There’s something remarkable about an apology. It could be whispered or shouted. It could be written on a scrap of paper or even a napkin. But seldom does an apology happen on a large scale.

Family Radio’s massive, highly organized billboard [...]]]> Remember reading this article about five months ago? http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/gallery/2011/05/the_world_is_ending_drive_safely.html I’d love to read it rewritten thusly:

There’s something remarkable about an apology. It could be whispered or shouted. It could be written on a scrap of paper or even a napkin. But seldom does an apology happen on a large scale.

Family Radio’s massive, highly organized billboard campaign is different. It’s revolutionary: The font is so bold and the images so striking that the billboards’ declaration of “We were wrong. We are sorry” is entirely unexpected. These signs seem to have been designed by highly-paid marketing executives, and yet the message is mundane. This strange contrast between form and content makes the billboards as eye-catching and effective as many commercial ads.

At familyradio.com and the other websites promoted on the billboards, readers learn that Harold Camping’s predictions about the world ending on May 21, then again on October 21, were fabrications aimed at promoting himself, his so-called ministry and fleecing his naïve followers. Self-proclaimed, now ruined, “prophet” Harold Camping now admits that he made the prediction based on dismal investment reports only, and not by careful reading of the Bible.

Michael Garcia, special projects coordinator for Family Radio, is an organizing force behind many of the billboards promoting Camping’s mea culpa. He estimates that the group has placed about 1,200 billboards across the United States and 2,000 overseas. These are numbers more typical for big brands like McDonald’s or Coke than a religious group, according to Stephan Freitas, chief marketing officer of the Outdoor Advertising Association.

It’s difficult to put a price tag on such a campaign: Neither Family Radio nor CBS Outdoor, which sold a large number of the billboards, would comment on cost, but the number could easily be in the millions.

“Every soul is worth every penny. We want to reach everyone,” Garcia said over the phone. The friendly former truck driver says that it’s his duty to use his talents to warn as many people about the false teaching of Camping as possible.

“When you have information—let’s say you have some information about a wolf in sheep’s clothing and many people are going to be in danger from his false teaching. If you withheld that information, I don’t see how you could sleep. We have some information that has been checked out in the Bible, and it says that nobody knows the day of Christ’s return.

Garcia and others affiliated with Camping have made great efforts to warn people in every part of the world. Iraq, Russia, Dubai, Lebanon, New York City, and rural Nebraska. Although in some cases billboard owners asked them to remove the potentially libelous words denouncing Camping as a liar and a thief —Garcia said that eventually most came around and helped him get his word out. He sees this as a sign from God.

Camping has quietly retired from his position at Family Radio, but has never renounced his bogus predictions. Thankfully, the people who helped him spread his spurious message earlier this year are now taking responsibility and liquidating all of Family Radio’s assets to reimburse those who stupidly gave their money to Camping.

One former contributor, swindled for almost $10,000 has received more than $38,000 from The Zacchaeus Foundation, formerly known as Family Radio, along with a personal apology from a member of their board of directors.

Well, now it appears that Camping has apologized, but certainly not with the same megaphone that he used to spread his false message . Nevertheless, I pray that his contrition is real and that he will be snatched from the fire (Jude 23).

A reader (Jon D.) commented at the end of Part 1, [...]]]>

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” — Jude 3

A reader (Jon D.) commented at the end of Part 1, “I must confess that this is my “default” setting far too often.” Mine too, Jon. This is the natural tendency of every human being and Christians are no exception. Those who think they are standing should be careful. (1 Cor. 10:12 )

Toward the end of Part 2 in this series, I related some ideas for what to do if you think you might be an American Picker. But I didn’t write much about what to do when you encounter a picker in your church who is unaware of his ‘pickiness.’ The reason I omitted this is Matthew 7:3-5 which states that first you must take the log out of your own eye, and then you can pick the speck from your brother’s eye. This wisdom from Jesus is timeless and especially relevant to the American Christian.

American popular society says that one should never judge another. Some Christians even take Matthew 7:1 out of context and say nobody should ever judge anyone. This doesn’t mean that we mustn’t engage in biblical discernment, though. Jesus clearly says that we can and should show love to fellow Christians by helping them when sin is affecting their life (“…then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5 and Luke 17:3) Paul teaches the same thing in Ephesians 5:21 and adds that the reason we do this is out of reverence for Christ; knowing, of course, that we will be judged by the same standard (Matthew 7:2).

I have met and conversed with many ‘great’ pickers, and responded to them with everything from silently walking away, to citing scriptural commands, to heated verbal conflict. I have never had a positive encounter with a picker when I approached the person with the word of God and beat him over the head with it. (Figuratively speaking, of course. I haven’t tried actually beating somebody with a bible…)

Pickers want so badly not to accept certain biblical truths that they usually respond with belligerence. The best result I’ve ever experienced after confronting a picker was agreeing to disagree on what the bible means and not talk about it anymore. The worst result I’ve experienced was having objectionable epithets and implied threats hurled at me. Either way, these encounters often result in the loss of fellowship and often friendship too.

There is a simple explanation for this, the thing we need to hear most is usually the thing we want to hear least.

Take heart in knowing that it is impossible for you to change a person’s heart or argue them into the kingdom of heaven. God the Holy Spirit is the only person who can convict someone of sin. (John 16:8) He may use us to plant a seed, or water one that another planted, but it is God who gives the growth. (1 Cor. 3:6)

Confronting or correcting an American Picker in your church must be done with humility and brokenness. Removing a log from your eye should leave a scar; but Christ has healed you completely, so today you bear no scars. You see clearly when you should be blind. Tell your Christian brother or sister about the effect of sin on yourself before you repented. Let your humbling experience be an example to them of loving, obedient submission to God Almighty, the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, and the healing power of Jesus. Rejoice in God’s forgiveness and let that be the contact point of your witness to your fellow believer.

I beg you; please don’t make the same mistake I did. I once (behaved, thought, believed, denied, etc.) just like you. I wasn’t even aware of it until someone said something to me about it and showed me in the Bible that God says it is a sin. At first, I didn’t listen; I even got angry with them for daring to tell me I was wrong. But afterward, the Holy Spirit convinced me that I really was sinning. The Word of God was clear. God led me to repentance and provided the means for my forgiveness and justification; the person and work of his only begotten son, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please consider what I’m saying to you. I hope it is apparent that I’m doing this because I care about you. The most hateful thing I could do would be to say nothing and let you continue in the path I was on and be hurt as much or more than I was. I beg you; turn to Christ and trust in Him. He alone can give you the power to reject this sin you love so much; and He can heal you completely.

Before I get into the first of three types of Pickers identified in the first part of this series, I want to make something perfectly clear to [...]]]>

“Scripture is like a river, broad and deep, shallow enough here for lambs to go wading, but deep enough there for an elephant to float.” –Gregory Dialogus

Before I get into the first of three types of Pickers identified in the first part of this series, I want to make something perfectly clear to the reader. I am not saying that American Pickers are not Christians. I’m not saying they are Christians either. Since the First Century, when Jesus established His church, the wheat and the tares have grown up side-by-side. Jesus knew this would be the case (Matthew 13:24-30). Even though you and I can look at the fruit produced by others, none of us can know the heart of another. Jesus is the ultimate judge and His righteous judgment at the end of time will be the only verdict that counts (Rom 14:10, 2 Cor 5:10).

Having said all that: Onward!

From Part 1: Simply defined, American Pickers are people who profess to be Christians, but pick and choose which parts of orthodox (biblical) Christianity they believe. For example, they treat the bible like a smorgasbord, taking their fill of what they like and passing on what they don’t.

Scripture Pickers are not unlike the History Channel’s American Pickers, Mike and Frank. They root around in the bible until they find something that they adore, something that they can take hold of and make their own; something that doesn’t cost them too dearly.

Scripture Pickers also overlook the things in the bible that don’t interest them; things they think are ugly or broken or for which there is no value in today’s marketplace.

But the bible is not a collection of interesting debris inside an old barn; the bible is the inspired Word of God and every single word is valuable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. (2 Tim. 3:16)

Example 1:

Matthew 6: 9-13 is one of the two places in scripture where we find what we call The Lord’s Prayer. But can you tell me what comes right after these famous verses?  (Mat 6:14-15) “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Whoa! Hold on just a minute! Does that say that if I don’t forgive other people, then God won’t forgive me? It sure would be a lot easier to just forget about those two verses and memorize The Lord’s Prayer, wouldn’t it?

This is an example of picking the things we like and passing on what we don’t because it is too costly to us personally.

Example 2:

Romans 8:28 is a verse that American Pickers love to quote, and I am foremost among them. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,” This is a wonderfully comforting verse, and all Christians should love it. But I wonder how many love the next two verses, (Rom. 8:29-30). For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”

Now just wait a minute – what’s all this about predestination and foreknowledge? I thought I was in control of my life and that I chose to believe in God… Not so, God chooses us!

This is an example of overlooking the things we think are broken, or outdated in the Bible. Usually we think this because we revere societal values more than biblical values.

If you know a Christian, or if you are a Christian who ignores difficult portions of scripture, or focuses only on the easy parts, what should you do?

First off, recognize the problem. It is a problem of unbelief in God’s word and His promises. The scripture was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3), and we either accept it or reject it in its entirety (Revelation 22:18-19). Take something away, and the Bible is no longer God’s complete and sufficient Word. Add something to it and it is now not wholly of God.

Secondly, and most importantly, confront the problem; confess your unbelief to God in prayer and ask His help in opening your eyes to the full majesty of God’s word. Pray that God would help you see that the Bible is overflowing with truth and grace. Without God, nothing you do will help your unbelief!

Finally, spend more time in the word. Seek out the portions of scripture you have trouble with and ask a trusted Christian mentor about them. Don’t feel bad about questioning God’s word, and don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. Chances are you’re not going to come up with an issue that hasn’t been addressed before. Don’t worry; God’s word can withstand your questions.

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:17

Resources I have and use:

• The Bible Answer Book and The Bible Answer Book 2 by Hank Hanegraaff
• Now That’s a Good Question by R. C. Sproul
• Why We Believe The Bible
• Bible Q&A

If you have another three and a half minutes. Dr. John Piper has a very relevant commentary on this subject.

Who are the American Pickers?

The ones I’m referring to don’t have a show on History Channel, though their names could be Mike or Frank. The American Pickers I’m referring to are the greatest threat to Christianity [...]]]>

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, – Colossians 3:16a

Who are the American Pickers?

The ones I’m referring to don’t have a show on History Channel, though their names could be Mike or Frank. The American Pickers I’m referring to are the greatest threat to Christianity in the world today; and that’s not hyperbole. They are more dangerous than Islam, Scientology, Paganism, Mormonism, Atheism, Universalism or any other anti-Christian “ism” you can think of.

Simply defined, American Pickers are people who profess to be Christians, but pick and choose which parts of orthodox (biblical) Christianity they believe. For example, they treat the bible like a smorgasbord, taking their fill of what they like and passing on what they don’t. They dwell on the aspects of God’s character they find reasonable and deny His equally holy facets that seem distasteful. They heed Jesus’ teachings about love, acceptance and forgiveness, while disregarding His hard sayings about hell, sinfulness and judgment.

As Paul Simon famously sang, “…a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” This is what defines the American Picker.

Those who call themselves Christians and exercise these types of unbelief openly, are a great threat to Christianity because they infiltrate our camp and work for the enemy. They wear our uniform while they secretly poison our water supply. A lone spy within the walls of a city can do more harm than a hundred soldiers at the gates.

Every Christian who reads this is a ‘picker’ to some extent, at least privately. If we are human then we are sinners and our best attempts at holiness fall far short of the standard that God requires. (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6). It is temptingly easy to apply the American Picker label to church-going folks I know, and I’m doubtless this tendency is in other Christians as well. But if you are like me, you should find a mirror and look for the picker in yourself before pointing a finger at someone else (Matthew 7:3-5).

My goal in this series is to describe the American Picker well enough that a discerning Christian can identify the threat quickly, protect himself and those for whom he is responsible, and take biblical action to neutralize the threat. Whether the threat is recognized in oneself or in another professing believer, proper identification and knowing what to do is crucial to correcting the error.

I hope you will join me in praying for this series to give God glory, to be edifying for the believer, and to be convicting for the American Picker we all know and (hopefully) love.

The average American [...]]]>

Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because He shows us both God and our own wretchedness. – Blaise Pascal

Most American Christians have an unhealthy level of self-esteem – it is much too high.

The average American Christian has no concept of what John Calvin called the “Total Depravity of Man” and what R. C. Sproul calls “Mankind’s Radical Fallenness.” The average protestant preacher avoids the subject altogether, never mentioning sin, wrath, hell or repentance from the pulpit. Yet the Bible is replete with support for this teaching.

Hover over a few of these verses to get an idea for yourself: Genesis 6:5, Job 25:4-6, Psalms 51:5, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Isaiah 64:6, Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7:21-23, Romans 3:10-11, Romans 3:23

You don’t even have to take the Bible’s word (God’s Word!) for it if you don’t want. Just open up Drudge Report or Huffington Post and read about the disgusting things that people do every day. It is enough to drive a man (or woman) to depression.

On the other side of this coin is where you will find many American Christians. They have fallen for the post-modern lie that self-esteem is the most important personal attribute that one can possess. Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer are two of the worst at perpetuating this lie under the guise of Christianity.

Knowing Jesus Christ is the only way to have a healthy level of self-esteem; high esteem for God and low esteem for ourselves. The result is neutral self-esteem – not thinking more of ourselves, or less of ourselves than we should.

The equation looks like this. On one side, I am a worm; a dead dog; a totally depraved, sinful, wretched excuse for a man. On the other side of the equation is Jesus, removing himself from heaven, taking on the flesh of a man and then suffering and dying for the likes of me. It doesn’t add up, does it?

But Jesus did that for those who call upon His name, for those who believe on Him.

Why?

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? Matthew 6:26

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba ! Father !” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:15-17

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called ; and these whom He called, He also justified ; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:28-31

Dear Atheist Friend,

You and I actually have much in common. We both seek The Truth®. If we are both intellectually honest with ourselves, we will accept The Truth®, regardless of whether or not it fits our current understanding of truth.

Here is just a little bit of The Truth®: In The End®, everyone dies.

Christians tend [...]]]>

Dear Atheist Friend,

You and I actually have much in common. We both seek The Truth®. If we are both intellectually honest with ourselves, we will accept The Truth®, regardless of whether or not it fits our current understanding of truth.

Here is just a little bit of The Truth®: In The End®, everyone dies.

Christians tend to look at life with The End® in mind. For us, The End® is death to this earthly life, and eternal life in the presence of God, where there will be no sickness, no pain, no tears, no wars, no sin. In a word, “Paradise.”

In the spirit of education, and in honest pursuit of The Truth®, I’d like to share a few reasons why Christians tend to push Christ as the only way to “Paradise.”

1. Because Jesus said He was the only way. (John 14:6)
2. Because Jesus told us to tell others. (Matthew 28:19)
3. Because Jesus said those whom He doesn’t know will spend eternity in Hell. (Matthew 7:22-23)
   

I enjoy writing in allegory, so here’s a little story you might find entertaining and educational – I hope it does not offend; that is not my intention. This story is really just an expansion on an idea that outspoken atheist Penn Jillette relates in support of proselytizing. Again, this is simply an attempt to help you understand why Christians seem to be so pushy about Jesus.

One day, you see your wife walking across the street to get the mail and there is a cement truck speeding down the road toward her. You yell at her to get out of the way, but she just laughs and says she doesn’t see anything. The truck rumbles closer and closer. You scream, jump up and run toward the road yelling at her, “Open your eyes, girl, and get out of the way!!!” But she just stands there on the yellow line shaking her head. She’s seven seconds from death and she’s laughing at you. What are you going to do now, cowboy?

If you love her, won’t you risk your life to push her off the road? Won’t you put yourself in harm’s way to save her from what you know is certain death? She might be angry with you for pushing her into the ditch and she’s probably going to think you’re the crazy one. She might even try to fight you off, to keep you away. But if you love her, you’ll do something crazy, you’ll do something dangerous. At the very least, you’ll risk making a fool out of yourself if it means that she will live. And maybe she’ll finally see that cement truck you’ve been talking about.

I hope this helps you to better understand our faith and our tendency to be ‘pushy.’

Your friend,

-Dave

P.S. This is an imperfect allegory, of course. No Christian can save anyone from what is to come in The End®. Only God can do that.

There are also many sayings having to do with [...]]]> How often do you refer to luck in the average day? “I was so lucky to avoid that traffic jam,” or, “I got that job totally by luck.” How about, “Lady luck smiled on me,” or even wishing someone “good luck” when they’re going to the doctor.

There are also many sayings having to do with luck and good fortune, “Luck favors the prepared,” and “It’s my lucky day!” And how many times have you heard about someone who supposedly has “the luck of the Irish.”

Even the word ‘fortunate’ infers that chance or luck had something to do with an outcome. “Fortunately, I had remembered my umbrella,” or “Unfortunately, I got lost.”

Christian, do you credit luck or fortune for things that you should be crediting to God?

Every off-hand remark about luck or fortune is a slap to the face of God who works all things together for good to those who love him (Romans 8:28), and we will be held accountable for all our words one day (Matthew 12:36).

Even attributing difficulties to ‘bad luck’ or ‘karma’ is an affront to our sovereign God who brings prosperity and calamity (Isaiah 45:7) and makes it rain upon the just and the unjust alike (Matthew 5:45).

Do you think God only wants to be acknowledged for bringing good things to your life? Is he not glorified in both times of trial and times of joy?

Christian, in all things, acknowledge the hand of God.

Luck and fortune do not exist.