Review of The Cross by Arthur Blessit

Author: Arthur Blessitt

Pages: 221 pages

Publisher: Authentic Publishing

Price: 12.23

Genre: Biography

Quick Summary:

You may have heard of Arthur Blessitt before. He is the man that has devoted his life to carrying the cross in every nation. If you watch TBN you have probably heard him speak. This book is all about Blessitt’s journey throughout the world telling people of Jesus and carrying a big wooden cross.

What I Liked:

This book is interesting. Blessitt had the opportunity to pray with Pope John Paul II, George W. Bush, and a score of other world leaders as well. But it is not only the world leaders that he ministered to, he truly does seem like a man that loves all people and wants them to come to Jesus. That is why it pains me to write the next section.

What I Disliked:

Blessitt’s theology is the typical theology found on the Trinity Broadcast Network. There are several problems that I see with this book. Perhaps, the greatest is that it encourages a believer to follow the voice of Jesus (and sometimes the leading of the Holy Spirit). That all sounds well and good, and I feel like a jerk saying this, but I just don’t buy it. Do I believe that God still speaks today? Absolutely. But I believe that God speaks through His Word. There is nothing in Scripture that leads me to believe that Jesus still speaks to us audibly today.

Not only is the typical TBN, word of faith theology rampant, but also the decision theology that is ever present in these circles. Let me just sum it up. If you like TBN, Paul Crouch, and the like then you will love this book and find it to be a wonderful testimony to the power of God. If you do not agree with the TBN folks then this book will make you cringe. It is dangerous at best.

Something tells me that Jesus meant something very different when he tells us to take up our cross and follow him.

Should You Buy This Book?

I cannot recommend this book. If you want advice on following Jesus, I’d strongly suggest reading Kevin DeYoung’s book Just Do Something. If you want a story of men that took up the cross and followed Jesus, then read the biography of David Brainerd, Robert Murray McCheyne, Charles Spurgeon, etc.  Or perhaps this excellent work by Piper: The Hidden Smile of God.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Hungry at the Lord’s Table

Do you ever get really hungry during the Sunday morning worship service?  I know I do.  I typically am running late and unable to eat much for breakfast beforehand.  By the time noon rolls around I am getting pretty hungry.  So, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper I often wish that we had entire meals instead of only a little wafer.  I am hungry and I want filled. 

Before you dismiss me as a heretic that is trampling the Lord’s table, hear me out, I’m making a point.  There is actually some *unintentional symbolism between my hunger and the unfulfilling wafer.  The wafer is not meant to quench my hunger, but it is meant to point me to He who will will ultimately quench my hunger. 

The Holy Spirit is given to us (believers) as a deposit.  Not only does the Spirit seal us but His indwelling presence is also somewhat of a “preview of things to come”.  Our experience of the Spirit now is life the wafer that only really makes me hungry for more.  This is not a perfect analogy because the Spirit does indeed fill us and satisfy us far more than a wafer satisfies my desire for lunch.  But, what the little cracker does for my stomach is what the Spirit does for my soul: He makes me that much more hungry for Jesus.  He makes me think about the meal to come.  As I “do this in remembrance of Jesus” I also remember that His death is not the end of the story.  

So, the next time you are participating in the Lord’s table, and you are hungry, remember that your experience of Christ now is but a taste.

 

*I said unintentional symbolism because the smaller “communion crackers” have more to do with making sure the body of Jesus is not eaten by a mouse, or that burly gents do not take the body of Christ home in their beard. 

Monday’s Ministry Musing: Should We Drop it all at the Door?

I’ve said it, and prayed it, quite a few times.  Yesterday, I caught myself.  “Lord, please allow us to drop all of our burdens at the door and come and freely worship you.”  I know what we mean when we pray that.  We want to come to the Lord empty handed and not be distracted by a bunch of junk.  We do not want to be thinking about meatloaf instead of meditating on our marvelous Maker.  But do we really want to lay all of our burdens at the door? 

This way of thinking tends to contradict what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30: 

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Perhaps Jesus does not want us to “drop all of our burdens at the door”.  Perhaps our act of worship is to come heavy but to leave light.  Jesus does not want you to drop reality and real life at the door, sing a few songs, hear a sermon, and then pick all of your baggage up on your way out.  Jesus wants you to “cast all your anxiety upon him.” 

I am becoming convinced that Jesus really did come to call sinners.  Powerful worship does not happen when clean, put-together people, offer “service” to the Lord.  Powerful worship happens when dirty, broken, sinners find the answer to their brokenness.  Or perhaps we could say that powerful worship happens when clean, put-together people, praise the Lord that brought them out of the miry clay.  Whether you are broken or healed the Lord desires a heart that does not pretend it’s living in Eden; but rather a heart that knows it is not where it is meant to be and is found longing for rescue. 

So, next time you come to worship bring all of your baggage…but don’t leave with it. 

Knowing Men and Knowing God

This quote is from JI Packer in his book The Quest for Godliness.  It is a summary of the Puritan Interpretation of Scripture.

To apply Scripture realistically, one must know what is in men’s heads as well as in their hearts, and the Puritans insisted that the would-be expositor needs to study people as well as the Bible.

Do you agree that those who teach the bible need to know their hearers as well as they know the Bible? 

What I want.........What God wants.

Its always amazing to see the various ways God revealed himself in the Bible. While at worship, Isaiah catches a vision of the wonder of God (Isaiah 6).....At the end of a season of suffering, Job sees God's majesty (Job 42:5-6)... Peter is astonished through a great catch of fish (Luke 5:6).

There are those today who think God wants to 'invade' our times of worship and reveal himself merely to give us some sort of spiritual adrenaline rush. I don't see this happening in the Bible, do you? God reveals himself for a purpose......his purpose, not ours. Certainly he wants our praise. But if our praise is genuine will it not include our confession, our repentance, and our surrender to service?

Read the story of the miraculous catch in Luke 5:1-11. The flow of events is fairly simple to see, isn't it? The word of God is taught.....Apparently the seeds of faith are sown because obedience was rendered.....Christ revealed himself......Confession was offered......Call was given....Commitment was made.

The commitment to leave all behind and follow Jesus was a costly one. "True discipleship is always costly because it means giving up what we want for us so that we can have what Jesus wants for us" (Philip Ryken). Ryken's comment drives deep into my heart. I know I'm supposed to want what Jesus wants for me......but am I willing both to count the cost and consider it worth surrendering all to Jesus?

I fear that far too many of Christian Americans (myself included) are unwilling to want what Jesus wants for us. If this is true, it is small wonder that the church of our culture is weak and anemic.

Lord,
Plant in me a desire to want what you want for me. Help me to be willing to surrender all I want so that I might have what you want. Give the heart-felt passion for your will and way in my life.