Fanmail by KJ-52

Andrew Shaw, of On The Poddy fame, is my age and lives in Botswana. I know that lots of people were friends with him before he moved – and now there is a really easy way to keep up with him:

He has started blogging. The Maverick is a collection of his experiences, news, and thoughts. Head over, have a read, and leave a commet or two. And be sure tell people who might know Andrew.

 Peace.

When I look back on my ordinary, ordinary life,
I see so much magic, though I missed it at the time.

Jamie Callum – Photograph

Resolution 1: Spend more time looking back, especially with friends.
Resolution 2: Spend more time making magic, especially with friends.
Resolution 3: Try to see the magic at the time.

Question: Do you enjoy things more if you just live them, and look back later; or if you reflect on them while they are happening?

Every couple of months I feel a burst of interest in ‘Atheist vs Theist’-style arguments, both following the arguments of others and doing a bit of arguing myself. The question “Does God exist?” has and continues to fascinated people, few more than I.

Its a question with immense implications, especially from the perspectives of the respective sides, and consequently there is no shortage of people willing to argue their case – often publicly.

And yet, each time I gain an interest in the argument, I am turned off without fail. This time around, I realised one reason why:

Neither side shows particular interest in the actual facts. No-one likes their own view to be challenged, and so we naturally tend to avoid evidence against it (confirmation bias). Its certainly rare that we actively seek opposing views, and maybe even rarer that we give them a chance.

When the Christian claims “there have been no transition fossils found” [which would support evolution] or the atheist claims “there is no evidence that Jesus even existed”, both are guilty of misrepresenting reality.  Perhaps they have never actually researched it, perhaps they used biased sources, but somehow there has been a massive communication breakdown.

It is exceedingly frustrating to hear people (from either side) spout ‘facts’ that you know from your own investigation to be bollocks. How much more progress would be made if people took the time to seek opposing viewpoints! Instead of pretending there is no alternative, arguments should provide an analysis and criticism.

One way to prevent yourself from this mistake is, when you are confronted with a difficult debate, to obtain the best argument (be it book, mp3, or video) from the best supporter (or two, or three) of each view. Read them critically, but fairly, and then decide.

I have tried to put this into practice. As a Christian, I decided to read The God Delusion to test my own perspective and arguments. I’m sure Dawkins would be greatly disapointed to hear that I’m still a theist. To his credit, he did spend some time discussing arguments for the existance of God – which means that he at least found some… whether or not they were ever seriously listened to is an interesting thing to consider. However, the arguments he chose to deal with were not the most compelling for me anyway, and nor were his refutations particularly convincing. [Resisting the urge to turn this into a massive tangent]

Final thoughts:
1. I don’t believe anyone will ever prove it conclusively either direction using argument alone.
2. The entire question must not be treated purely academically. In one sense it is helpful to take a step back from the action and evaluate it critically, but never allow yourself to engage only intellectually – the consequences are very real and (potentially) eternal.
3. Ultimately, there is a decision to make: do you believe in and accept Jesus as Lord, God and saviour, and allow him to forgive your sins; or do you reject Him and all that He brings. There is no donkey vote, no avoiding it.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Give a talk on false teachers to a distracted school audience ranging from 6 year-old girls to 18 year old boys to teachers, whose weltanchauung (world view) disagrees with yours violently. Make it relevant, but do not offend anyone (read: do not claim anything). Try to tell them the good news of Jesus.

The text: Matthew 7:15-20

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Here’s what I said:

Spring has come at last, bringing all sorts of fruit for us to see and smell and taste. But eating the wrong fruit could be deadly. Coming to the end of his most famous sermon, Jesus warns us of false teachers. Why?

False teachers are not just classroom teachers. Jesus was not warning you about your maths teacher. False teachers are anybody who tells you something untrue. They hide the truth. They distort facts, leave out details, and invent lies.

Jesus called them wolves! Do wolves care for the sheep? Only as far as they can satisfy his hunger! False teachers are not interested in you. Their interest is in their self. They are motivated by money or fame or power or greed. They don’t care for the truth: they’ll tell you what you want to hear!
While a good shepherd will die for his flock, a wolf cares for them not

But you’ll say to me, Andrew, “they’re not that dangerous!”

They can be deadly! They are like a doctor who, rather than telling you about your cancer instead compliments you on your figure. Being diagnosed with cancer would turn your world upside down. You will cry, you might hate the doctor, but, in the end, you will live. The doctor who is more concerned about pleasing you, about avoiding conflict, will cost you your life!

But false teachers are even more deadly because of this: they resemble the good guys. Just as the inedible berries of thorn bushes resemble grapes, and the flowers of thistles resemble figs, so too do false teachers seem good. They might be pleasant and smile a lot. But get beneath the surface and they do not sustain life.

How, then, can you tell them? Jesus said “you can recognise them by their fruit”. As we have seen, a glance is not enough. But test their behaviour, their motivation, their attitude, their humility. But above all: test them for truth! Check what they say. Check what I’m saying even now!

One person, perhaps more than anyone else, attracts false teachers: Jesus. People love to claim him for themselves, as a hippy, a pacifist, a communist, a good person, or God and saviour.

Is the picture you have of Jesus the right one? Does it fit with what he said? Jesus said “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement but has passed from death to life.”

That is an enormous claim! A man who makes that kind of claim cannot simply be ignored. Does your picture of Jesus fit with a man who claimed to be God, who turned over tables in anger, who pointed the finger at false teachers, who talked of hell and spoke of a mission to save sinners by his own gruesome death?

Is that your picture of Jesus?

And did he really do all that? Don’t just take my word for it, find out for yourself by checking it out in the Bible.

Beware of false teachers – do not be deceived but test everything.

I’d post the audio but the recording device got stage fright and decided not do any recording.

There was oodles more that I wanted to say. What do you think? Agree / disagree? Leave a comment.

[For a much clearer, more detailed, more powerful, more applicable, and far, far better examination of these verses, check out John MacArthur's two sermons on "Beware of False Prophets" - sermons to which I'm totally in debt.
Audio  || Text of Sermon 1 || Text of Sermon 2  ]

Question: What is the sweetest thing happening this weekend?
Answer:

coast youth REVOLUTION* radically changed by the goodnews of JESUS
3 great speakers | 2 great bands | 1 incredible GOD

coast youth REVOLUTION* conference
Friday Sept 7 – Saturday Sept 8 AD2007
Erina Centre (next door to library @ erina fair)

SPEAKERS: Andrew Heard, Paul Dale & Dave Miers
BANDS: Running Home & Revive
Workshops

When you understand the cross of Jesus… it radically changes everything. Join us on our first coast youth REVOLUTION conference as we look at JESUS and learn how to… LIVE THE REVOLUTION

PROGRAM
FRI PM: 7-10pm (program @ 8pm)
SAT AM: 830-3pm (program @ 9am)
SAT PM: 3-6pm (activities & hang time)
SAT PM: 6-10pm (dinner 6pm, program 7pm)

Come for some of it or, even better, come for all of it!

COST = $25 (or $10 per session) Bring some $$ for lunch + Arvo activity (Activity price range $0-$15)

www.cyrevolution.com

myspace.com/cyrevolution

Dear Faithful Reader,
The conspicious lack of posts on TCA recently has been a result of:

• My overflowing social life
• School heating up (less than 8 weeks until my final exams start) 

Posts may remain sparse over the next two months until school ends, but I will post reasonably often. Stay tuned.

Until then, I’d love to hear from you. Who are you, where are you from, how did you find TCA, what is your favourite ice-cream flavour, and what do you love about life? (And anything else you care to add.)