Article by Cameron Spink

It is a curious thing watching the view counter on a youtube video. Only two weeks ago a girl from Sydney posted a video of her performing eyebrow dance. As of today the video has over 22 million views. That's right, since December 29^th the amount of people viewing this thirty-six second video has almost equalled the population of Australia. It is quite obvious, then, that youtube has become an unbelievably powerful platform.

One user, Jeff Bethke, is using this platform to promote his message:

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So far his attempt looks great. It's talking about Jesus and the hit counter is 3 million and climbing. Surely this is encouraging for Christians everywhere. Well, I must confess that I hold some serious reservations about his message. The title of this video is Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus. Jeff is certainly not the first Christian to define his view in this way. David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons attempted a similar sort of thing in their book unChristian. This book was overwhelmingly successful for these two authors but did nothing to promote a biblical Christianity.

This leads me back to the above video. It is hard, in parts, to understand just what Jeff is saying because he groups so much under what he would call unhealthy religiousity. For instance, here is part of the poem he reads:

What if I told you, Jesus came to abolish religion?

What if I told you getting you to vote republican, really wasn't his mission?

Because republican doesn't automatically mean Christian,

And just because you call some people blind, doesn't automatically give you vision.

If religion is so great, why has it started so many wars?

Why does it build huge churches, but fails to feed the poor?

Tells single moms God doesn't love them if they've ever been divorced.

This is only in the initial part of his message but it packs so many ideas into these few lines. Jeff says that Jesus came to abolish religion, yet this needs to be shown from scripture. We do have some comments from Jesus that sound vagualy similar, however:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:17-20 (ESV)

What we get from Jesus comments in His intentions to fulfil the perfect religion. Not a man-made imperfect one. Not a satanic belief but one that brings hope to the world. That is why I'm happy to stand as a Christian in a religious sense. Because I know that Christianity differentiates itself from all other religions because it is the only one pertaining to the truth.

Jeff is correct in stating that "republican doesn't automatically mean Christian". For us here in Australia republican usually equals conservative. In fact, at the moment it looks like the Republican candidate for the White House will be a Mormon and not a Christian. Whilst, on the other side, the Democratic candidate Barack Obama is a professing Christian. It is interesting that, despite my unenthuisiasm regarding Mitt Romney's candidature I believe that Obama has displayed an unwillingness to let the Bible influence any of his decisions while he has been President.

I guess this is the point of difference between me and Jeff. While I am not exclusively conservative in the way I vote I am exclusively biblical. The Bible has a lot to say about governance and to dismiss involvement in politics as a religious thing is a dangerous, and incorrect, presupposition. This may not be what Jeff is intending to say but it seems to be what he is alluding to. From this point Jeff asks the question "[i]f religion is so great, why has it started so many wars?". To my eyes this looks earily similar to the problem posed by atheists to theists. To be sure there have been an uncountable number of wars started regarding religion. I am not going to bother defending any other religion starting a war nor am I even going to defend Christianity because I believe that sometimes there exists such a circumstance where war is justified. When evil is triumphing then the people of God should stand against it. Jeff's tone seems to be suggesting that all wars and all conflict is evil.

Jeff's tact changes from religion in general to the churches professing to be Christian in general. He asks questions like "[w]hy does it build huge churches, but fails to feed the poor?". Importantly, Jeff's "it" must be identified. If he means religion in general then we need not concern ourselves with such a question but if he means the body of believers then we need to ask ourselves what is the mission of the church? Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology (pg 867-8) book outlines four chief purposes:

1. Ministry to God: Worship

2. Ministry to Believers: Nurture

3. Ministry to the World: Evangelism and Mercy

4. Keeping these Purposes in Balance

It is important that we don't overemphasize purposes that are axillary. As specified by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert "[w]e need another speed. We need a speed that's somewhere between of the utmost importance and of no importance. Something like really really important might do the trick" (What Is The Mission Of The Church, pg 230). Without going into detail on this topic, as it demands its own article (or perhaps a book) building huge churches should certainly not be a priority but feeding the poor should not be THE priority. It is important, Churches should participate in it and Christians should help out. But it is not the essence of the Gospel. It is not THE mission of the Church.

In the middle of his poem Jeff Bethke challenges those who profess to be Christian. He says:

"Now I ain't judging I'm just saying be careful of putting on a fake look,

Because there's a problem if people only know that you're a Christian by that little section on your facebook..." and so forth.

This is exactly right. As the great Charles Spurgeon said:

"Well then, our great Master gives us, next, the glory of His own mission. "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world" (John 17:18). It is the glory of Jesus that He is the Messiah, the sent one, and now He sends all His servants to be messiahs or missionaries to mankind! Christ Jesus was sent to reveal the Father, sent to reclaim the wandering souls of men, sent to seek and to save the lost. And this is exactly what every true Christian is sent into the world to do. He is commissioned to reveal God in his every act and word. He is commissioned to win back rebellious hearts. He is commissioned to save the sons of men and bring them up out of the horrible pit into which their sins have cast them."

The Essential Works Of Charles Spurgeon, pg 660

As Christians we are not just given a badge, we are given a mission, a commission. It goes beyond Facebook, a fish sticker on our back windscreen and the cross around our neck. It is meant to permeate every part of our life. Jeff gets this part right, which is surprising because he then compares "following some rules" to slavery. It should be said that rules are not the essence of salvation. However, they do display the fruits of our faith. As Paul states:

"For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:20-23 (ESV)

Part of following Christ is behaviour modification. It is not the core of faith, but it cannot be dissociated with faith. Jeff tends to lump behaviour modification in with religion, but we must remember it is a key part of Christianity, as well. We are told to:

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."

Colossians 3:5-10 (ESV)

This is positive behaviour modification that is the result of being free from sin and slaves to righteousness. This does not require us to be legalistic but we are to continue to renew ourselves in the knewledge of the image of our creator. That is, strive towards righteousness, desiring to glorify God. In this context we are to be slaves, yet we should delight in this.

In many ways Jeff Bethke is doing a great service to those who see his message. Though it is unlikely that there will be many who come to Christ on his message alone, God has worked through much stranger situations. It is worth noting that our interactions with the unsaved do not happen in vaccuums. Many times we will never see the result of a discussion we've had, or a coffee we've shared. Yet, we must remain convicted to "shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15) with the knowledge that we are commissed by our Lord to act on His behalf. Therefore, internet videos and articles are great, but no substitute for personal discussions amongst friends.

Much of what I've mentioned in this article may be echoing Jeff's sentiments, however, I found that his youtube clip was too ambiguous, in parts, to be left as a standalone video. My criticisms do not stop me commending what he is doing, though I feel that defining Christianity as something other than a religion is disengenious and of no great importance. After all, the professing Christian is still left in the same position they were before this clarification. That is, demonstrating how Christ is the only path to salvation by living in a constant relationship with Him. To be honest, I don't really care if you call that religious or not.

Our first young adult resource video on William Lane Craig's Hard Questions, Real Answers.

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It seems a regular occurrence for a movie to bash or belittle Christianity. However, a new movie slated to come out, called Blue Like Jazz, may just buck this trend. This movie is based on the book, written by Don Miller, about how he was brought back to God while in confronting University life. While I am unsure as to what slant Don Miller's book takes I am cautiously optimistic that this will be a movie worth seeing.

Here is the trailer:

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Article by Cameron Spink

It is a regular occurrence that we, the Spink family, gather around the television on Christmas Eve and watch the Melbourne Carols. This years festivities had me contemplating about carols and what importance we must place upon them. Songs are an integral part of worshipping. As the psalmist utters:

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!"

Psalm 95:1-2 (ESV)

God is pleased with music that glorifies Him. The Psalms are full of adoring music to our creator and saviour. Many of the carols that are sung are, indeed, reflecting and discussing the absolute power and majesty of our King. Yet, I can't help feeling that there are many singers who perform items at carols all over the world who do not bend the knee to the God they sing about. This is perhaps ironic that God may, indeed, work through the non-believer to touch another.

My favourite carol is O Holy Night. This was written in 1847 and, as Wikipedia states was composed to the French poem Minuit, chrétiens. The direct translation of this poem is particularly powerful. Here is the full version:

Of course what is now sung is typically very different from this translation. Usually this song is performed by the strongest female vocal singer. Mariah Carey and Celine Dion are only two of the many artists to have bent their vocals to the skies as they battled the high notes in this song. One of the most impressive covers of this song was child prodigy Rhema Marvanne who recorded her version at the mere age of seven:

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It is hard to gauge how many people actually think about the words they are singing. There are many who would not wish to have any association with our God yet still choose to glorify Him in the carols they sing. Rhema Marvanne, in her capacity at her age, is an avid follower of Christ. Her website www.rhemamarvanne.com quotes Jeremiah 29:11 at the top of her page. Rhema is only nine now so her faith will mature and grow through the years. No doubt, as a celebrity, she will face trials and she may waver in her understanding of biblical truths (like so many others do) but at the moment she has a unique perception of the love of God. It is of this love that she sings about.

The faith of a child is something to be envied. It is a pure form which is dimmed over the years by a destructive society. Jesus calls us to "receive the kingdom of God like a child" (Luke 18:17). As we grow we tend to develop into unhealthy skeptics who believe that our way is better than God's. We are fed this lie in University, in advertisements and, likely, in our work place. This is profoundly similar to the original sin that transpired when Adam and Eve bought into the lies of the serpent. Because of our disobedience we deserve the wrath of God but through Jesus we have the opportunity to be redeemed and delivered.

It is this theme that the original poem of O Holy Night immerses itself in. Listening to this song while disregarding the implications is to be wilfully ignorant to the immersive power of our creator. I am a fond listener to a great variety of music and it is the story behind a song that gives a song intensity beyond the instruments and vocals. The form of O Holy Night that is present today was developed by John Sullivan Dwight as a singing alternative and isn't it majestic? It has a musical climax to rival all other songs in history but it has a truth that is still present about the night when hope came to this world.

It was 1800 years after the historical life of Christ that the poem Minuit, chrétiens was penned. It seems ridiculous to look at the history of civilisation and the amount of events that have occurred and see Christ as the enduring influence. One man spoken of, sung about through the ages. Yet, should we expect any less? Isaiah discusses the coming of Christ over eight centuries before God entered the world in human flesh. Isaiah 53 proclaims the arrival of the one who will "bear our griefs" (Isaiah 53:4) and be "wounded for our transgressions" (Isaiah 53:5).

This brings me great joy. From the start of creation to this very day humanity sings to a magnificent creator. As He remains in our songs so does He in every facet of our world. This is part of the good news. It is part of having faith like a child to know that we are not alone. We have an ever-present and always powerful God. As we have citizenship in salvation it is our task to make our words and actions an"ardent light" that points to our redeemer. Where once we were chained by our own way our eyes have been opened to the understanding that our earth is free. We no longer have to be slaves, we can be released from captivity. Such a reality deserves the greatest of songs and the deepest reflection. As the new year is peaking over the horizon I encourage my readers to dwell upon the knowledge that "[f]or all of us He is born, He suffers and dies". Such an act has brought hope to the entire world!

Article by Cameron Spink

Tactics is a book that brings apologetics back to its practical roots. While Greg Koukl channels the late Francis Schaeffer he presents the process of discussing our Christian convictions in an easy-to-understand formula.

The essence of Koukl's formula is the Columbo tactic. This allows someone to direct a conversation to the core of another's worldview in a gentle manner, without having to do any work. This is accomplished in three simple steps. First, we should gather information (i.e. "what do you mean by that?"). Second, we need to understand what evidence supports such a supposition (i.e. "how did you come to that conclusion?"). Finally, there may be a weakness or flaw to someone's philosophy that allows us to show them an inconsistency in their worldview.

This is a rudimentary comprehension of the Columbo tactic and a thorough reading of Koukl's book will bring significant enlightenment as to the particulars and snares that are involved in this tactic. It is also worth noting that to have any sort of impact with this tactic step 3 needs to be researched in advance. Sometimes it is a simple as picking out a fallacy in another person's logic but other times it requires an in-depth understanding of certain topics (like abortion, relativism, the historical accuracy of the Bible, evolution, homosexuality etc).

At times this book may seem to be stating commonsense. However, this provides us with a great place to start. Too many Christian young adults are blown away by seemingly superior arguments for secular humanism when they walk through the doors of university. Koukl shows us that we do not have to accept fronts on Christianity without responding. He even demonstrates how to represent in a disarming way.

Koukl constructs situations that he has been presented with through his evangelising and some of the pitfalls that we need to be wary of. These include professor's who will try and give you the burden to prove the validity of your faith; strong-willed individuals who will try and steamroll you; academics who will speak over you and even the Columbo tactic being utilised against you. Through understanding and practice we can avoid being trapped by those who are unwilling to budge from their fallacious worldviews.

This book is the beginning of the discussion, not the end. It encourages the reader to take an active involvement in the defence of Christianity and the enlightenment from naive thinking. One cannot walk away from this book feeling like they have all the answers. Koukl leaves it up to us to respond and to delve into the issues that face Christianity in our world today.

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Koukl's website - www.str.org

So, this trailer just appeared on the internet for a potential movie called The Waiting Game. It's basically a Christian version of movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin. This may sound corny but it actually doesn't look too bad:

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