BOOK REVIEW: "MUSCLE AND A SHOVEL"

I have seen many people today try to review the book, "Muscle and a Shovel" by Michael Shank.  But most of the reviews have been bias and with an agenda.  Many have tried to discredit the author by saying that there is no way this could have happened.  While others have stated that the results from the book are inflated.  But neither argument takes away from the truths found in this enlightening book.  So with all the criticisms and praise for the book, I want to look at the content.

Michael Shank starts his story at the end and just before you see the conclusion he jumps back in time to show just how he and his wife got to that point.   This is a clever and productive way to draw you into what he is about to recount.   "Muscle and a Shovel" (Muscle) is on location in Nashville, TN.  It tells the story of how one man's courage to teach the Bible leads another man on the soul-changing journey of a life-time.  The man of courage is Randall and the journeyman is Michael Shank.  This eight month trip through spiritual turmoil drives Michael from one extreme to the other.  This is the same journey that so many Christians today have traveled.  And it is why this book is not only relative but an essential tool for evangelism.

The trip Michael took started with an unlikely friendship and for the better part of the next year would cover almost every type of emotion one could experience.  I for one love the pure honest truth in the book.  How Randall never backs down and always has a scripture to back up his teaching.  In fact Michael mentions that there are over 1,000 individual verses referenced from the KJV Bible.  It seems like every page of Muscle has the inspired Word of God mentioned. 

The Muscle book puts all the verses of the Bible that help you understand what must be done for salvation into a nice organized package.  You only need to have an open mind and search for yourself.  Michael would ask Randall a serious question and then Randall would give a biblical answer.  No need to second guess what Randall was saying all you have to do is look it up.  In the back of the book is listed every verse that is used in each chapter. 

I cannot find fault with this uplifting book.  I have read the reviews both positive and negative.  One said, "In the book, Randall says that everyone that is not church of Christ is going to hell."  That is not exactly what he said.  In fact the one quoted to have said that was a fellow named Kirk.  Kirk is seen to not like Randall very much and really hates religion.  On page 50, Kirk says, "You know that guy Randall believes that Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics - everybody but his church are all going to Hell?"  Michael confronts Randall with this statement and Randall's response is not only loving but honest.  Randall says after telling Michael that God is the final Judge, "from my understanding of God's Word, if you're a member of a denomination, whether it be Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Mormon, any church that Jesus Christ did not establish and buy with His blood, there's no question that you're headed toward eternal destruction" (page 52).  You see, Randall once again calls on God and His word to be the final judge. 

The difficulty with people and their opinions about this book is that most will not go into it with an open heart.  But these are the same people that find faults with God's Word and don't search His book with an open heart.  Now before someone goes on a tangent and says that I am placing Muscle on the same level as the Bible let me say in all caps, THIS BOOK IS NOT ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THE BIBLE.  THE BIBLE IS FROM GOD AND MUSCLE AND A SHOVEL IS FROM A MAN.  Ok, did that clear it up.  But one thing that Muscle has is over 1,000 verses from God's word.  I would say that Muscle is a really good read. 

Have you read the book?  Take a look, and read the book.  Decide for yourself.  And as one said that Michael quoted on the back of the book, "This story provoked me on spiritual levels I didn't know existed!  Everyone who reads this story should be prepared to "fight or flee" - Muscle and a Shovel is one of those rare books that will raise your blood-pressure.  You'll either give it to everyone you know or put it into a shredder - there's no middle-ground.  This book just might turn the religious world on its ear! (Baptist Minister of 18 years). 

If you desire a copy of the book Muscle and a Shovel to read for yourself then email me with your address and I will mail one to you for FREE.  smellchristlike@yahoo.com

This truly is a book that ministers with a message.

THE PICTURE MESSAGE OF 1 PETER 3:20-21

 

In Genesis 7, we can read about Noah and his family being saved from destruction by the ark that God commanded him to build, "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did" (Genesis 6:22).  Those that were in the ark found salvation.  Anyone found outside the ark was lost. 

Peter uses this as an example of salvation, "who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water" (1 Peter 3:20).

Peter then writes, "There is also an antitype which now saves us - baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21).  We must enter the ark of Christ which is salvation.  The only way to enter that ark is through the "antitype"; "baptism."  When one believes (essential for salvation) in Christ he/she is going toward Christ.  When one repents (essential for salvation) of his/her sins they are going toward Christ.  When one confesses that Jesus is the Son of God (essential for salvation) he/she is going toward Christ.  But they are not in Christ until baptism (essential for salvation). 

In Galatians 3:27 Paul writes, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."  Look at the picture above.  Baptism puts you into Christ.  There is no passage of scripture that says that faith alone puts you into Christ.  There is not a single scripture that says if you pray a "Sinner's Prayer" that will put you into Christ.  You cannot find in the Word of God that you must "ask Jesus into your heart" and then you are in Christ.  But to be placed INTO CHRIST you must be baptized thus re-enacting His death, burial and resurrection (Roman 6:2-4).

Paul paints this picture so well when he wrote, "But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered" (Romans 6:17).  Here he points back to what he just wrote about in Romans 6:2-4, "Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (obedience to the death of Christ on the cross - "form of doctrine") Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death (obedience to the burial of Christ in the tomb - "form of doctrine"), that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (obedience to the resurrection of Christ from the tomb - "form of doctrine"). 

There is no other way to enter the body of Christ except through baptism.  And there is no other way to obtain salvation except being in the body of Christ.  Therefore, there is no other way without being baptized to obtain salvation. 

May God continue to bless you as you Minister His Message.

DID JESUS HAVE A WIFE?

We continue having to defend the life of Christ and rumors about Him.  The picture above comes from a piece of papyrus thought to be from the 4th century A.D.  In it there is a line which reads, "Jesus said to them, 'My wife...'".  So the question that is now being circulated throughout the world (again) is, "Did Jesus have a wife?"  But I believe a better series of questions should be directed at the piece of papyrus, i.e., "Is this an authentic rendering of the first century life of Christ?"  "Where did this come from?"  "Who is its author?"

Harvard Divinity School historian Dr. Karen L. King has been the driving force in sharing this piece of papyrus to the world.  But even though she has fueled the excitement fire, she is quoted to say, "that although this may be the first source from humanity’s distant past to mention Jesus having a wife, the text was most likely written long after Jesus had lived. Though exciting, the document is not proof that Jesus had a wife" (Prachi Gupta - Historian decodes ancient papyrus that says Jesus had a wife -  www.salon.com/topic/jesus).  Craig Blomberg, Denver Seminary's distinguished professor of New Testament said "(The papyrus,) even if a genuine 4th-century document, is likely a deliberate invention and distortion by an unorthodox Christian group 400 years later" (Electa Draper - Denver theologians weigh in on meaning of "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" - www.canoncitydailyrecord.com).

Before going any further I have provided the line by line translation of the papyrus.  Each line is designated by a hyphen.

- not [to] me.  My mother gave to me life
- the disciples said to Jesus
- deny.  Mary is worthy of it
- Jesus said to them, My wife
- she will be able to be my disciple
- Let wicked people swell up
- As for me, I dwell with her in order to
- an image

(http://www.hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/research-projects/the-gospel-of-jesuss-wife)

Do you notice that there are no complete sentences or thoughts.  We have no way of knowing what the original author had in mind.  What is presented to the world is only a small section of a much larger document.  But I cannot help but continue the questions: Was the writer actually talking about Jesus Christ the Savior?  Was this author an unbeliever that maybe wanted to stir people up?  And on and on I could go.  When we understand that these questions are impossible to answer we must therefore turn to another source that is complete to remedy the proposed dilemma.  The only logical place to look for trustworthy remedies to these and all other inquiries about Jesus Christ is the inspired Word of God.

As I turn the pages of Scripture, I find not a single verse that even gives a hint to the idea that Jesus was married.  What I do see is the purpose of Christ coming to this earth, and it was not about being married.  The purpose of Christ coming to the earth was to "seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10).  He did not come to start a physical family with a wife called Mary.  He does have a spiritual family called the church.

He came to be the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind.  All the prophecies of a Messiah, in the Old Testament, point to the purpose and life of Christ.  Isaiah wrote,  "Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12, ESV)  One of the best known verses in the New Testament reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NKJV).  Again, I don't see any mention of the wife that some want to convey on Christ.

This notion of Jesus being married is not new in our secular society.  One of Hollywood's best selling movies, “The Da Vinci Code" put this issue in the minds of skeptics.  The atheist, the agnostic, the unbeliever, the deceiver and the deceived will prolong this knavery of Jesus' life.  This ancient papyrus has started the discussion once again.  But when we are focused on God and His word as truth, then we have the way to put an end to all of this.  Conclusion: Jesus did not have a wife!