For Laughs. Let the Lolz begin. “We’ve all had things happen to us that we ‘wouldn’t wish on our worst enemy.’ So then the question remains, what would we wish on our worst enemy?”
Do You Have a Complaint Against Someone? A very important piece for anyone who has been hurt by someone else. Mark offers four ways that God us how to forgive those who really hurt us.
Decide Here and Now.“I took a group of ten to fifteen boys and girls on a Sunday morning, not to a church, but to the zoo. Before the cage of lions I told them, ‘Your forefathers in faith were thrown before such wild beasts for their faith. Know that you also will have to suffer. You will not be thrown before lions, but you will have to do with men who would be much worse than lions. Decide here and now if you wish to pledge allegiance to Christ.'”
Why the Church Needs Philosophers.“As we navigate an increasingly pragmatic university setting and the suspicious gaze of the church, it is easy to feel—like a severed hand—a bit homeless. But before you pass the hemlock, I plead my case: the church needs philosophers and philosophers need the church.”
Why I Am A Christian. This is a longer article, but worth your time to see one apologist work his way through his basic apologetic method and reasons for faith.
Things Disney Characters Do That’d Be Creepy in Real Life. This one is for the Keehns. I couldn’t figure out some of the allusions, but it was still good.
Sometimes I come across folks who like to kick against the idea that they are a sinner or that they have done something wrong in the eyes of God. By speaking about their own good deeds (giving to charity, volunteering at a homeless shelter, etc.) and contrasting themselves to the “really” bad people like murderers, rapists, Hitler or Ted Bundy, they profess their own innocence and claim that heaven is something they deserve. Essentially, they argue that they are better than most.
However, Scripture says otherwise (Romans 3:10-18). I believe, if we are the least bit honest with ourselves, after a little reflection, we will agree. I truly believe that, with the exception of the grade-A sociopath, all people know they’re sinners whose records are not only less than stellar, but are, indeed, condemnable.
To aide in this self-reflection, Paul Washer offers an illustration I believe none can escape:
Imagine if we possessed a device that was able to transform every thought that has ever entered our minds into a visual image and then place all those images on a film for everyone to see, Imagine that all of our family, friends, and peers were going to see this film. Wouldn’t we do everything in our power to keep them from seeing the film? If they did see the film, wouldn’t we find it difficult, if not impossible, to look them in the eyes ever again? If, however, against all reason, we maintained a bold face and claimed that we would be ashamed of nothing, would it not be evidence that we are either lying, delusional, or already seared in our conscience? The truth is that the best of us have thought things so vile that we would not share them with our closest friends! All this demonstrates that there is something in us that is simply not right. We have a propensity for evil and are inclined toward the very things that our consciences oppose and censure. (Taken from The Gospel’s Power and Message, p. 125)
In light of this we must remember three great things. First, God knows everything we have done, thought, said, or desired. Nothing is hidden from His eyes. God knows our film even better than we.
Second, we will have to give account for our life before Him and will be judged accordingly. Hebrews 4:13 says it well, “No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” No sins are hidden from God and we will have to give an answer for every scene in our film. No sin will be overlooked or lessened before God. There is no excuse or rationalization we can offer that will cleanse our record.
Third, the gospel of Jesus offers forgiveness for every sin in thought, word, deed, and desire. In Jesus Christ, God offers to forgive all our sins and rewrite our film with the perfect righteous life of His Son. How? “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). That means Jesus has taken the punishment for our sins and has given us the reward for His perfect obedience. He gets our sin and damnation so we may receive His perfect obedience and blessing. God has sent His Son Jesus Christ to live perfectly in our place and die for our sins that we may have the film of our sinful life destroyed and rewritten with His perfection.
We need to see, as clearly as possible, that the gospel of the Trinity is not an alternative gospel to the experience of personal salvation through Christ. There are not two different messages here but a single proclamation of good news that is simultaneously Christ-centered and Trinity-centered. There is never any need to play the doctrine of the Trinity off against salvation in Christ, because they are centered on the same reality. The more Trinity-centered we become, the more Christ-centered we become, and vice versa.
The main reason that a Christ-centered message can never be in real tension with a Trinity-centered message is that the two messages are concentric. When you declare that Jesus Christ is the center of your message, you are committing yourself to proclaim Him and whatever is central to His own concerns. But Jesus Himself is always centered on the work of the Father and the Spirit, so successfully focusing on Christ logically entails including the entire Trinity in that same focus. It is incoherent to hold to Jesus without simultaneously holding to the Father and the Spirit. (Taken from The Deep Things of God, p. 167-168)
For a short introduction piece on the Trinity and its essential importance to everything (not an understatement), check this out. For some good books on the doctrine of the Trinity I recommend the following (in order from shortest to longest):
Jesus once issued a condemnation that teaches a very important lesson.
He said, “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” Matthew 11:23-24
J.C. Ryle observes the lesson we need to heed from Capernaum:
No city in Israel appears to have enjoyed so much of our Lord’s presence during His earthly ministry as did Capernaum. It was the place He dwelt after He left Nazareth. It was the place where many of His miracles were worked and many of His sermons were delivered. But nothing that Jesus said or did seems to have had any effect on the hearts of the inhabitants. They were amazed. They were astonished. They were filled with wonder at His mighty works. But they were not converted…And they drew the heaviest condemnation that Jesus ever pronounced against any place, except Jerusalem…
We are all to ready to suppose that it only takes powerful preaching of the Gospel to convert people’s souls, and that if the Gospel is only brought into a place everybody must believe. We forget the amazing power of unbelief, and the depth of man’s hatred for God. We forget that the Capernites heard the most faultless preaching and saw it confirmed by the most surprising miracles and yet remained dead in trespasses and sins. We need reminding that the same Gospel which is the savor of life to some is the savor of death to others (2 Corinthians 2:16) and that the same fire which softens the wax will harden the clay. Nothing, in fact, seems to harden man’s heart so much, as to hear the Gospel regularly and yet deliberately prefer the service of sin and the world. Never was there a people so highly favored as the people of Capernaum and never was there a people who appear to have become so hard.
Let us beware of walking in their steps…”from hardness of heart, Good Lord, deliver us.” (Taken from Expository Thoughts of Mark, p. 27-28.)
Sometimes, the people furthest away from Christ are those in the pews every Sunday.
I have a wonderful two volume book set called Princeton and the Christian Ministry. If you are a pastor, you absolutely need to buy these two volumes. Page after page offers challenge, conviction, encouragement, inspiration, and excellent instruction on the pastoral ministry and all things relating to it. Buy it. You won’t be disappointed. If you do buy it and are disappointed, I apologize for nothing. Something is wrong with you.
Anyhow, in this wonderful book (that you pastors need to read), there is a chapter containing a long forgotten lecture by Archibald Alexander, a legend of Old Princeton, entitled The Use and Abuse of Books. Being the bookish sort of fellow that I am, it caught my attention. It is a lecture given to students (future scholars) in order to help them benefit from books and avoid abusing them. I have found the chapter helpful and I offer you a few of his points and quotes to guide the booky part of your life. Enjoy.
Maxims That Should Govern Your Book Life
1) Never let good books keep you away from the Good Book. “All our studies should be subordinate to that of the sacred Scriptures. Better read nothing else than neglect this; other books are useful just in proportion as they aid us in understanding the Bible. No man can use too much diligence in digging in this field. It contains a treasure which can never be exhausted.”
2) Don’t substitute reading for thinking. Don’t become a bad parrot who only regurgitates passages/arguments of previously read books without really thinking through them for yourself. “Books are not properly used but abused when they are allowed to supersede the exercise of our own faculties. We must cultivate independence of mind.”
3) Don’t read too much or too fast. Food gluttons will reap little reward. “To read a great deal without exercising our own thoughts on subjects is like eating a great deal which the stomach cannot digest. The food in neither case turns to nutrition, and instead of strengthening, it weakens the system. Some men are constantly devouring books; without discrimination they swallow everything which comes in their way. An unnatural appetite is created, but no advantage is acquired. The man becomes little the wiser for all his reading. To burden the memory with a multitude of undigested and unanalyzed things is of no use. It would be better to leave them in books.”
4) Always return books you borrow. You will be judged for such crimes. “We must stop the common practice of neglecting to return borrowed books. It should be one of our fixed rules when we borrow a book to read it speedily, use it carefully, and return it certainly.” Now, for those of you who have “burrowed” (i.e. stolen) my books, repent and return them to me.
5) Don’t read books you aren’t ready for. Start with intro level works and slowly work your way up. Don’t rush yourself. It’s not as much about who you have read as much as it is being able to understand what you’re reading. “Many books can only be read with profit by those whose minds are prepared for the subject. It is, therefore, a disadvantage to read some books too soon, especially if they are never read again.”
6) Just because it’s well written, doesn’t mean you should read it. Not every good book needs to be read by you. “If we are already acquainted with the subject, or if we are capable of thinking for ourselves on the same, we may dispense with reading a book. Often, however, it is necessary to (skim) it as to form a judgment of its merits so that we may recommend it or affix on it our censure.”
7) Some books need to be carefully and repeatedly read.Like this one.
8) Make notes, highlights, and marks in the books you own! I will make a post about indexing soon in the future, but for now, note this: it is not real reading if you are not writing. Do your future self a favor and highlight, note, and mark in all your books!
9) Treat your books well and with order. “I have seldom known a person who profited much by books who treated them rudely. A real scholar contracts a friendship for the very volume which has contributed to his information and edification…Benevolence should lead them to hand down unimpaired to future generations every means of useful instruction enjoyed by themselves.”
10) Don’t try to build your library too fast. Just because you have Amazon Prime doesn’t mean you need to buy a new book every few days. It may help to heed the read one before I buy another principle. “You will probably read with more care when you have a fe well-chosen books than when you have before you a great number which will tend to discourage you. Your desire to read a book will be greatly diminished if it lies on the shelf before your eyes for years before you find opportunity of perusing it.”
Contentment is a rare gift that few seem to have. So, whenever someone has it they usually rest well, thinking to themselves, “I have arrived. I am that rare beast, a content human.”
However, the presence of contentment isn’t always a good thing. For example, none would approve of someone’s contentment in being a lazy, unproductive mooch who takes and never gives. If he were to say, “I am content!” no one would applaud or mistake him for an exemplary person because his contentedness is based on making others work while he lives a leechly life. To say it simple, thepresence of contentment is only as good as the reason for contentment. The root is always more important than the fruit.
So, rather than ask, “Am I content?” what would happen if you asked, “Why am I content?”
Why Am I Content?
Looking for the reasons for our contentment can help us see where we derive our comfort, peace, and joy. That is, it helps us see if our contentment is coming from life of Christ within or the creations of Christ without. Is our content on knowing the Giver or on holding his gifts?
To be content as a result of some external thing is like warming a man’s clothes by the fire. But to be content through an inward disposition of the soul is like the warmth that a man’s clothes have from the natural heat of his body.
A man who is healthy in body puts on clothes, and perhaps at first on a cold morning they feel cold. but after he has had them on a little while they are warm. Now, how did they get warm? They were not near the fire? No, this came from the natural heat of his body.
Now when a sickly man, the natural heat of whose body has deteriorated, puts on his clothes, they do not get hot after a long time. He must warm them by the fire, and even then they will soon be cold again.
The warmth of the fire, that is, a contentment that results merely from external things, will not last long. But that which comes from the gracious temper of one’s spirit will last. (Taken from The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, p. 6).
If our contentment comes from the external things then they’re fickle and fading. Once those goodies are taken away you will quickly realize the bankruptcy and sickness of your soul. Someone’s sickness is never felt as strongly than when you turn the fire off or take their blanket.
The Secret to Contentment
However, if you are content because of the internal things you have from Christ, whatever external comfort be taken away, you will find yourself warmed by His grace from within. In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul says it this way:
“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.I can do all things through him who strengthens me.“
Paul’s contentment did not come from without, but from within. The Romans and the Jews could take Paul’s clothes, freedom, comfort, but they couldn’t take his contentment because it was rooted in the Enthroned in Heaven above. His peace, comfort, and joy weren’t from external, temporary gifts, but from the Eternal Giver Himself.
So, my friend, why are you content? Is it because of external things or internal things? May your soul be warmed by the flame of Christ’s unceasing love and not the world’s fickle fire. May you be warm from within.
Millennials and the False Gospel of Nice. My favorite of the week. “One might argue that young evangelicals aren’t fleeing core conservative institutions, but flooding them.”
What’s Wrong With Producing a Worship Experience.“The only thing of value the church has to offer is the gospel. I believe that one result of the emerging Experience Economy will be a longing for authenticity. To the extent that the church stages worldly experiences, it will lose its effectiveness.”
Jesus Had Compassion on the People. “When we use the language of compassion we almost always think of meeting physical needs, but for Jesus teaching was also compassion ministry.”
Wasting Away in Oldmanville. “God has been kind to me. Overall my health is pretty good. But I’ve got to face it – I’m wasting away. I’m not as strong as I used to be. I lifted some heavy bags a few weeks ago and my arm has been sore ever since. I got a stent two years ago and now take blood thinner and blood pressure meds. I’m not ready for my wife to put me into a home yet, though she threatens to do so every once in a while. But the truth is, I’m aging. I’m wasting away.”
Six Lessons of Good Listening.If you want to be good at loving people you need to know how to listen to people. Here are six good lessons to that end. “Listening is one of the easiest things you’ll ever do, and one of the hardest.”
My Favorite April Fool’s Joke This Year.Lolz guaranteed. “NPR’s prank this past Tuesday took a creative mind to come up with, but it was so simple it probably only took about 10 minutes to execute. They simply wrote an article titled ‘Why Doesn’t America Read Anymore.’ You may have seen it floating around Facebook. But here’s the twist: It wasn’t a real article…”
If I Wrote the Bible… If I wrote it, there’d be pictures. “What if I had written my own bible? How would it be different? How would a simple, sinful person like myself approach the task of writing a standard of faith and practice that was meant to transcend all times, contexts and cultures?
Before we get to analyzing, here is a piece of their statement. As you read it, take note of the italicized words.
Brendan Eich has chosen to step down from his role as CEO. He’s made this decision for Mozilla and our community.
Mozilla believes both in equality and freedom of speech. Equality is necessary for meaningful speech. And you need free speech to fight for equality. Figuring out how to stand for both at the same time can be hard.
Our organizational culture reflects diversity and inclusiveness. We welcome contributions from everyone regardless ofage, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender-identity, language, race, sexual orientation, geographical location and religious views. Mozilla supports equality for all.
We have employees with a wide diversity of views. Our culture of openness extends to encouraging staff and community to share their beliefs and opinions in public. This is meant to distinguish Mozilla from most organizations and hold us to a higher standard. But this time we failed to listen, to engage, and to be guided by our community.
And in response to this decision, GLAAD said this:
Mozilla’s strong statement in favor of equality today reflects where corporate America is: inclusive, safe, and welcoming to all.
So what are we to make of this?
Hello, Crazy World…
I believe the actions of Mozilla are a good snapshot of common stock thinking today. Their actions perfectly display the spirit of our age. So what do we see?
The Ironic Attitude of Our Culture. I find it hard to believe that the gal who wrote the Mozilla’s post wasn’t laughing as she typed those words. How is it possible to write an entire post saying you believe in equality, freedom of speech, diversity of views, and how you welcome everyone regardlessof their age, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender-identity, language, race, sexual orientation, geographical location, and religious views while the whole intent of the post is to offer an explanation for why they allowed their CEO to be intimidated out of his job for the crime of holding a different view of marriage…take a breath…and do this without laughing? From this, we can see that Mozilla’s value for diversity of views only counts for those who believe the new dogma of marriage. In the words of Alanis Morissette, “And isn’t it ironic… don’t you think?”
The Intolerant Tolerance of Our Culture. The idea our culture has of tolerance would be humorous if the implications weren’t so serious. Today, tolerance is championed as the virtue of all virtues and is passionately fought for. Now, hear me clearly, there is no problem with that, if by tolerance we mean was it has always meant: accepting the existence of different views without necessarily agreeing with them. With this old definition, a tolerant person could accept the existence of different views without having to accept the views themselves. However, today’s new definition of tolerance is subtly, but massively different: accepting different views and not opposing them. With this new tolerance, a “tolerant” person must actually accept the views themselves and ditch their own if they contradict the majority. In other words, if you oppose the majority opinions/values of culture, then you are given the scarlet letter of Intolerance.
I hope its easy to see that this new tolerance is very, very intolerant of anyone who doesn’t shut up and conform to the majority. D.A. Carson hits it spot on when he says:
This new, contemporary tolerance is intrinsically intolerant. It is blind to its own shortcomings because it erroneously thinks it holds the moral high ground; it cannot be questioned because it has become part of the West’s plausibility structure. Worse, this new tolerance is socially dangerous and is certainly intellectually debilitating. Even the good that it wishes to achieve is better accomplished in other ways.
The Closed-Minded and Hateful Heart of Our Culture. Now note, I agree that there isn’t any hateful kind of language in the Mozilla piece, it is filled with fluffy HR-type of language that offends nobody and says nothing. However, the close-mindedness is easily observed: there is no room in the Inn for anyone (i.e. Eich) who differs from their views on marriage.
But how can I say that our culture is close-minded and hateful? Isn’t that what dem Christians are? Easy, I have seen it (see below) and I have endured it. I remember an episode on my honeymoon. I was walking to the pool after getting some food for my new bride and I was stopped by a lady who struck up a conversation with me. As the conversation went on she inevitably asked what I do for a living and was surprised to hear I was a youth pastor. Upon this revelation, she then began to tell me she was a Jewish lesbian who was on vacation with her partner. After her disclosure she interrogated, “What do you think about that?” I said something to the effect that I hoped they were enjoying their stay and that they should try the Ono. But then she got more to the point, “What are your views on homosexuality?” I then, in my most friendly and non-combative voice explained that I believe sex and marriage were created by God to tell us something of Him and the gospel of Jesus Christ and that that picture can only be displayed when sex is had within a marriage that is between one man and one woman.
Radio silence.
After she collected herself, in a look of utter disgust and a few choice expletives, she stomped off. She had no room to even accept the existence of my views. Her mind was closed, locked, and guarded with a gun. Trespassers will be shunned. No other beliefs or views allowed. I had become for her a proper object of scorn for my crime of differing from her beliefs.
This is a PG-Rated example of the cultural norm of closed-mindedness. It gets worse. But the straight truth of the matter is: if you fail to conform to the majority opinion on issues like homosexuality, or abortion, or the redefinition of marriage, you will be shunned and hated by most. The bigoted, narrow/close-minded attitude that Christians have been accused of having over the years has become the prevailing attitude of our culture at large. If you disagree, watch this.
I recommend the full lectures here if for no other reason than to get a real view of how accepting and open-minded everyone is. But again, the point: our culture’s mind is closed and guarded by angry, hostile folks. (Note: I highly recommend Greg Koukl’s thoughts on this subject.)
Our Culture Loves Their Slogans, Regardless if They Communicate the Truth. The last thing to note is the complete misuse of words in the Mozilla post and the GLAAD response. I think Amy Hall nails this observation when she says:
If there’s one thing we ought to demand from Mozilla and GLAAD in this situation, it’s this: stop misusing language to make your views sound nice. If you want your company to stand for certain ideas, that’s perfectly fine; just use words in a meaningful fashion to express the actual ideas you stand for. Be honest about your values: the views you’re for and the views you reject, the people you’ll tolerate and the people you’ll require to fully recant their views or face the consequences.
But let’s have no more of this “inclusive,” “tolerant,” “welcoming” nonsense.
And done. Phew.
Remember Our Fight…
Well, I had no intention in writing this post this morning and it has taken me too long and is probably itself too long, but it got me riled up. Not in the, “I’m gonna stick it to this big bad culture” kind of way, but in the, “This is insane” kind of way.
However, as Christians, this shouldn’t surprise us. The god of this world is actively at work in blinding minds (2 Corinthians 4:4) and pulling the chains of his hungry slaves (Ephesians 2:1-3) who love to suppress the truth by their wickedness (Romans 1:18). Be not dismayed or distraught. This is the fight we signed up for. These folks are not our enemies, but our mission field. We must not return their hostility with hostility, but kindness and an uncompromising hold on the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This world needs what only Christ offers. May we be liberal in telling that Old Story.
Fix your eyes on Christ (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Renew your minds (Romans 12:1-2).
Don’t conform (Romans 12:2).
Demolish arguments and take thoughts captive to obey Christ (1 Corinthians 10:5).
I have found this a helpful word on the relationship of Christ’s finished work in salvation and our needed work in repentance. I hope it helps you too.
Paul declared, “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21).
From this verse, Sam Waldron shows that repentence is a necessary activity for someone to be saved. He explains…
How, then, do I dare to speak of doing anything to be saved? Good question! The simple answer is that both Acts 20:21 and many parallel texts require me so to speak. Here in Acts 20:21 the Word of God speaks of repentance and faith as the things the gospel requires of us if we are to be saved. These are not things God in Christ does for us. They are things we must do.
Now clearly we have a difficulty, don’t we? Christ’s work is finished. We are not saved by “deeds which we have done in righteousness.” Yet there is something God calls on us to do. There are activities required – things to be done – in order to be saved by the gospel. To obscure this plain fact is to darken the way of salvation to the eyes of men.
Clearly, we must distinguish two kinds of doing. Perhaps I can illustrate it for you. One of my fellow pastors much prefers driving to flying. Suppose he had problems with his van driving from Kentucky to California – serious problems! Somewhere in Arizona the van is fixed.
Now listen to what the mechanic says when he hands my fellow pastor the key to his van: “The job is done. There is nothing left to do. All you have to do is just start her up.” Do you see how silly it would be for my fellow pastor to say, “If there is nothing left to do, why do I need this key? Why do I have to start her up? Why do I have to do anything?” Everybody knows that the mechanic is talking about two completely different kinds of doing. Fixing the van and turning the key are not the same kind of doing at all.
There are activities required of us by the gospel. They are on a completely different level than the work of Christ. They merit nothing from God. They are themselves gifts of grace. They are the opposite of human achievements that contribute to Christ’s finished work, but they are activities or conditions required of men in the gospel.
It is not a doing that creates salvation, but a doing that receives it.
Religious people are always profoundly disturbed when they discover that they are not, and never have been, true Christians. Does all their religion count for nothing? Those hours in church, hours spent doing good things, hours involved in religious activity – do they not count for something in the presence of God? Do they not enable me to say: “Look at what I have done. Don’t I deserve heaven?”
Sadly, thinking that I deserve heaven is a sure sign I have no understanding of the gospel. (Taken from By Grace Alone, page 6.)
The only people who go to heaven are those who know they don’t deserve to. May God breaks our legs so we’ll fall on our knees in complete dependence on him. That’s called grace.
A Pilgrim's Friend 