Must The Sun Set On The West?

Vishal Mangalwadi has recently written a book entitled, The Book That Made Your World, published by Thomas Nelson. It is the result of years of research and public lectures relating the influence of the Bible on Western culture. It’s a fascinating read. As a result of his study, he has formed an organization to encourage a movement toward a return to valuing biblical revelation. I republish here an introduction he wrote for his website: http://www.revelationmovement.com, that gives background to why he has decided to champion this cause. One thing for certain, Vishal Mangalwadi is a very provocative writer and speaker. What is your response to his question, “Must The Sun Set On The West?

Why the Revelation Movement, Now!

America became the world’s beacon of liberty because its founders made Truth their ultimate authority.

In the original draft of the Declaration of Independence (1776), Thomas Jefferson wrote,

“We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these ends, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

Jefferson’s words reflected America’s the then intellectual consensus that the Bible’s account of creation implied equal dignity and rights for every human being. That consensus began to be forged by evangelist George Whitefield. He was the revered revivalist who began preaching to the “Negroes.” In 1740, he began writing to explain why the Bible makes “Negroes” as precious to the Savior as any white person.

Establishing human equality as a fundamental dogma of its creed enabled America to honor in principle, though not always in practice, the dignity of every human being made in God’s own “likeness.” The Declaration became a covenant that the marginalized would not be trampled by the mighty. Yet, the seed of America’s current intellectual and moral decline was also planted during the editing of the Declaration.

Under pressure from a few skeptics, Jefferson’s word “sacred” (i.e. revealed in Holy Scriptures) was changed to “self-evident,” as though the great liberating ideas of human dignity, equality, and rights were not revealed by God but derived by man’s “Common Sense.”

“Common Sense,” was an epistemological myth invented by a Christian philosopher in Scotland, Thomas Reid, and popularized in America by Thomas Paine. Gradually, the myth led to the secular hubris that man could know Truth without revelation and, therefore, what was not discovered by human reason could not be true. Despite such philosophical arrogance, American presidents and British monarchs placed a hand on the Bible to take their oaths of office because Western civilization continued to derive its core assumptions and values from God’s revelation. For decades the West has lived on leftovers. Now even those morsels are hard to find, and an intellectual-moral famine is setting in. The whole world (except the West’s elite) can see that the king has no clothes on.

Now, however, the West has amputated its soul, including the revealed Truth that man is created with the unique dignity of being in God’s likeness. The move from creation to evolution, for example, has destroyed any rational basis to affirm that man is qualitatively different from animals – that every person is endowed by rights that are not social constructs but “inherent and inalienable.”

Without Truth, there are now no grounds for sustaining even the idea of liberty. Without Revelation, America has nothing to keep the government as an instrument of justice. There are sound reasons to fear that the voice of the people will increasingly become the voice of the devil and the government’s forces will become oppressive mercenaries of human greed. It is no longer hypothetical to ask: “Would America, the most Protestant nation in the world, become a terror to the world the way Germany, the first Protestant nation, was in the 20th century?”

As the world’s sole superpower bankrupts itself and deprives its people of the very truths and virtues which made it successful and strong, the world has good reason to panic.  As the US, the former champion of hope, becomes hopeless itself, the Revelation Movement seeks to renew the soul of western civilization. Our vision goes beyond the USA to bring the healing power of Truth to the nations that have never known the secret of building a great nation on the foundation of real truth.

– Vishal Mangalwadi

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Unless A Seed Dies: Ideas That Transform

Unless a seed ceases to be a seed, it cannot sprout. But if it sprouts, it has a capacity to become more seeds than anyone can count. If you plant the seed of an idea, and the conditions are right, humble though its beginnings are, one idea will lead to many.

Plants seeds then. Nothing in life has more potential to transform this world than a good idea.

Had any good ideas lately? What are the ideas that have transformed your life?

Rich Leaders in an Age of Starvation

Something I find ironic in an age of biblical impoverishment in America, is how financially well off some religious leaders are by contrast. Why are so many church members starving spiritually while a small number of church leaders get wealthy?

It rings of corrupted moral character when those who are given charge over men’s souls are themselves controlled by avarice.

How does this happen? And why is this not discussed more?

Is this one of the elephants in the room we care to ignore?

Many of these financially obese ministers have created a system that functions without any checks or balances. Little to no accountability is the norm. That should be the first big red flag to arrest attention.

Religious associations are built primarily on trust. Once trust is established, it’s easy to let your guard down. Vulnerability is part of being authentic. Openness is normative in church settings. Honesty allows personal growth to occur. But vulnerability can also be a point of entry for exploitation. Shady characters can manipulate at ease. Trusting individuals never expect to be fondled for personal gain.

Breaching this subject will bring obvious objections. Some will say that this is not very prevalent, so why mention it? Others may say that these leaders are worth every penny they receive, so why make a fuss about it?

Well, there is something in human nature that senses injustice.

Historically, pastors and priests have renounced worldly pleasures in favor of ministering to the spiritual well-being of their churches and parishes. They spent their time visiting each member where they lived and worked. They taught and prayed, and worked and played, alongside the families they served. They were the “gatekeepers” of biblical knowledge, and the model of Christian charity. Haven’t we lost that image in our day?

Too many ministers today are more concerned with their own images and well-being than the spiritual health of their congregations. What is the consequence of that? Spiritual starvation and mass disillusionment!

There are many reasons the American Church is in decline but one glaring misfortune in our day is the blind indifference contributing to the “robbing of the temples” going on behind closed doors. Disillusionment has set in, and a great falling away is the result.

Does this disturb you as it does me?

Wouldn’t you rather have, Poor Leaders in an Age of Spiritual Plenty than the other way around?

A very hopeful reality is that when people are impoverished, and they realize that their moral choices did not contribute to their poverty, they seek ways to alleviate their hunger by confronting the injustices that formed the exploitive system they live under. This not only frees them from calloused manipulation but sets future members free from suffering the same hardships.

It may be a real irony in our day but I believe a Spirit-filled Church will not tolerate it once they see it.

What do you think?

The Haman Complex: How To Betray Oneself (3)

I am continuing to pour over the ancient story of Esther in the Bible. This morning, I reread Haman’s “bad day”. (Esther 6-7)  Arrogant deceitfulness eventually has its day in court. To think that in the span of just a few hours, what was built to execute a fine man, was the means for divine judgement on a pompous, self-absorbed fool.

Many suffer injustices all over the world. It seems there is no end to their pain and misery. We often ask why this is. The truth is, the suffering does not go unnoticed. There is Divine justice in the heavens, and the One who sees all, will come to the aid of the oppressed.

The Jews faced annihilation by a conniving social climber. There were only two voices that could spare them, and they were providentially positioned in the King’s court. It is often difficult to see how the events of life are arranged by the Unseen Hand of God to bring the greatest amount of blessing to a particular region of the world, in a particular time and place. Esther and Mordecai display the risky faith needed to speak when the time is right, and trust the One who promised to bless them and use them to be a blessing to others.

Haman hung from a tree in his own backyard, in full view of his family and countrymen. Even the King was not fully aware of the significance of the event. One thing surely remains for history to trumpet loud and clear. The oppressed are seen, heard, and eventually rescued by Divine Compassion. Only the blind miss it.

Questions: Do you hurt for the oppressed? Have you ever wondered why some people’s suffering goes on for so long? Does the story of Esther renew your faith in the Unseen Hand of Divine Compassion?

The Haman Complex: How To Betray Oneself (2)

” The light and careless way in which Ahasuerus handed away to Haman the lives of tens of thousands of his industrious and useful subjects is deservedly branded as ” perhaps the most shocking example of oriental despotism on record.” It ranks with the recent callous announcement of Nazi Hitler, that he was prepared to sacrifice the lives of a million Germans to invade England. Conscience and common sense alike protest the wrongness of such power being in the hands of any one man. A really sound and good man will refuse to bear such a responsibility singly. A bad man can only abuse it. Democracy may be beset with many complex difficulties, but it is immeasurably preferable to despotism or dictatorship.”

This is a quote from J. Sidlow  Baxter in reference to the book of Esther in Explore The Book, page 271.

Question: Have you ever face despotism in your life? What have you learned to avoid being controlled by it?

Walking Worthy: Finding Balance in an Imbalanced World

This is the first in a series entitled, SEVEN: A Guidebook Toward Intentional Living. Each entry corresponds to the seven days of the week. Our motto at SEVEN is Everyday in Everything. We hope to make everyday an intentional effort at enriching the community space we are called to. We believe it takes more than just being intentional. It also involves being empowered to live faithfully by the life-giving God of the universe. We’re not experts at this but we do desire to experience it by daily and weekly adventures in faith.  

A Guiding Thought:

“In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do…I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.” Ephesians 4:1-3 The Message Bible

An Historical Link:

The English Puritans, though grossly maligned and character assassinated in their day and in our modern times, were on the whole, a people who sought to walk worthy before God, and before men. In an audio series by Dr. J. I. Packer on the subject of the History and Theology of the Puritans (https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/history-theology-puritans/id378878741), Packer gives a sound historical study of the ways these Christian travelers worked out their faith on a daily basis. It is always easier in life if we have an example to follow, or a mentor to learn from. The Puritans were good examples in their time, and history, told truthfully, has established them as good examples for ours as well.

An Adventure in Faith:

Walking worthy involves honest soul talk. In the book of Ephesians, the first three chapters set forth the Call to walk with Jesus based on his spiritual triumph over the tyranny of sin. The last three chapters set forth the Commission to “walk worthy” in all we do as faithful followers of Christ. The writer points to the balance a believer has in thinking clearly about his position in Christ, and how he conducts his daily life as a result.

I want this year’s theme for my life to be “walking worthy”. I began the new year by giving intentional focus to the comprehensive teaching found in the book of Ephesians. I bought a new Bible in the English Standard Version to gain a fresh perspective of the text. I committed to a slow and careful reading through the five book series that Eugene Peterson has written beginning with Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places (http://www.amazon.com/Christ-Plays-Ten-Thousand-Places/dp/0802828752). And I am going to blog my growth on this under the title SEVEN: A Guidebook Toward Intentional Living.

Adventures often involve an element of surprise, and a venture into the unknown. It takes some risk to start. Where there is no challenge, there is seldom any personal growth. I don’t want to be strolling down some path that leads to nowhere. I’m willing to take a step, and even a leap if it means finding the road God has called me to walk on. And if that road is difficult, then I’ll try to remind myself to enjoy the beauty along the way.

A Question:

Are you beginning a new adventure in life? What caused you to look into the unknown and begin walking?