Monthly Archives: April 2007

My Heart Breaks


On the eve of celebrating our Lord’s victory over sin, death and the grave, my heart is heavy. At work yesterday, the two student workers I’ve been witnessing to decided to make light of God, Christ’s resurrection and anything else remotely related to the gospel. I honestly can’t recall precisely what all they said. I think I’ve blocked it from my memory. Every time I would seriously broach the topic they would generally scoff and mock it, making references to TV shows such as South Park, which regularly stomp on the bible’s pearls of wisdom. They had some good laughs at my expense. Continue reading →

Random Ramblings – Apologetics, Books and Freemasonry


At the suggestion of a dear friend, I will endeavor on occasion to write about random goings on in my life so I don’t remain a mysterious, shadowy figure behind a keyboard spewing rhetoric into the blogosphere every day. So, here goes.

Church Stuff

After Wednesday service ended last night I talked a few moments with my pastor. I asked for wisdom in my witness to my Hindu friend. I briefly told him what I had spoke with him on, and he agreed that my approach was good. He asked if I had invited him to Easter service. I said yes, and that I was very hopeful that he would come.

Pastor then told me I should study apologetics because he thought I had the mind for it. I was surprised. I thought he knew me better than that… I thanked him for the encouragement, but said I was still trying to get my theology straightened out. Apologetics wasn’t a big priority at the moment. I gave him my view that while apologetics was important, the preaching of the gospel is what saves souls and that’s my main focus. I did defend apologetics, giving him my illustration that apologetics is akin to keeping the fish in the pond so they don’t float off down a shallow stream of deceit and die. Apologetics keeps fish in the pond so they can get caught up in the gospel net. Apologetics makes for better fishing! Someday when I have grasped my theology better I will engage this noble ministry more fully. Continue reading →

The Fruit of Free-Will Theology


Just a few short years ago I had come to the end of my rope. I was ready to hang myself in despair. From the time God saved me in 1995 until 2000 when I finished up college, I had experienced marginal spiritual growth as a Christian. From mid-2000 to late 2005 my spiritual life collapsed.

So what happened to wreck my spiritual growth?

The simple answer lies in my efforts to establish my own righteousness after having received grace. I based my assurance on my spiritual performance. The cause of this faulty understanding had much to do with my limited exposure to teachers and preachers of God’s word. I swore allegiance to only 2 teachers and my pastor. Coming from a Pentecostal/Charismatic background I was taught early on to only listen to so-called ‘spirit-filled’ preachers, teachers and prophets.

Translation: I should only perk my ears toward pentecostal types who believed in tongues and spirit baptisms.

I could hardly tolerate any of the TBN preachers and teachers who fit this profile, although I would tune in to John Hagee and Hal Lindsey from time to time. I didn’t bother with the so-called ‘dried-up non-spirit-filled’ teachers, so my options were very limited. My pastor preached messages that were focused more on the happy life than on the scriptures so I wasn’t growing in the word much through him.

Note: Little did I know at the time my pastor was following the Church growth/Seeker-sensitive blueprint for manufacturing mega-churches. But that is another story… Continue reading →

Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman


The other night I sat down to watch the latest Superhero movie, Superman Returns. I grew up dazzled by the man of steel’s heroic exploits. The second movie with General Zod and his cronies was my favorite. I generally don’t acknowledge the last two films in the series – for obvious reasons. The people who developed the latest incarnation of the man of steel apparently do not regard them either. Superman Returns takes place after the events of Superman 2, or so I’m informed.

The main thrust of this post is not a review of the film itself but about some concerns I have with its content. Mainly, I’m talking about the ramifications of purposely portraying Superman as a Christ figure. Wikipedia explains the term like this:

A Christ figure is a literary technique that authors use to draw allusions between their characters and the biblical Jesus Christ. More loosely, the Christ Figure is a spiritual or prophetic character who parallels Jesus, or other spiritual or prophetic figures. Continue reading →