Click on the image to read.
(HT: Dustin)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy)
The Big Picture:About a week ago, Typhoon Ketsana (known in the Phillippines as "Ondoy") made landfall, and according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Ketsana dropped 455 mm (17.9 in) of rain on Metro Manila in a span of 24 hours on Saturday - the most in 42 years. A month's worth of rainfall in a single day washed away homes and flooded large areas, stranding thousands on rooftops in the city and elsewhere. Ketsana later crossed over to Vietnam and Cambodia, where it is still active. Over 360 people are known to have been killed, and damage estimates are reaching $100 million. Unfortunately, another tropical storm may be headed toward the southern Philippines on Wednesday but is still 1,000 km (600 mi) off the coast. Here is a selection of photographs from the affected areas over the past week. (36 photos total)
The Gospel and Parenting
Justin Taylor:
Tim Challies has a great interview today with Bill Farley about the meaning of the gospel, the difference between defensive and offensive parenting, thinking about educational options for your kids, avoiding moralism, and more. It’s well worth the read.
The New Shape of World Christianity
As I move toward greater involvement with the efforts to organize Cape Town 2010, I’ve finally picked up a book that’s been on my desk for some time–Mark Noll’s The New Shape of World Christianity. I’ve just gotten in to it, but I thought I’d share a few remarkable statements and statistics from the openening chapters.
- Today there are more missionaries from Brazil engaged in crosscultural ministry than fromBritain or Canada.
- There are over 10,000 foreign Christian workers serving in Britain, France, Germany and Italy–and more than 35,000 in the U.S. Most of the missionaries in Britain are from Africa and Asia.
- “This past Sunday it is possible that more Christian believers attended church in China than in all of so-called ‘Christian Europe.’”
- “This past Sunday more Presbyterians were in church in Ghana than in Scotland.”
- “Today, the largest Christian congregation in Europe is in Kiev, and it is pastored by a Nigerian of Pentecostal background.”
- “More than half of all Christian adherents in the whole history of the church have been alive in the last one hundred years. Close to half of Chrisitan believers who have ever lived are alive right now.”
- In 1900, over 80 percent of the Christian population was Caucasian and over 70 percent lived in Europe. Now, according to historian Dana Robert, “The typical late twentieth-century Christian was no longer a European man but a Latin American or African Woman.”
Great Leaders Don't Need To Let You Know They Are
When looking for great leaders, those who are truly great (or potentially great) usually don’t tell you they are great. In fact, they often don’t realize they are exceptionally gifted by God to lead.
With rare exceptions, whenever someone initially rattles off a resume of success, I find that most of the time, these “apparently” great leaders are either:
A) Very insecure.
B) Overselling themselves.Those who are truly the best don’t seem to be driven to convince you they are the best. The most gifted do more than they talk.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Singing About God's Adopting Love
Bob Kauflin:
You can now download our latest CD, Sons & Daughters, on iTunes.Sons & Daughters contains 12 songs that celebrate God adopting us through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5). We are now part of God’s family—in Christ we will forever be the objects of God’s particular and passionate mercy and love. That biblical reality, rather than leaving us focused on ourselves, drives us once again to proclaim the greatness of the God whose grace turns hopeless rebels into precious children.
You can check out lyrics and download free charts and lead sheets over at the Sovereign Grace webstore.
Another Example of the Confusing Logic of The Pro-Choice Position
This sad, sad story again exposes the horrific inconsistency of the pro-abortion choice position.
Why do we try someone for double murder only when the fetus is wanted? If it is unwanted then we should allow it to be killed? Value is determined by the desire of the more powerful? We would never do this with a toddler or a newborn. Double murder? Really? But in a doctor's office it's not murder?
So sad.
Why do we try someone for double murder only when the fetus is wanted? If it is unwanted then we should allow it to be killed? Value is determined by the desire of the more powerful? We would never do this with a toddler or a newborn. Double murder? Really? But in a doctor's office it's not murder?
So sad.
A Backpack of Burdens
Doug Wolter:
Mark Driscoll writes a very helpful article that every pastor should read to avoid burnout and exhaustion in ministry. He unpacks the difference between concerns and responsibilities and loads vs. burdens. I especially like this quote below.
![Driscoll_ConcernResponsibility_Quote[1]](http://life2getherblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Driscoll_ConcernResponsibility_Quote1.png "Driscoll_ConcernResponsibility_Quote[1]")
Interview with Voddie Baucham
Crossway Blog:
Dr. Gary Chapman says, “I’m not sure that American Christians are going to buy what he (Voddie) is saying, but I think we need to hear it.” Dads, daughters, and sons can listen in to a discussion with Gary Chapman and Voddie Baucham on What He Must Be…if He Wants to Marry my Daughter.
Fathers play a crucial role in both their son’s and their daughter’s lives. Baucham seeks to equip a new generation to know God, to follow God, and even more—to equip fathers in the next generation to do the same.
So what does a godly man look like? Does he lead like Christ? What is the man’s role as a husband? What if there are good men out there who don’t fit all of the standards of godliness? Baucham discusses these issues and exhorts dads to build into young men, to be willing to invest in their lives, and to disciple them.
Listen to the 4-part interview at this link under the heading “September 19, 2009 Broadcast: To Marry My Daughter.”
Something Old, Something New
CT has an interesting article from Jonny Baker about fresh forms of worship in the UK. I especially resonated with this section:
N.T. Wright calls this process "faithful improvisation." He asks us to imagine the discovery of a previously unknown Shakespeare play. The script is complete except for one missing scene. To perform the play, the missing scene will have to be improvised by a group of actors. To improvise well, they must immerse themselves in the rest of the plot, the characters, and other Shakespearean works. Only those who know the play and the author well can judge whether the improvised scene rings true.
In a similar manner, Wright suggests that the Bible is a drama in five acts. The first four acts are Creation, the Fall, the calling of Israel, and Jesus. The fifth act begins with the birth of the church in Acts and ends with the new heavens and new earth in Revelation. But there is a missing scene in the middle of the fifth act—the scene in which we live. Our task is to faithfully improvise that scene. But not just any improvisation will do. Our improvisation will be judged by its faithfulness to the larger story and its author. Even so, there remains a wide range of imaginative possibilities.
Jazz is a good example of faithful improvisation. The better a musician knows his scales, instrument, written music, and jazz tradition, the more depth his improvised jazz performance will have. Likewise, church leaders with greater knowledge of Scripture, church history, mission, theology, and worship will find more freedom to improvise within their context without sacrificing depth. For them, tradition becomes a reservoir to be immersed in and a deep spring to draw from. Improvisation is a skill that requires taking risks and making mistakes, but it is undergirded by a desire to remain faithful to tradition.
Read the whole thing for a greater perspective on the piece.
Pomplamoose - Very Interesting Video
This gal's voice is very throw back. Sounds like she could be a jazz singer from the 50's. Great parts, great orchestration.
And this cover is VERY cool:
And this cover is VERY cool:
The Heart of Sanctification
“For, until men feel that they owe everything to God, that they are cherished by his paternal care, and that he is the author of all their blessings, so that naught is to be looked for away from him, they will never submit to him in voluntary obedience; no, unless they place their entire happiness in him, they will never yield up their whole selves to him in truth and sincerity.”
- John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Bk I, Ch. 2
(HT: OFI)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Footprints In The Sand... On A Shot Glass
Yes! More Christian marking crap! The disconnect just warms my heart and makes me want to go out and buy one of these!
Read more about this beauty here.
It’s Not Your Church!
R. Scott Clark with some wise words on how to view your local church and what that has to do with it's mission to make disciples and reproduce itself. He writes:
Yes, church is a place where we gather but it’s also a place where we send. We must do both. It’s not an either/or proposition. The church is not for us. The church is for Christ’s glory. The fields are white unto harvest. The church is the divinely institution for that harvest. How can we refuse our Lord? How can we refuse to extend his kingdom? Have we talked so much about “this kingdom work” and “that kingdom work” that we’ve forgotten that the church is the ONLY institution to which Christ gave the keys of the kingdom? Wouldn’t it ironic if we were obsessed with extending his kingdom through every institution except the one institution to which he gave the gospel and the sacraments? It would be more than ironic, it would be tragic.Read the whole thing.
All The Audio From The Recent Desiring God Conference
At Work and Worship in the Theater of God
A Conversation About Collision
The Sacred Script in the Theater of God
The Secular Script in the Theater of God
The Broken Stage in the Theater of God
Panel Discussion
The Final Act in the Theater of God
Jesus Christ as Denouement in the Theater of God
Calvin the Man, and Why I Care
September 25, 2009
Julius Kim
A Conversation About Collision
Desiring God 2009 National Conference
September 25, 2009
Various
The Sacred Script in the Theater of God
Calvin, the Bible, and the Western World
September 26, 2009
Doug Wilson
The Secular Script in the Theater of God
Calvin on the Christian Meaning of Public Life
September 26, 2009
Marvin Olasky
The Broken Stage in the Theater of God
Sin and Suffering in Calvin’s World
September 26, 2009
Mark Talbot
Panel Discussion
Desiring God 2009 National Conference
September 26, 2009
Various
The Final Act in the Theater of God
Calvin on the Joy of the Last Resurrection
September 26, 2009
Sam Storms
Jesus Christ as Denouement in the Theater of God
Calvin and the Supremacy of Christ in All Things
September 27, 2009
John Piper
Capitalism: A Love Story - A Response
Russell Moore, in his typically thoughtful way, responds to Michael Moore's new movie, Capitalism: A Love Story (watch a trailer at that link). He writes:
What amazes me is not that Michael Moore doesn’t like capitalism. It’s that he’s trying to make money off of his denunciation of capitalism, and using advertising to try to do so. It’s almost as though the filmmaker is winking at us, kind of like the Borat character, bilking us for our cash and laughing at our gullibility for giving it to him.He continues:
Yes, Michael Moore is a hypocrite. But aren’t we all. And shouldn’t his hypocrisy remind us to take up the plank in our own eye, and start giving away some money, some stuff, from our homes and, more importantly, from our affections.
This is, as the Scriptures repeatedly emphasize, not a simple thing to do. And the Bible nowhere calls us to a kind of mechanistic legalism to put a hedge around the temptation of Mammonism. But it’s awfully hard to see our captivity to wealth when the poorest among us is richer, by world standards, than the rich young ruler would have been, richer than Nebuchadnezzar in all his glory.
American Christians are starting to awaken somewhat to what our fat affluence has done to our supposedly counter-cultural gospel. One can only imagine that, as we speak, some evangelical trinket-maker is designing wall decorations that say “Money is the root of all kinds of evil” to sell to us, as “reminders.”
I hope I’m able to see a love of Mammon more and more clearly in my own life, and not just in the other Moore’s situation. The issue isn’t captitalism vs. socialism, and it certainly isn’t Michael Moore’s hypocritical antics.
After all, a “serve two masters” hypocrisy is much worse when one of those masters is supposed to be Jesus.
Christians need not be intellectually troubled that they can’t fully explain why God allows evil
In our home group we have just begun a study on D.A. Carson's book, How Long O Lord. (If you have not read this book I would say that it is one book that you should read for sure, especially before you endure significant suffering.)
In light of our discussion last night, I found this post from Chris Brauns to be quite insightful:
In light of our discussion last night, I found this post from Chris Brauns to be quite insightful:
A theodicy is “a defense of God’s goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil.” A theodicy speaks to the question, “If God is good and all-powerful, how do we explain the existence of evil.”
So how do Christians explain the problem of evil?
The reality is, we can’t provide an exhaustive theodicy or explanation of the existence of evil. Our minds cannot fully fathom “why.”
But, in his recommended book, Return to Reason, Kelly Clark, explains why Christians need not feel intellectually compromised if they cannot explain the existence of evil. Here is how he concludes the discussion.
The Christian theist need not be troubled by is his ignorance of a theodicy. This ignorance is not insincere, questionable or obscurantist. Rather, it is quite consistent with his theistic beliefs. The Christian theist will believe that God has a good reason for allowing evil, although he does not know what it is or know it in any detail. He believes that God has a good reason because of God’s redemptive incarnational revelation. It is not rationally incumbent upon the theist to produce a successful theodicy; the theist, in order to be rational, must simply believe that God has a good reason for allowing evil. A God who shares in our pain, who redeems our sorrows and our shortcomings, who wipes away ever tear, is surely a good God. (page 89).***********************
If you want to stretch yourself intellectually, and learn more about Reformed epistemology, then this is an excellent place to begin.
Bill Clinton - The Good Dad
Josh Harris:
I thought this was an interesting column by Nancy Gibbs on new insights into the way the former President prioritized his daughter Chelsea during his White House years.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Are All Sins Equal In The Sight of God?
Michael Patton says a definitive "no" and I think I agree with him. People will often say this, but I think it is more of a Christianese catch phrase than a reflection of true Biblical thinking.
I Found This To Be A Very Interesting Discussion
At the DG National Conference, John Piper talked with Doug Wilson about the movie Collision. It is a helpful discussion regarding Wilson’s interaction with Christopher Hitchens. DG posted the Piper’s questions at their conference webpage:
- Christopher Hitchens said at the end of the movie that, given the chance, he wouldn’t convert the last theist. Why do you think he said that?
- What is Hitchens’ best counterpoint to the claim that he is getting his morality for judging Christianity from Christians?
- What is the relationship between doing apologetics and evangelizing?
- In the video you speak about having “copiousness.” Describe what that is and whether you think it is important for pastors to cultivate.
- What is your hope for this film?
- What about the “s” word at the end of the film? Why do you allow for it here but don’t tolerate it from your children?
- Why the recent upsurge in the New Atheism?
Go here to watch the discussion.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Some More Crazy Basketball Shots - Dude Perfect
This internet video has been making the rounds quite a bit lately. ESPN features these basketball trick shot artists. Toward the second half of the video you can see some of their other shots. Very creative. (RSS might need to click through.)
** Update ** Seems like the video is loading slowly, if you are having that problem, click here to go to the ESPN site to view.
** Update ** Seems like the video is loading slowly, if you are having that problem, click here to go to the ESPN site to view.
Review of Christ-Centered Worship
Bob Kauflin reviews Bryan Chapell's new book, Christ-Centered Worship. Here is his short and sweet conclusion:Bottom line — if you’re responsible for leading, overseeing, or planning corporate worship in your church, you should read this book.Read the rest of his review.
I would whole-heartedly agree with Bob's sentiment and would say that his book, Worship Matters should also be seen in the same category as a "must read" for church leaders and music leaders.
The Blessing of Ultrasound Technology
I remember the first time I saw my one of my children on the ultrasound. I remember feeling the weight of being a parent and marveling at the power of technology. I also remember feeling sick at the prospect of so many babies being intentionally murdered who were at the same stage as the image I was seeing of my son.It was staggering to also witness the change in ultrasound technology from the birth of my 1st child, to just 5 short years later with the birth of my third child. With my third it was almost as if I could reach out and touch him or plainly see if he looked more like me or my wife. The dimensions were so much more rich and personal.
On September 18 the inventor of ultrasound imaging, Dr. John J. Wild, died at the age of 95. What a blessing this technology has been.
(HT: Jill Stanek)
Friday, September 25, 2009
Might Not Want To Resurrect This Old Hymn
There is a great trend happening in today's church music culture of taking old hymn lyrics and changing the melody so as to give it a fresh rebirth.
I'm not sure if it would work to do it with this one though...
I'm not sure if it would work to do it with this one though...
Blest is the Man Whose Bowels Move
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748
1.Blest is the man whose bowels move,
And melt with pity to the poor;
Whose soul, by sympathizing love,
Feels what his fellow saints endure.
2. His heart contrives for their relief
More good than his own hands can do;
He, in the time of gen'ral grief,
Shall find the Lord has bowels too.
3. His soul shall live secure on earth,
With secret blessings on his head,
When drought, and pestilence, and dearth
Around him multiply their dead.
4. Or if he languish on his couch,
God will pronounce his sins forgiv'n;
Will save him with a healing touch,
Or take his willing soul to heav'n.
Bryan Chapell - An Interview About Church Services and Singing
A great interview here with Bryan Chapell concerning his new book, Christ-Centered Worship.
Honorable People Avoid Strife
Chris Brauns:
It seems though that some people are called to a life of purposeful engagement in fighting. The greater question probably is, "What is my motive in initiating this conflict?". Jesus was constantly engaged in conflict with the Jewish leaders. William Wilberforce's life was given over to decades of conflict for the sake of justice. Conflict seems to be the norm in a healthy marriage and church. But again, we must ask the "why" question. I believe that before we engage in conflict we must start with a rigorous reflection of our own hearts to flesh out what is really driving the need to pursue it. Sometimes these motives will be noble, other times these motives will be far from pure.
Honorable people avoid strife. Foolish people are quick to quarrel.
Proverbs 20:3 in four different translations:
It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. ESV
It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. NIV
It is an honor for a person to cease from strife, but every fool quarrels. The NET Bible.
Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel. NASB
John Frame offers one explanation of why we are sometimes critical and quick to quarrel, even though wisdom counsels against it:
Because we want glory for ourselves, we seek to find fault in others. Contentious people are constantly looking for something to argue about, some way to start controversy and disrupt the peace.” John Frame*
*Quoted in Jim Belcher, Deep Church, page 66, originally found in Evangelical Reunion (Baker, 1991).
It seems though that some people are called to a life of purposeful engagement in fighting. The greater question probably is, "What is my motive in initiating this conflict?". Jesus was constantly engaged in conflict with the Jewish leaders. William Wilberforce's life was given over to decades of conflict for the sake of justice. Conflict seems to be the norm in a healthy marriage and church. But again, we must ask the "why" question. I believe that before we engage in conflict we must start with a rigorous reflection of our own hearts to flesh out what is really driving the need to pursue it. Sometimes these motives will be noble, other times these motives will be far from pure.
Talking About The Weather
Matt Perman:
Read the read of this interesting post.While we’re on the subject of small talk, it’s worthwhile to say a few words about the biggest small talk cliche around — talking about the weather.
Oscar Wilde said that “Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative.”
It turns out that Oscare Wilde was wrong. Talking about the weather is not lame. It’s actually a really good idea.
Here’s why:
- The weather affects everybody.
- Talking about the weather leads into a whole lot of other subjects. But if you never get started with a “basic” topic like the weather, you might not get a conversation going at all — and thus you’ll never get to other more substantial topics at all.
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