Beneath the Crust

How do we apprentice our children

2012-02-08T06:16:00.000-06:00

Trevin Wax shares some insight in to the loss of the apprenticeship as a means of educating our children. For millenia, children learned at the hip of their parents and eventually a mentor. That method of training seems to have disappeared in many regards. Perhaps we should think of ways to rekindle that approach.

Christianity and Taxes

2012-02-07T06:29:00.002-06:00

Gene Veith shares some interesting insights on the president's recent statements at the presidential prayer breakfast, where he uses scripture to defend his position of taxing the rich. He quotes Mary Theroux as saying, "Yes, that Jesus was always looking for ways to make Rome more powerful!" and then goes on to remind that, "The text that the president cites (Luke 12:48), in context, does not refer to taxes, but it can apply to money as to everything else. A person who has received much FROM GOD has much that is required BY GOD. Not the federal government! The president here is putting the federal government squarely in the place of God!"

Read the rest here.

Two weeks

2012-02-05T07:28:00.000-06:00

Two weeks from today, Heather, Grace, and I make the drive to Chicago on the first leg of our trip to Haiti. Fourteen days from now. To bring everyone up to speed, we are adopting two beautiful siblings, Yoldine (age 7) and Vladimy (age 5). They currently live in an orphanage in Port-au-Prince.

Normally, I don't fret travel. A day before hand, I will throw some stuff in a suitcase, print off my tickets and head to the airport. I always figure, if I don't make it, no big deal. This time though, I am simultaneously nervous and excited. Nervous because this is the first time I have done any international travel (sorry Canada, you don't count). This is my first time in a 3rd world country (you don't count for that either Canada). This is Grace's first time traveling. Ian and Tessa are staying behind. All of these things make me nervous.

On the other hand, we get to meet our kids for the first time and that's exciting. Though we have known about them for some time, they have not known about us. They tell the kids right before families travel.

Pray for us as we travel. Pray for Ian and Tessa as well as the Fugates, who are staying with our kids. Pray for Yoldine and Vladimy that their hearts would be ready for us.

Presidential prayer breakfast: A review

2012-02-03T07:18:00.001-06:00

World Magazine has a good summary of the presidential prayer breakfast. I would commend the whole article to you. However, I have a few thoughts.

I was glad to read that Eric Metaxas was the keynote speaker. From what I have gathered he spoke boldly about Jesus, proclaiming him as "the enemy of dead religion." He went further to speak out boldly against abortion. He apparently noted that the Germans of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's time (Metaxas wrote a biography of Bonhoeffer) viewed some people as less than human, just as many do today.

Obama also spoke. He apparently cited several Bible verses in support taxing the rich in support of the poor, which are taken out of context to be sure. Without a doubt, the Bible is a strong advocate of caring for the poor and loving the least of these, but that is a mission of the church, not the government. Plucking verses out of scripture without keeping all of God's word in view is bad exegesis. The president also apparently aligned himself with Catholic Charities, claiming his administration has linked arm in arm with faith-based groups across the country. I suspect that Catholic Charities may not view it in the same way.

Don't hem and haw

2012-01-31T11:06:00.003-06:00

I needed to read these words from Jared Wilson today.

What does the repentance unto faith look like?

Fleeing. Continually from sin. The jail bars are broken open. Don’t just stand there, make a break for it!

Pursuing. Continually the things of God. They won’t happen by accident. People don’t, as Carson says, “drift into holiness.”

Fighting. Not with fists but with the armor of God against every force of wickedness within and without that would distract or delay you from Christ-fixation.

Taking hold. Of the only source of power for fleeing, pursuing, and fighting — the gospel of Jesus Christ that makes the dead eternally alive. If you would be righteous, godly, faithful, loving, steadfast, and gentle, you must in faith lay hold of Jesus. Put him on, and the qualities that are his are yours.

Read the whole thing here.

Hitler Youth Song

2012-01-31T07:30:00.000-06:00

At the National Review Online, Jonah Goldberg writes about how Hitler's politics degraded historic Christianity in the country, forbidding prayer in schools and public displays of the nativity, replacing it with his own worship. Goldberg shares a Hitler youth song that was taught to the children and sang around the campfires.

We are the happy Hitler Youth;
We have no need for Christian virtue;
For Adolf Hitler is our intercessor
And our redeemer.
No priest, no evil one
Can keep us
From feeling like Hitler’s children.
No Christ do we follow, but Horst Wessel!
Away with incense and holy water pots.
Meanwhile, the orphans were given new lyrics to “Silent Night”:
Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright,
Only the Chancellor steadfast in fight,
Watches o’er Germany.

HT: JT

His words, my strength in the battle

2012-01-31T06:12:00.004-06:00

There are some days when battling my sin seems overwhelming. I feel drained by it. Sometimes I follow the wide path, sometimes the narrow. Yesterday was one of those days when the battle was difficult. It's days like that I seem to particularly cherish how God's word speaks to me. Here are the verses that stood out today.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.-Mark 11:24
And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.’Deuteronomy 6:25
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
        How long will you hide your face from me?
    How long must I take counsel in my soul
        and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
    How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
    Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
        light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
    lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
        lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
    But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
        my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
    I will sing to the LORD,
        because he has dealt bountifully with me.-Psalm 13
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”-2 Chronicles 16:9
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
        reap steadfast love;
        break up your fallow ground,
    for it is the time to seek the LORD,
        that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.-Hosea 10:12
I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies.-Psalm 119:146

Daily Reading: Mark 11, Deuteronomy 6, 2 Corinthians 9, Revelation 22, Job 16, Psalm 13, Proverbs 13, 2 Chronicles 16, Hosea 10, Acts 23, Psalm 119:145-152

Our deliverer from trouble

2012-01-29T07:05:00.001-06:00

I have been turning a couple of verses over in my mind this morning, but I haven't figured out exactly what to say about them. Proverbs 11:8 reads "The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead." One thing to say is that I find this verse convicting today. All too often, I still find myself walking into trouble. I pretend like I don't see the dangers, but I know what they are. Sometimes, I will reflect on a situation later and then realize that I walked right into sin. Yet this verse says, "the righteous is delivered from trouble." What does it mean to be delivered from trouble? That God provides a way out? That we are saved from our trouble? Whatever the case, I have been praying that God would continually deliver me from my sin.

Every morning, I read a section from Psalm 119 as well. This morning, my reading included verse 133, which reads "keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me." God is the keeper from sin. He is the deliverer from trouble. Our only hope is by calling upon him.

Daily Reading: Mark 9, Deuteronomy 4, 2 Corinthians 8, Revelation 20, Job 14, Psalm 11, Proverbs 11, 2 Chronicles 14, Hosea 8, Acts 21, Psalm 119:129-136

Is tattooing Christian?

2012-01-28T07:18:00.002-06:00

When I was in college, I wanted an earring. Thankfully, my friends Jack and Kurt on the football team talked me out of it. Over the past few years, I have toyed with the idea of a tattoo. My wife talked me out of it.

My former pastor, Wayne DeVrou, shares insight into the idea of tattooing. He comes down on the side of tattooing as non-biblical and provides fairly convincing evidence for his viewpoint. He discusses things I have not considered before. He points specifically to Leviticus 19:28, which specifically condemns tattooing, setting it in the context of forbidden pagan practices. The Israelites were to be set apart. He also shows how, even in modern society, there are pagan tendencies with tattooing as revealed by books written about it.

I also wonder how Paul's words 1 Corinthians 10 apply. Paul says, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful, but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor" (1 Cor 10:23-24). Under the new covenant, it would seem that tattoos would now be permissible as included under "all things", but are they helpful?

I also wonder where Paul's admonition to the Galatians fits in. He tells them, "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Paul is clear that it is neither circumcision, nor its absence, but Christ that saves us. Can the same be said for tattooing?

I don't know where I stand, but I think Wayne brings up many points worth considering carefully. Don't do something, like getting a tattoo, thoughtlessly. Submit your ideas to scripture and live accordingly. As for me, I'll keep the ink out of my skin for now.

I would appreciate dialog on this. What are people's thoughts?

Proverbs are not promises

2012-01-27T09:47:00.001-06:00

I often hear people talking about the Proverbs as if they were assured promises. So what is a person to do if he follows the teaching of a proverb and the outcome fails to arrive?

From the Desiring God website, "Passages like these have been taken as indicating that Christian families experience blessings and loss from God, quid pro quo. We believe that God promises a wonderful family life to those who obey his commands.

"Now, we need to be clear here. The proverbs commend certain paths to family members because they reflect the ways God ordinarily distributes his blessings. But ordinarily does not mean necessarily. Excellent wives have good reason to expect honor from their husbands and children. Fathers with integrity often enjoy seeing God’s blessings on their children. Parents who train their children in the fear of the Lord follow the path that frequently brings children to saving faith.

"But excellent wives, faithful husbands, and conscientious parents often endure terrible hardship in their homes because proverbs are not promises. They are adages that direct us toward general principles that must be applied carefully in a fallen world where life is always somewhat out of kilter."

Friends don't let friends homeschool?

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

Matthew Hennessey at First Things addresses how his friends have responded to their decision to homeschool. He captures the response colorfully when he quips, "Opting out of the public education system feels a bit like jumping off a moving train. As you tumble down the side of the embankment and struggle to gain your footing, passengers on the still-moving train crane their necks and crowd to the windows to stare at you with wide eyes and slack jaws. They jumped? What are they, nuts? This train is so nice."

The people we know have been generally supportive, but we have certainly heard the concerns about socialization. I can resonate with Hennessey when he writes, "Socialization is education school code for, 'Give your kid to us. Let us raise her.' I’m not much interested in having the talent, creativity, and faith socialized out of my daughter, so I am happy to play a small part in frustrating the system’s designs on her."

We have chosen to homeschool. We have our reasons. If it means that our children turn out different than the majority of kids coming out of public schools...well...good.

Gospel + Safety + Time

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

"It’s what everyone needs. Everyone. Gospel + safety + time. A lot of gospel + a lot of safety + a lot of time" writes Ray Ortlund. Read why here.

He could not be hidden

2012-01-27T06:32:00.000-06:00

And from there he arose and went to Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.--Mark 7:24

This morning, I was pondering the question "was Jesus an introvert?" I am not sure that is the right question, though scripture seems clear he appreciated being away from the crowds at times. One of my favorite passages of scripture comes from Mark 1:35-37, "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, 'Everyone is looking for you.'" Jesus was not constantly ministering to large crowds. He was not always in the public eye. Sometimes, it appears he just liked to be alone. In the Mark 1 passage, he went off by himself to pray even though, "everyone was looking for him."

We certainly do not know all of the context with this passage from Mark 7, but I wonder if Jesus and the disciples had been ministering for a while and he wanted to take a break from it to recharge. They probably went to the house of someone they knew in Tyre and Sidon, hoping to take a breather and recuperate before resuming ministry. I like to imagine that he just wanted to hang out with his friends--a retreat of sorts.

No sooner had the come to the house than a woman, a Gentile woman, found him and pleaded with him to heal her daughter. I doubt that he was exasperated. I doubt that he was impatient. Rather, he questioned her and then tells her that her daughter has been healed.

I wish my response would be that way more often. The older I get, the more I appreciate being alone or being just with family and close friends. When people show up at my door, my initial response is not always compassion, but exasperation. Just this week, I had someone show up and was initially irritated, but I pondered my reaction and was not pleased with it. I have been praying, asking God for a compassion like Christ's.

Daily Reading: Mark 7, Deuteronomy 2, 2 Corinthians 6, Revelation 18, Job 12, Psalm 9, Proverbs 9, 2 Chronicles 12, Hosea 6, Acts 19

It's the promise that sustains the love

2012-01-26T21:19:00.002-06:00

Jefferson Bethke with another spoken poem, this time on marriage. Good stuff here.

Postponing college

2012-01-26T19:05:00.001-06:00

I really like this article by Brett Nelson on considering postponing college. I think there is wisdom here. He proposes, "Okay, it’s a bit Draconian. And, yes, plenty of students are truly engaged and take advantage of what their universities have to offer. But there are also plenty of 18-year-olds who are itching to get the four-year party started. I’d reckon that grownup training would put all undergrads deeply in touch with 1) why they wanted to go college in the first place, 2) what a special opportunity college really is, and 3) more than a vague notion of what—and better yet who—they wanted to be when they grew up."

Where are the March for Life pics

2012-01-26T09:53:00.001-06:00

Mollie, at Get Religion, shares an interesting, apparently annual trend among some news outlets. In a photo slideshow at CBS entitled "Activists hold annual march for live on Roe v. Wade Anniversary", none of the pictures of the pro-life advocates, though they likely outnumbered the pro-abortion protestors 1000 to 1. I have not kept up on these trends; what I can say is that I looked through this slide show and indeed, none of the pictures show the activists their slideshow was supposed to be about.

She cites, Elizabeth Scalia, who writes, "Unfortunately, the 'big picture' is hard to come by, particularly if you’re looking for 'big pictures' of this well-attended march. We have reached a remarkable era of photojournalism, as demonstrated by the once-noble Washington Post — one where a half million people can march, the headlines can call it “thousands” and the pictures show you none of it.

"Someone asked me on Twitter, 'why don’t they just report the truth' and I thought, 'because they have given themselves wholly over to a lie, and they fear the truth. Having built up the lie for so long that it’s become their foundation, they know they cannot withstand an assault by the truth.'

"So they have become truth-phobics, our mainstream media. They can’t tell you the truth about anything, anymore — they can only do whatever it takes to sustain the narratives they’ve constructed. …

"You want the truth? You think you deserve it? The press can’t handle the truth; they can’t bring it to you. The New York Times just ignores inconvenient truth, entirely.

"That’s why 250 people camping out in a park gets thousands of stories, while half-a-million marching on Washington does not get reported at all, or if it does, the pictures are cropped; the attendees are caricatured, mis-named and under-represented while their opponents are over-represented."

Read the whole thing here.

The reading pyramid

2012-01-25T20:19:00.002-06:00

Chad Hall shares some advice on reading books. Some good nuggets here.

CJ Mahaney's reinstatement

2012-01-25T16:50:00.002-06:00

I am sharing this story not because I expect you all to know or care who CJ Mahaney is, but rather, because of the way this situation was handled, I thought it worth mentioning. Several months ago, CJ Mahaney, the then president of Sovereign Grace Ministries, faced accusations from a former SGM leader. He stepped out of his role and the board convened a panel to review the evidence against Mahaney. Their report back today reveals a board that sought to approach a very difficult decision biblically, took their time, and admitted their own faults. CJ has been restored to the presidency of the organization, but he writes that he expects this to be a temporary move as he hopes to get back into pastoral ministry. You can read a synopsis here.

From my perspective, as a far outsider, Mahaney appeared to handle this well, both during this trial and now afterward. He wrote a book on humility, which I commend to everyone, and he appears to have practiced what he wrote during this time. I do hope he will resume sharing his wisdom with the rest of us in the cheap seats.

Let yourself be changed by it

2012-01-25T13:40:00.002-06:00

Jared Wilson, citing Don Carson, talks about the tendency among some Christians to interpret the Bible based upon their own biases, rather than reading scripture for what it actually says. Wilson quotes Carson's book, Exegetical Fallacies, about an experience Carson had, "Genuinely intrigued, I asked this brother what he would say if I put forward my interpretation, not on the basis of grammar and text, but on the basis that the Lord himself had given me the interpretation I was advancing. He was silent a long time, and then concluded, 'I guess that would mean the Spirit says the Bible means different things to different people.'"

The Bible is not a relativistic document. It is the unvarnished truth.

A conversation about Calvinism

2012-01-24T12:07:00.001-06:00

Michael Horton and Roger Olson have recently put out a pair of books, For Calvinism (Horton) and Against Calvinism (Olson). I have both of the books, but I have yet to read them. I have appreciated Horton's ministry through the White Horse Inn for a few years and he has, in some ways, shaped my thinking. I know less of Olson, a theology professor at Baylor University, except to say that I am familiar that he is one of the most vocal advocates for Arminianism today.

Today, on the way to work, I listened to a 2 part "conversation" between Horton and Olson regarding the topic, "For or Against Calvinism." It was encouraging to listen to these two brothers in the faith discussing their dissenting views on this issue. I wish more theological conversations would happen in this way. Here were a few brief takeaways.

There is much overlap between them. They appear to agree on the majors.
Olson was a gracious, intelligent advocate of Arminianism. I have read his blog in the past, but I found him more endearing and less adversarial in this setting.
Horton seemed to rely upon the biblical evidence more than Olson, who seemed rather to make his arguments based more upon his belief in what, or who, God should be. For example, he cited John Wesley, who claimed that Romans 9 cannot be saying what it appears to say and so there must be another explanation.
Both men seem to agree that there is a lack of Arminian theologians throughout history. At one point, Horton mentioned Jacob Arminius and John Wesley and Olson quipped, are there any others, showing his hand that "his team" may lack a strong, or at least visible, tradition.

In the end, I have a deeper appreciation for Arminianism, but a continued confidence in Calvinism.

You can listen to Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

What is God sovereign over?

2012-01-23T15:16:00.000-06:00

What is God sovereign over?

God Is Sovereign Over . . .

Seemingly random things
The heart of the most powerful person in the land
Our daily lives and plans
Salvation
Life and death
Disabilities
The death of God’s Son
Evil things
All things

Justin Taylor gives the biblical supports here.

"Christian radio is like Joel Osteen in musical form"

2012-01-23T06:37:00.000-06:00

Matt Papa is taking on Christian radio, raising concern about the type of music that is played. I resonate with much of what he shares, though as I read some of the Psalms, I am not sure he is entirely accurate in his assessment. In any case, I do hope that more people will stand for theologically informed, biblically rich music on the radio.

He writes, "As you might have gleaned from the title, what will follow will be a hard, honest, word of rebuke. I have no idea if anything I say in these posts will mean anything for the sake of change, but someone has to say it: Mainstream christian radio is altogether banal and shallow in both a musical sense and a spiritual sense. The songs are man-centered and the DJ’s and radio programmers are man-pleasers…..they play the songs that will attract the most listeners to their station, period. Christian radio is like Joel Osteen in musical form….safe, happy, and untruthful. It is the TBN of music…a large-scale, embarrassing presentation of Christianity to the world."

Read the rest here.

Sanctity of Life Sunday

2012-01-22T16:26:00.001-06:00

Today is Sanctity of Life Sunday. Please take some time to watch these videos, then pray for our leaders to protect children and pray for women to choose life.

This first video is from John Piper a few years ago, but it remains as relevant today as it was when he first shared it.

The second video is the 180 Movie. Take the 40 minutes and watch it if you haven't seen it.

The president on Roe v. Wade

2012-01-22T16:07:00.001-06:00

President Obama on Roe v. Wade--"As we mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right. While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue- no matter what our views, we must stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant woman and mothers, reduce the need for abortion, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption. And as we remember this historic anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams."

Mr President, may I ask a question? If abortion does not kill a child, why do we need to "reduce the need for abortion?" If it merely a blob of unwanted tissue, and not a person, there is no justification necessary for abortion. However, if it does kill a person, there is no justification that is sufficient.

Politics, sexual revolution, and you

2012-01-22T06:29:00.000-06:00

I thought I would begin this day by hitting all of the major hot button issues--politics, sex, and probably a bit of religion. Paul Cella writes about the effect of changing demographics upon the ability of societies to care for elders and, even beyond that, to care for themselves. The ballooning generation of elders without a base of younger workers will lead to economic hardship for both the elders and the adult workers as they groan under the weight of the decisions to have smaller families. This problem has grown exponentially in Japan where the oldest old outnumber the working classes. The economic burden is considerable.

At last we are beginning to suffer the demographic consequences. Our prosperity suffers; our political economy groans under pressure from the revolution. The claims of the old upon the resources of the young must be extracted from ever-smaller cohorts of the young, millions of them having been snuffed out before birth and millions more contracepted into oblivion. The difficulties entailed in this straitening are in evidence across the Western world, most spectacularly in Europe.-Paul Cella

Act like men

2012-01-21T20:38:00.001-06:00

I never know how, or if, to mention this issue from my past, but here goes. My mom and dad divorced when I was young, so I grew up without my dad in the home. Despite their divorce, they generally supported one another when it came to parenting, but my dad wasn't there. It is by God's grace that my life has turned out this way.

We watched Courageous tonight and the absence of fathers is a primary theme. I suppose we could write it off and say that the movie producers had an agenda, however, I have done the research on father absence and the statistics they mention are generally accurate. When I say I did the research, I actually analyzed the data and presented it at a scientific meeting. This battle for children is not just a story line, it is a very real issue facing our society and our families. Kids need dads.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 says, "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." Kids need dads who will watch over them, protect them, and teach them. Kids need dads who will be faithful to them, faithful to their mothers, and faithful to God. Kids need dads who will act like men, dads who will lead their families, and dads who will be strong.

The message is often unpopular, but for the sake of your kids, act like men.

Daily Reading: Mark 1, Numbers 32, 1 Corinthians 16, Revelation 13, Job 7, Psalm 4, Proverbs 4, 2 Chronicles 7, Acts 14

Paper books>Kindle

2012-01-21T09:49:00.000-06:00

VERSUS

Reading Tony Reinke's book, Lit! (see my review here) solidified my thinking on the paper book versus e-book battle. I have the Kindle App on my i-pad and I have perhaps 25 books on it. I also have several books in a program called Good Reader. I actually prefer to read books in Good Reader because it has more tools than Kindle. But I digress.

I have been making a concerted effort to read more often on my Kindle. On the positive side, books are typically cheaper, I can access them very fast, and I can read them in the dark. But I confess that I don't like it as well. I just don't. Here are some reasons:

There is something more aesthetically pleasing about a book. Electronic words on a screen lack personality. Not only do the fonts in paper books differ, but so do their papers, bindings, and general size. Each of these things are chosen for a purpose. In other words, it seems more organic to me.
In the Kindle program, I can highlight and I can take notes, but it isn't the same. I like to see my notes written in the columns. With paper books, I often remember where things were located on a page; I haven't found that to be true with electronic books. My capacity to remember them suffers. Further, writing on my i-pad with a pen or a highlighter just isn't a good idea.
Reinke highlighted one of the concerns I hadn't pinned down before. I tend to skim more when using the Kindle. I don't read as deeply and so again my retention suffers. I am much more prone to switch to other books or to surf the net for a while, rather than having a sustained period of reading.
I like to loan my books out. I like to hand someone a book and say, "I think you would benefit from this." It is more difficult to loan them out with an e-book.

Doubtless, I am sharing a generational bias, though in this respect I am happy to be called an antiquarian or even a curmudgeon. Still, let me grab a pencil and a cup of coffee and crack open a book.

Book Review: Lit!

2012-01-21T06:05:00.002-06:00

It is a book about books, or rather, reading books. Tony Reinke's Lit! (2011) is described as "a Christian guide to reading books." Reinke seeks to remind Christians that we are people of the book and reading is a part of who we are. He carefully constructs a Christian ethic for reading noting that though the Bible is to be our primary source of reading, but that we can grown and be edified by a wide variety of books by religious and non-religious authors. He spends the first part of the book discussing the reasoning behind reading and the later part of the book discussing the practicalities. I particularly benefited from his model of his reading and how he manages to read widely. Also, his encouragement to read to and with children, particularly boys, was challenging to me. Finally, I found myself resonating with his thoughts about reading electronically. It seems initially appealing, but it loses its luster. If you are a Christian and hoping to become a better reader, this book may be an encouragement to you.

4 stars.

Greg Koukl responds to Jesus>Religion

2012-01-20T07:01:00.001-06:00

In my initial response to the video Jesus>Religion, I mentioned something Greg Koukl had once said. I had hoped he would respond. He did here. It is worth taking 20 minutes to listen through his response.

Free From Everything

2012-01-20T06:41:00.001-06:00

Because of Christ's work on your behalf, God doesn't dwell on your sin the way you do.-Tullian Tchvidjian

Since you have become a Christian, you put on the right face and you say the right words. You tell people that Christianity is all about faith and grace and Jesus. You tell others that your life has been transformed by him. Sometimes, you actually believe that. Other times, though, you struggle to believe. You wonder how your life could still be such a mess. The thought begins to creep in, am I really saved? You begin to question if your feeble faith is really enough for someone like you, someone who cannot seem to stop sinning.

And so you try harder. You work to prove yourself to God and, I suppose, to yourself. You want to show yourself to be worthy before God. You want to live the "Christian life". You want to kick in your fair share to your salvation and so you work harder.

But then you fall again.

And become discouraged again.

The message of the gospel frees you from always trying harder to prove yourself. If you are a Christian, you have been proven worthy in Christ. There is no doubt that your life will continue to be transformed, but that transformation comes not from working harder at following the law, but from knowing Christ more intimately.

Acts 13:39 reads, "and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." Savor the words of that verse.

"By him everyone". That means you, if you believe in Christ. Read it again, that means you.

"Is freed from everything". Christian, God does not free you part way. He does not remove some of the burden and then leave you to clean up the rest. You are "freed from everything" that following the law could not free you from.

Free. From. Everything.

Daily Reading: Matthew 28, Numbers 31, 1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 12, Job 6, Psalm 3, Proverbs 3, 2 Chronicles 6, Hosea 1, Acts 13

Book Review: Jesus + Nothing = Everything

2012-01-18T20:19:00.002-06:00

Jesus + Nothing = Everything (2011) is the latest book by Tullian Tchvidjian. I had previously read his books Unfashionable and Surprised by Grace. This one seems to have gotten the most acclaim, though Surprised by Grace probably remains my favorite of the three.

Tchvidjian has become one of the foremost champions of gospel centrality. He regularly blogs about the radical grace of Christ and how that is not only the beginning of the Christian life, but sustains us throughout. For Tchvidjian, the work of the Christian life is not our own pursuit of holiness, but rather our deepening understanding of the work Christ has done for us.

Tchvidjian has fast become one of my favorite authors. He challenges me to dive more deeply into the gospel, to bathe in the wonder of Christ's completed work. Though he is the pastor of a Presbyterian church, the influences of Luther upon his thinking are clear.

Here is a sampling:

the gospel doesn't simply rescue us from the past and rescue us for the future; it also rescues in the present from being enslaved to things like fear, insecurity, anger, self-reliance, bitterness, entitlement, and insignificance.
Idolatry is simply trying to build our identity on something besides God.
Legalism happens when what we need to do, not what Jesus has already done, becomes the end game.
I haven't met one Christian who doesn't struggle daily with believing--somehow, someway--that our good behavior is required to keep God's favor.
Progress in obedience happens only when our hearts realize that God's love for us does not depend on our progress in obedience.
The gospel liberates us to be okay with not being okay. We know we're not--though we try very hard to convince other people we are. But the gospel tells us, "relax, it's finished."

This is just a small sampling. The book contains a lot of important truths that are worth digging through, even if it feels a bit disjointed at times. 4 stars.

Daily Morsels-January 18, 2012

2012-01-18T10:27:00.000-06:00

Christianity Today comes out against spanking--This magazine, long known as the flagship publication for evangelicalism has come out against spanking. They are not on the fence. They flatly oppose it. As David and Tim Bayly wrote on their blog, "the editors of CT directly contradict God." Christianity Today has endorsed William Webb's "Trajectory Hermeneutic", which Denny Burk points out, "a way of interpreting the Bible that says modern readers sometimes need to move beyond the ethical instruction of scripture to an ethic that supercedes it." To my mind, Webb and CT have abandoned a truly biblical hermeneutic in favor modern psychology and pleasing the masses. I was talking with one of my pastors who said something to this effect: "what is a trajectory hermeneutic? Are we to assume that Christians before us were wrong in how they interpreted the Bible?" CT's statement is unfortunate because it abandons clear biblical teaching, yet will have wide ranging influence. I would commend to you Denny Burk's critique as well as the Bayly's more strongly worded critique. I agree with the Bayly's that I have had some substantial concerns with what I have read of the Pearl's methods, but I think CT is even more off base.

An actual pro-life conversation--Sam Crabtree relates a story of talking with a pro-abortion demonstrator. This sentence will give you a flavor, but please read the whole thing. "what do you say to the person who has that information and knows that the number of woman inured by coat hanger abortions is less than one percent of the women who have been injured by legal abortions?"

I am the Pharisee--Zach Nielsen wrote today about being a Pharisee. Last summer, when I taught on legalism versus liberty, I identified this very same issue in my own life. I resonate deeply with what Zach is identifying here--the feeling of being a Pharisee.

7 tips for talking to your neighbors--Talking to others about Jesus is often difficult for me. These tips are helpful.

Kids are not the center of the universe

2012-01-18T06:49:00.000-06:00

    The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
        fools despise wisdom and instruction.
    Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
        and forsake not your mother's teaching,
    for they are a graceful garland for your head
        and pendants for your neck.
    -Proverbs 1:7-9

I had two good conversations about parenting yesterday with a common theme--the degradation of youth. For some time, Bible believing churches have been asking, "where are the men?" In October of last year, William Bennett, writing for CNN, addressed the same issue. It seems that youth today, and particularly the men, have lost sight of what it means to be adults. Psychologists have cautioned us never to do anything to harm the self-image our children. Hollywood releases movie after movie featuring all-wise children saving the day when the bumbling adults have fumbled it once again. In the schools, all win and all must have prizes. In other words, we teach children that the center of the universe is them.

Proverbs takes a different tack. This book of wise sayings was collected by Solomon, at least in part, to provide principles for wise living to God's people and apparently to his son (Proverbs 1:8). Many people today, even non-believers, would read through Proverbs and find that much of it makes sense to them, yet there are other things that seem to run contrary to the wisdom of the world. In my experience, the wisdom of God's word trumps the world.

As Christians, a primary job that we have is to teach our children the fear of the LORD. We must educate our children that God is the source of all that they see, that he is sovereign and he remains involved in the world. We must train them that he is jealous for his own glory and he desires all people to come to a knowledge of him. We must teach them that the wisdom that the world offers is often foolish. We must teach them to respect authority. We must teach them to love others deeply and well, even when it seems contrary to do so. We need to teach our young men to work hard and love God and family with their whole hearts. We must teach our children that they are not the center of the universe, God is.

Daily Reading: Matthew 26, Numbers 29, 1 Corinthians 13, Revelation 10, Job 4, Psalm 1, Proverbs 1, 2 Chronicles 4, Daniel 11, Acts 11

Daily Morsels-January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T09:56:00.002-06:00

Satan desires disunity--Tim Challies has a great essay on the importance of unity in the church. Over the past 2 years, I have felt this need much more deeply and personally. We planted another church in a nearby city and there have been attacks on unity in that time. Commenting on Ephesians, Challies writes, "Paul knew that Satan is the great enemy of God and his people, and one of his enduring tactics to disrupt the church and to hinder our witness to the world is to bring about disunity. How does he do this? He does it by first eroding the love between brothers and sisters in Christ." I love the people I fellowship with. I truly and deeply love them and I desire continued unity and community with them. My heart also aches for those that have left fellowship, desiring their restoration to the body. I pray for them regularly. Satan knows that if he separates believers from one another, they are less effective.

Your brain on technology--Mike Wittmer wrote an interesting article after reviewing several books on the effects of technology. Some of these I see in my practice every day. We are losing our capacity to think deeply because of the power of the net.

Internet lessons--On a slightly different note, John Mark Reynolds shares his lessons over many years of being online. There is a great deal of wisdom in this essay. Here are a few choice tidbits:

Some people are so overwhelmed they stop having opinions, at least in public. These sad souls, the Hamlets of the Internet, develop an open mindedness so great that it turns into intellectual cowardice. It is hard to grow when you will not stake out a position and think it through in dialog with other people. They can see all sides, but will commit to none and so they never see their own or others errors.
The best way to dialog on the Net is to express strong opinions and argue for them. At the same time, write as if you are speaking to people created in God’s image. Change your mind. Lose arguments and admit when you lose, but keep trying.
Worst is to end up only reading sites that reinforce what I already think. It is easy to end up running in a circle of ten or so sources. With access to the intellectual wealth of ages, we limit ourselves to what we already know or believe. This is a crime and stunts our growth. For every site that agree with me, I try to find a worthy opponent to sharpen my thinking. This helps me avoid intellectual isolation.

Grace motivated dieting--I loved this short article on grace-motivated dieting by Mike Cosper. Rather than following the latest fad or trend (what is it currently--eating beans, juicing, paleo), he encourages us to develop a different perspective, to seek wisdom, and to think long term. There is a lot to be said for that, but to put it into practice.

Follow up on Family Worship--A few days ago, I posted a link to the first part of a series on family worship put out by RC Sproul Jr. Today the follow up appeared. Scripture memory, scripture, and prayer are here today.

Follow me. I'm following Christ.

2012-01-16T06:34:00.000-06:00

"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."-1 Corinthians 11:1

This verse intimidates me. Paul is telling the Corinthian believers to consider his life and copy him because he is of Christ. In other words, he is saying that he is modeling Christian living. The end of chapter 10 provides some context for this brief, bold statement. Paul is telling them not to seek their own good, but the good of their neighbors (10:24). He then goes on to say, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved."

Does Paul really mean that I am to do everything for the glory of God? Does he really mean that I am to be wholly other-centered so that many might be saved? I think he does mean that.

Every time I come upon this verse, I do some self-reflection. Could I rightly echo Paul? Could I say to my children, "Look at me. Live the way I am living. Act the way I do."? In many ways, I would struggle to offer my kids that challenge. I am selfish with my time. I am often quickly irritated. I do not "do all to the glory of God."

What I do hope I am able to model for my kids and that they will imitate is my utter dependence upon the Gospel. I want them to see that I am nothing apart from the redemptive work of Christ in my life. I want them to know that there is no sin so big that Christ's blood will not atone for it. I want them to see God glorified in my every word and action. I want to be able to say to them, "I am not perfect, but one who is loves me so much that he gave himself for me."

Follow me. I'm following Christ.

Daily Reading: Matthew 24, Numbers 27, 1 Corinthians 11, Revelation 8, Job 2, Psalm 149, Proverbs 30, 2 Chronicles 2, Daniel 9, Acts 9

The Glorious and Gentle One

2012-01-15T07:18:00.001-06:00

I remember hearing stories as a child about the unbelievable power of tornadoes. They could flatten cities in minutes, yet there they often left unusual effects in their path of destruction. Homes destroyed, yet babies left sleeping. One car picked up and set gently on top of another. In 1964, a home with 10 people was picked up and transported a quarter mile, and no one was injured. The story that I always found the most amazing, though, was the story of a tornado driving a piece of straw through a fencepost. Extreme power, yet intricate precision. I found several pictures of the phenomenon on the Internet and it's truly amazing.

I also have difficulty holding the juxtaposition in mind of a God who is both all-powerful and gentle at the same time. Yet we see this picture of God throughout Scripture. Revelation is a particularly good place to see this picture of God, the Glorious One. People fall down and worship him. He rules supremely. In Revelation 7:11-12, it reads, "And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'" The angels around the throne of God worshiped his glory. Psalm 148 tells us that all of creation will worship him. From the weather to the creatures of the sea, from the plants to the mountains, from the birds of the air to the beasts of the field, from innocent children to powerful kings--all worship his majesty.

Yet the all-powerful God is also gentle. Revelation 7:15-17 says,
    “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
        and serve him day and night in his temple;
        and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
    They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
        the sun shall not strike them,
        nor any scorching heat.
    For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
        and he will guide them to springs of living water,
    and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

As we sit before the throne of God, serving him night and day and worshiping his glory, he comforts us, he protects, and he nourishes us. The God before whom all creatures will fall down in worship will wipe away our tears. The God before whom mountains melt like wax (Psalm 97:5) will protect us from scorching heat. He will give us streams of living water.

The same God who has the power to flatten cities is gentle enough to be able to put an unbroken piece of straw through a telephone pole. Glorious, yet gentle.

Daily Reading: Matthew 23, Numbers 26, 1 Corinthians 10, Revelation 7, Job 1, Psalm 148, Proverbs 29, 2 Chronicles 1, Daniel 8, Acts 8

Loving God completely

2012-01-14T08:51:00.003-06:00

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” -Matthew 22:34-40

Recently, I have been reflecting a lot on the idea of loving God completely. Matthew 22:37 says that the great commandment is that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. In other words, we are to love God with our whole person. Yet, from what I have observed, most of us fail to do so. Some people, like me tend toward the intellectual side. I am edified by studying theology. I enjoy wrestling through complex biblical issues. Apologetics, or the intellectual defense of the faith, is one of my favorite things to study. Others seem driven by emotion. The are deeply moved by worship songs, and the psalms. God helps them to feel deeply. They become overwhelmed by how much God loves them. Still others are primarily driven by loving and serving others.Yet, according to this verse, we are to love God with all of our being. Thabiti Anyabwile said it this way, "The fullest expression of Christian living has to be a combination of God’s truth entering the head, igniting the heart, and outworking through the hands."

Daily Reading: Matthew 22, Numbers 25, 1 Corinthians 9, Revelation 6, Song of Solomon 8, Psalm 147, Proverbs 28, 1 Chronicles 29, Daniel 7, Acts 7

Daily Morsels--January 13

2012-01-13T06:14:00.000-06:00

What is Song of Solomon about?--Seemingly, if you were to ask many of the modern celebrity pastors, Song of Solomon is really just 2500 year old pornography. It hasn't always been viewed that way. Peter Leithart, writing at First Things, addresses the question of the Song as allegory. He writes, "The Song helps us relearn what nearly every civilization before ours already knew: Sex is allegory, and as allegory it is metaphysics and theology and cosmology. For Christians, sexual difference and union is a type of Christ and the church: How could an erotic poem (and in the Bible!) be anything but allegory? From the Song we relearn that poetic metaphor does not add meaning to what is itself mere chemistry and physics. Nor is erotic poetry a euphemistic cover for Victorian embarrassment. Poetry elucidates the human truth of human sexuality, and it seems uniquely capable of doing so. Only as allegory does the Song have anything to teach us about sex. Only as allegory can the Song play its central role in healing our sexual imaginations." Read the whole thing.

Gospel-centered groups--Over at the Resurgence, they are addressing the question of gospel-centered groups. The author had asked one man why he found his small group draining and what it would look like to be life giving. He "painted a gripping picture of a Christ-centered community. When I asked him why he didn’t lead his group to that picture, he replied that he didn’t know he could."

Choosing a major--Gene Veith writes about the tendency to tell people to choose practical majors. I admit, I have fallen into that camp. With that said, here is an interesting perspective on why we may not wish to go that route.

Jesus>religion--I have seen this video, entitled Jesus>religion, show up about 100 times on Facebook, though I would bet that most people haven't shared it with their unbelieving friends (watch the video, this statement will make more sense). Several blogs I follow have also heralded this video. First, let me say I think this is a great video. The poet talks about justification and God's love for us. I love the poetry and I love the message. The message is excellent, and important. I admit, though, I initially hesitated to watch the video because I don't want to hear one more "religion sucks" message. I don't want to hear another, "see we Christians are cool too, not like those other guys" message. Christians are different. Also, we must not forget that Christianity is a religion. I hope this article by Greg Koukl will shed some more light on this theme. Watch the video. Be edified by it. But know that words matter and we must consider whether we actually mean what we are saying.

Perhaps Jesus>legalism would have been a more accurate title, but probably not quite as well received.

Eyes around and within

2012-01-12T17:29:00.002-06:00

Sometimes as I read through the 10 chapters in the Grant Horner plan, certain themes or words stand out. Today, the word "eyes" showed up in 5 of the 10 chapters.

In Matthew 20, Jesus was again being followed by a large crowd of people as he often was. Two blind men called out to him, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" He turned to them and asked what they wanted him to do. They said, "let our eyes be opened" and he took pity upon them, restoring their sight (Matthew 20:29-34). After reading this first passage, I was reflecting that, as a believer, Christ has done this for me as well. He has given me eyes to see him.

In Revelation 4, there are 4 living creatures in the throne room of God. It says that they are "full of eyes in front and behind" (Rev 4:6) and "full of eyes around and within" (Rev 4:8). As I was meditating on this passage, I was wondering to myself, what was God revealing to John when he showed him these many-eyed creatures surrounding the throne of heaven? I suspect that these creatures were given many eyes to behold the infinite majesty of God. Later in verse 8, we discover that these creatures, night and day, cry out in praise to God, "holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come." These created beings were presumably also created to see and what they saw drove them to cry out in praise of the Glorious One.

In a final passage (Daniel 5), King Belshazzar was partying with his friends. He called for the vessels from the Jewish temple to be brought in so that he and his lovers might drink from them. In Daniel 5:4, it says, "They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone." Just then, however, a human hand appeared and wrote on the wall, terrifying the king. No one could read the message. They lacked the eyes to see. Daniel was called in. He told the king that God punished the pride of his father Nebuchadnezzar, yet Belshazzar refused to live in remembrance of what happened to his dad. He was proud and idolatrous. Like his father, Belshezzar refused to honor the God who held his breath in his hands. He refused to give glory to the one to whom all glory was due. He refused to open his eyes.

Every day, we live in a world surrounded by blind people. We serve the gods and gold and silver, and celebrity, and fame, and sex. Pray that God would open the eyes of unbelievers and that he would open ours ever wider to behold his glory.

Daily Reading: Matthew 20, Numbers 23, 1 Corinthians 7, Revelation 4, Song of Solomon 6, Psalm 145, Proverbs 26, 1 Chronicles 27, Daniel 5, Acts 5

Daily Morsels-January 12, 2012

2012-01-12T10:13:00.000-06:00

10 reasons your kids might think you are no fun--Doug Wilson shares 10 short statements about why kids might think their parents are not fun. 4 and 5 were my favorites: You think that telling stories at the dinner table is weird and you think that laughter at the dinner table is even weirder.

Book Review: When people are big, and God is small

2012-01-11T20:05:00.002-06:00

I like Ed Welch. He's a clinical neuropsychologist by training, but his heart is for the gospel. He is currently a faculty member at CCEF. I've read and reviewed a few of his books in the past including A Banquet in the Grave and Blame it on the Brain. This book, When people are big and God is small: Overcoming peer pressure, codependency, and the fear of man (1997), may be my favorite thus far. In the book, Welch addresses the broken concepts of the popular self-esteem and codependency movements. He provides a biblical critique of the psychological needs theories that have dominated the self-help movement for too long. Welch sees many of the problems we encounter in relationships as resulting from an underdeveloped fear of God and an overdeveloped fear of man. He suggests that when we fear God rightly, we will be less prone to fearing the opinions of others. Briefly, he wrote, "the person who fears God will fear nothing else." This is a well-written, gospel-centered book that will help you to refine your understanding of the fear of God. 4 stars.

Daily Morsels-January 11, 2012

2012-01-11T19:50:00.000-06:00

We must try harder--Ed Welch offers some great insight on the tendency among believers to live the mantra, I must try harder. Welch counters, "Life in Jesus, however, is restless rest, with the accent on rest. Faith, which is the primary human response to God, means that we trust him and not ourselves. More specifically, faith means, 'Jesus, help!' And this is very different from a foundational belief, 'I must try harder.'"

God's Sovereignty in Politics

2012-01-11T06:46:00.001-06:00

The Republican primaries are in full swing with Mitt Romney taking both Iowa and New Hampshire. Perhaps he is your candidate. Perhaps not. (If you are a Republican, he will be soon enough). Maybe you do not care who wins because you are an Obama backer. Whatever the case, people can get really worked up about politics. It used to be every 4 years. Now it seems that every few months, people are getting hot under the collar when it comes to politics.

On the one hand, I am glad to see people demonstrating more civic interest. It seems that we are finally coming out of a long period of apathy. People are making their voices heard. On the other hand, as Christians, we need to have a biblically grounded perspective.

As I was reading this morning, two passages highlighted God's sovereignty in establishing rulers and kingdoms. As Daniel is again interpreting the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, he ultimately has to share some bad news with the king, essentially that he would lose his kingdom for a time. In Daniel 4:25, he says, "you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will." Make sure you appreciate the end of the verse. God rules the kingdoms of men and he gives those kingdoms to whom he will. God oversees all governments. He establishes all thrones by his sovereign hand.

The second passage I read this morning was from Acts 4:27-28. The gathered believers prayed, "for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." In this prayer, we learn that Herod and Pontius Pilate, who together approved the murder of Jesus, were predestined to their positions by the sovereign God of the universe.

Sometimes, when someone not to their liking is elected, I think Christians believe that God is in heaven shaking his head at our stupidity. I think Christians believe that God wishes we had chosen more wisely. But God's sovereignty leaps from the pages of scripture from the beginning to the end. Obama is president because God allowed him to be. Romney won the first two primaries because God sovereignly ordained him to do so. Scott Walker is facing a recall election in Wisconsin because God permits it. Whether he is recalled or not will ultimately be a part of God's sovereign design.

So as Christians, we should get out and vote. God ordained that process too. We should speak passionately about the issues, ideally grounding them in biblical authority. But we must recognize that God is ultimately in control not only of the final outcome, but the details as well.

Daily Reading: Matthew 19, Numbers 22, 1 Corinthians 6, Revelation 3, Song of Solomon 5, Psalm 144, Proverbs 25, 1 Chronicles 26, Daniel 4, Acts 4

Daily Morsels-January 10, 2012

2012-01-10T16:09:00.000-06:00

Eugenics for a new day--Amy Hall has an essay about the advancement of eugenics, the failed field of social Darwinism. She writes, "The lesson that should have been learned in the first round of eugenics was not merely that people's liberty to create offspring shouldn't be violated, but also that the idea itself of a designer society is repulsive and unnatural, an affront to humanity. It teaches you not to view children as separate, distinct human beings placed under your care for a time (and valuable apart from you), but instead turns them into interchangeable accessories to be rummaged through, then bought and sold, according to whatever outfit you're seeking to match." Gattica anyone?

For Brad and Pam--This link has tons of deals on Kindle books. I am posting it for my friends Brad and Pam. If you, coincidentally, have a Kindle, you may wish to try some of these too. (Let me particularly plug Sproul's 1 & 2 Peter commentary).

Can we stop being weird about Tebow?--Stephen Altrogge is right on when he asks this question. Can we stop being weird about him? Yes, he threw for 316 yards. Excellent, but it is likely coincidence. Altrogge writes, "saying that passing for 316 yards is a sign from God makes Christians look weird for the wrong reasons." Right on.

Praying the Bible

2012-01-10T12:33:00.004-06:00

I feel like I cheated a little bit this morning by reposting something I wrote a few years ago. I thought I would take the opportunity to give an example of something that I have been doing recently with the Grant Horner program/3650 Challenge. Each day, as I read through the 10 chapters, I write down a verse that strikes me in a particular way. When I am done reading, I pray through those verses. I think it is a good practice to speak God's words back to him. I also think that it helps us to remember what we are reading. So, as an example, here are the verses I wrote down this morning and (approximately) how I prayed through them.

Matthew 18:4--Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Father in heaven, I thank you that you love children and childlike faith. So often, my pride runs away with me. I assume that I am what I am based on my own strength and that keeps me from approaching you humbly. Lord, grant me the humility of a child that allows me to know that you are the ultimate provider and that I can rest fully in you.

Numbers 21:5--And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”

God, it is so easy to look at the Hebrew people and scoff at their error, wondering how they could grumble so much so soon after having been freed from slavery. But I confess that I too grumble, looking longingly back at Egypt. Forgive me for the sin of grumbling. Grant me eyes to see the mercy you have bestowed by freeing me from my slavery to sin. Teach me, O Lord, to trust in you, that even in the desert, you are sovereign and good.

1 Corinthians 5:12--For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?

God, help me to understand the difference between a haughty judgmental attitude and biblical exhortation. The world loves to remind Christians of their favorite verse, "do not judge." Indeed, God, you are the judge of the world. Teach me to love my unbelieving neighbor and to confess my critical attitude to you. Lord teach me also to balance truth and love as I talk with my brothers and sisters in Christ. According to this verse, Lord, we believers are to judge one another. We are to hold one another to the standards that you have set forth, but allow me to do so with grace and love. I pray also that you would allow those outside your fold to be brought into saving grace so that they do not have to face your eternal judgment.

Revelation 2:4--But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Lord, I confess that I do not entirely understand what this verse means. Grant me clarity, that I might know what you mean by "the love you had at first". If you mean the love for Christ, grant that I may never lose the love I have for you. Teach me always to love Christ, to find joy in my salvation through his work. Forgive me for times when I fall away from that first love.

Song of Solomon 4:7--You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.

God, what a beautiful picture of a husband's love toward his wife. I am reminded that the wife is aware of her flaws, yet the husband beholds his wife as a flawless beauty. Thank you for the flawless beauty of my wife God. Each day with her is a gift and I grow more and more in love with her. By your grace, you have given me a heart shaped perfectly for her. She is truly a part of me and I thank you for granting me the gift of marriage to my best friend, my beautiful bride. Keep my eyes for her only. Protect me from the vile images that threaten to assault from every side. Keep our marriage bed always pure by your sustaining grace.

Psalm 143:6--I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

God, I know of what David speaks. Each day, drinking at the well of your word, I desire you more. As my thirst for you is satisfied, I become thirstier still. Quench me, fill me, satisfy me Lord.

Proverbs 24:11--Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

God my heart aches for my loved ones who don't know you. They have no idea they are "stumbling to the slaughter." They do not see that you are their only comfort in life and in death. They trample upon your name. They blaspheme you. God save them. Pull them back from the pit. God, if I can be your instrument in their salvation, grant me the boldness and the words I need to communicate the truth of your word and your work. Lord, I also pray specifically for my children. Grace and Ian have professed their faith in you. Help me to lead them to continue to pursue you. Keep them from being taken away to death.

1 Chronicles 25:1--David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals.

Thank you for music God. Thank you for men like David and Asaph who wrote down psalms for our edification. I praise you that you have allowed us to be singers, God and that we have the privilege of glorifying you with song.

Daniel 3:17-18--If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Spirit, grant me a persevering faith like these three young men. I am amazed by their stalwart dedication to you and their refusal to bow to false God's even upon the threat of death. Lord, I do not know what the future holds for Christians, but I pray that you would grant me this kind of faith in the face of opposition.

Acts 3:15--and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

God, I am humbled to know that my sins too served to kill the Author of life, that my sinfulness nailed you to the cross. Thank you for your forgiveness and your steadfast love toward me. God, I pray that I may be a witness to the resurrected Christ as well, and that others may know his grace and love toward sinners.

I then continue on praying for my family and the days events, but I think this has been particularly edifying for me. Regardless of the reading plan you are following, praying the scriptures will likely prove beneficial.

Repost: Uncompromising Men

2012-01-10T06:35:00.001-06:00

For my reflections on the 3650 challenge, I was going to write about something else this morning, but this story about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo kept coming back around as I thought about what to write. Particularly after yesterday's post about Daniel's faith, this seems like a worthwhile follow up. Rather than re-crafting the story, I thought I would re-post this essay I wrote about 2 years ago with the title of "Uncompromising Men".

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yesterday, I watched Braveheart, my all-time favorite movie. William Wallace was described at one point in the movie as “uncompromising.” I want to share 2 more stories about uncompromising men.

First, in Daniel 3, we read of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo--3 of the young Hebrew men brought into King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace when he seiged Israel. These 3 young men, probably in their teens or early 20s, were commanded to bow down to the golden image created by the King just like everyone else in the kingdom, but they refused. The king was furious and told them they would be tossed into a furnace if they didn’t comply. In verses 16-18, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.'” The furnace was kindled 7 times hotter. The men who carried these three to the furnace were consumed by the heat and died. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo were delivered. They were uncompromising.

Second, there was an early church father named Polycarp who fought for the truth of scripture, rejecting early church heresies. He managed to live into his 80s when he was finally apprehended by the Roman government. The Roman proconsul asked him to proclaim “Cesar is Lord”. He refused. Polycarp was subsequently burned at the stake and when his captors were going to nail him to the stake to secure him, he said, “Leave me as I am. For He who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved, without the security you desire from nails." Though he died, Polycarp was uncompromising.

There are a few differences between these stories. In the first, the men were young, in the second he was old. In the first, they lived, in the second he died. There were also similarities between them. In both cases, men were unabashedly committed to following God. In both cases, an oppressive ruler was commanding them to worship someone else. In both cases, the men were offered a final way out. In both cases, the men refused. They weren’t concerned about following the social order. They weren’t looking around to see how other guys were handling it. They didn’t care what other people thought of them. They were uncompromising.

Gentlemen, we live in a society where men who compromise are not only accepted but celebrated. We are allowed to proclaim staunch commitment (in other words worship) to football, NASCAR, or hunting, but when we say that Jesus is the only way to salvation, we are cast aside as insensitive. Relativism rules. Even American churches, we are encouraged to compromise. We are told, "You have your idea of God, I’ll have mine." Men, God calls us to step up. God calls us to follow Him wholeheartedly. We are told to lead (I Cor 11). We are told to pray (I Timothy 2:8 ). We are called to be uncompromising.

In Luke 9:62 , Jesus says “no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” These men above, did not look back. They kept their focus right.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who was also killed by the Nazis. He said, “Besides Jesus, nothing has any significance. He alone matters.” Men, be uncompromising about the only thing that matters, Jesus Christ.

Daily Reading: Matthew 18, Numbers 21, 1 Corinthians 5, Revelation 2, Song of Solomon 4, Psalm 143, Proverbs 24, 1 Chronicles 25, Daniel 3, Acts 3

Daily Morsels-January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T18:35:00.002-06:00

Do you like football better than Jesus?--John Piper has good advice for talking to folks who seem more interested in football, movies, or clothing than Jesus. He writes, "Here’s my suggestion. Instead of dampening their enthusiasm for movies, clothing, apps, and events, let that go as an expression of God-given personality. Instead, model expressive joy in Jesus." This is a message I need to figure out.

More thoughts on family worship--This post excerpts some of RC Sproul Jr's thoughts on family worship times.

Who breathes fire?--Al Mohler shares his reflections about cosmologist Stephen Hawking.

Daniel's mustard seed faith

2012-01-09T06:40:00.000-06:00

I am awed by the truly faithful. I believe in God with all my heart. I believe that Jesus Christ was God who came in flesh, lived a perfect life and died for my sins some 2000 years ago on the cross. In fact, my life is grounded on that Rock. I believe I have been forgiven for my sins and that the Holy Spirit has been gifted to me (Acts 2:38). Yet sometimes, I read the stories in the Bible and I am awed by the faith I see.

In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream. He called for the magicians, enchanters, and sorcerers to interpret his dream. However, they were not only to interpret it, they were to tell him what his dream was. If they could not perform, they faced death; specifically, he told them they would be torn limb from limb and their houses would be laid to ruins. They recognized the sheer impossibility of the task.

Daniel received the details of the king's request and he asked to see the king. Daniel 2:16 reads, "And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king." What is truly amazing though is that God had not yet revealed the dream to Daniel. His faith in the sovereign provision of God allowed him to request audience without knowing all the details, trusting that God would provide. The rest of the story shows that Daniel asked his friends to pray for him and he also sought God in prayer. God does reveal the dream and the interpretation to Daniel, who in turn gives it to the king, directing all glory to God. Daniel truly stepped out in faith. He had confidence in God's provision and God did provide.

Flash forward a few hundred years and we read of the faith of the disciples of Jesus (Matthew 17:14-20). They tried to heal a young boy with seizures, but they could not. Jesus does so immediately. When they ask him why they failed, he replies, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

Daniel had that kind of faith. May the Spirit grant the rest of us who proclaim the name of Christ that kind of faith as well.

Daily Reading: Matthew 17, Numbers 20, 1 Corinthians 4, Revelation 1, Song of Solomon 3, Psalm 142, Proverbs 23, 1 Chronicles 24, Daniel 2, Acts 2

Mercy for doubters

2012-01-08T06:30:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, I forget what a good little book Jude is. Tucked in right before Revelation, it is easy to gloss over. Jesus' half-brother issues a strong exhortation to the believers to hold fast to the faith in the midst of an unbelieving, and often antagonistic, world (Jude 17-21). He cautions that unbelieving false teachers will even creep into the church and subvert the true gospel of Jesus Christ (Jude 4). Today, though, I was particularly struck by Jude 22, which says, "And have mercy on those who doubt."

Jude knows that in this world filled with "boasters and malcontents", there will be those who are filled with seeds of doubt. They may want to believe, but are trying desperately to find truth in the cacophonous messages proffered by an unbelieving world.

As Christians, we have the message of life. Contend for that faith that you have (Jude 3), but do so with mercy.

Daily Reading: Matthew 16, Numbers 19, 1 Corinthians 3, Jude, Song of Solomon 2, Psalm 141, Proverbs 22, 1 Chronicles 23, Daniel 1, Acts 1

Daily Morsels-January 7, 2012

2012-01-07T08:48:00.000-06:00

I have just one morsel to share today. I share only this one because I want everyone to read it. It is an essay entitled "My Better Half" from RC Sproul Jr, whose wife died just a couple of weeks ago and that much too early. As a husband whose wife had cancer, I can truly feel the melancholy he must be experiencing. I cannot read this without tears flowing. Yet, by God's grace, my wife remains. I have re-posted the entire essay, but if you want to go to the original source, you may find it here. Sproul writes,

Children, and their parents, crave stability. When their world is rocked by change, they are comforted by that which remains the same. I have been reminding my children of late that the loss of their mother, for all the pain, doesn’t mean that everything has changed. Indeed when I put my littles to bed each night I, as I have always done, remind them of these bedrock truths, “Daddy loves you. Mommy loves you. Daddy and Mommy love each other. And Jesus loves you.” These are the unchanging truths they can always count on, the solid ground on which they walk. We that are left behind are still together. And I am still me.

I am afraid, however, that I am not still me. This melancholy that follows me about like a cloud hovering over Charlie Brown, that’s not me. Waking up with less energy than when I went to sleep, that’s not me. Uninterested in food, that’s definitely not me. I don’t recognize myself in the mirror. Neither do I hear my own voice in what I write. It’s a stranger that sits here crying in my office.

This should not have surprised me. I have long decried our arrogant and modernist tendency in the Reformed world to turn God’s own ontological poetry into mere metaphor. God says the church is the body of Christ and we, instead of entering into the reality that the church is the body of Christ, we reduce it down to “Be nice to each other.” I, however, am guilty as well.

The Bible says that husbands and wives are one flesh. Christian marriage pundits turn this too into “Be nice to each other.” That is, we are told about the importance of open communication. We are encouraged to be as concerned for our spouse as we are for ourselves. We, in rephrasing what God has said so that we might understand it, end up further from the truth. We are not commanded to live as if we were one flesh. Instead we are told that such is the actual truth. The one-flesh reality means that I haven’t just lost the love of my life, but half of me. How could I recognize me, when I am now only half the man I once was? It isn’t quite accurate to say that when she drew her last breath a part of me died. Instead, half of me died.

The good news, however, is the same. Half of me has died, and is with Jesus. Half of me has no melancholy, but only joy. Half of me cries no more. Half of me sins no more. Half of me loves me, and the children, with a perfect love. Mourning, over the coming weeks and months, will move to dancing, as this half of me begins to more deeply believe the blessings I have in my better half.

I love Denise all the way to heaven and back. She in turn loves me all the way from heaven and back. And Jesus loves us both as the great bridge that not only brought us together, but keeps us together. May these gospel truths give me gentle sleep tonight.

Building a legacy

2012-01-07T08:20:00.000-06:00

David wanted to build the temple, but because of his years of war, God did not permit him (1 Chronicles 17:1-15), promising instead that his son Solomon would build it. Yet David, a man who deeply loved God, did not throw up his hands and cast aside his vision when he learned he would not be the one to build it. Instead, he provided the necessary scaffolding for his son. He worked diligently to ensure that Solomon would have what he needed when the time came because he recognized his son, was "young and in experienced" (1 Chronicles 22:5) and the temple would need to be "exceedingly magnificent". As Christians, we can learn a lot about parenting from David's provision for Solomon.

First, he provided materially. David ensured that Solomon would have sufficient building supplies when the time came for him to build the temple. He provided cut stone, wood, and iron, and bronze "beyond weighing" for the temple (v. 2-4). David knew what would be needed for the project and he set to providing it for him.

As parents, providing materially for our children's spiritual walk is also important. Ensuring that they have Bibles will help provide scaffolding for their growth. Beyond this, exposing them to good literature, music, and art, Christian or not, will encourage their growth.

Second, he provided a story. In verses 6-10, David tells his son about God, specifically about God's plan for David, Solomon, and the temple. He explains to him that God has not permitted him to build the temple, but that Solomon is to build it. Solomon can see that his father's heart is dedicated to the things of God (v. 7). Through this story, David is able to demonstrate how important God is to him. David also demonstrates the story is not finished, that it continues with Solomon.

As parents, we also should share our story with our children. We should be diligent to teach them about how God has worked, and is continuing to work, in our lives. We should not stop there, though. As we share our history, we should not conclude with "the end." Rather, we should project our story into the future, reminding our children that God wants them in the story.

Third, he provided instruction. Actually, David offers a benediction of sorts (v. 11-16). "Now, my son, the LORD be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as he has spoken concerning you. Only, may the LORD grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the LORD your God. Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. With great pains I have provided for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add. You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! The LORD be with you!” David grounds his blessing in the power of God to do what he has commanded. He desires wisdom for his son and encourages him to hold to the word of the Lord. He does not stop there; he tells him to "arise and work." Solomon is not just to ponder the wisdom of God, he is to actually move forward in building the temple; nor is he to charge ahead without wisdom. Rather, David encouraged work wisely grounded.

Christian parents are also to wisely instruct our children. David offers a benedictory prayer of sorts. He gives blessing and instruction, grounded in the word of the Lord. Pray for your kids. Pray with your kids. Instruct them in the way they are to go.

Finally, he provided helpers. In verse 17, we read that "David commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son."

The Christian church is a body of believers, a community. We should not expect to go it alone in our parenting. We should seek help and encouragement from others, just as we provide help and encouragement to them.

Daily Reading: Matthew 15, Numbers 18, 1 Corinthians 2, 3 John, Song of Solomon 1, Psalm 140, Proverbs 21, 1 Chronicles 22, Ezekiel 48, Romans 16

Yes, the cross, but...

2012-01-06T06:42:00.001-06:00

Ideas are everywhere. Advertisers seek to sell us the best new thing. Scientists seek for the latest discovery, hoping to add another reference to their curriculum vitae. Drug users seek the next greatest high. Always the message is, "give me something new."

Churches too have been affected, or perhaps infected, by this mentality. Seeking to fill people's next temporal whim, they continually tinker with their programming, music, and even their preaching to give the people what they claim to want. The seeker-sensitive church movement, though their formative intentions were probably right and noble, have often drifted from the message they loved at first trading the precious jewels of the gospel for trinkets from a gumball machine. Unfortunately, many of the "seekers" have realized that the trinkets these churches offer in place of the gospel are just bits of garbage sold for a quarter. Who wants that?

What was Paul's message? Always, always the gospel. Even when he spoke of other things it was with the gospel clearly in sight. He understood that the only hope for Jews and Gentiles was through the power of the cross. In 1 Corinthians 1:20-25, Paul writes, "Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

The church doesn't need something new. It needs the cross. It may seem foolish, but God is pleased to use it's message. The most successful church planter in history understood that, perhaps the rest of us should too.

Daily Reading: Matthew 14, Numbers 17, 1 Corinthians 1, 2 John, Ecclesiastes 12, Psalm 139, Proverbs 20, 1 Chronicles 21, Ezekiel 47, Romans 15

Book Review-Gospel Wakefulness

2012-01-05T19:31:00.000-06:00

I've been waiting a while to read this book--since well before it was released actually. Gospel Wakefulness (2011) by Jared Wilson is one of several recent books calling Christians back to the gospel. Wilson is a good writer. He's combines his wisdom with a writing style that makes him fun to read. In this book, he also shares his heart, which adds richness to the book.

Starting at the books conclusion, his friend said to him, "I feel like all this gospel-centered this and gospel-centered that is just our version of 'smurfy'". Wilson doesn't think so and I hope he is right. This book demonstrates the centrality of the gospel in all things. I never get tired of it and it is clear that Wilson does not either.

The influences of Luther, Piper, and Edwards come through in this book. (At times, perhaps Brother Lawrence as well). Wilson is clearly a student of Calvinism, but not just any Calvinism--the Calvinism that beholds the majesty of God, basking in the wonder of his never ending glory. He writes, "there are only two steps to gospel wakefulness: be utterly broken and utterly awed. But neither of these things are things you can really do. They are things only God can do for you" (p. 35). His gospel wakefulness has a necessary dependence upon a gracious God.

Wilson also suggests "one of the marks of gospel wakefulness is the failure of anything else to thrill the soul like the gospel" (p. 59). I know where he is coming from. The gospel fills my thoughts--it fills my affections--yet I long for a deeper and deeper filling of God.

Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed were the stories from his gospel wakened friends. "Andrew's Story" was particularly moving (p. 162ff). Andrew is a young man who has suffered with a deep depression. He reflects on the the holy week. He writes, "I'm so afraid. The thought of my God asphyxiating on a Roman cross is too much. The image of him lifeless, wrapped in a burial shroud--the blood is not even wet--hurts so much that I can barely breathe. Man himself has killed his only hope. To see all-surpassing Love and to beat it without mercy, to nail it senselessly to a slab of poorly fashioned wood--what is despair if it is not that? It's sickening. When Love is gone, what is there left to believe in?

"But Easter Sunday always comes. It comes while the world sleeps. It comes with the gentle fury that only God almighty could bring to pass. In the twilight of the world's end, we have the subversion of death itself. It happened here on this earth. No one even knew.

"I cannot grasp it. It is too unbelievable, to unreal, to imagine. To bring life out of nothingness. It cuts me so deep. Hope resounds even in the darkest corners of the earth. That Love could defeat cruelty, misery, fear, suffering--can you believe that?

"Even the darkest night will turn to morning. The sun is always rising. Even the worst sinners can be made clean. Evil--Death itself--obliterated by Love. Saturday is over, Sunday is here."

Does this move you? Does the gospel rock your world? Or do you find yourself racing through your quiet time so that you can "get on" with your day? Do you wish the pastor would hurry up so you can start watching the game? Do you skip out on singing at church or are you holding back the tears, contemplating the wonder of the gospel?

That's what this book is about. 5 stars.

Daily Morsels-January 5, 2012

2012-01-05T18:58:00.000-06:00

Piper's Joyful Calvinism--This essay touches on why I love John Piper and, I think, I like Calvinism. God, and how he is revealed through his word ignite his passions. He writes, "We happy Calvinists don’t claim to get the heavens into our heads. We try to get our heads into the heavens. We don’t claim comprehensive answers to revealed paradoxes. We believe. We try to understand. And we break out into song and poetry again and again."

More cheap e-books-- If you use a kindle, or other e-reader, you can pick up some pretty good deals. The Crossway sale is excellent (they're my favorite publisher). In this list, the book by Josh Moody is a pretty good overview of Galatians. I reviewed it briefly here.

Hitler and evolutionary ethics, part 3--Here is the third and final installment of Richard Weikhart's analysis of Hitler and evolutionary ethics.

Joy in dark times

2012-01-05T18:20:00.000-06:00

So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many.-Ecclesiastes 11:8

According to the dictionary definition, to rejoice means "to show or feel great joy or delight." Sometimes, though, I think society promotes misguided causes for rejoicing. In the video below, listen to what the people say brings them joy--relationships, work, the beach, a magazine. Can a person still rejoice when all of those things are taken away, as they were for Job? Is true joy still possible?

Ecclesiastes 11:8 initially seems to uphold the modern mindset. If we live many years, we are to rejoice in all of them. We are to feel great delight throughout our lives. Most of us, I suspect, understand the wish to always experience great delight. We want life to be a never ending river of happiness, delights, and temporal pleasures. Even many churches sell this message--if you just pray hard enough, or give enough money, God will bless you materially.

Yet the next phrase seems to grind against the first. We rejoice in all of our years, but there will be many dark days? How are we to reconcile those two seemingly disparate ideas? Cancer comes. Jobs are lost. Loved ones die. Dark days. Yet we are to rejoice in them?

How can we find rejoice in days of darkness? We rejoice not because of the fleeting trinkets the world offers, but we rejoice because our hope is in the God of our salvation.

Even in the days of darkness.

    Though the fig tree should not blossom,
        nor fruit be on the vines,
    the produce of the olive fail
        and the fields yield no food,
    the flock be cut off from the fold
        and there be no herd in the stalls,
    yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
        I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
    GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
        he makes my feet like the deer's;
        he makes me tread on my high places.
    To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
-Habakkuk 3:17-19 ESV

Daily Reading: Matthew 13, Numbers 16, Hebrews 13, 1 John 5, Ecclesiastes 11, Psalm 138, Proverbs 19, 1 Chronicles 20, Ezekiel 46, Romans 14

Daily Morsels-January 4, 2012

2012-01-04T09:47:00.000-06:00

Easy-believism is near beer--Jared Wilson writes about easy versus hard-believism. American churches, certainly since the last century, have sold a form of easy-believism whereby people proclaim faith, yet show none of the markings of being a Christ follower. Admittedly, this is a difficult distinction; it is hard to read an essay like this and not fall into the trap of legalism or, on the flip side, to cast the pursuit of holiness aside while proclaiming freedom in Christ. "In the end, the essential trust here is not that our 'life change' justifies us, but that those whom God justifies, he sanctifies. We trust that God is pleased to credit Christ's perfect righteousness to our account, but that he is also pleased to actually make us righteous, to faithfully complete the work he began in us, to Spiritually plant and grow righteousness in our lives. The Bible calls this fruit, and it is by this fruit that we are known as Christians. This is not a denial of grace, but an affirmation of real grace, of the only grace there is, which is the grace that comes in the gospel that is power."

Does Ephesians 5:12 affect you?--I suspect this essay from Carl Trueman, though not directly stated as such, is in some way a response to Mark and Grace Driscoll's new book, Real Marriage. Thankfully, however, Trueman casts his net wider than just the current target. Ephesians 5:12 reads, "For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret." Trueman writes, "I have often in the past stood with those who laughed at what we regarded as the ignorant, unsophisticated taboos of the older generation. But now I worry about the ease with which the rising generation talks explicitly of 'the fruitless deeds of darkness' in the name of cultural engagement, fear of being thought passé or simply a desire to slough off the legalisms of their fathers in the faith. You can, after all, get to heaven without ever having seen an R-Rated art house movie or having enjoyed a spectacular love life."

Learn from the older men first--Paul Martin has a provocative essay on learning from older men. He writes, "When Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, began his reign, theScriptures tell of how he consulted first with the old men, then with 'theyoung men who had grown up with him' on how he ought to rule. This was a matterof wisdom – the application of truth to a certain situation. There werespecific principles for the kings of Israel to follow, but Rehoboam’s questionwas more in the line of ethos or style. What would his reign feel and looklike. 1 Kings 12 goes to rather extensive pains to show that Rehoboam’s folly was in listening to the young men,rather than the old men. And this notion holds true in general."

Two essays on naturalistic ethics--The first is a follow up to yesterday's post and the other a critique of prescriptive Darwinism.

Don't be a fool--Brian Auten offers 10 pitfalls of the foolish apologist.

The foolish apologist speaks before listening.
The foolish apologist overstates his argument
The foolish apologist wants to win every point
The foolish apologist chases red herrings
The foolish apologist is proud of himself
The foolish apologist seeks popularity.
The foolish apologist neglects spiritual disciplines.
The foolish apologist has not love.
The foolish apologist isolates himself from others.
The foolish apologist doesn't do apologetics.

Use your strength on your people

2012-01-04T06:46:00.002-06:00

Last night, we had the singles group at our house and we talked about marriage together with the members of our small group. One of the questions they asked had to do with fostering friendships once married. I communicated to them that I have seen my relationships change since married and that it is often difficult to maintain them in the same way. But that doesn't mean they aren't worth fighting for.

A dear friend of mine is very good at intentionally fostering relationships with friends and loving them well. I explained that for me, it is much easier to fall into the rut of not calling others, not pursuing them. This morning, I was struck by 1 John 4:20 says, "if anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen." This leads me to ask myself, am I loving my brothers and sisters well or am I, like the writer of Proverbs says isolating myself so as to seek out my own desires (Proverbs 18:1).

I am challenged to do a better job of intentionally pursuing relationships with others whom I do not normally interact with at church. I specifically need to pray that God enables me to love well those whom I would not normally seek out. 1 Chronicles 19:13 says, "be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him."

Let us use our strength for our people.

Daily Reading: Matthew 12, Numbers 15, Hebrews 12, 1 John 4, Ecclesiastes 10, Psalm 137, Proverbs 18, 1 Chronicles 19, Ezekiel 45, Romans 13

Daily Morsels-January 3, 2012

2012-01-03T11:28:00.000-06:00

They're probably still pagans--In a provocative article entitled "The next Billy Graham might be drunk right now", Russell Moore offers a great deal of hope. He notes that the next leaders in the church may want nothing to do with God right now. "Whenever I’m tempted to despair about the shape of American Christianity, I’m reminded that Jesus never promised the triumph of the American church; he promised the triumph of the church. Most of the church, in heaven and on earth, isn’t American. Maybe the hope of the American church is right now in Nigeria or Laos or Indonesia.

"Jesus will be King, and his church will flourish. And he’ll do it in the way he chooses, by exalting the humble and humbling the exalted, and by transforming cowards and thieves and murderers into the cornerstones of his New City.

"So relax.

"And, be kind to that atheist in front of you on the highway, the one who just shot you an obscene gesture. He might be the one who evangelizes your grandchildren."

The Best of January--Tim Challies has a Top 5 Christian blog. He has been writing since 2004. In this post, he has compiled writings from each January since 2004. It will be interesting to read through and see the progression of his writing and theology.

Free Tabletalk--Ligonier Ministries is offering, for free, the electronic version of their Tabletalk devotional. I have been using this devotional for over a year and it has been a real blessing to me. This year, the stated theme is to walk through the Heidelberg Chatechism, which is one of the top 5 books Michael Horton says every Christian should read.

Hitler was OK--Richard Weikart at Credo Magazine writes about the evolutionary development of ethics. In an evolutionary context, there is no such thing as objective morality. In an evolutionary context, there was nothing wrong with what Hitler did. In an evolutionary context, there is absolutely nothing wrong with torturing babies for fun. And yet...and yet...no one lives that way.

What of faith?

2012-01-03T06:37:00.003-06:00

God's word is a never ending well spring. I never cease to be amazed when I read passages that I have read dozens of times and they strike me in a new way. I read Romans 12 this morning and verse 3 says "for by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned" (Romans 12:3). What really struck me this morning was the tail end of that verse, where it reads "each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." I have two thoughts.

First, there seems to me a strong tendency among believers to gaze outward as a measure of faith rather than upward and inward. Many of us look at others and compare our faith with theirs. On the one hand, we may see some who appear much more holy than we do and become discouraged, or even question our own salvation. On the other hand, we may look at others who claim to follow Christ yet seem much less righteous than we do. Both represent forms of legalism and judgment. According to this verse, however, God assigns faith in measure. Some may have more, some less. The command is that we are each to use our gifts for the kingdom in proportion to our faith. Romans 12:6 reads, "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith." I think Matthew's account of the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9) also captures this differential fruit bearing among believers.

Second, I have mentioned to others in the past that according to the construction of Ephesians 2:8-9, faith is also a gift of God. We don't receive salvation because of faith that comes from us, the faith we have is also a gift. This verse from Romans would seem to support the notion that faith is granted to believers. It reads "according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." To assign means to appoint or ascribe. Our faith, and the measure of it, is assigned to us by God. We believe in God because he appoints us to believe. We have faith because God appoints faith to us.

Let us read God's word for what it says and ascribe praise to his name for the faith that he grants by his grace.

2012-01-02T20:09:00.001-06:00

A few days ago, I received A.W. Pink's The Sovereignty of God (1918) as a Christmas gift from my mother. I recently read somewhere that this classic work remains one of the best defenses of Calvinism. Indeed, Pink is mostly a strong thinker, grounding himself consistently in Scripture. A frustration I have encountered when talking with people on either side of this issue is that they base their positions on what others have said or what they believe makes the most sense emotionally or logically. Pink rightly encourages Christians to read verses in context, which often lends a great deal of clarity regarding the extent of God's sovereign will.

There are times when I think he casts some arguments out of hand without considering them carefully enough. The difficulties and objections chapter, for example, could provide a more robust detailed defense of his position. I still think that R.C Sproul's Chosen by God remains a better read regarding God's sovereignty for most readers, but Pink's work is a classic for God reason. 3 stars.

Daily Morsels-December 2, 2012

2012-01-02T08:07:00.000-06:00

Glory Gluttons--Jen Smidt writes about the tendency to become a "glory glutton" seeking the praise and approval of man. She shares, "I was born a glory glutton. I have always had an uncanny ability to make everything about me. As a young girl, I dreamt up elaborate schemes that every conversation my parents had with me, each other or even on the phone was all a grand plan to lavish blessing upon me. I was truly obsessed with the thought that I was at the center of the world, grasping and grabbing for attention wherever I could get it. During that same time period, to add confusion to my already sinful heart, I was getting attention from a man that I didn't want. Sexual knowledge, forbidden touch and the awareness of how my body worked was stirred in me far too young." Read the rest here.

Packer's Knowing God for free--Christian audio often has free downloads. This month, it is J.I. Packer's Knowing God. This is a very important book and worth the time to take it in. Packer is often a dense writer, but wrestling through what he writes is time well spent. (HT: Challies).

I deserve nothing--Ligonier just posted their "best of 2011" blog posts. Sinclair Ferguson's post on "Deserving Nothing", taken from his book By Grace Alone is worth the read. He begins, "Religious people are always profoundly disturbed when they discover that they are not, and never have been, true Christians. Does all of 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."

Challies on Real Marriage--One of the most popular Christian bloggers and book reviewers (Tim Challies) reviews a book by one of the most popular Christian pastors (Mark Driscoll) on one of the most popular topics (marriage). If you want to read this book, it is worth reading the review as well.

Don't shrink back

2012-01-02T07:15:00.000-06:00

Learning about apologetics may be one of my favorite past-times. Notice I said reading, not practicing. I have studied the Bible diligently. I know the philosophical arguments for the the existence of God. I see the gaping holes in scientific naturalism. I have amassed a large amount of knowledge, but I rarely share it with non-believers. I suppose that fear of man must play prominently in my hesitation, or a concern that I have not yet learned enough, or general laziness.

As I was reading this morning, I came upon Numbers 13 where the Lord tells Moses to go into Canaan to spy out the land. Upon their return from this land "flowing with milk and honey", Caleb said "let us go up at once and occupy it for we are well able to overcome it" (Num 13:30). Caleb understood the promises of God and had confidence in the plan. Those who accompanied him, however, were unsure. Numbers 13:31 reads, "Then the men who had gone up with him said, 'We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.'"

How often do you feel that way? You find solace in God's word and comfort in a community of believers, yet when you think about moving out of a culture of churchianity (to borrow a phrase from Michael Spencer), you lose your nerve. You begin to think "I am not able to go up against these non-believers for they are stronger than I am."

Pray for boldness and the confidence that only God can provide. He will go with us. His reward to the faithful will endure. Hebrews 10:32-35 reads, "But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward."

When you read these words, what effect do they have? Are you able to envision having an enduring joy even when people are stealing your possessions, damaging your home, or threatening your safety? What about if they simply don't like you? Can you honestly say, with the writer of Hebrews, that your possession is a better one, that Christ is your great reward and that everything else pales in comparison to the surpassing joy of knowing him?

Psalm 135:13-14 says,
Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
        your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
For the LORD will vindicate his people
        and have compassion on his servants.

We are his people and he promises to have compassion on us. He will soothe our fears, strengthen our resolve, and go with us as we bring his word to a world in need of a savior.

White like snow

2012-01-01T14:05:00.001-06:00

(This year, I want to interact on a deeper level with my devotional reading. I continue to follow Grant Horner's reading system, which has been a blessing to me for over 2 years. This year provides the additional fellowship through Tim Challies' 3650 challenge. I am going to try to write about what I am seeing in the text on a regular basis, though I won't promise to do so daily. However, rather than reflecting on each passage, my goal is to identify connections between the text and to write about those. For example, two of the passages I read today were Matthew 9 and 1 John 1. I am going to try diligently to stick to the passages I am reading each day).

She wore her discouragement like a deep red veil. All of her hope was gone as she walked the streets alone. In the past, she sought help wherever it might be found. With each failed treatment, her hope dwindled like so many drops of blood from an unhealing wound. She had exhausted her resources. She had nearly exhausted her faith.

How long had she followed him? What wonders had she seen him perform? Whether a moment or a month, she finally plucked up enough courage to approach him. Matthew 9:20-21 reads, "And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, 'If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.'" Her culture told her she was unclean, but this man had healed others. He forgave their sins. She likely knew that the religious leaders considered him a blasphemer (Matthew 9:2), yet he fixed what was broke and that was a cause for hope.

Her faith was not unfounded. "Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, 'Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.' And instantly the woman was made well." (Matthew 9:22). Jesus, followed by the masses, turned to the woman the masses could not help and he called her daughter. The term is affectionate. Her faith made her his child. Her faith in him made her clean.

He offers healing to the hopeless, fellowship to the faithful. According to 1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." By his wounds, he heals the wounded. By his blood, he cleanses the faithful.

When you feel like this woman, when it seems that all hope is lost, remember that there is one who is eager to call you daughter.

Goals for 2012

2012-01-01T07:39:00.003-06:00

The past 2 years, I have written my goals for the year. Some of them I have accomplished, some not. In 2011, my goals were: 1) to write more frequently, 2) to read more broadly, 3) to yell at my kids less often, 4) to love God and love others more, and 5) to be more organized.

I accomplished 1 and 3 as well as 5 (kind of). I think I fell down on #2. I haven't figured out how to quantify 4--it remains an important goal, however.

This year, I would like to continue to grow in these areas. In particular, I want to continue to push myself to write. I hope to regularly dialogue with my devotional material.

I also plan to buy fewer books. I have many books that I haven't read and several that I want to re-read again.

I want our family to eat out less often. It is rarely a healthy choice and it is expensive. We have been using e-mealz again recently. This program seems to help us keep on track.

More broadly, I want to reflect upon God's grace as a general focus of my life.

Happy New Year.

Daily Morsels-December 31, 2011

2011-12-31T14:42:00.000-06:00

John Piper views the end--This short video brings tears to my eyes. The mind of John Piper has been such a challenge and encouragement to me. I love the opportunity to see his heart as well.

Desiring God Mission Update — with Pastor John from Desiring God on Vimeo.

New Year's Day party--Tomorrow is New Year's Day. It is a Sunday and that is a great reason to celebrate. Erik Raymond reminds us of why Sunday is a more important reason to celebrate than any New Year's Eve.

Top 10 Top 10s--Tim Challies shares his favorite top 10 lists of this year.

Yet another, different reading plan--Joe Carter at first things recommends a different approach to Bible reading. This one is perhaps most similar to John MacArthur's approach.

Tilling hard soil

2011-12-28T08:58:00.000-06:00

Some days, being a dad is hard. Really hard. When my kids are bickering (again), which inevitably leads to tears and blame casting (again), I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility. I know the importance of a father. I see it in the Bible. I see it in the news. I see it in my kid's eyes. Still, in his sovereignty, God has entrusted me with the role of leading and teaching these little ones.

So when I get a phone call at work from my wife who seems ready to throw in the towel in the third round because the fight has been hard that day, I wonder what I am doing wrong. When my son looks me in the eyes and nods as I tell him to listen to his little sister's words and stop wrestling with her, yet he continues on, I sigh and realize that parenting--for me at least--is often really tough.

Particularly during these challenging times as a father, I think of our garden. Heather and Grace wanted a garden last year. I set to tilling the soil and it was tough going. Though enabled with the right tools for the job, I still fought desperately to break up the soil. I had to go over it again and again and again until it was finally ready.

It would be easier if my children's hearts were rich, black topsoil, ready for me to plant God's word. I would like it to take root easily and grow quickly. Their hearts aren't that way, though. They are sinners, just like I am. And according to Ezekiel 11:19, the hearts of sinners are "hearts of stone."

The work of parenting is hard. Breaking up the rocky soil of their hearts is an arduous, ongoing process, but I praise God that he allows me to be a part of it--both the good and the bad. Because on the other side of the process, there is fruit. Grace lovingly serving her brother. The name of Jesus on Tessa's lips. Ian saying that in the next year, he wants to learn more of God's word. Each of these little buds a sign of new growth.

And so I grab my spade and keep working the soil.

I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.-Ezekiel 11:19-20

Daily Morsels-December 28, 2011

2011-12-28T07:04:00.000-06:00

3650 Challenge--I have talked a couple of times about this already, but I want to put in a final (maybe) plug for this. Tim Challies has started a Facebook group based on Grant Horner's reading system, the approach I have used for the last 2+ years. Here he shares some resources. So far, the Facebook group has been active. I pray it still is at this time next year.

Why all the Bible reading?--Dan Phillips has a great post on more of the "why"s of reading the Bible and how to get it done. I tend to harp on this because I believe it is important for all believers to meditate on God's word. In John 8, Jesus tells his disciples, "if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." You cannot abide if you don't know what it says. You cannot know what it says if you are not taking it in some way. He concludes this way, "You've got a good theory. Now do it. Pick a plan. Any plan is better than no plan. Play to your strength. If you're a morning person, read it first thing (this is what I found decades ago to be my path). If not, do it in the evening or midday. There is no law for a time to pick; but there is a law to do it. Pick a plan, pick a time, and do it. Be at it. Do what works. Don't scale the Alps in one day, but do set foot on the slope; and then another, and then another, and then another."

Awkward Accountability--Traylor Lovvorn is dead on as he writes for Covenant Eyes. Christian accountability groups are often uncomfortable. They often feel contrived. Why? Because "true accountability is a by-product of genuine, transparent community and was never intended to be 'stand-alone.'" I have two guys whom I love and who love me. We speak into each others lives. We've been doing it over 2 years. It took a while to get to that genuineness and we keep growing.

Take 30 minutes and write it--Here is an interesting idea from Mark Altrogge. He suggests taking a half-hour and writing down what you can remember happening over the past year.

Book Review: The Symphony of Scripture

2011-12-27T13:41:00.002-06:00

The Symphony of scripture: Making sense of the Bible's many themes by Mark Strom (1990) was required reading for the next class CCEF biblical counseling class I am taking, this one focused on biblical interpretation. It had to be read before the class begins, so I tackled it over this Christmas break. The author provides a survey overview of the Bible, looking for the university in diversity. It is certainly Christocentric in its focus, a major strength of the book. The author cautions against our tendency to interpret details without considering the overall theme of scripture. As Christians, I believe we have the tendency to do this with first things and last things. We try to make sense of the many details grounded in Genesis and Revelation, without realizing the centrality of Christ. For example, Strom rightly points out the central theme of Revelation is not whether people will be literally marked with a 666, or whether it is a literal 1000 years, but that Christ will win and will be restored in the end. Believers are called to persevere, knowing that Jesus has accomplished all, and that God is sovereign. That is the point of Revelation. When we move from that, we end up with things like Left Behind or even worse, Harold Camping.

I admit this book was a hard slog for me. The print was hard on the eyes and Strom was more academic than I (yes, even I) like. He does know his stuff, however. 3.0 stars.

Daily Morsels--December 27, 2011

2011-12-27T06:59:00.000-06:00

We are fragile, but he is not--John Piper has great advice for those times you are feeling fragile as a Christian. He opens, "There are mornings when I wake up feeling fragile. Vulnerable. It’s often vague. No single threat. No one weakness. Just an amorphous sense that something is going to go wrong and I will be responsible. It’s usually after a lot of criticism. Lots of expectations that have deadlines and that seem too big and too many." His antidote, "Cry out to him. Then ransack the Bible for his appointed promise. We are fragile. But he is not."

5 kinds of books to read--The Discerning Reader has a list of 5 types of books to read now that Christmas has passed. If you are like me, you tend to read in one, or two, of these areas to the exclusion of others. Let this list challenge you to read more broadly.

STR's Top 10--Stand to Reason has their top 10 blog posts of 2011. There is some good reading here.

Theology of the Reformers--biblicaltraining.org has a free online course available, "Theology of the Reformers", which looks interesting. Several of their other programs also appear interesting.

Daily Morsels-December 26, 2011

2011-12-26T07:49:00.000-06:00

Multiverses, appearance of design, and scientific dogmatism--Gene Veith points to an article in Harper's Magazine discussing the multiverse theory, which proposes that there may be a profoundly large number of unobservable universes that potentially differ wildly from our own. This large number, they explain may account for the "apparent" fine tuning in our own universe or the "apparent" design. As the number of these potential universes increase, the likelihood of one meeting the characteristics of our universe increase they say, but really only as the number approaches infinity (a logical impossibility, but language that has been used nonetheless). The 18th century philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Leibniz asked the profound, but exceedingly important, question "why is there something rather than nothing?" The scientists who are putting their faith in the multiverse theory have offered one potential explanation to this question, yet one that also must set aside observational method. As one commenter said, "if I read this right, these scientists are actively seeking to abandon science because it might lead to faith in God, by creating a theory that can explain God away, but has to be taken on faith." If they are putting their faith in something unobservable, why reject the possibility of a Creator, which seems a much more satisfactory and parsimonious explanation to the way things are. Romans 1 provides some insight, "because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen." (Romans 1:25)

Christmas is the cure for self-salvation--Tullian Tchvidjian shared a great meditation for Christmas yesterday. If you are like me, you fall back into the rut of thinking you can make yourself good enough. Of believing that if you just work harder, God will somehow approve of you more. "The Incarnation of Christ serves as a glorious reminder that God’s willingness to clean things up is infinitely bigger than our willingness to mess things up. The arrival of God Himself in the flesh sets us free from the pressure we feel to save ourselves from loneliness and lostness, despair and dejection. In short, Christmas is God’s answer to the slavery of self-salvation."

Jesus died for my food coma--With perfect timing, Clint Archer has addressed gluttony on the day after Christmas. We Christians are fans of going after certain types of sins, but overlooking the more respectable kinds--like gluttony, gossip, and so forth. For me, this is a besetting sin. One that I continue to fight against.

Bible Study plans-2012

2011-12-26T07:02:00.001-06:00

Any day is a great day to start reading your Bible, but people often start a new plan in a new year. Last year, I spent several days highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of various programs. If you look at the sidebar over there ----------> and click on "Bible Study" it will take you to all of the programs that I recommended.

Here is a brief rundown.

The One Year Bible--This is a fine option. You know exactly what to read each day. You need a special Bible though and it isn't organized like a regular Bible, a distinctive drawback, as far as I am concerned.

M'Cheyne--You will be reading sections from 4 different places each day and if you follow it, you will go through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice.

John MacArthur approach--From what I have heard, John MacArthur knows the Bible as well or better than any man I have ever heard. His method is to read through the Old Testament straight through, a few chapters a day, and then start over again when you reach the end. The New Testament is handled a little differently. You break each book into sections of chapters (4-6) and read each section once a day for a whole month. So, for example, you would read Romans 1-5 every day for a month. Then the next month you might read Romans 6-11 and finally, in the third month, you would read Romans 12-16.

Meditative plan--This is a great plan from my friend Eric Johnson, a Christian psychologist at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, which encourages meditating more deeply upon God's word.

Grant Horner approach--This is my Bible plan. I have been doing it since September 2009. In that time, I have read each book at least 3 times. Some sections I have read much more often. For example, I have read Proverbs 28 times, Acts and Romans 20 times, and the New Testament epistles 14 times each.

If you cannot find anything in the list I have provided, try here. Ligonier has another dozen approaches or so. Pick one and read. It will be time well invested.

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.--Psalm 119:11

The Light Broke Through-A Christmas Meditation

2011-12-25T06:19:00.001-06:00

The world was lost and withouthope, the darkness pervasive. The prophets of old had long been silent. The ferventhope for the promised Messiah, the One who would come to redeem Israel, the Onewho would set all things right, had dwindled long ago. Of course, the teachersof Israelknew what was written about the Promised One. They studied the law and prophetsdiligently. Yet, so many silent centuries later, they were more about ritual thanhope. Every day, they would follow the routines set forth by previousgenerations, not really believingthat one was to come to save them.

We see this in the man,Zechariah, one of the temple priests. He certainly knew the stories of old. He knewabout Abraham, and as a Jew, would hold him in high esteem. He knew thatAbraham was promised a child in his old age, yet when the angel of the Lordappeared to him and promised him a child, he said simply, “How shall I knowthis because I am old?” Zechariah knew the Scriptures and believed them, but hedid not really believe them for himself. Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, basicallysays to him, “I stand in God’s presence and He Himself told me this. Becauseyou don’t believe it, you will be silent and be amazed by Him!” (Luke 1:5-23). Zechariahand his wife Elizabeth were among the first to see and believe God was breakinginto the darkness.

Just over a year later,the Light broke into the darkness. In a small town, with her fiancée at herside, a young girl gave birth to Jesus. Godin the flesh. The Word eternal, breakinginto human history, to rescue His own. He was “the true light, which giveslight to everyone” come into human history (John 1:9).

Sadly, his own people didnot receive him (John 1:11). They knewthe word, but did they believe it? Did they believe the prophets, who foretoldGod rescuing his people? Many had lost their hope of a Redeemer, believing Godwas no longer invested in His people. Many were so dedicated to learning aboutGod that they missed God, come in the flesh. Many had their own ideas about whothe Messiah would be and to their estimation, Jesus wasn’t him. Many were sobusy going about their lives that they did not slow down enough to know thatthe Rescuer had come.

God did send His sonJesus, delivered in the flesh by a young girl, to save the world. His birthdaydivides human history. A.D. stands for anno domini-the year of our Lord. Justlike the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament, so has His return beenforetold and that will also be a time of a great divide in human history.

Though it has been 2000years, do not lose hope in Christ’s return—He is still invested in His people. He is still in control.

Do not become so dedicatedto studying theology that you miss the beautiful fact that God will return torescue His own.

Do not assume that Goddoes not exist or that He is just one of many ways to salvation. He is the onlyway and He will return again, in the flesh to save those who have put theirfaith in Him, and Him alone.

Do not become so busy thatyou fail to marvel at God’s intense love for you.

Just as He came once, He is coming again. Maybe not today, maybe not this year, but he will return--just as He promised--and He will make all things new.

Then I saw a new heavenand a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, andthe sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out ofheaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard aloud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is withman. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself willbe with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, anddeath shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor painanymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4 ESV)

Daily Morsels-2011 Christmas Eve edition

2011-12-24T06:28:00.001-06:00

Who were the Magi?--David Mathis, writing at Desiring God, shares interesting insights into the Magi, featured so prominently in every children's Christmas pageant. He makes the point that the song, "We Three Kings" gets it wrong. The magi were not kings, but sorcerers. The word magic comes from magi. "These magi are not respected kings but pagan specialists in the supernatural, experts in astrology, magic, and divination, blatant violators of Old Testament law — and they are coming to worship Jesus.

"We really should beware of having a narrower vision of who can come to Jesus than God does. We can be so prone to write off people like this, but God doesn't. He draws. He woos. He's seeking worshipers from among the priestly caste of pagan religion."

Modern day Scroogeism--"Every generation has its abundance of Scrooges. The church is full of them. We hear endless complaints of commercialism. We are constantly told to put Christ back into Christmas. We hear that the tradition of Santa Claus is a sacrilege. We listen to those acquainted with history murmur that Christmas isn’t biblical. The Church invented Christmas to compete with the ancient Roman festival honoring the bull-god Mithras, the nay-sayers complain. Christmas? A mere capitulation to paganism.
And so we rain on Jesus’ parade and assume an Olympian detachment from the joyous holiday. All this carping is but a modern dose of Scroogeism, our own sanctimonious profanation of the holy." Read the rest here.

On the incarnation--Christmas is about the incarnation. God became Flesh. God with us. Emmanuel. Here is a link to the 4th century classic, On the Incarnation of the Word by St Athanasius. Mike Horton, of the White Horse Inn, said this is one of the 5 transformative books every Christian should read.

Theology is rooted in Christmas--

No priest, no theologian stood at the manger of Bethlehem. And yet all Christian theology has its origin in the wonder of all wonders: that God became human. Holy theology arises from knees bent before the mystery of the divine child in the stable.

Without the holy night, there is no theology. “God is revealed in flesh,” the God-human Jesus Christ—that is the holy mystery that theology came into being to protect and preserve.

How we fail to understand when we think that the task of theology is to solve the mystery of God, to drag it down to the flat, ordinary wisdom of human experience and reason! Its sole office is to preserve the miracle as miracle, to comprehend, defend, and glorify God’s mystery precisely as mystery. This and nothing else, therefore, is what the early church meant when, with never flagging zeal, it dealt with the mystery of the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ…

If Christmas time cannot ignite within us again something like a love for holy theology, so that we—captured and compelled by the wonder of the manger of the Son of God—must reverently reflect on the mysteries of God, then it must be that the glow of the divine mysteries has also been extinguished in our heart and has died out.-Dietrich Bonhoeffer (HT)

Daily Morsels-December 23, 2011

2011-12-23T06:31:00.000-06:00

You are unexpected, awesome, delightful--John Mark Reynolds chose to publicly share this beautiful letter to his wife. Husbands, read this and be moved and motivated to love your wives better and more deeply.

"As I write this, you are teaching our youngest Algebra at the dining room table. The Advent wreath you made is at the center of that table and we had the banana bread you baked for breakfast.

"You are beautiful.

"I know that sometimes you feel your job, being a mother and a teacher, consumes everybody’s ideas about you. We reduce you to your role and even though it is a job you freely chose, nobody should be made a cog in a machine, even if she built the machine."

Self-righteous snobbery--RC Sproul shares an excerpt from his recently released commentary on the book of Mark. "When the scribes and Pharisees called people 'sinners,' they were thinking of the rank-and-file Jews who were not committed to in-depth study of the things of God, especially the law of God. These people went the way of the culture and followed the customs of the day rather than the details of the law. The Pharisees were just the opposite. The word Pharisee is derived from a Hebrew word meaning 'separated one,' for the Pharisees were strongly committed to keeping the law of God, and they believed that salvation came from distancing themselves from anyone who was morally loose. So it was important for them, in order to maintain their holiness and their sanctity, to have no dealings with people whom they regarded as sinners.
There are Christians like that, who actually believe that there is some sanctity in avoiding any contact with unbelievers or pagans" How much do you separate yourself from non-believers?

Daily Morsels-December 22, 2011

2011-12-22T18:12:00.000-06:00

Theology gone bad--Michael Patton hits the nail right on the head here. Theology, in the wrong hands, can be a dangerous weapon and does nothing to advance the Gospel. I was just reflecting on a so-called "discernment" ministry yesterday and it just made me said. Yes, love theology, but do so with humility and an open hand.

I want to go with you--As we approach Christmas, when we celebrate the incarnation--God in the flesh--this story from Serena Woods is an excellent reflection upon the humanity of our Savior.

Hypocrisy in sexual mores--Walt Mueller discusses the evident hypocrisy in our culture regarding childhood and sexuality. Mueller writes, "The A&F ad should make us think. Kids of all ages paraded through that store the other day. Some were with their parents. Some weren't. Who knows how many glanced at that photo. It's become so common that few, if any (I'm guessing) even stopped to stare. Did anybody even care? But what would have happened if - let's say - a man my age was sitting alone on a bench in the mall just a few feet from the entrance to the A&F store. . . and that man was holding a small copy of that photo in his hand. . . and that man was calling children and teenagers over to the bench to take a peek at his photo? See what I mean?"

Abortion and feminism--Denny Burk points to an article by Frederica Mathewes-Green about the link between abortion and feminism. She writes, "these two bad ideas come together, pressing in like the jaws of a vise, and making a woman feel she has no escape but abortion. Feminism sought (1) increased access to public life, and (2) increased sexual freedom. But that participation in public life is significantly complicated by responsibility for children, and uncommitted sexual activity is the most effective means of producing unwanted pregnancies. This dilemma—simultaneous pursuit of behaviors that cause children and that are hampered by children—inevitably finds its resolution on an abortion table."

Daily Morsels-December 21, 2011

2011-12-21T06:57:00.000-06:00

The cancer's gone--Byron Yawn writes of salvation and the Gospel. He asks us to reflect upon what happens when we are saved. He encourages us not to soft sell the message. I like the imagery used here. "Let’s say you had cancer. (God forbid) And an aggressive sort of cancer at that. Terminal. And let’s say after months of unsuccessful treatments and little hope for beating the blasted disease, you go in for a final prognosis with your oncologist. You expect to hear, 'There’s nothing more we can do,' but what you actually hear blows a hole clean through your despair. 'The cancer is gone.' A miracle. Somewhere a pathologist is staring at a Petri dish mumbling to himself, 'Where did it go?' You, obviously, are without words. A very recently re-committed supernaturalist. You went into the appointment with a death sentence and came out with a lease on life.

"Now, let’s say just moments after receiving this news you are walking up the sidewalk towards your car. I spot you. I notice tears. I would not assume these are tears of joy. Knowing of your condition and from whence you came, I ask, 'How are you?' And in reply you say to me, 'I’m feeling much better. Thanks.' This reply is not untrue. It’s certainly part of it. But, it’s wrong on other levels. It robs the answer of its glory. It is not nearly commensurate with the reality of what’s just happened and the news you’ve received. There is a bigger answer. People who recover from colds 'feel better.' Those who have cancer disappear live. The reason you feel better far surpasses a head cold. 'I’ve been healed! It’s a miracle! My cancer is cured! It’s gone!' What would be my reply? Tears. Of joy.

Don't get weird--Harvey Turner, writing at The Resurgence, provides the great advice to not get weird when conversations turn to Jesus. I particularly liked this line: "If the Gospel is true...then we should have no insecurities talking about it."

Daily Morsels--December 19, 2011

2011-12-19T06:50:00.000-06:00

Your podcast is not your pastor--Trevin Wax addresses a very important issue facing the church today. I think the norm is for a lot of young men (some women too, I suspect) to be shaped by the sermons of men they have never met. I have certainly seen this danger in my own life as well and I have to be very cautious about it. In discussing the twin problems of fatherlessness and abundant online resources, he writes, "I remember reading Collin Hansen’s book on the 'young, restless, and reformed' a few years ago and being disturbed by one woman’s description of John Piper as a “father” of sorts, even though they’d never met. Fathers image God. The fact that a young lady could express the concept of spiritual fatherhood in relation to Piper shows what her view of God the Father is. Far off. Transcendent. Powerful. Distant. If fatherhood can take place without ever meeting, then we must have missed something about the immanence of God that expresses itself in God’s condescension to us in Christ."

What do you tell your kids about Santa?--We don't do Santa at our house. We don't flee when when we see a fat guy in a red suit and we watch some movies about Santa. We have never told our kids that there is a real Santa who brings them presents because their names were on the "nice" list. Clint Archer addresses some of the reasons why we have embraced this practice. "Angels on high, a pregnant virgin, God in a manger, a guiding star… are impossibilities. Yet, 'all things are possible with God.' [Yes, you need to believe in the virgin birth to be a Christian] We ask our children to trust us on these claims with their lives. Then we add a fictitious, omniscient fat guy with a red-nosed reindeer to the mix. At a certain age we matter-of-factly disclose that we were just kidding about the chimney intrusion, the Elven workshop, and the works-based naughty-or-nice judgment. 'Those parts are make-believe, the rest is gospel truth. Trust me, son.'"I believe in the truth of Scripture. I believe Jesus was born of a virgin. I believe God was incarnate. I don't want to confuse my children by lying to them about one thing "all in good fun" only to have them question me later.

Is Christmas just a repurposed pagan ritual?--I have heard a few times that Christmas is merely a pagan ritual. RC Sproul addresses this question briefly. He writes, "That question comes up every year at Christmastime. In the first place, there’s no direct biblical commandment to celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. There’s nothing in the Bible that would even indicate that Jesus was born on December 25. In fact, there’s much in the New Testament narratives that would indicate that it didn’t occur during that time of year. It just so happens that on the twenty-fifth of December in the Roman Empire there was a pagan holiday that was linked to mystery religions; the pagans celebrated their festival on December 25. The Christians didn’t want to participate in that, and so they said, 'While everybody else is celebrating this pagan thing, we’re going to have our own celebration. We’re going to celebrate the thing that’s most important in our lives, the incarnation of God, the birth of Jesus Christ. So this is going to be a time of joyous festivities, of celebration and worship of our God and King.'" Read the whole thing here. Get Religion also addressed the same topic today.

Book Review--Living the Cross Centered Life

2011-12-17T05:56:00.001-06:00

Last night, I finished reading CJ Mahaney's Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing. I really like the way Mahaney writes. As the book title would suggest, he tries to be Gospel centered, but he also writes humbly and from his heart. He passionately encourages Christians to keep the cross of Christ the main thing, to not "move on" from it. In the opening chapter, he cites David Pryor, who said "we never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross." That seems to be the heart of this book, to encourage readers to really sink their teeth into what the cross means in the life of believers. At 166 pages, it is a quick read, and one you will benefit from. 4 stars.

Daily Morsels--December 17, 2011

2011-12-17T05:44:00.001-06:00

Again about Christopher Hitchens--Yesterday, I mentioned the death of Christopher Hitchens. I also mentioned his series of debates with Doug Wilson, which were made into a documentary called "Collision". I found the whole thing.

Daily Morsels-December 16, 2011

2011-12-16T06:34:00.002-06:00

Christopher Hitchens is dead--One of the more outspoken rhetoricians of the New Atheist movements, Christopher Hitchens has died. The author of the book God is Not Great, he had developed a reputation for his outspoken criticisms of Christianity and other religious systems. From what I had seen and read of him, he seemed a good deal more likeable than fellow New Atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. Doug Wilson, who engaged him in a series of online debates as well as the documetary Collision wrote an obituary for Christianity Today. I commend it to you. His death was also discussed by Stand to Reason, Denny Burk, and Justin Taylor (which features a video clip from Collision).

Why am I still struggling?--Elyse Fitzpatrick writes a great essay addressing this question. I definitely relate to her question at times. I wonder to myself, "am I really saved?" or "how come my friends seem to have conquered this sin and I haven't?" It is very easy to fall into a moralistic mindset that says God likes me better when I work hard for him. But if I am justified, by his grace, he will complete the work he started. Phillipians 1:6 says, "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion." If you are plagued with this question, as I often am, rest in the Lord.

5 lessons in breaking an addiction to porn--James Cordrey writes of the lessons he learned while breaking his addiction to pornography. He writes, "At one point in college I confided in a leader of my campus ministry that one of my goals for the school year was to experience victory over lust and masturbation. His response was: 'It’ll never happen.' I realize now that I made a horrible agreement with that lie back in college and I lived under it for a long, long time." I pray that we never adopt that mentality.

Daily Morsels--December 15, 2011

2011-12-15T09:38:00.000-06:00

Expositional or topical--How many of you could spot the difference between expositional preaching and topical preaching? The former seeks to unfold Scripture, in total, through the preaching of the word. A pastor comes to a passage and explains, or exposits, what it actually says. John Piper is one of the best representatives of this approach today. Topical preaching tends to address a specific topic, like marriage, and go to the Bible to search for supportive texts. The Willow Creek approach fits this style. I am a big fan of expositional preaching as I believe it is the most accurate way to allow the Bible to transform us rather than leading us to consform the Bible to our own needs. With that said, I think that Jonathan Leeman wrote a wonderful article creatively cautioning pastors to approach expositional preaching with an eye toward relevance. He asks the question, " Connect the dots for me. How do I get from justification by faith alone to being a manly man who cares well for his aging parents?" Or as my friend Mark would say, "so what?"

The Driscolls on sex--There is a new book due out next year by Mark and Grace Driscoll called Real Marriage. It will doubtless sell in the millions. I'm not sure I will read it. I think Mark Driscoll is a gifted teacher and I have learned a ton from reading and listening to him. He does push the envelope though and I think sometimes too far, but I suppose Driscoll would say that is because, I am "older, from a highly conservative background, live far away from a major city, do not spend much time on the Internet, or do not have cable television." Considering that background, I think that Tim Challies, who not incidentally wrote a book on Spiritual Discernment, raises appropriate cautions about this book, rightly grounding them in Ephesians 5. (Fair caution,even this cursory review by Challies may be a bit much for some readers).

Four hours of apologetics--Reclaiming the Mind has 4 free hours of apologetics training materials, which are normally sold for a cost, on their website. It may be worth checking out.

Daily Morsels-December 14, 2011

2011-12-14T06:58:00.000-06:00

Are faith and reason in conflict?--Greg Koukl demonstrates again that faith and reason are not mutually exclusive. The idea that they are is called fideism--holding to a belief blindly often in the face of controverting evidence. Koukl writes, "The opposite of faith is not reason; the opposite of faith is unbelief, or lack of trust. The opposite of reason is not faith; the opposite of reason is irrationality. So it certainly is possible to have reasonable faith, and it is also possible to have unreasonable unbelief."

3650 Challenge--Tim Challies is considering starting up a 3650 challenge, which would be a reading challenge based upon Grant Horner's Bible reading system. For what it is worth, there are 1189 chapters in the Bible.

Who was John Bunyan?--The Resurgence has a great essay on the puritan John Bunyan. To my mind, Bunyan was compelling in his writing and in his life. I long for his dedication that says, "if you should let me out today, I should preach tomorrow" as he shared from his jail cell. If you haven't yet, you should also read the Pilgrim's Progress.

Are you an exegete or an eisegete?--Many people approach God's word with a preconceived view of the world and of God rather than going to scripture to find out what it says and live accordingly. An example is people who read the Bible and say, "but God can't be that way (e.g., sovereign over all)" and so adjust their interpretation. Allow yourself to be transformed by the word, rather than transforming the word.

Does reading the Bible change your life--I loved this article from Trevin Wax. I found it challenging and convicting and I think it relates to the article above. For example, he writes, "And then there’s the common type of Bible study that begins with us at the center and brings God into our world to address our already-defined needs and problems. We look at the Bible as a book of divine instruction, a manual for succeeding in life, or a map for making sure we get to heaven when we die."

Daily Morsels-December 13, 2011

2011-12-13T07:03:00.000-06:00

A daughter's hero dies--Paul Tautges shares this excellent anonymous essay. It is the story of a young girl who discovers her father's use of pornography and how deeply it affected her view of him. His use wasn't innocent. It wasn't personal. It deeply affected his family. She writes, "But I long for the days when Daddy was my hero, when I saw him as the protector, provider, and lover of his family. So I write this to you, dads, to dare to be a hero in your child’s eyes. Fight against the feeling that says “you’re not hurting anyone,” because you are. You are supposed to be an example of bravery and manhood for your daughter to observe. It is important for you to know that when your daughters see you give in to the fleeting pleasures of lust they begin to lose their trust in a man’s ability to be the leader of his family. When this happens the family structure ordained by God begins to reflect a tyranny in their eyes. Your daughters need to know that it is possible for a man’s primary motivation to be his love for God and his family rather than the lusts of his flesh. Do not think that they will never find out about what you do in private because they will. They have lived with you their entire lives. They know who you are." MEN, PLEASE READ THIS!

Bad statistics and single Christians having sex--Kevin DeYoung highlights the tendency to believe bad statistics without careful reflection. The study he is discussing apparently demonstrates that 80% of single evangelicals are having sexual relations and are no different than majority culture. He writes, "Here’s the bottom line: don’t believe every stat you read. They are sometimes false and often kind of true, but the real shocking figures are rarely quite as much as meets the eye." For what it is worth, I think we need to be careful to scrutinize those statistics that appear to support our particular points of view as well.

Daily Morsels-December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T13:33:00.004-06:00

What do we make of people claiming to have gone to heaven?--Greg Koukl here addresses the phenomenon of books and TV programs about people claiming to have gone to heaven or hell. I admit, I have significant biblical concerns with books like 90 Minutes in Heaven (Don Piper) and Heaven is for Real (Todd Burpo), though their popularity in the mainstream would suggest the hunger people have for something beyond themselves.

Sweden's Romans 1 preschool--The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood reports on a new preschool in Sweden. "'Egalia,' a taxpayer-funded school, has adopted a curriculum that does not employ gender pronouns such as 'he,' 'she,' 'his' or 'hers' in an attempt to avoid 'pigeonholing and stereotyping.' Instead, leaders at the school instruct students and teachers to address each other as 'friends.'" I think their quote from Charles Spurgeon is apropos: "We never know what we shall hear next, and perhaps it is a mercy that these absurdities are revealed one at a time, in order that we may be able to endure their stupidity without dying of amazement."

Dickens and Handel on Christmas--Justin Taylor points to an interesting contrast between these two lovers of God.

6 tips for small group leaders--Credo Magazine shares 6 tips for leading small groups including: 1) ground it in the Gospel, 2) have a clear mission, 3) be a pastor, 4) learn some theology, 5) plan to multiply, and 6) force authenticity.

Velvet Brick

2011-12-11T07:29:00.001-06:00

For my daily quiet times, I am still using Grant Horner's system. I have tried to switch away from it, but I always end up coming back to it. One of its benefits is that it allows me to see connections and relationships between various passages. As I read through, I write out passages I find interesting. This morning, I wrote down sections from Titus 3 and Malachi 2.

Titus 3 essentially speaks to our character as Christ's ambassadors. Titus 3:2-7 reminds us that we are, "to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another."

Too often churches are filled with people who lack these character qualities. Rather than "speaking evil of no one," they slander, gossip, and criticize. They quarrel rather valuing love and gentleness. They hunt out heresies. They are eager to paint scarlet letters upon sinners. But we are called to something better. We were all dead to rights, running fast away from God, but in His mercy, he saved us based upon nothing good in us. Reflecting upon God's mercy, we should seek to show this patience and gentleness with nonbelievers and believers alike, even in the midst of sin.

I also wrote down Malachi 2:17 this morning. "You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, 'How have we wearied him?' By saying, 'Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.' Or by asking, 'Where is the God of justice?'" In this verse, we are told that God is wearied by saying that evildoers are good in the sight of God. This seems to be the classic universalist position and, more frequently, the position of many people in the modern church. Many believe that God loves everybody no matter what, but that does not appear to be the biblical position (e.g., Psalm 5:5, Psalm 11:5, Leviticus 20:23, Proverbs 6:16-19, Hosea 9:15). These verses suggest that God does hate evildoers.

So how are we to reconcile these passages? As ambassadors for Christ, I believe we should not avoid hard conversations. Wavering on discussions of sin or of separation from a God who hates sin does nothing for people separated from Christ and facing eternity in Hell. At the same time, we are to gently and patiently love the broken. We are to tell them that there is a remedy for that sinfulness and our separation from God. The greatest love we can show to sinners is to point them to Jesus Christ. Titus 2:4-7 reads, "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

In other words, we are to be velvet bricks. We have a hard message, but we are to share it with gentleness and respect because we were shown the same through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Daily Morsels-December 11, 2011

2011-12-11T07:09:00.001-06:00

Who is Santa Claus?--A few days ago, I alluded to the real Santa Claus at the Council of Nicea, a story I found quite enjoyable. Today, I came across a great story by John Mark Reynolds about the spirit of Santa Claus in every pastor who loves his flock. He writes of visiting the home of St. Nick. "What was there was a powerful memory of a pastor so good to his congregation; he became the symbol of every good pastor. Nicholas cared so deeply for children, the weak, and the poor, that legends surrounded his actions. He stood so firmly for truth in confused times that he became a model of theological courage."

Personal scripture application--I don't think most Christians get this. I think we need to do a better job of understanding hermeneutics on a personal level. It thrills me when I hear that people are actually reading their Bibles (though I wonder if most Christians do), but I think this is the next step--trying to understand what you are reading. Justin Taylor shares some great advice that David Powlison wrote in the ESV Study Bible (which is a great Bible). "Those who attempt to take the entire Bible as if it directly applies today end up distorting the Bible. It becomes an omni-relevant magic book teeming with private messages and meanings. God does not intend that his words function that way.

“These passages,” he writes, “do apply. But most of the Bible applies differently from the passages tilted toward immediate relevance.”

"What you read applies by extension and analogy, not directly. Less sizzle, but quietly significant. In one sense, such passages apply exactly because they are not about you. Understood rightly, such passages give a changed perspective."

Challies on money--Tim Challies wrote a convicting post about the 4 wrong ways Christians think about money. I am particularly convicted by #2--instant gratification.

Daily Morsels-December 10, 2011

2011-12-10T06:38:00.001-06:00

Inspiration sells, but only Jesus transforms--I really like this post from Jared Wilson. He speaks of the necessity of Christ in preaching. In the times I have taught in church, I have deliberately attempted not to avoid discussions of sin and to discuss Christ as the only remedy to that sin.

Suffering and sovereignty-RC Sproul Jr and his family have faced some difficult circumstances over the years. He has a daughter with a significant disability and his wife is now being treated for leukemia. He writes about the comfort found in the knowledge of God's sovereignty in this post. I could not agree more.

Kevin DeYoung asks "why?"--"Why do Christians die? Why do churches die? Why do Christians go hungry, endure tragedies, get cancer, and face persecution? Why do pastors fall into great sin and cast shame upon their churches and disgrace upon the gospel?

"Why do some churches grow loveless and cold? Why do other churches forsake the truth of Scripture? Why do church members fight among themselves? Why are there so many hypocrites in the church? Why does everything seem to go wrong for good believers even as they try to follow God?

"Why do churches tolerate clear moral deviancy and obvious theological error? Why do some churches get bigger and flashier without getting deeper and wiser? Why do other churches get cold and complacent? Why do churches neglect evangelism and missions? Why do Christians horde their resources? Why do churches take their eyes off the cross and give up on preaching?

"Why is the church sometimes ridiculed by intellectuals, the media, the government, and the cultural elites? Why are churches still divided by race and ethnicity? Why are many churches still ignorant of the most basic truths of the Bible? Why can’t we do church better and be the church more faithfully? Why is it so hard being a Christian?

"There are at least four good, biblical answers to these questions." Read the rest here.

Celebrating the spirit of winter--In an interesting post entitled "Diversity Office Becomes Scrooge", Tony M writes of the modern, politically correct dogma that disallows holiday (i.e., Holy Day) decorations. In particular, he writes of a diversity office he works with suggesting that decorations celebrate a spirit of winter rather than specific religious traditions. He rightly asks, "isn't that spirit (a) cold, (b) dark, (c) slim food pickings, (d) colds and other illness, and (e) extra work (cutting fire wood, shoveling driveway and scraping ice off windshield)? Don't they even realize that the 'spirit of December' that we are used to is completely rooted in religious holy days?"

He doesn't run from our smelliness--Dane Ortlund shares this quote from Jack Miller, "He is life from the dead. When the tomb was opened, the smell of Lazarus' sin and death came forth. The Lord must have felt like running away, since He hates evil in all its forms. But He stayed there.

"He does not run from us in our state of decay and smelliness. I tell you, when Jesus deals with us He does not pretend that we are lovely and odorless, but it is in the midst of our smelly death that Jesus draws near with tears and power and love and called the dead and rotting into new life. . . .

"I know of no one else who can help the heart in its deepest needs, who can comfort the soul"

Daily Morsels-December 9, 2011

2011-12-09T06:19:00.001-06:00

Preparing for Sunday morning--There was an interesting story by Ronnie Martin here. I can relate to his reflection on his childhood Sunday mornings because we have occasionally had those, though thankfully not often. His real point, which is worth considering, is that we should work to prepare our hearts for worship on Sunday.

Daily Morsels--December 6, 2011

2011-12-06T06:19:00.001-06:00

Too Cool for Christmas--I love Christmas and Christmas music. I love it. I have 338 Christmas songs on my ipod. O Holy Night can bring me to tears. This post from Tim Kimberly is right on. He identifies many ways believers downplay Christmas. Although I agree with all of them, I definitely appreciate his point about "too Christian for Christmas." He writes, "We’ll also start hating Christmas because of Santa Claus. As I’ve been studying the Council of Nicea more this past year I’ve really come to love Saint Nick. I’m actually really thankful for the prominence of Santa Claus during this time of year. Why? Because he’s easily redeemable. Saint Nick loved Jesus so much that he secretly gave gifts to poor kids around him. Any parent can turn that into a teachable moment.

"Saint Nick was also a very passionate follower of Christ. Did you know Santa Claus was at the Council of Nicea? As Arius was trying to get the world to believe that Jesus was a creature, St. Nick firmly believed Him to be the Creator. Santa Claus got so ticked off at the irreverence of Arius, he actually slapped Arius in the face! For 30 days we get to be surrounded by such a great mentor. How can you hate Santa Claus? Make him a teachable moment and it’ll be 30 days of excellent Christology."

Read more broadly--I have been trying to vary my reading diet, but admittedly, I would much rather read Christian living/theology books of a Calvinist persuasion. But I have been pushing myself. Aaron Armstrong has good advice on reading more widely.

Blessed self-forgetfulness--Tullian Tchvidjian writing about "blessed self forgetfulness." He writes, "This is the point: When we stop narcissistically focusing on our need to get better, that is what it means to get better. When we stop obsessing over our need to improve, that is what it means to improve!"

Women, don't submit--Russell Moore has a thought provoking post encouraging women to stop submitting to men. It isn't what you think. He isn't abandoning the biblical mandate, rather he seems to be diving into it more deeply. He writes, "Too often in our culture, women and girls are pressured to submit to men, as a category. This is the reason so many women, even feminist women, are consumed with what men, in general, think of them. This is the reason a woman’s value in our society, too often, is defined in terms of sexual attractiveness and availability. Is it any wonder that so many of our girls and women are destroyed by a predatory patriarchy that demeans the dignity and glory of what it means to be a woman?

"Submitting to men in general renders it impossible to submit to one’s 'own husband.' Submission to one’s husband means faithfulness to him, and to him alone, which means saying 'no' to other suitors."

I wish young women would read this and internalize this. I also wish young men would respect young women in the way in which they don't exploit their sexuality.

Daily Morsels-December 5, 2011

2011-12-05T06:19:00.001-06:00

What would Schaeffer say?--I am increasingly affected by the mindset of Francis Schaeffer. If you don't know him, he was a Christian thinker who started L'Abri and he was deeply influential in the lives of many current Christian thinkers. Trevin Wax shares his thoughts on what Schaeffer might say to the current "Gospel-centered" movement. I think the same can be said for the Young, Restless, and Reformed.

Scot McKnight on Calvinism--Scot McKnight, at Jesus Creed, shares some of his progress of why he is not a Calvinist. It makes for some interesting reading. Based on what I have read, I still think the preponderance of the evidence favors a Calvinist view of God, but some of his points are worth heeding. He writes, "Its [Calvinism's] focus on God’s Sovereignty, which very quickly becomes much less a doctrine of grace than a doctrine of control and theodicy etc, and its overemphasis on human depravity are not the emphases I found in the Bible." I would probably agree with the first part of this sentence. For all of you who are convinced Calvinists, how are you sure? How about those of you who are convinced Calvinism is wrong?

Daily Morsels-December 3, 2011

2011-12-03T07:02:00.001-06:00

What are Christians to make of Harry Potter--I have always been intrigued by the trend among Christians to adore CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, but eschew JK Rowling and the Harry Potter series. Narnia, Middle Earth, and Hogwarts all show great redemptive themes and should happily be devoured by believers. I could not agree more heartily with this video by Jerram Barrs, resident scholar the Francis Schaeffer Institute (lest you be concerned, he is a conservative, biblically committed theology professor). If you enjoy Harry Potter like our family has, or if you have flat out rejected the series, please watch this video.

(***Addendum: I changed the title of this post because of an interaction with my friend. I decideded that "why Christians should read Harry Potter" was overstated. Whatever you choose to do, try to approach with a rich, biblically informed mindset).

We'll all die, but probably not today--R.C. Sproul Jr writes about God's sovereignty and his wife's leukemia. Having walked the cancer road with my wife 2 years ago, I can relate to much of what he says. "My calling then is to rest in, to believe, to be comforted by what He has spoken clearly. Providence is His, but there He speaks a strange language in muted tones. His Word, on the other hand is both loud and clear. We know, for starters, that God Himself is behind this. God will either defeat the cancer He has sent, or He will have sent the cancer that calls her home (Isaiah 45:7). We know that whether her time is sooner or later, it works out for the good not only for her, but for her husband and children (Romans 8:28). We know that whenever He calls her home He will at the same time heal her fully (Revelation 21:4)."

Why is it OK to mock Christianity--Timothy Dalrymple points to an article by Rex Murphy about how it is increasingly OK to bad mouth Christianity or to be openly hostile. The story of the "occupy London" folks defecating in and carving upon St Paul's Cathedral is appalling, regardless of the building or the ideology it represents. What is being seen increasingly, however, is that this sort of thing is "acceptable" to society and the media when Christianity is the target.

Preach the Gospel always, use words too--Tim Tebow has regularly received criticism for his openness about his faith. Recently, Kurt Warner, another Christian athlete, has encouraged him to tone down his public profession of his faith and to just live it out. I agree with Jared Wilson who is troubled by Kurt Warner's advice. Faith comes by hearing the good news.

What is the central message of the Christmas season?--Zach Nielsen shares some comments on the recent lighting of the White House Christmas tree. He writes, "A CNN headline says, 'Obama delivers very Christian message at Christmas tree lighting'. Here is the report on the essence of what he said:

In his remarks at Thursday's tree lighting, Obama said that Jesus 'grew up to become a leader with a servant’s heart who taught us a message as simple as it is powerful: that we should love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves.'

'So long as the gifts and the parties are happening, it’s important for us to keep in mind the central message of this season," he said, "and keep Christ’s words not only in our thoughts, but also in our deeds.'

Unfortunately this (the CNN headline and Obama's words) continues to propagate what almost everyone seems to think about the essence of Christianity. And that is this: It all boils down to just following the rules.

Look at Obama's comments. What is the 'central message of this season'? It all boils down to obedience to God's commands.

But the essence of Christianity is precisely the opposite.

Daily Morsels-December 2, 2011

2011-12-02T06:59:00.000-06:00

A female Tullian?--If you read my blog with any regularity, you will know of my deep appreciation for the Gospel-centrality of Tullian Tchvidjian. He can write a blog post every day, but the message is nearly always the same. And I never get tired of reading it. Serena Woods writes in a similar fashion. She is also an ardent defender of the unvarnished Gospel message and a wonderful writer. A couple of weeks ago, she wrote "When a dose of hell is God's will". Please read. Also, a special note for all of you young men who love theology: read Serena. Though I don't always agree with her, she writes the way a person should write when theology actually meets life.

New is not necessarily better--Tom Schreiner writes at the Gospel Coalition regarding the recent trend of books on egalitarianism. He asks, "Is the goal of publishing to write what is true or what is new? One of the dangers of evangelical publishing is the desire to say something novel. Our evangelical publishing houses could end up like those in Athens so long ago: 'Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new'". I think we need to be cautious about assuming new is better; often historic interpretations are closer to the truth.

This picture reveals pure insanity--

Daily Morsels-December 1, 2011

2011-12-01T10:23:00.001-06:00

A Righteousness Not Our Own--More Christians should read Tullian Tchvidjian. Most of us don't get grace very well. We all tend to ask, "what do I need to do now?" Tchvidjian writes, "The reason this is so important is because many Christians think God cares only that we obey. In fact, many believe that it is even more honorable–and therefore more righteous–when we obey God against all desire to obey him. Where did we get the idea that if we do what God tells us to do even though “our hearts are far from Him”, that it’s something to be proud of, something admirable, something praiseworthy, something righteous? Don’t get me wrong, we should obey even when we don’t feel like it (I expect my children, for instance, to clean their rooms and respect their mother and me even when they don’t feel like it). But let’s not make the common mistake of proudly equating that with the righteousness that God requires."

Translation Cage Match--Interesting discussion here regarding different versions of the Bible and translation philosophy. The discussion includes Wayne Grudem representing the ESV, Doug Moo representing the NIV, and Ray Clendenen representing the HCSB--all capable biblical scholars. I prefer the ESV, which leans toward the formal equivalence side of things. I want my Bible to flow, but I also want it to not deviate far from the original Greek. What do you use and why?

Daily Morsels-November 30, 2011

2011-11-30T06:20:00.001-06:00

Too young for a cell phone--Apparently, the average age for a child to get a cell phone is 11 according to one study and 9 according to another. Kids don't need cell phones that young, in my opinion. Al Mohler comments upon this trend with his typical wisdom.

Don't take the Christ out of Christmas--I know, I know. Many of you probably assume that I mean that we should not replace "Christ" with "X" in Christmas, but that is not what I hope to convey. I agree with Jared Wilson (and Burk Parsons whom he linked to) that as Christians, we must be careful that what we say to people is gracious and kind. Wilson writes, "Boycotting or petitioning to make store salespeople confess Christ to us does nothing to truly honor Jesus. It just puts our preferred religious gauze on what is very often (though not always) moralistic or consumeristic idolatry. It might make us feel better but it does not truly adorn Christ's gospel." Rather than telling people how sinful it is to replace Christ's name with an "X" (technically, it is the Greek letter "chi" which has been used for centuries to represent Christ, not an X) love them with the love of Christ.

Daily Morsels-November 29, 2011

2011-11-29T06:15:00.001-06:00

Unapologetically Theological--Kevin DeYoung (along with Tim Challies and Tullian Tchvidjian) is one of my favorite 3 young Christian leaders. He wrote an excellent essay today sharing six reasons for the importance of theology for the church. Here is one of the reasons: "Theological categories enable us to more fully and more deeply rejoice in God’s glory. Simple truths are wonderful. It is good for us to sing simple songs like “God is good. All the time!” If you sing that in sincere faith, the Lord is very pleased. But he is also pleased when we can sing and pray about how exactly he has been good to us in the plan of salvation and in the scope of salvation history. He is pleased when we can glory in the completed work of Christ, and rest in his all-encompassing providence, and marvel at his infinity and aseity, when we can delight in his holiness and mediate on his three-ness and one-ness and stand in awe at his omniscience and omnipotence. These theological categories are not meant to give us bigger heads, but bigger hearts that worship deeper and higher because of what we’ve seen in God."

Carl Trueman on John Stott--I am including this primarily because it is well written and persuasive. Trueman shows wisdom when he suggests a more balanced approach to eulogizing our heroes. He writes, "The death of John Stott has led to a veritable flood ofaccolades and uncritical adulation over the last few months. A recent example was the memorial service forhim at Wheaton College which raised a number of questions in my mind. One was the issue of what Stott himself wouldhave thought of it. I never met him buthe seems to have been a modest and unassuming man by all accounts; it was thusprobably a relief to him not to have to be there and listen to the hyperbolicclaims being made for him and his ministry by others. We can presumably assume that one who did notlive for the praise of men during his lifetime is probably not too botheredabout it afterwards either."

A Slight Change in Wording--Denny Burk a telling, unfortunate way in which doctors may change their wording when faced with a prenatal problem.

My wife is five months pregnant. Last month we went for an ultrasound to see the baby and have the doctors check to make sure everything was progressing nicely. We had done this three times before and were excited. As we met with the doctor and ultrasound technician they referred to what they saw as “your child.” They must have said it 50x during the ultrasound as they referred to “your child’s hand,” “your child’s heart,” etc.

But then something changed.

Another doctor was brought into the room and for 5 minutes he stared at the baby’s heart. The room was completely silent. He then began to tell us that there was a tumor on our child’s heart and started to run down all the scenarios we were now faced with. Then the doctor said to us: “If the fetus is abnormal and that is management problem for you, you have the option to terminate your fetus.” The slight change in wording tells the story.

Daily Morsels-November 28, 2011

2011-11-28T06:17:00.001-06:00

Home Team Huddle--Last week, I shared a link from Clint Archer on doing family devotions. He wrote again about some of the specifics about how to make this work. Admittedly, ours does not look just like this, but I do agree with keeping it short and interactive.

Was Paul Married?--Denny Burk makes an interesting case for the possibility that the apostle Paul was married. A few months ago, he provided 7 reasons to think that Paul might have been married, and now widowed. Today, he added one more reason. Truthfully, we know little about the lives of the apostles because they were rightly focused upon Christ and, secondarily, Christian living. .

The Devil's Playbook--Ray Ortlund has a good post on the strategies of the devil over at the Gospel Coalition. According to Ortlund, the devil seeks to defeat us with: 1) a judgmental attitude, 2) normal human instincts, 3) a spirit of accusation, and 4) lying in order to win.

A Heavenly Focus--Randy Alcorn writes of the importance of Christians focusing on heaven, challenging the frequently heard, "don't be so heavenly minded that you're of no earthly good." I particularly liked this quote from CS Lewis, "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth “thrown in”: aim at earth and you will get neither."

Daily Morsels-November 27, 2011

2011-11-27T06:29:00.001-06:00

How "A Charlie Brown Christmas" came to be--I would agree completely with Bill at The Thinklings that this show is a glorious achievement and I cannot imagine it having been done differently.

Myths about Christmas--I think I saw this post by Paul Copan last year, but it is really worth considering. Basically, we need to remember Jesus was not kicked out of the Bethlehem Hilton, saying "no crying he makes" represents an old heresy, and the wise men probably weren't there when Jesus was first born.

Ravi Zacharias responding to a Muslim--I posted this to Facebook yesterday, but if you haven't seen it, it is worth watching.

Daily Morsels-November 26, 2011

2011-11-26T06:20:00.001-06:00

Advent starts on Sunday-My friend Rick Brannan put together a series of advent readings for his church a few years ago. "The Advent season is simply a time of reflecting on Christ's coming. Originally, Israel longed for and was awaiting the Messiah ... and so, in the fullness of time, Jesus Christ was born. We also long for and await the return of our Savior ... and this anticipation is captured in the Advent season." If you have had some trouble doing family devotions, this may be a great way to start.

Growing into definite convictions-Trevin Wax shares a quote from GK Chesterton about dogma. Chesterton writes, "The vice of the modern notion of mental progress is that it is always something concerned with the breaking of bonds, the effacing of boundaries, the casting away of dogmas. But if there be such a thing as mental growth, it must mean the growth into more and more definite convictions, into more and more dogmas." Read the rest here.

Book Review: Unfashionable

2011-11-25T18:34:00.001-06:00

It is no secret that I like Tullian Tchvidjian. He is probably one of my top 3 current writers. I picked up Unfashionable: Making a difference in the world by being different (2009) at a recent conference. Tchvidjian issues a call to people to return to some of the basics of the faith that we have lost by the wayside. For example, he strongly encourages involvement with the church, not just the building, but the body of believers. He expounds upon the importance of relationships for believers by closely examining the book of Ephesians in the later parts of the book. He also makes the case for Christians to rebuild society rather than wait expectantly for a heavenly society. Although I can see his point, I am not sure he builds his case well biblically. Interestingly, I went back and read Tim Challies review of this book afterward and see that he shared a similar concern to mine, though expressed much eloquently, which is no surprise. Now, onto Jesus + Nothing Equals Everything. 3 stars.

Daily Morsels-November 25, 2011-Black Friday Edition

2011-11-25T06:27:00.001-06:00

The only thing I am posting today is a link to Tim Challies rundown of Black Friday deals of interest to Christians or theology geeks like me. There are some spectacular deals here. I will be purchasing a few things from Ligonier, but I will also be chomping at the bit to purchase the Theology Program from Credo House. I would love to do something like that at church, if there were an interest.

Otherwise, I have a pretty bad cold today. I am not sure if I will get out hunting or not. Time will tell.