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.

To my dear readers, (both of you)

I would like to wish you and your family a very happy and memorable Christmas.

The whole reason we celebrate is to commemorate the greatest gift ever given. Christmas is the time to honor Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son, the Son of [...]]]>

To my dear readers, (both of you)

I would like to wish you and your family a very happy and memorable Christmas.

The whole reason we celebrate is to commemorate the greatest gift ever given. Christmas is the time to honor Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son, the Son of God, who was born in human flesh to live among His creation for a few decades. What he did, during what we would consider a very short life, was to teach us to love God and one another, to take our sins upon him, and to cover us with His perfect righteousness so we can once again be in full fellowship with God the Father now and forever.

If you only half-heartedly believe this, or don’t believe it at all, please think about it for a few minutes. Consider the fact that all of us will die someday and how many toys we have really doesn’t matter. Consider the fact that there is no way for anyone to live a life good enough to qualify for even a moment in the presence of a perfect, Holy God. The only way to earn a place in heaven is to live a perfect, holy life, and none of us can do that. But if you believe Jesus (not just believe IN Jesus) and turn away from your sins, God will look at your sinful life and see Jesus’ perfect life. Jesus’ work on the cross has assured all believers of this.

Everything else you may have been told that you have to do in order to gain heaven is extraneous. Repent and believe that Jesus is Lord and you are saved – by grace alone through faith alone, not by works. No other religion in the world teaches this, grace is unique to Christianity. Grace is the best kind of gift because none of us deserve it. What a wonderful gift! God loved us so much that he sent his Son to defeat death and sin, and give all believers the undeserved gift of eternal life in His presence.

May the blessings of Christmas be upon all of you.

-Dave

Q. How and when should biblical discernment skills be used?

A. Let’s take the last part of the question first. When should discernment skills be used?

The most important times that they can be used is [...]]]> We now continue the Q & A on Biblical Discernment. I hope you’ve studied; there is a test at the end. Seriously!

Q. How and when should biblical discernment skills be used?

A. Let’s take the last part of the question first. When should discernment skills be used?

The most important times that they can be used is when you are listening to a sermon or reading a book or an article on religion, or when you are involved in a conversation about Christianity. When listening to a sermon even your favorite, most trusted minister can get things wrong. If you have studied your bible and have prayed fervently for wisdom you should start to trust your instincts a little more. If a minister says something that doesn’t sound quite right, something that sets off your “Spidey Sense” or that might not be supported by scripture – write it down.

Now we get into the “How?” part of the question. The first thing you should do when you have a question about a sermon is to ask your minister about it. Give him a chance to explain it better. It is possible (hopefully even probable) that you have just misunderstood him. If it is not a misunderstanding, don’t back down if the truth is at stake. Tell him that it still isn’t clear to you. Respectfully ask him to cite the scripture from which he gets his statement. (Acts 17:11) Don’t put him on the spot in front of others and be sure to give him time to research the matter and get back to you when it is convenient. In the meantime, research the matter yourself. Dig into the Bible and research what various commentators have said on the subject. The Blue Letter Bible and Crosswalk.com have excellent Bible study tools available online.

Remember, the whole point is to come to a better understanding of God’s word; for you and for your minister.

Q. Sounds like a good plan, but what about when you read something that bothers your “Scripture Sense?”

A. The same goes for when you are reading a book or an article about religion, write down the statement that strikes you as wrong and take it to your minister or a trusted elder in your church. Ask them to help you understand what is being said. Rely on godly people you trust to guide you to the scripture that explains your question. Oftentimes, researching things on your own will answer your question, but sharing it with a brother in the faith can often help strengthen the discernment skills of both of you.

Q. What about when you are involved in a conversation about Christianity? It’s not as easy when you’re on the spot and have to defend something controversial.

A. That is true. You should rely on what you are certain that you know. Again, don’t back down when the truth is at stake. In the Bible, the main things are the plain things and the plain things are the main things. You should have a solid understanding of the “main things” before you engage anyone in serious discussions relating to Christianity.

Something that should not be forgotten is that you should always be respectful and loving in your dealings with brothers in the faith. We are called to speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:15) If the question involves an issue that is secondary to Essential Christian Doctrine, be sure to point that out and don’t argue with brothers over issues where we have the freedom to disagree without breaking fellowship.

Don’t get all worked up, this is just a practice test. Take a look at this statement from an American Mainline Protestant church.

We believe that the persistent search for God produces an authentic relationship with God, engendering love, strengthening faith, dissolving guilt, and giving life purpose and direction. We believe that all of the baptized ‘belong body and soul to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’ No matter who – no matter what – … no matter where we are on life’s journey – we all belong to God and to one worldwide community of faith. All persons baptized – past, present and future – are connected to each other and to God through the sacrament of baptism.

On the surface, this looks like a solid theological statement. Who could possibly argue with a persistent search for God or an authentic relationship with God? Who could disagree that baptized people are all part of a worldwide community of faith?

But here are some questions I had after reading it three or four times: Where in the Bible does it say that simply searching for God produces an authentic relationship with Him? Is baptism what binds believers together or is it something else?

John 3:3 states very clearly what is necessary for somebody to have a relationship with God. Searching for knowledge of God is a good thing, but the search doesn’t produce faith or a relationship. Only by repenting and believing can one be born again to new life in Christ Jesus.

And about that baptism thing… I don’t deny that all believers are part of a worldwide community of faith (aka The Invisible Church), but it isn’t a sacrament that makes it happen. Believers’ baptism is an outward sign of an inward change. (Acts 10:44-47) There are probably millions of non-believers who have been baptized. The thief on the cross can attest to the fact that baptism is not absolutely necessary for salvation. (Luke 23:42-43)

The above statement is part of the “What We Believe” statement of the United Church of Christ – or at least it was at one time. The UCC changes what they believe the way the wind changes direction in a tornado. This was taken from the UCC’s old website. This statement is not on their current website as far as I can tell. If you have time, read the whole thing. Tell me if I missed the place where it says you have to repent of your sins and believe in Jesus. The statement is also available here.

Watch this video and then read the page at the link below.

Interpretation of the above video.

What do you think? Use your discernment skills. Is this a biblical interpretation of the clouds in the video or not? Is it a message from God? Are you sure?

Nancy Bush certainly does seem to know the bible, she even quotes Latin and Greek. She is obviously not an opportunist who sees the Virgin Mary in a partially eaten grilled cheese sandwich and sells it on eBay for $28,000.

What do your discernment skills tell you? Please post a comment. I’ll try to approve comments within a few hours and once you’ve had one comment approved, your subsequent comments will post immediately.

One last thing: please remember to speak the truth in love. Thanks.

Osteen sez (at 1:53),

The scripture says in Ephesians 1 verse 4, ‘Long before God [...]]]> Biblical discernment is the skill that is lacking most among Christians in America today. This is the only explanation for the huge following that people like Joel Osteen enjoy. It takes only a little Biblical knowledge to refute claims like the following:

Osteen sez (at 1:53),

The scripture says in Ephesians 1 verse 4, ‘Long before God laid down earth’s foundation, he had us on his mind. Because of the sacrifice Christ made, we are a free people; and not just barely free, but abundantly free.

Hmm… Kinda sets off my Bible Radar. In my Bible, Ephesians 1:4 NASB reads,

…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love…

Funny how from that verse, Osteen can say that it was God’s intention that I would have lots of money and be healthy my whole life, free from poverty and sickness.

In an email devotional entitled, “Today’s Word” on July 25, 2006, Osteen wrote,

God desires above all, that we prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers. (John 3:2)

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria

God wants you to live a life of victory. He wants you to prosper physically, spiritually, emotionally– in every area of life. God also wants you to prosper financially to fulfill the destiny He’s laid out before you.

The poor guy can’t even misquote scripture correctly. That verse isn’t John 3:2, it is 3 John 1:2. Big difference. Here’s what my Bible reads for 3 John 1:2 NASB:

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

The ‘I’ in that verse is John, the writer of the letter; not God as Osteen says. And he is simply giving his friend Gaius a greeting in the traditional Greek manner; a prayer for prosperity and health and John adds that it is  Gaius’ soul that he cares about prospering.

Sorry Joel, but it is clear that your desire, above all, is to lead people away from the Word of God by their wallets.

Luke called the Bereans “…more noble than those in Thessolonica” because they checked everything by searching the scriptures daily. Biblical discernment starts with reading your Bible and not believing everything you hear. Just because someone is on television, sells millions of books and has hundreds of thousands of followers, doesn’t mean that they are preaching the Word of God. Usually, it means that they are loved by the world. And as it is written in James 4:4 NASB, “…do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Do not be an enemy of God. We are called to be in the world, but not of the world. Check everything you hear and read (Including this article!) with the scriptures as the Bereans did so long ago. Read your bible. Learn the Word and beware the false teachers like Joel Osteen.