Celebration of Discipline by Foster

No different than making idols (which is forbidden).

Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:


We are not told to compare God to objects anywhere in the Word of God. God is Spirit. End of Story.

 

This is idolatry!!! It is also sickeningly inappropriate; God is all in all, and should not be compared to a paper clip or pruning shears!

We grow closer to God by studying and meditating on (not eastern meditation!!!) God's Word, not knicknacks.

Lord, save us from the fluff and feeling driven theology that is modernity!

 

Tim, frankly I'm amazed that you have stooped to this type of thing. There is so much in the Bible about God, who He is and what He's like that to use objects made by man to attempt to describe God is just unbelievable.

The Psalms are so full of the descriptions of God and also the last few chapters of Job are wonderful because God is actually speaking to Job and describing Himself.

Why on earth would you try to describe God using paper clips or pencils when you have the glorious word of God in which He describes Himself in words given by the Holy Spirit?

Double

 

It appears the curriculum is making use of a form of expression, or description, and is simply meant to be an exercise to use one’s imagination to give an explanation of Who God is or what He means to you. Why some read so much into this with hostility leading to such accusation is ‘somewhat’ beyond me; somewhat, less I desired to start digging and then assigning motive. Tinytim, this could have been a fun topic, but I figure the turnout here it is of little surprise to you. Keep on keepin on. :type:

 

This statement is a "mistake".

God does not cover our "mistakes". We don't make mistakes. We SIN. And God does not cover our sins.
He removes our sin.....as far as the east is from the west.


If you guys had just used God's word, you have a perfect description of God.

 

Although lead by the Holy Spirit in what to put down, don’t you think some aspect of the writer’s personality and expression it went into the process of describing the “glorious Words of God”?

 

I think God told the author the specific words to write down to describe Himself. I do not think the author was looking at man made objects to gain inspiration.

 

So you believe that when David was expressing his love for God it was determined exactly what he was to say? :smilewinkgrin:

 

I'm not really sure of your point here. The bible is inspired. Objects are not.

 

2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

God inspired David to write what he wrote in the Scriptures.

Richard Foster was inspired by "mystics" to write what he did in Celebration of Discipline and his other books. What he wrote is unbiblical and full of Eastern Mysticism, paganism, and occultism....something a born again Christian should not be dabbling in.

 

The Holy Spirit inspired men to write the Bible, but my point is did He determine the feeling that went into their writing?

I asked of description of objects while mentioning David's expression:

Psalms 68:15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; a high hill as the hill of Bashan.

Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

 

I established a issue between "inspired" and "determined" (using the example of how David expressed his love in the Holy Word) already.

I don't know the full content of Celebration of Discipline, I'm just going off Tinytim's examples of exercises. Other than that, I think when one reads commentaries or what ever, it is like "biting off a piece of watermelon, you swallow what is good and spit out the seeds". If I read someone, say like Piper...well,..I could do a lot of speculating what ispired it and say it is full of a lot of things too. But I don't, ...usually.

 

Just quit. Comparing God to whiteout is inexcusable; it is not the same as calling God our light and shield.

Rom 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

 

No, you quit. :laugh:

You sayin that about David?!?

 

I would only add to this that the word inspired must be clarified by the original language. It is Theopneustos. It means breathed-out, or God-breathed.

Here is a full explaination of the term http://vintage.aomin.org/THEOPNEU.html

Add to this the Scriptures Fred's wife shared, and you have a more full understanding the doctrine of inspiriation. None of the words of Scripture were anything other than the words God intended to be written. There is no mixture of human thoughts in them.

Nor does this doctrine contradict the human element seen in the Scriptures, anymore than the doctrine of the incarnation destroys the Divinity of Christ. Even the personal greetings given in the epistles of Paul are God-breathed.

The kind of questions you are asking Benjamin are what I believe to be foolish and fanciful speculations. Stick with the doctrine of inspiration.

 

Ogres are like cakes. They have layers.

Do Christians really fall for this jibberish?

 

Some of you must know Tinytim pretty well because, after this post, I would think that he is pulling our leg. I have a hard time believing anyone would find this exercise useful. I have even more trouble believing that it would not pain a Christian to compare God- the perfect author of life- with a lifeless bottle of white-out or an eraser. Even if this doesn't strike you as idolatrous or blasphemous, it should certainly strike you as a complete waste of time. If Christians would spend as much time in prayer and the study of God's Word as they do in books purchased at lifeway or CBD, perhaps our churches wouldn't be in the pitiful shape they are in spiritually.

 

Please read Your God Is Too Small by J.B. Phillips. It is out of print, but I expect you can find a copy.

 

Some more "God is like...":

Any guesses which megachurch minister's website these sermon gems are gleaned from?