Of course we know that “Merry Christmas” is offensive and that even “Happy Holidays” is religious because it conveys that certain days are holy-days and therefore needs to be omitted for political correctness. But let’s not stop there when there’s still so much to be offended about. “Season’s Greetings” is ofensive in so much as we only use this phrase during the winter season, which implies the other seasons are not a worthy time for greetings or making general acquaintances. The “End of the Year Party” theme needs to be thrown out because it offends all those who may not use the Gregorian Calendar. If you think about it, should we really be sending out such a metaphorical slap-in-the-face to those who prefer the Chinese calendar or some other indigenous form of time tracking? And what about the tribal folk who use no calendar at all? Any mention of winter or a season or a holy day is nothing less than an insensitive disregard to their unfettered sense of timelessness.
But hold on, I’m not finished.
You may at least think you can say “Happy Day” at this point but then you’ve managed to insult those who may not be happy. Think about how insensitive that reference to happiness is to those who are terminally ill or are stuck in slave labor or are starving to death.
At this point you’re probably holding onto the audacious idea that it’s safe to say “Day” to someone. Shame on you. Why should “Day” get all the credit? What about “Night?”
I’m sorry, but your best bet is to remain at your domestic residence, avoid greeting anyone, and avoid the habit of merchandise exchange that is common during this time of year because slave labor makes up a significant percentage of retail items.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Monkey Business is the Heart of the Matter
There's been an 800 lb. gorilla roaming the chambers of my heart that I've barely even noticed until recently. He can feed off of most anything. He spends most of the time throwing away all that is good and right and chewing on the imperfections that are left. His name is Judgmental Attitude, and he's quite skilled at putting the gracious little monkey in my heart, Bold Adventure, under lock and key. You see, Bold Adventure is eager to please the Lord in faithful obedience, venturing out into new and deeper territories of relationships in order to communicate the Gospel. Judgmental Attitude is heavy and fairly immobile. The pursuit of new and deeper relationships seem like hard work and because he feeds on all that is wrong, anything that requires exertion comes close to giving him a heart attack.
Thankfully the Spirit of God has sent a helper to Bold Adventure, a helper to liberate him from the chains that Judgmental Attitude seeks to keep him in. This helper is Charitable Judgment.
Thankfully the Spirit of God has sent a helper to Bold Adventure, a helper to liberate him from the chains that Judgmental Attitude seeks to keep him in. This helper is Charitable Judgment.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Church Motives
Commitment and transformation are results of a Christian faith growing out of God's revelation. Those who are Christians are part of the Church. One of the main motives a Christian goes to church is to grow in the knowledge of God (which can only come by God's revelation) by witnessing the work that God is doing in the lives of fellow believers. This desire is essential to a biblically based community. This is what gathers believers together in humility, wonder, and joy. The church is where we celebrate revelation.
So why do you go to church? Is it just a religious routine? Are you trying to impress and win the approval of others? Do you gather for validation of your social opinions, political views, parenting skills? Is the church a place for you to create business contacts or catch up with people with the similiar hobbies? Or do you gather with others who revel in the revelation of Christ's work done unto and through the members of His body? Is the Gospel the common denominator that draws your church together for worship or is there another common factor among your fellow congregants? Is church a self-affirming experience for you or a humbling one?
Are your church habits more like the wise lamb who humbly looks to safety in the flock that stays close to the Shepherd or are you the proud goat that relies on your own cleverness that allows you to explore and wander wherever you please, wandering in and out of flocks and herds, constantly looking to create an opening in the fence other than the gate?
The opposite of revelation speculation. Our relationship with God begins with Him revealing Himself to us, opening our eyes and ears so that we may know Him. Those who have no revelation are seperated from truth, they see and know nothing. They speculate on what they hope a god might be like. in their blindness they cannot see beyond themselves and therefore see themselves and their opinions and speculations as the center of the universe. Only the Gospel of Christ and Him crucified, a Gospel that comes not just with words but with power, the Holy Spirit and deep conviction (1 Thessalonians 1:5) can give sight to the blind and ears so that they may hear the revelation of the Good News.
Thirsty for more? Doctrine
So why do you go to church? Is it just a religious routine? Are you trying to impress and win the approval of others? Do you gather for validation of your social opinions, political views, parenting skills? Is the church a place for you to create business contacts or catch up with people with the similiar hobbies? Or do you gather with others who revel in the revelation of Christ's work done unto and through the members of His body? Is the Gospel the common denominator that draws your church together for worship or is there another common factor among your fellow congregants? Is church a self-affirming experience for you or a humbling one?
Are your church habits more like the wise lamb who humbly looks to safety in the flock that stays close to the Shepherd or are you the proud goat that relies on your own cleverness that allows you to explore and wander wherever you please, wandering in and out of flocks and herds, constantly looking to create an opening in the fence other than the gate?
The opposite of revelation speculation. Our relationship with God begins with Him revealing Himself to us, opening our eyes and ears so that we may know Him. Those who have no revelation are seperated from truth, they see and know nothing. They speculate on what they hope a god might be like. in their blindness they cannot see beyond themselves and therefore see themselves and their opinions and speculations as the center of the universe. Only the Gospel of Christ and Him crucified, a Gospel that comes not just with words but with power, the Holy Spirit and deep conviction (1 Thessalonians 1:5) can give sight to the blind and ears so that they may hear the revelation of the Good News.
Thirsty for more? Doctrine
Plow Forward
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” - Jesus Christ, Luke 9:62
It helps to think a little about plowing to better understand this passage. If my heart is fixed on what is not straight forward then my eyes are always looking back. If I was to plow while looking back I'd never plow in a straight direction forward. Many religious people claim to "plow" while their hearts are fixed on a god (and christ) of their own making. They plow in vain because their hearts have not been turned towards the true Christ and are therefore blind to the kingdom of God which is the straight and narrow path directly ahead. If Christ is in us then we plow with eyes and heart forward. Perfectly? No. But ultimately? Yes. (parallel passage Psalm 127:1 "Except the Lord build the house, the builders labor in vain.") Philippians 1:5-6 " because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
also this verse from Luke 9 is a response from Christ from those who claim they want to follow Christ but have other priorities to take care of first. Basically these people are saying they'll follow Christ as long as they can still have other god's before Him (a violation of the First Commandment) or that they'll seek the kingdom of God as long as they don't have to "seek it first" (Matt.6:33). Like many people today they're willing to "hang out" with Jesus, go through some motions and offer up some lip service, but they're not ready to make Him Lord of their lives... they're not ready for an eternity of worship.
To borrow from a quote of Driscoll's book, DOCTRINE, Tim Keller explains worship as such: "To glorify something or someone is to praise, enjoy, and delight in them. When something is useful you are attracted to it for what it can bring you ...or do for you. But if it is beautiful, then you enjoy it simply for what it is. Just being in its presence is its own reward. To glorify someone is also to serve or defer to him or her. Instead of sacrificing their interests to make yourself happy, you sacrifice your interests to make them happy. Why? Your ultimate joy is to see them in joy."
"The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever."
Are you ready to plow forward?
It helps to think a little about plowing to better understand this passage. If my heart is fixed on what is not straight forward then my eyes are always looking back. If I was to plow while looking back I'd never plow in a straight direction forward. Many religious people claim to "plow" while their hearts are fixed on a god (and christ) of their own making. They plow in vain because their hearts have not been turned towards the true Christ and are therefore blind to the kingdom of God which is the straight and narrow path directly ahead. If Christ is in us then we plow with eyes and heart forward. Perfectly? No. But ultimately? Yes. (parallel passage Psalm 127:1 "Except the Lord build the house, the builders labor in vain.") Philippians 1:5-6 " because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
also this verse from Luke 9 is a response from Christ from those who claim they want to follow Christ but have other priorities to take care of first. Basically these people are saying they'll follow Christ as long as they can still have other god's before Him (a violation of the First Commandment) or that they'll seek the kingdom of God as long as they don't have to "seek it first" (Matt.6:33). Like many people today they're willing to "hang out" with Jesus, go through some motions and offer up some lip service, but they're not ready to make Him Lord of their lives... they're not ready for an eternity of worship.
To borrow from a quote of Driscoll's book, DOCTRINE, Tim Keller explains worship as such: "To glorify something or someone is to praise, enjoy, and delight in them. When something is useful you are attracted to it for what it can bring you ...or do for you. But if it is beautiful, then you enjoy it simply for what it is. Just being in its presence is its own reward. To glorify someone is also to serve or defer to him or her. Instead of sacrificing their interests to make yourself happy, you sacrifice your interests to make them happy. Why? Your ultimate joy is to see them in joy."
"The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever."
Are you ready to plow forward?
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Core of Christianity, and the Crust
A most profound article written by Kevin DeYoung...
"If we are to be fruitful and godly Christians we need to have a theological core without being theologically crusty.
In desiring a theological core I don’t mean that all Christians must be bookish and given to intellectual contemplation. I mean that every Christian must be shaped from the inside out by a set of convictions about who God is and what he has accomplished in Jesus Christ. As Christians we should be animated (given life) and motivated (compelled to action) by a core of doctrinal truths–truths like God is loving, sovereign, and holy; God created the world and created it good; as a result of Adam’s sin humans are bent toward evil; Jesus Christ was God’s Son, begotten not created; Jesus suffered and died on the cross for sins and rose again on the third day; the Holy Spirit is God and fills us with power, enables us to believe, equips us with gifts, and bears fruit in our lives; the Bible is God’s word; Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead, and justification is by faith alone.
These truths need to be more than a set of beliefs we assume. They should be the lens through which we look at ourselves and the world. There are many Christians and churches that don’t deny any cardinal doctrine of Christian faith, but they still don’t have a theological core. They have, instead, a musty statement of faith they barely understand and hardly believe and wouldn’t dare preach. They are animated and motivated by politics, church growth, relational concerns and the like, but the gospel is merely assumed. “Yes, yes–of course we believe in the Virgin Birth, and the atonement, and the resurrection, and heaven and hell,” they say. But its all periphery, not core. It’s all assumed, not all-consuming. Theologically hollow congregations and pastors may like to think they will bequeath a gospel legacy to the next generation, but the truth is we only pass on what is our passion. New converts and new kids won’t think and live and love like mature Christians, let alone be able to articulate the Christian story, if our beliefs rest in a pamphlet and not in our hearts.
I make no apologies for having a theological church. The church ought to be about the business of the gospel, and the gospel is a message of historical fact plus God-given interpretation. That’s theology. I hope we never feel like we have the “theology thing” down at URC just because we have solid book studies and long, meaty sermons. The “theology thing” is a lifelong project of being transformed by the renewing of our minds. We want to be thinking Christians who know what we believe, why we believe it, and live and die in the comfort of these beliefs.
Having a theological core means, among other thing, that our unity is theological. Of course we want to be united in love and purpose too. But whatever actions and affections we share in unison ought to radiate from a theological core. There is so much talk around the broader church about being missional Christians that it’s easy to think the church should be missional-centric. And in one sense, mission is certainly at the center of what we do. But mission itself is not what ties us together or fires us up. It’s only when the mission is defined and it’s genesis is proclaimed that we can rally around mission.
What I mean is that we should be, first of all, Christocentric; that is, centered on the cross of Christ. Christ is our identity, our passion, and our hope. And because of this identity, passion, and hope we pray, and evangelize, and do missions. But missions is not the center. Christ is–which shapes, defines, and launches us into mission. It’s like John Piper’s famous line: “Mission is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is.” Being missional is not a sufficient basis for unity. One, because I’m never quite sure what missional means. Two, because the blazing hot center of Christian identity, passion, and hope is not that we are all doing things in Jesus name. Of course, we should be doing things in Jesus’ name. But the blazing hot center is what God has already done for us in Christ. This must always be explained and rejoiced in, not merely assumed.
Which brings me back to the main point. We desperately need Christians and pastors and missionaries and churches and denominations and movements and institutions which are theological to the core, where doctrines are not simply items to be checked off the dogmatic grocery list or statements to be dusted off out of the ecclesiastical attic. We must all be theological because being a Christians means we embrace a message about who Jesus is and the victory he won for us. And that’s theology.
So, core, yes. Crust? No.
Please, don’t skip the last part of this post, especially if you really liked the first part. Because you may just be a crusty Christian if you’re not careful.
What makes a Christian crusty? A number of things. For starters, it’s an attitude. It’s a demeanor where being Calvinist or paedobaptist or inerrantist (three things I am gladly) are put on like armor or wielded like weapons, when they are meant to be the warm glow of a Christian whose core radiates with love for Christ and the gospel. I believe in theological distinctives–I believe in them and I believe it is good to have them–but if the distinctives are not manifestly the flower of gospel root, the buds aren’t worth the blooming.
A second mark of crusty Christians is approachability, as in, not having any. There is a sizing up-ness that makes some theological types unnecessarily prickly. They are bright and opinionated and quickly analytical. As a result, knowingly or unknowingly, they emit a vibe which communicates something between “You Max Lucado reading moron!” and “I wish R.C. Sproul were here to teach you a thing or two!” Crusty Christians are hard to be around. They are intimidating instead of engaging and growling instead of gracious. They are too willing to share their opinions on everything and unable to put any doctrine in any category not marked “absolutely essential.”
When theology is more crust than core, it’s not so much that we care about good theology too much, we just don’t care about some other hugely important things in the same proportion. So we end up largely skeptical of a prayerful, fruitful, warm-hearted, godly, Arminian leaning pastor. Now, I might think such a pastor is prayerful, fruitful, warm-hearted and godly despite too much emphasis on libertarian free will, but I sure hope to be mighty thankful for all his prayerfulness, fruitfulness, and warm-hearted godliness. Some Christians allow evangelism to trump all other considerations, others size up fellow Christians by their attention to social justice concerns, but a lot of us do our judging with theology. If the theology fits, the lack of mission, prayer, and compassion doesn’t matter much. But if a few theological pieces are misplaced in the puzzle, see you later and don’t let Hymenaeus and Philetus door hit you on the way out.
Striking the balance is not easy. But let’s try hard to be discerning and grounded without always looking for the next theological misstep in our friends, our family, or the songs we sing. And let’s be able to tell the difference between wandering sheep and false teachers. We must delineate between a slightly ill-informed wording of a phrase and a purposeful rejection of truth. We must pursue a passion for fidelity to Scripture and a winsomeness that sweetens the already honey-like drippings of the word of God. Let us be more like a chocolate covered raisin, likeable on the outside and surprisingly good for you on the inside, and less like a tootsie roll pop with its brittle, crunchy exterior that must be broken through before anyone can get to the good stuff. Our theological heart, if it is worth anything, will pulse throughout our spiritual bodies, making us into someone more prayerful, more godly, and more passionate about the Bible, the lost, and the world around us. We will be theologically solid to the core, without the unnecessary crust."
"If we are to be fruitful and godly Christians we need to have a theological core without being theologically crusty.
In desiring a theological core I don’t mean that all Christians must be bookish and given to intellectual contemplation. I mean that every Christian must be shaped from the inside out by a set of convictions about who God is and what he has accomplished in Jesus Christ. As Christians we should be animated (given life) and motivated (compelled to action) by a core of doctrinal truths–truths like God is loving, sovereign, and holy; God created the world and created it good; as a result of Adam’s sin humans are bent toward evil; Jesus Christ was God’s Son, begotten not created; Jesus suffered and died on the cross for sins and rose again on the third day; the Holy Spirit is God and fills us with power, enables us to believe, equips us with gifts, and bears fruit in our lives; the Bible is God’s word; Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead, and justification is by faith alone.
These truths need to be more than a set of beliefs we assume. They should be the lens through which we look at ourselves and the world. There are many Christians and churches that don’t deny any cardinal doctrine of Christian faith, but they still don’t have a theological core. They have, instead, a musty statement of faith they barely understand and hardly believe and wouldn’t dare preach. They are animated and motivated by politics, church growth, relational concerns and the like, but the gospel is merely assumed. “Yes, yes–of course we believe in the Virgin Birth, and the atonement, and the resurrection, and heaven and hell,” they say. But its all periphery, not core. It’s all assumed, not all-consuming. Theologically hollow congregations and pastors may like to think they will bequeath a gospel legacy to the next generation, but the truth is we only pass on what is our passion. New converts and new kids won’t think and live and love like mature Christians, let alone be able to articulate the Christian story, if our beliefs rest in a pamphlet and not in our hearts.
I make no apologies for having a theological church. The church ought to be about the business of the gospel, and the gospel is a message of historical fact plus God-given interpretation. That’s theology. I hope we never feel like we have the “theology thing” down at URC just because we have solid book studies and long, meaty sermons. The “theology thing” is a lifelong project of being transformed by the renewing of our minds. We want to be thinking Christians who know what we believe, why we believe it, and live and die in the comfort of these beliefs.
Having a theological core means, among other thing, that our unity is theological. Of course we want to be united in love and purpose too. But whatever actions and affections we share in unison ought to radiate from a theological core. There is so much talk around the broader church about being missional Christians that it’s easy to think the church should be missional-centric. And in one sense, mission is certainly at the center of what we do. But mission itself is not what ties us together or fires us up. It’s only when the mission is defined and it’s genesis is proclaimed that we can rally around mission.
What I mean is that we should be, first of all, Christocentric; that is, centered on the cross of Christ. Christ is our identity, our passion, and our hope. And because of this identity, passion, and hope we pray, and evangelize, and do missions. But missions is not the center. Christ is–which shapes, defines, and launches us into mission. It’s like John Piper’s famous line: “Mission is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is.” Being missional is not a sufficient basis for unity. One, because I’m never quite sure what missional means. Two, because the blazing hot center of Christian identity, passion, and hope is not that we are all doing things in Jesus name. Of course, we should be doing things in Jesus’ name. But the blazing hot center is what God has already done for us in Christ. This must always be explained and rejoiced in, not merely assumed.
Which brings me back to the main point. We desperately need Christians and pastors and missionaries and churches and denominations and movements and institutions which are theological to the core, where doctrines are not simply items to be checked off the dogmatic grocery list or statements to be dusted off out of the ecclesiastical attic. We must all be theological because being a Christians means we embrace a message about who Jesus is and the victory he won for us. And that’s theology.
So, core, yes. Crust? No.
Please, don’t skip the last part of this post, especially if you really liked the first part. Because you may just be a crusty Christian if you’re not careful.
What makes a Christian crusty? A number of things. For starters, it’s an attitude. It’s a demeanor where being Calvinist or paedobaptist or inerrantist (three things I am gladly) are put on like armor or wielded like weapons, when they are meant to be the warm glow of a Christian whose core radiates with love for Christ and the gospel. I believe in theological distinctives–I believe in them and I believe it is good to have them–but if the distinctives are not manifestly the flower of gospel root, the buds aren’t worth the blooming.
A second mark of crusty Christians is approachability, as in, not having any. There is a sizing up-ness that makes some theological types unnecessarily prickly. They are bright and opinionated and quickly analytical. As a result, knowingly or unknowingly, they emit a vibe which communicates something between “You Max Lucado reading moron!” and “I wish R.C. Sproul were here to teach you a thing or two!” Crusty Christians are hard to be around. They are intimidating instead of engaging and growling instead of gracious. They are too willing to share their opinions on everything and unable to put any doctrine in any category not marked “absolutely essential.”
When theology is more crust than core, it’s not so much that we care about good theology too much, we just don’t care about some other hugely important things in the same proportion. So we end up largely skeptical of a prayerful, fruitful, warm-hearted, godly, Arminian leaning pastor. Now, I might think such a pastor is prayerful, fruitful, warm-hearted and godly despite too much emphasis on libertarian free will, but I sure hope to be mighty thankful for all his prayerfulness, fruitfulness, and warm-hearted godliness. Some Christians allow evangelism to trump all other considerations, others size up fellow Christians by their attention to social justice concerns, but a lot of us do our judging with theology. If the theology fits, the lack of mission, prayer, and compassion doesn’t matter much. But if a few theological pieces are misplaced in the puzzle, see you later and don’t let Hymenaeus and Philetus door hit you on the way out.
Striking the balance is not easy. But let’s try hard to be discerning and grounded without always looking for the next theological misstep in our friends, our family, or the songs we sing. And let’s be able to tell the difference between wandering sheep and false teachers. We must delineate between a slightly ill-informed wording of a phrase and a purposeful rejection of truth. We must pursue a passion for fidelity to Scripture and a winsomeness that sweetens the already honey-like drippings of the word of God. Let us be more like a chocolate covered raisin, likeable on the outside and surprisingly good for you on the inside, and less like a tootsie roll pop with its brittle, crunchy exterior that must be broken through before anyone can get to the good stuff. Our theological heart, if it is worth anything, will pulse throughout our spiritual bodies, making us into someone more prayerful, more godly, and more passionate about the Bible, the lost, and the world around us. We will be theologically solid to the core, without the unnecessary crust."
Friday, October 22, 2010
I Need to Take Politics More Seriously
Years ago I used to be on the conservative political bandwagon. Then I fell off. I didn't switch sides, just realizd with some help from scripture that the Gospel is not co-dependent on fair political weather.
But now I see the need to be more politically responsible without elevating political ideology into a necessity. So I'm taking my stand this Fall and fighting for a worthy cause.
KF POLITICAL ...ARS.mp3
But now I see the need to be more politically responsible without elevating political ideology into a necessity. So I'm taking my stand this Fall and fighting for a worthy cause.
KF POLITICAL ...ARS.mp3
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Quiet Time
PRAYER
Lord, let my heart and mind be awestruck by the wonder and majesty that is You. As I enter your throne room in prayer remind me of the signs of your omnipotence and perfect genius working through your creation. I am but a man, unworthy of any good gift from above, but in your great mercy and steadfast righteousness you have chosen to bring me into communion with You by your Son's perfect sacrifice. Help me to delight more and more in You, my Savior.
Keep my eyes on your Kingdom from moment to moment, because my flesh pulls at my heart, deceiving it to put confidence in the temporary, feeble pleasures of worldliness. I am prone to wander, in my pride, like a foolish lamb with no sense. My haughty eyes turn so quickly from gazing at your glory; they do not see the snares this world has set before me. Grant me a repentant heart that I may not stray from You, my good Shepherd. Let my every thought come under submission to your will.
Thank you for your undeserved mercy and kindness; for your patience in the gentle restoration project of a broken man such as myself. Only by Your will might I have the gift of breathing my next breath. Thank you for the Body of Christ that seeks your will. I pray that we walk together towards you, in fellowship in this life and in Worship for all eternity.
Righteous in Christ & preserved by the Spirit,
Jason
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING HIGHLIGHTS
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the LORD weighs the spirit.
3 Commit your work to the LORD,
and your plans will be established.
Psalm 92:1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
Daniel 2:20 "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
WORSHIP SONG
All I Have Is Christ
I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still
But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You
© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI), by Jordan Kauflin
Lord, let my heart and mind be awestruck by the wonder and majesty that is You. As I enter your throne room in prayer remind me of the signs of your omnipotence and perfect genius working through your creation. I am but a man, unworthy of any good gift from above, but in your great mercy and steadfast righteousness you have chosen to bring me into communion with You by your Son's perfect sacrifice. Help me to delight more and more in You, my Savior.
Keep my eyes on your Kingdom from moment to moment, because my flesh pulls at my heart, deceiving it to put confidence in the temporary, feeble pleasures of worldliness. I am prone to wander, in my pride, like a foolish lamb with no sense. My haughty eyes turn so quickly from gazing at your glory; they do not see the snares this world has set before me. Grant me a repentant heart that I may not stray from You, my good Shepherd. Let my every thought come under submission to your will.
Thank you for your undeserved mercy and kindness; for your patience in the gentle restoration project of a broken man such as myself. Only by Your will might I have the gift of breathing my next breath. Thank you for the Body of Christ that seeks your will. I pray that we walk together towards you, in fellowship in this life and in Worship for all eternity.
Righteous in Christ & preserved by the Spirit,
Jason
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING HIGHLIGHTS
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the LORD weighs the spirit.
3 Commit your work to the LORD,
and your plans will be established.
Psalm 92:1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
Daniel 2:20 "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
WORSHIP SONG
All I Have Is Christ
I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still
But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You
© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI), by Jordan Kauflin
Thursday, September 30, 2010
In a Perfect World
As human beings we often struggle with daydreams of how easy and wonderful life could be in a more perfect world. But as we spend more time through Scripture we find that even though this is not a perfect world it is a world operating according to the design of a perfect heavenly Father.
Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
"When you scan the biblical story you can’t help concluding that following God brings a life of surprises. Whatever plans God’s people made and however they tried to figure out God’s plans, they were constantly greeted with surprises. They faced turns in the story that they never would have anticipated. God’s plan again and again included things that would not have been included in the story if his people had been doing the planning.
One of the reasons for this is that we human beings tend to focus on outcomes. We simply want things to go well and turn out right. God surely does care about the end of all things, but he is graciously at work in the process as well.
The surprises along the way are God’s surprises. He is never caught off guard or unprepared. He calls us to follow him beyond the boundaries of our wisdom, strength and character. The waiting we have to do and the surprises that we face are meant by him to be tools of grace. They are designed to release us from our self-reliance and the hold our dreams for our lives have on us.
In those moments of surprise, it is important to remember that you may be confused, but God isn’t. In this moment when you are not sure what is going on, you haven’t been abandoned. No, the opposite is true: you are being rescued. But living this way is hard for us.
As pseudo-sovereigns, we hate waiting, disappointment, obstacles, and failure. We struggle to accept the fact that these things exist in a world that is under the wisest and most benevolent rule possible. C. S. Lewis comments that a hardy belief in the truths of Christianity actually makes your experience of pain more painful. It is bad enough to have to endure pain, but as a believer you must say that it was not an accident and that it was sent by a God who declares himself to be good!
To us, often God's order looks like disorder, and his wisdom looks like foolishness. God's lovingkindness often seems to be anything but loving, and definitely not kind. All of this has to do with one humbling thing that we all have to admit: as sinners, we want our own way. We want life to work according to our plan. We don’t want to have to face the unexpected or deal with disappointment. We want life to be smooth and predictable. And we want all of this because we are more concerned about our comfort and ease than we are about the processes of grace that are at work in us.
It is hard to rest in the rulership of the King when our hearts and minds are so preoccupied with the success of our own little kingdoms.
Life surprises us with the reality of who is king and how different his will and way are from ours. We have lived day after day, month after month and year after year in the world of our needs, our wants, and our dreams. We have nurtured the illusion that if God really does love us, he will give the things that we have determined are good to us.
We have convinced ourselves that if we obey, God will keep his part of the bargain and send “the good life” our way. We thought that if we parented well, then all of our children would turn out the way we hoped. We thought that if we worked faithfully then we would harvest the seeds of our investments in our later years. We thought that if we kept our bodies under subjection then the Lord would bless us with good health. We thought that if we followed the Lord in personal devotion and public worship and ministry, then our lives would be spiritually rich.
Remember, you are not alone, God's people have always struggled with the shock of his rule. The kingdom of darkness is being destroyed by the kingdom of light, and none of us can escape being affected by the carnage.
Deep beneath every struggle of doubt and confusion is a collision of kingdoms. The theology of God’s unshakable sovereignty is easier to verbalize than it is to live. The truth that a God of relentless grace is after the total transformation of our hearts, is easier to conceptualize than it is to rest in at street level.
Require yourself to be brutally honest in this moment. What is it that you really want out of life? What is it that you want from God’s hand? What is the true dream for which you have been working? What are the joys that captivate your eyes and control your heart? What is your, "If I only had , then I would be happy?"
How much have your dreams been personal, earthbound, physical, and here-and-now? Have you been motivated by your kingdom more than God's Kingdom? How is your present discouragement, disappointment, confusion or grief a window on what has actually captured your heart? Have you really wanted God to be your wise and loving Father who brings into your life what he considers best, or have you wanted him to be a divine waiter, the all-powerful deliverer of your dreams?
Could it be that you have prayed for grace, but that you don’t really like the grace that you have been given? Divine grace doesn’t always make your life simple or your pathway clear. God’s grace doesn’t always provide you with release or relief. God’s grace often brings you hardship, confusion, and surprises. These things are sent to you, not by a God who is messing with you because he’s more powerful than you, but from the hand of a God a glorious grace, who is exercising his power for the purpose of your transformation.
So, the next time God surprises you, don’t doubt his goodness, faithfulness, and love. No, lift your hands to the heavens and celebrate. You are being rescued. You are being loved. You are being delivered. You are being transformed. And be thankful that since nothing can separate you from his love, there are more gracious surprises to come!" ~Paul Tripp
Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
"When you scan the biblical story you can’t help concluding that following God brings a life of surprises. Whatever plans God’s people made and however they tried to figure out God’s plans, they were constantly greeted with surprises. They faced turns in the story that they never would have anticipated. God’s plan again and again included things that would not have been included in the story if his people had been doing the planning.
One of the reasons for this is that we human beings tend to focus on outcomes. We simply want things to go well and turn out right. God surely does care about the end of all things, but he is graciously at work in the process as well.
The surprises along the way are God’s surprises. He is never caught off guard or unprepared. He calls us to follow him beyond the boundaries of our wisdom, strength and character. The waiting we have to do and the surprises that we face are meant by him to be tools of grace. They are designed to release us from our self-reliance and the hold our dreams for our lives have on us.
In those moments of surprise, it is important to remember that you may be confused, but God isn’t. In this moment when you are not sure what is going on, you haven’t been abandoned. No, the opposite is true: you are being rescued. But living this way is hard for us.
As pseudo-sovereigns, we hate waiting, disappointment, obstacles, and failure. We struggle to accept the fact that these things exist in a world that is under the wisest and most benevolent rule possible. C. S. Lewis comments that a hardy belief in the truths of Christianity actually makes your experience of pain more painful. It is bad enough to have to endure pain, but as a believer you must say that it was not an accident and that it was sent by a God who declares himself to be good!
To us, often God's order looks like disorder, and his wisdom looks like foolishness. God's lovingkindness often seems to be anything but loving, and definitely not kind. All of this has to do with one humbling thing that we all have to admit: as sinners, we want our own way. We want life to work according to our plan. We don’t want to have to face the unexpected or deal with disappointment. We want life to be smooth and predictable. And we want all of this because we are more concerned about our comfort and ease than we are about the processes of grace that are at work in us.
It is hard to rest in the rulership of the King when our hearts and minds are so preoccupied with the success of our own little kingdoms.
Life surprises us with the reality of who is king and how different his will and way are from ours. We have lived day after day, month after month and year after year in the world of our needs, our wants, and our dreams. We have nurtured the illusion that if God really does love us, he will give the things that we have determined are good to us.
We have convinced ourselves that if we obey, God will keep his part of the bargain and send “the good life” our way. We thought that if we parented well, then all of our children would turn out the way we hoped. We thought that if we worked faithfully then we would harvest the seeds of our investments in our later years. We thought that if we kept our bodies under subjection then the Lord would bless us with good health. We thought that if we followed the Lord in personal devotion and public worship and ministry, then our lives would be spiritually rich.
Remember, you are not alone, God's people have always struggled with the shock of his rule. The kingdom of darkness is being destroyed by the kingdom of light, and none of us can escape being affected by the carnage.
Deep beneath every struggle of doubt and confusion is a collision of kingdoms. The theology of God’s unshakable sovereignty is easier to verbalize than it is to live. The truth that a God of relentless grace is after the total transformation of our hearts, is easier to conceptualize than it is to rest in at street level.
Require yourself to be brutally honest in this moment. What is it that you really want out of life? What is it that you want from God’s hand? What is the true dream for which you have been working? What are the joys that captivate your eyes and control your heart? What is your, "If I only had , then I would be happy?"
How much have your dreams been personal, earthbound, physical, and here-and-now? Have you been motivated by your kingdom more than God's Kingdom? How is your present discouragement, disappointment, confusion or grief a window on what has actually captured your heart? Have you really wanted God to be your wise and loving Father who brings into your life what he considers best, or have you wanted him to be a divine waiter, the all-powerful deliverer of your dreams?
Could it be that you have prayed for grace, but that you don’t really like the grace that you have been given? Divine grace doesn’t always make your life simple or your pathway clear. God’s grace doesn’t always provide you with release or relief. God’s grace often brings you hardship, confusion, and surprises. These things are sent to you, not by a God who is messing with you because he’s more powerful than you, but from the hand of a God a glorious grace, who is exercising his power for the purpose of your transformation.
So, the next time God surprises you, don’t doubt his goodness, faithfulness, and love. No, lift your hands to the heavens and celebrate. You are being rescued. You are being loved. You are being delivered. You are being transformed. And be thankful that since nothing can separate you from his love, there are more gracious surprises to come!" ~Paul Tripp
Thursday, September 16, 2010
A very important message
This is a message that untwists the diminished view of God that today's evangelical church is suffering from.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy Dependence Day
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God; Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (1CO 10:31; 1PE 4:11; REV 1:6; 2PE 3:1; EPH 3:21; REV 7:12; ROM 11:36)
"A life spent in the service of Christ is the happiest life a man can spend on earth." ~Philip Henry
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
In Through The Out Door
"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Matthew 5:4
Sadly much of the church tries to explain away these words of Christ. But this is not a call for Christians to eradicate the mourning of this world. This is a blessing to engage in such mourning. For this world is a sinking ship and we who follow the Lord suffer no illusions of fulfillment in the temporal diversions of this life. While our hope and joy is for our future life and Christ we weep for being in the midst of those created in His image who resist His call. Everyday the masses chase after the things that lead to death, dismissing our beloved Gospel. A disciple of Christ cannot enjoy the ever multiplying holidays and festivities that celebrate man in all his blindness. And so the true Christians are unwelcome strangers rejected by the world, not because of misanthropy but quite the opposite. We grieve the devil's diversions and siren songs that lead away the ones Christ told us to love. An earnest community of believers welcomes sorrow and shoulders it as a part of our cross to bear in this life. The mark of mature faith is not necessarily the gregarious persona or the soma induced perma-smile but rather the heavy brow that deeply understands there is no sustaining comfort from this world for their comfort is in the cross and the Comforter who waits patiently to take them home.
Matthew 5:4
Sadly much of the church tries to explain away these words of Christ. But this is not a call for Christians to eradicate the mourning of this world. This is a blessing to engage in such mourning. For this world is a sinking ship and we who follow the Lord suffer no illusions of fulfillment in the temporal diversions of this life. While our hope and joy is for our future life and Christ we weep for being in the midst of those created in His image who resist His call. Everyday the masses chase after the things that lead to death, dismissing our beloved Gospel. A disciple of Christ cannot enjoy the ever multiplying holidays and festivities that celebrate man in all his blindness. And so the true Christians are unwelcome strangers rejected by the world, not because of misanthropy but quite the opposite. We grieve the devil's diversions and siren songs that lead away the ones Christ told us to love. An earnest community of believers welcomes sorrow and shoulders it as a part of our cross to bear in this life. The mark of mature faith is not necessarily the gregarious persona or the soma induced perma-smile but rather the heavy brow that deeply understands there is no sustaining comfort from this world for their comfort is in the cross and the Comforter who waits patiently to take them home.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The High Cost of Free Grace
"These men without possession or power, these strangers on earth, these sinners, these followers of Jesus, have in their life with him renounced their own dignity, for they are merciful. As if their own needs and their own distress were not enough, they take upon themselves the distress and humiliation and sin of others. They have an irresistible love for the down-trodden, the sick, the wretched, the wronged, the outcast, and all who are tortured with anxiety. They go out and seek all who are enmeshed in the toils of sin and guilt. No distress is too great, no sin too appalling for their pity. If any man falls into disgrace, the merciful will sacrifice their own honor to shield him, and take his shame upon themselves. In order that they may be merciful they cast away the most priceless treasure of human life, their personal dignity and honour. For the only honour and dignity they know is their Lord’s own mercy, to which alone they owe their very lives."
When I first read these words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship I wept. I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps it was a combination of much of my life falling well short of this as well as noting the poetic beauty of a life lived in constant worship of Christ; a life thoroughly Christian.
No doubt many of us have come across inspiring messages from ministers, martyrs, and Mel Gibson movies that illustrate a radical Christian life. Something stirs in us for a while but the culture (even much church culture) gives us a "reality check" telling us to "bring our expectations back down to earth." But the truth is radical Christian living is the only type of call God commands of us.
In the gospel letters we see time and time again many people willing to follow Christ in some light sense of the word. As long as he passed out free loaves and fishes, performed miracle healings, or was going to shake up the political landscape people would pursue Him. But every time he acquired a crowd He put them to the test. He always challenged the would-be followers to die to everything in this world they clinged to and the overwhelming response He received ranged from the dispersing of crowds to people wanting to stone Him to death.
At the end of Luke 9, three men approach Jesus interested in following Him. The first said, "I will follow you wherever you go." Christ's answer, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head" showed that this volunteer had not considered the high cost of free grace. The next two men to approach Jesus spoke of their willingness to follow Him after taking care of some loose ends but Christ said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Through three years of ministry Christ proved very succesful at persuading men not to follow Him. Indeed the costly call of grace is offensive to the natural man.
To those of us who are new creatures in Christ we have a ministry and calling that is no less radical in divine nature than the calling of those who followed Christ during His time on earth. The call of discipleship is a gift of grace and is therefore inseperable from grace. Either a man is on fire for Christ or he is just blowing smoke.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Christian in Politics (a manifesto in progress)
'WWJD?' is an excellent question for those of us who follow Christ. To answer that question in broad strokes I'd defer to Matthew 5:38-42:
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."
The eye for an eye reference is to the Old Testament and the nation of Israel where personal rights were protected by a divinely established system of retribution. The purpose of God's appointment of "retribution politics" to the community was to eradicate evil among the chosen nation.
What Jesus now establishes is a freedom for those who follow Him. A freedom from such personal rights and trying to cleave to both the Cross and ideologies that hope for what is in this life. In this saying of Christ we see that the commitment of the Church is not within the sphere of politics and law, but rather a community of believers who must submit to and honor the evil authorities of this world (1 Peter 2:17), willing to suffer and endure evil for the sake of the Cross. For Christ showed us that evil is not conquered with legislation but rather living out the Gospel. To suffer in actively loving our enemies is perhaps the most visible distinction between a true follower of Jesus and the broadly religious types. If we are to be despised by the world let it not be because we wave a conservative political banner, rather let us be hated by our clear representation of Christ who gave up every right and entitlement unto death for the love of those who hated Him.
We simply cannot legislate people into the body of Christ nor can we legislate away evil. Or as Pastor Dan might say, "Politics cannot fill a Gospel shaped hole." (Pastor Dan's political views may not necessarily fit my own.)
"If Christ is our hope in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people." 1 Cor. 15:19
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."
The eye for an eye reference is to the Old Testament and the nation of Israel where personal rights were protected by a divinely established system of retribution. The purpose of God's appointment of "retribution politics" to the community was to eradicate evil among the chosen nation.
What Jesus now establishes is a freedom for those who follow Him. A freedom from such personal rights and trying to cleave to both the Cross and ideologies that hope for what is in this life. In this saying of Christ we see that the commitment of the Church is not within the sphere of politics and law, but rather a community of believers who must submit to and honor the evil authorities of this world (1 Peter 2:17), willing to suffer and endure evil for the sake of the Cross. For Christ showed us that evil is not conquered with legislation but rather living out the Gospel. To suffer in actively loving our enemies is perhaps the most visible distinction between a true follower of Jesus and the broadly religious types. If we are to be despised by the world let it not be because we wave a conservative political banner, rather let us be hated by our clear representation of Christ who gave up every right and entitlement unto death for the love of those who hated Him.
We simply cannot legislate people into the body of Christ nor can we legislate away evil. Or as Pastor Dan might say, "Politics cannot fill a Gospel shaped hole." (Pastor Dan's political views may not necessarily fit my own.)
"If Christ is our hope in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people." 1 Cor. 15:19
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Adherence to the Law
Matt.5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
"There is no fulfillment of the law apart from communion with God, and no communion with God apart from fulfilment of the law. To forget the first condition was the mistake of the Jews, and to forget the second the temptation of the disciples...
But the disciple had the advantage over the Pharisee in that his doing of the law is in fact perfect. How is that possible? Because between the disciples and the law stands one who has perfectly fulfilled it, one with whom they live in communion. They are faced not with a law which has never yet been fulfilled, but with one whose demands have already been satisfied. The righteousness it demands is already there, the righteousness of Jesus which submits to the cross because that is what the law demands. This righteousness is therefore not a duty owed, but a perfect and truly personal communion with God, and Jesus not only possesses this righteousness, but is himself the personal embodiment of it. He is the righteousness of the disciples. By calling them he has admitted them to partnership with himself, and made them partakers of his righteousness in its fullness...
This is where the righteousness of the disciple exceeds that of the Pharisees; it is grounded solely upon the call to fellowship with him alone who fulfils the law. Their righteousness is righteousness indeed, for from henceforth they do the will of God and fulfil the law themselves." ~D. Bonhoeffer, Ch.8 - The Righteousness of Christ, The Cost of Discipleship
“… the secret of the gospel is that we actually do more when we hear less about all we need to do for God and hear more about all that God has already done for us.” ~ Kevin DeYoung, DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed
"There is no fulfillment of the law apart from communion with God, and no communion with God apart from fulfilment of the law. To forget the first condition was the mistake of the Jews, and to forget the second the temptation of the disciples...
But the disciple had the advantage over the Pharisee in that his doing of the law is in fact perfect. How is that possible? Because between the disciples and the law stands one who has perfectly fulfilled it, one with whom they live in communion. They are faced not with a law which has never yet been fulfilled, but with one whose demands have already been satisfied. The righteousness it demands is already there, the righteousness of Jesus which submits to the cross because that is what the law demands. This righteousness is therefore not a duty owed, but a perfect and truly personal communion with God, and Jesus not only possesses this righteousness, but is himself the personal embodiment of it. He is the righteousness of the disciples. By calling them he has admitted them to partnership with himself, and made them partakers of his righteousness in its fullness...
This is where the righteousness of the disciple exceeds that of the Pharisees; it is grounded solely upon the call to fellowship with him alone who fulfils the law. Their righteousness is righteousness indeed, for from henceforth they do the will of God and fulfil the law themselves." ~D. Bonhoeffer, Ch.8 - The Righteousness of Christ, The Cost of Discipleship
“… the secret of the gospel is that we actually do more when we hear less about all we need to do for God and hear more about all that God has already done for us.” ~ Kevin DeYoung, DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Secret of Joyful Giving (notes)
Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." ~Jim Elliot
To what future are we investing the money that God has given stewardship over? Are we hording up material things in this life, weighing ourselves down with excess; or are we liberating ourselves from the worries of care and maintenance of things that do not last "where moth and rust destroys" by investing in our eternal rewards? Why play the fool and invest in things that do not last?
Proverbs 23:5 "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle."
In Randy Alcorn's book, The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn illuminates the signifigance of the joy of giving that is a constant topic throughout scripture.
Treasure Principle #1: God owns everything. I'm His money manager. (Psalm 24:1, Haggai 2:8, Deuteronomy 8:18, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Treasure Principle #2: My heart always goes where I put God's money. (Revelation 21:1-6, Matthew 6:21, Luke 16:9, Philippians 4:17, Luke 14:12-14)
Treasure Principle #3: Heaven not earth, is my home. (luke 12:15, Hebrews 11:13, Philippians 3:20)
Randy Alcorn relates our time on earth to a short stay in a hotel room. We're just visiting and we can't take anything back with us. So why should we invest much in the hotel room? Who decks out their temporary stay at a hotel room with expensive furniture, artwork, and exotic sculptures?
Our time on earth is but a dot, but our time in heaven is a continuos line. Are we investing more in the "dot" than the "line"?
There is a modern day plague of materialism that a PBS television program covered with the titled Affluenza. The program claims:
- The average American shops 6 hours a week while spending 40 minutes playing with children.
- By age twenty, we've seen one million commercials.
- Recently, more Americans declared bankruptcythan graduated from college.
- In 90 percent of divorce cases, arguments about money played a prominent role.
Now listen to some of the wealthiest people of their day:
- The care of $2 million is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it. ~W.H. Vanderbilt
- I am the most miserable man on earth. ~John Jacob Astor
- I have made millions, but they have brought me no happiness. ~Rockefeller
- Millionaires seldom smile. ~Andrew Carnegie
"The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become." ~Hudson Taylor (missionary)
"I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess." ~Martin Luther
"Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart." ~John Wesley
Edison's favorite piece of poetry was stanza nine from Thomas Gray's Elegy To A Country-Churchyard:
"The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike the inevitable hour:
The paths of glory lead but to the grave."
So where does one start? A tithe is a good starting block to the race of giving. To those who start with less, God is being robbed. If we commit to give 5% we are still robbing God of half. If Christ is our joy then our wallets will prove that out. It's one of the fundamental evidences of a person's faith.
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." ~Jim Elliot
To what future are we investing the money that God has given stewardship over? Are we hording up material things in this life, weighing ourselves down with excess; or are we liberating ourselves from the worries of care and maintenance of things that do not last "where moth and rust destroys" by investing in our eternal rewards? Why play the fool and invest in things that do not last?
Proverbs 23:5 "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle."
In Randy Alcorn's book, The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn illuminates the signifigance of the joy of giving that is a constant topic throughout scripture.
Treasure Principle #1: God owns everything. I'm His money manager. (Psalm 24:1, Haggai 2:8, Deuteronomy 8:18, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Treasure Principle #2: My heart always goes where I put God's money. (Revelation 21:1-6, Matthew 6:21, Luke 16:9, Philippians 4:17, Luke 14:12-14)
Treasure Principle #3: Heaven not earth, is my home. (luke 12:15, Hebrews 11:13, Philippians 3:20)
Randy Alcorn relates our time on earth to a short stay in a hotel room. We're just visiting and we can't take anything back with us. So why should we invest much in the hotel room? Who decks out their temporary stay at a hotel room with expensive furniture, artwork, and exotic sculptures?
Our time on earth is but a dot, but our time in heaven is a continuos line. Are we investing more in the "dot" than the "line"?
There is a modern day plague of materialism that a PBS television program covered with the titled Affluenza. The program claims:
- The average American shops 6 hours a week while spending 40 minutes playing with children.
- By age twenty, we've seen one million commercials.
- Recently, more Americans declared bankruptcythan graduated from college.
- In 90 percent of divorce cases, arguments about money played a prominent role.
Now listen to some of the wealthiest people of their day:
- The care of $2 million is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it. ~W.H. Vanderbilt
- I am the most miserable man on earth. ~John Jacob Astor
- I have made millions, but they have brought me no happiness. ~Rockefeller
- Millionaires seldom smile. ~Andrew Carnegie
"The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become." ~Hudson Taylor (missionary)
"I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess." ~Martin Luther
"Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart." ~John Wesley
Edison's favorite piece of poetry was stanza nine from Thomas Gray's Elegy To A Country-Churchyard:
"The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike the inevitable hour:
The paths of glory lead but to the grave."
So where does one start? A tithe is a good starting block to the race of giving. To those who start with less, God is being robbed. If we commit to give 5% we are still robbing God of half. If Christ is our joy then our wallets will prove that out. It's one of the fundamental evidences of a person's faith.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
"According to Plan, The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible" by Graeme Goldsworthy
I just finished this book by Goldsworthy last night and I must say I found it helpful galvanizing, in my mind, the unity of Scripture.
The first two sections are more of a Christianity 101, ntro. to the Bible. The main address is how the canon of Scripture has been assembled and inspired, essentially providing solid apologetics for the authority of Scripture. The second section, which makes up the bulk of the text, is an overview of the entirety of the Bible illuminating the unfolding revelation of the Gospel as the underlying, overarching central theme. I found while reading through this section that the book was particularly hard to put down as it showed how connected all the separate books of Scripture are. The last section is a few brief pages on practical application of the stressed themes of this book such as knowing God's will.
Given its proper emphasis on Biblical themes I'd recommend this book for new believers as it gives such an excellent and concise bird's eye view of Scripture.
The first two sections are more of a Christianity 101, ntro. to the Bible. The main address is how the canon of Scripture has been assembled and inspired, essentially providing solid apologetics for the authority of Scripture. The second section, which makes up the bulk of the text, is an overview of the entirety of the Bible illuminating the unfolding revelation of the Gospel as the underlying, overarching central theme. I found while reading through this section that the book was particularly hard to put down as it showed how connected all the separate books of Scripture are. The last section is a few brief pages on practical application of the stressed themes of this book such as knowing God's will.
Given its proper emphasis on Biblical themes I'd recommend this book for new believers as it gives such an excellent and concise bird's eye view of Scripture.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Moses' Writings, The Foundational Template For Scripture
Moses wrote the first five books of our Bible, laying the foundation of all Christian theology. We trust the authority of the Law of Moses because a nation of nearly a million Israelites followed and witnessed God doing extraordinary things through him, making Moses the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. Through Moses God brought devastating plagues upon the most powerful nation of the time (Egypt), walked out of the country with several hundred thousand slaves, took a short cut through a large body of water, protected the people of Israel with a large pillar of fire and smoke, sustained them through a 40 year camping trip in the desert (with water flowing from rocks, manna that showed up every morning, and oodles of quail), gave these campers victory in war over established nations with armies and fortified cities, and along the exodus journey established a far more civil government than the world had ever known... just to name a few things.
The question is; can we trust the witness of nearly a million people who give eye-witness testimony of Moses being lead and counseled "face to face" with God (complete with historical & archaeological evidence)? Do we say, "Maybe this God of Moses who has not only declared an intolerance to all the other gods (and subsequently laid waste to those who would follow after those little gods, trying to pollute His chosen people with their idolatry) is the one true living God and Creator of all whom I should call Lord and seek after"?
Or... do we turn to another foundational writer of another faith who asks us to trust in his teachings although he has no witnesses to his "revelations" or "signs and wonders" from his god/gods/the force/karma/Elvis/etc.?
The question is; can we trust the witness of nearly a million people who give eye-witness testimony of Moses being lead and counseled "face to face" with God (complete with historical & archaeological evidence)? Do we say, "Maybe this God of Moses who has not only declared an intolerance to all the other gods (and subsequently laid waste to those who would follow after those little gods, trying to pollute His chosen people with their idolatry) is the one true living God and Creator of all whom I should call Lord and seek after"?
Or... do we turn to another foundational writer of another faith who asks us to trust in his teachings although he has no witnesses to his "revelations" or "signs and wonders" from his god/gods/the force/karma/Elvis/etc.?
Saturday, April 10, 2010
How Awesome Is Our God
Look upon the following verses and meditate on them. Know that Christ's coming and sacrifice was not a "Plan B." Our God is not some small, reactionary god who is shaped by the decisions of man.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
"His saving work in the world was not an afterthought because of sin, but was the eternal purpose of God. It was the plan of God before creation and from all eternity. Upon this plan God created all things. If we can imagine God drawing up the plans for the universe before he created it, and if we could examine these plans, we would not see Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but Jesus Christ in the gospel." Graeme Goldsworthy, According To Plan, pg. 60.
Yes, all things were created with wisdom and foreknowledge. Sadly, many today have such a diminished view of what foreknowledge is. They think to foreknow is simply to know the facts beforehand (omniscience).
Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Look at "foreknew" in relation to "predestined." We know that not all people are becoming conformed to the image of Christ and yet an all knowing (omniscient) God certainly is aware of every person He has created. Therefore "foreknowledge" must mean something more than merely "an awareness of events to come." Nowhere in Scripture do we see that God "foreknew" those that are not among the elect.
The intimacy of knowing:
The root of foreknowledge is know. In scripture, to know someone denotes a particular intimacy.
Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain,...
Now either Adam stood around pointing at Eve, identifying her until she bore him a son or there was something more intimate going on in the business of knowing.
Matthew 7: 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Either Christ had no awareness of these workers of iniquity (even though He was addressing them and identifying them as workers of iniquity) or the knowledge represents a particular intimacy.
Further study: For a more scholarly biblical exegesis (with the original Greek) of understanding foreknowledge click here.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
"His saving work in the world was not an afterthought because of sin, but was the eternal purpose of God. It was the plan of God before creation and from all eternity. Upon this plan God created all things. If we can imagine God drawing up the plans for the universe before he created it, and if we could examine these plans, we would not see Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but Jesus Christ in the gospel." Graeme Goldsworthy, According To Plan, pg. 60.
Yes, all things were created with wisdom and foreknowledge. Sadly, many today have such a diminished view of what foreknowledge is. They think to foreknow is simply to know the facts beforehand (omniscience).
Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Look at "foreknew" in relation to "predestined." We know that not all people are becoming conformed to the image of Christ and yet an all knowing (omniscient) God certainly is aware of every person He has created. Therefore "foreknowledge" must mean something more than merely "an awareness of events to come." Nowhere in Scripture do we see that God "foreknew" those that are not among the elect.
The intimacy of knowing:
The root of foreknowledge is know. In scripture, to know someone denotes a particular intimacy.
Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain,...
Now either Adam stood around pointing at Eve, identifying her until she bore him a son or there was something more intimate going on in the business of knowing.
Matthew 7: 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Either Christ had no awareness of these workers of iniquity (even though He was addressing them and identifying them as workers of iniquity) or the knowledge represents a particular intimacy.
Further study: For a more scholarly biblical exegesis (with the original Greek) of understanding foreknowledge click here.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Paul's To-Do List
1. Go blind.
2. Regain sight.
3. Go on a world tour teaching Christ and Him crucified while planting churches and making tents to keep the ministry going.
4. Make sure the teaching is exclusive enough to get flogged, stoned, and imprisoned. (Shake it off. It's only flesh and bone.)
5. Send out a bunch of letters to the churches to clarify the foundations of the Church.
6. Escape from the crazy Jews in order to gain an audience with an even crazier emperor.
7. Become a martyr...
2. Regain sight.
3. Go on a world tour teaching Christ and Him crucified while planting churches and making tents to keep the ministry going.
4. Make sure the teaching is exclusive enough to get flogged, stoned, and imprisoned. (Shake it off. It's only flesh and bone.)
5. Send out a bunch of letters to the churches to clarify the foundations of the Church.
6. Escape from the crazy Jews in order to gain an audience with an even crazier emperor.
7. Become a martyr...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Ode to the Beautiful Pentateuch
O Penteteuch, O Penteteuch!
How engaging is your detailed architectural instructions of the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant.
How lovely the way you expound on all customs involving the Sabbath and festivals.
You say, "Come drink deeply of the extensive details of laws regarding the appropriate treatment of slaves, laws of restitution, and laws of justice," and I bound towards your Word with great exuberance.
I draw on you at times when I need to offer up Peace Offerings, Sin Offerings, and Guilt Offerings.
If it were not for you I would be at a loss as to what part of the altar to sprinkle the blood of oxen.
In the post-modern era the Penteteuch can indeed look daunting and antiquated at first glance. Even I must confess that my mind has often wanted to go on vacation once I get to the middle of Exodus, telling my eyes, "Wake me when we get to Joshua." Just look at the Sadducees in the New Testament. These guys esteemed the writings of Moses above the rest of Scripture and they were among the most manic jerks that Jesus encountered. It seems like most of the content of the Pentateuch was written with architects and fanatical lawyers in mind. However, with some discipline and illumination from the Spirit I have found joy in my daily readings through these books and will bid them a fond farewell as I finish Deuteronomy by week's end.
So here's my brief takeaway...
The first five books of the Bible are the foundation for understanding the doctrine of God. Without them our understanding of God and our ability to effectively function in this world as Gospel witnesses is severely crippled.
Genesis paints an incredibly powerful picture of God the all powerful creator of everything who spoke all that is into existence. Many an accomplished scientist through the ages have achieved amazing discoveries in their respective fields by holding close the understanding that they were examining our Heavenly Father's craftsmanship.
The doctrine of Imago Dei begins to unfold as we see how man was created as a sort of first fruits of God's creation. Through this we are shown the vital necessity of our relationship with God and dependency on fellow man.
We also see how Adam & Eve first put the will of man into the bondage of sin and how God pursues restoration to overcome our stiff-necks and hard hearts.
What becomes clear as the chapters continue is that the value of life is tremendous but also dwarfed in comparison to the glory of God as the nations that oppose God and His chosen people are turned into cautionary tales.
As the wickedness of man is always juxtapositioned to our great God, all the seemingly tedious rules, rituals, and instructions written in the heart of the Pentateuch can be appreciated as a way for fallen man to approach the God of great faithfulness and perfection.
And through it all there is a thread of unfolding revelation of the Gospel that redeems and restores. Instead of wincing at the old "barbaric practices" that were given to God's people, we can celebrate knowing that these were the beginnings of the restoration process and as we continue on in faith we may set our sights on using bricks to continue building up the Church rather than stones to rock the faithless to a permanent sleep.
All that being said, I still believe some chapters to be written strictly for architects and lawyers. ;)
How engaging is your detailed architectural instructions of the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant.
How lovely the way you expound on all customs involving the Sabbath and festivals.
You say, "Come drink deeply of the extensive details of laws regarding the appropriate treatment of slaves, laws of restitution, and laws of justice," and I bound towards your Word with great exuberance.
I draw on you at times when I need to offer up Peace Offerings, Sin Offerings, and Guilt Offerings.
If it were not for you I would be at a loss as to what part of the altar to sprinkle the blood of oxen.
In the post-modern era the Penteteuch can indeed look daunting and antiquated at first glance. Even I must confess that my mind has often wanted to go on vacation once I get to the middle of Exodus, telling my eyes, "Wake me when we get to Joshua." Just look at the Sadducees in the New Testament. These guys esteemed the writings of Moses above the rest of Scripture and they were among the most manic jerks that Jesus encountered. It seems like most of the content of the Pentateuch was written with architects and fanatical lawyers in mind. However, with some discipline and illumination from the Spirit I have found joy in my daily readings through these books and will bid them a fond farewell as I finish Deuteronomy by week's end.
So here's my brief takeaway...
The first five books of the Bible are the foundation for understanding the doctrine of God. Without them our understanding of God and our ability to effectively function in this world as Gospel witnesses is severely crippled.
Genesis paints an incredibly powerful picture of God the all powerful creator of everything who spoke all that is into existence. Many an accomplished scientist through the ages have achieved amazing discoveries in their respective fields by holding close the understanding that they were examining our Heavenly Father's craftsmanship.
The doctrine of Imago Dei begins to unfold as we see how man was created as a sort of first fruits of God's creation. Through this we are shown the vital necessity of our relationship with God and dependency on fellow man.
We also see how Adam & Eve first put the will of man into the bondage of sin and how God pursues restoration to overcome our stiff-necks and hard hearts.
What becomes clear as the chapters continue is that the value of life is tremendous but also dwarfed in comparison to the glory of God as the nations that oppose God and His chosen people are turned into cautionary tales.
As the wickedness of man is always juxtapositioned to our great God, all the seemingly tedious rules, rituals, and instructions written in the heart of the Pentateuch can be appreciated as a way for fallen man to approach the God of great faithfulness and perfection.
And through it all there is a thread of unfolding revelation of the Gospel that redeems and restores. Instead of wincing at the old "barbaric practices" that were given to God's people, we can celebrate knowing that these were the beginnings of the restoration process and as we continue on in faith we may set our sights on using bricks to continue building up the Church rather than stones to rock the faithless to a permanent sleep.
All that being said, I still believe some chapters to be written strictly for architects and lawyers. ;)
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Silver Lining of Common Grace... It Grows It Spreads
All over creation our good King is claiming His victory. In order to see that better we need to open our eyes to common grace. After Cain killed Abel he went on to be a father to faithless generations, but those offspring founded music and arts. Of course now we have Christians glorifying God through music and arts. The Phoenicians created the alphabet but God's chosen people use it to communicate the Gospel. Conquering nations such as the Greeks and the Romans destroyed many in the name of violence and selfish ambition, but these empires merely set a perfect stage for Christ to enter into the world and the good news of Him to quickly spread among various tribes and races. Holidays such as Easter and Christmas have pagan roots but are now days that we stress teaching about Christ's birth and resurrection. Rock n' Roll was created out of rebellion, now we have Christian rock concerts where some people are seeing and hearing a clear representation of the Gospel for the first time. Television was created for the purpose of mindless entertainment, today we have TBN spreading the... umm... ok, that's a bad example. Environmentalism is being heavily promoted and idolized by those who have no love for the Creator, but God is using these idolaters as well to bring restoration and redemption to His creation and soon, I believe, the Church will become more responsible to that which man has been given stewardship over.
Proverbs 21:30 "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord."
Yesterday I blogged about Christian freedom and common grace; the ability to find and appreciate what might be edifying beyond the church "walls." Can I find the silver-lining in this following secular poem? Can I open my eyes to see how this poet, this image bearer of God may sharpen my witness?
Silver-Lined Heart
By Taylor Mali (www.taylormali.com)
I’m for reckless abandon
and spontaneous celebrations of nothing at all,
like the twin flutes I kept in the trunk of my car
in a box labeled Emergency Champagne Glasses!
Raise an unexpected glass to long, cold winters
and sweet hot summers and the beautiful confusion of the times in between.
To the unexpected drenching rain that leaves you soaking
wet and smiling breathless;
“We danced in the garden in torn sheets in the rain,”
we were christened in the sanctity of the sprinkler,
can’t you hear it singing out its Hallelujah?
Here’s to the soul-expanding power
of the simply beautiful.
See, things you hate, things you despise,
multinational corporations and lies that politicians tell,
injustices that make you mad as hell,
that’s all well and good.
And as far as writing poems goes,
I guess you should.
It just might be a poem that gets Mumia released,
brings an end to terrorism or peace in the middle east.
But as far as what soothes me, what inspires and moves me,
honesty behooves me to tell you your rage doesn’t move me.
See, like the darkest of clouds my heart has a silver lining,
which does not hearken to the loudest whining,
but beats and stirs and grows ever more
when I learn of the things you’re actually for.
That’s why I’m for best friends, long drives, and smiles,
nothing but the sound of thinking for miles.
For the unconditional love of dogs:
may we learn the lessons of their love by heart.
For therapy when you need it,
and poetry when you need it.
And the wisdom to know the difference.
The solution to every problem usually involves some kind of liquid,
even if it’s only Emergency Champagne
or running through the sprinkler.
Can’t you hear it calling you?
I’m for crushes not acted upon, for admiration from afar,
for the delicate and the resilient and the fragile human heart,
may it always heal stronger than it was before.
For walks in the woods, and for the woods themselves,
by which I mean the trees. Definitely for the trees.
Window seats, and locally brewed beer,
and love letters written by hand with fountain pens:
I’m for all of these.
I’m for evolution more than revolution
unless you’re offering some kind of solution.
I’m for the courage it takes to volunteer, to say “yes,” “I believe,” and “I will.”
For the bright side, the glass half full, the silver lining,
and the optimists who consider darkness just a different kind of shining.
So don’t waste my time and your curses on verses
about what you are against, despise, and abhor.
Tell me what inspires you, what fulfills and fires you,
put your precious pen to paper and tell me what you’re for!
Proverbs 21:30 "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord."
Yesterday I blogged about Christian freedom and common grace; the ability to find and appreciate what might be edifying beyond the church "walls." Can I find the silver-lining in this following secular poem? Can I open my eyes to see how this poet, this image bearer of God may sharpen my witness?
Silver-Lined Heart
By Taylor Mali (www.taylormali.com)
I’m for reckless abandon
and spontaneous celebrations of nothing at all,
like the twin flutes I kept in the trunk of my car
in a box labeled Emergency Champagne Glasses!
Raise an unexpected glass to long, cold winters
and sweet hot summers and the beautiful confusion of the times in between.
To the unexpected drenching rain that leaves you soaking
wet and smiling breathless;
“We danced in the garden in torn sheets in the rain,”
we were christened in the sanctity of the sprinkler,
can’t you hear it singing out its Hallelujah?
Here’s to the soul-expanding power
of the simply beautiful.
See, things you hate, things you despise,
multinational corporations and lies that politicians tell,
injustices that make you mad as hell,
that’s all well and good.
And as far as writing poems goes,
I guess you should.
It just might be a poem that gets Mumia released,
brings an end to terrorism or peace in the middle east.
But as far as what soothes me, what inspires and moves me,
honesty behooves me to tell you your rage doesn’t move me.
See, like the darkest of clouds my heart has a silver lining,
which does not hearken to the loudest whining,
but beats and stirs and grows ever more
when I learn of the things you’re actually for.
That’s why I’m for best friends, long drives, and smiles,
nothing but the sound of thinking for miles.
For the unconditional love of dogs:
may we learn the lessons of their love by heart.
For therapy when you need it,
and poetry when you need it.
And the wisdom to know the difference.
The solution to every problem usually involves some kind of liquid,
even if it’s only Emergency Champagne
or running through the sprinkler.
Can’t you hear it calling you?
I’m for crushes not acted upon, for admiration from afar,
for the delicate and the resilient and the fragile human heart,
may it always heal stronger than it was before.
For walks in the woods, and for the woods themselves,
by which I mean the trees. Definitely for the trees.
Window seats, and locally brewed beer,
and love letters written by hand with fountain pens:
I’m for all of these.
I’m for evolution more than revolution
unless you’re offering some kind of solution.
I’m for the courage it takes to volunteer, to say “yes,” “I believe,” and “I will.”
For the bright side, the glass half full, the silver lining,
and the optimists who consider darkness just a different kind of shining.
So don’t waste my time and your curses on verses
about what you are against, despise, and abhor.
Tell me what inspires you, what fulfills and fires you,
put your precious pen to paper and tell me what you’re for!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee
Alright, I confess. I've been one of those people; an "uptight do-right" who idolized morality, the church and all its cultural habits. I only listened to Christian music, only engaged people from other denominations in order to wrestle with minor doctrine, and was a bit muddled in thinking that being a better Christian is defined by abstaining from all things not immersed in some evangelical holy water. I was so entrenched in all my major and minor doctrine and looking holy my spirit developed a metaphorical hunch, heavy laden with legalism.
Truth be told (expounding on what my pastor stated today in membership class) we all have a tendency and nature to slide our focus off the Cross & living for the glory of God and lean either towards making idolatry of our Christian freedom (grace abuse), or making idolatry of the law and the church. Those of us who claim to be reforming evangelicals would do well to read upon the words of early reformers who, if they were alive today, would no doubt instruct us to loosen the collar and enjoy the journey through a deeper understanding of grace. We miss out on far too much beauty in this world when we think the elect have cornered the market on it all.
John Calvin: "Christian freedom, in my opinion, consists of three parts. The first: that the consciences of believers, in seeking assurance of their justification before God, should rise above and advance beyond the law, forgetting all law righteousness...
The second part, dependent upon the first, is that consciences observe the law, not as if constrained by the necessity of the law, but that freed from the law's yoke they willingly obey God's will... The third part of Christian freedom lies in this: regarding outward things that are of themselves "indifferent", we are not bound before God by any religious obligation preventing us from sometimes using them and other times not using them, indifferently...
Accordingly, it is perversely interpreted both by those who allege it as an excuse for their desires that they may abuse God's good gifts to their own lust and by those who think that freedom does not exist unless it is used before men, and consequently, in using it have no regard for weaker brethren... Nothing is plainer than this rule: that we should use our freedom if it results in the edification of our neighbour, but if it does not help our neighbour, then we should forego it." The Institutes of the Christian Religion
Further studying:
Doctrine of Common Grace, Wayne Grudem
Truth be told (expounding on what my pastor stated today in membership class) we all have a tendency and nature to slide our focus off the Cross & living for the glory of God and lean either towards making idolatry of our Christian freedom (grace abuse), or making idolatry of the law and the church. Those of us who claim to be reforming evangelicals would do well to read upon the words of early reformers who, if they were alive today, would no doubt instruct us to loosen the collar and enjoy the journey through a deeper understanding of grace. We miss out on far too much beauty in this world when we think the elect have cornered the market on it all.
John Calvin: "Christian freedom, in my opinion, consists of three parts. The first: that the consciences of believers, in seeking assurance of their justification before God, should rise above and advance beyond the law, forgetting all law righteousness...
The second part, dependent upon the first, is that consciences observe the law, not as if constrained by the necessity of the law, but that freed from the law's yoke they willingly obey God's will... The third part of Christian freedom lies in this: regarding outward things that are of themselves "indifferent", we are not bound before God by any religious obligation preventing us from sometimes using them and other times not using them, indifferently...
Accordingly, it is perversely interpreted both by those who allege it as an excuse for their desires that they may abuse God's good gifts to their own lust and by those who think that freedom does not exist unless it is used before men, and consequently, in using it have no regard for weaker brethren... Nothing is plainer than this rule: that we should use our freedom if it results in the edification of our neighbour, but if it does not help our neighbour, then we should forego it." The Institutes of the Christian Religion
Further studying:
Doctrine of Common Grace, Wayne Grudem
Friday, March 12, 2010
Earthquakes and Economics
For two millenia, every time a natural or social disaster hits the "Chicken Little theologians" come out of their hen houses and pronounce that the "sky is falling." The newspaper headlines announce a local crime and they pronounce "the end is near." They sputter and mutter how the world is getting worse. Forget that throughout human history many national religions publicly practiced human sacrifice and were in an almost constant state of open warfare with their neighbors while plagues and disease periodically wiped out a significant percentage of the population until modern times.
"This is a happy time we live in. A certain race of croaking souls who are never pleased with anything are always crying out about the badness of the times. They cry, 'O for the good old times.' Why, these are the good old times. Time is never so old as it now. These are the best of times." ~C.H. Spurgeon from his sermon, Prayer-the Forerunner of Mercy
The light of the Gospel has been revealed to this world and is spreading through God's redemptive plan for His creation. The sinfulness of man is but a whisp and a vapor in comparison. There's no need to rip away a handful of verses from Revelation and news, taking them away from the context of the Gospel, and strangle and twist the truth out of them to fashion a bow-tie of madness around one's neck, suffocating the ability to reason.
We should all stop praying for ease and decadence, instead embracing our Refiner's fire as He burns away the idols of this world we turn to for contentment. Christians have commonly developed their finest qualities while being persecuted and through suffering. Pain is the alarm clock that wakes us from our lazy slumber.
...if we know anything of growth in grace and desire to know more, let us not be surprised if we have to go through much trial and affliction in this world. I firmly believe it is the experience of nearly all the most eminent saints. Like their blessed Master, they have been men of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and perfected through sufferings (... See MoreIsa. 53:3; Heb. 2:10). It is a striking saying of our Lord, "Every branch in Me that bears fruit [my Father] purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit" (John 15:2).
It is a melancholy fact, that constant temporal prosperity, as a general rule, is injurious to a believer’s soul. We cannot stand it. Sicknesses and losses and crosses and anxieties and disappointments seem absolutely needful to keep us humble, watchful and spiritual–minded. They are as needful as the pruning knife to the vine and the refiner’s furnace to the gold. They are not pleasant to flesh and blood. We do not like them and often do not see their meaning. "No chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11). We shall find that all worked for our good when we reach heaven. Let these thoughts abide in our minds, if we love growth in grace.
When days of darkness come upon us, let us not count it a strange thing. Rather let us remember that lessons are learned on such days, which would never have been learned in sunshine. Let us say to ourselves, "This also is for my profit, that I may be a partaker of God’s holiness. It is sent in love. I am in God’s best school. Correction is instruction. This is meant to make me grow." JC Ryle, Chaper 6: Growth from His book "Holiness"
"This is a happy time we live in. A certain race of croaking souls who are never pleased with anything are always crying out about the badness of the times. They cry, 'O for the good old times.' Why, these are the good old times. Time is never so old as it now. These are the best of times." ~C.H. Spurgeon from his sermon, Prayer-the Forerunner of Mercy
The light of the Gospel has been revealed to this world and is spreading through God's redemptive plan for His creation. The sinfulness of man is but a whisp and a vapor in comparison. There's no need to rip away a handful of verses from Revelation and news, taking them away from the context of the Gospel, and strangle and twist the truth out of them to fashion a bow-tie of madness around one's neck, suffocating the ability to reason.
We should all stop praying for ease and decadence, instead embracing our Refiner's fire as He burns away the idols of this world we turn to for contentment. Christians have commonly developed their finest qualities while being persecuted and through suffering. Pain is the alarm clock that wakes us from our lazy slumber.
...if we know anything of growth in grace and desire to know more, let us not be surprised if we have to go through much trial and affliction in this world. I firmly believe it is the experience of nearly all the most eminent saints. Like their blessed Master, they have been men of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and perfected through sufferings (... See MoreIsa. 53:3; Heb. 2:10). It is a striking saying of our Lord, "Every branch in Me that bears fruit [my Father] purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit" (John 15:2).
It is a melancholy fact, that constant temporal prosperity, as a general rule, is injurious to a believer’s soul. We cannot stand it. Sicknesses and losses and crosses and anxieties and disappointments seem absolutely needful to keep us humble, watchful and spiritual–minded. They are as needful as the pruning knife to the vine and the refiner’s furnace to the gold. They are not pleasant to flesh and blood. We do not like them and often do not see their meaning. "No chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11). We shall find that all worked for our good when we reach heaven. Let these thoughts abide in our minds, if we love growth in grace.
When days of darkness come upon us, let us not count it a strange thing. Rather let us remember that lessons are learned on such days, which would never have been learned in sunshine. Let us say to ourselves, "This also is for my profit, that I may be a partaker of God’s holiness. It is sent in love. I am in God’s best school. Correction is instruction. This is meant to make me grow." JC Ryle, Chaper 6: Growth from His book "Holiness"
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Know What You Believe
This video is like, totally spot on awesome, ya' know?... or not. :)
Sometimes, especially when I'm tired, I think, I suffer from the linguistic problem depicted here. And I could be wrong here, but maybe because our society is detaching itself more and more from the Gospel message we've tethered ourselves to a myriad of uncertainties. But that's just my opinion that I'm totally willing to rescind it if it offends you.
To each his (or her... or its) own, unless that bothers you.
Then in written word I don't all ways proof reed what I right all the thyme, thinking theirs no real knead to cheque over my written work. After all, how how impotent is it really too edit/
I mean, I yews too have a problem with righting homework.
My English teacher said my work was barley eligible.
This had a lot to dew with my pour spelling.
Manly, manly of my grades were being affected by my pour spelling.
How could I become the school's valley Victorian with such pour grades in my English clash.
I didn't real eyes the problem was that I I kneaded too have spell choker.
But then I discovered once I had spell choker it would be the the pollution two awl my problems.
So now I take the mouth next to my computer's key board, point the Aero, and clip-on the spell choker button.
All my righting mistakes disappear and my document looks prefect.
In the the age off technology their is always a shortcut too good work,
and I am egg sighted to chair with yew the impotence of using a spell choker.
Sometimes, especially when I'm tired, I think, I suffer from the linguistic problem depicted here. And I could be wrong here, but maybe because our society is detaching itself more and more from the Gospel message we've tethered ourselves to a myriad of uncertainties. But that's just my opinion that I'm totally willing to rescind it if it offends you.
To each his (or her... or its) own, unless that bothers you.
Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.
Then in written word I don't all ways proof reed what I right all the thyme, thinking theirs no real knead to cheque over my written work. After all, how how impotent is it really too edit/
I mean, I yews too have a problem with righting homework.
My English teacher said my work was barley eligible.
This had a lot to dew with my pour spelling.
Manly, manly of my grades were being affected by my pour spelling.
How could I become the school's valley Victorian with such pour grades in my English clash.
I didn't real eyes the problem was that I I kneaded too have spell choker.
But then I discovered once I had spell choker it would be the the pollution two awl my problems.
So now I take the mouth next to my computer's key board, point the Aero, and clip-on the spell choker button.
All my righting mistakes disappear and my document looks prefect.
In the the age off technology their is always a shortcut too good work,
and I am egg sighted to chair with yew the impotence of using a spell choker.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The Prodigal God (book review)
Title: The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
Author: Timothy Keller
Like many people, I assumed the word prodigal meant "wayward or wasteful." So when Timothy Keller's book first hit the book shelves, I remember looking at the front cover, noticing the "NY Times Bestseller" sticker on the label and thinking to myself, "Bah, this must be another self-help 'spiritual' book about a god who wants to be in a relationship with man in order to bless him but needs some help finding his way." But after noticing this book under the arms of men whose faith I admire and seeing it distributed with the Angel Tree gifts our church sent out last Christmas, giving the book further investigation seemed like a wise choice.
Keller's book starts out by clarifying the definition of prodigal—1) recklessly extravagant, and 2) having spent everything—which gives understanding for the book's title, The Prodigal God. He then puts the story in context with the rest of the chapter of Luke, noting that this parable is Jesus’ response to the grumbling Pharisees and scribes around him and that Christ starts the story by saying, "There was a man who had two sons." By the end of the first chapter, I realized that Timothy Keller's careful handling of Biblical exegesis would not allow this book to just be another dry re-hashing of a wayward son who wound up gnawing on pig feed because of his disobedience to God, and the reader can come away with more than just the knowledge that God is rich in mercy and grace no matter what we've done.
Keller goes on to lay a solid foundation to the story by drawing attention to the fact that the older brother does not enter into the feast at the end of the parable. So what we have is two lost sons; the moralistic older brother who follows all the rules, trying to merit his father's good graces, as well as the wayward and reckless younger brother. These are two personalities everybody can identify with; and apart from walking in God's grace, these two brothers represent the way in which man alienates himself from God.
Our society is divided into two cultures, as Keller points out. The culture of the "older brother" is the conventional moral conformist, commonly known for "stability" as well as striving to please authority figures. The "younger brother" culture lives by their own rules, walking a path of self-discovery. Every person gravitates to one of these two categories, and some combine the two. Both cultures proclaim, "If those people would follow our example, the world would be a better place." Our problem is that, no matter what side of the cultural divide we land on, we still play the role of the two lost sons, alienating ourselves from the Father by a self-centered focus on either keeping all the rules or breaking them all.
Within every person's heart is a hunger for home. The Prodigal God seeks to show us there is no satisfaction in our own efforts and pursuits to fill that longing with the things of this world since they are only here to serve as signs and reminders pointing to the feast—Christ's saving work. If you want a deeper understanding of how we live next to the feast without entering or wander far from it, and if you want a better idea of what this feast looks like, then I recommend reading this book.
Book Reviewed: The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller (2008) Dutton Adult, 160 pp. For more information and resources, including access to the sermon series, visit www.theprodigalgod.com
edited by Erin Smith
"What must we do, then, to be saved? To find God we must repent of the things we have done wrong, but if that is all you do, you may remain just an elder brother. To truly become a Christian we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too. We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness – the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord. We must admit that we’ve put our ultimate hope in both our wrongdoing and right doing we have been seeking to get around God or get control of God in order to get hold of those things.
It is only when you see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord—lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness—that you are on the verge of becoming a Christian indeed. When you realize that the antidote to being bad is not just being good, you are on the brink. If you follow through, it will change everything—how you relate to God, self, others, the world, your work, you sins, your virtue. It’s called the new birth because its so radical”
– Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God pp 77-78
Author: Timothy Keller
Like many people, I assumed the word prodigal meant "wayward or wasteful." So when Timothy Keller's book first hit the book shelves, I remember looking at the front cover, noticing the "NY Times Bestseller" sticker on the label and thinking to myself, "Bah, this must be another self-help 'spiritual' book about a god who wants to be in a relationship with man in order to bless him but needs some help finding his way." But after noticing this book under the arms of men whose faith I admire and seeing it distributed with the Angel Tree gifts our church sent out last Christmas, giving the book further investigation seemed like a wise choice.
Keller's book starts out by clarifying the definition of prodigal—1) recklessly extravagant, and 2) having spent everything—which gives understanding for the book's title, The Prodigal God. He then puts the story in context with the rest of the chapter of Luke, noting that this parable is Jesus’ response to the grumbling Pharisees and scribes around him and that Christ starts the story by saying, "There was a man who had two sons." By the end of the first chapter, I realized that Timothy Keller's careful handling of Biblical exegesis would not allow this book to just be another dry re-hashing of a wayward son who wound up gnawing on pig feed because of his disobedience to God, and the reader can come away with more than just the knowledge that God is rich in mercy and grace no matter what we've done.
Keller goes on to lay a solid foundation to the story by drawing attention to the fact that the older brother does not enter into the feast at the end of the parable. So what we have is two lost sons; the moralistic older brother who follows all the rules, trying to merit his father's good graces, as well as the wayward and reckless younger brother. These are two personalities everybody can identify with; and apart from walking in God's grace, these two brothers represent the way in which man alienates himself from God.
Our society is divided into two cultures, as Keller points out. The culture of the "older brother" is the conventional moral conformist, commonly known for "stability" as well as striving to please authority figures. The "younger brother" culture lives by their own rules, walking a path of self-discovery. Every person gravitates to one of these two categories, and some combine the two. Both cultures proclaim, "If those people would follow our example, the world would be a better place." Our problem is that, no matter what side of the cultural divide we land on, we still play the role of the two lost sons, alienating ourselves from the Father by a self-centered focus on either keeping all the rules or breaking them all.
Within every person's heart is a hunger for home. The Prodigal God seeks to show us there is no satisfaction in our own efforts and pursuits to fill that longing with the things of this world since they are only here to serve as signs and reminders pointing to the feast—Christ's saving work. If you want a deeper understanding of how we live next to the feast without entering or wander far from it, and if you want a better idea of what this feast looks like, then I recommend reading this book.
Book Reviewed: The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller (2008) Dutton Adult, 160 pp. For more information and resources, including access to the sermon series, visit www.theprodigalgod.com
edited by Erin Smith
"What must we do, then, to be saved? To find God we must repent of the things we have done wrong, but if that is all you do, you may remain just an elder brother. To truly become a Christian we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too. We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness – the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord. We must admit that we’ve put our ultimate hope in both our wrongdoing and right doing we have been seeking to get around God or get control of God in order to get hold of those things.
It is only when you see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord—lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness—that you are on the verge of becoming a Christian indeed. When you realize that the antidote to being bad is not just being good, you are on the brink. If you follow through, it will change everything—how you relate to God, self, others, the world, your work, you sins, your virtue. It’s called the new birth because its so radical”
– Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God pp 77-78
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
When God Repents (When God Changes His Mind)
Exodus 32:14 "And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." ~KJV
Exodus 32:14 "And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people." ~ESV
Exodus 32:14 "So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people." ~NASB
1 Samuel 15:29 "Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind."
So how do we reconcile these "furious opposites" as G.K. Chesterton would refer to them? How do we settle this issue of an immutable (unchangeable God) that changed His mind? Well, when C.H. Spurgeon was asked how he reconciled certain "furious opposites" of Scripture his reply was that he didn't need to reconcile close friends.
Let's see what Spurgeon was getting at by taking a step back and looking at Exodus 32:14 in context. In 32:9 the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you." And so it seemed that God would break His covenant with Israel to bring them up from Egypt to the promised land and make a great nation of Jacob's children. It seemed that the Lord's irrevocable call (Romans 11:29) was about to be revoked. He seemed to leave the matter in the hands of Moses... but whose hands was Moses in?!? And so Moses couldn't help but appeal in verses 11-14 to what God swore to do for His servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (v.13).
For further understanding we can look at 2 Chronicles 30 where King Hezekiah seeks repentance for Israel, that they might turn once again as a nation to the Lord.
v.9 For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him." When we see conditional responsiveness of God to man's choices the natural tendency is to make a *"philosophical conclusion" as John Piper would refer to it, by reasoning that God's response depends on what man chooses. We stare at the "if" and claim it as ours. But if the Holy Spirit humbles our mind and heart so that we may abstain from adding the reasoning of man to Scripture and simply let scripture speak for itself we will find what God's response really hinges on. In verse 12 it is revealed "The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD." So let us rather rest on the "biblical conclusion" that it is God's hand that works through it all.
An analogy I like to use is a windy road that ends at a southern destination. At times the road bends (repents) and heads north for a while, but the final destination and the road there have already been predetermined, the bends are all part of the path to getting us to the final destination.
You see, the greatest fruits of the truths of Scripture are not in the high and lofty branches where only the mightiest intellectuals may obtain them, rather they grow near to the ground where a child can reach them but only the humbled would dare to stoop.
Unlike Philip Yancey I do believe Scriptures life principles reduce to a logical consistency (just not the logic of man [Isaiah 55:8]) if we allow the Word to dictate that logic to us. The simple truth here is... God keeps His promises.
"I have observed that all the heresies and errors
have arisen not from Scripture's own plain statements,
but when that plainness of statement is ignored, and men
follow the Scholastic arguments of their own brains." ~Martin Luther
*Proverbs 28:26 "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered."
References for further study:
The Immutability of God
"Taste and See" by John Piper Daily Meditation #19 'Beware of Common Sense!'
Exodus 32:14 "And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people." ~ESV
Exodus 32:14 "So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people." ~NASB
1 Samuel 15:29 "Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind."
So how do we reconcile these "furious opposites" as G.K. Chesterton would refer to them? How do we settle this issue of an immutable (unchangeable God) that changed His mind? Well, when C.H. Spurgeon was asked how he reconciled certain "furious opposites" of Scripture his reply was that he didn't need to reconcile close friends.
Let's see what Spurgeon was getting at by taking a step back and looking at Exodus 32:14 in context. In 32:9 the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you." And so it seemed that God would break His covenant with Israel to bring them up from Egypt to the promised land and make a great nation of Jacob's children. It seemed that the Lord's irrevocable call (Romans 11:29) was about to be revoked. He seemed to leave the matter in the hands of Moses... but whose hands was Moses in?!? And so Moses couldn't help but appeal in verses 11-14 to what God swore to do for His servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (v.13).
For further understanding we can look at 2 Chronicles 30 where King Hezekiah seeks repentance for Israel, that they might turn once again as a nation to the Lord.
v.9 For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him." When we see conditional responsiveness of God to man's choices the natural tendency is to make a *"philosophical conclusion" as John Piper would refer to it, by reasoning that God's response depends on what man chooses. We stare at the "if" and claim it as ours. But if the Holy Spirit humbles our mind and heart so that we may abstain from adding the reasoning of man to Scripture and simply let scripture speak for itself we will find what God's response really hinges on. In verse 12 it is revealed "The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD." So let us rather rest on the "biblical conclusion" that it is God's hand that works through it all.
An analogy I like to use is a windy road that ends at a southern destination. At times the road bends (repents) and heads north for a while, but the final destination and the road there have already been predetermined, the bends are all part of the path to getting us to the final destination.
You see, the greatest fruits of the truths of Scripture are not in the high and lofty branches where only the mightiest intellectuals may obtain them, rather they grow near to the ground where a child can reach them but only the humbled would dare to stoop.
Unlike Philip Yancey I do believe Scriptures life principles reduce to a logical consistency (just not the logic of man [Isaiah 55:8]) if we allow the Word to dictate that logic to us. The simple truth here is... God keeps His promises.
"I have observed that all the heresies and errors
have arisen not from Scripture's own plain statements,
but when that plainness of statement is ignored, and men
follow the Scholastic arguments of their own brains." ~Martin Luther
*Proverbs 28:26 "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered."
References for further study:
The Immutability of God
"Taste and See" by John Piper Daily Meditation #19 'Beware of Common Sense!'
Saturday, February 13, 2010
"Let the one who desires take the water of life without price."
Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him"
"Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites by keeping them both and keeping them both furious." G.K Chesterton.
Ezekiel 33:11 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'
Psalm 37:13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
Matthew 23:37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
Ephesians 1: v.4 "even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world," v.5 In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of His will" v.11 "In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according the the counsel of His will" 2:4-5 "But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together in Christ" v.8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God"
Acts 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved
1 Cor. 2:14 the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
"In a memorable phrase that became the virtual cornerstone of his theology, G. K. Chesterton said, 'Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites by keeping them both and keeping them both furious.' Most heresies come from espousing one opposite at the expense of the other. Uncomfortable with paradox[antinomy], Christians tend to tilt in one direction or the other, usually with disastrous consequences. Read the theologians of the first few centuries as they try to fathom Jesus, the center of our faith, who was somehow fully God and fully man. Read the theologians of the Reformation as they discover the majestic implications of God's sovereignty, then strive to keep their followers from settling into a resigned fatalism. Read the theologians of today as they debate the intricacies of written revelation: a Bible that expresses God's words to us that is nonetheless authored by individuals of widely varying intelligence, personality, and writing style.
"The first shall be last; find your life by losing it; work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you; he who stoops lowest climbs highest; where sin abounds grace abounds more—all these profound principles of life appear in the New Testament and none easily reduces to logical consistency. 'Truth is not in the middle, and not in one extreme, but in both extremes,' 19th-century British pastor Charles Simeon remarked. With some reluctance, I have come to agree.
"Inside every person on earth, we believe, the image of God can be found. Yet inside each person there lives also a beast. Any religious or political system that does not account for both extremes—furious opposites, in Chesterton's phrase—will sorely fail (surprisingly, the utopians' failures bring down more catastrophe than the cynics'). As a rabbi put it, 'A man should carry two stones in his pocket. On one should be inscribed, "I am but dust and ashes." On the other, "For my sake was the world created." And he should use each stone as he needs it.'" ~Philip Yancey, Reaching For The Invisible God
"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."—C. H. Spurgeon
John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him"
"Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites by keeping them both and keeping them both furious." G.K Chesterton.
Ezekiel 33:11 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'
Psalm 37:13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
Matthew 23:37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
Ephesians 1: v.4 "even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world," v.5 In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of His will" v.11 "In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according the the counsel of His will" 2:4-5 "But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together in Christ" v.8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God"
Acts 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved
1 Cor. 2:14 the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
"In a memorable phrase that became the virtual cornerstone of his theology, G. K. Chesterton said, 'Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites by keeping them both and keeping them both furious.' Most heresies come from espousing one opposite at the expense of the other. Uncomfortable with paradox[antinomy], Christians tend to tilt in one direction or the other, usually with disastrous consequences. Read the theologians of the first few centuries as they try to fathom Jesus, the center of our faith, who was somehow fully God and fully man. Read the theologians of the Reformation as they discover the majestic implications of God's sovereignty, then strive to keep their followers from settling into a resigned fatalism. Read the theologians of today as they debate the intricacies of written revelation: a Bible that expresses God's words to us that is nonetheless authored by individuals of widely varying intelligence, personality, and writing style.
"The first shall be last; find your life by losing it; work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you; he who stoops lowest climbs highest; where sin abounds grace abounds more—all these profound principles of life appear in the New Testament and none easily reduces to logical consistency. 'Truth is not in the middle, and not in one extreme, but in both extremes,' 19th-century British pastor Charles Simeon remarked. With some reluctance, I have come to agree.
"Inside every person on earth, we believe, the image of God can be found. Yet inside each person there lives also a beast. Any religious or political system that does not account for both extremes—furious opposites, in Chesterton's phrase—will sorely fail (surprisingly, the utopians' failures bring down more catastrophe than the cynics'). As a rabbi put it, 'A man should carry two stones in his pocket. On one should be inscribed, "I am but dust and ashes." On the other, "For my sake was the world created." And he should use each stone as he needs it.'" ~Philip Yancey, Reaching For The Invisible God
"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."—C. H. Spurgeon
Thursday, February 11, 2010
THE comPASSIONate humor OF THE CHRIST
Prelude:
As Jesus grew up into His ministry He became well acquainted with Scripture and would most certainly be familiar with the passages of scripture that talked about the Exodus in which mixed multitudes accompanied the Israelites out of Egypt and sojourned with them(Exodus 12:38, Numbers 15:16). No doubt he read from the scroll of Isaiah (ch.56) where salvation for foreigners is clearly mentioned.
But what Christ had to work with was a culture steeped in ethnocentric religion. The Israelites of the time had perverted Scripture so much they believed salvation was exclusive for themselves, not that their "chosen race" status was to bring light to all nations. Jews did not interact with Gentiles unless it was necessary. Killing a Gentile (foreign dog) was no great crime for an Israelite of the time. To turn a blind eye to a foreigner, even in a life-threatening situation, was common practice (which explains why the story of the "Good Samaritan" shocked Jesus' audience). Christ had to keep pounding the idea that God loved more than just Israel(John 3:16) into the thick-headed Jews over and over again throughout His ministry. In Luke 17 He encounters ten lepers. After they all receive healing only one returns to give praise to God... "this foreigner?"(v.18) as Christ points out to those around Him.
Perhaps one of the humorous passages of scripture is Mark 7:24-29
Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs." And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter."
Haha! Did you get it? Do you see the witty banter in the passage? Do you see that Jesus and this women are having a laugh at the expense of the ethnocentric Jews? Not many people do. In modern times we've been trained up to think of Christ as "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild." But the "seeker-friendly jesus" who panders to and seeks favor with every man is an invention of culture and not the Jesus of Scripture. Christ was not crucified for appealing to the fragile sensibilities of fallen man but rather offended and openly mocked (Psalm 37:13)the practices of religious types (i.e. scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees) so much that they determined to kill Him.
Christ didn't spend all day just droning on about precepts as some pastors do. He wasn't crucified for boring people to death as a sallow stoic. He delighted to see the faith in those who were created in the image of His Father. He liked to party with sinners because He enjoyed giving mercy to those who would accept it (Luke 7:34).
As Jesus grew up into His ministry He became well acquainted with Scripture and would most certainly be familiar with the passages of scripture that talked about the Exodus in which mixed multitudes accompanied the Israelites out of Egypt and sojourned with them(Exodus 12:38, Numbers 15:16). No doubt he read from the scroll of Isaiah (ch.56) where salvation for foreigners is clearly mentioned.
But what Christ had to work with was a culture steeped in ethnocentric religion. The Israelites of the time had perverted Scripture so much they believed salvation was exclusive for themselves, not that their "chosen race" status was to bring light to all nations. Jews did not interact with Gentiles unless it was necessary. Killing a Gentile (foreign dog) was no great crime for an Israelite of the time. To turn a blind eye to a foreigner, even in a life-threatening situation, was common practice (which explains why the story of the "Good Samaritan" shocked Jesus' audience). Christ had to keep pounding the idea that God loved more than just Israel(John 3:16) into the thick-headed Jews over and over again throughout His ministry. In Luke 17 He encounters ten lepers. After they all receive healing only one returns to give praise to God... "this foreigner?"(v.18) as Christ points out to those around Him.
Perhaps one of the humorous passages of scripture is Mark 7:24-29
Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs." And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter."
Haha! Did you get it? Do you see the witty banter in the passage? Do you see that Jesus and this women are having a laugh at the expense of the ethnocentric Jews? Not many people do. In modern times we've been trained up to think of Christ as "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild." But the "seeker-friendly jesus" who panders to and seeks favor with every man is an invention of culture and not the Jesus of Scripture. Christ was not crucified for appealing to the fragile sensibilities of fallen man but rather offended and openly mocked (Psalm 37:13)the practices of religious types (i.e. scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees) so much that they determined to kill Him.
Christ didn't spend all day just droning on about precepts as some pastors do. He wasn't crucified for boring people to death as a sallow stoic. He delighted to see the faith in those who were created in the image of His Father. He liked to party with sinners because He enjoyed giving mercy to those who would accept it (Luke 7:34).
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Deep in the Heart of the Discontent
What really prompted my research into the topic of my last post is my own journey through discontentment which has been a large struggle this season. Ever since my return from Texas my schedule and sleeping pattern have been off and I've found it a great challenge to regularly connect with God. I blamed my work situation, thinking if work improved I might find more joy and be in a better position to serve the Lord. I also projected that blame on my living situation, marital status, etc. Then I looked around and noticed I was every bit the grumbling malcontent as the non-believers around me, if not more.
I started examining our culture built largely around violating the tenth commandment (covetousness), not just coveting material wealth but a wholesale coveting of a change of scenery to the social, political, & physical environment God has placed us in. In and out of our churches we're told that with ideal conditions we will truly live gloriously. The problem is that we've made an idol out of our ideals and instead of finding contentment that can only come through a close walk with Christ we think we can find contentment elsewhere. Over and over we're just buying into the lie that the serpent told Eve in the Garden of Eden.
History has told us that there is no escape from the "evils" of this world because the evil of this world is human nature. Adam & Eve were in an ideal setting and still sinned. Cain, the organic farmer who knew nothing about capitalism and wasn't "polluted" by Hollywood or public education still managed to kill his righteous brother, Able. When God led Israel to the promised land, they just perverted it by following false gods and committing every sin know to man within that promised land. In more recent history the Pilgrims began colonizing America using the egalitarian model of their Anabaptist counterparts in Europe. But unlike their European counterparts, their was no surrounding society to act as a safety net if their system should falter. What inevitably happened is that the colony almost starved to death and they had to switch to a capitalist model in which there were more external incentives to be productive, which is why a capitalist system dominated the landscape when this nation was founded.
The current problem today in our culture seems largely coming from two areas, the eastern ideologies (that they tried to implement in China and the Soviet Union which gave birth to disastrous results due to the gross miscalculation in human nature) have been imported into this country through Progressivism and the church has had a softening of its stance on the fallen condition of man since the Second Great Awakening nearly two centuries ago. This is why I believe political activists, Unitarians, and "Pantheist Christians" are often treated like Bible scholars, claiming they have uncovered the "real gospel" (manifesto) of Jesus.
Inversely, what the scripture teaches is that Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim. 6:6) and that Christ's love is strong enough to give us joy through the circumstances God has placed us in (James 1:2-4). The good news is the message that eternal life and sustainable joy are in a relationship with Christ. Christ's parting words is that we should be in the business of making disciples of all nations and what we see from the acts of the apostles and the epistles of the New Testament is making disciples was their business. Paul was so adamant about this goal he even took up side work as a tent maker to produce more capital for the churches and missionary work inbetween his beatings, stonings, and imprisonment. Slaves weren't told to abandon their masters but to serve them in all respect and humility. Paul did not attempt to subvert Caesar's authority but did attempt to convert him to Christianity. Soldiers (such as Cornelius in Acts and the ones that approached Jesus and John the Baptist) were commended for their faith and told to continue on in their present occupation and be content with their wages. Married believers were told to remain faithful to their spouses and exemplify the love of Christ in order that they may come to faith. Over and over the message is that through the love of Christ we can and should be content stewards with the lot God has given us.
I started examining our culture built largely around violating the tenth commandment (covetousness), not just coveting material wealth but a wholesale coveting of a change of scenery to the social, political, & physical environment God has placed us in. In and out of our churches we're told that with ideal conditions we will truly live gloriously. The problem is that we've made an idol out of our ideals and instead of finding contentment that can only come through a close walk with Christ we think we can find contentment elsewhere. Over and over we're just buying into the lie that the serpent told Eve in the Garden of Eden.
History has told us that there is no escape from the "evils" of this world because the evil of this world is human nature. Adam & Eve were in an ideal setting and still sinned. Cain, the organic farmer who knew nothing about capitalism and wasn't "polluted" by Hollywood or public education still managed to kill his righteous brother, Able. When God led Israel to the promised land, they just perverted it by following false gods and committing every sin know to man within that promised land. In more recent history the Pilgrims began colonizing America using the egalitarian model of their Anabaptist counterparts in Europe. But unlike their European counterparts, their was no surrounding society to act as a safety net if their system should falter. What inevitably happened is that the colony almost starved to death and they had to switch to a capitalist model in which there were more external incentives to be productive, which is why a capitalist system dominated the landscape when this nation was founded.
The current problem today in our culture seems largely coming from two areas, the eastern ideologies (that they tried to implement in China and the Soviet Union which gave birth to disastrous results due to the gross miscalculation in human nature) have been imported into this country through Progressivism and the church has had a softening of its stance on the fallen condition of man since the Second Great Awakening nearly two centuries ago. This is why I believe political activists, Unitarians, and "Pantheist Christians" are often treated like Bible scholars, claiming they have uncovered the "real gospel" (manifesto) of Jesus.
Inversely, what the scripture teaches is that Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim. 6:6) and that Christ's love is strong enough to give us joy through the circumstances God has placed us in (James 1:2-4). The good news is the message that eternal life and sustainable joy are in a relationship with Christ. Christ's parting words is that we should be in the business of making disciples of all nations and what we see from the acts of the apostles and the epistles of the New Testament is making disciples was their business. Paul was so adamant about this goal he even took up side work as a tent maker to produce more capital for the churches and missionary work inbetween his beatings, stonings, and imprisonment. Slaves weren't told to abandon their masters but to serve them in all respect and humility. Paul did not attempt to subvert Caesar's authority but did attempt to convert him to Christianity. Soldiers (such as Cornelius in Acts and the ones that approached Jesus and John the Baptist) were commended for their faith and told to continue on in their present occupation and be content with their wages. Married believers were told to remain faithful to their spouses and exemplify the love of Christ in order that they may come to faith. Over and over the message is that through the love of Christ we can and should be content stewards with the lot God has given us.
Friday, January 22, 2010
False gods & Blind Guides: The Social Gospel in America
The church of western culture has by and large traded off the classic Gospel of fallen man, sinful in nature, redeemed by a sovereign God through the atoning sacrifice of His Son on the cross as imputed righteousness. It's not just the mainline churches that are guilty of this but reformed, fundamentalist, liberal, emergent, etc. have largely forsaken Christ's teaching "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34) for a gospel of Utopia.
From the Marxist, Anarchy, or Communist "Christian" to the moralist "Christian" to the "I'm Ok, You're Ok, So Let's Make the World a Love Fest Christian" the core of the message is all the same; that if we follow a particular program we should expect our best life now. Now that "best life" may be defined differently. For some it's monetary wealth, for others it's magically cohesive relationships, for others it's perfectly balanced emotional well-being. But make no mistake, it's just the same message in different packaging.
Regardless of church positions and doctrinal statements the pervasiveness of this self-help gospel is evident everywhere. It is independent Americanism with a Christian label. It is the belief that a person can pull oneself up by his bootstraps to create an enjoyable life in the here and now.
At the center of the problem is the downplay on the total depravity and spiritual deadness of man. (Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:1-3, Colossians 2:13, Genesis 6:5, Ecclesiastes 9:3, Jeremiah 17:9, John 3:19, Romans 8:7-8, John 8:34, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:9-12, Jeremiah 13:23). In the contemporary gospel there is little room for talk about sin. Repentance is misunderstood as feelings of guilt if repentance is mentioned at all.
Without a true understanding of the condition of man the power of the cross and Jesus' life on earth are messages the church can shape any way they want. Eastern ideologies which only survive in theoretical vacuums because they're built on the idea that human nature is basically good and just needs the right conditions to thrive, like Marxism, classical anarchy, Communism, existentialism, etc. have become trendy in post-modern churches that like to play "dress-up Barbie" with the identity of Jesus, portraying Him as a pacifist or anti-capitalist whose hidden message was to overthrow established government to set up earthly Utopia. On the other hand, Jesus is portrayed in more traditional churches as a "nun-in-the-sky" waiting to slap your hand with the ruler of correction the moment you break a rule or do something socially taboo, trying to bring about Utopia through behavior modification. Then you have "vending-machine-Jesus" that dispenses whatever you want if you're polite and nice enough to everyone, trying to bring about a Kindergarten Utopia.
Secular sociologist, Marsha G. Witten, wrote a book in the late 1990's titled "All is Forgiven: The Secular Message in American Protestantism" that took a cross-section of 47 sermons from various churches with the message of the prodigal son. Her conclusion was that no matter what the denomination the ultimate message was a do-it-yourself guide to personal satisfaction, book-ended with prayer and a few mentions of God or Christ thrown in to mark itself as religious content. She also concluded that a person could just as easily find a multitude of alternative resources that offered and just as often produced similar results. The softened demeanor of God in today's churches she noted held sharp contrast to the "transcendent, majestic, awesome God of Luther and Calvin."
While the God of Paul, Luther, and Calvin called us to rejoice in our trials and sufferings and to persevere so that Christ's glory may be known we have opted for a god who tells us to flee from all that is uncomfortable and only count as blessing the same that any pagan would count as blessing. The behavior and attitude for today's professing Christian looks nearly identical to the non-believer in all situations. Nobody is asking us for the reason of our hope (1 Peter 3:15) because our hope is placed in this world.
1 Corinthians 15:19 "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."
"It is a mistake to suppose that evangelical sermons are a special brand of sermons, having their own peculiar style and conventions; evangelistic sermons are just scriptural sermons, the sort of sermons that a man cannot help preaching if he is preaching the Bible biblically. Proper sermons seek to expound and apply what is in the Bible. But what is in the Bible is just the whole counsel of God for man's salvation; all Scripture bears witness, in one way or another, to Christ, and all biblical themes relate to Him. All sermons, therefore, will of necessity declare Christ in some fashion and so be more or less directly evangelistic." ~J.I. Packer Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
From the Marxist, Anarchy, or Communist "Christian" to the moralist "Christian" to the "I'm Ok, You're Ok, So Let's Make the World a Love Fest Christian" the core of the message is all the same; that if we follow a particular program we should expect our best life now. Now that "best life" may be defined differently. For some it's monetary wealth, for others it's magically cohesive relationships, for others it's perfectly balanced emotional well-being. But make no mistake, it's just the same message in different packaging.
Regardless of church positions and doctrinal statements the pervasiveness of this self-help gospel is evident everywhere. It is independent Americanism with a Christian label. It is the belief that a person can pull oneself up by his bootstraps to create an enjoyable life in the here and now.
At the center of the problem is the downplay on the total depravity and spiritual deadness of man. (Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:1-3, Colossians 2:13, Genesis 6:5, Ecclesiastes 9:3, Jeremiah 17:9, John 3:19, Romans 8:7-8, John 8:34, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:9-12, Jeremiah 13:23). In the contemporary gospel there is little room for talk about sin. Repentance is misunderstood as feelings of guilt if repentance is mentioned at all.
Without a true understanding of the condition of man the power of the cross and Jesus' life on earth are messages the church can shape any way they want. Eastern ideologies which only survive in theoretical vacuums because they're built on the idea that human nature is basically good and just needs the right conditions to thrive, like Marxism, classical anarchy, Communism, existentialism, etc. have become trendy in post-modern churches that like to play "dress-up Barbie" with the identity of Jesus, portraying Him as a pacifist or anti-capitalist whose hidden message was to overthrow established government to set up earthly Utopia. On the other hand, Jesus is portrayed in more traditional churches as a "nun-in-the-sky" waiting to slap your hand with the ruler of correction the moment you break a rule or do something socially taboo, trying to bring about Utopia through behavior modification. Then you have "vending-machine-Jesus" that dispenses whatever you want if you're polite and nice enough to everyone, trying to bring about a Kindergarten Utopia.
Secular sociologist, Marsha G. Witten, wrote a book in the late 1990's titled "All is Forgiven: The Secular Message in American Protestantism" that took a cross-section of 47 sermons from various churches with the message of the prodigal son. Her conclusion was that no matter what the denomination the ultimate message was a do-it-yourself guide to personal satisfaction, book-ended with prayer and a few mentions of God or Christ thrown in to mark itself as religious content. She also concluded that a person could just as easily find a multitude of alternative resources that offered and just as often produced similar results. The softened demeanor of God in today's churches she noted held sharp contrast to the "transcendent, majestic, awesome God of Luther and Calvin."
While the God of Paul, Luther, and Calvin called us to rejoice in our trials and sufferings and to persevere so that Christ's glory may be known we have opted for a god who tells us to flee from all that is uncomfortable and only count as blessing the same that any pagan would count as blessing. The behavior and attitude for today's professing Christian looks nearly identical to the non-believer in all situations. Nobody is asking us for the reason of our hope (1 Peter 3:15) because our hope is placed in this world.
1 Corinthians 15:19 "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."
"It is a mistake to suppose that evangelical sermons are a special brand of sermons, having their own peculiar style and conventions; evangelistic sermons are just scriptural sermons, the sort of sermons that a man cannot help preaching if he is preaching the Bible biblically. Proper sermons seek to expound and apply what is in the Bible. But what is in the Bible is just the whole counsel of God for man's salvation; all Scripture bears witness, in one way or another, to Christ, and all biblical themes relate to Him. All sermons, therefore, will of necessity declare Christ in some fashion and so be more or less directly evangelistic." ~J.I. Packer Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Faith in Religion vs. Faith in Grace
Because this man can say it better than me, I'll let him speak.
... and a bit of Mr. Washer to wash it down with.
... and a bit of Mr. Washer to wash it down with.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Is it okay for God to effectively love those who don't love Him?
"I shudder to remember the day she [my daughter, Ashley] almost died when she was roughly two years old.
"At that time we lived off a busy street next to the football stadium of the University of Washington. Beyond our front porch there were perhaps twenty feet of property followed by a sidewalk and then four lanes of nearly constant heavy traffic. One day, when we opened the front door to walked to our parked car, Ashley started running toward the street, so we chased her, grabbed her, and carefully explained to her that she was never to run away from us again toward the traffic. She did not fully understand what we were saying; she just thought it was fun that we would chase her. To her, the whole thing was basically a playtime game. For some weeks she stayed near us as we went to put her in the car... until one nearly fateful day.
"As we were loading her newborn brother, Zachariah Blaise, into the car, she turned from my side and ran as fast as she could toward the busy street. She was exercising her free will and made her own decision for her life. In panic, I cried out to her, essentially preaching repentance to her, pleading her to turn around and return to her daddy. She foolishly did not respond, and I will never forget the smile on her face and the look in her eye as she ran toward the street, thinking we were playing a game and not seeing the death that awaited her.
"Ashley ran in front of a vehicle parked on the side of the road. As I sprinted toward her, I looked to my left at the oncoming traffic and saw a large delivery truck rumbling down the road, right in the lane where Ashley was about to step. To make matters even worse, she was so short that the truck driver would never see her if she came out from behind the parked car, and I was certain that my daughter was going to die in front of my eyes. I closed in on her just as she stepped into the lane of the oncoming delivery truck. She was a few steps into the street when I grabbed her by the back of her vest and literally pulled her out of the way of the truck. She was a few steps into the street when I grabbed her by the back of her vest and literally pulled her out of the way of the truck. Everything happened so fast that the truck driver did not have time to hit the horn or the brakes. My daughter's life was spared by just inches.
"With one arm, I reached out and overrode the free-will decision of my daughter and saved her. I did this because my love for her is more important than her free will.
"Tragically, I have heard a well-known Christian radio show host explain the Reformed view of predetination as God being a rapist rather than a lover because God overrides the free will of some people. My heart brakes every time I hear that kind of statement, because rapists are not the only people who impose their will on others; sometimes so do loving daddies who want their kids to live. They reach out their hand to ensure they are saved from death.
"Being a daddy myself, the predestinating hand of God the Father reaching down to me through Jesus makes me worship him for being such an amazing Dad."
~Pastor Mark Driscoll, pg. 102-103 "Religion Saves + nine other misconceptions"
"At that time we lived off a busy street next to the football stadium of the University of Washington. Beyond our front porch there were perhaps twenty feet of property followed by a sidewalk and then four lanes of nearly constant heavy traffic. One day, when we opened the front door to walked to our parked car, Ashley started running toward the street, so we chased her, grabbed her, and carefully explained to her that she was never to run away from us again toward the traffic. She did not fully understand what we were saying; she just thought it was fun that we would chase her. To her, the whole thing was basically a playtime game. For some weeks she stayed near us as we went to put her in the car... until one nearly fateful day.
"As we were loading her newborn brother, Zachariah Blaise, into the car, she turned from my side and ran as fast as she could toward the busy street. She was exercising her free will and made her own decision for her life. In panic, I cried out to her, essentially preaching repentance to her, pleading her to turn around and return to her daddy. She foolishly did not respond, and I will never forget the smile on her face and the look in her eye as she ran toward the street, thinking we were playing a game and not seeing the death that awaited her.
"Ashley ran in front of a vehicle parked on the side of the road. As I sprinted toward her, I looked to my left at the oncoming traffic and saw a large delivery truck rumbling down the road, right in the lane where Ashley was about to step. To make matters even worse, she was so short that the truck driver would never see her if she came out from behind the parked car, and I was certain that my daughter was going to die in front of my eyes. I closed in on her just as she stepped into the lane of the oncoming delivery truck. She was a few steps into the street when I grabbed her by the back of her vest and literally pulled her out of the way of the truck. She was a few steps into the street when I grabbed her by the back of her vest and literally pulled her out of the way of the truck. Everything happened so fast that the truck driver did not have time to hit the horn or the brakes. My daughter's life was spared by just inches.
"With one arm, I reached out and overrode the free-will decision of my daughter and saved her. I did this because my love for her is more important than her free will.
"Tragically, I have heard a well-known Christian radio show host explain the Reformed view of predetination as God being a rapist rather than a lover because God overrides the free will of some people. My heart brakes every time I hear that kind of statement, because rapists are not the only people who impose their will on others; sometimes so do loving daddies who want their kids to live. They reach out their hand to ensure they are saved from death.
"Being a daddy myself, the predestinating hand of God the Father reaching down to me through Jesus makes me worship him for being such an amazing Dad."
~Pastor Mark Driscoll, pg. 102-103 "Religion Saves + nine other misconceptions"
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
to those who by grace had believed (Acts 18:27)
Whoa, wait a second. Did I read that right? Did Luke just give away all my credit of belief to grace? But wasn't it by putting my faith in the grace of Christ that saved me?
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8
Wow, Paul. You're stealing my thunder here. But I at least get some props for repentance. After all Mr. Robinson said, "faith without repentance makes Christ nothing more than a fire escape. There must be a work of repentance and faith upon the sinner's heart before salvation can become a reality."
But Paul's desire was that "God may perhaps grant [sinners] repentance." 2 Timothy 2:25
______
So long as I believe something within me autonomously chose God I have made a nest for religious pride. I can boast in the things that brought me to faith, thinking I deserve some credit or at least I was somehow able to choose rightly when the gospel was presented to me. I may then go on to prosthelytize all my religious nuances with an elitist, judgemental attitude for those who don't adopt my practices, goading them on by guilt and manipulation... or slip into a fatalistic laissez faire attitude by resting my faith in a one time act of repentance rather than the one who brought me to a life of repentance (turning away from Sin and towards God). But in light of Scripture I know that Salvation from start to finish is the work of God and there is nothing left for me to boast in but Jesus... not my choosing Him but Him choosing me even while I was at enmity with the Almighty.
(see Ez. 36.26-27, Matt. 16.17, 1 Cor. 2.12-14, 2 Cor. 3.3,6, 2 Thess.2.13-14, Titus 3:5)
And if I should take pride in my knowledge of His sovereign grace then I am failing to understand it because it is only by His Spirit and His grace these truths have been illuminated to me and even yet I am merely at the threshold of understanding the riches of God's grace that are the only thing that can rightly motivate and sustain me to a life of service for His glory in joy and gratitude for His unfathomable love for one so ill-deserving as myself. And if I should grow apathetic and fatalistic then my mind is dim to His great mercy and I miss the joy of glorifying Him and I should not be so confident that I really heard His voice in the first place if I should seem deaf to it now.
[Jan.13th ammendment]
Because there's no room for human pride in the economy of God's converting grace those who claim to understand it but yet retain pride give evidence for faulty understanding. And whether Calvinist or Arminian we all stumble in our growth through sanctifying grace, giving pride a foothold, and because we will never be free of our flesh in this life the fruit we bear will never be so perfect and pristine as to be sterilized of pride but we are in constant need of applying this gospel of Christ more thoroughly in all aspects of our life, trusting that our meager offerings of service are acceptable only because of His rich grace and mercy.
And by this grace I know I am guilty of every accusation that could be brought against me and more.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8
Wow, Paul. You're stealing my thunder here. But I at least get some props for repentance. After all Mr. Robinson said, "faith without repentance makes Christ nothing more than a fire escape. There must be a work of repentance and faith upon the sinner's heart before salvation can become a reality."
But Paul's desire was that "God may perhaps grant [sinners] repentance." 2 Timothy 2:25
______
So long as I believe something within me autonomously chose God I have made a nest for religious pride. I can boast in the things that brought me to faith, thinking I deserve some credit or at least I was somehow able to choose rightly when the gospel was presented to me. I may then go on to prosthelytize all my religious nuances with an elitist, judgemental attitude for those who don't adopt my practices, goading them on by guilt and manipulation... or slip into a fatalistic laissez faire attitude by resting my faith in a one time act of repentance rather than the one who brought me to a life of repentance (turning away from Sin and towards God). But in light of Scripture I know that Salvation from start to finish is the work of God and there is nothing left for me to boast in but Jesus... not my choosing Him but Him choosing me even while I was at enmity with the Almighty.
(see Ez. 36.26-27, Matt. 16.17, 1 Cor. 2.12-14, 2 Cor. 3.3,6, 2 Thess.2.13-14, Titus 3:5)
And if I should take pride in my knowledge of His sovereign grace then I am failing to understand it because it is only by His Spirit and His grace these truths have been illuminated to me and even yet I am merely at the threshold of understanding the riches of God's grace that are the only thing that can rightly motivate and sustain me to a life of service for His glory in joy and gratitude for His unfathomable love for one so ill-deserving as myself. And if I should grow apathetic and fatalistic then my mind is dim to His great mercy and I miss the joy of glorifying Him and I should not be so confident that I really heard His voice in the first place if I should seem deaf to it now.
[Jan.13th ammendment]
Because there's no room for human pride in the economy of God's converting grace those who claim to understand it but yet retain pride give evidence for faulty understanding. And whether Calvinist or Arminian we all stumble in our growth through sanctifying grace, giving pride a foothold, and because we will never be free of our flesh in this life the fruit we bear will never be so perfect and pristine as to be sterilized of pride but we are in constant need of applying this gospel of Christ more thoroughly in all aspects of our life, trusting that our meager offerings of service are acceptable only because of His rich grace and mercy.
And by this grace I know I am guilty of every accusation that could be brought against me and more.
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