Friday, October 31, 2008
Political Question for My Readers
Should health care be seen as a right or a privilege?
I had this question posed to me recently and I would be curious to know your thoughts.
I had this question posed to me recently and I would be curious to know your thoughts.
How Do You Tell The Bible's Story?
"There is a version that runs something like this: “God made you to know him, but you have rejected God. Your sin cuts you off from God and brings you under his judgment. But God sent his Son to die in your place and reconcile you to God. Now you can know God and look forward to being with him after death.” It is the story of an individual out of relationship with God brought back into relationship with God. This version of the story is true. But it is not the whole truth, nor is it how the Bible itself tells the story. Consider instead a different version: “God made humanity to know him and to rule over his good creation. But humanity rejected God, and ever since we have lived in rebellion against him and in conflict with each other. But God chose Abraham and his family to be the beginning of a new humanity. He rescued this people from slavery and made a covenant through which they could relate to him and display his glory to the world. When they persistently rejected God, he promised a remnant who would continue the promise of a people who know God. He promised a new covenant bringing forgiveness for sin and his Law written on their hearts. Ultimately Jesus was that faithful remnant. He died for his people to redeem God’s new humanity. And he rose as the first among many who would enjoy new life in a new creation. God is now gathering his people through the mission of the church and will present them, drawn from all nations, as the perfected bride of his Son.” The invitation implicit in this story is not simply to an individual relationship with God (though that is one implication). The invitation is to become part of the new people of God, the bride of Christ. It suggests a spirituality with a much more communal orientation. Here is a spirituality in which we grasp the amazing dimensions of Christ’s love “together with all the saints” (Ephesians 3:18). We model and embody God’s love for one another (1 John 4:12). I have a relationship with God because we have a relationship with God."- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church, p. 148,149
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Obamanomics
In reference to this post from a few days ago, Cal Thomas writes:
(HT: James Grant)
His conclusion:Obama thought the Warren Court should have “broken free” from the constraints placed on the Constitution and the courts by the Founding Fathers. This is remarkable hubris. Obama said the Constitution mostly “says what the states can’t do to you … what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or state government must do on your behalf.” That’s because the Constitution is about liberty and protecting citizens from oppressive and invasive government.
This is scary stuff. That it is only now surfacing is another reminder of the poor job the mainstream media have done in vetting Obama. Barack Obama thinks the Constitution and the country it helped create should be remade in his image. He wants to be a founding father of a different America, one that would bear little resemblance to the country we have known. This is radical in the extreme and Obama, along with his many acolytes who are itching to get their hands on unchecked political power, are a danger to this nation’s survival.
Read the the whole thing.John McCain stands in the way of a complete liberal coup that would transform America in ways the founders and most Americans would oppose. McCain may be dull at times; he may have run an imperfect campaign; he should have spent more time exposing Obama as a radical socialist instead of worrying what the media would say if he did, but John McCain is a patriot who has proved his love, service and dedication to this country.
Republicans have made many mistakes and deserve the punishment they are now getting, but the one charge that cannot be laid at their doorstep is that they wanted to re-write the Constitution and weaken the country.
(HT: James Grant)
Mars Hil Parenting Conference
The Crimson Window:
Mars Hills recently held a conference centered on biblical parenting this past September. The keynote speaker this year was Dr. Tedd Trip. The Resurgence has now posted the audio and video of the event.
Media from the Conference
Session 1: The Call to Formative Instruction
Session 2: Giving Kids a Vision for God’s Glory
Session 3: Helping Kids Understand Authority
Session 4: Helping Kids Understand the Heart
Session 5: Overview of Corrective Discipline
How Can We Negotiate With Death?
Al Mohler writes well here on the abortion issue:
Thirty-five years after Roe v. Wade, abortion on demand is now an ingrained part of American culture. Many Americans are willing to consider it a "right" even as they would never consider an abortion for themselves. Roe is now a precedent protected by a wall of other precedents in the law. If Roe were to be overturned tomorrow, we would be in for a battle on a state-by-state basis that might take decades -- and might not turn out as we hope.I can understand the fatigue and the sense of frustration. On the other hand, we have witnessed a growing respect for life as ultrasound technologies have opened the womb to view. We have seen the Supreme Court allow that some abortion procedures can be ruled outside the law. We see pro-life convictions growing among the young. This is a moral conflict that might take a century or more to run its course.
I can understand the desire to reset the equation, to transcend the tired divisions. I can even understand the desire to move on, to go on to other issues of great and grave concern. I can sense excitement about a candidate who represents generational hope, and whose election could do so much to heal racial lines of division.
But I just cannot get past one crucial, irreducible, and central issue -- the moral status of those unborn lives. They are not mine to negotiate. If abortion were a matter of concern for anything less than this, I would gladly negotiate. But abortion is a matter of life and death, and how can we negotiate with death? What moral sense does it make to settle for death as "safe, legal, and rare?" How safe? How rare?
Our considerations of these questions will reveal what we really think of those millions of unborn lives. Do we consider the battle for their lives permanently lost?
Those fighting for the abolition of slavery pressed on against obstacles and set backs worse than these because, after all, these were human lives they were defending. What if they had listened to those who, after Dred Scott and the Missouri Compromise, said that the battle was "permanently" lost? What if they had been intimidated by critics accusing them of "single-issue" voting?
If every single fetus is an unborn child made in the image of God, there is no moral justification for settling for a vague hope of some reduction in the number of fetal homicides. If the abortion fight is "permanently lost," it will be lost first among those who claim to be defenders of life -- those who tell us that the argument is merely changing.
The Difference Between Sharing and Theft
John Hood:
Speaking in front of a huge audience at downtown Raleigh rally yesterday, Barack Obama threw off a humorous line about John McCain's accusation that the Obama tax plan is redistributionist:
McCain has “called me a socialist for wanting to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class,” Obama said. “I don’t know what’s next. By the end of the week he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten.”
Ha ha.
Only, in this passage Obama revealed precisely why he is vulnerable to such charges: he can't seem to tell the difference between a gift and a theft. There is nothing remotely socialistic or communistic about sharing. If you have a toy that someone else wants, you have three choices in a free society. You can offer to trade it for something you value that is owned by the other. You can give the toy freely, as a sign of friendship or compassion. Or you can choose to do neither.
Collectivism in all its forms is about taking away your choice. Whether you wish to or not, the government compels you to surrender the toy, which it then redistributes to someone that government officials deem to be a more worthy owner. It won't even be someone you could ever know, in most cases. That's what makes the political philosophy unjust (by stripping you of control over yourself and the fruits of your labor) as well as counterproductive (by failing to give the recipient sufficient incentive to learn and work hard so he can earn his own toys in the future).
Government is not charity. It is not persuasion, or cooperation, or sharing. Government is a fist, a shove, a gun. Obama either doesn't understand this, or doesn't want voters to understand it.
Worship Leaders and Blogging
Mark Roberts writes well on why worship leaders should also be bloggers. I agree! (Obviously).
You might want to forward this article on to the worship leader at your church.
You might want to forward this article on to the worship leader at your church.
Chose Hope Over Fear?
Doug Groothuis:
Tonight on TV Obama tells us to "Chose Hope Over Fear." It is a slogan without meaning. One should fear the outcomes of an Obama presidency:
1. Fear Obama's abortion policies: signing The Freedom of Choice Act, overturning the Hyde Amendment (banning tax dollars to support abortion), supporting partial birth abortions, etc. Hope for good in these areas is irrational.
There is reason to hope that John McCain will be as pro-life as his record shows and his words proclaim.
2. Fear Obama's economic policies: higher taxes that inhibits economic recovery; huge increases in governmental spending; "spreading the wealth around" through confiscatory taxation and social engineering. Hope for this economic shell game is irrational.
There is reason to hope that John McCain will control spending and keep taxes low, thus leaving more money in our hands and generating more tax revenue (as did Reagan).
3. Fear Obama's foreign policy: defunding an already overstretched military; losing Iraq to terrorist rule; bargaining with rogue leaders of Iran, etc., with no sense of their dangers and evils. Hope here is irrational and dangerous.
There is reason to hope that a long time Senator and military hero--who was right about the surge in Iraq--will do the right thing and be strong in the face of international evils. John McCain is that man.
4. Fear Obama's lack of executive experience and moral character: he has written two memiors, but no significant legislation; he is a first term senator with a very shady background (close associations with William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, ACORN, etc.). Hoping in this man in irrational and dangerous.
There is reason to hope that John McCain's proven character will continue while in The White House.
Slogans do not make for coherent political philosophies. Evil outcomes should be feared and thus avoided. Hope should rest in rational projections, not in irrational and romantic wishes.
For these reasons, do not vote for Obama and be sure to vote for John McCain. No, he is not as charismatic, but that does not matter. We need a proven leader with strong character and wise policies, not an "historic" celebrity who lacks the needed credentials for the most influential office on the planet.
This Blew Me Away
Russell Moore's sermon manuscript, Joseph Is a Single-Issue Evangelical: The Father of Jesus, the Cries of the Helpless, and Change You Can Believe In, is now online. Here's how it closes:
The question for us, then, of whether we are truly pro-life or not, has very little to do with how many signs are in our yards or what bumper stickers we put on our cars. Indeed, it may be the case that after this election the abortion debate will be over in this country politically.You can also listen to the MP3 online.
But even if that's the case, it's not over. Our churches are to follow in the walk of faith, which means that--like Joseph walking away from stability and comfort--our churches must be different, they must be counter-cultural, the kind of place where the teenage mother is welcomed and loved, where abandoned children are received, and where a culture that is in love with death can come and hear a message saying that life is better than death because there is a man, an ex-corpse, a former-fetus, who is standing as the ruler over all the nations and the universe. And he is not dead anymore.
What we must have is a church in which the gospel we give is the kind of gospel that leads people out of death and despair and toward the kind of life that is found in confessing a name--a name that was first spoken by human lips by a day-laborer in Nazareth, "Jesus is Lord."
If we follow this kind of pure and undefiled religion, it doesn't mean we will be shrill. It doesn't mean we will be culture-warriors. It doesn't mean we'll be belligerent. It will mean that we will have churches that are so strikingly different, that maybe in ten or fifteen years the most odd and counter-cultural thing a lost person may hear in your church is not, "Amen," but is instead the sounds of babies crying in the nursery.
And hearing the oddness of that sound, when they look around at the place in which all of the Lord Jesus' brothers and sisters are welcomed, protected, and loved, the place in which the lies of a murderous and appetite-driven dragon are denied, the lost person might say, "What is the sound of all these cries?" And maybe we'll be able to say with our forefather Joseph, "that's the sound of life. That's the sound of hope. That's the sound of change."
You might even say, it's "change you can believe in."
Using Gratitude To Fight Asceticism and Idolatry
"Describing humanity in rebellion against God, Paul says, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him” (Romans 1:21). Ingratitude was part of ouroriginal sin. Gratitude, in contrast, regulates our relationship with the created world by steering us between asceticism (the abstinence from earthly pleasure) and idolatry. Asceticism undervalues God’s good creation, while gratitude acknowledges its value. Idolatry overvalues creation, while gratitude ensures that God remains our central focus. Hence the practice of saying “grace” at every meal, an approach we should perhaps extend to other areas (at least in terms of our attitude). If I say thank you to God for every morsel of food, that transforms that food. It is no longer merely fuel for my body; it becomes a gift from God to be enjoyed and relished. Its taste and texture take on new significance. All things are good if they are enjoyed in obedience to God’s will and for his glory (1 Timothy 4:1–5)."
- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church, p. 145
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I Love You So Much That...
My 3-year-old had a classic line tonight. She said to my wife Kim, "I love you so much that I am going to throw up."Wow. Not sure what to make of that one, but it sure made us laugh.
Total Church - Chapter 7 - Church Discipline
I say Amen to this quote. May we actually know each other enough through close relationships in the church that church discipline may never get to the point of formal interaction from the church."I have been involved in a handful of situations where the church has deemed it necessary to discipline a church member with excommunication because of persistent refusal to turn from open sin. On each occasion the issue was blatant immorality with no repentance. Everyone agreed that the behavior was wrong. Care was taken to follow the procedure of Matthew 18, not only at the level of the letter, but also trying to be true to the spirit of the instruction. All those involved were clear that it was done with a view to the restoration of the individuals concerned. However, I have never known that process to succeed in achieving that aim. Why not? After all, church
discipline is biblical, and so it is legitimate to expect it to work.
I do not pretend to have all the answers, but I suspect a significant factor was that the discipline foreseen by Jesus in Matthew 18 and by Paul in 1 Corinthians 5 was meant to be the end point of a process. Our real failure was in the process leading up to it. The culture created by the leadership was not a culture of mutual discipline and care. Anyone who has a family will know that there is more likelihood of success in dealing with acute disciplinary issues with children if as parents you have shown commitment to creating an environment of care and discipline. Church discipline needs to become a daily reality in which rebuke and exhortation are normal. Without this, any form of confrontation will itself create a sense of crisis. We need a culture of daily and mutual discipleship. Structures and programs cannot create it. It requires the sharing of lives and gospel intentionality. We need to accept that God’s lordship extends over every area of our lives. This means there is no act so mundane that it lies outside the scope of the gospel. We cannot be content with a morality of negatives (do not get drunk, do not swear). We need to take responsibility for each other’s godliness—not only at the level of behavior but of attitudes and underlying idolatries. Paul encourages the Christians in Ephesus to “speak the truth in love” to one another (Ephesians 4:15.). This means recognizing that apparently insignificant moments are actually full of significance.
Grumbling, for example, is almost a national pastime and a feature of many conversations. We grumble about anything and everything. But Christians are called to stand out by not complain- ing (Philippians 2:14–15). So when I grumble, I need God’s people gently to rebuke me and remind me of God’s grace in Christ. I need them to encourage me to live a life of thankfulness so that I might “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). We do this lovingly and gently, recognizing that we are all sinners saved by grace and recognizing that transformation is God’s work that he will complete by that same grace."
- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church, p. 121-123
Tim Keller on Why He Wrote "The Prodigal God"
Read why Tim Keller wrote his forthcoming book, The Prodigal God. It sounds really good and I can't wait to get it. It releases on this Thursday. You can pre-order here.
(HT: James Grant)
Economics 101
"Like so much that is said glibly by Barack Obama, raising taxes on “the rich” has serious — and potentially disastrous — implications for the whole country that have been ignored amid the political euphoria."
- Thomas Sowell
Read the rest of his post.
(HT: JT)
- Thomas Sowell
Read the rest of his post.
(HT: JT)
College At Bethlehem Baptist Church (John Piper's Church)
This sounds really cool. Read about it here.
Wisdom for Email
Today in our staff meeting our executive pastor asked us to come up with a collective list of rules to generally follow when dealing with email. Here is the list we came up with followed by some comments from me:
1. Don't confront people over email.
Non-verbal communication is too important in confrontation and tone cannot be interpreted well over email. Ask yourself if you are wanting to confront over email because you are being cowardly and have a sinful bent toward the fear of man. One push back on this principle is that when writing an email you can collect your thoughts in a cohesive way for better communication. I would say if you feel this way, write your thoughts on a pad of paper with bullet points and bring it to your confrontation appointment.
2. Use email to work on your grammar.
Text speak (lol, c ya, etc.) can merge into our email, email can merge into our more formal writing. Don't believe this? Ask my wife, she teaches graduate school and can testify to this fact. Scary, I know.
3. Work to have a balance between email and personal contact.
I am bad at this. I have found that I would rather sit in my office and fire off a quick email to the guy in the office next door as opposed to just popping over and saying something quickly. I know it feels efficient in the short term, but I wonder about the long term effects. If we are not careful we breed a culture of isolation that is detrimental to our essential nature of God's image bearers, created for communities of love.
4. Be professional over email.
Granted, for most of us email is not a professional medium of communication, but why not raise the bar?
5. Use subject lines.
Again, I am bad at this but working on it. It's much easier to find old emails this way, for you and the one who receives. It also helps emails not get pushed to spam folders and gives your reader a sense of your intentions right off the bat.
6. Don't multi-task too much with email.
I have been burned bad in the past by having too many emails flying around with different windows open and hitting reply when I should have hit forward. What a horrible feeling! It's like you want to scratch and claw your way into the computer after hitting send to pull that one back out. Sadly, you can't. I did this one time in college when I was wanting to forward something to JT about our religion professor, but rather sent it to the religion professor himself. The email was less than kind. The next day in class he was a good sport about it and thought it was funny, but made fun of me in front of the whole class. Mortifying.
7. Don't email your spouse a love letter, or better yet, anything to anybody that is emotionally meaningful.
Use your own handwriting. It's way more personal.
8. Hesitate before you hit reply all.
Do they all really need to receive your reply?
9. Don't forward cheesy emails with winged angels and dancing bears.
Barf.
10. Learn people's style.
Some people just don't like email. Serve them by not trying to force them into your style and then being angry when they don't reply to your email. Call or go and see them. This is most loving. Also, don't be offended when you write a four paragraph book email and they only reply with two sentences. They might not have had time to reciprocate with equivalent size and would rather just talk on the phone.
11. Use blind copy (BCC:) when sending to a large group.
If you don't you could expose people to spam from insensitive spammers who like to collect email addresses to add people to random lists.
Review of Death by Love
Irish Calvinist reviews Mark Driscoll's latest book, Death by Love. His summary:
Death by Love is Mark Driscoll’s best book yet. I truly believe it will have staying power and be helpful in promoting gospel-centered ministry for years to come.I have heard that this book is a must read for anyone who engages in pastoral counseling of any sort.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Jerry Bridges - New Devotional - Holiness Day by Day
Here is a new devotional from Jerry Bridges. There are few men who write so clearly and helpfully about the gospel. You can read some samples by clicking here.
Jesus Christ is Stronger
James McDonald writes a short and powerful essay that caused me to rejoice this morning. I would commend it to you.
He references a song from the latest Hillsong recording (AmazonMP3 or
) called, Stronger. I would commend this song to you as well. There are two songs on this release that are VERY good for church use. One would be the aforementioned song and the other is the song we taught yesterday called, Sing to the Lord. You can find these songs here:
Stronger - AmazonMP3, or
Sing to the Lord - AmazonMP3, or
He references a song from the latest Hillsong recording (AmazonMP3 or
) called, Stronger. I would commend this song to you as well. There are two songs on this release that are VERY good for church use. One would be the aforementioned song and the other is the song we taught yesterday called, Sing to the Lord. You can find these songs here:Stronger - AmazonMP3, or
Sing to the Lord - AmazonMP3, or
How To Have Horrible Devotions
Steven Altrogge wisely (or unwisely!) writes a sure fire prescription for downer (with a capital D) devotional times.
He writes:
He writes:
Tired of having vibrant, rich, God-centered devotional times? Looking for something a little more dry and stagnant? This five step plan is sure to suck the life of out your devotional times in no time.
STEP 1: Do Your Duty Soldier
STEP 2: Wallow in Condemnation
STEP 3: Forget Faith
STEP 4: Snooze Baby, Snooze
STEP 5: Ride Solo
Click here to read how he fleshes out these points.
Why Connection to The Church is Essential to the Health of Your Marriage
"The same difficulties faced by people outside of the church, where divorce rates are approaching 40 percent, are also those faced by people within. A significant element of this pressure is individualism. In a culture in which the rights and desires of the individual are sacred, bringing two individuals together in a relationship as close as marriage is bound to create problems. There is also a disposable attitude toward relationships in general in our society, and this affects attitudes toward marriage. The breakup of the extended family with increased mobility has contributed significantly to the strain placed on marriage. The oft-quoted African proverb claims that “it takes a village to raise a child.” But Western culture is now prepared to leave it almostentirely to a couple (and in some cases a single person). Many of the support structures of previous generations have been removed, leaving marriage exposed and vulnerable.
There is no better place for marriages to be nurtured than in a communal setting for two principal reasons.
1. The Christian community provides the context in which we learn what it means to be persons-in-community. This is a foundational truth if we are to live successfully with other people. If the
Western world’s prevailing culture reinforces individualism, a different culture is necessary to present an alternative. The church is a great context in which to learn what it means to live in relationship with others. It is the location in which my self-preoccupation will be confronted. This happens as I hear the Bible being taught. It happens as I am encouraged and rebuked by my brothers and sisters who take responsibility for my godliness. It happens as I respond to the Lord’s call to love God with all my heart and my neighbor as myself. It happens as God’s truth conspires with my circumstances to show me that this is not my world and I am not God. It happens as the community responds to my sin with love and grace.
2. The Christian community provides the best context in which marriages can flourish. In the contemporary context, marriage is sometimes little more than “plural individualism.” In the church we find practical support structures. In the church we find people who are committed to our marriage. They know from God’s word what godly marriage involves and will help us live that out. They know what godly marriage involves because, whether married or single, they themselves are part of a relationship of submission and love with Christ (Ephesians 5:22–31). The church provides a wider context that prevents marriages from becoming inward-looking and self-serving."
- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church, p. 136,137
Our Catastrophic History and God’s Gift of Adoption
Dan Cruver at the Together for Adoption blog:
The efffect of sin upon human history has been catastrophic. Instead of living on this earth as sons of obedience, we became sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2). Instead of being children of love, we became children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). Instead of being God’s image bearers, we chose to be bearers of our own image. As Paul says in Romans 1, we exchanged the glory of the eternal God for the finite glory of the creature (Rom. 1:23). As a consequence of our rebellion, creation was subjected to futility, to the bondage of corruption (Romans 8:20-21). Our sin has had catastrophic effects upon human history and the created order. But God . . .
God’s gracious work of adoption is the eucatastrophe (i.e., a good catastrophe—the sudden turn for joy in a hopeless circumstance) of our catastrophic history. Join us for our Together for Adoption Conference 2008 this coming Saturday as we explore our catastrophic history, how God’s work of adoption is the eucatastrophe of our tragic story, and how the consummation of our adoption will affect the entire created order. Go here to register.
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Learn more about Together for Adoption Conference 2008:
Interview with Robert George and Doug Groothuis
Here is an interview with Princeton Law Professor, Dr. Robert George, dealing with Obama's abortion extremism.
Also, James Grant reports:
(HT: Doug G.)
Also, James Grant reports:
“Issues, Etc.,” interviews Douglas Groothuis on how abortion isthe most important election issue that we face. You can download that interview here.
(HT: Doug G.)
Monday, October 27, 2008
10 Reasons Why Bob Kauflin Loves The ESV Study Bible
He writes:
1. It’s based on the English Standard Version, which is one of the finest and most faithful translations available today. While it’s always good to consult various translations for study, the ESV does a great job recognizing variants in translation in the footnotes.You can check out more info here.
2. The introductory notes to each book are informative and helpful, and don’t overwhelm you with interesting but non-essential background information.
3. The notes are extensive and answer questions I actually have about the text, without avoiding difficult passages.
4. The notes cover material that is not only helpful, but pastoral, aimed at helping me understand God’s Word better and loving God more.
5. The notes are well laid out. Larger section, shorter, then vs. by vs. I’ve found them easy to follow along with the text.
6. The treatment of the first few chapters of Genesis is very even-handed and well-researched. The notes aim to give us an appreciation for the interplay of science and the Bible without giving ground on the ultimate authority of Scripture.
7. The focus is always Gospel-centered. The notes seek to answer the question, “Where does this section of the Bible fit into the larger story of God sending Jesus to redeem a people for his glory?”
8. The articles in the back of the Bible are almost a book in themselves (I’d love to see Crossway will publish these separately), and address many significant issues clearly, briefly, and effectively. They include Biblical Doctrine, Biblical Ethics, Reading the Bible, The Reliability of Bible Manuscripts, The Bible and World Religions, and the History of Salvation in the Old Testament.
9. The maps and illustrations actually contain the cities, areas, and details I want to know about, and are placed close to the passages they refer to.
10. The notes don’t go beyond what the text says. They affirm what is clear, and plainly present different views when a word, phrase, or passage is unclear.
Creepy, Yes, But Still Very Cool - The Joker
We are going to carve our pumpkins tonight with the kids. My buddy Kyle did this one. I thought it was pretty amazing. I'm just glad he didn't do a Barack O'Lantern.
Total Church - Chapter 6 - Theological Education and Leaderhip
"We are not against theological colleges, but we need a big switch of focus from the isolation of residential theological colleges to apprenticeships in the context of ministry. This is how Jesus trained people. This is how Paul trained people. In residential colleges the academy sets the agenda. With on-the-job training, ministry and mission set the agenda.Colleges also suit a certain type of person, and this then shapes a view of what it means to be a church leader. Most church leaders today are middle-class graduates who were trained in a college and whose qualification for ministry is a degree. The first apostles were from very mixed social backgrounds, most with no education. They trained by accompanying Jesus, and their qualification for ministry was that they knew Jesus. When the Jewish leaders “saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). One of the reasons we have middle-class churches that are failing to reach working-class people is that we have middle-class leaders. And we have middle-class leaders because our expectations of what constitutes leadership and our training methods are middle-class. Indeed working-class people only really get into leadership by effectively becoming middle-class.
Paul had the highest education possible (Acts 22:3). It is not bad to be highly educated. But the qualities he outlines for Christian leaders are not skills-based but character-based. The focus in
1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 is on the character of leaders—their godliness, their maturity, their example. The only skill needed is the ability to teach—and that does not necessarily mean giving forty-five-minute sermons. It is the ability to apply God’s word to the life of the church and the lives of its members."
- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church, p. 118, 120
My comment:
This is why I am very excited that right now our church has 4 young guys in seminary through the Covenant Seminary ACCESS program (distance ed). The church invests in the education of young leaders while giving them hands-on, on the job training in the context of the local church.
I would say that generally speaking (there are always exceptions) this should be the ideal for most pastors in training. I have seen the huge blessing in my life (I should, God willing, be finished with my MATS in January) and also in the lives and ministries of those I serve alongside. If you are currently in leadership at your church why not invest in this way in the future of the church by equipping a few young guys to go to seminary and get trained by you at the same time?
Reasons this might be a good idea for young guys who show vocational ministry potential:
1. No debt. Based on what most pastors get paid, going into 5 figure debt for seminary is probably not wise.
2. The Body of Christ and church leaders gets a chance to affirm your gifts and calling. Let's say you work for the church and enroll in distance education along the way and find out through others or self-assessment that full time ministry is just not your calling. This scenario is not nearly as big of a deal as if you spent thousands of dollars in traditional seminary education. How much better of an idea to test out your gifts and calling under the leadership of people you love and trust in order to help you answer the question, "should I go to seminary and pursue vocational ministry?" I would say that most guys should not pursue seminary unless they are encouraged to do so by two or three trusted pastors from whom they seek counsel and wisdom.
3. Most seminaries have apprenticeship programs, but these usually pale in comparison to working for the church and taking seminary classes along the way. In the model I am advocating, you get an immediate context in which to apply what you are learning in very real ways among people with whom you have built great relationships. You also have an immediate filter by which you can know if what you are learning is actually applicable to real-life ministry. It's harder to acquire the academic "ivory tower" mentality this way.
4. You don't have to check out of serving in the local church for three to four years. Most seminary students who have a family, job, and 15 hours of theological studies a week know that just being able to show up on Sunday mornings might be a chore in and of itself.
5. You don't have to uproot your family and lose your job! This was my biggest reason for not going to traditional seminary but rather doing it via distance education at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis.
Again, some people are called to the traditional, on campus, three/four year, MDiv. model of seminary education, but I would argue, based on the reasons above, that for most people this is not necessary and it may be far more beneficial to pursue distance education while working for, or serving heavily in, the local church.
I found this funny - Liquid Nicotine
Relevant Mag:
A new beverage being sold in London pubs aims to help people beat the smoking ban by containing up to 15 percent nicotine. The drink, called Liquid Smoking, already has anti-smoking groups up in arms. But, come on! Who hasn't had the urge to drink from a dirty ashtray? ...
Black Genuine Leather ESV Study Bible Give Away for Vitamin Z Subscribers
I am going to shamelessly steal an idea from Abraham Piper. Here is how you can enter the giveaway:
1. Subscribe by email or RSS (What is RSS?)
2. Email me to say that you’re a subscriber—new or old.
3. I’ll draw a winner for this Bible on Friday and post the results on my blog.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Bad Times Are Good for Missions
I believe the Lord brought this word to mind in one of our prayer meetings on Friday:
The worst of all times is the best of all times for missions.
We were praying over Lamentations 3. Those were the worst of times for Israel. But in that moment they were given the best of promises,
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (3:22-23)
Today marks the close of Missions Focus at Bethlehem. So we were praying for missions. That is when this word came: The worst of all times is the best of all times for missions.
Such words do not have intrinsic authority the way Scripture does. They must be tested. Here is the truth I hear in those words.
- During an economic downturn we are more dependent on God. That is the most fertile soil for creating missionaries.
- During an economic downturn unreached people around the world do not expect you to come, but to look out for yourself. So they may more likely see your risk as love rather than exploitation.
- During an economic downturn those who need Christ around the world may be less secure in earthly things and more ready to hear about eternal life.
- During an economic downturn people at home may be wakened to the brevity of life and the fragility of material things, and so may become more generous not less. And when they give under these circumstances, it will make Christ look all the more like the all-satisfying Treasure that he is.
And so it may well prove to be that the worst of all times is the best of all times for missions.
The Illogic of Obama's Abortion Rhetoric
Dr. Doug Groothuis highlights an essay from an anonymous source about the complete illogic of Obama's statements about abortion. The more I talk to Christians who say they are voting for Obama, they continue to make it clear that they have not thought through his statements about abortion:
First, he claimed that he would like to see less abortions take place. Second, he claimed that he supported a ban on partial birth abortion (again, as long as the exclusion for the health of the mother was included in the bill). I think the best way to highlight the problem is to give a couple of deductive arguments.
1. Obama supports a ban on partial birth abortion (given the appropriate exclusions).
2. Obama will sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law.
3. If the Freedom of Choice Act is signed into law, then a ban on partial birth abortions would be impossible.
4. A ban on partial birth abortions will be impossible with Obama as President (from (2) and (3)).
5. Obama supports a ban on partial birth abortion (given the appropriate exclusions) and he will make such a ban impossible as President (from (1) and (4)).
Statement (5) is a contradiction. One cannot at the same time support a ban and support legislation that would prevent such a ban from taking place. Therefore, either (1), (2), or (3) is false. (3) is true. That makes the culprit either (1) or (2). Obama said both (1) and (2), albeit on different occasions, and I leave it to the reader to decide which one he’s really going to support.
Now, onto the second argument…
6. If the Freedom of Choice Act is signed into law, then any pregnant woman in the country would be able to get an abortion without that procedure being cost prohibitive [the act provides federal subsidies for those who cannot afford an abortion].
7. If abortion is no longer cost prohibitive, then there will be more abortions.
8. If the Freedom of Choice Act is signed into law, there will be more abortions (from (6) and (7)).
9. Obama stated that he wants fewer abortions.
10. There will be more abortions (from (2) and (8)).
11. Therefore, Obama wants fewer abortions and will sign into law an act that will increase abortions.
Now, (11) is a contradiction. (6) is true, (7) is reasonable, (8) follows deductively from (6) and (7), and so the problem is again the fact that Obama says one thing (10) and plans to do something (2) that contradict one another.
It’s certainly fair to ask whether Obama is really for less abortions or for more abortions and whether he is really for a ban on partial birth abortion or for zero restrictions on abortion. As far as I can tell, there is nothing coherent in Obama’s stated positions, and that is troubling. It seems that the contradictions either stem from incompetence or deception. In either event, the guy shouldn’t be President.
NBA Boot Camp
Those of you who are not basketball fans will probably not find this interesting, but since I am a huge basketball fan I found it very interesting. Chris Ballard, an NBA sports writer for Sports Illustrated spends four grueling days at NBA boot camp in Florida and chronicles the whole experience.As a guy about his age still trying to relive the high school dreams on Saturday mornings with my crotchety thirtysomething buddies, it was a very interesting read.
From the story intro:
Going in, I had a vague idea of what to expect. Long ago, in what now seems like a former life, I played high-school ball and a year in college. I recall running -- lots and lots of it -- and endless loops of ball handling exercises, 2-on-1 breaks and weave drills. So I was prepared for the conditioning aspect of IMG. What I was unprepared for was the exquisite attention to detail, the focus not just on improvement but on mastery.
Of course, that's better-suited to NBA clients. For our group, the stated goal was to better understand the game. The unstated goal was that none of us -- mostly in our mid-30s, universally unaccustomed to two-a-days -- leave on a stretcher. Both goals, I can happily report, were accomplished.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
This Made Me Cry
Jeremy Monteith:
This is a very cool video that was on ESPN Gameday this morning about Georgia head coach Mark Richt and his family. It focuses on two children that they adopted from Ukraine, including one that has a facial deformity.RSS people, you'll probably need to click to my site to view.
Christless Christianity
Dr. Michael Horton's new book, Christless Christianity has just been released.
Here is a description:
Is it possible that we have left Christ out of Christianity? Is the faith and practice of American Christians today more American than Christian? These are the provocative questions Michael Horton addresses in this thoughtful, insightful book. He argues that while we invoke the name of Christ, too often Christ and the Christ-centered gospel are pushed aside. The result is a message and a faith that are, in Horton's words, "trivial, sentimental, affirming, and irrelevant." This alternative "gospel" is a message of moralism, personal comfort, self-help, self-improvement, and individualistic religion. It trivializes God, making him a means to our selfish ends. Horton skillfully diagnoses the problem and points to the solution: a return to the unadulterated gospel of salvation.We had Dr. Horton and D.A. Carson at Desert Springs Church a few months back for our annual Clarus conference and he was a joy to be with. I would encourage you to pick up this book.
You can find it here.
Friday, October 24, 2008
New Christmas Albums You Might Want To Consider
I know it might be a bit early to start alerting you to this stuff, but oh well...
AmazonMP3 or
AmazonMP3 or
AmazonMP3 or 
AmazonMP3 or
The Difference Made by Pro-Life Politicians and Pro-Life Laws
JT:
Everyone knows that "there is little that elected officials can do to curb abortion through legislation" and that "the pro-life movement has not reaped any real benefits from supporting candidates who oppose abortion." Right? That's what many evangelicals supporting pro-abortion-rights candidates have claimed this year.
The problem is that this is not true. Michael New has a helpful post showing the evidence that successful pro-life legislation--like public funding restrictions, informed consent laws, and parental involvement laws--have been effective at reducing the number of abortions in America.
Read the whole thing.
Total Church - Chapter 6 - Relationships and Teaching
"We have found in our context that most learning and training takes place not through programmed teaching or training courses but in unplanned conversations—talking about life, talking about ministry, talking about problems.Let us make a bold statement: truth cannot be taught effectively outside of close relationships. The reason is that truth is not primarily formal; it is dynamic. The truth of the gospel becomes compelling as we see it transforming lives in the rub of daily, messy relationships. Jay Adams says, “A whole person will affect whole persons on all levels; that is the goal of discipleship training. . . . It all involves commitment to God. Therefore, truth incarnated in life is the goal. For reaching this goal, only one method is possible—the biblical one—discipleship. Whole persons must teach whole persons; the Word must be made flesh.”- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church, p. 118
You could start simply by telling someone today about your relationship with God or your struggles with sin. Tell him or her about how God has encouraged you, answered your prayer, spoken to you through the Bible, and given you opportunities to share the gospel or serve other Christians. And then ask that person about his or her walk with God. Make it a habit to talk about these things together “along the road.”
Pornography: A Grave Challenge To Marriages
From the latest EJournal of 9Marks Ministry: An interview with Winston Smith. Winston T. Smith, M.Div., is the director of counseling at CCEF and has extensive experience as a marriage and family counselor. He is the author of many counseling articles, the booklet, Rest, and is currently writing a book on marriage.
9M: How do you think the culture has changed over the last fifteen or twenty years? What do you think marriages are facing now that they may not have faced twenty years ago?
WS: There are probably many cultural pressures that make marriage different than it was even 15 or 20 years ago. I will just point out one because it's one of the most insidious. I've seen time and time again just how powerful and destructive pornography is in marriages. Of course, pornography is more than 20 years old, but what has changed in the last 20 years is technology. In the past there was this shame barrier that you had to be willing to cross. To really throw yourself into pornography, you had to go to a different part of town. You had to get out of your car and walk into a store and be willing to be seen. Your name and your face would be associated with the material that you were handling. Now anonymity seems almost guaranteed. It's not just available to you, it's invading your life. It's promoting itself. It will pop up in your e-mails. It will show up on the movie menu in the hotel room. Probably the classier the hotel, the easier it is to view pornography and the more shamelessly it's displayed.
Pornography is on the offensive against you. It's coming after you. So you have to have real reasons to say no to it, not just because you are going to get caught. That's not a good enough reason because you'll have opportunities to secretly indulge in it. The mode of pornography has changed, and the message has become amplified. Without being graphic, anybody who's seen pornography will probably know what I'm talking about. Pornography is ultimately about anonymous, meaningless relationships where the center of focus is personal gratification.
Sex is wonderful, but sex is intended by God to communicate meaning and purpose. It is intended to communicate God's commitment, covenantal and sacrificial love, tenderness and care. It is not intended to communicate a freedom to do what you can get away with, focus on yourself, and engage in anonymous, meaningless relationships. You take those anti-relationship messages of pornography and pair them with a physiological high and you've got something really nasty on your hands. It doesn't just enslave a person's time and thought life. It begins to invade the rest of their relationships. Those same messages of convenience, pleasure, and self-focus leak all over your life—they don't just stay on your computer .
9M: Do you have any wisdom for pastors and churches for taking the offensive—ways they can be proactive in the battle against pornography?
WS: I think one of the ways churches should work against this threat, very simply, is to start talking about it. And don't just talk about it as something that's out there in the culture, but talk about it as something that's coming after us as individuals and families in the church. Create forums/arenas where people who are battling with it can talk about it without being shamed or treated like second class citizens. Create an open conversation where this problem is treated with the same care, concern, and tenderness as any other sins and struggle.
This is a very simple but bold step. You need to say, "We're going to talk about it like it's a problem in our church, because it is." It is a given. Of course, this conversation should occur as part of the larger culture of discipling and accountability that pastors should be cultivating in their churches.
Then be really practical in giving people tools to do something about it.
- If you have an Internet connection in your home, think of it as a portal to a XXX book store. You have a doorway in your house that leads to an adult book store if you have an internet connection, a cable TV, or satellite connection. So treat it like it's a door that needs to be guarded and locked. It's ok to be entertained with your computer, but you need to know what you're doing and why you're doing it. You're not just grazing on your computer.
- Limit private access to the computer. If you have a desktop computer, put it in a family area with the screen facing the middle of the room.
- There are all kinds of software available that are effective, but no software is foolproof. There are software options that are effective at erecting a barrier (stringing up some razor wire). If you break through, it's because you wanted to break through - not because you were entrapped.
There are all kinds of basic things that we can do to protect ourselves, but we seem to walk around in churches with naiveté. People are assuming, "No one is talking about it so it must not be a problem." I have seen countless examples of pastors and church administrators who've been ensnared by it. I have counseled people who work as cleaning staff who will log onto computers at night and look at pornography in the buildings they are cleaning. Hopefully, some of these suggestions will be helpful in battling this prevalent issue.
(HT: JT)
Total Church - Chapter 6 - Disciple Making
"Too often, however, churches are not contexts for making disciples so much as occasions for acknowledging relative strangers. Experience teaches that there is also an inverse ratio at work: the larger the group, the more inevitable is the superficiality of our relationships. Instead ofchurches growing beyond the point of being able to sustain meaningful life-on-life family relationships, an alternative (and maybe essential) strategy would be to begin new congregations through church planting. G. K. Chesterton said, “The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world. . . . The reason is obvious. In a large community we can choose our companions. In a small community our companions are chosen for us.” Community has been insightfully defined as the place where the person you least want to live with always lives! Responding to this, Philip Yancey says, “We often surround ourselves with the people we most want to live with, thus forming a club or clique, not a community. Anyone can form a club; it takes grace, shared vision, and hard work to form a community.” We might also add that it takes a miracle that only God himself can perform. But it is in such a community that disciples are made. To be a community of light from which the light of Christ will emanate we need to be intentional in our relationships—to love the unlovely, forgive the unforgivable, embrace the repulsive, include the awkward, accept the weird. It is in contexts such as these that sinners are transformed into disciples who obey everything King Jesus has commanded."
- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church, p. 113
More Nonsensical Rhetoric About "Choice"
Randy Alcorn:
(HT: Amy)
What would you think if a politician said "I'm not pro-rape, I'm simply prochoice about rape. And though I would not choose to rape a woman, I believe that every man should be free to rape a woman if that is his personal choice." And what would you do if that politician promised the rape lobby that if he is elected president, the "first thing I would do" is to sign legislation that would invalidate all the state laws that restrict rape in any way?Read the rest of this very important article.
Well, I think I would say that man is pro-rape, wouldn't you? But technically, no, he is simply prochoice about rape. Well, okay. Be prochoice about whether someone should eat Mexican food or Chinese food, or cheer for the Phillies or the Rays. But don't be prochoice about whether men rape women or kill children. Because that is to be pro-rape and pro-killing.
(HT: Amy)
One World. One Love.
Starbucks. Oh man, that place is like the promised land. And what a business model. Get your drink on, check your e-mail, support indigenous coffee...tribes. One world. One love.
- Michael Scott
Thursday, October 23, 2008
John Piper on Blogging
What would you say to a pastor who is considering blogging?
Does having a blog affect your ministry?
(HT: The Crimson Window)
Does having a blog affect your ministry?
(HT: The Crimson Window)
Total Church - Chapter 6 - Should Churches Get Smaller?
"At present the military and economic might of Western nations is struggling to counter the threat of international terrorism. It is proving difficult to defeat an enemy made up of local cells working toward a common vision with high autonomy but shared values. They are flexible, responsive, opportunistic, influential, and effective. Together they seem to have an impact on our world far beyond what they would if they formed themselves into a structured, identifiable organization. Churches can and should adopt the same model with a greater impact as we “wage peace” on the world."- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church, p. 109,110
Who Caused The Financial Crisis?
John Armstrong:
Who caused the financial panic of the last few weeks? Republicans blame Fannie and Freddie. Bill O'Reilly nightly gets angry at the greedy Wall Street CEOs and corrupt congressmen. Democrats blame President Bush and the run-away free market. Republicans blame the Cintonites for creating massive entitlements and starting this mess. Democrats believe "trickle down" economics has finally failed and Republicans believe "pork spending" is the culprit. There is blame everywhere. And there is truth in some of all of it.Read the rest.
But no one seems willing to tell us the whole truth. We have met the enemy and it is "us." "They" did a lot of harm for sure. But it is "we" who borrowed and spent like crazy and then expected our homes to be worth three times their market value. It is "we" who got greedy and wanted more and more. We maxed out our cards and "deserved a vacation." We wanted to retire early, a concept we think we own, and someone then took it all away from us.
I Say Amen To These!
Girl Talk Blog:
I hope you’ve been brainstorming—and acting—to do your husband good (‘cause remember, you have unique gifts and are called by God to do him good). But, if you are creatively challenged like me, you might need some ideas to get you started.
When we discussed this topic at my church a while back, some ladies got together and came up with a short list of ideas. So here are “10 Ways To Do Your Husband Good.” Monday is a great day to start!
10 Ways to Do Your Husband Good (Proverbs 31:12)
* Write him a love note and place it in his sock drawer.
* Take an entire evening to enjoy his favorite hobby with him.
* Show up at work with a special drink or take him to lunch.
* Encourage him for demonstrating a specific godly trait—in front of friends.
* Arrange a datenight at his favorite restaurant.
* Pray for him today and tell him you are doing so.
* Surprise him with his favorite dessert after dinner.
* Greet him in an extra-special way when he comes home from work.
* Lead the children in a time of honoring him.
* Ask him: “What is one way I can be a better wife?” Then do it!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Words Fail To Describe The Awesomeness of This Video
As usual, the more you watch it, the funnier it gets:
Total Church - Chapter 5 Quotes
"To be a Christian is, by definition, to be part of the community of God’s people. To be united with Christ is to be part of his body. The assumption of the New Testament is that this always finds expression in commitment to a local church. The centrality of the church means the centrality of the congregation or it means nothing. Commitment to the church is easy while the church is an abstract, universal reality. But the New Testament assumes commitment to real people in real local churches with all their faults and foibles.""The household model in some way defines church. The church is the “household” of God (Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 3:6; 1 Peter 4:17). The ability of a potential leader to manage his household reflects his ability to care for God’s church (1 Timothy 3:4–5). For New Testament Christians the idea of church was synonymous with household and home. The false teachers on Crete at Ephesus “must be silenced, because they
are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach” (Titus 1:11; cf. 1 Timothy 5:13). And if a false teacher comes, John says, “do not take him into your house or welcome him” (2 John 10). In both Titus and 2 John the most natural reading of the text is as a reference to local household churches. Our point is not a slavish adherence to homes as the location for church gatherings or a denial of the value that purpose-built buildings can bring. The point is that as they grew, the apostolic churches became networks of small communities rather than one large group, to safeguard apostolic principles of church life. It matters little whether these small groups are called churches, home groups, or cells, as long as they are the focus for the life and mission of the church. Small communities determine a size in which mutual discipleship and care can realistically take place. They create a simplicity that militates against a maintenance mentality: there are no expensive buildings to maintain or complex programs to run. They determine a style that is participatory and inclusive, mirroring the discipleship model and table fellowship of Jesus himself. One of the key expressions of New Testament ecclesiology is “one another” (sometimes translated “each other”). This is often missed, perhaps unsurprisingly, by academic theology. It is simply the practical expression of
the priesthood of all believers. Whatever flexibility there might be about the structure of church, these principles are binding. We are to disciple and exhort one another, to love and care for one another."
"All too often home groups become inward-looking because they lack a missionary mandate. Yet home groups have great potential to be a context in which Christians can do mission together as a community. If, as seems evident from the New Testament, churches grew by continually dividing, this has profound implications for our view of church growth. A vision for church growth must be a vision for church planting."
- Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church, p. 87,88 and 93,94
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