The Village Pastor

Gospel Clarity--a few mini-reviews

2012-02-24T13:13:00.000-05:00

It seems that there is concern among authors and scholars that Evangelical Christianity isn't very "evangelical" in the true sense of the word. That is to say, the "evangel," or "gospel," is being misrepresented, understated, ignored, or watered down according to any number of the books I have read lately. I share the concerns of almost all the writers, but not all of them equally. Let me explain, and reference the books that I have been reading in the process as a bit of a summary of what is going on.

More than a year ago, I read The Hole in our Gospel, by Richard Stearns. In it the author tells the story of how God broke his heart for the needs of people throughout the world and led him to leave his role as President of a company making fine china and become the President of World Vision, the well-known evangelical relief organization. What is the "hole?" It is our lack of care for the whole person, as Jesus cared for the poor. While reading the book, there were many times when I was convicted and encouraged. Stearns has become a committed servant of people everywhere, and seeks to do so as a dedicated follower of Jesus. His willingness to literally put his money and life on the line is an example more should follow. He is passionate about Jesus and the gospel message. But I had one major concern. Stearns tended to blur the fruit of the gospel--a transformed value system and lifestyle, with the root of the gospel--repentance from dead works and faith in Jesus Christ. His lack of drawing some important distinctions was understandable in an autobiographical apologetic, but it led him to some statements that, in my view, did not tell the whole story of the hole. What makes this even more of a concern to me is that World Vision often works in countries that frown on proselytizing--sharing the gospel in a way that calls one to belief in Jesus--and World Vision readily agrees. Even more, they often hire non-Christians to positions of authority over projects in countries--I am aware of relief projects that were run by Hindus in India and Muslims elsewhere. This certainly obscures the uniqueness of the gospel as a motivation for Christians to help those in need among the needy themselves. Are American Christians too materialistic, by and large? Is the Pope a Catholic? Yes, and yes. But many donors to World Vision might be surprised to discover the total lack of gospel witness in many of its efforts.

More recently, I read Scot McKnight's The King Jesus Gospel. McKnight grew up in the same environment I did, and graduated from Cornerstone University. He underwent a pilgrimage similar to mine away from the rigid legalism of his background, but has landed in a different place than I have. He is more suspect of historic Reformed thinking, and more embracing of trends that were once called "emerging." We now differ on quite a number of significant issues. I read the book expecting not to like it, but despite my best efforts, I did like it. And I had serious concerns, too, in a few places. What I liked was McKnight's rejection of the truncated, "decision-ism" that reduces the gospel to "Admit you are a sinner, believe on the Lord Jesus, Confess your faith in him as Savior." McKnight points to 1 Corinthians 15 as the essence of the Gospel that must be proclaimed, but that it must be proclaimed in a context where the words have meaning--"according to the Scriptures" McKnight says that the gospel is not just the path to individual salvation, although it includes that. The gospel is the good news that he calls, The Story of Israel fulfilled in the Story of Jesus. The Story of Israel, beginning with Creation and moving through to Jesus, is of God's rule, man's sin, God's redemptive plan and promise, and its culmination Jesus, the Messiah, specifically and finally in his death, burial, and resurrection, leading to the hope of his coming, final judgment, and eternal life in the eternal state (I'm using some of my terms in this summary here, so if they are not capturing McKnight correctly, I apologize). McKnight then shows how the early church kept emphasizing the message of Jesus, labeling the first four books of the NT "the Gospel of..." and showing that they are the story of Jesus. The early creeds summarized the gospel as well. McKnight's point is that the gospel is the story, not just the plan of salvation. He is absolutely right. Those who preach a gospel that leaves out the story, McKnight calls "soterians" from the Greek word "soter," meaning "to save" or "salvationists." McKnight creates a strong argument that many of our "converts" through such decisions as he opposes have never really been given enough of the gospel (the story of Israel fulfilled in Jesus) to believe in. Perhaps this is why so many will be shocked at the judgment to discover they are not really in the kingdom (see the end of Matthew 7 for this good reminder).

If this book is so good, what could my concerns be? Well, I think that McKnight understates some themes that he shouldn't. For example, he argues that the gospel doesn't carry a specific "theory of atonement." This may be an attempt to offer acceptance to a broad understanding of the concept, but I would argue that the very story he highlights--the story of Israel--carries a very clear meaning of what atonement was and is. The shedding of blood as a penalty for sin, and the substitutionary nature of the sacrifices, especially the passover Lamb, certainly do not lend themselves to the "moral example" theory of atonement, but rather the historic, penal substitutionary theory. Also, McKnight picks fights with people who largely agree with him. He sees John Piper and Greg Gilbert as being more "soterian," but knowing Piper's writings and messages well, and having read Gilbert (see below), I don't think McKnight is quite fair to their understandings--he takes statements made in one context and makes them larger than I think those he cites would make them. They are not practitioners of "decisional" evangelism. He actually seems to have much more in common with Reformed folk than he acknowledges. McKnight is right on the need for context, but he stresses it more than is explicitly said in either 1 Corinthians 15 or any of the early creeds. They allude to it, but go directly to death, burial, resurrection, and return of Jesus. The need for explicit explanation of the whole context may not be as extensive as McKnight portrays. Finally, reading his explanation of the gospel at the end of his book left me empty. Perhaps it is a desire to move away from calls for a decision, but calls to repentance and belief ought to have more life than what I picked up here. Maybe it seemed too "professorial" to me, but then again, he is a professor, so I should cut him some slack there. But we preach the gospel to encourage people to flee the wrath that is coming and to receive eternal life--we must preach with a point! To my mind, his point wasn't strong enough.

After this, I went to read Greg Gilbert's What is the Gospel? This 9Marks booklet was cited negatively by McKnight, and I wanted to see why. I think the criticism was generally unfair. Gilbert is writing a booklet, not a theology. He does allude to the "story of Israel," but does truncate it. I think McKnight has probably sensitized me to the need to be a bit more explicit here than we typically are to those outside the church who have no context. Even missions have developed an approach "from Creation to Christ" to set appropriate context for bringing the gospel point home. Even so, the book is a good primer on gospel truth, and as such I can recommend it without hesitation.

We do need to be clear on the Gospel. It is more than just a simple decision or transaction, even though salvation can occur in a moment of passing from death to life. McKnight offers a corrective, Gilbert offers a focus, and Stearns pleads for an appropriate, gospel driven response to human need.

Unfortunately some will take Stearns' work and equate good works with gospel work. Many ministries follow World Vision's "non-proclamation" approach to their compassion, believing that they are opening doors for someone else later. By being "kind but silent," these well meaning Christians think that they are doing pre-evangelism. Unfortunately, in a world where there are lots of compassionate people outside of Christ, Christians who don't let others know that Christ is their motivation, and that the needs met by compassion pale in light of the spiritual needs left unmet by silence are not doing pre-evangelism, they are being nice. And leaving a person with less hunger, better physical health, or housed and clothed, without alerting them--even a little bit--to God's existence, his redemptive plans and purpose brought to culmination in Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and return, and the opportunity to flee coming wrath and receive forgiveness, acceptance, and purpose from God, isn't really all that nice in the end, is it?

Bishop T.D. Jakes, Sound Doctrine, and Sound Teaching

2012-01-28T11:24:00.000-05:00

T.D. Jakes, left, being interviewed by Mark Driscoll, right,
with host James MacDonald at "The Elephant Room" broadcast

Bishop T.D. Jakes, a well known preacher and pastor of "The Potter's House" in Texas, shared that he now holds a trinitarian view of God in line with historic orthodoxy, as opposed to a former view that was shaped by the "Oneness" Pentecostal tradition. This announcement was made during the broadcast of "The Elephant Room," an annual dialog event put together by James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel and "Walk in the Word" Ministries. This report and video from Baptist Press tells the story and its context.

I rejoice anytime I hear someone has embraced good doctrine. Some were hesitant to appear in "The Elephant Room" this time when Bishop Jakes was announced as a participant, due to his previously known position on the Trinity. The video and follow up that has come from the event celebrates the unity between Jakes and others, and rightly emphasizes the need for conversations before separations and public criticisms.

However, I am not sure that the embrace or endorsement of good theology on this subject moves us to a point of endorsing Bishop Jakes' ministry, or anyone else's ministry. There are many who would publicly affirm all the tenets of the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian creeds, perhaps even affirming historic Reformational truths, who nonetheless in their teaching ministry lead others away from right belief or right practice. For example, Bishop Jakes is a classical Pentecostal, and his church's doctrinal statement affirms the necessity of speaking in tongues as the sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is a significant departure from historic orthodoxy (although one held by a large number of Christians today). Further, and more troubling to many, his teaching has historically upheld ideas such as "positive confession" and guarantees of wealth and health to believers. He has been a close associate of Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paul and Jan Crouch, and others whose teachings have been at best problematic, and at worst heretical, over the years.

I can rejoice that Bishop Jakes has made a statement affirming the three persons of the Godhead, and has always taught salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. However I would still caution believers that right doctrine in these areas does not equal right teaching on the Christian's life, walk, or faith. Acceptance of what he has taught in the past could be detrimental to a person's spiritual maturity. He may well be revising his teaching, and I would be happy to follow up with that good news. Until then, we are all called to search the Scriptures when confronted with unfamiliar or new teaching, to see if these things are really so (Acts 17:11).

Q & A: Wacky Politics

2012-01-26T12:29:00.001-05:00

I have been asked a number of times about who I favor in the upcoming contest for President. As a pastor, I cannot officially endorse for the church any candidate. I can have and state a personal opinion, and do privately. I must also admit that I am a recovering political junkie--I enjoy politics as a study and have strong opinions on these issues, but have come to see the futility of hoping that politics and politicians will bring real change. So let me answer more generally with my opinion about the current state of the race.

Election seasons always have their unique frustrations, and this one is no exception. For Democratic-leaning Christians, there is no real contest going on, only the challenge of supporting the President who has presided over a very bad four years economically ("It was Bush's and the Republicans' fault" will no doubt be a defense), and who supports abortion rights ("But he is compassionate toward the poor, and isn't that just as important? You can't look at a single issue!" will be the defense here). I cannot and will not vote for a President who, for whatever reason, supports an absolute "right" to kill infants in the womb as a matter of choice. I know some good Christians will argue that compassion for the suffering, poor, and dying should be of equal importance. In my view, they are not, because such compassion is being measured in sliding terms. We may not be giving enough aid to sufferers, but we are not giving others the freedom to kill them in one vicious act.

Christians who lean Republican will mock their Democratic brothers and sisters, but this year they face some equally daunting challenges. Look who is still in the race to be their nominee.

There is the polished businessman whose views have changed as his aspirations have grown. He can't make the case for his own election as well as others seem to do. Oh, and his faith, which he says is vital to who he is, is a cult whose views on salvation are objectionable to Christians, and whose views on early American history, multiple gods, celestial polygame, and spirit babies are, frankly, pretty weird. He is highly moral, devoted to his wife, and says the right things, now. Can he win?

There is the committed pro-life former senator who says he is the only true conservative in the race, but who spent 20 years in congress voting for spending and earmarks that conservatives decry now as wasteful. He lost his last election badly (it was a Democratic sweep that year in his state). He is a committed, traditional Roman Catholic. He also does not excite lots of interest outside his base. He lost the first contest on the night it was held, but now has been declared the winner--when it really doesn't change that much. His numbers are fading, and no one seems to be paying attention to his excellent points. Can he win?

There is the man who has finished second, then third, then fourth in contests so far, the "true conservative" who is a libertarian, who is pro-life but wants the states to deal with it, and wants all troops home until we are actually attacked. He plans to cut a trillion dollars of spending in his first year in office, get out of health care, education, foreign aid, private behavior (legalizing marijuana, for example and ending any war on drugs), and protect traditional marriage. His economics resonate with many. But his "America First" foreign policy is a page out of pre-World War 2 isolationism, and could easily set the stage for another Germany or Japan to arise. He says we will protect ourselves--but would we allow another Holocaust? Can he win?

Finally there is the former Speaker of the House, who resigned in defeat and more than a little disgrace, has reinvented himself as a man of ideas, and is the best debater out there. Strongly identified with conservative ideas, his personal life has been as tawdry as the other party's former president that seemed to set the modern standard for double standards. His former co-workers do not support him, and recently he suggested that he would support colonization of the moon and once 13,000 people were there (the legal minimum apparently) they could petition to become a US state. With ideas like that coming when you least expect them, and with his legendary ability to explode, can he win?

Do you vote for the man who is the most successful, the most consistently moral, the most radical, the smartest, or the one who can win?

I am eternally grateful to be a pastor and not a politician. After all, I represent the one who offers change you can believe in!

A Little More about Lot: The Power of Negative Choices

2012-01-18T10:50:00.000-05:00

Choices are more powerful than we sometimes understand. Having looked at Lot's desolation and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19, we've witnessed the power of negative choices in one believer's life. The effects were cumulative--one choice tends to build toward another, until one's judgment and ability to choose differently is so diminished as to require divine intervention. In the New Testament, Paul talks about giving Satan a "foothold" in our lives through sinful choices (see, for example Ephesians 4:27 and its context). Lot was so conditioned by his continual choices that, in the face of Sodom's imminent destruction, "he lingered" and had to be dragged out of town due to the mercy of the Lord. I am praying that the Lord will open my eyes to any sinful patterns in my choosing, and cause me to run to him for forgiveness and the strength I lack to choose rightly. You and I may need other believers to help us make and keep making those good choices. Get into community where we can encourage each other bo live God's way, making choices that honor him above all. I'm reminded of an old saying from the preachers of my youth, about sowing (planting) and reaping (harvesting):

Sow a thought; reap an action.

Sow an action; reap a habit.

Sow a habit; reap a character.

Sow a character; reap a destiny.

Sadly, this proved true with Lot's life. And it may prove true in ours. But our God is more powerful than bad choices, and his Spirit can set people free--even from themselves.

Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream Speech - August 28, 1963

2012-01-16T09:59:00.001-05:00

If you never saw the speech that defines both the civil rights movement in America and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, here it is.

Pre-Sermon Preparation

2012-01-14T15:13:00.002-05:00

We are returning to Genesis tomorrow, and to a text that would not be the place I would normally start (or restart) a series, but it is where we are. We will be looking at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the concluding chapter of Lot's sad biography. It is even more sad when you realize that Lot was a follower of the Lord.

Up to this point, we have been able to read entire texts every morning, but as we move into the longer narratives, this will not always be possible. Tomorrow is a case where I will not be able to read the text as a whole as we study. So I am asking you to consider some "pre-sermon preparation."

For anyone who would like to be better prepared for tomorrow's sermon, may I suggest the following?

Read Genesis 19 in its entirety.
Look back at the end of ch. 18 to see how Abraham had prayed about this very situation.
Note the major issues you discover as you read, and spend a moment reflecting on them. What questions come to mind?
Ask God to prepare me to speak clearly to the important "take aways" from the text, and to prepare your heart to receive them.

This is not an easy passage to preach, and I already know I cannot faithfully expound every idea and subject on which it teaches. I know that a number of Grace Group leaders are already preparing for good discussion following; I hope that they can deal with the material I have to leave out!

Q & A: Should Christians get tattoos when the Bible says they are bad?

2012-01-13T17:21:00.001-05:00

This looks painful (not referring to

the crown of thorns, but the tattoo),

but I don't know if this is what

Jesus looked like.

In Leviticus 19:28, Moses wrote the following command of the LORD: "You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD" (ESV). Two chapters later the idea of making cuts on the body is linked with making bald patches on the head (Leviticus 21:5). These practices were commonly used by the nations surrounding Israel during times of mourning, and often were associated with invoking the idols worshiped by those nations. Was Moses laying down a universal principle, or one that only applied the particular context of the nation of Israel under the Mosaic Covenant?

The context of the prohibition (Leviticus 19) involves some other prohibitions that would seem to be timeless, such as not making your daughter become a prostitute, not interpreting omens or telling fortunes . But it also includes not sowing two kinds of seed in a field, not eating meat with blood in it, not eating fruit off of trees until the fourth year of their planting, and keeping the Sabbath. Some of these, at least, pertained only to Israel. My previous post on the Law probably will let you know where I go with this. These commands were part of an overall covenant with the nation of Israel to establish them as God's unique people, and to spell out the ways they were to maintain that uniqueness. Some of those ways were clear reflections of the morality of God (the Ten Commandments). Others were ways that obedience to God's specific command was to show Israel's submission to God, and to mark them out before the nations as unique (dietary and clothing regulations, for example). Tattoos were a cultural marker of the other nations who thought that marking themselves while in mourning or in devotion to their idols, along with shaving parts of their heads, cutting themselves, and marring their beards would gain the idol's favor. Nothing about Israel was to communicate that God worked in these ways. So, such practices were banned by Yahweh for his people.

We live under a different covenant, and in times where tattoos are not associated with idolatry. Therefore, the Levitical prohibition is not binding today, any more than I would consider the prohibition on using two kinds of seed in the same field to be binding on farmers today.

Tattoos can be painful, sometimes reflect poor judgment (having "Stella" tattooed on your chest can be problematic if you and Stella break up), and may occasionally have a negative impact on your job prospects if they are visible. They can be beautiful and artistic as well, and may tell a story or remind someone of a key moment or promise. They are not, in and of themselves, sinful or forbidden to the Christian.

Just in case you were still celebrating...

2012-01-05T14:52:00.002-05:00

Today is the twelfth and final "day" of the twelve days of Christmas. The custom of celebrating these days goes back into the Church's history and calendar. December 25th has been celebrated since 334 A.D. in the western Church as Christmas Day. January 6th is Epiphany, a celebration of the manifestation of Christ through the star to the Wise Men (even the early church didn't think the wise men were there for the birth of Jesus). From Christmas to Epiphany are twelve days that were celebrated as a continual feast. Day 13, January 6, was the beginning of the rest of the church calendar.

There's your church history lesson for the day, and an excuse to celebrate Jesus' birth just a little bit more!

Q & A: The Law of Moses and the Christian

2012-01-04T20:02:00.002-05:00

Question: "Whydo we still accept many parts of Mosaic law, yet reject others because ofChrist's death? Who determines this (i.e.- sacrifices, ceremonialrituals, etc.)?"

Most Christians see a relationship between the Law as it was given to Moses and what we believe. Figuring out that relationship, however, has proven difficult over time. The books of Galatians and Hebrews establish that the sacrificial system and regulations of the Mosaic Law have been made obsolete by the sacrifice of Jesus. But do we continue to keep the commandments? And do God's prescribed societal regulations and criminal punishments apply today?

Many look at the Old Testament law as having 3 distinct components. There is the moral law, focused primarily in the ten commandments. Then there is the sacrificial/ceremonial law, which includes the rituals related to offerings, feasts, and Jewish worship. Finally there is the "civil" law--regulations regarding society that are not "religious" in nature--such as the regulations punishing crimes and establishing restitution. For those who accept this three-fold distinction, the question becomes how much or which parts of this law applies today (some people don't think that you should separate the civil and ceremonial, but see only two sections to the Law).

Traditionally, most Christians have said that the civil and ceremonial aspects of the Law ended with the end of the nation of Israel's role as God's nation under the Old Covenant. The beginning of the New Covenant at the cross is usually seen as the point of the end (some argue for Pentecost and the official "birth" of the NT church--God's new people). The sacrifices and observances of Mosaic Law have been superseded by the work of Jesus, and the as a people of God, the church no longer is a distinct society or nation with its own civil laws. The moral law, however, continues. The great challenge of this view is how to apply it--specifically in cases like the fourth commandment--"remember the Sabbath day." Out of this theology has come a plethora of interpretations, from the idea that all of life is now the Sabbath, to Sunday being a Sabbath we should keep (with sharp disagreements as to how to keep it), to Saturday still being the Sabbath (Seventh Day Adventists, and a smaller group of Seventh Day Baptists). If the moral law continues, then this commandment should continue as well.

A smaller but vocal group of Christians have sought to argue that only the ceremonial part of the law should be seen as passing away. These are "theonomists (which means God's law)," who believe we should still follow many Old Testament civil regulations today, as well as the moral law. They would argue that if adultery or homosexuality are still condemned by the moral law of God, the punishment that society should inflict is the same as God called for in Israel--death. Theonomy is a form of post-millennialism, and most theonomists believe that in the coming future kingdom, the Church will establish God's civil law over the earth. They disagree among themselves on the extent to which these laws should or can be applied today.

There are those who argue that there is no "law" anymore, that we are in an age of grace alone, and any talk about commandments, even moral ones, is obsolete. All three portions of the Law (as divided above) are gone. These people are usually called "antinomians" (meaning opposing Law) and it is a viewpoint that has never gained approval in orthodox Christianity.

I suppose it isn't surprising, but I don't hold any of these views. Antinomianism ignores the clear restatements of much of the ten commandment material in the New Testament. Theonomists are wrong, I believe, in their triumphal post-millennialism that expects to see the Church take over the world before Christ's return, and in their attempts to link punishments Israel inflicted for crimes and sins to God's eternal purpose--even God did not demand these punishments at all times in the Old Testament. The traditional view has been the majority view among Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, but as the example of the Sabbath points out, there is no agreement as to how moral law should be applied or understood--at least in that case.

I think a greater error is made in trying to divide the law into parts. You do not see this Moral/Ceremonial/Civil distinction anywhere in the text. Laws on sexual sin and mixing crops in fields or kinds of material in garments occur together. Even Exodus 20 includes both the ten commandments and other instructions of seemingly lesser significance but treats them equally. And of course, if the ten commandments represent moral teaching for all time, then those of us who are not sabbatarians are willfully violating God's standard of holiness.

My own understanding is that the moral law of God stems from the holy character of God, and thus moral action and attitude will be the same before the Mosaic Law, during it, and afterwards. While the Law of Moses had a specific purpose in highlighting the nature of both holiness and sin, there was morality before Moses wrote down the Law. God judged people as sinners from the first sin onward--meaning there was morality and immorality. The Law of Moses was a covenant--the Old Covenant. It had a beginning and an end. It was, according to Romans 5-8, weak, unable to save, and brought death. It has been superseded by the New Covenant established by the blood of Jesus.

God's eternal standards were revealed prior to Moses through God's revelations to people in that era, from Adam to Seth to Enoch to Methuselah to Noah to Shem to Abram and the patriarchs. His eternal norms were codified in the Mosaic Law as a covenant was established with the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai. That covenant was not kept by Israel, and even in its final days God announced he would make a New Covenant. Jesus came to save sinners through this New Covenant, and through His death and resurrection he established it.

This New Covenant also reveals God's eternal standards. Jesus summarized them in what we call the Great Commandment. "And he said to them"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (Matt 22:37-40). He also said that he was giving a "new" commandment to his followers: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34-35). Romans 8:2 says that "the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the Law of sin and death (a reference to the effects of the Law of Moses)." In Galatians 5:1 Paul writes, "For freedom (from Mosaic Law) Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." But in 6:2 he does not say that all law is bad; instead he writes, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

I believe the case is very strong that you see God's moral will revealed clearly in Jesus' three statements, which would be true in all eras:

Love God supremely.
Love others unselfishly.
Love God's people in the way Jesus loves us.

This would certainly fulfill all core issues of every part of the Mosaic Law. For example, the Sabbath as instituted in the Mosaic Law was a means by which Israel showed their loving submission to him and trust in his provision. It is not reiterated in the New Testament because God sovereignly chose not to include this or many other specifics that were to mark out Israel as a nation.

Someone might object that this seems too "positive." Where is all the negative--the "Thou shalt NOT" stuff? But anyone who understands the nature of love knows that if we love someone, there will be certain actions that we will not do because of our love.

We no longer follow the Mosaic code, but the moral "law" behind it animates the New Covenant just as it did the Old. In fact, this is the Law that is written on our hearts by God himself (the promise of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:33, see also Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16). The new covenant law is the law of Christ.

ADDENDUM: This answer to this question is not everything we should know or believe about the Law of Moses, its purposes and its uses. It is only an attempt to answer the question as to the place of the Mosaic Law as a continuing requirement for the Christian.

Q & A: "Does God change, and if not, why pray?"

2011-12-31T12:07:00.001-05:00

OK, I'm starting with a "two-fer" one more theological, and the other a practical outworking of the answer. The first part is relatively simple, in that God says of himself, "For I the Lord do not change..." (Mal. 3:6). James says there is "no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:17). His faithfulness, covenant-keeping and steadfastness are elements of his unchanging nature (see Exodus 34:6-7). Those references where God seems to change course or plan (often it says God "relented," such as in the case of postponing Nineveh's judgment due to their response to Jonah), represent the use of our finite human language to try to describe how God acts in relation to His creation in ways we can comprehend. God can experience the full range of emotion--for example He was "sorry" that He made man (Genesis 6), but not in the "I wish I hadn't done this" mode, but the "this is a terribly painful--sorrow-ful--state of affairs." Again, we have to use our language to describe an infinite, changeless being who nevertheless experience the sorrows we tend to link with regret.

So, if God does not change, why pray? Let me try to answer this with a list:
1. We pray because God directs us to do so, and his directions are never pointless. We may see no reason why the children of Israel had to march around Jericho once a day for six days, then seven times on the seventh, then blow a trumpet for the walls to fall down. We look at that and say, "what was the point?" Well, a better way to look at it is to say, "what an amazing, unique, and powerful way God chose to destroy Jericho. Only God could do it that way." In our limited, cause and effect thinking, we try to figure out how things work. God says, "Pray, and you will see things happen." We say, "what difference does it make?" God responds, Pray, and see how it makes a difference." Jesus taught his disciples to pray on at least two occasions (Matt 6: 9-13, Lk. 11:1-4) and gave the parable of the persistent widow to teach that we should never give up praying (Lk. 18:1-8). His instruction when it comes to receiving answers to prayer are clear: keep on asking, seeking, and knocking (Matt 7:7-11), and pray as Jesus would have us pray (John 15:7, 16:23-24), and you will see results. The God who ordains the ends also ordains the means by which those ends come to pass. God has set up His universe in such a way that prayers are the means by which His ends are accomplished.
2. We pray to communicate our hearts desire to God. Some might say, "But He already knows." That is true, but communication and communion is a part of relationship. I may know what my wife wants or thinks and she may know my mind, but we still talk about our thoughts and desires, and share with one another. It is one thing to "know," another to "share."
3. We see our own hearts shaped by the activity of prayer. As I pray, I am immediately made aware that I am speaking with One who can do what I can't, who is the only One I can count on in this or any situation, and One whose love for me and acceptance of me is perfectly established through Jesus. As I voice my petition, I actually think about it, and that thinking may well refine, deepen, and change my request as I think about it and bring it to a loving, holy, and gracious "Abba" Father. The Spirit intercedes for us as we pray (Rom. 8:26-27), and as we pray we can be sure that the Spirit is at work in us. The more I pray about something, the more I see how important it is to me, and the more convinced I can become that God is keeping me praying about this for a reason.

These three just scratch the surface, but they suffice to show us the value of prayer as God's means to shape us and accomplish His will. Any questions?

Answering Questions

2011-12-29T20:35:00.000-05:00

This is just a heads up that you are going to start seeing something new here--I have decided to start answering questions here more frequently. I'll begin with a set of questions that came to me from the students of my Spiritual Formation class this past semester--some great questions from some great students. But if you have a question you would like to see answered here, just send it to me at pastor.craig@gracecedarville.org. I can't promise how quickly they will get answered, but I want to do what I can to tackle as many as I can in a timely fashion! Stay tuned...

Ken Boa's Gentle Reminder

2011-12-28T12:26:00.000-05:00

In his monthly newsletter, Ken Boa talks about a proper response and perspective on suffering. Here was a quote that speaks of a reality many of us have needed to embrace during 2011.

It is simplistic and unbiblical to think that by coming to Christ, we will be protected from pain and adversity in this life. People are often prompted to come to Him for all the wrong reasons--to have a better marriage, a better career, financial prosperity, happiness, good health, etc. But Christianity is not a religion of solutions; it is a relationship with the Savior. It is not a conquering of our problems, but a commitment to a Person. The Lord calls us to pursue Him apart from any benefits He may provide. We must love the Giver for Himself, and not for His gifts, because all these pale in comparison to knowing Him, the personal Source of every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift (James 1:17).

Ending Advent

2011-12-23T15:00:00.000-05:00

Advent is drawing to a close, and tomorrow night we will have our village's Christmas Eve service here at Grace. I know that some people (maybe even some of my relatives) aren't as excited about Christmas Eve services as I am. But I can't help it. It is bringing our anticipation of Christmas to a climax and and close at the same time. And it is doing so with the people I am called to shepherd--to be constantly leading to Jesus. What a great opportunity!

Here in Cedarville, it is also a chance to share this time with the other churches and congregations in town. We have a village where the all the churches' pastors in our Ministerial Association are committed to historic, orthodox, evangelical Christianity. We have our differences over secondary stuff, but we choose not to let them keep us from celebrating our fundamental unity in the saving message about Jesus. That means our Christmas' Eve is a celebration of shared faith as well--a good message to send to a larger community that thinks having different kinds of churches means we are against each other rather than on the same side!

We also will have guests with us--some local, some from far away. It is a pleasure for me to meet new people at any time, but doing so at Christmas means we've shared something special already. And while people may come from churches that use different worship music, or don't go to church at all, they will know the songs tomorrow night. And it is my privilege to share the story once again of what Advent has meant--waiting, longing for the fulfillment of a promise. The initial promise was kept on the first Christmas; the completion of the promise is what we still wait for.

Getting old isn't the same as getting holy

2011-12-23T14:24:00.001-05:00

I've been listening to a sermon by Tullian Tchividjian (pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church) entitled "Jesus+Nothing=Everything" (also the title of his new book). The sermon was preached at my brother's church, and it's been a good reminder of the nature of our sanctification--not what we do, but what Christ did. I cannot focus on "how I'm doing," because the minute I do, I lose sight of what Christ has done and will do.

In the midst of the sermon was this quote from Gerhard Forde, reflecting on the fact that we sometimes think that becoming an old Christian means we are getting more holy.

.. Well, maybe it seems as though I sin less, but that may only be because
I'm getting tired! It's just too hard to keep indulging the lusts of youth. Is
that sanctification? I wouldn't think so! One should not, I expect, mistake
encroaching senility for sanctification! "But can it be, perhaps, that it is
precisely the unconditional gift of grace that helps me to see and admit all
that? I hope so. The grace of God should lead us to see the truth about
ourselves, and to gain a certain lucidity, a certain humor, a certain
down-to-earthness."

I like that. Encroaching senility or being too tired to sin does not equate to sanctifiation. Neither does reading my Bible more, praying more, or witnessing if done to seek God's favor rather than out of the freedom of having to do nothing to be loved by Him.

A Christmas Song For Monday

2011-12-12T14:07:00.000-05:00

We heard this song a week ago in our worship time, and it's one of my newer favorites.
UPDATE: The trailer at the end advertises a Christmas special that was 3 years ago, and on a network I would never encourage you to watch. Just sayin'.

For Your Advent Enjoyment!

2011-12-11T17:52:00.000-05:00

Israel Trip 2011

2011-12-10T14:39:00.001-05:00

Israel Trip 2011, a set on Flickr.

Here are my pictures from the Israel trip. Enjoy!

Desperation or Devastation, or Death

2011-12-07T12:12:00.001-05:00

I was just reading an article in Revive magazine that included a quote from a Ugandan pastor who spoke of the powerful revival of the church there through the tragic days of Idi Amin and afterwards. He said,

In Uganda we experienced a nationwide revival as a result of severe persecution. The suffering of the people was beyond description, and no one came to our rescue.

But God used the opportunity to wake a nation from its spiritual coma. What we learned is that revival will come either through devastation or desperation. So my question is simply this: what are you doing in America to make sure revival comes through desperation and not devastation?

I think that the question is profound, but I also know that there is no promise to us in America that revival will come. Just as churches that were vibrant throughout the middle east in the early centuries of Christian mission are now only a memory or a shadow of what they were, so it may be here. Perhaps we will become desperate at our lack of spiritual life and in humility seek God. Or perhaps we will not, and God will send devastation that will awaken us from our spiritual stupor. But I fear he may allow us, even in times of devastation to wring our hands but not rend our hearts, and the church here may go the way of many others in history have gone--while in new places it arises and grows in the Spirit's power. I pray not. But then, our only strategy comes back to this: we must cultivate desperation within our hearts and our church; desperation for God's Spirit to come in power to convict and comfort, to enlist and empower, to heal and to help.

Three Sad Headlines

2011-12-02T07:46:00.001-05:00

I was looking at The Christian Post today and at the end of the article I was reading saw these three current headlines (each is a link to an article).
Gay Marriage OK in Denmark Churches
Small Ky. Church Bars Interracial Couples From Membership
LGBT Groups Boycott Salvation Army's Red Kettles
They each speak to something about our current circumstances that I find profoundly sad for the people of the world and for the church as well.
The first article speaks of the inability of the Church to recognize its role as witness to the truth of God's Word, even in a society that rejects it. Of course the "church" referred to in Denmark is a state, Lutheran body that has long ago moved away from viewing the Scripture as meaning what it says. Nevertheless, a body claiming to bear witness to the Jesus of the Bible that shreds the truth of that same Bible by its decisions grieves the Lord Jesus even more than it does me, and obscures even further the knowledge of God.
The second headline reveals the evil that resides among those of us who claim to be Bible believing Christians. If you read the article, you will discover that this church had 15 members in a business meeting vote 9-6 for this satanic idea. Being a Baptist, congregationally-governed church (as our church is), there is no one to tell them they are in sin and must change and repent, at least until Judgment Day. Their denomination says that all they can do is ask them to change, and then perhaps withdraw fellowship. A note to those denominational leaders: it's always a good idea not to fellowship with "synagogues of Satan," according to Revelation 2:9. What makes this especially sad is that nine people in one church have done something that has made headlines in a world that loves to mock Christians.
Finally, the third headline shows that something that should not be news is news. The idea that a group that advocates behaviors that the Bible prohibits would boycott the work of a church denomination that believes in the Bible's authority and thus opposes those behaviors should not be a shock. It only is shocking to the person who doesn't understand that there are still those who believe what Christians universally believed until the middle of the last century, and still believe in large numbers. What saddens me is that Bible believers have become so invisible in a land where we once were well understood, if not universally accepted.
I am especially burdened in this Advent season that we be CLEAR on who Jesus is, where we get our knowledge of Him and of God's will (the Bible), and our conviction that what we learn of Him and His will there is truth to be followed.

Three Days in Jerusalem

2011-11-30T14:47:00.001-05:00

Alright, truth be told, I always try to end my Israel tripsin Jerusalem. There is just something sopowerful about capping a visit to the Holy Land with arrival and touring inJerusalem that is hard to explain if you haven’t done it. Every stop has its highlights and theexcitement and learning grow along the way, but it comes to a boil inJerusalem, where you are confronted with powerful evidences of biblicalreliability over and over again. Youwalk the streets of the Old City on pavement stones from the time of Jesus onyour way to places you know he walked and stood. You see places you’ve read about inScripture, you discover locations and geography that explain things you’ve readin the Bible, and you cannot escape thinking about spiritual realities in acity that has been claimed by three major world religious systems. The history is palpable, the culture isexplosively diverse, and the chance to experience Israel’s spiritual capital inboth its ancient and modern neighborhoods ought not to be missed.

Thus far we have done just about everything you mightassociate with a visit to the city, and what we haven’t done yet we’ll do inour final day tomorrow, it seems. Standingon the Mount of Olives, walking the Palm Sunday road, praying and singing inthe Garden of Gethsemane, visiting nearby Bethlehem, and catching up withShaban, my favorite Old City shopkeeper, were highlights of day one. Visiting the Western Wall, a walk through theWestern Wall tunnel, visiting the city of David, hikes through eitherHezekiah’s or a Canaanite Tunnel from Gihon Spring, and experiencing YadVashem—Israel’s Holocaust memorial—were day two’s highlights. The Temple steps and Temple Mount, followedby visits to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and a closing communion in theGarden Tomb marked the last day. I canbarely get that list typed without being overwhelmed by the remembrances oranticipations that come with each. Howdo I describe how you feel seeing a stone pavement where Jesus was mocked andtortured for me? There is nothing I cansay that is serious or powerful enough. And it is like that all day, every day here.

It is moments like this that keep me leading trips andencouraging people to come if they can. There simply is nothing like what you experience when you are here. And it is frustrating to try to explain thatto others who haven’t had the experience. So, I think I will just leave it with this—I am so blessed to be hereand to have the privilege of sharing it with those who are here.

Our group on the Mount of Olives, half way down the Palm Sunday Road

Now I’m in the airport, awaiting our flight home. It’s late, I’m tired, and we have a 12 hourflight to Philadelphia next. But it isall more than worth it, and the dominant feeling I have and that will carrythrough the next weeks is wonder. It istruly “wonder” full to be here, and if the Lord tarries, I hope to visit hereagain.

Galilee to Jerusalem

2011-11-28T14:20:00.001-05:00

Going through Solomon's gate in Megiddo

We left our kibbutz by the sea in Galilee this morning forour travels through the central part of Israel, along the coast, and then up toJerusalem. Our first stop today was veryun-touristy, even though it is a national park—Harod Spring is where Gideontested his volunteer army by seeing how they drank water to determine who andhow many men God would allow him to use in the battle against theMidianites—found in the book of Judges. There was no big build up or hype, just a spring between the placeswhere the Bible says the armies were encamped. Still pretty cool to see.

In the waterworks tunnel built in the time of Ahab, Megiddo

Our next site certainly did have a lot of hype—when youvisit Megiddo and look out on the valley it borders, you can’t help but thinkapocalyptically. Twenty fivecivilizations came and went, and were gone a long time before the excavationsbegan here, but what a treasure trove of history was found here. The city was vital to Egypt, to Solomon, toAhab, and others—each made their mark. Ahab’s water system is a marvel of engineering, and Solomon’s stablesare impressive. But looking out on theValley of Armageddon one cannot help but be sobered by the predictions thatinvoke it regarding the great battle at the end of the age.

Our next stop was the site of another battle—this onebetween Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Mt. Carmel provides a vista from which you can see much of the land ofIsrael, but it also reminds us of the challenges faced when our vision fails tosee anyone else who stands with us in standing for the Lord. Elijah was alone in his contest, but he wasnot really alone—and later chapters reveal that there were still 700 who hadnot bowed the knee to Baal.

Lunch was found on the waydown Mt. Carmel at another Druze restaurant—it was a falafel feast—schnitzelfor the timid and taste challenged! Icannot get enough of falafel, hummus, tahaina, and the Middle Eastern saladsand olives.

Bill likes falafel!

Onward we traveled to Herodthe Great’s capital of Caesarea Maritima. This city was the seat of Roman power in Judea, and was one of Herod’smany marvels of construction—he built cities that he named after hisbenefactors, but it was really all about him. They were magnificent, though. Thesite was later a Byzantine city and a Crusader fortress. But I like Caesarea because it is the home ofthe Gentile inclusion in the church—the conversion of Cornelius marked the fullreception of Gentiles as Gentiles into the New Covenant people!

Our last stop before arrivingin Jerusalem was the Elah Valley, where David fought Goliath. It’s a farm field today, and certainly hasnothing to mark it as significant. ButIsrael learned, at least momentarily in that story, that there was a God in Israelwho did great things and could be counted on. May we not forget the lesson they forgot!

Our group in an arch of the Herodian aquaduct, bringing
water 6 miles via gravity flow to Caesarea

In the Crusader gatehouse, Caesarea

Our hotel in Jerusalem is ashort walk from Jaffa Gate to the Old City, and many took advantage of thatcloseness tonight. We have great daysahead here in Jerusalem!

Lower Galilee and Nazareth

2011-11-26T14:35:00.001-05:00

The view of the Sea of Galilee from our room

Millers on the Sea of Galilee

Today was one where we were seeing the ministry of Jesus in just about every place we went. We started the day with a visit to the Jordan River, and while we know it may not have been the site of his baptism, it is one of the few spots where you see enough water to baptize in that river--the old gospel songs talking about the "mighty Jordan" were obviously written by people who had never seen it. Yet it was a defining border for the land and a place Jesus must often have seen. He also spent a lot of time in our next site--the Sea of Galilee itself. We had a beautiful hour on the water reflecting on some of Jesus trips from the very spot we left and returned. We had the added blessing of a Messianic Jewish boat captain who led us in singing praise and worship songs after our Bible study. Following our return we saw a boat recovered from the shoreline of the Galilee that came from the time of Jesus and his disciples--we saw what their boats must have looked like. And then we visited the traditional sites of the Sermon on the Mount and the feeding of the five thousand. And finally we ended our morning with a visit to Capernaum--Jesus' adult home and site of so many of the events of the gospels.

Even our lunch had a biblical flair, as we went to a restaurant run by a former fisherman who served us St. Peter's fish--the staple fish that comes from the Sea of Galilee. I don't know if the disciples had it with garlic sauce, but it was excellent! It was quite the experience for us all.

Seeing some of the recovered artifacts from Capernaum

After lunch, we traveled to Nazareth, where we viewed the much-changed city of Jesus childhood. Nothing is the same, and we used a nearby hill to view the city and see a better representation of what the scene must have been when his hometown was ready to kill him (Luke 4). Then we got a much better view, as we went to the Nazareth YMCA and saw their "Nazareth Village" a recreation of life as it was in the 1st century. What an informative and helpful stop. Run by Arab Christians, we had the chance to consider not just the stones of the past, but consider Jesus' living stones--his followers--as they shared with us the story of the Savior's life as a child.

An amazing and full day, and now we move into our final leg of the journey as we travel tomorrow through the center of the country and end up in Jerusalem.

Nathan and his St. Peter's fish!

Jerry at the salad bar!

From Bet Shean through Upper Galilee

2011-11-25T10:44:00.001-05:00

The "cardo" (main street) of
Bet Shean

Well, today started early, but that isn't as big a deal when your sleep cycle is still adjusting (or in my case completely whacked). We had breakfast and were on the road by 7:15 am to head to Bet Shean, my favorite excavation in Israel due to its size and scope. This city of the Decapolis looks as if it should have been in Italy or Asia Minor, but it was in the middle of Galilee--small wonder that it was sometimes called "Galilee of the Gentiles." The Roman architecture and order reminds you that this was occupied territory in Jesus' time and that pagan religion and culture competed with Jewish devotion to God in the land.

Leaving these magnificently restored ruins, we headed north, all the way up to Tel Dan--the remains of the ancient city that was the northernmost referent for the land--as in "from Dan to Beersheba." We did it backwards, but arrival in Dan meant seeing this ancient city from the period of Joshua and Judges. Dan is a reminder of the failures of the people of Israel, from the tribe of Dan's failure to possess its inheritance, to their idolatry as they conquered this city, to Jereboam's introduction of idolatry as he divided the Israelite kingdom from the Temple. But from a city that turned to paganism we went a few miles to a pagan city where the Lord Jesus took Simon Peter's confession and turned it into marching orders. Caesarea Philippi was only a few miles from Dan, and in front of the Temples of Augustus, Pan, and Zeus, Jesus told his disciples that the offensive strategy of the church would overtake the gates of Hades itself--significant in that Pan was one of those who was linked with the guardians of the underworld. What a contrast!

Nathan (and all of us) paid attention to the little red
triangle signs on the Golan Heights that said, "Danger-
Mines!" Not something you see on tour every day.

We had some non-biblical experiences as well, from our visit to a Druze village for lunch (what incredible Druze pita and falafel--the schnitzel was good, too), to exploring a Syrian bunker on the Golan Heights, to a visit to an olive oil factory and some sampling! All in all a great day as Shabbat (Sabbath) begins this evening. Our only "Black Friday" experiences were in buying some products at the Olive Oil factory, but we were there in a private tour, so we had no crowds!

Today we are also helping John and Judy Bigelow celebrate 50 years of wedded bliss. You can wish them a Happy Anniversary when they get back! We did tonight at dinner!

John and Judy Bigelow on their 50th wedding anniversary,

Tomorrow we continue exploring Galilee, with an emphasis on sites of Jesus' ministry in the region.

Giving Thanks on Tour

2011-11-24T14:44:00.001-05:00

Dead Sea at sunrise

Well, it is not exactly a normal Thanksgiving when you are a) out of the country, and b) on a fast paced tour. Our day started early as we had much to do before too much daylight was lost. We were up, had breakfast, and were out on the bus by 7:30 am to depart from the Dead Sea to head to Masada, the fabled site of Jewish resistance to the Romans. Half of our group climbed the snake path, while the rest of us watched them briefly as our cable car zoomed by on the way to the summit. But way to go, climbers! You accomplished the climb. We smelled better the rest of the day.

The Hanging Palace at Masada

Masada is sobering as one considers its history, breathtaking as one studies Herod's intricate buildings and artistic touches preserved through 2,000 years, and stunning as one puts these two together in this incredible setting. I never visit this place without reflecting on the conditions faced, the choices made, and the "what ifs" that come to mind.

We went to En Gedi next, the storied oasis of the desert mentioned throughout the OT, beginning in Genesis. Most famous as the place where David could have killed Saul but spared him while hiding in a cave, the wildlife and waterfalls are a treat to see. Our family has now taken our third picture at one particular spot at the middle falls.

The ladies especially enjoyed a stop at the Ahava factory, where cosmetic products from Dead Sea minerals are made and sold, but then we all profited from our visit to Qumran. I love looking at Cave 1 and having Hezi recount the story of how the thousands of Dead Sea scrolls came to light through a Bedouin shepherd boy's throwing a stone and providentially breaking a piece of pottery. Amazing confirmation of the trustworthiness of Scripture's transmission came through such a simple act!

We stopped in Jericho and saw the tel that holds what remains of the ancient city--so much could be found there, I think, if more excavation were done. We also made a quick stop at the sycamore tree held to be the tree of Zacchaeus--I suppose it might be, but I wouldn't put too much stock in the identification.

The falls at the oasis of En Gedi

It was a long drive to our hotel afterward, but we got in before 6 pm, ending a long but joyful day. And I must say, that in addition to many blessings that I have reflected on while riding through Israel today, one of them has been seeing these things with Kathy, Christine, Nathan, my brother's family, and the members of my church family and my Jesus family. And I also have given thanks for the many of you back home--some of whom will be reading this. I am a blessed man, especially because I am a son of our Heavenly Father and saved by the work of my Lord Jesus. Today, I traveled in places He traveled, but someday I will walk with him on a new Earth, a new Promised Land. What a great hope to have!

Day One--From Beersheva to the Dead Sea

2011-11-23T14:14:00.001-05:00

Tel Beersheva

Hotels in Israel typically serve very generous buffets for breakfast, and today was no exception. We were well fueled for our first day of touring with our guide, Hezi. This is my 3rd tour with Hezi, and I appreciate his hard work and devotion to getting us what we would like to have. Today he helped us accomplish all our stops and just a little more.

An ibex along a pathway at the
David Ben Gurion Memorial

We began by heading to Tel Beersheva, the mound containing the remains of the "city" of Beersheva dating back to before the time of Christ. However, the site is more significant than that, as the place where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saw significant events. We focused on Isaac's personal reaffirmation of faith followed by his receiving the confirmation of God and others that God truly was with him--even pagans seemed to see he was blessed before he did!

We traveled on to Kibbutz Sde Boker, a place where the desert actually does bloom! This kibbutz captured the spirit and dream of David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, who believed that bringing the desert of the Negev to life was the key to his new nation's survival. He died there, and is buried nearby, in a site overlooking the wilderness of Sin, a rugged area mentioned as a part of Israel's journey to the Promised Land. Seeing that terrain made you wonder how Moses could have led the people through such difficult and desolate regions, and made the need for manna absurdly obvious!

Moving on, we went to a Bedouin village setting where we were entertained and fed by our host, Salim. He told of Bedouin life and customs, sang a few local songs, and played his coffee grinder! You'll have to ask about that one.

Doing what you do
in the Dead Sea

We drove on to look at the Mizpe Ramon crater, a massive hole in the ground that speaks of the incredible power of water to change a landscape (I'm thinking Flood here). More Genesis came into view as we arrived at the Dead Sea. Now a mineral spa resort, the area is a stark reminder of God's judgment as one contemplates the cities buried under the water near the southeast shore. Our experience was much different as we stayed in a resort style hotel. We didn't just float in the sea, but also took advantage of heated mineral and freshwater pools in the hotel's spa. Then it was a great dinner and time in conversation before heading to bed--which I am about to do!

The Journey is Underway!

2011-11-22T13:38:00.001-05:00

Well, we arrived in Tel Aviv this afternoon after a very good flight from Philadelphia--made better by the fact that I actually slept quite a bit. We were met by those joining us from other places, and then by our guide, Hezi, and our driver, Rami. These men will accompany us throughout our journey in Israel. Today was about getting here and getting to our first night's hotel in Beersheva. This ancient home to Isaac and his family will be ours tonight. We've had a good meal and now are beginning to fade away, thanks to time changes and time changes. Tomorrow will be our first day of touring.

Off to Israel

2011-11-21T15:29:00.001-05:00

Well, I am sitting in the Columbus airport, waiting for a slightly delayed flight that still will get us to Philadelphia 3 hours before we catch our next flight to Israel. 15 of us are here, 6 more will join us in Philadelphia, and 7 will meet us in Tel Aviv for this tour. For the first time, we are beginning in the desert south of Israel, staying the first night in Beersheva, Isaac's abode during much of his life. I'm anxious to get there again--this is my tenth trip. Even so, there are places we will see this time that I have not seen before. As we leave, I'm rejoicing in the good report from our Harvest Offering. As of this morning we are around $$62,000, meaning all but one of the projects are funded, and my prayer is that the next few days and weeks will see the final project completed!

I am hoping to have access to blog, and maybe even post a picture or two each time--but I make no promises! Pray for us, if you are not too jealous, that God will use this time to deepen our understanding of His Word as we walk the land of the Bible!

More on fasting: The "Daniel Fast"

2011-11-09T20:28:00.001-05:00

(This is some of the "more information" I promised in the post from Sunday, found here. )

There is a significant amount of material on the web and other sites related to the "Daniel" fast, named for the biblical prophet who in Daniel 1 and 10 used this particular diet. The first time was to test God's faithfulness to Daniel and his friend's obedience in following Hebrew dietary laws. The second was to discover the meaning of a vision he had received from God. Daniel fasted for three weeks, and so this fast is often for that duration.

A Daniel fast is simply choosing a vegetarian (or possibly "vegetation"--that is, anything that comes from the ground) and water diet. Some use juices as well. It would involve no dairy and no meat. It is often used for a period of seeking God, not just a day or two of fasting.

I spoke with someone today whose former church used to use this any time they faced a significant decision or development, with very affirming results. This is not to say you must, but only that this is another aspect of this wonderful "tool" called fasting that is available to help you seek God.

One other thing--go to the main church website here and follow the links to the audio or video of the message if you didn't hear and would like to, or need a refresher. And you can also follow the links to find my sermon notes as well (just like always).

Claiming that Jesus is still dead...

2011-11-09T09:38:00.000-05:00

An amateur archeologist with a desire to prove Jesus is still in the tomb has announced more on his supposed "discovery" of the tomb itself in a location no other scholar supports. Todd Bolen, from The Master's College and the Israel Bible Extension writes about it at the Bible Places Blog here.

And for those interested this blog has a wealth of information about archeology today in the Holy Land.

Resources On Fasting

2011-11-06T15:37:00.000-05:00

For those who would like to consider more seriously how to go about fasting, the following resources are helpful, though I issue my standard disclaimer--not everything everyone says in every resource is correct--I agree with much of what is here, some of it may be debatable, and none of it should supplant the clear teaching of the Word of God!

That said, here are three helpful resources to begin. I will add to this list as the need or opportunity may arise.

God's Chosen Fast, by Arthur Wallis, 1968, reprinted 1997, Christian Literature Crusade

Bill Bright, founder of CRU (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) was a regular practitioner of fasting, which may explain some of the remarkable ways God used him and his ministry. He offers very practical instruction in this article, including his recommendations for undertaking a lengthy fast. It has some good teaching, a few overstatements (that was Bill Bright's way), and some very clear "how-to" instructions.

Jonathan Edwards on fasting and prayer

This should get you started if you desire to do so.

Michael Gungor "Doxology"

2011-11-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

A Pastoral Prayer for Reformation Day

2011-10-31T16:42:00.000-04:00

The following is a prayer offered by Charles Spurgeon in November, 1877, in his pulpit at Metropolitan Tabernacle, London. I share it, marveling at the depth of is petition, and wondering how well our church, or any church would enter in to this kind of praying. As one of the great "grandsons" of the Reformation, Spurgeon is a fitting tribute to the celebration of Reformation Day.

O LORD GOD, the great I AM, we do confess and cheerfully acknowledge that all come of Thee. Thou hast made us and not we ourselves, and the breath in our nostrils is kept there by Thy continued power. We owe our sustenance, our happiness, our advancement, our ripening, our very existence entirely unto Thee. We would bless Thee for all the mercies with which Thou dost surround us, for all things which our eyes see that are pleasant, which our ears hear that are agreeable, and for everything that maketh existence to be life. Especially do we own this dependence when we come to deal with spiritual things. O God, we are less than nothing in the spiritual world. We do feel this growingly, and yet even to feel this is beyond our power. Thy grace must give us even to know our need of grace. We are not willing to confess our own sinfulness until Thou dost show it to us. Though it stares us in the face, our pride denies it, and our own inability is unperceived by us. We steal Thy power and call it our own till Thou dost compel us to say that we have no strength in ourselves. Now, Lord, would we acknowledge that all good must come of Thee, through Jesus Christ by Thy Spirit, if ever we are to receive it. And we come humbly, first of all acknowledging our many sins. How many they are we cannot calculate, how black they are, how deep their ill-desert; yet we do confess that we have sinned ourselves into hopeless misery, unless Thy free undeserved grace do rescue us from it. Lord, we thank Thee for any signs of penitence—give us more of it. Lay us low before Thee under a consciousness of our undeserving state. Let us feel and mourn the atrocity of our guilt. O God, we know a tender heart must come from Thyself. By nature our hearts are stony, and we are proud and self-righteous.
Help everyone here to make an acceptable confession of sin, with much mourning, with much deep regret, with much self-loathing, and with the absence of anything like a pretence to merit or to excuse. Here we stand, Lord, a company of publicans and sinners, with whom Jesus deigns to sit down. Heal us, Emanuel! Here we are, needing that healing. Good Physician, here is scope for Thee; come and manifest Thy healing power! There are many of us who have looked unto Jesus and are lightened, but we do confess that our faith was the gift of God. We had never looked with these blear eyes of ours to that dear cross, unless first the heavenly light had shone, and the heavenly finger had taken the thick scales away. We trace therefore our faith to that same God who gave us life, and we ask now that we may have more of it. Lord, maintain the faith Thou hast created; strengthen it, let it be more and more simple. Deliver us from any sort of reliance upon ourselves, whatever shape that reliance might take, and let our faith in Thee become more childlike every day that we live; for, O dear Saviour, there is room for the greatest faith to be exercised upon Thy blessed person and work. O God, the Most High and All-sufficient, there is room for the greatest confidence in Thee. O Divine Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, there is now sufficient room for the fullest faith in Thine operations. Grant us this faith. Oh, work it in us now, while, at the same time, we do confess that if we have it not, it is our shame and sin. We make no excuse for unbelief, but confess it with detestation of it, that we should ever have doubted the truthful, the mighty, the faithful God. Yet, Lord, we shall fall into the like sin again, unless the grace that makes us know it to be sin shall help us to avoid it.

And now, Lord, we ask thee to accept of us this morning whatever offerings we can bring. We bring our hearts to Thee, full of love to Thee for what Thou hast done; full of gratitude, full of faith, full of hope, full of joy. We feel glad in the Lord. But we do confess that if there be anything acceptable in these our offerings, they are all first given us of Thee. No praise comes from us till first it is wrought in us, for

“Every virtue we possess,
And every victory won;
And every thought of holiness,
Are Thine, great God, alone.”

Well may we lay those fruits at Thy feet that were grown in Thy garden, and that gold and silver and frankincense which Thou Thyself didst bestow: only first give us more! Oh, to love the Saviour with a passion that can never cool! Oh, to believe in God with a confidence that can never stagger! Oh, to hope in God with an expectation that can never be dim! Oh, to delight in God with a holy overflowing rejoicing that can never be stopped; so that we might live to glorify God at the highest bent of our powers, living with enthusiasm—burning, blazing, being consumed with the indwelling God who worketh all things in us according to His will! Thus, Lord, would we praise and pray at the same time; confess and acknowledge our responsibilities; but also bless the free, the sovereign grace that makes us what we are. O God of the eternal choice, O God of the ransom purchased on the tree, O God of the effectual call, Father, Son and Spirit, our adoration rises to heaven like the smoke from the altar of incense. Glory and honour and majesty and power and dominion and might be unto the one only God, for ever and ever, and all the redeemed by blood will say, Amen.

Look, at this time, we beseech Thee, upon us as a church, and give us greater prosperity. Add to us daily. Knit and unite us together in love. Pardon church sins. Have mercy upon us that we do not more for thee. Accept what we are enabled to do. Qualify each one of us to be vessels fit for the Master’s use; then use each one of us according to the measure of our capacity. Wilt Thou be pleased to bless the various works carried on by the church; may they all prosper. Let our Sabbath School especially be visited with the dew of heaven, and the Schools that belong to us and are situated a little distance, may they also have an abundant shower from the Lord; and may all the Sabbath Schools throughout the world be richly refreshed, and bring forth a great harvest for God.

Bless our College, O God; let every brother sent out be clothed with power; and may the many sons of this church that have been brought up at her side, preach with power to-day. It is sweet to us to think of hundreds of voices of our sons this day declaring the name of Christ. Blessed is the church that hath her quiver full of them, she shall speak with her adversaries in the gate; but the Lord bless us in this thing also; for except Thou build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Bless our dear boys at the Orphanage. We thank Thee for the conversion of many. May they all be the children of God, and as Thou hast taken yet another away to Thyself, prepare any whom Thou dost intend to take. We pray Thee, spare their lives, but if at any time any must depart, may they go out of the world unto the Father. May the Lord bless all the many works that are carried on by us, or rather which Thou dost carry on through our feeble instrumentality.

May our Colporteurs in going from house to house be graciously guided to speak a good word for Jesus. And Lord bless us. We live unto Thee; our one aim in life is to glorify Thee, Thou knowest. For Thee we hope we would gladly die; ay, for Thee we will cheerfully labour while strength is given; but, Oh, send prosperity, and not to us only, but to all workers for Jesus, to all missions in foreign lands, and missions in the heathendom at home. Bless all Thy churches far and near, especially the many churches speaking our own language across the Atlantic, as well as in this land. The Lord send plenteous prosperity to all the hosts of His Israel. May Thy kingdom come! And, Lord, gather in the unconverted: our prayers can never conclude without pleading for the dead in sin. Oh, quicken them, Saviour! and if any one here has a little daughter that lieth dead in sin, like Jairus may they plead with Jesus to come and lay His hand upon her that she may live. If we have any relatives unsaved, Lord, save them: save our servants, save our neighbours, save this great city; yea, let Thy kingdom come over the whole earth. Let the nations melt into one glorious empire beneath the sole sway of Jesus the Son of David and the Son of God. Come quickly, O Lord Jesus, even so, come quickly. Amen.

Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). The Pastor in Prayer (7–12). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Happy Reformation Sunday

2011-10-30T15:10:00.000-04:00

Well, Grace celebrated Reformation Sunday with an introduction to Martin Luther and the use of 2 of his hymns. It was a great time of reflection and worship, including powerful music and gathering around the communion table. If you want to join in, you can go to the church website and listen/watch the message shortly, and find the outline there, too!

Yes, a Baptist church honored Luther, and the roof didn't fall in. And no, we still don't agree with him on baptism, communion, or a number of other areas. But the freedom of churches to disagree stems from his insistence that the Word of God is our final authority, not a church structure.

And one more thought for you on this day--a further advance in Christian thinking came thanks to Baptists in America, who took advantage of their situation to urge the separation of church and state. Their political ally--none other than non-Baptist (really non-Christian) Thomas Jefferson!

Letter or spirit of the Law--Changes in Our Perceptions

2011-10-30T15:04:00.000-04:00

This article discusses a situation in the NFL that prompts a question--when enforcement of a law's words violates the law's purpose, which should govern?

What Troy Polamalu Can Teach Us About the Law

Scot McKnight's Rethinking of the Gospel

2011-10-12T13:13:00.001-04:00

OK, I have got to get and read this book, but not because I think I'm going to like it. The book is The King Jesus Gospel, and it purports to offer a radical, new understanding of what the Gospel is, with the underlying premise that our long held, Reformational understanding is wrong (he calls it "the soterian" or "salvation" gospel and says it is too individualistic). He favors something he develops as "the story gospel" which is narrative in style and culminates in a more communal/corporate idea of salvation without losing the individiual element. That is the summary I get from his blog, but need to read the book to grasp it more fully.

Any time a 21st century thinker comes along and tells me that "everything must be rethought!" I get skeptical. He goes so far as to say that the "old" way is not harmonizable with his approach and must be abandoned in favor of it. And for good measure, N. T. Wright, whose writings on justification have the same call for a "new" way of thinking, writes the introduction(along with Dallas Willard). Having heard and read McKnight in the past, I've had appreciation for much he has written, and had questions, too. Looks like I may be in for more of the quesitons.

I read his article on this in Christianity Today around Christmas. He writes a little about this at his blog, Jesus Creed, and you can find his thoughts in this post: On Tweaking the Soterian Gospel

S.A.F.E.--from a recent wedding

2011-10-10T13:32:00.001-04:00

I was asked if I'd share part of the charge to the bride and groom from Nathan and Joanna Flack's wedding service this weekend. The passage they had selected for reading was 1 John 4:7-19

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. ¹⁷ Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. ¹⁹ We love Him because He first loved us.

In this passage we learn a number of lessons about the love of God, loving God, and the power of that love in us. I shared four.

First, we see salvation is marked by experiencing and possessing God's love. "[E]veryone who loves is born of God and knows God." The blessings of salvation are multiplied, but one is that we experience and possess and are able to share God's love.

Second, we learn that possessing and sharing this love for God and others is a great assurance that we are in right relationship with God. Assurance is often treated as if it is a stand alone concept, but it is actually the result of changed life and behavior, and love for each other is one of those great tools of godly assurance.

Fearlessness marks the person who possesses and thus shares the love of Christ. In marriage, when I love my partner enough to be the husband or wife God has called me to be, it not only helps me be fearless in terms of eternal life, but also fearless in terms of my relationship in my marriage. My spouse's pouring God's love into me makes our home one where I need not have any fear of my acceptance or standing.

Finally, I note that love is an enablement God has poured his love into my life, which enables me to love others, especially my spouse, rightly. I certainly cannot be the husband or wife God desires on my own, but he provides the love I lack, and keeps it flowing into me, so that it can flow through me.

Putting these four words together, they can form the acroymn, S.A.F.E., and God's love will make your marriage a safe relatationship and your home a safe place from which your faithful walk and service can be based.

7 Differences Between Galilee and Judea in the Time of Jesus

2011-10-10T13:31:00.002-04:00

This was a fascinating summary of the differences between the two regions of Israel during Jesus' ministry, and how they figure into the background of the gospel. It is the summary of someone else's work, but still captures the essence. Enjoy.

7 Differences Between Galilee and Judea in the Time of Jesus

A timely reminder from Joel Rosenberg on "Shaking the Nations"

2011-08-03T11:44:00.001-04:00

Once again, Joel Rosenberg offers thoughtful and challenging commentary on the current world situation. If you know me, you know I am not what would be considered a "prophecy fanatic." I do believe that Jesus is returning, and he may return at any moment to bring this age to its concluding scenes. I tend to shy away from confident assertions of particular strings of natural disasters as signs that Jesus is coming soon.

Yet we must avoid the error of becoming functional "naturalists,"--saying that these things are just all a part of processes God has set in motion and we have no idea what they mean. In fact, the Bible makes clear that every disturbance is under His direction, and that all of them are meant to make people turn to Him.

Not only are physical disturbances under God's direction, so is the issue of the rise and fall of nations in power and influence. As our own nation has just taken another step away from facing its financial folly, we should not think only of our political leaders and their collective lack of will, but also of God's will--specifically, his ability to remove His hand of blessing and instead bring about instability to cause His followers to repent and trust Him, and to cause unbelievers to seek His mercies.

Read Rosenberg's thoughts on this issue here.

Three Aspects of Good Gospel Preaching

2011-08-02T12:43:00.001-04:00

As I read Acts 24 today, I marveled at Paul's bold preaching in tough circumstances. With freedom on the line, he did not sugarcoat his conversations with the Roman governor, Felix, and his Jewish princess/wife, Drusilla (a member of the Herod family), when they talked about "the Way." Felix had some background, and more importantly, controlled Paul's destiny (at least from a human perspective). You might think Paul would try to use Felix's interest to get himself set free. And you would be wrong. Instead, he preached a message that seems as pointed as possible. And it is the core of the gospel we should preach to others and ourselves.

It was, first, about "righteousness." How can anyone be right with God? Is our own behavior ever going to be good enough? In Felix's case, he probably knew it was not. He had divorced his previous wife and stolen the heart of Drusilla, who herself had a record of unfaithfulness to her previous husband. He was not above a bribe, and history does not present a picture of any nobility about this man. Yet he's intrigued by Paul, whose moral clarity and intellectual integrity is obvious. So they talked about righteousness, and based on all his preaching and writing we know what Paul would be saying. To such a Roman, Paul would most likely echo what is written in his letter to the Romans. He would present the arguments of Romans 1-3 to show that there is a God of righteousness, and that man has resisted righteous thought and action in favor of our own passions and preferences. Every man's conscience tells him when he does wrong, but we learn to not listen. And when confronted with God's laws, we recognize that we don't obey them, don't want to, and even if we did, we don't have the power (that's Romans 7). Our righteousness is what Isaiah labeled "filthy rags" (a very prejudicial term) in God's judgment, and this is true of all.

Where can righteousness be found? Paul would clearly point to the One whose life was righteous, and whose nature, being God, was inherently righteous--Jesus Christ. This one man's righteousness was in stark contrast to that of all other humans descended from Adam (Romans 5). And that righteousness was available, as it always had been, not through works that we can do, but through faith: believing God (Romans 4). God's provision of righteousness is through faith. When we believe God has provided righteousness for us and a substitute whose death is accepted as the payment for our sin, we are "justified" by that faith--declared first to be not guilty because the guilt has been laid on Jesus at the cross, and also declared to be righteous because Jesus' righteousness is credited to us (Romans 5-8).

Is that all? Is the gospel simply a wiping away of guilt for sin? It is that, but it is much more!

It is secondly about "self-control." Wow, so was Paul telling Felix he had to "shape up" to be saved? Not at all. If we read Romans 6-8, as well as Romans 13-16, Paul develops a picture of what happens when our eyes are opened to the truth of our sinfulness and the way that God has provided to deal with that. We recognize that we are guilty, but that we are also sinners who need to be saved from our sinning. This knowledge comes through the ministry of the Spirit, who not only opens our eyes, but sets us free from the bondage to sin (Paul calls it "the law of sin and death"--Romans 8:2). The Spirit continues to remind us of whose we are now--children of God--and empowers us to walk in "newness of life" (Romans 6 says much about this walk). We now realize that we are in a battle with sin which still appeals to a part of us (Romans 8 calls it "the flesh") even while we are seeking to walk in the Spirit. This is the test Paul puts forward of whether real faith has come to us or not. If we see that there is good and evil, but ultimately choose to live our lives doing what we want no matter what God desires, then Paul argues that this is not true faith. Felix's interest, and even possible agreement with the teaching of Jesus would not be enough. It would have to yield fruit--a lifestyle that shows the desire to "walk" under the direction and power of the Spirit. Paul would not preach perfection, but he would say that there SHOULD be continued progress as we learn the will of God. The basic pattern of the Christian life is this: we learn and grow, we obey, we find joy; we stumble, we feel guilty/convicted, we recognize that our efforts will never save us but that Jesus has paid our debt and given us life, we repent, we get back on the path of the Spirit; and continue to walk. It is a pattern of Spirit-empowered self-control (maybe Paul would have alluded here to another book's message, for in Galatians 5:22-23 we find that self-control is the final of seven aspects of the fruit of the Spirit in a believer's life).

Of course, our man Felix hasn't shown too much evidence in his life of self-control, and may not be really interested in changing. Or perhaps he thinks his religious interests and searching would be good enough. Paul then takes him to a third subject...

Finally, it is the message about the coming judgment. Paul faithfully reminds Felix that God has appointed a day of judgment. In that day, eternal life and death will be manifested. Sinners will "perish" due to their sinfulness, either in violation of what they knew about God from creation and conscience, or from God's law as revealed in the Scriptures. If you could stand before God and say that you had kept all of his laws, you would escape judgment. But all have sinned and fall short of God's glorious holiness (Romans 3:23). This means that the sinner will receive the due payment for violating God's law--death (Romans 6:23). The "perishing" and "death" that are spoken of for the sinner must be more than physical death, since believers die physically as well. Paul makes this clear in Romans 9, where he points to a mysterious possibility in a universe created by God--that God actually wants his creation to see both his grace and his wrath. And this wrath is described as "destruction" (9:23) and God's "sentence upon the earth" (9:28). While Romans doesn't get into a lot of the specifics of judgment, Paul has written in 2 Thessalonians 1 that it involves flaming fire, vengeance, and being thrown out of God's presence. And in Romans 14:10 he tells us "we will all stand before the judgment seat of God." This warning--that the God who made the universe and determines its laws and what is good, will serve as final Judge, and we will stand before him, just as Paul had to stand before Felix. Given his dissolute life to this point, and the intellect that had allowed him to plot and plan his current rise to power, Felix was not receptive to such a message. Acts 24:25 tells us that he became "alarmed," and basically said, "Leave, and when I'm more ready for this, I'll listen again." He didn't get it. He couldn't make himself ready, and never would. His old ways soon crowded out whatever fear he felt, and he continued to dialog with Paul and give his friends freedom to visit, hoping that it would result in what usually happened--a bribe to set Paul free. No bribe was forthcoming, and so Felix left him for his successor to deal with.

I wonder if we are always faithful to give the whole picture to people when we share the gospel. It is definitely a message of righteousness, and we are pretty good at telling people that they are sinners in need of God's grace in salvation. But in our zeal to make sure that no one trusts in their own efforts, we sometimes downplay the changing power of the gospel-- Sinners + Salvation & the Holy Spirit = self-control. We can, should, and want to say "no" more and more to the flesh (read Titus 2:11-12 carefully). If a sinner only wants to escape Hell but doesn't want God to rescue him from his sinning ways, then he doesn't want salvation. And I don't think most of us are too excited about reminding people that God is bringing a final judgment and all will stand before him. This failure may account for the fact that so few share with urgency and hearers often react with apathy.

Let's be sure we preach the Gospel as Paul did, to others and to ourselves!

If you wouldn't mind...

2011-07-19T15:40:00.001-04:00

I reviewed David Platt's book "Radical Together" last month, and posted it for you here. The company that makes these books available for review likes to see the reviews rated. If you wouldn't mind, could you do two things?

First, go here and read the review. Then, rank it at the bottom of the review. That's it. Thank you.

Oh, except for one other thing. I also reviewed earlier Randy Alcorn's wonderful book, "If God is Good." You can find that review here (the original site) and do the same. Thanks again!

If you were wondering, I did review the original "Radical" and loved it, but the review was just on my own, not for this company. You can read that review here. OK, that's enough for now. I am in your debt.

If you wouldn't mind...

2011-07-19T15:39:00.000-04:00

First, go here and read the review. Then, rank it at the bottom of the review. That's it. Thank you.

Oh, except for one other thing. I also reviewed earlier Randy Alcorn's wonderful book, "If God is Good." You can find that review here (the original site) and do the same. Thanks again!

Esther Frye's Life Has Gotten A Whole Lot Better

2011-07-16T13:39:00.000-04:00

This morning Kathy and I attended the memorial service for Esther Frye, a long time member of Grace who passed into glory last Monday night just before midnight. For 74 years, she used her skills as a chalk artist to do gospel presentations--many called them "chalk talks," but she always referred to them in my hearing as "giving a drawing" in a particular venue.

She would draw her picture while giving a narration, often set to music that told a story pointing people to Jesus. In our "high tech" era, many would be surprised that such a thing is still done, or ever was. It may be disappearing, but not for lack of Esther's efforts. She gave her last drawing less than a year ago, and until recently hoped to do "just one more." Her son, John, relayed how she got her wish.

The day after she passed, one of the ladies she trained called John and told him that she had given a drawing the night before, one that Esther had trained her to do. In addition, Esther had recorded herself doing the narration. The artist used that recording as she drew, not knowing that Esther was only hours from heaven. In this very poignant way, Esther gave one more drawing before she left for the lands no hand from earth can draw.

Those who shared at her service remarked on how she called people for prayer when she was going to draw, or when she needed strength (I received some of those calls myself). They spoke of her faithfulness to the Lord. And they told over and over of her passion to see people come to know Jesus. Strange as it may seem to some, Jesus used her more powerfully than most. Just a few years ago, Esther told me of a policeman who had trusted Christ through one of her last drawings. He kept in contact, letting her know of the people he was sharing the gospel with. One of her friends shared today that over 35 professions of faith have come through that policeman's witness, which was inspired by a a lady doing a chalk drawing.

I know that Esther is not at all disappointed to have left her chalk behind. After all, the presence of the Lord must provide both more beauty than she has seen, and more opportunity to use her gifts and passions, no longer impeded by the frailties of this life. She has been a blessing and is now most truly blessed.

Biblical Authority and the Origins Debate

2011-07-14T11:43:00.000-04:00

We've just come off an excellent seminar here at Grace by Answers in Genesis and Dr. Tommy Mitchell. I am grateful for what was shared, especially as I am currently preaching through Genesis and much that was shared will keep me from having to cover the same material! As I listened, I was once again finding certain questions floating around in my mind.

Most readers of this blog will know that I believe the Bible's account of creation and Noah's flood to be describing actual events that took place as described--creation in six actual, consecutive days, and a flood that was worldwide. I accept the genealogies as records of actual descent, and when times are given, I take them as accurate.

I have friends who disagree. I greatly respect a number of authors and scholars who disagree. And these are people who are as loyal to the concept of biblical authority as I am.

That said, I have some questions I would like to pose to those who hold to biblical authority but do not hold to recent, direct creation, and/or to a worldwide flood in the days of Noah.

1. Are your objections to teaching recent creation and a worldwide flood driven primarily by your study of the text? Is it the Hebrew of Genesis, or the flow of the narrative, that causes you to reject these two ideas in favor of something else? If theories demanding millions of years or long ages of time did not exist, would your objections?
2. What would a person with little background in the language or history assume if he or she were to simply sit down and read Genesis 1-9?
3. How are the creation and flood accounts treated by other biblical authors who reference them? Do Jesus, Peter, Paul, and others seem to treat them as straightforward history? Does this have ramifications for your view?
4. If the scientific community across various disciplines (biology, geology, astronomy) were suddenly (or over the next decade) to put forward evidence creating a paradigm-shifting understanding that "proved" that life on earth could only have existed for less than 10,000 years, how would that effect your understanding of creation and/or claims of a universal flood?
5. Would your interpretation exist if not for scientific assertions of the nature of reality, including assertions about the distant past?
6. If your view is an attempt to harmonize biblical teaching with the findings of the scientific community's consensus, how would you answer someone who says you are subjecting biblical authority to the higher court of scientific conclusions?

I ask these questions because it is my belief in biblical authority, along with a hermeneutic that defaults to straight-forward meaning and following Jesus' and the biblical writers' lead (if Jesus cites it as accurate, it's accurate; if Peter says the world was destroyed by water, it was) that anchors me to these beliefs. If I am missing something, I want to know. If you are unintentionally allowing human opinions (which have shifted greatly in the past few years, decades, centuries, and millennia) to determine your interpretation, I would encourage you to reconsider. And if you believe that scientific inquiry has led us to the point where we must reject what seem to be straightforward understandings of the Bible to fit with our discoveries, I wonder if we have different understandings of biblical authority.

This doesn't just apply to origins either. Consider the current debates on sexual identity, gender, and marriage, and how science joins with other disciplines to argue for changes in historic and biblical understandings. How much evidence will be enough to create a "tipping point" away from historic biblical teaching? Has it already been reached by some?

My own commitments to recent creation (and historical understandings of marriage and gender) are not driven by evidence or even personal comfort, but the conviction that I cannot escape the understandings drawn from the most straightforward readings of the texts involved, and the support of the historic witness of the church down through the ages for these views. I recognize that there have been other, minority views in the past, especially on creation, but the overwhelming testimony of the church has been a view of recent creation. The age of a view isn't proof it is right (Arianism and it's Mormon and Jehovah's Witness descendants are an example of old heresy lasting). But interpretation grounded in historically accepted hermeneutics, witnessed through time, is a good place to be.

Matt Chandler's "Gospel Above and Gospel Below"

2011-07-06T12:04:00.000-04:00

Enjoy this video from Matt Chandler at a Resurgence conference on the priority of the Gospel in church life, and understanding the Gospel both in big picture and personal application.

Ron Edmonson "10 Reasons I Love America"

2011-07-04T11:49:00.000-04:00

Not to overdo a theme, but it is the 4th of July after all. Here is another pastor's take on patriotism today and every day.

10 Reasons I Love America | Ron Edmondson

Thom Rainer: "Five Reasons Christians Should be Patriotic"

2011-07-04T09:50:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful "Patriotic Block Party" last night--thanks to all who participated.

And now, on this 235th Independence Day, I offer you Five Reasons Christians Should be Patriotic, some good words from author and LifeWay CEO Thom Rainer. Enjoy your day, and give thanks to God for the providential blessing of living in this free land.

Church Music: Kevin DeYoung Offers Insight

2011-06-30T11:55:00.002-04:00

The "music wars" in church are one of the most God-dishonoring activities that has plagued the Body of Christ over the years, and our era is not the first time it has been one of Satan's tools to divide us. Psalm-singing Christians hated Isaac Watts' "invention" of hymns; those who sang without instruments have labeled organs, pianos, guitars, and every other instrument as "satanic" in church. And we all know the disagreements that rage today among Christians about musical styles, instruments, volume, etc.

I was blessed to read Kevin DeYoung's articles on his blog at The Gospel Coalition website, "Ten Principles for Church Song." The first is here, and the second is here. These well written guidelines can and should provoke some serious reflection for all, and I commend them to you.

One of the best quotes in the articles was from John Calvin, who said

But because he [the Lord] did not will in outward discipline and ceremonies to prescribe in detail what we ought to do (because he foresaw that this depended upon the state of the times, and he did not deem one form suitable for all ages), here we must take refuge in those general rules which he has given, that whatever the necessity of the church will require for order and decorum should be tested against these. Lastly, because he has taught nothing specifically, and because these things are not necessary to salvation, and for the upbuilding of the church ought to be variously accommodated to the customs of each nation and age, it will be fitting (as the advantage of the church will require) to change and abrogate traditional practices and to establish new ones. Indeed, I admit that we ought not to charge into innovation rashly, suddenly, for insufficient cause. But love will best judge what may hurt or edify; and if we let love be our guide, all will be safe. (Inst. 4.10.30)

Follow the links if you would like to consider this more fully.

A great quote from Doug Wilson

2011-06-29T13:48:00.000-04:00

I don't like to get into political matters very often publicly, for fear that my individual statements may be taken as the positions of either my church or Christians like me, but this quote from Douglas Wilson, discussing both secular conservativism and secular liberalism's fatal flaws was funny and pointedly correct about current thinking.

"Progressives think that if we get a big enough mob outside Isaac Newton's house chanting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, gravitation's got to go," that we can get our way with him, which will then enable everybody in the mob to float home, and why didn't we think of this before?"--Douglas Wilson

He had earlier said that secular conservatives talk sense without a foundation (they are often right but have no ultimate basis for their starting points), while secular liberals talk nonsense without one (they believe that whatever people want at the time is a starting point, which means positions change with popularity).

He's much more Reformed than I am, but his blog is often a good read and has a clever name: Blog and Mablog

"Baptism: No Big Deal?"

2011-06-28T12:57:00.000-04:00

This is a GREAT post by Craig Blomberg from Denver Seminary on the importance of baptism. Read it here.

Trevin Wax: "John Rice, the Sword of the Lord, and What We Should Learn from The Fundamentalists"

2011-06-28T10:38:00.001-04:00

I don't want my blog to have too many links to book reviews, but this review is worth reading. Trevin Wax is a writer himself whose work I have appreciated, and his review of a recent biography of John R. Rice is probably more important for many of us than the book itself. When I read the title of the review, I wondered what it would contain. Having read it, I think many of us who grew up in fundamentalism, especially of the independent Baptist variety, will relate.

You can read the review here.

Monday Morning Follow-Up on Genesis 6

2011-06-27T11:53:00.000-04:00

Our brief return to Genesis certainly gave us (or at least me) a lot to digest. The chapter sets the stage for the narrative of the Flood, but while Moses and his readers had some framework of understanding so that these words were clear to them, our distance from those moments leave us digging for clues.
1. How long after the Fall was the Flood? If one takes the genealogies at face value without assuming gaps, it is about 1,500 years. There may be gaps, which would make the time period longer by however many generations you want to assume are skipped (there is no textual evidence of generations missed, and Enoch is called in the NT the "seventh from Adam" which is correct if they are without gap), but you cannot shorten the period without redefining in some way the wording of the text or the meaning of "years"
2.How many people were present at the time of Noah? I gave a chart suggesting that there could have been as many as a billion! Now, I'm not saying that there were a billion, but I would argue that there is no reason to believe that people would have had less children than many families today have, that people whose fertility may have extended over four centuries could certainly have considered sizable families "normal," and we should not think that the earth was not being "filled" as God had made possible through the way he created Adam and Eve for that purpose. They had five children we can document, and Genesis 5 says Adam had other sons and daughters (plural). Each of the patriarchs is listed as having other sons and daughters (plural). Another clue--Cain built a "city" named after his son, Enoch (Gen 4). Even if it is just a village, It is only Cain's family that would live there, and one would expect that it had more than Cain, Mrs Cain, Enoch, Mrs Enoch, and a few grand kids! The suggestion that sons of God chose as wives whoever they wished is believed by many to indicate polygamy and the establishment of harems--not implausible given the sinfulness and polygamy already mentioned in ch. 4. We have sultans that have hundreds of children today, and that may well have happened back then. Finally, why cover the world above the highest mountains with water, if we are talking about only thousands of people, especially in one concentration?
3. Who were the "sons of God?" I gave you three options--fallen angels who co-habit with women, the men of the line of Seth corrupting their godly heritage through marrying ungodly women (possibly in the line of Cain, but chosen only for their outer beauty), or a combination where they represent demons lusting after women, and then possessing willing men who marry and raise violent offspring. I lean to the last view, but all are legitimately held and defended by conservative, evangelical, biblical scholars, so I'm not offended if you think another view is more tenable.
4. Who were the Nephilim? We saw they existed before and after the flood, may have been giants, but most of all were a violent class of men who enforced their rule or their power by their violence. They became famous, but not for good.
5. What was the 120 years mentioned in 6:3? The language is so unclear that I honestly am "stuck" between 2 views. The more common is that this is a 120 year advance warning that judgment (the Flood) was coming because of man's wickedness. We would thus translate "My Spirit will not always contend with (or abide with) man, for he is flesh--his days (before judgment) will be 120 years." The OTHER view, which is equally sustainable, is that it is God's first step of judgment, declaring man's lifespan will be shortened from the lengths of Genesis 5. So we would translate it this way "My spirit will not always remain in man, for he is flesh, his days (life) will be 120 years." Either way, it is a divine judgment against man's sinfulness.

Why does all this matter? That may be the biggest question!
1. God gives us these details to establish His sovereignty, His plan, His nature, our history, our need, and His grace. He believed it was important for Moses to record this for Israel, and for us.
This story tells us just how wicked humanity was, and is. The witness of Adam, the possible continuing presence of the Garden and the cherub-guarded Tree of Life, and the testimony of godly men from Seth to Enoch to Noah did not win the day.
2. The big picture is vital. Humanity takes God's provisions and gifts (including life) and corrupts them. There is no hope to be found in ourselves for goodness, let alone for righteousness to stand before the God who made us.
3. Deliverance is always a matter of grace. After telling how bad things were, how sinful humans are, and how sorrowful and grieved God was, God shows that he is both just--he judges--and gracious as he sets his favor on Noah as the means by which humanity will have a future. In the same way, your standing before God is never safe if grounded in your own goodness or ability to earn right standing before His perfect holiness. It is always about grace--God offering you favor, forgiveness, and life, if you believe His Son's death was as your substitute and is alone sufficient to take your deserved punishment and if you call upon that Son to save you.

I'd encourage you to be reviewing your notes or listening to the message again between now and a few weeks from now when we return to the series.

More “Radical” Isn’t More Radical—A Review of David Platt’s Radical Together

2011-06-23T16:31:00.002-04:00

I read David Platt’s book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, and liked it well enough to put it on my “top recommendations” list for 2010. While I had a slight concern or two with secondary matters, the book’s heart and soul were exactly what the church in America needed to hear. I even reread it this week in preparation for reading Platt’s sequel, Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God. The second book is good, but like many sequels shines most in its reflections on the first book, and has little that substantively advances the material of the original.

In Radical Together, Platt seeks to take the principles and ideas articulated in Radical and create an environment for applying them together within the context of the local church. In the first book, the last step of Platt’s “radical challenge” had been to be committed passionately to a faith family, and this book argues that the life of radical obedience, while an individual decision, is not carried out alone.

Platt presents six statements that he believes the church must grasp to guard and nurture a community of radical faithfulness to Christ. Each statement is the core of one of the six chapters of the body of the book.

One of the worst enemies of Christians can be good things in the church.
The gospel that saves us from work saves us to work.
The Word does the work.
Building the right church depends on using all the wrong people.
We are living—and longing—for the end of the world.
We are selfless followers of a self-centered God.

In these six statements I hear echoes of numerous very good books that I have read over the last ten years, from Piper (in statement six especially) to Rainer and Geiger (in statement one) and a host of others. That is not to say that they are bad ideas, but they are not new—and to his credit, Platt is not saying they are new.

In brief, Platt argues that the church is often more committed to what it does already than to what it should do, and pleads with believers to stop justifying actions or programs by deciding there is nothing wrong with it—there are many things that are not wrong that nevertheless cannot be a priority. He then calls upon us to realize both the life-changing and life-directing power of the gospel, rightly calling for a gospel life that bears the fruit that the root of grace assures us will come. He emphasizes the importance of God’s message over any of our ideas, strategies, and plans, and calls upon us to trust what the Bible says. He removes any thought that human ability or giftedness can produce the spiritual results God desires. He speaks pointedly to living for the next world while in this one. And the glory of God is shown to be the right focus not only of us, but of God, for our good.

I agreed with each of Platt’s assertions, and in many ways they were a helpful “fleshing out” of Platt’s theological underpinnings in ways that help you understand where he comes from in the first book. I suppose no one book can capture all that any author wants to say, but I felt that this would have been better as a final chapter or section of Radical. The first book needed more emphasis on the corporate element of living the life Jesus calls us to. If this book were going to do justice to that subject, it may well have needed to be longer than it 120 pages of content. Instead, we have a second book, offered at a fairly high retail price, that unfortunately proves to be less challenging, less creative, and—ultimately—just less than the first book.

To one and all, I say, “read Radical.” Then, to church leaders who want to see how Platt begins to apply the corporate dimension of that book, I say, “Pick up Radical Together and see.” You’ll be helped, but not as much as you were challenged by the first volume.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I thank them for the opportunity.You can read this and other reviews at their website. Here is the link for this review: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/view/9918)

New Book on Four "Perspectives" on Observing a Sabbath

2011-06-23T11:58:00.000-04:00

If you have ever wrestled with the question of whether or not Christians are expected to keep a "Sabbath" of some kind today, then Christopher Donato's new book, Perspectives on the Sabbath: Four Views will be interesting to you. It has excellent summaries of the three major views, plus a Lutheran perspective that is not as distinct.

If you are interested in the question, but don't think you'd read the book, you can read a very helpful summary and review of the book by following this link to The Gospel Coalition review website: Perspectives on the Sabbath - TGC Reviews

And if you just aren't interested in the question, that's too bad, because that means you are just "doing what you do" without thinking, "is this what God's Word says I should do?" Don't just trust what you see around you, LOOK TO THE BOOK. No, not the "perspectives" book, but the Bible. This book would help you in your search. And I support one of these views strongly, but will leave it to you to figure out which one!

Some important, random, subjects

2011-06-21T11:06:00.000-04:00

The last month has passed SO quickly. I have a new son in law, I've been half way round the world and seen more in two weeks than many people see in a year, and I've had a week's vacation with my wife at the beach! Now, I'm playing catch up with everyone and everything, it seems, but getting up to speed. Any number of thoughts and subjects are flitting through my head; let me tackle one or two.

China! My, oh my, the things I have seen! Just read my blog posts below (numbers one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight) for a complete report. But they are incomplete. They cannot capture the encouragement my heart received in seeing God's work. Nor can they capture the sense that this is a moment of great opportunity that requires God's people to be wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves (or as I like to say, "It's a 'flying snake' moment."). GBC has incredible opportunity to partner with and under the direction of our brothers and sisters there in hugely significant ways.

Firstfruits! I'll say more about this Sunday, but this is one of two times we ask people to dig a bit deeper and augment their regular giving through a special gift to the church. Our larger push, the fall Harvest Offering, is to give away. This offering has usually focused on strengthening us for ministry here, often through debt reduction, but also through capital and facility improvements and repairs we cannot cover in our budget.

This past Sunday I experienced a first--pictures of our restrooms, including a great shot of the urinals in the men's room, as we explained that we need to renovate those restrooms. Now, I have to admit, having just returned from China where our style of toilets and bathrooms have not been universally received, I realize this isn't an emergency. But it IS something we would like to do, especially for our guests who sometimes draw certain conclusions about the way we do things by the way we maintain what we have. Our restroom facilities in the main building do not create a good first impression, do they? More than that, just as we have to make necessary but unexciting changes to our homes, replace failing vehicles, and do other maintenance and repair in life, having a 100 year old chapel, 50 year old addition, 30 year old sanctuary, and our "newest" wing being closer to 20 than 10 years old, there is stuff to be done. And our bathrooms need repair, even if it isn't all that exciting to think about.

I'm AM really excited about the mural and improvements to the children's ministry hallway downstairs. That will change the feel of that place completely. So, give to the point where the restrooms are done, so we can finish this project at the same quality as our excellent start.

So, join me in doing what we need to do, in this special opportunity of Firstfruits to get it done. I promise, no more urinal pictures if we meet our goal!!! How's that for promotion?

Book recommendations! I've done a lot of reading lately, and wanted to recommend both Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream and Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God by David Platt for your attention. I'm reviewing the latter and will post that shortly. But read them in that order, and you will be challenged.

Spiritual Disciplines! I just preached on these Sunday, and if you were not with us, can I encourage you to listen to the message at the main GBC website, or iTunes, or watch it on the link provided. This isn't about self-promotion, as much as an appeal to each one of us to consider whether we have a foundational understanding of the disciplines, and if we have a plan for personal growth in faith! More later on this, too!

G.O.S.P.E.L. - Propaganda (Official Video)

2011-06-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

Enjoy this video!

Heyuan to Zijin to Hong Kong

2011-06-08T21:53:00.000-04:00

It was time to leave at 8:30, and after a good night’s sleep at the Emperor Court Hotel (a tribute to the Napoleonic era!) we had a very Chinese breakfast (that I topped off with a granola bar) and we hit the road. The countryside drive from Heyuan to Zijin took us through traditional villages, rice paddies, and mountains; scenery that is not remotely a part of my normal life. I’m so thankful for Timothy Lam’s work as our guide, interpreter, and driver. He has given us so much insight, and he has kept us safe.
We parked our vehicle at the government building, and walked the streets of Zijin to the church building. Like many of the churches we’ve seen, you entered on the first floor, which was a combination parking garage and kitchen, and walked upstairs to a sanctuary. It looked much smaller than the main floor of GBC, but they normally have 1000 worshiping there and another 1000 who can only make the trip a few times a month due to work or distance. Pastor Liu hosted training in the past, and now a generation of workers has been raised up there to go out. 30-40 trained workers, plus others, came this morning for further training. I met one of the pastors who was trained one year ago, has been pastoring since, and has 1000 people attending his church, with 100 baptisms in the last year. I greeted these precious brothers and sisters, and Pastor Lam shared instruction on starting family (small) groups—“study the Bible every time, pray for each other and for the government and the church, don’t gossip, and help the poor” were the main points.
We then went to visit the construction site of this congregation’s new building. It will seat over 1000, and they will keep the old facility as well. Keep in mind, this is the “official” church that is evangelizing, growing, baptizing, and is receiving encouragement (and some funds in the past) from the government to grow. And they are sending out more pastors, who are starting more churches. This huge construction project needs $300,000 to finish, and the church has already raised and paid more than that for the land, the building structure, and the first floor.
Another banquet followed, with some things I’d eat (deep fried egg yolk in bread), and others I’d rather not—strangely, the mushroom soup tasted nothing like mushroom soup, but I opted for it over the duck blood. Watching the Lams interact with the government officials was a lesson in wisdom, discernment, and the power of relationship and trust. I’m learning much by watching my brothers here, and am reminded of just how much the various parts of the Body of Christ need each other—to help and to learn from each other.
Lunch came to an end, and Timothy drove us the 3 hours to Shenzhen, where we walked across a border and caught the Hong Kong subway back to the Salisbury YMCA—literally right there (this was after going through exit inspection in China, customs, and Hong Kong immigration first). A few last minute chores needed to be done, and then it was time for a farewell dinner of sorts as Todd and Myron will head back to Beijing, and I’ll fly out tomorrow for the US.

Macau and Heyuan

2011-06-06T22:30:00.000-04:00

We left Hong Kong by ferry at noon, arriving in Macau a little more than an hour later to an immigration hall that had apparently stopped working. We found ourselves in a mob of hundreds (thousands perhaps) trying to get into the gambling capital of Asia. It took 90 minutes, and the mob slowly morphed into “lines” at passport control, and we got through late. A very rushed Timothy Lam happily met us, dropped us off at a hotel, and headed to the church where he had to lead a special baptismal service at 2:30! We were met and brought from the hotel by Sam, the church’s administrator, and arrived as the baby dedications were ending and the baptisms beginning. There were 46 baptisms! It was amazing to watch, and as everyone was baptized, the congregation sang “Happy Day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away!” 44 of the 46 were adult converts! Amazing.

Lam Ministries is the ministry of Pastor Lam, who came to Macau in 1971 to take over a dying church of 20 people. They now have thousands in 14 congregations in Macau, 2 in Hong Kong, 2 in Taiwan—a multi-site approach. Pastor Lam’s son, Timothy, pastors in the main church in Macau, assists his father in leadership of the ministry, and is our guide during our time here. They have a vision for evangelism that is breathtaking. They brought in Nick Vujcic last December and had 10,000 attend. And they used the Venetian Hotel and Casino facilities to do it: they televised it through the region as well. Timothy drove us around Macau, where we saw the famous façade of the Catholic seminary that is a remnant of the work of Matteo Ricci, the first Catholic missionary to China. We also drove by the cemetery where Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China, is buried. Morrison’s work was groundbreaking, but also problematic. He could only come to China as a translator for the British trading company, and their notoriously rapacious practices were indelibly linked in the Chinese consciousness with the arrival of Protestant Christianity.

Timothy took us through Macau, where we saw the huge expansion of the territory through land reclamation from the sea, mainly to build casinos. Gambling is Macau’s lifeblood, and each citizen received $7000 (Macau dollars) last year from the profits. 10% of Macau’s workforce are card dealers, and this city of 500,000 had 23 million visitors to the casinos—75% from mainland China! The challenges to the spiritual life of the people are great, but we have seen evidence of God’s work going on here. We had dinner with the Lam family and staff to celebrate the baptism of Timothy’s son in the service, then Timothy headed off to preach in the evening service (the third of three worship services on Sunday) and we headed to our rooms; exhausted but blessed.

The next morning, we had breakfast in McDonalds (Todd was rejoicing in American food, and I was pretty happy to see golden arches just around the corner from the hotel). Timothy Lam picked us up and we headed to the border crossing—a simple affair as we made our way back into China’s Guangdong Province.

Lam Ministries is actively training workers in Heyuan—a fast growing city of 6 million. These local workers are being trained to be church planters throughout the area. One example of the fast growth of the work: one church was started 2 years ago and that new church plant has started 12 new branches, the smallest of which is 25 members, and the largest being 150. Workers are trained in a center for one year, then they go to Macau for additional encouragement and leadership seminars. By coming to Macau, they get to see the way the Macau church organizes the conferences so that they can take the model back to their own locations. It is a model to multiply both outreach and discipleship in the new churches.

The Lams were trained by Campus Crusade, and began their work with house (unofficial) churches, but saw tremendous opportunities to meet needs in the officially sanctioned church. So now, they work with the TSPM churches (official church), finding wide open doors for cooperation and outreach. They will survey the church situation, locate local church leaders and government officials who are amenable to Lam Ministry’s presence, and then if the doors are open, they come in. Timothy said that one of the greatest hindrances to the growth of the church is the relationship among church leaders—a sad but universal commentary.

They have come to 30 cities in China thus far, and GBC facilitated a grant to assist expanding this work through the training and support of new workers. The goal is another 20 churches through this effort.

Once across the border, our drive was a three hour ride, arriving at Heyuan around lunch time. Unlike breakfast, lunch was very “authentic,” which meant a bit more questionable than other meals. South China eats a very different diet, some would say a diet built out of poverty, that is harder to embrace. Lungs, intestines, stomachs, heads and feet; these are main fare, along with some other more normal dishes. Myron offered the oft-quoted evaluation by others: Cantonese (those of south China) will eat anything with legs except a table, and anything with wings except a plane. I have to remember that whatever we grow up with is “normal,” but I’m thankful for my “normal” nonetheless.

We met up with Pastor and Mrs. Lam at our hotel. Pastor Lam is a 75 year old dynamo who has used strong vision and relationship building to open doors that few in the USA would dream are even possible to open. Evidence of this was immediately seen as we were also greeted by the current deputy chairman of the local religious affairs bureau, and his retired predecessor. Both would come to the graduation with us and celebrate afterwards.

We drove about a half hour to the church where the training was being completed. 20 graduates finished the one year program set up by Lam Ministries, and the service was a real encouragement to all of us. As we finished, they sang the hymn that captured their vision and made me long for the same vision at home:

Rise up, o Church of God

Have done with lesser things

Give heart and soul and mind and strength

To serve the King of Kings.

These newly minted church workers will, in many cases, serve without salary. Some will go where no believers are and build up a preaching point for the mother church. And this will all be done with a certificate handed to them by a government official, in a region far from the metropolitan centers of the country. You would be hard pressed to tell me that work in this country must be covert. In times past, yes. In some situations, care may still be called for. But there are more opportunities available openly than are currently being met. It requires integrity, wisdom, patience, flexibility, and respect of Chinese ways and culture. But registered churches in this region are accomplishing every bit as much as unregistered churches here and elsewhere, and here very possibly much more.

As we sat and talked with Pastor Lam afterward, we asked what opportunities were next on the agenda. He mentioned one province that is particularly known as “resistant,” but he has been invited to bring his ministry there by officials. Other provinces are waiting as well.

Our Chinese government hosts banqueted us in the evening, with much unfamiliar food, and then we went to another official church that has prepared about 20 people to go out to villages. I was one of those asked to share, and it was humbling to call them to faithful service, when I look at how much easier my road is than theirs. Again, the religious affairs bureau deputy praised the work, even as the pastor shared about “Happy Friday” outreaches that bring people into the church to share the gospel. The church has grown and is looking to multiply itself.

One great challenge for the Chinese church is the relative lack of male leadership. Most of the church workers and pastors are women, and they are the vast majority of the church population. Part of the problem is that Chinese culture relies heavily on sons to provide for parents; and this, combined with the one child policy, puts great pressure on a young man to find a good paying job to support both sets of parents and his own wife and child. Parental pressure against ministry for men, plus having more women in the church to begin with, accounts for this situation. Add to this the rapid growth of the church and desperate need for evangelists and teachers, and you can understand why the situation is what it is. We should pray for more men to serve. But in the meantime, we should pray for the women and men who are seeking to share and serve faithfully. We are not changing our desire and commitment to be faithful to what we believe we should do in obedience to Scripture, but my thinking is that we allow the Lord to bring the same convictions and understandings as His Word is understood and applied and the church grows in maturity.

Hong Kong

2011-06-04T21:50:00.000-04:00

Arrival in Hong Kong meant crossing a border (not officially “international,” but into a “Special Administrative Region” with its own passports—Hong Kong is under China’s “one country, two systems” policy and even Chinese citizens must get a visa to visit Hong Kong). You see remnants of British organization, but it is now much different than my visit just prior to the handover in 1997.

If Beijing has grown into a rich and powerful commercial center, Hong Kong is still the capital of conspicuous consumption. As you take the train into the city, you are arriving in what was once the purest system of capitalism in the world. Much has changed, but there is still a LOT of money and spending here, and every upscale brand is visible on the streets and on the signs in the shopping districts.

We arrived at our destination, the Salisbury YMCA on the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula at around 9 pm, and made our way to our rooms shortly after. We arrived without Todd Rivetti, who was to join us here Friday night. His flight from the USA was cancelled and his arrival put back to Saturday night. This meant that we would take most of the day Saturday without agenda or commitments, which turned out to be a great blessing for the two of us. Myron was able to catch up on work without having to show me around, and I was able to rest, wander the streets (I’ve been here before and have a slight familiarity with things, though by no means an expert), and enjoy being able to use some English and visit Starbucks, where I could get coffee and 20 minutes of free internet! I was able to post my previous posts there—couldn’t access this host in China—check my email, use Facebook and Twitter (not available in China either), and do a little gift and souvenir shopping (more looking than shopping, but got a few things). Myron joined me for late lunch and a walk through the port area, then he headed to the airport in the late afternoon to get Todd. When Todd arrived, we went on a walk through Kowloon Park, and then the Temple Street Night Market. We then came to one of Myron’s favorite “hole in the wall” restaurants (the entrance really was a door into a walkway and you would not see any evidence of the restaurant from the street). A great meal was followed by a walk back to the hotel and a good night’s sleep.

A word about the YMCA where we are staying. It is run by a management that has the desire to “put the C back into the YMCA”. They continue to be a testimony and ministry to the community, in addition to operating an excellent hotel.

Beijing, part 3

2011-06-03T05:06:00.000-04:00

Thursday was the last full day in Beijing, and it was full! In the morning we were finally able to have a meeting that had been scheduled twice but postponed. It was well worth the wait, and after meeting we understood why the previous appointments were rescheduled. Our guest who we met at Myron’s office is connected with every aspect of the situation in China related to religious freedom and current situations. As we said afterwards, we could not have had a more insightful briefing from a more knowledgeable and influential source. There is much happening in China at the moment related to religious freedom in the larger context of seeking to maintain social stability. Much has been reported in US and world news sources about one church’s decision to worship outside when their facility was closed to them by their landlord and a facility that they had purchased was not made available to them upon its completion. It is a very complex situation with a long history involving a number of parties and disputes. Currently, five of the church’s senior leaders are under house arrest. This has ramifications far beyond one church and it is occurring at a time when any sort of “instability” is viewed with great threat. Our guest offered background, insight, and possible ways forward for this and other non-“state” churches (churches that are a part of the TSPM, the state-organized and sanctioned Protestant body in China). It was a fascinating meeting that transitioned into a lunch honoring our guest for his work and his time.

In the afternoon, we traveled to visit the Apple Tree Kindergarten, a private preschool, kindergarten, and center for homeschoolers in China (what a concept!). Run by Hannah, the principal, and her husband, Max, Apple Tree’s goal is nothing less than to change the foundations of education in China, by being excellent examples of education using the morals, ethics, and values that are found in Scripture. It is not a Christian school, but it does not hide the Christian faith of its teachers, and offers after hours opportunities for people who are interested to learn of the faith that is the underpinning of the school. Max and Hannah’s passion for education stems from their love of their own three children and the desire for them to have a better education than is available through other channels. The homeschool coordinator (a Ph.D. from Harvard in education) seeks to equip parents in quality education, and many families are seeking opportunities like this for their children. Many parents, even non-Christian ones, are seeking ways to send their children to the U.S. to go to Christian middle and high schools, even living with host Christian families to do so. Amazing. Max and Hannah both have advanced degrees, but their love of children and their deep faith stand out most of all, even in the face of some adversity, such as Max being removed from a role of authority in a fellowship. The reason: they had a third child, which is against government policy. And it was a foreign worker from the US who urged this “discipline!” I was embarrassed to hear this. They also host teacher training for other schools, and summer English camps. Volunteers can come from the states to help, and do! What an encouragement this time was!

Our final meeting of the day was with a very good friend of Myron whose ability to interact with us on the theological needs of China’s believers was as insightful as any we have received. Daniel is not a theologian, but a lawyer. Yet he has studied much himself. For example, he told me he prefers the English translation of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion over a Chinese one because the English translation lets you hear Calvin’s heart, but the Chinese comes off as more academic. That is an insight I couldn’t even relate to, having only read them in English! Daniel’s final words to me were to pray for his church, and pray for his fellow believers there.

We had a great dinner together, then headed “home”—the Blumenstocks to their hotel/apartment and Myron and I to his apartment, to start packing for our trip to Hong Kong.

[By the way, I let Myron read these posts for accuracy, and he was very concerned—that you might get the idea that we were eating “high on the hog.” Well, to tell the truth, we have eaten a fair bit of hog—Doug Swaim, you would be the most popular man in town here, just like at home ), but our meals have generally been very inexpensive, especially compared to what you would pay at home for them. And, any additional expense incurred has been to keep my very USA-accustomed digestive system, shall we say, peaceful. Don’t want to border on TMI, but you get my meaning.]

Friday was our travel day, but there were a few things to accomplish yet. Myron had a meeting with a former Chinese colleague about possible future projects (such must be continually done to secure resources for Kaifa’s continued ability to support its work in China). Then a bit more personal work—Myron helped the Blumenstocks and me to navigate the markets of Beijing to find some gifts to bring home!

We parted ways at the market, as Myron and I had to go the apartment, pick up our luggage, and head to the airport for our flight to Hong Kong. Unlike all other flights on this trip, this one was on time and there were no delays (unless you count our car not starting when we tried to leave for the airport—and our driver fixed it pretty quickly). Arrival in Hong Kong meant another wholesale change in perspective, and one I’ll write about next time.

Beijing, part 2

2011-06-02T05:10:00.000-04:00

Tuesday’s portion of my Beijing week began (after a rather relaxing start) with a trip to Peter’s Tex Mex Restaurant, next to the St. Regis Hotel in downtown Beijing. We were there for brunch—which I seldom would associate with Tex Mex, let alone Tex Mex in Beijing! We met Jamie, a Kaifa associate here to translate for ABTS work, and Joann Pittman, a China veteran, ELIC employee, and Desiring God’s China consultant. Over a great American breakfast, Joann spoke to Jim, Karen, Jamie, and me on trends in China and how they affect ministries here (Ella quietly drew pictures of the Great Wall and other things). Joann also discussed the rapid growth of Chinese social media and the strong and growing Christian presence there. This may offer groups such as Desiring God great platforms for influence, and we talked about how ABTS might establish such a presence.

Following our brunch, Jim and Karen went shopping to outfit their temporary home, Myron and I went to our rescheduled appointment from Monday, which got cancelled again. So we met up with Blumenstocks and went to see Thomas and Casey’s home church pastor. Meeting with him was such a blessing, and he shared his heart with us. We spent some time in prayer together before we left, asking God to bless and guide this godly pastor, his church, and others here at a very critical time.

Tonight, we dined at “Element Fresh,” a contemporary American restaurant frequented by Beijingers who want to have what we would consider “trendy”. It was a very good meal, and a very “American” experience as our server identified herself by name, and gave the same kind of welcoming words you’d hear back in the good ol’ USA, except the grammar was just a bit different.

Then we went down to a street of shops from imperial days of Beijing, now refurbished, next to Tiananmen Square to walk down lanterned streets and past market after market. We didn’t buy anything, but enjoyed the walk and the scene.

Wednesday continued our string of meetings. Today it was a time with Pastor Chen, the leader of the church with which Myron has worked to bring ABTS to Beijing. Pastor Chen has been a helpful advocate in gaining approval for ABTS to be here. The particular training ABTS is going to do is meant to help equip leaders for discipleship within this fast growing church, and other churches experiencing similar growth. Pastor Chen has a great heart to see the church grow deep as well as in number, and this was a great opportunity for Jim to reestablish contact and for all of us to hear Pastor Chen’s excitement for the potential of this ministry.

Lunch was followed by the one “BIG” touring item I hoped to accomplish—we traveled to the Great Wall of China (not the restaurant, but the real thing). What an amazing day, as the wind had cleared the pollution and haze, and Myron said he’d never seen it so clear. This marvel of perseverance and monumental human effort can leave you speechless! Our time was capped by a “bobsled” chute ride down the mountain! We drove a few miles to a local restaurant (“The Schoolhouse”) for a great meal in the shadow of the Great Wall, and then traveled back to Beijing. Myron set me up for a sequel—this time a full body Chinese massage (by the way, these experiences are so inexpensive that they are a regular experience for many Chinese). It was—interesting. It involved lots of pressure and more than a little discomfort; although I don’t want to make it sound bad—just very different from what most people might think of when using the term “massage.” I liked the first one best, but could see the benefits of both (though truth be told, I’m not sold on the idea that massaging the arch of my foot will help my liver, but it can feel good).

China defies expectations and descriptions. The old and new, the familiar and totally foreign (to me), the “way things are” and rapid change—all in the same place, and often in the same moment. One thing is clear: China is tough to figure out (as was said to me, “If you are NOT confused, you aren’t paying attention!”), but well worth the effort. The growth of the church has been exponential, and that means, as Paul wrote about his time in Ephesus, “a door for effective service” is opened wide. But, as he said in the same passage, “there are many opponents.” Sometimes, we think we know who the opponents are, but the reality is not always what is reported. Pray for the God’s work here, and God’s blessing on His people here.

Beijing, part 1

2011-05-31T05:10:00.000-04:00

My arrival in Beijing had one parallel to every arrival and departure thus far—I made it, but was late getting in after a long flight delay getting in. Leaving Mianyang (where we traveled to see CAVA’s work in nearby Feilong), we found our flight delayed 2 hours. When we boarded, they announced another delay due to “bad weather” in Beijing (later, when we got here, no one seemed to know about bad weather). We knew it would be interesting when they served the meal on the ground before we left! Finally in the air, we got to Beijing Capital Airport a bit after 1 am, and in a small providential grace, my suitcase was already on the carousel by the time we got there. We met our driver and headed to Myron’s apartment, arriving at 2 am, collapsing at approximately 2:05 am into bed.

Our first day in Beijing started with a visit with Diane Lichtensteiger, director of CU’s ERAP program that provides English teachers to a number of schools in Beijing. Her long term leadership has meant great stability for the program, and her long time connection with GBC has meant that we have been closely connected with the ERAP program from its inception (Myron was its first director). I had a great opportunity to hear from Diane about the year being completed, and the special challenges and opportunities that the ERAP program faces. Since the meeting took place at People’s University, it was a stroll down “Memory Lane” for Myron, as Diane actually lives in one of his old apartments from his days teaching there. We did get to eat at one of the university’s newer cafeteria/restaurants for lunch.

A scheduled afternoon meeting was delayed, so we headed to the hotel/apartment where the Blumenstock family would be staying, to make arrangements there and drop of some supplies. We headed to the airport to greet them upon their arrival, and after going back to their hotel, we walked to dinner at “The Great Wall Restaurant.” Their hotel is just down the road from Myron’s apartment, and the restaurant was in walking distance to both.

Jim and Karen are here (along with their daughter, Ella) for a month to begin work on a research and teaching project with Asia Biblical Theological Seminary (ABTS). This project received one of the three grants that GBC is facilitating. The research is meant to measure opportunities for theological training in China, and the instruction is focused on doctrinal instruction and discernment. Jim is one of three full time faculty members at ABTS and is its interim dean, and Jim and Karen grew up at GBC and have been sent out by us, so my day was spent with special members of my GBC family! Jim (as interim dean of ABTS) will be working alongside a local pastor and church to establish the framework for the teaching, and possibly to begin instruction. Other faculty from ABTS will rotate into Beijing in coming months. This has the possibility of greatly expanding ABTS’s reach and influence, and filling a great need among China’s believers as well. It is an exciting opportunity for us to help along.

My new “cultural experience” took place this evening—a traditional Chinese foot massage. If you are thinking comfort, think again! Traditional Chinese medicine believes that pressure points in the foot are connected by “meridians” to the various organs of the body. Pressure and manipulation of these points should affect the corresponding body part. I don’t know if it works, but it turned out to be an occasionally painful, generally relaxing, sometimes startling, and immensely enjoyable experience! I don’t fit the standard issue pajamas that they give you to wear, though. I would have to lose a LOT more weight to get close, and probably a few inches in height, too.

CAVA

2011-05-29T05:27:00.000-04:00

My first days in China have been spent seeing aspects of the work of CAVA—the China ActionLove Volunteer Association (ActionLove” is not really one word in our language or Chinese, but it was crafted this way to emphasize the need to show love in our deeds). CAVA was the vision of Huang Lei, whom we know as “Job.” A house church pastor, Job had a vision to help house churches to work together to respond to humanitarian crises. CAVA was created a few months into 2008 out of this vision. No one could know that the need and opportunity for such a ministry would come so soon or be so great.

The tragedy of the Sichuan earthquake on May 12, 2008 became the impetus to mobilize house church Christians from 12 provinces to respond to the emergency. CAVA created teams that came to the center of devastation. By May 19, three teams were working on the ground within days of the quake to help rescue and relief efforts, bringing aid, and later working in resettlement camps with refugees. They then turned to seeking longer term solutions to help people rebuild their lives and address their deepest needs.

Community centers, where people could gather and find resources to address local needs and concerns became CAVA’s strategy. 13 centers have been created along with a kindergarten.

On Saturday, May 28, we visited the kindergarten. Sixty children of the village of Pengzhou attend, and Belinda, the Taiwanese director, leads an educational program that is in the process of being licensed by the government. Various other community activities are hosted at the site. We had lunch there with Job and others, and heard of the plans to use kindergartens as a possible platform to respond to a need the government has acknowledged and is struggling to meet.

While there, we participated in a worship time for all of the CAVA volunteers from the various centers. What a privilege to be with so many who have given months or years of their lives to serve in this region. Most of the volunteers come from house churches in China, although others have responded from Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. I didn’t know the words of the worship songs, and my translator had trouble keeping me up with what Job said as he spoke, but the passion and commitment of the people serving was palpable.

I couldn’t help but think of growing up hearing stories of China—both of missionary days before the Communists came to power in 1949, and of the “Bamboo curtain” that had cut China off from the world and, we thought, the gospel. But as Paul wrote, the gospel is not bound. We now know the church continued underground for decades. What is so encouraging about the current situation is the new-found boldness and openness of Christians from the house churches, encouraged in large part by the positive reception to their ministry in Sichuan.

Today (Sunday), we traveled to Feilong, another village that was rebuilt after the earthquake. A farming region, Feilong was transformed as the government built large housing blocks and moved the farmers into new homes in the middle of the fields that they farm. The Feilong Community Center was built and staffed as a result of generosity expressed by GBC at Harvest time. It was amazing to drive into the village and come to the corner that our center occupies. The director, Zhang Ying, and his wife Tian Hui, greeted us and a group of young girls performed a dance routine as a welcome. They showed us around the center, and explained the opportunities and challenges they face. Like many rural villages, Feilong has lost most of its young people and young adults. Out of the thousand or so people living around the center, less than 20 were in the 15-35 year old range. There are children and older people, often grandparents raising grandchildren while the children’s parents have gone off to bigger cities to find work. In seeking to make contact with the community, the center offers programs for children, a lending library, and visits families as needs are discovered. Two of the young girls who welcomed us were sisters whose father is gone and whose mother has leprosy. The staff heard about this through the girls, and have been able to help support this mother and her daughters through the generosity of GBC. It was an incredible blessing to look around the center at its furnishings, equipment, and staff, and be able to praise God that we had the opportunity to provide this.

A more pressing challenge is different points of view between levels of government over the center’s freedom to continue. The county government has said that the community centers must close (there are eight in the county). However, the local government wants the center to continue, and has even donated a TV and some books to the library. This is an important matter for prayer—that the hearts of the officials would be turned to allow Feilong and the other centers in the county to continue their ministry.

Wang Hui, our driver for the day and, more importantly, the supervisor for Feilong and two other centers, encouraged us to pray earnestly this next month for the work to continue. He also said that our visit reminded him that he and his co-workers are not alone, but that believers elsewhere are standing with them. That is the message we hoped to carry, and the one that he and others seemed to need. He remarked how it blessed him that we would “suffer for Jesus” in coming to see their work, but I gently corrected him, telling him that seeing what God is doing in and through them is not suffering, but makes our lives rich. There is nothing so humbling as seeing someone who has (in his case) left his home for three years, lived apart from family and friends in an area destroyed by earthquake, who thinks you are suffering when you fly over, stay in nice hotels, visit, and then go home.

Pray for the people of Sichuan, one of the least reached areas of China. Pray for Job, the leader of CAVA. Pray for Wang Hui, Zhang Ying and Tian Hui, the supervisor and directors of the Feilong Center. Pray that the light that has been brought to Sichuan through these and other brothers and sisters in response to the earthquake would shine in the hearts of the people.

Greetings from China!

2011-05-27T21:58:00.001-04:00

Hello all! I’ve arrived after lengthy (and delayed) flights in China, and have begun my travels here. It was good to connect at Beijing airport with my host and friend, Myron Youngman, and journey together to our first stop, Chengdu. This “second tier” city of 16 million (China has approximately 175 cities of 1,000,000 or more people) is the provincial capital of Sichuan, the area most effected by the earthquake a few years ago. Efforts to rebuild and restore lives continue, and that will be the first visit we make today—to a center associated with CAVA, a Christian relief organization based here in China, and the first of its kind to work in cooperation with local governments as it does its work. Friends and family at GBC may remember a visit from “Job,” the founder of this group, who introduced us to this very new opportunity of response to the needs created by the earthquake. These centers have sought to help people meet pressing physical needs, but other needs as well. We have been involved in development and function of one of these centers that I hope to see Sunday.

Having last been in this beautiful country in the mid 1990s, I have already been impressed with the huge strides made in the cities in terms of infrastructure and sheer growth. I’m sure that will hit hardest in Beijing when we return there, but even the airport I flew into was the third generation from the I arrived in 15 years ago—and a massive testament to the business development and wealth of this economic powerhouse.

More later, but for those wanting to keep posted, I am 12 hours ahead of my EDT home, so just think half a day ahead and you’ll know what time it is here—and all of China is on one time zone, so that’s even easier. Myron sends his greetings to all at GBC, and so do I!

A Good Review of a Book That Critiques Another Book

2011-05-12T10:59:00.000-04:00

Now that is an odd title, and this is an odd post to mark my return after some weeks of silence. But my friend, Doug Phillips, has written a great review of Michael Wittmer's Christ Alone, which is a response to Rob Bell's Love Wins. Wittmer's book is the best and longest response thus far, in part because it tackles more than just Bell's new ideas on eternal punishment. But you may not have time to read all the responses, or even Wittmer's whole book. Doug's review will serve you well. Then, you may go ahead and decide to read the book!

Read the review here.

Random Musing on a Friday: Where is Beulah Land?

2011-04-15T09:19:00.000-04:00

I love the music of the church today, but I often find songs from the church of my childhood stuck on "PLAY" in my head--and while some are a blessing, some are just corny (and not great theology, either).

Question from today's blast from the past: where is Beulah Land, anyway, and why would we sing about corn and wine when we don't drink (just to be sure, I checked; the hymn was written by a Methodist
evangelist, and at the time they were more teetotaling than Baptists)?

I'm thankful for the good old hymns--those that speak the truth of Scripture and our hope in ways that are both memorable and faithful to the Bible. And I'm thankful for the good new hymns and songs that do the same. And finally, I'm thankful to those who strive to write such songs and the people in my church who labor to find them, learn them, and teach them to us!

Please, though, no bad rhymes for "propitiation," and let's see if we can avoid uncertain heavenly geography.

Tom Carr's Release: A Lesson in Prayer

2011-04-15T09:16:00.000-04:00

The news traveled fast through the church last week when Tom Carr's wife Paula called Wednesday evening to tell us that she had been notified to come pick up Tom for release Thursday afternoon. What a celebration we had then, and on Sunday when we had our live call to speak to Tom during the morning service.

Before it begins to fade in our memories, let me make a few points we should remember.

The need for persistent prayer. Tom's imprisonment lasted three weeks, and every day there seemed to be developments, positive or negative, that had us wondering what would happen. Until the end, nothing did. In the two days before the end, the news was all bad. But prayer persisted, and Tom testifies that God was near him during those days, especially the dark days when it looked as if no release was coming. Tom needed our prayer, but prayer was also the tool of God in changing the heart of the prosecutor.
The importance of prayer no matter the circumstance. The day before his release, Tom and Paula were told that there was virtually no chance of release. And the prosecutor and judge who would try the case both had 99% conviction rates (Who would ever want to be a defense attorney in Japan?). It might have been tempting to give up, or at least turn our prayers toward, "help the trial go well, Lord." But we continued to pray, knowing it would be a divine intervention to turn events toward release. In the end, it was.
The humility needed in prayer. We were powerless to do anything, and so often we were ready to move from prayer to action--but every time we discovered there was little or nothing we could do. Prayer is most powerful in and through us when we are desperate, and we know that there is nothing we can do.
The object of our prayer. I was blessed in so many of our prayer times for Tom and Paula that our ultimate request was that release would glorify God, but that imprisonment and reaction would glorify him, too. The need of the Japanese people that Tom and Paula love and serve is to know Jesus, and we asked that this experience would open doors wide so that the name of God would be exalted, and the fame of Jesus would grow. How this will happen, we do not yet fully know. But God is pleased with prayers that keep the focus where it must be.

Mark Womack mentioned on Sunday a desire to see God answer a prayer in an obvious and big way. He did, and so did all of us who prayed for Tom and Paula. Let's continue to pray that God is not done with this matter, but that it becomes what might be called a "game-changer" in the outreach in Miakonojo, Japan!

Hungry?

2011-03-30T16:12:00.000-04:00

(From the Greene County Dailies series)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matt. 5:6

Most Americans have never known real hunger—that gnawing in the belly that never goes away because there is never enough to eat. The same is true of thirst: in times of drought we wonder if the grass or crops will survive, not if we will. But in Jesus’ day, people lived by what they could earn and buy each day. Food could often be scarce to non-existent. The same was true of water. Thus, hunger and thirst were two incredibly intense drives.

Jesus says the same intensity that we would feel if we were starving is what should drive us toward “righteousness”—right standing before God. The greatest concern of our lives ought to be, “am I right with God?” This is what Jesus came to provide; both the knowledge and the basis for being right with God. The person who discovers this first realizes how much he needs it. He hungers and thirsts to know God. Have you come to the place where being right with God is all that matters? If you have, then Jesus can satisfy. Come to him!

Why Meek is What You Should Seek

2011-03-29T16:24:00.000-04:00

(From the Greene County Dailies series...)

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

There are few statements of Jesus that seem more “out of touch” than the third of his Beatitudes. We see little evidence today of meekness winning contests or popularity. Most view meekness as weakness.

But what does the word actually mean? If you search the dictionary or study how the word in the original language was used, you find it refers to great strength under measured control. It spoke of a colt that had to be broken to be useful, or of a strong medicine that soothed a person’s injury. It is not weakness, nor the opposite of self-confidence, but rather the possession of power, and the self-control to use it wisely.

Such people don’t need attention for validation. They know who they are and what gives them value and significance. That kind of knowledge is truly power. It is the power of a Moses, and that of Jesus—both called “meek” in the Bible. And it is God’s saving power within that assures people of their very bright future as inheritors of new heavens and new earth.

Helping the Relief Effort in Japan through Samaritan's Purse

2011-03-23T12:58:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for a place to donate toward effective relief of the suffering in Japan, and through an agency that will be "up front" about their Christian commitment and the importance of the Gospel, I would recommend the efforts of Samaritan's Purse. They have already send 93 tons of materials, and more are being purchased for delivery.
There are others doing similar work, and this is not to take away from them, but I wanted to provide an agency and response opportunity to use with confidence, and Samaritan's Purse has shown itself to be such an agency.

"Mourning" Glory

2011-03-22T15:15:00.000-04:00

(Another in the series of articles that appear in the Greene County Dailies)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matt 5:4

When we finally recognize we are less than perfect (a polite way of saying what the Bible calls “sinners”), there are numerous strategies we might employ—only one of which yields good results.

We can deny the truth—calling sin something else: mistakes, misunderstandings, and weaknesses. Each partially true, but honesty compels us to see our motives and actions are often selfish, uncaring, and possibly cruel.

We can compare ourselves with others, concluding we are better than average. If that is God’s measure, we would be alright. However, God says “Be perfect!” “Be holy!” No matter how much better than me you are, you are not perfect.

We can assume that as long as our good outweighs our bad, we will make it. But whose scales will we use? And who assigns “weight” to good that is done with mixed motives?

Our only hope is to do what Jesus said—mourn. Recognizing we are sinners and we can’t change ourselves, we cry out in despair, and are comforted by the only one who can change us and has paid the price for our sins already.

Update on the Carrs in Japan

2011-03-22T09:53:00.000-04:00

Those of you in our services on Sunday heard that Tom Carr, our missionary in southern Japan, was wrongfully accused of an attack and arrested by the police in their town, even though Tom was the one who called the police to seek their intervention to stop a woman from beating her estranged son. The son has been living with the Carrs, and has trusted Christ. He confirms the true account, but because Tom's accuser is Japanese and he is not, he was judged by the police to be in the wrong. After three days in jail, including a national holiday where no investigation would be done, the family and friends there were informed Tom would be in jail for another ten days for further investigation. The newspaper carried the story on Sunday, basically saying Tom was guilty of the charges but he denies it. Already one invitation to speak to a university has been withdrawn.

However, Paula was able to see Tom briefly Monday night and reports that he is well and generally in good spirits, although he says he gets "down" at times.

Paula asks that we pray for Tom's spirits and for his testimony as he continues in jail, and that he might be released before the ten day period is over. There is a possibility it could go longer. The system in Japan assumes guilt until innocence is established.

The teenage boy, Hiro, is 16 and had been thrown out of his house by his parents, in what has been described to me as a very dysfunctional family. It seems that when Tom called the police, the mother and her friend became frightened and staged an injury so that when they arrived, they could claim Tom had been violent.

This is certainly a case when Tom is having all manner of things said falsely about him because he has acted with the love of Jesus toward this young man. Pray that God's "blessedness" will be his in the coming days.

Why This Protestant Celebrates St. Patrick's Day (and his life)

2011-03-17T13:51:00.002-04:00

OK, I know as a more Reformed style Protestant I should be wearing orange today, but my green shirt is on, and I’m enjoying remembering the history of a young man who escaped from slavery, only to experience both God’s call to himself and then God’s direction to go back to the very people who enslaved him to preach Christ.

“But wasn’t he a Catholic?” Well, yes, but there weren’t Protestants back then—all Christians were a part of the one organized “universal” (that’s what Catholic means) church. And many historians believe that the Christianity he left behind in Ireland after his death was a much more robust Christianity than the Latin version became as time went by—witness the evangelistic zeal of the Irish monks that traveled the known world in the centuries after Patrick.

History is sketchy, and myth can work its way into such stories, but the basic outline of Patrick’s life is as follows. He was a Briton who was kidnapped by Irish raiding pirates and carried to Ireland where he became a slave. He escaped a harsh life there to return to Britain, where his faith was established and he had a calling (some stories say a vision) to return to Ireland. He did so, and through preaching and contests with pagan priests, established the message of Christ firmly on Irish soil. Such a story should be celebrated and emulated by all who cherish the message and power of the Gospel.

Here is a stanza from a prayer attributed to Patrick, passed down through the ages.

"Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Praying for Our Friend and Former "Neighbor"

2011-03-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

Eric Mounts, pastor of Southgate Baptist Church for 15 years and a good friend from my college days, has taken up the call of God to become the pastor of Bible Center Church in Charleston, WV. He begins his new ministry this Sunday. You can read an interview in the local Charleston paper here.

Eric is a faithful brother in Christ and a gifted pastor, and I would encourage all of the Grace family to be in prayer for him as he begins this new work. I can relate personally to the challenge Eric has faced in determining to leave a flock he loves to respond to God's call to a new ministry.

I would further ask us to be praying diligently for Southgate, as they go through the process of adjusting to Eric's departure and transitioning into a position where they will be ready to seek and call their next pastor. As our own fellowship knows this is a challenging process for a church, but one that can be very beneficial, too.

A Review Posted for Alcorn's Latest Great Book

2011-03-14T10:39:00.000-04:00

I just reviewed this book at the "Blogging for Books" site. You can read the review here. Randy Alcorn has long been one of my favorite writers and thinkers, and this book was not a disappointment as he turned his attention to theodicy: the term used to describe the tension between the the claims that God is good and all powerful, and the existence of evil and all the pain and suffering it brings.

The site is maintained by Multnomah Press, and you can find reviews of this and all of their other more recent releases. And, fyi, you can sign up at this site to receive books for free, IF you agree to post a review of the book. Not a bad deal, especially if you are a reader.

Spiritual Poverty

2011-03-12T10:31:00.000-05:00

(I'm returning to posting the devotional "thoughts" I've been asked to write for the Greene County Dailies, so here is the beginning of a series on the Beatitudes)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:3. Reading this first beatitude sounds like a call to depression. In one sense it is. Jesus doesn’t value feeling bad, but what is essential in coming to him is coming to the end of your own resources for being “good.” To be poor in spirit is to recognize one’s spiritual bankruptcy—I have nothing good enough to merit God’s favor or escape his wrath. As long as I insist I’m not bad enough for Hell, or I deserve to have my failures overlooked, heaven remains out of reach. Jesus did not come to offer basically good people a “sin management” program where we make ourselves better with a little boost from him. We aren’t good in God’s eyes, and we can’t manage sin—it manages us.

So what makes this beatitude a blessing? It’s the freedom to be honest with God about our condition—honesty that says, “I can’t do this!” Jesus said elsewhere he didn’t come to save people who consider themselves righteous, but to save sinners. When you can see your spiritual poverty, you will be able to see the Savior.

Unhappy, though not unexpected news.

2011-02-26T17:49:00.000-05:00

Rob Bell

A number of friends posted this article from Justin Taylor's blog about Rob Bell's latest book and what it apparently affirms. According to the publisher's notes, it states Bell's belief in universal salvation--a Hell without people because they will be redeemed regardless of what they believed about God and Jesus in this life.

It is unhappy news for a number of reasons. I have friends who have worked at Rob Bell's church in Grand Rapids, and many who have been influenced by his NOOMA videos. I have heard some of Rob's teaching in the past that was thought provoking and helpful. But his movements over the years have always been away from orthodoxy as historically understood, and his embrace of universalism would be a logical next step. Hence the "not unexpected" caveat.

It seems that all those who predicted that people like Brian McLaren and Rob Bell, who were "edgy" and "asking the right questions," would lead the church in new directions were correct. Those directions, unfortunately, are the direction of heresy--denial of the substitutionary atonement of Jesus by McLaren, and now the denial of eternal punishment by Bell. Add to that the acceptance of homosexual practice by a number of what used to be called "emergent" leaders from the village of the same name, and you have created the perfect storm for "I told you so's" from the traditionalist camp. They are generally deserved, because in many cases they were right on target.

Let's just make sure we don't make this the proof that we should never change anything or think differently than previous generations about anything--after all, good, historic Protestants have always believed the church is "reformed, yet always reforming."

Praying God's Promises

2011-01-31T22:13:00.000-05:00

(This was the previous "inspirational" thought for the day in the Greene County Dailies from January 20th).

My wife and I are going through Charles Spurgeon’s “Cheque Book on the Bank of Faith,” his daily reminders of the various promises of God. His purpose in writing was simple—to cause believers in God’s Word to actively pray for what God has promised to his children. Each day we have been reminded of some provision that the Father makes for those who follow His Son. As I have looked at these promises, I’ve been struck by two truths. First, there are many things I ask God for that he has not promised—health for me or my loved ones, positive outcomes in times of trouble, or even clear paths to follow Him. Little wonder I sometimes struggle with unanswered prayer. But I also often fail to pray for what he has promised—forgiveness, wisdom, mercy, grace, endurance, holiness, and love, to name just a few. Perhaps if I asked for more of what he says he will freely give, and a little less demandingly for things I assume should come to pass, my prayers (and my life) might be more pleasing to God and fruitful in my life. I’m going to try—how about you?

Joel Rosenberg on the crisis in Egypt

2011-01-31T13:32:00.000-05:00

I have great respect for Joel Rosenberg's analysis of events in the Middle East, and having read this post I recommend it to you as a summary of what is going on and the dangers that may lie ahead, not just for the rest of the world, but for Christians in the region.

Lost, then Found

2011-01-29T16:10:00.000-05:00

(The following appeared in the Greene County Dailies on Thursday, where I know am officially a devotional columnist--providing an "inspirational" thought for the week. I'll post them here for those who don't get those newspapers.)

An old preacher once said that for the lost sheep to be found, he has to get lost first. He meant that we will not seek God’s mercy and grace until we realize just how much we need it. Our experience of God’s goodness will not be awakened and grow until we first discover how little we deserve it.

One hindrance to that awakening is a loss of the concept of sin. When I do wrong, I prefer to think of it as a mistake, often due to inability or lack of knowledge. I don’t want to see any moral ramifications of my actions. But there is such a thing as sin—the violation of God’s moral law, summarized in the ten commandments and applied to our attitudes as well as actions by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

What comfort does that bring—to say I don’t just make mistakes, but that I sin against God in action and thought? Simply this—it is only for those who are (by their own admission) sinners that Christ died. You can’t be found by him until you know you’re lost! Fortunately, “I once was lost, but now am found!”

A Thoughtful Comment on the Re-writing of Huckleberry Finn

2011-01-22T09:45:00.000-05:00

My good friend Grant Horner has a new post at his blog Profetcetera in which he tackles the recent announcement of a new edition of Mark Twain's classic novel, Huckleberry Finn, in which the offensive racial epithet that is used in the novel is changed to a non-offensive word. Grant makes a strong case against this action, and I would simply say I agree with his analysis. If you want to see a good example of a Christian applying good analysis in this situation, check out the post.

One quote I particularly enjoyed: "If satire has to be explained to you, you do not deserve its riches." That's Grant at his professorial best!

Tim Keller's "Prodigal God" Tells The Story Straight

2011-01-19T15:44:00.000-05:00

I seem to have providentially stumbled into a streak of soul-stirring and uplifting books. The latest in this streak should not have surprised me, since Tim Keller's books have been powerful and edifying reads-- The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism--was an apologetic masterpiece (even in those places I disagreed with a point or two, I had to admit it was masterfully written); then Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (wow, the title says it all, but doesn't--read the book).

Now its The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith that has stirred by soul. Keller's treatment of Luke 15's parable of the prodigal son is not original--he cites Edmund Clowney's sermon as his inspiration, and others have made similar points. But I have not read as powerful a treatment as this short book.

Most compelling in my mind is his argument that the sons represent two equally dangerous rejections of the loving Father--either through total disregard of his character and desires, or through rigorous rule keeping that establishes a debt from the Father. I think that my own life and my ministry seem to be much more challenged by the attitudes of the older, moral brother. I would encourage anyone and everyone to read this book and see if you see yourself in the stories.

Dane Ortlund on "The Grace of God in the Bible"

2011-01-16T08:16:00.000-05:00

Posting at his blog, Strawberry-Rhubarb Theology (what a delightful name--obviously showing the deliciousness of good doctrine), Dane Ortlund reflects on how God's grace is seen in every book of the Bible. Be blessed with this.

What brings Revival?

2011-01-10T19:58:00.000-05:00

Here is a wonderful article by Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC, on the subject of the means by which the church experiences revival. I've said many of the things here, but no one says them quite as well as Tim Keller does. Enjoy the article!

More on Church Membership

2011-01-10T10:23:00.000-05:00

For those who still might need convincing that church membership is valid or important, let me encourage you to read Mark Dever's ministry article at the 9 Marks site, found here, that goes into much more depth than I could in ten minutes or less yesterday.

Asking you to join the fellowship officially if you have not done so is not about numbers, or us seeking to control you--rather it is to know who is committed to the same vision and covenant that we all share. I hope those of you who have not done so will consider it, and those who have will consider carefully the responsibilities we have taken on for each other's good.

And I can also commend to you Dever's great book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, if you are interested in the subject of church health generally. It is an very good read.

"Radical" is, well, radical.

2011-01-07T22:48:00.000-05:00

Now that I've finished the book, I have to say that David Platt's Radical: Taking Your Faith Back from the American Dream is one of the most compelling books I've read lately. It is drawn from sermons, and it preaches! It also persuades, even if you can pick some nits with some of his illustrations or what some may say are overstatements (see links from my previous post on this book when I was half way through it.

What I would have to say is that you cannot read it without wrestling with the question, is my practice and expectation of Christian living shaped primarily by my culture and surroundings, or by the teachings of the New Testament? After reading this, I am wrestling, and that's a good thing. You may need to do so as well. I'm old enough to have heard most everything Platt has said here, and have even said some of it myself in the past, but the presentation here is still compelling. I highly commend this book for your reading and consideration. But be prepared to become very uncomfortable.

Happy Epiphany!

2011-01-06T10:58:00.002-05:00

OK, most of you didn't even know that it was Epiphany, let alone were celebrating it. That's fine, since most of us didn't grow up following the traditional church calendar. But this was a celebration of the manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God in the world. In the western (Roman) tradition, from which Protestantism sprang, it commemorates the coming of the wise men--which supports my contention that the wise men were not at the birth! Gentiles from a faraway land came and announced just who this child was to those in Israel who had ears to hear. In the eastern (Byzantine, or Orthodox) tradition, it is a general celebration of all the ways Jesus was manifested as God in the flesh (they call it "theophany"--God manifestation). This includes the birth, the Magi's visit, and Jesus' baptism by John.

What was the point of this celebration? The fact that God's redemption plan was NOT some sort of secret wisdom hidden from view, but that it was manifested. Paul spoke of this in his "mystery" references (remember Ephesians 3:1-13)--God's plan of redemption hinted at in ages past now revealed in Christ Jesus. He was to be a light dawning on the people walking in darkness (look up Isaiah 9:1-7).

If Advent begins the story with anticipation and waiting, and Christmas tells us the promise is fulfilled, then Epiphany becomes the unfolding of this promised light--the beginnings of the ministry of Jesus preaching the gospel of repentance.

John's introduction of his Gospel speaks of this powerfully:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... (vv. 1-5)

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (v. 9)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (v. 14)

May your Epiphany day, and every day be one where the light of Christ shines to you, in you, and through you!

Another good Bible reading program

2011-01-05T16:01:00.000-05:00

The Gospel Coalition has another great Bible reading program to add to our suggested resources. Click the title, or click here to find it--it is through the Bible in two years, with repeats of the psalms. A special feature is that it is driven by literary units/stories, not just chapters. Take a look!

A Call to be "Radical"

2011-01-05T10:06:00.000-05:00

I'm currently reading the book, Radical, Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream, by David Platt. It is an excellent book in many ways, and it certainly will provoke a lot of people, both positively and negatively. I find it uncomfortable, in a good sense. Platt makes me ask if I am defining my expectations of Christian living through the lenses of American concepts, rather than biblical ones. I'm only half way through, so I can't review it yet. I can tell you that it is worth the time to read.

However, I read a section that had generated some negative comments in otherwise glowing reviews, and came across this review by Kevin DeYoung, with responses from David Platt. It is an example of careful analysis, as well as thoughtful and charitable response. I was almost as blessed by this interchange as I have been by the book.

Moving the Blog to Blogger

2011-01-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

Because creating and editing my blog has become much easier to do through blogger.com, I have decided to move "The Village Pastor" here. This site hosts my other blog, and gives much more functionality to the site. Previous posts (before today's date) will still be available at the old site.

Following up on the Bible Reading sermon

2011-01-03T13:06:00.000-05:00

If you wanted to check out any of the resources mentioned in yesterday's messge, click on the title of this post, or click here to get to the audio, outline, and additional helps mentioned.

And let me add two additional encouraging words for you.

First, if you miss a day, or two, or a week, DON'T QUIT. As soon as you realize this and want to get back to it, start where you left off. Don't let guillt keep you away--that is Satan's tool, not God's, in this case. I miss from time to time, and so does everybody else, I imagine. If you don't, then I want to learn from you--seriously! Vacations and times when my schedule is not my own are especially hard on consistency.

Second, if I didn't mention this in your service--choose a version you want to read and find helpful to read. For reading (not in-depth study) you can use the ESV, the NIV, the Message, the NLT, the NASB, the HCSB, the KJV, the NKJV--you name it, as long as it is a translation that seeks to be faithful to the meaning of the original text. All these are translations--from very free (the Message) to very literal (the NASB). After you get going at this, you may change versions if you are covering similar ground to have the Word speak in fresh ways to your heart.

If you went to a Grace Group after the messge, then you know that one of the matters we hope to instill in our community groups is accountability. Can I encourage you to have others who ask you how your reading is going? It is a way fellow believers can encourage and exhort each other to keep it up.

I'm praying for you all this week, that you will be reading and having God teach you this week!