An Invitation to Friends in Nashville

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Join me in person tonight at 7pm at Nashville's Hollywood 27 Theaters!

Hello Friends in Nashville (and the surrounding areas),

Many of you have heard that the film Is Genesis History? was held over for an additional 2 weeks, including showings tonight, March 2th, and then also next week, March 7th around the country.

Tonight, I am attending in person the 7pm showing at Nashville's Hollywood 27 Theaters (719 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37204, click here for Google Maps directions: https://goo.gl/maps/iYQN7jwhr4R2 ). If you are able to make it to the showing tonight, please come by and say "hello" and let me know you got my invitation here.

I look forward to seeing you in person!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Del

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11
What is a Worldview?
The classic definitions of “worldview” take some form of “the lens through which one sees the world around them”. I think it is much deeper than this and much more complicated. In fact, I think there are two, yea three, different categories that we should keep in mind when we try to define “worldview” or attempt to understand what it is. For sure, we need to understand it not as a mere linguistic term or academic study, but as a critically deep and profound aspect of our own life. Formal vs. Personal When we speak of a “worldview” there are two fundamentally different ways this can be used. The first is to refer to a “formal” worldview and the second is to refer to one’s “personal” worldview. These are vastly different from each other and should be defined separately. A formal worldview is a set of truth claims that purport to paint a picture of reality. Formal worldviews are often titled, such as Marxism or Islam or Christianity. One can find a good number of publications that lay out the truth claims for each of these formal “worldviews”. This just simply means that the “book” for each of these worldviews makes the strong assertion that its truth claims are really real. A personal worldview is also a set of truth claims, but these truth claims aren’t written in a book, they are written on the heart. They are truth claims that are embraced so deeply that we “believe” they really do match reality. But the critical factor here is that once we believe that a truth claim is really real, it will drive our behavior: how we act, how we think, and how we feel. If you believe that you are unlovable unless you weigh less than you do now, that belief will drive how you act. If you believe that your happiness and significance is based upon circumstances working out the way you have planned them and it appears that the chances of that happening are growing less probable, then you will find yourself worried. Jesus dealt with the issue of worry and He clearly jabbed His finger upon the source: our beliefs. This is the power of the personal worldview and the impotence of a formal worldview. No one acts on the ideas in a book. They act on the ideas in their heart. You can make up your own new formal worldview. You can write a book about it or maybe even a hundred books about it. You can give it a snazzy name, like Avatarism. But if no one embraces your truth claims as being really real, then you will have nothing but a dusty old book. But if hundreds, or thousands, or even millions of people begin to read that book and believe your truth claims to be really real, even if they are totally false, then you will rule them with your ideas. This is why Dave Breese wrote a book entitled “Seven Men Who Rule the World from the Grave”. How do they continue to rule? Because they each wrote a “book” with their own ideas in them, mostly false ideas, and people began to believe those ideas and in so doing, even long after the authors of those books were dead, their ideas continue to drive how people think, how they act, and how they feel. They are ruled by those ideas. Why? Because they are written in their hearts. They believe they are real. They became a part of their personal worldview. This is the power of ideas and the power of a worldview. But until it becomes part of one’s personal worldview, it is powerless. This is why the Scripture warns us to “guard our heart” (Proverbs 4:23). That is not to guard ourselves against being emotionally hurt by someone, it is to guard what it is we end up believing to be really real. And if you were to write your book and only one person began to believe your ideas were real, you would be ruling that one person. This should be enough for us to take seriously another warning from Scripture: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1) If you are going to teach or write, you better make sure that the “truth claims” that you assert are really real. And the only way that I know to insure that, is to make very, very sure that your words are consistent with the Truth of God. If not, woe to you if some “little child should stumble” (Mark 9:42) because of your false teaching. There are more differences in these two: - A formal worldview is usually quite comprehensive, dealing with most areas of life, if not all. - A personal worldview, can be quite spotty or incomplete. * Studying a formal worldview is fairly easy. * Trying to understand one’s personal worldview is not. + A formal worldview can be crafted to appear quite logical (although a false worldview will always be filled with contradictions if you are willing to examine them). + A personal worldview can be quite illogical. It can embrace ideas or truth claims that are very contradictory. It can be driven by selfish motives and desires, rather than reality. In fact, one’s personal worldview can be quite “unreal” and in certain areas it could be said that we are living in a “dream” world because our beliefs are so contrary to reality. When this is the case, it is usually because of our selfish motives: we believe what we want to believe. Source of Truth What is common to both, however, is that each relies upon a source of truth. For the formal worldview, this is fairly easy to determine. A Christian worldview believes that truth has been revealed in both the creation of God and in His written Word. Islam believes it has been revealed in the Koran. Latter Day Saints believe it has been revealed in the Book of Mormon and other revelations to their prophets, such as The Pearl of Great Price. Naturalism believes that the source of truth is found in science alone. Marxism and Leninism rests upon the writings of Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels, who also happened to stand upon a worldview of Naturalism. For the personal worldview, consistent with its inconsistency, we could find multiple sources of truth. However, in the truly selfish worldview, it is sometimes expressed that the individual’s heart is the source of truth. So, “My heart tells me that…” is one’s source of truth. Sometimes a person begins to believe that a formal worldview is right in its understanding of the source of truth and adherents will attempt to mold their personal worldview to the doctrines of the formal worldview. However, it is quite unusual for an individual to have a personal worldview that perfectly matches a formal worldview. When selfishness or other motives drive our beliefs, then we can declare that we believe in a formal worldview’s source of truth and its truth claims, but act in a different way. And why do we act in a different way? Because we have other truth claims that have captured our heart that are deeper than the truth claims of the formal worldview. All of this leads us to the third type of worldview: the “professed” worldview. This is a complicated thing, but not too much so. It is the thing that happens when we believe that it is in our best interest to “profess” a particular belief when we don’t really believe it is real. And why do we believe that it is in our “best interest”? Because we have believed another truth claim that says so. For example, if I believe the truth claim “I will be happy if people accept me and think well of me” then I might act in a way that would make people accept me and think well of me. If I were in a Christian group and I wanted to be happy, then I would say “Jesus is Lord” when I don’t really believe it. I might even memorize Scripture passages or go to church or raise my hands in worship to show that I am really worthy of the honor and praise of those who see me do such things. This becomes my “professed” worldview and it is often difficult to separate the “professed” from the “personal”. Often times, the “professed” is the open profession of things consistent with the formal worldview, but it may be miles away from the personal worldview. I believe God is speaking to this when He declares “These people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13) This is a “professed” worldview in action. But the omniscient God is not fooled by the “professions” we make for He “looks at the heart”. (1 Samuel 16:7) This doesn’t mean that He simply knows how you “feel”. It means He knows what you really believe despite what you “profess”. This is why we must not fool ourselves in thinking that our “professed” worldview is equal to our “personal” worldview; nor that our “personal” worldview is equal to the “formal” worldview that I am associated with…just because I am a member of a church or synagogue or mosque or Free-Thinkers Society. Mark records that Jesus knew what people were thinking in their hearts. (Mark 2:8) We can become quite good at crafting beautiful masks…the kind of mask that people love to see…and we can become masters of which mask to wear in the presence of certain people. We do this because we believe, in our hearts, that our significance and pleasure and happiness is bound up in what people think of us. So we wear a mask and fool everyone. Everyone, of course, but God. He knows our heart.   Going Deeper In the Truth Project, we examined eight areas of a biblical worldview:    - Veritology (What is Truth?)    - Theology (Who is God?)    - Anthropology (Who is man?)    - Philosophy    - Ethics    - History    - Science    - Social Order Social Order was examined in the light of the six social "spheres" that God has designed:    - Family    - Church    - State    - Labor    - God & Man    - Community As a sub-topic of the State, we examined The American Experiment as well. Most Worldview authors examine a biblical worldview through the various "epochs" in the Meta-Narrative of God:    - Creation    - Fall    - Redemption    - Restoration In the Engagement Project, we added another "epoch" to this Worldview study:    - Engagement If you want to go deeper in a study of the heart and the mind, go here:     - Heart and Mind
2
Homosexual Marriage Ruling: Practical Actions for the Remnant
Okay, we’ve made some observations about the Supreme Court ruling and we have issued a call to confession, repentance and prayer…now what? Well, I would like to offer some practical actions for us to consider. And, since I have a great tendency to see all of the issues and problems around us in terms of where they fall in the social systems that God has created, I will offer my suggestions organized in that manner. God and Man: The biggest thing that is going on here is a cultural drive to do away with God and moral absolutes. It is easy to get caught up in this. It is easy to get caught up in how the media and Hollywood makes sin so acceptable...and so desirable. We need to remind ourselves that the biggest enemy we have is our own sinful nature. This is how it is described in Galatians 5:17 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. This is the battle we all face within. And when the culture around us begins to provoke and stimulate our sinful nature and even encourage and applaud it, then the battle becomes much more difficult…but not impossible…for the Spirit of God within you is greater than all of those that stand against you.  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 1 John 4:4-6 It is very possible that this ruling is going to open up a very serious time for us. Justice Thomas, in his dissent, said that this ruling portends …potentially ruinous consequences for religious liberty. Justice Alito warned that the ruling …will be used to vilify Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy….I assume that those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools. The warnings from the dissenting justices cannot be ignored: we are in for a significant attack upon religious freedom. In fact, Justice Roberts stated it most starkly: that the ruling “creates serious questions about religious liberty”. Not “some” religious liberties, but “religious liberty”…period. We are going to come under immense pressure to conform, bow down, give up and give in. But, if we are going to face persecution…if you are going to have to stand and lose your job or your business or your freedom or whatever else you hold dear in this life, it must always be placed in the perspective of your eternal relationship and reward of knowing Christ Jesus. And nothing…nothing…can match that. When you are tempted with the “peace” of simply going along; When you are tempted by the easy way of the broad path; When it seems that it is just easier to ignore it all… or remain conveniently silent… or withdraw into some form of self-centered, isolated Christianity; When all of the escape options call you to deny what you know is true, then place those momentary pleasures or avoidance of difficulties on the scale against the eternal weight of knowing Him and His deep and steadfast love for you…and the things of this world will pale in comparison. And, then, in the strength of His might, stand for righteousness…even if seems as if you must stand alone…stand. For in reality you will not be alone. Not only will He be with you, but hopefully and prayerfully we are going to see the Body of Christ standing as well. But our stand must always be with grace. The truth must always be spoken in love. We must show the world that disagreement is not hate and standing for moral truth is not bigotry. Though reviled, we will not revile in return. We will stand for truth, but we will do so in righteousness. And through it all, He always remains faithful…always. Family: You need to have an open and honest discussion about this with your family. If you are a parent, you must recognize that your children are going to be confronted earlier and earlier in life. If they are in a state school, they will be, if not already, presented with a contrary message to a biblical worldview of sexuality. If they hold to a biblical perspective, as Alito said, they are going to be vilified. It is better if you have prepared them for this than letting them walk into the fire on their own with no tutoring. Help them understand that the world we live in is becoming more and more hostile to what we believe and that they are most likely going to find themselves in situations where they will be not only challenged, but also “approached”. The more our culture embraces homosexuality, the more we will see people drawn into it. The issue of bi-sexuality is going to be the major pressure your children will face. They don’t have to be homosexual, but they will find themselves increasingly in a world that will entice them to experiment with all forms of sexual expression. Heterosexuality is going to be portrayed as abnormal and bisexuality as normal. Miley Cyrus is promoting “gender fluidity”…meaning you should be able to move freely between all points on the sexual continuum. You and your family’s biblical view of human sexuality is going to be severely tested in all forms of media, music, video, TV, books, marketing, print and academic programs and projects. This is not meant to be overwhelming or depressing, but to be a realist and recognize your responsibility to prepare your family. Brothers and sisters have faced this in the past, and did so valiantly before God and man and we can do the same. Church: You may find yourself in a church that is going to be targeted. You may be pressed to perform homosexual marriages or allow them to be held within your church. If your church opens its doors to other functions, then you will be vulnerable to either a lawsuit or governmental enforcement if you don’t allow homosexuals to use your facility. Don’t think that it won’t happen. If you are in a position of leadership, then you need to have the discussion and talk through what you as a church are going to do in the future regarding this issue and what you are willing to suffer in consequences of your stand. Churches will be targeted. If you are in a church that is going to cave on the issue, then you will have to make the decision of whether you will stay or go, tough as that sounds, but you must consider your own spiritual health and that of your family’s. Churches must be intentional about this. It is not going to go away. Labor: You may be in a business that is going to be targeted as well, even if you aren’t a baker or florist. For example, how you refer to married couples in your policies or practice will present an opportunity to test your allegiance to the state’s position on homosexuality. If you have sent a gift of congratulations to a heterosexual employee’s wedding or supported it in any way, you may be targeted to do the same for a homosexual employee who is now getting married. This will place you in the position of having to show your support for homosexual marriage or pay the consequences. You need to objectively think through all of this while it is easier to do so and make any commitments now regarding how you will stand and how you will handle the consequences of your stand. You need to also reduce your vulnerability if you can. Don’t be unwise here. Don’t think it is more spiritual to provoke an attack. It is not a badge of courage to stand up in the battlefield and put a big red target on your chest and yell “Yoo-hoo! Over here!”. Pray for wisdom in how you go forward and get with other businessmen and women who share your worldview and develop wise strategy together. Use the community area of our website to do that. And, pray for those who are already under the gun because of this ruling. There are fellow believers who are county clerks all across the country who are faced with jail or the loss of their jobs because they are choosing to stand for their Christian convictions. Make no mistake, my friends, we are all in this together.  Community: This is going to be the most important response that we as Christians are going to make. If the Lord allows us to produce the next DVD series: the Engagement, we are going to deal with His call for us to engage our neighbors. We have lost most of our ability to impact the culture around us in the public square. Sound bites might work in a culture that carries a biblical worldview. But in a culture that is now publicly agnostic or atheistic, you will not be afforded either the time or the favorability to present effectively on this or any other biblical issue. The Lord is increasingly cutting off all of our neo-Christian forms and practices and He is squeezing us into what He asked us to do from the start: engage our neighbors. And it is here that we will help others to know that our stand on this issue is not based upon hate or bigotry. We are fighting against the public and political embracing  and condoning of sin, not against a person. The Lord has shown great love to us as sinners and we will do the same to those who live next door, regardless of what they are taken captive in. Our fight is not against flesh and blood. State: I’m going to leave the topic of political action for the next and final post on this ruling. Even though we are being shut out of the public square, we have responsibilities within this sphere that we must consider and act upon. The issues before us are the result of a culture that has publicly rejected God and it is going to use the power of the state to force you to embrace and celebrate its position on homosexuality. But it is the immense size and power of the state that has become so ubiquitous that it now virtually controls every aspect of our lives. Fighting that will be tough, but I believe it is worth trying. Soli Deo Gloria…in all things and all circumstances. ]Next: Response of the Remnant]