This Gal Can Sing

This is what happens when my wife leaves me home with the kids for the weekend.

Taylor asked to leave the sides of his head intact. Kind of the "old man style mohawk". Emery got the traditional.

They Reached Me First

Scott Moore:

I will never forget the serious look on Dr. Richard Pratt's face one Monday night as he was expressing his number one fear for the next generation. It was not alcoholism, or disease. It was not liberalism, or the church's view on women being ordained (or not) in ministry. He looked across the classroom and called all of us to take heed to the Islamic growth in America. One statistic I remember is that the census reported that by year 2025, one major metropolitan city, in America, will be predominately Muslim. I tucked that statistic away, and have not thought of it since...until yesterday.

The doorbell rang. As the dog barked, and as the kids proceeded to run around like chickens with their head cut off, I left Katie to the new baby and answered the door. I was not prepared for my visitors.

Read the rest.  

ESVSB on iPhone

I didn't know this was available.  Now I do and so do you (if you didn't already).  Not bad for $10.

(HT:  D-Dash)

Why Invite People Into Our Community?

Chad Nuss:

Church community consists of people that are very different, who sin against each other, who don’t like each other from time to time, who do all kinds of bad, hypocritical things–yet they stick together because the call to Christian community is to learn how to die to ourselves for the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of the church, for the sake of community, and for the sake of the glory of God.

Our enjoyment of community does not primarily come from how much we like each other, but from how much we are being rescued from destroying each other by the Gospel! The overflow of joy in the Gospel is joy in each other because we can look at each other and announce the Gospel to each other–the very Gospel that forgives us of sin and helps very different people with very different backgrounds with very different sinful tendencies with very different agendas, frustrations, and preferences come together around a common Savior.

We must be careful that we don’t get fired up and invite people to our community because of how awesome our community is–that is idolatry. We invite people to our community because of how awesome the Savior of the community is and what he is doing to enable our diverse community to gradually die to ourselves and become more and more authentic.

(HT:  Doug Wolter)

Practical Intentionality With Your Children

Brian Croft:

Most pastors would affirm our priority is first to shepherd our family, then to shepherd the church. Yet, I fear many pastors are laboring hard to shepherd the church to the neglect of their family. The Lord in His kind providence, challenged me several years ago about this as my neglect in this area had become known. However, it was not another pastor that challenged me. It was through an out-of-town friend who is a pharmacist and faithfully serves as a deacon in his local church that exposed my neglect. His effort and model to shepherd his seven children both individually and regularly in addition to their regular family worship challenged me, convicted me, inspired me, and put my pathetic efforts I had made thus far to shame.

This faithful father shepherded his seven children by taking one morning a week to meet individually with each of his children. Seven days in a week–each of the seven children got one morning each week with their dad. They prayed, read scripture, talked, and read a book of that child’s choosing. Inspired by his amazing example, I came home and established a similar model in our home that I remain faithful to this day. Here is what I do to individually shepherd my four children regularly in addition to our regular time of family worship, as well as implications attached to it.

Read the rest.

On Grace

Terry Virgo: On Grace from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

(HT: Adrian Warnock)

Be Reminded of Your Assurance

"Whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
John 6:37

There is no expiration date on this promise. It does not merely say, "I will not cast out a sinner at his first coming," but "I will never cast him out." The original reads, "I will not, not cast out," or "I will never, never cast out." The text means that Christ will not at first reject a believer, and that as He will not do it at first, so He will not to the last.

But suppose the believer sins after coming? "If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1 But believers may fall under temptation! "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 But the believer may fall into sin as David did! Yes, but He will "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7

Once in Christ, in Christ forever, Nothing from His love can sever.

Jesus said, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." John 10:28 What do you say to this, O trembling, feeble mind? This is a precious mercy. Coming to Christ, you do not come to One who will treat you well for a little while and then send you about your business, but He will receive you and make you His bride, and you shall be His forever! Live no longer in the spirit of bondage to fear, but in the spirit of adoption, which cries, "Abba, Father!" Oh, the grace of these words: "I will never cast out."

- Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

(HT: STR Blog)

AmazonMP3 Daily Deal

Greatest Hits

by James Taylor

Price: $4.99

Anne Rice Hasn’t Betrayed You

Russell Moore continually blesses me with his writing and careful thinking. Today he writes about the Anne Rice announcement via her Facebook page that she is renouncing Christianity.

He writes:

Anne’s case is a little unique because she’s a national celebrity. She has a Facebook page that people pay attention to. But she’s really not all that different to the ex-prisoner, now following Christ, who told me not long ago that he’s contemplating giving it all up and going back to cocaine and prostitutes. Of course he is. We are walking through a time of temptation and wilderness, in which there’s a struggle in the air for every Christ-branded psyche.

But the church cannot see rejection of Christ as some kind of personal reproach or, worse yet, an ideological declaration of war. We have to love our prodigal sons and daughters so that if and when the dark night of the soul is over they have a place to come home to.

Anne says she still loves Jesus but she doesn’t love Christianity. Yes, I know that it is impossible to love Jesus without loving his church. I’ve preached that for years, and I still believe it. But can’t you see how someone could wrestle against that? I am thankful that I had been a Christian long enough to have gained some kind of maturity before I saw just how vicious “Christianity” can be.

Read the rest.  

24 Rooms In 330 Square Feet

This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.  Wow.

Don't Like It? Don't Have One!

Life Training Institute Blog:

I came across a doozy of an article in the Birmingham Atheism Examiner. The article, “Against Abortion? Then don’t have one…,” takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of the (atheist) abortion advocate’s argument — from dependency of the fetus and women’s autonomy to the theological nature of the pro-life argument and “huge difference between something being human and an actual living, breathing human being.” And more.

As is often the case, if you’re able to strip away some of the fancy wordage, the claims are fairly easy to debunk if you’re familiar with LTI’s training material:

1.   The author writes, “The fetus may be life, but it is not independent life, and for that reason alone, the mother reserves the right to terminate her pregnancy” (emphasis mine). Hidden in this sentence and the paragraph in which it’s embedded are a couple of things — the assumption that the unborn is not a human being (we call this “begging the question”), and the assertion that the unborn’s degree of dependency is what makes him/her less valuable than a newborn. This is where the “D” in the “SLED” acronym comes in handy. The response straight from LTI’s The SLED Test card reads, “If viability makes us human, then all those who depend on insulin or kidney medication are not valuable and we may kill them. Conjoined twins who share blood type and bodily systems also have no right to life.” This argument by the author ultimately fails because when applied elsewhere, it leads to absurd conclusions.

2.      Later, the author makes a separate claim following several paragraphs that describe the unborn’s early development (which I will address later). He writes, “So, to say that the termination of a human zygote, blastocyst, embryo, or a fetus before viability (there’s that “degree of dependency” thrown back in the mix) is a human being with a right to life is scientifically unfounded and rightfully illegal. (That’s quite a claim. If someone said this in conversation, it would be appropriate to ask how he or she reached such a conclusion.) There is a huge difference between something being human and an actual living, breathing human being. Even a fetus that is prematurely born or removed from a sick or dying mother is not a human being until it is actually apart from the mother,” (parenthetical additions mine). Now the author has combined the “D” from “SLED” with the “E,” “Environment.” The “huge difference” he seems to be referring to is the length of the birth canal — inches. But as we teach at LTI, “where you are” has no bearing on “who you are.” A change in location does not affect one’s value. Not to mention the fact that the author fails to explain why separation from the mother suddenly makes a non-human human.

More to come…

One of The Ways That The Gospel Sanctifies Believers

From Paul Tripp:

Grace will take control out of your hands, while it blesses you with the care of One whose plan is unshakable and perfect in every way. 

Jason had some kind of distant belief in the sovereignty of God, but it was almost completely separate from his everyday experience. He lived like he had no idea that Jesus was ruling over all things for his sake (Ephesians 1:20-23). So Jason was constantly dealing with the frustration of trying to control people and things which he had little power to control. 

He spent way too much time calculating the “what ifs” and regretting the “if onlys.” He seemed like he did not know that his security and rest were not to be found in his ability to predict the future and control the present, but in the faithful love and expansive wisdom of his sovereign Savior, Jesus, so his living always was more anxious than restful. 

You see, Jason didn’t need more grace. No, he needed to understand and live in light of the grace he had already been given. Jason was a grace amnesiac and so he lived like he was poor, when grace had made him exotically rich. He lived like he was weak, when grace had made him strong. He lived like life had no plan, when, in fact, he had been included in the unalterable plans of the God of redeeming grace.

(HT:  Justin Buzzard)

Dever & Wallis on Justice and the Gospel (Part 1)

Why Teenagers Are Not Excited About The Gospel

My work with teenagers has convinced me that one of the main reasons teenagers are not excited by the gospel is that they do not think they need it.  Many parents have successfully raised self-righteous little Pharisees.  When they look at themselves, they do not see a sinner in desperate need, so they are not grateful for a Savior.  Sadly, the same is true of many of their parents.  

- Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp, How People Change, p. 5

Wrap Your Mind Around The Digital Revolution

Here.

The world will never be the same.  What power.  What potential.  May we be wise.

(HT:  @AlbertMohler)

To Change The World - A Review

Bob Thune just posted a review of James Davidson Hunter's book, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World.

Here is his closing challenge:

For those who will be called to lead the church either now or in the future: it would be wise not to say or write anything about cultural engagement until you’ve read this book. Why? Because according to Hunter, Christians need to “abandon altogether talk of ‘redeeming the culture,’ ‘advancing the kingdom,’ ‘building the kingdom,’ ‘transforming the world,’ ‘reclaiming the culture,’ ‘reforming the culture,’ and ‘changing the world.’” You may end up disagreeing with Hunter on this point. But you shouldn’t do so until you’ve weighed his argument.

Read the rest.

Z Music - Blues Riff

Speaking of Keith Green... he might dig this.

I got a new piano on Craigslist for $100.  It really needs to be tuned but it feels good and looks pretty good too.  I thought I would play a little bluesy thing that I made up and have been messing around with lately.  Don't mind my kids chirping and playing Legos in the background.

The Next HUGE Hit in Kidz Praise Music

Uh...



(HT: The Scanner)

Keith Green - Anniversary of His Death

Twenty-eight years ago today Keith Green died in a plane crash. His music and message still resonate with many. I do have some theological issues with this song, but generally speaking, I love it.

If only I could rock the red, white-man afro and beard like Keith had... God would be sure to use it to explode the ministry here in Madison.

Does God Care How We Do What We Do on Sunday Morning?

Tullian Tchividjian:

During the Protestant Reformation, two views emerged regarding how Sola Scriptura ought to be understood when it comes to worship practices. Martin Luther believed we could do anything we want in worship as long as the Bible doesn’t say “no”—whatever is not prohibited is permitted. John Calvin believed we can’t do anything in worship unless the Bible says “yes”—only those elements that are appointed by God in Scripture are permissible.

Because Scripture is the all-sufficient Word of God, I believe with Calvin that everything we do in worship must be prescribed in the Bible. But the application of the regulative principle does not need to be narrow, as is often assumed. Because the Bible instructs us with its methods as much as it does its material, our scope regarding what God commands in worship is deep and wide. For instance, recognizing the various literary genres of Scripture—history, story, poetry, prophecy, epistle, and so on—should demonstrate that stylistic diversity is something God himself employs and enjoys. Therefore, shouldn’t stylistic diversity be something we celebrate in worship? In other words, God is telling us something about how to worship him by the way he communicates, not just what he communicates—both style and substance are prescriptive. Understood this way, the regulative principle allows for much more variety in worship than some have concluded.

Read the rest.

No Pain Before 24 Weeks?

Study says fetus can feel no pain before 24 weeks.

Who cares?

Why is "feeling pain" a basis on which we decide whether we can kill a human being or not?  Seems like a poor category for personhood.  For example, what about those with leprosy?  Or what if technological advance allows us to discover a fail proof way to kill toddlers without having them feel any pain.  Should we then allow parents to murder their toddlers?  Obviously this is ludicrous, but if "feeling pain" is the basis on which we decide what persons should be protected and what persons shouldn't it is actually not too mark off the mark.

This type of argumentation is a complete red herring.  THE issue with abortion is personhood.  Let's not be distracted by studies like this.

Uh... Luke Can't Fly the X-Wing Fighter While Holding That Thing

Kind of takes the mystic out of it, doesn't it?

(HT:  John Mayer)

The Essential Edwards Collection

Denny Burk:

For a limited time, Westminster Books is selling all five volumes of The Essential Edwards Collection for a 50% discount from the cover price ($44.95).  For one week, from Tuesday, July 27th through Monday, August 2nd, they will sell the books for $22.50, the equivalent of one free book relative to the current Amazon price. If you haven’t purchased the series yet, looks like now is the time to do it.

We Need To Start Doing This With Our Kids

Giving Video Series - #2 from The Summit Church on Vimeo.

Interview with Andrew Peterson

A great interview of Andrew Peterson by Robbie Sagers.

Justin Taylor links to info about his new record.

Normal Christianity

"I love Christ, therefore I love missions. Healthy churches are churches that are gripped by the urgency of the task to take the gospel to those who have not heard. Clearly, this must start in our own neighborhoods and towns, but it cannot stop there, nor should it be called “missions.” That should be called “normal Christianity.” The local church has a responsibility to look to areas of the world that are unreached and pray how they might be involved in the task." 

- Jeff Brewer

(HT:  Mark Wolter)

At Home in a House Church

Interesting article here from Colin Hansen.

Why Does Bestselling Author Randy Alcorn Make Minimum Wage?

Learn why here.  This is a very powerful testimony.

Discerning The Difference Between Containers and Content

As a pastor, Sunday is always right around the corner.  You can't slow down or make them stop.  If you are not careful, that habitual pace can wear you down over the course of years.  It can also lull you into familiar patterns for leading the gathered assembly which can tempt people to "check out" due to familiarity.

Bob Kauflin addresses this issue with his usual wisdom in a post today called, "Discerning The Difference Between Containers and Content".

He writes:

Whenever we do something repeatedly, week after week, we have two tendencies. One is to revert to a formalism that requires no faith or Spirit-given power. It’s easier. It’s more efficient. And it’s deadening.

The other tendency is to become more creative with the containers at the expense of what’s being said. That too is deadening. Focusing on content over containers doesn’t negate creativity. It just gives it the right focus, direction, and purpose.

As we think about, plan for, and lead our meetings, let’s never lose sight of the fact that gathering as the church is one of the most significant events on earth. More dramatic than any movie, more exciting than any sporting event, and more life-changing than any political rally. We are the people of God, met together in his presence, joining with innumerable saints and angels in heaven, proclaiming the greatness of the Lamb who was slain, edifying each other through the use of spiritual gifts, and being transformed into his image as we feed on his Word and behold his glory (1 Pet. 2:9-10; Mt. 18:20; Heb. 12:22-24; Rev. 5:9-10; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Cor. 3:18).

Read the rest.   

The Vine - Our First Public Gathering

Yesterday we held our first public gathering for The Vine. We found a great place to meet for four weeks (then we'll have to go somewhere else), had 30+ people in attendance (plus some little ones), and most importantly, God was glorified through song, fellowship, preaching and the Lord's Supper. We are so thankful and excited to see God move in our community for the sake of the community of Madison.

Saved From What?

What do we need to be saved from? We need to be saved from God—not from kidney stones, not from hurricanes, not from military defeats. What every human being needs to be saved from is God. The last thing in the world the impenitent sinner ever wants to meet on the other side of the grave is God. But the glory of the gospel is that the One from whom we need to be saved is the very One who saves us. God in saving us saves us from Himself.

Woe unto those who have no Savior on the day of wrath. The Bible says that on that day the unbeliever will scream to the mountains to fall upon him, to the hills to hide him. People will be looking for refuge from nature itself, crying, “Cover me! Give me a shield!” But there is only one Shield that can protect anyone from the wrath that is to come. It is the covering of the righteousness of Christ.

When we put our faith in Jesus, God cloaks us with the garments of Jesus, and the garments of Christ’s righteousness are never, ever the target of God’s wrath. He who flees to Jesus has peace with God, and there is no condemnation left.

- R.C. Sproul, Saved from What?, p. 25, 26

9 Strategies for Reaching Over-Churched Kids

Tony Kummer with another great post about over-church kids.  This one focuses on how to win them.

This point stood out to me as significant:

Model Repentance: With over-churched kids, we can’t pretend that Christians are always the good guys. They see behind our Sunday morning smiles and know that we’re not perfect people. When we are honest about our failings, and confess our sins, it points them to the Gospel. When teaching, use examples of Christian repentance and be transparent about your own struggles. This is a key to parenting, but it’s also a great strategy for kids ministry.

Read the rest.

(HT:  Doug Wolter)

The Scriptures Testify To Him

While the temptation in preaching will be strong to proceed directly from, say, the godly Israelite to the contemporary believer, this method will inevitably produce distortions in the way we understand the text. There is no direct application apart from the mediation of Christ. That is the theological principle that I have wanted to emphasize in this study. While, no doubt, the direct approach will produce nice thoughts and, to a limited extent, even edifying ones, we simply cannot afford to ignore the words of Jesus that the Scriptures testify to him. I say again, if this be the case, then the Scriptures only testify to us insofar as we are in him.

- Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible As Christian Scripture, p. 116

Preacher, Beware of Doing This

Greg Koukl:

Why is it that there’s so much Biblical illiteracy in the church? Certainly the Bible is taught, and by well-meaning people who care about the Bible. But still people are ill equipped, it seems, to understand the nature of reality as characterized by the foundational pieces of the Christian worldview, to understand the scope of the Biblical message, and be able to explain it.

Though I think pastors are working very hard, I don’t think they’re always working smart theologically. There’s a habit that pastors have when they go to a text with the idea of teaching the Bible. They have a notion in mind already that they want to teach, so they find a phrase or a verse in the Bible that seems to substantiate it. So they’re not really teaching the Bible. They’re just teaching an idea that may be their personal view, and may be a very useful idea, and they’re trying to give legitimacy to it through the Scriptures. But they’re not teaching what the Bible teaches because they’ve pulled a verse out of the text to support the lesson.

Here’s the problem: Even though they’re teaching a Biblical text, they’re actually prooftexting. They’re taking the passage or the phrase and they make a metaphor out of it, and then they teach the metaphor rather than teach the passage.

I’ll give you an illustration of this. It’s the one that’s probably most common, and you will recognize it immediately. It’s from the Gospels where Jesus calms the storm. The disciples are rowing the boat across the middle of the Sea of Galilee. They’re getting spun to and fro by the wind, pitching every which way. They’re in fear of capsizing and perishing, and they cry out to the Lord, “Don’t you care that we’re perishing?” And Jesus wakes up, because He’s asleep in the stern, and He rebukes the storm and everything goes perfectly calm. Then He rebukes His disciples.

Tell me what the message is that is based upon that text. What is the message probably most frequently taught from that passage? What are the storms in your life that Jesus can calm? In other words, the storm calmed by Jesus, even if we acknowledge that it’s a real historical fact, shows us that there are “storms” in our lives that Jesus can calm.

I can say with good authority that that is not the point of the text. You may be teaching something really helpful to people. You might even be teaching something that is true in itself in isolation. But you are not teaching the text. What you have done is read a historical account as a metaphor to be applied metaphorically in our lives. But that’s not what the writer of the text intended. How do I know that? Because the writer of that text does not make that application.

When you read the text, what do you find? Jesus calming the storm, as I just described, and then the disciples responding. What you don’t see is the disciples saying, “Jesus just calmed the storm. I wonder what storms in my life Jesus could now calm.” No, you don’t see them reflecting in that way at all because that is not the way they understood what they just witnessed.

What do the disciples say? They say, “‘Who is this man who commands even the forces of nature?’ And they fell on their face and they worshipped him.”

That shows us the reason that this account is in the text. It is not to tell us something about how God can fix our lives; it is meant to tell us something about Jesus. And if you are not teaching that, then you are not teaching the text, even though you’re using the text in your teaching.

Read the rest.

Get Ready To Resist The NFL

This was good for me to read in light of the fact that I have been a complete NFL fantasy football nerd for the past four years.  I don't think I am going to do it this year.  It demands too much emotional capital.  I know that sounds unbelievably juvenile, but it is what it is.  Dorky as it sounds it can be a bit consuming.

Ray Ortlund writes:

The NFL season starts soon. Great. I love football. But if only it were that simple. The NFL in its televised grandeur and inflated drama claims too much for itself. It claims too much of our attention on Sundays especially. Let’s get ready now to resist its over-reaching. Let’s get ready to put it in its true place, under Christ. So it’s like this, as August is soon upon us: “Hey Mr. NFL, good to see you again. Glad you’re back. Sure, I might be able to fit you into my iPhone calendar somewhere here. Umm, no, that’s filled. And that won’t work either. Uhhh — Oh, here’s an opening. Sure, I might have some time here . . . .”

Jesus, community, mission — I submit to these claims. I manage all others. Jesus alone is Lord. Jesus alone is joy. I will set no limits on him. I will set proper limits on everything else.

Read the rest.

Stormy Skies

I have a shelter in the storm
When troubles pour upon me
Though fears are rising like a flood
My soul can rest securely
O Jesus, I will hide in You
My place of peace and solace
No trial is deeper than Your love
That comforts all my sorrows

- Steve & Vikki Cook and Bob Kauflin

More great storm pics here from The Big Picture.  

Even an Apple Fanboy Like Me Thinks This Is Wack

A shirt with built-in iPad carrying case.  See more pics and info here.

iPhone4 Free Case Info

If you got the new iPhone 4 and you want your free case, click here to learn how to get yours.

Suffering and a Vision of God

Long ago at a conference, I remember hearing Piper preaching about suffering.  He said emphatically that when people suffer deeply they don't necessarily need a solution or an answer but rather at their deepest core, they need a big view of God.  Sometimes when people suffer, one of the best ways to minister to them is to remind them of the holiness of God, the majesty of God, and the rule and reign of God.  Job 38-41 would be the best biblical example of this idea.

Seeing God relativizes us, sobers us, and reminds us that we are temporal. If I am temporal then my suffering will be temporal as well.  This leads me to remember that one day Jesus will make all things right because he is the victor, he is the King, and he reigns over all.  He will rise up one day and finally defeat all evil of every form.  He knows all and holds all together by the word of his power.

Where else is a solution going to come from?  From within?  Never.  It is only by looking outside ourselves to the God who condescends to us that we will ever find true comfort.  This is why we need a big vision of God when enduring trial.

We are in a very challenging season in our lives right now.  As I write this I am listening over and over to Fernando Ortega's rendition of "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence".  What a great text to accomplish what I describe above.

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!

We Have Been Getting Quite a Bit of Rain Lately

Real Following

(HT: Josh Harris)

Inception - A Review

Michael Kelley reviews the movie, "Inception".  His conclusion:

But what captured me about the movie most, other than what’s above, is the idea behind it. I think this movie is about creativity. It’s about ideas and where they come from, and how a simple idea – just a though – can eventually completely take over your life. It can become like that song you hear in the morning that gets stuck in your head and you can’t get out. It’s a truly creative and original movie dealing around the subject of true creativity and originality. Brilliant.

I’m left asking myself those questions as a writer – what is the beginning of inspiration? What’s the origin of an idea? And how do I generate that on my own without having Cobb invade my psyche? It seems to me that in some ways, the world is becoming less and less creative all the time. Though technology is constantly and rapidly developing, it seems like we always get the newest version of something else. Not much completely original. Not in film. Not in literature. Not in technology. Not that often.

In short, the movie made me want to have an idea. An original one. One that can be cultivated and grown. 

Read the rest.

Christianity in China

Redeemer Blog:

A recent story on NPR outlines the changing face of Chinese Christianity:

In The Land Of Mao, A Rising Tide Of Christianity

Despite historic restrictions on evangelistic or missionary activity in China, churches there are growing quickly and with fewer restrictions, particularly in urban areas. According to the report,

"Official Chinese surveys now show that nearly one in three Chinese describe themselves as religious, an astonishing figure for an officially atheist country, where religion was banned until three decades ago."

New Undercover Video At Planned Parenthood

Great Quotes From Matt Chandler Video on Suffering From Yesterday

If you didn't watch it, you might want to go back and watch it.

“Lauren asked the doctor, ‘what’s best-case scenario and what’s worst-case scenario?’ He said: ‘Best-case scenario is that God heals you… worst-case scenario, honestly, is that you get killed in a car wreck on your way home today.’

“He was the first one to say to me out loud, ‘nothing’s really changed for you – you just get to be aware that you’re mortal. Everyone is, but they’re just not aware of it.  The gift that God’s given you is that you get to be aware of your mortality.’

“So if this goes bad for me, if my MRI scan shows that … I have a short amount of time, I can talk to my wife, talk to my children, shoot videos… most guys who die in their 30’s kiss their wife goodbye in the morning and never come home. … At least once a year, for the rest of my life, I get the anxiety of ‘am I going to hear today that I only have a couple years to live?’ … It is a gift.”

(HT: A29) 

Our Cold and Ruthless Enemy

Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm

Surround us with your angels, hold us in your arms

Our cold and ruthless enemy, his pleasure is our harm 

Rise up o Lord and he will flee before our sovereign God! 

- Fernando Ortega, Mac Powell, Our Great God, verse 2

Skype for New iPhone OS

This is great news for most of you who are using an iPhone with the new operating system.  Skype has been updated so you can use it now.  Not sure if the camera will work or not.  You can get it here.

The Power of Editing

(HT: Prodigal Jon)

Resources for Genesis 1-2

John Starke:

D. A. Carson’s new book The God Who Is There is an excellent resource to hand unbelievers or new believers with little-to-no understanding of the message of the Bible.  In his first chapter, “The God Who Made Everything,” he focuses on the first two chapters of Genesis and their foundation for a Christian worldview.  Carson suggests some resources that respond to those that claim Genesis 1-2 is incompatible with science.

Below are three books and one article that responds to the “new atheism”:

1. R. Albert Mohler, Atheism Remix (Crossway)
2. David Bentley Hart, Atheism Delusion: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies (Yale University Press)
3. Paul Copan and William Lane Craig (editors), Contending with Christianity’s Critics: Answering New Atheists and Other Objectors (B&H)
4. William Lane Craig, “Five Arguments for the Existence of God” (PDF)

Carson also suggests two books that talk about scientists who are Christians:

1. William A. Dembski (editor), Uncommon Discent: Intellectuals Who Find Darwinism Unconvincing (Intercollegiate Studies Institute)
2. Li Cheng, Song of a Wanderer: Beckoned by Eternity (Foundation for Chinese Christian Authors) (About a Chinese atheist and scientist who became a Christian)

"It's a hellavu lot of fun to shoot'em"

Uh... ok... I guess. Wowsers.



(HT: Schnee)

Matt Chandler on Leading Your Church and Yourself through Suffering

5 Dangers Facing Over-Churched Kids

I found this post from Doug Wolter to be quite helpful to think through in light of the fact that my four kids will grow up in an "over-churched" environment.  Great stuff to think through here.

5 Ways to Know If You're Really a Christian

A good post here on assurance of salvation from Owen Strachan.

This is Just Plain Wack

Washington Times, July 19:

Want your baby to resemble your favorite celebrity? A Los Angeles sperm bank is already one step ahead....

California Cryobank, a clinic that has been in the fertility business for more than 30 years, has launched a celebrity-inspired service called "Donor Look-A-Like," which allows clients to search for potential donors who mirror certain "actors, athletes, musicians, or anyone else famous enough to be found on the Web."

The list includes performers such as Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe and Justin Timberlake.... Athletes on the list include golfer Tiger Woods, tennis player Andy Roddick... quarterback Tony Romo and basketball player Jason Williams....

But, in an era when sex-selection abortion, in utero genetic manipulation and other techniques are raising concerns about a society that engineers and custom-designs children, Mr. Brown denied that his sperm bank's service has anything in common with such "Brave New World" practices....

Read more.  

Persecution Could Bless The Church in America

Jared Wilson:

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. -- Matthew 5:10

At the time of the Boxer Rebellion, 230 Christian missionaries and 23,000 Chinese Christians were killed in China. In the years following, the number of Christians in China grew to 70,000. Then communist China really cracked down, outlawing Christianity and expelling all Christian missionaries. The number of Christians in China grew 100 fold to 70 million.

In our nation there is some concern among Christians about religious freedoms and the state recognition of Christian expression. These concerns are, for the most part, justified. Arguably. But there are many overreactions, many voicing of concerns that belie the reality of the God who is sovereign over everything, including nations, kings, and laws.

But let's not presume to think we are presently persecuted. In Matthew 5:11, Jesus says, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account." Persecution is a blessing. Either he meant that or he didn't. The Beatitudes are proclamations, not commands, so we don't need to seek persecution. It's not the blood of the one with a martyr complex that is the seed of the church. Perhaps socialism is creeping into America. We should be concerned about this and talk about it, against it even.

But let's also not assume that persecution would be the worst thing to befall us. It could be, actually, that persecution, should it come, is the best thing to happen to the American church.

A Brief Compendium of Paul’s Warnings Against Quarreling

Thabiti Anyabwile with a great post on Paul's warnings against quarreling. It is rather noteworthy how often Paul mentions this issue.

The Championship Ring

John Armstrong:

I love sports humor. I am not a Chicago Cubs fan so I particularly love Chicago Cubs humor about their futility. A friend recently sent me these photos, which tell enough in pictures to say it all well.

Here is the 2008 World Series ring won by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Here is the 2009 hockey ring won by the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team.

Here is the Super Bowl winning ring of the Pittsburgh Steelers won two seasons ago. One can get the feeling that diamonds are a players best friend when it comes to championship rings.

And my favorite baseball ring is the one shown below, won by the really good team in Chicago, the Chicago White Sox. This was their 2005 World Series ring.

Finally, someone came up with these rings to represent the Cubs success.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy - A Review

Melinda reviews the newest biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  She writes:

Eric Metaxas’ biography Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy was both historically and spiritually enlightening. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a theologian and pastor who was part of the opposition and resistance to Hitler, and he ultimately lost his life for being part of a plot to kill Hitler and bring an end to the Third Reich. He coined the term “cheap grace” in his famous book The Cost of Discipleship. These facts are well known about Bonhoeffer, and pretty much exhausted my previous knowledge of the man. What I didn’t know was how early and extensive Bonhoeffer’s resistance to the Third Reich was, how integral he was to the church’s opposition to Hitler, and that it was his commitment to pastoring and spiritual disciplines that gave him the strength to do the right thing and pay the consequences for it. Metaxas’ book brought Bonhoeffer to life, and his life is worth learning about.

Read the rest.

Well Said

Telling people that being part of the local church is optional for the health of the Christian, is like telling a married couple they can replace living together with being friends on Facebook to grow closer and become One as God intends.

 - Carlos Griego

Mars Hill Church Leadership Program

Book Giveaway Winners

The winners of D.A. Carson's Collected Writings on Scripture are...

Vicky Payne

Joshua Otte

Jeff Kieslich

I look forward to another round of giveaways in August!

Darth Vader GPS

(HT: Kevin DeYoung)

An Interview with Worship Pastor Mike Cosper

I appreciated his response to this question.

What advice would you give church leaders who recognize the need for theology to impact and characterize their worship gatherings?

One time, after a Sojourn service many years ago, Chip Stam (a prof at Southern Seminary and a brilliant mind on issues related to worship) gave me the most painful critique I’ve ever received. Essentially, he told me that the music was great, and the service was well executed for what it was, but that apart from the sermon, the entire thing could have been held in a Synagogue or a Unitarian church, and no one would have been offended. In a similar vein, I heard C.J. Mahaney say that at Sovereign Grace, they want to make sure no one who attends can ever think that worship is possible without a mediator.

I was crushed by Chip’s critique. Especially when I realized he was right. His comment spurred a journey that has led us to the liturgical model we practice now, where the Gospel is clearly proclaimed throughout the movements of the service. Liturgy isn’t the only way to prevent that from happening, but I would want to challenge worship leaders to ask what their measuring stick is in their planning. What is a well-planned service?

The Gospel needs to be proclaimed and celebrated in a way that prepares people for all of life – suffering, death, joy, births, successes, and failures. Our understanding of the depths of the Gospel will have a direct impact on the way we proclaim it in our gatherings. As John Wesley once said, people won’t leave a service quoting a sermon as often as they’ll leave singing a song. Worship leaders need to be pastors and theologians so that they can skillfully teach through songs and services what the Gospel has to offer us in each facet of life, so that when suffering and hard times come, they have the words in their hearts and minds to cling to the cross.

Read the rest of the interview.

Single Men and P0rn

Brian Croft:

Yet, if someone continually fills their mind and heart with a perversion of God’s truth like viewing pornography does, he will eventually believe and apply that perversion. Pornography causes men to see women simply as objects for their own pleasure and not beautiful human beings who are to be cherished, honored, and respected. The longer a man exposes himself to an evil, selfish perversion of God’s design for sex, the more likely that man will bring that understanding into bed with his wife and not experience what God has intended for a husband and wife. This misunderstanding also inevitably leads to the naivety of most men to think that this struggle suddenly vanishes once married.

Read the rest.

Rebuke is Blessing

‘The more we learn to allow the other to speak the Word to us, to accept humbly and gratefully even severe reproaches and admonitions, the more free and to the point we ourselves will be in speaking. One who because of sensitivity and vanity rejects the serious words of another Christian cannot speak the truth in humility to others. Such a person is afraid of being rejected and feeling hurt by another’s words. Sensitive, irritable people will always become flatterers, and very soon they will come to despise and slander other Christians in their community. But humble people will cling to both truth and love. They will stick to the Word of God and let it lead them to others in their community. They can help others through the Word because they seek nothing for themselves and have no fears for themselves.’ (105)

‘Nothing can be more cruel than that leniency which abandons other to their sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than that severe reprimand which calls another Christian in one’s community back from the path of sin.’ (105)

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community, 105

(HT:  Tim Chester)

Abiding in Christ

One of my favorite songs from the past few years is Matthew Perryman Jones' version of Abide With Me. If you are not singing it at your church I would recommend you give your music leader a link to this MP3 or buy it and give it to him. Great arrangment and great text.


Abide With Me
Henry F. Lyte (1847)

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears not bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

(HT:  Thabiti)

When Should A Worship Song Be Retired?

Bob Kauflin with a great post called, When Should A Worship Song Be Retired?

The iPhone Antenna Song

What should Christians do with Mel Gibson?

ThinkChristian.net writes about the recent Mel Gibson scandal.  I have to admit, the response here is a bit troubling to me.  Sin disqualifies one from being a Christian or being "one of our own" when there is no repentance.  Repentance is the issue here, not deeds.  Certainly deeds have consequences but being case aside from Christian community should never be one of them if repentance is genuine.  I have no idea if Mel Gibson has repented or not, but it seems to be this should be the starting point for a discussion on how to deal with Mel.  If he has repented and God has forgiven him in light of Christ's life and death on his behalf then by all means we should as well and accept and enfold him as one of our own.

You can read their piece in full below.

If you’re not a follower of celebrity scandals, you may not have heard of Mel Gibson’s latest debacle.

The actor and director’s ex-girlfriend, who is in a custody battle with him over their infant daughter, recently released audio tapes on which Gibson is allegedly hurling vicious racial invectives at her. She has also accused him of punching and threatening her, charges that are being investigated by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. This after his 2006 DUI arrest, during which he launched into an anti-Semitic tirade.

Clearly this is a troubled guy, at best. The trouble for Christians is that as of 2004, many of us were hailing him as a Hollywood hero.

That was the year of “The Passion of the Christ,” the Gibson-directed account of Jesus’ final hours. Against all odds, the picture conquered the box office and made movie going a religious event. Here was a Christian loudly proclaiming his faith – in Hollywood of all places! – and being vindicated for his spiritual bravery.

No one claimed that Gibson was a saint (indeed, some believers, including myself, had trouble with the obsession with violence in his film). Yet he became, by virtue of the movie’s success, a spokesperson for the Christian faith. Then the arrest of 2006, and now this.

So is Mel Gibson still “ours?”

The question isn’t unique to his situation, of course. What happens when any prominent figure of faith trips and falls? I suppose you could ask the same of a pastor involved in an extramarital affair, or possibly even a priest accused of sexual abuse. These are touchy, painful instances where questions of Christian identity, morality and forgiveness uncomfortably mix.

When something like this happens, should Christians follow that old adage of “hating the sin but not the sinner?” Or should believers create more of a distance between “us” and “them”?

Don't Waste Your Life Sentence

I am so thankful that Desiring God is branching out into film as a creative medium for the spread of the gospel.  This looks very powerful.

Desiring God Blog:

On August 20 at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, we're hosting the premiere of a brand new Desiring God film titled Don't Waste Your Life Sentence (now available for pre-order). 

The Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, LA, is the largest and historically one of the bloodiest maximum-security prisons in the USA. In 2009, Desiring God and John Piper were invited to Angola to learn about prison life, hear from men who have been radically changed by the gospel, and minister to many of the 5,000 inmates.

Don't Waste Your Life Sentence confronts you with the realities of inmates who, though their lives appear to have been wasted, often have a greater grasp on eternity than those on the outside.

It Doesn't Hurt Any Less

Josh Harris:

My friends Ben and Nancy shared this quote from Nancy Guthrie's book "Holding on to Hope." In it she recounts losing her baby to a rare genetic disorder: "The day after we buried Hope, my husband said to me, 'You know, I think we expected our faith to make this hurt less, but it doesn't. Our faith gave us an incredible amount of strength and encouragement while we had Hope, and we are comforted by the knowledge that she is in heaven. Our faith keeps us from being swallowed by despair. But I don't think it makes our loss hurt any less.'"

What is the Basis of Your Assurance?

Telling people the need for the gospel, both their felt need and the real need, is plainly important, but it is not itself the gospel.  When we have explained what God has done for us in Christ - the gospel - then we may go on to explain the benefits of receiving the gospel and the perils of ignoring it.  However, telling people that they can choose either heaven or hell is not telling them the gospel.  Telling them, as Peter did, that repentance and faith go hand in hand with the gift of the Holy Spirit is important, but it is not the gospel.  

Whenever people's sense of assurance of salvation is expressed in the first person, something is amiss.  When the question "How do you know God will accept you?" is answered by "I have Jesus in my heart, " "I asked Jesus into my life, " "The Holy Spirit is in me, " and so on, the real gospel basis for assurance needs to be reviewed.  We rejoice when the answer comes in the third person: "God gave his only Son to die on the cross for me, " "Jesus died, rose, and is in heaven for me." When the focus is on the finished and perfect work of Christ, rather than on the yet unfinished work of the Spirit in me, the grounds for assurance are in place.  

- Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible As Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching, 95