Women are developing a taste for violence in their entertainment. Less and less are women put off by violence in their novels and movies. According to a frontpage article in today's Wall Street Journal, women are increasingly drawn to thriller novels where the hero is an assassin or a revenge killer. Women now make up 60% of the audience for the gory "CSI" television franchise that has three different series. Movie houses are also noticing that women make up an increasing percentage of the viewers at recent horror/terror films. Women are losing their squeamish nature when it comes to violence. One of the signs of the days of Noah was that "the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11). Jesus told us that "as it was in the days of Noe [Noah], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man" (Luke 17:26).
According to the Foreward (p. xxxi) of "The Reduction of Christianity" (Foreward written by Gary North), Christian Reconstructionism has "five central points--Calvinism, covenant theology, biblical law ('theonomy'), presuppositional apologetics ('Vantilianism'), and postmillennialism." Gary North is one of the leaders of the Christian Reconstruction movement. Therefore, this statement is the perfect place to begin to understand Christian Reconstructionism. In "Tools of Dominion" (p.14), Gary North speaks of " a unique, comprehensive system: predestination, covenant theology, biblical law, Cornelius Van Til's presuppositional apologetics, and postmillennialism." On the same page, North approvingly quotes Robert Bowman's summary of theonomy: "[T]he commands of the Law are presumed to be binding today except where the New Testament modifies them or sets them aside in some manner." For the record, I admire the zeal and the discipline of the Reconstructionists (they remind me of the Jesuits). However, I disagree with their doctrine and methodology. I tell you about them because they have been increasing in influence; sowing their tares while God's people have slept. You need to be aware of this doctrinal system.
In 1639, a Baptist preacher in London wrote a book entitled, "The Sufficiency of the Spirit's Teaching without Humane Learning; or, a Treatise Tending to prove Human Learning to be No Help to the Spiritual Understanding of the Word of God" (listed in W. T. Whitley's "A Baptist Bibliography"). Baptists have always had an uncomfortable relationship with the academic world. They have often been accused of being ignorant and some Baptists have been known to glory in their ignorance. Yet, every time Baptists begin to exalt education and learning, they tend to stray away from God. There must be a balance, even though it is an uneasy one at times. Our learning must always proceed from the Bible and be firmly grounded in God's word. Then, we must accept that Bible-believers will always be looked upon as "unlearned and ignorant men" (Acts 4:13). But we must also remember that God looks on the world as "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2Timothy 3:7). May we always exalt the knowledge of God and holy things as the ultimate goal of all our learning and seek the wisdom of God instead of the wisdom of this world.
In Genesis 3:15, God refers to the seed of the serpent. Many Bible-believing students have seen this as a reference to the antichrist who, in imitation of the virgin birth, will have a miraculous birth. Modern movies have played on the theme of the devil's seed. But the real seed of the serpent will be accepted as the true "Christ" and his birth will be heralded as a wondrous proof of his divine heritage. This viewpoint is seen in ancient myths. According to "The Virgin Birth" by Robert Gromacki (p.212): "Alexander the Great made the priests say that he was a son of Zeus. He denied that he was the son of Philip and affirmed that he was begotten by a serpent cohabiting with his mother. Later, the Roman Caesar Augustus wanted the story spread that his mother, asleep in the temple of Apollo, was visited by the god in the form of a serpent. Conceived, he was later born in the tenth month." As the Bible tells us, "there is no new thing under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
His original name ends in El, the Hebrew name for God. He is the only son of his father. He is sent to earth because men "lack the light to show the way." He is superhuman, but he can also suffer. At one point, he receives a stab wound in the side. He returns from a deathlike absence in order to save the world. Who is this man? It is the Superman of the new movie "Superman Returns." In short, the movie and the storyline of Superman is blasphemous. He is "another Jesus" (2Corinthians 11:4) declaring an "other gospel." Galatians 1:8-9 clearly proclaims, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
