Churched....

Churched by Matthew Paul Turner is a sometimes witty and funny discussion of spiritual upbringing. As a reader, I wondered how much of the book is truly a memoir as opposed to an embellishment to prove his underlying thesis. Clearly, the author has a sense of humor – just read pages 28-30 about the KJV term for donkey in Scripture! This format, in my opinion, cheapened his story and left it unfinished.

After reading this a second time, I am left puzzled as to the author’s true intent. Was it merely to portray fundamentalists is a poor light? If not, where is the rest of the story about his journey? The back cover of the book indicates that he “falls in love with Jesus,” but that cannot be assumed unless the author provides details lending to that claim. The subtitle referenced a journey toward God; however, the balance of the book does little more than poke fun at anyone that is a fundamentalist.

The first chapter and the last chapter scantly mention time outside of that circle; so, as a reader, I did not see how he has fallen in love with Jesus.
On page 213, the author issues one of his own personal absolutes: “Fundamentalism has little to do with Jesus.” Such a statement betrays a misunderstanding of Fundamentalism, but on page 223, Turner professes that he does not believe the Bible is infallible. Much of his humorous angst against fundamentalists comes from his own lack of understanding.

Historically, the term fundamentalism originated with the publication of 12 pamphlets entitled The Fundamentals by Princeton Theological Seminary (1910-1915). Contextually, these sought to explain the macabre events of World War One and provided a reaction to Darwin’s evolutionary theory. From that point of origin, many Christian colleges were created to teach these fundamentals – including the one that produced Pastor Nolan described in this book.

Simply put, fundamentalism, unlike modern liberalism, teaches the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Thus, salvation from sin is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ. The author’s absolute could not be further from the truth. Yes, some circles within the broader fundamentalist movement have introduced legalistic practices; however, the author’s far-reaching generalization is unfortunate and wrong.

Turner says on Page 108 that “being a fundamentalist was pointless without hell.” Once again, I have to disagree. I was born and raised within one of those legalistic, fundamental circles; yet, I developed an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Through much personal study and wrestling with Scripture, I came to realize that many of the teachings (i.e. suits on Sunday and tapered haircuts) were personal preferences rather than Biblical theology.

My current fundamentalist life is fueled by a love of Jesus. That love has produced theological depth and personal growth; yet, God utilized those times to forge a passion for the glory of God. I cannot agree with the front and back cover of the book which labels fundamentalism as a “holy mess” or the “chaotic mess of religion.” Such terms portray fellow believers as crazed and blinded simpletons, meaning the author completely overlooked the tenets of 1 Corinthians 12:26 that “the members [of the body of Christ] may have the same care for one another.”

If you are looking for humor, this is a great book. If you are looking for a story that shows a personal story producing a love for Jesus, this is not the book for you.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Culture Shift

Culture Shift: The Battle for the Moral Heart of America by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. offers cogent insight into the cultural war within America and the world at-large. He highlights the major edicts of secularism and offers arenas wherein the battle is raging – the law, public education, science, philosophy, and religion. The short chapters are filled with detailed research that transforms this book into a swift read; yet it deserves prolonged attention and reflection.

In discussing this topic, Mohler portrays a rather novel thesis for his discourse. His mentality permeates the entire treatise and is built upon Matthew 22:36-40. On page 26, he says: “we are motivated by love for other human beings, believing that health and welfare and happiness and commonweal [sic] are dependent on society’s being ordered in such a way that the Creator’s intentions for human relationships are honored and upheld.” This rationale perfectly explains why Christians should actively work within the world while not living like the world. Our love for God trumps everything else, yet that love for God drives us to live like no one else.

I agree with Mohler that public schools present ideological problems for Christian parents seeking to rear children from a Biblical worldview. He provides ample evidence of the cultural shift; however, I take exception to the conclusion of chapter 8. His solution, as stated on page 60, is for Christians “to develop an exit strategy from the public schools,” but this idea conflicts with his thesis on page 2. There, Mohler extrapolates that loving God and our neighbor “gives us a clear mandate for the right kind of cultural engagement.” The exit strategy hypothesis performs the exact opposite by exalting cultural disengagement on the part of Christians.

I am a Christian that proudly serves within the public school system. Yes, public education has significant flaws; however, the opportunities to showcase the love of God abound. Since we are commanded to be salt and light in this world, withdrawal prevents fulfillment of the directives in Matthew 5. Instead, Christian parents should remain highly involved in the education of their children by offering a Biblically-based education. Their children with then have the opportunity to live those lessons in the world, which will bring God the glory.

Despite the criticism of that point, Mohler’s book passionately proclaims the need for every Christian to present the world with “the undiluted truth of Christianity” (page 124). While I encourage you to get a copy and deeply consider its contents, I strongly urge you to dig deeper into the Bible to evaluate your life against God’s standards of truth.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Long Absence....

It has been quite some time since I have shared my thoughts about my devotional readings. No, I have not been unfaithful in reading God's Word; however, I will concede that I do not spend enough time in studying His thoughts. It is amazing how that we, as Christians, stand upon His Word for our eternal destiny; yet, we are so quick to read a chapter and declare our relationship fine. Instead, we must get alone, dig, study, and apply everything that we read. Sometimes, we must read quite a bit in order to discover what God has for us in that setting. Anyway, I needed to remind myself of that fact before moving onward; so please excuse that digression.

In working through the Biblical history books, last night found me moving through II Chronicles 26:16-23. Uzziah was considered a good king, but his life provides a specific challenge to us all. This section personally applies to me because I have recently received a promotion at work and am the Director of my Office. So, let's learn about this king and see how we can ensure that we do not repeat his mistakes.

Uzziah, according to verse 16, fell into the trap of pride due to his prosperity and position -- "when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction." Clearly, the verse shows that his strength and success did not produce future success. Past results are not guarantee of future gain! Future accomplishments can only be produced the same way as the past -- through vigilant, hard work. If you look at the preceding verses, we see that Uzziah's strength came from the craftsmanship of his people. He developed machines on the city walls to launch rocks and arrows - early versions of the trebuchet or catapult.

With that backdrop, Uzziah decided to offer incense, which he, as king, could not do. In modern vernacular, he was dead wrong! The king served as the civil authority of the nation; however, he did so at the pleasure of God. Multiple times, God spoke to His people and told them that He would bless them as long as they followed His commands. Uzziah was hoping to usurp one of those directives by assuming the role of priest as well -- something that would never work (i.e. look at the example of the judge Gideon who lived like a king and created a priestly ephod that led Israel back into idolatry).

Thankfully, the priests, in verse 18, "withstood King Uzziah." They warned him! The Hebraic term references taking a stand and defending. In other words, they surrounded him, stopped him, and stood to stop him. Verse 17 reveals that 80 priests stood together against the king - quite possibly for their own peril - but God wanted us to remember them as valiant or strong men. Typically, in the Old Testament, valiant is a word utilized for soldiers. Its usage in this context reveals that standing for what is right against wayward leaders is just as vital. Simply, they warned their king about the error of his ways and attempted to prevent Uzziah's death. Whereas Uzziah listened to his advisers regarding military machines on the walls, he failed to heed the warnings of these priests.

While the king was wrong and warned by servants loyal to him, Uzziah's response was one of wrath. These priests sought to protect him, but the king could only see them as lowly priests that were subservient to his authority. He has already entered a part of the Temple that was forbidden to him, and when rebuked, he became "furious" and "angry." The NKJV uses two different words, but they are both the same Hebrew term. To get an understanding of Uzziah's response, the Hebrew term does denote anger but in two expressive ways: (1) foaming at the mouth and (2) intense burning. Uzziah was not disappointed, he was about to explode in rage.

Although wrong and warned by others, his wrath led to the final element of this story -- his power waned. God punished this king by immediately causing leprosy to break out upon him. The presence of leprosy was symbolic of uncleanness and Uzziah fit that symbolism perfectly. This king who was earlier described as strong was not thrown out of the Temple and could no longer live in his palace. He resided in an "isolated house" meaning that he could not judge his people -- his son had to instead. The once powerful man had been reduced to the holder of a position. His influence was gone because he refused to listen to the proper advice of his constituents.

The implications are clear for leaders and for those aspiring to become leaders. We know what is right and must continue to practice rightness even when we have climbed the ladder. Further, when corrected by others, gauge your response correctly. Too often, we stubbornly refuse to listen and launch into a defense of our position. Listening and reflecting may prevent serious heartbreak down the road. Also, anger can be a dangerous thing; so beware of its hold upon your life. Finally, if you will not do right, will not listen to advisers, and will not respond correctly, then expect a hard fall.

What a challenge this was to me, and maybe it will help you as well.

Real Manhood....

If you are seeking a “how to” manual in teaching your son the principles of manhood, then William J. Bennett’s The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood is not for you. Rather than clearly describing specific steps or providing teaching principles, Bennett takes a completely different approach by assembling a myriad of quotes, stories, and case studies. In doing so, he leaves the interpretation of those vignettes to the reader, thereby, giving them freedom to adapt as needed for instruction.

I did not expect the book to be the large compendium that it is; however, he adroitly utilizes small poems and quotes in order to retain interest. The format allows a reader to be able to move quickly through his six major divisions. The author tackles this work, as he has done all others, with time and effort. He wanted to ensure that he got his point across through as many different manners as possible.

For those using this volume to teach their sons, I offer this advice --- do not read the book in the order it is written. Instead, I encourage you to read in the following order: 6th chapter (man in prayer and reflection), 5th chapter (man with woman and children), 2nd chapter (man at work), 4th chapter (man in the polis), 1st chapter (man at war), and then 3rd chapter (man at play, sports and leisure). My rationale is rather simple – a man’s relationship with God determines everything else. Being right with God, transforms a family and allows him to keep a proper perspective about work. In working, he seeks to contribute to society at large and, if called upon, will serve his nation at war. Finally, and least important, is leisure time. Our society, unfortunately, has inverted this prioritization in that we largely focus upon leisure and entitlement at the expense of all other considerations.

This book is on a shelf awaiting my son, who is about to turn 4, to become older. We will read some of these together and I will use the primary resources to teach him about manhood. As good as this voluminous collection may be, never forget that your life is a book that children read every day. In order to teach your sons about manhood, we, as men, must project the right idea of manhood – not this bumbling view offered by Hollywood. Simply, we can benefit from Bennett’s work too.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”