The Gospel, the Nature of God and Works Righteousness

I've been corresponding for some months with a member of a cult of Christianity. He is a very passionate person. He has an analytical mind, and a very strong sense of self. He is very firmly entrenched in his convictions and as is many times the case it is unknown to me at this point whether any of our interaction with one another will bring forth fruit.

Having met on an Internet forum our interaction grew in ways not uncommon to real life friendships (in person). We were drawn together in a common area of interaction, shared ideas, had disagreements and agreements and even occasioned an outburst followed by a rebuke and an apology.

The relationship has ended poorly though, and I find myself caught between knowing I did the proper thing for the many, but harboring sorrow for the few. If that does not make very much sense to the reader--my apologies, but suffice it to say that I wish the gentleman's parting could have been avoided.

This gentleman finds the concept of a Triune God to be ridiculous, and insists that the idea was born of the Council of Nicea in 325. With everything I contributed came a parry and a riposte. Claims that I avoided answering his questions abounded as I endeavored to put questions to him that would cause him to consider the truth. The fact of the matter is that I did answer his questions. He just had no use for my answers.

Does the gospel demonstrate the Triune nature of God? No, but the gospel accounts do. God the Father speaking from heaven, the Son standing in the water for baptism while the Holy Spirit descends from heaven to "alight" on Him. As time and our correspondence rolled by it became clear that this man believed that Jesus was not Divine until about the time He began His ministry, at around thirty years of age. This is thoroughly unbiblical and the Bible says that we must understand Him rightly.

I can be a very slow learner sometimes. There are things I pick up on very quickly to the surprise of some people, but most of the time things come slowly to me. What I'm getting at is that these cult members always end up attaching some sort of work to the salvation process, and I never wondered why until recently. With this gentleman it was no different. He could be described as a "oneness" theologian. I guess he has published a book and is writing a second. He is eloquent of speech and has a very good command of the English language. Unfortunately, that gift lends itself to Scripture twisting as well.

He does not have a right understanding of the Godhead. Does a young child necessarily understand the Triune nature of God? Perhaps. Perhaps not, but a little child has an innate, probably less corrupted (by age and experience) ability to accept good things.

Without a right understanding of God, cult members in turn have a faulty understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the grace of God. At some point, they have to figure out how to gain heaven with a diminished kind of savior in the lead. It always falls to works---one's own works, or a work of some kind. It was no different with this gentleman.

More than ever, the words of the Savior come to my mind with renewed meaning...."Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."

Distinctions

Ever have one of those fleshy moments when you just want to well....react to someone? I had one such moment. I was talking with another believer I'm barely acquainted with, and he began talking about end-times events and what is currently happening in the Middle East. He said something like, "Things are really lining up aren't they?" I could tell that he was excited about the subject and wanted to talk about these things, and agreed with him that they were in fact, "lining up". This prompted a dear friend who was listening to interject a comment. She said, "I don't interpret prophecy by reading newspaper headlines." I answered her by saying, "I don't either." I was feeling a bit defensive I guess. My friend does not share my eschatology. My acquaintance and I immediately dropped the subject and changed to another one. In my flesh I wanted to say something to my friend but (gladly) the Lord had given me the restraint to be gracious.



It isn't that I believe that what my friend said was necessarily wrong, as reading prophecy through the headlines is a dumb thing to do. However, when headlines confirm prophecy, I think it would be a weird thing to ignore what is happening all around us. One used to have to spend real time if one wanted to look for headlines related to Bible prophecy. Here are a few that I read just this morning from a single website:

"Russian Official Says that Israel is Behind Continuous Tension in the Middle East"

"Ahmadinejad: Iran Will Not Negotiate on Nuclear Program"

"Atheists roll out ad campaign: "In the Beginning, Man Created God"

"Half of Israelis back immediate strike on Iran"

"Church of Scotland backs gay minister"

"Russian FM praises ties with Hamas"



My friend later sought me out and evidently wanted to explain her comment. We were having a general conversation when she blurted out, "I have looked at what some people believe about what God will do in the end times and it just makes Him look so mean!" Once again, I dropped the subject. I love this person and it just didn't seem worth the effort to try to explain why I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the church, a seven year period of tribulation in which astounding judgments will take place and a literal, millennial reign of Jesus here on earth to be followed by the great "white throne" judgment of people's souls. God isn't mean. He is patient, and mankind brings judgment upon itself. If anything, the fact that He allows judgment while men are still living in order to wake them up to their own sinfulness is an act of total kindness. They cannot say they were never warned of what is to come. My friend's eschatology is so vastly different from my own and it is after all, a "non-essential" doctrine as regards one's salvation. I almost never bring the subject up in any conversation with people outside of my own church family.I have met few people outside of my own church whom I can talk to about the subject of eschatology whose defenses don't immediately snap on. I have actually seen people stiffen up when the subject is broached. So why bother? Is eschatology more important, or is salvation more important? Salvation is. No question. It is preeminent.


So why do some people get so upset when talking about their eschatology? Is it some kind of unwritten Biblical taboo? I don't know all the answers to that. I do know that some have a loyalty to what they have been taught about it and that they believe only they have the answers. I know that some believe that end-times prophecy can't be understood at all and therefore it is a waste of time. I know that some take the approach that prophecy related study and discussions are a potential distraction from the work of spreading the gospel and therefore nothing to be concerned with. Some folks have simply never bothered to look into it for themselves, perhaps because their pastor does not teach expositorily, and the subject simply has never come up. I could go on. None of these reasons will change the fact that prophecy and eschatology are subjects worth studying just like any other subject or type of passage in Scripture.



The fact is that current headlines about the Middle East do have something to do with end-times events because we have been living in the end-times for some two-thousand years. Ever since He departed into the clouds, His followers have been expecting His return for them. A pastor friend of mine was asked, "When do you think Jesus will come for us?" He answered her, "Today." As believers, that should always be our answer and our attitude. We have a promise that Jesus will come back and that some of His followers will never die. It could happen today. He gave general descriptions about the kinds of things that would be happening that would precede that event, and He also told us to be aware of such things. Not to do so would to be to walk around in a sort of self-imposed ignorance.



I see things related to prophecy to be indeed--"lining up", and moving forward at an amazing rate of speed. That is the deal. People who are not believers are going to be caught by surprise by end-times events. Believers should not be caught off-guard. Just as in the case of a Broadway play production, the stage has to be set. Each prop has to be put into its proper position for the players to interact with them. That has been slowly happening for a long time. What makes our current time seem so different is that we are living close to the culmination of what has been slowly building for such a long time. I've heard several persons say that very thing, "But that's been going on for a long time." Exactly.



If a huge house was being framed up over a couple of thousand years, one generation might not easily notice that a stud or two had been set into place from the generation before. But at some point the gradual work that has been done brings one to a house that is very near completion, and that is more noticeable than all of the work that has gone on before. That is somewhat like what is taking place now in regards to biblical prophecy. The stage is being "set". Headlines today reflect that fact. Whether or not one can see that has to do with whether or not one views the headlines through the lens of God's prophetic passages. Some Bible students have been desensitized to what's going on in the Middle East presently, by what has gone on before.



There has been so much effort by politicians and political organizations to achieve "peace" in the Middle East between Israel and those nations who would see her obliterated, that many have lost sight of how significant peace for Israel is with regard to end-times events. For a generation now, ambassadors from many nations have been offering their worldly wisdom to Israel, pushing their fleshly plans for peace on her and to the nations around her in order to bring about a halt to the tumultuous events that have become such daily occurrences so as to numb the sensibilities of everyone watching. That Israeli mothers and fathers must wear an UZI in a sling over their shoulder while riding on their children's school buses is commonplace----goes beyond the notice of those who dismiss what is happening there as nothing important. The world over, people condemn Israel and cry out for "peace and safety".



Iran is threatening Israel with total destruction. Many say, "Oh nonsense. That's been going on for thousands of years." True. But until now, Iran could not make a bonafide thermonuclear threat. Israel is at the very center of a situation wherein her enemies could trigger the chain of events that will usher in the Tribulation period--at any instant. We have become so accustomed to small-minded dictators making nuclear threats that we have become detached from the significance of what such statements mean. We have gone from a generation who was trained to hit the floor and stay away from windows to a generation of those who wave such possibilities off and say, "Whatever", with a smirk. But Jesus said, "And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." (Mark 13:37)



The Lord wasn't kidding around when He told us to be watchful, and with respect to those who find prophecy a distraction, people do get so involved in things prophetical that they forget what the first order of business is for believers. That business is Sonship--winning souls to heaven through Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:19 and 20 Jesus spelled it out for us in the Great Commission, "19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Work---and watch. There is and must be a balance as He commanded us to do both. A balance does not come about if the prophecies He spoke are ignored or dismissed altogether.

We are to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world. “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47) and telling people: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

The very culmination of end-times prophecy cannot come about until His truth has been proclaimed throughout the entire world and to every person with a willingness to hear it. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus tells us; “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." He wasn't saying, go throughout the world and bring about social change, so that people can see how concerned and fair-minded Christians are. He told us to preach the gospel so that hearts can be changed--now. It is the same gospel that Paul obediently preached and wrote of in 1st Corinthians 15:3 and 4.

The peace overtures which have assailed Israel are worldly and Bible prophecy tells us that they come before "sudden destruction" and a host of other events which will precede His coming to take His church out of the world. We ought never to stop paying attention to prophecy, and to the fact that time is growing short, so that we may be more than ever spurred on to work to see that as many as possible will come to faith in Jesus Christ while we are here--where we live and while we sojourn here.

"Ida"-- The Latest "Missing Link"

I love watching the History Channel. There are some great shows, and there are some real stinkers. Such is the case with the upcoming, "The Link". Yesterday I saw a commercial for an upcoming special program detailing the story of "Ida", the lemur-like fossil that has now been declared--the missing link. It is claimed that she had an opposable right thumb. The fossil was found about 30 kilometers south of Frankfurt, Germany, and is said to have been dated at around 47 million years old. (Carbon dating *cough*)

Apparently a group of scientists have been keeping the discovery of this fossil a closely guarded secret for some two years now. I guess they didn't want anyone else messing with their discovery, or making any kind of speculation about their conclusions. A "dream-team" of scientists have been doing the honors. Professor Phillip Gingerich has already declared, "Well, it's kind of Rosetta Stone, because it ties together parts we haven't been able to associate before." They are billing it as the oldest and most complete fossil of a human ancestor.

Sir David Attenborough, the British narrator of "Nature" is just glowing about the find. He said, "This little creature is going to show us our connection with the rest of the mammals. This is the one that connects us directly with them.....Now people can say, 'OK, we are primates, show us the link,'" The link they would have said up to now is missing – well, it's no longer missing."

There are though, already detractors within the evolutionary ranks, and I think that some of them are more than a bit blind-sided by the media circus that is happening all around this little fossil. Even Chris Baird, the curator of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburg, PA said, "I would be absolutely dumbfounded if it turns out to be a potential ancestor to humans." I guess he needn't worry about that.

There have been a ton of fossil discoveries over the years that have been declared to be the all-important missing link that shows a direct evolutionary relationship between present-day man and this or that animal. Most of them have been proven to be the product of hucksterism, and the rest have been shown over time to be just----well.....bad science.

I have no idea whether this fossil will be shown to be a fabrication or not, but it doesn't really matter. What is going on here is pure hype. Don't be fooled. All of the hoopla surrounding it is going to reverberate around rooms across the country for a while, and then it is going to be seen for what it is--just another fossil that some men and women jumped to some conclusions about.

Some within the school of evolutionary thought have asked people to settle down and back off from the sensationalistic claims that "Ida" is a link in the human/evolutionary line. I can see why they would. They pretty much know that every predecessor to her has already been shot down in flames. Good thinking.

Sailing

The journey had begun with an unexpected step.
Knowing, he had not known.
Seeing, he had not seen.
Every idle word a testimony.

A life--a heart forever changed.
The alienation followed, but welcome in a way.
Knowing now, that he knew.
Seeing--he wanted only to see more.

The ache bent him over, but the urge drove him onward.
Standing, again and again---he strained to reach toward the prize.
Punishment. Suffering.
By the hands of others. By consequence for choices made.
The model--shining forth and impossible to attain even for his mammoth strength, yet there.
There, and within him.

He yielded to it.
He had stepped aboard with gladness.
Drawn by the goodness. Submitting. The turning was a gift.
Now the path was fixed. Neither to the right or to the left would be his course.
His ship had neither tiller nor oar, and the Captain's word was beautiful song each morning.

Signs of the Times

I would be one of those persons that many people would call a dispensationalist eschatologically, though strictly speaking I don't think I quite fit the label. I believe for a lot of different Biblical reasons that the church will be caught out of this world before a seven year long period of tribulation, and spared from the judgments that will be poured out on mankind during that time. This isn't something I will argue about with folks. It is just a belief I have arrived at after many years of studying the Bible.

There are many prophetic events leading up to that time, and events and occurrences that take place during those seven years and after. It has always been fascinating to me. While I don't believe it should be any kind of distraction, it is a huge component of the Scriptures that like the rest, should be studied. As time is winding down, I think it should be a great motivator for us to speak to people about sin, righteousness and the pure judgment of God.

The early church was motivated out of love for Christ to reach the lost, and perhaps also because they expected Jesus to return in their lifetime. They knew that the time could be very short. There are different reasons for that. For one, some in that day thought that perhaps the apostle John would still be living when He came back because of what he said to Peter before He ascended. (John 21:22) In Matthew 24:44 He said that "for in that hour you think not, the Son of Man comes," and to the apostle John he said, "Behold, I come quickly:" (Revelation 3:11). The sense was that His appearance would be "sudden", and could come at any moment, and that is how they and we ought to live.

To humans though, two thousand years is a chunk, especially to unbelieving human beings. Peter wrote of this in his second epistle saying, "3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." (Chapter 3)

There are scoffers like that today, surely. I have talked with them online and in person. No shortage there, but things are changing. There seems to be to be a trend toward questions among the unbelieving about the things prophesied in the latter days. Sure, you get the questions about whether or not some leader is the anti-Christ or about how America fits into Biblical prophecy or not, but people are starting to perceive that what is spoken of in the Bible may actually have some validity.

This inkling that people in the secular realm have that unexpected things are happening suddenly makes some of them uneasy. They may regard what they see happening and any connection to Bible prophecy in the same way that they might see the writings of Nostradamas or some other false prophet, but some people are paying attention. I do not think it is a good idea to base prophetic teaching on headlines, but I don't see a thing wrong with recognizing how events are lining up with Biblical prophecy. Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 that we would not know the day or the hour of His return, but just three verses earlier He said that when certain events were seen that men should know that His coming was very near. Likewise, there are events that precede those events, and people are seeing some of those events in the beginnings of their formations.

One good example of those events is the current economic crisis. It isn't just here in the United States. It is a global crisis, and since the key prophetic passages in Daniel, Matthew and the Book of Revelation dealing with end times speak in global terms, people are paying attention. Our leadership in the United States at present is acting extremely irrationally, pushing fiscally irresponsible bills through the House and Senate at record speed, all the while telling the American public that every dollar spent will somehow generate a buck-and-a-half in return. Hence, spending by the trillions. This is just nuts. President Obama plans to spend in his presidency, more than the sum total that all of the forty-three presidents who preceded him have spent--combined. He is literally gambling with the financial welfare of an entire nation. If he succeeds in spending the kind of brain-tripping figures that he wants to spend, it is likely a policy that will not only eventually demand extremely high taxes, but is also one from which not only this nation, but the rest of the world will probably never recover. It is likely also to be a catalyst for more cascading end times events.

The fact that people are so polarized about this policy and so many still approve of what the President is doing is amazing to me, even in 2009. What happens when this insane gamble fails as the end times wind down? More insanity will probably ensue. Will the Federal Reserve, if it still exists will be pulling out the I.O.U. and using the old Steve Martin joke and say, "I'll put them here---in my white coat."?

Many people know that the Bible says that there will be a future leader who sets into place a financial system wherein nobody can by or sell without his approval. That approval will be in the form of a "mark" the Bible says on the forehead or upon the right hand. (Revelation 13:16-17) At the present time, there are fewer people on the planet that believe that is nonsense. Before this last month, most unbelievers and a lot of Christians for that matter regarded a global currency as a ridiculous notion from conspiracy theorists. Headlines from the last couple of weeks have made many reconsider that position. A United Nations economic team not only approves of dumping the dollar as the global currency reserve that it has been almost by default, but has come up with a plan to replace the U.S. dollar with a world currency reserve. That announcement followed one by China's central bank to do the same thing.

These other governments are looking for financial stability right now, and they don't see the answers for that coming out of U.S. leadership. The U.S. is in turmoil right now because our whole system of government is being changed before our eyes. It smells a lot like socialism, and while that may not bother a great deal of the people who live here, it bothers a great deal of others. There are many "tea parties" going on throughout the U.S., and there will be more to follow. These are peaceful demonstrations so far, but I have a feeling that there will be problems and more and more people in upheaval as the leadership here tends in their arrogance to ignore them. In any event, the Bible says that things will destabilize and people will be calling for peace. They will be looking for a leader to bring that peace about.

I'm fifty-one years old, and I have never heard so many people speculate about who the anti-Christ may be. I know full well that we are not to be looking for this man, so truthfully, I don't bother. We are to be looking for Jesus. That said, it is predictable that the world would be more interested in who the anti-Christ is than in Jesus. I think that many view the anti-Christ as sort of an equal/opposite of Jesus. Nothing is further from the truth, but still the interest remains.

With all of this financial instability and craziness at the forefront of the headlines, and as some of the world's most high profile leaders are meeting in the UK to discuss it, I wonder how the nation of Israel will figure into their discussions. That tiny little country has remained in the headlines not matter what else has been happening. Try as it might to remove Israel from the land God promised to it, the world just can't seemed to take its eyes off of it. Whether because she does something independently or whether she is defending herself, the U.N. consistently condemns Israel and sympathizes with terrorist movements within the borders of her neighbors. Leaders are defined by how they deal with Middle East concerns and now, as fanatically led Iran moves ever closer to having nuclear weapons, our current president wants to appease and pander to that nation and to others who harbor terrorist factions. That only purports the leaders of those nations to be fools who can't see the error of their ways. That isn't the case. They know exactly what it is that they wish to do. They wish to erase Israel from existence by any possible means.

Some people are beginning to understand that Israel has only survived thus far by the grace of Almighty God, because He is not finished with her. They are beginning to see that with all of the fiscal upheaval in the world that perhaps those crazy prophecies in the Bible aren't so crazy after all. They are beginning to see that this world needs more than a financial and political Savior. But---I urge those brothers and sisters in Christ who might be reading this post to act for the Lord---because truly we do not know how long this window will be open. The tide could turn at any moment--suddenly.

1st Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

BACK IN THE DAY

Just the other day I caught part of a Christian radio show, and a young student called in to speak about the difficulty he was having with his teacher, (history I presume). The problem he was having was that his teacher took issue with his use of the standard epoch indication for recorded history before the birth of Jesus, namely--B.C.. The student was told to change the indication to B.C.E., which stands for "Before the Common Era." I had trouble hearing the whole account because I was at work, but it sounded as though the kid said he wished to use B.C., and was told by his teacher that he would either change his paper or his grade would be forfeit.

I only took notice of the "new" indicator about fifteen or twenty years ago. I really don't remember. I know that it has been in use for much longer than that. In my earlier years I just didn't happen to invest time in the kinds of history books or technical journals that might have used B.C.E. or C.E.. There are good teachers and there are bad teachers. Some bad teachers can be egotistical intellectual bullies. I have two nephews who have earned 4.0 grade averages all through their academic careers. One of them was accepting a paper back from one of his college teachers who was well aware of their academic record. He took out his pen in front of my nephew and told him point-blank that he didn't think any student should go through school with straight 'A's. He change his grade to a B+ right there. When I heard the story, I wanted to drive the three-and-a-half hours to my nephew's college and throttle his professor. I didn't, of course.

The interesting thing is that such heavy-handedness by an unfair or deeply opinionated teacher can actually be a valuable lesson for a young person with the right mindset. "Golly, thanks Mr. Cleaver." I'm laughing here, but it's very true. My nephew was upset but he rose above it, valuing the job he did as the best he could do and accepting the outcome.

I didn't get to hear the advice that the host gave the kid on the radio, but if they had asked me (as if) I would have just told him to use B.C.E., rejoice and remember that for him it stands for "Before Christ Emmanuel." Works for me.

It's Still Rock and Roll To Me

There are a lot of rock and roll songs from my youth that I instantly recognize or that might even get stuck in my head like a tape loop to this day. Many songs are memorable for me, but usually because of the beat or the music. I have always found the lyrics to be a bit simplistic in rock and roll. From my early teens I came to understand that rock and roll actually was about rebelling against authority. Before then, when I heard some older person say something like that I tended to dismiss the notion because I thought they didn't understand the genre.

The fact of the matter is that rock and roll's own proponents have said the same thing on many an occasion. The list of rockers who readily admit that fact is very long. Rock and roll has its very roots in sexual rebellion. Many of the early songs in rock and roll were virtual tributes to fornication, and they were written in a semi-code system so that 'old fogies' wouldn't get it. Even the words, "rock and roll" are a slang term for that particular sin. The old fogies figured it out anyway though. Album after album has been devoted to rebelling against authorities of many kinds---religious, moral, parental, legal, artistic. You name it and rock and roll has rebelled against it and made fun of it.

Rock and roll has demonstrated great disrespect for God, but often seems to fancy itself in a sort of strange 'cat and mouse' relationship with Him. On the one hand, it is fond of rejecting and blaspheming mean old God the Father, but appealing to that really nice guy, Jesus. Well, that is when they are not busy blaspheming His name. They certainly have no problem deriding His church.

Sarah MacLachlan has a new 'tune' out titled "Dear God". She doesn't pull a single punch. In her diatribe against Him she blames Him for the world's ills. She says that He is the cause of wars and even accuses Him of drowning babies. That's a new one. She calls the Holy Trinity an unholy hoax perpetrated on mankind and ends the song by telling Him that she ..........doesn't believe in Him. I understand that the song is an open letter to a God she purports not to exist, but there's a strange inconsistency in her logic that does not escape me.

Christians can be awfully naive at times, just like anyone else. We shouldn't be, but we can be. Rock and roll has had such an influence on the minds of most young people, that when they become young believers they are reluctant to leave it behind with the other worldly influences that they have turned their back on. They even strive to bring it into the church. I don't have a problem with the music and beat to a certain degree. I always liked that, but when the volume prevents worship, or when the lyrics are watered down to the point that finding anything worshipful in it, or anything edifying, then I do have a problem with it.

Which brings me to.....U2. Sorry if you are a big U2 fan. I just never have been. U2 has always seemed to be members of the 'cat and mouse' club that I mentioned before. I have heard or read many times that U2 was a Christian band. The thing is, I don't know if I have ever heard that statement made by someone I know to actually be a Christian. There is no question that U2 are one of the most recognizable rock bands of all time. Their front man Bono is much more highly recognized than any of the other band members. That is probably due the fact that he claims to be a Christian, is a very vocal person and quite active in calling for and securing aid to African nations. He, along with Bob Geldof, have been up for the Nobel Peace Prize in the past for their efforts in that regard. I admire their efforts, but I think that the people in those African nations are worse off now than they were before the efforts, due to politically corrupt leaders and dictators in those same countries.

Just this month, U2 has come out with a new album. Yesterday I read another one of those articles that asked if perhaps with this one that U2 might be returning to its 'Christian' roots. Huh? Probably the song I remember of U2's that ever came the closest to being more than remotely spiritual would be "The Joshua Tree". When Bono sang the he believed in the 'kingdom come' and that "You broke the bonds and you loosed the chains" and then "Carried the cross of my shame", it sounded fairly moving. Unfortunately, it fell back into that cat and mouse category for me when the next line was belted out--"But I still haven't found what I'm looking for."

Why this new album is reputed to be a Christian one is a mystery to me. There are only a couple of songs with slightly spiritual mentions or words in them, and nothing of any real consequence. I have heard metal band songs with more Scriptural references. Lots of songwriters have hijacked Scriptures to make a buck without any real affinity for them. If Bono were singing these songs as a worship leader, then he would be the leading contextualized performer on the planet. He manages to use the 's' word in one of them. The fact is that rock and roll music shouldn't have any real fellowship with the church. It's really no different from a believer consciously choosing to marry an unbeliever. Light and darkness. It just shouldn't happen.

Obeying God rather than men does not qualify as rebellion, since God's authority supersedes that of any of His creation. He permitted them whatever authority they have in the first place.

If songwriters want to write that breakout song, or if they still feel a need to rebel against something that matters, perhaps they should rebel against sin. Contrary to what Sarah MacLachlan evidently believes, sin the real reason that wars are fought, why people are starved, why children are abused and neglected, why there is any kind of human depravity and why the earth is in midst of the turmoil it is currently experiencing. Why not rebel against unbelief, and seek to make disciples of Christ?

Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." In order to do that, rebellion would have to be left behind by everyone, but the world would sure be a different place than it is right now.