Heart of the Matter: Good News and Beliefs
Live from Salt Lake City, Utah, this is Heart of the Matter where we do all we can to try and worship God in Spirit and in Truth. And I’m Shawn McCraney, your host.
Upcoming Events and Assistance
Show 24 450 “Is it truly Good News? Announcements: Remember folks – September 11-12 – a Friday evening and a Saturday morning for time with Dr. Don Preston, whom I would call an expert in the preterist position. We hope you’ll consider joining us here at the HOTM studio/church.
Additionally, we want to let you know that if you have a need to speak with someone about your doctrinal issues or problems with Mormonism or whatever – call our toll-free number (GRAPHIC HERE). And leave a number. Someone will try and get back to you within a reasonable amount of time.
On Debating the Trinity
Had some more feedback on Brother Matt Slick returning to discuss the Trinity and my disregard for the term and its man-made implications. A number of you have said that Matt is a worthy opponent and I ought to entertain his desires to represent the pro-Trinitarian ideal. Now I want you to think about this for a minute.
First of all, do any of you really believe that Matt or I can solve this dilemma between ourselves by talking? Certainly, there will be flurries of exciting banter and a point made here and a counterpoint made there, but I seriously doubt this is the manner in which people are influenced to reform their opinions on matters.
Secondly, I love Matt and admit to his uncanny ability to cite chapter and verse. But this does not make for a solid platform of discussion. This type of understanding occurs in a give and take where one point – and the passages to support such a point – are actually threshed out. Scripture tells us to “reason” together. It tells us to worship God using our hearts and our minds.
Belief and Individual Understanding
I am therefore not of the opinion that dragging the Trinity out of the closet and making arguments for why it’s either acceptable or unacceptable is beneficial. And this brings me to a final point on the matter – I am not out fighting against Trinitarians or Binitarians or Oneness Pentecostals.
Our ministry promotes and defends the right of any Christian to understand and interpret scripture to the best of their ability and to let the Holy Spirit bring them to where they stand on such things. This is lost when we bring people in to fight for a dogmatic position that is unknowable. Let me put it to you this way:
Trinitarianism and other isms – Mormonism, Calvinism, Arminianism are taught isms. People have to be taught to believe like a Calvinist by a Calvinist, to believe in the Trinity by a Trinitarian, and to accept Mormonism’s views of the Bible by a Mormon. Nobody on earth could or would ever read the Bible (without input from man) and walk away accepting creedal Trinitarianism, or Calvinism, or Mormonism. Again, these isms must be taught for people to come to believe them.
And when people become comfortable with the system they have been taught, when the ism provides them with all the answers and they feel secure, and especially when someone has mastered the nuances of the system as a means to defend it, there is no dialoguing with them for understanding. All that remains is promotional campaigns to win a person over to their side. All that remains is intellectual jousting, pissing contests, and presentations of who has their schtick down best. It’s foolishness. It’s ego-based. And it accomplishes NOTHING.
So let me reiterate where we stand on all things except The Good News – Every believer has the right to believe how they want. They have the right and the responsibility to search, and to embrace things in a variety of colors and degrees. There is no belief or opinion on earth that can divide from a brother or sister in the Lord.
Unity in Diversity of Belief
People who believe in Jesus as I AM, as the way, the Truth, and the Life, who accept Him as God with us, and trust that He is the only way to the Father are welcome, in my book, to:
- Believe in a Trinity
- Believe in Oneness
- Believe in Futurism
- Believe in Preterism
- Believe in communism
- Believe in capitalism
If Obama, Clinton, or Bush are believers, they are my brothers. If Bruce Jenner is a believer he is my brother . . . my sister . . . my brother – damn! People can see homosexuality as acceptable, abortion as permissible, and can lay in the gutter an alcoholic, a meth-addict, a masturbator, a liar, or a cheat – here’s why.
Faith and Freedom in Christianity
I trust that God is in them and working with them and on them by faith. They are His by faith and not by works of righteousness. They are responsible to Him. He is either their King and Savior or He’s not. If they are His by faith, He deals with them by His Spirit. If they are not, then that’s up to Him to judge – not you and I. Can you see why division among fellow Christians is so utterly ridiculous? We are saved by Him and His shed blood not opinions, not works, not anything else. So let’s just calm it all down – and let love abide, prompted by faith in the only King, Jesus Christ. Along the way we will discuss all things – but with love.
Free from Dogma
Why do we take this approach to the faith on this show? To help others who are trapped in the doctrines and dogmas of organized religion to realize that we are free in Him not free due to religious tenets or dogmatic doctrines.
We recently received a really insightful and encouraging email from someone called “Vix.” She says: “Thank you so much for Heart of the matter, thank you for putting yourself out there and on the line. Thank you for questioning everything, because as an ex-Mormon I needed everything I knew deconstructed and that includes everything I had been taught about other churches and theologies (particularly from a Mormon perspective). I praise God that he is using you in this way because it has lead me to test all things, question things and become born again."
"My understanding of who I am and my relationship with (to me) a whole new Jesus, has been a long journey (for our whole family! Coming out of being card-carrying, higher ward/stake leadership callings and a son who refused his mission call!) It has been our experience that when you come out of Mormonism, you distrust man and theologies with all your being; you don’t want to be deceived again and get hooked up in something that will put a church institution between you and God ever again. So thank you for coming across as divergent, free-thinking, questioning and a bit of a stubborn old goat :)"
"We are no longer empty and tired. I just wanted our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ to know, that you may have upset them, however you are being used with a purpose to bring people into the body of Christ, who truly have no understanding of Christianity. And we really need everything questioned and broken down so that we can learn to take it to the Bible and prayer and learn to trust the real God. To any Latter Day Saints watching, read your Bibles without scripture chaining, pray to have your hearts open to the truth, because if all is well in Zion there is no problem in doing this."
"I cannot tell you how difficult it is for me to reach out to people who once seriously considered me their brother in the Lord and to be met with the silence of disrespect. Is this what Christianity is all about – shunning people because they end up thinking differently on disputable doctrines? Do we stand justified before God based on doctrines and dogma or is it by faith on Jesus and our love for God and Man?"
Faith, Not Doctrines
Think about this – Will we be accepted by God based on our belief and love or based on what we think? Will theology save us? Doctrines? Of simply faith? We’re going to talk about this tonight, but first, how about a Moment from the Word.
In the 8th chapter of 1st Corinthians Paul enters into a discussion on eating meat sacrificed to idols. There were all sorts of debates and insights and views on the matter we can be sure, and so Paul says this:
1st Corinthians 8:1-2 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 2 And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
The Saints at Corinth were in a debate – is it permissible for Christians to eat meat sacrificed to idols. For some, this would have been a horror to participate in and for others, like me, they would have said (in the Koine Greek, of course,) “pass the ketchup.” Paul’s point seems to be, “listen, we all have…”
Knowledge and Love
Opinions and insights on the matter. He says, “We all have knowledge,” but then adds, “Knowledge puffeth up BUT love edifies.” What does he mean?
I would suggest that he seems to mean that knowing and knowledge is really, really limited in scope when coming from human beings and that the presence of it often works to just make us proud BUT LOVE edifies and makes all things clear and understandable. In Romans chapter 14 he hits on this very same topic and says beginning at verse 10:
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
Our knowledge can really work against us—especially in the Body—if it is not shared with love, and humility, and the admitting that it IS LIMITED in scope and is therefore subject to different interpretations. Solomon cynically concluded in Ecclesiastes 1:18, “For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” He added in 12:11-12:
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Wisdom and Understanding
Of course most of us are familiar with:
Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
The interesting thing about the Bible is it almost always presents an alternative view. For example, in light of all I just presented we also know that the Bible tells us to “study to show thyself approved.” It seems to me but the way to balance these apparently contradictory presentations is to live in the gap—back away from dogma—and allow for people to come to God—to a knowledge of God—by and through the Spirit and His Word.
“Well, well, well we need to have doctrinal purity!” People scream. The purity of what doctrine? I reply. The list is almost endless and in the face of it there is disagreement between the best of Christians. Let’s remember Philippians 2:10:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Teaching with Love
As a father, how do I want my children—my daughters and my grandchildren to understand God? As a being who judges them on their knowledge and learning and education and ability to cite verse or as a being of love who seeks and wants them to love . . . and to understand Him as love?
Excuse the personal anecdote but it’s quite fitting. My daughters Cassidy
Reflections on the Potato Harvest
And Delaney visited their sister Mallory (with her family) in Sweden recently due to the generosity of someone with lots of sky miles. Cassidy wrote the following about an experience she had while there, saying:
Mallory’s house is surrounded by potato farms. Small gold potatoes that taste like butter. Today they were harvested, the tractors plowing up and down the fields, and Mallory got permission for us to raid the land for whatever was left behind.
As we dug our hands in the dirt, Mallory mentioned that we were gleaning, and for the rest of the time we spent on our hands and knees I was thinking of the Creator. I watched as the tractor plowed and harvested thousands of potatoes–potatoes that were ready to be picked, that went with ease into the mouth of the machinery. I thought of the first-fruits, believers, sons and daughters. I thought of God in the front seat of that plow.
The potatoes allowed us came in, roughly, three identities. There were green potatoes: potatoes that had yet to ripen, weren’t fully prepared to pluck away from the plant and ascend into the plow. These potatoes reminded me of people who are on the cusp, who aren’t quite there yet, who haven’t reached their full potential, but will with a little fire and love. Then there were perfect potatoes: potatoes that, in theory, should have been–would have expected to be–gathered but, for whatever reason, weren’t. These potatoes reminded me of the Pharisees, the religious, the zealots, the legalistic. Those lacking the love it takes to ascend upward.
Finally, there were the rotten potatoes: ugly, marred, inedible. The evil people. The bitterness, resentment, anger, hate. The kind of potatoes no one wants, but that still–at their very core–have something to save. A shred, a crumb, an atom of gold potato that tastes like butter.
The Symbolism of Gleaning
It stunned me, to witness and participate in an actual harvest gleaning, to grasp the symbolism. Mallory mentioned, after having shared my thoughts with her, that no one would pick the rotten potatoes. That as humans gleaning for ourselves, we would leave those behind. To think of the wonder and love of a God who would choose them anyway, who would work to peel away the hardened, rotten flesh to get to their core of belief, of love. What an astounding God, and yet He could–and would–be nothing else. He wants by hand ALL and He will get by hand ALL.
I looked at the ground below me, miles and miles of fruit that were left to rot in the sun, and I thought of God getting out of the plow, taking on flesh, and individually gathering–saving–the potatoes that were left behind. And I praised and I praised and I praised.
(Beat)
With that let’s have a word of prayer.
PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER
Understanding the Good News
What is the Good News? Really?
(beat)
And who is it for?
A man walks into a room full of people. He steps to a microphone and says:
“I have some good news.”
Most if not all of the people will look up to him with interest to hear what this good news is all about. They will want to know how this news will apply to them – how it will affect them . . . make their lives better.
The scripture talks about the “good news.” Is it for everyone in the room or only for a few.
If only for some is the News really, truly good.
Imagine a family sitting at the dinner table. Mom and Dad and three kids – Katie, Kari and Henry. They really love each other, they sacrifice for each other, vacation together, sing songs as a family as they travel along life’s highways and byeways.
The family really trusts their Dad’s views and opinions. And Mom – Mom is not only the lifeblood of the home she sacrifices her all for their common good.
So there at the dinner table Dad makes an announcement. He says:
“God has given our family some really good news you guys.”
“What is it Dad?” Henry asks happily, eye full of trust and wonder.
“Well, son, Katie and Kari and I have been saved by Jesus Christ. Isn’t that wonderful! Isn’t that great news?”
Henry looks at his mom. “What about us, Dad?”
Dad replies. “I’m sorry son. But there’s no Good News for you . . . or Mom.”
(beat)
Could the good news
Exploring the Inclusivity of the Good News
Really be good if it wasn’t for all members of the Beazley family? We understand how Dad and Katie and Kari might think it was good news in the end but would Mom and Henry? Of course Mom and Henry could be happy for Dad and Katie and Kari but could Dad and Katie and Kari really even see the news as good being Mom and Cameron aren’t recipients of it as well?
(beat)
And that is just one family sitting around a dinner table. Now let’s look at the world – let’s look at everyone who has ever been born since Adam and Eve all the way down to a babe born this second. Good news . . . or not?
A Faith of Love and Selflessness
This is a faith of love and selflessness. Can you see how unloving and selfish the Good News turns out to be if we as believers think it is only for US and nobody else? That Jesus saved me, but He didn’t save you – too bad. Hell for you.
Like Henry and Mom, how could the world see the “Good News” as “good” in this situation but more to the point – how do we who have received it? We see it as good by laying it all on God and claiming He is the author of this system – and that as recipients of the Good News we prove our allegiance by praising Him for choosing us and denying the rest of the world.
We relish the fact that billions will suffer immeasurably for eternity because this is God’s will and then, as the chosen fall prostrate on the ground praising Him for His choosing us (and proving by our utter devotion that He has).
The True Honor of Sovereignty
I would suggest that this is one of the most egregious forms of taking the name of God in vain. I would suggest that such thinking is not God honoring but is an affront to his sovereignty and love and longsuffering.
I would suggest that highest honor any Christian can bestow on Sovereign God is to acknowledge that He so LOVED the WORLD that He sent His Only begotten to save it – and that this is exactly what He did – saved it . . .
Mom, Dad, Katie, Kari and yes, Henry. All by and through His Son – only by and through His Son, but in the end – Every knee will bow, God will have His Sovereign will accomplished, and He will be all in all. Now THAT . . . is Good News I can share.
Let’s open up the phone lines (801)
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