Dorm Room Theology

Reading Deep Church

2009-12-14T00:48:00.001-05:00

After many recommendations, I just started reading Jim Belcher's ••Deep Church•• Four chapters in, it is not what I expected.

It has been beneficial. The summary, thus far, is that traditionalists and emergents need to find a common ground for conversation; however, there is a middle-ground approach that should be considered by all.

I'm hoping he will better define this middle ground. I guess I will have to keep reading.

Small Groups???

2009-10-27T09:37:00.002-04:00

Small groups are one of the biggest church fads of the past ten years. Here are 5 Potential problems with church small groups:

1. They become a gossip group.

2. They become a one-man show.

3. They become a place to complain about the church.

4. They become a place for crazy people to take over.

5. They become an end in themselves.

I stole this list from a recent post at TheResurgence; however, I definitely concur. I think most small groups struggle with one or most of these sins. I have always wondered why the craziest people in a room are the most vocal, why the most sain are quietest, and why I always talk so much.

Personally, I think #5 is the greatest sin when it comes to small groups.

Also, this list got me thinking about problems I have seen in small groups and church community in general. Nonetheless, I think the biggest problem is that while thinking, the phrase church community even entered (or exited) my brain. Church community is redundant; the church is by its establishment and nature a community. Without community, you do not have a local church. And I don’t mean “community” as North American culture defines community; rather, I am referring to the definition of community that is assumed throughout the New Testament.

I think we could all use a little more time reading and rereading the book of Acts. How would Luke have defined community? Or church? Furthermore, are small groups primarily an attempt to recreate one of the defining characteristics of “church” that we have spent decades removing? I’m currently searching for answers to all of these questions

Obama's Community Chest

2009-06-26T12:56:00.011-04:00

This is for my friend David, who is too trendy to not like Obama, despite what his common sense may be screaming at him. There are more of these demotivating slogans here.

Here are a couple of my favorite posters:

CONSISTENCY

It's only a virtue if you're not a screwup

TRADITION

Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid.

MOTIVATION

If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon.

POTENTIAL

Not everyone gets to an astronaut when they grow up.

SBC 2009 Annual Meeting = Great Comedy

2009-06-25T08:39:00.004-04:00

The SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) is the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.; therefore, it is always the source of much controversy and hillarity. Anytime you get that many people together, there are bound to be a few nuts in the room. From what I have read, the SBC Annual Meeting was encouraging overall; however, this doesn't mean that some ridiculous statements weren't made.

In good news, the Great Commission Resurgence motion passed (this motion should help to refocus the convention on the Gospel). On the crazy side, here is a short list, provided by Alan Cross, of the more bizzare motions:

In the afternoon motions at the SBC, someone made a motion that Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA - that his books be banned from Lifeway stores.
(Update as of 9:15 CST, June 23, 2009 - Thankfully, the more outlandish of the following motions did not make it out of committee. All of the "charges" so to speak against Mark Driscoll, the controversial pastor from Seattle who is gaining influence through his popular Acts29 church planting network, were dropped and the motions against him were denied. He was not banned, per se, but there were motions brought up that would have banned his books from Lifeway, the Southern Baptist bookstore, if they had been accepted. I am thankful. We should focus on more important things.)
Someone else made a motion that Ed Stetzer of Lifeway Research and Alvin Reid and Danny Akin be investigated because of their relationship with Driscoll and the issue of alcohol. Huh?
Another motion concerns the fact that Pepsi is advertising for Gay and Lesbian issues and the motion desires to keep them neutral in the culture war - if not, they want to boycott Pepsi.
Another motion was made to remove books by T.D. Jakes, John Hagee, Catholics, and The Shack from Lifeway.
Yet another motion was made to adopt the American Christian flag to unite us together as believers and a bunch of other stuff in the longest sentence ever uttered - sorry, I couldn't follow. Wow.
A lady stated that if anyone drinks alcohol or uses an inappropriate word, they cannot be involved with SBC entities.
Another motion asked for a clarification by the SBC on a distinction between the use of the alcohol, which is a matter of individual conscience and the practice of getting drunk, which is clearly a sin. The man wanted the SBC to try and settle this issue biblically.
Another motion on the KJV of the Bible.
Another motion asking that the SBC refrain from the use of secular music in their promotional materials.

J. T. Interviews David Dockery Regarding SBC

2009-06-19T14:10:00.005-04:00

In a recent interview, Justin Taylor asked David Dockery (President of Union University and SBC leader) some tough questions regarding the Southern Baptist Convention. Here is one of the questions:

I wonder if I can ask about the issue of membership and attendance within the SBC. You refer in the book to “regenerate church membership” as “a historic and foundational Baptist tenet.” Al Mohler refers to it as one of the three principles that constitute “an irreducible minimum of Baptist identity.” He says that when it’s compromised or denied “whatever is left may call itself Baptist only by asserting a lie.” And yet the numbers I have heard suggest that even though the SBC boasts 16.2 million church members in good standing, only 38% of them attend their church’s primary worship service each week. If what you and Dr. Mohler write is true about how essential this principle is for Baptists, does this not point to something of an identity crisis for the SBC?

One of the reasons that Southern Baptists now need to ask the hard questions about a regenerate church membership--a historic and foundational Baptist tenet--is that people have confused the Christian faith for substitutes. The Christian faith is not mere moralism; it is not faith in faith, some subjective amorphous feeling, nor is it some kind of a self-help theory. The Christian faith is the manifestation of God's truth revealed in His Son and made known to us today in His Word.

We must also sadly acknowledge, as you have noted in your question, that over the course of the past six decades or so, Southern Baptists have allowed our priorities to gradually shift from Christian faithfulness and spiritual maturity to numerical growth and programmatic efficiency . . . .

The result is that we developed two categories that are foreign to the New Testament: non-resident members (those who held membership in the church, but have moved away from the meeting place of the church) and inactive members (those who are on the membership rolls who no longer attend the congregation with any sense of regularity).

. . . . I think that Southern Baptists must repent of our lack of concern for biblical faithfulness in our concern and care for church members. We need to repent of the way we often allow people to join local churches without stressing the covenantal aspect of membership. We need to repent of the fact that we have largely neglected any aspect of church discipline that would have helped us begin to address some of these important matters.

Small Group Leaders Need to Repent

2009-06-11T08:42:00.010-04:00

Matt Chandler's sermon from this past weekend was good. That boy can preach. I know it is a good sermon if I am making excuses for myself by the end of it. Here is a quote from the end of this sermon (probably not exact):

"You good husbands, you good fathers, you small group leading, church going, morally righteous men and women, you need to repent . . . . We say I am a better man than my father was, I am a good man to my wife and children, I am a good mother, I am a hard worker, I am involved at church, and Jesus says "REPENT!", that does not save you, that does not justify, and it is just as God mocking as anything out there."

His point is that religion doesn't save anybody, being a good person doesn't save, even obeying the Bible and loving others doesn't save. The work of Christ, his death and resurrection, saves all whom God chooses to regenerate. There is no other way, and no amount of human effort will help our situation (Rom 9:16). We are completely dependant upon God.

After all, the best we can offer God is filthy rags(Isa 64:6). So, if we continue to do good, or even if we do great things and help millions of people in the name of Christ, we are just making a mountain of dirty dish towels to lay before the feet of God. Also, we run the risk of being just like the group of good deed doers who are told that their deeds do not equal salvation (Matt 7:22-23).

If we want to make an effort, then we don't need to look to any rules or good deeds. Obedience and good deeds are only godly whenever the flow from the Spirit's work in our life as we reflect upon the cross of Christ. We have to continually look to the cross and the person of Jesus. He is our only hope.

As Calvin, in his Institutes and Romans Commentary, stated:

"Christ has been given to us for righteousness; whosoever obtrudes on God the righteousness of works, attempts to rob him of his office. And hence it appears that whenever men, under the empty pretence of being zealous for righteousness, put confidence in their works, they do in their famous madness carry on war with God himself."

"But if we are chosen in him, we shall find no assurance of our election in ourselves, nor even in God the Father, considered alone, abstractly from the Son. Christ, therefore, is the mirror in which we must contemplate our election."

Driscoll's Sermon this week: 2 Peter 1:5-15

2009-06-10T10:14:00.006-04:00

Here are some of his points that I needed to hear:

Busyness doesn't equal fruitfulness. Don't fool yourself into thinking that just because you are busy, that you are fruitful.

Information doesn't necessarily equal transformation. Information + Obedience = Transformation; however, information without obedience just leads to pride.

It is foolish to continue to soak up more information without acting on the information that you already have. Do something! (James 1:22)

Stop waiting for the great book, sermon, or conference that is going to change your life. If you're regenerated, then God has already changed your life. Go do the things you should be doing (2 Peter 1:5-15).

Stop talking about, praying about, planning to, and looking forward to doing something. You're gonna be dead before you ever move forward in obedience.

Now, I just need to go do something about what I heard.

Highlights from Advance 09

2009-06-10T08:53:00.005-04:00

Piper, enough said:

"Don't let your theology get in the way of the Bible . . . . God has ordained that nails get into board by hammers—and that people get saved by prayer and gospel-telling . . . . Jesus LOVED Lazarus, so he let him die—that he might let him see his glory. It is more loving to see Jesus' glory than to live . . . . Prayer is not the work of missions; preaching is. The preached gospel is the frontline spear into unreached hearts."

Chandler's Introduction was worth the entire price of admission. He could have stopped after the first 10-15 minutes, and nobody would have felt shorted. Then, the rest of his session was vintage Chandler, great exegesis and application:

"We've heard this all before. If anything you have heard at this conference is new to you, then you shouldn't be a pastor (He wasn't disrespecting the other speakers, he was making the point that the evangelical elites continue to gather at conferences and discuss theology or church practice, but nothing ever seems to change) . . . . I'm not anti-pragmatics, but where today are the men whose heart is aflame for God with a holy angst? . . . . Repent of your cold, pragmatic heart that loves ministry and barely loves the King of Glory . . . . How to you cultivate repentance In a church? Preach the cross . . . . If you contextualize the gospel so much that everyone likes it, you're not preaching the gospel."

Driscoll's Conclusion to his second session was unapologetically blunt. I think we all needed to hear it:

"You will become like Jesus as you worship Jesus . . . . You're an idolater--that's the problem (and then he just turned and walked off the stage)"

J.D. Greear had some good things to say, although I would like to hear what he originally had prepared:

"People's hearts have always been hard; it's always taken a miracle; 'There's no such thing as nearly dead.' . . . . Over time religion seeks to choke out the gospel among God's people . . . . The religious emphasize secondary things. 'Error is often truth out of proportion' (DA Carson) . . . . We need bold, courageous leadership; and if they fire you, plant a church."

Driscoll's first session offered some very practical clarifications and advice for pastors:

"(Driscoll reading Acts 2) 'See, Calvinism is very old.' . . . . We preach Jesus. We are a band with one song--Jesus--and we sing it until we see him . . . . "Evangelistic sermons" are a mistake; if a sermon is about Jesus, it's good for everyone . . . . if you don't have unbelievers coming to your church, it may be because 1) you don't talk about Jesus or 2) you have Sunday school . . . . Don't be so creative you become a heretic; I would rather be faithful than cool."

Puritan Picks

2009-06-09T17:00:00.004-04:00

A friend recently introduced me to this website. It is basically netflix for Christian movies, conferences, training/teaching videos, etc. It seems like a great idea for families or churches. You can sign up at PuritanPicks.com.

Quote from Calvin

2009-06-08T23:50:00.004-04:00

"The best and only worthiness that we can present to God is to offer him our vileness and unworthiness, that he may make us worthy of his mercy; to despari in ourselves, that we may find consolation in him; to humble ourselves, that we may be exalted by him; to accuse oursleves, that we may be justified by him."

- John Calvin

Advance Audio Available

2009-06-05T23:40:00.004-04:00

The audio for the Advance Conference is being uploaded to DesiringGod.org. You need to go download these messages. The first two days have been excellent, very convicting. I would recommend Matt Chandler from Thursday night and Driscoll's second session on Friday afternoon.

Advance - Day 1

2009-06-04T22:35:00.004-04:00

The first day of the Advance conference is over.

It was a great day with challenging sessions. All of the speakers were excellent, but Matt Chandler really preached my face off.

I can't wait for Day 2.

Book Review - ADOPTED FOR LIFE

2009-05-28T20:12:00.016-04:00

Adopted For Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches - Russell D. Moore

Let me start out by stating that this is a great book. This is the best discussion of either adopting a child or the doctrine of adoption that I have ever read. Russell Moore writes as a theologian, pastor, father of four children (two adopted), and adopted son of God; and he appears to fill each of these roles better than most men fill any one of them. Furthermore, each of these roles was crucial to his writing this excellent treatment of the subject.

First, this book fills a gap that has been left open for a long time: a wide market appeal to Christians for adopting because of our own adoption. I have heard others state similar claims, but until now, this information was scattered throughout my library of books and sermons in the form of random quotes and appeals. Moore offers a focused discussion that is just as useful for the seminary student as it is for potential parents. I will highly recommend this book to anyone considering adoption, discouraging adoption, or studying the theology of adoption.

Second, this book weaves theology, biography, and appeal into a wonderfully engaging read. The first half of the book is heavier on theology than the remainder, but the entire book reads like an enjoyable discussion one might have over coffee or a beer.

While this book does read like a story or conversation, it is a conversation not easily forgotten. Moore's story will cause tears and his appeals will bring conviction. He holds nothing back in sharing his experiences, and he makes no apologies as he preaches to his readers (I have a feeling that he has preached all of this to his local church). This book will make a difference in the life of each reader.

His goal is clearly stated in the subtitle: to make adoption a priority for Christians and churches. A few quotes will make his aim even clearer, and should provoke everyone to pick up this book:

Our churches often don't "get" adoption, first and foremost, because they don't "get" God.

Adoption is not just about couples who want children - or who want more children. Adoption is about an entire culture within our churches, a culture that sees adoption as part of our Great Commission mandate and as a sign of the gospel itself.

Here's where, I think, the nub of the whole issue lies. Adoption would become a priority in our churches if our churches themselves saw brotherhood and sisterhood in the church itself rather than in our fleshly identities . . . Of course that's hard to imagine, when so many of our churches can't even get over differences as trivial as musical style.

Ultimately, this book isn't really about adoption at all . . . It's about Jesus.

I believe this book will have a significant impact on many Christians and churches. Every pastor needs to read this book and communicate its truths to his church. Adoption isn't a priority for most churches, but it is a priority for God. If this previous statement caused some curiosity, then go read the book.

Slavery Still Exists

2009-05-22T10:10:00.007-04:00

It is weird to think that slavery still exists in the world. I usually think of slavery as a biblical concept or a terrible practice that we corrected many years ago; however, slavery is still big business in many countries. Some slaves are a more traditional servant, but most are unwilling prostitutes. This is very distubing to think about or bring up in conversation, but it is reality.

As Christians, we don't need to look the other way and avoid the uncomfortable thoughts or discussions; we need to find ways to be part of the solution to end this terrible practice. This website, Not For Sale, has a lot of information and offers ways to help.

Book Review - TOTAL CHURCH

2009-05-21T11:01:00.014-04:00

TOTAL CHURCH by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis

I began reading this book having already heard Steve Timmis speak (via podcast) and already having an idea of what the authors were proposing. However, I had no idea that within a week I would be recommending this book to everyone I know. I may not agree with every single claim or proposition, but the thesis of this book is so strong and needed, that even if I disagreed with many of the particulars, I would still recommend this book. However, since I concur with the vast majority of the details, I truly cannot help but herald the need for this book in our local churches. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK, THEN STOP READING MY REVIEW AND GO READ THIS BOOK.

The thesis can be found on the cover of the book as the subtitle: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community. They propose that "church" should be focused on the Gospel and should be done in the context of community. As they state:

This book argues that two key principles should shape the way we "do church": gospel and community. Christians are called to a dual fidelity: fidelity to the core content of the gospel and fidelity to the primary context of a believing community. Whether we are thinking about evangelism, social involvement, pastoral care, apologetics, discipleship, or teaching, the content is consistently the Christian gospel, and the context is consistently the Christian community. What we do is always defined by the gospel, and the context is always our belonging in the church. Our identity as Christians is defined by the gospel and community.

This idea seems commonsensical as you read the New Testament, but the Western Church has lost this shape and reshaped itself primarily around the mold of programs, meetings, and buildings. The wake up call of these authors needs to be heeded by the American church.

Another theme that runs throughout this book is missional living in our communities. They challenge all Christians to live as missionaries in their communities, because God has sovereignly placed each one of us in our exact location. This missional living means doing the same cultural exegesis, lifestyle sacrifice, and community invasion that a foreign missionary undertakes. Many stories from members of their church are included to support their claims and lend credibility to this model (although, they would hate that I just called it a model). These stories not only prove that this way of "doing church" is more than simply an idealistic model, but also put flesh on the principles espoused throughout the book.

I could find a few minor details that I disagree with or find concerning, but those instances were few, far between, and ultimately overshadowed the grand message of this book. Timmis and Chester are calling the church to reconsider the definition and purpose of the church, and they have done much of the work for us. I cannot think of a church leader, pastor, or member who would not benefit from reading this book. Every pastor should be promoting this book to his flock. If I were a pastor, I would make this book mandatory reading for the leaders of the church.

The primary complaint I have heard concerning this book, is that their model is idealistic and "won't work in my situation or church." The people that make this comment probably also find the Bible too idealistic and, in their minds, Scripture probably won't work in their situation. This pervading mindset explains why the American church has strayed so far from the New Testament picture of the organized church. It seems that most pastors believe that being biblical won't work, but being entertaining, materialistic, and timid will work. This explains what we see whenever we walk through the doors of most church buildings. The disturbing part is that no one has told these pastors and leaders that what they are doing in the name of pragmatism isn't actually working. They aren't building the church, they are building buildings and community programs. They aren't even what the Bible defines as pastors/elders, they are country club directors. I am begging everyone to read this book and compare it with the New Testament picture of the church. Don't trust these two men anymore than you trust your local megachurch pastor; trust Scripture.

Galatians 5:16-26 - 4 Truths of Walking By the Spirit

2009-05-20T20:13:00.003-04:00

Here are my notes from Phud's sermon this past Sunday at Remedy Church:

INTRODUCTION

Galatians 5:1-15 summarized: We are in desperate need and the only solution is the gospel; our right response to this solution is loving others, as God loves us, and taking the gospel to them.

How do I live, now that I am a Christian?

Is my life characterized by sinful living or living by the Spirit?

How do we live by the Spirit?

The answer to the "How?" of living Christlike lives and loving others is obviously "by the Spirit" - Gal. 5:16, 18, 22, 25.

4 TRUTHS OF LIVING BY THE SPIRIT

1) Your desires, because of you flesh, are often too weak (Gal 5: 16-17)

- C. S. Lewis quote:

- Desires are not bad - Paul is making a contrast between the desires of the flesh (which are sinful) and the desires of the Spirit (which are holy)

- Desires are only bad when we desire lesser things than those things which should be our ultimate desires

- We have to constantly check to see if our desires are in line with God's desires

2) Walking by the Spirit means we are no longer under law (Gal 5:18)

- When you come to know Christ, you don't have to law-keep anymore (Rom 7:6; Rom 6:14; Rom 3:20; Gal 3:23-25)

- We don't have to keep the law anymore; rather, we should be living by the Spirit

- We are freed from sin, BUT slaves to righteousness (Rom 6:17-18)

3) The "works of the flesh" describe those who are not in Christ (Gal 5:19-23)

- The bad news is that all those who live according to the flesh (which is everyone) will not inherit the kingdom of God

- The good news is THE GOSPEL; this is the only good news

- Only because of the cross of Christ can we be reconciled; the fruit of the Spirit is exactly that - "fruit of", not payment for

4) You must count yourself crucified with Christ in order to live by the Spirit (Gal 5:24-26)

- The core Gospel message is not how we become a better person; rather, it is that we are all dead people who can only be made alive by God, through Christ's work (Gal 2:20)

- Christianity is not about stopping the fruit of the flesh or starting and doing the fruit of the Spirit; Christianity is not a self-improvement plan

- As Tim Keller communicates, being fanatical/legalistic/Pharisaic does not come from being too Christian or understanding the Gospel and theology too much; rather, this misplaced zeal comes from not being Christian enough and not having a proper understanding of the Gospel and theology

Every act of the fruit of the Spirit is only by God doing it through us - ALL glory should go to God - this is why Paul includes this last verse at the end of the chapter (Gal 5:26)

CLOSING COMMENTS

- Stop Preforming!

- You cannot become a better person, but you can become a worshipper of Christ; you cannot be better, but you can be forgiven and adopted

- Believers need to preach the Gospel to ourselves and each other daily so that we will not become duty driven, because duty leads to arrogance or depression (depending on how you perceive your performance on any given day)

Mr. President, You Say It Best When You Say Nothing At All

2009-05-20T11:13:00.003-04:00

Most Americans are aware of the controversy surrounding President Obama's invitation to speak at Nortre Dame's graduation ceremony. In his speech, Obama made the mistake of addressing the topic of abortion. In reality, he didn't actually say anthing at all, but in doing so, said a lot. Al Mohler has written the best commentary I have read on this speech so far:

Mr. Obama went on to call for "Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words." In the end, the President's comments were entirely about how Americans should discuss or debate abortion. There was no serious consideration of abortion itself. President Obama merely talked about talking about abortion.

This was a moral evasion and an insult to the importance of the issue. If the President had actually addressed the issue of abortion -- if he had actually even offered a defense or rationale for his own position -- he would have dignified the issue. Instead, Mr. Obama issued what amounted to a call for civility.

When the President called for Americans to agree that, while differing on abortion, "we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually," he failed to make clear why this is so. If the unborn baby is not a person who possesses an intrinsic right to life, why is the decision to abort so "heart-wrenching?" If the fetus is just a collection of cells, why the angst? Furthermore, does the fact that a decision is "heart-wrenching" make it right or rational?

When the President acknowledged that, in the end, the two positions on abortion are irreconcilable, he was on more solid ground. Both sides frame the issue as a question of rights -- specifically a woman's "right" to control her reproductive destiny by any means, including abortion vs. the unborn child's right to live. The weakness of the pro-abortion (or "pro-choice") position becomes evident at this point. The claimed right of control over reproduction is not commensurate with another person's right to live, and not to be killed in the womb.

If President Obama had actually spoken of abortion itself, rather than addressing abortion only as an issue of controversy, he would have found himself defending the indefensible, which explains why he avoids this discussion at all costs. Yet, now that he is President, he cannot get by with claiming that this question is "above my pay grade."

[Mohler's conclusion] At the University of Notre Dame President Barack Obama talked about talking about abortion. One day, he will have to talk about abortion itself. He will put that day off as long as possible.

Read the whole thing

Total Church Theology

2009-05-18T23:24:00.005-04:00

A quote from Total Church, regarding theology:

The main thing that prevents us from understanding the Bible alright is not lack of hermeneutical skills but our sin. Our sin warps our understanding because we all tend toward self-justification.

A significant part of the problem behind academic theology and biblical scholarship is the way in which it is, all too often, self-referential. Professional theologians often write about and for other professional theologians. In the New Testament, church leaders were responsible for guarding the flock from error (Acts 20:28-31). They were, if you like, theologians-in-residence within the congregation. We have often moved this function of guarding from error into the academy, but this is a dangerous place for it to reside.

If true theology is the fruit of engagement with the Bible set in the context of the local church [which he argued for previously], then much of what passes for theology is not theology at all. Why do we allow such people to set the agenda?

Please understand that this is not a plea for dumbing down the truth of God, nor for despising theology per se. It is a critique of professional theology removed from the furnace of life and not hammered into shape on the anvil of the local church. As Calvin says, doctrine is an affair "not of the tongue, but of life. It is not apprehended by the understanding and memory alone, as other disciplines are, but it is received only when it possesses the whole soul, and finds a seat and resting place in the inmost affection of the heart. . . . It must enter our heart and pass into our daily living, and so transform us into itself that it may not be unfruitful for us."

Youth Ministry Satire

2009-05-18T23:14:00.006-04:00

I have some experience with youth ministry, and I have spent a lot of time considering what youth ministry should look like in a local church, or if there should even be a separate "youth ministry" per se. However, after watching this video, I realized what I was doing wrong for those years. This guy has it all figured out. Flame on!

Ignatius from travis hawkins on Vimeo.

John Piper speaks to President Obama regarding Abortion

2009-05-14T21:53:00.003-04:00

Missional Living: Ask Yourself These Questions

2009-05-13T08:30:00.009-04:00

As I am reading “Total Church” (which I can already recommend to everyone), Steve Timmis and Tim Chester encourage people to imagine that they are a part of a church planting team in a cross-cultural situation in some other part of the world and answer the following questions:

What criteria would you use to decide where to live?
How would you approach secular employment?
What standard of living would you expect as pioneer missionaries?
What would you spend your time doing?
What opportunities to share the gospel would you be looking for?
What would your prayers be like?
What would you be trying to do with your new friends?
What kind of team would you want around you?
How would you conduct your meetings together?

They make the point that most Christians expect missionaries in a foreign country to ask these questions, but we seldom, if ever, ask these questions of ourselves, in our own context. We are all on the same mission for God. Just because some of us do not need a passport, doesn't change our mission. We need to ask ourselves these question regardless of our location or vocation. This whole mindset that causes us to think radically about overseas missionary activity while remaining complacent in our own city and neighborhood is not biblical.

Missional living is not just something missionaries engage in or something for us to do once a month; missional living should be our lifestyle. Ask yourself these questions, and then in another month, ask them again. We need to start asking these questions and never stop.

What is Total Church?

2009-05-11T11:34:00.004-04:00

I have begun reading Total Church and will hopefully have a review of this book by the end of the week. This book has been highly recommended by many pastors and leaders, including Mark Driscoll and the other guys at Resurgence and Acts 29. However, since this book has such a vague title that could easily be confused with one of the other ______ Church books that have been published over the past few years, I am posting a quote from the Introduction to inform potential readers of the premise and purpose of this book:

This book argues that two key principles should shape the way we "do church": gospel and community. Christians are called to a dual fidelity: fidelity to the core content of the gospel and fidelity to the primary context of a believing community. Whether we are thinking about evangelism, social involvement, pastoral care, apologetics, discipleship, or teaching, the content is consistently the Christian gospel, and the context is consistently the Christian community. What we do is always defined by the gospel, and the context is always our belonging in the church. Our identity as Christians is defined by the gospel and community.

Emergent and Sour

2009-05-11T08:45:00.007-04:00

A friend of mine recently wrote:

When I find out someone is emergent, it's like finding out someones favorite band is nickelback.

AND

The emergent church is like sour milk...on the outside it looks good but once you get a taste of the inside you realize you just messed up!

I don't think I could say it any better myself. The emergent church movement really is a peculiar thing; it reminds me of your best friend's younger brother... it is so easy to pick on and make fun of, and all it does in return is whine and cry.

In all fairness, the emergent movement was started due to some valid complaints with the Christian culture created by the boomer generation. We can definitely learn some things from these men; however, since the movement was founded on complaints with the norm, I wish they would be more attentive to the complaints other Christian leaders and pastors are have with the culture the emergent movement is creating.

Galatians 5:1-15 - Two Admonitions Regarding Faith

2009-05-10T23:06:00.009-04:00

Remedy Church - 05/10/09

Crucified Christ: week 14

Sermon Notes:

INTRO

- Remember, the freedom Paul is speaking of in this section is indeed a freedom from guild and sin; however, it is also a freedom to live for Christ

TWO MAIN POINTS

(1) If salvation is by works and not the Gospel, then you have been severed from Christ and have fallen away from grace (Gal 5:2-4; Gal 5:7-12)

- This if/then statement is true, despite the fact that a person cannot lose his salvation

- According to Paul, if you are going to be a legalist and choose certain rules/laws that everyone must obey for salvation, then you must obey every single one of them perfectly if it is going to be any benefit for you

- Paul makes this previous point abundantly clear by using the strong language of proclaiming that these men should follow their own system to its logical conclusion and castrate themselves

- Two doctrines are being communicated: (1) Justification by faith, not law or obedience; (2) REAL faith really saves
If your actions/life appear to prove that you are not a believer, then you were never actually regenerated
A Christian cannot lose his justification or return the gift of salvation: (Phil 1:6; Jn 6:39; 1 Pet 1:36; Rom 8:29-30; Eph 1:13-14; 2 Cor 1:21-22; 1 Jn 2:19)
The point of contact between eternal security by God's sovereignty and our responsibility as Christians is fuzzy; the place where these two truths meet is a mysterious place from our point of view (1 Jn 2:24-25; Gal 5:4)
We can know that God is sovereign, and Christ will not lose a single one of the elect (Jn 10:27-29); however, we are also supposed to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12)
(2)So, real faith shows itself by showing outward demonstrations of love for your neighbor (Gal 5:13-15)

- Faith ALWAYS gives birth to love (this cannot be overstated)

- 1 Jn 4:7-8; Matt 22:37-39; James 1:22; Gal 5:22-23; Eph 2:10; Matt 7:17-20; 1 Cor 13:1-3

- Don't be the podcast/blog guy who knows what everybody believes and hears every sermon or conference, but doesn't get out there to love and serve his neighbors

- We need to pull ourselves away from ourselves for long enough to serve others - this should be convicting for all of us

QUESTIONS

Are you recognized by your fruit/love?

Does your love for others make you stand out at work, at school, or in your neighborhood?

What should our lives look like according to Gal 5:5-6, 13?

What would it look like if you really loved your neighbor?

MY THOUGHTS

It seems that most Christians love claiming their justification. We love to proclaim that we are no longer under the consequences of sin. We are excited about our pardon (our get out of Hell free card). We all cling to the fact that we have been saved from something; however, we usually forget, or have completely missed, that we have been saved to something.

Phud began his sermon by making the point that we are not just free from our sin, but we are free to live for Christ. We have to understand and embrace this from/to duality of our salvation. We are saved not only "from", but also "to". God does not simply pardon us and send us on our way. Rather, he pardons us for a purpose. He saved us from sin and self, so that we can live for his glory and our mission.

As I am writing this, I am deeply convicted by my utter failure to live according to this principle that I know to be true. Christians are called to be MISSIONAL PEOPLE. He calls us out of darkness and into light. Being MISSIONAL means being about God's mission of making worshippers of his name. This means taking the gospel to the ends of the earth and to the end of my street. Being missional PEOPLE means that we carry out this mission in the context of community, primarily that of the local church. Both of these characteristics, "missional" and "people", are directly relevant to loving my neighbor.

I am to love my unbelieving neighbor in Singapore, my unbelieving neighbor a few houses down from me in my subdivision, and my believing neighbor in my church small group. David Fairchild made this point wonderfully in a recent sermon; he said, "God does not save us for the purpose of sitting at the end of a cul-de-sac." It really does all come back to love. Remember Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Mark Lauterbach's Article on Christans and Culture

2009-05-06T15:40:00.004-04:00

The May issue of NEXT Magazine is viewable. There are articles by D. A. Carson, Bob Kauflin, and Justin Taylor in this issue, but the article that I am recommending today is by a lesser known pastor; Mark Lauterbach has written a great article on interacting with culture. Here is an excerpt:

But I want to suggest that this question–“How should a Christian relate to culture?”–may be the wrong question. This may be the wrong place for us, as Christians in the middle of culture, to start. Here’s why: I am not sure how I am to relate to the culture, but I am sure I am to relate to people outside of Christ for the sake of their salvation. Before we ask how we as Christians should relate to our culture we must ask how and why Christ came into culture. Christ and his mission should define the questions we ask about culture ...

Knowing people is different than going to movies. I think the whole discussion of being culturally aware dodges the real work of knowing lost people deeply. I am called to love and serve them for Christ. I am called to help them when they have marital problems, children problems, and are living with effects of their sin. I am called to relate to them in what we have in common. And we have a lot in common. They are made in Godʼs image. They know love and hate, sadness and joy, and the beauty of music and creation. I do not need to focus on the unique culture of our times, so much as on the real people around me.

Hospitality 101

2009-05-06T11:06:00.016-04:00

Hospitality is typically viewed as having people over for dinner; however, hospitality is so much more. A more dictionary style definition from Justin Kuravackal defines basic hospitality as "treating a stranger as equal to the host by creating space for him to be protected, provided for, taken care of, all of which is followed by assisting and guiding him on to his next destination." How do these definitions hold up to the biblical principle of hospitality?

Biblical hospitality seems to be primarily focused on Christians treating strangers or outsiders very well. This means us treating as equals those people we might not typically associate with. This could be other families in your church or neighborhood, visiting Christians, or displaced unbelievers. The idea is that we honor and care for those whom we might not normally be in relationship with.

We see many biblical examples of hospitality. In the beginning, God created a place, then he created man and put him in that place. This was the first act of hospitality. Another example is Rahab inviting the spies to stay in her house. Of course, the bulk of our understanding of biblical hospitality will come from the New Testament.

Two primary passages regarding hospitality for strangers can be found in Matthew's description of Jesus' life: Matt 5:43-48 and Matt 25:34-40. The implications of these passages are very clear: we are to care for everyone around us, regardless of their opinion of us or their connection to us. It doesn't matter if you know the person or if you like the person; you are still called to love the person and be hospitable towards them. Some practical implications can be made to our current culture. Why not invite the annoying neighbor over for dinner? Shouldn't you know and see how you can help every neighbor in your subdivision? Why not take your nemesis at work out to lunch? How can you assist the guy or gal a few cubicles down from you? Hospitality to strangers involves knowing, loving, welcoming, and caring for everyone you encounter. God is sovereign in regard to who he brings across your path, we need to consider this everyday.

Hospitality towards those we are friends with will look very similar to hospitality towards strangers or enemies; however, it can be far more focused and intentional due to our existing relationship. We see hospitality towards friends exhibited by Jesus at the last supper. Here he fulfilled the responsibilities which should have reserved for the host by caring for the disciples, even to the point of washing their feet (Jn 13:12-15). Many times hospitality towards friends means being willing to meet their needs, even to the point of humbling ourselves to accomplish the lowliest of tasks on their behalf. This could mean cleaning up their kid's puke or willingly allowing them to let them talk about themselves the entire time.

Regardless of your prior relationship or lack thereof with a person or family, hospitality always involves viewing someone else as more important than yourself. I love Jeff Vanderstelt's description that hospitality is essentially "giving space to allow people to be, become, and do." Of course, space could refer to physical, emotional, or any other kind of space that may be required. So, the question becomes, what does this person need? Other questions are, what will be restful, relaxing, and enjoyable for this person? How can I best care for this person? How can I create space for this person to be his true self?

One thing is for sure, hospitality is not about entertaining, impressing, or controlling guests in your home. Such ideas are both unbiblical and sinful. We have to forget the prideful, penetrating mindset of our culture that attempts to do whatever is necessary to impress others. This mindset asks, What will impress this person? What kind of house, car, meal, or whatever will make this person or family think well of me? This is pride, which is sin, not hospitality. Biblical hospitality should be centered around love for one another; unfortunately, most modern "hospitality" is centered around pride.

One of the primary questions to ask regarding hospitality: What are your motives? Are you trying to impress? Are you checking one item off of your good Christian's "to do" list? Of course, you have to even be practicing hospitality before you can check your motives, so start practicing hospitality.

Much of this information has been modified from several sermons and training sessions at Soma Communities.

Get Out There

2009-05-06T09:26:00.001-04:00

The weather has changed, the flowers are blooming, and most people are starting to go outside a lot more than the previous six months. This means that Christians have a great opportunity to get out there and begin living missionally. Several recent posts have given some great advice or strategies in this area:

Simplified Missional Living

Get Off the Couch this Summer

Gospel-Driven Garage Sale

Being Missional Everyday

Galatians 4:12-31 - 4 Reasons Why Following Slavery is Foolish (Part 2)

2009-05-05T08:42:00.011-04:00

Remedy Church - 05/03/09

Crucified Christ week 12

Remember, you can download all of Phud's sermons on Galatians at the Remedy Church website or by subscribing on iTunes. Also, an interview with Phud, aka John, was in today's Rock Hill Herald.

This week at Remedy, Phud continued his discussion of why remaining in slavery is foolish. This fact should seem fairly obvious to most people, but we all return back to the chains of our sin and law exalting legalism. We all choose different areas to focus on. One guy will say that if you love God, then you will wear a shirt and tie on Sunday morning; while another guy will say that if you love people, then you will wear jeans and a t-shirt. Both of these are legalistic, if the person believes a certain mode of dress is required for holiness or proper worship.

Last week, Phud discussed the first two reasons why following slavery is foolish. This week, he discussed the third and fourth reasons. Here are my notes:

3) BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE CHRIST FORMED IN YOU! (Gal 4:12-20)
These Galatians are very close to stepping over the edge and showing that they are not regenerate
Paul's desire is for them to become like him - he wants them to model his description of himself in Gal 2:20
The wolves in the flock, the legalistic Jews, are making much of the Galatians; they are appealing to their natural pride and idolatry (this is never for our good)(be cautious of being told how great you are)
Paul wants Christ to be formed in them = this causes complete transformation and makes Christ the center
4) BECAUSE YOU SHOW THAT HAGAR IS YOUR MOM, AND NOT SARAH (Gal 4:21-31)
Paul is using Hagar and Sarah (Ishmael and Isaac) as an illustration of slavery/law-keeping (works salvation; doing it yourself) versus freedom/faith (justification by faith alone; the promise; the true gospel)
When Abraham tried to do it himself by listening to Sarah and forcing a child through Hagar, the result was of the flesh and useless for the promises of God; however, when God gave Abraham a child through Sarah, which was his promise to Abraham, the result was the child of the promise and the first born of the nation of Israel.
We are no longer under slavery, yet we continually go back and request Hagar to be our mother
We have to cast out legalistic, law-keeping, and do-it-yourself theology and those who teach it
Rather, we need to embrace the gospel because we have been freed and born of the promise
We have freedom, but freedom to do what? (Col 3:1-3) - We are free to live in Christ and be like Christ, not the world.
ASSIGNMENT: Have dinner with someone else this week - We are supposed to be living in community, so invite over someone else from the church, your neighborhood, or your work.

MY THOUGHTS

A couple of topics really stuck out as Phud taught this passage. First, as a side note he mentioned how Gal 4:16 perfectly describes our current postmodern culture. Most people today would rather hear something comforting, self-affirming, and uplifting than the truth. The truth of sin and the coming wrath of God are rarely met with enthusiasm, regardless of the truthfulness of these claims. The average person would prefer you to pat them on the back as the walk decidedly into Hell. They consider this pat on the back the gesture of a friend, but if you attempt to share the truth with them, then you may be viewed as an enemy. Truth has lost its value over the past couple of decades; the great value once assigned to the truth has now been given to tolerance and recycling.

Second, Gal 4:17 has a lot to say about the wolves that often enter the flock of God. These enemies enter the church and claim to be a part of the church. They volunteer their services, attend church functions, encourage believers, and all sorts of other endeavors to win people over. They are wolves in sheep's clothing. They usually appeal to your pride and seek to have you on their side. Such men or women cannot be trusted, and at the first sign of their evil intentions, they must be disciplined. Paul was seeking to protect the Galatians from such wolves who were winning people over, because he knew that such men would only bring destruction. Wolves always seek after destruction, whether it is the life of an individual, the local church, or the gospel itself. Be leery of such men who are "zealous to win you over"(NIV) or "make much of you"(ESV), because as Paul wrote, "it is not for your good."

American Idols

2009-05-04T22:09:00.011-04:00

In a recent sermon, Jeff Vanderstelt discussed several signs of idolatry in our lives. Here is a paraphrase of his discussion in the form of the five key signs he seemed to indicate.

Signs of Idolatry in our Lives:

ANXIETY / INSECURITY – Not trusting in the sovereignty of God or the sufficiency of the Gospel

DEFENSIVENESS – If you are overly defensive about anything in your life, then watch out

FAILURE – If you feel like you are a failure, because you have bought into some unbiblical standard of what you should be or do

PRIDE – Still buying into an unbiblical standard, but feeling like you are successful or doing well (both failure and pride are essentially a misunderstanding of the gospel and justification)

ADDICTION – Being controlled or led by anything other than God (even to normally good things, such as work, exercise, NFL football on Sundays, etc.)

One great determiner in the area of idolatry is to ask what you give your time and money to: How do you use your time and money? The use of your time and money should be controlled by the gospel and the principles in Scripture. What consumes your thoughts? Are your thoughts focused on Christ? Or, are you concerned the most with the next TV show you’re going to watch, the next meal you are going to eat, the next car you going to buy, the latest Hollywood gossip, the latest problem or hardship in your life, or anything other than God and the Gospel?

What is my focus? This has been a question I have been struggling through recently. I am so often consumed with a subtle idolatry that I am usually not even aware of, but it is still idolatry. Our entire world and understanding of reality should be based on the sovereign existence of God and the necessary, atoning sacrifice of Christ. Our lives are supposed to be evidence of the truth of the Gospel (1 Pet 2:12), and we should base how we spend our time, money, and thoughts around the fact the Christ died and resurrected (1 Pet 4:1-6).

Another good way to uncover your idols is to ask the question, What “but’s” are you buying into? For instance, “I know the Bible says this, but…” Or, “I know that Scripture says I should be doing this, but…” Many times, we would never openly practice idolatry or commit heresy, but we are actually doing those very things by placing a “but” after a command, principle, or precept of Scripture. The “but’s” can be devastating to our lives, our church, and our effectiveness on mission.

Francis Chan recently made this point clear when answering some objections to some of the possible changes Cornerstone is considering. They are trying to refocus the church around house groups, instead of the Sunday morning experience. People didn’t disagree according to Scripture, and they may have even liked the idea, but they just didn’t think such changes were possible in today’s current culture. So, the comments were “That sounds good, but it will never work”, or “I like that idea, but I just don’t think I could do that.”

I have often heard very similar things and even said them myself whenever a person, a book, or a sermon has challenged me regarding particular areas of my life. I find myself saying “I really want to do that, but I don’t have time or I just don’t think it would work for my family.” Usually the areas that require the most commitment or change on our part will also be met with the most “but” statements. Which begs the question, what are my priorities? Do I want to grow in my faith and obedience?

Idolatry is when we look to something else instead of or in addition to Christ for our hope, fulfillment, purpose, or anything else reserved for God. All of these are actually the worship of a created thing instead of the worship of the one, true, uncreated God. How often do we worship comfort, convenience, success, money, and the opinions of people?

What Idols commonly overtake Jesus in your life?

We were created to worship; we are ceaseless worshippers. Idolatry is a heart matter, not a hands matter. Martin Luther said that if you don’t break the first two commandments (Ex 20:3-6), then you won’t break any of the others.

Boom Goes the Dynamite

2009-04-30T09:32:00.008-04:00

If you haven't seen this video, then you haven't really lived. Okay, that first comment was stupid, and so is this video. Nonetheless, after watching this video for the first time a few years ago, I couldn't stop saying "boom goes the dynamite" for weeks. I hope this video has the same profound and stupefying impact on you.

For the record, this is probably what would happen if I was ever allowed on TV.

Galatians 4:1-11 - 4 Reasons Why Following Slavery is Foolish (Part 1)

2009-04-29T22:14:00.010-04:00

Remedy Church - 04/26/09

Crucified Christ week 11

This past week, Phud began another two part sermon. He covered the first two reasons why slavery is complete foolishness. I know that our initial instinct is to agree with this statement with a "duh, of course slavery is foolish" type of attitude; however, most of us willfully submit ourselves to slavery every day. If you are without joy, if you have difficulty seeing God as your father, or if you constantly return to a form of "do's and don't's" Christianity, then you are living like a slave. Read these notes, read the text of Galatians 3:25-4:20, and pray over your life. We all have areas of foolishness, and most of us have at least a little bit of legalism in us.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

- The law cannot give you the inheritance

- 3 Reasons it is important that Christ was born under the law
Jesus was obligated to keep the law
By putting himself under the law, he could be our vicarious substitute
So that he would satisfy the requirement of perfect obedience
- We were "redeemed by his blood" - 2 Cor 5:21

4 REASONS (Only the first two this week)

1) Because you are a son, not a slave! God is you Dad! (Gal 4:1-7)

- Remember the prodigal son
- As a believer, you are no longer a slave to sin; rather, you have been adopted into the family of God
- Part of this adoption is God sending the Spirit into our hearts (Jer 17:9)
Before regeneration, our hearts were dead and dirty
The heart is the core of our being
* Notice that Paul reverts back to using his heart language when he uses "abba" for father - His emotion cause him to use his first language.

3 Ways we Revert Back to Slavery
ADDICTION (remaing/repeated sin)(whatever you struggle with)(Do you look any different than prior to salvation?)
GUILT (Underestimating Christ's atoning work)
WORSHIP (the lack thereof or worshipping something other than God)(sons worship; slaves work)
- If givng of your time and money or doing evangelism seem like duties rather than delights, then you are living like a slave.

2) Because you are RETURNING to being to being under the slavery of the law again! (Gal 4:8-11)

- Paul seems to be putting paganism (turning back for these Gentiles) and legalism in the same category

- An example of this in our day is moralistic, therepeutic deism

- Notice the emotion when Paul says "I fear that I wasted by efforts" - There is obvious despair, sorrow, and greif

- Do we have Paul's passion for the lost or backsliden?

MY COMMENTS

Paul exemplifies what a shepherd should be. He not only planted churches and trained leaders, but he also looked after these flocks. One of the primary roles of a shepherd is to protect the sheep from wolves. Unfortunately, sometimes wolves can sneek into the flock undetected by the sheep. Paul refused to allow this flock to be led away and devoured by wolves. Galatians is a letter of protection.

Unfortunately, in American Christianity, most men who attempt to fight against wolves are labeled as trouble-makers or insensitive. Can you imagine Paul's letter to the Galatians being received by a typical American church? He would not have been asked back to preach at their next revival.

Introducing Francis Chan

2009-04-29T02:21:00.006-04:00

Watch this video of Francis Chan being introduced at the Exponential 09 Conference.

This is definitely one of the coolest intros I have seen. I am going to hire a band to follow me around and do something similar every time I walk into a room.

The best part is that I heard Chan's heartfelt, passionate message was even better than this introduction.

Gospel Coalition Media

2009-04-28T15:06:00.008-04:00

If you are like me and missed both getting to attend the conference and tuning in to the live webcast, the audio and video content from The Gospel Coalition 2009 National Conference has been made available.

Here are the direct links to each session:

Plenary Sessions

Tim Keller: The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry
John Piper: Feed the Flame of God's Gift: Unashamed Courage in the Gospel
Phil Ryken: The Pattern of Sound Words
Mark Driscoll: Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
K. Edward Copeland: Shadowlands: Pitfalls and Parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry
Bryan Chapell: Preach the Word!
Ajith Fernando: Gospel-Faithful Mission in the New Christendom
Panel Discussion: Tim Keller, John Piper, Ligon Duncan and Crawford Loritts
Ligon Duncan: Finishing Well
Don Carson: That By All Means I Might Win Some: Faithfulness and Flexibility in Gospel Proclamation

Workshops

Buster Brown: Preaching in a Christianized Culture
Graham Cole: Homosexuality and the Bible: Texts, Hermeneutics, and Pastoral Wisdom
Joshua Harris: Ministering in a Church-Hopping Society
C.J. Mahaney: The Pastor’s Charge

A note of thanks to the guys at Resurgence, because I stole this formating from them.

Galatians 3:15-29 - Law VS. Promise

2009-04-27T22:13:00.006-04:00

Remedy Church - 04/19/09

Previously, I had been blogging the sermon from my church each week, but I got slack and missed a couple of weeks. I was out of town on Easter weekend. However, I have no excuse for last week, so I am posting my notes today. These are the notes from the Sunday before last. I will post my notes from the most recent sermon in a couple of days. Hopefully I will be able to get back on track.

Remember, you can subscribe to the audio for these sermons by searching for Remedy Church on iTunes, or you can just go the church website.

INITIAL COMMENTS

Are we living for Christ in a way that we are following rules or in a way that we are worshiping? Are you a rule follower or a worshipper?

The law is not meant to add to the gospel, rather it is meant to point you to the gospel.

Most of us are all little legalists at heart – What are the issues you become legalistic about?

5 POINTS REGARDING THE LAW VS. PROMISE

1) The giving of the law doesn’t change the original promise/covenant (Gal 3:15-18)
- God gave the covenant to Abraham in Genesis 12:3
- This covenant – the blessing of all nations through Abraham’s offspring, who is Christ – was not negated or altered by the giving of the law through Moses 400 years later
- The covenant of blessing through Christ was still God’s plan

Then, why even give the law?
- Paul foresaw this question, so he brings it up
2) The law was given because of sin (Gal 3:19-20)
- The law was actually given to increase transgression / sin (Romans 5:20)
- We didn’t know what sin was until God gave the law to expose our sin
- Also, not only does it expose our sin, but it causes us to want to sin (Romans 4:15; Romans 7:5)
- Our fallen nature causes us to desire the thing we should not do
- In summary, the law clearly defines sin, thereby exposing sin and causing more sin In other words, the law ensures damnation

3) Righteousness cannot be attained by law keeping (Gal 3:21-22)
- There aren’t two ways to God: Faith or Perfect Obedience
- There is only one way to God – receiving grace which results in Faith in Jesus Christ

3 possible responses to the law
1. We can rebel against it
2. We can show complete indifference
3. We can thirst for righteousness

4) The law was our guardian / tutor / schoolmaster until the promise, which is Jesus, came and created justification by faith (Gal 3:23-25)
- The law was both our guide to correct living and the judge declaring us guilty
- It sets the standard, but it is an unattainable goal
- How do you respond to the law?

5) Christ has made us all one (Gal 3:26-29)
- Salvation is available to every people group, gender, age, class, etc.
- These verses are speaking of equality regarding justification
- Paul is not speaking to the issue of women’s roles
- Not a support for egalitarianism or complementarianism
- God’s chosen people are those people he regenerates from all nations, not a particular nation or people group (Romans 9:6-8)
- God is looking for worshippers, not law-keepers
- To be an “heir according to the promise,” the only thing required is faith

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

If we are no longer under the law, put the promise,
- Then, we should be living for Christ, not a set of rules
- Then, our lives, work, actions, and thoughts should be for Christ - We have put on Christ
- Then, our response should be worship

MY THOUGHTS

We are sons of God –

Notice how Paul stated in Galatians 3:26 that we are all “sons of God.” He doesn’t call us “sons and daughters.” This isn’t a bad translation or a sexist remark. His point is that regardless if you are a male or female, when you are adopted by God, you become a Son. This is because only sons were full heirs. In other words, only male children received an inheritance, and all Christians receive every benefit of being adopted by God. We are all full heirs, regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, or age. Our justification, adoption, and perfect standing are dependent solely upon his good, accomplished work and grace, not on any of our own characteristics or deeds.

We have put on Christ –

I usually just breeze past this phrase in Galatians 3:26-27, but I recently heard a great discussion of the importance of this phrase. The NIV translates this phrase; you “have clothed yourselves with Christ.” For me, this is a mind-blowing concept: to put on and be clothed with Christ. Personally, I like the passive translation of the NIV, because this is something that is done for us as a part of our justification, not something we have the power to do for ourselves.

I recently heard an illustration that helped me to understand the significance of this phrase. The person was telling the story of young sheep being born and fed. Unfortunately, many mothers and babies would die during the new birth. Therefore, many babies would not have a mother to feed them, and a mother would not allow any sheep to feed unless it was her own newborn. So, the farmers would skin the dead babies from one mother and put that skin on the baby sheep that no longer had a mother. This way the mother would smell the newborn and think it was her own. They were clothed in the skin of that mother’s true offspring. This was the only way the farmers could keep the other orphaned newborns from starving.

Likewise, we have been clothed with Christ to make us acceptable in God’s sight. We have to take on the appearance of the only acceptable and righteous man, who is Jesus. His righteousness is imputed to us, so that we might become sons of God. There is no other way that we can be accepted.

Book Review: THE SCANDAL OF THE EVANGELICAL CONSCIENCE

2009-04-27T22:04:00.007-04:00

Sider is probably best known for his book Rich Christians In an Age of Hunger, which ranked seventh on Christianity Today’s list of “The Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals”. However, T he Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience is the only book of Sider’s I have read at the present time, so all of my conclusions will be based solely upon this book, not his overall system of thought, as represented throughout his other works.

This book clearly seeks to identify and address one particular problem within Christianity. In the Introduction, Sider identifies the problem, as he sees it:

Scandalous behavior is rapidly destroying American Christianity. By their daily activity, most “Christians” regularly commit treason. With their mouths they claim that Jesus is Lord, but with their actions they demonstrate allegiance to money, sex, and self-fulfillment.

His purpose is to “understand the depth of the crisis, discover why it has happened, and develop obedient, faithful correctives.” These goals are quite lofty for a relatively short book; I do not think he completely achieves his aim, but he does take his readers most of the way to this end.

The book is compiled of five chapters which represent the structure of the book. Each chapter represents the next step in his process of proclaiming, understanding, and correcting this scandal. He begins, in the first chapter, by attempting to convince readers that most Christians have strayed from our true calling. Furthermore, not only have we strayed, but an overall wandering and secularization of the church has become one of the defining characteristics of American Christianity. He did succeed in thoroughly convincing this reader of these facts. A simple glance at the divorce rates among church members or the subscription list of most pornography websites will quickly prove his claim.

The second chapter attempts to further illustrate the extent of this scandal by contrasting contemporary American Christianity with the teachings of Christ, the writings of the Apostles, and the practices which characterized the early Christian community. This comparison is extremely sobering. The present departure from biblical expectations becomes devastatingly apparent when we read the writings of the Apostles and Early Church Fathers. Both initial chapters, are not only convicting, but are also very well documented and have proved to be quite useful.

The real work begins in the third and fourth chapters. Here, he starts assessing how and why the American church has gotten into this scandalous position. His first and primary assertion is that:

The heart of the problem is a one-sided, unbiblical, reductionist understanding of the gospel and salvation …most evangelicals do not even define the gospel the way Jesus did…we have propagated the heretical notion that people can receive forgiveness without sanctification, heaven without holiness.

I will firmly join him on this stand; this assertion is undeniably accurate. Although, I think there is a larger problem at the core of his data.

Next, he claims that American Christianity has followed our present culture in living out a gospel of self-fulfillment in which, “The individual [has] replaced God at the center of reality.” This has caused Christians to abandon the Bible as their moral compass and despise biblical practices such as Christian accountability and church discipline. He believes the church has abandoned a New Testament understanding of the church and embraced the process of secularization in which churches are simply “comfortable clubs of conformity” and are destined to become carbon copies of the fallen world. He calls this blatant heresy. Once again, while I agree with his conclusions, I also believe there is a prevailing dilemma which should be central to his entire discussion.

Finally, in the culminating chapter, he departs from rebuking and correcting to offer some rays of hope. This encouraging chapter primarily makes the point that whenever pollsters or researchers have looked past the answers on paper and dug deeper into the lives of profession Christians, there is a much different story to be told. He believes, and I agree, that there is no way to tell from mere polling alone if a person has truly experienced the new birth that must initiate a Christian life. He follows George Barna in identifying a subcategory within Christianity, those Christians with a biblical worldview: “Barna has discovered that only 9 percent of all born-again adults have a biblical worldview and only 2 percent of born-again teenagers.”

One of the major complaints I have with this book, and with Barna’s polling, is this sloppy and probably even heretical use of the label “born-again.” Born-again is a label created by Jesus himself during his dialogue with Nicodemus in the third chapter of John’s Gospel. If you read this dialogue, then it is clear that being born-again by the Spirit, putting faith in Christ for salvation, and becoming a new creature are all different descriptions of the same event which initiates the Christian life. Such a person will be changed and will diligently, albeit imperfectly, strive to live a life modeled after Jesus Christ and the principles set forth in Scripture. Such a person will look different than the rest of the world. Despite his misuse of such an important biblical term, what is encouraging about this fact is that, as he proclaims, “the small circle of people with a biblical worldview demonstrate genuinely different behavior.”

In the end, Sider offers a valid critique of the prevailing version of Christianity that has been created in our present culture. He clearly proves the stark contrast between what Christianity should look like, according to Scripture, and the lives being lived by the vast majority of Americans who categorize themselves as “born-again Christians.” Furthermore, he clearly identifies one of primary causes of this predicament: a grievous misunderstanding of the gospel.

This book should persuade all people who claim the name of Christ to examine our lifestyles, because we have all strayed from our true calling to some degree. However, I would add that the chief factor that must be understood is the fact that the majority of professing Christians are not truly born-again. This book would be more accurately subtitled Why Are Professing Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World? As Jesus stated, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21) Our savior also told his disciples that he was the good shepherd and, “he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow” (John 10:4-5). As Christians we are called to be followers of Christ, not mere name-claimers.

Book Review: VINTAGE CHURCH

2009-04-24T16:49:00.004-04:00

I just finished Mark Driscoll’s newest book, VINTAGE CHURH. It was an enjoyable and beneficial read. I would recommend it to any Christian. I would also recommend it to any non-Christian who is simply curious about this well-known pastor or the explosive growth at Mars Hill Church, in Seattle.

The greatest strength of this book is Driscoll’s transparency regarding the practices of Mars Hill Church. He clearly lays out the practices of the church and the reasons for those practices. This aspect of the book will prove to be extremely valuable to church planters and young leaders. Even if you don’t agree with every structure or practice at Mars Hill, you will at least be forced to think through all of these issues. Some of the issues that I found most useful were his section on the process of appointing elders, women in ministry, multi-site practices, the Lord’s Supper, and baptism.

Another strength of this book is learning from Driscoll’s experience in planting and growing churches over the past twelve years. He planted Mars Hill with a few other people and grew it into one of the largest churches in America. This knowledge combined with his experience as the founder of the Acts 29 church planting network amount to a lot of valuable advice for pastors and planters. He knows what it is like to lead a church at every stage of a church’s life-cycle.

As you can tell, I learned a lot from this book; however, do not mistake this book for a full-blown ecclesiology. Driscoll hits most of the high points, but really camps out in the areas that he has the most to say about; this is obvious by the fact that the chapter discussing “What is the Church?” is the same length as the chapter discussing multi-site churches.

Overall, any pastor, elder, planter, or church member will benefit from this collection of Driscoll’s beliefs, practices, and experiences. Also, this book does contain much of the vintage Driscoll humor, but nothing that crosses the line into vulgar or inappropriate territory. I know this is a concern for many people, but I hope this book and his last effort, Death by Love, represent a maturing Mark Driscoll. I welcome more of his insightful experience.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

Jesus' ministry included feeding the hungry, healing the sick, loving the outcast, and befriending the sinner. But we must never forget that Jesus's ministry began with preaching. (88)

For us as missionaries in culture, the tip of the spear for our war against Satan, sin, and death is the sermon, if rightly preached with authority for the purpose of gathering God's people for instruction before sending them out on mission with passion. (101)

Pursuing potential rather than calling gets a church off mission... Bluntly stated, most churches are doing too much and doing it poorly. To get and stay unified, church leaders must focus their resources (e.g., people, dollars, facilities, emotion, technology) on accomplishing a few things [we must remain gospel-centered] if they hope to accomplish anything. (146-47)

In the days of Nehemiah, God's people rebuilt the wall encircling their city with a trowel in one hand and a sword in another. With the trowel they built, and with the sword they defended [to paraphrase his next few sentences, this means that today in our time, we must both build the church and defend it]... In keeping with this analogy, formative discipline [teaching and training] is trowel work and resotrative discipline [church discipline, which means correction and casting out wolves] is sword work. (171-72)

Because we have limited resources (time, energy, money) we must allocate those things to what we consider most important or glorious to us and in so doing make sacrifices for our functional god. Whatever we hold in the position of highest glory is by definition our god(s). (204) [The goal is to have Christ in this position]

[One problem according to Driscoll is that many churches have] slipped into an attritional ministry philosophy focused almost solely on bringing people into church buildings and events. Such churches lacked a missional philosphy focused on sending Christians out of the church into the world to evangelize and disciple people. Subsequently, the Western church had, sadly, become overly attached to and defined by buildings, programs, staff, services, and institutions that only strategize ways to do "attractional" ministry. To correct this problem, the term missional was adopted to emphasize that the church exists to go into the cultures and nations of the earth and live sacrificially for the good of others. (218)

[Regarding large or multi-campus churches] If some churches with good names in their community can multiply and use their good name to compel more people to worship Jesus, then even if you do not consider that ideal, it is better than unknown, empty churches, which are so common. (260)

To begin with, before worrying about how to distribute gospel content, you must have good content and lots of it. Just as it makes no sense for a horrible band to play on an expensive sound system because it only amplifies the awfulness, so increasing the channels for content distribution is in vain if the content (e.g., preaching, teaching, worship music) is not biblical and well done. (273)

Rob Bell's Recent Interview

2009-04-24T10:22:00.005-04:00

I am trying to be more disciplined to only judge the correctness of people’s words, not the content of their character. With that said, Rob Bell seems like a very entertaining and enjoyable person, but his teaching is very lacking. Primarily, it is lacking the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The lack of the Gospel in his teaching is glaringly apparent in his recent interview with Christianity Today. You should read the entire interview, because in the second half of the conversation, the interviewer seems to be deliberately trying to get Rob Bell to talk about the Gospel. Rob Bell of course manages to side step any mention of the cross or atonement.

I don’t understand how a pastor can purposefully avoid talking about the most central component of Christianity (really, the most significant event in human history). Christianity cannot exist apart from the cross of Christ.

Which leaves me with this question: Can we put the label of “Christianity” on what Rob Bell teaches? Can the content of his message be considered “Christian”?

Another way of asking this question is, If someone wants to be a part of a conversation, and tries to stay within a safe distance of the norms of that conversation, but completely misses the main point of the conversation, then are they even in the conversation at all? Or, are they just rambling about something else that seems vaguely related?

I do not want to simply bash on Rob Bell. I do want to cause Christians to consider what Christianity is supposed to be about. The cross of Christ and the Gospel (our sin and Christ's atoning work in our place) are central to Christianity. To lose this is to lose all hope for salvation. We cannot be justified by our good deeds in the community or around the world.

Who's Your Pastor?

2009-04-23T10:06:00.006-04:00

Every single church member needs to read THIS ARTICLE by Dan Phillips. He makes a great point that every Christian needs to hear, especially those of us who read books and listen to podcasts (which should be every Christian, but that is another discussion).

I have learned so much from John Piper, D.A. Carson, Tim Keller, Al Mohler, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, and many others, but none of these men are my pastor. I don't attend Bethlehem Baptist or Mars Hill. These men don't know me or my family. These men don't have to be annoyed by me on a weekly basis.

It isn't fair to my pastor if I compare him with these men I have only heard or read, and it certainly isn't loving or gracious. There are many of us who need to listen to this warning concerning "paper pastors." It was a reminder to me that I need to love, serve, and protect my pastor, not compare him to these well known preachers and teachers.

If, while you read this post, you were thinking, "but, my pastor is terrible," then you need to repent for sure. Also, if your assessment is accurate, then you may need to find another church. Either way, begin with repentance. Then, either help your pastor to improve by trying to humbly assist him or find another church. Staying at a church and being a malcontent isn't good for anyone, and it is a terrible representation the gospel.

Great Commission Resurgence within the SBC

2009-04-22T11:11:00.013-04:00

Following up my last post regarding the current public perception of the Southern Baptist Convention, I want to recommend this recent chapel sermon at SEBTS (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary). A friend directed me to this sermon that Dr. Aiken preached about a week ago. It was very encouraging. If you don't have the proper plugin to view the video above (it's a strange one), then you can watch the video HERE or read the full manuscript HERE.

If you are part of the Southern Baptist Convention, then you need to watch, listen to, or read this sermon.

The Southern Baptist Image

2009-04-22T08:46:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, Dr. Thom Rainer, President and CEO of LifeWay, conducted an informal survey on Twitter regarding people’s thoughts about and/or reactions to the name “Southern Baptist.” Specifically, Rainer asked,

What do you think when you hear ‘Southern Baptist’?

The responses he received speak loudly and clearly. Below is a Wordle put together by Tony Kummer who added the following commentary:

Why does this matter? Bottom line, Twitter users are influencers. They are tech savvy, well education, and super connected. Social media has great power to reflect and move public opinion. . . . This is a chance to see ourselves through the eyes of others. At least in some measure, we are giving Jesus a bad name. It’s time for some healthy humiliation and repentance.

As someone who grew up attending a Southern Baptist Church and attended a Southern Baptist University, the results were dissapointing, but not surprising. The Southern Baptist Convention has created this image, and now they are having a tough time trying to change it. Personally, I think the appointments of Al Mohler and Danny Aiken as presidents of two of the seminaries is a great step in the right direction.

Here are some further thoughts on the results and the wordle from Timmy Brister:

If you look past legalism, legalistic, don’t, and boycott, you will find Jesus and the gospel in 4 point font. Does it bother anyone else that we are more known for Disney and chicken than Jesus and the gospel?

This is a snapshot of why the SBC vehicle does not need a paint job but to be stripped down and rebuilt, starting with the engine of the Cooperative Program. We cannot keep changing the tires with new evangelism initiatives; we need a new delivery system that delivers what we are for rather than what we are against. The day when Jesus and the gospel are descriptive of Southern Baptists is the day when church doors are opening instead of closing, the day when cooperation wins out of controversy, the day when we blog about brokenness and repentance rather than boycotts and resolutions, and the day when a younger generation embraces the future as Baptists rather than walking away from it.

The Gospel Conference at Cornerstone

2009-04-21T14:33:00.008-04:00

Over the past week, I have been listening to the audio from Cornerstone Church’s recent Gospel Conference (Francis Chan is teaching pastor at Cornerstone). These are some guys you may not be familiar with, but I encourage you to check them out. The links take you to downloadable MP3’s and MP4’s.

:: Jeff Vanderstelt 1 | Audio | Video

:: Jeff Vanderstelt 2 | Audio | Video

:: David Fairchild 1 | Audio | Video

:: David Fairchild 2 | Audio | Video

:: Francis Chan | Audio | Video

These sessions have challenged, encouraged, and taught me to a ridiculous degree. If I ever planted a church (not gonna happen), then I would make certain segments from these sessions mandatory listening for my core group. The last 20 minutes of Francis Chan's session and the question time following David Farichild's second session should be mandatory listening. I will be posting some of this content later this week.

Gospel Coalition Conference Webcast

2009-04-21T12:58:00.006-04:00

This is going to be a great conference. I have several friends attending, but was unable to make the trip (note to self: I need to win the lottery).

If you are like me and would love to be in Chicago for this event but could not go, then you can still see all the main sessions and some other content via the live webcast. The downside is that you don't get any of the freebies (Justin, you better bring me back some free books). The upside is that you can enjoy the conference at your house while you drink a ~~beer~~ soda.

CLICK HERE to go to the website.

The Best and Worst of Times

2009-04-15T23:55:00.011-04:00

It is one of the worst times to be a Christian in all of history. We have more media fighting for our attention than ever before. Sin sells, and we are living in a capitalist country (at least for a little while longer). We can now lust after an image on our T.V. screen or computer monitor without ever getting off the couch. I think my point is clear.

However, it is also one of the best times to be a Christian in all of history. We have so many resources and training tools at our disposal. I can listen to sermons from hundreds of pastors via iTunes or Zune Marketplace (Yes, I am one of the six people who has a Zune). I can download the sessions from the best conferences without paying to attend. I can read thousands of free books in Google reader. I can do my Greek word studies using Re:Greek. I have access to all of the written material from almost two thousand years of Christian leaders. Christians have never been as clearly without excuse for not growing in knowledge and their understanding of the Bible.

The question of best or worst depends on us. How do we choose to use our current capabilities? Do we choose to allow media to be a stumbling block? Or, do we reclaim these capabilities for the spread of the Gospel and the edification of Christians? Media is a powerful tool. Satan and the unregenerate masses are definitely going to use this tool for their purposes. Christians also need to harness this powerful tool; in fact, Christians should be on the cutting edge of media use. One thing I appreciate about Mars Hill Church and The Resurgence is their ability to use this tool effectively for the glory of Jesus.

Has your church made media an ally or an enemy? Does your church have available podcasts, videos, written material, online networks, blogs, etc.? Do you take advantage of the available resources on the interweb?

Obviously, if you are reading this post, then you take advantage of some resources. Actually, if you are reading this blog, then you should probably find some better resources.

Personally, I frequently visit many blogs and listen to about 10-12 podcasts each week. Just one quick example of what kind of edification you may stumble upon by reading, writing, and listening - I have been listening to The Gospel Conference audio from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA (Francis Chan's church). Here are some notes from Jeff Vanderstelt's second session:

We've got limited time to be about the mission God has put us here for.
God calls us to rearrange our lives to be on mission with a purpose.
Wherever God has put you is your mission field.
If you’re living outside your mission field, then move.
Why would you shop, eat meals, or go to parks outside your mission field?
Your neighborhood or apartment complex is your mission field. There can be some overflow to your job or gym or whatever, put your place of residence is primary.
We need to live, now in America, according to same principles as foreign missionaries.
Just trying to reach people as you go on your way is only doing missions/evangelism reactively; trying to reach people on your own is reactive missions; we need to be proactive by rearranging our lives and joining with others to reach a neighborhood, school, people, or area.
It is the church’s job to train its members to be on mission.
The culture we are in naturally segments our life and there is little integration of our life, but being on mission means rearranging the pieces as necessary to build your life around that mission that Jesus has called you to.

Also, here are some notes from David Fairchild's first session:

The best way to defeat despair and depression is to be thankful.
Most of our own despair and apathy is because we are not thankful enough.
We are malcontents, despite the fact that Christ died to for us.
Pride is not how good or bad you think about yourself; pride is how much you think about yourself.
If you are wallowing in despair and focusing on yourself, then it may be a pride problem.

Vintage Driscoll

2009-04-14T23:54:00.007-04:00

I am currently reading Vintage Church and I am constantly reading Driscoll's blog posts and listening to his sermons and other media, so I am honestly not sure where I got these quotes. All I know is that I wrote them down over the past couple of weeks and have his name beside all of them. These are vintage Driscoll. Enjoy.

When is the last time you have just asked, "God, please fill me with your Spirit. Holy Spirit, I need you to teach me." You should pray this every time you open the Scriptures, because we all have a proclivity to suppress the truth due to the unrighteousness of our deeds (see Romans 1).

If you wanna be a heretic, just stop preaching repentance, that's all it takes. - Driscoll summarizing J. I. Packer

The importance of the cross to the church is that apart from Jesus' death on it in our place for our sins, the church does not exist and has no good news to tell. It cannot be overemphasized that where the cross of Jesus is not exalted and proclaimed as the central act in all of history and in our own redemption, THE CHURCH IS NOT PRESENT.

I can imagine the pharisees saying that we who preach in jeans without tucking in our shirts dishonor God.

The Power of His Resurrection

2009-04-12T21:43:00.002-04:00

Today is a great day to begin praying these words of the Apostle Paul:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:10-11)

Church Planting and Missional Living

2009-04-07T22:07:00.005-04:00

Resurgence has recently put up a lot of great media from last year's Dwell Conference and the two most recent Acts 29 boot camps. Also, I found this interview to be very useful. Jeff Vanderstelt is an Acts 29 church planter in Tacoma. Some of his comments are very provoking and insightful. I would love to have some feedback on this interview:

The End of Christian America

2009-04-06T10:35:00.009-04:00

This is the cover story of the latest issue of Newsweek. The cover itself reads "The Decline and Fall of Christian America." Although such a cover story may be surprising, the content of the article shouldn't surprise any Christians. Many Christian leaders have been proclaiming or predicting this situation for many years. In fact, the topic for this entire year of the Whitehorse Inn broadcast, with Michael Horton, is "Christ in a Post-Christian Culture." Also, a recent study done in the Carolina's, and printed in the Charlotte Observer, yielded very similar results. Phud, the Lead Pastor at Remedy Church, recently discussed this article in a blog post. In the end, every survey, poll, or study seems to indicate the same thing, America is becoming less Christian.

This Newsweek article should prove to be both interesting and insightful, considering that the author interacts with Al Mohler regarding some of the most recent polling data that he believes supports the fact that America is becoming a Post-Christian culture.

Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals

2009-04-05T21:45:00.006-04:00

While I was working on a project this weekend, I had to cite an older issue of Christianity Today. One of the features in that issue is a list of the "Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals," according to Christianity Today. I remember reading this list several years ago and being surprised, and I was surprised all over again when I reviewed this list again. Here are the top 20 from that list:

20. A Wrinkle In Time
Madeleine L'Engle

19. The Cost of Discipleship
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

18. The Divine Conspiracy
Dallas Willard

17. What's So Amazing About Grace?
Philip Yancey

16. Basic Christianity
John Stott

15. The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism
F. H. Henry

14. Let Justice Roll Down
John M. Perkins

13. Evidence That Demands a Verdict
Josh McDowell

12. Power Evangelism
John Wimber with Kevin Springer

11. Celebration of Discipline
Richard J. Foster

10. Evangelism Explosion
D. James Kennedy

9. Through Gates of Splendor
Elisabeth Elliot

8. Managing Your Time
Ted W. Engstrom

7. Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger
Ronald J. Sider

6. The Living Bible
Kenneth N. Taylor

5. Knowing God
J. I. Packer

4. The God Who Is There
Francis A. Schaeffer

3. Mere Christianity
C. S. Lewis

2. Understanding Church Growth
Donald Anderson McGavran

1. Learning Conversational Prayer
Rosalind Rinker

Keep in mind that this list was created in 2006, so nothing recent would have been considered. Nonetheless, I am confused by this list. I would have guessed only about half of these top 20 titles (3-5, 16, and 19 were definitely in my top top 20). At first, I thought the list was just wrong, but then I saw such names as J. I. Packer and Al Mohler on the list of nominators.

I am wondering if this list is actually accurate, and I am just that far outside the norm for evangelical Christians? Or, I am I closer to the norm and the editors of Christianity Today were confused? What do you think? Check out the entire list HERE.

Obama in the Morning

2009-04-03T08:45:00.001-04:00

How about a little Obama in the morning? Let me clarify, Obama in the morning = a hand full of stupid pills and a cup of coffee. Does that sound appealing? It does to a lot of people. Here are some comments from Mark Steyn in the National Review:

Apparently, nothing testifies to the American virtues of self-reliance, entrepreneurial energy and the can-do spirit like joining the vast army of robotic extras droning in unison, “The government needs to do more for me…”

Most Americans don’t yet grasp the scale of the Obama project. The naysayers complain, oh, it’s another Jimmy Carter, or it’s the new New Deal, or it’s LBJ’s Great Society applied to health care… You should be so lucky. Forget these parochial nickel’n’dime comparisons. It’s all those multiplied a gazillionfold and nuclearized – or Europeanized, which is less dramatic but ultimately more lethal. For a distressing number of American liberals, the natural condition of an advanced, progressive western democracy is Scandinavia, and the US has just been taking a wee bit longer to get there.

Even in its heyday – the Sixties and Seventies - the good times in Europe were underwritten by the American security guarantee: The only reason why France could get away with being France, Belgium with being Belgium, Sweden with being Sweden is because America was America. Kagan’s thesis – Americans are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus – will look like paradise lost when the last conventional “great power” of western civilization embraces the death-cult narcissism of its transatlantic confreres in the full knowledge of where that leads. Why would you do anything so crazy? Ah, but these are crazy times: Europeans are from Pluto, Americans are from Goofy.

I wonder what else Obama could do to ensure that America can never recover. I guess I will just have to wait a couple of weeks to see what he does next. The only possible upside I can see to all of Obama’s destruction is that if we become just like much of Europe, then maybe we can follow in their footsteps regarding beer production. Anyone want to share a Heineken and watch America become the next Amsterdam?

Saddleback Silliness

2009-04-01T12:30:00.003-04:00

I know that Rick Warren is an easy target, and, “No”, I do not think he is an antichrist. Nonetheless, I have to mention his latest stunt. He is trying to recreate Pentecost. Many of you may say, “That would be awesome.” Indeed, it is great when God chooses to work in such an obvious and dramatic fashion. However, we are not supposed to try to mimic the outpouring of God’s Spirit. As Paul stated in his letter to the church in Rome, “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Rom. 9:16).

Tim Challies has appropriately labeled this event as “Saddleback Silliness.” Here is Rick Warren's invitation to the congregation at Saddleback:

Two thousand years ago - the Day of Pentecost was the first day of the Christian Church. Acts 2:41 tells us, "About 3,000 people were baptized and joined the church that day." If you'll join us this weekend, history could be repeated at Saddleback! Want to make history?

Which of these requirements do you need to complete this Saturday?
1. Open your heart to Jesus Christ.
2. Attend Class 101: Discovering Your Church Family.
3. Sign our membership covenant (explained in class).
4. Be baptized the way Jesus commanded and modeled for us.

YOU CAN FINISH ALL 4 REQUIREMENTS IN ONE DAY - THIS SATURDAY!

EIGHT REASONS TO JOIN THIS SATURDAY & NOT PROCRASTINATE:

I'm personally teaching Class 101 for the first time in ten years.
I'm personally baptizing after Class and you'll receive a photo & baptism certificate.
You'll get a free one year subscription to Purpose Driven Connection magazine. (Never offered before)
You'll get free copy of The Purpose Driven Church book.
Your name will be included in the historical list of Saddleback Pioneer Members who joined in our first 30 years. (This Easter is our 30th Easter and I want you included in this list.)
The class is 1 hour shorter than normal.You can watch session 3 here online now.
You'll be a part of making Christian history! The largest membership class ever!
We love you and want you in our family. There is no good reason to procrastinate.

I could be wrong, but I thought Jesus told his disciples to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). I cannot find the place in Scripture where Jesus says to have a big breakfast and have your picture taken while swimming with Rick Warren. I think silliness is the kindest adjective we could ascribe to this latest stunt.

I wish that at least one of the eight reasons would have mentioned something about Jesus, the Gospel, Forgiveness, Atonement, or something that has to do with salvation. You may not understand the Gospel, but you can still have a picture of you being dunked by Rick. Also, I'm not even going to begin discussing Saddleback's "requirements" that you can get done in one day.

I should have attended this event; I could have put that picture in my office beside the pictures of me with Mickey Mouse and me with Darth Vader. Then, when Jesus asks me why I should be admitted to Heaven, I can pull out all three pictures and my fancy baptism certificate.

Please remember, Christianity is about Jesus. We are justified because of Jesus’ atoning work. We exist to glorify Jesus. We are baptized to symbolize Jesus’ death and resurrection, as well as our new birth. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, and, again I say, Jesus. If we put the focus on anything else, then we are practicing idolatry.

Our Greatest Need

2009-03-31T08:20:00.007-04:00

According to Thabiti Anyabwile:

The greatest need in the world today is the gospel. It is the greatest need of the world because men, women, and children are perishing without a vital knowledge of God through the good news of our Savior and his Son, Jesus. [I would also add, that the gospel is our greatest need because it is the solution to our greatest problem: sin]

The greatest need in the church today is the gospel. The gospel is not only news for a perishing world, it is the message that forms, sustains, and animates the church. Apart from the gospel, the church has nothing to say - that is, nothing to say that cannot be said by some other human agency. The gospel distinguishes the church from the world, defines her message and mission in the world, and steels her people against the fiery darts of the evil one and the false allurements of sin. The gospel is absolutely vital to a vibrant, joyous, persevering, hopeful, and healthy Christian and Christian church. So essential is the gospel to the Christian life that we need to be saturated in it in order to be healthy church members.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is literally "good news." As news it contains statements of fact and truths derived from those facts. As good news the gospel holds out hope based upon promises of God and grounded in the historical facts and truths that vindicate those promises.

The gospel or good news of Jesus Christ is that God the Father, who is holy and righteous in all his ways, is angry with sinners and will punish sin. Man, who disobeys the rule of God, is alienated from the love of God and is in danger of an eternal and agonizing condemnation at the hands of God. But God, who is also rich in mercy, because of his great love, sent his eternal Son born by the Virgin Mary, to die as a ransom and a substitute for the sins of rebellious people. And now, through the perfect obedience of the Son of God and his willing death on the cross as payment for our sins, all who repent and believe in Jesus Christ, following him as Savior and Lord, will be saved from the wrath of God to come, be declared just in his sight, have eternal life, and receive the Spirit of God as a foretaste of the glories of heaven with God himself.

We must cultivate and protect a ravenous desire for this message. Regularly hearing and plumbing the depths of the gospel increases our knowledge of the message, our affection for the Savior, and our skill in sharing the message.

As church members, our aim is to understand the gospel so deeply, so intimately, that it animates every area of our lives. We want the gospel central to our communication with others, central to how we encourage and correct, central to individual career and relationship decisions, central to the decisions the church makes corporately, and central to all our habits of life. We want the gospel, the God of the gospel, to take priority in every area of life.

This discourse about the Gospel is taken from Thabiti's book, What is a Healthy Church Member. This book is short and concise, but the content is so important for the church today. As D. A. Carson stated, this book "is simultaneously simple and profound." I believe this book should be required reading for every Christian. I would recommend this book for every new members' class. If you church doesn't have a new members' class, then your church members probably need this book even more than the average church member.

If you don't have this book, then you can order it from amazon by clicking here.

Galatians 3:1-14 - Three Purposes of Justification (Part 1)

2009-03-30T22:27:00.008-04:00

It was another convicting Sunday at Remedy Church. As always, you can subscribe to the sermon podcast on iTunes by searching for Remedy Church or you can visit the website and look under media for a link.

This is the first of a two-part sermon. Galatians 3:1-14 contains three purposes of justification. This week, phud only covered the first purpose, which is found in verses 1-5. The first purpose of justification is so that we can receive and live by the Spirit. After initially showing how this first point is evident in these five verses, he then examined some key sections of John 14-16, in order to teach us what is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Here are my notes:

1) Justification is so we can receive the Spirit and live by the Spirit (3:1-5)

Remember, the second and third purposes won’t be covered this week
These verses contain five rhetorical questions filled with sarcasm and rebuke
These rhetorical questions prove that Paul is absolutely right regarding justification by faith alone and the Judaizers are completely wrong
Paul is using the personal experience of the Galatians to prove his argument
You do not receive the Holy Spirit until after Justification; so, he asks them when they received the Holy Spirit (brilliant strategy)
It is understood by all Christians at this time, because it was the teaching of the Apostles, that you receive the Holy Spirit after and because you are justified.

What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit?

There are 7 primary ministries found in John 14-16

1. He will teach us all things and will guide us into all truth (14:26a; 16:13)

These two go hand in hand
Everything the Holy Spirit teaches us is true
We have the greatest commentator of the Bible living within us; which would seem to indicate that if you can’t seem to understand the Bible very well, then you either aren’t actually putting in effort to study it or you are not a Christian
Doctrine of perspicuity – we can understand Scripture

2. He will bring to remembrance what Jesus said in his Word (14:26b)

This was first to the biblical authors and the Apostles, regarding Jesus’ ministry and teachings
This is also true for us regarding Scripture (apply to the tasks of evangelism and the mortification of sin)

3. He will bear witness about Jesus (15:26)

This means that the Holy Spirit bears witness through me (because he lives in me) and into the ears of those he is calling
Application for preaching and other evangelism (because, yes, preaching is evangelism)

4. He will convict the world concerning sin (16:7-8)

In this ministry, He is a counselor in the sense of a prosecuting attorney
He points to our guilt, makes our sin known, ad leads us to repentance
No conviction means the Holy Spirit is not present; no Holy Spirit means you haven’t been justified; no justification means you are still the object of God’s wrath (conviction suddenly seems more appealing, doesn’t it)

5. He only speaks what Jesus tells him to (16:13)

As part of the triune God, he know the mind of the Father and Son fully
He never communicates anything new or original; He never contradicts previous revelation

6. He will declare the things that are to come (16:13c)

True of the biblical authors (especially John)
For us, this primarily indicates that He will show us the whole Christian way; guide our steps
He also makes eschatology discernable

7. He will glorify Jesus; He always points to Jesus (16:14)

His ministry is based on nothing else but the completed work of Christ
This means our worship, our life, and our ministry is radically Christ-centered
The Holy Spirit exists for the same reason as the rest of the Trinity and all of creation: to glorify God (particularly Christ)

IMPLICATIONS

An unbeliever trying to find purpose in his life is like a baby trying to grab hold of a wet bar of soap; we can only find purpose in Christ, and he has to make that happen

For a believer, we can see 3 characteristics that should be present – 3x in Acts that someone is said to be full of the Holy Spirit

1. Service (choosing deacons in Acts 6:5)

2. Suffering (Stephen being martyred in Acts 7:55)

3. Conversions occurring around you (describing Barnabas in Acts )

These things should will characterize you (your life and ministry) if you are full of and living by the Spirit

Endnote: It is better for us to have the Holy Spirit in us than it would be for us to have Christ with us

John 16:5-7
Peter and the other disciples (excluding the non-regenerate one, Judas) lived bolder and holier lives with the Holy Spirit in them than they did when they were ministering alongside Jesus Christ

PRAISE GOD for this mighty comforter, counselor, teacher, and guide.

Time Well Spent, Or Not?

2009-03-30T11:49:00.004-04:00

This is a sobering quote from Shaun Groves:

On your first day on the other side of the grave, do you think you’ll look back on this life and be flooded with gratitude for hours spent watching episodes of American Idol and Lost? Do you think you’ll look back fondly on the effort and money spent remodeling the kitchen? Do you think you’ll be glad you were up-to-date on the juicy details of celebrity lives? Will you be thankful for the hours, days, weeks, years you lived feeling victimized and sorry for yourself? Will you regret not spending more time at the office? Will you wish you had been more of a people pleaser? Will you miss your caffeine, porn or Facebook?

Me neither

I think that most of us should be convicted by this statement. If you’re not, then I either need to share the gospel with you or be discipled by you. Also, I found it interesting that he put Facebook and caffeine in the same category as porn.

Tim Challies also has a good post that deals with our television consumption, primarily regarding retirees.

Joseph Gleason has also recently posted about "ditching your television." Here is a brief excerpt:

Television works in much the same way [as breathing Carbon Monoxide]. It doesn't necessarily hurt you directly. You can watch nothing but "Little House on the Prairie" and "Leave it to Beaver" and go months without seeing sex or violence. So how could TV be bad?

The real question is, "What else could I do with my time if I wasn't sitting in front of the TV?" We only have 24 hours in a day. And two hours spent watching TV equals two hours spent not reading, not hiking, not having a conversation with neighbors, not romping with the children, not baking a cake, not playing a musical instrument and not making love to your spouse.

If you're like me, then this is the point at which you begin making excuses for yourself. Go ahead.

Going My Own Way

2009-03-28T22:23:00.006-04:00

A couple of weeks ago on the Whitehorse Inn, Michael Horton stated, "If you think that you have the right to live however you want to live and believe whatever you want to believe, then you are not a Christian." I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Christianity is about dying to self, which includes your rights, plans, and beliefs. In order for there to be new birth, the old me has to be put to death. Being a Christian means being born AGAIN.

Within the Christian Church, there is a never-ending debate regarding deeds versus creeds. What is more important, practice or theology? Horton's statement addresses both sides of this coin. In truth, both sides are necessary and essential; however, the point of Horton's statement is that both sides must be brought into submission to authority. We must submit our way of living and believing to the authority of God, who has revealed himself in the Bible, and the leadership of our local church (although the authority of the church is only a derived authority).

In today's culture, the idea of submitting ourselves to any authority is unappealing. Sermons discussing submission to church authority or wives submitting to husbands are never popular and rarely heard at any of the mega churches. For instance, you will never hear Joel Osteen preach about church discipline, except maybe in opposite world. In fact, few churches even practice church discipline anymore, which is an indication that the church leaders care more about being liked by the congregation than they do about loving and shepherding the congregation.

The ideas of "going my own way" or "choosing my own path" cannot coexist with Christianity. As Christians, we are a chosen people, a body, and a family. This is true of the global church, and also has application on the local church level. God never intended for a Christian to be a loner, which means that we must submit to those in authority over us. This is true in a family: children are under the authority and guidance of the parents, with the husband as the head. This is true in any form of national government: citizens must obey the laws created by whatever authority is in place. Why do we think the church should be different from the rest of God's created order? In fact, God is the one who created authority.

Furthermore, a wise man will not only accept, but embrace this authority and guidance. I need to daily look to the Scriptures as my guide for what to believe and how to live. I also need to look to the Christian leaders, especially the appointed leadership of my local church (elders/pastors), for guidance. The bottom line is that God obviously knows what I should believe and how I should live; he created me and everything else. God knows what is true; he is the standard for truth. It would be stupid for me to think that I don't need to study the Scriptures to determine my theology and practice.

Also, there are many men who are much wiser and have studied more than me. They can help me to understand what the Bible says to be true in the areas of both theology and practice. Why do you think seminary students read books written by much older and wiser men? I've yet to have a seminary professor assign a book written by myself or one of my classmates.

The idea that I am the best judge and authority for what is true and right is one of the most damaging lies that Satan has ever told. It is sad and frustrating that so many professing Christians believe this lie, especially when they could believe and live according to the truth of Scripture. We have got to stop following the lead of people like Oprah and Deepak Chopra. Any spiritual guide who tells you that you should be your own spiritual authority is an instrument of Satan. Anybody who claims there are multiple paths you can take to get to God or enlightenment is a tool of Satan. Anyone who points you to anyone other than (or in addition to) Christ is wrong, and is being used as a pawn by Satan.

The authority for the life and belief of a Christian is the triune God, as revealed in Scripture, as conveyed in a heritage, as made real in experience; both corporate and personal (the order is crucial). This order of authority lists itself out in this way: at the top is God, then the Bible, Christian heritage, the local Church, and at the bottom is the individual.

(1) God is the ultimate authority.

(2) We know about God, because he chose to reveal himself to mankind through his Words: the spoken Word to the prophets, the living Word in the person of Jesus Christ, and the written Word of Scripture. Practically, for the church today, this means we look to the Bible as the recorded revelation of the prophets, Jesus, and Scripture.

(3) We look to the Godly heritage of those men who have come before us. This means that we believe that there is something to be learned from great Christian leaders throughout church history.

(4) The authority of corporate experience means that we seek guidance form our local church, primarily the elders/pastors.

(5) Finally, we look to our own experience and opinions. Notice that our own expertise comes last in the line of authority. This is because we are all idiots, at least some of the time, if not most of the time. As Matt Chandler has stated, we all look back at ourselves from ten years ago, and think that we were dumb. Why do we think that we will draw different conclusions of our current selves ten years from now?

In conclusion, authority is from God. It is a means of grace for the believer. Structured authority is for God’s glory and our benefit. Trying to “go your own way” is walking down the path of destruction. God may allow you to proceed down that path, but you probably won’t like where it leads.

Do your Christian friends drink? Should they?

2009-03-25T15:07:00.007-04:00

If you enjoy laughing, then check out this post discussing how to find out if another Christian drinks or not. If you don't enjoy laughing, then I have nothing else to say to you. Seriously. Stop reading, turn off your computer, and go into the other room.

Now, for those of you who enjoy laughing, here are a few quotes from the post. I would have just copied the entire post and pretended that it was mine, but that would have been dishonest (and it is too long).

I don't have all the right answers. I wish I did, because I would grind them up and make a spray called "Cool Answer Cologne." Then when your friend was confused about something you could just squirt them in the face until they understood.

There are people that will leg drop you if they find out you drink. People that will say things like, "I really think all the bad things that happened to you are God punishing you for starting to drink wine." (Real quote from a friend)

One of my favorite places on the planet is the Garage Cafe & Bar in Birmingham, Alabama. Tell a story about a place you've visited and see if the first reaction is, "A bar? You went to a bar? Do you think you'll get a fold out couch bed in hell or a bunk bed when you go?"

I thought I would try to use this as an opportunity to invite discussion about drinking as a Christian. If I drink a few beers or a glass of wine, do I have a cot reserved for me in Hell, or am I just joining the Apostle Paul at the bar?

What can the Church learn from Dunkin Donuts?

2009-03-25T09:02:00.006-04:00

What can we learn from Dunkin Donuts? Michael Kelley thinks we can learn alot, and I agree with him. Here is his intro paragraph and two concluding paragraphs.

Dunkin Donuts is creaming Starbucks right now. Dunkin won the taste test, it’s 3 times cheaper, and the company is actually expanding whereas Starbucks is closing stores every day. Dunkin is about to roll out a $100 million marketing campaign to trumpet the results of the taste test and try and put the dagger into the heart of Seattle. Some people are saying that Starbucks has seen its better days, and that this is just the beginning of the downhill slide.

Seems like there’s a lesson in there for us as Christ-followers somewhere. Now hear me say this - I’m all for contextualizing the gospel. But I’m also for simply proclaiming what we have to “sell” rather than trying too hard at it.

And you know what else? The thing that we have? It actually tastes good. Maybe the problem is that we don’t really believe the gospel tastes good. We don’t believe it tastes good, so we feel the need to pile alot of stuff ontop of it to make it more palpable. Maybe if we really believed it tasted good, we would have the courage to let it speak for itself, like Dunkin did, rather than trying to help out the product so much.

Read the entire post HERE.

A Break from Galatians

2009-03-24T23:46:00.009-04:00

This past Sunday, at Remedy Church, Phud (the teaching pastor) detoured from the book of Galatians to continue discussing the doctrine of Justification. I don't think it is possible to overstate or spend too much time on this doctrine. Therefore, I stayed in my seat and listened to the Word preached.

He preached Luke 7:36-50 and identified five correct responses to a proper understanding of Justification. Here is the outline:

----- 5 Responses to Justification (Luke 7:36-50) -----

1) A believer who understands God's forgiveness loves "sinners" (37-39)
If you understand forgiveness and justification, then you know that you were, and still are, a dirty, rotten sinner
A proper response is that we will want to be around nonbelievers (1 Cor. 9:19-23)
We are all sinners; Christ loved sinners
2) A believer who understands God's forgiveness stops trying to repay God for being forgiven (41-43)
We could not earn salvation, we cannot repay justification, and it is an insult to God when we try to do either
We must accept the free gift of forgiveness
A response of obedience out of gratitude is different than trying to earn or repay
The proper response isn't repayment, but worship
3) A believer who understands God's forgiveness will become a servant (44-46)
The opposite of selfishness
This applicable to every area of our lives
A proper response is giving our time, money, and everything else to Christ and Christlike service of others
4) A believer who understands God's forgiveness will love God much (47)
Compare the Pharisee and the Prostitute
We are all the 500; there is no 50
There aren't good, average, and bad men; Christ is the one good man, and the rest of us are bad
We are all Gomer, and Christ is our Hosea
If you don't understand the depth/extent of your sin, then you won't have a proper affection for Christ
We must understand God's holiness and our sin/depravity in order to understand properly the cross of Christ and have proper affection for God
5) A believer who understands God's forgiveness must [or has] put their faith in Christ, because only he can forgive sin (48-50)
We must preach the Gospel to ourselves daily
Jesus was re-preaching the Gospel to this woman; he was reminding her of God's forgiveness
We should never grow tired of hearing the Gospel, and we cannot let ourselves go a day without hearing it
Read Romans 8:31-39 for a final thought.

Like I already stated, it is impossible to give too much attention to the work Christ did on the cross and continues to do in the lives of his elect. We should praise God that each one of these responses is possible because of that atoning work. The application of the Gospel to our lives is never ending, and we should never grow tired of hearing it.

I would like to also include the lyrics to my favorite hymn. The words are very relevant:

BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD ABOVE

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!

One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God

A Theology of Struggling

2009-03-24T09:57:00.020-04:00

As a part of his series on Repentance, Matt Chandler's most recent sermon was entitled "A Theology of Struggle." Everyone should download this sermon, and probably this entire series. Some of the highlights of this sermon include his summary of what the Bible says is the "right way" and "wrong way" to struggle with sin; he calls this later category "the cycle of doom."

He basically defines "the cycle of doom" as giving in to the temptation that constantly attacks us, experiencing ungodly grief over our sin in this area of struggle, trying to fix ourselves, working hard to avoid this sin, eventually falling back into the same sin again, and then repeating this pattern for thirty years. He says that this is the wrong response to the wrong motive. Unfortunately, this pattern defines the majority of evangelicalism. It is a repeating of two unbiblical practices: feeling ungodly guilt over our sin and attempting to overcome the temptation by our own willpower. This "cycle of doom" can only lead to depression and angst whenever we fail, and even if we are successful for a season, it will only lead to pharisaism. This pattern cannot lead to godliness.

The alternative option that he offers to his listeners is to essentially trash this mindset of being able to fix ourselves. Instead we need to embrace the biblical teaching that we don't stand a chance at sanctifying ourselves without God's grace. Justification and Sanctification are equally reliant upon God's grace. We should spend more time pleading with the Father to change us into a more Christlike version of ourselves by the working of the Spiritm and then repeat that for thirty years. One important clarification: this "right way" of struggling with temptation does not negate our responsibility for sin; rather, it puts our ability to fix ourselves into proper perspective.

Another important point that he makes is that we often convince ourselves that we are doing everything we can to combat the recurring sin in our lives. However, if no one else knows about this sin, then you haven't done everything. In reality, you haven't even begun to fight because we are supposed to be fighting together as an army against sin, temptation, and evil. Christians are meant to do life together in community. We need prayer, accountability, and counsel. Overcoming sin requires community.

Godly guilt and repentance can only be birthed out of a proper understanding of our depravity and God's holiness. Whenever we sin, we offend God. However, Christ atoned for all of our offenses on the cross. Therefore, we should live obediently out of gratitude, not guilt. We trust in God to provide the grace for both our right standing and right conduct. The wrong mode is not white-knuckled discipline, but reliance upon God. Because, no matter how aggressively or sincerely we try to avoid temptation, we cannot stop sinning unless God trains us in righteousness. This training, our sanctification, is a process that relies completely upon God's grace. Also, don't become impatient; part of sanctification involves waiting on the Lord.

What do we do while we wait on the Lord? We try to "position ourselves under the waterfall of God's grace." This includes putting ourselves under biblical teaching, positioning ourselves in accountable community, seeking opportunities for training in righteousness, and trying to walk in obedience while we wait. We all struggle, the goal is to struggle well while we are moving forward towards godliness.

The best quote of the sermon: "I am constantly perplexed at the belief that you're going to stumble into godliness."

Catholicism: Weighed and Measured

2009-03-23T11:03:00.005-04:00

Kevin DeYoung has a great post entitled Is the Reformation Over?, in which he, among other things, lists some of the primary differences between Protestant and Catholic theology. I am reproducing the majority of that post, because I think it is an excellent summary:

For the most part, I'll just point out the difference rather than mount a case for the Protestant understanding of things. The questions I get as a pastor in a Reformed church are not usually along the lines of "Why is Catholicism wrong?" but "How is it different?"

The Church
Since Vatican II, the Catholic church has softened its stance toward Protestants, calling them “estranged brothers.” Nevertheless, to be a part of the church in its fullness one must be immersed in the Roman Catholic system of sacraments, orders, and under the authority of the Pope. “Fully incorporated into the society of the Church are those who...are joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules here through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops.” Further, the Pope is considered infallible when he speaks ex cathedra (from the chair); that is, when he makes official doctrinal pronouncements. The Catholic church also has seven sacraments instead of two–Eucharist (or Lord’s Supper) and baptism like Protestants, and then penance, holy orders, marriage, confirmation, and last rites.

Scripture
Catholics have a larger biblical canon. In addition to the 66 books in the Protestant Bible, Catholic Bibles include the Apocrypha, with books like Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccebees, Sirach, and Baruch. Catholic teaching also elevates Tradition more than Protestants do. Granted, many evangelicals suffer from ignoring tradition and the wisdom of the past. But Catholic theology goes beyond just respecting the past; it sacralizes it. “Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence,” states the Catechism. Likewise, the Magisterium has the authority to make definitive interpretations. “The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living, teaching, office of the Church alone...to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.”

Lord’s Supper
Central to the Catholic faith is the Mass (their worship service). Central to the Mass is the celebration of the Eucharist. Catholics believe that bread and wine are transubstantiated into the actual, physical body and blood of Jesus Christ. The elements are offered as a sacrifice from the church and a sacrifice of Jesus Christ’s work on the cross. This is not simply a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice, but the same atoning work: “The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice...the sacrifice [of the Eucharist] is truly propitiatory.”

Baptism
Catholics teach that “justification is conferred in Baptism.” The waters of baptism wash away original sin and join us with Christ. Baptism is not merely a sign and seal of grace, but actually confers saving grace.

Mary
Mary is not only the Mother of Christ, but the Mother of the Church. She was conceived without original sin (the immaculate conception) and at the end of her earthly life “was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over al things” (assumption). She intercedes for the church, “continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation,” and is “a mother to us in the order of grace.” Mary was more than just the faith-filled mother of Jesus: “The Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”

Purgatory
Those who die in God’s grace, but still imperfectly purified, are assured of eternal life, but must first undergo purification in purgatory. Because of the presence of this intermediate state, the Catholic church has developed the practice of prayer for the dead. “The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead.” Concerning the salvation of those who do not hear the gospel, the Catholic Catechism states “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience–those too may achieve eternal salvation.”

Merit
It is not really fair to say “Catholics teach that you can earn your salvation.” That may be what many Catholics believe, but the official teaching of Rome is more nuanced, but still troubling. The Catechism summarizes: “Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no once can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life.”

Justification
Catholic teaching rejects the Protestant understanding of imputed righteousness. The question is this: is the righteousness whereby we are forgiven and made right with God a righteousness working in us or a righteousness reckoned to our account? Catholics say the former, Protestants the latter. The difference is between infused and imputed righteousness–infused righteousness is like having $100 in cold hard cash in your actual possession, imputed righteousness is like having $100 wired to your account. According to Catholic teaching, justification is more than God’s declaration of our righteousness based on Christ’s work, it is also a renewal of the inner man and reconciliation with God. Of course, these are good things too, but Catholics make them present in and through justification, rather than by faith alone. The Council of Trent, from the 16th century Catholic counter-reformation, declares: “If anyone says, that men are justified, either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of grace and charity that is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, and is inherent in them; or even that the grace, whereby we are justified, is only the favor of God: let him be anathema.”

Can Catholics and Protestants be friends? Sure. Are they brothers and sisters in Christ? Often. Are they still divided by significant doctrinal distinctives? Absolutely.

I agree with DeYoung that it is great that Protestants and Catholics are at peace, for the most part. However, we do need to remain aware of the doctrinal distinctives that keep us separate from that church, and we need to pray that God would correct both the Roman Catholic doctrine and our own doctrine anywhere that it doesn't accurately represent God and Scripture.

Also, if you are reading this post, then you probably have an opinion about these matters. Do you agree with DeYoung on all of the above matters? Do you think that the Protestants are correct in each area mentioned? Or, do you think that we have something to learn from the Catholic Church in one or more of these areas?

Our Greatest Need

2009-03-23T09:35:00.009-04:00

I saw this quote on the Vitamin Z blog. Understanding our greatest need is essential to understanding the gospel. This quote expresses a core truth that I wish all Christians would grasp. Also, it is particularly applicable in our current economic climate. I had to post it:

“If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.”

- D.A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation

The John Calvin is Awesome Conference + The Church is for Training

2009-03-20T09:18:00.017-04:00

The 2009 Ligonier National Conference was preceded by a “John Calvin” Mini-Conference. If you ask me, these addresses were part of the conference. The only reason they label them separately is because they probably didn't want to be forced into changing the name of the conference to The Holiness of God + John Calvin is Awesome 2009. This series of four addresses was wrapped up with a Q&A session featuring the four men who had delivered addresses. Here are the answers to one of the questions that Tim Challies live blogged - LEAVE US WITH SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT YOU’VE LEARNED FROM CALVIN’S LIFE OR WRITING:

Ferguson - He has been the model of what a gospel minister in a local congregation should be.

Lawson - To understand Calvin is to understand Calvin the preacher. He was many things, but primarily a preacher. This is what is so desperately needed in churches today.

Mohler - I am in agreement with the other two so will just add this. Calvin was also a teacher and he understood the necessity of the church to be a school. We want the churches to again be the schools of Christ. I want to die like Calvin died, studying and teaching and preaching to the end. Calvin didn’t retire; he died. (emphasis mine)

Duncan - Calvin taught me that the fundamental problem we face as human beings is idolatry. There are true worshippers of God and idolaters; that is all. The doctrine of the atonement—Calvin gave the best biblical explanation of the atonement that had been given in 1560 years. There have been great ones since, but none before.

There is so much that we can learn from Calvin, and the one point that Mohler made is crucial. Our churches are supposed to be schools of theology. Why have we forgotten this fact? Jesus wants disciples, not converts. Furthermore, the Bible clearly teaches that if someone is truly converted, then God is going to finish the process of turning him into a disciple. Yet, the church has decided to be almost completely hands off in this process.

When someone begins the process to become a doctor, lawyer, or carpenter, we don't accept him into the school or hire him for the job and then assume that he will figure it out by only attending one brief seminar each Sunday morning. In every area of the professional world, we want people to be well trained. We prefer to know who a person was trained by, how much time he has put into learning a trade, and what is his current skill level. We are constantly assessing and reassessing everyone's knowledge and/or ability. However, when someone becomes a Christian, all we do is encourage them to read the Bible some on their own and come to church each week. If a church is really zealous, then the leaders will suggest that everyone attend a small group for an additional couple of hours each week. Is this sufficient? I don't think so. However, I also don't think that pastors should start preaching six nights each week.

I have two suggestions. First, most churches need to improve the content of the material their members receive during those view hours each week. Please, if you are a teacher/preacher, then preach exegetically from the Bible. Also, stop giving your small groups Beth Moore and Max Lucado. Second, we need to create discipleship plans for our congregations. This plan could be a ministry training program, similar to a less intense Bible college. Or, this plan could just be a well thought out offering of classes, studies, and other educational opportunities at the church. In the end, we cannot force feed the sheep, but many pastors and church staffs are doing a pathetic job of even preparing a meal and setting the table.

The average Christian needs to be challenged (notice I didn't write "the average church member"). If someone is truly regenerate, then God is in the process of changing their passions and priorities. The local church needs to begin training them in correct thought and deed. Most Churches are quick to give a new believer a list of things they have to stop doing, but they usually don't hand them the a copy of the Apostle's Creed to memorize with that list of actions they need to correct. God wants our head, heart, and hands. Believers are to pursue pure deeds and affections, but they should also strive for orthodox theology. The church is supposed to be the place that teaches them orthodoxy, not Oprah, a Television Pastor, or a book they buy in Wal-Mart.

Also, to be fair, some churches are already doing everything I am proposing. Some churches are training their members better than most seminaries are training their students. I actually stole my ideas from those churches, and they have proven how effective a local church can be at training its members.

Live Webcast: Ligonier National Conference

2009-03-19T11:12:00.003-04:00

The Ligonier National Conference began this morning with a mini preconference on the Legacy of John Calvin. The entire conference is being webcast on the Ligonier website and live blogged by Tim Challies.

What Mark Dever CAN and CANNOT Live With as a Pastor

2009-03-19T10:26:00.003-04:00

Mark Dever has put together a list of “What I CAN and CANNOT Live With as a Pastor," over at the 9marks blog. You may be surprised by some of his evaluations. Here is a preview to wet your appetite:

“Let me throw out a bunch of different examples that are relevant to my particular situation: organs, female elders, universalism, altar calls, humor, multi-site campuses, drums, the KJV, stained glass, racism, infant baptism, no formal membership, sermons limited to 10 minutes, large and high pulpits, TV studio-like acoustics. My goal in what follows is not to give you a sacrosanct playbook, but to illustrate how I go about thinking through practical matters.”

This post is worth the short time it will take to read, because it will force you to think through these issues. Also, I was very surprised that he put both female elders and no formal membership in his CAN list. He does make some clarifications regarding those and almost every other issue on either list, so you will have to read the post to get his full opinion.

Lyrics I Can Relate To

2009-03-19T09:17:00.017-04:00

Okay, I will rarely mention contemporary music on this blog. First, because I am out of the loop regarding new music. I usually stay about five years behind the curve. Second, I truly believe that little, if any, of today's music can compare lyrically with the great hymns of the church. The content in the hymns of Martin Luther and many others is in an entirely different category. My favorite hymn is Before the Throne of God Above.

Nonetheless, I recently discovered a song that I can definitely relate to. I don't think it is a very recent release, but it is new to me. Here are the lyrics:

Addison Road - What Do I Know Of Holy

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all, No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are you fire? Are you fury?
Are you sacred? Are you beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
But, those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

I can definitely relate to growing up in a "Christian" environment, without the presence of Christ. When I first caught a glimpse of who God is, at the age of seventeen, I was brought down to my knees. And, I still struggle with making God too small. I think myself, Job (after his interactions with God), and every other Christian can relate to the main question: What do I know of Holy? What can we know of Holy? Only what the Bible communicates to us, and most of us are struggling to grasp that.

If you ever think you have the Holy God of the universe figured out, then go back and read the book of Job again. I think Job should be required reading for every Christian, at least once a year. What do we know of Holy?

IDOL of Comfort for Parents

2009-03-18T08:50:00.007-04:00

A recent post at LifeTogether summarizes two idols for our reflection taken from Paul Tripp’s book Age of Opportunity. These are potential idols for every parent to guard against. Here is the summary of one of those idols that pierced my soul:

Idol of Comfort:

Secretly in our heart, many of us want our life to be a resort. A resort is a place where we are the one who is served. Our needs come first, we have paid our money and we have the right to expect certain things. Many of us bring this entitlement mentality to our parenting. We reason that we have the right to quiet, harmony, peace and respect, and we respond in anger when we do not get it. Life is a war. If we demand comfort, regularity, peace, space, harmony, we will begin to see our child as the enemy. We will begin to fight with them rather than for them. (emphasis mine)

As a parent to two boys, one of which is a very hyper and exhausting three-year-old, it was very difficult to read these words. May we never make our children the enemies. Rather, we should follow the advice of another post on the LifeTogether blog and treat our children as missionaries in training.

If you haven’t visited the LifeTogether blog, then you are missing some great insights. If you are married with children, then you cannot afford to avoid this blog.

Driscoll on Athanasius

2009-03-18T00:50:00.004-04:00

Over at the Resurgence, Driscoll has begun posting what appears to be a series of posts which briefly discuss some the great church leaders throughout history. He appropriately posted about Saint Patrick today, or actually yesterday now. He also posted about Augustine and Athanasius, two of the greatest theologians of the early church. Here is a link to his post on Athanasius. I am linking to that post, because he is my favorite Early Church Father.

If you don't understand how anyone could be such a huge fan of this lesser known figure in church history (less known than Luther, Calvin, or Augustine), then you obviously haven't read On the Incarnation. Do yourself a favor, download this writing from Google books and set aside several hours to work through it. This work will change your life. If you want more information about Athanasius, then check out Desiring God. Piper has a great audio resource on the life and ministry of Athansius, and he also has a book, Contending For Our All, which discusses the impact of this great theologian.

Galatians 2:15-21 - Justification (Part 2)

2009-03-16T22:57:00.019-04:00

Remedy Church Sermon Summary – 03/15/2009
Galatians 2:15-21 (Part 2)

1) (From last week) We are not justified by works, but through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ alone, which only comes form God (15-16)

2) When we are justified, we are declared NOT to be sinners, so that Jesus is not a minister of sin (17-18)
Read Job 1; Jam. 1:13 to gain some insight regarding God's relationship to evil/temptation
"Christ [like the law] did not bring sin, but unveiled it." - Calvin
We cannot charge Jesus as the author of evil - this would be unbiblical and would result in a God who we would not want to worship or serve
3) We are justified so that we can live to God (19)
There should be a change in the life of a believer (1 Jn. 1:5-8)
Our first spouse (the Law) is dead [we have died to the Law], so that we can be married to Christ [alive to Christ] in order to bear fruit/serve in the new way (Rom. 7:1-4, 6)
Justification is supposed to effect the way we live - You are living for something/someone, if it isn't Christ, then you are practicing idolatry
To hate sin, means to love and live for Christ - We are trading one master for another
see 1 Thes. 5:23-24
Questions:
How comfortable are you with your sin?
How often do you confess your sin?
How carefully do you plan your spending?
4) Justification means counting Jesus' death as our own (20-21)
Christ is living in us by the Holy Spirit (regeneration) and through our partaking in the benefits of the atonement (justification)
Calvin said that we have to experience the consequences of Christ's atoning death and claim the benefits for ourselves
Faith is not just an agreement that Jesus exists or that he died for our sins or that he is the only way to salvation - Faith means giving all of ourselves to Christ

As always, you can listen to the full sermon by searching for Remedy Church on iTunes or by visiting the Remedy Church website.

I think it is worth spending some more time discussing the second point, due to nature of this subject. It seems that there is a fine line to walk that affirms God's complete sovereignty while denying his ability to sin, tempt, or create evil. At the very least, it is clear that God knowingly created the possibility for evil; otherwise, we have to deny his omniscience or his lone creative ability. It is also clear that he uses the evil in the world to accomplish his purposes.

There are no good analogies or catchy slogans for explaining how God created the possibility of evil and even uses evil for his purposes and his glory without being responsible for the evil or temptation which ensued. The Bible clearly indicates that God is sovereign over all things, but not capable of evil. We cannot simply dismiss one claim or the other.

For example, let's look at the first chapter of Job's story. God clearly initiated the conversation with Satan regarding Job. There is no indication that Satan had any intention of mentioning Job. God also allows Satan to perform evil deeds and tempt Job with anything except death. Verse 16 even states that "The fire of God fell from the sky and consumed Job's sheep and servants." God was definitely sovereign in this situation.

The most interesting aspect of this whole situation is Job's words in this chapter. In verse 21, Job exclaims "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away." Then, in verse 22, the narrator states that "Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." So, Job was able to attribute his loss to God without charging God with wrongdoing. How is this possible? I do not pretend to fully understand God, his creation, or the relationship between the two. Nonetheless, I do know that God is both fully sovereign and unable to do evil or tempt mankind (Jam. 1:13).

I often find myself mistakenly trying to justify God's words or actions, as if he needs my defense. Nonetheless, it is difficult to discuss certain passages of Scripture without immediately going to God's defense: Lam. 1-3 (particularly 3:38), Isa. 45:7, Amos 3:6; 1 Kings 22:23; Job). If I defend God out of a desire to see people rightly understand my sovereign Lord, then such explanation could be profitable. However, we cannot defend God as if he has done something wrong which needs to be sugar coated. He may have done some things that we do not like or understand, but he has done no wrong.

In the end, I do not think we can fully understand this relationship until we receive glorified minds. God's dominion and sovereignty over his creation is not able to be explained or analogized, because we are not able to comprehend what it is to create. We cannot create something from nothing. Yes, humans do resemble God in the fact that we are creative, but we do not actually create anything. At best, we assemble something using God's creation. We cannot understand true dominion, because it is not possible for us to experience it. Nor is it possible for us to experience sovereignty.

Likewise, we cannot fully comprehend the holiness of God. The concept of complete inability to sin has probably only been even vaguely realized by those men and women who followed Christ during his ministry. They were able to see holiness and the complete absence of sin or depravity, but even they were viewing Christ and his life and works through depraved eyes. For the average American, holiness could not be further from our comprehension, much less our attributes or practice. God alone is holy.

Because of our inferiority to God, in every possible way, we are probably not capable of understanding how God can be sovereign in certain situations; yet, no evil can be attributed to him. Nonetheless, the Bible makes both of these facts clear.

Advance Conference 2009

2009-03-16T09:10:00.008-04:00

This should be a great conference. The speakers include John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, and Ed Stetzer. If you live within a few hours of Durham and you don't have unalterable plans for June 4-6, then you should definitely consider attending.

Sanctification Through Podcasts

2009-03-14T22:46:00.005-04:00

I don't know a lot about God's means of sanctification. I do know that he uses whomever and whatever he chooses to accomplish his purposes in all of creation, and this includes my personal sanctification. A couple of guaranteed means of sanctification are wives and children. My wife and children challenge, encourage, and inspire me on a daily basis. They are also the best method of accountability, because they see the places in your life that are less than perfect (or less than average). Anyway, moving on to the point of this post.

I can't be sure of exactly of how or when my sanctification will be furthered. What I do know is that prayer and reading Scripture are two activities that the Bible indicates as being part of the Christian life. These also seem to be to definite methods of doing your part to attempt to become more Christlike. However, if you are like me, then these two activities are easier described than accomplished. I truly have a desire to pray and study the Bible daily, but sometimes life gets in the way. Most of the time, my life is far more hectic than I would prefer, and this makes is easy for my flesh to make excuses for my lake of diligence.

One method I have found for giving myself time in prayer and the Scriptures is to take advantage of my commute each morning and evening. It takes me about 35-40 minutes each way, so this is a great time to spend praying. However, I find it distracting to read the Bible while driving (I hope you do to). Nonetheless, I did find a way to feed myself a steady diet of Scripture while driving. I started downloading sermons and podcasts. This is a great way to fill your mind with Scripture and exegesis of that Scripture. This is also a great way to redeem your commute, which most of us do not enjoy.

Here is a list of the podcasts (some are sermoncasts) that I subscribe to

John Piper's Weekly Sermon (Bethlehem Baptist)
Mark Driscoll's Weekly Sermon (Mars Hill)
Matt Chandler's Weekly Sermon (Village Church)
The White Horse Inn (Michael Horton and friends)
Christ the Center (some PCA guys from Westminster)
Ask Pastor John (bitesize Piper)
Renewing Your Mind - R C Sproul
Let My People Think - Ravi Zacharias
The Albert Mohler Program

The first four are my favorites, but the rest are definitely worth your time. If you have any other podcasts to recommend, then please leave a comment. I am always on the lookout for something new.

Piper on the Recession

2009-03-12T09:08:00.006-04:00

Five of God’s Purposes in this Recession (according to John Piper)

1) God intends in this recession to expose hidden sin and to bring us to repentance and cleansing
2) God intends to wake us up to the constant and desperate condition of the developing world, where they are always in recession
3) God intends to relocate the roots of our joy in His grace and not in our goods, in His mercy and not in our money, and in His worth and not in our wealth
4) God intends to advance his saving mission in the world and spread the Gospel like wild fire and grow His church precisely at a time when they have the least resources to do it
5) God intends for the church to care for its hurting members and to grow in the gift of love so that no one is in need in the church of Jesus Christ, period

Piper actually said that "God has graciously brought this recession upon us." This is a very different way of looking at our nation’s present circumstances; yet, considering his list of five things that God is doing during this time, he may be right. If God is using this time to even do any one of these five things in our church (locally or globally), then we should praise God for this recession. Any one of these outcomes would far out weigh any amount of money, possessions, or job security.

Religion Vs. Christianity: Then and Now

2009-03-10T17:09:00.004-04:00

I am partaking in Tim Challies most recent Reading the Classics project. Basically, Tim picks a book that he considers to be a classic of Christian literature, everyone reads a chapter each week, and we all discuss it via comments on his weekly blog post. The book we are reading this time is William Wilberforce's A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians, in the Higher and Middle Classes in this country, contrasted with Real Christianity.

This book is more commonly known as Real Christianity or sometimes A Practical View, but I support the full title. If I ever publish a book (which is doubtful), I would like to follow this paradigm for choosing a title. In fact, I wish all books were required to have the thesis of the book as the title, this practice would simplify the process of explaining to someone else the content of the book your reading or deciding which book to read next. Honestly, who had a clue what Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis was about before opening the book?

Wilberforce's book, although written a long time ago in a far away land, already appears to have much application for the contemporary American church. It is discouraging how close the initial assessment of the local churches in his day mirrors American Christianity. Many recent publications, such as Michael Horton's Christless Christianity or Ronald Sider's Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience seem to have much of the same purpose. Wilberforce clearly communicates his intention in the Introduction:

"The main object he has in view is, not to convince the skeptic, or to answer the arguments of persons who avowedly oppose the fundamental doctrines of our religion; but to point out the scanty and erroneous system of the bulk of those who belong to the class of orthodox Christians, and to contrast their defective scheme with a presentation of what the author apprehends to be real Christianity."

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the first chapter, in which Wilberforce assesses the contemporary Christian mindset of his day regarding the importance of Christianity in general:

"How different, nay, in many respects, how contradictory, would be the two systems of mere morals, of which the one should be formed from the commonly received maxims of the Christian world, and the other from the study of the Holy Scriptures."

"… no one expects to attain to the height of learning, or arts, or power, or wealth, or military glory, without vigorous resolution, and strenuous diligence, and steady perseverance. Yet we expect to be Christians without labour, study, or inquiry!"

"Yet, is it not undeniable that with the Bible in our houses, we are ignorant of its contents; and that hence, in a great measure, it arises, that the bulk of the Christian world know so little, and mistake so greatly, in what regards the religion which they profess?"

This book is going to be convicting; I just have this feeling. It seems ludicrous whenever we consider how much Christianity appears to have changed since Wilberforce's time, yet it hasn't really changed at all. We have fancier buildings, shinier suits (or ripped jeans), sophisticated technology, entertaining media, talented praise bands, and seminary educated pastors; nonetheless, we still have a ridiculously low view of the Gospel's importance in our everyday life. If we refuse to give Christ the position of authoritarian dictator over our lives, then we are committing idolatry. Christ cannot be lowered to the office of a democratic president who occasionally vetoes a decision to commit a very consequential or public sin. Christ is LORD; nothing else will do. Anything else cannot adequately be assigned the label of Christianity.

Furthermore, and this should be obvious, there are some applications if Christ is Lord of your life, which is comparable to him being your authoritarian dictator (except for the fact that Christ loves us infinitely and most dictators do not love their people at all). If Christ is Lord, then he is Lord over your time, your habits, your finances, your hobbies, your job, your relationships, your family, your words, your thoughts, your priorities, your goals, your dreams, and any other aspect of your life.

How do we respond to a proper understanding of Christ's Lordship? Three actions come immediately to mind: confession, repentance, and praise. Confession and Repentance because we are all trying to hold back some area of our lives from his Lordship. He either is Lord or he is not; there is no democracy in Christianity. However, this understanding should not drive us to anger over his Lordship or anxiety over our attempts to withhold areas of our lives. Christ's Lordship should drive us to Praise. We don't suffer under his Lordship; we are blessed to be allowed under his Lordship. He satisfied the wrath of God in order to bring us into his kingdom. Praise God for being both just and the Justifier. Praise Christ as our Lord and Redeemer.

Gal. 2:15-21 - Justification (Part 1)

2009-03-10T09:06:00.003-04:00

This post should have went up yesterday, but there were some technical difficulties.

Remedy Church Sermon Summary – 03/08/2009
Galatians 2:15-21 (Part 1)

This week at Remedy Church, Phud continued preaching through Paul’s letter to the Galatians (Yes, the teaching Pastor’s name is Phud), and we have reached Galatians 2:15-21. This is an exciting passage, because Paul directly discusses the doctrine of justification. Also, verse sixteen is considered by many scholars to be the theme verse for this epistle. In order to teach through the passage with any depth, he had to split this sermon into two weeks, so this week was Part 1. Here’s a basic outline:

________________________________________

Justification: What does it mean to be declared righteous in Christ?

2 GOALS
1. To gain a better understanding of justification, especially the distinction between justification an sanctification, so that we will not become discouraged trying to earn or deserve justification.
2. Worship – this should be our response to the fact that something is being declared of us that simply isn’t true, namely our imputed righteousness.

Overview of the Doctrine of Justification
“Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and (2) declares us to be righteous in his sight.” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 723)

Justification is the opposite of condemnation

“If justification is confused is confused with regeneration or sanctification, then the door is opened for perversion of the gospel at its center.” (John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, 121)

“It is essential to the heart of of the gospel to insist that God declares us to be just or righteous not on the basis of our actual condition of righteousness or holiness, but rather on the basis of Christ’s perfect righteousness, which he thinks of as belonging to us." (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 727)

The First Insight into the Doctrine of Justification (1 of 4, but the other three will be next week)
1) We are not justified by works, but through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ alone, which only comes from God (15-16)
Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:21-31
Paul’s primary purpose for writing to these Galatian Christians is to straiten them out on this issue

Romans 3:21-31
a. Justification is a gift of God’s grace (24)
- He did not have to justify anyone
- God would have been justified condemning everyone, yet he decided to save some
b. Our justification can only come from God (25-26)
- Only God had stored up wrath against our sin, so only he could let us off the hook
c. Justification should not cause boasting, but worship (27)
- We did nothing, God did everything
- The only right response to this doctrine is praise and thanksgiving
d. Justification comes to us by our faith being put in Christ (29-30)
- not by obeying; not by the law
- There is only one way to salvation, and it is through Christ
Assessment

Do I live as one who has been declared to be righteous?

How does/can a person live like a justified sinner?

________________________________________

At this point, I did not want Phud to stop preaching. I was hoping that he would decide to just stay until the afternoon to finish teaching the entire passage. But, that didn’t happen, and my three-year-old son was glad it didn’t happen.

I can’t wait for next week.

You can subscribe to Phud's sermons on itunes by searching for Remedy Church, or you can go to the media section of the Remedy Church website.

You Are What You BLOG

2009-03-09T17:24:00.000-04:00

Colin Hansen has written an insightful article entitled Blogs: a window into our souls. Here is the conclusion:

Ever since the Internet made itself indispensable, experts have observed its unmatched potential for facilitating good and evil. When we desperately need
teachers who relate biblical truth to current thoughts and trends, the Internet provides them with an effective and efficient forum. Yet the Internet also demolishes safeguards that formerly suppressed our sin nature.

Since we can't ignore the Internet's opportunities, we must learn to minimize its vices. That starts with asking whether our Internet personalities reveal more about ourselves than we'd like to admit.

Why Not Church Discipline?

2009-03-06T11:30:00.004-05:00

Church discipline is not a popular topic for most Christians. Why not? Do we really understand the purpose of church discipline? If we did, then we would thank God for this duty rather than cringing at its mention. I have come across several quotes that illustrate the importance and purpose of church discipline:

"As the saving doctrine of Christ is the soul of the church, so discipline forms the ligaments which connect the members together, and keep each in its
proper place. Whoever, therefore, desires either the abolition of all discipline, or obstruct its restoration, whether they act from design or inadvertency, they certainly promote the entire dissolution of the church." - Calvin

"Too often now when people join a church, they do so as consumers. If they like the product, they stay. If they do not, they leave. They can no more imagine a church disciplining them than they could a store that sells goods disciplining them. It is not the place of the seller to discipline the consumer. In our churches we have a consumer mentality." - Haddon Robinson

"Church discipline, even the final stage of excluding persistent sinners from church membership, is really just using our last resort in pleading with an erring brother or sister to forsake sin and return to the loving arms of the Lord who longs to forgive him or her." - Ronald Sider

The purpose of church discipline is to restore the wandering brother. We are all prone to wander, and the willingness of a fellow Christian or a church to make every effort to pull us back into the body of Christ is something to praised, not condemned or avoided. Discipline is an opportunity to show someone how much you love them. Just as a father is not properly loving his child when he refuses to discipline his child when the son or daughter disobeys, it is no different when a church refuses to discipline a wayward member. If I love my children, then I will discipline them when necessary. If a church loves its members, then it will discipline them when necessary.

Church discipline is a means of grace that the church should not dismiss simply because it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. Christ is our ultimate example of enduring the inconvenient and uncomfortable for the sake of those he loves; church discipline is one way to follow his example.

If Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians was Published in Christianity Today

2009-03-05T10:22:00.001-05:00

Everyone needs to head on over to The Sacred Sandwich and see what would happen if Paul’s letter to the Galatians was written and published today. The post is setup as a series of letters to the editor that would likely be penned if Christianity Today was to publish Galatians as a feature article for today. This spoof is hilarious, insightful, and convicting. Here is one of my favorites:

Dear Christianity Today:

In response to Paul D. Apostle’s article about the Galatian church in your January issue, I have to say how appalled I am by the unchristian tone of this hit piece. Why the negativity? Has he been to the Galatian church recently? I happen to know some of the people at that church, and they are the most loving, caring people I’ve ever met.

Phyllis Snodgrass;
Ann Arbor, MI

I have heard almost these exact comments so many times over the past several years. This post is such a great excercise in cultural assesment. Go read the entire post.

ESV Study Bible Online for FREE (for the month of March)

2009-03-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

Go HERE to view the entire ESV Study Bible online. This free trial is only for the month of March. Don't forget to browse all three sections: notes, articles, and maps/charts.

If you haven't checked out the ESV Study Bible, then you may not know what all the hype is about. However, if you have picked up a copy, then you are well aware of the reasons for all of the much deserved praise. This is by far the most in depth and useful Study Bible ever assembled (there just so much stuff in there). The additional articles would alone be worth the price.

Justin Taylor recently posted a great summation of the articles that can be found in this Bible. Check it out HERE.

Gal. 2:11-14 (Hypocrisy, Confrontation, and Christian Freedom)

2009-03-02T09:51:00.004-05:00

The pastor at the church I am attending is currently preaching through Galatians. We are currently in the second chapter. This week he preached through a not often quoted section, 2:11-14; nonetheless, there was a lot of insight and conviction to be found in this passage. To listen to his sermons, check out the church's website HERE, and click on the media tab. Here is his basic outline and a few key points:

1. WE MUST OPPOSE HYPOCRISY DIRECTLY (v.11)
This is a biblical obligation, but must be done carefully and with love
2. SPIRITUAL FREEDOM MUST BE GUIDED BY SCRIPTURE, THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND LOVE (v.12)
Freedom should always be considered within the context that it is being exercised
Will it cause a brother to stumble?
Will it hurt or misrepresent the Gospel?
3. ANYONE CAN FALL INTO HYPOCRISY (v.13)
Barnabas and Peter both fell into this trap
Peter (and probably Barnabas too) understood the doctrine of justification far better than us, and he still compromised on this occasion
We are justified, but are BEING SANCTIFIED (in other words, we still mess up constantly)
4. WE MUST UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE HYPOCRISY - IN OURSELVES AND OTHERS (v.14)
We must pray for discernment to recognize hypocrisy and a willingness to repent of it
We all have blind spots, which is why home groups are so crucial to our sanctification (we need to guard ourselves and others)
One super secret trick for understanding and recognizing hypocrisy is to read and study the Bible (it is our guide to hypocrisy)
Related Passages: 1 Tim. 4:1-2; Acts 15:36-41; Lev. 11; James 5:19-20; Matt. 18; Gal. 6:1-2; Gal. 5:1, 13; 1 Cor. 8:1, 9-13; Matt. 23
What does Jesus think about hypocrisy? Read Matt. 23
I am a hypocrite everyday whenever I understand what the Bible teaches about a certain thing, but I choose to do something different
The only right response to hypocrisy is repentance

This sermon (like most gospel-centered, exegetical sermons) was ridiculously convicting. There is no doubt that I am a hypocrite everyday. My professed system of beliefs states that God is completely sovereign, my purpose is to glorify Him, and the Bible is my ultimate authority. Yet, my words and actions regularly communicate something to the contrary. This is the essence of being a hypocritical.

Obamanomics Vs. Reaganomics

2009-02-24T10:31:00.000-05:00

Peter Ferrara recently wrote an excellent article in the Wall Street Journal contrasting Reagan’s and Obama’s economic policies. If you are too lazy to read the entire article, then Matt Perman has a great summary. Here is one of the conclusions:

What is the current result of Obama’s plan?

This is why America seems so hopeless right now, and so depressed. We are stuck going in exactly the wrong direction on economic policy because of currently dominant ideological fashions.

Do I Want to Want God?

2009-02-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

Let us pray with A.W. Tozer:

O God, I have tasted Your goodness,
and it has both satisfied me
and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God,
I want to want You;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Your glory, I pray,
so I may know You indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me…
Give me grace to rise and follow You up from
this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus' name. Amen
A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Seminary or Not?

2009-02-20T08:59:00.001-05:00

Matt Chandler has an excellent post on his thoughts regarding whether or not a pastor should seek a seminary degree. Check out the full post, but here are a couple of his statements:

The truth is I think most men need to go to seminary and scholarship is extremely important.

However,

There are those who have been to seminary who are about as ignorant concerning the things of God as a pagan.

Michael Phelps and "The Weed"

2009-02-19T10:32:00.001-05:00

Most of you have probably seen, or at least heard about, the picture of Olympic swimming superstar, Michael Phelps, puffing on a bong at a college party. There have been many mixed reactions from both the press and the Christian community. I think C. J. Mahaney's post, Michael Phelp's Bong, is the best commentary I have read on the situation:

This is what I find so striking: A man whose chest has been covered with gold medals, has achieved international fame, showered with awards, and blessed with an incomprehensible amount of money, still feels compelled to press his face to a bong.

It was Augustine who said that the soul is restless until it finds its rest in God. So true. Only God can satisfy the soul. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ provides forgiveness of sin, and therefore it is here in this gospel that we find rest for our restless souls.

Study the unflattering picture of Michael Phelps to be reminded of the deceitfulness of sin and the superficiality of fame and money. But also study the picture to be reminded of the message of Christ and him crucified for restless sinners like you, and me, and Michael Phelps.

Christless Quotes

2009-02-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

The absence of the Gospel from most churches is a topic that continues to both intrigue and infuriate me. Michael Horton's newest book continues to be the best source for discussion of this topic. Here are some quotes from Christless Christianity:

Aside from the packaging, there is nothing that cannot be found in most churches today that could not be satisfied by any number of secular programs and self-help groups.

In my view, we are living out our creed, but that creed is closer to the American Dream than it is to the Christian faith.

Just as you don’t really need Jesus Christ in order to have T-shirts and coffee mugs, it is unclear to me why he is necessary for most of the things I hear a lot of pastors and Christians talking about in church these days.

The church as people has many different callings, but the church as place (gathered publicly each week) has one calling: to deliver (and receive) Christ through preaching and sacrament.

Recommending Fireproof

2009-02-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

I know that I am late to the party; nonetheless, my wife and I finally watched Fireproof on DVD over the past couple of nights (one indicator that you are getting old is when it takes multiple nights to watch a 90 minute movie).

I was surprised by this movie on several fronts. The movie is inteligently written, competently produced, and well acted (mostly); its production values are on par with much of the content coming out of Hollywood. But, this wasn't the big surprise because I had already been made aware of the excellent quality. The aspect of this film that intrigued me the most was the presentation of the gospel.

This movie presents the gospel in a relevant and potent form. It doesn't water down man's depravity or his need for a savior, yet it doesn't come across as "preachy" or arrogant. The movie does assume the audience has some basic understanding of the gospel, but this is a fairly safe assumption in American culture. I was actually impressed and personally convicted by this film's gospel presentation. I am looking forward to future work from the men who created this movie (the same guys behind Facing the Giants and Flywheel). It is good to have an alternative movie watching experience from a Christian worldview. I highly recommend this film to everyone with eyes and ears.

(You may notice that I didn't mention the conviction this film brought regarding my marriage. This is due to the fact that I write am writing a blog post, not a book)

Christless Christianity?

2009-01-30T09:59:00.000-05:00

Most church goers will notice if a certain church member or family is absent on Sunday. If that person or family doesn't show up for several weeks in a row, then we begin to get worried, concerned, or possibly judgmental. Yet, most churches in America haven't seemed to notice that Christ is missing from their worship gathering most Sundays. In particular, the gospel of Christ isn't even the focus of most sermons, songs, or curriculum.

This is a problem that Michael Horton has brought into the light of day in his most recent book, Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church. If you have listened to his podcast (The Whitehorse Inn) over the course of 2008, then you have already heard his plea; however, this book, and many others like it, should serve as a warning which must be heeded by churches. I recommend this book for everyone who calls himself a Christian. Understanding and combating this trend is of first importance, because the American church is doing something far worse than forgetting the gospel all together: we have created our own gospel, with its own truth claims, to replace the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christians and Gay Marriage

2008-12-22T22:58:00.000-05:00

Carl Trueman has written an excellent article regarding a Christian response to the Gay Marriage issue:

What is becoming increasingly clear is that the day is probably not far off when those who regard homosexual practice as wrong will be consistently presented as the moral, cultural and intellectual equivalents of white supremacists.

He also comments, as Al Mohler has done much recently, on how uncool biblical Christianity is in American culture.

This issue is set to shatter any possibility of traditional, biblical Christians being considered cool.

My wife has always said that I am uncool, and for the first time, I am proud of that description.

John Calvin Is 500 Years Old

2008-12-11T14:16:00.000-05:00

Some excellent comtemporary theologians have called Calvin the greatest theologian in the history of the church. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with that claim, the impact of Calvin's theological writings cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, most Christians are only familiar with the five points of Calvinism (T-U-L-I-P) and never dive much deeper into the life and works of Calvin. For this reason, and to honor his 500th birthday, Ligioneer Ministries has published this book as an attempt to famaliarize more Christians with the man and his work: John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, Doxology.

I cannot wait to get my hands on this collection of essays from some of today's most influential pastors and professors. If anyone needs a Christmas gift idea for me ... I'm just saying.

To get people in the mood, here is a quote from Calvin:

As the surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves, so the only haven of safety is to have no other will, no other wisdom, than to follow the Lord wherever he leads.

What is the Gospel?

2008-12-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

I am more convinced than ever that it is essential for the church to understand the Gospel more fully: what it is, its message, and its power. At its most basic level, the Gospel is the story of Jesus Christ: who he is, what he accomplished, and mankind's relationship to him. Michael Horton has recently been in the habit of trying to clarify many points regarding the Gospel. Here is one such clarification:

By definition, the gospel is not something that we can live. It is only something that we can hear and receive. It is good news, not good advice.

I agree. The gospel is a proclamation; it is a factual account and a historical claim. It is news that must be believed in order for somone to be a Christian. The Gospel is a bold and clear statement about God, mankind, and the person and work of Jesus Christ. If the church is going to make any attempt at recovering the Gospel of Christ, then we must begin with this understanding.

Obama's Christianity

2008-11-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

Is Barack Obama a Christian? What exactly does he believe? These are questions that many people have asked over the past year. Recently, a Chicago Sun Times interview of Obama, conducted in 2004, was released to the public. This interview has been referenced many times over the past year, but it was previously never available in its entirety.

I encourage everyone to read the interview in its entirety. Here are a view quick quotes and comments.

Obama's first words were:

I am a Christian.

He then followed this statement with the following:

So, I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.

He later added to this by stating:

I'm not somebody who is always comfortable with language that implies I've got a monopoly on the truth, or that my faith is automatically transferable to others.
I'm a big believer in tolerance. I think that religion at it's best comes with a big dose of doubt. I'm suspicious of too much certainty in the pursuit of understanding just because I think people are limited in their understanding.

Once again, tolerance gets redefined from "tolerating" to "agreeing with or confirming". This further confirms that contemporary culture and even our president are simply not concerned with truth. In fact, the very idea that there is truth is now being labeled as intolerant.

Here is another interesting exchange:

OBAMA:
It's interesting, the most powerful political moments for me come when I feel like my actions are aligned with a certain truth. I can feel it. When I'm talking to a group and I'm saying something truthful, I can feel a power that comes out of those statements that is different than when I'm just being glib or clever.

FALSANI:
What's that power? Is it the holy spirit? God?

OBAMA:
Well, I think it's the power of the recognition of God, or the recognition of a larger truth that is being shared between me and an audience.

When asked about Jesus, Obama stated:

Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he's also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher.

And he's also a wonderful teacher. I think it's important for all of us, of whatever faith, to have teachers in the flesh and also teachers in history.

This is how Obama defined sin:

FALSANI:
What is sin?

OBAMA:
Being out of alignment with my values.

Then he states what he believes about eternal destiny in general:

OBAMA:
There's the belief, certainly in some quarters, that people haven't embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior that they're going to hell.

FALSANI:
You don't believe that?

OBAMA:
I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell.

I can't imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity.

That's just not part of my religious makeup.

And, then what he thinks about his own eternal destiny:

What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded.

All things considered, this interview is about what I would expect from the future president. Obama makes it clear that he is a pluralist and that he is looking to his good deeds to save him, not the atoning work of Christ. Actually this may not be correct, because Obama does not seem to believe that mankind is in need of salvation. He subscribes to a form of religion that seems to be best described as moralistic therapeutic deism.

Is Obama a Christian? Maybe some of you are comfortable putting the label of Christianity on this religious system of Obama's, but I am not. Christianity at its most basic level is built on the fact that everyone is a sinner and in desperate need of being made right with God, and that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to earth and made atonement. I don't see any of the key distinctives of Christianity in Obama's religion.

Fighting the Freedom of Choice Act

2008-11-21T10:24:00.000-05:00

For anyone who is unaware the proposed Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would ensure that no state is allowed to keep or put any of the following laws or regulations into place:

Bans on Partial Birth Abortion
Requirements that women be given information about the risks of getting an abortion
Only licensed physicians can perform abortions
Parents must be informed and give consent to their minor daughter's abortion

FOCA is just one more step in the opposite direction from the sanctity of life. It not only goes against the sanctity and protection of life, it also discourages education and communication. Christians have to get off of the bench; we cannot continue to allow the weakest people among us to be slaughtered.

For more information on the FOCA, read J.T.'s post.

To take the first step toward getting off the bench and taking a stand against this proposed pro-choice legislature, sign this petition.

Twilight

2008-11-21T08:44:00.000-05:00

This book and movie has turned into the latest cultural phenomenon. I have even heard it claimed that this movie is going to be as big as Harry Potter. While I do not know if it will catch the adolescent wizard, it is definitely creating a lot of buzz. Unfortunately, I haven't read the book and probably won't get to see the movie anytime soon.

Nonetheless, I would love to discuss the impact this vampire story is having on the Christian community. If you have read the book or seen the movie, then please comment with any thoughts, suggestions, or critiques.

Photography

2008-11-20T23:03:00.001-05:00

I have a friend who is pretty good with a camera. You can check out some of his pictures here: Justin's Flicker

Emerging Marriage

2008-11-20T17:17:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are still on the fence regarding the possible dangers of the Emergent Church Movement, and some of its leaders, this post is intended to kick you off. In a dialogue with Rod Dreher, Tony Jones (one of the leaders of this movement) made the following statement:

"I now believe that GLBTQ [people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, and queer] can live lives in accord with biblical Christianity (at least as much as any of us can!) and that their monogamy can and should be sanctioned and blessed by church and state."

In response to this quote, Justin Taylor said that he was reminded of the following verse:

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
--Isaiah 5:20

At some point, we have to begin calling such propositions coming from this movement (and elsewhere in Christendom) exactly what they are: evil, dark, and bitter.

For the very first time

2008-11-20T15:15:00.000-05:00

If you stumbled upon this blog, then to you I say "Welcome!". This blog has been a long time coming. I finally have a place to publish my pointless rants. I was inspired to finally create a blog by Yoda:

Do, or do not, there is not try.
- Yoda

So, I finally stopped talking about it, and just created this space. The world may never be same.