Some Self-Deprecatory Humor

New Covenant Seminary Sites

If you are into theology (if you are a Christian you are by default whether you know if or not) then you might want to check out this new wealth of resources from Covenant Seminary.

Sean Michael Lucas:

Today, we launched three new websites in place of our previous websites. We know have a new Covenant Seminary-specific website with new faculty pages; a redone "Worldwide Classroom" site (that replaces our Covenant Worldwide site); and a new Living Christ360 website, which is the media ministry of the Seminary with daily broadcasts and devotionals from Bryan Chapell. Obviously with any new website, we have some kinks to work out; still, they are wonderful upgrade over what we had previously.

Calvinists often make the worse Calvinists

C. Michael Patton with a good post on Calvinists. (I hardly ever use that word anymore since it is loaded with such negative baggage.)

He writes:

Unfortunately, in some Calvinists’ zeal to proclaim the sovereignty of God, they present a very unbalanced portrayal of Calvinism. They often fail to give proper credence to the love of God and the responsibility of man. Now, to be fair, I don’t know of many respected Calvinist scholars who do so, but I have found this tendency continually among the laity and lay teachers. Progressing mightily in the triumph of the glory of God, they often make God so sovereign that He must, by virtue of their definition of sovereignty, be the author of sin. Now, I do recognize that Zwingli and Beza, who are part of magisterial Calvinism, did go this direction, but this certainly not a necessary belief of Calvinists. In fact, some Calvinists, such as myself, would say that making God responsible for sin is such a way does not dignify His sovereignty, but, frankly, boarders on blasphemy.

Further, there are many Calvinists of the “hyper” version who will deny the title Calvinism to any who don’t believe as they do on the non-essential elements of Calvinism. These non-essential elements of Calvinism include double predestination (retrobutionism), an affirmation of meticulous sovereignty, the absolute and unqualified denial of man’s free will and responsibility, a belief that God hates the non-elect, a demand to see the atonement as limited in the way that they believe it to be limited, and a firm adherence to supralapsarianism. Their circle becomes so thin that it is no wonder that pride abounds. They become the elect within the elect!

I remember a Calvinist who owned a local bookstore where I used to study. Every time I entered the door, he would start arguing. His primary argument was that I was not really a Calvinist because I believed that God, in spite of His unconditional election, still loved the non-elect. This was the discussion every time. I came to the point where I thought that he was not going to welcome me in the doors any longer because I did not agree that God hated the non-elect. The last words I remember saying to him were “What does God want us to do with our enemies?” He said, “Love them.” I said, “Do you think God would expect us to do something that He Himself cannot do?” He did not respond.

I am a Calvinist. I am a five point Calvinist. I don’t mind being labeled as such. But sadly, I have to greatly qualify what I mean by this so that people don’t label me according to the massive misrepresentation of Calvinism by some Calvinists.

Even Phil Johnson, a fellow Calvinist recognizes the danger of misrepresentation when he writes:

“History teaches us that hyper-Calvinism is as much a threat to true Calvinism as Arminianism is. Virtually every revival of true Calvinism since the Puritan era has been hijacked, crippled, or ultimately killed by hyper-Calvinist influences.” (http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/hypercal.htm - a very good read)

In short, it is sad to say, but I would rather go to a party with a humble Arminian than some passionate Calvinists. Calvinists often make the worse Calvinists.

Read the whole thing. There are some great warnings to consider.

Three steps to change the nation's future

Dave Ramsey:

We are at a crucial time in our country's financial history. We need everyone's help! Here are 3 steps you can take that will change our nation's future:

1) Pray for your leaders in Washington. Pray for them to resist a spirit of FEAR and to embrace WISDOM. Even if you don't like them or agree with them, pray for them and tell them you are praying for them. There is a spirit over this problem that must be broken. Also, most of the media personalities are afraid as well and that is affecting their reporting. Pray for fear to be removed from them; they are making this worse.

2) Send The Common Sense Fix to your Congressman and Senators and tell them how you expect them to vote, and that if they put this nation in $700 billion of debt, that you will vote them out. Whichever presidential candidate or political party that champions this plan from their leadership down will likely become the next president. That is because this plan fixes the crisis while going along with the wishes of the vast majority of Americans.

• Download the PDF here.
• Send it to your Congressperson and representative.

3) Send a link to this page to everyone in your address book and tell them to urgently follow these three steps TODAY.

• Read Dave's transcript on how to fix the bailout, and email your Congressperson
• Hear Dave rant about it

The Hope of our Hopeless Situation

Good words here today for you from Michael Kelley:

In our Sunday School class this week, we talked through Ephesians 2:1-5, and we brought out the fact that Paul never stepped away from the desperation of the human condition. If you look through that passage, you find some really descriptive words about our common hopelessness.

Dead.

Objects of wrath.

By nature.

Prisoners.

Not a good state of affairs. In fact, a hopeless state of affairs. To me, this is not a description of someone drowning in a sea of sin, looking desperately for a way out. Then suddenly a life preserver gets tossed our way and with the last of our strength we reach up and grab onto it and God hauls us out.

To me, it’s far worse than that. We are a collection of corpses, floating face down in the ocean. And God reaches down and makes alive again with the same power He used to raise Christ from the dead. I raised the question of what good can come from revisiting this condition. I mean, that was the past, and now we’re alive with Christ. So why look back to the way we were? The answer came back from our perceptive and intelligent class - it gives us hope.

Looking back to our hopeless condition gives us hope because no matter what situation we encounter, no matter what happens in the economic markets, no matter how bad the diagnosis, no matter how desperate the job situation, no matter how bad the persecution, we will never, ever, ever find ourselves in a situation more desperate and absolutely devoid of hope than we have already been in. Ever.

And it was in that situation, that situation of certain loss and death, that God brought life. He did it once, and He’s still doing it. Therefore, we can walk into anything life throws at us with a sense of hope.

This Is a Cool Video I Had Never Seen

Since MTV doesn't play videos anymore I guess we are left with youtube:



(HT: Abraham Piper)

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Don Carson on Five Troubling Trends In The Church

ACTS 29 Blog:

If you ever want to feel like you have the intelligence of a NASCAR fan that just finished off a six-pack (I think it's a Red Neck law), then listen to D.A. Carson talk about, well, anything. Don is fluent in something like 7 languages and has written over 45 books. He is the esteemed Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School near Chicago. For instance, Carson said in his talk to us, "To be a non-perspectivalist is to be omniscient." Nobody in the room was smart enough to argue with him over that.

Don spoke at a luncheon at Bethlehem Baptist Church (John Piper) on Friday September 26, 2008 just before the Desiring God Conference. I attended this lunch with about 40 other church leaders. Don spoke for an hour about five trends in the American church that are troubling to him.

Five Trends in the Church Today

1. It is important to observe contradictory trends.

2. Current evangelical fragments are moving into a new phase -- into polarized "clumps."

3. The most dangerous trends in any age are the trends that most people do not see.

4. There is a trend in our churches to be consumed by social concern.

5. There is a trend in our churches to emphasize discipleship over the gospel.

Click here to read comments on these five points.

Suburbs Need Jesus Too

…some pastors hate the suburbs. If you hate the suburbs, stop whining about it and move into the city. I have done both and find them both in deep need of the gospel. It is trendy to mock the suburbs — I have done it myself, calling them the “vast suburban wasteland.” Well, it may be, but everywhere is a wasteland without Jesus. So, if you are called to pastor in the suburbs, dig deep and engage its culture — look for bridges over which the gospel will travel and expose the idols that the gospel must destroy.

-Ed Stetzer, Interview at sub•text

(HT: Joe Thorn)

Game Day For The Glory of God

You can find this book here.

Dave Ramsey on the Financial Meltdown

Are we okay, Dave?

Definitely. Remember Enron and WorldCom in the recent years? We survived that. But much worse than all this was the financial crisis of the ‘80s – S&L collapse and 1,000 bank failures in 2 years. We’re nowhere near this type of thing; that was probably 50 to 100 times worse than all of this.

What does all of this come back to?

Greedy banks financing homes to broke people. It all seemed to work okay in their minds when the economy was booming, but when the economy slowed a little bit broke people quit paying on their subprime mortgages. DUH. No wonder they went out of business. Stupid decisions.

Is there anything we can do to fix this bailout mess?

YES! Here’s a quick summary: Companies that had billions in subprime loans were feeling the effects of their stupid decision to make those loans in the first place, and practically gave them away for pennies on the dollar. But since no one wants these loans, and they’ve had to mark them down to market value, it has frozen the market. If we temporarily change the rule that forces companies to do that, that will free the market up.

This is an absolutely huge deal, and it involves everyone getting in touch with their congressperson before we spend hundreds of billions of dollars that we don’t need to!

Will the collapse of businesses and banks affect me?

No, not unless you work there. Thousands of stock brokers on Wall Street have lost their jobs in the past few weeks, but that happens in other industries across the country in good and bad times. This time it just happened in NYC where all the national news media is so they made a big deal of it.

Read the rest of Dave’s comments here.

(HT: Michael Kelley)

Al Mohler on Reversing Roe vs. Wade

Al Mohler:

The question posed at "On Faith," the project of Newsweek magazine and The Washington Post, had to do with whether the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion should be reversed. The responses from columnists were very revealing, if tragic. My own column was brief, but to the point:

The lamentable legacy of Roe v. Wade continues to poison America's culture and corrupt our moral consciousness. The 1973 decision represents a judicial usurpation of the political process and the declaration of a new constitutional "right" to destroy fetal life set the precedent for further assaults on human life and human dignity.

Roe should be reversed because it took the power to establish law out of the hands of the people and their elected representatives. Reversing Roe would not end the abortion debate, but it would send it back to the 50 states, where the people can have their say.

Furthermore, Roe is based upon a sliding scale of human dignity, with its arbitrary and unsustainable division of fetal life into "trimesters" of increasing legal significance. The decision is just what it was known to be at the time -- a badly constructed argument that had much more to do with Justice Blackmun's own personal agenda than with either law or medicine.

Roe is a compact with the Culture of Death. So long as it stands, America is the land of abortion on demand. Every pregnancy is a tentative pregnancy. Every fetus is in danger. Every American is complicit in this tragedy.

You should take a look at several of the columns, for the worldview spectrum is really amazing. I took special note of this argument from Willis E. Elliott:

Finally, I am deeply concerned about single-issue, anti-abortion voters. I consider them immoral. Given the multitude of complex problems the United States is facing, this presidential election may prove to be the most consequential since the Great Depression. Why would anyone let the abortion issue determine one's vote? Bad religion, that's why. The worship of "human life." Fetolatry, the idolatry of sacralizing the conceptus/embryo/fetus. Religion can be such good news. I hate to conclude with this instance of religion as bad news. But I must.

My guess is that he really doesn't mean that he considers all single-issue voting to be immoral. Slavery? Civil rights? I think his later comments about "fetolatry" reveal that he pretty much means that voting on this single issue is "immoral." I will let his words speak for themselves.

Parenting with Ted Tripp

This is session 1 from the Biblical Parenting conference held on September 19-20 at Mars Hill Church's Ballard campus.


(RSS people, you will have to go to the post to see it.)

Click here to download the video.

Christian Men and Porn

Mark Driscoll is giving away a free book dealing with men and porn. It's not all there yet, but will be soon. Click on the download below to bookmark the site where you can progressively download the chapters. Mark writes:

...some years ago I sat down and in one day wrote a small booklet about male sexuality that we published in-house. Since then we have gone through thousands of copies and literally cannot keep it in stock. I asked some Christian publishers if they wanted it, and they said it was too hot to handle and so they declined.

So, I decided to just put it online and give it away for free. The book has had a small amount of editing and rewriting since its original version. We’ll give it away at the Resurgence a bit at a time in conjunction with the Song of Songs series I am preaching titled “The Peasant Princess.” Once the entire book has been put online, it will then be posted as a file that guys around the world can download and read on their computer, forward to their friends, or print copies of to hand out as they like.

I hope this thing goes nuts and hundreds of thousands of guys read it.

In closing, I want to say two things. One, a lot of folks will not like the content or tone of this book and I love them and wish them well. You get what you pay for and this is free. Two, a lot of young guys (and some older guys too) tell me they have been helped by this content and if God uses it to help some guys I would be overjoyed with that. So, let the critics fire away and I’ll gladly take the shots for the guys who are walking wounded in an effort to help them get their shield up and sword sharpened.

Until we see Jesus,
Pastor Mark Driscoll

Porn Again Christian e-Book

Why Bad Songs Are Bad and Other Important Aspects of our Music

Bob Kauflin:



(HT: Abraham Piper)

All The Messages from The Recent Desiring God Conference

1. “The Tongue, the Bridle, and the Blessing: An Exposition of James 3:1-12” by Sinclair Ferguson (DG blog)
2. Friday Panel Discussion (Driscoll, Ferguson, Piper) (DG blog)
3. “Words of Wonder: What Happens When We Sing?” by Bob Kauflin (DG blog)
4. “How Sharp the Edge: Christ, Controversy, and Cutting Words” by Mark Driscoll (DG blog)
5. “The Life-Shaping Power of Story: God’s and Ours” by Daniel Taylor (DG blog)
6. Saturday Panel Discussion (Kauflin, Piper, Taylor, Tripp) (DG blog)
7. “War of Words: Getting to the Heart for God’s Sake” by Paul Tripp (DG blog)
8. “Is There Christian Eloquence? Clear Words and the Wonder of the Cross” by John Piper (DG blog)

(HT: Timmy Brister)


**Update**

Here are all the videos:

• Sinclair Ferguson - "The Tongue, the Bridle, and the Blessing"
• Driscoll, Ferguson, Piper - Friday Panel Discussion
• Bob Kauflin - "Words of Wonder: What Happens When We Sing?"
• Mark Driscoll - "How Sharp the Edge: Christ, Controversy, and Cutting Words"
• Daniel Taylor - "The Life-Shaping Power of Story: God's and Ours"
  
• Kauflin, Piper, Taylor, Tripp - Saturday Panel Discussion
• Paul Tripp - "War of Words: Getting to the Heart for God's Sake"
• John Piper - "Is There Christian Eloquence? Clear Words and the Wonder of the Cross"

Pray for Iran

Josh Harris:

A few weeks ago our church prayed as a congregation for the nation of Iran. Among the things we prayed about was a bill before Iranian parliament to mandate the death penalty for Muslims convicted of apostasy. Sadly, the bill passed by overwhelming majority in favor of the death penalty. In fact, just two days before the vote two Iranian Christians were charged with apostasy.

Although apostasy is now a capital offense, judges are free to decide what penalty will be given, and the two men await their penalty. Please pray for these men, for other believers in Iran and for the leaders of this nation.

Here is some additional information compiled by my friend Kevin Rogers that will help inform your prayers for this country:

Formerly known as Persia, Iran is the seat of one of the world's oldest major civilizations, and Persian history figures prominently in the pages of the Old Testament. Today, this nation rich with history and culture faces grave circumstances. Human trafficking has been internationally recognized as a significant problem, religious persecution causes thousands of people to emigrate each year, and poverty and unemployment continue to rise.

Despite these circumstances, God's unstoppable plan is unfolding in Iran. It is believed that people are responding to the gospel in great number. These converts face great cost as pressure from family, friends, and Islam looms ominously in their lives. By God's grace and in spite of the isolation from the outside world of believers, the young church in Iran thrives.

Still, most of Iran's 65 million people adhere to Shi'a Islam. This month, they will join Muslims around the world in celebrating Ramadan, a time of fasting, prayer and purifying themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.

Please Pray:

• For the Iranians and Muslims here in our community as they celebrate Ramadan, that they would see that only Jesus can purify them and reconcile them to God.

• For Muslims in Iran who convert to Christianity as they potentially face significant penalties. Ask that God would protect Muslim-background believers in Iran and that they will stand strong against tremendous pressure to return to Islam.

• For the rapidly growing church in Iran, that God would raise up godly pastors and leaders and that they would be firmly grounded in biblical truth.

Bob Kauflin's Message At The DGM National Conference

Click here to listen to Bob Kauflin's message at the Desiring God Ministries national conference. The title of his message is, "Three Ways Singing Serves the Word." Read a summary here.

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Phriday Phunnies

Once I get a shirt like this I'll be rockin' the flock and jammin' for the Lamb by leading worship AND playing drums. Deal with it:



(HT: The Crimson Window)

A Proverbs-Driven Life

Doug Wolter:

I love the Proverbs. As Anthony Selvaggio says, it gives us“timeless wisdom for our words, work, wealth and relationships.” And I would add, it’s probably the best parenting book ever written! So I’m excited about this new book from Shepherd Press called A Proverbs-Driven Life.

A Filter For Your Movie Watching

I would be curious to hear what you think of this:

Clear Play lets you watch regular DVD's and SKIP the VIOLENCE, NUDITY, and PROFANITY! Now you and your family can safely watch current films like Jumper, Spiderwick Chronicles, Fool's Gold and The Bucket List and ClearPlay will imperceptibly skip all the objectionable material!

ClearPlay software filters 2,700 movies produced over the past 40 years and includes a FREE 30 day membership that updates your ClearPlay system with the latest titles. Optional memberships available through Clearplay for only $7.95 per month so you'll always have plenty of new movie options! A ClearPlay membership gives you access to filters for all the newest ones as soon as the DVD's are released. Your membership also gives you a ClearPlay USB FilterStik, which lets you get new Filters with just a click of your mouse.

My first reaction is that this might be a great way to watch movies, but I have questions:

1. Who determines what is deemed, violent, nude or profane? Perhaps nudity is easier to define, but there is material on primetime TV that is not technical "nudity" that I still don't need to see or have my kids be exposed to.

2. Just because we have eliminated all the "bad stuff" from the movies does that mean they are purged from sin or evil? I'm not sure that eliminating these sorts of things means we can turn off our brains and assume we are "safe". Even when my kids are watching cartoons I want them to begin thinking theologically about the content they are consuming. Was that character disrespectful of his parents? Why do you think he/she was? Avoiding certain hallmark sins does not mean we are free to check out and consume without discretion.

3. Is there ever a place for the profane, violent, and nude in our movie watching? What would this software make of the movie The Passion of the Christ? I assume the majority of the movie would be blocked out. The would certainly miss the point. What about Schindler's List? There was non-sexual nudity in the movie that was disgusting, but drove home the horror of those events committed by the Nazis. I'm sure this was part of the intent of the director.

In the end this machine may or may not be helpful, but it may be wise to make your own decisions about your movie watching and not have a software do it for you. It could be easier to have the machine do it, but I believe God wants to have these decisions spring from the overflow of our hearts and not default to someone else's decisions for us.

What do you think? Is this something you could see yourself using, especially in light of the review of Craig Cabaniss' chapter on media consumption that I reviewed below?

A View From The Womb

Melinda at STR.org:

GE, which developed the 4D ultrasound imaging technology, has a website of images that follow the timeline of the unborn's development from six weeks to birth. It's a fantastic window into the womb to see the human being, bring to life the formerly unseen, at stake in abortion. These pictures are worth 1000 words, but use the words as well to explain the value of these children.

Driscoll Pays Tribute to Piper

Mark Driscoll writes a very encouraging tribute to John Piper. I'm sure many people in my circles are sick of hearing about John Piper. It can smack of hero worship, but nonetheless I think John Piper is a uniquely gifted man of God, thus I would commend Driscoll's words to you to consider. It was very encouraging to me.

A Review - Worldliness - Chapter 2 by Craig Cabaniss

Craig Cabaniss begins the chapter by demonstrating that media has a ubiquitous presence in our culture. This fact is rather hard to deny unless you live in a cave or a backwoods cult compound. Craig says that media is, "the omnipresent backdrop of life". He believes the main expression of this reality is the TV. Minus working and sleeping, most people spend more time watching TV than almost any other activity.

My hunch is that this reality may be changing. I know it already has for me. I spend WAY more time on my laptop these days than I do in front of the TV. Usually, I only watch two shows consistently: Lost and The Office (and usually these are on my laptop and not when they actually air). This time spent watching TV (on my laptop) does not compare to the time spent in front of my laptop these days. My guess is that if you are reading this right now you might be in a similar position. This really doesn't have anything to do with Craig's chapter, other than to say that all the same principles apply to laptop usage as they do to TV. He stresses the influence of TV, but that does not match my current experience (but it certainly did in years past). My hunch is that the move from TV to laptops will continue to grow in the next decade and beyond.

One of the big themes of the chapter is Craig's emphasis on the need to be intentional with our viewing of media. He writes:

Please don't misunderstand. I'm not saying it's wrong to watch television, rent a DVD, surf the Internet, or spend an evening at the cinema. The hazard is thoughtless watching. Glorifying God is an intentional pursuit. We don't accidentally drift into holiness,; rather, we mature gradually and purposefully, one choice at a time. In the Christian walk, we can't just step onto the right path and figure all is well. Christian discipleship is a lifelong journey consisting of a series of countless steps. Each step matters, and thus our viewing habits matter.

He addresses the twin concerns that often surround this issue: One, legalism and two, being culturally savy for the sake of evangelism. In terms of legalism he responds wisely by saying:

Do we risk legalism by establishing personal viewing standards? Absolutely! But the risk doesn't lie in having standards; it lies in our motivation. The question is not, "Should we watch selectively?" but, "Why do we view selectively?

In terms of the second category of seeking to be culturally savy so that we have common ground with those we share our faith with, he writes:

In reality, it isn't necessary to be a media glutton to share the gospel effectively. We can meaningfully relate with people in our culture without immersing ourselves in the latest entertainments. We can be aware of popular culture without being captive to it. Our personal and corporate relevance and witness won't be hindered at all by applying biblical standard to our media intake.

Ultimately what will communicate most effectively with a unbelieving world will not be how many quotes from Anchorman you can rattle off or how many obscure 80's bands you can name, it will be sacrificial acts of love joined with the simple truths of the gospel communicated with grace and humility.

The big idea that I took away from the chapter was our need to not be passive in our consumption of media. We need to think theologically and be quick to discern between truth and error as different messages are communicated to us through the various mediums of media. Craig uses the example of sexual exposure in the media as a great example. He writes:

Whenever we watch sin portrayed without consequences, we're subject to deception. Sin - sexual sin in particular - is often glamorized and sensationalized in media. But like the infomercial, the claims are deceptive. They're 'empty words.' Pleasure without guilt. Ecstasy without relational destruction. And worst of all, sin without judgment. Filling our minds with these media deceptions dulls our sensitivity to God's holy hatred of sin.

Speaking of sex, Craig writes well here:

God is not by any means a prude; he created sex to be enjoyed to the fullest in marriage. We cultivate a high view of both God and sex when we thank him for it; we demean both God and sex when we obscenely joke about it. Any sexual impurity fails the standard of what is "proper among the saints" (Eph 5:3).

Towards the end of the chapter he exhorts us to move beyond just thinking about what is permissible and think about what is actually beneficial. I have been thinking about this concept quite a bit in the last few years as it especially pertains to my TV and movie watching. If I am going to go on a date with my wife and spend at least $2o on two movie tickets I want to be moved beyond the frivolous titillation that comes with most movies these days. They usually just leave me feeling empty. Rarely do movies point towards anything transcendent. I am finding that talking with my wife, practicing music, exercising, playing with the kids, or reading a good book usally does way more for my sense of personal fulfillment and contentment than any movie or TV show ever could. This is not to say that we don't watch movies or TV anymore, but the amount has decreased greatly in the last few years. Craig's question rings loudly for me: Should we not be pursuing things that are not just permissible but rather beneficial?

In the end, this chapter was very helpful for me to think through. He challenges us to think theologically about our media consumption and this is a challenge that I think we all need to take to heart.

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Death by Love - New Book From Mark Driscoll

Mark Driscoll and Gary Breshears have released a new book called, Death by Love. You can find it here.

Watch the promo video below:

Missional Margin - Part Two

(click on image to see bigger)


Timmy Brister gets two posts today. We have been talking about this quite a bit around our house and in our church: Missional Margin: Tuning into the Mission (Part 2).

Christian, do you have margin in your life to actually get to know unbelievers? How many hours a week do you spend in church activities? Should some of those hours go to spending more time with those who need the Gospel?

Al Mohler: The Financial Sky is Not Falling

Al Mohler:

The headlines tell the story as recent days have seen the American economy and its financial system buffeted by seismic failures and the virtual disappearance of major investment banks. The debate raging in Washington these days concerns the form and extent of government intervention that will be required in order to restore stability to the financial markets.

Comparisons to the Great Depression are inevitable, but today's crisis bears little resemblance to the total economic collapse of the late 1920s. Capitalism is not in crisis and the fundamentals of the American economy remain strong. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933, the nation faced a genuine crisis and economic collapse. For the most part, the banks were closed and the nation was out of business.

Nothing like that is happening now, but the financial system is clearly in need of reform and realism. The fundamentals of the economy remain intact. These include American innovation, a dedicated labor force, strong consumer demand, vast natural resources, and unlimited intellectual capital.

More than anything else, this crisis has to do with what happens when the markets come to term with excessive valuations. Put bluntly, wildly inflated valuations led to risky financial adventures and worse. The sub-prime mortgage collapse came as more realistic real estate valuations forced market corrections. The vast global financial system has accepted the inflated valuations as real and traded in the risky mortgages as if the game would go on forever. This was a fool's errand.

He sums up well here:

This current crisis should also remind Christians that we are not called to be mere economic actors, but stewards. Everything we are, everything we do, and everything we own truly belongs to God and is to be at the disposal of Kingdom purposes. This world is not our home and our treasure is not found here. We are to do all, invest all, own all, purchase all to the glory of God.

Finally, this current economic crisis just might help Christians to focus on another issue -- retirement. Where in the Bible are we told to aspire to years and decades of leisure without labor? There is nothing wrong with saving for what the world calls retirement. Indeed, that is just good stewardship. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with workers enjoying the fruit of their labor. But Christians should think of retirement as an opportunity to be redeployed for Kingdom service.

Today's crisis in the financial system should not be a threat to the long-term health and vitality of our economic system. There is cause for concern, but no justification for panic. Rather than hit the panic button, spend that energy thinking about how Christians should glorify God in our economic lives. We should watch the developments and debates in Washington and New York with interest, but we should investigate our own hearts with even greater urgency.

This is a must read for most of us. Click here to read the whole thing.

New iPhone Rival

I just got a Crackberry. Perhaps I should have waited. (The Crackberry is still cool.)

Total Church

The DG Blog has a good interview with the authors of a new book called, Total Church, by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis.

DG Blog:

A pair of Brits have a provocative book appearing in the States this month. Tim Chester and Steve Timmis published Total Church in the UK last year, and enough readers here have found it helpful to prompt Crossway Books and Mark Driscoll’s Resurgence ministry to pick up the title in the Re:Lit series. You can watch Tim Chester introduce the book at Crossway's blog.

Chester’s and Timmis’s refrain for what they are advocating in the book is “ordinary life with gospel intentionality.” They make a case for the church’s need to exercise “dual fidelity” to the content of the spoken gospel and the context of a relational community.

Tim Chester kindly agreed to answer a few questions below for the DG blog.

Click here to read the interview. Sounds like a great book.

Legal vs. Evangelical Obedience: Nine Differences

I found this post from Timmy Brister to be very helpful in terms of personal sanctification. Legal vs. Evangelical Obedience: Nine Differences. He highlights 9 points from Samuel Bolton. They are:

1. Slavish spirit vs. Childlike spirit

2. Burdensome vs. Delight

3. Conviction of conscience vs. Necessity of nature

4. Satisfaction in duty vs. Satisfaction in Christ

5. Shell vs. Substance

6. Performance as self-righteousness vs. Performance as Christ’s righteousness

7. Formality vs. Fervency

8. Duty only when pressured vs. Duty continually with happiness

9. Duty with reluctance vs. Duty with delight

Click here to read these nine points fleshed out a bit more.

Interview with Justin Taylor on the new ESV Study Bible

Trevin Wax interviews by boy JT on the new ESV Study Bible. Here is part 1.

Click here to buy:

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal - Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales

This record is great. I used to listen to it non-stop. Sweet voice, sweet acoustic jams, and great grooves. If you have not gotten into Jack Johnson, this is the record to start with. Not bad for $3.99.

This is an Amazing Cover

Turns out that David Crowder is a fan of everyone's new favorite song. Quite a cover:



(HT: Brody)

Redemptive News Watching

Michael Kelley:

I don’t like to watch the news. It’s pretty much always bad reports, with killing, natural disasters, high gas prices, and robberies. No, I’m not a news guy - I’m a sitcom guy.

Sitcoms are alot easier to watch. There’s a few laughs, the introduction of a minor problem, and then everything is wrapped up neatly within 30 minutes. That’s nice. That’s easy. So you can likely find me opting for an episode of Seinfeld than 20/20 pretty much any evening.

But I wonder if that’s what God wants me to do. I think not. I think God wants me to watch the news.

But I think He wants me to watch the news actively and with purpose. Most of us watch to see what’s going on, so we can be informed, and so we can have an intelligent conversation the next day. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I think we can watch the news with more of a participatory goal in mind.

What if we watched the news with a pad and paper in hand? And as the stories start to roll through, we begin by asking the Holy Spirit to direct us to specific stories in which we can participate in ourselves. If not actively, at least through prayer.

I remember a number of years ago watching as the US invaded Afghanistan. It was an incredibly historical moment, but also a moment that warranted much prayer. We can pray that the seed of bitterness would not grow up inside the Afghan people toward Christianity. We can pray that freedom would come to that country, and that more Christ-followers would move to the area for the sake of the gospel. We can pray that oppression of women would end and that in that region, the gospel would catch fire as it has so often throughout history in oppressed peoples.

We can do the same thing now. We can watch the news in order that we might pray more specifically for God’s will to be done in the world. After all, it’s one thing to pray for that to generally to happen; it’s another to pray for His will to be done in specific situations we have knowledge of.

So in this year, when I’m really, really tired of election coverage, I need to pray more. I need to participate more. I need to see more so that I might be more involved in how I approach the throne of grace.

Looking at Obama's Words On Abortion From The Floor of the Senate

David Freddoso:

When Barack Obama spoke on the Illinois Senate floor in 2001 against Illinois' born-alive protection bill, did not say that a pre-viable baby is not a "person." He argued, rather, that even though the state should perhaps provide care for these babies, any recognition of their personhood would create unacceptable consequences. Again, his words, at length, so there's no uncertainty about context:

There was some suggestion that we might be able to craft something that might meet constitutional muster with respect to caring for fetuses or children who were deliever in this fashion. Unfortunately, this bill goes a little bit further, and so I just want to suggest, not that I think it'll make too much difference with respect to how we vote, that this is probably not going to survive constitutional scrutiny. Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we're really saying is, infact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a - a child, a nine-month-old - child that was delievered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. (Taken from the transcript of the Illinois 92nd Assembly, Mar. 30, 2001.)

Wow. Did you catch that? Since Roe vs. Wade is threatened, then we are allowed to commit murder? You would think it would be the other way around, right? We should not be allowed to kill babies that are born alive from survived abortions and if Roe vs. Wade is threatened, then so be it. Does that logic not follow? But Obama's stance is as follows: If we have to sacrifice some born alive infants to make sure "women have the right to choose" then that's what we'll have to do. How backwards is that?

Read this again: "Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we're really saying is, infact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a - a child, a nine-month-old - child that was delievered to term..."

You would think that if you read this paragraph in isolation that what would come next is, "so we need to do exactly that. Protect these persons." But sadly, it's not. For Obama, our personhood is not defined by anything specific other than the need to uphold Roe vs. Wade. I think the basis of our personhood should be rooted in ground that is much more solid than the pragmatic need to see the Democratic ticket upheld. Would you not agree? Does this not follow for you Obama voter?

Friends, this man has morally disqualified himself on this issue alone. Don't drink the Obamalaide.

Please read this article that continues to help us think through this issue.

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal - Led Zeppelin IV

A classic for sure. Still cool after all these years. That is a mark of a very great band. $1.99

How (Not) to Raise a Pharisee

Here is a very helpful post for parents: How (Not) to Raise a Pharisee. Kurt Gebhards writes:

It is the sad testimony of church history that the works and expressions of sacrificial love and devotion of one generation of Christians can quickly turn into legalistic rules and regulations for the next. The convictions of the first generation become the caprice of the second. It is sad and shameful how quickly the Object of wonder and worship of a generation can become the boredom and betrayal of the next. Hypocrisy is an imminent and evident threat to the church of Jesus Christ.

Churched children are seldom given to outright defiance of authority; they are much more susceptible to the poison of Pharisaism. Hypocrisy in the heart is much more difficult to spot than disobedient behavior. The Bible gives us some definite character traits of the pretentious pietist, and here is what they may look like in a child:

His outward behavior and adherence to rules are driven by a desire to please men, not by a love for God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength (Mk. 12:30).

Doing good works and having them observed by adults is more important than the action itself (Mt. 6:5).

The child is openly obedient and responsive — asking to pray before bedtime with you — while maintaining a quietly deceitful and rebellious attitude (Gal. 6:7).

He scrupulously observes the letter of the law — like religiously bringing his Bible to church — but neglects the weightier spirit of the law — like sharing his favorite toys with his siblings (Mt. 23:23).

He craves the verbal praises and tangible rewards of his parents and teachers, but cares little for the approbation of God Himself (Jn. 12:43)

Read the rest.

Fireproof - A Review

I have to admit that in light of his past record with cheesy Christian film I am a bit skeptical, but you might want to read this review of Fireproof staring Kirk Cameron and consider giving it a shot.

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal - Jackie McLean

Jackie McLean - A Fickle Sonance - $1.99

New Commercial from Microsoft Confirms Their Lameness

Is it just me or do these "comeback" commercials from the PC world make you want to buy a PC even less?

Good Words for Church Leaders

Matt Chandler:

The goal is growing our churches to a certain size or our platforms (pulpits, blogs, books) to a certain fame. How hollow is that? And, how dangerous? Just because men love Jesus and follow Him doesn’t mean that they get to grow or reach a certain level of “success” (I use that word loosely). Here are a few men who loved our great God and King and were obedient beyond the norm:

• Moses spends his whole life with grumbling, whiners and dies without getting to walk into the promise land.
• Samson suicide bombs the Philistines and when the dust settles he is dead and the Philistines still rule over Israel.
• David’s son rapes his sister and leads a rebellion against David, dethroning him for a season.
• Jeremiah ends up in exile with the rest of the country after repeatedly getting beaten for preaching what God commanded him to preach.
• John the Baptist is beheaded by a pervert who gives his head to a 15-year-old stripper.
• Peter is killed, reportedly crucified upside down.
• Paul is killed in Rome but only after he spends his life (with thorn intact) being beaten, rejected, lost at sea, and consistently dealing with people coming in behind him and destroying what he built.

If your hope is set on anything other than Him, how do you survive when it goes bad? How do you remain passionate and vibrant when no one comes or the baptismal waters are still for long stretches? How do you maintain doctrinal integrity or teach hard things if He isn’t the treasure? How do you worship when your wife gets sick or your son goes for a ride in an ambulance? If He is the goal, the treasure, the pursuit, then those things are fuel that presses you into His goodness and grace all that much more. I am not saying they are pleasant or enjoyable but only that if He is your goal you will find your faith sustained.

May God bless you and keep you. May you see that He is the treasure, He is the pursuit, He is the goal…and may you press on toward the goal for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Read the whole thing.

A Review - Worldliness - Chapter 1 by C.J. Mahaney

I recently received an advanced copy of Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World, edited by C.J. Mahaney with chapter contributions from C.J., Bob Kauflin, John Piper, Dave Harvey, Jeff Purswell and Craig Cabaniss. I was humbled to be asked to review this book for my blog and look forward to interacting with it. Today's post will focus on chapter one by C.J. Mahaney entitled, “Is This Verse In Your Bible?”

Mahaney starts the chapter by pointing out that all of us have verses in the Bible that we don't like to read. We are tempted to pick and choose that which is most comfortable for us. He states that 1 John 2:15, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him", is probably one of those verses that many of us like to avoid. Why? Because it’s rather black and white and has implications that most of us find uncomfortable. He goes on to say that worldliness for most of us is not something we consciously decide to engage in, but rather is a state of being that we slowly drift into. A lifestyle of worldliness doesn't happen overnight.

I appreciated C.J.’s admition that this issue of worldliness frequently raises the question of legalism. I can relate to this objection. Oftentimes for me, when the topic is raised my first thought association is people who think playing cards equates to being in league with the devil and those that say using drums in church is “using the world’s music”. C.J. reminds us that baggage or no baggage with this verse, 1 John 2:15 is simply God’s word, thus, as Christians; we have to come to terms with it. God is not out to spoil our fun but wants to meet our greatest need, which is to know Him and his ways. Are we going to let God set the terms based on His Word, or are we going to seek to be autonomous from Him by being a law unto ourselves? C.J. reminds us that 1 John 2:15 is not “legalistic restrictions from an irritated God who doesn’t want us to enjoy ourselves.” But rather, “warnings are expressions of God’s mercy and wisdom. They’re given for our good, to protect us from sin and its consequences.”

C.J. states, “The greatest challenge facing American evangelicals is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world.” He then gives this helpful test, “…is your lifestyle obviously different from that of the non-Christian?” That is a great question to think through. If someone opened your checkbook (a great indicator of your values) would they see a difference between how you spend your money and that of a non-Christian?

In his discussion of worldliness I was eager to read his definition of what that looks like and he states it here: “Worldliness, then is a love for this fallen world. It's loving the values and pursuits of the world that stand opposed to God. More specifically, it is to gratify and exalt oneself to the exclusion of God.”

He then asks, "Does that description sound familiar? Does it describe you?" He provides a list of questions to think through to help you discern one’s heart. "What dominates your mind and stirs your heart? Is it discontentment with your life? Longing for earthly pleasures? Does outward prosperity appeal to you more than growth in godliness? Or is your prayer life characterized by heartfelt supplications for God's will to be done and his kingdom to come? Do you covet the esteem and crave the approval of those around you? Do you go to great lengths to avoid looking foolish or being rejected for your Christian faith? Do you consider present and material results more important than eternal reward? Have you departed from God and adopted idols instead? Are you at war with God? These are tough questions, I know; but they are necessary if you’re to discover whether you have been infected with the disease of worldliness."

These questions caused me to pause and left me feeling a bit uneasy. Haven’t we all been “infected”? As I used this chapter to diagnosis my own level of worldliness, I found myself not sure how to answer because the answer that came back as I contemplated all these questions was, "I am not as unworldly AS I SHOULD BE."

For example, with the question that I quoted above, "Does outward prosperity appeal to you more than growth in godliness?" My answer is sadly, sometimes yes, but also sometimes no. Does any Christian (unless you are one who believes in total sanctification in this life) answer that question with a resounding, "Yes! I have been purged of my sinful pull towards outward prosperity."

I fully know that C.J. whole-heartedly believes in progressive sanctification. But I left this chapter feeling a bit like worldliness in the life of a Christian is a black and white issue. Either you are worldly or you are not. I wish there would have been a statement about the fact that one will never arrive in the fight against worldliness. But keep on fighting! Fight to the death! You will always be a work in progress and when asked how "worldly" are you, you will always have to answer, "Sadly, not as unworldly AS I SHOULD BE." This line of thinking was implied near the end of the chapter where C.J. writes, “…it’s a lifelong battle. We must resist its influence until our dying breath.” But if I didn’t know C.J. and his theological views as well as I do, I might be confused because in the preceding sentence he says, “…hard heart-work will be needed to cut it (worldliness) out.” Is it a life-long battle, or will we be able to completely cut worldliness out of our lives at some point? I wish this was a bit more clear and that he would have stated his views on progressive sanctification a bit more explicitly throughout the whole of the chapter. Perhaps this issue will be fleshed out in the rest of the book. This is perhaps the downside of doing a book review one chapter at a time. I am open to correction as I read the rest of this book.

He closes the chapter by drawing our attention to Jesus and his life and work. The reality of my need for a savior based on my sometimes love for the world draws me to the cross in thanksgiving and praise as I cling to the One who was completely free from worldliness for me. C.J. does a marvelous job drawing our attention to this great Savior who is the remedy for despair for those who are entrenched in worldliness and for those who pridefully think they have it licked. The fight against sin is not a matter of bearing down and forcing ourselves to stop doing certain things, but rather of replacing the folly of our sin with a vision of the glory of the Jesus, His cross and the empty tomb. Therein lies the power to defeat sin and this Jesus is certainly our only hope in our fight against worldliness.

"You Can't Legislate Morality!"

See if these comments from MLK Jr. apply to the debate about abortion and all those that I have been discussing this with lately who keep telling me that laws against abortion don't matter because you can't legislate morality.

Martin Luther King Jr.:

Now the other myth that gets around is the idea that legislation cannot really solve the problem and that it has no great role to play in this period of social change because you’ve got to change the heart and you can’t change the heart through legislation. You can’t legislate morals. The job must be done through education and religion. Well, there’s half-truth involved here. Certainly, if the problem is to be solved then in the final sense, hearts must be changed. Religion and education must play a great role in changing the heart. But we must go on to say that while it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated. It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important, also. So there is a need for executive orders. There is a need for judicial decrees. There is a need for civil rights legislation on the local scale within states and on the national scale from the federal government.

-Taken from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s address at Western Michigan University, December 18, 1963, cited in The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture by Scott Klusendorf (forthcoming).

(HT: JT)

Rejoicing in the Glory of God Revealed in Gifted Athletes

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Barry Sanders. This guy was a freak of athletic nature:



(HT: Jer)

Obama on Partial-Birth Abortion

On April 17th, 2007 the Supreme Court upheld the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act". Here is Barak Obama on why he was disturbed by the Supreme Courts ban on partial birth abortion:

I strongly disagree with today’s Supreme Court ruling, which dramatically departs from previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women. As Justice Ginsburg emphasized in her dissenting opinion, this ruling signals an alarming willingness on the part of the conservative majority to disregard its prior rulings respecting a woman’s medical concerns and the very personal decisions between a doctor and patient. I am extremely concerned that this ruling will embolden state legislatures to enact further measures to restrict a woman's right to choose, and that the conservative Supreme Court justices will look for other opportunities to erode Roe v. Wade, which is established federal law and a matter of equal rights for women.

In what parallel universe do people (shockingly, Christian people as well) look at this procedure that Obama supported over and over again and say to themselves, "Yes! I am voting for Obama!" I honestly don't give a rip about McCain becoming president. He may or may not do a good job, but anyone who supports the above process IS MORALLY DISQUALIFIED NO MATTER WHAT, RIGHT? If you don't believe the above picture is accurate or "propaganda" then walk down to your local Planned Parenthood and ask them to describe it for you.

David Freddoso adds some commentary as well:

For Barak Obama, women cannot be equal under the law without partial-birth abortion. Full human rights are not possible without partial-birth abortion.

Seriously friends, your voting choice very simple to figure out. Politics is very complex, but in light of the evidence against Barak Obama things become very clear on who you should vote for.

Obama's Harvard Law Review on Abortion

Doug Groothuis:

Barack Obama's Sole Article in Harvard Law Review Promotes Abortion

by Steven Ertelt
www.LifeNews.com

August 22, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- How strongly does Barack Obama believe in unlimited abortions? Strongly enough that the only article he wrote for the Harvard Law Review while he was a law school student talked about how fervently believed in legalized abortion. Obama's name wasn't attached to any other legal scholarship during the time.

In an article unearthed by the Politico web site, Obama, as the president of the Harvard Law Review, wrote an unsigned article touting abortion. (see below)

The web site says the article comes in at six pages and is contained in the third volume of the 1990 Harvard Law Review.

In the work, Obama considered a parenthetical abortion issue -- whether unborn children have a legal right to sue their mothers for damage sustained during pregnancy, from such things as alcohol or illegal drugs.

Obama says no and writes supportively of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case and another from the Illinois Supreme Court saying no such right exists.
According to Politico, Obama wrote: "[T]he case raises the broader policy and constitutional considerations that argue against using civil liability to control the behavior of pregnant women."
In a discussion of abortion itself, Obama wrote that government has more important business than "ensuring that any particular fetus is born."

He also decried any limits on abortion, saying the government has an interest in "preventing increasing numbers of children from being born in to lives of pain and despair."

Politico said the Obama campaign confirmed the pro-abortion presidential candidate wrote the piece in question and that it was one of the typical articles law students would write briefing and opining on federal and state court decisions.

In an email to the web site, Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt also confirmed that Obama "remains committed to" the sentiments he expressed in the piece.

Obama's article is on page 823 of Volume 103 of the Harvard Law Review and would likely be located in larger public libraries and databases that chronicle legal articles in scholarly publications.

Notice this line, "preventing increasing numbers of children from being born in to lives of pain and despair". Sounds good at face value right? Who wants kids to suffer in this life from being born to a mom strung out on crack or being consigned to poverty? Question: Why not kill kids out of the womb who are in these conditions. If we can kill it in the womb why not give moms the right to kill the kids say within 28 days (like Peter Singer believed) if they are under a certain poverty level, or the mom can't take care of them based on certain criteria.

If preventing "pain and despair" is a good reason to allow kids to be killed what other reasons is this line of thinking going to lead to? Mentally handicapped? Gender preferences? The more we go down this road, the sooner we land in the good company of guys like Hitler who wanted to create the master race based on certain characteristics. Power to the strong. Cleanse the world from all that drains on society. I don't want to live in this kind of world.