Perfect Moments

Sitting here studying for my sermon, watching a crackling fire in the fireplace, with snow on the mountains outside, and listening to Karen Carpenter singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas".

Thank you, Lord.

How Firm a Foundation!

Listened to a powerful sermon on "The Reliability of the Bible," preached by Lon Solomon of McLean Bible Church this morning. Definitely worth your time! Click here to listen.

A Little Light(ling) Reading

As a parent with small (and medium and large) children, I'm always on the prowl for good books for the kids. And by good I do not mean "NEA Approved". I want something that will not only hold their attention but fire their imaginations and, most importantly, establish them in Scriptural principles. R. C. Sproul's The Lightlings fits the bill.

I wasn't really surprised, mind you. Sproul's other children's books, in audio format, are already some of my kids' favorite bedtime listening. But as much as my children love the books, I love them even more.

The Lightlings is the story of the Fall (Gen. 3:1-15), retold in a fantasy millieu for kids. The story of the lightlings, special creation of the King With No Shadow, presents the truth about man's rebellion, guilt, and redemption in a way that gives parents some priceless teachable moments. There is even a teaching guide at the end of the book.

With that said, this is a children's story, not a theological text (although many of those are also available from Ligonier ministries as well). As such, this story is designed to teach a small set of principles -- and it does so powerfully -- but the details will not stand up to nitpicking. But, then, it's not supposed to.

Accompanying Dr. Sproul's words are some of the most beautiful illustrations I have seen in a children's book in awhile. So many times good books are accompanied by mediocre illustrations, leaving our children with a handicapped aesthetic sense. Not so with The Lightlings.

Oh, yes, and there's a bonus. This is also the very best book for any Christian parents or grandparents who want to teach little ones not to be afraid of the dark.

Pick up a copy of The Lightlings for your kids or grandkids. It's not only a beautiful story, beautifully illustrated; it helps you to teach your little ones about the MOST beautiful story ever told.

$25 Holy Land Tour

There is a great new book from Thomas Nelson publishers that you really want to add to your home or pastoral library. Reflections of God’s Holy Land is a combination travelogue, Bible backgrounds commentary, devotional, and coffee table book, that surrounds you in the sights, sounds and smells of the lands of the Bible.

Each of the almost forty articles features a gorgeous cover photo, followed by an informative “Did You Know” section supplied by a skilled tour guide, and “Reflections” by the authors, who share their devotional thoughts in a warm, personal style.

The writing style strikes a perfect balance: transitioning from the historical information to the intimate devotional thoughts is never jarring. And it is a compelling style. From the very beginning I was captivated: as in her introduction Eva described reaching out her hand to touch what may have been soot from Joshua’s fire at Hazor I could feel the coolness of the stone.

The centerpiece of the book is the gorgeous photography. There is none of the dry, matter-of-fact images from far too many textbooks. These pictures are alive. The colors are vibrant and the composition draws you into every scene. Particularly exciting for me were the pictures of some of the animals that are mentioned in the Bible, such as rock coneys, and wild goats at En-Gedi.

Pastors will find the background information to be extraordinarily profitable. Reading the historical vignettes while looking at the actual locales will enrich your sermons and lessons, as you are now able to picture the places you are seeking to describe. And everyone will appreciate the quiet moments of reflection that the authors allow us to share.

Get this book. Integrate it into your sermon and lesson prep. Make it a part of your daily quiet times. It will be money – and time – well-spent.

Trustworthy.

"After a survey of the alleged errors and discrepancies, including not only the typical ones just mentioned, but also many others, we assert, without fear of successful contradiction, that no one of these is real. As Christians we call this book the "Holy Bible." But if it were only a relatively good book, setting forth many valuable moral and spiritual truths, but also containing many things which are not true, we would then have no right to apply to it the adjective "holy." It would then be on a level with other books, and would differ from them not in kind but only in degree.

"But how different is our attitude toward it when we approach it as the very word of God, an inspired, infallible rule of faith and practice! How readily we accept its statements of fact and bow before its enunciations of duty! How instinctively we tremble before its threatenings, and rest upon its promises! As we proclaim the word of life from the pulpit, or in the classroom; as we attempt to give comfort at some bed of sickness, or in a bereaved home; or as we see our fellow men struggling against temptation or weighed down with care, and would give them encouragement and hope for this world and the next, how thankful we then are for a fully trustworthy Bible! In such cases we want to know that we have not merely something that is probable or plausible, but something that is sure."

- Lorraine Boettner, The Inspiration of Scripture

Where Have You Gone, B.B. Warfield?

In light of a recent program on the PBS series Nova, purporting to reveal "The Bible's Buried Secrets" (giggle), I have now postulated a new theory of Brownian motion (DAN Brown, that is). My theory goes like this:

Debunked theories have a tendency to move

from obscure to cutting-edge

in direct proportion to the desperation of the antitheist.

About 8 minutes into the program "scholarship" (which apparently speaks with one unified voice now--take that, Hegel!) presented the "new" (are you serious?!?) approach called the documentary theory. More on the fallacies of the JEDP theory later; but for now, I am just amazed at the sloppy, one-sided, intellectually dishonest propaganda that is being foisted on the public, on the taxpayer's dime. Of course, since they are interested in serving the public trust, I am sure that they would be more than willing to give equal time to, say, James White, Norman Geisler, or Dan Wallace.

Yeah, right. And Whoopi Goldberg will host it.

Without His Cross

Welcome to the 21st Century . . . There's Just One Catch

HealthDay is now reporting on a study from the November issue of Psychological Science, in which it was found that teenagers' level of self-confidence has "crossed into overconfidence. Teens today possess an unrealistic self-image, with many respondents, for example, rating themselves as A-students, even when they are not making As. And just who is to blame for this?

"These kids didn't raise themselves, they got these ideas from somewhere," Twenge said. With Mom and Dad handing out endless praise, kids today readily believe they are somehow superior, she said. And teachers aren't blameless, either: According to Twenge, research shows that high school teachers now give out an "A" grade more easily than their counterparts did in the 1970s, even though today's high school students report doing less homework than students from that era.

The tragedy is that this backfires when these over-inflated egos encounter the rocky shoals of real-life. Employers now have to constantly pour incentives and perks on mediocre employees, just to keep them around. But I would make one tweak to Twenge's conclusions, courtesy of Biblical theology:

This "gimme now" mentality is not a result of indulgent parenting. It is a natural state. We are all born depraved sinners. By pouring the treacle of the self-esteem gurus into their kids, all these parents have done is provide high-octane fuel for their little sinners. If these parents and teachers were fulfilling their proper role of providing discipline and instruction as well as nurture and encouragement, the proper checks would be in place and these kids would grow into balanced adults. Instead, when the parents and teachers strive so hard to be friends, the brakes are gone, and these kids are totally unable to conduct themselves in adult society.

Which, by the way, is why adult society is soon to be a thing of the past. This is why the main objection to McCain was that he was old.

Shades of Logan's Run.

Take Heed

Let this message pierce your heart.

Douglas Wilson on Pop "Culture"

Check out this video by Douglas Wilson . . . and THINK ABOUT IT.

Good Bad Language?

So, what about the trendy use of off-color, edgy, explicit, scatalogical, even obscene and arguably profane language in the pulpit (here is a somewhat safe example -- I could link to far worse clips)? Advocates argue, as in this clip, that the Bible uses this sort of strong language, therefore it is okay for us to use it in the pulpit.

There's just one important difference I'd like to point out: whenever this sort of strong language is employed in the Bible . . . . nobody laughs.

Big difference.

Jesus came "to seek and save that which was lost". While I completely agree that God has a sense of humor I rather think Mark needs to take a second look at Jesus' use of humor, sans the deconstructionist, post-mod, eisogetical glasses.

Coming Waaaaaay Out

Okay, the news "came out" recently, and has been burning up the grapevine for a few days now, so I doubt that anyone will be shocked to hear that Ray Boltz is gay. For the record I've taken a deep pull of the same cocktail of sadness, disappointment, concern, shock, confusion, and indignation as everyone else -- well, okay, maybe I just sipped, since I'm one of those old curmudgeons who thinks Christian pop is kitsch at best, a complete oxymoron at worst. But I admit that even I felt the emotional impact of songs like "Thank You" and "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb".

My point, though, and I do have one, is more about the typical imbalance we have seen in the reaction to the news. As soon as I read the story the first time I could hear the wheels of the boycott-o-matic cranking up. Sure enough, as soon as the knee-jerk conservatives caught a whiff of scandal in the breeze they started their spiritual heimlich (and, as is usually the case, ejected more baby than bathwater). I say this not to disparage conservatives -- I are one -- but to decry the standard knee-jerk, reactionary, often ill-considered, scorched-earth response. Maybe if blogs came with a waiting period . . .

Anyhoo, I'm not saying we should run out and buy his next album en masse, in the highly-touted but completely misguided spirit of mutual Christian support (really nothing more than sanctified consumerism and back-door ecumenism). For one thing, in reading his "testimony" in recent interviews there is no compelling reason to take his word that he is in fact a believer, so we might do with a more moderate level of credulity to begin with. Fans of the Fallwellian half-gospel that is so popular in areas where "Baptist" is the default denomination may take umbrage at that suggestion (after all, if he prayed a prayer he's in, right?) but Biblical data is on my side on this one.

So, no, we don't continue to buy his albums and throng his concerts in some smarmy show of love-over-discernment. But that's not where the loppers are currently poised to snip. The hue and cry that has been raised is, "stop singing any of his songs". And while there may for some be a painful connection with some of those songs to a fallen hero (next time pick a hero who has already finished the race -- may I suggest Adoniram Judson or C. H. Spurgeon), there is another question that begs to be asked:

Did Ray Boltz' admission of his sinful proclivities change true statements into false ones? Did songs he covered that proclaimed truth suddenly cease to be true? Again, for some, "Thank You" is a Ray Boltz song; and for their sake should not be sung because of the painful connections to Boltz' sin. But for most it is not a Ray Boltz song. Set aside for the moment the larger debate over whether this sort of music should be sung by Christians at all, and focus on this specific question. Did the fact of Boltz' sin make the song de facto inappropriate?

I would argue that we need to rethink the scorched earth, knee-jerk reactions that Christians often have to these issues, in favor of more careful reflection on the issues and a more measured and thoughtful response. Christians are, after all, to be a thoughtful people (e.g., Isa. 1:18)

AND, since we are also to be a discerning people we need to recognize that homosexuality is a sin, no matter who commits it.

AND, since we are also to be a compassionate people, let's be sure that in our rush to denounce we do not forget to pray that God would grant Ray Boltz repentance and draw him to the only One Who can give him the love that he obviously is desperately seeking.

A Modern Parable

Just saw this headline from Foxnews.com. Here's the byline:

Bangladesh police say a crocodile killed and ate a 25-year-old after he waded into a pond next to a shrine in an attempt to receive the animal’s blessing, news.com.au reported Friday.

So it is with false religion. What happened physically to this man happens spiritually to all who seek the blessing of false gods -- whether in Bangladesh or Salt Lake City. Tragic.

Why Expository Preaching?

Just read a great post on a touching new blog. Why is expository preaching important? Check out one pastor's story here.

Worth Your Time

This is a lengthy video, but well worth your time. Evan Sayet has some very insightful comments in this Heritage Foundation speech.

A Probing Statement

James White made a statement here that caused me to stop everything else and reflect on his challenge: many Christians today have fallen into paganism. Much of Christianity today is paganism. Why? Because the essence of paganism is worshipping a God you do not know or understand.

An excellent challenge. I think further evidence would be the way Bible verses are used as magical incantations -- words designed to have metaphysical impact, yet whose meaning is stripped away by the words being ripped from their context.

What a terrifying, yet inescapable, thought.

Love, American Style

Here is a great interview with Pastor Mark Gungor on the subject of marriage. He has a lot of great insights into the subject, and isn't afraid to say what's on his mind. Not saying I agree with 100% of what he says in his lectures, but he has a LOT to offer--not the least of which is challenging the way many churches seem to have bought into the world's way of doing this.

For more from Mark, check out the video here, as well as Mark's site.

Pineapple Trees

As I watched the YouTube clips of Todd Bentley's hijinks I was reminded of pineapple trees. As a young boy growing up in Hawaii I used to love to sneak into the neighbors' yard and pick beautiful, ripe pineapples from the low-hanging branches of the trees.

Wait a minute, you say, there's something wrong with your claim: pineapples don't grow on trees!

Ah, but what if I were to take you to a man's back yard and show you a pineapple tree? Would that change your belief? Would you suddenly say, "Oh, well I guess pineapples do grow on trees!" OR would you (I hope) say, "Something unnatural is going on here--pineapples don't grow on trees naturally."

What if I then sought to convince you by showing you an orchard of pineapple trees? How many pineapple trees would it take to convince you that the nature of pineapples had changed?

I would hope the answer is obvious to you: NO number of "pineapple trees" is sufficient, because pineapples don't spontaneously change their essential nature. Pineapples don't grow on trees, and a pineapple orchard is just a sham on a larger scale. In fact, if you examine those "pineapple trees" closely, you would spot the duct tape pretty quickly.

So with the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly describes the fruit of the Spirit; and Scripture does not include loss of control, gibberish and noise, chaos, violence, or human self-aggrandizement in the catalog. In fact, those characteristics are present in other descriptions--those of the demon-possessed.

So many, so tragically many Christians today are drunk on a cocktail of equal parts Biblical illiteracy, gullibility, and 100-proof tolerance that they can't recognize a fraud as obvious as the Lakeland "pineapple trees". What's worse is that those aren't pineapples taped to that tree; pineapples aren't deadly.

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

- Matthew 7:15-23 (NASB)

Begging the Question

Okay, time to squeeze in a post:


As I mentioned earlier, every argument has to stand on two legs: it must be true and it must be valid. The Gospel is already a foolishness in the eyes of the unsaved (as foolish as, say, spending 120 years building a landlocked boat?); we don't ever want our inept handling of It to be an excuse for the lost to reject it.


One prominent example of really bad reasoning -- in fact, a prevalent one -- is the fallacy of begging the question. This happens when we assume our conclusion in our premises. I'm going to give an example that I encountered recently, but as I do so please remember the difference between TRUE and VALID. I am pointing out that the argument is INVALID, that the author is begging the question. I am not saying his argument is untrue--that is a separate issue entirely.


Here is the substance of the argument: the modern translations of the Bible are to be rejected because they (or, in some forms of the argument, their underlying texts) contain deletions or changes from the correct text.


Do you see how this is begging the question? How do we know the King James Version (or its underlying texts) is "the" Word of God for English-speaking people today? Because it does not contain deletions or changes. How do we know that the more-modern translations do contain deletions or changes? Because they do not contain words found in the King James, or they contain different words. It's begging the question; it's arguing in a circle. The fact is, modern translations contain differences. Whether or not they are deletions is a factual question that cannot be answered by arbitrary declarations.


Slipshod arguments such as these do nothing but swell one's ranks with the gullible. And it is unfortunate, since this opens a grand masterpiece of the translators' art to ridicule when it is not the King James Version that is ridiculous -- it is the sloppy thinking of a (thankfully) few.

I Can't Wait

It looks like the people who gave us "Flywheel" and "Facing the Giants" have done it again! Check out the trailer for Fireproof.

That Time of Year Again . . .

As homeschoolers my wife and I are gearing up now for next year -- evaluating curricula, compiling booklists for each child, and, most importantly . . . hitting you-know-where for deals!

Maybe It's Our Approach

My brother-in-law sent me this vintage Prohibition poster. Now I'm not one for changing how we do church. I'm not by any means a fan of the seeker-sensitive group. But just maaaaaybe the way we've approached the world is not the wisest, most winsome approach at times.

Back to Back to Basics

Picking up where I left off earlier, one of the most needed areas in Christianity is a tune-up in our thinking skills. This became apparent once again as I read several Christian non-fiction books recently.

A thorough introduction (is that an oxymoron?) to principles of logic would help preachers avoid some of the interpretive fallacies into which they are oft prone to fall. It would strengthen the apologetics skills of the men and women who go into the frontlines of the secular workplace every day. And it would put a much-needed end to some of the wacky non-issues that burn up so much pulpit time. A great little primer on the subject is Norman Geisler's Come Let Us Reason.

I think a good place to start is by recognizing that every argument must stand on two legs: it must be both true and valid. Absent one of those two legs it does not stand. Let's start with a standard argument (syllogism) as an illustration:

If it is raining, the street outside is wet. (major premise)
It is raining. (minor premise)
Therefore, the street outside is wet. (conclusion)

It must be true. That is, the premises must conform to reality. For example, if I claim that it is raining outside and it is not, in fact, raining outside, then the argument fails.
It must also be valid. That is, the premises must be free of fallacies, of errors in the way we have reasoned. For example, let's re-cast the illustration this way:

If it is raining, the street outside is wet.
The street outside is wet.
Therefore, it is raining.

This argument doesn't stand. Why not? Isn't it saying the same thing as the first illustration? No -- there are a lot of reasons that the street could be wet. Perhaps someone's sprinklers are running; perhaps I've just chased my sons around with my Super Soaker. This is a fallacy called "affirming the consequent". We've switched the "if" and the "then" and twisted the argument out of shape. And once again the argument fails.

This isn't hair-splitting. This is a fallacy that popped up a number of times in the arguments of several Christian books I recently read. And when you are witnessing or defending the faith in the workplace or preaching a sermon, that is the WORST time for the sloppy thinking that too often discredits the Truth by presenting it as an irrational thing.

Tighten up your thinking, Ambassador.

So Much for Appearances

So I'm typing my notes for Sunday morning's sermon and listening to my new Paul Potts CD in the background. If you're not familiar with that name, check out the video below. THIS is why you don't judge people by their outward appearance!

Facing the Freedom

It is often easier for someone brought up in conservative circles to follow Biblical principles that will paint them as right-wing, hard-nosed, etc, than it is to follow Biblical principles that will paint them as more liberal. Yet it would be just as much a matter of COMPROMISE to abandon Biblical teachings or, in "doubtful things," to violate your conscience, for the sake of being thought more conservative.

Charles Hodge wrote:

"It is often necessary to assert our Christian liberty at the expense of incurring censure, and offending even good men, in order that right principles of duty may be preserved. Our Savior consented to be regarded as a Sabbath-breaker, and even a 'wine bibber and a friend of publicans and sinners'; but wisdom was justified of her children." Hodge, Romans, 429-430

Just Thinking.

One of the great ironies in fundarnmentalism is the way their anti-intellectualism drives them to found Bible colleges.

Piper on the Rebellion of Nudity

John Piper has written an excellent post on clothing. Here is an excerpt:

"Negatively, he is saying, You are not what you were and you are not what you ought to be. The chasm between what you are and what you ought to be is huge. Covering yourself with clothing is a right response to this—not to conceal it, but to confess it. Henceforth, you shall wear clothing, not to conceal that you are not what you should be, but to confess that you are not what you should be.
One practical implication of this is that public nudity today is not a return to innocence but rebellion against moral reality. God ordains clothes to witness to the glory we have lost, and it is added rebellion to throw them off.
And for those who rebel in the other direction and make clothes themselves a means of power and prestige and attention getting, God’s answer is not a return to nudity but a return to simplicity (1 Timothy 2:9-10; 1 Peter 3:4-5). Clothes are not meant to make people think about what is under them. Clothes are meant to direct attention to what is not under them: merciful hands that serve others in the name of Christ, beautiful feet that carry the gospel where it is needed, and the brightness of a face that has beheld the glory of Jesus. "

Back to Basics

Wow! It has been a while since my last post! Oh, well. Such is the hectic life of the bi-vocational pastor.

One of the areas that has occupied my time lately has been studying the arguments, from both sides of the aisle, pertaining to a particular issue in the area of bibliology. It is troubling that so much pulpit time and study time is wasted on an issue that is little more than what Augustine called "stirring up billows in a ladle".

Now, I'm going to take the high road here: I'm not going to discuss -- or even identify -- the particular issue. I think it would be far more useful to hone our basic thinking skills instead, for if more people would apply principles of sound reasoning (or, if you prefer, discernment) this sort of issue would never see the light of day.

The first objection that inevitably arises is, "Well, I have the Bible [or the Holy Spirit], I don't need man's logic or reason." And that sort of thinking is the root of the problem: logic and sound reasoning is not incompatible with the Bible, nor is it in competition with the Bible or the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, even the most vitriolic opponent of "human reasoning" employs that same reasoning in telling us why we don't need human reasoning.

The laws of logic (more on these later) are a part of the fabric of God's created order. You cannot deny their existence any more than you can deny the existence of gravity, thermodynamics, magnetism, et al. Indeed they are more fundamental even than these, for it is conceivable that God could have chosen to create a universe without gravity; but it is inconceivable that He could have chosen to create a universe without the laws of logic (for example, how would He create a universe in which the law of noncontradiction did not exist?).

The conflict in issues such as the one I was forced to address recently is not essentially one of those who employ logic and reason vs. those who do not; it is a conflict between those who employ logic and reason well and those who apply it badly.

Voices of Praise

This week we kicked off our first Sunday night service at the church (I will pause while indignant fundarnmentalists harumph that we didn't have one, and emergentistas harumph that we do). Our special guests were the Voices of Praise travelling choir from Frontier School of the Bible. The young people ministered in a powerful way, and our church was greatly blessed. As a pastor I am unspeakably thankful for the impact these young people had.

But it wasn't supposed to be that way.

Sunday night services aren't supposed to work. Nobody will show up. And those that do will get burned out fast and start to look at church as a drudgery. At least, that's what we hear. What I found as I began talking to the church about starting a Sunday night service was that the biggest obstacle to having it was the fact that we just knew that it wouldn't work.

But it did. People actually showed up. And they were edified. And God was magnified.

So, when did the Lord's Day become the Lord's hour-and-a-half? "I'm sorry, Lord. But the NFL has bought out your franchise. You can have Sunday morning, but be sure you have everything over and cleaned up by noon or we'll have to raise your rent."

Texts to Avoid

Another text that you need to avoid if you wish to remain comfortably ensconced in the man-centered un-gospel of Arminianism:

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (NASB)
26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
29 so that no man may boast before God.
30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Happy Easter

Feeling the Zap

Fellow Pastors: Buy this book!

"What I feel at any given time is not the measure either of the truth itself, nor of its work. A good chef can prepare succulent dishes even when his own nose may be stuffed up and he has no ability to smell the savory odors nor taste the dishes himself. Beethoven still composed and arranged brilliantly after losing his hearing. David was instructed not to number the people lest he see them to be few in number compared to his enemies, and hesitate to wage war as God might require. So it is with us. If we measure our preaching's fire power on the numbering and qualifying of our own chills, goose bumps, glory buzzes -- or whatever else it is we think signals to us that God is at work -- we will be timid, ill-prepared and faithless when such feelings are nowhere to be found."

- Reid Ferguson, The Little Book Of ... Things You Should Know About Ministry, p. 43

Behold Your God

"For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. They decorate {it} with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good. There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your name in might. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. But they are altogether stupid and foolish {In their} discipline of delusion--their idol is wood! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; Violet and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skilled men.

But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, And the nations cannot endure His indignation."

Jeremiah 10:3-10

God is So Good

I want to commend to you

God is So Good, the ministry of John Bishop. If you are not familiar with the Bishops' story be sure to pick up a copy of the DVD from their online store, or stop by John's page at sermonaudio.com and listen to some of his sermons. If you are battling discouragement, health issues, or any of the "thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to" then give this man your undivided attention. I don't have evangelists in to speak at Grace Bible (there's a discussion all its own!) but I cannot wait to introduce John Bishop to the church family.

Another Important Tool

Time out for a very serious issue: one of the most important tools for the pastor is a great cup of coffee. For all of you road warriors who are still searching for the perfect coffee mug: spill-proof, well-insulated, and actually built to fit into your cupholders, look no further than this beauty.

Sing to Myself a New Song

Douglas Wilson has a tremendous article on sacred music in his blog today. Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite. Be sure to stop here and read the entire post.

"As we sing, certain characteristics should be obvious to all who hear the singing. Our congregational singing should have at least the following characteristics. First, it should be reverent. The flippancy with which some address God is truly frightening. "The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; let the earth be moved! The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name -- He is holy" (Ps. 99:1-3). We should note the KJV translation of awesome -- terrible. Moreover, this requirement to be God-fearing was not an Old Covenant thing -- notice Paul's teaching in Philippians, which is to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (2:12). Do not sing to the Lord with your mind somewhere else, or while entertaining various jolly thoughts. Worship of God needs to be acceptable, which means it must be offered in reverance and godly fear. This is because God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:28-29)."

Amen!

James White on the Trinity

Watched this great clip on the Trinity from James White's blog this morning. He gives a thorough yet simple (as simple as a discussion of the Trinity can get, anyway) explanation of the unique Christian doctrine of the Trinity, over against the charicature held by Muslims.

Real, Old-School Calvinism

Teaching through 1 & 2 Thessalonians & found this insight by Warren Wiersbe. It's amazing how verse-by-verse, expository preaching will keep you in balance.

"But election and evangelism go together. The person who says, 'God will save those He wants to save and He doesn’t need my help!' understands neither election nor evangelism. In the Bible, election always involves responsibility. God chose Israel and made them an elect nation so that they might witness to the Gentiles.
"In the same way, God has chosen the church that we might be witnesses today. The fact that we are God’s elect people does not excuse us from the task of evangelism. On the contrary, the doctrine of election is one of the greatest encouragements to evangelism."

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), 1 Th 1:8.

We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do! (But Which One?)

2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."

I was reflecting this morning on some past experiences and this verse came to mind. One of the warning signs when you step into any ministry--whether joining a church, visiting another ministry, listening to an evangelist or special speaker, or signing on to work with a church or para-church ministry--there is a warning sign you need to watch for. Over the years I have learned how to spot it. Unfortunately I had to learn the hard way. Several times.

If the people involved in that ministry are driven even a little bit by fear of the man in charge, you need to run--don't walk--away from there. I don't care how many gazillion people they've seen saved and baptized, how many missionaries they support, how many attend their services, etc etc ad nauseam. If you see people freely sharing ideas until they're in the leader's presence, at which time they immediately shut down, get out now. If a man's name is all it takes to win an argument ("Well, Dr. So-and-so would/would not like that.") turn your knees to the breeze. That fear is unhealthy. It is a sign that God is only in control insofar as that man allows Him to be.

It won't seem all that bad at first. That's the nature of a honeymoon. You'll find ways to rationalize things that you see that bother you deep down. Don't do it. Leave now. Get out. Don't even stop to collect your red Swingline stapler from your desk. There's something wrong. Respect for a Godly man doesn't make people clam up. It doesn't produce forced conformity in nonessentials. That's fear. And it's not of God. There's something seriously wrong -- get out before you get hurt.

Pragmatism is another warning sign. I may post on that later, but only if it will get me more readers.

Words Matter as a Matter of Fact

Greg Koukl is one of my very most favoritest apologists. In this clip he makes an important point about the word faith. This is more than just semantic hair-splitting: if you watched the recent debate between the theist Dinesh D'Souza and atheist Christopher Hitchens you saw the normally brilliant D'Souza acquit himself magnificently UNTIL he sold the farm - for no good reason - on the meaning of faith. Watch this clip from Greg Koukl:

Another Tool for the Do-It-All Pastor

Just starting to lay the groundwork for an areawide visitation "campaign" for the church. Basically it's just a systematic invitation for everyone in the area. Since I am the design staff I am always on the prowl for tools to help with both inspiration and implementation. Found this one today, and it has already paid for itself! It is a 3-volume set of books to help with color scheme, typefaces, and overall design. Be sure to check it out!

Clash of the Titans

I have long admired Dinesh D'souza as an articulate, reasonable spokesman for conservatism. I find him doubly admirable as a champion of Christianity. Here he is skillfully debating the ever-bucolic Christopher Hitchens at King's College.

Welcome to Reality. We Hope You Enjoy Your Visit.

Forget the DOW and NASDAQ. Western civilization hit a new low today, as reported in the London Daily Mail. In an article titled "Challenge Churchill!" the results of a recent poll revealed that one in four Britons polled believe that Winston Churchill was a fictional character. Other "fictional" characters included Richard the Lionheart, Sir Walter Raleigh, Charles Dickens and Cleopatra. On the other hand, the respondents knew that Robin Hood, The Three Musketeers, and Sherlock Holmes were real.

Of course, in a postmodern society, who's to say?

Another case for a bulging toolbox

I have mentioned before that as a pastor, pressed for time yet convinced of the necessity of careful study, I have found Logos Bible Software to be invaluable. Here is another witness to the powerful tools available through Logos: Professor William Varner of the Master's Seminary has written a review of Logos, available here. Even if the price tag were twice as much as it is, you would not regret adding this powerful tool to your library.

The Bible vs. the Qur'an

Came across an article by Dr. James White comparing the textual arguments for the reliability of the Bible vs. that of the Qur'an. This issue hits close to home, as the arguments for the Book of Mormon are closely parallel to those advanced for the Qur'an. Here's the précis of Dr. White's article:

"As Christians encounter Islamic apologetics the topic quickly turns to ultimate sources of authority. Muslims are taught that the Bible is untrustworthy, and many believe that its text has been altered. In reality it is the Qur’an that suffers in comparison with the Bible on the issue of textual study and purity. Christians believe that the more the Bible’s history is studied, the more certain its text becomes. Christians encourage textual study and discovery of new manuscripts, while Muslims show little interest in researching the history of their own scriptures, preferring the traditional belief that the Qur’an is perfect in its current state. Often believers are stymied by attacks on the text of the Bible because of their misunderstanding of the history of the transmission of the text of Scripture. Christians need to be able to defend the integrity of the biblical text and to use the sharp contrast between the scriptures of the two faiths as a means of presenting the truth about Jesus Christ."

The entire article is available from the Christian Research Journal, at this link. Here's to thoughtful Christianity!

Following God for the Wrong Reasons

Here's a challenge from Pastor E. Dewey Smith:

Lead, Kindly Light

As I struggle with temptations to slip into a pragmatic, man-centered approach to ministry--one which asks questions like:

"How can I convince people to come back to church week after week?"

"How can I get people saved?"

"How can I make people love the Bible?"

"How can I make people grow in the Lord?"

I think of the words of the old hymn, written by a man whose conscience had been smitten upon an awareness of his own self-reliance:

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!

The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!

Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;

I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,

Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.

O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,

And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I

Have loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,

Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.

To rest forever after earthly strife

In the calm light of everlasting life.

Perhaps this hymn strikes home because I am studying 1 Thess. 1:5, and recognizing how it is not my words that are effectual, but the Word of God accompanied by the work of the Holy Spirit. Keep your methods. Keep your schedules and plans and conniving sciences of manipulation. Give me Christ, lifted up in the pages of Scripture. And let Him have His way.

Behold the God-Man!

If you've never read J. C. Philpot (1802-1869), here is a sample to whet your appetite:

"We must never, even in thought, separate the human nature of our adorable Redeemer from his divine. Even when his sacred body lay in the grave, and was thus for a small space of time severed from his pure and holy soul by death and the tomb, there was no separation of the two natures, for his human soul, after he had once become incarnate in the womb of the Virgin, never was parted from his Deity, but went into paradise in indissoluble union with it. It is a fundamental article of our most holy faith that the human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ had no existence independent of his divine. In the Virgin's womb, in the lowly manger, in the lonely wilderness, on the holy mount of transfiguration, in the gloomy garden of Gethsemane, in Pilate's judgment hall, on the cross, and in the tomb, Jesus was still Immanuel, God with us. And so ineffably close and intimate is the conjunction of the human nature with the divine, that the actings of each nature, though separable, cannot and must not be separated from each other. Thus, the human hands of Jesus broke the seven loaves and the fish; but it was God-man who multiplied them so as to feed therewith four thousand men, besides women and children. The human feet of Jesus walked on the sea of Galilee; but it was the Son of God who walked on the waves to the ship. The human lips of Jesus uttered those words which are "spirit and life" (John 6:63), but it was the Son of the living God who spoke them (John 6:69). The human hands and feet of Jesus were nailed to the cross; but the blood shed by them was indeed divine, for all the virtue and validity of Deity were stamped upon it (Acts 20:28)."

- J. C. Philpot, Daily Words for Zion's Wayfarers (Joseph Kreifels).

Living by Lists 2

Listen as Paul Washer articulates the difference between legalism - living by lists - and Christlikeness:

Spurgeon at the Bat

How I wish that we had more men like Spurgeon in charge of our Bible colleges & seminaries: men who do not allow a young buck's profession of a call to ministry to trump objective, Scriptural qualifications. In his Lectures to My Students (vol. 1, Lecture 2) he says:

"We never tried to make a minister, and should fail if we did; we receive none into the College but those who profess to be ministers already. It would be nearer the truth if they called me a parson killer, for a goodly number of beginners have received their quietus from me; and I have the fullest ease of conscience in reflecting upon what I have so done. It has always been a hard task for me to discourage a hopeful young brother who has applied for admission to the College. My heart has always leaned to the kindest side, but duty to the churches has compelled me to judge with severe discrimination."

Daddy or his Toys?

Here is a heart-rending illustration from Christensen's Don't Waste Your Time in Worship:

"A father whose home had been made unspeakably happy with the presence of a little, curly-haired daughter found the tiresome toil of succeeding days tansformed into a labor of love. His earnings were modest, but each homecoming was made a joy, for he knew someone awaited his arrival at home. The first glimpse of the cottage revealed an expectant face at the window--a little nose pressed flat against the glass. One day, he received a modest bonus from his employer. Now he would buy some toys that he had longed, desired, his only child to enjoy. How happy the child was also--in fact, her supper was forgotten and her bedtime delayed. But imagine the father's disappointment upon his arrival the next evening--no baby face at the window. What had happened? Was the baby sick? He ran to the house, threw open the door, then heaved a sigh of relief as he saw her sitting on the dining-room floor, humming a tuneless melody to herself, contentedly playing with her toys, but unmindful that her father had just come home.
"That is just like many men and women today who, occupied with their treasures, forget the Giver of the gifts." (pp. 48-49)

Living by Lists

There is something very . . . convenient . . . about the way legalists define legalism. When I was growing up in a very legalistic church I was told repeatedly that legalism was teaching salvation by works. Recently I came across a book in which legalism was being defended by cherry-picking definitions from more or less obscure sources. Not surprisingly the author of this book is a part of an institution that is known far and wide for maintaining some very bizarre rules governing behavior and appearance. As Chesterton put it, there is something "purely acoustic" in this sort of selective definition.

Here is the definition of legalism that appears in Webster's dictionary:

———————
le•gal•ism \ˈlē-gə-ˌli-zəm\ n
1928
1 : strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code 〈the institutionalized legalism that restricts free choice〉
2 : a legal term or rule
- (Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Eleventh ed. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003.)
———————

Dictionary.com has compiled this definition:

le·gal·ism /ˈligəˌlɪzəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[lee-guh-liz-uhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, esp. to the letter rather than the spirit.
2. Theology.
a. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
b. the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
3. (initial capital letter) (in Chinese philosophy) the principles and practices of a school of political theorists advocating strict legal control over all activities, a system of rewards and punishments uniform for all classes, and an absolute monarchy.
[Origin: 1830–40; legal + -ism]

In one sense, then, the word carries the idea that "salvation is gained through good works"; however that is not the extent--nor, I would argue, the most insidious form--of legalism. And by limiting the definition in this way, legalists have given themselves a free pass for their works-based brand of Christianity, all the while bearing more resemblance to those who called for the crucifixion of the very Christ they profess to serve (and do serve, in their mind).

The far-more-prevalent form of legalism is the more widespread use of the term: "the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws". These are the modern offspring of the Judaizers whose accretions of external observances as an end in themselves prompted the writing of the epistle to the Galatians: those for whom particular appearances and behaviors are guarantors of spirituality; those who have entire lists of expectations in these areas that are founded on inference from the Scripture rather than Scripture Itself. But so long as they can convince us that legalism is restricted to requiring these works before salvation, rather than after, they are allowed to roam freely--snacking on the occasional sheep for sustenance.

Don't dismiss this as frustrated venting. There is a great HIDDEN danger in redefining away real legalism. Paul spells it out in Colossians:

"20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,
21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”
22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence." Col. 2:20-23, NASB

The last phrase struck me like a thunderbolt. All of these lists, these observances, appear to suffice, but they "are of no value against fleshly indulgence." This strikes close to home for me, as I am still reeling from the news that a missionary pastor whom I respected has been forced to come back from the field in disgrace. So prevalent is the problem that caused his departure from the ministry that I don't have to articulate it--you knew what it was the moment I said he had come back from the field. Why is fundamentalism so fraught with these failings? I would argue that it is because we are living by lists that have supplanted the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. There is far too much evidence mounting up to deny this: as long as we have lists, we don't need the Holy Spirit. We don't have to wrestle with Scripture when our pastor will oblige us with an ex cathedra proclamation as to whether something is right or wrong.

More on this later. But for now, just think about it. Please.

Against the Watered-Down Gospel

An excellent sermon! Give this one a listen!

The Hope of Helpful Resources

This Sunday I'm starting a new Sunday school series, teaching verse-by-verse through the Thessalonian epistles. I'm always on the prowl for new resources to strengthen my understanding (and, thus, exposition) of the Scriptures, so I try to purchase one or two commentaries by authors with whom I am unfamiliar whenever I start a series like this, to see what I'm missing. I had heard of Dr. Mal Couch of Tydale Theological Seminary before, and have his book on dispensational hermeneutics; but The Hope of Christ's Return is the first of his commentaries that I have tried.

The introductory material alone is worth the price of the commentary. Dr. Couch balances in-depth background information with highlights of the doctrinal issues (particularly dispensationalism and eschatology) and why they are important. All of this is done in a clear, straightforward, didactic writing style. I am looking forward to using this commentary in my studies, and will definitely be including Dr. Couch on my list of must-haves for future series. If you haven't already, I heartily recommend that you give his stuff a try.

Spurgeon on Expository Preaching

"A judicious critic would probably complain that many sermons are deficient in solid instruction, Biblical exposition, and Scriptural argument; they are flashy, rather than fleshy; clever, rather than solid; entertaining, rather than impressive. He would point to rhetorical discourses in which doctrine is barely discernible, and brilliant harangues from which no food for the soul could ever be extracted. Having done this, he would probably propose that homilies should flow out of texts, and should consist of a clear explanation and an earnest enforcement of the truths which the texts distinctly teach. Expository preaching he would advocate as the great need of the day, its best protection against rising errors, and its surest means of spiritual edification."
- Commenting and Commentaries, p. v

The Eye-Candy Church

Had a thought hit me this morning: In the New Testament the Church is the Bride of Christ. In American Christianity, the Church is Angelina Jolie--smokin' hot but shallow and flighty. We have gorgeous facades, all the latest in buildings, creature comforts, music (as artificially enhanced as, well, Angelina Jolie). But while she (we're talking about the Church again, now) may look drop-dead gorgeous on the outside, where is the commitment to her Groom? We're so embarrassed by Him that we've tried to pretend we're married to someone else. Our Groom "has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him" (Is. 53:2). So, what do we do? We pull a Brad Pitt mask over Him, to try to cover that unsightly marring; and dress Him in an Armani suit because those blood-stains just won't do in the social circles to which we aspire.

The jesus (little "j") of Joel Osteen, Bobbie Schuller, and Billy Graham (before you get mad, watch this) is a jesus who has been sanitized for worldling consumption. Here's an idea: let's speak of our Groom the way a loving, faithful Bride enraptured by her great Love would, instead of apologizing that He is not socially graceful. Let's present the pierced, bleeding, dying Savior to the world without shame. And while we're at it, we should point out to the scandalized worldling that, "Hey, He was wounded for YOUR transgressions. Those scars are BEAUTIFUL!"

Or, we could just continue our advanced studies in the Gomer School of Marital Fidelity.

Gatorade for the Soul

This is why I love good Southern Gospel quartet singing. They have a way of singing about heaven that can lift me out of the darkest day and fix my eyes on home. Enjoy.

Charlotte Bronte on The Call

I came across a beautiful description of the call to the ministry, in a most unexpected place. In Charlotte Bronte's classic Jane Eyre there is a moment when a parish priest, St. John Rivers, is expressing his passion for missionary work to Jane:

"A year ago, I was myself intensely miserable, because I thought I had made a mistake in entering the ministry: its uniform duties wearied me to death. I burnt for the more active life of the world-for the more exciting toils of a literary career-for the destiny of an artist, author, orator; anything rather than that or a priest: yes, the heart of a politician, of a soldier, of a votary of glory, a lover of renown, a luster after power, beat under my curate’s surplice. I considered: my life was so wretched, it must be changed, or I must die. After a season of darkness and struggling, light broke and relief fell: my cramped existence all at once spread out to a plain without bounds-my powers heard a call from heaven to rise, gather their full strength, spread their wings, and mount beyond ken. God had an errand for me; to bear which afar, to deliver it well, skill and strength, courage and eloquence, the best qualifications of soldier, statesman, and orator, were all needed: for these all centre in the good missionary.
A missionary I resolved to be. From that moment my state of mind changed; the fetters dissolved and dropped from every faculty, leaving nothing of bondage but its galling soreness-which time only can heal."

Been there.