Religious Freedom Under Attack Again

Once again it seems that religious freedom has come under attack.

An Arizona man has been arrested, sentenced to 60 days in jail, and fined $12,180 after a police raid earlier this week for holding a bible study in his home.
Yep, you read that correctly.  He regularly held bible studies in his OWN home and the city thought it would be a good use of the taxpayer's hard earned money to arrest this man.

 John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute believes the family is being discriminated against because of their faith. . . “The thing that I think is so shocking is that you might expect this in Iran or [some place] around the world … but happening in the United States, this is so shocking it’s beyond belief.”  READ MORE>>>>

Of course the city alleges that it was merely a zoning issue and had some safety concerns, "we have concerns about people being able to exit the facility properly in case there is a fire." Better hope the city of Phoenix doesn't hear that you're going to have your daughter's birthday party at your own house this weekend.

A little more information on the situation.

Liberal Churches Have Gone to the Dogs?

What happens when churches embraces a liberal theology? (Liberal theology is a theology which is characterized by "the movement away from traditional orthodoxy often in an attempt to harmonize biblical teachings with science, humanism, or other secular fields." (CARM)

It's a question which many theologians and Christians already know the answer. Once you remove the essential "biblical doctrines such as the Trinity, the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, His resurrection, and salvation by grace" you end up with a church which more closely remembles a Kiwanis club than the body of Christ.

They still have regular meetings; they do good things for their local communities; and often they give their members some sense of a purpose larger than themselves. However, they don't proclaim the bible as being the eternal; transformational; and living word of God. Additionally, they often take the road of compromise on hot topic moral issues such as a abortion; homosexuality; and gender issues (especially in regards to church leadership).

What results is a muddled and confusing view of Christianity and God.

As a result, we should not be surprised by news articles telling us about a church in Los Angeles which has started to offer worship services for dogs in order to boost church attendance.

AP: Gone to the Dogs: LA church starts pet service

I guess when you throw Matthew 28:19 out the window you can justify all manners of things to grow your church attendance.

After all, surely Jesus didn't literally mean that we should go to every tribe, every nation, and to every people group to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to disciple and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit... I'm being facetious if you couldn't read my tone.

Albert Mohler has a good commentary on this trend among liberal churches which I'd recommend you read if you are intrigued.

As for me, I think the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the oldest love story ever written is enough to draw people into the church.

Church Discipline, Is it National News?

The third to last story on the bottom of Matt Drudge's news page contained this story, "Woman Says Church Threatening To Make Sins Public..."

I have to say my gut reaction was, "WHAT?" However, after my gut reaction subsided, I remembered something very important. This isn't news, and it certainly isn't national news. Churches throughout our country (and throughout the world) do this all the time.

Now if you attend a Catholic church or ever have attended a Catholic church, you may cry afowl at this news story.

However, the Protestant church takes a much more literal approach to the idea of church discipline and more closely follows what is written in the Gospel of Mathew regarding discipline.

The controversy erupts because the woman feels that if she leaves the church voluntarily the church will not have to exercise discipline. There is nothing in Mathew 18:15-20 that seems to support that notion.

I don't place any blame on the church after all they're just doing what they always do, protect and grow the Christians that worship and fellowship there.

So let me ask you, is a news story about an unrepentant Christian and the church exercising discipline a news worthy story?

The news story has this to say:

A divorced Jacksonville woman said her former church has threatened to "go public with her sins" and tell the congregation about her sexual relationship with her new boyfriend. . .

"I am a Christian, and that will never change. My relationship with Jesus has to do with me and Jesus, and he knows my heart," Hancock said. . . .

Where do we have a right to not feel ashamed for what we've done? It's even more appropriate in the Church.

I should hope that my church and my family care enough about me that they'll risk making me feel uncomfortable because they feel something in my life needs to be brought out into the light.

Sin, like a wicked fungus, thrives in darkness. Don't believe me? Ask an addict whether having the secret of his addiction helped him get clean or kept him from getting clean.

"The greatest judgment God can give and inflect upon us is for us to have our way (Jer. 17:9-11)"

A good friend of mine always said, Better your sin shame you than damn you.

The point is obvious. It's better that you be ashamed of your sin and change your ways then start down a slippery slope that will wreck havoc on your soul.

Finally, let us remember Rebecca in Jacksonville and pray for God to bring about that sorrow which leads to repentance.