Craig's Reaction

Free Books

2009-07-27T09:06:00.002-04:00

You can sign up to win over $80 in free books this week at Passion for Preaching. Check out their Christmas in July book giveaway that includes two great books and a $50 gift certificate from WTSBOOKS.

Big Truths for Young Hearts

2009-07-16T09:10:00.003-04:00

I've posted a book review for Big Truths for Young Hearts at Passion for Preaching. I hope that you will check it out, especially if you are a parent.

Infidelity, Grace, and A Christian Response

2009-06-25T09:31:00.002-04:00

In light of Mark Sanford's recent confession of infidelity, I admit that my first reaction was very negative. I continue to be saddened by the situation and feel incredible sorrow for the entire Sanford family (as well as the woman involved), however, I am reminded that but for grace, there go I as well. Before we cast stones, let us remember that only God's grace protects us from making sinful blunders, and as soon as we grow confident in our own abilities to resist sin, we will become susceptible to that sin in our own lives.

I am reminded of the need also for accountability. I doubt that Mark Sanford shared with his wife and closest friends that he was tempted into this sin before it ever happened. Instead, this was a "secret" affair. The old adage goes, secrets don't make friends and friends don't make secrets. The only secret you should keep from your spouse should involve cake, candles, and gifts. Other secrets are harmful and potentially deadly to your marriage.

Lastly, I am humbled by the forgiving spirit of his wife. What an example to the world of what forgiveness looks like. I believe that Mark Sanford should honor his wife's commitment to forgiveness by resigning from his position and devoting his time to reconciling with his wife and family. He should also honor the integrity of his position and the people of his state by stepping down.

Be in prayer for the Sanford family and for all families that they could and would resist the temptation to sin and stray.

Sermon Videos

2009-06-12T08:57:00.002-04:00

If you haven't checked out our new website at www.malvernhill.org, you should. It's still got some bugs to be worked out, but it is coming along. On our new site, you can see sermon videos. Below I've pasted the sermon from May 31st, and if all goes well, I'll get the video from this past Sunday up today.

May 31st, 2009 Sermon from Malvern Hill Baptist Church on Vimeo.

The Beauty of Silence

2009-06-11T08:58:00.002-04:00

In a new article by Albert Mohler he examines the inherit value of silence to human culture, and especially to children. Here is my favorite excerpt, which he quotes from Susan Hill:

If children do not learn to focus and concentrate in a pool of quietness, their minds become fragmented and their temperaments irritable, their ability to absorb knowledge and sift it, grade it and evaluate it do not develop fully. Reading a book quietly, watching a raindrop slide slowly down a windowpane or a ladybird crawl up a leaf, trying to hear the sound of a cat breathing when it is asleep, asking strange questions, such as, "Where do all the colors go at night?" and speculating about the possible answers — all of these are best done in silence where the imagination can flourish and the intricate minutiae of the world around us can be examined with the greatest concentration.

I encourage you to read "Where Do All The Colors Go At Night?"--Children and The Need for Silence.

Worshiping God Because of His Creation

2009-06-03T10:16:00.002-04:00

Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love is one that I would heartily recommend to you. Today, I'm going to type a selection from his book that inspired me to worship God. I hope and trust that it will do the same for you.

Did you know that a caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head? That's quite a few, for a bug. The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it. And your own heart generates enough pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body that it could squirt blood up to thirty feet. (I've never tried this, and don't recommend it.)

Have you ever thought about how diverse and creative God is? He didn't have to make hundreds of different kinds of bananas, but he did. He didn't have to put 3,000 species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle, but he did. God didn't have to create so many kinds of laughter. Think about the different sounds of your friends' laughs--wheezes, snorts, silent, loud, obnoxious.

How about the way plants defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into their stems and veins? Or did you know that spiders produce three kinds of silk? WHen they build their webs, they create sixty feet of silk in one hour, simultaneously producing special oil on their feet that prevents them from sticking to their own web. (Most of us hate spiders, but sixty feet an hour deserves some respect!) Coral plants are so sensitive that they can die if the water temperature varies by even one or two degrees.

Did you know that when you get goose bumps, the hair in your follicles is actually helping you stay warmer by trapping body heat? Or what about the simple fact that plants take in carbon dioxide (which is harmful to us) and produce oxygen (which we need to survive)? Im' sure you knew that, but have you ever marveled at it? And these same poison-swallowing, life-giving plants came from tiny seeds that were placed in the dirt. Some were watered, some weren't; but after a few days they poked through the soil and out into the warm sunlight.

Whatever God's reasons for such diversity, creativity, and sophistication in the universe, on earth, and in our own bodies, the point of it all is His glory. Gods art speaks of Himself, reflecting who He is and what He is like.

Bad Language in the Pulpit

2009-06-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

I encourage you to click over to PassionforPreaching and check out my latest article there titled, Exposition and Explicatives that deals with the issue of bad language in the pulpit. Ephesians 5:4 says "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving."

Needless to say, I believe that this imperative applies to pastors and preachers as well as those who sit in chairs and pews. After all, teachers will be judged more harshly than those who do not teach (James 3:1).

Intentional Potential

2009-06-01T12:05:00.002-04:00

It has been said that "potential is what you ain't done yet." Sure, this is not proper English, but it is absolutely true. Many people love to talk about their potential, but this is simply because they have not yet accomplished anything to talk about.

We all have the potential to be mature Christians, but have you attained to that maturity yet?

Paul says in Colossians 1:28 that it should be our goal to present everyone mature in Christ. That is my goal, and it is my responsibility as a pastor to equip the saints under my charge so that they may attain to that maturity. I have to be intentional in my ministry.

However, unless you are intentional in your efforts to grow in Christ, you will remain a baby in the faith, never being weaned from the spiritual bottle. You have the potential, but are you being intentional in your attempts to reach your potential?

Time and Time Again

2009-05-28T14:00:00.004-04:00

As a follow up to yesterday's post on planning, I just ran across an article from my buddy Travis Agnew. He apparently has some of the same kinds of things on his mind these days and has listed some very practical advice for planning your day. See his blog here.

My favorite quote from Travis today:

Are you leading the day or is the day leading you?

God Is A Long-Range Planner

2009-05-27T09:03:00.002-04:00

I am not an incredibly organized person. However, in my quiet time yesterday I encountered Psalm 139:16:

In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for
me, when as yet there were none of them.

This passage served two purposes for me.

I was encouraged as I was reminded that nothing will happen to me that God does not know about or that God did not plan. God has my every hour and moment in his total control and I can rest confident in the good plans of my God (Romans 8:28)
It occurred to me that if God plans my days and I am called to be like him, then I too should plan my days. Not only will I get more accomplished as I'm more organized, but I will be more like God as I'm planning my days.

Free Book

2009-05-13T14:43:00.002-04:00

You can win a copy of Greg Mathis new book, God Is Able! But Am I Willing? by clicking here.

Albert Mohler on Mother's Day

2009-05-11T10:18:00.001-04:00

Now that Mother's Day for 2009 is over, perhaps a bit of second-guessing is in order. Americans have celebrated Mother's Day for over a century, and the observance has grown to become one of the nation's most popular annual events. But is it good for motherhood?

Back in 1858, Anna Reeves Jarvis organized the precursor to Mother's Day as a way to protest a lack of sanitation in rural Appalachia. Later, Julia Ward Howe would organize what became "Mother's Days for Peace" in protest of all war. Howe, who wrote the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," pledged: "Our husbands shall not come to us reeking with carnage. . . . Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy, and patience."

Then, as Ruth Rosen reports at Slate.com:

When Anna Jarvis died in 1905, her daughter, also named Anna, vowed to honor her mother's political activism by creating a national Mother's Day. The gift card and flower industries also lobbied hard. As an industry publication, the Florists' Review, put it, "This was a holiday that could be exploited." In 1914, Congress responded and proclaimed the second Sunday in May to be Mother's Day.

As Rosen explains, the women behind Mother's Day were convinced that the moral superiority of women was grounded in the experience of motherhood.

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed the legislation setting Mother's Day as the second Sunday each May. The focus was not to be on honoring all American mothers in common, but each family's mother in each home, thus Mother's Day -- not Mothers' Day. Wilson's statements reflected both moralism and sentimentalism.

Before long, however, the observance became commercialized. It came early enough to outrage Anna Jarvis, but she fought a losing battle against the florists, marketers, and other commercial interests. She died regretting that she had conceived the idea of Mother's Day in the first place.
Now, Mother's Day ranks number one among all annual occasions in terms of eating out. As for total spending on gifts, some analysts believe that Mother's Day has now pushed Valentine's Day into third place. While not everyone has a valentine, almost everyone has someone to honor on Mother's Day. Counting grandmothers, mothers-in-law, and assorted other maternal figures, this adds up to a huge consumer event.

All this was enough to make Anna Jarvis regret her idea, but consumerism is not the worst thing to happen to Mother's Day. The worst part of Mother's Day is the flood of sentimentality that masquerades as affection and honor.

Sentiment drives Mother's Day as a gargantuan observance. We Americans feel better about ourselves when we honor motherhood -- or when we spend a few dollars on overpriced greeting cards, flowers, and food and convince ourselves that this is honoring our mothers.

There is nothing wrong about sentiment in itself, but there is something pornographic about the pathos of sentimentalism that this observance produces -- a sentimentalism so often devoid of content.

The Christian vision of motherhood is more about courage and faithfulness than about sentimentalism. The mothers of the Bible are a tough lot. Jochebed put her baby in a floating ark of bulrushes, defying the order of Pharaoh that all Hebrew male children be put to death. Rachel, mother to Joseph and Benjamin, died giving birth to Benjamin. Hannah promised her son to God, and presented Samuel as a young boy for service in the House of the Lord. Mary, the mother of Jesus, risked shame and disgrace to bear the Savior, and to provide all Christians with a model of brave and unflinching obedience. She was there when Jesus Christ was crucified. As Simeon had told her just after the birth of Christ, "Behold this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." [Luke 2:34-35]

A corsage hardly seems appropriate.

Christians must resist the reduction of motherhood to sentimentality, and particularly that sentimentalism that undermines what mothers are truly to represent -- nurture, fortitude, courage, dedication, faithfulness, discipline, and trust in God.

Mother's Day is a bad idea because it subverts the reality of faithful mothering and robs faithful mothers of their true glory. Mothers deserving of honor are handed cards and taken to lunch, when songs of praise should instead be offered to the glory of God. Undeserving mothers, who abdicate their true responsibility, are honored just because they are mothers. Children, young and old, who ignore and dishonor their mothers by word and by life throughout the year, assuage their guilt by making a big deal of Mother's Day.

So, Mother's Day is a bad idea.

Then again, Mother's Day is impossible to ignore. What quality of ingratitude marks the son or daughter (or husband) who does not honor mothers on Mother's Day? There was I yesterday, with son and daughter, honoring both their mother (my dear wife, Mary) and my mother-in-law. Yes, we had a celebratory meal out and we passed out greeting cards with our own personal inscriptions. Gifts were delivered, and all the right things were said. Calls were made to my mother, several states away.

In the end, we are all like little children who push crumpled hand-made greeting cards toward Mom, who then accepts our grubby offerings with love and gratitude.

So much for avoiding sentimentality. Let's just make certain that there is more to Mother's Day than sentiment. The mothers we should honor are those who raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, who honor their marriages and live faithfully, who teach and nurture and discipline by the Bible. These are mothers who defy the spirit of the age, protect their children from danger, maintain godly discipline and order in the home, and feed their children the pure milk of God's Word.

These mothers deserve honor upon honor, and their reward will be great in heaven. Yet, in the meantime, a card and a kiss on Mother's Day won't hurt. It's just not nearly enough.

New Book: Big Truths for Young Hearts

2009-04-29T10:28:00.004-04:00

Bruce Ware has a new book coming out tomorrow that I have not yet read but that has received wonderful reviews so far. I will be reviewing this book in the next couple of weeks, but I feel pretty confident in recommending this book to parents now. The books is titled, Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God. You can find a review of the book here, and a Q&A with Bruce Ware here.

Parents and Children's workers should take a serious look at this book.

A different Kind of Sermon

2009-04-28T16:50:00.001-04:00

A couple of years ago I was introduced to Sermon Jams. Essentially, Sermon Jams are portions of sermons set to a beat, usually a hip-hop beat. Since then, I have become a huge fan. The guys with this ministry now have five volumes of Sermon Jams available for free download at http://www.1031sermonjams.com/ (I would reccommend volume 5, Strength Remix by Piper). One of my favorites comes from Ravi Zacharias and can be seen and heard below. This is a great and unique ministry that you may find beneficial.

Matt Chandler Video on Irrevrent Silly Myths

2009-04-22T09:26:00.001-04:00

Great Sundays Make Great Mondays

2009-04-20T08:30:00.002-04:00

Mondays are tough, no doubt about that. But, I have come to realize that showing up at the office on Monday is not so bad when it is preceded by a great Sunday. I'm thankful for a church family that gives me so many wonderful Sundays.

Yesterday was a great Sunday for us. God blessed us with the presence of his Holy Spirit in an amazing way and for that reason, I am anxious and excited to work and study today. May God give us all many more great Mondays in the future because of great Sundays of worship.

Recessions and Religion

2009-04-09T17:08:00.000-04:00

Revivals are often birthed out of recessions, out of tough times. Three things go up in recessions: church attendance, bar attendance, and movie attendance. Why those three things? They represent the three things people are looking for: meaning, connection, and relief.
- Pastor Rick Warren

More on this later

Emotional (Angry?) Preaching

2009-04-01T08:51:00.001-04:00

I've built upon my short post on this site earlier this week and have written an article about Hard Hitting Preaching which you can find here.

Hard Hitting Sermons

2009-03-30T09:50:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, my sermons are pretty harsh. It's just my nature to be blunt and loud, but it's the nature of God's word to divide and conquer your flesh. I once heard an old preacher say that if it seems as though the preaching of God's word is stroking the cat the wrong way, it's not the job of the pastor to change the word, it's the responsibility of the cat to turn around.

When my preaching is loud and abrasive, my concern and prayer is that my tone will not overshadow the message of God's word. I hope that my messages always convey the love of Christ to his people and the love of this pastor toward his church. My prayer is that my love, however, will always be true love that speaks the truth and never feigned love that lauds sin in the name of being nice or elevating self-esteem.

Marriage and Men

2009-03-26T09:51:00.002-04:00

This is a sermon that every man and every married couple in America should watch. This makes a great follow up to my last post concerning men performing as Spiritual leaders in the home.

Mark Driscoll never minces words, and this is a great example of a hard hitting sermon challenging men to step up to the plate.

Training Men To Lead Their Families

2009-03-25T12:13:00.002-04:00

I've posted a great article here about training men to lead their families. This is an article that I wish every member of our church--especially the men--would read. Even though God is doing great things in our midst, we are (like many other churches) in dire need of strong men to step up to the plate and lead in the home and in the church.

The Bible is clear about the responsibility of the husband/father in the family to lead as Christ leads his church. It is my hope and prayer that God will raise up men in the church to lead. It is also my conviction, however, that in our church and in every church it is the responsibility of the church to seek out the men and challenge and train them up to be the leaders in the church and in their homes. For all interested, this is the reason for our one day men's retreat on May 2nd.

For The Sake of His Steadfast Love

2009-03-23T10:48:00.004-04:00

Last night, I preached from Psalm 6:4 where David cries out for God's salvation with these words:

"Save me for the sake of your steadfast love."

I would challenge you today to ponder on this thought, God's salvation is not ultimately because of anything I've done or even because I am worthy of it. Rather, God has chosen to save us for the sake of his steadfast love.

Jesus' death on the cross accomplished all that was needed for our salvation (see my sermon on The Ten Accomplishments of the Cross), but his motivation was not my sin. Rather, his motivation was the will of the Father, And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:39).” It was the love of God that held Christ on the cross. The love of God for himself and his own glory ultimately, and the desire to see his creation restored to right relationship with him.

We must be careful as Christians to view the cross, not as man-centered, but as God-centered. On the cross, Christ reconciled sinners to himself, but he did so so that God would be glorified through his acts of grace and mercy. He saved us, not for our own sake, but for the sake of his steadfast love.

Twitter in Church?

2009-03-11T16:05:00.003-04:00

Ok, some of you don't even know what Twitter is (click here for the wikipedia definition). Basically, Twitter is a relatively new way of Instant Messaging, only you send one message that can be read by anyone who follows you at the same time. Think of passing notes in class, but instead of passing one note to one person, you can pass one note to tons of people all at the same time. You can do it via the internet, your smart phone, applications on your computer desktop, or simply with text messaging. Anyone with a computer or a cell phone can twitter, and it is EASY.

Below, I have pasted a link to a video about Mars Hill Church in Seattle which encourages twittering in church. It's a concept I didn't really think about, but that is probably worth while. Click to watch Congregation at Seattle Church All A Twitter.

I don't know if this will catch on in Camden soon, but if it is an opportunity to spread the gospel, why not?

Also, as a side note, there was a time when I told a friend (Terry) that I did not see any value in Twitter...I confess that I was wrong and repent in dust and ashes. You can follow my tweets (messages sent through twitter) on the left side of this page.

I Have Become Resistant To Change

2009-02-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have become that which I have so often loathed. I, Craig Thompson, am resistant to change. I really didn't realize it until Tuesday night. Angela and I had talked about the need for Wyatt to go to bed all by himself without Daddy and we both agreed that it was a good idea. Tuesday night was our first experience. We read God's Big Picture Storybook Bible together, he told Mommy, Sissie, and Rowdy (our dog) goodnight (kissing each one individually) and down the hall he and I went. He climbed into bed with his monkey and covered up with his manket (thats how he says blanket). I knelt beside him and we said our prayers (which you should all hear, he is awesome), I kissed him on the head, told him goodnight, and I left. Much to my amazement, he did not come toddling down the hall...he just went to sleep.

I HATED IT.

It is great that dad does not have to lay down with Wyatt to get him to bed now and it is wonderful that our son is growing and maturing, but I don't have to like it. Seriously, it is tough to see him grow up (he now says AMEN instead of MAYMEN) even when I know it is absolutely what he needs.

I now understand why many in our churches are resistant to change. It's tough to see the things you love change. We love our worship style, or the way the preacher dresses, or that song that reminds me of dear old grandma, and so we resist change. Only, in the church it is somewhat easier that it is with my son. I can't stop him from growing, but a small group of people with a mindset to do so can stop a church from growing.

I don't like Wyatt growing up, but I would appreciate you all being sensitive to my discomfort in this area. Likewise, we must be sensitive to the discomfort of those in the church who are resistant to change. However, just as I must accept the fact that Wyatt is growing and rejoice that God is fulfilling his purpose in my son by maturing him physically, mentally, and spiritually; we as church members must embrace change that results in the fulfillment of God's purpose for his church...the Great Commission.

Obstacles To Evangelism

2009-02-25T13:29:00.002-05:00

Click here to see J.D. Greear's five Obstacles to Evangelism from yesterday's evangelism conference.

Communicate Clearly

2009-02-19T09:55:00.003-05:00

So I guess we all hope this is a fake. But, if it isn't, it should at least remind you that there is someone out there who is more gullable than you are. It should also remind us all of the necessity of communicating clearly.

Okay so this is how I imagine this conversation went:

Walmart Employee: 'Hello dis is Walmart, how can I help you?'

Customer: ' I would like to order a cake for a going away party this week.'

Walmart Employee: 'What you want on de cake?'

Customer: 'Best Wishes Suzanne' and underneath that 'We will miss you'.

Pope To Pelosi: Protect Human Life

2009-02-18T12:07:00.001-05:00

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican Wednesday morning, but may not have had a meeting of the minds if the two statements from their offices are any indication.

No journalists were at the 15-minute encounter and the Vatican and the speaker's offices have not released any photos. However, according to their statements it appears the pope and the politician attended two different get-togethers.

"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoins all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development," the Vatican wrote, having released the statement moments before the two met.

Several hours later, Pelosi's office gave her take on the tete-a-tete.

"It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI today," Pelosi said in a statement released hours after the meeting. "In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church's leadership in fighting poverty, hunger and global warming, as well as the Holy Father's dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel. I was proud to show his Holiness a photograph of my family's papal visit in the 1950s, as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren."

The pontiff has a long history of urging Catholic politicians to toe the line on abortion, and has said that those who don't shouldn't take communion. Pelosi supports abortion rights and says she's never been denied communion at her church in San Francisco.

In 2002, the Vatican issued a doctrinal note on "The Participation of Catholics in Political Life," which states rather succinctly that politicians who profess to be Catholic have a "grave and clear obligation" to oppose any law that attacks human life.

That note was approved by John Paul II but signed by none other than Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He's now the pope.

The speaker does not share that belief, and even got into a verbal slugfest with American bishops last August after her statements on a news program about the Church's view of when life begins.

"I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition. And St. Augustine said at three months, we don't know. The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose," she said at the time on NBC's "Meet the Press."

She then added that the Church has only held the view for 50 years or so that life begins at conception. The remarks earned her widespread corrections by Catholic clerics.

FOX News' Greg Burke contributed to this report.

Copied from www.foxnews.com

Britain Outlaws Man For Hate Speech

2009-02-12T07:58:00.002-05:00

FoxNews is reporting that Dutch politician Geert Wilders has been banned from Britain because of his movie against Islam that calls the Koran a "fascist" book and the Islamic religion violent. This is a huge blow against free speech in Britain.

Britain's Home Office would not comment specifically on the ban, but it said it "opposes extremism in all its forms" and would work to "stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country."

I post this tidbit primarily to point out that in Britain, there is an open anti-Christian campaign, promoted especially by the Atheist community. It would seem that the most important thing for the British parliament is not to oppose extremism, since they do allow sharia law to reign in some areas, but rather to protect the rights of Islam above all else. Just something to think about. Let me know what you think.

What Message Is Your Child's Cell Phone Sending?

2009-02-11T08:27:00.002-05:00

What message is your child's cell phone sending? At 8:30 on Wednesday morning, for many of you reading this, my guess is as good as yours. Innocently they could be exchanging homework assignments or they could be engaging in something much more sinister. Many examples abound in recent news of teens and tweens who's picture messages have revealed more than a bad hair day.

Regardless of what messages they are sending today, what messages are you sending to them? Russell Moore of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has posted a great article about pre-teens and cell-phone use. As parents who take the protection of their children seriously you can hardly avoid reading this straight to the point article. You may not like his conclusions, but it should at least prompt you to think about your decision as to whether or not your children need their own cell-phone. Read Dr. Moore's article, Does Your Child's Cell Phone Preach Another Gospel? and let me know what you think. I'm anxious to know if parents agree or disagree.

Let me go on record as saying that I believe Dr. Moore is spot on with this argument.

Christless Christianity

2009-02-10T14:04:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted an article based on some information gleaned from my reading of Christless Christianity by Michael Horton. After having completed it, I believe it is one of the best books I will read all year and would encourage any Christian interested in growing in their faith to read it and take it in. I have written a review for the book that can be found here.

To The Husbands

2009-02-05T09:58:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we posted for wives...today we post for husbands. Because too many men do not read (and shame on you), I've posted two video clips from Mark Driscoll for your viewing pleasure (and or conviction). Husbands, you need to pay attention because when your wife sees this, her expectations of you may change, but who could blame her?

How Servant Wives Show Leadership in the Home

2009-02-04T09:05:00.004-05:00

What does a godly marriage look like? According to the Bible, it is a marriage characterized by God-directed male leadership and God-directed servanthood from the wife. So, men you should lead your wives to make them all that they can be in God's plan. Wives, however, you too can serve your husbands in such a way that you make them more than they would have ever been on their own. I'd like to illustrate this with some quotes this morning. One from the Bible, one from Spurgeon, and one from, of all people, Stephen King.

What a blessing is a good wife! you women, who would lnot be in your right place if you began to preach in the streets, you can make your husbands happy and comfortable when they come home, and that will make them preach all the better! Some of you can even help in another way if you are prudent and gentle. You can tenderly hint that your spouse was a little out of line in certain small matters, and he may take your hint, and put himself right.
- C.H. Spurgeon, The Soul Winner

My wife made a crucial difference during those two years I spent teaching at Hampden (and waching sheets at New Franklin Laundry during the summer vacation). If she had suggested that the time I spent writing stories on the front porch of our rented house on Pond Street or in the laundry room of our rented trailer on Klatt Road in Hermon was wasted time, I think a lot of the heart would have gone out of me. Tabby never voiced a single doubt, however. Her support was a constant, one of the few good things I could take as a given. And whenever I see a first novel dedicated to a wife (or a husband), I smile and think, there's someone who knows. Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don't have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough.
- Stephen King, On Writing

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives--when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothint--but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the
imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
- 1 Peter 3:1-4

Ladies, you of all people can lead your husbands to greater things. It may be to success in winning souls, to success in careers, or even to faith in God, but it will be done with a gentle and supportive spirit. Whether you know it or not, you husband needs and craves your attention and your admiration. Husbands need to know that their wives beleive in them.

Wives, support your husbands verbally, actively, and publicly. Whether you know it or not, your admiration is more important than all of the accolades the world can provide.

Church Done Differently

2009-01-29T11:48:00.002-05:00

Mark Driscoll is the pastor/church planter of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA. His early years of ministry were frought with controversy that actually won him the title of "The Cussing Preacher." Obviously, foul language has no place in the pulpit and in recent years he has distanced himself from the immaturity and filthiness of his past.

Whether you agree with all that Driscoll does or says, he is very orthodox and is reaching people with the message of the gospel in one of the most unchurched cities in America. I encourage you to watch this video and see how church is done differently to reach a different audience with the same old message.

Churched Teens Have Little Knowledge Of The Gospel

2009-01-28T15:49:00.005-05:00

I'm reading a new release by Michael Horton titled Christless Christianity. So far this book is incredible and may be the best book I'll read all year. One terrifying observation made in his book, however, is that recent research suggests that there is little difference between churched and unchurched teens in their ability to articulate the actual content of their faith. Citing Christian Smith, Horton makes the following observation.

Smith observed that most teens--including those reared in evangelical churches who said their faith is "very important" and makes a big difference in their lifes--are "stunningly inarticulate" concerning the actual content of their faith...In contraast to previous generations that at least had some residual knowledge of the Bible and basic Christian teachings, it seems there is very little serious ability to state, reflect upon, or examine their beliefs, much less to relate them to daily life. Many young people seem to be living on the hype and the familiar circle of friends in the youth group, both of which eventually lose their influence, especially in college.

It seems then, that for many teens, church is a place to belong instead of a place to become. No longer are they challenged to learn God's word and be changed by it, but instead are invited into a safe place for "relationship building." Pastors, parents, and youth pastors need to wake up to this growing trend in the church. These are the future leaders of the church, and the gospel they will be peddling will not be the gospel of the Bible, but instead the gospel of what Smith and Horton call, moralistic, therapeutic deism. Moralistic, therapeutic deism is defined this way

1. God created the world
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in
the Bible and most world religions.
3. The central goal o flife is to be happy and to feel good about
oneself.
4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when
needed to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

In simpler terms, this is the gospel popular TV icons such as Joel Osteen and Robert Schuller, but it is not the gospel of grace. This distorted and perverted gospel will serve to turn the church into an institution of damnation rather than salvation because it explains away sin and had no need of a savior or of redemption. As Mark Dever writes, A gospel that in no way offends the sinner has not been understood. Why? Because the message of the cross is a message of offense. It's not a message of self-esteem and fitting in, it is a message of death and life in Christ.

If the best our teenagers can offer to explain their salvation is that they have "Jesus in their heart," they do not have a firm grasp on salvation. Salvation is God's miraculous activity of giving life to the spiritually dead. It is the reconciling act of Christ on the cross that appeases God's wrath so that his enemies can become his children. Our teens need to know the true gospel, not the feel good gospel and it is the responsibility of their parents and pastors to educate them.

Piper Thunders To Obama on Abortion

2009-01-27T13:10:00.001-05:00

HT: Denny Burk

Abortion, Genocide, and Pro-Lifers in Obama Land

2009-01-27T11:24:00.005-05:00

A recent Newsweek article explores the changing face of the pro-life movement in America, especially since the political landscape has changed under the leadership of Barak Obama. In Pro-Lifers in Obama Land, Sarah Kliff looks to those in the pro-life camp who are leaning toward legislation and agendas that aim at reducing abortions rather than eradicating the awful practice.

Though, I agree that one life saved is worth the fight and that a reduction of even a small percentage in the number of abortions would be a victory, I do believe that the battle of abortion is more about life than about numbers. When our focus is on reduction rather than eradication, our ethical standards have to shift. For instance, which area should we focus on reducing abortions? Should we focus on minorities, on the poor, or on the rich? Should our efforts at reduction focus on sex education, economic improvement, or visible fatherhood? In other words, which lives are worth saving and which lives are to be ignored?

The Obama administration claims to have abortion reduction as its goal (and I hope that it happens), but President Obama's track record is not one that speaks of abortion reduction (click here for an example). However, Obama's hero, Abraham Lincoln, did not have slave reduction as his goal. Instead, Mr. Lincoln saw slavery for what it was, an evil brutish act that robbed people of their basic human rights. Lincoln fought to end slavery and Wilberforce was used by God to pave the way.

Abortions will be reduced as we continue to fight to see the practice of abortion ended. Until that day arrives, however, we must continue to stand firm on the priniciple that an unborn child is a human life. Any policy that continues to allow for on-demand abortion does not take into account the value of the unborn life.

I would like to ask President Obama if it is his goal to reduce genocide or end it? My hope and prayer is that he would like to end genocide because it destroys innocent human life. I hope to end abortion because it does the same to victims who are far less capable of defending themselves.

Links That Choose Life

2009-01-22T08:56:00.002-05:00

Echoes of Babel- Trevin Wax examines our new national sin.

Our Struggle for The Soul of Our Nation- Princetion professor, Robert P. George reflects on Roe v. Wade and its implications for our country then...and now. This is a great piece on abortion and the pro-life movement. I encourage you to read it.

Being Pro-Life Christians Under a Pro-Choice President- John Piper preached this sermon in 1993, but it is just as applicable today. An excerpt from this sermon is found at the link above.

Lincolns Logic on Slavery Applied to Abortion- Again, from John Piper with the full text pasted below.
On January 12, 2009 Samantha Heiges, age 23, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drowning her newborn in Burnsville, Minnesota. If she had arranged for a doctor to kill the child a few weeks earlier she would be a free woman.

What are the differences between this child before and after birth that would justify it’s protection just after birth but not just before? There are none. This is why Abraham Lincoln’s reasoning about slavery is relevant in ways he could not foresee. He wrote:

You say A. is white, and B. is black. It is color, then; the lighter, having the
right to enslave the darker? Take care. By this rule, you are to be slave to the
first man you meet, with a fairer skin than your own. You do not mean color
exactly?
You mean the whites are intellectually the superiors of the blacks,
and, therefore have the right to enslave them? Take care again. By this rule,
you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with an intellect superior to
your own.
But, say you, it is a question of interest; and, if you can make it
your interest; you have the right to enslave another. Very well. And if he can
make it his interest, he has the right to enslave you. (“Fragments:
On Slavery")

There are no morally relevant differences between white and black or between child-in-the-womb and child-outside-the-womb that would give a right to either to enslave or kill the other.

A Truly Christian Prayer to the Christian God

2009-01-21T08:31:00.007-05:00

Follow the link to read my article on the prayers of Rick Warren and Rev. Lowery yesterday during the inauguration. The prayers of these men betray their belief systems.

Read A Christian Prayer to the Christian God

The Church as a Minister of Damnation

2009-01-17T11:34:00.003-05:00

Pastor John Piper, of Bethelehem Baptist Church has written a telling article critiquing President-Elect Obama's decision to have Gene Robinson, the first openly gay and non-celibate bishop of the Episcopal Church, deliver the invocation at the inaguration kick-0ff.

Dr. Piper writes:

This is tragic not mainly because Obama is willing to hold up the legitimacy of homosexual intercourse, but because he is willing to get behind the church endorsement of sexual intercourse between men.

It is one thing to say: Two men may legally have sex. It is another to say: The Christian church acted acceptably in blessing Robinson’s sex with men.
The implications of this are serious.

It means that Barack Obama is willing, not just to tolerate, but to feature a person and a viewpoint that makes the church a minister of damnation. Again, the tragedy here is not that many people in public life hold views (like atheism) that lead to damnation, but that Obama is making the church the minister of damnation.

Of course, Obaba is not alone in making the church a minister of damnation, but all of those who have upheld Bishop Robinson's heretical activities. But, as president of the United States and a man who professes faith in Jesus Christ, Obabma is sending a powerful statement. Unfortunately, as Dr. Piper writes below the message is more destructive than Mr. Obama or Mr. Robinson know...

The apostle Paul says,

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not
be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor
men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves , nor the greedy, nor
drunkards, nor
revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And
such were some of
you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were
justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

What is Paul saying about things like adultery, greed, stealing, and homosexual practice? As J. I. Packer puts it, “They are ways of sin that, if not repented of and forsaken, will keep people out of God’s kingdom of salvation.” (Christianity Today, January 2003, p. 48).

In other words, to bless people in these sins, instead of offering them forgiveness and deliverance from them, is to minister damnation to them, not salvation.

The gospel, with its forgiveness and deliverance from homosexual practice, offers salvation. Gene Robinson, with his blessing and approval of homosexual practice, offers damnation. And he does it in the name of Christ.

It is as though Obama sought out a church which blessed stealing and adultery, and then chose its most well-known thief and adulterer, and asked him to pray.

May we be in prayer for the church of the Living God, that God's people would awaken from their slumber and rise up against the sin that invades its ranks. May we also pray for our country, that we, who claim to be one nation under God, would honor that God who has so richly blessed us.

To Stay At Home Moms...

2009-01-14T10:49:00.002-05:00

So, I took Monday and Tuesday off to be with my family (my mother-in-law stayed with Angela last week so I worked) as we continue to adjust to the new baby girl in our life. Aubrey, by the way, is awesome. Anyway, I just want to take a short minute to tip my hats to stay at home moms.

I do not have the patience to be a stay at home kinda person. I long for peace and quiet, and with a 19 month old and a newborn, it does not happen (in fact, everyone was still awake at my house at 10:45 last night). So, to you stay at home moms, you may have the most difficult job in the world, but the great part is that it is the most rewarding as well. Here's to you all for the job you are doing raising our children at home.

And, especially to Angela, my favorite mom in the world, thanks for the job you do with our two!

Does True Love Really Wait: A Must Have Resource for Parents

2009-01-13T10:14:00.002-05:00

Recently, Albert Mohler aired a show on his radio program focusing on a secular study of pre-marital sex in young people. I listened to this on my ipod and I stronly encourage it for any parent. The synopsis from his own website says this:

The media has been abuzz about new research suggesting that abstinence pledges have little impact on the actual behavior of teenagers. However, a number of commentators have recently pointed out that much of the reporting missed one critical point: teenagers from conservative religious families clearly do delay sexual activity. On today’s program, Dr. Mohler discusses the research and how Christian parent should guide and instruct their children on this subject.

Most exciting and interesting for me was the discovery from this study that teenagers with parents who were actively involved in their lives were much more likely to keep themselves sexually pure.

Listen for youself at the link below.

Does True Love Really Wait?

I'm Back

2009-01-07T09:34:00.003-05:00

Well, with the birth of our new baby girl, Aubrey Lynn, I've been out of the blogging saddle for a while, but I am back. Today, if you are interested, I've posted a review of a great OT Introduction, Epic of Eden at Passion for Preaching.

Also, Timothy Paul Jones did a guest blog on Russel Moore's site on December 31st. For parents of girls, his advice is invaluable. I encourage you to read Clothing the Character of a Child. Here's one quote from that article:

The clothes that our children wear do not merely cover the nakedness of their flesh; they shape and reflect the contours of our children’s souls.

Pictures of Baby Aubrey

2009-01-02T12:15:00.003-05:00

Our new baby girl was born this morning at 12:15. Baby and mom are doing great. Aubrey was 7 lbs 11 ounces and 19 inches long. You can view her pictures at www.wyattstheman.shutterfly.com

What I'm Reading

2008-12-30T08:24:00.002-05:00

People occasionally ask me what I'm reading, so I thought that today I would share my current reading list for anyone interested.

I just finished The Epic of Eden and will have a review of it up at Passion for Preaching today.

My current reads include:

Worldliness edited by C.J. Mahaney.

Spurgeon on Leadership by Larry J. Michael.

The Soul Winner by C.H. Spurgeon

The Reagan Diaries by Ronald Reagan. (This is a large read that I digest a little at a time.)

The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm (Wyatt and I are reading this one together).

President Bush's Reading Habits

2008-12-29T10:03:00.002-05:00

As an avid reader and lover of books, I am always excited to hear of the reading habits of others. The Wall Street Journal has a great article by Karl Rove, former adviser to the president, on the reading habits of President George W. Bush. Possibly most interesting is that the President reads through the Bible each year. If nothing else, this might help you to see through some of the stereotypes of the president as backwoods and uninformed.

Its All About The Presents

2008-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

“For God loved the world in this way; He gave His Only
Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish
But have eternal life.” - John 3:16 HCSB

I love Christmas. My anticipation grows day by day as it approaches and I hate to see it go. I love the gift giving of Christmas and there is nothing like giving gifts to those whom you love. Many people say that Christmas is not about gifts, but today I disagree. I believe that Christmas is all about the gifts. For you see, Christmas is the celebration of the greatest gift of all. Jesus was more than a baby born; he was the gift of God given to all mankind. Christ was a gift given freely out of love. But, what is love?

--
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says"Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; does not act improperly; is not selfish, is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." So, what is a gift given out of love? It is a gift that requires nor expects anything in return.
--
I read a story recently about an elderly woman who was blind. Her young pastor stopped to visit her and could not help but notice the beautiful Christmas tree in her living room. Taken back by this display of visual beauty in the home of a woman with no sight, he could not help but ask. “Mrs. Johnson,” he said, “your tree is beautiful, do you decorate it every year?” “Oh yes,” she replied, “my nephew and I get the lights and decorations down and we have the best time decorating the tree.”
--
The young pastor, as confused as ever, asked in reply, “why would you spend so much time decorating a tree that you can not even look at and enjoy?” The wise lady responded, “Pastor, not everyone is blind.”
--
That is a gift given in love. A gift that she will never enjoy for herself, but that will bless the lives of others. Christ was a gift much the same. After all, how could God enjoy watching his Son suffer the pains of this earth? Imagine the Heavenly Father wincing with every skinned knee or bloody nose of his son. Certainly, as he grew, God could not enjoy the ridicule Jesus faced, and need we even mention the pain of the Father as the Son hung from a cross? No, God’s joy was not in watching His Son suffer, rather, his joy was found in seeing His creation redeemed.
--
All gifts of love require some form of sacrifice, only God’s sacrifice was much greater than any of us can imagine. I’ve brought this gift this morning to remind us that Christmas is about gifts, it is about the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. This gift is beautifully wrapped and the anticipation for what is inside is great because of the beautiful exterior. Christ deserved to come to earth surrounded by beautiful splendor; but instead, the greatest gift of all was laid in a feed trough and wrapped in plain cloth. An ordinary entrance for the world’s most extraordinary child…Jesus, the Messiah, the Light of the World, the Son of Mary, the Son of God!

How Much Do You Have To Hate Someone Not To Proselytize?

2008-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

This should be shown in churches, evangelism classes, and should become a mainstay in missions courses...

Penn of Penn and Teller is an atheist. His response to being evangelized after a show may surprise you.

"I don't respect people who don't proselytize. If you believe that there's a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and you think, 'Well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward'...How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize?"

HT: Dashhouse

Rick Warren Vs. The Homosexual Agenda

2008-12-19T09:58:00.002-05:00

Baptist Press is out with an article today reporting the outrage by the homosexual community at president-elect Barak Obama's selection of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration ceremony. In Gay Activists Outraged Over Warren Invite, one might develop the assumption that both the president-elect and Rick Warren seem a bit surprised by this gross over-reaction from the homosexual community.

Kelly reports the swift response from the homosexual community this way:

"Your invitation to Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at your inauguration is a genuine blow to LGBT Americans," wrote Joe Solmonese, president of Human Rights Campaign, which describes itself as "the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization." "By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table."

Commenting on this situation, Albert Mohler has written a rather extensive article chronicling, not only this situation, but a short history of Rick Warren's social sympathies that have often put him in line with many liberals. Warren has always been a "cool" pastor, but this situation has put him squarely on the fringe of "cool" and his support of Prop 8 in California has nearly demonized him among those who celebrate the normalcy of homosexuality.

Mohler writes in The High Cost of Being Cool:

The outrage directed at Rick Warren must be seen in this context. It is a genuine outrage expressed by gay activists and their liberal allies. To these Obama supporters, it is unthinkable that the President-elect could have chosen Warren for such a prominent role. As one letter to the editor in Friday's edition of The New York Times expressed the sentiment, "Barack Obama’s choice of the Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the presidential inauguration is as if Lyndon B. Johnson had selected a pastoral proponent of racial segregation to deliver the invocation in 1965."

Here is the deep irony -- Rick Warren has devoted enormous energy toward the goal of defusing the culture war and creating common ground. He has attracted the criticism of many conservative evangelicals who have been concerned about how these efforts have been positioned and for what often appears as comments at their expense. At times, Warren has even had to issue clarifications in order to make his generalized statements more specific. If the President-elect wanted to choose a figure recognized as an evangelical in the public eye, but sympathetic to much of his stated agenda to unite, he could scarcely have chosen a more recognizable figure than Rick Warren.

But now many of Obama's own supporters attack Rick Warren as if he is a hate-driven homophobe, which he clearly is not. All that was necessary to bring on this opposition is Warren's opposition to same-sex marriage and his support for Proposition 8. Now, he is grouped along with the most strident and careless as an apostle of hatred.

It doesn't take much. We would all like to be considered cool. Cultural opposition is a tough challenge and bearing public hatred is a hard burden. Being cool means being considered mainstream, acceptable, and admirable. Believing that same-sex marriage is wrong is enough to turn "uncool" in an instant, at least in many circles.

I am not throwing Rick Warren to the wolves over this. He now finds himself in a whirlwind, and he will not be the last. Pastor after pastor and church after church will face a similar challenge in short order. No matter how cool you think you are or think that others think you are, the hour is coming when the issue of homosexuality -- taken alone -- will be the defining issue in coolness. If you accept the full normalization of homosexuality, you will be cool. If you do not, you are profoundly uncool, no matter how much good work you do nor how much love and compassion you seek to express.

With an eye to history and to the future of Warren and many conservatives like him, Dr. Mohler points out that a time comes when we often have to choose to be cool or to be true to the gospel.

Liberal Protestantism came to this conclusion long ago, and those churches desperately want to be considered cool by the elites. Having abandoned biblical authority, there is nothing to prevent them moving fast into coolness. The only barriers are outposts of conservative opposition, but they will not last long.

Many in the "emerging" and "Emergent church movements also state their intention to transcend the divisive issues like abortion and homosexuality. Some of these represent the quintessence of cool in cultural identification. But for how long? Eventually, the issue of homosexuality will require a decision. At that point, those churches will find themselves facing a forced decision. Choose ye this day: Will it be the Bible or coolness?

Both of these articles are interesting.

The Economy Trumps Religion

2008-12-17T08:30:00.004-05:00

Time Magazine recently released it's list of Top 10 Religious Stories. At the top of that list was a snippet of a story titled, The Economy Trumps Religion, containing the following statement:

Faith had its moment in the spotlight during the presidential campaign: A pastor (Rick Warren) moderated an encounter between John McCain and Barack Obama; former preacher Mike Huckabee made a creditable run; Rev. Jeremiah Wright's "God D--- America" sermon sideswiped former protege Obama; John Hagee's remarks on Catholics and Jews exploded on McCain. Indeed, there seemed to be such parity in piety between the two major parties that faith may have been cancelled out as a factor. A late October poll showed that only one in 10 Americans regarded the country's moral and spiritual condition as their foremost electoral criterion. Obama captured 53% of the Catholic vote (up 13% over John Kerry's 2004 tally) despite claims by several bishops that voting Democratic was tantamount to sin. Faith was simply not a primary concern by election day. By then, the mortgage and debt crises had very clearly pushed religion off the table.

Jesus warned us about this. You cannot serve both God and money (Luke 16:13), were the words of Christ, and yet we as Christians have somehow forgotten his words. When only 10 percent of Americans regard the moral and spiritual condition of the country as their foremost concern in the country, it is evident that their pocketbooks have become their gods.

As Christians, we must be different. The state of our economy is of grave concern to many people, but the nature of our God is such that he owns all that exists. Before we give our attention soleley to our bank accounts, should we not concern ourselves with storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19)? Where are your treasures today? I can assure you that your personal calendar and your check register will tell the truth whether you are comfortable with admitting it or not.

The Eschatology of Parenting or Parenting in Light of The End Times

2008-12-16T08:18:00.002-05:00

Dr. Russell Moore of Southern Seminary has written two very good articles on the eschatology of parenting. Today, because I believe many parents can benefit from these articles, I have copied and pasted both articles in their entirety below. You can find Dr. Moore's articles in their original form on his blog at http://www.russellmoore.com/.

The Eschatology of Parenting

Yesterday I helped a toddler clean up a 44 ounce cup of Coke Zero he’d spilled everywhere (yes, it was mine; and no, there were not 44 ounces left remaining in it when he found it). I answered forty questions about whether Jesus made Lego blocks (so stay tuned for my new sermon series on “The Logos and the Legos”). And I disciplined a tantrum thrower and a sulker.
All of that was about the end times.

When we think of Christian eschatology, we tend to think first of prophecy charts or apocalyptic novels, but nothing is more eschatological than parenting.

A parent disciplining a child, for instance, communicates to the child the discipline and judgment of God in ways deeper and more resonant than any Sunday school lesson (Heb 12:5-11). A parent who will not discipline a child for disobedience, or who is inconsistent in doing so, is teaching that child not to expect consequences for behavior.

In short, a parent who will not discipline is denying the doctrine of hell.

At the same time, a parent who disciplines in anger or with harshness teaches a judgment of God that is capricious and unjust. An abusive parent, worst of all, ingrains in a child’s mind a picture of God as a ruthless devil who cannot be trusted to judge justly.

Parental discipleship and discipline ought always to have repentance and restoration in view, picturing a God who is both just and the justifier (Rom 3:26). Discipline should be swift and fair with quick reconciliation between parent and child. Long periods of “time out” do not communicate the discipline of God; they communicate the isolation and exile of hell.

Parents who spend time with their children, especially at meals, demonstrate something of the harmony they want their children to long for beyond this life. It’s a longing to eat at another Father’s table in the kingdom of Christ.

Moreover, we should teach children to respect and acknowledge authority, attributes necessary for citizens of a democracy for a short time, yes, but more necessary for subjects of a kingdom forever. Teaching children to refer to adults as “Mr. Smith” or “Mrs. Jones” or “Pastor Doe” and to say “sir” and “ma’am” (or the culturally equivalent signifiers of authority) is about more than politeness. It is training children to recognize proper hierarchy and authority when the veil is lifted and we see face to face.

Those of you who are parents probably grow weary and discouraged sometimes. I know I do. It seems as though you’re not “getting through” sometimes, that your children aren’t responding the way you thought they would. Keep hugging. Keep kissing. Keep chastising. Keep teaching. This is a long-term project. You’ve got a long-term project in front of you. And there’s a lot at stake.

After all, parenting isn’t about behavior modification. It’s about Christian eschatology.

How "Hellish" is Time-Out?

Some commenters on the last post have raised the issue of “time out” as a tool for discipline, especially in light of my statement that extended periods of “time out” don’t communicate well the discipline of God over his children.

Some asked, “What about the exile?” Others noted, “Since godly parenting demonstrates belief in hell, why shouldn’t we employ a means that captures the isolation of hell?” Good points all.

First, the key issue in my argument isn’t with “time out” if by “time out” one means a short period of isolation in order to prompt the child to calm down or to reflect on the gravity of the situation. The key issue is extended periods of “time out” in which the regular discipline of the home is to remove the child from the life of the family.

There are homes in which “time out” is a means of social control in the household. Rather than disciplining and restoring, children are routinely sent into isolation for long periods of time.

Second, discipline isn’t punishment. God doesn’t punish his children. He disciplines them. This is the argument of Hebrews 12. Discipline pictures hell only in one way, that actions have consequences. This is why Jesus calls us to the self-discipline of the gouged-out eye or the cut-off hand rather than face the justice of God in hell (Matt 18:7-9).

Discipline isn’t condemnation though. There is no condemnation for those who’ve been adopted into the household of Jesus (Rom 8:1). The quickness of discipline is itself a sign of acceptance. Those who are perishing aren’t disciplined at all. They are given over to themselves, and their judgment comes upon them in the end (see, for example, the pattern of Esau, also referenced in Heb 12).

God’s discipline though is swift and purpose-driven. He seeks not to isolate but to drive the erring sheep back into the sheep-fold, to welcome the repentant son back to the table.

If “time out” in your house is a tool to prompt thinking, while the child waits for swift discipline and restoration, then have at it. If “time out” is a means of punishing the child by removing him from the fellowship of his family, then you’re removing him from the very means of discipleship he (and we) so desperately needs.

Study Bibles: Choosing and Using

2008-12-15T21:12:00.003-05:00

Just today I shopped at the bookstore for Study Bibles as gifts for baptism this week. Study Bibles are great tools to help understand the Bible, primarily because they provide easy access to study materials alongside (or underneath) the biblical text. Dr. Albert Mohler has written a great article on the selection and use of Study Bibles. I heartily agree with him on his three options.

I just bought the ESV Study Bible for the baptism gifts and am excited for those who will receive them (though, if anyone is interested, I'm still waiting on my own :)). The Apologetics Study Bible (which you can find a review for on Passion for Preaching) is another great option that I received as a gift a few months ago. I have found the articles in that Bible to be second to none, I strongly reccommend it for the study of apologetics. I also once owned a MacArthur Study Bible, but I gave it away to a friend who had just accepted Christ. John MacArthur does most things well, and this is no different. Unlike the other two Bibles mentioned above, the Macarthur Study Bible is available in several different translations (NKJVand NASB).

To Dr. Mohler's List, I might also add the NIV Study Bible. I strongly prefer other translations over the NIV, but the NIV is not a bad translation. The primary difference is that the NIV is translated using a method known as dynamic equivalence. Translation by dynamic equivalence seeks to translate thought for thought or concept for concept. The ESV, NASB, and HCSB (all of which are referenced above) translate scripture using a discipline known as formal equivalence. The formal equivalence method seeks, as much as possible, to translate the original text into the English (or other language) using a word for word translation. Leland Ryken has written a great article, Choosing A Bible, that addresses these two forms of translation in 32 short pages.

I hope this is a quick intro for you into the valuable world of Study Bibles. The three above represent a great place to start, but there are many other Study Bibles from which you could choose.

Christmas Presents or Presence?

2008-12-11T09:19:00.002-05:00

Christmas is all about the presents...isn't it? Of course it isn't, but I believe Christmas is all about the presence. The presence of Christ. After all, he is to be called, Immanuel, which means God With Us. Matthew testifies to this in Matthew 1:23 and the book of John tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Enjoy your presents this Christmas, but remember to celebrate the presence of Christmas. God became a man and dwelt among us. That is the miracle, that is the reason we celebrate. Don't miss the best part of Christmas.

The Shape of Faith to Come

2008-12-10T15:14:00.004-05:00

Check out my review of The Shape of Faith to Come at Passion for Preaching.

Links for Tuesday

2008-12-09T07:48:00.002-05:00

Here's a collection of links for your Tuesday:

1. A God of Wrath?

This is definitely not the picture of God that we normally sing and preach about. This is not a cuddly teddy bear God; this is a God of terror. We know that God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11) but he punishes never-the-less.

2. Ten Favorite Books from Trevin Wax

Every December, I select the ten books that I most enjoyed reading during the year. (See 2007 and 2006 lists.) Please note that I am not giving a blanket endorsement to everything in these books (after all, some of them contradict each other at points). I choose ten books a year based solely on how much I enjoyed reading them.Here are my top ten picks for 2008

3. The Epic of Eden

This is a book I'm reading right now. I'm about 70 pages into it, but so far it is the most interesting Old Testament Introduction book that I have ever read. I'll post a review of it soon, but you might be interested in it for now.

4. Big Picture Story Bible

Wyatt is getting this book for Christmas and I would strongly recommend it for anyone with small children. It collects the Bible into one big story with lots of colorful pictures.

80's Music Medley for Angela

2008-12-08T09:40:00.002-05:00

This is solely for my wife, Angela, who LOVES 80's music. If anyone else enjoys it, thank her. This is great.

Reformed Gospel Hip-Hop Grammy Nomination

2008-12-08T09:31:00.002-05:00

OK, so the title may have caught you off guard, but check out the post below copied from Denny Burk, the new dean of Boyce College at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This is good stuff...

The Protestant Reformation has come to the Grammys! On Saturday, one of our students here at Boyce College was nominated for a Grammy award. His stage name is “Flame,” and I wrote about him here in October. He’s a hip-hop artist with a gospel message—one that is rooted deeply in the reformation tradition.

According to the Grammy website, Flame’s “Our World Redeemed” has been nominated for “Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album.” CMSpin.com has the details of the story, and the Associated Press reports that the Grammy Awards will be broadcast on February 8 on CBS. You can be sure that we’ll be pulling for Flame.
Here’s a link to Flame’s album. If you haven’t bought it yet, you really should.

Our World: Redeemed (2008)
Russell Moore interviewed Flame on “The Albert Mohler Program” last Spring. You can download it here or listen to it below.
Here’s Flame’s Website.

USA TODAY: TV and Internet Harm Kids

2008-12-04T09:29:00.004-05:00

I just saw a tagline for a blog that said children now spend an average of 45 hours per week immersed in the media. That's a scary thought, really, if you believe (as I do) that most of our media has a very secular and even anti-Christian bias. What are you doing, then, to protect your children from the anti-Christian influence of our culture?

USA Today writes:

Parents and policymakers need to take action to protect children from being harmed by TV, the Internet and other types of media, a report says.

Researchers have done individual studies for years to learn how media affect children. A review released today, which analyzed 173 of the strongest papers over 28 years, finds that 80% agree that heavy media exposure increases the risk of harm, including obesity, smoking, sex, drug and alcohol use, attention problems and poor grades.

Some of the links are particularly strong. For example, 93% of studies found that children with greater media exposure have sex earlier. Authors say the soundest studies are those linking media use with obesity, while the evidence linking media exposure to hyperactivity is weaker.

The study provides overwhelming evidence of the importance of limiting children's use of media and teaching them to critically evaluate the ever-growing volume of text, images and sounds with which they are bombarded, says co-author Ezekiel Emanuel of the National Institutes of Health. He says the report also urges Hollywood and technology makers to create entertainment that is less toxic and more family-friendly.

Let me suggest just a few things that you can do to benefit your children and aid them in their spiritual journey.

1. Limit TV time. Of course, limitations mean censoring as well. Just because it comes on TV does not mean it has to come on in your house...

2. Limit Computer Time. This probably goes without saying, but too much time in front of a computer is not a good thing. You should also have filtering and accountability software installed on all of your computers to protect every member of your family.

3. Family Devotions. When specific times are set aside for family devotions, your children are being immersed in a Christian worldview.

4. Eat Together. I've written about this here, but suffice it to say that family meals are a proven benefit in the lives of your children (and in contributing to the health of your family).

5. Attend Church Together. Does this one need explanation?

6. Encourage Extracurricular Activities. Sports, dance, band, whatever it may be, get your kids involved in activities that benefit them socially and otherwise.

7. Play Together. That's right, play together. Find an activity you can do together as a family, the TV is not adequate family bonding.

The TV and computer are not intended to be your babysitters. As parents, you have been given the responsiblity to raise your children, so take your responsibility seriously or your children will reap the neagtive rewards of your failure.

Albert Mohler's comments on this article.

Health, Wealth, and the Life of Jesus

2008-12-03T14:04:00.003-05:00

I was reading in the gospel of Matthew today was really struck by the following passage:

24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. [1] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

We follow Jesus and expect blessings and rewards. We complain when we suffer and question God's goodness, and yet, our Lord, was born in a feed trough and did not even have the money to pay the tax for the temple. This was not a great amount of money, maybe $100 (maybe even less), and yet our Savior did not have that money on him.

Of course, The Father provided to meet his needs and he will provide for ours, but should we truly expect to be blessed? Does God owe good to us, or will we not accept both good and evil from our God (Job 2:10)?

We serve a good God and that shall never change, but let us all beware when we believe that God owes to us better than even Christ had as he walked this earth. Luther writes it aptly this way:

Think of it, my kinsman, yes, my brother, the King of all creation in heaven and on earth, and of all creatures in them, lies there in such wretchedness! shame on me! Why am I so stuck-up? Why do I want to be so high and mighty that I never want to suffer anything? if the King of glory suffers as he does, for my sake, who do I think I am, anyway? Isn't it a fact, that I am a poor sinner who does not even deserve to lie on bristle. But here I am, lying on a bead of ease, while my Lord lies there on coarse straw in a manger for the cows!
But isn't this a disgusting deal? Here we see the humiliation and poverty in which our Lord Jesus lies for our sake, while w pretend to be aristocratic landowners who should get off with not punishment or suffering at all!

The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther, volume V, 136.

Leading That Lacks a Calling

2008-12-02T09:18:00.002-05:00

I picked this up from JDGreear and thought it was worthwhile.

All pastors, by definition, are leaders. I have discovered, however, that many of them do not think of themselves as such. You ask them where they see their church going, what vision they are pursuing... and beyond bland banalities they have little to say.
For many pastors, I think one reason they fail to lead is they haven't learned to recognize the ways God has genuinely called them to be a leader. Let me explain.

Acts 26:16 has always been one of the most important verses to me in ministry (since my college pastor, Tom Wagoner, shared it with me in his office in 1994). In that verse Jesus tells Paul, "Rise up and stand on your feet, for I have made you a minister and a witness of the things you have seen and the things I will yet show you." Jesus had shown a part of himself to Paul that he had not shown to Peter, and Paul had a special angle on Christian ministry he was to add to the church. Jesus told him, "I gave you, and will give you, this insight on me. My calling on you is to add it to the body of Christ."

Over the years, reflection on this verse has propelled me into leadership. I don't assume that Jesus has shown me something that he has never shown to anyone else. However, I do understand that Jesus has let me see, experience, understand and feel certain things, and I am to add that to the body of Christ. This forms the core of my leadership fuel. I am a minister and witness of the things He has shown me and will yet show to me.

For many of us the best thing we could do is to get away with our Bible and maybe our wives or even a close friend and ask Jesus what he has planted deepest in our hearts. Talk them out. Pray them out. Write them out. Map them out.
Then lead the rest of us in them.

One note for those of you with the same idolatrous disease I have to gain recognition... don't try to be "novel," as if you have something new, never discovered before, to add to the body of Christ. I have discovered that the desire to be "original" is usually idolatry in me. Just try and understand what Jesus has shown you most powerfully from the Scriptures that the rest of us don't seem to understand as well, and then figure out the clearest way to help us all understand that.

Christmas Specials

2008-12-01T10:22:00.002-05:00

I felt like I had to post this today. Christmas is a special time and some of our most nostalgic memories revolve around Christmas movies and TV Specials. TV Guide has a calendar of Christmas Specials. Maybe you can find this beneficial as you plan your family's holiday TV watching.

Church Signs

2008-12-01T10:09:00.002-05:00

Still looking for something to be thankful for? Check out the Sign on Travis Agnew's blog and be thankful it's not in front of your church! And, for more entertainment, check out his Church Signs category.

If you like what you see, let Travis know, he's a great guy and he'll get a kick out of it.

10 Tips to Read More and Read Better

2008-11-25T14:37:00.003-05:00

This is copied from Tim Challies' site and I dedicate it to Condy Richardson (because he envies my reading selections).

Also at Challies' site you can find a review of Twilight. I've not read any of these books, but they are a huge hit with teens and the first in the series has recently been made into a major motion picture.

When I turned to the readers of this site and asked for questions I could answer or topics I could address, I noted (without much surprise) that many people were interested in the subject of reading. One person sought a basic “Why, what and how of reading Christian books.” Others sought advice on how to read more and how to read better. This is a subject I have written about before but I thought it would be valuable to return to it today. Here is a list of ten tips to read more and to read better.

Read - We start with the obvious: you need to read. Find me someone who has changed the world and who spent his time watching television and I’ll find you a thousand who read books instead. Unless reading is your passion, you may need to be very deliberate about setting aside time to read. You may need to force yourself to do it. Set yourself a reasonable target (“I’m going to read three books this year” or “I’m going to finish this book before the end of the month”) and work towards it. Set aside time every day or every week and make sure you pick up the book during those times. Find a book dealing with a subject of particular interest to you. You may even find it beneficial to find a book that looks interesting—a nice hardback volume with a beautiful, embossed cover, easy-to-read fonts and beautiful typography. Reading is an experience and the experience begins with the look and feel of the book. So find a book that looks like one you’ll enjoy and commit to reading it. And when you’ve done that, find another one and do it again. And again.

Read Widely - I’m convinced that one reason people do not read more is that they do not vary their reading enough. Any subject, no matter how much you are interested in it, can begin to feel dry if you focus all of your attention upon it. So be sure to read widely. Read fiction and non-fiction, theology and biography, current affairs and history, Christian and non. You will no doubt want to focus the majority of your reading in one broad area, and that is well and good. But be sure to vary your diet.

Read Deliberately - Similar to reading widely, ensure that you read deliberately. Choose your books carefully. If you neglect to do this, you may find that you overlook a particular category for months or even years at a time. Al Mohler, a voracious reader, divides books into six categories: Theology, Biblical Studies, Church Life, History, Cultural Studies, and Literature and has some project going within each of these categories at all times. You can draw up categories of your own, but try to ensure you are reading from a variety of the categories on a regular basis. Choose books that fit into each of these categories and plan your reading ahead of time, so you know what book you will read next and you know what you’ll read after that. Anticipation for the next book is often a motivating force in completing the current book.

Read Interactively - Reading is best done, at least when enjoying serious books, when you work hard at understanding the book and when you interact with the author’s arguments. Read with a highlighter and pencil in hand. Ask questions of the author and expect him to answer them through the course of the text. Scrawl notes in the margins, write questions inside the front cover, and return to them often (and, if the questions remain unanswered, even seek to contact the author!). Highlight the most important portions of the book, or the ones you intend to return to later. As Al Mohler says, “Books are to be read and used, not collected and coddled.” I have found that writing reviews of the books I read is a valuable way of returning at least one more time to the book to make sure that I understand what the author was trying to say and how he said it. So interact with those books and make them your own.

Read with Discernment - Though books have incredible power to do good, to challenge and strengthen and edify, they also have the power to do evil. I have seen lives transformed by books but have also seen lives crushed. So do ensure that you read with discernment, always comparing the books you read to the standard of Scripture. If you encounter a book that is particularly controversial, it may be worth ensuring that you can reference a review that interacts critically with the arguments or that you can read it with a person who better understands the arguments and their implications. You do not need to fear any book as long as you read with a critical eye and with a discerning mind.

Read Heavy Books - It can be intimidating to stare at some of those massive volumes or series of volumes sitting on your bookshelf, but be sure to make time to read some of those serious works. A person can only grow so much while living on a diet of easy-reading Christian Living books. Make your way through some Jonathan Edwards or John Calvin. Read Grudem’s Systematic Theology or David Wells’ “No Place for Truth” series. You will find them slow-going, to be sure, but will also find them rewarding. Commit to reading some of these heavy volumes as a regular part of your reading diet. Consider joining in one of our Reading Classics Together efforts to add some interaction and accountability in reading one of the classics of the faith.

Read Light Books - While dense books should be a serious reader’s main diet, there is nothing wrong with pausing to enjoy the occasional novel or light read. After reading two or three good books, allow yourself to read a Clancy or Grisham or Peretti something else that never changed anyone’s life. Allow yourself to get lost in a good story every now and again and stay up way too late insisting that you’re going to read just one more chapter. You will find that they refresh you and prepare you to read the next heavy book.

Read New Books - Keep an eye on what is new and popular and consider reading what other people in your church or neighborhood are reading. If The Secret is selling millions of copies, consider reading it so you know what people are reading and so you can attempt to discern why people are reading it. Use your knowledge of these books as a bridge to talk to people about their books and what attracts them to the ones they read. Use your knowledge of these books to understand what other Christians are reading and why.

Read Old Books - Do not read only new books. I cannot say this any better than C.S. Lewis: “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones. Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books.” So be sure to read old books, whether that means classics or whether that simply means books that come from a generation or two before your own. And be sure to read history as well, since there is no better way of understanding today than by understanding yesterday.

Read What Your Heroes Read - A few years ago, while at the Shepherds’ Conference, a young man who was in ministry but had not had opportunity to attend seminary asked John MacArthur what he would recommend to this man so he could continue learning and continue growing in his knowledge of theology. MacArthur’s answer was simple: He said that this pastor should find godly men he admires and read what they read. So do that! Find people you admire and read the books that have most shaped them. Visit the web sites of your heroes and you may just find that they have already compiled lists of their most formative books. Read these books and see for yourself how they shaped your heroes.

HT to Charlie Wallace for bringing this to my attention.

Thankful for Angela

2008-11-24T14:24:00.003-05:00

I know its thanksgiving week, so I wanted to take space on here to just recount how thankful I am for my wife and son. I am very blessed to have them in my life. Angela takes care of me and is a great mom and wife. She has given me a wonderful son and we have a daughter on the way. I am blessed beyond measure. Being a pastor's wife is not always easy, but she takes it all in stride and loves our church as much as I do.

Not only am I blessed to have her in my life, but our church is blessed to have her as well. Most people will never know how beneficial she is to the ministry of Malvern Hill, but I am well aware of what God has given to me.

What are you thankful for?

Woman Receives Windpipe Transplant Grown From Her Own Stem Cells

2008-11-19T13:47:00.003-05:00

In a very rare occurrence, a woman has recieved a windpipe transplant to save one of her lungs. The most amazing and exciting news about this transplant, however, is that the windpipe was made of her own stem cells. There was no need to use embryonic stem cells. FoxNews is carrying this story and I would strongly urge you to read it. This is just one more scientific advance to provide arguments against the use and neccessity of embryonic stem cells.

Links

2008-11-19T10:56:00.002-05:00

Two Links for today.

1. I've posted a book review of G.K. Beale's We Become What We Worship at passion for preaching.

2. Al Mohler has written a review of a USA Today article that says this:

Compared with the Baby Boomers who were seniors in 1975, 12th-graders surveyed in 2006 were much more confident they'd be "very good" employees, mates and parents, and they were more self-satisfied overall, say Twenge and co-author W. Keith Campbell of the University of Georgia. Between half and two-thirds of the Gen Y teens gave themselves top ratings, compared with less than half in their parents' generation. The report is in 'Psychological Science.'

Boomer parents "are more likely than their parents were to praise children — and maybe over praise them," Twenge says. This can foster great expectations or perhaps even smugness about one's chances of reaching "the stars" at work and in family life, she adds. "Their narcissism could be a recipe for depression later when things don't work out as well as they
expected."

If you are a parent or an educator, both the article and Mohler's take on the article are well worth your time.

Voddie Baucham on SBC Controversies

2008-11-18T22:32:00.002-05:00

I normally resist the temptation to enter into a great deal of controversy with this tool. But, I ran across a post from Voddie Baucham that I found to be interesting. I had the opportunity to meet Voddie and spend a little time with him during the summer of 2003. He is scary smart and hardcore about holiness (his enormous size forces me to use those descriptive terms). I do not agree with everything Voddie says, but I do respect him greatly. If you are interested in working to be the solution to the problem of fractions in the SBC, Voddie's post may be a great place to start.

God of This City

2008-11-17T09:36:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure that Chris Tomlin does any bad songs, but God is surely glorified in this one.

ADHD Causes Divorce?

2008-11-14T09:32:00.003-05:00

Reuters reported last week on a recent study that suggests a link between children with ADHD and parents who divorce.

Parents of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more likely than other parents to divorce before their child's 8th birthday, a new study suggests.

The study included nearly 500 couples - 286 had a child with ADHD and 206 had a child without this condition. The researchers found that couples with a child with ADHD were almost twice as likely to divorce before their child turned 8 years old. After that age, however, divorce rates were similar in both groups of parents.

Past research has found that compared with couples with a child without ADHD, parents of children with the disorder tend to argue more often and be less satisfied with their marriage. But studies have come to conflicting conclusions regarding the divorce rate.

Of course, I have no data to back up my theories, but should we not look at this study and question if unhealthy marriages create an environment that fosters the development of ADHD? When I read this study, I am inclined to wonder if the researchers have it all wrong. Maybe the child does not cause a divorce, but instead, marriages in turmoil serve to negatively affect the well-being of children.

Obviously, problems can occur in children who grow up even in the best of homes, but because ADHD is a clinical diagnosis, it is a diagnosis based on signs and symptoms which may or may not include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impusliveness. Of course, other symptoms and signs are common, but many of the signs and symptoms are also common for children who do not receive proper love and attention at home.

I wonder if some children diagnosed with ADHD should really be diagnosed with bad parent disorder instead. Remember, I write as a fellow ADHD sufferer (I was a late bloomer, not diagnosed until I was completing my Masters Degree) and so I am not questioning the reality of the disorder, but I do call into question the popularity of the diagnosis, especially in light of the research stated in the Reuters article cited above.

I'd love your comments on this issue.

HT: Bowden McElroy

Something Interesting To Start Your Day

2008-11-13T08:27:00.002-05:00

Ed Young Jr. has a great challenge for the members of Fellowship Church. Read about his Seven Day Sex Challenge. His perspective is great and he is spot on in his analysis:

"God says sex should be between a married man and a woman," Young said. "I think it’s one of the greatest things you can do for your kids because so goes the marriage, so goes the family."

Sex is God's gift to married couples and should be practiced by married couples, not only for their enjoyment, but for the health of their marriages.

Brit Hume Retiring to Pursue Christian Growth

2008-11-10T13:57:00.002-05:00

Justin Taylor has posted an article about Brit Hume that is nearly unheard of in our day. Hume is retiring at the top his career game so that he can spend more time with his family and grow in his Christian faith. This is a great story that you should read.

Friday Links

2008-11-07T08:51:00.003-05:00

A prayer request here.

Russ Moore's thought's on judgment house evangelism are interesting.

A reminder of what may be the greatest victory for Christians in the 2008 election from Denny Burk.

The need for a mondern day Wilberforce.

And, for anyone slightly interested in the Puritans, Timmy Brister has written Who Is Richard Baxter?

95 Reasons I Love My Church

2008-11-06T08:39:00.006-05:00

In celebration of Reformation Day last Friday Night, I got home to find my house and yard covered with 95 copies of Luther's 95 Theses. Several of the students from the church pulled their own Reformation Day Prank on their pastor. I also received a Reformation Day gift bag. In the bag was a rubber mallet and a dvd of the first season of Monk...that's right, a monk and a mallet for Reformation Day.

We are blessed for the efforts of those who have gone on before us proclaiming the gospel and for the reformation that they brought. I am blessed to be a part of a church that loves me and is interested in learning about the Word of God and the rich heritage of our protestant history.

The King Is On The Throne

2008-11-05T08:07:00.002-05:00

Elections are big deals in America, and they should give Christians an opportunity to reflect upon our citizenship, not only in this country, but our heavenly citizenship as well. We have selected a new president and that new president holds great power, however, as Christians we still serve the same King. Jesus came to set up a kingdom that is not of this world:

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
-John 18:36

Even as we participate in the political process, we know that our God holds sway over the politics of the kingdoms (countries) of this world. Take heart, whether your candidate won or not, your God is still seated upon his throne and his will shall be done!

Jesus said, "let not your hearts be troubled, you believe in God, beleive also in me..." No man or woman has ever undone what God wills to be done. Praise God this morning that he is still the KING!

Free Books!

2008-11-04T11:20:00.001-05:00

Passion for Preaching is hosting it's first ever book give-away. Click on www.passionforpreaching.net and sign up to win a copy of Robert Smith's, Doctrine That Dances.

Teen Pregnancy Linked To Watching Sexy TV

2008-11-03T08:38:00.002-05:00

An article on FoxNews today reports the findings from a recent study that suggests a link between increased pregnancy rates among teens and television shows with sexually suggestive/explicit content. The three year study by Rand Corp. showed that teens who watch the raciest shows are twice as likely to become pregnant as those who don't.

Participants were asked how often they watched any of more than 20 TV shows popular among teens at the time or which were found to have lots of sexual content. The programs included "Sex and the City," "That '70s Show" and "Friends."

Pregnancies were twice as common among those who said they watched such shows regularly, compared with teens who said they hardly ever saw them. There were more pregnancies among the oldest teens interviewed, but the rate of pregnancy remained consistent across all age groups among those who watched the racy programs.

Admittedly, other factors (such as family structure, economic situation, self-esteem issues, religious affiliation, etc...) were not considered, but the data does seem to speak for itself. In a study of more than 2000 teens, presumably a conglomeration that covered a wide range of life-situations, the statistic is alarming. Parents cannot ignore this study.

The article continues:

Psychologist David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family, cited data suggesting only about 19 percent of American teens say they can talk openly with a trusted adult about sex. With many schools not offering sex education, that leaves the media to serve as a sex educator, he said.

"For a kid who no one's talking to about sex, and then he watches sitcoms on TV where sex is presented as this is what the cool people do," the outcome is obvious, Walsh said.

He said the message to parents is to talk to their kids about sex long before children are teens. Parents also should be watching what their kids watch and helping filter messages sex-filled shows are sending, he said.

This needs to be just one more wake-up call to parents and church leaders. If we are not talking about sex with our children, they are learning about it from somewhere. Hollywood should not set the sex-education curriculum for our children. The Bible gives some explicit guidelines for sexual relationships, specifically, that sex is reserved for a monogomous relationship between a man and a woman inside of marriage.

Pop-culture and most TV portray sex as something far removed from the biblical ideal. When TV becomes our baby-sitter, then the media from it's screen also becomes our children's teacher. Stand in the gap for your children, honor God with the blessings he has given you.

The History of Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, and Capitalism

2008-10-30T09:17:00.000-04:00

In the United States, Thanksgiving began with the Pilgrims who settled around Plymouth in 1621. During the winters of 1621 and 1622 they suffered many privations. Food and supplies were scarce and disease ran rampant in the region.

Nearly half the population died. The settlers at the time and historians both agree that there were two reasons for the problems of the Pilgrims. First, they were generally not experienced farmers. They were fortunate that some of the local Native-Americans helped them learn to farm the local crops. Second, and perhaps more tellingly, they had originally been organized into a commune where the produce of all was brought into a common store and then distributed among the inhabitants based on need.

The Governor at the time, William Bradford, was quick to recognize the problem. This excerpt from his diary, written in the 1620s, explains all:

The failure of this experiment of communal service, which was tried...by good and honest men proves the emptiness of the theory of Plato and other ancients, applauded by some of later times, - that the taking away of private property, and possession of it in community, by a commonwealth would make a state happy and flourishing...For in this instance, community of property (so far as it went) was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment which would have been to the general benefit and comfort.

So every family was assigned a parcel of land according to the proportion of their number...It made all hands very industrious, so that much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been...and gave far better satisfaction.

Thankful for the re-institution of private property and the plenty which it provided, the Pilgrims invited their benefactors in 1623 to a three-day celebration. More than 80 "Indians" came to enjoy the festivities. They brought venison, wild turkey and other victuals. There was much singing, rejoicing and even sermons.

As Thanksgiving approaches, let us be thankful to God for his provisions and the country in which we live.

Much of this info was found here. http://www.holidaycook.com/ is apparently more than a cooking site.

Book Review: Is Jesus The Only Savior

2008-10-29T11:05:00.003-04:00

I've posted a book review for Is Jesus The Only Savior? at http://www.passionforpreaching.net/

This is a great scholarly response to one of the prevailing questions of our day as the title suggests.

Tuesday's Links

2008-10-28T07:20:00.002-04:00

1. Albert Mohler has published a great post on the removal of the younger Schuller as the preacher on the Hour of Power broadcast. This is telling of the actual "ministry" of the Crystal Cathedral under Robert H. Schuller.

An excerpt:

Schuller built his worldwide ministry over a half century on the psychology of positive thinking and appealing to people turned off by the formality of traditional faiths. In contrast, his son's sermons have been full of direct references to the Bible.
"I was called to start a mission, not a church," Schuller told his audience Sunday. "There is a difference. . . . You don't try to preach . . . what is sin and what isn't sin. A mission is a place where you ask nonbelievers to come and find faith and hope and feel love. We're a mission first, a church second ."

2. A quote to consider from Abraham Piper

If you ask questions but you reject answers, you’re not actually asking anything. You’re just festooning tired, old propositions with trendier punctuation.

3. Tim Challies' latest blog has some good content on the use (and disuse?) of the gospel

This is some exceedingly bad news. And this is why so many churches seek to soften the news. It’s better, they think, to welcome into church the many people who will accept a softened message than the few who will accept such a tough message. And so they tamper with it, taking the edge off. Yes, we have sinned, but let’s think of it as just doing bad things or making mistakes.

4. Here's a link to, of all things, Oprah's website. Why? Because for those of you who can't wait to get your hands on a new Amazon Kindle (or to buy one for me), you can visit the link above for a $50 off coupon.

5. For those of you who live within a few miles of Barnes and Noble (It's more than 30 miles for me), here's a coupon for a free beverage. The only catch is that you have to use it by Friday.

Right Praying is Right Wanting

2008-10-27T15:04:00.001-04:00

“Praying is not about getting God to give us what we want;it is about learning to want what God wants to give.”

- David deSilva, Sacramental Life: Spiritual Formation Through the Book of Common Prayer, 114

HT: Trevin Wax

Halloween Evil or Edifying?

2008-10-24T15:04:00.002-04:00

Here's an article that some of you may enjoy. I'm not a huge fan of Halloween myself, but I am cautious about referring to it as Satanic. Michael Spencer has posted his annual rant on Halloween. I think it's worthwhile reading for good conversation.

The Most Important Election Issue?

2008-10-21T14:01:00.002-04:00

I try to avoid politics here, but since abortion, which is a moral issue, has been politicized, I think it is appropriate to post this video from Catholic Vote 2008.

Book Review: Five Leading Reformers

2008-10-21T13:50:00.003-04:00

I've posted a book review for Five Leading Reformers by Christopher Catherwood at http://www.passionforpreaching.net/. I encourage you to check it out.

The Cross is a RISK

2008-10-20T09:09:00.002-04:00

In Southeast Asia a few years ago, an IMB missionary spoke with me about his job there:

It is dangerous to spread the good news, but these people need the gospel more than they need my physical help. The cross is spelled R-I-S-K. I know that my I and my family may be in danger for spreading the gospel, but it must be done.

A news story out of Afghanistan today shows that the risk of the gospel is still real. The dangers of spreading the good news did not miraculously stop when the United States declared freedom of religion. Millions of Christians around the world still fear for their lives because they name the name of Christ.

Please read the story of Gayle Williams from FOX News and be in prayer for her friends and family.

It is said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. May the sacrifice of Gayle Williams serve to promote the gospel in new and accelerated ways in Afghanistan and around the world.

Spurgeon On Church Growth

2008-10-17T13:40:00.002-04:00

I heard of a report of a church, the other day, in which the minister, who was well known to have reduced his congregation to nothing somewhat cleverly wrote, "Our church is looking up." When questioned with regard to this statement, he replied, Everybody knows that the church is on its back, and it cannot do anything else but look up." When churches are looking up in that way, their pastors generally say that you cannot tabulate the work of the Spirit, and calculate the prosperity of a church by figures. The fact is, you can reckon very correctly if the figures are honest, and if all circumstances are taken into consideration: if there is no increase, you may calculate with considerable accuracy that there is not much being done; and if there is a cleare decrease among a growing population, you may reckon that the prayers of the people and the preaching of the minister are not of the most powerful kind.

That is not a quote from Ed Stetzer's most recent book or Lifeway's most recent study. This is a direct quote from C.H. Spurgeon in his book The Soul Winner. The church growth movement may be somewhat new in the church (if 60 years is still new), but the ideas behind the church growth movement are not new at all.

Spurgeon realized that pastors bear a burden of responsibility in the affectiveness of the church God has given them stewardship over. He also realized that the laity bears a certain responsibility in the overall success of the church. In other words, we are all responsible for the ministry of the church to which we belong, whether pastor or lay member.

But, as a pastor, let me say to pastors, take note. The church on its back may be looking up, but that does not mean it is supposed to be on its back.

Does God ever desire to see his churches die?

Great Lesson On Couseling from MAD TV

2008-10-16T11:14:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not, this was sent to me by a person whom I counseled. He suggested this as a good link for my counseling sessions. I hope that many of you benefit from this.

Books To Encourage Your Christian Growth

2008-10-16T08:38:00.005-04:00

I've got two links for you today that I hope you will find beneficial. They are both book reviews and are both books that are worth your time.

First, click over to Passion for Preaching to see my review on Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. If you have never studied the disciplines of the Christian life and how you can grow through personal discipline, I strongly encourage you to look into this book. As you will see in my review, it has it's flaws, but there are still great things to glean from this classic by Richard Foster.

Second, Trevin Wax at Kingdom People has posted a review of Jerry Bridges' book, Pursuit of Holiness. This is a great book that I read in college and re-read for a series of lessons I gave to a group of high school kids a few years ago. Noticing his review makes me want to sit down and enjoy it one more time.

Poverty's Hope

2008-10-15T08:34:00.003-04:00

So the poor have hope,

and injustice shuts her mouth.

Job 5:16

Today is Blog Action Day, where thousands of people around the world join together with the "voices" of their blogs to raise awareness for a specific issue. This year, the issue at hand is poverty and we join with thousands, perhaps millions, of people around the world to grow in our understanding of poverty's grip on the world.

The Bible is far from silent on the issue of poverty. In fact, many people would suggest that the Bible is skewed in favor of those who have less. It was Jesus who said "Blessed are the poor" in the book of Luke. And, who can forget the difficulty of a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Luke 18:25)? The OT prophets cried out against injustice toward the poor and demanded just scales and measures.

As Christian people, what are we doing, not only to alleviate poverty, but to promote justice to the poor. We serve a God who cares for the poor, and I beleive he is honored when we work to overcome poverty in our world. There are things, small and large, that you can do to help with the issue of poverty.

1. Pray. If indeed he is the hope of the poor, then we have confidence that a God who answers prayer will hear and answer our prayers for the poor.

2. Give. How can you give? Well, you can give through the World Hunger Fund (our church does this every year), Compassion International, Samaritan's Purse (Shoeboxes), and even to the guy on the street corner.

3. Shop Wisely. This is an area where I do not excel, but we should all strive to shop in such a way that oppression of the poor is not encouraged. Fair Trade Agricultural products (such as coffee) are bought from developing countries at fair prices and are grown in ways that are not ecologically destructive.

4. Educate. Many people simply are not aware of the grip of poverty. Travel outside of the United States and you will be shocked at the poverty in which many of the world's people live.

We serve a big God who has called us to a robust gospel. Let's not allow our faith to be so small that it only focuses on our immediate surroundings. Jesus said the poor would be with us always, so maybe we can never completely erradicate poverty, but if we can help just a few people, then surely they will be grateful and God will be glorified. God is the hope of the poor, and we are the hands and feet of God.

Blog Action Day

2008-10-14T13:26:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is Blog Action Day. Visit http://www.blogactionday.org/ for more details.

Your Church is The Body of Christ

2008-10-14T07:39:00.003-04:00

In a recent commentary, Russ Moore from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has drawn some comparisons and conclusions regarding campus ministry. His thoughts are worth while. However, one quote caught my attention and I would like to build on it a bit.

Saying "I love Jesus" but hating the church is as irrational as saying to your best friend, "I like you--I just can't stand being around you." Your attitude toward the church tells you--simply--your attitude toward Jesus.

So, what is your attitude toward the church. I know many people (friends even) who hold to this, "I love Jesus, just not the church" kind of attitude. It has been my experience that most of these people don't have so much problem with the church as they do with authority. They resist the concept of anyone telling them what to do, and thus, the church does not fit into their "non-conformist Jesus" kind of lifestyle.

As Dr. Moore argues, the church is more than we give it credit for.

In the Bible, a local church--with all its ridiculous flaws--is an unveiling of the mystery of the universe (Eph 3:6). The church is in a one-flesh union with Jesus so that, as in a marriage, everything that belongs to Him belongs to her (Eph 5:22-33). A congregation, in covenant with one another as an assembly of Christ's people, is a colony of the coming global reign of Christ (Eph 1:22-23), a preview of what the Kingdom of Jesus will look like in the end (1 Cor 6:1-8). Where there is a covenant among believers, a disciplined community of faith, the spirit of Jesus is present among them, just as God was present among the people of Israel in the temple of old (Matt 18:15-20). When the church judges a repentant sinner to be a genuine believer, the congregation is speaking with the authority of Jesus when they plunge him beneath the waters (Matt 28:18-19). When the church judges an unrepentant sinner to be persistent in his rebellion, it is with the authority of Jesus that the congregation pronounces him to be a stranger to the people of God (1 Cor 5: 4-5; Matt 18:15-20). When we gather for worship as a congregation in covenant with one another, we are not simply fueling our individual quiet times with praise choruses. We are instead actually ascending to the heavenly places together, standing before Christ and all of his angels on Mount Zion (Heb 12:18-29).

So you've been burned in the church before, maybe you got your feelings hurt, but shouldn't you expect some of that? Let's be honest, who ever expected Christians to be perfect, you aren't. Are you truly out of church because you believe that to be the will of God, or is it the will of your flesh. Maybe you just don't like the way it's being done, or maybe you would rather spend a few extra hours on the lake. Either way, the real question you need to answer is not whether or not I will attend church, but whether or not I will obey God's command.

The church is the body of Christ, he promised to build it and he declared that it would be the vehicle through which his name would be proclaimed. Remember, even your church is part of Christ's body...will you honor him in and through his church?

The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed The World

2008-10-13T10:55:00.005-04:00

I've posted a book review of The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World at Passion for Preaching. I encourage you to read it if you are interested in the Protestant Reformation. This book is a great introduction to the Reformation and the Reformers.

ESV Study Bible

2008-10-10T15:44:00.002-04:00

Well,

I've talked enough about it, now it has arrived. Click below to get your hands on the new ESV Study Bible fresh off of the press.

Hardcover

Bonded Leather

Genuine Leather

And, the grandaddy...Premium Calfskin Leather

Even if you do not plan to buy yours today, check out the options from WTS Books, their prices are great. Enjoy!

Doctrinally Rich Evangelism

2008-10-08T22:24:00.001-04:00

Recently, I’ve read some debates revolving around doctrine and evangelism in the blogosphere (ie. JD Greear, Timmy Brister) and in scholarly journals (The Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry). The unfortunate issue in debates on doctrine and evangelism is that most seem to focus either on preaching (and teaching) strong doctrine or on being evangelistic. The fact of of the matter is that true biblical evangelism must be doctrinally rich and sound and that true doctrinal preaching should move its hearers to biblical evangelism. In Nine Marks of a Healthy Church,pastor Mark Dever writes:

Love for God is the only sufficient motive for evangelism. Self-love will give way to self-centeredness; love for the lost will fail with those whom we cannot love, and when difficulties seem insurmountable. Only a deep love for God will keep us following his way, declaring his gospel, when human resources fail. Only our love for God-and more important his love for us-will keep us from the dangers which beset us. When the desire for popularity with me or for success in human terms, tempts us to water down the gospel, to make it palatable, then only if we love God will we stand fast by his truth and his ways.

Further, Robert Smith Jr. asserts in Doctrine That Dances,

The ultimate goal of all doctrine is not to be informed about Bible facts but to be transformed by being in relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.

So, doctrinal preaching is not something other than evangelical preaching, but is instead evangelical preaching with an undergirding structure that safeguards evangelism from becoming something less than orthodox. I was once informed by a rather prominent youth speaker that he was not “concerned with all of that theology stuff, kids don’t need me to tell them they are bad, I just want to tell people about Jesus.” Without all of that “theology stuff,” however, we have something much less than the Christian gospel. David Dockery summarizes it well when he says, Christian faith should be both living and confessional! One can no more eat choice beef from a boneless cow and one can no more work safely in a skyscraper that has no structural steel than one can practice and communicate the Christian religion without basic Christian affirmations or doctrine.

It is for these reasons that I continue to teach and preach doctrinally and why I strongly encourage approaches to evangelism that are rich in their theology and doctrinal heritage. Tell The Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Will Metzger is a book that explains the gospel and instructs in evangelism methods with a strong commitment to the truths of God’s Word and the doctrines of the church. Metzger’s book is not for the faint of heart, it is evangelism training on steroids, but it is GOOD and has stood the test of time.

As Great Commission Christians we must be dedicated to Doctrinally rich evangelism that results in converted disciples, not inflated church rolls and baptism numbers. Metzger shows that reformed theology is not somehow unevangelistic, but rather in the heritage of men like Spurgeon and Edwards, the doctrines of grace should spur us on to greater evangelistic zeal, not through catchy and trendy methods, but rather as a result of the overflow of God’s grace in our lives. I encourage doctrinally centered ministry and I encourage Metzger’s book as a great resource for churches seeking doctrinally rich evangelism.

Reformation Day Party

2008-10-06T22:36:00.003-04:00

Reformation Day is fast approaching and a member of my church has just forwarded me information on supplies and instructions for your very own Reformation Day Party. According to the website, A Night of Reformation provides a fun tool to:

Teach the history of the Protestant Reformation in a fun and memorable way. Help Martin Luther's future wife escape from her convent, encourage Calvin's friend Farel as he tosses the Catholic priests' relics into the river, assist Martin Bucer as he attempts to negotiate a peace between Ulrich Zwingli and Martin Luther. Costumes, games and booths, prizes, food, teaching, singing and fellowship -- our church's Reformation Party is one of the highlights of our year!

Let me know if any of you go this route for your fall festival...maybe next year for us!

(And yes, for all who were already thinking it, I know I'm a dork)

The Dangers of Prosperity Gospel

2008-10-06T22:02:00.001-04:00

The following from Albert Mohler's website is well worth your time...

In another article -- fascinating on its own -- TIME's David van Biema looks at the influence of prosperity theology in the current credit crisis. His article, "Did God Want You to Get That Mortgage?," starts with a punch:

Has the so-called Prosperity Gospel turned its followers into some of the most willing participants — and hence, victims — of the current financial crisis? That's what a scholar of the fast-growing brand of Pentecostal Christianity believes. While researching a book on black televangelism, says Jonathan Walton, a religion professor at the University of California Riverside, he realized that Prosperity's central promise — that God would "make a way" for poor people to enjoy the better things in life — had developed an additional, toxic expression during sub-prime boom. Walton says that this encouraged congregants who got dicey mortgages to believe "God caused the bank to ignore my credit score and blessed me with my first house." The results, he says, "were disastrous, because they pretty much turned parishioners into prey for greedy brokers."

Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine, explained it this way: "It definitely goes on, that a preacher might say, 'if you give this offering, God will give you a house.' And if they did get the house, people did think that it was an answer to prayer, when in fact it was really bad banking policy."

It is easy to see how prosperity theology could lead to these unwarranted assumptions. Prosperity theology is a lie, and a false Gospel. We are not promised economic or financial prosperity in the Gospel. We are promised what money cannot buy and poverty cannot take away.

It is also easy for non-Charismatic critics of prosperity theology to look down on those who were so susceptible to its false promises. Many devotees of prosperity theology are desperate in ways the more privileged cannot understand, and they are prey to both lenders and preachers promising prosperity.

I must wonder how many other Christians -- far removed theologically from Charismatic prosperity theology -- might have bought into a very different prosperity theology. Have we all been seduced by the idea that prosperity is a given? Do we now think that prosperity is our right? Do we associate prosperity with the blessings we receive in the Gospel?
Perhaps we all need a refresher course in Christian economics and Christian theology. Niall Ferguson argues from the record of history in looking to the current crisis. Perhaps we should remember our own history lesson -- that far more believers in Christ have been and are now among the poor, rather than among the wealthy. We should hear Jesus warn against materialism and Paul remind us that we are to be content when we have plenty and when we have little. We should know that the Christian virtue of thrift is incompatible with the lies of those who push consumer credit.

We are not promised prosperity. When we do enjoy prosperity, we should be thankful stewards -- not peddlers of our own prosperity theology.

Proper Blog Manners

2008-10-03T08:18:00.002-04:00

I was once involved in a very serious disagreement with a friend that began over email. He and I both have very strong personalities, and have often disagreed. In this particular situation, however, the medium of email did a great deal to escalate the situation because the type-written word often does not convey tone inflections and body language. As a result of our exchange of emails, rather than us having a constructive conversation, my friend and I were ready to fight.

Emails can be a provocative medium to exchange sensitive ideas, and the blogosphere is no different. Denny Burk has posted a good blog on what he calls, Blog Trolls. Here are some examples from that blog:

When we disagree with one another, it’s critical that we do so in a way that is not disagreeable. The book of Proverbs teaches us that “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable” (Pr. 15:2). It also says that “A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger” (Pr. 15:1). Consider also this text, “Sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness” (Pr. 16:21). The Lord Jesus Himself was no stranger to controversy (Mt 12:34; 23:31). Nevertheless, it was said of Him that “All were speaking well of Him and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips” (Luke 4:22).

The blogosphere has a way of giving even the most cowardly man sitting in his parents' basement courage to attack with his Mac. We should all heed Denny's advice on blog trolls and seek to avoid being lumped into this group. And, read the rest of Denny's article, I believe you will find it very beneficial.

Reading Theology

2008-10-01T10:35:00.002-04:00

Hat Tip to Barry Wallace for the following post.

I missed this article when it ran in the Baptist Press back in June. It’s extremely encouraging to me, though, so I wanted to pass it along.

The largest Southern Baptist Church in Alabama has over 800 members who’ve read and studied all 1290 pages of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. Over 800 members. They include the church staff, middle-aged men, college men and 10th-grade boys. 10th grade boys, for Pete’s sake. I find that amazing, humbling, and incredibly encouraging all at once.
Why?

Because theology is profoundly important. J.I. Packer defines theology as “the study of God.” When we understand that, we understand that there is no more important study that we could ever undertake. To see so many members of one church who understand the value of theology is heartening, to say the least.

Read the BP News release, and Grudem’s reaction to the report. Then just go somewhere and get down on your knees and pray and (1) thank God for churches like that; and (2) ask him to give every one of our Southern Baptist churches the same kind of intense longing to know Him in Spirit and in truth, to know him exactly as He has revealed Himself in his word.

How Shall We Speak of God? 7 Reasons We Can't Call God Mother

2008-09-30T10:29:00.002-04:00

The fall 2008 issue of the Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is now available at their websited. In this issue you will find an article by Randy Stinson and Christopher Cowan entitled How Shall We Speak of God? Seven Reasons We Can't Call God Mother. The article is short and compelling, I strongly encourage you to read it in its entirety, but I have posted some of the highlites below.

1. There is no biblical precedent for referring to God with feminine terms such as "Mother" or "she."

2. Biblical, masculine language for God is not culture-dependent, but rather is God's chosen self-revelation of his identity.

Some have argued that the patriarchal culture of ancient Israel dictated the biblical use of masculine terminology for God. However, other ancient Near Eastern cultures, though no less patriarchal than ancient Israel, worshipped masculine and feminine deities (See Jdgs 3:7; Acts 19:34) and even referred to one and the same God as both "Father" and "Mother." Thus, ancient Israel's culture did not of necessity require masculine language for God.3

3. The use of "feminine imagery" for God in the Bible does not demand or even imply that we may refer to God with feminine terms such as "Mother" or "she."

On rare occasions, Scripture describes God's actions using feminine figures of speech —
metaphors and similes (see, e.g., Deut 32:18; Job 38:29; Ps 123:2; Isa 42:13-14; 46:3; 66:13; Hos 13:8). However, the Bible also uses similar figurative language to speak of the actions of male human beings. In 2 Sam 17:8, Hushai says that David and his men "are mighty men, and they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs."4 The Lord announces that Israel will one day "nurse at the breast of kings" (Isa 60:16). Paul tells the Galatians that he is "in the anguish of childbirth" until Christ is formed in them (Gal 4:19), and he claims that he and his colaborers treated the Thessalonians "like a nursing mother taking care of her own children" (1 Thess 2:7). Do these statements imply that we are to refer to any of these men as "mother" or "she"? Of course not. Such language is simply a literary device that makes for a vivid description. If, then, this figurative language does not result in feminine terminology for human beings, neither does it imply the same for God.

4. All feminine metaphors for God in the Bible are verbal — none are names or titles for God (like "Father").

5. "Father" is a name or title that communicates something real about God's nature.

6. Calling God "Mother" may require an unbiblical revision regarding how God relates to the world.

It is difficult to show a direct causal connection between feminine God language and doctrinal revisions regarding how God relates to the world. In the past, most non-evangelical feminists who have argued for feminine or neutral language for God, have done so at least partially because of their presupposition that masculine language (Father, Lord, King) indicates God's unilateral rule over the earth and leads to abusive relationships where men unilaterally rule over women and nature. In other words, for them, the "masculinity" of God and its connection to the classical understanding of the sovereign rule of God has been at the root of ecological destruction and the domination of women.

7. Calling God "Mother" calls into question the sufficiency of the biblical revelation.

Stinson and Cowan conclude with the following words:

Although there are only a few evangelical feminists who have opened the door for feminine language for God, many churches in mainline denominations have been doing so for years. There are new hymns being sung to "Mother God" and even books designed to teach our children how to pray to "her." We fear that this practice may become even more common among evangelicals, as the pressure to accept egalitarian teachings on manhood and womanhood grows. We hope that evangelical believers, pastors, and churches will prayerfully consider the seriousness of this issue and hold fast to the authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures for the glory of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Salvation and The Fear of God

2008-09-29T09:25:00.002-04:00

My wife and I were talking last night in the car about the biblical account of Noah's Ark. This is a feel-good story that we often teach to our children. We smile and laugh about the animals, and I remember a song from my childhood about God sending the rainbow. The ark was God's vehicle for salvation of Noah, and eventually the propigation of the human species, but was the ark all good news?

The ark was not good news to those who were not on the ark. Instead, the ark screamed God's judgment to sinful human beings who refused to honor God in their lives. God punshed those who refused to honor him and saved those who loved him. God was active in the entire process, even closing the door of the ark. Noah and his family did not take a beautiful cruise. Imagine the screams they must have endured and the nightmares that must have followed them throughout their lives as they recounted God's judgment.

Surely, no one has ever lived who should have had as great a fear of the Lord and appreciation for his saving acts as Noah and his family. Noah must have truly understood what it meant to be saved from the wrath of God, because God's wrath was not a future possibility, but a present reality during the flood.

If we ever truly understand just all that we've been saved from, I'm certain that our appreciation for salvation and our fear of God would change. It is indeed a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).

Please Pray For Bayler Teal

2008-09-25T13:32:00.002-04:00

Bayler is five years old and is struggling with an aggressive form of cancer. Please keep him in your prayers. You can visit his caring bridge site below.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/baylerteal

Christians Are Not So Crazy

2008-09-24T16:19:00.002-04:00

The Wall Street Journal (along with many other news outlets) is reporting on a new study from Baylor University that shows religious people to be less superstitious and less inclined to believe in pseudo-science than those who claim no religious affiliation.

You can't be a rational person six days of the week and put on a suit and make rational decisions and go to work and, on one day of the week, go to a building and think you're drinking the blood of a 2,000-year-old space god," comedian and atheist Bill Maher said earlier this year on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

But, in Look Who's Irrational Now, WSJ reporter Mollie Ziegler Hemingway reports that Evangelical Christians are actually more inclined to logical thought than those who claim another or no religious affiliation. Ms. Heminway writes,

"What Americans Really Believe," a comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows that traditional Christian religion greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of astrology. It also shows that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience than evangelical Christians.

The report goes on to say much more, but sufficient for our purposes is the statement above. There may be many reasons for evangelical Christians to be more logical in their thought processes, but I believe that God-centered thinking may be the number one reason.

Faith in God and in Christ's sacrifice on the cross is not blind faith. Rather, it requires an understanding of an intricate doctrine of subsitutionary atonement. The Christian is not a mindless zombie, but rather a person who has carefully considered his or her life and weighed his or her sin on the scale of God's holiness. The regenerate believer has thought critically about his or her life and about the life and sacrifice of Christ. The Christian, therefore, must have the ability to think in the abstract.

A refusal to ackn0wledge God as an all-knowing creator also leaves a void where understanding is desired. Without faith in God, we look for answers about the future, the past, and life. The Christian, on the other hand, is confident not of what the future holds but of the one who holds the future.

For evidence that all people are looking for answers, the report gives one more interesting statistic:

We can't even count on self-described atheists to be strict rationalists. According to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's monumental "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey" that was issued in June, 21% of self-proclaimed atheists believe in either a personal God or an impersonal force. Ten percent of atheists pray at least weekly and 12% believe in heaven.

Something to think about.