How Important Is Accuracy to You? What Are Your Priorities in Life?

We wouldn't use a mechanic who did “mostly good” work but made a few small errors that could cause dangerous collisions “down the road.” We care about our car, our safety, and the safety of others. 

And we wouldn't recommend a surgeon, dentist, or plumber who did “mostly good” work.

The gospel is even more important. So we shouldn't be satisfied with presentations that are “mostly good.” Small errors can lead to dangerous collisions between truth and deception “down the road.”  

The Chosen is “mostly good,” but some things in it collide with truth. If you choose to watch it, use discernment, and be willing to address the errors because some are significant.

 

For example: Christ's “I Am” statements are extremely important elements of Christ's character. No one has a right or a reason to make up new ones. But The Chosen not only created a new one, it created one that contradicts Scripture. 

The Chosen Jesus proclaims, “I am the law of Moses,” even though the law was our “guardian until Christ came” (Galatians 3:23-24), “powerless” to save us (Romans 8:1-4), and “the ministry that brought death” (2 Corinthians 3:7-11). 

 

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

 

If millions of people benefit from The Chosen, should we overlook this and other errors it contains that confuse and contradict Scripture? Do we care more about our car than our faith?

If the majority of Christians explained the good things in The Chosen and referenced the errors, I wouldn't be as concerned. But most Christians are ignoring or defending these errors.

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If you are a Chosen fan, I hope you'll take the time to read through these notes and check out the resources below.

No matter how much good comes from something, it doesn't justify scriptural contradictions. If we're not offended by someone putting words in our Savior's mouth that contradict or confuse the truths of Scripture, we need to pray for the right attitude toward God's Word. 

See People Aren't Saved by Making the Gospel Popular.

I'm also deeply concerned when I hear Christians defining their faith by things in The Chosen that are not from Scripture. For example, there are popular Bible studies and study guides based on the script, not Scripture. And The Chosen has produced more hype for things Christ didn't say—such as “Get used to different”—than for the actual statements of Christ.

Christians trust Dallas Jenkins to give them an accurate view of Christ even though Jenkins has publicly stated that his practicing Mormon friends worship the same Jesus he worships. It takes very little research to understand that the Mormon Jesus and the Mormon gospel are extremely different from the real Jesus and the real gospel. In order to worship the true Jesus, Jenkin's Mormon friends must reject Mormonism and its heretical beliefs. They cannot be combined with genuine biblical faith. Despite the fact that Jenkins is encouraging Mormons that they are saved and that he is voluntarily defending the display of gay emblems by his employees on set, millions of Christians are trusting him to accurately share the gospel with the world. And they are more likely to defend Jenkins than to defend the gospel.

I may not agree with the presentation of Matthew as having OCD or Mary Magdalene as being an alcoholic, but those are not the things that deeply concern me. I'm talking about things in the script that directly contradict God's Word. 

I believe things like The Shack, Jesus Calling, and The Chosen test our attitude toward God's Word. They define what matters to us most—popular, attractive, flawed presentations of the gospel, or biblical accuracy. 

Many Christians don't have the knowledge to see the errors in these popular books and movies, and those of us who know God's Word have a responsibility to point them out. We will be criticized for doing this, but our loyalty to God's Word should be stronger than our loyalty to a popular miniseries. And we need to pray that those who claim to be saved by watching the miniseries are saved to the true Jesus, not The Chosen Jesus. And we need to pray that they pattern their lives on the true words of Christ, not the scripted words in The Chosen.

See 4 Bad Excuses for Accepting Books and Entertainment that Distort the Gospel. 

Resources

Examining The Shack—A Collection of Helpful Articles

This collection addresses specific statements in the book which deny the biblical understanding of God, sin, and forgiveness. It also includes articles about the author of The Shack's theology book that he published which confirm his heretical beliefs. In addition, it shares concerns from well-known Bible teachers. 

Are You Willing to Address Scriptural Contradictions in The Chosen?

This collection contains an article with more scriptural proof that “the law of Moses” is not a fitting name for Christ. It also contains articles on The Chosen's misrepresentation of John the Baptist, Dallas Jenkin's view of Mormonism, Jenkin's protection of a gay flag on his set, and Jenkin's contradictory statements.

See also Please Examine the Claim of the Jesus Calling Author 

and/or Jesus Calling: Are Sarah Young's Claims Biblical?  

Bible Love Notes

An Army Wife's View of Submission

After more than fifty years of marriage, I'm so grateful for the wisdom and protection submission provides (Ephesians 5:22-24; Colossians 3:18-19). I'd like to share my perspective on submission using a military analogy. 

My husband was a career soldier. Drafted in 1972, he became an officer in 1974 and served twenty-two years. 

In the military, there's a parallel ranking system: commissioned and enlisted/non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The lowest commissioned officer outranks the highest NCO. 

When my husband was a captain, having only four years' experience as an officer, he became a company commander in charge of one hundred men. 

The highest-ranking NCO in his company was his first sergeant, a twenty-year veteran soldier who was smart, experienced, and effective. But he worked for my husband. He had to obey my husband’s commands. 

Because my husband was a good officer, he valued his first sergeant's experience and advice. But, in the end, my husband made the decisions and took responsibility for the results. 

My husband was no more valuable to his company than his first sergeant, but he was in charge. 

I've always thought this military relationship, while not an exact fit, was a good analogy for submission in marriage. A good husband trusts his wife’s advice and involves her in decision-making. She has experience and perspective that he lacks, but she submits to his decisions. 

Submission isn’t about value or importance. It’s about order. 

None of us carry it off perfectly. But the more loving our relationship, the better it works.

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Note: I realize that some of my readers are single and this devotion may not seem particularly relevant, but I hope it gives you a better understanding of how God's design brings order and blessing to our lives.

Helpful Resources for Understanding Submission

⮞Biblical Submission, a Collection of Helpful Devotions  

⮞Scriptures about submission:

"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:22-24

"Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." Colossians 3:18-19

💙 Be sure to check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It's discounted on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD. 

You can also sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes one-minute devotions HERE.

Bible Love Notes

People Aren't Saved by Making the Gospel "Popular"

The Bible is God's message to mankind. It’s divinely inspired (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Peter 3:15-16).

We must never accept anything that alters, redefines, or misapplies God’s Word. 

God's Word is perfect. But that doesn’t mean it’s popular. It always has been and always will be rejected by the majority. 

Yes, large crowds followed Jesus on earth. But He explained that most of them did so for selfish reasons, and, in the end, most people rejected Him—not just Pharisees (John 6; John 7:1-5; John 15:18-21). 

When we know Jesus, we can't help but love Him wholeheartedly, but it should never be our goal to make Him popular with culture. Instead, we must present His character and His gospel accurately, carefully, fully, and without altering it in any way. 

Anyone who changes the slightest truth in God’s Word does so in disobedient pride. We should judge every teacher, preacher, book, and gospel presentation according to biblical accuracy, not popularity. In fact, popularity is sometimes a sign of error.

Ponder the passages below.

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See 10 Facts about False Teachers.

False teachers have always attempted to make the gospel attractive to the world:  

"For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

We shouldn't be surprised that people are attracted to slightly altered gospel presentations, especially when those presentations present a false Christ who affirms people instead of calling them to repentance:

"For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." 2 Timothy 4:3

No Bible teaching should add beliefs to God's Word or deny beliefs in God's Word. The book of Revelation ends with a strong warning not to add to or subtract from the prophecies presented in Revelation, and while this command specifically addresses Revelation, it's a principle that applies to all things in God's divine Word (Revelation 22:18-19).

Bible Love Notes

Bent Out of Shape

All of us face injustice and mistreatment during our lives, in small ways and sometimes in large ways. As a Christian I understand how God uses these things to strengthen and mature us. But I can still get “bent out of shape” when someone mistreats me.

When this happens, I know that my only hope for getting “unbent” is to meditate on the attitude of Christ.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who being in very nature God…made himself nothing…humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8

• Being pure goodness, Jesus was called the Devil (Mark 3:20-22).
• Being pure love, He was hated (John 15:18).
• Being God, He became our servant (Philippians 2:5-8).
• Being blameless, He took our blame (Romans 5:9).
• Being sinless, He died for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).

These things are far beyond any mistreatment any human being has ever suffered. And Christ suffered them completely for our benefit. 

When I get bent out of shape, it helps me to remember what Christ has done (Hebrews 12:1-3). It doesn't make it easy, but it helps me “bend” my thinking back in the right direction. 

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

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See 5 Things To Do When Someone Mistreats You and Don't Pull the Victim Card—It'll Ruin Your Life.

I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. And find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon. In addition, you can buy the book in Kindle format on Amazon and as an ebook on other sites.

 

I also encourage you to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet. Find out more HERE.

Bible Love Notes

Beware When Someone Claims Scripture Has Been Misunderstood for Centuries

If someone tells you a Scripture has been misunderstood for thousands of years, that's a clear indication they are promoting a false teaching.  

This is a major tactic for justifying cultural sins that are clearly condemned in Scripture. 

But even if we don't fall for this tactic which discredits Bible scholars throughout history, we'll still be pressured by other false teachings to reject the biblical attitude toward sin. 

Instead of seeing sinners as people choosing to do something against God's loving commands, we'll be told they're victims who shouldn't be confronted with their sins.

There’s nothing wrong with updated views on things like technology, fashion, weather, and industry. But God's Word is unchanging.

Just because culture approves of certain sins doesn't mean God does. We must never forget that sin damages people's souls, and we have a responsibility to share God's warnings because they are an unchanging element of His unchanging love.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35  

“All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” Psalm 119:160  

“Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” Psalm 119:89 

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” Isaiah 40:8 

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Learn how to respond to this tactic in regard to false teachings about LGBTQ lifestyles: Responding to Gay Revisionist Theology.

Another false teaching, the Hebrew Roots Movement, claims that Christians have misinterpreted passages that tell us we are no longer under Old Testament laws. See All or Nothing: Hebrew Roots Movement.

See also Was Submission Paul's Idea which explains how some people discredit thousands of years of Bible truths by claiming the human authors were culturally inspired, not divinely inspired.

Bible Love Notes

Shining With the Light of Christ

Bible Love Notes recently started posting a collection of devotions one Saturday a month. Each collection has a theme, and today's collection addresses shining the light of Christ. You can use these devotions for family or small group study or for personal encouragement.

 

Scripture tells Christians to let our light shine...the light of Christ within us. These one-minute devotions will inspire you with various truths about shining!

 

 

How Can You Shine Today?

Riding a tram in a busy city, I was struck by the lost and unhappy people all around me. I asked a question all of us should be asking. 

 

Would You Be Singing In Prison After a Beating? 

If you want to be inspired by some wonderful saints who loved God passionately, read this devotion!

 

7 Ways to Shine 

This 1-minute devotion explains 7 Ways to Shine for Christ. Are you shining in the darkness, dear Christian?

 

This Little Light of Mine 

Don’t underestimate the power message in this children’s song. Sing it, ponder it, and enjoy it!

 

Rise and Shine: 6 Ways to Start Your Day with Jesus 

Why not focus on Jesus as soon as you wake up. This 1-minute devotion offers 6 ideas for waking up in a "Jesus mood." 

 

Are You Like a Dusty Mirror? 

God has no favorites, but He reveals Himself to some people and not others. This 1-minute devotion explains why.

 

Whiners and Shiners We all have a choice when we face difficulties. Do you know what Ephesians 5:8 says about people with genuine faith?

 

Shining in the Darkness 

Many passages talk about God’s light shining on us. This 1-minute devotion addresses an important result in the lives of Christians.

 

Jesus Isn't Looking for Silent Partners

If we think we can be "Silent Partners" when it comes to our faith, we're mistaken. This devotion offers wisdom. 

Good Listeners Shine

This is an area where many Christians selfishly ignore a Biblical command that would make them "shine" with their friends. 

 

 

Wholesome Speech: Shining Like Stars in our Fallen Culture

Christ gave us a strong warning about our words which we must not forget. This 1-minute devotion explains. If you have time, this devotion also has a Bite Size Bible Study called Does Your Speech Reflect the Light of Christ?

 

The Light Makes Everyone Happy, Right? Wrong! 

When we live for Christ "Shining our Light" we must expect two reactions, one more often than the other.

💙Be sure to check out The Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It's discounted on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD. 

And you can also sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes 1-minute devotions HERE.

 

 

 

Some Sobering Thoughts for Mother's Day

For fifty years self-esteem philosophy has been promoting inflated self-images, telling us that we should believe we're awesome.

Then Boundaries came along in the ’90s, persuading us to exaggerate our problems, honor ourselves, and self-righteously cut off parents who don't live up to our expectations. 

These philosophies are part of Satan's plans to steal, kill, and destroy, depriving both parents and adult children of huge blessings (John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:2-3). 

Satan is our full-time accuser (Revelation 12:10), and he loves inspiring us to accuse and judge those whom God tells us to honor. He enjoys the deep pain caused by family betrayal. 

Godly Jeremiah suffered from his family's mistreatment (Jeremiah 12:6), and Jesus warns us that family betrayal is often a part of our faith walk (Luke 21).

God is being mocked like never before in our modern culture, and 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and Romans 1:18-32 tell us that one symptom of a godless society is disrespect for parents. (See note at bottom.) 

Let's reject Satan's lies and consider new ways we can honor our parents. 

And if you are a parent suffering from unjust accusations, betrayal, and rejection, remember that God is your judge, not your children. Don't accept false guilt. Find your comfort in the Lord (Hebrews 12:1-3; Psalms 147:3).

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For more on this subject, see Why 25% of Parents and Adult Children Are Estranged, and the Honoring Parents Collection. I especially recommend Underestimated Command and 3 Aspects of Honoring Parents.

Note: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and Romans 1:18-32 use the wording “disobedient to parents” when describing people who are ungodly. For adults, this refers to disobedience to God's command to honor parents. The Greek word apeithés translated as disobedient means “unbelieving, disobedient, who will not be persuaded.” When cultures decline, many people lose their natural affection for their parents, showing ingratitude and harsh judgment instead of grace and honor. 

“Disobedient to parents - This expresses the idea that they did not show to parents that honor, respect, and attention which was due. This has been a crime of paganism in every age.” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)

To better understand how this plays out in our adult lives, see Respectfully Saying No to Authority. 

Bible Love Notes

Short and Memorable—the Life of Blaise Pascal

"I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter." ~ Blaise Pascal, 1657

I love this Pascal quote because I write one-minute devotions. And my writer friends and I agree that it often takes more time to write something short and meaningful than to write something long and meaningful.

Pascal was a 17th-century genius who loved Jesus and encouraged other intellectuals to seek Jesus with their hearts, not simply their minds. 

He's most well-known for "Pascal's Wager": If the gospel is true and you accept Christ, you have everything to win. If it's not true, you've lost nothing. 

This wager isn't completely true because a person must sincerely seek God to find Him (Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7). But most of what Pascal wrote was biblically sound, emphasizing salvation by grace, not human merit.

He was a man who fully used his God-given skills, writing about theology, science, and mathematics, and inventing the calculator, syringe, hydraulic lift, and wristwatch. 
 

Before his death at age thirty-nine, he experienced enormous health, financial, and spiritual challenges, but he didn't let them stop him from impacting his world for the Lord.

God had purposes for Pascal's life, and Pascal made the most of the skills and opportunities God gave him (Ephesians 2:10). God has purposes for our lives as well. We may not be famous theologians or scientists, but let's do our best to fulfill God's purposes (Ephesians 5:15-16)!

Well, I could write more, but I've taken time to make this short. 😊

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I encourage you to read Great Creation Scientists. For more encouragement about God's purposes for your life, see Andrew—A Behind-the-Scenes Christian and Slip On Your Own Shoes.

Additional sources from Got Questions: Impact of Blaise Pascal and What is Pascal's Wager?  

Image: Public domain

Check out the Wisdom for Life devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. Find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon.

 

If you want to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet, you can find out more HERE.

Bible Love Notes

Something You Might Not Recognize as Pagan

Syncretism in the Modern Church explains how paganism is damaging modern culture. And today's devotion discusses one of the most evil pagan practices.

“In Pagan Rome, abortion was commonplace, performed by a variety of surgical and medicinal methods and taken for granted by philosophers.… The standard archaic Pagan position on the value of the lives of infants is reemerging today.”  (The Pagan Roots of Abortion Extremism)

With rallying cries like “my body, my choice,” politicians claim killing babies is a woman's right. But it's not the woman's brain that is crushed or her body torn limb from limb without anesthetic in late-term abortions promoted by our current government (Pain of the Unborn).

 

An early advocate for women's rights, Alice Paul, authored the original Equal Rights Amendment in 1923, and she insisted, “Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women.” (Source)

 

Abortion is like pagan child sacrifice, killing the child for personal benefits.* (Source)

Dr. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King Jr., was an outspoken abortion advocate who proudly admitted to having two abortions. But when she found Christ, she was able to divide truth from pagan lies and she said, “A woman has the right to choose what she does with her body. Absolutely. The baby's not her body; where's the lawyer for the baby?” (Source) 

 

Abortion is a pagan practice corrupting culture, bringing unimaginable evil into people's lives. Let's heed the warnings in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. There can be no fellowship between darkness and light, paganism and Christianity. 

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* Just as children were offered to pagan gods for some personal benefit, the majority of abortions are done for selfish reasons: e.g., to save the mother's or father's reputation, to prevent financial difficulties, to prevent an interruption or delay of educational and career opportunities, or simply to make life easier. 

  

See the Bible Love Notes Collection The Value God Places on Human Life. I especially recommend Abortion Victims which explains that the baby is not the only victim.

💙 Be sure to check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. 

Discounted on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD. And sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes one-minute devotions HERE.

Bible Love Notes

Sin Stinks...Literally

Exodus 16:21-30 offers an interesting illustration of disobedience.

God told Moses to tell the people of Israel to collect manna daily, never keeping it overnight. But one day a week, they could collect a double amount for the Sabbath.

Some of the people obeyed. Others thought they were wiser than God. They decided their lives would be easier if they only had to collect manna once or twice a week instead of every day. 

However, when they did this, their leftovers were “full of maggots and began to smell.” 

What a good illustration of disobedience. It stinks!

People today also think they are wiser and more reasonable than God. They ignore God's warnings about immoral lifestyles, thinking their lives will be easier if they fit in with culture.

However, they will one day find out that their sins stink worse than the manna.

God's purpose in the daily collection of manna was to teach the people the importance of obeying His Word: 

“He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

That truth was repeated by Jesus during His earthly ministry:

“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).

So let's trust God's Word, not our human wisdom, and let's repent in any areas where we've ignored His warnings (1 John 1:8-10).

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To read another one-minute devotion about spiritual food, see Vibrant, Healthy Christians Eat Right. It compares spiritual junk food with spiritual health food. 

💙 If you enjoy Bible Love Notes one-minute devotions, 

I think you'll enjoy my hardcover devotional Wisdom for Life.  

 

Check out the sales on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.

Bible Love Notes