In Christ Alone

What time is it?!?

2007-04-19T12:56:00.000-05:00

It's movin' time. I have started a new blog, if for no other reason, then I simply need a change. So the new address is www.mdestes.wordpress.com. I hope that some of you will come over and visit. I'm sorry to those who have been wondering where I've been. Life has been very crazy recently, and posting has been one of the last things on my mind. So, I seriously doubt many people actually read this. I plan on being a much more regular poster on this new blog. I will be attempting to blog at least once a week, if not more.

A Moment of Silence, Please

2007-03-13T13:06:00.000-05:00

We live in a society of noise. From the moment we wake until the moment we sleep, we are bombarded with sound. Most of us start our day by hearing the most annoying sound known to mankind, an alarm clock. After that, we flip on the TV, most of the time for no reason at all. As the sound from the television keeps us company, we go about our normal morning activities. We eat, we shower, we brush our teeth, and we prepare ourselves for the day. All the while, the TV is blaring in the background. Information is being disseminated, and we miss most of it.

As soon as we are ready, we get in the car. What do you think happens? Yes, that’s right; the radio comes on, again ramming into our ears more noise. We ride along listening to whatever is on at that particular moment. It could be good; it could be bad. It doesn’t really matter. It comforts us. It keeps us from feeling lonely.

Finally, we arrive at school or work, and our friends greet us. We begin to “chit-chat” about what we did last night, and the homework we failed to get done. We talk about each other’s outfits and hair and make-up and about the sporting event last night. We talk and talk and talk, and as soon as silence falls, something happens. We get uncomfortable. There is an uneasiness that creeps in and leaves us feeling weird. So, how do we respond to this uneasiness? We crack a joke or create a distraction to ease the tension and break the silence. Why? Why are we afraid of the silence?

The writer of Psalm 46 says well, “Be still, and know that I am God.” The constancy of noise in our lives robs us of so much. It interrupts our connection to God. According to the psalmist, stillness is something that is valued by God. Until we are still, we cannot understand God. Sometimes, it is necessary for us to stop. Stop running. Stop doing. Stop being busy. We need to stop and be still. In those moments of stillness, our minds can rest and hear the voice of God. In I Kings 19, God comes to Elijah not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire. Only in the still, small whisper does Elijah find God. So it is with us. The constant presence of noise in our lives destroys not only our ability to think deeply about anything but also our drive to think at all. The noise we hear will think for us. They (all those who create the noise) will tell us what to believe; therefore, we won’t ever have to confront what might be. So, why do we fear silence? Because, in the silence, we have to confront, we have think about this one thing: Am I really alone?

For more on the value of silence and thinking, read this.

Catching Lightning in a Bottle

2007-03-09T08:20:00.000-05:00

Recently, I have been reading The Lord of the Rings. In fact, I just finished The Fellowship of the Ring. First, let me say that the books put the movies to shame, and I think the movies are great. Of more import to this particular post is something in specific from The Fellowship. The movie fails to even include a conversation that moved me very deeply.

Deep into the journey from Rivendell, the fellowship has just escaped Moria without their fallen guide, Gandalf. After fleeing the Orcs of Moria, the travellers wander into the wood of Lothlorien. In these woods, Elves dwell. Upon arriving at Galadhrim, the capital city of Lothlorien, the fellowship find themselves in a place that would rival the beauty of Eden. Even in winter, the leaves never fall; they only turn gold. The ground is covered with lush, green grass and flowers of all sorts and colors. The weather is always very fair and the air very fresh. The water of the rivers is cold and refreshing, even healing. As Tolkien describes it, one is whisk away into a paradise of beauty and joy.

During their stay, the adventures grow closer to one another and are saddened that they have to leave this place. The melancholy that fills them is captured in an enlightening conversation between Gimli, a dwarf, and Legolas, an elf. Personally, I felt most touched by the thoughts of Gimli. This is merely a part of the conversation between the two.

"I have looked the last upon that which was fairest...Hencefoward I will call nothing fair, unless it be her gift [the Lady of Galadhrim gave Gimli three strands of her hair]...Tell me, Legolas, why did I come on this Quest? Little did I know where the chief peril lay! Truly Elrond spoke, saying that we could not foresee what we might meet upon our road. Tormet in the dark was the danger I feared, and it did not hold me back. But I would not have come, had I know the danger of light and joy. Now I have taken my worst wound in this parting, even if I were to go this night straight to the Dark Lord. Alas for Gimli son of Gloin."

"Nay!" said Legolas. "Alas for us all! And for all that walk the world in these after-days. For such is the way of it: to find and lose, as it seems to those whose boat is on the running stream. But I count you blessed, Gimli son of Gloin: for you loss you suffer of your own free will, and you might have chosen otherwise...and the least reward that you shall have is that the memory of Lothlorien shall remain ever clear and unstained in your heart, and shall neither fade nor grow stale."

"Maybe," said Gimli;"and I thank you for your words. True words doubtless; yet all such comfort is cold. Memory is not what the heart desires. That is only a mirror...Or so says the heart of Gimli the Dwarf."

Gimli's words pierced me. Memory is not what the heart desires...that is only a mirror. There was once a time when we, too, were in Eden. We, also, experienced the light and joy, and the painful parting with it. And like Gimli, we desire the real thing, the reality of Eden. We want to be in a place where light and joy never end. One day, we will again experience light and joy, never to be parted from it again. One day, the memory of Eden will be renewed, the mirror will cease to be a reflection of what is real and finally become reality...Or so says the heart of Michael the man...

Here is my 15 minutes

2007-03-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I've finally made it bigtime...or something like that.

Click the link.

My 15 minutes!!!

Anonymous Poem

2007-02-14T10:59:00.001-05:00

What is man?
Is he anything?
Wading into a sea of discontent,
There is but an ocean of emptiness.
Wandering in a wilderness of loneliness,
Ascending the mountain of sorrow.
Where will he go?
There is nothing.
There is no one.
The rain of suffering falls,
Pounding him into submission.
Where can he go?
What can he do
To escape this horrifying deluge
Of doubt and despair?
Is there anyone out there?

Seeking, searching, groping
In the darkness of the long night
For meaning, for reality, for anything.
What can he say?
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity,”
Is his weary cry.
Shadows consume and death surrounds
This weary traveler.
He is told,
“Do what is right in your heart,”
But all he finds is evil there.
He wants more, he desires more.
Where shall he turn?
What shall he do?

He gazes across a plain of desolation
And feels his hopelessness rising.
In desperation, he turns his eye upward.
Looking to the heavens,
He makes his complaint.
“Why” is the only word that comes to his lips.
He screams and shouts, full of sound and fury.
As his words die into the night,
He suddenly realizes a light.
A light that seems so small
Almost unreal
Until it fills the heavens.
Slowly then quickly the light descends.

The traveler awaits the light
As it comes ever so close.
Finally, with the light before him,
The man repeats his question, “Why?”
Only then does he notice that the light is a Man.
He looks at the traveler with joy and sorrow.
Simply, almost gently, the One says, “I AM.”
The traveler realizes that night has turned to day.
He can see everything, everyone.
Before him is beauty,
The plain of pleasure spreads out in every direction.
The rain has turned
To soft, warm, cheerful, spring wind.
The mount of joy extends upward.
The wilderness sings to him.
The waters he sees are full of contentment and satisfying.

What is man?
He is loved.
He will journey across the plain of pleasure.
He will enjoy the light of day.
He will ascend the mountain of joy.
He will enter the wilderness with his guide.
He will explore the ocean of meaning
And sail the sea of satisfaction.
The One in the light
Will lead him.
The traveler no longer gropes
As one in darkness,
But he has the Light of Truth and Meaning.
Despair is now joy,
Fear is now hope,
Hate is now love.

What is man?
Ask the Man,
The One in the light.
He knows.
He will tell you,
Exactly what he told me.
“I AM.”

Anger and Christ

2007-02-07T10:27:00.000-05:00

There has long been debate as to whether or not it is actually possible to have righteous anger as a fallen, sinful human being. Much of the debate has centered around the person of Jesus. It is apparent in the gospel accounts of his life that Jesus certainly felt the emotion of anger. There are numerous accounts of Christ reacting with rage or frustration against someone or something that was being done. The question is, then, whether Jesus actually sinned in so doing those things. The answer to this question provides some important clues as to how we, as pastors and counselors, should advise people who have issues with anger and resentment.

B.B. Warfield has written an interesting article, “The Holy Resentment of Jesus,” which addresses this very issue. In his honest interpretation, Warfield attempts to approach the Scripture with humility and openness, seeking to find a solution to the problem of holy or righteous anger. He begins his article by explaining the importance of the doctrine of the hypostatic union of Christ. Jesus was most definitely fully man and fully God, but how does this doctrine affect his emotional state? It is clear that Jesus felt emotions. He felt sorrow and anger and resentment. He got frustrated with the disciples. He overturned tables in the temple and wielded a whip to empty his Father’s house. These events in Scripture have been interpreted in several ways, two of which Warfield addresses. The first interpretation attributed apatheia, or absence of feeling, to Christ, hoping to preserve the dignity of the person of Christ. The second interpretation, wishing to clearly state the fullness of Christ’s humanity, featured the pathos, or feeling or passion, of Christ. These interpretations are essential to understanding the issue at hand. If Christ truly had an absence of feeling, then in a justified and sanctified state believers should feel this same apatheia that Christ felt. Conversely, if Christ actually felt emotions in a real way, then it is true that believers could and should also feel similar emotions.

The second interpretation seems to be the truer of the two. The ontological make-up of Jesus appears to be at question here. How similar was the “second Adam” to the first Adam? At a glance, there are obvious differences. However, upon a closer investigation, it is apparent that Christ was very much similar to all other human beings. It is clear that he wearied from his hectic schedule. He also felt physiological needs of hunger and thirst. He most assuredly felt pain on the cross. Therefore, it appears to be an appropriate assumption that since Christ experienced the physiology of humanity, he would also understand the psychology of humanity. If neither of these two assumptions are true, then it would be necessary to adopt some form of docetic thinking about the humanity of Christ. It would also hold that scriptures like Hebrews 4:15[1] and the accounts of the temptation of Christ[2] would be nonsensical and unintelligible. Consequently, in order for anyone to know anything about the real Jesus, it is necessary to rely on the written accounts of his life in the gospels. Since that is the case, the things said about Jesus, that he had real physiological and psychological needs and difficulties, must be assumed, on some level, to be true.

So, it seems obvious that Jesus had real emotions, which is the point of Warfield’s article. The question remains, however, as to whether or not Jesus’ emotions apply to us and how his emotions and reactions in particular situations can be extrapolated out in order to help us minister to others. Warfield makes it clear in his article that the emotions Jesus felt were right and had no sin in them. Jesus was, in fact, a total human being, which, of course, makes him a moral being. Moral beings must react to the circumstances of their existence. Therefore, as Warfield aptly puts it, “It would be impossible, therefore, for a moral being to stand in the presence of perceived wrong indifferent and unmoved.”[3] Christ, as a moral being, filled with pathos, would have to react in given situations appropriately. If not, his humanity could be called into question. However, it is important to point out that Jesus always responded in a perfectly suitable way. He neither underreacted nor overreacted in any specific situation. Therefore, when a situation that calls for an angry reaction, Jesus responded with the appropriate amount of anger (i.e. the cleansing of the temple[4]). Conversely, when a situation required a sorrowful response, Jesus weeps (i.e. the death of Lazarus[5]). Since we are like Christ in that we are moral beings, there are situations in which it is appropriate to be angry or to weep. If it is right that Jesus was offended by certain affronts to his morality, it is according that we would react in the same way.

With that said, it is also important to note again that Jesus holds a certain moral superiority over other human beings. His divinity made it possible for him to retain his sinless perfection. Was it possible for Jesus to sin? The answer to this mystery seems somewhat unclear, but the Bible seems to point to the fact that Jesus was truly able to sin. It was his ability to abstain from sin that makes him the perfect sacrifice. Therefore, when Christ expresses his emotions in the gospel accounts, he is able to do so without sinning. On the contrary, however, it is clear that we are not Jesus. We are to become more like him daily, but we are not him. So, the question is, then, can a believer actually articulate anger without sinning? While Jesus proves that anger and resentment is a normal human emotion, it is difficult to say how anger would affect the typical believer. It would be my counsel that anger is a dangerous emotion. It can easily be abused and lead to sinful behavior. Despite the fact that the emotion itself is not sinful, the results of such an emotion might definitely be. A responsible counselor should attempt to encourage their client into appropriately expressing their anger, which is, of course, somewhat subjective. The most important concepts to draw from Warfield’s article are that Jesus felt anger (which is expressive of the humanity of Christ and leads one to believe that it is possible to have “righteous” anger) and that there is an appropriate response to the anger emotion (which seems with regard to Christ but is infinitely more complex when dealing with fallen human beings).

[1] “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
[2] Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13
[3] B.B. Warfield, “The Holy Resentment of Jesus: ‘For the innumerable dead is my soul disquieted,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling, 11.
[4] Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-22
[5] John 11:1-44

A Little More...

2007-01-23T14:22:00.000-05:00

I wanted to explain the argument from desire a little more. So, I started thinking about it and remembered this quote from, guess who, C.S. Lewis. He puts things in a way I cannot.

He explains: Most people, if they had really to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. - Mere Christianity, Book III, "Hope"

Later, he writes more: The Christian says, 'Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.'

So, for example, I look at my little boy, Jackson, and think about the depth of my love for that awesome little person. I must keep in mind that my love for him is but a shadow of things to come. And, that, my friends, is an awesome thought. It makes me want to love all the more. It makes me love life all the more because of what it tells me about the God we serve. It makes me desire Heaven all the more that I might experience the ultimate reality of Love. It hurts (in a good way) to think on it. The Scriptures are clear on this point.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. - I Corinthians 13:12

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. - II Corinthians 4:16-18

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. - Hebrews 11:13-16

So, the next time you find yourself desiring something more or better than this world can offer, don't feel guilty. Embrace it. Grab hold of that and don't let go of it because it the part of God in us calling us home to Him. And, when we get there, that home will never disappoint.

Ideas really do have consequences....

2007-01-22T15:02:00.000-05:00

For all the good wrought upon the world with the coming of the Enlightenment, there also came much harm. While we gained many wonderful advances in various fields of science, we also gave up much in the areas of ethics, epistemology, and theology. We began starting with nature instead of God, and in so doing, changed the way we looked at the world and the people who inhabit the world. After World War I, there was a group of writers known as the Lost Generation. This group includes such writers as Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, and W.B. Yeats. It is interesting to see the effects of the massive shift in worldview. This poem is but a small help in understanding what was happening to the world at the turn of the 20th century. Try to answer this question after you read the poem: What is this that is coming to change the world in the next 20 centuries like Christ had affected the previous 20 centuries? I am afraid that the answer is not a pleasant one.

The Second Coming - W.B. Yeats

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of the Spiritus Mundi (Universal Spirit)
Troubles my sight: somewhere in the sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

Dante on the Resurrection of the Body

2007-01-22T09:20:00.000-05:00

As long as the festivity
of Paradise shall be, so long shall our
love radiate around us such a garment.
Its brightness takes its measure from our ardor,
our ardor from our vision, which is measured
by what grace each receives beyond his merit.
When, glorified and sanctified, the flesh
is once again our dress, our persons shall,
in being all complete, please all the more;
therefore, whatever light gratuitous
the Highest Good gives us will be enhanced --
the light that will allow us to see Him;
that light will cause our vision to increase,
the ardor vision kindles to increase,
the brightness born of ardor to increase.
Yet even as a coal engenders flame,
but with intenser glow outshines it, so
that in that flame the coal persists, it shows,
so will the brightness that envelops us
be surpassed in visibility
by reborn flesh, which earth now covers up.
Nor will we tire when faced with such bright light,
for then the body's organs will have force
enough for all in which we can delight. - Paradiso, Canto XIV

What do you want?

2007-01-20T20:21:00.000-05:00

Earlier this evening, I heard some words in a song that got me to thinking. Well, actually, I was reading a good book, which started me thinking, and then, I heard the song. I don't know the singer of the song was, but he said something very interesting. He said that everybody wants to be loved. This struck as incredibly insightful. It is a true statement. Every person wants to be wanted. In fact, every person wants alot of things. Some people want power. Some want justice. Some want to be loved. Some want to love. Some just want the last piece of chocolate cake. Desires are innate to human experience, and they are, in and of themselves, good things for the most part. It is good to want things like justice and power and love and, yes, even chocolate cake. Desire was put in us to draw our attention to the Source and Fulfillment of such desires. We want justice because there is an ultimate source of Justice. Think about it. In this world, many things we consider injustices go unpunished. This is not justice. The bad guy is not supposed to get away with it. With this being the case, is it not odd that we desire such a thing as justice? Why desire justice if it doesn't always exist? The fact is that the desire to love justice comes from the Just One Himself. Desire, rightly aimed, is a wonderful gift of God, used by Him to draw us closer to knowing Him.

If you want to read a little more about this from a guy a lot smarter than me, click the link below.

The Argument from Desire

Global Warming???

2007-01-18T10:01:00.000-05:00

While people are stressing out about global warming, I will be enjoying my SNOW day off.

If only...

2007-01-12T08:58:00.000-05:00

I often find myself wishing I were able to go back in time and re-live some wonderful time in my life. Typically, this reminiscing takes place during periods of immense spiritual struggle. I long for the cool, calm waters of past journeys in order to soothe the raging storm within. In so doing, I find several things happening. Namely, when I long for the past, my yearning is never fulfilled. It is amazing what I will do in order to return to some mountain peak experience. I will reread books, restate prayers, recall routines. In short, I will do anything to go back and reclaim that period of fulfillment. None of it works. No matter how long I try or how hard I work, it all fails. Thankfully, there are those in our walk with Christ who can help us gain anew a fresh vision and a new experience.

As I was reading C.S. Lewis (a spiritual guide I will be forever thankful to God for) the other day, I found a paragraph or two dealing with just this issue. In this section, Lewis is giving an exposition of the Lord's Prayer. He reaches the part of the prayer that says, "Thy will be done." This is what he says about it: I am beginning to feel that we need a preliminary act of submission not only toward future afflictions but also towards possible future blessings. I know it sounds fantastic; but think it over. It seems to me that we often, almost sulkily, reject the good that God offers us because, at that moment, we expected some other good. Do you know what I mean? On every level of our life - in religious experience, in our gastronomic, erotic, aesthetic, and social experience - we are always harking back to some occasion which seemed to us to reach perfection, setting that up as a norm, and depreciating all other occasions by comparison. But these other occasions, I now suspect, are often full of their own new blessing, if only we would lay ourselves open to it. God shows us a new facet of the glory, and we refuse to look at it because we're still looking for the old one. And of course we don't get that. You can't, at the twentieth reading, get again the experience of reading Lycidas for the first time. But what you do get can be in its own way as good...This applies especially to the devotional life. Many religious people lament that the first fervours of their conversion have died away...But were those fervours - the operative word is those - ever intended to last...It would be rash to say that there is any prayer which God never grants. But the strongest candidate is the prayer we might express in the single word encore. And how should the Infinite repeat Himself? All space and time are too little for Him to utter Himself in them once...And the joke, or tragedy, of it all is that these golden moments in the past, which are so tormenting if we erect them into a norm, are entirely nourishing, wholesome, and enchanting if we are content to accept them for what they are, for memories. Properly bedded down in a past which we do not miserably try to conjure back, they will send up exquisite growths. Leave the bulbs alone, and the new flowers will come up. Grub them up and hope, by fondling and sniffing, to get last year's blooms, and you will get nothing. - Letters to Malcolm

Carpe Diem.

Dante on God's Truth

2007-01-08T08:51:00.000-05:00

I now well see: we cannot satisfy
our mind unless it is enlightened by
the truth beyond whose boundary no truth lies.

Mind, reaching that truth, rests within it as
a beast within its lair; mind can attain
that truth -- if not all our desires were vain.

Therefore, our doubting blossoms like a shoot
out from the root of truth; this natural
urge spurs us toward the peak, from height to height.
-Paradiso, Canto IV

A Changing Perspective

2007-01-05T13:59:00.000-05:00

I have noticed lately a subtle changing in my mind. It has been growing gradually over the last three months. Several days ago, it hit me like a wave crashing onto a surprised shore. I was watching the movie My Dog Skip. As many of you know, this is the heart-warming story of a boy, Willie, and the story of his youthful journey with his jack russell terrier, Skip. Willie and Skip grew up and had many adventures around the small Mississippi town in which they lived. They were always together, inseperable with a bond that time only strengthened. However, toward the end of the movie, Willie allowed his desire to be loved by his friends and many others in the town to rule his actions. In fact, during a baseball game in which he had played rather poorly, Willie struck Skip in his anger and embarassment. The dog frightened and demoralized retreated from the baseball field and wandered through the town. The dog eventually wound up trapped in the town's cemetary. Willie distraught and embrassed searched diligently for the dog in hopes of reuniting with him and renewing their bond of fellowship. It wasn't until late in the night that Willie finds Skip in the cemetary. Unfortunately, Skip had been attacked by some moonshiners and was in a perulious condition. The boy rushes Skip to the vet who does all he can to save Skip. Thankfully, Skip makes it through the surgery and survives. It is a gut-wrenching story with a happy ending.

You may be asking yourself, "what does this movie about a dog have to do with a changing perspective?" Well, I'll tell you. It was this movie that awakened me to this new perspective. In the past, I had always watched that movie and connected my feelings to the feelings of the boy, Willie. Well, when I watched it the other day, I related to another character in the story, and no, it wasn't the dog. I suddenly found myself wondering how the father felt. I began to ponder how I would help the little boy cope with this tragic situation. I wanted to know how I would help Jackson, my son, handle this sort of thing. It was then I realized that I would never see things the same way. I will forever be a father, think like a father, act like a father. I will always see things differently, always think differently, and most important worship differently. God as Father has taken on a new meaning to me. I have a better understanding of the actual sacrifice of Father giving the Son. I am starting to comprehend what it means to have real patience (especially at four in the morning). I see what it means to offer forgiveness and how to really ask for it. Needless to say, rearing a child is probably the most sanctifying process I have undergone. Thank God for him.

As I have been thinking on this new perspective, a saying from Paul popped into my head. It goes like this: When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (I Corinthians 13:11-12)

While I realize that these verses have nothing to do with child-rearing, they have everything to do with a changing perspective. They are about the ultimate change in perspective. However, this part of my life is only one part of this ultimate change. Through our experiences, we learn more and more how to see the face of God. Through Jackson and our experiences together, I gain more and more understanding of the Ultimate Knowledge of this universe.

The Perfect Church Service

2007-01-05T11:59:00.000-05:00

Novelty simply as such, can have only an entertainment value. And they [Christians] don't go to church to be entertained. They go to use the service, or, if you prefer, to enact it. Every service is a structure of acts and words through which we receive a sacrament, or repent, or supplicate, or adore. And it enables us to do these things best - if you like, it "works" best - when through long familiarity, we don't have to think about it. As long as you notice, and have to count, the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe is a shoe you don't notice. Good reading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about your eyes, or light, or print, or spelling. The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God. - C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm

A New Prayer for a New Year

2007-01-04T07:50:00.000-05:00

Coming off my hiatus, I wanted to share this prayer with my few readers.

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision where I live in the depths, but see thee in the heights; Hemmed in by mountains of sin, I behold thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime, stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells, the brighter thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley. Amen.

Jesus in Our Place

2006-12-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

"Having become with us the Son of Man, he has made us with himself sons of God. By his own descent to the earth he has prepared our ascent to heaven. Having received our mortality, he has bestowed on us his immortality. Having undertaken our weakness, he has made us strong in his strength. Having submitted to our poverty, he has transferred to us his riches. Having taken upon himself the burden of unrighteousness with which we were oppressed, he has clothed us with his righteousness." - John Calvin, Institutes

A Life Lived for God, Part II

2006-12-06T12:43:00.000-05:00

It may seem an odd thing to do, but I'm going to "work backwards." I am going to start with the last fruit of the Spirit, self-control, and work up to the crowning and most beautiful fruit, love. With that said, let us begin to understand what Paul means by self-control and how that understanding will change us for God's glory.

The dictionary defines self-control as control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings, etc. This is actually a decent definition. I prefer the word restraint because I think it provides better clarity. Paul calls us to restrain ourselves. We have to hold back. This particular fruit tells us something about ourselves. It tells us that we have something in us that must be restrained. What is it? Why, our sin nature, of course. We have built into us a nature that desires sin above all else. We seek to satisfy ourselves above all other things. Because of original sin, we are this way from birth. I refuse to say that it (the sin nature) is natural for us to sin because we were created in a different way. We were created to be God's children. We were created to glorify Him, but we don't. So, we are acting in an unnatural way. This tells me that we have gone way off-track. We have strayed far from our original purpose, which is why sin seems so "natural" to us. The fall had so great an effect on us that it made what was unnatural natural and what was natural unnatural. Therefore, it is necessary for us to have self-control. We must restrain what in unnatural in us. We have to rewire our circuits and in order to do this we have to keep the poorly wired circuits from working.

Paul, as usual, provides a good example of a struggle with self-control (don't worry, we will get to Jesus soon enough). Romans 7 is a wonderful display of what it means to fight a battle between our natural and unnatural selves. Paul writes:

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:13-24)

Paul shares his struggle of self-control. To some, it may seem so simple, but honestly it is the most difficult battle most of us will fight. Why? Because it is battle against our own pride, it is a war against an unnatural will. Reading over the fruit of the Spirit, I was surprised to finally realize that humility was absent. Humility is often lauded as the supreme of Christian virtue, yet it is remarkably missing from this list. Or, is it? Yielding our will to God's will (self-control) is humility. It is a giving up of our own pridefulness, our own way and shifting our focus to God alone. Paul phrases it in this way: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (I Corinthians 6:19-20)

By now, some people (the very few who actually read this blog) might be asking, does this mean we are no longer individuals? Aren't we, by giving up our selves, ceasing to be ourselves? No, that is the beauty of this whole deal. By practicing self-control, we are becoming our TRUE selves. We are becoming the natural selves we were supposed to have been. Exercising self-control produces not only humility, but also a beginning of a change, the complete rewiring of our souls. It will be difficult and uncomfortable because we have become so used to our unnatural selves, our controlling selves. Don't worry though. We have a perfect example to follow. He is the Example that will never leads us astray. His name is Jesus (told you I would get to him). How was Christ the quinnessential display of self-control? The written Word tells us:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11)

So, next time you feel the tug of sin and the unnatural nature look unto Christ. Remember he showed the greatest restraint of self. It is because of our lack of self-control he had to leave his throne in Heaven. I don't say this to guilt you into good behavior. It should humble you, and though this humility, we should be grateful to yield our control. Not guilt, but gratefulness.

In closing, never forget that Christ has not left us alone to perfect ourselves. He has left his Holy Spirit. God be praised!

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

Ralph Erskine, A Poem on Law and Gospel

2006-12-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

I read this, I liked it, and I wanted to share it. So, here it is without further ado:

The law supposing I have all,
Does ever for perfection call;
The gospel suits my total want,
And all the law can seek does grant.

The law could promise life to me,
If my obedience perfect be;
But grace does promise life upon
My Lord's obedience alone.

The law says, Do, and life you'll win;
But grace says, Live, for all is done;
The former cannot ease my grief,
The latter yields me full relief.

The law will not abate a mite,
The gospel all the sum will quit;
There God in thret'nings is array'd
But here in promises display'd.

The law excludes not boasting vain,
But rather feeds it to my bane;
But gospel grace allows no boasts,
Save in the King, the Lord of Hosts.

The law brings terror to molest,
The gospel gives the weary rest;
The one does flags of death display,
The other shows the living way.

The law's a house of bondage sore,
The gospel opens prison doors;
The first me hamer'd in its net,
The last at freedom kindly set.

An angry God the law reveal'd
The gospel shows him reconciled;
By that I know he was displeased,
By this I see his wrath appeased.

The law still shows a fiery face,
The gospel shows a throne of grace;
There justice rides alone in state,
But here she takes the mercy-seat.

Lo! in the law Jehovah dwells,
But Jesus is conceal'd;
Whereas the gospel's nothing else
But Jesus Christ reveal'd.

Just Had to Share This...

2006-12-05T06:50:00.000-05:00

Click the link.

A Life Lived for God, Part I

2006-11-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been examining myself and realizing how short my short-comings actually are. Some people would probably say that I am being to hard on myself. But, I would simply respond to them that they just don't see the depths of my soul. I remember reading recently a pithy quote that, I think, captures the gravity of man's sin. It went something like this: A woman approached the pastor of a local congregation and began complementing the pastor for his godly, upstanding demeanor and behavior. He looked at her and said very simply, "If you could see the depths of my soul, you would probably like to spit in my face." It seems to me that there is something to this story. Anytime we begin to think too highly of ourselves, sin will be lurking nearby waiting for us to take our guard down.

So, in order to combat this in myself, I will be writing a series on (as the above title indicates) a life lived for God. Paul states in Romans 12:1-2 what a life for God looks like. He writes, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Paul is clear; God desires our whole lives, and nothing less should be expected, which is only reasonable seeing how Christ gave his whole life for us. The question then is what does that look like. What exactly characterizes a living sacrifice? It seems to me that Paul includes a list elsewhere that defines what a life lived for God would be characterized by. He writes in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." It is the fruit of the Spirit that must characterize the life lived for God. So that is what this series of posts will be about. Each post will explain how each fruit leads to becoming a living sacrifice. Now, you may be thinking to yourselves, "That is not really that difficult." My question for you (and in reality for me also) then is, do each of things truly typify your life in the eyes of others and of God? Do you have actual peace all the time? Are you enduringly patience and longsuffering? Are you a joyful person? Are you completely faithful to God and others? Are you gentle when wronged? Honestly, I would have to answer a resounding "no" each question. So, this is my attempt to understand what it means to live a life for God.

Where is the love?

2006-11-15T14:49:00.000-05:00

So, I got to preach the text from Hebrews 12 today. I did pretty well overall. I spoke clearly and made only a few mistakes in my delivery. But, something was missing. A very wise person pointed out that I did a great job loving the text. I treated God's Word with respect, but I forgot the other part of the equation. There was an audience out there. That audience was full of young and vibrant image-bearers. And, in my zeal for the text, I forgot to love them. I forgot that God's Word (the Living Word) loves them. I was reminded that it doesn't matter how well you explain the text if the people don't know that you care about them. There has to be such a careful balance between the two. I am called to love the Word and love the people. Without the people, the Word loses meaning because it is meant to apply to and change us. Without the Word, the people lose all purpose because it is supposed to be the guiding principle of our lives. Jesus was the best at this. He always knew his audience, and more importantly, He always loved them, even when He was rebuking them. I think the failure I suffered today is symptomatic of most of the preaching we hear today. It is either brilliantly dull and passionless or ignorance on fire. With that said, I am thankful for this wise person who encouraged me. From now on, everytime I step in a pulpit, I will remember that it's not just about loving the Word. That love for the Word should kindle in me the greatest, deepest, most passionate love for those who are about to receive it.

A Prayer Request and an Observation

2006-11-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

Wednesday morning, I will be teaching the Word of God to the upper school of Trinity Academy at our weekly chapel meeting. I will be speaking on Hebrews 12:1-2, which is a wonderful passage about the race of faith. Pray that I remain faithful to the text and have the right words to say. Pray also that I understand my audience (middle and high schoolers).

I would like to add that I found an interesting tid-bit last night studying this passage. One of the commentaries I read picked up on something interesting. In this passage, the author, whom I argue is Paul, explains in verse two that Jesus endured the cross. The commentator pointed out that the only other place that the cross is actually mentioned are the Gospels and the Pauline Epistles. Maybe this is more evidence for Pauline authorship of Hebrews. Just some food for thought.

Who God is

2006-11-10T08:35:00.000-05:00

I love reading theology, especially systematic theology. I know I'm sick, but I just can't help myself. One of the more fascinating part of theology deals with the naming of God. I enjoy trying to comprehend the various attributes of God and how they interact with one another. One problem that plagues much of modern theology is the overemphasis of one of God's attributes over all the others. Typically, modern, especially liberal, theologians focus solely on the love of God. It is true that God is love, but He is not love exclusively. If He were, then His other attributes would suffer injury. Think about it this way. If God is so "loving" that He lets everyone into Heaven (universalism), then what is that love actually? Love becomes indifference. It is the justice of God that makes His mercy and love so real and beautiful. In God's justice, we see what we deserve. Consequently, God's love is much greater and more wonderful in the light of His justice. I bring this up because I have been reading Thomas Oden's Systematic Theology. His comments on this material seem especially fitting.

"Classic Christian teachers warned against emphasizing one attribute [of God] at the expense of another. Just as a good person will manifest good but varied behavior in situations where different responses are called for (and in doing so does not become 'different persons'), so God is an infinitely good One with varied qualities that are unified in the divine character . . . In God, to be is to be incomparably strong. To be God is to be unfailingly merciful. God's way of being is loving. God is all wisdom, all spirit, all light, all intelligence, and wholly just. God is merciful, just, and holy. God is the Way, Truth, and Life, without ceasing to be simply God . . . God is not at one moment unmercifully strong and at another moment unwisely omnipotent. God is always mercifully strong and wisely omnipotent, and omnipotently wise and strongly merciful. Nor is God at one time just, at another time loving, and at another time all-knowing. God's whole being, inclusive of all attributes, is present in each of the discrete attributes that faith recognizes and celebrates. God is fully and simultaneously all these attributes and more than any language could attribute. This notion is interwoven with faith's affirmation of God's simplicity. God is not divided up into our petty conceptions of God's attributes. In all attributes, God is, and remains, simply and completely God."

WOW!!!!!

2006-11-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

That is all I can say about this. Take a look, if you dare.

The Sin of Inconsistency

2006-11-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

My good friend and brother in Christ, Drew Jones, has written an excellent piece, in which he comments on the commentary of Dan Savage of The New York Times. Take a few minutes and give it a read.

The Sin of Inconsistency

Don't forget to vote....

2006-11-06T09:38:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is an important day. Not because the Republicans might lose control of the House and Senate (which is a real possibility), but simply because it is election day. Our country is completely apathetic about this wonderful, democratic process. This is your chance to voice your opposition or support for the current administration. I am not posting this to promote any particular candidate or party. I simply want people to take seriously the democratic process here in America. Vote your convictions. Vote your beliefs. Just vote. It is a privilege we fought for, and it should never, ever be neglected. If you don't vote, please abstain from complaining. You passed up your opportunity to voice your complaints.

So, tomorrow, get off your butts and vote for somebody.

Just a little more....

2006-11-03T10:06:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to add a little bit more to yesterday's post. I just read an interview with Al Mohler and Andrew Sullivan. In the interview, Mohler and Sullivan discuss Sullivan's book entitled The Conservative Soul. Toward the end of the interview, Mohler and Sullivan got into an interesting exchange over what it means to be a Christian and how that effects your moral life. Here is the exchange for you enjoyment:

RAM: Well, we should doubt the things that are not certain. We should doubt the things that are not certain. But let me ask you this--just because when you talk about those who identify as fundamentalists, and you know, frankly, I'm not even going to argue over the word. But you say that a fundamentalist is determined by the text. And I just want to be right up front and honest with you. Insofar as it is possible, given my own fallibility, I want to find what I believe in the text of Scripture. And you find that hopelessly wrong-headed, according to this book.

AS: Well, because the Scripture contradicts itself on many occasions, and you have to have some interpretation of it, which means the text itself won't tell you how to live your life. Only Jesus can help you live your life.

RAM: But how is He going to do that outside the text of Scripture? Where do you have access to Jesus?

AS: Well, the text of Scripture is very important, but you have to interpret it, and you have to think about it in terms of your own life, and reconcile your own conscience and moral reasoning with what it is saying. And that's a journey and a process. It's not a moment, you know? And it's the process that I'm talking about, as I think you know.

I think this is the mentality of much of "Christianity" today. Once again, it is the idea that Jesus is our buddy and works in ways that contradict the way he worked in the past because he has become a "twenty-first century man." Sullivan claims that he is a Christian because he believes in the divinity of Christ. There is a major flaw in his thinking here though. If Christ truly is divine (which all orthodox Christians would agree with), then he would not only be absolutely Good, he would also be absolutely unchangeable (immutable). Well, if Christ is what Sullivan and some of the emerging church and liberal theologians say he is, then we have a problem. Because Christ is now working in a way that is contradictory to the way he used to work. So, he is a liar and capricious; therefore, he is neither good nor immutable. If we do as Sullivan suggests and interpret Scripture based on our own lives, then it is no more than a moral, self-help guide with mere suggestions on living. And, the Jesus presented in the Bible is merely the working out of that suggestion. This type of teaching makes Jesus what Schaeffer calls a "contentless banner." His name is a word devoid of meaning and can be used to justify anything. That is why revelation is so important. Without it, actual, certain knowledge is impossible. Everything becomes a guess; therefore, ethics is similarly impossible. How can you do the right thing when the right thing might be something different tomorrow? It is impossible.

A Prophet?

2006-11-02T09:17:00.000-05:00

Recently, I have been reading Francis Schaeffer's Escape from Reason, which details the decline of modern thought from the time of Thomas Aquinas to the modern day. While the book in general has been very interesting, I found something of particular significance toward the end of the book. Schaeffer, writing about the way in which modern philosophy had affected modern theology, stated the following:

"The evangelical Christian needs to be careful because some evangelicals have recently been asserting that what matters is not setting out to prove or disprove propositions; what matters is an encounter with Jesus."

As if this wasn't enough of an indictment, he continues on:

"If what is placed upstairs (two circle theory of knowledge) is separated from rationality, if the Scriptures are not discussed as open to verification where they touch the cosmos and history, why should one accept the evangelical upstairs any more than the upstairs of the modern radical theology? On what basis is the choice to be made? Why should it not just as well be an encounter under the name Vishnu? Indeed, why should one not seek an experience, without the use of any such words, in a drug experience?"

Later on, he writes:

"I have come to the point where, when I hear the word 'Jesus' - which means so much to me because of the Person of the historic Jesus and His Work - I listen carefully because I have with sorrow become more afraid of the word 'Jesus' than almost any word in the modern world. The word is used as a contentless banner, and our generation is invited to follow it. But there is no rational, scriptural content by which to test it, and thus the word is being used to teach the very opposite things from those which Jesus taught."

Finally, he concludes with this:

"If evangelical Christians begin to slip into a dichotomy, to separate an encounter with Jesus from the content of the Scriptures...we shall, without intending to, be throwing ourselves and the next generation into the millstream of the modern system."

As I read these passages, several thoughts went through my mind. First, isn't this exactly where some of the emerging church movement is leading us? They have said to us, "It's not about knowing, it's about feeling." They have told us to give up revelation for an experience. Why? Because nobody can debate with an experience. So, their problem is either fear or laziness or both. Second, I thought about the teaching of liberal theology, which basically says follow your heart. If you really believe that your doing is what Jesus wants you to do, then you better do it. It doesn't matter whether or not it is contrary to what Jesus actually taught because he continually revealing himself in new ways to us. Well, if this is true, then Jesus isn't actually truly knowable. Third, I found myself remembering the words of John Calvin.

He wrote in the Institutes:

"Those who, rejecting Scripture, imagine that they have some peculiar way of penetrating to God, are to be deemed not so much under the influence of error as madness. For certain giddy men have lately appeared, who, while they make a great display of the superiority of the Spirit, reject all reading of the Scriptures themselves, and deride the simplicity of those who only delight in what they call the dead and deadly letter. But I wish they would tell me what spirit it is whose inspiration raises them to such a sublime height that they dare despise the doctrine of Scripture as mean and childish. If they answer that it is the Spirit of Christ, their confidence is exceedingly ridiculous; since they will, I presume, admit that the apostles and other believers in the primitive Church were not illuminated by any other Spirit. None of these thereby learned to despise the word of God, but every one was imbued with greater reverence for it, as their writings most clearly testify. . . Again, I should like those people to tell me whether they have imbibed any other Spirit than that which Christ promised to his disciples. Though their madness is extreme, it will scarcely carry them the length of making this their boast. But what kind of Spirit did our Saviour promise to send? One who should not speak of himself, (John 16: 13) but suggest and instil the truths which he himself had delivered through the word. Hence the office of the Spirit promised to us, is not to form new and unheard-of revelations, or to coin a new form of doctrine, by which we may be led away from the received doctrine of the gospel, but to seal on our minds the very doctrine which the gospel recommends."

Well said, well said...

Christianity, Evolution, and Civil Rights

2006-10-31T17:19:00.000-05:00

Oftentimes, I hear people bash Christianity because it is supposedly a patriarchal religion. Christians are painted as women-haters who believe in some outdated 1950s morality. Most of these critics come from the tide of evolutionary postmodernists who also believe that the Bible and Christianity in general are useless. There is a problem here though. For while Christianity is disparaged for their "negative" view of women, evolutionary philosophy deserves a closer look.

Basic evolutionary philosophy teaches a process known as natural selection, or more commonly known as, "survival of the fittest." This "only the strong will survive" mentality permeates evolutionary philosophy. Which begs the question? Why on earth would an evolutionist fight for the rights of women? Or, for that matter, why would they fight for the rights of any down-trodden people? The logical conclusion is that by fighting for civil rights they are simply battling against the interminable wave of natural selection. Evolution will have its way with mankind. In reality, if they really believe what they say, they should do nothing. Why? Because, given the right amount of time, evolution will run its course and eliminate those people anyway. It seems silly to fight this eventual outcome. We should allow everyone to fight for themselves. The strong will live, the weak will be crushed by the machine. And so it goes. My point is that folks coming from an materialistic (evolutionary) philosophy have no basis for promoting civil rights. They lack true motivation. Like I said before, if these people are too weak to stand up for themselves, they should be eliminated, right?

The answer is clearly wrong. The truth is that evolutionary philosophy misses the boat when it comes to the dignity of man. In an evolutionist's view, man is simply another animal with a high level of reasoning capability. Once again, I state the question: Why should we then fight for the right of a weaker animal when, in reality, that weaker animal is robbing me of much needed necessities and slowing the evolutionary process?

The Christian alternative is much more hopeful. Scripture tells of the magnificent dignity with which God has made us. Genesis 1:27 says that we, man and woman, are created in the image of God; therefore, we hold a place of highest value in the eyes of God and in the eyes of one another. So, when we see someone fall, when we hear the oppressed cry out, we are to respond because that person also bears God's image. They too hold a place of supreme value in the eyes of God. Not only that, we know that God so loved the whole world that He sent His Son to die for our sins (paraphrase of John 3:16). If that is true, then each person on this earth has great dignity imparted to them. The Christian, though I will admit we have been woeful, must in every case fight for the rights of our fellow image-bearers. We must love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 19:19), not because it is the nice thing to do. It is because that other person has been adorned with the image of God.

The reality of the situation is this: evolutionary philosophy robs man of his dignity, though its proponents say that it does the opposite, and the Way of Christ restores it. Civil rights ought to be a ridiculous notion to an evolutionist, but it is not. Why? Because people can't live that way. Man was not made to be animals; we were made to bear the image of God on earth.

Schaeffer on man

2006-10-26T13:54:00.000-05:00

"We cannot deal with people like human beings, we cannot deal with them on the high level of true humanity, unless we know their origin -- who they are. God tells man who he is. God tells us that He created man in His image. So man is something wonderful." - Escape from Reason

Augustine on Marriage

2006-10-11T06:25:00.000-05:00

I recently read an interesting piece by Saint Augustine. While many have enjoyed his Confessions and The City of God (two literary masterpieces), he wrote on various and sundry other topics. This particular piece I read is entitled "On the Good of Marriage." In it, Augustine is apparently arguing a group of people who had been arguing against marriage. Well, I quickly discovered that Augustine had some very interesting positions with regard to marriage. At first, I found myself disagreeing with him, but after a careful reading of his positions, I think I agree with most of what he says. He makes three important points, which are the keys to his understanding of marriage and in turn of sex. They are as follows:

The purpose of marriage is the begetting of children. He writes:

"If, therefore, even they who are united in marriage only for the purpose of begetting, for which purpose marriage was instituted..."

And, again:

"Marriage itself indeed in all nations is for the same cause of beggeting sons, and of what character so ever these may be afterward, yet was marriage for this purpose instituted, that they may be born in due and honest order."

So, he is arguing that marriage was made for the particular reason of begetting children. He even makes reference to the creation mandate, "Be fruitful and multiply." Additionally, he makes a similar argument about sex in marriage. There is only one legitimate reason for sexual intercourse in marriage, that is making babies. If you are having sex in marriage without the motivation of begetting children, then you are not following God's proscribed order. While sex for other reasons (I guess he means pleasure) is not totally wrong, it is a missing of the mark in some way. It is not aiming at God's best. It is good (for it is no sin in his eyes), but it is not best (on a side note, this seems odd coming from Augustine since I think he would say that anything not focused on and aiming for God's best, no matter how good it is, is in some form sin).

He writes:

"For sexual intercourse for begetting is free from blame, and itself is alone worthy of marriage. But that which goes beyond this necessity, no longer follows reason, but lust. And yet it pertains to the character of marriage, not to exact this, but to yield it to the partner, lest by fornication the other sin damnably."

Hold up, JENNA!!!! He just said that sex for pleasure is not good. Seems a tad problematic when the Bible has a book all about that, Sing of Solomon.

Ok, so far, we have two things that I strongly disagree with. This is where he saves himself. He ends with stating that marriage can build faith. Unfortunately, he doesn't go far enough. He simply says that husbands and wives need to be faithful to one another.

He writes:

"All these are goods, on account of which marriage is good: offspring, faith, sacrament."

He fails to make the connecion that marriage, by teaching us to be faithful to one another, it can teach us how to be faithful to God.

Anyway, just wanted to share with you this intriguing piece and see what you think about it.

Borrowing again...

2006-10-09T08:28:00.000-05:00

I saw this and really, really liked it. As an avid reader, I was both convicted and comforted by Dr. Mohler's poignant words about books. In this article, he talks about how the books we read say alot about the type of person we are.

Jay Parini, a poet and professor of English at Middlebury College, has written an elegant essay for The Chronicle of Higher Education, noting his penchant for looking at personal libraries of friends and acquaintances.

In "Other People's Books,' Parini writes:

It's not only the physical aspects of books that attract me, of course. In fact, I rarely buy first or elegant editions, however much I like to glance at them; good reading copies, in hardback or a decent paperback, are just fine. But seeing some of the editions in my living room reminds me of that wonderful house in Surrey, which stirred my imagination as a young man and was part of the reason I became a writer myself.

What interests me about other people's books is the nature of their collection. A personal library is an X-ray of the owner's soul. It offers keys to a particular temperament, an intellectual disposition, a way of being in the world. Even how the books are arranged on the shelves deserves notice, even reflection. There is probably no such thing as complete chaos in such arrangements.

Parini, author of biographies on William Faulkner and John Steinbeck, writes of visiting libraries in the homes of authors such as Graham Greene and Anthony Powell. Of Powell's library, he writes:

He lived deep in the English countryside, in Somerset, in an old stone manor on many green acres. We had tea in his sitting room, which had floor-to-ceiling shelves on every wall. There were first editions by his good friend Evelyn Waugh, and countless volumes culled from his decades as a reviewer. "I can't give a book up, if it's a book that meant something to me," he said. "I always imagine I'll go back to it one day. I rarely do, but the intention is there, and I get a warm feeling among my books." I wished I could have spent days wandering in that house, as he had books in nearly every room.

Book lovers know exactly what Powell meant. We do get a warm feeling among our books. Furthermore, true bibliophiles understand the problem in the Powell house -- the books spread themselves to every room.

Finally, he notes:

Other people's books draw my attention, of course. They excite curiosity about their owners and the worlds they inhabit. But it's finally my own books that matter, as they tell me about where I've been, and where I hope to go.

When truly read, a book becomes a part of us. That is why we are afraid to part with even the physicality of it. The book becomes an aid to memory and a deposit of thought and reflection. Its very materiality testifies that we once held it in our hands as we passed the pages before our eyes.

Parini observes that libraries are mirrors into our minds and souls. The books we collect, display, and read tell the story about us.

This may be especially true of Christian ministers. Books are a staple of our lives and ministries. When the Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to bring the books and the parchments, he was writing with the kind of urgency any preacher understands.

To a great extent, our personal libraries betray our true identities and interests. A minister's library, taken as a whole, will likely reveal a portrait of theological conviction and vision. Whose works have front place on the shelves, Martyn Lloyd-Jones or John Shelby Spong? Charles Spurgeon or Harry Emerson Fosdick? Karl Barth or Carl Henry? John MacArthur or Joel Osteen?

How serious a Bible scholar is this preacher? The books will likely tell. Are the books all old or all new? If so, the reader is probably too contemporary or too antiquarian in focus. Are the books read? If so, the marginalia of an eager and intelligent mind adds value to the book. It becomes more a part of us.

Is this person a Christian intellectual, feeding the mind and soul by reading? For too many pastors, the personal library announces, "I stopped reading when I graduated from seminary."
When I think of my closest friends, I realize that I am most at home with them in their libraries, and they are most at home with me in mine. Why? Because the books invite and represent the kind of conversation and sharing of heart, soul, and mind that drew us together in the first place.
By their books we shall know them. And by our books we shall be known.

I finally blogged....

2006-10-03T14:07:00.000-05:00

"The world seems to me like a decayed house, David and the prophets being the spars, and Christ the main pillar in the midst, that supports all." - Martin Luther

And I borrowed it from someone else...I'm such a slacker...

Devotional Thoughts from the Fathers

2006-08-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

Starting today, I will be posting daily the thoughts of the church fathers on my blog. I will begin with Bernard of Clairvaux. He lived from 1090-1153. His most famous work is entitled On Loving God. The following excerpt is taken that work.

Why we should love God and the measure of that love

You want me to tell you why God is to be loved and how much. I answer, the reason for loving God is God Himself; and the measure of love due to Him is immeasurable love. Is this plain? Doubtless, to a thoughtful man; but I am debtor to the unwise also. A word to the wise is sufficient; but I must consider simple folk too. Therefore I set myself joyfully to explain more in detail what is meant above.

We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable. When one asks, Why should I love God? he may mean, What is lovely in God? or What shall I gain by loving God? In either case, the same sufficient cause of love exists, namely, God Himself.

And first, of His title to our love. Could any title be greater than this, that He gave Himself for us unworthy wretches? And being God, what better gift could He offer than Himself? Hence, if one seeks for God’s claim upon our love here is the chiefest: Because He first loved us (I John 4.19).

Ought He not to be loved in return, when we think who loved, whom He loved, and how much He loved? For who is He that loved? The same of whom every spirit testifies: ‘Thou art my God: my goods are nothing unto Thee’ (Ps. 16.2, Vulg.). And is not His love that wonderful charity which ‘seeketh not her own’? (I Cor.13.5). But for whom was such unutterable love made manifest? The apostle tells us: ‘When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son’ (Rom. 5.10). So it was God who loved us, loved us freely, and loved us while yet we were enemies. And how great was this love of His? St. John answers: ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3.16). St. Paul adds: ‘He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all’ (Rom. 8.32); and the son says of Himself, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15.13).

This is the claim which God the holy, the supreme, the omnipotent, has upon men, defiled and base and weak. Some one may urge that this is true of mankind, but not of angels. True, since for angels it was not needful. He who succored men in their time of need, preserved angels from such need; and even as His love for sinful men wrought wondrously in them so that they should not remain sinful, so that same love which in equal measure He poured out upon angels kept them altogether free from sin.

Work, death, and taxes are the only three certainties in life...oh yeah and God

2006-08-16T08:04:00.000-05:00

Alright, last time we evaluated the mandate of work from God himself. We were able to determine that the concept of labor issues forth from the essence of God. Also, God was kind enough to give us a clear word about work. He tells us to subdue the earth and have dominion over the creation. It is obvious, at least to me, that that ain't gonna happen if I sit on my couch and play playstation all day.

Ok, so work comes from God. As I said before, this should revolutionize our attitude, but if this isn't enough incentive for you, I have more. There are at least to passages in Scripture that touch on our attitude toward work. Why do I feel like it is necessary to explain this? Well, some people might say something like this: "Fine, work is from God. I get it. I will work, but I don't have to like it." There is a problem here though. If you hate your job or work, then are you going to be concerned with putting maximum effort into it? Probably not. You might be asking yourself, why does it matter whether or not I desire to give my best? I'm glad you asked. Let us look to the Scripture.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." - Colossians 3:23-24

That passage alone should be enough, but here another one just in case it isn't.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31

Think about those two passages for a minute. To be honest, it blows my mind. If we work with all our effort, we not only please God the Father. We also please the Lord Christ. Two parts of the Trinity are pleased by our labor. And, to top it off, we know that when the Son is glorified, it is the work of the Holy Spirit. If this is true, then it seems to me that the Holy Spirit would also be pleased by our work. Folks, the triune God of the universe finds joy in our labor if we do it as unto Him.

Both passages should be put into context. In the first one, Paul is delineating what it means to put on the new self. He tells us that we need to keep our minds on "things that are above." He writes in the hinge verses of this chapter, "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator." (Colossians 3:9-10) From this point on in the third chapter of Colossians, Paul illustrates how the new self should effect our lives. It changes our desires from evil to the fruit of the Spirit. It changes us from selfish to selfless persons, which is reflected in our marriages and our parenting. More relevant to our discussion, it revolutionizes the way we see work. Why? Because it is a part of our renewal into the image of our creator. Wow, that is some heavy stuff. As new selves, we will desire more and more this renewal, and our attitude toward work is just one way to affect that renewal. It is simply another way in which the new self manifests itself. It is the overflow from the renewal taking place in us.

In the second verse, Paul is discussing Christian liberty. He is questioning the merits of certain activities. In typical Pauline fashion, he is exhorting us to put others first and to show humility. While this verse doesn't directly speak to the issue of work, Paul is kind enough to add a short phrase on the end of his exhortation. When he writes, "or whatever you do," he means exactly that. This verse is one of those verses that can be applied in almost any situation. So, why not work? Based on this verse, it is not wrong to say that when you work hard you glorify God. I appreciate Paul's honesty at the beginning of the next chapter in 1 Corinthians, which is a sort of capping off of chapter ten. He says, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."

Why do you think that Paul ends with this statement? I think I know. It is because Christ did the ultimate work, and He did it joyfully. Listen to the words of Paul.

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. " - Philippians 2:4-11

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2

If Christ could see his work with joyfulness and as glorifying to the Father, then it is simply not too much to ask us to do the same.

I Just Want to Bang on the Drum All Day (Part 1)

2006-08-10T09:07:00.000-05:00

Ok, here it is. The much anticipated series opener on work. Ok, so maybe it isn't actually very anticipated, but hopefully it will be insightful and helpful.

Work. To many, it is a four-letter word placed right alongside of other four-letter words like...well I better not say. Anyway, you get the point. For most folks, work is the part of the day we just try to get through. It is the going home and being with family and unwinding that we look forward to, that we anticipate. We simply want to get it over with already. Why is it that we hate work so much? I will admit to you that it is not wrong (even in the least) to desire a return to home and our families. That is without doubt a good thing. But, our attitude toward work should not be one of absolute dread, and I fear that in most cases it is. Well, what does God have to say to us about this attitude? What is the biblical witness with regard to work?

I think that the Bible has several things to say about work. First, work is from God. It was mandated in the beginning. Second, it is to be done as to the Lord. Third, there is much satisfaction and joy in work done with the right motive. If we make God's pleasure the motive of our work, then we will see new fulfillment of that part of our lives that will flow out into other parts of it. Fourth, God, through his Holy Spirit, uses work to sanctify us.

So, there are at least four things the Bible tells us about work. I will work through each of these in separate posts. This first post will deal with the biblical mandate for work from God himself. The second post will explain what it means to do work as to the Lord. The third post will attempt to show how work motivated properly will bring satisfaction and sanctification.

Alright, it is clear to me that the Bible tells us that work is from God. It flows from his essence. It is a part of who he is. Where do I see this in Scripture? Let's start in the beginning.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." - Genesis 1:1-2

Right off the bat, we see work taking place. God is working to create the heavens and earth. He created and that took work. This is not to say that it was difficult for God, but nonetheless, it took work. If he had never worked, we would not exist. The question then is how did God respond to his work? Over and over, we hear the refrain "and God saw that it was good." God was pleased with his work. It gave him pleasure. He found joy and satisfaction in it. So, we see that work flows from the being of God himself, but what about man? Why should we enjoy work? Is there a precedence set for us?

Well, yes. Even if God had never given us an explicit reason to work, we should be willing to follow his example, which was set in creation. But, in his kindness, God made it very clear. Again, let us look to our beginning.

"And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" - Genesis 1:28

You see, God gave us a mandate, a calling of sorts after he created us. He did not create us to waste our days in leisure (which is not a bad thing if done in moderation). He desired that we subdue the earth. The word subdue means to conquer or to bring under cultivation. Now, where I'm from to cultivate the land is hard work. I just think about plowing fields in 100 degree weather and shudder. But, I don't think it would have been difficult for us to have subdued the land before the Fall. Why? Because part of the curse of sin is the difficulty of labor.

"cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." - Genesis 3:17b-19

So, we fell and work became difficult. Does that mean that God no longer desires for us to work? No, absolutely not. Why? Because it returns or moves the fallen creation back toward the pre-Fall state. God uses our work to redeem the earth. As Christians, we should desire for a return to Eden. While we realize that it won't fully occur until Christ returns, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't be working toward that goal.

You see, work isn't just important because it is a means to end. It is so much more than providing for family, which is, of course, a great thing. It is carrying out the mandate God gave us in the beginning. It is subduing the earth. It is an expression of the dominion God has given us over his creation. No matter your profession (assuming that it isn't illegal or something like that), you are carrying out God's mandate to us at creation. You and I are responsible for building culture and subduing the earth. Let's take me for example, I am a teacher. As a teacher, I aide in the building of culture by teaching children and enabling them to have the tools with which they can affect creation. My wife, as a nurse, helps carry God's mandate by caring for the sick and pushing them toward recovery so that they can return to society and be a useful part of it. A construction worker builds so that I might have a shelter over my head or a place to shop for clothes or gas or food. A secretary keeps the office in order so that his or her boss will be able to more efficiently affect his or her part of society. You get the point.

This should greatly effect the way in which we look at work. What an awesome calling and a sobering responsibility we have. God has told us to subdue the earth. So, when we do it, we are obeying the call of the Almighty. We are cherishing his command and his creation.

Blog Series

2006-07-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

I am planning to write a short series on a biblical understanding of work, which will consist of at least two and maybe three posts. The first post will explore the biblical mandate for work. In it, I will attempt to show that work is not a bad thing. In fact, it is something that has been commanded by God for our good. The second post will delve into the rewards for working in a godly manner. It is possible that I might expand this series to three posts depending on how I feel. It is my blog and I can do that if I want. Just kidding, of course.

The reason for this series is twofold. First, it appears, at least to me, that many people have an attitude that work just flat-out "sucks." I only do it because I have to. It is simply a means to an end, and a hated means at that. Well, this is not how the Bible portrays work. Actually, it is the polar opposite. Second and more importantly, it has become apparent that this very attitude has shown up in my life. I have come to see work as something I have to "get through" in order to get on with my "real" life. Instead of thinking, "God, how can I glorify You through my work," I spend the majority of my day thinking, "God, I can't wait to get home." So, the main reason for this series is personal. I need to revamp my attitude toward work. Hope you enjoy.

Going Home?

2006-07-26T13:26:00.000-05:00

Often I have struggled with the question of my future destination in ministry. Where will I go after I complete my seminary training? Many times, people have asked me that same question. Each time, I found myself wanting to answer, but instead, giving some cliche like "I want to be open to any possibility." In reality, there is within me a deep desire, a longing of sorts, to return to the place I affectionately call "home." Now don't misunderstand me, I realize that my true home is in Heaven with God, but most of you understand what I'm saying. I frequently find myself longing to minister to the people of my home state, Mississippi. However, upon allowing myself the thought of returning to be close to family and friends, guilt normally arises. I begin to think that I am simply being narrow-minded. I can hear a voice in my head saying, "What about God's will for your life?" A question that definitely deserves an answer. What about God? What does He want for me? I have committed myself to His will. So, does that mean my desire to return is wrong?

Today, I ran across an article that, at the very least, made me understand this desire. David Alan Black has written a short article entitled, "From Among You." In it, he explains that oftentimes congregations make the mistake of choosing men who lack a vested interest in the community. The same is true of many pastors who choose a place based on opportunity and not "fit," for lack of a better term. Dr. Black seems to be pointing to this phenomenon as a reason for the epidemic of short terms of Southern Baptist pastors (on average it is about one and a half years). If a man had ties to the community, then "greener pastures" would lose their luster. In fact, the pastor might look to see that the pastures are pretty darn green right where they are. So, my desire to return "home" might not be a terrible thing after all. In reality, it might be the best thing. It might even be that God wants be to go "home."

The Fallacy of Absolute Certainity

2006-07-12T12:28:00.000-05:00

Here is a superb article by Alister McGrath. It deals with the fallacy of absolute certainity with regard to any worldview. In it, he discusses the issue of faith as a necessity of all worldviews, including atheism. He also deals with arguments against the existence of God from both a philosophical and scientific perspective. The article is long BUT worth the time and effort. Let me know what you think after reading it.

Doubt and the Vain Search for Certainity

Christ and Education

2006-06-26T11:34:00.000-05:00

As I have recently accepted a teaching position at a local Christian school, I have been giving much thought to this subject. How should education be effected by our worldview? If Christ is truth as He claims in John 14:6, then doesn't He have something to say to us about education? As I say at the top of this blog that God supplies for us Total Truth, it should then mean that our view of education should be, no must be, effected by this Truth.

Listen to Francis Schaeffer's words on this issue:

"If truth is one, that is if truth has unity, then Christian education means understanding, and being excited by, the associations between the disciplines and showing how these associations are rooted in the Creator's existence. I do not know if you know what you are hearing or not. It is a flaming fire. It is gorgeous if you understand what we have in the teaching and revelation of God. If we are going to have really a Christian education, it means understanding truth is not a series of isolated subjects but there are associations, and the associations are rooted in nothing less than the existence of the Creator Himself."

"True Christian education is not a negative thing; it is not a matter of isolating the student from the full scope of knowledge. Isolating the student from large sections of human knowledge is not the basis of a Christian education. Rather it is giving him or her the framework or total truth, rooted in the Creator's existence and in the Bible's teaching, so that in each step of the formal learning process the student will understand what is true and what is false and why it is true or false. It is not isolating students from human knowledge. It is teaching them in a framework of the total Biblical teaching, beginning with the tremendous central thing, that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. It is teaching in this framework, so that on their own level, as they are introduced to all of human knowledge, they are not introduced in the midst of a vacuum, but they are taught each step along the way why what they are hearing is either true or false. That is true education. The student, then, is an educated person. I just say in passing, John Harvard understood that when he founded Harvard University. It was founded with this whole thing in mind. The student, then if he is taught this way, is an educated person, who will have the tools to keep learning and enjoy learning throughout all of life. Is life dull? How can it be dull? No, a true education, a Christian education, is more than the negative, though that is there. It is giving the tools in the opening the doors to all human knowledge, in the Christian framework so they will know what is truth and what is untruth, so they can keep learning as long as they live, and they can enjoy, they can really enjoy, the whole wrestling through field after field of knowledge. That is what an educated person is. "

This is an awesome statement by Schaeffer. As Christians, we should not fear to approach and interact with any and every field of knowledge. Why? Because we have real truth. Not only is our truth real, it is complete. I don't think we grasp and really hold on to the magnitude of the concept of creation. If God created, then in reality He is the creator of all fields of knowledge. This, in truth, is not the way in which most education is done. Typically, a student picks a field of knowledge. He then proceeds to concentrate on this area and becomes specialized in this field. Once education is completed, we have produced a scientist (for example) who can rest from his quest for knowledge because he has become an "expert." Unfortunately, many lack the ability to integrate science into all other fields of knowledge. So, what we are left with are mere facts that lack real points of contact. Knowledge is random. But, we, as Christians, know that God is ordered. How do we know that? Look at creation. It is complex, yet shows many signs of order. How about special revelation? For instance, the Bible is God's special revelation to us. It has been given in the form of language, which is by its very nature ordered. Sentences have structure. Words have meaning. So, it is apparent, at least to me, that God reveals truth in an ordered way. Since this is true, all knowledge is from God and is ordered in Him. Therefore, a Christian scientist should feel just as comfortable making a statement about a historical event or history in general. But, the fact of the matter is that our society (intentionally or unintentionally) is creating individuals with an incomplete education with insufficient knowledge, which makes them truncated people. Unless we realize that God's truth effects all knowledge, we will continue to produce partial people who lack true education. As Schaeffer says, our framework of knowledge (creation, fall, redemption) allows us to understand all history or science or mathematics or literature. This truth should do, at least, two things for the learner. First, it should make education a joyful pursuit and an act of worship because we are plumbing the depths of the God who holds all knowledge and truth in His being. So in our learning, we are in actuality plumbing the depths of God Himself. In seeking knowledge, we are seeking the Creator of that knowledge. Second, it should produce life-long students. Since we are able to proceed with confidence into all fields of knowledge, we ought to go headlong toward knowledge and education.

The rest of the above referenced article can be found here. For a powerful and fuller explanation of Schaeffer's thoughts, read Nancy Pearcey's Total Truth.

All to God's Glory

2006-06-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

The past week I spent my days working with young people. We worked with an infant church plant in White Plains, NY aptly named Christ the King. The work was fruitful. We were able to make over 1,000 contacts for the church. We were blessed by God's awesome working to see 3 salvations (please pray for Paul, Jeremy, and Tyrelle).

As leader of the mission trip, I attempted to impress on the youth two things that ought to drive us as we share the life-changing message of Christ. First, I shared the message of our purpose in life. Why should we even care about others? Why should we seek to give to others and serve them? The answer, I believe, lies in a brief passage at the beginning of Genesis, chapter 1, verse 27. The mark of God, His image, on each life makes every person valuable in God's eyes. It is this image that is the redeemable part of us. No matter how scarred the life. That image still exists. No matter how hard someone tries to deny the mark of God on their life. It will continue to be there. We are all image-bearers. So, I shared that we ought to treat every person in that way. Rich or poor. Black or white. Muslim or Christian. There is something redeemable in each of us. This should be the driving force behind all mission endeavors. This is whole point of Christ's coming, His life and death and resurrection. He came to redeem the image of God in those who would believe in Him. The reason the Gospel proper (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) gives hope is because Genesis 1:27 came before it. Without it, there is nothing to redeem, no reason to reconcile.

The second thing I attempted to explain to them is the difference between good and best. Our primary passage was 1 Corinthians 10:31. We talked about glorifying God in everything we do. We discussed the scope of this passage. Obviously, this particular scripture has broad implications. It touches and molds every part of our lives. But, the focus that evening was to understand that doing good does not necessarily equal doing what is best. I shared with them an experience where this was particularly true in my own life. The pastor of my church came to me around the first week of March and offered me the opportunity to take the youth on this trip. I spent the next two or three weeks praying and thinking about what I ought to do. My wife, who is 29 weeks pregnant, encouraged me to go. However, I expressed my concerns about leaving her during this point in her pregnancy. Finally, I decided that I would have to say no and take care of my wife. Seemingly, this was a good decision. In my mind, I was fulfilling God's command to care for my wife. As church ended one Sunday night, I was about to approach our pastor and tell him of my decision to stay home. Before I told him, I told Julie my decision. She proceeded to cry and tell me that I was making the wrong decision. I was, of course, taken aback by this show of emotion. After we talked a few more minutes and then prayed, I accepted this responsibility. Now, I realize that Julie was simply desiring the best for my life. She knew that my best for God would only come as a result of me going. Wanting to stay and care for her was wrong in only one way. The motivation behind it was selfishness. I wanted to do it because that is what I wanted and it would make me happy. In other words, if we do things for our sake (no matter how good they are), we can't do them for God's sake. The best is when we do something of the sake of God and Christ and His message.

This week served to show me much about myself, but the most important thing I learned is the best is always infinitely better the good.

To God be the glory!!

The Calvinist Debate at the SBC

2006-06-14T12:22:00.000-05:00

One of the highlights of the convention this year in Greensboro was a debate between Paige Patterson and Al Mohler. Patterson, decidedly not Calvinistic, and Mohler, a five-pointer, agreed that this issue should not split the convention. In fact, they argued that, despite their differing views, they appreciated each others ministry and desire for the lost of the world.

If you are interested, here is a synopsis of the debate:

Patterson and Mohler

While I am not a five-pointer, I do tend to lean in a more Calvinistic direction. I was particularly struck by Patterson's stance that "man is totally free." It seems difficult to affirm a central Baptist doctrine, perserverance of the saints, if one takes this position. In order to be consistent on this point, Patterson must be willing to say that man gives up his freedom when he enters into union with Christ. Otherwise, it would seem that since man is TOTALLY free then he is fully capable of turning away from salvation. This, to me, would frustrate the will and sovereignity of God.

Hail to the Chief

2006-06-13T18:22:00.000-05:00

The Southern Baptist Convention elected a new president today. Frank Page received a majority of the votes at 50.48%. His win was probably a mild upset.

Here is the story:

Give it up for the new Prez

Me...

2006-06-10T09:07:00.000-05:00

This is me and my wife.

Mohler on Divorce

2006-06-10T08:37:00.000-05:00

Here is a wonderful commentary on the problem of divorce in Christian circles:

Are evangelical Christians lacking in credibility when dealing with the question of marriage? This is a serious charge, but it is gaining traction. When evangelicals argue against same-sex marriage, some ask why evangelicals are apparently quite comfortable with divorce and remarriage -- serial marriages.

This acceptance of divorce is not universal among conservative Christians, of course. But it is embarrassingly widespread. When I talk, preach, and write about divorce as a matter of grave moral consequence, I receive a barrage of letters and comments about judgmentalism. Let's just set the record straight: A church that upholds a biblical vision of marriage is a church that cannot tolerate the divorce rates that mark the Christian community.

The issue of credibility was thrown at me recently by a secular journalist, who directed me to the April edition of GQ magazine [formerly Gentlemen's Quarterly]. In that issue, writer Walter Kirn contributed a very interesting article on the sexual abstinence movement among Christian young people, especially as seen in the lives of two young men at Biola University.

Now, Walter Kirn is a very creative and interesting writer. He is the author of quirky novels like Thumbsucker and Mission to America. Previously, he has described evangelical Christians as living in a "complete parallel universe" apart from the larger culture.

In "Saving it for Jesus," Kirn takes his shots at the abstinence movement, but also writes with a measure of genuine respect. The strangest part of his article concerns Stephen Arterburn, co-author of Every Man's Battle and Every Young Man's Battle (and a whole series of books on various battles against lust). Arterburn and his books are very popular among evangelical young people -- especially young men -- and he is celebrated as an advisor on battling lust and saving sex for marriage. Walter Kirn finds this somewhat amusing:

As my meeting with Arterburn is winding down, I notice a photo on a desk of a fresh-faced blond knockout I take to be his daughter. He corrects this impression: She's his third wife, Misty. She's in her early thirties, he informs me; he met her a few years back at one of his seminars, they corresponded through e-mail for a while, and he's been married to her for nine months. She's also pregnant with their first child.

"Way to go, dude!" I want to tell him, profoundly impressed by this preacher of chaste thinking who's also managed to land what seems to be a veritable harem's worth of luscious ladies."

As Kirn later relates, Arterburn was divorced from his (second) wife after "twenty difficult years" of marriage. Kirn also states that Arterburn was afraid that he might lose his evangelical readership over the (second) divorce, but that apparently has not happened. He then went on to marry Misty, pledging that he did wait until they were married to have sex -- something he did not do in his first two marriages.

In an article published after his divorce, Arterburn wrote about his shock over the divorce and his concerns about his influence:

I'd been speaking and writing about the fact that we're all messed up for some time. But now I had a chance to live it. All of my past struggles were just that--in the past. This was happening now and I had an opportunity to walk through it with others struggling with divorce or some other trauma. Embracing the divorce and walking right into it meant I was truly stepping off any kind of pedestal I'd crafted for myself, and connecting with people in a more authentic and personal way.

There is nothing to indicate whether this refers to his first or second divorce, though presumably it refers to the second. What does he mean when he writes of "embracing the divorce and walking right into it?" I am not sure of all he means here, but the words sure look like a therapeutic argument for turning the divorce into a growth experience of some sort.

Evangelicalism is on thin ice on so many fronts. On the issue of marriage, we do indeed have a credibility crisis. A big one.

Maybe...

2006-06-08T10:02:00.000-05:00

Maybe this time I will actually post on my own blog. The purpose of this blog is to show the truth of Christ's more excellent way and how it relates to all aspects of daily life.