100 Words

Osteen and Mormonism

2011-10-26T12:12:00.000-04:00

"Our culture admires those with low theological commitment and high emphasis on attitude. In Joel Osteen’s case, it is the secular culture that has influenced the minister, and not the minister that is influencing he culture."

Read the entire, disturbing article HERE.

Halloween and the Gospel

2011-10-26T12:06:00.000-04:00

What if thinking evangelistically about Halloween didn’t mean just dropping tracts into children’s bags, but the good candy—and seeing the evening as an opportunity to cultivate relationships with the unbelieving as part of an ongoing process in which we plainly identify with Jesus, get to know them well, and personally speak the good news of our Savior into their lives?

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/sent-into-the-harvest-halloween-on-mission?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DGBlog+%28DG+Blog%29

Not just a ticket...

2011-10-24T21:59:00.001-04:00

Being able to articulate the gospel with accuracy is one thing; having its truth captivate your soul is quite another.

The gospel is not just supposed to be our ticket into heaven; it is to be an entirely new basis for how we relate to God, ourselves, and others. It is to be the source from which everything else flows.

— J. D. Greear

This mornings verse.

2011-10-22T08:18:00.002-04:00

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
Eph2.4.ESV

What I Believe...

2011-10-21T00:33:00.005-04:00

I think that I can best express my beliefs by sticking to the Confessional Statement of The Gospel Coalition. This allows me to remain solidly "closed-handed" on issues of first importance while allowing for freedom in disagreement over secondary/ tertiary issues.

The Tri-une God We believe in one God, eternally existing in three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who know, love, and glorify one another. This one true and living God is infinitely perfect both in his love and in his holiness. He is the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy to receive all glory and adoration. Immortal and eternal, he perfectly and exhaustively knows the end from the beginning, sustains and sovereignly rules over all things, and providentially brings about his eternal good purposes to redeem a people for himself and restore his fallen creation, to the praise of his glorious grace.

Revelation God has graciously disclosed his existence and power in the created order, and has supremely revealed himself to fallen human beings in the person of his Son, the incarnate Word. Moreover, this God is a speaking God who by his Spirit has graciously disclosed himself in human words: we believe that God has inspired the words preserved in the Scriptures, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, which are both record and means of his saving work in the world. These writings alone constitute the verbally inspired Word of God, which is utterly authoritative and without error in the original writings, complete in its revelation of his will for salvation, sufficient for all that God requires us to believe and do, and final in its authority over every domain of knowledge to which it speaks. We confess that both our finitude and our sinfulness preclude the possibility of knowing God’s truth exhaustively, but we affirm that, enlightened by the Spirit of God, we can know God’s revealed truth truly. The Bible is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it teaches; obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; and trusted, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises. As God’s people hear, believe, and do the Word, they are equipped as disciples of Christ and witnesses to the gospel.

Creation of Humanity We believe that God created human beings, male and female, in his own image. Adam and Eve belonged to the created order that God himself declared to be very good, serving as God’s agents to care for, manage, and govern creation, living in holy and devoted fellowship with their Maker. Men and women, equally made in the image of God, enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus and are both called to move beyond passive self-indulgence to significant private and public engagement in family, church, and civic life. Adam and Eve were made to complement each other in a one-flesh union that establishes the only normative pattern of sexual relations for men and women, such that marriage ultimately serves as a type of the union between Christ and his church. In God’s wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways. God ordains that they assume distinctive roles which reflect the loving relationship between Christ and the church, the husband exercising headship in a way that displays the caring, sacrificial love of Christ, and the wife submitting to her husband in a way that models the love of the church for her Lord. In the ministry of the church, both men and women are encouraged to serve Christ and to be developed to their full potential in the manifold ministries of the people of God. The distinctive leadership role within the church given to qualified men is grounded in creation, fall, and redemption and must not be sidelined by appeals to cultural developments.

The Fall We believe that Adam, made in the image of God, distorted that image and forfeited his original blessedness—for himself and all his progeny—by falling into sin through Satan’s temptation. As a result, all human beings are alienated from God, corrupted in every aspect of their being (e.g., physically, mentally, volitionally, emotionally, spiritually) and condemned finally and irrevocably to death—apart from God’s own gracious intervention. The supreme need of all human beings is to be reconciled to the God under whose just and holy wrath we stand; the only hope of all human beings is the undeserved love of this same God, who alone can rescue us and restore us to himself.

The Plan of God We believe that from all eternity God determined in grace to save a great multitude of guilty sinners from every tribe and language and people and nation, and to this end foreknew them and chose them. We believe that God justifies and sanctifies those who by grace have faith in Jesus, and that he will one day glorify them—all to the praise of his glorious grace. In love God commands and implores all people to repent and believe, having set his saving love on those he has chosen and having ordained Christ to be their Redeemer.

The Gospel We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ—God’s very wisdom. Utter folly to the world, even though it is the power of God to those who are being saved, this good news is christological, centering on the cross and resurrection: the gospel is not proclaimed if Christ is not proclaimed, and the authentic Christ has not been proclaimed if his death and resurrection are not central (the message is: "Christ died for our sins . . . [and] was raised”). This good news is biblical (his death and resurrection are according to the Scriptures), theological and salvific (Christ died for our sins, to reconcile us to God), historical (if the saving events did not happen, our faith is worthless, we are still in our sins, and we are to be pitied more than all others), apostolic (the message was entrusted to and transmitted by the apostles, who were witnesses of these saving events), and intensely personal (where it is received, believed, and held firmly, individual persons are saved).

The Redemption of Christ We believe that, moved by love and in obedience to his Father, the eternal Son became human: the Word became flesh, fully God and fully human being, one Person in two natures. The man Jesus, the promised Messiah of Israel, was conceived through the miraculous agency of the Holy Spirit, and was born of the virgin Mary. He perfectly obeyed his heavenly Father, lived a sinless life, performed miraculous signs, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead on the third day, and ascended into heaven. As the mediatorial King, he is seated at the right hand of God the Father, exercising in heaven and on earth all of God’s sovereignty, and is our High Priest and righteous Advocate. We believe that by his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ acted as our representative and substitute. He did this so that in him we might become the righteousness of God: on the cross he canceled sin, propitiated God, and, by bearing the full penalty of our sins, reconciled to God all those who believe. By his resurrection Christ Jesus was vindicated by his Father, broke the power of death and defeated Satan who once had power over it, and brought everlasting life to all his people; by his ascension he has been forever exalted as Lord and has prepared a place for us to be with him. We believe that salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. Because God chose the lowly things of this world, the despised things, the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, no human being can ever boast before him—Christ Jesus has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

The Justification of Sinners We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice on our behalf. By his perfect obedience he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf, since by faith alone that perfect obedience is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God. Inasmuch as Christ was given by the Father for us, and his obedience and punishment were accepted in place of our own, freely and not for anything in us, this justification is solely of free grace, in order that both the exact justice and the rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners. We believe that a zeal for personal and public obedience flows from this free justification.

The Power of the Holy Spirit We believe that this salvation, attested in all Scripture and secured by Jesus Christ, is applied to his people by the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, and, as the other Paraclete, is present with and in believers. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and by his powerful and mysterious work regenerates spiritually dead sinners, awakening them to repentance and faith, and in him they are baptized into union with the Lord Jesus, such that they are justified before God by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. By the Spirit's agency, believers are renewed, sanctified, and adopted into God's family; they participate in the divine nature and receive his sovereignly distributed gifts. The Holy Spirit is himself the down payment of the promised inheritance, and in this age indwells, guides, instructs, equips, revives, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

The Kingdom of God We believe that those who have been saved by the grace of God through union with Christ by faith and through regeneration by the Holy Spirit enter the kingdom of God and delight in the blessings of the new covenant: the forgiveness of sins, the inward transformation that awakens a desire to glorify, trust, and obey God, and the prospect of the glory yet to be revealed. Good works constitute indispensable evidence of saving grace. Living as salt in a world that is decaying and light in a world that is dark, believers should neither withdraw into seclusion from the world, nor become indistinguishable from it: rather, we are to do good to the city, for all the glory and honor of the nations is to be offered up to the living God. Recognizing whose created order this is, and because we are citizens of God’s kingdom, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, doing good to all, especially to those who belong to the household of God. The kingdom of God, already present but not fully realized, is the exercise of God’s sovereignty in the world toward the eventual redemption of all creation. The kingdom of God is an invasive power that plunders Satan’s dark kingdom and regenerates and renovates through repentance and faith the lives of individuals rescued from that kingdom. It therefore inevitably establishes a new community of human life together under God.

Marriage

2011-10-20T19:39:00.003-04:00

‎"The key to a healthy marriage is simply to reenact the gospel to each other on a daily basis.

You can talk about communication skills and that other stuff, and it's all good stuff, but basically the foundation is knowing how to forgive and knowing how to repent.

If you both can forgive your spouse and repent for your own sin, it doesn't really matter how different you are, you'll be okay."

Paraphrased from Tim Keller

Spurgeon Rap

2011-10-17T10:14:00.001-04:00

Trail to Hell

2011-10-13T16:54:00.000-04:00

http://vimeo.com/27773475

The video that you can view at the link above scares the crap out of me. Not the way that the producers were intending however.

A local church is using the Halloween season to put on an extremely graphic, dramatic portrayal of humans committing major sins as a way to "scare" people into "making a decision" for Jesus.

Attendees (you must be at least 12 years old) will see reenactments of drug abuse, drunk driving, porn addiction, abortion, homosexuality, and suicide. As a result of being shocked by these grisly and disturbing images, the church webpage claims that there is a 60% rate of salvation.

Their web-page says that 5000 people have come down the Trail in the past and that 3000 of them have committed their life to Jesus. That seems like a staggering statistic and I am deeply afraid that many of those, who were scared into a confession of faith, did not have true repentance and regeneration as much as a deep sense of dread that they would end up in flames - thus their choice to invoke a "get out of hell free card."

Being born again isn't about being scared for your own well-being. Its about acknowledging the depths of your own sin, your inability to get right with God, and the plan of salvation that culminates in Christ's atonement for you. I fear that making so much out of these "big" sins may cause people to fail in seeing how depraved they are in their everyday envy and lust.

I am also very afraid that conversion by guilt or fear, when true, is harmful because it sets a new believer into a heretical mindset of moralism instead of an abiding love and trust of Jesus and God's grace.

The church uses Jude 23 as their proof text:

...save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garmentstained by the flesh. (ESV)

Of course, the church (like so many) pulls the passage out of context and uses it to make a point they want to make, not the point that the author intended. In context, that passage is dealing with how the elect should handle false teachers. It is directing us to "show mercy with fear," not in terms of scaring non-believers with scenes of grusome sin and images of eternal flame. Rather it is saying, we should show mercy to the the false teachers because their coming was fortold and they don't have the gift of Christ...all the while, our mercy should be sprinkled with a healthy dose of fear...fear that we may be taken in by their lies. Fear that their falsehoods would be associated with us in some way as we are merciful to them.

The verse is about us having fear as we deal lovingly with false teachers, even as we hate their worldly teaching. Its not a verse about being merciful to unbelievers by using fear tactics to scare them into largely nominal faith in Christ.

I know that, even in the midst of such confused methods, God is still active and there are individuals being born again. I praise God for that. I just wonder if there is a better, more biblical way of using our time and energy to reach the lost than a theatrical portrayal of horrible sins, in an effort to try and scare people into Heaven?

Gun Collectors and Soldiers

2011-10-12T01:14:00.000-04:00

We need to be careful that we are getting too obsessed with dotting the doctrinal "i's" and crossing the gospel "t's", while forgetting to share the simple story of redemption with real people that we encounter.

Are we becoming gun collectors and not soldiers?

Do we need to pull that gospel gun off the shelf and shoot ourselves?

(paraphrased from Mark Driscoll in the Elephant Room)

Race, Cross, and the Christian

2011-10-10T15:15:00.003-04:00

Here is the full 20-minute documentary featuring John Piper’s story of race and grace, as recounted in his new book Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian. It’s an all-too-typical story of race, followed by an unusual display of God’s grace.

Bloodlines Documentary with John Piper from Crossway on Vimeo.

Biblical Manhood

2011-10-10T14:27:00.001-04:00

Here is it, in preparation for the upcoming marriage book by Driscoll, his most popular sermon ever and one which is incredibly convicting to my own heart. This sermon addresses the heart of 85% of our societal issues today...the lack of real men leading their families. I encourage you to watch the video because Pastor Mark delivers the message as only he can. If you need to go back and study some of what he said, I will provide some bullet points from the Mars Hill webpage for additional help.

http://marshill.com/media/trial/marriage-and-men

Now, my tone is for the men. We speak to men differently than women. Were this a women’s conference, I would not call you all idiots and imbeciles and fools, that you’re a joke, okay? But you men, this is where it needs to go. You’ve been glad-handed and buddied up and positive thinking and you’re a winner and Jesus loves you and you can do better. And I’m telling you, you’re a joke. And the real men in the room know it and they see it. And maybe there’s one woman that you fooled and she doesn’t see it because like Eve, she’s deceived.

First Peter 3:7, here’s what he has to say:

“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayer may not be hindered.”

In the previous verse, 1 Peter 3:6, he said that women, when it comes to marriage are prone toward, what? Fear. Fear. And you know what? Those fears that the women have about marriage are legitimate, they are.

If a woman marries a man, she’s trusting him with the rest of her life that he won’t hit her, cheat on her, that he’ll work hard, that he’ll pay the bills, that he’ll love their children, that he’ll finish the race well, that he’ll walk with Jesus ‘til the end, that if she gets sick, he’ll look after her, that if she is dying, he will be faithful to her. Gentlemen, it is a terrifying thing for a woman to trust a sinful man.

As a man, I don’t think I fully understood this until I had daughters, and now I have some understanding of that fear. The thought of taking one of my daughters and walking them down the aisle and handing them to a man and trusting that he will love them and protect them and serve them and care for them and look after them, it causes me fear, grave concern.

The women have legitimate fears and what Peter is saying is that men need to be a particular way so that those fears are alleviated. And I love his words, “in an understanding way, showing honor.” That’s a man. That’s a man. Now as I say this, many of you guys will nod your head and say, “Yeah, that’s me.” No, you’re not. So let me practically unpack this for you. Every man who hears this, even the best men among us, has areas of repentance and growth that are required. And so I want to talk to you men about some things that your woman will fear.

1. Honor your wife maritally.

What this means is, gentlemen, you’re not looking for a girlfriend if you are single. You’re not looking for a roommate. You’re not looking for a cohabitation partner. You’re looking for a wife. You’re looking for a wife. If he can’t even honor you while dating, that is when he is on his best behavior. I don’t care if he apologizes, does he repent and lead? Being sorry is not enough; being Christ-like is what is necessary. Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Is he selfless or selfish? Does he give himself up for you or does he take from you?

When you get married, men, you are to be a one-woman man. That’s the requirement of an elder and that is the example for all men.

You’re not the flirt guy.
You’re not the female buddies guy.
You’re not the download porn guy.
You’re not the “I got another gal on the side I always keep in case of emergency” guy.
You’re not the wandering eye guy.

If you are, you’re not honoring marriage and you’re not honoring your wife. I know some complete fools, they like to take their wedding ring off when they go out to the sports bar with the boys. Do you honor your marriage covenant? Do you take responsibility as the head of the marriage covenant, take responsibility for the well- being of the woman?

See, a woman has great fear. If you don’t honor marriage, she is statistically going to go into poverty upon divorce. She will become yet another single mother. She’ll have to find a way to explain to the children of why they shouldn’t be embittered against you even though you’re a loser. See, these fears are very legitimate. See the women have seen this so many times that they’re fearful of men.

2. Honor her physically.

Peter says that the woman is the “weaker vessel.” What that means is that generally speaking, if a husband and a wife get in a fistfight, he’ll win. I’ll give you an example. Many of you have seen my wife, Grace. If we get in a fight, it’s not a fair fight. I have an 18-inch neck, she has an 18-inch waist. If someone breaks into our home, I’m not “Go get ‘em, baby. You’re the tough one here. I’ll pray. I’ll pray. I’ll pray. I’ll prayimprecatory prayers in the closet.”

You know what, gentlemen? You are stronger than your woman.

Do you ever hit her?
Do you ever shove her?
Do you ever push her?
Do you ever grab her, restrain her?
Do you ever raise a hand and threaten her?
Do you ever intimidate her with physical violence?
Do you give her that look, that pierced, glazed, violent, angry, don’t-push-it-now’s-a-good-time-to-shut-up look?
Do you tell her, “I’m getting very angry, you should just shut up right now. It’s gonna go bad for you”?
Do you get right in her face?
Do you intimidate her with your presence?

Shame on you. A man who picks on a woman, what a joke. What a joke.

Have you ever forced yourself on a woman? You’re a rapist. You’ll say, “She’s my wife.” You’re a rapist.

You know, when someone is attacked, we call it abuse. As horrible as that is, what is even worse is torment. Torment is when you’re abused and you can’t get out. This is like prisoners of war and those who are held captive in slavery. For some women, their version of slavery and captivity and torment is called marriage. Their husband is physically intimidating. She’s afraid of him. She can’t leave, at least that’s what she thinks. She feels stuck, particularly if she’s got children. Some of you guys are tormentors and abusers and rapists and husbands and Christians, and that is absolutely inexcusable.

Most men don’t walk around thinking about their personal safety. I know a lot of women who do. Does she feel safe with you? Ladies, if you’re dating a guy who has ever been physically violent, run for your life, run for your children’s life, run for your grandchildren’s life. If he’s ever even threatened you with violence, there is something profoundly demonic in that man. There is something sincerely wrong in that man. He will then apologize, tell you he is sorry. He will shed a few tears, say it will never happen again and he will subtly shift the blame to you. “You know when you do that, it just makes me really angry. Don’t do that again.” “Oh, okay, it must be my fault.” It’s never your fault. It doesn’t matter what you say or do, if a man hits you, harms you, he’s in sin, no excuse.

And there are some guys, some absolute block-headed idiots who think when the Bible says that you’re the head of the home, that it means you get to be the bully. There’s nothing uglier than a guy who then takes this same disposition toward his children, especially his daughters. The grossest, vilest thing is a man who hits a woman, and the man who hits a woman is willing to hit his own daughter. It’s disgusting.

3. Honor your wife emotionally.

Some of you say, “I’m not emotional, I don’t connect.” You should. Men and women have the same emotions; they express them in masculine and feminine ways.Your wife needs intimacy. She wants you to know her. She wants to know you. She wants you to open up. She wants you to be passionate and loving and honest, and she wants to know you and she wants to be known by you. And the Bible says that Adam was with his wife, Eve, and he, what? He knew her. He knew her.

There are too many guys that turn marriage into a job description. He does his responsibility, she does hers, and there’s no emotional connection whatsoever. And see, those are guys whose sins are sins of omission. “I didn’t hit her, I didn’t yell at her.” Yeah, but you didn’t love her. You didn’t connect with her. You didn’t encourage her. You didn’t pursue her. So ultimately, you failed her.

4. Honor her verbally.

How do you speak to her? Do you have nasty nicknames for her? Do you raise your voice? Do you threaten her? Do you give back-handed comments? Some of you guys would say, “I would never hit a woman.” How about with your tongue? How about with your tongue? Not just speaking to your wife, but about her. Not just speaking to her in her presence, but speaking about her in her absence. When you wife is not there and you’re with the boys, how do you speak of her? What do you say about her? You know what? Your children will pick this up as well. You start saying horrible things about your wife, and the children will be left in this horrible position of choosing between their mother and father and invariably some of the children will despise their own mother and speak evil of her in an effort to remain loyal to their father. See a division in a marriage includes the children, they’re stuck in the middle. They’re casualties of the war.

You men could defuse this and take away this fear by honoring her verbally. Speaking honestly, respectfully, lovingly to her and about her. See, some of you guys, you forget. You say, “Well, Jesus isn’t there. My wife isn’t there. I get to say whatever I want.” No, Jesus is there even when your wife’s not there. God, see God hears everything. God sees everything. God knows everything, and you’re not getting away with anything.

5. Honor your wife financially.

“If a man does not provide for the needs of his family, he’s denied the faith and worse than an unbeliever.” There’s a verse. See, the woman’s curse was her children and submitting to her husband. The man’s curse was providing for his family. And what the weakest, most impish, worthless men among us do is “Oh, my load is heavy. I know yours is heavy, but I need you to carry half of mine too.” Men, you gotta work. You gotta work hard. You’ve gotta out-work the other men if you want to feed your family.That’s your responsibility as a man. If you want any men to respect you, if you want your wife to respect you, if you want your children to respect you, you pay the bills. You make the money, you feed the family.

We live in this day where there are guys telling their wives, “Hey, birth control, abortion,” “We can’t have kids,” “You make too much money,” “I don’t like responsibility.” Shame on you. There’s nothing sadder than a woman who loves Jesus and wants to be a mom, and the husband keeps saying, “I’m the head of the home, no.” What he’s saying is “I’m in charge and I command you to sin,” to deny all of your maternal instincts. Titus 2, “The woman should be homeward in her orientation.”

“We’re a culture that is working hard to protect women and children, and no one has the common sense to beat on the guys who are the cause of so much of the pain.”

And I know that some of you guys are gonna hear this. You’re gonna say, “Oh, but this is outdated.” Yes, and I would say look at the condition of marriages and families in our culture and ask if it’s working. The latest statistics, 40 percent of all children are born out of wedlock. It is now at the point where women aren’t even pretending they’re gonna ever get married. They go to college, get a good job, get pregnant, have a kid. They’ve lost any hope of ever finding a guy who can actually carry the load, and that’s tragic. We’re a culture that is working hard to protect women and children, and no one has the common sense to beat on the guys who are the cause of so much of the pain.

I know guys as well, they’re not generous. I know one guy, he’s such an idiot. This guy makes decent money and he’s totally chintzy with his wife. She gets no spending money, can’t go out to coffee with the girls ‘cause he’s a total control freak and tightwad. Be honoring of your wife financially, and I’m not saying you’re gonna live at this lavish and high level. But what I am saying is this: you live within your means, you make a budget, you tithe, spend, save, invest well. And I know it’s hard to live on one income. I know it’s hard. I know it’s particularly difficult in this economic climate, but for some of you boys, it’s a built-in excuse to be irresponsible.

Statistically as well, if you have children, and put them in day care so mom can work, the other costs that are associated, eating out, take-out, dry cleaning, car, second phone, cell phone, things of that nature, plus the increased tax breaks and costs and burdens… The truth is very rarely does a wife go out and get a job and contribute anything to the bottom line of the family. The taxes alone eat a huge portion of it.MSNBC did a big study on this years ago and they brought the data to the mothers who dropped their kids off at the day care. “You’re providing nothing to the income of the family,” and the women are bawling, having a nervous breakdown on television, saying, “Well, then why am I even going to work?” Good question, because that guy doesn’t even know how to run numbers on taxes. He’s not smart enough to find somebody to figure it out for him. He just says, “Put the kids in day care, get a job, shoulder half of my curse. Oh and by the way, I forgot to run the numbers, come to find it’s not really helping.” Honor her financially.

6. Honor her practically.

Some guys, the house is a wreck. It’s never finished. The furniture’s broken. The car hardly starts. They live far away from community. They don’t have a schedule. They don’t have a budget. They don’t have a plan. She doesn’t know what’s going on. The practical stuff of life, the guy’s just a zoo, just an absolute, disorganized, unplanned, throw-it-together-at-the-last-minute, hope-that-it- works nightmare. Honor her practically. Do you have a budget? Do you have a schedule? Do you have an integrated plan? Do you have a life?

7. Honor her parentally.

Gentlemen, your wife wants you to love the kids. She wants you to help raise them. She wants you to love them, to pursue them. She wants you to get guy time with the boys. She wants you to get daddy dates with the girls. She wants you to do Ephesians 6 and be their pastor. She wants you to read the Bible with ‘em. She wants you to pray with ‘em. And you know what? You should too.

So many guys who are even Christians think “I pay for Christian school, I send the wife and kids to the Christian church. I’ve done my Christian duty.” No, you’ve abdicated your responsibility to others. It’s your job to love your kids. It’s your job to pray with your kids. It’s your job to teach the Bible to your kids. It’s your job to encourage your kids. It’s your job to discipline your kids.

“Christian, husband, father, employee. Those are your first four duties; it’ll take most of your life. You’re not gonna have a lot of time.”

A wife will be so forgiving of so many things if she actually knows that her husband desperately loves their children, that he serves them, that he cares for them, that he’s tender with them, that he’s Pastor Dad for them. So few children actually have a father. So few of those actually have a Christian father and how few of those actually have a dad who’s doing his job.

And I’ll tell you what, guys, this is not something you have to do; it’s something you get to do. This is wonderful. I mean every night, my daughter Alexie, blond hair, blue eyes, looks like Tinkerbell, “Poppa Daddy, I need a piggyback ride and a Bible story.” You know what? I do too. I need that as much as Alexie. I weep thinking of the day that I’m not gonna be giving her piggyback rides, so I give her as many piggyback rides as I can ‘cause it’s a great season and a wonderful opportunity.

What this means, gentlemen, is your priorities will be Christian, husband, father, employee. Those are your first four duties; it’ll take most of your life. You’re not gonna have a lot of time. Probably gonna need to put down your tools, your hobbies, your car, your projects, your golf clubs, your Xbox and probably going to need to put down the remote control and your laptop and your iPod to honor your wife parentally. You’re not gonna have a lot of time for a lot of other things. And gentlemen, your goal is not to stand before God and tell him what level you got to on “World of Warcraft.”

8. Honor her spiritually.

And all of this comes down to this point. There are between 11 and 13 million more Christian women than men. Many women go to church on their own. They have to drag their husband to church, they drag their children to church. It is your job, men, to lead spiritually. You pray with the family. You read the Bible with the family. You pick a good church, become a member of it, submit to it. You pick the community group or midweek class you will be in. You are the one to lead the family spiritually.

Some guys say, “Well, I don’t know what to do.” Just start by praying with your wife.There are women who will hear this sermon and deep down in their heart, this is what they want the most, “If my husband would just pray with me.” There are some of you guys, you pray with all kinds of people, you don’t pray with your wife. Do you pray with your wife? Do you pray with your kids? Do you read the Bible with your wife? Do you talk about Jesus with your wife? Do you talk about Jesus with your kids? Leading spiritually is the foundation of everything else.

Catalyst part 2

2011-10-10T02:00:00.001-04:00

So...there was more to Catalyst then I could write the last time. Having a newborn in the house can cramp your bloggin'...lol

Throughout the conference, between the speakers and music, were numerous short-interviews with people who are doing amazing acts of service around the world for "the least" of us. I wanted to highlight a few of them here.

http://www.charitywater.org/
100% of their donations go to provide people with clean water. Operating costs are covered by private donors.

http://www.convoyofhope.org/
Feeding iniatives around the world, to include our neighbors in need just a few states over in Joplin, MO.

http://www.compassion.com/
Sponsoring kids to help them be released from poverty, that they may lead their own giving lives as Christian adults

http://www.globalsoap.org/
Recycle your soap from hotels and help people fight infection around the globe

http://www.toms.com/
Buy one pair of sunglasses or shoes for you, send shoes and prescription glasses to those in need.

http://www.krochetkids.org/
Providing jobs to women in need and great hats for you.

http://www.atlantamission.org/
A local shelter for the homeless in Atlanta.

http://amazima.org/
The beautiful story of Katie Davis, who went to Uganda for 6 months and ended up staying. She now mothers 13 orphans and works with countless more!

I am telling you...there were scores of grown men crying when these presenters came up on stage. It was inspiring and caused my family to commit towards sponsoring a little boy in Ecuador through Compassion. It also confirmed our call to follow James 1:27 and adopt a child into our family in the near future.

If you have time, check out these organizations. If you have money, give some up. If you have faith, pray for them all.

Also, go see what the folks at Catalyst wrote for their own recap notes:
https://www.facebook.com/CatalystSpace?sk=notes

Catalyst

2011-10-08T00:57:00.002-04:00

I got home a few hours ago from my first Christian conference...Catalyst Atlanta.

Going into the event I wasn't sure what to expect. I was both excited and apprehensive. I left very early on Thursday morning with over 40 guys from my church and 36 hours later, I left elated. It was an amazing, energizing, renewing experience.

I loved how the conference was geared towards church leaders. While I am not in vocational ministry, I found the messages to be highly relevant for my own personal ministries to my family and my workplace.

I want to share a few things that were said, and which stuck with me, during the two days...my hope is that these short quotes will give you the impulse to dig deeper into the original messages, which should be available from the Catalyst webpage soon. Powerful stuff from a great variety of speakers who love Jesus.

Andy Stanley
Pastor, Northpoint Church

"When facing the tension of 'limited time v. all people', remember this: do for one what you wish you could do for everyone."

"Fairness ended in the Garden of Eden."

"If you point your finger and blame the generation after you, its only because you have abdicated your leadership to that culture."

"Success isn't measured by how capable you are in handling your responsibilities, its measured by how well you left your responsibilities in capable hands."

Jim Collins
Management Consultant

"Signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency."

"Go after Big Hairy Audacious Goals."

"Be rigorous, not ruthless, with people decisions."

Joel Houston
Hillsong

"Being out of your comfort zone is an opportunity for God to work."

"Everyone has their own platform or stage...use it."

Dave Ramsey
Author, Speaker

"Be so great that people want to know WHO you know."

"Opportunity is attracted to excellence."

"There are two numbers on a tombstone, what are you doing with the dash between them?"

Francis Chan
Former Pastor, Cornerstone Community Church

"If we could look at a transcript of all your prayers in the last month, what is the one thing you kept praying for?"

"God does not hear all prayers."

"Are you present enough in prayer that God hears you?"

Judah Smith
Pastor, The City Church

"Jesus is the Glory of God"

"Since when is Jesus not enough?"

Mark Driscoll
Pastor, Mars Hill Church

"Fear isn't always a sin, it is always an opportunity to either SIN or TRUST GOD."

"Are you committed to things and people that God didn't call you to?"

"God keeps saying 'Fear not, for I am with you' because we keep forgetting!"

Dr. Cornell West
Professor, Activist

"Hating injustice isn't the same as loving people."

I'm a Christian who still has gangsta proclivities. Nothing but the Holy Ghost holding me together."

"The blood of Jesus isn't watered-down Kool-Aid."

MUSIC

And...I don't want to forget and mention the awesome music that played a huge part of the experience. Eddie Kirkland, Hillsong, and my favorite, Seryn...

Check out Seryn here:

Ultimately, God was honored, leaders were repurposed, and I was hooked on the blast of motivation you get from being in a place with so many believers who are singing to, and learning about Christ.

It was like a inadequate glimpse into what heaven will sorta be like...to join my voice to so many others in praising God. I really can't imagine how much more awesome heaven will be as we all sing "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb."

Excited for that, and in the meantime, excited for Catalyst 2012.

Gospel Centrality

2011-09-27T16:55:00.000-04:00

A friend sent me a link to this awesome short read on the centrality of the gospel in our daily lives by Tim Keller. Maybe you guys will also enjoy it.

http://www.redeemer2.com/resources/papers/centrality.pdf

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation" (Rom.1:16).

A few excerpts...

Tertullian said, "Just as Christ was crucified between two thieves, so this doctrine of justification is ever crucified between two opposite errors."

Tertullian meant that there were two basic false ways of thinking, each of which "steals" the power and the
distinctiveness of the gospel from us by pulling us “off the gospel line” to one side or the other.

These “thieves” can be called moralism or legalism on the one hand, and hedonism or relativism on the other hand. Another
way to put it is: the gospel opposes both religion and irreligion.

On the one hand, "moralism/religion" stresses truth without grace, for it says that we must obey the truth in order to be saved. On the other hand, "relativists/irreligion" stresses grace
without truth, for they say that we are all accepted by God (if there is a God) and we have to decide what is true for us. But "truth" without grace is not really truth, and "grace" without truth is not really grace. Jesus was "full of grace and truth".

Paul shows us, then, that we must not just simply ask in every area of life: “what is the moral way to act?” but “what is the way that is in-line with the gospel?” The gospel must be continually “thought out” to keep us from moving into our habitual moralistic or individualistic directions. We must bring everything into line with the gospel.

We have seen that the gospel is the way that anything is renewed and transformed by Christ--whether a heart, a relationship, a church, or a community. It is the key to all
doctrine and our view of our lives in this world. Therefore, all our problems come from a lack of orientation to the gospel. Put positively, the gospel transforms our hearts and thinking and approaches to absolutely everything.

In practical ways, Keller then talks about how the gospel shapes our approach to:

Discouragement
The Physical World
Love and Relationships
Suffering
Sexuality
One's Family
Self-Control
Other Races and Cultures
Evangelism
Human Authority
Human Dignity
Guilt
Self-Image
Joy and Humor
"Right Living"
Ministry in the World
Worship
The Poor
Doctrinal Distinctives
Holiness
Miracles
Church Health
and
Social Change

All problems, personal or social come from a failure to use the gospel in a radical way, to get "in line with the truth of the gospel" (Gal.2:14). All pathologies in the church and all its ineffectiveness comes from a failure to use the gospel in a radical way. We believe that if the gospel is expounded and applied in its fullness in any church, that church will look very unique. People will find both moral conviction yet compassion and flexibility.

Abortion

2011-09-27T00:38:00.000-04:00

I have been pro-life for a long time. Even before I trusted Christ, I knew that killing babies was wrong regardless of their size, level of development, environment, or level of dependency.

Unfortunately, I used to "preach" my pro-life views in a really harsh way to people. I actually remember going on an insensitive rant at a girl back in 2001 until she finally broke down crying. Turns out she had an abortion years earlier and she felt alot of guilt over it. Rather than lead her to the forgiveness of the cross, which I didn't know at that time, I think I basically told her that she deserved the pain she was feeling. Not so smooth :(

Tonight I watch a short film called "180" from Ray Comfort (the guy who does street evangelism with Kirk Cameron) and it was pretty good. It compared the Nazi Holocaust with the current unseen slaughter of unborn babies in America. I admire Ray and his style. I think it has its own effectiveness, even though its not how I am called to operate. Nevertheless, a good film to watch. Check it here:

http://youtu.be/7y2KsU_dhwI

Watching this film reminded me to share my new favorite organization and speaker for the pro-life movement. The clarity that Scott Klusendorf brings to this issue is remarkable. He keeps things simple and easy to recall for those times that we find ourselves engaged in this sensitive topic. And while he stays away from inflammatory rhetoric, that doesn't mean he is afraid to let the grisly images speak for themselves.

I watched his "This is Abortion" video tonight and found myself crying. I think that every adult should see this footage to see exactly what occurs in an abortion. Its like seeing the images of Auschwitz, a game-changer. What is so great is Scott's amazing ability to show this video and give his logical and well-reasoned presentation with such grace and authority.

I encourage all my readers (all 4 or you...lol) to go check out Scott at:

http://www.prolifetraining.com/

How to be a Christian Hipster

2011-09-13T12:21:00.000-04:00

Walk it if you are gonna Talk it.

2011-09-12T23:04:00.000-04:00

A word from John Newton that challenges me and may prove useful to others in the neo-Reformed camp.

"Whatever it be that makes us trust in ourselves that we are comparatively wise or good, so as to treat those with contempt who do not subscribe to our doctrines, or follow our party, is a proof and fruit of a self-righteous spirit. Self-righteousness can feed upon doctrines, as well as upon works; and a man may have the heart of a Pharisee, while his head is stored with orthodox notions of the unworthiness of the creature and the riches of free grace."

Greater love...

2011-09-11T12:29:00.001-04:00

On this 10th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, let us reflect on the heroism and the selflessness of those brave first responders and citizens who put their own lives at risk to save others.

Let us also remember that their bravery and valor, as beautiful and moving as it is, is but a dim reflection of the ultimate loving sacrifice of human history...Christ on the cross of Golgotha.

John quotes Jesus in his gospel..."Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (15:13)

Indeed, in taking on the physical hardship of the cross and the spiritual weight of all human sin, Jesus bore much agony as he laid down his life for his sheep.

So, as we rightly eulogize the heroes of 9/11..let us keep our heart in constant remembrance of the greatest hero of all time, a god-man who so loved his people that he was willing to come in their stead and endure all the punishment and pain due to them in their rebellion. Having paid that penalty in full, he secured everlasting fellowship for us who believe with our Creator.

Victor Manuel Watters

2011-09-08T22:38:00.000-04:00

In May of this year Victor was baptized. Here is the testimony that he wrote and shared:

I was born in a non-Christian family. I don’t think we ever went to church. And I didn’t ever think about where I would go if I died. God changed me probably a little differently from most people. He changed me through cancer. I was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in December of 2006. They found out I had cancer because I had a seizure. The tumor in my hip got so big that it had shut down some of my organs.
I was moved into foster care because both of my parents were making bad decisions. I went to church sometimes with my new foster parents, but I didn’t care about Jesus or God at that time. In the hospital, I would always think to myself that it was by my strength that I could get through this. Well, by God’s grace I met the Watters family, which was just the start of everything.
God decided that he wanted to move me to a Christian family. The Watters were really wanting to adopt me, which was perfect timing, because at that time, my foster parents were not able to take care of me anymore. So I became a Watters.
Living with the Watters for a couple of months, my mom one day told me about Christ and how he died for me. That same day, I knelt down on our kneeler and accepted Christ. I believe that God gave me cancer for a reason, and that reason was to meet the Watters and become a Christian so that I can be with him forever!
So I’m getting baptized because I truly believe that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to die on the cross for all of our sins, and to save us from eternal fire. I am trusting that God is sovereign over everything, including cancer, and that he has a wonderful plan laid ahead for my life, and he will never let Satan take me from his hands.

Victor Manuel Watters passed into eternity yesterday morning at the age of 14 years. He ran a good race, and finished well. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The testimony of Victor's life is that of a young man who spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ everywhere he went. Last week, his mom shared this exchange between them:

Victor turned to me intently and said, “Mom, if I go … I mean soon … will you tell my family about God, about Jesus?” Then his eyes grew fierce as he clarified, “I mean really try?” And I promised as the tears rolled some more. Then we talked about making a video so that he could say what he wanted to them and others … and he asked if I would help him. Yes sir.

God is the hero of Victor's story. God has elected, called, justified, and glorified Victor in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:30). Victor was faithful to his Savior, and he sought every opportunity to share what was precious to him. May the Lord be pleased to use the testimony of the Watters family and Victor’s life and death to bring many into his kingdom.

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/giving-thanks-for-victor-manuel-watters

Prayer at Ground Zero

2011-09-08T16:42:00.001-04:00

From Mike Horton at the White Horse Inn...

This coming weekend the US will pause to remember those whose lives were lost so tragically in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Adding fuel to the growing fires of public debate over the role of religion in public life, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his decision not to include prayers for the official event.

Theory is tested in specific cases, and this is one more opportunity to wrestle with a larger question. It’s one thing when a political leader has to choose a clerical representative out of an array of Christian denominations. Today, however, representing the religious diversity of the Republic in public ceremonies is more complicated.

On one hand, this is a constitutional issue. Especially given the history of civil religion in America, it’s implausible to imagine that the nation’s founders ever intended anything like the separation of religion and public life that the mantra “separation of church and state” has come to embody. On the other hand, it is a theological issue. In other words, even if Mayor Bloomberg has no constitutional reason to avoid the liturgical interjections in public commemorations that were included by his predecessor, the debate returns us to a recurring question of decisive importance to Christians. It’s not a question of whether prayer at public occasions of this kind is sanctioned by our Constitution, but, for Christians at least, whether we can participate (much less encourage) such acts of “non-sectarian” worship.

In a recent USA Today opinion piece, Jay Sekulow, a Christian activist and chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, reproved Mayor Bloomberg for his decision (see the piece here). Recounting the history of national days of prayer, including the inter-religious “Prayer for America” event at Yankee Stadium in the aftermath of 9/11, Mr. Sekulow’s call betrays assumptions about prayer that, in my view, can only trivialize this sacred act in the long run.

Nowhere in Mr. Sekulow’s article is prayer defined in its vertical relation, as an act of worship directed to a particular deity-much less, through a particular mediator. Rather, the therapeutic idiom takes over. At least in the public argument, the idea is that prayer’s value lies in its subjective effect. The references are to “the many Americans who find solace and healing in prayer,” helping victims and their families “cope with the lost of loved ones.”

Beyond individual solace, such civil demonstrations of piety serve a therapeutic function for the nation as a whole, echoing the romantic nineteenth-century idea of a “national soul.” “In the days following 9/11, prayer was an integral part of the grieving process. Thousands attended the ‘Prayer for America’ event at Yankee Stadium, where representatives of many faiths offered prayers. It was an event that united, not divided, Americans.”

As the matter was put by another critic of the mayor’s decision, “Prayer is not always about religion, it is instead often about relief and repose.”

But all of this presses the question: Is the purpose of prayer mainly therapeutic: personal and national catharsis? Is it basically horizontal-human-centered (whether in individual or national images)? Or is it a solemn act of “calling on the name of the LORD” (i.e., Yahweh, the Father of Jesus Christ)? Does such an act have a personal object? Is that personal object the God who is revealed in Scripture as the Holy Trinity? Is the prayer directed to the Father, through the mediation of the incarnate Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit by whom we confess “Jesus as Lord”?

Imagine Elijah calling for a revival by trying to negotiate a public prayer or perhaps series of public prayers led by the prophets of Baal and the prophets of Yahweh. Israel, after all, has always been a religious nation. Isn’t it more important for the nation to acknowledge its piety than to become too obsessed with the theological specifics? The nation was divided, after all, and the point is to bring the people together through prayer, to bring them consolation in the face of national disaster. Of course, this isn’t how the story plays out at Mount Carmel, as the God of Israel proved that he alone is God and Baal is a helpless idol.

We don’t live under the old covenant, driving the prophets of Baal through with the sword. Rather, we have the privilege of religious freedom for true and false worship in this country. Nevertheless, we do not expect the state to create opportunities for the advance of Christ’s kingdom through his means of grace.

It is in churches where we confess our sins and our faith in Christ as he is clothed in the gospel. Here, we gather as a communion of saints gathered “from every tribe, tongue, people and nation” (Rev 5:9), not as a modern nation-state. We call upon the name of the LORD, which is none other than Jesus Christ, not merely for therapeutic consolation in our troubles (though this aspect is included), but for salvation from the guilt and tyranny of sin and the death penalty that it imposes. Here, with our brothers and sisters and before the face of the Triune God, our prayers acknowledge God’s justice in our condemnation and joy in God’s grace to us in his Son. With Christ as our Mediator, we are free to enter the Father’s presence with boldness, interceding for ourselves and for others, for needs pertaining to body and soul.

Prayer is also an act of witness. What are we testifying to when we seek state acts of generic devotion to the Unknown God? To what-or whom-are we witnessing when we give the impression that people can find consolation from any “God” apart from the Father who is known only in his Son and is otherwise a judge who will not let sinners go unpunished? True prayer arises as a Spirit-given response to the Word that proclaims God’s righteous judgment and gracious forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

Doubtless, such an approach will offend on all sides. Secularists will level the charge of bigotry at those who deny everlasting consolation to victims of horrific tragedies apart from Christ. Those who seek to hold on to the last vestiges of civil religion will scold fellow Christians who insist on the scandalous particularity of the gospel-in effect, surrendering the public square to secularists.

However, Christianity at its best is always an odd sect in a world of idolatry and superstition. The power lies not in its ability to negotiate general piety for a national soul, but in its most particular and offensive message: the gospel of Christ. We don’t evacuate the public square that we share with our neighbors-even the “prophets of Baal.” Rather, we testify there that Christ alone is Lord, that he alone has conquered death and hell, that our greatest terror and consolation have to do with headlines much more serious and all-encompassing than the genuine tragedy of 9/11.

We don’t need Mayor Bloomberg to help us with that. In fact, in the very act of doing so, we have to surrender the most important things we are called to say.

It is precisely because God is more important than we are, sin is much greater than something that others do to us, redemption is far greater than therapeutic consolation, and love for our neighbors encourages us to proclaim the everlasting consolation of the gospel, that we dare not trivialize that dangerous, wonderful and absolutely effective act of calling on the name of the Lord in life and in death.

Think on this...

2011-09-07T16:51:00.000-04:00

...In much of the American Christian culture, if a local pastor was to stand up at his church on Sunday and make the statement that "10,000 people in our community don't have food and water and nobody seems to give a shit."...people would tend to zero in on the 's-word' and give a secondary thoughts to the 10,000 hungry folks.

Thats not to try and justify cussing, although there does seem to be a place for the use of colorful language when you are desperately trying to make a particular point...see Paul and skubalon in Phillippians 3:8. My point is that our priorities are so far out of wack in much of the contemporary western church.

Hopefully this will remind you (and me) that the main thing is keeping the main thing, the main thing.

Take Heart

2011-08-29T10:12:00.000-04:00

Jacob was a cheater,
Peter had a temper,
David had an affair,
Noah got drunk,
Jonah ran from God,
Paul was a murderer,
Gideon was insecure,
Miriam was a gossiper,
Martha was a worrier,
Thomas was a doubter,
Sara was impatient,
Elijah was moody,
Moses stuttered,
Zaccheus was short,
Abraham was old,
and Lazarus was dead....

God doesn't call the sanctified, He sanctifies the called.

Take Heart!

Truth in Art

2011-08-22T22:44:00.000-04:00

G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

Thanks for the find Chris Yoon

Shades of Gray

2011-08-17T11:31:00.000-04:00

Yesterday a Facebook friend posted this question as her status...

I'm sure I should be more moderate in terms of, well, everything...but it's just so hard. How do you guys see gray?? To me everything is so black and white. It is both a blessing and a curse.

This was my reply.

Truth is black and white...the living out of this marred and finite life is done in shades of gray. Keep perspective on the profane, the secular good, and the sacred as a friend once told me. Don't try and force all things into the sacred... or the profane. We live in a fallen culture, but you can often engage the gray areas without being in sin. Think about Paul's teaching on eating meat. Its ok to eat meat sacrificed to idols as long as we are not participating in the feast unto the idol. However, he warns us not to eat that meat in the presence of weaker brethren who may be delayed in their faith by seeing us do so. Now apply that to modernity...I think its ok to watch "The Walking Dead" for dramatic enjoyment and to see the nuances of humanity that such a fictional account can portray. I can do so without becoming enamored with zombies over Jesus. However, should I be at a friend's house who has a conviction that watching zombie shows is demonic...I wouldn't try and force that person into sharing my view. I see lots of gray in the daily working out of our life here on earth. I also understand that we are ultimately guided by a set of black and white about the deep questions of eternity. Too often people want to jump to one extreme or the other...either there is no truth at all OR truth is so absolute that we must place everything into neat categories of good/ evil. Look up Aristotle's "Way of the Mean" and see how you can apply his pagan wisdom to your walk of faith. I found it very helpful.

I felt really good about what I said, but I wanted to post it here in case anyone had any feedback or commentary on how my thoughts line up with Scripture. Thanks!

Dramatic ESV Reading

2011-08-16T11:25:00.001-04:00

Marquis Laughlin: Scripture Reading at Crossway Banquet, ICRS 2011 from Crossway on Vimeo.