“BULA” MAN-RIVER – ANSWER TO “MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM” – BY KIANG P LEE

Greetings Friends Around the World Over,

I hope you will find this post helpful in discerning a misleading belief system that’s extensive in the world today among Christians. It is called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, or MTD in abbreviated form. May you have the understanding, and exercise the courage to depart from any worldview which distorts and does not faithfully represent the Gospel of Christ. May you remain true to the reality we have in Him, who alone can give us a lively hope with energizing joy.

The title of my post today is, “Bula” man-river as the answer to Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD).* Consider the following statements I have excerpted from my book, “Bula man-river – The Miracle of Triune Living,” from which you can read the points of difference that separate the two belief statements – the worldview of MTD, and the beliefs and practices of the “Bula” man-river. **

MTD-1 “A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.”

“A god exists who created and ordered the world…” Excerpt from my  Book: “One of the most important and overlooked aspects of Jesus’ mission was that He came to reveal to us the true nature of God. Throughout His mission, Jesus made reference to God as His Father (John 17, 1:1-5, 14-8). John attests to this Father/Son relationship, saying, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18). Jesus also mentions another personage in the unified Godhead – the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18, 25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Matt. 28:18-20). Jesus came to reveal the true nature of God by revealing the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and to show that God is triune in His nature and not solitary. God is ONE trinity. That is, He is the union of three persons in one Triune Godhead. He is not alone; He is not individualistic; He is not isolated or reclusive. The triune love between the Father, Son, and Spirit was something that was never seen articulated in humanity until the Son came and took upon Him His creaturely human body. (Pg.21-22, 182)”

“…and watches over human life on earth” Excerpt from my  Book: “From the beginning Adam and Eve experienced this miraculous life firsthand – they were given a home that God supernaturally materialized before their eyes, the Garden of Eden. God did not point out a jungle and instructed them to plant a garden themselves. No, God lovingly and meticulously planted the garden himself. God’s love is impartial – he has unreservedly set aside his love for every man, woman, and child for all time, and nothing can make him change his mind. He sacrificed his only Son to prove his love for all mankind. However, this intimate relationship can be made to happen in human reality. God waits upon man to choose to freely love him as He has chosen to freely love man. life of God. This life of miracles is one He intended for all humans to experience for all time… Miracles always remind us of a life we cannot inherit as humans, but we experience it as a foretaste of our future in God’s glorious realm. That’s our birthright.” (Pg.11-13, 18)

MTD-2 “God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.”

Excerpt from my Book – “From the essence of God’s love springs all gifts and all goodness… The apostle Peter defined God’s ministry in humanity this way: He is among us for nothing but good (Acts 10:38) This is clearly seen in the message of the Gospels. Wherever Jesus touched the lives of people, miracles happened. Regardless of who they were, it’s clear the only proviso was faith. We’re all special to Him. We are all born for this miracle-filled life as a direct act of goodness from the Creator Himself.”

“It’s not possible to speak of the Spirit’s work in the Bula man-river without the fruits that identify who He is – it’s one and the same, it’s unavoidable. (1Cor.13) Most times when people think of the fruits of the Spirit, they often view them academically through the legalistic lens of religious proponents who uses them to make “better people” of us. We live powerless lives when we do. We are not zombies, but free-will humans made in the image of God. We can view these fruits in a purely academic frame of mind, but they are first and foremost the energy and spark of the Spirit in the life of the Bula man-river. We can exercise them as some self-righteous human behavior or we can give ourselves to the Spirit to let His energy inspire our actions in them. The practice of the fruits of the Spirit is not for some hollow “self-improvement” exercise for human personal gain. The fruit is the Spirit’s creative energy for developing loving relationships with our God and our fellowman.”

“On the contrary, we fail to realize that from eternity these fruits undergirded the loving relationship of the three persons within the Triune God. Love’s energy is brought to life in the application of these fruits. In our constant presence before God, the Bula man-river share this energy and the creative relationships we have within the Triune existence of God. Now you are in their midst living the same life they live from eternity and tasting that life in the Spirit. This is the birthplace of gifts, dreams, talents, and calling… This defines the mechanics of Trinitarian living. The fruits of the Spirit articulate God’s love and undergirds all human relationships of the Bula man-river within the Triune existence of God. Jesus “lives creatively” in the power of the Spirit through us as Bula man-rivers from which we derive our inspired abilities (Matt. 16:24; John 8:12, 12:26; 1 Pet. 2:21). We don’t take the “creative fruits” of love in the Spirit and bottle them up inside us – that is “reverse flow”; it’s stagnation and lifelessness.”

“When relationships are motivated by fear they become twisted, for relationships are made for love based on the Triune existence of God Himself. His promise to each of us rings clear through time, because you’re a Bula man-river, you’ve come back home to Eden, from here on, “My love and goodness will chase after you every day of your life” (Ps. 23:6, The Message emphasis added)” (Pg. 156, 112-113, 25, 213)

MTD-3 “The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.”

Excerpt from my Book: “I echo the insightful comment made by Trevor Hart in an interview he gave to “You’re Included,” that “God made man to enjoy being in His presence.” That, in its simplest form, is the Gospel (Ps. 16:9, 11; Neh. 8:10; John 16:24). The purpose of miracles is to make that possible because God is Spirit and we are human and physical. To bring us into His presence, as a human, can only mean to live in a ceaseless joyful miraculous existence. That is why God declares He made every day to be enjoyed and rejoiced over (Ps. 118:24). He is declaring the state of His own existence, which, as a “unified being” in Jesus, we can enjoy by miraculous intervention. It is a presence lived both in this human life and in the life to come. When we have children, they come in our likeness because they have our DNA in them, and so it is with God. Man has God’s DNA in him, thus making the miraculous life possible.”

“To live your “dream-life” is your miracle, and it is the place to attract more miracles because that is His place and purpose for joy. We can simply tell a story that’s articulated in the interaction we have with God in our individual purpose and “life-gift.” That’s the basis upon which the subject of our calling and purpose. Life and gifts comes fused together and are inseparable. Therefore, a person’s “life-gift” or dream is always magnetizing to him or her. That’s to say, the “life-gift” is the magnet to a person’s life. We either flow with our gift or swim against it. Whoever a person is and becomes is only as good as the gift that defines him or her. Talent, purpose, dream, call it what you will, is what gives man purpose; without it, life is meaningless. There’s only one genuine and legitimate life God gives us, and through which He communicates Himself to us – our “life-gift” or purpose in life. Our purpose is founded upon Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith,” who is the storehouse of all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom (Heb. 12:2; Col. 2:3).” (Pg.17-18, 159)

MTD-4 “God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.”

Excerpt from my Book: “God has dreams to give each human as He gave to Joseph – if we will walk together. As I said, God’s hand is always outstretched. The question is, are our hands equally stretched out to His to live this life? To live your “dream-life” is your miracle, and it is the place to attract more miracles because that is His place and purpose for joy. Angels exist for this very purpose. That is essentially what this book is about – miracles! Miracles specific to you as a person made in the image of God, with a gift, your dream-life. Miracles are the product of God’s love. By being connected to His love you will find your miracle dream-life.”

“The primary attractant of miracles is the person’s purpose and dream-life. God wants to enter your world and give you the birthright that’s yours as a human made in His image. Your name bears your destiny, and your destiny bears your name. God’s love for man is beyond our comprehension. In other words, His love is like a river that never stops flowing, day or night. His hand is always outstretched to us. He has never left us, but we have left Him. This departure began in Eden when paradise was lost. God’s constant participation in our lives will make miracles more common; that’s obvious because of the interaction of the spiritual and the natural. This miracle-life is a participatory life. It’s like a dance—with your Maker. A dance is a “hands-on” activity done one-on-one, and done intimately when love is the magnet.” (Pg. 12, 17-18) 

MTD-5 “Good people go to heaven when they die.”

Excerpt from my Book – “None of us signed a contract to die someday, return to the ashes of the earth, and be forever forgotten. The words the Creator uttered reveal man’s ultimate goal to be freed from the power of death. So we see the beautiful thoughts of God in creating man to share His image of immortality. Paul said, “It is appointed for man to die once and then the resurrection to judgment and to immortality” (Heb. 9:27; 1 Cor. 15:50-58; Phil. 3:9-11; Rev. 20:4-6, 11-13). That’s the ultimate purpose of becoming man-rivers of God. In God’s spiritual kingdom, there are as many offices and purposes as there are people’s destinies (John 14:1-3; Matt. 25:34). Every man, woman, and child is born to fill an office in His transcendent monarchy for which He has bestowed gifts to all. The first and greatest gift God gives man is His Spirit, who is the deposit of immortality. The purpose of life is to enter that place of promise, with immortality to live that life of destiny we have all been given. So the Bula man-river carries with him the seed of immortality.”

“This is our new life in Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension (Heb. 8:6-11). The heart of fear dies and reincarnates into a heart of love (God). This is the miraculous life we have been called to live, for nothing but a miracle can make it happen. He gave us His Son, so He too had to adopt His own humanity, thereby using the medium of humans as a blessing to humans through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. That is what we inherit with Jesus and the Spirit in His Triune existence – something outside of our material existence – God’s Triune nature of love. When man is stripped off his fallen humanity and his material world in the resurrection, all he is left with is the love of God that never dies. Like Christ, we will have glorified human bodies natured in the love of God. For God is love (1 John 4:8).” (Pg. 12, 30, 34, 151)

From the presentation above, the Lord’s hand is extended in love to each and every one of you. He invites you to experience the miraculous life we have in Christ when we give ourselves to become Bula man-rivers in His hands, and live life that is truly life. (1 Tim.6:19) I invite you to read my book and see the breadth of God’s Triune love for you. May God’s blessing be with you all.

Kiang                                                                                                                                                             (Your Servant in Christ) 

The term Moralistic Therapeutic Deism or MTD, was first introduced in the book “Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (2005),” by sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton. Their book was the result of a research project, the “National Study of Youth and Religion,” private funded by Lilly Endowment. The authors find that many young people believe in several moral beliefs that they label Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, and are given below:

  1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
  2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
  3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
  4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
  5. Good people go to heaven when they die.  (www.wikipedia.org)

 

** The “Bulamanriver” is the metaphor describing the union of man with the Love of the Triune God flowing in humans, making possible the “Triune Life” – the source of the miraculous life in man. To read the many facets of life of the Bula man-river, go to my website www.bulamanriver.com where you can order a copy of my Book. Thank you for your support.

All scriptures are taken from the NIV Version 2011, unless stated otherwise

Note: Any information obtained from this website that is used for publication should be acknowledged by citing the website address, date of acquisition and information pertinent to original authorship. For general guidelines regarding web citations see The Guide for Citing Electronic Information

53 thoughts on ““BULA” MAN-RIVER – ANSWER TO “MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM” – BY KIANG P LEE

  1. bulamanriver Post author

    Welcome and thank you. May you find meaning and purpose in your journey with us. God bless.

    Reply
  2. bulamanriver Post author

    Sorry for this late reply, but thanks so much for your comments. I’m adding nes features to my site soon, so keep visiting. Once again, thank you, and keep the comments and even questions coming. Blessings, Kiang

    Reply
  3. seo plugin

    Hello Web Admin, I noticed that your On-Page SEO is is missing a few factors, for one you do not use all three H tags in your post, also I notice that you are not using bold or italics properly in your SEO optimization. On-Page SEO means more now than ever since the new Google update: Panda. No longer are backlinks and simply pinging or sending out a RSS feed the key to getting Google PageRank or Alexa Rankings, You now NEED On-Page SEO. So what is good On-Page SEO?First your keyword must appear in the title.Then it must appear in the URL.You have to optimize your keyword and make sure that it has a nice keyword density of 3-5% in your article with relevant LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing). Then you should spread all H1,H2,H3 tags in your article.Your Keyword should appear in your first paragraph and in the last sentence of the page. You should have relevant usage of Bold and italics of your keyword.There should be one internal link to a page on your blog and you should have one image with an alt tag that has your keyword….wait there’s even more Now what if i told you there was a simple WordPress plugin that does all the On-Page SEO, and automatically for you? That’s right AUTOMATICALLY, just watch this 4minute video for more information at. Seo Plugin

    Reply
  4. million hits secret bonus

    I couldn’t have really asked for a better blog. You’re always there to give excellent tips, going instantly to the point for convenient understanding of your visitors. You’re really a terrific professional in this field. Thanks a lot for being there for human beings like me.

    Reply
  5. cheap louis vuitton handbags leather luggage

    Thanks for a marvelous posting! I certainly enjoyed reading it, you are a great author.I will make sure to bookmark your blog and definitely will come back from now on. I want to encourage you to definitely continue your great writing, have a nice evening!
    cheap louis vuitton handbags leather luggage http://www.rochet.com/images/imm/louis-vuitton-outlet-store/@5cheap-louis-vuitton-handbags-leather-luggage54yi.html

    Reply
  6. 에르메스

    こんにちはそれは私フィオナだ、私はまた、この訪れています Webサイトをサイト “BULA” MAN-RIVER – ANSWER TO “MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM” – BY KIANG P LEE | Bula Man-River – Miracle of Triune Living 日常、このサイト 本当に本当にです良いと実際に| ユーザー本当に本当に共有楽しい思考。
    에르메스 http://www.yeahrentals.com/

    Reply
  7. Jani

    Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as
    I provide credit and sources back to your blog? My blog is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would genuinely benefit from a lot of the information you provide here.
    Please let me know if this alright with you. Cheers!

    My homepage garcinia cambogia free trial terms and conditions
    (Jani)

    Reply
  8. Claudette

    Hey there would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using?
    I’m going to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a hard time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your layout seems different
    then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique.
    P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!

    Feel free to visit my site: garcinia cambogia free trial
    (Claudette)

    Reply
  9. Senaida

    I have read so many articles or reviews about the blogger lovers except this piece of writing is really a
    pleasant piece of writing, keep it up.

    Also visit my homepage … garcinia cambogia
    cleanse free trial – Senaida,

    Reply
  10. Kara

    Wonderful blog! Do you have any tips and hints for
    aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
    Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are
    so many choices out there that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
    Any tips? Thanks!

    my web-site – raspberry ketone and garcinia cambogia free trial (Kara)

    Reply
  11. Marquis

    Hello i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting anywhere, when i read this
    post i thought i could also make comment due to this good post.

    Feel free to visit my homepage; healthy choice garcinia cambogia free trial (Marquis)

    Reply
  12. Rogelio

    Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Taking the time and actual effort to make
    a superb article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and don’t
    manage to get nearly anything done.

    Here is my web-site garcinia cambogia free 14 day trial (Rogelio)

    Reply
  13. www.beskidzkie.fora.pl

    Amazing blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
    A design like yours with a few simple adjustements
    would really make my blog stand out. Please let me know where you got your design. Kudos

    Reply
  14. レイバン

    アメージングビデオ、本当に A いい気難しい%を “BULA” MAN-RIVER – ANSWER TO “MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM” – BY KIANG P LEE | Bula Man-River – Miracle of Triune Living %の品質を、このYouTubeのビデオはの点で私をたくさん触れ品質。
    レイバン

    Reply
  15. nike air force 1 womens white

    I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.
    The sketch is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish.
    nonetheless, you command get bought an shakiness over that
    you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come further formerly again as exactly the same nearly
    very often inside case you shield this hike.

    Reply
  16. Tabatha

    I like the valuable information yoou provide in your articles.

    I will bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
    I am quite certain I’ll learn many new stuff right here! Best of luxk
    for the next!

    Also viit my page :: small business seo consultant; Tabatha,

    Reply
  17. Website

    I truly love your site.. Great colors & theme. Did you develop this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m attempting to create my own personal website and would love to know where you got this from or what the theme is named. Appreciate it!|

    Reply
  18. vitalie

    We stumbled over here from a different web address and thought I
    should check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you.

    Look forward to looking over your web page again.

    Reply
  19. oakley

    “BULA” MAN-RIVER – ANSWER TO “MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM” – BY KIANG P LEE | Bula Man-River – Miracle of Triune Living Informative article, just what I was looking for.
    oakley

    Reply
  20. Extreme Lean Garcinia

    Admiring the dedication you put into your site and detailed
    information you provide. It’s awesome to come across a blog every once in a while
    that isn’t the same out of date rehashed information. Great read!
    I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.

    Reply
  21. Cheryl

    Ԍreetings fгom California! ӏ’m bored to tears at ѡork ѕo ӏ
    decided to browse ƴoսr boog on mу iphone dսring lunch break.
    І enjoy the informatіоn yoս provide Һere and can’t wait tо taҡe a loօk whеn I ǥet homе.
    I’m shocked аt how quick your blog loaded οn myy
    mobile .. I’m not eѵen using WIFI, just 3G ..
    Αnyways, superb blog!

    Μy website – gеt cracked seo software – Cheryl,

    Reply
  22. cute hoodies

    Very nice post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed
    surfing around your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing for your feed and I’m hoping you
    write again soon!

    Reply
  23. kurs jazdy samochodem

    I blog quite often and I seriously thank you for
    your content. This great article has really peaked my interest.
    I’m going to book mark your website and keep checking for
    new information about once a week. I opted in for your RSS feed as well.

    Reply
  24. Amie

    This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me.
    Thank you!

    My web-site :: garcinia cambogia free 14 day trial (Amie)

    Reply

Leave a Reply to jerseysioophcf Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *