised 70 virgins when they die in jihad as, for instance, a suicide bomber.  Where do they get the guts to do such a thing even with a false hope imprinted on their minds?  When pieced together terrorism investigators have discovered, as it turns out, that many of these suicide bombers have visited strip clubs only hours before carrying out their gruesome acts.  They apparently had to get themselves hyped up and aroused sexually in order to find the pseudo-courage to give their life for the cause of jihad and Allah.  Interestingly the sacrifice is supposed to be for Allah, but evidence shows the “70 virgins” were more likely captivating their thoughts.  Contrast all of this with Scripture’s admonishment to flee youthful (immature) lusts.  Christians desire Heaven because Christ our Savior is there and the rewards we will receive are secondary to simply seeing our Savior’s face and bowing down before Him, the One Who has saved us by His amazing grace.  No such belief exists in Islam.  The desire/lust the concert terrorist bombers had on Monday will exist for all of eternity and will never be quenched.

          Hell in the Scripture is described as a place of unquenchable flames, unbridled desire, deep regret, all perpetually unfulfilled.  For all of eternity those in Hell will lust and desire for things to bring them comfort, but will never see it be fulfilled.  Suicide bombers are giving up their earthly lives in pursuit of a lie of Satan. 

          Scripture emphasizes greatly the importance of children and the special place they hold.  Jesus even said “of such (referring to children) is the kingdom of Heaven.”  Why would bombers target children at a concert as opposed to others, such as full-grown adults?  Ultimately, we can only speculate; however it would seem that each terrorist act has an aspect to it where the latest terrorist is trying to strike just a little more fear than the one before him.  They do not want people to feel safe at home, in public, or anywhere else.  Just like Satan himself, the terrorist seek to take away the peace that Jesus offers as a free gift; the peace that passes all understanding.

          The hope for all mankind is in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  No matter whether children or adults, Westerners or Easterners, male or female, the only hope of anyone is repentance from sin and receiving of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor

Re-Issue of “The Heart of Worship"-May 10, 2017

          The following is a weblog I wrote and sent out 4 years ago this month in response to a phenomenon I had observed countless times.  People gather for a “worship” service to give praise to God, but there are any number of things that end up taking priority over their stated goal/task.  Many people really struggle to keep it from becoming all about them when it should be all about God and His glory!  The problem is likely not going away any time soon.

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: “The Heart of Worship”

(May 24, 2013)

 

          When you go to church do you worship?  Many, all-too-often, do not.  We know that merely setting in a pew, standing, singing, bowing, the closing of eyes during prayer, and listening to a sermon does not necessarily constitute worship.  These are merely tools to aid a process.  True worship can only take place in the heart and mind of the individual. 

          In worship we seek the presence of God.  We do not merely pay lip service to God or go through familiar motions and achieve genuine worship.  While many so-called “elements” associated with worship may be present, worship is not limited to use of these elements.  It transcends them all.  A.W. Tozer states, with characteristic bluntness, in his excellent book, Whatever Happened to Worship?  “The presence of God in our midst – bringing a sense of Godly fear and reverence – this is largely missing today.  You cannot induce it by soft organ music and light streaming through beautifully designed windows. You cannot induce it by any kind or any amount of mumbo-jumbo.”

          In Genesis 4 we read of Cain and Abel each bringing an offering before the Lord.  God accepted Abel’s offering, brought with a humble spirit, but rejected Cain’s offering brought with a haughty, presumptuous spirit.  Cain was angered because his offering was not acceptable to the Lord.  His anger betrayed the true condition of his heart.  Every week church-goers gather – some in the spirit of Abel, yet others unknowingly in the spirit of Cain.

          People who genuinely worship on Monday - Saturday have little trouble worshiping God at church on Sunday. Those who fail to worship God on those other six days of the week struggle to do so on Sunday.

          In order to achieve God’s acceptance in worship a person must really learn to be dependent on God day by day and live in the spirit of trust, thankfulness, and humility.  Tozer links together a failure at worship to overall failure of the work of the church.  He writes “It is a serious and tragic matter that a church can actually fail . . . The believers who remain will know that the glory has departed.  In Israel’s days of journeying, God gave the visible cloud by day and the fire by night as a witness and an evidence of His glory and constant protection.  If God was still giving the same signals of His abiding presence, I wonder how many churches would have the approving cloud by day and fire by night . . . The witness of God and of salvation and of eternal life is now just an uncertain sound.  The monument is there, but the church has failed.” (98- 99) It is difficult to imagine a church that is truly, genuinely, and unmistakably worshiping together, yet failing as a church.  Successful worship is the exercise of Godly obedience.  This is the expectation of a normal, New Testament believer.  Tozer asks the question “What kind of Christian should be considered a normal Christian? . . . Some people claim to be normal Christians when actually they mean they are nominal Christians.  My old dictionary gives this definition as one of the meanings of the word nominal:  ‘Existing in name only; not real or actual; hence so small, slight, or the like, as to be hardly worth the name.’  With that definition, those who know they are Christians in name only should never make the pretention of being ‘normal’ Christians.” (105)

          Many pastors are afraid to even preach on the subject of worship because many these days equate the whole concept of “worship” with music styles and they fear that feathers might get ruffled.  Further,  many pastors are perhaps unaware of how little actual worship is taking place when the church gathers for the event called, ironically, “worship!”  Tozer went on to say “Much of our thinking about worship reflects a willingness to exchange a high view of God’s eternity for a short-term concept called here-and-now.” We must always remember it is never to be about us, although to do so is an ever-present temptation.

          We are told unequivocally that we are to worship God in spirit and in truth.  We must want to worship the one true and living God from our depths.  Tozer writes, “The stark, tragic fact is that the efforts of many people to worship are unacceptable to God.  Without an infusion of the Holy Spirit there can be no true worship.  This is serious.  It is hard for me to rest peacefully at night knowing that millions of cultured, religious people are merely carrying on church traditions and religious customs and they are not actually reaching God at all.” (46)

          Worship should not just be “a” way of life for a believer but should be “the” way of life.  There simply is no other way.  God alone must be the object of our worship and praise and it should be a natural, daily outflow of our hearts which are saturated with an unquenchable affection for him.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: “God’s Ideal For Marriage”-May 4, 2017

 

          My parents celebrate this week 50 years of marriage.  The reaching of this milestone has got me thinking more about marriage itself and what it means to have a long and fruitful commitment to one another.  Marriage has always meant life-long commitment from my vantage point.  I recognize I am in a very rare category in that my parents and both sets of my grandparents celebrated 50 years of marriage.  What seems normal to me and to my experience is sadly not very common today.

          I have heard more than one person say jokingly, ‘you would have to add up all my marriages to get to 50 years.’  It is true that unforeseen circumstances prevent some people from reaching this milestone; but it is also true that some of the circumstances preventing long marriages are avoidable.

          The secular world tends to see marriage in overly simplistic terms; therefore it is viewed as “easy come, easy go.”  The pain of a splitting up has been the subject of many country songs and has kept many counselors employed.  In a throw away culture, nothing tends to be valued as it should be and human relationships of every kind are no exception.  After being a pastor for 22 years and counseling with a lot of people struggling in their marriages and with many whose marriages have ended, I can unequivocally say the number one factor in marital struggles and marital endings is linked back to selfishness; selfishness, on the part of one partner or both.  Selfishness takes many different forms, but at its root it is putting the wants and desires of oneself first, at the expense of the other partner in the marriage.  This is why people have affairs, why they spend money they do not have, this is why they indulge in the appetites of the flesh such as excesses of alcohol, drugs, even food.  Pride tells people they can get away with what they are doing and that they even “deserve” the thing they desire, even if it looks or seems wrong.  The world’s way is Satan’s way.  Satan’s pride led to his fall long ago and he gets others to fall because of that same problem of giving place to pride.

          A good marriage has God at its centerpiece.  Why would anyone not want it to be so?  God invented marriage and God knows the best formula for a long and healthy marriage.  When Jesus is Lord of a home and Lord over the lives of the individuals living in that home then a healthy marriage is the outgrowth.  But if pride, self-indulgent behavior, narcissism, arrogance, etc. enter in, the marriage becomes more and more jeopardized.  Satan has many sneaky ways to enter in, and often by the time a couple figures out what is going on, it is too late. 

          Satan loves to mock God at every turn and when he can harm mankind, God’s prize creation, he does so with glee.  Destroying marriages are one of his specialties therefore he goes after them with gusto.  He salivates when he sees an opportunity to drive a wedge between couples and turn their relationship into a tug-o-war.  In so doing he makes a laughing stock of people made in the image of God, individuals for which Christ died and shed His blood, and the institution of marriage itself which pictures Christ’s relationship with His church.

          It is easy to fall for Satan’s lies and people fall for them each and every day.  A good marriage is not easy, but takes work.  Satan wants you to be lazy when it comes to marriage and when the marriage fails to blame your partner or perhaps even God.  Marriages most commonly fail because the person in the mirror does not look to the author of the Bible. When marriage is done God’s way, there is nothing better.  When a couple can celebrate one another, their children, and most of all, the God they serve then all is well! 

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Re-Issue of “Grief – The Expression of Pain” - April 11, 2017

Re-Issue of “Grief – The Expression of Pain”

(April 11, 2017)

 

          In the summer of 2012 a deranged individual shot up a movie theater in Aurora, CO and it prompted me to write a weblog on grief and pain.  This week we have seen yet another tragic set of events at a school in California.  My own heart is broken right now after losing my youngest son only 2 short months ago.  I found it amazing to go back and read my own words and, even though I believed every word I wrote 5 years ago, those same words have so much more sharpness and depth than before.

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: Grief – The Expression of Pain

(July 24, 2012)

 

          Once again people are left asking why after James Holmes went on a shooting spree at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater early Friday morning.  Heinous acts like these have become all too common in recent years.  The local media in Denver have naturally been comparing this tragedy to the Columbine High School shooting rampage in 1999, which took place in nearby Littleton.

          Many people have been affected directly by this tragedy while others have been affected more indirectly.  I did not know anyone shot or killed personally, but I must admit seeing the pictures of 6 year old Veronica Moser-Sulivan on newscasts has brought tears to my eyes.  As a father, a pastor, and as a human being I cannot help but be touched.  We are all affected in some way.  We are left with seemingly more questions than answers.  How do we make sense of this “senseless” outpouring of evil?

          Grief is a natural process that we have to go through when tragedy strikes our lives.  Sometimes we can see it coming, other times it totally blind-sides us.  H. Norman Wright says of grief, “It has been labeled everything from intense mental anguish to acute sorrow to deep remorse.” (Experiencing Grief)  Ken Gire in his 2001 book The Weathering Grace of God compares grief to the description of the Dust Bowl in John Steinbeck’s great novel, The Grapes of Wrath.  He writes, “Steinbeck’s description of the Dust Bowl is what the weather of the heart is sometimes like for someone who has endured a great loss.  A steady wind blows over you, opposes you, oppresses you.  The wind grows stronger, whisking away what little soil surrounds the few rootlets of spiritual life you have left.”

          There are a lot of unanswered questions right now for a lot of surviving victims and family members of those affected.  Trying to comfort such sorrow is an overwhelming task.  You can look into the tear filled eyes of these people and know that from the very depths of their souls they just want to understand why their loved one was taken away.  In the Old Testament, Job desired desperately to understand why he suffered as he did, but it was not revealed to him.  God basically expected him to rely on faith, but not a blind, uninformed, or an empty sort of faith which is no faith at all.  But instead a faith that called to mind God’s past “faithfulness” to Job.  Ken Gire goes on to pose the questions, ‘“What can I do to grow through this experience?’  And ‘How will my life be stronger now?’  Faith is involved in this process.  On one hand you will ask why and on the other hand say, ‘I will learn to live by faith.’  Faith is many things.  It is not knowing the answer to the why, and being willing to wait for an answer.  Eventually you may say, ‘I really don’t need the answer in order to go on.’  Some say not knowing makes recovery difficult, but could it be that knowing could make it even more difficult?  We hope an explanation will lessen the hurt.  It won’t.  Job asked and asked and asked again, but the silence of God was loud.”

          Consider the prophet Habakkuk who cried out and asked God why, but the silence of God again was loud.  Even though Habakkuk never received an answer from God he did come to a place of acceptance.  In Hab. 3:17-18 we read, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.  I will be joyful in God my Savior.”  That is quite a testimony from one who has gone through so much hurt.  The human spirit is, without question,  resilient.  We are capable of more than we realize we are capable of when in the midst of great pain and distress. 

          Over time we slowly learn to not think about the tragedy or loss quite as much.  It happens so gradually we do not even realize that it is happening.  The great scientist, mathematician, and theologian of the 17^th Century, Blaise Pascal, wrote “Being unable to cure death, wretchedness, and ignorance, men have decided in order to be happy, not to think about such things.” (Pensees)  Indeed mankind has trained himself to not think about the reality which exists all around him all the time.  Mankind has many amusements and occasionally, and with great difficulty and discomfort,  he is brought back to reality of living in the broken world that is described on every page of the Bible in sharp detail.  The good news for those directly affected by the Aurora theater shooting and  all of mankind is that right along with the description of lostness, brokenness, and hopelessness in God’s Word is the truth that God can find what is lost, fix what is broken, and restore hope where once there was none!  That is the Gospel message.  The message of true hope!

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Re-Issue of “The Bible: One Book, Yet Many” - April 3, 2017

Re-Issue of “The Bible: One Book, Yet Many”

(April 3, 2017)

 

          The following is a weblog I originally sent out in March, 2013.  Recently, in a conversation with my mother-in-law, I was reminded of it and she asked that I send it out again.

 

Allen Raynor Weblog:  The Bible: One Book, Yet Many

(Mar. 11, 2013)

 

          Have you noticed that searching for a new Bible is not as simple as it used to be?  Over the course of time selecting a Bible has become complex to say the least!  There is choice of colors, binding styles, print size, etc. Over the past century there has been an explosion of various translations of Scripture, snowballing toward the end of the 20^thCentury.  These include The American Standard Version (ASV) 1901, The New American Standard (NAS) 1971, The New International Version (NIV) 1978, The New King James Version (NKJV) 1982, The New Living Translation (NLT) 1986, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 1989, The English Standard Version (ESV) 2001, and The Holman Christian Standard Version (HCSV) 2004.  These are only some of the more prevalent ones.  In fact, there were more than 50 translations published over the past century!   Additionally, over the last few decades there has been something of an explosion of various Bible paraphrases such as The Living Bible (1971) Good News For Modern Man (1976), The Cotton Patch Bible (various sections published throughout the 1960s), and The Message (2002).  There are topical Bibles, chronological Bibles, life application Bibles, interlinear Bibles, etc.  Reader’s Digest came out with a condensed Bible, presumably including what their editors deemed of greatest interest.  Inexpensive paperback New Testaments have been distributed by churches and organizations and Bibles have been placed in hotel rooms all around the world by the Gideon’s.  There are a multitude of children’s Bibles available. You can even purchase recordings of famous voices such as James Earl Jones and Johnny Cash reading The New Testament.  There is The Franklin Electronic Pocket Bible, and you can even have the Bible on your phone by downloading a simple App.

          Reference Bibles, linking Scripture with Scripture in a systematic way, were first popularized by C. I. Scofield and his famous reference system.  Later others such as The Thompson Chain Reference Bible came along.  But, perhaps the most fascinating phenomenon of all is the advent known as “The Study Bible.”  The study Bible certainly made sense when first introduced, although there was some push-back from those who said it was not right to have man’s commentary notes bound together with Scripture.  But over time, those nay-sayers faded away.  Many find study Bibles indispensable as they study God’s Word.  There are a couple of ways to view study Bibles.  1) A person has to ask themselves, does it detract people from deeper study when information is too easily available right there in the center or bottom margin?  2) Have study Bibles turned into a sociological phenomenon to the point where they are detracting from the Bible alone being God’s Word?   As to the second issue, I would say I have 2 concerns.  First of all, I fear profit is driving publishers to publish nearly anything they believe will sell.  In that sense they are profiting from the Bible in a way that is somewhat questionable.  Second, I am concerned that people seem to be imposing themselves upon the Bible to some degree.  What do I mean by this?  Well, consider these available titles: NLT Girls Life Application Study Bible, NLT Guys Life Application Study Bible, The Women’s Study Bible, the The African American Heritage Study Bible, The ESV Global Study Bible, marketed as being for “the globally minded believer,” The Revolve Bible, purposefully meant to look like a fashion magazine marketed to teenage girls, and for gospel music lovers there is The Gaither Homecoming Bible.  Study Bible’s based on age, gender, skin color, political concerns, outside interests, hobbies, etc.?  Is this over the top?  Is there any limit to study Bibles?  Will we one day see the Tea Party member’s study Bible, the barbeque lovers study Bible, the hemorrhoid sufferers study Bible?  It sounds ridiculous, but, while the Bibles themselves are no doubt helpful to many, they also are highly reflective of a man-centered culture which is far more inductive when it comes to God and his Word than deductive, as mankind once was in generations past.  To a large degree our generation has sought to fashion the Bible to our personalities, tastes, and interests in virtually every way we believe we can legitimately do so.  It is not to say, many of the things which are done are necessarily wrong, but it does certainly say something about us.  One piece of telling evidence of this can be seen by walking down the entire aisle at the Family Christian Store devoted to Bible covers.  There are covers made to look like a football, one that looks like a watermelon, one’s that come in either “mossy oak,” or “real tree” camouflage, or are in zebra or cheetah print.  There are many different colors and multiple shades of each color.  There are ones with flowers on them and ones with geometric shapes and designs; and these are just the tip of the iceberg!  Again, this is reflective of our culture mainly in two distinct areas – our wealth and our narcissism.

          Many study Bibles have people’s name attached to them.  Is it right to put a person’s name on the Bible? Are these Bibles drawing more attention to individuals than to Scripture itself?  Such titles include The Matthew Henry Study Bible, The A. W. Tozer Study Bible, The John Maxwell Leadership Bible, The Henry Morris Study Bible, and the MacArthur Study Bible. 

          Christian Book Distributers (CBD) has a whole catalog of nothing but Bibles.  The 2013 CBD Bible Catalog is 68 pages in length!  Their regular March/April bi-monthly catalog of many products devotes 18 pages to Bibles and Bible accessories.  There are 5 pages of study Bibles, 1 page of NIV Bibles, 1 page of ESV Bibles, 1 page devoted to KJV and NASV Bibles, 1 page devoted to NKJV and HCSV Bibles, 1 page to Bible paraphrases, 3 pages to specialty Bibles, 1 page for Bibles for kids, 1 page entitled “Bibles & New Testaments,” 2 pages of “Bible Bargains,” and 1 page devoted to Bible accessories (Bible covers, highlighters, tabs, etc.).  When added up, there are several hundred choices available just from this one section of one catalog!

          I do believe that what we see is highly market driven.  People have a teenager, for instance, that they desperately want to read God’s Word.  They see a title such as Teen Life Application Study Bible and they purchase the Bible as a gift with the hopes and prayers it will make a difference.  A wife who desperately wishes to see her husband get right with God and get back in church purchases a men’s study Bible for him.  A woman seeking to personally grow closer to God purchases a women’s devotional Bible with the hope that it will fulfill her desires.  Is there anything wrong with these things?  Not necessarily.  If we have pure motives and we actually use these as tools, I see no problems at all.  But there are a couple of comments I would make.  First of all, “To whom much is given, much will be required.”  We have been given an incalculable number of resources in our modern world.  We have translations, commentaries, devotionals, reference works, and so many other things previous generations did not have.  While some of the tools cause me to raise an eyebrow from time to time, by and large the explosion of information available to us is a very good thing.  However, we must be discerning.  Also, there is no substitute for God’s Word itself.  As long as we do not allow things to get out of their proper order, we can greatly benefit from all that we have to great spiritual benefit.

          I would highly recommend to you a few Bibles I have found particularly helpful and enjoyable.  The American Patriots Bible contains many interesting tidbits from American history and shows how the Bible has been valued by key people in our nation’s history.  The Reformation Study Bible has extensive notes concerning key people and events instrumental in the Protestant Reformation.  The Apologetics Study Bible is a great resource to help you discover Biblical answers to the questions often asked by skeptics.  The MacArthur Study Bible (available in NKJV, NASV, and ESV) has been among my favorites for years.  John MacArthur is a trusted scholar and preacher of the Word of God and his insights are fantastic.  Any Bible is meant to be a valuable tool.  If you open its pages and study its content it will change your life.  Theologian Bernard Ramm wrote, “A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and the committal read.  But somehow the corpse never stays put!”  Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” 

          I like to read the Bible through a couple of times each year alternating the particular study Bible I use, reading the notes as I go along, learning much on each and every page.  I love the words of the late British evangelist Rodney “Gipsy” Smith who said “What makes the difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”  Take advantage of the great opportunities of our age, totally unknown to previous generations of Christians.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor