Monday, August 18, 2008

Don't be deceived...pass it on!

You are probably way ahead of me in current events... Since we don't have a TV at home and I am always listening to kids CD's in the car, I rarely hear news and I'm always behind on what's new in the world. It usually doesn't bother me much, to tell you the truth. But yesterday I heard about a book that has become a huge hit and I had not even heard of it. Maybe you have... The Shack. Evidently it was on Oprah's big list (warning #1!!) and the New York Times Best Seller list etc. It was written by William P. Young and if you want to read about him just Google his name. But this is the deceiving part...it is supposedly a novel about God's grace and mercy and written to answer the age old question "Why does God allow bad things to happen and suffering to take place?" He tries to explain the Holy Trinity in human terms and ends up portraying God the Father as an African American woman who morphs into a white haired man,(trying to prove that God is both man and woman) Jesus the son as a middle eastern man, and the Holy Spirit as an Asian woman. Despite the pure heresy, many Christians have been deceived by their emotions(because it is a very emotional story line) into thinking that this book is some great work of theology! The author may have been raised as a Christian missionary kid but he is now a Christian Universalist who believes that Jesus is a way, not THE way to God. Even Eugene Peterson, who has written his own very widely used version of the Bible (The Message) has endorsed this book and has called it "This generation's Pilgrim's Progress"... very disturbing! People are buying this book by the case and giving it away because they think it is "better than the Bible". Everything I have just written came from our Pastor, Dr. Michael Youssef. He took the time to preach on this subject yesterday because so many Christians are being deceived by this book. If you want to hear more, listen to his sermon in entirety by clicking here, then click "On Demand 24/7" ... then "The Shack Uncovered" under archives. He explains it much better that I do in 30 mintes! I just wanted to share this with you and hopefully you can share it with someone else. Also, let me know what you think by posting a comment!

1 comment:

TheHarriman Family said...

Hi Arin!
We have missed your while we were away! Thanks for the warning--I haven't heard about this one yet. Satan is working awfully hard, isn't he!
I love the story about all the things that happen while Dusty is gone. We have that same problem when Paul is gone :-)