Category Archives: Questions

Christians and Martial Arts

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QUESTION:
I have a question about martial arts like TaeKwonDo, Karate, Yoga, etc.  A lot of people think these Eastern “sports” activities are an initiation into mysticism or that it may be a way to practice the Eastern “religions”.  My son has specifically asked for lessons but I’m just not sure…

ANSWER:
That is an excellent question and due to my lack of personal experience and the fact that the Scripture does not specifically address it I don’t feel qualified to answer.  Instead, I want to refer you to a web site that presents both positive and negative articles.  The author of the site, a man who is into martial arts and therefore obviously biased, gives a good summation of the articles so I am going to reproduce some of his summation here and then include the link to the rest of the articles.  In his conclusion, though he “severely paraphrases” Paul, he is totally accurate on the spirit of what Paul was saying.

MY ANSWER:  After you read the articles, you and your husband need to both be in agreement as to it being right or wrong for your son.  If there is no agreement then you need to abstain.  If in doubt, don’t do it.  Do not feel you have to enroll him in class just because he asks, begs or pleads.  If you are not both in agreement, it can be a great teaching time to explain that there are some things that even others Christians can participate in that we cannot.

I tried to teach my children that we certainly cannot live by the standards of the world but, unfortunately, often we can’t even live by the standards that those in the church live by.  We have to base our lives on God’s standards, as best as we understand them, and follow the dictates of the Holy Spirit in our own heart.  It is not that we are more “spiritual”, it is just that God knows what our individual weak areas are.  Others may be able to participate in an activity and have no problem with it but my participation might lead to me falling.  So, I need to read His Word, listen to His Spirit and then follow what I feel He is saying is OK for me without judging others who may live differently.  I hope that helps.

From the Author of the cited web site:

Here are some points I’d like to make to clear up my general position:

  • I believe it is ok to practice Martial Arts (and possibly other things such a Yoga) if the elements that totally conflict with Christianity are separated out. In fact doing so can be a powerful witness to those non-Christians involved as they ask why you don’t participate in some aspects of the practice. Personally, I have found no Christian MA or instructors locally and have not found any other MA that doesn’t have elements that cause concern (according to my personal experience and beliefs or what conflicts with my Christian faith). It is even more rare to find Christian practitioners of things like Yoga who have separated wrongful elements. Many Christian views tend to go to one of two  extremes: fundamentally condemn the practice or become fully involved in all practices.
  • I left Martial Arts and initially leant towards a fundamentalist viewpoint. I think that is a natural way of thinking initially but growth usually leads people towards a more balanced viewpoint. My search for answers into background and meaning of Martial Arts has eventually led me to return to practicing Taekwondo. I am now a Black Belt.
  • Ideally seek a Christian club or at least a Christian instructor. But, even Christian clubs may have some elements that are wrong so use discernment.. read up on the subject and pray about it.
  • Christians have lost a lot of mysticism and today we do not spend much time in stillness with God. Practices such as meditation, again having separated out wrongful practices, can be extremely beneficial. (What constitutes a “wrongful practice” is sometimes widely debatable. Typically asking questions about a practice provides some answers. Understanding Biblical principles helps us deal with these situations.)
  • Your relationship with God comes above all else. Are you spending quality time with God? Have you a healthy diet of His Word in your daily life?
  • Most of the articles here are not balanced. Most make valid points but don’t cover all the issues. Approach the subject like a debate and discover what all sides believe and have experienced.
  • Not all eastern philosophy is wrong, only that which conflicts with Christian ideals. And certainly eastern culture is important.

A bit more, some severely paraphrased teachings of Paul as I understood them 🙂

  • I also think it is a matter of faith. If a person’s faith is strong it may allow him to participate, whereas a person with a weaker faith should avoid participation.
  • If you have doubts then you should not participate as you would be sinning. But if you have no doubts then it should be ok for you to participate.
  • But also, be careful not to lead those with a lesser faith into sinning by your particpation.

Bradley G.

NOTE from Rick: In my opinion, the article by Bob Orlando tortures the Scripture dealing with “turning the other cheek” and his Biblical examples are sad.  Actually, they are worse than sad but I am afraid if I say how bad they are he may break my nose (since he doesn’t believe in cheek turning – Just kidding Bob.)
http://www.pastornet.net.au/response/

Free Help for Parents

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Parenting is tough.  It always has been but there is no doubt it is much harder now when society no longer even knows, let alone agrees with, plain Biblical exhortations regarding discipline and the nature of a child’s heart.

I occasionally have frustrated parents contacting me for advice and I appreciate the wisdom they show in wanting to know what God’s Word, not the lady on TV or the movie star in the magazine, has to say about how to raise godly children.  Here is some material I have prepared to offer help in a few areas.

Parenting is a marathon, certainly not a sprint. But it is also the most valuable and rewarding thing you will ever do in your life – raising godly children. The rewards are great in this life and also in eternity.  Get help below.  The information is free but also priceless.

Click here for Parenting Help

I’m Pro-choice but Anti-abortion.

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Somebody  told me they were upset because a Christian friend accused her of being pro-abortion because she said was pro-choice. “That angers me”, she complained, “because I hate abortions but I think a person should have a choice in this matter.  How come Christians think pro-choice is the same as pro-abortion?”

I can understand her frustration at being labeled as being in favor of something that she despises.  Most people would consider her stance rather neutral.  She is not in favor of abortion but neither does she think people should be restricted from having them if that is their choice. She is tolerant.  She is correct – at least politically.

But here could be why her friend accused her of being pro-abortion simply because she was pro-choice.  Think this through with me.

First of all, I know of no one that would say they are pro-abortion.  No one who understands even the most basic aspects of abortion, its trauma to the woman and the death of the child, could say they are pro, or in favor of, abortion.  The reason, however, some people equate pro-choice with pro-abortion is because if you look at the practical outcome of a pro-choice stance it produces the same thing a pro-abortion stand would produce.  For example, a pro-choice senator asked to vote on a measure limiting abortion would vote the same way as a pro-abortion senator, if such a person existed.

Let me try to illustrate by looking at a parallel example, another hotly debated topic – gun control.  Let’s assume you hate guns but you also believe people who want to own them should be allowed to freely own guns.  You have a pro-choice stance. If  you were forced to vote or take a stand on the issue, even though you hate guns you would have to side with the pro-gun people to oppose restrictions on gun owners.  Therefore, though you would never say you are “pro-gun”, the ultimate outcome of your position is the same as the pro-gun people.  In this case, pro-choice is virtually the same as pro-gun, it produces the same outcome, no limitations on the ownership or use of guns.

Apply this same template to the abortion debate.  You hate abortions (guns) but you feel people should be able to freely have an abortion (a gun) if that is their choice.  Therefore, the practical outcome of your stance is as if you were pro-abortion (pro-gun).  As much as you hate abortion (guns) a pro-choice stance puts you squarely on the side of those who profit from the death caused by abortion (guns). If you hate guns, like we assume you do for this example, it would likely make you angry to be called pro-gun but your “neutral” stance actually advances the distribution and uncontrolled ownership of guns – the pro-gun position.

However, there is an even stronger reason that some would say being pro-choice is equivalent with being pro-abortion.  If I am pro-choice, I am saying I am in favor of a person having the right to make whatever choice they desire  – either option – keeping the child or aborting the child as long as it is that woman’s choice.   I am pro her keeping the baby if that is her choice.  But, I am also pro aborting the child if that is her choice.  If I am “pro”, or in favor of, only one choice then there really is no choice.  To truly be pro-choice I must be in favor of either option – keeping or aborting the child.  Therefore, to be pro-choice says I am pro, in favor of, abortion in the case where that is the woman’s preferred choice.  In that case I am pro-abortion.  I cannot say I am pro-choice if I do not support one of the two choices available.  So, quite literally, while I might hate abortions, if I am pro-choice I am also pro-abortion at least on occasions where the woman chooses to end the child’s life.  If abortion is her choice then abortion is my choice for her – or I am not truly pro-choice.

While it may be frustrating to have people align you with something you hate so much, in reality, your stance is one that fosters abortions and, at least in some cases, is pro, or in favor of, abortions.  If you are not in favor of abortions even if that is the woman’s choice then you are not pro-choice.  If you are in favor of abortions when it is the woman’s choice then you must admit that, at least sometimes, you are in favor of abortions, or pro-abortion.  There is no neutral stance on this issue.  Think about it.  I would love to hear your comments and if there are any fallacies in the reasoning or something I am missing, please point it out.
__________________
Proverbs 6:16-17
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, …

Sinning in the Will of God

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Acts 1:20 [speaking of Judas and how he betrayed the Lord]
“For it is written in the book of Psalms,  ‘Let his homestead be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it’; and, ‘let another man take his office.’
______________________________
Someone asked, “If Adam’s sin was all part of God’s plan then his disobedience was actually fulfilling God’s will and therefore, not really sin.”  Can it be sinful to do the will of God?  In the same way here, it was prophesied that Judas would deny the Lord.  This was part of God’s plan of salvation for mankind and yet Judas is condemned for carrying out God’s plan.  Doesn’t that seem unjust?

The answer isn’t really that difficult to understand.

It should be obvious it is never God’s will that man sin.  God doesn’t even tempt us to sin (James 1:13).  But God understands our hearts.  He knows and remembers what we are made of – dust.  Through His foreknowledge of future events and His complete understanding of our hearts, it is not difficult for Him to foretell our actions.  Just as a parent can often predict which child will obey and which will disobey,  God, who knows the hearts of all men, was able to predict how Adam would respond and Judas’ behavior.  The idea of God knowing the hearts of me is even referred to later in this same event when deciding who would take Judas’ place.   “And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, … Acts 1:24.

They were praying, Lord, just as you knew the heart of Judas and were able to predict his failure, you know the heart of these candidates to take his place.  In your foreknowledge, guide this selection process and help us choose one who will not fail.

Finally, does God’s foreknowledge mean he is responsible for the actions that He predicts.? Not anymore than the weatherman is responsible for the rain when he predicts it.  Knowing what will happen, even if it is a certainty, is not causal.  I know for certain the sun will rise tomorrow but certainly I cannot claim to have made it come up because I know that it will happen.  No, man is still left to follow the nature of his own heart and reap the reward or consequences of following it.
____________________
Job 40:8
“Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

Romans 9:19-21
One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?'”  Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

 

Hooray for Canada

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From World Magazine’s Blog:
Lia, a 12-year-old girl from Toronto, was assigned to come up with a persuasive speech for her seventh grade class. Teachers told her the topic she chose was “too big,” “too mature,” “too controversial,” and if she went forward with it she would not be allowed to advance to the schoolwide competition or beyond.

Lia, however, would not be swayed, and once her teacher heard her presentation, she declared her the class winner. But when Lia spoke before the entire school she was initially disqualified because of her topic. Later, one of the judges who was offended by the speech stepped down, and the remaining judges reversed their earlier decision and declared Lia the school’s winner and representative in a regional competition. She didn’t win the next round, but later found out that her speech, which has been posted on YouTube, was a winner in another way.

Lia’s mom told Bound4Life:
“Lia wasn’t really that upset though, especially when she considered that the only difference between winning the competition and not winning was having a couple extra pictures taken and being given a small trophy. Lia has a much bigger trophy—somebody commented to us on our YouTube account that her aunt watched Lia’s video and decided to NOT have an abortion because of it. Yay God! Others have commented that they either never thought of the issue before or were pro-choice—but now they have changed their opinions. So, having a life saved is the best trophy ever!”

Christians and Homosexuality

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I recently posted this video on Facebook and it brought so much response that I thought it worthwhile to also share on this blog.  Ravi Zacharias answers a young man’s question, “Is it possible for a man or woman to lead a sincere Christian life as a homosexual?” I believe Ravi’s answer not only reflects the truth of God’s Word but also the heart of the Father.  If I were as eloquent as he, this would be my answer.

What are your thoughts?

Banking on the Bible

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I am in Berlin, Germany today spending time with a couple who are missionaries with Commission To Every Nation (www.CTEN.org). Why missionaries in Germany? After all, this is the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation and there are churches in every town. Germany is also the birthplace of liberal theology and, believe it or not, some of the people they are reaching are seminary students who do not believe the Bible.

Does that sound astounding that you would go to seminary and not believe the Bible? Weirder still is that some seminaries teach that you cannot fully trust the Bible. After all, it has stories about fish eating people, guys rising into the clouds, a person turns into salt, blind people seeing and deaf people hearing – nice little tales but not really meant to be believed.

Satan’s first attack has always been against God’s Word – “Did God really say …?”. That is why cults always have their own versions of the Bible (i.e. JW, Mormons, Biblical Universalists) or their own supplemental material that you have to read to “really understand” the Bible.

If we cannot fully trust God’s Word then we have nothing to stand on, our entire understanding of God is just conjecture. We can know there is a God because of the complexity of nature and the order we see in the universe but is He friendly and involved or angry and distant. The only way we can know Him is that He has chosen to tell us about Himself. Take away the Bible and your guess is as good as mine, which is only as good as anyone else’s. Without the Bible as our authority, throwing young women as sacrifices into volcanoes to please this unknown God is as legitimate as loving your neighbor as yourself.

What a treasure of infinite worth we have in the Bible. A God we can only know if He chooses to reveal Himself to us has, in its pages, pulled back a curtain to allow us to peek into eternity and catch a glimpse of Him. We can know what pleases Him and what displeases Him only because He reveals it to us. We can know how to find peace with Him  only because He reveals it to us. Most importantly, we can know what path leads to eternal life and what path leads to death because He has revealed it to us. Take away the Bible and we are all just guessing and when it comes to something as crucial as our eternal destiny, I do not want to be just guessing.

Everybody is betting on something.  Muslims are betting that Allah will have mercy.  Hindus are betting on their good works. Atheists are betting there is no God.  I’ll put my hope in what the Bible says.  It has been proven over and over again to be dependable.
——————————–
2 Peter 1:20-21 (NIV)
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

5/26/2011

A Purpose Driven Piper

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I resisted reading The Purpose Driven Life just because it was so mind-blowingly popular.  Everyone and their dog was reading it.  OK, I don’t know any dogs that read it but I think that is just because it didn’t have any pictures.  I finally only broke down and read it when someone in my congregation warned me about all the New Age teaching in it.  I felt I needed to be aware of it if it posed a danger to the flock so I made an $8 investment in a copy.  (By then, there were zillions of copies in the Half price book store.  Glad I waited.)

I was astounded at what I found and then even more puzzled as to why it was such a huge seller.  It was basically a compilation of every sermon I heard growing up as a new believer.  Unbelievers were buying this and eating it up?  Go figure.  I couldn’t find any new age, any compromise of the gospel or any wickedly bad doctrine – just lots of cool Christian sayings, lots of alliteration (which means it has to be from God) and witty plays on words to communicate what was a sound message of salvation.  Why all the criticism?

I watched Rick Warren on Larry King where he unashamedly proclaimed the gospel with clarity and power.  I even began to follow him on Twitter and he has an amazing ability to pack an entire sermon – minus altar call – into 160 characters.  I gotta admit I became a fan of the guy.  But was I missing something?

Enter the heavy weights.  John Piper is a theologian (of the Tulip Calvinist flavor), pastor and respected teacher.  If Rick Warren is some new age guru who slipped sloppy theology into his book just to sell a trillion copies, John will flush him out and expose his evilness.  The interview is great.  I suggest you set some time aside to watch it and then decide for yourself.

http://blog.pastors.com/piperinterview/

Some things don’t change.

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Sunday, as folks were connecting with God during the worship service, someone cut loose shouting a first person word from God – “Worship Me! Worship Me! I love you! Worship Me!”

Though the Summit Church believes all the gifts of the Spirit are still in operation today and such startling expressions used to be the norm, there was an immediate mood change from a God-focused time of worship to a man-focused time of wonder – some wondering why this fellow was shouting we should worship him.

I am amused at the way different generations experience God.  Ecstatic outbursts were expected when I was a young man but today they can spark confusion even in Charismatic churches. Because He looks at our heart I don’t think the Lord cares if we change the definition of proper worship behavior but when we change the definition of proper life behavior we drift toward disaster. Continue reading →

Do sinners experience God’s love?

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QUESTION:

In my reading I came across some statements that do not quite sit right with me.   What do you think about them?

“Because of our rebellion and disobedience we are separated from God and we do not experience His love. As long as we are going our own way and doing our own thing we do not experience God’s love.  In order to experience God’s love we must be ‘born again.'”

ANSWER:

I would disagree and here is why. Continue reading →