Powerful Testimony

John MacArthur - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

What the Grinch Can Teach Us

Doug Wolter:

Tonight at 8:00 on ABC is Dr. Suess’ 1966 classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I encourage you to watch it with your kids. Why? Besides Dr. Suess’ uncanny ability to tell a story, the Grinch can teach us a lot about “life together”–especially during this holiday season.

Read more here …

James MacDonald - Wise Up About Alcohol - Part 1

James MacDonald is the Senior Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Illinois. He is a very gifted communicator and has a ministry that reaches thousands through his preaching and various forms of media. I have personally benefited from his blog and find myself agreeing with much of what he has posted.

Recently Pastor MacDonald preached a sermon from his series on the Proverbs called "Wise Up About Alcohol". You can listen to the two parts here and here.

In the next few days I want to interact with what Pastor MacDonald presents here. I care little about resurrecting a tired debate about alcohol and Christians, but I think there are deeper issues in this message that I would like to address.

In his message he gives six reasons why he believes that total abstinence from alcohol should be the norm for all Christians. His six reasons are:

1. Because drunkenness is a sin and not a disease.
2. Because alcohol impairs wisdom.
3. Because alcohol is an unnecessary drug.
4. Because alcohol is destructive.
5. Because alcohol is addictive.
6. Because wisdom calls me to set it aside.

I want to start today by looking at point #1.

1. Because drunkenness is a sin and not a disease.

Agreed. I greatly appreciated Pastor McDonald’s thoughts there. The Bible always presents drunkenness as a sin issue and not a disease. What about genetic predisposition? There are conflicting studies about this and the subject is far from settled.

I would add that even if alcoholism was found to be a genetic disposition it wouldn't matter in the least. Christian theology has a category for this. In light of the Fall, Romans 8 speaks of the creation being subjected to frustration or futility. That means that on this side of The New Heavens and The New Earth, things don't work right. We are broken from the DNA on up. If alcoholism can be shown to be a "disease", this does not absolve anyone of the responsibility to address this as sin. I know that straight from the womb I have a disposition towards certain sin issues. I am still called to "put to death" these misdeeds (Col. 3:5).

Tomorrow I'll address his second point, that alcohol impairs wisdom.

What Is the Biggest Upcoming Theological Battle?

R.C. Sproul answers.

Profile of Tim Keller

NY Mag profiles pastor Tim Keller. The subtitle reads:

The evangelical Christian preacher says the secular holy trinity of money, ambition, and achievement is the root of all evil. So why are so many New Yorkers flocking to him?

Read the whole thing.

New MuteMath Video

Here they are playing the same song on Letterman.

Whose Approval?

D.A. Carson:

Would it be unduly cynical of me to suggest that most of us are more likely to feel troubled by something we have said or done that has upset a colleague or parishioner than by something that has dishonored God? Some do not want to be too closely associated with anything the scholarly guild judges old-fashioned or fundamentalist: that, surely, would be shameful. On the other hand, Jesus says some blunt things about those who are ashamed of him and his words (Mark 8:38). The question resolves into something pretty straightforward: Whose approval do we most earnestly desire? Whose approval do we want when we prepare for a lecture (whether to deliver it or to learn from it)? Whose approval do we seek when we preach a sermon? Whose approval matters most when we write a paper or slog away at a dissertation? Whose approval do we hunger for when we choose a vocation, decide how to use our time, take pains to build links of affection and accountability in the local church, exercise, bring up our children, nurture our families, read, lead a Bible study, help a neighbor?

(Editorial, Themelios, Nov. 2009)

Read the rest.

(HT: Mike Pohlman)

Girls Gone Mild

Denny Burk:

Nightline ran a story last week called “Girls Gone Mild” about a program called “Pure Fashion” that encourages young girls to dress modestly. This story registers high on the counter-cultural meter, so I thought it would be worth passing along to you.

You can watch the video here or read the text version here.

He's Here

Watch this with your kids as Christmas draws near.



Read more about The Jesus Storybook Bible here.

(HT: Timmy Brister)

Cyber Monday Deals

Check it out here.

iPod Touch 8GB - $158. Best Price?

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal

A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra

by Frank Sinatra

Price:

$2.99

Jake and The USC Football Team

Wow. This will make you cry. But you should watch it. Very powerful.

Christmas Business Boycott? No Thanks.

Today I got an email from a prominent Christian ministry concerning all the businesses that fail to promote Christmas. They have a whole host of businesses rated on a scale from Christmas "Friendly", "Negligent", and "Offensive". Based on these three categories all these different stores get a rating. You can click over and see for yourself. You can then boycott the stores that use the words "Happy Holidays".

Here is how part of it reads:

Through our StandForChristmas.com site, you can provide feedback directly about whether or not select retailers are respecting Christmas. Our interactive system compiles shoppers' ratings of retailers, posts consumer comments and sends your message automatically to the retailer's inbox. (my emphasis)

This is your opportunity to rate your shopping experiences and share them with others--including the retailers! YOU decide which retailers are "Christmas Friendly!" Go here to post your ratings and to see our latest customer-generated rankings for retailers.

'Tis the season to expose folly!

In our country which was founded with the ideal of providing religious liberty, we can encourage genuine mutual respect amid diversity without denying the prominent place Christmas holds both here and worldwide. Our commonsense appeal is not to encourage retailers to be exclusive but to be more inclusive by notably featuring the word Christmas.

I am very excited about this new Focus on the Family Action™ effort. StandForChristmas.com puts you in the driver's seat! And I believe retailers will take note of how consumers are rating their Christmas shopping experiences.

Christmas is not only a memorable family time, it is the season in which we celebrate God's greatest gift to man. Christ is the centerpiece of our holiday season. Help us encourage the many retailers who are doing it well and urge those who censor the word "Christmas" to change their approach!

Why are we expecting non-believers to ascribe to something that means nothing to them? Does this help us promote the true meaning of Christmas? Why would we expect any different? I don't get it.

Whether unbelievers use the words Happy Holidays or Christmas is of little consequence as to their understanding of the Gospel. In my view, this kind of stuff only hurts our mission to communicate the truth of the Gospel. If you think people using the word Christmas somehow makes our materialistic holiday extravaganza more pure you are probably not paying attention very well. Boycotting secular businesses that do not exhibit the kind of behavior that we think they should is the last thing that an unbelieving world needs to see.

The main question this website asks is, "How Christmas Friendly Are Retailers?" What does retail have to do with the essence of Christmas anyway? Obviously, the true meaning of Christmas is very important to us and we want to teach our kids the meaning of Christmas, but that is not going to be found in any retail store, no matter how "Christmas friendly" they are.

Let's say that the CEO of Best Buy somehow stumbles upon this website and he happens to be a hard-core Christian skeptic. Do you think that this kind of a website is a helpful Christian witness for him? I doubt it. It serves the opposite goal. If we want people to cherish Christmas the path to seeing that accomplished is not paved with boycotts and angry comment sections on a public website.

Do we expect our unbelieving Muslim friends to acknowledge Christmas? Do we expect our unbelieving Hindu friends to acknowledge Christmas? Do we have unbelieving friends? Isn't this just a subtle (or not so subtle ) form of legalism?

What do you think?

Re-Visiting The Manhattan Declaration

Kevin DeYoung with a good reflection on The Manhattan Declaration.

Justice Understood

Great Testimony on Transracial Adoption

(HT: Shawnda)

Consider A Very Easy Way To Help Our Church Plant on Black Friday

Sorry for all the promo posts lately, but this one could be a huge blessing for our church plant in Madison, WI. Right now, as many of you know, we are raising money to get our church off the ground in 2010 or 2011.

Today, for one day only, you can be a huge blessing for The Vine if you want to do some of your Black Friday shopping on Amazon.com. If you use this link (or click on the image below) for today only I'll get 15% on whatever you buy. That is double what I usually get for people buying on Amazon through my affiliate links.

Amazon might be cheaper on a ton of things that you might want to get for family and friends for Christmas. Might be worth a look if you are going to be buying for Christmas anyway. Thanks!

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal

Crazy Love (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)
by Michael Bublé

Price:

$3.99

Baby Zoowon - T-Day Sale

Visit the site – or be a friend on Facebook. This would be a great idea for someone with a baby this Christmas. Gift a gift that serves orphans too!

"They Wouldn't Have To Leave Would They?"

iMonk:

I’m supply preaching these days at a small Presbyterian church in town. I usually arrive half an hour early, turn on the heat and just enjoy the silence of the sanctuary until the congregation arrives.

Most of my folks live right around the adjacent blocks, some within walking distance. Last Lord’s day, two older ladies arrived together, having walked together from just around the corner.

“Yes,” one said, “we had a conversation with the girl that’s moved in across the street. We invited her to church and she said she might come. But she wanted to know if she brought her boyfriend, would she have to leave.”

For a moment, I was puzzled, but then it began to be clear to me.

“I’m guessing she lives with her boyfriend, right?” Both ladies nodded with a bit of embarassment. Co-habitation is hardly an unusual situation in southeastern Kentucky, but it’s still not a frequent topic with your minister.

The other lady- who has been listening to my preaching at this church for most of 13 years- looked at me and said “They wouldn’t have to leave, would they?”

Read the rest.

Happy Thanksgiving From The Swedish Chef - "Bork, Bork, Bork!"

My kids would have watched this 100 times in a row if I would have let them. They had never seen The Swedish Chef before. Good comedy is ageless. I remember watching this stuff as a kid. Good memories.



(HT: Michael Kelley)

Some Thanksgiving Reading

DG Blog:

Here are four past Thanksgiving meditations for you to read today if you'd like:

• Pray for More Thanksgiving
• A Tribute to Gratitude
• 3 Truths to Induce Thanksgiving
• Ganging Up on Gratitude

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal

For Black Friday, AmazonMP3 is listing a huge number of $5 MP3 recordings. It covers many different genres. Many of you will probably be interested the variety of choices. Check it out.

Here is the featured deal:

The 99 Most Essential Tchaikovsky Masterpieces (Amazon Exclusive)
by Various Artists

Price:

$1.99

The Blind Side - A Review

Ben Witherington reviews The Blind Side. He writes:

You can count on the fingers of one hand the number of memorable football movies there are out there in which there is actually some decent acting and a good plot. When you add the requirement of it being a true story, there are even less to choose from (e.g. 'Radio'). It was then with considerable skepticism that I went to see 'The Blind Side', taking with me my best Missouri attitude (i.e.-- 'show me!'). Part of the skepticism was because this movie starred Sandra Bullock, not noted for her Oscar winning performances in the past. Let me just say--- I didn't see this coming, was blindsided by this movie. It is not only a thoroughly enjoyable movie based on a true story, Sandra Bullock actually deserves to be nominated in the best actress category for this film. Who knew she had it in her? Not me at least.

Read the whole thing.

Separated At Birth?

Click here for more musical look alikes.

Gospel-Centered Family Resources

A good list of resources put together by Jonathan Dodson.


(HT: Doug Wolter)

The Side-Hug Rap - Uh... Ok.

I was not raised in a Christian culture of side-hugs. It was front hugs all around. I am new to the whole "we only do side-hugs around here" type environment that I have learned about only in the last few years. I know from experience that it can be kind of awkward when you naively go for the frontal hug and are surprised with the last second, lightning fast, "shoulder jam" straight into the sternum. Did I do something wrong? Does this gal think I am some sort of perve for going for the frontal hug? Does she know that I didn't know there were other options? Awkward...

In some ways it seems kind of silly to me, but I get it. It's a wisdom issue for sure. On a serious note, we should be very clear as to what is wise and what is biblical law. There is a difference. It is very easy for these types of extra-biblical rules to turn into legalism. There has to be room for different convictions with these issues. I kind of seems silly that I even have to write about this. So be wise and don't spaz if Grandma wants to give you a frontal hug this Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately this is real... Might be a bit over the top.



Jon Acuff writes about the side hug here. Pretty funny.

(HT: The Scanner)

Three Questions About Productivity

Matt Perman answers three questions about productivity:

1. What's the most common mistake people make in trying to develop a system for productivity?

2. In the last three months, what has been the most helpful insight that has helped you be more productive?

3. In a nutshell, what is the most important and fundamental principle for being productive?

Click here to read the responses.

Rethinking Thanksgiving

Nathan Bierma with some good thoughts here:

I’ve always thought of Thanksgiving as a day to count my blessings, to take an inventory (at least a partial one) of what I’m grateful for, to try not to take God’s providence for granted. This year I’m wondering if there’s a risk in blessing-counting, at least when those blessings are things. What if there is too little difference between an affluent Christian like me counting my possessions and the rich man in Luke 12, who counts his crops and barns and says, “Self, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry”? Isn’t our current cultural practice of giving thanks on Thanksgiving dangerously close to this kind of validation of affluence?

My views toward material possessions are complicated. On the one hand, I do believe that we can—we must—give thanks for our possessions (houses, cars, computers, and on and on) as gifts from God. Making and using material goods is one way human beings respond to the Cultural Mandate of Genesis 1:28. Not everyone is called to Franciscan-type vows of poverty. On the other hand, I believe material comforts are loaded with latent dangers; they can falsely feed our sense of self-worth, self-reliance, and self-indulgence. And I worry that North American Christians are far too eager to celebrate possessions as God’s gifts without discerning deeply enough Christ’s and the apostles’ call to simplicity of lifestyle for the sake of mission. I also worry that we’re too often numb to the way our society enables the hoarding of wealth and energy en route to pampered living for some at the expense of others. What is the best way to express gratitude for abundance in this toxic cultural climate?

This Thanksgiving, at least, I’ll try to dial down the possession-listing and give my thanks-giving more of a spiritual edge. Here are a few ways I can think of; add more here.

• the redeeming work of Christ. A chaplain at a Christian high school says that observing confession in Thanksgiving worship is one of the most meaningful ways to take the focus off our possessions and put it on what God has done in Christ.


• the global scope of the church, which spans more cultures and languages than we can imagine, and especially the passion of believers living in societies mired in poverty and corruption.


• the occasionally bitter witness of the psalmists and prophets, who model for us honesty and realism in prayer—rather than a monotonous cheeriness—and a holy longing for God’s justice and the completion of the kingdom.


• relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues—
  the best measure of “rich”-ness in life.

Amazon Black Friday Music Deals (And Other Things)

Amazon is offering some great music deals all week for Black Friday. Might want to click over and take advantage.

Tons of other Black Friday deals to check out as well.

The Importance of Giving Thanks

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. . . [Romans 1:20-22].

Al Mohler:

This remarkable passage has at its center an indictment of thanklessness. They did not honor Him as God or give thanks. Paul wants us to understand that the refusal to honor God and give thanks is a raw form of the primal sin. Theologians have long debated the foundational sin — and answers have ranged from lust to pride. Nevertheless, it would seem that being unthankful, refusing to recognize God as the source of all good things, is very close to the essence of the primal sin. What explains the rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden? A lack of proper thankfulness was at the core of their sin. God gave them unspeakable riches and abundance, but forbade them the fruit of one tree. A proper thankfulness would have led our first parents to avoid that fruit at all costs, and to obey the Lord’s command. Taken further, this first sin was also a lack of thankfulness in that the decision to eat the forbidden fruit indicated a lack of thankfulness that took the form of an assertion that we creatures — not the Creator — know what is best for us and intend the best for us.

Read the rest.

Tony Dungy - On Being Pro-Adoption and Pro-Life

Always Room for One More from Family First on Vimeo.

I Love Brian Regan

(HT: The Blazing Center)

Baby Zoowon - A Great New Orphan Ministry! (Plug it and you could win some classic commentaries)

So my really good friends, Bryan and Sherry Lopez, have just launched a really cool new ministry called Baby Zoowon. Here is what Baby Zoowon is all about:

Our Mission: Baby Zoowon is committed to orphan care. For each blanket purchased Baby Zoowon will donate a blanket to a child in need. Baby Zoowon also donates a portion of every sale to help families with the overwhelming cost of adoption.

Our Story: Baby Zoowon was created by a stay at home mom. While raising three children and in the process of adopting from Ethopia it became increasingly obvious that there is an incredible need. With 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia alone making a difference seemed impossible. Owner Sherry Lopez realized that this is not a "one person job," but with your help, Baby Zoowon will make a difference in the life of a child - one purchase at a time.

Baby Zoo-what? The Lopez family is currently in the processes of adoption from Ethiopia. Zoowon is the Amharic word for Elephant. We all know that an elephant never forgets so we thought it's the perfect animal to represent us remembering those that have been forgotten.

Why baby blankets? “Research and experience have shown that a favorite blanket can be a soothing and comforting transitional object as children face changes early in life and can actually help them develop emotionally,” said Judith Jerald, MSW and Early Childhood Advisor to Save the Children’s U.S. Programs. “Children born into poverty often face a higher level of stress and more anxiety-producing situations than those from more affluent families, making their trusted blanket all the more important.

Here is the cool thing for all you theology nerds with blogs/Facebook/Twitter. If you promote their new ministry, you can have a chance to win Calvin's commentaries on the whole Bible. Bryan writes on this blog on how you can win:

All you have to do is repost this post and email me at bryan[at]bryanlopez.com with a link OR become our friend on Facebook, recommend some friends then email me.

I can speak from personal experience that Bryan and Sherry are the real deal. I would greatly encourage you to consider their new ministry. Orphan care is a crushing need in the world today. This is one way you can take a small part in seeing God's kingdom come.

10 Things To Remember When Your Child Is Disobedient

Ruth Simons:

Here are 10 Things I had to remind myself today when the job of correcting my children felt especially difficult…

1. You disobey the Lord…and He is the perfect Father.

2. His kindness leads us to repentance.

3. God disciplines those He loves.

4. Your child’s disobedience does not measure your value any more than his obedience showcases your achievement.

5. Your child’s disobedience teaches you dependence on God.

6. And sometimes it’s more than dependence He’s after, it’s complete desperation for Him.

7. Your child is clearly a sinner, and needs to hear the truth of the Gospel, and see it lived out through you.

8. Times of correction serve to remind, or establish within your child, his own sense of need for a Savior.

9. It’s not good behavior you really desire…you want his heart.

10. Your child is a person, not a project.

The Pastoral Cross - An Encouragement For Pastors Today

In reflecting upon pastoral ministry it has occurred to me that there is a very unique way in which pastors have the unique calling to model Christ.

Oftentimes pastors, (and Christians in general) are thrust into the middle of very messy situations that are shot through with sin. People don't want to address their sin, confess it, and apply the Gospel, thus those pastors who have spiritual oversight over them after forced to bear those burdens.

Pastors plead with people to repent. If they don't, the weight of sadness and anger can be very real. Pastors can often objectively see the truth of the situation through the lens of the Word, but those caught in sin can't see through to the truth as well, so the pastor is left wondering what it will take for this people to see the truth in the Bible.

As times, for the pastor, this can lead to a sense of sinful frustration with thoughts of "Why do I have to bear this burden? Why won't these people simply do what is right in this situation and move on in the strength of the Gospel? Their sin has heavy consequences for me! I am having sleepless nights over this! I didn't ask for this situation to be placed on my doorstep!"

I am so glad that Jesus did not embrace these sinful attitudes. Can you imagine if from the cross Jesus said, "Why can't these people just do what is right? Their sin has heavy consequences for me! I am growing weary of these sinners and all the implications that their sin has left at my doorstep!"

What as great savior we have and what a distinct privilege we have to model him in bearing the piercing burdens of our people. May we be thankful for pastors who do this well and may we pray for them as they fight for an attitude that embraces the picture of Jesus who gladly laid down his life while bearing unthinkable burdens for the sake of love.

Free Music on AmazonMP3.com

As part of the Black Friday Deals Week, you can get some free music on AmazonMP3.com

Thousands of Quotes

Christians in Context:

For those of you who have noticed the "not so new" quotes which have been added to the top of the site under the banner, I wanted to share with you where I've been getting them. I've had the pleasure of accessing just about all of them from Grace Tabernacle Church out of Lake Como, NJ. Their site features a section called "Grace Quotes." It might be the largest database of Christian quotes on the internet. I can't thank them enough for putting this together. If you're looking to be edified, head on over and look up one of their 500+ categories.

Here's a short vignette from their Pastor, Randy Smith....

Have you ever seen one of those Christian calendars that have great quotes from the Bible or other Christian leaders? Have you ever wished that you could access a database full of great Christian quotes that are topically arranged? Perhaps you want to learn more about a truth of theology or Christian concept. Perhaps you are a pastor looking for that perfect quote from a well-known Christian that succinctly illustrates an important Bible verse or theme. If so, you will love this resource. Grace Quotes is a compilation of thousands of Christian quotes arranged over hundreds of topics. The sources are from solid, well-respected theologians, authors and Christian heroes from across the centuries. It has taken years of research to compile and my hope and prayer is that it becomes for you an invaluable tool to grow in the knowledge of our awesome God and further the ministry He has entrusted to your care...

Popularity and Evangelism

Aren’t the most popular mission trips the ones that take us far from our own neighborhood? Russia is easy; our own neighborhood is a constant challenge. Has anyone consistently had the boldness and clarity of Jesus in testifying about the gospel? Never. Has anyone consistently avoided the fear of man in evangelism? Certainly not. There is a “foolishness” inherent in the message of the cross. The clear proclamation of the gospel does not make us look good. It doesn’t make us popular.

- Edward T. Welch, When People Are Big And God Is Small, p. 39- 40.

Over-Parenting

Doug Wolter:

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit it. I’m an overprotective parent. I have a tendency to overdo it and obsess over the little things that don’t really matter. I guess that’s why I was intrigued by this week’s cover of TIME magazine entitled: The Case Against Over-Parenting: Why Mom and Dad Need to Cut the Strings.

Nancy Gibbs begins her article with these provocative words:

The insanity crept up on us slowly: we just wanted the best for our kids.

Ironically, a good desire has led many parents to become obsessed with their kids’ safety and success. Gibbs calls them “helicopter parents” as they hover over their children’s lives from the classroom to the ball field protecting them and pushing them to succeed.

The result? By worrying about the wrong things, Gibbs says, “we do actual damage to our children, raising them to be anxious and unadventurous.” (Pediatricians have also found that this hurried lifestyle of constant pressure and stress can contribute to health problems like childhood obesity and depression).

So what’s the solution? Well, if the problem was simply hovering over our children’s lives, the solution would be to simply back off and lighten up. And there’s some truth to that! But the problem goes much deeper.

The problem is that we are afraid. If our greatest aim as parents is to protect our children and prepare them to receive some kind of academic or athletic recognition, than most likely we are parenting out of fear. Why? Because deep down we’re scared if they don’t succeed. We feel like we’ve failed as parents. So we work hard to prepare our children to make the grade or make the team so we would look good. It’s like our children are little trophies that we, as Paul Tripp says, “secretly want to display on the mantels of our lives as visible testimonies to a job well done” (Age of Opportunity, p. 35).

If we were honest we would admit that much of our parenting is motivated by fear. That’s what keeps us from lightening up and letting go of the reins. And what’s more, as Christians we spend so much time protecting our children from the world that we fail to prepare them to make a difference in this world. Biblical parenting, however, pictures parents as courageous warriors getting ready to release their children into battle. Psalm 127:4 says,

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior so are the children of one’s youth.

Arrows were made to fly. They can’t sit safely in the quiver or rest on the bow forever. They must be released! That’s what our preparation is ultimately for–to release our children into this world equipped with the gospel of Jesus Christ to serve people for the glory of Christ.

So lighten up all you helicopter parents! (me included). Let go of the reins. Parent your children as God parents you. Protect them, yes. But all the while prepare them … so you can release them … to fly into the battle with the glory of the gospel.

• Read the article yourself in TIME magazine online
• Read more on Missional Parenting
• Read another post on Growing Up Too Fast and Then Not Fast Enough

Some More Amazing Photos

The Big Picture:

National Geographic's International Photography Contest attracts thousands of entries from photographers of all skill levels around the world every year. While this year's entry deadline has passed, there is still time to view and vote for your favorites in the Viewer's Choice competition. National Geographic was kind enough to let me choose a few of their entries from 2009 for display here on The Big Picture. Collected below are 25 images from the three categories of People, Places and Nature. Captions were written by the individual photographers. (25 photos total)

Great Commercial

(HT: Kevin DeYoung)

Ripped

Trevin Wax has an interesting review of the book Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music. He writes:

In my desk drawer at home, I have a large collection of CDs. Years have gone by since I last touched many of those CDs. Yet I still listen to the music, now conveniently stored on my computer hard drive. My big CD collection is now a large iTunes playlist. I’m not the only music-lover who has gone digital.

Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music tells the story of the transformation of music that has taken place in the past decade. Digital music has changed everything. The music industry has faced an unprecedented number of challenges, leading one analyst to call the changes “a technological freak out.”

Read the rest.

The World's Children

A powerful collection of photos of impoverished children from around the world.

(HT: Challies)

J.C. Ryle Commentary Giveaway

Eric Kowalker is giving away this commentary set. Click over and read how you can win.

Today's Award For The Craziest Basketball Shot Goes To... J.R. Smith

Oh. My.

Who Should I Invite To Thanksgiving Dinner?

John Piper shares some thoughts on this here.

Another Plug For A Great Christmas Record

I posted about this a few days back, but since I have been listening to it more lately, I wanted to give another plug for Daniel Renstrom's new Christmas record. It's really good. Great arrangements of classics and a few new songs that are really good as well. He has a great voice and the text for the originals I found to be quite moving.

Check it out here.

Steve McCoy reviewed this CD recently on his blog.

Looking for more Christmas music this time of year? Check out some more here.

A Recent Visit To A Maximum Security Prison

John Piper shares a moving account of his recent visit to one of the most unique prisons in the United State. He writes:

...we sat for half an hour with G.B., a prisoner on Death Row whose death by lethal injection the Warden will oversee in January. There are over 80 on death row, some now for over 14 years as appeals go on. The Warden asked me to share the gospel with G.B. Never have I felt a greater urgency to say the good news plainly and plead from my heart. The thief on the cross is a hero on Death Row.

The Warden answered all G.B.’s questions about what the last day would be like and who from his family and the press could be there. He gave G.B. unusual privileges for these last seven weeks. He was manifestly compassionate while stating the facts with precision. I took G.B.’s picture with my phone and said I would pray for him. (Perhaps you would too.)

I preached with all my heart to those who could fit in the chapel, and to the rest by closed circuit television. G.B. (and three others on Death Row) told me they’d be watching. I pulled no punches:

For 90% of you the next stop is not home and family, but heaven or hell. O what glorious news we have in that situation. And believe me it is not the prosperity of Gospel. Jesus came and died and rose again not mainly to be useful, but to be precious. And that he can be in Angola as well as Atlanta. Perhaps even more.

Read the whole thing.

"I Don't Know" Is Not Really An Option

STR.org:

Marvin Olasky did a great job of pressing an ungrounded moral claim to its real conclusion. He writes:

The prestigious Oxford University Press sent me the new book Morality Without God by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, a Dartmouth professor. (I'm going to quote him a lot, so I'll use his initials.) WSA begins by complaining that his students quote to him Dostoevsky's favorite line, "If God is dead, everything is permitted." WSA then argues that we don't need God: We all should simply agree not to harm others—cause death, pain, or disability—unless there is "adequate reason."

Wondering if WSA is one of those exceedingly rare secular professors with the courage to be pro-life, I emailed him to ask. He responded that there is no "simple solution to this complex problem . . . the moral problem of abortion cannot be solved by citing religious texts or religious leaders."

Hmm . . . How can it be solved? WSA wrote, "What matters is the present and future harm to the fetus and others. This does not solve the problem, but it tells us where to focus our discussions. I hope this helps."

Hmm . . . It helps only if WSA can tell us how to compare "harm to the fetus" (death) to other harms, so I emailed him again. He responded, "The bottom line is that I think some moral problems are insoluble....They are just too difficult for us to figure out. . . . The answer, 'I do not know,' should become common.

Olasky points out why this agnostic posture is a facade:

But WSA suggested in his book Moral Skepticisms (2006) that since we don't know whether abortion is morally wrong, it's unfair for employers to insist that health plans not pay for abortions.

Hmm . . . Health plans should pay for an abortion even though we know abortion does not protect the health of the unborn child? I asked WSA, and he responded by saying that abortions can promote the health (physical and psychological) of the employee.

So there we go. In theory, a person might say he doesn't know what's ethical in regard to abortion. In practice, he or she has to choose. Should a college cover abortion in its health plan or not? Gotta choose. A young man calls up and says his girlfriend is pregnant. Gotta choose. A professor claims to ride the fence. Gotta choose.

We really do have to make moral choices in real life, and often we're not left with the luxury of answering "I don't know." That is a convenient way of ducking the responsibility of justifying a moral view. WSA really does have a moral view and he should offer a sufficient grounding for it. People who pretend to be morally tolerant really aren't - and can't be. We all have moral views and we need to justify them. The morality left without God that Sinnott-Armostrong porposes isn't sufficient for grounding everyday moral choices. Christianity has a better alternative.

Screwtape Letters: Behind the Scenes

This Guy Must Have Had His "Bad Idea" Jeans On When He Decided To Do This

Local dad spoke only Klingon to child for three years.

Jerram Barrs - Missional, Before It Was Cool To Be Missional

Jerram Barrs is a unique dude. He is is an anomaly as a seminary professor in that he doesn't have his PhD. If you didn't know him you might think this is a weakness on his part, but after you get to know him you can understand why Covenant Seminary didn't demand that he get one before he started teaching. Many years ago, Jerram worked as the director of L'Abri in England. The whole time he was there Covenant Seminary was seeking him to come and teach. He kept putting them off, until finally, after 18 years, he decided it was time to go for it. They didn't care that he didn't have a PhD. and they didn't demand that he pursue one. He is that exceptional. When you spend some time with him you can see why.

He greatly blessed our people this past weekend and I would encourage you to listen to his message from Sunday morning. He was talking about being "missional" before it was a cool Christian buzzword. And his message this past Sunday demonstrated a great passion for what the means to him. Anyone who cares about the Gospel should download this message.

Here is a link to some audio of other talks that he gave this past weekend.

5 ways subscribers can make bloggers really happy

Abraham Piper:

1. Subscribe (obviously).
2. Read the posts. (I don’t take this for granted.)
3. Click through.
4. Comment.
5. Share posts you like with others.

I agree.

Your Daily Dose of an Epic 80's Video

Cut off shirts, stalking some girl with a huge video camera, things blowing up, completely incoherent plot line of the video, guitars with no headstock, dudes riding bikes passionately, epic key changes, throwing some kid over a wall, girl wearing a shirt with huge shoulder pads... oh yes, I LOVE 80's videos!

"Kids Will Be Kids"?

I read this post from Paul Myhill last night and was convicted and saddened by some parents who are laying a very tragic and destructive foundation for their children. As Christians, we are called to teach our children to show mercy, because we have been shown mercy by God. Mercy is at the heart of the Gospel and should be the norm for all of us.

Here is a comment from his follow up post to the incident.

Paul Myhill:

It's easy to dismiss such things as "kids will be kids" and to even ridicule why I'm giving this matter attention but, as I stated in my prior post, our children is where it all starts. If you're concerned about how we treat each other these days, how we have little respect for one another, and how we continue to carve ourselves into little "us versus them" groups, take a look at how we lay the foundation of such ills by simply dismissing – and often supporting – how our children negatively interact (or don't interact) with one another.

I'm reminded of my visit to Rwanda where bloodshed that ripped apart a nation was largely dismissed by the West as "Africans being Africans," referring to the frequent tribal conflicts there. Heinous thoughts or rationalizations like this are simply not acceptable. It's not acceptable when referring to other groups. And it's not acceptable when referring to our children.

The Bible states that a nation of "fierce countenance" is one that "shows no respect for the old and no pity for the young." Are we now that nation?

"You 86 the rules. You do what just feels right. . . "

Walt Mueller:

Youth culture is a map and a mirror. It is both directive and reflective. We watch it to see where it's sending us and our kids. We watch it to see where we are. We monitor, deconstruct, and exegete it to know how to bring the map of the Biblical world and life view to bear on the realities that exist. A world that's not the way it's supposed to be keeps heading in that direction. We're in desperate need of being straightened out, fixed, and made new. That's why we listen and watch carefully.

Looking for a cultural map and mirror to ponder and talk about over the next month or so? Here's one worth engaging.

"You 86 the rules. You do what just feels right. . . "

**************************************************************
The last thing we need is more spiritual "rules" for non-Christians to follow. That will destroy Christianity, but the phrase, "just do what feels right" is about as destructive as it gets.

How Not To Be A Missional Church

Read Jonathan Dodson's three point here.

How To Have A Little Fun With Email Scammers

This was pretty funny. We all have gotten the emails from Nigerian Christians who want to give us money or something like that, right? This guy has some fun this the emailer. I think we should all do this and perhaps it will decrease the amount of spam in our email.

(HT: @imonk)

Beautiful Qualities In Others

Just as with the Syrophoenician woman, Jesus delights in the glory of this man as an image bearer of God. The Lord makes the centurion’s good qualities as a human person his primary point of
communication. Here is a man with love and compassion for those under him, a man with deep respect for Christ, a man with a profound understanding of leadership and authority, a man who is noble enough to show great honor to the Jews (despised and abused by many of his fellow military officers), and a man of great humility. Jesus sees all this and marvels at this man.

We need to learn to look for such beautiful qualities in the lives of the people around us, both fellow believers and unbelievers. Think of the example of C. S. Lewis. His delight in joy, his creative imagination, his life of self-sacrifice, his respect for holiness, and his love for good literature (especially stories and myths with their echoes of truth) were the primary means that the Lord used to get his attention and to call him to faith. On a more personal level, my father had a deep love for my mother (my parents had one of the best marriages I have ever had the privilege to see), and it was this love for his wife, his strong commitment to family, and his passion for social and economic justice that were the points at which I could begin to talk to him with real seriousness about ultimate truth.

Do we marvel, like Jesus, at the good qualities of the unbelievers we meet so that their glory becomes a bridge for the good news of the gospel? I do not mean of course that such beauty in the life of an unbeliever is adequate to earn the love of God; nor will it gain them entrance into the kingdom. No human person, apart from Christ him- self, has ever lived a life of such moral loveliness that he or she merits salvation. God’s standard is his own perfect holiness. But these noble characteristics in an unbeliever’s life are God’s general graces that he gives richly in order to draw people to faith in his Son.

- Jerram Barrs, Learning Evangelism from Jesus, p. 199, 200

Identity and Idolatry

Wow. This rocked me today. Praying that this would manifest itself in my life today and every day after. Take some time and meditate on what Paul is saying below. It will serve you well.

Paul Vander Klay:

For most today self-definition and determination is seen as a foundational birthright of our existence. Not only does nobody put baby in a corner, but unless baby is defining herself and keeping herself out of a corner, she is failing to live up to her existential mandate. Most self-help remedies for a variety of identity ills prescribe self-definition through self-assertion. I must take control of my life by constructing a preferred identity, living that out maximizing individuality and authenticity.

If one pursues this long enough they begin to realize that this is a incredible amount of work and a tremendous burden. Not only do we have to construct this from the cultural materials available, but the merchants of cool are perpetually infusing every fresh cultural wave with yet more artifacts and options to add or replace what we’ve already accumulated. We are crushed by the pace of fashion, unable to strip ourselves fast enough of yesterday’s dowdy threads and incapable of assimilating quickly enough tomorrow’s new authenticity. We stand naked in the whirlwind trying to build a life from the debris blowing around us.

Such desperation drives us to turn good things into ultimate things. We begin to look to our jobs, our familial roles, our attributes, our gender identities, the brands in the market place for permanence and meaning. GK Beale’s title is a short cut. We need to become something so locate ourselves in the roles we must play or the things we buy or the communities we choose and the daily maintenance of those things becomes our worship even if we don’t call it that. Habit and worship unites and we get what we asked for. We asked these things to fill us and now they have and will finally displace us. In CS Lewis’ “The Great Divorce” the shadows of hell were once people with attributes, but the identification has gone so far they are merely the attribute.

God is the only safe thing to worship because only God is secure enough, wealthy enough, self-sufficient enough to not need to consume us. See CS Lewis’ description of distinction from Screwtape Letters. Idolatries never satisfy and always enslave. Identities are received, not achieved and there is only one ultimate giver of our identity that will not only satisfy us, but fill us without consuming us.

The Church and the Global Orphan Crisis

Jason Kovacs:

Matt Capps, Associate Pastor for Connections at Calvary Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C. shares a word about the global orphan crisis and the role of the church. I couldn’t agree more. Click below to read his whole post and watch a video their church put together for Orphan Sunday.

As Christians we are adopted as sons and daughters and God uses us as the vehicles by which he demonstrates his love to a lost world. Think about it, the church is the community that gives the world a foretaste of the renewed creation, when all things will be “made new”. We have the responsibility of living now in light of what will one day be. And, who is more fully equipped to address the global orphan crisis than the church is?

We are the people who have been entrusted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the eternal message of hope. We understand that “one day the very word orphan will be eliminated from the human vocabulary.” But until that day comes we as a church have a responsibility to proclaim the gospel not only in word, but in deed. Remember what James wrote, “religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Read the whole post here.

Levi Johnston, PlayGirl, and Youth Culture

Walt Mueller:

His name is Levi Johnston. He's a nineteen-year-old teenager we first met during the summer of 2008. He was thrown into the spotlight because he was the boyfriend of Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol. Soon after the unknown Palin was thrust into the spotlight, it was announced that Bristol was pregnant to Johnston.

Think about what's happened in the 14 short months since. There's a baby and Levi is out of the Palin family picture. But that doesn't mean he isn't in pictures. All this week the media's been pumping out info on Johnston's photo spread in the upcoming January edition of Playgirl magazine. What it appears Johnston is pursuing more than anything else is celebrity, fame, and fortune. Sadly, a host of people will buy into it and fall "in love" with Levi.

It will be interesting and sad to see how this already-sad story continues to play out. It offers what I think is a clear peek into where youth culture is and where it's headed. It tells us about what our culture and our kids value in life. It tells us just what "image" our kids desire to be conformed to. It also tells us just how difficult it's getting to lead kids to an understanding of the image to which they should aspire to conformity. Those of us who love and minister to kids long for them to go in one direction, while almost everything else in life pushes them 180 degrees in the opposite direction. What was once seen as vice is now pursued and embraced as virtue. I think if we were given the opportunity to stand outside of our culture and see it for what it really is, we'd see just how pathetic we've become.

The NIV translation of the Bible tells us in Acts 17 that when Paul walked into Athens and laid eyes on the landscape covered with idols, he was "greatly distressed." I'm afraid that our kids are living in the midst of stuff that leaves them "greatly impressed." Let's hope and pray that even though we live in the same landscape, we won't lose our ability to see things for what they really are. We have to. . . . for the sake of our kids. Like Paul, our distress should motivate us to serve as signposts pointing to the cross. . . the only source of transformed hearts and lives.

Jesus Storybook Bible Deluxe Edition

Last night, before putting the kids to bed, we cracked open our new Jesus Storybook Bible Deluxe Edition. In the new edition you get very high quality recordings of each chapter read by this guy:













He has the wicked cool British accent and uses various different voices for the characters. The kids LOVED it. We listened to two in a row, but they probably would have sat through the whole book if I would have let them. This resource is simply biblical theology for kids. I was never taught biblical theology as a kid. As I sat in seminary classes a few years ago, I wondered, "How come I was never taught this stuff?" I can't stress enough how important it is to be able to articulate the storyline of the Bible and this book will help you and your kids do it, now in a "deluxe" way.

Check it out.