Introduction

Live from Salt Lake City, Utah, this is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. where we do all we can to try and worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

Show 15 441 A Night of Principles
April 14th 2015

I’ve been invited by a Catholic radio show host Jack Ashcraft to come on his radio program on Friday, April 24th eastern time at 9pm. Jack is a Byzantine Catholic Priest, independent author, and host of a radio program called Vexilla Regis. You can tune into this interview by going to Shawn. Everyone can listen at the following link:

http://www.intrepidparadigm.com/listen-chat.html

We’re going to talk about Mormonism and then about love.

Upcoming Events

We are getting excited about Brother Matt Slick coming to be with us on Tuesday Night, May 5th for a two-hour HOTM special. Matt is founder of CARM and will address Calvinism then field questions. The format will be non-confrontational, but we will talk at length about the Calvinist presentation of Christianity and my questions about it.

Tuesday, May 5th from 8-10 pm right here in the HOTM studio/church. If you want to be here live, please join us. We will serve refreshments and libations.

Reflection and Analogy

Last week I ended the program with an analogy between drug-resistant bacteria and the pharmaceutical companies' refusal to try and fight it and the Church today. I woke up the next day realizing that I didn’t make the comparison really clear. See, the pharmaceutical companies need a billion dollars and ten years R&D to come up with a new viable drug – whether it be an antibiotic or a drug for depression or diabetes or high blood pressure. So they look around and say:

The antibiotic we come up with will be obsolete within a few years because bacteria become resistant to them so quickly. THEREFORE we will put our efforts into some new-fangled high blood pressure medicine and ensure a solid ROI for at least a decade or two.

The parallel to the church is this: We have been overusing our standard schtick for centuries now – and the bacteria of the world is resisting it very effectively. In other words, our claims are not holding water and in time they will fail us completely. But instead of pulling back to what the body needs the churches and focusing in on new antibiotics, the churches are throwing all their attentions (all their money and R&D) at new designer approaches to doing church (like concerts and business models and experiential religion) instead of stepping back and saying that they need to take some reasonable and rational (and yet biblical approaches) to the bacteria infecting the body and coming up with some responses that are effective in treating the Christian heart.

Seeking Truth

The Bible has points of view that have been altogether ignored due to tradition. They need to be explored and taught or we will soon find ourselves trying to fight spiritual infections that are totally resistant to the standard responses we have clung to and misused over the years.

And with that, how about a Moment from the Word?

RUN FROM THE WORD HERE

I am convinced – convinced – that the difference between joint heirs with Christ and all others…

the difference between the few who enter the strait gate and the many on the broad path…

the difference between “the most devout and those who are barely His” is those who are the elect love, seek, and desire the TRUTH – no matter how painful, no matter what the cost or price, no matter the personal fall out for embracing it, no matter how many endorse or reject it, truth seekers want Truth at all costs.

We did an illustration using a bus traveling through the countryside a few weeks ago. We mentioned that many get off the bus before it reaches the summit of subjective Christian truth. How far will YOU go? When do you (or when have you) gotten off the bus? Some get off because they…

The Importance of Loving Truth

Love father or mother or brother or sister or wife more than they want to know Him in spirit and truth. Some get off because they love the things of the world. Some want to first go and bury their dead, some are encumbered by the cares and riches of this world, some seek treasures that rust and are eaten of moths and many are fearful, or doubting, or lazy or love the dark more than the light. You name it, there are a thousand ways till Sunday to short-stop the truth.

Last week a man came to show and after it walked up to me and said point blank: “You’re wrong.” I smiled and asked about what and he told me and I said, “okay.” He asked, “Is that all you’re gonna say?” I asked him if he had watched all the evidence we had presented on the subject. “Nope,” came the reply. “Have you watched anything we did on the topic?” “Nope.” Then how can you say I’m wrong. “Because you are.” “How do you know?” “Because I know.”

It was obvious that my confronter was not out for truth but was out instead to protect what he believed to be true. Big difference. Truth seekers seek and truth seekers find. Everyone else does all they can to protect and insulate themselves from upheaval, from discomfort, from thought and reflection on their established opinions, from change.

Biblical References on Truth

Loving the truth is a precursor to salvation. Paul wrote of those who did not love the truth in 2nd Thessalonians 2:10: “They received not the love of the truth that they might be saved.” Of course the ultimate truth with a capital T is Jesus – not religion, not the law. John wrote in John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John quoted Jesus as saying in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus told the woman at the well John 4:23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” In the very next verse Jesus reiterates the import of these words, saying: John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The Liberty of Truth

One of the results of this attitude is the liberty the truth provides – the truth NEVER produces bondage – only liberty. Jesus said in John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Truth seekers realize this vital promise firsthand – which is why they seek to know the truth of all things because in the end it sets us free. Free “from” and free “to.” Free from what? Anything and everything that will serve to keep us bound. Myth, flesh, tradition, man and manipulation. Free from fear, from guilty, from the chains that hold all people down. Free to what? Love. Relax. Have patience, joy, faith in the King and His ways instead of our own. Every single step toward the light of truth shining out for Christ Jesus removes a fetter in our chains while enabling the liberated to trust in God more and love him and others better.

(beat)

Jesus came to set the captives free and to open the prison doors to them who are bound. He said to Pilate: “Everyone who is of the truth (about the truth, who honestly seeks the truth) hears my voice.” And follow Him into the light – come what may.

And with that let’s have a word of prayer.

PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER

Objective Nature of Christianity

We’re going to take a one-night respite and call this “A night of principles” We are putting a lot of stuff out there and I need to make some things clear to make sure we are all on the same page. The first thing I want to point out when I talk about subjective ChristianityA direct, personal relationship with God—free from institutional authority, guided by personal relationship, faith and agape love. is that I am NOT preaching relativism or attempting to convey the virtues of postmodern thinking. Understand clearly that Truth with a capital T is not subjective at all – nor is it “relative.” The fact of the matter is Christianity is entirely objective as it comes from the source – God. God’s truths are what they are, they do not vary nor change. Moral relativism says that truth is relative to the people, culture and situation at hand. IT says my truth is my truth and your truth is your truth. Hear me clearly – I am NOT suggesting

Subjective Christianity

Truth (capital T from God Truth) is NOT subjective but is ENTIRELY objective. Got that? But what is highly subjective is our understanding or comprehension of God’s objective truths as they shine down upon us. In other words, in Subjective Christianity the claim is NOT that we all have our own version of the truth. The CLAIM is we don’t really know much at all. Relating to this Paul says:

2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

Scripture supports this varying view of things when it talks about believers being babes, young people, or parents in the faith. There is maturity, with some having only the ability to drink the milk of the word and others to chew and digest the meat. Because humans are so frightened of instability and insecurity and uncertainty they glom onto some things and never let go – like drowning men in a storm-tossed sea when thrown a life raft.

And where we might reassure people that it's best to stay away from the sea during storms, or that it is wisdom not to go overboard, or that once you have a lifesaving device in your arms to never let go – Jesus invites us to walk on the water during the storm and without anything but Him to guide – and save us. But we all approach the sea in different ways. The point of Subjective Christianity is to suggest that we exercise patience and love when dealing with people who have views of biblical matters that differ from what we have come to believe ourselves.

That what we can agree on, that what has been definitively presented was Jesus Christ came, lived, died and rose on the third day. And that everything else (which serves to divide) ought to be left up to the believer on how they are going to view them. Finally, I do think that the whole of objective truth can be summarized in one Greek word – agape.

Knowledge and Love

Going back to Paul’s words about knowing, let’s bring in a little more context. He said: “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him.”

In my estimation – which again, may be debated – but I my estimation Christianity is summed up as faith (in Him) and love (for Him, through Him, by Him and for others).

Biblical Emphasis

A fourth unrelated principle has to do with biblical emphasis. One way (and I realize it’s not the most scientific approach) but one way we can determine what is of greatest importance in the Bible is to take words and count them as a means to illustrate the focus of a book. In other words, if we took War and Peace and did a word count and discovered that deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. or dead is mentioned most and Jesus least, we could reasonably say from this comparison that the overall focus of the book was death, right?

So what happens if we take the top most used words in the Bible and placed them on a balancing scale, what would we find? (Empty scale illustration here) The Number One word is GOD, LORD, JESUS – by a landslide – 2600 plus times. Next in line in terms of use – FAITH 501. Next is SPIRIT – 385 times. The Next is LOVE – 230. After this, there is Father, SinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace., and Heaven – all above 200 . . . and then we drop into words used under 200 times – which are also very significant but just not used as much. God (including Jesus), Faith, Spirit, Love.

I think that says a lot.

Finally, a fifth unconnected but important principle for tonight before we get to the phones. It has to do with perspective on how to see the Bible, its contents, and what we are really dealing with. Let’s call this illustration

“A Man on a Hill.” Use your imagination and go with me now. A man has been walking for days, and he arrives at a very steep hill. He is carrying an Old Testament. The year is

The Journey to Understanding Prophecy

70 AD December. He opens the Old Testament and reads

Ecclesiastes 1:4 “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.”

And He climbs up the hill to the top. He has heard that the prophecies of the Old Testament in his hands have been fulfilled. That the promised Messiah was born some 74 years earlier.

As He climbs he thinks about all he has heard and believed about Jesus – His birth, that He lived a life aimed at reaching the House of Israel. That this Messiah came to them as a people as promised. Yes, in coming for them He saved the whole world but He came for and to the House of Israel.

He remembers how he learned that this Messiah taught and called twelve apostles and how He promised them that that He is coming back – to the house of Israel. And, as he climbed toward the top, the man recalls that these apostles asked the Messiah to teach them of His return and how he said:

Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

The climbing man heard that the Messiah was killed but rose from the dead on the third day. That He then ascended into heaven. And that an angel tells the apostles that He would be coming back in the same way. He heard that these very same apostles took His message out and shared it with as many as would hear – from the House of Israel. That He had come for them, that they killed Him and that He was coming back. With judgment. But most importantly that they could be saved from the wrath to come if they would but receive Him.

Apostle Warnings and Promises

The man, just about to the top of this hill, remembers reading letters from these apostles where they warn, and warn, and warn of His coming. Paul said in Romans 13:11:

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

Then he wrote in Phillipians 4:5

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

James said in James 5:8 “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

The writer of Hebrews said:

(Hebrews 10:37) “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”

And Peter said

1st Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

The Revelation at the Hilltop

The climbing man had heard that the apostles were right – that He did come back, and just before reaching the top of the hill recalls the Revelation John received on behalf of the Seven Churches in Asia minor. He remembers the opening words to THOSE seven churches:

Where in Chapter 1 verse 3 the writer says, “the time is at hand.”

And in chapter 1 verse 7 it says “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

And how the book ends with five reiterations of His eminent return.

Revelation 22:6 says, speaking to the contents of the revelation:

“the things which must shortly be done.”

Then verse 7 says:

7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Then verse 10 says:

Revelation 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

And then at verse 12 he reiterates

Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

And then in the second to last verse of the book and the last book of the Bible we read:

Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.

And then how John adds in the last verse:

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

And the man crests the top of this high hill and overlooking Jerusalem what does he see?

Over one million corpses. Jews. The house of Israel. He sees the magnificent temple utterly leveled – all the genealogies burned up and lost forever. He sees the city of David destroyed. Weeping echoes throughout the valley and he realizes the book in his hands is done. The promises over.

The Reflection on Spiritual Legacy

The city wiped out. The genealogies irreplaceably destroyed. Now he understands that there is no difference between a Jew and a Gentile, between males and females, who believe in Christ. That generation of God and the Nation of Israel has passed. And then he recalls the second half of that verse from Ecclesiastes, which says:

But the earth will last forever.

And he turns from Jerusalem and looks to the west. Above him is Antioch. Out from Him is Ephesus, Corinth, over one thousand six hundred miles away is Rome. He ponders on the future of what the man Jesus did on the cross. The message has gone out to many in those areas. He knows the Holy Spirit will continue to draw all seekers to Christ. But he also knows much will be MANipulated.

Questioning Apostolic Authority

He wonders about apostolic authority? “It’s gone,” he thinks – unless John is still out there – “but once John is dead there’s no more of that,” he reflects. Oh but what about men the apostles chose? Yes, there are some of them out there too . . .

There’s Clement of Rome . . . There’s Ignatius of Antioch . . . There’s Polycarp of Smyrna.

But they will all be replaced and ultimately overtaken by men far less their caliber. Okay, he thinks, what about the writings of the Apostles. Those are good, those are trustworthy. But . . . they are all over the place, are not really agreed upon, and include so many forgeries and counterfeits it won’t be for another 200 years before we really get a defining collection!

Reflection on Faith

But wait! He cries in his heart, we have the Di DAH KAY. But that’s not completely sound. The Shepherd of Hermes. Later Irenius will consider is canon and it was included later in the codex Siniaticus. It will really be important, it with its 5 visions, 12 mandates, and ten parables, right?

The man sighs. And as he walks down the hill, with Jerusalem to His back, he realizes very well that his faith, and that of his family, and his children and grandchildren is not in the hands of men. It’s in the hands of God. By faith He and His will walk. They will yearn to hear the word and by the Spirit let themselves receive and grow.

He knows that just as the Nation of Israel was commanded to believe He would come, and those alive during His life would have to believe that He was there, it would be necessary for him and his to trust that he not only came but finished it all. That the earth will abide forever, that His Kingdom was not of this world, and that the seekers of truth would always hear His voice . . . and follow him.

In faith and in love.

(beat)

With that let’s open up the phone lines:

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SPOT