Anne Askew - Daughter of the Reformation

I stumbled upon this person while doing research on the word "heretic".  In the back of my mind I think I remember reading about her a long time ago, but I am so glad that I was able to research a little about her. Anne Askew stood up for what she believed and she paid a heavy price for her faith.

Anne Askew is believed to have been born in the year 1520. She had an older sister named Martha that was betrothed to Thomas Kyme, but when her sister died before she was able to marry Thomas, Anne was forced to marry Thomas in her sister's stead. This devastated Anne and she never adopted Thomas surname. She asked for a divorce from him based on I Corinthians 7:15, but the divorce was never granted.

It is believed that she had more than one child, but we only have the name of one child named, William Askew.

In 1545 she was arrested in London for heresy, but was acquitted and sent to her husband. The last time she was arrested it was again for heresy. She was asked to name any others that practiced the "new" faith and was even asked if Henry's latest wife, Catherine Parr was also partaking of the new "reformation". Her interrogators and tormentors wanted proof to arrest the latest queen of Henry VIII. Queen Catherine was a Protestant sympathizer and if it wasn't for Henry's death, she probably would have been "dispose of" some way or another by Henry.  It is erroneously believed that Henry converted to Protestantism or was a Reformer, but he wasn't. What he did was put himself as Supreme Head of the Church instead of the Pope. In 1539 Henry authorized the Act of the Six Articles which are Catholic doctrines in everything but name. Anyone disobeying these laws would be treated as a heretic.

Summary of the Six Articles:
1. The Holy Sacraments (Lord's Supper) is the literal, actual blood and body of Jesus. Also called transubstantiation.
2. The Holy Sacraments could be withheld from those who are not clergy.
3. Priest of any order were to remain celibate
4. Observance of vows of chastity
5. Permission for private masses
6. Importance of confessing sins to a priest.

It is because of the first article that got Anne into the most trouble. She boldly preached that if the Holy Sacrament bread were put in a box that it would eventually mold. That Jesus used many times objects to REPRESENT Him. She said that Jesus called Himself "the door", "the light", "the rock", but none of these were taken as literal meanings.

Anne was racked and asked to confess any others that shared her faith. She never gave in to her tormentors. It is believed that they racked her so severely that they broke her spine. She was then condemned to death by burning. (She is the only woman on record to have been both tortured and burned at the stake) Because of the torture inflicted upon her, she had to be carried in a chair to the stake. There they had to tie her to a small chair made for her. She was brave until the end. There is one account of some of her followers throwing gun powder on her so she would burn more quickly, but we are not certain of this. It is said that she didn't scream until the flames came to her chest (another reason why I think her spinal cord was severed. She didn't feel the flames because she had lost all feeling in her lower extremities).

She preached boldly the truth of the Gospel. She fought for the right for all to be able to read the Bible in their own language, including women (a law Henry VIII had passed prohibited women from having access to the Bible).

She wrote about her interrogations in a book called  The Examinations of Anne Askew

Anne Askew was executed on July 16, 1546. She is mention is Foxe's Book of Martyrs

Some quotes from Anne Askew:
In response to Jesus saying: "This is my Body, eat" - Anne answered: “Christ’s meaning in that passage is similar to the meaning of those other places of Scripture, ‘I am the door’, ‘I am the vine’. ‘Behold the Lamb of God.’ ‘That rock was Christ.’ And other such references to Himself. We are not in these texts to take Christ for the material thing which He is signified by, for then we will make Him a door, a vine, a lamb, a stone, quite contrary to the Holy Ghost’s meaning. All these indeed signify Christ, even as the bread signifies His body in that place.” 

When asked about other religious decrees passed by men to be taken as law or doctrine she said:
I believe all those Scriptures to be true which He hath confirmed with His most precious blood. Yea, and, as St. Paul sayeth, those Scriptures are sufficient for our learning and salvation that Christ hath left here with us; so that I believe we need no unwritten verities with which to rule His Church.”
When asked about Transubstantiation:
Anne responded: “God is a spirit, not a wafer cake. He is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth – John 4:24 – and not by the impious superstitious homage paid to a wafer converted, by popish jugglery, into a god.”

Courageous - Movie Review

I was hesitant to see Courageous only because I am not really into tear-jerking movies. Well bring a whole box of Kleenex because you will need it! Even good old dad will be crying at this movie, especially dads with daughters.

The movie is about 4 police officers and one construction/factory worker that no longer want to fit into the stereotype of the passive American dad. The movie cites several times the shocking statistics of the effects of children being raised without the father figure. Here is more information on the facts of what are some of the consequences of children growing up without a father figure. The men in this movie go through many of life's hardships and battles and look to God and His Word for the answers on how to be great fathers. Who else but the ultimate Father to give you lessons on how to be a dad? Through their trials and several funny moments they turn their lives around by turning their heart towards God and what He expects of them as spiritual leaders. They become pro-active men, involved in the lives of their children. What a beautiful message!

Courageous is a Christian movie done by the same directors as Fireproof, Flywheel and Facing The Giants. The acting is a bit mediocre in a minimal amount of scenes but the message is forward, as it needs to be. The directors were bold  in developing characters that depend on Jesus and in displaying how the Bible contains all that is necessary to be a great father.

In a post-feminist, post-modernist world, the roles that God designed for men and women has been blurred through political correctness. Our boys are told that guns and playing with swords is violent. They are not allowed to horse play or rough house with their friends due to fear of "hurting" themselves. We don't let them get dirty, grimy, smelly, or muddy. We panic when they bleed or fall. We (mostly mothers) teach them fear of bugs, mice, germs and other crawly things. We run to protect them when they pout or don't get their way. And frankly mothers, we are raising little wusses. We have not allowed our husbands to be a part of their lives. Dads fill a special role in a child's life that only the male mind can provide. Guess what ladies, we are different from men and we will never be like them. Praise God! We raise boys, not men. Ever heard of a momma's boy?

Like Fireproof, there is a book you can buy that is based on the principles of the movie. If you are interested in buying the book click here. There is also a book geared towards women. For that book, click here.

I wasn't too surprised about secular critics giving poor ratings to the film. Most didn't bash anything but the Christian content. Many critics talked about how phony it was for someone to use in conversation how their faith helped them. Guess what! Christians talk that way. It is called Christianese. We reference things like faith, Jesus, the Bible, and use church jargon and cliches all the time. The secular critics, I guess, can't believe someone talks about their faith outside of church.

Courageous really tugs at the heart and the tear ducts. It is an excellent movie to take for the whole family, but be warned the movie is rated PG-13 and there are several scenes involving violence. The opening scenes involves a car jacking. There is a scene where a young man is "jumped" into a gang. There is a somewhat bloody gun fight scene towards the end. There are several references to drugs. The "d" word is used. A man gets tazed by a police officer. There are no sexual references and all the characters are dressed modestly. I do believe the PG-13 rating is a bit high considering other movies with stronger material have had PG ratings.

I highly recommend this movie to the Christian family, specifically the men. I also took several teens and they all enjoyed it. A younger child might get a bit bored because there is quiet a bit of dialogue.

Rating: PG-13 for some violence and drug content.
Running Time: 124 minutes

I give this movie an 9 out of 10 stars only because a few of the actors were camera conscious.

How not to pray

I saw this today in a clip on Wretched Radio Clip. I couldn't help but laugh a bit because I know that I have prayed like this several times. I think the people at Acts 17 really helped in identifying some of prayer time traditions. They also did a great job in helping us see that a lot times we pray with our own biases and not according how God's Word says we should pray like. 

How Not to Pray - adapted by Wretched Radio

1. The Gossip
           Lord, please forgive Larry here for cheating on his lovely wife, she must be heartbroken

2. The Theologian
          Lord, you are immutable, omniscient, triune . . .

3. The Bore
          Lord, I just pray for my stamp collection. Please help me find my lost  . . .

4. The Lecturer
         Lord, forgive this congregation for failing to meet the offering budget again.

5. The Sons of Thunder
         Lord, smite that woman who cut me off on the way here with your scorching rebuke

6. The KJV Only Prayerer
         We beseech Thee in Thine tabernacle to forgiveth the bowels of our iniquity

7. Praying Without Ceasing
         You don't want this guy praying before dinner!

8. The Satanist
          Satan, I take authority over you and bind you

9. Reverse Humility Guy
           Lord, thank You for not letting me get too puffed up about being so good looking.

10. The Accuser of our Brethren
           Lord, forgive the leaders of our church for their laziness and ignorance

11. The Announcement Prayer
           Lord please be with our next Sunday potluck which will be held at the Anderson home at 3744 Ridgewood Way. That little cap cod house with the blue trimming. And please let all those with last names beginning with A-L remember that they bring a main dish and those beginning with K-Z remember to bring a side dish.

There are more types of prayerers at the Acts 17 website.

Are you really a Christian Examination

This is a list I got from one of the clips from wretched radio program. Click on the link for other great studies and commentary on Christianity, doctrine and religious information. 


If you are not sure that you are a true repentant Christian, sealed by the blood of Jesus and bound for Glory, then click on the link above and on the right hand side there is a clip called "Are you really a Christian?". Click there for a good spiritual shake up!


Here is the questionnaire to examine yourself if you are truly a Christian. Next to the questions is a reference verse to look up and know where they got the question they are asking.


The Bible says:
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? ~ 2 Corinthians 13:5-6


1. Do you like hanging out with Christians. (1 John 1:3) - Or do real Christians get on your nerves.


2. Do you recognize that you have an abominable heart. If anyone knew what was in your heart you would feel shame. You know that you are wretch. (1 John 1:8)  - Knowledge that you are undeserving helps you rely on Jesus not on your own actions. You don't get to Heaven because you are good, you get to Heaven because you are bad and have a good Savior!


3. Do you strive to keep the ten commandments. (1 John 2:3)


4. Do you love the world? If the world would end, would you be sad? (1 John 2:15) - What identifies you? What do you enjoy more than Jesus?


5. Do you know who Jesus is? (I John 2:23)


6. Can you wait to see God? Are you anxious to be with Him in Heaven? (I John 3:2) - You are not anxious to go to Heaven because you are tired of this world, but because  you are excited to be with your Savior.


7. Are you continuously sinning? It's not about perfection, but it is about direction. We should be holier than we were last year. Ask your family. Is there a difference? Is change (regeneration) happening? (I John 3:8)


8. Do we dote on our Christian brothers and sisters? (I John 3:14) - Do you help out other Christians in need?


9. Do you love to hear preaching, teaching and hearing the Word? Can you just not get enough of it!?
 (I John 4:16)


10. Do you proclaim Jesus Christ? Do you do it intentionally? (I John 4:15) Do you share your faith with others? Does the fact that many people are going to Hell move you to tell others of Jesus' salvation?


How did you do? Let the Holy Spirit guide you into what you need God to help you in. Talk with your pastor or a spiritually mature Christian to walk through some struggling points with you.


Many might look at this test and say that it is legalistic or it is emphasizing salvation through works. It is not. You can tell what a tree is by its fruit. The same is with a Christian. If a Christian walks like a heathen, talks like a heathen, dresses like a heathen and is very happy being a heathen, then he's not a Christian. Jesus in Matthew 25 separates the sheep from the goats based on what they DID. James tells us that faith without works is dead. The apostles and many Christian brothers and sisters were not martyred because they did nothing, but because they were doing something! 


It is true that you are not saved by works, but you are so grateful to Jesus for choosing you that you can't help but to work.


Blessings,
Anna

Erasing Hell - Book Review

As Christians, we must be aware and willing to fight against the attacks that face the church body and the minds of new believers. The Bible countlessly warns against false teachers, prophets and doctrines. The whole gospel of John was written to combat the new movement of gnosticism that was rising up and declaring a false Jesus.

There is a new movement now. A movement that smudges the bold lines of what is right and was is wrong. A movement where tolerating others' way of living is peace loving. Where moral convictions are antiquated and thought of as narrow-minded. Where there are absolutely no absolutes. Where a good person goes to heaven in their own way. Where a loving God would never send anyone to Hell.

It is because of this movement and because of the book Love Wins by Rob Bell that Francis Chan with Preston Sprinkle wrote the book Erasing Hell. Chan sincerely admits to his own struggles of believing that God sends people to Hell. He openly admits that this is a subject many Christians avoid because it is uncomfortable. Who wants to hear that nice old grammy didn't make it to Heaven because she didn't know Jesus? No one does. As we quickly turn the channel when a starving child is displayed on TV, we quickly turn the idea off that there is a place of utter doom and punishment for people that reject Jesus.

The book is basically a study on hell - what it is, where it is, who goes there, etc.  He does go into the exegesis of many verses and explains a lot of the character of God. The book also spends a lot of time on the holiness of God. He also writes about the history of hell and universalism. This book has a very serious tone as it should.

Read the following verses out loud: Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The feeling you have after reading and believing that, well that is what you feel throughout the whole book.

The book is easy to read and every Christian that struggles with the idea of Hell should read it. It is a book that stirs your spirit to proclaim the Good News, the Good News that we don't have to end up in Hell, that God provided a way for us to be with Him through Jesus.

Not all will like this book because of the truth in it. Who wants to read a book that condemns the majority of the human beings on this earth to a place of torment? But, nonetheless, it is a book worth reading.

The book does spend some time addressing the length of time a soul is in hell. Mr. Chan does mostly side that Hell is forever, but he does leave room for the reader to make up his or her mind regarding the length of people's torment in Hell.

I recommend this book to Christians of all maturity levels and to those who are toeing the idea of universalism.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

If you would like to order the book, click here.

Here is a video regarding the book.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a movie that ties itself to the first Planet of the Apes that starred Charlton Heston. To me, it was more of a prequel movie to the original. It also answers a lot of questions that the 2nd Planet of the Apes that starred Mark Wahlberg left out. The movie with Mark Wahlberg really was annoying and strayed so much from the original that it frustrated me throughout the movie. If you are a purist and love your classics, I think you will really enjoy this new Planet of the Apes. Throughout the movie there are tiny moments that take you to the original, including some quotes from Charlton Heston.

The movie is about a scientist (James Franco) who is on the verge of discovering a cure for Alzheimer's. He uses chimps as his experimental subjects and notices a remarkable increase in neurological function and the brain seems to repair itself. Will, the scientist, acquires a baby chimp that he raises on his own. The chimp, Caesar, grows up and his intelligence, reasoning and IQ increase exponentially. Caesar struggles with his "identity" and because of an accident he is confined to an animal rescue type facility. There, he leads a rebellion with the other apes against the humans.

The movie does not have any sexual scenes nor does it have a lot of bad language, just the f--- word is used once. There are several scenes that are uncomfortable. One of the trainers abuses the apes several times and Caesar also gets abused by the apes he is confined with. Thankfully, it is very tame and not gory.

The animation and CG is phenomenal! Caesar's facial expressions are remarkable and there is no need for him to express himself with words. There are many times in the movie that you forget that the apes are only animation. The "battle" scene at the end is superb. You definitely root for the underdog throughout the whole scene. There are several very funny scenes and the movie definitely caters to those who love the original movie. The movie is sprinkled with references to the original and it definitely ties all loose ends that the original left behind. While the 2nd Planet of the Apes left you wondering and confused. This Planet of the Apes gives you an understanding of how we ended up with Planet of the Apes, the original, in the first place.

This movie does tug at the emotional heart strings and really emphasizes why man should never play God. 

I recommend this movie to anyone that likes sci-fi and who loves their classics.

For Christians: I do not believe this movie really caters to evolutionists. On the contrary, the apes "evolve" only because man tinkered with them genetically. The apes do stand almost erect like man, although there is no reason for them to stand straighter. The apes are given a more "human" like face but that is only to make clear of their intelligence. There is no mention of evolution and scientifically, genetic mutations do not add information to DNA.The apes did not get smarter because of evolution, they became smarter because of man.

I give this movie 9 out of 10 stars.

The movie is rated PG-13 for intense and frightening sequences of action and violence.
Running Time: 120 minutes