The Reason For God.......

So this book landed today! Lots and lots has been said about the book and loads of people have been asking me for it since way back in January. Until recently i had not heard of Keller or his ministry in Manhattan. As well as being asked for his book i also heard Mark Driscoll mention him a few times, and not in a sarcastic manner!!  You can find a great list of Resources on the guy here. So whats going on with the guy and his book and his Church? I like this description of Redeemer Church that appeared in Newsweek: "There's nothing sexy here. There's no rock band, no drop-down theater-size video screen, no 100-member gospel choir—just a few chamber musicians and a couple of prayer leaders to help the congregation along in its hymns. The crowd at Redeemer Presbyterian is overwhelmingly young, single, professional and—for lack of a better word—sober."  I like it because, in a time where we are now surrounded with 'rock bands, drop down theater size video screens etc' in Church it is always encouraging to hear that it is not always relevant and necessary to choose these styles. There are negative conversations going around about Keller due to his views on evolution, 6 days of creation etc but perhaps we will get to that another time. In the meantime i shall begin the book as soon as.............

Healer.............

The story behind this song is incredible, the song is incredible and Mike is awesome



Listen to the words of this song, watch the story and see the humble, reverent worship of Jesus our Lord and Saviour. By HIS stripes we are healed....................need i say more

Pizza & 'Prophets'............

Last night we had us some Pizza with some friends and the banter was great. The conversation was, as usual, wide and varied but YES we got to talking about Todd Bentley. What usually happens is, someone thinks i have some better knowledge of these things due to my job at a Christian Bookshop. This is rarely always the case but with tattoo'd Todd i have an opinion and pushed to give it to a table with a mixture of Pentecostal, Presbyterian and Baptist's i decided i knew everyone well enough to say what i thought. As the words "i think he is a wingnut, perhaps a false prophet and this is very dangerous stuff" left my mouth i knew what might happen but amazingly we entered a very balanced discussion on the issue. Several of the group agreed with me, some were less skeptical but we didn't disagree on the point that 'something' is happening and it has came to N.Ireland. Watch the clip...



So, i have already given my opinion, perhaps rashly but i stand over it. I do not want to launch into a tirade about the guy because he needs our prayers, as do all those pastors from N.ireland who rushed to the front to 'get some' and have since brought 'it' back home. I am at a point in life where i have major fears about where the "church" is headed, about the stuff we are lapping up and how this generation is rejecting truth and Biblical certainty for experience and entertainment. I speak as someone who struggles often with the splintered 'church' and the effect of being dealt so many doctrinal and theological disagreements. I do not have all the answers, i am not certain about everything and chances are, neither are you. We do not need another "move of God" or "passing fad" to split us further, what we need, what Todd Bentley needs, what you and i need, is Jesus.

Update: It appears i have upset some with this post. I realize that some people may disagree with my opinion about this. Please feel free to comment and let me know if you think i have spoken out of turn. I am not a 'heresy hunter' and am not on some mission to hunt Todd Bentley down, it is current, it came up in conversation with friends and thats why it is appearing on 'supersimbo.' All the content on 'supersimbo' represents my views & opinions based on current issues that i am dealing with and in no way reflects those of my employer, my church or my wife!

Jesus wants to save Christians.....

I am not sure if you agree with Rob Bell on everything but thats not the point of this post. The point of this post is to say that i think his products are the best looking stuff the 'christian' market has seen over the last few years. The Nooma dvd's are packaged brilliantly, as was his first 2 books and the Everything is Spiritual dvd. I have to applaud the guys who come up with this stuff, they rock. I know, you may want to say that we should never judge a book by its cover, and that is quite correct but i am JUST talking about packaging here! I should add i do like the synopsis for the new book (pictured). It says: "There is a church not too far from us that recently added a $25 million addition to their building. Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago about a study revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty. This is a book about those two numbers." The fact that the book is titled "Jesus wants to Save Christians" is rather controversial, or at least it will be in N.Ireland. Perhaps i have a different sense of humor but when i hard that i laughed, i know some others who have gasped at the sheer awfulness of such a title! I am pretty sure that Rob is well aware of the criticism he will receive when he titles a book, film or sermon in this way. Anyway, the title is interesting to say the least BUT its another product from Rob that looks great.

God & The Rolling Stones.....

I love this song, i love that Mick & Keith wrote a song about various people in history who had converted to Christianity, notably St. Paul and St. Augustine. Mick sings that he will never be a saint but he also sings that he believes in miracles and he wants to save his soul, i wonder does he mean this or is it just lyrical word play?



I wonder sometimes when we are a fan of someone in the public spotlight do we take time to stop and pray for them? It is crazy that we can write off a film star or musician due to their excessive lifestyle or at least some part of their life we do not agree with. We sit in judgement and never stop to pray that God would touch their life. I wonder who is praying for Mick & the boys? Who are you praying for?

The Shack....

"This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” did for his. It’s that good!” Eugene Peterson said that about this book, i like Peterson, i like his books and yes i kind of like The Message but on this occasion i think he is wrong. One thing i should state is that i do not read "Christian fiction," ever! This is "theological fiction" though so I have made an exception for the book that is causing quite a stir and has caused many "high profile" people to applaud it. I am aware that God is portrayed as an African-American woman in the story. Jesus is a young to middle-aged man of Middle-Eastern descent with a big nose and rather plain looks while the Holy Spirit is played by Sarayu, a small, delicate and eclectic woman of Asian descent. In the book, this is the Trinity! What do we make of this? It is likely that the book is going to continue to sell so many copies that its popularity alone will become its endorsement. I have learnt in the past about posting bad or incomplete reviews of books so it is likely i will not mention The Shack again. I also am well aware that this is old news for many folks, the book is being talked about a LOT online, its being praised by many and chopped up by others so take my advice if you want to read an in depth and very good review of the book, go here.

What do you think?

Jesus is senior Pastor

"I am not your senior Pastor, i do not give myself that title. Jesus is Senior Pastor" Mark Driscoll

the Pope 'could' have a blog.........

I was about to go to bed BUT had to post this! The site this was posted on said this "I have no idea if the pope has a blog, but it is always interesting to me how organized religion can embrace modern ideas and technology, while keeping one foot so firmly planted in the dark ages."


H/T Jake Bouma

Prosperity Gospel.........

H/T Vince

Driscoll & Doctrine.........

Doctrine is a word that scares a lot of "Christians" and i have to say there have been times when i have heard it and switched off. When Mark Driscoll (left) started a sermon series on Doctrine he received several phone calls from pastors who lead large flocks asking if anyone is still coming out to listen. "The rule is, if you have a big church you're supposed to not talk about certain things that are controversial [or] divisive," Driscoll is 8 weeks into the 13 week series and so far i have been really hooked in on this one. In the past i have dipped in and out of his sermon series without ever taking in a full set. The entire "Doctrine" sermon series at Mars Hill will be published as part of a book series and small group curriculum will also be developed to accompany the book to help Christians and churches grow in "sound doctrine,"

"Aren't I something! Look at me!"

"we (and I include myself in all of these things) must avoid a triumphalistic attitude. It is good to gather in the name of the Lord Jesus and to give him praise, but as fallen creatures who are imperfectly sanctified it is so easy for our praise of Jesus to morph into praise for our group and then for us to feel superior to others who do not see what we see."

This is a snippet from this article that is well worth a read. The Title "young, restless & reformed" caught my eye even though i struggle with "reformed" as a definition/term for what we are or more importantly, what i am. I guess restless is the word in that phrase that is closest to what i am!!

H/T Simon

Death of an Alpha Leader.........

Last week i got a mention on Hugh Hewitts's blog! In the wake of that and in connection with the ongoing discussion about The Evangelical Manifesto, Randy Elrod wrote a guest post on Hugh's blog. You can read it all here . I have just downloaded the Manifesto and haven't quite read it fully yet but my initial reaction on all of this is to agree with Randy, for the most art anyway. I love this quote:

"Alpha leaders value control, servant leaders value collaboration. Alpha leaders value individualism, servant leaders value community. Alpha leaders value affluence, servant leaders value influence."

There is a lot of discussion around the manifesto right now, as someone rightly pointed out though, the input of Randy and Hugh seemed to be more about the form of the document and not its substance. I guess when i read it i will be better qualified to comment. Is it needed though? Do we need to "affirm our identity" in a document/manifesto? The reputation and standing of many Church Leaders will no doubt be judged on whether they sign something like this or not, is that right?

Hugh Hewitt got me thinking part 2

After the last post i was thinking about this post and the vast diversity that the word 'evangelical' covers. Hugh Hewitt said "don't tell me or imply to the public that you speak for evangelicals" and rightly so. If you say this, then what section of the "evangelical group" do you speak for. Diversity is inevitable in the "church" but sometimes it really gets me uptight when i consider what we have become. The denominations within denominations and the splits and disagreements that have caused a word like 'evangelical' to no longer mean very much are just endless. So, when Rolling Stone Goes Undercover with the Christian Fringe i get upset!! Why? Well in this instance Rolling Stone went to John Hagee's Church! You can read their article here. I suggest reading it for a better explanation of why perhaps Hagee's Church wasn't a great choice, and that way i don't have to give my own opinion and get into trouble. I would hate him to "speak" my blog into obscurity!!
I came across the article on Jollyblogger but there are some other great posts about this here and here. When a journalist decides to do this they never end up at a regular or normal Church do they? Hang on, is that an oxymoron? I guess to the "unbeliever" it is but my point is that so often the reputation of all Christians is based on the extreme teaching or activity of a minority. That extreme may fall under a very large umbrella of "evangelical" practice just because they say "Jesus" or "repent" from time to time but as Hugh points out, you cannot "speak for evangelicals." Maybe you could 30 years ago but not now!

New Banner & Todd Bentley.............

I will keep changing my banner every other day if i do not stop myself! It happens when "we" take photo's, i look at them and think "oh there is a banner in that one." So, i have decided that the one that just appeared will be my summer banner. I placed the words "SUMMER 08" on it to remind me! I mean, you would think i had nothing to do really!! I was listening to MUTEMATH and had been reading their album sleeve notes when i started this banner, can you tell?
Anyway, i had my blog break for various reasons. It is good to switch off sometimes, from email, blog and such "addictions." I came back into the "interweb world" yesterday and as i floated around twitter & facebook i came across a group invite on the latter. It was for "The florida healing revival" group, so obviously not being in Florida i skipped that one! On second glance though i was intrigued by the goings on in Florida and apparently many other U.S. cities. Todd Bentley is quite the character.
Andrew Strom has this to say: “Now, I have come across Todd Bentley’s teachings on “How to visit the Third Heaven” before, and I tell you, it is nothing less than Guided Visualization’ taken straight out of the New Age movement. Nothing less and nothing more. It is exactly the same. And I want you to know that if you attend these kinds of things, or allow these men to ‘guide’ you or lay hands upon you, then you are opening yourself up to all kinds of spirits and demonic counterfeits"
So, im not sure if we have ever had a good "signs & wonders" debate on supersimbo before! Its somewhat ironic that i just finished reading this book, though i will say that i need to read it again and perhaps think more about the truth contained within its pages. After reading it i felt like the "disgruntled" child of a "fundamentalist evangelical" and had an extreme urge to plant a Church in a local pub. I have since calmed down slightly and am only mildly angry with "us Christians" for being such bozo's.

I feel like i will be coming back to this dude in a later post.....................

Pop Goes the Church..........

Ok, so this book hasn't landed in the UK yet but i am looking forward to reading it. On the author's blog i just read some very interesting facts about the book industry. Check that out here. Now, heres the thing, there has been some debate about culture & our role in it floating around the blog world recently. Context, does it matter? Well, read Tall Skinny Kiwi's great post here, it is a series of posts and is quite long, but worth reading. The idea that we should engage culture & embrace contextualization is getting a battering from some right now. I agree with Andrew who said in his post 'I believe that the Apostle Paul listened and conversed and looked for the redemptive analogies that would help him convincingly and prophetically shed light on the good news of Christ.' These Folks do not agree, though they tend to slam everything that exists!

Thoughts?

I'm Fine with God, Its Christians i can't stand.....

"A nationwide survey by the Barna Research Group found that very few adults outside of Christianity have a positive view of Christians. In fact, in comparison with other groups, evangelicals were ranked only slightly more favorably than prostitutes. Bickel and Jantz agree—Christianity has an image problem. They take an unflinching look at the sometimes humorous, but often offensive, behavior of some Christians. With a refreshing call to authentic Christianity, they help believers and non–believers alike get past the peripheral issues so they can communicate openly and honestly about God." (from the publisher). So, I just picked this one up, here's hoping i do not upset anyone with my thoughts on this book! It is a VERY important subject i have to say. The fact that "we" are often regarded as judgmental, hypocritical, irrelevant and obnoxious is not something i like to be reminded of but it is fact and truth is, Christians need to know this and need to think long and hard about it. That includes me, who can be all of the above and more quite often. Stay tuned

What did you say?

Last monday i blogged this post and in all honesty i did what i do with most posts. I do not often get more than one or two comments so i forgot about it to some degree. Then i got a few messages! Eeeek, i have to say after reading it back and in interacting with Ken a little bit i have to admit i may have written it poorly. This is such a difficulty with blogging, you can appear completely different than perhaps you intended. Ken puts it well here. I will hope to ask some questions to Ken in the future and look forward to his responses. You can see how our interaction became amicable here.

Evolution & Creation........

This discussion could prove to be so volatile that the internet may explode from the pressure! With the release of Ben Stein's Movie the debate is about to get some more publicity & media frenzy! Is this a good thing? I am NOT a scientific expert and that is quite the understatement but i often hear the most ridiculous things being said when the creation/evolution debate takes place in the public arena. A couple of weeks ago i heard a very intelligent guy say in his blast at God that he had "no faith whatsoever" which is a ridiculous statement. I do understand the point he was trying to make but perhaps he would have been better staying in his lab instead of being broadcast to the nation. Another comment that someone pointed out out to me was "most scientists are not atheists as they just don't think about God at all." Huh?
There is no argument, there is no discussion, just a lot of big brains and often some crazy quotes! As Donald Miller once said, the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and is now about who is smarter. This post over at The Plow got me thinking about this again. So, lets see what happens, i cannot get too into a discussion about scientific things i am not an expert on but i DO believe that God IS and that he created all that exists. The 'debate' rages on, watch the trailer......

The Full Story........

When i saw this picture it reflected a few conversations i have had recently. It has become obvious that more and more, we need to tell the 'full story.' My dad was telling me about some guys he knew who were setting up a forum/meeting that catered for people who were not aware of the 'full story' of Scripture. I think many of us are starting to realize that we are surrounded by people who do not understand the 'phrases' and 'cliches' that often get lost in our 'evangelism.' As well as this we often assume too much about what people around us already know in relation to creation, fall, redemption & restoration..............



These are only 2 reasons why we need to tell the full story

H/T *The Blogstar

Questioning Spirituality................

A while ago i got this book! I am tempted to stop right there with this post! You can read more of the official info here. Hey, i even exchanged a couple of messages with Phyllis Tickle on Facebook, she wrote the foreword, which on my pre-release copy was missing! I am not sure what else to say, i admit to almost throwing it away a few times, that would have been silly. I will not get into a deep theological criticism of the book. For one, i am not intelligent enough to do so but also i got frustrated and have not yet completed it so it would be unfair to judge the whole book on a partial reading of it. Here's the thing, i got fed up with Questions! Questions, one after the other and very few answers. I am sure there are answers in the book somewhere, i just wasn't seeing them. As some of you who read 'supersimbo' regularly (2 of you) will know i am not exactly John MacArthur but neither am i Brian Mclaren, if you see what i am saying? I don't expect all the answers but id like some and when i read a book by a "senior pastor" it concerns me to find such an abundance of questions and compromising. I will repeat that these thoughts are based on reading just over half the book. I have a friend who was raised in "Church" and at 30 years old is full of doubt, questions and difficulties with God, Faith and his soul. I know the solution to his situation is not more questions, it may not be a "slap in the face" barrage of truth either but again, i hope you see where i am going? Questions CAN be good, they are not always good though, especially if its all we have.
I don't see this as a review of the above book, just an observation or first impression. I will most likely read the rest of it when i am less inclined to burn it or throw it across the room, stay tuned.