Along For the Journey

It's Over.

2010-02-03T18:38:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about ending posting on this blog for a while. I think it's time to "put the horse down". Perhaps another blog another place, another time?

For now, I'm pulling the plug.

Modern American Religion

2009-12-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

On Being (a Woman of) the River!

2009-11-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

He who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord.
-Proverbs 18:22

House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
-Proverbs 19:14

Lately I have been thinking a lot about all of the energy that many people put into seeing that our flock is taken care of and that God’s Kingdom is being spread. The people that aid in making our Church what it is are numerous, and every person that participates in doing this performs tasks that are absolutely essential to fulfilling God’s purpose in the community. Every task that these people do is vital, as there is no such thing as an insignificant task. A lot of tasks are done “behind the scenes”, with many of us unaware of how much time and resources are freely given. Though a lot of the work may not be acknowledged or even given a thought by many in our congregation, this work is not being done in vain, as God is always the unseen audience who is always aware of our devotion to him. What people may be prone to not noticing, the watchful eye of God is upon those who serve him, as he delights in those who serve him out of a willing heart that aims that his glory may be made known so as to cover the earth.

Over the past few weeks I have been thinking about how affectionate my heart is for our congregation as a whole, and specifically, for our elders and their families. I cannot express how thankful I am for our elders and their guidance over the River. They are not perfect in any sense of the word and I don’t agree with everything they do (I don’t agree with everything anyone does, including myself). However, what humbles my heart and makes me eager to be guided by them is the disposition of their hearts. They are willing vessels, eager to see God move in our midst. For this I am thankful.

The more I thought about this, the more I came to see something much deeper in this. What I began to see is something that is a large part of what holds our church together and makes it what it is.

What serves as the backbone of our church, allowing the body to function, are the wives of the elders. Though it is easy to overlook this fact, it is in reality what helps make our church what it is. Just as Christ can’t complete his work apart from the Church, so too husbands cannot fulfill their callings apart from the help of their wives. The devotion and willingness of Allison, Betsy, and Sarah to Jesus Christ is something that warms and melts my heart whenever I think of it.

I know it is often not easy for them to be in the role they are in and to do the things that they do.

There are many times when I see Joey asking Allison if she is alright with him taking time away from their family in order that needed tasks can be done. When he asks, she gives him the “I’m seriously thinking about running you over with our van in order that I can break your legs so that you can’t you leave me at home by myself with three energetic boys stuck inside on a rainy day but I love you and I love Jesus and wish to see his kingdom spread, so yes, it will be alright” look.

I have seen Sarah spend months devoting nearly all of her time to helping Brian fulfill the calling God had put upon him at that time. Through the difficulty of dealing with the heavy load that was placed upon them, she was faithful to do what God had asked of her and helped willingly despite the hardships that they were having to carry at that time. In the past months I have seen Sarah have the look of, “Brian, I will willingly serve God beside you even though this is difficult and you better praise the Lord that I’m too exhausted to kill you right now”. Nevertheless, she continued to push forward in fulfilling God’s calling on her though it has been exhausting and painful to do so at times.

Betsy is someone I do not know extremely well, as I have not spent as much time with her and Justin as I have with the Yokeley’s or the Leimone’s. I am continually impressed by Betsy’s interactions with others and the character and integrity she and her whole family share. She is definitely a “1 Peter 3:3-4 woman”, a rare breed. She has always been respectful to me, and I am continually amazed by the level of concern and courtesy that she and Justin show to me. I don’t know if Betsy has a “look”, but I sometimes see Justin have the look of, “Betsy is going to kill me if I don’t keep my priorities right, but I have no problem doing so as I know that she will work beside me tirelessly.”

I pray that one day God gives me a wife like these three women. (If any of you three happen to have younger sisters my age that I don’t know about, please disclose this to me. Lol.)

I will have to admit if whoever she is not have a sense of humor like Allison, as her having a sense of humor like Allison’s will result in us going into a diabetic coma. Allison and I both like corny jokes so me marrying someone who also likes corny jokes would cause an overload, thus causing us to turn into starch, which in turn overloads our bodies with sugar, resulting in a diabetic coma.

Also, the girl I marry cannot dress like Sarah. There is nothing wrong with how Sarah dresses. It is just that in some ways Sarah and I dress so similarly that if the girl I marry dresses like Sarah we would constantly be mixing up clothes, as our clothes would look alike. Sarah and I have SEVERAL striped shirts that are the exact same colors and stripe-width. It’s eerie. If Sarah and I mysteriously woke up one day as a member of the opposite sex we would probably just call one another and exchange wardrobes. (I love you Sarah!).

I am very grateful for these three women, both for who they are and for what they do. I appreciate all that they do to support their husbands and our church as a whole. As a church body we are deeply indebted to these women, as we are to many other people as well.

The River Church is a wonderful group of oddball, grace-filled, Kingdom-driven, messed up, broken people who are slowly but surely extending the Kingdom of God in the midst of learning what it means to truly, though not perfectly, follow Jesus in today’s world.

Life

2009-11-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

I wrote this entry a couple of nights ago at my house. I haven't posted in a good while, so I figured it was time to write for a bit. I do have a lot I wish to write about sometime soon, but know not how to put a lot of it into words. This should suffice for now.

I just sat down to write something for my blog and got a phone call; a phone call telling me of the death of my friend’s mother. Here I was preparing to write about a lot of deep, perplexing, mostly abstract ideas I have been thinking about lately, and the reality of life comes knocking at my door once again. There is nothing wrong with deep theological study in itself if a person’s motivation for doing so is correct. In fact, true theological study leads a person to humility over how little we as humans are and know, and how majestic God is. This is honorable in God’s eyes; indeed, it is an aspect of being a Christian that, although it sometimes gets misused, is something God asks of us. He desires that we really know him.

There is, however, a reality where real life hits you between the eyes, often unexpectedly. Whether it is the death of a loved one, the end of one stage/season of life, or the reality that sometimes God, in His providence, has chosen to let some type of difficulty come to and remain in our lives that may or may not be with us until it is time for our departure from this earth. It is the “stuff” of life that everyone who has or ever will live deals with. Adam and Eve enjoyed a short period of bliss in the history of humanity, but they too soon felt the weight of living in a messed up world. Even Jesus, the God-Man, was not exempted from the struggle of living life “under the sun”. The Gospels and Hebrews remind us that, though Jesus was not morally tainted as we are, he still dealt with the same exact things that we, and all humans, deal with day in and day out.

Unfortunately, many Christians often equate the results of the Curse as being synonymous with being “human”. “I’m only human. I make mistakes”, they say, as though it is our humanity that is the problem. We are finite creatures who will never have comprehensive knowledge, but this is not the reason for our difficulties. People often talk about leaving our “prison”, which they mean the human body. They talk as though we will one day be floating body-less in the clouds, not aware that we will be resurrected as humans—glorified humans, but human nonetheless—on a new heaven AND a new earth.

I feel as though one of the things that really brought my faith to a new level was when I understood that I am human. Being human is what God created me to be, and so that is what I am. It is not a bad thing to be human. What is bad is the curse that is on humanity. One day I will have a new body, and all of the other effects of sin will be gone from us as well, but the essence of what makes people what they are will not be removed. I will always have limited knowledge and be dependent upon God. Nothing will change. I don’t know if we will poop, brush our teeth, have sex, or will need deodorant in the new heaven and new earth. Maybe we will, maybe we won’t; I don’t know. But God made us spiritual, physical, emotional, rational, sexual beings, and none of these aspects should be considered “unclean” or bad in and of themselves. Everything God created is good, but is only bad when we use what we have for some purpose other than for the glory of God.

Over the past few weeks I have been having these moments where I am standing, or driving, somewhere out in public and God will speak to me making me aware of the fact that the majority of the people I pass throughout my day do not know God and will likely end up in hell. Most of them are experiencing hell on earth right now too, both through their consciences accusing them and through the effects of attempting to live apart from Christ. I felt as though an alarm was wailing throughout the whole earth, but that the majority of the people couldn’t hear the siren. I wanted to scream, “The house is on fire! Get out! Get out!”, all to no avail to my deaf hearers who went about their daily routine, all the while pieces of the flaming roof falling all about them. Though these moments have been intense and are having a profound effect on me I must admit that the majority of the team I think of the arrogant driver beside me in traffic more as a butt-wipe than a person duped by the devil whose selfishness takes a toll on their life and the lives of the people around them. Sometimes it is easier to give a person the finger telling them to go to a place they may likely be on their way to anyways than it is to be broken over how much they, and ourselves too, need Jesus.

America is now somewhat of a different place than it once was, though true Christianity has never been of any real substance in American life. What is different about America now is that people no longer have a basic biblical worldview, even a cultural one. Christianity is not as familiar to people in today’s world as it once was. In earlier times people had the “furniture” of the faith, that is, they believed in things like sin, moral absolutes, that they should be moral people, that God exists, that there is life after death, etc.

The world is not like that anymore. Unfortunately, the majority of the paradigms that American Christians still rely on were formulated to communicate the Gospel to a culture that actually had the “furniture” of Christianity, or theism in general. What we may mean in communicating the Gospel in these ways is well-intentioned but in reality is not effective, and often not truthful, in reaching people today who don’t have the “furniture” anymore.

In a day when almost all people believed that they should live a moral life and participate in the accepted norms of their culture, it made sense to tell people they needed a “personal Savior”, it made sense to tell them that they sinned against God’s Law. The people had some type of cultural formulation of Christianity so it made sense to make it personal to the person it was being presented to.

“Sir, you believe that all people are supposed to live a moral life and that all people are sinners, but I am here to tell you that YOU are a sinner. All of mankind has sinned, but you have to face God yourself. Your parents or church can’t save you. You know Jesus is the Savior of the world, but Jesus needs to be YOUR savior. You must repent and believe if you are to be saved.”

In today’s world people do not necessarily believe that our goal is to be moral people who contribute to society. People often believe that our goal is to be happy, that we can and should be able to do whatever will make us happy, just as long as we can do it in a way where “no one gets hurt” or is “offended”. Moral absolutes are viewed as strange and non-existent by most people of the day, thus even the concept of sin on any level will not be understood, and if understood likely not even entertained. I do believe in God’s sovereign, effectual call in bringing a person to faith, but I also know that in order for the Gospel to be received it must be understood at some basic level before a person can exercise repentance and faith.

As an aside, telling a person they need to have a “personal relationship with Jesus” or to “ask Jesus into their heart” will largely be misunderstood in today’s world by those who do not have some type of substantial association with a Bible-believing Church because they are interpreting what you are saying entirely different from how a Christian may mean it. People will likely view a “personal relationship with Jesus” as some type of life accessory like the yoga class that helps them to “get in touch with the universe”, or their therapy class that taught them to help themselves by becoming “their own best friend” or the “parents they never had”. People may even get to the point where they tell you that “Jesus lives in their heart”, but upon further discovery you learn that Jesus is sharing his space in their heart with their dead Great-Grandmother, the original members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and a cartoon character that was meaningful to them as a child. People who don’t know a lot about biblical Christianity will totally miss the fact that they are IN a relationship with God: they are His enemy and He is their enemy apart from Christ. (To be sure, God does desire all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth BUT his common love and grace for humanity is also accompanied by hatred for what people apart from Christ are and do. God both loves AND hates at the same time. It is perplexing, but the Bible teaches both, so we must accept both.).

We need a new language and understanding of the Gospel that is uncompromisingly faithful to Scripture, while at the same time intelligible and understandable to people who live in today’s world. Tim Keller is one, of many, who are attempting to do this are and are successful in doing so. Even as a Christian who grew up in the church and the Bible-belt, I often find Keller’s preaching able to touch my heart and mind in deeper ways than other pastors are able to. Even coming from the background I grew up in, and despite how much I am out of touch with popular culture, the way I think and experiencing reality still reflects our culture to such a degree that I am profoundly moved the most by preaching that addresses people with today’s mindset. If this is true for me, how much more true will be it for the majority of other Americans!

As an aside, the only evangelical version of Christianity that will flourish in today’s world is the Reformed faith. Anything other than the Reformed faith is not theologically or intellectually strong enough to survive the attacks of today’s world. Only a Reformed apologetic will reach the people of today’s world. To be sure, in the book of Numbers God spoke through an ass and has been speaking through them ever since, but the best and preferable method will likely be the Reformed faith. Nothing else will have a substantial, lasting impact as the Reformed faith will. You can bank on that one. Although I have no problem stating that evangelicals who are not Reformed are Christians who can and will have an impact of eternal significance, I can no longer state that non-Reformed positions are Christian positions to hold. Again, Evangelicals who hold these positions can be Christians, but the views they endorse are not Christian. (Another version essentially saying the same type of thing is stating that Roman Catholics can be true Christians but that Roman Catholicalism is not, in itself, true Christianity.). The reasons I say this are numerous and too lengthy to discuss here, but I would be happy to share some of them with you should you desire to ask about it. Two of the main reasons are related to epistemology and to justification, issues which cannot be compromised without entirely compromising the faith.

God is calling His people out of rampant individualism and mindlessly being entertained into becoming a true community of faith that understands the Gospel well enough to help the people in the diverse settings around us gain an accurate understanding of the best news ever.

Only a New Creation Creates a New World

2009-10-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

“The Church is largely wasting her time in talking politics, and in imagining that, if you give people the Christian ethic and urge them to practice it, the problems of the world will be solved. It cannot be done: regeneration is essential. God produces this final harmony again by regeneration, a new creation, new men in a new world—‘new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness’. That is God’s method. It is only as we are all ‘in Christ” that we can be reconciled. We become members severally of his body. ‘Ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular’ and so the eye does not say to the foot ‘I have no need of thee’, nor does the hand speak thus to any other part. All the parts are essential (1 Corinthians 12:14-27). That is the picture. All one—not in Christ as teacher, but vitally, spiritually, mystically, members of His body and united in Him by the Holy Spirit.”

Martin Lloyd-Jones, ‘We…Ye also’ Sermon on Ephesians 1:11-14.

Psalm 130

2009-09-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

Psalm 130 (ESV)

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 
2 O Lord, hear my voice! 
Let your ears be attentive 
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, 
O Lord, who could stand? 
4 But with you there is forgiveness, 
that you may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, 
and in his word I hope; 
6 my soul waits for the Lord 
more than watchmen for the morning, 
more than watchmen for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! 
For with the Lord there is steadfast love, 
and with him is plentiful redemption. 
8 And he will redeem Israel 
from all his iniquities."

I have not posted in a good while so I thought I should post something lest I be accused of being among the blog-slackers out there. lol.

There has been much that has happened since the last post. It is a lot to think about and even harder to articulate. Life is good; life is hard, but it is good. I don't think I could explain all of what all has happened in the past couple of months. I am still sorting out the whole "I'm not a kid but not really a responsible adult so what am I?" thing, with my birthday yesterday making it all the more odd.

I had a good birthday yesterday and spent a lot of time with friends. It was really good. I love my church family. A lot. I felt, and still feel, very profoundly moved by two events that happened yesterday.

One of them was when I got Jonah a donut after church. We were outside and he was wanting a chocolate donut. I had not brought them out yet so we walked into the building to grab the boxes to bring them outside. I handed him a donut and he proceeded to run back outside. About 15 seconds later he ran back inside to hug my leg and tell me Happy Birthday.

The second one was when Kathie decided to sing me every verse of a birthday hymn that people sing in the Moravian Church. I think the hymn was written by a Moravian but I am not certain. I cannot explain what exactly about the whole thing shook my soul. Perhaps it is that the hymn is a prayer of blessing over the person it is sung for; it is also that she was very thoughtful for doing it. It was gutsy.

Saturday at Life Group we looked over the "ask, seek, knock" from Matthew 7. While I was studying over the passage during the week I had to make an honest confession to God that I had no idea what to ask for and for him to show what I need to ask for.

Well, the Lord definitely answered my prayer. And it has been overwhelming.

This past year has been one of finding out that all that I need is in Christ and is provided by him, and by him alone.

My Watchword for the year is Ephesians 1:3, which is very interesting because I have been learning that Christ has blessed me with every spiritual blessing and that when I cling to Christ I am in need of nothing.

I am still very far from understanding my need to cling to Christ alone to satisfy me and guide me. I think I am more aware of how much I don't trust in Christ and how much idolatry is left in my heart. It has indeed been a heart-breaking experience.

It is not a totally negative experience though. I am also seeing how great God's mercy and grace is in the midst of knowing that I am made of dust and to dust I shall return.

Last night and today have been a time where I have been mourning my sins and asking God to cleanse my heart and to help me to grasp the Gospel at a real gut-level in all areas of life.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, 
and in his word I hope; 
my soul waits for the Lord 
more than watchmen for the morning, 
more than watchmen for the morning."

Oh Christ how we need You!

How He Loves Us

2009-08-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

I have listened to this song a billion times today. This song has really touched my heart in some profound ways.

How He Loves Us
By Jesus Culture

He is jealous for me
Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so.

Yeah, He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves.

So we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way

That he loves us,
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves

Life As It Appears to Me Now

2009-07-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

There is much on my mind, so I will try to share what is on my heart as clearly as I can.

A couple of days ago I had a very soul-shaking conversation with one of the pastors I go to church with. It was one of those conversations where the lights just flashed on and you are left for a very long time waiting for your eyes to adjust; it's like coming out of a movie theater in the middle of a bright summer day after being in the dark for over 2 hours. This pastor is a rare breed. He has a large amount of discernment AND he is extremely tactful. Most pastors are either very tactful and as discerning as a blade of grass or they are very discerning but usually end up putting both feet in their mouth so you really don't hear what they said until weeks later. Fortunately this pastor is both insightful and tactful, as is most of the leadership at the church I go to, so this was a very productive conversation.

We talked a lot about what God's call on my life is and how to go about moving forward with that. I had to confess that I don't have a clue about a lot of things right now as far as life direction, which is at least a starting place of sorts. It felt very good to have my complaints and reservations about different things validated before being encouraged to think about what to do and how to go about doing it feeling the way that I do about certain things.

If this is somewhat vague, I apologize; it is something I want to share but can't fully talk about as I don't quite understand it all yet myself.

A big part of what has moved my soul from having this conversation is that this pastor really believes that God is real and can do incredible things. He is a guy who puts his money where his mouth is. Perfect? No. But he is someone who takes himself pretty lightly and Scripture very seriously, which is something I have a ton of respect for. If I had to be honest, most of the people I know who are professing evangelicals I would not say believe that Scripture alone is our only source of doctrine and practice. When people I meet do go to Scripture and they hold to certain things that a lot of subcultural Christianity doesn't hold to, I respect what they say and truly feel free to talk openly.

I kind of feel challenged to believe that God is very real and can, and will, do incredible things. There is a time to dissent from one's culture, but there is a time to shut up and actually be the change you wish to do. I am much more inclined to be lazy, point fingers, and complain than to actually do something so the tactful prodding I recieved was much needed.

The older that I am getting the more I realize that my parents, especially my Dad, is really not stupid afterall. Going through the teenage years I had this eerie feeling that my parents watched one too many episodes of "Leave it to Beaver" and "Law and Order" to have a balanced view of the world; the whole paradigm of life being very good but the world being a very scary place. My Dad is definitely a lot more Type A than I am, but I am seeing that he and I are much more alike than I would ever imagine. My mom and I are also a lot alike as well, so I would likely recommend that whoever dates me should look at my parents if they want to see what I will very likely be like when I am older. LOL. I am being serious though.

My parents have always been the blood-and-guts of Christianity in my life. They have lived with me, and everyone they cross paths with, in the blood-and-guts of the everyday life and the painful hard stuff that comes up in each others lives. I don't know that I have ever had too many deep conversations about faith with my Dad, but I do not think I have, or ever will, meet a man who is as much the hands and feet of Christ as he is.

Yesterday was an absolutely terrible day. I woke up feeling kind of frazzled, "on the wrong side of the bed", and the day slowly went downhill from there. Nothing seemed to be going as it needed to, which only made by already bad day much worse. I have a pretty burnt out feeling overall in life right now, so I am trying to fight against the sheer apathy that I could easily have right now. I did not plan to go to college when I graduated from high school, as I barely got out of high school. I agreed to try to go to college for a semester and if I hated it I would quit. I ended up continuing with college and graduating, but I honestly feel like it is huge smack in the face for me to actually have stepped out on a limb to try to do something and then end for my first seven months since graduating either not having a job at all or ending up working at a job that I don't need a degree to do and don't get any extra pay for having the degree.

On the whole, I have had a very rude awakening since graduating from college. I have definitely learned that I do not want to ever be in a business field of any kind for a career, lol. That's for sure.

In some ways I feel like I am acting like the older son in the (misnamed) parable of "The Prodigal Son". "I have been slaving for you all of these years and this is what I get!?" I am generally the type of person to not up and openly rebel against God; my sickness is that I try to put God in debt to me and feel like He owes me something. And when things don't go how I think they should, I get mad about it. It is hard to sort through how much of what I am thinking and feeling is justifiable and how much of it is me having a sinful attitude. Who knows.

Hanging in the Balance Part 2

2009-07-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Getting an Article Published

A few months ago I was invited to write an article for a theology journal/international dialogue for the denomination I grew up in. I had mixed feelings about being asked to do this, but I prayed about and decided to do it. I had forgotten about doing the article and recently received an email from the new editor of the journal asking about some things related to editing.

The editor and I have exchanged several emails, trying to work out the details of how to state what I am trying to say in an unambiguous way. This has been a very long and tedious process, but has been/is a good process. Editors have a hard job because they need to help to make the article as readable and understandable as it can be but do it in a such a way that they are faithful to the author's ideas and wording. The editor of the journal I am writing for has managed to do both, which I have been very pleased with. Everything is still in the process of getting worked out before it goes to press, but so far so good.

I have no idea when the article will be released, although I would guess that it will be in the Fall edition.

I also got approved to have writing privileges on a local seminary's blog a few weeks ago. I had made a response in the comment section of a blog post, a rather long response, and have gotten to talk to a lot of people at the seminary because of this. I have not thought too hard about writing an article for the blog, but it may be something I do in the future.

On Becoming My Parents

The older I get the more I realize that I am becoming more and more like my parents. And I am okay with becoming like them, at least in most ways.

I have had a sort of rude awakening into the "real world" since graduation and have come to understand my Dad in new ways. I guess a lot of it is just maturing in general, but I do see and understand their concerns about a lot of life issues in much larger ways.

Both of my parents are by no means perfect or without character faults, as no one is either of these things, but I do see them in new ways.

Church and the State

I have been thinking a lot about the nature of the State lately. I don't feel as though I have much clarity on the matter as to any of the specifics, other than that there is a very distinct role of the State that differs greatly from the Church. In saying this, I must clarify this and state that the State is also God's servant, and God has not given the State the sword in vain. Maintaining this balance is tough, and it is easy to fall into many ideological traps that are thrown at us even though what we are told is the "biblical" way to be in relation to the State.

Enough for now...

Hanging in the Balance Part 1

2009-06-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to write for a long time but have been prevented by various causes, some of which has been laziness, most of which has been that I haven't had the time.

A lot of what is written in this post are random thoughts that came together. I wrote far more than I intended to and did not get to any of the topics I really wanted to write about. My mind is heavy, and has been for the past two weeks.

There is more to come, but for now, enjoy some ramblings...

I have had to deal with another death recently, the death of a friend from church. It was a very unexpected death, a car accident. The man always seemed to be thankful for everything in life. He didn't pretend that life was always rainbows and butterfly's, but He did have a sense of real joy and appreciation for all of life. My heart feels grief in a very deep way. My Black Dog has been following rather closely these past two weeks because of this. A lot of other things I have been stressing about lately probably haven't helped this either, but overall my Black Dog seems to not be following me around as much as it used to. Grief and anger are definitely appropriate emotions to stressors in life, something I am finally getting used to understanding.

Since I recieved the Lord I have noticed that I have become much more broken and much more healed as a person the longer that I walk with Him. It's funny because although I am often convinced that I know what is what in life, I am getting to a place more and more where I know that I really don't have a clue about anything other than that I need God. It is kind of strange that, while coming to faith in Christ is something we must do by crying out to Him, we are so hard-bent to attribute our being saved to our own free will and ability. I do believe in Reformed Theology in regards to salvation, but even a biblical Arminian knows that apart from a miraculous gift of God opening our hearts to come to Him, even if it is just to the possibility of being able to come to Him, we have NO HOPE. I think when we attribute our salvation to anything except for God's grace, we rob Him of glory. When we say that we, as DEAD people, can lift ourselves out of our graves without any help and come to God, we just show that we know NOTHING of what it means to be saved. This does not mean that we are not saved when we do this, but it does show that we do not at all understand how hopeless we were (and are) and how amazing and gracious God's gift of salvation truly is.

Even the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed that a person cannot come to Christ without the assistance of grace. Isn't it, then, strange that the people who proclaim to be justified by faith alone apart from works will often deny this?

It has often been stated that while the Church had long ago decided that man does, in fact, need God to give Him grace to Him, that the Reformation was largely about the extent of man's need for grace.

How all of the reformers before Calvin were "Calvinists" before the man was born, is an interesting thing. The same thing goes for how there were "Arminians" in the Church before Jacobus Arminius ever stated His doctrine in 5 Points.

Oddly enough still, "those silly Calvinists who put all of their doctrine into a 5-Point System" only did so in response to a 5-Point System made by a person in the Church who had strayed from what the Church already traditionally taught without the make-up of "the 5 Points of Calvinism". Sadly, most people don't know this, nor do they care.

I have had a lot of stress over a friend of mine who has been suffering (for years) with mental health issues. He is a brilliant person in many ways; He has a true gem of a mind and intellect. However, he is often raved by the "madness" I have known in times past and does not realize how desperately he needs help. There isn't much good in trying to help someone who doesn't want to be helped or know that they need it. It breaks my heart to see them continuing to struggle, but there is little that I can do but pray and cry. This situation has broken my heart in many ways.

Even in getting help for mental health issues, it is hard to define what "help" is and how it is given. I definitely know that medication is necessary for some people, as is therapy, but, in my opinion, the whole field of psychology and psychiatry is largely all a matter of grey areas, with very little that we actually know. I had a psychology teacher in my Human Services degree program that taught us how to examine scientific evidence in a way that we could actually see and note what the evidence itself stated as opposed to what people have interpretted the evidence to mean. There lies a big difference between what we actually know and what we assume we know from science. Science is not a bad thing in itself, but when scientists answer the wrong question with the data they gather, nothing they do is of any real value.

I take a medication for mental health and neurological reasons that helps very much. The older type of this type of medication can cause people to have tardive dyskinesia if the medicine is used for a prolonged period of time. The newer type of medication is supposed to decrease the risk of having tardive dyskinesia, as is advertised, but the truth is that no one has lived long on these medications to actually find out, as the drugs haven't been out long enough to tell. The drug is supposed to do better at not having this to occur, but truthfully no one knows. It may not. The new drugs certainly have other benefits that the older versions lack, but I could very well end up dealing with the same side effects that people who took the older versions sometimes have.

My point is not whether or not I will have to deal with drastic side effects, or whether or not it bothers (I haven't really thought about, to be honest), but that getting help in the mental health world, regardless of from whom, is, for the most part, a walk in the dark. If you are just hopeless enough to stumble through the dark with a doctor for long enough, eventually you might get helped. I am very grateful for the help I have recieved, but I can't pretend that any part of this process is easy in any sense at all. What do you tell someone who is asking you what getting treated for mental health reasons is like? There is a vast difference of opinion of "brain treatment" from those who deal with "brain issues" as a real part of their everyday life and those who work in this field professionally. A person can't "clock out" from their brain or take a vacation if they need to: it's always there with you. I do not say this for the purpose of disparaging those who work in these fields who have never had any real-life experience in dealing with these issues themselves, but I am stating that a person who suffers from these issues has a very different picture of what "getting helped" means.

I graduated from college with a degree in the helping profession but I am still sorting out a lot of the things I learned. Quite frankly, I don't know what "helping" someone means, what it looks like, or what the overall goal is. I know I need the Gospel; I also know I need medication. Where does "helping" someone end and giving them more tools to run from God begin? How does a Christian interact as a genuine Bible-Believer with a field built largely upon secular humanism? I don't really have any answers in all of this in any sense. I will say that people who are not spiritually discerning and analytical people will find that most secular education is severely damaging, if not damning, to the souls of those who are truly seeking to know God. That is not to say that a person will lose their salvation in college, it may just mean that they will arrive in heaven having lived their life with some very confused beliefs thrown in with the Gospel.

Thank God for Grace and for His Providence. I know nothing, except the following:

"The terrors of Law and of God
with me can have nothing to do.
For My Savior's obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions from view."
-Augustus Toplady

More to come...

Why post this? Simply because I can...lol.

2009-06-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

This short clip is one of many reasons why I strongly dislike liberal politics. Why post this, you ask?

The clip speaks for itself.

God's Decree and Sovereignty

2009-06-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

America's debt to John Calvin by John Piper

2009-06-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

(This article was originally posted in WORLD magazine, July 4, 2009.)

In this year of John Calvin’s 500th birthday, I don’t know of a better place to read about his impact on America than Abraham Kuyper’s Lectures on Calvinism given at Princeton Seminary in October 1898. Kuyper was a pastor, a journalist, the founder of the Free University of Amsterdam, and Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

John Calvin and Martin Luther were the twin pillars of the Protestant Reformation. Why do fewer people speak of Luther’s culture-shaping impact on America, but for centuries Calvin has been seen in this light? Kuyper argues,

"Luther’s starting-point was the . . . principle of justifying faith; while Calvin’s . . . lay in the general cosmological principle of the sovereignty of God. . . . [Hence] Lutheranism restricted itself to an exclusively ecclesiastical and theological character, while Calvinism put its impress in and outside the Church upon every department of human life."

It is the personal pervasiveness of God’s sovereignty that makes all the difference. This means that “the whole of a man’s life is to be lived as in the Divine Presence.” This “fundamental thought of Calvinism” shaped all of life. “It is from this mother-thought that the all-embracing life system of Calvinism sprang.”

For example, Calvin’s doctrine of “vocation” follows from the fact that every person, great and small, lives “in the Divine Presence.” God’s sovereign purposes govern the simplest occupation. He attends to everyone’s work. This yielded the Protestant work ethic. Huge benefits flow from a cultural shift in which all work is done earnestly and honestly with an eye to God.

Or consider how Calvinism breathed an impulse of freedom into modern history. The decisive principle

"was the sovereignty of the Triune God over the whole Cosmos, in all its spheres and kingdoms, visible and invisible. A primordial Sovereignty which eradicates in mankind . . . a threefold . . . supremacy, viz., (1) the sovereignty of the State; (2) the sovereignty in Society; and (3) the sovereignty in the Church."

God’s sovereign claim on every person and every sphere of society relativized all other claims. It began with the churches.

"The sovereignty of Christ remains absolutely monarchical, but the government of the Church on earth becomes democratic to its bones and marrow. . . No church may exercise any dominion over another, but . . . all local churches are of equal rank."

This impulse of freedom spread to the political sphere. Calvin and his heirs had a strong predilection for republican government—and an aversion to monarchy. A benevolent dictatorship would be ideal in a sinless world. But in a sinful world, it brings the horrors of tyranny. “Call to mind . . . that Calvinism has captured and guaranteed to us our constitutional civil rights.”

We ask: Why then did Calvin endorse the death of Servetus for heresy? How was this part of his liberating impulse? Kuyper’s answer is helpful.

"I not only deplore that . . . I unconditionally disapprove of it; yet not as if it were the expression of a special characteristic of Calvinism, but on the contrary as the fatal after-effect of a system, grey with age, which Calvinism found in existence, under which it had grown up, and from which it had not yet been able entirely to liberate itself."

A thousand years of abuses are not thrown off overnight. But the impulses of liberty, flowing from the decisive principle of the all-embracing sovereignty of God, proved to be unstoppable. “Calvinism has liberated Switzerland, the Netherlands, and England, and in the Pilgrim Fathers has provided the impulse to the prosperity of the United States.”

Kuyper closed his lectures with a claim that for many today sounds preposterous. Do not write him off. Get the book Lectures on Calvinism, and test these words, spoken to Americans in 1898.

"In the rise of your university education . . .; in the decentralized . . . character of your local governments; . . . in your championship of free speech, and in your unlimited regard for freedom of conscience; in all this . . . it is demonstrable that you owe this to Calvinism and to Calvinism alone."

Life is Short

2009-06-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Earlier this morning I found out that a friend from church died in a car accident. Normally it takes me a long time to process things through, but for some reason upon hearing the news it hit me immediately like a ton of bricks. I could say something like "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away", all of which is true, but isn't what I need at the moment. He is gone and I find myself rudely awakened by the brevity of life that I am all too often unaware of, both of my own inevitable death and the death of every single person until Christ so chooses to return. As Christians we do not grieve as those who have no hope; there is a redemption that will soon be fully realized and those who have gone before us will be resurrected. We do not grieve as those who have no hope, but we still grieve.

I find comfort in the fact that even Jesus wept; we too are okay to let ourselves feel the weight of our sorrow or anger if we need to do so. God has promised that He will never leave us or forsake, which is good news for messed-up people living in a messed-up world. I cannot make it without the blessing of Christ following me and keeping me.

My sorrow feels heavy right now so I am going to not write much more, but I wanted to share with you all a song called "Life Means So Much". It is a powerful song; one that reminds that life is short and the life truly does mean so much.

Every day is a journal page
Every man holds a quill and ink
And there's plenty of room for writing in
All we do is believe and think
So will you compose a curse
Or will today bring the blessing
Fill the page with rhyming verse
Or some random sketching

Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
Cause somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much

Every day is a bank account
And time is our currency
So nobody's rich, nobody's poor
We get 24 hours each
So how are you gonna spend
Will you invest, or squander
Try to get ahead
Or help someone who's under

Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
Cause somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much

Has anybody ever lived who knew the value of a life
And don't you think giving is all
What proves the worth of yours and mine

Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
Cause somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much

Every day is a gift you've been given
Make the most of the time every minute you're living

-Chris Rice

Quote of the Year on Pop Christianity

2009-06-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I passionately despise the book "The Shack" for many, many reasons. I was reading an article earlier today that had a quote that very much so summed up my sentiments about the book and why I try to persuade people NOT to read it.

"The thing that bothers me the most about the Shack is that it wraps destructive ideas up in an appealing package and feeds it to people who have neither the discernment nor the desire to carefully separate truth from error."
-Mary Kassian

Blown Away

2009-06-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

On a very rare occasion I will venture to a certain skateboarding website to see what new things have been posted. I watched the video below and was BLOWN AWAY by how good this guy is on a skateboard. The video may not seem super-spectacular to people who have never ridden a skateboard, but for anyone who has ever skated this video will leave you with your mouth open.

Thoughts as of late

2009-06-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

Sola Scriptura
Recently I have become very much disenfranchised by what is commonly classified as evangelicalism; I more or less mean pop-culture Christianity than actual evangelicalism, but the blur between the two often makes it hard to see. A lot of my negative feelings have a lot to do with me feeling like I have been lied to about a number of things, although I have no doubt that the intentions of the people who told me these things were good.

A VERY large part of the Protestant Reformation was the idea of Scripture alone being our sole source of doctrine and practice; that is, the only way we can have ANY true knowledge of what we know about God or how we are to function as His creatures has to be validated by Scripture and by nothing else. There have been, and still are, many debates about what is and is not reading too much into Scripture itself (The Bible wasn't written in a bubble). Even taking this into consideration, nearly all of the teachings taught by people who have strongly believed in Sola Scriptura have been identical. The Bible inteprets the Bible, making it very understandable when the whole of Scripture is taken into consideration.

I fear that the idea of Scripture alone being our only source of how we can know about God is largely being left behind by many who profess the Bible to be God's Word. I point the finger outward towards others AND I point the finger at myself for not taking God's Word seriously enough. I do not mean that people have to be dogmatic about minor points, but I do mean that it is not wise for us to assume that something is true simply because it sounds good or right. We must go to Scripture, all of Scripture to look to see what it says.There is no area of life that God has not spoken over in some way for us to know what He has said about any given topic. It is sometimes hard to put this knowledge together in our minds so that we can apply it to complex life situations, but He has spoken to us. We are not in the dark. Of that I am certain.

"We affirm together with the Scripture, that we are redeemed by the life, death and resurrection of Christ alone. That all blessings (including faith, love and strength to persevere) find their source in the grace of God in Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3). And that the natural man (a person without the Holy Spirit) is wholly helpless in his sin, but God, by His great love and mercy, saves His people by a free, unconditional, invincible grace, not only justifying us in Christ when we come to faith, but also raising us from the death and bondage of sin by His life-giving Spirit in order to bring us to faith. Knowing that we come empty handed and spiritually bankrupt, we repent of both our good and bad works so as to trust in Christ alone for our salvation. For the Scripture says, "no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' apart from the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3). Indeed, it is only because the Spirit first unites us to Christ that we can cry out "Abba, Father"(Rom. 8:15; Gal 4:6). For Jesus said, "no one can come to Me unless God grants it"(John 6:65). Scripture is our only authority for all our affirmations or denials and presuppositions related to the truth of the gospel, which is our only hope. May the Lord richly bless His word as we cast the seed of the gospel to those God has placed in the paths of each of our various callings."

(From Monergism)

Females
I have healed a lot from getting my heart broken in the situation with a girl I used to date. I am still somewhat skeptical of things surrounding dating and girl/guy relationships, but my pessimism has very slowly been lifted (and still is being lifted) into a more realistic view of myself and the limitations of other people. I can say these things quite easily now, I just hope that when I do get involved with someone that my brain doesn't get so flooded with dopamine that I forget all of this and be as stupid as I have been known to be in the past. I doubt this will be the case, but it would not surprise me if it did happen.

I am really glad that I'm not getting married anytime soon and that I don't have to rush into anything. To be sure, "it is better to marry than to burn", but marriage and sex aren't the same thing and getting married in an attempt to avoid dealing with the difficluties of being sexual creatures in a fallen world may create more problems than it will actually solve.

Living as humans packed with all sorts of types of energys is an issue all people struggle with, whether the need be sexual, emotional or any other kind of need we may have.

But getting back to females...

I spent a large part of my teenage years dealing with thyroid problems, depression, and sleep apnea. This pretty much meant I did not take too much notice in girls, as my libido was very low. Flash forward to today with all of my health issues dealt with, and I have woken up to what it is like to be a 20-something year old guy.

I have begun to wonder if God packed guys with such strong testosterone to drive us outwards.

It's kind of like we are driven outwards to go and do, to mark our spot in the world, so to speak. For ancient people it may have been that they were driven outwards to go hunt to provide food for other people and earn the respect of the other men. It is still the same way today, although the ways in which we do the same behaviors has changed.

I think the whole God driving us outwards is how guys get together with girls too. It is not necessarily anything perverted that drives us out of ourselves but it is that something attracts us to go talk to certain girls. I don't know that if guys didn't have such strong drives outwards that we would ever stay interested in girls.

I say this not because girls are boring, but primarily because I think that if guys didn't feel drawn outwards towards girls we would not talk as often because we couldn't deal with the confusion. Given, not all girls are confusing. But generally speaking, men and women communicate and see the world very differently.

I often wonder what aspects of God or ourselves God has put into the dimensions of being male and female created equally in His image.

I don't know how it is for girls to understand guys, but I definitely believe that no matter how much time guys are around girls there will always be this mysterious, confusing, and wonderful aspect of girls simply being girls that guys will never understand.

I think God knew how different girls and guys are and made us so that we would only have to get to know one other person intimately through marriage. Having to figure out every girl or guy would probably be too much for us. lol.

Church
I have been increasingly blessed by the River Church over these past several months. There is actually a real sense of community. It's messy, but it's good. I don't, in any sense, feel as though I need to be any certain way around the people there other than how I am in any other situation. That may seem like an odd statement, but I definitely think that people put up more defenses when they are at Church or any other large group or organization; I don't think it's a conscious thing most of the time when people do it, but we still do it.

Being able to have a lot of frank discussions with people about life, the Bible, and other things has been a real relief for me. Sometimes these conversations happen at something church related but often times I find them happening more and more out in the community. I talked with some friends from church at Sheetz gas station for a long time in the parking lot last night. We ran into each other randomly and just hung out for a bit. A few days before that I saw another friend from church with their two kids at my work. They stopped by to pick up some food and we got to talk for a little bit.

It is really cool to see how the way Joey is preaching is changing the church too. A lot of people make comments that they are finally "getting it" and are now able to see how the text applies to their life. I have overheard a lot of comments and questions from people drawing out some of the implications from the text and sermon, which means that people are probably thinking about the Gospel in ways they may not have thought about before.

There is much more to say but for now my ranting is done.

Thinking Back Part 3

2009-05-31T15:44:00.001-07:00

For the past couple of weeks I have been rummaging through old memories, looking back at the road I have traveled these past couple of years. There were great immensities of both joy and pain during this time, often times intermingled with one another. I praise God for how He changed my heart during these times, using family and friends and life circumstances to do a mighty work in my life. The support I received from family and friends at this time was a true blessing and I know that God used these people to get me through the tough times.

One of the greatest challenges I have ever been through was dealing with a complexity of mental health and neurological problems, which, as many of you know, took aim at destroying my life in a multiplicity of ways. It has taken years to get these health issues sorted out, which complicated the doctors from knowing what all was going on at that time.

There was a period of time during this where I was recovering from some brain trauma I had experienced and had to take some time to recuperate. I had to stop going to school because I was unable to comprehend anything involving reading, which was a very devastating thing for someone like me to deal with. (If this tells you anything, I have two bookshelves in my room and I only keep books I know I will refer back to.)

Being unable to read or do a lot of other things, I began to paint during the day to express myself and to give me something to do during this time. The pictures below are the result of this time, and I hope they are a blessing to you.

Thinking Back Part 2

2009-05-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

Thinking Back

2009-05-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

Scripture that has been speaking to me lately

2009-05-31T14:20:00.000-07:00

These are some of Scripture passages/verses that have kept coming up recently. I am thankful that we are justified before God through faith alone apart from works; and that even faith itself is a gracious gift given to God's children so that they believe on Christ.

"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
(Romans 8:29-30)

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
(1 Corinthians 1:18)

"So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy."
(Romans 9:16)

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
(Romans 3:21-26)

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
(Romans 5:1-11)

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many
and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the Lord!"
(Isaiah 31:1)

A Wife I Want

2009-05-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

I want a wife like Sarah Edwards, the wife of theologian Jonathan Edwards.

(Jonathan Edwards wrote of Sarah), “They say there is a young lady in (New Haven) who is loved of that Great Being, who made and rules the world, and that there are certain seasons in which this Great Being, in some way or other invisible, comes to her and fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight; and she hardly cares for anything, except to meditate on him… she has a strange sweetness in her mind, and singular purity in their affection… you could not persuade her to do anything wrong or sinful…. She is of a wonderful sweetness, calmness and universal benevolence of mind…. She will sometimes go about from place to place, singing sweetly; and seems to be always full of joy and pleasure; and no one knows for what. She loves to be alone, walking in the fields and groves, and seems to have someone invisible always conversing with her.”

Edna Gerstner. Jonathan and Sarah: An Uncommon Union, Soli Deo Gloria, p. 153- 154.

No, Mr. President

2009-05-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Amazing Video

2009-05-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

http://deathisnotdying.com/eventvideo/

Feelings on a Thursday Afternoon

2009-05-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Ignore the video but listen to the song.

Stranger than your sympathy
This is my apology
I take myself from the inside out
And all my fears have pushed you out

I wish for things that I don't need
All I wanted
And what I chase won't set me free
All I wanted
And I get scared but I'm not crawling on my knees

Oh yeah everything's all wrong yeah
Everything's all wrong yeah
Where the hell did I think I was?

Stranger than your sympathy
I take these things so I don't feel
I take myself from the inside out
Now my head's been filled with doubt

It's hard to lead the life you choose
All I wanted
When all your luck's run out on you
All I wanted
You can't see when all your dreams are coming true

Oh yeah it's easy to forget yeah
You choke on the regrets yeah
Who the hell did I think I was

Stranger than your sympathy
All these thoughts you stole from me
I'm not sure where I belong
Nowhere's home and I'm all wrong

And I wasn't all the things
I tried to make believe I was
And I wouldn't be the one to kneel
Before the dreams I wanted
And all the talk and all the lies
Were all the empty things disguised as me
Yeah stranger than your sympathy stranger than your sympathy

My mind is reeling over many things today, but not really making much progress in any direction.

I hear a soft, gentle Voice speaking words of truth into my soul regarding a lot of different situations going on in my life; yet I find a large part of me stuck in a sort of emptiness not able to move forward from where I am. There is a flood of emotions covering me right now, some of them ranging from sadness and frustration to embarrassment and feeling foolish. I don't feel an emptiness in the sense that I am dealing with clinical depression, an all too common experience for me, but it is like I am being hollowed out to be able to receive something from the Lord.

All too often my hands are too full to receive what it is God desires to bring into my life. It usually takes me getting to a place where I am "stuck" before God will move in my heart and life. I am a stubborn person in many ways, not too keen on change unless I am the one doing the changing.

Last night was one of crazy dreams, dreams so powerful that you wake up and don't quite know if what you dreamed really happened or if it was just a dream after all. The inevitable conclusion of it being a dream occurs after a few minutes of becoming acquainted with the real world again, where I shake my head at how disoriented I was just a few minutes before in thinking that something that is more like science fiction than real life could actually have happened. Although, sometimes life IS strange; there is a very good reason for the saying that truth is stranger than fiction.

I sometimes wonder if most of my life has been a dream, and one day I will wake up to reality. What is funny is this is how life is, but not in the sense that we often think of it. We are born into the world in a very deep sleep, totally blinded by sin, unaware of what reality truly is. If God is gracious to us, He regenerates us and gives us eyes of faith to begin to see things as they are. Because we spent so much time in "the deep sleep", in many senses we who are born of God are waking up; we are becoming more and more aware of spiritual reality and our previous ways of thinking and living seem more like science fiction than real life. What is odd is that those who have woken up are the ones who often feel out of place in this world. Abraham considered himself an alien and a stranger in the world, as Genesis, Acts and Hebrews attests to, despite how much we want to attach a piece of land in the Middle East to what Abraham was actually promised.

In the past few weeks I have come to a place where I am now able, from time-to-time, to think of JP and be happy for her and where she is at in life. I am actually very glad to have not married her and to have that door now permanently shut. I am actually able to genuinely pray for her and her husband, whoever he is, and their marriage. For the longest time I could not pray about anything regarding her; I had to pray for months asking God to even help me to pray at all for that situation. There was a true dead spot in my heart that is now able to move forward.

I think I am beginning to see how desperately I am in need of God's mercy and forgiveness for how I treated her in our relationship. It is easy for me think that she was the one who betrayed me, which I still do feel pain from feeling betrayed and lied to, but there is blood on my hands too. Looking back I know that if it were not for her and Jim I would not have made it through the year or so of hell on earth that I went through.

I just hope that I can move forward and not feel totally afraid of getting involved with anyone of the opposite sex.

I recently met one of the most amazing people I have met in a long time (and yes, it's a girl), which is somewhat of an odd situation for me. I am not planning on getting into anything too quickly, maybe not anything at all, but the possibility of something happening between her and I has produced an interesting response in me. In some ways I am frustrated because I enjoy being single and don't want to be interrupted in what I think is best for me. Even the possibility of having someone of the opposite sex around my age in general come into my life is something I am not fond of. Rebecca is an exception to this; she and I are more like brother and sister, cousins, or maybe even an old married couple. The last analogy I mean only in the sense that she and I are almost always able to anticipate what the other will do in any given situation and be fairly on target.

At the same time, I have never met anyone whom I respect as much as this girl. There are many women I respect, but there are few that are single around my age that I can say that I truly admire for their character and heart. She is a young believer, but she has a truly beautiful heart and is seeking after the Lord. The first time she and I hung out I cried when I got home. I was so amazed to see that God is truly able to save people. His saving power is efficacious. I knew that on a head level, but the depth of it never hit me until the other night.

I have this sense in my heart that I want to protect her from false teachings and to point her to Christ. I want to see her grow and experience His healing power in deeper ways. With the human heart as fickle as it because of sin, I can state clearly that I want to see Christ formed more fully in her; saying anything beyond that would be too much. These are the things I do know. I am a sinful man, a master craftsman of idols as Calvin calls it. She is also a sinful person, one whom is indebted to God's grace like the rest of us. Neither of us can be there for each other, or ever will be there for each other, in the main way that we truly need another person. By this I mean that we can only point each other to Christ who is our true need, and will never be able to satisfy each other's souls in the way that Christ can.

In many ways this is such a freeing revelation, that no person, save Christ, can satisfy a person's soul. People can be used by God to point us towards Him, but that is all that they can do. I pray that the depth of this sinks into my soul in deeper ways, and that the church catches ahold of this vision as well.

It is sad when you go to a Christian bookstore and find that the majority of the books on marriage say nothing about the condition of the heart. If forgiveness is what established the relationship between Christ and His Bride, certainly the need for forgiveness will be a large part of human marriages where both partners are prone to needing forgiveness. Christ has no need of being forgiven. All humans have a deep need for forgiveness.

I talked to Tessie last night. She and Tim are moving to the Czech Republic in August. I don't think she has been back since the trip we took with the Moravian Church, but I may be wrong. Tim has finished Ph.D exams, and is waiting for approval for his dissertation topic. He is the only person I know of to have ever worked on a Ph.D in Slavic languages and literature. He will be working on his dissertation over in the CZ, which will be a much better place for him than in America to find the things he needs for his work. I have always had an affection for Tessie in my heart, and was very unsure about Tim until I met him. They came to my house a couple of months ago on their way back from Texas. I deeply love Tim as well and feel that meeting him was a very beneficial thing. There are a couple of schools in the general area in NC where I live where Tim could work after his dissertation is complete and he is given his doctorate. They will likely have to go where ever he gets a job, as a degree in Slavic Languages and Literature is not very common, but they hope to be in Texas or in North Carolina. I don't think Princeton has been a favorite place for either of them as far as wanting to have permanent residence there. They asked me about coming over to the CZ to see them, which is something I would very much like to do albeit I don't know how realistic that will be with job stuff and finances.

Jason, my youth pastor growing up, has been continuing to disciple people since his departure from our former church a couple of years ago. Last night was wonderful hearing him teach. He and his wife have poured their lives into those kids and are continuing to do even with him being the sole bread-winner for their family. Renee takes care of their two girls, which I am sure is a full-time job as well. They are by no means "Super-Christians" as I may have once thought, but they are both amazing and ordinary people ushering in the kingdom of God in unique ways in the Winston Salem area. Jason and Renee have poured a lot of love and truth into my life and the lives of these kids, a blessing that we have not likely to have yet realized how profound of a gift they both are.

These kids are hearing and seeing the things of God in ways that very few people get to hear or understand until they are older, often too old for it to make such a drastic impact as it can on people as young as the people we are meeting with. I am sure it is hard for he and his wife to do all that they do, and they continue to make huge sacrifices to see God work in their lives. Please pray for the Clubb family and the work that God is doing through them.

I have written a lot, perhaps more than I intended to, but I have desperately needed to write these thoughts out. Blessings to you all!

Altar Call

2009-05-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering...

2009-05-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

I cannot think of much to write on that fits with the context of a public blog these days. I saw a blog I follow have a post where the person asked people to send him questions to write on. So...

Being a copycat of a good idea, I am asking YOU to send me a question or two you would like me to answer or comment on.

It can be totally random, serious, about something in the Bible, about me, anything really; just so long as it is appropriate for a blog and not inappropriate in general. When you comment to write your question, please put your name and email address.

What my future marriage may look like

2009-05-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Postmodernity Part Two

2009-05-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Postmodernity Part 1

2009-05-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sovereign Election

2009-05-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Recent Thoughts on Life Part 2

2009-04-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

More thoughts on life as of late.

Grief
There has been a restlessness that has settled in my heart and mind over the past few weeks. It feels like a sort of wandering spirit settling in, the kind you get when you feel discontent with your life and what is going on; the kind of feelings I have known best in my life as depression or as grief.

Dealing with three deaths that all happened in a span of less than two weeks probably has a lot to do with it. Being confused about being out of school has some to do with it too; in this regard it is mostly with the job situation and not knowing what direction the Lord is leading me. It also has to do with the pain I am in because of my hand. Taking 800 mg of ibubrofen every 4 to 6 hours, as well as taking antibiotics, have done a number on my mind and emotions as well; I do not do well taking new medicines. The pain and the blur in my mind because of the medicine have made it hard to think about things, and to be honest, I have no idea where to start or how to sort out grieving for three people all at once.

I have ALWAYS been a sensitive person in just about every way, and have also always had a tendency towards a melancholic disposition in general as well. A lot of the things I have been taught along the way through therapy, my own formal education at college, and through personal study have really started to become ingrained into my mind, which allows me to be able to deal with my emotions in healthy ways and to be able to identify how I am thinking about things that come up in life.

Some of the time I am able to see how ridiculous I am being or am able to see why I am feeling or interpretting an event the way I am. Sometimes I am faced with the fact that I "know" how I am thinking is out of step with the Word, but I don't know the reality of what He has promised in a real way; in other words, I see that it is my unbelief that is caused me distress. A lot of the time when that happens I ask the Lord to reveal what He needs me to know and to give me open hands to recieve it.

For God's Sake, Let Grace be Grace!

"If the Lord of hosts
had not left us a few survivors,
we should have been like Sodom,
and become like Gomorrah."
-Isaiah 1:9

The video below speaks enough in itself as to what I am thinking and feeling lately, particularly in regards to salvation.

The Gospel is robbed when presented as a person's being regenerated depends upon them. When that happens, God doesn't save anybody; He only gives the possibility of them being saved. But the Gospel teaches us that God actually saves people; His saving is efficaceous.

As Christians, we are often okay with admitting that we need some help from God in our lives, but overall we are really all okay. We deserve God's favor.

Only when we see that we are undeserving, that we are guilty, that at this very moment we deserve to die and suffer for an eternity because of our sin, only then can we know what it means for God's grace to come to us.

Eschatology
I have been reading through the Old Testament, in no particular amount of time, and recently finished Isaiah. I have been perplexed by many passages in Isaiah, as well as by many passages in other places in the Bible, in regards to things future for the world.

I do not at all think of the future of the world in a doom and gloom scenario anymore, but I can't quite tell what Scripture actually is trying to tell us about what lies ahead for us. There seems to be a larger number of texts that actually speak of things getting better, texts which cannot reasonably interpreted in any other. There are, of course, other passages that, even when excluding the grossly misinterpreted pieces and putting them into the right perspective, attest to an increase in godlessness in "the last days".

I often wonder if we can know anything about what the biblical prophecy regarding the future is actually talking about, as it is easy to interpret whatever is happening at the present moment as the "beginning of the end". This has been the case for most, if not all, of history for those who have concerned themselves with taking the Bible seriously. In recent times, it has moved from black people and communism to hispanic or middle eastern people and "the possible rise of socialism turning into a one-world system of government, which will pave the way for the AntiChrist to reign in case it is not Obama, which he probably is so we need not worry. (In any case, separate yourself from the world, wait for God to take you up in the clouds, and watch the rest of the world become obliterated by God's wrath. Follow this three-step plan and you will be fine.)". Seriously?

Not to press the point, but even how narrow our scope of vision is is not an entirely perspicuous matter. The restoration of Israel as a nation, which is supposed to be fulfilling prophecy that tells us that the end is very close, has happened 5 or 6 times since those prophecies were written. God is true to His word, but God is true to how He means what He promises and not how we interpret (or misinterpret) what has been said.

I do not know what to make of a lot of things in the eschatological area, but I am not distraught over not knowing. I am, however, becoming aware of how much what we believe about what God will be doing in the future shapes how we live and think about the world and our objective as Christians as a whole. People say that eschatology is an "unimportant" aspect of the faith, which it is a secondary issue, but people live out of what they believe in this area, even is they are doing it unaware of how much their thoughts on this area underlie a lot of other areas.

The River Church
Yesterday was an awesome time of worship at the River. You could really hear the people there pouring their hearts out to the Lord in song. The music had such a deep reflection of the Scripture, which made it easy for me to feel comfortable singing and becoming absorbed in God's presence. I can't quite say what it was about our gathering yesterday; something was different and I can really sense that God is at work, but that is about all that I can tell.

Joey's preaching has seemed to shift from being imperative to becoming a lot more centered on indicatives; in other words, a shift from "What would Jesus do?" to "What has Jesus done?" Both indicatives and imperatives are important aspects of preaching, and finding that balance is definitely hard to do, as I have found out from teaching at a Bible study.

It is kind of funny, because all of the pastors at the River have a gift for preaching through narrative passages of Scripture. These types of passages are harder to preach through for a lot of people, myself included, but God has definitely given them all the gift of teaching these sections of Scripture in amazing ways.

Apart from some of really well-known pastors/teachers, Joey does the best job of teaching through narrative passages of anyone I have heard. I think some people have that gift, and he is definitely one of those people who has it. He has the ability to really exposit the text itself and sticking very closely to it, while at the same time making the text come alive so that it is understood and its relevancy is seen.

There is much going on at the River Church and at Confluence, and am glad to be a part of it. I have said this before, but I will say it again. Our church has some really awesome leadership. I am really glad to have their guidance and feel them to be people whom I can willingly serve under their spiritual authority. The way a lot of the structure at the River is really helps it to function as well as we do. This dimension of the church is something that many churches fail in, which inevitably leads to A LOT of other problems.

I have more thoughts, but that's enough for now.

Sovereign Election: Gracious and Merciful, Not Arbitrary or Unjust

2009-04-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,

“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”

Christless Christianity

2009-04-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Love and Marriage

2009-04-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

I post these video's with the acknowledgement that I know practically nothing about being married to another person. From my limited experience in relationships with members of the opposite sex, I do know a couple of things that are true beyond debate. One of these things is that being in close relationship with anyone requires giving and recieving a tremendous amount of grace in order for the relationship to work.

These video's spoke to me in many ways, and I hope and pray that they speak to you as well.

Recent Thoughts on Life Part 1

2009-04-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to write topically about some things going on in my life. I haven't written anything in a while, and wanted to share my heart and what all is running through this crazy mind of mine.

Forgiveness
The greatest need that people have is that they need to be forgiven; they need grace and mercy, both from God and from other people. The only real way people can ever be radically transformed and set free is to experience the power of the Gospel. I have often viewed the Gospel as something that was a part of the Christian experience, a basic message to help people understand their need for Christ; and that after they "understood" that message, they could move on to other things in growing with Christ. But this is not so; we need the gospel every day. If you are anything like me, there are many areas of your heart and life that have not understood what He has done for us; you may mentally accent to it, but you have yet to feel the depth of Christ and His work and what that all means.

Teaching the Bible
I am helping to shepherd along a small flock of believers on Saturday nights, which is something I never imagined I would be doing. I do not have much experience sharing the Bible with people in any type of "formal" setting such as in a Bible Study. I have been greatly challenged in how I articulate truths about the faith, particularly in making them intelligible to people who may not have a high level of familiarity with the Bible. A large goal I believe that I should be leading the group in is to let them see how to go about reading the Bible and studying it for themselves.

When asking someone about their thoughts on how I did one of the studies differently from previous sessions, they said they enjoyed it and did not care how I did it, just as long as I would go verse by verse through a book or section. I admit that the studies have not been the most entertaining in appealing to people's felt needs, but this has largely been intentional on my heart. Not that people shouldn't enjoy it, but that people should be getting fed to a point where they have a deeper understanding of who God is and who they are because of Him. God desires not to meet our felt needs, but to show us what our real needs are and point us in the appropriate direction. I was so overjoyed, and still am, by the person who commented about studying the way we are. Not because of anything that I am doing, but because of how much richer she will understand the Bible and not suffer from a lot of the confusion that many pastors, although unintentionally, lead their sheep into by taking random verses from a couple of places and forming them together to say something the verses by themselves were never saying. It is not as though the pastors had bad intentions or that what they were saying was false, often times what they are saying does have a substance of it in the Bible as a whole, but the way people are taught and largely the way they will go about seeking to understand something for themselves. "Random verse teaching" creates much confusion in ways that are often not noticed on a surface level. This is not to say that there are not other ways to teach people that are beneficial and good ways to teach; it is just that I do not feel that my teaching ability is at a place to teach topically in a way that would lead to further clarity for the people I am teaching.

Another thing in teaching the Bible is that I have been made very aware, mostly through the quickening of the Holy Spirit, of how enculturated I am in how I understand and present the Bible to people. I have been convicted of many things in this area. One of them is about staying on the objectivity of the Gospel, and not making everything about personal experience. People NEED to have things be a little bit more concrete than simply having mere abstractions presented to them, but they need to see the work of Christ that is both historical and exists outside of themselves. We need an external Word to guide us.

Knowing Christ is about more than a "personal relationship". Talking of a person needing Christ and them having a "personal relationship" often do not speak of things clearly as they are. Do not mistake me for saying that I believe in universalism, but ALL people already have a "personal relationship" with Jesus. Some stand as condemned criminals, refusing to acknowledge Him; nevertheless, Christ is still LORD and they are relating to Him, just not in a saving way. Other people's relationship with God is that they are justified, forgiven children of God and coheirs with Christ.

Still, people may have a saving knowledge of God and not understand what that means. They may say that Jesus lives in their heart, but if you talk to them long enough you also find out that Led Zeppelin, Ronald Reagan, and their grandmother also live in their hearts as well. Not that these type of things shouldn't have a place in our hearts, it is just that we need to be careful how we express them.

A second conviction I have had in teaching is that people need to hear the Bible taught in indicatives and not in imperatives. There are times when the Bible calls to gospel imperatives, but the imperatives are always in light of the indicative message of what Christ has already done for us and apart from us. It is not so much "What would Jesus do?" but rather, "What has Jesus done?". God has written His law on our hearts, which is a totally good thing, but can often serve to confuse us from doing what God has called us to do and proclaim. We are, in many senses, hard-wired to "do", which drives us to seek to be like Christ in what we do. This is good because it is a natural reflex we have, but it is bad when we forget that the only real way for people's lives to be transformed is to make them aware of what has already been done, and then by knowing that they are then able to go out and be salt and light in the world. It is SUCH a backwards way of thinking for our natural minds.

I am becoming more aware of a subtle legalism, both within myself and within the church at large, that is what Michael Horton calls a "therapeutic moralism" teaching us, not things that are untrue, but things which do not lead us to and show us our greatest needs, which will truly enable us to be transformed people. Teaching indicatively yet relatable to people is no easy task, but I do believe that God is pointing me in this direction both for the group and for myself. (Fortunately, the main teaching pastor at the church I go to has done an excellent job of doing this for the past 2 or 3 months in ways that I hope to be able to teach like to a smaller group.)

Church Leadership
One of the things that makes my heart glad every time I think about it is the leadership of the River Church. I am very glad to have them leading us, and I trust where God is leading them to take the congregation. I want to serve these men and cover their weaknesses, lifting them up both in prayer and in practical ways so that they can serve our flock. I cannot explain what it is that has put such delight in my heart over these men, as they are an odd group of people in general, people who would never have anything in common if it weren't for Christ. I say this jokingly AND seriously. They are not anything spectacular in themselves, as no one in the world is either, and don't carry around any type of image that would draw people to them in the natural. They are ordinary people, being transformed by the power of God, being led by the Spirit to carry the Church into the future until Christ arrives. There is a rich diversity of gifts among them; it seems as though they all balance each other out, with each of them being strong in areas where others are weak.

Girls at the Wake Forest Library
I do believe one of my favorite experiences as of late has been my trip to the Wake Forest Library. I did enjoy the trip I made there to go see a friend who attends the school, but it was not as bolstering to my ego as the trip before last. When I arrived at the library there was a girl outside near the entrance sitting on a bench. I noticed her seeing that I was passing by, so I nodded my head, waved, and said hello. She smiled one of those sweet smiles girls give you when they have butterfly's in their stomach and started talking with me for a moment or two until she had to go help one of her friends. It was all very brief, brief enough to where I would not be comfortable enough to ask her for her number, nor would she likely be comfortable enough to give me hers.

I then turned to go into the library, and there was a girl who was leaving as I was opening the door. I held the door for her, which seemed somewhat of a surprise to her, and held it for two other girls coming and going from the library who were right in the immediate area. It was nothing too extensive, just some descent manners that should be expected from another person. Apparently this was not only impressive to the girls who I held the door for; the girls who were standing in the corridor leading into the main part of the library also seemed impressed and were smiling and looking at me when I walked by.

I very likely should have reflected upon whether I had actually died shortly before going to the library, as it was quite a heavenly experience. The book on Covenant Theology and the other resources I found could have served to confirm this assessment of me having died and being in heaven, but I think the raging of my hormones and ego largely drowned out the fact that I might have actually have already passed on from earth as I knew it.

This type of experience has never occurred to me before, and I wonder if this is something that is repeatable. The next trip I took to the library was with a girl friend of mine, which, although I got a couple of glances from some girls, it seemed as though the presence of a female with me and the pressure of the semester ending made my last two trips vastly different.

Hormones
In many ways, it is probably a good thing I never went to Wake Forest after all. My mom works there, which means I could have been gone for relatively cheap. I sometimes joke about being 22, having to walk around with hormones that feel strong enough to where I could father a small village if given the chance, possibly even Antarctica on some days.

It is easy to joke about how frustrating and intense hormones can be, both for men and women. Marriage does ease the situation for many people, but does not altogether make the issue of dealing with one's sexuality go away or get put into perspective or in its place. Needless to say, raging hormones is something all people, especially younger people, must deal with on a regular basis.

It may be funny to talk about having hormones strong enough to make you want to go propagate a small village, but the reality of actually going out and sleeping with someone is an entirely different matter. There is always an intense change within people when they begin to have sex with another person.

Sometimes this happens in the security of a marriage, where two people are pretty safe to open up to one another to a degree to where they can both be extremely vulnerable with one another; this usually strengthens their relationship and seems to unify both of the people as a couple and as individuals.

Very often-well, always-people having sex with one another outside of marriage does the exact opposite of what sex inside of marriage can do for two people. Sex outside of marriage actually isolates people; it makes them de-unified, both as a couple and as individuals.

There is a line in the movie Vanilla Sky, a movie I would NOT recommend going to see, where there is something very telling that speaks about the nature of why sex can be so devastating to people. In the movie, there is a very beautiful girl who is infatuated with a man who has no interest in her. At some time in the movie, the man pretends to be interested in this girl to get her to sleep with him. She sleeps with him, and after that he avoids her and her calls at all costs. What he has done to her is pretty apparent, and she pretty much loses it. When she comes to confront the man about what he did, she tells him, "When you have sex with someone, your body makes a promise to them whether you do or not."

All too often, sex serves as presenting itself as something it is not. It is a giving of one's self over to another person in deeply physical, emotional, and spiritual ways; it is a complete giving over of one's self. When people have sex but have not truly given themselves over to God to guide their relationship and to one another as a response to God's call to love that other person, they are lying to each other and to themselves. The fabric of what God has written on our hearts as to what sex means and is for begins to tear when we try to live apart from His intention, thus resulting in a tearing of who we are.

Our society tries to promote that we need freedom, especially sexual freedom, but this freedom is actually slavery leading us into death.

It is good and right to acknowledge that God gave us our sexuality and to live as people who are, in many ways, sexual beings. This is a good and godly thing to be aware that sexuality plays a large part in who we are, both in the physical aspects and in our roles as male and female. It is also good for us to "fear the Lord and shun evil", living our lives in the reality of what Christ has done and how He calls us to respond to Him.

The majority of the single people I have known have not had to tell me that they were "involved" with a member of the opposite sex.; it is just something you know. Not necessarily because of how they act while with one another, but because they seem to carry a huge weight around with them. After the relationship with the sexual encounter(s) have ended, it seems as though a large part of them has died; they are not the same after that.

It is not as though God cannot bring healing to them; it is that, as it says in Galatians, a person reaps what they sow. In some sense, God's wrath can be seen as us simply reaping the benefits of our own stupidity, trying to live life apart from God. There is still, and I say this cautiously, in some sense, a reward for obedience and a curse for disobedience. It is like a sort of natural law. If I use a clean needle to take a shot for medical purposes, or if people keep reusing dirty needles for medical or recreational purposes, the more risks we take the larger the chance is that we will suffer the consequences of those risks. For a more practical example, ask the stock brokers of today if taking risks is always a good thing.

The point is, sin leads to death; it is a snowball effect. Sleeping with people or "messing around" with people may be fun, for a time, but in the end it is devastating.

This is something I am keenly aware of, both in my own very limited personal experience and in the lives of innumerable people I know my age. When my last girlfriend and I broke up after a pretty serious relationship, as devastating as it was, it would have been unimaginably worse had she and I been physically involved with each other. The work we both did to put up and keep boundaries in our relationship in this area was by far the best decision she and I made.

A little effort and some temporary discontentment in this area is well worth single people putting up with.

I was not planning on writing this long on these topics, but decided to keep all that I wrote. There will be more to come shortly.

Look for Part 2...

Liability

2009-04-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

I can't write for any extended amount of time because of my hand, but wanted to share this song. It was written before a lot of crazy stuff started happening such as 9/11 or the economy. It is pretty obvious as to what the song is about; it isn't nice, but it is something that needs to be heard.

"You can tell us that it isn't serious.
And you can tell us that you'll do it right.
You can tell us that you've got it all worked out.
You can tell us that it's all for us.

But we know you're lying through your teeth.

You can tell us that it's for security.
And you can tell us it's for our own good.
You can tell us that we wouldn't understand,
and you can hide behind your practiced grin.

But we know you're lying through your teeth.
You will bear the brunt of liability.
It will be a stone around your neck,
drowning you in irresponsibility,
underneath the weight of your regret.

You can sell our secrets for your benefit.
You can toss our bodies in the ground.
You can ship our children off to battlefields.
You can wipe the blood from both your hands.
You can tell us that it's indisputable,
as you throw away the evidence.

But, we know you're lying through your teeth.
You will bear the brunt of liability.
It will be a stone around your neck,
drowning you in irresponsibility,
underneath the weight of your regret."

written by brett detar

Because of God's Choice

2009-03-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

This video is funny, honest, odd, and true to how absurd evangelicalism has become about the doctrine of Sovereign Election. The video also talks about the logical results that follow from denying unconditional election.

This video is interesting because Elder D.J. Ward is not a calm white guy professing the Doctrines of Grace. He is black and gets pretty into it. I hope you enjoy!

The Consequences of Ideas: Arriving at Absurdity

2009-03-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

This article was featured in the latest issue of Christianity Today. Wow.

Staring into the Abyss
Why Peter Singer makes the New Atheists nervous.
Dinesh D'Souza

I write this fresh from debating bioethicist Peter Singer on "Can we be moral without God?" at Singer's home campus, Princeton University. Singer is a mild-mannered fellow who speaks calmly and lucidly. Yet you wouldn't have to read his work too long to find his extreme positions. He cheerfully advocates infanticide and euthanasia and, in almost the same breath, favors animal rights. Even most liberals would have qualms about third-trimester abortions; Singer does not hesitate to advocate what may be termed fourth-trimester abortions, i.e., the killing of infants after they are born.

Singer writes, "My colleague Helga Kuhse and I suggest that a period of 28 days after birth might be allowed before an infant is accepted as having the same right to life as others." Singer argues that even pigs, chickens, and fish have more signs of consciousness and rationality—and, consequently, a greater claim to rights—than do fetuses, newborn infants, and people with mental disabilities. "Rats are indisputably more aware of their surroundings, and more able to respond in purposeful and complex ways to things they like or dislike, than a fetus at 10- or even 32-weeks gestation. … The calf, the pig, and the much-derided chicken come out well ahead of the fetus at any stage of pregnancy."

Some people consider Singer a provocateur who says outrageous things just to get attention. But Singer is deadly serious about his views and—as emerged in our debate—has a consistent rational basis for his controversial positions.

To understand Singer, it's helpful to contrast him with "New Atheists" like Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Richard Dawkins. The New Atheists say we can get rid of God but preserve morality. They insist that no one needs God in order to be good; atheists can act no less virtuously than Christians. (And indeed, some atheists do put Christians to shame.) Even while repudiating the Christian God, Dawkins has publicly called himself a "cultural Christian."

But this position creates a problem outlined more than a century ago by the atheist philosopher Nietzsche. The death of God, Nietzsche argued, means that all the Christian values that have shaped the West rest on a mythical foundation. One may, out of habit, continue to live according to these values for a while. Over time, however, the values will decay, and if they are not replaced by new values, man will truly have to face the prospect of nihilism, what Nietzsche termed "the abyss."

Nietzsche's argument is illustrated in considering two of the central principles of Western civilization: "All men are created equal" and "Human life is precious." Nietzsche attributes both ideas to Christianity. It is because we are created equal and in the image of God that our lives have moral worth and that we share the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Nietzsche's warning was that none of these values make sense without the background moral framework against which they were formulated. A post-Christian West, he argued, must go back to the ethical drawing board and reconsider its most cherished values, which include its traditional belief in the equal dignity of every human life.

Singer resolutely takes up a Nietzschean call for a "transvaluation of values," with a full awareness of the radical implications. He argues that we are not creations of God but rather mere Darwinian primates. We exist on an unbroken continuum with animals. Christianity, he says, arbitrarily separated man and animal, placing human life on a pedestal and consigning the animals to the status of tools for human well-being. Now, Singer says, we must remove Homo sapiens from this privileged position and restore the natural order. This translates into more rights for animals and less special treatment for human beings. There is a grim consistency in Singer's call to extend rights to the apes while removing traditional protections for unwanted children, people with mental disabilities, and the noncontributing elderly.

Some of Singer's critics have called him a Nazi and compared his proposals to Hitler's schemes for eliminating those perceived as unwanted and unfit. A careful reading of his work, however, shows that Singer is no Hitler. He doesn't want state-sponsored killings. Rather, he wants the decision to kill to be made by private individuals like you and me. Instead of government-conducted genocide, Singer favors free-market homicide.

Why haven't the atheists embraced Peter Singer? I suspect it is because they fear that his unpalatable views will discredit the cause of atheism. What they haven't considered, however, is whether Singer, virtually alone among their numbers, is uncompromisingly working out the implications of living in a truly secular society, one completely purged of Christian and transcendental foundations. In Singer, we may be witnessing someone both horrifying and yet somehow refreshing: an intellectually honest atheist.

I am Second

2009-03-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

"Christ is never fully valued, until sin is clearly seen. We must know the depth and malignity of our disease, in order to appreciate the great Physician."
J.C. Ryle. The Gospel of Luke, 1858.

"I believe that God will save His own elect. And I also believe that if I do not preach the Gospel, the blood of men will be laid at my door."
C.H. Spurgeon

This week has been an odd week. As of late, I have had a rather joyous season of life albeit the momentary ups and downs of daily living are something from which a person can never be truly separated from. About a week ago, a fierce restlessness settled in, something of a cross between anxiety, discontent, and hormones strong enough that if my thoughts were to propagate into actions I could have fathered a small village of some sort. One of my friends told me that women are not the only ones who go through a regular hormone cycle of sorts, a fact unbeknownst to me, as men on the whole do not discuss this. Who knew?

Well, apart from some of the mild mental disturbances of this past week, I have had many thoughts come to me that have been quite beneficial to me. The recurring them of the week has been how much people need to hear the Gospel. After all of the "stuff" connected with being a Christian is out of the way. the question(s) we come back to are: "What is the Gospel?", and "What must I do to be saved?".

When people are in despair or have half their dreams ripped apart, people don't usually say "All I know is Christ, the cross, and pretribulation premilleniumism." This might be the case in some Fundamental/Independent Baptist churches, but it is not the norm. People who are going through crazy things in life cling to the cross and to that alone.

It is easy to get lost in the various things in life that come up, and a person will never get to a place where they don't need to know and hear the Gospel. The cross of Christ and being freely justified by grace alone through faith alone through it is where the church stands or falls. If we do not have free and abundant grace from God to save us, we have nothing; there is no good news apart from that.

It is odd to see how much we need to hear the Gospel, how good it is to hear it, and how easy it is to forget about it when the feelings of discontent or restlessness settle in. I remember a long time ago when I was starting to date a girl I liked I was having another week where I was feeling quite restless and thoughts began to flood my mind about how this girl would bring contentment and satisfaction to my life. I was deluded enough to believe that this person would in time be a large source of satisfaction in my life and that I would not longer feel restless the more we got to know each other. I remember having a dream one night that week that deeply disturbed me but revealed a lot to me about what I was believing in my heart.

I remember seeing this girl in my dream with a voice speaking in the background telling me that she would bring satisfaction to my soul. The voice went on and on, and was almost believable until it got to a certain point. The voice in my dream spoke saying:

"In fact, she will be such a source of satisfaction that she will even die for your sins."

The next thing I know I saw her on a cross, and the voice said:

"Behold, your God!"

This dream has always disturbed me in ways beyond what is expressible in words. This dream revealed that my heart had made this girl my god, a source of worship for my soul. The dream revealed that I had forsaken the only place where true satisfaction can come from.

The dream still flashes through my mind even up to this today whenever I begin to build my alter "to an unknown god". Our idolatry isn't always as obvious as us demanding X (whatever X may be for us at the moment) to die for our sins to restore our souls.

Jeremiah tells us something quite interesting about this.

"My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water."
(Jeremiah 2:3, NIV)

The older I get, the more I am realizing that I need the Gospel every second of every day. I cannot live without it. I need to be a Gospel-centered person, both for my sake and for the sake of a dying world around me. My future, the world's future, depends on it.

The Present State of the World

2009-03-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

This was originally written in Dutch and the English translation was made in the 1950's, so this is not exactly the easiest read due to the language and the content of the excerpt. However, this is an amazing excerpt of an even more amazing book (by an even more amazing author), which will give deep nourishment to anyone willing to wade through what Bavinck is saying.

The Present State of the World

“When the first man and woman have transgressed the commandment of God in Paradise, their punishment does not follow immediately nor in full force. They do not die on the self-same day they have sinned, but remain alive; they are not sent into hell, but instead find themselves entrusted with a task on earth; their line does not perish: they receive the promise of the seed of the woman. In short, a condition now sets in which God had known and which God had established, but which man had not been able to anticipate. It is a condition which has a very special character. It is one in which wrath and grace, punishment and blessing, judgment and long-suffering are mingled with each other It is the condition which still exists in nature and among men and one which comprehends the sharpest of contrasts within itself.

We live in a strange world, a world which presents us with tremendous contrasts. The high and the low, the great and the small, the sublime and the ridiculous, the beautiful and the ugly, the tragic and the comic, the good and the evil, the truth and the lie, these all are heaped up in unfathomable interrelationship. The gravity and the vanity of life seize on us in turn. Now we are prompted to optimism, then to pessimism. Man weeping is constantly giving way to man laughing. The whole world stands in the sign of humor, which has been well described as a laugh in a tear.

The deepest cause of this present state of the world is this: because of the sin of man, God is continually manifesting His wrath and yet, by reason of His own good pleasure, is always again revealing His grace also. We are consumed by His anger and yet in the morning we are satisfied by His mercy (Ps. 90:7, 14). His anger endures but a moment, in His favor is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:6). Curse and blessing are so singularly interdependent that the one sometimes seems to become the other. Work in the sweat of the brow is curse and blessing at once. Both point to the cross which at one and the same time is the highest judgment and the richest grace. And that is why the cross is the mid -point of history and the reconciliation of all antitheses.”

Our Reasonable Faith. Herman Bavinck. Baker Book House. 1956. Pages 44-45.

Awesome Testimony

2009-03-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

"The first lessons I ever had in theology were from an old cook in the school at Newmarket where I was an usher. She was a good old soul, and used to read The Gospel Standard. She liked something very sweet indeed, good strong Calvinistic doctrine, but she lived strongly as well as fed strongly. Many a time we have gone over the covenant of grace together, and talked of the personal election of the saints, their union to Christ, their final perseverance, and what vital godliness meant; and I do believe that I learnt more from her than I should have learned from any six doctors of divinity of the sort that we have nowadays. There are some Christian people who taste, and see, and enjoy religion in their own souls, and who get at a deeper knowledge of it than books can ever give them, though they should search all their days. The cook at Newmarket was a godly experienced woman, from whom I learned far more than I did from the minister of the chapel we attended. I asked her once, “Why do you go to such a place?” She replied, “Well, there is no other place of worship to which I can go.” I said, “But it must be better to stay at home than to hear such stuff.” “Perhaps so,” she answered; “but I like to go out to worship even if I get nothing by going. You see a hen sometimes scratching all over a heap of rubbish to try to find some corn; she does not get any, but it shows that she is looking for it, and using the means to get it, and then, too, the exercise warms her.” So the old lady said that scratching exercised her spiritual faculties and warmed her spirit. On another occasion I told her that I had not found a crumb in the whole sermon, and asked how she had fared. “Oh!” she answered, “I got on better tonight, for to all the preacher said, I just put in a not, and that turned his talk into real gospel.”
-C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography: The Early Years, 1834-1859

Ash Wednesday

2009-02-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

"By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

(Genesis 3:19; Mark 1:15. ESV)

From the Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.

...

Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This is season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Savior, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith. I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.

...

If ashes are to be imposed, the Celebrant says the following prayer

Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

The ashes are imposed with the following words

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

...

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desires not the death of sinners, but rather that they may turn from their wickedness and live, has given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins. He pardons and absolves all those who truly repent, and with sincere hearts believe his holy Gospel.

Therefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do on this day, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy;through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Quote of the Year

2009-02-22T15:37:00.000-08:00

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”
John Newton

Bill Clinton the "Calvinist"

2009-02-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

Random Post of the Day 2

2009-02-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I am really glad that we didn't get stuck in 80's culture. At other times I am glad for the 80's because I don't know any other decade that make a song such as the one below.

Random Post of the Day

2009-02-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

Just Because. No reason in particular.

Ah...the 80's.

Thoughts on Sunday

2009-02-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
-Ephesians 4:11-16

One of the things that stood out most to me in Joey's sermon this past Sunday was when he said:

"The Church is a movement: not a museum or a monument."

Later that day I was doing some reading and writing, reflecting on the day and what was said. Here are some thoughts:

"Though we often think of revelation as conceptual, God sends persons to embody it, enable it, and speak it...God does not send a system of theology but Jesus and the Spirit, and we are bearing the Spirit."
-Arthur Freeman, The Nature of Scripture.

As the Church, our mission is to reclaim and redeem what Adam lost but Christ came to restore. Albeit the growth of the kingdom will be happening at the same time the world is increasingly becoming a hell on earth, God is presently at work through His word and Spirit bringing a partial but continual renewal of God's creation. God has given His Church the task of giving witness to the restorative work of Christ by living together in community as the redeemed new humanity and seeking to to engage the culture so as to implore all people to repent and believe the Gospel. The message of repenting and believing the Gospel is a message that denotes "one's old world [coming] to an end, whatever constitutes that old world with its struggles, and a new world [coming] into being which is constituted by God's grace" (Arthur Freeman, The Nature of Scripture).

No Comment

2009-02-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

I am quite restless right now, stirred with nostalgia, questions about the future and about love, job stuff, and how the world is both very beautiful and broken. I feel very much hopelessly in love and am sifting through seemingly impossible possibilities.

Oh the joy and angst of being in your 20's.

So she says
"Everyone's going to the party,
won't you come if I come
with a friend for your friend?
I'd be so pleased to see you
out of the classroom wearing the smile that I'll bring you.
I was hoping to learn a few things like...
Do you do you like dishing the dirt
on the whole class or
talking the big smack or
playing the fool or
wearing all of the latest fashions
or bucking the new trends
or wearing your old threads.
or If you like coffee in the evening
These are a few things that I'd like to know
that I'd like to know"

So I say...
"I've been scheduled to work but I'll call in
and my friend isn't busy
he'd be happy to join me
and maybe my friend
and your friend
will hit it off or maybe we will?"

I'm dying to know
do you do you like dreaming of things
so impossible or only the practical
or ever the wild or waiting through all your bad bad days
just to end them with
someone you care about
or do you like making out
and long drives and brown eyes
and guys that just
don't quite fit in
yeah do you like them?
So yes, I'll see you there.

-"So Impossible", Dashboard Confessional

Hate the sin but love the sinner?: Biblical Reflections on hating evil

2009-02-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

There is a phrase that is thrown around that says that people are to "hate the sin but love the sinner". But just how true is this statement for what is required of us? How true is this statement for God?

Does God hate sinners?

“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”
- Psalm 5:4-6

“The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD's throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
The LORD tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”
-Psalm 11:4-5

“Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD,
but those of blameless ways are his delight.”
- Proverbs 11:20

The passages are endless that tell us that God hates sinners. God hates sinners. If this does not seem pretty clear, please read Deuteronomy and the Psalms.

Should we hate sinners?

“Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.
I do not sit with men of falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
I hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.”
- Psalm 26:1-5

“I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,
but I trust in the LORD.”
- Psalm 31:6

As Christian's, we are also called to hate sinners. We...are called to hate sinners.

Practical Applications

God hates sinners. God hates whatever is not of Him. He is patient towards evil for now, but there is no guarantee of how much longer that will be; the wrath of God is coming. God has provided us a way to escape His wrath and hell. God has not only provided an escape from bad things, but He has also provided us to be made right with God and to know and to be infinitely loved by God. Apart from Christ, we have nothing. Nothing.

As sinful people who have recieved God's gift of life, we have been moved from being enemies of God to His friends. We, as believers, are supposed to love what God loves and hate what God hates. But how is this lived out?

This is a hard question, one that a lot of people ignore, but is vitally important if God is to be made known.

"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."
-Hebrews 12:4

To answer this question, there are two quotes that sum up how hating sinners is practically applied.

"Any and every unrighteous man must be the object of our hatred in respect of his unrighteousness and the object of our love in respect of his humanity; that by reproving the fault in him which rightly earns our hatred, we may liberate that in him which rightly earns our love, that is to say the human nature itself, and set right every fault in it.”
– Augustine

“There is a lawful hatred of the sinner; and indeed there must be, since such a hatred is the obverse of the love of God. The love of God hates all that is opposed to God; and sinners–not merely sin–are opposed to God. And if such a sentiment is lawful, its expression is lawful; and one may desire that the evil in another receive its corresponding evil–provided that this hatred is restrained within the limits of that which is lawful. These limits are:

1. Hatred must not be directed at the person of one’s neighbor; he is hated for his evil quality.

2. One may desire that the divine justice be accomplished in the sinner; but it must be a desire for divine justice, not a desire for the personal evil of another out of personal revenge.

3. The infliction of evil may not be desired absolutely, but only under the condition that the sinner remains obdurate and unrepentant.

4. It must be accompanied by that true supernatural charity which efficaciously desires the supreme good–the eternal happiness–of all men in general, not excluding any individual who is capable of attaining it. In a word, the sinner may lawfully be hated only when he is loved.”

-John L. McKenzie, “The Imprecations of the Psalter.” American Ecclesiastical Review 111 (1944): 91.

Conclusion

God hates sin and He hates sinners. We CANNOT pretend that neither are true. This is not meant as a mean or hurtful fact; it is true and we CANNOT afford to act like it is not. I don't want to see ANYONE be apart from Christ. I DO NOT want anyone to experience the wrath of God. And, if you are reading this, I hope you feel the same way. I pray that we will wake up to the reality that life is short, hell is real and horrible, and that people will not escape God's wrath unless they turn to Christ. Christ HAS made a way. Christ CAN save us. Christ CAN save the people you know. TODAY is the day to cry out to the LORD on their behalf. TODAY is the day that the world needs the Gospel. TODAY is the day that people can be made no longer an enemy, but a friend of God.

Dear friend, please open your heart to recieve this. I am no better than anyone else. I deserve eternal death a thousand times over. And so do you. So does everyone. Please, please, please, know that Christ has made a way for people to be saved. I beg of you, don't forsake what the Scripture teaches because it is what our culture does. Cling to Christ because He is all that we have and is all that we need. Without Him we have no hope; we have nothing.

Prideful Men will go to Hell

2009-02-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty intense video. I pray that you will recieve what Tim Conway is saying in this video because what he is saying is true. The video speaks for itself, so I will not say any more. Enjoy!!!

Word of the Father now in flesh appearing

2009-02-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

It is indeed not Christmas, but the Lord has put this song on my heart today. This past Christmas season has probably been the first Christmas I have experienced where the Christmas story has came to life for me. The idea that Mary rode a donkey or that there were three wise men are false, as are many of the ideas we have about the Season, but the most profound aspect of it all is that God became a man to do what we could not do for ourselves.

Christmas is the season where the "Word of the Father" is "now in flesh appearing", a time where the God who created all that is seen and unseen to step into time to save us from our sins and bring restoration to our lives and eventually the world.

The message of Christ becoming a man to die for us is a message that deserves to be sung of not only all year, but for the rest of eternity.

He alone is worthy, Christ the LORD.

a tall glass of toilet water

2009-02-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

Hey...somebody needed to say it.

God tells us that his people tend to satisfy their thirst not by drinking from his streams of living water, but instead drinking from man-made toilets (Jer. 2:13). This metaphor is particularly adept in a world where men such as Tom Leykis, Dr. Drew, Howard Stern, and a legion of men’s magazines and porno providers become wealthy by selling glasses of toilet water to thirsty men across our nation, many of whom claim to be sons of God. Meanwhile, the church alone has access to the living water from God’s perfect Word, but largely fails to teach men masculinity in any area, particularly regarding their sexuality.

The causes for this sin of omission are many. First, there is a propensity in many churches to take sexuality out of the hands of theologians and place it in the hands of secular counselors, whose philosophy is dominated by unbiblical evolutionary concepts of humanity and gender. This error prevents the church from speaking about men and women because they’re only permitted to see androgynous humanity. Second, the effeminate nature of pastors and churches causes many masculine men to feel unwelcome in what they perceive as an organization solely for women, children, and weaker men. Third, there is a timidity among weak pastors to wade into controversial issues in general, and sexual ones in particular. Lastly, the sad truth is that many pastors are also enslaved to their own sexual sins and/or are languishing in unfulfilling and infrequent sex with their wives, and therefore are unable to speak of sexual matters out of a sense of disqualification.

To speak of the matters of pornography and masturbation, I must speak frankly, as frankly as the Scriptures do on important issues. In 2 Timothy 3:16 God says through Paul that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” These Scriptures that God breathed for our profit include the very frank discussions of sexuality throughout the Song of Songs and Ezekiel.

In Ezekiel 16:25–27 God says, “At the head of every street you built your lofty place and made your beauty an abomination, offering yourself to any passerby and multiplying your whoring. You also played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger. Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you and diminished your allotted portion and delivered you to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior.”

Also, in Ezekiel 23:18–21, God says, “When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt and lusted after her paramours there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed your young breasts.” God basically called his people tramps for lifting up their shirts like it was Mardi Gras and chasing men with huge penises and semen emissions like fire hoses.

While God spoke frankly to Israel, he is certainly not crass like some meat-headed high school boys killing time in a locker room. God is honest and forthright about the truth and his people must not be so prudish as to try and speak in ways that are holier than their God. In our age of lewdness and perversion we, like our Father, must avoid crassness, while wisely and boldly speaking frankly about the joy and beauty of sexual intimacy when it is confined by the loving directions of the God who created both us and our desires. And, we must refuse to speak in sanitized clinical euphemisms like calling adulteries “affairs,” fornication “dating,” and perverts “partners” because God uses frank words for deplorable sin so we will feel its sickness without anesthesia.

-from Porn Again Christian by Mark Driscoll

Recent Thoughts on Life and God

2009-01-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

"He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
2 Peter 2:9-10 & John 1:10-12

I have not written anything really personal in quite some time so I felt like it would be a good idea to share what all has been going on in the past few weeks. I graduated from college in December but have just recently had the revelation that I am no longer in school. The first couple of weeks following graduation had me mentally lulled into subconsciously believing that I was on Christmas break, as I was still under the dread of having to go back to school in a few weeks. Perhaps the feeling of dread that accompanied Christmas break was actually a sign that I am burnt out on formalized education, as the idea of being out of school has finally sunk in but the "ugh!" feelings regarding school still remain.

I have been somewhat broken these past few weeks and am glad for the work that God is doing in my heart. I am finally at a place where I am beginning to understand what it means for me to call God my Father and what it means that I can call Him that.

People often have a picture in their minds that they were once drowning in the ocean and that God threw out a lifesaver to them and all that they had to do was close their fingers on the lifesaver and God would save them. This is an idea that I once held and thought was correct.

The Bible, however, tells us of a different story. I was not a person drowning in the ocean: I was drowned and dead at the bottom of the ocean when God dove in, threw me on the boat, and brought me back to life. I had no ability to bring myself to life. I had no hope, none at all.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast"
-Ephesians 2:4-9

When I was unable to help myself, God saved me and did the work from beginning to end. I was once a person who deserved wrath, death, and eternal damnation but because of the great work of God, I am now a child of God. I came from being a person who had no rights to God to becoming a person who can call the God who made the universe his very own Daddy. This revelation has both humbled and broken me in some many ways but has truly given me life and joy in ways I cannot explain in words.

I praise God for all that I experienced in the years that preceded where I am now because all of those things that happened were preparing the way for God to open up the space in my heart to recieve Him more fully. Many of you went through those very rough and intense years with me and I am grateful for your presence and prayers during those times. There have been several of you who have been used in mighty ways to show me what an "Abba" relationship with God is like and how it is lived out. My mom, dad, sister and another close friend I had during this time have largely been the people God used to keep me together and keep me going. I am grateful for them and for all of the people God has used to help to bring me to where I am today.

My hope and prayer is that God will give His children a fuller revelation of what it means for us to be able to be called His children, and that this revelation changes who we are and how we live down to the deepest parts of our hearts and minds.

I cannot wait to know my Father more and more and am excited for the Day when I will see Him as He is.

God Saves Bad People

2009-01-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

Most US Christians define own theology

2009-01-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

"Most US Christians Define Own Theology" by Jane Lampman, The Christian Science Monitor, January 14, 2009.

American individualism has made its imprint on Christianity.

A sizable majority of the country's faithful no longer hew closely to orthodox teachings, and look more to themselves than to churches or denominations to define their religious convictions, according to two recent surveys. More than half of all Christians also believe that some non-Christians can get into heaven.

"Growing numbers of people now serve as their own theologian-in-residence," said George Barna, president of Barna Group, on releasing findings of one of the polls on Jan. 12.

In the Barna survey, 71 percent of American adults say they are more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than to accept a defined set of teachings from a particular church. Even among born-again Christians, 61 percent pick and choose from the beliefs of different denominations. For people under the age of 25, the number rises to 82 percent.

Many "cafeteria Christians" go beyond the teachings of Christian denominations to embrace parts of other world religions.

Half of Americans also believe that Christianity is now just one of many faith options people can choose from (44 percent disagree with that perception). Residents of the Northeast and West were more likely than those in the South and Midwest to say Christianity has lost its status as the favored American religion.

Christians expressed a variety of unorthodox beliefs in the poll. Nearly half of those interviewed do not believe in the existence of Satan, one-third believe Jesus sinned while on earth, and two-fifths say they don't have a responsibility to share their faith with others.

The most striking divergence from orthodoxy, however, was first revealed in the 2007 US Religious Landscape Survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. That comprehensive survey of 35,000 Americans found a majority of Christians saying that people of other religions can find salvation and eternal life.

The results stirred controversy among some Christian leaders for whom Jesus as the only path to salvation is a paramount teaching. Some questioned whether those surveyed about "other religions" might have been thinking of Christian denominations or traditions – such as Protestants referring to Roman Catholicism – rather than non-Christian faiths.

Pew undertook a follow-up survey, which it released in late December. That poll found 65 percent of American Christians (including 47 percent of Evangelicals) do indeed think that many different religions can lead to eternal life. Among these Christians, 80 percent cited one non-Christian faith as a route to salvation; 61 percent named two or more.

The survey also asked about views on how one obtains eternal life. Among all adults with a religious affiliation, 30 percent say correct beliefs are what counts, 29 percent say salvation depends on one's actions during life, while 10 percent say both are essential. Those who emphasize the impact of actions are more inclined to believe that practitioners of non-Christian faiths can achieve eternal life. Most of those who emphasize beliefs say non-Christian paths do not lead to heaven.

The poll confirms a broad rejection of religious exclusivity. Among all religious adults interviewed, 65 percent say many religions lead to eternal life and only 29 percent say theirs is the one true faith. Sixty-nine percent of all non-Jews say Judaism can lead to eternal life and 52 percent of non-Muslims say that of Islam.

Forty-two percent of religious Americans also say atheists are able to find eternal life.

While some people hail these findings as heartening for American pluralism, others see them as a wake-up call. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary writes on his blog about biblical Christianity's role in countering such inclusive views and helping people find the true Christian way. Others point to the power of egalitarian American culture.

"It's just part of a 200-year working out of ideas about personal autonomy and equality that are sort of built into the American experience," says Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College. "The notion that someone is going to burn in hell because they have their own beliefs is just not resonant within our larger political ideals."

The "American Experience" and the Death of Evangelism

2009-01-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

The article below is found on Albert Mohler's Blog.

Every culture and civilization embraces a certain set of assumptions about life, truth, significance, and what it means to be human. Without these shared assumptions, common life would be impossible. Individuals within these societies may not give much active thought to these common assumptions, but their decisions, expectations, and general dispositions reflect the presence of these assumptions as what some philosophers call background ideas.

Out of these assumptions an entire way of life emerges. Background ideas move into the foreground as morals, manners, and the culture at large begins to reflect the decisive influence if these ideas. In America, an identifiable "American way of life" rules as an operational worldview for many persons -- perhaps even replacing more fundamental convictions.

"The American way" involves, among other things, patriotism, a sense of fair play, equality, personal autonomy, and limitless opportunity. We expect each other to respect these assumptions and ideals.

But, is God accountable to the American way?

Responding to a recent report from the Barna Research Group indicating that Americans Christians are increasingly unwilling to believe that their non-Christian neighbors are going to hell, Boston College sociologist Alan Wolfe explained:

"It's just part of a 200-year working out of ideas about personal autonomy and equality that are sort of built into the American experience. The notion that someone is going to burn in hell because they have their own beliefs is just not resonant within our larger political ideals."

Wolfe, who directs the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College, suggests that Americans are confusing the American experience with the ways of God. Without doubt, assumptions about autonomy and equality "are sort of built into the American experience." These ideas are now just taken for granted. Americans generally assume themselves and their fellow citizens to be unconditionally autonomous, free to make and remake themselves in protean fashion, and thus the unfettered captains of their own souls.

Americans are not sure what to do with ideals of equality and fairness, but we are generally certain that equality and fairness are the right categories to employ, regardless of the idea or context.

People who think themselves autonomous will claim the right to define all meaning for themselves. Any truth claim they reject or resist is simply ruled out of bounds. We will make our own world of meaning and dare anyone to violate our autonomy.

The same research report indicates that a majority of American Christians pick and choose doctrines, more or less on the basis of those they like as opposed to those they dislike.

This certainly explains a great deal about the current shape of Christianity in American today. Specifically, it points to at least one fundamental reason that so many Christians -- including a significant number who claim to be evangelical -- no longer believe that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.

That reason: Eternal punishment in hell is not consistent with "the American experience" or "the American way." The God of the Bible, in other words, does not act in ways consistent with what many people consider to be American ideals. Sending people to hell is just not fair.

The Bible never claims that God acts fairly, of course. Fairness is the best we mortals can often hope to achieve. We want our children to learn to play fairly and each child learns all too quickly to cry out, "No fair!"

But God does not claim to be fair. The God of the Bible is infinitely greater than we are. He is faithful, just, holy, merciful, gracious, and righteous. A morally perfect being does not operate at the level of mere and faulty human fairness, but at the level of his own omnipotent righteousness. We hope to make things fair. God makes things right.

I think Alan Wolfe is on to something really important here, and Christians should think carefully about what he is saying. The Holy One of Israel, the ruler of all and the sovereign of universe, is now to be judged by his own sinful creatures by the standard of fairness. Doctrines ruled to be "unfair" are cast aside and overridden by our cherished cultural assumptions. Evangelism will die the thousand deaths of cultural awkwardness.

As much as Christians in this blessed nation should respect and cherish our democratic ideals and system of government, we must keep ever in mind that the Kingdom of God is ruled by a higher and infinitely more perfect law and system of governance.

Be warned: God is not running for office, and heaven is not a democracy.

The Word of God Endures Forever

2009-01-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6)

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8)

"But the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you." (1 Peter 1:25)

Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Getting the Gospel Right

2009-01-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes what is not said speaks more loudly than actual words. The silence, as we say, is deafening.

In the opening verses of his letter to the churches of Galatia the Apostle Paul employs this communication technique to underscore the seriousness of the subject at hand. As he does in all of his letters, Paul begins by identifying himself as the author (1:1), naming the intended recipients (1:2) and expressing a blessing on them (1:3-5).

It is what comes next that is so uncharacteristic for him. Immediately after his introductory comments and before launching into the body of the letter Paul writes nothing. He offers no expression of gratitude to God for them or words of encouragement about their spiritual vitality.

When compared to his warm greetings in his other letters (ie. Ephesians 1:15ff, Philippians 1:3ff, Romans 1:8, 1 Corinthians 1:4ff, etc.), what Paul does not say to the Galatians speaks volumes.

He leaves no doubt about the seriousness and urgency of the topic of his letter. His burden is to explain and defend the true gospel of God's grace. He launches into the subject early and writes with fiery tone employing sarcasm, threats, warnings and rebukes to get his points across.

Like a soldier rushing into battle with guns blazing, Paul immediately begins contending for the truth of the gospel. His purpose is not simply to win a theological argument. Rather, he is determined to fight for the spiritual lives of the Galatian believers.

Getting the gospel right is crucial. It is a matter of spiritual life and death. If you miss this it does not matter what you get, you will miss God.

Paul understands this and therefore strongly refutes the false teaching of those who have begun to undermine the Galatians' confidence in the simple gospel that he had preached to them.

That message is all about finished work of Jesus Christ "who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father" (1:4). The gospel that Paul preached to them proclaimed salvation by grace alone received through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

This message is great news for sinners, because it reveals that salvation, from first to last, is God's work and not dependent on anything in us. It eliminates any basis for pride as well as any cause to despair. Those whom God saves are made right with him not because anything they have done or not done, but because they have been "called in the grace of Christ" (1:6).

On the one hand the worst of people are genuine candidates for salvation because the only way that God saves is by grace. On the other hand if the most respectable people are to be saved it will not be because of any goodness in them but, again, only by the grace of God.

No wonder Paul was "astonished" to learn that the Galatians were so quickly and easily being led away from the gospel of God's grace (1:6). The false teachers insisted that trusting Christ was not enough--to be right with God a person must also keep certain Old Testament ceremonies. But adding to the gospel is just as disastrous as subtracting from it. Both "distort the gospel of Christ" (1:7).

Any change in message of Jesus Christ turns it into "a different gospel" (1:6) that keeps people from knowing God. This is why Paul writes with such passion, warning the Galatians never to tolerate anyone--not even an apostle or an angel--who would dare to preach as the gospel any other message than salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, plus nothing.

Twice Paul says that any creature who distorts the gospel should be "accursed." He literally pronounces "anathema" on such a person. Those who spread false gospels are worthy of God's damnation.

Paul intends that his use of such strong language should have a sobering affect on us. Misrepresenting the gospel is serious business. Those who believe false gospels will wind up in hell. Those who teach false gospels deserve nothing less.

The churches of Galatia were very young when Paul sent them this letter. Yet, he expected that they--all of the members and not just the leaders--would be doctrinally alert enough to discern the true gospel from counterfeits.

This is the responsibility of every Christian. Like sheep who will follow only the voice of their shepherd, we must learn to recognize the simplicity and fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and refuse to tolerate any teaching that deviates from it.

Our very souls depend on it.

(Ascol, Tom. Getting the Gospel Right. TableTalk. January 2009, pp. 26-27.)

Don't Be Anxious

2009-01-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

Stethoscope

2009-01-08T14:17:00.000-08:00

Fifty Million

2009-01-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

“If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?”
-Proverbs 24:10-12, ESV

The number of abortions performed in the US since 1973 is approaching 50 million, an easy number to read, and a hard one to comprehend.

The Mississippi Baptist Convention has sought to put together a visual reminder: the Memorial to the Missing (pictured above), being filled with 50 million pennies.

The memorial structure weighs 300,000 pounds and the pennies add up to $500,000.

The plaque reads:

"Before you is a collection of 50 million pennies! Each penny represents one child who has been aborted since the Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade in 1973. A penny like a baby seems to be so small and sometimes of very little worth, but when seen in a collection of 50 million it becomes enormous.

Each coin is a person, but in many cases it also represents the difficult process of decision-making, fear, and loneliness. While some speak of pro-choice, these babies had no choice. While some speak of a mother's right to control her own body, 50 million babies were not given their right to live.

Fifty million missing children represented by these pennies must be cause for us to stop, pray, consider what we are doing as a nation, ask God to forgive us, seek ways to help those who are struggling with the decision, and look to the Lord to restore each of us."

“If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?”
-Proverbs 24:10-12, ESV

Dangers of Religious Externalism - Alistair Begg

2009-01-04T17:20:00.000-08:00

The Martyrdom of Polycarp

2008-12-29T14:32:00.000-08:00

This is an account from the early church of the death of the church father Polycarp. He was the last person alive who had a direct connection to the Apostle Paul. Polycarp wrote many letters to various churches informing them of various things that were going on in the churches.

The document has been somewhat changed over time, but the base of the story was considered a reliable piece of history, as the people who were present attested to Polycarp's witness of the Christian faith.

Many people who have been martyred for the sake of Christ throughout the ages have had stories told by those who witnessed the events that there was a miraculous presence of God there with signs that accompanied the event.

The piece below is just an excerpt from The Martyrdom of Polycarp, and starts with him entering the stadium to stand his trial of whether he would renounce Christ alone as God or be condemned for his faith.

Now, as Polycarp was entering into the stadium, there came to him a voice from heaven, saying, "Be strong, and show thyself a man, O Polycarp!" No one saw who it was that spoke to him; but those of our brethren who were present heard the voice. And as he was brought forward, the tumult became great when they heard that Polycarp was taken. And when he came near, the proconsul asked him whether he was Polycarp. On his confessing that he was, [the proconsul] sought to persuade him to deny [Christ], saying, "Have respect to thy old age," and other similar things, according to their custom, [such as], "Swear by the fortune of Cæsar; repent, and say, Away with the Atheists." But Polycarp, gazing with a stern countenance on all the multitude of the wicked heathen then in the stadium, and waving his hand towards them, while with groans he looked up to heaven, said, "Away with the Atheists." [Referring the words to the pagans, and not to the Christians, as was desired.] Then, the proconsul urging him, and saying, "Swear, and I will set thee at liberty, reproach Christ;" Polycarp declared, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?"

And when the proconsul yet again pressed him, and said, "Swear by the fortune of Cæsar," he answered, "Since thou art vainly urgent that, as thou sayest, I should swear by the fortune of Cæsar, and pretendest not to know who and what I am, hear me declare with boldness, I am a Christian. And if you wish to learn what the doctrines of Christianity are, appoint me a day, and thou shalt hear them." The proconsul replied, "Persuade the people." But Polycarp said, "To thee I have thought it right to offer an account [of my faith]; for we are taught to give all due honour (which entails no injury upon ourselves) to the powers and authorities which are ordained of God. But as for these, I do not deem them worthy of receiving any account from me."

The proconsul then said to him, "I have wild beasts at hand; to these will I cast thee, except thou repent." But he answered, "Call them then, for we are not accustomed to repent of what is good in order to adopt that which is evil; and it is well for me to be changed from what is evil to what is righteous." But again the proconsul said to him, "I will cause thee to be consumed by fire, seeing thou despisest the wild beasts, if thou wilt not repent." But Polycarp said, "Thou threatenest me with fire which burneth for an hour, and after a little is extinguished, but art ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring forth what thou wilt." (emphasis mine)

While he spoke these and many other like things, he was filled with confidence and joy, and his countenance was full of grace, so that not merely did it not fall as if troubled by the things said to him, but, on the contrary, the proconsul was astonished, and sent his herald to proclaim in the midst of the stadium thrice, "Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian." This proclamation having been made by the herald, the whole multitude both of the heathen and Jews, who dwelt at Smyrna, cried out with uncontrollable fury, and in a loud voice, "This is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians, and the overthrower of our gods, he who has been teaching many not to sacrifice, or to worship the gods.” Speaking thus, they cried out, and besought Philip the Asiarch to let loose a lion upon Polycarp. But Philip answered that it was not lawful for him to do so, seeing the show of wild beasts were already finished. Then it seemed good to them to cry out with one consent, that Polycarp should be burnt alive. For thus it behooved the vision which was revealed to him in regard to his pillow to be fulfilled, when, seeing it on fire as he was praying, he turned about and said prophetically to the faithful that were with him, "I must be burnt alive."

This, then, was carried into effect with greater speed than it was spoken, the multitudes immediately gathering together wood and fagots out of the shops and baths; the Jews especially, according to custom, eagerly assisting them in it. And when the funeral pile was ready, Polycarp, laying aside all his garments, and loosing his girdle, sought also to take off his sandals, a thing he was not accustomed to do, inasmuch as every one of the faithful was always eager who should first touch his skin. For, on account of his holy life, he was, even before his martyrdom, adorned with every kind of good. Immediately then they surrounded him with those substances which had been prepared for the funeral pile. But when they were about also to fix him with nails, he said, "Leave me as I am; for He that giveth me strength to endure the fire, will also enable me, without your securing me by nails, to remain without moving in the pile."

They did not nail him then, but simply bound him. And he, placing his hands behind him, and being bound like a distinguished ram [taken] out of a great flock for sacrifice, and prepared to be an acceptable burnt-offering unto God, looked up to heaven, and said, "O Lord God Almighty, the Father of thy beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of Thee, the God of angels and powers, and of every creature, and of the whole race of the righteous who live before thee, I give Thee thanks that Thou hast counted me, worthy of this day and this hour, that I should have a part in the number of Thy martyrs, in the cup of thy Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption [imparted] by the Holy Ghost. Among whom may I be accepted this day before Thee as a fat and acceptable sacrifice, according as Thou, the ever-truthful God, hast foreordained, hast revealed beforehand to me, and now hast fulfilled. Wherefore also I praise Thee for all things, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, along with the everlasting and heavenly Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, with whom, to Thee, and the Holy Ghost, be glory both now and to all coming ages. Amen."

When he had pronounced this amen, and so finished his prayer, those who were appointed for the purpose kindled the fire. And as the flame blazed forth in great fury, we, to whom it was given to witness it, beheld a great miracle, and have been preserved that we might report to others what then took place. For the fire, shaping itself into the form of an arch, like the sail of a ship when filled with the wind, encompassed as by a circle the body of the martyr. And he appeared within not like flesh which is burnt, but as bread that is baked, or as gold and silver glowing in a furnace. Moreover, we perceived such a sweet odor [coming from the pile], as if frankincense or some such precious spices had been smoking there.

The Horse Before the Cart: The Importance of the Doctrine of Divine Election

2008-12-27T13:16:00.000-08:00

"The covenant of grace can throughout the centuries remain the same because it depends entirely upon God and because God is the Immutable One and the Faithful One. The covenant of works which was concluded with man before the fall was violable and it was violated, for it depended upon changeable man. But the covenant of grace is fixed and established solely in the compassion of God. People can become unfaithful, but God does not forget His promise. He cannot and may not break His covenant; He has committed Himself to maintaining it with a freely given and precious oath: His name, His honor, and His reputation depends on it. It is for His own sake that He obliterates the transgressions of His people and remembers their sins no more. Therefore the mountains may depart and the hills removed, but His kindness will not depart from us, nor shall the covenant of His peace be removed, says the Lord who has mercy on us (Isa. 54:10)." (Herman Bavinck, Our Reasonable Faith)

Over the past several months, I have been examining and praying through some of the distinctions between the various forms of thought in regards to the Dotrines of soteriology, or to put it more simply, in regards to the ideas surrounding salvation.

With the rise of Charles Finney and Arminianism in the Church, which are both forms of Pelagianism or Semi-Pelagianism, much of what is considered orthodox for Christianity has long gone out the window. Admittedly, there are variations even in these two "camps" of thought, some of which differ not hardly at all from a Reformed view of salvation and some of which should not even be regarded as Christian in any sense at all.

While I would disagree with the beliefs of John and Charles Wesley on certain topics regarding salvation in how a person is saved, some of what they did led the way for people to get away from the radical and destructive variations of Calvinism that had arisen in those years, which was a much needed relief from the extremes that were occurring at that time. In all honesty, many people said that the views of the Wesley's differed from a Reformed view of salvation by "only a hairs width", which in all truth, is mostly true.

Many people today regard the talk about being decidely Reformed or Arminian in regards to salvation as solely a secondary matter, one which is only divisive and is "unneccessary" for people to know and understand the Gospel and their relation to God and to Christ.

People often accuse Calvinist's or Reformed people as not believing in free will and are often called "hard determinist's" in what they believe. While neither of these things are true, it is often a characterization that follows when this matter is brought up. (Of course, the insensitive and overly assumming misunderstandings of "the other side" cuts both ways unfortunately.)

But getting to my point or question... Is the doctrine of Divine Election an important topic which there can be no differences on?

While there are many issues that Christian's can have differences on, the answer is NO.

(Side note: I do believe that people can be a Christian and not believe in unconditional Divine election, but being settled into leaving people into not agreeing with Scripture when Scripture is clear is not acceptable. While people who profess Christ may have differences on this issue, they can still be considered a Christian without agreement on this issue. However, to state that this doctrine is not essential as a whole is wrong.)

While Martin Luther is most well known for his promotion of Justification by Faith Alone, he is also one that said that divine election is "the hinge on which all turns" (Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will. Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 1992: p.319).

The reason Luther stated this was that he believed that putting a man's faith before God's miraculous working of the new birth was putting the cart before the horse and was leading man back into having to fulfill a requirement, namely, to believe, in order to be saved.

The Dutch Professor Herman Bavinck has explained this exact same idea and puts is quite well.

"If this salvation is not the sheer gift of grace but in some way depends upon the conduct of men, then the covenant of grace is converted into a covenant of works. Man must then satisfy some condition in order to inherit eternal life. In this, grace and works stand at opposite poles from each other and are mutually exclusive. If salvation is by grace it is no longer by works, or otherwise grace is no longer grace. And if it is by works, it is not by grace, or otherwise works are not works (Rom. 11:6). ... But it can be recognized and maintained as such only if it is a free gift coming up out of the counsel of God alone." (Herman Bavinck, Our Reasonable Faith)

"When the covenant of grace is separated from election, it ceases to be a covenant of grace and becomes again a covenant of works. Election implies that God grants man freely and out of grace the salvation which man has forfeited and which he can never again achieve in his own strength ... So far from election and the covenant of grace forming a contrast of opposites, the election is the basis and guarantee, the heart and core, of the covenant of grace. And it is so indispensably important to cling to this close relationship because the least weakening of it not merely robs one of the true insight into the achieving and application of salvation, but also robs the believers of their only and sure comfort in the practice of their spiritual life." (Herman Bavinck, Our Reasonable Faith, emphasis mine)

Without the doctrine of Divine Election, believer's misplace their hope in what only God could do, can do and give them with themselves and the faith that they have.

While there has been and still is an ungodly use of this doctrine by many people, it should not be neglected due to some people's misuse of it. The Word of God contains many things which believer's must learn how to let hang in the tension or balance and not try to explain or balance out according to their own standards.

If the Scriptures teach it and believe it, so must we, if we are to be faithful to God and to who He has shown Himself to be, regardless of what the teaching is. Man and his finite reasoning cannot be used to measure what reality is. Reality is what it is and Scripture teaches what it teaches, regardless of whether we like it or not.

And Scripture is given to us not to hinder us, but to help us and to change us. It is also given that we may have hope.

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4, ESV)

We should always be reforming our thoughts and lives to come into agreement with God's Word more and more with each day that passes.

As Paul told Timothy: "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything" (2 Tim. 2:7, ESV), so the LORD will also give us understanding if we earnestly seek Him.

My prayer is that the Church will look beyond what they know and will ask the Lord to reveal Himself to us as He truly is and not how we want Him to be and that we will praise Him for who He is, regardless if it is what we want Him to be or not.

He alone is wise and can give us direction in how to know Him and who He is, if we will lean not on our own understanding but trust Him for it.

God is the Gospel and realizing this is crucial for the Church to have joy and peace in the world that we live in.

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”

“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:33-36, ESV)

Praying for the Church to embrace and not squander the doctrine of Divine Election for His glory and for our joy,

Brad Jones

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Bad News: Santa is Coming!

2008-12-26T15:25:00.000-08:00

This video is a day or so late but it is worth posting.

May we turn away from trusting in our "Santa Clause's" and turn to the one who will never cast us out.

The Reason for the Season

2008-12-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

"He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."

"For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all."

(John 1:10,11; Isaiah 53:2-6; ESV)

I have always cried when I have heard this song in the video below. I pray that you may know "God with us" and be embraced by the infinite love of God that He has given His children in Christ Jesus.

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Mary shivers in the cold
Trying to keep the Savior warm
Born among the animals wrapped in dirty rags
Because there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night

-"While you were sleeping", Casting Crowns

Reflections on Life

2008-12-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

"Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can fully share its joy."
-Proverbs 14:10, NLT

There has been a deep sense of restlessness in my soul this past week. Lots of things have changed in my life in the past month and lots of things have also been the same.

It is interesting to think about that it is just us that experiences life in the way that we do. I mean, sure, people can relate to other people's experiences but that does not mean that they experience the same things that other people do in the exact same way.

It is cool to think about me being the only "me" in the world. God has planned things for each of us that only we could ever fulfill because of the way that we were made. So how God designed me is for a purpose that has been set apart for me from before I was born.

This is something that is both exhilarating and lonely to think about. We have this dimension to where we connect with others in deep and meaningful ways but we also have a part of us that is desperately and distinctly separate from others; a part of us known only fully by God and partially by ourselves.

I think of the many ups and downs that I have heard from various people in these past few weeks and am praying for them and their situations. Part of me wants to know what they are going through on a deeper level so that I can better care for their needs. Part of me is also glad that I do not know what they are going through on a deeper level, as I do not know that I would at all want to experience the things that they have experienced and are going through.

Issues with people's sexuality, moral failures, marital strife, divorce, death, loss, betrayal. The list is endless.

Fortunately, I do not have to know what all people are going through nor do they have to know what I am going through either for us to engage with one another.

Sometimes there are no words that we can give to others nor can we do anything to ease their pain. Sometimes we care deeply about other people and that they are experiencing pain, but we have no real connection to understand what they are going through other than that we have all experienced pain and the devastating effects of sin, something we know we do not wish for anyone to experience.

I kind of wonder if God made us so that we know other people and their struggles but in ways so that we do not "know" other people or their struggles so that we will seek Him.

He is the only One who understands the things we deal with in life, as Christ Himself experienced these things on the earth, and yet fully knows us in ways that we cannot imagine despite not being us nor we being God.

I cannot say that I have any clear sense of direction for my life or even for this week (or for the rest of the evening, for that matter) nor can I say that I relate or understand what others are going through. I cannot say that other people know what I experience either on the deepest level.

What I can say with absolute clarity is that I need God. I sometimes don't want Him, but I NEED God. And other people do too.

That is the one thing I can do for others and what they can do for me, point people to God.

Along with the Psalmist, we can say: "Whom have I in heaven but you?"

I praise God that although we cannot understand life at times, He has made the world in such a way that when we see clearly, we have an awareness that we need God because of our human frailties and we see that we have a God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.

"Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
- Psalm 73:25,26; ESV

The Innkeeper

2008-12-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

This is a fictional Christmas story. I hope it blesses you.

"I Think My Wife's a Calvinist" Song

2008-12-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

I found this on a blog I follow and thought that it was hilarious. You kind of have to be a bit of a bookworm to appreciate it, but it made me laugh harder than I have in a long time. I have watched it four times in a row so far and am still laughing.

Why is There Evil in the World?

2008-12-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

Skate

2008-12-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

This post is a break from the norm. This is of some kid skateboarding. I enjoyed it and think that he has a lot of style. Enjoy!!!

Encouraging Video

2008-12-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

Wow. This is a very powerful video. I cried when I watched it.

Beyond the Storm and Beyond the Clouds

2008-12-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

"I believe in the sun, even if it does not shine.
I believe in love, even if I do not feel it.
I believe in God, even if I do not see him."
-An inscription on a wall of the Warsaw Ghetto by an unknown Jew, circa 1942

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
-2 Corinthians 4:5-18, ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
- Romans 8:18-25, ESV

I cannot put my finger on any reason as to why I felt led to post this, but regardless of whether or not we are directly dealing with the reality of suffering or hardship, the reality of living in a broken world is not something that we can be removed from in any real way.

For the past several days I have been thinking a lot about and praying for the people in the Czech Republic. I did mission's work over there for two summers and was deeply changed by my experiences over there.

The first time I went, I remember leaving from the Charlotte airport and how dark and cloudy the sky was. As we were getting ready to leave and board the plane, the LORD had me centered on praying as we were leaving the ground and I was thinking about how the sky, much like my experience with God, was very cloudy at times. I was thinking about how hard it is to have a relationship with the living God and how crazy living in the world we live in is. The plane continued to go up and it seemed to only be getting even more cloudy.

Suddenly, we got high enough to where we got above the clouds and I saw the most beautiful sunset that I have ever seen. I started crying and I heard the LORD speak to me: "From where you are, things look cloudy. But above the clouds, the Sun is beautiful and shining brightly. You do not always see the Sun, but it is still shining and giving light."

My walk with the LORD has been like this at many times. Well...much of the time, if I am honest with myself; I cannot see what is ahead of me and I cannot break free from my past. Many times I have had to, as Rich Mullins so beautifully said, be "lost enough to let myself be led".

There are many things that the LORD has shown me in my short life so far, but there is much more that I do not know. In fact, there are things that I don't even know that I could possibly know about something. There are so many limits to the experience of life as a fragile human walking around on two feet on this planet known as earth.

However, there are two things that I do know, God is here with you and if you are in Christ He will cause ALL things to work together for good.

There is also a third thing that God will do. He will not only be with us in this life and cause all things to work together for good for those who love Him, He will also take us to Himself after death and wipe away all of our tears.

All of the things we have experienced on earth that are caused by sin will be no more. And the things we are experiencing now will seem as nothing compared to the glory that we will experience from that point on forevermore.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son."
-Revelation 21:1-7, ESV

Letters to God from Children Part 3

2008-12-12T09:24:00.000-08:00

Letters to God from Children Part 2

2008-12-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

Letter to God from Children

2008-12-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

Face to Face

2008-12-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

The eyes of the blind will open
The ears of the deaf will hear
The tongue of the mute will shout for joy
And the Lord will cause the lame to leap like deer

We will see the glory of the Lord
We will see the glory of the Lord

Strengthen the arms of weakness
Steady the feeble knees
Say to those with anxious hearts
'Be strong in the Lord and do not fear'

We will see the glory of the Lord
We will see the glory of the Lord

Hallelujah for the Lord Almighty reigns
Hallelujah we will worship Jesus face to face

- "Face to Face" Paul Baloche

More Reflection's on Sunday at the River Church

2008-12-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

I have been posting a lot of video's lately, as I have not had much to say or write about. The LORD is bringing me through a "desert" season right now. I feel numb against the words of our LORD as far an any new revelations from God. But..."strength will rise as we wait upon the LORD, I will wait upon the LORD."

Below are two video's that I thought related to this past Sunday's sermon at the River Church. I hope that you find the time to watch both of them.

Messiness and the Church

Relating to Unbelievers
WARNING: There is nothing inappropriate in this video but due to the nature of some of the topics covered in the video below, I recommend that you watch this with no children around.

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Jokes of the Day

2008-12-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

One day in church the minister prayed with his arms stretched out towards the heavens, "Dear LORD, without You we are but dust." A little girl turned to her dad sitting next to her in the pew and asked, "Dad, what is butt dust?"

A poor man knocked on the door of a house in a rural area asking for something to eat. The lady who answered was Mrs. Smith, a retired school teacher. "First let me show you something," said Mrs. Smith, leading him to the woodshed behind which there was a pile of uncut wood.
"Do you see the wood?" she asked.
"Yeah, I seen it."
"You should say, 'I saw it'."
The man looked up at her and said, "Lady, you saw me see it, but you ain't gonna see me saw it."

"Veni. Vedi. Visa: I came, I saw, I did a little shopping."

On a daredevil's T-shirt: "If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you."

-From Blum's Almanac

"Doing" Church

2008-12-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

This video was extremely encouraging to me. This video is of Tim Keller and is about "doing" and being the Church.

The Prosperity Gospel and the True Riches of Christ

2008-12-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

The Presence

2008-12-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

At the River Church we are going through a series called The Presence. It is basically about how Christmas and all of life is not about what we recieve (hence, "presents" as in the ones given at Christmas) but about the presence of God in our lives.

Today we talked about how Christ has been so merciful to us that we really have no real option but to be merciful to others. We talked about Isaiah 52 and 53 and about God laying His arm bare and stepping into time not with all-consuming power, but with humility and service.

It was a pretty powerful word and I pray that I have eyes to see and ears to hear it and am able to recieve what was being spoken today. I was somewhat distracted because I was running the slides today but even apart from that, they were not easy words to take in.

My flesh wanted to scream out: "But who do other people think they are? Dare they mistreat the great and wonderful Brad? Not without me turning away from them!" Oh how I wanted to justify myself in my mind for how I live. I live in such contempt for God and His mercy. We all do, if we are honest with ourselves.

37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

39He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

43"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

46"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
(Luke 6 NIV)

This past week I have struggled with some news I have gotten about a person I was close to in my past. There is a lot of hurt, jealousy, betrayal and also a sense of genuine concern for them in my heart. It is sooo easy for me to get mad at them and upset with God for what all has happened and I have done a bit of both in the past several days.

However, what has been different about this rough patch that I am going through is that God is teaching me to praise Him in and for all that His happening. In the Bible, after Job recieves his first attack from satan he responds with the following words:

And he said,"Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
(Job 1:21-22, ESV)

After Job is attacked a second time, this time in his body with severe boils covering every inch of him, Job responds in the following way in a conversation with his wife:

Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"

In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
(Job 2:9,10; ESV)

Job knew something about God that many people do not. Job knew that God was absolutely sovereign over what satan was doing (i.e. "the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away") and Job knew that God was for him. Romans 8:28 tells us:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (ESV)

Job knew what it meant to fear God. John Piper desribes the fear of God like this:

In Isaiah, the fear of the LORD is the key to true life.

"He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure."

"And he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure."
(Isaiah 33:6, NIV, ESV)

In the tulmutuous life we live in, Christ is our only sure hope of any good that will come to us. Whether we have issues we are dealing with involving world events, issues in our community, issues with people in our own neighborhoods or churches, people who live under the same roof as us or even people who used to live under the same roof as us but for many reasons are now gone,all that we have is Christ.

We are undeserving sinners living in a broken and chaotic world. Do people in our lives deserve the wrath of God? Of course! Do I? Of course I do. Even in writing this right now I am hesitant to write it about myself. It is so much easier to say that other people deserve it more than I do. But that is not how God views things. We all deserve to be consumed in the fury of God's wrath.

But the Word also tells us:

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:1-10, NIV)

God has given us a rich hope in Christ and gives us the task of propigation, or in other words, of going out to others on God's behalf to tell people all that God has done for us and how much we need Him each and every day.

If I am honest with myself, and if every one was honest with themselves, we would confess how much we need to turn away from our sin and how we need a new heart from the LORD to know Him with and to share that with others.

From a person who has spent the past few days working through a wide range of emotions and sorting out my heart in regards to a lot of issues, this is my prayer and I hope it is yours as well:

Amen.

The Word in Music

2008-12-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

Praise God that we can worship Him. There is nothing better than to know Him.

Psalm 145

Let Your Light Shine

One More Way to God Than I Deserve: Jesus is the Only Way of Salvation

2008-12-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have been pretty upset this afternoon after reading some articles from a denomination who has been struggling with Christ being the only way to Salvation. There have been many people in this struggle who have said that the only way to Salvation is through Christ but that Christ comes to each person and that each person has an understanding- that is, a saving knowledge-of God and that because of this, all people are saved.

What disturbed me the most is that when the church got together to discuss this, they actually formulated the words of their doctrinal statement so that when it stated that Christ is the only way of salvation, it was intentionally written so that people who believe in universal salvation could rightfully stay and teach in the church.

There are many things that people can disagree on and still be Christians and still have fellowship with one another. This is not one of those issues.

The idea that the Church should have unity is a good idea. But unity is only good when unity is defined by the Bible and not by us.

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Ephesians 4:11-16, NIV)

The Church will have unity only when they know who Christ is. God gave us the Scriptures not because they save us but because they are an unchanging revelation of who God is.

It may seem "narrow-minded" to say that Jesus is the only way to be right with God, but it is simply not so. The video below gives a clear example and illustration of this.

May God richly bless you through this video.

The Atonement

2008-12-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

I have had about half a dozen conversations and encounters on the web regarding the doctrine of the atonement. With the rise of the Federal Vision heresy in the Church and many other issues regarding the atonement of Christ and what Christ purchased and for whom He purchased it, I felt it good to put something out there for the flock of God.

Doctrine is ALWAYS the means to the end. The word doctrine has been translated by some people to literally mean "right thinking" or "whole thinking". What I mean is that right thinking about who God is how God leads us to love and to know Him more. If we do not know Him, we cannot love Him. We may be loving someone that we made up, but it may not be the Living God.

What's important about learning about the atonement is not so that knowledge can be gained for knowledge sake and so that you can be made to look good in front of other people. What is important about learning about the atonement is that what God had in mind in sending Christ and what God had in mind in creating the world can be more fully known. Without knowing these things, we can never make sense of all of the aspects of life that seem chaotic.

The videos below are of John Piper teaching through the atonement and what that means. The term Limited Atonement has been largely misunderstood by most people, including myself, and is defined in the second video in probably the best way that I have ever heard it explained.

These videos are all a lot to take in both time wise and information wise. If you cannot watch all three of them please watch the middle video.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

LORD, Have Mercy

2008-12-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

I am becoming increasingly aware of how much sin is still in my life and how hard my heart is in many areas. I am being continually broken because of these things. John Calvin once said that "Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols." Some of the idols we make are obvious but many idols we make are so subtly made and because we are easily decieved by our own mind and by satan, they go largely undetected.

May God continue to show us the small gods that we have propped up in our lives and may He open our eyes to the Truth and destroy that which cannot truly satisfy us in the deepest way possible.

I pray that the LORD strengthens me so that even if I lose everything in this life I can say in the midst of anything that might befall me: "Christ is enough. God may take my family, my health, God may throw me into prison or deliver me to die an agonizing death, but nothing is more precious to me than Christ."

May the LORD grant us the grace to known Him more fully and treasure Him in all of life be it good or bad.

Jesus, I've forgotten the words that You have spoken
Promises that burned within my heart have now grown dim
With a doubting heart I follow the paths of earthly wisdom
Forgive me for my unbelief
Renew the fire again

Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me

I have built an altar where I worship things of men
I have taken journeys that have drawn me far from You
Now I am returning to Your mercies ever flowing
Pardon my transgressions
Help me love You again

I have longed to know You and Your tender mercies
Like a river of forgiveness ever flowing without end
I bow my heart before You in the goodness of Your presence
Your grace forever shining
Like a beacon in the night
-Robin Marks

Psalm 51 "Create in me a Clean Heart"

2008-12-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Is The World Out Looking For God?

2008-11-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
(Romans 8:7-8, ESV)

"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
(1 Corinthians 13:13-14, ESV)

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
(Romans 5:6-11, ESV)

Test Yourself

2008-11-27T14:27:00.000-08:00

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV)

"Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10-11, ESV)

False Teachers Seem Nice

2008-11-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

No Comment

2008-11-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

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I was listening to music today and heard a song that really spoke to some thoughts going through my mind. It is hard to explain and this is not the place to put the thoughts about it at.

But...the song below really has spoken to some areas in my heart. I think I am slowly moving on. Slowly, but surely.

I won't be the circus for you to star in
I won't leave you roses to watch them die
You won't be the heartache that keeps me sleepless
You won't be the songs that I could never write

I don't want to stay, I don't want to fall
I don't want to have to see you leave me
I don't want to stay, I don't want to fall in love
Maybe I'm a fake, maybe you're a lie
Maybe our last chance died with last night
I don't want to stay, I don't want to fall in love with you again

I won't be a fortress for you to hide in
I won't be the first one you think to call
You won't be the regrets that I can't live with
And we won't be the last ones to ever have to lose it all

When we're scared and lonely
We will tell ourselves we're only
Just a word from what we needed
But we know that this ain't right

I don't want to stay, I don't want to fall
I don't want to have to see you leave me
I don't want to stay, I don't want to fall in love
Maybe I'm a fake, maybe you're a lie
Maybe our last chance died with last night
I don't want to stay, I don't want to fall in love with you again

I can't stay
I can't fall for you again

- Needtobreathe

_

Praise God!

2008-11-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

There was a not so surprising (at least to me) surprise today at the River Church. Today the River Church recognized that God has raised up and consecrated Justin Luckett as an elder. I have felt the LORD raising up Justin to be an elder for many months in my spirit. Praise God for His working at the River Church and especially in the lives of the elders at the church. I really sense that the LORD is going to do a mighty work in the lives of the elders and their families. God has done such a work already but am excited to see all that will come forth. I may have to wait until I am in heaven to see all of the fruit that has come because of all that He is doing in the lives of people at the River Church.

Please pray for Justin and Betsy and their little girl Salem. They have a really neat family and your prayers would be appreciated. I praise God for them and see such a strong presence of Him in their lives.

May God continue to sustain them and give them grace. Amen.

The Deepest Thing I Know

2008-11-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

"The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: "Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it."
-Jeremiah 33:1-9, ESV

There has been a lot on my mind the past two weeks. Perhaps more than is usually on my mind. I have been praying and thinking through the limits of knowledge, the nature of eternity, the essence of God, the Holy Spirit as a person and not as a "force", the Trinity, anthropomorphisms in general, anthropomorphisms in regards to heaven and hell, and today there has been a revelation in regards to theomorphism's and also how we can distinguish between anthropomorphisms and theomorphisms in the Bible to better under who God is.

I was listening to a class online for Covenant Theological Seminary and one of the things Dr. William's mentions is that we really only know about God from the Bible in terms of relationship and covenant. There is a TOTAL "otherness" to God that if we could grasp, we ourselves would be God.

But getting back to Dr. William's mentioning that God is known primarily through relationship and covenant...

In the past two weeks God has given me some very powerful and deep insights into who He is. With everything I have learned I find one thing the most amazing. It is perhaps the deepest thing I know about God: His grace.

I have been powerfully convinced and convicted that without Christ I have absolutely nothing. God owes me nothing and everything that I have, I have only because He has first given it to me. I deserve to die a million deaths and burn forever in hell because of how I have lived. I continually sin against the LORD in thought, word, and deed both by what I have done and what I have left undone. I cannot do ANYTHING without Him.

I have felt the powerful revelation of His grace covering me and knowing that grace is truly something that is freely given to us by God. God could have not created the world and He would be fine; He lacks nothing. But He has chosen to freely give us His Son before the world even began and called me into a covenant with Him. He has not only called me into Covenant, 1 Peter tells me that He is KEEPING me in covenant with Him as well until the ages end.

God has revealed to me that He loves us so much and that we are so undeserving of that love. Perhaps us not deserving it makes it that much better; or rather, perhaps knowing that we don't deserve His love makes it that much better.

I cannot really say all that the LORD is doing in a perspicuous manner, but I pray that He continues to reveal who He is to me in deep life-changing ways and that His Church experiences this as well. We, the Church, need a deeper understanding of who God is.

A lot of times it seems that "God has made man in His image and now man is returning the favor." Brothers and Sisters, this will never do. We need to encounter the Living God. Without His revelation, we have no hope.

May God richly bless you with eyes to see and ears to hear this day and may He continue to sustain you in His Grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Thoughts on Who/What God is

2008-11-20T12:05:00.000-08:00

These thoughts below are from a professor at Covenant Theological Seminary. I have been praying through and thinking about how the Bible uses anthropomorphisms to describe who God is and theomorphisms to describe who we are. The link to the classes lecture's is below these blurbs from his lecture on "God and Gender Language".

“God is not all things to all people. He is who He is, and He demands that we deal with Him as He is. That is not a terribly provocative statement, because it is also true of me. I am who I am and I demand that you deal with me as I am, and so do you. You see, persons are not plastic; persons are not negotiable. Any person who has been married for a very short time knows that. At some point you find that you cannot turn that other person into the ideal person you would like him to be. You are going to have to live with him just as he is…God’s identity is not about us. God’s identity is about Him.”

“We should not use the Word of God to serve our biases. One of the very purposes for His Word is to adjust our biases, crush our biases, and replace our biases with its bias. Remember that we have talked about this before: the biblical God will and should offend us. He calls every human self-absolutization a lie.”

“One might point to the inherent difficulties of language, and here I want to return to our discussion about metaphors and our discussion about transcendence. Many people will say that it is impossible to describe God in human language. It is commonly asserted that the biblical language describing God is analogical in character. Remember, an analogy says, “This is like that.” But analogical language presupposes a degree of equivocation, a degree of dissimilarity. An analogy says, “This is like that,” but it is also saying, “This is not that.” That is an important distinction. While these two things might share some attributes, they are not the same. Thus it is suggested that mere human language cannot do justice to the infinite. The reality of God’s transcendence means that any attempt to describe God will be, at best, a vague approximation of God’s own reality. When we fail to recognize this, we inevitably fall into the idolatry of what is called “Biblicism.” Thus, when the Bible tells us that God is a King or a Judge or a Father, these descriptions are to be understood as metaphors rather than as actual depictions of who and what God is. And since metaphor only approximates correspondence or establishes a purely semantic or functional correspondence, these declarations are not to be taken too literally. Some theologians say that if metaphors are really imperfect ways of talking about things, we can help our analogies with other analogies, or we can trade off analogies. If God is not actually a King or a Father, but is only somehow king-like or father-like, we might want to use other analogies of our own making. God is mother-like as well. But this entire line of discussion, I think, is faulty, and it is faulty because it is based upon the view of God’s transcendence which is intentionally meant to cast doubt upon Scripture’s ability to speak truthfully and meaningfully about God. If I could summarize the argument, I would put it this way: the infinite cannot be captured in the finite, and therefore all language about God is equivocal. That may be true to a point, but it is also false, and it is false at least to the extent that it is true. Is that what we find when we go to the Bible? No. We do not find a deity who is vaguely judge-like. We do not find a God who merely approximates some characteristics of kingship. We do not find a God who is said to be fatherly in some contexts, as if God is none of those things, but only appears to be something like them. What is a king? A king is a person who exercises dominion over subjects or a realm. God does the things a king does. God is an actual king. What is a judge? A judge is a person who makes critical decisions about guilt and innocence. God does the things a judge does. God is an actual judge. What is a father? A father is a person who gives life to another and then cares for, protects, nourishes, directs, and exercises authority over that other person in a familial context. God does those things. God is Father. He does not merely appear to be or appear to do these things. Scripture’s proclamation of God as King, Judge, and Father are not metaphors. They are actual declarations. Now to be sure, God transcends those declarations. Even God’s fatherhood infinitely transcends our idea of fatherhood. The point of biblical language is that God is always more than what is written about Him, not less.”

Michael Williams
God & His Word class, Lecture 24
Covenant Theological Seminary

© Summer 2006, Michael Williams & Covenant Theological Seminary

Quotes

2008-11-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

“For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel.”

“Pray, and let God worry.”

“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.”“You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you.”

“Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.” “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess”

“Peace if possible, truth at all costs.”

“Anyone who is to find Christ must first find the church. How could anyone know where Christ is and what faith is in him unless he knew where his believers are?"

(Above quotes from Martin Luther)

“All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors.”

“The most perfect way of seeking God, and the most suitable order, is not for us to attempt with bold curiosity to penetrate to the investigation of His essence, which we ought more to adore than meticulously to search out, but for us to contemplate Him in His works, whereby He renders Himself near and familiar to us, and in some manner communicates Himself.”

“Now we shall possess a right definition of faith if we call it a firm and certain knowledge of God's benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”

“Scripture will ultimately suffice for a saving knowledge of God only when its certainty is founded upon the inward persuasion of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, these human testimonies which exist to confirm it will not be vain if, as secondary aids to our feebleness, they follow that chief and highest testimony. But those who wish to prove to unbelievers that Scripture is the Word of God are acting foolishly, for only by faith can this be known.”

(Above quotes from John Calvin)

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Prayers

2008-11-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

Gracious God,
our sins are too heavy to carry,
too real to hide, and too deep to undo.
Forgive what our lips tremble to name,
what our hearts can no longer bear,
and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment.
Set us free from a past that we cannot change;
open to us a future in which we can be changed;
and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image,
through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen.
(From the PCUSA Book of Common Worship, Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1993; p. 88)

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent,
for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
-Episcopal Book of Common Prayer

Loving a Person

2008-11-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

Loving a person just the way they are, it's no small thing
It takes some time to see things through
Sometimes things change, sometimes we're waiting
We need grace either way

Hold on to me
I'll hold on to you
Let's find out the beauty of seeing things through

There's a lot of pain in reaching out and trying
It's a vulnerable place to be
Love and pride can't occupy the same spaces baby
Only one makes you free

Hold on to me
I'll hold on to you
Let's find out the beauty of seeing things through

If we go looking for offense
We're going to find it
If we go looking for real love
We're going to find it

Hold on to me
I'll hold on to you
Let's find out the beauty of seeing things through

Loving a person just the way they are, thats no small thing
It's the whole thing
Loving me just the way I am, thats no small thing
It takes some time.
- Sara Groves

Streaked Faces

2008-11-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

calling out your name
like children wish for snow
rest your weary eyes
they're keeping me at home
early morning dreams
the ones you don't forget
its teaching you to feel
what you won't admit
when all that make up
will only burn your eyes
wake up
with all the tears that you cried
calling out your name
like children wish for spring
rest your weary eyes
they're keeping me awake
everywhere you are
hurts a little more
its teaching you to feel
what you're looking for
streaked faces
when all those tears have dried
-Josh Moore

By Grace Alone

2008-11-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
-Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

The below quote is from John Calvin's Commentary on Ephesians. I was awake late last night in bed in great need of sleep and began to think about the relationship between time and the finished work of God. I had been reading about the concept of time being linear and how the ancient view of time was cyclic in its relation to eternity earlier that evening and was reminded of a passage in Ephesians about being raised up with Christ. I was looking at Calvin's commentaries today regarding the passage in Ephesians, since much of the Reformed tradition bases their doctrine on the eternal decrees of God. I found what I was looking for but kept reading to see what Calvin had to say about the whole of this section. I am not much on Calvin's writings but I found an amazing quote on the verses above that is starting to change my mind.

God declares, that he owes us nothing; so that salvation is not a reward or
recompense, but unmixed grace. The next question is, in what way do men receive
that salvation which is offered to them by the hand of God? The answer is, by
faith; and hence he concludes that nothing connected with it is our own. If, on
the part of God, it is grace alone, and if we bring nothing but faith, which
strips us of all commendation, it follows that salvation does not come from
us. Ought we not then to be silent about free-will, and good intentions, and
fancied preparations, and merits, and satisfactions? There is none of these
which does not claim a share of praise in the salvation of men; so that the
praise of grace would not, as Paul shews, remain undiminished. When, on the part
of man, the act of receiving salvation is made to consist in faith alone, all
other means, on which men are accustomed to rely, are discarded. Faith, then,
brings a man empty to God, that he may be filled with the blessings of Christ.
And so he adds, not of yourselves; that claiming nothing for themselves, they
may acknowledge God alone as the author of their salvation.

May we come to know that every good and perfect gift comes from God and His grace alone.