Epiphany Press

Happy Monday

2010-09-13T14:21:00.001-05:00

This passage could possibly sacntify Mondays...

According to Ecclesiastes 3:9-13, What is the best way to see beauty or touch eternity? Work!

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

God, because we are mortal, gifts us with the gift of work. So that for mortals there is nothing better than joining with God in the joyfully endless and good work of beautifying all things

There is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil--this is God's gift to man. 3:11-12

Happy Monday! 2 seconds ago• Like• Del

Greatness

2010-09-10T21:04:00.001-05:00

"Greatness lives on the edge of destruction." Wil Smith

He has a point: Churchhill, Lincoln, Wm. Carey, Hudson Taylor, Chuck Yeager... all could have gone either way. Destruction or Greatness. I would move the discussion forward with the question, "Must it? Is this the only path to greatness?"

Jesus would say lose your life find it. So maybe...

Stephen Hawking versus John Calvin

2010-09-02T12:32:00.001-05:00

Stephen Hawking, in his new book, finally pushes God out of his universe. No surprise really and not a surprise to John Calvin either.

Eureka magazine of The Times of London quotes Hawking as saying, “Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist... It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the Universe going." See the report here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7976594/Stephen-Hawking-God-was-not-needed-to-create-the-Universe.html

A blow, perhaps, to Science as well as Creation-Science. Truth is (as Calvin has been saying all along) that...

"To nothing are we more prone than to tie down the power of God to those instruments the agency of which he employs. The sun and moon supply us with light: And, according to our notions we so include this power to give light in them that if they were taken away from the world, it would seem impossible for any light to remain. Therefore the Lord, by the very order of the creation, bears witness that he holds in his hand the light, which he is able to impart to us without the sun and moon." John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis One

Science and now Hawking, by "proving" that God is not necessary for creation falls into the trap that Calvin and Genesis One makes clear: human beings assume that creative power (all power really) must be tied to created things. Calvin, however, shows that it is God and not the sun who gives light its "lightness". The same can be said about gravity or electricity or biological systems.

Creation Science also falls into the trap of "needing" to find evidence of God or at least a Designer in created things. While such evidence may exist, Calvin's comment on the creation of light before the sun shows that finding evidence is not necessary to prove God's hand in creation and that find it may distract us from God's intent in creating... "that he holds in his hand the light, which he is able to impart to us with out the sun and moon."

So where Hawking's thought moves towards a universe that must explain everything by natural processes, and Creation Science moves towards a universe that can only be explained by God's "fingerprints" being all over it, Calvin would say that beyond evidence or non-evidence for God in the world creation firstly teaches that God is not dependent on creation to reveal his glory but instead chooses to reveal himself through his Son by it.

"The work, such as we now see it, was approved by God. Therefore nothing remains for us, but to acquiesce in this judgment of God. And this admonition is very useful. For whereas man ought to apply all his senses to the admiring contemplation of the works of God, we see what license he really allows himself in detracting from them." John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis One

Taken with Calvin's thoughts on God (not the sun) as the source of light, this second statement's implications are profound... we all, Stephen Hawking included, are asked to declare with God that the universe is good, not neutral, but good. Proving "design" or disproving design actually morally neutral but our response is not.

"The heavens declare the glory of God..." (Psalm 19:1) not so that we might find God, but so that we might be given opportunity to respond to that glory in the same way that God responds to what he has created and declare it good. This response is, in fact, how the Psalm ends... "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord." (Psalm 19:14)

That he doesn't see God in the universe anymore as Hawking has now shown us, is not as eternally dangerous, it turns out, as whether his heart is responding to God's creation acceptably. These cards he still hold close to his chest and we pray that God would give him and all of us a heart that meditates on and is drawn to the Glory of which God's good good creation declares.

Death, in a word, Is Good

2010-08-13T11:20:00.001-05:00

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive...When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. ~1 Corinthians 15:22,54

"That which was God's ordinance for the infliction of judgement becomes an effectual means for the communication of mercy. It is by virtue of the death of Christ alone, that the souls of believers are freed by death from all impressions of sin, infirmity, and evils, which they had had from the flesh; which were their burden, under which they groaned all thie days... With wicked men it is not so. Death to them is a curse; and the curse is the means of the conveyance of all evil, and not deliverance from any. In what way they have been warmed and refreshed by the influences of the flesh, they shall be deprived of it." ~John Owen

Just read this last night... even death is good news now.

Phone blogging

2010-06-05T07:48:00.001-05:00

Blogging from my phone this morning.

Location : 3800-3966 Arbor Dr NW, Rochester, MN 55901,

The John Owen Quote I Want on My Tombstone

2010-06-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

After a long sincere endeavor for the mortification of all sin, I find it will never be absolutely perfect, but by this reduction into the dust. ~John Owen, The Glory of Christ

Willard Quote

2009-07-15T23:57:00.005-05:00

From a 2004 discussion of "discipleship" with Dallas Willard

The leading assumption in the American church is that you can be a Christian but not a disciple. That has placed a tremendous burden on a mass of Christians who are not disciples. We tell them to come to church, participate in our programs and give money. But we see a church that knows nothing of commitment. We have settled for the marginal, and so we carry this awful burden of trying to motivate people to do what they don't want to do. We can't think about church the way we have been.
We need to be clear in our heads about what discipleship is. My definition: A disciple is a person who has decided that the most important thing in their life is to learn how to do what Jesus said to do. A disciple is not a person who has things under control, or knows a lot of things. Disciples simply are people who are constantly revising their affairs to carry through on their decision to follow Jesus.

I think he frames the problem well in the first paragraph. How many people especially in the Midwest can tell you what church they "go to" with complete disregard for whether or not they actually attend?
However, his second paragraph has me raising a question. I do like his definition "the most important thing in their life is to learn how to do what Jesus said to do." Does this line up with Jesus discipleship denials in Luke 14? Let's see...

Luke 14:25-26 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple..."
Jesus in this passage talks about discipleship in terms of priorities. These days we say "values." Those days Jesus would've said "treasures." Oh wait, he did Luke 12:33-34 Willard would be saying the same thing when he refers to "constantly revising [your] affairs" and it would seem he is right on track with what Jesus is trying to communicate as well. Look at the second discipleship denial Jesus lists.

Luke 14:27 "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."
This process of putting Jesus above family, is expanded upon in Jesus' encouragement to deny our self through cross-bearing. Which, is also what Willard explains as the purpose of revising and reprioritizing our affairs: so that we can carry through on our decision to come after Jesus. The first mention of a "cross" in Luke also comes in the context of discipleship. If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

Somehow we have got it into our heads that we can follow Christ with out moving our feet and Willard's definition of discipleship is challenging to our modern independent notion of a Christianity unlinked to practice. But I still have this nagging question. Is "discipleship" really all about us? Notice that if you change the word "Jesus" in Willard's definition to "Bill Gates" you still have discipleship, just not "Christian" discipleship. Duh... you think. "If you don't follow Jesus it's no longer "Christian" discipleship." But the issue is slightly deeper than just choosing who you follow. What Willard's definition, I think, lacks is a recognition that for discipleship to be Christian it must begin as a work that Christ does first of all in us before it becomes a work we do. It is all well and good to take Jesus' words seriously, as Willard always does, but he seems to gloss over Jesus' third discipleship denial:

Luke 14:33 "Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."
Where Willard says a disciple is not one "under control" or one who "knows a lot of things" but one who "revises" their affairs, Jesus emphatically states that no one can be a disciple of Jesus Christ without the renunciation of all that they have. Jesus' disciples trust no one else, no other things, except Jesus and Jesus alone, not even themselves... Luke 9:23

In context this statement of Jesus follows his parables about being able to finish construction or making peace with the large army. In other words, it would be foolish to trust anyone else except Christ. But in a larger context Luke connects the idea of renunciation to the work of God in regeneration. (He may be doing that here as well by preceding and following the passage with parables about seeking out the lost.)

Remember Jesus' words to the rich young ruler? Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. Luke 18:22 Can't you just hear the echoes of Luke 14 here? Discipleship being about denial, renunciation, revising. Obviously Jesus gave the ruler his instruction in a way that was meant to be heard by his disciples, just like he gave his instructions on discipleship to the "great crowds" that followed him in chapter 14. We know that his instructions were meant to be heard, because he comments on the instruction he gives. "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." Luke 18:24-25

The people who hear Jesus say this are shocked! "Who can be saved?" they ask, and Jesus answers them with a call. Not to repent and renounce but to be regenerated. He says, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." 18:27 and again in response to Peter's statement on renouncing ("We have left out homes and followed you." Jesus says this "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life." 18:29-30 Again, if you should be able to get past the idea of "receiving many times more in this time" as referring to material wealth in the present age (this was a response to a rich young ruler remember?!) it is plain to see that Jesus is referring to the regenerative nature of the Spirit. Receiving often refers to the spirit... Acts 1:8 We must be reborn, regenerated, renewed by the Spirit before we can renounce, reject, revise our life and all that traps us in it. Leaving everything to follow Jesus is good, but in itself it is not enough to bring about salvation. We as Christians strive for holiness as disciples. Discipleship is repentance and following and cross-bearing, but discipleship is not complete in these things. It must include a recognition of and reliance upon the renewing work of the Spirit of Christ. On the one hand, how can you walk on water if you don't get out of the boat? But on the other hand only Christ can walk on water, no amount of trusting will complete the task unless he works it in us.

Learning Christ

2009-07-15T23:02:00.005-05:00

When Paul switches gears in Ephesians moving from orthodoxy to orthopraxy (big words I know) it seems that he introduces the second half of his letter with a summary statement that melds and mingles the two; he connects thought to practice, theology to action in 4:1-20. In other words, instead of making a clean break and just starting into the "so this is how you are supposed to live" he connects the two. (He does a similar thing with Romans 11:30-12:2)
His summary idea, so to speak, in connecting theology to practice is found in 4:20 But that is not the way you learned Christ! For Paul, "learning Christ" is the action which leads the disciple towards sanctification. It is what Christians "do".
He first of all defines "learning Christ" in the negative. Learning Christ is not: walking as pagans with their futile-darkened-alienated-ignorant minds (v.17-18), it is not callousness, has nothing to do with sensuality, greed or impurity. So what is it? What does it mean to "learn Christ." How do we grow as Christians?

In beginning to explain Christian living Paul moves from generalities to specifics:
In general he states that those who have heard about Christ and were taught Christ (the truth is in Jesus), to them the Christian life consists of three things:

Putting off the old self, which belongs to the former manner of life, corrupt through deceitful desires (4:22)
Becoming renewed in the Spirit of the mind (4:23)
Putting on the new self, after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (4:24)

Specifically, "putting off", "become renewed by the Spirit", "putting on" manifests itself in a variety of ways. It is a work of the Spirit after all.

"Put off" lying and falsehood (4:25)
When you are angry "put off" sin (4:26)
"Put off" the devil, don't give him opportunities (4:27)
"Put off" stealing; instead "put on" hard work and generosity (4:28)
"Put off" corrupt speech; instead "put on" gracious, encouraging speech (4:29)
"Become renewed by the Spirit" (4:30)
"Put off" bitterness, anger, malice, wrath, slander, clamor (4:31)
"Put on" kindness, tender-heartedness, and forgiveness (4:32)

The last encouragement comes with and continues with this caveat... remember that when you are kind, when you are tender-hearted, when you forgive you are imitating God in Christ Jesus and by implication (and v. 30) we accomplish this not on our own power but in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul summarizes before continuing on with encouragement toward right practice... Imitate God just as Christ did.
Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 5:1-2

It's not as simple as WWJD? to grow in grace and Learn Christ. In a real way we also have to turn our backs on or "put off" the sin that so easily entangles us. WWJND? (What would Jesus not do?). But, and praise God, that it's even simpler than that... because, in reality my soul has not inherent ability to answer either question. WWJD? WWJND? My soul is "dead in it's trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1) and by the accomplishment and the grace of this same Christ who I am "learning" His Spirit empowers, renews, regenerates, and brings to life in me a renewed mind that now wants to love what Jesus love and wants to hate what Jesus hates. My life is seeking his have his passion through His Spirit.

The Curios Case of N.T. Wright

2009-06-26T23:40:00.003-05:00

Some quotes from N.T. Wright's new book, in which one reviewer has said, "N.T. Wright has out-reformed the neo-Reformed."

"...It is because God will be true to that outward-facing generous, creative love that he must also curse those ways of life, particularly those ways of life within his covenant people, which embody and express the opposite. It isn't that God basically wants to condemn and then finds a way to rescue some from that disaster. It is that God longs to bless, to bless lavishly, and so to rescue and bless those in danger of tragedy--and therefore must curse everything that thwarts and destroys the blessing of his world and his people...

"...God made humans for a purpose: not simply for themselves, not simply so that they could be in relationship with him, but so that through them, as his image-bearers, he could bring his wise, glad, fruitful order to the world. And the closing verses of Scripture, in the book of Revelation, are not about human beings going off to heaven to be in a close and intimate relationship with God, but about heaven coming to earth...

"...Within the logic of love is the rich, theological logic of the work of the Holy Spirit. This brings us back to a point made much earlier. When, by clear implication, I am charged with encouraging believers to put their trust in someone or something 'other than the crucified and resurrected Savior,' I want to plead guilty - to this extent and this extent only: that I also say, every time I repeat one of the great historic creeds, that I trust in the Holy Spirit...N.T. Wright, Justification: God's Plan & Paul's Vision

Wright is has such an amazing talent to say things that sound so true and almost feel right. Look at quote two. What is the purpose of life? According to Wright, for humans to be used by God in order that He might change the world. Sounds as good as any Eric Clapton tune, especially when you put it into the context of Revelation 21. But it is simply not true, and not true to the passage. The wise, glad, fruitful order God brings to the world is a result of "the dwelling place of God is with man". We only become image-bearers as we are able to gaze upon and display the image which we bear. 2 Corinthians 4 And in Revelation 21 there is no indication that heaven comes to earth "through us" at all. Heaven arrives at earth by the power of the One sitting on the Throne at the end of chapter 20, to the glory of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb (21:22-26). In fact, there is less of an indication that God comes down to earth to bring Himself to earth and more of an indication that God in the Heavenly Jerusalem descends upon the earth in order to be glorified by the kings of the earth and the nations.

Must Something Be Said?

2009-06-26T11:10:00.003-05:00

Michael Jackson is dead. Just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, in the same way Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27 I have always been a fan of Jackson's music. Seeing the look on Lincoln's face when he stumbled upon Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough on the radio the other day has been one the highlights of the last few weeks. Jackson's death was sudden, not having suffered long like Farrah Fawcett or Ed McMahon. This is how he is being remembered:

Mr. Jackson’s brand of pop knew no borders and needed no translation, linking listeners around the world through the accessible corridors of rhythm, beat, and dance. New York Times

How do you memorialize a man who was at the same time so obviously out of touch with the realities of life and death and wealth and power and fame and sin and obligation. Must something be said? Of course. Anyone who can cause this reaction among inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines must be memorialized.
Having Philippine prisoners do a choreographed dance to the music of an American Pop star could be classified as unusual punishment. Not cruel just a little unusual. Isn't this the response that Jackson and his music had on us all? Talent and dedication and the perfection of the crotch-grab. A scrambled egg for sure.
So, for me, I will not "always remember Michael Jackson" as anything. He is unclassifiable because he held on to the extremes of the human condition in a way that exposed himself to be, under all the pretense, to be a base, vile, sinful man. If Manson had more talent, a lot more people would have been sucked in. Where as Mason was megalomaniacal, Jackson's sins were more "private." We who are comparatively poor, ordinary, untalented and couldn't moonwalk ourselves across the floor of our kitchen in our socks, we love the possibility of a Jackson who can inspire people and are attracted to the boy who sings ABC with his brothers. But as we draw near and shrink back at discovering that it's Wacko Jacko who has produced such a following.
The guy is a freak, a Rick Jamesian superfreak and an elephant-man loving freak of neverland. Love the music. Afraid of the "man in the mirror". Why did he never change his ways? Must something be said or does the fact that his goodness and philanthropy was nothing more than a myth, created to hide a deep, original, all consuming pain convince us to leave well enough alone? Must something be said or do we live and let live, die and let die and move on to the next person of significance without considering the havoc that an unfocused, unprincipled, self-seeking life will cause to the soul? How can you say anything bad about the Bad One? How can you disrespect and discount We Are the World? Who else do you know that has his own videogame?
Opportunities abound if you ask the question. Was he basically good, but confused? Are we? Was he basically evil and unable to shake it? Are we evil but unable to shake it, and yet, scrambled as we are, do we yet eagerly awaiting the return of Christ. (I will avoid making a comparison between king of Pop and king of Kings here.) I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Must something be said?

Good Augustinian Coffee, Part Two

2009-06-18T21:49:00.007-05:00

If God gave forth no oracles from His human temple, but communicated everything that He wished to be taught to men by voices from heaven, or through the ministration of angels... love itself, which binds men together in the bond of unity, would have no means of pouring soul into soul, and, as it were, mingling them one with another, if men never learnt anything from their fellow men.
The eunuch who was reading Isaiah the prophet, and did not understand what he read, he was not sent by the apostle to an angel. Nor was it an angel who explained to him what he did not understand. Nor was he inwardly illuminated by the grace of God without the interposition of man. On the contrary, at the suggestion of God, Philip, who did understand the prophet, came to him, and sat with him, in human words, with a human tongue, opened to him the Scriptures. Didn't God talk with Moses? And yet even he, with great wisdom and entire absence of jealous pride, accepted the plan of his father-in-law, a man of a foreign race, for ruling and administering the affairs of the great nation entrusted to him? Moses knew that a wise plan, in whatever mind it might originate, was to be ascribed not to the man who devised it, but to Him who is the Truth, the unchangeable God.-Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, Preface, parts 6-7

I like my coffee shared, savored with friends. Which is to say that we were created in and designed for community and our coffee should contribute to this. Now, the warning must be sounded because talk about "community" easily de-volves into something that God did not intend. A reminder:

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21 (cf. 5:9-12)

The wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them. Ephesians 5:6-7

There is fellowship that we were created for and good coffee contributes to it. There is also a fellowship that we were not created for that good coffee obscures. Augustine would go as far as saying that God's love is shared by means of fellowship with one another, and so infer from scripture that only when our fellowship realizes (actuates?) Him who is the Truth, do we do what God intends for us. Anything else is a distraction: the weather, the NFL, quilting, talking about ministry, American Idol, farming... anything else that draws away from, the unchangeable God, yes even good coffee breaks commandments one and two. Probably all of them in a way. But, praise God, the Biblical example is that each of these things (except maybe Idol. I never was a fan) can, and should be used, utilized, and put under our dominion, in order that God, the God, the Truth might be glorified forever through its sharing. This is why we say grace out loud at meals. This is why I say "God bless you " when you sneeze. This is why we give produce from our garden, why we love, why we buy cars with good gas milage, frisbee golf with friends, paint the baby's room, do the dishes with the kids, and I pray, why we share good coffee at Black Sheep on 12th st.... I need to hear from God through His Word in you.

Source of "Idol Factories" in Calvin

2009-06-16T19:54:00.005-05:00

A quick survey of the web reveals that the idea of our hearts being "[perpetual?] idol factories" has been extensively attributed to John Calvin. I just cannot find it anywhere in Calvin specifically. What follows are some (I think) relevant quotes from his Institutes with my own comments.

Every individual mind being a kind of labyrinth, it is no wonder, not only that each nation has adopted a variety of fictions, but that almost every man has had his own god. To the darkness of ignorance have been added presumption and wantonness, and hence there is scarcely an individual to be found without some idol or phantom as a substitute for Deity. Like water gushing forth from a large and copious spring, immense crowds of gods have issued from the human mind, every man giving himself full license, and devising some peculiar form of divinity, to meet his own views...

...If men are only naturally taught, instead of having any distinct, solid, or certain knowledge, they fasten only on contradictory principles, and, in consequence, worship an unknown God. Hence we must hold, that whosoever adulterates pure religion (and this must be the case with all who cling to their own views), make a departure from the one God. No doubt, they will allege that they have a different intention; but it is of little consequence what they intend or persuade themselves to believe, since the Holy Spirit pronounces all to be apostates, who, in the blindness of their minds, substitute demons in the place of God. For this reason Paul declares that the Ephesians were “without God,” (Epheisans 2:12), until they had learned from the Gospel what it is to worship the true God. John Calvin, Institutes Book I.V.10

Calvin speaks most clearly here about the human condition. Summarized often as "Total Depravity". (Great name for a [non-Christian?] ska band!) We, without God, have no idea how twisted our minds really are, and yet we show so much undue respect and pay so much undue honor to science, education, learning, business, talent, creativity, etc., etc., etc. Not that we should show disrespect or dishonor these fields, but that we should realize that at any point it is likely that human accomplishment may "worship an unknown God" and at the same time "make a departure from the One God."

[Persons] have in their own persons a factory where innumerable operations of God are carried on, and a magazine stored with treasures of inestimable value—instead of bursting forth in his praise, as they are bound to do, they, on the contrary, are the more inflated and swelled with pride. They feel how wonderfully God is working in them, and their own experience tells them of the vast variety of gifts which they owe to his liberality. Whether they will or not, they cannot but know that these are proofs of his Godhead, and yet they inwardly suppress them. They have no occasion to go farther than themselves, provided they do not, by appropriating as their own that which has been given them from heaven, put out the light intended to exhibit God clearly to their minds. At this day, however, the earth sustains on her bosom many monster minds—minds which are not afraid to employ the seed of Deity deposited in human nature as a means of suppressing the name of God. Can any thing be more detestable than this madness in man, who, finding God a hundred times both in his body and his soul, makes his excellence in this respect a pretext for denying that there is a God?John Calvin, Institutes Book I.V.4

Total depravity is shown to be the totality that it is. Where we have been created in glory and majesty and honor (Psalm 8) we have traded that glory for ignorance of the One Creator Lord. "How majestic is Your name in all the earth." Instead of "living up to our potential" (or "living before our potentate") we live down to our "monster mind", which intently destroys and dis-recongizes God in all arenas of its life.

This, however, I the closest that Calvin comes to saying "idol factories."

The human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols. There was a kind of renewal of the world at the flood, but before many years elapse, men are forging gods at will... The human mind, stuffed as it is with presumptuous rashness, dares to imagine a god suited to its own capacity; as it labors under dullness, nay, is sunk in the grossest ignorance, it substitutes vanity and an empty phantom in the place of God. To these evils another is added. The god whom man has thus conceived inwardly he attempts to embody outwardly. The mind, in this way, conceives the idol, and the hand gives it birth. That idolatry has its origin in the idea which men have, that God is not present with them unless his presence is carnally exhibited, appears from the example of the Israelites: “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." (Exodus 22:1). They knew, indeed, that there was a God whose mighty power they had experienced in so many miracles, but they had no confidence of his being near to them, if they did not with their eyes behold a corporeal symbol of his presence, as an attestation to his actual government. They desired, therefore, to be assured by the image which went before them, that they were journeying under Divine guidance. And daily experience shows, that the flesh is always restless until it has obtained some figment like itself, with which it may vainly solace itself as a representation of God... After such a figment is formed, adoration forthwith ensues: for when once men imagined that they beheld God in images, they also worshipped him as being there. At length their eyes and minds becoming wholly engrossed by them, they began to grow more and more brutish, gazing and wondering as if some divinity were actually before them. It hence appears that men do not fall away to the worship of images until they have imbibed some idea of a grosser description: not that they actually believe them to be gods, but that the power of divinity somehow or other resides in them.Institutes Book I.XI.8-9

Our hearts are not "perpetual idol factories" exactly. The idea is there, our desires, wants, and passions, always seeking after other gods. So, with Jonathan Edwards, we must be dilligent in forming our passions towards the One true God. However, Calvin seems to indicate that it is not passions that must be formed first but our perception of God in our thoughts first. A correct thinking about God, will result in a correction worship of God.
So where the idea of "idol factories" is sound, it would seem that its usage is incorrect. Calvin wants us to have a correct and pure view of God (a God who is Spirit, and cannot be served or fashioned by human hands). A corrected (opened?) mind will lead its heart towards the proper affections.
It think this is reflected in the first two commandments. We are to "worry about" worship second, only after we have a right view of God. "You shall have not other God's before me" or in the Hebrew "You will not have any other god in my face." God doesn't want us to even see any other god, but for us to see Him and him alone. Only then will we be able to properly worship (the second command).
Anything "worshipped in place of God" is sin. But I don't think this is Calvin's point. I think that Calvin is warning not to trust our hearts at all, depravity is total. He might even be leery of our evangelical talk about "putting God on the throne of our heart." He might even warn that because our hearts/minds are idol factories/forges, even this (well intentioned and seemingly innocuous) is dangerous. Or I might just be putting words in his mouth.

Our minds all too easily place something on our heart's throne and we call it "god." When in reality what we do is [commandment 2!] fashion and bow down to it.

Seeking the One God in scripture and prayer and (more scripture and prayer) will naturally reveal to our monster minds that power of the divine is not ours to randomly move about at will. Only God is God [commandment 1!]. The divine lies only in Him and is not something that our hearts can comprehend. He must rescue us from slavery... [commantment 0!]
Romans 7:24

Inspiration

2009-06-12T12:18:00.001-05:00

Free D.A. Carson Books

2009-06-05T18:11:00.003-05:00

Free D.A. Carson Books here.

Baptism upon Confession

2009-06-05T07:39:00.003-05:00

We have had an ongoing debate/discussion at our pastor's fellowship coffee about the disconnect between confession and baptism in modern evangelicalism. In other words, why don't we baptize upon confession, as is normative for the early church. The debate has been centered around a few themes: practicallity, fear of false conversion, flashiness... Here is more testimony to add to the discussion.

Knowing and Enjoying God Part Five

2009-06-05T05:00:00.001-05:00

You make known to me the path of life
in your presence there is fullness of joy
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
-Psalm 16:11

Why is it of utmost importance to focus on teaching our people to glorify God and enjoy God in all that we do as pastors? Here are five reasons:

Reason five.

God is the reason behind all the work we do as pastors. We do not celebrate preaching, worship, counseling, conversion, or any other pastoral duty because preaching, etc. is good in and of itself, we celebrate it because in these God is made known, and by these we learn to delight in God. It's no good for God to be enjoyed and delighted in if it is only to be done privately, but our calling is to do so publicly before all the nations.

Psalm 16 ends with joy in God's presence and pleasures at His right hand, but they are joys and pleasures that are "made known." This is key. It is not enough to just teach and preach and worship according to the scriptures. We have as Christians and Churches had enough of talking about and describing God. So often this is where our ministries begin and end—talk.

What God reveals and makes known to us, in his word, is not just to be seen and described, but what God reveals to us is to be enjoyed by and delighted in by his creatures. Brain and heart. Flesh and bone.

If we haven't desired, hungered for, thirsted for, relished in, treasured, been blown away by God's glory, then we will find it more and more difficult to make known that glory for others.

Knowing and Enjoying God Part Four

2009-06-05T00:02:00.004-05:00

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup
 you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places 
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel
 in the night also my heart instructs me.
 I have set the LORD always before me
 because he is at my right hand,
I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices
my flesh also dwells secure.
 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
 or let your holy one see corruption. -Psalm 16:5-10

Why is it of utmost importance to focus on teaching our people to glorify God and enjoy God in all that we do as pastors? Here are five reasons:

Reason Four.

When we make the Lord our portion and our cup-our chosen portion-our hearts are freed from the kind of circumstantial reactionary living that we have grown accustomed to. We are free from evil desires and lusts (1 John 2:16-17), yes, but in addition we are also free from all the fears of mortal man: abandonment, corruption, Sheol, insecurity, chaos. This freedom is not given for freedom's sake or even our own, but delight in the Lord gives a gladness and rejoicing that will endure the night, the shaking, the insecurity, and corruption of life.

Christ puts it this way:

Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
-Mark 10:29-30

When we treasure God more than anything else it makes sense to sell everything for His sake, although it will look odd to the world. Abraham treasured God and God's promised inheritance more than his father's land and household. Hebrews 11:8-12
Abraham's sons treasured God and God's future blessing more than present pleasures. Hebrews 11:20-22
Moses treasured God, God's people, and God's promise more than the fleeting pleasures of sin. Hebrews 11:23-28

The "faith chapter" ends with the example of Christ, "...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising(F) the shame, and(G) is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2 Jesus goes to the cross for what joy? "The throne of God!" To be in God's presence, a lasting city, the treasure in the field, the arms of the prodigal's father, the glory of the Lord...

Enjoying God's glory and delighting in him is what frees us to cast aside everything that hinders us and to focus our eyes on Christ.

Knowing and Enjoying God Part Four (supplemental)

2009-06-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

An extended quote from John Piper:

Knowing God and being satisfied in him above all earthly pleasures frees us for the kind of love that will suffer the loss of all things for the sake of every good deed and for the sake of finishing the great commission. The great commission will not be finished without martyrs (Revelation 6:11). And churches will not make God look like our all-sufficient, all-satisfying treasure if pastors and people have all the same values and priorities and lifestyle commitments that everybody around them has. Unless we become a lot more radical in the risks we take and the suffering we embrace, why should anyone believe that our treasure is in heaven - in God - and that he is more valuable than anything here?

The key is being utterly certain and utterly satisfied that "in his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11). Or as Paul said, that "to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). This is the key to the sacrifices demanded by love. No sequence of texts in the Bible makes it plainer than Hebrews 10-13. Here is a portrait of the people we need in the pastorate and on the mission field today.

First, the case of the early Christians in Hebrews 10:34, "You had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one." They suffered the loss of their property with joy in order to show compassion to the prisoners. How? What released such love? - "Since you knew that you had a better possession and an abiding one." They treasured God more than anything.

Then the case of Moses in Hebrews 11:24-26, "By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward." He suffered the loss of all that Egypt could offer in order to embrace suffering as a leader of the people of God. How? What released such love? - "For he looked to the reward." He treasured God more than anything in Egypt.

Then the case of Jesus Christ himself in Hebrews 12:2, " . . . who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Jesus embraced the suffering of the cross and gave shame no sway in his life so that he might die for his people. How? What released such love? - "For the joy that was set before him."

Finally, the case of the readers - you and me - in Hebrews 13:12-14, "Jesus suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come." Here is a call to every Christian, but especially to every pastor and every missionary: Let us go to him outside the securities and comforts of the camp and bear abuse for the sake of his name. How? What will release such love? For "here we have no lasting city, but we seek a city which is to come." The city of this world is not our satisfaction, God is.

Where does the love come from that can suffer the loss of all things and make plain to the world that God is gloriously more to be desired than life itself? It comes from being certain and being satisfied that God is a better possession than all our goods, and that the reward of his presence is vastly better than the fleeting pleasures of Egypt, and that the suffering of our cross is not worth comparing to the joy set before us, and that the city which is to come will last forever and will be the habitation of God.

In other words, the lever that unstops the river of love for pastors and missionaries is knowing God better than you know anything and delighting in God more than you delight in anything. This is the greatest need in the next generation of pastors and missionaries, just as it has always been the greatest need of every generation of pastors and missionaries.

Knowing and Enjoying God Part Three

2009-06-03T06:00:00.004-05:00

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips. -Psalm 16:4

Why is it of utmost importance to focus on teaching our people to glorify God and enjoy God in all that we do as pastors? Here are five reasons:

Reason three.

Traditionally, but not in a good way, this has been reason number one: We must teach our people a persistence for separating from everything that God hates. Love of God is never neutral to the things that are against him. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15. When we are loving God, glorifying God, enjoying God, He pressures and pushes out any love for the world. The two cannot co-exist. Luke 16

What gets scrambled, with church people and churches especially, is that we tend to take for granted a desire to glorify God in our people. We assume that just because they are showing up (and in many cases, showing up for years) that they have a love for God. What is more often than not the case, however, is that there will be many who do not find their souls satisfied and at rest in God but find more satisfaction in fellowship, prayer, worship, giving, missions, serving, teaching, or any of the 1,000 churchy things that we do. In reality anything that we do must be the result of glorious presence of a God-given, Spirit-driven desire to see Christ exalted in all things everywhere.

Preachers of the past (and present) spend a lot of energy preaching against. Against homosexuality, abortion, teen pregnancy, drinking and driving, blah, blah, blah... the reason these types of things get a lot of milage out of people who do not enjoy God first of all but fail to bring real change in the hearts of the lost, is that they do not exalt the One who is abundantly more satisfying than the Sin that we preachers preach against. Sin is not only wrong just because "it's bad for you." We swat a puppy's nose when something is bad for it. Sin is wrong because it draws us away from what is eternally good and soul-satisfying for us.

Knowing and Enjoying God Part Two

2009-06-02T06:00:00.005-05:00

As for the saints in the land,
they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. -Psalm 16:3

Why is it of utmost importance to focus on teaching our people to glorify God and enjoy God in all that we do as pastors? Here are five reasons:

Reason Two.

Delight in God goes hand in hand in hand with delighting in those and the things that He loves. Good pastors make it a practice show that every mission, spiritual gift, ministry need be sustained by what Piper describes as God-exalting motives, God-centered truth, and a God-saturated spiritual life. When this becomes our purpose all that we will desire, teach, and live will be primarily a reflection of God's desires, God's truth and God's life lived out and through the body of Christ. In speechifying we are good at saying these things, but in reality this is the crux (pun intended) of showing forth what we value above all else. It is easy to say that "it all starts with God" but to realize and live it, becomes a different matter. The people of Israel, rescued from slavery with pillar of fire and cloud before them, still did not treasure their God above all else, but instead valued security, bread, water, safety, and a host of other unmentioned things above their God. Even though he was right there.

Knowing and Enjoying God Part One

2009-06-01T05:00:00.005-05:00

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."
-Psalm 16:1

Why is it of utmost importance to focus on teaching our people to glorify God and enjoy God in all that we do as pastors? Here are five reasons:

Reason one.
The psalmist says that apart from God we have "no good." God does not look to be blessed by us but looks to be a blessing through us. Doing pastoring well means that in everything (hospitals, funerals, weddings, dedications, teaching, preaching, evanagelizing, hanging out playing ping-pong) we show the connection between the good of life and the good of God. That we cannot enjoy any good thing without first enjoying God. We cannot even bless a meal without first being blessed by God. We love (anything/anyone) because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 We pastor well when more and more people in our congregation and world learn to love God above all things or love all things only as an expression of their love for their God, because they enjoy their God.

We do that best when we show, by our lives, that at our core we have been transformed by God and are, now, fundamentally in love with God ourself and we enjoy God above all things and thereby enjoy him in all things.

Shaq Fu: Part One

2009-05-29T11:43:00.001-05:00

I am fascinated by the Shack, but still wrestle with it's core theology that absolutely everything in our relationship with God is up to us. i.e. God has reconciled Himself to us, in Christ, and all that is left if for us to reconcile ourself to Him. Scripture (of which Young's book is lacking) seems to indicate the exact opposite [Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 1:22].

I will not go so far as to say that it is a "bad" book, although there are other issues, but this core theology (which is very prevalent in Pop-evangelical Christianity) would imply that Christ and His Cross was not center of God's plan for creation, humanity, history, eternity, but that instead WE are.

I have to believe that God's plans and purposes are always for His own glory, not ours. Papa-as-God is nothing more than a divine Forest Gump who is influential but not ultimately and eternally significant.

Spiritual Gifts

2009-05-22T23:07:00.001-05:00

Various Greek words are used in describing spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 -

12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts [πνευματικων], brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
pneumatikon: spiritual as opposed to the body/physical/natural talents and gifts

12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts [χαρισματων], but the same Spirit;
charismata: a Pauline technical term denoting extraordinary powers of the Spirit used by Christians to serve the church. They are "free" gifts of grace as opposed to being earned or learned

12:5 There are varieties of service [διακονιων], but the same Lord;
diakonian: functions or ministries used to serve the Church, the verb in English would be "to deacon"

12:6 There are varieties of activities [ενεργηματων], but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
energematon: workings and operation for a specific purpose, rather than permanent possession

12:7 To each is given the manifestation [φανερωσις] of the Spirit for the common good.
phanerosis: an active display/exhibition/manifestation of (in this case) God’s power through the Spirit, cf. 2 Corinthians 4:2

Paul uses a variety of descriptors for the activities of the One Spirit in 1 Corinthians. He does not seem concerned with specifically and precisely defining how the Spirit works in all the various individual members of the church body. Because of the way he describes them his list of "spiritual gifts" (as they have come to be called), does not seem exhaustive. Instead he seems to be describing how the Spirit works in the life of the whole church body. In this the Spirit works in a multitude of various and expansive ways, so it is not healthy to speak of individual "gifts" granted to individual persons except as where this discussion is in relation to the church as a whole.

Here is the "complete" list of Spiritual Gifts, or the "complete" list of all the ways the Spirit works in our churches:

Service gifts:
Administration (1 Corinthians 12:28)
Helps (1 Corinthians 12:28)
Giving (Romans 12:8)
Mercy (Romans 12:8)
Service (Romans 12:7)
Faith (1 Corinthians 12:9)
Craftsmanship
Giving
Hospitality
Counseling

Equipping gifts:
Exhortation (Romans 12:8)
Wisdom (1 Corinthians 12:8)
Knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8)
Teaching (1 Corinthians 12:28)
Pastoring (Ephesians 4:11)
Apostleship (1 Corinthians 12:28)
Evangelism (Ephesians 4:11)
Leadership (Romans 12:8)
Encouragement
Celibacy

Prayer and worship gifts:
Prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:10)
Tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10)
Interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10)
Healing (1 Corinthians 12:9)
Miracles (1 Corinthians 12:10)
Discernment of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10)
Creative Communication
Intercession
Healing
Music

Destroyed the Template

2009-05-08T14:26:00.002-05:00

Somehow, I destroyed any ability to utilize an RSS feed from this blog when I originally was messing with the template. So for the sake of an RSS feed I have destroyed my template.
I really liked the Lincoln pic in the old template though. Any idea how to have both?

Schedule for Leader Training

2009-05-08T12:51:00.004-05:00

Northern Training Institute, through Porterbrook Network in Sheffield UK has some great ideas on how to train and mobilize men for ministry.
Some of their ideas include:

A schedule of

Yearly: two residential weeks with intensive lectures, seminars, and occasional guest lecturers
Monthly: one day of seminars with students presenting papers for discussion and critique
Ongoing: guided reading

Those participating in the Institute are expected to set aside 10-15 hours a week (one day and evening or two days) in addition to the residential weeks.

Institute students opt to study with the Institute for one, two or three years:

biblical study year
doctrine and church history year
mission and ministry year

Institute students must be graduates (of any discipline) or have significant experience of gospel ministry. All applicants must be commended by their local church.

The institute is Reformed and evangelical, believing in the sovereign grace of God in salvation, the inerrancy of Scripture and substitutionary atonement and subscribes to a doctrinal basis of Affinty

The institue emphasises participation in a local church, and the integration of theology and practice

Thanks Andy for turning me on to this.

Now if we can only get Ryan Franchuk to pioneer this ministry in South Dakota.

Narnia's Seven Sins

2009-05-08T09:39:00.002-05:00

Rumor has it that C.S. Lewis wove the seven deadly sins into his Chronicles of Narnia series. If true, it would make them into an interesting teaching tool, but more than likely C.S. Lewis would respond to our speuclation:

Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument, then collected information about child psychology and decided what age group I’d write for; then drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out 'allegories' to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. I couldn’t write in that way. It all began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion. At first there wasn't anything Christian about them; that element pushed itself in of its own accord... apart from that, I don’t know where the Lion came from or why He came. But once He was there He pulled the whole story together, and soon He pulled the six other Narnian stories in after Him. -C.S. Lewis, Of Other Worlds

The classical-medieval seven deadly sins may have, then, pushed themselves in of their own accord and from Lewis' own Oxford training but here they are.

Gluttony: The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe - Edmund's taste for Turkish Delight leads him to betrays his siblings.
Anger: The Magician's Nephew - Digory and Polly's angry quarrels result in Digory waking Jadis the White Witch, whose own anger brings trouble to Narnia.
Lust: Prince Caspian - Lust is difficult for a children's book, however, King Miraz may portray lust for power and progeny.
Greed: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Eustace Scrubb's greed for gold gets him turned into a dragon.
Sloth: The Silver Chair - Jill and Eustace are told of four signs they must remember which through apathy and carelessness are forgotten during crucial moments.
Pride: The Horse and His Boy - The horse Bree, the girl Aravis and Prince Rabadash all must be humbled by Aslan.
Envy: The Last Battle - Shift the ape is envious of the respect given Aslan.

Ecclectia of the Seven Sins:
Whitestone Journal
BBC
Seven Deadly Sins Sampler
DeadlySins.com
All Seven Deadly Sins Committed at a Church Bake Sale

Now, more on the Seven Sins in Narnia:
Dr. Don W. King
Martin LaBar

Narnia as the Seven Planets here

The Good Work

2009-05-07T21:46:00.004-05:00

The Off-Road Pastor makes this observation

What is the good work scripture is talking about [in 2 Timothy 3:17]? The work of God in and through us.

It is encouraging when someone ignores the secondary applications and gets to the point of a passage. Often, and sometimes to extremeism 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is used as justification for arguing that all scripture is inspired. Yet a clear reading of the passage in context indicates that inspiration without purpose is irrelevant. Scripture is inspired in order that the thoroughly/perfectly/adequately/competently/completely equipped man might be prepared for the good work of...

And here is where I think the Off-Road Pastor falls short. To the question What are the good works 2 Timothy 3:17 is talking about? He replies:

We cannot assume that we will become closer to God, understand His calling for us, or even do His calling for us if we are not looking into His word on a regular, daily basis for instruction and encouragement. We cannot be equipped or competent unless we go to the source of truth: God. And what better way to hear from God than through His Word which is right in front of our face.

An important statement, even foundational. However, I don't find anything which indicates, that "calling", "instruction", or "encouragement" are equivalent to the "good work" at the end of 2 Timothy 3:17. (The KJV translation of παιδεια as "instruction" not withstanding. παιδεια being better understood in English if it retains it's παιδιa "child" root, hence ESV/NIV's "training". The Bible in Basic English has "education in righteousness" which I find intriguing.) Not to belabor the issue but it is important to get a handle on what Paul means by the "good work" that he feels Timothy will be able to accomplish through the scriptures. Before we can understand calling, competence or even inspiration it must be clear what "good works" Paul is commissioning Timothy with.

What I do find is that Paul's charge to Timothy is couched in between two statements about apostasy:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. -2 Timothy 3:12-13

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. -2 Timothy 4:3-4

In face of deceivers Paul reminds Timothy of the truth of what he has learned. And, when Paul begins to give Timothy his core instructions about the scriptures he declares not that he is simply to "use" them towards secondary purpose or calling or for some other work, but, in no uncertain terms, he declares the scriptures themselves the "good work" you are to do. Notice that Paul follows 3:17 with this charge:

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. -2 Timothy 4:1-2

Which sounds strangely like "profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness." The scriptures which make us wise unto salvation, and which train us up into righteousness, become the God-breathed life-blood which flows in a Christian's veins and beats within his heart. They are the muscles, tendons and bones by which we walk and fight and work and stand. In face of difficulty, persecution, godlessness and suffering what work could we possibly accomplish? What hope do we have on our own? Before a blinded and deceived world of liars and impostors our "good work" is to declare and reveal, rebuke and exhort, with the same life-giving God-breathed power of divine truth that burns like fire with in us. God calls all men to no less a task. What other work is there?

Words are better

2009-04-28T23:17:00.001-05:00

Have you heard this one?

The Assissi quote is very popular and catchy and I do appreciate what it is trying to say... your life in all its actions should reflect Jesus in a way that as obvious as if you were speaking out loud. How very true, but please, use words. People need to hear that they are lost, they need to understand that they need a savior, they need to know that Jesus had paid the penalty already, they need to know that eternal life can be theirs and begin now by repenting and trusting in Christ alone by faith alone.
I am not sure how you can do that without WORDS.

Baptismal Motivation

2009-04-24T07:42:00.002-05:00

The Procatechesis of Cyril of Jerusalem gives these thoughts on our motivation for baptism

Perhaps you have come for some other reason? A man may want to please a woman and may come for that reason. The same may be true of a woman. A slave may perhaps want to please his master, and a friend his friend. I take whatever is on the hook, I pull you in, you who came with an evil intention but will be saved by your hope of the good. Doubtless you did not know, did you, where you were going, and did not recognize the net in which you have been caught? You have been taught in the Church’s net!

When all is said and done it is the Lord's work even in our fumbling attempts at obedience.

The perfume of happiness is already being poured out on you,
O you who are receiving the light!
You are already gathering spiritual flowers
To plait celestial crowns
The Holy Spirit has already breathed his fragrance on you!
You have already reached the entrance hall of the royal palace!
May you soon be led in to the King!

Spiritual "Laws"

2009-04-24T07:04:00.007-05:00

"Law" One: God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.

This comes via the All Things Church Planting blog.
Who got it from the Desiring God blog.
Who got it from the Contemporary Calvinist blog.

"Law" Two: Lots of other people thought this was "funny".
Behold! And here, here, here, and here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

"Sir, in my heart, I know I'm funny." -Lt. Hauk

Why are you clapping? I'm talking to you.

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? -2 Corinthians 13:5 , Authorized Version

"Law" Three: We should all use the word "reprobate" more often than we do.

Habakkuk's Revival

2009-04-17T06:49:00.002-05:00

We used this text during our community Good Friday service:

O LORD, I have heard the report of you,
and your work, O LORD, do I fear.
In the midst of the years revive it;
in the midst of the years make it known;
in wrath remember mercy.
God came from Teman,
and the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His splendor covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of his praise.
Selah

Habakkuk 3
In the Old Testament manifestations of God and meditations upon God were physical: Moses on the mountain, "the word of the Lord," the Exodus, the festivals, the sacrifices, Abraham's three friends, and on and on and on. These were glorious and powerful but fading and a shadow of the reality. In contrast the New Testament speaks of a glory that does not fade away because it is a "ministry of the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3
Lord, I need a miracle. I have heard the reports of your past works. Revive them again. Come down upon the mountains and cover the skies with glory so that we might praise you again.

John Owen on Good Friday

2009-04-10T12:17:00.002-05:00

We might here look on Him as under the weight of the wrath of God and the curse of the law; taking on Himself, and on His whole soul, the utmost of evil that God had ever threatened to sin or sinners. We might look on Him in His agony and bloody sweat, in His strong cries and supplications, when He was sorrowful to the death, and began to be amazed, in apprehensions of the things that were coming on Him—of that dreadful trail which He was entering into. We might look on Him conflicting with all the powers of darkness, the rage and madness of men, suffering in His soul, His body, His name, His reputation, His goods, His life; some of these sufferings being immediate from God above, others from devils and wicked men acting according to the determinate counsel of God.
We might look on Him praying, weeping, crying out, bleeding, dying—in all things making His soul an offering for sin… But these things I shall not insist on in particular, but leave them under such a veil as may give us a prospect into them, so far as to fill our souls with holy admiration...
What shall we say to these things? That God spared not His only Son, but gave Him up unto death and all the evils included therein, for such poor, lost sinners as we were; that for our sakes the eternal Son of God should submit Himself to all the evils that our natures are liable to, and that our sins had deserved, that we might be delivered! How glorious is the Lord Christ on this account, in the eyes of believers!

from Mediations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ
John Owen (1616-1683))

Warren on Cavuto

2009-04-08T22:38:00.002-05:00

I saw Rick Warren on Fox Business tonight. Cavuto's intro went something like this

Who better to help with the purpose of life than the man who's Purpose Driven Life drove millions to change theirs... niether left nor right, sort of omnipresent.

In asking him what was wrong with American business, he gave all "normal" and "safe" answers. "Whispers to us in our pleasure but he shouts to us in our pain", "there's a lot of guilt being carried around", "we have been living beyond our means." But he stopped short of saying "sin." Now, I know as well as anyone that "sin" has become archaric and even quaint so using the term may have not gotten his point across, but it is at the root of all human guilt-pain-living. Isn't it?

First chapter of Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp gives this insight:

Sin does three things to us.

Rebellion: Sin causes us to do wrong.
Foolishness: Sin causes us to think wrong
Weakness: Sin removes our ability to do right

God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:3-8
#3 Human beings are too weak to do right even when we want to, and not even God's law can prop it up enough to make right choices because #1 Our flesh and bones are corrupt and do not seek by action the things of God but the things of the flesh and #2 Our minds have been corrupted to the point that it is rebellious and unsubmissive and hostile to God. Warren is well intentioned, but a sinful human that lives with in their means is still going to hell. No-one outside of sin-condemning flesh of the Crucified One can ever be declared or do right.

As far as I can tell Paul David Tripp has never been on Cavuto but it seems he would cut through the fog and get right to point.

Selecting Elders

2009-04-07T22:39:00.004-05:00

Here is a quick guide on resources for selecting elders as gleaned from the internet:

9marks articles (the first one from D.A. Carson no less!):
Defining Elders
Electing Elders
Pastors' and Theologians' Forum on Selecting Elders

Matt Proctor, Top Ten Questions for Potential Elders

Bethlehem Baptist Resource Packet Materials for Selecting Elders:

And finally one last insight from my new favorite 79 year old minister/blogger/historian/Isaac Asimov fan who in his post on selecting elders also reminds us that "cows [like churches] always need milking". I am not kidding, this guy posts irregularly but is full of wisdom: read Selecting Elders

Finally... The Criterion of St. Paul:

An overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus 1:7-9

Why not just ask the potential elder questions based on the above?

Patterson and SWBTS

2009-04-07T22:22:00.002-05:00

Here are Wade Burleson's orginal posts and a robust debate as you sort through the comments here
and here.

Brother John Barcanic also had some well said insights about forwarding of questionable info (which disappeared from my email no less), and I too wonder why CT would post/publish anything without direct confirmation or sources. For full(er) disclosure here is the relevant transcript from the cited February 2009 interview with Paige Patterson

Tim Rogers [pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Indian Trail, NC] - "Have economic challenges been used as an excuse to weed out certain professors at Southwestern who hold to a particular soteriolgical viewpoint to which you disagree? Is there any truth to that rumor?"

Patterson - "I certainly hope not. I've lived my entire life as life in a goldfish bowl, and as boldly as I know how to do it. We're not certain at all that we're going to have to eliminate any professors. We've been working very very hard to cut everything else in the world so we don't have to cut professors and we don't know yet what we're going to have to do, but we're hopeful that we don't have to cut any professors. If we do, I will not use a screen to do that with. Every decision I make with regard to faculty will be made with a view to assisting the school to be the best school it can possibly can be. We have every conceivable soteriological view on the campus in terms of 5 pointer Calvinism, or 1 pointers or 2 pointers or 3 pointers or 4 pointers or 5 pointers. I will say this, Southwestern will not build a school in the future around anybody who could not look anybody in world the eyes and say "Christ died for your sins". If there is a problem there then I believe there is a problem that Southern Baptists would not want to fund, and so if that would be the case I wouldn't be hiding behind a screen of economic matters if I had to deal with that. And, God willing, if He is gracious to us and God's people continue to give then we won't have to lay off anybody else. That's what we are praying for."

The "look you in the eye and say Christ died for your sins" quote is a pretty clear rejection of limited atonement. A deal breaker for professorship?

The Gospel and Children

2009-04-03T14:34:00.001-05:00

Our mission statement is to "Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ." When most of us think of "sharing" the gospel our minds move toward a situation where a child has raised their hand, or an adult has "walked the aisle," coming forward at an evangelistic meeting. We tend to only think in terms of situations where sharing the gospel would push for a "conversion." The gospel is more than simply the words of John 3:16 and then asking a potential believer if they now "believe." The good news of the gospel includes all aspects of God's working in His world, to save sinners, and to welcome Him into His kingdom. I found this helpful summary from Jill Nelson, at the Children's Desiring God website:

First of all, Jill Nelson, reminds us that
1. GOD is the starting point of the gospel.
2. GOD is the vehicle of the gospel.
3. GOD is the goal of the gospel.

She then outlines the implications of a full understanding of the full gospel message.

God is the sovereign Creator of all things

God created people for His glory

God is holy and righteous

Human beings are sinful

God is just and is right to punish sin

God is merciful. He is kind to undeserving sinners

Jesus is God's holy and righteous Son

God put our punishment on Jesus

God offers the free gift of salvation to those who repent and believe in Jesus

Those who trust in Jesus will live to please him and will receive the promise of eternal life -- Enjoying God forever in heaven

While it's not TULIP it is simple enough and gives you enough starting points to explain the good news of God. It is he who is at work in us from beginning to end.

Strategy

2009-04-02T17:24:00.005-05:00

Wired just published an article on the Settlers of Catan. Settlers is an amazingly unpredictable and intriguing strategy board game that our family and friends can't get enough of.

Fighter Verses to Memorize for your next contest:
Isaiah 8:10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.

Isaiah 36:5You say you have strategy and military strength—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?

I Love Maps

2009-04-01T22:46:00.003-05:00

Found this, which brought back memories. I loved maps as a kid. Where others would put Magic Johnson and Rick Astley on there wall I chose to cover my walls with National Geographic maps.
Not sure what to make of that, but I thought I'd get it out there.

Jesus in the Power of the Spirit

2009-03-21T20:37:00.004-05:00

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.2 Corinthians 13:14

In conversation with Paul Veal about the presence of the holy Spirit in the life of Christ. I have begun to maintain in my theology that, (in part?), to be "fully human" Jesus of Nazareth must have been perfectly dependent upon the Spirit in a way that perfectly models life in the Spirit for the followers of Jesus.

What follows basically outlines Sinclair Ferguson 's article on the Pneumatologia of John Owen.

John Owen reminds us that Jesus Christ, who is the One who gives the Spirit (John 20:21-22; Acts 1:8), is also, first of all, the Recipient and Bearer of the Spirit.

The Spirit is said to be communicated unto him, do plainly regard his incarnation; and the soul of Christ, from the first moment of its infusion, was a subject capable of a fullness of grace, as unto its habitual residence and in-being, though the actual exercise of it was suspended for a while, until the organs of the body were fitted for it. This, therefore, it received by this first unction of the Spirit.

Owen, Pneumatologia Book II, Chapter IV
Yes, Owen writes like that. But his point is that the Spirit was able to reside in the soul of Christ from its very incarnation.

Owen points essentially to four central divisions of Jesus' life: (1) Incarnation; (2) Ministry; (3) Passion; and (4) Exaltation, and outlines the Spirit's work in each.

Incarnation: Christ was conceived by/in and sanctified by the Spirit. The implication being that what the Spirit did in Jesus of Nazareth he seeks to do in us. Because Jesus is the cause, source, and pattern of the Spirit's ministry in the believer.

The only singular immediate act of the person of the Son on the human nature was the assumption of it into subsistence with himself... That the only necessary consequent of this assumption of the human nature, or the incarnation of the Son of God, is the personal union of Christ, or the inseparable subsistence of the assumed nature in the person of the Son... The Holy Ghost, as we have proved before, is the immediate, peculiar, efficient cause of all external divine operations: for God worketh by his Spirit

Owen, Pneumatologia Book II, Chapter III

Ministry: Just as Jesus grew in favor, wisdom... accomplishing personal perfect progress in grace
(cf. "one who is taught" Isaiah 50:4 "grew up" Isaiah 53:2

The Lord Christ, as man, did and was to exercise all grace by the rational faculties and powers of his soul, his understanding, will, and affections; for he acted grace as a man, “made of a woman, made under the law.” His divine nature was not unto him in the place of a soul, nor did immediately operate the things which he performed, as some of old vainly imagined; but being a perfect man, his rational soul was in him the immediate principle of all his moral operations, even as ours are in us. Now, in the improvement and exercise of these faculties and powers of his soul, he had and made a progress after the manner of other men; for he was made like unto us “in all things,” yet without sin. In their increase, enlargement, and exercise, there was required a progression in grace also; and this he had continually by the Holy Ghost.

Pneumatologia Book II, Chapter IV

Passion: The writer of Hebrews links the passion of Christ with the work of the Spirit:
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,b so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:13-14

Exaltation: In the Church age the Spirit can only be known in connection with Christ. The Holy Spirit is the "Spirit of Christ."

The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”John 3:31-36

John Hunt States the Obvious

2009-03-20T23:46:00.004-05:00

Now Mr. Hunt has become the pioneer in a rejuvenated campaign for a way of cancelling baptisms given to children too young to decide for themselves whether they wanted this formal initiation into Christianity.

Surprising article found on the BBC. I never did meet an Atheist who didn't make some sense to start with. They tend to spin off in a random crazy direction, but they start with the truth. Babies, who are "too young to decide for themselves", cannot make a choice to surrender their lives to Christ. The article goes on to say:

I, John Geoffrey Hunt, having been subjected to the rite of Christian baptism in infancy... hereby publicly revoke any implications of that rite. I reject all its creeds and other such superstitions in particular the perfidious belief that any baby needs to be cleansed of original sin.

How much heresy spins off of a legitimate concern of the Church. We Baptists have a legitimate concern for assurance of salvation founded in the work of Christ, and therefore do not baptize wee children. So in the one sense we can agree with Mr. Hunt. But at the same time, to "publicly revoke" the implications of infant baptism in the Churches that we fellowship with is quite another matter.

Bringing New Life to Congregations

2009-03-14T09:38:00.003-05:00

In response to a Sioux Falls Seminary Facebook group question.

To bring new life to congregations they must see Jesus lifted up... John 3:14-15 So how is that accomplished? Two ways.

1) Christ is/was lifted up without our doing anything. 2000 years ago... He accomplished everything needed for any congregation at the cross. [Lent drives us towards Good Friday does it not?] So in the first sense a congregation need to understand that, without any new mission statement, ministry, or service project, they already have anything and everything they need for mission, ministry, and service. cf. the words of Paul to the (really, really, messed up) congregation in Corinth:
"For in [Christ] you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:5-9
Everything new in a congregation is a work of the Son.

2) The second way to bring new life to congregations is to orient them towards the One who provides life. A congregation must "see" Jesus lifted up. And nowadays we can only see Christ through the scripture (Old and New Testaments). [Good Friday leads to Easter's empty tomb and Easter to the Ascension's clouds]
No church can be transformed without the Gospel of the Glory of Christ. Again St. Paul to the Corinthians:
"We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit... For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" 2 Corinthians 3:18, 4:6
We are transformed by reflecting what we see of God's glory and that glory is most clearly seen in the face of Christ.
God won't speak to your church outside of Christ. Christ is not revealed outside of scripture.

(For another time maybe: If we understand congregation life to be the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit to the Glory of the Father does this mean that God the Father only works exclusively through Christ and the Spirit in the local church? i.e. Our talk about God's plan, God's guidance, God's mission, absolutely must include talk about Jesus Christ and Him crucified. )

Benedict XVI Quote

2009-03-13T14:50:00.002-05:00

I have been told that consulting the information available on the Internet would have made it possible to perceive the problem early on. I have learned the lesson that in the future in the Holy See we will have to pay greater attention to that source of news.

Always consider the source... why verify when you can Google?

Other XVI's
Pope Gregory XVI abolished slavery as practiced or taught by the Catholic Church
Super Bowl XVI: 1982, San Francisco 49ers over Cincinnati Bengals, 26-21
Guillotined namesake of Louisville, Kentucky: Louis XVI of France
Title XVI of Social Security Law gives money to the States for assistance to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled
The 1956 Olympic Games or XVI Olympiad were held in Melbourne, Australia (the first held south of the equator).
The 1992 Winter Olympic Games or XVI Winter Olympiad were held in Albertville, France (the first held south of the equator).
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is the current king of Sweden
The Air Jordan XVI was released in 2001
Volume XVI of Calvin's Commentaries is "The Harmony of Matthew, Mark and Luke"

Anyone May Kill Us in the Street

2009-03-13T14:45:00.002-05:00

Q: Where is the oldest and largest Christian community in the Middle East?
A: Egypt
Contrary to popular belief the BBC still has a religion section. Check out this article on a pair of
Egyptian Christians, and be encouraged by their faith and by the fact that there are still people in the secular world paying attention to religious persecution outside of Tibet.

Lincoln Sermon Notes

2009-03-06T22:47:00.002-06:00

Usually John Piper says "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him" but Lincoln's answer was unique and easier to remember. PS Notice the Evangelical Cross (on the left) and the Catholic Crucifix (on the right). Not sure if he was being ecumenical or descriptive.

Ephesians 6:16 is one way to get 9 year-olds interested in scripture.

Congregational Leadership

2009-03-06T16:30:00.003-06:00

So what is the role of leaders in the congregation? Consider the following:

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 1 Timothy 5:17
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach... able to teach.1 Timothy 3:2
For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach… He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus 1:7, 9

New Testament apostolic authority is given to the congregation. Leaders are never appointed to serve not in the place of this authority that is properly held by the assembled body. Leaders are appointed to serve the congregation through the Word of God. Leaders in the church are to be about the business of teaching the scriptures, studying, correcting and training the people in the scriptures, rebuking those who are in error, and exhortation by the scriptures.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2

The Congregational Church and Scripture

2009-03-06T14:41:00.004-06:00

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you (singular) bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you (singular) loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”Matthew 16:17-19
If your brother sins [against you]*, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you (plural) bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you (plural) loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.Matthew 18:15-18

These are the only two references to church [ekklesia, church, congregation; assembly, gathering] in all of the gospels, and both times Jesus uses the word he also repeats this phrase: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Jesus seems to be linking heavenly authority to the earthly practices of the gathered body of the church. Although this authority is specifically mentioned in the case of corrective discipline of an unrepentant member, Christ’s accompanying phrase seems to indicate that he did not intend the church to have authority in this area alone. cf. Matthew 28:18-20; 6:9-10
Insight into the practice of New Testament churches especially in matters of discipline can be seen in the case study from the Corinthian letters:
Let [the unrepentant] who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.1 Corinthians 5:2-5
When viewed in light of the teaching found in Matthew, discipline should take place along a set pattern: one on one, in groups of three or four, and only then among the church. So it can be assumed that the man mentioned in the previous passage is unrepentant. Earlier in Matthew 16 gives Peter alone the authority to bind and loose on earth as in heaven. In Matthew 18 the same authority of binding and loosing on earth as in heaven is given to the gathered body of believers. Paul’s two statements I have already pronounced judgment and my spirit is present, seem to indicate that Paul sees himself as having the same apostolic authority of binding and loosing that Jesus gives to peter in Matthew 16. In addition, Paul’s instructions to the church that when you are assembled in the name of the lord and you (plural) are to deliver seem to indicate that this same apostolic authority that Peter is given and as apostle Paul assumes is given by Paul to the church.
The responsibility for removal lies with in the assembled body and with no other group or leadership cf. v. 4. Even Paul’s apostolic authority is spoken of as equivalent to the authority of the assembled body of believers. cf. 5:2-3 By implication the phrase whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven expands the authority of the congregational gathering “in the name of the Lord” to include more matters than just the taking in or the removal of membership.
Compare the remainder of the Corinthian instruction:
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
Clearly, Paul’s recommendation, and by implication the command of scripture, is that congregations have a responsibility to judge its members in matters of discipleship (cf. v. 5 so that his spirit may be saved) and discipline (cf. v. 13 Purge the evil person from among you). This responsibility is not given here to any single individual but to all the congregation.
The assembled congregation is given an authority on par with the authority of Peter or Paul.

Remember Calvin and Hobbes?

2009-03-06T14:34:00.000-06:00

From John Calvin on James

2009-03-04T10:23:00.002-06:00

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. -James 5:16

"[James] reminds them how useful it is to discover our sins to our brethren even that we may obtain the pardon of them by their intercession. This passage I know is explained by many as referring to the reconciling of offenses for they who wish to return to favor must necessarily know first their own faults and confess them. For hence it comes that hatreds take root yea and increase and become irreconcilable because every one pertinaciously defends his own cause. Many therefore think that James points out here the way of brotherly reconciliation that is by mutual acknowledgment of sins. But as it has been said his object was different for he connects mutual prayer with mutual confession by which he intimates that confession avails for this end that we may be helped as to God by the prayers of our brethren for they who know our necessities are stimulated to pray that they may assist us but they to whom our diseases are unknown are more tardy to bring us help."

Commentaries on the catholic epistles, tr. and ed. by J. Owen By Jean [comms. on the Bible] Calvin
Mark's question on accountability in ministry was a good good one: If I don't give full disclosure am I even receiving the benefits of the relationship? Calvin makes a good case to connect brotherly reconciliation to confession/accountability. I am beginning to see how those two should not be made distinct. The reason why we gather is to mutually encourage and offer the support to one another that's needed. Am I an individual who sucks up help like a leech or am I a member in the body supporting and gaining support from all the other parts as they work together? So Calvin is right to say that James' goal is to make us aware that the help we need in combating sin must come from our brothers who will be ready to bring us help if we confess. We who are called Christian no longer live for ourselves. Which we can easily say, but implied in that bold statement is that we live to God in Christ instead, and God in Christ has chosen to show himself through the local congregation.

Shattering Marriage Ideals II

2009-03-03T21:50:00.004-06:00

Powerful Quote:

Over the destiny of woman and of man lies the dark shadow of a word of God’s wrath, a burden from God, which they must carry. The woman must bear her children in pain, and in providing for his family the man must reap many thorns and thistles, and labor in the sweat of his brow. This burden should cause both man and wife to call on God, and should remind them of their eternal destiny in his kingdom. Earthly society is only the beginning of the heavenly society, the earthly home an image of the heavenly home, the earthly family a symbol of the fatherhood of God.
-DietrichBonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, 31

full quote here.
from Pastor Paul Veal's blog.
and Pastor John Piper's new book.

Shattering Marriage Ideals

2009-02-27T13:03:00.003-06:00

The introduction to John Piper's This Momentary Marriage: a Parable of Permanence has shattered my understanding of marriage like nothing else ever has. PDF here.

Auden

2009-02-27T13:00:00.002-06:00

Earth, receive an honoured guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel lie
Emptied of its poetry.
In the nightmare of the dark
All the dogs of Europe bark,
And the living nations wait,
Each sequestered in its hate;
Intellectual disgrace
Stares from every human face,
And the seas of pity lie
Locked and frozen in each eye.
Follow, poet, follow right
To the bottom of the night,
With your unconstraining voice
Still persuade us to rejoice;
With the farming of a verse
Make a vineyard of the curse,
Sing of human unsuccess
In a rapture of distress;
In the deserts of the heart
Let the healing fountain start,
In the prison of his days
Teach the free man how to praise.
—W.H. Auden, "In Memory of W.B. Yeats", February 1939

In 1939 as the dogs of Europe bark in hate and as grace and pity lie locked and frozen, Auden prays that the words of Yeats, his friend, might bloom and persuade and sing and heal. Words can be powerful.
Father, God, we want Your words to teach our hearts in the same way. You are good and your words are good. May your words bloom in us and give us life. May they persuade us to follow your Son. May they sing over us and teach us to rejoice. May they be words that heal.

Really Seeing

2009-02-27T12:42:00.003-06:00

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:35-41

Outside of the words "furious squall", there are other reasons to love this passage.
Notice that everything that Jesus does here we can physically see:
He speaks, “Let us go over to the other side.”
He leaves the crowd
He gets in the boat
He sleeps
He wakes up
He gets up
He speaks, “Quiet! Be still!”
He speaks, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Nothing is done here that can’t explained naturally. No special effects needed. But somewhere along the line the Disciples are changed. They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Their eyes are opened and they begin to really see Jesus.

Before this "incident" Jesus tells two parables, prefaced by a statement. The first parable is the parable of the seed that grows, night or day, waking or sleeping, and we know not how. Understanding comes from God, and we know not how. Seeing comes from God, and we know not how, but still it comes. Check out Unshackled if you don't believe me. Lincoln and I listen to Unshackled all the time. We hear the tragic story of lives enslaved by drugs, alcohol, abuse, or otherwise, and about half way through we ask the question, "How is God going to get to this person this time?" And God always does. Eyes are opened and yet we know not how.

The second parable is of the mustard seed. Even and faith that's small is a faith that grows.

Jesus prefaces both of these parables with this statement: "Consider carefully what you hear." Mark 4:25.

When our eyes are opened and we being to consider what Jesus says carefully, even the "small" faith can accomplish great things. This is why the Disciples are rebuked by Jesus in the boat. He had just said, "Let us go over to the other side.” Mark 4:35. A "small" faith will trust even a "small" statement by the One we have faith in.

And when we do, our eyes begin to really see.

Bible Reading Plans

2009-02-22T15:08:00.003-06:00

Okay, I need to start a daily Bible reading plan. I have been doing some online exploring and have come up with these choices (so far). What plan do you use?

Various Bible-in-a-Year Plans Here
Topical
Straight Through (Genesis-Revelation)
Discipleship Journal's Through the New Testament
Discipleship Journal's Through the Bible Book-at-a-Time
Discipleship Journal's Through the Bible (Four Parts per Day)
Bethlehem Baptist reading plans

More than once through the Bible-in-a-Year Plans
Rober Murray McCheyne Reading Plan
McCheyne Readings Updated Daily to make your home page.

Through the Bible in more than One Year
Every Word in the Bible in Three Years
Bible in Three Years

Various Other Year Plans
Losely "Chronologically" Arranged
New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs in one Year
Eastern Orthodox Psalms Worship Plan

Various Other Plans
BiblePlan.org has quite a few plans.
Zondervan's website has bible reading plans on differing topics from two weeks to to three years.
ESV Bible's website has bible reading plans including the Book of Common Prayer Daily Office
121 Day of Bible Characters
61 Day Bible Survey
30 Days with Jesus (Gospels Reading Plan)
Taizé daily readings

Historical Classical Realding Plans
Ambrose
Augustine
Others

Mormons and Gideons

2009-02-17T20:10:00.006-06:00

Lincoln had his first encounter with Mormonism last weekend. The family minus myself got enjoy President's Day in Minneapolis, seeing relatives, and the Mall of America, and swimming in a hotel pool. In the room, however, next to the Gideon's Bible in the hotel room was a Book of Mormon.
Lincoln also had his first memorable encounter with a Gideon last weekend. The Gideons speaker in church on Sunday talked about a gal who came to Christ after "stealing" a Bible from a hotel room. Put the two together. Shake them up in a nine-year-old brain and Lincoln holds up the Book of Mormon and asks his mom, "Is this book one we can steal?"
What do do? Kristl decided on just giving the facts of the case to Lincoln and letting him figure things out on his own. She casually explained that that book was a story about Jesus that a man made up about Jesus going to speak to the Indians in America. Confused a bit, Lincoln began flipping through the pages of both the blue Book of Mormon and the red Gideon's Bible. Finally flipping to the last page of the Book of Mormon showing it to Mom and saying, "See, right here it says 'the end'. This book is a fairy tale."
And that was the end of that.

Huge list of Mormon-Christian resources, here.
Great list of curiosities in the Mormon texts and these "questions answered" here.
Finally, one last curiosity from Arkansas.

To Love Love

2009-02-14T18:02:00.003-06:00

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. -Micah 6:8

And what does the Lord require? The Hebrew verb translated as "love" here is 'ahav and the Hebrew noun translated here as "mercy" is hesed. The range of meanings of these two words is great, just like our English word love. In context either could mean "love." So, it follows, that a legitimate translation of the verse, could be... And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love love.
Happy Valentine's Day

Friday Funny

2009-02-13T13:53:00.003-06:00

The Darwin 200

2009-02-12T15:54:00.003-06:00

Here is the best picture of Charles I could find, and some good thought via, our friend, Al Mohler, here.
Another pic and another and another and another and another.
And, finally, a miracle!

Link of the Moment

2009-02-12T15:44:00.003-06:00

Ryan Stander's [Potok-Grenz-Kerouac-Augustine-Norris fan] link to and text of a document on Baptist Identity, here.

Two mistaken paths imperil this precious freedom in contemporary Baptist life. Down one path go those who would shackle God’s freedom to a narrow biblical interpretation and a coercive hierarchy of authority. Down the other path walk those who would sever freedom from our membership in the body of Christ and the community’s legitimate authority, confusing the gift of God with notions of autonomy or libertarian theories. We contend that these two conceptions of freedom, while seemingly different, both define freedom as a property of human nature apart from the freedom of God in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We reject both of them as false.

Can this be read as a comment on church membership?

The Apostolic Church Planter

2009-02-11T23:09:00.004-06:00

Although I did not know him, I have been thinking about Jorge Osorio’s mission plan for organizing churches with Hisapanics for Christ. Organize a group of disciples quickly and then move on. This intriguing idea/method/call sounds appropriate and was effective. But was it biblical?
I think maybe it was.
What if a church planter is not so much the "pastor" of a church as much as he is an organizer of churches, playing the role of apostle, with (almost) sole authority to organize a group of Christians in to a classical-biblical congregation [preach the gospel, administer the sacraments, practice discipline]. Where and when a church is finally "organized" an apostle moves on, leaving a pastor/elder team to lead the church and a congregational government to act in large, or "apostolic" decisions.
Isn't this what Paul, Barnabas, and the other (unmentioned?) disciples, who seem to have shortly left Jerusalem presumably to organize churches did? Moving from city to city evangelizing and gathering and then moving on. Apocryphal or not, there are no histories of specific churches where Thomas, Bartholomew or James the Less ruled from outside Jerusalem. If anything all of the apostles seemed to operate as itinerant organizers, starting churches as they went, leaving pastor-shepherds behind in their good gospel-wake.
A seminal idea at least, but I think it could be a missing piece of strategy that prevents church planting efforts from becoming church planting movements. Not being a church planter I could be way off the mark, but I would like to explore this idea further.

Church Membership and the Declaration of Independence

2009-02-10T15:58:00.004-06:00

Questions about church membership confronts head-on and attempts answer a couple of important questions, one of which the Declaration of Independence also attempts to answer:

Is a human being fundamentally defined by a set of "inalienable rights" or by an endowing by their Creator?

Fortunately for America, the Declaration of Independence scrambles the two.
If you are one that leans towards rights, then you will also place less importance on church membership. Persons who have received rights that cannot be taken away are also persons who can freely choose to join (and leave) whatever church they would like, or, more correctly, whatever church will take them. Membership and participation are reduced to and defined by the assent of the member to church practice and doctrine and discipline.
If, on the other hand, you are one that leans towards endowing then you will have a higher view of the church and of membership. A person who understands that any "right" given have been granted by their Creator must ultimately give credit to and be obedient to that Creator. That person will submit to church practice, and doctrine, and when necessary, church discipline as the established Head of the church. All members of a congregation submit to one another as all submit to Christ.
In an increasingly voyeuristic-pluralistic world, the testimony that Church Membership by gifted endowment of the creator brings with it a humble recognition that the "we" of any church have not been gathered by assent but called by decree.

Good Augustinian Coffee

2009-02-06T11:06:00.002-06:00

For when the one supreme God of gods is thought of, even by those who believe that there are other gods, and who call them by that name, and worship them as gods, their thought takes the form of an endeavour to reach the conception of a nature, than which nothing more excellent or more exalted exists. And since men are moved by different kinds of pleasures, partly by those which pertain to the bodily senses, partly by those which pertain to the intellect and soul, those of them who are in bondage to sense think that either the heavens, or what appears to be most brilliant in the heavens, or the universe itself, is God of gods: or if they try to get beyond the universe, they picture to themselves something of dazzling brightness, and think of it vaguely as infinite, or of the most beautiful form conceivable; or they represent it in the form of the human body, if they think that superior to all others. Or if they think that there is no one God supreme above the rest, but that there are many or even innumerable gods of equal rank, still these too they conceive as possessed of shape and form, according to what each man thinks the pattern of excellence. Those, on the other hand, who endeavour by an effort of the intelligence to reach a conception of God, place Him above all visible and bodily natures, and even above all intelligent and spiritual natures that are subject to change. All, however, strive emulously to exalt the excellence of God: nor could any one be found to believe that any being to whom there exists a superior is God. And so all concur in believing that God is that which excels in dignity all other objects. -Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, Book One, Chapter 7

I like my coffee strong, you might not. Which is to say that we are each motivated by different kinds of pleasures. Everybody makes their coffee up the way that they like it. One lump or two? Without Christ we can do no more than think of God in terms of the pleasures our body desires. “God” to the sinful self is no more than a good (or rather the best possible) cup of coffee. He is no more that what appears to be the best most beautiful thing. In our sinful state will always naturally exchange the glory of the immortal God for physical things resembling perishable created things. Romans 1:23 Without Christ we can only make judgment based on our own fallen pattern of excellence. But those of faith are different. The faithful, however, venture to place Christ above and outside all that is visible and physical, above all intelligent and spiritual thought which are subject to change. The Only Begotten receives authority over all things by His death. Colossians 1:16-17 Through his blood our fallen minds are renewed Colossians 1:19-22a and we begin to see Christ and God and all of life rightly. Life becomes more than just a quest for the best possible cup of coffee, but a journey in and under the One who teaches us to enjoy and savor that cup only as we enjoy and savor Him.

Congregational Government

2009-02-05T15:57:00.005-06:00

Twice in Matthew Jesus says these words:

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:19; 18:18

Interesting applications by J. Howard Yoder, here.
My two cents:
In both instances Jesus references "binding and loosing" in the context of the church [ekklesia], the only difference between the two is that one is addressed directly to Peter, "you" singular and the other, presumably is addressed to the assembled congregation, "you" plural. In other words, in one case Peter the Apostle is given heavenly authority to "bind and loose" things on earth, and in the other case that same authority is given to the church body, to the congregation.
Notice Paul the Apostle's words to the Corinthians:

Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present... 1 Corinthians 5:3-4

Another passage on church discipline. Paul seems to be saying that although I am not, physically present, the assembled church has the same authority to make judgments that I would have if I were present. Notice also that the phrase, "our Lord Jesus is present" may allude to Christ's words in Matthew 18:20, For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.
Congregational government seems to take the place of apostolic authority. In the New Testament the apostles and Paul, and perhaps James rule with authority over the church, that authority is also vested in the gathered body of the church as well. Normal practice for New Testament churches, as taught by Paul at least, seems to be that what was apostolic authority now rests in the gathered whole as we assemble in Christ's name.

We went with Blue on the Christmas Tree This Year

2008-12-25T22:39:00.000-06:00

I still claim there are two ways to decorate a Christmas Tree. 1) The family heirloom tree, decorated with treasured ornaments from Christmases past. 2) The theme tree, decorated with a premise or color scheme. Our family generally does the latter. Themes from years past include: white lights with gold ornaments; red wooden snowflakes; a purple light tree; oversized red balls; silver and white. This year we decided on blue and white lights with blue balls and silver snowflakes picked up on K-Martclearance last year. Dad did the lights, Lincoln put the star on top and helped place balls on the tree, Liberty helped place the balls (she could reach) in the middle of the living room, and Mom correctly adjusted the ornaments.
Blue is not your traditional Christmas color, the tradition limited to red and green and maybe gold, (Gold and it’s cousin frankincense are technically Epiphany colors) leaving blue out in the cold. I did run across this in William Sandys’ 1833 book Christmas carols, Ancient and Modern. It’s the only mention of anything blue in this book of 100 carols:

The fire with well-dried logs supplied,
Went roaring up the chimney wide;
The huge hall-table's oaken face,
Scrubbed till it shone, the day to grace,
Bore then upon its massive board
No mark to part the squire and lord.
Then was brought in the lusty brawn,
By old blue-coated serving-man;
Then the grim boar's-head frowned on high,
Crested with hays and rosemary.

This carol celebrates the Boar’s Head Feast. Little did you know that this feast is probably the oldest continuing festival of the Christmas season. I knew little of the feast as well until I pulled it up on Wikipedia and found that the festival dated back to the 1300’s. Lords and servants alike, gather together to feast and tell the story of the Nativity. The height of the evening being when the dining guests watched the boar’s head marched through the hall. Oh to be present in the fire-lit hall on Christmas Eve when the blue-coated serving-man triumphantly brings in the roasted boar and everyone cheers! What a celebration!
Although we may have a Blue Christmas without you, Christmas should still be a feast. At Christmas we gather one and all to celebrate Life and Light. We experience first hand the goodness of God. His Son is given, born in a manger that we might:
Taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed are they who takes refuge in Him.
Psalm 34:8
The Christ-Child enjoyed every meal and song and color of life, because the Son of God took refuge in His Father in Heaven in all things. We pray that God shows you His goodness this Christmas as you take refuge in Him.
May your taste and see the goodness of God the Father.
May you be blessed by every carol and meal, may you enjoy the fellowship of family and friends, and may you learn to love all the colors of Christmas.
We take refuge in the Lord, we relish in the Gift he has given, and we are thankful for all that God has in store for you and for us now and in the year to come.
To you and yours at your feast,
Caput apri defero,Reddens laudes Domino!
Benjamin & Kristl, Lincoln, Liberty

Light of the World

2008-12-05T22:41:00.005-06:00

There are lights at Christmas for two reasons. The first is that Jesus speaks of himself as the "light of the world" because only he reveals/reflects God the Father.

There are lights at Christmas for a second reason. It is night. Christmas comes at the darkest season of the year (apologies to those of you living in Australia). Jesus is not only the light of the world but a light that shines in darkness. It is a wonder and mystery and to his eternal glory that the Father chooses to give us light at all.

John has this great comment at his recounting of Jesus' betrayal. Right after Judas leaves the last supper John says, "and it was night." The deeds done dirt cheap are done in the darkness, but the Christ then responds with his own commentary on the betrayal:

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.

The glory of God shines in and through the Only Begotten. He is Light. The light of the Father. The light that penetrates our darkness.

Everything Biblical Hebrew

2008-11-19T23:39:00.006-06:00

Here is the best introduction to Hebrew Script that I have found: Omniglot
(more on Hebrew script than you wanted to know)

Best Learning Site: Hebrew for Christians
(a little too heavy on all the messianic Judaism stuff, but each of the twelve or so sections under Grammar is divided up into individual lessons, like 9 lessons just on nouns alone.)

A little clunky but... you can find Thirty One Hebrew Lessons here:
Biblia Hebraica

Here is Chapter-by-Chapter mp3 readings of the Hebrew Bible:
Mechon Mamre and here: Academy of Ancient Languages

Which you can listen to and follow along with these Hebrew-English rendition of the Hebrew Bible:
Mechon Mamre
Sacred-Texts

Tyler Williams, the OT / Hebrew professor at Taylor University College, Edmonton, Alberta. (my alma mater) website: Biblical-Studies.Ca Biblical-Studies Blog

Lists and links to Teaching Tools and Links can be found Here:
Hebrew Language Teachers' Toolbox and here Bible-Researcher and here is the insane list of Links for everything Hebrew PaleoJudaica

also check out the list of Hebrew Grammars etc. on Google Books
Elements of Hebrew Syntax by an Inductive Method
Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar
A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament
The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon
A Lexicon, Hebrew, Chaldee, and English
A Grammar of the Hebrew Language

Old languages and old books are better!

Ehud and Jesus

2008-11-16T15:48:00.009-06:00

The story of Ehud has always fascinated me.

ESV, Judges 3:15-26
The people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And he commanded, "Silence." And all his attendants went out from his presence. And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And he arose from his seat. And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them. When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, "Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber." And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor. Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah.

When Luke comments on Jesus "Beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." Or when Matthew says that Jesus "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."

How are Ehud and Jesus related?

Is all Scripture a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation or are there parts of Scripture that do not rise to the full level of Christ.? I would like to confirm the latter, but Ehud and the mildew laws and the strange story of Noah getting drunk or of Rehoboam's claim, all tend to push the envelope of being a "testimony to Christ".

Baptism

2008-10-30T23:55:00.002-05:00

A fellow pastor had made mention in passing that the book of Acts contains examples of people being saved with out being baptized. Curious, when I checked it out all I could find were general descriptions such as:

17: 12 "Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men."

14:1 "There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed."

However _every_ conversion of an individual is _always_ accompanied by a baptism.

Acts 1 "John's Baptism" v. "Spirit's Baptism"
Acts 2 The Crowd at Pentecost
Acts 8 Simon the Sorcerer
Acts 8 The Ethiopian Eunuch
Acts 9 (& Acts 22) Saul
Acts 10 Cornelius
Acts 16 Lydia
Acts 16 Philippian Jailer & Family
Acts 18 Crispus
Acts 19 Apollos
Acts 19 The Disciples of Ephesus

Even if I have overlooked something (which is likely) the overwhelming evidence seems to point toward baptism being the normal apostolic practice.

Question: If the evidence from the book of Acts points toward baptism being a normative first response to the converting work of the Holy Spirit, what the Biblical grounds for conversion and baptism to be separated, as is our normative practice today?

Something to chew on.

Assurance

2008-08-30T00:47:00.003-05:00

The real Christian, enjoying assurance of salvation, has holy boldness but he also has less of self-confidence and more modesty...He is less apt than others to be shaken in faith, but more apt than others to be moved with solemn warnings, and with God's frowns, and with the calamities of others. He has the firmest comfort, but the softest heart. Richer than others, he is the poorest of all in spirit: the tallest and strongest saint, but the least and tenderest child among them.

What is it that Jonathan Edwards knows about knowing Christ? I would much rather leave the messy task of sorting out the good fish from the bad to Christ. At the end of the day there will be those who, though they say they are, ain't, and those who don't know, who are. Assurance should never rely on any date written in your Bible or statements from another Christian. But assurance stems from a careful examination with fear and trembling of evidences of grace in our life.

Yet, too often, we give less thought to these matters than we do to doing the dishes or feeding the cat. I want to be a real Christian. I want to be moved by the word of God. To find that treasure in the field and then to sell all in my joy.

No, it is not owing to God, nor to any of his revelations, that true saints ever doubt of their state; his revelations are plain and clear, and his rules sufficient for men to determine their own condition by. But, for the most part, it is owing to their own sloth, and giving way to their sinful dispositions. Must God’s institutions and revelations be answerable for all the perplexities men bring on themselves, through their own negligence and unwatchfulness? It is wisely ordered that the saints should escape perplexity in no other way than that of great strictness, diligence, and maintaining the lively, laborious, and self-denying exercises of religion.

Islam and Catholicism

2008-03-30T23:04:00.002-05:00

Reuters reports that the Catholic church is conceding their number on seed to Islam.

Monsignor Vittorio Formenti, who compiled the Vatican's newly-released 2008 yearbook of statistics, said Muslims made up 19.2 percent of the world's population and Catholics 17.4 percent.

This news may get evangelicals talking and may cause concern, but will it result in a change in mission strategy or focus? Will it open up dialogue?

Who Is Tom Hanks

2007-10-21T17:59:00.000-05:00

Was flipping through old wall posts and noticed
Q: Not a Tom Hanks fan, then??
A: I always liked the everyman.

My question for Tom, if I could superpoke at his soul, what message (gospel?) do you follow.

I wonder why the ending of Castaway , the ending of Saving Private Ryan, seem to state/preach of life as randomness and without meaning (ala, Huxley's A Brave New World)

What do Apollo 13, Catch Me If You Can, That Thing You Do, Joe Versus the Volcano mean if not life is mostly just kind of there? Did I mention Forrest Forrest Gump? There's an everyman movie if there ever was one, but the message? Schtuff Happens... Have a Nice Day.

P.S. You thought I was going to say, "Life is like a box of chocolates..."

Hillary on Faith (sent)

2007-10-19T17:12:00.001-05:00

I am very grateful that I had a grounding in faith that gave me the
courage and the strength to do what I thought was right,
<i>regardless of what the world thought</i>.

Grandmothers

2007-10-05T12:47:00.001-05:00

It's grandparents day at my son's school today. They will be putting on a cute program I am sure. But now, the New York Times Well blog, Tara Parker gives us this, "Are grandmothers an evolutionary necessity?" The blogpost highlights the evolutionary anomaly that human females live well beyond their reproductive years, and contribute significantly to their societies rather than being a burden. Researchers are proposing that work performed by grandmothers while younger women are caring for infants acts as a significant balancing factor for societies and human evolution as a whole.
Contrast this with what the Church has taught the value of older women since the time of St. Paul.

Don't be harsh or impatient with an older man. Talk to him as you would your own father, and to the younger men as your brothers. Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters.
Take care of widows who are destitute. If a widow has family members to take care of her, let them learn that religion begins at their own doorstep and that they should pay back with gratitude some of what they have received. This pleases God immensely. You can tell a legitimate widow by the way she has put all her hope in God, praying to him constantly for the needs of others as well as her own. But a widow who exploits people's emotions and pocketbooks—well, there's nothing to her. Tell these things to the people so that they will do the right thing in their extended family. Anyone who neglects to care for family members in need repudiates the faith. That's worse than refusing to believe in the first place.

1 Timothy 5:1-8, the Message
Although the theories are speculative but interesting, we should value our grandmothers for more reasons than their ability to allow the gene pool to advance.

Grandmothers have value beyond what they contribute economically, genetically, or socially. They have a long history of spiritual formation of their grandchildren.

Grandmothers (persons) have worth just for the simple fact that God chosen to created them and never for what they contribute.

While the grandmother in an evolutionary world view may be only of worth in how she contributes to the survival of her offspring, the Bible gives all person an innate value to God, who does not anyone's "line" to die out. This grandmother hypothesis may explain why humans were able to "take over the planet" but it fails to account for the often selfless, sacrificial, overflowing desire for humans and most often grandmothers to give of themselves for the sake of another.

Wesley Quote

2007-08-10T15:47:00.000-05:00

Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.

This is usually attributed to John Wesley, however Wesley also writes this:

As to the nature of enthusiasm, it is ,undoubtedly a disorder of the mind; and such a disorder as greatly hinders the exercise of reason. Nay, sometimes it wholly sets it aside: it not only dims but shuts the eyes of the understanding. It may, therefore, well be accounted a species of madness; of madness rather than of folly: seeing a fool is properly one who draws wrong conclusions from right premisses; whereas a madman draws right conclusions, but from wrong premisses. And so does an enthusiast suppose his premisses true, and his conclusions would necessarily follow. But here lies his mistake: his premisses are false. He imagines himself to be what he is not: and therefore, setting out wrong, the farther he goes, the more he wanders out of the way.

and

Beware you are not a fiery, persecuting enthusiast... Never dream of forcing men into the ways of God. Think yourself, and let think. Use no constraint in matters of religion. Even those who are farthest out of the way never compel to come in by any other means than reason, truth, and love.
Sermon 37, The Nature of Enthusiasm, 1872

My guess is he never said that enthusiasm was anything worthy of the Christian. Preferring reason, truth and love to reconcile persons to God.

A Prayer for Friday

2007-08-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

You, O Lord, are truly the pure and eternal source of goodness.
You have justly turned your face from us, and in loving-kindness you have had mercy upon us.
You hated and reconciled;
You have cursed, and have blessed;
We have been banished from Paradise by You, and you have remembered us;
You strip off our shoddy fig-leaves, and clothe us with a costly garment;
You have opened the prison doors and have released the condemned;
You have sprinkled us with clean water, and washed away our filthiness.
No longer will Adam hide from You when called, convicted by conscience, cowering in the brush.
No longer will the flaming sword flash before Paradise, making entrance inaccessible when we draw near;
All has been turned to joy for we who were once the heirs of sin:
Man can walk into Paradise and Heaven:
Creation, world below and world above, once separated from itself, has been knit together in friendship:
Man is made to join with the angels’ song, offering praise in worship to their God.
For all these things, let us sing for joy to God
Let us sing with lips touched by the Spirit long ago.
Let my soul be joyful in the Lord: for He has clothed me with a garment of salvation, and hath put upon me a robe of gladness: as on a bridegroom He hath set a mitre upon me, and as a bride hath He adorned me with fair array-Isaiah 61:10
The One who adorns the bride with splendor is Christ, Who is, and was, and shall be, blessed now and for evermore. Amen.

-Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-c.394)
On the Baptism of Christ

Eternal Life

2007-07-19T19:21:00.000-05:00

I'm listening to Chuck Swindoll today. Good message on Death. (It has an English accent when spoken aloud.)
Always excellent teaching but today I couldn't get past this one thing. In his message he repeated this oft-repeated Evangelicalism:

There is a sense in which everybody has eternal life because everybody is going to spend eternity somewhere. Those who have accepted Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven and those who have not accepted Him are going to spend eternity in Hell.

But John 3:16 (also an oft-repeated Evangelicalism) indicates that eternal life, zoe aionios, is something in God through the Son that we have. We don't have eternal life and then we gain eternal life through believing in the Son. In fact John goes on to day that those who don't believe live in death.

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. -Jesus the Christ, John 5:24-26

Where do we go with this?

In what sense is it "eternal life" for those in Hell?
Is it the fact that it is LIFE or that it is ETERNAL matter more?
Does the "crossing over from death to life" have a present sense? How?

Maybe we should stop quickly repeating things we hear on the radio.

America

2007-07-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

Does this say two things at once? I think this says two things at once.
What exactly will destroy America?

Preaching in a Dry World

2007-07-06T15:39:00.001-05:00

There is a saying in Japan, the nail that sticks out will be hammered down. In America we value independence and freedom. We celebrate it every Fourth of July, but sellers of satisfaction claim that independence and freedom can be, must be, bought and sold. Someone must pay a price. We are told when we purchase the right product we free ourselves. Against this culture the Church undergoes great risk in their proclamation. We proclaim a price has been paid. We proclaim that paying any other price, buying and selling anything for independence does not bring freedom but bondage. It is a risk to be noticed and stick out in a dry world that insists on a price being paid for freedom. It is a risk but this is what attracts God's mercy and forgiveness. Chaos can result when we proclaim no other way but God's the more obvious the dryness, perhaps only in dryness, the more God's freedom satiates.

Becoming the Kind of Person who Reads

2007-06-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

I once read a quote from Stanley Hauerwas that his job as theologian involved reading for three hours a day. That is attractive.

Rich and Poor

2007-06-15T00:41:00.000-05:00

The rich are different than you and me.
-F. Scott Fitzgerald

There's only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me.
-Jesus of Nazareth

How much do we talk-complain-pay attention to the rich? How much did Jesus pay attention to the poor? Granted he walked in the circles of the elite as well (Nicodemus, Synagoge Rulers, Centurions, etc.), and his conversations with them were just as "other-worldly" as they were with the poor. But to the poor he offered something tangible. A healing touch, a compassionate word, freedom from bondage, forgiveness. The rich? It always seemed just beyond their reach, a reflection perhaps.

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again-born from above."
-Jesus of Nazareth

Jubilee

2007-05-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Right there in the middle of the movie Glory is a great biblical reference.

That's right, Hines. Ain't no dream. We runaway slaves but we come back fightin' men. Go tell your folks how kingdom come in the year of jubilee!

In the Old Testament, year of jubilee was a year of liberation: of servants, property, the land, debts and crops. All property sold as payment to relieve poverty, was to be returned to the original owners without restoration of the original amount advanced. The Old Testament describes the land as God's inheritance, given to all Israel
The land cannot be sold permanently because the land is mine and you are foreigners—you're my tenants. You must provide for the right of redemption for any of the land that you own. Leviticus 25); See also Ezekiel 33
In the New Testament, Jesus extends the jubilee by proclaiming a year of good news to the poor, release for captives, sight to the blind, and liberation to the oppressed. He taught his disciples to pray for the forgiveness of debts (as we forgive our debtors). Pentecost was characterized by the voluntary sharing of possessions, so that there was not a needy person among them. Acts 3:34, cf. Deuteronomy 15:40
Christian disciples of the American South understood freedom in this way. Freedom granted by God as an establishment of His kingdom. Freedom has always been a key element in the Kingdom of God. Christian men and women are free to serve because they are holy and set apart; they are not bound to the kingdom of this world. They are bound together, spiritually and courageously, to the One who has granted their freedom.

Good morning gentlemen, I am Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. I am your commanding officer. It is a great pleasure to see you all here today. It is my hope that the same courage, spirit, and honor, which has brought us together, will one day restore this Union. May God bless us all.

The Russians

2007-05-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

Was 9/11 the last uniting event in America or just the latest?
I don't watch The Daily Show with John Stewart, meaning I don't make it a point to watch it, but I was flipping channels yesterday and came across this quote...

I gotta tell you, over the last few months as we've seen Russia commit political assassinations, suppress its media, and rig elections, I can't help but think, "They're back baby." Do you think they'd want to get in the cold war with us , because that war was awesome, so much better than this one. You know, I remember when we were at war with Russia for like 50 years, and what was the worst thing that happened? We ended up missing an Olympics... I tell you, having Russia as our enemy again, I would totally trade [Osama Bin Laden] for [Yakov Smirnov]. What a country indeed.

Full clip here.
Does America need an "enemy" to bring us together? The Cold War, the "War on Terror", the "War on Poverty", Vietnam... If Americans believe that Governments are instituted among Men to secure rights then it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off oppressive Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Maybe because we are a nation that was formed by "throwing off," we are constantly on the look out for new Oppressors. The great Russian authors seem to see it differently. War does not hinder death and oppression, only love can do that.

Love? What is love? . . . Love hinders death. Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source. —Leo Tolstoy

God is love. Love may be all a man might need to know.

Uncaptive Mission

2007-05-11T09:10:00.000-05:00

Is it safe to go out today? The crosses on the outside of our church sould shout, "No!" No, it is not safe "out there" in the world. The travellers on the Emmaus road make this abundantly clear.
Jesus' response to trouble is also clear. "So thick headed!" And Jesus goes on to explain life and scripture and how all things make sense because of him. I love how Eugene Peterson puts it, It's in Christ we find out who we are and what we are living for.
Those who know who they are,
Who know who they're living for
Who know why they are alive!
They are the ones that go.

Leading from the Inside

2007-04-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

Do we really need leaders? Do we need Christians to walk at a faster pace than the rest? To run to the front? The great missions movements of the 19th century began with shoemaker/botanist/baptist/missionary William Carey's, "Expect great things; attempt great things." Carey used this phrase in a 1792 sermon to urge his Baptist colleagues to enter the missionary enterprise. Many other movements withing Christendom have followed suit. Run to the front lines and see if God will meet you there. What he did not say was "Expect great things for God; attempt great things for God." Maybe I should take a second look at William Carey.

At the end of last year Wesley Autry jumped off a train platform to save a stranger who had fallen on to the tracks. This heroic act has been turned in to a good salvation metaphor. I like it. Christ jumps off the tracks, runs to the battle, walks deliberately toward the cross--all to save us.

But the logic is flawed. I agree with the thought that "we must do more to reach lost people for Christ." In and of itself you can't argue with working everyday, every moment toward a life that gives all for the Lord so that never an opportunity is lost to share and witness and help other to encounter the Risen One. But... for William Carey, he was so focused, so far out in front, so "into" his goal that many were appalled at the neglect with which Carey looked after his four boys and his wife. Carey simply ignored them. Is it possible to want to "reach lost people for Christ" to the point that we ignore those who have fallen on to the tracks around us?

This is where the story of William Carey and Wesley Autry intersect. Maybe William Carey's dream of a mission to India became an idol? Maybe running to the front is not the example Christians leaders are to portray. "I'm still saying I'm not a hero ... 'cause I believe all New Yorkers should get into that type of mode," Wesley Autry said on CBS' The Early Show. "You should do the right thing...I was like, 'Maybe I was in the right place at the right time, and a good thing happened for good people.'" A leader is not a heroic explorer, because a leader wants everyone to get into the type of mode their in. And if they are in the right type of mode then they can say follow me as I follow Christ.

Godly leaders don't always need to run to the front. Maybe a godly leader is always in the right place. For godly leaders maybe it is always the right time. I believe a godly leader will be driven, not by something outside themselves, visible in time and place, but by a fire in our heart that can't be held back no matter how hard we try. Our passion, our dream, our fire should not be "ours" alone.

From another Wesley...
Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.
John Wesley

Keep jumping

Easter Sunday

2007-04-13T08:36:00.000-05:00

During Holy Week I had the privilege of burying a Christian man with a strong witness to the steady hand of God. It was very appropriate that during the week on which we buried him we as Christians were looking forward to the celebration of the resurrection the following Sunday.

Jesus of Nazareth lives outwardly, a life that looks beyond himself toward the needs of others. "He came to love, heal, and forgive" is how the Gaither's describe it. But the mission Christ the Messiah was always an other-worldly focus. He was passionate and committed to doing His Father's will and only his fathers will. Good Friday's "not my will, but yours, be done." Luke 22:42 reminds us of this.

Praise God that His mission is to create for himself a people, not just persons. And Praise God that Christ was willing to form that people by his own body and blood.

"When we embrace faith—when God embraces us—we become new creatures constituted and called to be part of the people of God. We are invited into the story of God's engagement with humanity"—Miroslav Volf

One half of God's mission involves calling a people to himself. When we heal, love and forgive we take part in this half. But the second half of God's mission involves centering that people, establishing that people, "constituting" that people in and around Himself. When we risk, when we give, when we ask for forgiveness, when we fall on our knees before God and say "not my will, but yours, be done." We take part in the second half.

The "Free Hugs" campaign is a nice idea, but it seem a little ways off from a faith that both embraces and is embraced by God.

Beauty

2007-03-08T20:10:00.000-06:00

In his reply to Faustus the Manichaen, St. Augustine writes...

the Church is for the glory of Christ, that her beauty may bring honor to her husband

Full Quote Here

The ways in which a church can be beautiful are then, supposedly as many as the ways in which a woman is beautiful. Or as a friend (I think it was Perry Mayforth) from college once put it, "Every woman is beautiful, but as I get to know her she then becomes more or less beautiful."

From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.

Psalm 50:2

A Humility Challenge

2006-10-30T18:45:00.000-06:00

I leant my copy of C.J. Mahaney's book Humilty out a few months ago, and it has been late in coming back. I always appreciated how Mahaney makes the Christian life doable. But I doubt he has a chapter in his book on how to be humbly-demanding. How do you ask for a book on humility back, with out coming accross as superior or demeaning? A conundurm.

Questions without answers

2006-10-25T23:09:00.000-05:00

In working on my ordination paper, I continue to come up with questions that I have not been able to answer. Here are the top three for the moment:

1. Why create angels/fantastic beings/ministering spirits at all? If the pupose of an angel is only to glorify God then why does an angel need a will independent of God?
2. Does Satan fall to a physical, meta-phyiscal or a spiritual place? What about time? When did Satan fall, in our time or beyond our time, i.e. before or after "in the beginning"?
3. Because God does not have hands like we do, or a mouth or a voice like we do, do we not misrepresent God when we say that he "speaks the world into being?" Isn't "and God said let there be light..." just as symbolic as "with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?"

Some thoughts.

The Poor

2006-09-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

Had a discussion on Sunday that I have been mulling over for the week. During our Sunday Evening Bible Study we read through Jesus' choice of about himself in Luke 4. Out of all of the Old Testament, Christ chooses this passage of scripture to refer to himself:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Luke 4:18-19, ESV

My purpose was to show that the ministry of Jesus was to be to both the Jews and Gentiles, but a good question was asked which sidetracked us from my intent: "Why didn't Jesus just say that he has come to bring good news to everyone?"
My response was, "Because Jesus came for the poor, not the rich."
"Poor in spirit." "Does Jesus mean something else by the word poor?" Were the replies. One person even quoted proverbs about the value of hard work.
Why does money cause such difficulty?
There is nothing inheritly spiritual about "being poor." And it is safe to say that there is nothing inheritly spiritual about "being rich."
Then, today I had the priviledge to attend the Chapel service during Trinity Evangelical Divinity School's "Global Christian Week."

Steve Haas, Vice President of Church Relations at World Vision, spoke and said something to the effect of... "the poor are treated as inhuman, less than human, and Jesus enters into their lives to love them and treat them as humans created in the image of God."
Jesus comes to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, the year of God's willingness to treat us a his beloved. He releases captives from their prisons because of his desire to show us that he is love. He brings the poor up form their low estate.

The rich have no need to be humanized, they already have their power.

OED - Industrious

2006-09-14T23:11:00.000-05:00

The OED Oxford English Dictionary, had Industrious as its "word of the day" today.

Industrious has moved from sense one:

1. Characterized by or showing intelligent or skillful work; skillful, able, clever, ingenious. (Of agents, their actions, etc.). Obs.

to sense four:

4. Characterized by or showing assiduous and steady work; full of work; diligent, laborious, hard-working. (The prevailing sense.)

A world of assiduous and laborious people does not create beauty.

Best Compliment

2006-09-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

My son Lincoln spent the night with three other boys at friend's Birthday party / Sleep over on Saturday night. So in church the next morning our friends filled up the back row with the three extra boys they had with them. Midway through the service one of the boys turns to another and makes this comment, "You guys talk about God a lot more than we do at our church."

Best compliment I've had in a while.

Listening

2006-09-03T12:27:00.000-05:00

I spoke on Proverbs 18 today, focusing on verse 13, "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."
In preparation I came across this from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God's love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him. Christians, especially ministers, so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking.

Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening.

If we are the Body of Christ as St. Paul, and Casting Crowns both say we are, then shouldn't we be paying attention to what God is up to in the lives of those we are speaking with? And how can they hear what God is up to without someone preaching? And how can we gain an audience if we won't at the very least listen to them?

More on Bonhoeffer at:
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/bonhoeffer/particulars.shtml

Fill the Earth

2006-08-31T10:13:00.001-05:00

Christians need to be clear on which side they stand in the battle between Rugged Individualism and Blessing. Our tendency to praise the Bill of Rights / Informed-Consent / Army of One / Choice breaks any possibility of their being real community in the Body of Christ, and any possibility of restoration of the soul.

The MSNBC.com—Washington Post article for Thursday:

Medical practices blend health and faith
Doctors, patients shun care they consider immoral

The article focuses on the Tepeyac Family Center, a doctor's office in Fairfax, Virginia [just five hours from MSNBC TV on a good day]. The center news is deemed news-worthy because of their mission statement:

The restoration of the integration of the human person by combining the best of modern medicine with the healing presence of Jesus Christ. All people are welcome here.

"Surprisingly" the staff prays each day before the first appointments, they shun birth-control, and promote natural family planning. Essentially they are a group of doctors and staff that practice medicine and their Roman Catholic beliefs. But you can't do that in America, because in America individual choice and its cohort informed-consent rule. Any alternative is damaging to the economy. The article puts the choice / consent issue this way:

"It's not enough for someone to advertise 'We provide natural family planning' or have a sign up in the waiting room that says 'Only natural family planning available here,' " said Jeffrey L. Ecker, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Harvard Medical School."The assumption shouldn't be that patients understand exactly what that means. The doctor has an obligation to fully explain all options to their patients."

And

"Welcome to the era of balkanized medicine," said R. Alta Charo, a bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "We've had this for years with religious hospitals. What's happening now is it's drifting down to the level of individual practitioners and small group practices. It essentially creates a parallel world of medicine."

To be fair MSNBC does a fair and I think balanced view of the issues. They do get to the heart of the matter with this one quote:

"I've encountered a lot of resistance to how I practice over the years," said Lorna L. Cvetkovich, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Ann Arbor, Mich. "For one thing, contraception and sterilizations bring in a lot of revenue. But I finally found partners who feel the way I do, and we're scraping by."

The issue is money. The issue is not that people are operating in "a parallel world of medicine." Oriental medical practices, Homeopathic practices, and even Scientology (until recently) have been accepted for years.
The issue is money. The issue is not informed consent or that "the doctor has an obligation to fully explain all options to their patients", or it is not as Elizabeth Dotts, 25, of Birmingham puts it in the article:

"It caught me completely off guard, ...I felt like he was judging me and putting pressure on me... I am the patient. I am the client. It should have been about me‚ What I needed. Not what he needed or believed."

In America judging and pressure are only good when they purchase TV time, radio spots and newspaper ads. The US Government has spent $1.4 billion on its anti-drug advertising campaign over the last 8 years. But this does not appear to have helped reduce drug use and instead might have convinced some youths that taking illegal drugs is normal. (USAToday)Do doctors really believe that every patient, given enough information, will be able to choose the right medicines, understand the correct course of treatment, and make the appropriate lifestyle changes? Have we all become little-experts on ourselves? John Calvin, 55, of Geneva would say, "uh... no." Calvin, on Genesis 1

Since the image of God had been destroyed in us by the fall, we may judge from its restoration what it originally had been. Paul says that we are transformed into the image of God by the gospel. And, according to him, spiritual regeneration is nothing else than the restoration of the same image. (Colossians 3:10, and Ephesians 4:23.) ...But now, although some obscure lineaments of that image are found remaining in us; yet are they so vitiated and maimed, that they may truly be said to be destroyed. For besides the deformity which everywhere appears unsightly, this evil also is added, that no part is free from the infection of sin.

I am not a Credit Card, Social Security Number, or individual in a system. I am maimed and vitiated, yes, but am being transformed into the image of God by the gospel. God blesses humanity in community, "male and female he blessed them." Then God commands the community to take God's image and "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over... every living thing that moves on the earth."
This is good news. God sends Abraham's community into the world to be a blessing, "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed... And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan." (Genesis 12). This is good news. And the Church is sent into the world to be a blessing,

"The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,... has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing... and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,... far above all rule and authority and power and dominion... and he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." Ephesians 1. I know the Ephesians quote leaves out quite a bit in the middle, but it is one, long, run-on sentence in the Greek. The blessings of God, Ephesians 1:3-6, are linked very closely with the "filling" ministry of the Church, Ephesians 1:22-23.

The practices of the Church, continue the filling, multiplying, dominion-ing activity of created humanity. Breaking the human community in to a loose-leaf binder of individuals shatters any possibility of blessing.

"I want to practice my faith," said John T. Bruchalski, the obstetrician-gynecologist who started Tepeyac. "I'm not interested in pushing it on other people. But this allows me to practice medicine without having to do something that I wouldn't see as positive or healthy... We approach the person from a very holistic perspective‚Äîbody, soul and spirit. We tell patients you have to take care of your body. You have to be able to communicate and develop a relationship. You have to meditate and pray to God or a higher power. We bring this to people of all backgrounds."

Fill the earth doctor. Fill the earth.

What is the Gospel?

2006-08-27T23:23:00.000-05:00

What is the Gospel?

If John Piper is to be believed then God is the Gospel. In our Sunday night bible study I have been exploring the question of what the gospel is, using Piper's book as a guide. Piper begins with God as the originator of the Gospel and then unites the ideas of Gospel and Kingdom of God. Simple but rich.

In uniting Gospel and Kingdom, Piper brings up Romans 10:9, which we looked at in more depth this evening. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Long a favorite proof of the power of the "sinners prayer" in many "gospel" tracts.

What is obvious from the rest of the passage is that Romans 10:9 is by no means a proof of anything but the powerful inbreaking of God's kingdom into the world. What I "discovered" is the beautiful way that Paul links the confession in Romans 10:9 with Isaiah 53:

Isaiah 53:7a "How beautiful upon the mountains, are the feet of him who brings good news." Is quoted by Paul in Romans 10:15.

But the rest of Isaiah 53:7, "Who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'" Is most definitely alluded to when Paul says, "Jesus is Lord." Jesus is the Son of God who reigns over the kings of the earth, which Isaiah 53 states v. 10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God... v. 15 so shall he sprinkle (prosper) many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. (Again with allusions to Romans 10:14-18)

Not to put N.T. Wright and John Piper in the same blog post, but N.T. Wright explains that "when Paul talks about “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord,” one of the things he means, of course, is that means confessing that Caesar is not lord and that there are other lords which have ruled over you. And so the step of faith is also by the, necessarily a step of commitment, which is a commitment of life to live in a different way, to live by a different rule." Dick Staub: DS Interview - Bishop N.T. Wright: Gospel for Everyone!

The different way, different rule of the kingdom... shows up in the ministry of Jesus. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" We repent and live by the different way, because the kingdom has been brought near, because Jesus is Lord. Stepping into the Kingdom by faith implies a silencing of the other kings in our hearts, or to use other Pauline imagery, a "putting to death." Romans 8:13-17

Too often I believe in my heart that I enter the Kingdom of God by my repentance, by my confession that "Jesus is Lord." But by my repentance or by my mental assent to the position of Jesus as Lord will not gain me entrance into the Kingdom of God.

Entrance into the Kingdom of God is because Jesus is its Lord and I experience his love, healing, and grace. I love the Gaither's "He came to love, heal and forgive." And in experiencing divine love, divine healing and divine forgiveness, I repent, I turn away from the kingdom of this world and it becomes the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ.

Leadership Emergence

2006-08-21T23:29:00.000-05:00

Leadership Emergence Theory was developed by J. Robert Clinton after his studying of the biographies of 1,000s of Christians Leaders in various venues and times. Clinton's conlusions being that God works in similar ways in the developing of a Christian into Christian leader, most going through a process of Character formation, Skill formation and Strategic formation. L.E.T. involves a heavy dose of "life mapping" where clues and hints can be discovered about the ways in which God's workmanship has been shaped over the course of a lifetime. "Critical incidents" positive and negative become a prime focus during the life mapping process.

In a formula Leadership Emergence Theory reads like this:

Leadership = Function of (p,t,r)

Leadership is a function of p [process items], t [time], and r [our responses]. Are these really the components of leadership development / discipleship? Or is there something else?

Turner County Fair

2006-08-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

The Four Best Days of Summer, or so the tagline goes for the Turner County fair. Kristl, Lincoln and I spent Five evenings at the fair this week, along with thousands of others. The fair draws us back night after night. I don't know if its the $4.00 indian tacos, the NC+ seed-corn booth, the open class produce entries, or the Alpacas at "Old McDonald's Farm."

I feel like I understand "on earth as it is in heaven." Not to say that a $4.00 indian taco is heaven but...

Job of Uz

2006-08-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

What I find most amazing about the Job story is that its internal discussion is framed by the story of the Lord's action. Job's worldview is tied very closely to what God is doing in Job's world. The Lord gives. The Lord takes. The Lord allows the roaming accuser to influence his decisions. The Lord says "brace yourself!"

Who are we? We are God's people who are blessed and cursed by God.
Where do we live? We live in a world that is evil and random but where every event, for good or for ill, is overseen by the Lord.
So what's wrong? Even the most righteous man of all the east is given over to terrible tradgedy and pain.
What's the solution? We must trust that the God of heaven does see and hear us when we cry, even though we may never know, understand, or experience relief.
What time is it? We live inbetween when God has acted and will act again. We live in anticipation of the salvation that comes from no one else.

Renovation of the Heart

2006-01-15T15:49:00.000-06:00

Starting a new Sunday Night Bible study using Dallas Willard's "Renovation of the Heart" as a backdrop. I have already been laying some ground work for the study though Sunday Evenings in December and have found it interesting to see how well those attending are responding to Willard's way of thinking about the "heart" as malleable and not fixed.

Post First make Comments Later

2006-01-13T11:26:00.000-06:00

This would be post, posit number one. 1.a really, as I deleted the previous post.