A "Personal" Relationship with Jesus

Doug Groothuis on the pitfalls of having a "personal" relationship with Jesus:

"We Americans use the word "personal" incessantly. By it, we usually mean customized or selected according to our preferences, tastes, whims, consumer values, ad nauseum--YouWorld and all that.

"Danger ensues, though, when we think of salvation--a restored standing with God through Jesus Christ--as "personal" in the sense above. A customized salvation by our own personalized definition is God on our terms--a comfortable God, a God in our own image. But this is not the triune, holy, just, loving, Incarnation God of the Bible and space-time history, but a customized counterfeit.

"God is not an iPod play list or a fashion statement. He is not a selection of foods on the smorgasbord. God has a fixed and determinate character. Christ has "made him known" (John 1:18) uniquely, finally, and incomparably through his life, death, and resurrection.

"God has now commanded all people to repent (Acts 17:30; Matthew 4:17), to believe on his Son (John 3:16), and to receive forgiveness and justification through Jesus Christ (John 1:13-14; Romans 5:1-8). This is not customized, but it fits every receptive soul who heeds the divine call. This salvation is not automatic and you cannot presume upon God to provide it on your terms. However, it is highly personal in that you must give yourself--body and soul--to God. Jesus said, "Come to me..." (Matthew 11:28). What does God want from us? He wants us for himself forever--and nothing will ever be the same again."

The End of Exercise, Finally

HT: Neatorama

Add Your Own Caption:

Read the story behind the pic here.

Def: Docetism

[doe‘-suh-tiz’-um]

(Greek dokeo, “to seem”)

Early Christian heresy heavily influenced by Gnosticism that affirmed Christ as God, but not man. Because of their dualistic philosophy (i.e., spiritual is good, physical is evil), docetism promoted that Christ could not have been truly man, for that would mean that he was physical, and hence, evil. Therefore, it only “seemed” that Christ was man. It would seem that a seed form of this heresy existed in the first century and may be evidenced in the epistle of 1 John (1:1-4).

From: Theological Word of the Day

;

Should we ever use the semi-colon in our writing? Slate writer Paul Collins probes this question in his article "Has Modern Life Killed the Semi-Colon?" Many think the semi-colon should be heaped into the grammar trash-pile, believing that it serves no good purpose in English writing. In my post "Community or Narcissism" I used three semi-colons. That sort of blatant disregard for proper, graceful prose should send me right to grammar prison. I do admit that I use it, some of the time, out of laziness. Rather than taking the time to bring sentences together creatively, I just smack a semi-colon in the middle of them. And honestly, beyond the supposed improper punctuality, the thing just looks out of place. Is that the best symbol we could come up with?

What do you think? Obviously, all of eternity lies in the balance; answer wisely.

A Quote on the Love of God

"Fear nothing and never be afraid; and don’t fret. If only your penitence fail not, God will forgive all. There is no sin, and there can be no sin on all the earth, which the Lord will not forgive to the truly repentant! Man cannot commit a sin so great as to exhaust the infinite love of God. Can there be a sin which could exceed the love of God? Think only of repentance, continual repentance, but dismiss fear altogether. Believe that God loves you as you cannot conceive; that He loves you with your sin, in your sin. It has been said of old that over one repentant sinner there is more joy in heaven than over ten righteous men. Go, and fear not."

-Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

HT: JH

Old School Evangelism

My mom sent me a link to this video of Keith Green from 1982. Though I don't agree with all of his theology, I can't help but think the overall message of this song is right. I hung my head some as I watched this. Do I do enough? "Jesus rose from the grave, you can't even get out of bed." Keith died with two of his children in a plane crash the year this was filmed.

What About the Other Religions?

Tim Chester helps answers the frequently asked question, "How can you claim there is only one true religion?" A lot of his answers are in line with Tim Keller's book, The Reason for God. I hope they will help you as you point people to Jesus:

1. If people tell the story of the blind men and the elephant, ask them: ‘How do you know it’s an elephant?’

2. People may say: ‘If you were born in, you’d be a Muslim not a Christian.’ But the same goes for the pluralist. ‘If you’d been born in Iran you wouldn’t be a pluralist.’ In other words, your belief that all religions are equal (or misguided) is as culturally and social conditioned as my belief in Jesus (more so since going to church is now a minority activity in our society).

3. Jesus claimed that he was the only way to God (John 14:6). If all religious roads lead to God then Jesus was a liar and Christianity is false. In which case, not all religions lead to God.

4. People sometimes ask if you fully investigated all religions before deciding to follow Christ. Two responses: (1) You don’t need comprehensive knowledge before you can be confident something is true. You don’t read every newspaper and interview multiple eye-witnesses before believing a sports result. (2) I didn’t decide Christianity was the best religion; Jesus laid claim to my life.

5. Ask people to define religion. Jesus is not another religious figure, but the end or opposite of all religion. Religion is about an upwards movement of humanity towards God. Jesus represents of downward movement of God towards humanity.

6. Because Jesus is God’s initiative towards humanity, the message of Jesus is a message of grace. It is not dependent on human achievement, but upon God’s gracious and completed work. So Jesus alone gives assurance of salvation.

Community or Narcissism?

My wife and I were discussing the plethora of new ways that facilitate communication online these days--Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, among others. Our discussion was in response to a blog we read from an old friend. This blog was, in reality, an online personal journal. Though its content is meant for everyone, all of the posts are about the author. Now this is different from, say, a commentary blog, like GracePoint's. Rather than focusing outward, these personal journals focus inward, in every regard. But make no mistake; she is not going outside the boundaries of her mission. She formed the blog for a very simple reason: to tell the world about herself.

Now there are a million blogs like this (probably literally). People use this tool, and others, to tell the world about themselves. Their hobbies, what they have done, what books they like, what music they are into, what they are going to be doing, etc. And now you can even upload pictures and video of, you guessed it, yourself! What is interesting about this sort of self-focused communication is that the mediums seem to be dictating the type of communication utilized, not vice versa. That is, from what I can tell, people were not hoping for tools like this. But now that the tools are available, we use them, to the nth degree. And what the mediums are dictating, from my vantage point, is narcissism.

Now that is overstating it a bit. Many people use these tools altruistically. Myspace and Facebook have kept relationships alive that would have otherwise died (which my wife points out is not necessarily a good thing). There is also valid and useful interaction via messaging that occurs (even if it is a bit shallow). However, it should not be missed that these mediums have fundamentally changed the way many of us communicate. Blogs, Facebook, Myspace and other such mediums promote the notion that the best way to communicate is to make much of yourself. If you tell the whole world who you are, then people will know you. And if the world knows you, you have communicated. Now all you have to do is group all these people together in one virtual space and you can call it community.

Obviously, I blog; and I also just started Twittering (a decidedly bizarre format where you post, throughout the day, the things you are doing or thinking about in 140 character or less). But I need to be careful. The kind of communication that produces good community does not end with the expression of my ideas, stories, happenings and pictures. In fact, communicating this way exclusively will only promote in you what you should avoid: narcissism. One of the reasons online communication has become so personal is because it is, for many, a one-sided affair. The longer you stare at yourself, the less likely you'll refrain from telling the world every detail of your life (for you have entered a sort of personal infinity).

On the other hand, good, Christ-like communication involves as much listening as it does expression. It probably does not need saying that community always requires dialogue, not monologue. For instance, if you communicate like a TV commercial, you will not form community, for a TV commercial has no real interest in its viewer. Christ-like communication, on the other hand, may begin with you, but it should not end there. Community develops through mutual learning, criticism and encouragement. And deeper than that, Christ-like communication will necessarily move the focus from yourself to the person you are communicating with. "Stir up one another to love and good works," the author of Hebrews says (Heb. 10:25).

But I am probably being too negative and now come across like a hypocrite. It's just a word of warning. I use these mediums and think they can be vital additions to our box of tools; they can even be a good source of community (coincidentally, as I typed this my wife reconnected on Facebook with a good friend of ours in WA). Though anything can be made an idol, most things can be used to serve the church and glorify God. If wielded wisely and with balance, Myspace, Facebook, blogs and even Twitter, can be used to further our true mission: the proclamation of the Gospel.

Cool Video of the Day

They call this "contact juggling." Trippy.



HT: Neatorama

Books to Read This Summer

Here is a short reading list for you this summer. Mind you, this list is highly unbalanced as they are all books I personally love and think you should read.

Classic

(The New) Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan: A Christian "classic," this is the highly metaphorical look at the journey of a Christian towards salvation. The version I linked to has very helpful notes from Warren Weirsbe which will help you digest Bunyan's prose more thoroughly. Though it is a different kind of read, it is definitely worth your time.

Devotional

Pierced by the Word, by John Piper: This is a tiny book. Literally. But broken down into 31 "meditations,"it is quite full. Piper eloquently and passionately helps the reader make God the center of everything. It will surely stimulate your quiet times this summer.

Apologetics

The Reason for God, by Tim Keller: I have talked about this book quite a bit here. It's simply the best book on apologetics I have read in years.

Biography

Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography, by Iain H. Murray: Edwards was a Massachusetts resident most of his life. He's also considered America's greatest theologian. Murray makes this fascinating man very accessible.

History

Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity, by Mark Noll: If you only have time to read one book on Christian history, read this one. It'll give you a good overview.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Wordled

Jonathan Edwards' most famous sermon, Wordled:

















HT: Think Christian

12 Sins We Blame on Others

From Ben Reoach's post at the Desiring God Blog:

1) Anger

I wouldn’t lose my temper if my co-workers were easier to get along with, or if my kids behaved better, or if my spouse were more considerate.

2) Impatience

I would be a very patient person if it weren’t for traffic jams and long lines in the grocery store. If I didn’t have so many things to do, and if the people around me weren’t so slow, I would never become impatient!

3) Lust

I would have a pure mind if there weren’t so many sensual images in our culture.

4) Anxiety

I wouldn’t worry about the future if my life were just a little more secure—if I had more money, and no health problems.

5) Spiritual Apathy

My spiritual life would be so much more vibrant and I would struggle with sin less if my small group were more encouraging, or if Sunday school were more engaging, or if the music in the worship service were more lively, or if the sermons were better.

6) Insubordination

If my parents/bosses/elders were godly leaders, then I would joyfully follow them.

7) A Critical Spirit

It’s not my fault that the people around me are ignorant and inexperienced.

8) Bitterness

If you knew what that person did to me, you would understand my bitterness. How could I forgive something like that?

9) Gluttony

My wife/husband/roommate/friend is a wonderful cook! The things they make are impossible to resist.

10) Gossip

It’s the people around me who start the conversations. There’s no way to avoid hearing what others happen to say. And when others ask me questions, I can’t avoid sharing what I know.

11) Self-Pity

I’ll never be happy, because my marriage/family/job/ministry is so difficult.

12) Selfishness

I would be more generous if we had more money.

Message: Beware of God

Here is Steve's message from Sunday:

"God loves our country"

These words are a reflection of God-exalting faithfulness, uttered by a Chinese house church leader. Last night I watched the Frontline/World report on the rise of Christianity in China. It was really great to see my brothers and sisters there, people whom I will never speak to, but feel such kinship with. They are truly living the life of faith, standing only on the fact that they have been bought by the blood of Christ. If you have any time at all in the next few days, watch the report, "Jesus in China," here (along with some other behind the scenes footage). This report was done in conjunction with two pieces in the Chicago Tribune. Read them here and here.

I was amazed at two things: (1) They have a simple, passionate commitment to see Christ magnified. All they spoke about was Jesus and making him known. Our faith in America, it seems, is allowed to flourish to such an extent that we fail to live by and proclaim the simple gospel. What do I mean? I'll explain below. (2) The Chinese Christians are extremely bold, despite the risk of jail, forced labor, torture and even death (watch the video here of a Chinese house church being ripped to the ground because it was "unregistered"). It is true that China has adopted a more liberal policy toward mainline faiths like Christianity. But even with new found liberty, Chinese Christians have no guarantee that they will be able to worship and evangelize freely. And yet they don't care much about that. Rather than waiting on the perfect opportunity, they are making opportunity for themselves right now, proclaiming Christ despite the risk.

Americans know nothing of persecution like this. Persecution, it seems, makes for good training in the Chinese Christians. Though they lack certain freedoms we enjoy, the discipline they have gained through this persecution leads them to be more passionate and especially more faithful. Americans Christians, on the other hand, are fat and happy. And for the church that is not good. We have no reason to share. Because our lives are already so convenient, we have little reason to endure the discomfort experienced when sharing our faith. I wish I could speak from a soap box. But I am the fattest and happiest. And so I gain hope and encouragement from the Chinese Christians. Though our plights are different, our task is the same: Make Christ known.

The Chinese house church leader I mentioned at the top has decided to take his issues with the regulations on worship to the courts, believing that the Chinese constitution is on his side. The reporter questions this: "Can you depend on the courts for help?" His response: "I believe God loves our country. And he loves us. He will give us a fair answer." Hallelujah.

God Does Everything for His Own Glory

John Piper, on why it matters that God does everything for his own glory:

Why should we emphasize that God loves, forgives, and saves for his own glory?

Two reasons (among others).

1) Because the Bible does.

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. (Psalm 25:11)

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake! (Psalm 79:9)

Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O Lord, for your name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you. (Jeremiah 14:7)

We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against you. Do not spurn us, for your name's sake; do not dishonor your glorious throne. (Jeremiah 14:20-21)

God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25-26)

Your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12)

2. Because it makes clear that God loves us with the greatest love.

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory. (John 17:24)

God loves us not in a way that makes us supreme, but makes himself supreme. Heaven will not be a hall of mirrors but an increasing vision of infinite greatness. Getting to heaven and finding that we are supreme would be the ultimate let down.

The greatest love makes sure that God does everything in such a way as to uphold and magnify his own supremacy so that when we get there we have something to increase our joy forever—God's glory.

The greatest love is God's giving himself to us for our eternal enjoyment for ever, at the cost of his Son's life (Romans 8:32).

Kindergarchy

Check out the really fascinating opinion-piece over at the Weekly Standard called "Kindergarchy: Every Child a Dauphin."His opinions are obviously, at least to some extent, extreme. But is he right? Partially right? So old-school that he can't understand what it is like to parent today? Consider his critique.

Plumpynut

Fascinating, exciting, encouraging, and heart-rending. Not much more to say.

George Carlin, 1937-2008

I had a love/love regard for comedian George Carlin.

Known for his brash, edgy and always irreverent comedy, he was especially fond of calling out the hypocritical nature of religion and its leaders. Though I had heard of him throughout my life, I grew to enjoy him when my dad and I discovered his first book, the aptly named Brain Droppings. Though much of it is crass enough to keep from reading it again, I can't recall ever laughing so hard as when my dad and I read each other sections from it.

His writing always seemed different from his stand-up. A litter softer, perhaps? I don't know. But that seems to reflect some of the things his friends have been saying about him now that he has passed. He was, they say, quite reclusive and quiet. He was a "gentleman" behind the scenes, and even "humble." They chalked it up to his being an old-school showman--your act did not necessarily reflect your character. This is not that surprising. The people who entertain on a large scale tend to be quite introverted (this is the case with many preachers, too).

But as is the case when most people die, compliments fly and criticisms die. Carlin could be particularly mean at times, never failing to throw even old ladies under buses, as it were. His biting--and usually naïve--political diatribes usually left the listener with a bad taste in his/her mouth. But perhaps the most important thing to point out was that Carlin had a caustic aversion to the church. I don't know a lot about George, but I'm pretty sure I heard him say he grew up Roman Catholic. He had obviously left the church and had nothing good to say about it. He was definitely in the camp that argued religion made the world worse, not better. And I can't disagree.

Perhaps that's part of the reason I liked him. Comedians are adept social critics. Carlin was a master. He saw things no one else saw and made jokes out of it. Much of his critique of religion, sadly, is spot on. Religion can't fix you. It is hypocritical. It is self-serving. And so I love the guy. To me, he was one of the funniest and most astute entertainers of the last 40 years.

But I also love him (note the absence of the word "hate"). For all of Carlin's astuteness, for all of his cleverness, he wasn't ever able to find Christ (as far as I know). Oh, he thought he knew him. But he did not. I suspect that he hated religion so much because, to him, it was the best attempt to make any sense of this life. But to him, of course, religion made no sense at all. Oh, had he only known Jesus. Carlin had the correct answer to the question, "Can religion save me?" No, it cannot. But, unfortunately, he never figured out that there was a positive side to the equation. "What can save me?" Only Christ can save. Religion says, do a lot of things to please God and get right with him. Christ says, I have done everything required to please God. In fact, I have spared my own life to get you right with God. Now, would you only find rest in me? Turn from your sin, have faith in my shed blood, and you will taste life.

George Carlin was for a time my favorite comedian. My dad and I would laugh endlessly at his stuff. And so I had a love/love regard for him. I hope he found faith in the only thing that could have saved him.

Wordle

For something fun on a Friday, check out Wordle. Here are some examples of what you can do with it:



HT: JT

Pray for Gloucester

From Time Magazine: "Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High."

Pray for the girls involved, and the parents, and the school, and the police, and the church in Glouchester, and especially, pray for the babies.

Is that a Skunk?!

The GracePoint Mom's group kicked off the summer season yesterday with a visit from Curious Creatures. There were 22 moms, 35 kids (not including all the infants), a couple of grandmothers and one dad who enjoyed touching snakes, a skunk, a squirrel and some turtles!

This was a fantastic event for our newly forming mother's group at GracePoint with many moms and kids in attendance who don't attend GracePoint. And it was a great avenue for us to serve these families with a memorable experience involving moms connecting with other moms, kids connecting with other kids, and all seeing and experiencing some curious creatures!

They will continue meeting throughout the summer for more fun and play dates, so contact Emily Roth or Jessica Mitchell for more details at gracepointmoms@gmail.com.

How do You Talk to Your Kids About the Gospel?

Here's a great, practical post from Doug Wolter over at the Life Together blog on ways you can teach your kids about the Gospel. It is amazing how I have already started praying for my new daughter. There is a spiritual urge there that I doubt will quit until she comes to Christ. Here are some things Doug and his wife do to teach their three kids:

Modeling — What are your children observing?

• Seeing God in everything – we try to see God throughout the day and point our kids to Him (e.g. as we take a walk, we remind our children of God’s beautiful creation; as we watch a TV show or movie we try to talk about how it either supports or goes against a biblical worldview of life)
• Praying at all times — we try to stop and pray throughout the day, thanking God and acknowledging our need for God (i.e. trying not to make prayer just a dinner table experience!)
• Not hiding our emotions — we try to be real with our kids and let them know when we are feeling happy or sad (if it’s appropriate) and then going to God together as a family in those times
• Admitting our sins to them — many times I have messed up and needed to go and ask my girls to forgive me for my sin (this inevitably creates another opportunity for me to let them know how much “daddy” needs Jesus too)
• Inviting others into our home — this has gotten somewhat more difficult with three kids, but Jaime and I want to model for our kids an atmosphere of love and openness to others

Teaching — What are your children learning?

• To Begin the Day — I usually get up and get the girls breakfast (Jaime does so much, I try to serve her in this way — plus I’m a morning person and she’s not!). During breakfast, I read from a couple different devotional materials (Big Book of Quesions and Answers by Sinclair Ferguson and A Faith to Grow On by John MacArthur) and we talk about them. It only takes about 5 minutes, but it’s one way I start the day teaching them about the gospel.
• Sometimes at Supper – Although we’re less consistent with this routine, we’ve found that it’s fun to pray for someone in our family by having each person take a picture off the fridge and pray for that person before we eat. After we eat, sometimes I’ll pull out My First Book of Questions by Carine MacKenzie and “quiz” the girls for fun.
• To End the Day — Nearly every night we try to read from The Jesus StoryBook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones and pray with our girls. We like them to pray with us as I believe it’s good to have children learn to pray as they hear us pray. We’re also teaching them the Lord’s Prayer.
• Listening to Music as we drive — Jaime likes to put in CD’s for the girls to listen to. Here’s one that our girls really like: Seeds of Faith
• Reading Good Books Together — There are so many books I could mention here. I’ll just mention two: Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers by Joey Allen, and The Priest With Dirty Clothes by R.C. Sproul.

Maybe you have some ways of your own. Please share them!

Def: Regeneration

[ree-jehn’-uh-ray‘-shun]

(Latin regenerare, “to reproduce”)

The doctrine of spiritual renewal, otherwise known as being born-again. According to Titus 3:3-7, in his mercy God saves us by washing away our old nature through the power of the Holy Spirit, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life, as verse 7 states. There is some controversy as to when regeneration happens in the ordo salutis (order of salvation). Calvinists assert that regeneration happens before faith; Arminians believe it happens after faith evidences itself.

From: Reclaiming the Mind

A Quote on Music

“Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds hearts, and spirits….a person who…does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God…does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.”

-Martin Luther

HT: Z

Insights from a "Secular Jew"

CT interviewed Daniel Radosh, a self-described "secular Jew," who authored the book Rapture Ready, a look into the bizarre world of Christian pop-culture (like Bible Man). The interview is quite interesting and, at times, penetrating. Though we should not always heed the advice of those "outside" the church, some of his thoughts are true enough and insightful enough to learn from. Here is one that was particularly good:

"The truth is that a lot of people spend more time consuming Christian media than they spend in church. And they're getting theological lessons from the Christian radio they listen to in the car every day, whereas despite what they might tell pollsters and their pastor, they don't necessarily read the Bible every day. I know that people told me that this music was important to them in helping sustain their faith and explore their faith, and even sometimes explore their doubts. There are some people, certainly, who consume Christian culture just because they want a safe alternative to the mainstream culture, which seems to me getting back to a form of utilitarianism."

Celtics: Mirroring the Body of Christ

Congrats to you Boston fans. Two world champions, one almost world champion. It's really unbelievable that Mass has become the center of the world of sports. Though I weep for my Seattle teams (and will for the rest of my life), I am happy that sports has brought y'all some joy. Anyway, check out this insightful post on the Celtics from Jim Watkins at ThinkChristian:

Congrats to the Boston Celtics for winning the National Basketball Association title last night. (And condolences to my friends in LA.)

This season, the team has stressed, well, teamwork by adopting the South African word ubuntu (pronounced Ooh-BOON-too). In English, it roughly translates to “I am, because we are.” I love it!

"A person is a person through other people,” coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers explained. “Because as good as you are, you can only be great or get what you want through other people.”

The apostle Paul illustrates this truth by describing the church as the body of Christ:

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it (1 Corinthians 12:14-26).

Ubuntu,

HT: Z

Piper on Suffering

I love John Piper for a lot of reasons. One of those reasons is the way he teaches on suffering. Because he believes God is sovereign over everything (as I do), he's able to explain suffering in a way that keeps you from hopelessness. Because God has planned our life out for his glory, the suffering we endure, though difficult, will ultimately be for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28). As Tim Keller would say, just because you don't know the point of your suffering doesn't mean there isn't one.

But Piper brings to the table something most do not. He has an ability to help you believe that suffering should not just be endured but, in some sense, reveled in. Now I do not mean that we should hope for suffering. That is masochism. Rather, when we experience suffering, we know, at the very least, that God has a reason for it and that it will bring about untold amounts of goodness. That is why we are always mourning, but also always rejoicing.

Anyway, here is Piper on this very subject, answering the question: "Does Suffering Always Make Sense?":

Community on the Field

I love stories like this.



My wife and I attended Central Washington University. I'm very proud of that today.

HT: JT

Jesus Rode a...Huh?

From some random Bible coloring book. Totally, awesomely bad:























In case you are confused, Jesus, as far as I know, did not have time to ride on dinosaurs. And, unless I have entered another dimension, T-Rex did not hang in Galilee. This is not the only sketchy Bible book for kids. Many of them are overly simplistic, get stories wrong, and, as is displayed in the picture above, make stuff up. Watch out parents.

For example, a prof of mine pointed out that most Bibles for kids get the story of Noah wrong. Perhaps you remember the story this way: God comes down to find a completely depraved people and decides that the best course of action is to start over (=he decides to kill everyone). Well, in order to keep the human race going, he chose Noah, with his family, to continue the human race. But why was Noah chosen in the first place? Why did he find "favor in the eyes of God?" (Gen. 6:8)? According to many children's Bibles, it was because Noah was a "good man." Unfortunately for these books, the Bible says nothing like that. All it says is that God was displeased with man and that Noah "found favor in the eyes of God." So we must conclude, then, that God based his decision entirely on his mercy and not Noah's righteousness.

This teaching is foundational to the Gospel (see Ephesians 2:8-9) and should therefore be foundational as you teach your kids about Christ and what he has done for us. If we depend on ourselves, we are doomed. But if we depend on Christ, who stands as the only mediator between God and man, we will gain eternal life.

I blogged a while back on The Jesus Storybook Bible. I have a copy and want to start reading it to my little girl soon (even though she may not understand me or it yet!) It is truly remarkable in its ability to relate the stories of the Bible simply without losing any of their profundity. I commend it to you.

HT: Kevin Cawley

Message: Beauty and the Beasts

Here's Steve message from Sunday, "Beauty and the Beast":

Missional Living How To

Here's a good, highly practical video from a church down south on ways you can be missionaries to your community this summer.



Let us know how you engage your community this summer!

HT: JD

Godly Weather

By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. They turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world. Whether for correction or for his land
or for love, he causes it to happen.
-Job 37:10-13

Message: The Wilderness of Broken Dreams

Sunday's message from Steve:

Def: Special Revelation

Revelation given by God’s supernatural intervention in history through (1) miraculous events, (2) divine speech, and (3) visible manifestations. This is to be contrasted with “general” or “natural” revelation which refers to God’s revelation generally given to all people through a naturalistic medium.

From: Reclaiming the Mind

A Quote for Father's Day

You will lose your baby teeth.
At times, you'll lose your faith in me.
You will lose a lot of things,
But you cannot lose my love.

You may lose your appetite,
Your guiding sense of wrong and right.
You may lose your will to fight,
But you cannot lose my love.

You will lose your confidence.
In times of trial, your common sense.
You may lose your innocence,
But you cannot lose my love.

Many things can be misplaced;
Your very memories be erased.
No matter what the time or space,
You cannot lose my love.
You cannot lose,
You cannot lose,
You cannot lose my love.

-Sara Groves, lyrics from "You Cannot Lose my Love"
on the All Right Here album

Drive Free, Retire Rich

Dave Ramsey awesomeness.

Frugality Lost

David Brooks wrote a brutal op-ed on our debt culture yesterday. It's really quite sad and deeply disheartening. But is it all that shocking that we Americans today are concerned more with getting stuff than staying out of debt? I would love to think that a shifting economy would change hearts and minds. But my guess is that it will only push us all deeper into financial crisis. Anyway, David writes:

"Over the past 30 years, much of [America's frugality] has been shredded. The social norms and institutions that encouraged frugality and spending what you earn have been undermined. The institutions that encourage debt and living for the moment have been strengthened. The country’s moral guardians are forever looking for decadence out of Hollywood and reality TV. But the most rampant decadence today is financial decadence, the trampling of decent norms about how to use and harness money."

Reporting on a new study called "For a New Thrift: Confronting the Debt Culture," David continues:

"The deterioration of financial mores has meant two things. First, it’s meant an explosion of debt that inhibits social mobility and ruins lives. Between 1989 and 2001, credit-card debt nearly tripled, soaring from $238 billion to $692 billion. By last year, it was up to $937 billion, the report said.

"Second, the transformation has led to a stark financial polarization. On the one hand, there is what the report calls the investor class. It has tax-deferred savings plans, as well as an army of financial advisers. On the other hand, there is the lottery class, people with little access to 401(k)’s or financial planning but plenty of access to payday lenders, credit cards and lottery agents.

"The loosening of financial inhibition has meant more options for the well-educated but more temptation and chaos for the most vulnerable. Social norms, the invisible threads that guide behavior, have deteriorated. Over the past years, Americans have been more socially conscious about protecting the environment and inhaling tobacco. They have become less socially conscious about money and debt."

Totally. And that's not to say I haven't contributed to this. I have. Spending is now a deeply ingrained value in so many of us. I do not have the same sense of urgency my grandfather did to scrimp and save. Yes, he did so because he had to. The only money he had access too was the money he made. Though some credit was available to him, getting a Target credit card was unheard of. But beyond that, frugality was something he believed in deeply and practiced earnestly (he still does, despite huge financial success). Brooks concludes, commenting on the need for a shift in mentality:

"There are dozens of things that could be done. But the most important is to shift values. Franklin made it prestigious to embrace certain bourgeois virtues. Now it’s socially acceptable to undermine those virtues. It’s considered normal to play the debt game and imagine that decisions made today will have no consequences for the future."

Ultimately, we've got to understand that frugality is not a means to an end. Yes, you will be more financially secure if you spend less and save more. But frugality is virtuous because it is biblical. Did you know that Jesus talked about money more than anything else in the Gospels? Jesus knew that money, if left unchecked, would master you (Mat. 6:24). Be mastered not by that shiny plasma TV but by God.

Check out Dave Ramsey for excellent help in this area. I hope to hold his Financial Peace University course in January 2009. Stay posted.

Twitter!

Ok, I am finally Twittering. You should too!

Good News, Finally

Newsweek published an article about a month back on the auspicious promise that scientists have been able to "reprogram" human skin cells to look and act like embryonic stem cells. Lee Silver reports:

"In June 2006, a Japanese group led by Shinya Yamanaka reported the first successful result with mouse skin cells, and between November 2007 and January 2008, Yamanaka's group and two American groups led by James Thomson and George Daley at Harvard University all reported the successful reprogramming of human skin cells into a state that is indistinguishable from human embryonic cells. Over the last several months, progress made along this new scientific path has been breathtaking. The laboratory of Rudolf Jaenisch at MIT has taken in the lead in developing therapies with this new technique in mice, demonstrating a cure for a mouse version of sickle cell anemia and alleviating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in mice.

"What these scientists can now do is essentially to take any type of cell and turn it into the equivalent of an embryonic stem cell—without needing embryos or egg cells. So what exactly are these new cells? Cells are fundamentally defined not by where they come from, but by their program of gene activity. In this sense, the new cells should be called embryonic stem cells. And since they are genetically identical to the person who provided the original sample, they are technically embryonic cell clones of that person. But scientists have discovered the power of words to elicit positive or negative emotional responses. "Clone" and "embryo" are words to be avoided. And so by consensus, the new cells are being called induced pluripotent stem cells."

And yet, despite these new possibilities, many still continue to work on the "other side" of things:



HT: CT

Home-Schooling vs. Public vs. Private

Or perhaps not. There are things you rarely think about until you have a kid of your own. For example, how will I educate my child? My wife said to me the other day, "I think I am going to home-school our daughter." Huh? Are you kidding? My reaction was due more to my ignorance and fear, not to a revulsion of home-schooling itself. What will be the best for my child? I had not even thought about it.

I am not afraid of over-spiritualizing things. I look at each event and make each decision with the knowledge that God is intimately connected to, and sovereignly orchestrating, everything. That is my joy and relief. If I had to go through life with the knowledge that God was removed from our lives (deism) and that I was autonomously and sovereignly responsible for my actions, I would lose faith and passion. The only way I'll be able to make a decision for my daughter's education in faith is because I know God is orchestrating the outcome for his glory and my joy. So if I cannot afford private Christian school because I have heeded a particular call of God, I have not failed my kids. If we are not able to home-school or if we decide, in order to reach our world, to put our kids in public school, God will come out the victor. And even when we feel as though we have failed to provide the best thing possible for our kids, we can rest in the knowledge that God is in control. They will turn out just the way God wants them and will get the education they need for the greatest purpose in the world: making much of him.

So there is no versus here. Those sort of sentiments and beliefs should be left out of the conversation. Do the best you can for your child. Listen to God's voice and pick what is right for you. Have faith that God will use it for your good and his glory.

For more on this, check out this insightful message from Josh Harris on fostering unity among the educational camps:

Say Something, With Conviction

"Slam poet" Taylor Mali on our "aggressively inarticulate nation."



Amen.

HT: EO

Friends with the Opposite Gender?

John Piper answers the question, "Is it wrong for married people to have friends of the opposite sex?"

A Quote on Throwing Your Life Away

“The Cross is not simply a lovely example of sacrificial love. Throwing your life away needlessly is not admirable — it is wrong. Jesus’ death was only a good example if it was more than an example, if it was something absolutely necessary to rescue us. And it was. Why did Jesus have to die in order to forgive us? There was a debt to be paid — God himself paid it. There was a penalty to be born — God himself bore it. Forgiveness is always a form of costly suffering.”

-Timothy Keller, The Reason for God (New York, NY; Dutton, 2007), 193.

HT: Z

Movie Review: The Golden Compass

I finally saw the movie The Golden Compass the other day. I blogged about it when it first came out and said I wanted to see it. Well, life does not always allow jaunts to the movie theater these days, so I waited until it came out on video. Thank God. I would have cried over each of the ten bucks had I bought a ticket. The movie is just plain bad. It is so chaotic and adds so many characters throughout the two hours that I lost attention at least a few times. The graphic art is impressive and well done, but even this seemed empty.

There should not have been any hoopla over it's anti-religious themes. Yes, the books might propound atheism and freedom from religion/the church. However, the movie trips over itself trying in avoiding blatant, unflattering remarks about religion (though one immediately discovers that the oppressive "Magesterium" represents the Roman Catholic Church). And as is the case with so many (post)modern movies, the overarching topic is freedom. Freedom from what? The church, or religion, or perhaps something else? I guess the other movies will fill out the bizarre story more.

Though the anti-religious themes were subtle, one got the feeling that the movie did not exist to esteem goodness. You did not feel any love or grace emanating from the characters (the prime actor, a young girl, played the part quite apathetically and even a bit rudely). And it is not because the film is dark (which it is). Even in the darkest scenes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, one always felt as though redemption was around the corner. And even in the midst of the tragedy, all the virtuous characters acted, well, virtuously. Not so with The Golden Compass.

I can't really recommend the movie. It is quite violent and unsuitable for kids. But beyond that, it really doesn't offer anything edifying. Good CGI and clever fantasy can't cover up simple insolence.

Sola Scriputra

How was the Bible written?
Was the Bible written by God or man?
Why is the Bible our highest authority?
Are there things the Bible does not speak to?

Transracial Adoption & the Gospel

There was quite a bit of buzz a few weeks back on the stated position of the Evan B. Adoption Institute against transracial adoption. That is, they believe it is, in the end, unprofitable to place African-American children in the adoptive care of white parents. In light of a study they did, they concluded, according to the NY Times, that

Transracial adoption itself does not produce psychological or other social problems in children, but that these children often face major challenges as the only person of color in an all-white environment, trying to cope with being different.

Their hope is that they will be able to change the Multiethnic Placement Act which gives federal monies to adoption agencies that adopt a color-blind approach when placing children with adoptive parents.

This is an interesting dilemma. Anthony Bradley, an African-American Christian scholar, understands the difficulties with transracial adoption. He wrote:

Every black kid I've ever known who was adopted by a white family had a huge identity crisis at some point between the ages of 13 to 25-years-old. Here's why: race matters A LOT. And black kids raised by whites are usually are NOT prepared for two things: (1) dealing with anxiety of being ignorant of some of the norms of black culture and (2) learning the intricacies of what it means to be black in a white dominated society and how to prepare to be a minority--there are specific things that need to be taught about surviving in a country where you are a part of a sub-dominant minority group that's usually scorned.

One can assume that any transracial adoption would present its own difficulties, and this includes all international adoptions. So how are we to respond? Russel D. Moore, an adoptee and adopter himself, cuts through the sociology and, rightly, points to the Gospel:

I'm not surprised that a group of secular social workers believe racial identity is more important than familial love. The Scripture tells us we always, if left to ourselves, want to categorize ourselves 'according to the flesh.' Whether it is the Athenians clinging to their myth of superior origins or Judaizers insisting on circumcision or Peter refusing to eat with pig-devouring Gentiles, we love to see ourselves first and foremost in fleshly categories -- because it keeps us from seeing ourselves in Christ.

The gospel, though, drives us away from our identity in the flesh, and toward a new identity, indeed a new family, defined by the Spirit. This new family solidarity is much less visibly obvious; it's not based on marks in the flesh or skin color or carefully kept genealogies. It's based on a Spirit that blows invisibly where he wills, showing up in less visible characteristics such as peace, joy, love, righteousness, gentleness, kindness, self-control.

He concludes:

But all of us need to pray, and hard, for transracial -- and trans-economic and trans-generational -- churches. The social workers will divide us up into categories of race -- and some of the church-people will too. Jesus will do otherwise, though. He'll sit us right down at the same table, in a common household, and he'll feed us bread and wine -- together.

What if the outside world could see church directories and family albums filled with people who look nothing alike -- but who call each other "brother" and "sister" and mean it, and who unabashedly hug and kiss one another?

Perhaps the outside world would be better able to understand how black parents can love and raise an Asian daughter, how a Latino child can love his white Iowan mother, if they were to see our churches filled with people, red and yellow, black, and white, who are precious in the sight of one another.

Read his whole piece here. He was also interviewed by Al Mohler. Listen to that here (starting at 11:20):



I hope we all seriously consider adoption. Seriously. My wife and I say over and over that we will eventually adopt. I hope you hold us to that. For the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of Christ.

If you'd like to read more on this, check out this Washington Post editorial and this blog.

Books for Dads

Here's a list from Al Mohler on books dad (or any dude for that matter) might appreciate. They look great. He writes:

"The fact is that many guys just do not read for fun (if much at all) and yet, every now and then, they read a book that captures their attention. This list is for the moms and wives who are looking for a book that just might light that fire."

What is the Unwasted Life?

Some Wednesday afternoon Piper for all of you suffering from PWD:

On Bible Reading

Q&A with Mark Dever:

What’s one thing you’ve learned after years of reading the Bible about how to read the Bible well?

"That’s it’s more important that I keep doing it than what I get out of it at any particular time.

"A lot of young Christians will have an exciting quiet time on Monday and a really exciting one on Tuesday and an awesome one on Wednesday but then something happens on Thursday and they actually don’t even do it and Friday they do it and they feel guilty and it isn’t that good and Saturday they do it but it’s late and they were discouraged...and then they just get discouraged because they’re not always having a super experience. That’s where I would look at them and say, “Just keep going. Aim at obedience in a long direction set in a pattern for decades. If you just keep going you’ll gain so much by consistency and faithfulness that there’s no way you can gain just by sudden experience."

Message: Praying While Running

Dr. Jeff Arthurs' message from Sunday entitled "Praying While Running":

No Other Option

Actor Will Smith (on the Ellen Show):

"Divorce just can't be an option. It's really that simple – if you just remove the option. Because if you have the option, one day that person's going to make you want a divorce. You absolutely get to the point that you're done, and the only thing that keeps you continuing is that there's no other option."

Yes, that's part of it. Amen.

HT: EO

"How Selfish is This Guy?"

Like I said, I have been digging 60 Minutes as of late. Part of the past Sunday broadcast was a piece on Tom Perkins, the highly successful, wildly wealthy venture capitalist who, among other things, likes to spend money. Leslie Stahl interviews him on his ship, the Maltese Falcon, the biggest sailing vessel in the world. You can watch the whole video below, but here is a transcript of the most interesting (to me) section (starting at about 4:30):

Lesley Stahl: "Why won't you tell us [how much the ship cost]? You've told us everything else. You don't seem to be embarrassed by everything else."
Tom Perkins: (laughing) "I'm embarrassed about that."
Stahl: "About how much it cost?"
Perkins: "Yeah."
Stahl: "Because..."
Perkins: "There's the homeless and charity, and there's lots of things you could do with the money that would improve the world."
Stahl: "Oh, good point, that you bring up yourself! Wow."
Perkins: "So, how selfish is this guy? I guess is the criticism. So the answer is pretty selfish, but I'm just not gonna put a number on it."

Amazing.