Reading All Of The ESV Study Bible

Bob Kauflin reflects on his reading of ALL of the ESV Study Bible last year. I would encourage you to read his post.  Here is what he gleaned:

1. If God made sure his words were recorded for us, why wouldn’t I want to read all of them numerous times?

2. Reading large portions of Scripture regularly slows me down so I can think about life from an eternal perspective. I was in tears today as I finished Revelation, realizing the purpose for which I was created and the sure future that lies ahead.

3. In my daily life, I am constantly bombarded with images, philosophies, thoughts, reasonings, and attractions from the world, my flesh, and the devil. I need large quantities of God’s thoughts, empowered by his Spirit, to resist them.

4. I trust my own thoughts too much.

5. Each time I read through the Bible, I’m humbled as I realize how little I actually know and understand God’s Word.

6. Reading a lot of the Bible helps me more easily see how it all fits together.

7. As a leader of congregational worship, I want people’s faith to rest on God’s Word, not my music or opinions. Therefore, I want Scripture to be the overflow of my heart, not something I occasionally use for a desired emotional effect.

8.The ESVSB was very even-handed in providing alternate interpretations of difficult passages, while continually directing my attention to other Scriptures for greater clarity.

9. The ESVSB notes never seek to say more than the Scriptures themselves say.

10. The large number of maps, charts, and illustrations were extremely helpful for understanding the geographical settings, details, and overall flow of different books.

11. I repeatedly felt pastored through the comments, as my heart was directed towards the living Word, the crucified and risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

Open Your Champagne Bottle With a Sword

I dare you to try this at your New Years Eve Party tonight. 

(HT:  JT)

Why Single Dudes Aren’t Busy

One of my pet peeves of human communication is the phrase, "I don't have time."  At the core, it's really a bit dishonest.  In most situations, there is always enough time.  It is never a matter of time, it is usually a matter of priorities.  If I told you that if you could get to New York City tonight by midnight you could have a million dollars, you would figure out a way to make that a priority.  Again, it's not a time issue, it's a priority issue.  So instead of using the phrase, "Oh, I just didn't have time to get such and such done", why not just be more honest and say, "I have chosen to not make that a priority right now".  Perhaps this seems more harsh and raw, but I would rather have raw and honest than nicey nicey and untrue.

Along similar lines, Bob Thune writes about the ubiquitous phrase, "I'm so busy", in reference to single guys at his church.  He writes:

Two years ago at the Coram Deo men’s retreat, I made a statement that has lived in infamy: “If you’re single, you aren’t busy.” I was tired of single men using the excuse of “busyness” to avoid serving others and participating in the mission. Some of the single dudes took offense. After all, we have many single men at Coram Deo who are med students, law students, etc. They are busting their chops studying and trying to survive the pressure-cooker of post-graduate work. So isn’t “busyness” a valid excuse? My answer: no.

Most of us think of “busyness” in terms of hours devoted to a specific job, role, or task. In this sense, single guys who have actual jobs or who attend actual schools may be as busy as anyone else. But that’s not the criteria I’m using.

Instead, think of busyness as the amount of your time you control. When you are single, you are in control of your schedule. You decide what to devote your time to. When you are married, suddenly you’re no longer autonomous in your time management; you have to factor your spouse’s needs/wants/concerns into the equation. Once you have a child, things really change. Have more than two kids, and you rarely have a minute to yourself. Even your “free time” is devoted first and foremost to the other human beings who depend on you. Which means you play a lot less golf and a lot more peek-a-boo.

Read the rest.

The Last Decade of Sports Moments

Decade of New-Atheists is Over?

James Kushiner:

You might be interested in this radio debate between Michael Shermer and Greg Koukl today on the Hugh Hewitt Show, and the website includes a link for on-line listening. I am not sure if Shermer really is an atheist. He's been sounding more and more like an agnostic. I recall the lines of Doug Wilson from the DVD (Collision) with Christopher Hitchens, that go something like this: Atheists have two basic principles: First ,there is no god. Second, I hate him. I believe many who claim to be atheists do so for theological reasons: They have a very clear idea of what sort of God there should be if there were one, one to their liking of whom they would approve, and/or how he would have designed the world, and so on. They disagree with what they have been told about him--in some cases, the face of God they've been shown has been a very poor imitation, or even an idol. Many embrace a "pure" materialism, which is a protection against any sort of supernatural realm, for which the evidence is, however, simply overwhelming, yet dismissed as mass superstition or hallucinations of the gullible. For myself, pure materialism, or the belief that all THIS came into existence by chance and of itself is simply beyond the pale of reason. The entire cosmos and life as we know it has all the markings of design and engineering and software programming, and the evidence for this is piling up. The Word turns the cosmos from mute chaos to an intelligible entity and the Word is able to span the cosmos physically and temporarily so that we have the beginnings of a grasp of it. Indeed, even our feeble utterance of a Word changes everything, even for atheists, who are quite attached to the Word, even if they do not know its Name.

Top Ten Adoption Videos

Jason Kovacs posts the top ten adoption videos of 2009. I encourage you to click over and view them. They are very powerful.

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal

Just a little something for all the hipsters:

Emotionalism
by The Avett Brothers
Price: 1.99

A New Free Song From Shaun Groves

Shaun Groves gives away a new free song here. He also tells the story behind it. I encourage you to check it out.

The Kauflins on Parenting

Bob and Julie Kauflin are interviewed here on parenting.  Bob is full of wisdom and grace and I'm sure his wife possesses these same qualities as well.  You wil be blessed by this discussion. 

The Blind Side - Another Review

T-Wax has a good review of The Blind Side. 

Bible Reading Plans

Justin Taylor:

Crossway makes available about ten reading plans. I’ll explain them in a separate post. But note that the ESV Bible Reading Plans can be accessed in multiple ways:

• web (a new reading each day appears online at the same link)
• RSS (subscribe to receive by RSS)
• email (subscribe to receive by email)
• iCal (download an iCalendar file)
• mobile (view a new reading each day on your mobile device)
• print (download a PDF of the whole plan)

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal

Elvis 75

by Elvis Presley

Price: $3.99

Me, 32 years ago

You'd think I might be too proud to post these pictures of my chubby, one-year-old glory.  Don't worry, I'm not.   Why wouldn't you want to see me in all of my 1970's splendor and also get to see my Dad with rockin' shirts, pants, and facial hair? We need to bring this style back.

Faith and Resolutions

Michael Kelley:

I’m a resolution guy. Every year at this time, I evaluate my resolutions from the previous year and make some new ones for the coming year. I like to divide them into categories: financial, spiritual development, family, and ministry.

But here’s the thing about making resolutions like that: Often when you look back, you’re either disappointed by your lack of effort in the previous year. And when you look forward, you do so with the attitude of, “I’m really going to try hard and get it this year.”

Effort isn’t bad. Effort is necessary. But too often in my life, I find myself trying hard at the wrong thing.

Let’s take a physical goal, for example. Let’s say that in 2010, you want to lose 20 pounds. So you resolve that you’re really going to try hard to do it. You get ready to try hard by throwing away all the cookies in the house. You try hard by looking up all the low-calorie recipes you can find. Then you try hard by going to the gym every day.

Or you do for a while.

The problem with trying hard like that is that you run out of steam. Always. What if there was a better way to try? What if we are trying hard at the wrong thing?

This year, I’m going to try hard to believe. In the case of losing 20 pounds, I’m not going to focus my effort on the weight. Instead, I’m going to try hard to believe that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. I’m going to try hard to believe that God will empower me to honor Him with my body. I’m going to try hard to believe that He’s my sustenance, not another bad of Doritos.

There’s a huge difference. One is centered on sweat; the other is centered on faith. One lifts up the power of humanity; the other lifts up the power of God. One is about me; the other is about the gospel. Perhaps we should not be asking, “Why can’t I try hard enough to accomplish these things?” Maybe we should instead be asking what we should be trying hard to believe about God and His work in our lives. Perhaps it is that belief – that faith – that can result in the change we need.

Faith is the center of all things. Even trying harder.

A Silent Embrace and A Place To Stand

Chris Brauns:

If you aren’t suffering terribly right now, you know someone who is.  John Piper (12/27/09) preached on suffering and Romans 8:15-25 at the Village Church who recently learned that their young senior pastor, Matt Chandler, has a malignant brain tumor.  (See these posts on suffering).

Piper introduced his sermon by stating that the first thing believers should do do with those who are suffering is hug them.  No words.  Just silent hugs.  But, Piper also noted that those who are hugging must have a place to stand.  That is, if we are going to make it through the suffering in this life apart from anger and bitterness, then we must know sound doctrine and how suffering fits with the plan of God.

If you can only listen to a few minutes of this sermon, it will be a wonderful investment of your time.

Listen here.

Anybody Seen Pati?

Be reminded that most of us reading this today live in the Disneyland of the US.  

In light of this story I read this this morning from Isaiah 58:

6 “Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed [2] go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal

Steve McCoy:

If you are considering downloading any albums right now, I encourage you to go to Amazon and grab them. If you buy one $7.99 or more, you get a free download of a $5 album (there are 800 right now). And it works for multiple purchases (so, buy 3 $7.99 or more and get 3 $5 albums).

Here is how it all works and here would be some of my recommendations:

Classic Sinatra - His Great Performances 1953-1960
Siamese Dream - Smasking Pumpkins
For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver
Speak No Evil - Wayne Shorter
Ray Sings, Basie Swings - Ray Charles
Go! (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition) - Dexter Gordon
The Ultimate Blue Train - John Coltrane
A Boy Named Charlie Brown - Vince Guaraldi Trio
A Rush Of Blood To The Head - Coldplay
X & Y - Coldplay
Parachutes - Coldplay
OK Computer - Radiohead
Fireflies And Songs - Sara Groves

Jonathan Dodson on Why You Should Bring Your Bible On Sunday

Jonathan Dodson has a good post that should be passed around on why Christians should bring their Bibles to church (assuming they live in a country where they can own a Bible).  His main points are:

1. It allows the Bible to make up your mind about meaning, not you make up your own mind about the meaning.
2. It allows you to read the Bible in context.
3. It helps you avoid confusing the medium for the message.

Some good quotes from his piece:

• Follow the argument of Scripture, not just the argument of the preacher.
• When we read in context we get to see the Bible, not in bits and pieces, but as an awe-inspiring whole.
• Reading in PowerPoint prevents us from seeing the Bible as complete thoughts that hang together in context.

Read the whole thing.

A New Advertiser - The Divine Commodity

I would like to welcome Zondervan's "The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity" as a new Take Your Vitamin Z advertiser. I participated in a blog tour for this book a few months back and I enjoyed reading it.  I think you would too.  Skye Jethani raises some important issues that the church today should be considering and wrestling through.

Thanks to Zondervan for the participation!

You can see how this book has been featured on this blog by clicking here.

If you are interested in ads on this blog, just email me at zachnielsen7ATgmailDOTcom.

The Devil Stole 3 Million Dollars!!!

Todd Rhodes:

TV Evangelist Rod Parsley (from my home state of Columbus) is asking for a financial miracle before December 31.  Rod is asking people to "help me take back what the devil stole?"  The appeal said that there was a $3 million dollar deficit even after cutting the budget 30% during the year.

This isn't a big story.  I mean, a lot of TV evangelists make big pleas for funds.  They have for years.

What is interesting in this story, according to the Columbus Dispatch, is that Parsley's church settled for $3.1 million this year with a family whose son was spanked at its day-care center in 2006, to the point his buttocks and legs were covered with welts and abrasions.

According to a statement by the church:  "The decision imposed against us earlier this year has made our circumstances more serious."  I'm sure it did.

But if this $3 million is the same $3 million that Parsley is asking for because the devil stole it from them... that sure makes for a different scenario.

(If I was a betting man, I would guess that the $3 million was an insurance claim against the church rather than coming straight from the church coffers).

Here's my read:  the day of the big TV evangelists is over.  It could be that the $3 million dollars wasn't actually stolen by Satan.  It could be that people are waking up and finding that their money is better when not placed in the hands of a TV evangelist.

Community and Decision-Making

I resonate with Tim's thoughts here.  We need to forsake our rugged individualism to a much larger degree.

Tim Chester:

In our culture we expect to make our own decisions. But decision-making must have a communal dimension.

First, we need the community to make good decisions. God does not have a specific will for our life that we have to somehow discover. The Bible speaks of God’s sovereign will (all things are under his control, good and bad) and his moral will (the revealed way of life to which he calls us all). Sometimes God guides in specific ways, but more often we make decisions with the wisdom that comes from fearing of the Lord and with our priorities set on God’s kingdom. The problem is we often find reasons for doing what we want to do. We need one another to help us see when our reasoning is corrupted by our sinful hearts.

Second, we should involve the Christian community in decision-making to the extent that our decisions affect the community. This doesn’t mean that the community or its leaders tell people what to do in their personal lives, but it does mean that we should:

• make decisions with regard to the implications for our Christian community; and
• make significant decisions in consultation with members of our Christian community.

A single person typically makes decisions without regard to anyone else. Marriage  changes everything. When asked to go for a drink after work, they think about the implications for their family. Big decisions get made in consultation with the family. The same is true in the Christian family. The family doesn’t makes decisions for us. But we make decisions with our family and in the light of our membership of that family.

The State of the Blogosphere

T-Wax has an interesting post called, "The State of the Blogosphere".  Has post some reflections on where we have come and where we could be going with blog reading and social media in general. 

UFC vs NFL - Which Is More Violent?

Before I moved to Albuquerque, I had never seen a UFC match (if you don’t know what UFC is, click here).  I thought people who watched that stuff were knuckle dragging neanderthals.  The first weekend after we moved to Albuquerque, Kim and I were invited to go to some friends house to watch it.  I was hooked and have been a fan ever since.  Now that I actually know what mixed martial arts are all about I can see that it is certainly a real sport and that these athletes should be respected just as much as all the top athletes in other sports. The strategy that is involved is quite complex and the variables in play make almost any match potentially interesting. 

Most people are understandably put off by the violence of it.  But today, as I sit and watch the NFL, (the most watched sport in the US) I can’t escape a comparison between the two sports.  Which is more violent?  I have to say, without hesitation, that the NFL is way more violent that the UFC.  Consider the empirical evidence. 

I have never seen this, this, or, this happen in a UFC match.  Nothing even close.  I have never seen someone carted off on a stretcher with a broken neck in the UFC.  Without question, both sports are very violent, but I would submit that the violence is far more controlled in the UFC.  Before a guy gets his let snapped in half he is going to submit through what is called a "tap out".  He will simply tap his hand on the mat or his opponent and the ref will call the match.  In the NFL, when you have these huge, athletic monsters running full speed at each other, it's basically a car crash everytime.  Legs and ankle break all the time.  Try as they might, the NFL is way less controlled.  The dangerous physics of the NFL don't comprare to those of the UFC. 

So if you think that UFC should be avoided due to the violence then you might also want to consider the far greater violence of the NFL. 

What do you think?

These Guys Have Mad Skillz

(HT: PureChurch)

The Dangerous Book For Boys

For Christmas, one of the presents that my eldest son received was The Dangerous Book for Boys.  If you are a Dad with a young son I would strongly recommend picking this one up.  It's really interesting and full of fun stuff that will keep your kid from wasting his mind away on video games.  It will also be a catalyst for fun, masculine, and educational activities that a Dad can do WITH his son.  You can't put a price tag on that.

Al Mohler reviewed it here.

Top Ten YouTube Vids of 2009

Denny Burk post his top ten youtubes of 2009.  I'm not sure they would all be in my top ten, but there certainly are some good ones in there. 

Linus Christmas Monologue

Watch This With Your Kids Today

Merry Christmas From The Nielsens

One Of My Favorite Moments From Christmas Eve Last Year

Caitelen Schneeberger on vocals. Me on piano. The text is very powerful:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Thanks to Fernando Ortega for drawing attention to this song and giving inspiration on the arrangement. You can get his version here.

Christmas Everyday

This Gospel anticipates a world far different from C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, where it is “always winter, and never Christmas.” The promise of the Gospel is that it is “always Christmas.” To be “in Christ” is to enjoy each morning as a Christmas morning with the family of God, celebrating the gift of God around the tree of life.  

- Kevin VanHoozer, This We Believe

What Will You Sing Tonight?

Christmas music has some of the best theology that you could ever sing.  Sometimes I am stopped in my tracks and moved with emotion when contemplating the realities that we sing about in our Christmas music.

Walt Mueller shares his favorite lines from different Christmas songs.  I couldn't agree more with his favorites:

"...He will give to all the faithful His own self for heavenly food."
- Let All Mortal Flesh

"...come to earth to taste our sadness, He whose glories knew no end."
- Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

"...the hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight."
- O Little Town of Bethlehem

"...pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel."
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing

And my favorite. . .
"...He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found."
- Joy To The World

The Christ of Christmas

The Scriptures systematically strip away the veneer that covers the real truth of the Christmas story.  Jesus did not come to add to our comforts. He did not come to help those who were already helping themselves or to fill life with more pleasant experiences. He came on a deliverance mission, to save sinners, and to do so He had to destroy the works of the Devil (Matt. 1:21; 1 John 3:8b).

Those whose lives were bound up with the events of the first Christmas did not find His coming an easy and pleasurable experience.

Mary and Joseph's lives were turned upside down.

The shepherds' night was frighteningly interrupted, and their futures potentially radically changed.

The magi faced all kinds of inconvenience and family separation.

Our Lord Himself, conceived before wedlock, born probably in a cave, would spend His early days as a refugee from the bloodthirsty and vindictive Herod (Matt. 2:13-21).

There is, therefore, an element in the Gospel narratives that stresses that the coming of Jesus is a disturbing event of the deepest proportions. It had to be thus, for He did not come merely to add something extra to life, but to deal with our spiritual insolvency and the debt of our sin. He was not conceived in the womb of Mary for those who have done their best, but for those who know that their best is "like filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6)--far from good enough--and that in their flesh there dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18). He was not sent to be the source of good experiences, but to suffer the pangs of hell in order to be our Savior.

- Sinclair Ferguson, In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal

Ultimate Christmas Collection
by Jackson 5
Price: $2.99

God Condescends

Justin Holcomb:

A Miracle

In John 6, Jesus performs a miracle of multiplying loaves of bread and fish to feed over 5,000 people. This passage has been used to make the point that Jesus had to wait for the boy to offer his food before Jesus would do his part. When applied to our spiritual lives it looks like this: “God is really into you, but he wants you to be really into him first and he wants you to make the first move and show him that you are serious and all about his glory. And after you respond, God will look upon you with favor and good pleasure. God may even ‘use you’.

This is not true. We do not have this miracle recorded for the purpose of trying to convince you to try harder to get God’s attention.

When Jesus’ first century audience sees this miracle they corner him and ask: “What do your works mean? Come on! Tell us what you’ve come to do. We want to know. We’d like you to be our king. We have an agenda for you.”

Bread of Heaven

Jesus reminds them about the bread or manna in the desert with Moses and says: “It wasn’t Moses who gave you bread in the desert. It was my father who brought the bread from heaven. And now it is the father who is giving you the true bread from heaven. That would be me! I am the bread of life. I am the true life that has come down from heaven.”
He claims to be the one who can truly give the life of God and says “If you do not have me you do not have life.” The life of God was poured out in his life. The bread came down from heaven; we didn’t climb up to God.

In Jesus’ words about being the bread of life, claiming that he is the life of God on earth, we are looking at the very heart of Christianity—that we are not spiritual, but that we have a desperate spiritual need. We cannot climb the ladder to God through some technique. Rather, Christianity teaches our alienation from God until it is remedied by Christ. God came near to us in Christ, so Christ could take care of that which separates us from God and then bring us near to God.

God’s Condescension

To understand this is to get at the heart of what Jesus is about. We do not inherently have “spiritual life.” Christ was our spiritual life for us on our behalf. In being the bread of life, Jesus disarms us of our self-reliant spiritual efforts. As a result, we have a problem. We do not naturally on our own come near to God. He must come near to us. So a relationship with God is based on God’s condescension to us in Jesus being the bread of life from heaven.

It is not that we have risen to spiritual heights, but that the bread of heaven has come down to us. Thankfully, it’s not all about us.

The Next Couple Months For Matt Chandler

Matt Chandler gives an update on what the next couple of months are going to look like for him. 

Ben Nelson - Compromise On Abortion?

John H. Armstrong:

Make no mistake about this. The number one social priority of the Obama administration, and the leading Democrats in the Congress, is to pass health care during this term. Even though a new poll says 34% of Americans want the bill that is before the Senate we are now likely to get it anyway. There is much to like in all this reform effort and there is, as always, much to question, especially in terms of where the money would come from to pay for it and how the government would actually administer it. I have tried to follow this debate with an open mind. Health care is a mess and it really does need serious change. Almost everyone agrees. The nature of getting a bill passed is always one that involves compromise. But to compromise on a moral issue was supposed to not be an option for Ben Nelson. Think of this for a moment. His whole party opposed him, or at least all of it in the Senate. The party itself sold out to the pro-choice lobbies and abortion forces in the 1970s and will not change until courageous leaders, one of which I hoped would be Nelson, stand firm and seek to bring about change through educated opposition. We needed Democrats like Nelson. Sadly, I praised Nelson on December 19 but now I stand in utter and complete disappointment in the shameless way that he was pressured and then changed his mind.

When it comes to legally protecting unborn life there is no room for compromise if you believe the weakest among us are routinely killed. I will say it and realize in saying it that some will take offense: Any new legislation that makes it more likely, and thus more easy, to slaughter unborn children should be opposed by all serious Christians. We should thank God for every legislator who stands for unborn life and let them know that we are praying for them to maintain integrity to the end. Some things are more important than health-care reform. This is one of them. I had hoped that Senator Nelson would have stood his ground. I do now know what pressure he actually faced but it had to be intense. Sadly, he gave in and the lives of many more of the unborn will now be lost because he did. I am not his judge but his compromise is all too obvious to those who are deeply pro-life.

Read the rest. 

Snow, Snow, Snow

It snowed today in Albuquerque.  We don't get that very often.  We had big fluffy flakes and the kids were loving it.  To bad is lasts for about five minutes and then melts.  We'll have more of our share in Madison I'm sure!

Here are some great snow shots from The Big Picture to get you in the Christmas mood. 

U2, Their Best Music Is Yet To Come, And A Quote For Christmas

Jonathan Dodson:

It might come as a surprise that Rolling Stone has named No Line on the Horizon as Best Album of the Year, with Moment of Surrender as Best Song (which is a pretty amazing song: read about its development here). This album certainly marks a new expression of creativity for U2, and they still don’t think they have made their best album yet (good news for Joshua Tree lovers?) In a recent interview, the Edge was asked about the band’s belief that their best music as still to come. His response lends wisdom for creativity:

We all genuinely believe it. It’s not arrogance. It’s because we are still hungry. There’s no reason why we can’t do this. You think about other art forms and artists – filmmakers, painters, sculptors. It doesn’t follow that your best work is done in your late twenties, early thirties, and then it’s downhill. Unfortunately, that’s the way rock & roll has panned out. But we don’t buy that. Our only limitation is our ability to apply ourselves, to be hard-minded on our work. We push and push until we get to those special pieces of music, those lyrics. And it doesn’t arrive on call. You can’t turn it on. It needs time spent and time spent in the right frame of mind.

While I’m on the topic of U2, you might consider this powerful quote as a means of grace to stir your Christmas affections. Don’t just read it; meditate on it. Merry Christmas!

The idea that God, if there is a force of Logic and Love in the universe, that it would seek to explain itself is amazing enough. That it would seek to explain itself and describe itself by becoming a child born in straw poverty, in sh*t and straw…a child… I just thought: “Wow!” Just the poetry … Unknowable love, unknowable power, describes itself as the most vulnerable. There it was. I was sitting there, and it’s not that it hadn’t struck me before, but tears came streaming down my face, and I saw the genius of this, utter genius of picking a particular point in time and deciding to turn on this

And here’s a bonus, the new song “Winter” off the Brothers soundtrack. Moving.

The Top Ten Vitamin Z Posts Of 2009

1. Yesterday We Lost A Member Of Our Church Family

2.  How To Raise Kids In A Pornified Culture

3.  We Will Care For Any Newborn Baby You Bring To This Church

4.  Africa And The Prosperity Gospel

5.  Jake And The USC Football Team

6.  One Approach To Family Devotions

7.  Ten Things To Remember When Your Child Is Disobedient

8.  A Pro-life Oakland Pastor Chooses Jail Over A Plea Bargin

9.  Christmas Business Boycott?  No Thanks

10. Nightline - Benny Hinn

International Adoptions on the Decline

Jason Kovacs:

The U.S. State Department recently released its official numbers for international adoptions in the 2009 fiscal year (Oct 2008 to Sept 2009.)  They show a steep 27 percent drop — only 12,753 international adoptions, down from 17,438 in 2008.  This number is more than 40 percent lower than the all-time peak of 22,884 in 2004.

What has led to such a decline?

There are many factors but decisions by foreign countries to limit, slow or completely halt foreign adoptions because of ethical issues are a major contributor. 
Chuck Johnson, chief operating officer of the National Council for Adoption, said the new figures dismayed him and other advocates of international adoption.

“This drop is not a result of fewer orphans or less interest from American families in adopting children from other countries,” he said. “All of us are very discouraged because we see the suffering taking place. We don’t know how to fix it without the U.S. government coming alongside.”

Read the AP article here.

Good Christmas Music For Cheap

40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas

by Various Artists

Price:  $5.00

Stupak On Why He Can't Support The New Health Care Bill

Congressman Bart Stupak explains his opposition the Senate's health care reform abortion language in an interview with the Detroit News:

Q - Why is the Senate compromise wording on abortion not acceptable to you?

A - Because it greatly deviates from current law. Current law says no public funding for abortions or insurance policies that provide abortion coverage.

And underneath the Senate language, number one, abortion is a recognized benefit paid for by the federal government; number two, in the exchange, at least one plan, could be 10 plans, but at least one plan must have abortion coverage; number three, you still have the $1 per month, per enrollee (that the Senate bill requires everybody to pay in plans offering abortion coverage) that goes to reproductive services, including abortion. ... Those are three good reasons to oppose this language.

(HT:  Stanek)

Abortion and The New Health Care Plan (Yes, this is a post about Obama)

Sebelius: And I would say that the Senate language, which was negotiated by Sens. Barbara Boxer and Patty Murray, who are very strong defenders of women's health services and choices for women, take a big step forward from where the House left it with the Stupak amendment, and I think do a good job making sure there are choices for women, making sure there are going to be some plan options, and making sure that while public funds aren't used, we are not isolating, discriminating against, or invading the privacy rights of women. There would be an accounting procedure, but everybody in the exchange would do the same thing, whether you're male or female, whether you're 75 or 25, you would all set aside a portion of your premium that would go into a fund, and it would not be earmarked for anything. It would be a separate account that everyone in the exchange would pay.

Aarons-Mele: Hmm, it's a bit confusing, but....

Sebelius: It is a bit confusing. But it's really an accounting measure that would apply across the board, and not just to women, and certainly not just to women who want to choose abortion coverage.

Aarons-Mele: Oh, that's good, that's good.

 Verum Serum:

As you are probably already aware, Democratic Senator Ben Nelson caved over the weekend on his objections to the Senate health based on abortion coverage. Nelson had originally insisted on language matching the Stupak amendment from the House bill, which would effectively ban abortion coverage within any government-funded health insurance plan. The “compromise” Nelson ultimately agreed to is virtually identical to the much weaker language from the original Senate Finance committee bill, with the most notable exception being that individual state insurance exchanges will be able to opt-out from including plans which cover abortion. (But this will require state legislatures to pass new laws restricting this coverage, setting off a perpetual battle between pro-life and pro-abortion activists across the country.)

The basic compromise however is an accounting gimmick, where the federal government will require that all participants in the new insurance exchanges - men and women of all age groups - contribute a separate "abortion premium" to cover the cost of elective abortion services.

In other words, the federal government will legally compel you to contribute funds exclusively designated to pay for abortion into the new government-run system. Regardless of whether you have any personal need or desire for abortion coverage, and regardless of whether you have any religious or moral objections to abortion.

So let me get this straight. If the federal government requires me to pay taxes, and then uses these funds to subsidize or reimburse an insurance plan which provides abortion coverage, then this is wrong. Because “public funds” would be used to pay for abortion.

But if the federal government requires that I obtain insurance in the new insurance exchange, and mandates that I pay a separate premium purposefully designated to pay for abortions for those that obtain them, then this is somehow OK?

As far as I’m concerned all they’ve done is cut out the middle man. In fact, I find this compromise arrangement even more offensive since whereas tax dollars are pooled to pay for innumerable government goods and services, without any specific accounting, under this new arrangement participants in the insurance exchange will know beyond a doubt that their financial contributions are being used to terminate the lives of unborn children.

For anyone who is opposed to abortion this is a sickening prospect. And someone like Senator Nelson who has consistently positioned himself as a pro-life candidate in Nebraska should be ashamed of himself for brokering this compromise.

 *****************************************************************
I still can't figure out why all my Christian Obama supporting friend kept telling me that "presidents can't do anything about abortion.  It won't matter.  Don't worry about it.  It'll be fine." 

It's not fine.  It makes me want to throw up.  The legal slaughter continues all in the name of "choice".  We don't "chose" to kill toddlers.  Why should we then be able to kill babies in the womb?  What is the difference?  I still can't find anyone who wants to answer this question for me. 

What Was The Greatest Miracle?

Chris Brauns:

Suppose I asked you to name the greatest miracle that ever took place? If you know the Bible you have lots to choose from. God rescued three from a blazing furnace. He closed the mouths of lions and demolished the walls of Jericho. Blind men saw; lame men walked. God parted the Red Sea and the children of Israel walked through on dry ground. But, none of these are the greatest miracle. Even God speaking creation into existence is not the greatest miracle.

The incarnation is the greatest miracle that ever took place.

The incarnation was when Jesus, though God Himself, was born as a baby in Bethlehem. God became humanity without in any way ceasing to be deity.

According to theologian Wayne Grudem,
“[The incarnation] is by far the most amazing miracle of the entire Bible – - far more amazing than the resurrection and more amazing even than the creation of the universe. The fact that the infinite, omnipotent, eternal Son of God could become man and join himself to a human nature forever, so that infinite God became one person with finite man, will remain for eternity the most profound miracle and the most profound mystery in all the universe (Grudem, 563).”

Paraphrasing John Murray, “The incarnation means that God who never began to be . . . as God, began to be what he eternally was not (Murray, Vol. 2, 132). It is the most amazing, the most incredible miracle that will ever happen.

And, the reason Christ became humanity was that He might win the victory and deliver His people from sin.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. . . Amazing.

Legal Infanticide (No This Isn't A Post About Obama)

Christians in Context:

Completely by chance, as I was browsing around on Technorati.com, I came across a Catholic blog featuring a rather disturbing article; A mother in the state of Virginia delivered her baby alive, and then suffocated it. If that was not bad enough, it turns out that this is actually legal in the state of Virginia! This seems so ridiculous to me that I questioned the legitimacy of the article, but my best efforts seemed to confirm its truth; the story was featured on the local news in Roanoke, Va. Investigator Tracy Emerson, featured in the interview video clip on the Creative Minority Report Blog, explains the shocking legality of this matter,

"In the state of Virginia, as long as the umbilical cord is attached and [the] placenta is still in the mother, if the baby comes out alive, the mother can do whatever she wants to that baby to kill it," Emerson reports. "She can shoot the baby, stab the baby or anything as long as it is still attached to her in some form by umbilical cord or something, and it's no crime in the state of Virginia."

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal

Dark Side Of The Moon

by Pink Floyd

Price: $1.99

Honesty: Death To Performance

This looks to be a great conference coming to Nashville in Feb. 2010.  Anyone who is in the area should check it out. 

"I LOVE This Company!!!" (Too bad the product is weak)

I think we need more pastors to kick off church services like this guy.  That would rule. 

And the award for the most disturbing photo of the day goes to...

This lady and her kid.

(source)

Are You Familiar With Indicatives and Imperatives? It's The Key To Christian Sanctification.

Any discussion of spiritual formation (or sanctification) into Christlikeness would be lacking without fleshing out the Biblical concept of indicatives and imperatives.  If we fail to understand this concept we risk the immediate danger of falling into legalism (that we can earn our right standing before God).

So, biblically speaking, what are indicative and imperatives? Indicatives explain what is true. They indicate the truth of something. Imperatives are commands, things that we should or must do. Here is the key:  In the Bible one will find that the indicatives always proceed the imperatives. What we must do is always rooted in what is true about us in Christ.

For example, Eph. 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” The basis for our forgiveness of other is rooted in the fact that God in Christ has forgiven us. The indicative is the truth or fact that we are a forgiven people. Thus, the imperative (or command) to be forgiving towards others should be the logical outworking of that indicative.

Other primary examples would be the whole book of Ephesians. Chapters 1-3 lay out all the indicatives (things that are true of Christians) and the following chapters 4-6 deals with the implications or imperatives (what we must do in light of what is true of us) of the great truths from 1-3. Titus 3:3-8 is also a perfect example.

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

Notice how Paul writes about what is true of the Cretan Christians (and all Christians for that matter) in verses 3-7. These are the great indicatives of the Gospel. Once these are firmly in place in the minds of his readers, he tells them to “devote themselves to good works”. The indicatives are the ground of the imperatives. Notice that he doesn’t say, “If you want God’s kindness, righteousness, regeneration, and renewal, you better get to work doing good works!”

The great danger lies is the reversal of these two concepts, or placing the imperatives before the indicatives. Consider an example from parenting. Say a parent sees his son hitting his little sister. How should he deal with his sin in that situation? If the parent were to follow the Biblical pattern of indicatives and imperatives they would say to him, “Son, since you are a member of this family I cannot allow you to continue in this behavior. I love you too much to allow you to persist in hitting your sister. You must stop.”

See how this affirms his identity in the family? Since he is (indicative) a member of the family he must not behave in that destructive manner. Notice how different it would be to say to the son, “If you want me to love you and allow you to keep being in this family you better get your act together and quit hitting your sister!” This simply breeds legalism. It communicates to the son that the love of the Father and his identity as a son is contingent upon his right behavior. God never deals with us this way in the Bible. The indicatives always precede the imperatives. What I am to do is always rooted in who God say that I am. We don’t strive to attain our identity. Our striving flows out of our identity. This is crucial understanding for all of spiritual formation. Thus the challenge of the Christian life can be summed up as learning to grow into who God says we already are.

Another Cool Christmas Song From Pomplamoose

How To Increase Your Joy In Christ

John Piper, from his book, When I Don’t Desire God (free download):

A few days ago I called my eighty-five-year-old father and said, “Daddy, I am writing a book on how to fight for joy.  What one thing comes to your mind from sixty years of ministry as to what Christians could do to increase their joy?”  Almost without hesitation he said, “Share their faith.”  Joy in Christ thrives on being shared.  That is the essence of Christian joy: It overflows or dies.

(HT:  Doug Wolter)

The Top Ten Books That I Read In 2009

Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions
I greatly appreciate Greg Koukl's ministry.  He is very thoughtful and articulate.  If you are not listening to his podcast you should.  You can find it here.  This book will help you more thoughtfully and winsomely engage in conversation concerning spiritual matters with those who might not see things the same way you do.  It is very understandable and easy to read.  I found it to be very helpful.




The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative
Does God have a mission?  Christopher Wright thinks so and I am convinced after reading this book.  He shows you from Genesis to Revelation what that is and what that implies for our mission as Christians.  This book will greatly increase you passion for joining God in his mission and I think every Christian could probably use that shot in the arm.  It will also help you understand your Bible better and the importance of that goes without saying.



When People Are Big and God Is Small
This book will crawl up into your lap and get in your face.  But we all need it.  It's a painful read from that perspective but extremely helpful.  I still have the phrase "need people less and love people more" ringing in my ears.  Who doesn't struggle with the fear of man?  I know I do, but this book helped me attack that sin issue with new ferocity.




Learning Evangelism from Jesus
Jerram Barrs is a guy you may have not heard of yet but now you have.  This book does what it says.  You'll get a look into how Jesus did evangelism.  I found fresh angles that I have not considered before but more than anything I was simply encouraged to do what I know I am supposed to be doing, namely, telling people the good news of Jesus.




The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
Christopher Wright is a gifted author.  He is clear, articulate, and full of grace.  His treatment of four hard questions concerning Christianity I found to be encouraging, honest, and humble.  He tackles four issues that most of us have wrestled with or will at some point.  You won't regret picking up this one.





God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible
Can you articulate the storyline of the Bible?  I couldn't until I went to seminary and then I was left wondering, "How come no one told me these things before?"  Seeing how all the Bible fits into one cohesive story make your Bible reading richer and gives context for how your personal story fits into The Story.  This is a huge need in our evangelical culture.




Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Re:Lit)
A raw (painfully raw at times) look into how Mark Driscoll counsels a variety of different people in the midst of horrific situations.  I have read other books by Mark but this one, by far, is my favorite since it greatly increased my understanding of the Gospel and its implications.  You won't regret reading this one.





Just Do Something
I wish I had read this book in college.  It should be required reading for all high school and college students.  More than ever before this type of book will be immediately practical for young people who are growing up in a world that tells them they can do anything, be anything, and have anything.  The challenge becomes not being paralyzed by all the options.  This book will help accomplish that.




How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil
This is a book that every Christian should read once a year.  Each chapter approaches the issue of suffering from a different angle and every one seems vital for our understanding.  We did this book this past semester in our home group and everyone seemed to benefit from it.





Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches
Dr. Moore book is very very good.  He is a brilliant writer with a passion that is contagious.  You would think that a book like this might be boring if you are not interested in adoption but I think if you give it a shot you'll think the opposite.
Full of theological and practical wisdom, you'll catch a vision for why orphan care should be a priority for Christians.