Abstinence Ed Works

In a recent issue of TIME (Feb 15, 2010, p. 15) , #9 of the "10 Essential Stories" reports:

"According to a study published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, abstinence-only sex-education programs proved more effective in encouraging teens to delay having sex than more comprehensive school programs that include information about safe sex and contraceptive options."

Well, duh.

How to Survive the Ministry

Pastor Lon Solomon of McLean Bible Church presented this important message at a recent leadership conference. This is a MUST-HEAR.

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.

Douglas Wilson on Pop "Culture"

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

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.

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.

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. "

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

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)

Night and Day

Here is a segment from Way of the Master radio, highlighting the difference between the authentic Gospel and the poisonous, man-centered imposture of the wolves who have become oh-so-popular.

A Calvinist Said THAT??

Came across this clip from an Alpha-Omega Ministries conference. Now this is what a real Calvinist sounds like -- a deep understanding of the doctrines of grace drives him to make a passionate, genuine appeal to everyone to repent and believe! Don't be fooled by imitations. This is authentic, historic Calvinisim.

Grapes and Giants

Just got this email from my father-in-law. Good stuff at just the right time.


The following is by Missionary Buddy Smith of Malanda, Queensland,
Australia :

We have been reminded again just recently that
grapes and giants are most often found in close proximity.
They just seem to go together. When the spies brought back
from Canaan a great cluster of grapes, they also brought back
reports of giants living in walled cities. In fact, the Bible
dictionary I use indicates that the grapes came from the very
location, Hebron, where the giants lived. I must confess that I
would rather it were not so. My flesh is a lover of grapes, but
has no affinity for giants. I would like for them to be found
far apart so that I could rest in peace under the shadow of the
grapevine and eat to excess the grapes of Eshcol, all the while
avoiding all contact with the giants. The apostle wrote to the
Corinthian church this very truth when he penned the words,
‘There is a great door and effectual opened to me, AND there
are many adversaries. (16:9). Great door, many adversaries!
Opportunities and Opposition, Doors and Difficulties,
Blessings and Burdens, Grapes and Giants! This is God's plan
for His servants. The very fact that they are found together
teaches us to be optimistically realistic and realistically
optimistic. If there are giants who are harassing you at this
moment, then there must be large clusters of grapes nearby! It
is God's way to plant them in close proximity. If there are
grapes growing in abundance in your life, then you must be
ever so watchful for giants! And just here you will see one of
those Bible portraits of the servants of Christ. In one of his
hands is a cluster of the very largest, lushest grapes, sweet
and rich, blest of God. And in the other hand he holds a sharp
sword, with which he fights off the giants. While he tastes the
sweetness of God’s richest blessings, his eye is sharp and his
arm is strong and he holds the Sword of the Spirit, because
the giants, the enemies or God, are ever near. We have been
enjoying many wonderful grapes of blessing in the church
planting work here, and there are also giants. Over the past
few months our church has been under severe attack from
many quarters. False accusations, slander, threats of lawsuits,
unrest in the homes of our members, dissatisfaction on the
part of some, and a thousand other difficulties have come our
way. These are our giants.”

Rapture Drills Scheduled

Let's face it: every generation has suffered from eschatological tunnel-vision, convincing itself from good, sound eisogesis that IT is the generation which will see Christ's return. Every once in a while, when I start to feel myself caught up in the perennial enthusiasm, I break out an old vinyl LP of Jack Van Impe preaching on "The Coming War with Russia," to remind myself of the true nature of the dogmatic certainty of the date-setters (in the Old Testament these guys were stoned; today they become bestselling authors--go figure).

Nevertheless, from time to time a story pops up on the radar that seems to lend some credibility to the idea that we may be living in the last of the "last days". Consider this article about the completion of a tzitz, the High Priest's headpiece, by the Temple Institute in Israel.

I'm not really referring to the crown itself, since the bare existence of such an article is not proof; but to the fact that it can be produced and immediately announced worldwide. The framework for the sort of global events of Daniel and Revelation has always existed--His name is Jehovah. However we are seeing, from a human perspective, an increasing plausibility that the conservative, dispensational, pre-trib, pre-mil scenario could play out on CNN today. Hmmmm . . .

Theology Matters

James White has some excellent thoughts in his latest blog post here.

Here's a sample to whet your appetite:

"Theology matters. The substance of what God in His infinite wisdom has revealed to His creatures is the marrow of the joy of the believer's heart---and mind. Theology matters because theology is possible because of God's initiative in revelation. What God reveals is, by definition, important, central, vital, life-changing, heart-enrapturing, for all in whom the Spirit dwells. And thanks be to God, when one is absorbed in seeking to think God's thoughts after Him, the resultant joy cannot be touched by all the enemies in the world."

Heaven's Credit Check?

In a discussion Sunday about the ordo salutis I was a bit stymied by some questions I was getting peppered with. The questions focused on what I would say to invite a sinner to be saved. Maybe it was the post-fellowship-dinner Call of the Nap, but I just wasn't getting it. Then I caught some comments by Erroll Hulse in the classic The Great Invitation that shed light on the issue:

Apparently, some hyper-Calvinists have advanced the idea that there must be some perceptible, preparatory work in the heart before a person has the "right" to believe; and we therefore have no business calling anyone to believe until they have been "pre-qualified" through the work of the Spirit.

In the immortal words of Nero Wolfe, "Pfui!"

Yes, I believe that regeneration must precede faith. You don't get from "there is none that seeketh after God" to "Lord, I believe" without Divine intervention. But that is a logical order, not a chronological order. Hulse puts it beautifully:

"Why then should a man believe? The answer is that the sovereign God of heaven and earth commands it. This is called the 'warrant' of faith. The word warrant simply means the right to believe. This is important because many think that they must first be subject to a spiritual experience which gives them a reason or right to believe. It may be an experience of inspiration or of deep conviction of sin, but the idea is that you should experience something special before you believe. Once this erroneous concept possesses the soul, much harm is done because it means that the person in question becomes passive. Instead of thinking in terms of working for faith, the soul says to itself, 'There is nothing I can do until something happens within me.' I have come across such people who are very faithful in church attendance, but are dominated by the idea that nothing can be done by themselves. They have become fatalistic in attitude." (Hulse, The Great Invitation, p. 56)

God Glorified in the Ruins

"To study atheistic nations, pantheistic, polytheistic nations that have renounced God for themselves, you don't study them by travelling to them. You go to books and look at pictures of their ruins. You study their charred remains."
- Tommy Nelson, "A Sermon to America from a Long Gone King"

MUST-HEAR Sermon!

You have GOT to hear this message. Powerful, timely, Biblical. Download it, stream it, audio or video -- but don't miss it!

God at Work as You Work

Reading from one of my favorite Systematic Theologies this morning. Related to the idea of Divine Concurrence, Augustus Strong writes:

"The divine efficiency interpenetrates that of man without destroying or absorbing it. The influx of God’s sustaining energy is such that men retain their natural faculties and powers. God does not work all, but all in all."

"The movement of the electric car cannot be explained simply from the working of its own motor apparatus. The electric current throbbing through the wire, and the dynamo from which that energy proceeds, are needed to explain the result. In like manner we need a spiritual Christ to explain the spiritual activity of the Christian."

Phil. 2:12-13
"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

The Wrong Side of Easter

"This broken, warring world is living on the wrong side of Easter Day. That is the basic fact, and the source of all our troubles. We are back where the disciples were, between Good Friday and the Resurrection. . . . We are standing helpless before the towering mystery of evil's tragic dominion, feeling our hopeless inadequacy in the face of the grim facts of sin and chaos and man's ruthless inhumanity to man. . . . the supreme need of the world at this moment is to start living on the other side--the right side--of Easter. It is to know that in the Resurrection of Jesus God Himself has spoken, and God's empire of righteousness and peace and joy and liberty has been brought decisively to light." (James Stewart, The Strong Name, p. 35)