Weekly Articles

I recently searched on Amazon.com for books on Christianity; I selected category “Books” and typed “Christian”.  I got 553,361 results (far more than I was willing to look through), so I narrowed the search parameter to “Christian Books”, which yielded 45,549 results.  The reason there are so many books written about Christianity is that there are many people who want to buy them.  But how do you know what is going to be good or bad?

I saw a television program that related the famous saying of atom bomb creator Robert Oppenheimer, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”  In this program, it was revealed that the first atom bomb was detonated at Los Alamos, NM.  This is hilarious to those of us who have lived in New Mexico and who know that it was created at Los Alamos (which is in the forested mountains of the northern half of the state), but that it was detonated at the Trinity site in the southern, deserted regions of the state.  This was not the first I had heard of this, as one of my college history classes had a great laugh when reading it together in a textbook.  But I have no doubt that some college history graduates (who didn’t have familiarity with the regional history of New Mexico) have learned that the first atom bomb was detonated at Los Alamos.

How many people learn about Christ in this way?  How many have developed their theological foundations by reading books written about Christ that are, in fact, wrong?  It is certainly easy to do if they do not read the Bible for themselves and learn from their spiritually older brothers and sisters.

Jesus gave his disciples strict warnings about this, when he spoke to them about the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees:

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread.  “Be careful,” Jesus said to them.  “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”  Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?  Do you still not understand?  Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?  Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?  How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread?  But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  (Matthew 16:5-12 NIV)

What was the “yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees”?  The Pharisees believed in the Law, the Prophets, and the traditions of the elders; while the Sadducees believed only in the Law (and that strictly interpreted).  But it wasn’t just their beliefs, but their teachings on those subjects.  The Pharisees built up a massive body of law based on the traditions of the elders (such as exactly what constituted working on the Sabbath, how far you could walk, ceremonial washings, etc.).  The Sadducees limited the impact the Law had on them to only their prescribed temple duties and the like.  Neither could be said to be wholeheartedly seeking after God.

And so, what about us?  Is the answer to swear off any books other than the Bible?  You can, but I don’t think that is the best way to go.  It seems entirely healthy to read books centered on Jesus and his church, as long as the Bible remains the absolute authority, and the other books are measured against it to ascertain their reliability.  Christians tend to get into trouble when we act like the Pharisees and take our traditions and preferences as gospel.  We also tend to get into problems when we act like Sadducees and confine the Bible to a small part of our life.  As Paul said, “Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?”  A Christian has to be a total Christian; there are no partial conversions.  A Christian must remain pure; and that is only possible by carefully monitoring the beliefs and viewpoints that are allowed in, as well as ensuring that yours is not the only teacher in your head.

There are some very enriching books available to today’s Christian.  And there are some very destructive books available, as well.  Only by knowing the Scriptures first, and using them as our guide, can we gain the benefits of the good, while avoiding the infections of the bad.  Exactly as Jesus said, of course.

-Charles Peterson

There is a principle in warfare known as “no quarter given,” meaning that no mercy will be shown to the defeated foe and that all of the enemy are to be killed.  The most famous example of this is the stand at the Alamo.  International law declares that “no quarter” orders are illegal, and history has shown this to be counterproductive in some cases - when the enemy learns that they either fight or die, they tend to fight better.  To avoid this situation, treachery is often a much better way to gain entry to an enemy’s stronghold.  I think that a very good illustration of this is found in a scene in the 1992 movie The Last of the Mohicans, in which the French army surrounds a British fort.  The French commander, General Montcalm, offers to allow the British army to depart peaceably under a promise to leave the continent; Colonel Munro, after deliberation and discovering the lack of reinforcements, accepts the offer and thus seems to save his men from absolute destruction.  The next scene shows the French-allied Indians ambushing the British forces, destroying them out in the open.  While the French would have lost many men taking the fort in combat, they lost none in taking it by treachery. 

Why is this lesson lost on Christians?  No, I am not advocating that America conduct its self this way; I am instead talking about spiritual warfare.  We are equipped by the Creator of the Universe with armor for a reason – our enemy is more powerful than we are.  Look at the description of the situation:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  (Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV)

We are set out as an army to fight spiritual forces of evil, and against powers of this dark world; it is very hard to fight the battle when you cannot see the foe (or even the battle, for that matter).  We are protected by armor specifically designed to protect our various parts:  belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, readiness of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the word of God. 

Looking at it as armor for our spiritual selves, we see that righteousness protects our hearts, readiness enables us to act on opportunities presented to us, faith gives us cover from attacks, salvation (the hope of salvation, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:8) protects our mind, truth holds our entire armor together, and the word of God allows us to defend ourselves.  Notice that everything hinges on truth for us, and our enemy is the father of lies.  Should we be surprised that the enemy rarely attacks us at our strong points?  Human generals have long found the expedience in using trickery and treachery to overcome otherwise strong (or even invulnerable) defenses – don’t you think the devil knows this?

The Romans had a formation called the “tortoise,” which made use of the rectangular shape of their shields; the soldiers would form a box-shaped formation, with the soldiers on the sides locking their shields together to form a wall protecting the sides, with the soldiers on the inside locking their shields overhead.  This formation was very effective against enemy fire as long as everyone kept their shield in place.  Our faith, too, is effective as long as it is joined with other brothers and sisters.  And just as truth holds our individual armor together, truth also holds this army together.

How many times have you heard of churches tearing themselves apart due to rumors and infighting?  How often do people pervert the scriptures to drive a wedge within the formation of God’s people?  As Solomon said:

There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:  haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV)

Notice that stirring up dissension is something that the LORD finds detestable!  It is this that is a sure sign of the treachery of the enemy.

Too often, God’s foot soldiers try to play ambassador by treating with the enemy.  We are here to fight, not live at peace with the devil, and not to retreat from the first sign of something scary.  If we trust in God, and we equip ourselves with his power and might, we have nothing to fear.  Sin is always around us, but it only comes in through treachery on Satan’s part, and weakness on ours.  Let us engage the enemy, trusting in God and giving no quarter to the sin in our lives.

-Charles Peterson

The first time I ever bought a book for myself was in Albuquerque, NM, at the Waldenbooks shop in the Coronado Mall.  It was a fairly small shop as the mall was an older one and the size of the bookstore allowed only for a narrow central aisle perpendicularly flanked by short rows of bookshelves, with the outside aisles comprised of browsing space for the bookshelves that covered the walls.  Anytime our family went to the mall, I would often spend my time here as my mother and sister shopped at the department stores.  As I grew, I found that the selection at Waldenbooks fairly matched mine, with the science-fiction, gaming, history, and science sections all clustered together at the back.  I even looked for bookstores like this one in Washington DC and Southern California (the extent of my Marine Corps career).  Upon my return to New Mexico, I found that with all of the changes in the city, my little bookstore was still the same.  Even as other, larger stores grew more prominent in the city, with locations adjacent to the places I frequented (church, school, movie theaters, etc), my favorite was still Waldenbooks.  

Then Coronado Mall underwent its newest renovation, including a brand new two-story Barnes and Noble (complete with Starbucks Coffee shop).  And my beloved little Waldenbooks found themselves unable to renew their lease (part of the agreement Coronado made with B&N).  I was infuriated, feeling like something underhanded had transpired, and I stopped going to Coronado Mall.  Eventually, I did finally return (as Coronado had far more stores in it than its nearest competitor), and even started going to the Barnes and Noble.  While I had lost that little bookstore I had grown up with, the new store had far more selections to choose from (and did I mention the coffee…).  As I was in school during this time (finishing my degree in business), I was able to reconcile the events transpiring with theory I had been studying.

There are a few unbreakable laws in this universe:  the Law of Gravity, the Law of Large Numbers (the reason the House always wins, in the end), and the Law of Supply and Demand — Waldenbooks was simply on the wrong side of this law.  No matter the nostalgia or comfort I felt towards Waldenbooks, Coronado Mall could not pass up the foot-traffic that the larger store with its more spacious floor-plan and its integral coffee shop could offer.  Coronado could also not change the fact that the deal only made sense for B&N if its relationship was an exclusive one, meaning that the other bookstores needed to go.  The revenues from the one giant bookseller more than offset the loss of the very small ones, and that floor-space was now available for other stores that might offer higher returns than that of the small bookstores.  It was not a communist plot, nor was it a strike at my cherished past.  It was simply change – otherwise known as growth.  This lesson is not confined to malls and bookstores.  Governments, businesses, and institutions all have learned to respect this law. 

Churches, too, need to mind this law.  People think that just because Jesus satisfies perfectly, that his church naturally does as well.  But even though the Bible (like its author) does not change, the church does in certain ways.  For instance, at one time the common language was Latin (hence the Latin Vulgate was the common-tongue bible); now, would you like your services to be run only in Latin?  I would not!  At one time, churches did not allow different races to commingle; most of us today would be appalled at such an environment.  At one time the most conservative garb worn today would have been heretically scandalous.  All of these things changed; the first changed naturally as people spoke in different languages (albeit churches were slow to comply), the second changed as people took hold of the spirit of love as shown in the Bible (yes, Christians were at the forefront of the abolition movement), and the third changed as the fashion world moved on (for better or worse).  But the important thing is that they changed. 

This ability to change the changeable is inherent in the Law of Supply and Demand.  As the fashions and culture of the 1950’s advanced inexorably through the 2000’s, the church had to comply or lose its identity (churches that kept up thrived, those that did not languished).  I am not talking about changing the message of truth in the Scriptures, but simply being who we are as people.  Many in the church want to retain the “small church” atmosphere as opposed to losing themselves as a “mega-church”; fine, as long as you think it is all right to tell visitors to “leave, there’s no room for you here.”  Wait, I thought the mission Jesus gave us was to bring his message to the world.  If the body is to grow bigger, its clothing will have to accommodate it (if you need a bigger building, get one).  Many in the church feel certain things are “unholy” in the “sanctuary”.  Fine, but what about bathrooms?  I believe what is done in there is far less holy than might be done near a sink or refrigerator.  These things are changeable because they are meaningless.  Change the changeable, so that God’s unchangeable qualities of love, forgiveness, and righteousness can be shown to those who are greatly demanding his inexhaustible supply. 

-Charles Peterson

Respect seems to be important to us.  From pop culture we know that Aretha Franklin was asking for it and Rodney Dangerfield never got it.  We have all heard tales of fights started (and deaths caused) by someone not demonstrating enough respect for another person.  Many of our traditions and habits come from a sense of respect:  the military salute, the opening of doors for women, and standing for the judge in a courtroom.  All over the world, despite the differences in cultures and religions, people want respect.

Christians (being people) want respect.  This is sometimes a problem as the world has little respect for Jesus Christ, and so views Christians as harmless and misguided (best case) or as the source of all that is wrong in the world (worst case).  Christians are blamed for most things that go wrong.  We’ve been blamed for teen pregnancy, teen suicide, civil rights abuses, school shootings (including Columbine), 9/11, the war in Iraq, and many others throughout history.  Since we do not naturally get the respect we want, some Christians dim their message in order to appear more open-minded.  As my wife is fond of pointing out, some have become so open-minded that their brains have fallen out!  In the rush to appear respectable, some of these Christians jump on the bandwagon of church-bashing, sometimes even apologizing for atrocities the church never committed. 

They seem to have forgotten what Jesus taught on the subject of respect.  He taught on the importance of honoring your father and mother, as well as honoring each other:

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?  For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’  But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it.  Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.  You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:  ” ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”  (Matthew 15:3-9 NIV)

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:  “the teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.   So you must obey them and do everything they tell you.  But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.   They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.  “Everything they do is done for men to see:  they make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’  But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.  And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.  The greatest among you will be your servant.”   (Matthew 23:1-11 NIV)

Most important to this idea of respect is to respect God.  Christians need to avoid the trap of the world, which says that self-respect is the key to a fulfilled life.  The world is full of failed attempts to achieve self-respect.  The key to a truly fulfilled life is to respect God.  From that respect comes respect for each other as God’s created children.  From respecting God, and respecting other people, comes a true self-respect.  To paraphrase Solomon, wisdom starts with fearing God (RESPECT).  Respecting God leads to obedience to the “golden rule” of Jesus:  do for others what you would want done for yourself.

How do you treat God?  Is he inconvenient and outdated in your life, or is he the central core around which you are built?  Do you strive to get to know him better each day, or is he a distant and unimportant piece of your life?  How do you treat other people?  Do you show kindness and patience, or are you rude, arrogant, and disdainful of them?  Are other people important enough to show them the gospel, or are you unconcerned with the fates of strangers?  How do you treat yourself?  Do you feed yourself from the bread of life and avail yourself of the waters of life?  Or do you allow yourself to remain mired in the mud and slime of this world?

Think about these questions as we head into the new year.  Maybe 2008 will be the year that God gains more respect from our country.  With all that he’s done for us, it would be about time!

-Charles Peterson