Iranian Movie Presents "Islamic Jesus"

Do Christianity and Islam have anything in common when it comes to Jesus? A new movie, produced in Iran and funded by state broadcasting, is making the case.

Nader Talebzadeh is director of "Jesus, the Spirit of God," winner of an award at the 2007 Religion Today Film Festival in Italy. He says his film is the first to give an Islamic view of Jesus Christ. Iranian actor Ahmad Soleimani Nia plays the role of Jesus.

According to AFP:

Talebzadeh insists (the movie) aims to bridge differences between Christianity and Islam, despite the stark divergence from Christian doctrine about Christ's final hours on earth.

"It is fascinating for Christians to know that Islam gives such devotion to and has so much knowledge about Jesus," Talebzadeh told AFP.

"By making this film I wanted to make a bridge between Christianity and Islam, to open the door for dialogue since there is much common ground between Islam and Christianity," he said.

In these days, where religious conviction is fueling violence, dialogue between religions is a good thing. If people of different faiths can respectfully talk with one another, it humanizes each side, breaks down suspicions, and paves the way for living together in peace.

So to have a dialogue-- via film-- between Muslims and Christians about Jesus is a positive development. In fact, Jesus welcomes the scrutiny, for he asks, "Who do people say that I am?"

In the spirit of dialogue, let's consider what the earliest accounts of Jesus say-- the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All of them were composed within 30-60 years after Jesus' earthly life. Here's what they testify:

Jesus was a Jew. This is an obvious fact, but it's significant to mention here because we're talking about a film financed by the state of Iran, led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who regularly espouses the destruction of Israel. Does anyone believe that Jesus desires the complete obliteration of the Jewish state? It just so happens, "Jesus, the Spirit of God" asserts a central belief of President Ahmadinejad-- that when Jesus returns to earth, he'll be accompanied by the Imam Mahdi.

Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised again on the third day. The AFP articles says the movie, "faithfully follows the traditional tale of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament Gospels, a narrative reproduced in the Koran and accepted by Muslims." But when it comes to the last few hours of Jesus' life-- particularly, his crucifixion, the film switches sources and goes to the Koran, where it is said that Jesus was never crucified, but taken up into heaven. Question: The film thinks the Gospels are a reliable source for Jesus' life. Why then, when it comes to the final hours of Jesus' life, does the film suddenly switch from a first century source (the Gospels) to a much later seventh century source (the Koran)? The earliest and best historical documents of Jesus' life-- the Gospels-- say Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised to life on the third day. The Gospels are so convinced of these facts that they each devote a significant portion of their book reporting these events! The final few hours of Jesus' life isn't a minor difference of division between Christians and Muslims. It's the major difference, for we believe the crucifixion of Jesus was necessary in order for God to forgive the sins of humanity-- again, another early Christian belief (see 1 Corinthians 15).

Jesus is God in human form. Again, this a major difference in belief between Christians and Muslims. In Mark 2:1-12, Jesus claims the right to forgive sins, something only God can do. In Mark 14:57-65, Jesus says that he is the Son of Man who sits at God's right hand and comes on the clouds of heaven, something only God does. The religious leaders clearly understood Jesus' claim. They accused him of blasphemy and sentenced him to death. In John 8:58, Jesus says, "Before Abraham was born, I am." Jesus claims to be a prophet not on par with Abraham, but greater, for he always existed-- again, a characteristic of God. Christians do not worship three gods. We worship one God who has revealed Himself in three ways-- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The movie, "Jesus: the Spirit of God" seeks to show what Christians and Muslims have in common about Jesus. However, the differences between the two religions are vast. Still, art that makes Jesus its subject-- particularly film making-- is a great way to start a dialogue and answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?"

"White Knuckle" Spirituality

The ladies at our church are studying Beth Moore's excellent series, Breaking Free.

Yesterday in the video, Moore said:

"We must not only come under the authority of Christ, we must learn to enjoy that authority over us."

Her point is that believers must come to the place where we relish God's sovereignty and protection over our lives and in turn joyfully submit ourselves to the Lord again and again.

The remark reminded me of something a friend once told me. He said a lot of alcoholics resist drinking by "white knuckling" it. These folks are depending on their own strength. They don't seek the help and power of God. Consequently, they're clenching tight their fists-- desperately trying on their own to not drink.

I think Christians can believe they've given their life to Christ, but often "white knuckle" it because they don't enjoy or relish God's authority over them. The opposite I think is being "filled by the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18)-- where you want to the Lord's strength and actively seek it.

How are your knuckles?

The Nature of Pastoral Ministry

I don't know how many books there are on what it means to be a plumber or an engineer, but there are lots of books that talk about the essence of being a pastor.

These books on pastoring say that being a minister is a special calling. God's call sets you apart. You're in the center of God's action. While our work in the pulpit is very public, most of our labors go unseen. We labor for results that are evident to all-- changed lives. But that requires focusing our energies on what is often unseen-- the human soul.

I have a lot of respect for the Christian plumber, farmer, teacher, etc. They're "out in the world" everyday, rubbing shoulders with all sorts of people. Like pastors, they too have their own special burdens, something veteran pastor, Warren Wiersbe demonstrates here:

"Caring for people in pastoral ministry is more than you deserve and more than you can handle."

I'm especially feeling that burden lately. Pray for me. And pray for your pastor.

Some of My Favorite Blogs

You like blogs. Which may explain why you're reading this blog. Blogs are great way to share information.

I have over 50 lnks to blogs that I read and enjoy. Today, I'd like to share with you a couple of my favorites.

• UCCTruths-- Alternative news and opinion about the United Church of Christ denomination. I contribute articles here on an irregular basis.
  

• Denny Burk-- Professor at Criswell College in Dallas, I like the variety of subjects that Denny discusses-- theology, politics, sports, and more.
  

• Parchment and Pen-- The blog of Reclaiming the Mind ministries, founded by Michael Patton. RTM offers the best online theological education you can find, at a very reasonable price. The blog features thoughtful posts about theology and features weekly posts from Dr. Dan Wallace, a former profession of mine at Dallas Seminary. Dan has a sharp and fertile mind. I always like knowing what he's thinking about.
  

• Swerve-- This is the blog of Pastor Craig Groeschel and LifeChurch.tv, based in Edmund, Oklahoma. Craig's articles models outstanding simplicity. He packs more wisdom in less words than anyone I know. Often he writes on a theme for the week. Each entry ends with a question for reflection.

Michael Vick Coming to Kansas

Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is coming to Kansas.

The ex Atlanta Falcon QB, who pled guilty in August to dog fighting charges, was transfered from a Virginia prison to a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas to enter a drug treatment program.

If he successfully completes his program, Vick could be released a year early, although he still faces state charges on dog fighting in Virginia.

How God Uses Our Longings

Yesterday in the first worship service of the New Year, I asked the congregation to cup their hands together. Imagine that your greatest longing lays in your palms. Present them to the Lord as an act of trust and worship.

Why does God give us burdens in the first place? Here's what I've learned:

• The Lord gives us longings to remind us our weakness. We are needy. We are not self-sufficient, try as we may.
  

• God uses our longings to remind us of our greater need for God himself. When we forget God, He sends problems our way to drive us back to Him.
  

• God uses our longings to show us His greatness and power. Through our struggle, God works, and in a very real way, we see that God is alive.

• Sometimes, our longings need revising. Either we want the wrong things, want it for the wrong reasons, or at the wrong time. Trusting God with our desires means that we're willing to let God reshape our wants.

What need or longing is in your hands? Bring it before the Lord. In doing so, you live out this word:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The Mingling of Private and Public Life

It's often said, "What someone does in private has no bearing on their public life." Usually you hear this when a public official admits to some moral indiscretion and then insists they can still do their job well.

That axiom got tested recently when Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison admitted having an affair-- while running for office and into his first term. Initially, he said he would remain in office. He could still "do his job." But quickly, political pressures forced him to resign.

So what was Morrison doing on the job? Today, Steve McIntosh of KNSS Radio-1330 Wichita reports:

Records show Morrison spent nearly eleven-thousand minutes on the phone with his mistress over the first ten months of this year. That’s 35 minutes a day talking to Linda Carter, his former employee. She’s the one who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Morrison. He resigned … admitting an affair but nothing more.

Paul Morrison spent 75 work hours on the phone with his girlfriend. That’s more time than many workers get for vacation in a year. Sure makes you wonder about the Attorney General’s productivity. Anyone who can spend that much time on personal phone calls must have a pretty laid-back appointment schedule.

35 minutes a day! I guess that means Ms Carter is “high maintenance”. Or maybe Morrison is a terrible time manager. Or maybe he simply lacked respect for his employers, the people of Kansas.

Your private life? It matters. And it does affect your public work.

I'm For Mitt

Tonight is the Iowa caucus. Finally, the rhetoric starts turning into decisions.

As a Republican, I've read and listened to the views of Huckabee, McCain, Paul, Giuliani, and Romney. Here's how I've sorted them out:

• Paul is too libertarian for me. I don't support his foreign policy of total isolation.

• Giuliani is strong on defense and sensible spending, but too liberal on social policy, particularly on abortion.

• McCain is a war hero who has my deep respect, yet I won't overlook his role in limiting free speech in campaigns (McCain-Feinberg), nor his political maneuvers in the Senate that kept good judges from being confirmed.

• Huckabee is an evangelical Christian. For this, I am glad, but that in itself is not enough to garner my support. In particular, Huckabee has raised taxes too much in Arkansas, is ignorantly critical of Bush's foreign policy, and won't protect our borders, thus continuing the problem of illegal immigration.

That leaves me with Mitt Romney. Not that I support him because he's "the least of two evils." Actually, I think he's well qualified.

In short, Romney is a fiscal and social conservative. He's strong on defense. He supports border patrol and legal immigration. He's presidential. He handles himself well. He's been a very successful business leader. While I don't share his Mormon faith (nor do I believe that Mormonism is Christian), it's evident from Scripture that God superintends the leaders He raises up to govern the nations.

Here then is my choice. You won't hear about it in my pulpit, just on this blog.

Let's see what happens.

Adrian Belew

I'm beginning the New Year thinking about music. Here's a profile of one of my favorite musicians, Adrian Belew.

What a guitarist! He's played with people and bands I really enjoy, plus he's a Cincinnati guy.

What he says at the end of this short documentary sums up the start of 2008, "I can't wait to see what happens next."

2007 Year in Review

The sun is setting on 2007. Because of you, it's been a good year here at Living the Biblios. Thanks for your readership!

2007 was balanced with its share of serious and not so serious entries--critical analysis and light hearted humor. This year the blog gained a few more readers and comments. This site isn't a heavy weight in terms of traffic, but I've certainly enjoyed writing and reflecting here with you.

The purpose of God is that we'd live out his story, or "biblios," the Greek word for book-Bible. May the entries on this blog encourage you to live out God's story!

Favorite Posts of 2007

• How well do you know the master? A story. This really hit me between the eyes.
  

• R.I.P Joe Nuxhall (1928-2007)-- You hear the voices of your youth forever.

• Kids Joke-- Wow. I actually made up a joke.

• What's right and wrong about the mainline church.

• "My" beliefs among "our" beliefs-- What happens when personal faith mingles with the personal faith of others in a denomination.

• Kathy Griffin un-thanks Jesus-- Does God laugh when comedians slander Jesus?

• Wounding the Wound-- Sometimes, a problem needs to get worse in order to get better.

• Why Jesus tells parables-- A story that explains Jesus' use of stories.

• How to witness without really witnessing-- Stories are a great way to share your faith.

• Parable of Wesley's Quadrilateral-- What happens when Biblical truth is no longer the first and final authority.

• Six word stories-- "This story starts with six words..."

• A song about Jesus to the tune of B-I-N-G-O-- An original composition.

• Choking the life out of the gospel-- The day I heard a real live Pharisee and got mad.

• What is success?-- The world's version isn't God's definition.

• Ascension balloons--The evangelical church needs to focus more on Jesus' ascension.

• When our eyes cheat us-- Sometimes, the sight of suffering blinds us to its meaning and purpose.

• The hidden advantage of taking a parenting class-- This is funny.

Posts with Most Hits in 2007

• Rev. Barry Lynn's Liberal Silence-- Lynn and his AU organization rails against evangelical behavior in politics, but conveniently, Rev. Lynn ignores religious liberals doing the same, or worse.

• VBS Son Force Kids-- tips and closing rally script

• Crow-ing about Toilet Paper-- My parody piece in response to pop-rock singer Sheryl Crow's suggestion that everyone use only one sheet of toilet paper in order to help save the planet from global warming.

• Bible verses in Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go"-- Lots of direct and indirect Bible references in this great song.

Articles Written for UCCtruths in 2007

• Sacred Space as Public Space-- Sometimes, church buildings get used irresponsibly.

• Historic Kansas Church Leaves UCC

• Barack Obama Facing Concert Critique from Gay Rights Groups

• A Kingdom Right Here on Earth-- Analysis of Barack Obama's religious rhetoric on the campaign trail

• $85,000-- What a small church needs each year to keep going.

• What's right and wrong about the mainline church.

• May Israel Defend Itself?-- A UCC executive won't say.

Blog Highlights from the Year 2007

December

• Electric power in Little River goes Out for a week and what I learned from the experience.

November

• Fire in nearby Windom, KS claims one life.

• Distinguish what's most important about your beliefs and the advantages of doing so.

October

• My view of justification

• Understanding 1 Corinthians 8-10 and applying the message.

September

• The battle we face-- spiritual warfare explained in everyday language.

• Two members of Congress visit Little River

• The problem of wisdom in 1 Corinthians 4, how Paul handled the problem, and how 1 Corinthians 4 applies to our lives today.

• Three tenses of our salvation-- The Bible speaks of salvation as a past completed work, a current ongoing work, and a work to be completed in the future.

August

• A humorous view of the end times.

• A sermon about sleeping. Too often preachers neglect the fact that we're humans with real physical needs. You will spend about 1/3 of your life sleeping. So why haven't you heard a sermon about that?

July

• This sermon is on vacation. Are vacations spiritual? Sure are.

• I went 650 feet underground. The Kansas Underground Museum is a real treat to visit. Unfortunately, it's really struggled since opening. Go and visit! It's great.

• What I saw in the night sky. Clear summer nights in Kansas are awesome.

• A funny DDA prayer. the joys of working with the disabled at summer camp.

June

• Presidential candidate and United Church of Christ member Barack Obama believes religious conviction should inform and motivate one's political action. An analysis of Obama's foundational speech at the United Church of Christ General Synod. Parts one, two, and three, and four.

• Purpose statements of Jesus, purpose statements of the Apostle Paul, and biblical purpose statements for you and me.

May

• Douglas Wilson replies to atheist Christopher Hitchens and his book, "God Is Not Great." While Wilson has much to say, he starts by answering Hitchens with just one word.

• Mothers of grace. Thoughts from Mother's Day.

• The Little River Congregational Church celebrates its 53rd annual church sale.

• Greensburg, Kansas is flattened by a tornado. It's quickly apparent though that the town is filled with dedicated and sacrificial people, something that President Bush sees when he visits.

April

• The Little River Congregational Church formally joins Faithful & Welcoming Churches, a renewal movement within the United Church of Christ.

• The Gospel of Thomas compared to the Gospels, followed by a critique that shows Thomas doesn't reveal much about Jesus compared to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

March

• Hell of a statement. The doctrine of hell has fallen on hard times.

• A baptized imagination. When our thoughts are immersed in the Lord.

• A lesson to contemplate from the sham TV special, "Lost Tomb of Jesus."

• The Little River Congregational Church stays in the UCC by the closest of margins.

February

• My tribute to a great man who devoted his life to scholarly study of the Bible, Dr. Bruce Metzger.

• Conversation with a cologne bottle. The insanity of marketing exposed.

• Theology growing up. How I came to believe that the end of God's program is not heaven in the sky, but heaven on earth in a renewed creation.

January

• Generational blind spots. An excellent guest column by FWC President Bob Thompson about the ways Christians in each generation seem blind to obvious biblical truth.

• Pictures of Phil Keaggy in Wichita. What an amazing guitarist.

• What the life of the late President Gerald Ford teaches us.

R.I.P. 2007

Ingar Bergman, Benazir Bhutto, Art Buchwald, Liz Claiborne, Jerry Falwell, Dan Folgelberg, Ernest Gallo, Robert Goulet, Ruth Bell Graham, Merv Griffin, Johnny Hart, Leona Helmsley, Don Ho, Molly Ivans, Lady Bird Johnson, D. James Kennedy, Evel Knievel, Norman Mailer, Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, Benny Parsons, Luciano Pavarotti, Oscar Petersen, Eddie Robinson, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Beverly Sills, Anna Nicole Smith, Tom Synder, Hank Thompson, Ike Turner, Kurt Vonnegut, Porter Wagoner, Bill Walsh, Jane Wyman, and Boris Yeltsin.

All these people achieved fame, fortune, and success. All of them died in 2007.

No measure of accomplishment will save us from the grave. Not you. Not me. Not them.

"Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24)

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37-39).

Starbucks "Starbucked"

Late one night I couldn't sleep, so I turned on the TV and happened upon C-Span 2's "Book TV" program. Pontificating in Portland's Powell's Bookstore was someone talking about Starbucks. What followed was caffeinated talk that kept me up and watching.

Taylor Clark is the author of Starbucked, a book that examines Starbucks from a business and cultural perspective. While Clark isn't a big fan of Starbucks (he thinks they're the McDonald's of coffee), he shared some fascinating Starbucks facts in his TV lecture:

• When the very first Starbucks opened in 1971, it didn't sell coffee by the cup-- only beans.

• Starbucks' largest store is a five-story building in South Korea.

• The average Starbucks store makes $1 million a year.

• Starbucks' biggest market is in China, a country where people generally don't drink coffee.

• Initially, Starbucks' management was staunchly against adding the Frappuccino to its menu; today, its their biggest selling drink.

People sure are passionate about their coffee, which is why coffee is trendy and political. Starbucks has transformed the industry.

My favorite cup of coffee? It's definitely Starbucks Espresso Roast.

Money and Debt

Balancing the checkbook is a constant challenge in our house. Radio talk show host Dave Ramsey has made working with money a little more fun... and so does this video.

Merry Christmas

The Christmas Story from The Bible Experience New Testament (www.zondervan.com/tbe), the 2007 Audio Book of the Year, blended with beautiful artwork by Michael Dudash (http://www.cmdudash.com/).

My Favorite Christmas Site

Christmas is just on the horizon. Here's a little gift for you-- my favorite Christmas website.

The Hymns and Carols of Christmas is a site managed by Douglas D. Anderson. Pulling together hundreds of sources to one clearing house site of information, Anderson documents the long and rich tradition of Christmas music and poetry better than anyone.

Learn the fascinating history of Christmas favorites like, "Silent Night." Read Shakespeare's Christmas verses entitled, "Holly Song."

Poetry, carols, and hymns. It's all there. Enjoy.

What I Learned When the Lights Went Out

Have you ever gone a week without electricity? I never did. Until last week that is. Many in our Little River, Kansas community who live out in the country are still out and probably won't get help until after the New Year.

But now that the power at my house and town are back on, here's a few lessons I've realized:

I value routine more than I imagined. Sure it's nice to bust out and try something different, but when the power goes out, it changes all your routines. We always struggle to get our kids in bed by 8:30pm, but the first night of no electricity, we were all in bed by 7:00pm. When the house and town is utterly pitch black, there's not much else to do.

It's nice to have relatives. That is, relatives who are close by and ones you get along with. If it wasn't for my sister-in-law's family in Wichita letting us camp out at there place, our uncomfortable situation would have been much worse. Be nice to your extended family. You might need them one day!

It was bad, but not that bad. When you lose something you take for granted, you begin to count your blessings about other basics you do have. We still had a roof over our head, warm blankets, and food to eat. Many cities in foreign countries constantly deal with inconsistent electric supplies. And the early Kansas settlers never had it either. But they still managed. And so did we.

You can still worship the Lord. On the one Sunday that Little River didn't have power, our church met with the United Methodists for a joint service at the Catholic Parish Hall, which was hooked up with a generator. 52 people came to sing, pray, and hear God's Word. In the middle of hardship, we found encouragement from the Lord and each other.

The bottom line lesson: Even without, God still provides.

Power Back On

After nearly a week of no electricity, the city of Little River, Kansas got power yesterday afternoon. Yippee! Thanks to all the linemen who made it possible.

Outside of town, its still lights out. Some rural customers have been told it could be after the New Year before they get their electric service back.

Meanwhile, I'm appreciating electricity a little more.

No Electric Power in Little River

I now have a better feel for what it was like to be an original Kansas settler in the 1800's--my entire town of Little River, Kansas has no electricity.

The power went out early Tuesday morning. It's still out. No one really knows when it'll come back on. As KAKE-TV reports, the power outage is affecting our school district, USD 444.
As of this writing, more than 73,000 people in Kansas are still without power.

Have you ever spent time in total darkness? The kind where its so dark, you can't see your hand two inches from your nose? It's a creepy feeling.

I've been in total darkness before-- inside a cave and underground-- but both times I knew the lights were coming back on quickly. But on Tuesday night, I woke up at 10:00pm and realized, "It's going to be completely dark for another 8-10 hours." That thought freaked me out: "If this is what hell is like Lord, I sure don't want to go there."

My family is resettled, so we have shelter, heat, and electricity. Many folks around town are running gas powered generators. People are looking out for one another.

A power outage certainly isn't as bad as a tornado, but it is a pain.

On Romney's Freedom and Religion

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney gave an interesting speech last week about the role of religion in public life. This quote is generating a lot of comments:

Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

Religion without freedom? Just look at Islam in Saudi Arabia.

Freedom without religion? That's moral and social anarchy.

Romney is right on the money--and gaining my attention as a voter.

Don't Be Afraid to Make Mistakes

Photographer Dewitt Jones observes:

Do you know that the average National Geographic article is shot in 400 rolls of film? 14,000 rolls to get the 30 pictures that go into an article. I'm not worrying about mistakes. I'm looking for the next right answer.

From the DVD "Everyday Creativity."