Help Me Get an ESV Study Bible!

For anybody who cares and would like to help me out, please visit my sponsor through the following link. Clicks will earn me points and eventually gift certificates. With the economic situation, and a college tuition looming in the near future, this young lad would appreciate anybody’s help which would afford him free theology books.

www.wtsbooks.com/?utm_source=dcamacho&utm_medium=dcamacho

Maximalist, Minimalist, Centralist???

Tonight was lecture in the theology program I’m enrolled in. It was very stimulating, we are currently discussing Modernism, Post-Modernism, and Christian epistemology. One thing that our instructor touched upon was the way in which churches make their truth claims. This is when i was first introduced to these three terms. I found them to be very helpful and i wish to share them with you:

Maximalist Approach: This church is absolutely right in everything it teaches, including the details. Adherents must believe all doctrines and the specific interpretations of them.

Example: Concerning the doctrine of creation, adherents must believe in a literal 6 day creation. Or else!

Minimalist Approach: This church is only concerned about general truths that everybody can agree about. Adherents are not required to believe anything except some very general truths.

Example: Concerning the doctrine of creation, adherents are not required to believe anything except that some higher power exists.

Centralist Approach: This church is concerned about the essentials of Christianity and leaves room for disagreements when it come to non-essentials. It allows for varied interpretations (they must be valid) where scripture is unclear. Adherents are required to believe the main tenets of Christianity and are allowed to differ when it comes to secondary things.

Example: Concerning the doctrine of creation, adherents are required to believe that God created the universe. Different interpretations such as a literal 6 days or metaphorical 6 days (which may allow for evolution) are allowed.

God, among our imaginary friends

Have you ever had an imaginary friend? From what i can recollect, I’ve never had imaginary friends. When i was younger, i was fascinated by Star Wars (and i still am). Its only been in my maturation that I’ve come to appreciate all of the philosophical, political, moral, and religious intricacies touched upon by this mythic drama. But when i was younger i did not discern such things. For me, it was all about spaceships and light-sabre duels. I had a great collection of action figures which enabled me to re-create scenes and even allowed me to add my own plot-twists and alternate endings to the movies. My Jedi roster meant so much to me. They are probably the closest thing I’ve ever had to imaginary friends. Besides that, I’ve never had imaginary friends.

Let me attempt to define generally what an imaginary friend is. An imaginary friend is…1) Not Real (duh…its something invented by the person’s mind)…2) A Crutch (Imaginary friends are usually produced to cope with confusion, loneliness, pain, et cetera)…3) A Safety Blanket (They provide comfort, security, and purpose)…4) Childish (Mostly children invent imaginary friends. Once they grow up and become smarter they cease to believe in imaginary friends)

Many people like to place God in that same category. God is something imaginary invented by people because they need crutches and safety blankets, and if people were to be better educated (especially in science) they would cease to believe in this hoax. Believers are then looked upon as childish and naive people who have held on to their primordial ancestor’s myths. This view is becoming very popular and is winning the applause of some in academia.

Richard Dawkins is one of the most eloquent deniers of God. If blaspheming were an art then i must admit that he is dominating the contemporary landscape. He is notorious for comparing the Christian God to fairy-tale creatures and monsters. My favorite one is the Flying Spaghetti Monster. (it really makes one wonder…what does Rich do in his spare time?) Dawkins has even inspired some of his followers to create a church for the Flying Spaghetti monster. These pious FSM desciples have created a religion that is entirely satirical, it is meant to mock religion (especially Christianity).

It is clearly evident that people who believe in God today (especially the Christian God) will be accused of having an imaginary friend. And this accusation will not only come from the street but from higher learning institutions. Movies, Organizations, and even “religions” are being mobilized to advance this precise claim.

I have not disclosed my personal thoughts on this matter. A series may be forthcoming in which i will.

What is life?

This was the question posed to me in my A.P. Literature class a couple of days ago. We had ten minutes or so to write our answer on a piece of paper, which would then be read aloud by the teacher anonymously. About 8 minutes passed, my paper…blank. I looked around and many people had written paragraphs. My concept of “life” was difficult to put into words. With mush haste i jotted down my answer to this delicate question. I rushed to the teacher’s desk and submitted my paper which got lost in the pile…just in time. She proceeded to read them.

Some people chose to define life in merely biological terms. Life is a heart beating, a person breathing, bodily functions working. The popular trend was defining life to be whatever one makes of it. I however defined it as such…

Life is joyfully experiencing reality in an ever-increasing measure and newness for eternity. Death is stagnant, monotonous, and out of touch with reality. Death that is elongated for eternity is hell.

What exactly do i mean by this? TO BE CONTINUED…

Site is UNDER CONSTRUCTION

I am attempting to give my site a much needed update which will coincide with my return to blogging. A heartfelt thanks to those of you who continued to visit my site, i apologize for my long absence.

WHEN THE THRILL IS GONE

 

WHEN THE THRILL IS GONE ft. LECRAE

Written by Courtney Peebles, Lecrae Moore Produced by J.R. for So Hot Productions

Recorded by Darnell Ivey Mixed by Shelton Morgan at SoundCave Recording (Sicklerville, NJ)

Published by Theo Centric Music (ASCAP), Reach Life Music (ASCAP), Project Issachar Publishing (ASCAP)

Verse 1

Scared and all alone in a place so far away from the life you used to know. And now the pain won’t go away. ‘Cause every time

you close your eyes you can feel the blows from each mistake that you made to search the world of everything it had to offer. You

were looking for love but found disaster. And all your friends have come and gone, leaving you hopeless and on your own so now I

ask you what do you do when the thrill is gone.

Vamp

Ah. Yeah. When the thrill is gone

Verse 2

No where to run. No where to hide. As the darkness closes in you ask yourself is this the end. But that voice you pushed away,

you here it saying loud and clear, “at the cross you will find rest; seek Me now.”

Hook

I can tell by the look in your eyes this life’s been hard for you. But the truth that lies beneath your scars is the question what will

you do (when the thrill is gone). Will you surrender all you have and trust in the grace of God? Or, will you turn and run away to a

life of sin—that dark road that leads to death—when the thrill is gone.

Bridge

Maybe you’ll see that life’s not complete without the One who shed His blood. For, for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God

is eternal life.

Verse 3—Lecrae

I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. I’m tired of getting drunk and getting high. I’m tired of getting by. It started out being this

thrilling ride—a roller coaster climbing to the sky. I thought that I could fly. But then it stops and you feel yourself drop. You’re no

longer at the top. And now the pain won’t stop. New clothes, bar hopping, more dates, and new spots. You never fill the void and

now you’re feeling like you’re rotting from the inside. And then you find out all your friends lied. They left you hanging just to

chase after the wind. I thank God He had me realize. He showed His love by dying so I might be cleansed from the inside. Ain’t let

my sin slide but He was tied up. Beat down, climbed up on the cross and died huh?! But rose for those like us so when the thrill is

gone. He loved the world so much to save us He would kill His own.

Hook 2X

 

 

A Contemporary Reformation Battle-Cry

“Like much of this record, this song is aimed at showing Christians that many of the answers we are getting to our problems today are man-centered and ineffective when dealing with problems of sin, depression, and self-worth. Pop psychology has infiltrated the church so much that we forget that the ultimate end of man is not to feel good about one’s self or focus on finding who we are, but rather to be “taken by God’s glory” and lose interest in our worth, self-esteem, or value. That is the theme that this song tackles – The way for believers to be happy and feel valuable is to value God supremely and reject any notions of “self-help.” If man is truly dead in trespasses and sins, the term “self-help” is ridiculous. We need Christ to redeem us from our sin, and find our value in His saving work on the cross. Instead of looking in the mirror and treasuring the good in us, we need to be transfixed on Christ and treasuring and savoring the ultimate good – and rejoicing in the fact that He imparts HIS righteousness to us, undeserving as we are.” – Justin Anderson (Mainstay)

HT: Lane

 

 

Want to learn and better understand the essential teachings of Christianity?

Mark Driscoll, one of my boys, is doing a series on the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. This series has been under way for some time. I encourage you to begin watching it from the beginning. This is an excellent exposition of what the bible teaches…

Begin Watching (This link will send you to the video of week one. You can progress further into the series by selecting a week at the bottom of the page)

Ravi Zacharias on Atheistic Evolution

Why I Closed The Oprah Post After 224 Comments…

Exhaustion. Frustration. Disillusionment. I had hope for excellent dialogue. Yet i could not find a single point of entry. This discourse had taken off at a blazing speed only to find itself revolving in the circular arguments of the “Oprah will burn in hell” and “Thou shall not judge” camps.

If you’re going to join the cycle, my advice is that you at least become more creative. It is depressing to witness people continually falling into two polarities. EXTREME ONE: I CAN’T BELIEVE OPRAH HAS LEFT THE FAITH! SHE WILL REGRET THIS WHILE SHE SUFFERS IN HELL! (I WILL NOW QUOTE SCRIPTURES IN VAIN). EXTREME TWO: WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE JUDGING HER? SHE IS DOING SO MUCH GOOD IN THIS WORLD! YOU NARROW-MINDED FOLK SHOULD PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH! (I WILL NOW QUOTE MATTHEW 7:1 WHICH STATES ‘DONT JUDGE LEST THEE BE JUDGED’) MY RESPONSE TO CAMP UNO: Stating how certain you are of her damnation doesn’t defeat her argument. Unless you come to a deeper understanding of your faith and learn how to articulate it graciously… then it really seems like you just want to bring people into line with your dogma. MY RESPONSE TO CAMP LEST THEE BE JUDGED: Unfortunately, there are many people in this world who are extremely rude and truly judgmental..sorry . Don’t retreat to Matthew 7:1 or John 8:7 in cowardice when someone has not judged you but actually debunked you.

Prelude to the Oprah Chronicles

Although there were many exceptions, the majority of the comments left only contributed to my cynicism. It was long ago that i became strongly disenchanted with American religion and spirituality. As a Christian, it has grieved me to see the American church become enamored with materialism and political agendas. Christianity has been and continues to be largely distorted and misrepresented. The secular world is questioning christian leaders why there is a lack of God in their message. Extreme fundamentalists have gone senile and have resorted to dastardly tactics to “regain America for Christ”. As i write this, people are plunging into total absurdity with this “revival” that is taking place in Florida.This is hailed as spiritual wisdom in our day. These are championed as the messengers of God in our day.

We live in what some deem “The Post-Truth Era”. The word truthiness has been an official word for quite some time. Uncertainty is the only certainty remaining. This relativistic mentality has not only ravaged universities and politics but religion as well. If all truths are simply conditioned by our culture and times then so are the truths that religions teach.

Why have i started my response to Oprah by recounting the ills plaguing the church? What does our nation’s epistemology have to do with the big O? Everything. It is my firm conviction that both (although it may not be limited to just these) created necessary conditions to birth this movement. The disintegration of the Christian faith and our skepticism of truth has left us with an immense vacuum. A vacuum that must be filled.

Winfrey and Tolle: Masters of Covert Ops

Eckhart is the enlightened teacher that Oprah has endorsed and placed on her famous book club. He’s also been invited to teach online sessions alongside Oprah on www.oprah.com. I will treat both Oprah and Eckhart synonymously (sometimes referring to them as Ohart) because it is evident that they share some strong fundamental convictions. In developing this response i checked out “A New Earth” from the library and watched 2+ hours of the online classes. My desire was to understand their side of the argument. I came away from countless hours of research deeply troubled. The spirituality in one sense wasn’t the thing troubling me but the subtle lies used to advocate it. Yes, they have resorted to dastardly tactics. I believe there is no doubt about it. In their evangelistic ambition they have leaned on deception to win converts and few are discerning this.

(#5 on Amazon as of 5/31)

No Ordinary Book

“This book’s main purpose is not to add new information or beliefs to your mind or to try to convince you of anything” it reads in page 6. One question that might pop up in your head is why someone would write a book that attempted to add nothing to your mind. What other purpose could exist? According to Tolle, this book’s purpose is to bring about a shift in consciousness. A shift that brings one into an awakened state. Wait a second, how can an ordinary book bring about such a change while seemingly bypassing our minds? Well, this is no ordinary book. Tolle claims to have received the idea for this book from divine inspiration. Unfortunately, this is not expounded upon.

Another One-Way Street

A claim to esoteric knowledge is something strongly condemned by Oprah and Tolle. They dismiss anybody who claims to be in sole possession of the truth or anybody who claims that there is only one way. Anybody standing on this esoteric hill is hurled down for the arrogant, narrow-minded person that they are. The irony is that they go on to posit themselves, their beliefs, and their way on that hill. “In the service of the Truth, religious teachings represent sign posts or maps left behind by awakened humans to assist you in spiritual awakening.” This quote is found in chapter three under the subheading “Truth: Relative or Absolute”. The argument made here i found to be astonishing. All religions end up being relativized, being merely expressions of the Truth. What is the Truth that all world religions are expressing? The spirituality that Ohart is trying to spread. Do you see the great irony? As Tim Keller would say “How could you possibly know that no religion can see the whole truth unless you yourself have the superior, comprehensive knowledge of spiritual reality you just claimed that none of the religions have?”. This is the exact claim that Ohart is making. Tolle writes in chapter one “Inevitably, they [great spiritual teachers] were mostly misunderstood by their contemporaries, as well by subsequent generations. Their teachings, although both simple and powerful, became distorted and misinterpreted, in some cases even as they were recorded in writing by their disciples. Over the centuries, many things were added that had nothing to do with the original teachings, but were reflections of a fundamental misunderstanding.” What is implied here? The bible was recorded by confused disciples who misunderstood Jesus and was later changed numerous times. Tolle goes on to quote the bible over 20 times in the book. How can he do that? Only if he happens to know the authentic verses in the bible and the accurate interpretation of them, an interpretation which has eluded practically everyone for 2000 years. Jesus’ words “I am the way and the truth and the life” are suddenly interpreted to mean “Jesus speaks of the innermost I AM, the essence identity of every man and woman…he speaks of the life you are.” (page 71)

Enter Vacuum: The Beast from the East

Oprah attributes arrogance to the person who argues for the superiority of their religion. This actually makes sense if all religions are merely relativistic expressions of one true spirituality. All scriptures and churches end up being equal means to this one end. Consciousness. But here is where the deception lies. The word spirituality is cleverly used to disguise what is in fact a religion. The word New is used to hide the unoriginality of what they’re saying. Oprah made a very important statement that for me clarifies a lot of things. God is a feeling experience not a believing experience. After reading and listening to more of Ohart I’m finally understanding this very clearly. They strongly contend for the oneness of the universe, how everything is interconnected in its essence. Eckhart says “What you sense in the tree is also in you”. If the whole universe is one then it quickly follows that all of the universe is God. If all of the universe is God then its not a matter of looking for him but of realizing that you are essentially God. This realization can be equated to consciousness or awareness. Its no surprise that Oprah and Tolle use these terms interchangeably. In becoming fully aware of your identity, you are discovering God itself. Consciousness=God. If the search for God (which can really be called anything) is a search for yourself then it makes sense that the methods used to find God are trips within. Many forms of meditation and techniques of silence are used to bring you into a realization of your true self. This is a good summation of the “new” spirituality that Ohart is trying to present. The only problem is that it isn’t new. Monism is the philosophical term used to describe this view of oneness. The doctrine of Pantheism identifies God with nature. Hmm…interesting. Doctrine happens to be a very damnable word to Ohart and a doctrine is what underpins all of their teachings. Mysticism has existed for thousands of years.  So what is this new spirituality? Nothing more than a Pantheistic Mysticism re-packaged for the West.

Truthiness at Best

“There is no conflict  between this teaching which is purely spiritual and any religion” according to Tolle. This simply is not true. Equating God with his creation is considered idolatry in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Ohart disagrees with these traditions but still insists that nobody can adopt a “im right, your wrong” mentality. Clearly there exists a contradiction when they advocate a Pantheistic view over any possible alternatives. This is what troubles me about Oprah. She has thrown on herself this false shroud of humility attacking any Absolute/Dogmatic claims only to smuggle in her Absolute/Dogmatic claims through the back door. She claims to ”celebrate” and “respect” all religions while re-interpreting their beliefs to prove her own. In America where the Post-Truth era continues to flourish Oprah is offering truthiness(her intuitive claim to know the one true spirituality without regard to evidence, logic, examination, or facts) to the masses.

 

 

  Daniel is 17 years old and a Junior in High School. He lives on Long Island, New York and aspires to be a Christian Philosopher/Theologian.