Removing Reason

Our Adult Sunday school class is currently viewing the DVD series “Resisting the Green Dragon”, subtitled; “A Biblical Response to One of the Greatest Deceptions of Our Day”.  The series is produced by the Cornwall Alliance and presents a Christian response to radical environmentalism.

One of the segments our class viewed was “Logos vs Mysticism: Environmentalism’s Flight from Reason” by lecturer Dr. Vishall Mangalwadi. 

Dr. Mangalwadi is from India and related his experience in living the gospel in that country.  His experiences with the mystical religions of India and the philosophy of extreme environmentalism lead him to conclude that extreme environmentalists practice a form of mysticism which substitutes reason with feelings or emotionalism which leads to worshipping creation rather than the Creator.  He reminds us that human beings are living in someone else’s creation.  In other words “we didn’t make that” -  to borrow a phrase from our current president.  He also stated that if you remove the Word of God from our decision making process there is no reason to not steal, covet, or murder.  Animals do all those things and if we are nothing more than animals we are free to act like animals.  His statement, “If you are a monkey you will do monkey-business” is the inevitable result.

He also stated that the western cultural view of celibacy as remaining unmarried differs from the eastern (or mystics) view of celibacy.  Celibacy to the mystic is not abstaining from sex but from marriage.  Therefore, religious leaders like Mahatma Gandhi can claim celibacy but have multiple paramour’s.  Much like our Hollywood celebrities who have almost en-mass adopted mysticism as their worldview.  Consequently, our culture’s adoption of mysticism leads to a breakdown of the sanctity of marriage and rampant promiscuity and other immoral acts.

Removing the Word of God from our culture removes Reason. 

The Cornwall Alliance was established in May, 2007, and has emerged as one of the most prominent voices in America and internationally on issues of religion and environment and consists of a coalition of clergy, theologians, religious leaders, scientists, academics, policy experts, and others committed to bringing a proper and balanced biblical view of stewardship to the critical issues of environment and development. You can visit their website HERE to order the DVD.

Posted by John R Ducommun

Sanctification

This year our church continues what we call our "Book Study" using materials supplied by Chapel Library of Pensacola, Florida, and consists of reading material and accompanying study guide.  Our current study is in J.C.Ryle's book "Holiness, Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots.  During my time of study I often utilize other material to help clarify or give me a greater understanding of the topic or that I find interesting.  This past week I read an article I felt compelling regarding the inevitability of sanctification in the Christian's life.  The article was written by Elisha Golotti, the wife of a pastor in Toronto, Canada. (You can view her blog site  HERE .)  Enjoy....

THE INEVITABILITY OF SANCTIFICATION

We know what abundant life looks like; we’ve seen in it others, we’ve tasted it ourselves. A striving life is a joy-filled life, and it is only when we pick up our cross and follow Him that heaviness lifts. We know that the grueling work of putting to death those sins which we so cherish is the pathway to freedom, to abundance. But still, we look within and there is much yet withered and lifeless. We doubt not that He has made us new in Christ, it’s just that sometimes the new bears such striking resemblance to the old.

In Toronto this has been the week when the color of life has changed. We have been watching closely, knowing it was coming. A few days ago buds were forming on the trees, and branches, though still brown, had subtly changed shape as bud concealed blossom. Every spring, though expectant, there is always the delight of one day waking up, looking out, and life has changed color.

What yesterday was barren is today fresh, green, flowering, altogether new.

I was commenting to a neighborhood friend that even though I always know spring is coming and the process has begun, it always seems so sudden when the landscape changes and, one day, the trees are adorned in flowering buds. “Well,” my friend mused, “it was never a question of if, it was always a question of when.”

My mind replayed her words. It was never a question of if, it was always a question of when.

For the tree planted, rooted, and alive, new life is never a question of if, it is always a question of when. New life is inevitable. Change is inevitable. It’s inevitable that spring will blossom no matter how long the winter has been.

Where there is life, where there are living roots, there will be growth.

We may grow weary. We may see patterns of sin that tempt us to lose hope. We may lift empty, calloused hands and cry with hollow voice, “When will you do this work in me? When will you give me the grace to live as I ought to live, to think as I ought to think, to love as I ought to love? When, Lord?”

His answer, startling clear: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

I’ve been made new in Christ. I’ve been planted by streams of living water. My roots are growing deep into God’s love. Because of all this, putting sin to death and growing in grace is not a question of if, it is a question of when.

The process of sanctification is one that can seem, at times, imperceptible. There are seasons--or sins--where the cold, gray of winter shuts out the warmth and light of the Son and all we know is the same bleak repetition of failure, of apathy, of sin.

What grace and tremendous hope is found in His promise to complete in us what He has begun. What grace to know that sanctification is inevitable and that, in Him, we will surely see change and growth and new life. 

And what grace, too, that He chose to fill this world with beautiful illustrations of His promise.

But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!” ~ Psalm 92

 

The Stockdale Paradox

Who has the worst chance of surviving a prisoner of war camp?

An optimist!

According to General Stockdale, who was held captive for eight years during the Vietnam War and tortured 22 times before finally making it home, it was mainly optimists who did not make it out alive.

He explains: “They were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.”

In contrast to false optimism, Stockdale attributes his survival to realistic faith: “I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.” He concluded: “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end–which you can never afford to lose–with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”

 

But we can apply this principle to our spiritual lives and ministries too. Many Christians and churches seem to entertain unending optimism in “the next big thing” to make the “big breakthrough” in their lives and churches. The consequences are increasing numbers of disillusioned Christians and churches, some of whom are dying from broken hearts.

If we want to avoid this, let’s. . . . . (read the rest  HERE )



Originally posted on April 22, 2013 by David Murray