Are Patriotic Church Services Ok?

Many churches plan a "Patriotic Service," for Independence Day weekend. I think we need to carefully and prayerfully consider how to approach this issue. Full Disclosure: I am 100% opposed to all secular music in church. I have serious concerns about certain aspects of Patriotic services in church. No place in the Psalms, the hymnbook of Israel, is the nation of Israel ever the object of praise or the recipient of glory. They praised God for what He had done for their nation. They asked for His blessings. They asked for deliverance from their enemies. But they never dared glorify themselves. If God's chosen people, a Theocracy founded on and by His own Word, would not dare to sing songs glorifying their own nation, then how much more hesitant should we be to honor and glorify sinful America in the House of the Lord, standing before the presence of the Almighty? Church is a place where we glorify and honor God, not sing about how awesome WE are as a nation. Perhaps a song titled "Lord Have Mercy on this Sinful, Arrogant Country," or "God, We Beg Your Mercy For Our Nation's Sins," or even "Thank Thee O Lord for Not Smiting Us," would be appropriate, but pomp and circumstance and banners for America do not belong in church. That being said, Here are 4 things that ARE appropriate to do in church:

1. Pray for our Nation
It is always right and proper to pray for our nation and it's leaders.

I urge that petitions, prayers intercessions and thanksgiving be offered in behalf of all men, for kings and all those in authority, so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

2. Thank God for our Blessings
It is always appropriate to thank God for the blessings we have received and to show gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy in this country.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights -James 1:17  In past generations, He let all nations go their own way and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. -Acts 14:16-17


3. Respect Those Who Serve
It is very appropriate to thank those who have fought for and protected our religious freedoms and to pray for them

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. -Romans 12:10

4. Be Good Citizens
We should be good citizens who shine brightly in a dark world. 

For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.  -Philippians 2:13-15

Romans 13:1-4 demonstrates the intended purpose of just government and the appropriate response to that government:

Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God....For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Here are some examples of The Wrong Stuff to Sing, straight out of Our Baptist Hymnal:

1. The Star Spangled Banner
This is a great song to sing and respectfully perform at athletic events and patriotic gatherings. It is not appropriate for church. It has nothing to do with the worship of God and even if you sing the never-heard 2nd verse, it's theology is highly questionable because it makes America sound like Israel.

2. Battle Hymn of the Republic
The theology of some verses of Battle Hymn of the Republic is ridiculously bad.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored----No they havn't.  If they had, you would be dead, or Jesus would have already come back we'd all be in heaven. Is blood flowing all around you in a 180 mile river as high as a horse's bridle from God's ultimate judgement in the end times as you stand in Israel? No? Then, God is not trampling and He will not be until the that time. (Revelation 14:14-20)

He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword....Not Even. We are living in the age of grace. God is holding back his judgement. That judgement WILL come and God WILL exact justice upon evil. But He has certainly not unleased it: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)


There are some very good sentiments in some of the other verses, but Verse 1 is so terrible, that this song should never be used in church. This song promotes the idea that a soldier killing in battle is an instrument of God's judgement using end-times language. This is highly inappropriate. Certainly fighting for the freedom of slaves was a noble and just cause around the time this song was written. But certain incidents from that era where American soldiers killed Native Americans were highly questionable. Less than 100 years later, fighting against Hitler's regime and ending the genocide being perpetrated against the Jews was a holy and just cause, but dropping the Bomb on Nagasaki was certainly not God's judgement. The bomb exploded directly over it's target, the Urakami Cathedral, the largest church in Asia. Nagasaki had the largest population of Christians in Japan and at least 12,000 Baptized Believers, whose forebears had endured centuries of Japanese persecution, were murdered by that bomb. It wiped out the Christian witness to Japan. On that fateful day, those individuals responsible for choosing to target Nagasaki were inadvertently instruments of Satan, not vessels of a righteous God. It is good to take up the just cause. But it is extremely dangerous to assume that our nation's actions have always been in the right, let alone that they were always God ordained. I would never program this song for any event, secular or sacred.

3. My Country Tis of Thee
A lovely song for a veteran's day assembly. Tacking on a last verse which mentions God does not change the fact that this song is entirely about America and is not a praise or worship song and therefore has no place in church.

ALTERNATIVES
For those who strongly desire, or are required to provide a Patriotic service the first weekend of July, here are a few better options.

God of Our Fathers is a fine song to sing. Whether talking about Abraham, Isaac and Israel or Christian American heroes, the song focuses on God and asks for his help.

America the Beautiful is a better alternative than some others. While the title shows that it is a song first and foremost about America, at least it speaks of the beauty of creation and asks for God's continued blessing on our nation, which is a good prayer to pray

God Bless America is a simple prayer asked for God's blessing on the nation we love

Conclusion:
I love Independence Day celebrations. I was almost a Firecracker baby myself, born just a few hours before the 4th of July. I am grateful for my country and the religious freedoms I have grown up with and I am grateful for those who fought, died and sacrificed to give us those rights. I will always honor, respect and cherish them. My Grandfather was a WWII veteran, my Great-Grandfather a WWI veteran and my Great-Great Grandfather came to the United States as a conscientious objector, seeking freedom and to escape from the madness rising up in Germany. I am proud of the times America has been on the right side of history, saddened by the times we were wrong and concerned about our future decisions. I believe that special prayer services and respectfully honoring veterans and active-duty military are appropriate for that time of year. Reflecting upon religious freedom and offering thanks is always appropriate. Sermons that teach how to be good and faithful Christian citizens and how to be light in this world would be timely and meaningful. It might be fun to show off your church's choir and orchestra with Patriotic fanfares and flourishes, but I believe that glorifying our nation and singing it's praises in God's house is arrogant and unwise. Let us be good citizens, pay respect to those who have served, thank God for the blessings we have received and humbly repent and pray for our nation.

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Here are links to the other articles in my series on Worship Ministry:
http://thetrustworthyword.blogspot.com/2017/01/5-reasons-to-include-students-in-your.html

http://thetrustworthyword.blogspot.com/2017/06/christmas-planning-in-july.html

http://thetrustworthyword.blogspot.com/2017/07/milli-vanilli-worship-thoughts-on.html

SUNDAY: A Harmonic Narrative of Events

  Imagine that you had been following Jesus as He taught around Galilee, in Jerusalem and throughout Judea. What if you had seen the miracles, heard the teachings, experienced the compassion felt the love, known the man and were convinced that he was the promised Messiah? It must have felt like devastating, soul crushing despair for them to watch their friend be crucified. Imagine that Sunday comes and people are seeing angels, the saints of old come out of their graves and walk around Jerusalem, and Jesus, the man you saw crucified and pierced through with the sword, the man you watched die is seen, ALIVE. There must have been excitement, fear, joy, chaos and every emotion known to man that morning. 

Four people wrote down the events of that epic morning. In order to get the full story of what happened on the day of Jesus' Resurrection, we need to read all 4 Gospel accounts. This post is my humble attempt to combine and harmonize the reports of Luke the Historian, Matthew and John the Apostles and John Mark who was a young man who witnessed many things and in whose house the Last Supper and other gatherings likely took place.

Early Sunday morning, after the Sabbath day of rest was over, a group of women from the region of Galilee who were followers of Jesus came to his tomb. This group included Mary Magdalene; another Mary, who was the mother of James the younger & Joseph, Salome, the wife of Zebedee, who was the mother of Jesus’ cousins, the apostles John and James the elder and Johanna was also with them. They purchased spices and brought them to Jesus' grave to make sure the body was given a proper and respectful burial. As they walked along in the twilight before dawn, they wondered how they would move the very large and heavy stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb, but as they arrived at sunrise, suddenly there was a great earthquake, an angel from heaven came like a flash of lightning and rolled the stone away from the tomb. Upon seeing the tomb open, Mary Magdalene ran back to Peter overwhelmed, crying out that Jesus had been taken and she did not know where his body was.

The other women found the angel sitting there on top of the rock, to the right of the tomb, wearing bright white robes. The soldiers guarding the tomb appeared like dead men, either passed out or catatonic with fear. Two angels in dazzling clothing with the appearance of young men told the women Jesus had risen from the dead, reminded them of His words, and invited them to look inside the empty tomb, telling them to let the disciples know He would meet them in Galilee. Then the women ran to the disciples, to the place where Jesus' inner circle and other believers were gathered, they were so overwhelmed that they did not mention these events to anyone along the road.

While the women ran to the disciples, the Guards of the tomb gathered themselves up and went to the Jewish leaders who paid them off to tell a lie that the disciples stole the body while they were sleeping. It wasn't a very good lie, because if they were sleeping then they would not have known what happened to the body. The Jewish religious leaders also promised to bribe Pilate, the governor, to keep the guards out of trouble if necessary. Fortunately, both Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus were prominent members of the Sanhedrin, and secret followers of Christ. As members of the Jewish high council, they were probably aware of these dirty dealings and they are most likely the ones who informed the disciples of the devious deception. In future years, other Jewish leaders would come to believe, so they could have told the truth as well. Sadly, this lie has caused many Jews through the centuries not to believe in Jesus as their Messiah.

As soon as Mary told Peter and John that Jesus was not in the tomb, they sprinted out the door and raced to the tomb, John got their first. Mary Magdalene followed closely behind. John Mark, the writer of "Mark," may very well have followed them back as well, the young man had a knack for being a silent observer after all. Peter and John entered the tomb, found the white linen which Joseph of Arimethea had wrapped the body in and found the face cloth folded and laying separately. Then they left.

Meanwhile, the other women reached the home were the disciples were staying and were able to calm down from the incredible shock and excitement of speaking to angels and explain everything they had seen and experienced, proclaiming the good news about Jesus' rising from the dead to the disciples.  But no one had actually seen Jesus yet.

After Peter and John left, Now Mary Magdalene, who had carefully watched as Jesus was put in the tomb, stood outside of it, sobbing that they had taken Jesus out of the tomb and she did not know where they had put him. Upon bending down to look inside the cave, she saw 2 angels all dressed in white. The angels affirmed that Jesus was alive, reminded Mary of Jesus' own words that He would be resurrected on the 3rd day and sent her to tell the other disciples the Good News. As she ran out, joyful, fearful, excited and astonished, she ran into JESUS and grabbed onto his feet worshipping Him. She was not seeing a ghost either, she physically touched his resurrected, corporeal body. At first, Mary M. thought he was the gardener. Still in shock, she asked if he had carried Jesus away and asked about the body, but when Jesus said her name, she recognized him and grabbed on to him. He had to ask her not to cling to his feet because he had not yet ascended to the Father. He told her that he was ascending to his Father and her Father, to His God and her God. He told her to tell these things to his brothers and as the first person to ever encounter the resurrected Christ, she went back with the honor of proclaiming to all those gathered together “I have seen the Lord.”  

That day many of the bodies of the Old Testament saints were raised from the dead, came out of the tombs and entered Jerusalem, appearing to many people. They had been resting in Abraham’s bosom, or paradise as Jesus called it on the cross when He promised the repentant thief they would be together there. They were able to see the Holy City of Jerusalem before they went to heaven. They serve as witnesses that the resurrection of the dead is now possible for everyone because of Christ. Jesus probably ascended to the Father just as he said he was going to and delivered them to heaven to the Father before this next series of events.

Later, that same Sunday, Jesus appeared to Peter and Cleopas as they walked the 7 mile road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. He explained to them all of the things about Himself in the Scriptures from the first 5 books of Moses and all of the Prophets, affirming the validity of the Old Testament canon of Scripture that is in our Bible today and confirming its value remains under the New Covenant. They didn't recognize Him at first, but when He broke bread together with them, they realized it was Jesus and then He vanished into thin air. They immediately went back to Jerusalem to the place where the other disciples were gathered together.

That evening while they were telling the other believers about these things, Jesus suddenly appeared right in the middle of them and spoke Peace to them. They thought He was a ghost, so he let them touch his very real body, showed them the scars on his hands and feet and then ate a piece of fish right in front of them, so that there could be absolutely no doubt He was not merely a ghost, but was raised bodily from the dead. He then affirmed again the Law of Moses, the Prophets and also affirmed the Psalms as being Holy Scripture and opened their minds to understand the Bible. He declared that repentance for forgiveness of sins was to be proclaimed in His Name to all nations. He appointed them as witnesses to these things and told them he was sending them out to be his messengers, but then told them to wait for the Holy Spirit to clothe them with power.

One week later, he appeared to them and Thomas, who hadn’t seen him yet saw and touched his nail scarred hands and the sword scar in his side that proved his lungs and heart had been punctured and he had been truly dead. Later, he met with the disciples in Galilee as He promised, restoring Peter and having breakfast on the seashore. In all, Jesus would appear to over 500 eyewitnesses. and then before ascending into heaven, He delivered the Great Commission, calling all of us as believers to go into all the world, bringing the good news of His Resurrection and of forgiveness of sins through His name to every nation, Baptizing and making disciples as we go.

SATURDAY: A High Sabbath Day of Rest Before the Resurrection

SATURDAY: Having endured the cross, Jesus was resting in paradise with the Old Testament saints and the thief who repented on the cross. On Earth, the Jews rest and observe the Sabbath, while the Roman soldiers carefully guard the body of Christ. How nice of the best trained, greatest fighting force in the world to provide security guards for the tomb, keeping the body safe until it was time for the Resurrection. Just before He died, Jesus had declared victory, shouting Teleo--completing the last line ...of Psalm 22, which means "It is Finished," or "It has been accomplished," but His disciples do not yet understand. All of Hell now sits aware that they have no claim on Christ. Jesus has made His appearance there, and being the sinless, perfect Son of God, has past right through the fiery gulf separating them from Paradise. The Saturday after Passover was a High Sabbath day of Rest for the Jews. Jesus observed that Sabbath rest as well. Now Sunday is coming. All the rules are about to change. Wait for it.................

Thursday-Friday. 10 Lessons Jesus Taught During His Last 24 Hours

THURSDAY-FRIDAY: This is a bit quickly put together. But I was just thinking about the remarkable ministry Jesus performed during his last 24 hours.

1. Fellowship--He earnestly desired to share the Passover meal with His friends

2. Service--He washed his disciples feet. Not only did he show us how Christian leaders are to serve and not take advantage, but by washing their feet, he also for-shadowed the way that He would send us out into the world as His representatives. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" (Isaiah 52:7)


3. Relationship--He spent time in prayer with His Father and came into agreement with His will

5. Healing--He healed a soldier's ear when Peter cut it off

6. Mercy and Forgiveness--His character convinced the thief on the cross to repent and recognize the goodness of Jesus. He saved the man and promised Him eternal life right then and there.

7. Intercession: He prayed to God to forgive those who crucified Him. (really-All of us)

8. Providential care--On the cross, He entrusted Mary to John's care and John to Mary's care. He made sure that His mother would be cared for and that his close friend would not be left all alone.

9. Trust--He committed Himself entirely into God's hands. When Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He was quoting Psalm 22. This Psalm declares the faithfulness of God to the generations of Israel and this phrase was a cry for help. Verse 24 declares He has not hidden his face from Him, but has heard when he cried to him. Heaven did NOT look away.

10. Strength--As he drew his last breath, even in the midst of suffering, He shouted triumphantly "TELEO." Which means "It is Finished." or '"It has been accomplished."  In the last line of Psalm 22, which is a narrative of the cross, it reads It shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation, they shall come and proclaim the righteousness to a people yet unborn, that HE HAS DONE IT. Then the whole earth shook, the veil of the temple was torn in two, showing that we were no longer separated from God. And the Roman soldier declared that surely Jesus was the Son of God. The Christ didn't whimper on the cross. He shouted a great victory cry.

We can learn so much from Jesus' actions alone during that last 24 hours. The words He shared with His disciples go further still. John records the depth and wealth of the teachings that Jesus' shared that final evening and you can read about it John 13-17. Most importantly, On Sunday....................................HE ROSE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

The Scarlet Worm

Psalm 22 provides a narrative of Jesus on the cross. Verse 6 reads: "I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people." Some translations phrase it as a question "Am I a worm and not a man?" But this worm, isn't just any worm. This is the kermes worm, named for the type of tree it is usually found in. The Hebrew word towla, translated here as "worm," refers to a very special worm, coccus ilicis. Red dye was made from the body of this dried worm. As a matter of fact, the worm's name is synonymous with red.  In the Bible, towla is frequently translated as "scarlet."

This phrase provides us with some incredible imagery. This worm would attach itself to a tree and lay its eggs, protecting them with its own body. It would die in order to give new life to it's children. The body would burst, covering the offspring with crimson fluid which provided nourishment for them, permanently staining the tree trunk. In the same way, Jesus was nailed to a tree, the cross. He died in order that we, His children, can be protected and covered by His blood. We observe the Lord's supper, drinking the fruit of the vine to represent Christ's blood. Our spiritual nourishment comes through His Spirit.  Jesus died so that we might have new life through his sacrifice. 

The worms body would also be crushed and used to make red dye for the coloring of wool. This type of red dye was used to tint a number of symbolic items for the tabernacle of Moses. A red-dyed cloth was even used in certain purification ceremonies. Jesus was crushed for us (Isaiah 53:10). The word Baptism actually comes from the word that describes the way wool is plunged into the dye. There is a wealth of rich symbolism to explore here, But I want to focus on one specific characteristic of this worm: 

The Kermes worm was also known to have medicinal and anti-bacterial properties. Most "worms" in the Bible devour crops and life and steal nourishment in order to satisfy themselves. But the scarlet worm sacrifices itself to give life and nourishment to it's children and its broken body brings beauty and healing, not destruction and disease. Jesus' body was broken for us. He was crushed for us. His scarlet blood was poured out for us. 1 John 1:7 tells us that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. He is our healer, our Great Physician. Jesus constantly healed people physically while He was on earth. He still does. But more importantly, He heals our hearts, heals our minds, and brings us new life. Just like the Kermes worm, Jesus died on a tree to bring new life to His children. Just like this worm's broken body brings healing, Jesus' broken body brings healing. But unlike the worm's offspring, we have to make a choice, to accept or reject His offer.  Jesus died to heal, renew, restore and allow us to be born again into new life in Him. Do you believe?

How Does God Speak? 4 Ways God Reveals Himself

I was recently asked the question How does God speak? I believe that a better question is How does God reveal Himself? God introduces Himself through creation, reveals Himself personally through Scripture and unveils Himself relationally through the Holy Spirit. Here are 4 ways that God does speak and a word of caution about how He doesn't.

1. God Reveals Himself Through Creation
God reveals Himself through nature, His creation. We call this General Revelation. It shows us how creative and powerful He is. Nature shows the amount of love and beauty God poured into creation. The wonder and awe He has created, the intricate design of our bodies and the detail and craftsmanship He put into designing this world for us showcase many of His qualities. Creation also shows his goodness and His providential care. There are also many object lessons from nature such as comparing God's protection of His people underneath the shadow of His wings to that of a bird protecting her offspring.

Human beings, created in God's image are inherently inquisitive and nature is meant to cause us to ask questions. Satan tries to manipulate us into satisfying this curiosity in unhealthy and inappropriate ways. God does not reveal future events through nature, or general revelation. Horoscopes, astrology, trying to predict human behavior or future events based on the observance of the moon and stars or by consulting any other element of creation is specifically forbidden in Scripture and Christians today still struggle with this trap.

2. God Reveals Himself Through His Word
The primary way that God speaks to people is through His Word, the Bible. The Bible reveals God's justice and his righteousness. It also reveals his merciful love, kindness and grace. Most importantly, it shows his plan of salvation. All we need to know for life and godliness, all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom are found in God's word. Faith comes through hearing the Word of God. This type of revelation is called Special Revelation.

Jesus is the central focus of the Bible. Sinful mankind tends to cherry pick tiny fragments of Scripture and misuse them for their own purposes. Satan, himself, misquoted and misused Scripture when he tempted Jesus. To understand what God is saying through His Word, we must read it in context, compare and harmonize it with the whole counsel of Scripture and determine what God is saying.

3. God Reveals Himself Through His Spirit
God speaks to us through His Spirit, this is also a form of Special Revelation. It is the Holy Spirit that calls us to repentance. He convicts the world concerning sin and righteousness, right and wrong. He draws us to God when the Word is read. He helps us understand Scripture. He reminds us of what we have learned in the moments we need it. He is our teacher, helping us to understand the Bible. He is our guide, leading us as we walk through this life according to God's word. The Holy Spirit also speaks through us by words of knowledge and words of wisdom. Prophetic words are given for comfort, encouragement and building each other up. He allows us to give wise counsel and advice to guide other believers through difficult life situations. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Bible and we should use the Bible to discern whether something comes from the Holy Spirit or not.

4. God Communicates Through Dreams and Visions
The rarest way that God communicates is through visions and dreams. These were used to reveal all that we need to know about God's future plans in the Bible. With the conclusion of John's vision in Revelation, there will be no more dreams or visions about events relating to God's plan for the end times. The canon of Scripture is closed and absolutely no words will be added to it. God does use dreams to warn of danger, as He warned Joseph and the Wise Men concerning Herod's nefarious plans. Throughout the New Testament, when a dream or vision occurred, it was always Gospel-centered and required work and sacrifice. Peter had a vision that led him to minister to Cornelius' household and revealed God's ministry toward the Gentiles. Paul had a dream of a man in Macedonia asking him to come share the Gospel. These dreams and visions led people to go share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and minister to others. Dreams and visions are a way for the Holy Spirit to warn, protect and guide people into the work of God and to prayer. Anyone who believes they have had a dream or a vision should use those truths as guidelines for how to react.

Outside of the book of Revelation, a future event was prophesied in the New Testament, in Acts 11:27-30. In this instance, the people of Antioch sacrificed, taking up a collection to provide for the needs of the believers in Jerusalem. No one wrote a book or went on a speaking tour to get rich. The prophecy required financial sacrifice and selfless giving.

A Word Of Caution

There is much confusion today, with prophets for profit feigning divine revelation, claiming to predict the future through observing the times, reading the moon, the interpretation of signs, omens and so-called wonders. These practices are forbidden in Deuteronomy 18:10-11. In the Old Testament, God revealed His power through signs and wonders performed through nature. He was demonstrating his power and control over creation. In the New Testament, Jesus and the disciples only performed miracles in ways that healed and helped people and when the Bible talks about them performing signs and wonders it is referring to such miracles. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warns us against false prophets performing signs and wonders to mislead people. In the day we live in, the fake prophets refer to various natural occurrences as signs and wonders and then use them to sell their worthless books, claiming to have received revelation from God. Don't be naïve. Don't be taken in. Any sign or wonder that is real will never be self-serving or naturally occurring in creation. If there is a real sign or wonder, it will be beyond the natural, in service to others and it will not foretell the future. This is not a method God uses to communicate future events. A sign might BE a future event, but it won't predict one. To put it a different way: The Bible might predict a certain sign or event, but signs themselves do not predict future events.


Conclusion
If you are looking for a word from God go directly to Him for it. Consider this: When Gideon asked God for a sign, he did not have the Holy Spirit as we now do. If you need to hear from God, read the Bible, worship, be in relationship with other believers and pray. Prayer, worship and reading the Bible are ways that we have direct access to God. Just don't forget to listen for that still, small voice leading and guiding you.

Is The God of "The Shack," the God of the Bible?

Last night I went to see "The Shack." As a creative work, the film is poignant, powerful and provocative.  It asks the hard questions and invites, even forces, the viewer to think, and this is good. The setting, and in particular the garden, is stunningly beautiful and symbolic. The story is compelling, heartbreaking, and even encouraging. "The Shack" engages the audience in a way that I've never seen. This too is good because, from the lady drinking her stinky wine next to me, to the teenage girl in the "Momma Tried," skullcap, this LionsGate production drew in an audience that looked quite different from the usual PureFlix crowd. The movie provides many opportunities to engage with our culture and to have discussions, and YES, there are discussions which must be had.

I will confess that when I read the book a few years ago, I was not aware that the author,  Wm. Paul Young, is a universalist who believes that all people will be redeemed, or saved. I quickly recognized some theological mistakes, but I also respected the good aspects of the story. There are many moments in the movie that would lead one to believe he is a Christian, and a heartfelt defense put forth by his friend and famous Baptist blogger Wade Burleson attests to the fact. However, his personal theology is viewed by many as being heretical and some of these themes do surface in both the book and the movie.

First, I would like to say that there are many things Mr. Young gets right. The movie focuses on the relational aspects of God and His desire to have a personal relationship with us. This is very good. He affirms the Trinitarian nature of God and the roles of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in creation. He upholds the doctrine that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. He affirms the desire of God for all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He attests that people will be saved from every tongue and tribe and nation. He shows that children who die before reaching the age of accountability go to heaven. He rightly explains that the sin of Adam has had a profound negative impact on all of humanity. He clearly teaches that God is not the author of evil and He teaches that Jesus Christ died for us out of necessity. He gives a nod to human volition, or choice, when it comes to our relationship with God. He rightly portrays Jesus as desiring friends, not slaves. He powerfully illustrates the principle of forgiveness. He shows the restoring redemptive work of God in families and highlights the importance of loving family relationships.

But there were also some very serious problems with his theology. Using a woman to portray God the Father, or Papa, part of the time was questionable, but I could have looked past that. Sadly, masked by the lovely performance of Octavia Spencer, was some serious false teaching and down right lies about the nature and character of God. Here are some examples:

1. As God, or "Papa," she makes the statement that she has never found a person she was not fond of. Proverbs 6:16-19 says that there are 6 things the Lord hates, 7 that are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies and one who sows discord among brothers.  That does not sound like fondness to me. God hates evil. 1 Timothy 2:4 expresses the fact that He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth---this is because then they will not do evil any more and will not hurt others any more. God is not fond of evildoers. He is willing to forgive, IF they repent.

2. Papa says "I don't need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it. It's my joy to cure it." This is a great example of the type of half truth Satan likes to tell, twisting a true statement together with an outright lie. This statement has more twists and turns than a roller coaster. On the one had, it is true that sin can eat us up and destroy us from the inside. But on the other hand, it is also true that God loves justice and He does judge evil. To say that a just God does not need to punish sin is an outright lie. God is a defender and He destroys the wicked. The story emphasizes redemption. A redeemer is a seeker and restorer of justice. A redeemer sets things right. Part of the job of a redeemer is to buy back or restore what has been lost. But a redeemer is also an avenger of blood. Universalists believe that when the bible says "Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, that means everyone will be saved. The truth is that when Jesus comes back, those who did not acknowledge Him as savior during this life will bow down alright, BUT Isaiah 65:12 tells us they will bow down to the slaughter. God consistently punishes sin throughout Scripture. Sodom and Gomorrah were punished because of sin. Genesis 15:16 prophesied the destruction of the Canaanites because of their sin. Even His own people, Israel, were punished because of sin. God's judgement of sin is such a pervasive theme in Scripture that it is simply impossible for a Bible-Believing Christian to deny that God punishes sin.  

3. Papa acts like she has no idea what Mack is talking about when he asks about God's Wrath and claims that she is not like that. 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 show how God's wrath comes upon people because of sin. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men, by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! While it is good to know that those of us who seek forgiveness will not face God's wrath, God also loves justice and He will absolutely bring judgement on those who persist in doing evil as he has done throughout the entirety of Scripture. Going along with the role of a redeemer as an avenger of blood and bringer of justice. Revelation 6:10, 16 and 17 describe Jesus as an avenger of blood and describe the coming wrath of the Lamb. Revelation 14:10 and 19 specifically record God's wrath and anger being poured out. A redeemer sets wrongs right. A redeemer would seek justice for a family member who had been killed or wronged. Revelation 19:1-3 record God avenging the blood of his servants. For those who do not accept God's forgiveness, retribution is coming.

4. Mack's dad, who was evil and abusive, is shown to be a religious fake who was not a believer and never repented of his sin, yet he is shown to be in heaven. Mack's father becomes furious when his son revealed his true nature to a pastor and unleashed his wrath upon his son. No one enters heaven without repentance, forgiveness and being born again through faith in Jesus.

While the god of the Shack is relational, loving and creative, like the God of the Bible, unlike the God of the Bible that god is one dimensional. That lowercase g god is entirely lacking in justice or a true sense of right and wrong. That god does not punish sin. Papa is fond of everyone, including the most evil people on earth. She isn't concerned with rule following and does not even know what wrath is. That weak one dimensional god is not the Capital G, God of the Bible, the Great I AM.

The movie does make an admirable effort to portray one aspect of God's personality, His goodness and compassion. Over and over, Scripture tells us as it does in Psalm 103:8: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast, merciful lovingkindness. He is the God who forgives iniquity, the God who does not stay angry forever, the God who loves us and provided a way for us to have a relationship with Him.

However, Psalm 33:5 tells us The Lord loves righteousness and justice, the earth is full of his unfailing love. The love of right and justice is an aspect of God's personality that must not be overlooked. The god of The Shack is not interested in justice. The GOD of the Bible IS. Psalm 37:28 assures us: The Lord loves justice and will not abandon his faithful ones, they are kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked will be cut off.

There is a powerful moment in the movie when Mack has to choose to forgive his daughter's murderer and trust Papa to do the right thing. When I read the book, I assumed that justice was implied if the man never repented. Now that I know the background of the author, this does not seem to be the case. Could you really place your faith in a God who did not care about justice? I can fully place my faith in a God who hates evil and will ultimately destroy it. I am grateful that God is patient and offers all people the chance to be saved, born again, redeemed and forgiven. I trust Him to deliver justice to those who refuse as only He has the right to do.

I believe that the author of The Shack is to be commended, not for his theology, but for the courage and conviction he has shown in attempting to answer some of life's most difficult questions in a well-crafted, compelling and artistic way. While he does make some serious mistakes, as we all do, if we discuss them in a healthy, Biblical and brotherly way, then we can all learn and grow. The ultimate take-away from the movie is this: God is loving and forgiving and wants to have a relationship with us. But unlike the god of The Shack, the God of the Bible also loves fairness and justice and He will punish evil. A relationship with God is available to all people, but only if we repent of our sins, accept Jesus as our Lord, ask for forgiveness and welcome the Holy Spirit's redemptive, renewing, restoring, healing work in our lives. This is the decision that Mack had to make in the movie and this is the decision each person must make in this life. What is your choice?

You have a strong arm. Your hand is mighty. Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of your throne. Faithful love and truth go before you.  -Psalm 89:13-14