The India I Know

It's Friday But Sunday's Comin!

2011-04-22T16:42:00.001-05:00

Prayer For Protection: A Meditaiton on Psalm 12:1-8

2011-04-06T16:58:00.005-05:00

Although many Psalms reflect personal struggle, problems and need, some of them reflect on the nations woes and tribulations. From the very beginning, the Israelite's maintained a community of consciousness; they looked on the entire people as a corporate personality. David reflected this feeling as he prayed for God to intervene and bring hope out of despair. That's exactly what we see in Psalm 12, where a godless society caused the psalmist to ask God for protection. All around the nation were arrogant people who spoke lies and caused people the people to fear.

What we see in Psalm 12 is that those who live close to God face pain as they feel deeply about the moral decline around them. Psalm 12 was composed by one who saw the almost universal hypocrisy that accompanied the nation's decay. Although the psalmist suffered, he was concerned more fundamentally about what such sin was doing to the nation.

When was Psalm 12 composed? Some scholars place it during David's lifetime. Some suggest that David wrote it as a young man when he was fleeing Saul's armies; others point to Absalom's rebellion when many of David's trusted friends turned against him. Either way, verses 1-4 appear be a prayer for help as evil was seemingly everywhere.

Like Elijah, the psalmist felt alone as God's servant. He singled out sins of speech as being prevalent in the land. In verse 5, God answered the sad cry and promised to give security to those who had been made to suffer. Prophecy and prose met as the psalmist addressed God and his answer to the people. God gave his instructions for the people and delivered his authoritative message. Verses 6-8 expressed confidence in God's answer.

Thankfully, unlike, peoples deceitful words, God's word can be trusted. Human speech might contain both truths and lies; but, repeatedly, God's Word had been proved to be pure. The expression of certainty ended with a prayer that God would defend his people from the evil ones who sought to exploit the weak and oppressed. Divine intervention was necessary to curb the widespread depravity in the land.

A few lessons can be learned from this Psalm:

1. God's Word Stands Firm - In spite of prolonged and severe conflict, the Word of God remains the one authoritative message to people. Blatant unbelief will seek to undermine its message, but God's Word remains fixed forever as the standard for conduct. God's Word is understood better and has spread more widely now than ever. We should hide it in our hearts so that we might not sin against God. We should wait on the Lord to fulfill his promises.

2. People usually deny God because they do not want such a God to exist - When we accept the fact of the God of the Bible, we also accept the demands that go with such a belief. When people shut their ears to the voice of obedience to this God, they must eliminate God or suffer terrible feelings of guilt. We need to keep burning in our hearts the truth that God lives; thus, life has beauty and responsibility.

3. Nations need God for survival - God is the only one who can rescue a decaying society. In the Bible Israel's ups and downs were tied to how they responded to God. When righteous individuals lead and the people follow, great rejoicing comes. However, unless a nation accepts the God of the Bible in its life, judgment will come thoroughly and perhaps quickly. No one can claim to be exempt from the moral laws that God has set up.

4. A greater age is coming for those who trust in Christ - Just as a person has moral and spiritual obligations, so does a nation. Folly and sin bring misery. We do not have power to gain God's favor by our moral achievement and effort. Only by repentance and trust in God's grace can restoration from sin become a reality. Christ frees us from sin. Being united to him gives us a future filled with hope - the hope of a new heaven and new earth where we will dwell in God's presence in restored relationship with him forever.

"I Abominate The Prosperity Gospel" - John Piper

2011-02-22T00:06:00.004-06:00

Piper continues to provide a corrective analysis of the prosperity gospel.

The Passing Pleasure of Sin

2010-12-06T18:03:00.003-06:00

Thomas Brooks has a great section on the dangers of worldly pleasure in his essay, "Apples of Gold". This summer, I preached a sermon from Mark 6, entitled "A Closing Window of Opportunity" on the sad demise of Herod the Tetrarch. John the Baptist spoke faithfully into his life, but in the end, a love for the passing pleasures of this world proved to be his ruin. In that sermon, I quoted the following section from Thomas Brooks:

"Pleasures pass away as soon as they have wearied out the body, and leave it as a bunch of grapes whose juice has been pressed out; which made one to say, ‘I see no greater pleasure in this world than the contempt of pleasure’. Pleasures seem solid in the pursuit; but are mere clouds in the enjoyment. Pleasure is a beautiful harlot sitting in her chariot, whose four wheels are pride, gluttony, lust and idleness. The two horses are prosperity and abundance, the two drivers are idleness and security. Her companions and followers are guilt, grief, late repentance (if any) and often death and ruin. Many great men, and many strong men, and many rich men, and many hopeful men, and many young men have come to their run by her. But none of them ever enjoyed full satisfaction from her".

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward" - Hebrews 11:24-26.

Is Your Church Reformed or Deformed?

2010-10-20T15:44:00.009-05:00

I guess it depends on what the gravitational center of your church is. What do you orbit around? Is it the cross? Is it the gospel? Or have you made the center of your church other theological distinctives? This morning I read a word from Wayne Grudem regarding the importance of maintaining humility in our theological convictions and practices.

"It is ironic and tragic that denominational leaders (pastors/churches, addition mine) will so often give much of their lives to defending precisely the minor doctrinal points that make their denominations different from others. Is such effort really motivated by a desire to bring unity of understanding to the church, or might it stem in some measure from human pride, a desire to retain power over others, and an attempt at self-justification, which is displeasing to God and ultimately unedifying to the church?" - Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine p. 61-62.

That's well said. We need not only a humble orthodoxy but a humble orthopraxy. We err if we pursue one to the exclusion of the other. Moreover, to the degree that we gravitate around these distinctives and not the gospel we will be unhealthy as a church. The gravitational center of our churches must be the Gospel or we will be deformed. May God help us to hold our distinctives with humility and gravitate around the gospel. If you're interested in hearing more on this, I'd encourage you to listen to a sermon I recently preached entitled, "The Gravitational Center of Heritage Baptist Church"

When Hip Hop Meets Humility

2010-10-05T15:19:00.006-05:00

I just bought Lecrae's latest album "Rehab". I'm glad I did. In fact all the guys associated with this Reach Records have been a real encouragement. For those who don't know, Reach Records is an American based Christian hip hop record label that includes: Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii, DJ Official and Sho Baraka. In 2009, the rappers completed a nationwide "Don't Waste Your Life Tour" together with fellow Christian rapper Flame who's about to become a student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Anyway, below is a preview from Lecrae's latest Album "Rehab". The song is "Background" by Lecrae and featuring C-Lite. Lyrics below.

Lyrics:
I could play the background
I could play the background
'Cause I know sometimes I get in the way
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
And I could play the background, background
And you could take the lead

Verse 1:
It's evident you run the show, so let me back down
You take the leading role, and I'll play the background
I know I miss my cues, know I forget my lines
I'm sticking to your script, and I'm reading all your signs (Aye)
I don't need my name in lights, (Aye) I don't need a starring role
Why gain the whole wide world, If I'm just going lose my soul?
And my ways ain't purified, I don't live according to Your Word
I can't endure this life without Your wisdom being heard
So word to every dancer for a pop star
'Cause we all play the background, but mine's a rockstar
Yeah, so if you need me I'll be staged right
Praying the whole world would start embracing stage fright
So let me fall back, stop giving my suggestions
'Cause when I follow my obsessions, I end up confessin'
That I'm not that impressive, matter of fact
I'm who I are, a trail of stardust leading to the superstar

Hook:
I could play the background
I could play the background
'Cause I know sometimes I get in the way
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
And I could play the background, background
And you could take the lead

Verse 2:
Yo, I had a dream that I was captain of my soul
I was master of my fate, lost control, and then I sank
So I don't want to take the lead, 'cause I'm prone to make mistakes
All these folks who follow me, goin' end up in the wrong place
So just let me shadow you, just let me trace your lines
Matter of fact, just take my pen, here, you create my rhymes
'Cause if I do this by myself, I'm scared that I'll succeed
And no longer trust in You, 'cause I only trust in me
And see, that's how you end up headed to destruction
Paving a road to nowhere, pour your life out for nothin'
You pulled my card, I'm bluffin', You know what's in my hand
Me, I just roll and trust you, You cause the dice to land
I'm in control of nothing, follow You at any cost
Some call it sovereign will, all I know is you the boss
And man, I'm so at ease, I'm so content
I'll play the background, like it's an instrument

Hook:
I could play the background
I could play the background
'Cause I know sometimes I get in the way
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
And I could play the background, background
And you could take the lead

Bridge:
I know I'm safest when I'm in Your will, and trust Your Word
I know I'm dangerous when I trust myself, my vision blurred
And I ain't got no time to play life's foolish games
Got plenty aims, but do they really Glorify Your name?
And it's a shame, the way I want to do these things for You, yeah
Don't even cling to you, take time to sit and glean from You
It seems like You were patient in my ignorance
If ignorance is bliss, it's 'cause she never heard of this

Hook:
I could play the background
I could play the background
'Cause I know sometimes I get in the way
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
And I could play the background, background
And you could take the lead

Hook:
I could play the background
I could play the background
'Cause I know sometimes I get in the way
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
So won't You take the lead, lead, lead?
And I could play the background, background
And you could take the lead

Parenting By The Book

2010-09-13T17:19:00.006-05:00

Tim Hoak is teaching a new series at Heritage Baptist Church entitled, "Parenting By The Book". His parenting series has been taught at a number of venues, and is back by popular demand. Thankfully, Heritage Baptist Church is providing both the audio and video of each class online. I encourage you to download or stream the entire 16 week series. I am sure you will profit from it immensely. To introduce the class to you, I am embedding the first two lectures below. For subsequent weeks, please visit the Parenting By The Book page.

Parenting By The Book | Session 1

Parenting By The Book | Session 2

Words From The Wise: How to Win Your Wayward Children To Christ

2010-09-02T14:27:00.008-05:00

Recently, I had the privilege of attending the funeral of an 88 year old woman from our church. She was a godly lady who impacted hundreds and hundreds of lives. In fact, she served as a mom to many of the ladies in our church. In some senses it could be said that she was the quintessential model of Titus 2:3-5. She had three sons. One of them, Bob, spoke in honor of his mother at the service. He confessed that he was the most rebellious and troublesome son to his mother. He indicated that he had received 100's of letters from his mother. He chose to share one of them with us. As I sat and listened to the letter read, I thought to myself, "This has got to be the best example I've ever seen of how one can winsomly speak to their lost and wayward children." In honor of Dot Hoak, I want to share that letter with you now. I am sure that in reading it you will be blessed by the persistent, invincible love of a mother for her wayward son. Her labors paid off. May God help us to emulate her example. Hope in God.
_______

Psalm 91:11 Sunday 11:00pm

Dear Bob,

Just crawled into bed. It has been a good day-but full-like most Sundays. I pray that today you gave your Lord His proper place. The pastor preached on the fact that when we are saved the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us and that we need to be certain that we take Him only to places where He will not be grieved. May others see that He is your guide and companion. He is a jealous God and will not be satisfied until he has every part of your heart. Isn't it wonderful that He loves you that much. I love you too.

Hope your cold is all gone. I know how hard it is to go about your tasks when you feel punk.
Sorry about this messy writing but it is hard to write in bed. Don't forget that Dad's birthday is March 12-he will enjoy a card.

Howard Swindler (an elderly man from their church in Niles, OH) was in church today-bless his heart. He knows Jenny (his wife who had jsut passed away) is with the Lord. Hope like that is reason enough to live for the Lord.

Sorry I got carried away Dear but you are so precious to me and I only desire God's best for you. You will just have to love me as I am.

God bless you and keep you,
All my love,
Mom

Clarifying The Relationship Between Social Justice and Missions

2010-08-16T15:58:00.014-05:00

Recently, Brett McCracken wrote an article entitled: "Have Missions Become Too 'Deeds'- Centric". I found his analysis (on the relationship between social justice and missions) extremely lucid. I asked him if I could re-post his original piece here. He kindly gave me permission to do so. Please read the following. I welcome dialogue.

I really enjoyed a column by Brad Greenberg (of The God Blog) a few weeks back in the Wall Street Journal‘s “Houses of Worship” column. The piece, entitled “How Missionaries Lost Their Chariots of Fire,” took a look at the trends in Christian missions in recent years–most notably the shift among younger evangelicals from proselytizing and preaching to doing more service and social justice oriented work as mission. A shift in focus from words to deeds.

Evangelical youth now hold the term “missionary” at arm’s length, afraid of the colonialist connotations of the word. They prefer being involved in “social justice” under the auspices of a more generalized Christian sense of charity rather than operating under anything resembling (groan) “soul winning.”

Greenberg cites such popular organizations as Invisible Children, an ostensibly Christian social justice organization whose media kit states that its founders “believe in Christ, but do NOT want to limit themselves in any way.”

Greenberg, who notes that “Christians today typically travel abroad to serve others, but not necessarily to spread the gospel,” ultimately concludes that as much as abandoning the colonialist undertones and “vacationary” short-term reputation of evangelical missions is a good thing, we have to remember that both actions AND words are necessary in missions.

He writes:

Spreading Christianity through deeds alone aligns with a quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words.” But research suggests that non-Christians often miss the message without the words.

A 2006 study by Calvin College’s Kurt Ver Beek found “little or no difference” in the spiritual response between two groups of Hondurans—one which had its homes rebuilt by missionaries who did not proselytize and the other by local NGOs. Intuition would suggest as much. Unless foreigners explain that they are motivated to help by their religious beliefs, locals may be grateful for the new home but they should not be expected to connect dots that they may not even know exist.

The reality is the Church should be doing both: serving the needy and spreading the gospel. This is what makes the humanitarian work of Christians different than that of the American Red Cross. Both are motivated by the desire to help others, but Christians are spurred by that Jesus thing.

Props to Greenberg for highlighting this important point–that in our desire to move away from the ills of “old school” missions thinking we don’t throw the baby (preaching the gospel) out with the bathwater (colonialism, etc). Sadly, we pendulum-prone evangelicals have a hard time with these both/and scenarios–always inclined to correct the ills of one thing by a wholesale replacement of it with something equally full of its own ills.

I’m all for social justice. I’m passionate about it. Christians have to be serving people and loving them not just in word but in deed. But man, if I hear another well-fed, Toms-wearing evangelical kid quote St. Francis (“preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words”) one more time as a justification for their unwillingness to utter a word to anyone about Christ as the one true hope, I don’t know what I’ll do.

It’s an ongoing debate in missiology: Should missionaries in foreign countries prioritize meeting physical needs (food, water, social justice, development) before they preach the gospel, or should evangelism always be given primacy?

To me, the debate is silly. Can’t we do both simultaneously? Can’t we serve others and meet their circumstantial needs while at the same time telling them about Jesus? Yes, we should be in Africa building water wells, or in Haiti building schools, but what’s the harm in mentioning along the way that we are Christians acting as the church, loving the world because God loved it?

I’m not sure missions could ever be too focused on deeds–unless it is at the expense of the equally important words of truth that people need to hear. I hope my generation figures out a way to emphasize both.

---
Brett McCracken is the author of the new book, Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide. This post was originally published on his blog, The Search, and is used with permission.

Trash or Treasure? Lessons From The Third World

2010-08-09T14:07:00.004-05:00

"I tell you the truth", [Jesus] said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others." (Luke 21:3)

We used to call it trash. We used to throw it away. It was just stale butter, a broken shoe, an empty box. These things have little value, or at least we used to think so. My family has been given the privilege to see the world through a lens tinted with poverty. By God's grace, my family has never missed a meal because we couldn't afford food, and we have never had to wear torn clothing or sleep on a dirt floor. We don't know what poverty is really like through our experience, but we are beginning to see more clearly, ask better questions, and grow in our understanding.

Some days, we are changed by little things that carry big lessons. One day I opened a plastic bowl to the smell of stale butter, "Yuck, I guess I'll throw that out." Tamara's grimace suggested some discomfort with my intention, "Todd, our house helper spend over an hour stirring the cream from our milk to make that butter, and her own family hasn't been able to afford any milk for a long time now."

I looked down at the butter again. It was the same butter I had seen a few seconds earlier, but now I look at it differently.

Later than night after our house helper had walked the 45 minutes back to her home, I scraped the stale butter into our shimo (garbage hole) and buried it where our house helper would not see it. However, the feelings of guilt and shame were harder to bury. Would these feelings cause me to change my mind in the future? If so, how would I alter the way I eat or buy food? Some of our fundamental, daily behaviors are being shaken right down to their American foundation.

Our children are learning with us. Jacob wears some Tanzanian, plastic sandals that cost about a dollar. Due to the stress and strain of active play, a plastic strap broke on one of the sandals. We planned to throw them away and buy a new pair. However a Tanzanian friend told us she could take the sandal into the market where it could be repaired.

After a cost of four cents, Jacob was wearing his sandal again. Tamara and I took another look at our attitude the sandals. They only cost a buck. However, when an average daily salary for some of our neighbors is about a dollar, our tendency to throw away things deserves re-examination. The newly repaired sandals looked about the same, but now we looked at them differently.

Our next lesson came in a box. Fewer things are packaged professionally here, so we don't use as much paper as we used to. Still, about every week or so, I walk to the shimo (garbage hole) with some paper to burn. The paper had just started to burn when I noticed two little eyes gazing down at a small box that once was part of a cereal, snack pack. I saw the Tanzanian boy looking at the bright, blue box and the picture of Tony the Tiger. The box looked the same it had a moment ago, but now I looked at it through the eyes of the little boy next to me. To him, the box was a potential toy - part of a car he could make and race with his friends. Could I continue to burn little boxes after seeing his face?

Butter, shoes, and boxes: simple things that brought out complex issues and feelings. In my town of in Tanzania, I have seen children walking with their arms around each other's shoulders, laughing and bouncing along. At another home, a smiling father held an infant while his two other children happily played nearby in the dirt. The children wore no shoes, there were no toys made from colorful boxes, and most likely there was no butter on their table, yet the home was filled with happy sounds. Was this poverty?

It is not a simple process to know what poverty means here, and we need to continue to listen, look, and pray to understand. We know that poverty contributes to sickness, hunger and hopelessness; BUT GOD (one of my favorite phrases in the Bible) is able to do great things, even move a mountain like poverty, and even through imperfect people like you and me.

From: Todd Rasmuson's "Eating Goat Parts for the Glory of God"

I Really Want To Change. Help Me God!

2010-07-22T17:22:00.009-05:00

Hopefully you've realized by now that legalism and license are both ineffective, unbiblical motivations for the Christian life. But the question of proper motivation for Christian growth is often overlooked. Consequently, people go on motivating themselves in all kinds of ways that belittle the gospel and do nothing for the person seeking change. It's no wonder, then, that people grow sick and tired of "spinning their spiritual wheels" and going seemingly nowhere with God. They feel broken inside. They feel tired and discouraged. Moreover, they're lost, not knowing what to do or how to "fix" it. The next step is despair. But when hopelessness and despair engulf a man in his battle against sin (humanly speaking) he's only one step away from throwing in the proverbial towel.

If that's you, you need gospel motivation - and now. You see, the standard duty-driven, religious motivation that has crept into the church and taken us by storm simply will not cut it anymore. It's destructive and it is powerless to bring about any lasting and genuine heart-felt change. Instead, it tends to produce only a facade of piety, while keeping us indifferent to our inward motivations for obedience. We need gospel-motivation. When need it because the gospel causes us to both repent of our sin and believe in God. The gospel is both something we speak and something we believe. It's both the message and the medium of redemption. In it God motivates us with his unblushing promises. We need those promises because they offer us joy, hope, strength, glory and a place in the kingdom of God - something duty-driven motivation will never give you.

Trusting in your performance is tantamount to trusting in a false functional god to change you. In order to receive the redemptive benefits of change flowing from the gospel we must repent of our trust in the false god of self-change and exercise faith in the God of the Gospel. This is not something you do once. This is a life-long endeavor. The Christian life is a constant repenting from belief in false promises and an increasing belief in the true, good promises of God.

So let's do that right now. Read these words from Paul Tripp, and see in it a gospel-motivation.

"When I come to the Lord after I’ve blown it, I’ve only one argument to make. It’s not the argument of the difficulty of the environment that I am in. It’s not the argument of the difficult people that I’m near. It’s not the argument of good intentions that were thwarted in some way. I come to the Lord with only one appeal; his mercy. I’ve no other defense. I’ve no other standing. I’ve no other hope. I can’t escape the reality of my biggest problem; me! So I appeal to the one thing in my life that’s sure and will never fail. I appeal to the one thing that guaranteed not only my acceptance with God, but the hope of new beginnings and fresh starts. I appeal on the basis of the greatest gift I ever have or ever will be given. I leave the courtroom of my own defense, I come out of hiding and I admit who I am. But I’m not afraid, because I’ve been personally and eternally blessed. Because of what Jesus has done, God looks on me with mercy. It’s my only appeal, it’s the source of my hope, it’s my life. Mercy, mercy me!” - Paul Tripp "Whiter Than Snow".

O how sweet that is! While I'm at it, let me encourage you to pick up a copy of Paul's book. He describes it's purpose in the video below. May God help you to pursue growth and change through the gospel alone from this day forward.

Killing Sin: Laziness

2010-07-08T12:58:00.008-05:00

Sloth is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. It is deadly, because it doesn't appear to be deadly and therein lies its power to destroy. Satan loves to tempt our youth with ambition and arrogance. But in the process, he lures them into beds of ease. I was thinking this week how hard it is to find a diligent work ethic among our youth. It is almost expected in America that our children will play harder than they will work. Growing up, however, means putting away childish things (1 Cor. 13:11). Those who will be useful to God must be prepared to work hard for him, which will include suffering.

Paul told Timothy, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim 2:3). Paul suffered and did not expect that things should be any different for Timothy. After all, it was Jesus who said, "A servant is not above his master". If the master suffers, the servant better. In fact, it was Paul who said after he was beaten senseless and left for dead in Lystra, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."I love the book of Proverbs. I have made it a habit for years to regularly read it. It has no shortage of council for the lazy man. I was challenged in college to take laziness seriously. Though I was raised with a work ethic, laziness was still very much a part of my life. Finally, a dude discipled me for the first time and began to challenge my laziness head on. We read through the Proverbs. Many of them make the point clear. The lazy man finds is difficult to get up in the morning. He turns over and over as though hinged to his bed (Prov. 26:14). He refuses to go outside and work, insisting that there is a lion waiting for him! Ask this man, "When are you going to rise from your bed?" and he has no answer: "A little sleep a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest" (6:10).

If being confronted with that is not humbling enough, God uses an ant to rebuke us. "Go to the ant you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest" (6:6-8). The reference here to the ant is probably a reference to the type of ant found in the desert. We call them harvester ants. According to scholars, their colonies can consist of up to a millions ants, the vast majority being workers and soldiers.

What is it that these ants can teach us? Well, among other things they teach us unquestioning obedience and hard work. That's life. Life is work. When we look through the pages of church history we can find hundreds of examples of people who labored through sweat and blood their whole lives (some to be martyred) for the sake of the Gospel. One such man is Polycarp, a disciple of John (the disciple of Jesus). I have been reading about Polycarp in the Apostolic Fathers. After serving Christ for eighty-six years, he was finally burned alive for refusing to deny his Lord. He said, "How can I deny him who has never done me any harm?"

I feel motivated by that. Unfortunately, today's Christianity is about success and glamor. The "health, wealth and prosperity" gospel has made major strides and we are suffering as a result. But the "health and wealth" gospel is not just the problem of a christian t.v. evangelist, it has infiltrated itself into all streams and denominations of those who profess Christ. But it's flabby, anemic, and sickly Christianity. In fact, it's worse. At times, depending on how is it expressed, it is another gospel all together. Bonhoeffer was right when he said, "When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die." Eight years after that statement he was hanged by the Nazis.

I want to kill laziness in my life. I will leave you with the words of Jim Elliot to fuel your passion to rid laziness from your life. Just his example is instructive. From his journal, December 31, 1955 it reads,

"A month of temptation. Satan and the flesh have been hard on me. How God holds my soul in His life and permits one with such wretchedness to continue in His service I cannot tell. Oh, it has been hard...I have been very low inside me struggling and casting myself hourly upon Christ for help. Marriage is divorce from the privacy man loves, but there is some privacy none can share. It is the knowledge of a sinful heart."

Four days later he was speared to death by the Auca Indians. He was indeed a man of great discipline and hard work.

As Christians, we all long to be useful and yet we struggle. So what should you do? Run to Christ today for help. In him there is not only forgiveness, but power to live the way God has called you to live. The strength comes from outside yourself. Lean hard on the gospel and then work hard through the strength and power of God's Spirit.

New Children's Book: The Church History ABC's

2010-07-07T13:05:00.009-05:00

There's a new children's book out, published by Crossway. Steve Nichols and Ned Bustard have just finished their first children's book. The subject is Church History. It is entitled, The Church History ABCs. Here's the description from Crossway's website:

"The Church History ABCs is a fun way for kids to learn about great figures in Christian history. Twenty-six heroes of the faith march through the alphabet, boldly telling their stories in language children can understand. This wide range of characters—men and women from across the centuries, from all over the globe—reflects the breadth of church history and reminds children that these great figures of the past were living, breathing people who lived and died for the glory of God."

The book covers the following figures from church history:

Augustine; Anne Bradstreet; John Calvin; John Donne; Jonathan Edwards; John Foxe; Jane Grey; Hippolytus; Ignatius; Absalom Jones; John Knox; Martin Luther; Monica; John Newton; John Owen; Patrick; Queen Jeanne; Nicholas Ridley; Charles Spurgeon; Tertullian; Zacharias Ursinus; Antonia Vivaldi; The Wesleys; Francis Xavier; Florence Young; Ulrich Zwingli

USA World Cup: An Inspiring Video

2010-06-25T16:17:00.012-05:00

If you missed Wednesday's game, you need to catch the highlights.

"In one of the most stunning turnarounds in World Cup history, Landon Donovan scored on a lightning fast counterattack 45 seconds into 4 minutes of injury time. With the most amazing late-game moment in American soccer, the United States beat Algeria 1-0 and reached the World Cup's second round." - ESPN

The highlights are good, but the American reaction is amazing. Watch live video reaction of Americans watching the game from around the world when Landon Donovan scores.

J.C. Ryle & Together for the Gospel

2010-06-22T20:59:00.006-05:00

Sunday, I heard this quote from J.C. Ryle preached in an excellent sermon from my fellow pastor, Mark Redfern . I couldn't help but compare what Ryle said with the spirit and ethos of T4G and The Gospel Coalition.

"Here is a golden rule indeed, and one that human nature sorely needs, and has too often forgotten. Men of all branches of Christ's Church are apt to think that no good can be done in the world, unless it is done by their own party and denomination. They are so narrow-minded, that they cannot conceive the possibility of working on any other pattern but that which they follow. They make an idol of their own peculiar ecclesiastical machinery, and can see no merit in any other. They are like him who cried when Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp, 'My lord Moses forbid them.' (Numbers. 11:28.)

To this intolerant spirit we owe some of the blackest pages of Church history. Christians have repeatedly persecuted Christians for no better reason than that which is here given by John. They have practically proclaimed to their brethren, 'you shall either follow us, or not work for Christ at all.'

Let us be on our guard against this feeling. It is only too near the surface of all our hearts. Let us study to realize that liberal, tolerant spirit which Jesus here recommends, and be thankful for good works wheresoever and by whomsoever done. Let us beware of the slightest inclination to stop and check others, merely because they do not choose to adopt our plans, or work by our side. We may think our fellow Christians mistaken in some points. We may fancy that more would be done for Christ, if they would join us, and if all worked in the same way. We may see many evils arising from religious dissensions and divisions. But all this must not prevent us rejoicing if the works of the devil are destroyed and souls are saved. Is our neighbour warring against Satan? Is he really trying to labour for Christ? This is the grand question. Better a thousand times that the work should be done by other hands than not done at all. Happy is he who knows something of the spirit of Moses, when he said, 'Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets;' and of Paul, when he says, 'If Christ is preached, I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.' (Numbers 11:29; Philippians 1:18.)"

- J.C. Ryle "Expository Thought on the Gospel" Vol 1. p.190-191.

Farewell: The Albert Mohler Program

2010-06-21T23:41:00.009-05:00

Dr. Mohler announced on his live radio broadcast, June 21st, that his nationally syndicated radio program be coming to an end in two weeks. He said concerning his program,

"It has been a tremendous experience in terms of developing intelligent christian conversation. This has been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to reach, and I want you to know I do so with a very very heavy heart."

The good news is that Dr. Mohler will go on conducting his national commentary with the Salem Radio Network. Moreover, he will continue to advance intelligent christian conversation through a new platform that will be announced in a few days. It would appear from what he said that this will most likely be a television outlet from his words, "watching a new platform that will not be live radio." So we will have to wait and see. For now, you can log on and podcast past shows.

Living Our Lives In Response to God's Love

2010-06-21T13:59:00.006-05:00

Living the Christian life is not simply a matter of self-discipline, though discipline is a vital part of it; it is a life lived in response to God's love. It is as we know and appreciate this divine love that we will want to live to please him. A.W. Pink says,

"The chief spiritual employment of the Christian should be to live in consideration and admiration of the wonderful love of Christ, to dwell on it in his thoughts until his heart is warmed, until his soul overflows with praise, until his whole life is constrained or influenced."

In Ephesians 3:16-19, Paul prays asking God that we "may be filled to the measure if the fullness of God." Among other things, this means that we would be saturated with God, and that our lives will more and more be emptied of self and filled to overflowing with the presence of God. It is to have as much of God as it is possible for a redeemed sinner to have. Our thinking, understanding and affections are then captive to Christ.

The way to know more of God and his love is by knowing the spiritual strengthening that Paul speaks about in Ephesians 3:16. To be spiritual men and women is totally alien to our fallen human nature, so we need the spiritual strength that only the Holy Spirit can give. But thank God that there is a way for us to be strengthened. Take hope! However weak you may feel at this moment, however much you have failed, the Holy Spirit is ready to assist you! God is your strength. He is all-sufficient. Today, be ambitious in your expectations and seek to know more and more of God's love.

I would encourage you to watch the message below entitled, "Adoption: Knowing God as Father" as a great way to be fueled by God's love for you.

Putting the Urban Back In Suburban

2010-06-18T13:10:00.005-05:00

Speaking about my home church, the more ministry we do in urban areas of our city the more clear it becomes how much we have to learn about such work. Recently, one of our couples made a radical decision to move from the suburbs in order to incarnate the Gospel in a thoroughly urban neighborhood. I love the heart behind this move. Frankly, it encourages me. In light of that, I have been doing more thinking about what we call “urban ministry.” This week, I was challenged again, but this time by a rather unexpected source. It was something I watched.

Some of you may remember the movie “Antwone Fisher” starring Denzel Washington. It debuted, December 2002. If you’ve never seen it, you should. If you have, you’ll know what I mean when I say it’s deeply moving. But what makes it so good is that it’s based on a true story.

Watch the trailer below.

I was moved in an unexpected way by this movie. The Lord reminded me of the value and joy of participating in faithful, gospel-centered Urban Ministry. Confession: I do not understand the urban mind or life as I ought. You see, for most of us being urban-minded will only come at the expense of a self-conscious choice to dwell in the city. The reason why is because many of us grew up in the suburbs and that’s all we know. We can’t understand urban life. We don’t understand what it means to live in the Inner City. And we won’t unless we make a concerted and sustained effort. I’ve spent at least 3 years in the inner cities of both Washington DC and Minneapolis. But even at that, I have to confess that I am still far too unfamiliar with urban life. Too unfamiliar, that is, if I hope to be more useful in ministry among urban peoples; or dare I go so far as to say, too unfamiliar, if I care about the plight and condition of so many urban dwellers. The fact is, even if we have no desire to do ministry in urban areas, it would be helpful for us to expand our horizons and see how so many of our neighbors live on a day-to-day basis. In case you don’t know – it’s radically different.

Have you ever made a conscious effort to become urban-minded? Many churches speak of being urban-minded, but few are successfully engaged in urban ministry. The old adage is correct: “It takes one to know one”. If you’ve never lived an urban life, you’ll struggle to minister to urban people. My prayer for all of us is that God will raise up more urban-minded, urban-experienced individuals to lead us into new vistas of urban ministry.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not discouraged. After watching “Antwone Fisher” I’m even more desirous of pursuing urban ministry. For me, the idea of only and always pastoring a largely white, upper-middle class, suburban church is unsettling. But pressing into the inner city (no matter how small that inner city is), and laboring among its underprivileged people by giving my time, resources, and energy, is thrilling! Great things await us if we will take some conscious risks. There are a good number of churches that are doing this well already. My emphasis here are on suburban churches who know nothing else but suburbia.

So much more could be said, but let me conclude this way. Consider the following statements written by a friend of mine and ask yourself if these initiatives are agreeable to your spirit and desire.

As a church,

1. We will strive to forge a mutually enriching urban-suburban partnership, in which a significant range of racially, educationally, and economically diverse people feel at home, as they grow in their passion for the supremacy of God.

2. Concerning interracial reconciliation: Against the rising spirit of indifference, alienation and hostility in our land, we will embrace the supremacy of God's love to take new steps personally and corporately toward racial reconciliation, expressed visibly in our community and in our church.

3. Concerning good news to the poor: We will develop new strategies for proclaiming the all-satisfying supremacy of God's love and justice to the poor through a) personal involvement; b) a more welcoming atmosphere; c) local missionary strategies of urban disciple making; and d) equipping missionaries for unreached urban peoples.

I would love to hear more reflections on this matter. For example, many will say, "Look we're a suburban church and that's who God has called us to be." Others will say, "We are indeed a suburban church but we think we should be at work among a more urban population for the Gospel." Are we to suppose the first church is not as spiritual or biblical as the second? Is it just a matter of calling? And what is that calling? Is it the same for everyone? Assuming it's not, how is it different? What should the relationship be, then, between the suburban church and the urban neighborhood? Should there be a relationship at all? If so, on what grounds? If not, why? There are not easy answers here, but what are your thoughts? I welcome your input.

PLNTD - A New Church Planting Network

2010-06-17T11:00:00.008-05:00

There is a new church planting network that is both distinctly baptist and missional in its focus. You can read more about it from Tim Brister who is currently doing a blog series entitled "Bring it Back" on church planting with the launch of this new endeavor. You can check out PLNTD for yourself. Here are a few ways to get in touch with PLNTD:

1. Follow PLNTD on Twitter
2. Visit the PLNTD Facebook page
3. Sign up for the PLNTD e-newsletter

The Gospel According to Mark

2010-05-14T13:25:00.011-05:00

This spring at Heritage Baptist Church we've been walking through the Gospel of Mark as a church family. It has been a very encouraging study so far. It, has been even more rewarding for me since I am one of the men responsible for teaching in this series. I wanted to do it because I knew how much I would learn from doing a careful analysis of the Gospel. I have also been greatly helped by the other men who are preparing and teaching. Below, you'll see some of the sermons from this series. I encourage you to listen in and catch the rest of the series. Each week we live stream. So, if you are sick or at home with the kids wherever you may be you can catch us online @10:30 AM every Sunday morning. The series will continue throughout the summer.

Did You Stop Praying For Haiti?

2010-04-24T11:36:00.007-05:00

I hope not. This is a strategic time in the life of Haiti. God will use the aftermath of this massive disaster to get a people for himself. He will be glorified. But as the old saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind" for so many. If you're not there, if you don't have any close ties in Haiti, you may have already forgotten. It is human nature to be self-bent, self-interested, and miss what's right in our face. Use this as a reminder. This is a rap for Haiti written by "Lecrae" Moore. Lecrae is a Hip/Hop artist from Atlanta. May God bring revival to this nation. The single is entitled, "Far Away".

Did Jesus Preach Paul's Gospel?

2010-04-16T13:37:00.009-05:00

I just came back from T4G. I have mentioned the following message to many. The manuscript is here. This is a classic example of why am so thankful for John Piper. The rigor of his thinking is almost unparalleled among his contemporaries. I am indebted to John (and in a large way Tom Steller) who taught me how to read the Greek NT, do careful/disciplined exegesis, and frankly, how to think. This message is a classical example of those skills at work. Not only that, but the following message is massively important. It should be listened to by all, and taken to heart. I encourage you to click play when you have an hour. In my opinion, this will be the best hour you will spend all week. Piper argues, He argued from Luke 18:9-14 that Jesus taught the imputation of His righteousness by grace alone through faith alone.

Postmodernism and the Emerging Church: Ravi Zacharias, Al Mohler & R.C. Sproul

2010-04-07T15:30:00.006-05:00

This is a heavy-hitter panel if I've ever seen one. I love to see men of this caliber discuss such significant issues. Below you'll see Ravi Zacharias, Al Mohler & R.C. Sproul discuss Postmodernism and the Emerging Church.

Idolatry Can Be Extremely Subtle

2010-03-31T16:48:00.005-05:00

"An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God himself and his grace. It is a subtle but deadly mistake. The sign that you have fallen into this form of self-justification is that you become what the book of Proverbs calls a “scoffer”. Scoffers always show contempt and disdain for opponents rather than graciousness. This is a sign that they do not see themselves as sinners saved by grace. Instead, their trust in the rightness of their views makes them feel superior." - Counterfeit Gods (p.131)

Patrick Henry, "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"

2010-03-23T12:47:00.015-05:00

Patrick Henry, along with Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine he is considered to be one of the most prominent advocates of the American Revolution. He is also one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. But perhaps he is best remembered for his speech "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death".

He delivered that speech 235 years ago today at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia. It is credited with having swung the voters to pass a resolution to send the Virginia troops to the Revolutionary War. It is reported that those in attendance, upon hearing the speech, shouted, "To arms! To arms!".

As I was reading the speech today, I couldn't help but notice a striking irony. Today, March 23, 2010, Barack Obama signed into law a health care bill that undermines the very heart and essence of Henry's plea, liberty. With the Obama health care plan being forced upon the will of this country, the words of Patrick Henry now seem so prophetic in so many ways. Below is a dramatic presentation of the speech and the text.

"No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.

This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty towards the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?

For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth -- to know the worst and to provide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House?

Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation -- the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motives for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies?

No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer on the subject? Nothing.
We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer.

Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.

Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope.

If we wish to be free -- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending -- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!

They tell us, sir, that we are weak -- unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.

The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

Patrick Henry - March 23, 1775

New Book Alert: The Rage Against God

2010-03-20T13:26:00.004-05:00

Peter Hitchens, brother of world-renown atheist Christopher Hitchens is responding to the "New Atheism". His book, "The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith" is set to hit stores May 2010. Here is a preview of that book.

HT: Roshan John

Hope For The Depressed

2010-03-04T16:25:00.004-06:00

Ed Welch, faculty member of CCEF, has written a helpful article on Depression. In it, he talks about two paths people choose to travel on when dealing with their depression, 1) Isolated Independence and 2) Faith.

Here's an excerpt:

"While you are in the wilderness what are you seeing in your own heart? How are you relating to God? Do you avoid him? Ignore him? Get angry at him? Do you act as though he is very far away and too busy with everything else to attend to your suffering? Are you frustrated that God is powerful enough to end your suffering but he hasn’t? In your depression, let God reveal your heart. You might find spiritual issues that contribute to or even cause your depression.

WHICH PATH WILL YOU CHOOSE?

You are on one of two roads: faith or isolated independence. On the road of faith you are seeking and following God. You are calling out to him. You don’t understand what is happening, but you have not lost sight of how the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ assure you that he is good. You feel like you are walking in the dark, but in your best moments you are putting one foot in front of the other as an expression of your trust in God. Whether you know it or not you are being heroic. On this path, although you are suffering, you are still able to notice and marvel that God’s Spirit is empowering you to trust him through darkness and pain."

(Continue reading...)

The Spirit of the Early Church: Destitute Yet Possessing Everything

2010-02-24T14:38:00.016-06:00

One of the earliest Christian documents defending the Christian faith is Προς Διόγνητον Επιστολή or The Letter to Diognetus. The letter is a moving defense of the Christian faith from its accusers. The Greek writer (who is unknown) seems to follow the pattern of the Gospel of John by referring to Jesus as "the Word". Textual evidence dates the work to the late 2nd century; some assume an even earlier date and count it among the Apostolic Fathers.

Below is a moving passage from the letter. It provides a vivid description of how Christians were perceived by the world in early Church history. Clearly, our early brothers and sisters believed themselves to be in a world that was not Christian at all, but rather Anti-Christian.

I find the following passage to be both extremely encouraging and extremely convicting. If this reflects Biblical Christianity, Joel Osteen is not a Christian and the Prosperity Gospel is heresy. You decide. If you think that is too strong, then read the following passage and explain the disparity between this type of living and the Prosperity gospel.

"Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives.

They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law. Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they, rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred.

To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.

Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body's hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself."

(Nn. 5-6; Funk-Bihlmeyer edition, 397-401)

Online Version

The Presumed Persecution of Indian Pastors (Original Video)

2010-02-23T15:46:00.017-06:00

Many people have asked why the original Francis Chan video on the presumed persecution of Indian pastors cannot be be viewed anymore. The original video was taken down. If you attempt to view the video, it now states,

"There has been some questions regarding whether or not this footage is actually depicting Indian Christians being persecuted and martyred for their faith. We are removing the two videos until we can confirm or deny the authenticity of the footage."

I include that statement out of respect for Francis and Cornerstone Church. Let me be clear about one thing. I am not re-posting this video, because I know it to be legitimate or accurate. It may or may not be. That has not yet been verified. The reason I am re-posting it, is so that others can see the original video and work towards determining its legitimacy. So, please watch this respectfully and with the understanding that its voracity is currently being researched and determined.

Hurry, We've Got to Get to the Hospital

2010-02-11T14:25:00.005-06:00

“Derek, this is PT (Pastor Ted). Could you meet me at the church building? I need to get to the hospital quickly. Within the hour, Kevin’s dad is undergoing emergency surgery. He has a life-threatening aneurysm. If we can, we’ll see him briefly. If he’s already been taken into surgery, we’ll spend some time with Kevin and his mom. You know that both of his parents are lost. I’d love to have you go with me.”

Derek agrees. On the way to the hospital I ask him, “If you were making this visit alone, what d’ya think you’d try to do?” Derek’s answer is good – he hits a double, but I need to bring ‘em in. So, I set forth some additional goals, suggest a strategy, remind him that things may not go as we plan, park the car and pray. The visit was made. We got to pray with Kevin’s dad, spend some helpful time with our brother in Christ and his mom (showing her Christian compassion) and tactfully share the Gospel. The four of us took a short walk down the hall to the chapel, where I read a verse of Scripture and asked Derek to pray.

On our way back to the church parking lot, I asked my young pastoral student how he thought things went, what we could have done better, what he learned from the experience and if he wanted to sit in on a baptismal interview next Saturday morning. We prayed again for God’s blessing on the visit and said goodbye. As Derek was closing my car door, he said something like, “PT, thanks so much for thinking of me tonight. I learned tons! I have so much to learn but I must confess that experiences like this fire me up to be a pastor.”

The preceding story was partly factual but entirely realistic with regard to the pastoral mentoring component that goes on at The Midwest Center for Theological Studies. MCTS is a ministry functioning within the context of Heritage Baptist Church which serves to equip men who are preparring for full-time ministry. In addition to giving our guys a solid, theological education (“informed scholarship”), we believe God has also called us to mold and shape them pastorally – s.h.a.p.e. (shepherds helping aspiring pastors experientially). We’re so convinced of this responsibility that we actually give credit for a course called Pastoral Mentoring.

What could be better than sitting under gifted and knowledgeable seminary professors? The answer is sitting under gifted and knowledgeable seminary professors who are also your pastors– men who can take you into elders’ meetings, premarital counseling sessions, pastoral care meetings, funeral home visits, sermon preparation, family devotions as well as Starbucks for some “hang time.”

Concerning the council of Jerusalem we read, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). The pastor-professors of MCTS are not Jesus. They just want to be like him, and hope their students will mature not only by hearing from them in the classroom, but by being with them in other settings. If you want to meet the real Derek or Mark or Justin or Brandon or Larry or Matt or…, let us know. We’ll hook you up.

Guest Post: Ted Christman
Pastor for Counseling and Mentoring:
Heritage Baptist Church

Gandhi, Christian Missions, and Social Justice

2010-02-04T09:34:00.010-06:00

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of a political philosophy known as Satyagraha, which was a method of resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience. His philosophy was developed from another Indian philosophy known as Ahimsa, or total nonviolence. Gandhi was a radical voice for Indian independence and freedom for downtrodden resident Indians and their struggle for civil rights. Gandhi organized protests by peasants, farmers, and urban workers due to intense discrimination. Gandhi led nationwide campaigns to ease poverty, expand women's rights, end untouchability, and increase economic self-reliance.

So that's Gandhi. What about the Bible? Isaiah 58:6-7 says, "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

Admittedly, Gandhi's social reform was anything but biblical. He was a social reformer but a reformer motivated to perform justice from a very different set of reasons. Nevertheless, while Gandhi was busy seeking justice for the downcast in India, so were many Christian missionaries. One would think then, that Gandhi, being an educated fellow, would understand this element of biblical justice and have at least conciliatory attitude to Christian missions. Sadly, any critical review of Ghandi's attitude toward Christians would lead one to the conclusion that his attitude was less than encouraging at best, if not hostile altogether.

Gandhi's hostility toward Christian missionaries was due to their zeal to "convert" the masses from Hinduism to Christianity. For Christians to pursue social justice for the broken was all well and good, but for them to do this for a more fundamental goal of seeing them converted to Christianity was despised by Gandhi. Concomitantly, he argued that Christians should confine their work to activities having to do with the amelioration of the physical and social conditions of the people without disturbing their religious faiths.

Thus, Gandhi made a sharp distinction between preaching and living out the message. He writes, "A rose does not need to preach. It simply spreads its fragrance. The fragrance is its own sermon." While that sounds nice, in reality, it reveals a massive lack of discernment and critical thought on the part of Gandhi. Such a statement is simply not thought through. If we perceive a truth or an answer to a problem that many face in life, we should tell it. Why did Gandhi write and seek to be published? I must 'practice what I preach' does not mean that I must not preach, it only means that I should do both. If we do not have the courage to commend to others by word and deed what we believe, then perhaps we do not believe it at all.

Jesus cannot be preached by deed only. Jesus must be preached in words or he is not preached at all. The problem with preaching Jesus in India is the fact that any idea of the supremacy of Jesus above all other God's, and as the exclusive way to heaven goes against the very spirit India boasts of, tolerance of all. You see, to say to India, "Jesus Christ is THE way, THE truth and THE life" seems arrogant, like saying we alone have the light. But you see, as Christians we have no choice. This is what our Scriptures say. We cannot say less. What's more is that we are also saved from the arrogance it portrays when we say it in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. After all, it's not our words, but His.

Gandhi wanted Christian social engagement without calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus, but some contemporary radical nationalists would like to prevent Christians from empowering the poor as well. They desire this precisely because Christianity is not just a quest for social engagement but a message, and a message that calls people to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone.

The Idolatry of Preaching: An Interview With Paul Washer

2010-01-28T17:41:00.007-06:00

Listen to the following wise and helpful words from Paul Washer in a recent interview about Pastoral ministry, preaching and the character of a man who holds such an office. Let me also encourage you to listen to the lectures he gave to the students at The Midwest Center for Theological Studies in Owensboro, Ky for their Fall 2009 Kick-off.

HT: I'll Be Honest

Twisting Paths of Providence

2010-01-14T15:01:00.009-06:00

John Piper has a new book out on the Book of Ruth, A Sweet and Bitter Providence. It is both an exposition and application of the book of Ruth. From watching the following trailer, it looks great. I would like to get an audio copy of this book. It's not surprising that desiringGod is offering this book as a free download. They have demonstrated time and time again a commitment to the Kingdom first and foremost and not their pockets. God bless them.

Christmas In 'Asia Minor'

2009-12-18T13:06:00.013-06:00

Did you ever wonder what an Indian Christmas would be like? Well, consider the following parody a spirited introduction. Enjoy.

The 12 Germiest Places In Your Life

2009-12-17T14:48:00.006-06:00

For my germaphobe friends out there, this is for you! A germaphobe is a person who is obsessed with cleanliness, particularly the avoidance and elimination of germs and bacteria. The term is not a proper word but recently has been added to the urban dictionary. The closest medical term is /my·so·pho·bia/ or an irrational fear of dirt and contamination. Well, with that said, the Today show ran a special on the twelve germiest places of your life. FYI, here they are:

1. Your kitchen sink
Kitchen sinks are dirtier than most bathrooms. There are typically more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch in the drain alone. Plus your sponge, basin and faucet handles are crawling with bacteria as well.

2. Airplane bathrooms
It may not be a shock that there are a huge number of germs in most public bathrooms, but experts agree the cramped and overused ones on airplanes are the worst. There are often traces of E. coli or fecal bacteria on the faucets and door handles because it’s hard to wash hands in the tiny sinks. And the volcanic flush of the commode tends to spew particles into the air, coating the floor and walls with whatever had been swirling around in it.

3. A load of wet laundry
Any time you transfer underwear from the washer to the dryer, you’re getting E. coli on your hands. Just one soiled undergarment can spread bacteria to the whole load and machine.

4. Public drinking fountains
Drinking fountains are bound to be germy, but school fountains are the worst, with anywhere from 62,000 to 2.7 million bacteria per square inch on the spigot.

5. Shopping cart handles
Saliva, bacteria and fecal matter are just a few of the substances found on shopping cart handles. Cart handles rank high on the yuck scale because they’re handled by dozens of people every day and, of course, raw food carries nasty pathogens.

6. ATM buttons
If you’re not careful, you might pick up more than quick cash from your local ATM. These buttons have more gunk on them than most public-bathroom doorknobs! ATMs aren’t frequently cleaned, and are regularly touched — a perfect combination for a lot of germs.

7. Your handbag
Recent studies found that most women’s purses had tens of thousands of bacteria on the bottom and a few were overrun with millions. Another study found bugs like pseudomonas (which can cause eye infections) and skin-infection-causing staphylococcus bacteria, as well as salmonella and E. coli.

8. Playgrounds
There’s just no way to put this delicately: Children tend to ooze bodily fluids and then spread them around. When researchers sampled playgrounds, they found blood, mucus, saliva and urine. Pair those findings with the fact that children put their fingers in their mouths and noses more than the rest of us, and it’s easy to understand why Junior (and maybe his mom or dad) has the sniffles.

9. Mats and machines at health clubs
Antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus has been found on yoga mats and cardio and resistance machines. At high schools, antibiotic-resistant-staph infections have been transmitted through wrestling mats. The same thing could happen at health clubs.

10. Your bathtub
Shocking, but true: The place you go to get clean is quite dirty. A recent study found staphylococcus bacteria, a common cause of serious skin infections, in 26 percent of the tubs tested, as compared with just 6 percent of garbage cans. Tubs typically had more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch! You’re washing germs and viruses off your body and the tub is a fairly moist environment, so bacteria can grow.

11. Your office phone
This is enough to make you dial 911: Office phones often have more than 25,000 germs per square inch, and your desk, computer keyboard and mouse aren’t far behind. Phones, including cell-phones, can be pretty gross because they get coated with germs from your mouth and hands.

12. The hotel-room remote control
What’s the first thing you do when you settle in at a hotel? You grab the remote control and switch on the TV — you, and the hundreds of other guests who’ve stayed there. How dirty is it? A recent study tested various surfaces for the cold virus after a group of sick people had stayed overnight and found the virus on the remote, door handles, light switches, pens and faucet handles.

Marriage-destroying Ministry

2009-12-12T23:26:00.016-06:00

Tom Steller pointed me to an article written by C. Michael Patton, entitled "How My Passion For Ministry Almost Ended My Marriage". It's a searching piece for those of us who are involved in ministry. It's meant to serve as a warning. There exists the notion out there that a pastors priorities should be to: 1. God 2. Church/Ministry 3. Family, in that order. One result of this is that pastors who do this will seek to justify their lack of involvement with family under the pretense of doing "God's work" as if God's work did not include a priority to the family. But as you will see, placing ministry above family is a destructive trajectory. Below, you will find a substantial excerpt with a link to the full article. I encourage you to read it to the end.
____________

It was 2000. Or was it 1999? Not sure. My wife and I had been married for three years. Katelynn was two; Kylee was on the way. We lived in a little one bedroom apartment about ten minutes from campus. I was living my dream as I started the four year ThM program at Dallas Seminary (DTS). Kristie was ready to get in and get out, tolerating the time spent away from home in Oklahoma.

It was early on in Dr. Mark Young’s missions class that the epiphany came to me. It was from the Lord, I was sure. My passion for theology, truth, and changing the world was rising every day. Dreams were big, but they were about to get a lot bigger. Mark had been talking about the importance of missions (of course…it was a missions class). Contextualization, culture, redemptive analogies, and the like were all being discussed every day. Our passions were on the rise as Mark told his stories about his time in Poland. He could hardly hold back the tears and neither could we.

The next week he brought up a map. He showed us the break down of the world in relation to the Great Commission. “You are here.” You know how maps are. We were in Dallas. He showed us from there where all DTS grads were serving. I think that they were marked with a pin. There was a high concentration of pins around the Dallas area showing that many DTS grads stayed close. There was also a high concentration of grads in all fifty states. They were everywhere. Oklahoma, California, Nebraska, Washington, New York, Illinois, New Mexico, and every place else in the United States. When we looked beyond the United States, there was no famine for the need of pins. There were only a few, comparatively speaking, in other countries. Mark began to explain how 95% of the graduates from DTS stayed in the United States, while only 5% served abroad. However, as he explained, 95% of the need was in other countries that did not have the Gospel, theological training, or churches. It was alarming and Mark’s passion for missions made the alarm that much louder.

Well, I heard the call that day loud and clear. I knew what I was called to do. I was not sure before, but the Lord’s voice was coming through like a megaphone. I was supposed to go overseas. I was supposed to be a missionary!

When I got home, Kristie attempted to probe for the passion and the source of my excitement. I held back some naively thinking it was going to be a surprise. I wanted to walk her through all I had learned and let the excitement build in her as it had in me. I told her everything we had been learning doing my best to work without the pins. I explained to her how much of a famine for the Gospel existed in other parts of the world. Then, when the time was just right, I gave her the “good” news: “We are going to be missionaries!!!”

Let’s just say that the rehearsal in my mind did not mirror the actual events. I thought that Kristie would be excited. I thought that her heart would break for those less fortunate people. I thought that she would hear the Lord’s voice as clearly as I did. But such was not the case. She began to cry . . . and these were not the type of tears I wanted.

(Continue Reading...)

(HT: Michael Patton)

Matt Chandler, Thanks!

2009-12-09T15:00:00.003-06:00

If you haven't see it yet, see it now. Matt Chandler talks about the tumor found in his right frontal lobe and how he feels about life and God now. Matt, thanks for magnifying Jesus during the hardest time of your life. I thank men like John Piper who have gone before men like Matt to give them a strong rock-solid theology of the sovereignty of God in suffering. I am thankful that men like Matt Chandler are walking directly in those footsteps. At the end of the day, "a servant is not above his master", which means if Jesus suffered so shall we. In that case, Matt is not ultimately following John, but Jesus. Pray with me that God will do some great things for the honor of His name in this!

(HT: The Village Church: Dwell Deep Blog)

Perverting the Gospel BY Pursuing Social Justice?

2009-12-02T15:55:00.000-06:00

How could God remain just and not call injustice wrong? By necessity, he cannot. So, how can a Christian, who takes on the name of God, fold his hands at the sight of injustice? As a new creation, he must not. If he does, something is wrong. Just to be clear, in this essay I am using the term social justice and biblical justice as synonyms. I am doing that because all true social justice should flow from our ideals of what biblical justice is all about. I favor the use of the phrase biblical justice to social justice because it tends to remove the very problem the rest this essay seeks to avoid.

So why do some believers remain aloof while injustice occurs in their backyard? I believe it is due to paralysis. Particularly, I am referring to the paralysis of “fear”. It is a fear of perverting the gospel by pursuing social justice. So the argument goes, if I pursue social justice, I will pervert the Gospel by implication since a pursuit of social justice is a pursuit of the social gospel. But that’s a non sequitur. It raises a false dichotomy between the goal of protecting the Gospel and the goal of pursuing biblical justice in the world. To come to the conclusion that protecting the Gospel means staying away from issues of social justice is the wrong conclusion. So, we avoid the issue all together because we are paralyzed by fear. This, however, is an example of a good fear gone bad. It’s a good thing, for example, to fear the perversion of the Gospel. It’s a bad thing, however, when that fear of perverting the Gospel turns into a failure to pursue biblical justice at all. The real dichotomy, then, is the disparity between a quest to protect the Gospel, and a failure to be moved by the very Gospel it is protecting.

Converts to Christ must address the issues of social Justice. But let me be clear about one thing - defending the rights of the unborn, and taking a biblical stance on marriage is not the “social gospel”. They are social pursuits to be sure, but they are not be confused with the pursuit of a social gospel. In fact, pursuing social justice is not the social gospel precisely because we do not view it as the Gospel. It’s the pursuit of biblical justice. And while categories of the Gospel intersect with categories of biblical justice they remain distinct. They are distinct because the goal of the Gospel and the fruit of the Gospel are distinct. The goal of the Gospel is the glory of God in the salvation of man. The fruit of the Gospel, among other things, is a changed life, a life that pursues not only the salvation of men through the preaching of God’s word, but the justice of God through the alleviation of injustice. You see, alleviating injustice provides a platform for proclaiming the alleviation of man’s greatest problem, his enmity with God. In fact, it is the justice of God that is man’s greatest problem. God’s hatred of injustice stems from the fact that he is a just God and he will not simply let man “off the hook”. So alleviating injustice through social justice is an opportunity to proclaim that God’s means to alleviate your greatest problem, through the justice of forgiving your sin through the penal substitutionary death of his Son. In this way, he establishes his justice and mercy at the same time.

Some important distinctions are being made.
1.) The pursuit of biblical justice, is not the same thing as the social gospel.

2.) The pursuit of biblical justice, while a fruit of the gospel, is not the Gospel itself.

3.) The goal of the social gospel and the Gospel are radically different. The goal of the social gospel is peace on earth and good will toward men, while the goal of the Gospel is the glory of God in the salvation of man.

4.) The fruit of the social gospel and the Gospel are radically different. The fruit of the social gospel is the aggravation of man’s greatest need by not meeting his most important need, while the fruit of the Gospel is the alleviation man greatest need by meeting his most important need.

5.) The pursuit of social justice is intended to serve the pursuit of the Gospel, not the social gospel.

So, the pursuit of biblical justice is not at odds with the Gospel. It serves the Gospel. Be like Christ. Love what he loves. Hate what he hates. Believers in union with Christ will share his priorities. They will be angered by those defrauded by unjust court systems (Isa 11:4). They will oppose those who seek to snuff out the lives of the helpless (Ps 72:4). And they will do all this while proclaiming the message that meets their greatest need, the Gospel itself.

What Are You Thankful For? 2009 Edition

2009-11-24T15:44:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving has come again. So what are you thankful for? Have you stopped to consider? His mercies are new every morning. Another year is gone and how many of his mercies have passed our way? It's amazing to think about, isn't it? Well, I am thankful for so many things. I thought I would just write some of them here. It is good to give public thanks to God.

I am thankful for...

Being "in Christ" and not having a righteousness of my own. I am thankful for God's patience to me, a great sinner. I am thankful for forgiveness and restoration, repentance and renewal, hunger for God and his Word. I am thankful for the Bride of Christ and the joy of knowing that the Bride of Christ loves me. I am thankful for my pastors, mentors, friends, family and a phenomenal, grace-filled, loving fiancee whom I do not deserve! "Praise the Lord, for a song of praise is fitting!"

I am thankful for the character of God, that He takes pleasure in his people, providing us with hope for the future and security today. I am thankful for His glorious being with all of His stately attributes: his infinity, immutability, impassibility, holiness, eternity, omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, justice, wisdom, goodness, love, mercy, graciousness, jealously, sovereignty, and utter independence. I am thankful that God does not need me. I am thankful that I have learned to need God. "His mercies are new every morning! Praise be to God!"

I am thankful for the means of grace: prayer, preaching, the Word of God, the Lord's table, biblical fellowship, the Church, prayer meetings and sabbath rest. I am thankful for good, close friends who will get in my face if I walk away from God. I am thankful for a church who has the guts to do the same, and obey God's word by actually practicing church discipline. I am thankful for the safety and accountability that provides for us all. "Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary!"

I am thankful for good health, a mind that works and a body that moves. I am thankful for the faithfulness and perseverance of my brothers and sisters who do not have good health, or bodies that move, quadriplegics like Jonny Erikson Tada and other broken people with testimonies worth publishing. I'm thankful that they serve steer me away from self-pity to God-worship. Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song!

I am thankful the calling God has placed on my life to proclaim the Gospel to a lost and dying generation. I am thankful for the awesome prospect of shepherding the people of God for a lifetime. What a privilege, what an honor it is! I am thankful that through that shepherding God is already changing lives, rescuing some from all sorts of dangers, toils and snares. I am thankful that he even uses me, despite my many inconsistencies and weaknesses. "I give thanks to you, O God; I give thanks for you are near".

I am thankful for the missionary movement, the people of God among every tribe, tongue, people and nation. I am thankful for the privilege of traveling overseas to be humbled by my brothers and sisters who live more like we are supposed to be living. I am thankful for Arif and Kathy Khan of whom the world was not worthy. I am thankful for all my brothers and sisters presently suffering for the gospel in the hardest places of the word. Some being tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffering mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. Some being stoned or killed with the sword. Others going about destitute, afflicted, mistreated— living in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. I am thankful that they have not bought the lie of the prosperity gospel, and have helped me avoid the same. I am thankful for churches sounding the alarm for missions and calling us to get outside ourselves for the sake of others. I am thankful for my beloved India and all that God is doing there. O God, save a generation in India! I am thankful that I burn to see Jesus formed among the unreached people of the world. "Let all the peoples praise you O God; let all the peoples praise you!"

I am thankful for being thankful because without God's grace I would be nothing but an ungrateful man the rest of my miserable life. But instead, God has called me to a beautiful life in Christ. He has washed me with his precious blood. I am a new creation in Christ. I am thankful that there is nothing I can do to cause God to love me less. I am thankful that the knowledge of that fact does not lead me to abuse grace, but serves my desire, hunger and faithfulness to God. An undeserved life I live before you you O God. "I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations."

What Does God Want?

2009-11-19T11:14:00.005-06:00

Mark Driscoll at the Resurgence interviews R.C. Sproul, asking him the age-old question: "Does God Desire All People To Be Saved?"

A “Vertical” Perspective on the Cross

2009-11-16T15:22:00.007-06:00

A guest post by Sam Emadi

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

We tend to look at the cross only from the side. That is a tragedy. Tragic because it fails to behold glory; tragic because it fails to wonder at love; tragic because it fails to see the heart of the Gospel.

A “horizontal perspective” of the cross will not reveal the deepest sufferings of Jesus. Of course the physical agony from nails thrust into Jesus’ hands was real. And the emotional suffering of man betrayed and abandoned by His closest friends was real. And the anguish of being unjustly condemned and mercilessly mocked was real. But to see only these pains is to fail to see the Gospel.

What we need is a “top-down” look at the cross, that is to say a “vertical perspective.” The most important question we can ask ourselves when we are gaze at the agony that is happening on the cross is not how big the nails are, or how lonely the Savior felt after being abandoned by His friends, or how traumatic it was to be unjustly condemned. The most important question we can ask is “what is happening between the God the Father and His Son at the Place of the Skull?”

What does this “vertical look” at the cross reveal? It reveals the Savior “Smitten of God.” It reveals the Father pouring out furious, righteous wrath on His Son. It reveals the Son suffering the torment for our sin. Jesus is not like other men when He dies on the cross; He is not like the thieves on His right and on His left. His suffering is not like their suffering; His pains are not like their pains. On the cross the Savior is absorbing infinite wrath; crushed in the hands of an angry God.

Why? Because “The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” Isaiah informs us that the wrath poured out on Christ was wrath reserved for sinners. But Jesus dies in their place. He is tormented for their sin. He suffers the penalty of wrath as a substitute for sinners. He endures what we could not and He conquers what we could not overcome. And by all this “we are healed.” What a tragedy to see the cross only from the side. But when we look at the sufferings of Calvary from the top-down we can, with awestruck wonder, say with Paul, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

__________

Sam Emadi, is currently finishing his M.Div in Biblical and Theological Studies. He has a diverse background in that he has split his time between The Midwest Center for Theological Studies, and Southern Seminary. He is thankful for the time he has spent training for the ministry at both of these excellent institutions. His desire is to pursue further post-graduate studies in Biblical Theology.

Advice For Engaging Unbelievers With The Gospel

2009-10-28T16:23:00.015-05:00

Christian Spirituality is Redemptive
The truth of the above title should be obvious, right? Christian spirituality has everything to do with lost sinners. Any notion of spirituality that that is defined around isolating oneself from the world is in fact not biblical spirituality. It's just not. The gospel gets us outside ourselves. The gospel causes us to look at people differently. We are saved form ourselves to God, for other people. The Pharisees missed this. We are seriously deceived if we do not think that we are equally susceptible to this. If your tendency is to not associate with a lost and broken world, you need to re-examine your commitment to Jesus Christ.

Our Tendency Is To Remain Isolated
The Pharisees could not understand how a spiritual person could have anything to do with nonspiritual 'sinners', as they said when Jesus visited them, 'If He was a prophet He would know who is touching Him and what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner' (Luke 7:39). Such comments reveal an understanding of spirituality, which desperately needed to be exclusive in order to maintain its purity. Jesus saw spirituality as submission to the purpose of God in the redemption of people. Our spirituality is not in withdrawal but in participation. And participation for redemptive ends.

How To Change
With that in mind, let me give you some practical advice for how to develop a spirituality that is not in withdrawal but in participation. If we are going to order our relationships around Jesus Christ we cannot have stereotypical, shallow and superficial relationships with people. The gospel compels us to get outside ourselves. Here are some ways to start:

1. Be Interested - Ask people questions. Ask and ask away. People like to talk about themselves because they are so self-absorbed. Maybe in a moment of humility they will ask you something back. Always answer more than they ask. Make an identification with Christ on the front end, and back this up with relational stuff.

2. Be Inclusive - Never do anything alone. Do not eat alone, do not work alone, do not play alone, do not drive alone. Invite people to do things with you. Make this a habit. Have someone join your family. Build a context to share Christ.

3. Be Intentional - You have to be intentional with your life. Steering conversations into deeper issues requires intentionality. This does not happen naturally. Learn to think hyper-intentionally, otherwise it will not happen. Have a plan to engage in meaningful conversations with everyone around you.

For more on this, you may listen to a recent message I preached at Heritage Baptist Church, entitled: "The Gospel Saves Us From Self, To God, For Others".

Cultivating Meaningful Time With God: Two Essential Questions To Ask

2009-10-15T13:10:00.010-05:00

When it comes to spending time alone with God, there are two questions people typically never ask. Answering those questions will help you cultivate a more serious relationship with God.

When? The question of when, has to do with establishing a time each day when you will get into the Word, think, pray and engage with God. Many people never think through this question. The result is that their time with God is quite haphazard and sporadic. Basically, it has become more like, “I will spend time with God, when I can”. Humbly, I do not think you can sustain a vibrant relationship with God like this. You do not do this in your marriage, and if you did, your marriage would not be much more than a peaceful coexistence, if that. Thus, you need to establish a time and place to communicate with God, alone. I am not suggesting that spontaneity is bad. I like it. Sometimes it is actually helpful. However, if your walk with God has become all spontaneous and unplanned you will more than likely have an anemic relationship with God at best. So, plan you time with God.

Example: Working as a pastor, it is essential that I have time to restore and replenish. After the end of a long week and a loaded Sunday, I desperately need to replenish. I need to “fill the tank”, so to speak. For me, that means that I give my Monday mornings to getting alone and away with God for extended hours for the sole purpose of being refreshed and recharged.

How? The second question we must ask ourselves is how. The question of how, has to do with establishing a plan for what you will do when you spend time with God. What do you need to do in order to establish an effective time alone with God? It is not enough to simply have a time, you need to know what you are going to do with that time when it comes. Being really organized by setting aside a regular time each day, only to be sporadic with the use of that time has a canceling effect. In that case, the time you set aside will be wasted because you do not have a plan for how to use that time well. I hesitate to suggest what that should mean for you. I only am stating the fact that you should have a plan. Whatever that plan is, presumably, it should be something realistic and attainable with a proven track record of yielding fruit. If you have a time, place and plan, are being faithful to those things and still not seeing fruit, you need to re-examine your time, place and plan.

Example: Be aware of distractions. It is important, to be aware of where your affections are. On the negative side, what things do you love and have a hard time going without? If it is sleep you love, you need to go to bed at a reasonable hour and get up early to spend time with God. If it is TV you love, you need to get away from that distraction before you try to spend time with God. If it is social networking and tooling around on the internet occupying your affections, you need to get away from that. Practically, this means don’t go to Panera and try to have a quiet time with your laptop on the table.

Some distractions are long-term and have become patters that work to create an overall sense of distraction. Sports are a key example of this dynamic, particularly for men. If you are consistently emotionally affected by whether or not a 20-year-old boy catches a ball, this should be an immediate indication that this has become way too important for you. Think about what that is saying about your affections. Among other things, it communicates that you are more affected by that game, than by the God who made you. Work to crucify inordinate affections.

On the positive side, what are things that create affection for the Lord? Maybe it is singing, listening to a good worship track, hiking on the trail admiring God’s creation, fellowship with a friend in prayer, and hopefully the gathering of your local church on Sunday morning. Whatever the case may be, pursue these things. Learn to create a climate and context that nurtures your affection for God.

In summary, you must have a time, place and plan. You must ask yourself these two questions: When will I spend time with God? How will I spend time with God? If you are faithful to ask these questions and work hard to follow through on them, you will do well.

Young, Married, and Looking for Resources?

2009-10-06T21:51:00.009-05:00

Are you a young married couple? Reading lots of books on marriage? Perhaps you're engaged to be married and just beginning the process. Well, whatever the case may be, there are so many resources available. Unfortunately, not all of them are equally beneficial. To be fair, there is some really bad stuff out there! On the other hand, there's some great resources available. So how can you helpfully discern what's good and what's bad? Certainly, it's always helpful to have a trusted guide. 9Marks has served us well over the years by always being a straight guide. Some time ago, I posted a chart from 9Marks reviewing the best and the worst books on marriage, according to 9Marks that is. If you have not seen that post, I encourage you to reference that material here.

With that said, however, I do want to make you aware of a new resource that is out. It is particularly geared toward young married couples. Focus on the Family has built an online community seeking to serve young couples in their journey toward strong marriages. The face of this ministry is their blog is entitled, "Young Married Life". According to Justin Taylor,

"The site is intended to function as a virtual small group for married couples, featuring a group blog, a forum and regular featured articles about the early years of marriage, career, finances, culture, and calling. A key topic on the site is preparing for parenting. Gen X and Gen Y couples are reporting a sharper drop in marital satisfaction when they become parents. Young Married Life will offer candid thoughts on the joys and challenges of starting a family with the hope of providing couples a smoother transition."

“We want to offer a supportive community to couples who might feel a little lost in their transition into marriage,” said Steve Watters, director of Marriage and Parenting Preparation for Focus on the Family. “We especially want to help them realize that they aren’t the only people who have fights about in-laws or how to load the dishwasher the right way.”

You can visit the site and enjoy its resources by clicking the banner below.

"Help!" What's Going On With My Teenagers

2009-10-01T19:54:00.005-05:00

Matt McCauley from the Village Church has some helpful advice for parents who are struggling with how to shepherd their kids through adolescence. Among other things, Matt reflects on what your kids may be thinking as they enter the range of 11-15 years of age. Speaking of spending more time in front of the mirror, Matt says,

"As your son or daughter enters into this transition from child to sexually mature adult, expect them to become more consumed with their outward appearance. When they begin to notice the changes a natural curiosity about them will arise. They’ll be looking for answers and explanations to what is going on and why it’s happening.

Sadly, many teens will monitor these changes and self-evaluate them based on the standards of beauty and acceptance portrayed in mainstream media. And this will commonly lead to stress and low self-esteem as no one can measure up to the manufactured, near perfect appearance of those praised in the spotlight. Modesty issues, unhealthy obsessions with exercise, use of performance and growth enhancing drugs, and eating disorders are some of the problems brought on by this stress."

In the rest of the article he deals with the following issues:

1. How can you help? Don't just be a voice be the loudest voice.

2. What's at stake?

He finished with two book recommendations.

(HT: Matt McCauley)

Why Are There So Many English Versions of the Bible?

2009-09-29T12:52:00.006-05:00

Tim Challies has posted a review of Leland Ryken's new book, Understanding English Bible Translation. The book is not intended to be an academic read but has been written for a more popular audience. With that said, it still promises to be an extremely valuable read as according to Challies, it avoids "the more difficult nuances and focuses primarily on the big-picture." If you have ever wondered why we have so many English translations of the Bible, Ryken's book will be helpful to you in providing an answer to your question.

Challies says, "In the book’s first part, he provides an overview of the issues related to translation and provides answers to common questions associated with translating the Bible. In part two he briefly tells the story of English Bible translation, starting with Wycliffe and continuing to Eugene Peterson and beyond. The third part looks to the two main genres of Bible translation, showing how the two genres are, foundationally, vastly different. They have divergent goals for translation, divergent views of the Bible, divergent views of the Bible’s authors, reader and translators, divergent methods of translation and divergent styles of translation. In the fourth part he provides a vision for the ideal English Bible translation before, in part five, showing how an accurate, high-quality translation of the Bible is of critical importance to the life of the church." Thanks Tim for the Review.

(HT: Tim Challies)

Christianity & Transcultural Contextualization, Part 2

2009-09-21T17:00:00.008-05:00

In this short series of posts my goal is to interact with the subject of contextualization as it relates to missiology and ecclesiology. Overall, my desire is to bring some clarity to the whole concept of contextualization as we work toward a definition. Several words have been used interchangeably with contextualization (accommodation, adaptation etc.), to describe some sort of process that involves communicating the gospel to unbelievers either by taking it to them (missiology) or by sharing it with them as they come to us (ecclesiology).

A significant matter of confusion as I see it is an ongoing debate concerning the rightful place of contextualization within the context of the local church. Are we to assume that agreed upon principles of contextualization that apply in missiological contexts equally apply to the Local Church? Of course, to carry on any meaningful dialogue on this point assumes the need for a definition of contextualization that we can work with for the sake of dialogue. I use the phrase "work with" rather than "agreed upon" so that we can at least get the ball rolling by establishing some boundary markers. By doing this we will be able to arrive at a clearer definition for what contextualization is by first establishing what it is not. Let me attempt to do just the following.

Model One

I observed last week that models of contextualization which start with the Scriptures are seeking to translate various biblical meanings into contemporary cultural contexts and forms of expression. This form of contextualization seeks to use images, metaphors, rituals, and words that are current in the culture in order to make the message both understandable and impactful. The underlying conviction, however, is placed on the communication of the Scriptures as the authoritative guide and not the directives of culture.

Model Two

We also observed, on the other hand, that models of 'contextualization' which give priority to the cultural setting attempt to arrive at an understanding of God and His communication to us experientially by using the culture as our foundation and the Bible merely as a guide. This model assigns control not to Scripture but to the cultural context. The goal of this model is to find what God is already doing in the culture rather than to communicate God’s eternal message within the cultural context.

Given the above clarifications, I would like to start with Model One as a working formulation for understanding contextualization. Though there is still much room for debate and discussion within model one, a dividing line needs to be drawn between what has traditionally been called contextualization as opposed to syncretism. The second category, I would argue, should not be called contextualization at all, as it something much closer to what we should be labeled as syncretism. So, in our movement toward a definition for biblical contextualization or accommodation, model one is in view and not model two.

A lot has been written on the subject of contextualization as it relates to missiology. In recent years, however, the subject has shifted in the west to a more focused interaction with ecclesiology. For some, the assumption is that whatever we mean by contextualization has to do with both missiological and ecclesiastical application. This raises the question of the relationship between contextualization to missiology and ecclesiology respectively.

I referenced Andrew Walls and his book, The Missionary Movement in Christian History as a helpful guide. There he distinguishes between what he calls the "indigenizing principle" and "pilgrim principle" in church history. The indigenizing principle witnesses to the Truth that God accepts sinners as they are, on the basis of Christ's atoning death and resurrection alone. Conversely, the pilgrim principle, is a conviction that here we have no lasting city and warns us that we are to be faithful to Christ, and to be faithful to Christ means being out of step with our society.

So as we talk about the relationship of contextualization to ecclesiology, I want to think in light of these two categories with the above working definition of contextualization at hand. We will think about the task of the church to be both indigenizing and pilgrim. As we move this conversation forward I hope it will become clearer to us whether or not contextualization should be stated in reference to the Local church as one of its responsibilities.

Christianity & Transcultural Contextualization, Part 1

2009-09-16T14:42:00.028-05:00

Update - 9.17: What is contextualization? Toward a clearer understanding. See Below.

Let me be clear up front. I am far from being an expert on this issue. However, with you, I would like to explore this issue in a way that is constructive and helpful. I welcome your input and insights.

The word contextualization is scary to some people. It is also hard to define. Definitions of contextualization differ depending on the emphasis placed upon scripture and the cultural setting. Gailyn Van Rheenen offers us some help here:

"Models emphasizing scripture usually define contextualization as the translation of biblical meanings into contemporary cultural contexts. Therefore, images, metaphors, rituals, and words that are current in the culture are used to make the message both understandable and impactful. 'This assigns control to Scripture but cherishes the ‘contextualization’ rubric because it reminds us that the Bible must be thought about, translated into and preached in categories relevant to the particular cultural context' (Carson, Church and Mission: Reflections on Contextualization and the
Third Horizon. 1987, 219-20).

When the cultural setting is prioritized, however, God’s meaning is sought experientially within the culture using the Bible as a guide. This model more fully 'assigns control to the context; the operative term is praxis, which serves as a controlling grid to determine the meaning of Scripture' (Carson 1987, 219-20). The goal is to find what God is already doing in the culture rather than to communicate God’s eternal message within the cultural context" (Contextualization and Syncretism pp.2-3).

Evangelicals, place their emphasis on God’s revelation in Scripture. Since Scripture is authoritative in life and ministry, evangelicals largely view Van Rheenen's second option as syncretistic. To emphasize the cultural setting is would be to marginalized Scripture in the name of contextualization. So, Tite Tiénou describes contextualization as the inner dynamic of the theologizing process. He says,

"It is not a matter of borrowing already existing forms or an established theology in order to fit them into various contexts. Rather contextualization is capturing the meaning of the gospel in such a way that a given society communicates with God. Therein theology is born.” (Evangelical Theological Education Today: 2 Agenda for Renewal. 1982, p. 51)

Well, Tim Keller weighs in with what some will assume to be a helpful definition while others will conclude it to be reductionistic. He says,

"Contextualization is not giving people what they want. It is giving God’s answers (which they probably do not want) to the questions they are asking and in forms they can comprehend (FSI Lecture Series).

But the notion of culture is also as wide as it is vague. Raimundo Pannikar in Indian Christian Theology from the Perspective of Inculturation writes,

"Culture is the sum total of values and worldview by which a particular human group lives" (p. 20).

Cultures are not static but always undergoing change. Christianity, able to exist in all cultures, is transcultural. Christians believe the grounding for their faith and conduct comes from outside any one particular culture, so that you can be a genuine Christian as an Argentinian, Indian, Eskimo, or Irishman. We believe that the God of the Bible loves all of his children the same irrespective of the culture they come from. We believe that no one culture can claim to own the Christian God. The God we worship is outside of any one culture.

At the same time, Christians believe in the validity of culture. Underlying is a conviction that no religion, not Islam, not Hinduism and not Christianity should attempt obliterate these cultural differences, which lie at the core of what it means to be Tamil, Bengali, Maninka, Algerian, Russian or American. That is not to say that all aspects of a culture are equally praiseworthy. It is only to state that as Christians, it is not our aim to destroy the cultural identity of a group of people when we bring the gospel to them. In my travel overseas, I have always found it disingenuous to see western Christian stylistic expressions imported into a third-world context. Examples can be given and elaborated upon, but the basic idea is that as Christians we need to establish a line of demarcation between what are American Christian expressions, and what are Biblical forms and practices that should be imported everywhere since they are Scriptural and transcend culture.

Cultures can retain much of their cultural specifics when they embrace the gospel. Christians need not lose their cultural identity as Indians or Africans. A person can be deeply loyal as both Indian and Christian. Africans, for example, who distance themselves from certain cultural expressions in Africa out of Biblical conviction should not remove themselves from their culture. Rather their commitment to the Gospel places them, as it were, with one foot outside their culture, while the other foot remains firmly planted in it. Their Africanness is not erased, nor should it be.

Andrew Walls, in his excellent work, The Missionary Movement in Christian History has done some rigorous thinking for us in this area. From reading Walls, one will see that another way to understand the dynamic of Christian conversion is his tension between what he calls the "indigenizing principle" and the "pilgrim principle" in church history. The indigenizing principle witnesses to the Truth that God accepts sinners like us as we are, on the basis of Christ's atoning death and resurrection alone. The pilgrim principle on the other hand is a conviction that here we have no lasting city and warns us that we are to be faithful to Christ and to be faithful to Christ means being out of step with our society.

In my next post, I will focus on these two principles and elaborate on the particularities of them. Hopefully we will come to a better understanding of what it means to do engage a specific culture or people in both a transcultural and contextualized way.

When is Political Conservatism Dangerous to the Gospel?

2009-09-14T14:59:00.006-05:00

Jonathan McIntosh posted a thoughtful piece on the dangers of political ideology being confused with the gospel. Generally, I find it to be a balanced perspective and worth a read. His spirit is irenic and his conclusions are constructive. Prompted by a (tweet) from a friend, he wrote the following piece. Since then, he has received quite a bit of criticism and felt the need to write a follow-up piece entitled: Clarification on the Gospel and Political Conservatism.

He says,

"Last Thursday I wrote a post called Why Political Conservatism is Dangerous to the Gospel. Without being disingenuous, I was somewhat surprised by the controversy surrounding this post. Push-back is good, and it’s helped me clarify a few of my thoughts."

He then offers several clarifications. With that in mind, I would encourage you to go back to his original post and read it in light of his clarifications.

Whether you agree with him or not, his conclusions are thought-provoking.

"When political conservatism is confused for Christianity:

1. It creates false assurance: many who are not Christians wrongly assume that they are simply because of their conservative vote.

2. It makes enemies out of friends: Christians forget that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” and make enemies out of anyone who disagrees with their political ideology.

3. It becomes a barrier to mission: political liberals who are not Christians are given the idea that to embrace the gospel of Jesus means to become a conservative. Naturally they pass on this. But the wrong “gospel” has been presented to them – thus many haven’t even rejected the gospel at all, only a highly politicized version of it.

4. The wrong gospel is passed to the next generation: In training our children to be good conservatives instead of grace-filled believers, we help harden their hearts to the gospel. I grew up in a church that did a better job teaching me to be a political conservative than a lover of Jesus Christ. That was a church that was easy to leave." (HT: Jonathan McIntosh)

So what do you think?

Ed Stetzer Reviews The "Top 100 Church Blogs"

2009-09-09T15:52:00.003-05:00

Kent Shaffer @ church relevance has put together a list of the top 100 church blogs based on data collected from various ranking criteria. He says that he took 181 well known blogs, collected data from each blog and used (Alexa Rank, Compete Visitors, Google PageRank, Google Reader Subscribers, Technorati Authority, and Technorati InLinks), to rank them. A composite rank for each blog is determined by averaging each blogs ranking from the 6 measured criteria. Kent admits that he chose some of the well known blogs, and asks for input regarding the ones that he has missed. You can see the full list with DesiringGod coming in first and Doug Wilson's Blog and Mablog rounding out the top 20.

Ed Stetzer, however, has an interesting and informative assessment of the findings. He says,

"First, it is fascinating to see how dominant the "Reformed camp" is in blog town. Some see the Emerging Church conversation in decline, so that may be reflected in the rankings. But there are many others who consider the Emerging Church as the leading voice calling for change in the church. However, clearly it is the Reformed who are getting traction in the blogosphere. (Now, of course, that could be because those Reformed people are not at all those great contemporary church conference and are, instead, home blogging!)"

Feel free to read the rest of his conclusions. Stetzer also lists all of blogs he personally reads.

Paul Washer: A Dialogue Between God The Father & God The Son

2009-09-02T17:30:00.012-05:00

Last week, we had the privilege of hosting Paul Washer for a weekend at Heritage Baptist Church and The Midwest Center for Theological Studies. He spoke to our pastoral students for the fall kick-off at MCTS. They were all helpful talks. However, the highlight of the weekend for me was Paul's Sunday evening address to our church. It really was one of those special moments when God's Spirit moves upon a place and hearts are obviously affected by the preaching. The end of this message is especially powerful when Paul quotes from John Flavel's third sermon from "The Fountain of Life Opened Up - The Covenant of Redemption Betwixt The Father and the Redeemer." I was so blessed, that I wanted to share it with you here. You can download or stream this message by clicking on the above image.

TNIV Translation Committee "We Made Some Important Errors"

2009-09-01T15:19:00.006-05:00

Breaking and surprising news from Christianity Today. Keith Danby, CEO of Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society and Send The Light, or IBS-STL) is announcing a major revision of The New International Version of the Bible. He said, "Decisions surrounding the release of the NIV inclusive language edition and the 2002's revision, Today's New International Version (TNIV), were mistakes."

He goes on to say,

"Quite frankly, some of the criticism was justified and we need to be brutally honest about the mistakes that were made," Danby said. "We failed to make the case for revisions and we made some important errors in the way we brought the translation to publication. We also underestimated the scale of the public affection for the NIV and failed to communicate the rationale for change in a manner that reflected that affection."

According to Cathy Grossman (USA Today), it is The New International Version itself that will undergo revision, while the T-NIV will be taken off the market when the 2011 edition is published.

Danby said,

"It was also a mistake to stop revisions on the NIV. 'We shackled the NIV to the language and scholarship of a quarter century ago, thus limiting its value as a tool for ongoing outreach throughout the world'".

The official press release is here.

Bringing Clarity to the Contextualization Conversation: Carson, Packer, Wells and Dever speak

2009-09-01T12:14:00.012-05:00

Jim Packer

From a 1979 essay, "The Gospel--Its Content and Communication: A Theological Perspective." Republished in Serving the People of God: Collected Shorter Writings of J. I. Packer, vol. 2, pp. 230, 231.

"[Paul] set not limit to what he would do, however unconventionally, to ensure that he did not by personal insensitiveness or cultural inertia set barriers and stumbling-blocks in the way of men coming to Christ. . . . His loving, imaginative adaptability in the service of truth and people is a shining example to all who engage in evangelistic communication, and cannot be pondered too often or too seriously."

Don Carson

The following was in an email from D.A. Carson to Mark Driscoll, as cited in Driscoll's chapter ("The Church and the Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World") in the book, The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World:

"Paul refuses to circumcise Titus, even when it was demanded by many in the Jerusalem crowd, not because it didn’t matter to them, but because it mattered so much that if he acquiesced, he would have been giving the impression that faith in Jesus is not enough for salvation: one has to become a Jew first, before one can become a Christian. That would jeopardize the exclusive sufficiency of Jesus.

To create a contemporary analogy: If I’m called to preach the gospel among a lot of people who are cultural teetotallers, I’ll give up alcohol for the sake of the gospel. But if they start saying, “You cannot be a Christian and drink alcohol,” I’ll reply, “Pass the port” or “I’ll think I’ll have a glass of Beaujolais with my meal.” Paul is flexible and therefore prepared to circumcise Timothy when the exclusive sufficiency of Christ is not at stake and when a little cultural accommodation will advance the gospel; he is rigidly inflexible and therefore refuses to circumcise Titus when people are saying that Gentiles must be circumcised and become Jews to accept the Jewish Messiah."

Driscoll offers a critical distinction, again from Carson:

"No truth which human beings may articulate can ever be articulated in a culture-transcending way—but that does not mean that the truth thus articulated does not transcend culture."

David Wells

David Wells wrote on this topic over 20 years ago. Below are some excerpts from his article on The Nature and Function of Theology.

"Biblical revelation was given in a particular cultural context but it is also intended to be heard in our own context. This revelatory trajectory, then, has a point of origination and a point of arrival. It is the fact of inspiration and the contemporary work of the Spirit which secure a consistency between its terminus a quo [end from which; starting point] and its terminus a quem [end to which; ending point]. The work of the Holy Spirit was such that the responsible human agents who were used in the writing of Scripture were able to employ cultural materials and, indeed, to shape the revelation in terms of their own understanding, but what God the Spirit willed should be revealed was exactly what was written, and the content and intent of this revelation were alike transcultural. The biblical revelation, because of its inspired nature, can therefore be captive neither to the culture in which it arose nor to the culture in which it arrives. It was not distorted as it was given, nor need it be distorted as we seek to understand it many centuries later in contexts far removed from those in which it was originally given. . . .

It is the task of theology, then, to discover what God has said in and through Scripture and to clothe that in a conceptuality which is native to our own age. Scripture, at its terminus a quo, needs to be de-contextualized in order to grasp its transcultural content, and it needs to be re-contextualized in order that its content may be meshed with the cognitive assumptions and social patterns of our own time.

. . . Theology is that effort by which what has been crystallized into doctrine becomes anchored in a subsequent age and culture. It is the work of making doctrine incarnate. God's Word is "enfleshed" in a society as its significance is stated in terms of that cultural situation. . . .

. . . Theology differs from doctrine as what is unrevealed does from what is revealed, fallible from what is infallible, derived from what is original, relative from what is certain, culturally determined from what is divinely given. Doctrine cannot change from generation to generation, otherwise Christianity itself would be changing. Theology must change in each succeeding generation, otherwise it will fail to become a part of the thinking processes and life-style of that generation. The attempt to change doctrine imperils Christian faith; the unwillingness to incarnate doctrine in each age by theology imperils the Christian's credibility. In the one case Christianity can no longer be believed; in the other, it is no longer believable. . . .

Contextualization, then, is but another name for describing the servant role of theology. The Son of God assumed the form of a servant to seek and save the lost and theology must do likewise, incarnating itself in the cultural forms of its time without ever losing its identity as Christian theology. God, after all, did not assume the guise of a remote Rabbi who simply declared the principles of eternal truth, but in the Son he compassionately entered into the life of ordinary people and declared to them what God's Word meant to them. But in so doing, the Son never lost his identity as divine. Christian thought is called to do likewise, to retain its identity (doctrine) within its role as servant (theology) within a particular culture.

. . .[R]eformation should not be seen merely as a past event but should always be a contemporary experience. In every generation the Word of God must be heard afresh and obeyed afresh if the God of that Word is to be accorded our obedience at the places where it really counts."

Alex Montoya

This excerpt is from Montoya's excellent book: Preaching with a Passion

"All preaching can be improved. In fact, preaching needs to be constantly adapting itself to the changing face of culture. The message will never change, but the way we deliver it will change -- yes, must change -- or we will cease to be a bridge between two worlds."

Mark Dever

In classic form, Dever writes with great clarity and precision. This is from a post at the T4G blog entitled: "A Good Offense"

"So, when we’re talking to non-Christian friends about the Gospel, we want to make sure they understand what we mean. Christians in the Bible had a great concern about this. So it’s often been noted that Paul would begin with the Old Testament when he was speaking to Jews, but when he began to speak to a group of Greeks in Athens in Acts 17 he begins by quoting their own sayings. As he wrote to the Corinthians “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. . . . To those not having the law I became like one not having the law . . . so as to win those not having the law,” (I Cor. 9:20-21).

One part of clarity sometimes missed by earnest evangelists, however, is the willingness to offend. Clarity with the claims of Christ certainly will include the translation of the Gospel into words that our hearer understands, but it doesn’t necessarily mean translating it into words that our hearer will like. Too often advocates of relevant evangelism verge over into being advocates of irrelevant non-evangelism. A gospel which in no way offends the sinner has not been understood.

Look at Peter at Pentecost in Acts 2. He wanted to be relevant. But that relevance gave his words more bite, not less. How did Peter witness to those he wished to see saved? He said to them, among other things, “let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ,” (Acts 2:36).

Relevant? Yes. Pleasing? No. Clear? Undoubtedly."

Ronald Reagan On Socialized Medicine "Don't Say We Weren't Warned" Audio Remix

2009-08-31T15:21:00.007-05:00

Ronald Reagan speaks on socialized medicine and health care. Eric Chase and Nick Daily put together a Ronald Regan remix for the Glen Beck program. It is quite stirring and provocative. It is certainly worth a serious listen.

Do You Text While Driving? If So, Take This Test.

2009-08-29T12:24:00.009-05:00

I grew up with the Generation Y crew. Dr. Reynol Junco and Dr. Jeanna Mastrodicasa conducted a research project, in which theyfurther developed the work of Strauss and Howe on generational trending. In this research they found that of my generation 97% owned a computer, 94% owned a cell phone and 56% owned an MP3 Player. Other findings in the Junco and Mastrodicasa survey included that 76% of students used instant messaging 92% of those reported to multitasking while IMing, and 40% of students used television to get most of their news and 34% the Internet.

56% reported downloading music using peer-to-peer file sharing (15% reported downloading movies and 16% reported downloading software). 69% of students reported having a Facebook account, typically logging in twice a day. 89% reported texting multiple times per day on their cell phones.

Well, I text all the time, and have been for years. There is a generation, however, that does not text and cannot understand why so many people do it. In short, text messaging is most often used between private mobile phone users, as a substitute for voice calls in situations where voice communication is impossible or undesirable. In some regions, text messaging is significantly cheaper than placing a phone call to another mobile phone; elsewhere, text messaging is popular despite the negligible cost of voice calls.

Texting has become for many of us something that we cannot live without. However, this helpful mode of communication carries with it inherent dangers. One of those dangers is the temptation to text while driving. I have done many times, I confess. But it is dangerous, very dangerous. A recent study conducted in the UK concluded that texting while driving is more hazardous than drinking while driving.

What do you think? Do you text while driving? Do you think it is actually more dangerous than drinking and driving? Well, the NY Times has put together an online game to see how adept you are at multitasking behind the wheel. See if you can text while driving. CLICK HERE.

My score:

Practical Steps To Missional Living

2009-08-25T17:50:00.007-05:00

Jonathan Dodson from the Resurgence has put together a helpful list of ways to live missionally. What else do you do to spend more time with non-Cristians in your life? Leave a comment.

Eat with Non-Christians

We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations. Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.

Walk, Don’t Drive

If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox or convenience store, walk to get mail or groceries. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, carrying along a 6-pack to share, bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Last night I spent an hour outside gardening with my family. We had good conversations with about four of our neighbors. Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet, and some people.

Be a Regular

Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places at the same times. Get to know the staff. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of leftover pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give them to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a regular.

Hobby with Non-Christians

Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try city league sports or local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons, such as sewing, piano, knitting, or tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.

Talk to Your Co-workers.

How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form moms’ groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.

Volunteer with Non-Profits.

Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take a Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!

Participate in City Events

Instead of playing XBox, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, cleanups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.

Serve Your Neighbors.

Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, or fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!

(HT: Jonathan Dodson)

Paul Washer Addressing Seminary Students (Live Stream)

2009-08-22T09:34:00.009-05:00

Paul Washer is speaking LIVE at The Midwest Center for Theological Studies. He is addressing seminary students. Live streaming lectures are available to students to the first 100 guests online. Paul will be speaking at the following times:

Friday, August 21st
8:00pm to 9:00pm Paul Washer Lecture #1

Saturday, August 22nd
9:00am to 10:00am Paul Washer Lecture #2

10:15am to 11:15am Paul Washer Lecture #3

Sunday, August 23rd
5:00pm (Heritage Baptist Church)

Accommodating Churches, Accommodating Christians

2009-08-19T13:32:00.009-05:00

How do we preach the timeless truths of the Gospel in a timely fashion without compromise? To use the subtitle to Driscoll's book Radical Reformission, "How do we reach out without selling out?"

Accommodation can be scary because when forms and methods change people automatically assume that truths are changing. So, how should we think about change? Historically a distinction has been made between the essentials and matters of indifference.

Augustine says, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, diversity; in all things, charity."

Thomas Jefferson says, "On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock."

Driscoll gets to the crux of the issue when he says,

"Traditionalism fails to distinguish between Biblical principles for ministry and cultural methods for implementing those principles. Traditionalism clings to dated ineffective methods in the name of staying truer to tradition than to Scripture. The result of traditionalism is a Christianity that has all of the right answers to all of the wrong questions".

He says again,

"Reformission Christians and churches exist to perpetuate the gospel and should be swift to change their cultural forms if they are not the most beneficial for achieving that goal. This is what Paul told the Corinthians about being all things to all people and using all means to see as many people as possible saved (1 Cor. 9:19-23). Reformission churches have to continually examine and adjust their musical styles, websites, aesthetics, acoustics, programming, and just about everything but their Bible in an effort to effectively communicate the gospel to as many people as possible in the cultures around them."

These kind of statements highlight exactly why this conversation is so uncomfortable. People like change, if the change is good. People hate change, if they perceive that change to be bad. When these different reactions come together, things get quite tense.

Well, scholars other than Driscoll are talking about this issue.

I commend to you D.A. Carson's excellent message from the Gospel Coalition. His exegesis is tight while his conclusions are rock solid and helpful. There is a video from that message as well. Another man who has interacted with the issue quite extensively is Tom Ascol. His conclusions and observations are extremely useful for formulating your own theology of Accommodation. Below, I am including a post from his own blog on the subject as well as message he preached on the same. The message is firt, followed by his summary article.

Tom Ascol defines Accommodation as,

"The willing restriction of the exercise of legitimate Christian Liberty for the purpose of redeeming people and circumstances which are governed by the ignorance and misunderstanding of man's fallen nature."

For Ascol this means a self-imposed restriction of liberty and preference which is freely engaged in out of principle. It is contextual and makes a distinction between matters of indifference and non-negotiables. For Asocl, accommodation must be distinguished from compromise. Below are his words from this post.

"In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul personalizes his teachings on the exercise of Christian liberty. He speaks with full confidence of his freedom to take a wife, even though he does not take one. He is free to receive a salary, but he does not do that, either. He willingly gives up those things that are rightfully his as Christ's free man for the sake of preaching the gospel. In vv. 19-23 he begins to sum up his point by describing his own practice in this area. He formulates a principle that governs all his conduct as a gospel minister. And in so doing he outlines for us what we could call the doctrine of accommodation.

Where he encountered prejudices that resulted from ignorance, misunderstanding, or custom, Paul accommodated himself to them by willingly giving up things which he knew to be indifferent.

Having assured his readers in 1 Corinthians 9 that he is without question Christ's free man, he goes on in 1 Corinthians 9:19b - 22a to express his conviction regarding appropriate Christian conduct.

That conduct can be summarized by the word, "accommodation." That word has taken on rather negative connotations in our day. It tends to be equated with compromise. That is not the way that I am using, however. I would make a sharp distinction between compromising what God has revealed in His Word and accommodating others where we can for the sake of gaining a hearing for the Gospel. In the latter part of 1 Corinthians 9:19 we see the extent of Paul's accommodation. He says, "though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all."

Is Paul saying that he submitted himself once again to the slavery from which Christ had set him free? Hardly. He is not saying that, having been freed by Christ from the whims and notions of man, he now places himself in bondage to them a second time.
Paul refuses to budge one inch in giving up the essence of the liberty that he has in Christ before God. But he is more than willing freely to restrict the exercise of his Christian liberty before men.

It is vitally important to distinguish between the essence of our liberty before God, and the exercise of that liberty before men. There is an important difference between Christian liberty and the use of Christian liberty.

In his commentary on 1 Peter, ,John Brown helps understand this further when he writes, "Christian liberty is an internal thingâ€“it belongs to the mind and conscience, and, has a direct reference to God. The use of Christian liberty is an external thingâ€“it belongs to conduct, and, has reference to man. No consideration should prevail upon us for a moment to give up the essence of our liberty, but, many a consideration should induce us to forego the practical assertion or display of our liberty."

Do you see that distinction? Paul would not give up his liberty before God, but he willingly and freely chose not to exercise his liberty in certain circumstances with certain people if doing so might enable him to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. This principle explains the apostle's meaning. Even though he knew himself to be Christ's free man, with regard to the use of his freedom he acted as if he were a slave.

He describes his actions in relation to 3 groups of people: to the Jews who were under the law; to the Gentiles who were without the law; and to the weak or overly scrupulous Christians (cf. 8:9-12).

With regard to the Jews, Paul did not hesitate to participate in certain Jewish customs (treating them as nonobligatory indifferent things) for the sake of gaining a hearing with the Jews. At least three times in the book of Acts we see him doing exactly what he says he is willing to do here. In Acts 21, Paul goes to Jerusalem, and after conferring with the leaders there in that church, discovered there were some who were accusing him of preaching against the law of Moses. Some of the brethren were about to undergo a purification rite. Paul agrees to undergo that Jewish rite with them and even to pay the tax that was due for it. This is an act of accommodation. We see it also in Acts 18 when a vow being taken at Cenchrea to shave his head was fulfilled. He was willing to accommodate this Jewish ceremony. Then in the opening verses of Acts 16, when he was ready to embark on his second missionary journey, he wants to take a young man with him. Yet, this young man had not been circumcised. So Paul circumcised Timothy and took him along. To the Jews, he says, "I became as a Jew, as one under the law."

To the Gentiles, in verse 21, those without the law, he identified with them by showing himself to be truly free from the civil and ceremonial requirements of Judaism. He did not take any advantage at all of his Jewish heritage at their expense. He never lorded his spiritual advantages over them.

Then in verse 22, with regard to those who are weak in conscience, knowledge, or faith, he was willing to act and live as if he himself were weak for their sake. He was willing to eat no meat to gain them for Christ. He was willing to forego his liberties in this area. He was willing to be a vegetarian, if need be, for the sake of preaching the gospel to them.

Paul was willing to go to great lengths to accommodate. But we should not conclude from this that there were no boundaries to his accommodation. In verse 21, in the parenthetical comment, the apostle tells us that indeed there are limitations--important limitations. There is a fence around Paul's field of accommodation. He says that he is not "anomous theou, alla ennomous Christou" (genitive case, as opposed to the TR which has it in dative case).

Paul would go as far as his freedom would permit, but he would not transgress the standards of God ("God" and "Christ" should not be pitted against one another as if Paul is referring to two different standards). Though he would readily accommodate himself to all men, where he might do so lawfully, for the purpose of gaining some, he would violate no laws of Christ to please or humor any man.

His accommodating conduct was limited by the precepts of God's Word. He often denied himself and resigned his own rights for the good of others, but he would not sin against his God nor give up the rights of his King to save the soul of another. Here is where Anselm gets his thesis that the slightest sin can never be justified even if by committing it the whole world would be saved. This is why Paul could not circumcise Titus--it would have meant denying the gospel by giving in to the legalistic demands of the Judaizers.

Accommodation is not possible when the truth of God's Word is at stake. When the battle lines are drawn (either by you or by someone else) over the revealed precepts or principles of God's Word, the Christian only has 2 options, and accommodation is not one of them. He may contend for the faith once delivered to the saints, or he may compromise. In such matters you are not free. For you, like Paul, are subject to the law of Christ. To compromise is to break that law. Accommodation must end where biblical precept and principle begin.

After expressing his comprehension of his freedom in Christ and outlining his convictions on accommodation, Paul concludes this paragraph in 1 Corinthians 9 with a concise statement of the principle of accommodation. In the last part of verse 22, he says, "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." Paul is not advocating a convictionless Christianity with these words. Rather, he is saying, "I will accommodate as many as I can as far as is lawfully allowable." In this statement, he is giving to us the purpose of accommodation. He says, "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

Paul lays down this principle of accommodation with one end in sight: the salvation of sinners. Spurgeon said that in his day, some ministers he knew took this verse to read: "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save a sum." That is not what Paul means by this at all. He is burdened for the salvation of sinners. And this includes not only those who are presently outside of Christ, but also weak believers whose consciences are still bound due to ignorance or misunderstanding. Both classes are, I believe, referred to in 1 Corinthians 14:16, 23, 24 where Paul distinguishes between "unbelievers" and the "uninformed" (idiotes). The gospel minister must conduct himself with the awareness that such people are indeed among us in the church.

Paul gives us not only his burning passion and purpose for accommodation in this statement of the principle, but he also gives us the motive behind his accommodation. In verse 23, he says, "now this I do for the gospel's sake that I may be a partaker of it with you." "For the sake of the gospel," Paul says, "I am motivated to accommodate the weaknesses of the weak, the Jewishness of the Jews, and the unceremonialness of the Gentiles." He wants to be of service to the gospel of Christ."

How does Paul's accommodating activity benefit the gospel" He certainly does not benefit its truthfulness (it does not become more true). Neither does he benefit it in its power to save (it is not more inherently powerful). Rather, Paul's practice of accommodation benefits the gospel in the same way that a holy life adorns the doctrine of God our Savior (Titus 2:10). Such practice demonstrates something of the character of those who have been vitally changed by that gospel. The practice of accommodation manifests the spirit and the savor of the gospel and gives the gospel an opportunity to be heard.

There is a character of life that is commensurate to the gospel. The desire to live such a life, Paul says, is what motivated him to practice accommodation. Do you think it was easy for Paul, having been delivered from the bondage of Judaism and all of those customs and details that kept assailing him and weighing him down, to go back in to his Jewish brothers and live as a Jew? It could not have been easy for him to accommodate their bondage to all of their traditions and customs. He knew and had tasted the liberty that is in Christ Jesus, but he was willing to forego the exercise of that liberty with his Jewish brothers in order to preach the gospel to them. He passionately desired to win some and that is why he was willing to become as a Jew to the Jews.

Paul does not want to conduct his ministry in a way that is inconsistent with gospel he preaches. He is concerned not only for the truth of the gospel, but also for its spirit. We, like Paul, must also be concerned to manifest that spirit of the gospel. He knew the utter inconsistency of trying to proclaim a self-giving Savior while living a self-serving, self-seeking life.

The Puritan John Flavel said this, "A crucified stile [style] best suits the preachers of a crucified Christ." It was this very point that had captured the apostle's heart. Paul wanted his life to be compatible with his message. He did more than just pay lip service to his own exhortation in Philippians 2:3-8:

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

By a crucified, self-sacrificial life Paul consciously sought to exude the spirit of the gospel in the way he conducted himself toward others. Not only did he proclaim the gospel, his life reeked of its savor.

How far should we go in accommodating the people to whom we minister? What about our colleagues--some of whom at times act and talk in ways that assault our theological sensitivities? How far should we go? As far as the law of Christ will allow. As far as we possibly can without violating either God's Word or our own conscience. How should we go to relate to the ignorant, uninstructed, weak believer? Should we not try to accommodate his or her weakness . . . for the gospel's sake?

Listen to the words of John Calvin on this point:

Now, if we consider how great a man Paul was, who stooped this far, ought we not to feel ashamed “we who are next to nothing in comparison with himâ€“if, bound up in self, we look with disdain upon the weak, and do not deign to yield up a single point to them?

How many conflicts have occurred in our churches because of our unwillingness to accommodate the weak sheep of the flock? How many wounds have been inflicted upon Christ's Church because of the failure of God's ministers at this point?

May God help us not only to minister the Gospel, but also to do so in the spirit of the gospel."

Shed More Than Tears, Touch Them

2009-08-18T15:17:00.003-05:00

What is the Gospel? A Helpful Summary.

2009-08-11T12:39:00.010-05:00

What is the Gospel? What does it mean to be saved? How does it mean for someone to become a Christian? Ted Christman helpfully answers these question below.

The word “Gospel” means good news. A Christian is a person who has savingly responded to the good news God offers in the Bible. Simply stated, the wonderful message is this: If we will turn from our sins, in true godly sorrow (that’s repentance) and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ (that’s faith), God will forgive us of all our sins (past, present and future), pronounce us righteous in His sight and adopt us into His family for all eternity. A saving response to the Gospel requires both repentance and faith. Whenever a person repents and believes, he or she is converted. Putting it differently, such a person is saved.

Perhaps you may be asking, “Saved from what?” That’s a great question. The answer is, “from the wrath and justice of God which every sinner deserves." This is the reason the Son of God came to earth. He came to live the sinless life that none of us has lived and to take that perfect life to the cross in order to die a substitutionary death for all who would believe upon Him. In that death He made a full payment to God the Father for all of the sins of all who would trust Him. In other words, He completely satisfied the justice of God. To use an important biblical word, Jesus “propitiated” (satisfied) the wrath of God for everyone who will call upon Him as their Savior.

Here is another way of summarizing the Gospel. All of us were born with a sinful fallen nature and have broken God’s laws hundreds and thousands, perhaps millions of times! This law-breaking is the hard evidence that we are, in fact, sinners in rebellion to God. His holiness and justice require that all sin be punished. Either we must pay for our sins by going to Hell for all eternity, or we must find a perfect substitute who can pay for them. One way or the other, they must be paid for. This is where the good news comes in. God has graciously provided that perfect substitute in the person and work of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The promise of the Gospel is that whoever turns from their sins and believes upon Him will be saved for all eternity. That’s really good news! None of us were born Christians. We have to become Christians. We cannot be saved by our morality, righteousness, baptism, church attendance or good works. We can only be saved through turning from our sins by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Salvation is entirely through God’s kindness and mercy. None of the credit may be given to us!

There is one thing terribly missing in this brief explanation of the Gospel and how to become a Christian. Do you know what it is? It is the Word of God itself or should we say it's the Word of God Himself? Without His word declaring these things, what has been said so far amounts to only one more opinion of man added to the thousands already offered. But at the end of history, or when we die (whichever comes first), it won’t matter what man thinks about salvation. The only thing that will matter then is what God Himself says about it in His Word.

Now that the concept of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone has been briefly summarized, please observe that this is exactly what the Word of God teaches so plainly. The following Scriptures speak clearly about five things – of our sinful condition, God’s necessary judgment, His gracious provision of a Savior, how Jesus saves us by His death on the cross and what we must do in order to make this salvation ours. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick...” (Jer. 17:9) “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” (Matt. 15:19, 20) “…sin is lawlessness.” (I John 3:4) “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom. 3:23) “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to His own way…” (Isa. 53:6) “God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” (Ps. 53:2, 3) “…the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Rom. 1:18) “…for our God is a consuming fire…” (Heb. 12:29) “…He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness...” (Acts 17:31) “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ “ (Matt. 25:41) “And these will go away into eternal punishment…” (Matt. 25:46) “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal. 4:4, 5) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23) “…God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God…” (I Peter 3:18) “For our sake He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5:21) “…repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13) “…Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)

Dear friend, you have just read the very Word of God. If you have never before turned in godly sorrow from your sins and believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ as the only person who can atone for your sins and make you righteous in God’s sight, we lovingly urge you to do so now. Take God the Father at His word. Take the Lord Jesus Christ at His word. He has said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) “…I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) We tenderly beg you to throw yourself upon the mercy of God and find Him to be all that we have found Him to be. If you should desire help, counsel or prayer in seeking your salvation, please call any of the pastors of HBC. We would consider it a supreme privilege to lead you to our precious Savior. May the Lord be gracious to you in every needful way!

For a direct link to this article, click HERE.

Christians and Nationalized Healthcare

2009-08-07T11:57:00.004-05:00

How do you feel about healthcare reform? Nationally the debate over nationalized healthcare continues to heat up. Infact, J.P. Moreland goes so far to say "Jesus never would have supported universal healthcare." Well, whether that is true or not, one of the overlooked yet concomitant issues involved here is how such a reform will affect social policy. For example, what about the implication of funding abortion through American taxpayers? There are a large group of pro-life democrats who are now speaking out on this issue. But does the House Healthcare bill really fund abortion? Dan Gilgoff discusses that issue in detail at his blog God & Country.

To make sense of this all, Russell Moore, had a helpful discussion on this a few days ago on The Albert Mohler Program. I would encourage you to listen the audio below.

... Just Pray This Prayer After Me

2009-08-05T09:34:00.004-05:00

In the following videos, Paul Washer addresses the foolishness, danger and tragedy of decisional evangelism through the means of altar calls and getting people to pray a prayer after you, while Tim Conway addresses the Necessity of Hell. I thank God for Paul Washer and his consistent boldness in preaching of the Word. He is a faithful man. We need many more like him.

Pursue an M.Div. from the Local Church - Another Model for Pastoral Training

2009-08-04T18:18:00.007-05:00

For More Information visit The Midwest Center for Theological Studies

Scenes From India - I

2009-08-03T13:07:00.003-05:00

This is a rather normal scene from India. Sadly, there is nothing extraordinary about this to the Indian. To the average Westerner, this is quite intense. This is part of the overall India I Know.

Blog Wallah

2009-07-18T03:39:00.004-05:00

"The India I Know", I am currently getting to know better! That means I will not be able to post regularly for a couple of weeks. Watch this space for the 'know' when I get back!

India, The Struggle For Human Dignity - M.M. Thomas

2009-07-09T18:34:00.022-05:00

Currently, I am reading "Contextualization a Re-reading of M.M. Thomas". While admittedly ecumenical in his thinking, M.M. Thomas was nevertheless a significant Indian Christian thinker, theologian, writer, and activist. I only recently was exposed to his writings. It just so happens that in God's providence, he is my fiancee's grandfather. He was quite the writer. I picked up some books by M.M. Thomas back in December when visiting London. What first caught my attention was the rigor of his thinking and scholarship. Regarding the Caste system and its implications , I read the following material from M.M. Thomas yesterday,

"The struggle for humanity is also a struggle for human dignity. It is said that people are asking for bread, I would say much more than that: they are asking for their human dignity, dignity as a human being" (M.M. Thomas, The Struggle for Human Dignity as Preperation for the Gospel, 1968 p.99).

That the people are asking for bread and dignity highlights a shift in the mindset of the people with regard to their social plight and their poverty. Historically, notes M.M. Tomas, "the people resigned themselves to their poverty, living in conformity with traditional customs of caste and class, and accepting their divinely ordained 'fate', with the result that their social inequality and economic hardship remained a fixd and unchanging reality" (M.M. Thomas, Patterns for Modern Man's Search for Salvation, Religion and Society Vol. XI, No. 2, June 1964, p.10).

Yet in modern India, with the awareness of fundamental human rights and human individuality, the people have become aare that their plight is not a result of divinely ordaind fate but rather human creation. He says, "The recognition that economic oppression is human-made is also a step in realizing that it can be overcome by human action" (M.M. Thomas, Man and the Universe of Faiths, Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1975, p.12).

Thomas goes on to ask if the Church in India can become the Church of the awakened poor for social and biblical justice. His response is telling:

"Without it...the poor would continue to seek the spiritual framework of their struggle for human dignity and social justice outside the stream of Christian faith. This is dangerous both for the Church and the social revolution. For the Church because it alienates itself from the essence of its owen gospel to the poor; for social revolution because in succumbing to the spirits alienated from Christ it moves into the realm of legalism and self-righteousness and betrays its own ends of justice" (M.M. Thomas, Religion and the Revolt of the Oppressed, Delhi: ISPCK, 1981, pp.42-43).

His insights indeed are brilliant. M.M. Thomas is no longer living. January will mark the 13th aniversary of his death. His writing, however, lives on. I have profited from all that I have read so far, and am honord to soon become part of his family through marriage.

Dysfunctional Relationships Anyone?

2009-07-02T23:14:00.003-05:00

The care group that I am currently involved with at my local church is focusing in on the subject of prayer. Many of us are reading Paul Miller's "A Praying Life". We are meeting together to learn about prayer and pray. I read something from Miller this week that I would like to share with you.

"Let's imagine that you see a prayer therapist to get your prayer life straightened out. The therapist says, "Let's begin by looking at your relationship with your heavenly Father. God said, "I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me' (2 Corinthians 6:18). What does it mean that you are a son or daughter of God?"

You reply that it means you have complete access to your heavenly Father through Jesus. You have true intimacy, based not on how good you are but on the goodness of Jesus. Not only that, Jesus is your brother. You are a fellow heir with him.

The therapist smiles and says, "That is right. You've done a wonderful job of describing the doctrine of Sonship. Now tell me what it is like for you to be with your Father? What is it like to talk with him?"

You cautiously tell the therapist how difficult it is to be in your Father's presence, even for a couple of minutes. Your mind wanders. You aren't sure what to say. You wonder, Does prayer make any difference? Is God even there? Then you feel guilty for your doubts and just give up.

You therapist tells you what you already suspect. "Your relationship with your heavenly Father is dysfunctional. You talk as if you have an intimate relationship, but you don't. Theoretically, it is close. Practically, it is distant. You need help."

From: A Praying Life

May God help us to bridge the gap between the theoretical and the practical.

Advance 09 Panel

2009-07-02T16:20:00.003-05:00

The panel is up from the Advance 09 conference. John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Ed Stetzer and others discuss Piper's decision to not have a TV, church planting, what missonal churches are, multi-site campuses etc.

Seminary Courses from The Gospel Coalition

2009-06-30T12:02:00.008-05:00

The Gospel Coalition has done us a great service by uploading literally thousands of theological courses from both Reformed Theological Seminary and Covenant Theological Seminary. You can view all of the courses by title, subject, teacher or school. This is a phenomenal resource. You can check it all out below.

Currently, I am listening to John Frame's classes on the Doctrine of the Knowledge of God.

The Gospel Coalition Seminary Course Inventory

The 'Nevers' of The Gospel

2009-06-26T13:20:00.002-05:00

I was blessed by this prayer today and wanted to share it with you.

O LORD,

May I never fail to come to the knowledge of the truth,
never rest in a system of doctrine, however scriptural, that does not bring or further salvation,
or teach me to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,
or help me to live soberly, righteously, godly;
never rely on my own convictions and resolutions,
but be strong in thee and in thy might;
never cease to find thy grace sufficient
in all my duties, trials, and conflicts;
never forget to repair to thee
in all my spiritual distresses and outward troubles,
in all the dissatisfactions experienced in creature comforts;
never fail to retreat to him who is full of grace and truth,
the friend that loveth at all times,
who is touched with feelings of my infirmities,
and can do exceeding abundantly for me;
never confine my religion to extraordinary occasions,
but acknowledge thee in all my ways;
never limit my devotions to particular seasons
but be in thy fear all the day long;
never be godly on on the sabbath
or in thy house, but on every day abroad
and at home;
never make piety a dress but a habit,
not only a habit but a nature,
not only a nature but a life.
Do god to me by all thy dispensations,
by all means of grace,
by worship, prayers, praises,
And at last let me enter that world where is no temple,
but only thy glory
and the Lamb’s.

From: The Valley of Vision, p.64

Wavering on The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ

2009-06-19T18:13:00.005-05:00

This week I came across a piece The Washington Post did last year on the Resurrection. Not the first place I would turn to study the resurrection, but in this case the discussion is quite useful and revealing. The WP asked several scholars to respond to this question:

Do you have to believe the resurrection is literally true -- that Jesus came back to life in his body -- to be a Christian?

The scholarly panel, among others, included: NT Wright, Chuck Colson, Cal Thomas, Albert Mohler, Deepak Chopra, and Kathleen Flake who is the Associate Professor of Religious History at Vanderbilt University. You can read all of their responses HERE.

As a follow-up, Albert Mohler aptly handles the same question on his radio show.

“Must One Believe in the Resurrection to be a Christian?” – The Albert Mohler Program

Sermon Evaluation Form - Tim Keller

2009-06-17T11:17:00.007-05:00

Tim Keller has developed a sermon evaluation form that is used by Mars Hill Church and Acts 29. I found it to be very helpful. If you are a pastor mentoring younger guys, you may want to use this as a resource. If you are a young preacher, you may want to prepare your messages in light of this. There is an online version of this form available on the internet. It can be filled out and sent over e-mail. The link is provided below.

The sermon evaluation form has been prepared to assess faithfulness to Scripture and God. The questions are related to the preacher’s theological accuracy.

Sermon Evaluation Form

1. The preaching assertions (points) were clearly rooted in the text and squared with the whole teaching of scripture. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

2. The central theme was an illustration of Christ – the message was clearly all about Jesus. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

3. The speaker seemed in awe of God, not merely focused upon his sermon and the audience. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

4. The speaker avoided moralizing or psychologizing, and distinguished these from the gospel. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

5. The goal was to get people face-to-face with God, rather than merely instruct. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

6. Christ and His finished work were applied as the practical solution to any problem. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

Message Delivery and Communication. These questions are related to the preacher’s communication abilities and connection with the intended audience.

7. It was clear where the preacher was driving – and the progression of points was traceable. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

8. The points were presented in a fresh, wise, and striking way as opposed to boring & cliché. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

9. At the end of the preaching, the main point was both clear and persuasive. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

10. It was clear the speaker understood the hearers’ hopes, fears, problems, concerns, etc. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

11. The central metaphor or “hook” was gripping. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

12. Jesus was made visible, not just taught about. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

13. There was a balance of warmth, love and humility on the one hand and force, power and authority on the other. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree)

14. The notes followed the message and enhanced comprehension. (1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Not Sure 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree or N/A)

ONLINE FORM HERE

(HT: DashHouse)

What Does It Mean to Pray With/In The Spirit?

2009-06-15T14:25:00.012-05:00

What does it mean to "pray in the Holy Spirit"? John Bunyan has a sermon that I commend to you entitled, "A Discourse on Prayer". Unfortunately his text is 1 Corinthians 14:15, which says,

"What am I to do? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing with the mind also." (NASB)

I say unfortunately, because, the translation "with the spirit" in 14:15 can be misleading. Some think this referrs to the Holy Spirit, but context seems to demand that Paul is referring to the human spirit. Thus, the ESV, "with my spirit". Bunyan takes this verse to refer to the Holy Spirit, becoming an example then of, "right sermon, wrong text". Nevertheless, his words are helpful. In hindsight, he should have unpacked the meaning of this text instead:

Jude 20 "But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit"

However, I want to point you to two of Bunyan's ten points on praying with the Spirit. What is clear is, we must have the Spirit to pray. We will not pray, we cannot pray, and certainly will not according to God's will or desire without the Spirit. If we will pray correctly, in a manner that pleases God, and is heard by Him; we must by the Spirit be...

1. Convinced of our sin
2. Convinced of God's mercy

Bunyan says,

1. The Spirit Convinces us of Sin - "Nothing but the Spirit can show a man clearly his misery by nature, and so put a man into a posture of prayer. Talk is but talk, as we used to say, and so it is but mouth-worship, if there be not a sense of misery, and that effectually too. Oh, the cursed hypocrisy that is in most hearts, and that accompanies many thousands of praying men that would be so looked upon in this day, and all for want of a sense of their misery! But now the Spirit, that will sweetly show the soul its misery, where is it, and what is like to become of it; also the intolerableness of that condition: for it is the Spirit that doth effectually convince of sin and misery without the Lord Jesus, and so puts the soul into a sweet, serious, sensible, affectionate way of praying to God according to his word."

2. The Spirit Convinces us of God's Mercy - "If men did see their sins, yet without the help of the Spirit they would not pray; for they would run away from God, with Cain and Judas, and utterly despair of mercy, were it not for the Spirit. When a man is indeed sensible of his sin and God's curse, then it is a hard thing to persuade him to pray; for, saith his heart, "There is no hope." it is in vain to seek God. (Jer xviii. 12.) I am so vile, so wretched, and so cursed a creature, that I shall never be regarded. Now here comes the Spirit, and stayeth the soul, helpeth it to hold up its face to God, by letting into the heart some small sense of mercy to encourage it to go to God; and hence it is called "the Comforter." (John xiv. 26.)"

Persevering Through Spiritual Highs And Lows

2009-06-12T15:04:00.029-05:00

What should you do when you experience radical fluctuation of emotions? Answer? Keep going. Keep doing what you know is right. One minute you're quite sanguine, the next, melancholy. One minute you're hungry for God, the next, cold and seemingly lifeless.

Have you ever been driving and the road in front of you suddenly changes? For example, the paved road is fraught with a large pot hole. You grab the wheel and try to pull it together. The result can be quite alarming.

No doubt you have experienced times when you felt like the ground you were walking on had been cut from under you. You know, that early morning quiet time that was so enjoyable and consistent, now filled with every distraction imaginable. In fact, not only distraction, but just a lack of desire altogether. Where did this come from? It seemed so sudden. You went to bed in good spirits, hungry for God, only to wake up with no thirst or desire for God.

Thankfully, not all ups and downs are that drastic. Sometimes the road is more accurately likened to running into a little congestion on the highway, or maybe one lane is closed for construction. Regardless, the analogy fits - the spiritual life isn’t always ’smooth sailing’. If you are not careful, however, you may be prone to more discouragement when this happens.

It was helpful, quite encouraging I would add, for me to read the telling selection from David Brainerd's "Life and Diary" this week. Good men and women go through this. Observe the following words, especially the transition highlighted with a change of color:

"Tuesday, April 27. I retired pretty early for secret devotions; and in prayer God was pleased to pour such ineffable comforts into my soul that I could do nothing for some time but say over and over, "O my sweet Saviour! O my sweet Saviour! who have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon the earth I desire besides Thee." If I had had a thousand lives my soul would gladly have laid them all down at once to have been with Christ. My soul never enjoyed so much of heaven before. It was the most refined and most spiritual season of communion with God I ever yet felt. I never felt so great a degree of resignation in my life.

In the afternoon I withdrew to meet with my God; but found myself much declined, and God made it a humbling season to my soul. I mourned over the body of death that is in me. It grieved me exceedingly that I could not pray to and praise God with my heart full of divine heavenly love as in the morning; but had a sweet season of fervent intercession."

Note: Brainerd did have a "sweet season of fervent intercession" nonetheless. I guess that should tell us, among other things, that there is some sweet in the midst of bitter. Nevertheless, persevere! Do the right thing.

We must always remember Hebrews 11:6,

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

Last Remaining Piece of the Titanic - History

2009-06-11T16:06:00.010-05:00

The last remaining survivor of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, died in a care home in England on Sunday, May 31. She was 97.

Elizabeth Gladys Dean, known to friends as Millvina, was only nine weeks old when the liner hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean on the night of April 14, 1912, and sank killing 1,500 people.

She survived after being bundled up in a sack and carried to safety. Her mother Georgette Eva and brother Bertram also made it, but her father, Bertram Frank, was among those who died.

The best of things don't last. The Titanic was one of them. Hailed as an engineering feat. What was prized and embodied by the rich and famous, sunk. What was considered to be the last great remnant and sole survivor, dead. It's over. Life is fragile. Life is short. Live well.

Announcing The iPhone 3GS - A Review Of New Features

2009-06-10T14:02:00.011-05:00

Video Camera: The iPhone now has a video camera, 30fps VGA with audio. With this new video feature, you can create and edit videos in your hand and upload them to blogs or websitrs or send them over email or text to friends. In addition to this, you can push it right to YouTube instantly.

Voice Control: By holding down the home button, you can now give voice commands to your phone. You can tell your phone to play specific songs or playlists, or open applications to dial phone numbers by name or number.

Digital Compass: The compass application is a new app that shows you your magnetic location. By double tapping the compass the application will integrate with Google maps to show you which direction you are facing.

Maps: The Google maps service is now able to be embedded into any of your applications. All Google map features are now available to your iPhone.

TomTom: TomTom is pleased to bring the best navigation and maps to the iPhone. The apploication will be released to the iPhone App store later this summer. As an optional extra you can purchase dock connecting device so that the GPS can be used safely in the car. The GPS comes with loud and clear turn by turn directions.

Cut, Copy and Paste: Finally, the iPhone has a cut, copy and paste feature. In addition, there is a new undo feature that will allow you to undo your last action by shaking the device.

Landscape: The original landscape feature has now been programmed to work with all applications.

Push Notifications: This allows developers and users to custom many of their features, like texting alerts and work related integration. Now, doctors are able to use push notification with "Airstrip" to track patients vitals even if they are out of the hospital altogether. They can read and receive the latest reports and even monitor a patients waveform data.

Messaging: New with the iPhone 3GS is MMS. You can now send and receive photos, contacts, videos and really any multimedia message with one simple text.

Search: Search your calendar, notes, texts and emails. In addition to this, the apple iPhone now has "spotlight" integrated into the 3GS.

iTunes: rent and purchase movies straight from your phone. If you are at an airport and you want a movie for the flight, get it right there in the airport.

Parental Controls: controlling access to safari, YouTube, etc. Now there is control for movies, tv shows and applications from the app store. Now your child can be limited to age appropriate material.

Tethering: Don't feel like paying for an internet card from your wireless provider? Tired of trying to find wireless hot spots that are free? With the 3GS you can now share your iPhone internet connection with your computer. It works via usb connection or wireless with bluetooth.

Safari: Some great improvements have been made to safari. Web pages now load and render twice as fast. In addition, http streaming audio and video is rendered according to connection speed so that media plays continually without break.

Languages: With the push of a single button users can switch languages. Hebrew and Greek are supported along with Thai and Arabic.

Find my iPhone: This is a service available to MobileMe customers on the new iPhone. If you lose or misplace your phone, you can login to MobileMe on any web browser and it will show you on the map where your phone is. You can send a message to the phone with your contact information and immediately work to retrieve it. If your phone is really stolen, you can send a remote wipe command and erase all your sensitive information. If you should get it back, sync it with you iTunes and restore all your information later.

Improved Battery Life: The battery now can sustain up to 9 hours of internet WiFi, 10 hours of video playback, 30 hours of audio, 12 hours of 2G talk and 5 hours of 3G talk.

Summary: The new 3GS is a major advancement to the iPhone.

Price: $199, 16GB, $299 32GB editions respectively. They come in either black or white.

Note: The previous iPhone 3G is now only $99 for the 8GB edition.

The phone is available worldwide, June 17th.

Interesting Facts About The Bible

2009-06-09T15:39:00.007-05:00

Books in the Bible:.............................................66
Books in the Old Testament.................................39
Books in the New Testament................................27
Shortest Book in the Bible................................2 John
Longest Book in the Bible................................Psalms
Chapters in the Bible........................................1189
Chapters in the Old Testament............................929
Chapters in the New Testament............................260
Middle Chapter of the Bible........................Psalm 117
Shortest Chapter in the Bible......................Psalm 117
Longest Chapter in the Bible.......................Psalm 119
Verses in the Bible........................................31,173
Verses in the Old Testament...........................23,214
Verses in the New Testament............................7,959
Shortest Verse in the Bible.........................John 11:35
Longest Verse in the Bible..........................Esther 8:9
Words in the Bible.........................................773,692
Words in the Old Testament...........................592,439
Words in the New Testament...........................181,253

(From: Taking A Stand for the Bible)

D.A. Carson Books, On The House viz., Free

2009-06-08T17:02:00.004-05:00

Thanks to The Gospel Coalition, some of D.A. Carson's books are being offered free of charge in PDF format. You may find the PDF edition of the following titles available to you for download:

Letters Along the Way: A Novel of the Christian Life (Crossway, 1993)

Holy Sonnets of the Twentieth Century (Baker, 1994)

For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word, Vol. 1. (Crossway, 1998)

For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word, Vol. 2. (Crossway, 1999)

The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God (Crossway, 2000)

Love in Hard Places (Crossway, 2002)

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson (Crossway, 2008)

It is important to mention the following disclaimer from TGC website: PDFs may not be uploaded to other sites without written permission from the copyright holders.

HT: Andy Naselli

Advance 09 Messages - Now Available

2009-06-06T19:51:00.004-05:00

What Is the Church?
Mark Driscoll Listen

The Resurgence of the Church
Tyler Jones Listen

Communicating the Gospel Through Preaching
Bryan Chappell Listen

Preaching the Gospel to the De-churched
Matt Chandler Listen

Q & A with Chandler, Driscoll, and Chappell Listen

Keys to Understanding the Church and Kingdom
Ed Stetzer Listen

Planting is for Wimps: Revitalizing a Church around the Gospel
J. D. Greear Listen

The Ultimate Shepherd
Eric Mason Listen

Ministry Idolatry
Mark Driscoll Listen

Let the Nations Be Glad, Part 1
John Piper Listen

(HT: Advance 09)

Prideful Men Will Go To Hell

2009-06-04T15:16:00.003-05:00

Tim Conway, is pastor of Grace Community Church in San Antonio, Texas. He is a faithful man, shepherding a gospel-centered church, in a rough area of San Antonio. The church meets at "Fatty's", a burger shack in a urban area on Sunday mornings. However, preaching in a rough neighborhood is no dissuasion for bold proclamation of the truth week in and week out. He is unashamed for Jesus, and passionate about His Church. I want to introduce him to you here. The following video is particularly powerful.

Tom Ascol - MCTS Course On Preaching - Live Video

2009-06-03T20:08:00.014-05:00

This week, The Midwest Center for Theological Studies is hosting their summer J-Term. Dr. Tom Ascol is in Owensboro, Kentucky, lecturing on Preaching. The Midwest Center is offering a live streaming preview of this class for the first 100 viewers, each day. Classes meet this week from 4:00 - 9:15 PM CST.

Marriage Advice: "Don't Worry, I'm Just Sweating"

2009-06-02T22:53:00.002-05:00

Liza Mundy has written an informative personal-experience piece in "The Washington Post Magazine" on the differences between men and women. There are some good things to glean here in terms of understanding our spouses. Writing about participating in an editorial meeting, and then being horrified when she found herself starting to cry. She was hot, bothered, and tired - nothing extraordinary, but it all combined to make her want to cry. She says, "Suddenly the heat had moved to my face and tears were springing to my eyes and I was blinking and blinking, hoping to drive them back. Only of course that was futile, because, as a friend later put it so beautifully, at this point in a crying-in-the-office experience 'You're no longer crying because of what they're saying. You're crying because you're crying.'"

Then, a paragraph or so later, Mundy wrote something quite incisive. "Pay no attention to these tears; they are meaningless. I'm thinking quite clearly; this conversation isn't upsetting me nearly as much as it seems. 'I'm just fatigued and a little bit stressed and feeling hot!' is what I wanted to say. Because I knew, like most women perhaps, that sometimes tears are no more significant than sweating."

As men, we may equate tears with weakness, with near devastation. For a man to break down and cry at the office, in front of his colleagues, would require a major tragedy to percipitate it. Therefore, at times tears may mean something entirely different for husbands than they do for wives. A husband sees tears and thinks his wife is falling apart. A wife experiences tears and thinks she's merely sweating.

(HT: Gary Thomas)

Start Smoking Or Get Fined

2009-05-30T00:35:00.000-05:00

It's true. Authorities in the central province of Hubei, China recently issued an edict, a mandate for all government employees: "Smoke or get fined". Forcing people to smoke by unfair manipulation is the mandate local Chinese authorities made because stockpiles of cigarettes were gathering and needed to be purchased. Local government employees were forced to smoke until 230,000 packs of cigarettes were inhaled. Public opposition to this edict was strong, to say the least, and thankfully it eventually prompted a reversal. This kind of abuse is another reason why I am thankful to be an American.

Brothers, We Must Preach This Way

2009-05-27T15:36:00.003-05:00

May God help us! It starts with an upright heart and a praying life.

Time For A Spiritual Inventory?

2009-05-26T13:48:00.007-05:00

We are experts in the production idols. In fact, our hearts are idol factories. We produce idols of the heart and mind all the time. Though, I understand this about myself, I easily forget the hold some of these idols have on my life. Ever since Tim Keller's talk at the Gospel Coalition, "The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry", I have been reflecting on the subject of idolatry. This morning, I spent some time reflecting on idols in my heart. I asked myself a series of penetrating questions. Try answering the following questions by filling in the blanks:

1. I am preoccupied with _________________________.
2. If only ______________, then I would be happy.
3. I get my sense of significance from _________________.
4. I would protect and preserve _________ at any cost.
5. I fear losing ___________.
6. The thing that gives me the greatest pleasure is _________.
7. When I lose _________ I get angry, resentful, frustrated, anxious or depressed.
8. For me, life depends on ____________.
9. The thing I value more than anything in the world is ___________.
10. When I daydream, my mind goes to ___________.
11. The best thing I can think of is ____________.
12. The thing that makes me want to get out of bed in the morning is _____________.

Need To Be Stirred Up? Watch This.

2009-05-21T22:11:00.005-05:00

Last July, Heritage Baptist Church held a missions conference in Owensboro, KY. If you did not attend this conference, you will want to hear the audio from it. Every time I watch the promotional video from this conference, my heart is fueled for missions. The speakers included: Conrad Mbewe, Luis Sena, Paul Washer and another powerfully anointed missionary who I cannot mention by name to protect his security. You can hear his preaching as well as Paul Washer in the video below. I trust you will be blessed!

John Piper On Mark Driscoll's Speech and His Differences With John MacArthur

2009-05-19T23:01:00.007-05:00

The following audio is taken from the 2009 Basics Conference at Parkside Church, Cleveland. Also, related, I posted an exclusive video sent to me by Phil Johnson of Mark Driscoll responding to Phil's letter of criticism. You can watch that HERE.

How Should We Motivate Our Children To Obedience?

2009-05-15T11:44:00.004-05:00

Kids obey and do all sorts of right things for a host of reasons. But have you ever wondered what should properly and biblically motivate our children's obedience? As part of their interview series, Desiring God asked Tedd Tripp to tackle this question. He offers some helpful perspective below.

"Is there a valid way to use guilt and threats to motivate good behavior?

Yes, I think there's a way. I think it's very biblical to hold out the things that God says to his people. I think a great place to instruct children in God's warning economy is in the early chapters of Deuteronomy as Israel is going into the Promised Land. And there's all kinds of warnings there against their disobedience, their idolatry.But they are warnings that are not just perfunctory behavior warnings. And I think there are proper rewards, rewards that are character rewards, not materialistic rewards. For example, I could say to my fifteen-year-old son, "Look, Mom and Dad have made you come in at 9 o'clock over the last year, but we've just seen real responsibility, real wisdom in your life. So we're going to extend that a couple hours, because we really do believe we can trust you." That's a reward, but it's a character reward. It's different than saying, "You want that mountain bike? That mountain bike can be yours. All you have to do is..." Because that takes that heart in a different place. He may submit to doing X just because there's a physical thing at the other end of it, yet no desire to obey at all.

Is it ever OK to use "materialistic rewards" for immediate, temporary needs, such as keeping your child quiet for the next 10 minutes in church?

Sure, I think that the Bible, if I could use this term, is agnostic in terms of the order. Sometimes you're in a situation and you have to get at behavior before you can get at the heart, and you have to get at behavior quickly. Say you've got a man who is hitting his wife. I'm not going to say, "I'm going to give six months to seeing this man's heart change while he's beating on her." We've got to stop that behavior. The problem, very often, is that we're satisfied when the behavior stops. Now if I do that with my children, I know—I've got a mark in my brain—that this is not the end of this discussion. We've got to go back after this, because I want to get at the heart that was behind that. But I know, because we're in a service of worship, that I've got to take this child out so that we can deal with it and bring him back in. So I say, "You need to be quiet. If you're not quiet, that's a direct disobedience to Daddy, and we'll go out, I'll paddle your little bottom, and we'll come back in again. And hear me: Daddy is willing to do this forty times, because Daddy won't lose, because Daddy can't lose, because Daddy represents Jesus. And you will not be the Daddy of Daddy." But I know we're not done. And so, maybe Sunday afternoon, I'm going to get with that little one and say, "Let's talk about what was going on in that service." And I'm going to get after the heart."

(HT: DG Blog)

Charles Spurgeon and Reformed Hip/Hop

2009-05-14T16:51:00.009-05:00

In case you are not aware, there is a movement of Reformed Hip/Hop artists. Shai Linne is one of them. These men are seeking to promote the great truths of the Reformation to the largely black communities they appeal to. They minister to believers and non-believers alike with a strong message of substitutionary atonement undergirded by a rigerous and unashamed Refrmed theology. The Legacy Conference is one place where these men meet every year to disscuss how to use hip/hop to andance the gospel and bring health to the Church. You may be interested in seeing their core values. Paul Washer will be the Keynote speaker this year.

Below is Shai Linne telling the story of Charles Haddon Spurgeon in one of his arrangements.

[HT: AM]

Audio: 2009 Sovereign Grace Pastors Conference

2009-05-13T11:31:00.009-05:00

Sovereign Grace Pastors Conference
April 6–8, 2009 | Covenant Life Church, Gaithersburg, MD

The 2009 Pastors Conference is over, but downloads from the general sessions and seminars are available below for free from Sovereign Grace Ministries.

SGM is a family of churches passionate about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are devoted to planting and supporting local churches, with a strong doctrinal basis that is evangelical, Reformed, and continuationist.

General Sessions (Right Click For Download)

The Pastor’s Charge, Part 1 (C.J. Mahaney)
|Listen/Download MP3

The Pastor’s Teaching (Jeff Purswell)
|Listen/Download MP3

The Pastor’s Mission (Dave Harvey)
|Listen/Download MP3

The Pastor’s Legacy (Jared Mellinger)
|Listen/Download MP3

The Pastor’s Charge, Part 2 (C.J. Mahaney)
|Listen/Download MP3

Ask C.S. Lewis, Objection 6 - Christian Hedonism Is A Novel Idea

2009-05-12T17:35:00.003-05:00

Objection: Christian Hedonism is quite popular. Nevertheless, it is a novel idea, and one that stems from the teaching and ministry of John Piper. If it were really something noteworthy, where are all the other great minds advocating it, that is, historically speaking?

Response: "I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not be able to tell anyone how good he is; to come suddenly, at the turn of the road, upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin can in the ditch; to hear a good joke and find no one to share it with (the perfect hearer died a year ago). This is so even when our expressions are inadequate, as of course they usually are.

But how if one could really and fully praise even such things to perfection - utterly "get out" in poetry or music or paint the upsurge of appreciation which almost bursts you? Then indeed the object would be fully appreciated and our delight would have attained perfect development. The worthier the object, the more intense this delight would be. If it were possible for a created soul fully (I mean, up to the full measure conceivable in a finite being) to 'appreciate,' that is to love and delight in, the worthiest object of all, and simultaneously at every moment to give this delight perfect expression, then that soul would be in supreme beatitude.

To see what the doctrine really means, we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God - drunk with, drowned in, dissolved by, that delight which, far from remaining pent up within ourselves as incommunicable, hence hardly tolerable, bliss, flows out from us incessantly again in effortless and perfect expression, our joy no more separable from the praise in which it liberates and utters itself than the brightness a mirror receives is separable from the brightness it sheds. The Scotch catechism says that man's chief end is 'to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.' But we shall then know that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him."

From: Reflections on the Psalms, Chapter 9

Worship God Conference 09

2009-05-11T20:55:00.002-05:00

August 5-8, 2009 | Gaithersburg, MD | Register HERE

Fellowship Of The Living And The Dead

2009-05-07T16:20:00.013-05:00

I was reminded again, actually fueled, by a sister in my church last night to be reading Christian biography. C.S. Lewis says,

"Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books. All contemporary writers share to some extent the contemporary outlook—even those, like myself, who seem most opposed to it. To be sure, the books of the future would be just as good a corrective as the books of the past, but unfortunately we cannot get at them."(From: Introduction to On The Incarnation)

Lewis recommended reading one old book for every contemporary book or two. Why? Well, in my experience, doing this, is often an antidote to the weak, suffering, tired, and broken heart. It can be a well-needed shot in the arm for the stagnating, undisciplined and lazy soul. When I feel that I am getting too comfortable and need to be stirred up and moved affectionally, I turn in this direction. I sense that a lot, but don't turn in this direction as much as I should.

Piper concurs, "Biographies have served as much as any other human force in my life to overcome the inertia of mediocrity. Without them I tend to forget what joy there is in relentless labor and aspiration." (From: Brothers We Are Not Professionals - Read Christian Biography)

So, with this in mind, I have taken up reading "The Life and Diary of David Brainerd". I have heard so much about this work (originally edited by Jonathan Edwards) that I decided this would be a good place to camp. It has already been food for the soul. Let me share with you a quote from my reading today. Brainerd says,

"I feel barren and empty, as though I could not live without more of God; I feel ashamed and guilty before Him. Oh! I see that "the law is spiritual, but I am carnal." I do not, I cannot live to God. Oh, for holiness! Oh, for more of God in my soul! Oh, this pleasing pain! It makes my soul press after God; the language of it is, "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness"(Psalm 17:15); but never, never before. Consequently I am engaged to "press towards the mark," day by day. Oh, that I may feel this continual hunger, and not be retarded, but rather animated by every cluster from Canaan to reach forward in the narrow way, for the full enjoyment and possession of the heavenly inheritance! Oh, that I may never loiter in my heavenly journey!"

Let The Nations Come, Missions and U.S. Immigration

2009-05-06T14:16:00.011-05:00

Psa. 67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!

Psa. 67:4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!

Psa. 67:6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

You do not need to go anywhere to be actively involved with "foreign missions". The Nations are here, and coming to us at a faster rate than we know. If you are curious just which nationalities are immigrating at the fastest rate and by percentage, you can see the 2008 breakdown by clicking on the image. The infographic is from Good/Magazine. My beloved India comes in just behind Mexico and China respectively.

Ask C.S. Lewis, Objection 5 - Christian Hedonism Is Devilish

2009-05-05T16:10:00.005-05:00

Objection: Christians should not be pleasure-seekers. Making pleasure-seeking into a "spiritual" thing by calling it Christian Hedonism does not make it right. Pursuing pleasure or hedonism is from the Devil, not God.

[In order to understand the response of C.S. Lewis, it is essential that you understand the context of his quote. He is writing Screwtape Letters. If you know anything about Screwtape Letters, this will be familiar. If you do not, you need to understand that Screwtape Letters is a work of Christian satire by C. S. Lewis first published in book form in 1942. The story takes the form of a series of letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, a junior tempter named Wormwood, so as to advise him on methods of securing the damnation of an earthly man, known only as "the Patient." So, Lewis is exposing the devices and the methods Satan tries to use to keep people from Christ and ultimately salvation. In this quote Screwtape is writing to Wormwood instructing him how he should think about the subject of pleasure-seeking.]

Response: “Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and normal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense, on the Enemy's [God's] ground. I know we have won many a soul through pleasure. All the same, it is His invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage humans to take the pleasures which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden. Hence we always try to work away from the natural condition of any pleasure to that in which it is least natural, lest redolent of its Maker, and least pleasurable. An ever-increasing craving for an ever-diminishing pleasure is the formula. It is more certain; and it’s better style. To get the man’s soul and give him nothing in return-that is what really gladdens our Father’s [Satan’s] heart.”

Ask C.S. Lewis, Objection 4

2009-05-04T12:19:00.005-05:00

Objection: I want to live a good life, but I do not need Christianity to lead a good life. If Christianity helps me lead a good life, it is because it is pragmatically helpful, not because it is actually true. Still, without it, I can lead a good life.

Response: "The question sounds as if it were asked by a person who said to himself, 'I don't care whether Christianity is in fact true or not. I'm not interested in finding out whether the real universe is more like what the Christians say than what the Materialists say. All I'm interested in is leading a good life. I'm going to choose beliefs not because I think them true, but because I find them helpful.' Now frankly I find it hard to sympathize with this state of mind. One of the things that distinguishes man from other animals is that he wants to know things, wants to find out what reality is like, simply for the sake of knowing. When that desire is completely quenched in anyone, I think he has become something less than human. As a matter of fact, I can't believe any of you have really lost that desire.

We all know there have been good men who were not Christians; men like Socrates and Confucius who had never heard of it, or men like J.S. Mill who quite honestly couldn't believer it. But the man who asks me, 'Can't I lead a good life without believing in Christianity?' is clearly not in the same position. If he hadn't heard of Christianity he would not be asking the question. If, having heard of it, and having seriously considered it, he had decided that it was untrue, then once more he would not be asking the question. The man who asks this question has heard of Christianity and is by no means certain that it may not be true. He is really asking, 'Need I bother about it? Mayn't I just evade the issue, just let sleeping dogs lie, and get on with being good? Aren't good intentions enough to keep me safe and blameless without knocking at that dreadful door and making sure whether there is, or isn't, someone inside?'

To such a man it might be enough to reply that he is really asking to be allowed to get on with being "good" before he has done his best to discover what good means. The man is deliberately trying not to know whether Christianity is true or false, because he foresees endless trouble if it should turn out to be true. he is like the man who deliberately "forgets" to look at the notice board because, if he did, he might find his name down for some unpleasant duty. Christianity's account of the universe may be true, or it may not, and once the question is really before you, then your natural inquisitiveness must make you want to know the answer. If Christianity is untrue, then no honest man will want to believe it, however helpful it might be: if it is true, every honest man will want to believe it, even if it gives him no help at all."

"Man or Rabbit?"
in God in the Dock

Online Greek and Hebrew Text With Grammatical Aids

2009-05-01T15:16:00.007-05:00

If you are a biblical languages student and you have not yet purchased a Bible software, you will be thankful for this. Ever since The Resurgence Greek Project had to pull their text offline there was not much left for online help. Then came John Dyer, a web developer and seminary graduate, who has put together this helpful online resource. The Greek and Hebrew text of the Bible is available with full notes and parsing helps. You can read all about it on his blog, "Don't Eat The Fruit". In the meantime, feel free to go ahead and eat the fruit of his labors. Thanks John for this excellent resource. With that said, it's good for us to remember that resources are resources and should never be used a substitute for learning the languages properly, including our ability to parse and translate without aid.