  We saw this most recently last weekend, where self help guru Tony Robbins brought his "Unleash the Power Within" seminar to San Jose. Robbins teaches that success in life is all about avoiding pain and pursuing pleasure. The "force that shapes your life" and is the key to success is having the correct belief about pain and pleasure. Robbins teaches:
Everything
you and I do, we do either out of our need to avoid pain or our desire to
gain pleasure. He teaches, in essence, that the secret to success is
using pain and pleasure to serve us, rather than being controlled by it. A
popular feature of his seminars is firewalking, where people overcome their
fears and "just believe" by taking six or seven steps across a 12
foot bed of hot charcoals. As reported by the news media, some two dozen
people got burned in the San Jose seminar. You can read the NY Times article
by clicking HERE. Of
course, the physics behind the firewalking is simple. Charcoal is a poor
conductor of heat, and the key is how he has people walk very quicky across
the embers (he says, "charge across!") while everyone is yelling,
very positively, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes! The very short amount of contact with
the soles of the feet do not allow time to burn them, unless someone walks
too slowy, panics, or falls down. The point is how this multimillionaire self
help teacher utilizes a biblical principle like the power of faith.
Tragically, the source of the faith is not in God or Jesus, but in yourself.
Then again, I guess that's what "self help" is all about! You can
read a thorough critique of Tony Robbins and his "ministry" by
visiting the Creation Research Institute website. Unfortunately, I cannot
provide the link to this particular article, but I highly recommend those who
are interested to access the article entitled, "Personal Power or
Harmful Hedonism?"
Another example of
misplaced faith is seen in the Star Wars movies. Set in futuristic times, the
"Force" is the source of all power. There is simply "the
Force," and then
there is "the
dark side." At one point the small green Jedi Master named Yoda uses the
force to lift Luke Skywalker's X-wing fighter out of the mire. Here's the
exchange:
Luke: I don't believe
it!
Yoda: That is why you
fail!
So the theology of Star
Wars is belief in the Force, and in that all things are possible through that
belief. Again, whether it is faith in Self or faith in an unnamed
"Higher Power," it is not what Jesus is talking about in Mark 9!!
For Jesus it is not about finding yourself or even believing in yourself. It is rather about trusting him, trusting the cross, trusting the love of God and the power of God. Back to Robbins, there are other motivations than pain and pleasure. There is the biblical motive of seeking to honor God and worship the Lord with your life. Jesus said,“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). This is way beyond avoiding pain and seeking pleasure! It's the call to a self denying life of faith. In fact, God created us for this very purpose. The choice is this: Firewalker, Skywalker, or Crosswalker! This Sunday we will see what Jesus really meant and, Lord willing, discover for ourselves the remarkable possibilities of faith! I hope to see you in church this Sunday! Love in Jesus, Pastor John Christie |
AN AMAZING
MIRACLE IN AURORA!
Out of the evil massacre
of movie goers in Aurora, Colorado that has gripped the nation, there have
come some heartwarming stories of sacrifical love, faith, and even what has
to be an amazing miracle. You will be blessed to read the story of Petra
Anderson. Her pastor wrote about her miraculous recovery and why she has
escaped serious injury from the bullet that entered her skull through her
nose and lodged in the back of her head! Unbelieveable? Please click HERE
for the testimony!
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