Over and over again we are seeing the results of our culture’s rejection of God’s design. Does the Bible show us how to pray and order our choices to undercut the nearly ubiquitous pagan culture?
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Ministry notes
In our last newsletter I traced out the underlying logical relationship of the categories present in nearly every conversation we have with others. Whether we are conscious of these categories or not, they are always involved in our thinking and speaking. Here they are again:
(1) our view of reality (either Nature is all there is; or there is the Creator separate from Nature and Nature is His creation derived from and dependent upon Him);
(2) our authority or method of determining what is true and what is false (either reasoning; or experiencing and observing; or feeling and choosing; or God’s historic revelation in human language; or some combination of these)
(3) our view of what is right (just) and wrong (unjust) (depending upon our authority or method determining what is true or what is false, it can be derived by reasoning from some sort of idea of human nature, or from our experience with social consequences of certain actions, or from the social design of man found in God’s historic revelation with the promise of divine judgment of every person).
The present “woke” culture comes from Marxist thought (Nature is all there is; limited reason and/or social experience) and follows the classic Marxist vision that to transform society all present social traditions—individual responsibility, marriage, family, and civil government—must be destroyed and replaced with ???? Marxism’s view of its future has never been articulated. Thus, everywhere it’s been tried, it ends in destruction and never gets to its utopian vision. Marxism has an unavoidable dead-end eschatology. By contrast, biblical Christianity has a prophesied and partially accomplished eschatology in the historic resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
Our problem is that most people involved in this woke movement are almost entirely obsessed with the top layer in the 4-layer diagram—the social order of political conversation. They respond to anyone questioning their beliefs by trying to shame them into silence with accusations of “racism” or some such slogan. Sadly, increasing numbers of Christian leaders are either so intimidated that they remain silent, or try to incorporate some bits and pieces of cultural Marxism in their teaching. In my church we’ve seen dozens of new believers from such compromised ministries take the painful steps of leaving churches they once loved, supported, and served. Our church has become a spiritual recovery place for them.
We need to do some serious praying for those trapped in this “woke” culture, keep as peaceable as possible relationship with them, and be ready to testify to the biblical view of reality, truth, and justice as a total, integrated life-affirming belief system (1 Pet. 3:15).
Here are some resource materials you may find useful in doing so with my suggestions.
Erwin Lutzer, We Will Not Be Silenced (Eugene Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2020). Lutzer takes nine chapters to survey the present anti-biblical society-wide influences and the strategies behind them. He says, “I write not so much to redeem the culture as to reclaim the church.” Each chapter ends with a focused prayer for us to stand for biblical truth about that chapter’s theme but do so compassionately. After all, the final solution is the gospel of grace and truth together. Framework students need to take the time to consciously link each chapter to one or more framework nodes. For example, after reading chapter 2 (“Rewrite the Past to Control the Future”) think how God gave special revelation at specific times and places with the constant Old Testament admonition to “remember” this history in order to obtain meaning and hope for life under God. However, today’s radicals follow Marxist strategy to suppress American history influenced as it was by biblical truths. Then by rewriting what is taught in school, this influence is erased making special revelation utterly irrelevant to personal and social behavior.
For parents and their students heading off to college a quick source of the latest events of interest to Christian students on university campuses can be found at https://www.campusreform.org/. This site is not specifically Christian, but it is conservative. By definition of the word “conservative”, those of a conservative mindset do share an important parallel to biblical Christianity—the belief that truth is timeless—it doesn’t change.
I have room in this newsletter for only one more resource item. Because our truth authority is God’s historic verbal revelation preserved in the Bible, there is a quick read paperback series written by John Cross entitled No Ordinary Story published by Goodseed in Canada. One can read each of the ten volumes in a week spending only two five-minute sessions per day. Three of the volumes—“No Ordinary Book”, “No Ordinary Verdict”, and “No Ordinary Return”—lay out the three framework nodes—God’s historic revelation, His judgment and grace, and the return of Jesus Christ to culminate history. I think so much of this series that I am giving the three key volumes to each of my granddaughters who are soon heading off to college. If they show me they take the three volume set thoughtfully, I will give them the other seven volumes. You can do the same for family and friends with whom you have developed a respectful relationship.
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Announcements
Bayside Community Church
Guest Speaker May 30, 2021
3333 Bayshore Blvd,
Tampa, FL 33629,
Adult Sunday School 10 AM, Worship Service 11 AM
Prayer Requests
First of all, we’d like to thank our ever gracious heavenly Father for His answers to our petitions in the previous newsletter.
- Charlie has been able to successfully complete his editing work on the 55-lesson Interlocked course (i.e., Framework for Families) developed by a wonderful couple in Singapore. It is targeted for teenagers and is now available online.
- Charlie is nearing the successful completion of the Christian Framework 2 course being taught through Chafer Theological Seminary.
- His continued provision for all that we need both spiritually and bodily.
For continued exposure of the Bible Framework website to the global community.
For guidance and God-honoring presentation of the upcoming “Bible Framework Implications” website.
For continued healing of Charlie’s cardiac condition.
BFM Web (In)Sites
We are reorganizing material on the website so that the Bible Framework itself will be distinctly separate from a new site involving resource materials such as annotated bibliographies, various presentations I have made with my explanation of how the topic relates to the Bible Framework, and exhibits of what some Framework students have done with the Framework approach to encourage others to do likewise. This secondary site will likely be entitled something like “Bible Framework Implications.” Temporarily during this reorganization, the current website will have only the Bible Framework series itself. Other materials that have been on the website are still available through the order form on the Bible Framework Ministries website. We hope to have this secondary site up and functioning by the fourth quarter of this year.
A second option has been added for contributing to BFM. In addition to donating through the popular processor PayPal, we’ve included the Christian-based Cornerstone Payment Systems credit card processor. You do not have to have an account with Cornerstone. You just enter your credit card or e-check information and your donation is securely processed.
Thank you again for those who have contributed to this ministry. Without your support we could not continue this ministry, especially to those in the third world who often are unable to afford the CDs, DVDs, and printed materials.
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